Yay! New chapter! I really like this one. But some notes before you read it:

There are three parts to this chapter. Each part focuses on a different set of characters: Brock and Holly, Ash and Misty, Paul and Dawn. Separating each part is a little divider that looks like so: xxooxxooxxooxx So when you see that, keep in mind that you're moving to a different place with different characters. It's not too hard to follow. ^^

Enjoy~!
-xxGlassRose :)

~It Must Be the Sunshine, Chapter Six~

Brock looked at his shoulder and smiled. He had never been so happy in his life. After all this time, he'd finally scored a girl! And not to mention a good-looking one. She had her head on his shoulder and they sat on a bench near the center of the park, paying no mind to anyone who passed by.

"Hmm…" went Holly's contented sigh. She had missed Brock so much when she left Hearthome City. It was amazing that she had finally found him again, and even more amazing that he was willing to take her as his girlfriend.

"Hey, Holly?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to go do something?" Brock asked.

"Hmm… Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something a guy might do with his girlfriend." The word "girlfriend" felt so good coming out of Brock's mouth.

"We could go get milkshakes," Holly suggested, moving away from Brock a little.

"Yeah!" Brock said, standing up and pumping a fist. "That so sounds like something a guy would do with his girlfriend!"

"Brock, you're weirding me out a little."

"Sorry."

"'T's alright," she said as she stood up and stretched. "There's an ice cream place that I know of not too far from here that makes a killer milkshake. You ready?"

"Yeah." Brock nervously reached down and grabbed Holly's hand. To his delight she didn't mind.

The ice cream shop had seen many young couples come through their store. But very few looked as happy as Brock and Holly did.

They left the shop holding hands.

"So Brock, what do you want to do tomorrow?" Holly asked.

"I don't know. Did you have plans?"

"Well, there's this super-romantic day cruise out on the ocean."

"That sounds awesome!" Brock said. "Honestly, Holly, I'd do just about anything if I'm doing it with you." Holly blushed.

"Brock that's really sweet."

"I can be really sweet," he said, taking a step towards her. "I've just never had a girlfriend before."

"That means you must have a lot of sweetness saved up for me!" Holly joked, giggling a little.

"You bet," Brock said smoothly as he placed his arm around Holly's shoulder.

xxooxxooxxooxx

"Gah, Misty, stop it!" Ash laughed as another cool splash hit his face. Misty laughed even harder as she scooped up more water. But Ash splashed her first.

"Ha!" Misty laughed as she moved the wet hair out of her face.

"Man, Misty, we're getting so wet."

"Do you wanna stop?" Misty asked. She was about to get up when another handful of water splashed her face. Ash was laughing hard at his dripping friend.

"I'm sorry, Misty, but I can't stop laughing!" Ash fell over on the soft sand holding his sides. He stared up at the sky. It looked just about perfect. There were only a few clouds and the ones present looked soft, like you could fall right into them.

"I haven't done something like this in a long time." Ash turned his head to see Misty lying right by him. "Just look up at the sky like this."

"I haven't either," Ash admitted. "It's really nice."

"Hey, Ash?" Misty asked after a while.

"Hm?"

"Where do you think everyone is?" It just then registered in Ash's brain that he hadn't seen Brock most of the day. And he hadn't seen Dawn in a while either, unless that was really Dawn he saw from the sky.

"I don't know. But does it really matter?"

"Huh?" Misty asked, rolling over to face Ash. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"They're probably out there having a good time. And that's what we're doing, right? Misty, I haven't been able to spend time with you in ages. And even then, we never got much time to spend just by ourselves." Ash let out a heavy sigh. "Misty, I don't know how long you'll be able to stay. So that means we should spend plenty of time together before you have to leave town." Ash's last words pained him. He didn't want to even think about Misty ever having to leave him again. He didn't want her to. But Ash knew good and well they couldn't stay forever like this. Still, if he had the choice he would. They would stay at the beach with the warm sun and the calming waves. They'd spend their nights at the Pokémon Center or camping out wherever. They'd battle the Trainers coming through town and they'd be happy. Happy forever. Or at least that's how it worked in Ash's mind.

He wanted to do big things. Like travel to other regions and battle all kinds of people and win a Pokémon League. And achieve his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. But it was so nice to slow down that he wasn't sure what he wanted right then.

Misty delicately dipped her foot in the water. Ash had his kicking the ocean. They sat together and watched the sun go down on the wooden dock. The two had been talking, but the sight was so beautiful that they soon were silent. Boats of all sizes bobbed in the harbor and everything had a golden glow to it. Ash's thoughts were simple. All he was thinking was,

"I think I could stay like this forever."

xxooxxooxxooxx

Dawn felt the sun streak her face. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of the grass and enjoyed its touch as she lay down on it.

When she opened her eyes, she glanced over at Paul, who was sitting about two feet away. He was looking up at the sky and appeared to be deep in thought. Paul had never struck Dawn as a thinker, but she realized that he must sit back and just think often since he was such a great battle strategist.

She closed her eyes again, and would have fallen asleep too if it weren't for a helpful nudge.

"Are you sleeping? Wake up," Paul said as he shook Dawn's shoulder. Dawn shot up.

"Whoa! What are you doing?"

"Keeping you from falling asleep out here."

"Oh," Dawn said as she got up and brushed off her skirt. "Thanks."

"Do you want to go back?" Paul asked. Inwardly Dawn didn't want to. She wanted to stay on the hill looking over the ocean forever. But still, she said,

"Um, yeah. Let's go."

Dawn looked over the hills that led down to the beaches. There was a stirring breeze in the air that blew the scent of the ocean around.

On a cliff there was a single violet that danced in the wind. When Dawn saw it, she immediately wanted to have it.

Straying from the path, she ran over to the cliff and gazed up at it.

"What are you doing?" Paul walked over and tried to see what had Dawn so distracted.

"That." She pointed up to the delicate violet. "I'm gonna get it!" She grabbed a vine on the cliff and pulled herself up. "Almost… Ah!" Dawn screamed as she fell to the ground. Paul watched as she tried again.

"You really want that flower, don't you?"

"I think it's pretty!" Dawn said roughly as her foot slipped down. "You probably think this is pathetic of me…"

"Move."

"What?" This break in concentration caused Dawn to slip down again.

"I said move." Dawn was confused, but complied. Paul lifted himself up with a different vine, managed to find footing, and picked the flower. Dawn was amazed. He had never struck her as athletic either, but he must be, because he had been able to work his way down a cliff once without getting harmed.

When Paul got down from the rock wall, he handed the flower to Dawn.

"Um, thank you," she said, nervously blushing.

"Yeah." Paul turned back to the path and continued walking with Dawn following close behind.

The next time Dawn glanced up at the sky, it was golden. But the simple idea of this day ending was a bit saddening.

"Come on, Dawn! Just don't think about it!" she yelled at herself.

"It's getting late."

"Huh?" Dawn snapped from her thoughts.

"I said it's getting late. You don't hear me much, do you? I repeat myself a lot around you."

"Well, excuse me for needing to hear things twice!" Dawn said, putting her hands on her hips. "You're not exactly the most talkative guy…"

"Then what am I?" Dawn, taken aback by his question, moved back even more when Paul stepped closer to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked. He took another step towards her and moved his face closer to hers. Dawn turned redder than the setting sun.

After a few seconds, Paul smirked and moved back. He turned around and continued walking along the path.

And Dawn stood behind, flustered out of her mind.

"What was that for?" she yelled as she ran to catch up with him.

"Heh, nothing."

"And there you are, back to your same old self," she muttered under her breath.

"So I guess this is goodbye?" Dawn asked. The sun was almost down and the cool breeze stirred leaves around her feet. All around them people were beginning to leave the festival and go on their way.

"I'm not leaving town or anything. I'll still be here tomorrow," Paul said.

"Will I be able to see you tomorrow?"

"If you want to."

"I want to."

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow," Paul said, smirking. He turned around and began to walk away.

"Bye, Paul! See you tomorrow!" Dawn called out, waving. Paul, without turning around, waved back.

"Dawn. She really is a crazy girl," he thought to himself as he walked. "But for some reason I like being around her."

Dawn fingered the delicate violet in her hands.

"I'm really glad he gave me this. It was so nice of him to get it for me," she thought happily. "Funny. Yesterday I didn't even know Paul could be so nice." With every step Dawn grew more pensive. And soon, she found herself staring out at the sea.

The hill Dawn walked along had a sidewalk and the edge was lined by short evergreen trees. She was lost in though until she spotted two familiar figures on a dock below.

When she recognized them, she smiled to herself. They seemed to be laughing about something.

"Oh, Ash, you've fallen hard," Dawn said to herself as she watched the two figures on the dock.