Dreams...

In a Saffron City studio, Dawn wept. The tribulations of her chosen profession had finally become too much to cope with. She was without friends and on a career path that she no longer wanted.

Her tears warped her makeup into a terrible mess. Her mascara ran down her cheeks, but she didn't care. After six years, she was finally going to let her emotions show, and she didn't care who was around or what she should be doing.

Her first adult modeling job was about to take place, and because Ash was gone, she had no one to comfort her.

He must hate me, she thought miserably. It had been her fault, of course. She had decided to skip seeing him. He had every right to be angry. And now, she would never have a chance to apologize.

A makeup artist burst in and began fretting about, scolding her for ruining her makeup. It had to be reapplied, which took the better part of an hour, considering how much of her body needed to be covered.

By now, the shoot had been seriously delayed. The company had sent several messengers to the room telling them to hurry up, but the artist had chased them all away, screaming for enough time to make Dawn's appearance perfect.

Finally, Aphrodite appeared in person, told the artist that Dawn looked fine, and ordered the blue haired girl to follow her. Dawn put a dull pink bathrobe on and followed her mentor to the set.

She was led to a stage surrounded by cameras and lights. Unlike shoots she had done before, this one had a lot of extra men watching, and Dawn had a sudden realization that they weren't regular employees.

The director started running around her, positioning her body on the set in a myriad of ways. Finally, he settled on a pose he particularly liked and decided to take some test pictures before having the girl remove her robe. Dawn felt the tears welling up inside of her, but choked them down, desperate to preserve as much of her pride as possible. If she had to do it, she wouldn't show her fear.

Just as the camera was about to begin taking pictures, the doors opened and three men burst through. Dawn, who was blinded by the lighting to all that was around her, couldn't make out their faces. Their distinctive voices, however, soon gave them away.

"Madame Aphrodite," a powerful voice announced. Dawn racked her memory to think of where she had last heard it. Her mouth opened in surprise as she realized it was Looker, the International Police Officer she met during her first adventure in Sinnoh. "You are under arrest for exploitation of your models and under suspicion of your involvement with Cipher under the name Venus."

The suspected woman stood in the corner of the set, staring defiantly at the newcomers. Dawn stared at her mentor, shocked that such a claim could be true. But she had learned in the past few days that Aphrodite was certainly more than she seemed to be. And a second later, the accusations were validated as the woman stepped toward Dawn. She released a Pokémon and hissed, "Remain silent," to Dawn.

"Blissey, go!" Venus cried, her usually tempered voice cracking. Her pink Pokémon launched itself at the three men.

"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" familiar voice immediately ordered.

The electric attack slowed Blissey but didn't stop it. With so much vitality, it would take far more fighting for the powerful normal-type Pokémon to fall.

"Unhand her now," Ash's voice clearly ordered. Dawn's heart leapt as her best friend's face became visible under the stage lights.

With one last glance at her "Jewel of Sinnoh," Venus took off up a nearby flight of stairs, apparently in an attempt to escape. The Pokémon Champion approached his friend, who was still lying on the floor, ready for the shoot that was never to come.

"Ash?" she mumbled, stunned by his sudden reappearance. It was the very thing she had been hoping for, but it had seemed so impossible.

He hushed her, putting his arms around her. "It's okay," he whispered in her ear. "I forgive you if you forgive me."

"I do. Thank you."

"Wait here, where it's safe," he told her.

He pursued Venus up the stairs. Dawn waited as she was instructed, watching Looker and the mysterious other man accosting everyone in the room for their involvement with Aphrodite Interregional. Ash would take care of Venus, just as he promised.

No, she decided, her anger building as she thought of how Aphrodite had isolated her from her friends, from Ash. If he's going after her, I need to help him.

Dawn dashed up the stairs until she reached the roof, where she was immediately assaulted by the auburn-haired woman.

The young model, weak from the strict diets she was subjected to, couldn't fight off the older woman's attack. Venus grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to the edge of the building.

"You won't survive this," Venus yelled insanely.

Ash finally reached the top of the building, after having searched the building's other floors first. Now that evil woman was on the roof, there was nowhere to escape to. Lady Venus was trapped like a cornered Rattata. She would be relatively easy to catch, but more dangerous in the meantime.

"Her life is in my hands," Venus reminded him, pushing Dawn closer to the edge for added effect. "Allow me to leave and I'll allow her to live."

"I would never risk Dawn's life," Ash replied obstinately. "But I would let her chose what to do with it."

He drew from his pocket the Pokéball he had asked Professor Rowan to send. He threw it to Dawn, hoping his plan would work. Although she teetered dangerously on the edge of the building, she managed to catch it.

She threw the ball just at the hem of Venus' dress. Her beloved Piplup emerged. Dawn was surprised and overjoyed by the return of her original partner, and let out a cheer. The appearance of the water type surprised the villainess, however, and she kicked him away from the edge.

"Attack me and I'll push your trainer," Venus threatened the tiny penguin.

Piplup looked from one woman to the other, and then at Ash. His face showed a mixture of elation to see Dawn and uncertainty about what to do. But his trainer attracted his attention and started talking to him.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Dawn smiled at her first Pokémon. "I'm really sorry that these are the conditions we're meeting again under. Remember our last contest in Hoenn?" she asked. "I wish I had stayed with you guys. My life really took dive after I left you. I hope you've been icer off than I have beam."

"Enough with this chatting," Venus jeered. Turning to Ash, she scowled. "Let us escape, boy. Her life is in your hands."

Ash hesitated, not willing to let the crooked woman to escape. But her life was in Venus' hands, and it seemed unlikely that he and Piplup would be able to help her at this point.

But Dawn was able to take advantage of Venus' divided attention. She put her arms around the woman's waist, linking the destinies of the two women balancing precariously on the edge.

"Do it," Dawn insisted, gazing at her beloved Piplup.

Ash stared at her dumbfounded, realizing what was about to happen. "No!" he shouted, but it was too late. The little penguin blasted the women with a powerful water attack, knocking them off their balance. The women and the Pokémon all fell off the building together, and out of Ash's line of sight.

He ran to the edge, terrified of what he was going to see.

From the edge of the building to the street below, there was a long ramp of ice. Piplup had apparently created it during the fall. At the bottom, Dawn crouched over Venus' form, weakened but victorious.

Ash hadn't picked up on it, but Dawn must have somehow given Piplup a command. In her final words, she had directed him to use a combination move that he had mastered six years ago: the Ice Slide.

The champion dashed down the fire escape that was attached to the side of the building. As soon as he reached the bottom, he slipped handcuffs around Venus' wrists. She struggled, but both of the women were too shaken by their fall to do much. Looker and Wes appeared and took her into their custody. Ash moved over to Dawn. She was alive and awake, but the fall had still been rough for her. Her wrist was swelling and bloody, and there were some nasty cuts all over her body.

"Ash…" she smiled weakly at his presence.

"Dawn, you were fantastic," he grinned down at her.

"Th… thank you." Her eyes closed, and she passed out from the trauma.

Looker again approached the two friends, beaming at them.

"What now?" Ash asked him, cradling Dawn's unconscious body.

"Time to go home," Looker said proudly. "She did a great thing today."

"I know," Ash responded. "But everything she does is great."

"Fair enough," the police officer acknowledged.

A few feet away, Wes was escorting Venus to a police vehicle to take her to prison.

"Been a long time, hasn't it?" he whispered in her ear, maintaining the same deadly solemnity as always.

"Indeed, brat," she hissed back. "You are still fighting for justice, I notice."

"It is my eternal penance," he said softly, shaking his head. She would never understand how he had been changed during the Cipher War.

The former Snagem member shoved her in the car and slammed the door. Staring at nothing in particular, he smiled for one of the few times in his life.

"Rui, I'm coming home."


Later that evening, at the International Police Headquarters, Dawn sat in a waiting room, covered in a warm blanket. After her fall, Looker had insisted on taking her back to testify and receive medical treatment. The medical staff at the headquarters had bandaged her sprained wrist and treated many of the bruises she received during her fall.

They had allowed her to keep Piplup by her side and she was catching up with him, asking about all the things he had done while she was away. She was so grateful he wasn't still mad at her for leaving.

The door opened, and a friendly face entered.

"How are you?" Ash asked, sitting down in a chair opposite hers. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and over to Piplup. They went to sit in a corner, giving their trainers some time alone.

"Better. Thanks for coming after me."

"Dawn, I'd always come after you. I promise I'll never let you down again."

She sighed, having finally realized his level of devotion to her. It was something she could never return, at least not for a long while. "After everything I went through… I want a friend. More than anything else, I just want a friend. I'm sorry if you want something more, but right now, that's all I can handle. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't say that," he told her, wiping away a tear. "Don't apologize. It's okay. I understand. I want to be your friend, and I want to be there for you like I should have been a long time ago. If we're friends, then I'm as happy as I could be."

"Ash…"

"Dawn, I never meant for any of this to happen to you. I never should have told you to do something that meant giving up everything you loved.

"No, Ash. You told me to follow my dreams. I just wish I knew the dangers of blindly following my heart."

"What happened doesn't matter anymore," he smiled. "You're free from that life. You've got Piplip and your Pokémon back. We're together again."

She laughed hollowly, the pain of many years still weighing on her emotions. "Dreams change, I guess. I used to want to be a model. But do you know what? Last night, I dreamed about this. I dreamed about things being the way they used to be. And I'm happier right now than I've been in years."

Tears streamed steadily from her eyes. Ash looked at the overwhelmed girl, not caring about anything but her safety and happiness. She would need time to recover, and until then, he would be there for her in any way he could be.

He put his arms around her and they waited – together at last – for the police to return.


Far away in Goldenrod City, Sally watched from her diner as a deal was signed with the Johto Historic Preservation Association to restore the Radio Tower to its former glory. She smiled, thinking of the two friends whose lives she had become entwined within.

It warmed her heart to think of them: friends forever, chasers of their dreams.

Fin.


Author's Note: Thanks for reading. This marks the conclusion of my first fan fiction. It was designed as a simple tale, in contrast with my ongoing epic The Journey Never Ends. Dreams and friends are two of the greatest gifts that we will ever be given, and sometimes people need friends more than relationships. If you enjoyed reading this, write me a review and try reading one of my other fan fictions. I really appreciate everything from readers so much.

Chase your dreams in this New Year, but never forget where you came from or who will always be there to support you. Thank you all for everything. – Waras