Hi guys, I'm back with Chapter 10! It's not super Pearlshippy, more filler stuff in preparation for the next chapter, but I hope you guys like it anyway! So, here it is!
Disclaimer: Nope, Pokémon still isn't mine
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"What are you going to do for Dawn?" Drew asked Ash as they walked through the streets of Castelia City. "She and Barry are leaving tomorrow. You have to do something special."
"Yeah, for sure!" Iris agreed. "All girls love getting gifts."
"It worked for Drew," May said, winking. "All those roses paid off in the end."
"I just don't really know what Dawn would want," Ash replied, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Get her something cute. Dawn's a sucker for anything cute," Drew shrugged.
"What do you mean cute?" Ash asked. "Like a Pokémon? She's always saying Pikachu's cute." Ash pointed to Pikachu, who was perched on his head.
"Like a stuffed Cubchoo bear or something!" Iris said, rolling her eyes.
"That's so cliché," Drew scoffed. "It has to have more meaning than a…cheesy carnival prize."
"Something personal," May advised kindly. "If you give her a gift that's special to both of you, I know Dawn will love it."
Ash thought about it. His eyes brightened. "I've got an idea!"
He ran off, Pikachu nearly falling off his head in the process. The other three just stared in the direction he had taken off in.
"I wonder what his idea was," Iris said.
"Knowing Ash, it'll be really creative," May replied, smiling.
"For Dawn's sake, I hope it's not too creative," Drew sighed.
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"Do you think I should bring a new set of clothes to Kanto?" Dawn asked Barry.
Barry rolled his eyes. "No! What's the point? It's just a waste of money."
"Well, fine. But we definitely have to bring back some gifts from Unova to give to our friends in Sinnoh," Dawn said. "We have to get stuff for my mom, and your mom and dad, Professor Rowan, Lucas, Gary, Kenny, Leona, Zoey, Nando—"
"Okay, okay! Slow down, Dawn. We don't need to give a gift to everyone in Sinnoh!"
"That's it, I promise!"
"Okay, then we'd better find something for everyone fast," Barry told her.
"Well, this apron is perfect for my mom," Dawn said brightly, holding up a light blue flowered apron. "Her old one has been getting pretty messy."
"Who can blame her? We ask her to make us cookies every time we hang out at your house."
"We ask her? It's always you, Barry," Dawn laughed.
"Well, I wanna get my mom a new set of china after I broke her old one. And my dad…"
"Palmer needs some new battling gloves, right?" Dawn said. She tilted her head in confusion. "Wait. How did you break a whole set of your mom's china?"
Barry rubbed his head sheepishly. "Uhh, let's just say that throwing china plates in the air is a really good way to practice your Pokémon's aim."
Dawn shook her head. "Wow, Barry."
"Hey, when you want to help your Pokémon get stronger, your mom's china isn't at the top of the importance list!" Barry defended.
"Do you think we'll need coats in Kanto?" Dawn asked him. "Maybe it's cold?"
"Nah, we don't need coats," Barry replied offhandedly, shifting through the gloves to find a pair to give to his dad.
"If it turns out that it gets really cold one night, I'm so allowed to steal your extra blanket and your jacket."
Barry rolled his eyes. "Fine, whatever you want, Dawn. As long as you don't sleep with me."
"Why would I do that?" Dawn asked. "I do understand your whole "stay out of my personal space" issue. And besides, we used to sleep in the same bed when we were kids. It's not like you wouldn't be used to it."
"That's different," Barry insisted. "That was when we were little and best friends and didn't know any better."
Dawn grinned at her friend's reddening ears. "Oh, when we were best friends? Are you saying we're not best friends now?"
Dawn giggled when she saw the way Barry's blush traveled from his ears to his cheeks as well. "Dawn! Stop messing with me! I'm going to fine you a million dollars!"
"Serves you right for saying my hair looked like a Starly nest this morning!" Dawn said, teasingly jabbing Barry's side with her elbow.
"Well, it was true!" Barry crossed his arms and smiled mischievously. "And if we really are best friends, then why don't you tell me what's going on between you and Ash?"
This time it was Dawn's turn to blush. "Oh. That. Well, I really like him…"
"And he really likes you," Barry said. "It was pretty obvious since even I could tell."
Dawn looked away, embarrassed, and continued to sift through the hats. She cleared her throat and picked up a matching navy blue beret and scarf set. "Don't you think this is perfect for Lucas?"
"It is," Barry admitted as Dawn placed the set in his hands. "But you're avoiding my questions. So, best friend, are you and Ash officially together now?"
"I…I think so. I'm not sure, actually, but I guess we are," Dawn answered, now moving on to the book section of the store.
"What do you mean you're not sure? How can you not be sure about your own relationship?"
"I just don't know! I mean, Ash might not be okay with making it official and I don't want to claim something he doesn't agree with," Dawn explained, putting a Unova edition Pokémon mythology book in Barry's hands as well.
"What's this for?" Barry asked.
"That's for Gary. And this one is for Professor Rowan," Dawn said, adding a book about the Pokémon of Unova to the stack of gifts Barry was holding.
Dawn proceeded to the toy section and grabbed a stuffed Purrloin and a stuffed Cottonee. "Those are for Zoey and Leona."
She also found a harp shaped like a Meloetta for Nando, a set of china for Barry's mom, and an Oshawott keychain for Kenny. By the time Dawn had finished gift shopping, Barry was struggling to balance all of the presents in his arms.
"Please tell me that this is all we're going to get," Barry said.
"Unless you want to get something for the gym leaders—"
"No!" Barry quickly answered, hurrying to the counter to drop all the gifts. Dawn paid for everything and she and Barry left the gift shop.
"Why don't you ask Ash whether or not you're in a relationship?" Barry questioned.
Dawn's face turned bright pink again. "You're still worrying about that?"
"Yes! How else am I supposed to tell your mom all about it if I don't have all the facts straight?" Barry teased.
"Barry!" Dawn groaned. "I swear, if you tell my mom anything, I will personally—"
"Jeez, I was just kidding, Dawn. No need to worry," Barry said, grinning.
Dawn just smiled and shook her head. "You are so annoying."
"But you're my best friend anyway!" Barry laughed.
"Whatever. And if you really want me to, I'll ask Ash about it," Dawn told him, trying to act nonchalant.
"Oh, don't think for a second that you're fooling me with your "if you really want me to" line. You wanna know even more than I do!"
"I'm not going to deny it," Dawn shrugged. She looked at her Poketch. "We should be heading back to the Pokémon Center. We still have to drop off all our bags and meet up with the others."
"Okay. I'll race you!" Barry said, sprinting in the direction of the Pokémon Center.
Dawn struggled to hold all the bags and run after him. "Barry! Barry, wait up!"
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"That's pretty detailed," the woman at the store counter told Ash. "It might cost you a lot of money. And you want it by tomorrow morning? That might cost a little extra too."
Ash nodded. "It doesn't matter how much it'll cost. I'll pay for it, I promise."
"Hmm, you must really like this girl if you're going to such great lengths to get this present for her," the lady said, writing out the rest of Ash's specifications.
Ash scratched his head embarrassedly. "Yeah, I do. But she definitely deserves it, right Pikachu?"
The electric Pokémon nodded his head in agreement. "Pika!"
"Lucky girl to have such a nice guy like you," the lady told him, smiling. "Now, I'll ring up the Pokémon Center when it's ready, okay?"
"Thanks!" Ash called, hurrying out of the jewelry store.
"You think Dawn'll like her gift?" Ash asked Pikachu.
"Chu! Pikachu!" Pikachu replied brightly.
"I hope you're right! But hey, anything's better than a 'cheesy carnival prize,' right?"
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Sooo,that was Chapter 10! Yeah, that was mostly a bunch of Dawn and Barry shopping...not too exciting, huh? :P Well, next chapter's most likely gonna be the last one, so I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has read this story, or faved it, or reviewed. Especially big thanks to anyone who has been bearing with me this whole time! And don't forget to review! :)
