A/N: Hello, here is Chapter 10! Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
Chapter 10: The Pretty Feather Necklace
Dawn steadily made her way down the stairs of the Pokémon Center. She saw Ash and the others waiting with Iris joining them. Dawn was glad that they were staying in the same area for more than one day. It wasn't easy travelling so quickly to different places all the time. When she reached Ash she gently tapped him on the shoulder to let him know she was there. He spun around to face her with a smile.
"Dawn, great timing!" Ash said, seeming to be in a brighter mood. "Are you ready to go then?"
Dawn hummed a reply as she nodded her head. She noticed Iris had appeared in front of her and was looking up at her sweetly.
"I heard about the pretty feathers you have!" Iris said excitedly. "Nice to meet you, Princess Dawn." She added politely, bowing her head.
"You as well, Iris," Dawn smiled. "I'm grateful that you want to help."
"I tried to tell her to stay behind but she wouldn't listen!" Gary said, rubbing his forehead. Brock chuckled.
"I don't think you'll be able to change her mind." He said, picking Jigglypuff up from the ground. "Right, Iris?"
"Yep!" Iris said, grinning at Brock.
Even though she was only at a very young age, Iris was determined to help Dawn and her friends. She understood how important it was after listening carefully to what Brock and Gary had told her. As everyone set foot outside and Iris was the first one out of the door. She threw her arms up above her head and was eager to go on an adventure! She stopped and turned around to see the others looking around.
Ash turned his attention to Jigglypuff when he felt it pat his shoe. He knelt down and saw its eyes open really wide. Then he remembered what it meant.
"There's a feather here somewhere?" Ash asked and Jigglypuff nodded.
Nobody knew where the feather's exact location was because Jigglypuff couldn't give that much information. The only option was to look around. Ash got out a PokéBall, deciding it would be easier if his Pokémon helped.
"Charizard, come and give us a hand!"
Charizard came from its PokéBall and let out a loud 'roar' as it landed on the ground. Ash winced but grinned at his powerful Pokémon. He knew Charizard had lots of experience and would be able to spot the feather from above.
"Please help up look for a feather, Charizard." Ash said. He watched it take off in the sky and turned back to everyone else.
"Your Pokémon is so cool, Ash!" Iris exclaimed. Ash laughed and thanked her.
They weren't sure whether to split up to search. It would be difficult to let each other know if the feather did happen to be found. Everyone decided to stick together and let Iris tell them about where they were.
"This is Driftveil City! There are lots of shops and...stuff to go in and buy!" Iris explained, often pointing around to show them.
Ash stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Dawn staring in a shop window. He walked up to her and stood beside her. Ash glanced at everything in the window but something caught his eye. He peered at the golden-colored necklace that was in the center of the entire display. It had a sapphire jewel on it with a small gold heart hanging from the bottom. Two smaller sapphires were on either side of the large sapphire and it glistened in the light. Ash looked at Dawn who was still smiling as she looked at all the items.
"Which one do you like?" Ash asked, looking back at the shop window again.
Dawn pointed to the sapphire necklace Ash had spotted and her smile grew.
"It's pretty," She said quietly, returning her arm to her side. Ash nodded in agreement.
Brock, Gary and Iris came behind them and exchanged glances. Brock sighed but smiled as he tapped Ash and Dawn's shoulders.
"We can shop later but...don't we have something else to do?" He asked, smiling as he did.
They carried on roaming the streets that had shops, houses and residents everywhere. Ash took hold of Dawn's hand and slowly led her to catch up with everyone else who were ahead. They came to a dock that had a large ship by it. Iris said that these huge ships come in very often with all sorts of different things. Driftveil's docks were very famous and very useful. Iris pointed out to a lighthouse that wasn't far across the water.
"I can see that lighthouse from my window at night! It has a bright light that shines out." Iris said, walking along afterwards.
Ash and co. followed her and soon they came to a bustling market. It was so busy and none of them felt like making their way through it. Iris placed her hands on her hips and frowned.
"We've been everywhere I know and we still haven't found the pretty feather...!" Iris moaned, going up to Dawn and looking up to her. "Sorry, Dawn."
Dawn knelt down and comfortingly placed a hand on Iris' shoulder. "Don't be, it's alright." She gave her a warm smile. "No need to worry."
Ash gasped quietly and turned to Dawn. She used to say that catchphrase so many times before! He was overjoyed that at least Dawn remembered that. Ash loved hearing her say it to him. It always made him feel better when Dawn told him that. She made Ash even happier when she flashed him a reassuring smile too.
Dawn stood up and followed everyone else who were turning back to head the way they came. Iris rushed in front and led the way back to the docks. Just as they were passing by, Ash stared at the sky to see Charizard approach them. He paced a few steps backwards to let Charizard land in front of him.
"Did you find the feather?!" Ash shouted up at his Pokémon with a hint of hope.
Charizard nodded and pointed to the left. Ash grinned and called out to Dawn, Brock, Gary and Iris. They turned to him and saw Charizard. Smiles spread across their faces as Ash told them that Charizard had found the feather. Iris squealed with glee and ran along with everyone as they followed Charizard. When it stopped, Ash returned it to its PokéBall and stared up at what stood before them.
They stood in front of a shop that sold jewelry and other goods. It had a large door that Ash cautiously opened. They all stepped inside and became aware of their surroundings. The shop had an antique feel to it with its wooden flooring and walls. As well as the dimmed lamp that barely gave any light to the store. Ash followed Jigglypuff who led him to where the feather was. Jigglypuff's eyes were wide but returned to normal when it stood underneath a shelf. Ash glanced at the things on the shelf and gasped when he say a necklace with the feather attached to it! He carefully took it off the cushion it was on and held it in his hands. Iris peered at it and smiled.
"It is a pretty feather," She said and trailed behind Ash as he walked up to the person at the counter.
A woman with long black hair sat behind the counter and was writing something on a piece of paper with an ink pen. She sensed Ash coming towards her and she looked up at him. Her bracelets and necklaces rattled and jingled as she sat up from her previous hunched position.
"...Can I help you?" The woman asked. She then noticed the feather necklace Ash had in his hands and gasped.
"I would like to buy this, please." Ash said, placing the necklace slowly on the counter. He reached into his pocket to see how much money he had.
Dawn, Iris, Brock and Gary came to stand behind Ash, all watching anxiously. Brock hadn't been keeping track of how much money they had. What's more, the woman didn't say how much it would cost yet. She took the necklace and held it close to her.
"T-this is a...valued piece of jewelry," She began, glancing at Ash and the necklace a few times. "The price will be...rather high."
"I will pay however much you want." Ash said persistently.
He placed a few coins on the counter in front of him and realized it wouldn't be enough. He let out a groan under his breath. Iris walked up to the counter and placed two coins on it. She pushed it towards Ash's money, only just being able to reach above the counter. Ash stared at it for a moment then at Iris. She smiled up at him sweetly.
"My pocket-money." Iris said and Ash's eyes widened slightly. "I want to put it for Dawn's pretty feather."
Ash got down on the floor so that he was eye-level with Iris. He smiled at the small child and she returned it heartily. The woman at the counter took notice of what was going on and set the necklace down again.
"Iris, thank you but this is your money. You spend it on what you want." Ash said. He was about to reach up and return it to her but she stopped him.
"I want to spend it on this." Iris said. She smiled and Ash knew she meant what she said.
Ash eventually gave in but promised he would give the necklace to Iris after the feather was given to Dawn. It was only the feather they wanted so it was only fair to give Iris something in return for her generosity. Ash turned back to the woman, awaiting her response.
"Is this enough?" He asked but he felt doubtful all of a sudden. There was a long pause before the woman spoke.
"I'm sorry..." She said with a nervous expression. "You're only slightly short...slightly."
"Is there a way to make up for it?" Ash asked, glancing at Iris. He could also see Dawn looking at the floor out of the corner of his eye.
"You really want this, don't you?" The woman said and Ash nodded determinedly. "There is a small task you could do for me to pay for this." She added, putting the necklace behind her.
"What would you want me to do?" Ash said, still eyeing the necklace.
"I'll help, too." Brock added, raising his hand in the air. Ash turned to him and smiled as a 'thank you'.
Gary and Iris decided they would also help out. Dawn wanted to as well and Ash looked at the shop worker again. He figured that she took her time answering questions. As long as he got an answer, Ash didn't mind waiting.
"Team work...well then," The woman said eventually. "Could you run this store for me? Until 5 o'clock this evening? Since I am the owner of this store, I will have to attend to other things...I think I can trust you..."
"Yeah, you can trust us!" Gary said, hurrying her out of the door. "We can do this easily."
She nodded and walked away. Gary closed the door after her and sighed. Brock did the same and the room was silent of a short moment.
"All of this effort just for the feather?" Dawn asked, glancing quickly at the ceiling.
"Yes, it's only two hours we have to do this so..." Ash began, smiling at Dawn. "No need to worry."
She returned the smile when she heard this and that was when Dawn knew everything would be okay. For today, at least. Iris stretched towards an empty shelf and rubbed one of her fingers across it. She brought her finger back down to look at it and she saw that dust covered it. Iris blew the dust off of her finger and looked at the others.
"This place isn't very clean." She said, staring at the dust-covered shelf.
"You're right," Brock agreed, looking at the small window in the door which was almost unable to see out of.
Gary sighed heavily when he reentered the room holding a bucket of water. Jigglypuff appeared beside him, holding a feather duster in one hand. The other was holding a mop that Ash took.
"Let's get going then!"
.: ~ * ~ :.
Around an hour later, the store was sparkling clean but there hadn't been a single customer at all just yet. Everyone was proud of their hard work and deserved a rest. They made their way into the room at the back. It looked like a good place to sit back and relax. There were many chairs and a windowsill with cushions that all looked very comfortable to sit on. They were able to have a break for a while until all of them the bell ring which was a signal that someone had entered. The bell was above the door, so when it opened it would chime. It just so-happened to look a lot like a Chimecho too.
Dawn rushed to the counter and sat behind it. She watched a couple wander the store and look at everything for sale. The man chose a pair of beautiful earrings for the woman and Dawn smiled at them as they came towards her. They reached the counter but Dawn found herself distracted in thoughts.
"Excuse me?" The man asked and it startled Dawn.
"Oh...I'm sorry," Dawn said softly. "Is this all?"
The couple bought the earrings and Dawn saw through the window the woman put them in her ears outside. The woman gave the man she was with a hug and both walked away. Dawn continued to stare out the window from across the room, carry on being lost in thought and kept moving her finger around in a circle on the counter surface. The sudden feeling of Ash's hand on her shoulder made Dawn flinch slightly. She looked up at Ash to see him smiling at her.
"Good job, Dawn." Brock said, being the last one to come into the store's main room. "Our first customer of the day."
"Only twenty minutes before the owner comes back," Gary said, looking at the boat-shaped clock on the wall.
"That's good, not long now!" Iris said happily.
"Iris, are you sure your parents don't mind you being out this late?" Ash asked, feeling concerned. Iris hesitated.
"It's fine! They won't mind. I told them I would be with all of you anyway." She said but turned to the door when it opened.
An elderly woman entered with a small girl following. They quickly found what they were looking for which was a small vase with flowers encrusted on it. Iris beamed and went up to Dawn.
"Can I sit at the counter this time, please?" Iris asked, her eyes widening. "Pretty please?" She added.
Dawn giggled and moved aside so Iris could sit down next to her on the wooden bench.
"Busy today isn't it, Hana?" The elderly woman said to the girl beside her.
They approached the counter and Iris grinned at them. She served them happily and waved as they exited the shop. Iris was proud of herself when she didn't drop any coins and gave the right amount of change back. Dawn smiled at her when Iris jumped down from the bench, holding a paper bag.
"I could've given them this." She said, peering inside it. She placed it on a small table and looked at the clock. "Look! It's 5 o'clock!"
Everyone laid their eyes on the clock. It was only two minutes until 5 o'clock, to be exact, but they classed it as 5 anyway to make Iris feel good. All there that was left for them to do now was wait for the owner to get back and possibly serve anymore last-minute customers.
Luckily, there wasn't anybody else who entered the store before the owner did. She got back five minutes after the agreed time but it wasn't a major concern. She took her place behind the counter and gazed at the cash register. A small smile appeared on her face and she looked up at Ash including the others.
"Glad to say that you've...really outdone yourselves today," The owner said. "Thank you so much."
Everyone smiled at each other as the owner went to get the necklace. Iris spun around in her spot and grinned.
"She's going to get Dawn's pretty feather necklace!" She said with delight.
The owner overheard and smiled. She gave it to Ash and they left the store feeling happy with themselves. Ash carefully separated the feather and necklace. He gave the necklace to Iris and she put it around her neck.
"Thank you Iris," Ash said. "You've earned this."
Everyone was in high spirits that not even Gary could complain. They made their way to a small grassy area and Ash stopped in front of Dawn. He took the feather and let it float towards her. Iris watched in awe. Not only was it pretty, but it was magical too! As soon as the feather had disappeared completely Dawn felt uneasy and fell forwards. Ash caught her and stared at Dawn with worry. For a quick second, he thought that her left eye looked green but they closed shortly afterwards. Iris gasped, running up to Ash and Dawn.
"Is she okay?" Iris asked, feeling Dawn's hair brush against the side of her arm.
"Dawn willl be alright." Brock assured. "I think it was a powerful feather that contained a lot of memory. Just a guess but we better get back to the Pokémon Center so everyone can get some rest."
They all agreed and walked back to the Pokémon Center. Iris knew that way and they reached it in a short amount of time. Ash, Brock and Gary went to their room and Ash laid Dawn in bed. He told Brock and Gary to watch over her because he had something he needed to do. Ash past by Iris who was calling her mother to say that she was ready to go home. Ash went out of the doors of the Pokémon Center and headed down one of the streets they had walked along earlier that day.
Dawn's feather had been found but there was one more thing Ash needed to get.
A/N: Chapter 10, wow! Please leave a quick review for me! Iris living in Driftveil City was totally out of fandom (whatever you call it). I hope you liked this chapter. 'Til next time and thank you for reading :D