Chapter 9

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The day after we landed in LaRousse, Ash had called. He said he was coming to LaRousse for vacation and wanted to spend some time with me. I wanted that too but I had Misty with me so I told him that. He told to bring Misty with me as he wanted to bring a friend of his. Misty was waving furiously in the background saying it would be okay but Ash insisted on having her with us. She pulled a face at me when I disconnected. I guess he wanted to spend time with his friend as well as me but had short and limited time.

Through Ash, I met Kenny. He was not the most handsome or attractive guy but something about him made people take a second look. Maybe it was the mischief in his eyes or his short but cute stature. He was hardly taller than me but man he loved to talk.

Ash and Kenny had met in their travels and had instantly become friends. They were the exact opposite but they indeed have a strong relation.

Kenny had one story for every occasion and each story was funnier than the last. He was one of the short group of boys we knew who loved to talk.

"These stories never sounded so funny in school,"Ash said laughing.

Misty added,"May be because of the audio and visual effects he is producing, the story seems funnier?" We broke into laughter again.

Ash was holding his stomachs and laughing his heart out. Misty's face was bright red due to all the laughing. I wonder how I looked like?

Ash and Kenny took us to a nearby amusement park and soon we were enjoying ourselves more than we had originally planned or hoped. Ash wanted to sit on the Ferris-wheel with me, so I agreed. Misty ended up with Kenny.

"The view is so astonishing," I remarked when we were at the highest point. Ash held my hands and smiled at me.

I sat with Ash at some rides and the others with Misty. Misty was not to keen to stay with Kenny. So when the boys were gone to bring us some juice, Misty apologized for ruining my time with Ash. I scolded her saying,"You're not ruining anything. We are not an item or something."

"I don't know if it is love or lust, but he is attracted to you," she said.

I wished that what she said was true. It was not normal for someone like me, who never had any past relationship to be admired by someone. Moreover, that someone was really cute.

We were talking and discussing everything. Ash said he had to go to Battle pyramid occasionally for work and duties and Kenny was a coordinator. He had an Empoleon and my Piplup almost ended up in a fight with him. Ash's pikachu saved him.

Ash's pikachu hated staying in its pokeball but had to stay in it. Being the new pyramid king as well as awful organizations which were after strong Pokémon, Ash wanted to save his pikachu at all costs. Pikachu stayed in its ball whenever Ash was out, a home, he was free.

Somehow the topic of our age came up. Misty boasted as she was already 18 and had got Staryu as her starter. I was going to turn 18 pretty soon and I was excited too. Moreover I had already got my first Pokémon, Piplup, not in any traditional way though. He had saved me from the Ariados then stayed with me since then.

Kenny and I exchanged our numbers and we started chatting. Mostly his stories involved Ash and I loved hearing about his childhood incidents but gradually out topics of discussion changed. We started to get to know each other. Kenny was a year younger than Ash but they got along very well.

Later that day, when we were heading home, Ash told me that he had given Duplica my number and had assigned a photoshoot for me to see how camera and I blend together.

"I never agreed!" I fumed at Ash.

Misty explained,"Give it a try, if I had even half of your looks, I would have tried my hand at modelling. You have nothing to lose, the offer is coming your way."

I had to laugh. She was a sensational sister and thought I was prettier than her. She was out of her mind.

Agreeing to what she said, I decided to follow Ash's instruction. When Ash mentioned photoshoot, I thought he was talking about huge set and expensive costumes. However this place was messed up and was a small centre in the suburbs.

I was tensed but Misty was excited. I didn't even wanted to be here in the first place.

They gave me a pretty white floral dress to wear and worked on my hair and face. When they were done, I could hardly recognise myself.

"You look stunning,"Misty complimented and I believed her. She would never lie to me.

"These are very bright lights and they know what they are doing. They are one of the best in industry,"Ash said.

They made me sit on a chair and took a hundred pictures, some smiling, some gazing away, some looking straight at the camera, some with a straight face. Then they wanted to see me in another costume.

Two girls were helping me with my clothes and I changed and posed several times in different outfits. Sometimes in jeans, sometimes in skirts, evening gowns or even wedding dresses. I was accustomed to the routine quickly.

"She is so good!" Ash said and I found new energy running through my veins.

Once we were done, I washed the makeup on my face and changed into my normal clothes. We were giggling and chatting on the way to our home. Two days had passed and very soon we forgot about everything.

My mother was busy in some non government programmes but tried her best to stay with us during meal times. At least she seemed interested in my life. However my father was always a passing figure. Sometimes we met him at the dinner table and he asked how I was doing and I said I am doing okay. Our conversations never progressed beyond that.

Ash and I never went on any date in LaRousse. After that kiss in Vermilion, I thought we had something in common but I guess he just wanted to stay as friends. It was not like I could go and ask him,"Hey Ash, if there was nothing between us, why did you kiss me that day?" I wanted to though but didn't do such a thing.

However, he always came to visit me on weekends, and considering how busy he was, it was a bonus. We used to spend all the day together and have fun. Kenny had added me on gmail, and we used to chat daily. He used to stay up late and we usually ended up chatting long after Misty had fallen asleep.

Before, I loved talking to him as he was an old friend of Ash and he told me many adventures of theirs. But now, our friendship was becoming strong and we started discussing anything and everything.

Ash was happy that I was becoming such good friends with Kenny. He said that he was thinking of starting a new journey, maybe Kalos or Unova, he wasn't sure. Even though the thought of him leaving used to fill me with pain and misery, I was really happy that he was doing what he loved.

He never mentioned about the photoshoot and neither did I ask anything about it. In fact, I had forgotten all about it. After twenty days, I received a call.

"Can I speak to Ms. Dawn Berlitz?" A not so formal girlish voice asked.

It took me five minutes to understand for what she had called. I was dumbstruck and speechless. I had never thought of modelling as an career option but now, without even trying, I was getting the chance to represent Hoenn, in the modeling fest which was going to take place in Kanto.

I immediately ran to tell Misty about it. She was happy and ecstatic as well. She hugged me tight and said,"I knew it! I knew you would pass!"

I waited for my mother to arrive from her NGO works. However when I told her about my intentions, she was far from happy.

"You can't or rather you won't do it," she had said.

"But I want to! They have selected me of all people," I tried to argue. She shook her head.

"You have a sharp knowledge Dawn, you can crack any competitive exams if you want. I don't want you to sit and pose for some stupid pictures."

The more she said she didn't want me to do the job, the more determined I became. She never paid any attention to me before this vacation. Just one month of good treatment is not going to cover up her carelessness.

I was going to turn eighteen soon and she couldn't stop me, I told her that.

"I will discuss it with your father," she said.

I was ready to fly. The world was waiting for me to conquer it. I knew what I was doing, or at least I thought I knew.