This is the first of some BIG chapters, guys (and it's also the longest chapter to date). It's been a long time in the making, but we're here. I want to say thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story for so long. It's not going to be all perfect, sadly, since I'm leaving for college in exactly three weeks, but I'm going to continue updating this story, and it won't be months of waiting at a time, I can promise you that.

Darkchaser: Nope, no plans for Mewtwo. Sorry...

Lance Curry: Sorry, that's what I mostly meant. I might mention Unova near the end of this story, but I don't plan to actually write Ash traveling there. There's still a lot left to write, though! Hope you enjoy!

K2: Sorry, no clues. I gotta keep you guys on the edge of your seat :)


The Journey Continues

Chapter 55

Dawn's Got A Secret


Sinnoh Region – Shelter Town

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu planted his feet and stiffened. Raw electrical energy exploded from Pikachu's body, forming a jagged bolt of lightning that headed straight for the group of Golbat. The lightning fried the Bat Pokémon, knocking each of them out easily. The Team Rocket Grunts were stunned, and they scrambled to return their battered Pokémon.

"W-w-what do we do?" one of them stammered.

"We retreat! There's nothing worthwhile in this town, anyway!" another one shouted.

"Yeah, I'm behind that idea!" a third Grunt agreed.

"All right then, let's skedaddle!"

The group of Grunts turned tail and sprinted, lumbering through the snow in their boots. One of them screamed something about being cold as they ran, no doubt after getting snow in his pant legs. The Rockets had been sniffing around Shelter Town, but they'd crossed paths with Ash and his friends and brought the beat down on themselves.

"Ha-ha, yeah, you better run!" Ash howled, "And don't you even think about coming back!"

Needless to say, the Grunts heeded Ash's threat, vanishing out of sight in the snow. Ash sighed and briefly shivered, stuffing his gloved hands into the pockets of his warm jacket. December was only a few days old, but frigid weather had been the norm for the entire trek north from Sandalstraw Town. It had snowed more days than it had been sunny, and their daily mileage had gone down sharply recently thanks to the snow and the sun setting earlier with each passing day.

"Well, that takes care of that." Dawn remarked, "Now, should we head back inside?"

"Yes-yes-yes!" Ash stammered, his teeth chattering. He made a mental note to grab even more clothes to put on underneath. Somehow, Dawn and Lester weren't as cold as he was. For the wintry hike north, Dawn had changed into a black ski jacket and pink ski pants, with thick pink winter boots on her feet. Her signature beanie was still tucked atop her head, but on several occasions, she had chosen to let her hair down, claiming that it helped keep her ears warm. Lester had hardly changed, still wearing the same thick trench coat, though he had decided to go with a pair of warm hiking pants and hiking boots that were practically impenetrable.

With Ash's desperate plea, the trio headed back inside the Shelter Town Pokémon Center, spending their last waking hours getting warm through drinking hot chocolate and getting comfortable. One by one, the travelers slipped into their rooms, piling blankets onto their beds and diving into the confines of sleep.


Lester inhaled sharply as he woke up. He pushed upward and sat up in bed, reluctant to leave the warm bed and the pitch darkness of the room. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table, reading the big red numbers and groaning. He fought his way out of bed, donning his warm clothing as quickly as he could and slipping out of his room. He shut the door to his room silently, ensuring that he had the room key to get back in and then heading down the hall. This had been a ritual, getting up before sunrise and slipping away to send a one-way report back to Coronet Base. It was a wonder that he hadn't been caught doing so by Ash or Dawn yet.

Lester reached the lobby, briefly examining the pristine wood floors and welcoming architecture of the building's insides. In this way, Shelter Town's Pokémon Center was unlike the others scattered all across the globe. Nurse Joy wasn't at her post yet, relieving Lester, as he would've likely had to come up with a false explanation as to why exactly he was going to walk out into the punishing cold of the outside before the sun had even come up. With this urgency on his mind, Lester briskly walked into the outside world, not at all pleased with the brutal winter wind that he was instantly greeted with.

Lester rolled his sleeve up just enough to glance at his watch, ready to activate his communicator. Before he did so, he looked up directly in front of him, and he nearly jumped back and screamed. Ash was standing against the wall of the Center, leaning his back into the wooden frame and looking out on the dark, sleeping town. For once, he didn't seem to be cold, and a wistful smile was on his face.

"A-Ash." Lester managed.

Ash snapped his head over to the right, spotting Lester. He relaxed, "Oh, morning, Lester. Couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"Oh, yeah…that's right." Lester lied, "I'm not really sure why I decided to walk out here."

"Me neither. But I'm enjoying just standing here, everything looks so peaceful. For once, the weather isn't awful." Ash said. He looked to his left and pointed, his finger aimed down the lengthy Route 217, "Just a couple miles that way is Snowpoint City. We're almost there."

"It's been a long time coming." Lester said, "When we get to the city, the first thing I want to see is the Snowpoint Temple."

"The Snowpoint Temple, huh? I've been there…they say that the Legendary Pokémon Regigigas sleeps deep inside it." Ash commented. Of course, he knew that it was true, but he knew better than to straight up confirm what was merely a spoken legend.

"Ash, can I ask you something?" Lester asked.

"Of course." Ash answered, turning his full attention to Lester.

"Ever since we first met, you've been fighting Team Rocket like there's no tomorrow. And we've been running into them ever since we left Sandalstraw Town. I don't understand why." Lester said.

Ash sighed. "Lester, there's something that I should tell you." The teen slipped the glove off of his right hand and opened his palm, taking a deep breath. Pristine blue light shimmered to life in the palm of his hand, forming into a perfect sphere. Lester gasped, staring in awe at the energy. "This is Aura. It's a special ability that I was born with. It's the energy that flows within all living things, but few are able to manipulate it. I don't know why, but I'm convinced that for some reason I was chosen to have this gift. I've come to believe that it is because I am permanently tied to Team Rocket."

"Permanently tied? W-what exactly do you mean by that?" Lester asked, finally looking up from the Aura Sphere that Ash had fostered.

"They've known who I am since my first day as a Trainer, a long time ago. It used to just be the usual schemes of trying to steal my Pokémon day after day. But now…things have really been getting heavy." Ash explained, "I feel that I possess the gift of Aura as not only a means of self-defense, but to battle the evils of Team Rocket and beyond. As Team Rocket continues to grow bolder, so too must I continue to grow stronger…to protect myself and those I care for."

"That is a heavy burden to carry." Lester said.

"It is, but someone has to carry it at some point. Might as well be me." Ash answered.

"Another thing. They've stolen the Spear Key, and eventually they attacked the Canalave Gym and stole the Adamant Orb. We both know there is another." Lester said.

"The Lustrous Orb. I know." Ash said, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned. The Adamant Orb can summon Dialga, the deity that controls time. The Lustrous Orb can summon Palkia, who controls space. Team Galactic already tried this, with the hope of creating a new world, and they nearly succeeded. I don't know where the Lustrous Orb is being hidden, but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time before they manage to find it. If they do, things could get really bad."

Lester could only pause. There was nothing that he could say.

Ash focused on a sudden flicker of light directly ahead of him. A giddy smile appeared on his face, "Lester, look! The sun's coming up!"

Lester craned his neck to look where Ash was. Shelter Town was built to face north and south, meaning that the Pokémon Center—which was on the left of the town—faced directly east. A sliver of light eked through the visage of a distant valley, spilling warm light onto the icy evergreen trees. Ash and Lester watched carefully for several minutes, watching the sun creep higher into the sky and drop more and more morning light on the frigid land.

"It's incredible." Lester admitted.

"Yeah, it really is…" Ash agreed, "You know, the last time I really stood and watched a sunrise like this was back on Mt. Silver…when I was training hard to become a better Trainer. I was staying in a small little mountain village a little more than halfway up the mountain, and right outside of the town was this little plateau connected to the mountain trail. I can't even explain how beautiful it was, watching the light creep closer and reflect off of all the ice. It was almost like I'd never seen a sunrise before. It was staggering."

Lester remained quiet, slightly surprised by the teen's wondrous droning. Ash continued, "The sun rises and sets every day without fail. We take that for granted, too. But standing on that mountain so long ago…and standing here right now, watching the sunrise, it makes me realize how much I treasure the world we live in…how much everyone should treasure it. Why anyone would want to destroy it, I could never understand, because even if it's not perfect, our world is precious. There are so many amazing Pokémon out there…I'd bet we haven't even discovered 'em all…and there is so much capacity to do good, to accomplish incredible things. That's why I've worked so hard being a Pokémon Trainer. I want to make my mark on the world…I want to prove that I exist, you know? If I could do that, if I could accomplish something so huge…that'd mean I've lived, wouldn't it?"

Lester thought. His mental gears turned as he processed everything Ash had said, thinking about those ideas long and hard in the silent confines of his brain.

"Well, it's morning." Ash said with a great yawn, "How about some breakfast?"

Lester snorted. No matter what time of day it was, Ash always seemed to be hungry. "After you." Lester said in agreement, stepping out of the way. Ash eagerly strolled into the Pokémon Center. Lester waited for just a few seconds, sliding his wristwatch up near his lips and speaking carefully.

"Coronet Base, this is Lester with a report. We will arrive in Snowpoint City in the late morning. Continue searching for the Lustrous Orb in the city. It has to be there. Over and out." Lester chattered. He then pressed a small button that muted the communicator, preventing anyone from reaching him. Once that was done, Lester tugged on his trench coat, briefly shivering from the cold, and stepped inside the Center.


Sinnoh Region – Route 217

The hike north was short, amounting to only a handful of miles that the group was able to cover in just a few hours. Dawn checked her Pokétch as they hiked over a snowy hill, finding that the time was just after 11:00. They walked over an unassuming dirt path that had been carefully cut out through the snow. The land on either side of the bland pathway was as white as could be, with dots of green leaves poking out from the snowy layers around the countless trees that made up the forest. The winter wonderland, combined with the undisturbed tranquility of the scene, made itself into a true picture of beauty, and Dawn marveled at the sight of the endless white.

When they reached the crest of the hill, Ash, Dawn, and Lester stopped, each of them gasping in awe. Snowpoint City sat quietly in a large clearing. The buildings in the main part of the town were close together, but there were several large openings all around town where the small, distant forms of children could be seen playing in the snow. The white powder decorated each and every building in the town. From the vantage point of the hill, they could even see the Snowpoint Gym and the city's Trainers' School, noting the latter building's large, open yard and atypical black roofing. A snowy forest surrounded the northern city, and uncharted, mountainous terrain stabbed up at the sky even further north of the settlement.

"We finally made it: Snowpoint City!" Ash marveled.

"At last!" Lester agreed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Dawn beamed, "Let's get down there!"

"You said it!" Ash howled, "Let's go!"

The trio raced down the hill in a single file line. Piplup waddled at high speed next to Dawn while Ash led the charge. They reached the foot of the snowy hill and continued running down the path, briefly running under the cover of the forest and once again breaking out into the open. In moments, they were officially within the city limits. Children ran through the snow around them, paying no heed to the weary travelers. A rogue snowball even flew through the air, nearly smacking Ash in the face. The teen laughed, briefly remembering what it was like to be a young, carefree child.

The trio reached the Pokémon Center, eagerly stepping inside and warming up. With the intention of booking rooms to stay in during their time in the city, the trio headed up to the front desk, where Nurse Joy was talking to a patron.

Although, it wasn't just any patron. It was a girl with long black hair tied back into wide-reaching pigtails that were tied with blue bands. Her shirt was collared and the sleeves reached down to the middle of her forearms. Her legs were covered only by a very short pair of brown shorts, but she had a blue sweater tied around her waist.

"Those kids really do adore you, Candice." Nurse Joy agreed. She noticed Ash, Dawn, and Lester and immediately turned her attention to them, indicating that she had just been enjoying a friendly chat with the Gym Leader. "Hello there, how may I help you?"

Candice turned around to see who the people were, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Ash and Dawn!" she beamed, "It's so great to see you both!"

Candice swiftly placed her hands on her hips, fiery confidence pulsing through her, "You've kept me waiting, Ash! Ever since I got your challenge letter I've been bouncing with anticipation!"

Ash giggled, "Well, I'm here now, Candice, so your wait is about to be over!"

Candice nodded fiercely, and her eyes moved over to Lester, "And you've brought a new face with you this time! Hi! I'm Candice, Snowpoint City's Gym Leader!"

"Lester." Lester said, bowing his head respectfully, "I'm an aspiring Pokémon Paleontologist and a friend of Ash and Dawn."

"Wow, a Pokémon Paleontologist!" Candice beamed. She then stepped out of the way, "Oh, forgive me, Nurse Joy asked you a question."

Ash turned to the nurse, unhooking his five Poké Balls from his belt and handing them over, "Just a standard rest, please, Nurse Joy." Ash said. Dawn did the same, but Lester opted not to on account of carrying only one Pokémon. Once the Nurse vanished into the back with ten Poké Balls on a tray, Ash, Dawn, and Lester headed to a nearby table with Candice, whereupon the Gym Leader unloaded a wealth of questions on them.

Somewhere along the way, an idea popped into Candice's head. "Oh, Dawn! Have you stopped by Zo-Zo's house yet?"

"Hmm? Zoey?" Dawn asked, "I actually haven't even thought of it! It's been so long…"

"Well, then we should march right over there! She's been keeping tabs on your Coordinating lately, and she's right proud of your kiai!" Candice beamed. Dawn's cheeks burned with embarrassment and she forced a giggle, unsure how to really respond. Moments later, Nurse Joy returned with Ash and Dawn's Pokémon, having rested the group to full capacity. Following Candice, they marched out of the Center and headed outside of the main part of the town. Along the way, they passed the Trainers' School.

"Candice, if I may ask…" Lester said with a cough, "What exactly is that building over there? It's noticeably different from the rest."

Candice did not hesitate to answer, "That there is the Trainers' School! In addition to being Gym Leader, I teach a few classes to both kids and adults about everything there is to know on Pokémon!"

"Really?" Lester asked with surprise, "There is an actual crowd for those kinds of things?"

"Yep!" Candice beamed, "Anyone and everyone is welcome, all that we ask is that you come ready to learn! And hey, you know what, Lester? I just thought of something you might enjoy. You said you were a Pokémon Paleontologist back at the Center, and that you had a background in archaeology too. Just outside of the city is the Snowpoint Temple! I'm actually leading a tour for some tourists that have come to the city recently, and you'd be more than welcome to join!"

Lester smiled radiantly, "I have heard of the Temple, and I was very interested in seeing it for myself! There are all kinds of legends associated with the place! Are they really all true?"

"He-he!" Candice giggled, "I'm not allowed to tell you that part, you'll get to decide for yourself! Anyway, Zo-Zo's house is just up here. It's all by itself on the edge of the city! Zo-Zo used a bunch of her Contest winnings to finally buy her own place, and she even comes down to the Trainers' School to talk to the kids about Coordinating. She's a real hit!"

"Sounds like she's really keeping busy." Dawn commented, "I'm glad. I learned a lot from Zoey; she was the perfect rival for me!"

They walked just past the Trainers' School's yard, finding the aforementioned lone house right nearby. It was a moderately large one-story home, with well-kept flowerbeds in the front showcasing all kinds of flora. A thin yet stalwart tree was planted by the front door, and Ash couldn't help but reach out and gently touch the tight, prickly leaves on the branches.

Candice knocked rhythmically on the door, calling, "Zo-Zo! It's me!"

A few seconds passed and the door opened, revealing Zoey to the visitors. She smiled and hugged Candice, briefly unaware of the presence of the others. When she pulled back from Candice, the first thing Zoey noticed was Dawn.

"Dawn!" she gasped, "And Ash too! What are you two doing here?" Zoey quickly moved to lightly hug Dawn, doing the same to Ash and stepping back to her house's doorframe.

"Just traveling up here with Ash and our friend Lester. Ash is in town to challenge Candice, and, well, I've been competing in Contests along the way." Dawn said with a smile and a shrug.

"Well, you all come in, come in." Zoey insisted, pulling the door all the way open and allowing her four guests inside, "You guys can sit anywhere you like. I'll go whip up some coffee for everyone."

Zoey's shoes clicked as she briskly walked out of sight. Candice silently led Ash, Dawn, and Lester to the living room. The three travelers claimed spots on the couch, while Candice sat on the end stretching out from the couch's corner. Zoey returned a moment later carrying a tray of full coffee mugs. The Top Coordinator passed mugs to each person before sitting in her own personal chair adjacent to the couch. Zoey took a quick sip from her cup, curling her free hand around the clay without feeling much of a burn.

"Sorry about the place being a mess. I'd have set things in order had I known there'd be more guests than just Candice." Zoey said. Ash looked around. There were some things out of place, but all in all he was certain that his room back in Pallet Town was far messier. "So, how is everyone?" Zoey asked, "Dawn, I've been keeping up with your Contests since the Grand Festival. I got to watch a lot of your Contests in Johto, and you've really gotten good! How many Ribbons do you have now?"

Dawn was slightly embarrassed but she pulled her Ribbon Case from her backpack and popped it open, revealing that four of the five slots had been filled.

"Four Ribbons. You're almost there." Zoey said with a nod, "And Ash, what about you? What are you doing back in Sinnoh? Candice told me a long time ago that you'd be coming to Snowpoint City someday."

"I'm taking on the Sinnoh League again, but I'm challenging all of the Gym Leaders and their personal teams!" Ash boasted, "After the Sinnoh League I went to Mt. Silver, a really harsh mountain between Kanto and Johto train for a while, and I'm using my whole roster this time around, not just my Sinnoh Pokémon."

"That's awesome, Ash." Zoey said, "I'm rooting for both of you." Zoey then fixed her eyes on Lester, "And you. You're an unfamiliar face."

"My name is Lester!" Lester said, "I traveled up here together with Ash and Dawn, and I'm an aspiring Pokémon Paleontologist!"

"So you dig for old Pokémon fossils to restore them?" Zoey asked.

"That's correct!" Lester said.

"Interesting…" Zoey said. She tapped her fingers on the coffee mug and took a prolonged sip, "Hey, Dawn, I have an idea." Zoey set her cup down on the nearby coffee table and shot up to her feet, instantly giving a wickedly confident grin. "I'm challenging you to a Contest Battle!"


Dawn and Zoey stood on opposite sides of the yard. Ash, Candice, and Lester stood off to the side, watching carefully. Zoey called over to Dawn, telling her the rules of the friendly match.

"The rules will be standard Contest Battle rules, but the objective will be to knock out the other Pokémon and win by Battle Off!" Zoey explained. She revealed a Poké Ball from inside her jacket, "Now, if you're ready, let's get moving. Glameow, let's go!"

Dawn grabbed her own Poké Ball and tossed it out, "Pachirisu, spotlight!"

The two Pokémon stared each other down for a moment, and Dawn immediately called for the first move. "Pachirisu, use Super Fang!" she shouted. Pachirisu fell to all fours and sprinted forward, the bucktooth at the front of her mouth glowing with white energy.

"Glameow, dodge and use Shadow Claw." Zoey said calmly. Glameow lowered its spring-like tail into the ground and balanced on it, hopping over the short electric-type and landing behind Pachirisu. The EleSquirrel Pokémon realized it missed and looked confused, and Glameow capitalized on the opportunity with a powerful Shadow Claw to the back that sent Pachirisu tumbling forward.

"Pachirisu, get back up and use Sweet Kiss!"

"Glameow, use Fake Out!"

Glameow sprinted forward and Pachirisu stood back up, intending to use Sweet Kiss to knock Glameow into confusion. The crafty Catty Pokémon, though, was moving much faster and reached Pachirisu long before the electric-type could ready its attack. Glameow reached out, threatening to smack Pachirisu across the face, but the normal-type instead clapped its two front paws together inches from Pachirisu's face, successfully stunning Pachirisu and causing the EleSquirrel to flinch.

"Iron Tail!" Zoey called. Glameow moved swiftly once again, whipping its body around and slamming its energized tail across Pachirisu's side. Pachirisu soared sideways across the yard, landing in the snow and struggling to get up.

"Pachirisu!" Dawn gasped, "Come back over here, let's figure this out!"

"Glam-Glameow…" Glameow purred threateningly, readying itself to pounce as it expected Zoey to call for an attack. Instead, Zoey called the normal-type off.

"Glameow, wait. We'll let them regroup." Zoey insisted. Glameow obeyed, relaxing its body and moving to fix some of its tangled fur with a series of licks. Pachirisu reached Dawn after a considerable struggle with the thick pile of snow by the fence, shaking out the water droplets all around its body and shaking rapidly in an attempt to warm itself up. Dawn gritted her teeth. She had gone into the battle headfirst, and Zoey had easily taken advantage of her disorganization. This wasn't the kind of Coordinator she was; she had long since developed past this point. Dawn took a deep breath and she instantly became a little more relaxed.

"Okay, Zoey, we're ready." Dawn said. "Pachirisu, use Spark."

Pachirisu paced forward, quickly picking up into a run and generating a crackling shield of electricity around its body.

"Humph. She's giving us this battle. Glameow, get up and use Iron Tail." Zoey remarked. Glameow purred and sprang into the air, its curly tail glowing with silver energy. The two Pokémon quickly closed in on each other, and Glameow somersaulted forward to put its tail in front so that it could attack.

Dawn smirked. Glameow had played right into her hand. "Switch to Discharge!"

"Chiiiiiiii!"

Pachirisu skidded across the icy ground and released huge amounts of electricity all around its body. Glameow had no way of escaping and was caught up in the electrical blast, writhing and struggling as it fell to the ground and ate dirt. Pachirisu whirled around and planted its front legs, successfully stopping its slide across the ground. Glameow took its time returning to its feet as coils of blue electricity surged around its body. The Catty Pokémon growled unhappily at the EleSquirrel Pokémon.

"Glameow, keep it calm and use Shadow Claw."

"Pachirisu, counter that with Super Fang!"

Glameow raced forward, its front right leg encased in a veil of shadows as menacing black claws grew from the energy. Pachirisu enlarged the front tooth sticking out from its upper lip, angling back with the hope of using Glameow's momentum against it. Instead, Glameow moved too quickly, appearing right in front of Pachirisu and swiping its sharp shadowy claws across the front of the electric-type's body.

"Great job, Glameow!" Zoey praised.

"Pachirisu, use Discharge!" Dawn called.

Pachirisu locked up its muscles and released, dispatching the stored electricity from its body in countless arms of lightning. The arcs of electricity curved back toward each other as they closed in on Glameow, but Zoey had a viable counter in place.

"Glameow, use Thunderbolt!"

Glameow relaxed, generating an electrical blast of its own from its body and sending a forked bolt at the Discharge blasts. The Thunderbolt was surprisingly powerful, and the yellow bolt collided with the blue bolts and effectively stopped them, also creating a stunning mixture of blue and yellow electricity that surged harmlessly into the air. Dawn silently cursed. They were at a stalemate.

Zoey recognized it too. Still, though, there were no points to win the battle this time around, so she took the liberty of attacking next. "Glameow, use Fake Out again." Glameow purred and pounced forward, bounding toward Pachirisu.

"Use Super Fang!" Dawn suddenly shouted. Pachirisu lurched forward before Glameow could get close enough to trick it, burying its sharp front tooth into Glameow's leg. Glameow yowled and kicked, but Pachirisu held tightly to the Catty Pokémon's leg.

"Argh! Glameow, use Thunderbolt!" Zoey snapped. Glameow put its foot down and generated another powerful Thunderbolt, electrocuting Pachirisu and forcing the electric-type to let go. "Now use Shadow Claw! Toy with 'em!"

Glameow activated its Shadow Claw attack and tapped Pachirisu harmlessly. Immediately after, Glameow jabbed its shadowy leg underneath Pachirisu's body and tossed the electric-type into the air, opening it up for another attack. Zoey called for another Iron Tail, and Glameow wasted no time in bounding up by Pachirisu's airborne body and landing a clean hit that sent the EleSquirrel tumbling back over to Dawn.

"Glameow, let's finish this! Use Thunderbolt!" Zoey yelled.

"Glammmm…" Glameow growled. The Catty Pokémon planted its feet in the ground and stretched its body, discharging another golden bolt of lightning.

Dawn gulped. Then, she had a last-ditch idea, "Pachirisu, use Spark and charge head-on! Absorb that Thunderbolt!"

"Chi-pa!" Pachirisu chattered. The electric-type dashed forward, a shield of blue lightning around her body. The Thunderbolt tore through the air, filling the frigid wind with static electricity. Pachirisu leaped up into the air toward the electric blast, somersaulting forward without stopping. The blue voltage of Spark spun in response, taking the appearance of a fast-moving ball of blue light. The Thunderbolt collided with spinning Spark, but it was stopped and absorbed into the ball of lightning, mixing the blue and yellow hues with each other and glittering.

"Now, Pachirisu, send it back with everything you've got!" Dawn yelled.

"Chiii-PA!" Pachirisu screeched. The EleSquirrel twisted its body, throwing the ball of blue and yellow lightning back at Glameow. The mixed electricity took the shape of a lightning bolt, shimmering with blue and yellow light as it closed in on Glameow.

Unfortunately, Zoey was barely fazed.

"Glameow, lay down and use Iron Tail to absorb the lightning!" Zoey called. Glameow curled into the ground, sticking its spring-like tail high up into the air and channeling an Iron Tail. The metallic energy hummed and somehow magnetized the electrical blast, which struck Glameow's steely tail and swarmed over the silvery light. Glameow crawled back to its feet unharmed, and its tail was crackling with the explosive lightning.

"Ha! Glameow, send it back!" Zoey barked. Glameow gave a prolonged growl and then turned its body, snapping its curly tail in Pachirisu's direction. The blue-and-yellow lightning detached from Glameow's Iron Tail and flew toward Pachirisu even faster than it had flown at Glameow. Pachirisu went stiff. There was no time for the little electric-type or her Trainer to come up with any possible move besides dodging. Pachirisu surged to its side, but the blast was too quick, striking Pachirisu at full power in her small torso and throwing the electric-type into the ground. Pachirisu rolled backward a few times before slumping into the ground and going limp.

"Chi-pa…" Pachirisu groaned lightly. Swirls marked her eyes as she fainted.

"Oh, no, Pachirisu…" Dawn gasped. She bolted onto the field to the electric-type's side. Pachirisu quickly woke up, though there was hardly any energy left in the squirrel's body.

"Chi-pa…" Pachirisu sighed weakly.

"Oh, Pachirisu, don't get sad. You battled so well out there. We both know how strong Zoey and Glameow are together. I'm proud of you for how hard you fought." Dawn praised. Pachirisu gave a more contented sigh, and Dawn pulled out the electric-type's Poké Ball, "Now, get you some rest. Return." Pachirisu was swarmed by the red energy and returned to the capsule, and Dawn stood back up on her feet.

"Dawn!" Zoey called. She was walking over with Glameow at her side, and a big smile was on her face, "That was exhilarating! It's been so long since I had a good Contest Battle. That lived up to everything I'd hoped for."

Dawn tried to smile. "Thanks, Zoey, but…looks like you beat me again."

"Don't sweat it, Dawn." Zoey insisted, gently slugging her arm, "Glameow's not easy to go up against. She can counter any Pokémon's moves and she packs a real punch to go with it. Pachirisu did a great job of staying up when Glameow knocked her down. Plus, I haven't just been sitting on my butt for a year and a half."

Dawn gave a genuine smile. Candice appeared seemingly out of nowhere, radiantly declaring her presence with a high-pitched shout. "What an amazing battle, you two! You put all your kiai into it!"

"Candice is right!" Lester agreed, "Dawn, even though it didn't work in the end, the way you used Spark to absorb Glameow's Thunderbolt was genius! The quick thinking that took is something to be proud of." Dawn reacted in an 'aw shucks' kind of way and pushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear.

"Well, that tour of the Snowpoint Temple is about to start." Candice said, "Lester, you want to tag along?"

"Absolutely. Ash? Dawn?" Lester answered.

"I'm good." Dawn said with a shrug. She wanted to spend more time with her friend and rival.

"I'll hang back too." Ash added, "Go have fun, Lester."

"Suit yourself." Lester said. He turned and followed Candice off of the property. They quickly disappeared, headed back to the Trainers' School, where Lester would join Candice's tour group before heading north of the city to reach the temple in the mountains.

"Well, what do you guys say we head into town? There's a bunch of places to eat and some shops for the holidays." Zoey explained.

Ash's stomach rumbled, just barely loud enough for Dawn and Zoey both to hear him. He stifled a chuckle, looking down immediately and scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Heh. I guess there's my answer."

Dawn giggled, prompting Zoey to snicker. "Yeah, let's head into town." Dawn agreed.


"And I'll have the Big Beefy Burger with no onions, and then extra curly fries and toast plus a large drink. Oh, and then some ketchup for Pikachu." Ash said with a big smile on his face.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu agreed. He loved ketchup.

The man at the register rapidly tapped the touch screen, writing in Ash's bigger-than-average order. He then grabbed all three drink cups—two normal size ones and Ash's much larger one—and handed them to the three Trainers. Ash put down the necessary money to pay for his food and bolted to the drink fountain after collecting his change.

Ash, Dawn, and Zoey sat down at a small round booth, allowing them ample elbow and leg room. Thanks to the abundance of space, Pikachu, Piplup, and Glameow were all present at the table as well, each huddled close to their Trainer in one way or another. A few minutes later, a teenaged boy walked out carrying three trays between his two arms, walking over to the round booth.

"The veggie tacos?" the boy said first. Zoey raised her hand, grabbing the tray from him and setting it down in front of her. "The Big Beefy Burger with no onions, extra curly fries, toast, and ketchup?"

"That's me!" Ash beamed. He manhandled the tray and the boy used his now-free left hand to pull a moderate-sized bottle of ketchup from his apron pocket, popping it open with a finger and squeezing the condiment onto a napkin until Ash signaled for him to stop. The 17-year old Trainer then slid the napkin over to his other side and Pikachu hopped off of his shoulder, immediately licking away at the ketchup. The electric mouse gave a squeal of approval. The ketchup was amazing! The boy carrying the tray of food stared with confusion before shaking his head and turning to Dawn.

"And then, the chicken fingers with sweet potato fries. That must be you." The boy said. He set down the tray gently in front of Dawn and gave her a wink before walking away.

"Ooh, he likes you." Zoey teased once the boy was out of earshot.

Dawn squirmed, "Oh, I'm not really looking to be with anyone right now…" she lied. Ash glanced up—for he had been staring hungrily at his food—but he quickly dove into the burger, taking little to no time to actually savor the taste. Zoey and Dawn ate their food calmly, taking multiple glances up to watch Ash devour the food. At least he wasn't making a mess, they supposed. Even as he ate rapidly, he politely chewed with his mouth closed.

It wasn't long at all before Ash had finished eating the entire burger. Zoey, meanwhile, was only halfway done with her tray of three tacos, while Dawn had finished one of her chicken fingers and eaten some fries. Ash waited as patiently as he could, but they were both eating so slowly compared to him that it was beginning to bug him. He turned his focus to Pikachu, who had made decent progress on the small pool of ketchup he'd been given.

"Good ketchup, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

Pikachu immediately looked up from his feast, gleefully purring, "Chaaa…!"

"Glameow, do you want a bite?" Zoey asked. She fished a small morsel of vegetables out from her third taco. Glameow curiously inched forward and sniffed the small vegetable chunk before opening her mouth and tasting it. Almost immediately, the Catty Pokémon snorted and spit the vegetable out, causing the three Trainers at the table to laugh hysterically.

"Well, that's not getting eaten." Zoey remarked. She grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and picked up the half-eaten food, setting it to the side of her tray.

Eventually, Dawn and Zoey finally finished their food, and they walked with Ash back outside. Just down the sidewalk, lit up with multicolored Christmas lights, was a technology store. The lights drew Ash's attention, and it led to them heading inside that store next. As soon as they opened the door, a medium-skinned man with black hair waved at them from the cash register.

"Good afternoon, how are you doing?" he asked with a thick accent, "Can I help you find anything?"

"We're great, thanks!" Ash beamed.

The man spotted Pikachu on Ash's shoulder and he smiled genuinely. "Pokémon Trainers! Do I have just the gadget for you all!"

The man bolted into a back room and returned quickly with a few watches in his hand. He stopped right in front of Ash, Dawn, and Zoey and held out his hand. "It's the Pokémon Watch 3.0! We just received these from the Pokétch Company in Jubilife City. It's a brand new Pokétch with upgrades and new features like you wouldn't believe!"

"New features? Like what?" Ash asked.

"There are too many to count, but my personal favorite is the new dictated messaging feature! You can link this new Pokétch with your Trainer Account and send messages back and forth with your phone number!" the man said excitedly. He continued, "And a close runner-up is the new Location Marker feature. You can enable the service and your Pokétch will pinpoint your exact location in the world using GPS, and you can do all sorts of things with this feature, including send a message to someone telling them where you are! And as for the hardware upgrades, this new Pokétch is stunningly durable under pressure, and waterproof for a depth of up to one hundred meters!"

Ash locked eyes with Dawn and then glanced at his bare left wrist. He had never been the type to wear a watch, but the techie was making a decent argument. The watch could be useful.

"All right. I think you've just made a sale." Ash said.

"Make that two!" Dawn chimed in.

"Excelente!" the techie declared. He shuffled back over to his desk, unlocking a drawer and pulling out another collection of the Pokétch 3.0's, each of them in a different color.

"I'll go with…the red one." Ash decided.

"I'll take pink." Dawn added.

The techie gently grabbed the two Pokétches and placed the rest inside the locked drawer, ringing up Ash and Dawn separately and selling them the watches. "Hope you enjoy!" he added as they left the shop with Zoey close behind. Ash was already tinkering with the new watch, wrapping it around its wrist and powering it up. He gasped with wonder as the Pokétch Company's logo lit up on the screen and the smart watch roared to life, showing several applications on the home screen.

"This is amazing." Ash commented, "Why didn't I buy a Pokétch before?"

"I told you." Dawn teased. Ash snickered and rolled his eyes.

"So, you two, where do you want to head next?" Zoey asked.

"Zoey!" a child's voice called. The three Trainers all looked over together, seeing a child clothed in several warm layers waving at them wildly. It was a young girl, probably no more than seven. "Come play with us!" the little girl called.

Zoey laughed, "Okay, Belle, just a second."

The little girl—Belle—turned and ran back to a group of similarly aged children, each of whom was dressed in similar warm clothing. Zoey glanced over to Ash and Dawn, "I babysit every now and then for some of those kids. Looks like they're ready for a snowball fight. Do you mind?"

"No, not at all." Dawn said.

"Hey, can I go out and play with them? We don't get this much snow in Kanto!" Ash asked. He'd never really gotten the chance to have a good snowball fight with his friends. Kanto had always been warm for most of the year, and while a thin layer of snow managed to blanket Pallet Town every few years, it was nothing compared to the constant snowstorms that besieged Snowpoint City almost year-round.

"I don't see why not." Zoey answered. Ash beamed and immediately ran out into the field, his thick boots sinking in the snow under his weight. Nevertheless, he reached within the earshot of the group of children easily.

"Hey, guys! Can I play?" Ash called out to the kids.

"Woah, look! A big kid!" marveled one of them.

"A big kid wants to play in our snowball fight?" whispered another, though they weren't exactly quiet.

"Sure I do! I'm Ash! What are your names?" Ash asked eagerly.

"I'm Belle!" cheered the little girl at the front of the group. She turned to the other kids—a total of five—and introduced them all quickly, "This is Marcus, Tina, Kyle, Monty, and Brianna!"

The other five kids waved at Ash, and the teenager waved back. "So, when do we start?" Ash asked eagerly.

Belle stalled before a childishly devious smile worked its way onto her face. Ash quickly caught on, but the girl shouted anyway, "Now!"

Belle and two of the boys whose names Ash couldn't immediately remember threw hidden snowballs at him. Ash squinted and locked in as he (perhaps unfairly) used his Aura-boosted reflexes to turn his body sideways and dodge the first two errant snowballs before shifting the other way and dodging the third. The children gasped and giggled as they dispersed, taking cover behind a large collection of makeshift blockers made of snow. Ash grinned and ran to the other side of the field, hiding behind his own blocker. Unfortunately, he was far too tall to hide behind it effectively, even when he was squatting down.

Zoey chuckled as she watched Ash and the kids begin their game. She unconsciously looked over at Dawn, who was staring silently at the field. Zoey silently followed her gaze as best she could, but it was clear where she was looking.

"You like him." Zoey said, "…Don't you?"

Dawn blinked several times and looked at the ground, "Uh…what?" Dawn asked.

Zoey only snickered, "I knew it."

Dawn groaned, gripping locks of her blue hair in frustration, "All right, fine. I admit it, I like him…like that."

"And?" Zoey asked.

"And what?" Dawn asked dumbly.

Zoey legitimately laughed now. "Come on, Dawn. You know how this works."

Dawn groaned. She did know how 'it' worked. "Yeah…I know. I'm just…"

"Scared?" Zoey asked, "I get it."

Dawn's head snapped up, "You do?"

"You have every right to be scared. You don't know what he feels for you, if he even feels anything like that." Zoey said, "But you can't let your own fears control you, Dawn. That's the biggest thing that I've learned in life. It's applicable for everything."

"Well what do you want me to do?" Dawn asked, a little bit on edge with Zoey.

"Tell him." Zoey said sharply, "If you continue to let your fear and uncertainty rule your actions, you'll never get anywhere, whether it's winning Ribbons or starting a romantic relationship with Ash."

Dawn's eyes trailed to the ground. Zoey was right, there was no question about it. She looked back up, watching Ash play with the kids. A pang of emotion welled up within her, but she fought back a single tear with silent ferocity.

Ash scanned the field for his six enemies, unable to force down his ridiculous grin. He looked down and began scraping together as many snowballs as he could, tightly packing them together. He ended up with four well-made snowballs when he looked back up. It was good timing, too, for three of the six kids were trying to stealthily move up to a closer snow shield. Ash's reacted with lightning speed, closing a hand around one of his snowballs. He stood up completely and reared back his arm, slinging the snowball like a baseball at the closest kid, a fair-skinned boy with messy black hair. The snowball tore through the air at high speed, smashing into the boy's chest and stunning him, causing him to stumble face-first into the snow. The boy looked up and gasped, unable to believe he had been hit so expertly, and then stood on his feet, putting his hands up to signal that he was out as he trotted away.

So, we're playing this like dodgeball, Ash thought. It would make his job easier, considering that he could knock kids out of the game entirely one-by-one and worry less about being hit by a snowball of their own.

Just as he was thinking that, a snowball buzzed by his ear, missing him by mere inches. His head followed the snowball's path as it blazed by him and he immediately dove into the ground, ducking behind his shield.

"Okay. Less thinking, more doing." Ash muttered to himself. He looked down at his three remaining snowballs and then back up at the kids, seeing that all five of the remaining ones had moved further up. He clutched a pair of snowballs, slinging the first one at a girl with blonde hair (Brianna?). The girl yelped and ducked, narrowly avoiding the snowball. Ash turned his body without hesitation and fired the second snowball, striking Tina in the shoulder and knocking her out as well.

Ash turned back towards the right, where three of the four leftover kids were hiding. Instead of seeing them, though, his eyes zeroed in on three incoming snowballs, which were only a few feet from hitting him. The time he had taken to knock out Tina had given the kids enough time to launch some more snowballs at him, and in a mere instant he knew the only way that he was dodging all three snowballs was with the obvious use of Aura. Knowing this, he went slack, feeling two of the three projectiles shatter against his layered torso.

The young kids all cheered, running to each other. "We beat the big kid!" shouted the dark-skinned boy, Marcus. Tina and Monty ran out from the sidelines, celebrating with their jubilant friends.

"Great job, kids!" called a familiar voice from the sideline. Ash looked over to see Dawn standing with a smirk directed at the children, "…But can you take down two big kids?"

"Challenge accepted!" the boy named Marcus shouted. The children reflected his mood with a shout, and they all shuffled away to hide behind the snow barricades.

"So, I get a teammate now, huh?" Ash asked.

"Well, there's no way you'd win without one." Dawn teased. She gave him a playful shove.

"C'mon, you know I could've crushed those kids in seconds if I wanted to." Ash protested as they tucked themselves in behind separate barricades of snow.

"But you didn't." Dawn said with a wink.

"Hold it!" Zoey called, drawing the attention of all eight people on the snowy field. Zoey walked calmly over to the side with the six kids, "Let's even the playing field a little bit, shall we?"

"You're going down, Zoey!" Ash howled. Zoey laughed and kneeled down behind a pile of snow, immediately mashing a couple of snowballs together. The little girl named Belle shouted as loudly as she could, her voice carrying over the tranquil snowfield.

"Ready…set…go!"


Sinnoh Region – Lake Acuity

Ash peered through the final trees at the clearing, satisfied with what he saw. He stepped out into the open, marveling at the lake's tranquil surface. Unlike their previous excursion to the nearby lake, snow covered the lake's grassy banks, but the lake remained unfrozen despite the punishing cold. In the distance north of the lake, snow-covered mountains riddled the skyline, stretching to the mountainous uncharted reaches of Sinnoh's northernmost land. Up in the sky, light gray clouds blotted out the sun and slowly inched towards the lake, likely bringing snowfall with it.

Dawn followed Ash onto the lake's snowy shores, briefly gasping at the winter wonderland before her. She settled her gaze on the crystal-clear lake, amazed at its still, undisturbed state. Her boots sank into the thick layer of snow beneath her, but her feet remained warm under the insulated boots.

Ash had suggested that they head to the lake. It was only a mile or two from Snowpoint City, and traveling there allowed them to experience the beauty of the Snowpoint Forest that separated the two. It was an unconventional route to take, considering there was an empty dirt road branching off of Route 217 somewhere down the line and leading to the lake, but that route was much longer and less interesting. The last time they'd visited Lake Acuity, Ash had lost a Full Battle against Paul. At the time, Paul had been significantly above him in skill level, but Ash had caught up well from that point forward and managed to knock Paul out of the Sinnoh League. It was no question that Ash and his Pokémon were all stronger than they'd ever been, but they all believed there was more than enough room for further improvement. He'd wanted to get away from Snowpoint City for two reasons: 1. The city was crowded and 2. To train for his battle with Candice.

"This is as good a place as any to get started." Ash decided, "Dawn?"

"All right, let's go!" Dawn beamed. She pulled two Poké Balls from her bag, slinging her arm up underhand and lobbing the capsules, "Mamoswine, Froslass, spotlight!"

The Poké Balls popped open and spilled two identical waterfalls of light, spawning Dawn's pair of ice-types. The two choices would allow Ash to simulate battling against ice-types. With a grin, Ash grabbed two Poké Balls of his own, calling on his two chosen Pokémon.

"Charizard, Riolu, I choose you!"

The two very different Pokémon spawned from the open Poké Balls. Charizard swished his tail, causing the flame on the end of it to sway back and forth. Riolu put its left leg in front and took up a fighting stance, taking a deep breath and feeling the power of Aura coolly run through its body. Once upon a time, Riolu was scared of Charizard, thanks to the dragon's imposing size and less-than-stellar temperament. Despite these factors, Charizard had been a solid mentor early on for the Emanation Pokémon. Now, fighting side by side, they both held type advantages over the two half-ice-types across the field of snow.

"Ready when you are, Dawn." Ash said.

"Okay, Mamoswine, Froslass, let's start this off with Ice Shard!"

"Mamoo!"

"Lass!"

The pair of ice-types began forming rocky spheres of ice, Mamoswine between his huge tusks and Froslass between her prototypical hands. The Pokémon sent the Ice Shards flying toward Riolu and Charizard, prompting Ash to call for a counter.

"Charizard, hang back! Riolu, use Aura Sphere to destroy those Ice Shards!"

Charizard reluctantly took a heavy step back and Riolu bounded forward, charging up two azure spheres in its palms. It was fair to say that during their training stops on the way to Snowpoint City, Riolu had mastered its Aura Sphere attack. Hopefully, they weren't too far down the line from seeing the small fighting-type evolve.

"Rio!" Riolu barked, slinging its arms forward and blasting the Aura Spheres directly at the oncoming Ice Shards, shattering the balls of ice into countless pieces. Riolu gave a thin smile, hopping a few paces backwards and stopping at Charizard's side.

"Awesome job, Riolu!" Ash praised, "Now, Charizard, use Flamethrower on Mamoswine!"

Charizard opened its jaws and leaned forward, unleashing a scorching beam of fire at the large Twin Tusk Pokémon. Mamoswine's eyes widened as it felt the heat even from a distance.

"Mamoswine, counter with Hidden Power!"

Mamoswine lifted its head and quickly formed a pulsing orb of energy in between its tusks. With perfect timing, Mamoswine thrust the Hidden Power blast at the oncoming Flamethrower, successfully connecting the two attacks and staving off the Flamethrower.

"Yes! Great job, Mamo—" Dawn started. She was quickly silenced as the Flamethrower pushed back against Mamoswine's Hidden Power and then obliterated it. Dawn and Mamoswine both gasped, and the fire struck Mamoswine and circled around him.

"Mammoo-swine!" howled the ice-type. Dawn staggered back, stunned. The flames were soon choked out by the bitter cold, but the damage was done. Embers were littered in Mamoswine's fur, and the Twin Tusk Pokémon visibly heaved. The raging fire had briefly starved him of oxygen, leaving Mamoswine short of breath for the moment. Dawn glanced over to Ash, noticing that he seemed concerned. He didn't bother to command either of his Pokémon any further, allowing Mamoswine ample time to recover. Once the ice/ground-type was visibly ready, Dawn called to her Froslass.

"Froslass, use Blizzard."

Froslass gave a shrill howl and the air became even colder than it already was. A powerful wind picked up at Froslass' back, speeding toward Charizard and Riolu and dropping the temperature at an alarming rate.

"Riolu, get close to Charizard! Charizard, just like we practiced, point your Flamethrower at the ground and spin!" Ash called. Riolu bounded over underneath Charizard's imposing stature, and the fire-type spat searing flames into the snow around it. Charizard turned its body in circles, spewing white-hot fire around it. The flames rose into the air, creating a cocoon of warmth around Charizard and Riolu. The Blizzard attack reached Charizard's wall of fire, disrupting the flames and leaking frigid air around Charizard and Riolu. Charizard's fiery shield fell down and the Blizzard continued, forcing Ash to tug his jacket upward and cover his nose and mouth. Once the punishing cold subsided, he shivered, breathing hot air into his hands a few times.

"Man, that Blizzard is tough." Ash commented as he rubbed his hands together, "Charizard, don't feel bad! We're in a tough place to use that fire shield move! It'll work better in the real thing!"

Ash hoped he was right. The snow surrounding Charizard and Riolu had mostly melted from the Flamethrower, leaving the pair of Pokémon to wade in puddles of frigid water. They may have been spared the full brunt of Froslass' Blizzard, but Riolu in particular wasn't sure if it was worth it, thanks to the cold water that reached up to its ankles.

"Okay, Riolu, let's hit 'em right back! Use Copycat!"

Riolu yipped and energy lit up in its eyes. In seconds, an identical Blizzard formed in its wake and rushed across the field toward Mamoswine and Froslass. The ice-types grunted as the chilling attack surrounded their bodies, but it was mostly useless thanks to their ice typing. Luckily for Ash, he meant to use the attack as a distraction.

"Charizard, use Steel Wing on Froslass!" Ash called. Charizard lurched forward and forced itself up in the air, flying low to the ground. The fire-type's wings glowed as the energy of Steel Wing poured through its body. Froslass was taken by surprise as Charizard raked its wing against the ice-type while passing, dispatching the Snow Land Pokémon. The Flame Pokémon curved into the air, whirling around and aiming to strike Mamoswine on the way back.

"Mamoswine, use Ice Fang when Charizard comes back around." Dawn ordered. Mamoswine turned its huge head as much as it could and saw Charizard hook around, upon which Mamoswine's tusks glowed a sparkling blue.

Ash was aware that Charizard would be in a bind, but he refrained from calling out to Riolu. In the Gym Battle, he wouldn't have a second Pokémon to bust his first Pokémon out of trouble. Charizard moved to slash Mamoswine with its steely wings, but the ice-type slashed upward with its tusks and instead caught Charizard perfectly, locking the Flame Pokémon's wings between Mamoswine's tusks.

"Rio!" Riolu yipped, looking back at Ash worriedly.

"It's okay, Riolu. Charizard and I need to figure our own way out of this. You just sit tight, okay?" Ash said. Riolu looked back at the trapped Charizard and sagged its shoulders, reluctantly obeying Ash against its own personal instincts. Ash put his focus back on Charizard, who was still trapped between Mamoswine's tusks. Mamoswine released a loud grumble and spun its huge body around, lobbing Charizard high into the air. The dragon roared furiously as it flew back towards the ground. The snow luckily softened Charizard's landing, but the Flame Pokémon was still very unhappy that it had been not only thwarted, but tossed around like a toy.

Charizard scrambled back to its feet and roared angrily, spitting threats and obscenities at Mamoswine. The Twin Tusk Pokémon huffed back at Charizard and lowered its tusks, scraping one of its front feet across the snowy ground in preparation to charge. Charizard likewise readied itself to jump forward and fly out to meet the ice-type.

"Charizard!"

"Mamoswine, no!"

The two Pokémon broke their angry stare and looked back at their Trainers. Mamoswine mooed at Dawn and Charizard gave a low, confused growl.

"Charizard, you can't go after Mamoswine like that!" Ash scolded, "Remember what we said about keeping your cool? Candice isn't a slouch, and if we behave like this in training, we'll never come out on top!"

Dawn more or less communicated similar words to Mamoswine, and the two Pokémon looked back at each other and nervously apologized. "Charizard, let's take a break. I think it's Riolu's turn now." Charizard groaned, but the fire-type reluctantly walked back to Ash's side. Ash returned the Flame Pokémon and tucked the Poké Ball away.

"Mamoswine, you too!" Dawn called. She returned the Twin Tusk Pokémon, "Should we go one-on-one now?"

"Sounds all right to me. Riolu, we're gonna face Froslass!"

Riolu yipped eagerly, taking a battle stance and leering at the Snow Land Pokémon. Dawn started out the battle, "Froslass, use Shadow Ball!" Froslass howled and generated a sphere of dark energy from its hands, dispatching the sphere and aiming for the stationary Riolu.

"Riolu, dodge that Shadow Ball and get in close! Use Force Palm!"

Riolu zipped forward, sliding easily underneath the passing Shadow Ball and scampering to its feet, whereupon it broke into a full sprint. Powerful energy roared to life in Riolu's paw, causing it to glow, and Riolu leaped up to hit Froslass with the attack, successfully connecting it and knocking Froslass back. Dawn showed no sign of being fazed, calling on Froslass to return the attack.

"Froslass, hit back with Ice Punch!"

Froslass rushed forward and buried a freezing fist into Riolu's torso, stunning the fighting-type. Riolu staggered back, shivering from the sudden cold in its chest, but the fighting-type stood tall, waiting for Ash's next command.

"Riolu, use Nasty Plot." Ash ordered. Riolu grinned and tendrils of dark energy appeared around its body, glowing with power briefly before disappearing. The move raised its Special Attack, which would inevitably make Riolu's only Special move—Aura Sphere—more powerful.

"Froslass, give 'em a good chill with Blizzard!"

"Riolu, use your Aura to protect yourself!"

Froslass sent another freezing gale at Riolu, but the fighting-type dropped down to one knee and summoned Aura from deep within its body. The Blizzard drew close and Riolu unleashed its Aura as a full-body shield, saving the Emanation Pokémon from the full force of the Blizzard. Dawn gritted her teeth and called to Froslass again, "Froslass, use Hail!"

Hailstones began falling as the Blizzard swept the lake's shore, and Froslass' body immediately flickered in and out of reality as Snow Cloak activated. The tactic was all too familiar to Ash, as Dawn often called upon Froslass' special ability whenever the ice-type saw action. The Snow Land Pokémon suddenly appeared at Riolu's side and delivered a clean Ice Punch, carrying through and discarding Riolu into the snow some feet away.

"Riolu, use your Aura to find Froslass when she attacks!" Ash shouted.

Riolu scampered to its feet, cocking its head to look back at Ash. "Wah-wah?" Riolu whimpered.

"Don't be afraid!" Ash called, "Just close your eyes and focus!"

Riolu turned back and looked ahead, its vision horribly obscured by the hailstorm and the haze that came with it. Riolu closed its eyes and breathed, feeling Aura rush through its system. A distorted image of the nearby lake and the forest to the opposite side appeared, with flashes of light blue energy that denoted the presence of living things. Behind Riolu, Ash and Pikachu stood still. In front of Riolu was Dawn. And zipping back and forth through the hazy field…was Froslass. Mirages of the ice-type appeared around Riolu, but it was easy to tell that they were fake as no Aura was present in them. Finally, Froslass came rushing from Riolu's side, invisible to everyone but the fighting-type.

Riolu readied a Force Palm and jabbed its right arm outward, landing a clean hit on Froslass without even looking. Froslass howled in protest and disappeared, reappearing a few moments later behind Riolu and rushing forward to use Ice Punch. Again, Riolu landed a clean Force Palm, rejecting Froslass' attempt. Froslass retreated to a good distance in front of Riolu, charging up a Shadow Ball on Dawn's command. With the knowledge of Froslass' location, Riolu charged up an Aura Sphere, firing the cobalt blast into the hazy hailstorm. An instant later, Froslass yowled as it was struck by the attack. The hailstorm suddenly subsided shortly after, allowing Riolu to open its eyes.

"Riolu, you did awesome!" Ash praised, "Let's finish this up! Use Aura Sphere!"

"Froslass, dodge and use Ice Shard!"

Froslass phased out of the way of Riolu's attack, firing off an Ice Shard. Riolu quickly countered with a follow-up Aura Sphere, shattering the Ice Shard. On Ash's command, the fighting-type sprinted toward Froslass, hardly even slowed down by the snow beneath its feet.

"Finish it with Force Palm!" Ash howled.

"Froslass!" Dawn cried. Riolu leaped up, soaring above Froslass' height and curving downward with a pulsing Force Palm at the ready. Froslass hovered above the ground, unmoving. A crackle of electricity appeared around the ice-type's body, indicating that one of Riolu's earlier Force Palms had also paralyzed the Snow Land Pokémon. With no possible counter thanks to Froslass' paralysis, Riolu landed a head-on Force Palm at full power, sacking Froslass to the ground and kicking up an explosion of snow.

Riolu landed haphazardly in a patch of nearby snow and rolled to a stop, but Froslass never emerged, and once the kicked-up snow settled, it revealed Froslass' unconscious form. Dawn sighed. Froslass had put up a respectable fight, but Riolu's personal Aura abilities had outmatched her. Dawn trotted over to Froslass, squatting down and ensuring that the ice-type was okay. Ash appeared a few moments later with Riolu and Pikachu on his shoulders.

"Rio." Riolu yipped at Froslass. The fighting-type's little eyes quivered and a thin smile appeared on Riolu's face.

"Fros-lass…" the ice-type purred back, congratulating Riolu on its victory.

A few snowflakes began drifting to the ground, drawing Ash and Dawn to look upward. In the heat of their practice battle, they hadn't noticed that the gray snow clouds had finished creeping above them. Ash looked around as the snow began to fall a little harder. For several minutes, the level of snowfall was steady, suggesting that it wouldn't get very bad today.

"I have an idea." Ash started, getting Dawn's attention, "Why don't we stay here for a little longer and let all the Pokémon out so they can play? I'll go look for some Berries and see if we can't get Froslass all healed up right here and now."

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Dawn agreed. She reached for her five other Poké Balls, calling out Piplup, Buneary, Mamoswine, Pachirisu, and Quilava. Ash did the same, calling out the remaining four Pokémon on his person: Charizard, Bulbasaur, Buizel, and Heracross. While Charizard and Mamoswine wandered off to find comfortable places to sleep, the other, much smaller Pokémon scampered off to play games.


Ash returned sometime later with a pouch full of Berries. While Dawn had moved Froslass closer to the shore, Ash had gone scavenging for Berries. He slumped down into a seated position on Froslass' other side, loosening the pouch he had brought with him and pulling a Cheri Berry from the top of the pile.

"Here you go, Froslass. This will help with paralysis." Ash said, offering the Berry to the exhausted ice-type. Froslass gently lifted its head forward and bit off a piece of the Cheri Berry, eventually consuming the whole thing after several minutes. Once the Berry was in the ice-type's system, Froslass' body became noticeably more relaxed. Next, Ash revealed a small stash of Oran Berries. Froslass eagerly ate the healing berries, and soon, Froslass was standing.

"All right, it worked!" Dawn beamed, "Thank you, Ash!"

"Ah, it was nothing…" Ash insisted, "Brock taught me well."

"Well, I would hope so, considering you spent how many years traveling with him?" Dawn said. She smiled and Ash broke into a short laugh, prompting Dawn to laugh with him. They looked up and watched the snow continue to fall, and then their attention turned to their Pokémon, who were still running around and playing. They were playing an apparent rendition of freeze tag. Charizard and Mamoswine were both under their own personal trees. Charizard had curled up in the ground like a cat, careful to keep its flame off the ground and near its head. Mamoswine was much more conventional, tucking its furry legs underneath its body and appearing to look almost like a big furry box with tusks.

Dawn looked at the ground next, getting almost lost in how white the snow was. She involuntarily flashed back to her talk with Zoey back in the city. She'd read her like a book, and remembering that experience only strengthened her resolve to figure things out.

"Ash? Do you ever think about the future?" Dawn asked.

"The future?" Ash repeated, "Hmm…yeah, quite a bit. I mean, I'm always working to become a Pokémon Master. I think about what it would be like to finally be one all the time. You?"

Dawn internally cursed. That wasn't what she meant.

"Yeah, me too," she said, "But, I guess I mean like…what will happen on the way to completing our dreams. We've traveled a lot together in the last three years, and it's been great, hasn't it?"

"Of course!" Ash beamed. There was nothing bad that he could say about Dawn! "We make a great team!"

"Team…" Dawn repeated, looking back down at the ground.

"Well, yeah. We make each other stronger, don't we?" Ash asked, "Without each other, there's no telling where we'd be right now." Ash chuckled, "You know, we're almost like a Slowpoke and Shellder."

Dawn looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"Oh, I guess no one has ever told you about it. Slowpoke and Shellder are Pokémon native to Kanto. They live separately from each other, but their destinies are tied together, you know?" Ash explained, "A Slowpoke struggles on its own…but when it's ready to evolve, it needs a Shellder to help it."

Dawn felt like she understood. Perhaps in Ash's scenario, she was the Slowpoke? After all, she'd struggled immensely when she was just starting out. She and Ash had butted heads a lot as he tried to mentor her, and she had repeatedly insisted that she didn't need any help. She had drastically underestimated how difficult Pokémon training and Coordinating would be. He had been there to help her, and now that she thought about it, she felt a little bad about how adamant she'd been back then.

"So…how does the Shellder help the Slowpoke?" Dawn asked, suddenly curious.

"It's actually really cool. The Slowpoke wanders out to the shore and sticks its tail in the water. It's fishing for a Shellder. When the Shellder finally bites, the two combine and evolve into Slowbro, and they're both stronger because of it!" Ash explained enthusiastically.

Dawn smiled wistfully as she looked at the snow. The words of the likes of Brock, Johanna, Zoey, and more sped through her head. She settled on the only possible option. No longer would she be paralyzed by her fear of her own feelings.

"They're stronger together. They make the perfect team. And I think…so do we." Dawn said. An invisible weight suddenly pushed down on her, the closeted timid part of her mind silently trying to discourage her. But that weight was no longer enough. She could finally say it! Ash met her eyes, but before he could agree and answer with something typical, Dawn continued with a half-shout, "I like you, Ash, and I want to be with you!"

Ash completely froze. The nearby Pokémon each had various silent reactions, but the sentiment was mostly the same.

Dumbstruck, Ash answered, "Well, um…that was unexpected."


If any of you reading this have read Another Road, yes, the end of this chapter is heavily based on their ending for Ash and Dawn's relationship. I couldn't come up with anything original, so I took a different approach with their idea, which I thought was genius. Anyway, if you liked this chapter please leave a review at the bottom, I really appreciate any and all feedback! See you guys next time!