Chapter 2: Wish Upon a Star
A Top Coordinator. A title that many trainers aspire to achieve throughout their careers. Winning 5 ribbons in the annual contest season, winning the Grand Festival, and getting your hands on the Ribbon Cup. Every year 4 winners were announced across Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Most of the times, these winners are past winners, looking to complete the four region circuit and become a Master Coordinator, a title only shared by 3 persons, namely; Wallace, an artist and lover of water, former Champion of Hoenn, and current Sootopolis Gym Leader; Fantina, the alluring and soulful dancer, not to mention Hearthome City Gym Leader and one of the elect members of the Sinnoh region Elite Four after the imminent retirement of Bertha; and Johanna, the first to achieve this honor but is currently a single mother of one who is currently worrying about her daughter's reaction to her recent loss, a fact not being helped by the phone call she was engaged with.
"She isn't getting any better?" Johanna asked.
"I wish, we went shopping in Hearthome, went to the beaches in Sunyshore and she doesn't look any better. Right now, we are at a villa in the Resort Area and still have nothing." Zoey remarked, frustrated at the state of her rival and friend.
"So, what are we going to do?" Johanna's question lingered over the call as they were both stumped.
"We could get some of her other friends to help?" Zoey threw out a suggestion.
"Brock is still at university, Kenny would probably make things worse and Ash," Johanna sighed before continuing, "Ash is all over the place, whenever Dawn calls, he is in another region, this year even more so. Plus, even if we get a hold of Ash, if he is as oblivious as he was when we last saw him, things could get worse."
Zoey shuddered as she thought of what could happen to Dawn if Ash broke Dawn's already damaged heart. Whether he is still as dense as a brick and doesn't understand the situation, or outright turns her down, that might send Dawn over the edge that she was dangling on.
"I'm going to try my best over here; Dawn will feel better even if…" Zoey's thought was cut by a blink of purple that flashed from the window. "Johanna, I'll have to call you back."
Zoey hung up the phone and signaled for her Glameow to follow her. If Team Galactic's events taught her anything, random color changes in the sky are rarely good, no matter how small they are.
"Dawn where are you?" the redhead shouted, hoping to check if she was not losing her mind.
With no response, she went looking at the deck of the pool where she last left her. Finding it empty she went to search the entire house. "Dammit Dawn, where are you?"
"Just relax," Dawn thought to herself as she lied on the lounge chair, Piplup idly swimming in the pool beside her. Zoey had carried around Sinnoh trying to help her, but it was to no avail. What did it matter what clothes she could buy and when her dreams were going up in smoke? What good was a coordinator if all her hard work just gets thrown out the window? By a rookie no less. Her Pokémon did not deserve that, not after all that hard work. Meanwhile, all her friends are out making names for themselves. Brock graduating soon, May getting closer to becoming a Master Coordinator, and Ash becoming a champion. Yup, she was the loser friend, the one everyone looks down on in pity, offering her places to stay between her underpaid jobs as she tried to make ends meet. She should give her Pokémon up; they deserved a better trainer. Maybe Zoey or Kenny could make them into the Pokémon they had the potential to be.
Piplup realized the all too familiar look of his trainer drowning in self-hatred and fired a Bubblebeam at her, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Piplup shook itself dry and went to cuddle his trainer, simply hoping that she would come out of this slump soon, bringing back the energetic girl that left on her journey 4 years ago. He knew how much that last loss hurt her, and he would be damned if he would let that performance finish her career, well before she reached where he knew she could go.
"Thanks, Piplup," Dawn managed a smile at her partner before sighing, "I just wish that I could become a trainer that you all can be proud of."
Then there was a pull. She could not explain it, but something was drawing her, forcing her to move. She looked up and saw a small flash of purple falling from the sky. The pulling force in the direction the purple streak was heading. Without any warning she picked up Piplup and ran in its direction, ignoring the protests of the frightened penguin Pokémon.
She ran through the forest, with even the Pokémon in the area giving her strange looks at the young woman. Eventually, she stopped, looking at a small crater emitting a purple glow. Both trainer and Pokémon were entranced and slowly stepped into the crater. Moving the loose dirt at the base revealed a purple crystal radiating, something. Ignoring the warning bells going off in her head, Dawn picked up the item and stared at it, a soothing feeling passing through her, empowering her.
After what felt like an eternity of the trainers staring at the mysterious gem, Dawn snapped back to reality and smiled down at Piplup, "Come on, let's get back to Zoey."
Piplup gave a perplexed chirp to his trainer and her changed attitude.
"No need to worry Piplup, let's go," Dawn smiled and turned back to the Resort Area, a warm purple glow emanating from where she pocketed the crystal.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the exotic island, our other hero was quickly approaching the start of his new adventure.
"Look! There it is," Ash called the attention of his Pokémon as the attraction came into view on the horizon. Barely past the docks stood the magnificent facility. Large buildings and stalls are decorated in colors and designs to capture tourist's attention. Even this far out the abundance of Pokémon in the area was clear.
Pikachu jumped onto his perch on Ash's shoulder as Lucario stood beside him against the rail admiring the view.
"We are almost there guys, the Fight Area," Ash reaffirmed his team of the fact as he straightened his hat. His mother decided that it would be a good idea for him to wear the clothes that he had the first time he was in Sinnoh, a form of good luck perhaps? It did not matter to him. All he knew was his next challenge was quickly approaching. He focused on his next target with a determined smile, he is almost there.