Author's Note: This story was conceived and outlined while Pokémon: Sun & Moon was still on the air. Any events that take place after Sun & Moon, including the events of Pokémon: Journeys, are considered to not have happened in this story.
A black-haired, thirteen-year-old boy was gently roused from his sleep by the sound of his bedroom door opening, followed by less-than-gentle footsteps. He suppressed a grumble as he rolled over onto his side as slowly as he could, facing away from his window, not wanting to give any indication that he was awake. Over the past few weeks, his mother had grown much more reluctant to let him sleep in as late as he wanted, and had started waking him up herself. He was hoping that if he stubbornly refused to react, she would eventually leave and allow him more time in bed. He kept his eyes closed tight, listening as the footsteps made their way over to his window.
"Rise and shine, Ash! Come on, up and at 'em!"
His eyes shot open. That was absolutely not the voice of his mother. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, hearing the sound of curtains opening, and he looked toward the window, wincing at the light coming in. As his eyes adjusted, they focused on a teenaged girl in a short black and pink dress, with a curtain of blue hair topped by a white beanie hat. As she heard movement behind her, she turned around to face Ash, revealing a pair of dark blue eyes and an energetic smile adorning her cute face.
"Good, you're awake."
"Dawn?!" Ash exclaimed, shock all over his face. "What are you doing here?!"
"You weren't taking my calls, so I thought I'd drop by!" She walked over to him, hands on her hips. "I don't know why. Your mom said you're not exactly busy."
"Well…" He glanced away, a bit embarrassed, trying to come up with a satisfactory explanation where none existed.
Dawn sighed. "Well, I'm here now, so it's fine. Now we can get ready for our trip to Hoenn."
He looked back. "We? Who is we?"
"You and me, of course!" She climbed onto his bed, resting on her knees, grinning at him.
"Me?!"
"Yes, you!" she replied casually, as if nothing was amiss. "It's no fun traveling alone. I want to go with someone who knows the region well. I want to see Hoenn through someone else's eyes."
Ash scooted away from her. "When were you going to tell me about this?"
"I'm telling you now!" she answered matter-of-factly. "If you had taken my calls, you would have known earlier."
He grumbled, covering himself a bit more with his blanket, as if threatening to go back to sleep. "Why don't you ask May? She knows Hoenn better than I ever will."
"May's busy. She's traveling through someplace or other right now. And you were my first choice, anyway." Ash should have been flattered, but it was cancelled out by his irritation at this sudden imposition, and ultimately he said nothing.
Dawn hopped off of his bed again. "Anyway, now you know. I'm going to get some breakfast. We can get going whenever you're ready." She turned and walked toward his bedroom door.
Ash gripped his blanket more tightly, annoyed. "You're going to be waiting a while for that."
"That's fine. I've got time." She didn't glance back as she walked out, and he could her her footsteps descending the staircase. He was still incredulous that Dawn would show up and practically demand that he drop everything to travel around another region with her, wondering how she could have missed all the obvious signs that he wasn't interested. Part of him wanted to command his Pikachu to give her a quick zap, before he remembered that his Pokémon hadn't slept in the same room as him in months.
He let out a deep sigh as he tossed the blankets off of himself and slid out of bed, grabbing a change of clothes before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. His trademark hat watched him go, sitting untouched on his dresser, covered in a light film of dust.
Two and a half years ago, Ash Ketchum was riding high after his victory in the Alola Pokémon League, his very first league championship. After a brief stop at home, he was pulled to the region of Galar by the allure of a new Pokémon League to conquer. Galar was filled with mystery and excitement, with enormous stadiums full of people watching Gym Battles, and the bizarre and incredible Dynamax Battles, where the battling Pokémon somehow grew to enormous size, towering over the trainers and spectators.
Early on in his journey, he had met an energetic girl named Gloria from the town of Postwick, who aspired to be a professional Pokémon photographer. She was more than eager to join Ash on his travels, happily photographing all of the Pokémon he met and caught; she enjoyed his willingness to explore and find adventure, while he was endlessly amused by her tendency to narrate their journey like a nature documentary, in her Galarian accent. Not long after that, they both met a boy named Hop, a novice Pokémon Trainer who eventually revealed that he was the younger brother of Leon, the reigning champion of the Galar region. The three of them had an incredible journey together, filled with laughs and adventure and lots of new and interesting Pokémon species.
The trio would not remain together forever. Despite his best efforts, and Ash's best coaching, Hop was unable to obtain his final two Gym Badges, and failed to qualify for the Galar League. After moping for a few days, he was encouraged by his friends to travel to the Kanto region to train more; Ash urged the boy to mention his name to Brock and Misty, who were sure to offer useful guidance. Not long after Hop left, Gloria was presented with a major opportunity to travel to Alola in order to photograph Pokémon for a research project, and Ash encouraged her to go and follow her dreams. For the first time since he left Pallet Town with his Pikachu ages ago, Ash was entering a Pokémon League with only his Pokémon by his side.
Ash went into the competition with guns blazing, a fire in his belly as there had always been, and he had powered through the early rounds with no trouble. The competition in Galar, however, was much stiffer than the competition in Alola or even Kalos. He had hoped to win the entire competition, but he ended up finishing in fourth place. The loss was a stinging one, with his opponent only losing three Pokémon to Ash's six, and the experience left him doubting himself. He had frequently stewed over his defeats, growing disappointed in himself, getting too deep into his own head. Unlike his previous losses, however, the doubts that surfaced after his loss in the Galar League never went away. They implanted themselves in his mind, following him as he departed the Galar region and tried again in Johto.
While his first journey through Johto had been with Brock and Misty, for this second journey he had nobody by his side; he didn't even have a familiar rival like Gary Oak to taunt him as he traveled. When the Johto League finally rolled around, the competition was not as tough as it was in Galar, but somehow, neither was Ash. He left with another fourth-place finish, and unlike his previous Pokémon League, he knew on a deep, intrinsic level that he could have done far better than he had. The self-doubt that he had brought back from Galar continued to grow and fester, latching onto his mind with its dark tendrils.
Relentless, he continued challenging himself in other regions, determined to prove to himself and everyone around him that he still had what it took to become a Pokémon Master. The harder he tried to grasp his dream, the further it drifted out of his reach. His next finish was in eighth place. After that, it was sixteenth. Worse than seeing his goals slip away, however, was watching his own personality and happiness slowly vanish. He was growing less optimistic and more irritable, snapping at others and at his Pokémon, quicker to anger and slower to see the bright side of a situation. He continued to travel alone, not by coincidence, but because nobody wanted to be around him for very long.
Finally, after being eliminated in the round of 32 in the Sinnoh League, he had completely broken down. He screamed at himself in his room, slamming his fists into the pillows on his bed, throwing his belongings into the walls. He eventually collapsed onto his bed, fingers gripping the sheets as hard as they could, tears leaking from his eyes, deeply despising the person he had let himself become. The next day, he called his mother and told her that he was coming home.
Delia had welcomed him home to Pallet Town with open arms, able to see the pain and exhaustion on his face, letting him have as much time and space as he needed. He spent most of his days lying around, watching TV, going for long walks around the countryside, and occasionally visiting his Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab. He had not attempted a Pokémon battle since his return, and as the months went on he eventually stopped training his Pokémon at all. His life grew stagnant and repetitive, every day the same, until the day that a blue-haired interloper walked into his home.
Dawn was sitting at the kitchen table when Ash came downstairs, enjoying a hearty and delicious breakfast, courtesy of the family's Mr. Mime. The yellow, mouse-like Pikachu was sitting on her lap, eating the small bites of pancake that Dawn occasionally offered to him, looking like the most content Pokémon on the planet. The sight caused Ash's stomach to twist into a knot. It had been months since he and Pikachu had been that close with each other.
"Good morning, sweetie." His mother smiled at him, taking a seat for herself at the table. "You've got a plate of pancakes waiting for you."
"Thanks, Mom. They smell great." He shuffled over to the table and took a seat, immediately grabbing a bottle of syrup and pouring it over his pancake stack.
"Your friend Dawn has been telling me all about her travels," Delia continued. "All of the things she's been learning and accomplishing, and all of the bonding she's been doing with her Pokémon. It sounds wonderful."
"I bet." He carved out a chunk of his pancakes and took a bite, savoring the taste, as well as the opportunity to keep his mouth closed.
"You wouldn't believe how skilled my Pokémon are now!" Dawn added excitedly. "We've been working on some amazing combinations for our upcoming contests. I can't wait for you to see them!"
Ash swallowed his bite of pancakes. "And you want me to see them in Hoenn, right?"
"Of course! Where else?"
His eyes moved over to his mother. "Did she tell you that she decided I was going with her, without asking me first?"
"Oh, I think it's a great idea," Delia answered, unfazed by his attitude, used to it by now. "Going on a journey with a good friend sounds like a wonderful time. It's been so long, too. Your Pokémon could certainly use a change of scenery." Ash grumbled and took another bite of his food, not surprised that his mother would be on Dawn's side of the issue. She'd spent the past few weeks trying to not-so-subtly push Ash to do more with himself, instead of lying around the house all the time.
"This is going to be my year," Dawn continued. "I'm finally going to win a Grand Festival and become Top Coordinator. Zoey had better watch out."
"What's she doing these days, anyway?" Ash wondered aloud, recalling how the spunky, redheaded Pokémon Coordinator had defeated Dawn in the finals of the Sinnoh Grand Festival, years ago.
"Geez, what isn't she doing?" Dawn's eyes flicked upward as she thought to herself. "She's still doing contests, she's even judging some contests… she's catching more Pokémon, training them up… she does a lot of photo spreads for magazines now."
Ash's eyebrows raised. "Wait, really? She's a model?"
Dawn shook her head. "No, no, not herself. She has her Pokémon do the posing. Or other Pokémon, sometimes. She's really good at capturing a photogenic moment. You can see her work all over Sinnoh." She picked off the last bit of her pancakes, saving one more tiny slice for a grateful Pikachu.
He couldn't help but smile a bit. "She took off running after the Grand Festival, huh?"
"She sure did." Dawn was fired up, the determination clear in her voice. "And now I've got to catch up to her. I can't let her surpass me by this much."
Delia was beaming. "I think it's wonderful that you have someone else to inspire you, Dawn. I have someone like that, too. People like that help us to be the best we can be."
Dawn nodded, smiling wide, holding Pikachu gently in her arms as she stood up. "I'm going to get some practice in. There aren't any double performances in Hoenn contests, so I need to make sure my Pokémon are good to go solo." She grinned down at Ash as Pikachu climbed out of her grasp and onto her shoulder. "You should come out and watch! I want to show you how much they've improved."
He glared back. "Can I finish my breakfast first?" His voice was dripping with irritation.
"Sure." She turned and walked toward the front door, the same spring in her step that she'd had all morning, unfazed by his reply. "Don't take too long!" He sighed as she left the house, Pikachu still on her shoulder.
Delia and Ash continued to eat breakfast in silence, which had become the unfortunate norm over the past few months. She finished her meal first, standing and taking her plate over to the sink, starting to wash it. He put away his pancakes a couple of minutes after she did, standing up and wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Thanks for breakfast, Mom," he offered.
"You're welcome, sweetie. You go have fun with Dawn."
He nodded, turning to walk outside, feeling a bit obligated to spend time with her while she was here, even if he didn't really feel like it. After taking a few steps, he paused, a question entering his mind.
"Hey, Mom?" He turned back around. "You said earlier that you had someone who inspired you to be better… who is it?" He was curious as to her reply, wondering if her inspiration might serve as one to him as well.
She smiled sweetly as she rolled up her sleeves, starting to clean up the pan she had made the pancakes in. "You, of course."
He bit his lip, her answer causing his stomach to twist up again, this time with guilt. He didn't respond to her before turning and walking out the door, searching for where Dawn had gone off to.
Ash didn't have to look far to find where his companion had gone, her blue hair making her easy to spot. Dawn had found a small clearing about a hundred meters away, and was practicing contest moves with her flying, egg-shaped Togekiss. He approached curiously as the Pokémon fired a blue Aura Sphere into the air.
"Now, Togekiss!" Dawn called out. "Hit that Aura Sphere with Air Slash!" Her Pokémon flew upward after the energy ball, spinning around and slashing it with a glowing wing. The Aura Sphere erupted in a flash of light, bursting into what looked like a flourescent blue firework, one that looked like it would easily light up a stadium hall.
"Wow." Ash walked into the clearing, watching the glowing Aura as it faded to nothing. "When did you think that up?"
"Just a few weeks ago," Dawn answered, watching as Togekiss swooped down and landed in front of her. "I'm trying to work on more solo combinations these days." She reached out and rubbed Togekiss's sides lovingly, causing the Pokémon to coo happily in response. Pikachu stood at Dawn's feet, offering words of praise to Togekiss in his own language.
"Well, that one's looking pretty good," he replied, sincerely impressed. "That'll do well on the Performance Stage."
"Thanks!" She scratched Togekiss under its ears before stepping back. "The Performance Stage is only half of the competition, though. I still need more practice before I can feel confident on the Battle Stage."
"Really?" Ash raised one eyebrow. "When have you ever not been confident?"
"I'm trying to become Top Coordinator. You can never be too prepared." She turned to face him, a gleam in her eye. "You and I should have a battle! My Pokémon would definitely be ready if they can take on yours."
"Me?" He cocked his head. "I'm not really a contest battler, you know. I don't know how to make moves look pretty."
"You don't have to do that," she replied. "I just need you to attack and defend against my Pokémon. Let me worry about looking good." She gestured to herself, as if it was obvious that she would be looking good.
"I, uh…" Ash hesitated to answer.
"Pika, pikachu!" He looked down to see Pikachu racing over to him, standing up and pawing at his leg, desperate to battle.
Ash felt his heart in his throat, as a familiar scene began to play out in his head. Pleasant memories of battling against Dawn were starting to come to the surface of his mind, but they were quickly overshadowed by the pain of his recent failures, and an outright fear of what those losses had done to him. His motivation was sapped before it could even arrive.
"I don't think so. Sorry." Pikachu's ears lowered and his face fell, disappointed and demoralized.
Dawn's jaw dropped. "Excuse me, what? You, Ash Ketchum, are saying no to a Pokémon battle?"
"Come on, don't say it like that," he responded. "You act like I've never said no to one before."
"You never have!" she insisted. "I've never seen you even consider declining a battle! If you could add more minutes to the day just for battling, you would!"
He shot her an annoyed glare. "Look, you don't understand…"
"You're right, I sure don't!"
"What's going on out here?" Both teenagers turned their heads to see Ash's mother approaching, a curious and slightly worried expression on her face. "I'm hearing raised voices. Is something wrong?"
"Mrs. Ketchum," Dawn replied, exasperated, "would you please tell your son to stop being such a weenie and just battle me already?"
"Oh, is this a contest battle?" Delia smiled and stepped up closer. "I'll be your opponent, Dawn. I'm not as good as Ash, but I can still put up a fight."
Dawn was surprised at this offer, but she quickly nodded. "Alright, let's do it! Thanks a lot!"
The older woman nodded, kneeling down to face Ash's Pokémon. "What do you say, Pikachu? Want to work together to battle against Dawn?" Pikachu eagerly agreed, nearly exploding with energy, looking as if he could do a backflip. Ash stepped away to watch from the sidelines, as Pikachu took up a battling position across from Togekiss, his cheeks sparking with excitement.
Dawn took the initiative and made the first move. "Togekiss, use Sky Attack!" Her Pokémon flew up in the air, performing a loop as its body began to glow white, before zooming back down at its opponent.
Delia was unintimidated. "Pikachu, stop it with Electroweb!" Ash's Pokémon formed a ball of electricity on the tip of his tail, before spinning around and flinging it at his approaching opponent. The ball opened up and spread out into a wide web, threatening to wrap around Togekiss and deliver a powerful shock.
"Dodge it and keep going!" Dawn shot back. Togekiss quickly flew up and over the approaching web, adjusting its trajectory and flying at Pikachu a second time, spinning as it did so. The mouse Pokémon was barely able to dodge.
"Great reaction time, Togekiss!" Dawn grinned wide, clenching her fist. "Now hit him with Aura Sphere!" Her Pokémon stretched its arms out in front of it, summoning a blue ball of energy that grew to the size of a basketball, before flinging it down at Pikachu. Ash turned toward his mother, wanting to see how she would react to this.
"Bat that Aura Sphere back with Iron Tail!" she commanded. Pikachu leaped into the air, his tail glowing white and growing as hard as iron. He whirled around and smacked at the Aura Sphere with his tail, as if he were hitting a baseball with a bat. The Aura Sphere was deflected and sent right back at Togekiss, who was unable to dodge the incoming attack; it exploded in its owner's face, knocking the Pokémon down to the ground.
"Whoa! What a move!" Dawn looked back at her opponent, surprised, as Togekiss got itself up off the ground. "You're good at this, Mrs. Ketchum!"
"You think Ash learned everything he knows from his father?" Delia brushed her hair back with a confident swagger. "I'll have you know that when I was your age, I reached the second preliminary round of the Indigo Conference."
"No way!" Dawn had a genuinely stunned expression on her face. "If you were that good, why aren't you still a Pokémon Trainer today?"
"I just fell out of love with it, I suppose," Delia answered, her swagger disappearing. "After a few years, it didn't excite me the way it used to. Then when I started learning how to cook, I fell in love with that instead. I've been working in restaurants since then."
"Mom owns and runs the only restaurant in Pallet Town," Ash elaborated. "Everyone who passes through here eats her food, one way or the other."
Dawn turned to face Ash, still surprised. "How come you never told me about all this?"
He shrugged in response. "You didn't ask." She opened her mouth to respond, before closing it again, realizing she didn't have a retort ready.
"You're leaving yourself open, Dawn!" Delia interjected, turning her focus back to Pikachu. "Let's go on the offensive! Use Volt Tackle!"
Dawn yelped and gave Togekiss a panicked command in return, as the battle resumed. Ash kept his eyes glued to the action, watching both Pokémon move, imagining in his head how he would respond to all of these situations. Dawn kept glancing in his direction occasionally, able to see in his eyes how wrapped up in the battle he was. She suppressed a smile as best she could; it was obvious, just from watching him, that he was still deeply in love with Pokémon battles, even if he didn't want to have one now.
One hour later, Ash and Dawn were stepping out into the enormous outdoor compound of Professor Oak, led by the tall, black-haired Tracey, who had been acting as the professor's assistant for several years. Dawn's eyes were wide as she looked around at the beautiful expanse, and all of the various Pokémon residing within.
"Thanks, Tracey." Ash glanced back at the older boy. "We probably won't be here too long. Dawn wants to see the Pokémon I caught in Sinnoh again."
"No problem, Ash." Tracey gave him a thumbs-up. "Just let me know when you're heading out. Have fun!" Ash nodded as Tracey disappeared back into the lab.
"This is incredible! I'm actually standing in Professor Oak's research lab!" Dawn exclaimed, having always admired the professor for his brilliance, his hard work, and his poetry. "There's so many Pokémon here!" She turned back toward Ash. "How many of these are yours?"
He took a moment to consider the answer, straining his limited math skills. "Maybe a quarter? If you count the Tauros herd. A lot of trainers-" His train of thought was interrupted as he was assaulted by a charging Pokémon, nearly knocking him off his feet. As he regained his balance, he turned toward his assaulter, grinning as he saw the tall, lime-green Bayleef nuzzling him.
"Bayleef! It's good to see you!" He ran his hand up and down the back of Bayleef's long neck, as she rubbed her cheek affectionately against his. Seconds later, he felt two nudges on either side of his legs, and he looked down to find a delighted, elephant-like Donphan on his right, with a teary-eyed, tortoise-like Torkoal on his left. He knelt down and embraced all of them in a group hug, as Dawn watched the touching scene, her hands clasped and her heart swelling. Several other Pokémon came over to him as well, wanting attention and affection, and it was a couple of minutes before he was able to free himself.
"Sorry about that," he offered, dusting himself off.
"No need to worry, Ash. It's really sweet that all of your Pokémon love you so much."
He smiled warmly, his mood lifted by the affections of his Pokémon, the one thing that could reliably bring his spirits up. "I bet we'll find Buizel by the lake. Come on!" Dawn followed him as he led her further into the compound, glad to see him smiling, hopeful that he might be more pliable if he was in a good mood.
The walk to the lake was a friendly one, frequently interrupted by Ash's Pokémon running up to greet him. Dawn let him take all the time he wanted, and she was happy to have her own brief reunions with Staraptor, Gliscor and Infernape. As the lake came into view, Dawn's eyes lit up as she spotted the orange, otter-like Buizel sitting by the water, and she broke into a sprint, calling out his name. Buizel perked up, recognizing the voice of his old trainer immediately, and he turned and cheered as she saw her approaching. The two embraced each other at the edge of the lake, each of them expressing how happy they were to see the other, in their own languages.
Ash watched the reunion from a distance for a moment, giving them some space before he approached. As trainer and Pokémon parted, Dawn reached down to her hip, grabbing a Poké Ball and tossing it forward; the ball released the penguin-like Piplup, her first Pokémon and closest companion. The two trainers stood by, watching as Piplup and Buizel greeted each other happily, having an animated conversation about something or other.
"Looks like Pokémon miss each other just like their trainers do," Dawn commented.
"Mhmm." Ash nodded in agreement, his response terse. They continued watching as Piplup flexed his arms and puffed out his chest proudly. Buizel chuckled and did the same, towering over the smaller Pokémon, his muscles larger as well.
Dawn snickered. "Look, they're trying to show off to each other. I bet they're arguing about who's grown stronger."
Ash smirked. "Well, that's not an argument. It's Buizel, hands down."
Dawn scoffed. "Oh, you're so sure?"
"Sure am. Buizel's a battler. Piplup's a contest Pokémon. Buizel's going to have the edge, without a doubt."
"You wish!" Dawn turned to him, leaning forward, hands on her hips. "Piplup could beat Buizel any day of the week!"
Ash was unfazed, turning his attention to his Pokémon. "Buizel, show them what you've got! Show them an Aqua Jet!" Buizel was happy to oblige, summoning a veil of water around himself before rocketing into the air. Ash, Dawn and Piplup watched as he zoomed around in circles, forming a spiral of water in the air, before landing on his feet next to the lake, in between Piplup and the two trainers. The water from the Aqua Jet fell back down to the ground, splashing into the lake and lightly misting Piplup.
Dawn clenched her fists, her competitive nature surfacing. "You can match that no problem, Piplup! Use a Hydro Pump!"
Piplup chirped energetically, opening his mouth and generating a large ball of water inside it. The ball soon exploded into a massive water cannon, instinctively aimed in Buizel's direction. Ash's Pokémon immediately got out of the way, but the people standing behind him were not so quick to react. Ash didn't even have time to shield his face before he was bowled over by the powerful attack, pushing him several feet backwards and knocking him onto his back. If he had been wearing his hat, it would have been blown off of his head.
"Oh no, Ash!" Dawn raced over to where he landed, standing over him, as Piplup and Buizel followed suit. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!" She watched as Ash got wordlessly to his feet, his wet hair hanging in his face and obscuring his eyes; it was clear from the rest of his face, however, that he was absolutely not amused. Dawn's heart sank, fearful that she had angered him at the worst possible time, not sure what he was going to do next.
"Buizel." Ash's voice was low, commanding, resolute. "Use Water Gun on Dawn."
Her eyes went wide. "Wait, what?!" She whirled around to face Buizel, who was smirking and opening his mouth. She yelped and leaped out of the way of the spiraling water cannon, just in time to avoid getting soaked.
"Again!" Ash called out, grinning deviously. "Get her, Buizel!" His Pokémon immediately opening his mouth again, ready for another attack.
"Piplup! Stop that attack with Ice Beam!" Dawn cried out, somewhat desperately. Her Pokémon jumped in front of her defensively, a glowing blue light emerging from his open mouth. The ice attack shot forward to meet the incoming Water Gun, freezing it solid, and it dropped to the ground.
"Get in closer!" Ash commanded. "Make yourself harder to dodge!" Buizel was grinning wide as he ran forward, charging up another attack, enjoying this game immensely.
"Piplup, catch him in a Whirlpool!" Her Pokémon pointed his face toward the sky, opening his mouth and summoning a large, swirling water cyclone. Buizel tried to screech to a halt, but he was unable to escape the pull of the growing whirlpool, and he was soon caught up in it, spinning around and around. Several seconds later, Ash and Dawn watched as the Pokémon was ejected from the whirlpool, flying up and away, landing back in the lake.
"Yes!" Dawn thrust her fist into the air, jumping excitedly, glad that her Piplup had gotten the better of one of Ash's Pokémon, and thankful that she was going to stay dry. "Great job, Piplup!" She could hear Ash grumbling, disappointed, and she turned toward him to see him trying to brush his wet hair out of his face. She couldn't help but smirk. "See, Ash? I told you that Piplup could beat Buizel, didn't I?"
"Yeah, yeah…" He started walking toward the edge of the lake, where a none-too-happy Buizel was emerging from the water. As he passed by Dawn, he suddenly turned in her direction and bent down, snagging her around the waist with both arms and lifting her up.
"Eeek!" She shrieked as he tossed her over his shoulder, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. "What are you doing?! Put me down!"
"No can do, Dawn!" He started marching with her toward the lake, a malicious grin on his face. "Time to go for a swim!"
"No, no, no! Don't you dare!" She kicked her legs as hard as she could, pounding on his back with her closed fists, trying to get herself free. It was no use; even after lazing about for six months, Ash was still substantially stronger than she was. He proceeded to carry his cargo right up to the edge of the lake, despite her protests.
"Have fun in there!" he taunted, grabbing her by her sides and tossing her into the water, ignoring her screams. As she fell into the lake, she managed to reach her arm out and grasp his wrist, tugging on it as hard as she could. Ash's confidence vanished in an instant, and he had no time to do anything but yelp as he fell forward into the water after her, completely submerged.
Seconds later, Dawn broke through the surface of the water, inhaling sharply as she made the very short swim back to shore. She climbed onto solid ground on her hands and knees, catching her breath, water streaming freely from her hair and her clothes, as she heard Ash pull himself out of the lake beside her.
"You are absolutely out of your mind, you know that?!" she snapped at him, glancing back.
"Hey, you and Piplup started it!"
She groaned and got back to her feet, reaching for another Poké Ball and tossing it in front of her. What emerged was a large Fire-type Pokémon with dark blue skin, a cream-colored stomach, and flames emerging from its collar.
"Typhlosion, help us dry off!" Her Pokémon lay down and focused, the flames on its collar crackling softly, exuding a warm aura all around itself, heating the air nearby. Ash walked over and sat next to the Pokémon, scooting close and holding out his hands, taking in as much warmth as he could.
He slowly caught his breath, feeling his heart racing after his brief tussle with Dawn. He felt absolutely exhilarated, energized, adrenaline pumping through him like it hadn't in months. This was how Pokémon battles used to make him feel, in what seemed almost like a different lifetime. The feeling was nostalgic, exciting, and it wasn't until now that he realized just how much he missed it.
He didn't look over as Dawn sat down next to him, lost in his thoughts, though he did react when she started using her shoulder to push him gently. "Move over. You're hogging all the hottest air." He relented and scooted slightly to the side, and she held her hands out as well, sitting inches away from him. He glanced over at her, surprised to see that she was smiling.
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I really missed this."
He cocked an eyebrow. "You missed being tossed into lakes?"
"I missed us just goofing around and having fun," she elaborated. "This isn't the sort of thing I could do with May, or Zoey, or even Brock. With you, it feels… normal. Natural. I don't even have to think about it."
He didn't respond, keeping his eyes forward, feeling conflicted. She glanced over at him, seeing a contemplative look and a ghost of a smile on his face. A few moments later, the smile faded, and he slumped downward, as if he was retreating into himself. She could see him fading away from the lively boy he used to be, into the quiet, exhausted grump that she had spent the rest of the morning with.
She didn't say anything else, her eyes forward once again as she focused on the warmth radiating from her Typhlosion. Rather than being discouraged, however, she found herself even more determined to recruit him for her journey. She had managed to bring out the old trainer she recognized once. She was certain she could do so again.
Later that afternoon, Dawn and Ash were walking back into Pallet Town, after a tour of the town's minimal landmarks, and a walk around the countryside. Pikachu had joined the pair after taking a post-battle rest, and was walking in between the two trainers, glad for the exercise.
"This town is beautiful," Dawn commented, looking out at the town bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, her voice gentle but filled with wonder. "It reminds me a lot of Twinleaf Town, but it's quieter."
"Yeah." Ash nodded, his voice quiet, standing a few feet behind her. "It's a great place to rest and recharge."
She turned back to face him, smiling sweetly. "Thank you for giving me a tour. It was really nice seeing it through your eyes."
"Sure." His reply was short, his mental energy sapped. This had been the most activity he'd had since returning home, and he was starting to feel drained. A day like this would have been no problem before, but things were different now.
She looked forward again, taking another look at the town, with Ash's house in the near distance. "This has just made me even more amped up to journey through Hoenn again. I feel like I didn't see it properly the first time. I want to see all of the places you're excited to go back to."
Ash groaned, not wanting to revisit this subject. "Dawn…"
"Not to mention all of the native Pokémon there," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him. "Maybe I'll even catch a few new ones. You, too. You could put together a whole new team if you wanted-"
"Dawn!" he snapped, irritated.
"What?" She turned back to face him, an innocent expression on her face.
"I've already told you, I don't want to go to Hoenn!" he responded, raising his voice. "Stop acting as if this journey you thought up is going to happen!"
"You know, you never actually said-"
"Oh, shut up!" he interrupted, shocking her into silence. "I don't know how you can't take a hint! I'm not interested! End of story! Find someone else to hold your hand through Hoenn!"
"So what, you're going to just stay here?" she shot back, glaring, not about to be talked down to like this. "The Alola League champion has got big plans to sit in front of the TV all day, every day?"
Ash was taken aback at seeing her demeanor change so quickly, easily matching his frustration and anger. "I'm not going to just…"
"I talked to your mom, you know," she continued. "She told me you haven't done anything in months. No battling, no training, no exercise. You're the last person in the world I expected to see like this. What's happened to you?"
He glowered at her, getting defensive. "Nothing's happened to me! I'm just taking a break! Can't I take a break every once in a while?"
"This is not a break, Ash. It stopped being a break months ago."
He grumbled, looking away. "What do you know, anyway?"
"I know that this isn't you!" she continued, growing exasperated. "I've seen you go up against criminal organizations and legendary Pokémon without a second thought! You've never backed down from anything! You've never been scared of anything! You always inspired me to give it my all, every day! This person here is not the Ash I know!"
Ash felt his fists clenching, his defensiveness giving way to a familiar anger, one he hadn't felt since his failure in Sinnoh. "You don't know what you're talking about," he spoke in a low voice. "I'm not discussing this anymore. I'm going back home." He walked past her, his hands shaking from some emotion he couldn't quite identify.
"Trust me on this, Ash!" Dawn pleaded. "You don't need to be resting at home, waiting for your motivation to come back. You need to be out there on a journey, meeting Pokémon and battling! The world needs you to be out there! I need you to be out there!"
Ash whirled around, stomping back up to her, nearly seeing red. He was no longer in control of himself. His body had been taken over by the personal demons that had haunted him on his past journeys, the ones that had flung his belongings all around his room after losing in the Sinnoh League. He no longer just wanted her to go away. He wanted to see her hurt. He wanted to see her walk away in tears.
"What you need is to stop being such a nosy brat and just mind your own business!" he screamed at her. "I don't need to be dragged all around Hoenn by a pushy jerk who thinks she knows what's best for everyone, when she doesn't! Just get lost! Go someplace you're actually wanted, because it's not here!"
"Fine!" she shot back, having finally had enough. "Just forget it! I'll go to Hoenn by myself. Enjoy your boring, miserable life here in Pallet Town." She stomped past him, marching toward his house to gather up the things she had left there.
"I will!" he shouted after her, immediately regretting how stupid it sounded. He kept his eyes fixed on her, hearing his blood pumping in his ears as his body slowly came down, his inexplicable anger starting to fade. As he started coming back to reality, he could see her reach up and wipe her eyes with her right hand, flicking away drops of liquid.
He felt his heart settling into his stomach as he watched her leave, his head and body feeling numb. He'd gotten what he wanted. He'd finally gotten his point across and won the argument they'd been silently having all day. His reward was to watch the last friend who had come to see him walking away, possibly forever. He didn't feel satisfied, or relieved, or even sad. The only thing he felt was empty.
"Come on, Pikachu, let's-" He didn't even finish his sentence before his Pokémon took off like a rocket, putting as much distance between himself and his trainer as he could. Ash stood and watched as Pikachu caught up to Dawn, pawing lightly at her leg. She kneeled down and lifted the Pokémon up, holding him tightly in her arms as she walked back. Ash could feel the familiar twisting in his stomach, watching the both of them walk away together. It felt as if his entire life was walking away from him, and now he had nothing left.
He eventually forced his legs to move, following Dawn back to his house, having nowhere else to go.
"Dawn? You're not leaving now, are you?"
Ash walked in to hear the sound of his mother's voice. Looking into the living room, he could see Dawn packing her bag with the few belongings she had removed from it during her short stay.
"I need to get going," she answered. "It's a long walk to the Vermillion City port. I should go as soon as possible." She slung her bag onto her back.
"But it's almost dark!" Delia insisted. "And you haven't eaten anything, have you?"
"I'll be alright. The sooner I leave, the farther I can get before I have to stop."
"No! Absolutely not!" Both Ash and Dawn turned to face her, shocked by her forcefulness. "I'm putting my foot down. It's much too late to start traveling. You'll have some dinner here, stay the night, and you can leave in the morning."
Dawn quickly nodded in agreement, a bit stiff, not equipped to combat such intense and concentrated Mom Energy. "Y… yes, ma'am."
Delia turned to look at her son. "Ash, dear, go get the cot set up in your room. I'll get dinner served in the meantime."
"Alright." Ash's voice was quiet and weak, drained of energy. He walked past Dawn and up the stairs to the second floor, turning and opening a linen closet. Dawn let out a long sigh as she slipped her bag back off, setting it down on a chair before sitting on the arm. Part of her was thankful for Mrs. Ketchum's intervention, as she really didn't want to be traveling through Kanto in the dark. Whether it would be better to stay around Ash all evening, she wasn't sure.
Glancing back upstairs, she saw Ash walking with a sleeping bag tucked under his arm, headed for his room. She stood up and walked upstairs as well, turning and stepping into his room, watching as he unrolled the sleeping bag on the floor.
"I thought your mom said there was a cot?" she dared to ask.
"This is easier," he answered, emotionless, as he grabbed a pillow off of his bed.
"Gee, thanks," she replied, her voice dripping with annoyance.
"The sleeping bag is for me," Ash clarified, dropping the pillow onto the floor, at the opening of the bag. "You get the bed."
She blinked in surprise. "Huh? Really?"
"A man never leaves a lady to sleep on the floor while he takes the bed," he continued, not looking her way. "That's something my dad taught me."
"Oh…" Dawn was taken aback, not expecting such courtesy. "Well… thank you, Ash." She looked at the bed for a moment before turning away, walking back downstairs, not sure what else to say. Ash stood alone in his room for a minute, need to work up the strength to walk downstairs, before he followed her down to the kitchen.
Hours later, Ash was lying awake in his sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling. This was the part of the day he dreaded, where he was bombarded by all of his fears and self-doubts, tormenting him, informing him of how much he didn't deserve to be traveling the world, how only failure and disappointment would await him if he tried. Tonight, though, the voices were silent. There were no painful memories, no stray thoughts taunting him, causing him to retreat into his sleeping bag like he often did into his bed. For the first time in a long time, his mind was clear.
He had quickly determined that Dawn had been the reason why. The slow and gentle sound of her breathing, and the occasional shifting of the blankets as her arm moved or her leg stretched out, was providing a familiar and oddly comforting white noise, allowing him to relax. This was the sound he had fallen asleep to almost every night of his journeys over the past few years, coming from Misty, or Brock, or Max, or Iris, or Clemont, or any of the others he had traveled with. He had grown more used to it than he realized, and it was yet another way that his friends provided comfort and support to him during his travels.
He had known for a long time why he had started to spiral downhill, all those months ago, but tonight was the first time he had really internalized it. He had always had a tendency to get too deep into his own head after a bad loss, questioning himself, wondering if he was even capable of achieving his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. Every time, his friends had come to shake him out of it, sometimes literally. Their concern and their tough love had helped chase his doubts away, keeping his chin up and his eyes on his future. Starting with the Galar League, he hadn't had any friends to fall back on. He wasn't able to shake off his doubts on his own, and so they followed him from one region to the next, taking root and twisting his mind, turning him into the demoralized and bitter person he was today.
Dawn, more than most of his friends, had provided him with mountains of support when they had traveled together through Sinnoh. She had cheered for him with all her might during all of his Gym Battles, even going so far as to dress up in a cheerleading outfit and perform her own routines. After a crushing loss against his rival Paul, she had thrown together a miniature circus with her Pokémon, complete with dances and comedic acts, all for the sake of cheering him up. She had always gone far out of her way to support him, to try and lift him up and put a smile on his face, just as she had traveled from one region to another to surprise him today.
It slowly dawned on Ash that he was being snowballed. Years ago, during his journey through Kalos, his close friend Serena had pelted him with a number of snowballs while yelling at him, trying to snap him out of his funk after a bad loss at the Snowbelle Gym. Now, here in Pallet Town, Dawn was doing the exact same thing. She had shown up armed to the teeth, and was assaulting him with six months' worth of metaphorical snowballs. Dawn had clearly known what he had been going through before she even set foot in Kanto. She hadn't come here to see him for her own sake. She had come here for his.
His heart felt heavy as he turned his head to look at her as she slept. She was lying on her side, facing away from him, her blue hair spilling onto the bedspread. He wanted to reach out and wake her, to thank her for being a better friend than he deserved, to apologize for throwing away her kindness, to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. She had come to him offering a helping hand, and he had spat in her face.
He eventually closed his eyes and drifted off, knowing there was only one way to make things up to her. He just hoped it wasn't too late to fix what he had tried so hard to break.
Dawn winced a bit as she felt the morning sun hitting her closed eyes, peeking through a crack in the drawn curtains. She grumbled and buried her face in her pillow before opening her eyes; while she had become more of a morning person over the years, she still needed a minute to work herself up to face the morning sun. She pushed herself up, rubbing her eye before sitting up on her knees, the blanket falling off of her.
She glanced down at the floor, doing a double-take when she realized Ash was not lying there next to her. She looked around the room quickly, as if she expected to see him hiding in a corner, but he was nowhere to be found. She scratched her head for a moment, surprised, before voices from elsewhere in the house garnered her attention. She slid out of bed, opening the bedroom door and stepping downstairs, still in her pajamas.
As she reached the ground floor, she turned to see Ash standing near the front door, placing clothes and Poké Balls and other things into a backpack. Pikachu was standing nearby, happily handing him things to pack up, more cheerful than Dawn had seem him since she arrived. She watched as Ash zipped up his backpack, looking back at his Pokémon, who was now offering him his neglected baseball cap. He reached out and accepted it, hitting it against his backpack a few times to knock off the excess dust, before placing it on his head where it belonged.
"Ash?" He turned to see Dawn standing at the bottom of the stairs, one hand on the banister, watching him with tired but curious eyes.
"Hey, Dawn," he responded. "Did you sleep alright?"
"Yeah…" Her eyes darted between him, his backpack, and his Pikachu. "What are you doing?"
"I woke up early to get things packed and ready," he answered. "Like you said, it's a long walk to the Vermillion City port."
Her eyes slowly widened as he realized what he was saying, and before she could stop herself, she was running up to him and throwing her arms around his neck. She hugged him as tightly as he could, nearly choking the life out of him.
"Thank you, thank you, Ash! I'm so happy you're coming with me!" She let go of him and raced back to the stairs. "I'm going to go get ready!" She took the stairs two at a time, moving as fast as she could, wanting to get going before he had time to change his mind. Ash rubbed the back of his neck as he watched her go, as his mother peeked her head out of the kitchen.
"Well, she sounded happy, didn't she?"
"Yeah, you can say that again," he answered, his hand falling to his side.
"Well, she's not the only one." Delia smiled warmly. "I think it's wonderful that you're going on another journey. It's been so long."
He turned back to face her, slightly amused. "I didn't think you'd be so happy to get me out of the house, Mom."
"I'm happy when you're happy, sweetie," she responded, giving the most motherly answer possible. "You haven't been happy here for a long time. I think this trip to Hoenn is going to be just what you need."
"I hope so…" The amused smile fell from his face, as he looked down. "I'm sorry I've been so… well…"
His mother stepped up to him, wrapping her arms around him gently and pulling him close. "You don't need to apologize, honey. I understand. We all have our bad times."
He nodded, closing his eyes and resting his head under her chin. "I really hope I'm doing the right thing by doing this..."
"I'm certain you are," Delia answered. "And if you ever need it, there will always be a bed and a warm plate of food here, waiting for you."
He smiled gently. "Thanks a lot, Mom."
"Of course, sweetie." She took a step back, retreating into the kitchen. "Speaking of which, breakfast is almost ready." Ash nodded and went into the kitchen after her, followed by Pikachu. Minutes later, an energized Dawn ran in after them, eating her breakfast at the speed of sound before dragging Ash and Pikachu out the door.
Several days later, Ash and Dawn were standing on the bow of a cruise ship, on their way to Slateport City in the Hoenn region. Dawn was bursting with excitement at the idea of going on a new journey with an old friend, with the title of Top Coordinator looming in the distance, beckoning her. Beside her, Ash was substantially less excited, still somewhat apprehensive at the idea of traveling, but he was doing his best to push his worries down, not wanting to ruin Dawn's trip as soon as it had begun. Pikachu was looking out at the ocean from his traditional perch on Ash's shoulder.
"So we're docking in Slateport City," Dawn mused. "That's where the Grand Festival is going to be, at the end of the season. I guess we'll just go through one big loop around Hoenn?"
"I guess so," Ash replied, pausing briefly before realizing he should probably say more. "If we can. It's not like Hoenn's a big circle. It's… more like two big circles, isn't it? The Western half and the Eastern half, with all the islands."
"That's true." She shrugged. "It's fine. We can just play it by ear. I don't want this to be too structured if we can help it. I want us to have fun."
Ash nodded, going quiet once again. Dawn eventually noticed the silence, looking over to see him with his head down, and his hands clasped.
"Ash? What's the matter?"
"Dawn… I'm sorry for how much of a jerk I was back in Pallet Town." He didn't look up, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry about all the things I said. I didn't mean them, honest."
"I forgive you, Ash," she replied without a second thought. "You weren't in a good place. I get it."
"Yeah… I'm still not in a good place, really," he admitted. "I don't know how long it will be until I am again. I don't even know if this trip is going to make everything better or worse."
"Well, you weren't getting any better sitting around at home," she responded bluntly, turning to look out at the ocean again. "I think this is going to be just what you need. You'll catch some new Pokémon, you'll win some battles, and you'll be feeling better before you know it. There's no need to worry." She grinned. "I even brought a new cheerleading outfit with me, to make sure you're battling at your best."
Ash let a snicker escape his lips. "Thanks, Dawn."
"Why are you laughing?" She turned to face him, pre-annoyed. "What's funny about that?"
"Nothing's funny about that," he clarified, standing up straight, looking back at her. "It just reminded me of being ten years old again."
She offered him a gentle smile. "Me, too. I wanted to remember our old journey together. That was one of the best times of my life."
"Mine, too." He returned the smile, hands resting on the railing on the front of the ship. "I'm glad I still have you in my corner after all this time."
She reached out and gently squeezed his hand. "And you always will."
Both of their smiles grew wider, and as she retracted her hand they continued to talk about what awaited them in Hoenn, looking forward to the journey ahead.