The travel hours passed by as they ought to have; Ash riding atop Charizard with mild monotony, entertained only by the occasional passing flying type. Whilst Dawn in Twinleaf Town dutifully helped her mother, when she wasn't trying to convince Piplup and Buneary that idly waiting in front of the door wouldn't bring Pikachu to their doorstep any faster.
A knock on the door connected the two parties.
"I've got it!" Dawn could be heard, her voice muffled by the door. It was pulled back to reveal a glowing face and jubilant blue eyes. "You made it!" she greeted, stepping back. Piplup and Buneary mobbed around his ankles, chirping and chattering up at Pikachu. "Come on, guys, knock that off!" she chided, picking the two eager pokemon up. Noticing that Ash had an unfamiliar occupant in his own arms, she inquired. "Oh? Who's this?"
Ash smiled, looking down at the little Riolu who hung onto his jacket tightly with pride. "Hehe, this is Rosa, a Riolu I hatched!" He explained before looking back up. "She's a little shy. Rosa," he started, "these are my friends. Say hello to Dawn, Piplup, Buneary, and Johanna! Don't worry, they won't bite!"
"Hi, there!" Johanna called from the dining area, where she was setting up the last of the table arrangements.
"Well, it's certainly good to see all three of you," Dawn greeted, minding to include Pikachu as well.
The mouse let out a happy chirp before chattering towards Buneary and Piplup. "Pika Pika!"
"Well, dinner's ready if you are!" the coordinator reminded.
That was all that needed to be said to Ash. "Of course! I'm starved!"
As they headed into the kitchen, all of the pokemon except Rosa wiggled free, chattering amongst themselves. Pikachu politely put up with Buneary's painfully obvious affections as the three of them - himself, her, and Piplup - chatted and caught up on their way over to their own portions, where Johanna's Umbreon and Glameow already reclined.
Walking beside Ash, the coordinator tried to be friendly with the little fighting type. "Well! If you think we're scary now, wait 'til you've seen your trainer eat!" she joked.
Rosa cracked the smallest of grins at this, though she stayed buried into Ash's side.
Looking down at her, Ash took mild offense. "Hey! She's already seen me eat!"
About to fire back in play, the coordinator instead stopped. "Wait… are you… taller than me?!" They were the same height last she remembered! And, she'd grown some, she knew it! She had to buy new clothes!
"... I think so!" Shock had run over him at first, but it had quickly turned to cheekiness. "Poor little Dee Dee, she's - "
"Don't use that name!" Dawn whined as they both sat down at the table.
Though pleased, Johanna couldn't help but jump in on it. "My, oh my, did my house just get lively. Haha, it's kind of fun!"
"Speaking of fun," Dawn started, loading her plate up before passing the dishes around, "let me tell you what happened in Hoenn! I did some promotional work with Paris for these things called Contests Spectaculars! They won't be a contest anyone can enter just yet, but trust me, they're gonna be great! Anyway, after we took some photoshoots - actually, I should show you the pictures later of Buneary and Piplup! She was dressed as a popstar and he was a rocker, and - "
"Dawn," Johanna gently reminded.
"... oh! Right. Anyway, I caught an Absol while I was there!" she explained, eyes lighting up. "And, a Houndour when I got back here." She frowned. "Though, it was a lot less exciting to catch him. He kept bullying Pachirisu. He still does, sometimes."
Ash nodded, though his mouth had been full through all of her story. Swallowing, he replied, "Oh, man! So, you're in a magazine now?! That's great! And, yeah, I wanna see them after dinner! In fact, I've got a lot of pokemon to show you!" He started counting on his fingers as Rosa nibbled on a roll.
"Let's see… There's Tyranitar, Misdreavus… and a whole lot of others evolved! Gible's a Gabite now! I'm totally gonna have to show you after dinner! Tyranitar's actually an old friend of mine and Misdreavus helped us out a ton on Mt. Silver! We… Kinda got lost on the way down." Sharing a smile with Pikachu, he continued. "Oh, and Buizel evolved!"
"Buizel evolved!?" The others were momentarily forgotten. Starry eyed, Dawn clasped her hands together and smiled widely. "Oh, man, this is great! I'm so proud - of him and you! I guess I should call him…. Floatzel? Floatzel, now." Nodding, she tried to eat a little more, but now she was just a bundle of energy. Ash was visiting and Buizel had evolved?! Fantastic! "I'm so glad for Gible, too. And, I'm sure Tyranitar and Misdreavus are wonderful pokemon!"
Johanna paused, grinning. "Dawn, you don't even know where or what Mt. Silver is, do you?"
Dawn sunk into her seat, idly poking at her meal. "No," she confessed.
Ash cracked a smile. "It's this super dangerous mountain between Johto and Kanto! It was freezing, but we got super strong up there!" He nudged her playfully. "Keep up your training and I may take you sometime."
"Keep running your mouth and I'll ask Pikachu to shock you awake from a nap again," she threatened.
From where he ate, the mouse lifted his head upon hearing his name before shrugging and going back to eating.
Realizing that the two would banter if she didn't stop them, Johanna tried to steer the conversation. "So, Ash, what are you up to?"
"Well… I've just been training, you know? I was at Iron Island for a while. I should probably head back home after this…"
"What about you, Dawn?" Johanna asked.
"Mom, I'm still trying to figure out a Contest circuit to try," she gently reminded, only half-whining.
"No, honey, I meant, what about the Kanto Contests. Ash might be able to tell you a little bit about the area and if you get lost, he might be able to tell you where to go!" she suggested. It'd certainly make it easier on Johanna. If Dawn was in a region with friends, it would be better.
"Kanto has Contests?!" Dawn exclaimed, truly surprised.
"Oh yeah," Ash agreed, working on his dessert now. "May did 'em while I took on the Battle Frontier!" He paused. "Actually… yeah!" He was trying to get stronger before the next League, so what if the next League he took on was the Indigo!? He already had all the badges, but if he went with Dawn while she was coordinating, he could challenge the gyms again for practice! "So, are you gonna?"
"Gonna what? Go to Kanto?" She thought about it. "Well, I did wanna go with you back then…"
"Great! We'll get to travel together again!" Ash enthused. "I'll challenge the Indigo League!" he decided, sure of himself very suddenly. "Oh, man, I'd better call Mom! She'll be mad if we don't swing by before starting the journey!" he explained, shooting away from the table quick enough to make Rosa yelp in shock.
Dawn giggled at his haste before thinking about Kanto. "Aw, man, I'll get to see Brock, again! Gary, too! Maybe even Professor Oak!" She let out a fangirlish squeal, clapping her hands together.
Shaking her head, Johanna began to clear the table. "Well, good. You two might want to get packing and head out tomorrow, hm?"
"Why so soon?" Dawn asked, furrowing her brows.
Johanna merely smirked. If she knew Delia like their telephone conversations led her to believe, then in three... two… one…
Ash returned. "Mom said as soon as I get back I have to stay at home for at least a day, so if you're okay with that, we can leave whenever," he bashfully explained. She was most likely going to fawn over both of them for a while.
Johanna chuckled. "See? If you two leave tomorrow, you'll still have a week to get to whatever Contest Halls are nearest you, even with Delia wanting to see her baby boy!"
Ash supposed all mothers were the same, in the end. A little embarrassed by knowing how close his and Dawn's mothers were - she even referred to him as Delia's baby boy - he looked off to the side.
"Well," Dawn began. "Are you going to show me your pokemon?"
"Totally! Let's head outside and let everyone mingle for a bit, huh? I don't have Floatzel on me right now, though… You'll see him later! And, Tyranitar, eheheh."
The bed was crowded. Pikachu slept on Ash's chest while Rosemary slept snuggled to his side; Wartortle and Bulbasaur likewise sprawled on the guest bed. Morning soon came, however, and as the sun shined through the window, Bulbasaur was the first to awake. He felt in a good mood; the solar particles drawn to his bulb helped with that pleasant start.
"Bulbaaa…" The grass type stretched its head out, turning its attention to the slumbering group. He began to nudge Ash's side, doing his best to wake the dozing trainer.
"Huh… Wha…?" He began to stir, eyes opening up to be met with the bright light shining in through the window. "Man… Morning already?" He carefully began to sit up, much to the discontent of Pikachu, who rolled off of Ash onto the bed face-first.
"Pika…"
The grass type's vines extended to wrap around the sleepy Riolu, gently lulling it just above the bed to wake it peacefully. Rosa woke with a sleepy yawn, stretching her small arms over her head.
Wartortle began to wake up too, rubbing its eyes to sit up among the rest.
"Morning, guys!" Ash greeted, a smile forming on his face. Today was the day! They were heading back to Kanto! And to top it off, the sweet aroma of breakfast had begun to drift upstairs.
The teen was quick to get dressed, holding the door open for the Pokemon to scamper out. Ash rushed for the stairs as well, just barely coming short of making the same mistake as last time - he'd almost fallen down the steps.
"Man, that was a close one…" He breathed a sigh of relief. "I wonder if Dawn's up yet."
Dressed in a new ensemble, Dawn walked out of her room and into the hall right on cue.
Seeing that Ash hadn't fallen down the steps like last time, she decided to tease him. "Someone remembered that the first step's a doozy!" she called before descending herself, carrying Piplup, as his little legs wouldn't let him go down the steps easily.
Ash let out a sheepish chuckle at the throwback, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm not doing that again!"
Johanna looked around from the kitchen. "Well, you're both up and at it. Excited?"
Ash made his way to the dining room, taking a seat at the table with haste. His Pokemon followed, gathered around his seat, waiting to be fed. "You bet! I can't wait!" Ash affirmed. He almost wished he was there already! Still, being at Dawn's wasn't so bad. Focused on their plans and breakfast, though, Ash hadn't yet noticed Dawn's wardrobe change.
"Very!" Dawn gave her mother an assuring look as the woman went around to tend to the pokemon while Dawn sat down. "You'll be fine while I'm gone?" she asked, suddenly aware that Johanna would once again be by herself.
The older blue haired woman cracked a grin, standing up straight after serving the non-humans their meal. "Dawn, honey, you know I still have my own life, right?" Humming, she let out a good-natured laugh. "I'll keep in touch."
Ash dug into his meal, listening to the two in silence. He knew this conversation - he often had a similar conversation with his mother before he left home. Like Delia, though, Johanna would surely be alright as she said.
Glad to see her mother was in good spirits, Dawn began eating. "No need to worry then," she muttered. "No need to worry…" As for her outfit, she left it be; Ash would eventually notice, whether it be two minutes or two hours from now.
"No need to worry!" Ash echoed, reassuring the girl. "Mom told me the same thing when I left to go train. We'll call in, no problem!" In typical Ash fashion, he ate as he spoke, coming awfully close to finishing his meal. Ash's Pokemon had dug into the bowls left out for them as well, more than content as they waited patiently for their trainer and his companion to finish.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Dawn gently chided, not really irritated, but feeling the need to remind the boy that this wasn't see-food. She was close to finishing hers as well, though she knew there was no point in rushing when Mamoswine had to finish his morning feast.
Ash gave a sheepish smile, coming so close to talking before just nodding and swallowing his most recent bite. She'd asked nicely enough that it didn't bother him, so he complied.
Johanna watched silently, a cup of coffee to her lips. Grinning, she looked out of the window before speaking. "I suppose I needn't tell you, Ash, but Dawn, you mind where you're at in Kanto—they've got organized crime there."
Turning to Johanna, Ash nodded. "Believe me, I know." He started. "I've been dealing with Team Rocket since I've started out as a Pokemon Trainer." Once, they'd even attacked as a group on the S. ! That experience had nearly been the death of him, but it was probably best not to bring that experience up.
The blue haired girl raised a brow. "…We should be fine." Surely it couldn't be worse than the Team Rocket gang they'd come across—a scam here, a theft there… nothing serious. Right?
"Jessie, James, and Meowth've gotten a little more dangerous lately. But we're a lot stronger, and I'm sure together, we'll keep sending 'em packing!" The trio had actually stalemated him the last time they met. If he had Dawn with him, maybe his odds would be better.
"Right!" Between the two of them - their wits, their determination, their teams - surely they would be unstoppable! Or, at least difficult enough to keep down that it wouldn't be worth anyone's time. Efficiency was usually the name of the game for evil, after all.
Seeing that they were both nearly done and that their pokemon had pretty much finished their meals, Dawn stood. "Well, I guess we're heading out, huh?" She went over to give her mother a deep, brief hug.
"You'll do great," Johanna assured as they let go of each other.
"Yeah, looks like it!" Ash flashed the coordinator a grin, and gave her mother a warm smile as well. "Thanks for letting us stay the night!" He slung his backpack over his shoulders, which he'd left downstairs the night before. "Okay, guys! Let's get moving!" The trainer turned to his Pokemon who were chowing inside, calling back Bulbasaur, Wartortle, and Riolu. Probably best not to have her out during a flight to the airport.
Turning to Ash, Dawn huffed proudly. If he was ready, it was time to roll out.
He didn't hesitate to run outside, making his way to Misdreavus and Charizard. "Okay, guys, you ready to get back to Kanto?"
The two nodded. It was quite the trip, but worth waiting in a pokeball for.
"Soon as Dawn's out here to join us, we're leaving!" He returned Misdreavus, as he'd need only Charizard to get to the airport.
Dawn checked the tickets her mother had given her as she came outside, bag on her shoulder and the rest of her team put away in their pokeballs. "This is our first oversea flight…" she muttered to Togekiss.
The fairy type chirped, bobbing her head. "Toge!"
Taking this as confirmation, Dawn settled on Togekiss's back, comfortable with the pokemon's wide stature. She looked to Ash. "Ready?"
If he agreed, then she'd take to the sky. This would certainly be quite the trip.
Charizard took that as the signal to lower his head, giving Ash and Pikachu the chance to climb atop his back. Pikachu sat in Ash's lap, holding onto his trainer's coattails for security.
"You bet!" The trainer affirmed, holding on tight. "Let's go, Charizard!" The trainer from Pallet pointed towards the sky with considerable flare, black hues lighting up in excitement. "Let's head back to Kanto!"
The flying type let out a roar, spreading his wings wide before taking off powerful flaps of his leathery wings. Ash held his prized cap down upon his head, heart already racing in anticipation of what was to come.
Only hugging down further onto Togekiss's streamlined form so that she could attempt to keep up with the Charizard, it took Dawn's party took a few seconds to finally catch up to Ash's. They were on their way, now.
The most taxing part of the flight was making it through the airport. Without Brock to guide them, Dawn and Ash did a very good job of getting themselves lost. It was only by Pikachu pointing out their terminal that they made it just before their seats were given away to other passengers. After that, it was smooth flying.
The flight stopped being fun, though, the last thirty minutes in.
"Ugh," Dawn complained. "What's going on out there? The pilot said something about turbulence." She hugged Piplup tighter, the poor little penguin completely out of it thanks to the suddenly miserable flight.
Ash, used to riding on Pidgeot and Charizard, was taking it considerably better. "You want the window seat? There isn't much to see 'cause it's storming, but maybe it'll help…?" He shook his head. "Man, it'd suck to be in Cerulean right about now."
However, just as he spoke that, the plane broke through the storm cloud. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness!"
"'Bout time! We'll land, soon!" Ash enthused.
"I hope so."
Lo and behold, after fifteen minutes, they were touching down! The forest below gave way to a clearing, and many buildings and homes took their place. Finally, they were home free! The runway cleared a giant space off to the side of the modest town of Pallet.
As they were let off the plane, Dawn let out an ecstatic giggle. "You did great," she murmured to Piplup, though he was still too woozy to answer. She'd then look over at Ash, enjoying being able to stretch her legs. "Man! I didn't realize I'd miss walking so much!"
"Yeah, flying for a while does that, I've heard." Grinning, he walked beside her out of the airport. "Well, glad you do! 'Cause it's a bit of a walk from here to my house!"
The trainer turned to Dawn, finally getting a real look at the girl for the first time since they'd left. "Hey, that's a pretty cool look for you!" Ash remarked, giving her a thumbs-up. It seemed more casual than her usual wear - it almost looked like his style… If he were a girl, of course.
"Took you long enough," she teased. Fashion wasn't his forte, so she wasn't going to be rude. "Thank you, though. Kanto's a whole different ballpark from Sinnoh, so I decided to dress appropriately." A pink vest over a black, slightly mid-cut tank top and black shorts was the main part of her look. She also sported a belt, a new accessory for her, and teal instead of pink boots. She felt the tiniest bit naked without any hair accessories, but she supposed she looked good anyway.
"Hey, no problem! Makes sense to me." He hadn't thought of that, but Sinnoh was considerably colder.
She gestured to his ensemble. "Though, I never did get around to asking when red became your color. Looks good on you though—heroic, maybe?"
Dawn's remark brought a smile to Ash's face - a cocky one. Good job, Dawn. You went and boosted his ego. "Hah, thanks! I got it after I left Sinnoh. Heroic works for me!" He hadn't considered that, but he had done quite a lot of saving people through his travels. If his outfit reflected that, well, awesome!
He even tugged on the end of his jacket, forming something of a cape out of it. Dawn wasn't impressed. Well… He could look cool when he wasn't trying to, anyway.
"Oh! Speaking of changes, I guess you were training when it happened, but while I was in Hoenn, apparently some professor in Kalos discovered there's actually another type: fairy! And, I've got one! Togekiss! She's actually fairy and flying; people thought Togekiss were normal for years!"
"That's incredible!" Ash enthused. "I remember back when they discovered steel and dark…" He shook his head, chuckling. "To think so long we thought Magnemites were just electric!" Science was incredible, he supposed. "Speaking of incredible stuff, you're about to see my house!" Ash pointed at his home, beaming with pride.
"Oh, wow! So this is your place, huh? It looks so cute!" Dawn admired the modest, two-story home. There was even a beautiful garden, right outside the house. "It looks like it keeps your mom busy," she remarked, approaching the front door.
"Yeah, and it keeps me even more busy when she wants my help." Ash frowned, recalling nightmarish bouts of chores. Even Pikachu agreed with a sympathetic recital of his name.
With that out of the way, Ash pulled the door open, stepping into the warm, humble home. "Hey, Mom! I'm home! And, I brought a friend with me, too!" Ash shouted, hands cupped around his mouth as he kicked his shoes off his feet.
"Ash!?" A high, audibly excited voice called from the other room. Appearing before the duo and their pokemon in a flash was none other than Delia Ketchum. Large, auburn orbs glowing, she pulled her teenage son into a hug, easily making up for the two months or so that he'd been gone. "Oh, honey, it's so good to see you! And, you, too, Pikachu!"
It took her a moment to register the girl beside her son, but Delia managed to recover from her fumble, quickly pulling back to clasp her hands together. "Oh, Dawn! It's so nice to finally meet you in person! Ash didn't tell me that he was having anyone else over, but you're always welcome here!"
Meanwhile, Ash took the moment of freedom to avert his eyes, fumbling with the brim of his cap. Did she have to go and embarrass him in front of his friends like that…?
Bowing her head just a bit, Dawn smiled widely at Delia. "It's nice to see you in person, too! Mom sends her regards!" Their mothers talked every now and again. As of recently, they were talking more frequently than their children were, not that, considering how busy the two had been, that meant very much.
"Well, it was a little last minute!" she explained. "Thank you, though. It's lovely here!"
Beaming with pride that Dawn had complimented her home, Delia nodded. "Well, I know Ash is hungry -"
"Yep!" he agreed, not even bothering to pretend that he was insulted.
"- but would you like anything?" the mother continued.
"If you've got some soda, that'd be nice!" Dawn followed the mother and son into the kitchen, sitting down happily at the dining table as Delia took to her typical role of hostess.
"So, you're a coordinator, right?" Delia asked once she got sat down. "You're going to do the contests here? I'll try and tune in, okay? Do your best!"
Blushing a bit, Dawn grinned. "Thank you, I will!" She gestured to Ash, since his mouth was full. "Did he tell you he was going to challenge the gym leaders again?"
"Can you do that?" Delia wondered. "I suppose if you two really wanted to, you could ask go Professor Oak about it. He's more familiar with the League rules than me!" she confessed with a laugh.
"He lives near here?!"
Ash chuckled at Dawn's surprise. "He does!"
"That means Gary's here, too!" she sing-songed.
Letting out a huff, Ash poked Dawn's cheek. "You're in casa de la Ketchum right now, you know, not at the Oak's! You could be excited about it," he whined.
Swatting away his hand, she poked her tongue out at him. "I am! It's just been a while since I saw him! Or, heard a poem…"
Grinning at Ash's leftover need to trump Gary no matter what, whether it was a battle or simply a friend's attention, Delia spoke up. "Well, after you two get settled in, I'll get started on dinner while you two go over to Samuel's and invite them over for dinner?"
"Sounds good!" the two chimed in unison.
Though it was nowhere near sunset, the shadows were growing longer by the time Ash and Dawn arrived at Oak's residence. Quicker on the draw than his female companion, Ash knocked three times, very loudly, on the front door.
"Coming!" came a muffled voice from inside.
In short order, the door was opened. There stood Tracey Sketchit, lab coat smudged with ink and a cup of fragrant coffee in his hands. "Oh! Ash! Good to see you. And, you are…?"
"Dawn!" she greeted as he ushered them in. "Nice to meet you…?"
"Tracey!" Ash explained, jumping into the conversation. "Nice to see you, buddy! How's it going?"
"Pretty good. I'm doing a lot of paperwork right now, so a little break's appreciated."
"Really? Well, me and Dawn came to invite the Oaks to dinner, but if you're here this afternoon, I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind one more at the table! So!" He turned to Dawn, giving her a pat on the back. "You stay here and get to know Tracey and let the Oaks know what's up! I'll be out back!"
"Out back?" Dawn asked as Ash ran off. "Hey!"
"Don't bother," Tracey gently discouraged, certain it would do her no good to go running after Ash. As long as he'd known the boy, when he was determined to do something, there was no stopping him. "Now, your name's familiar… where would I know you from?"
"Well, I traveled with Ash. And, since he knows you, I'm going to assume you've known him for a while, too?"
Tracey nodded. "I traveled with him while he was taking on the Orange Island League. Hey, wait a second… Your mother wouldn't happen to be Johanna, would she?"
"That's her!" Dawn replied.
"That's where I know you! Gary heard about her from Rowan when while working with him, and he told me and the professor about you once he got back!"
Clasping her hands together, Dawn couldn't help but beam. "Gary told you?! And, Professor Oak?! About me?!" She could just die. The poetry man and his grandson were talking about her! Er, talked about her. Either way, she was still very excited.
"Oh? So, are you one of Gary's fans?" Tracey teased. Somehow, he doubted that. There was no way Ash would put up with someone constantly fawning over Gary no matter how well the two boys got along now.
"Hm? I suppose… I'm much more interested in his grandfather, though! It'd be different if Gary would write some poems!"
A little confused by her wording, Tracey nearly spat his coffee out. "I-Interested…? In the professor?!"
"His poetry's amazing!" she clarified.
"Ah, there she is! The girl who truly appreciates my artistic side!" Samuel appeared.
The sentiment was clearly appreciated. "Professor Oak! Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man, oh, man, oh -"
Seeing that there was only one way to calm the girl down, Professor Oak quickly tried to come up with a haiku. "A quiet mouse stays in the house longer than a loud one ever will."
True enough, the girl's frenzy turned into quiet consideration. "I understand… Say, do you have that -"
Handing her a piece of paper that he'd been writing on, Tracey revealed that he'd already done her the favor. "Here, there's the poem. Happy?"
"Very! Thank you both so much!"
With the introduction taken care of, Samuel supposed he should see what the girl was actually after. "So, what brings you to my lab? Hm? I think I saw Ash out back…"
"Miss Delia wanted us to invite all of you over for dinner!" Dawn explained. "Also, Ash and I are going to travel through Kanto again! Er, well, he'll be going again. This is my first time." She clarified with nervous laughter.
"I'm going to go on the coordinating circuit, but his mom said we should ask about what to do about Ash challenging the gym leaders again. Like, if he could even do that?"
"Certainly!" Samuel clarified. "But, knowing Ash, he'll want to battle their superior, personal teams."
"Personal teams?"
Oak chuckled. "Of course! All but the youngest gym leaders have numerous teams, each suitable for trainers of different strengths, though some gym leaders have different responsibilities, so they will only take on trainers below or above certain levels. If you've ever met a gym leader who wouldn't take on someone unless they had certain badges, you know what I'm talking about."
Turning to face the window, the elder continued. "It isn't exactly common practice, but Ash got along decently with most of the gym leaders, so I'll put in a word to let them know that it's fine to do that with him. I'd expect nothing less, quite honestly. I suppose it's good something was said so he got a good, proper challenge."
Tracey nodded. "Yeah, I think he'd like that, if I know him."
Dawn rolled her eyes, fond of her companion but knowing as well as anyone else that he lived for a good battle. "Trust me. He'll probably be singing your praises over dinner."
The relative quiet of the three in the lab was broken when two boys rather than one came inside.
"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't go siccing your stinky Typhlosion on any vague shadows you see!"
"If you and your stupid Umbreon weren't slinking in the dark, that wouldn't have happened!"
"It's called enjoying the sunset! I wouldn't expect a child to take the time to do something like that!"
"Who are you calling a child?!"
Just as things were about to get physical, Dawn unwittingly stepped between the brewing fight. Neither boy was quite angry enough to put their friend in physical danger, so the situation quickly de-escalated.
"Gary! It's so good to see you!"
Smiling brightly down at the girl, Gary greeted her back. "It's good to see you, too! You finally got to meet Gramps, huh?"
"Mmhm!"
Tracey breathed out a sigh of relief. "Boy, I thought they were about to throwing punches."
Samuel nodded in agreement. "At their age now, they might actually hurt each other."
"What are you doing here, though?" Gary inquired, genuinely curious.
"I could ask you the same," Ash hissed. Hadn't he just seen him like, a day or two ago?
Talking over Dawn's head, the brunet quickly answered his ex-rival. "I'm in my house," he quickly reminded Ash. He'd whooped the Ketchum in battles and he'd darn sure whoop the boy on Oak property. "Besides, I was done doing work with Rowan for a bit, so I came here to work on some other important business."
"Hey, we're doing important stuff, too!" Ash bit back.
"Can I talk?" Dawn asked in a flat tone.
"Right, yeah, sorry," both boys apologized.
"Anyway, I'm here with Ash to do some Contests with he tries the League again!"
"Really, now?" Gary's malice disappeared. "Well, I wish you both the best of luck. I mean it."
Taken off guard by Gary's sudden gentleness, Ash fiddled with the brim of his hat before putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder to catch her attention. "Right. Thanks. Well, if that's all, I guess we should head back to my place. Mom should have dinner just about ready."
"Oh, before we do, Ash! I spoke with Dawn about it and she thinks it's a great idea! If you'll send in an official challenge from the Pokemon Center in Viridian City, I'll recommend the gym leaders battle you with their personal, stronger teams!"
"Wow! Jeez, Professor, you're a life saver… Thanks! I'll do that!" Ash gratefully enthused.
Tracey was already by the door, not as caught up in the battle talk as the others. "Well, are we going to the lavish spread Miss Delia's laid out for us, or are you guys going to sit here like knots on a log?"
"Huh? No way, me first!" Ash argued. "Come on, Dawn! Tracey doesn't look it, but he's a big eater, too!" With that, Ash bolted out of the door.
Tracey laughed before supposing it was fine to play around for a bit, and ran as well.
Dawn let out a sigh. "Guys!"
Gary shook his head. "Gramps, I'll just walk over with you. Pointless to run when we're like two blocks away."
After yet another eventful day, another scrumptious filling meal followed. All guests at the Ketchum house, human and pokemon alike, thoroughly enjoyed their stay. Some a little too much - Piplup had, unfortunately, nearly choked a couple of times in his haste to stuff his face. Perhaps the most amazing part was that he was the one to suffer that fate, rather than Ash or Pikachu.
Each spoke of their own recent endeavors, what with Ash and his battles, Dawn and her pokestyling, Gary and Samuel's research, and Tracey's work at the lab. It was a fun game of catch-up and left Dawn and Piplup feeling very welcomed in Pallet's ever-growing social circle. As the night went on, though, bellies were inevitably filled. They finish the chilly, early March evening with refreshing cups of cocoa. With that, most of the group returned to the laboratory.
This just left Delia, Ash, Dawn, and their respective pokemon.
"Ahh…! Man, that was great!" Ash leaned back in his seat, one hand holding his sated belly.
"Pikachu~!" His best friend cooed, leaning back against one of the table's legs, equally stuffed from the smaller portions Delia had offered him in his bowl.
"Ro! Rio!" Rosa chirped, finishing off the last of her neatly organized platter. Having been in the presence of much mixed company, she'd learned to keep her telepathy quiet when necessary.
"You're not kidding! Thanks so much, Miss Ketchum!" Dawn clasped her hands together, positively glowing. "No offense to Mom, but I haven't eaten anything like that in a long time!"
"Pip, Piplup…" The small penguin weakly replied in agreement. It'd all been delicious! Enough to lead to the poor water type stuffing himself into a stomach ache, unfortunately…
"Oh, of course, dear! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now Ash," she started, turning to the glutton. "Why don't you show Dawn up to your room? She can have the bed and you can pull out a sleeping bag?"
"Aw, alright." While he really didn't like being the one stuck on the floor, it was really no different than camping out. If anything, a bit better. "C'mon, Dawn! Last one up's a rotten Exeggcute!" Seemingly recovering from his full stomach in the blink of an eye, he darted towards the stairs.
"Are you kidding me?!" Dawn cried, though she raced after Ash anyway.
Delia shook her head as she and Mr. Mime cleaned up, and the teens' pokemon headed up the stairs as well. "Some things never change, I suppose."
Flicking off the light as she returned from changing in the bathroom, Dawn grinned at the sight before her in the dim, moonlit bedroom. Ash was cozied in his sleeping bag, Rosa sharing it with him while Pikachu made himself comfortable on an extra pillow laid out just for the little mouse. Piplup, meanwhile, furiously patted the bed, a little spoiled and absolutely determined to share sleeping space with Dawn, no matter where they were.
"Excuse me!" Dawn warned, essentially jumping over Ash to get into the bed.
He let out a laugh, shifting so they could talk a bit before they both drifted off. "Nice job! You should consider those pokeathlons in Johto! You and Buneary would stomp the competition."
Dawn propped herself up on the edge of the bed, poking her tongue out. "Yeah? Do they have any games for boys who eat their weight in food twice a day?"
"I'm bulking," Ash defended. He didn't actually know if that was what he was doing. He heard the phrase on a show about fighting types, once.
Confused, Rosemary quirked her brows. Bulking… Bulk Up? Did humans know pokemon moves?! Probably not… She'd ask Pikachu about it in the morning.
Shaking her head, the coordinator decided to leave it be. "Silly me, I forgot that's not your dream at all. It's to be -"
"A pokemon master!" Ash finished her sentence, positively beaming. "And, you still wanna be a top coordinator, right?!" His excitement waned. "Or, a pokestylist…" Somehow, that seemed less exciting. But, this was his friend! He tried to gain enthusiasm back.
"Hey, whatever you do, whether you've changed your mind or not, I'm sure you'll do great!" Suddenly, he hoped she hadn't. Would she still battle with him like they used to if she was a pokestylist all the time?! He didn't recall hearing about Paris and he knew all the great battlers! That meant that wasn't as important to pokestylists as it might be to coordinators.
Unwittingly putting his fears at ease, Dawn clarified her goals. "I still want to be a top coordinator." She paused. "Actually… I really want to win in Kanto, now that I've thought about it." She looked up at the ceiling, noting the barely glowing stickers Ash must have put up when he was very young, and the all but forgotten figurines of various famous trainers and their pokemon. Was that a destroyed alarm clock? Why was it still there?
She continued. "I… kind of want to set my own legacy. Mom's a great inspiration, but after eating dinner tonight and remembering that even Gary only knew me because of my mom - not that I'm one to talk with how I knew him - but I wanna be remembered for me," she confessed.
Ash felt a stirring, a deepening of their similarities. He, too, had a reason to prove himself, to set a line in the sand between himself and a phantom of a man whose shadow he had escaped, and would continue to do so. "You'll do it," he assured.
"When we're working together, we can do anything! Remember what we did in Sinnoh!? We'll definitely reach our goals! So, when I'm a pokemon master and you're a top coordinator, the only people we have to be connected to are each other!"
The trainer sat up, feeling invigorated. He scratched Pikachu under his chin before giving Rosa a tight hug. "And, we'll have done it all by ourselves! Just you, me, and all our pokemon!"
Dawn likewise felt the overwhelming sense of assurance. He was right. He had so much experience. She still honestly believed that he could have made it, had legendaries themselves not spited him.
And, she'd gotten close, too, right? "Right! No need to worry!" So, she pulled Piplup close, hugging the penguin, who adamantly chirped how he believed in himself, Dawn, and their friends.
However, as the hugs ended, Dawn found Ash resting on his elbows, having been watching her. Somehow, between the passionate speech he just gave, his wording, and the lighting, she felt her heart speed up a little.
She felt her face growing uncomfortably hot.
She didn't have time to mull over it.
Ash was trying to lean up, to go in for a high five.
Picking up on his gesture, Dawn leaned over to meet him. Unfortunately, their hands never touched. Ash managed to slip in his silky smooth sleeping bag, causing him to fall onto Rosa, who let out a yip of pain before using all of her strength to knock Ash off of her.
Wind knocked out of him and Rosa whimpering, whatever strange feeling had come over Dawn was quickly replaced by a mixture of worry and mirth. "You freakin' fell on your sleeping bag! Haha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Rosa, are you okay, haha? A-Ash, what about… I can't believe you did that, haha!"
"Hey, shut up, my ribs are killin' me!" His tone would suggest otherwise, but he was less angry than embarrassed. His pride was always taking the brunt of things, it seemed.
"Riooooo!" Rosa whined.
Delia's muffled voice could be heard from downstairs. "Everything okay up there?!"
"Yes!" both teens called, moving to comfort the little Riolu.
Ash picked her up at once, hushing the pokemon with a gentle whistle, rocking her in his arms.
"We promise, no more horseplay, alright?" Dawn offered, trying to do her part.
That seemed to be enough for Rosa, who had let her eyes fall shut.
With her soothed, Ash paused, putting his hand on Dawn's shoulder before she climbed back into his bed. "I never got my high five… and I've paid in blood for it!" A bit overdramatic, but it was enough to get another giggle out of Dawn.
"Yeah, I don't think a bruise from a baby counts as 'paying in blood'." All the same, she held up her hand.
He clapped his against hers, and with that, they both crawled into their respective sleeping spaces and quietly dozed off.
