Good to see all you readers again! The next installment of Ash and the gang's short vacation is here, and we hope you enjoy it. There'll be a new piece of fanart for this chapter for you to check out, so take a look at our another-rxad tumblr!


The past few days had been relaxing. Though, for our heroes, that did not necessarily mean they were spent lazily. Certainly, yes, they indulged in late morning wake ups and pleasant sight seeing. Ash even got in a chance to see his beloved boccer games and Dawn got to see her musical. The evenings were spent casually battling, or in front of the great television in their borrowed abode. Meema, in particular, was introduced to the concept of a technical machine. After some bickering and frustration on over how to make the two devices communicate, Dawn's more recent model PokeDex was able to project said technical machines on the television.

After all, as nice as this vacation to Unova was, it would end, one day. Ash and Dawn wanted to be ready for it.

But, the battles they would face when they returned to Kanto were not today's worries. Rather, today's worries were whether or not Dawn had packed enough food.

"What do you mean you don't know if you brought mayo?!" Ash asked in shock, already toting one bag of pokechow in his backpack for their less human companions.

"Well, I know I grabbed the mustard!" Dawn retorted.

Empoleon sat in front of the open refrigerator, greedily soaking in the cool air. Likewise, an exhausted Meema was basking in the bathroom, out of sight of everyone else, with the cool tiles against her and Rura's fur.

Ash impatiently tapped his foot. "Well, look, if we wanna get out to Lostlorn Forest before sunset, we gotta go there now so we can get back then!"

Dawn huffed. "Fine, fine!" Snatching the dessert cookies and poffins, she slammed them into the bag before calling out. "Alright, gang! We're headed out!"

Empoleon waddled over. Pikachu straightened up on Ash's shoulder. Meema took a form similar enough to Dawn that she could have passed for the coordinator's older sister, and Rura rested within his mother's arms, disguised as a Pikachu. With that, the party left.


The Lostlorn Forest had made for a good spot to settle. A babbling brook fed by a small, picturesque waterfall marked it out as particularly scenic. Dawn reclined, her back resting against Tauros as he laid on the grass. Ash, in turn, had his head in Dawn's lap, still grabbing handfuls of grapes to stuff in his face. Meanwhile, the rest of the pokemon on their teams laid among one another

Rura, for one, huffed, quickly growing bored. There were so many new friends around; so many different kinds that he'd never seen or even dreamed of! But, all they were doing was just sitting there! Didn't any of them know how to have fun!? Or, do something besides sitting there, even!?

"Zor! Zor-Zor!" He yipped, dashing up to his mother, and the two pokemon that accompanied to her; two… birds, maybe? One had colorful head feathers, and the other was large and round, white with red and blue spots. The former was perched atop the tree branches on Torterra's back. He crouched, trying to goad them into playing with him with a wag of his tail.

They gave him kind smiles, and a chirp in greeting, but nothing else. He was too young to play with them, wasn't he?

"Rura, mind yourself, please," Meema scolded, scooping up her cub to place him in her mane. The last thing they wanted was to offend their new pack.

The Zoroark turned back to Togekiss. "So, you said you come from royalty? What an honor." Almost instinctively, she bowed her head.

"Kiss!" Togekiss waved off the thought with her wing. "It was pleasant, but I much prefer being on Dawn's team. I get to spread my wings, and explore more ways to show off my grace!"

Meema's eyes moved from the Jubilee pokemon to her cub's trainer, who was being offered a grape by her rowdy companion lying with her. Dawn grabbed it, perhaps a bit too roughly, she imagined, when the small fruit burst. A look of horror struck her, but Ash removed his headgear, quickly shielding her dress from the resulting mess. His reflexes were certainly up to par. He even left her with what she was sure humans called a 'kiss;' she swore she heard Leader say something about making up for the grape. Their shared laughter was… Humbling. Was this the carefree life that Togekiss was so fond of? "They don't seem to fuss or worry much, do they?"

"Only when it's necessary," Togekiss chirped back. "...Usually." Dawn's phrase 'no need to worry' seemed to be more of a suggestion than a guideline.

Rura yawned from within the seemingly endless nest of hair, quickly growing bored of listening in. Just grown-up talk. But, grown-up talk kept them busy; enough for him to wiggle his way out of the back of Meema's mane and onto the grass. "Oof," he uttered as he rolled into the grass, quickly covering his mouth with his paws. He could get caught!

But, she hadn't noticed. Breathing a sigh of relief, he crept through the tall grass, steering clear of another scolding.

"Cott!" A high voice startled him.

But, it was just a similarly frightened Cottonnee, who opted to float off to safety. Rura shrugged, crawling back towards the group. Most of them seemed happy to lie where they were… Boring. They'd probably shrug him off, too! Just a bunch of boring adults…

But, what was that!? A flicker of… Fire? A large mammalian pokemon laid in the grass, her arms folded under her chin. The gentle flicker and the back of her neck and the restless thumping of her hind leg against the ground told Rura he wasn't the only one ready to fall asleep around here.

And so, he yipped. "Hey! Whatsyername! You wanna play, huh? C'mon!"

Typhlosion's ear twitched. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted a red tuft of fur poking out of the tall grass, and a pair of bright blue eyes glowing through it. "Eh? You're, uh… Our new crew member, right? Roo?"

"Rura," he corrected with a bark. "Sure am. But these guys are just layin' around! You look fun, so why don't we do somethin' super cool, huh?"

"I thought I was the only one thinking that!" Typhlosion huffed a breath of relief. While her size made it hard to believe, she was still one of the youngest among them. She couldn't understand how all of them just sat around so often! Where was the action; the noise!? "I like ya, Rura.. Sure, let's liven things up around here! Let's, uh… Crud." The Volcano pokemon blinked. "What can we do?"

Rura's eyes narrowed, his ears flicking in thought. He quickly gained a mischievous grin. "Let's playyyy… Tag!"

The fox pounced, tapping Typhlosion on the shoulder before taking off. "You're it!"

"That's the game, huh?" Typhlosion sat up, intently watching her new playmate. "Alright, kid, let's see how you handle playin' with the big girls!" She sprung at her target, already oh-so-close to catching…

"Pikachu!?" Flabbergasted, she stopped in her tracks when the electric mouse stood in her path. Oh, shoot. She was about to jump Ash's first-in-command! Either she would've flattened him, or he could've toasted her! "Hey, I'm sorry, man, I didn't mean ta-"

Boy, was she in for a surprise when Pikachu stuck his tongue out, blowing a raspberry at her. That wasn't like Pikachu!

"Hey, what gives!?" She huffed, embers fleeing her nostrils.

A mischievous grin was her answer. "Gotcha~!" Rura's voice was heard, and 'Pikachu' was swallowed in a spiral of violet before Rura reappeared.

"What the!? Where'd you learn a trick like that? Last I checked, you weren't a Ditto."

"A did-what?" Rura cocked his head, only to remember that he held the upper-hand here. He snickered. "That's for me to know, and for you to NOT find out!" He pranced past the bushes, hopping onto a low-hanging branch. Once again, his image vanished, replaced by a small, green monkey with what looked like a bush atop his head. "Ehehehe, catch me if you Pan~!"

The pun on Pansage was lost on Typhlosion as she gave chase, swiping at the illusion with her paw. "Nice try, but I know it's you!"

That didn't stop Rura from hopping atop her head, sprinting past. "Missed me!"

"Hey, watch where you're…" Typhlosion turned to face her playmate, when she found herself face to face with… Empoleon, now!?

Oh, if he was real, this was going to start a brawl. She crept closer, wary eyes scanning the penguin for movement.

There was none, and she dove to snatch Rura.

'Empoleon' vanished. But, Rura wasn't the only pokemon present.

Typhlosion realized this when a collection of spines dug into her belly.

"Ty!" She hissed, stumbling back in pain.

"Kuu-ki!" Kingler cried, instinctively firing off a Bubble attack that hit Typhlosion point-blank.

"Phlo!" Typhlosion cried, her back igniting in a blaze that startled Rura. "What's the big idea!? Gettin' jabbed was bad enough, but ya go and spray me!? I ain't one to take water type moves, y'know!"

Kingler groaned, rubbing his head. "It was an accident. You're not light, you know. You should watch where you're going."

"That was an accident, too! And I may be big, but I'm not the one with spikes on my back! Yeesh."

"Hey, hey, she said it was an accident! It wasn't…" Rura trailed off, quietly realizing that if he went on, he'd be taking the blame. "...It was just an accident, ya big bully! You don't have to be so mean!"

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Ash sat up, squinting at the commotion that had quickly become the center of attention.

Picking up on the faintest sound of her cub's chatter, Meema sat up. But, she could swear, he was still… No, her mane felt oddly light. Could it have, her face would have paled in horror. "Rura!"

Kingler answered with an irritated gurgle. "I wasn't born yesterday, kid… Just go back to your ma and forget this happened. But, you!" His gaze turned to Typhlosion. "You're old enough to know better. Rough housing that close to a group is dangerous."

"But, she…! I…!" Rura stuttered, his ears beginning to dip. He'd bitten off something way bigger than he could chew.

"Rura!" Meema hissed, hurrying over to reprimand her young. "You shouldn't be disturbing our pack like this." She scooped up Rura with a scowl, turning to the conflicting parties, face hot with shame. She bowed her head. "Please, forgive us."

"Don't worry yourself," Kingler answered, easing himself back into a sitting position "He's just a cub, he didn't know better."

"Yeah, we wouldn't be in this mess if Jumbo-Claws over here wasn't such a grump."

"Trust me, y'haven't seen grumpy."

"Well-"

"Pidgooo!"

Pidgeot's caw brought about total silence. Only grass rustled by the breeze could be heard. "That's enough."

Typhlosion shrunk. "But he-"

Her terrifying, hawk-like gaze didn't waver.

Typhlosion relented, muttering a quiet apology to Kingler.

"Water under the bridge," Kingler cooperated. "Still tough as nails, eh?" He had to admire Pidgeot's leadership. It was no wonder that she headed her own flock.

Pidgeot smiled, lightly tossing her head. Her bouquet of head feathers flipped with it. "I've had practice."

"Everything alright over here?" Ash stood, a hand on his hip.

~L-leader!~ Meema sputtered, daring to meet his gaze.. One that she expected to be a lot more intimidating than it really was. ~My apologizes… I should've kept a closer eye on Rura.~

Emphasis on the Zorua's named caught his attention, and he frowned, lids drooping. ~Sorry…~

"Hey, don't sweat it," Ash smiled, crouching down to the fox, and the miniature whose head popped out of her mane. He lightly pet the side of Meema's face, and Rura's head afterward. "Fights happen sometimes when you're around someone long enough; working that out is just part of being a friend! Besides, these guys worked it out already, right?" He looked to his pokemon, and Typhlosion, with pride. "No biggie."

~Thank you, Leader.~

"Hey, I told ya, you can just call me Ash."

~Of course, Leader.~ Finally able to relax, she carried Rura off to her original resting spot.

An uneasy chuckle left Ash. "Ehehe…" He ran a hand through his hair. Old habits died hard…? It was enough to satisfy Ash, and he returned to lie with Dawn.

"Rura finally stopped barking," Dawn thought aloud. "Typhlosion, too." Thank goodness for that. Another fight with Empoleon could have proved disastrous here, if she'd gotten too riled up.

"Uh-huh," Ash hummed, settling back into her lap. "If it was a big event every time there was a spat, we'd have issues. They'll learn, sooner or later." He only hoped that they could both settle into the group comfortably.

Mamoswine, meanwhile, laid near Ash and Dawn, thankful for the autumn breeze. This weather beat Kanto's early summer heat any day, and the cool grass left him quite comfortable. In fact, he wasn't far from dozing off, now that the commotion had settled.

The gentle rise and fall that came with his breaths were soothing enough for Pikachu, who sat atop the mammoth's back. It gave him a nice view of the city, and didn't leave him feeling particularly crowded by his companions.

He did have company, however. Buneary had taken the liberty to hop atop Mamoswine in pursuit, sitting down conveniently next to the mouse of her dreams. After she'd heard about the calamity she'd missed, it was the least she could do to check up on the poor 'chu!

"Bun? Bun-Buneary!" She chattered. Was he feeling okay, now? Was he worried they'd show up again? She'd give them a pummeling they'd never forget, and then some! She made her point by jabbing at the air with her ears.

When Pikachu flinched, her strong ears drooped in guilt. "Bun, Buneary." She pat Pikachu's shoulder, assuring that she wouldn't startle him again. No, sir!

"Pika… Pikachu!" Pikachu smiled, waving off her guilt. He appreciated the concern, even! With that flash of anxiety quelling, he exhaled, leaning back onto his paws, enjoying the gentle rises and dips in elevation provided by Mamoswine. He felt a lot safer, knowing that he had so many good friends looking to protect him. "Pika-Pika." He could only offer her thanks. She was even being remarkably considerate; he hadn't seen one blatant advance on him from her today!

"Bun!" Of course, she'd say! She leaned forward, paws in her lap, to get a view of their companions below. Ash and Dawn were nearby… And Ash was lying in her trainer's lap! From all she'd heard, Ash had been pretty shook up, too. Dawn seemed to be doing a good job keeping her boyfriend calm… That gave the rambunctious rabbit an idea.

"Bun! Buneary!" She chirped, leaning back to sit beside Pikachu, once more. If he wanted, she could rest on her fluff! It was awfully soft, after all! "Buneary~!"

"Pika… Pikachu." A sweatdrop ran down his forehead. Well, it was progress. Maybe it couldn't hurt to indulge her; she was looking out for him right now, after all. "Pika-pi." He'd meet her halfway and lean against her, turning his eyes back towards the scenic view.

This gesture made the normal type's heart swell with joy! Here was her 'chu in shining armor, leaning right on her, and…! "Bun!" No, she thought. This was about Pikachu, right now. She'd let him be at ease, only going as far as to pat the top of his head with her ear. She breathed in the gentle autumn breeze, the scent of pine drifting by with it. Their trainers had picked quite the spot for a vacation.

She tried to ignore the stern gaze of Meema, who leered at her from below. The Unovan fox had lectured her only a few minutes ago, giving a stern warning to carefully consider before pursuing Pikachu; something about 'showing caution in pursuit of a mate.' Finding her elder's gaze difficult to ignore, she put on a wide, cheeky smile, winking down at Meema. She could handle herself just fine! In fact, she was doing rather well for herself!

The Zoroark chose to avert her gaze.

Dawn looked over to the picnic blanket. Most of the food was gone, but one particular object stood out to her.

"Hey, Ash," she started, "What'd you bring the ukelele for?"

"I was gonna play it."

"You know how to play the ukulele?"

Ash sat up, shrugging. "I played the three strings at school when I was little."

Dawn quirked a brow. "I would have taken you for a drum guy," she noted.

He grinned. "Oh, yeah, I mean, the teachers did, too. But, like, they had this kinda big, you know, for a kid, pellet drum. They let me play it once. Once."

With that, Ash got up, walking over to the ukelele. He picked it up, strumming it briefly before frowning. He looked around, seeing that there was nothing he could use as a pick and started searching. After a moment, he settled on using a particularly flat rock he found as an aid.

Then, he began to play.

"Heave ho! Heave ho! Yeah, yeah!" As Ash rocked to and fro, like the ocean, he strummed out the melody, or what he remembered of it, to this old sea shanty. "Ooooh! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Yes, yes!" Side to side he moved, movements spry and lively. "When we hear the jabbering of the Wingulls on the high sea, we know we can't give up our lives fishing on the ocean!" He grinned, looking over to his now confused team. A few of the older pokemon who had traveled with him on boats before, such as Pikachu, or those who had grown up near humans, such as Togekiss, recognized the song and joined in as Dawn did.

She giggled, excited, jumping in. "Put your back into it!" she sang loudly, rancorous and joyful. "Heave ho, heave ho!"

"Heave ho, heave ho!" Ash shouted back, dancing with Dawn.

Soon, Pikachu took the lead as the little fisherman, his companions acting as the waves behind him. The rest of the pokemon watched.

"Oh, yeah!" Ash sang once more, tossing his head with the energy of the song. He forgot the steps here, settling for looking at Togekiss as he sang. "Boss, I'm telling you, the size of this Magikarp was different! And, it's all miiiiiine!"

Soon, though the other pokemon didn't know the steps, the energy of the dance became infectious. That was natural, though. The song was meant to inspire, to be fun! They joined in, leaping into the air and forming a rhythm that mimicked the ocean well enough.

Wiggling his eyebrows, Ash looked to Dawn for this line. "Even if I row four and a half meters, I couldn't get that girl's attention."

Snorting at his teasing, Dawn danced away from Ash for now, mimicking the movements of waves with Togekiss.

"Pi-Pika!" the mouse squealed, remembering his rides on boats with Ash. The sea voyagers loved this song and were happy to share it with the young boy and his companion!

Here came the big finish! Ash stomped his feet as he really got into it, chest heaving. "A flighty Wingull chatters excitedly as it sees my bare skin, glistening in the surf!"

Together, Dawn and Ash sang with a chorus of pokemon cries: "Heave ho, heave ho! Yeah, yeah!" Even Meema and Rura got into it!

By the end of the little folk song, the group was a sweaty mess. The Pokemon laid down, some alone and some in close groups. Ash and Dawn dropped to their butts, panting.

"How do you know that song?" Dawn asked after a moment. "That's from Sinnoh." She would know. As a poetry lover, she'd learned about where that song came from!

Ash huffed, putting his forehead against hers. "Pallet Town's small, but our school's alright. That song's, like, a part of history. We played it during school festivals and stuff."

Looking up at her dark haired boyfriend, Dawn sighed. "Well… Still. Didn't know you could do that."

The traveling trainer grinned roguishly. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah. Them fishin' boys ain't the only folks I know some songs from, neither." School and the boats may have taught him that song, but he knew others.

A pause.

Dawn reached up, playing with his sweaty locks. "Play me another?" she asked.

He smiled softly at her, heart melting. Truth be told, he'd never been able to resist her requests. Whether it be trying to cheer her up with ice cream or tracking down Wallace for her, Ash was a sucker for Dawn. "Alright. I think there's another that was big when I was young, back when I could play on this kinda stuff."

He drew back from her, focusing on the ukulele. He strummed a few cords, trying to mimic the melody of the song. Occasionally, the pitch would go bad. He had an ear for music and a general knack for most physical things. He wasn't a prodigy, however.

Dawn laid out on the blanket they'd dined on earlier, a smile on her face. "How come you're so good with instruments?"

"Always been good with my hands," Ash said with a shrug. He laughed. "If I wasn't gonna be a trainer and I wasn't so bad with math, I maybe coulda been a carpenter!" His voice become melodious, then, recalling parts of the lyrics then. "Hm-hm somethin' somethin' let's get drunk on the sweet wine of victory."

The entirety of their group had been lulled, truthfully. Empoleon sat with Rosa and Rura, all three bobbing their heads to and fro. Meema's ear flicked. Tauros's eyelids drooped. Pikachu's electric pouches crackled in delight.

Soon, even more guests joined the setting. Darting out from the thickets at the edge of their picnic clearing, a bashful, fluffy white pokemon stood a moment, watching the humans and strange pokemon. After a moment, it went closer, getting within the line of sight of Pikachu and Buneary. About that time, a gray bird landed on the same tree on Torterra's back that Pidgeot and Togekiss roosted in. An pink pokemon came shortly after that, hiding behind Mamoswine shyly.

A black Pachirisu-like even glided down, sniffing around the group before trying to cuddle closely to Rura. Meema immediately separated the electric type from her cub, growling quietly.

Mamoswine stood, indignant, when a trio of pokemon somewhat like Chimchar played on his back.

Ash kept strumming, though his eyes lingered on all the new pokemon. A pokemon that was clearly grass type but had a queenly appearance greeted dawn, joining the coordinator on the blanket. He enjoyed the scene, drinking it in.

Then, suddenly, he realized how dark it had gotten.

"Crap," he grumbled, "we gotta head back."

His eyes turned to the city. Barely visible beyond the trees, the city gleamed softly, like stars cast down to earth. He watched as Dawn sighed, relenting and standing. In the twilight, her hair stirred around her. The grass type looked on curiously. The pink pokemon from before approached Dawn, perhaps sensing her regret for having to leave such a beautiful area.

Ash looked over the rest of the pokemon. He admired the three monkey pokemon and their playful manner. They were near him now, reaching out to strum his ukulele.

"Here," he crouched, holding the instrument by its end. "You guys wanna play with it for a sec?"

"Sage!" "Sear!" "Pour!" The trio chattered, tugging the ukelele between one another before reluctantly settling on taking terms plucking and strumming at the strings. Off-key notes assaulted Ash's eardrums, but the trainer couldn't stop himself from smiling. The playful chatter and triumphant cries when a good note was hit stretched his lips from ear to ear, even.

"Hey, not bad! You guys're a couple of naturals, huh?" He pet each of their heads, ruffling the unique fur patterns atop their heads. Reluctantly retrieving his instrument, he stood, exhaling heavily.

"I know it's a bummer we have to leave," Dawn chimed in, holding an empty basket under her arm. "But, we had a great time while it lasted, huh? And, we got to see the skyline!"

"It's not that," Ash shook his head. "I was just thinking… Getting to be around all of these pokemon…" Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Rura reach out to a scarlet, rotund insect while his mother loomed over. "It's why I decided to go on my journey. I told you about that, remember?"

"I remember. When you said… Settle down, Mamoswine! I promise, we're leaving soon!" Dawn huffed, her cheek puffing out. He could be so restless. She returned her attention to Ash.

"You said that you spent time with pokemon when you were little, right? And, you wanted to be around them a lot more, so you'd battle with them!"

"Right." Ash's eyes turned from the glimmering lights of Nimbasa back to their large family, and the wild pokemon of Unova that joined their gathering. "I love pokemon… That's why I'm here." He swallowed, amber shimmering in his hues. "Hey, Pikachu - no, everyone!"

The merriment went quiet, and Ash's and Dawn's pokemon turned their attention to him. Pikachu, naturally, dashed over to his trainer, hopping up to board his shoulder. "Pikapi?"

"Some of you guys already know that we've had a really tough time lately… The toughest we've ever had." Ash gripped the brim of his visor, going silent when he heard his own voice crack.

"And, for a while, things still might be tough. But, we're not about to roll over! As your trainer," he looked over his crew among the crowd, "and, well, your friend," he addressed Dawn's team. "...I'm not gonna let you down. We'll only get stronger from here, so can we protect each other."

Pikachu felt compelled to nuzzle his fuzzy cheek into Ash's face, letting out something akin to a purr. A gentle hand massaging his opposite cheek pouch brought on a content squeak.

"...And, so we can look out for other pokemon. No matter what any creep has to say about that, alright? If things get tough, then we'll just get tougher! You guys with me!?"

A chorus of cheers erupted among Ash's team, and Dawn's with it.

~Yeah, yeah! We'll get super-strong!~ Rosa hustled over to Ash's side, reaching to hold her trainer's hand. She felt Ash's squeeze her paw right back.

~You bet, you bet!~ Rura yipped, quickly hushed by his mother. Standing out among the crowd wasn't her priority. Still, she couldn't suppress a smile. She hadn't been mistaken with Ash, after all.

"Pi…" Pikachu shuffled uncomfortably on Ash's shoulder, a bit ashamed with his silence.

"Hey, don't sweat it, bud." Ash winked, running his thumb over Pikachu's cheek pouch. "I know things are still hard on you. But, we've got all the time in the world! Till then, I've got you covered, alright?"

"Pikapi… Chu!" The mouse leaned over to lick Ash's cheek.

"Hey, that tickles! Ahaha!"

Pikachu laughed with his trainer. Sometime soon, he hoped to back Ash up, too.


Ash and Dawn navigated the halls of the apartment complex, the latter carrying the room key. Ash guided Rosa along by the paw, who'd nearly fallen asleep on the walk back. She followed Ash with half-lidded eyes, lazily opting to follow her trainer, rather than use her senses.

"Here," Dawn announced to no one in particular, sliding in the key to their temporary home. With the door unlocked, she opted to flop onto the couch, legs strewn out dramatically.

"Man, I'm beat," she whined. The singing and dancing had left her, unsurprisingly, exhausted. "That was supposed to be a rest day, but I think my joints are aching… I could really go for a massage, right about now."

"Mhm," Ash muttered, guiding Rosa to the chair in the corner of the room to slumber. It wasn't until he turned back around that he caught Dawn's gaze, her hues locked onto his.

What was she…?

Oh.

"What, ya want my help? But, I wouldn't… I'm beat too, ya know!" Ash sputtered, his olive cheeks flooding with a pink tint. "And, I don't know the first thing about massages!"

"Pi! Pika," Pikachu argued. Suzie had taught Ash to massage Pikachu's cheeks, and he was a natural!

"Thanks for calling me out," Ash whispered, face scrunching. Talk about betrayal!

"Pi!" If he couldn't battle for Ash, he could still give him a shove forward now and then, for now. Considering his work done, he hopped off his trainer's shoulder onto the bed, curling up into a cozy sphere.

Spotting the dramatic inner turmoil seeping onto Ash's features, Dawn struck up a deal. "Alright, if you do this for me, I'll head down and grab a snack if you get hungry in the middle of the night again. Deal?"

"...Alright, deal." Ash swallowed. The night hadn't run out of surprises yet, after all. "But, first, lemme call the Professor. Maybe he has an update on everything going on, right now." If his request hadn't gone through, he'd like to at least confirm that Oak and his mom were safe.

Hearing no argument from Dawn, Ash sat down beside her, only for her to stretch her legs out again, this time over his lap. He picked up the landline phone, dialing in the familiar number with the addendum of the extension code Delia had told him before he'd left.

Three rings could be heard before Ash was greeted with a familiar voice.

"Hello? Oak Laboratories!"

"Hey, Professor?"

"Ah, Ash! It's nice to hear from you! I was just about to have my mid-morning tea!" The authority paused. "Then, it must be rather late where you are, am I right?"

"Uh-huh," Ash hummed. "We just got home from the woods outside Nimbasa City. You should've seen all the new types of pokemon! I've never seen anything like 'em."

Oak's laughter could be heard from over the phone. "I remember telling you you'd like Unova for that very reason! Their native pokemon are almost never seen in Kanto! Is there anything you found you wanted to report on?"

"Not really," Ash shook his head, though, that couldn't be seen. "I was just checking in. Wanted to check if everything's alright over there… Nothing bad's happened since we left, right?"

"Nothing at all. Pallet Town's been as calm as ever! Though, your Tauros have been a bit unruly since you've been carrying their leader on your person."

Hearing the pinch of irritation in his superior's voice, Ash tugged at his collar. "Sorry about that! I just need him for my rematch at the Gym, and I could send him right back… Oh, that reminds me! Any news on the 'Support Pokemon' thing?"

"Actually, it came up in the mail, this morning! Ash, your request has been approved! As long as he's sitting out battles, Pikachu can remain as a seventh member of your team! And, I'm sure you'll be glad to know that you can resume your league challenge!"

"Yes!" Ash pumped a fist, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks, Professor. It really means a lot!"

"Of course! You know this means that I'll be obligated to keep track of your matches, now… Of course, Pikachu's never inside his pokeball, so I can't quite tell whether you're abusing the privilege. But, I can hold you to your word, I'm sure!"

"Absolutely! I won't let you down!" Ash's joy turned to another thought, and his smile disappeared. "With all of that, I guess it'd be a good time to come back to Kanto, right? Our new pokemon are cozy with the group now." Sort of, anyway.

"I suppose it would be. Have you asked Dawn what she thinks?"

Oops. Scratching his cheek, he turned to his girlfriend.

"It's fine with me," she added, predicting the question before it left Ash's lips. "I may be from Sinnoh, but I'm feeling a little homesick for Kanto, right about now." Unova was fun, but life was so fast-paced in the city! She was just about ready to crash.

"...But, I wouldn't mind hearing some poetry, first!"

Ash chuckled at that addendum. "Yeah, that's fine. But, could we get a few lines from you, first?"

Obviously, that request couldn't have come from Ash. "Of course! I always write my poetry along with my tea, so you've caught me in the right mood! Just one moment…"

Ash held the phone up closer to the coordinator.

"...Ahem. Ever young and spry, the daring Butterfree will, always U-Turn home!"

"It's perfect!" Dawn cooed, clasping her fingers together. "And, very fitting!"

"Ahaha," the Professor chuckled, mirthful that his work had gone over well. "That was, indeed, the idea! I'll call Professor Juniper. Surely, she'll be able to schedule your flights in the morning!"

"Thanks, Professor. We owe you one!"

"Thank you so much!"

"Now, now. Just stay safe, and return as your spry selves! That's all I could… Oh, dear. The tea's boiling! Ciao!"

The line went dead.

"That settles that," Ash surmised, setting the phone back on the dial.

"Great! Now, remember our deal~!" Dawn sing-songed, sitting up on the sofa.

"Right," Ash swallowed. "Deal's a deal… I'm an honest man!" He sat up, turning towards Dawn, who had her back to him, now.

"Mind the hair~!" She cooed, brushing her blue mane aside.

"Sure thing, Rapunzel." He laid his hands on her shoulders, gently kneading. His eyes went to painful lengths to avoid eye contact with… The back of her head? 'Way to go, Ketchum. How're you gonna take on the league when you can't even keep your head screwed on, now?'

"How're you feeling?"

"How'm I supposed to answer that?" the trainer's face scrunched.

"I mean about going back," Dawn answered matter-of-factly. "You're not scared or anything?"

Ash paused, putting off his thoughts with a low hum. "I'm feelin' a little better now. Not a hundred percent, but I should be fine as long as we steer clear of.. Y'know."

"Yeah…" Leaning back, Dawn put a hand to her chin in thought. Within a moment, she snapped her fingers. "But, no need to worry! If anyone tries to get near you guys, I'll make 'em sorry they ever thought about it, got it?"

That was enough to make Ash laugh. "I know what you're like when you get mad… Dawn, I'll hold you to that!"

Accepting that confession with pride, Dawn flipped her bangs. "Then, it'll be smooth sailing!"

The cold, cruel world hadn't done them in, yet.