The cool crisp air of the night made Ash sighed in content. He glanced down the empty streets of Jubilife city from the balcony and sipped on his pipping hot tea, enjoying the cool fresh air of the night. At the moment, he was feeling quite sentimental and even emotional, which wasn't unusual for the Kanto native during the night. The usual bustling streets of Jubilife were now vacant, with the dark clouds above the city rolling in quickly, blocking the brilliant stars that once decorated the skies.
The quiet night Ash was enjoying were swiftly ruined when a loud slam came from one of his roommates room. Not long after, he heard the voice of two girls arguing which quickly alerted Ash. He couldn't make out their conversation, but he knew it was a heated argument between the two close friends. Silently, he placed his mug on the living room table and slowly make his way towards his roommates, hoping to unravel what was going on.
"Shut up, we won't have lost if you didn't screw up! What were you thinking when you order Buneary to charge in like that?" The anger laced behind Misty's voice was palpable, he never seen Misty being this angry before, not that he had ever seen her rage in anger anyway. Ash was not keen on pissing off his roommates that could kick him out at a moment's notice.
"Don't blame me for your mistake Misty, if you had ask Psyduck to use Confusion. we would have won!" Dawn's voice were filled with anger, yet Ash could tell that she was slowly breaking down. The voice crack and the trembling voice was a good indicator, he was worried if she would suddenly break down and cry, because she sound like it.
"You're the worst trainer in class! I only paired up with you because I pity you!" Ash grimaced, knowing that Misty might have said some things that might be too far. It was partly true though, Dawn wasn't the best battler in their class, and the history of her pokemon matches was solid proof of that. Still, she still has room for improvement just like anyone else. It baffled Ash that the two best friends were arguing with each other in such a heated manner, simply over a double battle that they lost.
He thought back to the pokemon battle they had today held by none other than Mr Brawly himself. In order to test their teamworking skills and their ability to coordinate with their partner, all students must partner up with another student and battle each other. A double battle if you will. While initially, Ash was thinking to pair up with Barry, the blonde already had paired up with Tracy, leaving him alone. But as if fate would have it, Korrina was quick to approach him and asked him to be her partner, to which he immediately said yes.
While they didn't win the mini double battle tournament, they did came close at third place, with Paul and Conway winning first place, Trip and Gary at second. Dawn and Misty however, well they got knocked out in the first round, defeated by Gisselle and her partner Candice. Perhaps this was why Misty and Dawn was arguing, blaming each other for their lost.
Ash sighed, thinking what he should do. Naturally as their friends, he would want the two to reconcile with each other and move on. But considering Misty and Dawn have been rather cranky as of late, he was very concerning over their friendship. He wasn't sure if menstrual cycle is one of the reason behind their crankiness, and he certainly wasn't keen to find out.
Once the intense argument between the two had stopped, Ash knew it was his time to do something, anything really. He paused, thinking how he should handle the situation. He glanced at his tea mug, and an idea popped up to his head. He slowly walked towards the kitchen and brew a nice soothing cup of tea for Misty and Dawn respectively. He decided that he should confront Misty first and get a good picture of what happened between them. He placed Dawn's cup onto the mug warmer and carefully served Misty's personal cup to her door.
He knocked on her door a few times, only to get a snarky reply back.
"Go away Dawn." Sighing at how childish she sounded, Ash rubbed his temples with his free hand and knock on the door again, this time acknowledging himself.
"It's me Ash." The sound of bed creaking was all Ash heard and soon enough, Misty's door was opened, revealing the redhead who didn't look happy to see him. The trainer from Pallet extended Misty's mug to her, which she took it with a reluctant sigh, knowing that Ash was trying his best to comfort her. She opened her door wider, allowing Ash to come in to her room. She plopped onto her bed once Ash got in, placing the tea cup on her night stand.
"You two got pretty heated." Ash spoke slowly, closing Misty's door before leaning onto it. He felt the cool air conditioning of Misty's room on his skin, but it was not frigid enough to make him beg for a blanket from Misty. Speaking of the redhead, she refused to look at him or even reply him, which reminded Ash of the conversation he had with Bea after their battle a few weeks back.
"Misty talk to me. What happened?" Begrudgingly she spoke in a bitter tone, recounting the loss they suffered today.
"We got knocked out in the first round Ash, we didn't even managed to knock out a single pokemon. We have the type advantage as well! My Psyduck would have won against Gisselle if Dawn did not-"
"Hey, calm down. It's just a pokemon battle."
"Easy for you to say, you have Korrina, who's one of the best battlers in class." That's pretty true and Ash can't deny that. Korrina and her Riolu had improved tremendously after her last battle with Bea. True to her words, Korrina has chosen him as her rival and frequently seek him out for sparring sessions, naturally strengthening their coordination and understanding with each other. In hindsight, if she paired up with Bea, the two fighting type owners would probably wipe the floor of their opponents. However, the Galar native paired up with Clemont instead, who was also a excellent battler and strategist in his own right.
"That's yeah, that's kinda true. But you were pretty harsh on her, Dawn isn't a naturally talented trainer, so give her some time to improve."
"Improve? When have you ever seen Dawn training with her pokemon? During the countless training session Mr Brawly gave us, she just disappears! Arceus knows where she goes during our training sessions." That was news to Ash. He never particularly paid attention to his classmates during the training sessions as he was too focused on honing Pikachu's elemental attacks and agility.
"Perhaps she has her own reasons."
"Doing drugs? Is it something she can't tell me? Every time I asked her, she just dodges the question!"
"I will asked her about it alright? Just cool down, you've been stressed out lately." Misty have been looking so tired and tensed lately, snapping at the slightest joke he or Dawn make. It was worrying.
"I'm not." Ash sighed, easily seeing through Misty's blatant lies. Tired of standing, he sat on her study chair and crossed his arms in his usual calm demeanour. Between Misty's swimming club and the assignments that were piling up, Ash was certain that Misty was having a hard time juggling between school, hobbies and her own personal life. He even heard rumours that Misty was trying to date a senior, though those was just unverified rumours.
"Mhmm, and I have a girlfriend." Misty blinked, staring at a nonchalant looking Ash with a bewildered expression on her face. Since when did her introverted of a roommate managed to get a girlfriend? Was it Korrina? Bea? Or maybe it was that girl Serena that often hangout with Korrina and Bea?
"Wait you do?" Ash narrowed his eyes, giving Misty his usual deadpanned expression that does not scream amusement.
"No I'm lying, just like you are." Misty sighed, not liking the fact Ash was pulling her leg. She placed her arms around her knees and stared at the Pallet Town native who was staring at her with a concerned look.
"I'm not lying, I'm fine really." Ash placed his elbow on the armrest of Misty's chair, supporting his head with his palm in the process.
"Your voice says otherwise." Misty scowled, still maintaining the position of her arms wrapping around her knees. She hated it when people try to read her, thinking they know her better than herself. And while she respects Ash as friend, he was no exception.
"Are you trying to psychoanalyze me?" The agitated voice from her was not something Ash wants to achieve, he sat upright and leaned towards Misty, giving her serious yet soft looked that was fitting for a concerned friend who genuinely wants to help.
"I'm just trying to help Misty." The redhead groaned at the sincerity from Ash's face, can't really bring herself to blame Ash for being nice. She massaged her shoulders, finally laying down on her bed while staring at her ceiling. It was weird to Ash seeing a girl laying down on her bed before him, but he decided not to question it.
"I know you are." Misty bit her lower lip, slowly trailing off with her words.
"I don't know I guess, I'm tired of looking after Dawn you know? She's so naive sometimes." Ash won't know anything about that, all he knew was that the blunette was a really nice person, though maybe some horrible people in this world would go ahead and take advantage of her kindness. Despicable really.
"I don't think she's naive, she's just a bit lost. I got a feeling she doesn't know what she wants. But hey, loosen up a little Misty. The pokemon battles right now is merely to evaluate our progress, its not a proper practical exam. You can come spar with me and Korrina or even Bea from time to time, they are always looking for new rivals to challenge and hangout with. Take a step back from your swimming club too, I know you are a part of the committee, but you don't need to do everything you know." Seeing Misty rushing her dinner just to finish up her club's paperwork was both admirable and concerning, eating cup ramen for dinner should be his thing, not Misty's.
"It's not that simple Ash but I guess you're right. I can be a control freak sometimes, if things don't go my way I get stressed out." To be fair, that applies almost to everyone, though some more so than others. Ash himself was perfectly fine when things go haywire, knowing that he can use that as an excuse for procrastinating and play video games.
"I can help you know? There's no need to do everything yourself. If you need a friend to talk to I'm right here too." This was perhaps the most out of character sentence Ash had ever said and he was certain that Misty knew that too.
"Gosh that sound so cheesy Ash, but thanks anyway, I appreciate it. I think I need to take a break from my duties, there's too much stuff on my plate at the moment." Ash had the luxury of only dealing with school assignments, so he couldn't really relate to Misty. That being said, he firmly believes everyone should travel and take things in their own pace.
"Good." Misty sighed and sat back upright, her mind finally freed from the salty loss she suffered today. Now, with her mind clear from the emotional turmoil, she realized how petty and rude she was towards Dawn.
"I think Dawn hates me now, I said somethings that can't be taken back, and I'm not just talking about the pokemon battle we had either. We've been arguing before you even came back." That made sense when he came back home, Misty and Dawn were no where to be seen. He assumed the two were in their room doing their homework while in reality the two were having their own version of the cold war.
"I see, every little thing you dislike about Dawn all came out huh." Misty nodded wordlessly, it was the little things she didn't like about Dawn that all added up into one big chunk. From the copious amounts of hair that clogged the shower drain, to not cleaning her tea mug after finished drinking, only to wash it when she needed to use it. It was all those little things that annoyed her, that inevitably unleashed her frustration.
"It will be fine Misty. Let me go talk to her. In the mean time, go drink your tea. It's gonna go cold soon." Pointing to the tea he so kindly brew for her, Ash stood up and stared at the redhead who took a sip of her tea, savoring the hot beverage that warmed her up in her cold air conditioned room.
"Thanks Ash, you're real nice. Like really, really nice." Ash resisted the urge to snort but he could tell Misty was being sincere with her words, which dumfounded him.
"I'm not nice, it's just that you are surrounded by shitty people that's all." Okay maybe not shitty people, more of people who doesn't really care about you unless you are useful to them. Which to be fair, they are the definition of shitty people. With that one liner that made Ash looked like he was wise and cool, he left Misty's room and headed towards Dawn's, only to remember that Dawn's mug was on the mug warmer. He reached for her mug and soon enough, return to her door with a concerned expression plastered on his face.
"Dawn? Its me Ash. Can we talk?" Mustering his most friendly and casual voice he could possible conjure, Ash was met with an annoyed tone from Dawn. He felt like a father comforting his teenage daughter who just had an inevitable but entirely predictable breakup with her boyfriend from high school.
"I want to be alone Ash."
"I made you tea, its going to go cold soon." Deciding to use his act of kindness to guilt trip Dawn to open her room door, Ash was starting to get more and more worried. Clearly, the argument she had with Misty had a bigger impact on her.
"Just leave it by the door." He wasn't going to give up that easy, not after he went through the trouble of brewing tea for her. Either way, Ash was not leaving empty handed.
"I don't want to see you like this, let's talk please? At least give me 5 minutes? You can kick me out of your room then." Noting the persistence in his voice, Dawn finally gave in and unlocked the door. The initial joy of Dawn opening her door soon turned into one of heartbreak when he noted she has been crying. He flashed a comforting smile to her, entering her room in the process.
"Hey Dawn." The blunette curled on her bed, facing the opposite of Ash as she refused to look at him. The Kanto native sighed at her posture, closing the door behind him and placing her mug on the study desk. In the corner of his eyes, he saw the custom made guitar next to her dresser, which surprised him considering he never knew that Dawn even plays the guitar.
"You heard us arguing." Ash sat on the edge of Dawn's bed, given that her study chair was filled with her clothes that weren't folded yet.
"Yeap." The silence from the blunette was something he expected but it wasn't something he wished for it happen. He knew that Dawn was upset and angry, not necessary at Misty, but maybe at herself.
"Misty didn't meant it Dawn." The tone of his voice failed to convince Dawn that he was being genuine with his words, a hint of doubt mix with the uncertainty that came from their heated arguments.
"Sure."
"She's just stressed out. You know club, school and pokemon battles." Ash was sweating here despite the AC, he was trying his best to justify Misty's anger while at the same time trying to cheer Dawn up. Its like trying to balance a seesaw when the two sides have different weights every now and then.
"I screwed up." In an admission of her mistake, Dawn sat upright, revealing her slender body and the nightwear she was wearing. But Ash was too preoccupied of listening to Dawn than noticing her flimsy attire.
"Everyone make mistakes." It was the cheesiest thing he could say, but it is also the truth. No one's perfect, and if there are, no one would like them.
"Some more so than others." The uncharacteristic down tone from the blunette was puzzling, Ash couldn't but help to think that there was an underlying reason behind Dawn's emotional turmoil. Deciding to press the matter, Ash spoke in a pleading voice.
"Dawn what's going on?"
"I'm horrible at everything I do." She looked so defeated and loss, it was hard to believe this was the same blunette who greets him good morning every day with a cheery voice, the same blunette who would congratulate his pokemon battles, whether win or lose with a bright smile.
"What are you talking about? I saw some of your cheerleader practices, you were great!" He didn't mean to stalk Dawn in her cheerleading practices, but there were times where Ash would have to wait for Dawn to finish her club before picking her up and head to their local yakiniku with Misty. Her performance was stunning to say the least, the coordination she had with her fellow cheerleaders were fantastic to see.
It also helped that she looked great in her cheerleader clothes.
"I got benched Ash." Shocked by the revelation, Ash shuffled closer to Dawn and egged for answers.
"What? How? Why?"
"That bitch Gisselle thinks I'm trying to steal the position of cheer captain from her." The influence of Gisselle extends to even the seniors themselves. Ash was certain that she convinced the club president to bench Dawn as she was too popular with her other members. One of the main reasons why he didn't like to join clubs were because of dirty politics that plays into it, it was brutal.
"I'm sorry to hear that Dawn." He was truly sympathetic to Dawn, things aren't going so well for Dawn. Taking losses after losses in her life, it must have felt awful.
"I don't know what to do now, everyone in class knows how bad I am at battles. Now, even Misty doesn't want to pair up with me." Ash sat close next to Dawn, causing her to raise her head and feel little embarrassed over Ash seeing her in her nightwear. However, those feelings quickly were washed away by Ash's soothing and comforting voice.
"I can pair up with you if you want." Dawn shook her head, not wanting to lose another friend due to a battle that they lost because of her. She didn't want history to repeat itself, and lose another roommate as a friend.
"Ash that's sweet of you, but you have such a nice battle record. Don't ruin it for my sake, its not worth it." Ash crossed his arms in pure defiance, not backing down his offer.
"Hey come on, don't be so down. I don't mind you know?"
"Ash please, don't do it." The sincere plead in her voice halted Ash, knowing that she had made up her mind. He can't forced her to partner with him and he will respect her decision, reluctantly at least.
"Fine I won't, but I have another question to asked. Misty said you always disappear whenever we are in our pokemon training sessions, is that true?" Deciding to go off topic and to keep the conversation going, Ash expected Dawn to be honest with him.
The silence from the girl next to him annoyed Ash who grew frustrated by the minute. He calmed himself down, not wanting to screw this up given he had tried so hard to get Dawn to talk to him. He wanted to let her know she can rely on him for emotional and mental support.
"I don't know what you are doing, but at least inform us before you go off somewhere on your own. What if I can't reach you through my phone? What if something happens to you and we don't know where to look for you? How would you think Misty and I will feel?" Guilt tripping people is one of they most powerful ways to convince people to open up and Ash was fully utilizing that to his advantage. He by no means like doing it, but he did it out of the concern he had for Dawn. She is hiding something from them and while he was keen to find out what she was doing during their training and sparring sessions, he was more concern of her safety and how to find her if anything happens to her.
"You don't have to tell me what you're doing, so as long it's nothing illegal. But give us a heads up next time. I can imagine you doing some kind of super secret battle technique heh." He ended off with a forced joke, hoping to diffuse the intense atmosphere in the room. But seeing that she was still refusing to talk or even look at him in the eyes, Ash was ready to throw in the towel, that was until she finally spoke.
"I was practicing to be better in cheerleading." The voice of hesitance laced behind her barely audible tone made Ash did a double take.
"What?"
"During the training session when I'm always missing, its the only time I can practice my cheerleading skills without anyone seeing. I could try new moves and if those end up being bad, I woluld not be laughed at." So that was the reason behind her absence and poor battling skills? A wave of relief washed over Ash, good Arceus and he thought Dawn was involve in something illegal. But still, why practice cheerleading skills when she could practice in other times?
"But why? Do you love being a cheerleader?" For the first time since he entered the room, Dawn gave a genuine smile, one filled with the aspiration of achieving their hopes and dreams. It was a childlike smile that was filled with innocence and purity.
"It's my dream to become one."
"This is irresponsible when you have other times to practice cheerleading! You need not mind others when trying new moves of cheerleading and they end up as failure."
"I know! I should not be doing such a thing. I want to try new moves. I should choose another time. Will you be supporting me?" Dawn spoke in such a vulnerable voice, that it really made Ash wish he could hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be alright. His heart almost melted at the sight of Dawn's beautiful sapphire eyes gleaming with storm of emotions, and the vulnerable expression that begged his protection and care.
"Absolutely, though I don't see how my support alone means anything-" He was quickly silence by the unexpecting embrace from Dawn who held on to him tightly. The fragrant scent from her hair and the warm supple skin of her body that she provided had an instant effect on Ash as he awkwardly placed his arm behind her back, slowly but surely giving her a much needed hug. He could feel wetness formed on his shirt, and when the sniffles was all he could hear besides Dawn's breathing, Ash knew that she was crying.
"Thank you." He savoured her embrace and patted her back in a reassuring manner, his mind telling him to let go of her and distance himself away from the pretty teen. He had made a solemn oath to himself that he would not be romantically involve with his roommates, but giving his current predicament.
Ash knew that it was very difficult to uphold that oath.
"You're welcome Dawn." Still, he had his pride and values. The Kanto native let go of Dawn and smiled at her, seeing that she was trying her best to recompose herself. She grabbed the nearby tissue and cleaned herself up, with the awkward silence of the room setting in soon after. He could tell that she was embarrassed by her actions, but happy as well. Which was a win in his book.
"You're right, I should at least give it another go right?" He nodded wordlessly to her words, his mind still processing at what just happened.
"Mhmm, does Buneary like cheerleading more or battling more?" He managed to form a sentence out just to keep the conversation going, but he was struggling to forget the heartfelt embrace he received from Dawn.
"She loves cheerleading more, which is why I was so conflicted. But now, things are different, both of us are going to be amazing partners." Dawn's returned back to her usual positive and upbeat tone, her tone of despair quickly replaced by the confident and determined tone that was admired by many.
"That's the spirit. I heard that coordinator and performer are merged into one courses right? Given their similarities." Dawn nodded, staring at her male roommate in the eyes.
"Mhmm that's partly true, performers also have to take other additional courses. But why did you mentioned that?" Ash smiled, so he was right, coordinators and performers all attend the same main course albeit with different subjects.
"Well, I happened to know a girl called Serena who is taking the performer course in school. She's nice a girl and she's really motivated to become like her Idol Aria, the Kalos Queen." Dawn's eyes lit up at the mention of Aria, she instantly sat upright which surprised Ash by her enthusiasm and sudden swing of mood.
"Oh I seen Aria's performance before, it's so beautiful and mesmerizing seeing her performing with her Delphox. I'm always wondered why my mom admired the Performers in Kalos but after seeing her perform is just so wow!" Ash didn't held back his chuckle of amusement over how exciting Dawn was, he was glad that she views performers as the same level of coordinators. Many coordinators and performers are at odds against each other, each viewing their career and course as more superior than the other. It was horrible really, as Ash thinks both careers are unique and wonderful in their own right.
That and the outfits they have to wear were top notch.
"I can introduce you to Serena if you like, I'm sure you two would get along just fine." Dawn smiled and leaned her body towards Ash, wondering since when did her introverted of a roommate started to attract girls to his side like a magnet. Though given Ash's kind and humble personality, it was not hard to see why.
"Look at you Ash, befriending all the pretty girls in school." Ash scratched his cheeks in a flustered manner, not really know how to respond to that. Though he did wanted to humour her.
"That's right, in fact I'm talking to one right now." Dawn rolled her eyes, expecting the cheesy yet flattering comment from Ash.
"Stop it." The playful voice of Dawn was music to his ears.
"Just being honest."
"Thanks Ash, I really appreciate it." Dawn spoke earnestly, truly appreciating Ash's efforts and words of encouragement that gave her the confidence boost.
"All I did was make tea that has probably gone cold now, and spout some words of encouragement I copied from watching anime and movies." Referring to the Dawn's mug that was still on her study desk, Ash reached for her mug and handed it to Dawn.
"Doesn't matter, it still worked." She sipped on her mug, giving a satisfying sigh that the tea she was drinking was still warm despite the air conditioned room. Once Ash was sure Dawn was back to her usual bubbly self, he decided to press the boundaries.
"You should talk to Misty." Dawn placed her tea mug on the nightstand, rubbing her shoulders with her hands. She wasn't sure she have to courage to see her friend after their heated argument. What if she refuse to talk to her or forgive her?
"I'm still nervous." Ash sat close next to Dawn, clasping her bare shoulders with a reassuring smile on his face.
"Come on, I go with you. I don't want to see my roommates fighting or avoiding each other, it's awkward enough as it is for a guy to stay with two girls." He ended it with a chuckle to lighten up the situation, but he did meant by what he said when it was awkward. Dawn slowly nodded, knowing that Ash would be by her side to give her confidence.
"Alright." She stood up and went to the door, only to have Ash to open it for her. She stood in front of Misty's, glancing back at Ash who leaned onto her doorframe with his arms crossed, nodding at her. She took a deep breath and knocked the door gently.
"So you were cheerleading and now you feel bad for neglecting training?" Misty held Dawn's hand on her lap, glancing at the blunette who nodded at her words with a radiant smile that showed her confidence and conviction. The two girls had finally reconciled with each other through heartfelt embraces and words of comfort. It broke Misty's heart to see Dawn struggling with her inner demons for so long, and the fact she never received support or encouragement from her friends.
"That's right, I'm tired of running away. I wanted to tell you the truth." Misty smiled, squeezing Dawn's hand gently.
"I will be supporting you, I'm sorry that I shouted at you." Dawn leaned onto Misty's shoulder, shaking her head in the process. It was nice to snuggle with her again, Misty gives the most comfy of hugs besides- well the less said the better.
"Its fine Misty, let's put it all behind us alright?" Misty didn't resist the urge to give Dawn a hug, rocking her back and forth while Dawn wore her bright smile with her eyes closed.
"Yay girl hug." Ash awkwardly sat on the edge of Misty's bed, watching the two hugging each other. He's awkwardness increased tenfold when Misty and Dawn looked at him suddenly, staring at him in such an unnerving manner.
"What? Why are you two looking at me for?" Should he get out? Is he job done now?
"You're been helping everyone lately huh Ash? From Korrina, to Bea and now us. Do you have a knack of helping people and motivate them to follow their dreams?"
"Not really, but it just so happens that I was in the right place and in the right time." Hey it was true after all, it's not like he purposely go around and help people. It just so happens that the people around him needed a little confident boost and a little help, to which he didn't mind providing. His two roommates smiled, somewhat accepting his explanation and reasonings.
"I think I need to call my mom and let her know about this, she's making the payments after all." Ash nodded, exiting her room rather swiftly. The conversation with her mother would be a difficult one, especially if she never knew of Dawn's inner struggles and assumed that she was happy with her decisions she made in her life. It won't be easy but Ash was sure that the older Berlitz would support her daughter's decision no matter what.
"Go, we will wait." Misty stroke's Dawn's long hair before leaving her room, her lingering gaze on Dawn's who held her phone on her hand. She gave off a sigh and went to the living room, smiling when she saw Ash sitting on the couch while staring at the cloudy dark night through the balcony. He was enjoying the gentle breeze of the night which hopefully, won't become a full on thunderstorm.
"Oof what a night." Misty plopped down next Ash, rather closely too boot. She stared at her male roommate, and a silent nod from him was all she received as an answer. Perhaps he was still emotionally drained from being a pep talker, cheering up two girls that he didn't knew too well was not easy.
"Relax, she can handle it. She's been secretly practicing her cheerleading skills after all." Misty nodded, feeling reassured by Ash's words. She was admittedly a little jealous when Dawn chose to reveal her secrets and inner demons to Ash rather than her, Dawn's supposed best friend. But, she knew these delicate situations can't be forced out and it requires a degree of emotional intelligence and people skills.
"I'm glad we met you Ash." Unsuspectedly, she leaned onto Ash's shoulders, closing her eyes in the process. The young Ketchum's body froze instantaneously, turning his head slowly towards the redhead who had used his shoulder as her personal pillow. Deciding not to say anything to make things awkward, Ash's barely functioning brain struggled to form sentences.
"Oh uh, you're welcome. I'm glad at met you and Dawn too." Although he sounded nervous and flustered, Ash was genuinely glad to meet his two roommates who made his school life all the more bearable and exciting. He silently stared at the empty screen of the TV, listening to the occasional thunder roaring in the distance with Misty's orange strands of hair tickling his neck every now and then.
The sound of Dawn's room door opening alerted the duo who were arguably snuggling with each other, they turned to Dawn who had a small smile on her face, indicating that the conversation with her mother has gone well. Once she saw her two roommates sitting together, she wordlessly sat next to Ash's side and leaned her head onto his shoulders, which made Ash wondered what the hell is going on.
"What did you mom say?" Misty spoke casually, not addressing the fact her roommate was leaning her head onto the boy she was leaning onto as well. Ash tried his best not to move his body too much, seeing that the two were in a comfy position. Arceus almighty, he might as well become a wooden plank at his point.
"She gave me words of encouragement to be a trainer." Dawn spoke in a drowsy manner, murmuring her words with the faintest of clarity. She was so exhausted after today's events, she can now finally sleep happily, knowing that years of worries and insecurities were all washed away in one single night.
"That's nice Dawn. You sound tired, you ready for a good night sleep soon?" Ash felt the movement of Dawn's head moving up and down, feeling the soft strands of her well conditioned hair on his shoulder.
"Yeap, the tea Ash brew helped too." Ash felt the strands of his hair neck straightened when Dawn whispered his name. It wasn't suggestive by any means, but having Dawn leaning onto him while saying his name just hits different.
"To be fair, that tea I brew does have caffeine in it."
"Ash, shut up and take a compliment for once." The young Ketchum immediately stayed quiet after that remark from Misty. He was quite comfortable in the situation, hearing the rhythmic breathing of the girls besides him as the sound of rainfall started to grow louder and louder. He glanced at the two girls beside him and frowned to himself, wondering if the dynamic of their relationship would change after tonight. It's not like he was actively against dating his roommates, but it would definitely be awkward scenario for the other person.
"You know it's getting late now. We should sleep soon." Reluctantly, Ash forced those words out from him, not really want to be the one who disrupt the atmosphere and mood. His two roommates left their head from his shoulders and the cold winds of the night chilling his exposed shoulders. He watched the two stretched their limbs, trying to act as casual as possible about the entire situation. Wishing them good night, Ash sat onto the couch with his legs crossing the other as Misty and Dawn retired to their respective rooms.
He gave off an exhausted sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. Maybe he was just overthinking stuff, the two girls just wanted someone to rely on and it happened to be him! There was no ulterior motive involve, they just needed a friend to support them.
'Don't think much about it Ash. It was just the spur of a moment.' With those thoughts, he headed towards his room.
"Serena, I would like to introduce you to Dawn. Dawn, this is Serena." Ash spoke candidly with his hand wrapped around the cup of the ice lemon tea he ordered. He smiled when Dawn shook hands with Serena who shook back, giving each other well mannered greetings. Currently, they were sitting in the cafe where Bea first brought them to. He was quite fond of it now given their countless visits to the cafe after school. He glanced at the messages he received from his phone and noted that Bea and Korrina would be joining them soon, right after their respective exercising and roller skating sessions.
"Ash told me you practiced cheerleading. That is interesting." Serena shifted her body towards Dawn, given her the usual dazzling smile.
"Well I couldn't do it without the support of my friends and mom, so I'm very grateful."
"Aww that's so nice! I would be supporting you too!" Dawn giggled, liking that the honey blonde teen next to her was so nice and supportive.
"Thanks Serena, let's work together." The sound of the door bell clinging from being opened caused Ash to glanced over the shop door, smiling at the two familiar individuals entering the cafe. The two looked around, scanning surroundings before Ash called to them.
"Korrina! Bea!" The two teens waved to Ash and started to make their way towards him. Their muscles were sored from the physical exercise, although the cooling shower they had after working out did wonders for their aching muscles. They waved hello to Serena, stopping short when they noticed Dawn's striking blue hair.
"Hey Serena, oh hi Dawn. It's nice for you to join us." Korrina sat next to Ash, greeting the blunette while placing her bag beside her.
"I thought that I introduce her to Serena so that they can be friends." Ash spoke while glancing at Bea who was looking for the menu, she looked around her and was about to raise her hand for the waiter when Ash intervened.
"I already ordered the sundae ice cream and the chocolate cake for you two." Bea smiled and leaned onto the back of the chair, grateful that she didn't need to wait for her frosty dessert for much longer.
"Oh thanks Ash." Dawn on the other hand was surprised by how well Ash knew them, to be able to preorder for them without asking what they want was impressive. It did made her wonder how close Ash was to these girls as two of them sat next to him with no awkwardness or hesitancy.
"So Dawn, how did you came to know Ash?" Korrina spoke as the waiter placed her chocolate mousse cake in front of her, eyeing her with her hand placed on top of her fork.
"We're roommates, didn't he tell you?" Ash froze when 3 pair of eyes balls stared at him in a baffled state, he slowly turned to the girls beside him and could tell they were shocked at the revelation. He sighed inwardly, mentally preparing himself with all the 101 questions that they would inevitably ask him.
"Really? He never mentioned that." The tone behind Serena's voice had a sense of urgency and disbelief, which made Ash slightly anxious over the fact he had to explain himself. He took a sip from his drink, ignoring the fact that the 3 girls were waiting for his explanation and reasoning.
"You all never asked and I don't want people to get the wrong idea. Besides, I'm sure Dawn and Misty won't like it if I brag about it right?" Dawn gave an appreciative nod, she wasn't sure how she will feel if Ash go around the school and stated he got to live with her and Misty as if it was some kind achievement.
"Misty? You stayed with Misty too?" Korrina's curiosity and astonishment was quite cute to watch.
"Yeap, Misty and Dawn are my roommates." There it is, the truth. He glanced at the girls around him and felt that they were okay with it. He wasn't sure why he needed their approval to stay with two girls, but given the ratio of girls to boys, the odds weren't at his favour. More importantly, he didn't want to feel like he was some kind of playboy because right now, he felt like he was giving that image to his female friends.
"Really." Bea muttered to herself, taking a scoop out of her sundae in the process. She wasn't angry, but more of surprised and maybe disappointed that Ash never told them before. But given his explanation earlier, the Galar native did understand why he never told them.
With the awkward mood setting in, a notification prompt from Korrina's watch reminded her of something that can be used to diffuse the awkward silence.
"Dawn, do you want to join us for a movie later? It's starts at 3." Ash made a mental note to thank the skating enthusiast who dispel the awkward situation in the room, perhaps buying her popcorn and a drink would suffice.
"I don't mind, I'm free later."
"Great, it's just a short walk away from here." Dawn watched at Bea scrolled through her social media feeds, leaning her body towards Ash, though the Pallet town native was seemingly unfazed by her actions. It reminded of her what she did last night to Ash which undeniably made her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She glanced back at Serena and could tell that the Kalos native was engrossed into the conversation she is having with Korrina, the two were exchanging information regarding what they have done today.
"Do you all hangout often after school?" Ash nodded towards Dawn seeing that everyone else were preoccupied to answer her question.
"Pretty much." If they weren't chatting with each other, they were either sparring with one or another or enjoying the cool spring breeze in the park, taking pictures of the cute pokemon swimming by the lake. Admittedly, Dawn was feeling slightly left out by not being able to join them sooner. She herself never have much friends even though her looks begged to differ, she chose her friends very carefully given past experience that still left a bad taste in her mouth.
"You can join us as much as you want, the reason I didn't introduce you sooner is because you were always busy with your cheerleading club." At the mention of the club she once poured blood, sweat and tears for, she sighed and stirred the straw of her drink.
"I might leave the club, I don't think the drama is worth it." Serena glanced at Dawn, surprised that Dawn was even a cheerleader in the first place.
"Are you sure Dawn? The cheerleader club is very popular right now, you might make some new friends there."
"The club is run by Giselle who hates my guts, ugh I hate just being there now." Bea nodded, fully understanding the blunette disdain for Gisselle. Personally, she hated her as she flaunts her wealth and looks around like it was something worth noting.
"I never like Giselle too, she's such a whinny bitch." The blunt tone from Bea made Dawn smile in glee, finally someone who agrees with her!
"I know right?" As Dawn rambled off over how much she loathed about Gisselle, Korrina and Bea started to add their own two cents and soon enough, the conversation started to tangent off to other topics that made Ash wonder how much the 4 girls have in common despite their different personality and interests. It was heartwarming to watch Dawn talking to other people that is not him or Misty, so Ash gave himself a congratulatory pat to the back. As the 4 continue to ramble off, Korrina raised a question that change the tone and mood of the conversation
"Say Dawn, I heard that a boy in our class likes you. Is that true?" Ash was surprised by that fact, was there a guy in class that likes Dawn? He automatically assumed half of the class liked Dawn for her looks, but Korrina stated as if the guy was really into Dawn.
"Yeah Conway right?" Bea chipped in, which made Ash wondered why hasn't he heard that before? Is this the class drama he's been missing out on? At the mention of Conway, Dawn gave off an annoyed sighed before rubbing her bare shoulders in a defensive manner.
"Don't remind me, he tried to ask me out for a date the first time we met. I never talked to him ever since." Serena's expression of concern didn't particularly seem reassuring to Ash.
"I heard that he's really creepy, and that he tries to follow girls home." The look of disgust on the girls' faces were both understandable and concerning. If the rumours are true, then perhaps reporting to the school would be the appropriate action. Or beating him in a pokemon battle, that could be a good way to end him to.
"Oh my gosh are you serious Serena?" Dawn felt the colour of face drained when Serena nodded in a serious manner.
"Yeah, a friend of mine, Miette told me that. If Conway sees a girl he likes, he would stalk them until he finds a new victim." Good Arceus, Ash wasn't sure how he would be able to look at his classmate in the eye ever again. A punch to the face or a kick to the crotch seemed to be a good greeting to him if what Serena said is true. Still, he shouldn't be too surprised at the fact there are stalker in his school given the amount of beautiful girls that enrolled into the school. This place is a predator's paradise, which again made Ash really worried and concerned.
"Okay, I am never walking alone ever again." Dawn crossed her arms, frowning at the fact she had to deal with him. Or maybe, he has always been watching her...
"It's alright Dawn, you have us. We can beat him up if tries anything." Bea spoke in a confident tone, reassuring her that she would break his bones with her martial skills. No one would doubt Bea's martial art prowess, for a girl who often spar with her own fighting type back home, she can mess you up real bad. Dawn smiled at Bea's offer, glad to make friends with someone who's not afraid to say what's in her mind.
"Besides you have Misty and Ash staying with you." Korrina nudged Ash who crossed his arm in his usual calm and collective manner, analyzing and thinking the entire situation in his head. Dawn however, scoffed and smirked at her male roommate.
"I'm glad to have Misty, but Ash? I think he needs our protection." Ignoring the chuckles from the girls around him, Ash shot Dawn a deadpanned expression that showed his lack of enthusiasm and thrill.
"Haha very funny." He decided not to bring up the fact he once was a devout practitioner of Kendo and various Kantonese sword fighting styles when he was younger. An obsession that was fueled by his dream of becoming a samurai and speedrunning Katana Zero. Though truthfully, he was certain that it won't be that practical or useful in real life.
Then again, wielding a sharp edge blade might sense Conway running.
