"Spring festival?" Ash leaned back to his chair with its two legs off the floor. He stared at Misty who nodded enthusiastically over the supposed festival that would be held within a week. The whole class has been discussing about the festival as the days rolls by, mainly because there is a school holiday during the week. Students especially those abroad are encouraged to participate the festival and enrich themselves with the Sinnohian culture.

"Yeap! Dawn and I are planning to visit Eterna City to enjoy the Spring festival. I'm really excited about the cherry blossom bloom and the delicious food stalls during the festival." The thought of the colourful Sakura petals being carried by the cool breeze of the high peaks would certainly be a magical experience. The people of Kanto have a bit of an obsession when it comes to flower viewing, also known as Hanami. So he wasn't surprised that Misty was fascinated by the cherry blossom bloom.

"That's good and all but I'm sure that the festival in Eterna would be packed right?" Famous tourist attractions often result in large crowds. In essence, it takes away the magical wonder of the beautiful scenery when thousands of camera shutters goes off at the same time.

"Yeah it's a tourist attraction but I still want to go nonetheless. It's not everyday we get to experience the cherry blossom season you know?" Ash could agree on that, the cherry blossom tree blooms twice a year during spring and autumn respectively. He himself had never experience the bloom since he opted to stay at home instead.

"That's true, I don't think I have ever witness it before." Misty blinked and slammed her hands into Ash's table in disbelief.

"Wait you never experience the Spring festival back in Kanto?" Taken aback by her sudden erratic movements, Ash almost lost his balance on his chair and fell back down. He finally sat properly and stared at Misty who seemed to be bewildered by him.

"Not really." Misty shook her head with her arms crossed, this wouldn't do.

"You have to come with us. It's such a unique experience." He wasn't against the idea, but money is an issue for him as an unemployed student. Better still, how on earth would they get there if they don't have a car? Being stuck in a traffic jam to reach a holiday destination doesn't seem optimal.

"How do we even get there?"

"Public transport, we can ride the bullet train there." The Shinkansen huh? Ash had only rode it a few times.

"Are we staying there for long?" Visit the festival, take some pictures and taste the food. It didn't seem that there was much to do.

"Dawn and I plan to stay for a few days, the festival last for a week but there's a lot of fun activities to do. Sitting in a hot spring or even exploring the quaint little districts around Eterna." That does sounds nice, but sitting in the mix bath hot spring with Dawn and Misty is admittedly hard to turn down. Even still, the thought of exploring the quiet streets of Eterna city and saying hi to the friendly locals does sound sweet and lovely.

"Sounds like you're filming a vlog." Clickbaity thumbnails and eye catching tittles, that's all you need to have to succeed.

"Hey I want to travel around Sinnoh, and now I have the freedom to do it with my friends. Don't you want to explore Sinnoh too?" Ash had a different view when it comes to traveling, he thought he would be a solo traveler with only his pokemon by his side.

"Yeah, that's does sound nice. Alright, I will come both of you, but does Dawn mind?" Misty grinned and shook her head, it was almost adorable seeing this tomboyish girl who could smell bullshit a mile away clasping her hands together in joy.

"Great! And to answer your question, I don't think she minds." Misty was certain that Dawn feels bad for Ash if they leave for the festival without inviting him, and to be fair, she herself did feel bad for not inviting Ash. Which is why she brought on the conversation with Ash.

"Very well then." Earlier at the day Dawn accidentally spilled some coffee on the table, causing his arm to be scalded by the hot beverage. As a result, it caused the blunette to apologize profusely as she helped cleaned the messed up and tend to Ash's wounds. It was an honest accident on Dawn's part so Ash never held it against her, but Dawn still felt guiltily and promised to buy him dinner.

"I will get the bookings out of the way." That quickly already? He never even consult his mother or told her yet. She was paying his school bills and he didn't want to burden her even more by asking her to pay for his accommodations.

"Wait how much does it cost for a inn? I don't want to live in a capsule hotel or something." Phenomenon cheap and convenient, capsule hotels are meant for people who are travelling on a budget, and as a student who does not make money, it was perfect for them. Unfortunately, staying in a capsule hotel is equivalent to sleeping inside a coffin, which didn't seemed comfortable.

"Relax we are staying in a traditional inn, and we're getting a cheap price too since the Sinnoh government has been trying to actively promote the Spring festival by introducing discounts." The Sinnoh government's efforts to incentives people to travel domestically is not unheard of. After all, a lot of tax revenue comes from the tourism industry.

"As long we're getting bargain, I'm fine with it. I shall leave our accommodations at your capable hands miss Waterflower." Misty gave a confident nod and soon enough, she heard miss Erika entering the class which ushered her to go back to her sitting. The Grass type eccentric teacher placed her teaching materials on her desk and grinned at how everyone was excited for the upcoming spring festival.

"Morning class."

"Good morning miss."

"I know the holidays are near so I will refrain from giving you homework for the holidays." She sighed inwardly when the inevitable cheers of joy erupted from her class.

"But! I would like to give feedback regarding your essays you have wrote. A one on one session if you will." Considering that the holidays would start soon and the fact they covered most of the syllabus, Erika was willing to go through her students work and give feedback to help improve their course assignments. She sat down on her desk and took out the stack of paper from her bag and went through each individual essay before calling out their names.

'I hope I did well.' He's injuries had made it difficult for him to write properly. His handwriting prior to his accident was already horrendous so Ash was certain that it is now barely readable. Nevertheless, he did power through and finish most of his work. He watched as Miss Erika called each student by their name with one student that he was particular intrigued by.

"Paul, you have wrote very little on the importance of bonding with your pokemon. I would like to understand why." The cold Sinnoh native sighed in a grumpy manner, before crossing his arms in pure annoyance.

"Bonds and friendship mean little in the heat of the battle." The homeroom teacher narrowed her eyes, giving a firm and authoritative gaze that make you wish you don't end up on her bad side. Such effective was her glare, that Paul himself wondered if he's a dead man.

"If that's the case, are you implying that you perfectly fine for your pokemon to abandon you when you are in trouble? If their adoration and love towards you are lacking, many pokemon are willing to let their trainer die for their own survival." To Paul, if a pokemon was smart enough to abandon their trainer because of their own survival, it would be his own fault.

"Survival of the fittest, it would be my own mistake for choosing such a disloyal pokemon." Erika sighed inwardly, she would have normally lecture Paul but she knew that he has his own reasons. Not every pokemon is kind and perhaps the purple haired teen before her had bad experiences with pokemon when he was younger. Nevertheless, she wants to instill the importance of bonding with their pokemon into their students, it's the most basic rule of becoming a pokemon trainer.

"Loyalty and friendship don't come by naturally Paul, they need to be built on the foundation of trust and love. If you can't even understand or grasp that basic concept, you have essentially failed as a trainer." Paul sighed, he heard this over a million times from his peers and the small amount of people he actually respected.

"Are you failing my essay miss?" Erika shook her head, Paul's thesis on battle techniques and methods to overcome type disadvantages were very impressive. But that is what worries her, that her students would become amazing trainers who lack compassion and heart.

"No Paul, but please understand that treating your pokemon fairly and kindly is the fundamental of being a pokemon trainer. Any form of abuse and you're out." Paul gulped and nodded, not wanting to be kicked out of the school after months of work.

"I will try." She gave a curt nod, that was all she asked from him. She gave the final marks to Paul and watched him walked off to his desk, bragging about his results to Trip who also bragged back. Despite their bickering and fierce rivalry with each other, Erika can easily tell the two were close friends.

"Ash Ketchum." Upon hearing his name, Ash walked towards his homeroom teacher and stood next to her with his arms crossed.

"Hi miss, how's my essay?"

"Its pretty good, you brought up some interesting points on how should one raise their pokemon. You even drew illustrations to further demonstrate your points. Ashamed that you were injured, you really had a knack for drawing." His illustrations was clearly shown that he stopped drawing halfway, worst still, you can easily know when Ash injuries took place as his handwriting went from decent to borderline horrifying.

"Tracy taught me a few techniques, I'm nothing compared to his drawing skills."

"Don't sell yourself short, this is great work. But your handwriting is uh, a bit unreadable. I understand it's because of your hands, so I won't hold it against you." Ash sighed in relief, thank goodness or else he would have been screwed. Erika chuckled as she leaned behind her chair, she still can make out the words and letters, so it wasn't too bad.

"No worries, how's your injuries?"

"Fully recovered." Indeed he was, no longer suffering from aching shoulders and stiff movements. That being said, another massage from Dawn won't hurt.

"Great to hear. Here's your marks and paper." Shaking off his thoughts regarding his roommate, Ash took the paper from his teacher and gave a nod before returning back to his seat.

The class ended relatively and as day turned to night, Ash found himself sitting in the living room with his two roommates sitting on the other side of the sofa.

"So you're coming with us?" Dawn spoke as she hugged the pillow on the couch. She was shocked when Misty told her that Ash would be accompanying them for their trip to Eterna, not that she was against the idea, but she was just surprised.

He gave the her a nod as his mouth was too preoccupied on munching on the chips he brought from the local supermarket. He was displeased when Misty took a handful of his them without his consent and continued to answer Dawn's question as if stealing his snacks were the norm for her.

"Yeah, you won't mind right? Ash had never experience the Spring Festival before." Dawn shook her head when Ash stared at her in such a pensive manner, that or he was still mad at Misty for taking his snacks.

"Of course not, I was just surprised that's all. Glad you can come with us Ash, Misty and I feel bad for leaving you alone for the holidays." Ash glanced at Misty who gave a slow nod in agreement, not liking the fact that Dawn revealed her sentiments of Ash so publicly.

"Aww thanks, I appreciate the gesture girls." Truly he did, his roommates were nice enough to invite him to their special holiday. According to Misty, the two of them had planned this trip since the month of January, before he met them. They certainly never took in the consideration that a guy would join them for their trip to Eterna city.

"Actually I wanted to ask, do you two visit Eterna city every year for the Cherry Blossom bloom?" Seems like it, the two are religious when it comes to Spring festivals. Mainly because Sinnoh experience an abundance of snow most of the year. Not exactly the best weather to grow crops or flowers.

"Nope, this is our first time going to Eterna city together. Dawn and I have experience the Spring festival before, but never together. We only met each other when we became roommates this year." Really now? The two seemed to know each other for ages.

"Huh, I feel like you two know each other forever." Dawn took the oppurtunity to curled up to Misty as she placed her arm around Dawn's shoulder, giving Ash a smug grin when he stared at them with an amused expression.

"Well we are besties." Ash sipped on his lemon tea drink he hastily made a few minutes ago, not giving any comment whatsoever.

"Don't be jealous Ash." Misty chuckled when Ash gave them a deadpanned expression.

"I'm not."

"I'm actually really excited! The 3 of us are going to experience the cherry blossom bloom together. It's gonna be an amazing experience!" Dawn was particularly excited, the thought of the 3 of them eating a delicious Sukiyaki together as they watched the beautiful Sakura petals falling down during night, sends a chills down her spine. She certainly hoped that their trip together would be something special. One that will cement their friendship together for as long as they live.

"We're leaving on Thursday by the way." Thursday? The holidays starts at Friday and Ash wasn't keen on skipping class. What if the teacher announce something important before the holidays? What if they sudden give a crap load of homework?

"The school holiday starts on Friday right? Why are we leaving on Thursday?" Misty raised her phone, showing the class group chat that was created by his teacher Brawly.

"Mr Brawly just cancelled the Friday class, check your group chat." Ash scrolled through his WhatsApp chat, ignoring the fact he ghosted most of them. He read through Brawly's message, apparently he's preparing to return back to Hoenn for the holidays so he took a day off.

"Indeed he did, but why the rush to get there? We can still leave on Friday." Misty shook her head, clearly Ash has never travelled before.

"Everyone would be leaving on Friday because of the holidays, we can arrive there a day earlier to prevent the sea of people overwhelming us." That make sense, they can take the time to visit the town and wonder the streets of Eterna before the crowd arrives.

"Compelling argument." Ash turned his attention back to the tv, watching the intense fight scene that was quickly ruined by excessive use of slow-mo. As he two roommates decide to call it a night, Ash decided to do the same and walked to his room with a yawn accompanying him.


Watching the bustling urban city slowly transition into the quiet and quaint countryside was something remarkable to Ash. The sprawling rice fields that was covered by the shimmering glow of the evening light, the mysterious snowy mountains and the fog engulfed peaks that were positioned directly behind the rice fields. From within the Shinkasen, the misty mountains looked like they were backdrop of a film, yet Ash knew that the beautiful scenery before him was far from fake. His dream of travelling around the world and the innate hunger to explore the world had only grow much stronger after seeing the scenic view of the countryside.

With his gaze still fixated on the view, his expression of awe and wonder quickly became one of childish excitement and joy when he spotted the ancient shrines and rustic temples nestled within the mountains. The biophilic design of the place of worship was something Ash admired wholeheartedly, and he didn't knew why considering he was never shown the faintest of interest in architecture. But right now, Ash felt something profound within him. A feeling that he can't quite describe it.

Dawn stared at her male roommate and smiled to herself at how excited Ash was, almost as if this was his first time experiencing it. She sighed in comfort of her seat and leaned onto Misty's shoulder, knowing that they would reach the Eterna city soon given that they had left Jubilife half an hour ago.

Soon enough, they reached their destination with the train coming to a stand still. They waited for the other passengers who were rushing to disembark from the train, not wanting to be caught in the crowdy fiesta.

"I will grab our bags." Ash reached for the train compartment that stored their bags, using his mighty strength to lift both Dawn's and Misty's luggage as well. With their belongings within their grasp, the 3 of them quickly got off the train and grinned at the sight of the bustling metropolitan city that was well complimented with the gorgeous sight of Mt Coronet in the distance.

"We're here! Come on let's take a cab." With Misty already had everything planned out for them, the two simply just followed the redhead who started to make her way out of the station. As they stood outside of the pick up bay, a blue taxi started to drive up to them and a charismatic looking driver soon waved to them.

The drive to their ryokan didn't take long but it certainly gave Ash the time to appreciate Eterna city's deep roots of tradition and Shintoism. The contrast between the ancient shrines and the modern skyscrapers were such a treat to the eyes. Sinnoh has always been a mysterious region filled with folklore and ancient history, and it is a region that Ash truly enjoyed staying.

"We are here!" Handing a generous tip to the driver, the trio grabbed their luggage and head toward the inn that have their very own onsen inside of it. The little zen garden in entrance of the inn was really captivating, it felt as if that they were transported to another world. As Misty lead them to the receptionist, Dawn and Ash stood in the middle of the lobby as they glanced at the interior of the inn that had no shortage of vintage and traditional Sinnoh vibe.

"Alright, let's head to our rooms." Being the observant soul, Ash noticed that there was only 1 room key on Misty's hands.

"Uh are we sharing?" Misty gave a small nod, glancing at Ash who rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeap, are you fine with that?" She didn't inform Ash earlier because she afraid of his reaction. Dawn and her were perfectly fine sharing a room with Ash, given that he had essentially taken care of them in the first day and hasn't done anything weird to them. He was a well mannered person who was also likable. The main reason why Misty decided to share the room with Ash was to save up on the cost of accommodation, though she didn't want to bring that up.

"I should be asking you two that." Ash crossed his arms, not really liking the situation.

"Its fine Ash, we don't mind." Dawn spoke in a reassuring tone, the bright genuine smile showed her honesty, which made Ash questioned his two roommates' carelessness. They trust him which made him happy, don't get him wrong! But they trust him too much, which concerned Ash greatly.

'I do.' His mind went through the various scenarios that might potentially happen. Morning wood? Arceus what if he accidentally do something that would make them uncomfortable in his sleep? The Kanto native sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, things would probably be normal. He was just thinking too much.

"Alright, let's place our bags down. I want to explore the festival." Dawn and Misty grinned, completely onboard with Ash's idea. The trio rushed towards their room, walking over the hallways and corridors that lead to the outside. Given they were staying in a ryokan, Ash wasn't expecting a fancy room that had all the amenities a normal hotel would have.

Boy was he wrong.

"This is our room?" The sliding doors, the fresh tatami mats and the various decoration that ornate their room bring out the holiday vibe of this place. The beautiful chandelier light had a soft warm glow that made Ash feel like he was at home. Misty truly pulled out all the stops for this one.

"Did you like it?"

"I love it. Is this why we have to share a room? To pay for all this?" Ash was certainly fine to compress their budget into one room. This already make the trip worth it!

"Pretty much, quality over quantity."

"Thanks Misty, this place is wonderful." Misty grinned in pride, happy that Ash was thoroughly impressed.

"Heh you haven't even seen the hot tub yet." Hold up, there's a hot tub here?

"Wait there's a hot tub here?"

"We can talk about that later, come on! Let's go see the festival." Misty dragged Dawn and Ash outside of the inn, wanting to reach the pagoda and shrine of Eterna City as soon as possible. They were within walking distance to their destination, which is great because Ash's legs weren't made for long distances.

According to his mom, Ash knew that the Eterna city Spring festival was held near the statue of Palkia and Dialga, to commemorate the two legendries that helped shaped Sinnoh and the world. It was an important festival for all Sinnohians, as it help show respect to those who came before us.

Traditionally, visitors of the Spring festival in Eterna would have to wear Kimonos and Yukatas respectively, but as the years go by, casual clothing has become more and more acceptable. Which was great considering Ash wasn't keen on renting a single piece of clothing just for this festival, knowing full well they would overcharge him for the price.

"Wow, that's a lot of stairs." Ash was baffled by the large flight of stairs that stood before him. Now, he regretted skipping on leg day and the one on one sessions with Bea. Misty chuckled at slapped Ash's shoulders to give him some sense of reassurance.

"The view from the shrine is breathtaking." Yes breathtaking indeed, especially after climbing all those stairs.

"Fine, let's go." Dawn chuckled at she follow a grumpy Ash from behind, she held her digital camera in her hand, taking photos of the small shrines and beautiful scenery that surrounded them. The different pokemon stone statues and the line of food stalls certainly brought out the mood of the festival. As they reached the summit of the hill, Ash was immediately greeted by the beautiful sight of pink cherry blossom trees that all lined up neatly before him. The smooth stone pavements and the sight of tourists walking around and taking picture of the scenery was all perfect. It was exactly how he imagined it, and he certainly was not disappointed.

"Come on I know a place where we can get a Magikarp's eye view of the city." Misty had clearly did her research as she lead her two friends towards a less crowded spot and true to her word, Ash could see the entire Eterna city right before his eyes. The bustling metropolitan city and the quaint countryside were such a contradiction, yet it showed that Sinnoh had perfectly preserved old tradition and make technological advancement at the same time.

"This is amazing." Ash felt like he had the entire city within his grasp, that it was his domain and was under his rule. Was this how ancient emperors and kings felt when they watched over their city? It was such a powerful sight and feeling.

"I'm glad you like it. I used to come here often whenever I feel stressed or sad. Seeing this view just makes all my worries go away." Misty spoke fondly as she leaned into the iron rails of the wall, she watched over the city with the high winds blowing her hair freely. She gave off a sigh and felt happy that she wasn't seeing this view alone, that she had someone to talk to and enjoy this scenic view with her.

"Thanks Misty. Wait, where's Dawn?" He looked around and noticed that Dawn wasn't near them. Panic took over his body and he started to looked around in a frantic manner, causing Misty to chuckle over his worrywart nature.

"She's off taking pictures." Ash relaxed slightly but he was still concerned nevertheless. At the very least, they could reach her through her phone.

"Will she be okay?" Misty rolled her eyes and leaned her back behind the rail, watching the tourist taking picture with their beloved pokemon.

"She would be fine Ash, Dawn is not a little girl. Come on, let's go see the cherry blossoms." Ash nodded in agreement, Dawn could take care of self. Besides, she had been through this festival before too, she's probably off to take stunning pictures of the pagodas and ancient shrines. She does have a knack for taking beautiful pictures, the selfies were a great example.

"Where are we going?" Misty led him towards a canal that was surrounded by the beautiful cherry blossom trees. The mixture of pink, white and red leaves decorated the top of the canal. It felt like he was submerged under the Sakura petals and he wasn't even onboard on the boat yet.

Misty being the mind reader she is, grinned and tucked Ash's sleeves, pulling him towards the boat operator who wore a straw hat that shielded him from the elements. Upon noticing Misty, he nodded and climbed onto his boat with his trusty Floatzel standing on top of the bow of the boat.

"You two up for a ride down the canal?" Misty nodded enthusiastically while Ash nodding reluctantly. He had been boat trips before, but never on a wooden boat that looked like it could capsized at a moment notice.

"Yes please." Misty handed the money towards the middle aged man who took the cash in kind. To Ash, the man before him looked the typical wise and humble old man who had infinite knowledge and wisdom. The boat operator onboarded the floating transport and extended his hand out for Misty to take, to which she took his service in kind. Ash followed suit as Misty made sure Ash does not fall into the canal and embarrass the both of them given that they were a lot of people walking by the bridge and sidewalks.

"Alrighty, hold on tight love birds." Ash blinked, is he serious now? Why does everyone automatically assumed they were dating? Can't a guy have a platonic relationship with a girl?

"Wait we're not-" The man before ignored Ash as he rowed the boat with his paddle, glancing at Floatzel who wagged his tail at the sight of the beautiful canal.

"Just enjoy the view with your girl lad." Ash glanced at Misty who averted her gaze away from, her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. Darn it, he has a thing for cute tomboy girls.

'Damn it why does Misty looked so cute?' He sighed and tried to keep his eyes set on the beautiful cherry blossom leaves that covered the skies, which worked almost immediately as he was draw in by the sight. The awkward tension swiftly change into one of tranquil silence as the two friends took in all the beautiful scenery.

"Look Ash! A Milotic!" The beautiful serpent dance through the canal, waving its tail to Ash and Misty as a greeting. It jumped through the waters as it tried to catch up with the boat. The playful sight of the Milotic made Ash chuckle at it splash water at his general direction.

"Great I'm soaked." Misty giggled at Ash's displeased expression, fortunately his hair was untouched otherwise he might catch a cold. The two roommates waved good bye to the Milotic who swam away from them, towards the nearby red Torri gates that stood above the lakes.


Their magical boat ride ended as they return to the docks. They gave their thanks and gratitude towards the boat operator before leaving to the inner temple, feeling rejuvenated and awestruck by the magnificent experience they had.

"That was amazing, I never been so immerse before." Misty nodded in agreement, it was a shame that Dawn wasn't with them. She would have loved that experience but given that she was off taking some pictures for her photo collage, Misty decided not to bother her.

"We should call Dawn, it's almost time for the main festival." Although they arrived the day before the festival starts, the various food stalls and crowd of people seem to imply the festival was about to start.

"Mhmm, the festival goes full swing at night." The fireworks, the amazing food and the various stage performance would really make this festival a real banger. So Ash couldn't wait to get his hands on the different food and drinks sold during the night. Given that dusk was upon them, the sea of people have started to subside, but wait until night comes and the crowd would back roaring.

"I need to use bathroom real quick, maybe you can give Dawn a call?" Misty nodded and started to dial Dawn's number, while Ash made a dash towards bathroom relieving himself in the process.

"Man even the bathrooms are clean." Ash looked at the mirror in the washroom ensuring that his shirt was dried from the canal water. He washed his hand with soap before drying them with an expensive looking hand drying machine. Once he was freshened up, he exited the bathroom and meetup with Misty.

"Hey Misty is Dawn-" He stopped when he saw the concerned look plastered on her face, she shook her head as she tighten the grip on her phone.

"I can't reach her." Ash glanced at Misty's phone and could see all the missed calls she gave Dawn.

"Straight into voicemail." Misty spoke quietly, feeling worried over her friend. The sun was going down and shrine is almost devoid of people. If they can't find Dawn before then, the large crowd of people might make it even more difficult to spot her.

"Maybe we ask around? Did you know where she went?" Ash was not liking the situation, he knew he should have ask Dawn to join them for the boat ride.

"I don't know Ash, she just left to take pictures." Misty was very unsettled and disturbed right now, and he won't blame her given that this something unexpected.

"Alright calm down. Let's go ask around to see if anyone have seen her." Surely people would spot a pretty girl with blue hair holding a camera right?

"Let's split up."

"Misty I don't think-" Given that Ash has seen so many horror movies where splitting up means certain death, Ash was against the idea of separating from Misty since one of their roommates was already missing.

"We can cover more ground." Ash sighed, he expected her to use that line. But seeing the determined expression plastered on her face, Ash didn't want to waste his time or energy to argue with her.

"Call me if you see her or if anything happens alright?" The stern tone from Ash made Misty nod, knowing that he felt partly responsible for Dawn's disappearance and in all honesty, she blame herself as well. Safety in numbers, she should have persuaded Dawn to stay with them and not let her wonder on her own.

"Alright Ash." The young teen watched his roommate ran off the opposite direction with the picture of Dawn's on her phone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling stressed at the fact Dawn went missing because of their carelessness.

'Dawn I hope you're alright.' He prayed to Arceus and any legendries out there that Dawn would return to them safe and sound. Without a moment to spare, Ash approach the food stalls owners and asked if they had seen Dawn. She wasn't hard to spot since she had her trademark dark blue hair and the fact she wore her black jacket and pink shirt that make her standout.

'Maybe she standout too much.' Human trafficking and abduction still happens in Sinnoh, and Ash hoped that Dawn did not fall victim to it. He gritted his teeth as he push pass the crowd of people that started to gather. The night festival was about to begin and people have started to crowd the shrine to enjoy the Spring festival at night.

After half an hour of searching, Ash was close to giving up. He decided to give Misty a call before filing a police report, but given that he couldn't report for missing persons because it wasn't 24 hours yet, Ash's hands were tied at the moment.

"Misty any luck? No? It's alright, let's keep looking. Misty calm down, Dawn would be alright. Have faith." Misty was close to breaking down, she sounded so scared and nervous. He tried his best to reassure her, but he knew that unless they find Dawn, none of their worries would be put to rest.

"Misty you should head back to our room first, see if Dawn had returned to the inn. Maybe her phone suddenly malfunction or something. I know you checked the inn earlier but maybe she went back now. Just stay there, incase she returns. Me? I will keep on searching. I will be fine Misty, take care alright? And please, don't blame yourself. This was my fault too." Ash disconnected from the call, feeling waves of guilt engulfing him. He couldn't risk losing Misty too, if something happens to her as well, he might as well commit seppuku. He looked around him and felt overwhelmed by the crowd of people surrounded him, making it much difficult to find Dawn.

'Deep breaths Ash, calm down. Let's think logically, put those detective skills to good use." Ash regain his composure and started to think methodically. He quickly distanced himself from the crowd to some place quiet, giving him time to think and not be distracted by the food and music.

'Let's see, if Dawn was taking pictures, it had to be something scenic or secluded.' Chances were, she could be taking pictures of flowers, trees and statues. If she was kidnapped in public, she would have shouted out and put on some form of resistance, which would be noticeable by other passersby. There was a high probability that Dawn was visiting some secluded part of the temple and maybe have even visited the nearby bamboo forest that had little to no people.

'I haven't search there yet.' Deciding that the dense bamboo forest would be a best place to look for Dawn. Ash hoped that he wasn't wasting time and he was on the right track. He quickly ran towards the direction of the forest, with the number of street lights becoming less and less. Ash gulped when he stood before the entrance of the bamboo forest, the dimly lit light of the lantern next to him were not helping with the quiet atmosphere either.

"Screw it." Donning his screw it, let's do it mentality. Ash walked through the eerie looking forest, with only the sound of Kricketots and Nincadas clicking about. It certainly add on to the anxiety Ash was feeling, and now he felt like he was some kind of a first person horror game.

'Can't say I want to die in a bamboo forest.' Being pessimistic was the only way he could cope with the situation he was in at the moment. As he walked deeper and deeper into the forest, Ash found himself at a crossroad. One to the left, and one to the right.

"You gotta be kidding me." Ash sighed as he crossed his arms, was he in a maze? He furrowed his eyebrows and glanced at his surrounding, hoping to pick up on any clues that might help him to find Dawn. As his eyes scanned through the ground, until his eyes caught something familiar on the ground.

"Wait." He knelt down and picked up the broken bracelet that seemed to belong to Dawn. It gave Ash the confidence that Dawn indeed passed by here, but the sign of a broken bracelet also meant there were also signs of struggle, which made Ash's stomach churned.

'The bracelet wasn't detached, it was harshly yanked away from her." Ash narrowed his eyes and glanced at the path that the bracelet was on. He quickly stuff the bracelet into his pocket before continued his path. He pulled his jacket closer to him, to shield himself from the cold and the sense of insecurity that creep onto him.

As he hasten his footsteps, Ash approach a large bridge and that has a river coursing beneath it. But given how dark it was, the sound of the gushing river didn't help to alleviate his nervousness and fear. He stood on top of the bridge, glancing at the reflection of the river that showed the bright full moon above him.

"Rockruff, rock." The sound of barking caused Ash to jump in a defensive manner, he's heart pumped rapidly as his body went full fight or flight mode. But seeing bright blues eyes and the adorable stature of the pokemon, Ash calmed down and knelt down when he saw a Rockruff walking towards him.

"Oh hello, how can you I help you?" The puppy pokemon yelped and ran around in a circle before running off into the deeper parts of his forest, seemingly wanting him to follow him. Deciding to place his trust and luck into a pokemon he has never met, Ash followed his instincts and went into full pursuit.

"Where is he taking me?" Ash whispered to himself as he ran pass the towering bamboos that blocked most of the naturally moonlight, he now found himself running in the dark with minimum visibility.

As he reached a corner of a large clearing, Ash was immediately greeted by the sight of a large clearing that had grass instead of tall bamboos. He halted his footsteps when the Rockruff stood next to him in complete silence, not entering the clearing itself. At first he was puzzled, until he saw 2 shady looking figures standing from afar as they tower over- Dawn!

"Shut up, stop squirming." The gruff sound of the middle aged man made Ash grit his teeth. He watched as Dawn glared at the two man who attempted to molest her, but he could tell her courage was slowly faltering. He observed the two individuals that stood in front of her, and noticed they had their pokemon by their side. One had a Stunky while the other person had a Golbat who stood next to its trainer. If Ash was to have a direct confrontation with them, their pokemon would make short work of him.

He glanced at the Rockruff who growled at the two individuals, which made Ash realize that it wanted to help Dawn out. Which was why it led him here. He didn't bother to ask why he was helping awn considering now was not the time. He needs every help he can get to win this fight.

"Rockruff, are you a friend of Dawn?" The little nod from the rock type solidified Ash's thoughts. He mustered up what's left of his courage before ruffling the pokemon's head and gave him a determined look.

"I need your assistance." The wolf cub nodded and assumed an offensive stance, growling at the two men that gripped Dawn's arm. Narrowing his eyes in anger, Ash gripped one of the thin bamboos planted next to him and used much of his strength to ripped the stalk out from the ground. Never had he thought he would be fighting a pokemon in physical combat.

"Rock throw on the two men." Not wanting to have a fair fight that would end up in his loss, Ash commanded a direct attack on the humans. What followed was a hail of rocks and stones raining down on the two men, hitting them right in the head as they started to bleed from the sharp stones. Immediately, all the attention was turned to Ash and the Rockruff which gave Dawn the perfect time to escape. Knowing the Rockruff would be outnumbered and outclassed by the Golbat and Stunky's combined strength, Ash decided to put his Kendo skills to good use.

"Ki!" Ash gave out a ferocious roared as he lashed out his attacks onto the Skunky, giving Rockruff the oppurtunity to focus on the Golbat to which he had the type advantage on. With a spun of the bamboo stalk, Ash whacked the pokemon by the side as it try retaliate with Fury Swipe to which Ash dodged by sidestepping at the last second. He was careful not to use the sharp point of the Bamboo as he didn't want to severely injure them. Unless, they give him a reason to.

"Rockruff Rock Throw the Stunky." Ash want to avoid as much casualties as possible, on their side at least. The Rockruff hurled few rock shards onto the knocked down Stunky, causing it to lose it consciousness from the barrages of rock shards pelting its skin.

"Damn it Ron get your shit together and order your Golbat to attack!" One of the man tried to recompose himself and stop the bleeding from his head. He cursed as his Skunky was knocked out cold and the fact Ash took advantage of their unconscious state to his advantage. With his companion slowly regaining his sense of reality, he stuttered a random attack.

"Air cutter on the boy." Ash failed to register the command time and received one of Air Cutter cut his chest, drawing blood from his recently recovered wounds. He grimaced at the pain coursing through him before he return the attack in kind.

"Bite the wings!" The canine sink its sharp teeth onto Golbat's wings, shaking its the wings in a frenzied manner before using a point blank Rock Throw to slam it on its face. With the two main threat down, Ash placed pressure onto his wound to stop the bleeding before he felt Dawn running towards him.

"Ash, oh Arceus please, are you okay?" Ash smiled at the sight of Dawn's pretty face, he thanked the stars of Tevyat that she came out unharmed. He would have gave her a hug if it weren't for the fact he was injured on his chest again. He settled for a kiss on the forehead to comfort her, which made her face flushed red over his gentleness.

"I'm fine." He glanced over the two men who were still on the floor, still experiencing the pain from bleeding on the head. He narrowed his eyes and felt Rockruff walked up to them with a fierce glare on their face. He analyzed their clothing before his eyes was fixated on the insignia on their shirts.

"Team Galactic?" The fear in their eyes was obvious, and Ash was quite enjoying his position of power at the moment. Still, he wasn't a sadist nor was he an executioner. He would leave it to the police to deliver justice, he didn't want to waste his time or energy with these wretched scum. He reached for his phone and called for local police department, ignoring the pleads from the Galactic grunts who begged for mercy.

"Yes thank you officer." Closing the conversation, Ash slammed the blunt side of the bamboo on one of the men, annoyed that they won't shut up about forgiveness and second chance.

"Scream one more time, and I will be using the sharp end of the bamboo." The instantaneous silence from the two men was all Ash needed. He would question why they attacked Dawn but decided not to given that it was pretty stupid of him to ask a group of terrorist why they harass a girl. He sat down on a nearby rock and felt Dawn tend to his wounds with her handkerchief, soaking the blood from the wounds.

"Thank you." The soft whisper of gratitude from Dawn made Ash smile, he nodded and grasped her hand in a comforting manner. He would question her later when they are alone, he didn't want to do it here in front of the very two men who attempted to molest her. Rockruff was doing an excellent job at making sure the two pokemon does not regain their conspicuousness, the two giant rocks he placed on their body was a good method to pin them down.

Soon enough a squad of police arrived with Arcanines and Machamp behind them acting as support. They cuffed the two injured Galactic grunts immediately while the paramedic treated to Ash's wounds. Amidst the sirens blaring and the numerous police offers gathering evidence on the scene, Ash felt like he was in a CSI movie.

"Thank you for your work Ash, you really are this girl's hero." Ash sighed at the compliment from the police officer, he chuckled lightly when the Rockruff started to nuzzle his legs, perhaps wanting his undivided attention.

"Couldn't have done it without this little guy." He picked the Rockruff in his arms, careful not to placed him in front of his injuries.

"Rockruff? There are native to Alola right? Why is it here?" Ash shrugged, not really expecting to see a Rockruff in these parts. Alola was the complete opposite of Sinnoh, so why on earth would it migrate to the mountainous and frigid lands of Sinnoh.

"The Galactic grunts tried to catch it because it escaped from its cage. I managed to capture footage of them in the act and helped the Rockruff escape. That's why they-" Dawn spoke quietly, revealing how she got tangled up in the situation in the first place. Ash placed his arm around her and pull her closer to him to give her a small hug.

"I see. It is thanks to your bravery miss, that this little one is free from Team Galactic' heinous experiments." Rockruff barked as it wags it tailed, nuzzling Dawn's cheek in gratitude. She giggled and tool the puppy from Ash's arms, leaving conversation to Ash and the officer.

"To think they would show up near the Spring Festival." It was suppose to be a momentous day where all Sinnohians of different background and social class come together as one to give thanks those who came before us. Such a sacred festival and yet the attempted such an horrendous act.

"Aye, horrible sight." Not wanting to be out here anymore, Ash was certain that Misty was worried over Dawn and himself. It was high time they go back to their inn, despite knowing that a heavy and emotional conversation would take place between Misty and Dawn.

"Dawn let's go back, Misty's worried about you." Dawn nodded and stood next to Ash for warmth and protection. She knew Ash was nice and kind, but after today's events, she had seen him in a complete different light. When she first saw the Ash charging the pokemon with the bamboo in his hand, she thought she was dreaming. That she was hallucinating that someone would actually save her from this horrible situation. But the loud warcry he gave and the swift and efficient commands he gave to Rockruff cemented that indeed, it was Ash, her nerd of a roommate who appeared to be her saviour.

"Okay." The officer grinned at the closeness between the two and recalled his Arcanine who was surveying the crime scene with great detail.

"Come on, we will give your a ride home." Ash smiled at the generous offer, yet there was one question that still remains.

"What about Rockruff?" The little puppy was a cutie, but Ash wasn't sure if he can take them home with them. There was a high chance it belong to someone else, especially in these parts of Sinnoh.

"No one has filed for a missing Pokemon report for a Rockruff, why don't you keep the little fella? He seemed quite attached to you." Dawn glanced at the rock type in her arms, it stared at her with his bright blue eyes that screamed "Yes! Take me with you!".

"Do you want to come with me?" Seeing the pokemon nodding in an enthusiastic manner made Dawn giggle, she pulled the puppy close to her chest and leaned her head onto Ash with her eyes closed. Which undeniably make him blush.


Ash prepared the Sukiyaki ingredients on the plate, waiting for the pot to get all nice and hot before dumping all the ingredients inside. His inability to cook may be apparent, but he still know to cook a good sukiyaki, it's basically just hotpot but with more flavour. He glanced at the Rockruff who wagged its tail in curiosity over the food on the table, he gave it a sniff before it felt Ash's hand ruffling its fur.

"Here you go." Ash gave one slice of beef to the Rockruff as it devoured it whole, it gave a satisfied bark before walking towards his bed that Ash hastily made from the sofa pillows. Deciding that he should sanitize his hand before touching the food again, Ash went towards the washroom and covered his hands in soap. He stared at himself in the mirror, with the mere reflection reminding him the dangerous ordeal he had been through tonight.

"What a day." He wiped his hands on the towel before heading back to the dining table. He checked the flame intensity of the gas stove to ensure that the fire was kept under control. He gave off a sigh before he noticed Misty walking towards him while rubbing her arm.

"It's almost done, we can dump everything in later. You girls can have the vegetables and tofu though heh." Ash's love for vegetable was as equivalent to his love for football, not much in other words.

"Misty?" He glanced at the redhead who sat on her chair, wordlessly staring at the pot before her.

"Hey, you okay? How's Dawn?" Ash was very cautious to Misty's mood, especially after the emotionally draining conversation she had with Dawn. He didn't listen to the conversation since they were in their room and he was resting his muscles on the hot tub, but Ash had general gist of it.

"She's showering at the moment. How's your injuries?" At the mention of his injuries, Ash waved her off dismissively as he stir the shoyu sauce on his sauce plate with his chopsticks.

"Eh I suffered worse, the Braviary attack was worse than this." It certainly was the case. The Air Cutter attack from Golbat only cut through the outer layer of his skin, it wasn't deep enough to make him freak out. Being injured on the chest seemed to be his routine now, a routine which he hated it wholeheartedly.

The silence from Misty made Ash sighed inwardly, she was probably blaming herself for Dawn's abduction. He stir the sesame sauce with his chopsticks, speaking in a low and soft tone that showed his genuine sincerity.

"Its not your fault Misty."

"If I persuaded Dawn to stay with us, none of this would have happen." Ash shook his head, it wasn't fair for Misty to say that. This trip was supposed to be a fun holiday between the 3 of them, no one could have predicted something as horrible as this would happen to Dawn.

"None of us could have predicted this would happen." Misty bit her lower lip, shaking her head at Ash's words.

"If she was- I would never lived it down." Ash nodded in silence, not wanting to conjure up the horrible image in his head. He would have gladly trade his life or limbs for Dawn's sake, no question asked.

"I won't either, I would rather trade my life than to let that happen." Misty stared at Ash incredulously, she broke into a small smile. He really is special huh.

"Thank you Ash, Dawn told me that you fought the pokemon head on." Not exactly his proudest achievement. Sure you can argue what he did was necessary given the situation, but for Ash, he ordered a swift and brutal attack onto the human trainers instead of the pokemon. Essentially, he played dirty and he didn't give a damn.

"Yeah, I would never dream of hurting a pokemon deliberately but given the number disadvantage, I didn't have a choice." She would never blame Ash, he did what he thought was right and appropriate at the time.

"I know, thank goodness both of you are safe." He didn't exactly come out unscathed, but he was pleased with the outcome nevertheless. That being said, something as simple as turning in his sleep would be a nightmare.

"On the bright side, we made friends with this little guy." Pointing towards the Rockruff who was sniffing on the furniture of their room, which made Misty giggled at how cute he was.

"He's a cutie, are you planning to bring him home?"

"Well I asked the Rockruff if he has a trainer, but he shook his head. So he's a wild one." Ash crossed his arms, waiting for the broth to boil properly before he inevitably dump the entirety of Noah's ark inside.

"We can't catch him though." For legal reason, they weren't allow to catch Rockruff as they do not have training license.

"Not legally at least, but we can let him stay with us for the time being." As long the Rockruff does not cause ruckus, he was sure that the little one would be a welcomed member to the family.

"I'm fine with that." The sound of footsteps coming from the bathroom made Misty turned her head, she smiled when Dawn appeared with her usual bubbly smile plastered on her pretty face.

"Ooh I smell food." Ash chuckled at how excited she was, finally they can start eating. He was starving since he skipped lunch and spent his energy fighting a large bat and a skunk.

"I saved the fatty parts for you." Ash raised the bowl of meat that had the perfect amount of marbling and lean meat. It pained him to give such generous amounts to Dawn, but after she been through today, he was more than willing to give it to her.

"Are you implying something?" Dawn spoke in a deadpanned tone, a tone that she copied well from Ash.

"Yep, you're too skinny, eat more." He dipped the meat inside the pot, watching it turn from the bright shade of red to dark shade of brown as it soaked up the sauce and broth of the Sukiyaki.

"Thanks for preparing the meal Ash." The teen named after the residue of a burning substance nodded, cooking the rest of the meet with his superb chopstick skills.

"If you are impress by this, might I indulge you with my famous canned pasta dish?" Misty and Dawn looked at each other before they shook their heads at Ash's offer.

"No thanks, even microwave food taste better than that." Heartbroken, absolutely gobsmacked that the two girls he treated so well were being so brutally honest with him.

"Rude." He glanced at Misty and noticed that she couldn't reach for the vegetables and the enoki mushrooms.

"Here Misty, you can't reach the mushroom right?" He attempted to extend his arm but was immediately met with a sharp pain in the middle of his chest. He dropped his chopsticks and the meat on the table before clutching onto his chest.

"You okay?" Ash nodded, wanting to reassure Dawn that he was fine. He didn't want to remind her of the injuries or the events she endured today, he wanted to avoid that topic as much as possible for their sake.

"Ah yeah, it hurts a little." He tried to played it off, but he knew Dawn was not buying it. She stood up and sat next to him, seemingly replacing him for cooking duty.

"Dawn?"

"You're injured Ash, let me handle this." She placed the various piece of meat for Ash and Misty, leaning her chair closer to him in the process.

"Alright." Perhaps it was her way to repay him, so Ash was willing to let Dawn to have the say in this one. He glanced at her hands before a thought popped into his head.

"Before I forget." Ash stood up and reached for his bag, pulling out a familiar looking bracelet from it. He handed to Dawn and smiled at how her eyes light up at the sight.

"My bracelet! You found it?" It may be broken, but it can be repaired. What matters was that Ash found her bracelet that her mother gave her for her 13th year old birthday. So she treasure it deeply.

"It was the reason why I found you in the first place. You know that crossroad area? That's how I chose the right path to you." Ash spoke quietly, cursing at the fact he brought up the topic again.

"Thanks Ash, I can't believe you even found me in the first place. They took out the batteries from my phone and tried to destroy my camera, but then you came and-" Dawn had never gone into detail what had happened, so Ash never pressured her. But based on what she told the officer and the clues he gathered, Ash deduced that Dawn was taking some pictures near the Bamboo forest and found the two Team Galactic grunts trying to catch the Rockruff. What probably happened was that she helped the Rockruff escape but was inevitably caught by the two men. A struggle then happen during the crossroad, causing Dawn's bracelet to come off. They then lead her to a clearing to interrogate her on where's the Rockruff was. The rest was well, history.

"You're welcome Dawn." The blunette smiled when Ash stopped her, he knew that she wasn't prepared to talk about it.

Dinner went by relatively quickly with Misty and Dawn sitting by the sliding glass window that gave them a clear view of the sky. Perplexed at what the two was looking at, Ash sat between the two girls who shuffled closed to him almost simultaneously.

"What are you girls looking at?" They stared at the dark sky above them, with only the bright stars accompanying them. Misty smiled at spoke softly, not wanting to wake Rockruff up as he already dozed off to distance lands and sweet dreams.

"We're waiting for the fireworks." Ah that make sense, the Spring festival starts tomorrow. Ash glanced at his phone and noted there was 2 more minutes before the clock strikes 12.

With the 3 of them sitting together, Dawn mustered her courage and started to speak from the heart.

"This trip has been not what I expected." Ash and Misty stared at her, not expecting the sudden words coming out from her mouth.

"Today, I realized that life is fragile and that bad things can happen at a moment's notice. But today, I also realized that I have the greatest friends in the world, friends who would look after me and cheer me up when I'm down." Dawn glanced at Misty as she smiled at her.

"And friends who would support my dreams and aspiration, friends who were willing to risk their life just for my sake." She grasped Ash's hand softly, holding it tight on her lap. The young Ketchum stared at Dawn and felt the storms of emotions coursing through him, but he decided to remain silent.

"I really lucky to meet the both of you, especially you Ash. You are-" She paused her words, holding herself back before she stared at Misty who gave her a reassuring and supportive nod, and that was all Dawn needed.

"You changed my life for the better. I got to meet more friends and even became the coordinator that I wanted to be. Now, you even saved my innocence and purity. Thank you for everything you have done for me Ash. I really mean it." He was lost for words, although others have expressed their gratitude and thanks to him before. Dawn's words had a profound impact on him at the very moment.

"Dawn." As the fireworks started to lit up the sky with an array of different bright colours and pokemon shapes, Ash slowly leaned his forehead against Dawn's as she closed her eyes with the bright beautiful smile he grew to like. Amidst the loud boom from the fireworks and the bright display, Ash felt his heart beating rapidly at the height of emotions consuming him.

The sudden weight on his other shoulder made him turned, he felt his face flushed when Misty leaned her head onto his shoulder, with Dawn following soon after. Maybe Misty felt left out, but she was being extra open and affectionate right now. She grasped Ash's hand and placed them on her toned thighs that was a result of her love for swimming.

"I'm glad that I got to meet you Ash. Dawn is important to me, her life is essentially mine. Thank for you everything you have done for us, we only met each for 2 months, but these 2 months have been a blast." Misty spoke softly, finally admitting that she thoroughly enjoyed Ash's presence and companionship. She has always been reserved on how much emotions she shows to others, especially to Ash.

"I'm glad that I meet you too Misty. I'm glad that I met both of you. I promise that the 3 of us would be together. No matter what." He spoke softly, feeling the soft locks of their hair tickling the nape of his neck. Despite the pain from his chest, he placed his arms around the both of them, pulling them closer to him.

The 3 roommates merely stared at the firework display in the sky, watching the colourful lightwork in pure silence and bliss.