Season: Happy belated new years everyone. i hope you all have a great and safe 2021. This story has now reached its 40th chapter! Also it is almost a decade old! (af the end of the year...) thank you to everyone who has stuck by.

If I tell you guys just exactly for HOW LONG I have had the idea for this very exact chapter in my head you guys wouldn't believe me. I have wanted to write the plot in this chapter for years now. I knew exactly what I wanted to happen, I had the scenario in my head but the plot just did NOT want to be written. It wasn't until recently that the idea was Millli 'well, I guess I'll just... unfold myself on this chapter' and I was like HALLELUJAH! Now I can get this out my head and get another scenario in it instead. I won't spoil, but it's the end of the chapter. I know it's short but I hope to enjoy it, as once again, this is something I had in my mind for YEARS. Not the birthday part haha. But we will probably see the birthday for at least another chapter or two. Again its short but please show lots of love and appreciation.

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Stupidity Does Not Earn You Heaven

by: Season Of Magic

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"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAWN!" May, Tracey and Gary said in unison as they walked into the kitchen. May was blowing a party popper, Gary had a cake in his hand and Tracey held a birthday banner.

May winked. "Did you seriously believe we'd let you get off the hook？Nope!"

"You guys didn't have to." Dawn quickly said with a gasp as she looked at them all.

"He made us do it." Gary glared to Ash.

"Gary, you were the first one to put money down for the cake." Tracey chastised him.

"I know how Ash eats. If I'll be forced to eat off this cake too then I'm eating nothing but the best."

"Cilan made all of them." May whispered to Dawn. "He even added some cupcakes and cookies."

"Guys..." Dawn's lip quivered.

"Nuh-uh no crying today missy." May wagged a finger.

"This is my gift." Tracey said as he handed over a bag to Dawn.

They had moved into the living room now and Ash was setting up the table with the snacks and the cakes as he had already given Dawn her gift.

"Guys, the cake and banner were enough." Dawn protested. Tracery did not budge until she took the bag.

Dawn sighed and sat down on a chair that was in the corner, so she could put everything away easier later. She opened the bag finding inside it; a coupon for a cafe that specializes in tea, alongside various packets of sample bags and scented lemon soap, a winter hat, scarf and gloves.

"Thank you Tracey. This is very thoughtful."

Gary quickly handed over his present next. "Don't be praising him until you see mine."

Dawn laughed lightly and took the bag gleefully. Typical Gary. "Alright." She opened the bag slowly as to annoy him a bit, and when she took out the contents she stared at them as if she didn't know what they were. Poke ball shaped bath bombs, essential oils and other bath items greeted her. "I needed a new loofah. Thanks."

Gary crossed his arms and nodded. "Of course mine is the best and most useful one."

Dawn simply nodded in return.

May poked Gary. "NUH UH! Just wait until she opens mine." She passed over her bag, Dawn took it and opened it. Inside was a coupon for a new brand of makeup, alongside some samples of the various items they sold, a travel kit with everything Dawn could possibly need and even a big sized almond scented hand cream.

Dawn cheered when she saw it. "I ran out of this hand cream last week and I haven't had the chance to buy a new one yet. Thank you!"

May grinned. "See? Practical, Gary. You're welcome Dawn."

"Mine is practical too!" Gary exclaimed.

Meanwhile Ash was already done setting everything down and had looked to his Poketch as it buzzed and signaled he had a message. He looked at it, looked over to Brianna to grab her attention and pointed to the door.

The eight year old nodded, making some hand gestures only Ash could understand, not that anyone else was paying attention to them either way. She coughed. "Umm... I've been saving up my allowance for the past couple of months to get mommy a present. Dad helped me get it and wrap it. But it's in my room. Can you come with me to get it mommy?"

Dawn raised a eyebrow. "I'm not sure why you can't get it yourself since I'm the birthday girl but I'm sure whatever it is I'll love it and I want to see what it is so sure."

"Yay! We'll be only gone a second." She said.

As Brianna took her mother's hand and led her up the stairs she looked back and gave a thumbs up sign to her dad.

Ash quickly rushed to the front door and opened it, ushering the person who was waiting outside in.

He bowed as he closed the door and took their duffel bag. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

The mysterious person smiled. "Thank you for setting everything up. Why wouldn't I?"

"I really didn't do anything. We have Zoe and Bri to mostly thank for that."

The person didn't say anything else as they looked around and took the kiving room of the house in. The design was simple and elegant and that made the person feel a welcome vibe.

May instantly recognized who the guest was and gasped. "No way!" She covered her mouth.

"Hello May, nice to see you." The person felt her staring and instantly placed a finger to their lips. "But we'll talk later." They whispered.

"Ash I can't believe you did this." May grinned. "Dawn will be thrilled."

"She won't if we ruin the surprise." Ash whispered. "Follow me, the kitchen is this way. I believe you know the cue?"

The person instantly nodded their head and let themselves to be lead into the kitchen.

Tracey and Gary looked between them all. "Was that..." they asked in unison.

May made a zip your lips motion. "Yes. Now SHUSH!"

Dawn was making her way down the stairs. "Munchkin we looked all over your room. There was nothing there."

"Mommy I'm certain I put it there. Honest." Brianna said as she followed her mom. "Wait never mind. there it is on the couch."

"We went up the stairs for nothing?" Dawn grumbled.

"Sorry mommy." Brianna quickly went to grab her gift and passed it to her mom.

"It's okay." Dawn said as she sat back down on the chair and took the wrapped gift, carefully unwrapped it. She would save it to her 'Brianna gave me things' collection. When she opened the flap to the box she gasped. Inside was a beautiful music box, when she opened it she was greeted by a Piplup on top of a poke ball . "Wow! I love it."

"That's not all." Brianna said.

"Huh? There's more?" Dawn asked confusedly.

Ash came out from the kitchen holding a glass of juice in one hand and a wrapped gift in the other. He handed Dawn the box smiling. "Someone asked me to give this to you."

"Huh?" Dawn was confused as she took the box and looked at it. Blue wrapping paper tore and removed, she was left with a box that was simple, the same shade of blue as clear as water with a pink ribbon for its flaps. Dawn recognized it immediately. Just to be sure it was what she thought it was, she opened it carefully and was greeted with a picture of her and Piplup posing to the camera gently taped to the top. She recognized this photo, as it had been taken on her first day as a coordinator and had only seen it a handful of times, as only one person had the other copy. It really was what she thought it was.

"Ash, how did you..." she couldn't even finish the sentence.

"Look inside." Ash softly said.

Dawn's hands shook as she glanced to the content inside of the box. Carefully folded papers greeted her. The first one she took and opened almost made her fall off her chair.

"To my beautiful, strong, amazing daughter..." Dawn read. Tears began to fall off her cheeks. "It's letters from my mom." Her hands softly trailed across the box. "This was the gjft my mom gave me when I chose Piplup and became a coordinator. She wanted me to put my ribbon case inside." She told her friends. "But I had it shipped back to her when I... well..."

May and Ash rested their hands on her shoulders and Brianna hugged her tightly.

Not a single person on the room didn't have their eyes dry. Gary was pretending he had something in his eyes and Tracey passed him a tissue.

"Get yourself together Gary. There's still more." He whispered to his friend.

"Grandma loves us. Zoe always told me stories about her. She always kept in touch with her to ask about us and our well being. Most of my plushies were actually ones that she gave to Zoe to give to me."

Dawn sobbed even more. "All this time I thought I was being a selfish daughter for pushing her aside like that and never calling her to apologize but she was always keeping tabs!?"

"She always was." Brianna nodded.

"And I always will." A voice interrupted from as a figure emerged from the kitchen. "If you would let me?" Asking in a quiet, soft voice, almost afraid to be shunned.

Dawn glanced towards the voice and was greeted with the figure of a woman with blue short hair, soft eyes and a face that she would recognize anywhere, even if she appeared to age a bit. She had of course recognized her by voice but she didn't dare to hope it had been true. She had assumed her ears heard wrong. Apparently that was not the case.

"MOM!?"