After Ash had suffered his sudden awakening by the hands of Dawn he went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up. With it being the time it was he wasn't going to sleep anymore anyway. Telling Dawn to wait for him downstairs he got dressed into his school outfit.
Dawn had turned on some lights and waited for him in the middle of his living room. Waiting patiently for Ash to come she wasn't expecting the response he had. Instead of being happy for her he seemed a bit glum.
"What can you I give you for breakfast?" Sounding without any energy he still needed to boot up from his nap. With the idea that he would take May and Glaceon to Riley after school he needed to spare some of it.
"I already ate something on the way." Dawn declining the offer Ash sat down next to Dawn who was waiting for him in the living room on the couch.
"So now you have powers too?" Getting to the point that matters he took a spoonful from his cereal bowl.
"Yep. I'm invisible when I step inside a shadow. And I just found out but I can control my own shadow and pick up things with it. That's how I unlocked your window. Cool huh?"
Dawn explaining the origin of her brand new abilities not knowing he already got the full story from May. The differences known to him now he kept himself in check because maybe May didn't know Dawn is like her as well. He think she would've told him if she were which begs the question.
"How long do you have these powers?"
"I got my earring the night after you rescued mom. Lila was actually the keeper of it till recently. The whole intern thing I have going on is just a cover up. There's actually a whole secret floor just so I can exercise there."
"Not before it?"
Dawn thought he sounded a bit hurt about it. Maybe it was his grumpiness from being woken up early but she could swear there's another reason.
"So unlike Glaceon and her host you're just starting." Ash knowing the name and deal between them Umbreon spike up.
"You know my sister right? So do you know who's under the mask?"
"I know."
"You do!? Tell me!" Him having discovered her identity Dawn begged him to say who is the icy hero.
"Keep it down. My mom is still in bed."
"Like you didn't scream when I woke you up." Dawn reminding him off his outburst.
"Don't."
"Why not?" Ash still not understanding why it would hurt if Dawn and May knew who they were.
"Look. The reason we don't give out others identity despite being sisters is it slows their learning process. If Dawn figures out who Glaceon really is she will tell all the things she needs to know while it's better to have her learn it herself. Only after the host passes a test first we will tell them. So if you know it please stay quiet about it."
Ash knew that having powers meant nothing if she couldn't use them properly.
"How about fighting? How good can you fight?"
"I haven't done anything yet but spar a little." Telling her inexperience with close quarter combat and genuine danger Dawn finally got brought to the point she's been wanting to ask him.
"That's why I came here. I want to fight you."
Ash nearly choked in his cereal. Coughing and slamming his chest to get the piece that got stuck in his throat loose his appetite was erased. Taking some deep breaths to get the air back in his lungs he immediately used it again.
"You what?!"
"What?!"
To say Umbreon disagreed with her hosts idea is an understatement. From the kiddie pool straight to the world championships. Or a toddler who just managed to walk running a marathon. Instead of just beating up ordinary people Dawn picked a fight with someone way more experienced than her with powers too.
"I saw Glaceon fight that machine the other day."
"You were there?" It was worse then he imagined. He and May needed a more deeper talk then their little text session last night. Dawn telling her motivation for challenging him outright wasn't going back out.
"I saw the way she moved. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. I raced her and she beat me on every turn. She then rescued hostages, directed the machine's attention to her and saving police officers all at the same time." Telling how her first night went and that the icy heroine functioned as guidance of some sort. Her side of the fight and Glaceon's told Ash asked why him off all people when Glaceon is more of a help to her.
"I didn't find out who she was so I can't challenge her. So I figure the quickest way to learn it is to fight someone with powers just like you."
"Did you even fight a normal person?" Ash thinking that she's getting ahead of herself he needed to reel her in. When he started learning how to control his aura Riley knocked him around easily. The older guardian much more in tune with his own aura than Ash with his it wasn't until recently the younger of the two could finally match his partner and teacher.
"Not yet. I sparred a bit with mom regularly so she can show me the moves but I haven't been in a real fight yet. So I want you to be my first."
"This is a bad idea." Umbreon thinking her host is way in over her head. She wondered just how Johanna will react if she saw her daughter come home with bruises after the promise to stay away from physical conflict.
"Even she thinks so. Isn't she supposed to give you advice?" That Umbreon shared his opinion on her idea should've been a red alert to Dawn but she ignored the both of them.
"In a week. I need a little more practice before I take you on. I'll be ready for you then."
"Are you even listening?" The spirit starting Dawn has developed a hearing impairment. If Dawn wanted this fight she just had to learn the hard way and got knocked down by the aura guardian.
"Dawn. I'm not going to fight you." Ash outright refusing to take her on Dawn protested fiercely. Staring at him irritated that he thought so little of her she planned to push his buttons till he snapped and agreed.
"Why not?" First she wanted to know.
"Why not? You haven't even stopped a normal crime. What makes you think you can beat someone with powers like myself or the guy with blades for bones? Not to mention that thing I fought in the museum and nearly kidnapped my mom?"
"Take his advice. Don't."
"Who's side are you on?" Dawn starting to get annoyed with her spirit as well. She should be more supportive of the initiative she's showing now.
"The one that stops you from getting your butt kicked."
"I'm not doing it. I'm not going to hit you." Again repeating himself Dawn ignored him.
"No choice Ash. One week. I'll be on top of Lila's building as Umbreon waiting for you."
"Get ready for a lonely night because I'm not coming."
"Are you scared?" Goading him more and more into fighting Ash stood up and looked down on her.
"Get off the couch." She stood up thinking she finally got him.
Ash then lifted the couch a bit further back and lifted up the coffee table so they had a bit more space and room between them. Dawn getting ready for it thinking she wounded his ego a bit Ash stood against her with open hands.
"Let's test your reflexes."
"So am I going to block a punch?" Dawn asked him while he formed a blue knife formed in his left and two in his right hand.
"Grab five of my kunai without cutting yourself."
He started to juggle them by the hilts like a real expert. Each time he caught one exactly at the hilt throwing it up again before another reached his hand.
"Aren't you going to cut yourself?" Dawn fearing a bit for him that he's going to cut his fingers with the load he's taking on Umbreon eased her.
"He can't be hurt by his own aura. Look closer."
Dawn looked and he actually grabbed the sharp ends of the blade as well. Not a drop of blood coming from him it wouldn't be the same for her if she grabbed one at the wrong time. Ash doing this dare trying to see how brave she can be.
Dawn eyed them intensely waiting for the right moment to snatch one. Seeing a pattern in the way he moved she focused on a point where she was sure a hilt would be. Dawn reached out and grabbed one before another blade fell down and could touch her hand. Holding the blade in her hand it felt warm. She never held an aura construct before personally but she could feel all sorts of emotions running through it.
The blade felt warm but extremely comfortable even if she knows it was a dangerous weapon from the fight he had with May's hired killer. A sense of comfort fell over Dawn like the blade was telling her that even if seemed she was at risk of cutting her fingers off the creator of it wouldn't let that happen and he'd keep her safe at the risk of his own safety. Other emotions poured into her and she felt relaxed just holding it all her remaining doubts about him accidently hurting her gone.
"Does your aura tell me how you feel now?"
Ash ignored her and increased the total knives to five giving her less opportunity and time to grab one. He also moved a bit faster with throwing and catching making it even harder for her. To really throw her off he went up to seven after a few seconds making it a windmill of knives any normal person trying to get their fingers in one would get cut off. The sudden increase in speed from before Dawn started to think he wanted her to fail.
Dawn studying the pattern of it went for another one.
"Ash Ketchum!" Hearing his name yelled out loudly all the blades vanished in midair and Dawn missed her snatch. Seeing his mother in her bathrobe from up the stairs he immediately stopped his juggling.
"You know what I said about playing with knives in the house!" Scolding him for playing with his kunai. He might not get a scratch but a loose one touching the furniture can't be said the same about.
"Sorry mom." Apologizing he and Dawn would just have to finish this dare later. Not grabbing one with his increased juggling speed yet he hadn't even started with her.
"Now put the furniture back where it belongs." Delia telling him to put the house in order again he lifted the couch and coffee table back in place with ease.
"What are you doing here so early?" Delia finally noticing Dawn. She seeing the amount of control Ash's mom had over him maybe she could help.
"Morning Mrs. Ketchum. Please tell Ash he should fight me."
"Leave her out of this!"
"Fight you?"
The mother not going to try and understand it since her son's life is already complicated enough told the two to get ready for school while she got cleaned up for the day. Telling Ash to also get his backpack with his special outfit he thanked her while he went getting his stuff ready.
Umbreon took over the conversation wishing to know a bit more of the modern day aura guardian.
"So what's your identity when out in the field?"
"I don't use one."
"You need a name or title."
"What for? I always went without one."
"With you getting to be known more and more by the general public it's better you carry a name. And it prevents confusion under the people who might mistake you for that man you fought at the museum."
"You sure are talkative with him."
"You know how boring it is to talk to only family members? You need names or else people will eventually try and imitate you. And I have to call you something when you're in disguise."
"So what names do you have in mind for me?"
"Seeing your aura constructs I was thinking Greninja." Not ringing any bells at all he only bit he got of it at the end was ninja. Being thousands of years old according to Dawn the spirit told him the origin of the name and what it meant.
"He was a legendary ninja when I had a more eastern host. You know how ninja's are supposed to run over water? They actually used some sort of device strapped to their feet. Ancient warriors used an animal as inspiration in those days. If people believe you aren't human it helps with the illusion you are something that isn't real and your enemies have trouble understanding you."
"I'll think about it." He'd have to discuss identities with Riley after his meeting with May. Since Dawn's and May's spirits have more experience with all this maybe they can help the guardians flesh out how to show up in public in the case of another disaster like the events recently.
"So when are we going to finish your little juggling challenge?" Dawn not finished yet with him still needed to convince him to take her on.
"Riley asked me to come over after school. He wants my help on another case he's working on." Pretending the older one is his detective friend he'd actually go with May to see if he found anything more on the people who kidnapped woman and their daughters.
"Can I help?" Even if she wasn't fully ready Dawn might be able to use her sneaking abilities to help the two.
"I'll get back to you on that. You just focus on getting stronger and getting in tune with your powers."
"You still haven't said yes to our fight."
Dawn not dropping it had her mind set on it. Ash sighed and told her he wasn't going too until she had more control and actually fought someone. Dawn had an idea just now that might persuade him to say yes. Because she wasn't going to a question he asked her.
"About that prom thing you asked me? If I can go with you?"
"What about it?" Ash confused why she brought it up.
"If you beat me I'll go to prom with you. If you don't accept it I'll keep saying no until we had our fight and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise."
"It's usually where two men fight over a woman's hand. Even for me this will be a first." Umbreon seeing a bit of irony she experienced friendly fights a lot in her existence. It's just that Dawn was the first host who pulled a stunt like this. Maybe there's a bit more to her than just another host.
"Ok. I'll give you a week. You just make sure you have a place where we can use our powers and not be seen by other people." He surprisingly gave in easy which Umbreon noticed but her host wasn't listening to her.
"No need to worry! I already have that covered!"
Dawn excited about persuading him she wasn't going to take it easy. With the date set she just needed to tell Lila she's bringing a training partner over soon unaware that his mother had been listening in on them from outside his room.
Which self respecting parent doesn't want to know what her son is up too? Especially one as special as hers getting in touch with others like him. Still there was something strange about their last few lines.
"You asked Dawn for prom huh? Is there something you're not telling me Ash?"
There are more secrets and lies in this chapter than I can count. I might go to jail for this one or I'll make a great lawyer.
See you around.