Ash got home after his trip with Brock to the arcade and sat with the lights off on the floor of his bedroom. Having closed his eyes and sitting in a meditative position it was an attempt to get his aura in order. The fight with Mienshao scrambled it and the aura weapons he could make were slower and not as rigid than before so like Leafeon said he was affected by it. Trying to find the balance in him he still had a certain awareness of his surroundings.

Hearing the knocking on his door he knew it was his mom. The woman of the household bringing in clean clothes looked at her son on the floor. She started to worry as he skipped his evening meal to meditate on his aura. Having heard from the news and himself what he's been through she knows how important it is he's ready for a fight at any moment. Her boy not responding Delia took matters into her own hands. She put the laundry basket down and sat on the ground across him and held out her arms taking his hands in them. Ash opened his eyes in response and he saw her sitting across him staring at him.

"You have to eat. You can't meditate on an empty stomach."

Ash took her advice not to worry her. Going downstairs he saw his meal on the table which was a big bowl of pasta with meatballs. Sitting down at it he left his fork and knife down began to cut his food with an aura kunai and fork.

"No aura at the table." She lectured him on the use of aura constructs. The kunai vanished and he started to cut his food with a regular utensil. The radio was off and so was the TV.

"Can you turn the news on mom?"

"Oh no! I know why you want it on." Delia refusing to show him the news cause if an emergency happened he'd run out the door before she could say the first letter in her response.

"No playing hero for you tonight."

"I'm not a 100%. Riley and the girls should be able to handle small crimes. I'd rather be out there with them but I know I can't." Delia found it a proper transition to another topic. Her son was occupied ever since Dawn told his she has powers too but something from that talk gained a peculiar interest.

"I heard something else the morning Dawn told you she has powers. You said that I was bugging you to get a prom date. I never said anything about that."

Ash's face began to glow a little red. From people that pick pockets to super powered assassins and dead people who were resurrected none of them flustered him more than his mom. Being put on the spot this was a lie he couldn't stack on top with another to get out of his predicament.

"Uh…"

"Do you like her?" Delia did not cut any corners. Unable to lie to his mom she probably would keep bothering him about it keeping him out of his meditation. He took a sip from his glass as he then was unable to lie to her.

"Yeah."

"Because she has powers?" She didn't want to think it was convenience on both sides.

"Before that. I stopped by a few times to get some food during my rounds. She always had some drinks or some chocolate bars ready."

During the days he really needs it her window was always open. She didn't had to do it but Dawn insisted that if he needed a break he could jump over for some company and snacks. Ash did to catch up a bit on things like the basketball game or what the rest of the school did during a gathering afterwards so he wouldn't be left out of any topics that might be spoken about on Mondays.

"I like how she looks. Her eyes are pretty, her hair sways in a way when she walks and even before she became Umbreon carried herself with a certain confidence in the way she walked. She's cheerful, supportive, a little crazy and rough but that makes her more interesting. Fashionable always having the right outfit and takes good care of herself. I've seen pictures of her mom when she was still a model and I think Dawn looks better in just her pajama's. I know I'm supposed to stop criminals but she stole my heart and I allowed it."

Delia listened on with a large grin leaning over the table. It was strange to hear her boy talk about anyone this highly. The blue haired girl really had a grip on him as he listed off the reasons for Dawn to be his prom date. Ash did just notice how long he's been talking.

"I'm rambling now aren't I?"

"You're crushing! How sweet! And Dawn is a fun girl. You got good taste in woman." Relieved to hear it was a thing before both were beating others as a duty. Still she wondered how far he is in getting Dawn to accept him.

"So? How do you flirt with her? Any tricks you used to get her attention? Bought her flowers? Carried her bags if she went shopping? When are you going to tell her you genuinely like her?"

"I don't. I told myself I wasn't going to." He continued to take a bite from his meal as his mom was a little perplexed.

"Why not?"

"I never wanted her to worry every night if I actually make it back from a patrol. I tease her from time to time as a friend but I never went looking for her to be my girlfriend because of what I do. That's why I always kept it hidden as well as I can and she hasn't got a clue. I tried my best to hide it and it seems to have worked. I just want to take her to prom for one night to tell how much I appreciate her."

His aura a blessing to others and a minor curse of his own. Stripped from a normal life by his own choice being Greninja now with every threat in town meant there was no time for socializing but for the time at school.

"And yet you told her your secret making her worry about you." Delia found it backwards thinking if he didn't pursue a relationship with her by telling her he can die at any time. She didn't believe as the girls parents were great examples that it can work.

"May's family made it work for generations. Her father is a cop and her mom used to be Glaceon right? Yet they made a relationship work when fighting crime and got a healthy pair of children out of it. If they can do it I don't see how you can't if you love her. Especially since you both have powers and can watch out for the other.

Even if he had partially outgrown her he still was her child. As mother it was duty to support him in his moments of doubt and help him grow up and press on during things like these. Ash still looked to his food eating nothing. It was getting cold and Delia could see he was pondering on how to juggle school, Dawn and his crime fighting.

"You're a handsome boy." She saw he needed a confidence boost. A parent praising a child helps since the younger ones always searched for approval in the things they did. She gave him praise before as a warrior but he needed it on the emotional side more now.

"Do a few more nice things for her occasionally. Show her hints that you actually want a little more from her than being friends. A little compliment here, a bit of joking there. Try and pull Dawn into a normal life and not just your duties as a guardian. All work and no play makes you a dull boy. You got to treat your prom date better you know? If she doesn't like you it's her loss. You can get a girlfriend easily if you tried. Don't think your aura makes you different because you still are a teenager experimenting with things and this shows you're growing up like a normal boy. I'm glad you told me this and no matter who you bring home, know that I trust your judgement and who you love is your choice. And I promise I'll love them as much as I love you."

Hearing the confidence she has in him and how to deal with Dawn Ash grew a bit more calm. Maybe with them going on patrol together in the future he could make it work between them. To his mom there's nothing lost and gained if it worked out as he hoped. Maybe he could take a bit more risk when it came to the girl he liked. Taking in the rest of his food with a hurry he got up from the table to do the dishes as he stacked every plate and lifted them up with ease.

"Thanks mom. I'll do what you said. Thanks for being there always when I need you."

"Of course." She wanted to hug him but then it would break all her dishes. Having done cleaning up the table Ash went back to his bedroom to meditate trying to get his head clear of his talk with his mother and what she said about Dawn.

Dawn having cleaned herself of the sweat from her patrol after a warm shower it was a successful one. The city was calm and Dawn still hadn't had a good fight yet. She was itching to get her hands on someone and prove once and for to the others she can hold her own. Dawn played a little with her food deep in thought. Johanna had made plenty. The former model watched as something was clearly bugging her daughter.

"What's wrong you look a bit down. Was it a difficult day?" Dawn said nothing as she took a bite.

"A boy asked her to prom while she broke his heart by telling she already had a date." Umbreon ratted her out as Dawn grew annoyed.

"Snitch." Johanna chuckled a bit. It had to happen sooner or later. She sat down ready to interrogate her daughter.

"Boy problems? So, who and what happened? I'm all ears." Dawn couldn't hide it as Umbreon would sell her out once more.

"It was Ash and Kenny. Kenny asked me out to prom but I already promised Ash I'd go with him. The latter took it bad and I'm afraid I ruined our friendship with him."

"Jealousy is a thing humanity can do without. That Kenny kid prime prove of it." Umbreon telling it as it is as she mentally sighed.

"Kenny is jealous? On what?" Dawn didn't believe it. Let down yes, but jealous.

"A pretty girl like you going to an intimate event like prom with another guy. How many centuries of stories of jealousy, betrayal and backstabbing do I need to tell you before you get it?"

"Are you telling me he's jealous because I'm going to prom with Ash instead of him!?" The spirit couldn't believe she did not pick up on it sooner.

"You're a quick learner in combat. Slow in love. That's bad news for my successor." The earring thinking ahead as she not wanted to be in a box again for a decade and a half. Dawn being told about having future spouse yelled back.

"I just got you! Besides a successor is not in the works since the guy I like is taken." She clasped her hands in front of her mouth admitting she had a crush. Johanna smirked with her eyes on her for this bit of gossip.

"Well? Aren't you going to tell me who it is?"

"You know if I catch you in a moment of weakness I'll tell her."

Umbreon said as the new host was being pressured.

"I…kind of like Ash." Dawn blushed. The mother was a bit blown back by this as she leaned back thinking deeply about it.

"The guardian? Really?" The spirit as surprised as her former host. She's been with Dawn often while interacting with the aura guardian but not once did she give the hint she liked the male. Except the one time she snuck in his home and took a peek at how muscular he was.

"He doesn't have a girlfriend as far as I know. Wouldn't he have told you this?" Johanna knew Ash barely had any secrets to Dawn anymore. Dawn looked down at her food a bit hurt at the thought he had a girl she did not know off. Playing with her fork she went over the reasons why she liked him so much.

"Even with him out there he always made time for me. He's always nice and ready for others even before he got his aura. It's difficult not to fall for a guy like that. Even more so I know how brave he is and he always risks his life for people he doesn't know. He's funny, a little annoying and takes good care of himself even if he says he doesn't care how he looks to mess with me."

"And she's seen how ripped he is."

Dawn blushed more. She did find him attractive in looks. The lie she made to Kenny about Ash losing as her model wasn't that far fetched. She wanted to dress him proper as his sense of style is one of the few things she didn't desire.

"So why not give it a go? You know how many boys would kill to have you as their other?"

"Everyone but him. He's always busy fighting crime and he currently has a full agenda. I wanted to help him with Umbreon's powers but he keeps me at arms length after I told him and I can tell he doesn't return the feeling." She said with disappointment.

"I've been trying so hard to be Umbreon I didn't have much time for him, not to mention what he's going through now. It just won't work as we're too busy."

"He kept you at arms length because you needed to learn your lesson. He did it so he was sure you're ready. Now that you are he will start treating you like the old times and how things were before it all turned sour."

"Don't say it won't work. When he told you about his aura did anyone else knew?" Johanna asked.

"Apart from his mom and the one who trained him, no. I was the only outsider till May figured it out."

"That must mean something if he told you his deepest secret. You only tell your identity to someone who has powers or is precious to you. He doesn't show it but he cares for you deeply." Johanna approved of him certainly. At least Dawn would be in the safest hands possible and a good communication partner about Umbreon's antics.

"In fact he went to me after your sparring match at Lila's. He told me about how you did and he was quite impressed with how you stood on your own. He genuinely cares about you."

"He did?" Dawn surprised he did that as her heart melted. She thought it was between the two of them and her spirit companion. He really tried to impress her mom behind her back. Johanna got up and put her hand on Dawn's shoulder.

"Just give it a go. No need to worry as the saying goes. You're used to taking risks by now." She winked.

"And if not just keep beating on him till he says yes or haunt his bedroom till he does."

"Umbreon!"

Dawn didn't like how blunt her partner is. Still she was still thinking about how he would respond when she would give him a few more obvious hints compared to hiding it like her secret identity. From now she'll try to be a bit more open about what she really wanted for him.

"After all it's Ash. No need to worry with him right?"

Bit out of left field but I write this as I go along.

Want to wrap a few things up so I can focus on other things in this one.

See you around