Ash was staying at home to protect his mom. The one that attacked him uttered the surname of his and May so the two stayed at home to protect their family.
Ash sat on the ground making aura structures with the earlier events in mind. He always thought aura was rigid so him being wired up showed him the supposed possibility of flexible aura. Trying to see if it was possible for him to create something similar like it cause those wires his leg got caught in would be quite useful. If he could make flexible aura he could tie others up or grab objects from range by attaching it to a kunai or shuriken which can be made into a grappling rope or other useful functions. Today's experience taught he needed to learn in how much and what he can make and how fast he does it.
He felt someone tapping on his right shoulder. He quickly formed a kunai in his right and turned round ready to slash at who did it since his mom was in the kitchen working on dinner. Being caught at the wrist he saw who tapped him.
"Don't scare me like that! I nearly stabbed you for real!"
"Couldn't help myself. I just had to sneak in." Dawn let go off his arm as the kunai vanished. Delia came running into the room with a baseball bat as extra security. Dawn seeing the angry mom she was more frightening than Spiritomb.
"It's ok mom. It's just Dawn." Ash calmed her down. Delia lowered the bat and let it just dangle downwards. The knife in Ash's hand gone too the rest in the Ketchum household returned.
"Hello there. So that's what you look like. I like the black hair, it suits you."
"Hi miss Ketchum. And thank you but I don't intend to dye it permanently." Ash began to worry of course.
"You ok?"
"I'm fine. Zoey and Riley helped me out a bit later and while I'm bruised I don't feel much pain. Except for this cut he gave me." She showed him the place the spear touched her. It was red and a small cut still made it bleed ruining her black uniform.
"I'll get the first aid kit." Delia more than familiar with a set she got the box that held the supplies.
"I'll do it mom. You go and finish dinner while I patch her up." Ash took it over from her as he opened the kit.
"Would you like to eat with us Dawn? I'm making spaghetti, you need lots of protein after what you did."
"I love too Ms.'s Ketchum." Delia went back to continue cooking. Ash went after her and grabbed the first aid kit.
"Ash?"
"Yes?"
"Remember what we talked about." Reminding him about trying to get Dawn to notice him a little more this might be a great time after her first fight. He nodded as he walked back indoors seeing some items hover through the room riding on a black shadow.
"Look what I can do!" Dawn used her powers to guide her shadow and lift up accessories and picture frames around the house. Seeing the frames fly around the house his mom would get a stroke seeing her do this.
"Put those down! Mom doesn't like the use of powers in the living room." She set them back in place as Ash took a bottle of alcohol and wet a patch to rub it on. Dawn removed the sleeve of her outfit as Ash hovered it over her.
"This might sting." He warned as he rubbed the disinfectant over the wound but where normally a person would grimace Dawn laughed. He was confused before she stopped giggling.
"Something funny. I didn't think that you of all people would be part of the first group I'd rescue as Umbreon." Proud of what she did today she could see the funny side in it. For all Ash can do he was still counting on her to bail him out.
"You'd make a good sidekick for me." Ash joked which offended her.
"Sidekick? I'm the one that saved your hide! When this is over let's do a rematch! I should able to beat you now even if you try!" Her pride hurt she challenged him to a new fight. Their first one was just friendly sparring but now that she held a better grip on her abilities she wanted to show the guardian up.
"It's a deal, Deedee."
"I'm going to hit you for that!"
"So loud, good." Delia was working on making the meatballs that go into the dish. Her son took the path of teasing her. Making the pasta dish like she did in the restaurant she worked at Delia added a few more little touches to it thanks to Dawn's sudden visit.
"That should do it." Ash finished bandaging up her wound. Dawn being in a safe place touched her earring. The eyes and colors shifted back to normal as she looked at the TV showing the news.
The news of her and Leafeon landing in front of the school and with the help of Lucario sealing the mystery cloud in the statue was of course the main topic. The statue is currently being guarded and anyone that got to close would be arrested or shot on sight, no exceptions. Ash peeked over sideways as the report went on seeing her smile.
"Guess you're famous now like the rest of us."
"You still need to make your name known. You too Ash."
"No need to worry. I already got a way planned to show mine and to get that shaolin too."
"Let's hear it." Dawn wanting to know what he thought up.
"I'll go and carve my name somewhere and leave one of my kunai. Mienshao will then come running like a moth to a flame where you girls will be waiting for him instead. You can grab him while me and Riley stay away preventing him from using our aura against us."
"And if I'm there after stealing that scroll he'll certainly come there."
The scroll currently with Riley that she stole would come of use building her reputation.
"Dinners ready!"
"Coming mom!" Ash yelled to his mom in the kitchen as he went to get the plate his mom prepared for them. Dawn took a seat at the dinner table when she saw both Ketchum's walk out with a huge plate of pasta towering above Ash who was carrying it while Delia held a hand on some drinks to go with it.
"That looks even better than it smells." Dawn's nostrils moved under the delicious smell. Her stomach growled agreeing with her as Ash sat down the giant plate in the middle of the table. Dawn studied the dish as she saw olives and hints of garlic covered with a red sauce with cheese.
"Grab what you want. We always have some left." What was left over Delia would normally freeze in for her son to grab when he's in a hurry or really needed it. Preferring fresh made food his side job prevented him from cooking decent meals himself.
Dawn took a bite of pasta and the flavor exploded in her mouth. The tomato sauce not to greasy and hot it was just perfect as she complimented the cook on a job well done.
"It's delicious!"
"Thank you." The three continued to eat their meal in peace. Dawn enjoyed the food but there were more important things despite the delicious cooking.
"Hey Ash. Any idea how we're going to catch Sableye?"
"No hero speak on the table. Mom doesn't want it." Ash beat his mom to it making about other things she might like to hear.
"Actually I'd allow it just this once since it's Dawn. Go ahead and talk about whatever you want." Delia made an exception for only now as she seemed really into it. Plus she wanted to know what her son was getting himself into.
"Sweet. So tell us Ash." Dawn being all ears Ash was set back by his mom.
"Well. Since me and May were stuck at home guarding the family we did a phone call with Norman talking about things. Norman is going to try and set up a fake jewel exhibit in attempt to lure out Sableye and capture him. We're hoping he gets hungry soon and can't resist the buffet we're setting up. Then me and Riley will then not let him escape this time since your spirits don't want to get near him."
"Thank you for being considerate." The originalUmbreon said as being a jawbreaker will go against her wishes.
"And that shaolin?"
"We're going to try and evict him out of the country. I'm going to place a kunai in place he's not allowed. My aura is like honey to a bee for Mienshao so he will get there despite the rules. Norman is looking for a place to do that so Mienshao will be placed under arrest for breaking international protocols. The country he's from will object, but from every other nation putting pressure on them they should give in unless they want to cause a war. Not before you, May and Zoey get your hands on him helping the police there."
Ash and May certainly thought it through. Dawn had more questions despite the solid plan.
"So you want me against Mienshao. Think I can take him?"
"You'll do better than me that's for sure."
"He can't leech of your aura. He might be good but he's not a threat if there's not a guardian nearby. This way we separate the threats and make situations more advantageous to us."
Still Dawn has some doubt seeing as they were still wanted as vigilantes despite their heroics. Ash and Riley's first attempt at capturing Sableye failed mostly due to the cops getting in their way. And they were ill prepared last time, a mistake they probably aren't going to make again bringing even bigger guns.
"You think the police will allow us to help them and not do the same thing as last time with you?"
"They won't have a choice if they're unable to stop him. And thanks to you and Umbreon they don't know Greninja is the same guy that took down those snipers. Plus, Norman said most of the people on the force are grateful for stopping the prison break. We build up some good will with that."
Ash came to the realization Greninja is a clean slate. Everything he did before were now thought of as being done by someone else. He wasn't going to waste his new identity by doing questionable things. Greninja will be his guardian persona from now showing he wants to work together with the peacekeepers if they let him and his teammates.
"Let's talk about other things cause we have to wait till Norman calls. I know you've been training really hard but did you actually picked up a few things from Lila herself? Is that internship real or did you only focus on being Umbreon?"
"Great job." Delia proud her boy took it to a more casual level away from life threatening situations. Dawn pleasantly surprised he actually asked.
"Well. I did pick up a few things from her before I got my earring. Now that I know I have what it takes I do want to ask her some more about styling." A good thing Ash brought it up. Lila did say that if she ever needed something all Dawn needed to do is ask. Maybe she can go back into fashion cause she really needed to get up to date with the latest trends.
"You never had aspirations to become a model like your mother. Why not? You're a pretty girl." Delia asked her.
"I just never saw myself walking the runway. I just love clothes more then parading them. Although thanks to all my training I got the figure now to be one."
"Just like my boy. Ash had a good figure even before Riley trained him."
"It's hard with the food you make." He said while scooping up another pile of pasta.
"Save some for me! I'm the one that needed it after today!"
The two teens had no trouble devouring the remaining pasta. Both filled up Ash took all the plates and utensils and stacked them up to go do the dishes with his mom. Delia told him it was fine and he should go back to Dawn with a wink. Ash got back to the living room with Dawn being back on the couch rubbing her stomach in satisfaction. The tv was on showing the news on a loop with some footage of her and Riley sealing Spiritomb.
"What type of weapon do you think fits me?" Dawn asked him.
"You want weapons training? Do you have something in mind in what you want to master?" He wanted to know what her weapon of choice would be. He specialized in kunai and shuriken and was working on his long sword technique after his fight with Roserade. Riley had a mastery over his staff while May trained in batons and Zoey in swords.
"Can you actually pull out objects from your shadow like May does from her ice? Or Zoey forming it from her plants?"
"I don't know." Dawn not having tried it before wanted to turn her hair black again so she can test it. Ash held his hand up stopping her.
"Try and figure out what your shadow can really do first."
"After today I need to get a weapon for myself. I started to get real annoyed at those aura constructs he made and I had to keep dodging." Dawn already thinking ahead as May and Zoey had the skill to handle melee weapons and she wanted that for herself.
"Let's safe it for tomorrow. Not on a full stomach." Ash sat down next to her wanting to make more small talk with her.
"So, did Zoey tell you something about where she came from? Larousse City is on an island as I remember?"
"Yeah. She told us a bunch of things about it and invited us over to help out. There's a really big forest where she feels at home and goes camping most of the time. Maybe in the summer break we can take turns and visit her."
"It be nice to go explore another city. You're planning to go there?"
"Maybe. She said Cacturne is the biggest source of her problems and if we put him away the crime rate should sink like a stone. And with our help it be a breeze."
Ash a bit disappointed Dawn again looped around to crime fighting. Her first victory still giving her a high he needed to snap her out of it. Thinking of a way to do it he came up with something that might be a distraction, fun and educational for her at the same time.
"If you want to have a weapon that suits you learn about some other culture first. I know just the spot." It was a place he wanted to take Dawn for the longest time but never got the opportunity too.
"It's a restaurant in eastern style. It has a small area filled with objects from there including fake weapons which they give a tour on the history of them. Also, the food there is to die for."
"You're asking me to have dinner with you in the future?"
"When the curfew is gone, yes." Most places closed early due to it.
"That sounds suspiciously like a date."
Dawn played it cool not knowing what to think. Her talk with Johanna in her mind maybe he did have a thing for her after all. Being stupid enough to keep it to her growth as a fighter she wished she picked up on it sooner. Ash kept waiting for her response. Maybe he did bring it wrong as he made it sound he wanted to take her out before prom even.
"What do you say?"
"No need to worry. It's a date. Stupid!" Only at the end did she realize how she brought it. It's not an intimate date. They were going as just friends and to expand her knowledge on a culture Ash took a big interest in. And ro probably extend her abilities even more.
"It's getting late. I better go home to mom." Dawn watched the time. Reluctantly she had to go not to worry her own mom.
"Bye Dawn. Have a safe trip."
"Bye Ash." Dawn left the way she entered after morphing again. Ash closed the window of his room she climbed through to get in and closed the curtains.
"I wonder why she didn't bring up my talk with Brock and Kenny. Did she even heard what I said?"
He figured she had to be close by when Spiritomb attacked. Dawn wouldn't be able to act so quickly then. Maybe she forgot it due to the stress and success of her first big win. But she took his offer for dinner. That had to mean something right?"
Turning round he saw his mom standing in his porch with a thumbs up and a smile.
"You heard what I asked to do with her huh?"
Delia nodded with a smug. Ash sighed at his mom being too curious but that's a trait he inherited from her as he liked to get to the bottom of things.
"You sure you don't have super hearing?"
"No. But a mothers intuition can be stronger than any superpower." She smiled as her sixth sense worked as always when it comes to parenting. Delia needed it with a boy as unusual as her son.
Healthy new year. Because currently there's not much to be happy about.
Stay safe and healthy y'all.
See you around.