"No one teaches you what to do
When a good man hurts you
And you know you hurt him, too.
~Happiness, TS"
"A vacation sounds nice." Johanna said as she sipped her morning tea. The lavendar oversized sweater hung loosely over her shoulder and she looked up to see her daughter's surprised face.
"A vacation?" Dawn repeated, wrapping her mind around what her mother was saying. Her mother must have been watching the stupid pseudo reality shows again. It took her a while to process it completely. "Vacation to where?"
Johanna stretched, letting out a small groan as she did that. "Alola Islands. I am heading there for a long vacation."
"You.." Dawn stumbled on her words, shocked at the sudden proclamation her mother made the first thing in the morning,"When did you plan all this?"
"Around two months ago?" Johanna gave her a thumbs up. "Everything is planned out. The tickets, the hotel I'll be staying at-"
"And where's the part where you were going to tell me?" Dawn sounded betrayed. She didn't want to rain on Johanna's parade but she was her daughter for gods sake. Wasn't she supposed to know this before everything was even planned out?
"Are you implying I needed to ask for permission?"
Dawn could feel the menacing aura which was being emitted from her mother. Letting out a defeated sigh, she put down the cup of tea on the table,"Mom, I just wanted to know when you planned all these. Wouldn't it surprise you if one day I suddenly declare that I'm getting married within a week?"
"They are completely unrelated."
"Yet big issues!" Dawn bit her lower lip, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Her mother looked at her in concern and Dawn felt the initial feeling of betrayal being overshadowed by another feeling of concern,"You're leaving in a week?"
Johanna nodded.
"And the tickets, hotel, tour guide, everything has been booked?" Dawn sounded unsure, like a parent who couldn't believe that his child had actually been studying.
Johanna nodded again.
"Fine," Dawn's face broke into a smile, amazed at her mother's preparedness,"Have a safe trip." What else could she even do now?
"What will you do?" Johanna asked, stirring the spoon in her cup.
Dawn raised her eyebrows in confusion,"Do what?"
"I mean," Johanna began and put down the spoon on the plate, the light clink of spoon on the ceramic plate caught Dawn's attention. "I mean, you'll be alone in this house. For a whole month. You commute from here to Viridian everyday just for me. You can take a break for a month you know."
Dawn went over her options. "I don't have any place I own in Viridian."
"Well you can always-"
"And I'm not staying at a hotel for a month."
Johanna shrugged, sipping her tea,"Well, tell Maya to get you a place. In a place like Viridian, it shouldn't be a problem."
"And what about this mansion?"
"Totally your decision. Keep it or sell it."
"Why sell it?" Dawn sound offended,"I grew up here. And you'll be back in a month."
Dawn saw the smile on Johanna's face turning into a smirk. Great. Here comes another childhood rebellion story.
"So I guess now you understand why I didn't want to sell this place when I was a kid."
Dawn nodded slightly, staring at her empty cup. Well this was her home after all. She would always have a soft corner for it out of all their mansions and villas.
"I'll leave it upto Gardenia to take care of this place while we are absent," Dawn said and got up. Putting the teal blazer over her shoulder, she spoke up,"See you in the evening Mom."
"Sure honey."
"Shane," Dawn spoke as soon as she got in the car,"You and Gardenia got married 4 years ago, right?"
Shane, who was about to start the engine, nodded,"Around 5 years ago. Why Miss Dawn?"
"Well for a month, starting next week, you'll be on paid vacation."
Shane glanced at the girl from the rearview mirror, surprised. "Is everything okay Little Miss?"
"Yeah," Dawn waved it off with a smile,"I am just shifting to Viridian for a month, at max."
"But you'll need someone to-"
"I can drive to the office by myself, relax." Dawn began scrolling through twitter on her phone, her feed filled up with posts of cats and dogs and she instantly smiled on seeing them.
"I am your driver for a reason, Miss Dawn."
"So as your employer, I am sending you on a month vacation." Dawn looked up and gave him a victorious smile.
"Can't argue with that."
"Everything looks good," Ash said as he kept the reports on his desk and took up the cup of coffee in his hands. There was a slight thud of Misty keeping her water glass on the table and she shoved the documents in her bag. Her yellow sundress fit her snugly and she had her long, ginger hair in a side ponytail.
"So… its final," A shaky breath escaped her lips as she caught Ash's curious eyes. "I am three months pregnant. And the baby is stable."
Ash nodded as he got up and sat down beside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulder. "I am so happy for you, Mist."
"I am so glad!" She burst into giggles, resting her hand on her belly. The baby bump wasn't that prominent yet but Misty couldn't help but run her fingers over it again and again. "Tracey would lose his mind."
"Well duh!" Ash laughed and held her hands,"Do you wanna know the gender?"
Shaking her head, she replied,"I want it to be a surprise. I don't know about Tracey though. He might want to know about the gender. We haven't discussed this far yet."
Ash nodded in understanding. The pregnancy was unplanned but not unwelcomed. He knew Misty wasn't that fond of kids but deep inside, he also knew that she would do her best to give the child the best she could. Moreover her fiance, Tracey, was great with kids so it really calmed Misty down that atleast one of them could handle the child.
"I'm sorry for barging in on your off day," she got up and stretched a little,"But gotta say, you are good at keeping your apartment clean."
"Hey!" His tone was defensive,"FYI, I used to be messy when I was a teenager, now I keep everything presentable."
"Well Dawn did hammer the habit of keeping your place clean into you," Misty said, laughing,"She made you into a proper man."
He rolled his eyes. "Well when a girl is coming over you gotta clean."
"So which girl is coming over now?"
"You?"
Misty rolled her eyes at the reply. "Come on, you know I don't mean that."
He shrugged nonchalantly,"No one actually? Why?"
"Katie was a nice girl, have you two talked after the break-up?" Misty jumped to another topic.
"Well no? Just saw her Instagram posts about her finding real-love!" Ash chuckled,"Seems like everyone finds their perfect match after dating me."
Suppressing a laugh, Misty teased,"You mean you're the ultimate badluck that could happen to a girl, huh?"
Ash raised his middle finger and rolled his eyes. "Stop."
"No seriously!" Misty sat down again, facing Ash,"Its been a while since you last went out on a date. And you're just 23. Dating life isn't over for you."
"Hey? Am I being too slow?" Ash raised his eyebrows, confused,"I mean you are 24 and going to get married in a year. Leaf is just 22 and she is getting married to Gary who is younger than me by few months. Am I lagging behind or are you guys fast?"
Misty blinked to collect her thoughts. "Life isn't a race, Ash."
"I know but it-"
"We all go according to our own paces. Everyone is different and what one wants from life is different so how can you expect we'll do the same things at the same time?" Misty rubbed Ash's arm to provide him a sense of warmth. "Take your time to find someone who will add meaning to your life."
"And are you happy with Tracey?" Ash asked,"Although he is a big improvement from Paul and Richie, not gonna lie. If he treats you well them the age difference isn't that bothersome."
Misty hit his arm playfully,"He is just 28 and not that old, okay." Then breaking into a laugh, she said,"He respects my decision of continuing my swimming career. He said that he will take care of the kid whenever I get caught up in work. Ash, when I said find someone who adds meaning to your life, I didn't mean it as something like, you know, someone who will do grand gestures for you. Yeah, grand gestures are great but the devil is in the details."
"You and Leaf really like to pull my leg, don't ya? "
"We are just looking out for you. You rarely make time for us."
Before Ash could even speak, Misty cut him off again,"I get it that your work doesn't allow you to be so carefree but you have to give something if you're expecting something in return."
"I try," Ash breathed out,"But at the end of the day, I get so tired that I don't even wanna leave my bed."
Misty nodded,"Was this the reason it didn't work out with Katie?"
"I was preparing for my major, so its not like I had that much time on my hands?" He sounded unsure,"And now, it just seems like a hastle. Like, find a girl, develop interest in her, pray that she likes you too, hope that you have enough chemistry, be compa-"
"Excuses," Misty sighed loudly,"You are getting anti-social with every passing day."
Ash blinked blankly, just to irritate the hell out of her. "Thank you."
"You don't have to hit it off immediately, you know that, right?" Misty began, adjusting herself to sit more comfortably on the small couch. "Take me for example. I met Tracey at my swimming practice class. He was on a tour with the kindergarten class he was managing and I was doing laps around the pool. We wouldn't even have talked if he hadn't slipped into the pool while saving a kid."
"Yeah yeah," Ash teased her,"You just need an excuse to show off your lovelife."
"What I mean is," Misty ignored his previous statement,"Nothing will happen if you sit idle. Go do something?"
"Like what? Kidnap someone to be my girlfriend?"
Misty wanted to pull out a mallet and hit his head but calmed herself down. Now he was just playing with her to avoid the topic and she wasn't going to let him do that. "Come on Ash, there are nurses in the hospital who are interested in you."
Ash gave her a loopsided grin. "No. There are not."
"Seriously, don't you-" She was cut off when Ash's phone rang and he gave her an apologetic smile. Seeing the caller ID, he just let the phone ring and mouthed,"Its Lillie. I'll call her later."
"Maybe she had something important to discuss," Misty mentally slapped herself.
"We were just discussing about a patient before you showed up. Its nothing important." Ash laughed on seeing the concerned look on her face. "Chill out woman. The patient is fine. And you should see a gynecologist instead of a cardiologist," Ash said as he shook his head in amusement.
"I hate the smell of the hospital or clinic," She cringed her nose at the thought,"I mean I am fine with the smell of chlorine in swimming pools but disinfectants and its smell is just so nauseating."
"You have to give birth in a hospital dumbass," Ash teased her,"Or are you thinking of going back to the wild to have your babies?"
She glared at him and let out a dry laugh,"Ha ha. Very funny. I'll teach my kid to pee in your lap, just you wait."
Dawn sat down on her seat and leaned back a little, a small smile of appreciation on her face when Maya put down a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of her. Taking up the cup, she slowly blew on it, noticing how Maya had started arranging something on her desk. "Maya, look up a house."
"Of a client?" Maya asked without looking up from her seat.
"For me."
"Miss Dawn, you have to be more specific." Maya said as she looked up at Dawn.
"Mom is going on a vacation for a month and I decided to spend that month here since the house back in Pallet Town will be empty. So I want you to look for a house where I can stay."
Maya nodded and watched Dawn smiling at the cup of coffee in her hand. She internally smiled because she knew Dawn loved the coffee she made for her. Then taking out her phone, she went to her whatsapp and tapped up a name on the contact search list. "Miss, do you want to buy it or just rent it?"
"Just rent it, I guess." Dawn shrugged, unsure.
"Any preferences?"
"No." Dawn pondered for a moment,"Well a neat kitchen and a balcony will be nice."
"Give me a while. I'll book it up by end of the day."
"Once again," Misty said as she fastened her seatbelt and turned to look at Ash who was standing outside the cab, "Thanks for today. Shouldn't have barged on you on your day off."
Ash waved his hands slightly, a small smile on his face,"Oh Mist, you're always welcome."
"I am about-" Misty stopped mid-sentence when her phone began vibrating in her purse. "Opps," She excused herself,"It's Tracey. Do you mind if I-"
Ash laughed,"Nope. Pick it up."
Ash watched silently as Misty began talking on the phone. His eyes flickered to the driver, who was patiently waiting in his seat. The silver ring on his left hand shone under the sunlight and Ash could see a little bit of tattoo design slipping out of his covered sleeves.
Tattoos.
Damn it made him wish that he hadn't gotten that tattoo years ago.
Thank god it wasn't in a place anyone could see easily.
"Ash!" Misty chirped, smiling sweetly,"I have a favor to ask."
"Go ahead."
"Someone needs a place to stay. "
"I have three houses under my radar. Do you want to go check them?" Maya said as she stretched a little in her seat, glancing at the blunette. Dawn cracked her neck and yawned a little. 'Damn, shouldn't have stayed up all night reading that book.'
"Now?" She asked Maya.
"If you want."
"Well, why not." She glanced at the clock. 4.30 p.m. It's not like she had anything else to do.
"Okay, the first house is an apartment complex. Each floor has around 5 flats and there are around 7 buildings in total…" Maya began explaining and Dawn blinked.
"Are you talking about Viridian Apartments?"
The affirmative nod from Maya made Dawn nod a little. "Nah," she denied as calmly as she could. "What's the second option?"
No way in hell was she going to stay in the same apartment complex as Ash. Meeting him unplanned was bad enough and she didn't want to increase the chances anymore.
"The second option is a small house near the Viridian Gym," Maya stared at her phone to read out the details. "Two storey building with an indoor swimming pool, a study room, guest room, two bedrooms upstairs, a small backyard and.."
"Sounds good enough," Dawn hummed,"And whats the third option?"
"It is near the Viridian hospital and has a lot of features in common with the second house but the security is a lot more advanced here since the locality houses many doctors and other business."
"What should I choose then?"
"I guess near the hospital one because its closer to the office too."
Dawn bit her lip absent-mindedly. Well whatever. Every option is good enough. It wasn't like she was going to buy it forever.
"Then lets go check out the third place."
"This house is owned by Giovanni, the sponsor of Kanto Space Research Organization," The caretaker beamed. Dawn was amazed at the bright red hair of the girl and even more amazed at the sheer beauty of the house.
"This is a beautiful house." Dawn was mesmerized by the marbled floor and the big chandelier hanging in the living room. "So, Miss Jesse, when can I move in?"
"It will take around two to three weeks to get everything ready and then you can move in," Jesse shook hands with Maya and then Dawn. "Here's my card if you need anything else. I will get the paperwork ready and meanwhile you both can check out your newhouse."
Maya felt her face turning red. "Ahhh.. actually..no.. we are..she is.." Maya stumbled upon her words even more on seeing Dawn's amused smile. "She is - she is my employer and I just work for her."
Jesse crooked her eyebrows and then eyes widened in realisation. A sheepish smile formed on her lips as she apologetically excused herself. "Ahh, I just thought that ...my bad."
"Not a big deal," Dawn waved it off,"Maya, want to check out the swimming pool?"
"Sure Mam."
Dawn gawked at the indoor pool and could imagine herself taking a dip here after a long, tiring day. The small indoor plant at the corner caught her attention and she wondered if she could actually take care of them.
Then she went up to the kitchen and made a mental note of all the things she needed to buy.
'Ray had a similar kitchen,' She wondered on seeing the kitchen top and it reminded her of the time they danced around in his kitchen while some stupid, cheesy song was playing in the background.
"Mam, the paperworks are almost done," Jesse announced as she entered the kitchen. "Are you going to keep any pets in this house?"
Dawn shook her head,"I am not looking after any animal right now so no. But maybe sometime in the future."
Jesse nodded and asked,"About that, can I ask you for a small favor?"
"Seriously Mist," Ash grumbled a little as he sat beside Misty in the cab, looking a little pissed. "You should have allowed me to change at least."
Misty eyes his grey sweatpants and oversized black full sleeved shirt. Giving him an eyeroll, she unlocked the door and got out. "You look presentable enough."
Ash sighed and got out too. When Misty said someone needed a place to stay, he hadn't imagined it would be a permanent thing. Neither had he fathomed that his new roommate would walk on all fours.
"James must be waiting," Misty nudged Ash who was kinda high on the serotonin boost he had when Misty put forward the offer.
"Yeah yeah," he smiled and they began walking towards the small house.
"Are you sure you can take care of it?" Misty asked, a little unsure.
Ash nodded, giving her a finger salute. "Yes Ma'am."
Her doubts weren't gone. They were greeted by a cheerful blue haired man who welcomed them into his house and offered them to sit. Ash awkwardly sat on the couch as he checked out the room, the various indoor plants catching his interest. The way the whole house beamed with greenery and beauty put his mind at ease.
After a while, James sat down on the couch opposite to Ash and placed two classes of orange juice in front of them.
"Its been around two months since we found them and were taking care of them," James began, smiling at the memory,"But my wife and I can't really afford to take care of more cats."
Ash nodded in understanding and he noticed a big white cat walking into the room and went up to James to sit on his lap. The sight made him smile and James began scratching the cat's chin. "He is Meowth," James laughed as he said that,"Weird name for a cat but my wife was fixated on it."
"How many cats do you have in total?" Misty asked. She wasn't too fond of cats but she had to admit that the little fella was healthy and loved it here.
"Around 4. And we found two abandoned cats so now the number increased to 6. Meowth is the oldest one."
"Umm..," Ash shifted a little in his seat,"Can we see the kitties?"
James nodded and put Meowth down who jumped on the couch again as soon as James got up. Within minutes, James brought two little cats into the living room and Ash could feel his inner child begging for release.
He could picture himself going home with the two ferals.
"Oh my god," Ash got up and sat down on the floor to touch the two kitties,"They are so little and so cute!"
"I know!" Misty sat down on the floor too, petting the brown coloured cat which purred and walked closer to Misty.
"That one is a girl," James said, pointing at the cat which was now sitting beside Misty. Then pointing at the other white cat with brownish patches on it he said,"And this one is a boy."
"Can I adopt them both?" Ash asked in a heartbeat,"I just… I mean.."
James laughed,"If you can take care of them then why not."
The smile on Ash's face grew wider,"Oh thank you!" Then extending his hands towards the cats, he called out,"Lets go home?"
"Well congrats on being a father of two," Misty playfully nudged Ash and the man broke out into a grin.
"My cousin took care of a cat before so I know some basic things," Ash said, sitting up straight,"But is there anything I should be aware of?"
"Nope. They're perfectly healthy," James sat down and the cats rushed to him,"They're around 3 months old and you have to get them vaccinated as soon as you can. And they eat almost everything so you're good on that coast too. The boy kitty hates belly rubs while the girl kitty hates being touched on her tail and they might end up scratching you so be careful."
"Sure," Ash said getting up,"Umm.. I didn't buy any pet carrier so just give me an hour to go buy the things and then I'll come pick them up."
"Sure, " James got up too. There was a clicking sound at the door and James grinned,"Looks like my wife is back. She will be thrilled once she knows that the cats got adopted."
There was a big pause when Jesse, James wife, entered the house. Meowth ran upto Jesse to rub against her legs while all Ash could do was stare at the woman standing behind Jesse.
The moment their eyes met, Ash could feel the burning, piercing glaze of the blue haired woman standing who was behind Jesse. To be honest, he wasn't expecting to see Dawn here of all places.
It was almost as if the whole world had come to a stop but in reality, only a few seconds had passed. For a moment, Ash forgot what he was even going to do.
"Dawn!" Misty almost ran to hug the dazed girl,"Heyyyyyyy!"
Wrapping her arms around the cheerful redhead, Dawn composed herself. Since when did Ash knew Jesse and James? "Heya Misty! You look fantastic!"
Misty blushed a little at the compliment. "Thanks. What are you doing here?"
"Oh?" Dawn tried her best to not acknowledge the boy in the room but it was difficult when his presence was so alluring and so damn distracting. "Jesse told me about how they're looking for someone to adopt a cat and so here I am."
Silence.
"I think-" James began but seeing the tense atmosphere, shut up. "How-"
"Is everything okay?" Dawn asked confused. Her eyes lingered around the room and when her eyes landed on Ash looking at her like she had grown two heads, she instantly knew the news was going to make her mad.
"I actually.." Ash paused when his eyes met hers. Crap. He was going to trouble her again. "I just adopted the two of them."
.
.
.
Soooooooóoo…. My cats made a debut in this story XD just kidding, I had been planning on adding a part like this long before I adopted my furballs (weird coincidence).
I know its been a long time since I updated and I am so sorrrrrry! I got caught up with some health issues and well, a lot happened in the past two months. Moreover I had been trying to access fanfiction but couldn't.
Hopefully, the new chapter will be up soon. I had been writing up a one shot and going to upload it soon too! Until then, Sayonara!
