Chapter 4

Tuesday, September 6th

"Attention s'il vous plait!" Fantina called out to her classroom now that the bell had chimed, clapping her hands together. Her rather noisy first period class became quiet at her request as she took her place at the front of the room. "Today we will begin our first in-class assignment. I hope you all are as happy as I am."

Fantina beamed brightly at her class, glad that she had perfect attendance today. Ash was on time, for the first time actually, and she was eager to see how he would respond to their new assignment.

"We're going to draw portraits." Fantina announced. Some students voiced their displeasure by groaning while others did so verbally.

"Ugh, I hate self-portraits." May said out loud, already imagining what her own would look like. It wasn't pretty.

"Says the girl who can't stop looking at herself in the mirror." Dawn noted softly to May, shooting her a small smirk. May narrowed her eyes in response, causing Dawn to snicker.

"Not a self-portrait, but a portrait of one of your peers," Fantina explained to the brunette that sat at the front of the class with Dawn. "We will be drawing each other! You will be working in pairs, and I have already selected each pair, so I'll announce them for you all."

As Fantina began to read off her list, Dawn leaned into her seat and glanced at Ash in the back of the room. He was absorbed in yet another sketch. She pursed her lips as she looked at him, struggling to figure him out. He was in a long sleeved shirt once again today, probably hiding the injury he had from yesterday. She had anxiously been trying to get to know him a bit on Friday, but now she found herself hesitating a bit.

Seeing his demeanor change yesterday at the sight of his bleeding hand, and his refusal to tell Fantina what happened made him seem kind of scary. Was this someone that she really wanted to get involved with?

"Dawn Berlitz, and Ash Ketchum." Fantina called out, causing Dawn to whirl around to look at her teacher who was smiling brightly at her. Seeing May begin to rise from her seat out of the corner of her eye, Dawn looked toward her friend while wrinkling her forehead.

"Where are you going, May?" Dawn asked her as May gathered her belongings.

"Making room for Ash of course. This is your big chance you know." May replied to her, giving her a small wink. Dawn stared at her, rather dumbfounded though.

"For what?"

"To get to know him. It's so obvious that you want to." May stated, causing Dawn's cheeks to color slightly. Before she could protest though, May pointed to Ash as he approached them.

"Hey guys-err, girls." He began casually, giving them a small wave.

"Mornin' Ash, nice to see you," May said sweetly as she motioned to her now empty seat. "Have fun with Dawn, she's really pretty ya know, so make sure you draw her like that."

"Oh, uh yeah that shouldn't be a problem." Ash replied as May left them, joining her partner Oliver on the opposite side of the room. With a sigh Ash began to turn May's desk, making a face as the legs of the desk screeched against the floor. Once the desk was facing Dawn, he plopped down into the chair with a sigh.

"Don't mind May, she can be weird sometimes." Dawn said as she waved off May's earlier comment.

"That's no big deal." Ash replied before Fantina called for everyone's attention now that they all were sitting with their partners, having moved this desks to face one another.

"This assignment will be due this Friday morning. Use this time in class to get an understanding of your subject before you attempt to capture them on paper." Fantina explained, causing everyone to look at their partner. Ash looked toward Dawn, staring at her directly. Dawn straightened up in her seat, feeling her heartbeat speed up a bit now that she was under Ash's gaze, but she returned it. The two of them spent at least a minute or two just staring at one another, taking in every detail they could.

Finally, though, Ash broke eye contact and looked down at his sketchpad. Seeing Ash begin to draw now, Dawn blinked and realized that she hadn't even started yet either. Opening up her own sketchbook, she started her portrait of Ash.

Dawn began to scribble away on her paper, first drawing a figure to match the position Ash was seated in. She even drew the desk and sketchpad in front of him for good measure. As she began to work on some of the finer details though, Fantina began to clap her hands as the class period was coming to an end. She delicately reminded her students that she wanted her desks returned to their normal positions. Glancing up at the clock, Dawn couldn't believe that first period was almost over. That was the fastest it had ever gone for her.

"Whoa, dude did you just draw that?!"

Ash looked up at the two guys that had been seated behind him. As they had been moving their desks back they caught a glimpse of his sketch of Dawn, and now they had to get a closer look. It was a rough sketch, but with just a glance anyone could tell that it was Dawn he had drawn.

"Yeah." Ash said simply, gaining Dawn's attention. She focused on his sketchbook now and was impressed with what she saw.

"That's amazing!" They proclaimed.

Dawn bit down on her lower lip now that she had seen his sketch as well. There were still some details missing, but considering how much time they had this was quite an impressive result. Dawn glanced back down at her own sketch and realized that she had invested too much of her time on Ash's surroundings.

The bell rung and the other students flooded out the door. May rose from her seat, taking a glance at Ash and Dawn who began speaking with each other. She smiled a bit, hoping that Dawn was making the best of this opportunity.

Ash yawned audibly as he sat down beside Dawn on the bus, currently on route toward the east side of Vermilion City and Dawn's home.

Having completed his third day at North Vermilion High, Ash had established a bit of a routine during school hours. That routine revolved around spending his free periods in Fantina's classroom. This led to him spending an ample amount of time with his art instructor who had taken a deep interest in him following the events of the prior day. It was clear to him that she was trying to get to know him a little better, and he didn't mind her efforts, although he wished that she didn't make it so obvious. He answered most of her questions though because he was grateful for her help on Monday.

Spending his extra time in Fantina's room led to Ash discovering that Dawn spent almost all of her extra time there as well. She worked closely with Fantina on various personal projects, taking the guidance from Fantina to further her own progress. Ash admired her dedication to her work, not to mention he found Dawn to be pretty amusing, such as the conversation they had earlier today.

-X-X-

"Ash, um…would you mind, helping me home again today?" Dawn asked after approaching him during eighth period. Both of them had no classes during eighth and ninth period, so they both spent this time in Fantina's room to wrap up their day.

"Huh, how come?" Ash asked her in return, wrinkling his forehead.

"Well I've only taken the bus once now, that's why." She said rather softly, and Ash narrowed his gaze at her.

"Did you forget which bus we got on?" He asked her, and Dawn's cheeks became red. Ash knew immediately that he had hit the nail on the head.

"Uh…yeah." She admitted, looking away from him. Ash then realized that she might have been trying to hide this fact from him, and as much as he wanted to laugh a bit at her forgetfulness, he felt a little bad at how embarrassed she was. Then another thought occurred to him.

"Did you take the bus yesterday?" He asked her, and Dawn shook her head. "Then how did you get home?"

Dawn sighed exasperatedly at this.

"I stayed after school and waited for my mom. She couldn't pick me up until five thirty." Dawn revealed to him. Ash felt a sudden pang of guilt in his chest as he recalled the events of Monday. When he had returned to school from the clinic, Dawn didn't speak to him too much outside of checking to see if he was okay. She might have needed help getting home but she may have been able to work up the nerve to approach him considering his attitude.

"Aww shoot, I'm sorry about that Dawn," Ash said as he palmed his forehead before grinning at her. "If I had half a brain I probably would've asked you if you had a ride home yesterday."

"You don't have to apologize Ash." Dawn said with a small laugh, waving off his apology.

"Then let me make it up to you. I don't have to work this afternoon so I can show you a little more about the bus routes." Ash offered her, and she gladly accepted.

-X-X-

Now the two of them were sitting behind the seats they had used Friday on the bus. They had only been on the bus for about ten minutes now, but Ash was struggling to fight off his urge to sleep, nodding off his seat every now and then.

Seeing that Ash was unfocused due to his drowsiness, Dawn used this to her advantage. Whenever Ash drifted off for a few moments, Dawn would peek at him out of the corner of eyes, but immediately return her gaze to the window whenever he woke up. Soon enough though, Ash's eyes shut for good with his head tilted to the side. His unruly hair fell down in front of his face, his mouth opened just a bit.

Dawn swallowed a giggle as she now stared at him openly, taking in everything she could. His jet black hair that he seemed to pay no mind to since it was always a mess. With the sunlight coming through the window, she could faintly see the start of a mustache forming above his upper lip. On his cheeks, there some faded birthmarks, something that she had never paid much attention to until now.

Taking in these details, Dawn decided to fish her sketchbook out of her back, choosing to make the best of this opportunity.

Wednesday, September 7th

Dawn sat across from Ash once again in their first period class, staring intently at him. Unlike the day before though, Ash wasn't really sitting still for her, although he didn't seem to have much control over the situation.

"Ash, what do you think of this?"

"Ash, would you check this out for me?"

"Ash, where should I go from here?"

Word had spread quickly around the class that Ash was an exceptional artist, and now a number of the other students were asking him for any tips to improve the portrait that they had started.

"Whoa guys, I'm sure Ms. Fantina would love to help you out. I mean, it is her job after all." Ash replied with a chuckle, scratching back of his neck.

"She's still helping May." One of them pointed in a deadpan. The group glanced over at Fantina who was assisting the brunette, working her through the basic aspects of starting a portrait. May had taken up a majority of Fantina's time the day before, and it seemed as though she would do the same today. Dawn swallowed her urge to laugh at this and kept a straight face as she stared at the group around Ash.

It seemed as though her classmates didn't realize that they were taking up all of Ash's time, and by extension, they were taking her time as well. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Dawn found herself pouting a bit as well. No one had paid any attention to Ash up until yesterday, but clearly, word had spread that he was a great artist, and now he was suddenly the star of the classroom. Thankfully, Ash complied with their requests for a little guidance, and soon enough they returned to their seats.

Returning to their work now, Ash and Dawn worked in silence. The pencil Dawn held moved on its own as she glanced up at Ash occasionally. Her thoughts were prevailing despite her efforts to focus. Her mind drifted back to the portrait she had drawn of him on the bus yesterday. She liked it, but she wasn't sure if it was something that she would submit to Fantina. So now she was working tirelessly to draw Ash Ketchum again who oddly enough hadn't even looked up at her once since they began working.

Fantina clapped her hands once again, warning her students that first period would be ending soon, and she encouraged them to clean up. Dawn looked down at her sketch of Ash today and pursed her lips. He was hunched over his sketchbook today, but unfortunately, much of his face couldn't be seen. He hadn't looked up at Dawn at all, so she drew him with his head down. She didn't like that.

"Dawn, did you see this?" May exclaimed, snapping Dawn out of her thoughts. Blinking a few times, her vision came into focus and she saw that a group had gathered around Ash once again, and May was included this time.

"Dude, this one is even better than what Ash drew yesterday!"

"Are you serious?"

Dawn rose up a bit in her seat, peering over the table to see Ash's latest sketch of her that everyone was talking about. Just as her classmates had said, it was better than what he had drawn yesterday.

In the first attempt yesterday, Ash had drawn Dawn with a neutral expression, clearly focused on her work. Today, however, she was looking expectantly at her audience, arms crossed, lower lip poking out slightly, her frustration evident. Dawn couldn't believe it. Ash had perfectly drawn her while she was anxiously waiting for him to finish helping his peers. He had accomplished all this, and included more of the finer details than he had the day before!

"Guys, it's not that big a deal." Ash said to them as he closed his book and tucked it into his backpack.

"Come on Ash, that was awesome!" One of them exclaimed.

"If you're not happy with that, then I can't wait to see something you're proud of." May added.

Dawn chewed on her lower lip, hiding her shock. She understood that drawing a subject multiple times would improve your attention to detail concerning that subject. Essentially, she was supposed to be getting better at drawing Ash with each attempt. Yet she had made little progress in three attempts, while Ash had only drawn her twice and each of them was outstanding! This was the first time she had been outdone by someone so effortlessly.

She was determined now more than ever to produce something incredible, something that would knock Ash's socks off!

Friday, September 9th

Fantina stood at the back of her room, where a bulletin board was mounted on the wall. Her students were hanging their portraits on it for the rest of their class to see. Rather than grade these all by herself, Fantina decided that the class would critique each other's work to see how they would determine their grades. She couldn't help but smile as she observed some of the work, taking in the varying levels of skill. Some of the portraits were excellent while others, not so much.

With all her students present, Fantina clapped her hands and motioned for them to gather in the back. Bringing their desk chairs, everyone was soon huddled around the bulletin board where Fantina briefly explained what they would be doing this class period.

"We will start in the uppermost left corner, and work our way across. So who do we have first?" Fantina said as she directed everyone's attention to their first portrait. It was of May actually. She was smiling brilliantly, giving everyone a peace sign. "Ah, very nice work monsieur Oliver."

"Heh, thanks Ms. Fantina." He replied with a grin before his classmates began to voice their thoughts, all of which were compliments.

"Yeah, it's really good!"

"I can totally tell that it was May you were drawing."

"I couldn't have done a better job myself." May said confidently, pleased that the portrait of her had come out so well. Dawn, on the other hand, stifled a laugh as she stole a glance at the portrait May had drawn of Oliver. She certainly could not have done a better job than Oliver.

"And next to Oliver's is…" Fantina trailed off as the rest of her class became silent. All eyes were on the portrait May had drawn, everyone was struggling to trace out a person in the mess. Some of them tilted their heads in an effort to find the person on the paper, but they were unsuccessful in their search.

"The heck is that?" One of the guys called out, earning a scoff from May.

"That's Oliver!" She stated indignantly.

"That's Oliver!?" Another exclaimed before he burst into a fit of laughter.

"I thought it was a freakin' potato!" One of the guys proclaimed, causing the group around him to laugh loudly as well.

"Hey~! I did what I could!" May declared, recalling Fantina's suggestions as she shrunk in her seat, a bit embarrassed. She had done her best, but she didn't have an artistic bone in her body.

"Mademoiselle May was exploring a more impressionist piece. Rest assured though May, the effort is where it counts." Fantina reassured her before casting a sharp stare on the guys that were still laughing at May. "And for others that struggle to contain themselves, they will see a few marks on their participation grade."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be laughing too much since some of you need this elective to graduate." Dawn added as she shot a smirk at the group of guys. Their laughter stopped abruptly with this reminder, and May immediately used this opportunity to make a face at the group who could only bite their tongues to halt a response.

"Moving on…" Fantina said as she refocused the class, motioning to the bulletin board.

One by one, the class examined each portrait, bouncing thoughts and opinions off of one another as they studied each piece. Fantina was pleased that her class was very encouraging for the most part, her students sharing ways for each other to improve. The boys had even apologized to May later on after they had been humbled by Dawn as she critiqued the portraits they had done.

"Whoa!" There was a collective gasp from the class at the sight of the next portrait. In an instant, there was a unanimous agreement between all her students that his portrait was perfect. It was Ash, snoozing peacefully on a bus.

Dawn sat nervously in her seat, as the students began to discuss her piece. Even though they all liked it, Dawn was far from satisfied with it. In the four days she had to draw a portrait of Ash, she must have drawn him at least ten times, but she didn't like any of them. For whatever reason, it felt as though she was struggling to capture him. None of the sketches she had finished really felt like Ash Ketchum.

So she gave in and settled for the one that was a cut above the rest-the portrait she had drawn of Ash on the bus on Tuesday, which she had refined a bit the night before.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Dawn glanced back at Ash who was seated behind her.

"When did you draw that?" He whispered to her.

"Sorry, but that's a secret." Dawn replied, giving him a wink. Ash frowned a bit at this before he leaned back in his seat. His movement though caught Fantina's attention as she called on him.

"Monsieur Ash, you haven't spoken once yet. Will you give us the honor of critiquing the portrait of yourself?" Fantina requested, putting Ash on the spot. All eyes were on him now as everyone was eager to hear what he would say about Dawn's work.

"Well, obviously the person who drew it is skilled, but I feel like…it's kind of shallow." Ash stated, causing Fantina to raise her eyebrows.

"What do you mean by shallow?" May asked him curiously.

"Like…she didn't look too deeply into me. She caught a moment of me while I was asleep, but that doesn't feel like it's me. How do I know that's really Ash Ketchum? That could be anyone. I mean she only had four days to put this together, so I can't fault her for that." Ash added at the end. Fantina thanked him for his thoughts and announced that they would be moving on to the next portrait, the one everyone had been anxiously waiting to get to. Ash's masterpiece.

"Alright class, what do you have to say about this one?" Fantina asked, and the comments came down like a cascade.

"Ash is amazing!"

"Freakin' awesome!"

"Just give him an A+ and we can call it a day!"

"Draw me next Ash!" May almost demanded, causing everyone to laugh while others made the same request.

All the sketches the class had seen Ash work on during the week couldn't compare to the finished product that was on display. This time he had drawn Dawn working on a sketch, but this time she was outside, seated on a hill. Her sketchpad was resting on her lap with a pencil in hand, nibbling softly on the eraser. Her other hand was behind her neck, throwing back some of her hair as she stared intently at her sketchpad. You could see how anxious she was in her expression as she struggled with her work, probably her portrait of Ash.

'His work with a pencil is absolutely incredible.' Fantina said to herself as she observed the layered shading Ash had used so accurately.

Dawn sighed inwardly as she stared at Ash's work yet again. It was bad enough that he had completely outdone her just from the standpoint of skill, but then he rubbed salt in her open wounds with his comments about her piece.

"That doesn't feel like it's me. How do I know that's really Ash Ketchum? That could be anyone. I mean she only had four days to put this together, so I can't fault her for that."

Not only was his portrait better, but everyone could see without a doubt that it captured the very essence of Dawn Berlitz. She was known as a hard worker, and there she was, wrapped up in her work, the evidence of struggle written all over her face as she fought with another sketch of Ash. Without a doubt now, Dawn had to admit that Ash was amazing.

This was the third time this week Ash had accompanied Dawn home via the bus. He didn't really mind though since Dawn was becoming good company, and it beat sharing his seat with a stranger. For Dawn though, Ash was no longer just her escort so to speak. As of today, they had known each other for a week, and she was just filled with questions about her new friend.

"So um, Ash, can you tell me what you meant when you said my portrait was shallow?" Dawn asked him, breaking the silence between them. Dawn wasn't offended or hurt by the comment, but now she wanted an explanation.

"I'm just going to tell you what I said in class. You could draw anyone like that and call it a portrait, but you didn't find the inner person. Like I said though, you only had four days and you barely know me, so it's no big deal." Ash explained to her.

"No, it is a big deal. You had the same amount of time as me and drew like half the amount of sketches I did, but all of them were better than mine. I want to know how you did that so easily." Dawn stated, refusing to let Ash end the conversation.

Ash remained silent for a few moments, then he lowered his shoulders with a sigh knowing that Dawn would pester him until he answered.

"Do you remember last week, you asked me to look at some of your work and I said that it wasn't really mature yet?" Ash asked her, receiving a nod. "Well, that still applies. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but your art seems to take everything at face value like you're still a kid. You can't capture me because you haven't seen or experienced enough of me."

"But I could say the same thing to you. We've only known each other for a week." Dawn pointed out.

"There are still some distinct differences between us Dawn. I work and hang around very passionate people. I'm used to seeing people chase something ambitiously. So it's easy to capture you when you're doing the same thing." Ash explained to her. "I don't know about your upbringing, but based on how you draw, I think it's safe to say that you don't go out very often."

Dawn wanted to respond, but she had didn't have anything to say. He was right about her. She didn't go out. It was very rare that she hung out with her friends now that she thought about it, and she had just spent her entire summer vacation in her room sketching. Perhaps that wasn't the best choice she could have made.

"So then, what can I do?" Dawn asked him after a few moments. Ash shrugged his shoulders.

"Go out. Do stuff. See the world through your own eyes, and not through your phone or computer. Those pictures you see can't compare to the real thing, you have to experience them yourself." Ash stated, but this caused Dawn to look down now. She barely got out to begin with. Where was she going to go?

"I don't know Ash." She said softly. Sensing that Dawn lacked direction at the moment, Ash decided that he would give her a hand.

"I'll tell you what. Tonight, I was going to meet up with some friends of mine. Do you want to come along?" Ash offered and Dawn lit up immediately.

"Yes please!" She declared with starry eyes.

"Alright, I'll drop by around ten o'clock to pick you up." Ash said, causing the smile to drop from Dawn's face.

"Ten o'clock, that's my curfew." She revealed with a frown.

"Sheesh, ten o'clock. You're going to have to sneak out. It can't be that hard to sneak out of a house that's as big as yours." Ash said with a smirk. Dawn nudged him with her elbow in response.

"I'll see what I can do." Dawn said as she took out her phone for them to exchange numbers.

All was well in the Berlitz estate, allowing Johanna to sit back in her small den with a book on her lap. Reaching over the lap on the table beside her, she turned the switch and opened up the novel she had started reading earlier this week. She was eager to see whether the female protagonist would declare her feelings to the love interest, but as always things like this were drawn out.

Reading was one of Johanna's biggest hobbies. She loved to read, and she had hoped that this would rub off onto her daughter. Unfortunately, despite her best efforts to impress the value of reading onto Dawn while she was young, the girl stubbornly pursued her interest in design. Johanna was content with Dawn's interests though, especially since her daughter worked so hard. She was certain that with the amount of time Dawn spent practicing, her goal of becoming a designer would be her reality in no time.

"Good night mom!" Dawn called out as she poked her head into Johanna's den.

"Good night sweetie!" Johanna replied. "I won't be here tomorrow morning, so make sure you ask Darach for breakfast."

"Sure thing." Dawn said before she left.

Traveling down the corridor, Dawn reached the end of it where the entrance to her room was located. Entering, her eyes were drawn to the clock on the wall for her to check the time.

'I've got forty minutes, time to get changed.' Dawn said to herself softly as she quickly stripped out of her pajamas and began rummaging through her closet for something to wear. Ash had texted her earlier saying he would meet her at the entrance to Diglett's Boulevard, but he hadn't mentioned where they were going, so Dawn had no idea how she should be dressed.

Eventually, she settled on a lengthy dark blue halter top and a pair of black jeans. Grabbing a sweater since it was a bit cooler at night, Dawn fluffed her hair a bit but decided not to do anything special for the sake of time. Now standing in front of the window of her room, Dawn gulped audibly. This was the first time she had ever tried to sneak out or do anything after her curfew.

This was to take her next step as an artist though. She had to do this is if she expected to keep improving.

Raising the window slowly, Dawn climbed out of it and stepped out onto the awning above her back porch. Leaving her window unlocked, Dawn then lowered it down softly until it was barely closed, not even making a sound. Slowly stepping across the awning now, Dawn arrived at the edge of it where she looked down at the drop to the porch below. It wasn't a big drop; about eight feet and she had left some of the cushions from their deck chairs where she would be landing to soften it.

Jumping down, her landing was silent much to her delight since she was now free. Glancing across the porch, Dawn spotted the stool that she had brought outside for her to climb back on top of the awning. Everything was perfect!

Even though Dawn had never broken curfew, the thought of sneaking out had crossed her mind a few times. She had everything well thought out for when that day would arrive, and now she had executed her plan perfectly. Taking the stool from the porch now, Dawn brought it down with her to the wall that bordered her family's property and used it as a boost to get on top of the wall. In the present darkness, she could barely be seen as she traveled down to the front of their property where the gate to their driveway was located.

With a grunt Dawn mustered all her strength to hang from the wall momentarily before she dropped down, barely keeping her balance when her feet hit the ground.

'I made it!' She exclaimed mentally as she glanced around. She was now standing on the sidewalk just outside of her home, eager to see where this night would take her.

Heading down Diglett's Boulevard, Dawn pulled out her phone to check the time once again. She had fifteen minutes to reach the end of her street, so she set a brisk pace to make sure she was there on time. Sending out a message to Ash saying that she would be waiting for him at the bus stop, Dawn was shocked to see a response from him claiming that he was already waiting for her. Speeding up her pace, Dawn quickly soon reached the entrance to her street. Waiting for her under the street light was Ash, but he was seated on the hood of a silver car.

"Right on time." He noted as she approached him, her mouth agape.

"I thought you said you couldn't drive?" Dawn reminded him as he hopped off the hood of the car and climbed into the driver's seat.

"I never said I couldn't drive Dawn. I said I don't have a car." Ash replied as he tapped the passenger seat as a gesture for her to get in.

As Dawn got into the car and pulled her seatbelt across her torso, Ash retrieved his wallet in order to show her his driver's license.

"So then, whose car is this?" Dawn asked him.

"It's my friend's. He let me borrow it to come pick you up." Ash explained. "I don't want to keep him waiting any longer though."

He stepped on the accelerator, and the car surged forward.

Dawn watched as the street lights raced by above them. Ash drove at a moderate pace that Dawn was comfortable with, especially since the expressway was packed out with people trying to get across town on a Friday night. Soon enough Ash got off on one of the exits and made a right turn onto the streets of downtown Vermilion City.

"Where are we going, Ash?" Dawn asked him curiously. They had been driving for about twenty minutes, and Dawn didn't have the slightest idea where they were headed.

"We're headed for the train station downtown." Ash explained to her.

"What's going on there?" Dawn asked, furrowing her brow.

"You'll see in about five minutes." Ash replied as they drove through the dense urban jungle. Glancing out her window, Dawn noticed that the streets were practically empty. There were a few cars out, and the sidewalks were pretty bare. Vermilion City was known for its nightlife, so seeing the streets like this certainly gave it an ominous feeling.

"Where is everyone?" She asked now, getting a snort from Ash.

"Relax Dawn, you'll see when we get there." Ash stated again, causing Dawn to huff as she leaned back into her seat. Why was everything a surprise all of a sudden? Weren't they going to hang out with some of his friends?

Ash turned off onto one of the side streets where Dawn quickly spotted a huge parking lot in front of a train station. The lot was filled to capacity. Finding an empty spot would be quite a challenge.

"Where did I leave him?" Ash asked out loud as he spent a minute driving through the rows of cars before he arrived at the parking spot he had been searching for. There was a guy standing there with a pair of large headphones covering his ears. His back was turned to them as he moved his head to the beat of the song he was listening to. Ash gave him a few moments, waiting to see if the guy would notice that the headlights that were directed at him. This person remained ignorant though, so Ash grew impatient and honked the horn at him.

"Ahh!" He shouted, whirling around to spot Ash hanging out of the window of the driver's side with a wide grin on his face. "What the hell Ash!?"

Dawn watched curiously as the mystery guy stepped out of the parking spot, allowing Ash to pull in.

"Alright Dawn, we're here." Ash said as he opened up his door, stepping out of the car. Dawn nodded and did the same, discovering that the same guy was now inspecting his car closely.

"You didn't get any scratches on it, did you? No bumps, dents, nothing right? I had better not find anything, especially after that little stunt you just pulled. You know this car is my babe magnet!" The guy proclaimed, not even allowing Ash to respond to any of his questions.

"Your car is fine Brock, geez." Ash groaned as he stood by the trunk of the car, inviting Dawn to join him there.

"I hope so, or I'll come find you," Brock added before he perked up at the sight of the girl that was accompanying Ash. "And who do we have here?"

"Right, Brock, this is the guest I said I was bringing tonight." Ash began.

"Ash, you're basically a guest tonight. This is the first time you've dropped by to see us in ages." Brock interjected, getting a narrow stare from Ash.

"As I was saying, this is Dawn. Dawn, this guy here is Brock." Ash said as he introduced the two of them.

"It's nice to meet you." Dawn said as she extended a hand toward him. Brock tilted his head a bit before he grabbed her hand by the thumb with an audible clap, surprising her. She had seen guy greet each other like that, but she had never shaken hands like this before. Brock then released her hand and closed his own into a fist, waiting for her to bump fists with him. Dawn smiled a bit, remembering that Ash had done this to her on their first day of school. Happily, she bumped fists, and Brock smiled at her.

"She's alright in my book, a bit stiff though," Brock commented. "So you're here to watch us tonight?"

"I don't even know. Ash hasn't told me anything yet." Dawn replied as Brock motioned for them to follow him.

"That sounds like Ash alright, trying to make everything sound like some big secret. So I'll go ahead and spoil it for you." Brock said as they made their way over to the entrance of the train station. "I'm sure you know that Vermilion City has produced some fantastic performers, right?"

Dawn nodded immediately. She knew that Vermilion City was a place where talented people launched all sorts of careers. Performing was no exception.

"Well, once a year a festival is held underground where a lot of the up and coming people gather to show off for one night. It's an open invitation for anyone to come, and they're expecting a huge turnout this year. So they organized a little something special for the dance crews that are going to be here tonight." Brock explained as Dawn became starry-eyed.

"We're going to be watching some dances tonight? Awesome!" She exclaimed.

"Not we, just you an Ash." Brock pointed out.

"Huh?"

"I'm part of a crew, and Ash was in the same crew, although he hasn't been coming by lately." Brock revealed as they arrived at the grand entrance to the train station.

"You guys are dancers?!" She asked them. She was shocked. Dawn never would've thought that Ash would be someone who liked to dance.

"I was nothing special Dawn, plus I haven't practiced with them recently so I'm pretty rusty." Ash admitted as they continued into the station. The lobby was large, but Ash and Brock were more focused on the wide staircase at the back of the lobby which they quickly went to.

"The point is, some of the best dancers in town are here tonight, so you're in for a treat." Brock clarified, causing Dawn to take a peek at Ash. He had said that he was accustomed to seeing people that were passionate about their work. This hand to be what he wanted her to see.

"So then, why is this party being held in a train station?" Dawn asked curiously as they arrived at the bottom of the staircase, entering a short corridor with a freight elevator at the end of it. There was a tall guy dressed in black standing at the entrance to the elevator, his arms crossed and his eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

"To be honest, the train station is a cover. There's this station above ground and an abandoned subway station beneath it. That's where we're going." Brock explained to her as they arrived at the elevator. The guy that was guarding the elevator recognized Brock and greeted him the same way he had greeted Dawn. They clapped their hands together before the guard hit the button to call for the elevator. The elevator opened up, and the trio stepped in and Brock gave the guard a two finger salute as the door shut.

"He's a nice guy." Brock said as he glanced at Dawn who seemed to be a bit nervous. Looking toward Ash, Brock motioned toward Dawn with his head causing Ash to look at her.

"There's nothing to worry about Dawn. Everyone is here to have a good time." Ash assured her, and Brock gave a nod of agreement. Dawn smiled a bit in response as they descended into the subway station, but she still felt a little uncertain. She had never done anything like this, so she had no idea what to expect.

Blinking a few times, Dawn picked up on the first thing she would experience tonight. Very loud music. The elevator was sealed off, but she could still hear the bass pumping.

"Oh man, I love this song!" Brock exclaimed as he clapped his hand, beginning to groove in place. Ash could only roll his eyes at Brock before the elevator came to a stop. The doors parted and Dawn heard the full volume of the music that blasting through the subway station. It was deafening!

Stepping out, Dawn looked around with wide eyes at the station that had been decorated and lit up by a variety of colorful lights. Speakers were set up everywhere, blasting music for everyone to enjoy as small groups danced where they stood. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Dawn turned to see Ash motioning for her to follow him and Brock. They were leaving the main lobby of the subway station.

Leaving the lobby where the source of the music was located, things grew quieter as Ash and Brock took over to the turnstiles. The two of them jumped right over them, and then helped Dawn over since she was having a hard time. From there they entered a staircase that led down to the platforms that the train used to stop at. It was much quieter down here, and Dawn was thankful for that. She could barely hear herself think back there.

"What do you think so far?" Ash asked her as they followed Brock down the stairway.

"Uh, it's really loud?" Dawn answered weakly, but Ash laughed at this. It was an obvious answer, but he didn't seem to care.

"We're back!" Brock shouted as he arrived at the base of the staircase, garnering the attention of the group that had been waiting for them.

"Well, it's about time!" A voice boomed in reply. A large fella with dark hair approached the trio, skipping right past Brock and heading straight to Ash.

"Tierno, long time no see!" Ash exclaimed as the two of them clasped their hands together by the thumbs.

"What have you been up to?" He asked before his gaze settled on Dawn. Then he grinned at Ash. "Never mind, I think I've got a good idea."

"It's not like that Tierno." Ash groaned with a sigh, causing his friend to chuckle.

"What's your name?" Tierno asked, extending a hand toward Dawn.

"I'm Dawn, nice to meet you." She said sweetly. Tierno had taken Dawn's hand gingerly, unlike Brock, and she was smiled warmly at him for this.

"Was that Ash I heard?" Another voice asked. Dawn poked her head out to see around Tierno's large frame, and she was shocked to see a group of people rushing over to them. Before she knew it, Dawn found herself on the outside looking in. Ash had been swarmed by the group, and now he stood in the middle of them all trying to answer their questions.

Dawn frowned a bit, watching as Ash conversed with these people. He was making faces that she had never seen him make before. Ash had always been kind of reserved around her, but now he was being so expressive with this group of people.

"I take it this is the first time you're really seeing Ash Ketchum, huh?" Brock asked Dawn, standing beside her.

"It seems like it. I haven't known him for long, but it's like I'm looking at a different person right now." Dawn said as she watched Ash burst into a fit of laughter at a comment from one of his friends. He seemed almost… brighter now.

"It was like that when I first met him too. Once you really get to know him…you'll see." Brock said as Ash managed to reign in everyone before motioning for them to go meet Dawn.

"So Dawn, this is…everyone." Ash said he motioned to the group who were practically on top of each other as they tried to get a look at Dawn.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Shauna!" A bubbly brunette exclaimed, jumping out in front of the group.

"You can call me a Trevor!" A short red haired guy said as he raised his camera, taking a quick snapshot of Dawn.

"My name is Valerie, it's a pleasure to meet you." A young woman with long silky black hair said next.

"I'll keep it short, sweet and to the point. I'm Miette." A blue haired girl said, getting a sigh from the remaining girl that hadn't spoken yet.

"That was the longest intro Miette," She stated before giving Dawn a warm smile. "Hi, I'm Serena."

"And you've met me already, but a reminder never hurts," Tierno said as he tapped his chest. "Tierno!"

"Hey everyone, I'm Dawn, it's so nice to meet all of you." Dawn said happily. They were quite an interesting group that's for sure.

Brock and Ash separated themselves from the group as they began to bombard Dawn with questions. This gave them some space to speak privately.

"So what did you bring her for?" Brock asked him as he observed Dawn.

There was a moment of silence as Ash took some time to watch Dawn speak.

"She reminds me of myself. She knows what she wants to do, but she's not quite there yet." Ash explained to Brock. "I feel like she just needed a little nudge to start moving forward. So I thought I might try and give her that little push."

"Stop with all of that crap Ash. If you like her, just ask her out." Brock said to him.

"She's here with me now, isn't she?" Ash shot back at him. "And by the way, where's your date, Brock?"

Ash stared at Brock, waiting for an answer. He knew that Brock struggled when it came to his love life, and Ash rarely passed on an opportunity to tease him about it. Brock could only mumble a few words under his breath, causing Ash to grin.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Ash said, placing a hand to his ear.

"That doesn't matter," Brock said sharply, deciding to change the subject. "I've got some news for you anyway."

"What kind of news?" Ash asked, curious since Brock had become completely serious.

"One of the Five Kings is going to be here tonight." Brock revealed, immediately gaining Ash's full attention now.

"No way, who?" Ash practically demanded to know.

"The King of the White Lotus. They call him N." Brock revealed, causing an anxious smile to form on Ash's face. "I hope you're not planning to challenge him."

"I didn't bring Pikachu tonight so I can't, but I've been dying to see one of the Five Kings. How did you know he'd be here?" Ash inquired.

"I have my sources," Brock replied rather smugly. "I've heard that he's going to battle a circuit trainer since there's no chance of the police discovering this. Here's a chance to see him in action."

"Awesome." Was all Ash could see at the prospect of witnessing a Pokemon battle.

A/N

So here's chapter four, and I'd like to say that this chapter and the next go hand in hand, and they basically wrap up me developing this AU. I don't want to give out any spoilers because the next chapter is BIG, so I won't say much this time around.

Notable Characters

Brock. Of course, this fella had to make an appearance. Brock was one of my personal favorites, going way-way back to the Indigo Saga in the anime. You'll be seeing him more in the future along with his usual antics. Hopefully, I can nail his lines like he does in the anime.

Serena. After watching XY&Z, Serena really grew on me. I don't want to reveal much about her at the moment, but I have a few plans for her character that I can't wait to get to.

Miette. She came hand in hand with Serena. Their little rivalry and talks I enjoyed, and I see Miette as the down to earth, hard-nosed kind of person to contrast Serena.

Tierno. I really liked this big guy and his whole style that he rolled with in the anime. Not to mention he got one of my favorite starter Pokemon in Squirtle in the anime.

Shauna. I have some plans for Shauna already that you'll see within the next few chapters, and you'll be seeing her quite a bit with this group of people here.

Trevor. Having both Tierno and Shauna, I couldn't leave Trevor out. And with his interest in photography, I have quite a few ideas for him.

Valerie. Keeping with the theme I've had for a lot of the characters I've brought in, some of the interests they had outside of Pokemon will be more prevalent in this story. Valerie is into fashion, and you'll be seeing more of that in the future.

Thank you all for reading once again, and I hope to see all again! Once again, shout out to MjrGenMatt his continued support!