Chapter 5
"So um, Serena right?" Dawn asked, receiving the attention of the brunette who gave her a nod for using the correct name.
"Yup, you got it." She said cheerily, and Shauna added a nod of agreement.
"Are you guys really going to dance in front of all those people?" Dawn exclaimed, recalling the number of people she had seen back in the lobby.
"No doubt!" Shauna stated, snapping her fingers.
"It feels great performing in front of so many people." Serena added confidently. Dawn looked at them with great admiration now, impressed that they were actually excited to perform in front of so many people. Dawn couldn't imagine herself doing something like that.
In fact, Dawn was still struggling to believe that she had actually snuck out of her house past curfew, and was now located in an abandoned subway station downtown. She had come out with Ash's invitation and the promise that she would experience something new tonight, and all of this was definitely new to her.
Ash had introduced her to a group of people that he was well acquainted with, all of which were very happy to meet her. There were seven of them in total that made up Brock's crew, not counting Ash. Brock, Serena, Tierno, Shauna, and Miette were the performers who got out on stage. Trevor and Valerie worked behind the scenes, working hard to make sure that this group of five always looked fantastic while at work.
Trevor was in charge of publicity to try and get their name out there, but he also recorded their practice sessions so that they could look back at the choreography and see what they could work on. Valerie was their designer, responsible for their uniforms, and she acted as an aide to Trevor when he needed a hand. It was incredible to see all of them working so hard now.
"So do you guys have a focus to your dance?" Dawn asked curiously, and Shauna beamed at this.
"We've been dancing together for like two years, so we've studied all kinds of different styles and forms," Shauna explained as she motioned to Miette and Brock who were practicing a few steps together in front of Ash. "Brock and Miette had good footwork, like really good footwork, so they specialize in stepping."
She then pointed to Tierno who was chatting with Ash at the moment.
"Tierno, believe it or not, is an amazing breakdancer." Shauna continued, and Dawn's eyes widened at this. Tierno was a big fella, she found it hard to believe that he was a break dancer. "Yeah, we couldn't believe it either. He's really light on his feet and his balance is good too."
Then Shauna motioned to Serena who had been standing with them.
"And Serena here is our jack of all trades. She did gymnastics and ballet in high school, so she's got the skills to pay the bills!" Shauna declared, causing Serena to blush coyly.
"Shauna, you're too much." Serena replied, motioning for her friend to keep it down, but the damage had already been done at the mention of 'gymnastics.' Miette practically darted over to them, leaving Ash and Brock to stare at her oddly.
"I hope you're not talking about sectionals again." Miette stated sharply as she looked at them.
"No, we weren't." Serena said exasperatedly.
"Let's keep it that way." Miette added, causing Serena to stick her tongue out at her.
"I just wanted to know if you guys all met through dancing." Dawn explained to her, and Miette focused on her fellow bluenette now.
"You could say that. We all met through Brock really because he was forming a dance squad." Miette explained, receiving a nod from Dawn. "So Dawn, do mind if I ask where you met Ash?"
"Not at all. We go to school together." Dawn replied. "In fact, he saved my life when we first met."
"No way, really?" Miette exclaimed.
"Yeah. I would've been hit by a car if he didn't push me out the way." Dawn admitted, leaving their mouths agape. Dawn laughed a bit at their expressions before recalling the day Ash had saved her. It was only a week ago, but so much had stemmed from the first time they had met. Obviously, Dawn wasn't in the hospital and she was grateful for that, but her budding friendship with Ash also had her trying new things.
"That's incredible," Miette noted, being the first to regain her composure. Then she gave Dawn a sly glance, a smirk forming on her face. "So…do you like him?"
"Miette!" Serena exclaimed, shocked that Miette could just to such a question so suddenly. "You don't have to answer that Dawn, just ignore her."
Dawn watched as Serena grabbed Miette by the wrist and dragged her away, leaving Dawn to take a glance at Ash was who was still talking to Brock. Did she like Ash Ketchum? She didn't know the answer.
Tierno sighed heavily as he dropped down beside Trevor and Valerie as they focused on Trevor's laptop.
"What's the matter, Tierno?" Valerie asked, noticing that his mood was on the downside.
"I don't get it, what does Ash have that I don't have?" Tierno asked them, causing Valerie to furrow her brow.
"What are you talking about?" Trevor asked him in return.
"Ash shows up and almost all the girls in our group are practically glued to him," Tierno explained as he looked at Ash who had been approached by Shauna and Dawn now. Everyone was talking to Ash. "I want some attention."
Valerie couldn't help but giggle at Tierno as he whined, while Trevor placed a hand on his friend's shoulder to console him.
"Don't worry big guy, the right girl will come along for you. And you'll know she's right because she'll come straight to you." Trevor pointed out to him. Tierno looked up at him, his eyes brightening up.
"Really? You think so?"
"I know so."
"Aww, thanks, man!" Tierno said as they bumped fists. He then rose up, heading over to the other group to strike up some conversation.
"Wow Trevor, it's like you always know what to say to cheer him up," Valerie noted. "I wish I could speak to him so calmly."
Trevor furrowed his brow for a moment as he glanced at Valerie. She was watching Tierno as he approached Dawn to speak to her, a small frown on her face.
"Wait, you don't…? Never mind." Trevor said, shaking his head for a moment. Returning his focus to the laptop in front of him, he found the soundtrack he had been searching for. "Hey Brock, I found it!"
Brock whistled, calling the whole group together around Trevor as he retrieved a small pair of speakers from the messenger bag beside him, hooking it up to his laptop.
"Alright, so since Ash decided to grace us with his presence tonight, I figured this might be a good chance to do something we haven't done in a while." Brock announced to the group, pointing toward Trevor. The redhead clicked a few times on his laptop, turning the volume all the way up as the music began. A beat began, which immediately caught everyone's attention as they began to move their heads in sync with it.
Brock then raised his hands, clapping three times to the beat. On the next set, everyone but Dawn clapped their hands together.
"Oh my gosh, we haven't done this in forever!" Shauna exclaimed as Trevor set down his laptop, now taking out his camera as the fun began.
With the exception of Dawn, they all gathered together to form a circle, grooving to the beat.
"So who's going to start us off?!" Brock called out, looking around at his friends.
"Gimme some space people, Tierno's going to work!" Tierno hollered as he slid into the center of the circle, taking a moment to match his movements to beat of the song.
Dawn stared at the group, watching them as they all bounced in place, watching Tierno put on a small performance at the center of the circle. Trevor was the only person on the outside of the circle, taking pictures of the group from various angles before he noticed that Dawn hadn't joined them. Raising his hand, he motioned for her to come over.
"Obviously you haven't been to any of our practice sessions, but this was an old kind of…tradition we'd do before a show." Trevor explained to her. "Brock came up with it. It's to loosen everyone up and have some fun before we go on."
Looking around at the group, Dawn couldn't deny that it looked like they were having fun.
"Hah!" Tierno shouted as he spun around on his shoulders and his upper back, performing a windmill to the delight of his friends. Once he came to a stop, Tierno jumped to his feet and struck a pose for everyone who then laughed.
"Alright Tierno, stop hogging the spotlight!" Shauna called out as she jumped in the middle now, bumping Tierno with her hip. Shooting her a grin, he backed out of the circle as Shauna now took her turn. Shauna didn't waste a moment as she went straight to her acrobatics, performing handstands and contorting herself causing her friends to express their admiration.
As this continued, each of them took a turn dancing in the middle, from Miette showing off some fancy footwork, to Brock performing a double backflip. Even Valerie and Trevor took a turn, and while neither of them couldn't compare to the actual dancers in this group, that didn't stop anyone from hollering and hooting as they danced.
Dawn was a deep shade of red as she stepped out of the middle with a sigh of relief. Even though she was a first-timer, they didn't let her get away from dancing in the middle. The only time Dawn ever danced was in the privacy of her own room, so she was embarrassed to dance in front of them, but all of them cheered for her as she moved and it helped Dawn relax a bit. Now that the bluenette had danced, only two people remained who had yet to dance on their little stage.
Ash and Serena.
Everyone took note that Ash hadn't danced yet, beginning to call for him to take the stage. Taking a breath, Ash stepped into the middle much to the delight of his friends, but then he extended a hand toward Serena. She raised her eyebrows, a bit surprised by his gesture, but he beckoned for her to join him.
Taking his hand, Ash grinned at Serena who quickly knew what was about to happen next. Giving her a small pull, Ash whipped her past him, fully extended his arm as this brought her to an immediate stop. Serena then stretched out her free arm, motioning for everyone to give them some space.
"Oh, someone's planning to show off!" Brock hollered as everyone moved back a few steps.
Dawn's jaw almost hit the floor at the sight of Ash beginning to move with Serena now. Pulling her close, Serena spun, allowing him to catch her in his remaining arm where she leaned into his embrace. They shared a glance before separating, beginning to walk in a circle as they eyed one another. Serena raised one hand above her head and extended the other toward Ash who took it gracefully and pulled her close once again. They then began then to move together, earning shouts of praise from their surrounding audience.
It was breathtaking, watching the two of them as they demonstrated their agility and cohesiveness as they moved. Dawn felt her chest tighten at the sight of Ash and Serena so close together, smiling at each other. Even though Dawn had never paid much attention to people as they danced, she could sense a connection between Ash and Serena. They moved so freely around each other, even though Ash claimed to be out of practice. There was something…deeper here.
Ash and Serena turned their audience, striking a pose as the song struck its final beat. They all burst into applause for the duo who took a bow together.
"Yo, what happened to, 'I'm rusty?'" Brock asked, mimicking Ash's statement earlier in a whiny voice as he slapped Ash on the back.
"Heh, maybe I'm not as bad as I thought." Ash replied with a chuckle.
Snapping one last picture, Trevor then glanced at his wristwatch.
"Hey guys, it's almost time for the show to get started!" Trevor called out to the group. But his little announcement was quickly overshadowed by a roar from the lobby of the station that echoed to the platform they had been on. That was the signal for the start of tonight's event. The already booming music seemed to jump to a new level as the crowd in the lobby began to cheer.
"That's our cue people, let's get moving!" Brock said, clapping his hands repeatedly. "Bring it in, bring it in!"
All of them gathered in a huddle as if they were playing football, clapping with Brock.
"Alright guys, we got this!" Tierno roared as they put their hands out, one on top of the other. Brock topped it off by tapping it with his fist before raising his hand, earning a shout from the rest of them.
"Let's go~!" Shauna declared as she took the lead, heading back to the lobby followed by everyone else. Ash and Dawn brought up the rear of the group, allowing them to speak.
"Are you ready for this?" Ash asked her as they trailed behind.
"I don't really know what to expect at this point," Dawn admitted with a small chuckle. "Your friends are amazing though. I can't wait to see them!"
"You haven't seen anything yet. Just wait until they're on stage." Ash replied with a smile as he glanced up at the group ahead of them. All of them were noisily discussing their routine one last time.
Returning to the lobby, Dawn was amazed to see how much the scene had changed compared to when she had first arrived. All of the lights had been adjusted, now focusing on a stage that had been set up at the center of the lobby. The crowd that had been spread out throughout the lobby now surrounded the stage, shouting and clapping as two dance teams took turns showing off their routines.
"Wait, why are there two separate groups on stage?" Dawn asked Ash after tugging on his shirt.
"Oh, it's a dance battle." He replied.
"Dance battle?" Dawn repeated.
"Just watch. I think you'll like it." Ash said as he nodded toward the stage. Even with the large audience, the stage was tall enough for anyone from any distance to see what was taking place, allowing Dawn to observe intently.
One of the groups seemed to back off the stage, allowing the other team to take full control of the stage as they began to dance together. Dawn was impressed, to say the least. Everything was well rehearsed, and everyone was coordinated and moving in unison. Yet, as she spent a few moments focusing on each dancer, she could see that they each had their own style, a little twist that they put on their moves that only added to the whole picture.
"Aye, that was just the first battle we have tonight people!" The MC shouted as he now took the stage following the end of the first dance battle. "Next up we got the Cipher Squad and the Jive Steppers!"
"Jive Steppers!?" Miette exclaimed as their group of five got onto the stage. "We don't even have a name, who came up with that?"
"We needed a name to register. Tierno gave it to me." Brock answered.
"And that explains that." Miette muttered as she glanced at Tierno. The big fella only gave her a grin and a peace sign in response, causing her to sigh. As lame as the name was, it was impossible to be upset with him.
Ash and Dawn squeezed through the crowd, getting as close the stage as they could. Brock, Miette, Tierno, Serena, and Shauna now stood together, staring intently at their opponents across the stage. It was a group of six guys, who were talking amongst themselves and occasionally motioning to the three girls on the opposing team.
"Don't get psyched out guys, we're going to own this stage." Brock stated as he looked over at the DJ who was behind his electronic turntables. A heavy beat dropped, marking the beginning of the battle. Serena, Shauna, and Miette started things off as they glided out to the center of the stage, moving as a unit.
Ash smiled confidently as they danced, showing off some crisp and sharp movements, rotating so that each of them had a few moments at the center of the stage. Reaching the end of their short routine, Serena now stood at the front of their small team; she leaped into the air and twirled several times. Landing softly on her hands and feet, Serena quickly shifted her weight to her hands and kicked out her legs to the side momentarily, holding her body parallel to the ground.
Clicking her heels together while she was in this position, Serena then put one foot on the ground and returned to an upright position. Stealing a glance back at Miette and Shauna, Serena saw that they were waiting on the edge of the stage for her, exactly where they needed to be. Lowering herself, Serena then went back onto her hands, and then to her feet to gain some momentum. Back on her feet once again, she gathered herself and jumped hard, performing a backflip. While she was airborne, Miette slid out on her knees from underneath Serena who landed behind her now. Shauna placed a hand out to steady Serena, and they struck a pose together. Miette extended a hand toward the opposing group, mouthing for them to 'bring it'.
As the girls began to back off the stage now, the guys on the other team were ready to answer Miette's challenge immediately as they took the stage, practically jumping the girls as they backed away. Miette was caught off guard as one guy, in particular, had darted toward her before she had gotten off the stage. He was lacking a shirt, but he wore a pair of baggy pants, a cap that read 'Chad' in capital letters and an arrogant smirk as he stood in front of Miette now. Raising his hands, he gave Miette a shove, throwing her back to the rest of her team.
Fortunately, Tierno was there to catch her, saving her from a fall. This immediately gained the attention of the rest of their group as they all glared at the guys on stage.
"Hey, you do that again and I'll bust your ass!" Brock shouted at him, stepping out onto the stage. Chad only tapped his chest with both hands, throwing them upward before he slid back to the rest of his team. Even though they had started their routine without him, he fell in line as if he hadn't missed a beat.
"Miette, are you okay?" Shauna asked her as Miette stood on her own feet with a 'hmph', thanking Tierno under her breath.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Miette stated, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "What a stupid jerk!"
"You got that right!" Tierno hollered, shaking his fist at the other team.
Tapping her feet angrily, Miette found herself trying to think of a way to get back at him the next time they took the stage.
"Easy now, I'll pay him back in full." Brock stated.
Soon enough, the Cipher Squad's routine ended, and Chad tipped his cap at them as he backed off the stage, giving Miette a wink. Before Miette could even make a motion in response, Tierno stepped in front of her, slapping his cheeks to hype himself up. Then as a new beat started, he stepped out onto the stage. Tierno started out by himself and shocked just about every person in the audience.
For such a large guy, he moved incredibly well. His movements were smooth as he seemed to glide around the stage, proving to be more flexible and agile than anyone would give him credit for. Now balancing on his hands, Tierno began to perform some baby spins, turning on his hands as he contorted his legs. Then with one clean motion, he was back on his feet standing upright, calling his for teammates to join him on the stage. Both Serena and Shauna came out performing cartwheels before transitioning into a front flip where they stomped their feet audibly.
Now with all five of them were on stage together, their presentation was flawless as the crowd chanted and cheered for them. Completing their second routine, they stepped back conceding the stage to the other team, and Chad wasted no time returning to his antics. Coming up to the front of his group where he was close as possible to Brock and his gang, Chad went out of his way to taunt them as he danced, clearly trying to irritate them.
"Oh, just you wait! You won't be smiling when we're through with you!" Miette barked at him, but his smile only widened in response. Miette turned to the rest of her team. "Come on guys, we're not going to let him keep this up are we?!"
"No, we won't," Brock stated as he called for them to come closer to him. "Do you remember the big finish we practiced earlier this week?"
"With the jump?" Tierno clarified, getting a nod from Brock.
"Yeah, I remember that." Serena said as they all confirmed that they could recall it.
"Okay. We're going to finish with that. But I'm going to put a little something extra in there, so just follow accordingly." Brock said with a small smile. They all began to nod to each other before returning their focus to the team on stage.
Down in the audience, Dawn now noticed that there was something different about them. She couldn't really describe it, but there was a certain intensity surrounding the five of them.
The Cipher Squad backed off the stage, high fiving each other for how well they had done. The MC began to step on the stage, ready to declare as the audience who they thought was the winner, but Brock waved to him, motioning for him to stay back. Usually, each team would get two turns on stage in a battle, but if they felt like showing one extra routine, they could call for it. The MC nodded to Brock before pointing at the DJ, telling him to spin up one last track.
"Let's go!" Brock said as the five of them stepped onto the stage, earning the attention of the Cipher Squad who thought the battle was over.
"Heh, I wonder what they're going to do." Trevor exclaimed. Dawn almost yelped in surprise after discovering that both Trevor and Valerie had been standing with her and Ash.
"I don't think this was part of what they planned to do," Valerie noted as she clasped her hands together, watching as her friends began to dance one last time. "Let's see how this goes."
Brock was out in front, leading as the others followed his movements. He framed his face with his hands, bounced on his toes and spun. Slowly they were moving forward toward the other team, but Brock faded into the back of his group as his teammates now took over. Miette began took charge from here, allowing Brock to stand in the back as he eyed Chad. Upon seeing that the blue haired girl was in front of her group, he came to the front of his own to stare at her. Miette shot him a hard stare, which only gained a grin from him.
As Miette spun away from him now, the guy caught sight of Brock in the back. Their eyes met, and Brock raised a hand to point directly at him. The crowd seemed to hold their breath in preparation for whatever Brock had in store. From the back of his crowd, Brock came out spinning around his team, shifting from his toes to his heels as he spun, heading straight for the other team. With his earlier gesture toward Chad though, everyone knew that Brock was going to stop directly in front of him. This head true as Brock did just that, taking a moment to glare at him while listening to the beat of the music. Brock began to move his feet now, slowly at first. Then he began to raise his foot speed and the audience reacted accordingly.
"Dang man!"
"Whoooo!"
"Check out those steps!"
Brock began to point at his feet, adding in new movements such as half and quarter spins and shifting his weight almost effortlessly from his heels to the balls of his feet. Hearing the reactions from the audience, Brock smirked at Chad before jumping into the air. Upon landing on his feet and resuming his footwork, Miette joined him now, matching his steps perfectly. Then they jumped together and Tierno joined them. Soon enough all five of them were moving their feet quickly, impressing everyone present. All five of them jumped together, coming to a stop as they now faced the other team, their gaze focused on the young man that had been trying to terrorize them.
"Is that the best you got?" Chad asked Brock who was still standing directly in front of him. Brock grinned…then he dropped into a crouch suddenly, grabbing Chad's pants as he did so, ripping them down to reveal his bright yellow boxers he wore underneath. The crowd roared at this as Brock straightened back up, raised his hands and gave Chad a shove just as the jerk had done to Miette.
Losing his footing, Chad fell down onto his bottom while Brock leaned backward, throwing himself onto his hands. Now in a handstand, Brock balanced himself on one hand while he used his free hand to motion for his team to take a few steps back. Brock then went back onto his feet, and then jumped to perform a backflip. This marked the moment for all of them to jump.
The group of five came down on their feet in sync with one thunderous boom as the song came to an end, earning a downpour of cheers and applause from the audience. Their little finale clearly established that they had won, and it became that much more obvious as the MC came back onto the stage, screaming over their performance.
Dawn jumped with an ecstatic whoop, latching on to Ash as she cheered for them. Ash looked down at her, and Dawn blushed as she released her hold on his arm but Ash smiled at her.
"They're amazing, aren't they?" He asked her as he returned his gaze to his friends on stage.
They certainly were!
The whole group met together on the abandoned platform they had been practicing on earlier, save for Valerie and Trevor.
"Three cheers for Brock!" Tierno hollered as he hoisted Brock into the air once again. Everyone crowded around Brock, their arms up as they laughed and shouted.
"You were just showing off at the end there with all of that footwork." Miette pointed out.
"I seem to remember all of us getting in on that action." Brock replied with a smirk. She only snickered in response since she was the first to join him.
"Alright guys, we're back!" Trevor and Valerie called out, gaining everyone's attention. They all discovered that the two of them had come down with a platter of drinks that they had snatched from the drink table back in the lobby.
"Aww yeah!" Brock roared as they crowded around them to collect a cup.
"Ash, Dawn, these two cups are yours." Valerie informed them as she motioned to the pair of cups on the platter with an 'x' on them.
"Why's that?" Dawn asked as Ash took his drink.
"You're not old enough to have alcohol right?" Serena asked her, causing Dawn to furrow her brow as she looked around at them.
"Wait, how old are you guys?" Dawn asked them.
"Twenty four." Brock stated.
"Twenty-two!" Shauna exclaimed after downing her cup.
"Twenty-one." Miette added.
"I just turned twenty one actually." Serena said, raising one hand slightly.
"Old enough!" Tierno said with a grin.
"He's twenty one like myself, Miette and Serena." Trevor said after giving Tierno a narrow glance.
"Yeah, the four of us graduated from high school together." Serena pointed as she glanced at Tierno who scratched the back of his neck with a laugh.
Dawn then looked to Valerie since she was the only one who hadn't answered.
"Actually, now that I think about it. I don't know how old Valerie is." Serena noted causing the rest of them to look up in thought.
"Yeah, you never told us." Trevor pointed out as the others agreed. None of them knew this piece of information concerning Valerie. In response though, she only winked at the group.
"Not telling." She said sweetly, sticking out her tongue.
"What if we guess it?" Brock suggested.
"Yeah, if we guess right you have to tell us." Miette declared as she, Serena, Brock, and Trevor began to consider the possibilities.
"If she was the same age as any of us, she would've said something so that eliminates a couple of options right there." Trevor said, getting a nod of agreement from all of them.
"And there's no way she's over thirty." Brock added.
"Why are you making an assumption like that?" Serena exclaimed.
"Have you looked at her? There's no way Valerie could be thirty years old." Brock reasoned.
"Aww, thanks, Brock." She said graciously, smiling at him.
"Hey wait a sec, where's my cup?" Tierno exclaimed, realizing that he had yet to collect it from the platter.
"Too slow~!" Shauna called out to him with a laugh having already finished off his drink.
"Shauna!" Tierno shouted.
Ash leaned against the wall, watching the group with a cheery smile as Dawn approached him.
"Are they always like this?" She asked him as she joined him in observing his friends.
"Always." He replied with a nod. "So what did you think?"
"I know for a fact I saw something amazing tonight." Dawn said with a small smile, taking a peek at Ash out of the corner of her eyes. The performance his friends had put on was incredible, and Dawn had to credit the amazing person standing beside her for bringing her to this event.
"Good, I'm glad." Ash said before their attention was drawn to the staircase leading to the platform where dozens of people came rushing down.
"What's going on?" Dawn asked as Ash straightened up, watching as the crowd separated to allow two people to get through. The first guy he saw was light skinned and mostly bald save for a tuff of red hair. The other guy though seemed to contrast him perfectly, possessing long green locks with a cap on the top of his head.
The two of them continued out onto the platform and then jumped down onto the train tracks, taking a considerable distance from one another. The crowd remained up on the platform, watching with great anticipation as the two of them pulled small red and white spheres off their belts.
"Wait, there's going to be a Pokemon battle tonight?" Tierno asked curiously as he and everyone else looked on anxiously.
"A Pokemon battle? Aren't those against the law?" Dawn exclaimed.
"Which is exactly why it's happening down here." Trevor clarified with a grin as pulled out his camera, hoping to capture the footage of this battle.
"Of course, no wonder Ash showed up tonight." Miette noted as she and Serena looked toward Ash. He and Brock had separated themselves from their friends, now standing close to the edge of the platform where they would have the best view of the battle.
"Wait, why would that make Ash come here tonight?" Dawn asked them.
"Because Ash is trying to become a Pokemon trainer." Serena answered with just a hint of disdain. Dawn's eyes widened at this.
Ash…wanted to become a Pokemon trainer? The most frowned upon profession in the world. Dawn looked toward the young man that had brought her here tonight, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"Who's who?" Ash asked Brock, motioning to the pair of trainers. He didn't recognize either of them.
"The guy over here is Sidney. He's pretty big in the circuit, not someone you could take lightly no matter who you are. And the dude with the green hair, that's N." Brock explained, directing Ash's attention to N. One of the five Kings of Vermilion City.
It was no secret that Pokemon battles were illegal. So much as owning a Pokemon was frowned upon by the general public. More often than not, Pokemon were tied to violence between the gangs in Vermilion City, frustrating the authorities because of the excessive damage Pokemon were capable of causing. Battling had been banned across the globe, and with a fear of Pokemon instilled in them, humans lived separately from Pokemon.
The sport of Pokemon battling couldn't be squashed though. Trainers continued in secret, developing a circuit to test their skills and the strength of their Pokemon.
Vermilion City became the heart of this circuit, where the strongest trainers gathered. These trainers gained a following in the city, and what started as small groups gradually expanded.
"Umm, Ash, is it alright for us to be here?" Dawn asked as she tentatively approached Ash and Brock.
"You don't have to worry Dawn." Ash assured her.
"We're underground right now, there's no way the police could catch wind of this battle." Brock explained to her. This didn't help Dawn relax though. She had never been to such an event, nor did she ever intend to attend one at her choosing. Noticing the excitement of the crowd though, Dawn couldn't deny that she was curious. She had never seen a Pokemon battle in person, and here was her first opportunity.
"So are these guys part of those um…" Dawn paused, trying to choose her words carefully. However, she couldn't think of a nicer term than what came to mind. "Are they part of those gangs that are always in the news?"
Brock and Ash both looked back at her for a moment, their expression remaining neutral.
"The police call them gangs, thugs, criminals and a whole ton of other stuff. But when you come down here, the first thing you learn is that all of those labels are incorrect. There are only kingdoms." Brock explained rather passionately. "Vermilion City hosts the strongest trainers in the world, who compete against one another almost constantly. The thing is that since the authorities are so tight about this, it isn't easy to make a living as a trainer. That's why these kingdoms formed. For trainers to support one another and help each other get by."
"So then, why do you all fight each other so much?" Dawn asked him, confusion evident on her face. She could recall seeing on the news many, many instances where violent battles broke out between these so-called 'kingdoms.' If their purpose was to support each other, why did they fight each other so often?
"Fight each other?" Ash exclaimed as he looked up in thought. Then he began to chuckle, shaking his head a bit. "That's just how other people see it. But we're only testing each other, trying to find ways to get stronger and improve both ourselves and our Pokemon."
"Truth," Brock said, raising his hand toward Ash and they bumped fists. "Alright, they're starting."
Everyone became hushed since Sidney had raised his hands, anxious to begin this battle.
"You ready?" Sidney called out to N who gave him a broad smile.
"Let's begin!" N hollered in return. They both hurled their Pokeballs into the air, releasing the creatures held within. Dawn gasped as two beasts with terrifying expressions took shape on the tracks, but the crowd roared with approval.
"Whoa, N is using his Zoroark!"
"He's not playing around with this battle!"
"But Sidney's using Absol, he's going all out too!"
"Absol, let's start this off right with Agility, then use Razor Wind!" Sidney commanded, swiping his hand through the air.
Absol snarled and stomped his front paws, causing his form to begin to flicker as the crooked horn that adorned his head gained a brilliant glow. Absol surged forward with great speed thanks to his powerful hind legs, moving almost too quickly for the crowd to follow as he closed in Zoroark, but the sinister black Pokemon smirked at the sight of Absol's approach.
"Block it." N stated.
Absol came barreling into Zoroark's side, his horn lowered to drive it deep into Zoroark's torso. There was contact and a rippling gust of wind was sent out that stirred up the audience. Absol leered up at his opponent and saw that his horn connected with Zoroark's sturdy forearm that didn't even budge from the force he attacked with. His eyes widen at the sight of such an effortless block from Zoroark, but this didn't deter Absol as he dashed off to attack from a different angle. However, the result was the same, Zoroark had no trouble blocking his attacks.
"Dang man!" Sidney exclaimed as he snapped his fingers. "Absol, let's step things up with Shadow Claw!"
Absol went up on his hind legs, and his front paws began ignited in a dark aura that became molded in some lengthy claws. He then pounced at Zoroark, claws raised to attack.
"Dodge," N said and Zoroark did just so. Even under attack, Zoroark showed no fear as he evaded each attack with fluidity. It all looked so easy! Ducking beneath another swipe, Zoroark further demonstrated his comfort in this close ranged combat by flicking Absol's forehead before he leaped backward to create some separation between them. Absol barred his fangs with a growl, frustration evident at his inability to even hit Zoroark properly. "Now Zoroark, use Shadow Claw as well!"
"They may be faster than us Absol, but let's show them who's stronger. Beat them down with your Shadow Claw!" Sidney shouted with a grin. There was no way they would be defeated a duel when it came to sheer strength.
Absol tightened his stance as his Shadow Claw grew in size before he lunged at Zoroark. In response, Zoroark raised only one of his paws which gained a similar menacing glow that Absol's possessed, manifesting into an extended trio of claws. Zoroark jumped forward to meet Absol and their claws met with a clash but this was only momentary. Absol's eyes widened in shock as he was immediately overpowered and hurled backward. Sidney gawked at the sight of his partner being sent tumbling away from Zoroark.
"No way, we lost in a power battle?!" Sidney exclaimed incredulously. He looked to N and saw the smile he wore.
"Now end it Zoroark, Focus Blast!" N ordered with one hand raised.
"Absol, get moving!" Sidney hollered to his partner who struggled to return to his feet. His eyes were on the ground, still trying to overcome the shock of he losing every exchange of attacks so far. He never looked up to see what was coming his way.
A sphere of shining light was launched at Absol and it snatched him up from the ground when it made contact with his body. This attack sent him spiraling into the wall where the attack detonated, smashing Absol right through while a portion of caved in upon of him.
"Absol!" Sidney roared as he rushed over to check his Pokemon. Thankfully, Absol was completely buried beneath the debris, allowing Sidney to call him back to the safety of his Pokeball. At the sight of this, the audience applauded Zoroark's fearsome strength as the battle came to its conclusion.
"I heard that Sidney has a pretty high ranking in the circuit, somewhere in the thirties." Brock informed Ash, getting a snort from him. No one would've been able to guess that looking at this battle. The strength of N and his Zoroark was just…overwhelming. Ash watched as N recalled his Zoroark while Sidney approached him. They shook hands with warm smiles before looking up to the audience who cheered wildly for the spectacle.
Ash watched as the two of them climbed back up onto the platform and began heading back up to the lobby. Focusing on N as he passed by, time seemed to slow down for Ash he felt his heart thumping in his chest. One of the Five Kings of Vermilion City was so close by, and yet after that battle, it felt as though N was unbearably far away. Ash felt a smile creep on his face, eager to challenge N at the next opportunity he would have.
N froze for a moment, furrowing his brow before glancing around at the people around him. Soon enough his gaze settled on Ash, and he gave Ash a bright smile before continuing on his way. Brock looked in the direction N had been smiling in, and realized that-that small gesture had been directed at Ash.
"What was that Ash?" Brock asked him.
"I don't know, but I'll be back." Ash said as he went off to pursue N.
This wasn't easy as Ash got caught in the crowd that was following the trainers as they returned to the lobby. Unfortunately, as Ash finally started to break through the crowd, he spotted N meeting with a pair of men dressed in black who escorted him into the elevator. Ash didn't even have a chance of making it before the doors shut, taking N back up to the train station above them.
"Dang." Ash muttered to himself as he glanced around in search of the stairwell that would take him back to the train station. Soon enough Ash found the old stairway. It was big and dusty as it spiraled upward, but this was his only way to catch up to N. Taking a deep breath, Ash began to go up the steps two at a time. It took him some time but he reached the top and he could feel his knees burning, but Ash shook it off and proceeded out into the train station to search for N. Entering the main lobby, Ash looked around before spotting N and his two escorts heading out the main entrance.
Chasing after them, Ash burst out of the doors and was shocked to discover that N was waiting for him.
"I had a feeling you would come." He said to Ash as he motioned for his escorts to take some distance from them.
"How-how'd you know?" Ash asked him.
"By the way, you were looking at me. Only other trainers look at me like that." N explained with a bit of a laugh.
"Well yeah, cause I just saw a great battle. Now I feel like having one myself." Ash replied, scratching the back of his neck. "So uh, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Not at all." N said kindly.
"Are you…a Pokemon Master?"
N's expression seemed to harden for a moment as he blinked at Ash. Then he snorted and gave a soft chuckle as he considered the question.
"Am I a Pokemon Master?" N asked himself out loud before he shook his head. "I've heard a few people mention that title, but to be honest, I never heard a straight answer about what that really is."
"Aww man, I heard that you were the best trainer in the city, so I was kind of hoping you might have known something about it," Ash mumbled before waving off his comment. "That's okay though, it's no big deal."
"Where did you hear about it, if you don't mind me asking?" N inquired curiously.
The term Pokemon Master was something N had caught whispers off during his travels, but the trainers he had spoken to didn't have a definitive answer. This left him to wonder if it was something that had been made up, possibly to stir up trainers that there was something waiting for them if they attained some form of mastery over Pokemon…or could it mean something else?
Ash cleared his throat as he looked up in thought, recalling the first time he had heard about a Pokemon Master.
"My dad was a Pokemon trainer when I was little, and he would tell me about his adventures whenever he came home. Then there was one night he asked me what I thought a Pokemon Master was." Ash explained to N who listened on intently. "I didn't really have an answer for him if I had to be honest."
"What would you say now? What does it mean…to be a Pokemon Master?" N asked him, leaving Ash a little surprised as he froze momentarily. He didn't really think that N would be so inquisitive, nor did he plan on holding a conversation with him, but now that it was in progress Ash would happily continue. It wasn't every day you got to speak face to face with one of the strongest trainers in the world.
"Well, at first I thought that a Pokemon Master was the strongest trainer. But…that didn't really feel like the right answer to me. As I got to know my Pikachu, I realized there's a lot more to Pokemon than just strength. Each of them represents a life, one that's filled with as much potential as you and I. So I've been starting to think that a Pokemon Master isn't just a strong trainer…" Ash trailed off for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He had spent so much time thinking about this subject that the words just wanted to come gushing out of him. "As a Pokemon Master, you represent something. You have the respect and admiration of all trainers because they recognize the strength of you and your Pokemon. But at the same time to regular people, a lot of which fear Pokemon at the moment, you're living proof that forming close bonds with Pokemon is…ideal."
"It seems like that would be a tremendous burden." N noted, but Ash's expression seemed to brighten at this.
"I don't think a Pokemon Master would even notice all of that though. I think that he or she would be so wrapped up with their Pokemon that it wouldn't matter if the weight of the world was on their shoulders, they'd be completely fine. So long as they have their Pokemon with them, there's nothing that would bother them." Ash continued, and N smiled at him a bit for this statement.
"I'm glad you said that Ash. I've met quite a few trainers, but not all of them could make such bold statements like you just did." N said to him. "In fact, I know a number of trainers that don't believe a Pokemon Master could ever exist."
Ash stared at him incredulously for a moment. Who in their right mind would say a Pokemon Master doesn't exist?!
"Needless to say, I shared my thoughts with them on the subject. Hopefully, they'll turn out for the better with it." N went on with a small chuckle.
"So…you believe there's a Pokemon Master too?" Ash asked him almost tentatively. N laughed at Ash's question, finally answering once he had calmed down a bit.
"Definitely. In fact, you and I share some of the same views of a Pokemon Master." N replied. "For example, I agree that a Pokemon Master must be skilled. I feel as though a Pokemon Master's strength would be so unparalleled, that no other trainer could ever stand against them."
Ash nodded in agreement. He could never imagine the Pokemon Master losing a battle. Not in a million years!
"However, I don't see the Pokemon Master as a figurehead, like you do," N noted briefly as their gaze met. "I see them more as…a ruler. My belief is that a Pokemon Master is selected, by whom…I'm not certain. Since they were selected though, they were given, a vision or, an ideal as you put it. And because they possess this, they are willing to assert themselves in order to create the ideal world that they have witnessed."
N and Ash stared at each other for a few moments, remaining silent. Ash couldn't really think of what to say. N's thoughts of what a Pokemon Master represented left him at a loss for words. How could N come to the conclusion that a Pokemon Master was some sort of ruler? A Pokemon Master couldn't be a dictator!
Seeing that Ash was struggling to speak now, N took it upon himself to push the conversation along.
"As I've said though Ash, I've never met a Pokemon Master, nor am I that person. I am searching for them." N stated, causing Ash to perk up with curiosity.
"You're looking for them?" Ash asked, furrowing his brow. N gave him a nod in response. "What for?"
N motioned toward him.
"As you said, a Pokemon Master should be able to show everyone that forming relationships with Pokemon is ideal. The public right now doesn't understand that." N noted, shaking his head slightly. "That's why I believe a Pokemon Master must be assertive. To help ignorant people see through the veil that's been put in front of them."
The way all trainers were viewed by the public was a touchy subject. All of them were lumped into a category of thugs, gangs and general hazards to society. Pokemon training was frowned upon by the masses, and being caught practicing or taking part in a battle would land you time in prison.
"You saw it earlier. The audience that watched that battle loved every minute of it. There are people out there that respect and admire Pokemon trainers, but the number of people that do pales in comparison to the number of people that don't." N explained. "So many people are wrapped up in the general opinion of Pokemon that they're unwilling to even try getting close to them. Those people are the ones that will never understand the true capabilities of Pokemon or the bonds that you can form with them."
"Wouldn't being forceful with those kinds of people only steer them away from Pokemon?" Ash asked him in response. N merely looked up, a smile forming on his face.
"No. You would have to show them what they're missing out on." N stated. "That's why I want to meet a Pokemon Master, and have one special battle, like no other. We would put on a performance for the entire world to see, one that would reach people's hearts and make them see Pokemon for what they're worth. Not as these creatures that we must live apart from, but companions and friends to walk alongside us."
N looked down at his hands, now noticing that he had clenched them into tight fists. Stretching out his fingers with a soft sigh, N relaxed before looking up at Ash who seemed to be staring at him intensely.
Ash was breathing softly right now, struggling to focus on N. As the green haired young man had been speaking, a pair of white wings had sprouted from his back, stretching out gallantly behind him. To say they were large was an understatement. They were the biggest pair of wings Ash had ever seen on a person! Noticing the grin N had donned, Ash blinked a few times and regained his focus.
"Sorry, I got a little riled up." He apologized to Ash.
"No no, I get like that too." Ash said, returning N's smile with a nod of understanding.
Despite the differences in their views of a Pokemon Master, Ash could see that ultimately, they both shared the same goal. To change the perception of Pokemon.
Ash and N's attention was drawn to one of the attendants who had approached them.
"Excuse me, sir, we do have a schedule to keep this weekend." He reminded N who snapped his fingers.
"Right, sorry. I'll be right with you guys." He said, receiving a nod from the tall man. "It looks like I have to go. It was a pleasure talking to you. Hopefully, our paths will cross again…"
N motioned for Ash to introduce himself.
"Ash, Ash Ketchum." Ash stated with a grin as they shook hands.
With a sigh, Dawn dabbed at her leg jeans with a napkin, trying to dry them as best she could.
The night had been so exciting up until the Pokemon battle took place. Dawn had never seen one in person before, and it was scary, to say the least. The two Pokemon she had seen tonight we both frightening to look at, and vicious in combat. Everyone else that was watching the battle though had been cheering wildly, and Dawn couldn't seem to grasp why they all were excited by watching these Pokemon fight each other. At the same time though, Dawn couldn't stand watching combat sports, so maybe she couldn't connect with Pokemon battles either.
After the battle had ended, Ash had disappeared and the music and dancing resumed around the subway station. Unfortunately, Dawn had been dragged back into the lobby of the station by the crowd that had come down to the platform and found herself on her own for a few minutes. As she had wandered around, Dawn had bumped into a young man resulting in her spilling her drink on the leg of her jeans. He had apologized profusely just moments ago and darted off to replace her drink.
Feeling her phone buzz in her back pocket, Dawn pulled it out to see that she had received a text from Ash asking where she was. Dawn replied that she wasn't quite sure. All of the movement after the Pokemon battle had left her somewhere in the lobby.
"Crap." Ash muttered after reading the response from Dawn. He had run into Brock on his way back into the subway station who shared with him that they had all lost track of Dawn.
"What's the matter, Ash?" Brock asked him. The two of them were in the heart of the lobby where most of the festivities were taking place. The music was considerably lower than when they had first arrived, allowing them to hold a conversation.
"Dawn doesn't know where she is." He groaned while running a hand down the side of his face.
"That's our bad, to be honest Ash, we should've been keeping track of her." Brock admitted, but Ash waved it off.
"I shouldn't have left in the first place." Ash grumbled before feeling Brock nudge him with his shoulder. Looking at his friend, Brock nodded to his side as a gesture for Ash to look at something. Leaning forward a bit, Ash looked further down the table they were standing beside to see a guy who continued to look around as he poured to drinks. Leaning back a bit now to stay in Brock's shadow, Ash kept one eye on this guy as he pulled a tiny sealed package of his pocket and ripped it open, dumping its contents into one of the drinks. Once he completed this, he picked up both cups and went on his way.
"I don't like the look of that." Brock commented.
"Me neither." Ash agreed.
"We gonna follow him?"
"…Yeah, we'll find Dawn after this." Ash stated. Brock went off immediately while Ash took a moment to text Dawn saying it would be at least a few minutes. Tucking his phone away, Ash went off to pursue Brock who wasn't that hard to follow in the crowd considering his height.
Catching up to Brock, the two them kept their distance as they followed this guy to the far end of the lobby where the crowds had thinned out. Brock struck up a conversation with Ash in order to make sure it didn't seem as though they were intentionally following this guy who had been glancing around as he moved.
This little conversation died in their throats though as they saw the same guy they had been following approach a bluenette who had been standing by herself.
"Dawn." Ash muttered in a whisper. "What the hell?"
"I'm really sorry about earlier." The guy apologized to Dawn once again.
"Like I said, don't worry about it." Dawn said to him half-heartedly as he offered her the drink he had brought.
"I figured I could at least replace the drink you lost." He offered kindly. Dawn thanked him softly and accepted the cup. The guy watched her expectantly for a few moments before motioning for her to drink up. Dawn obliged to his gesture and raised the cup to her lips. As she went to take a sip though, Dawn gasped as the scene in front of her plunged into total chaos.
A fist hit the guy in front of her, right in the jaw which threw him to the floor. His drink went flying out of his hand as he shouted in pain. Placing a hand on the side of his face, he looked up angrily at his attacker.
"Ash?" Dawn exclaimed, and her confusion and shock only increased as Brock snatched the cup she held.
"The hell is your problem man!?" The guy shouted furiously at Ash before his attention was drawn to Brock as he dumped the drink on the floor.
"What the hell did you put in her drink?!" Ash barked at him, causing the guy to swallow his anger suddenly.
"Despicable," Brock said with a sneer, seeing that the guy was now realizing he had been caught. "You think you're slick trying to take advantage of a girl. What's the matter with you?"
Scrambling to his feet, the guy took off in a sprint, and Brock rushed off to pursue him. Ash remained with Dawn though, taking a deep breath as he relaxed a bit, knowing that Brock would make sure that guy was punished properly.
"What's going on?" Dawn asked, trying to piece together everything that had just happened.
"That guy put some crap in your drink. I don't know what it was, but we're lucky Brock saw it." Ash explained to her, causing Dawn to look down at her drink which Brock had dumped on the floor.
"Oh my god." Dawn muttered softly. It hadn't even occurred to her that she couldn't trust that guy. She had assumed that he had no ill intents, that he was genuine and that was her mistake. There was no telling what the drink could've done to her, or what the guy would've done after that. Noticing that Dawn was drowning in her own thoughts, Ash placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"Dawn, don't worry. We wouldn't have let anything happen to you. I should have been keeping a closer eye on you, but I got distracted." Ash admitted to her. "People like that guy, they're the worst. Most of the people here came to have a good time, but there's always someone that has to try and ruin it. He has no respect for the people that worked hard to be here tonight."
Dawn looked at Ash, and for the first time since she had met him, he looked genuinely upset. Compared to his typically calm demeanor, she had seen a number of different faces on Ash tonight. He seemed to sparkle in the presence of people he trusted, and it was clear that he would stop at nothing to stand up for those same people.
"I think we should head home now." Ash said with a sigh. His mood had been ruined now, and above all else, he wanted to make sure Dawn got back home safely.
"Are you serious, someone tried to spike her drink?!" Serena exclaimed as the group of seven exited the train station above ground, heading for Brock's car where he had left Dawn and Ash. Brock had managed to gather up the group who had been scattered around the subway station, informing them all that Ash was going to be leaving. That alone was enough to get them away from the festivities, but then Brock told them what had happened to Dawn as well.
"Yeah, but we stopped her before she drank any of it," Brock explained, much to everyone's relief. "Ash and I are going to take her home."
"Crap, now I feel bad. I kinda forgot she was with us." Tierno muttered before feeling Shauna flick the back of his head. She was currently receiving a piggyback ride from him and her cheeks were rosy as she commanded Tierno to move faster.
"It might be a good idea for all us to go home anyway, Shauna especially," Trevor commented, getting a small laugh from the group. "She had quite a few drinks while we weren't looking."
"What else is new?" Miette asked sarcastically. Shauna always drank too much when they went out.
"I'll take Shauna home then," Serena stated. "Who else needs a ride?"
"Brock picked me up, so I need a ride home." Miette said with one hand raised.
"There's a word you forgot Miette." Serena pointed out with a small grin, causing Miette to roll her eyes.
"Puh-lease." Miette said through pursed lips.
"I would be delighted to give you a ride home Miette. You'll have to sit in the back with Shauna though, I don't want her to stick her head out the window or anything." Serena explained, receiving a sigh from Miette as they arrived at Brock's car. Dawn was seated in the passenger seat with Ash standing beside the open door, holding a small conversation with her. At the sight of everyone approaching them, Dawn jumped to her feet.
"Are you all leaving?" Dawn exclaimed.
"Yeah, I think we're going to call it a night." Tierno said as he kneeled down, placing Shauna on her feet beside the trunk of the car for her to lean on.
"Oh, I'm sorry guys." Dawn said to them.
"Don't feel bad Dawn, you're not the only reason we're going home." Serena pointed out, and right on cue, Dawn saw Shauna bend over and begin retching. Brock slapped his hand over eyes immediately.
"Tell me she didn't get any on my bumper." Brock said to Tierno who looked around at the group.
"Uh, so you want me to lie?" He asked in return.
"Aww, damn it!" Brock said, causing everyone to laugh before they began to go their separate ways.
"It was great seeing you again Ash." Tierno said as they bumped fists, followed by Trevor and Valerie.
"Don't be a stranger now." Trevor added, receiving a grin from Ash.
"I'm sure you guys will be seeing more of me in the future." Ash replied, waving to this trio as they made they left, heading for Valerie's car.
Next, Miette and Shauna approached him with Shauna in between them, her arms around their necks to use them as support.
"I'll be seeing you guys." Ash said to the three of them.
"Hmph, I hope your next visit is sometime soon Ash." Miette commented, getting a chuckle out of him.
"I said I'd drop by already, didn't I?" He asked her in return. Then he glanced at Serena who had been trying to think of something to say. "Hopefully you'll be there next time."
"I'll be there," Serena replied sternly. "I had fun dancing with you again. It was like old times."
"You know I'll never forget the steps with you." Ash replied, giving her a small smile. Serena pursed her lips a bit, her cheeks reddening slightly.
"You had better not." She retorted. Finally, Ash's gaze settled on Shauna in the middle.
"Good night Shauna." He said to her. Shauna didn't respond though, not even bothering to look up at him.
Serena and Miette both gave her a nudge with their elbows in an effort to get a response to Ash from her.
"Ugh, my head hurts~, just leave me alone." She mumbled out, causing the group to deadpan.
"Well, I'll take what I can get since she's had a few drinks tonight," Ash commented causing Miette to shake her head. "Get home safely girls."
Miette and Serena waved to Ash as they left with Shauna, leaving just Ash, Dawn and Brock. With a grateful sigh, Brock climbed into the driver's seat now that he had successfully cleaned off the rear bumper of his car.
"So you've said goodbye to everyone, are you ready to head out?" Brock asked Ash who gave him a nod.
"Yeah, let's get Dawn home." Ash said as he left Dawn in the passenger seat, jumping in the backseat so that they could get going.
Dawn sighed with relief as she flopped onto her bed, amazed that her that she had actually gotten back into her room unnoticed. Thankfully, Ash had helped her with some of the things she hadn't given much thought, such as climbing back onto the wall that bordered her property. With his help though it was a breeze, placing her back in her room and not a soul in this house knew that she had gone out.
"3 am, geez." Dawn exclaimed in a whisper after looked at the clock on her wall. With how the night had unfolded, she wouldn't have been surprised if it was almost sunrise. Not only had she attended an underground event, but she had witnessed a Pokemon battle. She had made some new friends and saw a different side of Ash Ketchum tonight.
Now she understood what Ash had wanted her to see, and she knew why he always said that there was something missing from her work.
She had always thought that if she had worked hard at something, that was would be more than enough to reach her goals. Ash, however, had been trying to tell her that sometimes that won't suffice. She had to immerse herself in her work if she expected to succeed, just like how Ash's friends worked so hard as dancers.
Seeing them perform on stage, Dawn could tell that they had practiced for hours each day of the week. Blood, sweat, and tears went into their work. They poured their soul into it.
'I've never done that before.' Dawn said to herself. Sure she had struggled from time to time, but she would settle in the end. Almost like she gave up…
She couldn't accept that any longer.
A/N
Easily my favorite chapter so far, so I really hope you all enjoyed it as well!
So we had two battles in this chapter, a dance battle, and a Pokemon battle. I'm not that good at writing Pokemon battles, but I'm hoping for some improvement as we get to the other ones that I have planned.
If you remember from the first chapter, I was trying to make sure everyone understood that this was an AU. I believe this chapter solidifies why I was giving you all that warning. You're not going to see a lot of Pokemon battles because they're illegal. So everyone has normal lives and Pokemon battles are conducted in secret.
Also, another discussion that I've been looking into that was featured in this chapter…what does it mean to be a Pokemon Master? I've been reading an old discussion about what this means since there's never been an official answer about this title. I still haven't been able to come up with an answer myself, but it certainly interesting to think about. Does being the strongest trainer make you a Pokemon Master? Does catching every Pokemon make you a Pokemon Master? What about the Legendary Pokemon? Is winning the League Conferences suffice like in the anime, or do you have to beat the Elite Four and Champion as well? Then there's the Battle Frontier. The list goes on and on for possible benchmarks for becoming a Pokemon Master.
All I can say for now is that I will definitely be exploring this subject throughout this story.
Moving on, notable characters!
N. He was probably my favorite 'rival' if you'll consider him that. The whole backstory from Pokemon B&W was easily my favorite with the two heroes using Reshiram and Zekrom. N is pivotal to this story later on, so expect to see him more in the future. Is he friend…or foe? Only time will tell.
As always I have to thank MjrGenMatt for all of his help! Thank you all for reading, and I hope to see you at our next update!