Chapter 10

Nando was having a great day, though he was more accustomed to spending his weekends at home. One of his close friends had contacted him, informing him that they would be performing at the block party in midtown today. They insisted that Nando come out of his little den for the afternoon to hear them.

Nando had done just that. His intention was to leave right after the performance, but on his way out of the park, he caught sight of something interesting - a blue-haired beauty. At first, he thought he might have been hallucinating, but his eyes were not deceiving him. It was none other than Dawn Berlitz!

She was at a small ice cream vendor with two girls accompanying her. Nando kept his distance as he watched Dawn purchase an ice cream cone for each of the girls and then led them to a quieter area where they found a bench to sit back and eat.

The two of them meeting in the park like this…it was a one in a million chance. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for weeks for! Would he be able to take advantage of this…?

Zoey had spoken to him on Friday after school. The redhead was aware of Nando's feelings for Dawn, and she felt the need to remind Nando that he couldn't be content sitting idly beside Dawn.

"Nando, you can't keep waiting around forever. Dawn's a pretty girl and some guy is going to come in and snatch her if you take too long."

Gulping audibly, Nando then took a deep breath as he worked up the nerve to approach Dawn. He had this plan in mind for ages, but he could never find the courage to follow through.

In two weeks Nando had a piano recital. It was a little event that was organized by one of the performing arts schools in Vermilion City for aspiring musicians. Nando had received a recommendation months ago to take part, and he began composing a piece for it. As he worked, Dawn was the only thought on his mind, and soon enough Nando could say that this piece was dedicated to her alone. It was his hope that the message within it would get across to her once she heard it.

'Alright Nando, you can do this.' Approaching the trio of girls now, Nando put on a cheerful smile and waved, earning their attention.

"Nando?" Dawn exclaimed at the sight of her tall friend. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to hear a friend of mine play with his band. I was just leaving actually when I caught sight of some blue hair." Nando explained to her as Casey and Macy observed him curiously. "I don't think there's anyone else in Vermilion City with blue hair."

"That sounds like something May would say," Dawn commented, causing Nando to stifle a laugh.

"So, what are you doing here?" Nando asked, looking at the two girls with Dawn.

"I'm here with Ash and his two sisters actually," Dawn revealed, and Nando felt his chest tighten momentarily. "Silly me, I haven't even introduced you guys yet. Casey and Macy, this is my good friend Nando. We go to school together."

Casey looked at him sideways, wondering how such a skinny guy could be so tall. Macy, on the other hand, stared up at him in awe. He was taller than Ashy!

Nando was stunned, to say the least. Ash was nowhere to be found, so he was the last person Nando would've expected…and admittedly, he was probably the only person Nando didn't want Dawn spending time with.

"Nando's the coolest guy I know actually. He can play almost any instrument." Dawn explained to the two girls who began to look at Nando differently now.

"How many?" Casey asked.

"A few," Nando replied sheepishly.

"Don't say that," Dawn interjected. "He's just being humble. But he can play the cello, the violin, piano, guitar. I could go on but I don't want to flatter him too much."

Nando's eyes brightened at this perfect segue.

"Speaking of instruments Dawn, I have a piano recital coming up, would like to come to it?" Dawn became exhilarated at Nando's offer, her lively expression putting him at ease.

"Is that even a question? Of course, I'll be there! I wouldn't miss it for the world." She replied happily.

"Good, it's on Sunday the 23rd." He stated as his phone buzzed in his pocket. Taking out the device, Nando quickly checked his messages before returning his gaze to the girls. "That's my ride actually so I have to go. I'll bring you the tickets at school next week."

"Alright Nando, see you on Monday!" Dawn called out with a wave as he ran off.

Relaxing into her bench now that Nando was gone, Dawn realized that Ash had been gone for quite a while now. Taking out her own phone to check the time, she saw that he had been gone for over twenty minutes. Perhaps he had gotten lost on his way back from the restroom?

Dawn snickered at the thought, but if that did happen, she did have his phone number to call him. Glancing at the girls beside her now, Dawn had to admit that she was having a great time with them - they both proved to be good company. Macy was a delight in everything she did, and for a preteen, Casey was incredibly mild-mannered. Obviously, Cassidy had done a great job raising both of them.

"So, Dawn," Casey said to her attention. "Do you like Ash?"

There was no tact. There was no build-up…and there was definitely no warning.

"Bah, wha-what?" Dawn exclaimed as her cheeks turned red.

"You do," Casey concluded with a smirk. Based on everything she saw, whether it was Dawn's behavior or Ash's, for that matter, Casey had a feeling there was something there. As she listened to Nando approach Dawn earlier, Casey couldn't deny that her curiosity was piqued.

"What makes you say that?" Dawn asked as she regained a portion of her composure.

"You've been staring at him o much since we left the house," Casey shrugged. "I thought it was kind of obvious."

Dawn clapped her hands against her cheeks in shock. "Was I really doing that?" She inquired, horrified at the idea that Ash must have noticed but chose not to say anything.

"Yeah, you were," Casey said with a nod.

"Oh my god," Dawn muttered, covering her face with her hands. She then separated her fingers partially to peek at Casey with one eye. "The whole time?"

"The whole time," Casey confirmed.

"That's so embarrassing!" Dawn exclaimed; her voice muffled by her hands which earned a giggle from Macy.

"That's o-kay, I like Ashy too," Macy said as she looked up at Dawn. As Dawn saw the innocence in Macy's eyes, that put her at ease. Of course, she didn't understand the context, but Dawn appreciated her input.

"He's great, isn't he?" Dawn asked her, and Macy gave a large nod.

"The best!" She declared.

"Are you guys dating yet?" Casey asked and Dawn's head snapped back to her. Once again, no forewarning. Casey didn't beat around the bush. She must have learned that from Ash.

"No, I'm not really sure if I should take the next step with Ash," Dawn paused as she realized she was having this conversation with Ash's younger sister.

"Well, you're the first girl Ash has invited out in a long time," Casey pointed out. "That must mean something."

"I don't want to make something out of nothing," Dawn replied through pursed lips. In the back of her mind, she hoped that this 'something' was significant. But only time would tell…

A deafening bomb startled Dawn and her heart leaped into her throat. She swallowed hard, and her hands latched onto the bench as a noticeable tremor followed. Macy's ice cream fell to the ground as she grabbed onto Casey. A nearby couple stared out into the distance, raising their hands to point. Dawn turned her head slowly and saw a plume of black smoke rising from another section of the park.

"What's going on?"

"Was that a bomb?!"

Shouts and questions filled the area as bystanders began to take out their phones to take pictures and videos of the event. Dawn blinked hard, and her focus returned as she heard Macy's cries.

"It's okay, Macy, we're fine," Casey assured her sister, but the small girl was terrified.

Ash and Ritchie were in a dead sprint. They stomped their feet with every step and the trees whizzed past them.

They didn't have a moment to waste. They had, at most, two minutes to put as much distance between them and the sit of the Pokemon battle they witnessed. The explosion that concluded the battle did exactly what Ritchie predicted – it had everyone's attention.

Ritchie spotted a nearby pathway, grabbed Ash by the arm and they cut through the bushes to get onto it. This pathway ran alongside the wall that bordered the park. The wall couldn't be more than seven feet tall, a reasonable height that they could scale and jump over.

"Why don't we just jump the wall?" Ash called out but Ritchie shook his head.

"That's too open," Ritchie responded through his breaths. "We don't want to exit by ourselves. We want to find other people that are leaving so that we don't look suspicious."

Ash gave a reluctant nod. Ritchie clearly had experience in these escapes, so he would trust his judgment. After all, Ritchie took charge in leading their escape from the moment the explosion took place. He practically demanded that Ash follow him. Ash wasn't sure why Ritchie was so quick to help him, but he wouldn't turn his back to a helping hand.

The trees began to thin out as they arrived at one of the entrances of the park. Just as Ritchie hoped, there was a crowd of people there, however, at least six police officers were trying to keep the situation under control. As Ash and Ritchie joined the crowd to exit the park, they realized that these officers weren't letting anyone leave just yet.

"We understand the situation, paramedics will be arriving shortly," The officers explained. "Until then, we'd like all of you to remain here while we get a handle on everything."

"Crap," Ritchie muttered. Scaling the wall might have been the right move after all.

It didn't get any better from there. Police detectives were on their way to the park, which could lead to them being questioned as potential witnesses. And the officers present already began to speak with different people to get an idea of what was happening. Ritchie advised Ash to listen closely to what other people were saying and match his story to theirs.

"I was on a walk with my buddy," Ash explained with a nod toward Ritchie as an officer spoke with the two of them. "All of a sudden, the ground just kind of shook, and we saw smoke," Ash explained as he held the straps of his backpack. "We saw people running and we just started running too."

The officer thanked him as he jotted down these notes on his pad. He studied Ash briefly before he tucked his notepad into his pocket.

"Let me see your backpack," The officer stated and Ash furrowed his brow. "Just a quick check."

Ash bit down on his lower lip as he took off the straps. His chest grew tight with the thought of Pikachu hiding at the bottom of the bag. Time seemed to slow as Ash gave his back to the officer. He had to think of something, but what could he do that wouldn't arouse suspicion. Any odd behavior could have him listed as a suspect as opposed to a witness. If he retaliated to keep Pikachu hidden, that would put him in the back of a police car with a one-way ticket to the station. And if they found Pikachu…he was going to jail.

Ash weighed his options as the officer unzipped his backpack. He peered inside and furrowed his brow. "What the heck?" The officer reached in and pulled out one of the Pikachu dolls Ash had within it.

"It's a doll, I won it at one of the game booths on the next block over," Ash explained. He bit down on his lower lip as the officer continued to look in his back.

"You went and got three of them?" The officer asked him. He passed the first doll to Ash and reached in for the next. He had to do something!

Suddenly, Ritchie collided with Ash and leaned against him for support. Ritchie wheezed, a hand against his chest. With a labored breath, Ritchie clung to Ash and the officer dropped the bag as he came closer to them.

"Hey, calm down, I need you to breathe," He said slowly to Ritchie. The officer guided Ritchie through a few calming breaths and he relaxed after a few moments.

"Sorry," Ritchie said softly. "Just…the panic hit me."

"That's alright," The officer assured him. "You're safe now. The paramedics are on their way. I heard they'll be setting up on the street corner," The officer looked to Ash. "Take your friend there and let him get checked out, just to be on the safe side."

He picked up Ash's backpack and returned it to him. With clearance to leave the crowd, Ash tucked the Pikachu doll back into his bag and carried it with one arm while he supported Ritchie with the other.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked Ritchie, and the young man flashed a toothy grin at him.

"Just keeping walk, we're almost outta here," Ritchie whispered in return. They passed through the crowd and as they exited the park, they saw that a crowd, trying to see what took place. Some people posed questions, but Ash and Ritchie ignored them as they slipped through.

Soon enough, they were on the opposite street and together they ducked into an alleyway for some privacy.

"Man, that was close," Ritchie muttered with a sigh of relief. "We almost got screwed."

"You're telling me," Ash mumbled as he took off his backpack and kneeled down. "That was good acting you did there. Had me fooled."

"I've had to get out of some sticky situations before," Ritchie replied. "Acting just worked in our favor this time."

Ash opened his bag. "You're clear, Pikachu," Pikachu climbed on top of the dolls and poked his head out of the bag. "That was some good acting on your part too, buddy."

Pikachu did some quick thinking of his own as he faked being one of the dolls as well. Ash gave Pikachu a pat on the head and beamed at him. Thankfully, everything worked out.

"Thanks for all your help, man, if it weren't for you, Pikachu definitely would've been caught," Ash said as he looked to Ritchie.

"No need to say all that," Ritchie replied. "We're trainers, that makes us family. I got your back," Ritchie stated this, and Ash's respect for him doubled at that moment. "Maybe one day we'll get to have a battle and see if your Pikachu is as tough as Sparky."

Ritchie approached and bumped fists with him and then Pikachu.

"That's a promise," Ash said.

"All the best to ya, Ash," Ritchie said before he departed.

"Back at cha, Ritchie," Ash called out. Pikachu returned to his hiding spot within Ash's back and they all went their separate ways. As he relaxed, Ash began to notice that his phone was buzzing in his pocket and he was reminded that he didn't come to the block party alone. He saw that it was Dawn calling and answered immediately. "Dawn, are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, we just can't get Macy to stop crying. You had us worried there though, I called you twice already." Dawn exclaimed in reply. He could hear a lot of commotion coming from her end of the line.

"Where are you?" Ash asked quickly.

"At the corner where we came into the park," Dawn replied and Ash began to run. "Ash, do you know what's happening right now? Do you know if there was really some kind of explosion?"

Dawn's questions caused him to bite down on his lower lip. He wasn't quite sure how to explain anything right now, so he thought it was best to drop the subject altogether.

"It's hard to hear you, Dawn. We'll talk once I get to you guys, I'm already on my way." Ash said before he ended the call. Looking down at his phone, he saw that he had indeed missed a pair of phone calls from Dawn. How did he manage to miss these?! Ash wanted to curse aloud. He had left the girls alone in this mess…he had left Macy unattended.

Thinking of what the small girl must have been going through, Ash picked up his pace as he wiggled through the crowded sidewalk. Soon enough he arrived at the street corner Dawn had told him about, and just as he had expected, it was loaded with people who had come to watch the officers close off the park. Ash worked his way through the crowd until it thinned out. The noise lessened, allowing him to hear the wail of a child that was all too familiar to him.

"Macy?" Ash said out loud as he slipped past the crowd, where only a few scattered people remained. In an instant, he found the source of the cries.

Macy was seated on a bench with Dawn and Casey kneeling down in front of the child, her cheeks red and tear-stained.

"Macy," Ash called out to her as he ran over to the trio. Hearing his voice, she responded immediately by looking around for him. As soon as she laid eyes on him, she began reaching out toward Ash who picked her upon reaching her.

"Ashy!" She cried out as Ash began to rub her back now, swaying left and right to calm her.

"Shh, you're fine, I'm here." He said to her softly. Dawn was stunned that Macy was now silent.

After being startled by the explosion, Macy became a fountain of tears. The panic that set in left the girl unable to relax as the police ushered everyone out of the park. No matter what Dawn or Casey did, neither of them could calm her. However, being in Ash's arms did the trick.

The more time Dawn spent around Ash, the more she grew to admire him. It seemed like there was nothing he couldn't do!

"Ash, did you see what happened?" Casey asked him. Ash shook his head though.

"No, I was on my way back when that explosion or whatever happened. I got caught up in all the commotion. Sorry, I missed your phone calls, Dawn." Ash said as he looked toward the bluenette.

"It's okay Ash, I'm just glad you're here now and okay," Dawn replied, waving off his apology. Glancing at the park where she could see a pillar of black smoke rising, Dawn knew there were more pressing things to worry about.

"Come on, I think it'd be best if we head home for today. Cassidy will be worried about us from the moment she hears about this." Ash stated, deciding that it was best to end their day here.

Casey and Dawn gave a nod of agreement.

"Are you all okay?" Cassidy exclaimed upon opening the door. Accepting Macy from Ash, Cassidy placed a kiss on the girl's forehead, glad to see that she was alright.

"Yeah, we're all fine. I'm not sure if anyone got hurt though." Ash said to her as Cassidy motioned for them to come inside. Taking them to the living room, Ash and Dawn were surprised to see that the news channel was already broadcasting the event at the park. It had barely been an hour but the media was already all over it.

"They still haven't figured out what caused the explosion," Cassidy explained as she set Macy down on her feet, kneeling down to inspect the girl. Spinning her around a few times, Cassidy was pleased that no harm had come to her, or any of them for that matter. "I'm just glad you all came home though. And how about you Dawn, are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm good. Thank you for checking." Dawn answered kindly before her phone began to ring. She left the room to answer her call, leaving Ash and Cassidy to speak.

"Ash, I don't think it's safe for Dawn to head home by herself," Cassidy stated.

"I was thinking the same thing," Ash said in reply. After today's events, public transit would likely be thrown off schedule with so many streets in midtown being closed off. Taking the bus would be difficult, and there was no telling how that might go.

Not to mention, Ash had to make it up to Dawn considering that she had been unaware of his real intention for bringing her along. Perhaps this was an opportunity to do just that.

"I'm heading upstairs for a bit," Ash said, receiving a nod from Cassidy.

Heading up to his room, Ash opened up his backpack to let Pikachu out of it. There was a great sigh of relief from Pikachu now that he was finally free.

"So…what did you think of N and Zoroark?" Ash asked his partner after shutting the door to his room.

"Pi-kaaaa," He said as he scratched the back of his head. "Chu, Pikachu."

"Yeah, I know, they're really strong. I don't even think we could've beaten Laura and her Rapidash." Ash replied, causing Pikachu to shake his head.

"Chuuu." Pikachu cooed. Then he dropped down to his bottom and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Ash took the same pose on the floor beside him and scrunched up his face as he thought deeply.

That battle was amazing! Ash was astounded by the strength and skill that N and Zoroark demonstrated. He couldn't even imagine a valid tactic that would work against them. The two were simply on another level, one that Ash could barely fathom.

"Pikachu, do you want to give this a try?" Ash asked his partner as they made eye contact.

"Pi?" Pikachu asked in return.

"I mean like, training seriously, as much as we can," Ash explained as he leaned toward Pikachu. "We're not going to get strong enough to battle N doing some light practice on the weekends. We have to train like we mean it."

"Pika," Pikachu agreed with a nod.

"Okay then, we'll give it our all from here on out," Ash said and they grinned at each other.

"Ash!" Cassidy barked from downstairs, and that brought their discussion to an end.

"Alright Pikachu, I'll be home later," Ash said as he grabbed his backpack and dashed out of the room. Now alone, Pikachu took that as an invitation to take a nap on Ash's bed.

"Ash, you can't be serious," Dawn exclaimed as the two of them stepped out of the front door of his house.

"Yes, I am. I'm going to walk you home." He repeated for her as he shut the door. "You already said that your mom can't come to pick you up with all the traffic and stuff."

"But it's like a four-hour walk to my side of town Ash." Dawn reminded him, but this didn't bother him at all.

"Sheesh Dawn, it's almost like you don't want to hang out with me," Ash said, causing Dawn to become silent. "I figured since we had to leave the block party so early that we could make up for some of that lost time."

Dawn stared at Ash; her mouth lips parted. She hadn't been expecting an answer like that, and suddenly her cheeks became hot as she realized Ash wanted to spend some time with her alone.

Checking his phone for the time, Ash saw that it was just past three o'clock. They had ample time to get home before dark.

"So, shall we?" Ash said as he extended an arm, motioning for her to begin walking alongside him.

"Why thank you," Dawn said kindly as she took a step, but she was halted by a shout.

"Well, well, look who's got a new girlfriend."

The duo looked up to the building adjacent to Ash's home, spotting an older gentleman that was looking down at them from the second-floor window. He was leaning on the windowsill, resting his chin on one hand as he gazed at them with a cheerful smile.

"Mr. Cheeves, she's not my girlfriend," Ash stated as he waved to the older man who returned the gesture.

"Oh really. Then would you be interested in an older man like me?" He asked Dawn with a wide grin. Dawn blushed a bit at the question while Ash rolled his eyes. He then took Dawn by the hand and began leading her down the street, earning a loud laugh from Mr. Cheeves as they left him. Keeping pace with Ash, Dawn was a little surprised that he had taken a hold of her hand so freely, not that she was complaining. It was…nice.

"Don't mind him, he's crazy," Ash said, getting a snort from Dawn as they rounded the street corner, and this gave Dawn an opportunity to peer directly into Ash's neighborhood. The few times she had come by so far, she had always gone straight from the car to his house. This time, however, she was right in the middle of everything.

People were seated out on the front porch steps of their homes, lazily chatting with their neighbors or friends. As they passed these people, several of them would stop for a moment to give Ash a quick nod or even bump fists. Everyone seemed to know Ash. At the same time though, Dawn quickly realized that everyone knew each other. It was the…exact opposite of where she lived. She barely knew her neighbors.

As they walked, Ash began to name some of the people for Dawn, giving a piece of information about each of them like what they did for work, if they had a family, where they lived. Dawn was impressed by how well he knew everyone. What seemed like a random person on the street was someone that Ash knew pretty well. It was a close-knit society here, even more so than she first thought.

Two blocks over from where Ash lived was a small park with a playground that was heavily populated with children. Ash led Dawn into the park, heading toward the playground which prompted a question from Dawn.

"Ash, where are we going?" Dawn asked him as they reached the playground, earning some glances from the kids playing on it. Taking her up the staircase and into the playground, Ash didn't stop to answer her question. "Ash?"

"Dawn, just relax a bit," Ash told her as they continued. Reaching the summit of the playground, it couldn't be any higher than eight feet off the ground, but there was a red slide which Ash immediately jumped onto and slid down. He gave a whoop upon reaching the bottom, and then he glanced up at Dawn who was looking at him sideways. "Your turn."

"You must be joking," Dawn replied after a stifled laugh.

"Nope. I'm dead serious." Ash replied, but Dawn shook her head.

"I'm not doing this," Dawn said as she spun on her heels to begin walking back down. This caused Ash to raise his arms, waving to the kids that were up top with Dawn.

"Hey you guys, don't let the girl with blue hair get down. She has to use the slide!" Ash called out to them, pointing to the bluenette. Dawn felt a chill as all of the children shifted their gaze to her. In a moment's notice, there was a wall of children blocking her path, trapping her at the summit of the playground.

"Ash, are you kidding me?" Dawn exclaimed, looking back at him.

"Not at all." He replied, giving her a wide grin. He knew that Dawn didn't have it in her to push her way through that group of kids, so she had no choice here. The chatter picked up as they began to move forward, steadily forcing Dawn to move until her back was pressed against the small entrance to the slide. "There's no use fighting it Dawn."

Looking back at Ash once again, Dawn couldn't believe that he was this mischievous…even going as low as to use children against her. She would find a way to pay him back for this but seeing him smile down below, Dawn couldn't help but return it. She shook her head, then turned and got into the slide much to the delight of the kids that surrounded her. They began to cheer as Dawn pushed herself forward, racing down the slide until she reached the bottom where Ash was waiting for her. Offering her a hand to help her up, Dawn looked at him expectantly.

"Happy now?" She asked him.

"Very." He stated before giving the kids at the top of the slide a thumbs up. Dawn shot him a narrow glance at this.

"You're crazy, I hope you know that." She stated. Ash laughed a bit and shrugged his shoulders.

"Casey likes to tell me that too." He noted before motioning for Dawn to match his pace.

For a little while, they walked in silence, following the pathway through the park. Dawn spent this time racking her brain for something for them to talk about, but Ash didn't seem to mind the silence between them. Glancing back at the playground that was in the distance, Dawn pursed her lips as she realized there were kids outside. In fact, it was like any other day in this neighborhood even though there had been an explosion in the middle of Vermilion City just a few hours ago.

"Ash, why are all these kids outside right now? Shouldn't they be at home?" Dawn asked, looking toward him.

"Shouldn't you be at home right now Dawn?" Ash asked in return.

"Well, didn't Cassidy say that it's dangerous to be out right now?" Dawn asked him again, reminding him of the reason he was walking her home.

"There's nothing to worry about here Dawn. The biggest thing to worry about in this part of Vermilion City is the people that live here. But the kids…they're untouchable." Ash stated as he took a moment to look back at the playground. "If anyone is stupid enough to do something to the kids, believe me, this whole neighborhood will be going after them."

Dawn nodded in response.

"And look around," Ash said as he nodded to their left where Dawn spotted a pair of men standing beneath the shade of the tree, speaking quietly as they watched the kids from afar. "Everyone is watching the kids. So don't worry, none of them are out here unsupervised."

Spotting a woman seated on a bench ahead of them, Ash then pointed to her.

"Even the bird lady is watching them." He commented.

"Bird lady?" Dawn repeated, wondering who had gained such a title. Following Ash's line of sight, she saw the women in question. She looked to be in her thirties with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a long sundress for the weather and a white bandana over her hair. She had one hand cupped, tossing out some seeds onto the walkway where at least a dozen Pidgey had gathered.

"She feeds the Pidgey-uh, the bird Pokemon." Ash explained as Dawn stared at the scene, quickly understanding how the title 'bird lady' had become attached to this woman. Taking Dawn's hand once again, Ash led her off the pathway, taking them around the bird lady to ensure that they didn't disturb the Pidgey. As they passed her, the woman looked back at them and smiled kindly. Ash waved to her, and Dawn the same meekly before they continued on their way.

"Wow, those Pokemon must be really hungry," Dawn remarked as she looked at all of the Pidgey who ate the seeds with haste.

"You know, I used to think that too. But even when she's not feeding them, those Pokemon gather around her." Ash stated as he stopped to look back at the bird lady.

Leaning over, the bird lady extended her free hand toward the closest Pidgey which hopped right into her palm without a second thought. She then straightened up on the bench, raising her hands so that she could examine the Pidgey closely. The two of them shared a moment, simply staring at one another. The Pidgey tilted her head for a moment, then she chirped and the woman smiled warmly in reply.

"But I get the feeling they actually understand each other…though that might sound crazy to you," Ash said, but Dawn paused to continue looking at this woman.

Everything she had heard about Pokemon had always made her believe that they were dangerous creatures that should be kept away from people. Ash, however, was constantly proving to her that there was more to these creatures than what was shown on the news. Now as Dawn looked at the bird lady, observing how she admired the Pokemon in her hand, Dawn could see that it wasn't just Ash who had a different view of Pokemon. Other people shared his belief and trust in Pokemon.

"Where are we going now, Ash?" Dawn inquired since they had come to a stop in front of the entrance to a tall tower that loomed over them.

It was the tallest building on the northern side of Vermilion City, a landmark known as the old radio tower. It was hard to miss it since it stood out compared to the much shorter buildings in this part of the city. Looking up at it, Dawn couldn't help but notice how worn down the tower was a few broken windows here and there.

Almost fifty years ago Vermilion City had been the heart of Kanto's broadcasting stations, but a rival competitor in Lavender Town bought the tower and relocated the staff and assets. Since then the tower had been left to age, becoming nothing more than a landmark.

"I want to show you something cool," Ash said as he motioned for her to follow him into the front entrance of the tower. Several contractors had tried to tear down this tower, but the people living in this area were old-fashioned folks. They did everything they could to preserve this old relic, even as the rest of the city became modernized.

"Is it safe?" Dawn asked him as he held the door open for her.

"Yeah Dawn, there's nothing to worry about," Ash said to her, extending a hand for her to join him. Taking his hand, Ash led her through the empty lobby. It was dark and dank, but Dawn felt at ease as she walked with Ash. He led her past the receptionist desk to a large stairwell. "You'll have to forgive me though. No elevators in this building, just stairs."

"Ugh, you owe me big time for this," Dawn said as she pointed a finger at him.

"Deal," Ash said as they began their journey. Despite all of the groaning she did, Dawn made it up every flight of stairs and stepped out onto the roof of the radio tower. Giving a loud sigh of relief, she leaned against the doorway to catch her breath. Ash went straight to the railing at the edge of the roof and peered over the edge. He glanced back at her and motioned for her to come over to him.

Approaching Ash, Dawn was greeted by a sight that she hadn't been expecting.

It was Vermilion City. The same city she had been raised in. Yet it was like she was seeing it for the first time. She had never seen it from way up here. Every part of the city was visible to her. The sprawling urban jungle that was midtown. The small cozy neighborhoods of the northern areas. The industrial district occupied the western end of the city. The lively downtown area that hosted Vermilion City's nightlife…and to the east was the wealthy community that she lived in.

She had never realized that there was so much to this city.

Was it always this…big?

"What do you think?" Ash asked her, breaking the silence.

Dawn needed a few moments to respond. She had never taken the time to admire the metropolis she lived in.

"It's…incredible," Dawn responded. She couldn't believe how great Vermilion City looked from up here!

"You know, I grew up in Pallet Town. It's a small little town so I don't know if you've heard of it." Ash said, but Dawn nodded, recognizing the name. "My dad used to travel a lot, and he told me about Vermilion City. He said it was a place where you could make your dreams come true. I never really understood what he was talking about, not until I came here myself. The city just kind of…glitters, doesn't it?"

Dawn looked out at the scenery in front of her again, and under the setting sun, she could agree with Ash. It really did seem like there was something magical here that could make your dreams come true, though Dawn quickly realized that it was the opportunities within this city.

"It makes it feel like anything is possible." Ash went on, and Dawn hummed in agreement.

Anything is possible…

Recalling all of the avenues this city had to start a career, Dawn could understand why anyone would believe this statement. There were open jobs, higher education…everything you would need to take a crack at making a living.

"Anything is possible!" Ash screamed suddenly, causing Dawn to cringe visibly. Noticing this, Ash chuckled while scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, did I surprise you, Dawn?"

"Yeah, kinda." She replied, shooting him a narrow glance. "Why'd you do that?"

"Just a reminder," Ash replied softly now, leaning on the railing. "Sometimes it's easy to forget about what you're working toward. So it helps to say it out loud, that I can achieve anything. That I can make a difference."

Dawn remained quiet, once again impressed with Ash, yet she was surprised with what he had revealed. She had always been picturing him as a guy that would never lose his confidence. It always seemed like nothing could shake his focus. However, Ash made it clear to her that no one could enjoy such a luxury, not even someone as determined as him.

"Come on Dawn, it's your turn now," Ash stated, causing her to blink a few times.

"To do what?" She asked him plainly. He pointed upward.

"To scream something."

"Absolutely not!" Dawn retorted with a huff, but seeing Ash frown made her take a moment to consider it. "What for?"

"To remind you of your own dreams. I mean, what's the point in having dreams if they're not motivating you?" Ash asked her, and Dawn could understand his logic. "So come on, just give yourself a quick reminder of what you're going to do, or be or whatever."

"Can't I just, make a poster and put it on the wall in my room?" Dawn asked him, hoping for a way to avoid this request from Ash.

"You can do that too, but it's not like I can come to your room to see for myself. Plus I don't want you to go home and forget either." Ash pointed out, causing Dawn to roll her eyes. He refused to let her escape from this. "So go ahead Dawn, I'm waiting."

"Ugh, this is so embarrassing Ash," Dawn muttered as she looked over the banister. There were people down below that might hear her.

"What's so embarrassing about it?" Ash inquired, causing Dawn to make a face at him. "It's not like anyone can see you up here. If they hear you shouting, they won't know who it was."

"Just for this Ash, you owe me double of whatever it was you were going to give me," Dawn said to him before she took a deep breath. Upon exhaling, she looked up at the sky above and opened her mouth to speak. "I want to…travel to Kalos and become a fashion designer!"

Dawn exhaled again, surprised that she had actually followed through with this. Returning her gaze to Ash, she found that he was smiling at her.

"So you want to go all the way to Kalos? That's a long way from home." He noted, but Dawn smiled at this.

"Yeah, but Kalos is also the fashion capital of the world. If I can make it there as a designer, I can make it anywhere." Dawn said proudly.

"And with the way you work, I'm sure you'll be there in no time marching around in some fancy heels," Ash said to her with a smirk. Dawn laughed, thanking him graciously for the compliment.

The sky was darkening as the sun sunk into the horizon, but Ash and Dawn were now arriving at her home. Arriving at the gate to her property, Dawn used the intercom to call Darach to open the gate for her. The afternoon she spent with Ash might not have been what she was expecting, but Ash did an amazing job of keeping them entertained.

Now their time together was coming to an end as they approached the front door of Dawn's household. Stepping up to the large wooden doors, Dawn stopped and turned to face Ash who had been walking alongside her.

"So this is it huh?" Ash asked her as they looked toward one another.

"I guess so," Dawn said as she recalled the events of the day.

It had started out at the block party in midtown which descended into chaos as the authorities had to close off the park. From there they returned to Ash's home to drop off his sisters before they made a trip across town on foot. From the various people Ash had introduced her to, to the sights he had shown her, Dawn was amazed by Ash yet again.

He was seventeen years old, just like her, yet it felt like she was spending time with someone beyond his years. Ash was always in control, showing her new things that she had never seen before, or helping her to see things from a different angle. Dawn still couldn't figure out what it was about him that made him so…charming.

"Aren't you forgetting something Ash?" Dawn asked him as she recalled the deal they had made within the radio tower. They had reached her home, and Ash had yet to fulfill his part of their agreement.

"Oh right," Ash said with a small chuckle. "I had a little something for you unless you'd prefer a kiss."

Dawn turned bright red, staring at Ash with an expression of shock. Seeing her expression change so drastically, Ash realized he had made a mistake and put up his hands as an apology.

"That was just a little joke, sorry Dawn." He said, trying to laugh off his previous comment. This caused Dawn to turn away from him, hiding her face. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. I just kinda figured this is the point on a date where the guy goes in for a kiss and then they say goodbye."

Dawn stifled a laugh, shaking her head a bit. She wanted to palm her forehead for Ash's lack of discernment.

"Shoot, I hope I didn't ruin our date now," Ash said softly to himself, causing a small smirk to form on Dawn's face. Here was a chance for her to get back at him now.

"You thought this was a date?" She asked him, glancing over her shoulder.

"Well yeah…I mean, unless you didn't. If-if you don't want it to be a date though I-I'm cool with that too." Ash said quickly, beginning to ramble now. This caused Dawn to snicker now that it was Ash's turn to be flustered.

"I'll leave it up to you to decide what it was Ash," Dawn said as she turned to face him again, wearing a smile that allowed Ash to relax. "I'm still waiting for my gift though."

Ash gave her a nod before he took off his backpack to open it.

"It's nothing special, but I hope it's enough to gain your forgiveness," Ash explained as he pulled a plush doll out of his backpack. Dawn's eyes widened as she recognized it immediately. It was the same doll that the basketball vendor had at the block party, the one Ash didn't manage to win for her.

"Ash…when did you go back for this?" Dawn began as he placed the doll in her hands.

"It was back when Casey and I went to get cotton candy for Macy," Ash explained as Dawn looked down at the doll. "Both Casey and Macy had something to show for our little trip today and I didn't want you to feel left out."

Dawn couldn't believe that Ash had gone back to get this doll for her. That was so sweet of him!

"Thank you so much, Ash!" She exclaimed.

"Hold on, I haven't even told you the best part. This doll is also based on a Pokemon." Ash revealed to her. Dawn's eyes widened at this piece of information. "I don't know much about this one, but it's a Pokemon called Piplup. From what I've heard, they're native to Sinnoh, so you won't find any in Kanto unfortunately."

"They're so adorable," Dawn noted. She definitely wanted to see real Piplup for herself. Maybe she would travel to Sinnoh one day and do just that.

Ash and Dawn stood in silence now, staring down at the doll in Dawn's arms. Gradually, their gazes rose until their eyes met. They stared at one another, examining the person that stood across from them. Ash began to raise one of his eyebrows repeatedly while keeping a straight face, and Dawn couldn't contain her laughter.

"Ash." She said after regaining her composure. "Let's do this again sometime."

"Is it going to be a date next time?" Ash asked her, sporting a small smirk.

"Hmm, I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see if there's a kiss next time." Dawn replied, returning his little smirk with one of her own. Ash opened his mouth to reply, but nothing clever came to mind. Dawn took this opportunity to leave while she was ahead, slipping into her home after giving Ash one last wave.

Unknown to the duo, an older gentleman had been watching their discussion from a window on the second floor. Darach, the butler of the Berlitz estate.

Watching Ash as he began to walk back down toward the gate, Darach nodded to himself. That was indeed Ash Ketchum. The resemblance he had to his father was uncanny.

"Now what are the odds of Dawn befriending Ash?" Darach asked himself.

It almost seemed too convenient.

With a sigh of relief, Dawn shut the door to her room and placed her back against it. Johanna had smothered her with questions about the events that had unfolded at the block party. Dawn had to assure her mother countless times that she had walked away from it perfectly fine, and that Ash had gone through the trouble of making sure she got home safely. Finally, when her mother was satisfied, Dawn slipped away to her room where she could just let the day melt away.

Flopping down onto her bed, Dawn snuggled up with her Piplup doll and shut her eyes. Taking in a few deep and slow breaths, Dawn felt at ease as she sunk down into her mattress.

"I mean, what's the point in having dreams if they're not motivating you?" Ash asked her. "…just give yourself a quick reminder of what you're going to do, or be or whatever."

Hearing Ash's words ring out in her head, Dawn's eyes snapped open. As much as she wanted to relax, Dawn knew what she had to do right now.

Retrieving her laptop from the nightstand beside her bed, Dawn opened up the device and powered it up. As the device came to life, Dawn looked up and thought about her response to Ash's suggestion.

"I want to…travel to Kalos and become a fashion designer!"

Kalos had been Dawn's dream since she was small. It was much like Vermilion City, but the qualities that Dawn adored about Vermilion City such as the cafes, window shopping, celebrity sightings…all of those could be found throughout Kalos. The entire region was one big adventure with opportunities to learn from the people that had already etched their careers in stone. She could go anywhere in Kalos, and there was no telling what she would find. Dawn couldn't say the same for Kanto.

Seeing that her laptop had booted up, Dawn opened up a new window on the internet. Going through the search engine, Dawn pulled up various images until she spotted one that fit was she was looking for. Enlarging this image, Dawn gave it a nod of approval.

It was a satellite image of the Kalos Region, with a few famous landmarks such as the Prism Tower in Lumiose City and the Sundial in Anistar City. Standing at the center of the image thought was a young red-haired woman in an extravagant dress. She was a world-renowned performer that was adored by millions of people - Aria.

She was the biggest sensation in Kalos, being a talented singer and dancer, she had recently been named the Queen of Kalos. With her obvious ability to perform, she would likely retain that title for years to come.

"One day, I'm going to make something that you wear on stage," Dawn stated as she stared at Aria on the poster. Recalling something that she had seen May do on various occasions. Dawn looked to the empty wall above her bed and made a frame with her index fingers and thumbs. Shutting one eye, she shifted her hands around to plan exactly where she would put this poster once she had ordered it.

Nodding to herself once she was satisfied with the location, Dawn couldn't help but smile eagerly.

Every time she spoke to Ash, he would find a way to motivate her. This time was no exception.

There was a fire in her heart now.

A/N

Wow, it has been ten chapters and I'm happy to say that we still have a VERY long way to go on Ash's journey. Its been a pleasure to write and post this story so far, working alongside MjrGenMatt.

The inspiration behind this chapter, or the latter half of it really, was 'A Long Walk' sung by miss Jill Scott. I don't know if any of you who read this story are fans of R&B, but this has been one of my favorite songs for years.

I want to give everyone a heads up in advance. There won't be an update until the end of May/Early June. I want to take some time to really just focus on moving the plot along where I'm currently at, and then refine a fair number of chapters so that I have a bunch ready for you all. I know that doesn't bode well for you if you're following this story but please bear with me. If anything, I hope I can win your forgiveness once you start to read the new chapters :)

So it may be a while before I see you all again, but I hope this doesn't steer away from the story because I've got some big plans for the upcoming chapters.

I said I would get another chapter out in March and I did...barely lol. So I hope you enjoyed this one!

A big thanks to everyone for reading as well as those who reviewed, and of course I have to give a shout out to my beta reader MjrGenMatt! So until next time everyone, stay out of trouble, don't do anything I wouldn't do, and embrace spring because it's finally here!