**Through today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. This journey goes forever on, but always... your smile is always with me!**
**To the north, to the south, east, and west. The scenery goes on changing, but no matter where I go... your smile is always there!**
Lyrics to, "High Touch." The Pearlshipping national anthem.
Check out this cute AMV where I got the lyrics: link is posted on my AO3 version of the story, under the same penname.
A/N: Phew! Last time I was here (on this site) I was raving about some crappy samsung tablet I won on my high school sober grad night in another story., now I have new 1 year old microsoft surface pro tablet that's waaaaaaaaaaaaay better than that old one. Been spending all my time on AO3 lately. Took me a while to find a way to log in after forgetting both my old email and password for FFN, I hate the format of ads inserted into the stories and jacking up the format writers set up for their stories here, it just feels so disrespectful. The only reason why I'm crossposting this story here is because a nice reviewer by the name of, Satoshi_Ryuusei asked me to post some Pearlshipping on FFN. I do also plan on crossposting this on Wattpad, which I feel gets the most traction for pokemon fanfics lately. If any Rocketshippers want to dive into an in depth world building origin story for the TRio check out my other fanfic, "To Denounce The Evils of Truth and Love," on AO3, which is under the same penname. I will not be crossposting it anywhere cause crossposting takes time to edit to make it similar to the original. "A Special Pearl," is already 3/4 chapters in on AO3 so feel free to check it out on AO3 if you don't wish to wait for updates here, I'm already working on the 4th and final chapter and there may possibly be a 5th bonus/epilogue chapter.
Heads up!
This story contains:
Pearlshipping
Orangeshipping
hinted Vermillionshipping
Past-one-sided Pokeshipping
One-sided Amourshipping
*A Special Pearl*
Running into Dawn while on his adventures throughout the Regions with Goh shouldn't have felt any different than the time he ran into her in the Unova Region. Running into her should've felt like running into any other friend. Dawn, however was same old, same old, down to her clothes and favorite catch phrase. Almost nothing about her has changed from Unova and subsequently Sinnoh. And if Ash was being honest, he was glad she hadn't changed at all. Out of many of his old travel buddies the friends who have changed the most by the time he was in Alola had to be his oldest friends who visited him in the Alola Region. Brock was studying in university to be a pokémon doctor, going beyond his dreams to be a breeder and miraculously scored a date with Olivia, and Misty was a full fledged gym leader who's a force to be reckoned with. Nothing should have been different about crossing paths with Dawn again. Then Misty had to drop a bombshell on him while the two of them walked on the Alolan beach together.
"So you said you had something important to tell me?" Ash had asked while they walked, not even looking at Misty, and looking as though he hasn't a care in the world as he walked across his favorite beach in the Alola Region. Misty hummed to affirm what Ash said, but there was a sing-song tone to it, like it was a secret she wanted to keep to herself, but just had to tell someone. Then she came out with it.
"I'm dating someone now."
Ash actually felt himself freeze and trip over himself from the unexpected announcement. He thought it'd be pokémon related. Turns out he was wrong.
"Ugh! Is it really that surprising?" Misty asked annoyed at Ash.
"Wha- huh? No of course not! Uh congrats Misty?" Ash stammered out awkwardly. Misty huffed at him exasperatingly.
"Geez, It's not like I'm getting married."
"Uh, then… that's great to hear Misty. I'm happy for you. After seeing Prof. Kukui with Prof. Burnet, y'know before they got married, they made each other really happy. I hope your boyfriend makes you as happy as Kukui made Burnette and vice versa." Misty couldn't help the blush and the sting of tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"Oh boy…" Misty wiped at the stray tears in her eyes before they could fall. She looked back at him with a smile on her face. "Thank you Ash, that really means a lot to hear." Ash smiled at his friend as she spoke again. "Aren't you even gonna ask who he is?"
"Huh? Is he someone we both know?" A hilariously bitter expression fell across Ash's face. "Look, I know he's changed and all, but… it better not be Gary, you can do way better than that!" Misty chuckled.
"No he's not Gary either. He hardly talks to me when he's around anyway."
"Guessing's exhausting Misty! Just tell me." Misty continued their walk before finally admitting it out loud.
"Tracey." I'm dating Tracey."
"Huh? Seriously? Didn't see that one coming." Misty smiled and gave another chuckle.
"No one did. It's kinda what's nice about it. No high expectations and we move our relationship at our own pace, but my sisters are so, grrr! Annoying! They keep flirting with him even when I'm standing right there!" Misty sighed to calm herself down.
"Well I'm happy for both you and Tracey now. Tracey's a great friend, and real patient too." Ash smirked as he said his next statement. "Knowing you and your temper he's probably had to put up with a lot."
"Grrr!" Misty swiped Ash's hat and smacked him over the head with it.
"Unlike you Tracey knows better than to aggravate me!"
"Sounds like you two are a perfect pair." Ash said as he gripped his hat on his head.
"Honestly Ash, do you ever grow up? Sometimes it's like your that same dumb kid who destroyed my bike all that time ago.
"You gotta bring that up? I hope you and Iris never meet." Ash muttered.
"Who?"
"Forget it. Why didn't you invite Tracey here to Alola?"
"He was held up with work at Prof. Oak's lab. For some reason he thinks Gary compiled so much work for him last minute on purpose." Misty looked at the setting horizon. "I bet he'd love it here though. Maybe it'd remind him of his home back at the Orange Islands."
The sun has nearly disappeared behind the waves and it should be time to head back to Ash's second home.
"What about you, Ash?" Misty asked.
"What about me? I got my pokémon, training, and upcoming battles to look forward to."
"That's not what I mean. There's a lot more to life than just pokémon battles you know. There's no pretty girl waiting out there for you?" A brief memory of Serena just before he left the Kalos Region flashed in his mind. Ash blinked and shook his head.
"Well… there was this one girl… back in Kalos." Ash started awkwardly. He didn't particularly like talking about these things, and didn't exactly know how to go about discussing them. Especially when the other person is one of the two most judgmental girls he's ever met.
"Oh? Tell me all about her!" Misty said eagerly.
"She was… nice I guess, a little on the shy side at first, but she eventually became a really great trainer." Misty rolled her eyes.
"Of course that'd be the first thing you'd describe about her." Misty muttered.
"Well it's true. Apparently we also met once as kids, but I didn't remember her at first." Ash paused, thinking it best to just cut to the chase. "She kissed me just before I left Kalos." Misty gawked at him.
"Man, she's ballsy, I'll give her that." Misty muttered under her breath. "And, then what? Are you two dating now? I mean, you're both around thirteen now right?" Ash hadn't exactly considered he was now at the age where dating could be a factor in his life now.
"No, I'm not dating her. I didn't even consider it actually."
"Ash Ketchum! A girl likes you, kisses you, and you're just going to leave her hanging?" Misty poked at Ash at almost every word.
"Well she kinda sprung it on me." Ash defended.
"Well, I guess it's not like something like that hadn't happened to you before." Misty concluded.
"You think I should've done something about it?" Ash asked.
"I don't see why you shouldn't have. I surprisingly find it hard to believe that evenwhen a girl spells it out for you, you're still as dense as ever."
"It's not my fault! I just couldn't force myself to return her feelings."
"And you shouldn't. Forcing yourself could be the worst thing you can do in that situation." Misty agreed. "It'll be a miracle if you ever meet a girl who's just as dense and dedicated to pokémon training as you. She better be someone who can get you're heart pumping like you're ready for battle."
"And someone who I can trust to battle along side me." Ash added, surprising Misty as he continued for her, "Someone who loves pokémon as much as I do. Who has dreams like I do, so we'd understand and support each other, someone I can be casual with and has a great sense of humor, and talk battle strategy and combinations with too! Oh man, we had so many of those back then!" Misty rolled her eyes thinking she'd gotten Ash started. Then certain words caught her attention.
"We? Back then?" Misty asked. Ash jumped unable to stop the blush going across his face as he waved his hands in front of himself towards Misty in a stopping motion.
"I-I was thinking of someone else!"
"I sure hope so. I'm dating Tracey, Ash!"
"I swear I didn't mean you!" Ash exclaimed innocently.
"Then who? Apparently this special someone came up with battle combinations with you?" Ash blinked at Misty having not realizing he said that.
"Not exactly with me." Ash looked at the gentle waves going back and forth over his sandy feet. "I mean we had special combos we came up with together when we double battled. Though I've got to admit she kinda influenced a bit of my battling style up even till now."
"Enough about that. Who is she?" Misty asked eagerly.
Ash at first had been certain he was describing Kukui's and Bernet's relationship. That maybe he could have a similar relatioship as them cause they seem so happy. His mind clearly wandered elsewhere. A brief flash of Dawn's mischievous face with her Piplup hanging on her shoulder back in Unova appeared in Ash's memory at Misty's question. He was about to answer when something in the water caught his eye.
"Hey look!" Ash bent to reach his hands in the water and grabbed the shiny thing that caught his eye before it floated away. "Check it out, it's a pearl!"
"Oh how pretty!" Misty said now equally distracted. After briefly admiring it for a moment he held it out to her.
"Hm?"
"Here, you can have it."
"Why?"
"Well I don't need it." Ash shrugged. Misty smiled, raising her hand up and gently pushing Ash's hand with the pearl away.
"Neither do I."
Sometime after Misty and Brock left Alola, Ash didn't think much of the pearl he found on the beach that evening. He left it on his drawer beside his lamp and that was it. The conversation he had with Misty on the other hand stubbornly lingered on, much like Misty's stubbornness itself. Just moments before Misty had boarded her plane back to Kanto she took him aside and told him to give that pearl to the girl he had been thinking about.
That's what made that conversation on the beach stay stuck in his head for a considerable amount of time. He started spacing out in Kukui's class a bit more than usual. Random things here and there would remind him of Dawn. The literal sunrise every day on the beach, the way Lana would have her pokémon use bubble beam, one of Dawn's favorite moves that made her hair shiny and smooth… not that Ash would know, he's never touched it.
"And why would I even want to!?" Ash thought furiously.
Ash even began to have thoughts that Dawn would be interested in incorporating Z-moves into her contests. Ash tried really hard to shake it off thinking of other really cool things his other old friends would be interested in, in Alola. But when he thought about talking about his adventures and new training experiences he couldn't help but wonder what Dawn's opinions would be. Granted his other friends would provide great feedback too, but imagining what Dawn would think he'd remember how supportive she'd be and how fun and funny there conversations would be so it wasn't so serious all the time. It made him think of her smile.
"Dawn never really shied away from our friendship." Ash thought. "It's one of the things I liked most about her. She's so open, funny, mischievous, dedicated, straightforward, enthusiastic…" Ash stopped that train of thought before it went further and was assisted by Pikachu as he electrocuted him for spacing out in class when Prof. Kukui was calling on him. Ash had no excuse for spacing out and apologized immediately to everyone.
All these whirling thoughts were beginning to drive him crazy one day. He always liked to think about memories with his friends, but thinking about Dawn in excess was beginning to make him sick to his stomach, he felt like he was invading her personal bubble and she was likely three regions away. Or worse he was turning into Brock and not in the best ways. And he 100% blamed Misty for it, and that stupid pearl sitting innocently beside his lamp in his room he was half contemplating throwing it back in the ocean. His stomach growled, he hadn't realized when he'd gotten outside. He and his pokémon needed food.
...
Team Rocket noticed the twerp approaching the malasada truck. The trio got incredibly giddy to think the twerp came to them and they can easily get the drop on him and Pikachu, but they had to play it cool. Just as they were about to trick their favorite gullible twerp they were surprised to see him bang his head against the truck.
"Six malasadas please." Ash groaned as he handed Team Rocket cash for the food. Team Rocket startled, looking at the kid then between themselves perplexed. They'd never seen him look like that before. Jessie decided to start.
"Uh… twer-kid, not that it's any of our business, but…"
"Are you alright?" James finished a little more sympathetically.
Ash didn't look up at them as Team Rocket silently agreed to take pity on the kid and handed him the food he paid for. Ash didn't really answer them. All he said was thanks for his food and muttered something about, "Stupid Misty," as he went on his way. Team Rocket watched the twerp oddly as he walked off.
"The twerp appears to be going through some girl trouble." James pointed out.
"Really? Is he at that age already? How old is he now?" Jessie asked trying to count how long it's been with her fingers.
"The twerps grow up so fast!" Meowth popped in as he and wobbufet wiped their eyes with handkerchiefs.
…
Ash sat down on the beach so he and his pokemon could enjoy their malasadas while they watched the waves crash. He knew it wasn't fair to push his pokémon too hard over personal issues and asked them if they were up for some training with their friends tomorrow. He was glad they agreed cause he could really use the distraction. It was either that or go swimming, hoping thoughts of Dawn wouldn't follow him to the ocean floor.
Kukui dropped by when he noticed Ash have a makeshift picnic with his Pokémon on the beach.
"Got any extra malasadas for one more?" Kukui asked. Ash nodded and gestured at the box beside him.
"Go ahead Prof. Kukui." Kukui sat down, swiping a malasada and asked, "You alright Ash? Ever sense your friends left you've been pretty distracted. Are you missing home?"
"I love home, but I'm happy here right now so I'm okay." Ash answered.
"Then what's been going through that head of yours?" Kukui asked knocking Ash's hat off and ruffling his hair. Ash laughed and gently batted Kukui's hand away. "Is it your old friend, Misty?"
"Huh?" Ash asked.
Kukui smiled.
"I've seen that look in your eyes on someone else before. The sign when someone special is on your mind."
"You think so? On who?" Ash asked. Kukui rolled his eyes.
"Me of course, whenever I have thoughts on Burnet." Ash blushed.
"I'm not exactly thinking about Misty, more about something she said."
Kukui raised a brow.
"And what'd she tell you?"
"She told me she started dating an old friend of ours from the Orange Islands."
"That so?" Kukui asked while mentally preparing to become a shoulder to cry on.
"She more or less asked why I haven't started dating anyone yet." Kukui couldn't help but chuckle.
"Ash, you don't have to start dating right away, you can move at your own pace."
"She made fun of me for being too dense around girls." Ash muttered. He didn't sound depressed over it, but still very annoyed at what she said.
"Most boys are dense around your age, there's no shame in it." Kukui said supportively.
"Yeah, but then we got to talking about what kinda girl I'd be interested in, and I accidentally mentioned another girl I know, so Misty kinda put the idea in my head that I might like this other girl enough to ask her out one day, and ever sense then I couldn't get thoughts of her out of my head."
" Wow, what a twist. " Kukui thought with a still raised brow, smiling sympathetically at Ash. "Well, when you put it that way you certainly sound all tangled up." Kukui said.
"That's exactly how I feel." Ash confirmed sounding a little exhasperated.
"Why do you make it sound like it's a problem? There's no shame in liking someone, you know. Just means you're growing up."
"Well, she's distracting me!" Kukui couldn't help the slight chuckle. "Don't laugh!" Ash pulled up his knees, snatched his hat beside him and buried his face in it in humiliation. There was a reason he didn't talk about these things often, it was embarrassing and awkward for him.
Pikachu and his other pokémon crowded around Ash to comfort their distressed trainer. Kukui sighed and wrapped a comforting arm around Ash. "I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. I just found it funny how I know exactly how you feel." Ash peeked up at Kukui.
"You do?"
"Of course. When I was around your age, dating was the furthest thing from my mind too. Then one day pesky feelings for a girl crept up on me and wouldn't go away."
"How'd you get rid of them?" Kukui held back a laugh at Ash this time.
"You don't. You either let them run their course or you confront them."
"Confronting them sounds like a challenge, how do I do that?" Ash asked determinedly.
"Well you could tell this girl how you feel..." Ash blushed waving his hands to stop Kukui right there.
"N-no way! That'd be way too weird! I-I don't even know how I feel yet." Ash said.
"Thought you just said that you liked her?"
"I never said that. I said Misty put the idea in my head that I might like Dawn, and now I can't stop thinking about her." Kukui blinked.
"So, her name is Dawn?" Kukui asked.
"Pika-pika-ka-pi?" Pikachu questioned. Ash froze.
"Pikachu, you're not allowed to tell Piplup or Buneary anything!"
"Pika-chu?"
That includes Pachurisu and the others."
"Ash." Kukui called Ash back to the conversation."So, it's a girl called Dawn who's been on your mind?" Kukui asked. Ash sighed.
"How'd you put up with having a girl on your mind all the time?"
"Well, Ash there is another way to confront those feelings."
"How so?"
"You could admit to yourself how you feel first." Ash looked downward.
"I feel like, it's a bad thing to think about her a lot."
"Why's that?"
"Well, I don't know... I feel like I'm picking favorites between my friends and that feels a little unfair." Ash made a slightly disturbed face as he voiced his next thought, "It also feels like I'm invading her personal space or something. It feels weird, like I'm giving so much attention to someone who didn't ask for it, and there's like four regions between us at the moment. Wouldn't she feel weirded out if she knew I've been thinking about her?"
"So that's what your worried about." Kukui said. "Ash, your feelings for Dawn are perfectly normal, and if you're not ready to tell her how you feel, that's fine too. Besides, any girl should feel lucky, and downright special to have your attention."
"You're really sure it's okay?"
"So long as you can snap yourself out of getting distracted by her during class, it's fine." Ash cringed.
"Sorry about that."
"Hopefully talking about this helped clear your head a little." Ash smiled.
"Yeah, I think it did."
"So?" Kukui asked.
"So what?" Ash asked.
"Why don't you tell me about her?" Ash leaned on his hands behind him.
"Well... Dawn and I first met when I arrived at the Sinnoh Region. She helped rescue Pikachu from Team Rocket."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu confirmed.
"She sounds like quite the girl already. How'd you repay her?"
"We fried her bike."
"What?"
"It was almost a tradition by that point." Ash muttered.
"Pika-chu..."
Eventually Ash left Alola, and was returning home a champion for the first time. Not just any champion though, a region's first league champion. What an honor! While packing up before leaving the region Ash now considers his second home, he'd forgotten about the pearl that had fallen off the top of the drawer at one point and disappeared behind it. Memories of Dawn and his other friends drifted around his head throughout his time in Alola and for a while the strong feelings that circled around his head about Dawn faded into the background at one point. He still had his goals and dreams to follow, and every now and then memories of Dawn and his other friends became happier distractions. After having that long talk with Kukui about Dawn on the beach he didn't feel so ashamed when he thought about Dawn anymore. Thoughts of her occasionally brought butterfrees to his stomach, but he understood they weren't bad feelings anymore.
...
After many heartfelt and even some joyful goodbyes were made. Saying goodbye to Burnet and Kukui broke Ash's heart, but they promised to always be there for him and he was always welcomed in their lives, and Ash promised the same to them. Ash knew Burnet was going to be a great mom, she reminded him a lot of his own. Kukui on the other hand felt a little harder to say goodbye to. For the first time in his life he felt what it was like to have a dad, now he had to say goodbye. Ash believed the professors' kid was going to be so lucky to have Kukui as a father.
"It won't be forever." Kukui had promised him as Ash smiled through his tears while they all hugged goodbye. Kukui and Burnet couldn't let Ash leave without letting him know despite having a baby on the way they see him as a son too and poured those feelings into their embrace, and those feelings would never change. Saying bye to his friends was always hard, but they brought the biggest smile to his face when they all flew up beside his window on the plane with their pokémon to say goodbye. It looked amazing out there and all Ash wanted to do was be out there with them too.
But he reminded himself it wouldn't be forever.
When he started competing in the World Coronation series and working as a research assistant with his new travel buddy, Goh, it was a nice nostalgic feeling to travel around the regions he'd already been to when the research wasn't urgent. Goh, reminded him a lot of himself from back in his rookie days. They also had their friend Chloe, but she was mostly off doing her own thing be it school or at the moment, traveling.
When Ash and Goh were sent off to Sinnoh to investigate the nightmares plaguing the towns, he didn't think he'd run into Dawn at all. Last he heard she and buneary were doing the whole pokémodeling and competing in the Hoenn and Johto contest circuits. So she had been the furthest thing from his mind when Sinnoh had been mentioned. So imagine his surprise when Goh and Ash stumbled into Chloe along with none other than Dawn herself one evening. Pikachu had been first to react at seeing her with a confused, "Pika?"
While Goh and Chloe exchanged confused words, Ash had been so surprised, he exclaimed, "Dawn?" With a dumbfounded look on his face while his heart didn't know whether to stop or pump faster. Dawn however was instant smiles when she reacted at seeing him again, and...
Bathump-bathump-bathump!
Ash could feel his heart choosing to pump faster. His legs stiffened up as she approached him saying, "I can't believe it! It's been so long." She sounded just as excited as he felt at seeing each other again. Ash could barely move as he finally smiled at her fumbling through his words as he asked, "Wh-why are you with Chloe?" Instantly Ash felt stupid that had been the first thing he asked her after so long, and he couldn't contain his surprised stutter either. Dawn hadn't seemed to mind and Goh gave him an odd look while Ash just stared as Chloe asked Dawn how the two of them knew each other. Pikachu and Piplup greeted each other beneath them while the two girls giggled about coincidences.
Ash felt himself stepping closer to ask, "What are you two doing all the way out here?" Dawn had turned back to Ash to answer not realizing how close he was standing in front of her now and the two reunited friends were equally surprised when Goh came a little between them to say, "Hold on a second. Lets settle down and go over things." Ash could barely notice Chloe's surprised face at Goh getting between Ash and Dawn and he also couldn't decide whether he wanted to feel annoyed his sudden reunion with Dawn was interrupted by Goh or be grateful his friend might've just prevented Ash from making a total fool of himself in front of Dawn.
...
The four kids sat around talking about how Ash and Dawn used to travel together with a brief mention of Brock . When Dawn had expressed her surprise at making a mutual friend in Chloe. Ash said in a happy but slightly awkward tone, "Same to you," at Dawn and immediately turned to the rare pokémon sitting behind them and said in amazement, "And you had Cresselia with you!" Looks like he was no longer the only pokémon trainer who drew in the rare legendary pokémon anymore, not to mention the major coincidence as he and Goh were tracking down both Darkrai and Cresselia at the moment. As the others talked Ash continued to admire Cresselia, being the only thing alive at the moment that could distract him from Dawn. He also wanted to partially turn away cause he was still reeling at the fact he came across Dawn at all and a rare pokémon was a pretty good distraction from her. He was also rather unprepared to see her again. Old feelings he discovered he had for Dawn back in Alola rushed back the moment he saw her and he wanted to supress them for as long as possible. He couldn't imagine himself acting like Brock at the sight of a Nurse Joy towards Dawn, but now he started to somewhat understand why Brock did so in the first place.
Unfortunately during their brief reunion Dawn and Chloe had mentioned running into Darkrai. Next thing they knew a huge Team Rocket blimp came there way to kidnap Cresselia and Darkrai who had shown up to protect Cresselia. Everyone of the kids sent in their pokemon ready to fight and protect the rare creatures as best they could. Eventually the four kids were trapped under a net and Darkrai wound up doing most of the protecting.
Once the battle was over and Darkrai and Cresselia were well enough to return home the three kids noticed how Chloe had been extremely insightful over the pokemon's feelings. She was the first to have noticed Darkrai's feelings weren't malicious but concerned and his nightmare crusade was just a side effect of his wandering search for Cresselia. It couldn't be helped or balanced out without Cresselia, who was the only one who could withstand his presence and balance his powers with her own. If Ash was being honest, seeing the connection Darkrai and Cresselia shared was pretty amazing to see. They were polar opposites who had an incredibly supportive and protective friendship. If two vastly different pokémon could build a connection that powerful he wondered if two people could too.
No need to worry.
That's when I worry the most.
Ash smiled in thought the following morning after the whole ordeal he felt himself growing comfortable around Dawn again. The way their friendship should be. They spent some time catching up while Goh and Chloe slept in and Dawn prepared pancakes for everyone with Ash, Pikachu, and Piplup helping.
Fortunately since Ash and Goh's mission was complete they had some extra time to kill in Sinnoh and decided to accompany Chloe and Dawn all the way towards the contest in Eterna City. It had been a while since Ash had attended a contest and couldn't wait to see how much Dawn had improved. They spent much of their time catching up on their adventures that morning.
"Almost feels like old times. We'll be traveling through the Sinnoh Region together for a while again." Dawn had said.
"But now with more friends." Ash said sending his sleeping friends a smile. Dawn smiled too, as Ash spoke again, "Sorry I didn't send you a message when I came back to Sinnoh. I thought you were off in Johto or something." Ash said rubbing the back of his head. Dawn chuckled at Ash.
"No need to worry. I kinda just got back home to redo the Sinnoh contest circuit. Figures as soon as we're in the same region again I get pulled into some wild adventure. By the way, May actually decided to redo the Hoenn circuit the same time I was there and we traveled together a while."
"That's great, has her contest style changed much?" Ash asked. Dawn nodded.
"Sinnoh's been a big influence over the contest circuits lately and many coordinators are starting to implement similar styles to Sinnoh internationally. The coordinators from Kalos are particularly flashy in the performance rounds though. May picked up some interesting tricks from Johto so I went there after Hoenn and she took on the circuit here. What about you, I've heard lots of insane things about your travels since Unova."
"Unova was pretty challenging, and I came real close in Kalos. I was the runner up. Then I went to Alola."
"I heard about Unova and Kalos, Your match against Alain had me at the edge of my seat. I bet it got better from there."
"It sure did! You wouldn't believe what happened in Alola."
"Tell me all about it." Dawn offered. The two finished making the pancakes, handed some to their awake pokémon and prepared to eat while waiting for the others to wake up. Dawn and Ash grabbed some and Dawn sat on a little boulder ready to listen. Ash took a seat on a log next to her.
"Man where should I even start with Alola? Well, I originally went there on vacation after Kalos, but then this girl called Mallow dragged me all the way to a pokemon school thinking I was a student. I met my friends, Kiawe, Sophocles, Lilie, and Lana there, oh!" Ash pulled out his rotom phone to Show Dawn photos and pointed everyone out.
"That's Gladian, Lillie and Gladion are siblings. I met him a little later." Ash continued to point at people in the photos, "The principal is Principal Oak, he's Prof. Oak's cousin by the way," Dawn gawked barely able to react as Ash continued. "I got to know everyone there, and I just had to stay. Alola completely drew me in. I met so many amazing pokemon while I was there too. The pokemon I caught there grew real strong." Ash showed Dawn before and after evolution pictures of his pokémon. Dawn smiled seeing how strong they became under Ash's care. "And the professor there was my teacher at the school, Prof. Kukui, he wanted to start his own pokemon league in that region."
"Really? You got to see a whole new pokemon league get formed? What luck!" Dawn and Ash high fived instinctively.
"I know right! There were these island challenges I had to do all over the region instead of gym battles.."
"Wait, but did you travel between islands or go to the school? Which was it?" Dawn asked confused.
"Both actually. I attended the pokemon school regularly and I boarded with Prof. Kukui who helped me get the island challenges. He's a great... teacher and help. I wish you could meet all the friends I made there, you'd get along great with them."
"I bet I would. I'd love to meet them someday. Tell me more about your battles,"
"Oh, right, there was this cultural battle style I learned about there where you use special z-crystals in a z-ring to power up pokemon moves to turn them into z-moves,"
"Can you show me?"Dawn asked standing up with her fists up eagerly. Ash stopped and grinned sheepishly.
"Heh, heh, sorry. I left my z-ring back home. I wanted to start fresh again for the World Coronation Series." Dawn sighed at Ash.
"I can understand. I remember back when you scolded me about building and committing to your team in Sinnoh. How even though you have trained pokemon back home you weren't planning on rotating them."
"I didn't mean to scold you."
Dawn shook her head and smiled genuinely.
"Hm, I needed to hear it anyway. I probably sounded like Paul when I said that. Now I can't imagine ever rotating my pokemon team. When you said that you kinda inspired me."
Ba-thump
Ash blinked wondering how his heart pounded so hard for a second. He felt his face flush and turned away trying to hide his redening face.
"That's great Dawn... um, I'm glad I inspired you a little." Ash said. Dawn closed her eyes and hummed a laugh and took notice of Ash closing in on himself.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-no, of course not." Ash reassured.
"Your face is all red," Dawn pointed out, "are you okay?" Dawn's hand reached out as if to feel his temperature,
Bathump-bathump!
and Ash abruptly leaned away and rapidly stood up.
"Uh, uhm, Dawn, I never told you what went down in the Alola League!" Ash exclaimed. Dawn couldn't tell if Ash meant to sound eager or excited, she felt something was a little off though.
"Bu-"
"Trust me, you won't believe it."
"Well... if your sure." She then smirked placing her hands on her hips and said in a challenging tone, "Alright, try me. What's your big announcement Ash?"
" She's so not gonna believe me. " Ash thought feeling like he gets to pull her leg this time, like she'd done to him in Unova, but this was no joke. He then made a power pose and pointed at himself as he said, "Dawn, your looking at the Alola Region's very first pokémon league champion!"
"Pika-Pika-Chu!" Pikachu leapedinto the power pose with Ash cheering with him.
Dawn didn't react at first still giving him the same look, his words sunk in after a few seconds. Dawn gave an almost inaudible gasp.
"Are you serious?" Dawn whispered.
"That's right! You're in the presence of a league champion, Dawn." Ash spread his hands out as if gesturing to himself. Then Dawn nearly shrieked her next words.
"No way! Congratulations, Ash!" Dawn leaped towards him and wrapped him in a tight congratulatory hug, they swung side to side from the force. "I'm so happy for you! You've really earned this." The embrace had been so unexptected Ash almost froze up. His face had gone red again, and for a second he didn't know where to put his arms, which were still spread out and subsequently frozen in place.
Bathump!Bathump!Bathump!Bathump!
Ash kind of just wanted his heart to stop at the moment. When Dawn's words finally hit him. He smiled and let himself wrap his arms around her to return the hug.
"Thanks, Dawn."
Pikachu and Piplup had there own little celebratory dance, before continuing to happily munch on their pancakes as they silently watched they're two trainers.
"Piplup, piplup piplup?"
"What's wrong with Satoshi. His face is all red? " Piplup asked. Pikachu tensed remembering how Ash told him not to tell any of Dawn's pokémon what he talked about with Prof. Kukui about Dawn. Ash talked a lot about his adventures with Dawn and how great she was as a trainer and person, but he practically burried his head in the sand when Kukui asked Ash if he thought Dawn was pretty. Pikachu felt bad keeping this from his best friend, because it concerned his trainer too, but Pikachu had to keep Ash's secret.
"Pika-a... Pi-ka-pi... pika-ka-chu?"
"Uh... Satoshi... learned a new move?" Pikachu tried. Piplup just laughed.
"He reminds me of Mimirol (Buneary ) whenever she looked at you!" Piplup continued to laugh as Pikachu raised the equivalent of a confused brow, wondering what Buneary had to do with anything.
...
A while later Chloe and Goh finally awoke.
"Morning guys! Wanna try some pancakes?" Dawn offered.
"Sure! Thank you Dawn." Chloe said excitedly and ran up to eat. Goh followed silently behind, smiling in thanks.
Once breakfast was through, Dawn, Piplup, Pikachu, Grookey, and Eevee wanted to spend some time playing in the ocean before leaving for the contest. Ash and Goh decided to follow Dawn and the others into the water splashing each other playfully. Ash felt Dawn's hands come up behind him to keep him in place directly towards Goh's splash attack. The three of them laughed as they fooled around for a while. Until Chloe spoke up about the contest Dawn and Chloe were going to attend. They had plenty of time before then and decided to hang out in the water a while longer while Chloe took pictures of everyone having a good time.
The journey towards Eterna City was a lot more relaxing with no one in a rush. As soon as they got there the streets were filled with booths and pop-up stores selling all kinds of treats and items to trainers and tourists before the start of the contest. Everyone went around buying treats for themselves and their pokemon. Dawn was eager to show Chloe some cute pokemon accessories and led the gang towards a pop-up store sellng costumes for both pokemon and trainers.
"Are you sure you won't change your mind about competing alongside me?" Dawn asked Chloe. Chloe had told Dawn some time into the trip she changed her mind about competing.
"I'm sure. I think it's best I watch from the stands anyway since I have nothing rehearsed."
Dawn looked briefly disappointed then smiled faintly at Chloe.
"No need to worry. You'll see I'll make tonight a real show stopper for you."
...
Meanwhile Ash and Goh browsed around the neat costumes. Pikachu grabbed a few fans and started waving them around with Grookey doing the same with one fan in his unoccupied hand. Ash chuckled.
"Looks like we'll be cheering for Dawn like old times again huh?"
"You dress up your pokemon to cheer for Dawn?" Goh asked looking at the way Pikachu was dressing up under some scrap cloth to show Grookey how he wears a kimono to cheer.
"I think Pikachu and I started doing that a little before my friend May's last contest in Hoenn. But when we met Dawn she and her pokemon dressed up as cheerleaders during my first gym match in Sinnoh and I dressed up my pokemon to cheer for her for almost every contest."
Goh's thoughts stayed stuck in one particular detail.
"She dressed up as a cheerleader?" Goh asked.
"Huh, yeah?" Ash wondered why that detail caught Goh's attention. Ash saw Goh glance over at the girls giggling while helping Piplup dress up Eevee in cute accessories. Goh blushed and turned scratching the back of his head.
"Must've been nice... she -uh, must've looked real pretty." Goh said as he imagined the sight of the two pretty girls in cheer uniforms.
Ash on the other hand hadn't really thought about it like that before. It hadn't been like when Gary had a hoard of cheerleaders following him around. Ash would admit he'd been a little jealous of him in the begining. Having a crowd of fans following him everywhere sounded amazing. But Ash never knew those girls' names. When Dawn had cheered him on it felt like it meant a lot more to Ash to have his friend who looked up to him for mentoring her cheering him on instead of some paid models.
Ash felt his face flush at the memory. "Dawn did look kinda pretty, now that he mentioned it." He looked behind him to wave his hands frantically over Goh's dazed face.
"She only did that cause she wanted to be nice and supportive, so how she dressed doesn't really matter!"
Goh coughed.
"Oh- ofcourse. Ha ha!" Goh's face might've gotten redder for even thinking about their friends that way. The shame!
"Hey guys." Dawn said as she and Chloe approached the boys who both jumped when they noticed the girls.
"What are you talking about over here?" Goh and Ash looked at one another.
"Nothing."
All four pokemon and the girls looked at the boys in confusion.
Ash, Goh, and Chloe all sat down to enjoy the contest with their pokemon dressed up to cheer for Dawn and Piplup. When Dawn Rushed out onstage for the performance round Ash hadn't expected her new look. He almost thought she'd come in in her pink or yellow dresses. She had a whole new look to match Piplup's water type theme. The blue gradient on the dress reminded him of the ocean waves in Alola, she was covered in moons and stars to establish her experience as a coordinator, and her dress was littered in... pearls. Ash's gaped remembering when he'd found a shiny pearl on the beach back in Alola. Misty had told him...
Give it to the girl you were thinking of. Ash looked down and began patting his pockets.
"I don't have it." Of course Ash didn't have it he hadn't even remembered it until now. It must've stayed behind in Alola.
"Looking for something?" Goh asked.
"Uh yeah." Ash said pulling out his phone. "Thought I'd record and take pictures for Dawn."
"Oh!" Chloe said then turned to Eevee. "Eevee we should do that too. In case we ever think about trying out for contests." However once Dawn and Piplup got started Ash set his phone down forgetting all about recording. Pictures and recordings were nice and all, but nothing ever compared to watching the real thing.
"Dawn was right." Said Chloe getting Ash and Goh's attention. "She said she'd make it a real show stopper. She's so cool out there." Chloe looked down at her Eevee. "What do you think Eevee? Think we'll ever be as great as Dawn and her Piplup in whatever we choose to do?"
"Eevee!" Eevee agreed. Ash smiled as Dawn and Piplup worked in perfectly rehearsed sync sending bubble beams and ice beams up in the air to wow the crowd when Piplup jumped in the air to use drill peck in perrfect accuracy and agility before any of the frozen bubbles hit the ground. Before Piplup himself hit the ground Dawn called out to use ice beam on the ground. Piplup did so to land on top of a tall ice block for piplup to pose on while the crowd cheered. The three kids and their pokemon cheered as loud as they could for Dawn and Piplup. Dawn and Piplup made it past the performance round easily and up next was the battle round.
The Sinnoh contest battle style was the same as always with coordinators ensuring their pokemon looked good while fighting. Some trainers incorporated some international style like mega-evolution into battles and Of course every coordinator had their own flare to it especially Dawn.
"That's a pretty strange way for pokemon to battle?" Goh said.
"Huh?" Asked Ash and Chloe.
"Well the whole point of battling is winning isn't it? Why does it matter ading a style to it?"
"I think it's because..." Ash thought for a moment, "how your pokemon act in battle reflects on you as a trainer." Goh didn't really reply back to Ash and chose to go into thought about it.
"That actually makes a lot of sense." Said Chloe getting both boys attention. "All those fancy moves Dawn is showing off with her pokemon show she's creative and resourceful, she certainly showed it when we first met, and pokemon have their own thoughts and feelings of course, but when you see a pokemon listen to their trainer so thoroughly really shows how close of a bond they have." Ash and Goh smiled at Chloe's analysis and cheered hard for Dawn and her pokemon as they reached the end of the battling segment of the contest.
Dawn won with just enough points above her opponent's. She cheered and jumped up and down while Piplup and Buneary ran up to jump on her in celebration. She held onto them both as they nearly tackled her to the ground.
"Oh! You two make me so proud!" Dawn said squeezing her pokemon tight as she spun them around in celebration. She let the two pokemon rest on her head and shoulders as she approached her opponent to shake his hand.
Dawn was soon awarded her ribbon and reunited with her friends backstage. Ash ran up to give Dawn a high five on sight.
"You did great out there Dawn." Dawn smiled while Ash pet Piplup's and Buneary's heads. "You guys too." The two pokemon chirped in grattitue and jumped off Dawn to greet and celebrate with Pikachu, Grookie, and Eevee.
Congrats!" Said Goh as he and Chloe ran up to Dawn.
"Let me see." Said Chloe as she approached Dawn to take a look at the ribbbon. Chloe gave Dawn her congratulations and the two girls got to talking about the experience.
The group went out to grab dinner at a local pokemon center to celebrate. The group talked animatedly about the event. When it was time to get ready for bed Ash found Dawn sitting outside getting some fresh air. He sat down with her and offered his congratulations again.
"My pokemon have been working real hard, I'm so proud of all of them for helping get so far in the contest circuits." Ash smiled and thought for a moment.
"You know..." Ash trailed off. Dawn turned to him and noticed him scratching the back of his head. "I had a gift for you."
"Really?" Dawn's face lit up at the thought.
"Yeah... but I left it behind in Alola."
"Oh... what was it?" Dawn asked.
"It's... nothing special. If I ever get it back I'll give it to you."
Dawn looked at Ash skeptically.
"I promise."
"Aw c'mon you can't just leave me with that." Dawn joked.
"It's something I found on the beach."
"A seashell?" Dawn guessed optmistically.
"Nope."
"Hm." Dawn puffed up her cheeks annoyed Ash was going to leave it a mystery. Ash burst out laughing at the look on her face. Dawn elbowed him gently in mock annoyance as they both chuckled.
...
The following day Ash and Goh had to get back to Vermillion to report back to Professor Cerise. Chloe still had a couple extra days before her scheduled flight back home and would continue accompanying Dawn a while longer. Ash felt a slight hint of jealousy that he wouldn't be the one accompanying Dawn it felt like Unova all over againwith Cilan and Iris taking up most of Dawn's time. But overall he was glad Dawn wouldn't be alone.
"I'm glad. Someone's gotta keep Dawn out of trouble." Ash joked. Chloe giggled while Dawn shot back,
"Aw c'mon Ash no need to worry, remember."
"That's when I-" Ash cut hmself off and cleared his throat then gave Dawn a bright smile as she raised a confused brow at him. "Yeah your right." Dawn frowned a little that he didn't respond back with what he'd normally say. He raised a hand up for a high five.
"No need to worry." Ash gave her a genuine smile and Dawn noticed how there was a different look in his eyes. She often wondered what goes on in Ash's head, now was one of those moments. Nonetheless she wasn't about to turn down a perfectly good high five. The two slapped their hands together while Pikachu and Piplup did the same beneath them. Chloe gave Goh a look and Goh shrugged unable to explain the moment that passed between Ash and Dawn.
Ash, Goh, and Pikachu boarded their plane and waved goodbye from the window to their friends. Dawn, Chloe, and Piplup did the same as the plane took off. The two boys and Pikachu watched their friends get smaller and smaller as they flew away out of sight. Goh wanted to broach the subject why Ash acted a little oddily around Dawn but opted not to ask at the moment.
Sometime after reporting back to Prof. Cerise Ash and Goh traveled to Alola to participate in the Pokemon Capture Adventure Race. As soon as they landed the duo got straight to work on the race and met a pair of twin brothers who immediately recognized Ash as the Alolan League Champion. Needless to say, Goh was very surprised and impressed.
"How'd I forget to tell Goh?" Ash thought as Goh and the twins rambled over this revelation. "I told Dawn, how'd I not tell Goh? ... Wait if I never told Goh that also means I never told Chloe either... whoops..."
...
After Ash and Goh completed the race Kukui and Burnet called up Ash and invited them over for dinner at home.
Ash and Goh were greeted at the door. Where Burnet enveloped Ash in a welcoming hug and Kukui placed a hand over Ash's head affectionately. Kukui handed Lei over to Ash to hold while Burnet and Kukui greeted Goh. Ash let Lei's hands grab around Ash's face as reacquainted himself with his 'big brother.' Ash laughed while letting Lei play around. Ash then immediately handed Lei over to Burnet as he heard the rumbling sound of his Alolan pokemon rushing over to greet him. They dogpiled him in affection and he wrapped his arms around over as many of his pokemon as he can reach while greeting them happily. Ash then let them run over to welcome Goh with as much brute affection as they did with Ash.
With everyone settled they sat down to enjoy dinner together whle they caught up with each other. When Goh brought up his and Ash's adventures in Sinnoh and started a conversation with Kukui about his first viewing of a contest.
"Oh I loved watching contests on TV when I was a kid!" Burnet piped in excitedly.
"Really?" Asked Ash. "Did you ever compete?"
"Burnet shrugged," I competed in the occasional mock contests here in Alola when I had time, but overall being a researcher was a lot more important to me. I was a pretty big fan of Joanna Berlitz though." Ash gaped at her.
"That's Dawn's mom!" Ash blurted out. Kukui spat in his drink immediately recognizing the name. Goh and Burnet were too busy looking at Ash both surprised. Goh because he had no idea Dawn was carrying on her mom's legacy, and Burnet because Ash actually knew a famous coordinator through this Dawn character. Burnet instantly grabbed Ash by the hands as she beamed at him while demanding answers.
"What is she like in person? Did you get the chance to battle her Glameow and Umbreon? Were they too strong for you? What does Dawn think of her as a mom? Who is Dawn, what's she like? How did you meet both of them? Did you even meet Joanna?"
"Uhhh..." Ash barely registered any of those questions.
Kukui chuckled while Goh just watched perplexed at the situation.
"Dear, give Ash a chance to process those questions."
"Oh geez." Burnet backed away in apology for getting in Ash's face. "I don't even know which question I want answered first anymore."
"You know I never did hear how you and Dawn met." Goh said.
"Uhm." Ash kinda shrunk in his seat and he glanced over at Kukui who still had his cup against his mouth like he was trying to hid his face for some reason. Ash didn't mind telling the story, the problem was Kukui already knew the story, even worse, he knew the story with the context of Ash liking Dawn. Telling the story knowing that Kukui knows how Ash feels felt kinda embarrassing now. Pikachu saved him half the trouble when he started explaining in poké-speak was while he made impressions of team rocket and their giant robot. Goh took it upon himself to attempt to translate.
"So there was Team Rocket?"
Pikachu nodded and continued.
"They kidnapped you." It wasn't even a question, Pikachu still confirmed it.
"There was an explosion? You got lost. Uhm...?" Everyone got a little lost at the rest of the explanation.
"You might want to elaborate Ash." Said Kukui as he set his cup down. Ash noticed a hint of a smirk on his face. Ash tried to ignore the embarrassing flush creeping on his face and huffed inaudibly to tone it down. Ash wished that Kukui didn't know now.
"Dawn was on her first day of her pokemon journey and while she was out catching pokemon she found Pikachu and tried to catch him. When she realized she couldn't Team Rocket showed up and ambushed them and they fought Pikachu into exhaustion, until Dawn fended them off."
Burnet had a hand hovering over her mouth agape in shock. She reached over to pet Pikachu sympathetically which he appreciated greatly.
"Dawn then took Pikachu to a Pokémon Center and while I was out looking for him I got a lift from Officer Jenny over to Prof. Rowen's lab where he told me Dawn contacted him that she found Pikachu and was out looking for me."
"Did you wait for her at the lab?" Goh asked.
"No, I went out to find her myself." Ash noticed the corner of Kukui's mouth shift a little. It wasn't like that back then. Ash hated that Kukui knew. Goh face-palmed and shook his head.
"Didn't that make the search more difficult?" Goh asked.
"Kinda, I don't regret it though. I ran into my old friend Brock who was hitchhiking on the way and caught my Starley who eventually evolved into my Staraptor. Besides, good thing I went looking cause Brock and I found Dawn, Pikachu, and her Piplup fighting Team Rocket again. We defeated them and that's how we met for the first time and I later found out Pikachu fried her bike by mistake at one point prior to then."
Everyone kinda snickered or snorted at that part, even Kukui who had already kown about it.
"She was... understanding about it and she asked if we could travel together since we were headed in the same direction for her first contest. I met her mom through video call sometime after that. She was real something. She was proud of Dawn and showed a lot of tough love for her. She worried about Dawn and really wanted her to be the best she can be, and I felt the same."
Everyone smiled at the story. Ash felt like he floated whenever he talked about Dawn or to Dawn nowadays. Kukui dragged him back to Earth when he said,
"She sounds like quite the girl, Ash."
Burnet was about to agree with Goh ready to confirm it when Ash shot up from his chair startling Pikachu, Lei, Goh, and Burnet.
"Prof. Kukui, you think we can have a battle?" Ash asked. There was confident determination in Ash's voice, but also an edge to it that vaguely sounded like irritation. Ash and Kukui loved each other like father and son, but Ash will not stand to be made fun of or teased about his crush on Dawn. Kukui raised a brow, but never lost his smile.
"It seems I may've teased Ash a little too far." Kukui thought humorously.
After their battle on the beach Ash and Goh prepared for sleep with Ash reclaiming his old loft. Burnet and Goh were left confused as to why Ash wanted to battle Kukui. They realized for some reason Ash needed to let off some steam and he thought decimating Kukui in battle was the way to do it. Ash won by a hair, but at least he wouldn't be renouncing his title as champion.
As Ash got ready he decided to take a look around where he slept and wondered if Kukui and Burnet did any thorough cleaning before Lei was born and started looking around the drawer.
"Looking for something?" Burnet asked climbing the loft to sit on the edge.
"I might've left behind a pearl around here somewhere." Ash said. Burnet thought for a moment.
"Oh!" She exclaimed and jumped down and headed towards hers and Kukui's bedroom.
She came back with something gripped in her hand and Ash sat on the edge so she wouldn't have to climb up again. She passed over what she had in her hand to Ash so he could take a look at it.
It was the pearl, but with a chain added to it and the sun and moon were inked on the surface with a diamond stud poking out of the center of the sun. It looked really nice.
"I don't think this is the right pearl." Ash said.
"Sure it is. Kukui found it behind a drawer and gave it to me. So I fashioned it into a necklace."
"Oh." Ash said sounding a little disappointed.
"Do you not like how it looks now? I'm sorry Ash." Said Burnet.
"No, I think it looks cool. But if it's yours now..."
Burnet shook her head.
"Just take it Ash." She smiled and reached up to ruffle Ash's hair before bidding him good night.
Ash took a better look at the single pearl necklace with a smile and thought he'd like to hang onto it a little longer until he was ready to gift it to Dawn.
A/N:
Timeline to make Ash 13:
Year 0 Age 10:
May - June (kanto)
June - July (Orange Islands)
July - August (Johto)
Year 1 Age 11:
May - June (Hoenn)
July -August (Sinnoh)
Year 2 Age 12:
May - June (Unova)
July - August (Kalos)
Year 3 Age 13:
May - June (Alola)
July - ? (Galar/ Pokemon Journeys)
Dawn is 12.
I'm just gonna try to ignore the eight to nine months to when Lei was born.
Thank you so much for reading! Please review and recommend to friends who may like this story and feel free to check out the original on AO3 (under the same penname) where you can read some more in depth A/N's for this story.