It is nighttime at Jubilife City, and the aroma of delicious food and festive music weeps the streets as the new restaurant's grand opening, the Sweet L'amour, was in full swing. Inside this fancy looking restaurant was even more fancy scenery. Everywhere you see was filled with beautiful people with fancy clothing that only nobles could afford dancing with each other gracefully.
The glamorous walls and curtains go hand in hand together as the tables aligned themselves along with the indoor decorating. Other than the residents enjoying their evening, there also were bodyguards that belonged to the ACE, standing by and watching the residents dance in watch of unexpected party crashers. One of them standing was Dawn, and she does not look happy.
"Man, guard duty is so freaking boring." thought Dawn, as she opens her mouth wide for a yawn.
"Well, this is part of being in ACE, can't do anything about it." Dawn looked around the restaurant, and notices the fancy people dancing along with the festive music.
"Wow I wish I could be a part of this… And wear a pretty dress… AH! NO NO NO! Stop thinking like that Dawn!" Dawn hit her head with her hand as she tries to get rid of her girlish desires.
"You're on an important mission that involves life and death. You can't let these things get the better of you! You gotta stay focused!" Dawn then looked around with a serious face, and noticed the waiters and waitresses are even joining in the dance, causing everyone to cheer.
"Oh… How can I when these people are having so much fun!" Dawn pouted like a little kid at how fun this place is getting, and she can't join in.
"I wonder how Maylene is doing…" As Dawn thought how Maylene was, the restaurant's lights suddenly went off, making F/Dawn only see pitch-black darkness. As Dawn gets surprised by this and looked around, the lights get back on but only on the stage where the band was playing with the help of a stage light.
"Huh? An event or something?" Dawn asks herself as she continues to watch. The band members left their instruments and disappeared into the curtains. Later, the curtains opened up to reveal a man with tanned skin and closed eyes and a beard in a dashing white tuxedo with a black bowtie tied around his neck, causing the crowd to applause and Dawn's eyes widen in shock to see who it was.
"It's Brock!" Dawn didn't show it, but on the inside, she was extremely excited and happy to see her old friend during her journey as a Pokémon trainer.
"Hello everyone, and welcome to "Sweet L'amour"." Brock tried to say it as deep and romantic as possible when saying L'amour, but to Dawn's eyes, it was just lame as she sweatdrops.
"Now then, I know how hungry you guys must be since it took so long since you've ordered. So, without further ado, let's begin." Brock's hand rose up and joined his finger and thumb to make a snapping sound, causing the sound to echo across the room. Then suddenly the doors to the kitchen opened and tons of chefs and Machokes, Machamp, and Hariyamas came running with carts and riding on them were delicious, mouth savoring foods that is making everyone drool from their mouths, including the guards, Dawn included. The chefs and their Pokémon finished organizing the food to their respective tables and returned to their kitchens.
"Alright guys… DIG IN!" Brock shouted, as tons of the people head to their tables like wild Pokémon, and immediately chow down their food, making all of their faces look like they're in ecstasy.
"Wow haha, even the people can't get enough of Brock's food." She thought that, but her tummy's been rumbling for a while from the sight of the food coming in.
"Hahaha! Looks like everyone's enjoying their evening!" The crowd responded with a loud yell, sort of like how wild Pokémon would be.
"Haha!~ Well then how about some entertainment while you guys enjoy the meal?" The crowd responded happily, as they all love to have a dinner and a show.
"Then let's get started!" Brock snapped his fingers again, and some crewmen came in, moving a large, video screen to the center of the stage behind Brock.
"As you all know, rather than just opening a restaurant, I also said that was going to show you guy's my life's work, how I began my conquest of the gourmet and medical world." The crewmen continued to work on the video screen till the screen itself turned on, showing a white background.
"How do I do it? Well it's not like I had a video camera recording me my whole life." The crowd laughs at his little joke, and then the crewman came to Brock's side, holding a special metal box in his hands.
"But what I do have to show you… is my past." Brock took the box from the crewman's hands, and then the crewman left the stage, leaving Brock to open his mysterious box. It showed a bright, yellow glowing crystal, which made the crowd awed in amazement, however for Dawn it only made her anxious from the sight of it.
"With this Celestal, I will show everyone here of how I came to be." Brock put the celestal in a special container near the screen, which after doing so the container closes, causing it to glow yellow as the celestal powers up the machine, making everyone focus only on it.
"This celestal does not only lets you time-travel, but also easily just shows you your past or future. With this machine, it is possible to see my past and show you how I done things." Brock then picked up a mysterious device from the inside of his jacket, making everyone excited about what is going to happen.
"Let's see… I guess I'll show you guys my journey for the first time at Sinnoh. This IS the place where I decided to study on becoming a Pokémon Doctor." Brock did some random things to the remote, causing the screen to fidget around between some images until finally stop at an image of a clear blue sky moving forward.
The image looked like it was someone holding a camera, but in fact was what was going on in front of Brock's eyes. Everyone got excited, including the bodyguards, for his journey, but Dawn was suddenly struck with nostalgia, as she clearly remembers what was going on.
The image changed to what it seems to be Jubilife City, back when it was 10 years ago, showing the people the citizens from that time. Someone in the audience even proclaimed to see their kid selves walking by, causing everyone to laugh.
"Of course being on a big journey I couldn't be alone. I was journeying with one of my lifelong friends." Dawn already knew what he was talking about, as the image then changed to seeing a dirt road going forward. The image was looking around the scenery until the image shows a person that was walking beside Brock.
The crowd gasps to see the appearance of the person to be a male boy with a red hat, with an adorable Pikachu on his shoulder. The boy looked at the image to show his face to be Ash, which caused Dawn to be suddenly faced with depression, since this is the first time she saw Ash's face at all in the last 2 years.
However, the crowd wasn't so depressed. Rather, they were overwhelmed by rage. The image their seeing is Ash, the criminal and assistant to the Pokémon hunter J the 2nd. All of them stood and raged at the image, causing a commotion inside the newly built restaurant.
"What the hell is this?"
"Isn't that Ash the criminal?"
"To think that Brock was friends with that…that monster!"
The people shouted showing their feelings towards Brock. Many of them referred Brock to be the sweetest man on earth, though some of them know his true nature of being a pervert towards pretty girls, like Dawn for instance, but they would never expect Brock to do something horrible to society.
"Brock, why were you on a journey with a man like him?" Someone shouted towards Brock, who was silent this entire time as he hears many insults towards his old friend.
"That guy should just die!"
"From what he's done, he deserves more than execution!" Some people even agreed to his yell, making Dawn fearful of this malicious crowd.
"These people… I know that Ash done bad things… but…" Dawn couldn't be able to reply back, as she knows full well that things would get messy if she did.
"… I know how you guys feel." Brock though was low in voice, managed to bring the crowd to quiet down, so that they would be able to listen to his words.
"I sure that some of you was affected by this thanks to J, and that Ash done some things to you to make you feel this way." Brock continued to talk as the crowd closely listens to him.
"But… the Ash you see before you… have never done any of the things you say he's done. This boy here had a dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. For that he would do what his heart says is right, and do whatever it takes, no matter how hard it was, to realize it." The crowd now feels a bit remorseful saying such horrible things just now.
"Because of his ambition, I stepped up from just being a Gym Leader to what I am today! If it hasn't been for him, I wouldn't be able to realize my dream!" Brock was serious, something that Dawn hasn't seen in a while now, but then Brock's face turned into a smiling one, one with so much warmth.
"So, instead of the things he's done now, at least enjoy the time when he was just a pure kid with pure dreams, for me please." The crowd, as if was enchanted, agreed to do as he says, and cheers for him as they clapped. Dawn was smiling and was happy that Brock hasn't changed a bit since the last time she saw him. Brock then looked around the crowd, and was surprised to see someone special in the crowd.
"Hey! Is that you Dawn?" Brock suddenly called out, making Dawn almost had a heart attack. The crewman from above followed Brock's signal and led the spotlight to Dawn, making everyone look at her.
"Ah! Uhh, umm…" Dawn couldn't hold her bearings, seeing as how everyone in the entire restaurant was looking at her.
"Wow! Dawn you looking good! I thought time was cruel, but it looks like you're its favorite!" Brock, without hesitation, called out to her with many compliments, making her blush as many men in the crowd was calling out to her too.
"Come on up here Dawn, and let all of us get a better look!" Dawn obviously didn't want to, but the cheering of the crowd forced her to come up with their insistent chanting. Having no choice, Dawn walked with her arms and legs completely stiff as she reaches for the stage. Dawn finally reached the stage as Brock settled the crowd down again.
"This girl here happens to be one of my lifelong friends that were with me in my journey! I heard that she quit being a coordinator to become part of the ACE, and who would've thought she was to guard in my restaurant? What a small world huh? Let's give a big round of applause for Dawn!" The crowd did as he said, and applauded Dawn, making her blush even more.
"Dawn, you really look fantastic! Especially the other areas too…" Brock whispered to Dawn, hiding the mic he had away so that the crowd couldn't hear. Then he looked down from Dawn's eyes to somewhere else, till Dawn stopped him by putting her hand on his face.
"Stop right there. Or do I have to arrest you for sexual harassment?" Dawn said, obviously taking out her embarrassment at the one who caused it.
"Uwaaah, so cold!" Brock jokingly shivered from her threat.
"But still… It is great to see you again." Dawn let go of his face and smiled from the bottom of her heart to Brock, which caused him to smile too.
"It's great to see you too Dawn. I feel better knowing that you're looking so well too." Brock said, making sure that it doesn't sound perverted.
"Thanks! I gotta take care of myself when in this ACE business y'know?"
"Yeah." Brock smiled, and then returned to his audience to continue.
"Well, I think you guys had enough entertainment for now, so please, enjoy your meals while I take a walk down memory lane." Brock said, making the crowd immediately returned to their food, gorging on them without rest.
"Well, I hope you have enough time from your job to walk with me." Brock then returned to Dawn.
"Sure, it's not like there's anything to do here, and as long as I'm in the restaurant, it's still considered doing my job." Dawn giggled, and then both her and Brock went down the stage and walked to the farthest corner of the restaurant, so that other people won't hear their conversation.
"So Dawn, how's life been treating ya?" Brock started the conversation while walking with his old friend.
"Well… I guess you could say it's been a blast." Dawn said, reminding herself the morning she had with the legendary beasts.
"And… have you found any clues about your mother?" Brock said, making Dawn practically shiver on the inside, thinking how her mother is now.
"I guess not… Sorry about that…" Brock knew how Dawn felt about her mother's disappearance, and quickly apologized for it.
"It's ok Brock. You were just worried. But… I sometimes wonder… if mom have-"
"Don't think like that Dawn! I'm sure you're mother is alive and well. You just gotta believe." Brock stopped walking and reassured Dawn about her mother, making Dawn stop walking too.
"…Yeah! I sometimes forget how tough she is!" Dawn smiled, making Brock relieved that he didn't do anything stupid like making her cry.
"But Brock… Don't you think that you're reputation would be tarnished, now that you'd admit about being friends with Ash?" Dawn asked, making Brock fold his arms in thought.
"Well Dawn… I don't really care whether people would hate me now or not. I'm not afraid or disgusted about being friends with Ash- no… being BEST friends with Ash." Brock said, stinging Dawn's heart for saying something like that to him, even when it's obvious that Brock would say exactly that.
"Dawn, could it be that you're…"
"No. I'm not afraid, or disgusted. Ash might be going through some tough times now, but that doesn't mean I'm ashamed from being his friend." Dawn said with hope in her words, which made Brock happy as well.
"Yeah. Ash just needs someone there to help him get through this…" Brock said looking at the distance away, but Dawn didn't know what he was talking about though.
As they talked, a high sound was heard among the citizens and bodyguards, then suddenly…
"BOOOOOOM!" There was a huge explosion coming from behind the restaurant, causing everyone inside scream and yell as panic ensues among the citizens.
"Ahhh!" Dawn and Brock screamed and covered their ears from the loud explosion that was suddenly erupted, then looked around to see the situation.
"W-What was that?" Brock said in a panicked tone.
"Did an explosion happen? Could it be…?" Dawn knew that "they" must be attacking, the ones that ruined her hometown.
"Brock! Stay here! I'm gonna go outside and check what's going on!" Dawn ordered Brock, and then he only gave a nod, saying that he'll do it, so Dawn went running in the opposite direction of Brock to go outside.
"Be careful Dawn!" Brock shouted to the running Dawn.
"Hey! No need to worry!"
"That's when I get worried the most!" Brock yelled back at her, as Dawn ran to the door leading outside the back of the restaurant. While for Brock, he ran through the screaming crowd back to the stage, getting the microphone to speak again.
"Everyone listen to me! You must stay calm and form an orderly line to the exit!" Brock said, however the crowd didn't listen to him at all, since they were running around rampant in the restaurant and screaming their heads off. The bodyguards are even having a tough time calming them down.
"…Geez, these people are so wild…" Brock said, putting his palm of his hand on his forehead.
At the outside, Dawn noticed that there was a huge crater not far from her sight. As she looked around, she sees many bodyguards that were guarding the back entrance standing with their Pokémon while others are wounded and on the ground.
But before she could help her fellow workers, a mysterious blast of energy was launched near the crater, causing another massive explosion. The explosion blasted the bodyguards that were still standing and their Pokémon away, causing Dawn to duck for cover. While on the ground Dawn opened her eyes and saw a familiar person that was on the ground with pink hair and blood coming from her arm.
"Maylene!" Dawn shouted to Maylene that was on the ground, clearly wounded from the explosion as the blood was running down her right arm. Dawn ran as fast as she can to avoid more sudden blasts. Dawn caught up to her and holds her head and body gently to avoid unnecessary mistakes.
"Maylene! Are you alright? Speak to me!" Dawn shouted to make sure Maylene catches up with her consciousness, and it's working as her eyes are slowly opening from the sound of her voice.
"D-Dawn…? Urrgh!" Maylene tried to speak, but the pain from her arm was stinging so much that it took away her words.
"Hang on Maylene! I'll go get you help!" Dawn gently placed her to where she was and tried to stand and get help, but Maylene grabbed Dawn's arm with her unwounded arm to stop her.
"Wait Dawn…!" Maylene spoke, ignoring the stinging pain from her arm.
"W-What's wrong!"
"T-This is just a distraction! They are trying to lure the ACE out so that no one would get in their way once they made it inside…!" Maylene said, causing Dawn to realize their plan now. They attacked the back of the restaurant to lead the ACE out to check. Once the ACE got out, they would go inside and do what they want till the ACE comes back.
"You-You gotta go back inside! Forget about me and just go!" Maylene said while gripping on her arm to stop the bleeding.
"But-But I can't just leave you he-"
"Just go!" Maylene shouted, making Dawn realize that Maylene's serious, and nodded and ran back to the restaurant. Maylene then tried her hardest to stand and grabbed a Poké-ball from her belt, pushing its button to enlarge its size.
"B-Bring it on! I wasn't a Gym Leader for nothing!"
Meanwhile, Dawn was running towards to restaurant, which was the main target for J's crew. However, after Dawn reached to the back door to open, the knob on the door wouldn't turn, no matter how much force she was using.
"W-What the? It's locked?" Dawn turned it many times, but the door wouldn't budge.
"Damn it, there's no choice but to use the front door!" Dawn left the back door and went to the side of the restaurant to reach the front…
However…
"BOOOOOOM!" An explosion happened, but this time it was from the restaurant itself. The explosion caused Dawn that was near it to be blown away from the blast. Dawn flew over some bushes till she was stopped by a random tree that was in her way. Dawn felt an extreme pain resonating in her entire body, then fallen to the ground.
Dawn's ears were still ringing from the closed up blast, as she felt they were bleeding instead. Dawn opened her eyes enough as blood came rushing down her head to see the restaurant in flames from the blast.
"D-Damn it, what just happened?" Dawn tried to get up. However she stumbled and fell again, feeling more pain resonating from her entire left side.
"Urrgh!" She noticed now that she had broken her ribs and left arm, and that her arm and legs were burned from the fiery blast. However that didn't stop her from standing up again, ignoring the pain, and walked while limping to the burning restaurant.
"I-I'm not gonna let this get in my way! G-Gotta make sure… that the people… are ok!" Dawn with all her might used her energy to make it inside the restaurant. Thanks to the explosion, it made a hole on the side which made it easier for Dawn to get in. On the inside, everything was in flames. The curtains, the food, the tables, even the stage was on fire. She looked around to see if there was anyone still alive and not burning, but nobody was in sight.
"Did they all… escape?" Dawn kept looking to see if there is still anyone here. Dawn walked through the restaurant as the flame flickers on and on. Dawn kept walking till she found someone on the back of the stage.
"What the? Who's that…? Brock?" Dawn continued to walk till she gets close enough to see the dark silhouette that was in front of her. She continued till she was near a wall that was part of the building. She peeked over the side of the wall to see the silhouette up close. After seeing it much closer, she was shocked to see what she found.
"A-…Ash?" Dawn spoke after seeing Ash in the flesh after 2 long years in his black attire. However she also peeked what was below Ash on the ground. It was a Brock, on the ground while red liquid was all over the floor under his body. Dawn could felt her own heart stopped after seeing Brock in what it seems to be blood. Nothing but heartbeats were heard for Dawn as she continues to see what was in front of her, to see that Brock was murdered… and Ash was there, standing over him without even doing anything…
"BROOOOOOCK!" Without holding back, Dawn screamed for her deceased friend and ran to his side, completely leaving her pain behind. Ash noticed the scream and his eyes widen to see Dawn running towards Brock.
"Dawn?" Ash said, as Dawn caught up with him and kneeled down to check Brock. Dawn checked many times for his pulse, breath, and heartbeat… but nothing was felt from him.
"…Brock…" Dawn could felt her heart was sinking to her stomach, as sadness and despair completely consumed her.
"Dawn…" Ash saw Dawn standing up, as if it was not her in the first place.
"Ash… Did you…" After feeling the sadness and despair, all that she felt now was hatred.
"Did you… do this?" Dawn could felt nothing was hatred towards her own old friend, whom she wanted to see for a long time, only to be left like this.
"…" Ash didn't say a thing, but merely turned his head away from her, making Dawn coming to a dreadful conclusion.
"why…why… Why did you do this!" Dawn screamed at the top of her lungs, as if it could be heard throughout the whole town. But it didn't faze Ash at all.
"WHY! Why did you do this! To your best friend!" Dawn couldn't help but let her tears run down her face as her emotions was swelling her up so much that she couldn't take it.
"…I had no other choice." Ash said, making Dawn nearly want to chew his head off. Without any hesitation, Dawn pulled out her gun from her holster and pointed it at Ash. Ash noticed this, but still had an expressionless face.
"Do you think that you can fool me? I know that that the ACE only carries stun bullets, that doesn't kill the target, but paralyzes him." Dawn's eyes widen to see that her bluff was called out, but still hold her gun at him.
"I can still hit you and put you to jail!" Dawn said, making herself sound tough.
"How? With your body's condition, there's no way you can get us both out of here alive…" As Ash makes Dawn even more pissed, he noticed that the fire was burning the pillar, and the pillar was burned too much that it started falling along with the ceiling it was holding up. Unfortunately, it was right on top of Dawn.
"DAWN!" Ash screamed, suddenly making Dawn scared, but then noticed some noise on top. She lifts her head up to see something falling on her. By instinct, she screamed and covered herself to her impending doom, and then it all went black.
A moment later, Dawn opened her eyes, but the pain was too much for her to keep her eyes open. She did notice however, someone carrying her and running past the burning building that's crumbling down on them. In that instant, she could feel warmth coming from that man's broad back that makes her feel… safe and secured.
"Ash…?" Dawn suddenly uttered, then closed her eyes as the pain was too much.
After a while, Dawn opened her eyes quickly as she briskly gets up from the ground, only to find herself in stinging pain from her bandaged body.
"W-What is this?" Dawn looked around herself and checked out the situation. She was outside, as dozens of people were around the burning restaurant, which was now already crumbled to bits and pieces. She felt someone was closing up to her, and to her surprise it was her captain, Jenny.
"Yo. How you feeling?" said the Captain.
"S-Sir! Why are you here?" Dawn tried to get up, but then Jenny stopped her from doing so.
"Stay there. Your injuries were really bad, but thankfully we were able to save your body from being damaged too much." Jenny said, and she was right as Dawn could feel a lot better than she was before.
"And as for being here, I had to check out the situation, and see if it was true that… Brock was murdered." Upon hearing that, Dawn's eyes widen, making her remember that horrible image of Brock on the ground in blood when she was inside.
"…So I guess it's true…"
"…Yeah…" Dawn couldn't even believe it out of her mouth, but she knew that it was the reality.
"I know you're not in peak condition, but since you were inside, you don't happen to know who did it, right?" Jenny asked, and Dawn immediately thought about Ash. However…
"N-No… it's a complete mystery to me." Dawn lied for some reason, making Jenny believe it.
"I see… well then-"
"W-Wait up!" Before Jenny could leave to continue her work, Dawn stops her, causing Jenny to turn to face her.
"What is it?"
"Umm… Do you happen to know who rescued me?"
"Mmmh, I don't even know myself. We found you like this outside of the restaurant, but we heard from nearby citizens that you were carried on a person's back, but it was so dark that they couldn't recognize his face." Jenny answered, causing Dawn to lower her head in thought.
"I-I see, thank you Captain."
"Don't mention it, and don't bother coming to work for a while till you're in top condition, got it?"
"Y-Yes ma'am!" Jenny left to continue her work, leaving Dawn by herself and her thoughts.
"Did Ash… save me? But didn't he also…" Dawn thought, and looked at the now crumbled restaurant, doused in water by the firemen's water Pokémon.
"Did he really… kill Brock?" With that said, Dawn kept on thinking about the events that occurred as the night passes by, hopefully never returning again to replay the horrible night.
A year later, Dawn was standing near the restaurant in rubble that happened in that terrible night. All she could remember is the time she met Ash for the first time in 2 years, and the deed he's done to Brock. After a while, Dawn suddenly had a phone call. She picked up her cell phone and turned it on, making a projector screen to appear, only this time it showed an image of Maylene, but with a cast on her left arm.
"Maylene! What's up? It's been a while. How's the arm?" Dawn said to her old friend.
"Meh, after that night, if it wasn't thanks to the medical stuff, I would've lost my arm that time. It's taken a long while, but after constant checkups, the doc said that I can finally take off this cast in a few days!"
"Wow! That's great Maylene!" Dawn squealed in excitement for her friend's success in recovering.
"Thanks, but this ain't why I called you. It's Ash. He was spotted." Dawn's eyes widened after hearing what Maylene had to say, but this time it didn't cause her grief, but a really pissed off expression.
"I see… Where he was spotted?" Dawn could only say, Maylene knowing full well what she is going to do.
"In Twinleaf Ruins. Are you gonna go after him?" Maylene said but with a serious expression.
"Yeah, and I'm not gonna let anyone get in the way. I hope you're not that anyone."
"ARE YOU KIDDING? I'm giving you the green light! Find that sucker and give him a piece of your mind!" Maylene cheered from the other side of the screen, making Dawn smile and pumped up with courage.
"Yeah! I'll see you later!"
"Ya better!" Dawn turned off her cell phone, and ran to her car that she parked on the street, turned it on and raced through the streets to Twinleaf Ruins, where her destiny is about to unfold.