A/N: Once again, minor lemon warning at the conclusion of the chapter.
Chapter 10 – A Redhead Head-to-Head
With two days left until the contest, Dawn realized just how little she had been training. She had many perfectly legitimate excuses, considering all that had happened in the last three days. The storm itself prevented her from training outside, and the only large indoor area that could be used for training was the pool arena. But it was more than the inconvenience of lacking a place to train that kept her from concentrating on perfecting her contest moves. The emotions that had been surging through the dual gym/household had kept her in a state of mind that did not lend itself to the kind of practice she needed.
The day she chose to begin training was the day after Ash's return, and as such, the feelings still felt fresh in her mind. Regardless, she decided that the worst of it had passed by. Besides, the contest was in a mere forty-eight hours, and she had to get to work.
She stood on the still slightly damp grass of the gym's rear property. It served as a semi-backyard though it was more or less untended by the gym leader. The grass was long and the area held no real features man-made or otherwise. The only thing of note was the half-buried stepping stones that led from the street to the back door of the gym. It was ideal though, since it was clear and she would have plenty of room to train.
"Ok! Piplup let's practice!" Dawn cheered, turning to her first Pokémon. The little blue penguin tapped his chest with pride and stepped forward eagerly. "Ok! Try that focused protect that we've working on!"
Piplup held his stubby wings above his head and conjured the green protect sphere. Initially it covered his entire body, but Piplup focused, his gaze burning with intensity. Eventually the edges of the sphere pulled out from beneath the blue penguin until it resembled a half-shell above his head.
"Great! Take a moment and rest, then we'll try again with one hand!" Dawn encouraged.
Piplup nodded determinedly, and sat down to catch his breath.
"That's a pretty strong protect," a kindly voice spoke from behind her.
Dawn swung around in surprise. She had gotten up pretty early to get a head start on the training since she had neglected to do so during the rest of the visit, so she didn't expect anyone to see her, much less come check up on her. Misty stood in a light blue housecoat, a cup of coffee in hand.
"Oh... I hope I didn't wake you!" Dawn apologized immediately.
"Oh, I'm always up this early. With all I have to do with the gym, it's practically a requirement. The only person I knew who got up earlier than me was Brock," Misty reassured her best friend.
"Hah! Yeah, I remember back when I traveled with him. That guy was always up at the crack of dawn," the blunette recalled fondly.
"Besides, you need to have early risers to offset people like Ash who sleep till noon. I'll never understand how he can sleep so much. It's not like he parties all night," Misty joked.
"Yeah, I find myself having to give him a good shake in order to get him out of the bed," Dawn piled on. Though her ribbing of Ash was purely comedic, her mind traveled to slightly naughtier thoughts immediately afterwards. She hid the dirty smile that threatened to overtake her face as she continued to talk to Misty, "I'm actually not up this early usually. I need to get some extra training in. I've been slacking the past few days."
"Considering what's been happening, I couldn't blame you. I'm actually going to keep the gym closed. There won't be as many trainers immediately after the storm, and I'd rather start scheduling matches again once I can actually use the gym phone again. The lines are still down this morning," Misty divulged, staring off towards the ocean in the distance.
Dawn followed her friend's gaze to the ocean, nearly shoulder to shoulder with Misty. Though it wasn't as nice a view as it was from the beach or the lighthouse on the cliff overlooking the bay, it was still a pleasant sight in the early morning. It actually held her gaze strongly enough that she nearly failed to notice Misty trod back through the thick grasses to the back door of the gym. The redhead spoke as she went, "I'll work on some breakfast for us and 'Lazybones' Ketchum. Maybe the smell will wake him up."
Dawn giggled and added, "I'm not sure which is going to win, his voracious appetite, or his heavy-headed sleeping habit."
"If there was ever a battle of the unstoppable force and the immovable object... that would be it," Misty called back sarcastically, quite pleased with Dawn's response, all the while slipping in another good-natured jab at Ash.
Dawn smiled and turned her attention back to Piplup who now stood, impatiently looking at his trainer. Her grin turned into a frown and she admitted to her partner, "I know! I know! No more delays, let's perfect the move! This time try it with one hand!"
Inside the adjacent building, Misty divided her time between managing the breakfast she was cooking and watching Dawn practice her moves through the window. She had heard of and even watched a few contests, but she couldn't grasp why Dawn wanted a protect attack focused in such a manner. When she heard the sizzling of the contents of the breakfast in the frying pan, she set aside her curiosity for the moment and went to attend to the breakfast which, if left longer would likely burst into flames.
She removed the pan from the heating element of her stove and turned it off, letting it simmer whilst she turned her attention back to Dawn's practice. She had moved on from her use of protect, and now had Piplup practicing his drill peck. Misty marveled at how powerful the attack looked. Piplup spun incredibly fast, nearly as fast as Squirtle's rapid spin. What caught her eye was how Piplup managed to focus such energy into his beak during his attack that it lengthened and even began to glow pure white. Misty had to admire the time and skill that Dawn put into her contest training. Tomboyish as she was, Misty could appreciate and admire the beauty of Pokémon and the contests they participated in. In the few instances where she watched or witnessed Dawn in a competition, she couldn't help but watch in awe of the spectacular works of art that the coordinator unveiled through her companions. It even made the redhead wonder if contests had been introduced to Kanto earlier, if she would have taken that path versus her quest to become a Water Pokémon master.
But she loved her own dream just the same, and wouldn't have it any other way. Though sometimes she fathomed other paths in life, but couldn't imagine it without the elegance and pristine charm of water-types. She only wished she could get out and experience more of it. She noted that her breakfast had cooled and prepared a side of cereal along with three glasses of orange juice. The table was set not long after, and she decided that she should go fetch the raven-haired sleepyhead.
She ascended the stairway, making no effort to quiet her footfalls like she had earlier. She figured every stomp would bring Ash that much closer to the land of the waking, and if that didn't work, some hard knocks on his door would. When she heard no discernible movement from within her sister's room, she began to knock.
"Ash!"
She repeated the series of knocks, trying to be as loud and jarring as she could, "Ash!"
She still heard nothing, so she persisted, calling his name out several times and continuing to pound the door, "Get your lazy butt up! Your breakfast is getting cold!"
Through the door, she heard a muffled groan. She knew she had succeeded, so she walked back down the hall. Granted there was a chance he would fall back asleep immediately –she knew this from experience – it was more than likely he would soon arrive for breakfast. She thought back to the quip she had made earlier and chuckled, muttering to herself, "The battle begins."
After quickly ducking into her room to change into actual clothes consisting of a plain yellow shirt and pair of faded jean shorts, she made her way back downstairs to the welcoming scent of her breakfast. Remembering that she had yet to fetch Dawn, Misty went to the back door, situated in the corner of the living room near threshold of the kitchen and poked her head out.
She began to shout to her friend , "Dawn! Come on in! Breakfast is re-," she trailed off. Dawn was speaking vibrantly to another red-haired girl. Misty saw she was taller than the blunette, but estimated that she was not as tall as either herself or Ash. Her hair was short, but full, and had a pair of sunglasses tucked into the front of its curls. She was very thin, but still proportioned with a small if still noticeable bust concealed beneath a scarlet sweater and a small orange vest that nearly matched her hair. She wore tight jeans which hugged her rear nicely and showed off her skinny legs. She couldn't see her face, but from the side, it seemed well-defined with a skin tone that seemed only slightly darker than Dawn's peach colour, though nowhere near Ash's tanned shade.
Dawn turned to see the confused face of Misty sticking out the door and smiled sweetly, "Oh Misty, I can't believe it! You know who this is?"
Misty screwed up here face to replace her look of dull ignorance and replaced it was a more pleasant face meant to greet the new arrival, "No, I'm afraid I don't. She a friend of yours?"
"I've told you about her last time I was here! This is Zoey!" Dawn established in a cheery tone higher than her usual happy octave.
Zoey turned her face to meet the Gym Leader's and Misty finally got a good look at her. She had deep red eyes which were very striking and sharp. Though these eyes were relaxed and kind at the moment, Misty could see that they carried the confidence of woman who knew what she was doing and what she wanted. The rest of her face only reinforced that sentiment. She had a small, but sharp nose, and her mouth formed an almost permanently smart smile. The name Zoey clicked in Misty's mind and remembered all that Dawn had told about her. Zoey was an exceptionally talented Top Coordinator, and had helped Dawn out more than once in her career. Now that she looked at Zoey, Misty knew that if Zoey was anything like the person Dawn had described, the gym leader would not have been able to imagine an appearance any different from what she saw now.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Misty was the first to offer a greeting, walking over and shaking the hand of her new acquaintance, "So you're the rival I've heard Dawn talk about so much. She admires you quite a bit, you know."
Zoey's confident face broke for a split-second as she glanced over to Dawn, then back to Misty. She replied in her low toned voice, "We share a great amount of respect for one another. She's always keeping me on my toes. I wouldn't be nearly as great a coordinator if it weren't for her always threatening to overtake me," she paused and her smile went from its usual half-smirk to a genuine smile, adding, "And it's great to meet you too!"
The two released hands as the shake ended. Both had a tough, tight grip and neither of them was used to meeting another person who could match it. They gave each other a quick, curt nod in affirmation of this fact which Dawn missed as she collected Piplup.
"So Misty you came out to say something?" Dawn inquired cutely.
"Oh! Yeah! Breakfast is ready," Misty realized quickly. She turned to Zoey and courteously offered, "Would you like to join us?"
"Oh! I don't want to intrude," Zoey put her hands up in a gesture of polite refusal, but Misty wouldn't have it.
"Oh! No need to worry!" Misty spoke confidently, "We have more than enough for all of us."
Dawn's eyes narrowed and she spoke with an odd put-off tone, "Since when do you say my line?"
Misty looked at her blankly, completely missing the point. Moments later her eyes bulged in realization, and she laughed, "Oh! I said 'no need to worry'! I must be spending too much time with you!" Misty continued to chuckle as she led two guests to the house, "Come on, before the food gets cold."
The trio of girls walked into the household section of the gym complex while Piplup waddled behind them. They strode into the kitchen to find an odd sight. Pikachu was eating from a bowl on the floor beside his trainer while Ash ate his breakfast from the plate on the table. But that wasn't what was strange. They saw Ash eating his breakfast at a pace that resembled a normal human being. This struck both Misty and Dawn as a sign of the apocalypse, as his pace was far slower than his usual 'scarf-everything-down-like-it's-going-to-get-take n-away' manner. However, neither of them had the opportunity to ask the obvious question due to the third party's voice calling out from beside them.
"Oh! Ash! I didn't know you were here. Been a long time." the deep voice of Zoey rang out in surprise as she saw the familiar Pallet-Town trainer at the table.
Ash looked up, his face rather glum until he saw Zoey and it lit up in recognition, "Wow! Zoey! I didn't expect to see you here!"
"I came for the Cerulean contest. Just got here last night," Zoey explained.
"That's great! I haven't seen you and Dawn battle in a long while!" Ash exclaimed, "How did you find us?"
"I was practicing out in the backyard and Zoey just walked down the street and saw me," Dawn described almost joyously, "Talk about your incredible coincidences."
"It really is," Zoey added, "I just really felt like brisk morning walk. I was forced to stay cooped up in this cabin on Mt. Moon when the storm hit. Now I can't stand to stay inside more than a few hours lately."
"Yeah, that was a pretty bad storm. Worst I've ever seen hit Cerulean," Misty commented distantly, looking out the window.
"But it's much nicer now! I could actually go outside and practice for the first time in days," Dawn pointed out, her voice brimming with optimism.
"You didn't get to train inside? Isn't this a gym?" Zoey questioned with a look of puzzlement crossing her face.
"The only battlefield we have in here is a water battlefield," Misty explained matter-of-factly, "I specialize in water type Pokémon."
Zoey's face returned to its normal, analytic look, and she decided to ask something that shocked everyone in the room, "Hmm... don't come across many water fields that often. Say Misty. Would you be interested in a battle?"
Both Ash and Dawn's mouth's hung open momentarily, the former's food threatening to spill out of it. Misty didn't seem too fazed by the question though. Before Misty could acquiesce Dawn asked her own counter-question, "You want to have a gym battle? I thought you didn't like coordinators and gym trainers dabbling in each other's domains."
Zoey's eyes travelled to Dawn and she quickly answered, "Well, that's sort of true I suppose. For one, I've kind of softened on the issue ever since I battled Nando. But more to the point, the Wallace Cup is coming up in only a couple of months in Hoenn, and that's a primarily water-based contest. I would be remiss if I didn't take advantage of a water battlefield when I saw one."
Ash nodded in understanding, "Good thinking."
"What's more, I would like to test myself against a powerful water trainer for just the same reason," Zoey added confidently.
"Oh, don't worry. I won't disappoint," Misty declared strongly. Piercing red eyes locked with sea-green as the two redheads sized each other up.
"But... can we finish breakfast first?"
As Ash's request broke the intense mood, the remaining people in the kitchen nearly fell over in exasperation.
"What? I'm hungry. Aren't you?" Ash inquired.
"Better get to it before he devours the entire pan I cooked up, not to mention whatever else he can get his hands on..." Misty drawled.
The three girls began to laugh at Ash's expense while he simply ignored them and tended to his growling stomach.
After a short break that followed their breakfast, during which the two coordinators caught up and the two redheads got to know each other a bit better, they decided to retire to the pool area for their battle.
"This is a nice setup, Misty," Zoey complimented, "It's less a pool and more an aquarium."
Misty's face was appreciative as she responded, "Thanks, it serves as the water Pokémon's main habitat when it's not in use for battles."
"Well, let's change that right now! Time for our battle!" Zoey challenged.
"Great! It'll be my pleasure. Is one on one good for you?" Misty replied boldly.
"I'm fine with that," Zoey agreed readily.
Misty looked to Ash briefly and pointed to the edge of the length of the pool, "Ash, would you officiate for us please?"
"Oh, umm... sure," Ash nervously accepted. He and Pikachu walked to his appointed position while Zoey and Misty took their places on their respective ends of the field. Dawn sat on a bench with Piplup in her arms, eagerly anticipating the battle.
Ash cleared his throat apprehensively. He found himself increasingly distracted by Misty, but remembered he had to be sharp if he was going to referee. He began, "This will be a one-on-one match between Gym Leader Misty, and the challenger Coordinator Zoey. No time limit, no substitutions. Choose your Pokémon!"
"I haven't had a chance to use you lately. Let's try this on for size! Go Lumineon!" Zoey called out proudly. The blue and black Neon Pokémon took shape and entered the water gracefully. It swam about, clearly glad to have a full tank of water in which to stretch its large butterfly-like fins. The tips of its pectoral and tail fins glowed with an ethereal purple light.
This, of course, enchanted Misty to no end, "OH WOW! I've I read and seen pictures about Lumineon, but this is such a treat! I've never got to see one up close! I love it so much!"
"Glad you like how it looks... but the way it battles is far more impressive," Zoey gracefully took the comment, but decided to return with her trademark feisty determination.
"Then have I the match for you! Go Seaking!" Misty yelled enthusiastically. Just the same as with Lumineon, Seaking formed in the air and splashed into the water as gracefully as its species was known for.
"Oh wow, your Goldeen evolved!" Ash remarked excitedly.
"Yep! And now we'll start things off!" Misty pounced on the opportunity, "Seaking, get in close!"
The large and powerful Goldfish Pokémon quickly coursed its way through the depths of the pool, locking onto its intended target.
"And we'll reply! Water pulse!" Zoey commanded. Lumineon opened its mouth began emitting waves of sound underwater which travelled quickly towards the charging orange fish.
"Counter it with supersonic!" Misty ordered, swinging her arm across in a motion to emphasize her tactic. It seemed to work, as the sound waves of the two underwater attacks collided and cancelled each other out. Seaking proceeded forward unfazed. It was quite close now. Misty saw her chance and aimed to capitalize, "Now! Megahorn!"
"Double-team to dodge!" Zoey quickly executed her plan. Seaking barreled horn first though one of the false images that had taken the fish's former place. Four more circled the now confounded goldfish.
"Take them out one-by-one!" Misty ordered.
"Not a chance! Gust!" Zoey retorted.
Ash and Dawn, who both stood at the pool's edge peering into the depths, gained a look of incredulity as they each said in perfect unison, "Gust underwater?"
Just as ordered, "The real Lumineon began flapping its fins at a frighteningly fast pace. A tornado formed in the pool, which then became a whirlpool instead. But it didn't remain confined to the pool. Instead it grew into a mystifying, if slightly intimidating, watery tornado that stretched from the pool's bottom to nearly touch the ceiling. Captive within it was the dizzied Seaking.
"Incredible," Misty marveled. She had never seen water used in such a way. Her captivation passed quickly though, as she realized she needed to act quickly.
But Zoey was not one to wait to finish her spectacular display, "Now finish it with silver wind!"
The black and white fish surfaced and began flapping its fins again, this time creating a force of wind that formed into flat crescents that cut through the air with a shimmering glow. It tore into the funnel of water and hit Seaking head on, not only throwing Seaking clear across the pool, but dissipating the gust-borne whirlpool in a shower of droplets that pelted the pool like raindrops and causing shimmering mist to envelope the field.
"Seaking! Are you alright?" Misty frantically asked her loyal fish. Her contender surfaced and made a nodding gesture before turning back to her opponent. Its eyes narrowed in fury while the Lumineon's smug face looked back. Seaking was not happy with its treatment. Misty decided to take a moment during the lull to tell her opponent something, "That was a fantastic combination. It's apparent you are a talented coordinator. But I'm a gym leader. My Pokémon are tough, and they know how to push through tough punishment like that and give it back twofold. Seaking, approach!"
"You'll find I'm more than just show," Zoey countered, "Silver wind!" Lumineon dove back underwater to line itself up with the approaching larger fish. It began fluttering its fins again rapidly, generating the bladed wind that travelled just as well underwater as it did through the air.
"Surf!"
Misty's order baffled Zoey momentarily as Seaking quickly pulled up from the waters of the tank and jumped into the air, a wave forming behind it as though being towed by the airborne fish. It soon caught up and carried the orange beast forward, completing avoiding the silver wind.
"Use water-pulse to disrupt that surf!" Zoey commanded. Lumineon aimed itself carefully and emitted the sound waves through the water towards the oncoming surge.
But Misty was ready this time, "Dive into it and use aqua-ring, orb-style!"
"Huh?" a perplexed Zoey asked quietly. A ring of water formed around Seaking as it jetted into the air above the surf attack. The ring quickly coalesced into orbs of water that spun in an orbit around Seaking as it dove straight into the approaching sonar-like waves carving their way through the water. The rotating shield worked like a charm. Each sound wave impacted on one orb, causing it disappear harmlessly, while another one moved into place to absorb the next wave. It did so until both the sound waves and the orbs were exhausted.
"Now supersonic!" Misty smirked as she saw her opening.
There was no time to react with Seaking so close. The disorienting waves of high energy sound echoed powerfully through the waters and impacted the glowing fish. It tumbled through the water helplessly until it crashed into the submerged slope of the central island. Lumineon began moving erratically, swimming in circles aimlessly and sometimes bumping into the various stones on the pool bottom.
"No! Lumineon, snap out of it! You gotta focus and attack your opponent!"
"I'm afraid this is done! Megahorn!" Misty confidently asserted, giving what she felt was the last order of the match. She was right. The glowing horn of Seaking struck true and Lumineon was smashed into the rocks by the more powerful swimmer. When Seaking relented, Lumineon floated the surface on its side, clearly unconscious.
Wow... awesome match, Ash thought to himself, giving an impressed glance at Misty. Other feelings bubbled up again, but he pushed them down and focused on the match and his duty, "Lumineon is unable to battle. The winners of the match are Seaking and Misty."
"Awesome! Great job Seaking!" Misty praised, bending down to the pool to pat the jubilant fish alongside its dorsal fin.
"I can see why you're a gym leader Misty. You clearly know how to use the field and your Pokémon to the best of their ability. I can say that today, I have been bested by someone I can certainly respect," Zoey congratulated her opponent. The two met along the edge of the pool opposite Ash and Dawn, and shook hands respectfully, giving each other a firm and tight grip.
"That was fantastic. Such an incredible combination by Zoey! And such an inventive use of aqua ring by Misty! I don't think I could've thought of either of those," Dawn gushed.
"Oh given time, you would have," Ash assured his girlfriend, winking at her.
"Oh, you're too kind," Dawn blushed a bit at his compliment.
Ash turned to Dawn, so as not to betray his now loving face to the other two women, and told Dawn sweetly, "I can never be too kind to you." The two drew closer together on instinct, but quickly halted as they heard the footfalls of the approaching redheaded trainers.
"Well, what did you guys think of our match?" Misty asked, her tone filled with pride.
"It was beautiful," Dawn lavished them both with praise, "That... water tornado, I guess you would call it, was fantastic, and the silver wind that dispersed it into that downpour was magnificent. And Misty's use of aqua ring as a sort of pulse shield was unbelievable."
"Pulse-shield... I like the sound of that," Ash mused. He quickly snapped out of his imagination and offered his congratulations, "That was a great battle both of you. It was as good as my battle against her."
"Oh you battled her recently?" one of Zoey's eyebrows rose, "How'd that go?"
"It was a three-on-three match," Ash recounted, "It was one of the hardest matches we ever fought, and we used only water types, just like you did. We actually ended up tying."
Dawn's eyes widened and she realized something important, "Oh! Zoey! You didn't get to see it. It was fantastic. Ash's Squirtle pulled off the most amazing combination of hydro pump and rapid spin. He called it 'Hydro Disc' and it was like he created a spinning blade of water. I've seen anything so fearsome since Wallace's exhibition at his competition two years ago."
"Sounds pretty cool," Zoey remarked, "Since when did you start infusing dazzling attacks into your battles Ash?"
"Umm... It really wasn't a conscious decision. I just saw the situation and how it needed to be overcome. Misty's Psyduck was giving me a heck of a hard time which its psychic attacks, so I needed something exceptionally powerful to get through it. In the end, it was the clash of that move and Psyduck's zen headbutt that ended up causing the tie." Ash revealed sheepishly.
"Wow... must be a powerful Psyduck to repel an attack like that," an impressed look graced Zoey's features as she glanced back to Misty.
"Well, Psyduck's kind of an enigma. Ash was generous enough to bring out its full potential, otherwise he could he easily crushed me," Misty explained awkwardly. As if on cue, Psyduck burst from its pokéball on the gym's shelf next to the pool. The absent-minded yellow duck waddled curiously over to the group of four and eyed them all with its usual blank stare. The humans stared back at the Pokémon with an expectant expression.
"Psy?" the waterfowl quacked at them, tilting his head in apparent confusion.
"It really does look... and act strange," Zoey commented, holding back a chuckle.
"Ugh... you really have to work on your timing," Misty complained to her dopey duck. She retrieved the pokéball from among the others on the shelf and returned him promptly.
"Anyway," Dawn restarted the conversation, "Misty, Ash, I have a really great idea!"
"What's that?" Misty curiously inquired, narrowly beating Ash to the punch.
"I think you should both enter the contest with me and Zoey!" the blunette squealed.
A collective chorus of, "What?!" rose from the rest of the group.
Zoey was first to give her individual rebuttal, "Dawn... is that really such a good idea?"
"Huh, why would I enter a contest?" Misty's response came next.
"That sounds great!" Ash's enthusiastic cheer sounded last.
"Ash, are you serious?" Zoey asked dryly, "I know you may have a few flashy moves, but remember the last time you competed in the Wallace Cup?"
"I may not be a coordinator, but I've come a long way since then," Ash began to grow more competitive as he faced his naysayer.
"I don't know guys, I know very little about contests," Misty shyly admitted.
"No need to worry, I'll help you out!" Dawn coaxed to Misty, putting down Piplup, grabbing the gym leader by the underarm and leading her out of the pool room. They completely ignored Zoey and Ash's growing argument.
"Come on, Ash!" Zoey protested, "I know your battle skills are hard to match, that's fair. But contests are more about showing the elegance and beauty of your Pokémon."
"I'm perfectly aware of that Zoey!" Ash countered, his voice growing in volume and intensity, "But I've spent a lot of time with coordinators over the years. Especially lately, with Dawn."
"What do you know about Dawn's technique? Can you even replicate it? Besides. It's not about emulating a coordinator you happen to know. It's about showcasing each individual Pokémon and its traits," Zoey lectured sourly.
"In league battles, it's much the same way! Each Pokémon, even within a given species has different personalities and traits. It's those traits that define them, and those traits I rely upon in battles. I don't force a Pokémon into fighting in a style that doesn't suit its nature. I have, and have had," Ash quickly amended, remembering Aipom, "Pokémon that are quite well suited for appeals and contest battles. But since I'm not a competitor in that particular field, I dictate the battles in such a way that they fight as if it were a contest rather than a battle."
Ash's lengthy retort threw Zoey off-balance. This certainly wasn't the Ash she knew. Or least she hadn't seen this side of him before. She knew Ash was always enthusiastic for battles and often pulled off some crazy tricks at the last moment. But she never knew this strategically-minded and perceptive side even existed.
Her mind managed to work around this development and she finally relented, "Fine. Enter the contest. But do coordinators a favour and actually try and perform like one. I made an exception for Nando, but that's because he proved himself. Don't just keep taking Dawn's tricks and tweak them. Come up with something yourself."
"Then, I'll do just that!" Ash returned, jumping at the challenge.
"I sure hope so. The contest is going to be short on talent. I checked the Contest Hall. It's got very few entries due to the storm having kept people away," Zoey bitterly added, walking out into the hall and down towards the living room. Ash merely stood there, contemplating. He certainly wanted to live up to the coordinator's expectations, but he wasn't sure how he going to manage.
How am I going to string together a good appeal in two days...
Wait... string together... oh this'll be good.
The gears in Ash's mind ground rapidly as he dashed out of the gym and down towards the Pokémon Center while Pikachu dashed behind him, surprised by trainer's decision to sprint out of the gym.
"Dawn... you won't find anything in there. Just my usual day to day stuff and few semi-formal things when I go to Gym Leader Conferences," Misty whined, sitting on her bed with a bemused look on her face.
"Oh, I'm sure you have something. Everyone has that one thing. That one thing you hope to wear for something special... or someone special," Dawn rambled as she delved into Misty's crowded closet.
Misty was growing annoyed. She didn't like people in her room. Dawn had become the exception in recent years, but only because in Dawn's generous displays of kindness and willingness to listen. She had seen Misty's room through the redhead's private video-phone installed beside her computer and been there physically through her numerous visits. However, even the blunette was beginning to try her patience. The gym leader flopped backwards onto her bed and stared at her sky-blue ceiling. It was the same colour that dominated her room's walls. It was not a necessarily tidy room, but nor was it a downright mess like anywhere Ash chose to reside. Shelves and tables were cluttered with papers for the gym and various knick-knacks and mementos; including pictures of her travels with Ash and Brock along with those of the gatherings of the four girls from a couple years ago. One picture of her three sisters with herself stuck in the side with a bitter face stood nearly obscured by the rest of assorted frames.
Now Dawn was digging through the treasure trove that was her ancient closet. It was filled closest to the front with her daily wear, with a few more stylish pieces of business attire to the side. Further back though was what she feared to let Dawn see. Some of her old outfits from her childhood lay unceremoniously on the floor in the back, a few old costumes from Halloween and other occasions hung above those, and in the very back-
"Aha! Exactly what I was looking for!" Dawn squeaked excitedly.
Misty couldn't fathom what she had found that had her so bubbly. She couldn't remember anything that would strike her fancy, especially for what they needed for a contest.
"I knew you were keeping something beautiful back here," Dawn sneakily teased. What she pulled from the darkest depths of her closet made Misty's quake in fear. She forgot she had that.
"This is so perfect, it matches you exactly!" Dawn told Misty, her enthusiasm nearly turning to small hops of joy.
She whipped around and lifted the object into the open air. Though the cloud of dust kicked up by its sudden jolt of movement, Misty recognized it. It was a sea-blue-green gown. It glittered in the sunlight radiantly and its folds billowed outwards elegantly. It was strapless and sleeveless, with lacy trims running in layers from the waist all the way to the ankle length skirt.
"No!" Misty yelled out brashly, "Put that back!"
"What?"
"I'm not wearing that!" Misty reiterated.
"Why not? It's beautiful," Dawn queried with fascination directed at the dress.
"It's meant for... never mind, just put it back!" Misty demanded.
Dawn hung the dress from a hook on the closet door and sat beside Misty on the bed. The blunette took the gym leader's hand in two of her own and spoke softly, "I'm here to help... tell me what's wrong."
"It's... for," Misty struggled, "No, it's too soon. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it. It was a lapse in judgment. A moment of weakness. I don't want to look at it."
Dawn's eyes widened at the implications. She felt incredibly stupid for not connecting the dots. She rubbed her hand atop Misty's own and spoke again quietly, "I'm sorry Misty. I didn't realize. I should've."
"It's fine," Misty returned, perhaps more harshly than she meant to as she stared at her blue and green patterned comforter.
"I'll go, this was a bad idea," Dawn relaxed her grip as she voice expressed sympathy. She turned to leave the room.
As her fingers brushed the knob, Misty called out in a voice more vulnerable than she would've liked, "Wait."
Dawn froze momentarily, and turned her head back to look on the gym leader who had yet to move from her position on the bed.
"If... if he can't be with me right now... or ever, I need to try and take steps to get over this... nonsense. This might be a good start," Misty's half-way determined voice rang out in her room. Misty finally pulled herself up from the bed and her eyes narrowed as she looked at the dress like it was taunting her.
"Help me get it on," Misty requested boldly.
Only minutes later, Misty looked at herself in her full-length mirror. She had bought the dress a couple of years earlier, and she kept herself fit in the meantime, so it still fit her. In fact it more than just fit her.
"You look stunning!" Dawn fawned, hugging Misty tightly. Dawn was correct in her assessment. It clung to her curves beautifully, but the lacy exterior added an elegance that a slimming dress could not hope to match. The lower portion of the gown flowed out gracefully, its puffy fabric growing outward more and more as it descended to her feet. She wore matching short-heels. Dawn just continued to marvel at the sight.
Misty was not convinced however, "I look ridiculous. When did they start making people in Kanto contests start wearing these obnoxious getups?"
"Misty!" Dawn scolded, "You look radiant! And it was four years ago, when I came by the first time."
"Right..." Misty blandly accepted her explanation. She still wasn't happy about being in the dress.
"Misty..." Dawn told Misty in a half-reassuring, half-parenting voice, "I know what you're thinking. It's just like you told me all those phone calls," she sat Misty down in front of her mirror on a chair she placed there seconds before. She retrieved a brush from a nearby desk and began pulling it through the tangles of red hair, "You always dismiss beauty because you always connect it to your sisters. You think you'll never be like them. In fact, you outright don't want to be like them. You reject the idea because you don't want to be shallow, like them. But putting on a nice dress, putting a brush though your hair, and even putting on make-up does not change who you are. You are Misty, Gym Leader of Cerulean City, and the most talented water-trainer I know-,"
"Besides Wallace," Misty corrected mockingly.
Dawn sighed, slightly miffed at being interrupted, but acknowledging her point, "Besides Wallace. But more than that, you are a fun, strong-willed, kind-hearted and naturally beautiful woman who I am privileged to call my friend. I befriended you because of those qualities and no others. Believe me when I say: no layers of lace or lipstick will change that."
She finished brushing the slightly wavy locks of Misty's hair and gestured towards the mirror, as though trying to show Misty exactly what she meant, "You are you, and you are beautiful because of it."
Misty felt a twinge in her heart upon hearing Dawn's words. It felt good for someone to tell her that. She hadn't heard sincere and kind words like that about her from, well, anyone. Not even her sisters. A smile crept onto her face and she gripped Dawn's hand without even thinking. Dawn didn't resist. This was a moment; a great moment.
Misty stood up, and looked directly into Dawn's eyes. She returned the powerful gaze and Misty began to speak quietly and softly, "Thank you, Dawn. You have no idea how much that means to me. After all that I've... we've been through this week, it's something I needed to hear. And I should tell you that I feel much the same about you. You've done so much more for me than anyone I know. More than my sisters. More than Brock, or even Ash. Even if you're not here, you're still willing to talk to me. And a person to talk to is something that I didn't have for a long time. It's something I'll always cherish." With that Misty hugged Dawn tightly. Dawn reciprocated and held her best friend tightly. It was a great feeling for them both. A feeling that almost transcended friendship.
"And that's how I managed to eat four plates of the stuff. Man I was exhausted after that day, so I really had a big appetite and I-," Ash was interrupted by sounds of two sets of feet coming down the stairs. He and Zoey looked from the couch to the stairway and he couldn't help but stare. Dawn came first and quickly stepped aside for the real sight. A gown-clad Misty stepped into the room, nervously cowing her head.
"Looking good, Misty," Zoey complimented, the red-haired coordinator herself having to force herself not to go slack jawed as well, "Quite the transformation."
"It's thanks to Dawn that I found this at all... let alone put it on," Misty shakily tried to misdirect the praise.
Pikachu bounded from its seat of the sofa and cheered at Misty excitedly, "Pikachupi!"
Ash had to try very hard not to stare too intently, but he knew he was failing in some regard. Zoey noticed this and smirked at his wide-eyed gaze. Ash managed to finally stutter out a compliment, "You look...uh... good, Misty."
Misty had to turn her head to cover up the storm of a blush that covered her face at the compliment. Though she was on the verge of shaking like a leaf, she was glad that she had that effect on Ash. She tried to downplay it with a mock insult, but it came off as a nearly playful scolding, "Ash, don't stare! It's rude."
Zoey chuckled at Ash's reaction, which was to immediately face in the complete opposite direction, leaving him staring the back door next to the kitchen. However, upon looking at Ash's face she noted something odd. It was a facial expression that made little sense to her at the moment: Guilt. It was plain as day on his face. She took a mental note of it, and looked back to the vision that was Misty.
"I'm so glad I found that dress in her closet! Now she can participate in the contest! Just need to go sign her up!" Dawn cheered in usual perky voice.
"I don't know Dawn... even with a dress, I know almost nothing about contests. And from what I can tell, Zoey isn't too impressed with the idea," Misty moped.
"Good to see at least one of you sees things properly," Zoey mumbled acidly.
"No need to worry! Zoey and I will help you train and get the hang of it!" Dawn chirped, interlocking arms with Misty to punctuate the point.
"Whoa! What?" Zoey's eyes bugged out at upon being notified of her conscription into this ridiculous act.
Ash's previous expression left and he looked at Zoey with an amused face. She gave him an annoyed glance before turning back to Dawn and explaining to her, "Misty can't be contest ready in two days! It's a foolish notion!"
"Come on, Zoey! Please?" Dawn pleaded in her cutest voice and facial expression she could muster, "She's got talent, and she'll use a water Pokémon, all of whom she knows exceptionally well!"
Zoey growled underneath her breath. Between her oddly logical reasoning and utterly cute appeal, she caved, "Fine... if only because the contest could use a few more competitors in light of the storm's passing."
"Hooray!" Dawn bounded upwards, forgetting that she was bound to Misty and nearly dragging the redhead up with her. However, Misty lost balance and toppled over onto Dawn. Misty lay atop Dawn, faces inches from one another such that they were staring unexpectedly into one another's eyes. Misty grew deathly embarrassed and struggled to raise herself from her lying position on the coordinator. Both Ash and Zoey had to stifle their laughter while the gym leader grew furious.
She didn't want to blow her lid on this new person she had met today, nor at Dawn after how kindly she had treated her. So she decided to focus on her traditional target, "KETCHUM! Stop that right now! This isn't funny!"
"When you're right, you're right, Misty. But right now isn't one of those times," he managed to spit out before dissolving into a pile of laughter on the couch. With the gown and her heels, Misty managed to finally pull herself off Dawn who let out a sound of muffled pain and annoyance.
"Remind me to keep my feet on the ground when I'm next to you Misty..." she groaned, getting herself off the floor after Misty stabilized herself. The gym leader scowled at Ash and began marching up the stairs in a huff. Before pursuing her, Dawn gave Ash a dark look which almos111t sent a shiver down his spine.
"Well, at least she looks the part. Quite appropriate for a water specialist, if I do say so myself," Zoey observed.
"Zoey..." Ash began slowly, "Please actually try and help her out for the contest. She's been through a lot lately, and I think she would appreciate it."
Zoey raised another eyebrow at Ash's request and answered with a question, "What happened?"
Ash hesitated a bit and his head lowered as he looked towards the stairs, "It's kinda personal for her. I can't tell you. But it would mean a lot to me and Dawn if you did. I know she sorta dragged you into it, but it won't hurt you any will it?"
Zoey's slight frown at the whole situation tightened into a flat line of neutrality. She gave a small nod and told him, "It does cut into my own schedule a bit, but I'll do it. If Dawn cares for her that much, well, I don't want to say no to a friend." Though her tone was stern, it tapered off at the last few words. Ash barely noticed though, only taking in her acceptance of the plea and then letting his mind wander.
"Thanks," he told her gratefully. He walked out the back door without another word and left Zoey alone momentarily. Zoey took a deep breath of relief, but her moment of relaxation was quickly stolen away when she heard the return of the footsteps on the stairwell. Misty and Dawn both emerged from upstairs, with the gym leader now back in her daily wear.
"Ok! Let's get to teaching!" Dawn cheered, leading Misty to the gym battlefield. Zoey heaved herself from the comfortable couch and followed.
The day drew to a close with both Ash, and the party of Zoey, Dawn and Misty exhausted from their separate tasks. They only met up twice during the course of the day, first for lunch where they caught up on their separate journeys and Misty's tales of trouncing novice challengers. The second time was for a late dinner when they all realized that they had been training for hours without regard for the time. Dawn helped Misty cook this time, and they ate yet another sumptuous meal for dinner. They spent some time together talking about the impending contest, among other topics regarding coordinating, until the hour grew late and they decided it was time to retire. Each of them went to their separate rooms. Zoey took the only vacant room left: Daisy's bedroom. Ash returned to Violet's room, Dawn to Lily's and Misty to her own.
Ash had barely the time to change when a small knock came to his door. He grinned expectantly as he opened the door. Dawn quickly entered, but did not almost pounce on him like he expected she would. Instead, she wore a somewhat peeved expression. She silently shut the door behind her and immediately began to scold him, "Ash Ketchum! What was the big idea? You shouldn't have done that!"
"Huh?" Ash completely missed the meaning of her words. He was somewhat confused at her behaviour now and during the rest of the day when they were together since Misty had shown them her dress.
"Misty was so nervous about being seen in that dress. You know she isn't that much into the whole girly clothing thing! Why'd you laugh so much?" Dawn clarified.
"Oh! That! Sorry Dawn. I wasn't laughing at her dress! I was laughing and how she fell on you because of what you did!" Ash tried gingerly to explain.
Dawn's lecture continued, "That doesn't make it any better! You saw how nervous she was! Anything could have made her think she was being made fun of because of that dress! That was just downright insensitive."
Ash gave a heavy sigh, "Ok... I'm sorry. I know that was a terrible thing to do. And I sincerely thought that dress was nice on her. It was just the whole you getting buried under her for that cute little hop thing you did!"
Dawn's anger subsided for a few seconds before she realized what Ash just did, "Hey! Don't try to get out of this with flattery! No matter which way you look at it, it wasn't right!"
"Hey I wasn't trying to get out of anything. I just can't not tell you that you're cute," Ash slyly whispered.
Dawn's defenses were beginning to fall away. The way he used that double negative was so childishly cute to her, and of course she loved being told she was cute. She decided to drop the issue with one last 'angry' order, "Fine, but you have to apologize to Misty tomorrow! And you have to be more sensitive about these things. When it comes to matters of outer beauty, Misty has a kind of... sore spot."
Ash nodded in understanding, "Of course, Dawn. She's my friend. I wouldn't want to do anything to make her sad or uncomfortable. Forgive me?"
Dawn decided to play the act of superiority by pretending to give the plea a long 'hmmmm' of consideration. It was far longer than she actually needed, but she loved to torture him sometimes. She finally allowed her smiling face to shine through again and told him sweetly, "Of course, love." She eagerly hugged her boyfriend tightly.
They had each missed the feeling of contact with each other over the course of the day. The appetites that had gone unsatisfied the night before became apparent yet again, and Ash kissed her neck in the hug.
"Ohhhh..." Dawn moaned out quietly into Ash's chest.
Ash took that as a sign of approval and permission to continue and he strung a set of kiss down to her shoulder then back up her neck again and onto her cheek. At last they locked lips once more and the power of surging lust washed over them like a wave soaking them after an especially hot day. Their arms travelled around one another's bodies, feeling and groping as only two starving lovers could. Dawn's nightgown fell away again, revealing her peachy skin of her petite form. Her eyes glistened with desire as his hands finally caressed her supple breasts, circling ever so softly around her areole, but never quite making it. The feeling was torturous, and she wanted to get back at him for it. She reached down to the hem of his boxers and quickly plunged inside, grasping his already stiff member.
"Ahhh!" Ash cried out, breaking their kiss and letting a sound out into the quiet room that was much louder than he intended. He briefly entertained the possibility that someone might've have heard him, but that concern vanished as she moved her hands along his shaft. It took him great difficulty to stifle the low moan that threatened to pass his lips before she recaptured them with her own.
"Damn... Dawn... too good. I'm gonna get us busted," Ash choked out between kisses.
She only intensified her treatment, which elicited another groan into her own mouth. When the sound passed, she released his lips to offer a retort, "Keep your mouth on mine, or keep it sealed. I've gone too long without your touch, and you've certainly gone too long without mine!"
She quickly resumed the kiss and he felt his boxers fall to his feet after her other hand travelled to his waist to dislodge them. This gave her only more leeway to pump his shaft with her palm and he growled into her mouth in response. While his hands worked her nipples now, she wasn't nearly receiving the stimulation he was. He aimed to change that.
His hands smoothly glided from her breasts to her sides, fingers tapping along the way to force a ticklish giggle from his girlfriend. He loved when she laughed, especially when he touched her. But now he was looking for a different reaction to his touches. And he knew how to get it. His hands stopped on her pink panties and pulled them down effortlessly. They fell to her feet and instantly his hand slipped between her legs and began to rub her slit. Now she was the one who had to restrain herself. She nearly let out a half-scream half moan that was only saved by her mouth being ravished by Ash's own. As continued to swirl his fingers around her opening while his other hand around to her rear and cupped one of her cheeks.
They continued to test each other, taking their lips away their opposites only to breathe and only when they felt like they weren't going to howl in ecstasy. They worked each other's nether regions feverishly. The back of Ash's mind knew this was a bad idea and so did Dawn's, but neither cared enough now. The feelings and actions held back for the last five days was far too much for them to bear. The brilliantly hot feeling in Dawn's womanhood began to grow as Ash's fingers plunged into her and pumped at a speed she knew was going to drive her up the wall. Ash felt that heat along with her running juices on his fingers while he tried to get his thumb to rub just around her clit. He didn't want to bring her to her climax yet. He wanted to stretch this out so that they were sated when it was all said and done. He, too, felt the building tension in his manhood. She pumped quickly and with reckless abandon, so he had to make great effort to not only restrain himself to give himself the same feeling of lengthened euphoria, but also to not cry out in sheer pleasure.
The session of mutual masturbation was coming to a head for the loving pair. He pulled himself away from his blue-haired goddess and spoke in words that were half coarse with lust, "You're so... ugh... I love you." He tried to add some semblance of finesse to his words, but he could only stammer out the direct idea of what he felt for her right then and there.
After their mouths briefly reconnected, she forced them apart once again to make her reply. Like his, it was brief and to the point, "Love... ah!" She had to bite down on her words partway through when Ash's thumb brushed across the bundle of nerves she so desperately wanted touched, "Do that again!"
They pulled each other into the most powerful kiss of the evening and began working each other to the point where they were just moving their hands out of sheer instinct. Her hand moved from where it had been caressing his chest down beneath her other hand and began massaging his balls. Unable to deny her wishes, his thumb began to rub her clit directly and frantically whilst his other hand rubbed that deliciously sensitive area in the small of her back.
They each almost screamed into each other's mouths and drew close together when their hips bucked forward in a symmetrical and timely manner. They each came quickly and powerfully, Dawn's sopping wet pussy soaking his fingers and hand, while his seed spurted up onto her belly, with one shot making it onto her perky breasts and the rest lazily flowing onto her hand and arm.
They collapsed into each other's arms, both their legs almost too weak to hold them up. By some miracle, they both managed to hold onto each other and stumble almost drunkenly into the bed where they fell sideways, never breaking their mutual gaze.
"That... was hard," Ash heaved between breaths, "I can't do this with you and be quiet. I don't know how we did it... or even if we succeeded. But damn you're good."
"Oh... believe me it felt just as good, and was just as hard for me. Maybe harder, you know how loud I get," Dawn cooed, snuggling up to her lover.
Ash looked into her eyes, and then allowed them to travel down her body. Then he saw the mess and groaned in annoyance, "Now we have to clean up."
"Your room..." Dawn teased.
"Half of it is your mess," Ash responded huskily, drawing her into another kiss. They began stirring up passions again, but Ash managed to halt the act this time though. He gave a reluctant sigh and told her, "I don't want to risk it again, because I know if we start again, it's going to be all the way... and there's no way I'll be able to keep you from screaming if we do that."
Dawn gave a pouty groan and nuzzled into his chest dreamily.
"And you have to go back to your room. Now, we have two people we have to worry about walking in on us cuddling, now or in the morning. Last time, we got lucky that Misty didn't find us..." Ash added sadly.
"Ugh... I know I asked you to be more considerate to Misty's feelings, but your body heat is making me regret asking that of you," Dawn whined quietly.
Ash finally got up and grabbed some tissues from Violet's nightstand and began wiping himself, the bed, and the carpeted floor. Dawn took the liberty of cleaning herself off, having mixed feelings about wanting Ash to clean her himself; half wanting him to so he'd lose his cool and take her again, and the other half not wanting to do something to lead to the destruction of her now even stronger friendship with Misty. While he cleaned, Ash asked Dawn to grab some air freshener from the closet so that he could remove the odour of their activities from the room. Ash sprayed it around the room liberally, not wanting any trace of the lingering scent to tip someone off.
When Ash was finally done with the cleanup, he took both of Dawn's hands and whispered to her, "Good night My Northern Light." He gave her a sweet gentle kiss which she returned, trying not to enhance it into the passionate kiss she truly wanted.
"And you, Champion of my Heart. It will not be a good night until I get to see you in the morning again," Dawn spoke softly and regretfully. They parted hands and Dawn slipped out of the room silently once again. As she crept across the hallway to Lily's room, she swore she thought she heard a creak from down the hallway. Both Zoey's and Misty's rooms were in that direction. She froze instinctively, gazing towards both doors. She heard nothing more and shrugged it off as a mere act of the house itself contracting in the cooler night air.
She stole away into her own guest room and breathed a sigh of relief, falling into her bed with a mind half in delight, half sorrowful. It hadn't been exactly what she wanted, but both she and Ash had gotten the release they needed. She concluded it was as much as they were going to get away with during their visit. She had wanted it so badly last night, and though she thought the urges might have subsided somewhat during the day, it turned out they were as came back as strong, if not stronger than before. She just hoped that no one had heard, as it would have dire consequences depending on who had been listening.
She crawled beneath the covers of Lily's bed and set her concerns aside. She was sure they had been restrained enough not to call out too loudly in pleasure. She decided to let the issue lie and soon fell into a deep and restful sleep. She knew she had much to do the next day, and the day that had just passed had been an exhausting one.
Ash found himself thinking similar thoughts. He hoped that no one had heard them, Misty especially. He didn't realize how bad his laughter had been that day and was already feeling quite guilty. If she heard, it would not only mean the end of his friendship with her, but also the one between Misty and Dawn. He knew that she cherished the friendship, and if their lack of restraint cost Dawn that, he didn't know if their relationship would ever be the same afterwards. Though wracked with questions and uncertainties, Ash managed to fall into a restful sleep as well. While Misty, Dawn and Zoey had plans, he had some of his own he needed to figure out the next day.
A/N: Thanks again all of you for your kindly reviews, follows and favourites. I'll do my best to keep to the standards you expect and hopefully even surpass them.
Regretfully though, there may not be any updates in the coming week. Between Canadian Thanksgiving and a recent family tragedy, I will likely find myself both physically and mentally unable to give this story the attention it needs. I was only able to get this chapter prepared for upload because I completed everything before I was given the news and felt it wrong to let it sit for a week. I hope you find the patience to allow me to deviate from my normal update schedule so that I can return with the mindset required to post work that I can be proud of. Thanks again to all of you for supporting this story and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I promise it won't be too long. Happy reading.