Chapter 15 – Unraveled
Dawn eyed her rival and friend, trying to muster the same intensity that she had become known for in the contest world. However, she was barely able to focus on the field. Her mind was awash with a tumultuous storm of emotions that threatened to drown her. To this day, she had never even remotely considered ever forfeiting a match. Yet at this very moment, she would have liked nothing less to have screamed out her pain until her throat was raw and run from the building to jump into the ocean.
But that wasn't who she was. That wasn't the woman she had grown into. Her mother would never do it. No self-respecting coordinator would do it. Zoey wouldn't do it. Her gaze managed to lock onto the redhead standing across the field from her. Her rival's expression was one of sympathy. But that determined glint in her betrayed her intent. Zoey wasn't going to go easy on Dawn just because of what happened. She never would, and Dawn never wanted her to. Dawn wasn't going to run from this. The very idea flew in the face of everything she believed in. It would disrespect the tenets of coordinating. It would disrespect her esteemed opponent, a woman whom she continuously admired. So she had to fight through the pain, and fight hard. That was what Zoey expected of her. That is what Dawn expected of Zoey.
When Lilian's announcement came, the two women threw out their pokéballs.
"Gallade! Curtain!"
"Typhlosion! Spotlight!"
Though they both noticed that the blunette's voice was shakier than usual, they chose to ignore it and continued. They wanted to waste no time in starting this battle. Everything had already been said and done before, and now they just wanted to prove themselves to one another. Dawn especially wanted to make sure she could perform, even under the immense waves that now thrashed about in her consciousness.
"Eruption!" Dawn managed to call the first move.
"Jump back and send some to her with psycho cut!" Zoey immediately ordered.
The geyser of flames burst from under the former footings of the swift Gallade who flipped backwards not a moment too soon. As told, he swung his arms as they began to glow, sending forth blue crescents of psychic energy which tore through the fire pillar. They surged forward, carrying molten rock on their way towards the Volcano Pokémon. The acrobatic dodge and use of Dawn's own move against her with psycho cut caused a loss of points for the blunette.
"Dodge and use flame wheel!" Dawn instructed, her voice still somewhat uncertain, but still loud. After sidestepping the crescents with little effort, Typhlosion put his momentum into the tuck needed to form his flame wheel. The rolling inferno tore its way over towards Zoey's end of the field.
"Psychic!" Zoey reacted to this new development.
"Quick! Dig while continuing flame wheel!" Dawn altered her previous order. The psychic attack failed to execute as Typhlosion quickly barreled underground in his fiery shell. The field continuously shook from the effects of the flame powered dig attack, leaving Gallade unable to determine its location by vibration. This caused Zoey's points to decrease for the first time in the match.
"Get, ready..." Zoey cautioned. The rumbling continued until, at last, Typhlosion emerged from Gallade's right side in a furious blaze. Zoey instinctively called it out, "Now!"
Gallade vanished in quick blink of blue light that resembled his own body shape. Typhlosion landed precisely on the spot where the Blade Pokémon used to be, only to unfurl himself and find that he hadn't crushed his opponent.
"Close combat!" Zoey yelled powerfully. Gallade fell from the sky and landed one powerful punch on Typhlosion to temporarily daze him. The fighting-psychic type then unloaded a barrage of quick kicks and punches into the teetering badger before letting loose one final, powerful roundhouse kick that sent his opponent flying back towards Dawn. Typhlosion made it almost halfway across the field before he landed roughly on his back. Dawn could only watch in muted dismay as her points took a nasty hit along with her Pokémon.
The fire type grunted angrily as he pulled himself from the heap he had been reduced to a few moments prior as Dawn looked on in worry. Dawn was disappointed with herself. She should have seen something like this coming. But she was determined not to let the match end there. She shouted out with conviction, "Wild charge!"
"Psychic!" Zoey repeated confidently. Dawn was about to call out her counter, but this time, Gallade was faster, thrusting out his bladed arms and lighting his eyes with an ethereal pale blue. The wild charge was stopped and Typhlosion panicked as he was lifted into the air helplessly. "Now! Psycho cut!"
Typhlosion was released from his suspended position high above the field as Zoey's contender let loose more blades of psychic energy that screeched towards the falling badger. Dawn was not about to let Zoey get away with that trick though, "Counter-shield!" Even as the large fire-type fell, he spun his body while generating fire from his mouth. The fire-type began to resemble a creature caged in a spherical flame-bound prison as he plummeted. The psycho cuts impacted, but had no effect on the sinews of conjured flame.
"Teleport just above where it's going to land!" Zoey instructed quickly. The beast was already almost about to hit the ground and Zoey wanted to take advantage of that brief moment where the shield would have to stop.
"Don't land! Dig!" Dawn adapted to her situation as she heard Zoey, and soon Typhlosion was underground again while a surprised Gallade fell into the hole.
"Get out quick!" Zoey nearly lost her cool momentarily. But it was too late, Gallade was dragged into the tunnel by an angry fire badger and the sounds of roars could be heard echoing from within the newly dug hole. Zoey winced as she heard the cries of pain from Gallade. She tried to order her battler to teleport out, but got no response. Not long after the sounds of the impromptu beating at the hands of Typhlosion ceased, Gallade was thrown through the ground into the open air once more, a shower of dust and rock punctuating its return to the stage. The psychic-fighting type landed with a resounding thud as he was soon joined by a smug-looking Typhlosion on the surface.
"Quick! Eruption while he's down!" Dawn yelled determinately. With one quick stomp, the telltale signs of the coming fire formed beneath the back of Gallade, whose eyes shot open at the feeling of the heat beneath him.
"Teleport into close combat!" Zoey made her counter-move. Without even moving into a standing position, Gallade teleported as the spear of flame jutted from the ground. Gallade appeared behind Typhlosion as though he had never fallen and began a second beating on the fire type.
"Wild charge on the spot!" Dawn cried desperately, hoping this plan would work. Typhlosion spun himself rapidly in a circle rather than using the traditional act of a straight run to create the movement needed to generate the electric layer that coated his fur. The move worked and the electricity coursed into the rapidly punching and kicking Gallade once he made contact with the crackling fire-type.
"Now grab hold and use eruption!" Dawn grinned and executed part two of her plan. Still shaking from his jolt, Gallade couldn't react as the badger clamped his paws onto both arms of the Blade Pokémon. The fire-type stamped the ground powerfully with one foot, and both contenders were engulfed in the resulting pillar of fire. Gallade screamed out painfully, while Typhlosion merely gritted its teeth, clearly not as fazed by the attack as his opponent.
Dawn was pleased upon seeing her points and the time left. With only two minutes left, Dawn was now slightly ahead of Zoey after being behind the entire match. Zoey had about a third left while Dawn had just about two fifths.
"Teleport out of there!" Zoey commanded urgently. Before the entirety of the eruption could run its course, a teleport occurred. However, due to their physical contact, both contenders were liberated from the fiery inferno.
This surprised both coordinators, but Zoey was first to capitalize on it. She gave her order quickly, "Close combat with teleports! Don't give it a chance to grab you again!" With a forceful shove, Gallade freed himself from the grip of Typhlosion and began another series of punches and kicks. It was a wonder to see Gallade perform the move. Every punch and kick was executed with the utmost grace; if it weren't for the resounding impacts of each blow, one might've believed they were watching a hauntingly beautiful dance. Each time Typhlosion tried to block or grab, Gallade quickly vanished in a burst of blue light, only to reappear at the badger's side or behind him altogether. Each time, the disoriented badger fell prey to the continued onslaught of perfectly coordinated martial movements, and points quickly fell away from Dawn's score.
"Flame wheel!" Dawn called out in a panic. Even through the barrage of fighting attacks, Typhlosion heaved out a breath of flame as it curled into a ball and began his searing revolutions. Gallade, knowing full well to stay away from Typhlosion when spinning was involved, quickly back-flipped out of range. Typhlosion pursued the fleeing psychic-fighting type as he began his flaming advance.
"Teleport far and then use psycho cut!" Zoey ordered urgently. Gallade did as he was told, reappearing back at Zoey's end of the field. The attack soared towards Typhlosion, but neither Dawn nor her Pokémon were worried about the attack stopping the powerful, moving inferno. But that was exactly what Zoey was hoping for, "Now speed it up with close combat!"
Dawn's mouth dropped open in alarm as Gallade quickly caught up to, and furiously kicked the sickles of energy, driving them even harder into the oncoming fire type. The combination attack impacted, causing the flame wheel to stop altogether as the Volcano Pokémon collapsed into a pile before Zoey's companion.
Typhlosion was certainly unhappy with this change of events and roared out angrily, his flames jutting out even further from his heated neckline. Dawn was feeling the annoyance as well. Though she had begun to make a comeback, Zoey stole the lead yet again, and it was growing tiresome for her to keep fighting so hard; only for Zoey to devise a seemingly easy counter. So Dawn decided to play it hard and fast.
"Ok! Combine wild charge and flame wheel!"
Zoey had watched this combination when it had been used in both of the rounds before this. She had surmised it was a difficult move to overcome, and she had initially seen no weakness. But she had thought long and hard about it between rounds, and had devised a plan. She knew that the combo she had just used to break flame wheel would not be enough, and even psychic couldn't restrain power of that magnitude. There was no way to break it head-on.
Gallade stood patiently, awaiting Zoey's orders as the monstrous ball of fire and lightning barreled towards him. She waited for the right moment and then executed her counter, "Psycho cut and close combat again!" Dawn grew nervous. She knew Zoey had something up her sleeve. It wouldn't be the same move again. Dawn knew the power of Typhlosion's combo attack far outdid a simple flame wheel. She couldn't see what Zoey would do. Her mind was so cluttered with possibilities and emotions, and the result was that she couldn't predict how the top coordinator would somehow turn it all against her. Dawn couldn't imagine the move Zoey was about to make and it frustrated her. It was exactly like how she couldn't see how Ash had betrayed their love. She couldn't see what was right in front of her eyes.
The psycho cut was already in the air, being propelled by the extra close combat attack that Gallade put into it. The impact was inevitable. Almost.
"Curve it with psychic!"
Dawn's eyes shot open at the realization of Zoey's plan. But it came too late. Gallade's eyes lit up in a flash of bright blue light as he swung an arm manipulate the attack properly. The blades that soared through the air swerved to the right just enough to avoid hitting Typhlosion dead on and instead impacted the side. Typhlosion's combination attack was knocked off balance. The fire badger bounced off to the side and slammed into wall of the contest hall with an echoing crash.
"Typhlosion!" Dawn screeched with concern. The judges were about to call an end to the battle, assuming Typhlosion was unconscious after a terrible accident like that. However, all were surprised to hear a low growl uttered by the beast as he twitched back to life. Typhlosion hoisted itself off the ground and even Zoey raised a surprised eyebrow. The fire-type roared in a fierce cry of rage and anguish before he suddenly stilled as he stood. The beast teetered ever so briefly before he collapsed to the ground at the sound of the 'time-up' buzzer.
"Amazing! You won't see a battle like that outside a Grand Festival very often folks! Winner by simultaneous knock-out and time-out, it's Zoey!" Lilian shouted gleefully into her microphone. The two coordinators looked up to the scoreboard. Ever since their first Grand Festival, nothing more than a hair often separated the two scores of the rivals. This time however, Dawn had nearly no points, while Zoey had a relatively comfortable quarter remaining. Dawn almost cringed in disappointment. Not in the result, not at her Typhlosion's efforts, but at her own performance. She knew this was her own fault. She had failed to keep the trappings of her personal life out of the contest stage, and it very well cost her the match. Dawn didn't live up to her own standards, and she hated it.
Her eyes flashed towards the audience, trying to locate Ash. She scanned the upper balcony, which she figured he would be sitting in since it was the only area with available seats. She saw a flash of a red hat and black hair that had just turned the corner from the upper walkway into the stairwell. She knew it was him. As much as she wanted to ask him 'why', she couldn't face him right now. She was an emotional wreck, and she feared saying something she didn't truly mean. What was worse was that he was currently with Misty. She saw the red-haired woman behind him in the brief moment she glimpsed Ash. She couldn't confront him in front of Misty. It would be yet another blow during a day that had already seen the gym leader nearly die.
The conflict on Dawn's face was extraordinarily evident when Zoey looked at her. Even as the top coordinator received the ribbon and stood atop the podium with Mr. Contesta, who lauded Zoey for her showing, the victory tasted bitter to her. She had beaten Dawn when she was not in a clear mindset. Granted, provided with the new revelation thrust upon her at the last moments before the finals, she handled herself well. But it wasn't a true battle with Dawn. The real Dawn no longer shook with apprehension during a contest battle. The real Dawn reacted faster, and more creatively. The real Dawn had learned to read the top coordinator's tactics like an open book, making each and every battle between the two a complete guess as to who won the match by the end. Their point totals were almost always nearly even. This time, the points said this was a clearly defined victory for Zoey. But to her, it wasn't real.
Dawn glanced at Zoey and saw the sympathy in her eyes. Dawn couldn't take it. She couldn't deal with the idea that she didn't give Zoey the battle she deserved. She fled the stage at a run that no one thought she could make in a dress like that. Zoey quickly ended her speech and dashed off after the embarrassed blunette, ready to try and console her. But Zoey realized that she caught up with her too late. Dawn stood before Ash and Misty. Zoey knew all hell was going to break loose in moments.
Misty stood beside Ash, a bit more emotional since the accident, but still holding together for the moment. Ash looked at Dawn with pleading eyes, while his girlfriend – or possibly girlfriend no longer – eyed Ash with pained ones. Ash expected Dawn to blow up, or slap him, or do something in anger at the injustice. Ash knew it was coming, and he was ready to accept it, if only to show Dawn his remorse and hope for her forgiveness. However, none of these things occurred. Rather Dawn just averted her gaze from Ash and stared at the floor, and quietly asked in her smallest voice that verged on a whisper.
"Is it true?"
Ash tried to clarify, "Is wh-."
"Don't even think about lying," Dawn told him, trying to sound severe, though her voice came out more pleading than anything. At this point, Dawn was so heartbroken, she didn't care who heard it. She was in such a tormented state that she didn't care now if she lost Ash and Misty. She just needed to know, "Did you ever love me?"
Misty's eyes predictably bulged upon hearing the question, though her mouth remained an indistinct flat line. The gym leader wanted to say something in this conversation, but couldn't find the words at the moment. Her eyes just kept darting between Ash and Dawn confusedly.
Ash made his reply quickly and with conviction, though he kept his voice as low as Dawn's, "Of course I did! And I still do!" Ash tried to get closer to Dawn to hold her hand, but she recoiled slightly, keeping her distance.
"Then how can you love her and me?" Dawn continued, thrusting a finger towards Misty, her voice unwavering though clearly wrought with anguish. Misty's mouth, upon hearing this news, finally changed from its neutral line to a jaw-dropped form.
"I don't know..." Ash confessed wearily.
"It doesn't work like that!" Zoey forced her way into the conversation with her loud and clearly aggravated voice, "You can't love them both! That's unfair to both of them! Dawn gave herself to you and now you're just throwing her aside because of some infatuation with Misty? What kind of man are you?"
For the first time since the semi-finals, Misty spoke in a hoarse voice that was laced with some disbelief, "Do you really love me?"
The three other participants turned towards Misty in surprise. The two coordinators turned their gazes back to Ash expectantly just as quickly as they had turned them away. Ash answered with a heavy breath, "Yes."
Misty's mind didn't know whether to scream in joy, anger, or sadness. She was still processing all this. Only seconds ago it had been revealed to her that Ash was, in fact, in a relationship with Dawn, and that he loved his travelling companion. It suddenly made so much sense why she had been rejected in the club, and why he couldn't tell her. Misty would have been jubilant at the idea that she had captured his heart after all these years, but hated that it came at the cost of Dawn's relationship. Moreover, she was angry at having been deceived by both of them.
Even as Misty began to sort out her emotions in her head, she remained as still as a statue. Dawn's face now was streaked with tears. She collapsed to the side of the hall, only to be caught by Zoey. The top coordinator began to escort her rival from Ash's presence to the dressing room. Ash instinctively began to pursue her, but Zoey shoved Ash away forcefully. Her stare brimming with fury, she growled in such a low voice that was surprising to hear, even from Zoey, "You stay away from her! You've done enough damage here today!"
Dawn flashed a quick look towards Ash before lowering her head and continuing onward with Zoey. It was a mixed glance, containing both sadness and yearning. Yet she continued down the hall with the top coordinator, and the two quickly entered the dressing room without so much as a word. Ash was about to defy Zoey's wishes when he felt himself grabbed by the arm. He looked back to see Misty's strong hand gripping him and saw the livid look on her face. She dragged Ash away as she had so many times done in their youth. Despite having grown up and having gotten a lot stronger, Ash didn't fight Misty. But he did question her.
"Misty? What are you doing?"
"We need to have a talk! We're going back to my place!" Misty snapped bitterly.
"But what about-," Ash began.
"Zoey will take care of her! And clearly your being here isn't making it any easier on Dawn! You have questions to answer, now come on!" Misty interjected, stating her intent with such fury in her voice that Ash hadn't heard since he fried her old bike. Pikachu toddled along at a good distance, not wanting to get anywhere near the volcanically furious gym leader.
Dawn was still crying, but her tears came without sobs. She could barely muster a voice at the moment. Zoey and Dawn sat on a bench opposite the mirrors in the room. The redhead had her arms wrapped around Dawn in a comforting embrace, hoping that she could absorb all the pain from her long-time competitor and friend.
"Talk to me Dawn," Zoey told her soothingly, "You need to talk it out. Get this out of your system so you can move forward."
Dawn gave a small sob and tried to speak, "He- he- How?"
Zoey rubbed her back and she drew Dawn to her shoulder, "Take all the time you need. You have all the time in the world."
Dawn took a number of deep breaths to try and steady herself. A few sniffles and heaving sobs snuck in between, but for the most part, she hadn't broken down completely. The first thing Dawn decided to say was to Zoey herself, "I'm sorry I wasn't at my best..."
Zoey raised an eyebrow in surprise. She knew Dawn was kind-hearted, but this was unprecedented. She didn't believe that she would get an apology out the woman who had been wronged so terribly that day. When she got over the initial paralysis, Zoey cooed into her ear, "It's fine. You had a good reason. This is such a ... horrific discovery for you."
"This is what you wanted to tell me after the contest didn't you?" Dawn asked softly.
Again, Zoey was taken aback, though this time by Dawn's perceptive nature. She nodded as she told her the truth, "Yes... I found out just after Misty's battle in the quarter-finals."
"What did Ash do?"
Zoey gritted her teeth at the memory. She let out a low rumble in her throat of displeasure and explained to Dawn, "I saw them hug after the match. It was long, and they looked at each other in a way that couldn't be mistaken for anything else. I confronted him just before the start of your match with Misty and he admitted it to me."
"He told you?" Dawn raised her head from Zoey in surprise.
"He knew he was found out," Zoey informed her.
"What did he say?"
"He told me he loved you both, and that didn't know why. That he couldn't lose either of you. I told him that was unrealistic and that he needed to tell you. That he shouldn't lie to you about it. And that if he didn't, I would." Zoey elucidated.
"So he agreed," Dawn asked her pertinently.
"I gave him no choice," Zoey answered severely.
"I know he doesn't like to lie..." Dawn told Zoey, her head hanging down briefly, then she raised it again, "But he doesn't want to hurt me, I know that."
"Or Misty, that's why he kept it a secret from you both," Zoey added.
"Did he say how long he's felt this way?" Dawn inquired with some hesitation.
Zoey's face twitched, realizing she forgot to ask that for that little piece of information. She figured that it would be covered when they talked after the contest, but that was a plan long since destroyed now. She replied flatly, "No, I never asked."
"I see..." Dawn mumbled.
Zoey began to try and convince her rival, "Dawn, I know you really love Ash... but you really need to get your head back and look at the situation. He kept things from you. He didn't outright lie to you I expect, but a lie of omission is still a lie. What's worse is that even if he still loves you... it's not a whole love. You're not his one and only. I know it's painful to hear this, but if I don't tell you now before you spin out of control, you might lose everything you've worked so hard to accomplish! Your coordinating career, your drive, your love of Pokémon. Everything."
"But... I can't just-," Dawn tried to make an excuse but failed.
Zoey pressed her point, "This isn't just a physical thing he has with Misty. If it were, you might be able to fix it. But this is deep for him. Emotional. When I talked to him, I really looked at him. Just like you did, I looked into his eyes. Unless he's the best damn con-artist I've ever seen, there's no way his eyes lied like that." Zoey moved over closer to Dawn again and looked her straight in her aqua irises. She began to further punctuate her argument, "And that's just here at the contest. I saw the signs earlier, but I wrote it off to his guilt about having to reject her. But now I see I was wrong. He kept looking at her. During my battle with her at the gym, during the times we ate and talked. He really did a big double-take when he first saw her in that dress of hers. Every time after, he would look away, and I saw all the guilt scrawled on his face like someone drew it on with markers!"
"But you said he still loves me..." Dawn whispered.
"Yes, but-," Zoey answered, but she was interrupted again.
"You know this is true?" Dawn reiterated.
"Yes! But-," Zoey started again.
Dawn wouldn't stop now, "I gave myself to him. Everything I am. My body, my mind, my heart and soul. He did the same for me. The way he looks at me. The way he kisses me and makes love to me... it's as though he could never be unfaithful. It's so powerful, his love. But when he saved Misty, and cradled her in his arms and told her she would be alright, I saw the same look he gave me. The same look that I saw before he left me to go be with his sick Pokémon, even though he had to fly through a hurricane to get to him."
"He what?" Zoey was flummoxed by this little bit of information at the end of her explanation, but Dawn wasn't finished yet.
"And the looks he gives me when I'm on my last legs. When I'm down, he picks me back up. I see that glint in his eyes that says 'I love you, and I know you can do this'. And yet I don't understand how he can give that same look to another woman!"
Zoey sensed the pause as Dawn sobbed a bit more at the end of the latest outpouring of her love life and began to tell her, with as calm and soothing a voice she could despite the reality she was trying lay out for her, "Dawn. I know you love him. You need to. I know it. You're absolutely wrapped up in it. But if what you say is true, then he can't have you. If he is not devoted to you, then he isn't right for you. He's trying to love you both, but you deserve a person who loves you and only you. And remember that he's not only doing this to you, but Misty as well! That man's love is not worthy of you!"
It suddenly struck Dawn, that in all this, she forgot how Misty must've felt in all this. This only deepened her sadness further and she croaked out, "I'm not even sure how to feel for Misty. I want Ash to stay with me so bad... but at the same time, I want her to be happy. She's been in love with Ash for so long, that I feel like I've stolen something from her. She's been in anguish because of it all. And this is only twisting the knife in a sense. Her love stolen by her best friend. What kind of friend am I?"
"You won his heart first! It's not your fault!" Zoey sought to end that destructive line of thought right then and there.
"I only got it because he was vulnerable and lonely. Any woman could have won him in that state!" Dawn miserably shouted out, standing up, only to lean herself on the counter jutting from beneath the mirrors.
Zoey approached her and put one hand on Dawn's shoulder and the other beneath her chin. She slowly tipped it up so Dawn was looking at herself in the mirror. Zoey told her in a sincere voice, "You are a beautiful and vibrant woman Dawn. You won Ash because you are who you are. He's not as much as a prize as you might've once thought, but you won him fair and square. Nothing can take that away from you."
Dawn's eyes closed reflexively as she looked at herself. She wasn't sure she could face herself or anyone at the moment, much less Misty or Ash. Her head fell forward again and she spoke in a tone of quiet resignation, "Misty has been alone for so long. Her sisters practically abandoned her to the gym. Her friends went their own ways. Her love left her behind. Now she has this chance again. A chance to be happy. I want that for her. If I wasn't able to keep Ash's love to myself, then maybe I should let someone who has that power have him."
Zoey took Dawn's hands and gently coaxed the blunette to face her. They looked at each other's faces deeply. Dawn still looked sorrowful and dejected, but she noticed a strangely familiar expression on her rival's face. She hadn't seen it on the redhead's face before, but it was still no stranger to her.
Zoey spoke gently and with affection, "It's not about who can have his heart. It's about what you deserve. You deserve someone too. Someone completely devoted to you."
Zoey gripped Dawn's hands slightly tighter, "Someone who has always been there."
She drew closer to Dawn, "Someone who understands you."
Zoey's voice dropped to a whisper as their foreheads nearly touched, "Someone who loves you more than the world itself."
What happened next gave Dawn the shock of her life. While listening to Zoey's impassioned words, she had scarcely noticed how close Zoey drawn their faces together. The kiss came from Zoey with an initial force of a smoldering ember that soon burst into the roaring fire it had always wanted to be. Zoey's mind spun wild at fulfilling that one action she had always wanted. She was kissing her rival, the reason for her success, the reason she pushed herself, the woman who she considered her equal in every respect, the woman she loved. And she couldn't have felt happier.
The kiss meant something different for Dawn. The initial shock passed, and she actually found herself relaxing into the kiss. The passion from Zoey sparked an emotion that Dawn never expected to find in herself when confronted with the idea of kissing a girl: curiosity. She took in all aspects of it. Her lips were softer than Ash's, but carried the same enthusiasm. She felt the same need and warmth coursing from Zoey into her body, the same firm grip on her hips. Dawn flashed back to Snowpoint City: The toy shop, the beautiful wooden Piplup, the gentle touches on her hands and shoulder, her reason for giving her that gift: 'Shows that I care... right'.Dawn realized that Zoey must have loved her for a long time, and was surprised that she didn't see it. But now that the kiss was upon her, it seemed so incredibly obvious. In the back of her mind, Dawn realized that she liked the feeling of their lips pressed together to some degree. It was a thrill, and something against her perceived nature.
But it wasn't the same. Though she loved Zoey, she loved her as a rival, an inspiration on the stage, and as a great friend. But it was not the same love she shared for Ash. Her evaluation of this unforeseen event caused Dawn to realize she had lingered in the kiss for too long. She didn't want to give Zoey the wrong idea. She snaked her hands up to Zoey's shoulders and gently pressed the redhead away. Zoey's face of near total peace and bliss could be seen cracking as she realized what was happening.
"Zoey... I'm so sorry," Dawn breathed out. They were still close. She didn't want the intimacy to end abruptly for her friend. She deserved to be treated kindly as she had been doing for Dawn in this trying time. She continued, "Everything you've said. Your wonderful words may be describing yourself, but they also describe Ash. You are a wonderful, caring and generous friend. And you will always be. But I cannot return these feelings you have for me. I will always cherish you and your kindness. But even if I cannot have him, my heart will always be with Ash."
Dawn finally fully separated the two of them and she almost died at the crestfallen look that had taken over Zoey's face. She didn't want to hurt Zoey. So many people were hurt today, and would continue to be hurt. But she wouldn't lie to her. So many terrible things had come about due to lying. Dawn remembered what Ash had said: That he didn't want to lie to Misty in the first place after her confession at the club. She left one hand on Zoey's, if only to signify that she still did care for her fellow coordinator.
Zoey's face turned upwards, and she tried to put on a brave face for Dawn, but only half succeeded. The pain was still etched into her watery eyes and quivering mouth. Zoey put another hand on top of the one that Dawn had on her opposite and Zoey's tough and deep voice rang out to Dawn, "Then fight for him! Take him back! Prove that your love is the greater of the two! Because, damn it, if I can't make you happy, then he sure as hell needs to!"
Dawn's face melted at this clearly painful bit of advice her redheaded admirer gave. At this moment, she actually wished she could forget Ash and love this woman just so that she could ease her pain. But she couldn't. It was Ash she loved. Dawn put her head to Zoey's in gesture of appreciation and whispered in her most grateful voice, "Thank you. I'll never forget this."
Dawn parted from a reluctant Zoey and quickly vacated the dressing room, leaving Zoey alone as an open nerve of emotion. She spoke the space once occupied by Dawn in a weak voice that no one who knew the woman possessed, "I'll never forget it either..."
Dawn sprinted down the halls of the contest hall towards the exit to the Cerulean City streets. She was determined to get Ash back, but one thought lingered in the back of her mind. One single drop of doubt.
Will Ash choose me?