Chapter 8: A Cold Trail
A/N: A short chapter, but an important one. And fair warning this is chapter 8 and as of now up to chapter 11 is completely finished. I mean I have lots of stuff written but my writing style means that none of it is connected in a linear story line that makes much sense yet except to me, just ask my editor. Anyways just a fair warning that I may stop posting for a while due to the fact this story is incomplete.
The evening hours began to sink in as the four continued their search for their missing friend. The party traveled on in silence still cautious of the hunting party that may be trailing them even though it had been many hours since they last encountered them. Dawn was even willing to bet it was safe to say they had succeeded in losing them. Unfortunately in the process they had also succeeded in getting themselves lost. They had no idea where they were in relation to the cave they had stayed at the night before.
Although Dawn supposed that silence from the hunters could also mean they had succeeded in finding Ash, and simply did not need them anymore. Dawn felt a little offended that the huntsmen were only after Ash, after all she and Brock did play a role in disrupting Hunter J's business. But she only felt that way for a moment when she got to thinking about Ash and how he was fairing.
Her thoughts brought up more questions until finally she had to voice them. "Why would Hunter J be after Ash?" Dawn asked breaking the silence that had settled around them.
"I don't know." Brock admitted. Truth is he had been pondering that exact same thing. "I mean, I suppose Ash has been bad for business."
"Do you think hunter J is trying to get Ash out of her way?" Dawn asked again, although something about this statement seemed off.
"Could be," Brock answered, "but we can figure this out all later after we find Ash. Whatever the reasoning I think it is safe to say that Ash is in way over his head, and he is going to need our help."
Dawn nodded in response to Brock as she glanced around where they now stood. "Ash could be anywhere." she pointed out, "If he ran into the goons the other night who knows which direction he took off in."
"Right, so now the question becomes how do we locate Ash?" Brock replied scanning the area they were now standing in. They were so deep in the tangled flooded valley they hadn't the slightest idea of where they were let along an idea of where Ash might be.
"If we follow Hunter J's men, perhaps they will lead us to Ash." Dawn suggested
"So let me get this straight," Brock said trying to clarify what exactly Dawn was suggesting. "You want us to track the guys, who are tracking us…"
"Precisely." Dawn replied happily not understanding where the confusion was coming from.
"Dawn-
"Pikachu pi?" Pikachu cut in from Brock's shoulder pointing off in the distant above the tree line.
"Piplup pi!" Piplup responded as he too noticed.
"Or," Brock began catching sight of what had caught the pokémon's attention, "we could just follow that."
Dawn turned her attention to see what the others had seen when she saw the smoke bellowing high above the trees. Forest fires seemed highly unlikely after all that rain, it had to be Ash, she thought to herself.
"Cause where there's smoke there's Ash." Dawn exclaimed causing Brock to roll his eyes at the pun.
"Get it?" She asked.
"chu…" the yellow rodent eyed her peculiarly.
"Yeah I get it," Brock sighed as he picked up his bag, and Ash's bag again, "be sure to tell that one to Ash when we find him." He added setting off in the direction of the smoke with the others in tow.
Slowly they made their way towards the bellowing smoke. Dawn's nerves were on end constantly thinking of what they would find once they got there. Would they even find him there? What if Hunter J got to him first? She had to get her mind out of this endless loop of worst case scenario. She looked up at Brock not far ahead of her wondering if these thoughts had crossed his mind as well.
She couldn't really tell what emotions Brock was experiencing aside from love at first sight. For the most part Brock hid his emotions pretty well. Her thoughts suddenly turned towards the story Brock had told the other day before they had ran into the goon squad.
"Does he know?" Dawn asked curiously thinking back to their earlier conversation.
"Does who know what?" Brock responded tossing a glance back at Dawn as he continued forward.
"Ash." Dawn replied as if it were obvious, who else would she be talking about? "Does he know how much you value his friendship?"
Brock stopped in his tracks to turn his full attention back to Dawn. "Don't you think that is a little personal?" he asked wondering what had brought this on.
"Sorry." Dawn apologized realizing that it was a little personal, and she shouldn't be really prying into Brock's friendship with Ash. She was just curious, but like many people say some doors aren't meant to be open, at least not by her. Dawn casted her eyes downwards refusing to meet Brock's gaze, embarrassed by her curiosity.
"That's alright." Brock finally said after a moment before he turned around and traveled on. Brock threw a glance up towards Pikachu nestled upon his shoulder deep in thought. Maybe he shouldn't have shot down her question, now they seemed to be travelling in an awkward silence yet again. Dawn was probably just trying to calm her worried thoughts. Brock let out a deep sigh as he opened his mouth to speak, but was beaten by Dawn.
"It's just I wonder if he knows how much I value our friendship, or if I should tell him." Dawn began, her eyes glued to the ground as she nestled Piplup a little closer. "I mean, without you and Ash, who knows where I would have ended up on my journey. Ash's spark keeps me going when I want to give up on my dreams and go home."
Brock listened as Dawn continued to pour out her feelings to him.
"Am I taking this friendship for granted?" She asked as she stopped looking up to Brock for an answer.
Brock turned around once he realized she was no longer following him and took in her saddened eyes. "Dawn what has brought this on?" He asked in concern as he walked back towards her.
"It's just," she paused a moment trying to collect her thoughts. Truth was she missed him, more than she cared to admit (A/N: oh lord is that a hint of pearlshipping? See it as you want). The way she felt when they were all together was something she had been taking for granted this entire journey together. Without him she felt empty, incomplete. She did not like these new feelings surfacing and began to wonder how much longer they all had together until they parted ways. Dawn looked at Brock as he patiently waited for her to continue, but she couldn't voice them.
"It's nothing." She said as she began walking once again. Pikachu and Brock exchanged worried looks as she walked by them closing the conversation she had started. Brock followed after her, uncertain of whether or not he should try to figure out what exactly that was all about but failed to voice his concern. The two traveled on a while in silence as each of them lost in their own thoughts.
Not liking where Dawn's thoughts were taking her she was determined to focus her mind on something else. She locked her gaze intently on the billowing cloud of smoke marking their destination. They were lucky that they now had at least a general direction to travel in. Ash on the other hand, had no such luck. If he had run into hunter J's goon squad the other night during that storm, Ash probably had no idea where he was running except away from danger.
If only there was a way for them to let Ash know where they were. Dawn thought to herself as she studied the smoke, when suddenly it hit her.
"Wait!" Dawn suddenly cried out in realization causing the others to stop dead in their tracks. "Brock why didn't we think of this before!" She continued as she slapped herself on the forehead for being so stupid.
"Pip?" The penguin pokémon called out to his trainer in concern upon seeing her distress.
"What is it Dawn?" Brock asked curiously watching her as she set Piplup down.
"Brock, Draco Meteor!" She finally said as she rushed over towards Ash's backpack and began rummaging through his stuff, until she found Gible's Pokéball.
"Pi?" Pikachu cocked its head wondering what Dawn was on about.
"Dawn?" Brock began but was cut off by Dawn.
"Gible we need your help!" She cried out as she threw the pokéball in the air releasing Gible.
"Gible?" It finally said in confusion upon not finding Ash or rather not finding Ash's head to munch on.
"Brock we can use Gible's Draco meteor to signal to Ash where we are." she explained.
"Pip lup!" Piplup cried out as it turned white at the mentioning of Draco meteor.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed excitedly.
"It's a great idea Dawn except not only would we be signaling Ash, but Hunter J's goon squad as well." Brock pointed out.
"pip." Piplup sighed discouraged.
"Brock, Ash could be anywhere." Dawn countered, "By the time we reach the source of the smoke who knows what direction he wondered off in. We have no choice."
Brock thought about what Dawn had said already knowing she was right and they really had no choice. "Alright," He finally said, "We'll just have to deal with the goon squad, when they find us. The important thing is to find Ash."
"Pi ka!"
"Gible."
"Piplup!" the pokémon all voice the agreement.
"Alright Gible," Dawn said as she turned her attention towards the ground type, "Draco Meteor!" she called out as she pointed to the sky.
"Giiiiiiibbbblllllleee" the pokémon began as it began to focus its dragon type powers in the center of its body building up the powerful attack until he launched it high in the sky. The brilliant lights of the Draco meteor stood out starkly against the evening sky as it lit the entire area alerting everyone to their location.
Far off in the distant the familiar attack caught the sight of Ash as he watched it plummet back to the earth. "That's Gible's Draco Meteor!" he jumped up excitedly suddenly feeling refreshed. His friends were nearby, and that was enough to carry him through.
Much further downstream the hunter's frustration grew even more as their search turned up nothing. She had traveled along the river for quite some time and found no sign of the brat meaning he either drowned or was behind her.
"Salamence." She began but was cut short by the orange fireball adorning the late evening sky. She watched in deep thought as it plummeted back down to the earth quite some distance away.
"Foot squad." She said as she triggered her ear piece once again, "report."
"Sir" a voice chimed in over the radio, "that wasn't us." Just as the hunter expected the flash of light had to be either the brat himself of the secondary targets, either way heading in that direction would assure her of eventually finding the primary target.
"We were just about to proceed to the signal." The voice continued.
Hunter J scoffed at hearing this, "Don't bother," She commanded "prep the vehicle and be ready for transport." She finished as she cut off her ear piece once again. Giving Salamence one more nudge as they both rode off in the direction of the ball of light. (A/N: I don't know why but I always enjoy the stories where your friends try to help you but only mange to make things worse, I guess that is because that is always what happens to me, sorry Ash)
Meanwhile back under the less than Draco meteor the tiny penguin pokémon panicked as the meteor came straight for it.
"PIPLUP!" He cried out in alarm as he desperately tried to avoid the impending conk on the head.
"Piplup return." Dawn said as the red beam snatched Piplup away just in time. "Better stay in there until we are done using Draco Meteor." She told him as she pocketed the pokéball.
"Good thinking." Brock commented.
"Gible." Gible agreed, to which Dawn gave a nod.
"Let's go!" Brock exclaimed as they all made their way once again towards the smoke.