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12:34 AM

Aesthetic, unconvoluted skies. Clouds of pink and purple that swirled together in an infinite pile of natural beauty. Ash had been having this dream often, ever since that night. Holding her hand, walking down the side of the beach. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear that left soft impressions of his feelings. She came closer, put her mouth to his ear, and said,

"Excuse me, sir."

The dream shattered and the girl's face was replaced with the facade of a frustrated store owner.

"Sir, would you please get up?"

Ash blinked a few times and sat up. His half-closed eyes scanned the room with little-to-no precision. The furniture store. That's where he was. He felt something squeeze the side of his coat. Dawn had crawled into his bed, and had curled up to his side.

"While I do invite you to try our merchandise, do you and your girlfriend know how late it is?" Ash pulled out his phone.

12:36 AM

"Ohhhhh shit." He reached over and shook Dawn.

"Dawn, come on, we gotta go."

"Zzz, Zzz, Zzz" Dawn was fast asleep!

"Dawn."

"Dawnnnn."

"Dawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn."

"DawnDawnDawnDawnDawn, ahhh dammit." Ash lifted her onto his back into the piggyback position, profusely apologized to the store owner, and ran out of the mall. He pulled out his phone and rang Gary.

"Gary!"

"Hey, shh, Misty's sleeping!"

"OUR ROOM AGAIN?"

"Umm, no..."

"Gary. I called the room phone."

"Oh. Well then."

"Well fuc-Oh, screw that, Gary, Dawn and I are still in town! You left us!"

"ME? You didn't pick up for hours! I assumed you just caught your own way back like usual!"

"I took her to that furniture store and we both fell asleep."

"Oh. So."

"So what?"

"Did you get it on?"

"Gary."

"I'm serious."

"Gary."

"Joking, wait, don't the night-watch cameras and guards come out after 11:30?"

"Yeah, I know, I'm going to use the west entrance, I'll need your help when I get there. Bring Squirtle."

"Got it, let me know when." Ash hung up.

"Well, how to get home?" He thought. If only he brought Charizard, he'd be back in five minutes.

"Zzz...mehhhhhhhh, wuzz goin' on?" Dawn lifted her head.

"Dawn, you're awake!" Ash set her down on a bench.

"Yeah, where are we?"

"Downtown, it's past midnight." Dawn's eyes got wide.

"They just gave me that lecture on returning to school on time." Ash chuckled.

"We'll be fine, I have an idea. Trust me?" She looked at him strangely, then gave him a tired, graceful smile.

"All right, I trust you."

"Well, first things first, we have to get back to school." They looked around for a solution. A man was locking up a bicycle outside his house.

"Excuse me!" Dawn shouted. The man looked up.

"Well, good evening, what are you kids doing out so late?"

"We overslept and need to get back to Academy," explained Ash. The man looked closer and realized something.

"You're Ash Ketchum! Last year's undefeated champion! My daughter talks about you all the time!"

"Umm, yeah, thanks."

"So what do you need from an old stranger?"

"Actually, we were wondering if we could borrow your bike." The man thought for a second.

"You look like a good kid. I guess I have your name and school name, so it wouldn't be hard to find you if you stole it." He handed it to Ash.

"Now hurry and get that girl back, I imagine Old Samuel wouldn't be too happy if he found out."

"Thanks, we'll bring it back this weekend!" Then something caught Ash's attention.

"Wait, you know Samuel Oak?" But the man had already entered the apartment.

"What a nice guy, I would've never given out my bike like that," Dawn remarked.

"Yeah, he seemed familiar. I swear I'd seen him before."

"Haha, it's dark out, you could barely see his face."

"But-oh, we should get going. Climb on."

"No thanks, you sit on the back, I'll bike."

"But Dawn, you're still tired and I think that I-"

"You carried me all the way out of the store to here. Also," she adjusted the gears and the chains, "I'm kind of a good biker." She pushed off at a surprising speed, forcing Ash to grab onto her waist.

"I feel absolutely ridiculous," Ash grumbled.

"Emasculation at its best," Dawn giggled.

"Har har."

(Thirty minutes later)

"All right, take this next right, the school will be right there."

"Okay, oh crap!" Dawn swerved the bike into some bushes, the pair fell off and hit the ground, hard. Ash spun around.

"What the hell was that fo-"

"Shh!" Dawn clasped her hand over his mouth and pointed around the corner, where a flashlight beam threatened to expose them. It remained shining at the entrance, then moved away. They both exhaled.

"Phew! Too close."

"Yeah, so is Gary on his way?"

"Yep, we just need to get into position on the west entrance gates, the guards almost never cross it."

"Let's move fast." They ran around the gates and headed to the spot.

"So why don't the guards hang around the west entrance?"

"Umm," Ash paused and pointed, "Well, there's that."

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr." A massive slumbering Salamence blocked the entire west side. Dawn went into panic mode, yelling silently to Ash,

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?"

"Salamence." He responded noiselessly.

"TOO BIG!" Dawn mouthed in fear.

Ash's phone buzzed with a message from Gary, "Ready."

Ash looked at Dawn.

"Now or never" he mouthed. Dawn looked at the Salamence, then nodded in resignation.

Ash texted back.

"Go."

Gary was just inside the west entrance, where three security cameras were monitoring the gates. He released Squirtle and took a victory pose.

"Squirtle, use Haze!" Squirtle looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Squirtle, Squirt Squirt." (I don't take orders from morons)

"I can't understand you, but Ash is outside and he needs our help!"

"Squirtle Squirt. Squirrrrrrtle, Squirt." (Oh, Ash. I guesssssssss I'll help. You owe me food)

Squirtle opened his mouth and released a thick cloud of condensation, clouding over the lenses of the cameras.

Gary texted Ash, "Move!"

Ash grabbed Dawn's hand and moved towards the Salamence, who sniffed the air suspiciously. Suddenly, it opened its eyes and bounded towards Ash.

"ASH!" Dawn wouldn't make it in time. She closed her eyes.

"Aww come on Salamence, you have to be quiet!" Dawn opened her eyes to see the massive Salamence embracing/suffocating the young trainer.

"But, but, how?"

"Dawn, meet Samuel Oak's Salamence. I met him as a Bagon at Oak's lab back home, and we played together a lot." Salamence eyed Dawn, then lowered his head. Dawn petted him.

"Aww, you're a real cutie aren't you?" She scratched a spot behind his ear. Salamence grumbled in appreciation.

"Sorry boy, we'll play soon, I gotta get inside though." The Pokemon whined but lifted its left side, allowing Dawn and Ash to walk through.

"Bye Salamence, nice to meet you!"

"Grrrrr."

Ash and Dawn towards the school, where Gary was holding open the gate.

"YOU MADE IT!" Gary shouted. Ash and Dawn gave him daggers with their eyes.

"You made it," he repeated in a hushed tone and hugged them both. "But we should get going."

The trio sprinted down towards the dormitory buildings while checking around corners for patrolling guards. Gary said a quick goodbye to Dawn and ran into the boys' dorms. Ash turned to Dawn.

"Well it's been a hell of an adventurous day."

"Agreed, I don't think I've ever done anything this crazy before."

"And thanks for the Tour de France, Ms. Muscles," Ash laughed.

"Don't call me that," said Dawn in mock anger.

"Being serious, I had a good time."

"Same."

"Well good night, Dawn."

"Good night, Ash."

With a heartfelt smile, Dawn disappeared into the girls' wing. Ash sighed and walked into the hallway. Opening his room, he found a mess.

"Gary, what the hell happened?"

Clothes, soap, deodorant, pokeballs, potions, Gary's "magazine" collection, everything had been thrown all over the room. Standing in the middle was Gary being threatened by a very angry Squirtle.

"Squirtle, what's up?" Ash asked.

"Squirtle, Squirt Squirt."

"Gary, he says you owe him something."

"I do not!"

"Squirt!"

"Hmm, should I tell you what he wants, or just let him have his way with you?"

"Nooo, help me Ash!"

"Huhh...?" A half-naked Misty arose from the disaster on the floor.

"Oh hey Misty."

"Hey, Ash."

"Ash, call off Squirtle!"

"Wait, Gary. What are these magazines?" Misty exclaimed.

"Misty, I can explain!"

"Sqiurt Squirt!"

"Hahaha go ahead Squirtle!" Ash laughed.

"Ash, you bastard!"

"SQUIRTLE!"

The sounds of laughter, confusion, and the dismembering of limbs echoed from the room. The participants wouldn't fall asleep for three more hours. Meanwhile, a father was calling his daughter.

"...And you know, Ash Ketchum showed up at my place tonight!"

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, he and some girl borrowed my bike, past midnight."

"Did he now?"

"Haha go roast him," Norman laughed.

"Oh I will!" May Maple put down the phone.