The sound of conversing students, the smell of overpriced food, and the casual throwing of consumables is the sight you see as you walk into Kanto Academy's cafeteria. A slouched Ash and a sleep-deprived Gary had found their usual seat in the corner by the window.

"It's been awhile since you've been to breakfast," Gary grunted while gnawing on green grapes.

"Yeah, I would've over slept like usual but somebody's bawling woke me up," retorted Ash, who was devouring a tomato-chicken-lettuce-bacon sandwich.

"Well," Gary orated through ounces of oatmeal, "I managed to retape an entire magazine. Hopefully Misty never finds them again."

"Yeah, yeah, it was your fault for having them out. Speak of the devil."

"Hail Satan!" Gary saluted. Ash gave him a deadpanned look.

"No, like it's Misty." Gary's head swiveled 180 degrees.

"And Dawn! Hey guys!" Gary waved them over.

A few nearby heads turned.

"Who's that girl..."

"Why's she sitting with Ash?"

"He had other friends?"

"Oh she's new, she doesn't know any better."

"Morning, guys!" greeted Misty.

"Oh, toast for breakfast, Dawn?" questioned Gary.

Silently, Dawn pulled out a pack of mayonnaise and spread it quite liberally across the piece of bread. Ash facepalmed.

"You got something to say?" Dawn challenged.

"Oh, no, I would never..." he started, "...steal your sandwich!" He picked up the plastered bread and tossed it to Gary.

"Yuck, I don't want this." He held it vertically. "Look, she put so much that it drips off."

"Gary, not while I'm eating!" complained Misty. Dawn took advantage of the moment to snatch back her delicacy.

"You all just don't understand how simple the combination of bread and mayonnaise can be so-*Burp* ." A split-second pause was soon followed by-

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Dawn's eyes widened and her face went red as the rest of the table collapsed into fits and giggles.

"Must be all that mayonnaise in your stomach!" laughed Ash.

"Don't you mean mayo- *burrrp*?" asked Gary. Dawn's laughter soon joined theirs in a raucous chorus of humor.

"Pheww. I just didn't think you'd be that kind of girl, Dawn," said Gary.

"I'm not! That was an accident!" Dawn pouted. Misty offered a supportive hug.

"It's all right, Dawn, Gary belched while we were having-" Dawn plugged her ears and shut her eyes tight.

"Dontwannahear, Dontwannahear, Dontwannahear!" Gary glared at Misty, Misty took a sudden interest in the clock.

"It's about time for me to go! I go swimming first hour."

"Aww, I wish I could go swimming too," wished Dawn.

"Me too!" exclaimed Gary. Misty shook her head and got up and gestured to Gary. He stood up.

"I'm walking Misty," he shook Ash's shoulder, "Ash, time to go!"

"Mrrrph?" Ash lifted his head from the comfortable mahogany table.

"Hey Lazy, wanna walk with me?" Dawn asked. Ash shrugged in indifference and got to his feet.

(In the Hallway)

"You know? Lots of kids in my other classes were talking about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, something about being super strong?"

"Oh, that kind of talk."

"Mmhm, is it true?"

"Yeah."

"How humble...I mean they also said you were a cocky asshole." Ash smiled.

"That's more what I was expecting. What did you say back?"

"That you weren't cocky," she said slyly.

"So I'm still an asshole."

"Yep."

"Dawn!" Two girls came running up and sandwiched the sandwich girl.

"Uumph! Hey guys." They exchanged greetings then looked over in surprise at Ash.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Ash, this is Zoey and Solidad."

Zoey was a redhead sophomore whose short spiky hair gave off a tall and defiant aura. Solidad, a junior, was a common discussion topic among the guys at Kanto. She was kind and elegant, with long salmon hair that reached the middle of her back.

"Doing well Ash?"

"Yeah, fine. You, Sol?" Solidad just smiled. Zoey thrust her hand in front of the group as if using Karate Chop.

"Quick girl's conference!" she shouted, and dragged Dawn and Zoey to the other side of the hall.

"Dawn! You're talking with Ash!" Zoey said alarmingly.

"Yeah, and?"

"He's talking back!" Dawn laughed.

"Yeah that's how people have a conversation right?"

"He's a lot more docile than everyone thinks. Just sarcastic and lazy." Solidad interjected.

"How would you know?" asked Zoey.

"We were on Kanto's Intermural Tournament team last year. We talked a few times but he never seemed interested in me."

"Oh okay." Zoey turned on Dawn with a devilish grin.

"So you like?" Dawn paused to think.

"Dunno but," she looked over at Ash, "He's interesting." The other two girls turned to look at dark-haired teen who was nodding off against a locker.

"Ash, wake up?" Dawn slapped him in the back. Ash bolted upright and hit his nose into the locker. Dawn cracked up. Zoey and Solidad looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"We'll see you later Dawn, bye Ash!" waved Solidad.

"Bye, guys! Lunch soon!" Dawn yelled.

"Seeya," mumbled Ash, holding his nose.

Together, Ash and Dawn climbed up the grand staircases that connected the floors of the massive complex. Masses of students rushed as if schools of fish avoiding a shark.

They stopped outside Dawn's classroom.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah seeya Dawn." Dawn waved and headed in.

Ash watched her walk into the room and sighed to himself.

Now he had to walk ALL the way back to his class with Gary.

Then a hand grabbed him in the hallway.

Dawn looked around the room, scanning for any familiar faces. Finding none, she chose the farthest seat in the back. Just as she was making herself comfortable, a deep voice vibrated.

"That's my seat." Dawn looked up and saw a repressed mess of depressed purple hair.

Seriously? Purple? It reminded her of an upperclassman she'd seen in the hallway with some pretty stupid-looking celery-green hair. Crazy school.

"It's free seating in here, right?" The girls around Dawn cringed in fear.

"Yeah, but that's my seat."

"Mine today." Dawn said nonchalantly. The boy paused. He'd never been challenged like this in this school.

"Umm…" The other students held their breath. "Okay." Instant facepalm from the class.

"I mean, do you have a name?" Dawn asked.

"Paul."

"Well hey Paul, I'm Dawn. Nice to meetcha."

"...Same. I guess."

Ash spun around, and found out the hand belonged to,

"Oh hey, May." The gorgeous brunette smiled back at him.

"Let's go for a walk?" Ash shrugged.

"Don't want to go to first hour anyway. It's the third week of studying berries." The duo stepped out into the dense woods that surrounded the back of the campus.

"So how's everything?" Ash asked.

"Dunno. I'm a little jealous."

"About?"

"I heard my beneficial best friend was out late last night in town. With a girl."

"Oh. My bad."

"Tuesday nights are mine, remember?" May asked aggressively. Ash mentally slapped himself.

"Sorry, how do I make it up to you?" May linked her hands around his neck.

"Well...how about right now?"

"Umm...Gary needs my homework…" May almost laughed at his dumb excuse as Ash leaned in and kissed her.