The second hour of school was just about to wrap up. While most of the students were busy cramming math formulas into their heads or discussing the recent enigmatic appearances of a wild Deoxys in the area, two students were wrapping up some extracurricular activities.
"Well, it's definitely been a while." said Ash, pulling on his cap.
"Yeah, since last weekend," giggled May, readjusting her blouse.
"By the way, we should double-date sometime."
"With who?"
"That cute blue-haired girl."
"Oh, Dawn? Yeah she's interesting." He recalled her burp just two hours ago and chuckled to himself.
"I agree."
"What about us?"
"Same as always: Until we're caught, or fall in love."
"Sounds fine to me." He heard the bell chime and sighed. "There goes another period absent."
"Worth it?" May asked jokingly.
"What do you think?" They headed back inside.
"See you later, Paul!"
"Mmhm…" Ash saw Dawn wave to a lumbering eggplant and raised his eyes in suspicion. She spotted Ash walking in and ran over.
"Hey, Ash." She looked at May. "Who's the pretty girl?"
"I like her!" exclaimed May.
"This is May Maple, May meet Dawn Berlitz."
"Nice to meet you!"
"Likewise!" Dawn looked at May.
"May, you have some grass in your hair."
"Oh, thanks." She shot a quick look to Ash who had closed his eyes.
"Where are you guys off to now?" Dawn asked.
"Well, I have math...which I don't want to go to after I threw up in front of everyone yesterday."
"I have Poffin-making."
"Me too, May! Let's go together!"
"All right, bye Ash!" Dawn waved.
"Seeya, Ash!" May turned around and winked. Ash rolled his eyes and walked to class.
(In Poffin-making)
"So Dawn, who was that guy?"
"The big guy with the purple hair? Paul, just met him last hour."
"You like him?"
"He's a quiet giant, a potentially great friend. But not really my type."
"Hmm...so what is your type?"
"Intelligent, caring, good-looking. But really, anyone who can make me laugh."
"Haha, my standards are basically the same as yours."
"Oh yeah! I heard you had a boyfriend!" said Dawn as they walked into class.
"Yeah, Drew LaRousse. He's a goof, but he's doing a decent job."
"You two in the back, we've started class. Dawn and May faced the front and prepared themselves for some fiendish notetaking.
"Today we'll talk about the difference between Tomato, Spelon, and the Razz berries as well as discuss the circumstantial results that come from different techniques of…"
"Dawn, psst."
"Dawn."
"Dawn!" A forced whisper and a swift kick pulled Dawn out of Morpheus's clutches. She looked up at an expecting Mrs. Cedar.
"Uhh...yes?"
"Ms. Berlitz, I was asking for the best berry to make a beauty poffin with." Dawn felt a surge of relief.
"That would be the Pamtre berry, and of course, you could attain the highest level by cooking with three other people."
"That's exactly correct! Two extra credit points for you." Ms. Cedar beamed. May turned to Dawn.
"Look at you! Schooling the teacher."
"Nahh, I used to help my dad-" She paused. "Yeah."
"Oh, well maybe you could help me sometime." Dawn's smile returned.
"Okay." Then Dawn remembered something and turned back to May.
"So how do you know Ash?" May thought to herself.
"I'm his biggest fan!" Dawn laughed instantly.
When the bell rang for lunch, Ash snapped to attention and bolted for the door. The hunger had taken him over. Before he could enter the cafeteria-
"Ash," Gary shouted from across the hall, "Dorm lunch on the first floor!"
Dorm lunches are scheduled by each dorm floor freely, usually providing pizza, soda, and other stereotypical teenage foodstuffs.
"Today?"
"Yeah, Drew chose it to get out of a lunch detention. You coming?" Ash didn't really have any plans.
"Sure, I'll be there. Let me go to my locker first."
"Gotcha, we're ordering from Pizza Shack!" Ash strolled off to his locker. He was in the middle of twisting the dial when the backs of his knees were hit and his legs caved in. Ash turned around and saw no one. He was used to this.
'Better not tell Gary,' he thought, 'he worries too much.' He went back to unlocking his locker when again someone slapped the backs of his knees. Half-expecting it this time, he didn't fall all the way to the ground and spun around to grab the perpetrator.
"Hahaha, almost got you!" May giggled. Ash instantly released his grip.
"Sorry, I thought you were someone else." May was about to ask about the suspicious look on his face but then someone jumped on her back, reaching around May's head to grab Ash's cheeks.
"Stop looking so depressed all the time." Dawn demanded.
"Oh hey, Dawn." He looked at the two of them. "You two get along fast."
"Yep, Dawn's the little sister I never had. I wish I could trade Max for her."
"Who's Max?" asked Dawn.
"Little brother."
"Oh. Anyways, Ash, wanna have lunch with me and May?"
"Uhh yeah-" Then he remembered. "Oh actually, Drew's throwing a dorm lunch today."
"That bastard," said May, "Ruining my lunch plans." Ash chuckled.
"Yeah, next time though." Dawn booed but released Ash's face.
"All right, May, let's get some girls together and have lunch without this asshole."
"Gotcha, bye Ash!"
"Mmhm." May carried Dawn off into the turbulent mosh pit that was the student body. Ash turned back towards his locker. He looked left, right, and behind him, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. On his third attempt, he finally unlocked his locker and unloaded his books and folders from his morning classes, then walked out the school exit toward the dorms.
Ash walked outside, expecting the perfect weather he had experienced just a few hours ago. But the Sun had had enough with Ash and Kanto Academy so it chose to hide behind aggressive stormy skies. Then, Ash heard a whisper.
"Roserade, Sunny Day." A ball of golden light flew up to the clouds. As if swept away by Arceus, the skies around Kanto lightened until the sky turned a brilliant blue and every cloud was vanquished. Ash turned to the owner of the Roserade.
"You know, you'll get in trouble if they catch you toying with the weather." Drew smiled.
"Nahh, I haven't been caught since sophomore year. Their Pokemon roster doesn't list Sunny Day as one of Roserade's moves. And," he looked up at the radiant sky, " I think sunny lunches are better." Ash thought for a bit.
"Actually, my favorite meal was in the rain." Drew looked at him.
"Sure, but for now, let's go, the food's waiting. Plus," he opened his backpack to reveal a disorganized pile of cold sparkling cider, "I raided the teacher's lounge before lunch started!" Ash yawned, unimpressed.
"You know I hate sparkling cider." Ash paused. "And mayonnaise."
"Sure do, but that's all they had. And who knows, people change their tastes in a flash." Ash shrugged and the two walked off to the male dorms, discussing battles, school, and sandwiches.