"-And if I wasn't able to grab someone's sweatshirt, tie it around my waist, and hide out in the bathroom, I could've been suspended!" Gary raged at Drew. The group was too busy laughing to appreciate the severity of Gary's infraction. It'd been a three days since the incident, and with only a few eyewitnesses of Gary's jewels, most of the uproar had been blamed on the tornado siren. However, Gary's grandfather knew the real story from one of security guards who'd been watching the cameras and gave his grandson three straight days of private lessons with no contact with anyone outside his office.
"At least it made you learn something this time." May comforted.
"I did a semester's worth of Pokemon research just from three days with that old man."
"And it was…?" Drew questioned with smarmy smirk.
"Not worth it. Not one bit. What are the chances there would be a malfunction with the weather radar?"
Ash looked at Drew. Drew caught his glance then looked down at one of his PokeBalls then scratched his head. Weather manipulation for a top-class coordinator is like Michael Phelps going to the pool and just floating on his back. They exchanged glances, let out a long sigh, and reclined in their chairs. What people don't know won't get anyone expelled.
Suddenly, a sea of energetic voices arose from the hallway. Gary motioned everyone to rise.
"Guys, those are the Hoenn Battle Exhibition rankings! You get a free trip to Hoenn to battle for the weekend!"
"Oh shut up Gary, we all know you made it in. I wish the coordinator exhibitions would come sooner." May groaned. Drew furrowed his brow.
"I dunno...I think serious crimes call for a suspension from exhibitions…if someone came to the authorities with concrete evidence..." Drew pulled his phone out of his pocket, which contained the beginning of Gary's escapade in HD video.
"Hey!"
"Well we should go check!" The group got up and joined the surge into the main hall. Like a shadow against a shallow sun, Ash managed to slip backwards as his friends went forward and exited via the side door of the cafeteria. He strode past the administrative buildings and moved down a limestone outcropping on the outskirts of the campus like a pro-boulderer. He dusted the grime off his clothes and entered an undisturbed part of the forest. A few minutes later, he reached a large clearing, most of which was covered by overhanging trees. No one would hear him at this elevation. Reaching down to his belt, he released all six of the Pokemon he had on hand. Even though he had no care for the crowd, an exhibition meant a battle, and battles were what he lived for.
"Go Dawn go!" Dawn had managed to sneak in between gaps in the crowd. Reaching her phone up to the paper posted on the wall, she took a quick picture then leapt back into the current of bodies. She emerged on the edge of the mob clearly wearied.
"Phew, I got it." The others gathered around. Drew read it aloud.
"The four students entered in the Hoenn Battle Exhibition are:
Singles:
Ash Ketchum
Gary Oak
Doubles:
Dawn Berlitz
Paul Shinji"
"Congrats Dawn!" exclaimed Drew.
"I see some Double Battle chemistry!" teased May.
"Nah, he's just a classmate." Dawn looked around.
"Where'd Ash go?" Gary scanned the perimeter then shook his head.
"He's really good at that. Where are you going Dawn?" She held up a PokeBall.
"He might be good at hiding, but I'm pretty good at seeking." She ran outside.
In the clearing, six blurs exchanged blows and beams. Ash sat on the outskirts doing pushups. If his Pokemon were going to train, as the trainer, he should at least match their work ethic. Then, one of the blurs separated from the skirmish and teleported next to Ash.
"Ash, someone's trying to track you with telepathy." Ash raised an eyebrow.
"A threat?"
"I don't feel any malicious intent."
"Whoever it is, with you dispersing my aura, I doubt anyone could track me." The Aura Pokemon nodded in response to the praise.
"Thank you." Then the fighting-steel type stumbled. Ash grabbed Lucario's arm and held him upright.
"What happened?"
"They must have an extremely powerful psychic-type. I let my guard down when thanking you and they have a tracer on you now." Ash sighed.
"Well as long as it's not an enemy. I did want to keep this spot a secret though. Guess we'll be relocating."
"ETA: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-"
"Found you!" Dawn emerged from the bushes. Ash raised an eyebrow at the Gardevoir trailing her.
"I think Gardevoir found me." He bowed his head to the psychic type, who nodded her head in return.
"It's impressive though, no one's usually able to crack Lucario, even off-guard."
"Me'n Gardevoir have been through a lot." A silence filled with the energy of a limitless day followed.
"While you're here, want to train with us?" Ash asked nonchalantly.
"Yeah!" Dawn scanned the clearing.
"Wow, so this is your team?"
"For Hoenn, yeah. I know I'm going to run into an old friend there so I geared my team towards a rematch battle with him."
"Well, let's not waste any time then!" Her energetic smile vibrated with a frequency that resonated against the sun's shimmers and sent heartfelt murmurs along Ash's chest. Dawn released the four Pokemon on her belt.
"The other two are napping." She told Ash. Then they turned to their Pokemon and began the session.
A pattern of stars beseeched the leaves to allow them entry into the clearing. Framed by branches and lit up by stars, the activity in the area had slowed down. The ten Pokemon were exhibiting natural social behavior. Ash and Dawn leaned against each other against a large oak tree.
"Are you nervous at all?" Dawn asked.
"Never had a reason to be nervous."
"Same. I kind of want to feel nervous though." A slight pause with the slightest romantic tension followed. Dawn dropped her head from Ash's shoulder into Ash's lap. Ash looked up, as if asking the celestial bodies if they had lost a comrade. Her hair fell in disarray across his lap and her breath moved like a trail of gossamer in the wind. Minutes passed and she fell asleep.
"Dawn?" Confirming her lack of response, Ash held her hand and closed his eyes. Then, a flash of light came from Dawn's open pocket. Ash pulled out her phone and looked at the message on the screen.
"Dad: Tomorrow night, Celadon City."
Ash slid the phone back into her pocket and motioned to Lucario that he was going to go to sleep for a bit. Even if he wasn't tired, the peace he felt in that moment was more than enough to slip into a multitude of dreams.