Far off in the Unova region, Ash struggles to sleep, but thoughts of someone he left behind him dwell on his mind...

Ash rolled back and forth in his sleeping bag, trying to get to sleep. But no matter what he did, sleep still eluded him.

Finally, he collapsed on his back. Oh, what's the use. A Hypno couldn't put me to sleep tonight.

He stared up at the night sky, the glittering constellations of Unova rapidly becoming familiar to him.

He grunted. Along with so many others. It puzzled him as to why he couldn't sleep tonight. It had never happened before, but over the last few days, sleep had been increasingly hard to find. When he could sleep, his dreams were broken and fitful. It almost made him swear that he was being tailed by a Darkrai, but Darkrai could only be found in Sinnoh, as he well knew.

He groaned as he sat up. So what's the matter with me? I've got gym battles coming up, I need all the sleep I can get. So why can't I get any?

He glanced down next to him, where a small yellow and brown bundle lay curled next to his sleeping bag. A tall, jagged tail, shaped like a lightning bolt, projected from the bundle of fur, and a pair of tall, pointed ears twitched slightly.

Ash smiled. Pikachu and him had been traveling together for nearly seven or eight years. In that time, they had become more than Trainer and Pokemon, but the closest of friends. He knew that he could always trust his buddy.

Sighing, he grabbed his hat and stood up, stretching his arms. He figured that, even though he couldn't sleep, it wouldn't be fair to wake up Pikachu.

Placing his hat on his head, he slowly walked away from the campsite, paying just enough attention to avoid bumping into anything.

Was it something I've eaten? I don't think so. I mean, I know I always eat a lot, and Cilan's cooking is just as good as Brock's, so I don't see how that could be a problem. And there isn't anything coming up that I'm scared of. Nervous, sure, who wouldn't be. Excited, of course. But scared? Nah.

He paused beside a tree, gazing up at the night sky. He chuckled.

If she were here, Dawn'd probably know right away what was bothering me. She always did know me the best. Almost as good as Brock or Pikachu.

He frowned. Wait, why am I thinking about Dawn? We parted a while back, she's probably fine.

He snorted. Ah, who am I kidding. I'll always worry about her. She's almost as reckless as I am.

He smiled as he remembered her famous 'no need to worry' line. That's when I worry the most.

"Ash?"

He jumped slightly and turned around. Iris stood behind him, looking at him quizzically. "Iris, geez, you startled me."

The purple haired dragon trainer sighed. "You are such a kid, Ash. What are you doing up anyways?"

Ash grimaced. "Will you stop calling me a kid already! I'm eighteen, and I've been traveling longer than you have!"

Iris stepped back. "Calm down, will you? I was just teasing you."

Ash leaned against the tree and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, well, it stopped being funny a long time ago, so stop."

Iris matched his stance. "Fine, but answer my question. What are you doing up? It's not like you to still be awake."

Ash sighed and turned around, returning his gaze to the stars. "I don't know. I've just..." he fumbled for words, "...been thinking, that's all."

Iris snorted. "Wow, that's a change. What about?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "About...some old friends, that's all."

Iris stepped up beside him, looking at him curiously. "Such as?"

Ash sighed. "Have you ever thought about people you knew, people you left behind, and wondered where they are now, Iris?"

Iris stared at her friend. It wasn't like him to be so reflective. "Well, yeah. Everyone does. If we didn't, then we wouldn't have been friends with those people."

"Hmm, I detect a somber flavour tonight."

Ash and Iris turned around as Cilan strode up to them. The green haired Connoisseur smiled. "So, what's on your mind Ash?"

Ash smiled slightly, then turned back to look at the sky. "Thinking about people I know."

"Ah, old friends. They are what make up the most wonderful flavours in the recipe of life. Is there perhaps one in particular that has captured your thoughts?"

Ash chuckled slightly. Captured. Oh, he has no idea. "You might say that."

Cilan smiled. "Excellent. Who are they?"

Ash sighed. "She, actually."

Iris smiled. "Aww, Ash, do you have a girlfriend? That's so cute!"

Ash turned and glared at her. "She's not my girlfriend. We just traveled together, that's all."

Cilan nodded thoughtfully. "And yet, she keeps springing to mind. Am I right?"

Ash nodded as his gaze returned to the stars. "Her name's Dawn. I traveled with her before I came here. She was..." Man, how do I describe her. There's so much. "...interesting."

Iris grimaced. "Interesting? That's it? You keep thinking about this girl, and all you can come up with to describe her is interesting? You really are a kid."

Cilan noticed that, for once, Ash didn't respond to Iris's teasing. He found that curious, since Ash normally hated being called a kid. He looked closer, and found that, to his surprise, Ash wasn't paying any attention at all. "Ash? Are you still with us?"

Ash jerked slightly. "Huh? Sorry, just, remembering stuff. We did a lot together."

Iris jumped up into a tree and laid down on one of the branches, her chin perched in her hands. "Did you kiss her?"

Ash really glared at her this time. "No! Will you stop going on about the girlfriend thing? Jeez, you're as bad as Lyra!"

Cilan smiled at Iris's teasing. "Ash, why don't you tell us about Dawn."

"Pikapi!" (Ash!)

Ash turned in surprise as Pikachu shot out of a bush, stopping at his feet. The electric mouse, almost coming up to his knees, stared up at him with black eyes. He could see the tiny reflections of the stars in his best friend's eyes, and he bent down to lower his arm. Pikachu immediately climbed up his arm, settling into his favourite place on Ash's shoulder. Ash smiled as he reached up and scratched his friend's head.

"Chaaaaaaaa." (Ooooooh, that feels good.)

Ash's smile grew slightly wider as memories continued to flash through his mind. "I first met Dawn not long after I arrived in Sinnoh. Pikachu was sick after another run-in with Team Rocket on the boat, and we got separated."

Pikachu suddenly leaned over, peering at Ash's face. "Pikapi, pika, pikapikachu?" (Ash, are you still dreaming about Dawn?)

Ash looked at his friend in confusion. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Iris and Cilan looked confused. "What? What did he say?" Iris demanded.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder, easily landing on the ground. He spun around and looked up at his trainer. "Pika, pikapi. Pikachu, pipi, pikapika. Pikaaaa, chu, pichu, pichuchu. Pikapikachu, pi, pika?" (Listen Ash. I don't know why you didn't tell her. I mean, it was so obvious, so why not?)

Ash stared at his friend of almost eight years. "Pikachu, I don't know what you're talking about."

Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Pikaaaaaaaachu. Pikachuchupi." (Oh, Arceus, you are dense. Brock was right.)

Ash frowned angrily. "Hey, there's no need for that! And what do you mean, Brock was right?"

Iris and Cilan looked between trainer and Pokemon. "Ash, what was Brock right about?" Cilan asked gently.

Ash threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know! I don't know what you're talking about, Pikachu, so please, tell me!"

Pikachu glared at his dense friend. Jeez, why does Ash have to be so blind? Even I wasn't this dense with Buneary. he thought. "Pika, chupika pikapi. Pika..." (Come on, Ash. Do I need to spell it out...)

Ash was finally glaring at his friend. "Apparently, because I'm not getting it!"

Cilan decided that this was the time to intervene. "Pikachu, please. I don't know what you're telling Ash, but it isn't helping. Ash, since all your current problems seem to be focused on Dawn, why don't you tell us about her. In detail, please."

Ash and Pikachu continued glaring at each other, then Ash took a breath. "I'm sorry, Pikachu. I'm just...I've been a little stressed out about this, okay?" He sat down and leaned against the tree again. "Dawn was...I don't know how best to explain her. I met her just as she was starting her journey as a coordinator with her Piplup, but I could tell, she was going to be fun to have around. I didn't think she would be such a pain to have around at first, and we argued a bit, but it was obvious to me that she loved Pokemon every bit as much as I did." He chuckled. "Of course, she didn't have a clue about what she was doing at first. It took Piplup to remind her occasionally just what she was supposed to do in a battle. Once we hooked up," he glared as Iris stifled a laugh, and Cilan shushed her, "I helped her out a lot. I showed her how to battle, though she had figured out a lot on her own just before we met. I showed her how to catch a Pokemon," he unconsciously rubbed his forehead, "although it took her a few tries to get it right. We did a lot together."

Ash smiled as he remembered her catchphrase again. "She had a lot of spirit. She had always wanted to compete in Contests, to be a better coordinator than even her mother was. And she absolutely loved her Pokemon. I've never seen anybody like her. And it wasn't just Pokemon. She was always eager to learn about new things." He chuckled. "You know, I actually got a lot of my best strategies from her. You know my Counter Shield idea? I developed that off of her Spin style. It was a simple, elegant move, a way to take her opponent's attack, and use it to show off her Pokemon. She was amazing like that."

By this point, both Cilan and Iris were absolutely quiet. Iris had only been joking when she had suggested that this Dawn girl had been Ash's girlfriend, but now she was wondering if she had really been that far off the mark. Cilan was smiling as he listened. He knew exactly what was going on, and he suspected that he knew what Brock had once said.

Ash merely continued to smile as he looked up at the sky. "Dawn was so kind. She always had time for others, especially me. She never missed a single Gym battle I had, never missed a single battle of any kind that I had while in Sinnoh. She was always there."

He frowned slightly. "There was even a point where I was seriously depressed. I had just lost a huge battle against this guy, Paul. And it was huge. I mean, I totally hated this guy. He was jerk, not just to everyone else, but even to his Pokemon. And he completely thrashed me. It wasn't just that he beat me, he beat me so badly, that I didn't know if my Pokemon, my friends that I had trained so hard with, were going to be okay. I just didn't know."

Pikachu looked at his friend sadly. He remembered that battle. It had hurt. A lot. "Pikachu." (oh, you guys have no idea). He crawled over to Ash and pushed his head into his friend's hand, trying to get him away from that memory.

Ash smiled as he absently scratched his buddy's ears. "But, you know what the best part was?"

Iris and Cilan stared at him, utterly enthralled.

"Not only was Dawn still there for me, but she organized an entire performance with her Pokemon, just to cheer me up. No one has ever done that for me."

Cilan sighed. This only confirmed what he thought. He noticed Iris about to speak, and he hushed her again.

Ash failed to notice, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts. "And, the funny part is, I was always there for her. I actually participated in her first Contest with her."

He glanced down at Pikachu, who was continuing to rub his head against Ash's hand. In his other palm, he could feel a phantom tingling sensation, like his hand was remembering all the high-fives they had shared.

"I never missed a single contest that she did. We often trained together. When she had been on this big losing streak, when she hadn't even managed to get past the first Appeals round in a contest three times in a row, I did my best to help her get out of her slump." He winced slightly. "Although, I never realized how bad she had really been feeling, until I got crushed like that."

Pikachu jumped out of Ash's lap, climbed up the tree behind him, and lowered himself back onto his shoulder. He gently licked Ash's face.

Ash smiled again. "We supported each other, in everything we did. It's almost funny, but, looking back, it amazes me just how alike we really were. We were both really passionate about Pokemon, we both had rival's that we just couldn't stand. We both never quit."

He sighed. "There was just, something about her..."

Cilan smiled. "Well, she certainly does sound like a most interesting person. An energetic flavour, with a wistful after taste...like a fine wine to complement a spicy meal. When did you last speak to her?"

Ash continued to gaze up at the stars for a moment, then blinked and looked at Cilan. "I'm sorry, what? When did I last talk to her? Well, before I came here, while I was at home, I sent her a letter, but, Sinnoh is a whole ocean away from Kanto, so she might not have gotten it before I left."

Iris's eyes widened. "Wait, you never even called her?"

Ash shifted uncomfortably. "No. Dawn's Buneary had just gotten this chance to be a Pokemodel for the Sinnoh Magazine, and calling someone when they're in the middle of their journey is a lot different then calling them when they're at home."

Cilan sighed. "Ash, Ash, Ash. It is obvious to me, that this Dawn means a great deal to you. And I'm guessing that, despite your farewell, you weren't quite ready to say good-bye." He glanced at Iris and winked. "Leaving friends behind is hard, that doesn't change regardless of who you are. But friends who might be more than friends, as this Dawn girl seems to be, is much harder, especially when there is a part of you that doesn't want to say good-bye."

Ash frowned, and looked at Cilan in confusion. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Cilan merely stretched his arms. "Well, it's getting late, and we have a long way to go tomorrow. We should all get some sleep."

Iris jumped down from her tree. "I should also be getting back to Axew, in case he wakes up and doesn't know where I am. G'night Cilan, g'night Pikachu, g'night Ash!" She quickly skipped back to camp, Cilan in hot pursuit. "Good night Pikachu, good night Ash!" he quietly yelled.

Ash clambered to his feet, while Pikachu turned and jumped back into the tree. "Hey! What were you talking about!" He yelled. He wanted to chase both of them down, and force Cilan to explain what he was talking about, but that would be rather loud, and it wouldn't be fair to the rest of his Pokemon. So, he just sighed and sat down again.

Pikachu slowly climbed down the tree until he was crouched once again on Ash's shoulder. Ash looked down at the ground, and absently scratched under his little friend's chin. He glanced at the dim glow of the campfire, then quietly unzipped his hoodie, and slipped his hand inside. He withdrew a small, folded up photograph.

Unfolding the picture, his eyes settled on the three figures standing together. On the one side, with Pikachu on his shoulder, was himself. On the other side, stood his long time friend, Brock.

And standing there in the middle, holding her Piplup close to her chest, smiling the same cheerful smile that she always had, was Dawn.

But as he gazed down at her, Ash found himself looking at her differently. He noted how the sunlight made her blue hair shine. He noted the way that her creamy skin gleamed against her black shirt. Most of all, he found himself focusing on her eyes. As he watched, his mental image of her arose in his mind. There, every detail was sharper, more clear. He could hear her laugh, see her smile, feel her touch. Most of all, he could see the way that her eyes glittered and sparkled. He smiled as he remembered every time she had smiled at him, every time she had cheered him on.

And as he remembered, Ash felt a familiar feeling. As he remembered the numerous cheers that she had crafted for his gym battles, he felt energized, empowered. He felt like he could take on a thousand Gym Leaders, and all the Elite Four and Champions of every region he had traveled, and still be fired up for more. As he felt this feeling grow within him, he thought back on his words.

No one has ever done that for me before...

Pikachu switched his gaze between Ash and the photograph, and he noticed the change in his friend. He jumped down from his shoulder, looking up at him curiously. "Pikapi?" (Ash?)

Ash merely continued to smile as he looked at the photo. "She really is beautiful, isn't she." he murmured. "No, she's not beautiful. She's just amazing."

As he folded the photo again, Ash shifted over so that he could lay back, staring straight up at the sky. And as he slipped the photo into a small pocket inside his hoodie, right over his heart, he softly spoke.

"Dawn, I don't know where you are. I hope you're doing alright. I don't know what's going on with me, and maybe, if we see each other again, I can talk to you about it, maybe figure out what's wrong, or if there even is anything wrong."

He turned his head as Pikachu crawled up next to him. "Maybe this is just part of missing someone that you care about. I don't know. But, I hope that I can find out. I owe it to my Pokemon to find out."

Pikachu yawned. "Pika, pikachu, pipichu, pika." (I'm sure you humans have a word for what you have, but I can't remember what it is.)

Ash smiled as he placed his hand on his friend's head. "Good night, Pikachu."

He turned to look up at the star-speckled night sky. "Good night Dawn, where ever you are."

What, you thought I would give Ash the same situation as Dawn? Come on, this is Ash we're talking about. Rest assured, he will eventually figure it out, maybe after a certain tag-battle with a certain girl. And sorry about the poor ending, I got interrupted and couldn't find my train of thought again. Suggestions for improvements welcome!