Second chapter! Thanks to all the reviewers (and for the advice for battles and appeals). Many people seemed to assume there'd be a love triangle between the three character's. This wasn't my intention at the start, but it has given me ideas for a new angle on Zoey. Saying anymore would be spoilers, however. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
"You really are serious about entering, Ash?" Dawn asked, ecstatically. "That's brilliant! We're all rivals again just like in the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh." The three of them were eating in a diner in town. Dawn had arrived at the room just in time to hear Ash's proclamation and the three of them had agreed to get some food before any further discussion was had.
Ash chewed through a mouthful of fries and swallowed before answering. "Uh huh. I thought I'd give it a chance. I've always learned a lot from Contests and it'd be nice to show of some Kalos Pokémon to the audience. After all, all the Co-ordinators participating are from other regions."
"Don't expect to get very far though, Zoey and I have way more experience!" Dawn responded, confident in her abilities. She had felt on odd bubbling of nerves and excitement ever since she had found out that Ash was participating. Whilst she had hoped he would cheer for her in the audience, having him as competition somehow made her fifth ribbon seem like more of a hurdle; as if Ash, in spite of not being a Coordinator, was somehow as important to face as her own major rival. "I'm a little surprised Zoey isn't yelling at you though." Dawn said, shooting a sly glance at the girl to her left. Zoey looked a little uncomfortable at the accusation.
It was true that, in the past, Zoey had major problems with people who competed in both Contests and the Pokémon League. They were too indecisive for her liking. And yet… "I got over that a while ago," Zoey began, awkwardly. "I mean, Ash is right when he says he can learn from Contests. And regular battles can help Co-ordinators… see." She reached into her pocket and withdrew a small metallic object to show the two of them.
Ash recognised it and gasped. "That's Brawley's Knuckle Badge! Zoey, you beat a Gym leader?" He sounded impressed.
"Yeah. Dawn gave me the idea when she finally told me about her Gym battle in Veilstone City. It took two attempts to win-"
"Yeah, me too!" Ash interrupted, and then noticed Zoey frowning at him, irritably. He flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, go ahead."
"Like I said," Zoey continued, still shooting Ash a pointed look. "It took two attempts, but in the end it was worth it. I learned that a little extra endurance on a Pokémon, even when a battle is timed, is never a bad thing." She was thinking of her battle against Ash's Aipom in Jubilife City. She didn't have a problem with him entering, mainly because she wanted Dawn to get over her confidence issue just as much as he did. She liked her rivals to be strong; otherwise they weren't worth her time. She heard Ash and Dawn congratulate her on her victory and she nodded, her attention then turned to the window. She figured she should let Ash and Dawn talk to each other for a bit.
Noticing that Zoey's attention was elsewhere, Ash and Dawn locked eyes and shared a grin. After a moment of comfortable silence, Dawn picked up the conversation again.
"So, Ash. How's Serena doing these days?" It felt a little odd bringing up Serena, as it brought them close to the topic of their pre-arranged date- which neither of them had mentioned yet. But still, Dawn wanted an update. Ash's response would give her some insight into how he felt about the whole idea.
As for Ash, the question caught him by surprise. He and Serena had been talking comfortably for a long while now and she had clearly moved on from him to dedicate more time to her goal. In fact, she had been Ash's biggest supporter in meeting up with Dawn- not that he'd mention that to the blunette.
"She's doing fine. She's spending all her time between Lumiose and her home so we haven't had much opportunity to meet in person. She's made a lot of progress towards her goal though. She won her first Tripokalon!"
The word was unfamiliar to Dawn, though she was happy to her that he blonde was doing well- and wasn't chasing Ash anymore. "What's a Tripokalon?" the blunette asked, curiously.
Ash frowned, and then laughed at his own foolishness. "Of course you don't know… sorry about that. A Tripokalon is a form of competition for girls here in Kalos. It takes things like baking and PokéVisions and judges the performers and a certain number go through to the next round. If they pass that then the winner is decided in something pretty similar to the Appeal round of a Contest called free performance. If you win three Tripokalons then you enter into the champion tournament to determine this year's Kalos Queen."
Dawn was silent for a while to let Ash's explanation sink in. It was nice that Serena had a dream, but still Tripokalons sounded-
"That's stupid. They sound so boring." Zoey interrupted Dawn's musings. The red-head hadn't wanted to eavesdrop, but it was hard not to when the couple were right next to her. She did feel a stab of guilt at breaking into their conversation, however. Ash and Dawn had drawn back from each other slightly and Zoey couldn't help but feel like she had broken into something intimate and private.
The couple turned to her, each slightly flushed with embarrassment at having temporarily forgotten that she was there. Dawn cleared her throat. "Well, I wouldn't put it as bluntly as that… but I'd really miss the battles if I were to watch one."
Ash nodded his agreement. "It isn't really my interest either. But it does make her happy and she has confessed that she finds battles to be 'a little bit too violent' for her. We don't really try to give each other advice- just congratulations and good luck."
The conversation carried on about more trivial matters. After they had all finished, they went their separate ways in order to practise for the Appeal rounds.
"Alright, Talonflame! You looked brilliant out there!" Ash cried. The bird Pokémon shrieked its name in pride, performing a loop-the-loop before coming in to land. Ash ran up to his Pokémon and hugged it excitedly. "I'd forgotten how fun it was to come up with this stuff." Talonflame pulled away from his Trainer's grateful grasp and proceeded to realign its feathers with its beak. Returning his Pokémon with a quick thank you, Ash laughed at the bird's self-grooming, reminded of Dawn's own love for her appearance.
"Hey, Ash! Are you about finished with practise?" It was a familiar female voice from behind him. Ash's grin widened. Speak of the Devil… Ash turned to see Dawn jogging towards him, holding Piplup in her arms. Her feet clattered to a halt just in front of him.
"Hey Dawn!" He returned her greeting. Raising his right arm above his head, Dawn mimicked his actions and their hands met in a high five. Their palms stayed connected. One second. Two. They then lowered their arms, each blushing.
Dawn glanced at the ground, cheeks still a little red. "It looks like you're done. I devised my Appeal in Hoenn so I've just had a few rehearsals. So, erm, are you free now?" She sounded nervous. A rare thing from Dawn.
"Yeah," Ash responded, casually. "My Pokémon and I are all set for tomorrow."
Silence stretched out. Dawn then seemed to brighten, as if she had had an idea. "The thing is Ash, you aren't ready!" Her voice was sly. Ash cocked his head to one side, indicating his confusion at her words. "You need to dress up for Contests remember?"
Ash face palmed. He had forgotten that. When travelling on his own, the stuff he was carrying around with him had to be prioritised. Fancy dress was, needless to say, not on the list. "Oh man, I have nothing to wear! Can't I just go as I am?"
Dawn laughed and waggled a finger at him. "Nope! If you're entering, you've got to do it properly Ash! Come on, I'm gonna take you shopping."
Ash panicked. For one thing shopping for clothes had never been his favourite thing, and more importantly it drifted dangerously close to a date. He wasn't quite ready to make good on their promise, especially with his plan involving the Wallace Cup still on going. "Erm, I can find something on my own Dawn… No need to go through any trouble…" He flinched at the look of hurt that crossed Dawn's face. It was there for only a split second, but that was enough. She really had her heart set on the two of them spending time together. He sighed. "Sorry, Dawn. That was rude of me. I'd be grateful if you could help me out."
A wide smile crossed Dawn's face once again. "Alright!" She cheered. "Let's go. We can take Pikachu and Piplup as well!"
This surprised Ash. He hadn't expected to be allowed to take Pikachu with him. 'No Pokémon' had been Serena's second rule, right after 'ditch that hat'. Not that he held it against her personally. It was just that time without Pokémon wasn't how he wanted to spend his evening. He could only smile gratefully at Dawn as the two of them and their partners made their way to the department store.
"So what's Zoey doing?" Ash asked, as they walked through the mall, Dawn clearly having a destination in mind. Whilst he was enjoying his time alone with Dawn, he did feel guilty about leaving the other girl alone.
Dawn waved a hand, a little dismissively. "No need to worry! She was really into her practise when I told her what I was doing." She thought back to the conversation.
"Okay Gallade, you seem ready for the battle stages. Don't get complacent though. We have some stiff competition out there." Zoey thanked her swordsman Pokémon, whilst Dawn watched from the side-lines. The red-head turned to her rival. "Now don't go stealing any ideas Dawn," she joked. "Did you want to ask me something?"
Dawn raised her hands in mock surrender at the accusation of stealing. "Yeah. I was gonna talk to Ash about his costume…" she hesitated, nervous. "I'm going to ask him to go to the mall with me."
A thoughtful look crossed Zoey's face. "That sounds like a good idea Dawn," she said in her normal voice. "It'd be good for the two of you to have some alone time together. Plus, I have more training to do… and some stuff to think about." The last comment was under her breath and Dawn wasn't entirely sure if she was meant to hear it. She chose not to acknowledge it.
"Thanks, Zoey," she said, sweetly. "I'm going to find Ash then."
"Right." The red-head waved her off.
There had been something a little off about Zoey, but Dawn would think about that later. Right now, she had a pseudo-date to have. They had arrived at the store that she wanted. "Here we are!" she said, cheerily. It was a clothing store she'd found out about during her year working as a PokéStylist whilst Ash had been in Unova. It specialised in stylised outfits for Pokémon Trainers.
"Are you sure about this place Dawn? It looks expensive and I'm only gonna wear this thing once or twice."
"No need to worry, I have a discount card for this store thanks to that contract I did with Buneary." Dawn responded.
"You're paying for me?" Ash hissed, embarrassed.
"What? No," Dawn sounded amused at his tone. "You're paying. I'm discounting."
"Oh," Ash said, feeling a bit better. "Thanks for that. But this place only sells people clothes. You designed Pokémon clothes."
"Blah blah blah, corporate deals." Dawn replied.
"Huh?" That was confusing.
It was Dawn's turn to look embarrassed. "That's all I really understood from Hermione's explanation. Basically I get discounts at a bunch of different chains that her fashion company is associated with."
Ash laughed. "Seriously though, thanks for helping me. I'm pretty hopeless at fashion."
"Well, now I have your trust and consent… Let's shop!" Dawn cried, excitedly. In spite of what he'd just said, Ash braced himself.
"I have to admit… it doesn't look half bad on me," Ash commented, admiring himself in the mirror. Dawn had chosen something that she felt 'screamed him'. He wore a sharp-looking navy blue suit with trousers that were just tight enough to give the illusion that Ash was taller than he was. Underneath the suit he wore a clean white shirt and no tie. His had stayed as it was, but his usual sun hat had been replaced by a hat the same colour as his suit with a wide rim that went all the way around. He wore white gloves on his hands.
Dawn couldn't help but admire her handiwork. Ash cut a rather dashing figure in his costume, which was the effect that she had been going for. His hair would never be tamed, so she allowed it to contribute to his overall 'roguish hero' look.
"Do you want to get it then?" she asked. "I mean, you look… pretty great at the moment." The last part came out as an embarrassed mutter, but Ash still caught it and flushed red.
"Thanks Dawn!" He replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I think I will get it. Just gonna change now."
Several minutes later they had arrived at the cashier, Ash with his purchase neatly folded under his arm and Pikachu riding on his shoulder.
After the cashier had processed his outfit, she turned to the two teens with a smile. "And is your girlfriend buying anything as well?" The two of them flushed at the suggestion that they were a couple.
Dawn answered for the two of them. "We aren't… strictly speaking a couple," Her response was hesitant, as if she didn't want to commit one way or the other. "But no, I'm not buying anything. My outfit's prepared already." Dawn then handed over her discount card and Ash paid the amount due. They left the store, both a still a little red in the face.
They wandered in silence for a few minutes, both plagued by the same thoughts. Should they tell the other that they were counting this as their friendly date? Would it make the situation even more awkward? Ash didn't want it to be awkward or weird with Dawn. He had always felt at ease in her company and he always wanted it to stay that way. Serena's hurt face from that night in Lumiose City flashed through his brain. But no: that was wrong to think. Both he and Dawn had a lot in common and too much history together to let something like this ruin their time together. Ash squared his shoulders and scanned the area. It was about seven at the moment and he was getting hungry again.
"Do you want to eat somewhere, Dawn?" Ash asked. The girl turned to him and then muffled a yawn.
"Erm, sure Ash. I am getting hungry."
"Why are you so tired?" Ash wondered, a little concerned he was boring her.
"I'm still on Hoenn time Ash," Dawn explained. "It's after midnight on my body clock. I still want to eat with you though." She added hastily. She didn't want to sleep on an empty stomach after all.
"OK," Ash was happy that he wasn't the cause. He then noticed a Pizzeria in a little further down. He pointed it out. "How about there?" He asked. He felt that it was a good choice. Not too fancy to make it awkward or too formal nor cheap enough to make him look… well cheap.
Dawn nodded. "No complaints from me. I think I'll try a salad." A salad from a Pizzeria? Sometimes Ash questioned Dawn's dedication to her diet- not that he was complaining about her figure.
After requesting a table, the two of them sat down and looked at the menus. Ash felt a quiet roar of success as he recognised and enjoyed nearly every dish listed. In the end he ordered an American pizza, Dawn went ahead with her salad and they got some Pokémon food for their partners.
Contrary to his date in Lumiose, his time with Dawn was filled with conversation. They discussed everything from the good old days of Sinnoh to the trials and tribulations of travelling on their own.
"Didn't Brock spoil us? I swear my Pokémon and I went through withdrawal symptoms after we lost his cooking." Dawn remarked and Ash had to laugh. It was true. Travelling with cooks like Cilan and Brock had left him complacent.
"One of the trickiest things for me," he told her "was remembering to make sure that you had all your stuff with you. There's so much involved: the tent, the food, the cooking equipment, toiletries. When I reached Anistar City, I was looking for a place to eat lunch and thinking how light my bag was. It turned out that I'd left all my pots and pans soaking in the river at my campsite that morning. I had to go all the way back…" he trailed off as Dawn giggled at his expense.
Their food arrived soon after that and they ate in silence for ten minutes. Noticing Dawn pick at her near empty salad bowl, Ash offered her his plate. "Want a slice?" he asked her. "You look a little short there."
Dawn glanced up, and nodded gratefully. "Thanks Ash." She took a slice and dug in. "No snide comments though. I know what you're thinking." Ash gave her a look of phoney innocence.
"Why Dawn? What are talking about?" He teased her about her choice of meal. Dawn pulled a face at him, and then hid her grin behind her hand. As he returned to the remainder of his pizza, Dawn studied him. Her feelings to Ash had changed ever since she had talked to him in Lilycove City months ago. It was obvious to her now that she had developed a crush on him, or maybe the crush had been there all along and she had only just noticed it. Either way, being here with him now brought a warm, nervous feeling to her stomach. In spite of her tiredness, she was having one of the best evenings of her life.
"Hey, Ash?" She asked, out of the blue. The black-haired boy made eye contact. "What's the most beautiful sight you've seen in Kalos?" The question had just popped into her head. Ash did not respond and just looked at her, studying her the same way she had him. For one of many times that day, she felt a blush rise in her cheeks. She could take a guess at what he was thinking, and the thought flattered her.
"Dendemille Town," Ash said, suddenly, wanting to attempt a normal answer to her question. Dawn blinked at him, as if she had forgotten what she had asked in the first place. "Just north of Dendemille Town is the most beautiful sight I saw in Kalos. Its right up there in the north of the region and it's always snowy. But if you catch it on a clear day, then at night the sky just seems to go on forever, full to the brim with stars."
"Take me there someday," Dawn stated.
"Sure Dawn, no problem." The last time he had seen it, it had just been him and his Pokémon. The thought of it being him and Dawn instead filled him with a sense of longing. Soon afterwards, they finished their meal. By this point Dawn was yawning and rubbing her eyes. Her full stomach was making her drowsy so they decided to pass on dessert. A sugar injection was the last thing she wanted at the moment.
It was 9 at night on Kalos time when they slowly made their way back to the Pokémon Centre, Pikachu and Piplup running on ahead. Dawn leaned heavily on Ash as they walked. Under normal circumstances she would be embarrassed by her actions, but right now she just wanted to sleep. And Ash's shoulder was rather comfortable. Ash meanwhile, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close, 'just to support her' he told himself. Though it was rather nice to pretend they were a real couple.
Eventually, they stood facing each other just outside the Pokémon Centre door. Dawn stirred herself into wakefulness one last time. She smiled softly at the boy standing in front of her.
"I had a wonderful time tonight, Ash," she said, quietly.
He returned her smile with the same tenderness. "So did I Dawn. It was a good date." There it was, out in the open and neither of them objected. Ash reached across to her and gently cupped her cheek, unintentionally drawing them closer. "You're pretty amazing Dawn." he continued, mainly talking to himself.
Dawn's face flamed red and she leaned in closer still until their faces were centimetres apart. "You weren't bad yourself tonight," she told the boy. Thoughts of Kenny and Serena were far from their minds. "Let's do this again sometime."
And then without any more words, they met in a tender kiss. Ash's arms moved to her waist as they held each other closely, both burning with desire as the kiss deepened. Eventually, they drew apart, looking the other right in the eye.
"Dawn…" Ash began, and then fell silent. Their actions had spoken for themselves. But still, Ash needed to say it out loud and he needed Dawn to say it as well. "I… wasn't sure about anything in Lumiose and since then, whenever I think about you, it's like this. I really care about you Dawn. And I want us to be so much more than friends."
Dawn only stared at him, drinking in his image and still feeling the burning passion of his lips against her own. "Ash," she sighed his name. "That's so sweet. I feel the same way… I missed you and Brock in Hoenn, but after we talked in Lilycove… I realised that I missed you so much more. We always had something special. And now I know what it is." Love. That was the word they both thought, and it didn't need to be said out loud.
They kissed once more and linked hands. A giggling interrupted the two and they turned to see there Pokémon partners mimicking their trainers' actions teasingly. Dawn scowled at their intrusion and threatened to sic Buneary on the poor electric mouse. The blunette then let out a long drawn out yawn which Ash found himself imitating. It had been a long day for him as well, especially emotionally.
Dawn once again leaned against Ash as the couple made their way to the room, their partners following silently. In spite of their mockery, Pikachu and Piplup could not be happy enough for their Trainers.
Zoey could not relax. She didn't know if it was the breeze that was chilling her as she sat on their room's balcony or the cold feeling of stone pressing against her cheek as she rested her head on the banister, but she could not relax. The easiest solution of course would be to go inside. She had spent an exhausting afternoon training all of her Pokémon and then eaten her dinner. Her mind and body were exhausted and she knew she should just go back inside and sleep.
But she didn't. Because she knew that the instant she let her guard down and relaxed, the immature thoughts that she had been trying to squash would return uninvited to her brain. Before they had landed this morning and met up with Ash, her thoughts had been normal for her- train for the Contest and win it. Dawn's crush on Ash had been a secondary concern at best. But after seeing them at lunch time and imagining them on their first date (whatever Ash or Dawn called it, it was a date) she had been filled with a sadness that she had never felt before. She felt envious of the two and a longing for something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
After she had eaten, she had returned to the room and changed into her pyjamas, planning on having an early night's sleep. But her brain was awhirl with things that couldn't be further from Contests and Pokémon. The click of the door behind her made her jump. Ash and Dawn were back. She remained still however, curious to learn what happened on their night out together.
"Why is it so dark in here?" Ash's voice. A whisper. He was referring to the fact that the lights were out. Zoey had been sitting outside since before the sun went down.
"Dunno…" Dawn's response. She sounded tired. And happy? There was a contented sigh in her voice.
A muttered complaint from Ash that she couldn't quite catch. "Come on, Dawn. You can't fall asleep like that. You should go into the bathroom and get changed."
"But I'm sleepy…" Dawn moaned. A few seconds of shuffling about and Zoey heard the bathroom door click shut. She assumed that Dawn had gone in, in spite of her complaints. Silence. Zoey strained her ears to listen in. She felt a prickling sensation, as if someone was standing behind her.
"Zoey?" Ash's voice was barely a whisper, as if he didn't want to disturb her.
"I'm not asleep." She said, talking into the chilly stone banister that her head still rested on.
"Well, it's really cold out here," Ash said in a lightly louder voice. "Dawn and I are going to bed now. Do you want to come inside?"
Her response was to get to her feet. But after nearly an hour of sitting there and given her jetlagged condition, her legs had fallen asleep beneath her. She made it half a step before she staggered and fell forwards. She stopped mid fall, having been caught by Ash, one of his arms around her midriff, his other against her back. She felt her heart rate pick up slightly and was hyperaware of their proximity.
"I don't need this." She hissed under her breath.
"Erm, yeah you do. You'd have landed on your face otherwise." Ash responded with a laugh in his voice.
"That wasn't what I meant," she stated. Feeling came back into her legs and she felt able to stand. "I'm okay now. You can let me go." She told Ash. When she had regained her footing they made their way back into the room, Zoey avoiding looking at Ash.
She clambered into her bed and lay back with a sigh. There was a click as Ash closed the balcony door, followed by the hiss of the curtains being drawn and darkness shrouded them both. Zoey closed her eyes. Was she really developing a crush on Ash? The thought seemed bizarre and impossible. She was always in perfect control of her own emotions and would never let something like this distract her from her Coordinating career. Plus Dawn liked Ash and Ash returned the blunette's feelings: if they weren't together yet then they would be soon. Her feelings had no logical place in that. No, it had to be something else.
The bathroom door opened and a golden light filled the room. It disappeared again shortly afterwards as Ash took his turn to get ready for sleep. Zoey tried to banish the odd thoughts about Ash and Dawn from her mind. She'd need her energy tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Dawn lay on her bed, thinking of Ash and the Wallace Cup. Realising that her feelings were returned had filled her with new found confidence for her performances. She couldn't wait for tomorrow and what it held for her, her Pokémon and Ash.
Lastly, Ash clambered into his own bed. In spite of a rather odd exchange with Zoey, he was still star struck from his first kiss- with Dawn no less. He wondered if he'd be able to face her in the Cup… no he definitely would. He and Dawn were Trainers. Giving it there all in a battle was expected from them, feeling aside.
And so, one with worry and two with excitement- the three Trainers looked towards tomorrow and the Wallace Cup.
Finished. I know I said I'd start the appeals in this chapter, but I had a few new ideas and reshuffled events slightly. Appeals and battles will start in Chapter 3. All I'll add is this story will ultimately stay as Pearlshipping. I may write a Fireredshipping (Ash and Zoey) story at some point in the future, but I'm not sure at the moment. Thanks for reading.