First chapter as a seventeen year old. I wonder if getting older has caused my skills to go down any? xD Oh well, you guys decide that in your reviews. Speaking of which, the last couple of chapters marked the 100 review milestone! Whoo hoo! Anyways, enjoy this chapter, and keep an eye out for more. I own nothing but the story.
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Chapter 23
Misty's POV
Festivals for Croagunk, battles with giant humans, I often wondered if there was something we hadn't run into yet. Crasher Wake was the biggest guy I had ever seen in my life, but he was more like a big Teddiursa than a scary giant. And I was impressed by his technique and expertise with his water-Pokémon, he trained them hard and trained them well, and I definitely learned a few things from watching him in action.
But I also learned a thing or two from the other end of the battlefield. Such as never count Ash out of any battle for any reason. His specialty is turning bad situations around and making comebacks. And that's exactly what he did against Wake's Floatzel. And after I ran down from the bleachers to give him a congratulatory hug, he took almost no credit for the win; he credited his Pokémon…and me.
The new Ash that loved me so much was coming through more and more with each passing day, and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I was also glad that he didn't change too much. He still reacted on impulse, he was still obsessed with training hard, and so overall he was still Ash. But he now had the maturity to share credit, he didn't get as angry as he used to when he lost, and instead of moping when he did, his determination to train hard only grew. This was the new Ash, and the new Ash worked hard.
I had to make sure that I would work hard too; training Vaporeon and taking care of Azurill while making sure not to neglect my other Pokémon was no small task. But it was easier now since I didn't really have to "take care" of Ash the way I had to in Kanto through Johto. I could focus on my Pokémon and have peace of mind knowing that Ash wouldn't fall apart at the seams if I wasn't constantly keeping an eye on his mistakes. Instead, all I had to do was be there and he felt energized, which made me feel all fuzzy inside, so naturally I felt fuzzy ALL the time. I loved him, he loved me, and it was as simple as that.
And now, with Azurill tucked into my arms, me, Ash, Brock, and Dawn were now walking back to Hearthome City. Ash had explained to me that he had visited there before, and the gym leader had gone away, so he had to choose another gym, and now we were headed back to see if the leader was back, although the weather didn't seem too cheery.
Normal POV
"I can't wait for our next gym battle back in Hearthome City, and I intend to win it too!" Ash said excitedly. "Naturally, you wouldn't intend to lose it now would you?" Misty asked playfully. "Only if the leader isn't there, then I will lose it." Ash joked. "Your temper? Don't worry; Misty can rein that in easily." Dawn teased.
The group suddenly stopped in their tracks when a loud crash of thunder was heard, and lightning flashes filled the sky. "Guess that's it for nice weather for a while." Dawn said. "Looks like thunderstorms coming this way." Brock said.
A rustling was heard in the nearby bushes, and the group whipped their heads to see a baby Cleffa pop its head out from the bush. "Hey, it's a Cleffa." Ash said. Dawn pulled out her pink Pokédex to scan it.
"Cleffa, the star-shape Pokémon. It has the silhouette of a star in the night sky, and some believe that Cleffa ride on shooting stars." her Pokédex chirped.
"It all sounds kind of romantic, don't you think Misty?" Dawn asked. "Does it ever." Misty replied, as she leaned her head onto Ash's shoulder. Ash smiled in response. Misty's head went upright again when Azurill hopped out of her arms to go play with the Cleffa. "Aww, how cute!" Dawn squealed.
After a few rounds of ring-around-the-rosie, a voice was heard from the forest that was calling for Cleffa. "Oh, so this is where you are." the woman said. Brock's heart went into full rev at the tall, dark-green haired woman. "I was worried about you, please don't go so far away again." the woman said as she picked up the baby Pokémon, both Cleffa and Azurill.
"Um, excuse me, but that's my Azurill." Misty said, as she walked up to the woman with Ash, Brock, and Dawn. "Oh, I'm so sorry." the woman said, as she handed Azurill back to its rightful owner. "That Cleffa is so cute! Is it your Pokémon?" Dawn asked. "Oh no, this Cleffa actually belongs to the master of the house." the woman giggled.
"Master of what house?" Ash asked. "I mean the owner of that mansion: Mr. Backlot. (Giggle) I'm Monica, Mr. Backlot's housekeeper." Monica said.
"I'm Ash, and I'm from Pallet Town."
"My name's Misty, and I'm from Cerulean City."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Dawn, and I'm actually from Twinleaf Town."
And the Pokémon Breeder who had hearts in his eyes the whole time leaped in front of the other teens and knelt down to Monica. "And my given name is Brock, and I hail from Pewter City! Dear Monica, I swear I would never even think of going far away from you, so promise you'll stay by my side!" Brock exclaimed passionately.
As usual, Croagunk made his usual appearance and slammed his poisonous hand into Brock's side and snickered. "Maybe that'll teach you to stick with one girl at a time." Misty joked. "Oh, are you his girlfriend?" Monica asked. "Me with Brock? No way. Ash has the honor of calling me his GF though." Misty replied.
Ash flung his hand behind his head and gave a sheepish chuckle. Suddenly, after a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning, rain started pouring down on the heads of the group. "Oh no, it's coming down in sheets!" Dawn squealed, as she shielded her head from the rain. "You're welcome to come back to the mansion, it's right this way." Monica said.
Ash, Misty, and Dawn chased followed the housekeeper on foot, while Brock slowly got dragged along by Croagunk. After reaching the mansion, they took a break to catch their breath under the protective awning. Another blast of thunder and lightning filled the sky, causing Misty to allow a soft whimper of fear to escape her lips. She leaned onto Ash for protection, who immediately wrapped her into a one-armed hug when he realized her fear. "It's just thunder, don't worry." he said soothingly. "I know…but…I remember the storm at the Orange Islands…" Misty whispered, shaking in Ash's embrace as she reluctantly recalled that horrible thunderstorm.
Although not necessarily for the same reasons and motives, Ash had protected her from that storm as well. Nevertheless, it was giving her fright, and the baby Pokémon in her arms was feeding off of that fright. "Hey, I've gotcha; you've got nothing to worry about." Ash said soothingly, as he wrapped his other arm around her.
Now in a full embrace, Misty made sure not to squash Azurill, who was in between the couple. Misty slowly ceased her trembling, and relaxed in the safe embrace of Ash's arms. Azurill was soothed at the same time its mother's fear was put to rest.
"It finally happened." Misty whispered. "What did?" Ash asked. "You're just a little bit taller than me." she replied. Ash broke the embrace and straightened his spine as he faced her. His eyes widened when we realized that his eyes had just barely passed her cerulean-blue eyes, confirming the height differential.
"Well hi there shorty." Ash teased. "Don't start that talk, I can hit your head so hard that you'll shrink and I'll tower over you again." Misty teased back. "Hmm, guess you're right." Ash said. "And don't you forget it." Misty giggled. The two hugged again, being careful not to squash Azurill.
"Misty's afraid of thunder?" Dawn asked quietly. "Not really, just the memories involved. Misty's been on more adventures with Ash than I have, and they went through quite a few dangerous storms in the Orange Islands, at least that's what Ash told me." Brock explained, as they watched the laughing couple enjoy themselves.
"Ahh, here's my key, finally!" Monica said, as she unlocked the door after a long while of rummaging through her many pockets. Monica unlocked the door, and the wet group of teens were greeted by an old, gray-haired, and rather fat man. But he greeted them cordially and with a friendly demeanor.
"Well, well, well, well, well, well, it's truly a pleasure to welcome all of you into my home, relax and stay as long as you like." he said. "Thanks, that's really nice of you sir." Ash said gratefully. "You have such a beautiful home, Mr. Backlot." Dawn added.
As the group of teens continued to show their host their gratitude, Monica came out with a huge cart with poffins on it. "Ok, you all must be starving by now!" she shouted. As her call rung throughout the mansion, various baby Pokémon started appearing from all directions. They included two Igglybuff, a trio of Pichu, and even an Azurill came bouncing down the stairway.
"Look Azurill, maybe you can go play with them later." Misty said. "Azu!" (Yay!) it squealed. As the baby Pokémon charged towards Monica with glee, she placed the bowls of poffins onto the ground for them to eat. "Sorry it took so long, now go ahead and eat as much as you want." she said cheerfully.
Suddenly, Misty's Azurill hopped out of her arms and started eating along with the other baby Pokémon. "Azurill, don't eat their food!" Misty scolded. "Oh no, it's no trouble at all, we always have plenty of food for everyone." Mr. Backlot reassured. Misty looked back at the eating Pokémon with a frown, but a smile slowly formed on her face at the sight of the other baby Azurill willingly sharing its bowl with her Azurill.
"Cute right? I think so too. They're my pride and joy." Mr. Backlot said. "So that means that all these Pokémon are yours, right?" Misty asked. "Correct. I've gathered quite a few Pokémon from here and there; they love to play in my trophy garden." Mr. Backlot explained.
"You have a garden?" Dawn asked. "That's where I ran into all of you when it started to rain." Monica said. "Quite beautiful isn't it? Don't you wish you could have one?" Mr. Backlot laughed. His laugh consisted of warmth and friendship; despite the fact his comment seemed boastful.
"Mr. Backlot's opened his property to all kind of Pokémon Trainers, watchers and breeders alike. And when the weather's nice, they all play outside. Mr. Backlot is a very generous man." Monica explained.
"And it's obvious, what a great way for people and Pokémon to be close." Brock said. "I feel so embarrassed that my Azurill did that sir." Misty said. "Think nothing of it; in fact, why not bring out your other Pokémon for a nice meal?" Mr. Backlot suggested.
Piplup began tugging on Dawn's pink boot, whining with hunger. "Thanks Mr. Backlot, Piplup's kinda hungry too." Dawn said. "In that case, snack time for everyone, I'll bring a fresh batch of poffins right away!" Monica said, as she ran for the kitchen.
The group called out all their Pokémon, with the exception of the two giants: Gyarados and Charizard. With cries of happiness, the Pokémon proceeded to chow down on the poffins that Monica had just brought back from the kitchen.
"There are plenty of poffins to go around, so no need to worry." Dawn said. She would prove to be wrong however, as a Swinub came bounding in with a speed unseen from its kind before. Carelessly knocking over all of the baby Pokémon, including Misty's Azurill who was now crying, it quickly finished off the leftover poffins and charged towards the next bowl.
"Hey, have some manners!" Misty said, as she comforted her crying Pokémon. Swinub ran for the bowls of Dawn's Pokémon next, and proceeded to eat their poffins as well. "Monica quick, please do something!" Mr. Backlot exclaimed. Monica did. She ran back to the kitchen.
Reacting quickly, Ash, Misty, and Brock picked up the remaining bowls of poffins and held it up out of Swinub's reach. "Boy, Swinub can sure put it away." Ash said, wide-eyed and in shock. "But with such a small body where does it all go?" Brock wondered. "Who knows? It could probably give a Snorlax a run for its money." Misty added.
Flushing with pure glee, Swinub finished off the poffins that were for Dawn's Pokémon and eagerly looked around for more. However, Dawn's enraged Pokémon were ready to carry out their revenge on Swinub, as they charged their most powerful attacks to hit simultaneously. The only thing that stopped them was Pikachu and Vaporeon jumping in front of them, telling them that what they were thinking wasn't worth it.
Just then, Monica came back from the kitchen with an absolutely enormous bowl of poffins made especially for Swinub. "There you go, this should keep you happy." she said, as she placed it down onto the floor. Swinub jumped for joy and pigged out on the seemingly endless bowl of poffins.
With a sigh of relief, the group put what few poffins they had left back onto the ground to allow their Pokémon to finish their meal. "That hungry Swinub lives in the forest near here, lately we've been getting more and more visits." Mr. Backlot said.
"So it's not your Pokémon, Mr. Backlot?" Brock asked. "No. My lovely garden's quite a draw for Swinub, and the poffins don't hurt either." Mr. Backlot replied with a chuckle. Swinub finished off the bowl, gave a tired stretch, and fell asleep right there on the carpet with crumbs all over its face.
"(Giggle) Nothing like a good nap after a meal." Dawn said, as she bent over the sleeping pig-Pokémon. "Take a look at that belly, kinda looks like Ash after stuffing himself." Misty teased. Ash chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I do kinda doze off after a big meal." he said admittedly.
"We're sorry about this; I'll have some fresh poffins ready for you all in no time." Monica said. "And now, why don't you all join us for a lovely dinner this evening? You can sleep here tonight, and then enjoy the gardens tomorrow." Mr. Backlot said.
"Oh, we couldn't. You've already done so much for us." Misty said. "Oh, but I insist. I love having guests over, with such a big house, I could use some company, so I think staying is a great idea." Mr. Backlot said with a friendly laugh.
With eyes that debated the idea in silence, the group looked at each other and made their decision. "Thanks so much, Mr. Backlot, we'd love to!" Ash said. "Is dinner going to be a formal event?" Dawn asked. "Of course not, I couldn't ask my guests to be uncomfortable." Mr. Backlot replied.
"Go and wash up everyone, dinner will be ready in just a few minutes." Monica said. Seeing that Croagunk was preoccupied with the meal, Brock took the opportunity to get close to Monica.
"Monica, I wish to offer my services in the kitchen, perhaps I could protect your hands from labor, and maybe protect your lips from any haaaarm!" Brock's face turned pale, as Croagunk 'Poison Jabbed' his side with one hand, and held a poffin in the other. "Or…maybe…I'll just…stay right here…(groan)" Brock doubled over in pain and got dragged away as Croagunk finished the poffin in its hand.
"Oh dear, is he alright?" Mr. Backlot asked. "Don't worry, if we had a nickel for every time he's done something like this, we'd be able to afford a house bigger than yours." Misty said. The group laughed similarly to how Mr. Backlot did, which brought laughter from Mr. Backlot himself. "Very well, in that case, I will see you in the dining room." Mr. Backlot said.
After Mr. Backlot walked away, Monica pointed the group of teens to the restroom where they could wash their hands. "I'll take it from here Croagunk, go on and hang with the other Pokémon." Ash said. Croagunk released its master and did just that.
In the girls' bathroom, Misty and Dawn made a quick clean-up. "Monica must make awesome poffins if the Pokémon like them so much." Dawn said. "Hey, didn't you say your mom had a recipe for those things?" Misty asked. "Hey yeah! Maybe I could make some." Dawn replied. "Maybe after dinner you can ask Monica if you can use her kitchen." Misty said. "I'm gonna do just that." Dawn replied.
In the guys' bathroom, Ash was splashing water in Brock's face to snap him out of his haze. "(Splutter) Ok Ash, that's enough." Brock said, as he got up off the floor. "Dude, you weren't satisfied with Nurse Joy liking you?" Ash asked. "No way, I won't be satisfied until I have someone I can call mine and mine alone!" Brock exclaimed.
"If you say so." Ash said, as he proceeded to wash his hands. "Speaking of girls, nice job with Misty earlier." Brock said approvingly. "What do you mean?" Ash asked. "Misty was really bothered by the storm, you calmed her." Brock said. "Oh…well…thanks?" Ash said nervously. "Heh heh, don't worry big guy, I'm not teasing you." Brock reassured. "Hey Brock, how come you helped me, but you can't help yourself?" Ash asked.
"I can't answer that question. Mostly because I don't know the answer." Brock said. "Oh, well let me know when you figure it out ok?" Ash said. "Sure Ash, whatever." Brock said, giving Ash a friendly slap on the back.
The group finally met back in the main hall, where Monica led them to the dining room. Ash and Misty sat together of course.
"Ah, welcome my friends, to my dining room." Mr. Backlot said. The group of teens thanked him simultaneously. Monica came in with a cart of food, with covered dishes of many kinds of food. "Awesome! Thanks a lot Monica!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.
Monica had placed in front of Ash a plate, which contained a generous portion of chicken breast fillet fried to a golden brown and topped with a thick gravy sauce. The plate also contained a hearty helping of freshly made mashed potatoes, green beans with small chunks of bacon, corn in a light butter sauce, and sweet baby carrots. And to finish it off: a tasty piece of cornbread.
Monica placed the same in front of Dawn and Brock, who eyed their meal hungrily. Misty on the other hand, was not quite so eager. "Something wrong Mist?" Ash asked. "N-Nothing big, j-just…the carrots on the plate." Misty whimpered.
"Oh, right. Just ask Monica to get rid of the carrots." Ash suggested. "Ash, that'd be rude! I can't say that!" Misty hissed. "Is there some sort of problem?" Monica asked, as she placed glasses of freshly-squeezed lemonade in front of everyone. "N-No! No problem here!" Misty said quickly.
After Monica went back to the kitchen to get her own plate, Misty eyed her meal warily. The carrots were taunting her silently, torturing her, her morals to be polite and her natural fears of the orange vegetable were battling each other in her mind.
"Mist, just close your eyes and try one, they're really sweet." Ash said, as he placed a carrot into his mouth.
With great reluctance, Misty pierced one carrot with her fork, and with trembling hands, placed the carrot into her mouth and chewed it. Now Dawn and Brock were watching as well, as Misty chewed the carrot almost impossibly slowly.
With her eyes closed, she hadn't noticed that Monica had come back by now, and all eyes were on her as her teeth broke down one of her mortal enemies of the culinary world. After a swallow that could be heard all the way across the table, Misty opened her eyes and flushed red when she realized that everyone was watching her.
"Well?" Brock asked. "You know something? These actually aren't too bad." Misty said finally with a smile. Everyone at the table smiled along with her, although Monica was a bit confused. "What's wrong with carrots?" she asked.
Monica thought it was an innocent question; the almost impossibly red and embarrassed face of Misty made her regret asking. "W-Well, you see – well it's – I kinda…" Misty stammered. "Misty's afraid of carrots." Dawn said simply. "Yeah, that's it." Misty mumbled, wishing in her own mind that she could just crawl out of her skin like an Ekans shedding its skin.
Monica responded with a warm smile. "Ahh, but you hadn't tasted MY carrots before." she said proudly. "And let me tell ya, they're awesome!" Ash exclaimed, as he shoveled more food into his already full maw.
With Misty's fear overcome for the time being, the meal continued with friendly conversation and laughter. When the meal was over, Ash, Dawn, and Brock's plate seemed to be licked clean, Misty's plate however still had a substantial amount of carrots on it. She had eaten a few, but no more than that.
"Still not over it?" Ash asked. "Overcoming a fear is a long road." Misty replied simply. "Mr. Backlot, that was an incredible meal!" Dawn exclaimed. "Yes, Monica's quite a wonderful chef, isn't she? I'm very lucky to have her on staff." Mr. Backlot said.
"Yeah, you sure are." Dawn agreed whole-heartedly. "I feel like I'm pretty lucky too." Brock said, in an almost love-sick tone. "I would imagine you'd like to eat this way every day, wouldn't you?" Mr. Backlot said, laughing heartily.
As he laughed, Monica came with small tea cups for everyone. "Ahh, thank you Monica." Mr. Backlot said. Monica placed the cups in front of Ash, Misty, and Brock, and then finally Dawn. "Would YOU care for a cup of tea?" she asked.
"Thanks, I'd love one." Dawn replied. As Monica poured, Misty jerked her head to give Dawn a signal. "Um, I have a favor to ask you Monica, may I have the use of your kitchen later on?" Dawn asked. "Of course. But what for?" Monica asked.
"You'll find out." Dawn replied. Monica's answer would come soon, after the clean-up; Monica escorted the teens to the kitchen where Dawn and Brock proceeded to make some start-up poffin batter.
"Oh, I see, you're all making poffins to give your Pokémon." Monica said. "Now that I've got the right recipe, I can't make enough for Piplup and the whole gang." Dawn said. "I see…hold on a second." Monica said.
Monica walked away for a moment, only to come back with a basket full of assorted berries. "They're berries from our garden, I think you'll discover that if you add a few of these into your poffin mixture, your Pokémon will thank you." she said.
"That's so awesome! Thank you!" Dawn exclaimed, hands clasped in happiness. "When it comes to tasty and healthy treats, anything Monica puts her seal of approval on has gotta be great!" Brock exclaimed. "For once, I'm inclined to agree with you." Misty said. "…You are?" Brock asked in shock. "Yeah, I mean, how many chefs can get me to eat even one carrot?" Misty replied with a giggle.
"Get ready you guys; because these poffins are gonna make history!" Ash exclaimed determinedly. "Yeah, they'll be the worst poffins in history." Misty teased. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Ash replied.
Ash and Misty grabbed some berries from the basket and started smashing them up with haste, which brought sweat-drops from Dawn, Brock, and Monica. "At least their competitiveness doesn't get too hostile anymore." Brock said.
"Alright everyone, if you're done adding ingredients, it's time to put the mixture on the stove-top." Monica said. The teens ceased their mixing and allowed Monica to add each of their batters to a pot.
"Make sure you keep stirring." Brock said. "So everyone, I was wondering, what brings you all the way out here anyway?" Monica asked. "We're heading on up to Hearthome City so I can challenge the gym there!" Ash said. "The Hearthome Gym?" Monica asked. "Right, and as soon as I get all the badges I need, I'm gonna enter the Sinnoh League!" Ash exclaimed.
"Ash just won an amazing victory at the Pastoria Gym!" Dawn exclaimed. "Is that so? I'm impressed." Monica said. "Well, I probably couldn't have done it without a lot of training time with Misty and her Pokémon." Ash said. "Pastoria is a water-type gym if I'm not mistaken." Monica said.
"Right. And that's why Ash trained with me so much, because MY goal in life is to become the world's greatest water-Pokémon master." Misty explained. "Really? That's great." Monica said. "I've really learned a lot about battling from Ash and Misty, but what I really want is to become a top coordinator someday." Dawn said.
"Really? Where was your last contest?" Monica asked. "I actually competed in the Wallace Cup, and believe it or not, I ended up in a tie with Misty." Dawn explained. "I guess I just got lucky. I'm a battling girl through and through." Misty added.
Suddenly, an alarm went off from somewhere. "What's that?" Monica asked. "My Pokétch timer went off. The poffin batter should be perfectly done." Dawn said. "Now we just have to pour it into the molds and let it cool." Brock said.
"Um, Ash, you're mixture…" Misty said. "What?" Ash asked. He looked at his pot and saw that the mixture had turned into a blackish color instead of the usual pink. "Maybe the berries I put in?" Ash wondered. "Or maybe you burned them." Misty teased. "I'm sure they'll taste great, right Pikachu?" Ash said. Pikachu frowned and sweat-dropped, which gave Ash his answer.
"Oh yeah? What about Misty's?" Ash asked. Pikachu scanned it and gave a smile, a rather nervous one though. "Thanks Pika-pal!" Misty exclaimed. Pikachu squealed with glee at the affection, but if Misty knew his smile was forced, he'd be in a bit of trouble.
After about ten minutes, all the poffins were poured out onto plates. Ash's had retained the blackish color, Misty's looked good but smelled different, while Dawn and Brock's poffins came out picture perfect.
Piplup chirped with excitement when Dawn called it to try her poffins. "Look at that! Piplup sure looks excited." Monica said. "They really love them, but they're still no match for Brock's poffins." Dawn said. "Brock's a chef as well?" Monica asked. "Oh yeah, as long as Brock's got food in his backpack, he can make an awesome meal out of it." Misty said.
Unbeknownst to them, Swinub had woken up from its gluttony produced nap, and was on the hunt for more. It leaped onto the kitchen counter and started eating every single poffin on the plate. "No, not Swinub!" they all said in unison. Piplup groaned, and almost fainted with sheer disappointment and disbelief.
"Bad Swinub! These poffins are supposed to be for all the other Pokémon!" Dawn scolded. "Remember, you just ate a bunch." Monica added. Swinub whined and nuzzled Dawn's arm, trying to soften her up. "Oh come on." Dawn moaned.
"I take back what I said earlier, that thing could out eat a Snorlax with ease." Misty said. "Yeah, I don't think a bunch was quite enough." Brock said. "Here Swinub, try mine." Misty said, placing her plate of poffins onto the counter.
Swinub looked and approved of the pink pigment, but after smelling them, it looked away dismissively. "Hey! They look fine, what's wrong with them?" Misty whined. Swinub shook its head. "Oh please, I bet they're great." Misty took a poffin for her to taste, and then spit it out immediately into the sink.
"On the other hand, maybe they're not so great." Misty said, as she wiped her tongue of the disgusting taste. Ash laughed at her failure, but became nervous when Misty glared at him. "Swinub, have some of the ones I made." Ash said.
Swinub gave Ash's poffins a sniff, and actually cringed and shed a tear at how nasty they looked and smelled. "It thinks they're worse than mine." Misty laughed. "Hey, I know they might not be the prettiest poffins, but trust me, they taste just fine." Ash said.
Ash confidently placed one of his black poffins into his mouth and ate it. "Ugh. Kind of!" Ash moaned. Ash's face turned purple and he fell over after allowing the disgusting taste to reach his taste buds. "I think he needs mouth-to-mouth." Dawn said teasingly. "So why are you looking at me?" Misty asked sarcastically.
"Aww, come on Mist, that would've made this worthwhile." Ash whined. "You expect me to put my lips on yours after you ate one of those disgusting poffins? No way." Misty said, sticking her tongue out at Ash playfully.
"If I had to guess, I'd say Swinub prefers Dawn's poffins. Wow." Monica said, impressed. "Hey Dawn, I think your poffin recipe's earned you a real fan." Brock said. "Really? You like mine the best Swinub?" Dawn asked.
"Swinub!" (Yes!) Swinub replied desperately. "In that case, eat up!" Dawn said, as she placed the poffins back onto the counter for Swinub to eat. And that's precisely what Swinub did. "It sure does a chef's heart good to see that…there's only one thing a good cook can do, and that's to make a whole lot more!" Dawn exclaimed.
"If that's the case, you'll be up all night making these things." Misty said. "A chef's gotta do what a chef's gotta do." Dawn replied. Piplup began chirping angrily, half of the reason was because Dawn allowed Swinub to eat its poffins, and the other half was because she was going to make more for Swinub.
"Don't worry; I'll make a bunch more for you too." Dawn reassured. Piplup's chirps of anger became chirps of glee immediately after Dawn said that.
"(Yawn) Well, I'm feeling kinda sleepy after that awesome dinner, so I think I'll head on up to bed." Ash said. "Alright then, I'll escort you to your room." Monica said. "G'night Ash." the other teens said in unison.
"You look kinda tired yourself Misty, why don't you go with them?" Dawn asked. "Because I wanna wait for you guys." Misty replied. "I get the feeling Dawn won't be going for a while, I think you should head on up to bed." Brock suggested. Dawn nodded to confirm, just before starting up another batch of poffins.
"Yeah, I guess you have a point. G'night guys." Misty said. Dawn and Brock bid Misty goodnight, and then continued their cooking.
After Misty caught up with Ash and Monica, her body seemed to go into slow-motion, as the fatigue of the day began to show in her eyes. "Here's your room, completely made up with four beds and two bathrooms." Monica said.
"Thanks a lot Monica, for everything." Ash said. "Think nothing of it, sleep well." Monica said. "G'night." Ash and Misty said in unison. Ash took off his shoes and jumped onto the bed, bouncing on his back like it was a trampoline.
"Aww yeah! This bed feels awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "I'll be the judge of that. We girls have a better grip on what true comfort is." Misty said with an astute grin. She laid herself onto the bed as well, and rubbed her hand against the mattress. "So, what's the verdict?" Ash asked jokingly. "I proclaim this bed officially comfy." she replied.
"I'm so glad you approve." Ash said sarcastically. "I'm glad you're glad." she replied with a giggle. "Heh, you're not gonna…" Ash was cut-off. "Let you get the last word? Uh, no. That's a girl's right." Misty said playfully. Ash chuckled and entered the bathroom to change into his pajamas, when he came out; he found that Misty had disappeared.
"Guess she went to change." Ash thought out-loud. He stretched and yawned as he made himself comfortable under the covers.
"Hiya!" Misty exclaimed, jumping out from underneath the covers. The now completely bewildered Ash gave a yelp of shock and fell onto the floor. "Boy, you must really like the floor if you keep ending up down there." Misty teased.
"Very funny. How did I not see you under there?" Ash said with a hint of irritation. "You're too tired to notice. But that's alright, it's easier to getcha." Misty giggled. Ash smirked and placed himself back under the covers of his bed.
"Alright, I've had my fun, I'm gonna go change and get some sleep myself." Misty said. "Alright, g'night Mist." Ash said with a yawn. "G'night Ash." she replied. Once Misty closed the door to her bathroom, Ash sat up in his bed wearing an almost Gengar-like grin. "Revenge!"
Ash set up his pillows so that it looked like it was him under the covers, and then placed the coversheet over them. He then jumped into Misty's bed and laid as flat as possible, he even held his breath when he heard Misty come back out so that he could stay as still as physically possible.
"With a yawn and a stretch, Misty looked at the two beds that paralleled each other and quickly made a choice in her mind. "No contest. I'd rather sleep with Ash." Misty ignored her bed and crawled under the covers of Ash's, and giggled when he realized that it wasn't really him under the covers, but a pile of pillows. "I love you Ash, but you're still not sneakier than me." she thought.
Meanwhile, Ash's face had now turned blue from lack of breath, and red from the heat under the covers, so when he broke free of the atmosphere lacking covers and gasped for breath. He whipped his head around and saw Misty comfortably lying in HIS bed.
"What're you doing there?" he exclaimed, still short of breath. "Why would I sleep alone when I can have some company?" Misty asked, knowing that she had ruined Ash's petty revenge plot. "Fine. But it makes for lousy pranks." Ash said disappointedly. "That's the idea, isn't it?" Misty said with a smirk. Ash gave a small frown as he fluffed up his pillows and laid himself back into the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Aww, come on Ash, don't be mad, you know I love you anyway." Misty said, as she cuddled up to him. Ash fought his now rapidly beating heart and tried to remain stone-faced. "Fine, PAUL, be that way." she said teasingly. "Hey, I'm NOTHING like him!" Ash snapped suddenly, fury dripping from his voice.
Misty was taken aback by Ash's sudden outburst and felt a pain in her heart after Ash gave her an icy-glare that could only be rivaled by one of her own. "I've never seen Ash get that mad that fast…not even with Gary." she thought.
After much uncomfortable silence, Misty finally broke it. "Ash, I-I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to compare you with him; I know that you're ten times better than he could ever be." Misty said timidly. Despite his anger, Ash glanced at his red-headed girlfriend, and his expression immediately softened at what he saw: Misty's face showed pure sorrow, it was obvious that she had regretted what she said. This was the timid Misty that despite how well they got along now that they were a couple, it rarely made an appearance.
This was the soft side of her that only came out when she was feeling scared or sad, and every so often when they had a tender moment, but never had he seen it so bad than right now, she was on the verge of tears as they looked at each other without a word spoken between them.
Ash finally broke the silence, wearing a compassionate smile. "C'mere Mist." he said softly. Misty wiped her eyes and smiled, and scooted as close to Ash as she physically could. He wrapped her arms around her and nuzzled his cheek against hers. "I'm sorry Ash." she said again, still in her timid mode. "S'ok Mist, I know you didn't mean it, it's just that I can't stand that guy!" Ash said.
"I know, I hate him too." Misty said. "One day Misty, I'll beat him. I'll show him what true friendship between Pokémon can do." Ash said determinedly. "And I can't wait to see his face when you do." Misty replied, slowly coming back to normal.
But just as she was turning back into her normal self, a kiss on her forehead sent her back into timidity. "Mmm, I love you Ash." she said softly. "Love you too Mist." Ash replied, just as softly. The two stayed in a warm silence for a while longer, until Croagunk opened the door.
Blushing, Ash and Misty released each other from their embrace. "Hey Croagunk, where's Brock?" Ash asked. No sooner had he said that, that Croagunk grabbed Brock by the bottom of his pant leg and dragged the groaning Pokémon Breeder into the room.
"Can't…even…kiss her hand." he moaned, as Croagunk dragged him into the bathroom. "Same old Brock." Misty said with a laugh. Misty turned to face Ash once more and gave him a quick pop-kiss on his lips before snuggling back into the covers.
Ash felt the spot where Misty's lips had touched his and blushed, he loved the feeling it brought. So he brought his lips down to her cheek and softly pressed. Misty smiled with her eyes closed and wrapped her arms around his lower-body. Ash wrapped his arms around her shoulders and closed his eyes, sniffing her hair and occasionally stroking it tenderly.
The two eventually fell asleep, but not before they had one last laugh after hearing Dawn screaming downstairs. "Swinub! Save some for the others!"
The next morning, the group woke up to an amazing breakfast made by Monica: Two eggs cooked sunny side up, a hearty portion of hashbrown casserole, a slice of ham, a small bowl of fried apples smothered in a cinnamon sauce, and freshly baked buttermilk biscuits. And to drink: freshly squeezed orange juice.
"Man oh man, if I keep eating like this, I'll need Charizard to carry me around soon!" Ash had joked. "Or you could just ask Happiny." Misty had joked.
Later on, Ash, Misty, Brock, and all of their Pokémon, including Dawn's, met up with Mr. Backlot and his Pokémon in his trophy garden. "Ahh, welcome my friends. Please, make yourselves at home." Mr. Backlot said.
And that's just what they did. Ash and Misty cuddled next to each other, lying down on the green grass. Brock and Mr. Backlot discussed their Pokémon raising techniques.
Turtwig, Psyduck, Ambipom, and Cleffa knocked an apple out of a nearby tree, which accidently dropped its fruit onto Psyduck's already aching head. Pikachu, Pachirisu, and the Pichu triplets played tag. Buizel and Staryu shot 'Water Guns' into the air, suspending the two laughing Igglybuff in mid-air while Chimchar, Gligar, Piplup, and Buneary watched for safety purposes.
Vaporeon, Sudowoodo, and Happiny took a nap on the grass. Staravia gave Misty and Mr. Backlot's Azurill an air-ride on its back. Charizard and Gyarados had a few friendly sparring matches with each other. While the remaining baby Pokémon watched and whispered as Politoed tried to get its fellow frog, Croagunk, to do something beyond stare at its reflection in the water and croak.
"Mmm, it feels so nice out here." Misty said. "Yeah, and all of the Pokémon are having a real ball, that's great." Ash added. "But I think Politoed's getting fed up with Croagunk." Brock said with a sweat-drop. Indeed, Politoed had given up on Croagunk and plopped itself on the ground with an exasperated sigh.
"What can I say? Croagunk just likes to be laid back." Brock said with a chuckle. "At least everyone is having a good time." Misty said. "You know, it's special moments like these when I almost wish I could be a Pokémon." Mr. Backlot said with a laugh.
"Hello!" a voice called. The group looked toward the garden gate and saw Dawn walking over with a huge picnic basket. "It's snack time!" Dawn exclaimed. Upon hearing that, all of the Pokémon dropped what they were doing and ran for Dawn and her poffins.
"Here you go, your favorite, fresh as they can be, so dig right in and eat all you want." Dawn said. "And make sure you chew carefully before you swallow." Brock said, practicing his breeder expertise. Before any of the Pokémon could get a bite, Swinub came out of nowhere and leaped onto the bowl of poffins.
Pachirisu and Buneary desperately begged Swinub not to eat them all, but it would seem worthless as Swinub opened its mouth wide to eat them all in one gulp…until…
"Swinub, hold on!" Dawn exclaimed. Swinub closed its mouth with disappointment, but quickly became excited again when it saw what Dawn was carrying. "No need to worry, as you can see I've made LOTS of poffins for you too." Dawn said, placing the enormous bowl of poffins onto the ground.
Swinub immediately began chomping them down gulps at a time. "They good Swinub?" Dawn asked. "Swi nub nub!" (They're awesome!) Swinub replied. "Great. You do a chef proud." Dawn said.
"Guess it was worth burning the midnight oil, right Dawn?" Brock said. "Yeah, I guess so." Dawn replied. "What time did you finally go to bed last night?" Misty asked. "To tell you the truth, I never did. And now I'm so sleepy, my oil's all burned out." Dawn said.
Dawn gave a tired yawn, but just as she finished, the ground began trembling, and a hole suddenly appeared, sucking up all of the smaller Pokémon, leaving only Charizard and Gyarados remaining. "What's going on?" Ash yelled. "Aah! My darling little Pokémon! How could something like this have happened in my very own garden?" Mr. Backlot cried despairingly.
As if on cue, a yellow hover-ship appeared from the ground, with two very familiar laughing sounds ringing from it. "I'd know that laugh anywhere!" Misty screamed.
Jessie: "Our pit-trap digging skills skillfully remain intact."
James: "But adapting to modern technology today is a necessary fact."
Jessie: "On the wind!"
James: "The stars!"
Meowth: "Dig it Jack!"
Jessie: "Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace."
James: "Dashing hope, putting fear in its place."
Jessie: "A trap dug any other way's just as sweet."
James: When earth is moved, our work is complete."
Jeesie: "It's Jessie!"
James: "And it's James!"
Meowth: "Meowth, now dat's a name!"
Jessie: "Putting the do-gooders in their place."
James: "Team Rocket!"
Team Rocket: "In your face!"
"Wobbuffet!" "Mime mime mime mime!"
"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled. "There's nothing like calling a collection of cuties to cure a case of the blahs." Jessie said. "No ya don't!" Ash yelled.
"Charizard/Gyarados! Let's do it!" Ash and Misty exclaimed. Just before the two dragon-like Pokémon could get ready to for battle; Monica came running from the mansion. "Mr. Backlot! This is terrible! Every last bit of our food, it's all mysteriously disappeared!" she cried.
"Who could've done such a thing?" Mr. Backlot asked. "Maybe striking a famous dance pose will give you a clue." James said. "I tink if you twoips realize dat by eatin' your grub we're just stayin' alive, you'll understand and cut us a break." Meowth exclaimed.
"Give everything back before Gyarados has a field day with your creepy machine!" Misty threatened. "This creepy machine happens to be the very latest in twerp repelling technology so your two monsters don't stand a chance!" James yelled with surprising confidence.
"Quit talking that gibberish and give us back those Pokémon!" Dawn screamed. "One pot of gibberish deserves another." Jessie said saucily. "Dis marks the end of our broadcast day, but not before we poach two more Pokémon to keep you at bay!" Meowth exclaimed. Meowth pushed a button and two mechanical arms grabbed Charizard and Gyarados and stuffed them into the machine with the rest of the Pokémon.
"No! You won't escape!" Ash yelled furiously. "I tink you're mistaken! Away!" Meowth yelled back. Meowth pushed another button, and the hovercraft began gaining altitude, with the Pokémon crying out to their masters for help.
Ash and Dawn leaped with all their might to just barely grab hold of the edge of the hovercraft. "Be careful you guys!" Misty screamed. Ash and Dawn attempted to pull themselves up, but a rumble by the ship shook Ash off and sent him hurtling for the ground. "Ash!" Misty and Dawn cried.
Ash landed with on the ground with a painful thud, and Misty wasted no time coming to his aid. "Be careful Dawn!" Misty screamed. "Just leave it to me!" Dawn replied. She pulled herself up and got her footing, then carefully walked up to the dome containing the Pokémon. "Piplup, Swinub, everyone I'm here! Is everyone ok?" Dawn asked with concern.
The dome suddenly began to descend, taking all of the Pokémon and Dawn out of sight. "No! Dawn!" Ash yelled. "Yes twerp!" Team Rocket exclaimed through their intercom. The machine spewed a white smokescreen, leaving the coughing Ash and Misty to watch as their Pokémon and friends flew away right before their eyes.
"Ash! You alright?" Brock yelled. "Yeah, I'm ok, but we gotta save them somehow!" Ash exclaimed. "I'll get Mr. Backlot's personal mini-van!" Monica exclaimed. "Good idea! Please hurry Monica!" Mr. Backlot begged. "I hope Dawn's alright." Misty said. "Don't worry; I'm sure she'll be alright." Brock reassured. "We've still gotta get to her as fast as we can!" Ash exclaimed.
Dawn's POV
I watched as the dome containing the Pokémon suddenly split into three individual domes, one containing Ash's Charizard, while the other held Misty's Gyarados. I saw them launch attacks to try and break out, but all that happened was Charizard got splashed by water spigots, and Gyarados got electrocuted, obviously Team Rocket had prepared for the two powerhouses.
"Charizard, Gyarados, just relax! I'll get you out of there!" I cried. They seemed to respond to my cry and they ceased their struggling. "No need to worry, I'll get you all back to Mr. Backlot's garden!" I exclaimed, trying to calm the smaller Pokémon.
I looked around and saw a lever that was practically begging to be pulled. So what was I to do? I walked over and pulled it. Sure enough, the three domes disappeared, freeing all of the Pokémon, including the two giants who roared upon release.
"You're free!" I exclaimed. I laughed as all of the smaller Pokémon huddled around me in thanks. Suddenly, Swinub took off and literally ran through the wall. "Swinub, where are you going? You can't go off by yourself! Come back!" I exclaimed.
I got up and chased after the gluttonous pig who had left a hole in the wall, leaving Charizard and Gyarados to act as bodyguard for the other Pokémon. When I crawled through the small hole, I found Swinub eating Team Rocket's supply of stolen food.
"Wow, I guess some things NEVER change." I said to myself. All of a sudden, a hole appeared right from under my feet, and I screamed as I fell like a rock. I grabbed Swinub who had also seemingly been rejected by Team Rocket, and held it close to protect it from harm. Luckily, I ended up landing in a soft bush.
"Look, we had to cut our losses." Jessie said. "I mean how do you stomach a permanently hungry Pokémon with a teensy yet hollow leg?" James added. That was a low blow, making fun of Swinub's unique characteristic. I watched in horror as the hovercraft flew further and further away. I didn't have Charizard with me, so I couldn't chase them, but I did have…
"We have to go too! Can you follow Team Rocket's scent Swinub?" I asked hopefully. Swinub seemed to acknowledge, and I put it down to track down Team Rocket.
Normal POV
"I saw them flying in this very direction, so I certainly hope we can catch them!" Mr. Backlot exclaimed. "We will, hold on tight!" Monica exclaimed. The house-keeper slammed her foot on the gas-pedal, and the group sped up their pursuit on the hovercraft. "Maybe Charizard and Gyarados can do some damage and slow them down." Ash said.
"They better not! If they do, the hovercraft may crash altogether!" Misty exclaimed. "All we can do is hope that they're alright." Brock said. "We'll find out soon, get ready everyone, I'm giving this baby all she's got!" Monica exclaimed.
Dawn's POV
I had been following the bouncing Swinub for a while now; I was feeling pretty proud of myself for getting Swinub to do what I asked. It made me feel like that I could handle being by myself and not have to worry about trouble. Swinub suddenly jumped toward an old tree, and my hopes went down just as suddenly.
"Swinub! Come on, we're not looking for berries now!" I exclaimed. Swinub nodded and sniffed the air. It then leaped into the bushes, and my hopes lifted again. "So Swinub did understand what I was saying after all!" I cheered to myself.
I followed Swinub through the forest, getting myself pricked with a few thorns on the way. Swinub suddenly used 'Take Down' on another tree, and two apples fell out of it, which Swinub immediately chomped down. Now I had nothing left, no motivation, no drive, nothing.
"No! Not fruit! (Groan) I give up."
I was feeling pretty down, but I was slightly touched by Swinub's consideration by it giving me one of its apples. I thanked it after a while, but when I looked at the round apple, I saw Piplup's happily chirping face. I felt a painful twinge in my heart, and I dropped the apple as if it was on fire.
"I'm so sorry…if I had been a little stronger, this wouldn't have happened." I whispered, although no one listened. I was feeling so horrible, so weak. Why couldn't I be like Ash or Misty? They were strong battlers; all I could do was cry and wallow in self-pity.
I felt worthless…worthless! What would someone like Paul or Kenny say if they saw me like this? They'd torment me, that's what they'd do. Well, maybe not Kenny, he wasn't so bad, but still…why did I always have to let my friends down? Why couldn't I ever succeed the first time? Why?
*Snort* *Snort* "Swinub!" (Come on!) "S-Swinub?" I wiped my eyes and saw the most determined looking Swinub I'd ever seen. "Y-You're telling me to follow you…aren't you?" I asked. Swinub nodded to confirm, and ran off. Maybe…I wasn't so worthless after all!
Swinub led me to a valley, where my hopes lifted even more. There was no way there was food in a desolate canyon, so the only other alternative had to be Team Rocket, and sure enough, that's what we found. "You found Team Rocket…'s food. Well, at least you found them." I said with a sweat-drop.
Normal POV
"The young twerpette!" James cried. "Thanks for your help Swinub. Team Rocket, give the Pokémon back!" Dawn screamed. "Hmmph, with that pile of paltry persuasion you'll get nothing but air." Jessie snapped back.
"Now Carnivine, take a 'Bite' out of crime!" James ordered. Carnivine did just that, as it bit onto James' head. "They're the criminals this time, not me!" James yelled. "Yanmega, 'Steel Wing' STAT!" Jessie ordered.
Now ready for battle, Yanmega and Carnivine dive-bombed the pig-Pokémon. "Look out Swinub!" Dawn screamed. Swinub was certainly not going to stand there and be beaten on; it fired an 'Ice Shard' in self-defense and froze its two antagonists.
"Awesome! You used 'Ice Shard'! I'm impressed!" Dawn exclaimed. "Swinub nub!" (Thanks!) it replied. When the dust from the impact settled, Team Rocket was seen on the ground. Bruised, battered, but certainly not defeated…not yet.
"Now Swinub, we've gotta save all those Pokémon!" Dawn screamed. Swinub acknowledged and charged ahead like a locomotive, smashing down the hovercraft's exterior with a 'Take Down' attack. The hole was made, and all the small Pokémon ran out as quickly as possible. "Where are Charizard and Gyarados?" Dawn asked.
Her answer came without a verbal reply, as Charizard and Gyarados rammed out of the machine with menacing roars, leaving two more enormous holes.
"Whoa, there they are." Dawn said in awe. Out of instinct and vengeance, Charizard and Gyarados launched their most powerful 'Flamethrower' and 'Hyper Beam' attacks respectively, blowing up Team Rocket's diabolical machine.
"Hey! We spent all night building that thing you beastly beasts!" James yelled furiously. "It was quite a feat!" Meowth added. Just as they were ready to battle one more time, Mr. Backlot's mini-van drove up with the entire group huddled inside.
"Thank goodness you're all alright!" Misty exclaimed, grabbing all of her Pokémon into a hug, with the exception of Gyarados of course. Ash and Mr. Backlot did likewise with their Pokémon. "My darling little Pokémon! I missed you so much!" Mr. Backlot exclaimed with joyful tears. "They're ok Mr. Backlot." Monica said, somewhat relieved.
"I'm so happy…so truly happy." Mr. Backlot said. "Hands to yourselves Mr. Moneybags!" Team Rocket exclaimed furiously, as their bounty of Pokémon had been commandeered from them. "It's back to the garden empty-handed for you! Carnivine, use 'Bullet Seed'!" James ordered.
Carnivine followed through and launched its attack. "Yanmega, 'Sonic Boom', let's go!" Jessie ordered. Following up Carnivine's attack, the dragonfly-Pokémon swung its tail and fired a powerful sound wave.
"Swinub!" Dawn screamed. Swinub had jumped into the air to meet the attacks with another 'Ice Shard', and lo and behold, Swinub's attack countered it perfectly.
Looking at their respective masters, the restless giants signaled their will to battle, as revenge towards Team Rocket for holding them captive and helpless. They were going to pay for humiliating them. "I think we know who wants to finish this battle!" Brock exclaimed.
"Then let's do it! Gyarados, use 'Hydro Pump'!"
"Charizard, use 'Flamethrower'!"
"Piplup, let's help them out with 'Bubblebeam'!"
The three attacks fired and swirled together, as the fusion of fire and water came into play perfectly, forming one ultra-powerful attack. With an explosion of calamitous proportions, Team Rocket was sent…
"We're blasting off again!" *Ping*
After the battle was officially over, Dawn ran up to Swinub and held it tight. "Thank you Swinub! Everyone's safe because of you!" she exclaimed. Swinub responded sheepishly, and then hopped out of her arms to continue its previously interrupted meal.
"Man, that Swinub can STILL put it away, don't you think? Heh, amazing." Ash said. "I've NEVER seen a Pokémon who could eat indefinitely, not even a Munchlax or a Snorlax." Misty added.
Dawn smiled and knelt down behind the eating Swinub. "So, tastes good huh?" Dawn asked. Swinub turned to face her and acknowledged. "Swinub…I was wondering…if maybe you'd like to come along with us on our journey?" Dawn asked hopefully.
Swinub stopped to ponder exactly what it had just been asked for a moment. Normally, everyone wanted it to leave, and here this thirteen year old girl who made awesome poffins was asking it to come along with her and her friends.
"Come on, it'll be fun!" Dawn said cheerfully. Swinub blushed and happily accepted her offer. "Wow, that's great, thanks!" Dawn exclaimed happily. She pulled a Pokéball from her pocket, touched Swinub with it, and made the capture official.
She then turned to face her friends and their Pokémon, holding the Pokéball out to them. "I'd like you to meet my new Swinub." she said. The Pokémon cheered at their being able to call yet another Pokémon their friend.
Later, back at the mansion, Ash and Co. had packed up their things and were ready to head back onto the road. Mr. Backlot and Monica had seen them to the gate to send the off.
"I hear there's going to be a Pokémon Contest coming up in Celestic Town. I think it would be great if you entered it." Monica said. "Yeah Dawn! Keep the winning streak going!" Misty exclaimed. "Why not? After all, Celestic Town's a little past Hearthome City." Brock said.
"Perfect! That'll be my next contest! Thanks for letting me know about it Monica!" Dawn exclaimed. "Think nothing of it." Monica replied. "We had such a great time with you all, but I think it's time we get a move on." Ash said. "Swinub, don't you think you should say bye too?" Dawn said. Swinub, who was on Dawn's shoulder at the time, did just that.
"I must say Swinub; things will be a bit less exciting around here with you, so you take care now." Mr. Backlot said. Swinub acknowledged. "Now Dawn, you make sure it gets plenty of poffins." Monica said. "Don't worry, a chef never lets her customers down." Dawn replied.
And with that, the group of teens bid farewell to their new friends, with a new friend riding on Dawn's shoulder…but not for long. "Swinub, where are you going?" Dawn asked. Her question was answered when Swinub smashed into a tree and knocked some apples down for a snack. "I think we have a new version of Ash's Heracross." Misty joked.
So after Swinub finished its snack, they would head back onto the road of Sinnoh, and Ash's next gym battle in Hearthome City.
_
A/N: If you wanna know where I got the detailed descriptions of their meals, thank the Cracker Barrel restaurant! Who doesn't love southern meals? xD Anyways, hope you enjoyed this one, and keep an eye out for more. (Did I say that already?) xD