CHAPTER 01

Saved by a Stranger

Life was as bleak as ever for one Dawn Berlitz, once the daughter of a duke and duchess she had everything from the finest dresses to the most exotic delicacies. But after her father's death she became a shadow of her former self, it all began when Duke Thomas Berlitz remarried to Elesa Dorcset a woman he had met during his travels in the Kingdom of Unova. After her father died Madam Dorcset sold the mansion and shipped them off to the Eastern Kingdom of Kanto living in a modest town named Pallet Town. She sighed as she carried the breakfast tray to the upper dining area, how she wished a miracle would happen to get her out of here. As she climbs the stairs she could here the old crow and her equally undignified daughters demand of their meals.

"There you are Dee-Dee! It's about time you served us our breakfast." Said the dark haired Ursula in a whiny tone.

Her elder sister Cassidy patted her head, "Now, now dear sister she's just having a slow start today. Am I right, mother dear?"

"Of course darling! She's worked herself hard this past month after all. Put those plates down Dawn and eat your meal downstairs." Dictated Elisa sharply

Dawn suppressed a sigh and placed the plate and teapot atop the table, "Here you are step mother, sisters."

Back down she went ready to eat her meager meal, she didn't complain of course, after all it was better then what most people in her position got, after breakfast she cleared the dining area and the kitchen. Elesa and the girls were going to see an opera show for the day, she smiled for the first time that day, she went to the back garden and headed of to the fields leading the a large wooded area where she often pick different herbs for cooking and making tea. These woods was where she would run off to to get some peace from her step family, as they would often mistreat her verbally and sometimes even physically. She had a small basket with the tools needed to harvest the herbs she would pick, she even had the seed to replant the herbs that she harvested.

"The one place that I can be free from the likes of them." She whispers to herself as she uprooted a few pieces of thyme from under the shade of a tree.

Moments later as she got to the other end of the forest she heard a sharp yell coming from near the river, "HEY! Watch out!"

A roar was heard from behind her, she turned slowly and flinched in fear as she was now face-to-face with an Ursuring! She refrained from screaming not wanting to anger the creature any longer.

"Lucario! EXTREME FORCE PALM!" Ordered the masculine voice behind her she saw a dash of blue pass her from the corner of her eye before seeing the hulking bear fly towards a tree.

Suddenly a gloved hand appeared under her nose, "Grab on. He won't be down for long, Lucario can handle him."

She looked up to see a fine faced young man with warm brown eyes and his disheveled ebony hair. She took his hand and he lifted her unto his Rapidash, they road off past the fighting Pokemon. They were back where she had been, the unknown man pulled the reins on his fiery horse signaling it to stop by the river's edge. He helped her off after he had dismounted himself, she straitened her skirt and faced her savior.

"Thank you for saving me, kind Sir." She thanked him earnestly as she took his hand in hers and squeezed it.

He smiled and turned their linked hands lifting the now exposed back of her own palm up to his lips kissing her knuckles, "I couldn't just leave you there could I. I could sense that you could have fended for yourself but that Ursaring looked it wasn't messing around. I am Red."

"I am Pearl." Dawn responds shaking his hand.

He smiles charmingly his eyes alight, "It's nice to meet you Pearl. What brings you to the forest at this time of day?"

"I usually harvest herbs in the forest, I would sometimes get in too deep doing this. How about you?" She responds raising a brow studying the young man in front of her.

He was wearing bronze plated armor with the crest of the Royal House of Ketchum on it, she saw a scabbard with his sword inside, and of course there was the familiar Aura Guardian attire he wore under his armor. He looked rather dashing, she could tell he was well built under his armor. She looked at his face finding his warm chocolate like brown eyes, easy going smile, and that disheveled ebony hair. But she couldn't help but be reminded of a certain other boy from her past with the same ebony hair and brown eyes.

"Red… he looks familiar…" her thoughts ran as she looked into his eyes.

Meanwhile, the young man who was under her gaze was also studying her. Red thought she looked familiar, as a memory of a similar blue haired and blue-eyed girl appeared in his mind, a girl from his childhood that he hadn't seen in so long. She looked beautiful he could tell she had an hourglass figure under the clothes she was wearing, her eyes were a striking azure, and her hair was an alluring dark blue that got lighter as it reach the end. His heart raced as he met her equality intense gaze.

His thoughts ran as well, "Do I know her form somewhere? She looks like someone I used to know…"

Lucario appeared beside them, studying the two young adults. He was perplexed as he felt a similar bond with the girl as the one he had with his Master and friend. He didn't see her as a threat; he could tell his Master was conflicted about this young lady. The aura jackal would speak to Ash about this when they got back to the Palace.

"Your a knight at the Palace right?" Dawn asks breaking their trance as she shook her head.

He nods at her, "I am. I am part of the Prince's guard. What about you?"

"Well. I live at the house across this forest. It is owned by Lady Elesa." Dawn informs him looking at the field that lead to the dreaded house.

He noticed her forlorn expression as he followed her gaze, "Why do you look so saddened? Aren't you one of her daughters?"

"In a way. They are my step-family, before she became a Lady here we had lived in Sinnoh with my father who had been a lord there. But when he passed not a year had past since he had married her, she sold our manor and took all our wealth and shipped the entire family here. She had all but striped me of my title and used me as a maid."

She saw the brightness leave his eyes as they turned almost black, then gasp as he took her into his arms. Though it was sudden she did not resist and even returned the gesture clutching at his tunic. Why were they so comfortable around each other? They had just met but to both it felt as if they knew the other for most of their lives. Lucario couldn't help but smile, the Pokemon didn't know why but he felt no need to be alert around this girl, so he left them be. As time past the two conversed about their lives, sharing certain things while keeping other things hidden, The blue haired girl told him of her mistreatment under the hands of the shrew and her spawns, his face would contort in anger at hearing these moments.

"Master. It is getting late we are due back at the palace by noon." Lucario says telepathically to Ash and by extension Dawn as well.

Ash started, "Oh dear it seams that we have allowed the time to get away from us. Thank you for that Lucario."

"What a shame this is, but I have to go as well or else mother will be mad at me. It was nice meeting you Red, I wish we had a longer time together." Dawn says sighing in disappointment at their time being cut short.

He wished the same. This young lady was more pleasant then most of the ladies he met in court, she was upfront and honest with him, she engaged him in playful banter and insightful conversation. An idea formed in his head.

He took her hand in his, "How about we meet by the river again tomorrow? I find it a shame to be going in such haste. I've truly enjoyed conversing with you these past hours milady."

"Aren't you the charmer good sir, I would love to meet you by the river tomorrow! Now, you best be going before your fellow knights come looking." She tells him with a smile.

He grins at her placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand, "Tomorrow it is."

He mounts his horse and races to the riverside looking back at the beautiful maiden that had caught his attention. She gave him an impish smile and sent a kiss his way with a wink. He shook off his surprise and chuckled giving her a wave as he gestured for his stallion to jump across the river. Dawn followed the path out of the forest and sighed somewhat dreamily, when she got to the house she proceeded to cook lunch for the day.

"Why did he/she seem so familiar to me?" - Was the last thought that entered their minds as they went about their day in two different worlds.

Chapter one is out! I hope you'll like this one, a PearlShipping AU to satisfy your love for this pairing and our ever present craving for the fairy tale cravings. One of the inspirations for this story was Disney's very own 2015 live action adaption Cinderella. That blue dress she wore to the ball was just so pretty! Except this Dawn has blue hair, so her dress won't be blue in this story, but the style will be a similar - if not the same - to what Lily James wore in the movie.

This fanfic was inspired by max acom's story, Maid for the Prince - this story is a great read for you Pearl (SatuHika) Shippers out there. It is equal parts sweet, engaging, and thrilling. For those of you who haven't read it yet, head on there. For those of you who have Wattpad or FFN accounts you may follow me on either platforms and check out your favorite Pokemon Shipping stories there.

Feel free to follow me as well:

Wattpad - 0S_Mika

FanFiction - Wise Lion_17

Signing off,

WL_17