Cinders and Ashes
A/N: I finally managed to finish this really long chapter that tells the night of the first ball. Well, it actually didn't take as long as last time, so I'm kind of proud of myself right now.
Anyway, let's just get on with Chapter 5! Roll it!
Chapter 5
The First Night of the Festival
Over at the royal palace, the first night of the festival was in full swing as more and more guests were ushered inside, the royal announcer announcing everyone's presence, whether they be noble or common. Up in the royal box above the ballroom, Queen Johanna was either politely waving or nodding her head to the guests that respectively greeted her from afar.
Her daughter, Dawn, was standing next to her, her blue eyes anxiously scanning the crowd, searching for a familiar face. She was wearing a simple pink knee-length dress with a black choker necklace with a small red ribbon on it, little dark pink horizontal and vertical accents on the skirt, a large pink sash around her waist and matching pink low heels. Her hair was tied up into a simple ponytail. She wasn't wearing her tiara because the first night of the festival was casual dress, so there was no need for it.
Next to Dawn was her partner Piplup, wearing a little red bow tie around his neck. Next to him was a female Buneary wearing a simple but pretty little orange dress. Normally, Pokémon aren't allowed to attend such fancy events since it would be very crowded due to the many extra guests that they would have to accomodate, but Dawn pleaded with her mother to allow her to bring her little friends for the festival. She wanted them to help her calm her nerves until her friend appeared. Also, just judging from their first meeting, she could tell that he loved Pokémon just as much as she did, due to the Pikachu he had with him and how close they appeared to be.
Giovanni and his daughters had already arrived, since as the Grand Duke, he needed to be at the ball early to take his place as the Queen's advisor. Dawn had politely greeted Serena and Miette when they arrived before the two sisters ran off to go and flirt with some of the young men on the ballroom floor. Dawn had shaken her head with slight exasperation at their eagerness to leave. For some reason, she could never understand what she did to them to make them dislike her so much. She had been nothing but cordial to them, despite the three of them not really being friends.
Johanna noticed Dawn's wandering eyes at all of the possible eligible bachelors that had arrived, along with those who have yet to be announced. It was obvious that she was looking for someone in particular. "Is everything alright, child?" She asked her daughter.
Dawn seemed to have snapped out of her little daze at the sound of her mother's curious voice, blinking her eyes rapidly to regain her bearings. "E-Everything's fine, Mother." She quickly assured her, hoping that she wasn't blushing.
But Johanna saw that look in her daughter's eyes. "You're looking for him, aren't you? That boy you met in the woods." She saw the small blush on Dawn's face turn a more rosy shade of pink. "You're hoping that he will come. That's why you opened the doors, isn't it?"
Dawn softly shook her head to dispel the blush in her cheeks. "Mother, it was for the people." She reminded her politely, giving her the same excuse she gave to Flint a week ago. But despite her cordial protest, there was a slightly amused smile appearing on her face, not feeling so tense to hide her emotions anymore.
Giovanni, however, glanced over at the princess with a suspicious look in his eyes. She was hiding something about this country boy she claimed she had met in the woods. Just what was so special about him that made him catch the princess's eye?
Meanwhile, Ash had finally arrived at the palace. All of the other carriages had already left the gates, meaning that the ball was almost about to officially begin. But it wouldn't matter so much if he was a couple of minutes late. Plus, it would be good for him if no one announced his name, unless he wanted his stepfamily to know of his presence.
One of the Pichu footmen came over to the carriage door and then opened it for him. Ash then carefully stepped out of the carriage, with the other Pichu footman offering him a hand as if he was a gentleman as he came out while Pikachu followed his master. The raven-haired young man looked up towards the grand-looking palace in front of him, and he began to shake visibly, almost quivering like a leaf.
"I don't think I can do this, guys." He said to his Pokémon friends. "I'm only a normal country boy, not a prince."
The Pichu twins then came over to him. "And we're really Pichu, not footmen." The first one said, getting Ash to look over at him and his brother.
"Enjoy this while it lasts, Ash." The second Pichu added in, coming next to his twin. "If you don't take this chance now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
Ash blinked at his transformed friends and then looked over at everyone else. The Ponyta neighed at him, while a disguised Mr. Mime gestured to him to go inside. Finally, he looked over at Pikachu, who climbed onto his shoulder.
"Pika, pikachu!" He said to him in his own language, clenching his tiny paw with confidence.
Ash stared at him with amazement, and then smiled determinedly. He took a deep breath, and with that confident smile on his face, began to climb up the steps to head inside the palace, with his transformed Pokémon friends watching him and Pikachu. When he reached the top, he briefly clutched the pin over his heart for some semblance of courage before gently letting go of it as the main doors were opened for him.
Back inside the ballroom, a small fanfare began to play. Once it was over, the announcer started to speak loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, My Lords, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished visitors and people of our land," he proclaimed, "the princess shall now choose her partner for the first dance! Let our ball commence!"
Dawn quietly sighed as she began to walk down to the ballroom floor, followed by Piplup and Buneary. She had hoped to have seen her friend from the forest by now, but he still hasn't made an appearance. But to appease her mother, she should at least choose a partner to dance with until he arrived. She carefully scanned the room, looking at all of the young men that had come in hopes to win her hand, while Piplup and Buneary watched from the doorway.
She then spotted a young man with blond hair, wearing a teal colored suit with pale orange trim. He seemed nice enough. Dawn was about to walk up to him when all of the background chatter and even the music seemed to have grown quiet. All of the guests seemed to be looking towards the entrance of the ballroom. She followed their gaze, and then, it felt like time had stopped.
There was a young man standing at the top of the stairs, warm brown eyes wide with wonder as he looked over at the crowd of guests, a handsome, polite smile on his face. He wore a black tuxedo with a red undershirt, a popped up collar and matching black tassels on his shoulders, black dress pants with matching dress shoes, white gloves on his hands, and a simple black fedora placed on his head, somewhat taming his wild mop of raven black hair, but also adding somewhat of a roguish appeal to him. He had no tie, just a white shirt with a small Windsor knot on the front. On the left side of his chest was a simple but beautiful wooden pin of a complex design. Perched on his right shoulder was a cute Pikachu wearing a little red bow tie around his neck. Even though he was dressed nicely but casually, everyone could see that he looked positively enchanting.
The young man walked down towards the lower staircase, keenly aware of the many eyes watching him, and then stopped at the top of the platform, his Pikachu hopping off his shoulder. Then, both of them politely bowed to the crowd and the queen before gracefully walking down the stairs, trying to not feel nervous by the number of eyes watching their every move. They seemed to have no idea that they had entranced the entire crowd of guests.
Dawn moved away from the crowd and towards the young man. She immediately recognized him: it was her friend from the forest. He then met her eyes, and his smile softly grew a bit wider when he saw her. The two of them then began to walk towards each other, the crowd opening up a path for them, their Pokémon trailing behind them.
Ash smiled warmly when he saw the pretty young lady standing before him. "Miss Dawn." He greeted her, quickly realizing her true identity as the princess.
Dawn smiled back at him. "Hello again, my friend from the woods." She replied, the smile on her face wide and happy. "I had hoped that you would come."
"I wouldn't miss this chance for anything." Ash answered back, his words making a pretty pink blush appear on the princess's face. Then, it started to turn a little more red.
"Um…. would you, uh…. like to, um…. dance with me?" Dawn asked him, gesturing shyly over towards the dance floor.
Ash just smiled and held out his hand to her. "I would be honored." He answered. Dawn returned his smile and then placed her hand in his.
Piplup and Buneary came over to Pikachu, and he followed them to the back of the ballroom to watch their masters dance. Ash and Dawn went to the center of the dance floor, where the guests had already cleared up some space.
First, they either bowed or curtised to each other. Then, Ash took Dawn's right hand in his left, intertwining them. Dawn placed her other hand on his shoulder, while Ash placed his free hand on her waist. As the music began to play, the two began to waltz together. When Ash was a young teenager, his mother urged him to learn how to dance. At first, he found those lessons to be quite annoying and pointless. Now, he learned that he owed her a huge thanks.
As he and Dawn began to spin around as they danced, Ash took sudden brief notice that everyone in the ballroom seemed intent on watching them. "Why is everyone staring at us?" He asked the princess.
Dawn just giggled. "I think they wish that they could dance as well as us." She answered.
Everyone watched with rapture and wonderment at the couple dancing across the ballroom floor. Who was this mysterious young man who clearly seemed to have caught the princess's attention? He was never announced, so no one knew his name, much less if he was royal or common. But just from how the pair was dancing, it seemed clear that the princess and this mysterious young man belonged together. They danced, swayed and spun around in perfect harmony.
Johanna watched them from above with both joy and amusement. It seemed quite obvious that her daughter was smitten with this young man, judging from the loving gaze she could easily see even from her spot in the royal box. I might end up with a son-in-law by the end of this festival after all. She thought to herself.
But Giovanni wasn't not quite as happy with the thought of the princess choosing a suitor. He had no idea who this young man was, but already, he could tell that this was a travesty of epic proportions. He didn't count on the possibility that the princess would immediately fall for someone on the first night of the festival! She was much too stubborn and too spirited. She needed someone who could firmly control both her and the kingdom as king, not someone who appeared to be just as stubborn and spirited.
Serena and Miette watched the princess dance with this handsome, mysterious stranger. Miette glowered with jealousy that the princess chose this very attractive man as her partner, while Serena watched with longing and awe. She wished that she could find love like that. Well, she once had a chance long before, but she had blown it miserably.
Pikachu, Piplup and Buneary watched their masters dance with big smiles on their faces. Neither of them had ever seen them smile this much in a long time. It was like the two of them were in their own world, and they didn't mind. It was definitely quite the sight.
Ash felt like he was practically floating on air, the smile on his face not leaving for a second. He hadn't smiled this much in a long time, not since his mother had passed away. What was it about Dawn that made him feel this way? They only really talked once before. But this comforting warmth, was it…. love? How? He then supposed that what his parents had told him once about finding love back when he was a child was true: When he knew what it was, he'd know right away.
It was the same thing with Dawn. She wasn't quite sure why she felt so much at ease with her mysterious friend from the woods. All that mattered at that moment was that she was finally near him again. Plus, it was obvious from their previous encounter that he wasn't one for tradition. It was both refreshing and amusing. He made her feel like she can be herself, and she won't be criticized or judged for it.
The two of them finally finished their waltz, and the crowd erupted into applause. Then, the next song started to play. Miette raced over to see if she could snatch the mysterious man away from the princess, but she had already pulled him away from the dance floor towards their waiting Pokémon. Miette glared at them while she and Serena found their own partners and started to dance.
Dawn quickly led Ash into a separate room off the ballroom, their Pokémon following close behind them. Ash then turned over to face her. "So you're the princess." He said, the realization of her true identity finally beginning to sink in.
But then he gave her a dry look. "An apprentice? Really?" He asked, crossing his arms.
"Well, it was the truth, to an extent." Dawn admitted, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. "I am an apprentice. An apprentice monarch, learning the trade of ruling a kingdom." Ash just shook his head at her with a slightly amused smile on his face, showing that he wasn't really mad at her for hiding the truth from him.
"Well, I must say that this is quite a surprise, Your Highness." Ash said, uncrossing his arms.
"Please, just call me Dawn." The blunette beauty said, taking his gloved hand in hers. "But what should I call you?"
Ash lightly bit his lip, looking away from her gaze. "It wouldn't matter anyway." He answered. "When this is all over, you probably will forget about me."
Dawn just shook her head, gently cupping his face with her other hand, getting him to look back at her. "I doubt I will ever forget you." She replied.
Ash felt a small blush appear on his face. But he still smiled at her, silently thanking her for her words. Then, he took notice of a large painting on the wall behind them and went to get a better look at it.
"Is this you?" He asked, gesturing to the painting of Dawn on the wall, wearing a long and extravagant yellow gown.
Dawn lightly blushed at the sight of her painted self. "Yeah." She confirmed. "But I do hate myself in paintings."
"Well, I think you look very nice." Ash said. "No one's ever painted my portrait."
Dawn glanced over at Ash. "Well, they should." She said, making Ash blush. Then, she stretched out her hand to him. "So, no more surprises from each other?"
Ash grinned and lightly shook her hand with his, which could've been inappropriate since she was a princess. But her title was the furthest thing from their minds; right now, they were only friends. "No more surprises." He agreed.
Then, their Pokémon came either scampering, hopping or waddling up to them. Ash knelt down to them, his eyes landing on Piplup. "Hey. I remember you." He said, petting the top of the little Water type's head. Piplup smiled and puffed up his chest proudly, making Ash chuckle.
He then saw Buneary next to Pikachu, staring at him with adoring eyes. "And is this cute Buneary yours as well, Dawn?" He asked her, getting Buneary's attention. His flattering words made the little Normal type blush a bright pink and hide her face in her fluff.
Dawn giggled. "Yes, she is." She answered. "I also have some other Pokémon playing in the gardens right now." She added, getting Ash's attention after he had gently picked up Piplup in his arms. "Would you like to meet them?"
Ash nodded his head excitedly, a wide and bright smile on his face. "Yes, I would love that!" He exclaimed as Pikachu hopped on his shoulder, sharing his master's excitement.
Ash then handed carefully Piplup over to Dawn, who gently took him in her arms. She then began to lead Ash and Pikachu towards the gardens, with Buneary hopping ahead of them.
Minutes later, they were all out in the royal gardens, where the rest of Dawn's Pokémon were all playing together. There was a female Pachirisu, a female Ambipom, a male Mamoswine much to Ash's surprise, a male Quilava, and a female Togekiss. The Pokémon were slightly surprised that their mistress brought a young man over, because this was the first time that this ever had happened. But Piplup and Buneary seemed to like him, so they were willing to try and get to know him.
Ash's eyes were wide with wonder and joy as he introduced himself and Pikachu to them. Then, in just minutes, it was like they were chatting together as if they had already been friends. Ambipom especially took a liking to Ash. She even snatched his fedora, and Dawn spent the time laughing until her sides hurt as Ash chased the cheeky Normal type around, trying to get it back.
When he finally got it back after he had tackled Ambipom and began tickling her to make her release the hat, Ash placed the fedora back on his head and looked over to where Dawn was on her knees, laughing breathlessly. Ash had blushed bright red as he came over to her, but then he started laughing as well. Soon, everyone was laughing.
Minutes later, after the laughter finally died down, Ash and Dawn sat down on the grass, contently watching their Pokémon play together. As they did, they asked questions to try and get to know each other. Ash could somewhat relate his life to Dawn's own, with being an only child and spending most of their lives being raised by only one parent. Dawn also expressed remorse and sympathy when Ash revealed that he had lost his parents when he was younger.
"I can tell that your parents loved you very much." Dawn said, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder.
"Yeah." Ash replied. "Sometimes, it hurts to think about. But I know that they wouldn't want me to spend my life moping around. I just need to be brave and kind, and I'll find the strength to look forward to another day."
Dawn pondered his words for a moment. "I like that." She said.
Ash smiled at her. "You know, my mother gave me this." He showed her the pin on his chest. "She told me that my father gave this to her as a wedding present."
Dawn looked over at the wooden pin. "It's very nice. Simple, but beautiful." She said. "May I?"
Ash nodded and carefully removed the pin. He then handed it to Dawn. The princess inspected it carefully before she turned it over. There, she found a small inscription.
"The true courage inside comes from a loving heart." She read.
"According to what Mom told me, Dad said that it was something he learned when he was my age, and he said it to her right before I was born and she was worried if she was ready to be a mother." Ash explained.
Dawn smiled at him as she handed him back the pin. "Well, now I can see where you get your charm." She said teasingly, making Ash blush.
The raven-haired man then looked back out towards the Pokémon. "Look at them, having a great time. It's like they've all been friends for a really long time." He said before looking around the gardens. "And this place, it's just amazing."
"It's my favorite place to go here." Dawn said. "My mother and I would spend a lot of time here when I was a little girl. She even taught me how to sew in case I ever tore something, since I still spend a lot of time here. So I may not be a seamstress, but I do know my way with a needle and thread."
Ash smiled at her, impressed. "I get what you mean." He said. "I would spend whatever free time I had with my Pokémon as well, along with the ones in the stables and even in the forest. I would definitely feel suffocated if I spent all of my time indoors."
"I do as well." Dawn replied. "But due to my role as a princess, I'm not allowed to go outside very often. My mother likes me to stay close. She's always worried that something is going to happen to me."
"Is that why you snuck out with that hunting party when I met you?" Ash asked her.
Dawn nodded. "That's why she told me that I have to at least choose a possible husband by the end of the festival." She explained. "Mother wants to be sure that I'll be alright when I become queen."
"You can't blame your mom for being worried." Ash said. "I remember when I was younger, I would give my mom quite a few scares, and she always fussed over me, even when she knew that I could easily take care of myself."
Dawn chuckled. "Well, there's that. But also, she told me that a prince would be the ideal choice for me, which I don't exactly agree with. I know that our kingdom is small, but I don't think that we need to look beyond our borders for strength. Plus, I just hate being forced into this kind of stuff. If I do marry, I want it to be for love, not benefit."
Ash smiled gently at her and then took her hand in his. "I think with that kind of mindset, I think you're going to be a great queen someday."
Dawn smiled back at him, a pink blush on her face. But then, her eyes became slightly lidded as she slowly inclined her face towards his. Despite the loud and rapid pounding of his heart booming in his ears, Ash felt the urge to lean in as well and was just about to act on it, his eyes fluttering closed-
DONG!
Ash's head immediately snapped up to see the giant clock tower over in the distance. He could see that it was now eleven o'clock. He had to leave now without risking losing any more time, despite his disappointment. He supposed time really does fly when you're having a good time.
"I have to go." He said, standing up.
"Go?" Dawn asked, slightly disappointed and hurt. "Why? The ball doesn't end for another couple of hours."
"It's just that…I have to get back home by a certain time." Ash answered her hurriedly. "If I want to get over there in time, I have to leave now."
"Do you really have to?" Dawn asked, standing up and grabbing his wrist.
"Yes, I must!" Ash exclaimed, pulling his wrist away. "But I'll be back tomorrow night!"
"Promise?" Dawn asked as he ran over to get Pikachu.
"Promise!" Ash replied as he got Pikachu's attention, and the two of them began running out of the gardens. But before they left, Ash turned to look over at Dawn. Then, before he could cowardly change his mind, he raced back over to her and planted a quick kiss on her cheek before bolting away, with Pikachu hot on his heels.
Dawn lightly touched the spot where the raven-haired young man kissed her, before a fierce red blush bloomed on her cheeks and she fell onto her knees, her legs wobbling. But then, she sighed happily as she laid flat on her back, a lovestruck grin on her face. She'll hold him to his word.
Ash and Pikachu stormed back inside the palace, the little Electric type jumping onto his master's shoulder once they were back inside. Ash then began zigzagging around the perimeter of the ballroom before he finally reached the staircase. Then, he ran them up and then out of the ballroom.
However, his little escapade didn't go noticed by his stepfamily, who were all curious as to why the mysterious young man was leaving in such a rush. Serena decided to follow him, but she didn't get very far when she got outside to see the young man jumping into a carriage as it took off.
Who was he? She thought to herself as she watched the carriage roll away.
Inside the carriage, Ash and Pikachu let out a sigh of relief. But neither of them could stop smiling. One of the Pichu brothers peeked in. "You two had a good time?" He asked them with a teasing grin on his face.
"You bet!" Ash exclaimed. "So I hope that you guys will prepare yourselves, because we're going again tomorrow night!" Pikachu cheered as he pumped his fist, sharing his master's excitement for attending the next night.
Luckily for them, Ash had arrived back at the manor well before midnight. He jumped out of the carriage and raced towards his room in the attic. He changed out of his formal wear, folded it and changed back into his normal tattered tunic. By the time he finished, the magic faded when the clock struck twelve, changing his nice clothes back into the ruined suit it once was. Pikachu's bow tie even faded away.
When Ash and Pikachu came back outside, they saw that the carriage had changed back into a pumpkin, and all of the Pokémon had changed back into their original appearances. Ash then began to carefully roll the pumpkin back into the pumpkin patch. "We better save this for tomorrow." He said.
Once he finished, he turned over to his Pokémon friends. "You guys better get some rest." He added. "We have another big day ahead of us tomorrow."
The Pokémon all cheered and then began heading back over towards either the manor, the stables, or to the forest to go and get some sleep. Then, Ash and Pikachu went back inside the manor and into the kitchen. They supposed that the Grand Duke and his daughters would want a midnight snack and tea when they got back.
When they had arrived in the kitchen, they saw that Delia had already started the kettle over the fire, while Jayce was magically cleaning up the dishes and placing them back in the cupboards. There were teacups on the table, along with a plate of biscuits. Arcanine was lying next to the fireplace, keeping a hyper-vigilant eye and ear for Giovanni's Persian.
"Ash, you're back!" Delia said, coming over to him and giving her son a hug. "Did you have a good time?"
"Tonight was the best night of my life!" Ash exclaimed happily as he returned his mother's hug lovingly. "Thank you so much."
"Did you find your little friend?" Jayce asked him as the last clean dish floated itself back in the cupboard.
Ash nodded as he let go of his mother and went over to stand next to his father. "I did, Dad." He said. "And guess what? She was actually the princess!"
"The princess?" Delia asked, her brown eyes widened with amusement. "Oh, my! That is certainly a surprise."
"I promised her that I would come again tomorrow night." Ash added. "So do you think you guys can help me again?"
"Of course, son!" Jayce said, lightly patting his son on the back. "We said that we would help you go to the festival. And that meant all three balls on all three nights."
Ash then hugged his father. "Thank you!" He exclaimed happily as Delia came into the hug. However, the family hug ended when they heard the sounds of a carriage arriving.
"That must be the Grand Duke." Ash said. "You two better-" He stopped when he saw that his parents had already vanished with clouds of small gold sparkles.
"Ash!" Miette screeched, making the raven-haired man flinch at her tone. "Tea and a plate of biscuits!"
Ash quickly grabbed a tea towel and grabbed the kettle from the fireplace. He took a quick look inside and saw that his mother had already put some tea leaves in there. When Giovanni and his daughters came into the kitchen, they were surprised to see the setup on the table.
"That was quick." Serena said.
"I wanted to be ready when you arrived." Ash explained, trying to hide the smile on his face. But Miette took notice of it.
"You seem rather cheery." She noted.
"Oh, I took a walk over to the meadow to cheer myself up." Ash answered quickly.
"Well, at least you managed to make time to make us something to eat." Miette said as Ash began passing out a biscuit to everyone.
"So how was the ball?" Ash asked politely.
"It was quite enjoyable." Serena said. "But you'll never believe what happened a few minutes after the party started."
"And what might that be?" Ash asked.
Before Serena could respond, her father cut in coldly. "It seems that our princess has been captivated by some mysterious prince." Giovanni answered.
Ash blinked, feigning mild curiosity. "Mysterious prince?" He repeated as he went to get the tea kettle. "Well, that certainly sounds fascinating."
"Oh, please." Giovanni scoffed as Ash carefully began pouring tea into their cups. "It was most likely just some street Rattata in prince's clothing that snuck into the ball."
"But can you honestly believe that the princess actually danced with him?" Miette asked. "It was mostly likely just to avoid embarrassing him in front of everyone. I always knew that she was too nice for her own good."
"What made everyone think that this mystery man was a prince?" Ash asked.
"He dressed like one." Serena answered. "And I must say, he actually seemed quite charming."
"Well, if the princess truly knows what's good for her and the kingdom," Giovanni broke in again, "she would have thrown him out the moment they were out of the public eye."
"Well, I think that they deserve each other." Miette scoffed as Ash began to walk back to the fireplace to place the tea kettle back. "One Rattata deserves another."
"Then how come he ran out an hour before the ball finished?" Serena asked her sister.
"Who knows?" Giovanni said before sipping his tea. "However, after he left, I finally managed to get the princess back to the royal box with the queen so that she could meet other eligible bachelors there. But of course, all she could talk about was that Mystery Prince."
"But isn't this a good thing?" Ash asked. "I thought the whole point of this festival was so that the princess could find a match. If she likes this Mystery Prince, then what's so bad about it?"
Giovanni lightly gripped the little handle of his teacup. "If the princess didn't insist on opening the gates so that she could find this Mystery Prince, I would have persuaded the queen to choose a royal suitor for her from the very start." He said. "And I could tell just by looking at that boy, he is just as spirited and relentless as the princess herself. The princess doesn't need an equal as her match, she needs someone to tame and control her. Just as he would a kingdom."
Ash bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from frowning. Dawn doesn't need someone to control her. She deserves an equal. She deserves love.
"Tomorrow night, if that boy comes to the ball, I want to see him for myself." Giovanni said, making Ash almost freeze in his tracks. "I want to see if I can get him to show his true colors."
Ash glanced over at Pikachu and Arcanine, looking almost afraid. But the two Pokémon gave him reassuring looks, determined smiles on their faces. Ash then returned them with a small grin of his own.
Try if you want, Your Grace. He thought to himself. But nothing is going to keep me away from spending more time with Dawn. I won't let you scare me anymore.
A/N: This one wasn't as quite long as the previous chapter, but it was actually pretty close. But that concludes the first night of the festival. The next chapter will be for the second ball, which is a costume party. Can you guys guess what Ash's costume will be? Judging that he is kind of supposed to be the "belle of the ball", the answer should be kind of obvious.
Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think. They are highly appreciated, and remember to stay healthy. The winter months are only getting closer.
Got to fly! ;)