Chapter titles are hard. This chapter may seem a bit unnecessary now, but that's because I'm setting something up. Plus, it gives me the chance to get a bit more character development going. Trying to fill out an entire chapter surrounding this is going to be another challenge in and of itself, so this is going to be another short one. But anyway, let's get on with it.
Chapter 81:
Dead Beat Dawn
Dawn and Zoey carry Max away from the open area where the Rhydon are and back into the trees where the path is. While they do that, Bonnie keeps an eye on the Rhydon, and Shiftry at the ready in case they try to make another run at them. Eventually, the four of them make it to the trees and away from the Rhydon. Once they're in the clear, Dawn and Zoey lay Max down on a comfortable bit of moss. At this point he can barely speak from the pain. Bonnie takes his broken arm and lays it out on the ground. Then, she begins to heal it.
While she does, Max turns to Dawn and Zoey. "I thought you two went back to Sinnoh?" he asks. "What are you doing here?" "And how did you find us?" Bonnie asks, briefly stopping healing Max to ask. A gasp of pain from him prompts her to return to it. "We came back to watch the Hoenn Grand Festival," Dawn explains. "We found out from May that you were competing in the Contests, and were hoping to catch your last one. But, obviously, we missed it. We learned that you got eliminated, so we were going to head straight to Slateport to see the Grand Festival." "As for how we found you," Zoey continues. "We were walking down the path when we heard screaming and came to investigate. We found you being chased by Rhydon, and here we are."
By the time they're finished talking, Max's arm is healed. He sits up and flexes his arm, making sure it works. "I gotta say Bonnie," he says, grinning as he does, "your healing powers are something else." Bonnie just nods, taking her hand off of Max's arm. "Yeah," she says half-heartedly. "It is." Max immediately notices this. "Oh no," he says. "Do not do this now!" "Do what now?" both Dawn and Bonnie ask. "Bonnie sometimes gets dejected that she can't do more with her Aura then heal," Max explains. "It gets particularly bad after she tries using it to defend us." Both Dawn and Zoey stare at her. "How can you feel like you're not good at Aura?" she asks. "You just healed Max's mangled arm! And there were bones sticking out!" Dawn shudders at that.
"Yeah, but that's all I can do apart from shooting small pulses from my hands!" Bonnie argues. "All because Ash won't teach me, since his brain sees me as bait 7-year-old!" Both Dawn and Zoey look very confused by this. Seeing this, Max explains Clemont's theory about why Ash won't show Bonnie Aura due to his fear of being like his dad. When he finishes, Dawn looks a lot more understanding. "Well, I suppose there's not much else to say on it then," says Dawn. Both Max and Bonnie look at her. "What do you mean by that?" Bonnie asks. Dawn sighs. "I mean I know what he's going through. My dad left me and my mum as well." Bonnie winces at this, while Max gives her a side-eye. "Oh, I'm sorry," she says. "I didn't know." Dawn waves her off. "It's alright," she says. "You couldn't have known." The four of them sit in an awkward silence for a bit, before Max eventually speaks. "What was your dad like? If you don't mind me asking." Zoey shoots Max a warning look, but Dawn puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright Zo," she says, before turning to Max.
"I don't really know," she explains. "He wasn't around that often. Always called away to work. I never saw him for more than a few months. But when he did appear, he always made sure to spend as much time as he could with me." This immediately raises Max's suspicions, which Dawn notices. "Yeah, I figured he was cheating on my mother as well," she admits. "He never actually married her, which only adds to my suspicions." "How did they meet then?" Bonnie asks. Dawn smiles a small bit at this. "My dad was in a lot of trouble," she explains. "He was fighting a legendary pokémon, trying to calm it down, and in doing so got really injured. My mum found him lying half dead on the road. She took him home and called a doctor, who treated him. He stayed in her home while he recovered, and they fell in love. This led to me being born."
"Aw, that's really sweet," Bonnie says. "But why did he never marry your mum?" Dawn shrugs. "I guess he felt that he wouldn't make a good husband, since he was travelling around a lot. See, my dad is Satoshi Berlitz." Bonnie's jaw drops to the floor, but Max is just confused. "Who?" he asks. Bonnie looks at him with amazement. "Don't tell me you've never heard of Satoshi Berlitz!" she exclaims. "He's one of the most famous explorers and pokémon researchers out there! His observations were incredible! Almost as good as yours!" Max blushes at this, which makes Zoey chuckle. "So, your dad felt like he couldn't marry Johanna because he felt like he'd need to stop exploring?" Max asks, getting back on track. Dawn shrugs again. Maybe. But there's also the chance that he was a cheater. I'd see him for maybe 3 to 4 months every year, and then he'd disappear again. Course, that was up until 5 years ago. I'm pretty sure he's dead now anyway."
Everyone, including Zoey, looks at her in shock. "You never told me that!" Zoey says, giving her a shoulder squeeze. "Because I didn't want to talk about it," Dawn replies. "That man was dishonest with my mother. I've never been able to prove that, but I know it in my heart." "How do you know he's dead?" Max asks. "Because I haven't seen or heard from him in 5 years," Dawn replies, without a hint of sorrow in her voice. "Shortly after Ash first became the Monarch, he came to visit me and my mum. He apologised for not being there for us more often, and for not being a better father for me. He took us all out for dinner, and spent as much time with us as possible over the course of the week. Then, he left. Just like that. I haven't seen him since." No one speaks for a while, as everyone is taking in what Dawn said. Eventually, Zoey leans over and hugs her. "I'm so sorry," she says. "If you permit me to say it, your father is a terrible person." Dawn chuckles. "Oh, no doubt about that," she says. "He may be a good researcher, but when it comes to people, he sucks." The four of them laugh at this.
"You and Ash seem to be quite similar then," Max comments. Dawn nods. "We've talked about it before," she agrees. "It's one of the ways in which we've bonded. It's also why we've started calling each other siblings. Both of our fathers were dead beats after all." The other 3 laugh at this. The three of them spend s a bit more time chatting about other things, like the Hoenn Grand Festival, or Dawn and Zoey's upcoming anniversary. Both of them are clearly giddy with excitement about this. But, soon enough, it's time that they part ways. As they do, Bonnie turns to Max and says, "I'm sorry I keep moping about my Aura. I know it's probably driving you crazy." Max waves her off. "It's fine," he says. "I know you're frustrated about it. I would be too if it was me." Bonnie hugs him at that, then lets him go quickly, turning her face to hide her blush.
Dawn and Zoey watch this as they depart. "Those two are going to need some help," says Dawn, to which Zoey nods in agreement. But, they're so focused on laughing at Max and Bonnie, that they fail to notice someone hiding in the trees. He watches as Dawn and Zoey set off for Slateport, then sneaks after them. With what he'd just learned, Kenny has no doubt in his mind that this time, Dawn will not be able to resist his advances.
Uh oh, looks like Kenny hasn't given up just yet! We are now edging closer to the final stretch for this volume. I think I might be able to get started on Volume 3 before March is over. But yeah, since Ash and Dawn act a lot like siblings, at least in my mind, I figured it would make sense to give them a similar issue with their fathers. Now, a bit of warning, the next chapter might not be able to come out until the week after next, since I am on the crew for a show, and will be busy setting it up, then taking it down on Friday. As a result, my schedule will be all over the fucking place. See you whenever I can.