Hello and welcome to the sequel to my first fanfiction. This will be a multi-chapter story following up on the events of 'Towards The Future'. Please note that Serena does not have a large role in this fic and characters will have a telephone conversation with her at most. I know it's odd to discard a main character from the prequel, but I feel like I left her character where I wanted it. This story will focus more on Pearlshipping.
A sincere thank you to all of my reviewers form my first story. They were all greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. All names and characters belong to their rightful owners.
The landscape was a blur of green fields and grey skies. The occasional darker green smudge of forest could be seen on the horizon, but they vanished just as quickly as they arrived. Turning his head away from the monotonous scenery, Ash Ketchum shifted in his seat in order to get more comfortable. The train journey from Lumiose City to Kiloude City was a lengthy one. It was at this point that he would start a conversation with his numerous travelling companions, unfortunately that hadn't been an option since he had started to travel on his own three months ago, following his date with Serena. The two had done some serious growing up over those few days and Serena had remained in Lumiose to pursue PokéVisions as a career, with Clemont and his sister staying to care for their gym.
Ash's first stint of travelling alone since the early days of his journey had gone as well as could be expected. His innate curiosity had led him and his Pokémon to being lost on numerous occasions (in a swamp no less) and often resulted in messy encounters with wild Pokémon whose territory they had unwittingly violated. He had learned his lesson however, and 'stay on the road' had become a mantra that constantly resonated in his head. Travelling with Brock and Cilan had taught him the basics of preparing food for his Pokémon, and he had often used those talents when he had travelled with his friends in the early days of his Kalos journey. His Pokémon were well fed. However, Ash himself was not. Pokémon food came as pellets and could be easily stored. Human food needed proper containers and a good deal of preparation before there was anything edible. Needless to say, Ash had had a very hungry first week of travel.
It became easier once he reached Laverre City. There he had met his old friend Iris, who was studying the Fairy type, as they were a huge obstacle to all Dragon types. Before he challenged the gym he picked her brains on living off the land. The wild child had given him much guidance about what to eat and what would make him puke his guts out. They then decided to battle, with Iris choosing to use her Axew. After a moment's thought, Ash had headed to the PC and had his Gible sent over. At the time he wanted a Dragon against Dragon battle. This had inevitably led to ten minutes of Iris ranting over his stupidity for not telling her he owned a Dragon type sooner. After she had calmed down the two had battled intensely. The end result had been both Pokémon evolving to their next stages before passing out.
Iris's anger had faded completely at the sight of her newly evolved Faxure. Ash had been so pleased with his new Gabite that he had chosen to return him to his travelling team as his fifth Pokémon. After Ash had earned the Gym badge from the local Fairy Gym, the old friends had parted ways again, as Iris had more research to do. The last he had heard, she was trying to teach her Dragonite Iron Tail in order to counter Fairies.
Armed with new knowledge of the wilds, Ash's travelling became much easier as he was able to gather a meal for himself from the surrounding area. After some practice he could even cook something that would pass for edible. Gabite's success had given Ash an idea. His most successful League entry to date had been in Sinnoh, where he had earned placement in the Top Four. It had taken two Legendries to knock him out of the tournament. In the Sinnoh League he had rotated in Pokémon from all his past journeys to great effect. For the last leg of his Kalos journey he had applied the same strategy and each time he visited a Pokémon Centre, his sixth Pokémon would be one of the ones he used to travel with.
That was not to say he neglected his Kalos caught Pokémon however; those three had stayed with him throughout. Firstly, there was Greninja, his first Pokémon in the region. Strange, angular features and blank stares aside, the Ninja Frog Pokémon combined two of Ash's favourite things: speed and ferocious attack power. Next, there was Talonflame- his latest bird Pokémon was a Fire/Flying type and prideful with it. The bird would not enter a battle without first taking meticulous care of his orange and grey plumage. Lastly, there was Hawlucha. The unique Fighting/Flying type remained as brash as ever and his time travelling with Ash had done little to dull the wrestler's flare in battle. Of course, there was always Ash's most faithful companion: the ever present Pikachu who mirrored his trainer in almost every way. The electric mouse was currently curled up on the seat next to him. Ash felt a stab of envy, wishing he could join his partner. But thoughts of the future still weighed on his mind.
After earning all the eight badges he needed and with four months to go before the Kalos League itself, Ash had found himself at a loss about what to do. That was why, after visiting his old travelling companions in Lumiose City, he had hopped onto the train to Kiloude City. The Wallace Cup was being hosted there: the first ever Contest in the Kalos region in a bid to promote the popular competition to further away regions. Ash was looking forwards to watching the Cup; after all it was something to do and Contests always had good ideas for inspiration. And he did have a promise to keep to someone who was sure to be there.
Dawn. He had been thinking about her offer of a 'friendly date' for a long time now. Although neither of them had mentioned it when they had arranged to meet in Kiloude City, it was still there, lingering in the background. When on the road alone, there was little to occupy Ash's ever inquisitive mind. His thoughts most often turned to his Pokémon: who should he use in his next battle, strategies should he devise for them. However, he couldn't train and walk simultaneously so he still had long periods of nothing to do and whilst he could understand Pikachu better than most humans, there was still a limit to how much they could communicate, making long conversations impossible. During these times, his thoughts would drift to his old friends and he would wonder how they were doing. The most prominent amongst these was Dawn and her offer.
In spite of what Iris said, Ash was no little kid. He had hormones like any other teenage boy and they all told him that Dawn was beautiful: creamy pale skin, an hour-glass figure and long blue hair that framed a face with eyes that could light up the night. His brain told him that Dawn was so much more than a pretty face, however. All her enthusiasm, her tireless pursuit of her dream and her optimistic outlook on life mean that the two of them could only be good for each other. However, there was still the cruel voice of doubt in the back of his mind: You dodged a bullet once with Serena. Are you really going to risk it again? Ash was a risk-taker on the battlefield, but not when it came to friendships. And he valued Dawn's friendship more than any other.
And then there was more. As part of the hype for the Wallace Cup, Kalos had been provided with footage of all the Contests over the last year. This had given Ash the opportunity to watch all of Dawn's Contests that he had missed whilst she was travelling in Hoenn, even the ones she had lost. She had shown talent, grace, power and intelligence in all of her performances. However, Ash knew Dawn well. There was something missing from her, and he couldn't but his finger on it. If something was truly bothering Dawn, he had to put aside his growing feelings for her in order to resolve it.
Ash shifted in his seat again, this time due to the discomfort of his own thoughts. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. There was still half an hour of the journey left. Ash closed his eyes and tried to sleep join his partner in sleep.
Dawn raised her hands above her head as far as they would go and stretched her legs out in front of her until she heard the satisfying crack of her joints. The flight from Slateport City to Kiloude City had been the longest she had taken since visiting Ash in Unova. Returning her hands to her side, she then adjusted her new skirt. Dawn's outfit had gone through changes since she had spoken to Ash in Lilycove three months ago. It had taken several salacious comments from passing sailors for her to realize that what could pass for appropriate on a late-blooming thirteen-year-old girl was much less acceptable for a sixteen-year-old well on her way to becoming a young woman. She had kept her white beanie and the same footwear that she had in Sinnoh but had swapped her old clothes for a black cotton tank top and light pink jacket. On her lower half she now wore a white skirt that came down to just above her knees. It was enough to still show off her figure, but no longer gave the false impression that she was 'easy'.
Travelling with Ash and Brock had given her a protection she had never truly appreciated until she had to travel on her own. The young men she had met were more flirtatious and forwards than she was comfortable with. Still, she was by no means defenceless and whilst her darling Piplup was not the most intimidating Pokémon in the world, her Mamoswine was more than enough to chase off any one whom over stepped themselves. That was not to say Dawn was completely against the idea of dating, on the contrary she'd had a boyfriend in the past.
After beating her in the Johto Wallace Cup, her childhood friend Kenny had finally picked up the courage to ask her out. Taken by surprise, and being very flattered Dawn had accepted. However, two Coordinators travelling together as a couple was a recipe for disaster. They had argued over who would enter the next Contest; Kenny wanted to capitalise on his win in Johto and build up a streak whilst Dawn had argued that she should have the opportunity to win one. They had settled the matter with a battle between their starters and Dawn had been victorious in spite of Piplup facing his fully evolved form. Kenny had not taken the defeat well. It was then that Dawn realized that Kenny wanted a very specific sort of girl: one who would look up to him and above all else was weaker than him. Dawn did not want a boyfriend who couldn't swallow his pride and her relationship with Kenny had soured to the point where they had broken up and could not even be described as friends any more.
The subject of boys brought to mind probably the most significant male in her life. She was meeting Ash in Kiloude and finally seeing him again in person. The idea made her more excited than she cared to admit, even to herself. She wondered if Ash remembered the promise they made to spend time alone together. She knew that it would only be a friendly date to get them both used to the idea again, but she couldn't help but think of it as something more serious. She supposed she had always had a soft spot for Ash. His childish antics and open-eyed view of the world attracted her. He was her tireless supporter and her biggest fan after her own mother and having him there to cheer her on in the Wallace Cup was sure to lead to her earning her fifth ribbon.
Then again… doubt lingered in her mind. Although she had been earning her ribbons in Hoenn she had yet to overcome any of her major rivals in a Contest. From losing to Kenny in Johto to losing to Ursula in Pacifidlog Town, Dawn had always fallen down at the last and biggest hurdle of her performances. She wasn't entirely sure, but she felt that it was tied in to the absence of Ash and Brock. The two had been present for every Contest she had entered in Sinnoh and having someone there in the audience who would cheer for you and be there for you whether you won or lost had been amazing. Contests in Hoenn just hadn't been the same without them. And Dawn hated it. She had set out to achieve her dream and be like her mother, not to become dependent on having someone there to hold her hand. She didn't blame Ash or Brock for this though; it was her problem to solve.
The aeroplane began to tilt beneath her. Glancing up, she noticed that the seatbelt sign had come on and that they were preparing to land. As she was in a window seat, she closed her tray and raised the shutter, squinting as blinding sunlight shone through into the otherwise gloomy cabin. Her travelling companion to her left groaned in protest as she attempted to cover her eyes from the sun, wanting only to return to sleep. Dawn couldn't help but grin, pushing away her negative thoughts for the time being.
"You're wearing sunglasses Zoey, remember?" she teased her red-headed rival. In spite of earning her five ribbons, Zoey wanted to compete in the Wallace Cup as well.
"Oh right." the other girl muttered, sleepily. Moving her hand to her forehead, she shifted her favourite eyewear form their perch to their rightful place protecting her eyes. Dawn continued to smile at her friend. Coming from the freezing cold Snowpoint City, the warm and tropical weather of Hoenn had come as a shock to Zoey and her purple jacket and jeans had been swapped out for cream coloured shorts and a plain purple t-shirt. Unfortunately, the exposed skin revealed the angry, blotchy red of the girl's extensive sunburn. When she wasn't wearing her sunglasses, you could even see the plain white circles they had left around her eyes contrasting sharply with her red face. No, Hoenn weather had not been kind to Zoey. Not that it had affected her performances in anyway; Zoey had a perfect streak of five Contest wins in a row.
"You'd better wake up now Zoey, we're about to land!" The blunette informed her friend. As her eyes had now adjusted to the bright light, Dawn looked out of the window. They were beneath the cloud layer now and she could see Kiloude City stretching out beneath them. The ocean was a deep, clean blue and a thin ribbon of pure white sand separated it from the resort city. Dawn could make out villas and hotels, all their roofs tiled in red. In the centre of the town stood a huge stadium with a front that looked almost church-like. There was no doubt that that was where the Wallace Cup would be held.
Ash is down there as well, the blunette thought. She glanced to her left where Zoey was now stirring. There was no need to worry. Whatever issues she was facing in her Contests at the moment, she would not let it get in the way of her having a good time with her closest friends.
It was amazing how weather could clear up over a bit of time and distance. It had been a miserable morning in Lumiose City but in the bright, midday sunshine of Kiloude City; it might as well have been another world to Ash. He currently sat in a small park, biding his time until Dawn's plane landed. Pikachu was off somewhere sniffing flowers and playing tag with wild Pokémon. To his right was his newly evolved Meganium. His Bayleef had evolved when he had kept his promise to enter her in a Gym battle. In spite of it being the Ice type Gym and his eighth badge, Ash had kept his promise and his Bayleef had evolved to her final form and taken out both his opponent's Cryogonal and Avalugg before fainting. Wulfric's Mega Ambomasnow had proved a problem, but his Pikachu and Talonflame had managed to bring it down.
Regardless, he knew that Meganium loved nature and the Johto grass type was definitely enjoying the scenery and the company of her trainer. The ring of pink petals around her neck ruffled as a breeze blew through the area and the sweet smell of flowers helped Ash to relax from his restless time on the train. He had always preferred walking in the outdoors as opposed to travelling by transport. A beeping from his watch interrupted the peaceful scene. It was the alarm he had set so he didn't miss Dawn's plane when it landed. He quickly returned his Meganium, promising to play with it later and waved to Pikachu, who leapt onto his shoulder. They were both eager to see their old friends, Dawn and Piplup.
It did not take them long to reach the sea port, where ships would dock and sea planes would land. There were several planes already unloading passengers and a large crowd had gathered. People were meeting friends, business partners and relatives. Ash entered the crowd and struggled to move through to the front. With Pikachu on his shoulder he was rather noticeable, so whichever plane Dawn got off, she was sure to spot him. After much apologizing (and unfortunately necessary elbowing) he managed to make it to the front. Scanning the milling group of passengers, he noticed a familiar white beanie in the crowd.
"Hey! Dawn!" He cried in greeting, raising his hand in the air. Pikachu joined in with his exclamation and pumped his little paw. The blunette turned and spotted him and a wide smile crossed her face. He grinned. She had changed clothes since they had spoken in Lilycove City, and he had to admit they looked good on her. Meanwhile, Dawn had raised both her arms in greeting, waving enthusiastically, before jogging towards him. Slightly behind her Ash noticed the familiar sight of Dawn's biggest rival, the red-headed Coordinator Zoey.
Before he could acknowledge the other girl, Dawn was on him in a blur. He felt her arms wrap around him and he, on pure instinct returned the embrace. The hug was unexpected and unplanned, but not unwelcome. Just as soon as it had started, Dawn pulled away. For a couple of seconds they stood staring at each other, her arms draped loosely around his neck and his resting around her waist.
"Hey." Dawn said, shyly.
"Hey." Ash responded in a similar fashion. There was a familiar sensation of butterflies in his stomach. Dawn sniffed and frowned.
"Why do you smell like flowers?" she asked.
"Blame Meganium for that," Ash laughed and Dawn's eyes lit up in amusement. For a moment, the world shrank to just the two of them, but then the moment was interrupted by someone clearing their throat just behind the blunette. Reluctantly, the two drew apart and Zoey stepped forwards.
"Nice to see you again, Ash." The red-head said, offering a hand.
Ash shook it, grinning broadly. "Good to see you too, Zoey. Dawn's told me that you've had a pretty good Contest run. Although the weather could have been kinder." He was commenting on the girl's sunburn.
"I hate the sun. It's so hot in Hoenn," Zoey grumbled. "And here doesn't seem much better." She frowned at the sky, as if the sun would suddenly dim and apologise for its rude behaviour.
Smiling at seeing her two closest friends getting on with each other, Dawn nodded in the direction of the town. "Shouldn't we be getting to the Pokémon Centre? It's a little crowded here," Ash nodded his agreement and the three of them set off. "Oh!" Dawn said, suddenly. "I almost forgot. Piplup needs his leg stretch, or he'll get angry." Pulling a PokéBall from her bag, she released her small water type starter. Piplup blinked in the bright sun, before noticing Ash and Pikachu. He raised a flipper in greeting and Pikachu bounded off Ash's shoulder. The two old friends began to catch up with each other in rapid Pokémon speech.
The scene was touching for Ash. Seeing Piplup and Pikachu together like the old times of Sinnoh brought up nostalgic memories of when he travelled in a group. The three trainers made their way to the Pokémon Centre and drew to a halt in the lobby. After they had handed their Pokémon over to Nurse Joy for a check-up, the friendly woman asked whether they needed a room for the night. The group turned to each other.
"So, do we do two rooms? One for me and one for you two girls?" Ash asked. However, Dawn shot down the idea.
"No way Ash! You've been on your own for three months now and I've been travelling by myself for nearly twice as long as that. Let's all share a room!" An awkward silence followed as Ash and Zoey exchanged glances. Ash knew Zoey was used to travelling on her own and had probably never shared a room with a guy before. He didn't want to make it awkward for her.
"I'm fine with that idea," he started, slowly. "But what do you think Zoey?"
The red-head hesitated. It was true that she was a little uncomfortable with the idea of sharing a room with Ash, but he had shared with Dawn and other girls on his journey so surely it wouldn't be that much of an issue, right? Plus Dawn was shooting her pleading looks from over Ash's shoulder as if to say 'Please let me share a room with my crush, I'll be oh so grateful'. Zoey sighed. She had picked up on Dawn's feelings several weeks ago and decided that she might as well accept for her friend's sake.
"Sure," she shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I don't mind." Ash seemed surprised by her not protesting, but nodded his thanks any way.
"Okay!" he replied, before turning back to a very amused Nurse Joy. "One room for three please!" Whilst the nurse and Ash were sorting out the key, Dawn looked at Zoey once more and positively beamed her gratitude. Zoey returned her look with a small smile and could only wonder when exactly she'd been lumped with the role of match-maker.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ash thanked Nurse Joy, a key in his hand. He turned back to his friends. "Should we go to the room now and drop of our stuff? I could do with lunch after that." As if to make a point, his stomach growled audibly.
"What time is it here anyway?" Dawn asked, curiously. Kalos was practically on the other side of the world to Hoenn.
Ash showed them his watch. "Just gone one in the afternoon."
Zoey did some quick mental maths. "That means its past 7 in the evening on our body clocks." she told Dawn. As if to prove that they to needed to eat, their stomachs chose that moment to growl in unison. The girls blushed whilst Ash laughed.
Dawn then gasped as she remembered something. "Guys, I need to give my mother a call so I can let her know we arrived safely. Could you take my stuff to the room Ash? I'll only be ten minutes or so."
Ash gave her a thumps up. "Of course Dawn, no problem." She smiled her thanks and handed him her travel bag, before hurrying towards the video phone booths. Halfway there, she glanced over her shoulder and gave Ash another smile, this time accompanied by a small wave. The cute, innocent gesture made Ash flush slightly. If nothing else, his time with Serena had at least shown him what flirting was. He then shook his head, as if trying to dislodge those thoughts. He and Zoey proceeded to make their way to their room.
"Err Zoey," Ash began. The red-head turned to him curiously. "I kinda need to talk to you about something. Something to do with Dawn." This was his chance to talk with Zoey about Dawn's recent Contests. Maybe she too had spotted the absence of a spark and could help him figure out what it was.
Dawn tapped her foot with impatience whilst she waited for the call to go through. Now that food had been mentioned, all she could think about was how hungry she was. Aeroplane food just didn't cut it when it came to a filling, satisfying meal. Still, seeing Ash in person had made the flight worth it. He hadn't changed massively since she had last seen him in Unova. He was maybe a few inches taller but was still just as scrawny. However, it was not the physical changes that she looked forward to. Just looking into his eyes and feeling his arms around her had already filled her with so much more confidence. She pulled a face. That wasn't a good thought to have. Relying on Ash for a confidence booster didn't scream independent. Where had that hug when they met come from anyway? If memory served, then they had never hugged before and physical contact had never gone beyond high fives or comforting pats on the shoulder. Maybe it was these new thoughts swirling in her head: her changing body, his date with Serena and her own promise to Ash to spend time alone with him that had changed the way they interacted without the two even acknowledging it.
A click interrupted her internal debate. Her mother's face appeared on the screen. Having recognised her daughter, Johanna's face split into a smile.
"Hello, Dawn! Seeing as how his call is from Kalos, I take it that you arrived safely?" she asked.
"Mhmm," Dawn nodded. "Safe and sound. The flight was smooth even of the food was a bit… bad." She was going to use a stronger word, but had remembered at the last second who she was talking to. Her mother seemed amused at her almost slip-up.
"That's nice to hear, dear. Have you met up with Ash yet? I haven't spoken to him properly since he called me from Lumiose."
Dawn perked up at the mention of her friend. "Yeah! He and Pikachu are doing great! They even have eight badges now. Although he's not here at the moment. It's around lunchtime here so he and Zoey are sorting out the room whilst I call you. You know, efficiency and all that."
Johanna nodded her agreement with her daughter's words. "And are you going to make good on your promise?" Dawn froze. There was no point beating about the bush. She had already told her mother that she wanted to help Ash's (and her own) confidence with dating.
"Erm…yes?" she said, almost as a question. She could feel her face heating up. Johanna nodded again, moving a hand to her mouth in order to hide her smirk.
After a moment's pause, Johanna responded to her daughter. "Well, good for you Dawn. And just remember that I approve completely. Ash is a sweet boy and trustworthy with it. Just behave yourselves, alright?" The last part came out as a warning.
Dawn gasped slightly at the implication. Now her face was definitely red. "Mum!" she exclaimed. "It's just as friends… a confidence builder. Nothing… serious is going to happen." She protested.
Johanna didn't believe her daughter for one second about the 'just friends' part and she doubted Dawn did either. Still, it was nice to be reassured that Dawn had an idea of what she wanted from the evening: something that didn't involve anything inappropriate for a sixteen-year-old.
After a few minutes of talking, Dawn decided that it was best to go. Her friend's would be getting impatient and she wasn't getting any less hungry. After saying her goodbyes, she moved to hang up. As she did so Johanna made a noise of protest.
"Wait! Dawn! Don't you want to talk about your Contest performances? I know something is up young lady-" Too late. Dawn had already put done the receiver. She felt a little guilty for intentionally cutting her mother off, but she was about to go out for a relaxing meal with friend's. She did not need to think about her dependency right now. She got to her feet with a sigh. She then brightened up slightly and hurried to the room she was sharing. She was hungry and was definitely ready for some quality time with Ash and company.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Zoey asked the black-aired young man. They had arrived in their room and had dropped off the bags. She had her arms folded over her chest and started suspiciously at Ash. She swore to Arceus if Ash was asking for relationship advice she would scream. She didn't understand why it was so hard for Ash and Dawn to look each other in the eye and just come out with it. Honestly it wasn't that-
"I think there's something off with Dawn's performances." Ash said, simply. Zoey felt the annoyance that had been building fade. So Ash was just concerned for his friend? The red-head thought for a moment, remembering watching some of Dawn's Contest's in Hoenn when they were on the TV.
"I guess you might be right," she responded after the silence had become clammy. "Yeah," she continued with more assertion. "There is something missing. That spark she always had in Sinnoh, it's gone out…" Dawn girl still displayed all her raw talent, but it was as if something had changed and her heart wasn't quite in it anymore.
Ash nodded his agreement with Zoey's words. "But what I can't figure out is what made that happen… why lose her enthusiasm like that? She loves her dream!"
Zoey paused to think again. "Something has changed since Sinnoh to do this. And probably the biggest change is…" she trailed off, thinking how to word it without causing offence.
"Is what?" Ash asked shortly, growing impatient with the girl. Her constant pauses were starting to annoy him. Dawn could be back at any moment.
"You and Brock. Neither of you are there for her now." Zoey said with venom equal to Ash's.
The reaction was immediate. The traces of anger on Ash's face faded away and his eyes widened with realization and shame.
"I… sorry… I had no idea…" He couldn't form a sentence. Zoey raised her hand to her head and massaged her forehead, trying to get her words straight in her head. She and Ash were both a little too quick to anger sometimes.
"I didn't mean to snap at you Ash," she began. When Ash tried to talk she raised a hand to silence him. "And I didn't mean it in a way that insulted you and Brock. You need to understand that most Coordinators never have someone in the audience who they're friends with, who will always cheer for them and support them whether they win or lose. What you did in Sinnoh for Dawn was sweet and brilliant of you. But it's a luxury that Dawn became too used to having."
Ash seemed to recover his vocabulary. "Oh," he said, quietly. "That makes sense. I had a similar thing with my Gym battle in Anistar City. It was my first one without supporters in my entire career, as Iris had watched me in Laverre. It felt… lonely and empty and a little bit pointless as well." To know that Dawn was going through something similar and had been for all of Hoenn was a depressing thought.
Zoey nodded. At least Ash could relate. "Maybe we can use that to our advantage," she cried, hope trickling into her voice. "How did you get over it?"
"I remembered that it did still matter. My Pokémon were still counting on me and my friends were still cheering for me, even if they weren't there in person," Ash paused for a moment more. "But I've told Dawn that I'll always support her, no matter where I am! Her mom has to. Shouldn't she know that there's no need to worry?"
As quickly as hope had grown in Zoey's chest it faded. Dawn's problem seemed to run deeper than a lack of support in the audience. Zoey wracked her brain, recalling all the times she had spoken to Dawn and tried to figure out what the issue was. Could it be her new found crush on Ash? No. Ash was right when he said the problem had started when she had begun travelling in Hoenn. Dawn had only become aware of her feelings months later. It was something else.
Ash then broke into his thoughts with an idea of his own. "She seemed a little upset about not sharing a room… maybe she's afraid that she can't make it on her own and needs some sort of proof that she can? Proof that's more than just words."
That was a thought. Dawn had been right when she told Zoey that Ash was smarter than he looked. "You have a good point there," she responded. "You're the Trainer Dawn respects most, after Cynthia and her mother of course. So what kind of proof do you have in mind?"
Ash felt shocked. The Trainer she respected most? Dawn really thought that of him… he was flattered. But now was the time to do something with it. The idea that had begun in his head now fully manifested. He pumped his arm and clenched his fist. "I'll give her proof," he cried. "The only way I know how! By facing her in the Wallace Cup!"
Not the most dramatic cliffhanger in the world, given Ash's character. I decided to include Zoey as she made an interesting mediator and helps break up all the romantic cliches. This story is going to be multi-chapter and probably have four or five of a similar length to this. I'll also be trying Appeals in the next chapter and battles in Chapter Three, as I'd like to find out if I'm any good at them.
Thank you for reading my story. If you have any feedback please review.