Ash sat by the small lake and watched the sun slowly set. It still hadn't touched the horizon, but it was getting close. The orange light cast a golden glow over the water, erasing its blue color. The rest of the surrounding forest also absorbed the light, though it retained its green hue.

With a sigh, Ash hugged his knees closer to his chest. His mind drifted to his Pokemon, who were resting at the Pokemon Center after their fierce battles in the Lily of the Valley Conference. He thought of what happened when he came to them earlier and how they all looked.

"You guys have nothing to be ashamed of," he said. "Together, we did what no other trainer could do. We beat a Pokemon that no one else could beat! Heck, if we didn't end up battling Tobias, we probably would have won this year. But you know what? It doesn't matter in the long run. What's more important is the bond we all share: a bond that brought us into the Top 4. We might have lost, but to me, you're all winners, and I'm so proud of you all it's not even funny."

He couldn't help but laugh when he recalled the massive group hug that came next. If a bystander had seen it, he probably would have called the police. It looked more like a bunch of savage Pokemon mauling a trainer. It was only because his friends intervened that he managed to survive.

So if I'm not upset about the loss he wondered as his demeanor fell again, why am I sitting out here, depressed? He looked up at the sun, which was now part-way below the horizon. And Tobias...I still can't help but wonder…

"Ash?"

He jumped slightly when he heard the voice. Turning, he saw it was just his friend. "Yikes! You scared me."

"Sorry," the bluenette replied, walking up and standing over him. "Brock just sent me to tell you that dinner's ready."

"Oh," Ash said, looking down a moment. "Okay. Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

The bluenette raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "In a minute? You never hold off for dinner." When he didn't respond, she sat down next to him. "Are you still upset over your loss today?"

"No," he shook his head. "I was never upset, Dawn."

"Not before, but you certainly look like it now," Dawn said. "What's up?"

He sighed. "It's just...I was so close...and then he had to be in the competition..."

"Yeah, and throwing a grudge at him is gonna make everything better, right?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I'm not holding a grudge. He won fair and square. I just think that if it wasn't for him, I would've won this year, that's all."

"Probably," she agreed. "Well, there's no point in brooding over it like this. What's done is done."

"Yeah," Ash said, his tone changing to something slightly darker as he unwrapped himself. "I know that all too well."

Dawn cringed. "Are you gonna bring that up again?"

"What if I do?" he said. "You said it didn't bother you. If anything, you'll probably just rub it in."

"Ash, please don't be like that," she pleaded. "I was scared. I didn't mean any of it."

"You sounded pretty convincing to me."

"Well, that wasn't an accident," she insisted. "Like I said, I was scared. I thought my friend was only using me to gratify some selfish, perverted desire...just like my dad…" She trailed off, and her eyes started to glimmer. "Later, I realized that it was all a misunderstanding. I said I was sorry, and I'll say it again...I'm sorry."

Ash shook his head. "You don't have to be sorry, Dawn." He turned away, his eyes now an auburn hue. "You had every right to react the way you did. I didn't know what I was doing. It's probably the stupidest thing I've ever done."

Dawn raised an eyebrow at him. "Stupider than trying to catch a Pidgey with a shirt? Or throwing a Pokeball at a Pokemon before weakening it? Or –"

"Yes," Ash insisted, raising his voice slightly. "I was younger and dumber back then, so that was excusable." His face fell again. "But what I did...I had this nagging feeling that it was wrong...and I chose to ignore it. Now nothing will ever be the same."

Dawn looked at him with compassion in her glimmering eyes. He stood up, eyes still shaded by his hat. "Well, we should probably go eat before the food gets cold, right?" He started to walk away, but a hand gripped his vest. He turned around.

"Wait," Dawn said. "Please. I know you're not comfortable with this and that you'll probably never get over it...but I know you didn't really mean any harm." Ash didn't respond, his eyes still shaded by his hat. "Ash, please look at me." He didn't respond. She gently placed her hand on his chin and pushed his face up so that she could see his eyes again.

There was a small tear in one of them. She smiled softly, wiped it away with her thumb, then leaned up and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Confused, Ash brought his hand up to where she kissed him.

"I forgive you," she whispered.

"Huh?"

She giggled slightly. "I said I forgive you."

Ash blinked, then turned away, his eyes shaded once again. Dawn's face fell, seeing her attempt at reconciliation failed. Then it brightened up again when she got another idea. She tapped Ash on the shoulder. She turned around and saw her arm held up high.

"Nice to see you, too," he smiled slightly, then turned away, only to get tapped on the shoulder again.

"You gonna leave me hanging?" she asked.

Ash's eyes widened when he realized what she meant. He turned back to her, eyes visible, and looked at her hand. With a soft smile, he raised his own arm and softly clapped his hand on Dawn's. Then their arms lowered as they looked deep into each other's eyes.

"Thanks, Dawn," he smiled. She grinned and rammed right into him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace while she laid her head on his chest. Ash reciprocated the gesture, gently placing his arms around her while resting his face over her hair. He took in the smell of her perfume and felt calmer now than he had been for a long time.

"Well, then," Dawn smiled when they separated. "Why don't we go get something to eat?" She turned and skipped along back the way she came. She stopped a moment and turned to see Ash looking at the lake. Raising an eyebrow, she walked back. "Ash?"

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing," he shrugged it off. "I was just wondering…"

Dawn cocked her head. "Wondering what?"

Ash looked at the sun, now three-quarters of the way gone. "Where did Tobias get that Darkrai?"

A very good question...and one that is answered in the next chapter!