Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon
Dressing Your Thanks
Ash, Dawn, Brock and their Pokémon friends had arrived at Pallet Town, Ash's and Pikachu's home. It had been months since Ash left for the Sinnoh Region to capture more Pokémon and compete in the Sinnoh League. It turned out that this was more than a simple homecoming for the raven-haired trainer who finished in the Top Four. Just a day prior to now, the five-some were resting their legs at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. Ash gazed at the calender and noticed that Thursday was forthcoming, but it wasn't any ordinary Thursday. Thursday was a holiday. Thanksgiving! "This is rather nice of you to greet us to a Thanksgiving dinner, Ash," she said as she turned to Ash. Ash smiled, acting rather nonchalant about the invite.
"No problem," he accepted the praise. "I just thought you'd have a chance to eat with us once more before you and Kenny head out to your next adventure." In a sense, this was a last supper that the three were going to enjoy before going their separate ways. "Although, I will admit by morning after, we'll all miss each other." A sad fact that Pikachu and Piplup would acknowledge when they all split for their futures.
("Ash, you and Pikachu are good friends,") Piplup sadly beaked. ("Dawn and I'll never forget you.") The blue penguin chick wasn't too adamant with breaking bonds.
("Neither will we, Pips,") Pikachu teased. Both smiled, accepting the oncoming event of new paths opening.
"Although, I think it's safe to say Brock should be in good jabs with Croagunk by his side," Dawn joked. She kept remembering all those times Brock tried to swoon a girl, that putrid blue frog would leap out and nail Brock with Poison Jab. Brock sighed in humiliation and frustration. It always had to be someone or some Pokémon disturbing his chance to have a girlfriend. Ash would join in the pseudo mocking but thought not to be so harsh on him for trying.
"Cut him a little slack," he tried to comfort the eldest of the bunch. "The closest one for Brock was Holly in that tag team tournament." Brock smiled, happy that Ash opted to defend his actions.
"Yeah, she was a wild card from left field for me," he admitted. "Still, I'll always remember her." His squinted eyes couldn't block the waterfalls of happiness that flooded out. It made Dawn think. Was Holly the only girl who was close to Brock?
"Somehow, I doubt that was your only break from someone pulling your ear or using Poison Jab," she suspected. "Ash, you've been with him for so long. Maybe you can fill in the details." Ash had to dig deep into his memory bank as he fingered and rubbed his chin.
"Let's see..." he pondered. "I know Natalie was one, though she was about half his age. Before her was Temacu who wanted to marry him on the first sight." We only wonder what happened to them. "Of course, I can't forget Prof. Ivy." That triggered something inside Brock, forcing him to stop on the dime. A split second later, he huddled by a tree in the fetal position. Talk about uncomfortable.
"That...name!" he whined. The others sighed, disbelieving the action Brock had taken.
"Would've been best NOT to mention her." If it was to keep Brock's spirits high, it was a fail.
"Hello!" some female called out. Ash, Dawn and the Pokémon twisted around to the voice but on sight, Pikachu happily raced to a grown brunette carrying groceries. Ash's face flushed white.
"Mrs. Ketchum, hello," Dawn greeted with a smile and bow. That's when she glanced at the stuttering Ash. She snagged his collar and yanked him down, forcing Ash to bow. "This is your mother. Show some respect." Mrs. Ketchum walked over to the two kids, amused at how Dawn was able to control Ash.
"I think he was expecting me to be home instead of halfway. So, how are you kids?" Suddenly, she turned to the still grounded Brock. She had that hunch. "Okay...who mentioned Prof. Ivy?" Dawn pointed to Ash who rose his hand in guilt.
"Although to be frank, I did ask Ash about some girls who liked Brock. I wasn't expecting him to react like this."
"Yeah, I thought he'd got over...what happened then," Ash thought without saying Ivy's name.
"Please, don't mention that name," Brock whimpered. Whoops...sorry, Brock. Ash opted to change the subject and wondered what his mother picked up at the store.
"So, last minute Thanksgiving food for tomorrow?" he asked.
"Well, that and I'm using the diner as my dinning hall for our feast with the Oaks, Maples, Waterflowers, Tracy..." Mrs. Ketchum listed. She was expecting a group of people, not just Ash and the friends he had. "I mean that with the Pokémon League Gyms closed for the holiday, Max called and said that he wanted to enjoy dinner with our and his families." This was great for Ash and Brock to hear about...until they remembered how much space there was at the Ketchum household. Yeah, Brock snapped out of his depression at the sound of others joining the dining experience.
"But isn't your house rather small for something like a large dinner with some of the families?" Brock pointed out. Mrs. Ketchum scoffed, seemingly expecting that response to open itself.
"It's all arranged." The kids were befuddled. Either she redid the kitchen and dining rooms for such the occasion or the meal was being served elsewhere. "I was gonna use my diner as my location for the Thanksgiving dinner since we're gonna have so many people. No one's going to use it since it's closed as well." Talk about thinking ahead. Dawn was a bit surprised that Ash's mother owned a diner.
"You never told me that your mom worked at a diner," she gulped at Ash who acted calm. He just blankly stared at Dawn. Was he ever asked that question before?
"Yeah, it used to be my Grandma's until she moved away to retire," he explained. So if Mrs. Ketchum chose to retire, did that mean Ash would run it? "She's a really great cook, rivaled by Brock." Brock chuckled, feeling honored but pressured. That's when Mrs. Ketchum looked at her bag. Something she purchased seemed to concern her.
"Say, can we talk about it inside?" she requested. "I've got some ice cream that might need to be stored in the freezer." Can't have melted ice cream as dessert, right? The group agreed to the request and entered the town, then a white house in the middle of a street. Dawn took her pink boots off and sat down on the sofa from a quick trot.
"Man, it feels better to be off my feet after that long walk," she sighed in relief. Little did she know that the couch was already reserved.
"And it's nice to see what panties your wearing!" some male muffled. Dawn heard the voice and suspected Ash for that perverted comment.
"Ash, how could you?" Ash was ready to heavily deny the allegation but as soon as he arrived at the couch, he saw a green polo t-shirt and light brown shorts. He shot a finger at the body, making Dawn look at the same body. She jumped in surprise from the couch eying a raven-haired boy who was rubbing his nose. Did Dawn have an accident? Pikachu retrieved a pair of glasses and handed it to the new boy. Needless to point out how upset he was about Dawn sitting on his face.
"I was enjoying a nice nap after we made it here! The last thing I was expecting was being used as a seat-pillow." Dawn felt guilty for not seeing him.
"Sorry about that, Max," Ash apologized. "Dawn didn't see you." Max sat up as the rest sat down. "So, how's your dad's gym?" Max wasn't stunned with the change of topic.
"Unbeatable! My dad's Pokémon haven't been this strong since you beat them for the Balance Badge. By the way, it was my suggestion by asking Mom and Dad to have a joint Thanksgiving dinner in Pallet." He was the one who organized the gathering? That's a rather tall task for someone so young.
"That's awfully nice of you to do that," Brock complimented. "If it means anything, I would like to help the moms cook to make it a Thanksgiving to remember." Mrs. Ketchum and the others were glad that Brock would volunteer his services for the big feast.
"Brock, you're the best," Mrs. Ketchum praised. Brock smiled and acknowledged the appreciation. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Who could it be? "Come in!" The door opened and in came a bleached orange-haired girl wearing a white one piece swimsuit. She seemed around Ash's height.
"Mrs. Ketchum, has Ash returned home?" she asked. Mrs. Ketchum smiled and nodded before she made her step inside where everyone was rather shocked to see who it was. "Hey, guys. How was Sinnoh?" Ash was stumped. What, didn't know how to react to a question?
"Who...are you and how do you know us?" he gulped. The orange-haired girl was dumbfounded with Ash's questionable reply...and was upset.
"You mean you can't recognize someone who's traveled with you for awhile?" Maybe it was the hair. Maybe the swimsuit and how brazen she was wearing it in public. Max decided to fill in the detail.
"I think Ash is awed by your new hairdo, Misty," he realized. Awe didn't describe Ash. It was more like disbelief. Misty huffed at the speechless reaction of the raven-haired trainer. Finally, Ash snapped out of his own delusion, shaking his head nervously.
"Are you sure that's Misty?" Ash doubted. "Her hair wasn't that long and there's no ponytail." Misty scoffed at Ash's obvious findings.
"Boy, how long has it been since I last saw you?" she laughed. "Before that Battle Frontier trip?" Ash scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. He couldn't believe she was his first human partner at the beginning of his career as a trainer. "Besides, when Daisy told me about the invitation to the Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, I knew you couldn't resist and thought I'd jump on the bandwagon here and see a finisher of the Top Four in the Lily of the Valley Conference." Now, Ash felt ashamed. He was hoping to be champion of the Conference.
"Don't be so hard on him, Misty," Dawn tried to defend the downing trainer. "That ace in the hole from his opponent threw his game off." It had to be during the match Ash lost in. Piplup stood by Dawn's side in protecting Ash.
"Yeah, I didn't see that Darkrai coming at all," Max agreed. Finally, Ash put his foot down on the subject. He was done hearing about the past.
"Okay, you guys," he spoke out. "Why not we look forward to what's up ahead." He acted ready for the future. Not so much the rest.
"Oh, come on, Ash!" Misty chirped. "Why not talk about what you caught in Sinnoh and who you ran into?" Max was also interested with any tales of Ash, Brock and Dawn's trips in the northern region.
"Yeah and how many girls Brock was dragged away from," he teased. Brock fidgeted at any bad notes Ash and/or Dawn would speak.
"Well, there were a couple that Brock was rather fortunate on," Dawn expressed. "Including Cynthia." Mrs. Ketchum, Misty and Max were shocked. Was this Cynthia significant?
"Pokémon Champion Cynthia? No way!" Ash and Dawn nodded, telling them "Way!"
"We even witnessed a match against Paul where she flat-out dominated him." The others were awe-struck with this small piece of information.
"To meet with the champion, herself," Misty gasped. "I'd love to meet her in person." She should be careful about wishing for items like that. Still, Ash believed that meeting Cynthia in person was unlikely.
"I bet right now, she's preparing for her next title defense," he theorized. In a bit of clarity, Misty wanted to go with Ash's word.
"Yeah, you're probably right." Yeah, Cynthia's probably too busy to be with families.
"Ash, why don't you show your new Pokémon to Prof. Oak while we wait for others to arrive," Mrs. Ketchum suggested. "I know the Thanksgiving dinner isn't until tomorrow evening, but I was expecting some other people to stop by in an hour or two." Ash couldn't wait to show Misty and Max some of the Pokémon from Sinnoh. No doubt he'd agree with the idea.
"Sure thing, mom," he acknowledged. The youngsters got up and moved their feet to the gated white house with windmills. Not long after, they were all in a field where different Pokémon were roaming, including the stampede of Tauros barreling passed. Ash tossed his Pokéballs which opened. "Come on out, everyone!" Buizel the water weasel, Torterra the giant plant tortoise, Infernape the monkey warrior, Staraptor the giant bird and Gible the tiny land shark showed up from their balls. Max was astonished with Gible as Misty seemed giddy with Buizel.
"Don't you have one awesome head fin, Gible," Max praised. Gible's response? It jawed onto Max's head while smiling. That had to... "Ow! That's hurts!" He tried to pry Gible from his head in vain...until Ash said enough.
"Off of Max, Gible!" Gible listened to it's master and released the jaws. Max winced and whimpered at the bite marks from the Dragon-Type Pokémon. "That's Gible's way of saying he likes you." Interesting show of affection...
"I heard that Gible's been able to perfect Draco Meteor," Misty wondered. "Can I watch?" Before Ash could respond...
("Don't do it!") Piplup screeched as it hid behind Dawn in fear. Misty and May became confused from Piplup's sudden waddle away. Dawn knew what the concern was.
"Piplup, what's wrong?" Brock was about to drop a little analogy onto Misty.
"Like you with Bug Pokémon, Piplup tends to get scared of Draco Meteor," he compared. Although informed, Misty still wondered how it was possible. Did Ash constantly use Draco Meteor on Piplup?
"When we first met this Gible, it was trying to learn Draco Meteor and when it failed occasionally, that Meteor fell onto Piplup," Ash cleared the fog...or attempted to. Misty was watching the coverage of the Conference, so she knew about how Draco Meteor worked.
"But that was early on," Misty replayed. "Gible had to have perfected it by now." That still did not convince Piplup to come out of hiding. It did stoke Ash to at least try.
"Only one way to prove it. Gible, let's show Max and Misty that Draco Meteor." Gible was ready as his body began to glow orange. Compiling all the energy into one confined space, Gible twisted it's tiny body upward. A glowing ball began to emit from the gullet within the Pokémon. It was time. "Now Gible! Draco Meteor!" Gible shot the ball of energy from it's jaws to the sky. It looked promising. After a few seconds of flight, the ball reached it's peak. This was it. POOF! The energy began to fall, striking Piplup's fear highly. Piplup started to run from the falling Meteor. Not good.
"Skitty, Assist!" someone shouted. A small pink kitty popped out of nowhere and fired a heavy swirl of fire, catching the Meteor and blowing it up...no, there it goes! Going...going...gone! Piplup saw the Meteor fly away, sighing in relief. The rest turned to where that fire sprayed from, viewing a brunette girl in orange. She was joined by a raven-haired man and an older redhead woman.
"Good work, Skitty," the man complimented. Skitty meowed for the praise. Ash and Brock gasped.
"May!" Ash gulped, naming the brunette. "Caroline, Norman! Hey!" Caroline huffed a giggle as Norman waived a hello.
"We made it," Caroline chirped. For Thanksgiving or saving Piplup? May made her approach as Max ran over to the two grownups. Ash started to get nervous despite the smile painted on May's face.
"M-M-May? What's with that look?" May reached Ash...and removed the poker face to a sad look. Ash went from concern for his safety to concern for her...and dove onto him, shocking Misty and Dawn. Pikachu was excited. He was thinking May wanted to express something good to Ash.
"I'm sorry!" she cried as she hugged her good friend. She's sorry? Sorry for what? What did May do that she's apologetic to Ash? Even Ash was befuddled with this.
TO BE CONTINUED...