A confused and disheartened Dawn comes to a startling realization about a particular boy after a surprise meeting with a mysterious stranger in Hoenn...

Dawn sighed as she stared down out across the landscape at the lightening horizon. The log she sat on creaked slightly, the wood cool beneath her bare thighs. She brushed her blue hair out of her sapphire eyes, and sighed again.

A small blue penguin, slightly higher than her pink boots, walked up to her and looked up at her sad face. "Piplup?" (Dawn?)

She looked down and smiled at her partner. "Hey Piplup. You okay?"

Piplup nodded confidently. "Lup. Pip, piplup?" (I'm just fine. Are you okay Dawn?)

Dawn sighed again as she turned her gaze back to the fields stretching out beneath her gaze. "I don't know Piplup. I just..."

Piplup stared up at her in concern, then climbed up next to her on the log. "Pip, piplup pip lup lup." (You've been thinking about Ash again, haven't you.)

Dawn merely sighed. Truth was, she didn't know what was wrong with her. Ever since she had parted ways with her two companions, she had been out of sorts. She hadn't been able to concentrate on contests, her thoughts were almost constantly scattered, and she hadn't been taking as good a care of herself as she used to.

Oh, she still kept herself clean, her hair brushed, major things like that. Her clothes, on the other hand, were rumpled, her white beanie still had a mud stain on the side, and her backpack was covered in dust.

She glanced back at her campsite. Her orange tent stood near a fire pit, around which were arranged her Pokemon. Quilava slept closest to the murmuring coals, being a fire type, he loved the heat. Buneary and Pachirisu were both curled up next to each other, breathing quietly. Mamoswine snoozed in the shade of a nearby tree. Being an ice type, he didn't much like fire, which made it strange that he and Quilava got along so well.

"Togeeee!"

Dawn glanced up and smiled. Togekiss wheeled in the sky, gracefully riding the gentle breeze that filtered through the air. She was always so graceful. Comes with the territory when you've been raised mostly by a princess.

Piplup followed her gaze up at the soaring Togekiss, then turned back to her. "Piplup?" (Dawn?)

Dawn smiled for a moment longer, then her face turned sad again. She sighed. "What is wrong with me, Piplup?"

"Toge!" Togekiss suddenly spun around in the air and dove down. A shadow passed over the group, and a faint tremor shook through Dawn's boots.

Dawn spun around, and sucked in a breath as she saw a Salamence crouched near the edge of her camp. Piplup narrowed his eyes and puffed out his chest. The powerful dragon type studied the group, and a low growl issued from its throat.

"Easy, friend. No need for conflict."

Dawn paused at the deep voice. It didn't ring in her memory. She soon found the owner when a dark haired man stepped off the Salamence's back. His shades obscured his eyes, and his black trench coat brushed against the grass. He smiled at her.

"Sorry for dropping in on you like this, but would you mind if we joined you? We've been flying for a long time, and Salamence needs a rest."

"Mamo?" Mamoswine climbed to its feet, staring at the newcomers. The rest of Dawn's Pokemon roused themselves, warily studying the dragon that gazed down at them.

Dawn got to her feet and moved next to the Twin Tusk Pokemon, laying her hand in his thick fur. "It's okay, Mamoswine. Go back to sleep. No, I don't mind. Quilava, would you mind warming up the fire?"

"Quilava!" The weasel-like Pokemon sucked in a breath, then released a stream of fire from its mouth. Within seconds, the simmering coals had blossomed into a crackling fire.

The stranger smiled as he sat down next to the fire, raising his hands to warm them. "Thank you. High flying gets a little chilly after a while. May I ask what your name is?"

Dawn sat down between Quilava and Buneary, who anxiously clutched at Dawn's bare arm. She laid her hand on the Rabbit Pokemon's head, soothing her. "Dawn. Dawn Berlitz."

The stranger smiled again. "Dawn. That's a nice name. I'm Roy. Nice to meet you."

Dawn smiled slightly. She felt like he was familiar, but she couldn't place his face. "And you. I'm sorry, but do I know you from somewhere?"

Roy chuckled. "Maybe. How long have you been in Hoenn?"

Dawn glanced down at the fire. "Not long. About a month."

Roy nodded. "Then probably not. I've only arrived here a few days ago." He turned and looked at Salamence, who had laid its spiky head on its paws, studying Pachirisu, who had cautiously approached it. "You seem to have good Pokemon. Have you been a trainer long?"

Dawn picked up Piplup and set him in her lap. "I'm a coordinator, actually. But I haven't been doing so well."

Roy looked at her curiously. "Oh? Mind if I ask why?"

Dawn studied her boots, smudged with dust and dirt. "I've, just had a lot on my mind."

Roy nodded slowly as he pulled a Pokeball from his waist. A white light flashed as the ball opened, then condensed into a sleeping Lairon. "Well, that's normal for someone raising Pokemon. There are so many things that we have to consider. Is there anything particular that I might be able to help you with?"

Dawn gazed across at him over the crackling flames. Piplup closed its eyes. "Not really, unless you can look into my mind and sort out all my problems."

Roy chuckled. "No, I can't do that. But please, tell me."

Dawn studied him curiously. She was certain that she had never met him, but he still seemed strangely familiar. "Well, not long ago, I had been traveling with some friends, and then we parted ways."

Roy nodded slowly. "Well, was it on good terms?"

Dawn smiled slightly. "Oh, yeah. I mean, we were really good friends, but, our paths just took different ways."

Roy nodded again, slowly petting the Lairon's glittering head. The shiny metal reflected the flames. "I see. Well, that's good at least. It's hard to leave friends. I assume that you had been traveling together for a while?"

Dawn nodded, smiling as fond memories surfaced. "Yes. I actually started my journey with them." She had to chuckle. "With one of them, I actually met him after saving his partner from some crooks."

Roy's brow furrowed. "Crooks, you say?"

She nodded. "Yeah. They had been after his Pikachu for years. But they'd always failed."

Roy smiled. "Oh, good. That's always good to hear. And you got your friend and his Pikachu reunited?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Sort of. Pikachu had got grabbed by this big robot the crooks were using, and my friend risked his life getting him back. He was able to break the robot using another Pokemon he had with him, an Aipom, and actually climbed up the robot as it was exploding to rescue his Pikachu. But, it worked out. After that, I asked him if I could travel with him, since he seemed to be a really experienced trainer, and I was just starting out. And that's how the three of us got together."

Roy frowned as he counted on his fingers. "Hmm, that makes just two. Or did you meet your other friend later?"

Dawn smiled. "No, my friends had been traveling together already, and knew each other from a long ways back."

Roy nodded. "I see. Well, tell me about them."

Dawn sighed as her memories surfaced. "Well, there was Brock. He was the oldest of us three. He used to be a Pokemon breeder, but now he's training to become a Pokemon doctor."

Roy smiled. "An admirable vocation."

Dawn smiled. "It made sense, really. He knew so much about Pokemon from his time as a breeder. He knew everything, really. Brock could put a Pokemon professor to shame with his knowledge. It didn't matter what the Pokemon was, he knew just how to take care of it. How it would like to be treated, where it would like to be rubbed, what kind of food it would like. Being an expert cook really helped as well."

Her stomach suddenly growled, startling Piplup from his nap. She blushed slightly as Roy laughed. "Sorry. Brock wasn't just good at making Pokemon food."

It took Roy a few seconds to stop laughing. Salamence glanced over at its trainer, then closed its eyes as Pachirisu started running circles around the big dragon. Quilava stepped into the fire and curled up into a ball, his flame-proof fur protecting him from the heat while still allowing him to warm up. Togekiss alighted on Mamoswine's back, shifting her wings as she settled down to snooze.

Finally, Roy managed to stifle his laughter. "Yes, I can hear your stomach agreeing with you. I imagine that it was good having someone with so much knowledge with you on your journey. Did Pikachu belong to him?"

Dawn smiled slightly, although her eyes were still sad. "It was nice having him. He taught me a lot about how to take care of my Pokemon. But no, Pikachu didn't belong to him. Pikachu was Ash's partner, and his best friend."

Roy gave her a curious look. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, what with his eyes concealed behind his sunglasses. "Tell me about Ash."

Dawn laughed. "Oh, where do I begin. Ash was..." She stopped.

How do I describe Ash? There is so much to say, so much he did for me.

"...Brock taught me how to take care of my Pokemon. Ash...taught me how to care for Pokemon. Almost everything I know about Pokemon, about being a trainer, about how people and Pokemon interact, I learned from him. He taught me how to catch Pokemon," she giggled as she remembered when she accidentally hit Ash in the head with a Pokeball, "he taught me how to befriend my Pokemon. He taught me to care for Pokemon, whether they belonged to me or not. He taught me how to battle. He taught me to always have confidence in myself. He was always there. He was always cheering me on in my contests. He always consoled me when I lost. He celebrated with me when I won. "

She turned her gaze skyward, as tears started to glisten in her eyes. "He taught me how to make friends with people I've never even met. He was always there when I needed help. He inspired me. He was the most caring, courageous," she laughed slightly, "hungry, hot-headed, stubborn, driven, most amazing person I've ever known. Pokemon, and Pokemon battles, were his life, his love. His dream was to become a Pokemon Master, but he never hesitated to offer help to anyone who needed it. He protected me when I was in trouble. Frankly, Mesprit could have chosen either one of us."

Piplup shot a glance up at her, and Dawn clapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening as she looked at Roy. It was part of her duty to protect Mesprit, the Mirage Pokemon of emotions, and telling everyone about it probably didn't help.

Fortunately, Roy seemed to be preoccupied with Salamence, who had just sent Pachirisu bowling away with a single snort, its eyes still firmly closed. A soft growl issued from the slumbering Lairon's throat as he absently scratched beneath one of the metal plates on its back. He turned back towards her.

"I'm sorry, I must have zoned out for a couple seconds. What did you say?"

She blushed slightly, thankful that he hadn't seemed to notice what she had said about Mesprit. "I said, he couldn't have been a better friend."

Roy nodded as Lairon scratched the ground in its sleep. "Call me psychic, but from what you've said, he was more than just a friend."

Dawn sat up straight, blinking away her tears. "Excuse me?"

Roy grinned at her. "Dawn, I've been traveling a long time. Longer than you've been alive, I would imagine. I think I know something like this when I hear it."

She glared at him. "What are you talking about?"

Roy chuckled as he shook his head. He mumbled something under his breath that she didn't catch. "You know, I once met a girl on my travels. She was so kind. A little soft-spoken. She was so eager to learn about people, and Pokemon. And I won't deny, I was pretty dashing in my younger years. We traveled together for a time. She was the most, interesting, caring, beautiful person I had ever seen."

His deep voice took on a wistful tone, and Dawn wondered who the girl was. Roy fell silent for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess you could say, I fell in love with her. At the time, I was totally oblivious. Looking back, it seems pretty obvious now." He chuckled. "Twenty-twenty hindsight, I guess."

Dawn studied him. "So, what happened?"

Roy pulled another Pokeball from his belt, this time releasing a Blastoise. A rumble issued from the giant blue turtle's mouth as two plates lifted from its shell, allowing a pair of cannons to extend outwards. The Blastoise glanced around at the group, then slowly walked away, making its way down the hillside.

"She got pregnant, that's what happened. We were both scared. Hell, I wasn't ready to be a father, and she wasn't ready to be a mother. But, we didn't have much choice. So we got married, and I tried, I really tried. But..." He paused again. "The problem was, my family has always had a wandering soul. Everyone, boy or girl, eventually, we leave home, and we travel. So I tried to stay, to be a father for my son. But, eventually, I got the urge to travel again."

Roy chuckled again. "Thank Arceus that my wife was so understanding. I warned her that, eventually, our son would leave home too, once he got his first Pokemon."

He sighed. "So there you have it. I left her, and my son, behind, so that I could travel again." He chuckled, then turned his shaded gaze on her. "Not much of a father, am I? But make no mistake, I love them both. As much as I love my Pokemon, I love them both."

Dawn absorbed the information. "Wow."

Roy leaned forward. "What I'm trying to say, Dawn, is that I understand. You may not see it, but to anyone else who is looking, it's going to be painfully obvious."

Dawn started as a thought occurred to her. Wait, is he suggesting that...

Roy smiled as he got to his feet. "Perhaps your friend is like my family. Perhaps he has a wandering soul, never settling, always searching for something, always chasing some dream around the world. If so, it isn't easy having people like us as friends, or something else."

He pulled a Pokeball from his belt. A red beam shot from the red and white sphere, striking the Lairon next to him. The bulky Iron Armor Pokemon dissolved into red light, then disappeared into the Pokeball.

The Salamence opened its eyes, lumbering to its feet. Tensing, it leaped into the air, soaring over the campsite, landing with a loud crash on the edge of the hilltop. Roy strode over to the Dragon Pokemon, and clambered onto its back. He turned back to look at Dawn and grinned. "I hope you and your friend cross paths again."

Dawn scrambled to her feet, clutching a startled and confused Piplup in her arms. The rest of her Pokemon were startled awake by Salamence's landing, Quilava even jumping out of the fire pit with the flames on its neck and tail blazing.

"Wait! What were you talking about when you said that Ash was more than just a friend!"

Roy simply grinned at her. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of telling you that. You seem like a smart girl, you'll figure it out."

Dawn gritted her teeth in frustration. "Well, can I at least get your last name!" she yelled desperately.

Salamence yawned, revealing its long fangs. Roy chuckled as the Dragon Pokemon slowly extended its curved wings. He pulled his sunglasses down slightly, revealing warm brown eyes, a look that knocked the wind from Dawn's lungs as effectively as a punch to the stomach. "Ketchum. Roy Ketchum."

Salamence roared at the brightening horizon, the approaching sun turning the sky crimson, and jumped off the hilltop, throwing itself into the air. Its large wings drove down, beating the air fiercely, and the bulky dragon and its passenger slowly spiraled into the air.

Dawn hurried to the edge of the hilltop, staring up at the stranger. She turned her gaze down to the bottom of the hill, and spotted his Blastoise drinking from a slow moving river. The Shellfish Pokemon turned its eyes upward, and the Salamence swooped down on it. A thin red beam shot from the dragon's back, retrieving the Blastoise, and then the Salamence flew off.

Dawn stared after him as he dwindled to a tiny dot, then disappeared altogether. She remained standing there for several minutes. Piplup looked up at her, then wriggled out of her grasp. She barely noticed, merely continuing to stare out at the brightening horizon. Finally, she sat down on the nearby log, just as she had been earlier that morning.

Finally, she turned to the concerned Piplup.

"Piplup, you don't think..." she fell silent.

Piplup tilted his head. "Pip, piplup?" (Don't think what?)

Dawn returned her gaze to the distant horizon, the crimson sky lightening to a gold color. "No, he couldn't have..."

She turned back to Piplup. "Am I...am I in love with Ash?"

Piplup stared at her in confusion. "Pip, lup, pip pip?" (Uh, what do you mean? Like, you have crush on him like Buneary has on Pikachu?)

Buneary suddenly jumped on Piplup's head. "Bun, bun!" (Be quiet, you!)

They tussled for a moment, then stopped at Dawn's stern voice. "Piplup, Buneary, stop it!"

Both Pokemon turned their eyes towards their trainer. Dawn continued to stare out at the horizon. "Do I really love Ash?" she asked quietly.

Even as she said it, she felt something shift in her heart. Something about the word love felt right to her, like something that had been missing before had finally clicked into place.

"Ash...I love you..." she softly whispered. Again, something about the sentence felt right to her.

"Toge?" Togekiss fluttered down in front of her. Quilava jumped up next to her, his flames gone now that he had calmed down. Pachirisu leaped over her, landing on Togekiss's back, and Mamoswine's tusks appeared on either side of her. Piplup and Buneary moved next to Togekiss, and all of Dawn's Pokemon looked at her.

Dawn smiled, and for the first time in over a month, it was genuine. She smiled as she remembered all the times the Ash had saved her life, risking his own in the process. She smiled as she remembered all the times that Ash had helped her. She smiled as she remembered all the times that she had helped him, and cheered for him. She smiled as she remembered their adventures, all the times they had thwarted Team Rocket, Team Galactic, and Hunter J. She remembered their adventures in Alamos Town, the Reverse World, Michina Town, and Crown City. She remembered Ash cheering her on when she had battled Zoey in the Grand Festival Finals, and how she had cheered when Ash had finally beaten Paul in the Lily of the Valley Pokemon League Semi-finals.

Above all, she remembered his face. His messy hair. His weather tanned skin. His treasured hat. The way he would look at his beloved Pokemon. The way he would laugh when they shared some joke. The feel of his gloved hand when they shared a high-five. The way his warm brown eyes drew her in, reassuring her when she was afraid, encouraging her when she faltered, shining with happiness when she succeeded.

Dawn smiled as she got to her feet. The sun finally broke over the horizon, casting its golden rays across the beautiful landscape, warming her face.

Softly, she whispered again, though her voice carried much more strength and reassurance. "I love you, Ash Ketchum, even if I have to travel the world to find out and tell you." As she said the words, she felt her heart soar, and she laughed.

She looked down at her confused Pokemon, stepping around them so that she could face all of them at the same time, and smiled. "No need to worry."

Piplup gave her a strange look, reminding her of what Ash always said when she said that, and she laughed again.

"I know that I haven't been doing too well lately. My mind hasn't been like it should, and you've all had to bear with it. I know that it's my fault we haven't been doing well in contests, and I'm sorry."

She smiled as her Pokemon looked at each other. "So, I want you all to know, that I'm better now. I know something now that I didn't know before. And I have an idea. Wanna hear it?"

Piplup continued giving her a strange look. He didn't know what had happened to her, or why her mood had suddenly shifted, but he liked it. It had been too long since she had really smiled. "Piplup!" (Tell us Dawn!)

Dawn smiled as she picked up her partner. "What do you all say, that we take a break from contests. You've all been working so hard, even with me being in my slump, so I think it's time we took some time off, and chase down an old friend. What do you all say, that we go and track down Ash?"

She watched Buneary consider it for a moment, and then laughed as the Rabbit Pokemon turned bright scarlet. Pachirisu immediately started running circles around the group, chattering excitedly. Piplup let out a happy cheer at the thought of seeing his closest friend again. She knew that Piplup and Pikachu were like brothers.

"All right, it's decided." Dawn set Piplup back on the log. "We'll track down Ash, wherever he is, and we won't stop until we find him again. So let's get everything ready."

Every one of her Pokemon let out a cheer. Piplup and Mamoswine set about extinguishing the fire, Piplup firing his Bubblebeam to dampen the flames, Mamoswine using his tusks to dig up mounds to dirt, burying the coals. Buneary hopped inside Dawn's tent, being somewhat adept at organizing her things. Quilava intently inspected the buried fire. Being a fire type, he knew better than any of them how quickly a fire could spread if not dealt with properly. Smiling at Piplup's and Mamoswine's handiwork, the Volcano Pokemon jumped up onto his big friend's broad back. Togekiss chased down the now hyper-active Pachirisu. Being one of the eldest and kindhearted of Dawn's Pokemon, Togekiss acted almost like the mother of the group.

Dawn smiled as her Pokemon, her partners, her closest friends set about organizing the camp site, then turned around and stared out at the horizon. She felt different than she had before, like she had been lost for a long time, and now felt like she knew where she was going, like she had a purpose.

"Buneary?" (err, Dawn?)

Dawn glanced down. Buneary was standing next to her, holding one of her black t-shirts in her small paws. Or at least, it was supposed to be black. Now, it was smudged here and there with dirt and dust. She looked down at herself, similarly dusty.

"You're right, Buneary. I can't go after Ash looking like this. This won't do at all. Do I have anything that looks good enough to wear?"

Buneary shook her head slowly. "Bun, buneary, bun." (You can wear them, but I seriously doubt you would want to)

Dawn smiled as she looked down the hill, down to the glittering river below. "Well, I guess it is time to do some laundry. Piplup! Mamoswine! Pachirisu! Come and help us!"

Almost an hour later, after Dawn, Piplup, Buneary and Pachirisu had given all of Dawn's clothes a vigorous scrubbing, along with Buneary's vest, all five of them were marching up the hill, her clothes draped across Mamoswine's back. Quilava had decided to help as well, standing on the tips of all four paws, the flames on his head and back blazing fiercely. Mamoswine moved slowly, making sure that Quilava didn't tip over and accidentally scorch Dawn's clothes as the Volcano Pokemon dried them.

Finally, nearly two hours after Roy had left, Dawn stood once again at the edge of the hilltop. Most of her Pokemon were safely in their Pokeballs. Piplup, of course, remained outside. She had long since decided that she wasn't going to keep him inside his ball unless she had to, another thing she had picked up from Ash. Togekiss was circling above her, still wanting to enjoy the morning breeze, and Mamoswine stood nearby, having offered to let her ride to Slateport. Her tent was packed away in its bag, strapped to the bottom of her backpack.

Dawn glanced at the rising sun, now fully departed from the horizon and shining brightly. Her blue hair shone in the sun, having been properly washed and brushed. Her clothes almost gleamed, not a speck of dirt or dust on them. She smiled as she pulled her stark white beanie on, the pink Pokeball design hovering over her eyes.

She took a deep breath. "Ash Ketchum, I love you. And I won't stop looking until I find you, and tell you how I feel. I don't know what you will say, but I can't keep it inside anymore. I have to tell you."

She smiled as Piplup tugged at her boot, the Penguin Pokemon eager to go. She picked up her closest friend.

"Come on, Piplup. Let's go see Ash." she said as she climbed up on Mamoswine's back.

Together, the group set off, and for the first time since Ash had left, Dawn felt like she could almost be happy again. There was still a hole in her heart, a yawning pit that felt like it could never be filled.

But as Dawn looked up at the shining sun, she knew exactly what would fill it.