Ash and Dawn: Together

Down The Road

Sunlight was the alarm for Ash Ketchum as his lids flinched from the glowing rays that pierced his room. He considered just going back to sleep for a few more minutes but the sun wouldn't allow such laziness. His throat dry, he groaned a bit as his chocolate brown eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the light and finally waking up from his slumber. With a deep exhale, he pulled his body from the bed and sat up, pulling the top part of his body from the mattress and stretching his joints. Ash's shirtless torso cracked and reached, shrugging off the night stiffness and began the process of waking up.

He gazed at the foot of the bed. PIkachu was lightly snoring with a small smile on his yellow face. Ash pondered what he was dreaming about to elicit such a reaction. Then his eyes locked on to something that shouldn't be there. Something that wasn't there when he went down for the night.

It was Piplup. His brother Pokemon was sleeping soundly right next to him.

Ash didn't remember seeing the Pokemon anytime before hitting the hay. Granted, his mind was still waking up from slumber but he was certain he wasn't there last night.

Ash unconsciously sniffed the air. He caught a familiar scent. It was sweet but not overpowering. It was pleasant to a guy like him. He was not a fan of overly sweet smelling perfume. It irritated his nose, something fierce. But this scent was just right. But not only was the smell perfect but familiar as well. He felt the weight of another person in bed with him. All he could do was smile. He knew who it was and he was more than happy with it. He looked to his side and his smile grew wider and brighter.

Dawn.

She was sound asleep. Her gentle breathing was barely audible to his ears. Her nude body was tangled up in the covers, wrapped like a silk cocoon. Seeing her lovely blue hair brought back a rush of memories from last night.

Last night

Dawn Berlitz felt tired. Her trip from Honen was draining in more ways than one. Some days, she hated how popular she was in the Pokemon fashion scene. She was always so busy, always in such demand. Most of the time, she often never went home, hurrying from one spot to another. She needed a break.

Thus why she was here, walking the 30 minutes from the nearest bus-stop to this spot on the border between Kanto and Johto. It was nightfall when she and her Piplup arrived at their destination: a simple 2 story house that stood next to a small lake. Dawn didn't mind that it was so off the beaten path. It was built here on this spot specifically because of how isolated it was. It was calming for her. She needed the space to relax. "It's good to be home."

"Piplup," her started chirped in agreement in her arms.

Home. If you had asked her a decade ago if she could consider any place that wasn't Twinleaf town her home, she would say it was impossible. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else. But this place was different. It was as much her home as her mom's place in Sinnoh not simply for the location but also because of the person who built it.

Her white sundress blew in the night winds and her wide-brim brown hat swayed a bit as she walked along the small dirt path that led to the porch. The only sounds around her were the gentle breeze and the slapping of her sandals on the ground. Dawn was glad to have switched out her footwear before getting off the bus. Walking here in her dress shoes would've been painful to say the least. Instinctively, she dug around in her bag for the keys to the front door. She was only one of a handful of people in the world with keys to this house, showing how much trust was between them. Well, more so than it was all those years ago.

She unlocked the door and took a deep breath. The house smelt of him. Every single inch of it. And she adored it. Her nerves began to relax from the stress of travel. The tension oozed from her body and out of her feet. She immediately slipped out of her shoes and ran her feet along the plush carpeting of the living room. Her beloved water Pokemon leaped from her arms and happily rolled around the floor. Dawn giggled quietly. "You missed this place too, huh Piplup?"