After a day of getting pulled around by Dawn and Verity, Ash decided to finally take his revenge after he was used as the designated bag carrier. Once they were back in the hotel, Ash pretty much dragged Verity to a computer, and Dawn joined in, getting a playful smirk.
"Come on, Verity, call your mom. I'm sure she misses you~" Dawn said playfully.
Verity immediately stopped walking, her smile disappearing as she looked at the computer in front of her like it was some kind of dangerous Pokémon.
"...No."
Ash pushed her gently toward the chair, "Yes."
"I'm tired."
"You've been tired for the last three days."
"I need to sleep."
"You have to call your mom first."
Verity looked desperately toward Dawn, hoping for some kind of mercy, but Dawn was already sitting beside Ash with the biggest grin on her face.
"Dawn, please."
Dawn shook her head, "Sorry, Verity. You brought this upon yourself."
"What did I do?!"
"You teased me when I called my mom."
"That was different!"
"How?"
"Because I wasn't the one calling my mom!"
Ash nodded thoughtfully, "Excellent argument. Unfortunately, I don't care."
Verity slowly turned toward him, "You really are enjoying this, aren't you?"
Ash smiled, "Immensely."
Verity groaned and dropped into the chair, "Fine. I'll call her."
Dawn leaned over and whispered, "Good girl."
"Don't patronize me."
Ash reached over and turned on the computer before sitting beside them, "Alright, let's see if she's online."
Verity stared at the screen nervously as the call connected. As it rang, she crossed her fingers, hoping that her mom wouldn't answer, but unfortunately for her, she wasn't so lucky.
"Hello?"
Verity's entire body stiffened.
Her mother appeared on the screen, sitting in what looked like their home in Twinleaf Town. She was smiling at first, but the moment she realized who was calling, her expression immediately changed to one of surprise.
"Verity?"
Verity swallowed nervously, "Hi, Mom…"
Her mother's eyes narrowed slightly, "You finally decided to call me."
Verity immediately shrank in her chair, "I was going to call…"
"When?"
"Eventually?"
Her mother sighed, "Verity…"
Dawn immediately covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Ash, meanwhile, was sitting beside Verity with his arms crossed, wearing the biggest grin imaginable.
Verity noticed him and whispered through clenched teeth, "You're enjoying this way too much."
Ash whispered back, "You have no idea."
Her mother continued, "Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've heard from you?"
"I know…"
"I've been worried sick! You left Twinleaf and then barely called!"
"I've been busy!"
"Busy doing what?"
Verity froze.
Dawn leaned closer, clearly interested in how this was going to go.
Verity slowly glanced toward Ash, and Ash raised an eyebrow as if to say, Go ahead.
Verity sighed, "I've been traveling."
Her mother blinked, "Traveling?"
"Yeah."
"With who?"
Verity hesitated before pointing toward Dawn, "Dawn."
Her mother's expression immediately softened, "Dawn? Oh! Hi, sweetheart!"
Dawn smiled and waved at the screen, "Hi, it's good to see you again!"
"You're traveling with Verity?"
"Yep!"
Her mother smiled, "Oh, that's wonderful. At least I know she's with someone I know."
Verity muttered, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Her mother immediately looked back at her, "You say that, but you're also the girl who once tried to cook dinner and nearly burned the kitchen down."
"That was one time!"
Dawn immediately looked toward Verity with wide eyes, "You never told me that."
"It wasn't important!"
Ash snorted.
Verity turned toward him, "Don't."
Ash raised his hands innocently.
Her mother looked between them, "And who is that?"
Ash smiled, and even though Verity tried to keep him out of the frame, Ash was stronger, so he pushed his head in and smiled, "Hello, ma'am."
Her mother stared at him, "You're…"
Verity covered her face with both hands.
Her mother blinked several times, "Ash?!"
"Yep."
"Oh my goodness, it really is you!" she said, giving a small happy clap.
Ash smiled, "It's been a while."
"It's been nearly three years!"
"I know."
Verity slowly lowered her hands and looked between them.
Her mother suddenly smiled, "Oh, you've grown up so much."
Ash gave a small laugh, "Yeah, it's been a while."
Verity stared at the two of them, "Wait, you two actually remember each other?"
Her mother looked at Verity with an amused expression, "Of course I remember him. He was the polite young man who thought I was your sister."
Ash's smile immediately widened, "Ah, yes. I remember that."
Verity groaned and covered her face, "Please don't bring that up."
Dawn, meanwhile, was covering her face with her hands, trying hard not to laugh, but tears were falling from her eyes.
Verity slowly looked at Dawn, "Don't encourage him."
Ash shrugged innocently, "I was being respectful."
"You called my mom my sister!"
"And she liked the compliment."
Verity's mother laughed, "I certainly did."
Verity dropped her head onto the desk, "I hate this conversation already."
Her mother chuckled before looking back toward Ash, "So, you're traveling with my daughter now?"
Ash nodded, "Yeah. We've been traveling together for a little while."
Her mother's expression softened, "And you're taking care of her?"
Ash glanced toward Verity, who was still hiding her face against the desk, then back toward the screen, "I'm doing my best."
Verity slowly lifted her head, "He's actually been taking really good care of us, Mom," she said, putting emphasis on the us so that she wouldn't get the wrong idea.
Ash looked at her in surprise that she admitted that, but Verity quickly looked away, suddenly embarrassed that she had admitted it.
Her mother smiled warmly, "I'm glad to hear that."
Dawn leaned toward the screen, "He really has! He's been making sure we eat properly, helping us train, and making sure we're safe."
Verity immediately pointed at Dawn, "You don't have to give him that much credit!"
Dawn grinned, "It's true!"
Her mother looked amused, "You two sound like you've gotten pretty close."
Dawn nodded happily, "Yeah! We've been traveling together for a few days now."
Verity sighed, "Unfortunately."
"Hey!" Dawn protested.
Ash chuckled, "They're getting along pretty well."
Verity looked at Ash, "You say that now."
Her mother smiled, "Well, I'm glad. I was worried when Verity left, but knowing she's traveling with Dawn and someone like you makes me feel a lot better."
Ash nodded, "You don't have to worry. I'll keep an eye on her."
Verity immediately looked at him, "You know I'm sitting right here, right?"
Ash looked at her, "Yes."
"I can take care of myself."
"I know."
"Then stop talking like I'm some helpless little kid."
Ash smiled, "Fine."
Verity narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Why do I feel like you're just agreeing so you can make fun of me later?"
"Because you know me too well."
Dawn started laughing.
Verity sighed, "See, Mom? This is what I've been dealing with."
Her mother laughed softly, "It sounds like you're having fun."
"Well, I know I am," Ash said, making Verity elbow him in the side.
Her mother smiled as she watched the two of them, "I'm really happy to see you like this, Verity."
Verity paused.
Her mother's expression became more serious, "When you left home, I was scared. You barely said anything, and then you were just gone. I know you're old enough to make your own decisions, but you're still my daughter. I just wanted to know you were safe."
Verity's smile faded slightly, and she looked down at her hands, "...I'm sorry, Mom."
Her mother smiled gently, "I know."
Verity swallowed, "I should've called more."
"You should have."
Verity winced.
"But I'm not angry anymore," her mother continued, "I'm just happy you're okay."
Verity smiled a little, "Thanks, Mom."
Dawn quietly smiled beside her, while Ash leaned back and let the two have their moment.
Then Verity's mother suddenly looked at Ash again, "Although…"
Ash blinked, "Although?"
Her mother's smile became suspiciously playful, "Nothing, nothing. Just be sure to keep an eye on Verity for me."
Dawn immediately gave a salute, "Don't worry! I will!"
Verity groaned, "Why is everyone acting like I need a babysitter?"
Ash raised his hand, "I agree with them."
"ASH!"
Her mother laughed.
Ash quickly raised both hands, "Okay, okay, I'm done."
Verity's mother smiled at all three of them, "It was really nice seeing you again, Ash."
Ash gave a small bow toward the screen, "It was nice seeing you too, ma'am."
"And thank you for looking after Verity."
Ash smiled, "Anytime."
Verity looked at him for a moment before quietly smiling herself.
Her mother then waved, "Goodnight, everyone. Stay safe."
The call ended, and the screen went dark. For a few seconds, Verity just sat there staring at it. Then she slowly leaned back in the chair and let out a huge sigh, "...That went better than I expected."
Dawn immediately grinned, "See? That wasn't so bad."
Verity looked at her, "You were enjoying that."
"Maybe."
Ash stood up and stretched, "Well, that was considerably less painful than I expected."
Verity looked up at him, "You know what? I'm actually glad you were here."
Ash raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Yeah." She paused, "...But don't let it go to your head."
Ash smiled, "Too late."
Verity rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling.
—
{Later that night}
Ash was on the roof of the hotel, looking out into the night sky. Meanwhile, behind him, Dawn was also coming out to get some air. Since the Contest would happen in a few days, she may act all happy and bubbly outside, but she was actually really nervous. Especially since her mom was a famous Contest star, she didn't want to be a disappointment.
But as she walked out, she saw Ash already out there. She got a playful smirk, so she quickly tiptoed forward, her fingers inches from his shoulder, ready to give him a fright. But before she could move, Ash spoke without turning around.
"You know, if you're gonna try to sneak up on me, try not to wear expensive perfume."
Dawn froze for a moment, her fingers still hovering in the air before she slowly pulled her hand back, "...You knew I was there?"
Ash turned back toward the city, "I knew someone was trying to sneak up on me."
Dawn puffed out her cheeks, "You didn't have to ruin it."
"I did, actually."
Dawn sighed and walked over, leaning against the railing beside him as she looked out over Jubilife City. The massive screens and advertisements illuminated the streets below, the city still alive despite the late hour. For a few seconds, neither of them said anything.
Ash glanced sideways at her, "So, how's my favorite upcoming Coordinator doing?"
Dawn blinked, then smiled slightly, "Your favorite?"
"Of course."
"I bet you're just saying that. You probably told May the same thing when you were with her," Dawn huffed.
"I mean, I did, but she isn't upcoming anymore. Plus, you weren't starting out when she did, so I can still say it," Ash said with a smirk.
"Heh...I guess that makes sense." Dawn's smile grew for a moment, but then she looked back toward the city, her expression becoming more thoughtful, "I'm...okay."
Ash glanced over at her, "That doesn't sound very convincing."
Dawn gave a small laugh, but it sounded forced, "Yeah...I guess I'm not really okay."
Ash didn't say anything, letting her continue.
Dawn sighed and leaned forward against the railing, "I'm just...nervous about the Contest."
Ash raised an eyebrow, "Nervous?"
"Yeah." Dawn looked down at the streets below, "I know I've been acting really excited about it, and I am! I really want to do this. I've wanted to enter Contests for so long, but now that I'm actually here..." She paused, "It feels different."
Ash nodded slowly, "Because now it's real."
"Exactly." Dawn sighed, "And Mom was so good at Contests. Everyone knows her. She's famous, she's won so many competitions, and she's really talented."
Dawn looked down at her hands, "What if I go out there and I'm terrible?"
Ash blinked, "You might be."
Dawn's head snapped toward him, "ASH!"
He laughed, "I'm kidding!"
Dawn puffed out her cheeks, "That wasn't funny!"
Ash grinned, "A little."
Dawn crossed her arms and looked away, "See? This is why I'm worried."
Ash's smile softened, "Okay, okay. Seriously."
Dawn glanced back at him.
"You're worried that you're not going to live up to your mom."
Dawn's expression slowly fell again, "...Yeah."
She stared out at the city for a moment before continuing, "I know Mom would never say that she expects me to be like her, but...I still feel like I have to prove myself."
Ash listened quietly.
Dawn continued, "Everyone knows I'm her daughter. If I do badly, people won't just think Dawn did badly. They'll think, 'Oh, that's Johanna's daughter?'" She swallowed, "And what if they think I'm not good enough?"
Ash leaned against the railing beside her, "Dawn."
She looked at him.
"Do you know what I think?"
Dawn shook her head.
"I think you're worrying about a bunch of people you haven't even met yet."
Dawn blinked.
Ash continued, "You don't know what they're going to think. You don't know what the judges are going to say. You don't know if you're going to win or lose."
Dawn frowned slightly, "But-"
"No buts." Ash said
Dawn looked away, "I just don't want to disappoint anyone."
Ash sighed, "Who are you trying not to disappoint?"
Dawn opened her mouth, but hesitated.
"Your mom?"
"...Maybe."
"Yourself?"
Dawn looked down.
"Probably."
Ash nodded, "Then that's the person you should be worrying about."
Dawn looked confused, "What?"
"You."
Ash turned toward her, resting his back against the railing.
"Forget everyone else for a second. Forget what your mom accomplished. Forget what the judges might think. Forget what everyone in the audience might say."
Dawn stared at him.
"Do YOU want to be a Coordinator?"
Dawn's answer came immediately, "Yes."
"Do you love doing it?"
"Yes."
"Then that's what matters." Ash smiled, "You're not your mom, Dawn. You're you, and that is just enough for me,"
Dawn looked down at her hands again, but this time she was smiling faintly.
Ash continued, "Your mom already had her journey. You get to have yours."
Dawn was quiet.
"And honestly?" Ash said, "I think you're going to be great."
Dawn looked up at him, "You really think so?"
"I know so."
She stared at him for a moment.
Ash smiled, "And I've seen how much fun you have just practicing, and that's the most important thing. And even when you fail, you keep trying."
Ash gently tapped her forehead with one finger, "And you can't teach someone to care as much as you do."
Dawn's cheeks began turning pink.
Ash continued, "So when you get out there, don't try to be Johanna. Don't try to be the perfect Coordinator. Don't try to impress every single person watching." He smiled, "Just be Dawn, to me that's perfect enough,"
Dawn stared at him, her face getting warmer.
Ash looked back toward the city, "And if you mess up?"
Dawn tilted her head, "Then...I mess up?"
"Yep."
"And if I lose?"
"You lose."
Dawn frowned, "You're supposed to make that sound less scary."
Ash laughed, "I'm being honest."
He turned back toward her, "Winning would be great. I'd love to see you win. But if you lose, so what? You'll still be Dawn. You'll still have another chance."
Dawn smiled a little.
"And if someone thinks you're not good enough?" Ash shrugged, "Who cares?"
Ash smiled, "Seriously. There are way too many people in this world for you to spend your time worrying about every opinion someone has about you."
Dawn stared at him quietly.
"Some people are going to love your performances. Some people won't. Some people might think you're amazing. Some might think you're terrible" He gave her a small grin, "That's their problem."
Dawn laughed softly.
Ash continued, "The people who matter will know who you are. Your mom knows you. Verity knows you, and I know you."
Ash reached over and gently poked her forehead again, "So stop trying to prove that you're worthy. You already are, and no matter what, you'll have me right here in your corner, always."
Dawn stared at Ash, her face still bright red from his words. She quickly looked away toward the city, trying desperately to act like what he had just said hadn't completely caught her off guard.
"...You really know how to say things sometimes," Dawn muttered.
Ash smiled and pretended to be dumb, "What do you mean?"
"Nothing!"
Dawn refused to look at him. She suddenly became very interested in the buildings across the street, her hands gripping the railing as she tried to calm herself down.
After a few seconds, Ash smiled slightly, "You feeling better?"
Dawn nodded, "Yeah...actually, I am."
"Good."
Dawn glanced at him, "Thanks, Ash."
"No problem."
She smiled softly and looked back toward the city. For a little while, the two simply stood there together, enjoying the quiet night. The sounds of Jubilife drifted up from below, but from the rooftop everything seemed strangely peaceful.
Dawn eventually sighed happily, "You know...I think I really needed to hear that."
Ash nodded, "Then I'm glad I said it."
Dawn smiled, "You're pretty good at this whole motivational speech thing."
Ash shrugged, "I've had practice."
Dawn laughed softly, "Of course you have."
Ash looked at her for a moment before suddenly reaching into his pocket, "Oh, right."
Dawn turned toward him, "Hmm?"
"I almost forgot." Ash pulled out a Poké Ball and held it out toward her, "I want you to have this."
Dawn blinked, "For me?"
"Yep."
Dawn stared at the Poké Ball in his hand, then slowly took it from him, "What is it?"
Ash smiled, "Why don't you find out?"
Dawn looked suspiciously at him, "You're not going to prank me, are you?"
"Nope."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Dawn narrowed her eyes at him for another second before finally pressing the button on the Poké Ball.
A flash of red light appeared beside her, and a small purple Pokémon materialized on the rooftop. It was Aipom.
Aipom looked around curiously before noticing Dawn. His eyes immediately lit up, and his large tail swished happily behind him, "Ai! Aipom!"
Dawn's eyes widened as she crouched down in front of him, "Oh my gosh..."
Aipom happily hopped over to her and looked up at her, seemingly just as curious about her as she was about him.
Dawn looked back at Ash, "You gave me your Aipom?"
Ash nodded, "Yeah."
"But...why?"
Ash leaned against the railing, "Because I think he'd be better with you."
Dawn looked confused, "What do you mean?"
Ash glanced toward Aipom, who was already swinging around Dawn with his tail, clearly showing off.
"Aipom's never really been that interested in battling with me. He likes it, but when we were with May, he was more interested in Contests instead."
Aipom suddenly jumped onto the railing and spun around on his tail before landing perfectly on his feet.
Dawn's eyes sparkled.
Ash chuckled, "See?"
Dawn wanted to reach down and hug Aipom, but she stopped before doing anything and looked at Ash, "Are you sure? Why do you want me to have him?"
"Because I trust you, and I know you'll do great. That's all," Ash said simply with a smile.
Dawn looked down as her ears turned red, but when Ash was going to ask her something, she quickly got up to him and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest to hide her face.
"Thank you, Ash…" she mumbled into his chest, "You're the best, you know that?"
Ash smiled and patted her head as he let her stay there, "I've been told once or twice," Ash said with a small smile.
Dawn finally pulled back and looked away. Then she finally looked down at Aipom and picked him up in her arms, "I promise I'll work hard to not let you down."
"You couldn't possibly let me down, Dawn," Ash said immediately.
Dawn gulped and nodded, "Yeah, right. W-Well, thanks for that. You believing in me helps a lot."
"Well, we can make sure faith isn't the only thing you're going in with. How about it? Tomorrow, wanna get some training in? I'll teach you something extra special in exchange~"
Dawn nodded before Ash even got to the promise of something extra, "Alright, see you tomorrow. Um, we should probably go back inside and get some sleep."
"Alright, let's go," Ash said as he took a step back and opened the door to the roof.
Dawn carefully placed Aipom on her shoulder and followed Ash toward the door.
As they walked inside, Dawn glanced at him one more time.
Then she smiled to herself, "...Thanks, Ash."
Ash looked back, "For what?"
Dawn shook her head, "Nothing."
She couldn't help but smile, "Just...thanks."
—
{A few days later}
It was time for the Contest. The morning Dawn woke up, she stretched her arms behind her head and brushed her teeth. She brushed her hair and took a shower. When she got out of the shower, she went to her bag and put on her usual outfit.
Then, when she walked out and the butlers delivered her breakfast, she ate slowly, thinking about the thing Ash taught her. She thought about how the performance would go and whether she could pull it off. I mean, sure, she did it in practice, but in an actual Contest, everything might be a different story, so she had to make sure she was ready.
When she finished eating, she eventually walked out, where Ash and Verity were waiting for her.
Ash smiled, "Well, today's the day."
"And I know you're gonna do great, Dawn!" Verity gave a double thumbs-up.
She gave a small sheepish smile and nodded, "Thanks, guys. It means a lot." Then she took one more deep breath, "Let's do this."
So they did. They walked all the way to the Contest Hall, where Dawn showed her Contest pass and was allowed in, but this was where they would part ways. Dawn went into the competitor side, while Ash and Verity went off to the seating area.
When she was inside, she walked into the back changing room and pulled out her bag, checking what she wanted to wear. It took her a moment as she thought, but then she grabbed one that she liked: a pink, frilly dress she had packed. She liked the look of it, and it was her current best dress. Not to mention, it was a dress that was imported all the way from Kalos, so she chose it.
She quickly put on the silk dress and adjusted it. Then, when she was distracted, the choker that went with the dress fell down onto the floor. Dawn was too distracted doing some light blush on her cheeks to notice. Then, when the announcer called all the Coordinators to get to the back room to wait, Dawn quickly ran out, but she forgot her choker.
But at that moment, a little Glameow went across the floor and found it.
Dawn got to the back room, seeing all sorts of other Coordinators there, all equally excited or nervous. Though, she couldn't say she blamed them. But after everything that had happened in the last few days, she was much calmer, especially since she had this dress and choker that her mom had gotten her.
She reached up to hold onto the ribbon, but felt her neck was bare. Then she quickly checked, rubbing her fingers, then her full hand over her neck, and she finally realized that she didn't have her choker.
Dawn was worried that she had left it in the locker room. She couldn't go back for it now; it was too late. What was she gonna do? But then, as she was spiraling, a Glameow jumped up in front of her and held her tail out, and on the top was Dawn's choker.
Dawn stared at the Glameow in surprise, her eyes widening as she recognized the familiar choker hanging from its tail, "My choker!" she exclaimed, quickly crouching down and taking it from the Pokémon, "Oh my gosh, I thought I left it in the locker room!" The Glameow purred happily and flicked its tail before sitting down beside her.
A voice suddenly came from behind her, "I thought that was yours."
Dawn turned around and saw a girl walking toward her. She had short orange-red hair, brownish-red eyes, and wore a dark magenta shirt underneath a light orange vest, with pale blue jeans. A pair of black sunglasses rested above her hair.
The girl smiled and gestured toward the choker, "You were the only person back there wearing an outfit that really complemented it."
Dawn looked down at the choker, then at her dress, "Really?"
"Yeah." The girl nodded, "I saw it on the floor in the locker room. Glameow found it before anyone else could step on it."
Dawn looked down at the Glameow, who happily rubbed against her leg, "Thank you! Seriously, I was starting to panic."
The girl chuckled, "I figured. You looked like you were about five seconds away from turning the entire building upside down looking for it."
Dawn laughed nervously, "Was it that obvious?"
"A little."
Dawn quickly put the choker around her neck and adjusted it, making sure it was sitting properly against her dress. She then looked back at the girl and smiled, "Thank you. I really mean it. This was a gift from my mom, so losing it right before my first Contest would've been awful."
The girl's expression softened slightly, "Then I'm glad I found it."
Dawn smiled, "I'm Dawn, by the way."
The girl nodded, "Zoey."
Dawn's eyes lit up, "Nice to meet you, Zoey!"
"Same here."
Glameow suddenly jumped up onto Zoey's shoulder, curling its tail around her neck as it looked at Dawn.
Dawn tilted her head, "Is she your Pokémon?"
Zoey nodded, "Yep."
"She's adorable!"
Glameow proudly raised her head.
Zoey laughed, "She knows."
Dawn giggled and reached out to pet Glameow, who immediately leaned into her hand, "You two seem really close."
"We've been together for a while," Zoey said, getting some fond memories of how she and Glameow first met all those years ago.
Then she looked back at Dawn, "You said this was your first Contest, right?"
Dawn nodded, "Yeah."
"You nervous?"
Dawn thought about it for a moment, "...A little."
Zoey smiled, "That's normal."
Dawn looked at her, "You're not nervous?"
"Oh, I am."
Dawn blinked, "You don't look nervous."
Zoey shrugged, "Doesn't mean I'm not."
Dawn laughed softly, "I guess that's true."
There was a brief pause before Zoey looked at Dawn's outfit again, "You know, I think you're going to do fine."
Dawn smiled, "Thanks."
Zoey nodded toward her choker, "Especially now that you've got that back."
Dawn touched the choker and smiled, "Yeah." She took another deep breath, "Now I'm ready."
Zoey smirked, "Of course, that doesn't mean that much when I'm gonna win."
Dawn got a small smile and stood up straight, "Oh yeah? What makes you so sure? What if I win?"
"Then you're just gonna have to prove it, 'cuz I'm not planning on losing," Zoey said proudly, putting her hands on her waist.
Before they could continue their back-and-forth, a voice echoed through the backstage area.
"Attention, Coordinators! Please prepare yourselves! The Contest will begin shortly!"
"Alright, then. Let the best Coordinator win," Zoey said, looking over to Dawn.
Dawn nodded and got a cheeky smirk, "I plan to~"