Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any affiliated properties, nor any other properties referenced in this work of fiction.

I humbly dedicate this story to the many wonderful Pokémon Fans: from every fan of the games, anime and manga, to the talented artists who render upon paper and screen what our minds can only conceive, all the way to the devoted fanfiction writers who toil with words to create visions of magnificent battles, thrilling plots, and heart-touching (or heart-rending) romances. May your dedication and creativity continue to inspire and awe those around you.

For clarification, this story assumes that Ash left Unova after the end of the Unova League Tournament (i.e. Neither the 'Episode N Saga' nor the Decolora Islands Journey occurred, as this story was mostly completed prior to the airing of those episodes).

Undercityrezident presents:

Northern Lights and Ocean Dreams

Chapter 1 – A Life Well Traveled

It had been too long since he had taken to the road. Three years in fact. All the best times of his life had been on his journeys, and he had lingered too long. No matter how long he remained in Pallet, he wouldn't grow as a person or a trainer. He needed to taste the open air, feel the rough dirt beneath his shoes, feel the heat of a campfire in the wild and experience the wonders of the world. He needed to battle strong trainers, revisit past locales, discover new ones, and become the master he always wanted to be.

It for these reasons and more, that Ash Ketchum had once again decided to journey among the many lands and vistas had once visited in his younger days. He hoped that after his years of absence, with his newfound maturity and capacity for understanding, that he might see and learn new things about the world that he had once traversed. He had yet to attain his lifelong dream of becoming a Pokémon Master, and he now understood that he would never reach that goal without shaking off the tendencies and habits of his more youthful self. He had learned a great deal during his travels, but he realized, after yet another disappointing loss, that he needed to change himself drastically in order to progress towards his goal.

Since his travels in Unova, Ash had elected to take a break from his travels and concentrate on strict training. He accomplished this in Pallet Town, of course. This was met with great joy from his mother, who after years of only seeing him between legs of his journeys and the occasional phone call, could now spend almost an indefinite amount of time with him. She, of course, was completely proud of all his accomplishments and urged him to continue his quest for his ultimate goal, all the while jubilant at the fact that she got to spend more time with her son.

Her fussing over him didn't end there though. On Ash's sixteenth birthday, mere months following his return to his hometown, his mother invited many of his old friends from near and abroad to celebrate the occasion. Of course not everyone she invited was able to make it. Most of those who could not were those from distant regions. Brock, of course, had attended without a second thought, having some time between tests in his studies to become a Pokémon Doctor. May, Max, and surprisingly, Drew, had arrived. Ash was not aware that May had decided to bring him as her plus one. Dawn had miraculously made it, having found a lull in her contest schedule back in Sinnoh, where she feverishly continued to work on her dream of becoming Top Coordinator. Unova was a tad far for Iris and Cilan to make it, but they sent their best wishes. Of the many surprises that Ash discovered in the list of absences, Misty was the biggest. Cerulean, while certainly not that close to Pallet, was not terribly far either. When he asked his mother why Misty was unable to attend, she had given him a seemingly standard response that she had too many duties to fulfill at her gym. This made the aspiring master quite depressed, but he fought through it and ended up having a good time.

Of course, Ash was not always content to stay at home. He often went to visit Brock in Pewter City, as it was only few hours' flight on the back of Charizard or Pidgeot for him. Having Charizard back was a great boon to Ash. It was only a few months into his new home-set lifestyle that Charizard elected to return to the Oak Ranch from the Charicific Valley in Johto. Upon his return, Professor Oak quickly informed Ash, and the two were reunited in a heartwarming, if somewhat toasty reunion. Regardless of Charizard's old flamethrower antics, which often left Ash in a suit of soot, he was certainly was glad to have him back on his team in a more consistent capacity. Pidgeot, too, rejoined Ash. It was a heartfelt reunion in which Ash apologized profusely for breaking his promise to come back sooner. Pidgeot, while somewhat put off by the appearance of his trainer so many years later than expected, forgave and accepted his trainer yet again. He took his place on Ash's team once more, confident in leaving the flock he had acted as protector for so long since many of the Pidgeotto had evolved since that day five years ago.

Of course, Charizard and Pidgeot were not the only old friends Ash had reconnected with in his time living in Kanto. He made quite sure to visit his old friends at the ranch, namely the Professor himself, Tracey who had continued to work as his assistant, and all of his other Pokémon. Occasionally even Gary stopped by to visit his grandpa. Ash always made sure to challenge him when he was in town.

There was one notable person that Ash had continuously tried to contact, but had been unsuccessful in doing so. Misty continued to evade him. Whether by bad fortune, or her own efforts, Misty was never in the building when he phoned the Cerulean Gym; nor was she present in the city at all when he went to the gym in person. He made many requests to have her call back, and he even tried to write letters to her asking for a reply as well. No response.

Despite this setback, which made Ash feel strangely sour and depressed, he continued his training in earnest. He set his sights on the Indigo Plateau Conference after his first year of training. As usual, he did well, but again fell short. He made it to the top four, but faltered against a strong opponent who beat him 6 to 4. This disappointed Ash greatly. He had dedicated himself to almost nothing but training. He didn't spend time walking from town to town, nor did he have to deal with Team Rocket's interference anymore. He thought he had focus. He thought he put in the time. And yet, he found no real improvement in his standing in the Pokémon League. Regardless of this failure, Ash did what he always did. He vowed to do better, and continued as though nothing could stop him.

His seventeenth birthday came and went. He continued his training, strengthening both himself and his Pokémon. He dedicated himself to overcoming both his and his Pokémon's weaknesses. He taught them moves that counteracted the weaknesses to their types, while keeping in mind to keep their already pronounced strengths sharp. Again, when the time came, he entered the Indigo League and competed well. By this time, the boy prodigy was now well and powerful as well as recognized. He progressed through the league with ease, until the semi-finals. There again, he met a powerful opponent. This time, he triumphed, and made it to the finals for the first time in his career as a trainer. His victory sparked a surge of confidence in himself and adoration from his fans. This would be his downfall, sadly. He thought himself unbeatable when he came to battle his last opponent in the tournament. He was crushed. He knocked out only two Pokémon from his opponent's team. In the end Ash knew why. He had grown overconfident, and he had allowed the adulations of his fans to get to him, distracting him from proper tactics and execution. He cursed himself and vowed never to allow that to happen again.

Another year passed, as did another birthday: his eighteenth. This time around, he declined a birthday party, despite much protest from his mother. He claimed he needed to free himself of excessive praise and that it took away from the time he needed to train. In this year, his objectives in training changed. He shifted focus from his loyal companion's moves towards tactics; such that he would be ready to counter opponents of all kinds. He matched speed against power, defence against speed, learned how to gain the upper hand in contests of strength, and learned the value of feints and deception in his battle style. Even as his mother grew worried over his obsession, he reassured her that this was all natural. He reminded her that he would never achieve his dreams if he was constantly distracted by others. Through all this, even with the strain he put on this partners, he remembered the most important lesson that he had learned in his youth: That the bond with his Pokémon was the most important thing of all. He pushed them, but never too far. He wanted to be a master, but not at too high a cost. However, just as he was in his youth, he was obsessed with his Pokémon. As a result, his connections to people began to suffer. Brock barely heard from him anymore. The little communication that he had with Cilan, Iris, May and Dawn nearly ceased altogether. He even stopped trying to get in touch with Misty.

When the time came, Ash decided that instead, a change in venue was in order. Rather than compete at the Indigo Plateau, he decided to participate in the Silver Conference. As expected for a trainer of his caliber, he battled almost flawlessly in the early rounds. Of course the competition ramped up as he ascended further up the tournament ladder, but he still was a dominating force in the tournament. For the second time, he made it to the finals. His focus was razor sharp. He barely heard the roar of the audience and his manner was confident, yet cautious. He knew his opponent's reputation. Throughout the tournament, they had both been the stars, finding victory in their own ways. Ash had advanced through sheer cunning and surprise strategy, with a dose of strength when needed. His opponent rose to the top of the tournament through sheer strength, with power that seemed utterly unbelievable.

Up to that point, that battle was likely the best that Ash had ever fought in his life. In the end it came down to his Pikachu and his opponent's reputedly most powerful Pokémon, a Tyranitar that stood imposingly tall, even for its species. Despite having the disability of not being able to use electric based moves on it, Pikachu and Ash fought valiantly, almost bringing the behemoth to its knees. But in the end, it stood strong, while the little yellow mouse tired. The match between the two Pokémon took nearly fifteen minutes, and in the end the Tyranitar landed but a single blow on Ash's starter. One was all it took. A year's worth of sorrows and pain almost jumped out of his throat at that moment. He was sincerely proud of the efforts his companions had put in all year and especially throughout that last week. But he still felt crushed. However, he managed to keep himself composed and offered his hand in sportsmanlike fashion to his opponent, who was still clearly impressed.

It was then Ash decided that something was wrong. He wasn't sure what, but he knew there was. Everything he had learned, he applied to his training and to his battles. Yet he could not climb this seemingly insurmountable barrier that was the league tournaments. If he couldn't win a league, he couldn't challenge the Elite Four of that particular region. If he couldn't win a tournament, he certainly couldn't defeat the Elite Four, and if he couldn't defeat the Elite Four, he certainly couldn't defeat a Regional Champion. If he couldn't defeat a Champion, there was no way he would ever become a Pokémon Master.

He went home, proud of his Pokémon, but still somehow ashamed of himself. His friends had executed their orders flawlessly, and had given it a full one hundred percent, if not more. That led him to one conclusion. He was the problem. Despite his efforts to compensate for his companion's weaknesses, and despite his efforts to develop unique and innovative strategies, he still could not win a league. He did everything an advanced trainer should do. He had built upon all his experiences and lessons learned.

Then it hit him.

It wasn't that there was something wrong with what he was doing. It was with what he had done. He learned the basics of Pokémon training as a child. A naive little child who thought that anything he did was the epitome of greatness. Granted he had been shown the errors of his ways by many people: Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, teachers, fellow trainers, Brock, and especially Misty. However, they had not fixed everything he had done wrong, or learned incorrectly. Underneath all the complex tactics, lay a faulty foundation. Age had taught him many things, and helped to correct many problems, but there were some things that had to be experienced to be learned. He realized that he saw his journeys through a child's eyes. While treasured memories that they were, he needed to revisit them, with a new perspective; an adult perspective.

On his nineteenth birthday, he bid his mother and assembled friends in Pallet a fond farewell. He was clad in a new red and white hat with a black pokéball sigil in the front-center, a new red vest, black shirt tee-shirt, blue jeans, red and black shoes, and his trusty green backpack. He departed his home and left for another journey, this time electing to start in Johto. He mentally noted to himself that he wanted to conclude his tour in Kanto, rather than begin it there. He could have flown on the back of Charizard if he had so chose, but he decided, that he were to see the world again, it would be from the exact same height, or rather a few feet higher than before. He had grown much taller from his rather diminutive height at the age of ten, but all the same, he wanted to walk and see the world up close, rather than from above.

The only real difference, aside from his now slightly wiser adult mind, was that he was travelling alone. Even if he had wanted to, he couldn't pull Brock away from his studies now; he was close to graduating and becoming a full-fledged Pokémon Doctor. Tracey was still happily working as an assistant to Professor Oak. Misty, while confirmed to be still in control of the gym by her sisters, was still somehow unreachable to him. May and Drew, now officially a couple, were travelling the contest circuit, and he didn't feel it wise to intrude. Dawn, as far as he knew, was taking a well-deserved rest back with her mother in Twinleaf Town. Cilan was still working to become an S-Class Connoisseur, an art that was still only prevalent in Unova. Iris was now training directly under Drayden, and it was likely that she would become his successor as Opelucid City Gym Leader. Even if his friends didn't have their reasons, he decided that he needed to make this journey alone. If he was going to become a better trainer, he couldn't always rely on his friends to fix his problems for him.

He visited all the same places he did when he traveled the Johto region last time. He challenged gyms once again. He clearly outclassed the majority of them, his only difficulty having been with Clair, whose dragons had grown substantially stronger since his last encounter. However, he battled with them for the insights, not the challenge. Each gym leader always offered some nugget of wisdom, which he took to heart. Battling was far from the only thing he did on his journey. He spoke to many old friends, made a few new ones, and of course, helped where he could. If one thing hadn't changed with age, it was his kind and generous spirit. However, deep down, Ash was still conflicted. He felt that he was slowly losing his identity as a person. He was less himself than he was as a child, growing more into an amalgam of ideas and strategies rather than as a human being. He did what came naturally to him, helping all those he came across, but it seemed to lack the same impact it once had for him. He felt gratified that he helped people, but the joy wasn't there. He couldn't understand why.

He concluded his travels through Johto and moved on to Hoenn. Just as he did before, he met many old and new friends and challenged the gym leaders. Norman and Juan both proved to still be quite challenging to him, much to his surprise and approval. While he had hoped to catch May and Drew, he found that they had departed to Kanto not too long ago, to his disappointment. Regardless, he moved onwards, next visiting distant Unova. He repeated the process he set for himself in the previous two regions, this time getting lucky enough to meet both Cilan and Iris during his lap around the region.

After his revisit to Unova, he celebrated his twenty-second birthday on-board the ferry taking him from Unova to the northerly Sinnoh region. It was a lonely affair, and could not be very much considered a celebration, rather just an excuse to eat some nicer food. That was another aspect of Ash that had simply not changed since his childhood. He could still pack away food like it was no problem at all and had little compunction to curb his appetite. However, he recognized the consequences of such actions, and continued to exercise alongside his Pokémon to keep in shape.

In this particular visit to a restaurant, he was eating happily until realized that something was missing. He was gobbling his food down like normal, when a waiter came to ask him a question. He responded, albeit with his mouth full. After the encounter, he realized, that no one had scolded him for talking with his mouth full. The absence of such an action was a strange sensation to Ash, but he quickly shrugged it off and wolfed down the rest of his meal.

That night, before going to sleep, he took a good long look in the mirror. The reflection in the mirror was not the boy he was once was before. He had grown taller by quite a bit, much to his satisfaction, quite tired of having been so short for so long. His raven black hair, as always, resembled a nest of sorts, but was a bit longer than he used to keep it, though he kept it trimmed. He was not the long-hair type. His body had grown more muscular as he travelled; his arms were slightly bulkier, but were in no danger of being able to match that of a Machoke. His legs had undergone a similar change, as excessive amounts of walking had definitely put some muscles on them as well. His face had grown a bit, no longer that baby-faced round that it used to be. It was a bit longer now, and he had a stronger chin. His strong brown eyes remained as potent as ever, though lately he wondered if the light in there was dimming. That was his concern. He knew his body was fine; at least that's what he felt. It was his mind and his heart he worried about. He decided that he would make a final decision at the end of his journey through Sinnoh. Maybe this time, he would figure it out.

It was not long before he arrived in Sinnoh after his birthday. He decided from the port in Sunyshore he would move clockwise around the region challenging gyms and meeting people. For a while, it was just as it had been in the previous regions. That is, until he happened upon the small hamlet called Twinleaf Town. He thought it would be fun to visit his old friend and her mom, provided they were there. Upon arriving, the first place he wanted to visit was Dawn's house. He hadn't seen her in person in over five years. He knocked on her door upon arriving and was happy, though certainly not surprised, to see her mother answer the door.

"Ash, dear!" she said hugging him quickly and loosely, "It's been far too long! How have you been?"

Pikachu, from atop Ash's shoulder, cried out his name in recognition and waved at her jubilantly.

He replied quickly and awkwardly in a voice much deeper than she remembered, "Wow, it has been a while hasn't it. I've been doing well, how about you?"

"I suppose you've come to visit Dawn?" she asked, motioning to let him into the house.

He gladly accepted the invitation and stepped inside. The house was much the same as it was all those years ago the last time he was in Sinnoh. It was tidy, nicely decorated with family pictures, trophies and ribbons from both the mother's and daughter's contests. It was not all too dissimilar from Ash's own home, though it had a more modern feel to it.

"I wouldn't mind to catch up with her, though I'm just as glad to see you after such a long time. You were a great host the last time I was here, and I know very well that I was a handful back then," Ash said with a small chuckle.

She replied with a small laugh of her own, and replied, "Oh you weren't that bad. The only issue was that it took some... excessive force to get you out of bed in the morning!" She let out another laugh as she went to the kitchen, continuing to heckle Ash as she went, "In many ways, you and Dawn weren't too different at that age!"

She yelled from adjacent room, "Dawn will be back shortly, could I get you something to drink?"

Ash considered for a moment then answered with some enthusiasm, "If you have some kind of juice, that would be great."

"Of course, we have fresh made orange juice in the fridge! I'll get it straight away!" Johanna announced gleefully.

"Pikapi, chu pika chu!" Pikachu exclaimed from Ash's shoulder, swiftly jumping down and pointing toward the kitchen.

"I guess you're hungry aren't you, buddy?" Ash inquired knowingly.

Pikachu squeaked his name and nodded quickly. Ash walked to the kitchen with Pikachu in tow and proceeded to ask Johanna with some timidity, "I don't mean to impose, but would you happen to have some poffins? Pikachu is kind of hungry, and I remember him liking some of the ones you made last time we were here."

"Think nothing of it!" Johanna answered, glancing back at Ash as she searched the fridge for the orange juice, "You're a close friend of Dawn's! It's no imposition at all!" She placed the orange juice on the counter beside the fridge and then pulled out a bowl of poffins and handed it to Ash. She looked at Pikachu with kind eyes and told him, "Enjoy!"

Ash quickly placed the bowl on the floor and Pikachu, much like his trainer would, began to gobble the food like there was tomorrow. Ash gave an almost quiet laugh as he accompanied Johanna back to the living room.

"He certainly has a good appetite doesn't he?" Johanna noted as she sat down on the couch opposite Ash.

"Just like me," Ash joked, a wide grin spreading across his face as he glanced towards the kitchen.

"So how's your journey been? I heard from Dawn you're travelling again, though I haven't heard much else," Johanna inquired casually as she took a drink of her orange juice.

Ash did the same and then replied, "It's been good. I've been learning a lot, and I'm glad to have seen a few people I met a long time ago again."

"Hmmm," Johanna made a sound of consideration then pressed, "You usually keep some friends along with you. Not this time?"

Ash's face scrunched up in surprise and confusion. He wasn't exactly sure how to answer the question. He wasn't sure if he knew the answer himself. Lately, he had been questioning his notion of whether or not he should have started travelling in a group. He had met some people, new and old in all three preceding regions that he could have travelled with, if only for a short time, but he decided that he needed to be free of distractions to truly perceive the flaws in his battle style and his knowledge of Pokémon. Lately, however, he felt four years of loneliness catching up to him.

He fixed up his face, and smiled at Johanna and said, "I certainly think it would be fun to travel with somebody, but right now, I think it's best I go on my own. I need to figure some things out for myself so I can grow as a trainer." He took another swig of orange juice and held back a belch. He really didn't want to be so rude in front of Dawn's mother. He thought of how funny it was that he wouldn't have even have considered that rude back when he was younger.

Johanna, however, did not miss the reaction that Ash's face presented upon being asked, but decided it was not her place to pursue it. In fact, the best person to pursue it just walked through the front door.

"Hi mom!" the young woman shouted from the doorway, not even glancing toward the living room as she hung up her dark pink coat. She continued oblivious to the visitor currently looking at her from one of the couches, "So I just had a thought. I heard that he's back in Sinnoh, so maybe I'll ambush him at one of the gyms a- a- a- ," Dawn trailed off as she hung up her coat and scarf on the hook near the door. She had finally decided to look into the living room to see her mother smiling sweetly and Ash with a smirk on his face. The teen froze momentarily with a look that seemed a mix of incredulous surprise and embarrassment.

This gave Ash the time he needed to look Dawn over well. While her mother had not changed much in the intervening years, Dawn had changed quite a bit. He had only seen her on video phone a few scant times since his sixteenth birthday, but he only seen her face during their conversations. Her face, though more familiar, had changed somewhat. She still had a sweet and innocent looking visage, though her cheeks were not quite as rounded as they had once been. Her nose, eyes and lips, however, seemed to have been frozen in time, being just as vibrant and cute as all those years ago. Her eyes were just the same shade of deep blue, but seemed all the more striking now. Her hair was even fuller than it used to be. It hung down, ending just mid-way on her back. Various braids decorated the water-like tresses that framed her face and shoulders. Her body however, was where most of the changes had taken place. He form was still quite slender and petite, though she still stood taller than before. Her slender dainty arms and legs were quite gorgeous and delicate. Ash had rarely seen her without that pink scarf in her younger days, and could only thank her now for allowing that sumptuous neck to be exposed to him. Her bust had grown somewhat, but still retained a proportioned size to the rest of her small body. And though Ash tried desperately to ignore it, he saw and could help but admire the cute butt that he saw in profile to the rest of her slender form.

In direct contrast to Dawn was her companion who had trotted through the door just afterwards. Piplup shouted his name in jubilance and rushed over to Pikachu in the kitchen, who had momentarily taken a moment to stop gorging himself. The two embraced like two long-lost brothers and began to chatter as they proceeded further into the kitchen; away from the developing situation in the living room.

Dawn finally regain her composure and resumed her stuttering until she actually formed a coherent, if short word, "A- a- a- Ash?"

Ash, smirk still present, gave a small wave, "Hi Dawn? Miss me?"

Several emotions went through her mind and she struggled to sort them out. Chief among them were both happiness and shock, but a small well of indignant anger was there as well. She first overcame her shock and actually moved towards Ash, who stood up in response. A smile graced her face finally, and she squeaked and wrapped around Ash in a madly blissful hug. Then the third of the emotions surfaced and she released Ash. The twenty-two year-old man did not see the slap coming, not even for a second.

Dawn began a rant, something unusual for her, "What the hell, Ash! Don't you ever call anyone anymore! I had to hear from Volkner of all people that you were even in Sinnoh! What have you been doing for the last three years anyways! I heard from Iris maybe a few months ago but barely anything before or after! What's your deal! You just went dark on us before the Silver Conference four years ago! Then you just up and disappear! I don't think you've even talked to your Mom in all the time you were trotting around world have you! You should be more considerate!"

Ash paused, either from shock from the slap, or from sheer force of the ongoing rant. He tried to say something, but words seemed to fail him. Even between the angry words being spouted at him, Dawn was a vision. Something he realized he sorely missed. A swirl of emotions welled up within him and he couldn't explain it. His understanding of these emotions may have come later than it did for most, but dense as he used to be, he now understood what feelings like this could mean. However, he had never actually felt them first hand, and it confused him. Having not seen her for so long, and seeing how much she changed, he immediately began to regret not having kept contact.

Then it clicked in his head again. In his attempts to better himself as a trainer, he had done the same thing he had foolishly done as a child. He neglected those who cared for him. He had tried to rectify this problem in his mid-teens, but the goal of becoming a Pokémon Master again lodged itself in his mind and had blinded him to all else around him. He knew that he derived joy from being with and training his loyal companions. But he knew far less joy than he once had because he had no one to share it with.

No friends to share his accomplishments.

No one to cheer for as they strove alongside him.

No one for him admire and to receive admiration from.

No one for him to care for, nor anyone to care for him.

It was just himself and his seemingly endless desire to better himself in the eyes of his peers and his Pokémon. That would change right now.

With this in mind, he gently laid a hand onto the shoulder of the still ranting Dawn. Shocked by this action, she immediately fell silent. They looked deep into each other's eyes and Ash quietly, but with utmost conviction in his words gave a simple request, "Please, come with me, Dawn."

Both Dawn and Johanna's eyes grew wide in the wake of those five words. Dawn was speechless and Johanna elected to get up and give the two of them the room.

Dawn blinked several times, as though somehow, her eyes could speak in the way her mouth could not at the moment. She must have realized this and finally seized control of her faculties and blurted out, "What?"

Ash put his other hand onto Dawn's shoulder so that now held her with both. He continued to gaze into her deep blue eyes and began solemnly, "I'm an idiot. I thought that by myself, I'd be able to discover why I keep," he sighed and his eyes fell to the floor, "coming up short."

Dawn instinctively remembered the last two tournaments she had watched Ash in: The Indigo Plateau finals and the Silver Conference finals. Between the two of them, she noted a marked improvement, but in both cases Ash had lost. She remembered her own experience of a similar nature. Twice in a row, she failed to even pass the appeals rounds in contests when she travelled with Ash. Like him, she had become discouraged, and even thought about ending her career as a co-ordinator. But it wasn't like Ash to quit. But he tended to make other negative decisions instead. She remembered a number of instances, both on her travels with him and told to her by both Misty and May, where Ash shut himself off from the rest of the group. This had to be, by and far, the worst of all these occurrences and certainly the longest lived.

He continued dejectedly, "I have wandered for three years, looking for why I just can't cross the line from being a good trainer, to a great trainer. I thought a new journey with a new set of eyes could tell me. Granted I've had some good times meeting old, long forgotten friends, making some new ones, seeing how people and places have changed. Yes, I've gained some new skills. Yes, I've learned from the experiences that will serve better in battle and in life. But in the end, it kind of felt empty. You know what I mean?" He looked up again, "Hardly worth being alone. Especially, now that I see being alone is the problem."

Dawn looked at Ash with eyes that threatened to begin a torrent of tears at any moment. But she held back. Instead, she brought Ash in close and hugged him tightly. She never wanted to let go. She saw his pain. She knew his pain. Not just in her inability to make that final step to the title of Top Coordinator, but also for the years she had failed to find a substitute for what she had with Ash. There was no group she could travel with. Anything other than him beside her in their journey felt like a cheap knockoff. A fake. A lie.

A single tear fell from her eye and onto Ash's chest as she hugged him. In that moment, she knew her answer.

"Yes."

Ash grunted in surprise, "Huh?"

"I will come with you! I want to help you be the best. I want to help you discover who you are and what you can become. Just the same as I know you can do for me! " Dawn elaborated, the tears now streaming freely down her cheeks. She took her head from his chest and pulled his forehead to hers. She spoke ever so softly, "Just as you've always done for me."

In the close proximity of each other's faces, she could see now, he was beginning to tear up. He became conscious of this and became embarrassed and tried to break the hug, but Dawn did not relent. Instead she tightened the hug, and brought his head to her shoulder while mirroring the action with her own. She spoke softly in his ear, "Don't worry, no one is judging you here. Master, trainer, or simply man, you are perfect to me."

Ash let out what was probably a small sob; and it was as confirmed by feeling of a teardrop falling onto the back of her shoulder. She rubbed his back reassuringly and for a length of time that neither of them could tell. They simply stood there in their embrace.

At last Ash finally withdrew his face from her shoulder and looked longingly into her eyes. His own spoke volumes about his feelings that his voice never could. Regardless, he knew he had to say something. His mouth managed to curl into the smallest of smiles and he croaked in a half-way broken voice, the only words he could even think to say, "Thank... you... Dawn."

It was at this point that Johanna came into the living room. She saw Ash and Dawn break away from each other slowly, though both of them looked on the verge of falling over without each other's support, both emotionally and literally. Dawn's mother thought of the only thing she could do.

She came over and put her arm around Ash and led him up the stairs. She spoke in the most motherly voice he had heard since his own mother's, "There, there, take some time to rest in the guest bedroom. You can stay the night if you'd like. It's getting late after all."

Ash could do nothing but nod in agreement as she led him into the guest bedroom that he himself had once been allowed to use eight years ago. She gently nudged him in. As she slowly closed the door, she spoke again in the gentlest of tones, "If there's anything at all you need. Don't hesitate to ask." She then finished closing the door and trotted down the stairs.

Dawn lay on the couch, sobbing a quietly. Pikachu and Piplup, having watched all this, finally came over to Dawn. Pikachu was first to address her squeaked at her, "Pikaka?"

"Oh Pikachu!" Dawn mumbled through heaved sobs, "It's good to see you again!"

"Chu chu! Pi!" Pikachu replied, bounding up into the girl's bosom. He curled into a ball and began to snooze, adding his warmth to hers. Piplup jumped up to join them and the three began to drift off.

"Thanks," Dawn chirped through a light sniffle. She lay there, her arm around the little yellow mouse and tiny blue penguin. A shadow of a smile managed to slowly form on the girl's lips as she began to fall asleep.

Johanna watched from the stairway as Dawn's crying slowly ceased. She quietly walked past her, taking a small chance to glimpse her beautiful daughter. She appeared to be asleep now. Johanna let out a small smile as she saw the same one on her daughter's face. It had been an emotional day for the two of them, she noted. She turned to the kitchen and began to make preparations for dinner. She knew that they would both, especially Ash, be hungry after all that.