The ship pulled into the dock slowly. At the front of it was Ash, leaning against the railing and letting the wind blow through his hair. Nearby, Dawn and Verity were preparing to get off once they got the word.
They had boarded the ship and set off shortly after breakfast, and of course, Dawn was still in shock after hearing the story of how Ash and Verity met. I mean, an Entei, then they met the other two, then they met Marshadow, and it all led to seeing Ho-Oh. How could she not be shocked?
She had also learned why Ash had said what he did about his ring and how Ho-Oh had given it to him. Needless to say, she had questions. Ash was just thankful they hadn't heard about the 'Arceus incident,' if he was being honest. It wasn't even because he wanted to keep it secret; he just didn't want to talk about it.
Anyway, the shock wore off after a day, since they had just met Dialga and Palkia, as well as two Darkrai. Deoxys didn't count, since no one knew they were supposed to be Mythical Pokémon. As far as anyone else was concerned, they were just super-rare Pokémon.
But anyway, that was beside the point. For now, they had to get off the ship and make their way to Hearthome. Since Hearthome wasn't actually next to a body of water, the ship had dropped them off at a port town, and they would have to make their way to Hearthome on their own.
Plus, they had bikes, so they could get there a little faster, but it would still take a few days. It would have taken less time if they could have gone through Mount Coronet, but again, the entrance was collapsed, so this was the best they could do.
So they were back on the road and eventually reached the forest that would lead them down the path. After a full day of traveling, Ash decided to call it a day so that Dawn and Verity could rest. He had more than enough stamina, but Dawn and Verity had gotten tired after the first hour. In the hopes that they wouldn't collapse and force him to carry them on his back, he decided to stop for lunch.
Dawn and Verity were more than happy to fall into a heap on the ground. Even after deciding to step up their training so that next time Ash wouldn't have to go do things alone and they wouldn't be useless, they still needed to rest.
Ash was already moving things around in his bag to decide what he would cook today while talking over his shoulder, "You both alive?"
Dawn raised one hand weakly from where she was sprawled across the ground, "No. Tell my mom I died doing what I loved."
"Complaining?" Ash asked.
"Being carried to my destination by a strong, kind, and super—"
"Keep dreaming," Ash interrupted.
Verity snorted, covering her mouth as Dawn slowly turned her head to glare at him.
"You know, for someone who keeps telling us to train harder, you sure do enjoy making fun of us when we're tired!"
"Hey, I told you both we could take a break earlier," Ash replied, turning back to his bag, "You were the ones who insisted you could keep going."
"Because we can!" Dawn protested, sitting up just enough to point at him, "We just need a little rest!"
"Sure, sure." Ash pulled out a few ingredients, "And I'm sure the fact that you both look like you just got hit by a truck has nothing to do with it."
Verity sighed, leaning back against a nearby tree, "You know, I really hate how easy you make everything look."
"It's a gift."
"It's a curse," Dawn muttered.
Ash laughed, setting his ingredients down before taking out a small cooking kit, "Well, you two can keep arguing about how unfairly talented I am while I make lunch. Just don't fall asleep before it's ready. I'm not carrying either of you to the campsite."
"Aw, come on!" Dawn whined, "You'd really leave us here?"
"Absolutely."
"Monster."
"Your words hurt me deeply."
Verity shook her head with an amused smile, though it faded a little as she looked down at her hands, "Still...we really do need to get stronger."
Ash paused briefly before continuing to prepare the meal.
"Yeah," Dawn agreed, her voice quieter now, "Back in the last town, when Darkrai and Palkia showed up...we couldn't do anything. We just had to run and hope we could get somewhere safe."
"And Ash stayed behind to fight them," Verity added, "Even when he knew how dangerous they were."
Ash glanced at them, "Well, yeah. What else was I supposed to do? Let them chase you two around while I watched?"
"That's not what we mean!" Dawn said, frowning, "We know you were protecting us. We're grateful for that, really! But you were fighting two Legendary Pokémon while we couldn't even help you!"
"Not to mention you kept fighting even when things got worse," Verity continued, "And you tried to keep the town itself safe."
Ash was quiet for a moment before letting out a small sigh, "What, you want me to apologize for protecting you? Not gonna happen. If something dangerous shows up, I'm going to make sure you're safe. That's just how it is."
"We know," Dawn said softly, "That's why we want to get stronger. We don't want you to have to do everything alone."
Verity nodded, "We don't expect to suddenly be able to fight alongside you against something like Palkia, but...we want to be able to do something. We don't want to just run away and leave you to handle everything."
Ash looked between them, then smiled faintly, "First off, you didn't leave me to handle anything. I told you to get out of there, and you listened. That's exactly what you were supposed to do."
"But—"
"No buts, Dawn." Ash pointed a cooking utensil at her, though he was smiling, "You did do something. You got the Oración so we could fix everything. Look, you don't need to be strong to help. You help just fine by being you."
Dawn blinked, caught off guard by how casually he'd said it, "Ash..."
"What?" He raised an eyebrow, "Don't tell me you thought I was going to give you some big speech about believing in yourselves. I'm not that nice."
"But we still want to be able to protect ourselves," Verity pointed out, "And each other."
"That's fine. You should get stronger. I'm not telling you not to." Ash shrugged, "I'm just saying there's a difference between wanting to improve and thinking you're useless because you couldn't win a fight you had no business being in."
He glanced back at them, "Look, if a Legendary Pokémon shows up and you can't fight it, then get out of there. If you can help without putting yourselves in danger, great. If you can't, then don't. I can handle myself, and I'd rather have you two somewhere safe than trying to play heroes and getting hurt."
Dawn lowered her gaze, thinking about the chaos back in town. She remembered how Ash had stayed behind, facing down Pokémon that could tear the place apart, all while making sure they had a chance to escape. It was frustrating, honestly. She wanted to be able to help him, not watch him put himself in danger for everyone else.
But...she supposed that was exactly why he'd told them to run.
Verity seemed to reach the same conclusion. She let out a quiet breath before giving him a small smile, "Okay. I understand."
"Good."
"And we're still going to train harder," Dawn added firmly.
"Didn't say you couldn't."
"And next time, we're going to be stronger!"
"Uh-huh."
"So you better be ready, Ash!"
Ash glanced over his shoulder, giving her a lazy grin, "I'll try not to lose any sleep over it."
Dawn grabbed a small twig and threw it at him. Ash leaned slightly to the side, letting it sail harmlessly past his head.
"HEY! Stop dodging everything!"
"Maybe try throwing something that isn't a twig next time."
"You're the worst!"
"Love you too, Dawn."
Verity burst out laughing as Dawn's face turned bright red, "I DIDN'T SAY THAT!"
"Didn't say what?" Ash asked innocently, returning his attention to the food, "I just said I love you. You're the one making it weird."
"YOU—!"
"Careful, Dawn," Verity teased, "You're going to exhaust yourself before lunch."
Dawn immediately dropped back onto the grass with a dramatic groan, "I'm surrounded by monsters."
"Funny, I thought monsters were supposed to be scary," Ash remarked.
"You're definitely scary," Dawn mumbled, "Scary annoying."
"Aw, thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment," Dawn huffed.
"Wow, really? Dang. Then I guess you don't want my food. And here I was thinking of making some Jingisukan," Ash said with a sad expression.
Dawn's head shot up, "...You're making what?"
"Jingisukan," Ash repeated, giving her a mournful look, "But if I'm the worst, I suppose I shouldn't bother making any for you."
Dawn immediately scrambled to her feet, suddenly looking a lot less exhausted than she had a few seconds ago, "W-Wait! Ash, I didn't mean it! You're not the worst! You're actually the best!"
Ash raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
"Yes! The absolute best! The nicest, most generous, most—" Dawn paused, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she realized what she was about to say, "I mean, the most talented cook in the world!"
"Uh-huh."
"And you're super strong, and really cool, and you always look after us, and you're just an amazing person in general!" Dawn continued, clasping her hands together as she gave him her best pleading smile, "So, please, please, please make the Jingisukan!"
Ash stared at her for a moment before slowly grinning, "Wow. I didn't realize you thought so highly of me."
"Of course I do!" Dawn nodded enthusiastically, "I've always thought that!"
"Really? Because I seem to remember you calling me the worst about ten seconds ago."
"That was a misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding?"
"Yes! A terrible, horrible misunderstanding that I deeply regret!"
Verity watched the entire performance with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. She looked at Dawn, who was practically sparkling with desperation, then at Ash, who was clearly enjoying every second of this.
"Dawn," Verity said slowly, "have some shame."
Dawn turned toward her, "Huh?"
"Isn't your family supposed to be some super-influential, ridiculously rich family? Aren't you supposed to be an heiress or something? Where's your dignity?"
Dawn blinked at her, then looked down at her hands as if she were genuinely considering the question, "Shame? What's that? Can I eat it?"
Verity stared at her and sighed, deciding that she was a lost cause.
Ash chuckled and started pulling out some ingredients, "Sure, sure. Anyway, it'll take a bit, so why don't you guys train a bit—"
But before he could finish what he was saying, something suddenly moved in a nearby bush. A Misdreavus appeared, followed shortly by a Glameow, which looked around before spotting them.
They both ran over to the group, with Glameow getting in front of Dawn and pointing frantically in the direction it had come from.
It took a moment, but then Dawn recognized the Glameow, "Hey, this is Zoey's Glameow!"
She leaned down to pet the cat, but then stopped for a moment before looking at the Misdreavus standing beside it, "Wait, what are you two doing out here? Is something wrong?"
The two Pokémon nodded in succession, their expressions anxious. Glameow turned around and hurried a few steps in the direction it had come from before looking back at them, clearly urging them to follow.
Misdreavus floated alongside it, occasionally glancing back to make sure they were coming.
Ash exchanged a look with Dawn and Verity before putting the ingredients he'd taken out back into his bag, "Well, I guess lunch can wait. Come on, let's see what's going on."
"Right!" Dawn immediately jumped to her feet, suddenly looking far more energetic than she had a moment ago.
Verity gave her a deadpan look, "Oh, so you can stand after all?"
"Someone needs our help!" Dawn shot back.
"Uh-huh. Funny how that works."
"Can we please save the teasing for later?" Ash asked, already following the two Pokémon, "I'd like to find out why Zoey's Pokémon are running around looking like the world's about to end."
Dawn hurried after him, with Verity following close behind.
The two Pokémon led them deeper into the forest, taking a winding path between the trees. After a while, the trees began to thin, and the group emerged into a rocky clearing. There, sitting near a large boulder, was a girl with short orange hair.
She was holding her right foot, her expression tense as she tried to keep herself still. Even when she noticed the approaching group, she didn't get up to greet them.
"Zoey!" Dawn called out, rushing over to her, "What happened to you?!"
Zoey looked up, surprise briefly crossing her face when she recognized her friend and rival, "Dawn? What are you doing here?"
"That's not important right now! What happened to your foot?"
Dawn crouched beside her, immediately noticing the way Zoey was holding her ankle, "How did you hurt it so badly?!"
"I accidentally twisted it while training with Glameow just now," Zoey explained, trying to sound casual, "It's nothing serious."
"Nothing serious?" Dawn repeated incredulously.
She gently moved Zoey's hand aside, revealing an ankle that was already red and swollen. Dawn gasped, covering her mouth as she stared at it.
"Zoey! It's all swollen! How can you say that's nothing?!"
"It's just a sprain. I've had worse."
"That's not making me feel any better!"
Dawn immediately began rummaging through her bag, looking for something that could help. She searched one pocket, then another, before slowly coming to a stop. Why was she looking for first-aid supplies? She didn't have any, because Ash was usually the one who carried all that stuff.
Dawn very slowly turned her head toward Ash, but he was already walking over.
"Seriously?" Ash asked, crouching down beside Zoey, "You managed to injure yourself while training and decided the best course of action was to sit here and pretend everything was fine?"
Zoey blinked at him, "I wasn't pretending."
"Really?" He gave her a deadpan look, making her look away in embarrassment.
Ash sighed, "Come on, take off your shoe so I can check your ankle properly."
Zoey hesitated for a moment before carefully loosening her shoe and sliding it off, wincing when the movement made her ankle ache.
"Easy," Ash warned, moving her foot into a more comfortable position, "Don't force it if it hurts."
He examined the swelling for a moment, gently checking around her ankle while paying attention to her reactions. Zoey tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't help flinching when he touched a particularly tender spot.
"Yeah, that's definitely a sprain," Ash concluded, "Doesn't look too bad, though."
"See? I told you it wasn't serious," Zoey said, looking a little smug.
"Uh-huh. And you were just sitting alone in the woods because you enjoy the scenery?"
Zoey's smug expression immediately disappeared, "...The scenery is nice."
"Sure it is."
Dawn watched them for a moment before suddenly blinking as something occurred to her, "Wait, Ash, why don't you just—"
Before she could finish, Ash reached over and gently covered her mouth with one hand. He gave her a pointed look, one that very clearly said, 'That's supposed to be a secret.'
Dawn blinked a few times. After a moment, she slowly nodded against his hand, promising to keep quiet. Only then did Ash remove his hand and turn back to Zoey as if nothing had happened.
Ash ignored them both and reached into his bag, pulling out a small first-aid kit. He took out a disinfecting spray and an ice pack before setting them beside Zoey.
"Anyway, this really isn't that bad. I'll clean the area up, and then we'll get some ice on it to bring the swelling down. Give it an hour or two, and it should feel a lot better."
Zoey looked at the supplies, then back at Ash, "You carry all that around with you?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
"Because people keep doing things like twisting their ankles in the middle of the woods."
"There is no way that's the actual reason."
"Well, it's half the reason. You'd be surprised how many people I know sprain their legs in the middle of nowhere," Ash said casually as he sprayed the area with disinfectant. It was better to be safe than sorry.
"What's the other reason?" Zoey asked.
"Oh, I'm a licensed doctor," Ash said casually.
The three girls stayed silent for a moment before suddenly all yelling out, "YOU'RE A WHAT?!"
Ash covered his ear and looked at them, "Please don't yell in my ear. Also, I thought I told you guys." He looked over at Dawn and Verity.
"I knew you had your doctorate, but you never said anything about being licensed," Dawn pointed out.
"Huh. Well, I guess it never came up, then." Ash shrugged.
He finished wrapping Zoey's ankle, securing the cold pack against the swollen joint before sitting back on his heels, "There. That should help bring the swelling down. Keep the ice on it for a while, and try not to put any weight on that foot."
Zoey looked down at the bandage, then cautiously moved her ankle before immediately stopping when Ash gave her a warning look.
"Don't test it just because you're curious."
"I wasn't!"
"Sure."
Dawn snickered beside her, earning a glare from Zoey.
"Anyway," Ash continued, packing the disinfectant spray and the rest of the first-aid supplies away, "how far away is your campsite?"
"Not that far," Zoey replied, "Maybe another twenty minutes on foot."
"Twenty minutes?" Ash repeated, looking pointedly at her injured ankle, "And how exactly were you planning to manage that?"
Zoey opened her mouth, then closed it again.
"That's what I thought." Ash stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants, "Well, you've got two options. You can hop all the way back on one foot, or I can carry you."
Zoey immediately straightened up, "I can manage on my own!"
Ash stared at her, and she stared back. A few seconds passed as a leaf fell from a tree and landed on Dawn's Piplup's head, making him wave his hands in protest before pointing at the tree and saying some very choice words.
"...I can probably manage on my own," Zoey finally amended.
"Uh-huh. And how long do you think it'll take you to hop twenty minutes through the forest without falling over and making that ankle worse?"
"..."
"Exactly."
Dawn leaned forward with a grin, "Honestly, Zoey, I'd recommend letting him carry you. He's pretty good at it."
Ash slowly turned his head toward her, "Why do you sound like you're speaking from experience?"
"Because I am!" Dawn replied cheerfully, "You've carried me before!"
Verity sighed, "Before you ask, no, it wasn't for a good reason. She just begged Ash for a piggyback ride."
"Hey, I said you can ask for one too at any time," Ash said casually.
Verity pointed at him frantically, "Never!"
"Fine by me. Just means I get to be carried around even more!" Dawn said with no shame at all.
Verity covered her mouth to hide her laughter while Zoey looked between them, seemingly unsure whether she was witnessing a normal conversation or some kind of bizarre competition.
"So..." Zoey began hesitantly, looking at Ash, "You really don't mind carrying me?"
"Why would I mind? You're injured. It's not like I'm carrying you for fun."
Zoey stared at him for a moment before looking away, her cheeks turning slightly pink, "Well, when you put it like that…"
"Then it's settled." Ash crouched down in front of her and turned slightly, "Come on, hop on."
Zoey hesitated, glancing at Dawn and Verity, who were both watching her with far too much interest.
"...You two aren't going to make a big deal out of this, are you?"
Dawn immediately grinned, "Of course not!"
Verity gave her a look, "That was the least convincing answer I've ever heard."
"Hey!"
Zoey sighed before carefully leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Ash's shoulders. He reached back, supporting her legs before standing up with her on his back as if she weighed practically nothing.
"There we go," Ash said, adjusting his grip, "Comfortable?"
"...Yeah," Zoey admitted quietly.
"Good. Now, lead the way."
Zoey pointed toward a narrow path between the trees, "That way. Just follow the trail until you reach the stream, then turn left."
"Got it."
Ash started walking, keeping his pace steady so he wouldn't jostle her injured ankle. Dawn and Verity followed beside him, with their Pokémon trailing along behind them.
They continued along the trail until, eventually, the trees opened up and revealed a small campsite near the edge of the stream. A tent stood beneath a broad tree, and a few supplies had been arranged neatly beside it.
Ash carefully lowered himself into a crouch, allowing Zoey to climb off his back without putting weight on her injured foot. He helped her settle onto a folded blanket near the tent before checking the cold pack around her ankle.
"Still feeling all right?"
"Yeah. It aches a little, but it's not as bad as before."
"Good. Keep it elevated when you can, and don't try walking on it for now."
Zoey nodded, "I will. Thanks, Ash."
"No problem."
Dawn crouched beside Glameow and scratched the Pokémon behind the ears with both hands, "You did a good job finding us. If you hadn't, Zoey might have tried hopping all the way back here."
Glameow purred, enjoying the ear scratches, but when it heard what Dawn said, it immediately looked toward its trainer.
Zoey turned away, "I wasn't going to do that."
Ash raised an eyebrow, making her shrink slightly.
"...Probably."
"That's what I thought."
Ash stood up, patting the dust off his jeans, and looked at Zoey's camp. It was set up well enough for cooking, but obviously Zoey wasn't going to be cooking at all right now.
"Anyway, I was going to make lunch before your Pokémon came looking for us. Since we're all here now, I might as well cook for everyone."
Zoey blinked, "You don't have to do that. I can make something myself."
Ash looked at her injured ankle, then at the camping equipment, "Zoey."
"What?"
"You can barely move without hurting yourself."
"I can still cook!"
"Can you cook anything other than cup noodles?"
Zoey opened her mouth, then paused, "Well..."
Ash raised an eyebrow, "That's what I thought." He grinned and began unpacking his bag, "Besides, it's better to have a proper cooked meal rather than canned food and cup noodles."
Dawn immediately perked up, "Wait, you're still making that Jingisukan, right?"
"Yep."
Her eyes practically sparkled, "And there's enough for everyone, right?"
"Depends. Are you going to spend the entire meal complaining about me?"
Dawn straightened up, "Ash, I would never!"
"Really? Because I distinctly remember—"
"That was a long time ago! I've changed!"
"It was about twenty minutes ago."
"People can change a lot in twenty minutes!"
Verity shook her head, "That's an impressive amount of confidence for someone who was just lying on the ground claiming she was dead."
"I was recovering!"
"From what? The exhausting experience of walking?"
"Yes!"
Ash laughed and pulled out his cooking kit, setting it up in a suitable spot away from Zoey's tent, "All right, you two can argue about Dawn's miraculous recovery while I get everything ready. Zoey, you just stay there and keep that ankle elevated."
Zoey nodded, still a little embarrassed, "Thank you, Ash. Really. You didn't have to go through all this trouble for me."
Ash didn't even look back at her, "Don't worry about it. You needed help, so I helped. It's not a big deal." Then he snorted, "Besides, if I let you try to cook on that ankle, Dawn would probably try to help you, and we'd end up with a burnt campsite."
"HEY!" Dawn protested.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"...I could probably cook something!"
"Something edible? Or something a Poison-type would find poisoned~?"
"ASH!"
Verity laughed as Ash turned back to his ingredients, humming to himself while he prepared lunch. Glameow settled beside Zoey, resting its head against her leg.
—-
Later, after they'd all eaten their fill, Dawn and Verity did the dishes since Ash had done the cooking and Zoey couldn't help because her leg was still healing. Ash stepped out, saying he was going to do something and would be back in a bit. He just said he needed to go for a 'walk.'
But Dawn was still making conversation, and she learned the general gist of what Zoey was doing there.
"So, you're trying to get to Hearthome City to enter the Contest?"
Zoey nodded, "Yep. They say the Hearthome Contest is the second-biggest Contest in Sinnoh, second only to the Grand Festival. They say every winner of the Hearthome contest always makes it to the Grand Festival!"
"Wow, I didn't know that part." Dawn's eyes lit up as she stopped doing the dishes and made her Piplup take her place.
"Yeah, so I've been training extra hard to make sure I can win," Zoey huffed, smirking, "This time, I'm definitely gonna beat you."
Dawn got pumped up and puffed out her chest, "Oh yeah? Well, I've been training hard too!"
"Then I guess we'll just have to see how much better you've gotten when we compete."
"You're on!" Dawn declared, pointing dramatically at her rival, "Just you wait, Zoey! I'm going to win that ribbon, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"
Zoey chuckled, "We'll see about that."
Verity watched the two girls with an amused smile as she finished rinsing off the last plate, "You two really do take your Contests seriously, huh?"
"Of course!" Dawn replied, as if the answer should have been obvious, "Being a Top Coordinator is my dream!"
"Same here," Zoey agreed, "And I'm not giving up just 'cause this little rookie beat me."
Dawn huffed, "Well, like I said, I've been practicing a lot with Piplup, and we've gotten a lot better at working together since then. I'm not a rookie anymore!"
Piplup, who had been helping with the dishes until Dawn had shamelessly replaced him, puffed out his chest proudly.
"Piplup!"
"See? He's confident too!" Dawn said.
Zoey glanced at her Glameow, who was currently curled up beside her injured leg, "Glameow and I have been practicing a lot of combinations as well. That's actually what we were doing before I twisted my ankle."
Glameow raised its head at the mention of its name, giving a small meow.
"Though I suppose we'll have to take a break from that for a little while," Zoey added, looking down at her bandaged ankle.
"Yeah, Ash said you shouldn't put any weight on it for now," Dawn reminded her, "You really shouldn't push yourself too hard. You don't want to make it worse right before the Contest."
"I know, I know." Zoey sighed, "It's just frustrating. I've been working toward this for a while, and now I'm stuck sitting around."
Verity tilted her head, "Well, you could always use the time to plan your next performance. You don't necessarily have to be on your feet to do that."
Zoey considered the suggestion before nodding, "That's true. I could work on some new combinations with Glameow once my ankle feels better."
"Or you could watch us train!" Dawn offered brightly, "That way, you can see how much stronger I've gotten!"
Zoey gave her a playful smile, "And here I thought you were going to use that time to rest."
"I can do both!"
Verity shook her head, "You were practically dead on the ground earlier."
"That was different!"
"How?"
"Because I was hungry!"
Zoey laughed, and even Glameow seemed amused, its tail swishing lazily against the blanket.
Dawn looked down again at Zoey's injured ankle, then back at her as an idea suddenly came to mind, "Hey, Zoey, why don't we travel together?"
Zoey blinked, "Huh?"
"To Hearthome City!" Dawn clarified, gesturing between herself and Verity, "We're heading there too, and since you're injured, it might be easier to travel with us. That way, we can help you out if you need anything!"
Zoey stared at her for a moment before looking down at her bandaged ankle, "That's...actually a pretty good idea."
"Of course it is!" Dawn said proudly, puffing out her chest, "I'm full of great ideas!"
Verity gave her a sideways look, "Is that what we're calling them now?"
"Hey!"
Zoey giggled before continuing, "Well, I wouldn't mind traveling together. Besides, it'll give us more time to catch up before the Contest."
Dawn's eyes lit up, "Exactly! And we can practice together along the way! Once your ankle gets better, we can have a little training session and see who's improved the most."
Zoey smirked, "You're really eager to lose, aren't you?"
Dawn immediately pointed at her, "In your dreams! I beat you once, and I'll beat you again!"
"Sure, sure."
"I'm serious!"
"I believe you."
"You don't sound like you believe me!"
Verity sighed as she set the last clean dish aside, "And just like that, we're back to arguing."
"It's called friendly competition!" Dawn insisted.
"Is that what you call it?"
"YES!"
Zoey laughed, shaking her head, "You two are pretty funny together."
"Thank you!" Dawn said, accepting the compliment without hesitation.
"I wasn't complimenting you specifically."
"Too late! I'm counting it!"
Verity simply rolled her eyes, though she couldn't quite hide her smile.
A little while later, they heard footsteps approaching through the trees. Ash emerged from the forest with his hands in his jacket pockets, looking as relaxed as ever. Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, while Vee trotted along beside him.
"All right, I'm back," Ash announced, glancing toward the campsite, "Did you three manage to behave yourselves while I was gone?"
"No," Verity answered immediately.
"Hey!" Dawn protested.
Zoey chuckled, "We were talking about the Hearthome City Contest."
"Oh?" Ash asked, walking over to the cooking equipment to put away a few things he'd left out, "You planning to enter?"
"Of course!" Dawn replied, "And so is Zoey. Actually, we were thinking..."
She exchanged a quick look with Zoey before turning back to Ash, "We want to travel together to Hearthome City!"
Ash paused briefly before looking between the two Coordinators, "Okay?"
Dawn blinked, "Okay?"
"Yeah. Why are you repeating me?"
"I thought you'd have something to say about it!"
Ash shrugged, "What do you want me to say? Are you trying to ask me for permission? You know you don't need to do that."
"Well, no, but..." Dawn glanced at Zoey before looking back at him, "I thought you'd at least ask if we were sure about it."
"Then what's the problem? Zoey's your friend, and we're all heading to the same place. Makes sense to travel together." Ash glanced at Zoey, "Besides, with that ankle, you probably shouldn't be traveling alone anyway."
Zoey smiled sheepishly, "I was planning to take it easy for a day or two before continuing, but I appreciate the offer."
"Then that's settled," Ash said, returning to his bag, "We'll head out tomorrow morning. That should give your ankle some time to rest."
Dawn nodded enthusiastically, "Right! And once Zoey's feeling better, we can train together!"
"Sure, sure." Ash waved his hand, "I'll make some plans so we can make it in time."
Ash walked past them, then stopped and looked at Piplup washing the dishes. Slowly, he looked back at Dawn, who whistled and looked away.
Ash took a breath and turned away, "Last time I make Jingisukan until you stop making Piplup do your chores."
Dawn looked at Ash in horror and threw herself at him, grabbing his legs, "No, please! You don't mean that, Ash! Show mercy!"
Ash sighed dramatically, looking toward the sky as if asking the heavens for patience. Pikachu patted his cheek sympathetically.
"Pika…"
"Thank you, buddy. At least someone understands my suffering."
"Hey! I understand your suffering!" Dawn protested from around his legs.
"Really? Then let go."
"No."
"Dawn."
"No!"
Verity covered her face. She couldn't believe that this was the supposedly noble girl, and here she was, begging their friend not to stop cooking for them, "How shameless can you be..."
Meanwhile, Zoey watched the scene, and slowly, a small smile appeared on her face as she laughed. Well, it looked like she was in for the ride.