Rehab
Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday MiniMeani! Happy Birthday to ME! And to celebrate, here a new chapter for you folks! No, I'm not doing this to be congratulated. Just for you to know, that I think of YOU my dear readers!
Dawn: Don't listen to her, she just wants to be recognized.
Me: THAT'S NOT TRUE! *sulk* anyways, enjoy the chapter! ... And the fact that I have too much British English around me :D
"Piplup jumped up, the water of its whirlpool wrapping around its body. Power flared up in its flippers; it readied itself for a brick break attack. The glow travelled from drop to drop, making the twist shine like a round rainbow. Abruptly, its flight came to a halt, as the penguin clapped its wings and in a flash, the whirlpool burst into a shower.
Before any drop could reach the ground, though, Piplup spun around itself, the blue bolt of its ice beam zooming through the air. The rain turned into snow fall; as it landed, ice spread into frozen flowers - no - icebergs instead. Carefully not to scratch itself on the edges, the penguin landed in between. Then, with another brick break and a spin, it broke the formations into thousands of shards, soaring through the air..."
That doesn't seem too bad, Dawn figured as she looked over her drawing from earlier. "Okay, let's do this! Piplup, up in the air and whirlpool!" she cried and watched her penguin crouch in the grass, so it could push itself higher - until a devastating detail occurred to her. "Ah, no, wait, I meant, first whirlpool, then jump!"
Slightly confused, Piplup stopped its launch and shot its trainer a questioning look. "Pip?"
"Yeah, that order should work! Let's try again!"
The penguin just shrugged - it was already used to Dawn's disarray, when it came to last minute training. Or training for a contest, altogether. So it concentrated its power, shot a smaller whirlpool in the air and followed it. Quickly, the mass enveloped its whole body. Since Piplup had an idea, which plan Dawn had chosen, it sent all its energy towards its flippers, without even waiting for the order of a brick break. The light was travelling around the water and Piplup was more than ready to make it erupt in a flash -
"NO! Wait, Piplup!"
Suddenly, Piplup lost its focus and the water splashed on the ground of the patio. Still in midair, it felt its eye twitching. Disbelief was probably the best way to describe its feelings. Perplexed disbelief.
Back on the ground, Dawn was mulling over her initial plan. That move was nice to watch, but would it show the uniqueness of her partner? It's skills, maybe, but other than that, it was nothing more than a splashy water show. The judges wouldn't be impressed. They couldn't be impressed!
Not to mention the potential for mistakes - it was overwhelming!
Unable to think of a solution just yet, Dawn flopped back on the sun warmed grass and threw the plan away. She faced the vast sky, with no more than a handful clouds obscuring the view. Remains of the storm three days ago?
Probably not. But there were other reminders that continued to pop up in her mind, even as she tried her best to focus on the contest. Although work was calling, Dawn allowed her thoughts to drift over to her troublesome neighbour, enemy, saviour, the woman she was forced to babysit. She found it impossible, to wrap her mind around their relation, thus had no idea, how she should act around the huntress. On past occasions, she had handled the situation with hostility and a pinch of trust.
The results were heated arguments, which spoilt Dawn's mood sustainably, as well as peaceful situations, even more confusing than the mysteries around the huntress. Dawn figured, a change in her behaviour might clear up that puzzle. At the very least, they shouldn't start another conflict, if they both behaved friendly towards one another for once.
But back to Dawn's first round. Maybe if she used another pokemon, that could give her some ideas. She looked over at her steel type, sleeping peacefully in the shade of a cherry blossom tree. She certainly could show of Aron's both sturdy and flashy body - then again, she had already used such a style not long ago...
Tiredly, she rubbed her eyes and rolled over to her side. Next to her, there was the contest magazine she had purchased earlier. Proudly presented on the cover was none other than Zoey, Dawn's long-time rival. Over the years, her tomboyish style hadn't give way to skirts and frills and so she wore a neat black suit with a crimson red shirt underneath. Prowling next to her on a table was Charmian, her cat pokemon. They looked amazingly successful - and they were. The magazine was a special about Zoey's warm welcome in the circle of Master Coordinators.
Dawn felt her heart ache. How much further did her friend intend to surpass the blue haired coordinator?
Suddenly, Dawn felt a change in Piplup's frustrated demeanour. It started to radiate caution, so Dawn was not surprised, when a familiar voice spoke up. "First vandalism, now littering," J approached the young coordinator, "You know, if you want to impress me, you should start with something more extraordinary. You can barely call this a crime."
Dawn sat up and looked around. They were in the patio of the Japanese styled temple. Two cherry blossom trees were either well received providers of shade in the summery heat, or served as a seat for her Braviary. Also a couple more rocks and high growing bamboo decorated the patio, typical for such a place. Dawn's countless sketches of possible contest moves that were strewn over the grass were really an eyesore. She shrugged. "You can call it littering, I call it creative chaos. Besides, it isn't littering, if I pick it up later, right?"
She took a good look at the huntress. J seemed much better than the day before. Her face didn't show the extent of her fatigue anymore and her posture was upright, while she sipped on her hot drink. The bandage around her head was the only reminder of the Bell Tower and Team Rocket. It should have been strange for Dawn to feel relieved, yet she was.
"So that's what a creative chaos looks like, eh?" J's eyes weren't fixed on Dawn, rather on the sketch she had tried to perform just minutes earlier. "Seems anything but sufficient. That's what keeps you shouting around all morning?"
"Got a pro-" Dawn stopped. Be nice, she reminded herself and although that thought had to slip past some teeth gritting, she added, She does have a point, after all... "I guess so... Just, that it's well past morning - half three, actually!" She stood up and gave J a closer look. "I'm up since eleven. Have you been sleeping the whole time?"
J lifted an eyebrow towards her. "Considering that you landed on me and I took the whole damage, it's my right to sleep. But someone had to run amok."
"Sorry if I don't pity you..."
J shrugged as if she couldn't care less about Dawn's emotions. She simply took another sip of her green tea - until something yellow and fluffy bounced into her cheek. Pichu squealed happily as it made itself at home on her shoulder. J's stoic expression remained the same, besides the occasional twitching of her eye. Dawn couldn't say that about herself though. She was clearly taken aback by the sight.
"You've gotten used to it, huh..."
"As if," J snorted and looked at Dawn, sourly. "It's just that in the five minutes I have been awake, got my tea and came out here, I had to shove this thing of me for thirty-four times already."
Dawn chuckled nervously. As long as Pichu's save, it's alright... I suppose...
Just then, a stinging pain erupted in her head. Dawn winced and while the agony faded quickly, it also brought a thought with it. "Right... Your medicine..." Dawn rubbed the back of her head in an attempt to shake of the pain, while she pulled out the plastic bottle. She gave the pills inside a final shake - Dawn had spent most of her breaks, wondering what devious composite Joy had created for her favourite patient - then handed it over to J. Groaning, she asked, "Does Joy have a... ghost or psycho type? It's giving me a headache..."
"Good guess, it's a Rotom," J affirmed as she took the bottle. Casually, she screwed the lid open, gave the faintly orange medicine a throughout look, then threw it in her mouth. Her expression was concentrated, as she bit the pill open and tasted its ingredients. "What did you do? Try to set my room on fire?"
"Wouldn't even dream of that!" Dawn countered, her voice anything but serious, "No, I left your side and went to the Pokemon Centre to get my stuff - I could barely think with so much pain! I'm just glad Joy had an emergency or anything else to worry about."
J nodded, and Dawn directed her attention back to the transparent bottle. Curiosity was killing her, as she finally posed the question she had been burning to ask. "What are these for anyway?"
She didn't notice, but apparently, her eyes had held some king of secretive hope. J smirked slightly. "Right, this might be your chance to get to some high grade drugs. You're an adolescent, after all."
Appalled by the very idea, Dawn's face turned bright red and she opened her mouth to protest. J cut her short, though. "Unfortunately, they are just ordinary, boring vitamin tablets. Made out of berries - completely organic. Well, almost."
Dawn did her best to hide it, from both the outside world and herself. But she felt slightly let down at the revelation. There she thought, she found another evidence of J's bad life style, while it sounded in fact, perfectly healthy. "So..."
"So, no drugs, no chemistry that will cause some fancy hallucinations and end up in depression, no addiction, nothing. You can even have some yourself."
While Dawn didn't sense any lie from J, merely amusement, she backed away from the bottle. The pills looked highly suspicious, with their pastel orange colouring. More importantly, she had their creator in mind, who had clearly expressed, what little guilt she would feel, if Dawn ended up poisoned.
J rolled her eyes. "I thought, you could sense lies? Or just occasionally?"
"That's not it!" Dawn objected. "It's just that, in contrary to you, I don't trust Joy."
"Well, that makes two of us."
"Oh, and you know what she mixed in there how exactly?"
J shrugged nonchalantly. "A bit of old-fashioned biochemistry might help. It requires nothing more, than a functioning tongue - unfortunately, even you have one. If I had tasted anything dodgy inside, I would have spitted it out."
It was Dawn's turn to roll her eyes at the sarcasm. "You mean, you tasted it. Really?" Sceptically, she looked at the pills. "What's in, then?"
J exhaled heavily, as she recalled the ingredients. "Concentrated sitrus berry - a lot - lum berry, rawst berry and energy root. The energy root is drowning most of the other tastes, but I'm confident, that's all. I wouldn't recommend you to chew, just swallow them."
Dawn shot several more glances between the bottle and J and it felt like a daring feat, as she fished out one of the pills. When she placed the tablet inside her mouth, she kept her eyes shut - unable to see her end coming - and bit the medicine into powder.
Instantly, her body recoiled, but not because of poison. Rather, because of the overwhelmingly bitterness of the energy root. It took Dawn a lot of strength and willpower, to choke the pill past her constrictedthroat. She was thrown into a coughing fit, afterwards.
"I've warned you."
"That's disgusting!" Dawn spat as she desperately tried to get rid of the taste. She could understand, why herb specialists reminded trainers, that most pokemon wouldn't enjoy eating a energy root - even if it restored their power. "How was I supposed to know, there were other berries inside?!"
"I guess you do need some training."
Dawn looked at J. The huntress did neither look like a sommelier, nor like a head chef. "And why would someone like you even bother with such a training? Were you afraid someone might poison you?"
"Well, the idea with poison only came to my mind after I forced my chef to teach me in detecting tastes," she said, and immediately, her glare darkened. "With Joy on the same ship, you can't be cautious enough."
"Makes sense, I guess..." Dawn admitted, still shuddering from the bitterness.
J finished her tea with a final gulp. "Of course, it does. Come on," she beckoned Dawn, to follow her. "Breakfast."
"Breakfast?" the coordinator repeated, as her mind worked the sudden change of topic over. "You mean late lunch. Or early dinner. No thanks, I already ate," she declined, although her stomach made it feel like a lie. But barely an hour had passed since her own lunch; how could she be hungry again?
"Call it however you want. I don't remember offering you anything, though. It just didn't seem like a good idea leaving you all by yourself. It might not have been specifically included in my responsibility, but I doubt my contractors would appreciate it, if you were tormented by Joy. Unless you're a masochist."
That made very much sense to Dawn, so she held out her hand for Piplup to jump on and followed J. Until the huntress stopped. "Aren't you forgetting something?" J asked, and when Dawn only blinked at her, puzzled, she continued. "Your creative mess?"
As they wandered the streets, Dawn had a throughout look at the buildings. They passed sushi places, little ramen shops and some fast food chains. None of them were suitable for J's current appetite, though, so they kept strolling. The silver haired woman followed a certain way and Dawn had no idea, where they were heading.
So it were the houses she concentrated on. The houses, streets, people, anything that might be an evidence for Team Rocket's assault. But not even buildings close to the remains of the Bell Tower were demolished; in fact, Dawn was almost certain that even the streetlights remained fully functioning and wouldn't flick ominously in the night.
Only the people looked hurt - on the inside that was. Men, women, even children, running their daily errands appeared to bear sombre or sorrowful faces. What felt even worse, was that all of them seemed shot glances at Dawn and she knew that they knew. They accused the young trainer for her failure.
A group of girls around her age moved towards them, all three of them dressed in casual clothes. A little boy with big glasses accompanied them between their legs. "... never get to see the Bell Tower, again!" one girl with a strong dialect exclaimed.
"And your father really couldn't do something about it?" asked her friend, who had long brown hair with the most unusual jag pointing forward.
"No, he had to protect the city."
"But there should have been someone there!"
"Apparently, there was."
"Did an awful job, then," the third girl snorted, her brownish short hair waving at her movment, "if Makoto had been here..."
Their voices grew distant, although Dawn wished, she hadn't heard the conversation at all. Every fibre in her body felt the heavy pull of guilt. She slumped her shoulders and chose to direct her eyes solely towards the pavement. Piplup rubbed her arm empathetically and while she wasn't sure, why it felt that way, she could sense remorse rising in the penguin as well. It probably bore the conscience that it had failed its trainer - it had been the fire fighter, after all.
Dawn sighed and patted its head.
"You're still concerned about that nonsense?" J's voice came unexpected, almost making Dawn jump.
"What?" she asked, not sure, if she imagined things.
"You look like you just left your ally die on their own. You don't even need empathy to see the guilt written all over your face. Stop that, it's stupid. And irritating."
"There we go again. I am not in the mood for such a discussion, you know what I think of that matter."
"I know, but I can't understand it. It's almost as if you torched that damn tower yourself."
Her 'be nice'-credo kicked in seconds later after Dawn snapped, "Of course you can't! It was you who almost burned a whole forest to the ground, just to lure out one pokemon! You didn't even consider, what you could have harmed!" Or killed. Dawn's eyebrows were furrowed at the memories of the digging heat on her skin, when the flames flickered towards her. "Why would you care to understand my feelings anyways? You're not the type that wonders about motives."
"I don't," J agreed, "But I would like to enjoy my breakfast in peace, without some brat mulling about her imaginary failure."
J certainly had a hang of putting Dawn on the edge. To hell with being nice, she declared and glared at the huntress. "Oh, I'm giving you a hard time to keep your conscience? Sorry, must be such a fragile thing!"
"Looking at you, I would rather have none at all," J replied her hard stare; Dawn was barely aware they had stopped.
"I don't even want to imagine the state the world would be in, if you lost that sorry bit of conscience!"
"It would be perfectly alright, out of my eyes. Now, don't try to persuade me that consciences are actually good - not while you're struggling yourself."
Dawn remembered the incident with Ninetales and winced. "That's only temporary!" Her eyes flickered to J's bandage. Hopefully very soon, she wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. While Dawn wouldn't actively help her fire type in its task for revenge, mainly because she was appalled of the idea of harming others, she wouldn't have to stop it either. J could and if she failed... Dawn chose, not to think about such outcomes.
"Even worse! You don't even have any resolve, it's a mere waste of time!" J shook her head in disgust. "Get over it, will you? There was nothing you could have done anyways."
Dawn was confused. She feared, she got side-tracked during their argument. "What do you mean?"
J huffed and dropped her shoulders. "It wasn't like we just had a couple of rookies in our way, but in fact an army, with some experienced agents. If if makes you look any less sour, I'd even say you managed not bad for a little girl!
"And most importantly, it was Ho-Oh that set the tower on fire. You can have all the confidence in the world, but there is no way a Piplup can take on that kind of fire!"
The penguin perked up at that comment; it chirped and flailed its flippers around in Dawn's arms. None of the trainers paid it any mind, though.
"You didn't even notice the storm, did you? It was pouring, but it just evaporated with that heat. So do me a favour and stop blaming yourself so obviously, it's really getting on my nerves!"
Yes, Dawn had definitely lost track for a second. But even more than that, she was surprised by the bits of information J had presented her. Dawn had been dealing with only three, maybe four trainers - even though she suspected that her foes had been the stronger ones. She remembered plenty of men standing on that roof, but had no idea of their exact numbers; part of her wondered, if she had just imagined the mass.
And there certainly had been storm clouds, but she barely noticed them with the flames longing to engulf her. For a strange moment, Dawn found herself believing J. Naturally that feeling only lasted until she remembered who she was talking to and her heart shrank again into its anxious state.
A nice temptation none the less... Maybe there was a chance, Dawn could come to terms with it, eventually?
Dawn looked at J. The huntress had her eyes narrowed and her lips were slightly puckered. She could clearly feel her annoyance - and hunger, even stronger, pulsating in the older woman. Dawn's anxiety, her guilt and uncertainty were still present, but despite those sensations, she couldn't help the little smile spreading across her face.
"Okay, okay, no need to worry! I'll stop, happy now?" She sighed with a little chuckle. It felt incredibly relieving. "I've got more important matters to worry about. I need to figure out my performance - and no, I'm not addicted!" The coordinator added, remembering J's disbelieve in the gym. "Just desperate..."
As predicted, J didn't show interest in that statement. Instead she gestured forward. "So you're fine to move again?"
Dawn nodded.
"Finally!"
J's steps were long and Dawn was never sure, whether to try and hurry in her walking or to jog. But she found the time to wonder about a little part of J's tirade. If Dawn knew any better, she would suggest the huntress made a compliment. Which she probably didn't, but only said as a assurance that she would get rid of the coordinator.
I managed not bad, huh? Dawn repeated the words. Had J been dishonest? Or hadn't she been? She was painfully ashamed of how low she had sunken, but Dawn wanted to know and the temptation to ask was high, very high. Overwhelmingly high. After all, she argued with herself, she is my enemy - sort of. She would definitely be honest, because she doesn't have to care about my feelings, so... this could be a rare chance...
In the end, it was her urgent wish to redeem her crippled self-confidence, which made her begin the question. "Hey, J, you didn't mean -"
"DAWN!"
She came from out of nowhere - a pink storm of sparking joyfulness - and pounced on Dawn like a Persian lunged at a Pidgey. Dawn felt her shoulder smashing into J's side; even the huntress couldn't resist the impact of that tackle and staggered towards the building next to them. Whether she had eventually stopped or had been stopped, Dawn wasn't sure. She was occupied with what little air she had left in her lungs.
"You're alive!" the energetic trainer revelled and intensified the pressure on Dawn's already cracking bones.
"Wh-Whitney..." Dawn choked, both surprised and terrified; what in the world was the gym leader of Goldenrod City doing in Ecruteak City? Never mind the proximity of those two towns, she shouldn't just leave her duties! And she certainly shouldn't be squashing Dawn with such ferocity! She felt J's grip on her shoulder, as the huntress pushed the embrace from herself. With little hopes, Dawn directed her weak "Help-" towards the older woman.
"I'm so glad! I know Morty said you were good but I had to see myself! I'm so glad to see you're okay I don't even want to imagine how dull contest will be without you!" Finally, Whitney let go of the suffering girl and gave her a throughout look. "Look at you, barely a scratch! That's amazing!"
Dawn couldn't deny that statement. She had spent a good hour of showering and picking clothes that were comfortable, suitable for hot temperatures and concealed her little injuries. She had no choice with her palm, the rest, though, had been taken care of.
"If you had continued that hug for any longer, I really wouldn't be able to continue coordinating..." Dawn muttered and gave Piplup a look. The penguin appeared to have fainted, but otherwise seemed fine. Just to make sure, she loosened the grip around her partner slightly more. "Is your gym damaged again, by any chance?"
"No, silly! I left it in the hands of my girls!" Whitney replied and chuckled. "I was helping my boyfriend with all those bad guys. I mean, I know he can handle himself, but a little help never hurts!"
"Boyfriend?" Dawn asked, at that moment amazed by the patience some people possessed. Only a moment later, she had an idea, who that person could have been. She almost winced with disbelieve.
"Morty, of course! ... What's with that perplexed face?"
Dawn found herself struggling with the idea for a moment. Her picture of Morty was one of a strong trainer, who kept his distance and seemed in control over his emotions. While Whitney was doubtlessly a powerful gym leader with her Miltank, she was also a girl of close-up initiative. Talk about opposites attract, Dawn mused. "Uh, how should I put it... Shouldn't... normal and ghost types have no effect on each other?"
It was the only combination of types, where inviolability based on mutuality. Unique indeed and obviously not applicable for reality.
"Maybe!" Whitney beamed, "But if you use moves like foresight or odor sleuth-"
Dawn couldn't stop the images flooding her mind, of a Whitney staring at Morty out of malicious eyes or closing up to him, trying to sniffle the last bit of his scent. "Alright, I get the picture! You and Morty are probably a great couple, can we change the topic please?" Dawn sighed. The conversation hit another sore spot, than just ridiculousimages. "You're not going to wreck the contest here as well, are you?"
"Huh?" For some reason, Whitney seemed perplexed. "But- mmmmmmmh!"
Dawn jumped as Haunter appeared right next to the gym leader and clasped its claws over her mouth. The ghost type lifted a finger and shook its floating head, chidingly.
"I don't want to go back, yet!" Whitney moaned, but couldn't put up much resistance, when the ghost type dragged her along. Dawn laughed nervously at the scene - not that she complained too much about it.
J tugged her shirt slightly and moved on. "Sorry Whitney, gotta go! See you later!" Dawn waved, almost ashamed of herself and followed the huntress with lighter steps.
"Wait, Dawn!" Whitney called out and the coordinator merely tilted her head in her direction. "I thought, you knew! The contest had already been held! But don't worry, it'll be fi- MMMPH!"
Dawn didn't stop her body at the news; everything else, though, seemed to halt. She felt a chill freezing her guts - familiar, yet more intense than usually.
J had lead them to an all-day breakfast restaurant. Despite her recent lunch, Dawn had decided a second helping wouldn't hurt - after five agonizing minutes of discussing with herself, whether she was allowed to overstuff herself or thin out her budget. Her growling stomach won and actually, she had been too miserable to be rational to begin with.
She couldn't believe, they hadn't waited for her with the contest. It just didn't seem fair. The battle with Team Rocket, her hassleswith J and the pain of falling from a burning tower - all of these she had endured with every intention of participating in the Ecruteak Contest. In fact, that had been the reason she plunged herself in that mission so willingly.
Dawn wanted to make sure, Team Rocket was stopped quickly, before they could lay any damage on the city, thus causing a cancellation of the contest. Her worries over Ho-Oh had been quite low, since she couldn't take that group of thieves seriously. Jessie, James and Meowth did a good job, lulling her into a decisive sense of security.
But what probably upset the coordinator most was that she had told Morty about her wish to participate in that contest, that it had been her motive. Yet he couldn't have the decency to delay it?
Dawn found herself both hungry and unable to eat during her second breakfast. Nonetheless, she managed to gulp down three quarters, before J kindly paid the bill. At that point, the coordinator didn't even suspect any greater motive behind the huntresses move. Although, it could be due to the simple reason that Dawn couldn't find her wallet.
"Can we drop by the Pokemon Centre for a bit?" Dawn asked, before J could head back in the direction they came from. J's expression was as close to terrified as Dawn had ever seen on her.
"Why?"
"Because... I haven't spoken to my mum, since the day we got on that tower..." Dawn remembered their argument. She feared, anymore guilt would block her throat permanently. "She might be worried."
J was clearly appalled by the idea. Nonetheless she turned around and began their way to Joy's workplace, without a further discussion. That lack of response made Dawn perk up, however. It was unexpected, to say the least and for strange reasons, she felt disappointed.
Their debates were irritating, leaving Dawn with an unhealthy amount of anger. And while they sometimes stirred her sore confidence, they were far away from the core of her problems. At least then, she could fully concentrate on their verbal fights instead of mulling over the dozen ways to fail.
It always seemed easier clinging to frustration, than pulling oneself up. That time, though, Dawn was willing to give it a try. After all, she just had to think of some topic to talk about and she actually cared for an answer to the question that came to her mind. "How come a Nurse Joy is working for you?"
J shrugged, not looking at the coordinator. "Every family has a black sheep, I suppose."
"I think I know, who it is in your family."
J remained silent - and Dawn felt a gloomy darkness rise around them. The sensation felt so uncomfortable, she decided not to deepen that topic. "Well, she is special, alright, that doesn't explain why she should just choose to live as a criminal. Or why you would let her close to you! Didn't you suspect her?"
J pondered over the question. "I did a background check, of course. She had been specially trained as a doctor that would treat any patient, no matter what conditions or circumstances. At the same time, she would remain distant with their emotions in check. Very handy for war or other nasty tasks. I guess, she learned to care more about money than anything else and that's what I provided."
"But still, why would you trust her? I mean, you and a member of the most helpful family in the world! With people so nice and sweet, it creeps you out at times."
"She just seemed trustworthy," J continued stubbornly. It seemed, she didn't have that conversation for the first time.
"Trustworthy? I don't think, we're talking of the same person anymore. Unless," Dawn mulled over an idea, "it's a strange criminal understanding. I always expected you people being... unable to trust anyone, let alone one another."
Finally, J looked at Dawn. "I stopped calling you girl, why can't you return the favour?"
"But it's what you are!"
"And you're a little girl, girl."
Dawn groaned. While discussions with J was admitted, she didn't want to go through the name debate again. "Sorry, J. How old are you to call me girlanyways?"
J's expression darkened at that question. "How old do you think I am?" She hissed and shot Dawn a glare. The coordinator was slightly taken aback.
"Well..." She scanned J's appearance, her short silver hair, her expression and especially her eyes. Her narrow greyish eyes that viewed the world with seasoned scepticism. Despite the lack of wrinkles in her face, Dawn judged in regard ofher glare. "Maybe... thirty-six? Eight? You're not forty, are you?"
Dawn stopped guessing, when she sensed the dwelling rage growling in J. "You know," she pointed at her hair, "This is my natural colour, and it's silver, not grey."
"I never assumed differently, I think I am quite good with colours," Dawn frowned and gradually, she noticed something, "So, you're younger... That's strange, you haven't... you haven't changed a bit after five years, have you..?"
"Of course I have. I'm no longer a pokemon hunter, remember?"
"That's not what I meant," Dawn whispered, her eyes glued to J as they failed to find any difference. Although quite some time has passed and her memories were not hundred percent accurate, she was certain that she recalled J's appearance. Besides, after five years, there was bound to happen at least some remarkable change.
"Ah, so that's the door, you smashed. Can't see, why Joy should complain, she likes fresh air."
Dawn winced back into reality and stared at the entrance. Both her mind and body recoiled and she wished she didn't have to step inside the clinic. But then again, she could use the phones there for free and she had to call her mother.
"You think she is still mad about it?"
"Who, Joy? No, I wouldn't think of her as the type who holds grudges," J smirked, then her face grew stoic again, "I'll wait here -"
"Didn't remember, you were that much of an Sentret, J," Joy joined their conversation, making both young women wince, "Why won't you come in. I'm not busy at the moment, so we have a cup of tea, some biscuits."
"Don't you have some pokemon to look after?" J asked with little hope.
"No, which is a good thing, don't you think? After being in charge for emergencies for seventy two hours, I get a break, finally."
"If its an emergency you're after, you know I can always arrange one," J replied, pulled out a silver pokeball and pointed at a group of kids with their Pidgeys, "Salamence could accidentally misfire a hyperbeam."
"You would do that for me? Really?" Joy asked disdainfully.
"Only for you."
Dawn still had to recover from her current contest low, but she still smirked at the semi hostile exchange.
"What are you laughing at?" Joy snapped at the girl, "You are causing me a headache as well. Your mother has been ringing me the whole time, asking, whether you have been found or what your condition is. Do something about it, will you? Otherwise I actually have to lie and tell her the date of your funeral."
Dawn grew pale with panic. Her heartbeat increased by the speed of a galloping Rapidash at the thought of what her mother had been through. "What did you tell her?" she couldn't control her high-pitched voice.
"Just the truth," Joy spoke dangerously calmly, "That you were still lost after the incident with the burning tower. Today I had better news, though; You had been found, but your state prevents you from talking to her."
"You didn't - that's not the truth!"
"Oh, but it is. Either you were too exhausted and bound to bed or you couldn't talk to anybody, because you suffered from a headache that can put you in a delirium."
Dawn didn't waste any more time with the cruel nurse. She dashed inside, almost threw Piplup on the table in front of a communicator and called her mother. The beeping of a heartbeat greeted her and Dawn gripped the table harder, willing for the machine to connect faster.
It didn't take long, however - Dawn had the high suspicion that her mother hadn't left the device for hours. The screen flashed and Dawn saw the image of Johanna, devastated with red eyes and wrinkles of concern that would probably never leave. "Mum! It's me-"
"Dawn! Thank Arceus!" her mother cried, eyes wide with shock and relief, "I already thought, you were..."
"No! Nononono! That's what Joy said, don't listen to her, she is mental!" Dawn sighed. Was that mess really necessary? She felt horrible and the fresh wave of guilt did not hurt any less than the previous ones.
"Are you safe? Please don't tell me, you're injured! I was already about to buy a ticket to Johto -"
"Don't," Dawn quickly put her mother's mind at ease, "I am fine; there is no need to come over. No injuries, nothing! My hand is still the worst scratch on my body, see?" She held up her left palm, neatly concealed by a bandage. No need to tell her of the additional burn. "I was save all the time, just... Well, I did fall unconscious, but I had a good shelter." And pillow to land on.
Johanna sighed and finally, her frown relaxed. "That's good..." she couldn't stop the slight sob escaping her throat, but otherwise she pulled herself together. Her mother wasn't the type to reveal too much of her inner life to her daughter. "I just watched the contest, when one of the girls announced she did it in your honour... I already thought, you... I heard, what happened and since you wanted to plunge yourself right into it..."
For a split second, Dawn wondered if she made out any reproach in that statement, but ignored it. After all, who could accuse her mother, if she unconsciously blamed Dawn for the mess? "I did, but I was pretty lucky! And..." Dawn added hesitantly, "I wasn't alone, there was someone with me and she protected me."
"Really?" Johanna sighed, finally convinced, "Then I'm glad... And very grateful... I would love to meet that person..."
"Well, no, that's not possible, because - she is gone. Moved on to another city! But I can tell her, if you like!"
Her mother nodded. Under different circumstances, Dawn would snort at the irony, but she still had to fight her inner turmoil. And as soon as the matter of her survival was clarified, Dawn felt the whole weight of another matter crashing upon her. "You watched the contest, huh?" The one I saved, but couldn't participate in. It hurt, forming the next sentence and apparently, she didn't manage to hide her emotions. "How was it?"
"Very... exceptional," Johanna admitted, "The girl, who devoted her participation to you was an excellent coordinator with an Espeon - quite famous in Ecruteak City and Johto. She had no problems, progressing through every round. Almost like you in Goldenrod City. She seemed very determined to live up to your expectations."
Dawn let out a dry laugh. At least, the winner won her ribbon - Dawn's ribbon - in her honour! But then again, how well would Dawn have fared against such a skilled coordinator? Even her mother, another top-class coordinator, held a high opinion. What chances did a little girl have, that remained in the shadows of her very own family and friends for six years...
"Dawn?" Johanna pulled her daughter out of her thoughts. Dawn stopped biting her lips and focused on her mother. "I am so sorry. I almost died of remorse, when I thought about the way I treated you the last time we spoke. Thinking that the last you heard of me were nothing but reproaches..."
"It's alright," Dawn replied, but couldn't prevent the bitterness of her voice, "Don't think about it, I asked for it. And... I'm sorry myself. But hey!" Her cheerfulness sounded obviously fake - if her mind had been clear, Dawn would have been ashamed, how little she cared. "No need to worry! The way things look, I'll be home pretty soon. Isn't it nice? Another failure, but at least now there won't be any problems with contests anymore! Must be a huge relief for you, huh?"
Immediately, Dawn regretted those words. She didn't even need to see the hurt in her mother's eyes, to know what harm she just caused. At the same time, though, she refused the wish to take it back. It was almost, as if part of her wanted to unleash anguish. What was wrong with her?
"I'm... I should better go. Talk to you soon."
The sight of her mother became unbearable, so before Johanna had the chance to stop her, Dawn turned off the communicator. She squeezed her eyes shut, until dots flashed before her. Hurt, despair, wrath, confusion, contempt against herself and everything around her. Those emotions seemed to take turns in intervals no longer than seconds and it was impossible, to tell what would surface next. Her mood was as unstable as a boiling volcano; ready to unleash itself any time, any place.
She heard J calling for her long before the huntress approached her, but Dawn decided to ignore her voice. She wanted to be left alone. That wish, however, seemed impossible to fulfil.
When J was within reach of the younger girl, she called out her name once again. As Dawn still didn't respond, she did what any responsible person wouldn't do - she kicked her chair so hard, it almost toppled over. That definitely ripped Dawn out of her brooding mind. She swung around and snapped at the huntress, "What is your problem?!"
To her annoyance, J seemed completely unfazed; her glare remained neutral, for her standards at least. "This place is. Now, get moving."
As Dawn wouldn't budge, J sighed. "I hope you're not ridiculously expecting me to be your emotional punching bag."
"Why would I expect anything from anyone? Especially you! You couldn't care less about me, so why should I even bother?"
"That's right, I don't care," J growled, "It's just a warning; if you don't watch your tongue, I will make sure it were your last words-"
"Oh, you're threatening me? Really? I thought, you weren't allowed to! Why else would you save me from death or even a little headache from Joy!" Dawn slid of her chair and tried hard to match J's height. Their argument continued in silence, solely through their stares. They didn't even notice the looks, several trainers in the Pokemon Centre shot them.
"As much as I like little shows, I am not in the mood for more destruction and with you two around, I can just wait till my Pokemon Centre burns up! Get out!" Joy snarled at the two. Reluctantly, they separated. While J was just eager to follow Joy's suggestion, Dawn felt her own composure waver. Seemed like wrath passed the baton over to commitment. Darkly, the coordinator stared at the ground as she followed the huntress. She acknowledged that Piplup jumped on her shoulder, then returned to her brooding thoughts.
A hot breeze awaited them and Dawn felt her annoyance grow. The summer was too hot, even for her taste and especially on that particular day. She wished to return to her room and cover under her sheets, but at the same time, she felt ashamed to hide. She wanted to keep on walking, but had no energy. Keep up trying to earn the remaining two ribbons, knowing, it was futile. Dawn didn't know, what to do - the turmoil inside her blocked any clear thoughts and desires that might have helped planning the rest of the day. Even something as small as the decision for the next hour would have served as an anchor within her emotional hurricane!
"I'll get some coffee - you wait here. I don't want you to end up buying something you can't pay for, again," J told her and turned towards a little café.
"That's my decision!" Dawn retorted, "And it's not like I couldn't afford it -"
"You just forgot your wallet."
"I didn't, I just couldn't find it! No need to pay my bills."
"And end up being thrown out of my favourite breakfast place?" J huffed, "Just stay here, will you..."
Dawn glared after the huntress. The sooner they were back at the temple house, the better. The only desire she could understand, was to get away from the huntress as far as possible. Two rooms apart would do for a start. She felt Piplup's nudge, but tried to pay no attention. The penguin was her most trusted partner - why couldn't it understand, she needed time for herself?
"Piplup pip..." It chirped in her ear as she turned her head away.
"Piplup, not now."
"You know, I really despise people like you," J returned with a steaming cup of coffee. She seemed to practically inhale the aromatic liquid.
"Likewise!" Dawn snapped and for a split second, she wondered why she had stopped Ninetales. She crossed her arm defiantly - she just felt so in the heat of the moment, nothing more. She didn't really wish harm to the huntress, did she?
"At least I have some backbone," J continued calmly, "And I have an accurate idea of my skills, in contrary to you."
Wrath returned from its break, stronger than before. "Oh, really? Are you calling me pathetic again? Why, because I think a pokemon hunter is just about the worst kind of person existing?"
"What do you know about that topic? There are people much worse than me - I should know, I met them," J tensed remarkably at that statement, but was quick to move on, "But that's not the issue. I don't care, if you obey the law or not, that's not the kind of skills and strength I'm talking about."
"Ah, so you're just calling me pathetic, because I'm weak?"
"Exactly!"
Dawn tightened her grip around her arms, but it didn't feel satisfactory enough. She wanted to explode, yet that wasn't quite possible. "You say that, after I saved you from the Gengar?"
"Yes, because it was obvious you acted out of your usual style! Normally, you would be so caught up with all your concerns, worrying what is possible in your boundaries and what isn't that you couldn't make one decent decision!"
"You've seen me through, haven't you? You believe you're telling me about a brand new discovery and I should probably fall to my knees and crave for your wisdom! Well guess again, I know me better than you do! I know, what's wrong!"
"Really? Then why won't you do something against it? Do you want to be pitied, that someone pats your head and tells you everything will be alright?"
"Hell no!" Dawn shouted, "I'm doing what I can, train as much as possible! There isn't much more to do!"
"Seriously, that's the only way you can think of? Train until you're senseless? Pity yourself after each and every failure?"
"Well, what can I do, then?" Dawn erupted, stomped her foot on the ground, with fists clenched next to her sides. Her vision blurred slightly - she couldn't see anything clearly but J's head. From times to times, she almost felt dizzy.
"First you should realize, what your problem is! Certainly not your pokemon or skills!" J bellowed. Dawn winced - and hated herself for that. Noticing that gesture of retreat, J continued with a more reasonable volume. "I hate to admit it, but in that regard you're a decent trainer. Yet you still have that damn attitude of a wimp and that's what angers me!"
Dawn couldn't reply, and she wasn't sure if it was the shock or just because she waited for the huntress to continue. It felt surreal, hearing that kind of praise from the huntress.
"Can't even deny it, can you?" J continued, "I don't get people like you; Are you trying to be so damn humble, because any sign of confidence might be arrogant? Because you're not comfortable to have even a crumb of ego? Or just because you think, people will praise you for your modesty? If you win, then that was due to luck or some godly intervention - or are you actually afraid of being superior to someone else?"
It took Dawn a moment to realize that J's question weren't rhetorical - that she was dead serious. The flames of her fury were shrinking, yet she didn't feel miserable enough to reveal the truth. "Why should you care about me and my problems? They are none of your -" She shook her head, "I don't need your advice and you shouldn't give it to me in the first place! Anything else is plain wrong!"
"Believe me, I couldn't think of anything worse than building up a pitiful girl as you are. If circumstances didn't force me, I wouldn't bother. But since I have to, I might as well get over with it."
"Build me up? Why? Give me another chance to actually get to the Grand Festival? Maybe even win it! The devil himself must be forcing you. That's just ridiculous, not to mention impossible."
"You have no idea how close you are to reality," J sighed, "And forget about your contests already, they don't interest me. Though I could give you an earful about them as well."
"Right, the pokemon hunter understands something about performances, creativity and beauty and she can tell me about my mistakes! We both know, you're not the type for that."
"Then it should be alarmingly for you, how terrible you are," J replied and crossed her arms. Since Dawn still looked anything but convinced, she continued. "You've put me through hours of appeal and battle rounds. Sometimes it was an embarrassment! The only decent performance you had was in Goldenrod City, and before that? You were lucky with your first ribbon, there you had as good as no competition, but the second time I'm convinced you received pity points!"
Dawn parted her lips, but disbelieve overwhelmed her. She couldn't find the right words, to vocalize her perplexity.
"Don't look at me like that. You think, I walk blindly into a suicide mission? I had to know, whether I could rely on you for at least a few henchmen. You failed to convince me."
"Then..." Dawn began anxiously, after gathering her thoughts for a few seconds, "What... problems did you see in my performances?"
"Apart from you?" J gave her snide remark, but returned to a more agreeable manner, "You're trying too hard."
Dawn's eye brows disappeared behind her fringe. She had been told that she was working to hard - but then, why should her performances fail so miserably? She was about to question the huntress, J however, already gave the answer.
"You're obviously overtraining yourself and your pokemon, until they are sick and tired of that routine. Of course, your performance looks dull! And you're doubting your chances of success - don't deny it, it's written all over your face. You should watch yourself more often through a camera. There is enough footage available from you. Remember your sense of empathy? Most pokemon have that, some stronger than yours. If they can tell that you're just waiting for them to mess up, how do you expect them to react?"
"I'm trying to believe in them, but..." Dawn tried to defend herself, yet felt disgust rise within her. For most of the time, she tried her best to deny it. When had she started to doubt her own partners so much?
"But they failed once, why shouldn't they do it again?" J suggested brutally straightforward, "You're stuck in a vicious circle and probably haven't even noticed it."
Now Dawn felt ashamed. She seemed to shrink in front of J's glare. Unable to control herself, Dawn's arms began to shiver. The tension of her muscles dropped, yet she wasn't ready to be defeated. Just yet. "It's not like I don't believe in them at all..."
"Expect in the most crucial moments. Why is it so hard for you to have some confidence in yourself? You're the trainer, it's your responsibility lead you towards victory. It's not like you can lose something, can you?"
Dawn's shoulders slumped downwards, and she was no longer able to hold J's reproachful glare. Her voice trembled as she spoke and memories filled her. "Yes, you can... Do you know, how much it hurt when you believe in your victory - when you are convinced you already won, only to end up losing? I'm always too confident... And when I fail then, the fall is much deeper..."
"So, instead of allowing yourself to enjoy your victories, you're rather miserable the whole time? Just because you're afraid of a little pain?" The disbelieve in J's voice made Dawn perk up. The huntress looked like she wanted to slap her forehead, but refused to cause any more damage to herself. "You have to be kidding me!"
"That pain is a lot worse!" Dawn denied J's belittlement.
"What you should to then, is make sure you won't lose! Damn it, it can't be so hard, I'm living that way! And you'll never see me crumble!"
Again, Dawn averted her eyes. With all her might, she tried to prevent herself from breaking apart in front of her enemy, yet there wasn't much energy left. Her fury earlier seemed to have burnt all of it, leaving nothing behind for a facade. Trying to divert her attention from her emotions, Dawn bit her lip. Yet that didn't stop the sob shaking her chest. She hated herself, for her lack of inner strength.
"What every you do, don't start crying!" J yelled, but that only enforced the shame that pulled Dawn deeper. With a sigh, the huntress tried another approach. "What is it with your stupid contests anyways? There's plenty of them, isn't there?"
Dawn chuckled, despair overtaking her as she shook her head. "No, there aren't. Not for me. This is my last Grand Festival... If I fail... If I don't achieve my dream of becoming a Top-Coordinator like my mum... my friends... Then that means, I'm not cut to be coordinator. It means, I should stop wasting my time..."
"Oh please, tell me it's not true. Who told you that nonsense?"
Dawn looked at J, part of her actually hoping, the huntress might help. "I did. I can't keep up doing this forever, can I? I have to grow up and do something with my future... I can't keep up depending on others for money or stay with my mum forever..."
"You're too young to make life long decisions," J replied.
"Maybe not for my whole life, but for the next few years I can..." Dawn mumbled and returned her gaze back to the ground. The pavement seemed to close in, suck her into its depths, then returning to its original state. She brushed over her eyes, removing the moisture that began to assemble.
J huffed. "You have three ribbons so far. How many contests are left before the Grand Festival?"
Dawn bit her lip again; that time her insides clenched at the belittlement that would follow her answer. "Well... Two..."
"Two?" J's voice sounded scornful and disbelieving, "Two?" She repeated, shaking her head, "I don't exacly follow the newest rules about contests, so I might've missed any changes. Did the amount of ribbons you need for the Grand Festival increase in the past few years?"
Dawn winced, readying herself for the sneer that would surely follow. "No..." She shook her head and desperately tried to avoid J's glare.
"So, you still need five ribbons to enter the Grand Festival, to become a Top-Coordinator? So fat, you have three and two more chances to quality for it. Am I right so far, or am I missing something?"
As Dawn wouldn't answer, J took it as an approval. "All that fuss for nothing?! Are you serious?!"
"I thought we just worked out that I'm a pathetic girl without backbone that's bound to lose! How am I supposed to win twice in a row?" Dawn defended herself and she couldn't stop the tears spilling from her eyes. In a desperate attempt to keep her dignity, she turned her back towards the huntress.
To her bewilderment, she felt J stagger. Dawn shot the silver haired woman a side-glance, who had her eyes squeezed shut and a hand pressed against her forehead. "You're causing me a headache, you know that?"
"I'm sorry..." Dawn apologized, ashamed that even without trying, she caused such harm.
"That's the least you can be," J muttered and took a sip from her coffee. She still appeared to be in pain though and Dawn felt the strong urgent, to flee.
"Can we go back, please?" She pleaded, craving for nothing but the embrace of the sheets of her futon. Exhausting overcame her trembling body; returning would be enough of an ordeal.
"If I don't run out of coffee first," J deadpanned and the two got moving. Through her haze of emotions, Dawn almost felt the relief of being on her way back. Just then another sob shook her upper body and a fresh pair of tears easily slipped through her self-restraint.
"Can't you stop that?" J muttered irritated.
Dawn shook her head as an answer, "Can't help it..."
"I might be a cruel pokemon hunter, but I still don't feel comfortable with a girl whining right in my ear. Too noisy, too miserable. Is there really nothing to stop you?"
"Oblivion."
"Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to do that."
Dawn shrugged. What else consulted people, who wished to feel well again? "Chocolate."
"Chocolate?" J repeated and stopped all of sudden. Then spun around and left Dawn standing in the middle of the road, staring after her.
"What the..." She mumbled, eye brows furrowed. J was a mystery. An unpredictable mystery. Dawn however, was in no mood to figure out what the huntress had in mind, so instead she faced the direction of the temple and crossed her arms.
It didn't take long for J to return though, and to Dawn's amazement, she held another steaming paper cup right in her face. "Drink that!" J ordered and hesitantly, Dawn accepted the hot beverage. The scent was familiar, sweet and cocoa like.
"Hot... chocolate?" the coordinator asked, holding the cup as if it was poisoned.
"Yes. Now, let the endorphin production start. That's what chocolate is good for, right?" J shrugged, "It's not like I ever need it, so..."
Still full of disbelieve, Dawn took a huge gulp, which almost scalded her tongue. It was indeed hot chocolate, but more so than the sweet cocoa, it was the situation, that drew a chuckle from Dawn. As well as a couple more tears. "Thanks... That's very... sweet?" She suggested and showed J a teary smile.
"I suppose it is. You didn't see how much sugar the guy spooned in," J deadpanned.
"Maybe you want some as well?" Dawn offered, but only received a disgusted look.
"Do I look like I need that? I hate chocolate!" She shuddered, a movement that didn't suit her injury at all. Wincing, she rubbed the bandage at the front, "Enough with the sentimentalities, I'm dizzy enough without more awkwardness."
Dawn sensed it as well. "You should rest. Otherwise Joy might poison me."
"And we wouldn't want that to happen."
There was a bit of a silence, in which Dawn gathered her thoughts. The discussion about contests had claimed most of her attention, but even they couldn't make her completely forget the secrets revolving around the huntress. Though hesitantly, she tried another attempt to get answers. "Who is included in 'we'?"
Only slowly, J lowered the cup from her lips. She took her time, to ponder about the question, before she eventually let out a sigh. "Guess there is nothing to do about it anyways, is there? And while we're already chatting so nicely, might as well get over it."
She directed her eyes towards Dawn. "But let me ask you first, what your relationship with the lake guardians is."
Dawn perked up at that unexpected question. "Well, I'm friends with them, especially Mesprit. Not too mention Ash, Brock and I had to save them, after you delivered them to Team Galactic. Did you know that they were trying to create a new universe, thus destroying the old one? Including you! That's just a theory, but they might have used you."
J rose her eye brow at that statement, but whatever her reply might have been, Dawn didn't hear it. Since the girl opened herself more and more to the outside world instead of remaining in her dark mind, she noticed something else.
An Espeon sat on a windowsill, its black eyes staring intently at Dawn. The ruby on its forehead caught her attention and no power in the world could make her stop staring at it. It emitted a crimson light, one that itself right into Dawn's mind. And then she knew.
With its telekinetic powers, Espeon beckoned her to follow it. The urgency in that call was overwhelmingly, as if her life might depend on it. She remembered Johanna's words, "The winner was an excellent coordinator with an Espeon." Dawn was convinced that she looked at the very same Espeon. She knew she did.
The psychic type was still pulling her towards it, as it jumped of its seat and strolled into an alley on the right side of her initial way home. It stopped only once, to look back at the coordinator and enforce its telekinetic spell.
Dawn found herself in a difficult position. On the one hand, she wanted to see the person, who won the contest in her place. She wanted to meet Espeon's trainer and... While Dawn wasn't sure what might follow afterwards, she felt like she wouldn't be able to rest, if she didn't find out.
Now, however, was her maybe one chance to find out about J. The secret she had been longing for, she had to know about for her own safety... Strangely, that desire was pushed into a faraway corner of her mind; she couldn't grasp hold of it, like a memory one tried to recall with all their might.
One temptation fought the other... Eventually, Dawn made a decision - and she dashed after the evolution pokemon, leaving a surprised J behind.
Maybe it was to put the matter of that contest to a rest. Maybe it was a chance to redeem her fading dream. Dawn wasn't sure about her own intentions, but the desire to see Espeon's trainer was too strong to resist.
Very soon, a building came into sight - it was the site, where the contest had been held. The Kimono Dance Theatre. Dawn barely noticed how her hip ached after the sprint; she was too anxious about what might follow and how she would react to it. Once again, she brushed over her eyes, removing every last bit of moisture trickling over her skin.
Finally, Dawn slid the door open. Inside the entrance hall, there waited her welcoming committee. Five young women, dressed in beautifully coloured kimono's. Espeon sat at the feet of the girl in the middle, its eyes just as unreadable, yet meaningful as before.
"Welcome Dawn," they greeted her in unison, before they introduced themselves individually.
"My name is Satsuki," the dancer with the bright yellow kimono announced.
"Tamao is my name." Her colour was black with golden patterns.
"Koume!" the girl in orange red declared.
"I am Sumomo," the fourth said, her turquoise blue kimono shifting slightly with her movement.
"And the last one is me, Sakura," concluded Espeon's trainer with a smile. Her kimono matched the psychic type's colouring; lilac with a few rubies reflecting the light.
"We are the Kimono Sisters," their choir began again, but it was Sakura, who completed their welcome.
"And I have an offer for you, Dawn."
Yeah, another cliff hanger. Sorry, couldn't resist! But some of you might have an idea now, what the mystery around J is!
Uh, will I stop torturing Dawn anytime soon? Nahhhhh. Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see ;)
Write ya next time!
