• tab Passersby of this particular spot off route 35 would have quite a time observing the area; golden-brown trees hinted the coming autumn and were plentiful of Sitrus Berries. Perchance one less interested in plant-life would enjoy the cerulean lake that dueled the piercing sun. However, there are many that would find these details unamusing to their competition: the Pokemon. You see, Pokemon are like animals, but they tend to have certain special powers. Some can produce fire, others can mirthlessly eat their opponent's dreams, and some just fight with their brute strenghth. Trainers, Coordinators, and Breeders around the world collect or befriend these Pokemon and use them in battles and competions. Some strive to win the Pokemon League, others aim to win the Grand Festival. Some just play to have fun!

    tab A Trainer, Coordinator, or Breeder passing through this area would likely care more about the Pineco hiding in these Sitrus trees, and if they were worth capture, or of how soon the Surskit playing on the cerulean lake were to evolve. These Pokemon would be of great value to an aspiring Pokemon champ. Almost anyone would have a stop to observe this area; except for the three passing by at this moment, for Ash, Dawn, and May, all have had their own very important things on their mind.

    Ash Ketchum has been trying to win his way into the Pokemon league for five years now. Everytime he has made it very far, in fact recently in the Sinnoh League he placed in the top 4. But fourth place wasn't victory. Sure, he had beat the pants off his two rivals, Barry and Paul, respecively, but he had been knocked out by some nobody who lost in the succeeding round. Sinnoh, however, is now long gone. After returning to Pallet, he was unexpectedly informed of a new series of Battle Frontier, running in the Johto region. Who could he be to pass up this opportunity? Dawn followed him with full enthusiasm, planning to enter the Johto Grand Festival of the coming year. Ash had originally planned to start again with only his Pikachu at his side, like he had twice already, but his other Pokemon didn't think this was a very good idea. Bayleaf Body Slamed him to the second dimension, Cyndaquil took well that his name was Ash, and Tododile intended to stalk him as far as the Whirl Islands. For his own safety, Ash felt he'd fill up his team with said Johto Pokemon. Also taking Monferno an d Gliscor, he'd headed off to New Bark town to enter the Battle Frontier Johto. Meeting up with May in Genima Town on Route 29, who had barely scraped failure to admission of the Johto Grand Festival of that year, Ash became stronger and stronger in his expiriences. Though he released Gliscor to become leader of its old flock, he retrieved his Charizard from Lisa at the Charicific Valley. To count, this meant three fire Pokemon on his team(what now, Flint(dp series)). Though his team seemed disbalanced in type, he had great confidence in his chances of becoming Johto League champion, especially as long as his trusty Pikachu was with him at alltimes. Reasoning his lack of focus in even the Pokemon around him, Ash was completely absorbed in new and old strategies he might use for the upcomng all-important tournament.

    tab May and Dawn had a completely different preoccupation about them, one that rivaled them, in fact. This rivalry is found everywhere; it can be arising of Crows, it can destroy friendships. This absorbing, schisming problem is, of course, heart love heart . Simpler is Dawn's. Just less than twelve years of age, she has become completely obsessed with one she always has been there and back with as friends: Ash Ketchum. Oh, to think, she might get to change her name to Dawn Ketchum! Oh, that would be joy. But problems had arisen. She realized, to her great disapointment, that she wasn't the only one to find this Ash guy cute. First sign at the Pokemon Summer School, where Angie fell for him. Doom it would've been if she'd come along then, doom! But luckily, she left, and for about half a year she was the only girl to Ash's want that was in any range to him. All for her. That is, until this May girl came around. Such a theif! Ugh! It was completely unfair, in Dawn's figures. She had never left Ash's side since he met him. Lord knows where this May characeter came from! Dawn had met her once before, and they got along quite well. It was probably the fact that she wouldn't stay that kept her from worrying about her. But now things were different. When they first met again at Gemina Town, they embraced like sisters. When they realized they were trying to steal Ash from each other, they became somewhat colder to each other. For one week, just one, short, sweet week, Dawn was Ash's only companion in traveling; that was after Brock left the group in Pewter, and before the reunion with May. That could well have been the best week of Dawn's young life. Not only was she his only friend of the time, she believed that life would be that way for quite another year or so, at least until the end of the Battle Frontier. She felt that would give her plenty of time to make her move. But of course, then came May. Actually it was September that they met May but that has no meaning at all. Just because May may have slightly more assets did not mean she was going to take Ash away. But it sure made things harder. No time to focus on the nature; Dawn was Daydreaming, very, very happy dreams...

    tab May loathed Dawn for her incomplexity in her love life. She didn't know the hardships that she, May, suffered every minute of her life. She loved Ash, she wanted more than anything for him to love her, but there were complications. For one thing, May understood something Dawn did not. Ash was already in love, oh yes, very deeply. The world of Pokemon would always be the strongest thing that ever attracted him, no matter how hard they all tried. Knowing this gave her quite an advantage. But it also quite damped her spirits. And there were still more complexities. The day before May met the two traveling companions she was with now, she had been denied chance to enter the Grand Festival of that year. See, the four semifinalists of the Genima Town Pokemon contest all had four ribbons, one short of allowed passage to the Grand Festival. These four semifinalists were namely Harely, Solidad, May, and Drew. Only one of them could make it to the Grand Festival that year, and the required ribbon was at stake; this was the final contest before the Grand Festival. So, the elimination round played out. Solidad destroyed Harely on the first stage, no joke. May and Drew watched together in the audience, almost in silence, until-
    Drew: "Beat me May, and I'll let you take me on a date..."
    May didn't know how to take this. She always felt it between them, but that sudden move, that sudden rcomendation that they could date... of course they laughed around after Drew's suggestion; they played it as a joke. But May still had to take it to heart. The though was stuck in her mind: Drew? On a date? If he hadn't spoke those words she would've won. She knew it. Her loss was the result of incredible love pressure. She screwed up miserably, choosing Blaziken to battle Flygon. She was destroyed, her disadvantage not being near the worst of her mistakes. Something told her Drew planned to mess her up like that. But she also felt he meant it...he did like her, right?... It was so confusing! May threw back her head, pressure in it seeming in to be at an exploding point. She had remet Ash the coming day of her love life's biggest dillema didn't help; her heart was being tossed around brutally, and it couldn't decide which walls to grab onto, and which can be let go. She had joined up with Ash and Dawn, hoping to get herself one more ribbon and entering the festival the coming year against Dawn; of course, there was more. She hoped so much that Drew would follow the same course, meaning she could rematch him in the Grand Festival. But- she had made such a fool of herself last time, and after six months without communication, he could be despising her, above their relationship. Maybe he has been avoiding her??? Ohh.... Debating her love life, wondering if she could allow herself to let Dawn take Ash, or if she should leave Drew's challenge should he not loath her and go for Ash, she had not a second to observe the scenic views of route 35.

    Next Chapter: Arrivals and Arguments
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