It really was quite the blast from the past to go back to the Hearthome City Resort.

As the months had gone by and the two kept in touch, both Goh and Dawn’s lives had become even busier than they were before. The Pokémon Coordinator had eventually been given an offer from Headmistress Matilda, Head Judge of the Galar Pokémon Contest Circuit, to become her new apprentice. It was an opportunity that many boys and girls in her position would have given anything for. Goh had told her that he had been the original candidate to be taken under the headmistress’s wing, until he rejected the offer and instead put in a good word for her.

For that, Dawn was eternally grateful.

And how lucky it was that Goh had managed to find some time to visit her again, especially as Dawn’s rapidly growing status in the world of Pokémon Contests had landed her a new sponsorship with the Hearthome City Resort, just as her mother had before. Heck, her break from the contest world was really stretching it considering she had begged Headmistress Matilda to go see her friend Ash Ketchum compete in the Masters Eight Finals of the Pokémon World Coronation Series in Galar. While logistics were easy enough, considering the close proximity of Wyndon Stadium to the Grand Galar Contest Hall, she had to work a lot more to take another vacation away in order to finally spend time with her long-distance boyfriend.

“You already went to see one of your friends compete in something. You’ll be taking too long of a break if you go all the way back to Sinnoh just to see that boy,” Matilda flicked her pen around between her fingers, knowing deep down that this was a losing battle, “But… you really have been putting a lot of effort into your training and performance.”

Matilda reclined back on the couch that she was sitting on, “First place in the Circhester Contest is nothing to scoff at, so… alright. Although this is only because I know you won’t take no for an answer.”

Dawn sighed in relief as she gave a genuine smile to her mentor, “Thank you, Madame.”

Matilda then ushered Dawn away with a wave of her hand, “Go, now. Do say hi to Goh for me, and try not to get into too much trouble with your special someone. The last thing I want to deal with is scandalous tabloids… oh how they plague this industry.”

“No need to worry, Madame. I’ll be back for the Galar Grand Festival before you know it!” Dawn reassured her mentor, who groaned at the young coordinator’s catchphrase.

“Now I seem to get why everyone close to you says that they begin to worry the most when you say otherwise…” the headmistress couldn’t help but give a faint chuckle, “I’ll get you your plane ticket. I doubt Togekiss will want to make a journey that far.”

Once again, Dawn thanked the woman before she stepped out of the room, coming face to face with her faithful Water-type companion who was waiting outside, Piplup. The tiny Pokémon chirped up at her, wondering if their next vacation was a go.

“Yep, Madame Matilda agreed!” Dawn relaxed her tense shoulders as the hardest obstacle had finally been overcome, “But we’re going to have to practice extra hard when we come back… I just know it.”

“Lup…” Piplup dreaded the rigorous program that awaited both it and its trainer upon return, but to go back to that luxurious hotel just for the brief opportunity to see Goh—and especially Inteleon—again would be absolutely worth it.

“Y-Yeah! That’s fantastic to hear, Dawn! I can’t wait to meet up again!” Goh wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he was trying his hardest to multitask, covering the bottom speaker of his Rotom Phone as he barked back a command, “Flygon, use Dragon Breath!”

Despite Goh’s attempt to mask what was happening in the background, Dawn raised an eyebrow as she leaned in closer to her Pokétch, “Is… this a bad time? Sounds like something exciting is happening on your end.”

“Nope! Not at all- woah!” Goh blurted out as he narrowly avoided a stray bolt from what appeared to be a Night Shade on Dawn’s Pokétch screen, “Flygon, quick! Grapple it with Dragon Claw, and I can go for a catch!”

Suddenly, Dawn’s interest spiked, “Wait, what Pokémon are you trying to catch?”

The coordinator’s answer came in the form of Goh angling the camera towards the ongoing Pokémon battle. Goh’s Flygon was in a grappling contest with a terrifying, one-eyed Pokémon that levitated off of the ground, and opened up the maw that encompassed its stomach to charge up another attack.

“No way! A Dusknoir?!” Dawn gasped along with her partner Pokémon, who clambered up on Dawn’s shoulder to watch the fight on the tiny display mounted to Dawn’s arm, “P-Piplup?!”

“Yep, and it’s mine! Pokéball, go!” Goh managed to give an overhand toss while still training the camera on the two Pokémon locked in a melee brawl. The spherical device sailed through the air, and bounced off of the burly specter’s figure. A click was heard, and Dusknoir disappeared inside the Pokéball, which shook once, twice, and finally three times, indicating the successful capture.

“Alright!” Goh pumped his fist before remembering that Dawn was still on the phone with him.

“Nice job, Goh! You too, Flygon!” Dawn stifled a giggle as she saw Goh’s attention quickly come back to her, “I can’t wait to see you again, and at the same place where everything started!”

Goh tucked the Pokéball that now housed the terrifying specter into his backpack before he responded in kind, “Same here! You’ve really made a name for yourself to get that resort to sponsor you!”

Just as Dawn was about to give a reply, she hastily spoke up, “Oh, looks like the car’s here to take me to the airport. I’ll see you soon!”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting!” Goh grinned on his end of the line.

After exchanging goodbyes and hanging up, Goh beamed with joy as Dawn’s phone call only added to what had already turned out to be a great day, what with him having also caught such a powerful Pokémon. Grookey, his Pokémon partner that was often perched on his shoulder, rooted in excitement to see Piplup again after all this time. Goh exhaled as, finally, his next journey to Sinnoh was set; he was going to see his special someone once again.

“I missed Ash’s biggest moment… but I’m not going to miss seeing Dawn again. Not if I can help it,” Goh placed his hands on his hips, “I can’t wait to tell her about how I met Mew again!”

“A-rook!” Grookey waved its stick around, eager to get a move on.

“Alright, alright! We’ll get going!” Goh laughed, “Y’know, I would’ve thought that you’d be a bit more reserved ever since that encounter with that ‘Kyogre’…”

It was beginning to approach the evening.

“Man, getting kinda cold out here…” Goh shivered through his sweater as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, “Never really could get used to the Sinnoh chill. I seriously wonder how Dawn could even go on a day-to-day basis with her usual outfit.”

The Pokémon catcher still waited patiently outside on a bench for Dawn to arrive, dead set on being outside to reunite with her as early as possible. Luckily for him, a couple of service staff from the hotel had turned on the outdoor heaters. The umbrella-shaped machines provided wonderful, wonderful warmth for Goh and Grookey, the two sighing in relief and shivering from the sudden change in temperature.

Grookey had gotten a bit tired, evident from the yawn it gave off as it curled up on Goh’s lap. The young boy thought about returning the little monkey back into its Pokéball, but Grookey had been adamant about being outside to see Piplup and Dawn again. Goh leaned back on the bench a little more as goosebumps plagued his skin from the conflicting icy Sinnoh breeze, and the radiance from the heaters.

Then, Goh’s prayers were answered. A sleek, white car rolled up to the entrance of the Hearthome City Resort. A bellboy walked out from the lobby, and began to unload the luggage from the vehicle’s trunk. With a grunt, he heaved the massive suitcase from within onto the ground, and stood by as the driver of the car came around to let his one passenger out from the backseat.

That white beanie.

The red scarf.

“Thank you so much!” Goh heard Dawn graciously thank her driver and the bellboy before turning her attention to the entrance, then off to the side to see the Pokémon catcher, who had just gotten up from the bench at the sight of her, “Goh! It’s really you!”

Dawn broke into a brisk jog towards her boyfriend, followed by Piplup, who jumped down from the backseat of the car and waddled towards both Goh and Grookey, waving a flipper at both of its friends.

“Hey, Dawn. It’s been a-” Goh felt like getting cut off was going to happen pretty frequently as Dawn threw her arms around the boy’s neck, pulling him into a tight squeeze. The coordinator’s cheek pressed against Goh’s. It was so much warmer than the heaters outside.

“Mmm… I’ve missed you so much…” Dawn shut her eyes and hugged Goh tighter, her excitement and overjoy now turning into ease and comfort. It was elevated as Goh returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around Dawn’s hips. The two could hear Piplup and Grookey greeting one another, no doubt already sharing stories about what they’d been up to for the past few months.

“I’ve missed you too,” Goh exhaled as Dawn brought her head back; their noses were inches apart, “Why don’t we go inside and get you checked in?”

“Oh, right. Guess we should do that!” Dawn giggled. The hug was broken, but the couple’s hands were joined together as the two walked inside.

There was so much to catch up on between the two, even though it had only been a few months since their grand debut in the Hearthome City Doubles Pokémon Contest. Dawn marveled at the exhilarating encounters Goh had had with legendary Pokémon, while Goh took in quite a lot of relief in Dawn confiding in him about how tough it was under Matilda’s guidance, although it had paid off significantly with back-to-back first-place finishes in Galar Pokémon Contests.

“So, wait. Let me get this straight. You literally held Mew in your hand like this?! That’s incredible!” Dawn was in awe at Goh’s tale, “So you had it-”

“Yep. In the palm of my hand,” Goh chuckled, “Fitting, I know!”

Another bouquet of chocolate had been waiting for the two trainers when they entered their room, similar to the last time they had come to the resort. Piplup and Grookey had torn through it, with Dawn and Goh thankfully managing to quickly pick out a few bites for themselves.

“So… Matilda seems to be working you to the bone,” Goh leaned back on the bed’s pillow, “Are you afraid that you might end up hating contests if this is your experience with them now? No offense, of course.”

Just for a brief second, the coordinator looked away. Her lips pursed. Whatever signal of slight bitterness that was running through her mind was quickly picked up by Goh, but before he could comment, she returned his gaze.

Dawn shook her head, “None taken. And honestly… I can see where you’re coming from. But there’s no need to worry! Madame Matilda might be really strict and tough, but she knows that if my morale breaks, then there’d be no point in competing. After all, losing motivation is a faster way to fall out of things compared to skill.”

The girl laid down on the bed, “It’s probably why she let me go see Ash and then you in such a short frame of time.”

Dawn poked Goh’s nose when she said “you” to the boy. He was about to press the previous catch of Dawn’s demeanor, but instead, he decided to return a closed-eyed smile before he resumed the conversation, “Uh… do many coordinators have… boyfriends and girlfriends?”

Dawn shrugged, “Yeah, sometimes. But we get super, super busy. It’s pretty hard to find time, especially now, and… in the case of top-performing coordinators and idols… we’re kinda discouraged to have our relationships public.”

“Wait… really? That’s kinda weird…” Goh crossed his arms.

Dawn exhaled, “Yeah, but in all honesty, I really think Matilda’s a bit glad that out of anyone, we’re together. You really did impress her in your first-ever contest!”

The Pokémon catcher blushed, rubbing the back of his head, “Guess I’m a bit of a natural at more things than I thought-”

It was at this point that the boy noticed Dawn adopt an odd expression on her face. She appeared to be deep in thought, then looked over towards Piplup and Grookey. The two Pokémon were about to call it for the night and tuck themselves in before Dawn leaned towards them, and began to whisper to the pair of creatures.

Grookey and Piplup shared a glance before giving some sort of acknowledgment, “Piplup! Rook!”

Then, Dawn turned back to Goh. She blinked before meeting his eyes.

“Goh… I… kinda want to do something with you,” Dawn gripped his hand, “Come with me. Please.”

At this, the boy was taken off guard. But whatever Dawn was asking for, he would oblige, “Uh, sure. Lead the way.”

As the two stepped out of their room, Goh couldn’t help but catch onto the fact that Dawn was very deep in wonder. It was as if she was finally acting on something that her heart had craved for such a long time. Soon enough, he would find out what that thing really was, and realize how much he wanted it as well.

“Piplup, Grookey, could you stand watch and let us know if someone’s coming?” Dawn asked the two Pokémon, who both agreed and got to their posts.

The Hearthome City Resort had no events it was hosting, so the grand ballroom was empty and unoccupied. Glistening chandeliers adorned the ceiling, and space was ample. The purpose of Dawn bringing Goh here was lost on the boy, until Dawn turned to him, letting go of his hand.

She spoke with a heavy heart.

“Goh, I want you to know that ever since we shared that dance together in that contest… the one we shared when you caught me from falling…” Dawn held a hand over her heart, “I’ve dreamed that I could have a real one again. Just us. No pressure. No falling. No… anything.”

Her boyfriend’s lips parted ever so slightly.

Dawn gave a warm smile, and held out her hand, “Just us.”

Goh knew the two of them weren’t really supposed to be in the empty ballroom. That was why they had two little sentries watching the door. And yet…

There was no way he would deny Dawn her request.

Perhaps to play everything up, Goh, dressed in his everyday wear and not in that dashing tuxedo, bowed in front of Dawn. It was a subtle indication that he still knew how to dance, and was to be his princess’s prince.

Dawn stifled a giggle at the display, and curtsied back at him.

“Jeez, this is a little cheesy,” Goh broke his own formality in a twinge of embarrassment.

“Oh, give it a rest,” Dawn smiled as the two came together. She placed her left hand on Goh’s shoulder, and clasped his right hand with hers. When Goh carefully rested his free hand on Dawn’s hip, the touch hadn’t given her the slightest bit of discomfort. If anything, the coordinator felt as if her longings had become reality.

To complete everything, Goh quickly whispered downwards towards his right sweater pocket, “Hey, uh, Rotom Phone. Mind if you can-”

The intelligent phone’s small speaker began to produce a 3/4 tune. It wasn’t an orchestra, but to Dawn and Goh, it made everything just that little bit more… perfect.

“Ooh. Nice touch,” Dawn chuckled as she rocked back and forth with her dance partner, her thumb gently rubbing along Goh’s index finger.

Together, Dawn and Goh began to step together, back and forth inside the empty ballroom. Even though they weren’t in fancy outfits or surrounded by onlookers to be wowed at the sight of the Pokémon catcher’s expert choreography and the veteran coordinator’s grace, there was a soothful feeling between the two. It was as if this moment alone put their minds at ease.

Very few words were exchanged between the two.

Goh wondered how long they could get away with this, so late at night, alone together. But every time his mind wandered off, his eyes would meet those beautiful slate eyes of Dawn’s, and he would catch that smile that made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Despite being on watch duty, Piplup and Grookey couldn’t help but watch their trainers continue their waltz. They knew that this dance was special, and something that only until recently the catcher and coordinator realized they longed for.

“Lup…” Piplup cooed at the sight of its beloved trainer looking like the happiest girl in the world as Goh led the dance.

Dawn was brought up to Goh’s chest, and she gently rested her chin on his shoulder.

“And to think, I thought I’d have to teach you how to dance when I first asked you to be my contest partner~” Dawn stepped in sync with Goh’s movements, swaying with the boy.

Goh fought every ounce of his fading introversion to keep up with Dawn’s playful banter, “Funny. I was afraid you would’ve lost touch without me.”

Dawn gave a sharp exhale, almost a snort of laughter.

Then, the brightness of Dawn’s face faded ever so slightly. Her eyes darted away. Clearly, something had come up in her mind in the middle of their waltz.

“Everything okay?” Goh asked, a hint of concern slowly creeping its way into him.

“Y-Yeah. No need to worry!” Dawn quickly broke her trance, and startled Goh with a sultry smile, “Never better~”

A slight twinge of flirtatious allure came from Dawn’s mouth at that last sentence.

If that was the case, then Goh wasn’t going to let her have to take the initiative yet again.

Goh dipped Dawn downwards towards the ground, her navy-blue hair hanging as the boy wrapped a hand around her waist, and retained his grip on her other hand. Piplup and Grookey gawked at the display.

The tiniest gasp escaped from the girl’s mouth as she was once again stopped from crashing back into the ground. Goh’s shining blue eyes pierced her soul and heart. Dawn’s breaths became staggered. Stifled. And eventually, breathless.

“Well, this looks like a familiar-”

Dawn pushed herself upwards, and kissed the boy right then and there. There was an initial shock from Goh over the sensation of his special someone’s lips upon his. However, he had all the time in the world compared to that moment at the train station. He cupped a hand on Dawn’s cheek, and closed his eyes to relish the embrace, the dance coming to a brief stop.

Piplup and Grookey glued their attention to the two. Grookey just stared in awe; Piplup, once more, dropped its lower beak. It still wasn’t used to this, coming from Dawn of all people. Considering all of its unrequited crushes, a little tinge of jealousy over its master finding love washed over the Penguin Pokémon.

Nevertheless, it pushed down these petty internal squabbles. Considering how happy Dawn was to see Goh, it in turn was happy for her as well.

As the two broke their kiss, both still had their eyes closed, noses pressed to one another, as they kept swaying in their waltz-turned-slow dance.

Dawn smiled, “I wish this could last forever.”

Goh laughed, “Hey, I was about to say that.”

Piplup jokingly wretched. Grookey rooted, wanting to see the two dance some more.

Then, a figure came around the corner of the door’s archway the two Pokémon were supposed to be guarding, and bore witness to the two trainers’ dance.

Piplup and Grookey immediately looked up, and fell deathly silent.

“Huh. Cute.”

Both Dawn and Goh’s hearts leaped out of their chests as they froze in place, and slowly craned their heads towards the new voice.

A bellboy, with a Drifloon floating by his side, had noticed the pair in the ballroom as he was heading through the hallways of the main floor of the hotel to do his late-night rounds.

Immediately, Dawn and Goh began to stammer apologies for stepping foot in the unoccupied ballroom that was off limits, “W-We’re sorry! We’ll leave right now-!”

“P-Piplup! Rook!” the pair of Pokémon also felt the need to join in on the deescalation.

The bellboy held up his hands, “Hey, hey. It’s alright, I won’t tell anyone. Y’just can’t be in here, okay?”

“R-Right,” Goh stepped away from Dawn, and gave a deep and sincere bow, “We’ll vacate at once!”

“Jeez… tone it down with that, I’m just a bellboy…” the staff member chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, “Regardless, I wish both of you and your Pokémon a pleasant stay. Come on now, Drifloon. We still gotta bring up some room service at this hour.”

“Drif…” the bellboy’s Pokémon lazily floated alongside him as the two walked down the hallway.

Even with the staff member’s polite and accommodating demeanor, a gigantic tidal wave of embarrassment washed over the entire party.

“Sigh…” Dawn sat down on the bed, a tad disappointed that their dance had been cut short, and seeing as the two Pokémon who had one job failed to perform it, “Well, guess that’s that. It was fun while it lasted, right?”

Goh stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked around the room. It was obvious to Dawn that his mind was running amok.

“Hey, Goh? Are you okay?” the girl asked, sitting up straighter on the bed’s edge.

Goh turned around back to Dawn.

“Well… that didn’t have to be the end of our dance.”

Dawn blinked.

“You want to dance here? Seems a little cramped-”

Goh reached for Dawn’s hand, and pulled the girl from the bed.

“We’ll make it work.”

The girl met Goh once more, holding his hand and his shoulder. She pursed her lips.

“Goh, you’ve become so much more… well…”

His confidence dropped. The boy blinked, stopping before he could even properly begin the dance he intended to guide Dawn on, “More…?”

The Pokémon coordinator was about to giggle before her emotions began to overpower her. Suddenly, she quivered, and looked away from her Goh.

“I’m sorry...”

Goh raised an eyebrow, “Dawn? What’s wrong?”

“I… I’m so selfish for… wishing that you took Matilda’s offer…”

The dance stopped, once more. Goh’s lips parted.

“Wh-What? What do you mean by that?” the boy asked.

“I mean…” Dawn placed her face into Goh’s shoulder, leaving just enough space from her mouth so the words she desperately needed to surface could do so unimpeded, “It’s just that, if you were Matilda’s apprentice, and I was still that girl whose early winning streaks were just flukes, then I’d at least get to see you in the contest world.”

Before Goh could respond, Dawn continued.

“But… that wouldn’t be fair to you, or your goal,” Dawn wiped a tear that began to well up in her eye with her thumb, “Just… forget I said that. I’m happy that you’re here. Right now.”

“So this is what went through Dawn’s mind back in the ballroom…” Goh’s mind recalled, and connected the dots.

He would not let these thoughts fester inside of her without a fight. Goh took a step back, and put both of his hands on Dawn’s shoulders.

He took a hand, and gently nudged Dawn’s cheek to get her to look at him in the eyes when she instinctively turned away to avoid his gaze.

Goh spoke.

“Dawn, you are not selfish. Let me repeat: You are not selfish. This is your dream, your life, and nothing about it, no matter how much time and effort it takes for you to reach the top, no matter how long our time apart might become in the process or how sporadic our time together might be, will undo what we did together that week—the bond we formed, the tears we shed, the fun we had—nor will it prevent our future together.”

The girl’s eyes shimmered as her lips parted, “Goh…”

Closing his eyes briefly, he planted a peck on Dawn’s cheek with his lips.

“I love you. And I know you love me. And... as long as we both know that, as long as we both believe that, there never, ever, ever will be a need to worry."

She couldn’t help but slightly swell her cheeks and smile at Goh using her catchphrase. Goh caught it.

“See? There’s that smile.”

Dawn shut her eyes, and touched her forehead against Goh’s.

“So… am I your most prized catch?”

Goh smirked, “Most prized catch so far.”

“I knew you’d say that~” Dawn snidely grinned back. She was already planning to ask Piplup to wake Goh up by pecking his neck in the morning.