Kenny sighed as he walked out of the room in his contest outfit. " Well, this is nice, is it not, princess."

Dawn, who was cooking, turned to Kenny with a reluctant sigh. She looked down at her pink contest dress and back at Kenny.

" Why do we need to wear these?" She asked.

" Because we can't risk anyone seeing us." Kenny replied cheerfully.

Dawn sighed. " But can't we wear those old people clothes?"

Kenny blinked. " Oh yeah. Good point."

" This. Looks. Hideous." Dawn groaned as she rocked on the front porch of their wooden cabin deep in the forest, trying to knit.

Kenny, who was wearing old man clothes and knitting, grinned back at Dawn as he rocked some more. " It's fun!"

" Maybe to you. You don't have to wear a wig."

" Uh, hello? Of course I put a wig on! How else was i supposed to get my hair all white?"

Dawn sighed. " Good point."

" Piplup!"

Kenny looked at Piplup and burst out laughing, almost falling out of his chair. " What did you do to it?" He asked though laughs.

" Hey!" Dawn exclaimed. " If we needed to disguise i decided why not disguise all the Pokemon!"

Kenny stopped laughing. " Even Empilion?!"

Dawn nodded. " Yes.... Why?"

Kenny jumped out of his chair. " Oh no."

Kenny darted back into the cabin, his knitting project abandoned on the rocking chair. "Dawn, please tell me you didn’t—" His voice trailed off as he flung open the door to the makeshift “disguise workshop.”

Standing in the middle of the room was Empoleon, his proud and regal partner Pokémon. Only now, it looked like a feathered disaster. Dawn had attempted to cover it in a patchy knitted sweater, complete with fake glasses perched awkwardly on its beak and a floppy sun hat that kept sliding off its sleek head.

Empoleon let out a low, indignant growl, flapping its fins in protest.

Kenny gawked. "You made Empoleon wear that?! Dawn, you’ve officially lost it!"

Dawn, still seated on the porch, called back nonchalantly. "Disguises are key to survival, Kenny. If we get caught, it's your fault for not wanting to stay in the city."

Kenny turned to Empoleon. "Buddy, I am so sorry for what she’s put you through." He carefully removed the sun hat, but Empoleon only looked more annoyed.

Just then, Piplup waddled in, still rocking its tiny pair of overalls and a straw hat, looking like a farmer from a picture book. “Pip-pip!” it chirped proudly, spinning in place to show off.

Kenny stifled another laugh. “Okay, Piplup looks adorable, I’ll give you that.”

Dawn poked her head into the cabin, her knitting needles still in hand. "See? Piplup’s embracing the mission. Empoleon will adjust."

Kenny crossed his arms. "This is Empoleon we’re talking about. He doesn’t adjust. He either dominates or glares at you until you cave."

Empoleon’s piercing glare seemed to confirm Kenny’s point.

Dawn huffed. “Fine, fine. I’ll fix it.” She walked over, tugging the sweater off Empoleon, who immediately puffed out its chest in relief. "Happy now?" she muttered.

Kenny smirked. "Ecstatic. But I’m still blaming you when someone asks why we’re hiding out in the woods dressed like grandparents."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Better that than getting recognized and dragged into another contest fiasco."

Kenny flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh. "You’re just mad because they made us do the synchronized dance round."

Dawn glared. "Don’t remind me."

Before Kenny could tease her further, there was a sudden knock on the cabin door. Both of them froze.

“Who could that be?” Dawn whispered.

Kenny shrugged. “We’re in the middle of nowhere! Maybe it’s a wild Pokémon?”

The knock came again, louder this time. Then a voice called out, “Hello? Is anyone in there?”

Dawn and Kenny exchanged wide-eyed looks. Without thinking, they both grabbed their wigs and slapped them on, pulling their "old people disguises" back into place.

Dawn smoothed her gray curls. "Get the door, Grandpa Kenny."

Kenny grumbled but shuffled to the door, opening it just a crack. Standing outside was a delivery man holding a package. “Uh, delivery for a... Mr. and Mrs. Grandwood?”

Dawn and Kenny blinked. They had definitely not used that name.

“Thank you, young man,” Kenny said in the most exaggerated old-man voice he could muster, taking the package. “You have a blessed day now.”

The delivery man looked skeptical but left without further questions. As soon as he was gone, Kenny slammed the door and ripped off his wig.

“What kind of name is Grandwood?” he asked, glaring at Dawn.

Dawn shrugged. “It sounded old-timey and convincing!”

Kenny sighed, plopping back into his chair. “This ‘hiding out’ thing is going to be the death of me.”

From across the room, Empoleon let out a loud squawk, as if in agreement.

Kenny groaned, rubbing his temples as he sank back into the chair. “Okay, first of all, Empilion doesn't like to be dressed up. Second—oh no.” His voice trailed off, his eyes darting to the calendar tacked on the wall.

“What?” Dawn asked, folding her arms.

Kenny hesitated, then pointed to the date circled in red. “Uh, Dawn… you have a dentist appointment today.”

Dawn’s face instantly paled. She took a slow step back, clutching the edge of the table. “Oh… no, no. That’s fine. I don’t need to go. My teeth are perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

Kenny raised an eyebrow. “Dawn, last time you said that, your tooth cracked while you were eating a Poké Puff.”

“That was a fluke!” Dawn shot back, trying to sound convincing.

Kenny crossed his arms. “You’re going. End of discussion.”

Dawn scoffed. “Excuse me? I’m not a child! You can’t just tell me what to do.”

Kenny smirked. “Oh, really? Should I remind you of the time you refused to go to the doctor, and we had to drag you there kicking and screaming?”

Dawn flushed. “That was different. I had a cold. A dentist appointment is… unnecessary!”

From the corner, Kenny’s Empoleon let out a low, disapproving growl, clearly siding with Kenny. Dawn’s Piplup waddled over and mimicked the sound, crossing its tiny arms.

“Et tu, Piplup?” Dawn muttered.

Kenny clapped his hands together. “Right, then. No more excuses. Let’s go.”

Dawn planted herself in the chair. “I’m not moving.”

Kenny sighed dramatically. “Fine. I didn’t want to have to do this.” He walked over to his Empoleon and whispered something. The Pokémon nodded, then gave Dawn a playful but firm nudge with its massive fin.

“Kenny!” Dawn yelped, scrambling to her feet. “You’re using Empoleon to bully me?”

“Whatever gets you out the door,” Kenny replied with a grin.

Dawn glared at him, her cheeks puffed with indignation. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Kenny grabbed the keys and gestured for her to follow. “C’mon, princess. The dentist is waiting.”

Dawn groaned, dragging her feet toward the door. “I swear, Kenny, if they even mention drilling, I’m running out of there.”

“Noted,” Kenny replied, holding the door open for her. “But let’s try to avoid making a scene this time, okay?”

As they walked out, Empoleon followed, looking smug. Dawn glanced at it and muttered under her breath, “Traitor.”

Kenny, overhearing, laughed. “Hey, don’t blame Empoleon. He’s just trying to keep you honest.”

Dawn sighed. “I hate dentists.”

“And dentists hate people who avoid their appointments,” Kenny quipped.

She glared at him. “You’re impossible.”

“And yet, you’d be lost without me,” Kenny shot back with a wink.

As they climbed into the car, Dawn slumped in her seat, already dreading what was to come. Kenny, meanwhile, couldn’t hide his grin. He knew she’d hate every second of it, but hey—at least it would make for a funny story later.

Dawn sat stiffly in the waiting room, clutching Kenny’s arm with the strength of a Machamp. Her knuckles were white, her eyes darting to every corner of the room as though a drill might jump out at her at any moment. 

“It’s going to be fine, Dawn,” Kenny said, trying to pry her fingers off his arm so he could fill out the paperwork. “You’ve done this before.” 

“Barely survived last time,” she muttered, her voice trembling. 

Kenny chuckled softly and glanced at the clipboard. “Name: Dawn Berlitz. Age: Eternal child when it comes to dentists—” 

“Kenny!” Dawn hissed, swatting his side without releasing her grip. 

“Alright, alright,” Kenny teased, scribbling down her information. “But seriously, you’re going to be fine. It’s just a cleaning.” 

"Just a cleaning?” Dawn whispered, leaning closer. “Do you know what they do in there? The tools? The… scraping?” Her voice wavered dramatically, earning a curious glance from a kid across the room. 

Kenny sighed and turned to face her, his tone softening. “Dawn, listen. It’s not going to be that bad. And if it is, you can hold my hand the whole time, okay?” 

She blinked up at him, her lip quivering. “You mean it?” 

“Of course.” He smiled warmly. “I’ll even tell them to give you extra fluoride so you can sparkle like a star on stage.” 

Dawn sniffled, half laughing despite herself. “You’re such a dork.” 

“And yet, you keep me around.” He patted her hand reassuringly. 

The receptionist called out, “Miss Berlitz? The dentist will see you now.” 

Dawn froze like a Deerling caught in headlights. “I-I can’t. Tell them I’m sick. Or out of town. Or dead—” 

“Dawn,” Kenny interrupted gently, standing up and pulling her to her feet. “You’ve got this. I’ll be right there with you.” 

She clung to his arm like her life depended on it as they walked to the exam room. “You promise you won’t leave me?” 

“Promise,” Kenny said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Now, deep breaths, okay? You’re going to do great.” 

Dawn took a shaky breath as the dentist greeted her with a cheerful smile. She didn’t feel great, but with Kenny’s calming presence by her side, maybe—just maybe—she could survive this after all. 

The appointment was, in a word, chaotic.

It started with Dawn refusing to sit in the chair.

“No way. Nope. Absolutely not,” she said, crossing her arms and glaring at the dentist’s chair like it was a battlefield.

“Dawn, come on,” Kenny coaxed, standing behind her. “It’s just a chair. It’s not going to eat you.”

“You don’t know that,” Dawn hissed.

The dental hygienist gave a patient smile. “Miss Berlitz, it’ll only take a moment to get you comfortable. Why don’t you take a seat, and we’ll explain everything?”

Dawn gave her a side-eye. “Explain it from here.”

“Dawn.” Kenny leaned closer and whispered, “You’re making this harder on yourself. Sit down, and I’ll hold your hand the whole time, okay?”

She huffed but finally sat, her hands gripping the armrests like she was bracing for impact.

The hygienist started adjusting the chair, and that’s when Dawn yelped, “IT’S MOVING!” and clutched Kenny’s hand so tightly he winced.

“Dawn, it’s supposed to move,” he said through gritted teeth. “Relax, will you?”

But relaxation was not on the menu. When the dentist brought out the little mirror to check her teeth, Dawn instinctively leaned back so far she almost toppled the chair. Kenny had to steady her.

“It’s okay, Miss Berlitz,” the dentist said with practiced calm. “Just a quick look, and then we’ll clean your teeth.”

“Quick?” Dawn narrowed her eyes. “Define ‘quick.’”

“About fifteen minutes,” the dentist replied.

“Fifteen minutes?!” she shrieked. “That’s an eternity!”

Kenny sighed and crouched beside her. “Dawn, you’re being dramatic.”

She glared at him. “Kenny, you’re not the one about to be attacked by sharp instruments!”

The hygienist stifled a laugh as Kenny rubbed his temples. “Alright, Dawn, let’s make a deal. If you get through this without flipping out, I’ll buy you a giant chocolate parfait after.”

Dawn blinked. “...With extra whipped cream?”

“Extra whipped cream,” Kenny confirmed.

She exhaled sharply, leaning back into the chair. “Fine. But if they stab me, you’re paying for a lifetime supply of parfaits.”

The dentist chuckled softly and began working. But the calm didn’t last.

“WHAT IS THAT?!” Dawn screeched as the suction tube went into her mouth.

“It’s just to remove excess water,” the hygienist explained, clearly used to such reactions.

Dawn wasn’t convinced. She thrashed slightly, and Kenny had to grab her shoulders. “Dawn! Stop! You’re going to swallow it!”

Somehow, the hygienist and dentist managed to navigate Dawn’s flailing, shrieking, and constant commentary about how “this is what torture must feel like.” Kenny spent most of the time holding her hand and murmuring reassurances that she clearly didn’t believe.

When the cleaning was finally over, Dawn sat up and declared, “I have survived the worst experience of my life.”

The dentist handed her a little bag with a new toothbrush and toothpaste. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”

Dawn glared. “That’s debatable.”

As they left, Kenny shook his head, chuckling. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“Yeah, well, you’re lucky I didn’t bolt,” Dawn muttered.

“True,” Kenny agreed. “But hey, now you get your parfait.”

Her mood instantly brightened. “With extra whipped cream?”

“Of course,” Kenny said, grinning.

Dawn sighed, leaning on his arm as they walked out. “You’re the only reason I got through that.”

Kenny smirked. “Don’t you forget it, princess.”