Ash looked worriedly at the hall. " Dawn's been in bed for an awfully long time. Hope she's okay."

Brock nodded. " I hope."

A brown bag dropped on the couch, and Ash and Brock turned.

" Where is she?"

Dawn was covered with the blanket when someone shook her. " Wake up."

Dawn didn't even bother to look. " Why brother?"

" You have to get up at SOME point."

" I just want to die." Dawn muttered as she squished her face onto the blanket.

" Dawn don't you dare speak like that ever, understood?"

Dawn didn't answer.

" Dawn."

" What does it matter? It's not like anyone's gonna miss me if I quit."

" Dawn-"

" You saw me out there, Kenny. I lost. Me and Amipom gave it out all and we still lost. If even our best doesn't let us qualify then it doesn't matter."

" D-"

" Might give up contests while I'm at the beginning."

Kenny grabbed the blanket. " Dawn Hikari don't you dare think about that, you hear me?"

Dawn didn't reply.

" Dawn." Kenny said in a sharpness Dawn hadn't heard for a long time.

Not since.... That day with the play in third grade where she sneezed and the kids laughed at her. She had stayed at home for days, until Kenny came in and snapped her out of her funk.

Dawn turned to face Kenny, who's face was a mix of anger and concern.

Kenny gently sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Dawn. " Sit up."

" Can I have the blanket first?"

Kenny spread the blanket on the two of them, and Dawn sat up. Kenny gently tilted her face so they were looking at one another in the eye.

" Dawn Hikari, you are going to hug me and you are going to cry on my shoulder, and then we are going to go out and train. Do you understand."

Dawn nodded, and Kenny wrapped his arms around her, and Dawn buried her face in Kenny's shoulder and for the first time in a long time, she cried.

I'm her boyfriend's arms.

From the doorway, Ash and Brock watched.

" Now that's a good boyfriend." Brock whispered. " One who knows how to snap their girl out of a funk."

Ash nodded. " Yeah."

Dawn's sobs slowly quieted as Kenny gently stroked her back, his arms a steady comfort around her. The world outside the small room felt distant and irrelevant as they sat there, locked in a moment of raw vulnerability. It wasn’t the first time Kenny had seen her cry, but this time was different. This time, the tears weren’t just from losing a contest—they were from something deeper, a part of herself she hadn’t been able to face until now.

She sniffed and pulled away slightly, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Sorry,” she murmured, her voice soft and a little hoarse from the crying.

Kenny gave her a small smile, his thumb brushing away the last of her tears. “Don’t apologize. It’s okay to feel down sometimes.” He paused, his gaze firm yet kind. “But you’ve got to remember something, Dawn. You’re not alone in this.”

Dawn didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she looked down at her hands, feeling the weight of the defeat still pressing down on her chest. “I just... I feel like I’m stuck. Like no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get any better.”

Kenny’s expression softened, and he took both of her hands in his. “You’ve been training hard, haven’t you? You’ve given it your all, and I’m proud of you for that. But you’ve got to stop being so hard on yourself.”

“I know, but... it’s just so frustrating! It’s like everything I do isn’t enough.” Dawn’s voice wavered again, and she bit her lip to hold back more tears, but they came anyway.

“Hey,” Kenny said gently, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. “Do you remember when we were younger? You told me you wanted to be the best. And I believed you then, and I believe you now. But the road to getting there isn’t always easy. It takes time, and sometimes you’ve got to take a step back to see how far you’ve come.”

Dawn sniffed, her gaze flickering to the floor. “I don’t know if I can do this anymore. Maybe I should just give up on contests.”

Kenny shook his head, his voice firm but kind. “No. You don’t get to quit, Dawn. Not on me, not on yourself. You’ve got this, and I’ll be here to help you every step of the way.”

For a long moment, there was silence between them, the weight of his words sinking in. Dawn closed her eyes, feeling the truth in them, feeling the sincerity in Kenny’s voice. He had always been there for her—through every small victory, every defeat, and every tear. He wasn’t going to let her give up now, not when she still had so much potential.

Finally, she nodded, her eyes meeting his once more. “Okay... I’ll keep going. I’ll train harder. For you, for me... for us.”

Kenny’s smile grew, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. “That’s my girl.”

They stayed like that for a moment, basking in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence, until they both heard the soft click of the door opening behind them.

Ash and Brock stood in the doorway, having witnessed the entire exchange. Ash looked at Brock and whispered, “Wow, I didn’t know Kenny was such a great boyfriend.”

Brock smiled knowingly. “He’s always had a good heart. He knows what Dawn needs—sometimes, you’ve just got to push someone out of a funk.”

Ash nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I think she’s going to be okay.”

From the bed, Dawn looked up, wiping her eyes again and managing a small smile. “You guys can come in now.”

Brock chuckled, stepping forward. “We just wanted to make sure everything was alright. And it looks like you’re doing better now.”

Dawn laughed softly, still a little embarrassed but grateful for their concern. “Yeah, I think I’m going to be okay. Kenny’s right. I can’t just give up because of one setback.”

Ash gave a thumbs-up. “That’s the spirit! And hey, if you need anything, we’ve got your back.”

Dawn felt a warmth spread through her chest at their words. She wasn’t alone. Not in this journey, not in life. She had people who believed in her—people who cared. And that was all she needed to keep going.

With renewed determination, Dawn stood up from the bed and stretched, a new fire in her eyes. “Alright, enough wallowing. Let’s get back to training.”

Kenny smiled, following her lead. “That’s the Dawn I know.”

The four of them walked out of the room together, the bond of friendship and love stronger than ever, ready to face whatever came next.

Dawn wasn’t just going to survive. She was going to thrive.