'Ello all~

This is Mimi again, with yet another appealshipping thing. xD (I'm on a roll?) Again, I don't (unfortunately) own any of the characters, but this story idea was mine… although a good portion of the dialogue and stuff is not. ;__;

Please read and review, as always! Danke~

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One Touch to Seal the Deal

Three Contests, one ribbon.

A confident smile lit the face of the young red-headed girl standing commandingly on the cobbled streets of the well-known Jubilife City, hands on her hips as her dark eyes blazed as brightly with confidence as the sun high above. Soon, make that four and two.

The bustling Jubilife City lived well up to its name of 'jubilant life'. Filled everyday with crowds of friendly people inhabiting the tall buildings and traversing the chipped cobblestone roads, one would never be bored coming here or without a sight to catch their eye. Zoey had never been this far away from her comparatively mundane life in Snowpoint City before, but this was most definitely a dazzling enough place to earn her second ribbon. It would bring her another step closer to entering in the Sinnoh Grand Festival and fulfilling her life's dream once and for all: to become a master coordinator. The weather was beautiful this particular day – the sun was beaming down high in a cloudless sky, and a gentle breeze danced about, fluttering through hair and teasing people's clothing as it swooped and twirled gaily. With a mild temperature of a mere sixty – seventy degrees, it would be a perfect condition for the Contest.

Anticipation glittered in the young girl's eyes as she beheld the grand Contest building before her. Grand and imposing, one could easily tell that the marvelous structure had been built just for the purpose of showing off Pokemon. The ivory marble shimmered in the sunlight like a thousand diamonds, the pale screen doors seeming to wordlessly decree 'come in, if you dare.' That ribbon's gonna be mine, she thought privately to herself whilst striding forward, steps self-assured and purposeful. There wasn't any feeling quite like the rush of adrenaline before a Contest, seeing coordinators in their different outfits, getting their Pokemon ready for the appeal round. Long ago, this sight struck nervousness and anxiety into the redhead's heart, but now, with three Contests' experience under her belt, those unnecessary feelings were long gone, replaced by a heightened sense of self-esteem.

At about that moment, a soft and enticing "meowrr~" broke Zoey from her trance and she let her maroon gaze slide down to the cobbled pathway beneath her, spotting a lavender and white colored cat elegantly weaving its way towards her, a contented smile on its muzzle.

"Glameow!" she exclaimed with delight, bending down to allow the feline to nuzzle her cheek affectionately. "Huh, what's this?" Blinking with surprise, Zoey caught sight of the black choker with the pink bow that was dangling from the cat's spiraled tail as it flicked in the air.

"Mrrrowwwrrr~"

"Oh, it's the choker we saw on the dressing room floor. I guess it must be somebody else's – they must have lost it. Let's go see if we can find them." Standing up again, the redhead beckoned to her Pokemon as they made their way into the building. All of a sudden, the sound of voices filled their ears as if they'd been deaf before and suddenly been granted enhanced hearing – such was the contrast between the peaceful outdoors and the hustle of pre-Contest chaos inside.

Weaving and dodging her way through a small crowd of huddled girls, the young coordinator let her eyes scan over the tops of the heads in an attempt to locate someone who would be wearing anything that would match. Definitely not that gothic-dressed person there with the Duskull, or the flamboyantly scarlet-clad woman there with her Gligar. Hmmm… Oh, wait, that girl over there! Dressed in a pink and white dress with bows and the dark navy hair… her outfit looked perfect for a choker of this color. "Glameow, look over – huh?" When the redhead peered down at her side, the lavender cat was nowhere to be seen. Well, where had she gone off to now? Blinking, Zoey began to make her way with some difficulty through the crowd with the thought that Glameow probably had already gone to approach the girl and return the choker. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the docile feline extending her curled tail to the blue-haired girl, offering to return her choker.

"Ah, there you are," Zoey's expression relaxed as she approached her wayward Pokemon, one hand resting on her hip. Her maroon eyes glanced up at the girl in front of her just as she spoke, getting up from her kneeling position on the ground to address Zoey.

"Huh?" she inquired innocently, those dark blue eyes large and pure. "Are you the one who found this?"

A good-natured chuckle escaped Zoey's lips as her Glameow turned and leaped up into her arms with a cheerful meow. "It was on the floor in the dressing room," she replied with a smile, her expression one of gentle fondness as she gazed at her Glameow, who was curled up in her arms and affectionately nuzzling her chin.

"But how did you know it was Dawn's?" another, deeper voice chimed in, and both Zoey and her Glameow turned their attention back to the small group before them. The speaker had been an older boy with spiked brown hair, and standing next to him was a younger-looking male with a red and white cap on his head and a Pikachu on his shoulder. Beside him stood the girl who had been missing her choker – so Dawn was her name, huh? Pretty name… Zoey found herself thinking with a small smile.

"Matching that with the owner was a breeze," she replied with a confident (though not haughty) tone, "she's the only girl in this whole complex who's actually wearing something that would go with it."

"I am? Thank you!" Dawn chirruped brightly, and Zoey couldn't keep a smile from her face even though the girl swiftly turned around to face the person on the screen who was undoubtedly her mother. The two boys turned along with her, and now that she was not needed anymore, Zoey took the opportunity to quickly make her silent exit, the sound of Dawn's voice in her ears as it slowly drew into the distance. "See? I've got the choker now so you don't have to worry about a thing…!"

The Glameow now safely nestled in her arms and quite cozy, Zoey made her way back through the crowd, a calm glimmer in her eyes that betrayed nothing of what she was thinking inside. A small, child-like voice broke through the barrier of her mind, and she glanced down at the small girl who was rushing up to her. "Is that really you, Zoey? The coordinator?"

The redhead blinked a couple times in confusion and shock – was she known already? "Yes, that's me," she replied, a smile making its way onto her face. "How-?"

"I've seen you in all sorts of Contests before, and you even won a ribbon!" the girl chirruped brightly, evidently excited to meet a 'famous' coordinator. "Wow, you're really awesome. The way your Pokemon appeal – I'm a huge fan!"

Despite herself, Zoey felt a blush of embarrassment creep over her pale cheeks. She had only been in three Contests before and had only one ribbon – she already had a fan? Wow… this was flattering. "U-Um… gee, thanks, I-"

"Can I have your autograph!?"

"… Sure, why not?"

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Much later that night, Zoey found herself unable to sleep, which was odd. It wasn't from nervousness – her thoughts weren't crowded with appeals, spotlights, and screaming crowds… she didn't know what was keeping her up, but no matter how she closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep, she simply couldn't. At last the redhead kicked off the covers and shifted to a sitting position on the side of her bed, a pensive frown on her face. The little girl… she had never imagined she'd be well-known already. And the girl from earlier… Dawn, with the choker. Zoey would have never guessed she'd still be on her mind. Dawn was just another coordinator, one that had simply misplaced her choker. No big deal. Under normal circumstances, she would've forgotten about it moments afterward.

So what made this circumstance abnormal?

With a sigh, she eased herself off the bed and slid into the pale red slippers at the foot of her bed before casting her gaze around the room. It was a simple place, clearly not intended to be used for anything other than an overnight housing. Bunk beds were stacked on top of one another, and a small desk was crammed into the corner, completely spotless. There was nothing else – no carpeting, nothing. She'd been lucky to even get one of the rooms with a desk. Not that she used it.

"Meowr?"

The inquisitive sound of her Glameow pulled Zoey once more from her trance as she looked down at the small cat with a smile. "Nah, I'm okay. I just can't sleep – I'll be back soon." Bending down, she gave the feline an affectionate scratch beneath the chin, which earned her a fond purr, and then stepped outside. Unbeknownst to the redhead, several floors away and down, Dawn herself was also out on the balcony, though the other girl's thoughts were of the Contest the next day.

Zoey's, on the other hand…

What is this feeling…? She asked herself as she folded her arms and rested them on the steel railing of the balcony, letting her maroon gaze slide over the glittering buildings of Jubilife City's nightlife before her. The glowing embers reflected in Zoey's dark eyes as she stood there, a gentle neutral expression on her face. Why can't I stop thinking about her… that girl…? A passing breeze floated through her ruffled flame-colored hair, a gentle lonesome howl passing with the wind as it moved on. Just who is she…? Dawn… She had never been so keen to pay attention to any of her opponents ever before… what was it that made this one girl so special…? A frown curved the corners of her mouth, and she sighed. Why did she care? She was just another opponent to defeat in the rounds. An acquaintance, maybe, but that had never stopped Zoey from doing her best and winning before.

Hm… I guess it doesn't really matter.

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Sunlight beamed brilliantly down on the bustling streets of early morning Jubilife City. People scrambled about for last minute tickets to see the Contest, and the atmosphere was as jolly and anticipation-strung as it could get. The roar of crowds inside the stadium was uncanny with people cheering and rooting for their favorite coordinators. Spotlights flashed down dramatically on the darkened center stage, illuminating the slender figure of the curly-haired announcer.

"Greetings, and a warm welcome to coordinators and Contest fans of all ages!" she called out to the madly-cheering crowd. Raising an arm, she extended it to the side dramatically as she continued, "We've all come together for a very special reason, and that's to find out who will take home the coveted and fabulous Jubilife Contest ribbon!" As the cheering of the crowd increased even more, she smiled and continued as more spotlights began beaming down on the semi-circular stage, illuminating the entire arena. "Now I know you've all been waiting patiently, and now's your time to be rewarded!" At this time, the entire dome had been completely illuminated as the large circle-shaped sunroof was slid open, revealing the cloudless sky and the bright sunlight. "We are coming at you live and on stage from the stadium located in Jubilife City, the city of joy!" The roar of the crowd was deafening as twin spouts of flame shot up from the corners of the stage, completing the awe-inspiring introduction.

Backstage, Zoey stood from her chair in front of the dressing room counter, giving herself a glance in the mirror to check her appearance before smiling satisfactorily. This would be the first time she wore this outfit, and she had to admit, it didn't look half bad on her. As a rule, Zoey much preferred suits over the fancy dresses that most female coordinators were partial to. It made her look more professional… more sophisticated, and in all honesty, she couldn't imagine herself in a dress. As it was, this new outfit didn't look as bad as she thought it would.

Her attire somewhat resembled a ship captain's uniform - the top of her suit was a collared shirt made of the purest silk, mostly white except for a couple sprigs of what seemed to be like yellow plants on the front. The long sleeves ended in cuffs with black and golden rings that resembled those of a sailor's outfit. Whereas the suit ended in a cut off in the front, it extended in the back to form a tail that wrapped around her legs and fanned out behind her. Beneath that, she wore pale aquamarine-colored pants with vertical thin stripes and white dress shoes to complete the look. Her normally slightly-ruffled red hair was smoothed out and done in the perfect combination of messiness and organization. She looked truly stunning and professional, perfect for this competition.

As she clipped the pokeballs to her belt and began packing the rest of the accessories she'd brought along with her, Zoey caught the sound of someone else in the dressing room along with her. Glameow's pokeball in her hand, she turned and saw no one other than Dawn seated in a chair near the other side of the room, head bowed as she attempted furiously to fix her hair. A sympathetic smile curved the redhead's lips as she made her way over – she was going first on stage, but it wouldn't hurt to help out someone a little bit more. Especially since this girl had been occupying her mind since yesterday.

"Ohh, I'm supposed to be all ready to go, and I can't even get my hair right… nuts." As Zoey drew closer to the younger girl, she heard her muttering to herself dejectedly, trying in vain to get her ponytail in place. A smile on her face, Zoey stopped behind her.

"Let me help," she offered, and Dawn brightened considerably as Zoey began to brush out her hair once more and bind it together, letting her fingers slide through it. She didn't respond as Dawn thanked her gratefully and sat back, allowing the redhead to fiddle with her hair. Zoey never would've guessed it'd be this silky from just seeing it, and Zoey couldn't resist letting her hand trail uselessly through the navy-colored locks a couple times while she was tying it together, hoping Dawn wouldn't decode the small smile on her face as something other than just friendship.

"I didn't introduce myself the other day after you helped me out," the blue-haired girl said with a cheery smile as Zoey continued to work with her hair, "my name's Dawn."

"I'm Zoey," the redhead responded, the smile never leaving her face as she once more let her fingers trail through Dawn's hair pointlessly before giving the elastic band a wrap around the ponytail and tugging it tighter. Eager to keep up conversation to distract her mind from potential reasons as to why this Dawn would be anything other than a friend to her, Zoey added quickly, "so, is this your first Contest?"

"How'd you know?"

Zoey chuckled slightly and grinned, peering at the girl over her shoulder, "you've got that first-time vibe."

"Oh, lovely…" Dawn said with a sigh as Zoey went back to working on her hair. "So, have you been in Contests before, Zoey?"

Something about the way she said her name made Zoey's heart flutter slightly, although she ignored it for the time being as her smile was replaced with a confident half-smirk. "Sure have."

Dawn glanced at the girl behind her with an impressed glimmer in her eyes. "Wow, have you won any ribbons yet?"

Zoey smiled, and her tone was a little haughty as she spoke once more. "Three Contests, one ribbon." Biting her bottom lip slightly, she picked up the clip and fastened it skillfully into the younger girl's hair.

"Awesome!" Dawn's voice was almost awe-like as she gasped, "Can I see it?"

"Sure," Zoey replied good-naturedly, holding onto the half-finished ponytail with one hand as she dug her Ribbon Case from her pocket with the other. "Here." The case was slightly scratched up from some bad encounters with woodland travel, but otherwise it was pristine and shimmered golden.

Dawn clicked it open and Zoey beamed privately at the awed gasp that escaped from the girl's lips. "Oh, it's just adorable," she said with longing in her voice, staring at the pink and white-striped ribbon nestled in the center of the padded case.

Choosing to say nothing to that, Zoey stepped back and smiled, letting her hands fall to her side despite the urge to reach up and give the girl's silky hair one last touch. "All set Dawn, what d'you think?" It was amazing how she managed to keep her voice confident and steady despite the strange acceleration of her heart in the presence of this young girl. Dawn stood, admiring the way Zoey had done her hair in the mirror with a smile.

Clutching the golden Ribbon Case to her chest with both hands, Dawn gasped with delight. "Wow, it's great!" she turned to face Zoey with a grateful glimmer in her eyes. "Thank you!" Dawn handed Zoey back her case, which the red head smoothly accepted. She flinched for just a moment as their skin brushed just slightly, and she hoped Dawn hadn't seen the falter. It seemed the younger girl had missed it though, as she clenched her fists together in front of her, eagerness in her eyes and a determined smile on her face. "Now, it's my turn to win."

Zoey smiled slightly, her calm maroon gaze contrasting with the flame that lit Dawn's expression as she locked eyes with the younger coordinator. "Yeah," she countered skillfully, her tone betraying neither support nor doubt.

"Yup, I'm sure of it!" Dawn continued confidently, and Zoey smiled, impressed and amused by the other girl's enthusiasm.

"Well then, I'll see you in the finals," she replied, a gentle laugh escaping her lips, "Haha, break a leg~" With that, she turned on her heels and headed out the door, hearing the cheering of the crowds that signaled she was going on stage soon. Tucking the case in her pocket once more, Zoey (with some difficulty) pushed the thoughts of the younger girl from her mind as she rested a hand on the pokeball at her waist. This was her chance to shine.

As Zoey strode down the hallways toward the entrance to the backstage, she smiled slightly as the sound of the announcer's voice echoed through the walls. She talked about the three judges that always were present for judging at every Contest, and about the ribbon. Zoey had seen the Jubilife Ribbon only once before, and she knew she had to win it. Pristine with blue and white striped design – it would be hers before day's end, she was sure.

"Now, it's time for the first round, where one by one our Pokemon take their positions on the performance stage!" the announcer's voice got louder as Zoey approached the backstage door, ready to get this show started. "The purpose of this round is to see how our coordinators make their Pokemon shine, showing off power and beauty~" Clicking open the door, Zoey silently stepped onto the stage, hidden behind the floor-scraping curtain as she awaited her signal. It wouldn't be long now. A hand clipped her Pokemon's ball from her waist as she stood, the seconds ticking down.

"And now, for our first contestant – Zoey!"

That was her cue. As the curtain parted swiftly and the announcer stepped aside to continue her report from the sidelines of the stage, Zoey stepped forward, head raised high as she drew her arm back and tossed the pokeball high into the air. "Misdreavus, curtain!"

As the pokeball opened, the seal on the front caused a large cloud of smoke to appear as the ghost pokemon danced within its hidden shade, only the outline of its small form visible against the lavender-colored gas. Perfect for a ghost type to appear mysterious and daunting. "Now, Double Team!" In a wonderful maneuver, the pokemon split into five separate identical parts, and then whirled together in a distorted fashion to become one once more, beauty and ambiguity heightened by its performance behind the sheet of smoke.

"That smoky silhouette really shows the mischievous element of Misdreavus!" the announcer called out with admiration as the crowd emitted gasps of amazement and wonder.

"Confuse Ray!" In a practiced skill of grace and ghostly mysteriousness, a violet ball focused in the center of the smoke before firing out similarly colored rays, dispersing the cloud completely in a beautiful spiral as four separate Misdreavus clones from the Double Team soared out over the audience, surrounded by a glowing orb from the Confuse Ray, streams of the purple cloud drifting from them as they floated out over people's heads and then vanished completely. In the center of the stage hovered the true Misdreavus, the amulet in the center of its body glowing with the power of the Confuse Ray as the smoke entirely wisped away.

"Use Shock Wave!"

The ghost Pokemon was illuminated by the bright golden ball that formed around it as powerful electric sonic booms fired in rapid succession throughout the stadium, to the awe of the audience. The ground practically shook with the force of the shock wave as it blasted outward. When the attack finished at last, the electric shock waves dispersed into glittering shimmers of static that drifted over the heads of the viewers like tiny diamonds. Immediately the crowd erupted into a frenzied cheer as Zoey raised one arm dramatically, the other down at her side as Misdreavus elegantly came to a landing on the tips of her fingers. A triumphant grin parted the redhead's lips. A perfect performance.

"It's like Misdreavus and Zoey are joined at the hip!" the announcer exclaimed in wonder, "electrifying!" Zoey smiled and did a small bow before turning and exiting the stage, the crowd still cheering out there as the judges gave their opinions.

Returning Misdreavus to its pokeball, Zoey smiled, "Great job Misdreavus." Starting down the hallway to the main lobby to watch the rest of the performance, she clipped the pokeball back onto her hip, satisfied with her own show. No doubt she'd make it into the second round with that.

Slipping through the crowd of people in the lobby to get a better view of the television screen, Zoey caught sight of the familiar faces up ahead. There stood Dawn and her two friends, and at the sight of her, Zoey couldn't help but wonder what the younger girl had thought of her performance. She was well aware that she had been Dawn's first show in this competition, and despite herself, Zoey found herself hoping Misdreavus' act had been awe-inspiring enough for the first-time coordinator. A smile rested on her lips as she tilted her head to watch the rest of the appeal round, noting each coordinator and his or her Pokemon. There was an impressive variety of Pokemon this year, from the Rapidash, to the Beautifly, a Scyther, a Buizel, and a Bidoof. There was some peculiar lady with a Carnivine. At that show, Zoey raised an eyebrow. Pokemon weren't supposed to attack their trainers… but then, maybe it was just part of the performance. Eh, to each their own, I guess.

The coordinator after that, Zoey recognized, and her expression brightened. It was Dawn's friend, the boy with the pokemon baseball hat. She watched his performance closely with his Aipom and their powerful combination of attacks. Not bad… not bad at all. The way he combined his Double Team and Focus Punch was interesting – if she ended up going against him in the competition round, she'd have to think of something good. He looked like he had some experience doing this.

She turned to see the call-man peering through the crowd at Dawn and her other friend standing up ahead. "Ready Dawn, you're up next!" Zoey returned her gaze to the girl as she spoke with the older boy standing beside her and the Pikachu that was with him. A smile curved Zoey's lips as she crossed her arms. She couldn't wait to see how Dawn performed. As Dawn ran past her to get to the backstage hallway door, Zoey turned to her.
"Good luck," she said smoothly, a calm but quietly encouraging smile lingering on her face. The blue-haired girl stopped abruptly and turned to face her new friend with a pleasantly surprised expression.

"Huh? … Thanks Zoey!"

Arms folded as she intently fixed her maroon eyes on the screen, Zoey's expression molded into a watchful frown as she watched Dawn step out on stage after the greeting from the announcer. She bit her lips slightly as she watched Dawn's surprised expression. She looked nervous… too nervous for her own good. Come on Dawn… she silently urged, you can do it. Don't think about the crowd. She wasn't quite sure what made her like this girl so much, but Zoey knew she didn't want to see this new coordinator fail the appeal round. Memories of her sheer confidence from moments before flashed through her mind – Dawn needed that confidence now, in the face of all those people.

And then Dawn's expression transformed into a self-assured smirk, and Zoey relaxed a bit, nodding to herself and watching closely as Dawn brought out her Pokemon: a Piplup. An impressed glimmer widened her eyes as Zoey watched the younger girl's performance – it was very good for a first-time coordinator. The use of Bubblebeam intertwined with the bubbles that emerged from the Piplup's pokeball for a perfectly timed whirlpool of bubbles, and then it used a formidable-looking Peck attack to pop the bubbles with nearly unseeable speed. It was clear that Dawn had every right to be confident – she'd been training.

Zoey watched as the girl walked off stage and then moments later emerged from the doorway to the halls, heading over to her friends and conversing with them for a few moments before sinking to the ground with a sigh. Zoey's eyes widened and she made her way over, seeing that Dawn was still a little jittery from the episode – it was understandable. This was her first Contest, after all. Standing beside Dawn, she offered a hand to the girl, a smile on her face.

"I guess I'm just relieved it's finally over…" Zoey heard Dawn say with a nervous laugh to the two boys who stood before her. When she approached, Dawn looked up, her mouth fashioned into a cutely surprised 'o' shape. "Huh? Hi Zoey," she greeted, blinking up at the redhead. As she accepted the hand, Zoey couldn't help but keep a small blush from rushing through her cheeks at the contact. However, she managed to keep her voice and actions steady as ever as she hefted the girl up with a light huff of exertion.

"It's too soon to be relieved, isn't it?" she asked with a small smile.

"Huh?"

Raising her head slightly, Zoey allowed a small smirk to grace her lips. "We still gotta meet in the finals, right?"

Raising one hand to shyly tuck beneath her chin, Dawn giggled slightly, a blush spreading across her cheeks which surprised Zoey slightly, although she said nothing. "Hehe, oh yeah you're right."

Zoey ignored the inquiring tones from the two boys behind them who were clearly oblivious to the conversation that she'd had with Dawn earlier in the dressing room. As she kept her level gaze locked on Dawn's dark azure eyes, Zoey couldn't help but smile slightly, managing with great difficulty to keep the blush from her face. Where was all this emotion coming from? Why did she have this urge to just be near Dawn whenever she could be? The two girls shared a second of wordless acknowledgement before the announcer's voice over the TV jolted them both from their reveries.

"And now it's time for the judges' results!" she called out over the microphone, and Zoey turned her attention back to the screen, lifting one hand to rest on her hip casually as Dawn turned as well, clearly hoping to have made it to the next round. "So here are the coordinators who will be moving on down the line to the next round!" With a dramatic lift of her microphone, the announcer gestured to the panel above her that would indicate the eight people who would be moving on…

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FIN