"Me?" Kyle pointed to himself. Ash guffawed.
"All right, Dawn vs. Kyle, I guess." Volkner shrugged. Dawn closed her eyes and silently vented. Then, she felt someone's breath tickle the edge of her ear.
"Bet I can finish first." Her eyebrows shot up, she wasn't one to back down from a challenge. She spun around.
"YOU'RE ON!" Ash had already walked off with Whitney.
"Let's go Kyle, hurry up!" Dawn dashed to the first field.
"All right, just cause you're new, I'm not gonna hold back!"
"That's okay Kyle, you don't really need to."
"Just cause you're the new girl, doesn't mean I won't hesitate to wipe you!"
"It's fine, you don't need to."
"Just because you're really cute-"
"You don't need to."
"Hitmonlee, let's show her!" Kyle threw a red and white sphere, which opened and released a fighting-type pokemon that looked like an agitated piece of toast with arms and legs. Dawn reached down to her belt and selected a pink pokeball with a heart design.
"Gardevoir, spotlight!" An elegant humanoid pokemon with smooth green hair wearing a white gown presented itself in a humble bow. Spectators oohed and aahed. Kyle nodded to Hitmonlee, who set off a quick dash, curving towards Gardevoir, who had closed its eyes.
"Hitmonlee, Poison Jab!" Hitmonlee's hands glowed a nauseous purple color (that actually caused someone in the stands to throw up) and lunged towards Gardevoir.
"Gardevoir, Misty Terrain into Moonblast!" Gardevoir glowed and suddenly a calming mist settled over the ground. Then, the Embrace Pokemon turned its head and opened its eyes toward Hitmonlee. In a split second, a small moon appeared over Gardevoir, who then concentrated lunar energy and shot a white flash at Hitmonlee's chest, knocking it back past Kyle. But its power wasn't the only impressive thing, the Moonblast had caused the mist from Misty Terrain to glow an ethereal white. While her classmates were taken aback by the beauty of the combination, Volkner scratched his head.
"Shouldn't she be in AP Coordinating?"
"Hitmonlee, are you okay?" Hitmonlee was barely able to get up, but as soon as it did, a tidal wave of psychic energy came out of nowhere and sunk Hitmonlee into the ground with enough force to make a small crater. Kyle was taken aback.
"What was that?" Dawn smiled kindly.
"Just a little Future Sight." Kyle gritted his teeth. Why did he keep getting these ridiculous opponents, he was just an average trainer with average pokemon and an average name.
"You got lucky with the type advantage, but you'll have a little more trouble against this one! Let's nail your debut, Metagross!" A large, blue-crystalline Pokemon appeared with four legs and a large X on its face, looking like it came out of a Japanese sci-fi film. It proceeded to do some sort of stomping dance its trainer had taught it. Metagross didn't want to do it, but his trainer told him it would be the same as having the Intimidate ability. Kyle looked over to see what effect his Pokemon had on Dawn, but she didn't see any of it because she was too busy rubbing Gardevoir's head.
"Who did a good job, you did!" Dawn lisped in the voice of an overly-doting mother. Gardevoir didn't look amused at all and used telekinesis to make Dawn rub her own head. They both stared at each other for a second before laughing. After finishing the last giggle, Dawn looked up at an impatient Kyle.
"Oh, sorry Kyle, Gardevoir, spotlight!" Gardevoir resumed position and acknowledged her new opponent.
"Metagross, Bullet Punch!" An untrackable Metagross zoomed towards Gardevoir with an outstretched fist. Everyone winced as they saw the punch connect, but then became confused as Metagross went through Gardevoir and caught itself on the ground. Gardevoir was untouched. Volkner raised an eyebrow as Dawn looked completely unfazed.
"Gardevoir, Infinity Shadow Ball." Gardevoir created a sphere of purplish viscous matter and sent it flying at Metagross.
"Metagross, dodge!" Metagross used Bullet Punch and moved out of the way in time, into another Shadow Ball, knocking Metagross out of the air. Kyle looked at Gardevoir in disbelief. The air around it shimmered, which made the whole area around Gardevoir look as if it was vibrating with shadow-energy, then, Shadow Balls fired at a ridiculous rate in all directions.
"Metagross, evasive action!" The well-trained Iron Leg Pokemon used bullet punches from all four of its legs like thrusters on a rocket to avoid the rain of Shadow Balls, but eventually fell prey to the seemingly overwhelming number and power of Gardevoir's attacks. A sizeable crowd had gathered around the one-sided match.
"Who's she?"
"Her Gardevoir hasn't gotten hit at all yet."
"Her moves are so pretty!"
"She's got smooth legs!"
"Shut up Keith."
"I thought AP Coordinating was on the other side of the school."
Dawn smiled at Gardevoir, who rolled its eyes, but telepathically smiled back at Dawn. Kyle was just about done with this class. He reluctantly selected his last Pokeball.
"Let's show them it's not over, Gyarados, move out!" The vicious, aquatic pseudo-dragon Pokemon roared with a fury. In an instant, the boy pulled out a Key Stone and shouted, "Go, Megagyarados!" The Atrocious Pokemon roared and in a brilliant explosion of light, emerged at an even greater size, with massive-fin-like wins and streaks of crimson marking its body. The crowd gasped.
"Dragon Dance into Aqua Tail!" With twice the speed of a normal Gyarados, the pseudo-dragon erupted into a flurry of gray and red lightning, and suddenly swung its tail entrenched in a brilliant blue light at Gardevoir. But again, the attack seemed to pass right through the fairy/psychic Pokemon, who emerged behind Gyarados. Dawn looked on calmly.
"Gardevoir, Infinite Moonblast." This time, the whole field shimmered and the audience couldn't tell exactly what was happening. All of a sudden, a myriad of lunar energy beams speared Gyarados in something like a world-class laser light show. The mist on the ground reflected this light, and the entire stadium was awash in a warm glow. When the light disappeared, all that remained on the field was a devolved Gyarados and a meditating Gardevoir. The stadium was silent at first, then someone whooped loudly and the spectators roared.
"Go, transfer student!"
"Is she a coordinator?"
"Sick Megagyarados, Kyle!
"I want your baby Dawn!"
"Shut up, Keith."
Dawn grinned at the praise and called out to Gardevoir.
"Thanks girl, I owe you one." Gardevoir nodded in consent and returned to her Pokeball by herself. Dawn and Kyle walked across the field and shook hands.
"That was insane, you're almost as insane as Ash."
"Almost?" She fake-grimaced, then smiled. "Damnit. Thanks for the battle though." They nodded to each other and walked off the field.
Dawn turned to the stands to see her clapping classmates and Ash Ketchum...who was turned away from the battle and playing with Pikachu. She walked over and kicked him. Pikachu also participated in the kicking..
"Mrrrph." he grunted.
"What time did you finish? I was really fast!"
"Maybe about five minutes before you did."
"But my battle started seven minutes ago…" She turned to see a crying Whitney in the corner. Ash put his hands up to cry innocence.
"Don't worry, she's a crybaby."
"You made a girl cry!"
"Pika Pika!"
"Pikachu, you're the one who used a fully charged Volt Tackle on a Dunsparce! Overkill!" Pikachu looked up at the sky and scratched its head like it didn't hear anything. Ash turned to Dawn with a grin.
"But I still beat you." Dawn exhaled her frustration then threw her hands up.
"Ahh whatever, I'll kick your ass later."
"Sure thing sandwich thief." Dawn tried to cuff him in the head, but he grabbed her hand instead and held it. As if machines, neither acted as though anything happened.
"We still have time to go watch Gary's battle?" she asked.
"No, he usually doesn't take more than 10 minutes." Sure enough, Gary appeared with his cocky swagger.
"Aww, whatcha guys doing holding hands." Dawn rolled her eyes at Gary being Gary. Ash stood up.
"Now I'm all hungry again, let's get something to eat." Dawn felt him squeeze her hand and she squeezed back, but displayed no notice on her face.
"And then I overwhelmed her Arcanine with a magnificent Hydro Pump…" Gary regaled. Dawn and Ash cracked up at his overly epic retelling of his recent victory. Then someone clamped down on Gary's spiky hair and ruffled it with a ferocity that threatened to leave Gary bald.
"What have I told you about over-exaggerating?"
"Ahh whatever Gramps! Though elderly, the man's eyes flickered with youth. He bowed his head to Ash who nodded in return. Then he looked at Dawn.
"Ah! The new girl. How're you fitting in?" He looked over at Gary. "I guess not very well..." Gary rolled his eyes and Ash stifled laughter.
"Really well, thanks." Samuel Oak smiled and walked on through the throngs of students, obtaining a raspberry parfait for himself. He was partial to raspberries. And razzberries.
"Your grandpa is great," smirked Dawn. Gary groaned in mock agony, but then smiled a true smile.
"Yeah. He's the best." Dawn and Ash's eyes widened.
"Sentimental Gary."
"A sight rarer than any legendary Pokemon." The three were about to break down in laughter when Drew sat down in a somber mood. Gary looked at him quizzically.
"You okay bud?" Gary asked.
"Yeah just...issues." In a state of melancholy, he played with his melon and cauliflower. Gary put his hand on Drew's shoulder and spoke with the utmost sincerity.
"I'm there for you." Almost instantly, Drew broke into a smile too and the group was back to their equilibrium state of laughter.
Professor Oak sat at his oak desk staring out the circular window at the oak forest below.
"Bill Berlitz's daughter, huh…"
