Chapter 10: A Battle Worth Laughing
(Sinnoh stadium city docking port) (07:03 AM) (The Sinnoh Grand Festival opening)
Ash and the rest of the gang woke up early that morning to meet up with Dawn's mother who will be arriving in a sea-plane in a matter of minutes. The incident that happened last night was immediately categorized as a misunderstanding and was soon forgotten by Ash and Dawn. At first they thought that Nando was going to spill but soon they realized that the man was so indulged with his book that he thought that it was his imagination getting to him.
After that night, the two trainers agreed to keep that matter a secret and never again to be mentioned in the mortal world less they risk further misunderstanding with the rest of the gang. Breakfast was finished without much interruption or anything out of the ordinary and with that they all went and waited at the docking port where Johanna was supposed to arrive on a sea plane.
"Emm hmm… I love the ocean!" Ash moaned relaxingly while he stretched onto the sky. "The breeze is just perfect, don't you agree Pikachu? (Pika pika!)" the little mouse let out a jab in agreement. "Yeah, nothing beats a perfect breeze with mother nature (Pika)"
The rest of the gang were sitting on the benches having a little snack. They were not as energetic as Ash but they had good reasons to keep their energies to themselves. Dawn, Kenny, Nando and Zoey will be having their contest performance in an hour or so and Brock had to prepare himself for anything just in case a strange and unexpected event should occur which seems to usually happens around the boy he travels with.
"Ash sure like the ocean" Zoey noted the boy's moan.
Brock nodded, "Yeah. I guess when you stay in one place for so long, you actually get used to the nature here"
"Being in tuned with nature is also an important part of being human" Nando added as he pulled out his harp. He began strumming a few notes before letting out a soft satisfying sigh. "It's just like playing music. When you hear the sound of the wind breezing through your ears, the ocean clashing against the earth, it feels like Mother Nature is trying to communicate with us"
"Well I don't really know much about Mother Nature" Ash stated, "But nothing beats being outdoors"
"You can say that again" Dawn agreed. But just as they were having their little picnic, a sea plane suddenly flew by, causing the gang to turn their attention to the sky.
"Hey, is that the one?"
Dawn took a closer look and noticed that at the rear most end of the plane was the face that she could recognize anywhere. "Hey look, that's my mom over there!" the plane landed smoothly onto the surface of the water and was later dragged into port by the dock workers. After plane was stable, the passengers slowly exited the plane.
A few minutes later Johanna noticed her daughter waving at her along with her friends. "Mom, over here!" she yelled out joyfully.
By the time they were together, Johanna gave out a motherly hug to her, tightening her grip around her torso. "Dawn, how are you sweetie? It's so good to see you again. How long has it been? It felt like forever since I last pinched your cute cuddily cheeks"
"Mom! I'm not a baby anymore!"
"Tee hee… sorry sweetie" Johanna broke the hug, "I'm just so glad that you're alright" she then turned her attention to the gang who were idly coming by. "And you must be Ash and Brock. It's great to finally meet you in person rather than on the video phone for a change"
"Same here" Ash let out a smile. "Dawn told us all about you"
"It's an honor to meet you too" Brock added followed by a handshake.
"Well the honor is all mine" Johanna replied a little embarrassed, "Dawn told me lots of things about you guys. Oh… and… Kenny? Is that you?"
"Ahehe… hi there" the boy replied blushing, "It's great to see you again, Mrs. B"
"Oh my goodness, it really is you! Oh look how tall you've grown! The last time I saw you, you were only about this yay high. My goodness, children nowadays they grow up real fast. Hold on, I think I have your mother on speed dial" she quickly picked out her cell phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Uh wait, you don't need to do that! My mom's probably busy with all kinds of stuff right now ahehehehe"
It wasn't long then till Dawn introduced the rest of the gang, "Oh and mom, I'd like to introduce to you my friends. This is Zoey, the one I told you about during the Jubilife contest"
"Oh yes I remember" Johanna let out a squeal, "I've seen you in a lot of contests recently. You were wonderful"
"Why thank you" the red returned the greeting gesture. "I've seen your battles too on TV. It's a pleasure to meet you again"
"And over here is Nando, the battle coordinator that we met in Eterna forest"
"The privilege is all mine" the musician bowed town politely before removing his feathered hat, "Your reputation precedes you Mrs. Berlitz (I think that's her last name) I have witnessed many of your performance many times on the field and to see you in person is an honor beyond words"
"Oh my, such a gentleman you are. Thank you" but then Johanna noted the time on her watch, "Oh but instead of standing around here all day, don't you guys have a Grand Festival to catch up to?"
"Right!" Ash nodded, "We would want to miss your big debuts now. Do we?" and with that they quickly headed off towards the grand festival arena where the coordinators were about to put on a big show.
(Che'val-yere hotel)
In a five star hotel deep within the city limit where only the highest and wealthiest tourist ever stay in, Shani and her knights were busy unloading some equipments to prepare for the coming assault on the PRI headquarters. For some reason, they were able to slip into through the city's defenses and disguised themselves as journalists covering for the Grand Festival and the Sinnoh League.
"Lieutenant…" one of the knights in her command entered. Apparently, Shani seemed to have brought with her an all female squad which was well in order since they can all use one room instead of multiple. The price for one night in the hotel was already substantial and their budget wasn't going to cut that's for sure.
"What is it?" the commander of the group immediately closed the curtain just in case someone may be spying on them. They were fortunate enough to get a room in hotel that was near the PRI headquarters. Not only can they easily proceed with their operations, they can also mark the vehicles and people that come in and out of the building.
Shani was no longer dressed in her usual knight armor and cloak. She discarded them and replaced them with a baseball cap, a red T-shirt covered with a blue jacket and a long brown cargo pants. If her superior officers should see her now they could easily mistaken her for a regular teenage girl walking down the streets of the city.
"We've placed the cameras in discreet locations just as you ordered ma'am. We were not trailed"
"Excellent. But as much as I like to finish this mission, I believe we have to pretend who we are a little longer" she gestured to several camera equipment which were stashed on the bed. "We'll have to blend in with the crowd first to avoid suspicion"
"Blend with the crowd?"
"Yes, for the first few days we'll have to pose ourselves as journalists. All other activities are to be postponed until I say so. Understood?"
"Yes ma'am" the knights saluted.
"Any questions?" Shani noted that one of them raised their hands. "Yes, you…"
"But uhh… one question lieutenant: How are we supposed to act like journalists?" a sweat drop seemed to appear from the squad's faces as they too had very little experience in blending in with the normal society. They had spent most of their lives training in swordsmanship and combat rather than social methods. Their fashion alone pretty much stand out from the rest of the world and not to mention the weapons that they carried defined them as fighters, not journalists.
Shani let out a soft cough before posing a confident faces, "Don't worry. I've already studied how to use these equipments. We simply take pictures of trainers and Pokemons and say something about it in papers. One of you will carry the camera, another holds onto the microphones and one of you holds onto this cardboard. (NOTE: These are TV show equipments, not journalist equipments!) Here… is a good example" she quickly switched on the television and turned the channel it to Sinnoh Now, where Rhonda was broadcasting the Grand Festival. "Oh… Rhonda's on!"
The six female knights quickly face faulted on the floor when Shani suddenly turned from a serious commanding officer to a child watching her favorite cartoon on TV.
"Ughh… she's been watching Sinnoh Now again, hasn't she?" one of the knights groaned.
"Yeah… it's the only thing she watches on TV anyway" the other knight sighed, "Man… this mission is going to a lot harder than I thought it would be"
"You can say that again…"
"Come and watch everyone!" Shani ordered to which the group immediately came in to see, "Now observe carefully. We're going to observe how journalism is done here!"
"When it comes to Sinnoh Now, she always takes it too seriously" the squad leader thought to herself before turning towards the television.
(Grand Festival Arena)
"Hello ladies and gentlemen!" Rhonda greeted in front of the cameraman. "Today is the big day of every coordinator out there as the Sinnoh Grand Festival is just about to begin. I'm your host, Rhonda, broadcasting live in front of the Sinnoh stadium where even now, hundreds of trainers from around the world have gathered to battle it all out for the esteemed title of contest champion… and… the beautiful Sinnoh Grand Festival contest trophy, which will be awarded personally by Mr. Goodshow himself to the winner of this week's contest. Hold on to your horses everyone and let the battle begin! We'll be right back after a few words from our sponsors"
"And……… cut" Becker stated before lowering his camera. "That's a wrap Rhonda. We'll head on in and grab our seats at the booth after the opening ceremony ends"
"Right" the brunette reporter let out a sigh. "Well I guess we can call that a good performance! Nicely done Jack, we managed to have one scene where you didn't hithgaccckkk!!" her words came too soon when the chubby microphone holder accidentally slammed it onto her face.
"Huh? You say something Rhonda?"
"N… never mind…" she groaned angrily as she resisted the urge of throwing the nearby boulder at her crew.
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But with all the excitement happening, one particular group seemed to have already made it inside the stadium.
Ash and the gang were already in the waiting room along with a few dozen other trainers from different regions preparing themselves to give it their all when their number comes up. There were still a few hours left before the first row of coordinators went up and thanks to the extended opening ceremony they had plenty of time to prep up.
"Looks like the opening ceremony is about to start" Brock noted as they showed the event on the High Definition flat-screen TV that the company placed in the room for them to watch, "I wonder if Wallace is here too?"
"You guys nervous?" Ash gestured to his coordinator companions. "It won't be long now till you guys will have to go up on stage"
"Don't worry" Zoey smirked, "We'll be ready when the competition starts"
But then Dawn suddenly noted that someone was missing from the group, "Ahey… where'd Kenny go off to? He was with us a minute ago"
"I think he went to the changing room to get ready" Nando answered pointing towards the changing room. "I believe he is quite nervous about the competition as anyone here is"
"Too nervous if you asked me"
"Everyone has to be nervous once in awhile" Brock gestured, "Well… anyway. I think I'll head off to get us some seats before the row is full. See you guys there"
"Sure thing Brock" Ash waved him off. After he was out of sight, the boy turned his face back to the three coordinators awaiting their numbers to be called up. "So… I guess all I can say from this point is good luck and whatever happens, remember to give it your best!"
"Right" the three of them nodded in unison.
"Because you can't do any better than that, right?" Zoey added to which Ash smirked in reply.
"That's right. So don't feel down when you come back, as long as you give it your all!"
"YEAH!"
A few minutes later, Johanna came by only to hear their cheer ring out like a bunch of teenagers off to a party. "My my my. It seems like you're all fired up for the competition"
"Mom!" Dawn gave out a hug, "Are you going to watch me perform?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world sweetie" Johanna smiled, "But shouldn't you be getting ready? I brought all of your clothes here in the Pokemon center a long time ago"
"Yeah, but I couldn't decide on which one to wear. Back during my other contests I only had about four or five sets of clothes to wear, but now I have so many I can't even think which will look good on me"
"Tee hee… well then… since you can't decide, why don't you wear this instead?" to Dawn's surprise, her mother pulled out a heavy plastic bag from her back and handed it to her. "Back when you were in kindergarten you always said that you wanted to be a princess in a castle. So I thought that you might want to try this on. I made it myself"
"Wow! Really!? Thanks mom! I'll definitely wear it!"
"That's good to hear. But I shouldn't be taking anymore of your time. I'll be cheering you from the stands sweetie. Don't overdo it!" and with that she was gone.
"Hehehe… that's mom alright" Dawn let out a soft sigh. "Always ten steps ahead of everything. Hmm, I wonder how I'll look like in this"
"That's great Dawn" Ash nodded along with his Pikachu, "Now you don't have to worry about what to wear. I'm sure it'll look good on you"
"Thanks Ash" but after the opening ceremony finished up, Kenny soon appeared from the changing room. But to the gang's surprise, he was wearing the suit that wore during the Opening Festival contest. "Hey Kenny… what are you…"
"Hehehe… like it?" the chocolate haired coordinator smirked, "Since Ash wasn't using anymore I thought that I shouldn't let it go to waste"
"Ahehehe… yeah" Zoey let out a sweat drop, "But my friend would want his wedding costume back by today if you don't mind ahehehehe. His wedding anniversary is coming up ahehehe"
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In the stands, Brock and Johanna had already taken their seats waiting for the MC to take the stage. As expected of the Grand Festival stadium, there were more than a hundred thousand spectators all viewing not only from the stands but also from the private booths above which were reserved for the high-class citizens only.
"Hmm… I wonder who of the four will be coming out first" Brock motioned as the MC took her position at center stage. "Huh? Hey isn't that…"
"Greetings ladies and gentlemen!" said the girl in very revealing and very sexy cat costume. "And welcome to this year's Sinnoh Grand Festival contest! I'm your host, for today, Kitty!"
"Wow! It's her again!!!" Brock's eyes immediately turned into heart shapes as the lights focused on the MC. "I would so love to be her boyfriend!"
"Ahehehe… I guess this is what Dawn called a girl's man" Johanna thought to herself as she watched the boy glued his eyes onto the MC's face.
"It's wonderful to see some familiar faces today and even more wonderful to see new faces" Kitty let out a squeal, "As you all know by now, coordinators from around the world have gathered for this grand event. I am certain that none of them will be a disappointment to your eyes. And so without further ado: allow me to introduce the judges of this festival. First off we have Mr. Goodshow, the lead sponsor for this event"
"Thank you. I am excited to be here along with all of my friends and comrades" Mr. Goodshow let out his own unique trademark smile.
"And of course we can't forget our one and only, Nurse Joy from Sunnyshore city!"
"It's an honor to be here" the nurse let out a bow.
"And as our special guest for this year's Grand Festival… a trainer who's both skilled in battle and in contest… the one who takes appealing to a whole new level! Let's give a warm welcome to the gym leader from Hearthhome city… Fantina!"
"Thank you thank you! You're all a wonderful audience. Mwah! Mwah! Gracias!" the purple haired trainer let out several air kisses before returning to her seat.
"Thank you Ms. Fantina" Kitty bowed to the audience, "As you all know the trainers that came here today will not only be winning the title of champion, but will also go out with the Grand Festival Ribbon Trophy as a sign of their victory. Coordinators, are you ready? Because it's time to start the contest! Let the battle… BEGIN!"
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But unknown to the rest of the world, was that three suspicious hotdog sellers were in the area as well. It was of course none other than Team Rocket. Since all the tickets to the stands were sold out they thought that getting a job in the area was just as good.
Jesse was gritting her teeth on her clothes angrily since she wasn't able to participate due to her lack of contest ribbons. She only had about three but in which the Grand Festival requiring five or more. "Grr… I can't believe I couldn't get accepted in the Grand Festival! This is just so irritating!"
"Well it can't be helped Jessie" James stated, "Since you didn't get enough ribbons, the judges can't allow you to participate in this event"
"Since when did you started learning politics! GRRRR!!"
"Hey, can I have a soda can over here?" a member of the audience waved his hand up to which Jessie complied violently. "Yeow!!" she literally tossed him a soda can followed by a hotdog sandwich followed by another barrage of drinks.
"GAHHH!!"
"(sigh) Talk about a rampage" James sighed at his companions childish behavior.
"Oh don't worry about it James" Meowth comforted his little blue haired friend, "Jessie's just going through her mid life crisis as an adult. She'll be back to her old self in no time"
"I can't believe I couldn't get into the competition! This is unjust! How dare they argghhhhh!!! %$###$^%$"
But as they took another look at the girl, the two compandres turned to each other and had a different opinion on her. "You know what… I think this is just the way she is"
"Yeah I agree, she hasn't changed at all"
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After the signal was given by the MC, Dawn and the other coordinators quickly changed into their costumes to prepare for the big performance. Nando was still wearing his usual wanderer outfit which pretty much matched his style anyway. Kenny of course was in the white wedding tux.
"Looks like its starting" Ash noted as the curtains opened up. But he was more worried about the girls. He knew that Dawn likes to take her time applying all kinds of makeup on herself, but with the show already starting, he was hoping to see her ready by now. "I wonder what's taking Dawn so long. She should've been ready ten minutes ago"
Kenny let out a chuckle, "Hehe… don't worry Ash. If she came out now, it'll probably be a new record. My mom takes hours just trying to choose what to wear for the prom hehehehe"
"Really?"
"Trust me… I've known Dawn since she was in kindergarten. If she hasn't changed then we're gonna have to wait just a little bit longer" they both let out a laugh together.
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"Hachoo!"
"Are you alright Dawn?" Zoey noted her friend's sudden sneeze.
"Oh it's nothing" she replied, "It must've been the air around here ahehehe" but then she noted that Zoey was wearing something completely different. Usually she would wear her light green tuxedo for one such performance as this, but what she wore now was completely… not Zoey-ish! She was wearing a long thick gray leather hat, a thick brown coat which almost looked like four layers of jacket, a matching colored scarf around her neck and brown leather boots that reached up to her knees. (Imagine a Russian female fashionable winter wear) "Wow Zoey, you look amazing!"
"Really?" the red head twirled around a bit to see if nothing was left unbuttoned or unzipped. "Yeah, I kind of decided to wear something different today. My old suit was getting old real fast"
"But I never imagined I'd actually get to see you wear something like this" Dawn had to resist the urge of saying that it made her look more girlier than usual since it actually did. When she first saw Zoey she kind of thought that she was sort of a tomboy who acted like no one can boss her around. But looking at her now, she actually seemed kind of fragile and approachable. "Ah hey… why don't we put some makeup on you?"
"Oh no thanks, I'd rather keep my face the way it is"
Dawn sulked slightly and sighed, "Oh… I guess it really was too good to be true" she wondered how cute Zoey would look if she actually applied some powder on her face.
After they were done, they immediately exited the changing room, only to notice that several eyes were gesturing on them.
"Hey there guys" Dawn greeted to her friends.
"Oh hey" Kenny mumbled, "It took you long enough Da… D… Daw…" but when he jerked his head around his words quickly frozen inside his throat as he did not know how to change them. Dawn was gorgeous, that much he was willing admit in his head. She was no longer wearing her usual pink or blue dresses. Instead, she was wearing something that everyone would agree that it was made purely for the nobles or royalties.
She was wearing a multi-colored dress that pretty much covered her upper and lower body. Her collar was shaped like a flower tulip and it ended right onto her shoulders, revealing her smooth pale arms. She wore a pair of white gloves which were also sown with flowers and leaf petals. If anyone should look at her now, might actually believe that she really was a princess. The colors and radiance that the dress emitted was so strong that it literally told everyone 'Hey look at me, I'm beautiful, love me…'
Nando also seemed to be at lost for words as he tried to compose a song to define such pure radiance. "Oh… my…"
"Wow Dawn" Ash of course was not really fazed but was still impressed nonetheless, "You look great! Like a real princess!"
"Why thank you Ash" Dawn let out a playful polite bow to them, "You like it?"
"Definitely! Your mom must be a really talented seamstress to make something like this!"
"Yeah, she makes a lot of these during her free time back at home. But I don't remember seeing this in her collection. What do you think Kenny?" they all turned to the boy who was still lost in words. "Kenny?"
"B… b… ba… ba" before he knew it he was already baaahhing like a sheep in the meadow.
"Bah? Kenny is something wrong with you?" the moment Dawn's fingers touched the boy's face, his face suddenly began to boil like a thermometer in a sauna bath. In just a few seconds he began to pop his goosebumps one by one.
"AHH!! Y… y y y … you look alright!" Kenny blurted out before turning his face away.
"Uh… ok I guess" Dawn stated a little confused.
It wasn't long then till Ash noted Zoey in a different attire as well. "And what about you Zoey? Why the change?"
"Oh I thought that I might as well change into something new. I thought that since everyone was changing their look I might as well do the same"
Nando caught this and quickly went to a corner to gloom. "(sob) Everyone's got a new costume but me…"
"Oh but you look great already Nando ahehehe"
"Attention" came a computerized voice, "The appeal round of the Sinnoh Grand Festival is about to begin. Coordinators, please be ready until your name has been called. If you are next, please report to the main entrance immediately. All visitors will have to exit now. You may return during the half time break. That will be all, thank you"
"Well I guess I'd better get out of here as well" Ash motioned off, "I'll be cheering you guys from the stands. Good luck!"
(Time skip) (1 hour later)
As Ash joined the seats with Johanna and Brock, the first row of coordinators soon took to the stage in order to appeal to the judges. Even though this was just the beginning of the contest, Ash couldn't help but remain at awe as more and more coordinators pass on. Their performance even up to now was incredible beyond words. Just when they thought that they've seen it all, the next coordinator hurls in an unimaginable performance which awed just about the whole stadium.
After an hour of performing trainers passed on to the waiting room, Ash broke out a worried sweat since it was already obvious that this competition was more than he could even pull out in a year's worth of training. He was beginning to worry if Dawn and the others were up to their level. And even if they were, they would still have a hard time just getting above the average to make it to the next round.
"What's the matter Ash?" the boy was broke out of his thoughts when Johanna perked in.
"Oh sorry Johanna, I guess you could say that I'm a little nervous for everyone"
"Oh don't a worry wart Ash. I'm pretty sure Dawn and the others will do just fine"
"I know they'll do great… but it's just…"
Johanna couldn't help but smile as she saw the boy's heart filled with the power to worry more about his friends rather than himself. "Ash…… I know my daughter better than anyone here in this stadium. I'm pretty sure she's nervous too. But it doesn't matter if she wins or loses… it's the fact that she managed to come this far, already makes me proud. She learned a lot during these pass few months and it's thanks to you that she's gotten this far"
"Me? Oh no I didn't do anything, really!" the boy was being modest, "I just showed her a few tips and tricks that's all ahehehe"
"Oh don't sell yourself short Ash" Johanna smiled even more, "She told me a lot of things during your travels with her. And of the things she says have you in it"
"R… really?"
"Really… now stop worrying and enjoy the show. You don't exactly get to see these kinds of performance everyday"
"Yeah… I guess you're right"
"A mother always knows best dear tee hee"
After a few more minutes went by Dawn's name was finally shown on the screen. "Hey look" Brock pointed at the screen. "Dawn's coming up next!"
"Alright, finally!" Ash cheered.
"My little angel is finally going on stage in her new dress!" Johanna quickly pulled out a video camera from her bag and began taping the whole show. "Dawn, over here sweetie! Smile for the camera!"
"And now for our next appealer: Hailing all the way from Twinleaf town. It's none other than Dawn Berlitz! Let's give it up for her ladies and gentlemen!" there was a round of applause given by the audience as Dawn finally made her way on stage. Even though it was thick dress she was wearing, Dawn had to admit that it was quite comfy and easy to move in for some reason.
"Alright…" the girl thought to herself as she held her Pokeball tightly onto her chest. "I can do this. This is what I've been training for since the start of my journey. There's no need to worry, it's just another contest. Just give it your all and everything will be just fine. Mom is watching and I can't let her down on this" she closed her eyes and slowly visualized her mother's presence along with her. But just as she slowly pictured her face, another presence seemed to replace it.
That silly cap, that silly smile and those determined eyes. "Huh? What the?" Dawn raised her eyes up in shock. "Wait a minute… I was thinking about mom. But why did Ash appear? Come on now Dawn, focus. Mom's here to give you strength… just think hard…" again she tried to conjure up her mother's hand reaching out to her, but also this time, the hand was replaced by that of Ash. "Huh? No… why is he here? He's not supposed to…" but before she could reject the boy's face, her heart suddenly began to increase its beat, pumping the blood in her veins to go even faster. She clutched her chest tightly as her face began to flush within every second. "Wha… what's happening? I feel like I'm about to explode…"
And just the bell rung to signal the beginning of the round, Dawn's heart raced even faster. "Piplup, it's time! Spotlight!" Dawn did not know what was going on with her, but she couldn't deny that strange feeling any longer. The moment she opened her soul to it, it was like a wave of power surged through body. It was… incredible… something that even words or song could barely even describe.
That expression of course, did not escape Johanna's eyes.
"And so Dawn is starting off with Piplup!" Kitty announced before moving back to give the girl some breathing room.
"Piplup, let's start this off with whirlpool! (Piplup!)" the penguin Pokemon quickly unleash a power whirlpool attack which laid steadily on the center of the stage. "Now use bubble beam on the whirlpool!" the bubbles quickly floated on the surface of the whirlpool and surprisingly, they all began to float around in rhythm of the current. "Alright Piplup, ride on the whirlpool and use bide!"
Just as Piplup rode on the whirlpool, Brock immediately understood what she was planning. "I get it now! Even though Piplup isn't taking any damage, it can use the whirlpool to build up power just the same. This is sure to earn her some great points!"
"Alright Piplup, now let it all out!" the moment Piplup was at the center of the whirlpool with its bide charging up, the light and power it unleashed was so brilliant that it popped every bubble that were flying in the air. After a graceful landing on the floor, both Dawn and Piplup bowed to the judges to signal the end of their performance.
To say the least, the crowd and the judges were at awe. Dawn truly had brought in the big guns and she didn't even once hesitate to use them. By the time they raised their heads up, a big round of applause was heard throughout the entire stadium. The sound of claps and whistles echoed everywhere, making the parade outside sound like a child whining about his spilled ice cream cone. Heck, even the judges stood up from their seats!
With the performance done, Dawn quickly held her Piplup by her arm and bowed back to the audience before heading back to the waiting room. Even in there, her competitors were also giving her a round of applause as well. She had performed so admirably that even her future opponents did not give second thought that she would definitely make it to the next round.
"That was an amazing performance by Dawn everyone! What a wonderful sight. It clearly shows the true talent of a contest" Kitty finished off.
"That was incredible!" Ash finally spoke up after a brief moment of clapping. "I've never seen Dawn do that kind of performance before. I have no doubt that she'll make it to the second round for sure.
Brock couldn't help but agree, "Yeah, she really outdid herself this time. That performance topped everything I've seen so far in this appeal. She's definitely gonna make it to the next round, I'm sure of it. What do you think Johanna?" but to his surprise, the woman was in her chibi face form with comical tears streaming down her eyes like two steams of waterfalls. "Wahh!?"
She let out a sniff, "That was just… so… beautiful. I never Dawn would be this amazing at such a short time" she suddenly pulled out a box of tissue out of nowhere and let out her joy in the essence of a sickly liquid. "I'm so proud, I could eat my heart out!" the two trainers who were with her simply let out a sweat drop go down their heads as they couldn't tell if she was really serious or joking about that last comment.
After the next few performances went out, Ash could say that all of his friends did adequately. They truly did their best and held nothing back just like he told them. It was fun watching everyone doing what they did best, but soon, he noted that it was almost his time to leave the stage. "Uh oh… I guess I got to go now"
"Oh, where are you going Ash?" Johanna asked.
"I'm going to the city's main stadium" he answered smiling. His little yellow companion saw his master stood up so he quickly leaped his way to his shoulder so that he wouldn't fall behind. "The preliminary rounds maybe finished but I still have a long way to go before I become the champ" he clenched his fist up to his face and starred at it like he was looking at the world at the palm of his hand. "My next battle is just an hour from now"
"Oh yeah" Johanna recalled, "Your battle schedule is in conflict with the Grand Festival contest, isn't it? I guess you should hurry before they disqualify you. But it would mean a lot if you told your friends in the waiting room"
"Yeah, I think I'll stop by there before I head off. It's already half time anyway" and with a good luck farewell from Brock and Johanna the boy ran up towards the waiting room to see his companions.
(Waiting room)
"Well, it looks like that's the halftime bell" Kenny noted as he watched the other coordinators settle down after a long day's performance. He had to admit that many of them performed admirably and some even better than his own. "The competition is really going to be tough. A lot of them performed really well today"
"Yeah" Zoey agreed wiping a sweat off her brow. "I really gave it my all in that last one. I don't think I can do better than that"
"I must agree to that as well" Nando added as he came to them. He had with him three cans of sodas which he quietly distributed to the gang. "With all the competition, I think the judges will be having a hard time just picking a handful of us"
"Yeah…" Zoey then turned towards Dawn who was sitting by the mirror grooming herself with a comb. "But I don't think Dawn's worried about that one bit" the three of them broke a chuckle. Just then, Zoey noticed from the corner from her eye that Ash had arrived just as he promised he would. "Ah… hey Ash, over here!" the boy quickly march in to them with a proud face on his torso. "You're here early"
"Yeah, sorry about that" he scratched his hair slightly off his back. "But it looks like I won't be able to see you guys on the second round"
"Your battle is right around the corner, isn't it?"
"Oh you know?"
"Of course" the red head grinned happily putting one hand on her elbow. "Your battles won't be easy, so good luck to ya"
"Hey, don't worry. All I gotta do is give it my all, isn't that right?" after a few more good luck words of wisdom from the rest of the coordinators, Ash suddenly noticed that one of the important members of the gang wasn't there. "Ah hey, where's Dawn? I wanted to congratulate her on her great performance" Zoey opened her mouth, but suddenly stopped when her heart beat began to run up her face. She knew where the girl was, but something deep in her soul was telling her not to tell.
"Hmm, now that you mentioned it, where is she by the way?" Kenny spoke up as he scanned the area. But due to the large amount of trainers passing and walking by, it was hard to pinpoint the girl's exact location.
"I was sure she went to the changing room to prepare for the second round" Nando added. After a slight insecure silence went by, Ash took another look at his Pokemon Ranger armband only to find out that his time was almost up. "Ahh man, is that the time already? If I don't hurry, I'm gonna be late for my battle. Sorry guys, but I got to go now. If you see Dawn, tell her good luck for me. I gotta go, see ya later, bye!" and like an energetic bullet, he fired himself to the exit without a second thought.
"Hehehe… that boy is still like an energetic ball as always" the harpist let out a chuckle. The others agreed wholeheartedly.
And as if right on cue to the boy's disappearance, Dawn appeared with Piplup on her shoulder, her princess gown still flowing by the coming wind. "Hey guys, what's up?"
"Oh hey Dawn" her childhood friend let out a smirk, "Where've ya been? Ash was here just a second ago"
"Huh? Really? Where!?" she turned her head around fumingly trying to find the boy.
"You just missed him. He left for his Pokemon battle just a second ago"
Knowing this, Dawn let out a puff off her cheeks. "Ohhh… he could've at least said good luck to me at least after what I did at the appealing round"
"Don't worry Dawn, I'm sure everyone here thought that your performance was awesome. Besides, we wouldn't want to keep Ash from his dream too"
"Yeah… but……" Dawn suddenly began to feel her heart was slowly being pierced by a rusted knife. In every contests that she's been Ash would always come by to compliment or comment after an appeal or a battle. He would also sometimes although rarely give out advice which were pretty useful at times as well. "He could've at least said something about my performance"
(Pokemon league multi-field arena)
Ash spared no moment to catch his breath to get to the stadium where his next battle was. As expected, the entire arena was jammed packed full of spectators and media crews. Those who were unable to get a seat in the stadium had to make due with the large mega screen at the lobby. As Ash moved up towards the reception desk, he quickly presented his number card so that he would be directed to the battlefield.
"Ah, you must be trainer number 27" the female receptionist noted the thin piece of paper that was placed in front of her. "Congratulation on making it to the quarter-final's first round"
"Huh? Quarter-finals? I thought I was already at the semi-finals"
Seeing that the boy seemed new to the match ups the receptionist decided to explain. "Well, as you can see the entire Pokemon league consist mostly of four segments: The preliminary round which you fought before, the quarter finals which you are about to go in, the semi finals and of course the finals. Both the quarter finals and the semi finals have 2 rounds each. So out of the 32 trainers, the last 2 remaining trainers will then move on to the finals"
"So that means I'll have to fight four more times before I get to the finals?"
"That's correct. If you become the champion, you'll have the right to take on the Elite Four Challenge which by now you already know is to defeat the Elite Fours and the champion Cynthia herself" she let out a giggle, "But let's not move on ahead now. Let's see what battlefield you're located in. Your next match is coming right about…… huh?"
"Is something wrong?" Ash noted the woman's strange expression.
"Well… it looks like your battle will have to be postponed for a few minutes"
"Huh? Why's that?"
"The battlefield you're using was damaged by the last battle so the repair crews are fixing the problem at the moment. Why don't you wait for awhile and I'll call you when they're done"
"Ok… thanks" the boy sunk his face down a little disappointed that he didn't get to battle right away. He was already in the zone and in the mood for a good match, but now it seemed like he has to wait just a little while longer. But just before he could grab a seat he notice from the corner of his eye a familiar face coming out from the battlefield entrance area. "Huh? It's Paul…"
The trainer turned to the voice where his named was mentioned and was a little startled to see Ash, "Oh… it's you. You're here early. I thought you'd still be in that Grand Festival contest watching your friends compete" his voice still retained those hateful essence and disgust.
But Ash had gotten used to the boy's cold features. He knew that it was just how Paul talks but he couldn't understand why he can't change it. "What's wrong with watching a contest?"
The boy shrugged, "Since you're aiming to become a Pokemon master, I think it would be best for you to stick with one thing rather than doing both contest and battles"
"Hey, I don't need you to tell me what I can or can't do! (Pika pika!)" unconsciously, Ash could not believe how he had just reacted then. Back during his adventures he rarely shows a face of anger to an opponent even during the most horrid of times, but here now… he was already ticked off just talking with the boy. "Just you wait Paul, when we meet on the battlefield, I'll show you what it means to be a real Pokemon trainer! (Pika!)"
The two of them starred at each other for awhile fixing their gaze on their faces, remembering every feature there is. Because they knew eventually that when they meet on the battlefield, there was not going to be any room for remorse.
"Tch… whatever" Paul shrugged before moving away. "Just try not to lose before we meet" and at that moment, Ash suddenly felt a strange hidden message behind that last phrase. He listened closely and noticed that behind all that disgust and hatred, was another feeling… like a hidden meaning behind the word.
"Huh? What was that strange feeling just now?" but he decided to shake it off, "Ahh who cares!? I got to focus on the match. You ready Pikachu? (Pika pika!) Alright, then let's do this!" and with a wave of his fist the boy marched right into the battlefield to see his next opponent.
(VIP view room)
In a private VIP room located within the arena, the Elite Four members and the champion Cynthia were relaxing comfortably on their soft chairs while viewing the battles on their personal monitors. Aaron and Lucian were playing a game of Shogi (Japanese chess) not really paying much attention to the screens. Berthat was having a nice cup of green tea viewing one of the battles with some slight interest. But she didn't find the trainers any different than what she had seen already. Some were crude, few were graceful and many were just plain ignorant. She let out a sigh for a few moments before turning back to her other companions.
Flint was sitting comfortably on his bean bag with a drink in his hand. He had already fallen asleep after watching the first three matches and since most of them all had boys, it was obvious that he didn't find them interesting.
Cynthia on the other hand was sitting on one of the more comfortable chairs, reading a magazine she bought from the store today. She had one of her leg above the other and one of her hand holding her head. She seemed very relaxed and calmer for some reason. Bertha noticed this and was quite curious on what she could be reading that could make the strongest Pokemon trainer in the world become so vulnerable.
As she peeked her eye onto the page, she was surprised to see that it was actually a picture of Ash doing one of his 'I got a (item/badge/Pokemon)' pose. There was a small rumor bio area which revealed some of the boy's history and recent victories in contests and unofficial battles, but of all that, Cynthia just seemed to be focusing her attention on the boy's picture. It was like she was somehow drawn to him by his face… his looks… his… aura.
But just before the old trainer could comment on what the champ was looking, one of the butlers came by and whispered something into the blonde's ears. "Really? (whisper) Alright good… I'll be there" she then rose up from her seat and went off towards the exit.
"Oh… Cynthia, where are you going?" Lucian noted.
The girl turned around and smiled at them, "I'm going out for awhile. I'll be back in a few" and without even waiting for a reply, she rushed onto the elevator and closed it.
The sound of the bell was loud enough just to break Flint off his sleep. "Huh? Wha? What did I miss?"
"What was that all about?" Aaron wondered since he never saw Cynthia in such a rush before.
But Bertha simply chuckled, "Oh leave her be… she's only following her own feelings hmm hmm hmm hmm…"
(On the battlefield)
Ash was now standing on the platform overlooking the battlefield which was probably six times larger than the one he used during the preliminaries. He was awed with the large numbers of spectators watching the battle but what surprised him the most was that there was a picture of his face on a cardboard, carried around by a large number of teenage cheerleaders.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the MC who was sitting in a soundproof room above the stadium stated, "Welcome to the Sinnoh League 1st round of the Quarter Finals! (cheer) We have a special treat for you this afternoon everyone. Because right now, the rising star of the Sinnoh region, is in this battle! (cheers) That's right folks! On the blue corner, hailing all the way from Kanto, winner of the Orange League and a celebrity in the eyes of many… it's none other than…… ASH Ketchum!! (CHEEERRRSS!!!!)" the crowd literally went wild like making the entire stadium shake slightly.
"Wow, listen to that Pikachu" Ash let out a wave to everyone, "Whoever thought that we'd actually become famous without noticing (Pika pika)"
"And on the red corner, hailing all the way from Twinleaf town: A trainer whose name appeared many times on the Sinnoh region scoreboard. It's… Lucas!!! (cheer)"
"Huh? Twinleaf town?" Ash recognized the name. "Isn't that the same town where Dawn came from? (Pika…) Oh well… it doesn't matter where they're from. We'll beat them all the way (PIKA!)"
On the other side of the battlefield, the trainer known as Lucas was having some thought on his opponent as well. "So that's the great Ash Ketchum huh?" he muttered to himself, "He's got a lot of experience under his belt. This is going to be fun. But hey, I didn't come here just to quit. Bring it on…" he grinned ear to ear, and excitement plastered all over his face. "Win or lose, it'll be all up to this"
With the two trainers ready and settled the MC continued, "And now we will be having a roulette pick the field of the battle. Let's see which one they'll have. Spin it!" the monitor quickly changed to a number of elements. After awhile, the screen stopped onto the grass. "And the first element is grass! This will give an advantage on grass type everyone! Now let's pick on the secondary element!"
"Huh? Secondary?" Ash muttered questioningly before turning his attention back to the screen. After awhile, the screen stopped onto… water.
"And the second element is water everyone!" the MC announced, "Let's bring up the field!" and without any hesitation, the battlefield began changing into a large grass field with a man-made river at the center.
How the architects were able to make this was beyond what Ash could comprehend, but now was not the time to be surprised. He had two types to choose from so it was now his turn to meet his own expectation. "Well, this is interesting. A battle with two elements… that's new. Alright Pikachu, you ready for this? (Pika Pikachu)" the little yellow mouse quickly jumped off his master's shoulder to give him some arm room.
"We will now begin the match!" the referee stated before waving his flags up. "This is a three on three match with no substitution on time out. The winner will be decided when all three chosen Pokemons on one side are unable to battle!" He then flipped a coin in the air and held it on the back of his palm. "The red corner will first choose his Pokemon. BEGIN!" and with a blow of the whistle, Lucas took out a Pokeball and threw it out.
"I choose you Infernape!" a large fire monkey appeared with a smirk on its face.
"An Infernape huh" Ash grinned, "Well, then, I guess I'll just have to start off with you. Buizel, I choose you!" a small sea weasel appeared with a smirk a little smaller than Infernape's.
"This is exciting folks! Lucas has chosen Infernape and Ash has chosen Buizel! It looks like Ash has the advantage over on this battle, but we'll have to wait and see who wins this one!"
With both trainers ready and able, the referee blew out his whistle once again to start the match. "Infernape, use ember attack GO!" the monkey let out a volley of fireballs onto its target, but Ash wasn't going to get taken down by a cheap shot.
"Buizel let's go! Water gun!" the two attacks collided at the center of the field, engulfing the place with a thin fog of smoke. "Alright! Buizel, aqua jet! (Bui bui!)" Buizel smirked and hastily launched itself towards the monkey, causing serious damage.
"And it looks like Ash Ketchum has given the first direct blow to the opponent!" the MC commentated. "That aqua jet has caused Infernape to slouch back and seems to be stunned at the moment!"
"Whoa!" Lucas said in amazement, "That was some fast attack moves. This guy doesn't leave any room for a breather! I guess we'll have to go all serious too! Infernape, use mega punch!"
"Dodge it Buizel!"
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As the two Pokemons battle it out on the field, Cynthia enters the arena, and watched the battle from the distance not wanting to alarm the crowd with her presence. But just as she entered, Aaron and Lucian followed suit. "There you are" the psychic Pokemon master sighed, "You left so suddenly. I thought it might've been a family emergency"
"Sorry" Cynthia replied with a smile, "I wanted to see this battle with my own eyes rather than behind a screen"
"Is that so? I guess arriving here was coincidental hehehe"
"But you got to admit that Ash got skill" said Aaron, the bug Pokemon master, "He's really got the advantage on both Pokemon types and field"
"Yes, but it's not over yet" Cynthia added, "There's a reason why that trainer chose a fire Pokemon for this field. But the question is… does Ash know about it?"
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Back on the field, Buizel and Infernape had just finished clashing with one another. They were not totally equally matched due to the type advantage, but Ash did not let his guard down one bit. He strengthened up his knees and kept his eyes on the opponent. "Now Buizel, use water gun one more time!"
Lucas saw this and quickly decided to make an opening. "Looks like it's time to put on my moves! Infernape, dodge that water gun and burn the field with flame thrower!" just as the fire monkey dodged the Buizel's attack, it quickly unleash a powerful flamethrower, burning every single strain of grass, engulfing the field in a sea of flames.
"So that was his plan huh?" Ash muttered smirking, "I guess you could say that's a good one. But it won't work on me. Buizel, in to the river now!" Buizel quickly dove into the river to block the fire from damaging its skin.
"Good move" Lucas grinned, "But the water isn't exactly that deep. Infernape, use mega punch on the water now!" with one blow of its fist, the river was suddenly cut in two by the fire monkey, surprising the audience and the MC. "Bet you didn't see that coming" but Lucas's smirk was cut short when he noticed something wasn't right. He burned the field and forced Buizel into the water and exposed it by destroying the water blow. But what came next caught him completely by surprised. Buizel was holding a water pulse ball… and it looked like it was ready to strike.
"Saw it coming…" Ash muttered before issuing the attack, "Now Buizel, use water pulse! (BUIIIIII!!)" with one furious blow of the attack, Infernape was thrown off the ring and crashed right onto the platform where Lucas was standing.
"Oh no… Infernape, are you alright?" but the referee could already tell that the Pokemon was down for the count.
"Infernape is unable to battle, the match goes to Buizel!"
Ash let out a good cheer of joy, "Alright Buizel great job! (Pika pika!) (Bui)" the weasel let out a boasting snuff. "Alright Buizel, return"
"Infernape, return" Lucas sighed before planting a kiss on the Pokeball, "You did great Infernape. (grin) I guess this kid isn't popular without a good reason. Alright then, Staraptor, I choose you!" a giant bird appeared in the air, ready to do battle.
"A flying type huh? I guess this time is as good as any" Ash snickered before pulling out his Pokeball as well, "My turn then… Gliscor, I choose you!"
"Lucas's second Pokemon is a Staraptor and Ash has substituted Buizel for Gliscor!" the MC commented on the situation, "Looks like this battle with be an aerial one. But I doubt any of them will be holding anything back! Ash has already won the first match without taking a single hit, but I believe that Lucas still has a few tricks up his sleeves"
"You got that right" Lucas then quickly folded out scarf and looked up to the sky, "Alright Staraptor, show them how fast you can go! Aerial ace!"
"Gliscor, block it with your claws!" the attack met against Gliscor head on, but thanks to Ash's quick thinking he was able to deflect the attack by just a millimeter. "Alright!"
"That Gliscor's got a tough shell. I'll have to pump this one up. Staraptor, use quick attack followed by steel wing!" the bird Pokemon quickly followed its master's command, but as usual, Ash still had plans for it.
"Gliscor, just stay put and keep on blocking! (Pika pika!) (Gliscor!)"
After the two attacks collided, Lucas began to wonder what was Ash trying to do. A few minutes ago he was on the offensive and now he was going all defense. "Hmm I guess this is the only obvious choice for him. Both our Pokemons can fly, but my Staraptor wins in speed no doubt about it. He must know that too, that's why he's only taking on my hits. But why keep blocking?"
Unable to take the pressure any longer, Lucas decided to end this match with some old fashion brute force, "Alright Staraptor, let's finish this quickly with Brave Bird! You won't miss this one!"
"Brave bird?!" Ash yelped, "This must be his strongest attack. Gliscor, hang in there and block it! Don't let it get through!"
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Back on the stands, Lucian couldn't believe that Ash was going to make a stand. "He's going to take the Brave Bird attack head on? That's a strange way of doing things, don't you think Cynthia?"
"No…" Cynthia grinned knowing well what the boy was planning. "Brave bird is indeed a powerful attack, but it also damages the user as well. That's the opportunity Ash is going to use for a counter attack"
"But still…" Aaron beckoned, "If that Brave bird hit Gliscor, Ash won't have much time to recover before launching another attack. That's the advantage of brave bird, since it uses the whole body as a weapon"
"Yes and Ash knows that very well. Let's just see what he can do"
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And just right when the attack was about to hit, Ash moved in "Alright Gliscor, cover yourself with steel wing! NOW!" and with Gliscor's strong wings, it was able to stop Staraptor in mid air. That move alone surprised everyone, even the Elite Four members themselves.
To say the least, Lucas was surprised, "No way! Even with steel wing, Gliscor should've bounced right off the sky" quickly analyzing that situation, Lucas then noticed that there was something amiss about the bat Pokemon. "Wait a second… could it be that it's…"
"You got that right" Ash yelled from his side of the field, "Now Gliscor, use X-scissor! (GLISCORRRR!!!!)" and with one powerful hit from Gliscor, Staraptor was pounded right on the head and down into the fiery field"
"No way! Staraptor!" but it was too late for the trainer to do anything about it now. By the time Lucas recovered from the shock, his Pokemon was incapacitated by the heat of the field which he burned earlier.
"Staraptor is no longer able to battle! This battle goes to Gliscor and Ash!" the referee declared again waving his flag.
"Alright!" Ash cheered in victory, "You were awesome Gliscor! (Pika Pikachu!) (Gli! Gliscor!)"
"I should've known" Lucas humored "He was using the heat to increase Gliscor's endurance. He's not using much of strategy or tactics but more of techniques. He's using my own powers against myself. (smirk) But this battle is still far from being decided! Staraptor return!"
"Gliscor, return!" Ash returned his Pokemon and gently tucked it back onto his Pokemon Ranger armband. "Good work Gliscor, you did great"
"Both trainers have returned their Pokemons folks!" the MC continued, "This last one will determine the fate of all!"
The two trainers stared at each other for a moment but made no move. Lucas was indeed in trouble ,but the excitement of the battle was just too good for him to frown. He was so tensed up that his muscles seemed to be moving on their own. He slowly pulled out a Pokeball from his pocket and threw it up in the air. "Magmortar, I choose you!"
"Chimchar, I choose you!"
"OHHH and what's this? (gasps) Both trainers have chosen fire Pokemons for the next battle. Ash has chosen Chimchar and Lucas has chosen Magmortar as his final Pokemon for today's match. Only time and skill will tell who will triumph"
As the crowd continue to grow restless of the heating intensity of the match, Lucas gave out a grin, "I've got to hand it to you Ash. You really got some skill. I guess they don't call you a Pokemon ace trainer for nothing around these parts, but I have no intention of backing down without giving it my all!"
"Hey that goes double for me!" Ash smirked out, "I have no intention of losing either so get ready because here I come! Chimchar, use flame wheel attack!"
"Good! Just the way I like it! Magmortar, let's show him some real fire power! Go on and use flame thrower!" the two attacks collided, which resulted in a powerful explosion at the center of the field. The two fire Pokemons clashed again but resulted in nothing more but a battle between strength and power. "Magmortar, use ember attack!"
"Chimchar, use dig!" the ember attack only missed Chimchar by just a few inches when it dug beneath the hot earth.
"Darn… this isn't good" Lucas noted to himself, "Magmortar, be careful! That little guy can attack from anywhere! Don't let your guard down!" the giant fire Pokemon quickly began scanning its surrounding to see where Chimchar might attack, but due to the heat made by the earth, it was unable to tell where it could even come from. Panicked, the fire Pokemon leaped out of the area trying to find a suitable place to defend itself. But unfortunately, all the areas are the same, and obviously the river would only diminish his strength by half. Not being able to take the pressure, Lucas went to desperate measures, "Magmortar, use protect!"
After a few minutes later, Ash let out a smirk, "Now Chimchar!" the monkey reaapeared on the battlefield but was unable to break through Magmortar's defenses that easily. "Hmm… a powerful defensive move. This could be trouble"
"Magmortar, use thunder punch and send that monkey flying!"
"Chimchar, jump and spin around!" again, Ash's renowned spin technique worked like a charm and successfully made Chimchar dodge the attack.
"What the!? No way! Magmortar, use thunder punch one more time!"
"Chimchar, use flame wheel!" just before Magmortar could make a complete 180 degree to turn around, Chimchar had already smacked onto its side, wounding it greatly and sending all across the arena, plowing through the dirt like a shovel.
"Oh no! Magmortar!"
"WHOA!!!" The MC yelled to the top of his lunges, "Incredible! Magmortar just got hit by a powerful physical attack. Can it still stand after such a blow!?" but unfortunately, Magmortar was no longer able to stand. Even after such a battle, it was obvious that the blow would cause serious damage to its body. By the time the smoke cleared the Pokemon was down for the count.
"Magmortar is no longer able to battle!" the referee declared, "The winner of the battle goes to Chimchar. The victory of this match goes to Ash Ketchum!!!" the crowd immediately burst up as if they were ready to storm in and hug the boy to death.
"And there you have it folks! What an incredible match!" the MC shouted in awe, "Ash Ketchum defeated his opponent without even once losing a single Pokemon! I've got to say that it was an amazing match even though it was short. This means that Ash Ketchum will be advancing to the next round of the quarter finals!"
By hearing this, Ash quickly jumped with joy as he returned Chimchar back into his Pokeball. "Alright we did it! Thanks Chimchar you earned a good rest. I'll be sure to have Brock make some extra chow for all of ya" a few minutes after the victory announcement was done, Ash and his opponent met up together at the side of the still burning battlefield and shook hands for a battle well fought.
"Thanks a lot Ash" Lucas showed his gratitude, "That was the greatest match I had all year. You really showed me that I still have a lot to learn before I'm able to match the Sinnoh League"
"Hey, you didn't do too bad yourself" Ash replied, "You didn't hold anything back so that means victory for all of us, right?"
The opponent only smirked before picking out something from his jacket. "Heh… thanks. I hope we meet again soon, because by that time, I'll probably be twice as I am now"
"Hey any time anywhere Lucas. I'll see you around"
"Same here"
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Back on the top of the arena, Lucian and Aaron were both amazed and impressed with the victor's actions. They let out soft claps of their own but it was deafened by the applause given by the crowd. "Well whadayaknow. He actually won the audience already" Aaron smirked with one hand on his waist. "I don't know about you Lucian, but that Ash is really something. He kinda reminds me about Cynthia when she first showed up in this stadium"
"Indeed" the psychic trainer replied, "But we will see soon enough, if he is strong enough to take on us. What do you think of him Cynthia?" a silence pause remained worried the two when the champ didn't reply. They quickly turned their heads around, only to realize that the girl they were calling to had already left, leaving the two of them behind to wonder where she went. "Eh? Where did she go?"
"Hmm… maybe she went back to the lounge?" the bug trainer said unsure.
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By the time the match ended, Ash made his way outside the stadium where the numbers of spectators had greatly dwindled. After his victory was assured, no one thought that the match was worth watching anymore. He savored the moment of triumph in his stomach but couldn't get enough since his next battle wasn't going to happen in a few more days.
That means he's gonna have some time to train before his next match comes up.
But instead of returning to his comrades, the boy decided to treat his Pokemons for a little snack for a job well done. He fed them some Pokeblocks that he bought from the nearby store and treated himself to some candies. All in all, the moment was good. "Haa… this is the life. Nothing like a good well earned snack after a hard battle. I bet the others are probably doing just as good as I am ahehehe (Pi ka) Hehehe. Man two easy wins and already I feel like the next one is gonna be a breeze, right guys?" his team let out a cheer altogether before returning to their meal. "Hehehe, oh well. Don't let me stop you guys from digging in hehehe" he gradually went back to eating, unknown to him however… that one of his friends was in dire situation.
(Sinnoh Grand Festival stadium) (Match: Dawn VS Misaki (OC) )
The crowds in the grand festival were growing stranger by the moment with Dawn's actions. After the match had begun, she had done poorly to say the least. The scoreboard was not in her favor and Pachirisu, the Pokemon that she had chosen for this battle was already badly wounded. She could not tell why… but something deep inside her was missing. Something that she used to have… something that was vital to every battle she went through.
"This is truly an upset everyone!" Kitty announced, "With two minutes on the clock will Dawn be able to make a come back in such a short time!?"
There was silence in the air… Dawn was hallow… her heart bore a sting of pain that she could not remove. She was helpless and not even a miracle would be enough to save her from a total defeat. She looked to the side, her eyes empty as if the battle spirit had been withered away by some dark force of unknown. She could not lift a finger to save her own life and when her opponent commanded another her attack, so too did the strength in her muscles… failed.
"Dawn, wake up!"