Okay. This is interesting. I suppose that this could be considered 'book two'. I imagine that some people would have liked to play matchmaker for a while, but in my honest opinion, I couldn't really see that happening. Plus, it seems unnecessarily cruel to me.

On the upside, I'm sure that everyone knows that there is no such thing as paradise, that every relationship is like a rollercoaster. It goes up, it goes down, and sometimes it gets so corkscrewy you can't remember the difference.

Dawn hummed happily as she watched the countryside roll by out the window. It had been two days since she had told Ash that she loved him, and had learned that he felt the same about her, though he hadn't known it until then. And now, she couldn't be happier.

You know, it doesn't really surprise me that Ash didn't know he was in love. He always was kind of dense when it came to romance. It was kind of cute. she thought.

A humming sound drew her attention. She glanced up and giggled quietly. Ash was leaning against the door of the jeep, snoring quietly. His hat was scrunched up a little, and his face was stuck to the seatbelt. She smiled as she snuggled closer to him, leaning her head against his shoulder. She glanced down, hoping that she hadn't disturbed the two occupants of their laps.

Pikachu was curled up on Ash's, the Trainer's hand resting on his partner's head, the Mouse Pokemon's pointed ears pushed down at odd angles. His lightning bolt tail was tucked in front of his body, his breathing soft and even. Piplup, her own partner, sat against her stomach, her hand curled protectively around his body. His blue head had fallen forward as he slumbered, his short beak just brushing against her index finger. The short cape of feathers that projected from the back of the Penguin Pokemon's neck was bent down between their bodies.

Dawn smiled as she watched the pair of Pokemon sleep. They were just like their Trainers. A boring car ride was a sure sedative. She yawned as she felt her own eyelids grow heavy, and she snuggled closer to Ash.

A sudden bump in the road jerked them into the air, slamming them back down into the seat. Both Pokemon toppled from their resting places with a startled cry. Needless to say, all four were wide awake.

Dawn groaned as she rubbed the side of her face, suddenly wondering why every girlfriend, including herself, preferred a hard shoulder as a pillow. Ash grunted as he pushed himself up, hoping that the intrusion into his sleep was worth it.

Professor Juniper smiled back at the quadrio in apology. "Sorry about that, didn't see the hole in the road."

Next to her, Max chuckled as Kirlia rubbed her eyes. "Hey, at least you're a better driver than Professor Birch. It still amazes me how he managed to get a driver's license, and why it hasn't been revoked yet."

Dawn stared at the pair in the front. "She apologized, which means I'm not dreaming about driving with Cynthia again."

Ash grinned down at the body leaning against his. "And how often does this dream include us being in this position?"

Dawn smiled up at him as Piplup scrambled back into her lap, Pikachu easily making the jump into Ash's. "It hasn't, but I think it will now."

Professor Juniper glanced up in the rearview mirror and smiled at the pair. "Easy you two." She noticed the jeep behind them signaling to pull over and frowned.

The pair of jeeps slid off the road, and all doors opened. Pikachu and Piplup jumped out of the lead vehicle first, stretching after the long ride. Ash and Dawn slid out after them, hands held loosely. Max slid out of the front passenger door, Kirlia elegantly landing in front of him. Professor Juniper walked around the front of the vehicle.

A few feet away from them, Cilan and Iris stepped out of the back seat of the second jeep, joined by Professor Juniper's pair of field assistants, Greg and Charlie, as they slid out of the front.

Cilan smiled. "I was taking a look around, and I was thinking that this was a perfect spot for lunch."

Ash and Dawn grinned at each other. "Cilan does make great food." Ash commented. He glanced up at the vast blue sky. "And it is great outside."

Dawn winked. "Of course, we can't just hog it to ourselves." She pulled her Pokeballs from the belt beneath the edge of her tank-top as Ash removed his own from his belt.

A few minutes later, the group was arranged in a circle, surrounded by everyone's Pokemon. Dawn hugged her knees and sighed contentedly. "I have to agree with Ash. I don't know who makes better food, you or Brock, Cilan."

Cilan bowed his head smoothly. "Thank you, Dawn, and thank you for teaching me how to make Poffins. I will have to show my brothers the next time I see them." He glanced at his bag of ingredients thoughtfully. "If Brock is as good a cook as you say, then I wonder what sort of meal we could make together?"

Ash laid back with a moan. "Oh, man, if that happens I am going to die. But at least I'll die full."

Dawn giggled as she laid down next to him, her head nestling on his shoulder. "I think you'd explode before that'd ever happen, but I would happily die with you."

Cilan grinned at the pair. "If you two aren't so full, I do have a question for Dawn. I would love to have an opportunity to evaluate you and your Pokemon."

Dawn sat up, her head tilted thoughtfully. "I don't know. I mean, your battle with Max was impressive."

Max smiled. "And you have a lot more experience than I do, so it's sure to be even better."

Dawn nodded. "But," she looked at Ash, who looked up at her curiously. "it's been a long time since you and I had a battle, and I really enjoyed our last serious one. If I remember, it was in the Hearthome Doubles Tournament. You were paired up with Paul, and I was with Conway." She shivered slightly, and Ash sat up and hugged her. "That was over a year ago. We've only had practice battles since."

Iris jumped up. "Oh, come on! I'm the only one who hasn't had an opportunity to battle a Pokemon from another region." Ash gave her a frank look, and she glared at him. "Pikachu doesn't count. We've had practice battles a bunch of times, and we've been traveling together."

Ash continued his frank look, then turned to Dawn. "She does have a point. Iris hasn't had a chance to battle either you or Max."

Professor Juniper smiled at the group. "Then your solution is obvious."

All the trainers looked at her. Cilan suddenly smiled. "Ah, of course. Iris and I both want to battle Dawn, and Dawn wants to both Ash and I. It truly is simple."

Ash, Dawn and Iris looked at the Connoisseur blankly. Max rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys. All four of you battle together, Ash and Dawn on one side, Cilan and Iris on the other."

Ash and Dawn looked at each other, and Ash grinned. "As I remember, we haven't been on the same side of a battle since we went against Lyra and Khoury, at the end of the Johto Festival. Why not? It'll be fun."

Dawn grinned back at him, her eyes reflecting the same battling passion rising in his. "It has been awhile, and I had a lot of fun that battle. You and me, no one can beat us." She turned and smiled in anticipation at Cilan and Iris, who were both suddenly struck by the matching personalities of the lovers. "Let's go."

Cilan bowed as Iris smiled determinedly. "If you don't mind, I would like this to be a real battle. I understand that Coordinators have a unique way of introducing their Pokemon." Cilan smiled. "Perhaps you both could do it?"

Dawn smiled and grabbed her backpack. "I'm pretty sure that I brought some seals and a couple extra ball capsules with me." She looked at Ash. "What Pokemon are you going to use."

A mixed look of thoughtfulness and seriousness crossed his face. "Hmm. Each of us is using one Pokemon, right?" Cilan and Iris nodded. Ash grinned. "I have an idea, but I'll make it a surprise."

Dawn smiled at him as he drew his Pokemon into a huddle. She knew that he was explaining what a seal would do, and how they were to behave with the result. The group gathered their Pokemon into their Pokeballs. Cilan looked with interest as Ash whispered something into Dawn's ear, and she slyly passed him a ball capsule and seal. He tried to catch a glimpse of the seal that she passed him, but the item was too small to see.

Max stepped up as the two teams took up positions on either side of the small field. "I got this, guys. Double Battle, here we go. Each side will be using two Pokemon, one per Trainer, with no substitutions. The match is over when both Pokemon on one side are unable to battle. Ready?" He glanced at the four Trainers, and smiled. "Battle begin!"

Cilan pulled a Pokeball from his waist. "I think a strong flavour from the start will be suitable for this battle. Crustle, my friend, it's your turn!" Tossing the Pokeball into air, he smiled as the sphere cracked in half, spilling white light from it's interior. The light quickly arced down to the ground, forming a large square shape. The light faded into a small cloud of sparkles, revealing the massive block of stone built of multiple layers. At the base of the stone was a small chamber, with four holes on either side. From the holes curved eight legs, covered in a sturdy red shell. Gazing out from within the chamber itself was a red crab-like Pokemon, its large eyes taking in its opponents with a grim expression. Stretching out from the Pokemon's body were a pair of stocky arms, tipped with large, black claws. The thin legs bent and pushed down, lifting the massive stone shell with deceptive strength. Stretching out his claws, the powerful Stone Home Pokemon loosed a challenging cry. "Cruuuuuuustle!"

Dawn swallowed slightly as she took in the intimidating sight. "Wow. He looks tough. I don't know if the Pokemon I picked can handle him." Ash grinned as he touched her arm in reassurance. "Crustle is strong, but I know a lot about him. Watch out when he uses Shell Smash. Cilan always uses it to strengthen Crustle before launching a powerful attack, but it leaves Crustle vulnerable to counterattack." Dawn nodded, her confidence and assurance once again rising to the surface.

Iris grinned as she pulled her own Pokeball out. "Let's make this a double power team. Excadrill, lets go!" Throwing her Pokeball forward, the sphere flashed open. The billowing light gathered on the ground, forming an oblong drill shape. The light faded, revealing a long brown Pokemon, various red splotches scattered around its body. Its head was covered by a grey cone. Evenly spaced around the cone were three sets of jagged points, sticking backwards like blades. At the opposite end of the Pokemon, a pair of small feet were clasped together. A growl issued from the Pokemon, and the cap suddenly split into three, forming a head and pair of thickset arms. The Pokemon pushed itself onto its wide set feet. The Pokemon's head was hunched over, the sharply pointed hood equally long as its face, which was dominated by a pale white snout. A pair of white eyes glared down the snout. Each arm ended in a shovel like appendage, which suddenly split into three razor sharp claws. Readying his claws in a battle stance, the fearsome Subterrene Pokemon growled his own battle cry. "Exxxxcadriiiiiiiiiill!"

Dawn gulped again. "Okay. They are really going all out on me, aren't they?" Ash grinned as he readied his Pokeball. "Hey, no need to worry, right? Excadrill's tough, and he moves faster than you would think. We'll be fine, right?" He winked at Dawn, who smiled back. "Yeah, no need to worry. We've got this in the bag." She turned to the other two Trainers. "You ready for this?"

Cilan smiled as he bowed to the pair. "I am eager to see whom you will bring to the battle." Iris sighed with impatience. "Come on already, lets get this going!"

Ash and Dawn smiled at each other as they raised their respective Pokeballs. "Lets show them what a real team can do! Oshawott, I choose you!" "Heads up you two! Togekiss, Curtain!" Both capsule bound Pokeballs, each adorned with a single seal, rose into the air and split open.

A stream of blue bubbles flowed from inside Ash's Pokeball, gathering into a floating sphere. A iridescent blue sword suddenly shot from the cloud, slashing through the bubbles with no impediment to its wide sweep. As the bubbles popped and burst into a shower of sparkling water, the grinning occupant was revealed. A short, stocky blue body supported a large white head. Tiny triangular ears marked the head, along with dark, confident eyes. Short, white arms grew from the body, and clasped in one paw was a creamy yellow seashell, forming the hilt of the glowing sword. Slim feet projected from the fur covered body, and a flat, wide tail hung down from behind the Pokemon. The glowing sword suddenly shrank down into the shell, which the Pokemon stuck to its flat stomach. Grinning broadly, Oshawott opened his mouth, revealing a pair of short fangs. "Oshawott!"

A cloud of glittering stars exploded from Dawn's Pokeball, lighting up the battlefield. A faintly visible white light formed an egg-shaped Pokemon, who suddenly spread its broad wings. The unidentified Pokemon slowly rotated around, stars trailing from its wings. The light faded, revealing the white feathered body, small red and blue triangles speckling the smooth stomach. Two delicate feet were held close against the body. A crest of three feathers swept back from the pointed head, one red, one white, and one blue. A pair of intelligent black eyes shimmered with happiness and kindness. Togekiss smiled happily as she spun through the sky, leaving a glittering trail of stars behind her. "Togeeeeeeeeeekiss!"

Oshawott easily landed on his feet, assuming a long practiced battle stance, keeping one paw held close to his stomach in preparedness of battle. Togekiss swooped down, elegantly landing beside him and bowing, sweeping one broad wing beneath her.

Iris stared in amazement. "Whoa. That...that...that was amazing! And all Coordinators do that?"

Dawn winked at her. "During a contest, yeah. Pokemon Contests are all about showing off your Pokemon, and Coordinators don't waste any time."

Cilan smiled happily as he gazed at Togekiss. "Amazing. Togekiss and Oshawott, combining confident power and graceful elegance. An entrance that demonstrated the best of their obvious traits, a beautiful dancer of the sky, and a powerful warrior of the water." He sighed. "Dawn, I think I now have a desire to become a Contest Connoisseur, if all Contests appear like this."

Ash grinned. "Careful, Cilan. We wouldn't want you to burn yourself out. Seeing two Coordinators perform is a whole nother kind of awesome, and Dawn is one of the best!"

Dawn could feel her cheeks burning at his compliment, and she knew that he meant it.

Iris clenched her fists. "Alright, enough is enough. Lets get this battle going. I'm going to love this. You can go first."

Dawn smiled at her partner. "So, what are we up against?" Ash grinned. "Crustle is a rock/bug type, and Excadrill is a ground/steel type. I'll take Crustle, since I know you have a surprise for Iris." Dawn nodded. "Right. That looks like a good match-up. Togekiss, up in the air and use Air Slash on Excadrill!" With a single stroke of her strong wings, Togekiss sped into the air. Her wings glowed brightly, and she spun around, sending a barrage of spinning blades of air zipping down towards her target.

Ash grinned. "Heads up, Cilan. Oshawott, Water Gun on Crustle!" Taking a deep breath, Oshawott concentrated on the build-up of water in his throat and shot it out of his mouth in a pressurized stream.

Cilan thrust out his hand. "Crustle, Protect!" Crustle pulled his legs inside his shell and covered main entrance with his claws. A gleaming green shield of energy covered the surface of the shell, and the water sprayed harmlessly against it.

Iris smiled. "Excadrill, you can easily take this." Excadrill crossed his claws in front of his face, a slight grin on his face. The spinning blades of air shattered against his steel claws, leaving barely a scratch.

Cilan nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should concentrate on Oshawott, Iris. He does have a type advantage over both of us."

Iris nodded. "Right, Togekiss might be a lot more agile than us, but it doesn't look like she can do much to us. Excadrill, use Metal Claw on Oshawott!"

Cilan smiled. "Crustle, use your own X-Scissor!"

Crouching low, Excadrill glared at the much smaller Sea Otter Pokemon, his claws glowing with a shiny silver gleam. Lunging forward, he took a long swipe at Oshawott. His eyes widening, Oshawott ducked under the attack, staggering out of Excadrill's reach. Crustle crossed his claws, and a blue glow surrounded them. Rapidly uncrossing them, the X-shaped energy shot towards Oshawott, who barely had time to pull his scalchop from his stomach. The attack crashed into the tiny shield, then broke and dispersed.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Oshawott's good, but he can't handle two on one." Dawn winked at him. "It's not two on one, remember? Like you said, Togekiss and I have a little surprise for Excadrill." Ash grinned. "Right. Oshawott, use Razor Shell on Crustle!"

Cilan frowned. "Hmm. I don't like this. They're up to something."

Iris shrugged. "They're kids, of course they're up to something. Excadrill, don't let Oshawott near Crustle! Metal Claw again!" Excadrill rushed after Oshawott, determined to catch the pint-sized Pokemon.

Dawn smiled. "Togekiss, intercept. Swoop down and use Aura Sphere!" Wheeling in the sky, Togekiss did two quick spins, then folded her wings and dove to the ground. Sweeping her wings out wide, she pulled up and barely missed Oshawott's head, skimming the ground. She opened her mouth, and a glowing blue sphere formed in front of it. The Jubilee Pokemon swept her wings forward, braking hard in midair, shot the sphere at Excadrill, then pumped her wings down and spiraled into the air. The Aura Sphere crashed into Excadrills chest, instantly slamming the surprised Subterrene Pokemon into reverse, and exploded, causing the bulky Pokemon to carve a short trench through the ground.

Oshawott held his scalchop out to the side, and a blue sword of energy sprang from it. Jumping into the air, the Sea Otter Pokemon somersaulted through the air and brought the sword down on the top of Crustle's shell. The impact of the strong attack vibrated through the shell, rattling Crustle in his chamber. Flipping around, Oshawott planted his feet on the flat top of the shell, and wrenched his sword from the narrow notch he had split.

Cilan stared in amazement. "That was unexpected. Aura Sphere is a powerful and rare fighting type attack, making it super effective against Excadrill's steel type. It also can't miss, which means Togekiss is much more dangerous than we thought."

Iris gritted her teeth. "Excadrill! Come on, you can get up!" Grunting in irritation, Excadrill pushed himself out of his self-made trench and glared up at the sky. Iris growled. "If she thinks she can push my Pokemon around like that, she is sorely mistaken, cuz we've got a strong fighting move of our own. Excadrill, Focus Blast!" A bright blue orb formed in Excadrill's claws, and he swung it skyward, where Togekiss flew simple figure-eights.

Dawn giggled. "Girl's got a temper, doesn't she. Togekiss, dodge it!" Sweeping around in a spiraling loop, Togekiss easily swept around the incoming attack, stretching her wings wide.

Cilan frowned again. "Togekiss has an odd way of moving. She almost exaggerates every movement, throwing extra spirals into her flight. It's almost like she's in a beauty pageant, instead of a battle."

Iris growled. "She's taunting us, just like a little kid. We need to take her down."

Cilan shook his head. "No. Togekiss may have an attack that is effective against Excadrill, but Oshawott is the bigger threat, and we both know how skilled a battler Ash is. Don't worry about Crustle, just target Oshawott."

Iris gritted her teeth. "Fine. Excadrill, use Drill Run on Oshawott."

Ash grinned. "Look's like it's our turn. Focus on Excadrill, but watch out for Crustle's Rock Wrecker. Cilan may try to knock Togekiss out of the sky while she attacks. Oshawott, use Aqua Jet!"

Excadrill lunged forward, throwing himself into a high speed spin as he clamped his claws around his hood, once again forming the drill shape that he had first appeared in. Propelled by his powerful legs, the Subterrene Pokemon shot towards Oshawott and Crustle.

Oshawott smiled in anticipation as a sphere of water enveloped him, and he rocketed towards Excadrill, keeping his eyes focused on the spinning tip of the Subterrene Pokemon.

Dawn watched the pair blast towards each other, and her eyes widened as an idea struck her. She turned and whispered something into Ash's ear, who grinned. "Oshawott, go into a corkscrew!" Oshawott glanced at his trainer for a moment, then shrugged and twisted his body, breaking out of the straight line and spiraling around. Excadrill blindly shot forward.

Iris's eyes widened. "What! Excadrill, no, stop!" Excadrill shifted one claw, and his eyes widened in surprise as he entered the tunnel of water formed by the corkscrewing Oshawott. His eyes widened further as he realized what lay at the end of the tunnel.

Dawn grinned. "Togekiss, charge it!" Togekiss rose in a wide loop in the sky, white light surrounding her body.

Cilan gritted his teeth as he watched the Jubilee Pokemon rise into the sky. "I recognize that attack, but I have no choice. Crustle, use Protect!" Once again, Crustle retreated inside his shell and covered it in an impenetrable field of energy. Excadrill, driven by his own momentum and the rush of air drawn into the tunnel of water, frantically waved his arms and managed to turn himself slightly, crashing shoulder first into Crustle's shell. Groaning, he collapsed in front of Crustle, blocking the Stone Home Pokemon's view.

Dawn grinned as Oshawott flipped out of his stream of water, landing on his feet. "Now's our chance. Togekiss, Sky Attack!" Ash's expression matched hers. "Oshawott, Water Gun!"

The glowing light surrounding Togekiss's body flashed brightly, and she spiraled around the top of her loop before dropping into a steep dive. Oshawott took a deep breath and fired a strong stream of water at Excadrill and the still shielded Crustle.

Iris growled. "Excadrill, get out of there! Use Dig!" Shaking his head, Excadrill pushed himself up, then clamped himself into his drill shaped and powered into the ground, raising a large cloud of dust. Oshawott's Water Gun blew a hole in the cloud, splashing harmlessly against Crustle's Protect shield. As the stream weakened and dispersed, the shield flickered and disappeared. Togekiss loosed a happy cry and smashed into the side of Crustle's shell, the powerful impact driving the Stone Home Pokemon several feet before the Jubilee Pokemon pushed away and beat into the air.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Almost. Excadrill normally live underground, and he can always retreat there if he needs to." Dawn frowned as she considered the problem. "Iris seems like a pretty aggressive person." Ash nodded. "Aggressive but level-headed. She doesn't bait easily. She and Excadrill are pretty similar."

Dawn thought for a moment. "I think I have an idea. No need to worry. Togekiss! Make a pass by Oshawott!" With swift beats of her wings, the Jubilee Pokemon flipped around and streaked toward her battle partner.

Ash grasped her idea in a moment. "That's always when I worry the most, but I gotcha. Oshawott, Aqua Jet, straight into the sky!" Oshawott glanced across the ground, nervously wondering where the bulky Excadrill was, then surrounded himself with water and shot into the sky. Togekiss, understanding Dawn's intention, drove her wings earthward and followed.

Excadrill burst out of the ground, angrily swiping his claws in Oshawott's direction, then rushed over to stand by Crustle, who patiently watched the sky.

Oshawott broke out of his stream of water, free-falling through the air for a moment. Togekiss spun around, a soft grunt emanating from her throat as she felt the Sea Otter Pokemon land on her back, wincing as his small paws grasped at her feathers. Spreading her wings wide, she took a long curve through the air, Oshawott's brow furrowed in concentration.

Iris gritted her teeth in frustration. "There's no way that Excadrill or Crustle can get up there."

Cilan nodded, his face somewhat grim. "And both Oshawott and Togekiss have good ranged attacks, which means they can stay up there as long as they like."

Quilava was idly watching the match when a faint scent on the breeze caught in his nose. Sniffing intently, he frowned. He vaguely recognized the smell, but it had been a long time since then. Sniffing again, he glanced at the battle, then jumped down from his friend's back and made is way to where Pikachu, Piplup, and Buneary were standing. Pausing, he sniffed the air again, then nudged Piplup's shoulder.

"Qui, quilavava quilava lava." (Hey, I smell something strange.)

Both Piplup and Pikachu turned and looked at the Volcano Pokemon. "Piplup pip pip luplup pip." (Are you sure, or is it just some ash stuck in your nose.) Piplup commented.

Quilava rolled his eyes. "Quilava lava quiqui quilava." (Shake the water out of your ears, bubblehead.)

Pikachu stepped between them, drawing Buneary and Axew's attention. "Pika, pikachu pikapika chu pika. Pikachu pipi pikachu chupi kachu?" (Come on guys, enough already. What is it Quilava?)

Quilava sniffed the air again. "Lavava quilava." (I'm not sure. )

Piplup gave him a strange look. "Piplup pippip luppip lup?" (How can you not know what it is?)

Quilava glanced at the battle. "Va quilava qui lavalava quilava, quilava vava. Quila ilava qui?" (It's not like anything else I've smelled before. You guys wanna check it out?)

Pikachu and Piplup glanced at each other, then back at the battle. "Pika pikachu. Pichu chuka pikapichu pikachu." (Why not. It might be awhile before they're done.)

Buneary instantly tackled him. "Bun bun!" (I'm coming too!)

Pikachu gasped for breath as he tried to push her off his back. "Pika, pikachu." (Alright, fine.)

Axew cautiously approached the small group. "Axew ew?" (Can I come?)

Piplup looked at the Tusk Pokemon, and shook his head. "Pip, pipluppip. Piplup piplup pip luplup piplup piplup." (No, you stay here. If they finish before we get back, you tell them where we went, okay?)

Axew nodded. "Ax." (Okay.)

Quilava gave the battle one last glance, then turned around. "Quilavalava quila." (Follow me guys.)

Mamoswine glanced down as the foursome passed by. "Mamo?" (Where're you going?)

Quilava smiled up at his large friend. "Quilava lava quilava." (Just checking something out.)

The Twin Tusk Pokemon looked at him for a moment, then turned his attention back to the battle. Quilava smiled, and the group continued on.

Snivy watched the small group out of the corner of her eye, then quietly slipped away.

Dawn grinned at her new boyfriend. "Well, shall we engage?" Ash grinned back at her. "What do you think?" Dawn smiled as she turned her face skyward. "Togekiss, go into a steep dive!" Ash clenched his fist. "Oshawott, hang on and get ready!" Oshawott tightened his grip as Togekiss flipped herself upside down, then folded her wings and bulleted for the ground. Oshawott's eyes watered slightly from the speed, but long practice with Aqua Jet had left him easily prepared to deal with it, maintaining perfect vision of Excadrill and Crustle.

Iris smiled. "Well, looks like they want to take the fight to us. Just like a pair of kids. Excadrill, Focus Blast!" Holding his claws close together, Excadrill concentrated and formed a large blue orb between them. Drawing back one large paw, he swung forward and hurled the powerful attack into the sky.

Togekiss extended her wings only slightly, just enough to regain control of her dive, and shifted to the side. The Focus Blast passed inches away from her belly, and neither flyer nor rider batted an eye.

Cilan frowned. "Hmm. Perhaps we should add some spice to their flight, and make their descent more difficult."

Iris nodded. "Right. Excadrill, Focus Blast, rapid fire!" Grunting with concentration, Excadrill hurled orb after orb of light at the approaching duo.

Cilan thrust out his hand. "Crustle, multiple X-Scissor's, if you will!" Crustle crossed his claws, sending a flurry of X-shaped energy blasts into the air.

Dawn clenched her fists. "No need to worry, Togekiss. This is just like when Staraptor and Gliscor went through Paul's Pin Missile. Use your opponents moves to show yourself off, just like you always do." Ash remained quiet for a moment. "Gliscor didn't make through Drapion's Pin Missile." he commented. Dawn merely blinked. "But Staraptor did, and Togekiss can get through this." Ash nodded. "But she could use help. Togekiss doesn't quite have the same flying experience that Staraptor had. Oshawott, shoot down the attacks with Water Gun!"

Togekiss frowned in concentration, watching the incoming Focus Blasts. Drifting and weaving with minimal movement, she almost seemed to float past the glowing orbs of energy. Oshawott pulled himself closer to Togekiss's head, firing quick shots of water from his mouth. Between their combined efforts, the pair managed to fly through the barrage of Focus Blasts and X-Scissors, some exploding before reaching them when they were intercepted by Water Gun, some after passing the pair when they collided with each other.

Iris and Cilan stared mutely, unable to believe the sight.

Dawn stepped forward, a confident grin locked on her face. "Now's our chance. Togekiss, Aura Sphere on Excadrill!" Togekiss opened her mouth, forming a bright blue sphere. With a short snap, she fired it at the dumbfounded Subterrene Pokemon. Ash smiled. "Oshawott, boost it with Water Gun!" Oshawott concentrated, and a sustained stream of water blasted from inside his throat, slamming into the back of the Aura Sphere, accelerating it forward.

Iris blinked in shock, barely managing to recover. "Excadrill, Dig, Now! Get out of there!"

The Subterrene Pokemon didn't have a chance to react, and the powerful fighting type attack smashed into his head, driving him into the ground he called home. The sphere detonated, throwing up a cloud of smoke and dirt, pierced by the sustained Water Gun.

The cloud dissipated, revealing a utterly dazed Excadrill. Max held out his hand. "Excadrill is unable to battle. Iris is out of the match!"

Iris bowed her head as Togekiss and Oshawott swooped back into the sky. "Excadrill, you did great. Return." Holding out her Pokeball, she smiled and shook her head as the thin red beam collected her battered Pokemon. "Wow. Looks like all the stories that Ash told us were true. You are a pretty tough Trainer, Dawn."

Dawn smiled and bowed her head. "Thanks, Iris. You and Excadrill are really tough too. You should be proud of him."

Cilan smiled. "I must admit, the flavour of this match is utterly invigorating. I have never seen a combination like it. The mixture of sweet and spicy, with a hint of bracing sourness, is like a fascinatingly exotic recipe." His smile shifted into a grin. "But I still believe that it will end in a bitter aftertaste for both of you. You still have to defeat Crustle, which is no easy feat."

Dawn simply smiled back at him. "I've got no problem with that. Show us what you've got." Ash shook his head. "He's not going to do anything. With Crustle, Cilan's going to wait for us to come to him." Dawn grinned at him as her hand slipped inside his. "Then let's not disappointed him. Togekiss, Air Slash!" "Oshawott, Water Gun!"

Togekiss wheeled in the sky, then beat her wings and drifted towards Crustle. Oshwott leaned forward, sending another stream of water at Crustle. Togekiss herself fired a short flurry of air blades from her wide spread wings, which spiraled around the Water Gun.

Cilan held out his hand. "Crustle, Protect." The Stone Home Pokemon retreated inside the construct for which he was named, and a shield of green energy surrounded the mobile fortress. Both Water Gun and Air Slash collided harmlessly against the gleaming shield, and Crustle simply gazed outwards, slightly amused at having frustrated his opponents.

Cilan smiled as he fixed his bowtie. "And now, it's Evaluating Time!"

Iris rolled her eyes as she sat down next to Professor Juniper. "And here we go again. At least I got out before he started."

Cilan smiled broadly. "Your combinations and teamwork have been excellent, like an wonderful blend of unique ingredients that compliment each other perfectly. But, such a recipe is delicate, and easily upset. A single strong flavour, such as the one provided by the powerful and solid Crustle, can easily unbalance and ruin the dish. Like so," He snapped his fingers. "Crustle, use Rock Wrecker!"

The green shield of energy surrounding Crustle's shell dissipated, and the crab-like Pokemon emerged slightly from his chamber. Placing his thick black claws together, he growled as a large stone formed between the sharp tips. The stone expanded, growing in mass and weight, until it was easily the size of Crustle's shell. With a grunt, Crustle heaved the stone overhead, and hurled forward with all his might.

Togekiss drove her wings down, pumping desperately to climb skyward. Oshawott twisted around and fired a Water Gun at the ground, providing additional thrust to the Jubilee Pokemon's flight. The exceedingly large stone broke through the stream of water, missing Togekiss's tail by mere inches.

Ash gazed at the confident Stone Home Pokemon and equally confident Cilan, and a thought suddenly occurred to him. He squeezed Dawn's hand and whispered something in her ear. Dawn's eyes sparkled, and an almost fiendish grin appeared on her face. "You're right, lets show him just what a 'perfect recipe' can taste like. Togekiss, charge up a Sky Attack!" Ash chuckled. "Oshawott, it's time to wrap this up. Hang on and use Razor Shell."

Togekiss flew up in a short loop, shimmering white light surrounding her body. Oshawott pulled his scalchop from his chest, iridescent blue energy projecting out into a sword shape. Togekiss dove down and skimmed the ground, accelerating towards the motionless Crustle. Oshawott pointed his sword straight towards the Stone Home Pokemon, forming an arrow shape with his sword and Togekiss's body.

Cilan smiled. "An interesting pair of attacks, but you leave yourselves vulnerable. Crustle, use Shell Smash, then Rock Wrecker!" Pulling his legs inside his shell, Crustle shot out of the protective stone. White light flashed around his body, then cracked and shattered, tiny shards and pieces floating around Crustle's glowing body. The pieces suddenly began swarming around Crustle's claws, and as a large boulder formed between them, the shards of light merged with it, causing the boulder to glow and grow larger.

Dawn gazed uncertainly at the powerful Pokemon. "Are you sure about this?" Ash grinned. "Absolutely."

Iris and Professor Juniper watched the battle intently. "If Crustle's Rock Wrecker hits, the match will be over." Iris commented. Professor Juniper nodded. "Togekiss would go down for sure, and Oshawott would need incredible reflexes to avoid taking a hit as well."

Ash watched closely as Togekiss and Oshawott drew closer to their target, and Crustle's Rock Wrecker grew larger and stronger. Finally, he smiled. "Oshawott, use Aqua Jet!" Dawn pumped her fist as she realized the full extent of Ash's plan. "Togekiss, use Aura Sphere!"

Cilan's eyes widened. "Crustle, now!"

Oshawott concentrated, and a sphere of water bloomed around him. The sphere expanded, until it surrounded both him and Togekiss. The white light of Togekiss's Sky Attack shimmered and flickered, then merged with the water, causing the sphere to glow brightly with an iridescent colour. A small glowing sphere of energy formed in front of Togekiss's mouth, then dissipated and merged with the energized water, forming a brightly glowing shell around the pair. Both Pokemon rocketed forward as the combined attacks formed a massive speed boost, leaving a trail of energized water behind them.

Crustle barely had time for his eyes to widen, let alone time to launch his boulder. The Jubilee and Sea Otter Pokemon smashed into his vulnerable body, Razor Shell first, with such speed and power that the Rock Wrecker was knocked from his claws. Carried backwards by the powerful combination, he didn't have time to shout before all three Pokemon crashed into Crustle's shell.

Twisting her body, Togekiss pumped her wings downward and shot into the air, spiraling as glittering water droplets showered from her body. Oshawott clung to her back, his Razor Shell still shining by his side, looking every bit the confident warrior.

Crustle remained plastered against his shell for a moment, then collapsed on the ground.

Max held out his hand. "Crustle is unable to battle, Togekiss and Oshawott are the victors, which means Ash and Dawn win the match!"

Dawn spun, wrapped her arms around Ash's neck and fiercely kissed him. "Awesome! We won!"

Ash's mind ran blank for a moment, then his arms crushed her against his body. "What, you thought that we wouldn't?" he joked, and she thumped his chest.

Cilan smiled as he knelt beside Crustle, who had retreated inside his shell. "A well fought battle, Crustle. You were excellent." He patted the Stone Home Pokemon's shell, and frowned as his finger found the notch that Oshawott's Razor Shell had made. "Hmm. Oshawott is certainly getting stronger. It takes quite a lot of strength to leave a mark like this."

Ash glanced over at the pair, then smiled as Togekiss and Oshawott landed beside them. Releasing Dawn, he walked over. "Sorry about that. Oshawott can really get into battles sometimes."

Cilan smiled and nodded as Crustle once again made an appearence, intently inspecting his home. "As I well know. The damage appears to be superficial, nothing that Crustle can't fix."

Dawn smiled as she watched Crustle spray a fluid on the crack, then frowned and turned towards the campsite. "Hey, where're Piplup and Pikachu?"

Iris, Max, Cilan, Professor Juniper, Greg, and Charlie glanced around. "Weird. Looks like Quilava, Buneary and Snivy are gone as well." Iris commented, visibly puzzled. She glanced at Dawn. "Do your Pokemon often leave like that?"

Dawn shook her head. "No. The last time Piplup took off like that was when Ash and I parted ways in Sinnoh, and that was just because he was really upset."

"Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipluuuu uuuuuuuuuuup!" (Daaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwn)

Ash perked up. "That was Piplup!"

The group looked around, and Max suddenly stood up. "There they are!"

Piplup, Quilava, and Snivy ran out of the trees. Piplup looked quite proud of himself, though that wasn't unusual for him. Quilava kept looking back behind him, appearing concerned about something. Snivy just looked irritated with them.

Ash and Dawn rushed over to the trio. "Piplup, Quilava, what is it?" Dawn asked them, slightly confused. Ash knelt in front of Snivy. "Snivy, where's Pikachu and Buneary?"

Piplup grabbed Dawn's hand and tugged it. "Pip piplup lup." (You gotta see this.) Quilava ran around behind her and thumped her leg with his head. "Quilava lava" (Come on.) Snivy just sighed. "Sniv snivy." (They found an egg.)

Ash and Dawn glanced at each other. "Uh, okay. I guess they want to show us something." Dawn smiled uncertainly. Ash shrugged as the rest of the group followed them.

Several minutes walking found Pikachu and Buneary sitting in front of a tree. Buneary jumped up as the group of Trainers and Pokemon stepped out of the trees, and excitedly rushed over to Dawn, revealing a small hollow beneath the roots of the tree. "Bun buneary eary!" (See what we found!)

Ash crouched in front of Pikachu, who gave his human partner an exasperated look. "Pikachu, what's this about an egg?"

Turning, the Mouse Pokemon crawled into the hollow he had been forced to guard, and rolled a bright green egg from inside. On its end, the egg was easily two thirds of his height. "Pika chu pichu pikachu." (Quilava smelled this, and Buneary and I found it while we were looking.)

Dawn knelt beside Ash, and gingerly picked up the egg. "Whoa. I wonder what it is?" Ash gave her an odd look. "You've seen one of these before. OW!" He sat back as he rubbed his leg from where Dawn had kicked him. "I know it's an egg, dummy. But what laid it? What'll it hatch into?"

Professor Juniper leaned over. "Hmm. It's hard to tell."

Max stepped in front of the group, pushing his glasses up as he looked at the egg. "Sometimes you can tell what an egg will hatch into by the markings it has, but I can't tell." Kirlia skipped up next to him. "Kir." (Wow.)

The younger boy looked at his partner. "Can you sense anything Kirlia?" The Emotion Pokemon gazed at the egg, then shook her head. "Kir kirlia lialia." (No, it's too faint.)

Cilan looked around. "I wonder where the nest is. The parents will probably be looking for the egg."

Quilava shook his head. "Quilavava quila valava qui." (We looked, there isn't one.)

Dawn gave the Pokemon a confused look. "You just found it here?" Piplup nodded.

Ash ran his fingertips across the smooth surface of the shell. "Hmm. Well, we can't just leave it here. If there isn't a nest nearby, then we're going to have to take it with us."

Iris gave him a cautious look. "But Ash, what if the parents come looking for it, like Cilan said? They'll be mad that we took their egg."

Dawn smiled slightly as she studied the egg. "If the parents are looking for the egg, then they'll find us eventually. If they do, then we'll give it back to them. Until then, we keep it, make sure it stays safe."

Ash nodded. "It's settled then, we're keeping it until either it hatches or the parents find us." A frown crossed his face. "Whoever they are."

The group stood up. "Well, we should go back to the cars, get everything packed up. Undella Town isn't getting any closer just sitting here." Cilan smiled.

Okay, let me say a few words. First off, thank you to everyone who sent in teams for the World Tournament. I really appreciate, and was a little overwhelmed. I'm afraid that I won't be able to use everyone, I just don't have the time to set up something that large, but to those who don't make it in, thank you nonetheless.

Second, I leave it to all of you to guess what will hatch from the egg. I figured it would be an interesting dynamic to add.

Third, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make another chapter for some time. With the beginning of the school year where I live, I just won't have the time. Please have patience, I will work on it when I can, but don't expect anything any time soon.