Chapter 21: The Jublife Contest Preparation!

It was a fine day in Jublife City, where Ash and his friends are in for Dawn and Hikaru's first Pokémon Contest. Right now, Dawn was spinning merrily around with her new pink Contest dress! "Round and round we go!" Dawn sang. Pikachu copied Dawn's spin, and they both bowed down! "I've never seen this side of you, Dawn!" Brock replied. "Wearing a dress is a new one to me!" Ash stated. "What can you expect for Coordinators in a Contest?" Dawn asked. "You mean you dress up because it's your first time participating in the Contest?" Ash asked, confused.

That irritated Dawn a bit. "Oh, how naive can you get? Don't you get it? Coordinators in the Sinnoh region always dress up for the Pokémon Contest here!" Dawn explained as she Dmired her dress more. "By the way, where's Hikaru?" Brock asked. Dawn sighed. "He won't come out of the dressing room! He's so nervous to come out of his formal dressing!" Dawn groaned. She ran to the dressing room to find Hikaru fidgeting with his fingers!

"Come on, Hikaru! You're taking forever to dress up!" Dawn shouted out. Dawn was wearing a pink dress with small red ribbons on her side. One big red ribbon was on the waist of her dress. Hikaru was wearing a black tuxedo. It had a black bow near his neck, a white formal clothing under the black formal coat. He also wore black formal shoes, with black pants! "I can't help it! I feel funny going out like this..." Hikaru argued, but Dawn just grabbed his hand and pulled him out, showing himself to Ash and Brock!

"Wow! Hikaru, you look more like a gentleman!" Brock exclaimed, smiling. "Y-You think?" Hikaru stammered. "You look handsome, Hikaru, honey!" Hinata, Hikaru's mother giggled. "I agree! Both Dawn and Hikaru look fine for a couple!" Johanna, Dawn's mother agreed. "Ma'am! We're not couples!" Hikaru argued, blushing madly. Dawn turned to her mom and thanked her for the dress. "Thank you so much, Mom! I just love my new dress!" Dawn squealed with delight.

"I'm thrilled to see that you like it and all, but I think you need to take a closer look at the box I gave you!" Johanna explained. That left Dawn confused. "There should've been a choker in that box!" Johanna explained. "A choker? I didn't see a choker." Dawn replied. Hikaru also thanked his mother for the tuxedo. "It's a bit funny to walk around like this when the Contest didn't even start yet, but thanks, Mom." Hikaru thanked. "I'm happy for you, Hikaru! Participating in the Contest makes me so proud of you!" Hinata giggled.

Just then, a tail popped out, revealing a choker! "Meow..." The Pokémon meowed. It was a Glameow! "It's a Glameow!" Dawn exclaimed. "Let's see..." Ash replied, pulling out his Pokédex. "Glameow, the Catty Pokémon. When it gets angry, it flashes its claws, but it can also purr affectionately." Ash's Pokédex buzzed. The Glameow me owed while handing Dawn the choker with its tail! "Now, what do we have here?" Dawn asked. "That's it! That's your choker!" Johanna answered.

Dawn grew stunned by this. At the same time, a girl walked in! "Ah. There you are." the girl replied. She had red hair, a pair of sunglasses, orange vest, maroon sweater, and blue jeans, with light brown boots! "Are you the one who found this?" Dawn asked. "It was in the floor of the dressing room." The girl explained. Glameow jumped to the girl's arms, rubbing its face on the girl's cheeks! "But, how did you know it was Dawn's?" Hikaru asked.

"Matching it with the owner was a breeze. She's the only person who wears it on this whole complex!" The girl answered. "Really!? Thank you!" Dawn thanked the girl. She turned to her mom and grew fired up! "See! I have the choker now, so you don't have to worry about a thing!" Dawn assured. That made Johanna a little annoyed and a little concerned. "When you tell me there is nothing to be concerned about, that is what concerns me the most!" Johanna replied.

Dawn then turned to see that the girl and her Glameow disappeared! Hikaru turned back to his mother. "So, how are you doing now, Hikaru?" Hinata asked. "So far, so good! I've made a new Pokémon friend! She's one of the rare Pokémon!" Hikaru explained. When Hinata heard rare, she desperately wanted to know who it was. Once again, Hikaru told her that she'll see in the Pokémon Contest. To Dawn, she sighed. "Honey? The last thing that you need to worry in the Contest is to be absent-minded! So, be careful!" Johanna warned.

"You don't need to worry, Mom!" Dawn again assured. "Since when was the last time that I didn't need to worry?" Johanna sighed. That got Dawn down, with Hinata telling Hikaru to do his best in the Contest, and then shuts off the phone video. Ash and Brock assured to Johanna that Dawn will be fine with them around. Johanna said her thanks to the two and shuts down her video phone.

Later, Dawn and Hikaru took off their dress and wore their normal clothing in order to train for the Jublife Contest! "Okay, Dawn. Are you ready?" Hikaru asked. "Oh, we're ready! Give it everything you've got!" Dawn answered. It was her Piplup, against Hikaru's Chimchar!

Dawn: Piplup VS Hikaru: Chimchar

"Okay, Chimchar! Use Flame Wheel, now!" Hikaru called. Chimchar surrounded himself with fire, only it was bigger than the last time it was used! "Whoa! Flame Wheel looks stronger than before!" Ash gasped. He and Pikachu were watching with Aipom, Brock, and his Bonsly. "Hikaru must've trained with Chimchar hard for the Contest last night!" Brock guessed. "Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn cried. Piplup spun while firing Bubblebeam! Chimchar dodged the move and bashed Piplup away!

"Oh no! Piplup, quick! Use Peck!" Dawn shouted. Piplup stomped with his foot and revealed his Flying Type move, only it was longer than the last time! Both Hikaru and Chimchar grew startled to see the improved move! "Pretty cool, huh? After training last night, we improved by storing our power!" Dawn explained, smirking. "Even Dawn seems so focused!" Brock stated. "You can say that again." Ash replied. "Pika." Pikachu agreed. "Go, Piplup!" Dawn yelled.

Piplup aimed the move towards Chimchar! "Intercept it with Flame Wheel!" Hikaru yelled. Chimchar prepared another Flame Wheel, until he was interrupted by Aipom! "What!?" Hikaru gasped. "Aipom!?" Ash called out. Aipom sent Piplup toward the air with a Focus Punch! Piplup lost his focus on the improved Flying Type move, tumbling on the ground! "Piplup! What did you do that for, Aipom!?" Dawn snapped. "Piplup!" Piplup demanded. Aipom jumped and jumped, using Double Team!

Clones appeared on five sides! Aipom then used Swift, banishing all the clones, creating a gigantic star, with Aipom coming out of the center! It made a pose with a smile! "Aipom!" Aipom exclaimed. Dawn, Hikaru, and Ash grew stunned by the combination Aipom had just made! "That was a pretty interesting move you made there!" Brock commented. "Bonsly!" Bonsly agreed. Brock turned to Ash. "Ash, I think Aipom wants to enter the Contest!" Brock explained.

That surprised Ash as he ran over to the Normal Type Pokémon! "Hey, Aipom! Is that true!?" Ash asked. Aipom made a cheerful noise making it sound like a yes. "Sounds like a yes! Doesn't it, Chimchar?" Hikaru asked his partner. Chimchar nodded in agreement! "What do you think, Piplup?" Dawn asked. "Piplup!" Piplup exclaimed. "Ash, how would you feel if you and Aipom entered the Jublife Contest?" Hikaru asked. That surprised Ash even more! "Who, me? In a Contest with Aipom?" Ash repeated.

"Why not? I think it'll be great! Just think! You, me, and Hikaru can compete against each other!" Dawn suggested happily. "Ash, it'd be great if you could give it a shot!" Brock explained. "I guess so." Ash muttered, unsure. But, with Aipom and Pikachu encouraging him to do so, Ash agreed. "If you want to do it right, we'll need to do some special training!" Ash explained. Aipom grew happy and determined for the Contest! "Of course, there's something else you need to do!" Brock explained.

"What's that?" Ash asked. "Your entry pass?" Brock reminded. That shook Hikaru and Dawn up! "Oh no! I completely forgot!" Dawn shrieked. "All this Contest thinking made me forget, too!" Hikaru exclaimed. Both Piplup and Chimchar looked at their trainers, alarmed! Ash and Brock gasped with this. So, Ash, Dawn, and Hikaru all ran into the Pokémon Jublife Contest building in order to register! "We'd all like to register for the Jublife Contest, please!" Hikaru explained.

"Of course! I just need to see your Contest Passes!" The woman explained. The three of them took a moment to look at each other with Ash explaining that they don't have one. "Then, this must be your first Contest! I'll need the three of you to insert your Pokédex in these slots!" The woman explained, gesturing to the empty slots. The three agreed, inserting their blue, red, and pink Pokédex inside. "There! Your ID and your permission is all set from your Pokédexes! You're all set!" The woman explained.

Three Contest Pass appeared with the Pokédexes coming out! "Those ID cards will serve as your Contest Passes for every Contests in the Sinnoh region!" The woman explained. Then, the woman explained that the three will need a Ribbon Case, Ball Capsules, and a rule book! Hikaru's was orange. Dawn's was pink, while Ash's was a turquoise color on the cases! Ash pulled out a seal that looked like a lightning bolt, while holding a Capsule Ball. "Wow. I wonder what those Seals are for." Brock replied.

"You guys really don't know? In the Sinnoh region, all Sinnoh Pokémon needs to make a dramatic entrance from their Pokéballs!" Dawn said, bewildered. "What do you mean?" Ash asked. "Let me show you guys. You first place the Pokéball in the Ball Capsule, insert a Seal on it, and throw it while on stage! Ha!" Hikaru explained. He placed a Star Seal on his Capsule Ball and threw it into the air! Out came Shinx! Shinx purred while rubbing her cheek against Hikaru's leg, making him blush lightly.

Ash and Brock grew amazed with this. "There are all different kinds of Seals that can be used for the Sinnoh Contests!" Dawn explained. "Wow! That's so cool! I want to use them all!" Ash exclaimed, amazed by the seals he had. He was so looking forward for the Jublife Contest that is coming up tomorrow!

Hikaru's POV

That night...

Tomorrow was the Jublife Contest, more likely a first Contest for me, Dawn, and Ash. After training late in the afternoon, I couldn't sleep well. I opened my blue eyes and got out of bed to view the sights outside. It was so pretty. "Chimchar, Eevee, and Shinx, come out, you three." I called, sending my three Pokémon out. They all yawned from exhaustion. I smiled as I smoothed all of their fur. They all seemed to like it. Just then, I heard the sliding door open, with Dawn coming out with her pajamas.

"Couldn't sleep?" Dawn asked. "I could say the same for you." I replied, smiling. Dawn blushed as she sent out Piplup and Buneary. Like my Pokémon, they yawned before staring curiously at Dawn, me, and my Pokémon. "The sight's nice, isn't it?" Dawn asked. All our Pokémon ran over to check the view, too. "Yeah. Just thinking about the Contest tomorrow took over my mind. I couldn't sleep at all." I explained. I didn't notice our Pokémon looking at us, until Dawn pulled out an old Contest Ribbon.

"What's that?" I asked, seeing the ribbon. Our Pokémon came to look at the ribbon, too. "This? This is the first Contest Ribbon that my Mom won. She gave it to me, letting me use it as a good luck charm now!" Dawn explained, smiling, showing the ribbon. I blinked with a surprise. I didn't know Dawn has it until now. But, I just gave a shrug and smiled. "The main reason I can't sleep is that Inkeep thinking about on how the crowd will go for us and our Pokémon tomorrow. We'll have to face each other soon." Dawn explained.

Dawn suddenly blushed as she walked over to me and hugged me! I grew startled, because it's been a while she had done that. "Hikaru..." Dawn whispered. "Yeah?" I asked. "If I don't make it, and if I lose without facing you, I'll cheer for you and Ash, would that be alright?" Dawn asked. I chuckled and smoothed her blue hair and agreed. "Let me give you this." I replied. I let go of her and pulled out a bracelet, a bracelet that had a small blue heart on it.

Dawn took a moment to look at it as I gave it to her. "Let's both make a promise. No matter how far or how difficult it gets, we'll always be together." I replied. Dawn blushed madly now and thanked me. She approached my face with a blush. I didn't know what she was doing until she... She kissed my cheek! I was startled, but only smiled weakly, then kissed her on the cheek. Our Pokémon sighed, teasing us, having a thought that there was going to be a marriage.

We only scoffed as we returned our Pokémon to their Pokéballs and went back inside for some sleep. Tomorrow was the big day for all of us.

End POV

To be continued...