The Final Step to the Master Reloaded Chapter 25: 0207a: Prelude to Finale!, a pokémon fanfic

Title: The Final Step to the Master Reloaded

Part: Second Arc, Episode 7

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew (Solarsenshi .at. gmx . de)

Beta: H-Man #89995, partly xryuran

Status: Alpha

Rating: R

Category: Romance, Adventure, Dark, lots of other things...

Pairings: Ash/Dawn (main), Brock/Ako, Leaf/Misty, added as revealed

Continuum/Spoilers: Everything up to the start of the Sinnoh League Tournament, from there on original plot.

Distribution: M&M DreamWorks Blog ((hypertext) mysticmew44 . blogspot . de), M&M DreamWorks Archive ((hypertext) mysticmew . bplaced . net), Fanfiction . net (www . fanfiction . net), M&M DreamWorks archive and blog gets preference and the desired and best format, all versions will first go to the blog and archive.

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Pre-Note

Don't have anything to say here other than this episode marks the beginning of the end of Arc 2. Two more episodes plus perhaps an episode max after this. I wanted to do 10 for a nice round number but unlike an epilogue comes and gets too big to be called that, it won't work... Well, we had 3 prologues already, so...

If you like and have it available, I suggest you listen to 1000 Words from Final Fantasy X-2 during the final May scene of this episode. It helped me writing that one. I like the orchestra version quite a bit myself but either will do.

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(Narrator)

A blue sky with nary a cloud, the sun is shining brightly. We see Ash and Dawn standing on a hill overlooking the stretch of beach, their ferry can be seen departing in the distance. "Finally they are here. After much sidetracking, shocking and life-changing encounters and revelations, Ash and Dawn have reached the site of the first qualification round for the new Harmony Cup. It remains to be seen how much they can concentrate on the event after all they have learned. But for now they are all fired up to go."

"I can't wait. This will be the first time Top Coordinators from all regions gather and battle each other," Dawn exclaims excitedly and skips ahead. Ash just smiles fondly and follows after her. But then...

Suddenly the ground gives in and the two crash down a long hole! Somehow this is familiar... And just as I am thinking that.

"Listen, is that a voice I hear?"

"It's speaking to me loud and clear."

"On the wind!"

"Past the stars!"

"In your ear!"

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace."

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place."

"A rose by any other name is just as sweet."

"When everything's worse, our work is complete."

"Jessie."

"And it's James."

"And Meowth, now dat's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place..."

"... we're Team Rocket..."

"… in your face!"

Ah, I thought so. "It looks like our favorite villains are back after such a long absence and their timing, as always, sucks... or does it?"

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Opening Theme (Shining Days, Mai-HiME)

A blue, cloudless sky. Mew flies into the picture and performs a few twists, turns and loopings, writing the series title into the air. The camera zooms in on Mew's face and it looks like the viewer is drawn in.

aozora ippai ni

watashitachi no omoi ga chiribamerarete yuku

Ash and Dawn are standing together on a hill, holding hands. Dawn leans closer and Ash embraces her. They lean in for a kiss.

unmei no hito ga anata nara iinoni

genjitsu wa umaku yukanai

The scene fades out from a television frame. May is sitting in front, watching with longing. Naru jumps into her lap and she smiles in determination, jumping up as the scene fades around her.

hikaru kaze no naka

yume no hane maioriru yo

Misty is swimming in a pool. She stops to float on her back, then submerges into the water. In the reflection she sees Leaf and reaches out uncertainly with conflicted feelings on her face.

yuuki dashite mirai e

sou utsukushiku...

Misty breaks the surface of the water with a leap, suddenly at a beach. Leaf is sitting on the shore and waving at her.

May is running towards a faraway image of Ash and Dawn with a smile of determination.

ugokidasu atsui kodou ga

Ash and Pikachu are running over a plain, jumping over hurdles and Pikachu letting loose lightning attacks.

ano hi to onaji hayasa wo kizamu yo

A split screen of Dawn and May. Piplup and Buneary are creating a giant ice stadium and Beautifly is dancing within a Ninetails flames (see Episode 1 for both). Dawn and May are looking towards each other as if they were in the same place.

A brief flash of Brock and Ako standing together with Flareon and Leafeon.

massugu na manazashi ga suki

zutto miteitai

Short image of Giovanni in his office with a dark disembodied form behind him.

Scene switches back to Ash, arriving at a hill. Looking up he smiles seeing Dawn, May, Brock, Ako, Leaf and Misty standing atop and waiting for him.

Camera shifts up into the sky and from where it fades out of Mew's eye again who flies down and into the prior scene, landing on top of Dawn's shoulders.

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M&M DreamWorks Presents

The Final Step to the Master Reloaded

Second Arc: Glimpses of Destiny

Episode 07: Prelude to Finale! What Will the Uncertain Future Bring?

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Twinheart Island, Kanto (Ash)

"Okay, am I the only one that is feeling weirded out?" I asked rhetorically as we got closer to the large Contest Hall that would host the event.

Dawn shrugged next to me, nursing a small bruise from her fall. "You tell me. You know them longer. I can sort of understand why they would do that. Still, you are right. That really came out of the blue."

In the first place I still couldn't believe we got caught by one of their oldest, most basic traps. I wasn't ten anymore, damn it! Perhaps I had been a little too comfortable and inattentive not to notice anything. The ferry trip was for once entirely uneventful and what rest we couldn't quite get back in town, we had gotten on the ferries. Of course, I couldn't quite deny that the new... state of our relationship had something to do with my general content and happy mood.

Something had definitely changed. There wasn't a repeat after the first time but it had been enough to give our love a whole new meaning and depth. I felt even closer to Dawn now, stronger and more firmly rooted, but also even more protective and determined to see her happy and safe. As much as I had worried that her aggressiveness that night had been rushed, a reaction to recent events, I didn't regret what we did.

So, perhaps it was to be excused, if I was a little less attentive. I did get my rude awakening after all and perhaps it had really been better to be in this way than while facing real danger.

Flashback

The heck? I stared up at the three figures that I hadn't seen for quite awhile. At the beginning I had expected them to jump out behind every corner and while I never quite thought that they had completely given up on us, not after giving me so much grief over all the years, it was still strangely... comforting to have something so routinely normal happen.

They had been far less on my mind lately, though. Which shouldn't be surprising. The rest of Team Rocket was suddenly far more important. The rest, yes... With some chagrin I realized I actually thought of them and the trio separately, not even really thinking about the implications of the three of them being an actual part of the organization threatening the stability and peace of our world.

Even making that realization, it was still hard to bring the two of them together in my mind.

Giving Dawn a worried look as she was rubbing her shoulder, I glared up at the two humans and the Meowth. "Alright, what do you want this time?" And did I really have to ask? Pikachu was already madly charging up to send the three biggest annoyances of my life flying. "You realize your chances of actually getting even one of our Pokémon is almost non-existent?" I stated bluntly.

"Ha!" Jessie exclaimed. "Do not pretend to know our plans. Our mission today is far more important. This time we will..." It was at this time that she took a step forward in her dramatic pose. Seeing as they perched right on the edge of the hole... Well, the end result was rather obvious. Thankfully the hole was big enough – which I found quite curious to begin with – and we could jump out of the way when the three of them came tumbling down as well.

However, we soon realized that this action hadn't been one of their usual clumsy blunders. "Alright, twerps. We don't have much time, so shut up and listen," Jessie said after dusting herself off, her face suddenly very serious and so much unlike her usual expressions that it actually made me swallow whatever comment I might have ready. I couldn't see any signs that they were getting ready for a fight either and Dawn also seemed confused at the lack of hostility. Which meant she probably didn't sense anything either. Mew was completely relaxed which pretty much cinched it for me.

"That's right. We cannot hold them off for you any longer," Meowth began and I was really starting to wonder what kind of strange turn this encounter was taking.

End Flashback

In the end it really was kind of shocking. Not so much what they had to tell us, but more so that they did so in the first place. Apparently their boss had handed them a new order around the time the Sinnoh League had been finished last year. That one had made it unmistakable clear that Giovanni wanted us removed. Permanently.

It hadn't set well with them. Being thieves was all well and good for them apparently, but even if they didn't come out and say so directly, actively killing someone obviously was a line they didn't want to cross. *We might have been at each others' throats the whole time, but we kind of grew to like you guys,* James had admitted. I actually did recall quite a few times when things got really hairy – world ending hairy – that the three of them had actually forgotten our animosity towards each other often enough and even went against orders.

Perhaps they really had some good in them after all. That didn't mean I could stand them suddenly but I had to admire the courage they were obviously taking with this step. Apparently they had been tailing us for the last year but now their boss's patience had obviously run out.

Of course, we had known already that we were rather likely on their target list and not just to steal our Pokémon either. Knowing that on a theoretical and abstract basis but hearing someone spell it out for you was somewhat different though. It made you actually think about the possibility and that's when it really began to sink in.

A powerful, criminal organization was out to kill us.

It wasn't a nice thought.

I glanced back at Dawn. "We definitely have to watch our backs now. I doubt something happens directly at the Contest but everywhere in between or after..." I trailed off with a frown. I wouldn't let it happen. No one would harm Dawn on my watch. I would make sure that she could fully concentrate on the event as well. Because despite everything that was already on our minds, she was excited to measure herself against so many other Top Coordinators. And I didn't want to spoil that experience for her.

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Sky over Johto (Leaf)

For the record, I still thought this was a waste of time. There were so many aspects that didn't add up. First of all the target given was far too obvious. It was the same as Twinheart really. Would Giovanni really do something as obvious as attacking Ecruteak. The only real value the city would have to him would be Bell Tower and I had no idea if the place was even important for us to begin with.

Therein, of course, lay the problem. Bell Tower was a mystical but even more so a historical place, perhaps about the most important historical landmark in Johto. If something did happen and we ended up ignoring it because we thought it was a ruse anyway, then there would be a public outcry about the League's lack of responsibility. Which would serve Team Rocket quite well, I suspected.

I suppose what annoyed me the most was that it would quite likely draw me away from the action. Yes, yes, I had offered. I had offered because everyone else was mostly accounted for in key positions and perhaps because I was so used to moving all over the place.

The next couple of days would be crucial. The Contest on Twinheart would start today. The most opportune time to strike would probably be at its height. Which meant the final in now a little less than two days. We should hit Ecruteak in a few hours but getting back until then might be a problem.

Of course, I wasn't alone thankfully. "I'm seriously glad that you are here. Would be rather boring by myself," I said jokingly to my companion. We both knew it was meant in a different manner and none of us needed to spell it out. Still, I was glad on a personal level with the help I had on this mission.

"I'm sure between the two... well, three of us we shouldn't take too long," Anabel replied and I grinned slightly at her knowing tone. I couldn't hide anything from her after all. Frankly, the young Frontier Brain with her level of empathy should have been a candidate for one of us. And I did sense a tremendous amount of power from her, too. I had to wonder if she was keeping something other than her empathic abilities secret from the general public.

We had hit it off quite easily and it hadn't been much of a surprise that she had developed a bit of a crush on Ash. Nothing too serious thankfully. I wondered, if she had swung my way, would I have been able to resist? Probably not. But it was too late for that now as well. We were good friends and that was enough for me, even if she was teasing me endlessly about my "far too obvious longing" ever since picking her up for the trip.

Well, excuse me for thinking of my girlfriend whom I hardly got to see because I had to prevent a criminal organization with sinister ambitions from taking over the world!

Anabel giggled and I scrunched up my nose. "That's so adorable."

"Alright, enough! How about you, huh? Still crushing after Ash or is there someone else?" I grinned at seeing her blush. There really wasn't much else to do than casual banter. We had long gone over everything we wanted to once we reached Ecruteak and met up with Morty. And just doing nothing really did lead to boredom, which led to worrying thoughts which led to frustration.

"That's none of your business."

I laughed. "Suuuure, but you were still blushing when I said his name." Anabel tried to hit me but I blocked her half-hearted attempt. "You are only digging your grave deeper, missy. You ARE still pining after him." Which I had hoped not to be the case, so I did allow myself some concern for my friend. Really she had even less chances than over a year ago now.

Anabel huffed. "I don't pine after him. I can't stop what I'm feeling but I do know when there is a hopeless case, you know." True enough. For her age, Anabel was rather mature in that we were rather similar. It was no surprise she had made it to Frontier Brain this early. Technically I knew that she was even better than Brandon should they ever fight full out, all limiters removed. I did once... and got horribly beaten, no joke. That had been awhile ago and I would think I'd do better now but it went to show just what kind of rare talent that girl had. Really, all Brandon had over her were his overpowered Gigas.

And it wasn't just with battle skills either. Her empathic skills made her very useful to anyone on her side and very dangerous to anyone against her. Knowing the feelings of others so easily, allowed her to make judgments with a far more mature disposition than most adults twice her age.

"It would be better for you. The poor boy is going to have enough on his plate right about now." It was about the most interesting passage of the small bit that Zoroark had known about the prophecy. I really had to wonder how Ash would cope. Telling him in advance wouldn't have mattered, at least not in making the decision easier. It would have just made them feel pressured. And you can't force love. I knew that. A love that was rooted in less than total honesty wouldn't save anyone, much less the world.

"Well... I've never met Dawn except from what I've seen on TV but I'm not that surprised about May. Her feelings were quite open already back then. I suppose she just didn't know them herself at the time." Anabel turned her head to look out of the window. "But you are right. It's going to be tough for them. Ash has a good heart but he can also be rather stubborn. He might not understand May's intention the way she wants them to... I hope they'll be alright."

"You and me both," I agreed but I wasn't all that worried. Anabel was right that Ash had a good heart. A big one as well. If anyone could find it in himself to find room for two, it should be him. I was more worried about Dawn and how she would take it. I definitely knew how I would in her situation.

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Twinheart Island, Kanto (May)

One would almost think it was the Grand Festival all over again. The Contest Hall was comparable small – at least in proportion to what they had orchestrated for this year's Kanto Grand Festival, from what I had seen on TV at least. Still, the atmosphere was similar... no, perhaps even more hyped.

That shouldn't be too surprising. To my knowledge there hadn't been an event like this ever before. Oh sure, Top Coordinators certainly would fight each other. But that was more for a personal, private assessment of who was the better. It never really reached the broader public. Contests had really made a great evolution over the last years and it seemed like I had jumped on board just in time.

All that was strangely secondary though and didn't hold my attention longer than it took for me to spot them in the crowd of people inside the registration hall. I almost missed them. Seeing it on TV was one thing but they certainly had changed over the years. The last time had been almost two years ago, during the Wallace Cup. Yes, then. At that time everything had changed and had become so complicated.

Was this really okay? I knew I had resolved to do this but... So much had happened between then and now. I had tried to banish it but the kidnapping had left a mark... or more like the events following it. Was this really the right time and place? Our world was on the brink of... something. I couldn't say what and I was afraid of even trying to think about it. However, something was happening and would I really want to make things more complicated?

Maybe it would be best after all, if I... With a start I realized that I had stood up and waved at them and before I could correct my instinctual reaction, it was already too late.

What a fool. I knew what Naru would say if she were out here and not so reluctant to let everyone know she could speak our language. Doubting myself again. I knew, of course, deep down, that what I was trying WAS foolish, ultimately doomed. However, those were my feelings. And I needed this. I needed closure. I would try, with all I had. If at the end nothing would come off it, I would hopefully be able to put this behind myself.

"May! I didn't know you would be here, too!" I couldn't help but smile, with just a touch of bitter sweetness. So bright and cheerful. She had struck me where I had least expected it, too, and where I had no defense against it. I did NOT want to hurt her but I knew how she would probably take it at first. I hoped she would at least understand that my feelings for her were equally as strong as for Ash.

Not so fast, you shouldn't just jump on them right away, I tried to reign in my emotions at seeing the two people, that had torn me apart inside for these last years, again, only to almost give myself away with a blush at how that particular thought sounded... "Yeah, well," I laughed, trying desperately to cover for my reaction. "We made our titles practically at the same time and I couldn't just let this chance go, right?"

Ash scratched his head adorably. He really had gotten quite handsome, a well-trained body. And tall, definitely taller. Hmm... No, bad May! This wasn't the place and time. "Um, you did? Ah, wait, I think I heard..." Dawn and him, glanced at each other and something was passing between them which I didn't get and made me seem only further away from them. "Sorry about that. We meant to call but something VERY urgent came up and we had to leave in a hurry right after."

Dawn chuckled and looked apologetic. "That's right. And after that... It's just been a crazy month, one thing after another, you know. It kind of slipped our mind." I narrowed my eyes slightly. They knew something. Something far more than just a vague feeling. I remembered that night. The night after Dawn's victory and the strange feeling that had kept me awake almost the entire night.

Out loud though, I said. "That's okay. I didn't call either and when I couldn't reach you afterwards, I just forgot to do so later." A bit of a small lie myself, I guess. It had been rude not to call. I had watched and had been finished a day earlier, but speaking with them with all the confusion in my heart, I had been afraid of letting something slip. So I really had no right to feel suspicious or left out about their activity.

The somewhat awkward moment was saved by someone else at this moment thankfully.

"Look at that. It's like a big reunion." We all looked towards the voice and I smiled slightly but genuine happily at seeing Brock.

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"Wow, that's some story," I noted after hearing the account of Brock and his girlfriend's adventure... no, wait that's fiancée judging by the ring! As if the former wasn't enough of a shock. It was certainly enough to make me completely forget for the moment about my plans of confessing to Ash and Dawn.

Brock with a girl, that was unconceivable enough. Brock getting married, that was mind-blowing. Mind-blowing enough that I didn't even think about getting depressed that everyone seemed to have found someone and only I was left with the impossible choice... or non-choice.

"I could say the same thing about you, May," Ash said. After Dawn had went and took care of her registration, we had all sat down and talked about what everyone had been doing since we last saw each other. "But I guess Dawn and I hardly are the ones to talk." Well, that's right. Mostly Brock, Ako and myself had been recounting events. It was their turn now and I couldn't help being somewhat curious.

"Is that why YOU are here," Brock asked pointedly, looking at something beyond Dawn... no, now that I noticed, it was more like he was looking straight at something over or on Dawn's right shoulder. But there wasn't...

No there was. A shimmer. Some kind of outline. It was getting clearer, then suddenly took full shape.

"Ah. You saw me. That's because you were there at that time. I can't hide my presence from you and the other girl as I can with others."

I gasped and Ako did the same. Was that...? Yes, no mistake about it. This was most definitely a Mew sitting casually on Dawn's shoulder!

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(Brock)

We had barely made it in time. To be honest, I was surprised we actually did and surprised at the reason. It had been Ako who pushed for a quick departure. Before the events at Aprico Village I would have placed such a behavior more under the need to get away from the place of such traumatic events. Yet Ako wasn't the same anymore. Something had changed subtly. More so than any of the crisis training at the academy or my attempts to force her into taking the possibility of battle more serious had achieved quite what these last days had.

There was nothing to show you what the real thing was like than a real situation itself, I suppose. Altaria's death had left a deep impression on her. There was a seriousness and focus now that hadn't been there before, not in this intensity. She knew now, she knew that the world wasn't as easy and forgiving as life at Heal Bell. People could die and Pokémon could die as well. And so she knew that anything less but our absolute best would result in more such sad memories. It was a sobering thought, for me as well.

Seeing everyone again, including May, was a nice change from these dark thoughts, even if we managed to quickly get back to these memories during the conversation. Ako was clearly enjoying herself as well. I had told her so much about my friends but this was the first time they had actually met directly in person. I was glad that the others seemed to like her right away. Not that I felt it was that difficult. Ako wasn't the type of person you could dislike, even if you wanted to.

I listened intently to the story of May's involvement in the kidnapping incident. To be honest, I hadn't even heard about that one. With how busy the last days were, I hadn't been able to stay up-to-date on the recent events. I had also not felt much like watching the news while we were staying in Fortree since that would only remind me more about our own situation. Surely the news had been busy with the forest fire incident.

It seemed like we weren't the only ones with more or less exciting experiences though. May's account was fascinating. She had definitely grown, if she had really been able to pull off what she claimed and I saw no reason why she should lie or unnecessarily boost. Well, she did leave out a few details, especially on how exactly she was able to take out several skilled kidnappers all by herself! She did touch on having received some martial arts training from Maylene but I wondered if that was all there was to it. And then there were the concealed looks she was throwing Ash and Dawn again and again. I KNEW that look and I really had to wonder if it could mean trouble between my friends.

All that was overshadowed though by the constant distraction of what I had seen as soon as we had spotted and joined up with the three of them. The Mew sitting casually on Dawn's shoulder... and no one else seemed to be aware of it. No, I was quite certain Dawn was and if she was, then Ash would be as well. Either May knew and kept quiet about it as well – which I doubted since it didn't seem like they had met up for more than a few minutes prior to our arrival – or she just wasn't... aware of it. We were talking about a Legendary here, after all. And even little Zorua had been able to fool us until the very end with her Leaf act during the Sinnoh League.

Why could I see it then? Because we met before? That was likely. What worried me much more were the implications. I knew firsthand Ash's tendency to get into these kind of situations, meeting up with a Legendary wasn't as uncommon for him as it was for the ordinary person. However, travelling with one, as was apparently the case... What kind of situation warranted something like that?

Finally Ash did provide the opening for me to ask without sounding rude or stupid and I thought I saw a brief glow around Mew. Judging by the reactions from May and Ako, it became obvious that they could see now as well.

"Ah. You saw me. That's because you were there at that time. I can't hide my presence from you and the other girl as I can with others." Almost immediately the small Legendary floated into Dawn's lap, which effectively hid it from being seen by anyone other than coming straight past where we were sitting while actively looking. So it really had been some form of invisibility then. The Breeder part in me was fascinated since I hadn't heard of a skill like that. Of course, the true scope of a Legendary's ability was vastly unknown.

The same probably went for the fluid speech but that didn't really surprise me that much anymore after everything else. Mew hadn't show capacity for speaking our tongue then. However, it could have simply chosen not to. There was far too little known about the Legendaries to make accurate assumptions. I could take that in stride. What I really wanted to know was why it was here and how it came to be with my two friends. From the way Ash had worded it before, there definitely was some story behind it that could easily keep up with ours and May's.

I was beaten to questioning further by May though. "That's why you didn't call after the Grand Festival and why you said you had to leave in a hurry. That night after your final," she nodded towards Dawn, "I had this strange feeling I couldn't quite explain that kept me up almost all night." My eyes widened slightly at that. May, too? What was going on here? And were we the only ones? This seemed to be far too obvious for a coincidence.

"I know you have questions but this isn't the best place and time for them. I will tell you everything soon, so please be a little patient." I narrowed my eyes – even more than usual. I really did not feel like waiting. My curiosity had definitely been piqued and a big part of me wanted some answers. I did not like being out of the loop after all of the training I had done myself.

Unfortunately Dawn cut in before I could even start to press for an answer. "I think that's a good idea. May and I are here for the Contest after all and you guys have your own work to do, right? Besides, there is something that would interest me much more." I inched back in my seat a little at the mischievous look the girl was sending me. Danger signs were already popping up all over my mind but it was too late already. "I mean I am still surprised you've got a girlfriend... But I wonder, is that ring what I think it is?"

Yep, doomed. There was no way I could bring the conversation back on track now. May would jump right in and once they got going...

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Cerulean City, Kanto (Misty)

"Do you think this will be enough?" I asked, putting down the folder after skimming through it and looking dubiously at the League Official across from us.

The surprise far outweighing the irritation actually made me grin inwardly. I bet he was more used to people asking him the opposite question. However, I would have hoped he had been better briefed. While Leaf said only the higher-ranked League officials were aware of us – our role, not our relationship –, I would have expected that word of Leaf spending a lot of time here should have gotten around. I would need to explain a bit of this to Aisha as well since she was officially my assistant now.

So, of course I was worried. Security measures for the cities were apparently distributed everywhere. This mostly meant an increase in police, reinforced by resources from the League. The plans for Cerulean were pretty low-key though from what I could see after skimming through them.

The man across from us had caught himself quickly enough. "Cerulean isn't on the top priority list of possible targets. However, key personnel is deployed all around here, so even if something were to happen, I am sure help will be here quickly enough."

I snorted, not quite so optimistic. Help should have been here quickly enough after the incident at the cave as well. And surely Team Rocket had shown they were good at diversionary tactics. Sighing in defeat, I put the folder in my bag. There was no point in arguing with the man. Orders came from high up and I knew from Leaf that the League had enough trouble as it was with their resources. They needed to prioritize. Besides, they were probably right. What would an attack here achieve? "Alright, thank you for the information. We'll be sure to hold down the fort."

"Actually," the man interjected, "it's probably more likely that you'll be called on for additional support elsewhere. So please remain on standby for the next few days."

Wonderful. Well, that at least meant I had a valid excuse for closing down the Gym. In fact, looking over to Aisha who seemed a little nervous being a part of such a serious and important meeting, it was about time I bonded a little more with my new assistant outside of official business.

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"Here you go. It's your advance for the month." I grinned a little at the shocked look from the other girl. Surely she hadn't expected to get something this quickly. But never let it be said that I would be stingy with expenses for the Gym. Unlike some... other people I hardly put that much into personal things and appearance. Having the Gym run smoothly was far more important to me.

Aisha reluctantly took the money. Not that it was much. A small percentage of a monthly salary based on the few days she had started to work for me in earnest plus a little extra. "Ah, dinner and this... You are spoiling me, Mi... Boss." She was worth every Pokédollar that was for sure. In this small time her presence alone had relieved me of almost half my workload. Seriously, the challengers were just one thing. Considering the lull as of late both of us hadn't had a lot to do. Still, ever since the first trial match I had made a point to have every challenger run through Aisha. Many got annoyed but as word got around, they took things a lot more seriously.

"Nonsense. You are a huge help. I would never have gotten all the extra training done without you." The little things made the biggest difference. Aisha took over a lot of the daily labor. Pokémon feedings, pool maintenance, all these little things necessary to keep the Gym running smoothly which otherwise would cost me hours every day. And she was very efficient. To a point that I caught myself wishing she had come to Cerulean earlier than this. "And please just call me Misty." It was kind of flattering to be called "Boss" but we weren't that far apart in age and I'd rather have her as a friend than just a coworker. I didn't have too many that weren't strewn all around the regions. Including my girlfriend...

"Thinking about her again?" I almost choked on the meat I had just taken a bite from and looked at Aisha curiously at the directness of that question. She wasn't exactly a shy girl but so far had shown that she wouldn't breach personal matters unless the other person did so first. A nice professional attitude, though it sometimes came over as a little too serious. "Ah, I didn't mean to pry. It's none of my..."

I waved her off and took a big gulp from my water, actually emptying the glass and then what was left in our bottle. "Mou, don't worry about that. I bet you were surprised to hear about me being with another girl." I signaled the waiter for another bottle and returned my attention to my meal.

"That's not the problem," Aisha replied quickly and serious. "Everyone should be free to choose what and who they like." I smiled slightly at the honesty, definitely a huge step up from the grief my sisters had caused me and Leaf. "I'm more surprised it's actual someone so famous!"

At that I laughed, a little embarrassed and perhaps just a little proud. Just a little. "I can't take too much credit for that. She just dropped into my life, literally, and couldn't stop flirting with me. As for being famous... Well, I don't really feel like it is a big deal. Perhaps because I used to meet quite a few famous people when I was still travelling, my best friend from then is now a League Champion and probably well on his way to a Master himself." And while not saying it because I thought it might sound too arrogant, I had done a lot to raise my own reputation. So perhaps, putting me closer to Ash and Leaf's class these days wasn't that farfetched.

Aisha smiled. "You really are amazing, Misty. Few people experience even a tenth of what you probably have at your age." A slight blush rose to my cheeks at the compliment but it was nice to hear a confirmation of my own unvoiced thought. Between Leaf and Aisha I could honestly say I had gotten a lot more confident in my own abilities and their worth. Not to a degree that I would slack off but enough to pull off something drastic like with my sisters. I wasn't sure if I could have done that some years ago. No definitely not.

We ended talking a lot more about Leaf. After Aisha realized I didn't mind her interest, she quickly got curious as to what I liked about her. And that was something I wouldn't easily get tired off. In fact I was glad to do simple girl talk about one's beloved. I really didn't have anyone else for that. It seemed Aisha was proving her worth even outside the Gym and that the lonely days as a Gym Leader were suddenly not quite so lonely anymore.

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Twinheart Island, Kanto (Ako)

"They are all very nice and um..." I struggled for a better word because I felt "nice" was such a common, noncommittal term that it bordered on insulting or at least non-descriptive. "... very energetic," I finally settled on something that I found appropriate. I really had liked talking to May and Dawn and hoped I could do more so later. Contests fascinated me and to have the chance to hear about it from two fresh Top Coordinators was something I didn't want to miss out on. But that would probably have to wait for later. One could easily tell the tension and anticipation in the air. They were obviously very much fired up for this event. And we had our own duties, too, after all.

While May and Dawn seemed nice enough – and I really meant it like that – I wasn't quite sure yet what to make of Ash. I had heard so much about him from Brock, however, the image in my mind didn't quite match reality. From all the stories I imagined an energetic and somewhat brash boy, kind but sometimes a little over the top. The young man I had met in the lobby was noticeably quieter, composed and with an aura of focused seriousness and readiness. Yes, Brock had said that he had changed before the Sinnoh League tournament but this much? He came over more as a seasoned soldier ready to spring into action.

Noticing Brock's stare, I looked back, then after several seconds we both laughed slightly. I suppose my comment still sounded somewhat forced. It wasn't like we had talked much other than about what happened to us and May before the shocking revelation... I still couldn't believe I had seen a live Mew! Perhaps more shocking than that was how... casual everyone had been around a Legendary Pokémon.

"Well, I was glad to show off my fiancée," Brock beamed and I was sure I was blushing quite heavily, immediately recalling once more that surprising and wonderful moment.

Flashback

The night sky was beautiful up here. For this alone I was glad that our pilot had taken a small stop here for the night. The island was out of the way of normal travel routes but a bit of an insider spot for its fantastic beaches and hotels. They were quite expensive, too, so normally we wouldn't be able to afford it. For that one night a rather luxurious suite had been reserved for us. Our pilot had called it a bonus for the great work.

Great work, right. I wish it had really been great work. No... No, that wasn't fair to all the other Pokémon we had managed to save. Altaria wouldn't have wanted that. It had been hard but I had come to terms with his... passing and with the fact that he surely would have rather been remembered for the good and not the bad. Therefore I would not mourn him any longer. That was the least I could do in his memory.

We had done a lot of good. Downplaying that and working myself into a sorry state because of not being able to save him would neither bring him back, nor would it help the many others who would still need my help in the future. Next time would be different. Next time I would be stronger. I had promised that at his grave and I would keep that promise.

"Such a sad expression does not befit a beautiful lady."

I turned with a gentle smile. Brock had stepped out onto the rather large balcony as well, the pale moonlight shimmering across his face in a mixture of shadow and faint light. I knew he probably worried about me and my state of mind after the funeral, even though I had tried to let him know that I had moved passed all this. I suppose it was natural to worry. I would as well.

"I'm not really sad. He wouldn't want me to. And so I would live. Live and save many more lives." But I realized then that I was wrong. It wasn't worry, not foremost that I could see in his gaze. There was something else. Nervousness? What for?

"I'm glad to hear it. You've really grown stronger through all of this." I ducked my head slightly at the compliment. I would like to say that wasn't true, that I hadn't been strong at all. However, that would only lead my thoughts down the path I had resolved not to travel. Perhaps, I really had grown stronger from this. My conviction definitely had. For all of Brock's attempts to get me motivated for battle, the events at Aprico had been much more of an eye-opener. Because they were real. Really real. Not the faked real danger, regardless of how much convincing Brock had used to motivate me.

I had no choice but to look at him again when he lifted my face back up and was left momentarily speechless by the powerful emotion I could see directed at me. The earnest, steadfast love. He had made me feel special almost from the beginning. Brock radiated security and shelter, he was someone that could always be relied on. Not an outgoing, overly energetic character, but more quiet and always with a good grasp on the situation.

I felt safe with him, knowing that he would always know the best way to even deal with a difficult and stressful situation. I think I was truly blessed to have met such a reliable man.

Right now there was something different though. He didn't seem quite as sure of himself as usual. "I really loved the old Ako. But I think I love this one even more." Well, he still was a good sweet talker at least. That's something he always could do and where other women might be put off, I liked these kind of comments. Growing up in a poor village and even after that with little contact outside the academy, I wasn't exactly used to being flirted with. Besides, I knew he was honest with every word, regardless how cheesy and overblown they might be.

"I..."

My attempt to return the affectionate word was stopped by a finger on my lips and then I could see determination settling into his whole body language. Before I could even begin to fathom the cause, he suddenly bent down on one knee and held out something to me. It was a small box, opened to reveal a very beautiful silver ring.

My heart skipped a beat... no probably a whole song. Was he...?

"Ako, would you marry me?"

End Flashback

It was the happiest day of my life and I hadn't really given a single thought to the forest fire and Altaria's death for the rest of our trip. Well, the night after the confession definitely had a rather mind-blowing effect! Oh god, did I really just think that?! Well better thinking than saying it out loud.

"Now that's a lovely expression."

I did blush again and swatted him on the arm. "Hush, you. For someone enjoying showing off his fiancée, you looked quite helpless when being questioned about it." The groan made me giggle. "I'm sure your friends can tell me a few embarrassing stories about your travels you have neglected to tell me as well."

Frantically, he waved his hands. "Alright, alright enough already. Remember what we are here for."

As if I could forget. The side trip might have served as a more serious distraction but we had been preparing for this so much, that being here also seemed routine procedure compared to Aprico Village. I'd like to think it would be far less hectic and nerve-wrecking, definitely far less dangerous. However, Brock seemed rather worried since our brief meeting with his friends... since seeing Mew.

We reached the infirmary wing of the Contest Hall in silence. Upon entering though we were immediately greeted by an unexpected face. "Ah, there you two are!" I looked up and immediately snapped to attention spotting none other than Cynthia walking towards us. I had only met her a few times in passing. Lance was chief responsible for Heal Bell normally. "I'm glad you made it after all."

In the corner of my eye I could see that Brock was far less surprised to see her here. "So are we. I suppose you aren't here for just a social call?" I gasped slightly at the rather direct question that some could consider just a little disrespectful of her station. This really was bothering him even more than I had suspected.

Cynthia just laughed though, not shocked at all, probably not even surprised by the question. "Believe it or not, I am. We've been promoting this event very strongly, so for this one I'll be part of the jury." Now that sounded a little bit too convenient, even for me. I would expect one of the Grand Masters of the League to have better things to do than spending several days grading performances in a Contest, regardless of how much they had hyped up the event in the beginning. Now, if this were the actual Harmony Cup and not just a qualification round I would understand but this...

"And I suppose it has nothing to do with recent events?" Brock seemed relentless to get his answers it seemed. If Cynthia was bothered by it, she wasn't showing it though.

"I see you met with your friends already. How much are you aware of?" The question was pointed and I was starting to feel more and more out of the loop. What exactly was going on here. This was about Team Rocket activities, right? I mean, I wasn't stupid. People talked, even in the academy. I also knew this was part of why Brock had insisted to raise up the level of my training. Somehow though I started to get the feeling there was a lot more going on here.

Was that why my fiancé had been so... spooked seeing Mew back there with his friends? There definitely was a story behind that one as well, one he hadn't told me about. What Mew had said still stuck in the back of my head. What had happened that could let Brock see it and no one else, or as the Legendary had put it: made it harder to hide from him?

"Far too little I am afraid. Were you aware they were travelling with... it?" The situation was getting more mysterious and ominous. No, perhaps this really wasn't going to be so ordinary and routine as I had initially believed. I hoped I was wrong but the sinking feeling in my gut told me otherwise.

Cynthia nodded solemnly. "Yes, for the last month in fact. If she doesn't want to tell you, I have no business to do so either." I reached out and placed a calming hand on Brock's shoulder. His scowl was rather obvious and it was disconcerting to see the usual calm and rational young man so riled up.

Cynthia obviously noticed that, too, and continued with a small sigh. "All I can tell you is that we are expecting a huge operation from Team Rocket, most likely somewhere in Kanto. The signs have been there for almost a year now and we've been preparing on our end as well. Since we haven't been able to figure out their target but expect them to try something drastic that will gain them a lot of attention, we had to cover a lot of key locations." And that was why she was here in the first place. At least that made sense. And the idea of what exactly Team Rocket could be trying that would need such a massive counter effort was mind-boggling and I really didn't want to think about it too much.

However, there was still more. She had pretty much confirmed that by denying the full scope. For me personally this was more than enough and I would prefer to stay oblivious. It bothered Brock though and as such it ultimately bothered me. We wouldn't get more right now though, even my fiancé knew that.

"Alright, I guess I'll accept that for now." The tension drained a little from him to my relief. "I'm just surprised then that you are here. I would have expected Leaf to be here." Who? Oh right, the girl that had fought his friend Ash in the final. She had been made an official Master after that, if I remembered correctly. Why would Brock expect her to be here? Maybe because of Ash. It hardly seemed enough of a valid reason to be that certain of her attendance though.

"She wanted to come. Unfortunately, something came up and she is tied up elsewhere." The blonde-haired woman smiled wryly. "And I did dabble a little in Contests when I was still travelling, so I at least know a little of what I'm doing while posing as a judge."

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(Dawn)

"I welcome all of you to this brand new event. Each and every one of you has already distinguished him- or herself in the Contest circuit and added their name to the list of those that are allowed to call themselves Top Coordinator. Now, without further delay, let me explain the rules of this qualification round."

"Finally," I muttered in swelling excitement. It was really interesting if you thought about it. How easy it was to forget all the troubles around you, the uncertain future, the concern about destiny and other such things. But it was there again. That feeling. Winning the Grand Festival had not diminished my excitement and passion for the stage in the slightest. As soon as I stood here with all the other competitors – the best of the best, just like me! – the motivation was there full force and recent events and their far-reaching consequences were little more than a background noise I could easily block out for the time being.

"Since the number of competitors is smaller than in ordinary Contests, things will be slightly different. We wish to provide you with a challenge quite unlike of what you are used to. All competitors will start out with two Appeal rounds and both scores combined will decide which sixteen will advance to the final rounds tomorrow and eventually the final the day afterwards. For both the Appeal and Battle rounds we will use two forms of stages, the one I am standing on is the normal one and the other is the field in the adjourning hall that I'm sure most of you have already seen."

Yes, I had. And it had puzzled me somewhat. The other one looked more like a specified arena in a Gym with differently modeled terrain. The participants had not been informed beforehand about the rules and proceedings of this Contest, obviously in order to keep us surprised. I could see that some looked a little worried about the prospect. Terrain added a whole new element to performance. A lot more could be done with it but you could also easily mess something up. However, I suspected the judges would expect us to make use of it.

"All of you are participating here to gain a place for the Harmony Cup, an event that will put Trainers and Coordinators together. You will need to show that you are able to adapt to new situations because mixed battles will most certainly be part of the event," Lillian continued and pretty much confirmed my theory about the idea behind these changes.

"Ah, so that's what they were up to," said Zoey and she looked as excited as I felt at the prospect. It had been a nice surprise. May and Brock weren't the only ones we had met again. I suppose I should have expected that none of them would have let a chance like this pass. Not only Zoey but also Nando who recently had made his title in Johto were participating.

"It sounds fun. I've been doing a lot of training like that, so it shouldn't be a problem to improvise." Of course, that's what it was all about. By keeping something like this a secret, they were forcing us to improvise our performance on the spot. Battles were one thing but Appeals might just turn out to be the crux. Everyone was so used to perform on a set, solid stage, you wouldn't even think of working the terrain into your plans for the performance.

"Heh, you are not the only one who got better. Just watch, I don't plan to fall behind." I grinned back, remembering our promise from after the Sinnoh League. Yes, I really wanted to fight Zoey again and settle the score between us. Nando had done well against Leaf and surely had only improved, so he would be a hard opponent as well. Of course, no one here was easy.

There was the boy that seemed to be May's rival as well. I think Ash had mentioned him a few times. He was not to be trifled with either. And then, of course there was May herself. I really got the feeling she would be the hardest to beat. On top of that her attitude was... strange. I couldn't put a finger on it but something rubbed me the wrong way. More than once I had caught her sneaking concealed glances at Ash – which already got me suspicious enough – but then threw me off by giving me the same weird looks I couldn't interpret. Something was up.

This was not the time though. I assumed I would learn whatever was up with her soon enough. Right now I had a Contest to concentrate on. The competition was high and one mistake, one lapse in concentration could lead to defeat. And that was the last thing I wanted. After all, if I won, it would enable Ash to pick the other partner and I rather hoped we could keep this choice instead of getting stuck with someone we didn't want or would have trouble working with.

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Starting right of the bat, huh? So much for a lack of pressure.

Luck hadn't been kind to me and I had to do the very first Appeal. The question whether to set the bar high or not was rather mood. The first Appeal would be on a normal stage and that was what we had practiced for. At this point, a flawless execution was the best we could do.

"Togekiss, spotlight!"

The Appeal we had planned wasn't going to be the most spectacular light show. Oh, it would be flashy but that wasn't the point. "Let's begin! Aura Sphere!" Togekiss formed the attack and as soon as I called for it, formed two more, the first two floating and hovering a little up to the left and right. Already this was showing a great control. Aura Sphere was something generated more from physical energy – or chi – it was hard to control and keep from dissipating once separated from the body. Of course, Togekiss despite not being a Psychic type had just as much of its abilities.

Now for the real show. I took out a set of five small discuses and threw them in the air in quick succession. I had just recently started to learn to do this properly. The training from Mew had been most helpful. Exerting my mind I began to control the flight of the discs. At the same time Togekiss fired off her three Aura Spheres and for several seconds it became a game of who could control their objects better.

Of course, I was hardly adequate at this, especially when it came to complex maneuvers while Togekiss magnificently demonstrated that she could easily not only maintain but control the Aura Spheres like homing rockets. It wasn't long until my discs had all been shot down.

"Great work, let's wrap it up." The three Aura Spheres suddenly arced upwards where they came together, for awhile not touching as they spun very closely around each other. In fact they were spinning closer and closer until to the casual observer they seemed to merge together. Only that there was nothing seemingly in there.

Now for the flashy part. "Use Fire Blast." That was a move we had worked on as of late to give Togekiss some more flexibility against other types. Now it served a spectacular finish as the blast that looked like a five-pointed star out of flames raced into the big Aura Sphere, making it – or so it seemed while in truth even that was part of Togekiss' control – explode in a mixture of blue energy and red fire, its particles raining down around Togekiss like a curtain of light.

END 02-07a, click next to continue...