Author's Note:
Longest chapter I've ever written. I would've split it into two, but...I think it just had to be a long chapter. So...let's get to it.
Warning: Things are a little dark in this chapter...
Chapter 29: Serena's Confession
"Bonjour tout le monde!" a loud voice blared through the theatre, causing Serena to wince just a little as she and her friends stood in the lobby, waiting for Fantina to bring her and Shauna backstage. "Please make your way to the theatre and take your seats. Your host, yours truly, will be with you in a few minutes." The announcer, apparently a friend of Fantina's named Madame Adalene, was busy informing the many students crowding into the theatre about where to go and the lineup for today's events. It was starting to give Serena a headache, as the same messages were getting repeated over and over again, and she'd been standing there for about fifteen minutes.
"You okay, Serena, you look pretty tired?" Shauna asked, peering closer at her friend while stroking her Skitty that was in her arms.
Serena shook her head, rubbing her temples a moment before looking up at a clock, wondering why Fantina couldn't just hurry up. "I'm all right," she lied, "I just want to get to the performances already. I can't wait to show Absol what they're all about."
"Sol absol," Absol growled, shuffling closer to Serena as a crowd of students passed them, heading through the doors into the theatre. He was clearly anxious for it to start as well, but Serena had a feeling it had more to do with getting away from the people stomping their feet all around him. She felt pretty bad about it, as he'd been quite excited earlier in the morning at the Pokemon Centre. Now, though, he was understandably nervous about the crowds of people. Serena could even see his bad legs shaking.
"I'll make sure Absol's safe so he can enjoy the performances," Ash promised, glancing at Absol and then looking up at Serena, obviously having seen the nervousness in the Disaster Pokemon. "We'll cheer you on together, right Absol?"
Absol didn't really acknowledge Ash's words, instead staring around nervously once more. Serena supposed the day before had been a little easier on him since he'd been kept near her at the front of the stands during the battles. Today, though, the entire crowd of people was within view and all around him. For a Pokemon that didn't have much reason to trust humans, it definitely wasn't the best place. Serena felt even worse knowing that she'd have to leave his side for her Performance. Hopefully he can focus on that and it will make him more comfortable, she thought, giving him a comforting smile.
"So what's the plan for you and Shauna?" Tierno asked, after a few more minutes of waiting, while Serena did her best to keep Absol calm, Ash and Pikachu doing their best to help. The noise lessened a little bit, but much of the crowd could still be heard through the doors from inside the theatre. "Who's doing the Theme Performance and who's doing the Freestyle Performance?"
"I think I'll try the Theme Performance again," Shauna said, Serena nodding in agreement. Shauna had told her the previous night that Skitty had shown interest in some of the Theme Performances when they'd been watching some of them back in Lumiose City. Serena was perfectly happy with that, as she was excited to show Absol the Freestyle Performance.
"I bet Skitty will really enjoy that," Clemont said, stroking the little Kitten Pokemon's fur as he held it. Serena bit back a laugh, realizing it was one of the few times Shauna had allowed him to take Skitty. She'd probably been tempted to keep it with her, but Clemont had pointed out it would be easiest for Skitty to watch with the group, so they could explain things.
"Make sure nothing happens to her, okay Clemont?" Shauna warned, narrowing her eyes as a door opened down a hallway, where Serena could see Fantina stepping out, accompanied by a familiar face, that immediately made her nervous. "I don't want Skitty getting lost."
"Don't worry," Clemont muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "Skitty's in good hands...just like when I had the egg." Serena thought she heard him muttering something else, but was quickly distracted as Fantina walked up next to Dawn and Tierno, looking quite excited about the upcoming matches.
"Bonjour!" she greeted excitedly, as the woman behind her stepped around, making her way over to Serena, who turned around to meet her as she approached.
"Hello Serena," Palermo said, nodding to the young Performer, who ignored the conversation Dawn and Tierno were having with Fantina so she could focus on Palermo.
"Hi Ms. Palermo," Serena replied a little quietly. This time, it was Absol who comforted her, nuzzling her hand, before looking up at Palermo curiously. "Um...I didn't expect to see you here."
Palermo shrugged, narrowing her eyes at a group of Shalour students who stormed past, making a great deal of noise as they laughed and cheered, booing the Lumiose students as they entered the theatre. "I need to make sure I'm aware of all the up and coming performers, Serena. The IPL provides an opportunity to do so. I'm also involved in some of the judging." She seemed to notice Serena's eyes widen at that and smiled. "You didn't think you'd avoid me in your performances, did you?"
Serena laughed weakly at that, trying to be polite. "I guess I just thought you were sticking to the Showcases."
"Generally, yes, but I was around, and Gurkinn and Madame Adalene asked me to participate in today's judging." Palermo's eyes then drifted down, noticing Absol for the first time. She studied him a moment, causing him to tense up, which Serena could feel as he was quite close to her. "A new Pokemon? Will this one be performing with you today?"
"Oh...no," Serena said, smiling down at Absol, hoping to ease his tension a little. "It's a long story, but Absol was hurt by a Pokemon Hunter and he escaped about a month ago. Ash and Flint saved him, and then I've been helping him recover. He's here to learn about performances since I showed him one on TV and he seemed interested after following me to one of my training sessions."
Palermo raised her eyebrows at that, looking back at Absol, before resting her eyes on Serena once more. "This is that Absol?" Serena nodded, surprised to see Palermo looking...impressed? "I was there that day. I was unaware that you were so involved. I had thought the issue had been resolved with the Hunter being caught."
Absol growled at that, clearly not enjoying the topic of the conversation going to his former captor. "Sol..." he growled again, looking up at Serena.
"Don't worry, Absol, we don't have to talk about that," Serena whispered, petting his neck fur, calming him a little. "He only just got out of the Pokemon Centre," she explained to Palermo, "so this is all a bit much for him."
"Understandable," Palermo nodded, looking at her watch. "Well, Serena, I suppose I'd better go and get myself seated with the judges. Good luck in your Performance. I hope Absol will enjoy it and learn from it. You two seem very close."
Palermo gave one last little wave, before making her way into the theatre, nodding towards Fantina as she went through the doors. Serena sighed, feeling a little more pressure now that Palermo was here. She glanced down at Absol, who looked back, his gaze showing concern for her now. "Don't worry, I'll perform as well as I can, Absol. Palermo will be tough to please, but today, I'm performing for you. Winning doesn't matter, just as long as you enjoy it."
Absol seemed pretty surprised by that, and didn't really get a chance to react as Fantina quickly called out to Serena, with Shauna behind her as she started making her way down the hall. "It iz time to go, Serena. Come along now."
Serena gave one last smile to Absol and waved to the rest of her friends, before running off after Fantina and Shauna. Once she caught up to them, she could hear the loud cheer of the audience in the theatre as Madame Adalene's voice was heard. Serena glanced up at a TV screen on one of the walls, seeing a woman in a blue dress with long blonde hair on the stage, smiling and waving at the crowd.
"Oh zat Adalene just loves ze spotlight!" Fantina laughed out, just as their group reached the doors that led backstage. Fantina opened the door, gesturing for Serena and Shauna to enter. "You two should get dressed quickly. Ze Theme Performance will start in about five minutes."
Serena and Shauna nodded, quickly heading towards the small changing rooms once backstage. Serena could see that their opponents, Desiree and Kathy were already dressed, the former in a dress with different flowers all over it, the latter simply in a pink apron over her regular outfit. Serena gave them a quick greeting, while they told Shauna that they'd just been informed the Theme Performance was a baking competition, handing her an apron.
Once Serena was in the dressing room, she pulled out her red and pink Performance dress, placing it on a counter in front of her. She paused a moment, listening to Madame Adalene getting the crowd ever more excited. She could even here the introductions of the judges, with Shalour's Nurse Joy and the returning Monsieur Contesta getting loud cheers, along with some excited murmuring for Palermo. Apparently she was reasonably well known here in Shalour, at least for those interested in the performances. It only made Serena think more about what Palermo's judgement could mean.
Another minute passed while Serena stood there, thinking. She knew Palermo thought highly of her performances, but she'd suggested Lumiose University for a reason. If she didn't see the progress she expected, would she bother with Serena anymore? What if she hadn't changed? What if she'd changed too much? Could this one Performance affect everything?
"Serena, you okay in there?" Shauna's voice called, with a quick knock on the door.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Serena called back, sighing and shaking her head. "Get a grip, Serena," she whispered to herself. "It's one Performance. Show Absol just how fun they are."
As Serena finally started to get changed, though, she couldn't help but think of Gabby's approach to performing, wondering once more if that was Palermo's approach. Serena had tried to think of it the same way, as nothing more than a career, but the more time she spent showing Absol videos of performances on TV and telling stories about her own, the idea of treating them so differently made her somewhat sick. There was more to it than that. If Palermo didn't see it that way...
She shook her head, knowing she needed to clear her mind before the performances began. She couldn't let Palermo make her nervous. And, she still had Shauna to support. Serena quickly finished up, stepping out of the changing room and seeing Shauna standing near the right side of the curtains of the stage with her Ivysaur, while at the other side, Kathy stood with a Tepig. Serena quickly made her way over to Shauna, hearing the crowd cheer as Madame Adalene announced the beginning of the Theme Performance, presumably showing off the cooking materials. It still confused Serena how a baking competition could be exciting for a crowd of people, but she ignored that as she approached Shauna.
"Ready for the Performance?" she asked, giving Ivysaur a small smile before looking at Shauna.
"I guess so," Shauna said, peering around the curtain, looking at the audience. "It's a little weird that Palermo is here, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Serena said, nodding, biting her lip a little. "That makes things a little tougher, I suppose, but just stick to what you can do. You and Ivysaur are great at this kind of thing."
"Not as good as you," Shauna muttered, sighing as she looked back. "Your pokepuffs always get everyone so excited. Mine are okay, but definitely not as good as yours."
"That's ridiculous," Serena argued. "Shauna, just do your best. You don't need to make them perfect, you just need to make them the way you can."
"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" Madame Adalene called out, interrupting Shauna before she could say anything else to Serena. "It is time for us to meet our Performers for ze Theme Performance. From Shalour College, pleaze welcome Kathy!" The crowd roared in approval as the Shalour student stepped up on stage. Serena shifted over to see past the curtain, seeing Kathy and her Tepig standing in front of a table with ingredients which stood next to an oven. "And, Kathy's opponent from ze visiting Lumiose University, we have Shauna!" Adalene announced. There were some boos, some polite applause and some loud cheers from the Lumiose contingent near the front of the audience. Serena even noticed Korrina with her Shalour teammates on the other side of the theatre, cheering loudly for Shauna.
"Come on, Shauna..." Serena whispered, seeing her friend take her place with Ivysaur standing next to her. Her eyes went to her friends, cheering as Adalene informed the audience of the rules of the competition. Each Performer would bake a batch of pokepuffs, using only the ingredients provided and the help of their Pokemon. Serena could see Absol watching closely, sitting next to Ash in the aisle. He still looked nervous, wincing at the loud noises, but Serena could see him watching the stage with interest. He was there to learn everything he could, and Serena couldn't wait to show him what she had to offer.
As Serena watched Absol, simply interested to see how he would enjoy this part of the competition, she became somewhat lost, not really noticing the baking beginning. Her eyes drifted over to the stage when she heard Adalene compliment Shauna's Ivysaur on using Vine Whipe to stir the ingredients and Kathy's Tepig on sniffing out fresh berries.
As both sides continued to work, Serena glanced up towards the judges, seeing Palermo watching with narrowed eyes. The old Performance expert watched both trainers closely, leaning forward with interest as they each commanded their Pokemon in placing the pokepuffs in the oven. Kathy used Tepig to heat her pokepuffs a little quicker, while Shauna had Ivysaur use Sweet Scent in the oven, baking the pokepuffs in the pleasant aroma.
The crowd was fairly quiet as pokepuffs began to bake, each trainer quick to get to work on making the different toppings. Serena could see now why Kathy had used Tepig to make her pokepuffs heated quickly, as her toppings appeared to be fairly complicated, with many berries and different icings, while Shauna seemed more focused on sticking to a precise recipe.
When the pokepuffs finished baking, with Kathy's finishing earlier thanks to Tepig, each trainer set to work on decorating them with various toppings. Serena had to admit that Kathy's pokepuffs looked impressive, her toppings very carefully arranged on top, taking full advantage of the extra time she'd earned herself. She also caught a whiff of Shauna's pokepuffs, though, and smiled, knowing that using Ivysaur's Sweet Scent had made them smell perfect. It would all come down to taste and who had managed to work better with their Pokemon.
"And time is up!" Madame Adalene called, a buzzer going just before her announcement. The crowd began murmuring in excitement as the trays of pokepuffs were carried up towards the judges, who each had a Munchlax with them to help judge. Serena noticed the Munchlax in front of Nurse Joy look equally content with both pokepuffs, however, the Pokemon Nurse surprisingly leaned forward towards her microphone and declared Kathy's to be superior, both in taste and appearance, while judging the work of the Pokemon to be equal. Serena immediately clenched her fists, frustration welling up inside of her. She then looked at Monsieur Contesta, who examined the pokepuffs carefully, while the Munchlax in front of him inhaled them both instantly. This time, Shauna's were declared better, the crowd booing in response to Contesta's ruling, while Serena did a little cheer from her spot.
"Now it's Palermo," Serena then whispered to herself, heart racing as she watched the Performance expert lean forward, peering closely at the pokepuffs.
"Fine work from both Performers," she finally said, surprising Serena a little with the immediate praise. "In fact, both would likely do quite well in a Rookie Class Showcase with these." The Munchlax in front of her then ate his two pokepuffs, looking quite pleased with the snack and looking around for more. "Shauna was particularly capable in utilizing Ivysaur's connection with nature, while Kathy was exceptional in using Tepig's sense of smell and fire typing. Both are equal in terms of taste, so it comes down to who worked better with their Pokemon. I believe that while Shauna understood her Pokemon's capabilities, she wasn't able to use them in the same way as Kathy to maximize their potential. Shalour College earns the point."
Serena's shoulders sagged in disappointment as the crowd cheered, and the two Performers started leaving the stage. Two Machokes then came out on stage to clear off the baking materials, while Shauna stepped around the curtain, giving Serena a disappointed look. "I thought I was going to win that one," she admitted, not even able to make eye contact. "I'm not sure what else I could've done."
"You did great, Shauna," Serena said, noticing Desiree and Kathy high-fiving at the other end of the stage. "Tepig just gave Kathy the advantage with time, so it was harder for you and Ivysaur to make your pokepuffs the best they could be.
"I should be prepared for that kind of thing," Shauna muttered, sighing as she took off her apron and tossed it onto a table near the side of the backstage room. "I really wanted to show Skitty what I could do, too."
Serena knew what Shauna meant, and glanced back out towards the audience, seeing Absol nervously glancing around, while Ash seemed to be trying to keep him calm. Next to them, Clemont held Skitty in his arms, the Kitten Pokemon looking quite invigorated by the noise of the crowd. Almost the opposite of Absol. She seemed to be giving Clemont a hard time with all of her excitement.
"I think Skitty enjoyed it, Shauna," Serena pointed out, laughing a little as she noticed Clemont trying to keep the Kitten Pokemon from playing with his glasses. "That's a future Performance Pokemon that you've got there."
"You think so?" Shauna asked, peering over Serena's shoulder to see what she was pointing out. It seemed to make her feel better immediately, and Serena stepped back, looking towards the stage instead, Madame Adalene now standing in the centre as the last Machoke left the stage.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for us to begin ze Freestyle Performance!" she announced, the crowd excitedly cheering once again. Serena couldn't help but look over to the other side, seeing her next opponent, Desiree looking back. They exchanged a small smile, a little better sportswomanship than had been shown in Serena's last match, before both looking back towards the stage and Adalene. "Let us now meet ze lovely ladies who will be performing. For ze hometown Shalour College, we have Desiree! And for ze visiting Lumiose University, we have Serena!"
"Good luck, Serena," Shauna quickly said, as Serena made her way out onto the stage, waving to the crowd, despite many people booing her. She focused her gaze on her friends, though, seeing them all cheering as loudly as they could, which easily drowned out the sound of the boos to her, especially when she even saw Absol shouting out to her.
Madame Adalene was quick to announce the rules of the Freestyle Performance, which the Shalour crowd seemed to know already, with their team having already competed once before. As she did her quick recap, though, Serena stood, readying herself for her Performance. She'd definitely trained hard since her loss to Gabby, and her desire to show Absol the fun of performing only fired her up even more. She was ready to win this.
Once Adalene had finally explained the rules, the Performance was set to begin, and she made her way to the back of the stage. "Ze first Performer who will be taking ze stage will be...Serena, for Lumiose University!" The crowd gave some polite applause, a few of them booing again, while Serena stepped forward, taking her place at the centre of the stage, Desiree making her way back to stand near Adalene.
Serena took a deep breath, pulling out two pokeballs as she looked out towards the crowd. Her eyes wandered upwards, seeing Palermo staring back. She'd already ruled against Lumiose University once, so Serena knew that Palermo wasn't going to be easy to please, but in that moment, she glanced again towards Absol, who looked ecstatic to see her taking the stage, Ash still cheering next to him. This Performance was for Absol, and all her friends. It wasn't to please Palermo, it wasn't to show she could compete with Gabby, it was to make her friends happy.
"Braixen, Pancham, come on out!" Serena finally called, throwing her pokeballs up into the air, the lights flashing and revealing her two Pokemon. They each flipped through the air, landing softly on the stage in front of Serena, bowing to the crowd, already causing some of the stubborn hometown crowd to cheer.
"Let ze Performance begin!" Madame Adalene called, and with one last glance towards Absol, Serena started.
"Braixen, flip to the left, and use Flamethrower! Pancham, to the right and use Dark Pulse!" Serena yelled, quickly sliding back herself to give her Pokemon room.
"Braixen brai!" Braixen quickly called, doing a flip and a cartwheel to the left, before pulling out her branch-wand and sending flames up at a diagonal angle, which immediately met the Dark Pulse that Pancham had fired. The two attacks connected, battering against one another, creating a sphere above the stage that flickered between purple, red, black and yellow as the flames mixed with the dark, swirling energy from Dark Pulse. It was like some kind of warped disco ball, casting the whole stage in shadows and bright light as it flickered.
"Now, back to the middle of the stage!" Serena called, running forward just as her Pokemon answered, keeping their attacks going as the ran to meet her. They met at centre stage in the same moment, Braixen reaching out and grabbing Serena's hand while still holding up her branch-wand with her other arm. Meanwhile, Pancham leaped up, Serena catching him in her right arm. The three of them then began to spin, the flames and dark energy swirling together above them, looking like a tornado as they spun around. Pancham then jumped out of Serena's arm, just as she let Braixen go, while Serena herself flipped back, her two Pokemon releasing their attacks as purple, yellow and orange sparks shot out from the ball of energy shining over top of the stage. "Pancham, use Stone Edge, and Braixen, Hidden Power!" Serena shouted, pointing straight up to the spinning, black and orange "disco ball".
"Cham!" Pancham answered, flipping back and somersaulting over Braixen's head, slamming his fist hard into the ground. Serena tensed up, seeing Braixen prepare for her lift. She jumped, just as the light blue stone erupted from the ground beneath her. She landed on the stone in front as it rose up just as she began to land. The Fox Pokemon hopped from stone to stone, quickly reaching the furthest one at the edge of the stage, before forming the silvery orb in her arms and firing it upwards, where it exploded against the sparking ball of energy that had begun to fall.
"BraiiiXEN!" Braixen yelled, flipping back along the stones just as Pancham jumped up to meet her at the back one. Meanwhile, the colliding spheres of energy at the front of the stage seemed to join one another, becoming one bright light before exploding in silver, purple, red, yellow and orange dust. The stones all then began to descend, Braixen leaning down and helping raise Serena off the ground as she jumped up to the one in front of her two Pokemon. The three of them then bowed, just as the stones dissolved, leaving them at centre stage.
"C'est magnifique!" Madame Adalene shouted, clapping from her spot backstage. The audience seemed to hesitate a moment, but led by Korrina at the front of the crowd, the whole theatre erupted in cheers, unable to show any displeasure for Serena's Performance. Her eyes quickly went to her friends, seeing them on their feet, cheering louder than anyone, while Absol had even risen up, eyes shining as he looked back at her.
Serena quickly thanked her two Pokemon as they all made their way back to stand next to Adalene, while Desiree stepped forward to the middle of the stage. It wasn't over yet, Serena knew, as they still needed to compete in the simultaneous performances. Not to mention, Desiree could still pull out an even more impressive Performance.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for Desiree!" Adalene shouted, just as the Shalour Performer called out a Medicham and a Roserade, the latter fitting her flowery dress perfectly. Serena glanced one last time to her friends before Desiree began, excited to get out there one more time with how excited they seemed to be. She blinked in surprise, though, noticing Absol wincing as he sat back down, glancing up at the stage a little nervously, specifically looking at...
"Medicham, start things off with Meditate!" Desiree called, the fighting and psychic type immediately glowing in a blue aura and floating up above its trainer, manoeuvring itself into a meditating position. "Roserade, use Magical Leaf!"
Serena had a hard time focusing on the Performance, seeing the somewhat panicked look in Absol's eyes. He'd looked so excited earlier, so she couldn't tell why he would be so uneasy at the sight of Desiree's Performance. As Medicham began using Psychic to control the movement of Roserade's Magical Leaf, the glowing, swirling leaves creating a perfect stage for Desiree and Roserade's dance routine, Serena watched Absol carefully, seeing him relax just a little as the Performance continued, whatever nervous thoughts that had been in his head, seemingly disappearing.
As Desiree's routine ended, with Roserade using a Sunny Day and Synthesis combination, glowing alongside the floating Medicham, Serena locked eyes with Absol, giving him an encouraging smile, hoping he'd enjoy the final stage of her routine.
The crowd cheered as Desiree and her Pokemon moved towards the left side of the stage, and Serena and hers stepped up towards the right side of the stage. "And now, tout le monde, it is time for ze simultaneous Performance. Serena and Desiree will compete for ze judges' and audience's attention. When ze Performance concludes, we will zen decide on ze winner!"
Serena again looked up towards Palermo, who was leaning forward with interest, before her gaze drifted once more to Absol. The Disaster Pokemon was still eyeing Desiree's Medicham nervously, clearly uncomfortable with it for some reason. Serena had no idea what it could be, and could see Ash had noticed as well, the raven-haired trainer leaning over and trying to calm Absol down, Pikachu hopping down and also trying to help. Serena just had to hope her Performance would help him calm down.
And at that moment, it began, with a buzzer going and Madame Adalene calling for the performances to begin. Serena hesitated for just a moment, Desiree getting the early start, with Medicham and Roserade using a Magical Leaf and Psychic combination once more, Roserade also lighting up the stage with Sunny Day to make their combination more visible. Serena quickly shook her head, setting to work herself.
"Pancham, jump forward and use Stone Edge!" she yelled, pointing ahead, while Braixen reached out and held her hand, knowing this part of the routine well. The two jumped backwards as Pancham leaped forward, slamming his little fist into the ground, the light blue stones shooting up in a line in front of him. Serena and Braixen then began running forward, Serena calling for a Flamethrower as they began to run, separating just as they reached the stones, one going either side. Braixen's flames licked the side of the stone as she ran in a circle around the first one, Serena keeping an equal distance from her as she also ran around. The Fox Pokemon then tossed her branch-wand over to top, Serena catching it perfectly on the other side, completing the ring of fire as they ran around.
Serena tossed the branch back to Braixen as they began circling the next stone, Pancham bracing himself behind them as he prepared his next attack, ready for whenever Serena called on him. She and Braixen continued their little dance, dashing around Pancham's Stone Edge line, creating a ring of fire around each one. As they reached the front of the stage, Serena cast a quick glance over to Desiree, seeing her having Medicham use Fire Punch on the leaves from Magical Leaf, creating green dust around it.
Serena glanced back towards Pancham, seeing him ready to unleash his attack, and she nodded, smiling and jumping to the left as Braixen jumped to the right. "Dark Pulse!" she yelled, the Playful Pokemon answering immediately.
"Cham!" Pancham's swirling blast of purple and black energy erupted forth and exploded against the flaming blue stones. Blue dust with fiery sparks shot up along the stage in a straight line, Serena and Braixen immediately meeting in the centre and dancing through it, Pancham running up and landing on the outstretched arms, before they tossed him up with all their might, looking up to see him somersault through the air, lit up in the light from Desiree's Sunny Day, the blue dust shining around him.
Serena couldn't help but look quickly towards Palermo, stunned to see the older woman smiling as she watched. In fact, all the judges eyes were on her. She was winning! As Pancham landed in her arms once again and Serena and Braixen prepared to throw him up once more with Braixen, she glanced towards Desiree, wondering just how far ahead she might be, seeing the Shalour Performer stepping back and ordering Medicham to use High Jump Kick on Roserade's Solar Beam. It was just bracing itself to jump up when-
"Sol!" Serena froze, time almost still as she watched the pink, crescent shaped attack sail through the air, striking Medicham in the chest, sending the Meditate Pokemon flying backwards and into a stunned Desiree.
"Absol, stop!" Her gaze snapped to where her friends were sitting, immediately letting go of Braixen. Serena could see Ash jumping out of his seat, Pikachu hopping onto his shoulder, running up the steps towards the back of the theatre. An explosion near the back sent the doors bursting open, and Serena saw a white shape slipping through the opening, sending another pink, crescent shaped attack back towards the approaching Ash, who was struck and sent tumbling down the stairs. It didn't stop him, though, and the raven-haired trainer was on his feet immediately, running right back up.
Serena knew what she had to do. She quickly pulled out her two pokeballs, recalling both Braixen and Pancham inside, before running up to the edge of the stage, hearing Madame Adalene calling out to her, warning her that she would forfeit if she left. "I don't care!" Serena called back, dropping down off the stage and setting off up the stairs, feeling slow as she tried to run with her dress. She could hear footsteps behind her, and knew her friends were following, but ignored it as she reached the top. She glanced over to see Palermo looking towards her, her expression unreadable, and then exited the theatre and entered the lobby.
"Ow..." Serena's eyes widened, seeing Ash up ahead, lying on his back, Pikachu next to him, looking at him in concern.
"Ash!" Serena ran up to him, kneeling down and helping him sit up. He held his chest, wincing and looking towards the doors that led outside.
"I'm sorry, Serena," he said, avoiding eye contact with her. "I don't know what happened. Absol suddenly got all freaked out, and he just attacked and started running. I thought I could catch up to him, but he used Psycho Cut on me. This is all my fault."
"No, no it isn't," Serena assured him, helping him get to his feet. "It was...I don't know, it doesn't matter. We just have to find him. Who knows how long he can handle running with his legs the way they are?"
"We'll help, Serena." She whipped around, seeing their friends having emerged from the theatre, Korrina also there, standing next to Clemont. She was the one who'd spoken. "I know Shalour City better than anyone here, so I can cover more ground than anyone."
"My big brother and I can go with you!" Bonnie said, grabbing onto Clemont's and Korrina's hands, clearly not allowing any debate on the matter.
"I can check around the theatre and see if he's hidden anywhere close by," Trevor suggested, Marie and Shauna offering to go with him.
"Okay, Ash and I will check along the beach and near the forest," Serena said, looking towards Dawn and Tierno. "You two stay here. You still have battles to win."
"What? No, Serena, that's not important right now," Dawn argued, hitting Tierno on the arm, encouraging him to say so as well.
"We'll be fine with all of us searching. I don't want to lose us anymore points. You two represent Lumiose University while we search. We might even find Absol before you're done."
Tierno sighed, while Dawn folded her arms, neither of them liking the sound of that, but Serena gave them a look that said there was no arguing, and eventually the two of them nodded. "Fine," Dawn muttered, taking a deep breath. "Just...make sure you find him."
With that, the searching party made their way towards the doors, exiting the lobby and stepping outside. Korrina, Clemont and Bonnie immediately started running down a path to the left, while Trevor, Shauna and Marie started heading off into the bushes around the theatre. Serena took a deep breath, looking ahead towards the beach, while Ash placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him, Serena. Don't worry."
"So where should we start, Korrina?" Clemont asked, as their group ran along the path leading towards the city. The running part wasn't easy, but the Lumiose Gym Leader wasn't letting his bad stamina get in the way of helping in the search for Absol.
"I doubt Absol would go into the middle of the city if he's freaked out, so we should focus our search on outer edge. We could also check out the Pokemon Centre just in case he was hurt and someone took him there." She glanced back towards the theatre, which was already out of sight. "Hopefully that's not what happened, though."
"I wonder why he was so freaked out," Clemont said, as they continued running, keeping their eyes wide open for any sight of Absol. "He seemed to be enjoying the Performance. Then he just suddenly attacked that Medicham and ran for it."
"Ash and Serena rescued him from a Pokemon Hunter, right?" Korrina asked, a thoughtful look on her face as they slowed down, reaching a row of houses. Clemont nodded, trying to catch his breath as they paused, looking around to see if there was any sign of the Disaster Pokemon. "It's possible that something was reminding him of when he was caught. He won't just be physically damaged from that experience."
"Poor Absol," Bonnie said sadly, looking down nervously at Dedenne, resting in her bag. "Do you think we'll find him before anything else bad happens to him?"
Korrina looked at Bonnie in surprise, almost as though she'd forgotten Clemont's sister was also there. She then smiled, leaning down and placing a comforting hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "You don't think Clemont's going to let anything bad happen, do you, Bonnie?"
Bonnie looked overjoyed at that statement, and if the circumstances were different, Clemont was sure his little sister would have proposed to Korrina right then and there. Fortunately, she didn't, although it didn't stop Clemont's cheeks from heating up as Korrina looked back and winked at him. "No, Clemont will beat any old Pokemon Hunter that tries to hurt any of our Pokemon," Bonnie said confidently. "He is the Lumiose Gym Leader after all."
"Right, so let's keep looking, and we'll find Absol in no time. And if anyone gets in our way, Clemont will take care of it," Korrina said, standing back up and pulling out a pokeball. "And maybe Lucario can help us out as well," she added, tossing up the pokeball and releasing the Aura Pokemon in front of her.
Clemont decided that was a good idea, and quickly threw up two of his own pokeballs, the lights flashing before revealing Bunnelby and Turtwig. "All right, Bunnelby and Turtwig, I need your help, okay?" Clemont asked his two Pokemon, who quickly looked towards him. He was relieved to see Turtwig look a little more serious, supposing it was the tone of Clemont's voice that had him fully attentive. "We're looking for Serena's Absol." He didn't know why he referred to Absol that way, but decided it didn't matter, looking along the row of houses as he continued. "We're not sure where he might've gone, but it's possible he hid somewhere around the edge of the city. Bunnelby, you check around the middle area of houses, and Turtwig, you check the houses near the beach."
"Twig!"
"Bunnel!"
His two Pokemon quickly set off, Korrina's Lucario also running off, Korrina telling him to check near the Pokemon Centre. Bonnie even had Dedenne sniffing around some of the bushes nearby, hoping to pick up some kind of sent.
"Maybe we should see if anyone around here has seen anything," Korrina suggested, noticing a couple of people walking a Furfrou on a sidewalk up ahead. She quickly made her way over to them, while Bonnie called Clemont over to help her search some of the bushes with Dedenne.
"So Clemont, Korrina seems like a real keeper, don't you think?" Bonnie asked, eyes lighting up in joy as she looked at her brother.
"This isn't the time, Bonnie," Clemont muttered, shaking his head in exasperation, looking over in surprise as Dedenne's cheeks sparked. Bonnie brought his attention back to her, though, tugging on his arm.
"But Clemont, she chose to help us and look for Absol with you. Don't you know think that means something?" Bonnie giggled as Clemont's cheeks began heating up again and he looked away, pretending to be very focused on the bushes in front of him. He started rummaging around them, not really paying attention.
"Bonnie, can you just...ah!" His eyes widened suddenly as pain shot through his hand and he leaped back, almost knocking over a surprised Korrina who had just made her way back. "Ouch! What was that?" It had felt like an electric shock, and his eyes immediately went to Dedenne, who was once again standing silently, cheeks sparking, the sparks seemingly attracted to the bush that Clemont had been searching in.
"Bee bee!" came an angry sound from the bushes, a yellow arm poking out from the top. Suddenly, the bushes started rustling and Bonnie jumped back in surprise, running to stand with Clemont and Korrina as a yellow Pokemon with black stripes emerged, its head sparking at the top where what appeared to be some kind of plug-like horns poking out.
"It's an Elekid," Korrina pointed out, taking a step forward to look at the electric type more closely. "I've never seen one from around here before. I wonder what it's doing here." She took another step closer, which seemed to surprise Elekid, who quickly held up an arm, the end of it sparking as it looked at her threateningly.
"Bee bee!" Elekid growled, narrowing its eyes.
"Hey, I'm not going to do- AHHHH!" Clemont quickly ran forward as Elekid's horns began sparking and unleashed a bolt of electricity forward. He reached Korrina, but not in time to pull her out of the way. Rather, he was unfortunate enough to get shocked by the bolt as well, the two of them collapsing on the ground as Elekid started laughing at them.
"Clemont! Korrina!" Bonnie yelled, running up to the two of them to make sure they were all right. "Are you too...pft...are you two...pft...are you..." Clemont glared at his sister as she began laughing, and immediately reached for the top of his head, realizing that his hair was all puffed out, and he knew he probably looked ridiculous. He heard Korrina laughing as well, though, glancing to his left and seeing her own hair wildly out of place. He couldn't help but join in, glad for that brief moment of peace in the chaos that was their search for Absol.
"Are you okay?" Clemont finally asked Korrina, fixing his glasses that had slid down his nose.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, reaching over and wiping some dust off of Clemont's back. "We're all messy, though."
"As long as-"
"Bee! Bebebe!" Clemont immediately shut his mouth, turning his head slowly to see the Elekid still standing there.
"Um..." Korrina said quietly, "what should we do?"
"I have an idea," Bonnie said, pointing. Clemont looked at his sister in confusion, following her gaze to where Dedenne was standing, looking thoughtfully at Elekid. "Dedenne can use his antennae to communicate with electric types, right? Maybe he can ask Elekid if he's seen Absol?" Clemont sometimes felt he didn't appreciate how smart Bonnie could be at times, but this was definitely not one of those times. He smiled immediately, looking over at the two electric types as they looked at one another. He nodded at Bonnie, and she quickly explained what she wanted from Dedenne. "Dedenne, can you ask Elekid if he's seen Absol anywhere, and where we might be able to find him?"
"Nene!" Dedenne nodded, quickly sending out little sparks from his cheeks towards Elekid, which went up to its horns. After a moment of hesitation, Elekid seemed to respond, sending out some sparks to Dedenne. Before long, a steady stream of electricity seemed to be connecting the two, and Clemont was surprised to see Dedenne's eyes lighting up. "De nenene!" Dedenne cheered, when the connection finally ended.
"Bee bee," Elekid added, looking towards Clemont, rubbing the back of its head, looking a little embarrassed. "Bebebe."
"Don't worry about it, Elekid," Clemont said, standing up, helping up Korrina as he did so. "If you can help us find Absol, I think that more than makes up for it.
"Nene!" Dedenne nodded, hopping up onto Elekid's head, sitting between its horns.
"Yay! Good job, Dedenne!" Bonnie cheered, looking excitedly at the two electric types, doing a mini high five.
"So Elekid knows where to start looking?" Korrina asked, turning around and noticing Lucario on his way, the Aura Pokemon looking like he'd heard the yells, only slowing from his run when he noticed everything was okay. Clemont could see his own Pokemon coming as well.
"Yeah," Bonnie said confidently, while Dedenne and Elekid nodded. "Now we just need to go find him, and make sure he's okay."
Trevor, Shauna and Marie had been searching in the bushes and forest nearby the theatre for about half an hour, having seen no sign of Absol. It was a little frustrating, having no idea where he could be, and searching somewhere he may never have gone through, but none of them complained. Each of them knew what Absol had been through, what Serena had done for him so far, and how important it was to find him.
"Do you think we should check deeper in the forest?" Marie finally suggested. "At this point, I think Absol will likely have tried to get further away from the theatre with what was freaking him out. He'd have more places to hide in there."
Trevor nodded, thinking that made sense. He decided they probably needed some eyes in the sky as well, and pulled out two pokeballs. "Charizard, Aerodactyl, I need your help," he shouted, tossing them up. When the lights flashed, revealing his two intimidating fliers, he looked at them seriously. "All right, guys, I need you to see if you can find any sign of Absol around here. We've been looking close to the theatre, but he might've gone deeper into the forest. Our group is going to look on the ground, but I need you two to see if you can spot anything from above, okay?" They both roared in answer, before kicking off and flying into the air, causing Shauna and Marie to stumble a bit from the wind generated from their wings.
Trevor watched them fly up for a moment, and then turned his gaze to the two girls with him. The three then quickly set off into the forest, keeping their eyes wide open for any sign of Absol, or anything else that could possibly lead them to him. A few times, they would see what looked like white fur, but it just turned out to be another Pokemon, including a Pachirisu who wasn't nearly as friendly as Dawn's.
At one point, Trevor suggested that the three of them split up to cover more ground, knowing that if they kept searching as one big group, they likely wouldn't have as much success. Shauna split off to the left, while Marie went to the right, calling out Ivysaur and Jigglypuff respectively. Trevor decided he should have a Pokemon close as well and called out Mudkip to search with him. If he needed to battle anything, Charizard would likely make it there in time, and he still had Florges just in case.
"Hey Mudkip, think you can help me look around for Absol?" Trevor asked, kneeling down to look the water type in the eyes. "He's gone missing, and we're helping Serena look for him."
"Mudkip mud!" Mudkip replied confidently, standing up on his back two legs and holding his chest proudly.
"Great," Trevor said, smiling as he stood up. He decided they should keep going straight with Shauna and Marie having gone to the sides, so he pointed ahead, Mudkip quickly turning around and taking the lead.
Trevor had wanted to spend a little more time with the Mud Fish Pokemon, particularly since they'd nearly lost in their practice battle against Clembot. He still felt he didn't know too much about Mudkip, despite having done some training with him. He'd been particularly focused on Charizard lately, and knew he needed to make sure his other Pokemon were improving as well.
As they walked through the forest, Trevor watched Mudkip, surprised to see him look like he knew where he was going. It was doubtful that he knew where Absol was, as the two hadn't really spent much time together as of yet, but it still appeared like the Mud Fish Pokemon had a specific destination in mind.
For a few more minutes, they walked in silence, Mudkip pausing once in a while as the fin on its head seemed to twitch, before it would continue. That's when Trevor remembered what his PokeDex had said about Mudkip. It can sense its surroundings with its fin. Does that mean he's found something?
"Mudkip!" Mudkip suddenly cried out, running forward and past some bushes. Trevor quickly followed, wanting to make sure that it wasn't two Pokemon that went missing today. He heard a startled cry from Mudkip on the other side of the bushes, and quickly made his way through, reaching for Florges' pokeball just in case something was happening. However, when he made his way out into the clearing on the other side, his hand froze, seeing what was in front of him.
"What...is...this...?" Mudkip quickly ran back to him, hiding behind his leg, terrified by the sight before them. Trevor took a deep breath, looking around to see if anyone was in sight. He looked up in the sky, deciding he needed his two fliers immediately. "Charizard! Aerodactyl!"
He didn't need to wait very long, as only a minute later, he saw the two Pokemon descending towards him. Charizard landed first, looking upon the scene in front of him in horror, Aerodactyl reacting similarly as he landed a moment later. They quickly looked to Trevor, who had his camera out, taking a few pictures, knowing he needed to show Officer Jenny what he'd found.
"I need you two to get Shauna and Marie," Trevor told his two Pokemon. "Get them here as quickly as possible. I don't know if this has anything to do with Absol, but we need to make sure. We'll need to find Officer Jenny as soon as possible."
Charizard and Aerodactyl were quick to get back into the air. Trevor didn't know if they just wanted to get out of this clearing, or if they were just in a rush to get his friends. He didn't really care, as long as they found Shauna and Marie quickly.
He took a deep breath, turning back to the scene that had his heart pumping. Cages were everywhere, all of them empty, although it looked like they hadn't been empty long. Trevor was sure that someone had been here, holding Pokemon against their will not long ago. He wasn't sure if they had fled at the sound of the students from the IPL matches, or if they'd simply decided to change location, but it still made Trevor uneasy.
The sight the terrified him even more, though, was the sight of blood.
BZZZ!
"And zer we have it! No more points, and Melissa and her Swellow have defeated Tierno and his Hitmontop! A very impressive display from ze lovely Melissa." Dawn groaned, stepping away from her spot backstage and glaring at the ground. Tierno had been completely off his game in that battle, as though forgetting everything she'd taught him. He'd even forgotten his own dancing, just ordering attack after attack.
"Ah, not to worry, Dawn," Fantina said, walking over to stand in front of the blue-haired Coordinator. "Is that not what you say?"
"Um...no need to worry," Dawn corrected, looking up as Tierno slipped past the curtain, looking miserable. "Although, with the way things are going today, it's kind of hard not to worry."
"Your friends will find Absol," Fantina told her confidently, smiling at Tierno as he stopped in front of them.
"I couldn't think straight," Tierno admitted, staring at the pokeball in his hand. "Hitmontop gave it his all, but I let him down. I couldn't stop thinking about everyone else out there, searching for Absol while we're in here."
Dawn nodded, casting a glance over towards Dusk who looked back, clearly a little more ready to start their battle than she was. "I really don't think I can battle right now," she admitted, fidgeting with her pink Contest dress. "I'd much rather be out there helping my friends."
Fantina didn't say anything, the smile leaving her face as she listened to Madame Adalene getting the crowd ready for the concluding battle. "Dawn, you are ze Captain of our Performance Team. You must do what you feel is ze right thing. If winning is not ze most important, zat is up to you."
"It's just a five minute battle, Dawn," Tierno pointed out. "We'll go as soon as it's done."
Dawn sighed, nodding and pulling out two pokeballs. She glanced once more over towards her next opponent, seeing Dusk nod back to her. She knew he was excited about their matchup, considering what he'd mentioned the day before, so she supposed she couldn't let an eager opponent down. "All right, but we're going right away. I don't want to let our friends down."
With that, Dawn took a deep breath and made her way over to the edge of the stage, impatiently tapping her foot as Madame Adalene explained the rules of the double battle. Then, finally, the Shalour announcer called her to the stage. "Representing the Lumiose Performance Team, we have their Captain, Dawn!" The blue-haired Coordinator quickly made her way onto the stage, not even bothering to wave to the crowd, so lost in her thoughts, getting some extra boos because of it. Adalene then raised her arm to the other side of the stage, the crowd already roaring before she began announcing. "And Shalour's Performance Team Captain, please welcome Dusk!"
Dawn couldn't help but glare at Dusk as he made his way to his spot on stage. He glanced back, looking a little surprised by her menacing look, and attempted smiling back. That made her feel a little guilty and she just decided to glare at the still clock on the screen to her left. She never wanted to rush her Contest battles, but this was definitely a unique occasion.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen, we are ready to begin ze final match!" Madame Adalene called, the crowd cheering as the lights focused on the trainers on stage, and the battlefield between them. Adalene quickly stepped back, making sure she wouldn't be in the way. "Trainers, please select your Pokemon!"
"Gengar, Drifblim, you're up!" Dusk called, tossing his two pokeballs into the air. Dawn's eyes widened, seeing the two ghost types emerge in a purple cloud, impressed with the choice of seals for the ball capsules. She wasn't the only one impressed, though, as she heard Fantina gushing over the ghost types from backstage.
Dawn took a deep breath and then tossed her own pokeballs into the air. "Piplup, Togekiss, spoootLIGHT!" Pink hearts erupted out of the ball capsules as the two Pokemon emerged, Piplup landing on Togekiss' back and jumping off as she flipped through the air, the Penguin Pokemon landing softly below his ally, who hovered in midair, eyeing her opponents carefully.
"Ah, zis should be a very good battle!" Adalene shouted, the crowd cheering in agreement. "Without further ado, let us begin!"
Ding! the bell rang, indicating it was time for the battle to start.
"Piplup, slide forward and use Bubble Beam with Counter Shield! Togekiss, hang back and wait for my order!" Dawn wasn't going to waste any time. Unlike Tierno, she knew blindly attacking her opponent for a quick victory was pointless, so she'd do this the right way.
"Gengar, use Shadow Ball, and Drifblim, use Ominous Wind!" Dusk was quick to respond, thrusting his arm out as he made the order.
Piplup was on the move first, quickly reaching centre stage and spinning on his back, unleashing the icy beam of energy a moment later, which spun around, appearing like an icy tornado erupting from his beak. Meanwhile, the opposing ghost types were nearly as quick, Drifblim floating above Gengar while that latter formed a dark, purple sphere in his hands. A moment later, Gengar fired the Shadow Ball upwards, just as Drifblim raised its ribbon-like arms and released a purple, smokey wind that propelled forward. The Shadow Ball exploded against it, giving the appearance of black and purple electricity crackling through the dark wind as it crashed along the field, striking Piplup and destroying his icy tornado and sending him flying back into Togekiss.
"And Dusk is ze first to land a successful attack, dropping Dawn's points significantly," Adalene announced, the crowd cheering as Dawn's points dropped by about a quarter. Dusk's points dropped a bit from Piplup's early show, but it was barely even noticeable.
"All right, Piplup, try again, and this time, Togekiss, let an Aura Sphere go quickly!" Dawn ordered, scolding herself for allowing Dusk to get the lead so early.
"Piplup!" Piplup answered, quickly rushing forward and spinning on his back once again, sending the icy energy upward once more.
"Aura Sphere won't work on ghost types," Dusk warned, narrowing his eyes as he watched Piplup. "Gengar, get ready with another Shadow Ball. Drifblim, use Hypnosis on Piplup!"
Dawn clenched her fists, watching Togekiss as she formed the large blue sphere, flying into the air and then spinning as she descended. A moment later, she unleashed the Aura Sphere, sending it straight ahead, spinning right through Piplup's Ice Beam Counter Shield, where it seemed to get caught, spinning and freezing within it. "Now, Piplup, get up and send it right at them!"
"Gengar, release Shadow Ball!" Dusk shouted back.
"Luuup!" Piplup shouted, jumping up immediately and sending the spinning, icy Aura Sphere forward. Just as Drifblim began to glow in an eerie purple aura, the icy Aura Sphere struck it in the side, before Piplup seemed to carry the beam towards Gengar, who's Shadow Ball was sent sailing towards the Penguin Pokemon. Drifblim crashed against its ghost and poison type ally, just as Shadow Ball struck Piplup, sending him flying backwards, Togekiss shooting down to catch him.
"C'est magnifique! Dawn uses a beautiful combination of Ice Beam and Aura Sphere to make a fighting type move knock down her ghost type opponents, while Togekiss swoops in to rescue Piplup!" The crowd didn't exactly find that exciting, a few of them booing once more.
Dawn cast a quick glance up towards the clock, seeing that only fifty seconds had gone by, and she still hadn't caught up to Dusk, her points dipping slightly below three quarters, while he still had about eighty percent. Her fists clenched as she looked up towards the doors exiting the theatre. She needed to hurry this up. Her friends were counting on her.
"All right, Piplup, stay on Togekiss' back and get ready with Bubble Beam! Togekiss, spin and dive!" Dawn ordered, point ahead towards the ghost types at the other end of the stage, both of them righting themselves from her previous attack.
"Gengar, use Double Team! Drifblim, Phantom Force!" Dusk ordered, Gengar immediately multiplying across the stage, while Drifblim disappeared entirely.
Dawn's eyes darted around, looking for any sign of either one of them. She had to admit, Dusk really knew what he was doing. As Togekiss and Piplup descended, the bubbles creating a circle around them as they spun, they were clearly lost, looking for where to strike. A few bubbles struck some Gengar copies, but nothing happened as the copies simply evaporated. Then, suddenly, a dark shape appeared behind Dawn's two Pokemon, and she called out to them in panic, knowing it was too late.
"Toge!"
"Pip!"
Her Pokemon screeched in pain as Drifblim drove into Togekiss, sending her crashing to the ground, Piplup falling with her. The two crashed hard into the stage, just as Gengar's copies disappeared, the real one appearing in front of them.
"Gengar, Dark Pulse! Drifblim, Hypnosis!"
Dawn winced, watching as Piplup and Togekiss looked up at Gengar, who smiled menacingly at them, the dark energy swirling between his hands. "Gengar!" the ghost type yelled, unleashing the attack on the two helpless Pokemon who were sent flying into the air, straight for Drifblim, the eerie purple aura around it. Dawn then noticed the same aura surround her own Pokemon, just as they came face to face with Drifblim. A moment later, they dropped, their eyes closed, the Hypnosis putting them to sleep.
"Now, Gengar use Dream Eater!" Dusk ordered, punching the air gleefully, knowing he had a serious advantage.
As Gengar struck her Pokemon with a pink ray of energy, Dawn could see them wincing in their sleep, struggling to hang on from their energy being sapped. She glanced up at the scoreboard, seeing the time down to three and a half minutes, her score dropping to roughly two thirds of her counter. She had to wake up Piplup and Togekiss quickly, otherwise, she'd lose.
"Drifblim, Ominous Wind!" Dusk continued the assault, not willing to let up one bit. Dawn wondered if he was trying to prove something to her, thinking of the previous day when he'd mentioned he was a fan. That didn't exactly make her feel better, though, watching as Gengar continued to sap her Pokemon's energy, while a dark purple wind struck them from above.
"Piplup! Togekiss! Wake up!" she yelled, gritting her teeth as she noticed her counter decrease further.
There was no response, and a moment later, Gengar ended his Dream Eater attack, stepping back and looking fully refreshed, looking towards Dawn with his creepy smile. She decided right then and there that Gengar was absolutely the creepiest Pokemon she'd ever seen. She definitely did not want to be beaten by it while she was already worrying about her friends.
It would have to be one at a time. "Piplup! Wake up, Piplup! Whatever you're dreaming about, forget about it now! This is a Contest Battle!" She waited a moment, wincing as her Pokemon were struck with the Shadow Ball and Ominous Wind combination once more, sending them both tumbling towards her as Gengar and Drifblim hovered in front of Dusk.
"Pip...piplup," Piplup groaned, and Dawn could just see his eyes open. He looked over to Dawn, who sighed in relief, taking another look at the scoreboard, seeing her points below half, the timer at under three minutes.
"We can still do this, Piplup, just be careful," she warned, watching her opponents carefully. Piplup made a noise of agreement, still looking a little confused, but knowing he was in the middle of a battle. "Use Whirlpool, and grab onto Togekiss!"
"Pip!" he answered, jumping up and positioning himself in front of Togekiss. "Piiip LUUUP!" he yelled, holding up his flippers, the vortex of water quickly forming above him. He then launched it forward, sending the mass of swirling water towards the ghost types on the other end of the stage.
"Now, grab onto Togekiss and jump in!" Dawn ordered, not even sure if it was going to work. However, a moment later, her jaw dropped, along with much of the Shalour crowd as Piplup grabbed onto Togekiss and jumped with all the strength he could muster. He and the flying type were then sucked into the Whirlpool, right at the edge, disappearing from view. It would either end in disaster, or this could give Dawn the edge she needed. "Togekiss, if you can hear me, wake up!"
"I don't know what you're planning, but I'm not gonna let you take the edge here," Dusk called out, narrowing his eyes as he watched the Whirlpool spinning at the centre of the battlefield, approaching his Pokemon. "Gengar, use Shadow Ball, and Drifblim, use Phantom Force right after and get in close so you can use Hypnosis."
"Togekiss, if you can hear me, use Safeguard. Then use Air Slash!"
It all happened very quickly, but to Dawn, time seemed to be going very slowly. She could just barely see a bright light shining within the Whirlpool, just as Gengar's Shadow Ball crashed against it. Water sprayed everywhere, but Dawn saw a shape emerge a moment later, near the back, two heads poking above the surface.
"Toge!" Togekiss cried out, bringing her wings up, wind swirling around them. She then shot up into the air, bringing her wings down just as she and Piplup rose above the water, unleashing the blast of air upon it, sending water in all directions. Out of the corner of her eye, Dawn noticed Drifblim vanish, ready to launch its attack at any moment. She wasn't done, though.
"Now, Ice Beam, Piplup!" Dawn could see the Penguin Pokemon stand up straight on Togekiss' back, displaying incredible balance as she swooped down, putting him in perfect position to unleash his Ice Beam. The icy jet of energy hit in all directions, freezing the water raining down from the destroyed Whirlpool.
"Drifblim, now!" Dusk yelled, pointing straight at Piplup and Togekiss.
"Togekiss, Air Slash now!" Dawn countered.
A moment later, as the wind swirled around Togekiss' wings, a dark shape drove into her, sending her and Piplup reeling back. However, even with Drifblim in close pursuit, Togekiss unleashed the Air Slash, sending the chunks of ice flying towards Gengar, who was struck multiple times and sent staggering back, before a large chunk struck him in the chest, knocking him on his back.
Dawn knew what was happening next, and refused to let it happen again. "Piplup, drop down and use a Bubble Beam Counter Shield. Togekiss, keep Drifblim close!"
"Luuup!" Piplup answered, quickly leaping off and landing softly on the ground, before dropping on his back and spinning, sending the bubbles flying around him. Drifblim appeared to try to go after him, but was held at bay by the Counter Shield, instead choosing to continue the chase of Togekiss. Its body glowed once more in its eerie purple aura, and Dawn clenched her fists as she noticed Togekiss' body enveloped by it as well. However, a moment later, it seemed to shatter, a bright white light shining on Togekiss' body instead. Safeguard had done its job.
"Now's your chance Togekiss! Use Sky Attack!" Dawn yelled, smiling as she noticed Dusk look up, somewhat panicked. Togekiss acted immediately, flipping in midair and then swooping forward, driving her body hard into Drifblim's sending it down to land hard in front of Gengar.
Dawn allowed herself another look towards the scoreboard as both pairs of Pokemon lined themselves up in front of their trainers, ready to continue the next stage of the battle. A little over two minutes remaining, and...she was in the lead! Dusk had a little over a third of his points remaining, while she had slightly more. And now that she was ahead, it was time to finish things off so she could go help her friends.
"Piplup, Togekiss-"
A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, distracting both Dawn and Dusk as a light entered the theatre from up top. The doors had been opened, and Dawn could see Trevor and Marie standing there. She instantly felt relieved, sure that they'd found Absol, and that nothing was wrong. But then...why would they interrupt the match? Why was Trevor rushing down the stairs, calling out to her?
Bzzz!
Dawn blinked in surprise as the buzzer went, looking up to see the clock frozen. A few seconds later, Madame Adalene was making her way to the front of the stage, a look of anger on her face. "Excusé moi, young man! Zer is a Contest Battle going on and you must not interrupt it!"
"I know! I know!" Trevor insisted, reaching the bottom of the stairs. He could barely be heard now as people in the audience began to boo. Dawn, however, already had her hands on Togekiss' pokeball, stepping forward towards the edge of the stage, Piplup coming to join her. "This is an emer-"
"I do not know what ze problem is, but if it is serious, I suggest you go to Officer Jenny. Unless it concerns ze school or ze IPL, I will have to ask you to leave, or Lumiose will forfeit ze match." Trevor's jaw dropped at that. He glanced at Dawn, and then back at Adalene, before turning around and beginning to head back up the stairs, ignoring the yells directed at him.
Dawn wasn't letting him go alone. "Togekiss, return!" she called, turning around and holding up the pokeball. As she recalled the flying and fairy type, she noticed Tierno running out from backstage. He joined her as she hopped down off the stage, running up a few steps before anyone even realized what she was doing.
"Dawn!" She turned back, seeing Dusk looking both disappointed but slightly impressed as well. "You're just gonna give up?"
"I've got something more important to do," Dawn answered truthfully. "Good battle, Dusk, but next time, it'll be different. Be ready."
With that, she bent down to pick up Piplup, and then she and Tierno ran up towards Trevor, who looked both embarrassed about the situation, but also relieved to see them coming. They all quickly exited the theatre, Dawn doing her best to ignore the fact that she'd just lost another point for her team. She knew this was more important, though, and quickly looked to Trevor for answers as they joined Marie in the lobby.
"What's up? Is something wrong with Absol?" she asked, taking the lead as they opened the doors to get outside.
"It had to be important to burst in on the battle like that, Trevs," Tierno pointed out.
Trevor shook his head, looking a little unsure about what to say. "I...we didn't see any sign of Absol, but we found something. It might be related, I'm not sure. Shauna went to go and find Officer Jenny."
"Maybe it's better if we show you," Marie suggested, joining Dawn at her side and leading the group into the forest. Dawn felt a little ridiculous in her pink dress, running through these bushes and trees, and remembered Serena was doing the same thing at the moment. Whatever was happening today, Dawn knew none of them would forget it for a while.
"So what is this?" Dawn whispered to Marie as they ran, not really interested in waiting to find out, considering she'd just bailed on her match. "You can at least let me know what to expect."
Marie nodded, glancing back nervously at the group behind them. "It's bad," she said, voice shaking a little. "There's...cages...and blood. I think there's a Pokemon Hunter around here. And if they know where Absol is..." She didn't need to finish. Dawn knew exactly what she meant.
Ash felt terrible. He'd completely screwed up, and had let Serena down completely. He'd promised her that he'd make sure Absol was safe, and now, they had no idea where he was. It had all happened so fast. Ash had been trying to make sure he explained the different parts of the Performance to Absol, tried to calm him down when he'd seemed nervous, tried to stop him when he'd started to attack.
"It's not your fault, Ash," Serena suddenly said, stopping as they ran along the beach, while Rowlet flew above the edge of the forest. "I should've kept Absol backstage. The crowd was making him nervous, and then something about that Medicham freaked him out. I think it would've been much worse if you weren't there. He might've done more. The important thing is to make sure he's safe, though."
Ash wasn't fully convinced, but agreed that it was better to make sure Absol was safe now, before worrying about his guilty conscience. "Yeah, you're right," he said, nodding and looking up towards Rowlet, seeing the owl Pokemon flying in and out of the trees, searching all across the edge of the forest for the missing Disaster Pokemon. "Doesn't look like Rowlet's found anything so far. Maybe Greninja can help." He quickly pulled out the Ninja Pokemon's pokeball and tossed it into the air. A moment later, Greninja appeared in front of him, ready to move. "Greninja, we're looking for Absol. He's gone missing, and I know you're good at sensing your surroundings, so we need your help, all right?"
"Gren!" Greninja answered, nodding and turning around, getting a sense of his whereabouts.
Serena then called out Braixen, apparently deciding more eyes would be useful as well. "Maybe you two can help Rowlet look a little deeper in the forest," she suggested, looking at Ash, who nodded in agreement. "Braixen can light the way if its too dark in there."
"Braixen brai!" Braixen agreed, turning around quickly and leading the way to the forest, Greninja following close behind.
Ash watched them go a moment, before seeing them disappear into the trees. He then looked at Serena, before they both set off again, keeping an eye on the path ahead, and checking some of the rocks and bushes nearby. Ash wasn't sure how likely it was that they'd find Absol here, but knew he wouldn't stop looking. He wasn't going to give up, and he knew Serena wouldn't either.
He liked that about her. Much like him, Serena would push back against obstacles that got in her way, trying to prevent her from reaching her goal. She'd set her mind on becoming a great Performer, and even after losing to Gabby, she was right back at it. And here, she'd set her mind on helping Absol recover and learn from her, and nothing was going to stop her from finding him and making sure he was okay. Don't give up till it's over, kay, that voice in his head said again. Where did that come from? It seemed so familiar and so important.
"Poliwag!"
"Huh?"
"Hey Ash, it's a Poliwag!" Serena said, taking his arm and pointing ahead. He followed her finger, seeing the Tadpole Pokemon up ahead, playing in the water, practising a weak Water Gun. They paused, watching it a moment. It was somewhat peaceful just watching a wild Pokemon playing, with no care in the world. "It...reminds me of another Poliwag," Serena whispered, sounding a little nervous.
"Oh yeah?" Ash asked, looking at her, interested to know more. She hadn't really talked too much about her adventures, so he wondered if she was going to mention something. It would give them something to talk about while they kept looking for Absol.
"Yeah...it introduced me to a really good friend of mine," she said, glancing down at Ash's arm, realizing she was still holding onto it and letting go quickly. "Um...not important right now."
Ash shook his head, taking Serena's hand, starting to walk forward towards the Poliwag. "Of course it is. We need something to talk about while we're searching. And who knows, maybe this Poliwag can help us out. Think you can ask it, Pikachu?" Ash asked, looking up at the electric mouse on his shoulder.
"Pika," Pikachu agreed, quickly hopping down and running forward the rest of the way, Ash and Serena struggling to catch up, with Serena moving fairly slowly in her dress.
"Do you really think Poliwag can help us?" Serena asked, not sounding very confident in the idea.
"Doesn't hurt to ask," Ash pointed out, seeing Pikachu up ahead, coming to a stop in front of the Tadpole Pokemon.
Serena didn't say anything to that, and the two just continued over to where Pikachu and Poliwag were, Pikachu doing his best to explain what was going on, although even Ash struggled to understand what he was saying as he and Serena came to a stop in front of the two Pokemon.
"Pika pikachu chu pika," Pikachu finished, pointing at Serena as he did so.
"Poli poliwag," Poliwag said, glancing at the two trainers and then nodding at Pikachu. "Poliwag." It then broke out into a little run, heading straight for the forest, not even bothering to look back to see if everyone was following.
Pikachu quickly set off after it, Ash and Serena soon after, still moving a little too slowly. Ash didn't let go of Serena, though, deciding he would just rely on Pikachu to make sure they didn't get split up from Poliwag.
"So, do you think Poliwag actually knows where Absol is?" Serena asked, a hopeful look coming to her face as they entered the forest. Ash narrowed his eyes, looking up ahead, seeing Pikachu round a corner to keep up with Poliwag.
"It definitely seems to know where something is," Ash said, giving her hand a comforting squeeze, wanting to make sure she continued to feel hope. He was sure they were going to find Absol.
Serena giggled as they continued to run, finally rounding the corner that Pikachu had gone around. Fortunately, Poliwag seemed to have slowed down a bit up ahead, Pikachu not far behind, glancing back to make sure Ash wasn't out of sight. "Poliwag seems like a good Pokemon for finding things," she said, giving Ash a look as though expecting him to know what she was talking about.
"I usually have more success with flying types, but I guess this one seems to know where it's going," Ash said, shrugging, not sure why Serena looked disappointed by his answer.
As the two of them caught up to Poliwag and Pikachu, the former looking like it was deciding between two paths, Ash glanced up at the sky, wondering if Rowlet had spotted anything, or if Greninja and Braixen were nearby. His thoughts were interrupted, though, as Poliwag was on the move once again, Pikachu quick to follow. This time, it was Serena who pulled Ash along behind her.
"So, what about that Poliwag that you mentioned before?" Ash asked, as they continued to follow this Poliwag. "Did you catch it?"
"Oh no, I wasn't even a Pokemon Trainer when I saw that Poliwag. I was a little kid, and I was actually scared of it. I was lost in the woods, I hurt my knee, and I was terrified." Ash stared at her in surprise, imagining how horrible that must've felt. Part of him was confused, though, as it kind of sounded familiar to him. "I was in a small clearing, and I was trying to find someone to help me, but then the bushes started rustling. I was scared, and I fell, hurting my knee. The bushes kept rustling, and I had no idea what was about to happen, and then a Poliwag jumped out. It didn't really do anything but look at me and continue on its way, but there was someone following that Poliwag..."
Ash suddenly felt very lightheaded as he listened to Serena tell her story. Images started playing through his head. A Poliwag, a forest, bushes, a girl, a straw hat. He shook his head, looking at Serena, who's eyes were still trained on the path ahead, following Poliwag and Pikachu. That honey-blonde hair...if it was longer...if she wore a straw hat...the Poliwag...
"Poliwag!" He jumped at the noise, surprising Serena a little, though she quickly ignored it as the two caught up to the Tadpole Pokemon, who was standing in front of some bushes, looking up at them. "Poli poliwag!" he said, looking up at them, a nervous look in his eyes.
"Pika! Pikapikachu!" Pikachu attempted to translate, looking at Poliwag and then Ash. "Chu pika!"
"Is he through there?" Ash asked, feeling Serena gripping his hand so tightly he was sure his bones would crack. Poliwag nodded, quickly darting into the bushes, Pikachu behind him. Ash then looked at Serena, seeing fear in her eyes. "It's okay. We'll make sure he's okay." She nodded at that, and then Ash stepped forward, moving aside some of the branches, helping Serena get through behind him. It wasn't easy, but eventually they made it through and into a small clearing.
"Bee bee!"
"Gren!
"Braixen brai!"
"Pikapi!"
Ash and Serena stopped, eyes wide as they looked at the scene in front of them. Lying at the base of a tree was Absol, paws over his head, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. Ash could see no sign of him being physically hurt, assuming the Disaster Pokemon had simply chosen this as his hiding spot. In front of him, though, appeared to be a stand off, with Greninja and Braixen staring down an angry looking Elekid.
"Greninja, what's going on?" Ash asked, as the Poliwag that had guided them there turned around and ran back through the bushes, clearly wanting know part in any of this.
Greninja turned, looking surprised at the sight of his trainer. Before he could do anything, though, the bushes at the other end of the clearing rustled, and a moment later, three familiar faces appeared. "Elekid, why'd you – Ash! Serena!"
"Clemont?" Ash looked between the Lumiose Gym Leader and Elekid, and then back at Greninja, Braixen and Absol, who Serena was now sitting with, doing her best to calm him down, wiping dirt off of his fur with a blue handkerchief. "Do you know this Elekid?"
"Yeah, he was helping us find Absol. Looks like he knew where to go, too." Clemont then looked over to the electric type, who looked pretty proud of himself, now that he knew he wasn't in a fight anymore. "Thanks for the help, Elekid. We might've been lost in this forest forever if we didn't have you helping us."
"Yeah, and you even helped Clemont and Korrina-" Bonnie started to say, before Clemont covered her mouth, face bright red. It looked like Korrina was a little embarrassed as well, although she laughed, watching the two siblings.
Ash's attention then went to Serena and Absol. He quickly made his way over, kneeling down next to them, feeling relief wash over him as he noticed Absol looking far more relaxed with Serena there with him. "How are you, Absol?" Ash asked, reaching out and petting his neck fur.
The Disaster Pokemon blinked, nodding to indicate he was better. At least, better than before. He looked a little guilty as he stared back at Ash, though, clearly remembering what he'd done in the theatre. "Sol..."
"Absol, I'm just glad you're okay," Ash said truthfully. His gaze then went to the handkerchief Serena held in her hands, sensing the familiarity again. She'd used that handkerchief the first time they'd met, during the screening battles, hadn't she? Or...
"Absol, I made a mistake by not making sure you were comfortable with watching those performances," Serena said quietly. "I'm sorry I put you in a position where you would be scared. It wasn't fair to you. But, Absol, I think I've realized something. I want to help you recover. I want to help you be the best you can be, no matter what that involves. And, I think that might just include performances." Ash tilted his head in confusion, noticing a confused look from Absol as well, but he didn't say anything, listening as Serena continued. "You were scared, and maybe it wasn't just the crowd, and maybe you're still scared of that Pokemon Hunter, but you need to move forward. You're getting better everyday, and you can't dwell on what's happened in the past. You need to look to the future and become the best Pokemon you can be. You need to...not give up till it's over. Right...Ash?"
It was like waking up from a confusing dream, and seeing everything clearly once again. Ash's eyes went to the handkerchief and then Serena again. The Poliwag...the girl with the straw hat. Don't give up till it's over. He felt a movement in his backpack, almost as though the egg inside was confirming his thoughts. "The girl with the straw hat."
"You remember?" Serena's eyes lit up, and even Absol seemed to recognize this meant something, looking happily between the two.
Ash gave a short laugh, shaking his head, unable to believe that he'd forgotten her. After all this time, he hadn't even realized. How could Serena even forgive him for that? He was about to say something, not really sure what to say, but feeling like he needed to, however, just in that moment, he heard voices. Everyone immediately looked in the direction the voices were coming from, nobody making a sound, almost like they sensed danger. Ash slowly stood up, gesturing for the others to stay quiet.
He made his way over to the edge of the clearing, hearing the voices grow louder as he approached. He could see something past the bushes. It was some kind of flash of light, like a camera taking a picture. Then he noticed something pink, and blue hair, and orange hair. The bushes started rustling, and Ash could hear Pikachu and Greninja coming up behind him, ready for a battle. Then, a face emerged from the bushes.
"Ash! Oh what a relief, I thought you were...well...someone else," Trevor said, as Dawn and Tierno's heads poked out beside him. Their gazes all went behind Ash, each of them immediately looking relieved as they noticed Absol. Ash quickly explained his story as the three of them came into the clearing, joined shortly after by Marie and Shauna, and then Dawn and Tierno explained their stories, getting some disappointed groans from the others as they realized they'd been held off the scoreboard once again for the IPL.
"This is more important, though," Dawn muttered, pointing behind her at where they'd just come from. "You guys need to see this. Officer Jenny should be here soon."
"What is it?" Ash asked, immediately tensing up, thinking something bad was imminent. Apparently the Elekid that was with Clemont, Korrina and Bonnie thought so too, immediately running off, much to the displeasure of Bonnie.
"I think we've found something worse than Team Rocket," Trevor said, turning around and pushing through the bushes. "The guy who hurt Absol...there's more than just him."
Author's Note:
Yeah...that went dark kind of fast. I've been hesitating on changing the rating of this story, and this is part of the reason. Pokemon hunters are nasty pieces of work, are they not?
As for the IPL... RoastAC begins now. Go ahead and be pissed about the losses. I feel each is important, and I can't do much more to defend my choices without spoilers, so...that's that.
See you next time.
