Happy Friday, everyone, and welcome to another chapter of The Journey Continues. Thanks to all you guys who are always reviewing, I greatly appreciate each and every one of them. To those reading this who don't send in reviews, I'd encourage you to do so. I want to hear all the feedback I can from you, your thoughts and opinions are important to me! Anyway, I've got about a month left until college starts for me, so I'm going to work as hard as I can to get out as many chapters as I can for you guys, since I don't know what the update schedule will be like once I move in. I also have some major chapters planned very, very soon, so I want to try and at least get the ball rolling for that section of the story. I've got it all planned out, and hopefully the way I'm envisioning it will work out well. Thanks again, guys! Remember to post a review at the bottom of the page!


The Journey Continues

Chapter 53

The Chocovine Contest


Sinnoh Region – Near Chocovine Town

"Riolu, let's try that Aura Sphere again." Ash said.

Riolu stood on land while Ash was waist-deep in a pool of crystal clear water. He had changed into a pair of swim trunks for the exercise, stripping his shirt and dropping it into the grass before entering the water. His Aura training had been extremely lax in the past several months, and the incidents at Alamos Town and Canalave City had convinced Ash that he needed to work some more on his powers. As an added bonus, he'd be able to train Riolu in Aura as well.

Trainer and Pokémon both brought their hands close together, activating the well of natural power hidden deep within their beings. Two small spheres of azure energy formed between the palms of the two Aura users, and together they slowly dragged their hands further apart. In response, the Aura Spheres grew bigger and more powerful. Riolu gazed at the energy with a youthful wonder. The little fighting-type had performed the exercise countless times, but it never ceased to amaze the Pokémon. This power existed in every living being, but Riolu was among the chosen few that were able to wield it as a weapon.

And so was its Trainer.

Over the past few months since Riolu's capture, the already-present bond between Ash and the Emanation Pokémon had strengthened tenfold. It was a bond that few could really and truly understand, though Ash shared two other bonds that were uniquely similar to his bond with Riolu. The first was with Pikachu, who Riolu understood had been the teen's first-ever Pokémon. It was no exaggeration to say that Riolu looked up to Pikachu as an older brother. The jolly electric-type both understood and welcomed this theoretical relationship to the fighting-type, helping greatly to train the inexperienced Riolu and also give advice (in their own personal language, of course).

The second of these bonds that Ash had was shared with the other human. The female. Dawn, Ash had called her. She was special to Ash, Riolu knew. But there was far more under that shallow surface. Riolu had spent enough time secretively using its Aura abilities near the two. The attraction between them was as clear as day, yet they never bothered to capitalize on it. Truth be told, it puzzled Riolu. Pokémon were more than happy to procreate with prospective mates. It was a biological necessity that they do so. The same was true for humans, although human mating rituals were quite confusing to Riolu. Regardless, the little fighting-type was certain that something would come out of all of it.

"Riolu." Ash said. The fighting-type was dragged out of its idleness by the Trainer's voice. Ash was watching Riolu expectantly. "Let's send that Aura Sphere flying at that tree over there."

Riolu craned its neck to the right, laying its eyes once again on that big tree they'd been using as a target. The Emanation Pokémon steeled itself and pulled one of its hands away, letting the arm fall slack against its side. The Aura Sphere purred in its remaining palm, brimming with vibrant, tangible power. Without further delay, Riolu spread its legs vertically, taking a fighting stance.

"Rio!" Riolu yipped as it swung its arm backward, still gripping the Aura Sphere in a telekinetic hold. The fighting-type brought its arm forward again and flexed its paw out wide, aiming and launching the Aura Sphere at the large tree. The Aura Sphere collided with the trunk and exploded, leaving another decent dent in the tree's thick body.

"Wah-wah?" Riolu purred, hoping that its attack was good.

"There we go, Riolu." Ash praised, "That was another solid Aura Sphere. You battled great against Bastiodon the other day, but you've got so much more potential. We'll be heading up to Snowpoint City next, but that will take us a month or two, so we'll have lots of time for more training."

They'd taken the ferry to Chocovine Town yesterday morning, leaving the rattled Canalave City behind. They hadn't received any extra word on Byron's recovery, but Ash trusted that he was doing well. Thoughts of Team Rocket now burned in his mind nearly 24/7. There was no telling where they would strike next. In light of that, Ash was determined to be ready. He wouldn't be caught off-guard by them again.

"Enjoying the water, Ash?" Dawn called. Ash looked over, seeing the Coordinator appear from the cover of trees with Piplup and Buneary. Buneary giddily waved at Pikachu, who had spent the time half-watching Ash and Riolu's training and sleeping in the comfortable grass. The electric mouse chattered back with some enthusiasm, but he was certainly not up for a game of chase with the Rabbit Pokémon.

"Yeah, it's great!" Ash beamed, "You should come in!"

"Oh, no thanks, I need to get busy with Contest training." Dawn answered, "Piplup, Buneary, it's a Singles Contest tomorrow, so let's get a practice Contest Battle going!"

"Bun-eary!"

"Pip-Pip-lup!"

The two Pokémon sprinted off to opposite ends of the open field. A dense forest surrounded the clearing, though the skyline of Chocovine Town was visible from their place on the ground. Ash, Dawn, and the Pokémon had found the clearing on the town's outskirts rather easily, claiming it as their training spot immediately. Once Piplup and Buneary were ready, Dawn took a spot off to the side of the two, calling out commands from several feet away.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn shouted. Piplup rocketed into the air, opening its round beak and spitting a barrage of explosive bubbles down on Buneary. Immediately, Dawn called to Buneary for a counter, "Now, Buneary, counter with Dizzy Punch!" Buneary purred and leaped up to meet the oncoming Bubblebeam, the tufts of fur atop her ears glowing with a mix of colors. The Rabbit Pokémon tucked its head and threw its ears forward repeatedly, dealing piston-like punches into the individual bubbles. The bubbles exploded on contact with Buneary's punches, releasing countless sparkles of multicolored light into the air.

Buneary tumbled to the ground and landed cleanly on her feet, smiling eagerly and doing a cute pose, "Bun-eary, bun."

"Buneary, that was excellent! Now, use Jump Kick!"

Buneary's left eye glittered briefly and the Rabbit Pokémon lunged up into the air, quickly arcing downward with the influence of gravity. Dawn called for Piplup to use Hydro Pump as a counter, and the round Penguin Pokémon crushed Buneary's attempted attack with a high-pressure blast of water.

"Good job, you two. Buneary, come back for now. We're going to try another Pokémon." Dawn called. Buneary looked over and then bounded towards Dawn, only slightly disappointing at the short length of its practice battle. After obediently appearing at Dawn's feet, Buneary bounced over to Pikachu, immediately trying to flirt with the electric-type. Dawn fished another Poké Ball from her bag, enlarging the capsule and tossing it out into the field, "Ambipom, let's go!"

Ambipom appeared from the flash of light that followed the Poké Ball's opening, landing safely on the ground and chattering happily. "Piplup, use Ice Beam! Ambipom, counter it with Focus Punch!" Dawn shouted. Piplup immediately released a jagged beam of freezing energy—a recently learned move for the water-type—and Ambipom stiffened both of its tails. The hands on the normal-type's tails clenched into fists and glowed with powerful energy, and Ambipom waited patiently as the Ice Beam quickly closed in. Without any warning, Ambipom slugged out its two tails, dealing a pair of Focus Punches into the frozen blast and destroying it. The Ice Beam's destruction was followed by brilliant flashes of bright blue energy that danced around Ambipom's form, giving off a gentle glow around the simian Pokémon's body.

"Excellent, Ambipom. Let's use Double Team!" Ambipom chattered and its body flickered. At least two dozen copies of Ambipom appeared and formed a ring around Piplup, leaving the Penguin Pokémon to flick its head back and forth to try and find the real Ambipom. "Now, Ambipom, Swift!"

One of the copies behind Piplup swung its two tails in front of its body, sending a barrage of shimmering stars at the water-type's back and revealing itself as the real Ambipom. Piplup jumped straight up into the air, having become familiar with the exercise since Ambipom's return to the team. The water-type landed and answered with a spinning Bubblebeam on Dawn's command, wiping out Ambipom's copies and even dealing a small amount of damage to the real one.

The practice battle continued in this fashion, with Dawn switching both Pokémon back and forth as she worked through her roster. It was a new training exercise she'd become somewhat fond of, as she was convinced that the drill helped her Pokémon work on their reflexes while also offering some training with Contest moves. Soon enough, Dawn had gone through her full on-hand roster, comprised of Piplup, Buneary, Ambipom, Froslass, Quilava, and Pachirisu. Presently, Togekiss and Mamoswine were at her mother's house in Twinleaf Town, hopefully playing with Glameow and Umbreon.

Ash continued training with Riolu, working on refining the Aura Sphere before working on basic attributes such as speed. Once Dawn concluded her training, Ash decided to call it quits as well. Riolu jumped into the water with a yip and began swimming. Ash called on Buizel, who jumped into the river next alongside Piplup. Dawn shuffled away into the protection of the forest, emerging a minute later in her bathing suit and diving into the water. The end of the morning's training brought an hour of fun for both Trainers as well as their Pokémon, while Dawn's next Contest loomed on the horizon of tomorrow.


The Chocovine Contest began in earnest, seeing 32 different Coordinators compete for the Chocovine Ribbon, which was styled to resemble Phione, the rare Pokémon that came to Chocovine Town once a year. The last time they'd been in town, Ash and Dawn had spotted Phione in the water along with Brock, and Dawn had claimed her fourth Ribbon soon after. This time, the Phione fixation hadn't been present in town, signaling that the Pokémon weren't in season yet.

"Pachirisu, spotlight!"

Dawn was eventually next up on stage, calling on her excitable electric-type Squirrel Pokémon for her Appeal. Pachirisu quickly posed charmingly, giving a childlike giggle and briefly hiding behind its bushy white tail. The move worked, drawing an 'Awwww' from the crowd. As the judges jotted down some notes, Dawn shifted her focus to calling for attacks.

"Pachirisu, spin forward with Spark!" Dawn called. Pachirisu obeyed, lunging forward and rolling in a wheel while activating the blue electric glow of Spark. The result resembled Quilava's Flame Wheel, but the fire was of course replaced by glowing lightning. After a few moments of the move, Pachirisu stopped, bounding forward and planting her feet before rocketing up into the sky.

"Now, Pachirisu, use Sweet Kiss!"

Pachirisu's ascent quickly slowed. Just as gravity stopped her upward motion, Pachirisu put a white paw to her mouth and blew a kiss to the crowd, generating pretty pink hearts out of thin air. The hearts floated over to a section of the crowd before bursting into attractive pink light, and Pachirisu landed safely back on the ground and spun on one of its feet for effect. The crowd applauded enthusiastically, prompting Dawn and Pachirisu to take a quick bow. Pachirisu then bounded over to Dawn, hopping up to her shoulder and perching itself there. Dawn then ran back toward the curtains to head backstage, waving to the crowd repeatedly. Pachirisu waved as well, before they disappeared behind the drapes.

Ash and Pikachu both applauded with the crowd from their seat in the stands. The heads of the Contest wasted no time in moving to the next Coordinator. She was an attractive blonde, her hair straightened and pulled back into a ponytail. She carried herself with natural confidence, though there was an ever-present hint of snobbishness about her.

"People of Chocovine Town, next up on the stage, please welcome Tara from Aspertia City!"

"Aspertia City? That's a new one." Ash remarked. He quickly pulled out his Pokédex, pulling up the search function and typing in the city's name. The system ran a search algorithm, but came up empty. "Hmm… that's weird, it's not often that the Pokédex comes back without any data."

Pikachu visibly shrugged, confused but not particularly concerned. The electric mouse yawned, going back to his idle devices. Ash watched this new Coordinator, Tara, with intrigue. She stepped up onto the Performance Stage and revealed a single Poké Ball, calling on her chosen Appeal Pokémon.

"Vibrava, performance time!" Tara shouted. Her Poké Ball burst open in midair, releasing the ground/dragon-type onto the field. Vibrava buzzed vibrantly and hovered by beating its wings at a ridiculous speed. Tara gave a command to start the Appeal, "Vibrava, use Supersonic!"

Vibrava's green eyes glowed, bringing out its obsidian pupils. Its wings began vibrating, producing a faint sound that Ash only barely heard. Vibrava then opened its small mouth and released circular sonic waves, turning its wings to influence where the sonic waves went. When it was all said and done, there were several Supersonic waves pulsing around Vibrava's body, and the audience gave approving applause at the impressive move.

"Now, Vibrava, use Bug Buzz!" Tara called. Vibrava purred and stopped beating its wings, somehow holding its body up in the air as it readied the attack. Its four wings then beat at an interesting rhythm, pulsing with intense vibration and generating colorful waves of energy. The Bug Buzz waves sliced through the collection of Supersonic waves, which changed their color into various different hues and caused multicolored light to glow around Vibrava's body. Once again, the audience approved with applause, though some used their voices to sing their approval. Tara waved graciously to the crowd and then returned Vibrava as the judges jotted notes on their papers.

"That was an interesting Appeal." Ash remarked.

"Pika-Pika…?"


"And the judges have turned over their results, so it's now time to announce who will be moving on to the next round!" Marian said into the microphone. Dawn was listening to the feed from the TV in the dressing room, holding Piplup in her arms as she watched intently. There had been several Coordinators that had turned in great Appeals, most of all the newcomer named Tara. She hadn't heard of the girl before, but she competed with a curious confidence, something that Dawn easily picked up on.

"The first four Coordinators that will be moving on have been revealed. They are…Lawrence, Olivia, Ronald, and Tara!"

The Coordinators in the room clapped lightly for the four who had been announced. While the other three celebrated, Dawn noticed that Tara seemed particularly unsurprised, for she had a smug smile on her face.

"The next four Coordinators are…Tyler, Winona, Dawn, and Adler!"

Dawn cracked a big smile, immediately looking down at Piplup. "Piplup, we made it through!"

"Pip-lup!" Piplup chirped.

Dawn tuned out the names of the other eight qualifying Coordinators as she fished through her bag for Ball Seals. The ever-familiar collective groaning of the Coordinators who hadn't made the cut washed through the room, and the number of people in the room was cut in half shortly after. On Marian's call, two of the present Coordinators left the room, having been called up for the first match of the Battle Round.

Eventually, Dawn was called up, and she defeated both of her first two opponents with ease thanks to a combination of hard hits and timely combinations. Having punched her ticket to the semifinals, Dawn knew that this was where the going would get tough.

Just before she walked out through the curtains on her way to the Battle Stage, the flood lights in the arena shut off, a single shaft of light shining down on Marian, the Sinnoh Region's Contest announcer. She gave a warm smile and started to address the crowd with all the fire in the world.

"For the first match of the Battle Round semifinals, we have two talented Coordinators going head-to-head!" Marian started, "In the red corner, hailing from Olivine City in the Johto Region, let's all give a warm welcome to John!"

Dawn watched from her place in the darkness as a spotlight on the opposite end of the arena flicked on, illuminating the figure of a young man with smooth black hair, heart-throbbing light blue eyes, and an impressive tan. It was one of many remarkable things about his immediate first impression. Dawn had heard the name and sort of seen the face throughout the day, but she hadn't taken a moment to really observe the other Coordinators beyond checking up on their battling styles from the dressing room.

"And in the blue corner, you all know the name and remember the face! She's taken Sinnoh by storm this Contest season, and she's looking to add yet another Ribbon to her repertoire! Let's hear it for the fiery princess of Sinnoh, Dawn!"

The raucous applause was familiar to Dawn as she stepped into the spotlight, walking calmly as it followed her to her end of the battlefield. She took a deep breath, zeroing her eyes on John. The well-tanned boy caught her glance and smirked, shamelessly winking at her. The lights in the arena flicked back on, lighting up the whole battlefield as a referee stepped up to the sideline of the field.

John undid the simple tie around his neck and smoothly ditched his suit jacket, tossing it into the air away from him. The suit jacket flew conveniently into Marian's left hand, confusing the crowd. With another swift move, John undid his white button-down shirt from underneath the blazer, splitting the shirt open down the middle and revealing his toned torso. Almost immediately, fangirlish screams came from the lower sections of the crowd. Dawn rolled her eyes. It was all part of the teen's act. How had she never heard of this guy? Considering that he was in the semifinals today, it would stand to reason that he wasn't some incompetent Coordinator who used his body to woo the audience.

The referee on the sideline audibly snorted and turned his attention to Dawn, ensuring that she was ready. With a sharp blow of his whistle, the ref signified the battle's start, allowing the two Coordinators to call on their chosen Pokémon.

"Froslass, spotlight!"

"Kingler, power up!"

The opposing Pokémon popped out of their Poké Balls in very different ways. Froslass was dispatched in a veil of chilling ice, while Kingler exited its capsule in a burst of visible sound waves that pulsed for a few seconds in midair. The Kingler landed with an audible crash, glaring toothily at Froslass and crunching its oversized pincer together.

"Kingler, use Mud Shot, dude!"

John's Kingler lowered its huge claw, opening it as wide as it could go as it locked onto Froslass. A projectile of mud and dirt flew out from the opening, spiraling in a circle as it closed in.

"Froslass, dodge and use Ice Shard."

Froslass danced out of the way, easily escaping the Mud Shot and focusing on Kingler. A ball of jagged ice formed from thin air, and Froslass eagerly fired the projectile at Kingler. The Ice Shard collided with Kingler and shattered, releasing brief glitters of light into the air around the huge water-type. Kingler grumbled and then scampered a few paces forward, taunting Froslass.

"Dawn lands an Ice Shard early, but Kingler looks practically unharmed!"

"Froslass, use Hail." Dawn said quickly. Froslass howled and a dark cloud formed over the battlefield, spilling dime-sized hailstones onto the field. Several of the stones struck Kingler on the head, though they served to irritate the Pincer Pokémon rather than damage it.

"Kingler, use Water Gun!" John commanded. Kingler leered and then spewed a strong stream of water from its mouth. Despite the haze created by the hailstorm, its aim was surprisingly on target. Unfortunately for John and Kingler, though, Froslass' special ability activated before the Water Gun could strike. Froslass' form became hazy and it phased through the Water Gun blast, reappearing completely unharmed.

"All right, Froslass, let's get in close and use Ice Punch!" Dawn called. Froslass teleported, appearing at Kingler's side before disappearing almost instantly. A moment later, Froslass appeared at Kingler's other side, taunting the Pincer Pokémon while never really being nearby. Then, in a move that surprised both Kingler and John alike, Froslass spiraled into existence behind the water-type, landing a clean Ice Punch to Kingler's unprotected back and throwing the water-type forward and into the ground.

"Impressive! Froslass' use of Hail has activated its Snow Cloak ability, allowing it to strike without Kingler really knowing where its enemy is at!" Marian explained with the microphone. Dawn silently cursed. Marian was enthusiastic about Contests, something that allowed Dawn to like her, but the announcer had pretty much explained her strategy with Froslass right then and there, and that wouldn't do any favors for her.

"So, that's the game, eh?" John said aloud, "I guess we'll have to find a way to counter that."

"Don't count on it," Dawn grumbled, "Froslass, use Shadow Ball!"

"Kingler, dude, spin and use Mud Shot! Like we practiced!" John shouted. Kingler gave a toothy grin and began turning its body while spewing mud from the inside of its huge claw. The Pincer Pokémon then began to hover in the air, spinning its body rapidly enough to keep itself airborne just above the ground. The Mud Shot attack began to spin with Kingler, spiraling upward into a sort of vortex. Froslass' Shadow Ball came flying through the hailstorm haze next, but Kingler's defense obliterated the ghost-type move with ease.

"That looks a lot like Counter-Shield." Dawn muttered.

"Wow! John and Kingler's Mud Shot Vortex was perfectly timed!" Marian applauded, "Can they keep up the counters and land some hits of their own?"

"Froslass, quick, use Blizzard!" Dawn called. Kingler was still spinning around, giving Dawn an idea to use the move for a combination. Froslass howled and a bitterly cold windstorm suddenly formed from behind the Snow Land Pokémon. The freezing aura passed along the battlefield with ease, reaching Kingler and passing through the water-type's counter. The Mud Shot Vortex froze solid, suddenly trapping Kingler in a prison of its own making. Dawn jumped in the air happily. The move had worked!

"Kingler, dude, you okay?" John asked. His points decreased some more, putting him in a decent hole halfway through the battle. The handsome Coordinator ran a hand through his black hair and gritted his teeth, causing some of the teenage girls in the audience to swoon and chatter amongst themselves.

"He's so handsome…"

"What a guy…"

"Wow…"

Kingler gnashed its messed-up teeth, trying to force its way out of the brownish vortex of ice that had caged it. Dawn shouted for Froslass to use Ice Punch, bringing the ice/ghost-type closer and giving John an idea.

"Ah! I've got it!" John said, "Kingler, use Metal Claw to get out of that ice!"

Kingler obeyed instantly, raising its oversized pincer and cutting away at the ice in a flash of silver light. The ice crumbled bit by bit at high speed just as Froslass was getting close.

"Kingler, once you're out grab Froslass with Metal Claw, dude!" John commanded. Kingler tore its way out of the icy prison and squeezed out into the open, raising its large pincer again and reaching out for Froslass as the Snow Land Pokémon came close. Kingler closed its pincer cleanly around Froslass' body just as the ice-type appeared to attack, trapping Froslass perfectly in between the claws.

"Lass!" Froslass howled, squirming uselessly in an attempt to escape Kingler's clamp.

"Froslass, no!" Dawn cried.

"Kingler, dude, toss Froslass into the air and use Metal Claw!" John called. Kingler snorted and swung its claw up, releasing Froslass just barely into the air. The ice-type spun aimlessly as it tumbled just above Kingler, its sense of direction sabotaged by the throw. Kingler wasted no time in readying its Metal Claw a second time, only this time the water-type struck out as hard as it could, slashing its large pincer as brutally as it could and throwing Froslass down the field.

"'What a hit!" Marian gasped, "John and Kingler worked their way out of that frozen vortex and countered with Froslass with a smashing hit!"

"Froslass, get up!" Dawn cried. Froslass cringed and steadily crawled off of the ground, hovering gently above the dirt. The hailstorm suddenly stopped and the dark cloud parted, allowing the floodlights in the arena to shine upon the battlefield again. Unfortunately, it also neutralized Froslass' Snow Cloak.

Something clicked in Dawn's mind, "Froslass, we need a power-up. Quick, ready a Shadow Ball!"

Froslass gave a shrill howl as ghostly energy condensed into a spherical shape between its 'hands'. Any moment now, Froslass planned to fire off the attack, though it wasn't entirely sure what Dawn thought the move would accomplish.

"Now, Froslass, eat the Shadow Ball!" Dawn shouted. Some people in the audience gasped, and Froslass even briefly looked back at Dawn in confusion before looking back at the pulsing Shadow Ball in front of it. John and Kingler watched carefully, equally as confused. The Snow Land Pokémon glanced at its tough opponent, thinking about the prospect of eating its own move. Froslass was familiar with Mamoswine's Ice Armor, but would the technique work the same with Froslass?

Froslass opened its mouth as much as it could and forced the Shadow Ball into its throat, immediately feeling the ghostly energy dissipate into nothing. For a few seconds nothing happened, and the person in control of the scoreboard slowly moved to drop a small amount of Dawn's points, which would even out the two Coordinators' scores. Froslass suddenly shook, gently leaning forward for a brief second. Then, ghostly purple energy protruded out from Froslass' back, forming wing-like structures. Similar energy extended from Froslass' long, irregular arms, forming into spike-like shapes that resembled armor. Finally, a dark glow appeared in Froslass' ice-blue eyes, accompanying ghostly energy that exuded from the ice-type's body.

"That's it, Froslass! Shadow Armor!"

"Lass!" Froslass howled, feeling the powerful energy run through her slim body. The feeling was instantly refreshing, filling the Snow Land Pokémon with a sense of indomitable strength.

"Dude, what is that?" John said nervously.

"Froslass, Shadow Ball Burst!" Dawn called. Froslass howled and brought its arms above its head, creating a larger-than-normal Shadow Ball. The sphere of ghostly energy pulsed violently until Froslass released a chilling screech, splitting the Shadow Ball into an uncountable number of smaller versions that shot out in all directions. They'd first used the move in the Hearthome Contest several months ago, but with the power-up effect of Froslass' Shadow Armor, the attack was infinitely more powerful.

"Woah, Kingler, dude, look out!" John stammered. Kingler was far too slow, though, and was struck by several of the small Shadow Balls. The energy spheres shattered as they raked across the Pincer Pokémon's body, dealing impressive damage and stunning Kingler for enough time to have Froslass follow through.

"Froslass, Ice Punch!"

Froslass sped forward, its shadowy features trailing behind it like a cape in the wind. Its right arm glowed a brilliant icy blue, and the Snow Land Pokémon struck Kingler in its exposed side with a freezing sucker punch.

"Kingler, use Surf!" John called. Kingler reeled back into place and slammed its oversized pincer on the ground. The air around it turned to a tidal wave of water, giving Kingler a ride on the wave's crest. Froslass staggered back in surprise, its mind blank as it conjured up zero ideas on how to combat the move.

"Surf's up, yo!" John chuckled, "Kingler, dude, cut through that Surf with Guillotine!"

Froslass was swept up in the tidal wave as Kingler prepared the especially powerful move. The Pincer Pokémon's large pincer lit up with light, and Kingler quickly smashed the glowing pincer at the water beneath it. The resulting force split the wave cleanly in two, and Kingler dropped with the Guillotine attack still active from above Froslass. The Snow Land Pokémon was being tossed around inside the Surf wave, but Kingler soon attacked with Guillotine and threw Froslass from inside the tidal wave. Kingler landed safely on the ground after that, standing unharmed between the two halves of the Surf. The water on either side of Kingler churned violently, mimicking the sounds of waves crashing onto beaches.

"Froslass, are you all right?" Dawn shouted. It didn't take a detective to tell that the ice-type had taken calamitous damage.

"Fros…Fros-lass…" Froslass groaned. She rested on the ground taking in deep breaths, the flaring energy of Shadow Armor considerably weaker at the moment. Dawn shifted her glance up to the scoreboard. She was tied with John, and the clock had wound down to the thirty seconds now.

"Froslass, I know it hurts, but we're running out of time. We've gotta give it everything we've got right here! I know you can do this, Froslass!"

Froslass turned its head just enough so that it could see Dawn from its left eye. She blinked, and gave only the slightest of nods. The female ice-type then shifted its eyes to Kingler, giving the water-type a cold glare.

"Froslass, with everything you have! Use Blizzard!"

Froslass shot upward with renewed life. The ice-type threw its arms back behind it, summoning all of the energy it could. The air and ground just behind it froze over in an instant and a freezing wind howled forward, leaving ice in everything it touched on the field. John and Kingler's eyes both widened and Kingler stumbled backward. The Blizzard reached the divided Surf wave and froze the two halves solid, moving on to Kingler and attacking the Pincer Pokémon with an intolerable cold. Even John could feel the cold, pulling his unbuttoned shirt closed over his torso as he staggered back and shivered from the freeze.

The Blizzard ended barely a few seconds later, but the damage was as clear as day. Kingler had patches of ice all around its body, hampering its movement. The tall tidal waves that the water-type had formed using Surf had been frozen into walls of solid ice, taking away even more of John's remaining points. Right on cue, the time bell sounded, prompting both Coordinators to look to the scoreboard. The result was obvious with Froslass' final attack, but the announcement still made Dawn jump for joy.

"And with the final bell in this match, the Coordinator that will be competing in our final round today is…Dawn!"

"You did it, Froslass!" Dawn cried. The ice-type whirled around and floated over to Dawn, genuinely smiling.

"Lass!"

"I'm so proud of you, Froslass. You battled so well." Dawn praised. Froslass accepted the praise humbly, and the energy of her Shadow Armor slowly went away, seeping back inside the ice-type's body. Dawn pulled out Froslass' Poké Ball, "Froslass, return."

Over on the other side of the field, John briefly sulked. He glanced back up to his injured Kingler, noting the frozen spots on the orange crab's body. "Kingler, dude…return." John called, sapping the water-type back inside its Poké Ball, "Let's get you to a Center, dude," he added, turning around and beginning to walk away.

"Hey, John!" Dawn called out. The handsome Coordinator stopped and turned around, surprised to see Dawn jogging over to him. She skidded to a stop just a few feet away from him, smiling like a kid on Christmas, "That was a really fun battle!" Dawn beamed.

"Oh, yeah, I-I guess it was…" John said nervously, "You battled well. You deserve to be in the finals."

"Thanks, John." Dawn said, "How many Ribbons do you have?"

"Um, just one. I've been to the finals a few times, but my record isn't very good. I'm not the best Coordinator." John said.

"Nonsense!" Dawn insisted, "You clearly have the potential. Kingler's a strong Pokémon. When I was first starting out, I had a lot of bumps in the road. It's all about smoothing out the kinks and working day in and day out. Once you do that, you'll be a great Coordinator."

"T-thank you." John breathed, "I need to go. Kingler needs to get to a Center. Good luck in the finals."

"Yes, go." Dawn agreed, "Oh, and one other thing…lose the 'hot guy' act. It may work on certain members of the audience, but to everyone else it doesn't look good."

Dawn whirled around and skipped away before John could muster a response. Instead, he shrugged, stalking away with the intent on taking Dawn's advice. As he slipped out of the public eye, he buttoned his shirt back up, running a hand through his black locks and heading for the exit.


"And the final round is all set up! Coming to you in fifteen minutes, a power-packed finals matchup between Dawn and Tara!"

Dawn stood still in the dressing room, her eyes fixated on the TV that was mounted on the wall. Tara appeared in the dressing room a moment later, her face blank and expressionless.

"Tara." Dawn said sharply. She put on a smile and stepped forward as Tara looked up at her, and she stuck out her hand, "I'm Dawn."

"I know who you are." Tara said. She shook Dawn's hand, although her lack of care for the handshake was obvious. She tried to sound less condescending with her next words, "I hope our battle is a good one."

"Me too. So, Aspertia City? I've never heard of it." Dawn said, trying to make some friendly conversation.

"Um, yeah, it's in the Unova Region, a long way away from here. You won't find very many Pokémon living here that also live there." Tara explained.

"Wow, that sounds so cool!" Dawn beamed.

"Yeah." Tara half-agreed. She stepped back, "Look, I'm not really into making conversation. I want to focus on our battle out there."

Dawn flinched, admittedly put off, but she decided not to say anything and let Tara walk away from her. If she wasn't interested in being friendly, that was her problem. Dawn fished through her bag, grabbing an unused Ball Capsule and slapping a Seal in the shape of a star on the front. She then grabbed her already-chosen Poké Ball and closed the Capsule around it, clutching the Poké Ball tightly at her side and taking a seat on the bench. Tara never came back to her side of the dressing room, so Dawn eventually got up and walked out once Marian began announcing again.

Dawn took her place behind the curtains, Marian's booming voice filling her ears. She was assigned to the blue corner again for the finals, so Tara was likely behind the set of curtains on the other side of the arena. Tara's lack of enthusiasm remained on the back of her mind. Dawn wasn't sure if she was like that with everyone, but at the end of the day it wasn't her problem, so she banished the thoughts from her mind and turned to the upcoming match. She was five minutes away from possibly earning her fourth Ribbon, meaning she'd only need one more after that to qualify for the Grand Festival. The lights shut off everywhere in the arena, closely followed by Marian's loud voice on the PA.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I just want to say once again…thank you all for coming! We've had an amazing time today narrowing our way down from 32 Coordinators to the final 2! When this battle is over, one Coordinator will leave holding her next Ribbon! Please help me give a warm welcome to our Coordinator in the red corner, who's shown us some dominant performances today; from Aspertia City, Tara!"

The crowd roared and Dawn caught a collection of lights flapping around from behind the curtains. Tara made her entrance, reaching the field quickly and allowing Marian to welcome her opponent.

"And in the blue corner today, a Coordinator who has no doubt dominated the Contest scene this year. Let's hear you roar for Twinleaf Town's finest: Dawn!"

It was hardly questionable that the crowd roared even louder for Dawn. Dawn took a deep breath and then stepped out from behind the curtains, her eardrums rattling from the noise of the crowd's support. She stoically walked to her end of the field, not even giving so much as a wave to the crowd as she took her spot in the battle box.

"You can tell that she's in the zone." Ash remarked. Pikachu purred in agreement.

The lights flicked back on, flooding the battlefield with light. Dawn locked eyes with Tara across the field, holding a blank expression. Marian brought her lips back to the microphone.

"We're just a moment away from our final round! Both Coordinators look ready!"

The referee stepped up to the sideline, gesturing to the two Coordinators one at a time to confirm that they were ready. Dawn gave a fierce nod, while Tara gave a thumb's up. The referee nodded and then raised his arms into the air, swinging them down toward the ground to call for the battle to start.

"Okay, Vibrava, it's battlin' time!" Tara called. She spun the enclosed Poké Ball out onto the field and it burst open. Pulses of light appeared around Vibrava's glowing white shape, giving a multicolored glow to Vibrava's body once the white light caused by its release went away.

"Vi-brava!" Vibrava chanted, its voice scratchy.

Dawn gave a slight smirk before rearing back and tossing her Poké Ball out. "Piplup, spotlight!"

Piplup's Poké Ball burst open, and the Penguin Pokémon leaped out in a vortex of golden stars. "Pip-lup!" the water-type chirped, landing cleanly on its feet. The round-headed Penguin Pokémon locked eyes with Vibrava, who hovered slightly above the ground. Its green-and-black diamond-shaped wings vibrated rapidly, causing a faint buzzing sound.

"Vibrava, use Dragonbreath!" Tara commanded. Vibrava wasted no time, opening its small mouth and firing off a railgun blast of violent energy.

"Piplup, down!" Dawn called. Piplup immediately dove into the dirt, ducking underneath the reach of the Dragonbreath attack. The blast buzzed over Piplup's head, disintegrating shortly after missing.

Tara clenched her teeth, "Vibrava, use Supersonic."

Vibrava somehow beat its four wings at an even faster pace, opening its small, fanged mouth and releasing a shrill shriek that lasted impossibly long. The noise abused Piplup's ears, and the water-type tightly pressed its flippers to its head in a futile attempt to block out the piercing sound. Dawn's points decreased by a small margin in response.

"Piplup, are you all right?" Dawn called, her ears ringing slightly.

"Lup!" Piplup chirped defiantly.

"Great! Let's use Bubblebeam!" Dawn shouted. Piplup opened its round beak and spewed a volley of bubbles at Vibrava, but Tara was more than ready.

"Vibrava, dodge!" Tara called. Vibrava expertly lowered to the ground and then powered its way up into the air, avoiding the Bubblebeam effortlessly. "Now, use Rock Slide!"

Vibrava's eyes glowed a brilliant green and a blanket of boulders formed high above Piplup, each of them glowing with a green aura that signaled Vibrava had control over them. Vibrava dropped the boulders from above Piplup, commanding the boulders in a way that prevented any reasonable out for the Penguin Pokémon.

Left with no other option, Dawn called out to Piplup, "Piplup, use Hydro Pump on the boulders!"

Piplup craned its neck as far back as it would go, feeling the powerful energy of Hydro Pump forming deep within its small body. Its beak was forced open as the energy turned into high-pressure water, and Piplup aimed before givng up control and releasing the explosive energy.

"Piiiiiiiiip-luuuuuuuuuuup!" Piplup howled as the Hydro Pump was freed. The high-pressure blast tore through the air from below, racing up and crashing into the large Rock Slide sheet. The water hit with such ferocity that the boulders were virtually disintegrated by it, leaving only harmless shards of rock to fall to the ground afterwards and forming a thick dust cloud. Tara lost some points after the failed attack, but she had the perfect idea on how to knock out some of Dawn's.

Dawn was too busy in thought to hear Tara's command. The next thing she knew, a Dragonbreath blast ripped through the dust cloud in the air and struck Piplup right in the abdomen, hitting with a crushing force and knocking Piplup away close to Dawn. Vibrava buzzed back into view from behind the dust cloud, visibly pleased with its successful attack.

"Oh! Dawn lands a couple of well-timed counters to start off, but Tara has enough smarts to work around them! What an exhilarating first minute of battle!" Marian narrated. Dawn briefly glanced up at the scoreboard, noting that the judges had Tara winning at this point.

"Piplup, let's give this a shot. Use Ice Drill Peck!" Dawn called.

"Lup!" Piplup chirped. The Penguin Pokémon positioned its body, rocketing off of the ground with surprising strength. Next, Piplup aimed its Drill Peck attack, sticking its lengthening beak upward at Vibrava and spinning rapidly. Shortly after that, Piplup used Ice Beam, spewing a fast-rotating line of ice at Vibrava.

"Vibrava, defend yourself with Supersonic!" Tara shouted. Vibrava growled and opened its mouth, beating its diamond-shaped wings rapidly and firing off a volley of ear-piercing sound waves. The powerful Supersonic managed to stave off the Ice Beam for a moment, but Piplup refused to let up and closed the gap, crashing into Vibrava with a combination of Ice Beam and Drill Peck. Piplup's beak raked across Vibrava's body as he spun, leaving crystals of ice along the Vibration Pokémon's body. After dealing enough damage, Piplup kicked off of Vibrava, somersaulting down to the ground and landing perfectly. The crowd broke out into rabid applause, and Piplup immediately placed its flippers on its hips confidently.

"Pip-lup." The water-type boasted.

"Vibrava, use Sandstorm!" Tara snapped.

"Vi-brava!" the Vibration Pokémon chanted. Its wings vibrated and large amounts of dirt formed out of thin air. The dirt whipped about, churning violently until it turned into a full-on sandstorm. Piplup brought up one of its flippers to try and block the violent sandstorm, but it wasn't very successful.

"Bug Buzz!" Tara called.

Vibrava shot through the thick cloud of sand, pulling up beside Piplup and immediately generating red waves of energy that pulsed outward. Piplup recoiled, and the pulses came together and formed a powerful energy beam that Vibrava immediately blasted at point-blank range, slinging Piplup through the rampaging sandstorm. Vibrava, pleased with its work, fled back into the thick dust, hiding from view once more.

"As we creep ever closer to the battle's halfway point, there have been no shortage of amazing moves! And now, with a vicious Sandstorm hampering Piplup's sight, how will Dawn try to get out of this one?" Marian boomed.

"Piplup, can you see anything?" Dawn yelled. She knew that the answer was almost certainly no, which Piplup confirmed with a half-hearted chirp.

A Dragonbreath blast ripped through the cloud of dust right then, shocking Dawn. "Piplup, Ice Beam!" she stammered. Piplup reacted in the nick of time, blasting a jagged beam of frost at the dragon-type attack. The two attacks collided and released a brilliant glow of light before they both dissipated.

The raging sandstorm roared, preventing any chance of Dawn hearing Tara's commands to Vibrava. Suddenly, the sandstorm rippled and sound waves tore through the raging dirt, forcing the churning storm to move and surrounding Piplup once again in a veil of sand.

"Vibrava, use Bug Buzz again!"

Dawn could not hear the command over the raging sandstorm, but Piplup could. Vibrava tore through the layer of sand, appearing close to Piplup with a wicked grin. The Vibration Pokémon vibrated its wings, deciding to toy with Piplup. Vibrava then flew in a circle around the water-type, releasing glowing energy blasts from all around its body. Piplup was knocked sideways by one of the energy bursts and then knocked to the opposite side by another one. Vibrava seemed to snicker, its body vibrating almost violently as it abused Piplup with its Bug Buzz.

Dawn could see the flashes of glowing energy from her battle box, catching the bursts of light off of the sand with her eyes. "Bug Buzz…" Dawn murmured. She then had an idea. "Piplup!" she shouted as loud as she could, "If you can hear me, spin and use Bubblebeam, now!"

Piplup had been cowering until he heard Dawn's call. The sandstorm roared, but it failed to block out her howling shout. Piplup's eyes reopened with a slight flash of rage, and the Penguin Pokémon stood up on the ends of one of its feet. Then, Piplup spun like a top, opening his beak and firing off as many bubbles as he could muster. The bubbles first collided with Vibrava's Bug Buzz waves, striking the walls of the Sandstorm next. Dawn saw the bubbles explode or pass through the sand, indicating to her that Piplup's move was working. Back in the vortex of sand, Piplup continued to spin, missing Vibrava as the ground-type dodged bubble after bubble. Piplup noticed this and stopped, planting his feet and aiming the next set of bubbles ahead of Vibrava's path. The Vibration Pokémon kept going, completely unaware of the impending attack until it was too late.

The bubbles exploded violently and riddled Vibrava's body, slinging the ground/dragon-type through the veil of sand and back out into the open on the battlefield. Piplup glared at the vortex of sand still surrounding him and readied a Hydro Pump on his own. The Penguin Pokémon dove forward into the ground and spun, aiming his open beak upward. The Hydro Pump blast corkscrewed above him in the form of a Counter-Shield move, striking the inner walls of the vortex at full power and spreading outward. Little by little, the sandstorm began to fall apart.

From the outside, Piplup's move looked spectacular. A judge moved to knock away a decent chunk of Tara's points, while the blonde Coordinator and her Vibrava watched with their jaws dropped. The whirling Hydro Pump arced further and further outward, tearing apart the sandstorm from the inside. Finally, after nearly thirty seconds of this, the sandstorm subsided. Piplup stood back up and bent over, breathing in and out hard from exhaustion.

"Absolutely unbelievable! Piplup has not only repelled Vibrava, but defeated a sandstorm all on its own!" Marian boomed, "We've got just over a minute and a half left, and Dawn has reclaimed the lead! How will this slugfest end?"

Tara's shocked surprise turned into an unhappy scowl. She reared back and shouted, "With us on top! Vibrava, use Dragonbreath!"

"Piplup, use Ice Beam!"

The two Pokémon fired off their respective attacks, crashing the two energy beams together. The blasts ricocheted off each other, exploding violently away from either of the two Pokémon. Dawn repeated her command, and Piplup blasted another beam of cold energy before Vibrava could recover. The Vibration Pokémon recoiled, taking the full brunt of the Ice Beam. Once the beam wore off, Vibrava moved to fly off of the ground, but it failed. A cold sensation overwhelmed the ground/dragon-type's wings, and Vibrava looked back at them to see tendrils of ice all around its diamond-shaped wings.

"Argh!" Tara shouted, "Vibrava, we'll have to stay grounded for this. Use Rock Slide!"

Vibrava conjured another sheet of boulders, holding them high above Piplup's head. The Vibration Pokémon dropped the volley of rocks, prompting Dawn to call out to Piplup again.

"Piplup, get out of there and use Drill Peck on Vibrava!" Piplup chirped and tumbled forward, pushing off of the ground with its feet and escaping the radius of the falling rocks. Once in the air, Piplup spun rapidly, its beak extending into a spear-like structure as it closed in. Vibrava was more than aware that there was nothing it could do, and simply waited to take the hit.

Piplup drilled its beak along Vibrava's body, spiraling past and landing behind the Vibration Pokémon. Vibrava cringed, its front legs giving out. Its wings were weighed down by the ice that had made them useless, and with a gruff exhale, Vibrava slumped completely into the ground.

The bell sounded as Vibrava fainted. 34 seconds were left on the clock, but Vibrava's inability to keep exchanging hits with Piplup made the result clear. By a decent margin, Dawn would've won to begin with.

"And Vibrava is down and unable to battle! By Contest rules, that means the winner is Dawn!" Marian said. The crowd answered with a roar and Dawn jumped for joy.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's Ribbon number four!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Pip-lup, Pip-lup!" Piplup chirped. The Penguin Pokémon was sprinting toward Dawn, happily chirping away. Dawn bent down to pick Piplup, holding the water-type high above her head.

"And it's all thanks to you, Piplup. You didn't give up, even when I was about to! You're such an amazing Pokémon!" Dawn praised. Piplup accepted the praise about as humbly as could be expected. Dawn looked down the field to see that Tara had already returned Vibrava and turned her back, briskly walking away from the field of battle. Dawn shrugged. She had wanted to congratulate Tara on such a well-fought battle, but it seemed that the blonde wasn't interested in hearing it.

"The famous Dawn lives up to her hype once again," said Mr. Contesta. He had left his seat at the judge's table. With a smile, he gestured over to said table, "Come. We have your Ribbon at the judge's table."

"Okay. Thank you, Mr. Contesta." Dawn said. They walked together, speaking to each other some more despite the supportive roaring of the crowd.

"I'm so pleased to see that you are doing well. Every time I see you compete, you seem to pull something new out of the hat." Mr. Contesta praised, "I understand that this is your fourth Ribbon this season. That would put you at needing one more to qualify for the Grand Festival."

"That's right, Mr. Contesta. My traveling partner and I are heading to Snowpoint City next so that he can challenge the Gym Leader." Dawn explained.

"That is a long way north. The weather will surely be cold, especially at this time of year. Please, be very careful." Mr. Contesta answered. They reached the judge's table, where Chocovine Town's Nurse Joy held an opened, thin box holding a blue Ribbon. Mr. Contesta grabbed the Ribbon gently and turned to Dawn. "And now, it is with great honor that I present you with the Chocovine Ribbon. You have earned it, Dawn."

Mr. Contesta handed the Ribbon over to Dawn, who held it as gently as she could. Piplup nestled himself on top of her head, glancing down at the blue-colored Ribbon. "Thank you so much, Mr. Contesta."

"You're very welcome. Take care of yourself on the road to Snowpoint City." Mr. Contesta said with a nod and genuine smile. Dawn nodded and then turned around, walking briskly to the curtains so she could change out of her Contest clothes and meet back up with Ash.


"There she is, our four-Ribbon girl." Ash faux-announced. Pikachu and Riolu were with him, the former sitting on Ash's shoulder and the latter on foot below him.

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu chattered.

"Rio!" Riolu agreed.

"Hehe, hey there, you three." Dawn greeted. She lugged a small suitcase behind her carrying her Contest clothes. She slipped her Ribbon Case out from her bag and popped it open. The four corners of the case were filled in, with only one slot—the center one—still unfilled. The four Ribbons she did have were the red Jubilife Ribbon, the yellow Floaroma Ribbon, the light blue Valor Ribbon, and the darker blue Chocovine Ribbon. "Four down, one to go." Dawn commented.

"We can head off to Sandalstraw Town tomorrow morning then. It's going to be a long journey so we should pack a bunch of cold gear." Ash said.

"We'll make it, just like we always do." Dawn said with a smile.

They headed off to the Pokémon Center, booking themselves rooms upon arriving. There were still a few hours left in the day, so they decided to head to the harbor, paying for a submarine ride to see Pokémon along the coast. This time, there were no Phione, thanks to the species not quite being in season yet, but the ride along the coast allowed them to see all manner of aquatic species, including the likes of Finneon and Lumineon, Octillery, Lanturn, and Mantyke.

The sun was setting when they returned, so they took advantage of the free buffet dinner. Sometime after night had fallen, Dawn's PokéPad videophone began to ring. She slipped the tablet from her bag and read the familiar name: Lester. She motioned for Ash to come beside her and pressed answer. A few moments later, Lester's head popped up on the screen.

"Ash and Dawn! Good evening!"

"Hey, Lester!" Dawn greeted.

"How are you doing?" Ash added.

"Fine, very fine, thank you." Lester said, "What about you two?"

"I just won the Chocovine Town Contest." Dawn said. She popped open her Ribbon Case and showed off the new addition.

"Wonderful!" Lester said, "So then you must be leaving Chocovine Town in the morning, yes?"

"That's right." Dawn answered.

"What's the word on you meeting us in one of the towns on the way up north?" Ash asked.

"The word is good! I met with my friends on Mt. Coronet earlier today, and I'm staying in an inn at the foot of the mountain. I think we can plan to meet in Sandalstraw Town soon! My friends have a few dig sites they'd like me to participate on!" Lester explained.

"That's great!" Ash said.

"It'll take us a bit to make it to Sandalstraw Town." Dawn commented. She glanced down at her watch and pulled up the basic map application, charting the distance from Chocovine Town to Sandalstraw Town. "Here we go. It's not terribly far, but it'll take us around two weeks if we keep our usual pace. The real long haul is the walk up to Snowpoint City, which is about twice the distance from Sandalstraw Town."

"That is a long walk, but I'm sure we will find some way to make it enjoyable!" Lester said enthusiastically, "Anyway, I need to go, but I'll keep in touch with you two! Please call me when you're near Sandalstraw Town!"

"Will do, Lester." Ash affirmed.

"Take care, Lester!" Dawn said.

"You two as well." Lester said. The connection then cut out, leaving Ash and Dawn relatively alone in the Center lobby. Ash sighed and then yawned.

"I think I'm heading up to hit the sack." Ash said, "First part of a long journey tomorrow."

"I'm not far behind you." Dawn admitted, "G'night, Ash."

"G'night, Dawn."


Sinnoh Region – Coronet Base, Location Unknown

Lester sighed as he set down the mobile videophone. The room he was in was dark, but it was the only place that he could call Ash and Dawn without being suspicious. The man stood up from his chair and walked to the door, briefly watching as the automatic door slid open for him. He walked out into the light of the hangar bay and slipped on his Team Rocket cap before grazing his hand against the smooth fabric of his uniform, which was marked with a big red R. In the darkness of the room, Ash and Dawn wouldn't have been able to see his uniform, which is why it was the best place to contact them.

"Ship coming into the hangar! Everyone, to your positions, now!" shouted a man. Lester's head shot up and he bolted over to the back half of the hangar. People were scrambling for the leader's arrival. According to the word in the base, there were four people on the ship, each more important than the one before them. In the middle of the hangar, there were six people, the collective 'heads' of the branch's operation. Everyone else—more than 200 warm bodies—was lined up in the back. Lester took his place with the other Grunts, standing as still as a statue. The bay door began to scroll open, and a large ship drifted through the wide tunnel, hovering above the hangar floor and steadily lowering. Visible air blew out of every possible area upon landing, and the loading door began to steadily open. At that instant, each and every Grunt took up a firm, unwavering salute. The six people: Jessie, James, Meowth, Mercury, Charon, and Proton, fell to one knee and lowered their heads, bowing respectfully.

Four people stepped off of the ship in a single file line. The first man had a thin, pale head that was full of purple hair. The second person was a woman, and she had a slender figure and bright red hair. The third was a man with a short teal hair, and he carried himself with a brutal confidence that hid a cruel genius inside. The final man was the most important. He wore a black suit and had a pale, thick head that hid an unquestionable evil. His black hair was cropped short and unremarkable, but it somehow amplified the man's darkness. The three people that came before him stepped to the side and let him step through.

"That's him." Lester whispered.

"Shh!" someone else hissed.

Executive Proton remained bowed, his face pointed at the ground. "Lord Giovanni. We are beyond honored by your presence."

"Rise, Proton." Giovanni said. Proton did as he was asked and Giovanni spoke further, "I am impressed by this facility…very secretive. There isn't a human presence for miles."

"My lord, we are privileged to hear such praise. We have accomplished truly great things in the time we have been here. I know that you have seen our accomplishments over live feeds, but I promise you that nothing compares to seeing for yourself." Proton said.

"I have no doubt. The rest of you, at ease." Giovanni ordered. Charon and the four Admins stood, but the Grunts held their stalwart salutes.

"Lord Giovanni. It is a great honor." Mercury greeted.

"Mercury. I've heard positive things about you." Giovanni said with a nod. Mercury looked as if he was immensely gratified that the leader of Team Rocket even knew his name, and he said nothing more.

"Tell me about our current pursuits." Giovanni ordered.

Proton spoke up next, "The Spear Key is pointing us to our next target: The Lustrous Orb. The Key points due north from here. There are few settlements that go that far north, the largest being Snowpoint City. When you are ready, we have men assigned to begin moving on these towns one by one and scouring them."

"Excellent. I want those searches begun as soon as possible."

"By your command." Proton agreed.

"And what about the theft of the Adamant Orb? I understand it was a tense affair." Giovanni asked.

"Yes. My lord, I cannot explain to you how much I have wanted you to meet the man responsible for that operation." Proton said, "Lester, come!"

Lester spent a few seconds being surprised before he shuffled his way out of the line of Grunts. He briskly walked forward, his eyes fixated forward into space, and arrived beside Proton. Lester then immediately dropped to one knee and bowed.

"Rise, Grunt." Giovanni said, "I caught that your name was Lester?"

"Yes, sir." Lester said robotically.

"This Grunt was stationed in Canalave City, searching for the Adamant Orb. When all of our leads were exhausted, he successfully went undercover and befriended Ash Ketchum, traveling with them to the Canalave Gym and locating the Adamant Orb." Proton explained.

Giovanni raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Very impressive. Keep up that level of work, and a promotion may well be in order for you, Lester."

"Thank you, Lord Giovanni, sir." Lester said, giving a firm salute, "If I may, there is more information that I have not yet shared."

"Proceed."

"Moments before your arrival I communicated with Ketchum and the girl. They are heading for Snowpoint City, and I expressed interest in rendezvousing with them in the near future and traveling to the city on foot." Lester reported.

Giovanni mused for a moment before speaking, "You continue to impress me, Lester. Very well. I grant you permission to carry out this next mission. You will be going deep undercover, so make sure that you are prepared. With an operative keeping eyes on the Ketchum boy at all times, it ought to be easier to handle him should it become necessary."

"My thoughts exactly, sir. Thank you so very much!" Lester beamed. He saluted Giovanni once more and the leader non-verbally dismissed him. Lester returned to his place amongst the Grunts, struggling to not grin giddily as he endured various looks from his fellow Grunts.

"Archer! Ariana! Petrel!" Giovanni barked, "Acquaint yourself with the branch's leadership, and make sure the Grunts know they answer to us. I'm going to the office. Charon, if you'll escort me."

"Of course, my lord." Charon agreed, shuffling away by Giovanni's side. It looked just a little bit ridiculous considering that Giovanni dwarfed the round-bodied scientist, but no one dared to laugh. Archer, Ariana, and Petrel walked up toward Proton, quietly conversing amongst themselves before turning to the Grunts and the four Admins.

"As Lord Giovanni said, you answer to us now." Archer told the Admins, "As the highest-ranking Executive, only Giovanni's word overrules mine. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." The four Admins said together.

"This is Ariana. You will show her the utmost respect." Archer explained, gesturing to the red-haired woman. There was a cruel glint in her eye, as if she enjoyed the pedestal she'd been placed on. "You already know Proton, and the old man is Petrel, our master of disguise."

"Old man?" Petrel rasped, "I'm barely older than Lord Giovanni."

"In any case, we are your intermediaries between Giovanni and yourselves, in the same way that you four are our intermediaries to the Grunts." Archer said, ignoring the displeased Petrel. "We are very close to achieving our goals here, and insubordination, among other things, will not be tolerated. You have all performed at a high standard since being assigned to Sinnoh, and I expect that you will continue to do so. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. We are yours to command." The four Admins chanted.

Archer gave an almost evil smile, "Good. Now, disperse. We begin at first light."