Hello, I'm back with this story! (Please lemme know your reactions when you saw that I've posted a new chap for this story! I'm curious!)

It feels so great to know that you guys have missed this story and have been asking about a lot in my other story "I Only Love You!" Ah, I felt like I had to upload , no matter how much short I'm on time, seeing how much showed love for TDTT in the comments! I love you, guys!

And those who haven't read "I Only Love You," make sure to check that out! It's another story I have written, recently! ; p

I won't hold you back, go ahead and read it!

Chapter 22

Dialga! We're not letting you go!

We quickly changed into the clothes when we returned to my house. I was dressed in the same uniform and attached all my gadgets in their places. We all were now headed to the Twinleaf festival ground, so we all had connected to Bluetooth in-ears in order to communicate in such a large crowd.

"Let's all split up. It will be better for any of us to react that way. Also, stay close to the statue, stay alert, and don't be distracted by anything else. Alright?" Drew directed.

"Alright!" We all went in different directions to make sure that if any one of us spotted anything, we could go into action. Piplup was on my head, keeping an eye on things.

"Hey, Gary, is the security system on?" I heard May ask.

He responded, "Yeah, everything's going as planned. I double checked on the security just before coming here."

As expected, Gary was responsible for maintaining the security near the statue. He had stayed at the Professor's lab and discussed on it with him about all the system. We didn't know when he had done all that! He is a very responsible guy at times, though he can be a bit of non-serious kind of guy.

I looked around the festival. The lights were very bright and shimmering in the darkness, casting the festival in a vibrant and cheerful atmosphere. There were people everywhere, enjoying their time and having fun.

I used to come here when I was younger, enjoying it just like other people… who knew that one day, I would have to be this serious in such a lovely atmosphere… That's why it's my duty to let everyone enjoy! I just have to make sure that it doesn't get spoiled by that nasty group of people!

I clenched my fists in determination. "We will not let them win, this time!" I decided resolutely. I smiled in intense satisfaction.

Piplup pumped up his flipper. "Pip-lup!"

I felt very confident this time… because of the previous events during the robbery of the previous statue, we were all left on fire... We were determined not to lose this statue to them!

We kept moving around until it was finally the time for the display of the Dialga. I quickly reminded the group, "Guys, keep your Eye-tech on. What if they appear as invisibles?"

"Understood," came the reply, in unison, from the other agents.

"Attention here, folks! Now, we are going to follow the traditional rite of revealing the statue of the legendary Pokémon and one of the creators of Sinnoh. Yes, the ruler of time, Dialga, will now be represented to you," the announcer said as the huge purple cloth was pulled away and the great state of Dialga was made visible to us.

I heard Drew and May gasp. "Wow..."

Everyone looked up to gaze at the sculpture before us. I must admit that it was mesmerizing, no matter how many times you see it... It was neatly sculpted from stone, showing every feature and every little detail of the Pokémon's grace and beauty. It It looked like a king standing with his chest puffed out… his nobility was shining on him!

"It's beautiful, isn't it, Piplup?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the wonder in front of me.

Piplup nodded. "Pip, pip-lup!"

I clicked the button behind my ear, shooting an Eye-tech from my right eye. I looked through it, at the statue, scanning for any suspicious objects, but gladly, I didn't see any.

Just then, I saw two people jump down from a helicopter and on the stage. We six instantly knew who it was.

"Trip and Miette!" we all shouted at the same time. Ugh, I guess I was too quick to be happy... I sighed. Nonetheless, let's enjoy this little show!

Drew instructed, "Everyone, head to the tower, quick!"

"Roger!" we all replied.

I ran in the direction of the tower along with Piplup in my arms. Anyway, I couldn't help but feel adrenaline rushing through my veins! I was so darn excited to beat these two bastards, but now I was worried and anxious... I really hoped that we would catch up to them, although we were a bit assured due to the safety system Gary had set up.

I climbed up the stairs as fast as I could. I was panting hard when I finally reached the top of the tower. I saw Miette and Trip standing there with their usual proud looks on their faces.

I saw Trip smirk, "Oh, so the Dawn is finally here?" I saw everyone already, were standing up to them and it looked like they were ready to fight. "We were waiting for you, you know?"

I really don't like hearing my beautiful name from his mouth!

I raised an eyebrow, "You think, we'd let you get away with the statue, this time? Sorry to burst your bubble, but we're gonna kick your asses, tonight!" I wiped away the sweat that had trickled down my cheek while smirking back at them.

Miette squealed, "There is a new hottie in their group!" She pointed at Drew while looking at him as if lovestruck.

May became protective, moving to stand in front of him. "Sorry, but he already has a girlfriend and that would be me. So, you better find someone else."

Miette snorted. "Pfft, as if I care whether he has a girlfriend or not!"

Drew intervened, saying, "I think you should find a temporary boyfriend rather than shooting those coy looks at others' boyfriends."

Ash asked, irritated, "Can we get started with the fight, already? We don't have much time to waste on useless stuff like these." He crossed his arms.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu glared at Miette.

Trip cleared his throat. "Right. Miette, let's take the statue already and get away from this place. I am getting bored."

"As if, that's gonna happen!" I laughed as I neared him, about to attack him with my punch. Just then, he blocked it with his arm, and moved to punch in my stomach. I dodged it, missing by just a fraction.

I saw Leaf and May charge up at Miette. I turned to Trip as he said, "Sorry to spoil the fun, but as much as I enjoy battling you, I can't, unfortunately. Orders from the boss! Also, I am sure that these boys will be as much of an entertainment as you." He walked away from me and rushed to the boys.

I stood there and blinked, dumbstruck. Did he just refuse to fight me...? What freaking orders from boss?!

Just then, from the corner of my eyes, I saw Leaf trying to hit Miette, but she dodged every time. She responded by punching in her face, which the brunette blocked very easily and then, I saw her signal to May as she kicked Miette on her calf, which caused her to fall down with a thud.

May and Leaf stood there, towering her with them smirking at her and smiling at her, triumphantly. May said, "This is what you get for thinking of taking my Drew for yourself!"

Leaf asked, "Do you feel any guilt?"

The blunette scowled. "No way!" She slid away from them, and once she away, she sprang back on her feet.

I turned my attention to the boys, who were fighting Trip. I heard Gary say, "Dude, I think only one person can handle you this time! And that would be Drew, since he didn't get to fight you before." He pushed Drew in Trip's direction.

Drew nodded as he got into a battling stance, "Alright! Let's get this over with."

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I think it's fair, since you're just one guy and it would be cheating if we all charged up at one. Also, it would hurt our pride to know that three guys defeated only one person."

Trip laughed. "I assure you that I will give you one heck of a fight."

He lunged at Drew to kick him on his neck, but the chartreuse-haired boy was fast enough to crouch, dodging it just in time. Drew took this chance to hit him on his back, causing him to startle.

Soon, he was back to his sense as he charged at Drew, winding up with a punch, which he aimed at Drew's pretty face. Drew moved back quickly and came up behind the blonde, wrapping his arm around his neck.

"Give up, already?" Drew asked.

Trip smirked. "In your dreams!" He hit Drew's nose with his elbow, causing him to wince and loosen his grip.

I saw Trip and Miette both charging towards the statue. We all nodded as Gary flashed a thumbs up and winked at us.

As soon as Trip and Miette two neared the statue, they were electrocuted. They both backed away after being shocked, but tried again, only to get the same results.

Trip gritted his teeth. "What the hell is going on?!"

Miette frowned. "Trip, didn't you hack the security system near this statue?!"

Trip replied, frustrated, "I did!"

She asked, "Then, how come we're getting electrocuted when we are trying to get near it?! Trip, are you sure that you deactivated the security here!"

He glared at her. "I told you that I did! Stop asking me the same the question again and again! I am already very frustrated! If I am not wrong, then there wasn't much security to hack, either… then, how come this is happening?!"

Gary proudly replied, "Although, you did hack the security system of this statue, I had created another security system, which cannot be hacked no matter how hard you try. The reason why you're getting electrocuted is because there is a barrier near it, which will give you a shock if you try to cross it. It needs a password to disable it, which you definitely won't be able to just guess. I am the only who knows it."

Leaf nodded. "Yeah, it won't break even if you try to hit it with your Pokémon moves. So, it's kinda impossible."

"And… it's covered by that barrier from all the four sides. There is no way you can break through the barrier, be it from above the roof or under the ground," May pointed out.

Trip and Miette both clenched their fists and teeth at us. I heard Trip mutter, "There's gotta be some way!"

I went to him and stood close to him. I pursed my lips and then said, "You don't have to act this way. We already told you that there is no way to do it, and you can't defeat us. Admit it."

Piplup glared at them. "Piplup!"

I saw Ash come this way. He jabbed his hands in his pocket, and took a breath before he said, "Do you understand how it feels when you're defeated? There is nothing you can do, except stand and watch."

"Pika-pi!'

Miette said, "It looks like this time you were a lot more alert and protective. Maybe the last defeat has reached your brains."

May snorted. "Shut up, will you?"

Drew nodded. "Actually, Miette, I think you're correct. The previous defeat was something that made us a bit more alert... I wasn't there last time, but I can sense how it might have been to give them the boost of confidence to protect this statue no matter what."

Trip gritted his teeth, about to say something, but was disrupted by someone's call on his Bluetooth. He quickly accepted it. "Yes, sir! What… we can get it! Please, let us try! ...Alright, sir. We'll retreat. ...But… fine... We'll be on our way."

He turned to us as he scowled. "We're going this time but… we won't give up!"

Miette glances at him, confused. "What happened, Trip? Why are we going?! We—"

She was interrupted by Trip saying, "Boss's order. We need to retreat, and fast."

Miette nodded. "Alright." She turned to us and said, "Don't get too full of yourself, now. We'll take this statue away. Maybe not now, but definitely by some other means."

Her threaten doesn't really sound like a threaten, though.

Trip called out in his speaker, "Bring the helicopter here." As soon as the order was passed, the helicopter came, with a rope ladder hanging from it. Miette and Trip climbed it quickly.

But before going, Trip turned to us and said, "Celebrate this one victory however much you want, because you won't have the chance to celebrate the next one. Later!" He gave a two finger wave as he climbed on the ladder and the helicopter started flying away.

"So...we did it, huh?" I heard Gary speak.

We turned our eyes to see that the statue was still safe and it took us atleast a minute to accept it. We all sighed a breath of relief. To be honest, the continuous defeats lowered our confidence...just a bit and this success, although it was small but meant a lot for us. It was going to be our confidence booster for the next step.

"Yeah, finally," Leaf admitted.

I cleared my throat, gaining their attention. "Shall we celebrate our little victory, then?" I suggested with grin.

"Of course!" Gary pumped his fist in air and the others smiled, nodding.

"Pip!"

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu cheered.

As we exited the tower, we saw that the crowd of people, who were gathered to celebrate the festival, were cheering for us… wait, so there were able to see what had happened up there?

We couldn't help but smile back at them, awkwardly.

Just then, I looked at my watch, causing my eyes to widen. "Guys!"

"What happened, Dawn?!" Leaf asked, worried.

"It's already ten! The fireworks will start any moment, now!" I exclaimed, beginning to jog.

"So, what?" Ash asked, with his arms crossed.

I said, still in a hurry, "Follow me! No time to answer your questions!" I quickly ran straight ahead, and everyone followed me while glancing at each other in confusion. When we finally were standing in front of two large tents, which were surrounded by a large number of people, I said, "You boys go in that grey tent and we girls will go in this red tent! Hurry, guys!" I pointed at the tents.

"Will you tell us, why?" Gary asked.

I frowned as I pushed them near that grey tent. "Stop asking questions and just go!" Once they were standing next to the tent, I ran to where the girls were and held them by either of my hands. I shouted, "Go to the counter and tell them you have reservations under my name. They'll guide ya!"

I dragged away those two girls away and entered the red tent. But before entering, I asked Piplup, "Hey, will you guide those boys on what to do? I probably left them confused. So show them what has to be done, will you?"

He nodded as he patted his chest. "Pip-lup!" He jumped down from my arms and ran away to the group of boys.

"Dawn, what is going on?" Leaf asked.

May nodded as she placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"

I grinned as I wrapped my hands around theirs. "You'll see, soon enough!" I dragged them into the our tent.

"When will they come out?" I muttered as I glanced at my watch repeatedly.

"Uh...Dawn? How do I look?" Leaf asked as she twirled around to show off her dress. She was dressed in a beautiful dark green kimono with large floral prints of different colours. There was a baby pink obi sash tied in a bow on her back, just below her bust. Her hair was tied in a large bun, with some of her strands falling on the sides of her face. She also was wearing wooden sandals.

I held her by her shoulders as I complimented her with my mouth wide open. "Damn, Leaf, you look awesome!" I laughed. "Gary won't be able to take his eyes away from you!"

She giggled. "You-"

"Do I look okay?" We heard a small voice. We turned our heads to see May standing there while looking down at her dress. She was in a dark red kimono with a pink floral print. Her obi sash was of peach colour, and her hair was in her normal hairstyle, except for the fact that she wasn't wearing her bandana.

We both squealed, "Wow! You look more than okay!"

Leaf laughed. "Drew will fall flat for you!"

May blushed. "H-hey!"

They both turned to me. "Well, Ash will be awestruck when he'll lay his eyes on you!"

My eyes widened at their implications as I blushed. "Hey! C'mon!"

I was dressed in a dark navy blue kimono with white large snowflakes print on it, and a large white obi sash. My hair was tied in a side braid, on my right, which left some strands of my blue hair on my face. We all were holding small carry bags.

"Shall we get going?" May asked with a smile, to which we both nodded. We left the tent to see that the boys were already waiting for us.

"About time!" Gary yelled as he turned around. "We were—"

As soon as we appeared in their line of sight, I saw all of their eyes widened and their mouths open in shock. Even Piplup and Pikachu were staring at us, smiling cutely.

We all said in unison, "Thank you!"

Piplup climbed back in my arms and I held him. Pika-chu went back to the boys and climbed back on Ash's shoulder. I decided to have a little fun, and I moved forward towards them. "Piplup, go ahead." I stifled my laugh as I held Piplup up high, and he used Bubblebeam lightly on them.

They all shook their heads until they were out of their dazes. Leaf asked as she giggled, "What happened? Did you all just freeze or what?"

Gary chuckled. "Something like that, after seeing you in these outfits for the first time!" He was wearing a plain, solid, grey-colored yukata with a black obi sash wrapped around his waist in tiny knot on his back.

May laughed. "Really? Do we really look that bad?" she joked.

Drew came up forward and placed his hands on her waist. "No, you look like a pure goddess." He was dressed in a solid, plain, blue yukata with a grey obi sash, tied in the same fashion as Gary's.

I turned to them. "Sorry to interrupt, but you can continue your romance later. I know a perfect spot where you can continue without any interference!" May and Drew both blushed as they moved away from each other.

Then, I heard Ash ask, "What is going on, Berlitz?"

It was then, when I finally noticed his clothes. He was dressed in a plain, solid black colour yukata with a white obi sash around his waist, tied just like the other two. Also...his toned chest could be revealed because of that folding of the cloth... A laugh escaped my lips as my eyes wandered to his head... he was still wearing his cap...

"Pfft!" I laughed at him. "You..."

He looked at me weirdly. "What happened? What is there to laugh?"

"Pika?" The Pokémon cocked his head to the side, confused.

I said, while holding my stomach, "Haha, you're wearing your cap with a yukata?! Seriously?" A twenty-two or so year old guy wearing a cap on his yukata?!

He blushed as he scratched his cheek. "There is no way I am taking it off."

"You look like some elementary kid!" I commented, to which everyone joined me and started laughing.

Gary said, "See? You wouldn't have been made fun of if you had just listened to my advice, Ashy boy."

I bit my cheek. "It's hilarious!" I finally controlled my laughter as I moved to Ash. I smiled. "Please, Ash, remove it. It doesn't suit your outfit. Trust me, you look good even without your cap. Will you?" I held my hand towards him as I looked at him with hopeful eyes, which I hoped was hard to resist.

He stared at me for a moment, but suddenly turned his head the other way. I could tell that he was still looking at me from the corner of his eyes. He stammered, "A-alright. If… you insist.."

He removed his cap from his head and placed it in my hand. I looked at him questioningly. He replied, still facing the other direction, "Take good care of it." I nodded as I put it in my carry bag.

Gary whistled, "Great. When I told you to remove it, you didn't. But when Dawn said to, you agreed? So rude, dude."

Drew flicked his hair. "His love asked him. How could he not accept her request? Dates over mates. Ah… how cruel!" he said dramatically.

It caused both me and Ash to blush slightly. "Hey!" I shouted, flustered. What was he talking about?! What love? What date? Have they lost their minds?!

"Aw, you both are blushing!" Leaf gushed.

Ash ran a hand through his hair, still flustered. He retorted, "I think that goes for you, Drew. The statement you just said best suits you. Stop pushing it on me."

"Y-yeah, exactly!" I agreed, hoping that the topic would change.

May laughed at his seriousness. "Ash, don't be mean to my boyfriend. Remember, you said you see me as your sister, right?" she joked.

He crossed his arms at her. "Whatever."

"But anyway, Dawn, I've got to appreciate this setup!" Leaf commented, referring to the kimono-borrowing tents.

May nodded. "Really! I'm impressed."

"Yeah, for a person who often visits this festival, I never knew that this kind of thing existed," Gary said, chuckling.

I hit him on his shoulder. "Dummy, it was introduced last year."

"Oh," he said, resizing the truth in my words. "That's why I didn't know."

I glanced at my watch and shrieked, "Shit!"

"Now, what is it, Dawn?" Gary asked, with his arms crossed.

"Oh, shit! We'll be late!" I took Piplup in my arms as I grabbed Ash's arm and started to run. I could hear their calls. I cupped my mouth and shouted, "Just follow me!"

I heard Ash shout, "Whoa!" he said, confused. "What is wrong with you? Where are you taking us?"

I heard his electric rodent squeak, "Pika!"

I grinned. "You'll see soon enough!"

"Pip-lup!" Piplup Reassured them.

Once I reached the spot where I wanted to take everyone, I came to a halt. I looked back to see everyone panting. I quickly let go of Ash's hand when I realized I was still holding it.

"Where have you brought us?" May asked as she took her time to catch up with her breath.

We were away from the festival lights and now in a forest-like place. It was very calming and peaceful under the night sky and surrounded by trees. It felt a lot better than staying at the festival, with many people surrounding us and bright lights making us grimace.

"Don't you all feel a bit better here rather than in the crowd back there?" I asked as I folded my arms behind my back.

Leaf sighed. "I do feel better."

May nodded. "Yeah. It was kind of suffocating there!"

"Also, the lights were starting to get to me! I was feeling like I could throw up any moment!" Gary exclaimed as he sat on a nearby rock.

I smiled. "You'll see one more thing, which will just make your day!"

Drew raised an eyebrows "What is it?"

I felt a pair of eyes at me, and when I looked at that person, it was Ash. He quickly turned away. I frowned. He was just staring at me, wasn't he? I wondered why, though. Maybe...because I really did look beautiful?

Aaah, Dawn! Stop thinking ahead of yourself! That's Ash Ash Ketchum! He is the biggest jerk, remember?

I quickly shook my thoughts as I replied, "A surprise." I turned to stare at the sky, and said, "For now, just admire the sky."

Everyone were gazing the sky and were mesmerized it's beauty. The grey coloured clouds floating, slightly covering the half moon surrounded by the bluish-black sky. The chirping of crickets and the cool breeze passing over us, swaying the tree leaves made us comfortable and calm.

And then a flashback of today's events came rushing back into my brain, reminding that we had successfully protected the Dialga… the happiness and joy we felt...

Even though we hadn't won the final battle yet, winning just one battle… gave us the hope… that even the final victory will be ours...

No matter what happens, we'll try our best… and we will achieve anything… with our unity and teamwork! That's for sure!

That's that, people! Their team has atleast saved one statue from being robbed! And, why do you think Ash was staring at Dawn? Guys and the girls have dressed up in yukata to enjoy the festival! Keep looking forward for what's ahead of them!

I'm literally debating whether to give you a spoiler or not... but, I can't control myself yet I don't want to reveal it completely, so I will just give you a hint! Ash is gonna upset Dawn and blow all your minds! Can anyone guess what Ash Ketchum might do?

Anyway, who all among you are watching the korean dramas: It's Okay Not To Be Okay and Backstreet Rookie? (I haven't watched the episode but try to watch their clips whenever I have time! But gosh, I love the main leads! They are both badasses! I will watch it after the entire series are out since I don't like waiting! :p)

And, please stay home and be safe from Covid-19! ; )

Make sure to comment down your reactions and thoughts!

Bye!