The weather was ever so slightly foggy thanks to being on a shipping bay, but the morning was no less brilliant than Dawn was. Smiling shining kilowatt when the sun could not, she led the way into the contest hall.
"Today's our day," she cheered, one hand clenched in a triumphant fist. Though none of her team was out except for Empoleon, he more than made up for it with his enthusiasm.
"Empole!" he agreed.
"You bet," Ash chimed in, mirroring Dawn's enthusiasm. "Time for you to get your next ribbon. I can't wait to see the appeal you've been working on."
Even Pikachu couldn't contain his excitement. "Pikachu~!"
"I'm gonna dazzle 'em," Dawn assured, a sly grin on her face. Oh yes, she certainly had plans for this double contest.
"You'd better get signed up now, huh?" Ash suggested, eyeing the line that was beginning to form before the front desk. If Dawn didn't hurry, she might miss the cut, at that rate!
"Yeah," she trailed off. "Well, if not before, I'll definitely see you guys in the winner's circle!" With a final wink, the bluenette rushed to the signup counter, while Ash began to walk towards the stands.
"You got it!" Ash waved her off, looking to Pikachu. "Alright, buddy. Let's try 'n find a good spot in the stands while we still can! Then we'll get a great view of the contest!"
"Pika!"
With the mouse's shared enthusiasm, Ash slipped and pushed through the crowd, eager to claim a seat.
There were many coordinators here today, crowded behind the scenes with their Pokémon. Some were grooming and pepping up their pokemon, while others chatted and bragged amongst their fellow competitors. The competition left Dawn both nervous and grateful. Many coordinators meant the show would get more viewing, meaning she would earn a better reputation! However, that also meant an increase in competition… It didn't help that she was first up today!
'That's fine with me, though! We've been working hard for this… There's no way I'll lose!'
An all-too-familiar voice could be heard from beyond the curtains, then. "First up is a coordinator all the way from Sinnoh! Dawn, take the stage!"
Stepping out from the cool shade behind the velvet curtains and into the bright spotlight of the stage on the master of ceremony's cue, Dawn felt electric. Bundled nerves did little to inhibit her in front of the crowd, which was admittedly rather large. Gripping two Pokéballs within her hands, the teen spun with grace, tossing each into the air above. "Houndour, Clefairy, spotlight!"
As their Pokéballs burst open, the seals Dawn had decided to use went off. The black hearts from Houndour's Pokéball contrasted nicely with Clefairy's golden sparkles. While it wasn't a true part of her performance, it was still a good way to gain crowd favor. Now, it was time to move onto the meat of her appeal.
"Houndour, use Smog!" the bluenette commanded.
A thick plume of black smoke cascaded out of Houndour's mouth, rolling across the floor of the stage, soon shrouding all three participants within it. Only the gleam of Dawn's belt buckle and Houndour's bone armor could be seen. Quiet muttering from the crowd marked the beginning of her gamble.
"Magical Leaf, Clefairy!" Dawn knew it was time to make good on what she was betting on.
Though invisible to the crowd, Clefairy lifted her hands, sending tiny, glowing leaves throughout the cloud of smoke. The effect was mesmerizing. In mere moments, Dawn had created a small galaxy by combining Magical Leaf and Smog; it was the brilliance of hundreds of stars and the blackness of space. This kind of view is why telescopes were made, but here it was, bright and beautiful for the audience's viewing pleasure.
Even the judges were pleased. The lights from the glowing leaves cast eerie and fanciful shades from Dawn's Pokémon, highlighting them as the real stars of the show. Of course, Dawn's endeavor to really bring them into the spotlight had only just begun.
"Now, Moonlight!"
A pale imitation of the night's greatest light rose above the Smog cloud, cutting through the darkness just in time for the black toxins to fade. As it did so, everyone got into position. Clefairy stood on Dawn's head, still orchestrating her Magical Leaf attack. Meanwhile, Houndour was held lovingly in Dawn's arms.
The light show seemed to have pleased the crowd, judging by the volume of their applause. All the same, Dawn hurried off stage. Poor Houndour, being the backwoods little thing he was, had begun to whimper and was soon to squirm. All the chatter and cheering had proven a bit overwhelming for the dark type's sharp senses.
"What a dreamy performance! Thanks Dawn! Let's give a warm welcome to our next contestant!" Lilian praised, raising a hand up high in her typical way to build on the audience's excitement.
While she scurried off stage, Ash had found a snug space in the crowd ahead of time. "Rock on, Dawn!" he yelled, cheers nearly drowned out by everyone else's. Pikachu danced and shouted his support.
And, though he was supportive of his talented traveling companion, Ash was also possessed good sportsmanship. It'd be just as fun to watch the other coordinators strut their stuff!
He found himself entertained by a goofy fellow and the antics of his Aerodactyl and Zubat. The Zubat was clearly not stronger than the Aerodactyl; it might not even hold a candle to the stone dinosaur in strength. However, that didn't stop the Zubat from chasing the hagrid pseudo-dragon all over the air space of the contest hall with a series of Bites and Super Sonics. Eventually, the Aerodactyl lost patience and used Bite itself, causing the little Zubat to disappear theatrically. The appeal ended with the Zubat escaping by using Leech Life in the Aerodactyl's mouth. Murmurs had turned to chuckles at the unorthodox, comical display.
The growing teen couldn't help but chuckle at the performance, clapping with enthusiasm. "It's not what ya normally see at contests, but that was fun!" Pikachu and Rosa got caught up in laughter, as well.
Soon, a young woman with a Gloom and an Oddish made Ash feel homey. A Mega Drain from Gloom seemed to make it bloom and blossom, glowing green particles circling its rouge, odorous flower. Truthfully, minute bits of energy were being gathered from Pokémon in the crowd. Too subtle to notice, but enough to give a floral appearance. Likewise, the Oddish used its various spore moves to mimic pollination. Between blooming and the various powders, the appeal had a very natural feel; it was like walking on a farm.
The regal performance of a man and his Nidoking and Seaking followed. While Nidoking buffered artificial land with Earthquake and Rock Tomb, Seaking contrasted with Surf and Whirlpool, creating quite a thematic clash of the elements. Grandiose as it was, though, Ash couldn't help but feel as if it were too focused on the coordinator rather than the pokemon. The fact that he stood on a spire above both of his pokemon was quite telling…
"Man… Pretty cool, but this guy's making Jessilina look modest." Ash remarked, resting his cheek against his hand. He couldn't help but frown at the wasted potential.
Ash felt sorry for one young coordinator whose Abra disappeared off stage. At least her Dratini was loyal and followed through with the performance, doing its best to salvage the appeal with a Twister attack.
There were many other coordinators, but those were the ones who stood out to him. The next competitor was the last, prompting Ash to pay extra attention.
"Our final performer is a fiery young lady from Kanto! Please welcome Ciara!"
Was the master of ceremonies being ironic? Timid and slow in her steps, the lavender-haired coordinator stepped out, trembling a bit. Stopping under the attentive glow of the spotlight, she took a deep breath, a certain boldness flashing in her gaze.
Tossing two Pokéballs into the air, she spoke with command that seemed uncharacteristic, booming through the arena. "Vulpix, Flareon, let's give them a show!"
The Pokéballs burst open, both foxy fire types landing gracefully on the stage. A few gasps and chatter could be heard over Vulpix's unusual color.
Swallowing her fear, Ciara began her appeal. "Vulpix, use Sunny Day!"
Turning its head to the sky, Vulpix shot off a shining orb. It reached its zenith and stayed there, bathing the stage in light and warmth. The extra light further illuminated the healthy and luxurious shine of the two fire types' lustrous and well-groomed coats. Vulpix seemed to turn into moving gold under the bright light. It drove the crowd to cheers.
Ciara tugged at the collar of her sweater, a little too warm for once. They were off to a good start, though. She just needed to push through. "Flareon, Fire Spin!"
Powered up by the Sunny Day, Flareon's Fire Spin burst into a tornado of flames. It roared magnificently, waves of heat rolling from it. This pushed the crowd to grow louder, wilder at the beautiful display of fire.
"Now, Confuse Ray, Vuplix!"
Adding in ghostly rings to the inferno, the pillar of fire was now purple as well as red and yellow. The crowd's cheers became deafening. All of it was disorienting for Ciara. The heat, the attention, the noise - she felt like her head was full of cotton. But, she had to finish!
"Vulpix, Flame Burst!"
A single fireball was fired into the eye of the flaming storm, lasting but a few moments before bursting open. The supercharged Fire Spin exploded, raining down sparks and embers upon the ground below. Recoiling from the heat, the young coordinator flinched and swayed before being joined by both of her pokemon.
"There you have it folks!" Lilian shouted over the crowd. "An explosive performance!"
Dawn was in awe. While her own performance had slowly lulled and won over the crowd, Ciara's had been a storming charge. The shy girl fought for their admiration and won it. A bit floored by the powerful display, Dawn could have sworn Ciara was glittering as she came back into the waiting room.
Of course, it could have just been sweat. It had been very hot on the stage.
"That was great!" Dawn chimed in greeting, grinning widely. "Lots of impact, very impressive!"
"Oh, t-thank you!" Ciara was quick to bow her head shyly to the older coordinator, fighting a losing battle against the streak of red present in her cheeks. It was such strong praise from an incredibly powerful trainer! Just yesterday she'd witnessed the bluenette take down a terrifying Gyarados, but now the older girl was praising Ciara! She wasn't sure if she felt faint from the admiration or her temperature. "Your performance was beautiful, too! It's easy to see you really know what you're doing."
The two broke off from their mutual admiration to look up at the display screen.
"Looks like we both made it," Ciara noted, relief in her voice.
"I'm up first again," the coordinator noted. Dawn supposed that was fair. She'd had the most rest, after all. "Hehe, wish me luck. And, get yourself something to drink!"
"Right… y-you should get going, through! Before you're late. And, g-good luck!"
"Our first match is between Pomme of Celadon City and Dawn of Sinnoh! Let's see a good match, ladies!" the master of ceremonies said, beginning the preliminary battle rounds.
Dawn released her Pokémon at the same time as Pomme. "Buneary, Togekiss, Spotlight!"
The grass type using coordinator seemed surprised before frowning. That was right… People could change what Pokémon they used in the appeal round and the battle rounds. Why hadn't she done that? Now she had no idea what moves her opponent had, but her opponent had an idea of her own! Pomme wanted to kick her own butt.
"Gloom, Oddish, let's start off strong! Gloom, use Acid on the Buneary, and Oddish you use Poison Powder on the Togekiss!" Pomme ordered.
"Not happening," Dawn warned. "Togekiss, use Safeguard! Buneary, use Ice Beam to freeze the Acid!" Dawn called.
Togekiss took to the air, creating a thin, translucent shield to keep the poison powder from reaching herself. Buneary, meanwhile, stopped the Acid in its tracks, though it ate through her ice shortly after being frozen. No matter; a puddle of goo on the floor was better than being lathered in poison, herself!"
Taking initiative, Dawn decided the next course for the match. "Buneary, use Bounce! Togekiss, use Air Slash!"
Pomme stomped a foot. Fantastic, the Buneary was out of reach for now. She had to make sure her two grass types wouldn't get hit with that Air Slash, though. "Oddish, dodge! Gloom, you use Lucky Chant!" At least nothing would hit too hard, now.
Thankfully, Oddish was able to duck out of the way.
Gloom, however, wasn't so lucky. The whipping damage of Togekiss's Air Slash was quite beautiful, as well as devastating. All that time spent training was paying off big time. Pomme lost points.
To add salt to the wound, Buneary came down on poor Oddish with a mighty stomp, nearly knocking the little grass-type out.
"Gloom, use Mega Drain on Buneary! Oddish, you use Absorb!" No matter how strong Dawn was, Pomme deduced, she couldn't recover energy.
"Buneary, use Dizzy Punch on Gloom! Togekiss, use Aura Sphere on Oddish!"
While Togekiss successfully pulled off Aura Sphere, eating through Oddish's Absorb and knocking out the first stage evolution, Buneary's attack was less effective and cost her energy and Dawn points. Likewise, it seemed very ineffective…
Hand going to her backpack only to remember she'd left her PokeDex back in the waiting area, Dawn grit her teeth. What had Buneary just done?
Thankfully, the master of ceremonies was making observations. "Well, folks, it looks as if Buneary's learned a new move… or become disobedient of her trainer! That use of Jump Kick just cost Dawn some points!"
"A new move," the bluenette noted. They could worry about that later. Right now, Dawn had to finish up this match. "Buneary, use Ice Beam! Togekiss, use Sky Attack!"
"Gloom, come through with Mega Drain on Buneary…!" Pomme nearly begged.
Thankfully, Gloom was able to steal some energy from Buneary, enough to help it last through Buneary's attack. Unfortunately, lady luck wasn't quite smiling on the grass type, or her trainer. Chilling energy coursed through its veins, taking the form of a block of ice that froze Gloom in place.
Dawn watched with anticipation as Togekiss came swooping down, her biding time finished. Ordinarily afloat and elegant, the Jubilee pokemon had become a crimson missile, targeting Gloom with Noctowl-like precision. Sky Attack hit its mark, colorful streaks of light endowed with a glistening orbit of shattered ice.
Gloom was sent tumbling and unconscious, and Pomme was left with barely half of her points while Dawn had more than three quarters of her own. It was a decisive victory with strength and style.
"It seems we have a bit of a surprising powerhouse on our hands! Congratulations, Dawn!" Lilian cheered.
Ash was enjoying the show, a smile plastered on his cheeks, both fists held closed. It was good that Ciara made it past the appeals round as well, though her match was a little less one sided than Dawn's was. Ciara was facing a boy about her own age with a Wartortle and a Charmeleon.
Just as he and Pikachu had gotten rowdy during Dawn's match, the two also did their best to cheer on Ciara. Her opponent was particularly tough, a devastating Whirlpool and Fire Spin combination on his end costing her many points. However, she quickly countered by combining Sunny Day and Flame Burst. The 'Flame Pool', or so the boy had dubbed his own combination, was quickly burst into steam and glittering embers, turning it all into Ciara's favor.
The battle dragged on, clearly too close for Ciara's comfort. When a combination of Charmeleon's Flamethrower with Wartortle's Rapid Spin turned the boy's Wartortle into a spinning star of embers, Flareon countered it with Flame Charge, adding to its own move's style and beauty, and pushing Ciara just above the boy in points! The clock hit zero as that happened, leaving the winner to be decided with baited breath.
Lilian chimed in, answering the question that hung silently in the air. "Ciara has won by just a few points!" In the face of her victory, Ash couldn't help but feel proud for his new friend.
Eyes glistening, the young coordinator beamed as she bowed to the crowd, recalling her Pokémon after thanking them both for a job well done. Rushing backstage, she came across Dawn before catching her breath. "Dawn… Dawn, I did it! We both made it again!"
"You did great!" Dawn praised, not missing a beat.
"Thank you," Ciara squeaked, once again flattered.
"... I guess this means we battle each other."
Ciara picked up on the flatness of Dawn's voice and likewise seemed to calm down. She swallowed heavily.
The air seemed to grow a bit heavy, but the older coordinator just stuck out her hand. They were friends, yes - how could they not be considering what happened yesterday - but now they were also rivals. Dawn would give Ciara her due respect. "I wanna see how brightly you really burn! Because you're gonna see the true radiance of Dawn!" What happened to being serious?
Ciara managed to smile. Dawn really knew how to function under pressure. "I-I'll do my best! You'll see how tough we really are!" Reaching out, the younger coordinator shook Dawn's hand. Soon, it'd be time for them to face each other. A quick visit to the nurse for everyone to get their Pokémon healed would follow, and the contest would come to its culmination.
The spotlight shone down on Dawn and Ciara alike, highlighting how tense, yet eager both were. Their faces smiled down at the crowd from the scoreboard, both point bars full.
"Now, it's time for the final round of the Vermillion City Pokemon Contest! Crowd pleaser Ciara will be facing off against the clever coordinator Dawn! The match will go on for five minutes, or until both of one trainer's Pokémon have fainted!" Lilian explained. "Now, you may begin!"
The two girls smiled at each other before summoning their pokemon.
"Let's go! Vulpix, Flareon!"
"Buneary, Togekiss, spotlight!"
Aware of the prowess her opponent possessed, Ciara called out for attacks without hesitation. "Vulpix, Quick Attack; Flareon, use Swift!"
The crowd was treated with the dazzling sight of the golden Vulpix chased by a horde of golden stars. It already cost Dawn points just for the incredible display Ciara was starting off with, and the speed of it all didn't help matters any. Ciara must have already seen what a powerhouse Buneary was during Dawn's last battle, since Vulpix targeted Buneary.
"Bun!" the rabbit cried, her head being used as a launching point.
With Vulpix sailing out of the way, Togekiss and Buneary were left to get the Swift attack split between the two of them. Shimmering stars barraged the two, forcing them back. While neither gave any under the assault, seasoned as they were, the clever maneuver cost Dawn a few points.
Realizing with a delightful mix of awe and panic how seriously Ciara was taking this, Dawn decided to retaliate just as strongly. "Togekiss, Aura Sphere on Vulpix. Buneary, let's get after Flareon with a Dizzy Punch!"
Still in the air, Vulpix couldn't help but be hit by Togekiss's Aura Sphere. Meanwhile, Flareon was faring a bit better.
"Flareon, Fire Spin!" Knowing she couldn't do anything for her poor Vulpix, who was just now landing in a heap, Ciara focused on the other fire type's defense.
Buneary winced, attack stopped by the sudden wall of flames around Flareon. The beautiful display once again cost Dawn points.
"Now, Vulpix, use Confuse Ray! Flareon, use Bite!"
Buneary, distracted by the Confuse Ray, was left open for Flareon's bite, earning a cry of pain from the normal type. She winced and cowered, none too eager to suffer another attack. Bite's secondary ability to induce flinching had done its job.
Togekiss, unfortunately, was indeed hit by the Confuse Ray.
Frustration bubbled in Dawn's chest while Ciara became confident. The two were both clever girls, but Ciara's fire types were blazing the trail to victory! Dawn would have to beat that plan down!
"Jump Kick!"
Wasting no time, Buneary sent Flareon tumbling backwards. "Neary!" she quirked, proud of her excellently placed short range kick.
Dawn merely pursed her lips, noticing the wobbling way Togekiss took flight, barely managing not to hurt herself. There was no point in using a move, but perhaps… "Togekiss, use Safeguard!"
"Flareon, Flame Charge! Vulpix, Flame Burst!"
Taking a running leap, Flareon launched itself into the air, ramming into Togekiss in a fiery bullet. Buneary, meanwhile, was hit with an inferno, the explosion splashing hot embers onto Togekiss. Thankfully, Togekiss's Safeguard removed any chance of a burn resulting from those attacks, but it had been devastating. Ciara was firebombing them!
At least the flames sputtering against Dawn's planning Safeguard cost Ciara points. Red embers burst against the glowing veil, giving the defensive move the appearance of a small net of fireworks. The gleaming of the two attacks mixing was her only saving grace right now.
"Wow, what a show! Dawn's Pokémon seem powerful, but Ciara's giving us quite the show with her aggressive fireworks! Now, let's see if Dawn can return to grace under that pressure!" Lilian narrated, capturing the audience's awe in the violent, but beautiful display.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Dawn noted. She had no type advantage to exploit, so she was going to have to go for full power and make it dazzling. "Togekiss, Sky Attack!" However, that attack would take time. Buneary would have to buy it for the dazed Togekiss. "Buneary, hit Vulpix with Dizzy Punch!"
"Neary!" the normal type confirmed, going in to slug at the now-skittish fire type with a series of jabs. Eventually, one blow sent the little fox flying back. The solid punch to the jaw made Vulpix see stars; she was confused, now.
"Flareon, Swift!" A bit of desperation was in Ciara's voice. She couldn't lose either of her battlers. She and Dawn were too close in points!
Golden stars were launched, landing a hit on the stalling beacon above. The Jubilee pokemon huffed, less than comfortable taking all of these hits. As she'd always learned at the kingdom, though, she maintained her composure. Mere moments away, she'd be needed.
Dawn merely smirked. She'd bought the time she needed. "Buneary, Bounce."
The rabbit stomped her feet and took to the heights of the stage, clearing the air for her partner.
Momentarily obscured from view by the fluffy lagomorph, Togkeiss sailed in, aiming to divebomb whichever Pokémon came within her crosshairs first.
"Flame Charge!" Ciara called, not willing to let her pokemon be defenseless.
The two attacks met in a fiery explosion once more. Both coordinators covered their eyes, holding their breath and hoping beyond hope that their pokemon would come out on top…
But, when the inferno cleared and the smoke settled, both were in a heap, knocked out.
"Dawn's Togekiss and Ciara's Flareon are unable to battle! That leaves just two of their Pokémon left!" Vivian recounted, eyes turning towards the scoreboard. Both girls' points were barely an inch away from a loss, and the clock made matters all the more desperate. "Oooh, and to top it off, there's only thirty seconds left and counting! One of these two will have to pull out a narrow victory if they want to walk away with a brand new ribbon!"
"You did your best," Dawn said as she returned Togekiss. "So, Buneary, let's finish it! Pave your way with Ice Beam!" It was time to chill out Ciara's burning will to win!
"Quick Attack to escape!" Ciara cried out.
"Cut her off!"
Mimicking how Empoleon had cut off the Rocket grunt the other day, Buneary cut off Vulpix's escape until the little golden fox found itself stranded in a forest of ice, only able to watch in terror as Buneary came crashing down on top of her. The thunderous impact caused the ice nearest the two contenders to shatter, costing Ciara for the beautiful, twinkling display.
Dawn breathed out a sigh of relief as the buzzer sounded, confirming what she couldn't quite see for all the ice on the field: Buneary had successfully hit Vulpix with her Bounce attack, knocking her opponent out and securing Dawn's victory.
"And that's it for the final round of the Vermillion City Contest! Knocking out her opponent's Pokémon in the last few seconds, Dawn and her pokemon have come out on top!"
The disappointment was plain to Dawn even from this distance as Ciara returned her Pokémon. Between the point advantage and the fact both of her own Pokémon were knocked out, it was quite the decisive victory. Or a stinging loss, on the younger girl's end, rather.
Dawn's heart went out to her younger friend, though. Ciara was audibly thanking her Pokémon; she was a good person.
Though it wasn't typical to make such a big deal of going across a damaged battlefield, Dawn couldn't resist it. Hurriedly crossing the ice - only stopping to snatch up Buneary - the other coordinator nearly ran to greet Ciara.
"You did great! Don't frown! You really gave me a run for my money!" Dawn assured, not wanting to see her friend too discouraged.
There was a murmur among the crowd at this emotional display and a shuffling of paper among the judges at it. Lilian stepped back on the stage, clearly intending to recover the natural order of the contest.
"What a touching wrap up to an incredible battle! It took Ciara's heated skill to make our cool coordinator Dawn break out a sweat! Clearly though, there's no ice on either of these girl's shoulders! Just a warm, friendly affection! Still, Dawn, if you would let Ciara go backstage to tend to her Pokémon we've got something we, the judging panel, would love to give you!" Lilian rounded off, hurrying the conclusion along.
Ciara offered a timid smile one last time before running backstage. Dawn, meanwhile, adjusted her clothes before hugging Buneary tight and walking to the front of the stage.
"That was simply incredible," Mr. Contesta rambled, stepping onto the stage. He bore a small velvet box. Within it, shining under the lights, was the Vermillion ribbon. "It's my great honor to present to you your prize for showing such prowess, such finesse, such gentleness… You have earned this ribbon and our admiration. We look forward to seeing you in more contests, my dear!"
Dawn giddily accepted the medallion, showing it to Buneary who held it gently in her paws. "Check it out, Buneary! That's our second ribbon in the Kanto circuit! You and Togekiss did a really great job earning it."
"Bun, Buneary!" The normal type enthused, waving her paws about in her trainer's secure hold.
With that, Dawn used her free hand to wave at the crowd, who had begun to applaud.
"That concludes our contest! Make sure to congratulate all our contestants when you see them!"
The backstage had cleared out pretty quickly. In fact, Dawn only spotted Ciara brushing up her Flareon, making sure the fire type's mane wasn't too frazzled after the big event.
"Hey," Dawn greeted.
Ciara jumped in fright, not expecting anyone to still be here. "Oh! Hey, Dawn! Congrats!"
"Congrats to you, too, miss runner-up," the older girl praised.
A thick silence fell over the two of them. Dawn didn't like it. "...You know, you've got a very boisterous style. The crowd loves it."
"Thanks," the lavender haired girl murmured.
"But, sometimes, you're a little cumbersome with your words… Have you thought of using an opening phrase? A little calling card so the crowd thinks, 'yeah, that's her, that's Ciara'? Like, how I say 'spotlight'!"
Ciara blinked. "Um… I suggested 'flame on' to my parents, but they said that sounded weird…"
Dawn wrinkled her nose. "Okay, yeah, that's maybe not the best idea… How about 'charm up'? I originally said that, but I realized I wanted to command the spotlight. You already do that! So, how about playing up your charm?"
The younger girl hummed, thinking it over. "It'll be weird using a new phrase… But, I'll try if you think it's a good idea!"
"It's a great idea!" Dawn assured. "There's this trainer in Hoenn and he's famous for saying things like 'you've got no style'! Everyone loves him!"
Encouraged by Dawn's advice, Ciara nodded. "I'll make myself recognizable, too! Don't you worry, Dawn! I'll keep giving you a good challenge."
The older coordinator snickered. "Good, good! It's rare I get one of those these days."
"That better not have been a slight at me, 'cause I whooped your butt last time we battled!" Ash chided as he entered the room, making it clear he'd been able to hear the conversation outside the room. Pikachu swished his tail, looking just as smug as his trainer. Only Rosa genuinely smiled, clearly still enamored by the contest and barely holding back her mental conversation from Dawn.
"How strong is Ash, Dawn?" Ciara asked, noting his cocky behavior.
"Strong enough," Dawn answered, somewhere between proud and miffed. She'd catch up to Ash, too, one day… Hopefully. Hm. Maybe just aiming right now to make him use his entire team in a battle against her was an okay goal. He'd gotten crazy strong on that mountain.
Flexing with a wink in play at the girls, Ash didn't deny this. "Oh yeah! And, this tough guy's gotta get his rest for a battle tomorrow! So, let's grab dinner!"
"Ciara, wanna join us?" Dawn offered.
The younger coordinator shook her head. "I wanna go call my mom and let her know! I'll see you guys around, though. Thanks, bye!"
"Bye, Ciara!" Dawn and Ash called in unison.
As soon as Ciara left the room, Rosa yipped, sending her empathetic waves through the remaining group's heads. ~Dawn, that was so pretty! I can't wait to be in a contest! Why did you pick Houndour and Clefairy? That was a little scary, what they did, but then it was pretty! It reminded me of where I was born! You could see stars everywhere, and - ~
The traveling couple of trainers giggled as Rosa babbled on. They could stay here a bit and wait for Rosa to get all her ideas out before they got dinner. After all, tomorrow, things would be serious again. Might as well enjoy the evening together!
