Back in Action!

by Goldmineempire5

After being away for a decade, all he did was extensively train his Pokémon. He refrained from making any contact with anyone. Now, Ash has decided to make a comeback to the civilization. Now he wants to put his training to test. All he has is one goal on his mind: The World Championship! Advanceshipping! Minor Amourshipping! Little Pearlshipping too! And yes, definitely Lemons!

99. Sinnoh 99: Bite of the Big Apple!

Coordinators filtered back and forth across the backstage room. Something or the other always seemed a little remaining. Pokemon felt frustrated as they were piled with accessories, yet any frown on their face could wash away their hardships. While some Coordinators were ready, some were yet left with dressing choices. The count down for the Contest to begin was approaching fast, so everyone had to prioritize their act to be ready. The Contest was the place emotions came to play, taking centre stage, daring to walk in the spotlight, and if any mistake, you fall at the Competition's best. Glad that each of the sixteen Coordinators in the room was a Ribbon Cup Winner, or else, the amateur Coordinators would have reconsidered their career paths.

The room wasn't packed but it was comfortably full of Coordinators, past, present and upcoming, trading stories, their faces hiding what they had in store for the Contest. All were dressed up or yet fumbling with their uniform, fully immersed in the element of the Contests. They from different parts of the globe, different cities, different regions, each had come for just one prize: the Castelia Ribbon. And for those entire four hours of the day, them friends ceased temporarily and they were rivals, no matter how deep their relations were. Each one of them had come to win that Ribbon to embellish their Coordinating careers and move ahead in the Pokemon World Contest Entourage.

Dawn stepped out of her dressing cubicle, wearing a full-length cerulean gown, that fell just above her ankles, and was sleeveless with a noticeable V, but that didn't show any cleavage thanks to her modest bust. Around her neck was a silver pendant in the shape of a golden Lunatone. She'd capped it off with a gray sash around her waist, a small blue and gray clutch that had her essentials and Pokeballs, and on her feet, matching, cerulean shoes. She had done her hair as a loose wave down her back, while pinning her bangs to the back of her head.

She glanced across the room where she spotted May giggling at one of the jokes that Kenny had cracked, while Nando, who Dawn had managed to meet a little earlier in the backstage area before the room was flooded by the other contestants.

"And then she totally fell off the deck, and all her clothes were soaked,'' Kenny recalled, while laughing heavily. May snickered while Nando just managed a little grin, little pleased at Kenny's recollection of the event.

Nando wore as he was born to wear, a typical medieval outfit. Dressed as a troubadour, an exceedingly elaborate and attractive jacket that best emulated the fashion of Nando's mobility. The jacket was made from attractive black brocade fabric and was trimmed with soft satin. It featured full-length fitted sleeves that ended in decorative satin cuffs. The collar and lapels were also decorated with attractive satin, and the lapels were also decorated with horizontal stripes. Beneath the jacket was a simple duke's vest, that wasn't just met for antiquated styles of clothing. In the front lied an attractive cotton twill. For someone with stature and note, it couldn't get any better. In his hand, he drummed the strings of the harp, as if to celebrate every one of Kenny's quips.

Kenny wore a simple but none-the-less attractive tunic that giving him more of a peasant look. The chestnut tunic laced half-way up the front, from approximately mid-chest to his neck. The sleeves were full-length and comfortably fitted to the arm. The tunic also had a hem that extended down further than the waist beyond the belt, the hem was just barely knee-length. His adventurous pants gave him a gentle taper that followed the natural shape of the legs.

May seemed the one who didn't have give her choice too much of a thought. On her head was a classic Kalos style red beret hat, and the sheer chiffon of the same color. She wore a white speed suit that was curtained by a red apron, in the pocket of which lied some brooch, paint brushes and spray cans. In her hands were white satin gloves, that embellished her complete look for the compliment. Her hair was tied into a single ponytail behind her back.

"They you guys are,'' Dawn droned, as she walked towards them, walking towards them. "What are you guys talking about?''

"Kenny has revealed an interesting tale of your past,'' Nando answered.

"Oh boy, I have a bad feeling about this…'' Dawn hung her head.

"Nothing in particular,'' May tried to restrain her laughter that still creek out, ''Kenny was just telling us about the time you had just missed the boat and tried to make to it by taking a huge leap.''

"Ow! Kenny!" Dawn pouted, unimpressed. ''Why that of all stories?''

"One of the best "No need to Worry" chronicles I got!'' Kenny flashed a smirk.

"How could you be so clumsy,'' May said, containing her laughter, ''but wait, I am dating a clumsy, so don't answer that.''

"In my defense, it didn't happen exactly like that!'' the bluenette tried to defend herself, though the look in her eyes said, she didn't seem too much upset about it.

"I have it on video,'' Kenny teased. "Or may be Leona does. We make memes of you all the time.''

"Hey, I know what you're doing!" Dawn barked, ''And it ain't gonna work!''

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Dawn'' May chuckled, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder to pacify her, ''You look lovely.''

Her seething face melted as Dawn murmured, and then blushed, ''Ah! Thanks!" Scanning May's costume, ''Wow girl. You look like you're gonna be all over this Contest today."

"Yeah," May nodded, ''I didn't want to wear some flashy princess costume I always wear. So, since this is gonna be Smeargle's grand launch, I wanna support him as much as I can.''

"I believe Smeargle shall elegantly cherish that,'' Nando smiled.

"And you, I can't wait to see what you have in store for us Nando,'' Dawn titled her head, ''In the old days, you were the only one after Zoey that make me so nervous.''

"You missed out my name,'' Kenny pointed out.

"No, I didn't,'' Dawn refuted.

"I don't intimidate you a little bit?''

"Not even a bit,'' Dawn smirked.

"Can we just take a moment and relive those days, when we guys were young." May lifted a topic, "All our childish rivalries, all those Contests and battles, all those places we would bump into each other, those days were really beautiful.''

"You're right,'' Kenny nodded, agreeing ''We did come far, you know. If it weren't for those rivalries, those Ribbon Cups we have back at our home don't mean a thing. It's this thing, all of us who are here, and those who aren't will always be an integral part of my career.''

"To share, if I may, Dawn, I have always humbled you and Ash for your guidance. I have become a strong Trainer, and in equally stronger Coordinator, and it has brought me closer to my Pokemon. And which is why, my journey till here has been glorious. But all of impeccable Coordinators and Trainers I met on my journey, has only become possible since I believed in my dream. And it has brought me here to once again live those days. I am honoured just to compete with everyone again.''

"That was a very deep thought Nando,'' May grinned, putting her hand out. "Let's put it all there, and promise that we'll give our best."

"Couldn't have said it better,'' Dawn agreed, placing her hand on top of May's.

"Yeah, and if I don't win that Ribbon, I want one of you guys to have it,'' Kenny placed a hand on Dawn's. "Let's kick ass guys!''

"This isn't a team huddle, Kenny,'' Dawn deadpanned.

---

The spotlights focussed on Jillian as she gestured towards the crowd. From where Ash sat along with Lucario and Pikachu, second row but dead center to the action, he grew anxious with eager anticipation. The arena came alive as Jillian began to address the crowd.

"Hello Castelia City! Coordinators, spectators, benefactors! The moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived. Welcome to the Castelia City PWCE Master Contest! I want to start off by welcoming each and every one of our competing Coordinators here today!''

Arcing fireworks light the colossal hall as rainbows of starlight. The crowd grew wilder, yelling back fondly.

"And of course, the show doesn't get on the road without its judges! So please allow me to introduce to you…''

The music intensified and it began drum rolling until the bright lights fell on the judge's desk, where three faces became the part of the Contest.

"First, as always, we have the head of the Pokemon Activities Committee and the mastermind behind PWCE, Mr. Raoul Contesta!''

Mr. Contesta spoke with a weathering smile striking across his aging face, offering a brief wave, ''It is my honour to be judging this Contest in one of the greatest cities in the world, where we find the most creative Coordinators."

The audience hollered in pride.

"And the crowd seems to have accepted that, just listen to their noise! For our second judge on the panel today, we have the President of the Pokemon Club, Mr. Suziko!''

Calm and peculiar as ever, Mr. Suziko widened his grin. ''This place is exuberant, and…remarkable!''

"Third on the panel today, we have Castelia's City very own Nurse Joy!''

Nurse Joy as identical as the rest, leaned to speak in her mic, doing her best to put on an unwavering smile, ''Thank you Jillian. From the presence of such talented Coordinators, I can say this Contest is about to go to a level that has never been gone before."

The crowd went wild once again, while the host laughed excitedly and stepped up back into the stage.

"And so it will Nurse Joy! And now that we have completed our introductions! And now it is time for me to lay down the rules and stipulations!''

The Coordinators backstage, the ones who needed to pay more attention, kept the gaze arrested at the screen as Jillian began to dictate the rules. They were nervous but ready for it, knowing the drill.

"The first venture of PWCE Contest was lauded heavily, and this time we plan to deliver double! As you all know, on a fixed date, PWCE Contest are fragmented into divisions all over the globe, so that the speed of the Tournament can be boosted. Therefore, as this Contest is taking place in Castelia City today, three other Contests of the Entourage are currently taking place or might have finished based on the time zone, one in Celadon City of the Kanto Region, one in Lilypad Town in the Sinnoh Region, and the final section is in Lumiose City of the Kalos Region!"

A map of the globe was revealed where the mentioned cities were pin pointed.

"Unlike a Normal Contest, there are three phases in a Pokemon World Tournament Contest, that has some very stringent challenges for the Coordinators. For those who are not aware, the first and foremost eligibility to be in such Contest is to have won a Ribbon Cup. The first phase is always a "Talent Round" where a Coordinator and Pokemon both must work together to showcase their talent! And the theme that has been decided by the Committee themselves is "Art!" – where every Coordinator will leave the spectators hooked with their artistic performances!''

The crowd began hollering wildly. They were being attracted more towards the show.

"But as thrilling as the "Talent Round" will be for you, it is bound to leave a few frowns on the faces of our Coordinators because this is an eliminator round. From the strength of thirty two today, only eight Coordinators will make it into the Performance Stage, where the both crowds and our panelist will make the call upon a Pokemon's appeal. The stipulations for every Coordinator is that they can choose between one to three Pokemon for their Talent and Performance Round, however, only for Performance Round, every Pokemon can use only one move!''

The Coordinators backstage gasped, some even slapped their own foreheads.

"Use just one move per Pokemon,'' May wheezed, ''Now that's all a do over.''

"Those who make the rules must either love Contests or hate them,'' Dawn deadpanned.

"The top four Coordinators who achieve the highest combined scores will enter the Battle Round, where every battle will be a double battle. The time limit for this Contest Battles are only five minutes. So every Coordinator back there has a plan a lot more carefully.''

The audience cheers drowned as the Jillian began to conclude her last sentence. Standing on a pedestal next to the judge's table was the neatly tied, ribbon of silver fabric located in cardinal directions of the seal, knot pinned behind the silver seal.

"And that is what the prize is for today! The lustrous Silver Ribbon! The Winner of this Ribbon will be one step closer to achieve the dream of Coordinator Emperor or Empress! So, now that even I cannot contain my excitement anymore! Let's get the show started!"

The hollers of the crowd signified their excitement as the stage was being set for the action to commence.

---

The first few Talent Rounds started in pretty much of a predictable way with a number of Coordinators averagely showcasing their skills alongside their Pokemon. Predictable, after a short while became a little competitive. Somehow, from the crowds, Ash felt that judges were doing their best to be impartial, rather than bored, or punitive for having seeing the same performance before. Not many Coordinators could put themselves into the stature of an artist. The round was eventually starting to be a let-down. Some performances staggered, some became passable. However, it was the sad choreography that ended up mudding the first thirty minutes of the Talent Round, wiping away the proper establishment. For some Coordinators, it may have been seemed the rules were quite cruel, however, there was no time for blame shifting.

"I feel like many people have confused art with just coloring and painting,'' Ash drawled, leaning back in the seat with one arm hanging over it.

"I have seen children perform better,'' Lucario yawned far more bluntly, "Although, I feel like this wouldn't have been the forte of many Coordinators down there. But our May has worked hard.''

"Whatever fills the reels, huh?'' Ash chuckled, quickly starting to miss the monotony.

"And now next, from the Sinnoh Region! His sweet music rivals the chimes of the Chingling! Please put your hands together for the Sinnoh's divine minstrel, Nando!''

In the blinded stage, the lights slowly spread around the area of the bard with a strum of his harp for the crowd, his outfit looking pristine in the glorious lights. To his left, was the Pokemon that started her journey when the man did not know his paths that lied ahead. Roserade, who shared the calm demeanor of her Trainer, poised for the coming performance.

Drumming his hands into the instrument, Nando only lifted an eyelid, and commenced his entertainment. "Roserade, my dear, please use Grassy Terrain."

"Rose!'' The alive plant raised her bouquets towards the ceiling, and began to chant a prayer. She pirouetted for the effect, and a shower of sparkling pollen came from both hands, raining down over the arena. A layer of grass soon began to grow from the stage, and sprouted higher, and lengthen until there were at the height of Nando's boots. Perfect control achieved.

Knowing that this was his cue, Nando began to play on his harp. The music, even though soft and soothing, was enough to overwhelm the crowd's loud cheers. No one dared make a sound or even a sneeze. That music had to power to make the coldest heart melt. Nando kept playing, as if the arena was empty except himself, which kept the crowd captivated. He kept playing till the souls had become tangible in a way never experienced before. Soon, the miracle of the music began.

The biomass of the grass that Roserade had laid, began to sway in Nando's direction. The began to entwined and dance. The crowds were amazed at the astounding performance. Grassy Terrain pulsed out again, nosing up from the glowing green grass came new shapes. Crocuses, roses, big yellow dandelions, and tall lilies bloomed out dancing into the tunes of Nando's music.

"That was something I have never seen before!" The emcee announced, "I am at a loss of words so I'll just leave it to our judges!"

"A spectacular control of Grassy Terrain, mixed with powerful emotions triggered by music. It was the language of the music that plants understood better, and blossomed into life. I was humbled when the flowers began to dance on Nando's tunes.''

"It was soothing…and remarkable!''

"Not only has Nando managed wonderfully to bring life, he has sent a message about the emotions of the nature that are often ignored." Came from Nurse Joy.

"Who-hoh! Man, did he put it above everyone else,'' Ash marvelled, as the stage became a concentric ring of flowers, like a mixture of a flowerbed and a beautiful, choir of blooms, nature's music in this sunshine filled blooms.

"He certainly likes music and gardening!" Lucario observed.

---

"Oh that is really elegant,'' May admitted, as she saw Nando conclude his act.

"Never thought he'd gotten this better,'' Dawn murmured, as Nando received a storm of applause from the crowds.

"Amazing,'' Kenny remarked, "He made his whole act from an underrated scientific theory.''

"You know what this means right?'' May cocked an eyebrow. ''We just have to put a better act than Nando if we want to make it to the Appeals Round.''

A coy smirk crept onto Dawn's face. ''Well, I do have a few things planned."

Just then, an attendant poked his head into the waiting room. ''Miss Dawn, you're up next!''

"Looks like I am up,'' Dawn giggled, nodding to both her rivals before taking off, shuffling out of the waiting room to follow the attendant.

---

"And up next, another Coordinator from the Sinnoh Region! When she performs, she does perform to amaze! Please give it up for, Dawn!"

The curtains began to part and the crowd began to erupt in cheers. Fans of the Contest Scene, old and new, were riled up for the hype of the Twinleaf Coordinator. Here and there, the name of the Sinnohan girl's name echoed amongst noise. For sure, it was a strong note to start on.

Dartling eyes to left and right, Ash mumbled, ''Dawn sure can raise a crowd. Hope this doesn't give May a bag of nerves.''

Greeted to the throes of enthusiasm, Dawn herself ran out onto the replaced stage with utmost energy and confidence. She felt a nervous touch – but who wouldn't before the opening act? Smiling widely, she twirled on the ball of her foremost foot.

"Buneary! Pachirisu! Spotlight~!" Dawn slung two capsules, backhanded into the air above her.

Climbing from the capsules' hold, the flashes of the two Pokemon soared out, spilling on the ground to materialize their appearance.

"Bun!"

"Chi pa!''

"Buneary! Pachirisu! Let's wow this crowd!'' Dawn threw a hand up in the air. "Buneary, Ice Beam!''

"Buneary!" the rabbit cheered happily, as flipped and stood atop her fluffy ear. She spun into groove, producing the glimmering, light blue bolts from her mouth. Soon enough, the spread across the whole stage covering it in frost. Years of perfect concentration, Buneary kept spreading the ice over the field, causing the unnatural, orthodox and unrefined structures of ice to erect out from the field.

"Now, Pachirisu! Super Fang on each one of them! Remember what we practiced!''

The rabbit ceased her caper, allowing the squirrel to replace her on the stage.

"Pachi!" she lunged out, her long teeth glowing white and elongating. She threw herself on top of one block of ice, swiftly gnawing the ice out.

"Looks like lil Pachirisu is upto something!''

The excess frost was being removed to shape something. Pachirisu bounded off from once ice block to another, repeating the same process. Finally it was revealed, as Pachirisu landed and posed atop a giant pole of ice.

Soon, as per the script of the act, the technician had cancelled all the lights on the stage.

"And now Buneary, Pachirisu! Set up the lights!"

Buneary opened her mouth, releasing the forked ray of ice at Pachirisu, while the electric type tucked herself into a ball, and began releasing the blue electricity. When the ice began to spread all over Pachirisu, a coating of her electricity was protecting her. When it settled, an ice coated orb of electricity was visible in which Pachirisu was concealed, twinkling as the light beneath its thin, delicate surface was supressed. The loose electricity seeped through the large pole into the ice ring, lighting up the whole stage.

"That's the Ice Chandelier!" Ash remembered.

The giant blocks of ice had served a purpose. On the natural ice rink that Buneary had managed to create, stood perfectly frozen, gargantuan crystalline statues of constellations depicting the zodiac signs of Aquarius, Aries, Capricornus and Centaurus.

"Wow, wow! I didn't see it until now, but this beautifully coordinated teamwork sure did bring some celestials around here! But I sure hope Dawn hasn't forgotten her part yet!"

"She hasn't!" Dawn smirked, tapping the ice floor with her shoes, which were concealed until now to be deformed skates. Hand in hand, Dawn and Buneary sprinted across the ice floor, just as they'd rehearsed, many times over the past week. Thankfully, there were many skating rinks in Castelia City. Her roller shoes offered her traction on the ice, and gave the duo all the momentum they needed to spin, and groove on the ice floor.

"Wow, look at Dawn skate!" Ash whistled. ''She's got all eyes turned on her.''

From Buneary's point of view it was a joy ride, right out of an amusement park. Vast sheets of ice carried them in and around the statues, while Pachirisu showered the disco lights from above. The Coordinator and Pokemon parted, as they went separate ways but mirroring their moves in perfect composition, and gracefully they met once again center stage. The Ice Chandelier finally broke, mist and electricity flashed about, as Pachirisu vaulted off to gracefully land besides her team, breaking into final pose.

Both Dawn and the two Pokemon bowed to the crowd.

"And there you have it! What a fun performance from Dawn and her team! She created her own little Castelia Rockfeller in here!"

"It was such a fearless and fresh spin of roller skating! An incredible composition of dance and skating was the focal appeal of this act. A very brave act where every possibility of error was eliminated with tailored practice. It definitely blew me away!"

"The act set up by Dawn was glorious and…remarkable!"

"It definitely seemed that Dawn had put on a lot of efforts and beautifully choreographed so that the allure of her and her Pokemon was brought out. Both Pokemon have thoroughly enjoyed themselves!"

"And well, looks like Dawn has left her signature on the judges. While I almost wish I would be skating those ramps now, Dawn has certainly stolen the whole show." Jillian concluded, "Let's allow Dawn and her Pokemon to rest, while we clear the stage for our next act!''

"You hear that, girls?'' Dawn crooned to her two Pokemon, ''Our performance was quite neat. What do you say we go backstage and see if others have what it takes to beat us?'' she winked, walking the Pokemon back towards the locker room.

---

"Alright Dawn!" Ash whistled, pumping a fist in the air.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu hopped up and down in Ash's lap.

"They didn't seem a fazed about their act! Hey, it's pretty crowded in here! Can I use Metal Sound to shut a few up?''

"And have us thrown out,'' Ash deadpanned, ''No way." Rolling his eyes back towards the stage that was replaced by a new one, Ash mumbled, ''But she did have a lot of Coordinators stacked up to her. I do kinda feel bad for those who made their acts before her."

---

Dawn strode back into the hallway, from where May was heading her way, followed by her two Pokemon. Grinning, Dawn ran over, finding it the best opportunity to exchange wishes.

"That was just wonderful Dawn!" May giggled. ''Just as always you're one tough cookie!''

"And I expect your act to rival my own,'' Dawn placed a hand on May's shoulder, and leaned down to find the artist, besides May's leg. ''My eyes are gonna be on you Smeargle. Do color us surprised, okay.'' She playfully poked the pup's nose.

"Smear…'' the Normal type chuckled.

"And you too,'' Dawn glanced her bright sapphire eyes at the wisping ghoul besides May. ''I really am looking forward to what you can do.''

"Mis…" Mismagius chimed.

"Going in there with your recent additions,'' Dawn commented, ''You were always a risk taker May. But I know you overcome all odds. I'll see you in the Appeals Round. Good luck.''

"Yeah, you wait for me there,'' May chimed, and watched as Dawn take her leave, slowly disappearing further into the dark hallway. She exhaled, and crouched down to meet Smeargle in the eye. Sensing, their trainer was about to say something important, Mismagius hovered down, besides Smeargle.

Stroking Smeargle's face, May spoke as she glanced between her two Pokemon. ''Smeargle, when I first met you, Lucario told me that people would often think of you as a bother because you painted on their properties. But to me, your creations are deeply powerful. You can see things, others just can't see. Today, many people have come to see what you can do, so don't be afraid okay. Me and Mismagius are with you all along. Show everyone what your art is beyond words, beyond emotions. Show everyone the unimaginable, because Smeargle," May took a deep breath, looking at the pup with determination ''Every artist started with a bag full of scepticism, but ended up inspiring others."

Emboldened by those words, Smeargle relived all those moments of being chased away and rejections, before nodding in a fired-up fashion. He held his tail high, signalling he was ready.

"Alright then," May stood up to her feet, and reared back her fists, ''Let's show everyone that we are second to none!"

---

"Next up on the stage is quite the renowned face in Contest Circuit! Because just like her nickname, she brings a royal touch to the Contest! "Strappa Yourselfa!" for the Princess of Hoenn, May Maple!"

As the lights revealed May standing on the stage, there was a frisson that was too elusive to name. in the moments before those transitions, May felt she was back in her mother's lap, for there was comfort and invite of warm affection. Soon the curtains were parting, and her time for her to think was spacing out.

Own the stage, make it yours, and they audience will take more emotional journeys with you than they ever could alone. Artist, you are a leader and a healer. Show them how. Do what you do best.

The crowd roared, as May marched forward into the floodlights to a greeting of camera flashes and thrilling shouting. She smiled, every bit in her element. The Contest stage was where she thrived, more so than ever when the stakes were high. Confidently, May stepped towards the canvass, stage field sprawling out in front of her.

"And the way she's dressed, I believe we are all in for some Art Attack!"

"I told you she can fire up a crowd!"

Pulling up a paint brush, May clenched the other confident fist, and flicked on a big smile. "Let's start the show Smeargle!"

"Smear!" the pup riled up, and began to smear paint from his tail on the canvass. Polaroids of different colours and textures were being summoned together. Smeargle continued to paint and draw with rhythm, his colours singing for him in vibrant hues.

"Let's give him a hand. Mismagius, use Psychic on me!"

The command alone drew many questionable looks as just with a flick of the spectre's eyes, May was gripped and suspended towards the canvass. Under the ghoul's telekinetic grip, the ghoul could now control every body movement of May without harming her.

With an assuring nod, May aided the little Normal type. Both hands fished out numerous paint brushes and spraying cans. Her hands were directed towards painting the picture without her, odd perhaps, but that was the way it was. They moved instinctively towards the right spot, co-jointly building the picture. The standout point was Mismagius' potency in Psychic, she was actually able to control both of May's hands at the same time.

"Using a Pokemon to boost your mind and your body actions is just something extraordinary! But what are they actually painting?''

As the hostess was smart enough to point out their confusion, they were yet to be made aware where the whole presentation was going. Slowly the painters were giving the painting a meaning. They continued to display their motley and ethereal emotions into the canvass, until their uncooked story finally come into play.

Smeargle, May and Mismagius had plotted to draw the whole portrait upside-down this whole time!

The crowds were gasping and bewildered.

While they had finished the last of the touches, Mismagius passed her Psychic control from May to the canvass board and flipped it 180. The painting was decorated in stimulating colours, and their strokes had created a harmonious flow to create a surreal painting of a herd of Rapidashs' galloping in the sunset.

The clever act earned cheers from the audience, erupting into boisterous, whopping cheers. May relieved a sigh. She was almost as short of breath as her two Pokemon.

"Would you look at that! The painting's reversed! May and Team were painting this upended! Let's see what the judges have to say about this!"

"I have never seen anything like this before! As an admirer of any form of art, it was a work done with extraordinary skill especially; a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement. The Psychic induced painter was simply fantastic and unpredictable!"

"The choreography and the timing of the painting was perfect and simply…remarkable!"

"The surrealistic painting of many shades was performed with perfect harmony, perfection and precision. It really shows the significance inwards of a beautiful sight of this world. What really amazed me was Smeargle's orchestration of this whole act."

The crowd was enigmatically cheering out May's name. Smeargle had no words to express his shock. They said he were nothing and showed not the smallest seed of love, and so he threw chaotic and crumpled rainbows onto the walls, onto the high vaulted ceilings of the subways and bridges that allowed the belching cars to flow over the waterways. The thing is, in that broken mess that he was, he could still feel his heart, feel that rhythm that is inborn, and in his art, in the way his feet met the ground each day... he knew they'd win, it was simply a matter of how long it would take.

May beamed, moved. They were clearly a fan favourite. May looked over to Smeargle and Mismagius, who absorbed the praise welcomingly. "Good job you two. Shall we rest now?''

Beaming, the three turned heading towards the backstage, waving out to the crowd.

---

"I had no idea she was gonna do that,'' Ash exhaled, ''At first, I thought that she was going no where with this painting, but she really dazzled everyone when the painting was flipped out.''

"I couldn't have said it better myself. May rules.'' The Lucario inquired, ''I sensed your nervousness when Dawn was performing.''

"I am not worried about Nando or Kenny, but Dawn,'' Ash was pulled into a deep thought. "Dawn's something else. In the days, I travelled with both of them. Dawn was a natural, and had inherited her mother's skills. But I have seen May work right from the scratch to create her own name. If there's anyone who can stop May from winning this Contest, it's Dawn.''

"Rivals…" Lucario mused, "Sometimes they are worrisome.''

---

"After seeing such dazzling performances, I must say, that the house is packed with some extraordinary creativity! Coordinators have worked really hard to make this day memorial!" Jillian shouted, rallying the crowd with the hand holding her microphone, thrown in the air. Echoed by a chorus of cheers, she continued. "And we are down to our very last Contestant! Coming all the way from Sinnoh Region, and also from Twinleaf Town, the suave and sturdy, Kenny!"

The chestnut-haired Coordinator ran on the stage, trailed with few cheers. Carrying himself with all the energy and gusto of a showman, but a smirk befitting the most confident and hot-blooded of trainers. Leaping back off the ball of his foot, he slung his Poké Ball backhanded.. "Drilbur! You're up!"

From the capsule swarmed the mole, that emerged proudly swinging around its steel plated claws.

"Let's start for the big finish!'' Kenny threw a hand out, ''Lay the field out with Sandstorm!"

Drilbur raised his hands, chattering to whip up a very concentrated low Sandstorm, only as much as was needed for the act. The sand brewed and laid themselves to be sheeted on the floor. Soon the lights went off, and the audience was blinded, momentarily cut off from the act. Their baffled cries were not lost on the Coordinator.

"Hey, what's going on?'' Ash looked puzzled.

Though Kenny worried not, was all a part of his plan. Only one single floodlight was dropped on the stage, depriving everything except Kenny. With hushed sounds and everything else out of the picture, he and Drilbur began to sweep some sand upon one another, achieving to make a shaped clearing. It started as something oval on the sand canvass, so turning out to be a face, when Kenny and Drilbur used some more sand to draw the organs on the face. Using fluffy dust rollers, the Twinleaf Coordinator began to draw out the curls on top of the face's head, directing his act soon towards the conclusion point. While the darkness effects were lingered, it was revealed to be the sand portrait of woman of Dahara Origin.

As the lights came back on, Kenny stood besides his Drilbur, rubbing under his nose and looking proud. Pokemon and trainer then alike bowed.

The crowd was soon whipped into another frenzy.

"Phenomenal! Absolutely stunning act from Kenny! Let's hear it from the judges!"

A smile picked up on the creases of Mr. Contesta's cheeks, ''Plenty of power and passion in this act. Using an element that best tailors to the performance of your Pokemon was truly incredible. You did an excellent job of showcasing your Pokemon's strength. A marvellous use of the arena as well."

Suziko gave his usual. "Yes, enrapturing and remarkable!''

Nurse Joy gave a nod of approval. ''Your teamwork was truly amazing. You must have worked very hard to make the end results so bedazzling. The act was very well calculated and by an expert of its elements. Drilbur truly shined.''

"And so Kenny has managed to generate huge expectations from the judges! Let's hear it for him and Drilbur!'' Jillian concluded, followed by whoops and cheers from about the Contest Hall. "And with that, the first phase of the Contest is now concluded. While we take a fifteen minutes break for our audience to refill, but be back soon to find out which eight lucky Coordinators have moved on to the Appeals Round!"

---

"The way he showed off Drilbur,'' Dawn murmured to no one in particular, though May stood besides her. ''I had no idea he was gonna spin the show this way.'' It was rather a different type of art, Kenny did manage to be the showstopper.

"Yeah, it was something, wasn't it?'' May's voice piped up, "Looks like he'll be in the Appeals too.''

A smirk crossed on Dawn's lips, ''I wouldn't wanna have it any other way.''

"Attention! Coordinators! The judges have made their decision! Please direct your attention to the monitor present, and you'll see the talented faces who have made it to the Appeals Round!"

Jillian's voice came over the intercom, drawing the attention of every Coordinator backstage to the monitor hoisted on the wall. The screen lit up, spawning eight card graphics. The cards glowed gold, each hiding the image of the fortunate Coordinator on its other side.

First was…May.

"Alright! We made it!" May cheered, bunching up her fists.

The second card flipped over, showing an unfamiliar Top Coordinator. Another boy's face appeared, and after that was Dawn, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Kenny's image was flipped at five. Dawn glanced down the room, easily spotting the chestnut haired Coordinator who stood at the back of the crowd with a triumphant fists.

And the final face belonged to Nando, who leaned stood legs crossed on the bench, confident and calm as he could be, as if he hadn't questioned the outcome.

"Looks like we all get to compete!" May smiled at her friend.

"I wasn't worried at all,'' Dawn smirked, one hand holding her hip, and then she took a snide glance at Kenny, ''I bet for some people, celebrations are gonna be short.''

"You wanna be that hard on him?'' May smiled sympathetically.

"Very hard…''

"And that is where the Talent Round ends, and now, unfortunately so does the participation of twenty-four other Coordinators! But don't down your spirits! You'll soon be seeing yourselves on a Contest Stage again! Till then, you have our best wishes!"

---

"And first up, who left us all colored amazed with her artistic Talent Round, let's hear it once again for the 'Princess of Hoenn', May Maple!"

The curtains parted as May walked out into full view of the crowd. Thunderous applause followed, and the excitement was not lost on Ash. He cheered out to his fullest, a little miffed he couldn't go backstage and check on May, due to many Coordinators packing and leaving. He made a mental note to go visit her and Dawn after the Appeals Round.

May brandished her two Pokeballs, calling out her team this time in a more flashy, Contest fashion as pertained to the Appeals. "Smeargle, Mismagius, take the stage~"

The capsules spun high, before releasing a dark plume of purple smog shaped in a form of heart, and inside it was a flurry of colorful bubbles contained without touching one another. Smeargle and Mismagius burst out, immediately reaching to crush some of the bubbles with their appendages on the way down. The subtle move caused sprinkles to fan out away from the two Pokemon, and the crowd gave a subtle 'ooooooh'.

"And May has decided to continue with Smeargle and Mismagius! I am excited to see what does their team whip up this time! I hope everyone remembers, each Pokemon can use only upto one move!"

Stroking her ponytail, May smirked. "Smeargle, use Light Screen!"

"Smear!"

The pup whipped his tail, utilizing the move that he had developed in training days. In front of them, pink transparent panels popped up, lined into a 4x4 square.

"Alright, Smeargle! Now shoot colors to your heart's content!" she cheerfully called.

Smeargle nodded, and squeezed his tail tighter, the brush taking a branding effect. Multitude waves of rainbow colors washed over the panel of Light Screens, mixing into a messy composition. It had taken him hours of training to shoot multiple colors at the same time. Despite this the judges couldn't help but wonder, what was going on. The glass panel was dripping with one color flowing over the another. No hidden subject was revealed this time. Slowly the cheers were drying out.

"Now, Mismagius!" May called, pumping a fist. "Use Psychic and bring the painting alive!"

Eyes pulsing with magneta energy, the ghost leered into the creeks of paint, guiding them with her mind. The crowd gasped as the Smeargle's colors were plucked away from the Light Screen, which to their amazement hadn't stained. Mismagius chanted her name, churning each shade into a vibrant hue, colliding several colors to create a mixture. As she guided the colors to her imagination, she wisped and then glued the colors back on the glass wall, this time with a creation.

But this was no ordinary painting. With the painting still in Mismagius's telekinetic control, it was moving. It was of a waterfall in a serene forest, like the waterfall itself was a mystery to search. The blue shades bringing lacy white to the travelling stream. There was a power and brilliance to the tranquillity, a place of stillness even in the alive painting.

While this was definitely sending a strain towards her mind, Mismagius added a psychic push, that cracked open the painting soon resulting in a colorful explosion that just kept the audience off their feet. While the paint kept raining around them like a drizzle, May and her team bowed in courtesy. The crowd roared, recognizing that the act was over, and clapped furiously.

"A spectacular and colorful performance, again making May two for two! Judges, how do you feel about this Appeal?''

"Every aspect of art was mixed in this Appeal. When you enjoy what you do, nothing can go wrong. What you did was unique. To count the rhythms in your head, and let your partner pick off and finish the painting to its utmost quality. I believe that this is incredible!" Mr. Contesta concluded with a smile.

"Compared to the Talent Round, the Appeals Round was much challenging with the one move stipulation, and I must say the combination of the moves that you chose couldn't be better. To draw a paint is one thing, but to give the painting a life is definitely a superior form of creativity." Nurse Joy commented.

"It was remarkably creative!" Mr. Suziko concluded in a simple manner.

"Well, I am no astrologer, but I can definitely think who just made it into the Battles Round!" Jillian took over then, "Although our fans do deserve to know how did you come up with such a trailblazing idea?''

"Smeargle feels people usually look at the end result and enjoy the art, but for a real artist, one should project the process of painting in a fun way." May answered, smiling down at Smeargle.

The answer itself earned a lot more praises and approval, as a value addition to their Appeal.

"Looks like Smeargle also knows how to paint with words. With the Appeals Round off to such a colorful start, let's await what other Coordinators have in store for us!"

---

"Wow, May's on a roll today.'' Ash laughed, "All I knew that they were gonna paint something, but to make it look alive…Man, that's a blaster.''

"And it was done by a ghost! They should get extra points for that."

---

One by one, over the next thirty minutes, the Appeals went by. While no pressure to present their Performance in an expressive manner, though it had to be aesthetic. Nando once again performed a marvel by bringing the nature on the stage, while Kenny's Drilbur had earned a lot of miner fans from Route 4. And the final presentation was to be brought by…

"And now, for the final performance of the Appeals Round, we welcome back on the stage. She'll take your breath away! Please give it up for Dawn!"

Dawn strolled out into the open under the all-too-familiar sensation of raucous applause. She smiled gloriously, waving to the crowd as she walked up to the hard-floor stage, three Pokeballs in her gloved hands.

"Pachirisu, Buneary, Typhlosion! Spotlight!"

Dawn chucked all the Pokeballs in the air, calling upon her chosen team. They spawned side-by-side in a flash of dazzling effects, a cluster of hearts for Buneary, a ring of fire behind Typhlosion, and a cage of bolts for Pachirisu. They landed with expecting chatters, ready as ever to leap into action.

"She's gonna have this appeal with three Pokemon?'' Ash confounded, cocking both brows.

"Pachirisu, get into position and use the Sweet Kiss!"

The article before the move was only explained when Pachirisu darted forward, and twirled cutely, before pucking her lips. What was tiny, became large, then huge and finally colossal enough - a single giant pink heart that went floating up in the air.

"Buneary, you're up! Ice Beam!"

With a sway, Buneary howled, blasting forth a ray of cold energy, the ice spreading around the Sweet Kiss until it was completely frozen, encasing the pink heart in a diamond-like frost. While this was enough to have swooned many spectators, Typhlosion's part was yet to come in play. The grim look on the badger's face explained that her role was very crucial and Dawn had utmost confidence in her.

"Very carefully, use Flamethrower!"

Typhlosion, depositing her belief in Dawn's plan, spat a very bleak ray of fire from her gaping maw, causing the flames to fan out and attach themselves to the edges of the frozen structure. The ice soon caught fire, and an outline of flames began to dance around the ice sculpture. Steam and vapor wafted off from the melting ice.

"And that's what we call "Frigid Enchantment!" Dawn huffed proudly.

The crowd roared, and Dawn posed, hand in hand with her Pokemon, as they put on a big smile and bowed. Typhlosion lowered her upper body, sticking her back into the air, and burnt a few powerful flames.

"I would call that a Cold Heart Performance! The competition just got a little hotter! And now it's time to hear from the judges!"

Mr. Contesta spoke up first, interlocking his fingers. "Definitely unimaginable. The teamwork displayed a great deal of grace and control. Your combinations just as always phenomenally engineered."

Suziko was practically standing in his chair. "Magnificent! A lovely, wintry and fiery performance! You and your Pokemon were remarkable!"

Nurse Joy paused before answering, a finger poked into her cheek, ''You just have to admire the control each Pokemon had for the act. I cannot round off my judgement without saying that your Pokemon are well-raised."

"Well, there you have it! I'd say we just had a huge share of nice and exciting balance of grand appeals that brought many forms of entertainment under one roof! Let's thank Dawn and her Pokemon for their performance and take another short break, while the judges make their decisions! Stay tuned!"

---

The rattling sound of a can dropping into the pocket of the machine sounded, as May fished it out and flipped the lid, to the sound of 'hiss' and pleasant smell of strawberry.

"Just the drink I have been looking for." Her thirst was quenched.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, the day was slowly getting nerving. She was feeling parched. And luckily there were a bunch of vending machines in the main hallway. Castelia really didn't spare any expenses for tourists.

She could hear a few footsteps closing behind her, and a second later, felt the tap on her shoulder. Rounding the corner, she jumped back. To her astonishment, it was none other than…!

"Ash! Hey," May flushed, tilting the can to take another sip of the sweet beverage. ''You want something?''

"I'll pass, just had a soda pop a while ago.'' Ash declined. "Thought I'd check up on you once.''

"Yeah, I was kinda missing you though,'' she giggled, "Where's Lucario?''

"Back in his Pokeball." Ash replied. "You know I can't bring him back here.''

"Good point,'' May agreed, ''So, what did you think?''

"You know it was,'' Ash laughed, leaning against a wall. ''Now I am a little antsy you didn't tell me about that. But then, you really rocked in both rounds, babe."

"Don't say that,'' May whined playfully, ''Smeargle's training, that's all you, you know that, right? You helped the lil guy learn a lot of moves.''

"Like I was gonna refuse,'' Ash smiled fondly, ''Think they both are ready for the Battles Round?''

"I don't know for sure," May gazed down, tone a little regretful. ''I know Smeargle's looking forward to the Battles Round he's been working so hard for. As much as I hate to admit it, I have to keep him in line a little bit longer so that he can watch his experienced teammates and learn.''

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll have him watch you from the stands.'' Ash offered, ''I have been through such decision thousand times. You just have to choose the right Pokemon for the right job. And going at Dawn or Nando who I know will have a decent idea what Smeargle can do."

"Really? That will be wonderful,'' May delightedly grinned. ''I just hope I'm making the right choice this time.''

"Yep, you're.'' Ash assured, ''You and Dawn are gonna face off at some point, I bet, since you two kinda stole the hype from all other participants. To beat her, you just have to be one step ahead."

"First he steals my moves, and next sells me out,'' a voice cut between them, as Dawn's face popped behind Ash. "And after all that cheerleading I did for you.'' She teased Ash.

"At least I know that a little competition scares you,'' Ash combated.

"In your dreams Ketchum,'' Dawn puffed up a cheek. "That Silver Ribbon is gonna end up in my Ribbon Case.''

"Well, then, until you lock horns with May,'' Ash placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder to placate the Twinleaf Coordinator. ''You have my full support.''

A loud 'ding' interrupted their conversation, as Jillian's voice sounded over the intercom.

"Attention all Coordinators and audience!" Jillian chanted over the intercom. "After the riveting rounds of the appeals, the judges have decided on their four favored Contestants. Find yourselves a screen, and you'll see the Coordinators that will follow to the final rounds!"

"Alright, it's beginning,'' Ash tensed, and the trio soon darted to the nearest screen they could find.

A collection of Contestants faces appeared on each display, shuffling amongst one another, most disappearing in seconds. The herd of cards was thinned until only four visages remained, each revealing themselves in succession.

Dawn appeared first, prompting a howl from the Sinnohian.

May was next. "Alright!" the brunette chirped under her breath.

Up next was Nando, and somewhere, the bard would have bored a modest smile.

And finally, Kenny.

"Now that we have our four Contestants, let's mix them up and see who faces who in the next round!" Jillian's voice echoed as the faces on the screens complied. They mingled before splitting into two pairs. May was matched off against Nando, and Dawn was facing Kenny.

"Well, what do you know?'' Ash placed a hand around May's waist. ''Aside from spanking my ass tonight, you'll be kicking Nando's too!"

"Please do me a favor and just send Lucario next time.'' May rolled her eyes.

Even if the encouragement was silly, Ash didn't hesitate to peck her lips. "Then, I'll get going.''

"Yeah,'' May smiled, brushing a bang away from her cheek, ''I'll see you when the semis are over?''

"You bet,'' Ash laughed, turning towards Dawn, "And you just knock Kenny out of the park." He sent a hand above his head.

As if on reflex, she leaned forward to smack her palm against his. "Don't worry. He has no idea what's gonna hit him.''

Nodding with an agreement, Ash turned away, and exited from the hallway, as Dawn ignored the red touching her cheeks.

As the brunette continued to sip her drink, a soft voice caught the attention of the Hoenn based Coordinator. She was approached by Nando, that began to address her in a soft, respecting voice.

"May, I have been very fortuitous to battle against you. We and our Pokemon must assay each other's endeavors to make this battle memorable. You have my best wishes.'' Nando hoped.

Hearing the minstrel's kind words, her blue orbs glistened. "That sounds great Nando!" May beamed, accepting the challenge. "I'm sure it's gonna be a lot of fun.''

"Oh yeah, definitely it's!" Dawn whooped from behind, ''A battle between you two shouldn't be missed. I'm gonna be torn between you two.''

Coincidently enough, the two Coordinators, were called upon just over the intercom. "And the time for the first match of the Battle Rounds is finally here! Nando, the seasoned trainer as well as Coordinator from the Sinnoh Region will face off against May, the experienced Coordinator from the Hoenn Region."

"That's our cue,'' May chimed, winking at her opponent before skipping off into the hallway. "See you on stage!"

"Very well,'' Nando gave a last nod at Dawn before following May.

---

With the two Coordinators in place, Jillian was quick to begin the match in earnest. "Now, both May and Nando are on the stage, so… Let the first match begin!" With that, the clock that was set for five minutes started ticking.

"Let's begin! Mismagius! Venusaur! Take the stage~"

May chanted, gripping the capsules before releasing the two Pokemon. In a cyclone of petals, her teammates appeared. Mismagius let out a silent wisp, while Venusaur croaked, stomping the field.

Nando, in turn, grabbed two Pokeballs from under his cloak, tossing them forward with the free hand. "Roserade, Simisage! I need you.''

The capsules spawned out green, vibrant lights from which Roserade and a bushy simian landed on the stage with perfect balance.

Jillian raised a hand, "Let the battle begin!"

"Mismagius, Venusaur!" May commenced, "Shadow Balls and then bat them away with Power Whip!"

Mismagius purred, pulsing several orbs of ghoulish energy and casted them down at her partner. Venusaur jumped back, the two twin vines snaked out of her plant, and with expert precision and control, she slapped the orbs in the foes' direction.

Maintaining his smirk to not appear coy, Nando counter. "Roserade, Magical Leaf and Simisage, Seed Bomb!"

Thrusting her floral hands forward, Roserade released a platoon of leaves mixed with bombing hard shells that came straight from Simisage's mouth. The grass type moves sliced through the Shadow Balls, detonating purple and green explosives that marvelled the crowd.

May stabbed a finger across the field, "Mismagius, use Will-O-Wisp, and Venusaur, use Attract."

Mismagius stirred up a ring of eerie fireballs around her form, each glowing a pale blue color, and Venusaur's eyes lit up with passion. Mismagius deposited her Will-O-Wisp to Venusaur, who manipulated the strange fireballs so that they circled around her. From there, a flurry of hearts joined the ring, merging Attract and Will-O-Wisp into a single attack.

"What impressive start—Venusaur manipulates Will-O-Wisp and appears primed to use both attacks at once!"

"Go!" May ordered, and Venusaur sent the cluster hurtling toward Simisage and Roserade.

"Simisage, Roserade, please escape that peril."

"Psychic!" May followed.

Simisage and Roserade made to dodge, but their reactions were severely late. Venusaur's Attract/Will-O-Wisp ring separated thanks to Mismagius's Psychic as it neared the two Pokémon, crashing into them both and knocking the grass-types to the ground. Roserade rose to her feet first and an insidious burn flickered around her bridal shape. Simisage, meanwhile struggled to stand and stumbled, clearly afflicted with infatuation towards the plant dinosaur.

"Perfect. Great work, you two!" May praised. The combination had worked exactly as intended, inflicting a different status condition on each of her opponents. On the board, Nando's points dropped significantly, a casualty of his Pokémon's slow reactions.

Nando kept playing his harp musing over his box of strategies, as he addressed his recovering Pokemon. "Roserade, please use Sunny Day."

Roserade stirred and particles of light formed around each of her floral hands. With a simple upward thrust, the Bouquet Pokémon sent firing a golden orb above her. After gaining altitude, it shone with brilliance. A harsh sunlight appeared over the arena, highlighting their beautiful, shimmering flowers and grass coats.

The light served as a small sun, thanks to the Pokémon being indoors, and cast a blinding light onto the field.

"Now, Roserade, use Weather Ball on Venusaur!" Nando called over. Roserade lifted her arms, generating a sphere of light that transformed into one of roaring flames and launching it. The sphere hurtled through the air and struck Venusaur clean in the face, sending her skidding.

"Saur…" Venusaur groaned, supporting herself with her front legs, after taking a hit to her face. Dirtied with burns and marks from the onslaught, she was hurting.

May's points dipped a bit from the confrontation, equalling to Nando's margin.

"They're not messing around with that attack. Mismagius, use Psychic on Roserade!" May countered.

Mismagius vanished, leaving a strange silence for just a few seconds before the ghost-type reappeared inches from Roserade and snarled. Her eyes began to glow with blue color, and began a supernatural, telekinetic torture upon Roserade before tossing her backwards. Before she was exposed to any other attack, she vanished, reappearing by Venusaur's side and snickering haughtily.

"Venusaur, use Power Whip on Simisage."

Venusaur gruntled, and fired two purple tendrils from her back, at the lovestruck ape.

Knowing Simisage was in no position to defend itself, Nando instead called out to Roserade. "Roserade, use Nature Power!"

The Bouquet Pokémon leaped in front of Simisage, cutting off Venusaur's path and aimed her bouquets out front. Energy came to life around Roserade's body and quickly consolidated in front of her, shaping into three spheres of elemental energy. The spheres spread out and fired one after the other; first a sphere of ice to destroy Venusaur's vines, then a ball of fire to damage the grass type, and finally a jolt of electricity to seal the deal. Venusaur moaned, a sickening jolt restricting her movements.

"Venusaur!" May gasped, ignoring her deducting points. "She's paralyzed!"

While she herself was able to land devastating hits on the Kanto Starter, the Bouquet burnt out in a immerse of flames she had incurred, further reducing Nando's points.

Jillian gushed, "Roserade mounts a defense of its ally Simisage with Nature Power, which transforms into a beautiful Tri Attack! However, the burning effects on Roserade lingers on."

"Mismagius, use Hex on Roserade!" May snapped. The ghost-type cackled and dashed at the grass-type.

"Roserade, Weather Ball!" Nando countered.

Roserade whipped up a sphere of fire, but Mismagius easily dodged and dashed behind Roserade. From behind, Mismagius's ghostly cloak extended and wrapped around the grass-type's body, restraining it. Dark energy stung Roserade, and the grass-type's burn flared up as if Hex had commanded it to do so. The energy combined with the burn and blistered Roserade, only ending when Mismagius finally let go.

Nando's points once again dropped, widening May's lead. Just over a minute remained on the clock, and Nando held on to less than one-fourth of his points while May retained a little more than one-third of her total.

"Simisage, use Shadow Claw!" Nando shouted.

While Simisage still had his eyes on Venusaur, he had by no means any affection stirred for Mismagius. Drawing out dark plume claws, Simisage yowled and delivered a super effective, brutal rake to then ghost type's middle, filling the ghost-type with malevolent aura. Mismagius careened back across the field, managing to stop herself only by flipping off mid-air.

"And seems that May had completely forgotten about Simisage for which Mismagius paid the price. This has turned into a real back and forth battle!"

"Please, do not discontinue. Use Rock Slide!" Nando followed, swiping a hand across.

Casting his small arms in the air, the Thorn Monkey Pokemon conjured a sheet of jagged boulders above Venusaur and Mismagius both. The rocks fell all at once, smothering the pair and doing significant damage to Venusaur in particular. Simisage squirmed, making a face, not wanting to hurt Venusaur intentionally. He was still in love with Venusaur, and didn't want this kind of intoxication to wear off.

"Venusaur, use Petal Dance!"

A cyclone of flowing leaves emerged underneath Venusaur's body, and with a simple toss of the Seed Pokémon's head, they were launched. The floral projectiles swarmed around Simisage and Roserade, barraging into them both, but not as much as May had expected.

"Roserade, use Nature Power, and Simisage, use Seed Bomb!"

Nando's two Pokémon discharged their attacks on the ground, dispersing the swarms that surrounded them, and looked up at their foes. Roserade's burn flared up and disoriented the Bouquet Pokémon.

"Mismagius, use Hex on Roserade." May ordered. Mismagius rushed into the fray, eyes burning as the ghost-type went.

"Simisage, protect Roserade! Shadow Claw!"

"Venusaur, keep Simisage occupied." Venusaur galloped forward, just behind Mismagius. Simisage leaped into Mismagius path, with necrotic claws drawn, only to have the ghost type phase away in the air, and avoid Simisage entirely. Confused, the ape soared forward through Mismagius, finding itself face to face with Venusaur again.

The eyes of the ape once again popped with hearts and a tint of red painted across the grass type's face. The love of his life was coming right at him, however, he was oblivious to her intentions.

"Now, use Power Whip!"

A whiplash of two thick tendrils sent Simisage soaring through the air, costing Nando more points.

Mismagius appeared behind Roserade, laughing cruelly as it slipped into existence, and Roserade whirled around to face the ghost-type.

"Magical Leaf!" Nando ordered, and Roserade summoned a flurry of sharp, glowing leaves.

Mismagius unleashed Hex, sending countless ghostly tendrils tearing towards Roserade, easily decimating the counterattack and wrapping around Roserade. The searing tendrils activated her severe burn, dealing double damage.

Roserade shrieked out in pain, lifelessly collapsing on the floor.

"Oh dear! Roserade is unable to battle, and Nando is left with only one Pokemon! And there's just one minute left on the timer!"

A flash of red light recalled Roserade to her pokeball, in Nando's palm. "Good work, Roserade," he'd lull, depositing the capsule. He watched Simisage stand back up, shaking off the rattling sensation of Power Whip. "Hm." There wasn't time left to fight both, but if he could bring the opposition's points below him, he still had a chance.

"Simisage, you must fight this battle to honor Roserade's efforts,'' Nando commanded, encouraging the grass type, ''Use Rock Slide!"

Simisage shook his head from the daze, and rushed to avenge, chattering up in the ceiling. An amounting volume of rocks began to pour down on the opposition's turfs.

"Mismagius! Psychic!" May asserted.

"Mis!" the spectre brazed around the air, surrounding the multitude of those boulders with a bright light. Sure enough, under her will, they rose once again, changing targets, flinging themselves violently at Simisage.

"Dodge that, Simisage, and use Acrobatics!''

"Simi!" the simian weaved up and down, climbing over the rocks, besides the assault with precision. With every step on the rock, he ignited a propulsion in speed, serving him though the barrage. Soon enough, the ape turned into a green blue, staring Venusaur in the eyes, that May had caught on to Nando's ruse. Gasping, he cried out to her prized grass type.

"Venusaur!"

The foot of the ape struck the paralyzed Seed Pokemon, eliciting a howl from the grass type. A notch of May's points were taken away. A quick scan on the timer told May that the Round was gonna end in forty seconds.

Taking a deep breath, May decided the finishing move. "Venusaur! Leaf Storm! Mismagius, Will-o-Wisp!"

The attack that came was far greater than anything Nando could have anticipated. A spiral of energy-charged, glistening leaves began swirling around the quadruped, and with the ghost's help, an ambush of eerie flames began to consume the cyclone.

"Could this be another one of May's acute and nimble finishing combinations?"

The leaves then took an upward path, turning all eyes on the shining twister. Blue flames continued on, lighting the tail of the Leaf Storm attack ablaze. Blue heat began to consume the verdant green, following the cycle and singing its components along the way. Meanwhile, Leaf Storm grew closer and closer to Simisage.

Try as he might, though, Simisage just wasn't quite fast enough. Leaf Storm's brilliant energy was eaten up by the Magical Pokemon's own flames, making the attack only grow greater as it followed its elemental prey, forcing it to consume Simisage itself.

Flames bathed and curtained the grass type, forcing Nando to guard himself from the heat. Soon enough, though, the hot veil vanished. Simisage landed with a boom and never resurfaced, going totally unconscious. The timer buzzed, and there was no question about the result.

"Simisage is unable to battle! And with that, the Coordinator punching their ticket to the final round is… May!"

The crowd burst into applause for the two coordinators. Neither paid the noise much mind.

"Thank you, Simisage. I appreciate your efforts." Nando recalled his pokemon with a sad smile. With the Thorn Monkey pokemon recalled, he watched his opponent. She'd crouched beside her Venusaur and Mismagius, whispering something or another before recalling them to their pokeballs.

Plucking the strings of his harp, he smiled pleasantly before walking off from the stage. If he was going to lose to anyone, then perhaps…He could hear the crowd's cheers and coos of appreciation, but it was little more than background noise. He turned for the dome's corridors.

---

The brief break to clear the stage was a huge relief to Kenny as he began to make his early way down towards the hall, that would lead him straight to the Stage without any interruptions. He was up against Dawn and he needed all the time he had on his hands to squeeze that in. He wasn't leaving this city without fixing this mess. He passed through many attendants, that soon reduced in population as he sauntered further. He didn't want to see her now, but…

"Dawn!"

The other native of Twinleaf who was just steps ahead of him in the hallway, slowed in her tracks. She froze, before turning around slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Kenny.

Kenny suppressed any urge to cower, and ran up to her. "Dawn!"

"I hope you are prepared," she icily said, matter-of-factly. Since they were alone in the alley, Dawn wasn't reluctant to hold back. She was still hurting by his behaviour in Twinleaf and aside from her acceptance of him as her friend, there was still some hot air between the two. By the way she leaned on the ball of her foot, Kenny had the impression that she was ready to walk off at any moment.

"...Yeah," Kenny nodded, rubbing his neck. "Your performances…they were fantastic…''

"Glad you liked it. My battle's gonna be even better." A bitter and unfeeling reminder. "Because it's gonna kick you out of the Contest."

"Agh…" Kenny groaned. He couldn't protest, though. "Yeah, I deserved that, but…Dawn, I just wanna apologize correctly this time. I can't do this with you being mad at me!"

"You started all of this shit!" Dawn snapped, turning around to glare at him.

"...Yeah. You're right. I did. And that's why I am here." Kenny resigned with a sigh. "But, please… When we walk out onto that battlefield in a couple minutes, I want to do it with no regrets. I want this battle just like our first…back in Floaroma Town. I need to get this out of my chest as soon as I can, or else it'll be too late."

Dawn exhaled through her nose, and anxiously ran a hand through her hair. Unfortunately, he'd picked a line of reasoning that resonated with her, though she'd hate to admit it. "Fine. What is it."

"...I feel horrible, Dawn. I thought like I owned you. And what's worse than that is that I didn't even come close to understanding you… Honestly, I still don't." Kenny frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. Though he felt low, he willed himself to maintain eye contact with Dawn. "I always felt that your feelings towards Ash will one day pass away, and then years ago, when you came home crying that Ash had left, I was very immature to think you'll start to see me now as you saw Ash. Maybe we would spark. I was having these stupid expectations from you that you'll begin to respond to my feelings but…And then he returned again, and…when I knew you still had feelings for him, I just exploded. I forgot that you loved me as a friend, but my stupid heart wanted more. I failed you Dawn, I completely failed you. I can understand if you don't want to see me again."

Kenny attempted to do the opposite of what he'd just said, and read her expression. Understand just what it was that was going through her head. The ridge of her brow held low; she looked… not quite furious like in the morning, but confused. Troubled.

Dawn scrunched her nose, thinking her words through. "When you said you were in love with me all these years, it was just a bombshell. I felt guilty at first that I didn't feel the same way, but then I realized I wasn't responsible for this mishap. I cordially tried to tell you I wasn't attracted to you but you wouldn't listen. What I really felt repulsive was, you thought it was your chance just because Ash is dating May. How disgusting, Kenny?! Is that all I am to you?''

"No, that's not true!" Kenny retorted. "I know I made a mistake and I am owning it. All I want to say is, I don't want my outburst to ruin the rest of our lives. I don't want to throw our friendship away just because of one stupid mistake. I get it, I can't have you, so I won't. But, if we have one chance to revive our friendship, I don't wanna miss out on that.'' As rotten as he felt; as small as he felt in Dawn's presence, right now, he resolved to stand his ground. "I don't want to be a rival that you avoid."

"...If only you got some sense knocked in you that night," Dawn muttered out.

"Huh?" Kenny asked.

"It's hard to look back at our years together, now. Everything's just… been painted by what I learned that night. It made me feel seriously uncomfortable, Kenny. But…"

Hearing that one 'but,' Kenny waited expectantly.

"If you mean that, then yeah, maybe we can be friends again. However, for now, let's be less friends and more rivals." She looked up to meet Kenny's gaze. Nary a smile, yet, but he could see the sincerity in her eyes. The seriousness she was giving him that he probably didn't deserve. "If there's one thing that you didn't do to come closer to me, is that you became a Top Coordinator by your sheer hard work. So battle me with every ounce of strength you have, and then, after the Contest, we can continue."

"...Man." Kenny fought a trembling lip, but he just had to laugh, and rub at his eyes.

Dawn frowned. "Man, what!?"

"I'm sorry! It's just… Agh. A lot of things." He was grateful he had any chance at all. Enough to bring him to tears, if his first prideful instinct weren't to hide it. Look at where that had gotten him, though. More than that, though. "It's a deal."

---

"Please take care of Venusaur, Nurse Joy."

"Of course, May! Just give me a short time, and I'll have your Pokemon as good as new. Congratulations on your match, by the way! It was a real thriller." One of the many Nurse Joys called on reserve chirped jubilantly, as she pulled in the tray that held Venusaur's Poké Ball.

"Oh, thanks! She really fought her heart out." May smiled softly, looking upon her current habitat.

"She should be back to you by the time the next round is over. I suggest you enjoy the show, until then!"

"I'll! I promised your chief, I'll be in the finals, and now I just wait for Dawn.'' She cracked a smile, "Thanks." As she turned to leave, she nearly bumped into a larger frame. "Woah!"

"Ah, careful, May.'' That caring, brotherly voice, definitely unlike her brother, cold only belong to…

"Oh hey, Nando.'' May rubbed her forehead, almost believing she had bumped into Nando's harp.

"My sincerest apologies." The bard humbly hung his head, before forwarding a hand. ''I was just leaving but felt delinquent without saying goodbye. Please accept my gratitude for giving us such a sensational battle. My errors were identified.''

May blinked, shaking her head for ten straight seconds, ignoring the hand that was held. She grabbed it with a yelp, "Wait! So you're just leaving? Don't you want to stay back to watch the finals?''

Nando stared outside the glass door, watching a bunch of children playing with some Patrats. "Whoever the winner of this Contest shall be, each shall have my wishes as I walk towards the South of the City.'' He turned back at May who was staring up at him with curious eyes. "Contests and Leagues are just like music. Not perfected at just few practices. Therefore, I have decided to go back to my hometown and once again, rebegin our routines, when we first started."

"Man,'' May slumped her shoulders, retracting her hand after they shook it, ''Ash was looking forward to meet you.''

"Then perhaps, you could deliver him a message.'' Nando raised a brow.

"Yeah, shoot.'' May uttered without a moment's hesitation.

"As he aspires to become the World Champion,'' Nando took a deep breath, ''I shall in pursuit of new horizons of training vow to return and battle Ash when he is graced with the title of Monarch. I shan't hesitate to matriculate into the World Championships next year, as I shall also chase for the title of Grand Emperor in Contests.''

May quirked a brow. Of that segment, that sounded more of a promise than a warning, she could only deduce the words, World Champion, training, Monarch, battle. Man, it would be hard to inject jargons in this man.

"I'll make sure he knows that,'' May giggled. ''That competition's gonna be make him roll.''

"Then, please convey my wishes for his battle against the Unova Champion tomorrow.'' Nando nodded, turning back once again. A soft enchanting music told May that Nando was plucking the strings of his harp.

"See you sometime, Nando! Take care.'' May smiled, watching the bard head towards the exit of the Pokemon Center.

There once was a lass who liked to perform. Her paintings, boy, they would transform!

On a Castelia sunny day, she tested her luck. Made a minstrel, look like a schmuck.

She duelled and defeated the musician, and stepped closer to her mission.

With the talents, she had kept hidden. At the end of the day, she took with her…the Silver Ribbon.

---

"And these two Twinleaf Coordinators aren't backing out just yet!" Jillian's voice boomed over the speakers of the arena. "It's been a thrilling sequence so far, combinations and counters galore as both Coordinators push the petal to the metal! With just three minutes left on the clock, the battle gets fiercer!"

"Sly as always,'' Kenny grimaced, throwing a hand out. ''Eelektross! Crush Claw!"

"Eeeelleeeeek!" the eel called, tensing its body, and zipped in towards its opponents, terribly sharp claws drawn ready, slashing into Mamoswine and Typhlosion alike.

Typhlosion was sent tumbling across the floor while Mamoswine was momentarily struck down to it.

Dawn's points took a small dive.

"The power behind that Crush Claw! You can clearly see the benefits of Coil Eelektross has received!"

"I've got it!" Dawn assured before ordering her own return fire. "Swift!"

As soon as she stopped rolling, Typhlosion focused her sights on her opponent before spitting out a sea of stars at Eelektross. The electric type raised its hands raised its paddle like arms, trying to block the attack in vain.

"That won't help," Dawn taunted. "Mamoswine, you use Stone Edge on Eelektross!"

"Mamo!" the ground type trumpeted before summoning large stones from the stage. They travelled towards Eelektross just as Typhlosion was ending her Swift attack.

"Not so fast! Machoke, break those rocks up with Bullet Punch!" Kenny ordered.

As quick as could be, Machoke sped over in front of Eelektross, breaking every stone that flew its way. However, Machoke was smaller than Eelektross, so even though it broke everyone within its reach, some still hit the larger pokemon.

Dawn and Kenny both lost a small number of points, with Dawn still in a minute lead.

"'As if I'd just let him get away with that…!' Dawn grimaced, and gestured a hand forward. ''Mamoswine! Icy Wind! Typhlosion, let's make use of the breeze. Flamethrower!"

While Mamoswine grumbled under his breath, blowing out gleaming clear crystals of ice glittering amongst the blistering cold wind filter through the battle stage, Typhlosion spat out a jet of flame. Fed by the wind, it fanned out and blazed brighter, stretching out to engulf Eelektross and Machoke.

"Geez." Kenny lamented. "Bulk Up!"

Though Machoke was partially spared by increasing the mass of his body into his muscles, Eelektross was forced to take the attack in full.

"It's alright, let out the pain with Round," Kenny assured, not at all ready to take this lying down.

Coiling its body inward after the attack, Eelektross's booming voice rattled both Mamoswine and Typhlosion.

"I think I know who we need to handle first," Dawn grit. "Typhlosion, use Smokescreen on Machoke!"

The flames crowning Typhlosion's neck began to spit out thick, black smoke, shrouding Kenny's side of the field in mystery. As Machoke was obscured, Dawn followed. "Use Ice Fang on Machoke!"

Mamoswine charged, tusks glowing brilliant icy blue. Diving into the smoke, the coordinator only knew that Mamoswine was successful when the pain in Machoke's cry reached her ears.

"Oooh! That super-cool Smokescreen and Ice Fang combination did some damage to Machoke! And it seems the valiant Pokemon is having trouble seeing his foes, due to Smokescreen! Kenny's in a bit of a tight spot here!"

"We can play slick, too!" Kenny warned. "Eelektross, use Thunder on Typhlosion!"

A pillar of yellow lightning struck down on Typhlosion, momentarily stunning the fire type.

"Show 'em you aren't an easy target, Machoke!" the chestnut haired Coordinator encouraged. "Bullet Punch!"

Just like that, Mamoswine was knocked out of the Smokescreen cloud.

Dawn's points dropped to match Kenny's.

"And in a bold way, Kenny ratifies to stay in the battle!"

"Great job!" Kenny pumped a fist. "Let's try Focus Energy!"

As the fighting type began to channel his deep focus, Dawn took a deep breath before nodding. Stick to the plan!

"Use Flame Wheel on Machoke!" Dawn ordered.

Knocking into the fighting type, Typhlosion interrupted Machoke's focus with a roaring cartwheel.

"There won't be divide and conquer anymore!" Kenny snarled. "Eelektross, chase that Typhlosion with Crush Claw!"

While Eelektross knocked Typhlosion back and onto her side with the blow, Kenny's brow was leaking out sweats. With Dawn's concentrated attacks, it was evident that Machoke would eventually fall. Eelektross would have to take out one of the pokemon first, it seemed.

"If you wanted a taste, all you had to do was ask," Dawn assured. "Mamoswine, show Eelektross your Ice Fang!"

Thundering over, the ground type struck Eelektross's with dual frozen tusks. Ice Fang made it numb, and in the process sent the eel soaring backwards. A shivering sensation overcame Eelektross, as ice began to spread from the bruised spot slowly, making it a victim of their frost. Mamoswine glided backwards, putting some space between himself and the electric type.

"And boy! That Ice Fang has left Eelektross for the ice! I have chills!"

"Thunder!" Kenny mumbled. "Man, that fox! Machoke, Bullet Punch!"

A bolt of lightning from above shattered any freezing coating on Eelektross's body.

Coating his hands with a metallic glow, Machoke lunged further, heading for the badger. Typhlosion yelped as she took the repeated blows back-to-back from Machoke's fists, hunkering down into the floor.

"Stone Edge!" Dawn ordered, making a sweeping motion with her arms.

From under Machoke, a barrage of rocks flew up, jabbing the Superpower Pokemon and forcing him to leave Typhlosion alone for now.

"Well done, Mamoswine." Dawn said. "Alright, let's try Flamethrower again!"

Typhlosion stood before spitting out another river of fire, once again swallowing Eelektross and Machoke. Said ground type galloped safely behind Typhlosion, ready to provide assistance anytime Dawn requested.

"Eelektross, wrap around Machoke and use Coil! Machoke, Bulk Up!"

Flying at its comrade, the eel constricted itself around the weightlifter, and channelled power within. Machoke obeyed all the same, enjoying a bit of relief that came from inside. A red and purple aura denoted sharp increased in their stats. Flames roared against their bodies, only managing to provide heat, nothing else.

"Wow! What a fantastic show of teamwork! Even that Flamethrower wasn't enough to overpower the two Pokemon as they powered up!"

For the fantastic show of their appeal, Dawn's points dropped to about a third full.

As the fires died down, Dawn spotted Eelektross slithering away. "Now! Mamoswine, use Ice Fang!"

Sliding forth, the ground type sunk its cyan icicle fangs into Machoke, knocking the fighting type over.

Dawn realized it was their chance. "Typhlosion, finish Machoke off with Flame Wheel!"

As Mamoswine slid aside, Typhlosion ripped over in a flaming circle. The fire type slammed into Machoke, still moving forward and skidding the fighting type before her. She stopped just before the end of the field and sent Machoke flying from her momentum.

"And that ended up costing Kenny heavy! Machoke is out of the battle!"

Kenny returned Machoke before looking at Eelektross shrugging apologetically. Shaking his head, he clenched his fists in determination. "Eelektross, use Crush Claw on them both!"

Once again, Eelektross's claws whipped around, slamming Mamoswine down into the ground while sending Typhlosion skidding into the middle of the battle field.

"We've got 'em on the ropes!" Dawn enthused. "Typhlosion, use Smokescreen! Mamoswine, get after Eelektross with Stone Edge!"

While Eelektross roared in pain from within the black smoke cloud as Mamoswine's barraged in after it one by one, Kenny wasn't giving up.

"Thunder on Typhlosion!" he ordered. "Then come out with Crush Claw on Mamoswine!"

Just as he said it, another bolt of lightning struck down on Typhlosion, disorienting her for a moment. This gave Eelektross the opening he needed to send its claws out of the cloud cover, blindly groping for Mamoswine at first. Eelektross struck out at the ground type…

"Icy Wind, just in front of you!" Dawn ordered.

But, Mamoswine stopped the two claws with just a breath of frost alone! Though Eelektross's dangerous claws pressed against the powerful Mamoswine, the ground type wasn't giving up. Chilly wind began to brew from Mamoswine's nose, a net of ice had enclosed Eelektross. Dawn's tactic had done its job.

"Absolutely beautiful! Dawn caught her opponent totally off-guard! Is this the end of Eelektross's performance?" Jillian narrated.

"No!" Kenny's voice echoed, quite a few moments too late to do anything about it.

"Show's over!" Dawn commended. "Typhlosion! Flame Wheel!"

While Eelektross was still trying to hit Mamoswine, Typhlosion raced forward, with all of her momentum and all of Kenny's confusion, she had little trouble catching up with Eelektross, ramming into it with her radiant, flaming body in a fiery sphere.

The fire and ice veil dispersed upon impact, creating a quick, but impressive firework before fading away before the Hall's eyes.

Typhlosion made a quick departure herself, gearing forward and untucking at a distance to recuperate.

"...And we're out of time! Just in time for Typhlosion to finish her beautiful counter-attack, too. What does that mean for our competitors!? Let's have a look!"

The clock had hit zero seconds. The last, grand maneuver by Dawn had knocked Kenny's points to zero. To complete what was perhaps a picture-perfect scene, Eelektross dropped from the giant ice block; trailing smoke and completely unconscious. A flash of red called him in an admission of defeat.

"Well, what do you know! Dawn depleted Kenny's points and defeated both of his Pokemon, all upon a time-out! I think it's safe to say that our winner is definitively…!"

Kenny's proud visage shrank from the screen and vanished, while Dawn's took over.

"...Dawn! It really came down to the wire, and Kenny's charmingly relentless Eelektross put Dawn through the wringer. But that last-minute strategy on Dawn's part sealed it all! What an amazing show!"

Deafening shouts and whistles from the crowd nearly drowned Jillian's voice out, even with the stadium's speakers in her favor. Fans of both coordinators alike shouted out in appreciation of the heart-throbbing match. What an exciting conclusion!

Ash whistled through two fingers between his lips, pumping his fist in support of Dawn and her Pokémon. "Woo-hoo! Alright, Dawn! You owned him!" He cheered, absolutely rowdy over the match. She'd just been so, so amazing!

"Pi-Pikachu!"

"Yes! And now May will show her who's the boss!" Lucario cheered.

Awestruck in the face of her victory, Dawn stood speechless in a heart-stomping stupor. That was, until she watched a tired Typhlosion and Mamoswine trudging back down towards her platform. "...Ah! Guys! You were wonderful!"

She sprinted to the two Pokémon, throwing her arms around them. "You really pushed your limits out there, didn't you? Thank you so much!"

"sion~" The Volcano Pokémon chimed, embracing her trainer with her large paws. She was on her last legs, right now, but helping her trainer achieve victory was more than satisfying!

"Mamo…" the mammoth brushed further into his team.

Whether it was by coincidence or intuition, Dawn held out their Poké Ball. "You two ought to have a nice, long rest. Thanks again." With that, the Pokémon were absorbed in a red flash.

"Thank you, Eelektross," Kenny recalled his exhausted, toasted Pokémon. He took a long deep breath, soaking in the initial disappointment. "All the way to Unova, just to lose, huh…" He scowled, looking across the stage to his blue-haired rival. He couldn't help but smile.

"Maybe next time, Dawn."

"Now, I'm sure you're as parched and overwhelmed as I am after watching those thrilling match-ups, everyone! So, we're going to take a very quick intermission before the final round! Get a drink, do what you need to do, but be snappy about it! You won't want to miss a blink of what's to come!"

---

May stood stock still in the tunnel, watching as the lights went down again in preparation for Jillian announcing the competing finalists.

"Ladies, gentlemen, children of all ages! The final round of the Castelia Contest is about to begin!"the announcer boomed through the speakers. The crowd roared approvingly, and the woman from before trotted out to the nearby stage. A cone of light shined down upon her as she pulled the microphone to her lips.

The crowd applauded, eager for the festivities to start back up after an excruciating intermission. The avid Contest fans in the crowd were practically salivating, and in the next battle, one would emerge as the best, ending their debate.

"First up! Battling from the green end, is the veteran Coordinator from Twinleaf Town. Coordinating is in her genes, as she has made her name through her nimble, methodical styles and became a pioneer in the Contest Circuit. One of the favourites to win this year's title of Grand Empress! Let's hear it for Dawn!"

A light flicked on, illuminating the end of a tunnel. The crowd let loose a deafening roar, as they seemingly always did when Dawn took the stage. It wasn't exactly an exaggeration to call her the darling of the Sinnoh Contest scene. The noise grew impossibly louder as Dawn strolled out into view, radiating beauty in her extravagant yellow dress and formal white gloves.

"And standing in Dawn's way from the red field. A potent powerhouse that's made leaps and bounds since we last saw on her on such a big stage! She's handled her competition so far with a lethal efficiency, and her sights are hard-set on the gold! She's sure to test Zach's mettle, having made waves with some eye-popping Appeals! Coming from Petalburg City, Hoenn! You know her! Do not stop for May!"

May stepped into the spotlight hanging above her entrance, white dress down to her ankles and reflecting the glow. The crowd applauded, their favoritism was, honestly, pretty clear as May walked into her battle box and the jumbotron came to life, allotting a full bar of points to both her and Dawn. The two friends staring each other down from across the field shared a slight nod, each silently acknowledging the other's success and hard work.

Another deafening roar from the crowd rattled the stadium. Both wore looks of almost forced confidence. To anyone who personally knew the coordinators, it was clear that neither of them wanted to face the other for this prize.

"They look really tense." Lucario said dumbly. Pikachu glanced to his teammate, but said nothing. Ash simply stared, his eyes flicking back and forth between the two Coordinators on the field.

"Smeargle, watch closely, okay?'' Ash rubbed the pup's back.

"Smear!" the Normal type barked, holding his tail to exert anxiety.

A referee walked up to the box on the sideline, carrying a flag in each hand. Almost automatically, he raised his arms, the two flags dangling from the sticks they were attached to. "The final round of the Castelia Contest is about to begin. Coordinators, are you ready?"

Dawn and May both nodded, saying nothing. The referee continued, "Very well. Good luck to you both."

Both Coordinators raced to grab their two Poké Balls calling out their Pokémon at the same time.

"Glaceon, Beautifly, take the stage!"

"Empoleon, Pachirisu, spotlight!"

Four rays of white light struck out onto the field, each materializing into a respective Pokémon. On May's side, Glaceon purred and Beautifly danced in the air as it flapped its wings. Pachirisu energetically bounced and Empoleon showed off his flippers in a display of confidence. The timer began to tick down, and an uneasy still held over the battlefield. Knowing that time was precious, especially in this battle, May jumped first and called for the opening attack.

"Glaceon, use Ice Shard, and Beautifly, let's use Psychic!"

Glaceon howled as she summoned a ball of glittering ice. The sphere was small, but it pulsed with energy, indicating its power. Beautifly's eyes began to glow with a blue color, and an identical color began to appear over Glaceon's Ice Shard. Without further ado, the ice-type launched the Ice Shard. Beautifly's glowing eyes brightened instantly and the Ice Shard fell under its control, immediately moving faster.

"Empoleon, take out that Ice Shard with Whirlpool!"

Empoleon wadded forward, parting his beak, and a raging vortex of water immediately began to spawn. Empoleon directed the Whirlpool forward, sending it roaring for the condensed shard. Whirlpool shadowed over Ice Shard, overtaking it and swallowing the ball of ice briefly. After a few seconds, however, the flames were suddenly ripped apart and the Ice Shard reappeared, flying forward again and headed straight for Empoleon.

"Ack! Empoleon, dodge it!" Dawn bit.

Empoleon panicked as well and padded out of the way. The Ice Shard smashed into the spot where the water-type had been only a split-second before, shattering into countless pieces. A notch of Dawn's points was taken away, and the blue-haired Coordinator glanced up at May with a mixture of annoyance and impressment.

"Empoleon, use Drill Peck, and Pachirisu, use Discharge!"

"Empol!" Empoleon squawked dutifully and turned into a wild, buzzing a pointed beak leading the charge, he shot across the battlefield.

"chi pa!" Pachirisu summoned countless blasts of lightning from her cheeks and sent out the blast in a wide radius. The Discharge swallowed Empoleon's Drill Peck as the water-type got accelerating, but tendrils of electricity coursed in and out of the Emperor's gyration.

"Beautifly, use Silver Wind to knock Empoleon out of that Drill Peck!"

Empoleon whirred into close range and Beautifly started beating her wings at high speed, glittering wind blowing off of them as the bug-type flapped. Glaceon took a few steps back as Empoleon got close, until the Silver Wind attack met its match. Instantly, Empoleon slowed, however, the lightnings crackled and zapped random directions.

"Glaceon, use Dig!"

Glaceon tore her way underneath the ground, disappearing from view, as Beautifly's Silver Wind undermined Empoleon's speedy assault. The gale-force winds pushed away Empoleon's barrier of electricity, tearing open the attack and leaving Empoleon completely exposed. A few tendrils of lightning remained around the water-type's body, but without any warning Glaceon reappeared from underground, tearing her way out and double kicking Empoleon in the chest.

"Empoleon, no!"

Empoleon fell hard to the ground as Dawn's points chipped some more, leaving her with roughly seventy-five percent of her total points as the clock struck four minutes. May, meanwhile still had every inch of her points left, putting her at an early advantage. May's confidence bubbled to the surface as she called for another successive attack.

"Glaceon, use Shadow Ball on Pachirisu! Beautifly, let's use Aerial Ace on Empoleon!"

Glaceon purred as she generated a ball of pulsing dark energy, while Beautifly ducked her head and charged at high speed. An aura of white light formed a cone around Beautifly's rushing form, and Dawn opted to go on the defensive.

"Pachirisu, defend! Use Discharge at full power!"

Pachirisu purred as she tucked herself in for a moment, before unleashing a huge blast of electricity. "Chiiii-paaaaaa!" the electric-type cried as dozens of crooked lightning blasts shot out in all directions. The oncoming Shadow Ball was instantly torn apart by the lightning, while a handful more blasts shot toward Beautifly. The bug-type caught the electricity through her peripheral vision and dodged without command, narrowly avoiding any damage, but wisely backed off as Pachirisu's Discharge attack died out. Empoleon regained his footing as some of May's points decreased. However, Dawn was still behind.

"Pachirisu, follow it up with Sweet Kiss! Empoleon, use Bubblebeam!"

Both Pokémon used their moves simultaneously, releasing hundreds of hearts and explosive bubbles into the air toward their opponents. Both of May's Pokémon tensed as the Petalburg Coordinator called for a counter.

"Beautifly, use Silver Wind to bat it back!"

Beautifly's wings glowed again as she unleashed the silver gale. The bubbles were pacing much faster than the bewitching hearts, and so the Silver Wind mostly failed to slow it down.

"Glaceon, use Ice Shard again and again to knock out the attacks!"

Glaceon started chain shooting spheres of ice, knocking away various hearts and bubbles out of existence. However, Dawn had meant to use the ranged attacks as a decoy. With a raise of her arm and a confident point of her finger, Dawn shouted out for the real combination she had wanted.

"Empoleon, let's douse! Use Whirlpool!"

Empoleon squawked loudly, raising his wings above his head. Conjuring a raging whirlpool, he howled, vigorously throwing his wings down on the floor to guide it. Whirlpool crashed into the solid ground, bursting into a roaring, parting wave.

Now May's points subsequently took a hit.

May looked up in shock at the massive wave, and called out a desperate counter as the Bubblebeam/Sweet Kiss combo was destroyed. "Beautifly, use Psychic on the water!"

Beautifly tensed greatly as she summoned her psychic powers. The cresting wave began to slow until they ultimately stopped, but Beautifly's grip weakened as the angry waters couldn't be restricted much longer.

"Now, Pachirisu, use Discharge again!"

"Chiiiiii-pa!"

Another spread-out blast of lightning came straight for Glaceon and Beautifly. Countless forks of lightning closed in on Beautifly, striking the bug-type cleanly. The grip of Psychic instantly vanished and the suspended wave began to fall to the ground again. The cacophony of noise that began as the distorted Whirlpool made contact with the ground was so deafening that whatever May called out next fell on deaf ears. Electricity merged with the remnants of the Whirlpool so that tendrils of lightning surged around the water falling out of the sky. Despite losing some points due to the failed Bubblebeam combination from earlier, Dawn gained the lead as May's points dropped dramatically.

After what felt like an eternity, the Whirlpool subsided, leaving May's side of the field looking like drenched messed up pool had taken place there. Spilled waters with lingering volts of Discharge soaked the ground. Beautifly had taken great injuries in the attack, but still managed to keep herself airborne. The ground near the bug-type kicked up and Glaceon's head popped out, followed by the rest of the ice-type as she slinked out of the ground and onto the field.

So, May called for Glaceon to protect itself with Dig. Smart, Dawn thought. The clock read just over 2:45 remaining, and the tension ramped up as May's Pokémon recovered. After a few more seconds, May called for another attack.

"Glaceon, use Iron Tail! Beautifly, use Aerial Ace!"

The two Pokémon rushed in to physically attack Dawn's Pokémon. Feeling smugly confident, Dawn lazily called for a counter. "Empoleon, use Bubblebeam."

The Emperor Pokemon obeyed, spraying forth a stream of bubbles at their opponents, but May was far from done.

"Mirror Coat!" May shouted, and her Pokemon complied.

Glaceon flung herself in the path of foamy volley with glee, her body glistening with a multicolored coat. Bubblebeam crashed into the Mirror Coat, forcing the ice type to contort before bouncing the bubbles back. With double the crashing power, they were redirected at the penguin and the squirrel.

"Ugh!" Dawn grimaced, scowling in frustration. "Dodge them!"

In the face of the detonating bubbles that Empoleon best had idea of, a twirl in the form of pirouette saved him from any damage. While Pachirisu scampered to the side, leaving the ground alone for the bubbles to explode.

While their opponents were engaged in that, the ice type vaulted back into the open, rushing forward with bewildering speed and striking the twirling Empoleon across the face with a swift Iron Tail. Empoleon recoiled in pain and his head swung diagonally downward, but Glaceon only threw a second Iron Tail, this time to the water-type's body.

Empoleon briefly went airborne as he was sent tumbling away. Pachirisu watched her partner bounce away as Beautifly reappeared, summoning another tackle and racing toward the unaware electric-type.

"Pachirisu, look out!" Dawn shrieked. The electric-type instantly looked back ahead to see Beautifly right in front of her, and with adrenaline-filled speed, Pachirisu dove to the side. Beautifly ignored her miss and simply hooked around, speeding toward the grounded electric-type again.

"Use Ion Deluge!" Dawn shouted. Pachirisu chattered, expelling a great deal of electricity around her body. Currents snapped across the field, swallowing the battlefield in a bold, blue glow.

May squinted to see past the sparks and gasped. Blue currents were zapping Beautifly, sending her soaring behind. Her points chipped enough just an inch.

---

"Smear…'' the pup mewled worriedly.

"That Dawn'' Ash hushed, ''Now Super Fang will be an electric type move. Pretty clever.''

"Pikachu…'' the mouse agreed.

"But that won't slow May down!" Ash asserted, standing up in his seat to pump a fist in the air. ''Keep fighting guys!"

---

"Empoleon, get up and use Drill Peck on Glaceon!" Dawn ordered.

"Glaceon, defend yourself with Iron Tail! Beautifly, use Psychic on Pachirisu!" May combatted.

While Empoleon and Glaceon clashed with spinning crown and steel, Beautifly's eyes glowed a brilliant blue, creating an outline around Pachirisu of the same color. The electric-type was lifted into the air, squirming as she lost all control of her limbs, and the bug-type held the EleSquirrel Pokémon suspended in the air. Meanwhile, Glaceon dove out of the way, letting Drill Peck drill further, her tail glowing as she thrashed about. Dawn turned her attention briefly to Empoleon, but May's voice brought her reeling back toward Pachirisu's predicament.

"Beautifly, throw Pachirisu into the path of the Drill Peck!"

"What?!" Dawn shrieked, "Empoleon, abort!"

But it was no use. Beautifly's throw was too quick, and Empoleon's reaction time wasn't fast enough. Pachirisu bounced into the path of the piercing attack, and the slicing spin of Empoleon overran the electric-type. A howl of pain rocked Dawn's ears as the sharp trident met Pachirisu's fur.

"Pachirisu, no!"

Empoleon realized his mistake and ceased the spinning, landing haphazardly on the ground and waddling toward his teammate. The crown had only briefly struck Pachirisu, but the damning effects of it were evident.

"Now we've got 'em!" May whooped, "Glaceon, use Iron Tail again!"

Glaceon meowed viciously as she hopped into Empoleon's immediate vicinity, slapping her flat tail into the water-type's turned head. Empoleon hit the dirt again, exposing the downed Pachirisu. The defenseless squirrel, however, would have none of the ice-type's abuse. Without command, Pachirisu released a Discharge at point blank, striking Glaceon at full power and sending countless volts of electricity through her body.

Both Coordinators lost a few points.

"There we go, Pachirisu!" Dawn praised, "Quick, use Super Fang!"

Adrenaline coursed through Pachirisu, and her bucktooth crackled with electricity as it became larger. Glaceon had no time to defend herself and Pachirisu clamped her empowered jaws into the ice-type's side. Glaceon was zapped, crying out in pain, as May's points dove further.

One minute remained on the clock; one minute until the Top Coordinator would be chosen, and May was still behind by a small margin. "Empoleon, Pachirisu, get back now!"

Dawn's Pokémon obeyed and bounded out of Glaceon's immediate range. Beautifly appeared again, gently flapping her wings as she hovered beside her partner. Dawn called for another combination, hoping to gain the lead in the battle's final seconds.

"Empoleon, use Mist! Pachirisu, you use Super Fang!"

Empoleon blasted a mountain of fog, shrouding Glaceon and Beautifly's sight. Unable to see their opponents, Beautifly and Glaceon took up a defensive stance and backed away slowly. Meanwhile, Pachirisu's bucktooth glowed golden again as the smaller electric-type raced toward the wall of smoke, still blissfully undetected. With a few more steps and a great leap, the electric-type soared through the wall of smoke, aiming for where Beautifly had been only seconds before.

Pachirisu guessed right as she broke through the smoke, her fang glowing with power. Beautifly recognized that she was the target, but had no time to react, and Pachirisu sank her fang into the bug-type's body. The Butterfly Pokémon squirmed and squeaked, but Pachirisu refused to let up.

"Glaceon, knock Pachirisu off with Shadow Ball!" May gasped.

Glaceon's attack was surprisingly swift, and the sphere of ghostly energy connected with Pachirisu to knock it off of the bug-type and into the ground. The Mist wall diffused into the air, revealing Empoleon to be rushing toward Glaceon with another Drill Peck. The ice-type had blinded herself by defending Beautifly, and finally after so many attempts, the flying-type move connected with Glaceon's side.

May's points further rushed down, while Dawn was just to her half. Only forty seconds remained on the clock.

"Glaceon, use Ice Beam! Beautifly, use Psychic!"

Glaceon regained her footing and spat a crooked ray of freeze as Beautifly took control of the blast with Psychic. Under Beautifly's control, the Ice Beam split into two: one headed for Empoleon, and the other for Pachirisu.

"Empoleon, Pachirisu, d—"

The Ice Beams struck both of Dawn's Pokémon before she could get out her command, and Pachirisu appeared to be in a special kind of pain as the ice struck her. The beams died out quickly, but the lasting effect on Dawn's Pokémon was there. They were both very tired, and that didn't bode well for Dawn's chances.

Thirty seconds.

"Empoleon, use Whirlpool, and Pachirisu, use Discharge!"

Both Pokémon acted quickly, subconsciously knowing that their time was short. Empoleon spat a spiral of water that became encircled by electricity, hitting Glaceon perfectly and knocking the ice-type to the ground. The hit succeeded in evening Dawn and May's points.

Twenty seconds.

"Empoleon, hit Glaceon with another Drill Peck!"

"Beautifly, stop it with Psychic!"

Beautifly's telekinetic grip grabbed onto Empoleon's next Drill Peck, and without any thought the bug-type discarded Empoleon away from Glaceon, putting May back into the lead.

Fifteen seconds.

"Discharge!"

"Ice Beam!"

"Bubblebeam!"

"Silver Wind!"

"Shadow Ball!"

"Mist!"

"Energy Ball!"

Five seconds.

"Use Drill Peck and Discharge!"

Empoleon and Pachirisu summoned their last-ditch attacks, once again meshing steel body and lightning together in a speedy wheel. Glaceon spat an Ice Beam into Empoleon's path, fast enough that it was able to build up into a miniature roadblock. Empoleon's progress was slowed enough that the timer ran out, reading three zeroes.

Ding!

All motion ceased. The electrical Drill Peck diminished and Empoleon half-collapsed to the ground, overwhelmingly exhausted. Beautifly stumbled in her flight as she realized she could rest, and Pachirisu was taking heavy breaths.

"Time's up!" the announcer shouted, "What an amazing final battle! But it's all over now!"

Dawn glanced to May, who met her eyes. With the smallest hint of a tear in her eye, May nodded gratefully. If May were to be declared the loser, then so be it. Together, Dawn and May looked up at the jumbotron above them.

Both of their point circles looked identical to the untrained eye. The battle had worn away eighty percent of both Coordinators' allotted points after several successive hits and significantly less defense in the second half of the battle.

"It would be hard to declare one Coordinator the winner after such a spectacular battle, but the judges have decided. After a grueling strategies from both sides, the coordinator left standing and claiming the Castelia Silver Ribbon is…" Jillian started, pausing for effect.

Dawn tensed. May tensed. Empoleon and Pachirisu tensed. Glaceon and Beautifly tensed. Both teams' futures were held in the announcer's next words. With a click, the jumbotron screen changed to show the portrait of the victorious Coordinator.

"Its Dawn!"

Ash sat back in his chair, surrounded by cheering supporters, with his arms crossed and a calculating look in his eyes. He was happy for Dawn. In fact, he was very happy for her. But there was a whole other side to the equation of her victory. On the south end of the battlefield, one brown-haired Coordinator fell to her knees, an unholy mixture of shock, sadness, and confusion flooding every one of her senses.

---

Ash watched May collapse, and felt a pang of hurt in his heart. She'd come so far, and dumb luck had pitted her against her best friend for the Ribbon. Only one of them could win, so it was impossible to please both parties.

Poor May… Ash thought to himself. He would be thinking the same thing for Dawn. if the tables were turned, he knew that much.

"Smear…'' the Normal type lost all spirits, hunching.

"Pika…''

"Hey, don't feel so low buddy,'' Ash pacified the sad artist. ''Wins and losses are just a small part of it. You learned much more, didn't you?''

"Smear..."

"Yes. When we started out, I would lose often as well, but it would just toughen me up.'' Lucario tried. "And see, now I am Ash's strongest Pokemon!"

"Pika! Pika pika pi.."

"Yeah,…agree to disagree!"

---

May's head drooped, eyes fixed on the ground. Beautifly and Glaceon stirred, looking up and realizing that they had lost and becoming equally dejected. May carefully stepped out onto the field, crouching beside her two Pokémon.

Glaceon craned its neck and crooned a sad mewl. "Don't be sad, Glaceon. You battled hard and didn't give up to the end. That's what a great partner Pokémon does."

Glaceon butted her head against May's shoulder, communicating all of the love that the ice-type held for the trainer. May turned to Beautifly and beamed, "And Beautifly, don't feel sad either. We will work extra hard henceforth, and try all new combinations."

Beautifly hummed, humbly accepting the praise. May cast a glance over to Dawn, who was rejoicing with her Pokémon. Empoleon accepted loving strokes from Dawn's hand, joyous and proud in the face of joyous praise, while Pachirisu orbited around them merrily.

"We just got to know how many talent Coordinators must we overcome, and just how strong we need to get. All our team worked their efforts off to get us here." She smiled, looking down at two. ''We'll find new teammates, we'll work on new moves. We train harder." She choked out, throwing a hand out to the two. "Henceforth, we won't lose!"

Glaceon and Beautifly touched May's hand with their extremities and hummed their approval, their spirits lifted.

---

Freshly changed back into her clothes, May was the last person left in the locker room, having already said her goodbyes to other Coordinators. The hallway was quiet as she walked down it, thin and illuminated by fluorescent blue lights mounted in the corners of the ceiling. Her shoes clicked on the hard flooring. She reached the stairs and bounded up them to get to the main level.

When she pushed open the double doors leading into the lobby, the evening sun glared through the enormous windows at the front of Contest Hall. Close to the doors, her boyfriend waited on her. A few spectators bustled about here and there, most of them heading through the doors.

May took a half-dozen steps toward the group before Ash looked up, already facing her direction. Smeargle reached her first, throwing himself at her for a wild hug.

"May, are you alright?'' Ash fearfully asked, ''I know you got so close, and how hard you worked."

May shook her head, waving the concerns with a bright smile. ''Please, I have handled losses before. This is just a little thing me and Dawn have. Sometimes she wins, sometimes I, way ahead on the score actually.'' She giggled, looking down to croon the pup attached to her. ''I'm sorry Smeargle. You had high hopes, didn't you?''

"Smear…'' the Painter Pokemon mulled, brushing his face against hers.

"Smeargle says he feels sorry for your loss. He says he understands the pressure you had during your Battles, and promises to work harder.''

"Really, he said all of that in just one word?'' Ash cocked a brow.

"Oh Smeargle…'' May cooed, "This failure is just a reset. This gives us a chance to do-over. Sometimes, we never know what to do…but then, we should just try and go for it. Even if we fail, we learn something! Nothing we do ever goes waste!" May chuckled, patting Smeargle's beret.

Ash chuckled along until those words hit him. Those exact words that were born as feelings and escaped from his lips back during his days in Kalos.

Gloire City. The night when Pokemon Showcase ended. She was brooding over her thoughts when he sat besides her. His words of optimism.

"It's great, you're always so positive Ash! It all seems to come so naturally for you."

"Seriously? I don't always know what to do. But then, if I really think about it…I would rather do stuff, cause even I goof up, I learn something. There's nothing that can do that's ever a waste of time."

"Oh Ash…"

"Oh Ash…"

"Oh Ash…"

"Ash!" May screamed right in his face.

He was broken from his trance as May's bright sapphire orbs stared deep inside his hues.

"Where were you zoned out to?''

Smiling, as he shook his head, he simply said, ''Nothing. Just remembered something about you said." Stretching to drive May's mind off the topic, "All ready to go?''

"Yeah!" May beamed, ''After all I have been through, a hot battle between two Champions sounds like a vacation, but before that…''

"Huh? Before…" Ash breathed.

"I got to catch myself a Unova Pokemon!" May giggled, taking off.

Smiling, as she sauntered ahead, Ash threw himself forward in a race, ''Then I know just the place!"

---

Dawn stood at the edge of the Castelia harbour, watching the water rock sunlit and warm. The ocean breeze came in tousled updrafts, washing over her with a sweet and salty essence. Her blue hair danced behind her, every bit as roughly. But the aroma of it, was a sure relief after the inferno she had been through to achieve her victory. The evening sunlight bounced off to share its own brilliance.

"Dawn?''

Hearing the beckon for her, she blinked and turned to face the owner of the voice. There he was yet again.

"Kenny?''

He stood at a few feet away from her, the strap of a bag on his shoulder.

"You're leaving today as well?'' Kenny's lips twisted, ''I thought you'd stay for a while with May and Ash.''

"As well?'' Dawn cocked a brow, before answering her choice, ''Which means you're…''

"Yeah,'' Kenny laughed lightly, turning to look at the sea, ''I am heading towards the Kanto Region. After you mashed us, I got a lot of work to do. Speaking of which,'' He rubbed the back of his neck, while he attempted to formulate his words. "I believe congratulations are in order…''

"Thanks," was the immediate response that slipped past her lips. Time quelled her anger. There was a discomfort whenever he came near. But he did deserve his absolution. Their short truce remained, but now the future of their friendship lied in her hands.

"You know, today was a lot of surprises,'' Dawn half-smiled, brushing a bang aside, ''And you played a part in it. I'm kinda happy that you came here. Had I not been mad at you, my motivation would've halved. At least you were useful to me…''

He slid his hands into his pocket. As bold as he'd made himself behave, he wasn't invulnerable. He managed a playful smirk. A tentative challenge, to leave hanging. "Okay, I'm gonna be out of here before you get cocky. Just because you won your Silver Ribbon, doesn't mean I ain't gonna have mine.''

Dawn giggled, ''Yeah you do that. But don't be coming after me. Coz I would have already laid my hands on the Gold Ribbon!"

"Good,'' Kenny laughed, ''because next time you see me, I am gonna be a wholly new Coordinator." He smiled, before quickly composing himself with a sheepish blush, ''So…can I have my answer now?''

Dawn's sapphire hues landed on Kenny's face, glimmering. She stepped closer, before enveloping him in a hug, and whispered in her face. ''All this time…Kenny. I was hurting just a bit more." She patted his back, ''It's true that I love Ash, and can't have him. That's okay. But losing you again, is just a lot more painful. You're and will always be my best friend, and don't you ever forget that.''

He was breathless, and finally felt himself loads lighter. He grabbed Dawn, and squeezed her shoulders, ''I am not. I just want you to be happy from now on. If we can't have one another, we can be there for one another.''

"I can work with that.'' Dawn nodded in his chest.

The blowhorn of the ship was heard as the two separated. His coal hues settled on Dawn, as he took a relieving breath, ''This is great. Now at least I can go from here guilt-free. Thanks Dee. It means a lot.''

Tilting her head, ''I do love you in my own way you know that, right?''

"Yeah, about that…'' Kenny scratched his cheek, "I only understood later what you meant. I tried my luck out there and found someone.''

"What?!" Dawn gawked, almost another one thrown in her face. ''You ass, you couldn't have started with that? What's her name?''

"Chelsea,'' Kenny muttered, turning away to look as passengers boarded the ship he was taking, ''We met in Celadon City. Actually, that's where I am heading. I am starting over with her…''

"Kenny,'' Dawn stopped him, shaking her head, ''She's one lucky girl. I'm happy for you.'' She maintained a genuine smile, "I'm glad you opened up with me. Be in touch okay.'' She reached over, shoving him forward with a pat on the back, ''Get on the ship now. I don't want you to pin it on me in case you miss your ship.''

Kenny yelped and stumbled, before quickly composing himself with a blush. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled. "Thanks Dawn." He immediately felt lucky to have a friend like her back, and ran off to board his ship.

At a distance, Dawn could see him stop on the deck and wave back at her. She waved back, and her eyes kept glimmering, as he sauntered inside. Kenny had taught her a very important lesson, something she wouldn't let him be privy of. There are things that you always couldn't have, but everybody does have something more important…friends.