Chapter 19: The dance and Aerodactyl is stolen!
Dawn simply smiled to her friends after their suggestions. "I somehow doubt Paul would show up anyway. Even if he did, he probably wouldn't be interested in the dancing side and would most likely lean against the wall and watch and be bored then later would walk out. I'd like to help change him and push him to the right direction" Dawn suggested imagining him doing that at the dance, with his arms folded. 'Though, it would be nice to dance with him' Dawn thought as she imagined herself dancing with Paul, then him getting bored of it and walking away. She blushed at the thought and smiled. "According to my Poketech watch - its only midday and we've got time to practice for the upcoming contest."
"I still don't like the idea of him coming - he'd ruin it for everyone" Max said, folding his arms. He imagined Paul grabbing the Pokemon Egg and smashing it onto the ground.
Ash imagined Paul picking a fight with him. "Pretty sure he and I would get into an argument!"
May and Brock agreed with Ash and Max.
"I think that will be hard to change him - but good luck if you can. I highly doubt he's interested in having fun. He's more into battles from my knowledge" Ash said. "Would be nice to see him being kind to his Pokemon though. Let's do another round of training for the Pokemon Contest and finally start getting ready to the dance" he added.
"Mhm!" Dawn nodded. For the rest of the day, Dawn and her friends spent most of it practicing for the Pokemon Contest and when the time came closer, they returned to the Pokemon Center.
"Artemis, are you ready?" Rachel asked as she and the third member of Team Shadow got word about a dance in Jubilife City. "There's a chance for that girl to have Aerodactyl with her - if she did it'd most likely be in a Premier Ball. You're usually quick on your feet when it comes to stealing that's why you're the best choice" she said.
Three of the Team Shadow members were in their lair getting into their disguises for the night after hearing word about Jubilife City having a dance contest. They heard that the first prize was a Pokemon Egg which they believed contained a rare Pokemon inside it.
"We'd better leave our S symbols behind otherwise they'd figure it out and yes - I'm ready. Got Koffing and the plan just need to steal the Premier Ball from that bluenette - shouldn't be too hard - just need to ensure she's distracted and not looking" Artemis replied. Artemis had black hair, brown eyes and was wearing a black long-sleeved dress with matching high heels.
Rachel wore a green dress similar to Artemis while Sophina chose a yellow one similar to both Artemis and Rachel's designs.
"I think it was good of the boss to tell us about the dance - the Pokemon battles would be an excellent way to steal other trainers Pokemon" Rachel smirked. Rachel, Sophina and Artemis offered to run the healing side of the Pokemon Battles at the event and the idea of stealing the Pokemon came to their mind. They knew they had to rush the injured Pokemon to Nurse Joy - but instead of that, they'd put them in an awaiting helicopter which was flown by one of their other teammates.
"Heheh this is going to kick up a storm when we get this Aerodactyl" Sophina said with a sinister snicker. "When we get this one - we'll be able to start destroying places and ordering stolen Pokemon to do as we want them to" she added as Artemis and Rachel did a sinister cackle. "We need to wait for the helicopter to take us from the base to the dance" Sophina reminded them. "It should be here around five which will take us a couple hours to get there - we need to blend in the crowd and act normal."
"What will we do if Aerodactyl doesn't listen even if we put the devices on to make it listen to us?" Artemis asked in concern.
"We'd most likely have to bring the trainer with us to get Aerodactyl to listen if that's the worst-case scenario - but we shouldn't have issues with controlling that Pokemon anyway" Sophina answered. "Let's go!" With that - the three lef and made their way to the helicopter which took them to Jubilife City.
"It's almost time guys - it's five pm, May and Dawn you two can go first and get changed" Ash said, smiling to the girls as the five entered their room.
"I'll let Dawn go first - I need to get my things organized" May said.
Dawn smiled - she could hardly wait to try out her new dress she got for the dance, she showered and changed into a beautiful white dress with gloves and high heels that matched and a cute tiara on her head. Her hair was mostly in a bun except for two of her strands. On the waist of her dress was a white belt where she stuck her Pokeballs and Premier Ball.
"Wow - Dawn you look great in your dress!" Ash commented staring at her in surprise. May was slightly jealous and simply nodded in agreement.
"I agree with Ash" Max and Brock said, nodding in agreement.
"Thank you, guys!" Dawn said smiling to them as she did a little twirl to see how her skirt part of the dress moved - she liked it. "I can't wait to dance!"
May was next to shower and change. She wore a cute pink dress with a white cardigan like shirt over it with her hair done up in two ponytails with pink scrunchies and matching high heels. Ash couldn't help but stare at May in admiration as she did a twirl for fun, he could feel his face turning red as he looked at her. The dress reminded him of the one where he met Lucario and Mew.
"May..." Ash simply said - speechless on what to say afterwards, causing the brunette to giggle.
The boys all took their turns in the shower and changed into a black tuxedo each, Pikachu was dressed in a mini tuxedo as was Treecko.
"You two look so cute!" Dawn commented looking at Pikachu and Treecko. "If Piplup was with me - he would be dressed too though, I wonder if the others will like it - Aerodactyl wouldn't, they will most likely tear the clothes off, maybe Shinx will be, but I'm not sure about Starly. I must remember to get them some clothes though" she said as she patted Pikachu and Treecko.
"Glaceon would've been wearing something similar too" May added, missing her Pokemon at the thought of it.
"Is everyone ready?" Ash asked.
"You bet!" May exclaimed smiling as she looked at him, doing another cute twirl, causing him to blush.
The five friends began making their way out of their room with their Pokemon, locking the door behind them.
"I think Ash looks super cute in his tuxedo!" May whispered to Dawn, who smiled to her. The two girls were walking behind Ash, Max and Brock. Both Treecko and Pikachu were with their trainers.
'I wonder if Paul will be there' Dawn thought, wondering what he'd look like in his tuxedo. "You should tell Ash, tonight, May" she whispered to her friend, causing the brunette to blush.
"There'd be too many watching us, though, Dawn!" May whispered back in alarm. "Though - it might be tempting to kiss him while we dance" May continued to whisper, blushing at the thought of dancing and kissing Ash. "Who will you dance with, Dawn?"
"It depends, May on who asks" Dawn answered. "If a certain someone shows up then perhaps him - but if he doesn't maybe someone else. I already miss his company" she was referring to Paul - though May thought she was talking about Kenny and simply smiled in return.
"May looks so cute in her dress" Ash whispered to Brock, who simply smiled to his friend.
"You should dance with her, Ash. Maybe it'll be the right push to tell her how you feel" Brock whispered back.
Ash blushed as he imagined himself dancing with May and sharing a kiss with her while doing that. "There'd be too many people though, Brock" he added in concern.
The five talked excitedly about the dance as they made their way to the Jubilife City Hall where it was held. When they got there, they noticed how busy the queue was to get in, couples and friends gathered in their best outfits. Ash, Pikachu, May, Max, Treecko, Brock and Dawn joined the queue of people, chatting excitedly to other people. Some had their Pokemon out - one person had a Piplup which made Dawn think of hers, already she was teary eyed, while someone else had a Glaceon - May was instantly reminded of hers too and made her miss Glaceon even more - both girls were silent as soon as they saw the reminders of their missing Pokemon. Little did the group know, is that Sophina, Rachel and Artemis made their way into the Jubilife City Hall to play their part.
"Dawn, May are you both okay?" Ash asked in concern.
"I just saw someone who had a Piplup" Dawn answered noticing an older boy with one further on in the queue. "It reminded me of mine, I wonder how my boy is doing" she thought, longing to hold him, with tears coming from her eyes, she blinked them away as best as she could.
"A girl over there has Glaceon and I thought of mine, I too miss her" May answered nodding to the direction where the Glaceon was with their trainer. Like Dawn, she had tears coming from her eyes and blinked them away too.
"I wish we can find them for you two. We'll get them back - I promise" Ash said full of determination. He hated seeing his friends sad. "But for tonight - let's focus on having fun, Piplup and Glaceon wouldn't like seeing you both sad - they'd want to see you happy too" he added. He took a glance at Max and noticed he was talking to a girl about his age who was interested in his Treecko and saw that Brock was nowhere in sight.
"Thank you, Ash!" Dawn said with a smile. She looked around in the crowd and noticed that there didn't appear to be a sign of Paul at least not yet. 'Maybe he'll turn up later?' she thought hopefully, then noticed Kenny dressed in a tuxedo in the crowds. He had noticed her too and waved as he ran up to her.
"Dii-Dii!" Kenny smiled seeing her. "Wow - you look really cute, Dii-Dii in that dress" he gushed, blushing as he saw her.
"Thank you - Kenny and can you stop calling me that, please?" Dawn hated that nick name.
"Why? It's cute like you are!" Kenny gushed, smiling to her. Dawn looked at him anxiously - she liked Kenny as a friend though was surprised when Kenny looked disappointed a moment later and wondered why.
"Great - I didn't know Paul was coming now he's going to ruin the dance!" Kenny muttered spotting him as he came walking towards Dawn. He was still in his regular clothes and didn't bother getting into something formal.
"Paul!" Dawn said smiling to him, catching Ash, May and Max's attention - Ash at once frowned noticing his rival was there.
"I'm only interested in the battle side of things, Troublesome" Paul simply replied, going red when he saw her in her dress, he looked away to hide his blush. "Hopefully, there's strong trainers here."
Dawn was relieved to see Paul show up but had a hunch that Kenny and Paul would start fighting making her look worried.
"Her name is Dawn, but I call her Dii-Dii!" Kenny corrected him. "Why aren't you in formal clothes?"
"I call her Troublesome because that's what she is. It's none of your business" Paul simply answered folding his arms. He didn't feel like telling him he hated getting into formal clothes just for a battle. Dawn figured out why and stayed quiet. Kenny clenched his fists.
"Why are you so rude?" Kenny snapped.
"Because you're pathetic" Paul replied, keeping his arms folded.
"You're a jerk and I won't let you near Dii-Dii" Kenny snapped back at Paul as he walked to Dawn's side to protect her from Paul.
Paul rolled his eyes. "Pathetic" he said to Kenny who stretched an arm in front of Dawn - in attempts to prevent Paul to go near her.
Ash and May looked at one another and back to Dawn, Paul and Kenny.
"Dii-Dii - will you dance with me when we go in?" Kenny asked, blushing as she did.
Dawn looked at Paul and back at Kenny, feeling unsure what to answer. Paul remained quiet and looked bored while Kenny looked happier and hopeful.
"I knew something like this would happen!" Ash muttered, looking annoyed at Paul and Kenny, both were near Dawn, Kenny was eager to wait for an answer while Paul said nothing.
"Now's not the right time to ask that, Kenny" Dawn replied. "And it's Dawn - you know I hate that nickname."
"Troublesome's with me" those three words made Dawn's cheeks warm up as she looked at Paul. Kenny, Ash and May stared at one another then at Dawn. Even Pikachu was surprised.
"I guess that makes sense because she did ask him earlier" Ash said - remembering that Dawn had asked Paul if he wanted to join the dance as friends. 'But if he hurts her...' Ash thought in annoyance.
"WHAT?! You asked this creep earlier to go to the dance?" Kenny yelled out in alarm staring at Dawn in dismay. "Dii-Dii! I could've easily gone with you no trouble at all! But him?! He's a monster!"
"You're weak and you don't get it do you?" Paul replied - referring to Dawn hating that nickname. "Troublesome doesn't like it when you call her that!"
May looked at Dawn and simply smiled, she gave her thumbs up for support - Dawn returned the smile. 'It's interesting how Paul is protective over Dawn' May thought wondering if there was more between Dawn and Paul though they didn't know one another very well yet. 'Does Paul perhaps have a crush on her? I didn't think he'd be capable of having romantic feelings though since he seems tense all the time!' May thought.
"Then why are you allowed to call her Troublesome?" Kenny snapped back - clenching his fists and teeth, Dawn looked nervous - worried the two boys would end up having a Pokemon battle before the dance.
"Because - she is Troublesome to me" Paul replied. "She doesn't seem to have issues with that nickname!"
Dawn watched Kenny and Paul, wondering how long this was going to go on for.
"Maybe she's scared of you?!" Kenny suggested.
Dawn burst into laughter at Kenny's suggestion. "I'm not scared of Paul" she said, snickering as she thought that. 'I feel safe around him to be exact' Dawn thought, smiling as she looked at Paul. "You have no idea what we've been through, Kenny!" she added, looking at the purple haired trainer then back at her friend - referring to the times that Paul had saved her from danger.
"You're not? Why is he allowed to give you a nickname and I'm not?" Kenny asked in annoyance.
Ash and May listened in wondering if they should help intervene or wait until the dance contest opens. Pikachu stayed on Ash's shoulder.
"It's just the way Paul is, and Dii-Dii is a terrible nickname" Dawn simply replied. 'Truth is, I secretly like Paul calling me that' she thought.
"Can I call you Troublesome?" Kenny asked - sounding hopeful.
Dawn shook her head. "Only Paul can - it's his name for me."
"That's unfair!" Kenny whined.
"Deal with it" Paul told Kenny. "It's time to go." He looked and noticed the doors opened to the hall and people began going inside the hall which was beautifully decorated and speakers on the wall. At the back of the hall was a stage where a woman with blonde hair dressed in black appeared holding the microphone. Brock instantly fell for her after being rejected by other potential love interests.
"Hello and welcome to Jubilife City Hall's Dance Contest - I'm your host Cynthia the Sinnoh League Champion. This contest is going to be judged by how well the trainers are bonded and how they've battled. There will be three prizes to give away - the first prize is a Pokemon Egg, second prize is a Master Ball and the third one is a supply of Poffins for Pokemon contests! The battles will be a one-on-one battle and will take place on that area over there" Cynthia pointed over to a makeshift battlefield in the hall, everyone looked to the field she pointed to. "The battle can either be contest or normal depending on your style" she added.
"There's an all you can eat buffet for those who have an appetite after dancing and training. To make things fair - each trainer will be given a card each which tells them what they must do first. Card A is a green card and refers to dancing - card B is a red card and refers to battling - our assistants will be each handing you one of each - the cards have a specific number on them to help us determine the winner" Cynthia added. "Without further ado, I want you all to enjoy your night - the dance and battle contest is until late so no need to hurry! Proposals are allowed if loved ones have planned for its" she added figuring couples might. Cynthia switched the music on and nodded to her DJ who was sitting at the back of the hall nearby. "While you wait for the cards you may dance and make friends. I will make an announcement once the cards have been all delivered."
Ash looked at May and smiled, his cheeks turned red with the question he was about to ask. "Would you like to d-dance with me, May?" he asked feeling slightly nervous about asking her a simple question as he put his hand out to hers, watching as other couples began dancing together - singles chose to dance on their own or with their Pokemon. Others like Paul chose to lean against the wall and watch while waiting for the cards to be delivered.
May blushed and nodded. "Would love to, Ash!" she replied as she gently took his hand. Ash nervously put his arm around her waist, while May did the same and held the other hand as they danced together to the music. Pikachu watched in awe as his trainer and May danced, noticing the two appeared to be blushing.
Max looked around to see if there was anyone, he could partner up with for it but didn't seem to find anyone yet, so he chose to dance on his own with Treecko.
Brock at once ran off to Cynthia when her speech was over. "Hi, I'm Brock and I'm the champion of your heart - would you care to dance with me?" Brock gushed, blushing at the sight of Cynthia. Croagunk at once burst out of his Pokeball, and was about to use Poison Jab on Brock to snap Brock out of it. Cynthia noticed Croagunk and simply smiled to the small Pokemon and gave him a pat, Croagunk stopped and looked at her innocently.
"Sure - it'll be fun!" Cynthia answered, smiling to Brock as the excited breeder expected her to reject him.
Paul leaned against the wall with his arms folded as he waited to get his card, watching people dance made him bored. Kenny had been dancing with Zoey who was amongst the crowd while Dawn had released her Shinx and began dancing with her Pokemon. She already had asked Paul if he wanted to dance with her, but he rejected saying it was boring. A while later, Kenny came to Dawn's side as other trainers began to receive their cards. Paul watched Kenny wondering what he wanted.
"Dii-Dii? Will you dance with me?" Kenny asked. "Zoey's gone to get a drink" he added, smiling to the bluenette.
Dawn looked over at where Paul was and back at Kenny.
"It's clear Paul's not interested in dancing - makes me wonder why he even bothered showing up and why you asked him in the first place" while Kenny said that, Paul walked over to him - hearing the words he said.
"Troublesome asked me to come for the battle side of things. It sounds to me that you're literarily begging her since you always ask and receive the same answer. If she was interested, I'm sure she would've said so herself" Paul told Kenny harshly, making him somewhat disappointed.
"Is that true, then Dii-Dii? Then if so - you must have feelings for her too - since you're always standing up for her, but you barely even know her and you're a jerk" Kenny said - a dancer stopped and watched on nudging their partner. Dawn watched on - speechless and expected a fight to break out any minute between them.
'That'd be a dream if he had feelings for me, but I doubt it, Kenny! He is really cute though' Dawn thought, blushing as she looked at Paul then back at Kenny as they talked. She wasn't exactly sure how to answer Kenny's question.
Paul stared at Kenny with his eyes widened and gave him an annoyed look afterwards. "It's none of your business if I like her or not - it's the fact that you keep begging instead of letting it go. I couldn't care for less who she ends up with!" with that, he walked away in case he got talked into dancing with another person - he returned back to his wall and watched on. Kenny left Dawn after apologizing and took Paul's advice, he went to find Zoey and continued dancing with her instead.
"This is so much fun" May gushed as she slow danced with Ash. She looked at him, lovingly, she longed to press her lips against his while they danced together. 'If only!' she thought, blushing as she did. She imagined the two sharing a kiss while dancing and Ash telling her that he loved her.
"Mhm! I certainly don't want this to end" Ash said, blushing as he looked at May. It was only then he noticed the brunette wore pink lipstick. Like May, Ash was thinking the same thing - longing to press his lips against hers to tell her how he felt. He imagined them sharing a kiss while dancing and her telling him that she loved him. 'If only!' Ash thought too, blushing bright red as he did.
"Ash? How are you enjoying tonight?" May asked, as she looked at him lovingly.
"Loving it so far, May" Ash answered, smiling to her. 'I get to spend time with the girl of my dreams' he thought referring to her. "You?"
"I'm enjoying it too!" May replied, smiling as she rested her head on his shoulder, making him blush more, smiling, he fought the urge to press his lips against the top of her head as she rested her head on his shoulder.
'You're not making this easy, May! I wish I can tell you now, how much I love you!' Ash thought, enjoying the moment with her. 'There'd be too many people and I want to tell you in Floaroma Meadows.'
'You're just so cute, Ash! How I long for the day for our lips to meet!' May thought, smiling as she imagined the magical moment together. 'Fighting the urge now is really hard!' she added.
Dawn stopped dancing for a while and looked around for Paul - smiling to notice him near the wall still, folding his arms and looking rather bored. He wasn't the only one there were a few other trainers and coordinators who were uninterested in the dancing part.
"Are you sure you don't want to join, Paul?" Dawn asked, smiling to him as she gave him the Baby Doll Eyes look.
Paul remained uninterested but looked away as he hid a blush. "I'll pass with the dancing - more interested in the battles, but when are these cards coming around? Cynthia said someone was going to hand them over" he thought as he watched some trainers leave from the dance - figuring they were getting bored. Dawn figured he looked away to ignore her, she didn't know he was hiding a blush.
"What if it were just with me and no-one else around?" Dawn asked gently and sounded hopeful.
"Pass..." Paul replied - though Dawn was determined to make him have fun at least try to, anyway. She simply smiled and grabbed his hand catching him by surprise.
"What are you doing, Troublesome?" Paul asked in annoyance, attempting to hide his blush at the same time. He hoped she didn't see him - he usually didn't show emotions around others.
"Come on - I'll teach you!" Dawn playfully told him as she pulled him to the dance floor. Paul was annoyed about being forced into the dance but chose to stay quiet instead - he secretly hoped Cynthia would make an announcement for the battles then he could go back to the Pokemon Center afterwards and make his way to the second gym battle.
Dawn simply smiled to him. "Follow my lead, Paul" she said, hoping he wouldn't walk out on her. "I know it's not your thing, but you could at least try and have fun for once! Your Pokemon feel the same way you do." Just as she said Pokemon, Chimchar came out of his Pokeball and climbed up onto Dawn's shoulders.
"Hey cutie!" Dawn gushed as she looked at Chimchar, giving the starter Pokemon a hug. "AH you're just so cute, Chimchar!" she added. 'Your trainer is cute too, Chimchar!' Dawn thought as she looked at Paul then back at the fire type Pokemon.
Paul was surprised to see his Chimchar out of his Pokeball. "Why did you come out, Chimchar?" He quickly grabbed his Pokeball but Dawn shook her head.
"Remember there could be a battle soon when Cynthia announces it. Let him stay, please?" Dawn looked at him pitifully. The two weren't dancing yet and had looked at other couples and friends who were - Dawn wanted to pick out which moves was easiest, but by the time she did - Paul left, with Chimchar jumping from her shoulder and following him again. Sighing, Dawn went to join him in concern.
"Paul?" Dawn looked at him in worry as he went back to the wall, with his arms folded once more and Chimchar standing next to him.
"I told you, Troublesome, I'm only interested in the battle part - dancing is pathetic" Paul replied, watching as some couples kissed as they did it - the thought of that made him feel grossed out. "I think I'll head out if we don't get to battle" he added.
Dawn looked at him sadly. "Fine - I guess I'll dance with someone else, then" she simply replied and looked around for Kenny who was on his own dancing away.
"Dii-Dii?" Kenny asked. "I thought you were with Paul?"
"He's not interested in dancing" Dawn told him sadly. She glanced at the purple haired trainer who pushed himself away from the wall and began to walk towards the door - he appeared to have recalled Chimchar.
Paul was bored of the dance already. It wasn't his thing - battles yes, he loved them, but dancing - he thought was pathetic and pointless. The cards took too long to get to him, and he didn't want to wait all night for them. He looked at Dawn as he made his way to the door and watched as she talked to Kenny. He had recalled Chimchar and began making his way out - his plan was to get back to the Pokemon Center and get ready to leave to Route 204. However, before he did, he noticed something odd while Dawn was talking to Kenny. A young woman with black hair and dressed in black appeared near Dawn and successfully grabbed the Premier Ball, Paul quickly grabbed Chimchar's Pokeball. At once some people began screaming and panicking.
'Finally, some action!' Paul thought, as Dawn looked on in alarm for a moment then realized what had happened.
"My Pokemon!" Dawn cried out - rushing after the woman in white as she pushed through the crowds of people. "Starly, Spotlight!" she called out her bird Pokemon. "Starly - go after that woman in the black dress!" Dawn ordered determined to get her Aerodactyl back. 'Must be another Team Shadow member here!' she thought.
Paul began running after the woman in white too.
"What's going on?" Brock asked after he had stopped dancing with Cynthia - he noticed people were panicking and Cynthia stopped due to that.
"I'm not sure but it's worth having a look" Cynthia replied letting go of Brock.
May lifted her head from Ash's shoulder and let him go as soon as they heard the commotion. "What happened?" Ash asked noticing a Starly flying after something, and the crowd of people attempting to flee the hall.
"This is not the way I had the dance planned" Cynthia frowned. "Whoever is behind this will be in a lot of trouble!" she added.
"I'll help you catch the culprit!" Brock said determined to win the blonde's heart.
Dawn ran as fast as she could while she followed after the woman dressed in white, but some people got in her way, forcing her to shove them out of the way - she hated doing that, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Starly continued her flight to follow the mentioned woman, and Paul continued running after her, shoving people out the way, not caring who they were.
The woman, however, appeared fast and smart - she stopped a moment and called out her Koffing. "Koffing - use Smoke Screen!" she ordered. At once, the hall filled with smoke - causing more people to panic and scream. Dawn was worried about Aerodactyl.
"Swellow - use Gust to clear the smoke!" Ash called out - relieved he kept his Hoenn Pokemon on him. However, by the time Swellow did, the woman in the black dress was gone.
"No..." Dawn simply said in concern as she fell to her knees in despair. Worried, Paul went to her side.
"She might be outside - she can't be too far unless she's got a helicopter - do you know who she took?" Paul asked.
"She took them" Dawn replied - hoping Paul caught on.
"This is bad... Let's go and see if we can catch her" Paul pulled her up from the ground and ran out of the hall with her. Ash, May, Brock and Max (who had been dancing with Treecko while waiting for the battles) followed after with Cynthia too - other people rushed out in fear unaware what had happened.
When the group made their way outside, they heard a helicopter and noticed one was above the building - with a rope ladder on it.
"No, you don't!" Paul called out Chimchar once again, aiming the Pokeball towards the rope ladder, when Chimchar appeared from his Pokeball at once he climbed onto the ladder.
"Chimchar - a lady in black stole my Pokemon!" Dawn cried out to the fire type who at once figured what he needed to do. Before Chimchar could do anything else, the rope ladder automatically began to be pulled back into the helicopter, causing the Pokemon to lose grip and fall off it. In alarm, Dawn watched Chimchar fall, she raced after him and caught him just in time before he hit the ground.
"That was too close. You okay, Chimchar?" Dawn asked, relieved that she was able to save the Pokemon from injury.
"Char-Chim! (Yes, thank you!)" Chimchar replied.
"Swellow, follow the helicopter!" Ash ordered his Pokemon - determined not to give up. "Which one did she steal, Dawn?" he asked.
"My Premier Ball" Dawn replied - not wanting to say the Pokémon's name due too many people being out at once.
"Is that all? You can get a free Premier Ball after buying ten Pokeballs" Kenny told Dawn unaware that the Pokemon inside it was more of value.
"I already know that Kenny - it's not the point. The Pokemon in it is precious to me" Dawn snapped at him.
"You can always catch another one" Kenny replied.
"You're pathetic" Paul looked at Kenny in annoyance. Dawn looked at the helicopter in concern and put her hands close to her chest, worried about her Aerodactyl. Sure, she was only able to release them at night but still was worried about them.
Ash watched as Swellow began to follow the helicopter but was alarmed when a Thunderbolt out of no-where struck the flying type - sending it down to the ground. "Swellow, no!" Ash exclaimed as he rushed over to his now injured Pokemon. He quickly recalled Swellow in concern.
Dawn at once fell onto her knees and began crying. 'First Piplup, now Aerodactyl...' she thought worried what they might do to them. 'Hang on you two, we'll get you back somehow,' she thought.
"What kind of Pokemon was it?" Kenny asked - confused to why it was so special to be stolen.
"It's none of your business" Paul retorted, looking at Dawn in concern. He knelt down by her side in worry and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't think you cared" Dawn said quietly, as tears streamed down her face.
"You thought wrong, Troublesome" Paul replied, at once, Dawn hugged him, surprising him by that move. 'It's you I care about - but I don't care about the others!' he thought, not daring to say it out loud.
"Why is this Pokemon so important to you, Dawn? Couldn't you send Starly after it?" Kenny asked in confusion, wishing he was in Dawn's arms instead of Paul.
"All of my Pokemon are important to me - I would but it's dark and there's no way we could find my Pokemon at night" Dawn replied, burying her head in Paul's chest, causing him to blush. "I don't think Starly will be strong enough yet and it's dark!"
"But what makes this one extra special to be stolen?" Kenny wondered, scratching his head in confusion. "And why are you hugging Paul out of all people?" he asked, finding it odd that she was hugging one of the meanest trainers in Sinnoh.
"Zubat it's your turn to try!" Max cried out, releasing his bat Pokemon out. "Fly after the helicopter!" he ordered, only to get the same result as Ash did with Swellow. He watched Zubat fall down after being struck by Thunder Bolt and quickly recalled the flying type.
"I'm sorry Dawn!" Ash said, looking at his friend.
"We need to come up with a plan - shame we didn't have a tracking device so we could attach it to the helicopter" Brock said, watching as Dawn cried in Paul's arms.
"I'm sorry, Kenny, but I can't tell you what type my Pokemon is, as to your answer about Paul - he's, my friend" Dawn answered - still hugging Paul from being upset, not realizing the mentioned trainer was blushing from it. Thankfully it was still dark outside. 'And he makes me feel safe in his arms' Dawn thought, as he looked at Paul's face. 'He's real cute up close too!' she thought, blushing as she did.
"Why can't you tell me what kind it was?" Kenny demanded, feeling impatient with Dawn.
Dawn ignored Kenny and stayed silent as she allowed her tears to flow. She worried about what Team Shadow were going to do with Aerodactyl. Were they going to be nice? Were they going to cause chaos? Will Aerodactyl be, okay? Will they be fed and loved?
"Because - she can't" Paul snapped at Kenny, as he placed a protective hand on Dawn's back.
Ash, May, Max, Cynthia and Brock watched hopelessly as the helicopter turned off its lights and flew in the dark. "Great, now we can't even track the cowards..." Ash muttered.
"I left my Pokemon back with the Elite Four since I didn't expect to have a battle tonight" Cynthia said in frustration.
"Who are they?" Kenny asked, even then, Dawn ignored him. If he knew, she was certain that he'd tell the media and that word would get out making things worse and harder to get their Pokemon back. "And why are you holding Dawn?" he snapped at Paul. "You're a horrible person and get your hands off her!"
Dawn was surprised by Kenny's outburst.
"It's none of your business and no" Paul replied, keeping a firm hold on her. "Troublesome needs some time to get herself together - so she can focus on other things. You're pathetic and don't know what we're dealing with" he simply replied to Dawn, who pulled Paul closer to her.
Ash was surprised Paul didn't shove Dawn away or anything as he had expected him to. 'Maybe Dawn could change him after all?' he thought hopefully. He knew it was pointless to send out Starly since he'd get the same result - Team Shadow had planned this very well.
"I'll call Officer Jenny about this" Cynthia said but Brock placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"It's best not to - if word gets out about what happened, then they'd most likely change their base making it harder to find the stolen Pokemon" Brock told her.
"What should we do now?" May asked as she looked at Dawn and Paul then back at Ash, Cynthia, Max and Brock.
Dawn felt somewhat safer in Paul's arms and comfortable, she didn't really want to let him go. Though knew eventually she had to. "Ash, May, Max, Brock, Paul and I are the only ones who know of them so far and we know what they're after. We don't know where in Sinnoh they are or what they have planned - which makes me worried" she said.
"I think we should head back in for the dance and tell the rest of the crowds it was a part of the show - just so word doesn't get out about what happened" Cynthia suggested, earning a smile from Dawn.
"You mean lie to your fans?" Kenny said in alarm. "No - I don't like that idea, I'm going to tell Officer Jenny as soon as I see her!" he added - figuring that was the right thing to do.
"But if you do - it makes it harder for me to track down my stolen Pokemon" Dawn said in concern.
"Lying is wrong too - Dii-Dii!" Kenny said with a frown.
"So is calling her by that name" Paul snapped at Kenny. "She doesn't like it!"
"Yeah, so is holding her! I don't like seeing you holding her like that" Kenny said in frustration - clenching his hands.
"Are you jealous, Kenny?" Dawn asked suddenly - catching Paul by surprise.
"I-a little. But no - I'm off to tell Officer Jenny about this!" With that, before anyone could stop him - Kenny ran off without another word.
"Great - now what?" Ash snapped watching helplessly as Kenny ran off.
"We get back to the dance - there's a chance Officer Jenny might not believe him" Cynthia said. With that, Ash, Pikachu, May, Max, Treecko, Brock, Cynthia, Dawn and Paul returned to the hall, not much they could do since it was dark.
While the group separated once again after Cynthia made an announcement saying that was a part of the play, she returned to Brock's side to finish her dance with him much to his delight. Dawn stayed by Paul's side while watching the others dance - she wasn't in the mood for dancing after what happened, she worried history would repeat itself - together the two friends leaned against the wall, with Paul folding his arms, and Dawn having her hands behind her head, looking worried about Aerodactyl.
Ash and May danced together, enjoying their time with Pikachu watching them.
"Do you think Paul likes Dawn, May?" Ash asked in concern - glancing at the two friends who were watching others dancing.
"I think he does - given the way he was acting - but he's a jerk to everyone else. Look at Kenny as an example. Kenny was worried about her too, but Paul was mean to him. I really like Dawn and see her as my best friend - I don't want her to end up with a jerk!" May said. "Their relationship wouldn't be a healthy one if they got together..."
"What can we do about it then?" Ash asked.
"Unfortunately - there's not much you can do. When you're in love with someone - you have your mind set to be with that person regardless of who they are. If Dawn wants to be with Paul - we'll have to support, her even if we don't like him. We can only hope she can change the way he treats his Pokemon and others and that he treats her with love and respect if they do end up together" May said. 'Like us, Ash. There are some people who probably don't want me to end up with you, like Drew! But my heart wants you!'
"I didn't think Paul cared about others being a heartless jerk" Ash muttered. "But if she can change him - that'd be a good thing. I guess you're right - if Dawn does love him - we'll have to support her. She's our friend and we need to be there for her every step of the way" Ash said. "As for Kenny - I'm sure he'd be fine."
Dawn watched as Max danced with Treecko and Brock danced with Cynthia. Part of her wanted to join but she wasn't in the mood at least not yet.
"Fine..." Paul said - catching her attention.
"What do you mean by just fine?" Dawn asked curiously.
Paul looked at her. "You want to join the dancing - don't you? As much as I hate it and find it boring - I guess I have no choice" he said.
"You mean you'd dance with me?" Dawn asked surprised by that.
Paul simply nodded, earning another hug from Dawn. She smiled and put her hand out to him. "What made you change your mind?"
"I wanted to see you win that Pokemon egg to make up for what happened" Paul replied as he followed her, putting his hand in hers, she blushed smiling to him.
May noticed that and smiled. "Looks like she can slowly change him" she said to Ash who nodded.
Butch and Cassidy waited impatiently for Nurse Joy to tell them where Ash and his friends could possibly be - but at long last they had an answer.
"The good news is: Nurse Joy in Jubilife City informed me that they're staying there for a week and will most likely be heading to Floaroma Town after the contest" Nurse Joy told the duo unaware that they were evil.
"That is great news - thanks, Nurse Joy" Cassidy said then turned around and smirked, wiping the smirk from her face, she faced Nurse Joy again with concern. "What is the best way to get to Floaroma Town?"
"You can go by helicopter" Nurse Joy suggested. "Your friends will be so happy to see you!"
"I'm sure they will" Butch said. "What time does the helicopter leave from here?"
"There's one that leaves hourly" Nurse Joy informed them and gave them the location to the helicopter pad.
"Thanks - we'll be leaving soon!" Cassidy told her.
"I wish you all the best with meeting your friends" Nurse Joy said, watching as the duo took off with grins on their faces - unaware that they were going to cause trouble later on...
'His hand is so nice and warm' Dawn thought, blushing as she slow danced with Paul, looking at him. "What are you going to do afterwards, Paul?"
"You mean tomorrow? Make my way to Route 204" Paul answered. "You?"
"Practicing for the upcoming contest" Dawn told him. 'And most likely miss you!' she thought.
Max smiled as he danced along with Treecko, watching others enjoying their time too. It wasn't long before the cards finally got handed out - and when they did the trainers who got to battle were in for a surprise afterwards. Paul was annoyed he didn't get a battle card but instead the dance one.
Ash and May got the battle cards and were pretty excited for it as did Max and Brock. The battles were against Rachel and Sophina who were also in charge of the healing side of things - they knew their roles. Ash, May, Max and Brock watched as trainers battled against Sophina and Rachel, for the trainers who lost, their Pokeballs got put in the box where Sophina promised to take them to the Pokemon Center - however, instead of the Pokemon Center, she took them to a waiting helicopter which was quiet and out of sight, when she gave them to a team member in the helicopter, she received empty Pokeballs in return to convince trainers she had healed them for her. Smiling, she rushed back to the dance and repeated this move until Ash, May, Max and Brock had their turns.
Max was hesitant about battling with Treecko, instead, he used Magikarp - which caused everyone except for his friends to burst into laughter. When Magikarp fainted, Sophina took the Pokeball - she intended to train it to become a mean Gyarados. Ash, May and Brock used Starly, Skitty and Geodude and lost their battles. As the night went on - the dancers became tired, Cynthia decided it was then to make an announcement for the winners.
"Can I have your attention please: The winners of the Dance contest have been decided: Congratulations Dawn and Paul for your efforts - you win a Pokemon Egg! For second Prize, Ash and May - congratulations for the win and your prize is the Master Ball - and for the final prize is Zoey - who wins an unlimited supply of Poffins. Congratulations for all the winners and we hope to see you again next year! As for the battle winners due to the difficult challenges there were none to announce. For the winners, come and collect your prizes and now I will address this dance contest is now closed" Cynthia announced.
Dawn excitedly looked at Paul and without thinking she gave him an unexpected kiss on the cheek, as the two ran up to collect their prize, Ash, May and Zoey ran up to get their prizes in excitement and thanked Cynthia for the night. Afterwards, the five friends and Paul went back to the Pokemon Center, with Dawn holding the Pokemon Egg while May got the Master Ball. Zoey was delighted with her prize too. Before Ash, May, Max, Brock and Dawn went to their room, Dawn noticed Paul was going his own way.
"Paul - thank you again for everything tonight" Dawn said, blushing as she looked at him. Paul simply nodded, raising his hand to the spot where she had kissed him unexpectedly. Ash, May, Dawn and Brock looked at one another in confusion when he did that, Dawn giggled. After heading back to their room, Dawn simply smiled as she looked at her Pokemon Egg. She wished she could introduce Aerodactyl to it. Normally late at night she'd release the missing Pokemon out and get to know them.
"Hey - Dawn?" Ash asked as he climbed into his bed with a tired Pikachu in his arms.
"Yes Ash?" Dawn wondered, as she gently put her Pokemon Egg on the dresser, then got into her bed.
"I promise we'll help you find Aerodactyl, Piplup and the others. I'm not sure how long it'll take for us to find them, but I'm determined to do it!" Ash promised her.
"Thank you, Ash" Dawn smiled to him as she lay down in her bed. 'Aerodactyl... Piplup... I'll come for you guys - just you wait! Good night, you two, I love you' she thought, worried about her missing Pokemon. She thought of the events that happened that night and wondered what prompt Paul to help her again. 'Aside from him being mean to Kenny, he was really nice to me! Being in his arms was such a wonderful feeling' Dawn thought, bushing as she did. She imagined herself back in his arms, smiling as she did.
Ash and May were in their beds respectively and thinking about one another, each longing to tell one another their feelings. May turned over and looked at Ash, smiling as she did, Ash turned over and smiled, looking at May. Both imagined themselves kissing one another good night.
Brock smiled as he thought about the dance with Cynthia that night. 'I know that she's the Champion and has a busy lifestyle, but she's just gorgeous too! I wonder if I'll see her again' he thought, smiling as he imagined himself on a date with Cynthia. 'She'd be my kind of girl!' he added smiling as he thought of it.
Max tucked Treecko in the bed next to him and smiled proudly to his shiny starter. He couldn't wait to train Magikarp the next day (unaware that the Pokemon had been stolen and replaced by an empty Pokeball). He imagined himself defeating the Pokemon League with Gyrados and Treecko.
Will Butch and Cassidy catch up and finally get their chance to capture May and Max?
Will Ash and May finally be able to tell one another their feelings?
With the Pokemon Contest coming up - what are you excited to see in it?
Will the five realize that more of their Pokemon have been stolen by Team Shadow?
Will they be able to find Aerodactyl and the other missing Pokemon?
For those wondering - Paul will be slightly OOC around Dawn but in character with the others!
Note: May's dress is a nod to the ones in the Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Games while Dawn's is similar to what she's worn in the series.
Badges:
Dawn: 1
Ash: 1
Max: 1
-
Ribbons:
May: 0
Max: 0
Ash: 0
Dawn: 0
Pokémon:
Ash:
Current: Pikachu, Sceptile and Swellow
Stolen: Noctowl, Turtwig, Starly and Charizard
May:
Current: Bidoof and Munchlax
Stolen: Blaziken, Shinx, Beautifly, Skitty and Glaceon
Dawn:
Current: Starly, Cubone and Shinx
Stolen: Piplup, Aerodactyl
Max:
Current: Treecko, Kricketot, Zubat and Shinx
Stolen: Azumarill, Magikarp and Ralts
Brock:
Current: Croagunk and Onyx
(Stolen: Geodude and Bonsly)
To be continued...