Hey, everyone! I'm back!

Well, not exactly.

I've had this chapter written up for a while, but I haven't uploaded it simply because I feel like nobody is interested in this story anymore. Of course, I love Pokemon, but it's hard to write for something when you know that nobody has an interest for it. Of course, I'll come back to writing this when I feel inspired, but until then I don't know when this'll be updated again.

I'm so sorry, but I hope you enjoy this chapter nonetheless.


"Riolu's aura, right?" Kellyn asks with a fond smile, catching onto what's occurred in an instant.

"Yeah." Ash nods to Kellyn before looking back to Riolu, "That was just Riolu telling me thanks. That's what ya said, didn't ya?"

Casey can't help but smile at Riolu's gleeful response, and although she's glad that they've managed to help Riolu, she can't help but feel uneasy at the thought of J still being out there and at large. She can tell that they're going to run into her again.

Here's hoping that they'll be more prepared to fight back next time around.


Casey yawns contently as she strolls through the Pokemon Center alongside Monferno, the glass panelled door leading out into the outdoor training area of the Center being her destination. She, as usual, slept in way past her friends, but at least she has a justifiable reason this time around. She had been up until rather late last night training alongside her Pokemon, only stopping when Brock talked some sense into her and reminded her that sleep's just as important as training.

She woke up around twenty minutes ago (she has Monferno to thank for basically shaking her awake) and was quick to find a note that her friends had left her (remarking how they had gone outside so that Dawn could work on some Contest moves), along with some food that Brock had kindly saved her from breakfast. Casey had eaten the food, grateful that it filled a certain hungry pit in her stomach, and made a mental note to thank Brock for such a delicious meal before getting dressed to head out and meet her friends.

She had expected to see her friends training alongside their Pokemon upon stepping outside, or perhaps them just talking together; what she hadn't expected to see was an entire news crew surrounded her flustered and clearly confused friends.

"Hey, guys...what's going on?" Casey asks, tentatively, as she approaches her friends, Monferno slowly following behind her.

"Hey, kid! You haven't seen Contest Master Wallace hanging around here, have you?" The reporter asks, practically shoving past her friends in an attempt to bombard her with questions, her crew men stumbling behind her awkwardly in an attempt to hover a microphone over her head.

Contest Master Wallace? He's that guy from Hoenn, right?

She briefly remembers hearing about a guy called Wallace at some point in the past, but she's certain that she hasn't actually seem him in the flash.

"I've heard of him, but I haven't seen him." She shrugs, "Why? Is he near here?"

"Well, it's his day off, and because of that his staff refuses to tell me where he is."

That's probably because he doesn't want any nosy reporters asking him a bunch of questions.

"Excuse me?!" The reporter practically hisses, panic rushing through Casey at the sound of her voice.

Her eyes flicker over to her friends, realisation setting in when she sees their wide eyes and shocked expressions, "Did I just say that out loud?"

"Do you know who I am, kid? I'm Rhonda! I host the most popular show in the Sinnoh Region! How dare you-!?"

Casey watches, mortified, as the reporter's crew practically drags her away from the area, her rage still festering and her legs kicking out in a struggle as they barely manage to pull her away.

"Well...that's not how I pictured my morning going." Casey murmurs as she looks over at her friends, "What exactly did she want anyway?"

"She wanted us to keep an eye out for Wallace." Brock replies, "Apparently he's in the forest somewhere."

"Can you believe that? Wallace is in the same forest as us!" Dawn gasps, excited.

Casey glances down at Monferno, her trusted partner picking up on the exact same thing as her in that moment and he gives her a slight nod, prompting her to look back to Dawn with a suggestion.

"Why don't we go out and try to find Wallace? After all, it's clear that you want to meet him, and I'd like to meet him too." She suggests before looking down to Monferno again, "What about you, pal? Do you wanna meet him?"

"Mon!"

She smiles and looks back to Dawn, who's smiling back at her just as much, "That sounds great, Casey!"

Ash agrees instantly, chiming in his usual enthusiastic manner, "Alright, then! Let's go find Wallace!"


It quickly becomes apparent to Casey that finding a famous person is a lot harder than she initially thought it to be. Sure, she hadn't expected it to be exceptionally easy to begin with, but...well, she honestly didn't know what else she was expecting. It also doesn't help that it feels like their walking in circles, or at least throughout the same set location over and over and over again. She shouldn't have expected much else - they are in a forest, after all - but the constant repetition of trees and more trees doesn't half make the task of finding Wallace all the more monotonous.

"Mon-ferno! Mon!" Monferno groans tiredly as he strolls alongside Casey, clearly already tired of their futile attempts to locate Wallace.

"I know, pal. I'm tired too." She replies with a sympathetic glance at her partner, understanding fully well just how frustrated he is.

"So, where do you look for a famous guy?" Ash asks as they come to a stop, briefly scanning the nearby area for any sign of Wallace.

"I don't know. I don't see a thing." Dawn says.

Casey looks around the nearby area, quickly becoming intrigued by the sight of a mist entrenched pond not too far away. That wouldn't be anything abnormal if the rest of the forest were covered in such a mist, but the fact that it's not make the pond stick out as something odd in her mind.

Casey contemplates it for a moment before speaking up, "Guys, I think we should check this out."

"Sure thing, Casey." Ash agrees.

They head towards the mist, Casey and Monferno leading the group, and it's at the misty pond that they find quite the enchanting sight. In the middle of the pond stands perhaps one of the most gorgeous and majestic Pokemon that Casey's ever seen, the Pokemon in question singing melodically in the most peaceful manner she's ever witnessed.

"Wow!" Dawn gasps in awe, "Could that be a Milotic?"

"Milotic, huh?" Casey murmurs, reaching into her pocket and withdrawing her Pokedex to record the Pokemon's data.

"Milotic, the Tender Pokémon and the evolved form of Feebas. At the first sign of fighting, Milotic will come up from the bottom of its lake habitat to calm any angry feelings."

The dex has got that last part right. It sure is calming.

"No way! It's him!"

Casey places her Pokedex back in her pocket hastily when she hears Dawn gasp once again beside her, the bluenette's eyes focused on a spot past the top of Casey's head. She turns around and sees precisely what she's looking at - a man, perhaps only in his early twenties, with turquoise hair and eyes and clad in a rather elegant gown, sits perched a top of a rock at the waters edge, looking over at the Milotic rather fondly.

Casey puts two and two together rather quickly.

Yeah, that's Wallace.

"Well, well. Hello there, everyone!" Wallace says, surprised, as he turns from the pond to look over at them.

Milotic stops singing when it notices their presence, nervously cowering in on itself in the middle of the pond. Wallace takes not, looking over at the Pokemon sympathetically, "It's quite alright, Milotic. It's safe."

Milotic coos back, now at ease, and Wallace smiles before looking back to Casey and the others, "Sorry about Milotic. You just caught it off guard. I'm sure that it'll be just fine now."

Casey instantly feels bad for interrupting Milotic's (and presumably Wallace's) peaceful morning, and it's only when one of the Pokeballs in her pocket bursts open that she snaps out of her thoughts.

Dragonair materialises at her side with a content cry despite everyone's shock, her sights set on the pond ahead with a curious glance. Casey watches her, smiling when she realises what she's after, "Go on, Dragonair. Go around and play."

"That's a great idea, Casey! What about you, buddy? Do you want to go and play?" Ash says with a glance over at Pikachu.

The Mouse Pokemon leaps down from his trainers shoulders and rushes after Dragonair, leaping up onto her back as she prepares to dive into the water. Piplup jumps out of Dawn's arms to go and join them, and it's not long before the three of them are happily playing around with Milotic in the cooling waters.

Casey and her friends take a seat at the ponds edge, watching fondly as they swim around happily together. She's surprised that Dragonair came out of her Pokeball like that, but she figures that she likely heard Milotic's song and wanting to come out and play.

"So, tell me, what brings all of you out here?" Wallace asks from atop the rock, Casey almost jumping at the sound of his voice. She had gotten so relaxed watching the Pokemon play that she had forgotten that he was there.

"We, uh...we wanted to meet you." Dawn admits, her voice sheepish.

"I'm humbled that you're saying that..." He replies.

"Dawn."

"Dawn." He confirms, "It's nice to meet you. All of you."

"I'm Ash, and that's my partner, Pikachu." Ash says, gesturing to Pikachu as he giggles gleefully out on the pond.

"I'm Brock." Brock says.

"I'm Casey, and this is Monferno." Casey smiles with a nod to Monferno, who's sat to her right listening intently to the conversation.

"Mon!" Monferno says with a wave of his hand, eliciting a smile from Wallace.

"Wallace, can I ask you something?" Casey asks.

"Of course."

"What brings you all the way out here?" She asks, "I mean, it's not exactly an easy place to find."

"Ever since I arrived in Sinnoh, my schedule just never seems to end. The talk shows, magazines, radio...even back at the hotel, the fans are all over me. And so I pleaded with my staff to give me just one day off to truly relax and have some quality time with Milotic." Wallace explains, turning towards the pond and looking at his Milotic with a small smile, "Milotic hasn't looked this happy since we arrived in Sinnoh. My beautiful Milotic."

"That's for sure. Beautiful's right." Dawn murmurs, captivated by the sight of Milotic.

"Why, thank you." Wallace replies, turning back to them, "The most important thing for Pokemon and trainer is kinship, and should you ever forget about that, your Pokemon will never shine."

"You're so right." Ash echoes, his tone guilty, "I feel bad that we bothered you while you were taking a break. We won't let anyone know you're here."

"That's very nice. Thank you all." Wallace replies, his voice genuine. He turns to look back out onto the pond, a look of awe rising on his face, "Casey, that Dragonair of yours is truly magnificent. Does Dragonair ever compete in Pokemon Contests?"

"Pokemon Contests? No, she never has. You see, Ash and I are both training to take part in the Sinnoh League. Dawn's the one collecting ribbons." Casey replies.

"Fascinating." Wallace murmurs, thinking to himself for a few moments before replying again, "Well, I'd be delighted if you'd consider entering the Wallace Cup alongside that Dragonair of yours."

"You want us to enter the Wallace Cup?"

The thought had never even crossed Casey's mind. Would she even be any good in a Contest Battle? They aren't quite the same as regular battles. Would Dragonair even want to compete?

"That's an excellent idea!" Ash chimes in, "After all, Wallace, Dawn's going to be entering the Wallace Cup herself, so we're heading to Lake Valor anyway."

"Ash!" Dawn exclaims, her cheeks flushing red at the mention of her name in the conversation.

"Dawn, I must say that I'm honored to have you as one of our entrants." Wallace says humbly, the bluenette's cheeks growing redder at such a compliment, "In fact, if you don't mind, I'd love to see some of your Contest moves in action right now."

"Right now?!" Dawn asks, shocked.

"That's great, Dawn! What an opportunity!" Brock reassures her.

"Brock's right, Dawn." Casey says, "Think about how ready you'll be for the Wallace Cup? This is the perfect opportunity to get in some practice!"

"I guess so, but..." Dawn says, her voice trailing off hesitantly.

"I've got it! You can battle me!" Ash suggests excitedly.

"Battle you?"

"Of course! We'll have a Contest Battle!"

Dawn still looks hesitant to the offer, and it's only when Piplup comes back to the shore and encourages her to accept the offer that she finally does, turning to Wallace with a grateful smile, "Thank you, Wallace. I'd be honored if you watched us battle."

"The honor, I'm sure, will be all mine." Wallace replies, jumping down from the rock as Milotic swims to the shore, Dragonair and Pikachu coming over shortly afterwards.

"Did you have fun, buddy?" Ash asks as Pikachu rushes back over to him, jumping up onto his shoulder as Ash pets the side of his face affectionally.

Casey smiles at the sight, moving over to Dragonair as she gets out of the pond, Monferno trailing behind her, "What about you, Dragonair? Did you have fun?"

Dragonair responds gleefully, bringing another smile to Casey's face, "I'm glad to hear it."

"Shall we hold the battle over there?" Wallace says as he gestures to a small clearing on the banks of the pond.

"Sure!" Ash replies, him and the others all beginning to make their way over to the clearing.

Casey turns to Dragonair, the Dragon Pokemon tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion, making her trainer chuckle, "Ash and Dawn are gonna have a battle. Let's go and watch, yeah?"

Both of her Pokemon agree unanimously with her suggestion, the both of them rushing towards the group as Casey follows behind them. She joins Brock and Wallace at the side of the battlefield, glancing over to Monferno and Dragonair as they come and sit at her side.

"I'd like you two to watch Ash and Dawn's battle, okay? Especially you, Dragonair." She says, "I'm sure that there's a lot we can learn from the two of them."

Both sides perform elegantly, Buizel and Piplup's Water-Type moves complimenting each other perfectly. She hears Brock make the occasional remark to Wallace throughout the battle, though she doesn't pay much attention to it, instead watching the battle unfold as intently as her Pokemon are beside her. Dragonair and Monferno don't take their eyes off the battlefield once, the former seeming particularly captivated by the battle.

It should be easy enough to convince her to take part in the Wallace Cup, then.

The battle ends with Buizel's explosive Aqua Jet colliding with Piplup's intensive whirlpool, the powerful water forces dispersing upon contact and showering the battlefield in glistening droplets of water.

Wallace applauds their performances and they agree to end the battle, both Ash and Dawn quickly praising their Pokemon for their performances. A moment passes before they come over to join the group, Wallace taking interest in them as soon as they arrive,

"So, Dawn, I hear it was you who raised Buizel. Since it was Buizel who was so fond of battling, it would be wonderful to see those impressive moves utilised in a Contest. Remember, Buizel's unique battle style comes from the way you raised it." He suggests, glancing between both Ash and Dawn, "So, what would you think of entering the Wallace Cup with Buizel as your partner, Ash?"

Ash gasps, clearly surprised by his suggestion. "Here's the thing: the both of us get really pumped up and then we totally forget about the performance."

"I reckon we'd struggle with that as well, wouldn't we?" Casey asks Dragonair, who coos in agreement, before looking to Ash, "Still, I think entering would be good for us and our Pokemon."

"Well, I'd be honoured if you all entered." Wallace beams, "I can't wait to see what you all come up with!"

"So, Wallace. What did you think of Dawn and Piplup's performance?" Brock asks curiously.

Wallace hums to himself, placing his forefinger to the tip of his chin as he ponders on Brock's question for a moment. He looks back to Dawn after thinking for a few seconds.

"The way you show your moves is flawless. Very well researched and rehearsed. But, I heard some things about Piplup from Brock, and I do think that you may be focusing too much on the moves themselves. Think for a moment about Piplup's basic nature. It can't all be about dramatic performance, so I suggest keeping it more natural." He explains, Dawn watching him intently the entire time. "Dawn, I was wondering, have you played with your Pokemon recently?"

"Played with them?" Dawn mumbles, a look of realisation crossing her face suddenly and making her gasp, "You're right! I've been concentrating too much on working in Contests! The truth is: I've been thinking more about myself. I've been putting my own needs over my Pokemon's the whole time!"

Casey smiles at her friend. She's glad that she's figured out what it is that's been holding her back. Dawn's been doubting herself for so long that she's been worried that the bluenette may not return to her former confidence. Something tells her that this is the start of that process.

Now, onward to the Wallace Cup, and hopefully a new experience for them all.