The coming Wallace Cup meant busy days, and excitement filling the rebuilt streets of Cinnabar. Excited crowds of people and Pokémon filtered through the busy, renewed tourist spot, whether one was a Coordinator preparing for the coming event, or a tourist, excitedly seeking out wares, food, and merchandise. Vendors for all of these things alike took up sides of the street, vying for as much attention as possible.

"Hey, check it out!" Dawn said excitedly, as she yanked on Ash's arm to pull him over to a nearby booth. "There's some stationery here, with May on it, Ash!" She pointed to a small notebook with a miniature print of their brunette friend on it, winking and performing her expedition gesture. Her Skitty was portrayed to be running circles around her, suiting the cover's soft pink color scheme.

"Oh, yeah!" Ash beamed, looking over Dawn's shoulder after he'd been pulled over.

"Kachuka!" Pikachu chirped happily, jumping atop Ash's head to lean over his hat, peering at the merchandise.

"She's really moved up in the world." Ash laughed, nudging up his cap so he could see, again. "Oh, hey! There's a bookmark with Drew on it!"

"Oh, for real!?" Dawn gushed, snatching it up. It was a lime green bookmark, with Drew flicking away a rose. Naturally, it read 'You've got no style.' Dawn paused. "...Would it be weird to have a bookmark for your poetry with your friend's rival?"

Ash snorted. "Yeah, probably." He cracked an amused grin. "Why, you wanted it?"

"...I was. A fan of his," Dawn mumbled quietly, while slipping it back onto the shelf. "He was the big thing, during the year before I started and met you."

Ash laughed, shaking his head. Perhaps some would've gotten jealous, but the evidence didn't lie. His arm was still hooked in hers. "That's awesome and all, but I'm getting hungry. You want me to grab you something to eat?"

"I'll wait for lunch time," Dawn shook her head.

"You sure…?" Ash asked.

"Well… If you insist. Could you get me something sweet to snack on?"

"You got it!" Ash grinned, and disconnected from Dawn to disappear into the crowd.

Dawn was back to browsing, when she spotted a keychain with Zoey on it. "She's already made it big, too…" Dawn cooed, smiling to herself, "Next, it'll have to be me."

"Dawn!"

"Huh?" Dawn perked up, sure she'd heard her name. She set the charm back down, and stepped away from the stall. She soon saw a large head of lilac hair, belonging to Ciara, who smiled, a dark flush touching her cheeks. The girl waved her over. "Ciara!"

Dawn grinned, slipping through the on-foot, traffic to meet her halfway. "I should've figured. It's great to see… Kenny!?" She exclaimed.

"Dawn!?" Beside Ciara stood Dawn's old friend. Somewhat taller than when they'd last met, notably, with his chestnut hair cut just a bit shorter. His jaw was slightly more pronounced, as were his shoulders. Most noticeable of all, perhaps, was the off-white sweater he wore with a pale blue collar, covering up a green undershirt. A pin with two beads was sewn in, over his chest. His eyes widened considerably at the sight of Dawn. "You're in the Wallace Cup, too!?"

"Wh- Yeah! Of course!" She grinned, running over to stand within speaking distance. "Wow, Kenny. It's been too long!"

"Erm… Yeah." Kenny hesitated, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I've… been busy, you know?"

"You're not kidding," Dawn said. "I couldn't reach you at all, over the holidays."

"Well… yeah! I've been training with Jasmine, you know?" Kenny collected himself with a toothy grin, puffing out his chest. Characteristically, he narrowed his eyes with mischief. "What about you, Dee-Dee?"

Ciara frowned, tilting her head. "Dee-Dee…?"

"Same old Kenny." Dawn gave an amused roll of her eyes, and poked a thumb towards herself with pride. "That tactic won't work on me, anymore!"

Kenny scoffed, self-consciously holding his arm. "Hmph! I'm not the same. I've grown a lot."

"Good!" Dawn beamed. "You better be, to keep up with me. I've been blazing a trail to win this year's Wallace Cup." Amidst her boasting, Dawn had a sudden realization. "Oh! And look!" She reached for a Poké Ball, and tapped the center button.

Emerging from the light was her one and only Prinplup, who struck a pose, with one wing held grandly to his crown, the other held outward. "Prinplup!"

"Woah! Piplup evolved!?" Kenny exclaimed. "But, wait. Didn't I see him decide that he doesn't want to evolve…?"

"He's done some growing up," Dawn boasted, as her partner struck a variety of poses.

This seemed to satisfy Kenny, who smiled, and tossed his own Poké Ball.

"Empol!" Kenny's Empoleon's appeared, before spotting his smaller counterpart. "Pol!?" He gawked in surprise. Was that really who he thought it was!? "Empoleon!" He beamed, praising Prinplup.

Prinplup proudly puffed out his chest. "Prinplup~!"

"Hey, I'm back!" Slipping through the crowd, Ash snuck up on Dawn, holding out a stick with several mochi balls skewed on it; dango; up to the girl's mouth. "This was the most portable kind of sweet snack I could find. That good for ya?"

Dawn didn't answer verbally, but the way she bit one of the snacks off the stick and practically let Ash feed her stirred an awful feeling in Kenny that made him recoil. "Ash," he acknowledged, frowning.

"Huh…?" Hearing his name, Ash looked over. He hadn't even noticed them, until now. "Kenny!" He beamed, slipping by Dawn before offering her the dango to hold, herself. "And Ciara! Man, I didn't know we'd be seeing you guys, here! That's awesome!"

"It's nice to see you," Ciara acknowledged meekly.

"Hm…" Kenny hummed to himself. Despite the blatant hostility that burned in his chest, he tried to ignore it. He'd made steps forward, and Ash clearly considered him a friend. "Well, of course!" He forced a smile that quickly felt natural, as he threw an arm around Ash. He blinked, finding he had to stand on his tip-toes now. "Dude, you're getting too tall."

"Music to my ears." Ash grinned, brushing his index finger over his nose.

Kenny frowned at the budding discrepancy between them, but brushed it off. "Yeah, yeah. Hey, I haven't seen you since the Sinnoh League! I saw that whole Darkrai thing. Tough break."

"Aha, yeah." Ash laughed. "But that's only made me stronger! This year, I'm going to be unstoppable! Right, Buddy?"

"Pika Pikachu!"

"You better," Kenny prodded with a grin. "The public reaction to Tobias beating you wasn't all too good… Everyone loves an underdog."

"...Oh, Kenny!" Dawn grinned, as a thought suddenly struck her. "I have some awesome news." Leaning over, she pulled on Ash's arm to drag him in, inadvertently pulling him away from Kenny. "It's really pretty new, but guess what! Ash is my boyfriend, now."

"Yup!" Ash laughed, lifting up the brim of his cap, as if he was posing alongside her. "Pretty cool, huh?"

On the outside, Kenny was sure he'd only cringed, and pulled back from the two. It was a pretty mild facade, contrasting to the visceral blow her confession dealt him. "...Oh."

"Oh, oh! Congratulations! Both of you." Ciara clapped her hands together; her wide hues shimmering in admiration. "That's, erm, precious!"

"Oh?" Dawn echoed, frowning. Poor Ciara's words had been brushed aside completely, as Dawn leaned forward, waving a hand in front of Kenny's face. "Hello? Earth to Kenny?"

Kenny reached up, and shoved Dawn's hand away. "Yeah, that's great, congrats."

"What's with you?" Dawn asked, irritated, now. "That's it? That's all?"

"What did you want? A parade?" Kenny spat bitterly.

"I THOUGHT my old friend would be more excited for me." Dawn glared.

"Well, then you're not thinking AT ALL!" Kenny snapped back.

"Hey! What's your deal?" Ash frowned, resting a hand defensively on Dawn's shoulder.

"YOU shut up!" Kenny shouted at Ash. He was oblivious to the growing murmuring and staring that their argument was attracting; his face red with fury.

"Erm… guys." Ciara squeaked out, tugging on Dawn's jacket. "You're making a scene…"

"Lup! Prinplup!"

"Empoleon!"

Prinplup and Empoleon tugged on their trainers respectively, pleading them to de-escalate.

"Oh sure. Of course you take his side!" Kenny rolled his eyes.

Practically seething by now, Dawn stomped her boot on the ground. "What is your problem!?"

"You wanna know what my problem is!?" Kenny shouted. It took him until that point to recognize that they'd attracted quite a lot of attention. While passersby went about their business and pointedly ignored the small group, a significant number of people had stopped to watch the escalation, with hushed gossip and mutters of concern.

As if this humiliation weren't already enough. He exhaled and stepped back, his face burning with shame. "...I'm sorry, Ciara." He said, before recalling Empoleon and running off into the crowd.

It was all too much for Ciara. The girl was sobbing into her long sleeves, as lost as she was distraught. "I'm…" She sniffled. "I'm sorry, Dawn… I…! I don't-"

"Ciara. It's fine." Ash said gently, resting a hand on her shoulders. "Whatever that was, it's not your fault. Don't sweat it."

"Piiiika." Pikachu frowned, leaning over to pat her cheek and wipe away her tears.

"Please, Ciara. It's not your fault Kenny's being such a JERK," Dawn huffed, folding her arms.

"I… don't understand," Ciara sniffled.

"Don't worry about it." Ash pulled his hand from her, and walked past Ciara. "I'll talk to him."

"Like I care!" Dawn snapped.

Ash shook his head, knowing not to take it to heart. She was angry at Kenny, not himself. At least the commotion around them seemed to be subsiding, though. It gave him a break in the crowd to run through, and follow Kenny.

"C'mon, Ciara." Dawn took the girl's hand. "Let's go eat our feelings."

"O-our…? I don't know if… Eek!" She yelped, quickly realizing when Dawn pulled her along that it was less of a suggestion and more of a demand. "A-alright, then."

Navigating a busy crowd was pretty difficult when you were going against the flow of traffic. Even worse, though, was doing that when you had no idea where you were actually headed.

Pikachu sat atop Ash's hat, scouting for the brunet that had, up until now, evaded them. "Pi…" He hummed, searching for Kenny's head of hair. To his annoyance, they hadn't found him, yet.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked, garnering the mouse's attention. "I think I know exactly what's up with Kenny."

Pikachu frowned, tilting his head. "Pikachu, piiiik?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "If there's anyone who should talk to him, right now, it's me."

"Pika… Pikapi!" Pikachu shouted, pointing.

"You found him!?"

"Pi. Pika!" Pikachu's tail gestured towards the port.

"Thanks, Bud." Ash booked it through the crowd, excusing himself and shimmying by until it thinned out, giving him a clear path. Back where they'd docked the other day, the pier spanned out into Cinnabar's seas. Standing tall at the leftmost corner was a lighthouse. Kenny stood a distance away from it, overlooking the rolling waters.

He seemed to be taking a moment to himself, watching the waves.

"Kenny!" Ash shouted, stopping just short of the pier.

"Huh? Oh, come on!" The boy groaned, facing Ash. "Don't you know when to quit!?"

Ash ignored that, as Pikachu returned to his shoulder. "We need to talk."

Ciara poked idly at her salad, jabbing a fork into a cherry tomato. Dawn had insisted on indulgence, so she'd… added honey mustard. That would do. That little sweet kick was a nice distraction from the immense amount of discomfort she felt.

She and Dawn had found a local restaurant that had outdoor seating, with one of those cute round tables that had an umbrella hanging overhead, to provide shade. Ciara appreciated it; her plush sweaters kept her warm while inside, but out in the sun, it got just a bit overbearing.

Dawn, meanwhile, was far more indulgent, angrily munching on a veggie bun. A vegetable mix flavored with oyster and soy sauce, all in the middle of plushy dough. It was her first of several, and she wasn't hesitating to tear into it. "He's such…" Another bite. "...a snot-nosed jerk!"

"Erm…" Ciara hesitated, popping the tomato in her mouth after jabbing it through some lettuce. "Are we really talking about the same Kenny? I find all of that hard to believe, Dawn."

The blue-haired Coordinator huffed, slowing down for just a moment. If only because eating that quickly would inevitably give her a stomach ache. "He's not always like this," she admitted sourly. "We've been friends since we were little kids… and we were rivals. Just… sometimes he has these weird habits! Like, he'll close off to me, or ignore me, or just… start putting me down! I don't get it!"

"I didn't even know you knew each other," Ciara frowned. "I feel terrible."

"Please," Dawn said, before taking another bite. "It's not your fault he's like this."

"I just… don't quite understand. Kenny has always been amicable and thoughtful, with me."

"Well, that's just GREAT." Dawn said bitterly, returning to biting a whole half out of her next bun, somehow. The way she tore into it was rather violent, admittedly. "I'm so glad I get the special treatment."

Ciara flinched. Dawn's demeanor was frightening. "I'm… I'm sorry?"

Dawn sighed. "Let's finish eating, and clear our heads with some training. It'll give us some peace."

"That… sounds more like you wanting to blow some steam off," Ciara pointed out.

"It's the same thing!"

Kenny backed up on the pier, grimacing. The way his dark eyes darted left and right told Ash that he knew he'd been cornered. "Leave me alone, already." He spat.

"No way," Ash said. "This is important."

"You're such a pest!" Kenny shouted back. There was clearly no way out of this, unless he felt like taking an early afternoon swim… His eyes turned on the lighthouse nearby, and he ran for his only escape left. Disappearing into the dark interior of the island's beacon.

"This is going nowhere." Ash huffed, hands on his hips. He eyed the lighthouse, up to the top, where railing surrounded the top level, where one top floor wrapped around the tower. "Pikachu, back up. Like, a good twenty, thirty feet back from me."

"Pikapi…?" Pikachu frowned, tilting his head. Nevertheless, he obeyed, dashing back towards the dirt and sand of the island's shore. What could his trainer possibly be up to?

Ash followed Pikachu back most of the distance he'd walked, and turned to face the lighthouse.

Pikachu's ears fell. He was pretty sure he had an inkling of what his trainer was about to attempt, and he could already feel the gray fur coming from the stress. "Pikapi…"

"Alright. Here's the deal." Ash crouched, performing several stretches. "I'm gonna run and jump, and I need you to give me a boost up to the lighthouse. Alright?"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu protested, waving his arms around. Was he insane!? Well, he didn't really need to ask that, since he already knew the answer, but he couldn't just do that. He might get hurt!

"Just trust me, Pikachu." Ash said, without wavering. He leaned forward in preparation. "I've already thought this out. I'm a tough cookie; I know what I'm doing."

"Chu…" Pikachu sighed heavily. This was a certified Ash moment. And he was his certified partner-in-crime. "Pikachu!" He agreed, leaning onto all fours. He'd do it.

"Alright… Here goes!" Ash grunted, sprinting towards the lighthouse. "Pikachu! Volt Tackle!"

Volt Tackle!? A bit more extreme than what Pikachu expected, but he complied. He charged forward. Sparks dancing around his feet, before exploding into a full-blown aura of electricity enveloping his body. Chants of his name's syllables quickly escalated in speed and volume.

"Pikapikapikapikapikapikapikaaa…!"

"Okay!" Ash shouted, and jumped. "Go!"

"Pika… Pika-PI-KA!' Pikachu roared, before leaping… and crashing right into Ash's backside.

"Aaaaagh…!" Ash couldn't lie. It hurt. But he wouldn't let that deter him. Letting out a roar of determination as he was sent flying. Soaring higher and higher, until the railing to the lighthouse's peak was within reach. A gloved hand snagged metal, He hung for a moment, before he gripped it with his other hand, and pulled himself up, so he was standing crouched atop the rail.

All of this, just in time for Kenny to pull open the door to the top level and step outside. Only to freeze, and back away from Ash. With absolutely no knowledge of how he got up there, Kenny, frankly, looked terrified. What was he? "...You really don't stop at anything, do you."

"Of course." Ash hopped the rail onto solid ground. "Dawn cares about this, and I care about her."

"Ugh…" Kenny recoiled. Ash's selflessness with her was not the friendly reminder he needed, especially when he took it to such cartoonish lengths. Who did he think he was, some kind of poorly-written action hero? Would he pick up some five o-clock shadow, now, too!?

"You don't have to rub it in!" He snapped, keeping his other thoughts to himself.

"Rub what in!?" Ash pressed.

Kenny paused, opening his mouth, but no words came out. He averted his eyes.

"Kenny," Ash reiterated, narrowing his eyes. He was pretty sure he knew what was behind this. But if they were going to make any headway, he had to hear it from the man, himself.

"...Alright, already!" Kenny groaned. "I have feelings for Dawn, alright!? I always have!" His closed fist smacked against the railing, which hurt. He quickly regretted that. "...I could never really get her attention, when she was with you… Who am I kidding? I never could, ever. After leaving with Jasmine, I think I was starting to get over it… But then the second I see her, she's with you, and it comes crashing down all over again!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

The pain was evident in his voice. Ash winced. Enough time had passed that Pikachu had found his way up the stairs, standing at their feet. He and his trainer exchanged a look of sympathy.

"Kenny…" Ash started, reaching for his shoulder. "I've felt like that before-"

Kenny smacked his hand away. "When!? You mean when you were hogging Dawn's attention the entire time, and you didn't even notice?"

Ash leaned forward, with his hands stationed on his hips. The glare he cast was perhaps the meanest he'd ever looked, and it quickly made Kenny reevaluate his choices, and shut up.

Ash stood back up, and sighed. "For a really long time, I was sore from feelings I had for someone else. You know the fourth Cerulean Sister?"

"The fourth… you mean Misty? The Gym Leader?" Kenny asked.

"Mhm." Ash nodded.

"Apparently, she's been making a serious reputation for herself. Even I've heard about her rise as a Gym Leader. Word is, she might be sneaking up on the Cinnabar and Viridian Gym Leaders, in terms of skill." He caught Ash staring at him, and shrugged. "What? Battling is part of Contests. I can't keep an eye on the scene?"

Ash shook his head. "Yeah," he said fondly, looking off to the sea. "Misty's really amazing."

"Hey, what's with you!" Kenny jostled Ash's shoulder. "You're with Dawn, and you're still talking about an ex like that?!"

"Not an ex," Ash shrugged his shoulder away. "And, so? Of course I'm with Dawn. Misty's still my friend, and she's still really amazing."

Kenny was stunned into silence. There was something… weird and humbling about the differences in their attitudes. He didn't quite get it, but here they were. Ash had a girlfriend, and he didn't. Maybe he ought to listen to him, if he wanted to get anywhere.

"I was bitter for ages," Ash continued. "I didn't even like to talk about love. At all. So I just buried it. I couldn't move on until I confronted Misty about it, and put it to bed."

"Pikapi, pika Pikachu-pi ka." Pikachu corrected, wagging his finger at Ash disapprovingly.

"...Okay, okay!" Ash laughed, throwing up his open palms. "Misty was the one with the guts to confront me about it."

Kenny was left to swallow this information. He'd never known any of this about Ash, but it made so much sense of him. It was no wonder he practically had Dawn hanging off his arm, and managed to hang off hers without being any the wiser. He'd been scared, or something like that.

It was hard for him to be mad at Ash, anymore.

"...I don't know what to do," Kenny muttered. He walked over to lean his arms on the railing, looking over the horizon. The smell of salt water carried on the breeze. He felt his puffy bangs rustle. "I really don't want to lose Dawn's friendship. But I'm still feeling totally sore about it."

"You've gotta be upfront with her," Ash answered. "And I'm not going to do it for you."

"Ugh…!" Kenny groaned in frustration. He hung his head. "...Thanks, Ash." He couldn't help but feel gratitude. As much as he wanted to hate the guy, he gave it to him straight. That feeling of appreciation, unfortunately, came with a full helping of guilt and regret. He hissed under his breath, thinking of that day from months gone by. "...Ash, I have a confession."

Ash raised a brow. "Another one?"

"That battle we had, in Sunyshore last year… It was a lie."

Ash frowned. "A lie…? I don't get it."

"...It was over Dawn!" Kenny shouted. "I got pissy about you and Dawn chumming it up, so I talked to Dawn after Jasmine's battle with Flint. I asked her to travel with me, and said that if I beat you in a battle, she'd come." Talking about that experience in hindsight…

Boy, did he feel like a tremendous chump.

"You've got to be kidding." Ash grimaced. "That's not what a battle's about. If anything, you should've faced Dawn. You didn't even tell me that was happening!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu scolded.

"I know! I know… It was stupid. Brock said these things…" He hung his head. It was no excuse. "I can understand if you don't want to talk to me." He felt a hand on his shoulder, and flinched.

Ash, inexplicably… was smiling. "You'll just have to make it up to me… with a good, honest battle!"

Kenny let a laugh slip through, genuinely smiling. "You're on, Ash."

"Ponyta! Use Fire Spin!"

Ciara commanded, from one of the battlefields stationed throughout the island. While she raised a hand to the air, her Pokémon reared back his head, and spat out a twister of fire that quickly grew in volume, slowly approaching her opponent.

On the other end stood Dawn. Long past the fear of competitors watching and hijacking her moves. "Prinplup! Douse it with Hydro Pump!" She waved her hand violently. She was no longer beholden to her fear of her techniques being stolen. Her competition could all saunter up and watch her training with binoculars if they wanted. They couldn't emulate the way the sweeping torrent cut through Fire Spin, and doused it into hissing steam.

And even if they could, they could never predict her follow-up strategies, just as Janine could never have predicted Ash, no matter how much she studied him. Just as Ciara's Ponyta emerged from the chaos with a graceful leap.

"Flame Charge!" With Ciara's call, Ponyta plummeted towards Prinplup with a fiery veil. Propelled by the heat, she maintained the speed to bash into the penguin.

Prinplup recoiled, skidding back on his feet. He managed to maintain his footing. "Lup!"

"Use Whirlpool!" Dawn ordered forcefully.

"Priiiin…!" Prinplup raised his wings above his head to conjure a raging Whirlpool. It was tossed overhead, aiming to sweep Ponyta up into its glistening waters.

"Ah! Use Agility!" Ciara exclaimed. "Dodge it!"

Purple, glowing prints enveloped Ponyta's hooves, propelling the equine into a dizzying dash about Whirlpool. She managed to run circles around it; her warm flames were highlighted and reflected in the turning waters. A sure show of grace!

"Nice technique," Dawn praised. Brow furrowing. "But you won't get away from us, that easily. Prinplup, freeze that Whirlpool!"

Freezing rays of cyan enveloped the twister, swiftly freezing it over with Prinplup's recently-gained power. A huge, frozen sculpture with twisting waves and icicles was quite a grand sight. Mist and airborne frost even clung to its surface, highlighting its splendor.

Ciara gasped. Staring up at the structure that dwarfed her in awe.

But, Dawn wasn't done. "Now, launch it at Ponyta!" The girl commanded, with a wave of her open palm. "Hydro Pump!"

Prinplup bound into the air, and struck the ice sculpture with a powerful jet that catapulted it towards the escaped Ponyta.

"Ah!? D-Dawn!?" Ciara sputtered. Wasn't she getting a bit intense…? Unnecessarily so!? Be that as it may, Ciara had no other choice but to fight. "Ponyta! Use Flame Charge!"

Ponyta whinnied, and charged in a fiery aura, once more. Heat aided his head first charge.

Cracks ran through the Whirlpool, highlighted with vibrant oranges and reds. Next, it shattered.

"Awesome!" Even in her fury, Dawn had to give praise for the show of strength and majesty. "You've gotten a whole lot stronger, Ciara!"

"With opponents like you, I don't have much of a choice," Ciara huffed. "Ponyta! Poison Jab!"

Ponyta stampeded forward and leapt into the heart of the shattering ice. Fractured shards and glistening dust highlighted the steed to look her best. A fuchsia glow overtook her hooves.

An answer like that was music to Dawn's ears. "Prinplup! Metal Claw!"

Prinplup leaned forward into a sprint, and charged the descending Ponyta. "Luuup…!" He swung steel-tipped wings, and bashed them against the poisonous hooves. Trickling toxins sizzled and died away on the elemental veil, and Ponyta was having trouble pressing down and overpowering him.

Battle experience won out, and Prinplup bucked off Ponyta's hooves, and smashed down upon him with his own wings.

The pony crashed into the ground amidst the falling ice.

"Ponyta…!" Ciara gasped, running over to her Pokémon's side. She crouched beside him; he was conscious, but weary. This mock contest battle was effectively over. She gently stroked his fiery mane. "You did excellently. Thank you."

Standing on the opposite end, Dawn exhaled heavily. The adrenaline was finally starting to leave her. "You were awesome, Prinplup." She walked up to her starter, and they both attended Ciara and Ponyta alongside one another "You two, too! That was a great match."

"It… was," Ciara tentatively agreed, recalling Ponyta.

"Hm?" Dawn tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just…!" The girl stood, absently running a hand through her voluminous hair. "You were a bit… aggressive. Aren't you worried that'll affect your judgment?" In the Wallace Cup, naturally.

"Was I…?" Dawn blinked. She had been pretty angry, walking in. She would've expected a battle to put her in a better mood. It had, but if Ciara was so sure… "Sorry, Ciara. I hope I didn't hurt Ponyta."

"Oh, no! He's alright. I'm sure he'll just need a trip to the Pokémon Center." She shook her head.

"I guess I still need more time to cool off…" Dawn bit her lip. She hated how Kenny had gotten under her skin. "Whatever. We should go drop off Ponyta, anyway." She'd accompany Ciara to have her partner healed.

It wasn't as if she had any idea what Ash and Kenny were up to, at this point.

Finding a battlefield wasn't terribly hard, from where they'd been. A collection of marked battlefields laid parallel, a short distance from the Pokémon Center, making full use of the grassless patches of land that peppered the island.

A majority of them were taken, occupied by pairs of trainers who competed and practiced appeals, giving any onlooker quite the sneak preview of the Wallace Cup. Flames spat in attempts at coordinated, beautiful patterns, pairs of quadruped pokemon attempting to gracefully trounce one another, and flashes of lightning and ice preluding what would soon become appeals and battle round performances. The lack of flashy outfits characteristic of Sinnoh's Super Contests made it a bit harder to tell, but the island was clearly crowded with Coordinators attempting to make a name for themselves.

"Look at all these coordinators! Looks like you've got some serious competition." Ash grinned over at Kenny, resting his hands on his hips.

"Look, if you're trying to psyche me out…"

"You kidding? I'm kind of jealous! You'll get to test yourself against all these different opponents… I gotta wait a couple more months for my chance." He jerked a thumb towards one of the few open fields. "C'mon. I'm sure our match'll get you pumped for the big event!"

"I'll make sure Empoleon's ready to wipe the floor with everyone else!" Kenny boasted, rushing to his box on the field before casually tossing one of his Poké Balls towards the ground before him.

A flash was spat from the ball, soon taking the regal form of Empoleon, himself. "Empol…?" The bird frowned, tilting his head. It seemed he hadn't forgotten about earlier.

"Don't worry, big guy." Ash waved his hand. "Everything's good… well, sorta."

"Yeah, yeah. Less of that, more battling," Kenny quickly dismissed.

Empoleon shrugged his shoulders, and walked gallantly over to stand opposite of Ash.

"Alright, Floatzel… You're up!" Ash snatched a Poké Ball off his belt, and leapt backwards to sling it forward in a backhanded throw. A flash of light called on his partner.

The grown Sea Weasel crossed his arms over his chest in typical tough-guy fashion, eyeing the opposite Water-type like a hawk. "Float!" A toothy grin showed. He definitely remembered this guy… It was time for a rematch with a very different result.

"Pol…" The emperor's pitch-black eyes glimmered. If this was the same Buizel he'd faced in the past… Well, that was something of a comfortable win, but not only had he evolved, but he looked more experienced. This would probably end up being an actual challenge. A perfect way to start the Wallace Cup off.

"Alright, time for round two!" Ash grinned, throwing a finger forward. "Floatzel, Aqua jet!"

A torrent exploded around the mammal, launching his body with a grunt towards Empoleon in a missile of raging water.

"Nice try," Kenny answered with confidence. "Stop it in its tracks with Grass Knot!"

Before an exclamation of shock could even leave Ash's lips, two glowing, vibrant green roots shot out of the ground, quickly ensnaring and capturing Floatzel. The water veil burst and dissipated, leaving the Water-type helpless.

Or, so Kenny would like to believe.

"Grass Knot…! That's a new one." Ash grinned. "But, it's not enough to stop us! Break out of that with Ice Punch!" He raised a fist.

"Float…!" Floatzel raised an arm, his paw quickly glowing with chilling energy.

Kenny frowned. "You're not getting away with that. Empoleon, Drill Peck!"

Empoleon twisted his burly form, launching at Floatzel like a spinning top.

"Zel!" A swing of the frosted limb snapped through the roots like a Scyther's blade and a brittle branch. By time the frosted plant began to descend, though, Floatzel found himself face-to-face with the spinning drill, ready to do him in.

"They've gotten fast… Brick Break!" Ash ordered.

Gravity hadn't reeled him in yet. The suspended Floatzel raised both of his paws over his head, canines glimmering as fighting spirit was packed into both of his paws. A twist of his hips just eluded the fierce drill. Floatzel took this opportunity to cry out, swinging both of his shining limbs down upon Empoleon in an axe handle.

The ground broke and trembled in a show of brutality not quite characteristic of contest battles. Floatzel distanced himself from the dusty debris, grinning at his success. 'Nice try, Happy Feet,' he quipped smugly in his thoughts.

Kenny scowled. "Hydro Cannon!"

The dirt began to disperse, what remained illuminated by a large, teal orb before Empoleon's beak. The proud pokemon cawed with one steely flipper supporting him, firing the blast.

Ash's heart began to pound at the sight of the most powerful known Water-type move. But he had to keep his cool. Brows furrowing, he threw his arm up to point towards the sky. "Dodge, with Aqua Jet!"

Floatzel launched off, ribboning around the watery blast to escape it above.

"Now they're trapped… Keep up that Aqua Jet!"

Already airborne, Floatzel peaked, turning into a straight dive towards Empoleon.

Huffing and low on energy, Empoleon was struck. Skidding back, he dragged his wings across the dirt with grace that did even his vulnerable position justice. That Hydro Cannon had been tiring, but if a single Aqua Jet was the price, he'd be fine to carry on.

This upset was beginning to wear on Kenny's pride. Just how strong was Ash? "I've gotta admit, you've gotten stronger, Ash. Let's see just how much you can handle! Flash Cannon!"

"Pol!" Empoleon shrieked, firing a silver burst of energy from his beak.

Ash's fist closed. Floatzel was just landing and that was coming in fast. "Sonic Boom!"

Floatzel didn't miss a beat, landing on one foot to twist his hips, launching a sound wave from his tails. "Zel!"

The projectile collided with Flash Cannon, causing the lustrous blast to splash and slow, but it continued on its path, stubborn to run down the water type.

"More Sonic Boom! Stop that attack!" Ash coached.

"Zel! Zel! Zel!" Floatzel continued to spin, launching one wave after the next, cutting into the Flash Cannon. The attack soon began to splinter and lost its momentum completely, dissipating.

Kenny's canines bared. How hard could it be to beat this guy? "Grass Knot!"

"Aqua Jet!"

Another pair of vibrant roots shot up, only to claw and reach for their target in vain. By the time they surfaced and struck, the watery jet was well above ground, shooting towards Empoleon.

"Now, time for our signature… Let's make this an Ice Aqua Jet, with Ice Punch!"

"Float!" The soaring pokemon chanted, raising a fist inside his jet, covering it in an icy glow. With that, he spun, pulling a swirling trail of frost through the current. What had just been an Aqua Jet had turned into a spiraling drill of ice, spinning towards Empoleon.

"Now he can make Ice Aqua Jet on his own!?" Kenny gawked, nearly seething with jealousy. Though, this time, it was over skills, rather than the Coordinator they both knew well. "That's too risky. Empoleon, stop it with Drill Peck!"

Empoleon mirrored his opponent, launching at Floatzel like a spear-tipped, spinning top.

Both trainers kept their eyes locked on the spectacle, hearts skipping a beat when their pokemon collided.

Over everything else, shattered ice could be heard in an ear-ringing crash. Floatzel and Empoleon hovered above, their momentum canceled. Their narrowed eyes met, looks of competitive fury challenging one another.

This was their chance, Kenny figured, watching them from below. "Hydro Cannon!"

Empoleon grinned before parting his beak wide, gathering power.

"Brick Break!" Ash shouted, motioning an uppercut.

"Float…" The Sea Weasel streamlined his body, diving at the attacking Empoleon. The shining, teal orb in the penguin's mouth would make this move do-or-die. "Zel!" He ducked, throwing a fist forward.

One pokemon's focus was shattered, his resolve breaking.

A terrible, breathtaking pain knocked all of the oxygen from Empoleon's lungs, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints. He squawked a painful squawk, bested by a punch to the abdomen. The punch even followed through, knocking him upward before gravity took over.

Soon enough, Empoleon hit the ground.

"...! Empoleon!" The chestnut-haired Coordinator panicked, leaning forward to peer at his Pokémon. He was disappointed to find that, unsurprisingly, there were swirls in his eyes.

Floatzel landed on his hind legs, huffing, his pride sated.

"Dang," Kenny said, shaking his head. 'He really is a step ahead, huh…?' A small part of him wondered if, on that day months ago, he hadn't truly beaten Ash at his best. Recalling Empoleon, he dispelled the thought, and braved meeting Ash's eyes with a smile. "Hey, congrats. Floatzel was really cool, out there."

"Right?" Ash grinned, bumping his elbow against Floatzel's. Walking over, he offered a hand to help Kenny up. "Thanks, man. So, what do you say…?"

"Huh?" Kenny frowned, taking his hand regardless.

"You think we can call it even, now?" Ash smiled widely.

"...Heh." Kenny smirked, pulling himself up. "Yeah, we're 's head to the Pokémon Center. I don't know about Floatzel, but I think Empoleon could use a rest."

"Zel. Floatzel!" Floatzel shrugged his paws nonchalantly, as if to say 'I'm fine.'

"Yeah, yeah. Talk it up, tough guy." Ash rolled his eyes bemusedly, patting the Water-type's shoulder. "I know you won, but if we're gonna be training tomorrow, you should be in top-shape."

"Pika-chu," Pikachu tutted at Floatzel. Arrogance would only come back to bite him.

Accepting the point, Floatzel rolled his eyes, and reluctantly followed the two trainers.

Kenny let out a sigh of contentment. This felt surprisingly good. He'd been straightforward with Ash — after being totally backed into a corner, but still — and their friendship had survived. Here they were, palling it up again. He'd almost forgotten what'd made him so angry, in the first place.

That was, until paths converged, between four different trainers. Just outside the sliding doors of the Pokémon Center, another duo approached from the opposite direction.

Dawn and Ciara walked alongside one another. Prinplup alongside his trainer, looking something between fatigued and worried. The expression Dawn wore was remarkably and concerningly neutral. Ciara had been muttering something or another, when she looked up, wide blue hues making contact with Kenny's. "...Oh! Kenny."

"Kenny?" Dawn echoed, and suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her expression was, frankly, uncharacteristically icy. Or, was it unlike her, at all? How much did he even know about Dawn in the first place? "Well, it's about time," she spat. "Where have you two been?"

"...Oh. Right. That." Kenny frowned. He felt Ash's hand on his shoulder, nudging him forward. He did move forward, but only a half-hearted stumble that the shove had sent him on, in the first place. "I… erm. We…" He rubbed the back of his neck. Honesty was terribly hard. Hadn't Ash said that Misty was the one to break the ice?

"You?" Dawn frowned, holding a guarded fist over her chest. Perhaps not as cold and supposedly detached as a moment ago. Instead, she felt fiery impatience, after spending all afternoon in the dark. "C'mon. Spit it out!"

"...Dawn." Ciara whispered, lightly tugging on the older girl's pink jacket. "It's okay, really-"

"No, it's not okay." Dawn snapped, prompting Ciara to release her immediately.

"We just had a battle," Ash picked up, seeing that this was going nowhere. "So, Kenny was going to take his Empoleon to the Pokémon Center. Can't leave the big guy all beat up, right?"

Kenny turned to shoot Ash a dirty look, as if to ask, 'did you really need to bring that up?'

Ash shrugged his shoulders. It was an out.

"O-oh! That'd actually be great…" Ciara volunteered, stepping forward. "Ponyta is quite tired, as well… We should get them taken care of, Kenny."

"...Yeah. Alright." Kenny half-smiled, grateful, and nodded his head towards the Center. "Let's go, Ciara."

As Dawn was seemingly ignored, she looked between Ciara and Kenny, frankly feeling awfully lost. What had gotten into Kenny? To the both of them!? Where did they get off, brushing her off?

It showed in her face; brows knit low, but eyes awfully wide. Confusion and fury swirling together at once, and a clenched fist at her side showed hurt. Something that, while she couldn't quite put together, Ash could spot it, at the very least. He took her hand, prompting a look of confusion. "Ash…!?"

"Hey. C'mon. Forget it. Why don't we get something to eat? I'm buying."

"...Wait." Dawn frowned. "It's been, like, at least an hour, now. You're telling me you didn't actually eat lunch!?" She bordered somewhere between concern and confusion, distracted from her problems for at least a moment. "Are you sick?"

"Sick? Nah. Just hungry. I didn't really find the time." He smiled sheepishly, rubbing his neck with his opposite hand.

"You had time for a battle," she pointed out.

"Oh, that?" Ash laughed nervously. "Yeah, that was… part of everything. I was too busy dealing with all that for you."

"Pika-Pika." Pikachu nodded solemnly.

Dawn felt her heart soften in real time, and her blood pressure likely took a dive, for it. Knowing he'd been so focused on figuring things out for her… "Well, at least I can count on someone here," she said pointedly, squeezing Ash's hand to pull him along. "C'mon! Ciara and I stopped by this place with great buns, earlier. I think you'd love it."

"Ha, alright!" Ash grinned, eagerly keeping pace with the Coordinator. Seeing her in better spirits put him a little more at ease; even more so than having his stomach filled. "Lead the way, Ma'am."

"Ma'am!?" Dawn enunciated, giving Ash a funny look.

"...What. Do you not like it?" Ash toying self-consciously with his cap. "I've said it before."

"...Nah. I think it's cute, actually." Dawn smiled. A little silly, maybe, but she'd learned her lesson about dating for appearances. Ash was forthcoming with his feelings, whatever they were, and she appreciated it all the more in the moment. Honesty for honesty. But, that reminded her. "...Hey. What was his deal, anyway? The guy wouldn't say a word to me, but you sure spent a lot of time with him."

"...Oh! Kenny?" Ash looked at her, blinking. "Yeah. We actually talked a lot. Probably the most, ever, since I've met the guy."

"Well, I'll give you points for honesty," Dawn huffed, cheek puffing out. "He's another story. So, did you figure out why he was acting like such a jerk?"

Ash paused, carefully considering his words. "...Yeah. I did. But I really think it's something that you should hear from Kenny yourself. Y'know what I mean?"

"What's with that?" Dawn asked. Having a moment to think on it, though, she hummed. "...Actually, yeah. I do want to hear it from him. If he ever does, anyway."

"He will," Ash assured, squeezing her hand. "He just needs some time. Not everyone can be as brutally honest as you," he teased, poking her playfully on the nose.

"Wh-!? H-hey!" Dawn flushed, sticking her tongue out. "I pride myself on being honest… Unless you want a repeat of…" Well, she didn't really need to finish her sentence. She could see Ash getting blue in the face, already. "...Hey. You wanna train after lunch? I already did, but I feel like I dogwalked Ciara, with how mad I was. I feel a little bad."

"...She'll be okay," Ash decided. She'd seemed more awkward about the confrontation a minute ago than concerned about Ponyta, so it couldn't have been that bad. "Yeah! Sure. You're gonna need someone who can walk on your level, if you want to prep for the Cup." A beat. "Actually, you wanna stop back by the town square, after we eat? I think I saw some stalls for TMs and stuff. If you're going to stand out, then maybe we should expand on the moves our Pokémon know!"

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Dawn beamed. Suddenly, she decided to pull Ash along a little faster. There was a part of her heart that ached, a little, for her old friend. Maybe more than a little. But until he could sort himself out, that was his problem, certainly. "C'mon. I'm sure we'll find something good and flashy for them — and I bet you can find something to help you for your battle with Blaine!"

"Ha, let's hope so!" Ash laughed. "I've still got to figure out that riddle…" Even as he ran, his head sank into his shoulders, a little. He was dreading that part, in particular.

"No need to worry," Dawn winked over her shoulder. "Luckily, you decided to lend a hand to a poet extraordinaire! So, she's going to pay you back."

Ash laughed good naturedly, keeping pace. "Boy. Aren't I lucky?"

Alongside his trainer (and adoptive parent), Prinplup did his best to keep up with them. He'd been worrying for Dawn's sake, really. He'd considered giving Kenny a proper Hydro Pump. But, watching her run alongside Ash, rather than chase whatever stupid issues he had… He felt content for her. His self-proclaimed parents were alright.