Another Road Repaved - Coordination

by Mezamun

Ash and Dawn have finally become a pair, and set their sights on Cinnabar Island, for the upcoming Wallace Cup! Dawn takes the spotlight, and in the meantime, she and an old friend delve into some uncomfortable truths in their relationship. But, Dawn is determined to have that Aqua Ribbon, no matter the obstacle! Meanwhile, Ash has his own to confront, while he supports Dawn!

7. Underhanded Tactics

"Allllright! We've moved on to the first battle round of the Wallace Cup! We have the former winner, Dawn, from Twinleaf Town, against Aaron, from Dewford Town!" Lilian narrated from the sidelines, while the two competitors stood on opposite ends of the pool. "Now, sit tight while we see what these two Coordinators have in store! Let's get… busy!"

Dawn went first, twirling to throw her Poké Ball backhanded. "Pachirisu! Spotlight!"

"Chi-pah!" Pachirisu appeared in mid-air. Tumbling forward before landing on one of the floating platforms, striking a cute pose.

"Aron! Let's go!" The other trainer called on his own Pokémon. Upon another glance, Dawn's face fell.

A silver-haired kid with a bowl cut and blue eyes… He looked just like his Pokémon; not to mention having virtually the same name! Was this some kind of joke…?

Dawn shook her head, and regained focus, as the timer rang. "Pachirisu! Sweet Kiss!"

Pachirisu blew a kiss, flicking it towards Aron with her stubby paws. Two pink hearts orbited each other on their path forward.

"Aron! Use Headbutt!"

The tiny Steel-type charged forward, ducking his head before bashing it directly into Sweet Kiss. The two pink hearts were obliterated, and he just kept charging!

"What!?" Dawn exclaimed.

"Now, what's this! Aron put down that Sweet Kiss with sheer brute strength and determination!"

Aron continued to bash his skull into Pachirisu's chin, sending the squealing Elesquirrel flying.

For the successful show of strength, Dawn lost a few of her points.

"Pachirisu! Discharge!" Dawn commanded, pointing forward.

Still airborne, Pachirisu corrected herself and flexed. Multiple paths of jagged blue lightning converged towards their tiny foe.

"Block it, with Rock Tomb!" Aaron shouted.

Several huge slabs of stone orbited around Aron, and flung themselves towards Pachirisu. Her Discharge crashed into each of the tenets of Rock Tomb, blowing them to rubble.

"There's our path forward!" Dawn beamed. "Pachirisu! Charge through them with Spark!"

"Chi~!" Pachirisu landed atop a slab of rock, and ignited her fur with a bright charge. Without further ado, she zipped to the nearest rock, and then another following. With her top-notch speed, she was leaving a zip-zag trail between the many pieces of rubble before they even had the chance to fall.

"Look at Pachirisu go! That's some top-notch speed, and she's giving us a light show in the act; showing us every individual jump!"

Dawn smiled, as she watched Aaron's points take a hit. Pachirisu's speed was perhaps her greatest asset! With the path clear, she encouraged her. "Go!"

"Chiiii!" Pachirisu ricocheted her way towards Aron.

"Use Iron Defense!" Aaron commanded.

The small Steel-type tensed his exoskeleton, reinforcing it with a second layer of metal.

Pachirisu crashed, managing little more than a few beautiful sparks and a sore skull.

"Look at that," Lilian interjected with a shout. "Iron Defense is making Spark look like some sort of fierce ironwork! The sparks dancing off of its coat have truly robbed Dawn of the spotlight!"

Dawn grimaced, as her points dropped below Aaron's again.

"Now! Metal Burst!" With more confidence than before, Aaron made his call.

With Pachirisu's skull pressed to his, Aron was prime to open his mouth, firing a silver burst of energy that consumed the squirrel, and sent her flying with it. An explosion followed, dropping Pachirisu with a squeak.

"What a nasty combination! Iron Defense, to reduce that damage to null, and Metal Burst to deal Pachirisu's force back immediately! Dawn's good with her speedy partners, but Aaron is no less proficient with his sturdy buddy, folks!"

---

Lilian's remarks had sparked a train of thought in Ash, if the combination hadn't, already. He tensed, leaning forward in his seat. 'They used Iron Defense and immediately counterattacked… Torkoal's Iron Defense works, but he's never been able to fight back that quickly.'

The trainer's lips stretched out into a thin line. 'I don't think he knows any moves like Metal Burst… Is there any way we can…?'

In Ash's lap, Pikachu frowned, prodding his chest. "Pikapi…?"

Ash stirred. "Oh! Sorry, Buddy. It's nothing," he excused. "Just… thinking, is all."

---

'We've got a problem,' Dawn thought to herself. 'Aron's stubborn, and none of his moves do much to chase Pachirisu around, unless you count Headbutt. Running circles around an opponent is Pachirisu's specialty. This'll hurt her charm! We have no choice but to confuse him!'

"Use Rock Tomb, below you!" Aaron continued, before Dawn could get any further.

Dawn watched as collaborating slabs of rock erupted under Aron's feet, elevating the Pokémon high above Pachirisu. Aaron had developed an idea similar to…!

"Use Headbutt on the stage!"

Aron jumped from his elevation, and immediately sank like… well, a rock, and collided with the floating arena headfirst. Suddenly, half of the round, sturdy platform immediately dipped towards the pool. By necessity, the other side violently elevated into the air; the platform nearly capsizing!

As a result, Pachirisu was sent flying.

"What is this!? Aron didn't attack Pachirisu, but instead, threw off the entire center stage! It takes some serious weight to do that, folks! Aron is looking mighty tough!"

For this, Dawn's points shot down to around half.

---

"Is he seriously that heavy!?" Ash exclaimed, leaning forward in his seat.

~He almost sank that thing!~ Rosa exclaimed, sitting on top of Ash's hat.

"Even Nidoking and Aggron didn't pull that off. Sure, they weren't on the floating platforms, but…"

A beep in Ash's jacket alerted him, and he pulled out his Pokédex. Dexter spoke.

"The Aron line's hidden ability: Heavy Metal. The Pokémon's weight is doubled."

"Woah… Way to play to your strengths."

---

Dawn watched Pachirisu soar. Despite her opponent's ingenuity, she smiled. Inspiration glimmered in her eyes. "Now's our chance… Pachirisu! Now's the time to use Sweet Tooth!"

"Sweet… Tooth…?" Aaron echoed. Lips turned downward, and brow knit low in confusion, he wasn't eager to find out what that was the hard way. "Aron! Iron Defense!"

"Chiiiii…!" Pachirisu plummeted for Aron in a free fall. Mouth open wide, she exposed her primary incisors. Ordinarily merely buck teeth, they gained a beautiful pink hue, and grew projections well beyond her biology; several times their usual size!

Below her, Aron coated himself in metallic armor.

Pachirisu chomped down. "Pah~!"

False teeth, adorably pink in hue, tapped down on Aron's head. As if it were merely a peck, rather than chomping fangs, she made the cutest of sounds, and a storm of rosy red hearts exploded from the point of contact! Surrounding the two Pokémon, and the stage.

Better yet, several bounced off the platform, decorating the immediate waters with pink shimmers.

A chorus of adoring coos and awe's came from the audience. It was as if Pachirisu had descended from the heavens like a little cherub, to leave Aron with a big… well, stylistic kiss! The environmental storytelling, all things considered, looked like it was off a romantic holiday card.

"Now, that was just precious! Whatever it is Dawn just pulled off was nothing short of cute, cute, cute! Who knows how much damage it did, but it won over all of our hearts! Oh, and… look at that! I believe Aron is flustered too, folks! Tripping over his own feet, even!"

While Pachirisu ran adoring circles around Aron; no doubt just enjoying herself; the Steel-type was stumbling about flimsily, with a major blush showing on his cheeks, against all known laws of Steel-type biology. Flustered and hoodwinked, the small creature could hardly focus.

Aaron bit his lip, as he watched his points take a massive dive. "Aron… U-use Metal Burst!"

The command fell on deaf ears.

"Perfect… Now, if we can just wrap this up." Dawn's eyes assessed the scene; cool blue hues bouncing from one end of the stage to the next. Some of the floating hearts still remained, and Aron's earlier stunt left the stage more-or-less soaked… As was he, from when he'd submerged.

Beaming, Dawn threw her hands outward. "Pachirisu! Discharge!"

It was likely a good thing Pachirisu had just burned off a touch of excess energy, as it allowed her to hear Dawn loud and clear. She hopped in the air. "Chiiii~!" A blinding cyan charge lit up herself, Aron, and the stage alike. Water conducted her electricity, carrying currents all about to rise in a pillar in the middle of the pool.

Better yet, Discharge popped the many present hearts from Sweet Kiss into shimmering hues of red and blue. All-in-all, a dazzling sight!

"Aron…!" Aaron called out. "Are you-"

Before the Pokémon's condition could even be assessed, a loud 'ding!' interrupted the trainer. Up on the scoreboard, Aaron's face disappeared, and Dawn's took up the entire screen.

"...And, that's a victory by point knock-out! It seems the judges have sided with Pachirisu and her adorable ways, but let's give a big hand to Aaron and, well, Aron!"

Dawn watched the trainer resignedly collect his partner, and gave a bow of acknowledgement before Pachirisu hopped into her arms and ran circles around her shoulders. She giggled. "Great work, Pachirisu. Let's get you to Nurse Joy, and watch the other rounds!"

---

The battle rounds continued, after Dawn's battle with Aron. Next up was Ember, up against a trainer named Luna, and her darling Drifblim. Drifblim had attempted numerous attacks on Flaaffy, including a daring Ominous Wind, but Light Screen allowed the sheep to bravely hold her ground.

And a cute, fuzzy creature standing bravely in the face of a storm was picture-perfect!

"Let's, like, wrap this up, Flaaffy!" Ember commanded gleefully. "Use Cotton Spore!"

"Flaaa~!" Flaffy cried, barraging Drifloon with plentiful, adhesive cotton spores.

Tried as Drifloon may to dodge them, they were soon stuck with the adhesive substance, hovering close to the ground, as far more mass than usual weighed them down.

"Now, Flaaffy! Thunderbolt!"

A golden bolt of lightning struck poor Drifloon, and the spores were sent flying.

"And, that's a wrap! Drifloon is unable to battle!"

---

Next was Brendan, up against Victoria; a skilled Coordinator with a Vespiquen who was giving quite a bit of hassle to the very poorly type matched Shiftry. Bug-type offenses, and a threatening Heal and Defend order proved difficult for the cool trainer to overcome.

"Attack Order!"

A cluster of Combee-like apparitions attacked in a nasty swarm.

"Leaf Tornado! Get out of sight!" Brendan ordered with confidence, despite his troubles.

A verdant twister shrouded Shiftree, instead sucking in the insectoid projections of Attack Order and ripping them to null.

"Fake Out!"

"Huh?!" Victoria exclaimed.

The cluster of leaves was so thick there was no way that Vespiquen could have anticipated it. Breaking through the veil, the forest-adept Pokémon had been perfectly camouflaged by his defense. Grinning wickedly, he backhanded Vespiquen with his branch-like hand.

"A Fake Out in the middle of the match!" Lilian announced. "I guess there's a first time for everything, folks!

"Now! Leaf Blade!"

Shiftry charged his recovering foe, and mercilessly crossed her with crescents of green.

Vespiquen fainted!

"And, that's a wrap! Overcoming a massive disadvantage, Brendan moves on to the next round!"

Brendan bowed coolly, and exchanged words of comfort with his opponent while Lilian spoke.

---

"Up next are Ciara, and Quijote! What do these two Coordinators have to offer us?"

"I hate to squash such a delicate flower." Quijote ran a hand through his slicked back hair, shaking his head. If he was fooling anybody with his grief, it was likely only himself. "But, not to worry. I'll do so swiftly!" He grabbed a Poké Ball, and tossed it. "Nidoking! Show us your splendor!"

Quijote's Nidoking landed on the main platform, making it tremble with a mighty roar.

Ciara swallowed heavily. What a rotten thing to say…! She felt the impulse to tell him off burning inside of her. But, as much as that furnace burned, her lips wouldn't move. Her words were caught in her throat. Instead, she tossed her own Poké Ball and ignored him. "Vulpix! Charm up!"

"Vul~!" Ciara's golden Vulpix cooed, standing in Nidoking's way. Sparkles danced off of her lustrous coat.

"Now, why don't you light things up, with your Drought!" Ciara shouted, throwing a hand in the air.

The fox's six tails fanned out, and a howl to the heavens heralded a harsher glow from the sun. The field suddenly felt hotter, and glimmers of light danced off the pool's expansive surface.

---

"There it is!" Dawn cooed, from backstage.

"There… what is?" Larkspur, who was sat beside Dawn, asked.

"During the first Contest I entered along with Ciara, she didn't give Drought any fanfare. It felt kind of like a waste of a good entrance to me. She's improved!"

"...An ability would be a good way to show appeal, wouldn't it?"

---

"A fine entrance," Quijote conceded, clicking his tongue. "But I do sincerely hope that you don't hope to win, just because you have a rare Pokémon."

Ciara recoiled, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

"Ahahaha, alriiiight!" Lilian interrupted. This was getting a little out of hand! "Since both competitors are so fired up, let's get busy!"

The five-minute clock started. With it, Quijote's points immediately took a small dip for Drought's display.

Ciara furrowed her thick, lavender brows, and extended a hand for a command before Quijote could continue the conversation. "Vulpix! Use Flame Burst!"

A large fireball was spat across the stage; vibrant and blazing under the harsh sunlight. It collided with Nidoking, igniting the Poison-type in a blaze.

Nidoking cried out, and several rolling embers escaped on either side of him. Bouncing onto the water's surface, to ignite before fizzling away. It was as if runway lights had danced across the stage, before dying off!

"Ciara opens the match with a strong Flame Burst! What will Quijote do!?"

The young man's points suffered another modest drop.

"Hmph." Quijote huffed. "Nidoking, use your Poison Tail!"

Nidoking stampeded towards Vulpix, shifting his weight around to whip his tail around viciously. Fuchsia hues lit the dangerous extremity with leaking poison.

"Pull back, Vulpix!" Ciara urged.

Vulpix sprung backwards, towards the edge of the center platform. "Vul!"

"Use Confuse Ray!"

"Use Earth Power!"

Just as Vulpix's eyes took on an eerie shine, splintering cracks ran through the stage that leaked gold light. It crept forth until it was under her feet. "Vul!?" She squealed, turning tail to jump onto the smaller, waterborne platform behind her. Earth Power exploded where she'd stood.

Ciara frowned. She hadn't even had a chance to attack…! But, now they had distance. "Vulpix! Will-o-Wisp!"

Ghastly blue embers coalesced into a large, haunting flame. As if it were, itself, possessed, it hopped an erratic pattern towards Nidoking's platform.

"I'm afraid we can't allow that attack to pass," Quijote said, waving a hand aside. "Nidoking! Make waves, with your mighty Poison Tail!"

The spiked end of Nidoking's tail dipped into the pool, between the two platforms. A brutal, horizontal lash through the calm shimmering waters, kicking up walls of water and mist. But, that wasn't the end of Nidoking's interference — the venom of Poison Tail had leaked into the water, sprinkling the waves with an infectious purple.

Will-o-Wisp collided with the poisonous wave, and the result was nothing less than haunting. The ghostly fire ignited the venom flowing through the mist; lighting a violet wall of blazes between Vulipx's platform and Nidoking's.

Vulpix howled and scampered back in fright; gray hues trembling.

"Oooh, now THAT is terrifying! Ciara can't seem to cause any problems for Nidoking, and to top it off, that Poison Tail has given us quite the haunting show!"

Ciara looked up at the screen, and gasped. Her points rested at just barely over half full.

Hellfire soon enough died down and hissed away at the pool's surface. Little more than lingering venom and fumes remained, in the distance between the competitors. Quijote could see that his opponent had made no move to fight back. He tutted. "Such fragility… There's no point in dragging this out. Nidoking! Thunder!'

Crackling lightning fired from Nidoking's horn in a shower of gold. Unfortunately for Quijote, as the lightning rose, Nidoking found keeping track of it awfully difficult in the sun's glare. Drought had made the skies entirely too bright! It made the Poison-type squint.

The result was Thunder raining inaccurately; striking the waters about Vulpix instead of coming close to her. But still, it boomed. Kicking up splash after splash, and deafening sounds in succession.

The small Fire-type cautiously stepped away from the impact points, whenever they rang.

"Tch… A show of Nidoking's mighty strength, I assure." Quijote folded his arms, playing off the folly as if it were intentional. It'd worked, as Ciara's points chipped away, again.

'We're in serious trouble… Attacking up-close isn't safe, and we can't do much from a distance, either! And, poor Vulpix looks frightened, can we…?' Conflicted, Ciara shook her head. 'I have to turn this around, quick!' The Coordinator put her foot down, and threw a hand outward.

"Charge in, Vulpix!"

"Vul…!" Vulpix heard her trainer's urgency, and doubled down. She dashed a determined path towards Nidoking, leaping over the settled waters. Her golden coat reflected spectacularly in the washed up puddles, highlighting her appearance.

"Prevent their approach, Nidoking!" Quijote called. "Use Earth Power!"

Gargantuan fists crashed into the stage, sending columns of explosive light towards the fox.

"Dodge them!" Ciara called.

Vulpix saw a bright pillar coming her way, and darted to the left. As soon as she did so, she was crossing the gap between platforms; she looked down. Golden light wavered under the water's surface.

A valiant leap brought her just over; bright light bursting behind her. Even as Earth Power continued, she persevered with agility and determination!

"Look at that! Vulpix is doing her best! No matter what comes her way, she has not given up on getting closer to Nidoking. What a brave little Pokémon, and with agility, to boot!"

On the screen, Quijote's points dropped to about two thirds of the way full.

Vulpix was coming close! "Will-o-Wisp!"

"Vulll…!" Vulpix lunged at Nidoking, and opened her mouth. A blue, eerie fireball gathered, as golden lights burst behind her in a way that was, altogether, cinematic.

"Poison Tail!"

Blunt force bashed into Vulpix's side; a whiplash of Nidoking's tail knocked her immediately into the platform's surface. Will-o-Wisp faded away, like an apparition silenced.

"Vulpix!" Ciara gasped.

"Oooh, a nasty takedown, with Poison Tail! And to top it off, look at Nidoking! Highlighted in royal purple and gold; he looks magnificent! Though, I can't say the same for poor Vulpix…!"

Ciara's points dropped to around a third for the grand display. But, that was far from the worst of her problems. Watching her Vulpix struggle to stand, she bit her lip. Toxic bubbles rose around her. "She's poisoned…!"

"Vul… pix!" Vulpix stubbornly stood on all fours. A sickly streak of blue sat on her muzzle, but she barked her defiance at Nidoking. Even in his shadow, she wouldn't relent!

"Vulpix… You still want to fight?" Ciara couldn't help but feel moved. Even in the face of uncertainty, she'd try. Then, Ciara, herself, would try too. "Use Extrasensory!"

"Vulll… pix!" Dual beams fired from Vulpix's eyes, flowing into one another to form a multicolored ray that wrapped around Nidoking. She lifted her head, and yanked the flailing Poison-type with her. With another swing of her neck, Nidoking crashed into the platform. His weight made their grounding shake and wobble; waves spread across the pool's surface.

"A valiant counterattack from Vulpix!"

Quijote's points dropped towards half. The arrogant young man tutted. "Use Venom Drench!"

Nidoking snorted angrily through his nose. Propping himself up on one knee, he spat purple acid towards Vulpix, dousing the smaller Pokémon.

Vulpix whined, stumbling back, as she felt her vigor start to waver. The venom was sticking to her paws, though she was doing her best to shake the goo off. A blue aura washed over her.

"Oh, Vulpix…!" Ciara bit her lip. "Use Extrasensory, again!" The consideration for repeat moves had flown out the window. In fact, it hadn't even entered Ciara's mind; she was fixed solely on helping her Pokémon overcome the titanic obstacle in front of her.

Vulpix doubled down, and captured Nidoking in a second spectrum of colors. This time, though, even as she willed him, he barely levitated off the ground. Doing so was a struggle, and a sudden surge of pain stopped it. Nidoking dropped and landed on his feet.

"Pix…!" Vulpix whined, stumbling about. Bubbles of poison rose from her fur.

"Oh, dear…! That's the nasty power of Venom Drench! A poisoned Pokémon becomes slower, and get a real damper on their attacks! Things are looking pretty grim for the brave little Vulpix!"

'Brave,' though, perhaps wasn't the best description to give the fox. Standing in Nidoking's shadow, the Fire-type was trembling. Feebly trying to shake the goop off her paws, while backing away from the glowering giant.

"Vulpix…" Ciara's wide, blue hues trembled, tears pooling up in the corners of her eyes. They turned to the scoreboard briefly. Her points were nearing zero, and Quijote kept a solid lead… But, more tears obscured the board into a blurry mess of colors. She blinked them away; this battle couldn't possibly matter to her, this much. Not with Vulpix whimpering, and poisoned…

She shouted.

"I surrender!"

The bell for battle's end rang, and Quijote's face took up the display screen. The audience, stadium-wide, turned to little more than hushed muttering and gossip. Ciara couldn't tell whether they were hushed words of pity, or even disgust for her for letting the battle go this far in the first place. In any case, it was deafening.

"Well, that's the end of that! In a rare surrender knock-out, Ciara has withdrawn herself from the competition! Vulpix did its best, but I'd say that doing so was a compassionate move, in the face of Nidoking's power! Let's hear it for our competitors!"

Empty words, Ciara felt, as she recalled her starter in a flash of red, immediately retreating from the stadium. She felt compelled to run. Run away as quickly as possible. But, that would only bring her to bask in her shame faster. She could only drag her feet.

---

Dawn's eyes were wide as she watched both Ciara and Quijote leave the stage. The Coordinator ran to the entryway. Larkspur trailed behind her. The two met Kenny; he looked equally distressed on behalf of their friend.

"Ciara!" Kenny and Dawn both yelled as soon as the girl nearly ran into them, tears staining her cheeks.

"Ciara…?" Dawn asked. "Is Vulpix okay?"

"You did great out there," Kenny assured as the four of them moved out of the way of the entrance.

Ciara wailed, which slowly nursed into quieter sobs. Clutching Vulpix's Poké Ball close to her chest. "I… I didn't," she sobbed, shaking her head. "I'm so— so embarrassed. That was so stupid. Vulpix is a-all h-hurt because… because…!"

"Now, now. Don't hold it against yourself."

The group turned, seeing Quijote behind them. Wearing a smile as smarmy as ever.

"You did the only proper thing, recalling Vulpix. I did warn you, after all, that merely a fine fur pattern doesn't qualify her to stand up to Nidoking. Though, I guess I should have advised you to turn tail earlier… The outcome was only expected," he tutted, shaking his head.

"Quijote, you dick!" Kenny hissed, fists clenched.

However, Dawn was quicker on the draw. Stepping forward, the bridge of her nose and her brow were wrinkled in an angry scowl. "How about you turn tail, before I-"

Suddenly, Dawn felt an arm across her, keeping her from lashing out at Quijote as she wanted to. "I'll handle it if he says another word," Brendan offered. "I'll take him out myself."

"...Well, now," Quijote resumed, running a hand through his hair. "If we're all done here, I'll be on my way to prepare for the next round." Between Dawn's anger and Brendan's sudden reappearance, Quijote found it appropriate to make himself scarce. It was perfect timing, too, since Dawn turned her aggression on the veteran.

"I don't need your protection," she quickly clarified. "I can handle myself."

"I know that," Brendan shot back. "But, I'll run into him in the brackets, first.

After a tense pause, Dawn relaxed. "... Yeah, you're right." With the matter of vengeance settled, she turned on her heel, looking at Ciara, who was backing away towards the entrance. "Ciara…"

"I'd like to be alone," she said, before running off.

Dawn watched her, and sighed. "Should I…?"

"Maybe not," Kenny shook his head. "...Not yet, anyway. She gets overwhelmed, easy."

Dawn didn't like the answer, but she swallowed it. The attention being drawn to their whole circle seemed to be dying down; the other Coordinators pretending they hadn't seen it at all.

"The next round is about to begin! Mary will be facing off against Larkspur! Both of you, please come down to the arena, immediately!"

"...Well, that's my cue," Larkspur stammered out. "Apologies!" He bowed his head, and ran off towards the hallway that would lead him to the battlefield.

"Good luck!" Dawn addressed, waving to the prim and proper grass specialist. After a moment, his footsteps became distant. She looked off, and back to Kenny. "You said that like you know her well."

"Hm." Kenny hummed affirmatively. He crossed his arms, looking off towards the display screen. Larkspur's opponent had just called out a Golduck. "We met a while ago, while I was traveling with Jasmine. I stopped by her family's Breeding Center. I'd caught a Growlithe around that time, and I wanted some tips for raising him."

Dawn nodded, acknowledging it, until her eyes widened with an epiphany. "When she said 'say hi to Empoleon for me…' That was you!"

"Thought that one was for you, Dee-Dee?" He cracked a smile, but it was half-hearted. He looked towards the floor, once it occurred that this was no time for jokes. "...Ahem. Yeah. Her parents were busy, so they volunteered her to help me out. Something about wanting her to break out of her shell. We hit it off."

"Hit it off?" Dawn echoed.

"I-I mean…! She was really helpful, y'know?" Kenny panicked, stammering through his sentence. "She's a lot more talented and in-the-know than she lets on. She's just… scared, for some reason."

"I don't really get it," Dawn frowned. "But I hope she's alright."

"...Yeah. Me, too." Kenny turned his eyes back to the screen. Larkspur had just pulled through a tough battle with a Remoraid, showing off his sturdy Victreebel.

"Larkspur has advanced to the next round! Now, we're on to the final battle of the top sixteen! Kenny, George, please report to the field at once!"

"Well… That's my cue." Kenny exhaled heavily, and turned his back to Dawn. "Wish me luck."

"Right," Dawn acknowledged. "Good luck. We still have a score to settle!"

Kenny flinched mid-step, stopping for just a moment. "...Yeah. We do."

---

"Rampardos! Head Charge!'

A burly competitor by the name of George commanded, as his fossil Pokémon with a tough cranium stampeded towards Kenny's Arcanine with a reckless, headforward tackle.

Kenny smirked, snapping his fingers. "Pin him, Arcanine!"

Kenny's Arcanine charged bravely at Rampardos' straightforward assault, and cleared its rock-hard skull with a graceful leap. His long, fluffy coat shone brilliantly, as strong paws pressed down upon the fossil's arched back.

Head Charge was nullified; blue, blazing aura dissipating into the wind, as the Legendary Pokémon pressed Rampardos' skull to the ground with her heel.

"Now, finish it! Thunder Fang!"

Arcanine bore her sharp fangs. Lightning danced wildly from her jowls, as she gnashed down upon Rampardos' tail. Lightning surged between the two powerhouses, dancing away from the waterborne platform and snapping at the pool's surface.

'Ding!'

"Aaaand, that's a wrap! There was no denying Rampardos' raw power, but the great deal of grace and control exhibited by Kenny's Arcanine has made this a point knock-out!"

With victory declared, Arcanine dashed back to Kenny's side, only for she and her trainer to exit with a collected bow.

"That's it for the first round; now we'll move on to the top quarter finals!" Lilian narrated, as Kenny's face vanished from the board, and a smaller bracket with all the remaining coordinators appeared on the screen. "Now, let's see the upcoming match-ups…!"

First was Dawn against Ember. Brendan and Quijote were next, followed by Larkspur and Taro. Finally, Michelle and Kenny were fourth. "And there we have it! Things can only get more intense from here! In just a few minutes, we'll be starting with Dawn and Ember — two Coordinators with previous history, in the Mulberry Contest!"

---

"Dawn and Ember up next, huh?" Ash half-smiled, lifting up the brim of his cap, within the audience. "This oughta be interesting."

"Pika Pika. Pikachu." Pikachu crossed his paws, leaning back in Ash's lap.

"Yeah, I think Dawn has this under wraps, too. I'm really looking forward to seeing Brendan go up against Quijote… But for now, the home team is up to bat, so let's give Dawn all our support!" Ash stood up, forcing Pikachu to scale his shoulder. "C'mon, Dawn! Show her who's the up-and-coming Top Coordinator!" He shouted, pumping a fist.

"Dude, c'mon. Do you mind?" A young man beside Ash nudged him. "The battle hasn't even started yet."

"So what?" Ash huffed. "Haven't you ever heard of taking initiative?"

Pikachu shook his head.

---

Stepping onto her end of the battleground, Dawn looked across to her opponent. Anything to do with the snob she was faced with rubbed her the wrong way, but there was little she could do but come out on top. "Let's make it a good battle!" She offered, extending her own Poké Ball.

"Chyeah. Right." Ember flicked her bangs.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Fine. Have it your way."

"It looks like the tension is already rising on stage, for the opening of the quarter finals!" Lilian narrated. "But this nail-biter of a Contest Battle can't start until we see those Pokémon!"

"...Right!" Dawn inhaled, realizing her folly. She wasted no time in calling her partner with a swift, backhanded throw. "Absol! Spotlight!"

Midnight blue claws clacked against the stony platform, supporting arched limbs of snow white. Absol stood tall and proud, with her chin tilted upward. Blood red hues focused on their foe.

"Miltank! Let's razzle dazzle them!" Ember was next, slinging her own Poké Ball.

Landing on one foot with the grace that betrayed her hefty form, Ember's Miltank pumped a fist, looking feisty and fierce. "Mil mil!" she bleated.

"Now… Let's get busy!"

"Absol! Future Sight!" Dawn shouted with a raised hand, wasting no time at all.

A toss of the Disaster Pokémon's head launched several blobs of psychic energy into a wormhole that left as quickly as it'd come. The clock was now ticking.

"Ugh, you're, like, so conniving!" Ember grunted. "While you do all that, I'm going to show Miltanks charm, right now! Miltank! Use Charm!"

"Milll~!" Miltank shrunk into an adorable pose, with her hooves framed below her snout. Two large, pink hearts orbited her, and crossed the stage to collide with Absol.

The Dark-type winced, as a blue hue fell over her. "Sol…" She grunted, disgruntled by the odd feeling of calming and endearment that she suddenly felt towards the bovine.

"Now, wasn't that just the cutest! It's no damage-dealer, but Miltank looks downright adorable!"

Dawn's points dropped a bit for the display.

"Maybe she does," Dawn agreed under her breath. "But Absol has her own charm! Night Slash!"

Absol galloped at Miltank with her horn raised.

"Use Defense Curl!"

As Absol approached, Miltank tucked herself into a compact sphere to guard her weak spots. A mauve slash struck across the bulky Normal-type. Miltank rolled just a bit, but immediately fell back into place. She'd hardly budged.

"And it looks like Night Slash didn't do a thing! Between that Charm and Defense Curl, Miltank is looking pretty hardy, right about now! But we can't say the same for Absol!"

Dawn frowned, as her points took another hit. 'Her battling sense is a lot better than last time, already!'

"That's just so sad! That you'd send a Pokémon at me that just can't compete with my darling Miltank! Miltank, use Rollout!"

"Pull back!" Dawn quickly urged. Absol took a major leap away, landing alert on all fours.

Miltank rolled forward with quickly building momentum.

"Defense Curl and Rollout; a classic combination! Let's see if it pans out!"

"Use Stone Edge!" Dawn commanded, waving a hand downward.

Absol smashed her two front paws adjacent into the stage. Glowing spires of stone erupted; one of them directly under Miltank to strike her and send her sky-high.

Ember lost a small fraction of her point bar. Unfortunately, the move was otherwise completely detrimental. The airborne Miltank was still spinning, spinning, and spinning some more! The airtime only seemed to add to her momentum, as she dropped at Absol like a cannonball.

Dawn gasped, recognizing her mistake all too late. "Absol!"

Miltank collided with Absol; smashing into the stage to absolutely rock the platform.

Dawn's points dropped to two thirds full.

Miltank bounced back from colliding with Absol; hitting the field before quickly spinning for another shot forward. "Mil!"

Absol grunted, leaping sideways to avoid the Normal-type's momentum. Her eyes flicked over her shoulder, and she hopped over another attempt. The third time around, she'd nearly been bowled over in her sidestepping.

"Well, what do you know? With Miltank's cute charm and consecutive attacks, Ember is completely overwhelming Dawn, right now! You really can't overlook a classic combination, just because it's cliche, and it shows! If Dawn doesn't turn this around soon, she could be in trouble!"

The writing was on the wall for Dawn. Her Pokémon was only barely escaping harm, not for any grace shown while doing so, and her points were whittling down to about half. "That's it. Enough fooling around! Absol! Use Stone Edge to make the field ours!'

Another round of Stone Edge followed. This one far more elaborate than the last; pillars burst from the stage randomly; decorating it in high stone, as if it were a low valley with various peaks.

"Agh! Miltank!?" Ember exclaimed, all too late. With clear, straightforward paths, Miltank collided with protruding stone, only to power through and crash into another. The rocks collapsed, but only on top of Miltank, ending her momentum.

Absol, meanwhile, leapt from one pillar to the next, to avoid the falling rock. She stood proudly atop one that was well out of Miltank's way.

Ember's points dropped to around three quarters full, for Dawn's trouble.

To make matters worse for the Pinkan Princess, a multicolored portal appeared above the rubble. Just as Miltank was stumbling out of rock and gravel, Future Sight rained upon her.

"Ah! Miltank!" Ember gasped. Multicolored explosions battered away at her Pokémon.

"Wow, wow! Just as Ember was cornering Dawn, a stunning set-up with Stone Edge left Miltank prime for Future Sight's punishment! What a stunning turnaround!"

Ember growled through her teeth, as her points dropped to about two thirds. "You sneak!"

Dawn's gaze was steady, and she ignored Ember. "Future Sight, once more!"

Absol flung several projectiles from her horn, before they vanished a second time.

The debris began to clear, and Miltank stepped out of the smoke and rubble with a defiant whine. Stomping her hoof down on the field to assert that she was still in the running.

"You won't get away with this, creeps." Ember scowled. "Use Stomp, Miltank! Bring her stage down!"

Miltank hopped high above the field, allowing gravity to pull her back down. Her two hind hooves smashed into the stadium with all of her weight behind them. The result was a trembling and teetering field; cracks running up the many peaks created by Absol's Stone Edge.

Absol stepped away from the forming cracks, before completely losing her footing. She fell into a pile of rubble, while one after another, the pillars of Stone Edge collapsed.

"Now, that's some serious power from Miltank! Dawn's field has been rendered null!"

Dawn's points chipped away once more, falling significantly under half. Ember had a lead.

"Now, use Rollout!" Ember ordered.

"Night Slash!" Dawn ordered. She knew it wasn't favorable, but her field had been demolished… What was she to do, here!?

Absol slashed her horn into the coming Rollout attack; putting up some friction with her horn before the eerie light coating it shattered. Miltank crashed into her, knocking the poor disaster Pokémon on her side.

"Oooh, and things are not looking good for Dawn and Absol! It looks like the poor, valiant seer of disasters can barely support herself! Can they turn this around!?"

Absol staggered on her feet, shaking her head out. "Sol…!"

"Absol…" Dawn grimaced. 'This is bad. Now, we know that Miltank can bring down whatever stage we set up with Stomp… There has to be a way out that she can't get to.' Bold, blue hues drifted across the stage, before it clicked in her head. The entirety of the pool, outside the platforms! 'That's it!'

"Absol!" Dawn commanded with renewed confidence. "Let's use your Stone Edge, but bring the next round out of the water!"

"Ab!" Absol nodded dutifully, and leapt towards the edge of the platform. Her claws dug into the hard surface; glimmers of blue shimmered and wobbled under the water's surface, preluding pillars of stone erupting in a scattered pattern off the platform's edge.

"Now, get over there!"

Absol took the leap to the nearest and lowest ledge, hopping gracefully between them until she stood at the gathering's center. Tall, and towering over Miltank.

Ember's points dropped to below half.

"Ugh! You're like, such a coward!" Ember hissed, stomping her foot. Dawn had just crafted a situation where she couldn't be touched, and the spoiled heiress knew it as well as she did. "Why don't you, like, fight head-on!?"

Assessing the stage with a smirk, Dawn ignored Ember. "Now, use Razor Wind, Absol!"

Wide, proud swings of her neck made Absol's snow-white mane billow, as crescents of air turned and escalated into cyclones; each of them touching the water's surface before picking up the field's native element. Beautiful, roaring twisters rained mist over the locale, and went on to navigate through Stone Edge, and crash into Miltank, consecutively.

"Ah! Miltank!" Ember gasped.

The Bovine was knocked on her back with a whine.

"Dawn stages a strong counterattack with Razor Wind; bending the elements to Absol's will; those of the stage and her very own, alike! Those gorgeous attacks have Miltank looking a little winded. What's going to happen now, folks!?"

---

"Awesome!" Ash cheered, leaning forward in his seat. "Dawn's caught up to her, in points! And Miltank doesn't have any moves that can touch her, either… Unless she wants to end up waterlogged."

~So, Ma has this match won, right?~ Rosa asked, nestled into the confines of Ash's red jacket. Her attention was entirely focused on the match; ears covered so that her surroundings wouldn't bother her.

"Maybe…" Ash hummed, frowning. "She's got a problem. Ember can't touch her. But sitting up there spamming attacks from a safe spot isn't exactly… Contest-worthy, you know? Not to mention, reusing the same move will hurt her."

From his vantage point, both Coordinators looked heavily focused and intense, and Ash could absolutely imagine why. "They're at an impasse. Someone has to make a move, or they'll end up looking bad for dragging things out. Though, Dawn still has that Future Sight…"

---

'There's got to be a way… I've got it!' Dawn threw a hand out, beaming with confidence. "Absol! I need you to jump over Miltank!"

"Sol!" Absol listened dutifully, leaping closer and closer to the stage by each segment of Stone Edge. Once she'd reached the nearest one, she cleared the stage with grace.

"Ugh, whatever you're up to, we're not gonna let you! Use Stomp!"

Miltank launched at Absol, hoof-first.

Unfortunately for Miltank, Absol was far more fit for graceful leaps than she was. Absol cleared her, briefly leaving her in her shadow. She landed with her back to Miltank, and swerved around on her claws to face her.

"Stone Edge! Under her!" Dawn commanded, with a sweep of her hand.

Absol stomped, and Miltank felt the ground under her shift and rumble. Stone segments rose under her hooves, climbing higher and higher above the contest stage. She wobbled and clung to rock, finding herself stranded.

…Just in time for a spacious portal to open directly above her.

Absol spared it one glance, and turned away from the scene, as Future Sight crashed into Miltank, demolishing her Stone Edge from the top down. Cool girls didn't look at explosions.

A colorful aftermath drew coos of awe and excitement, before it scattered. Miltank laid face-up in the rubble, with swirls in her eyes.

"Aaaand, that's that! Miltank is out of the competition by knockout! That means that Dawn goes on to the next semi-finals! What a cool, stellar performance from Absol!"

"Absol!" Dawn cheered, opening her arms for her returning Pokémon… Only for Absol to leap onto her platform, and proudly walk by her. She wore an exasperated half-smile; she could clearly see the trembling in her proud Pokémon's legs. "Let's get you some rest."

Dawn recalled her Pokémon, and left while barely acknowledging Ember's childish complaints.

---

"Up next we have two gentlemen whose Pokémon have made great use of their time on stage, so far! I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't wait to see what they have in store for us, now!"

While Lilian introduced them pleasantly, Brendan looked across to Quijote, who looked as if he were extremely aware of Brendan's intentions. Pointedly staring him down.

"Hey, Quijote," the Hoenn native said, smiling wickedly, "I hope you aren't in a rush. I'm going to make this match last the full five minutes. I'm going to beat you with a sleeping pokemon, too."

Quijote flinched. There was no way Brendan could really do that, right? "You turn your nose up at me, as if I were a common Pidgey…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. After watching you, I was under the impression that warning my opponent of the outcome was just the right thing to do." Brendan taunted, pointedly.

Quijote growled through his teeth. "Why, you petulant…!"

"Brendan's gone and made a very bold promise, for the Contest Battle that we're about to watch! With tensions rising, I'd love to see how that pans out! So, let's get busy!"

"Milotic, it's showtime!" Brendan said, before flicking his Poké Ball towards the waters; for this particular round, both Coordinators had preemptively selected their Water-types. The field, now, was nothing more than a giant pool, specifically for sea dwellers.

The Poké Ball popped open, and bounced back to Brendan after calling a climbing flash of light. Milotic sang a beautiful tune, towering above the pool's surface. "Milo~!"

"Seaking! Show us your splendor!" Quijote threw his Poké Ball with greater force. The elegant bruiser from several Contests' past appeared on the surface.

"Sea-king!"

Quijote was in a bit of a predicament. Another Water-type foe… and a large and grand one, at that! There was no choice but to meet them head-on, in a show of dominance.

"Use Surf, Seaking!"

As the pool began to rock and tremble, Brendan called to Milotic. "Ride it out."

Suddenly, one side of the body of water lowered and the other lurched higher. It then rolled across the entirety of the pool under Seaking's command. Milotic, however, merely allowed herself to sink under the current, floating idly.

"Good girl!" Brendan praised. "Now, use Dragon Pulse!"

Quickly surfacing, Milotic leaped from the water before releasing a blue-hot beam of draconic power. It tore through the pool, blasting Seaking with all of its strength. The water around the attack bubbled and boiled briefly before cooling just as quickly. Steam rose to the surface from the force of it.

"Oooh! That Dragon Pulse was as deadly as it was beautiful! Surf just couldn't hold a candle to it!" Lilian narrated, as Quijote's points dropped.

This set a decisive tone for the match. Seaking's points were lowered for Milotic's finesse and power. Another tax was levied against Quijote for the magnificence of Brendan's instructed attack.

Quijote's eyes were wide and his hands had fallen open in shock. "Seaking, knock them away with Waterfall!"

"Seeeaaaaa…!" The waters swelled around Milotic as Seaking prepared his attack. "King!" They burst up, rocketing Milotic into the air.

"Disarming Voice!" Brendan called out. "Then, take back to the water!"

Free falling in the air, Milotic quickly used the Fairy-type attack. A melodious sound so sweet and soothing, yet marked by dangerous, dancing hearts and a visible frequency of pink was pitched towards Seaking. Milotic, meanwhile, straightened herself out, aiming nose first into the water to minimize her re-entry damage.

"Ki!" The Water-type cried out upon being hit by the deceivingly innocent-looking attack.

"Brendan's lost some points for letting Quijote show off, but that Disarming Voice wasn't anything to sneeze at!" Lilian was only whipping the crowd's excitement beyond what it already was. Quijote's points had dropped to about three quarters, while Brendan's were safely just short of full.

"We can't keep distant… Seaking, use Megahorn!"

Swimming as fast as he could manage, Seaking stuck his horn out forward. He submerged, and rammed into the side of the long serpent below the surface.

Milotic let out a cry that barely registered as audible above the waters. Thankfully, the underwater cameras and microphones were perfectly designed, and did pick up the shrill cry.

"Miloooooo!"

Brendan's points suffered just as his pokemon did.

"Disarming Voice!"

Taking all of her pain and Brendan's order in the same action, Milotic turned to Seaking. Water was a much better conductor of sound than air was; giving Disarming Voice a handy amplifier.

Seaking suffered in the sonic assault, blown back by the force. Rather than in his ears, the harsh noise rang directly inside of his head.

"Tch…!" Quijote tutted. For every advance he made, Brendan seemed to turn it on him with finesse. That just wouldn't do! "I'm afraid that we can't allow you to lie content. The people of Cinnabar deserve a better show! Use Scald!"

Focusing, Seaking flexed its muscles before turning the water around Milotic to temperatures so high that they boiled.

The snake writhed in pain, quickly swimming away to cooler parts of the pool to surface. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. She winced; steam trailing off of her scales.

"Sorry, girl." Brendan apologized, though his demeanor hadn't shaken at all. "We can't have you hurting like that, can we? Let's show them our trump card."

Milotic shook her scales out, and cried in agreement. "Milotic…!"

"Milotic, use Rest!"

Closing her eyes, the heavy, muscular body of Milotic slowly sank to the bottom of the pool. Only the movement of her gills gave her away as merely sleeping.

"Oh, dear! Milotic, of all things, has decided to take a quick breather during this intense battle! How does Brendan plan to live up to his bold claims, while out of the action…!?"

"What kind of a trump card is that?! Do you take me for a fool?!" Quijote snapped, completely insulted. "Seaking, toss it out of the pool with Surf!"

"Sleep Talk," Brendan replied.

Just as one side of the pool began lowering so that one might become larger, Milotic lazily raised just her head. Her mouth opened with the same width that any serpent's would; for such a beautiful creature, it was actually rather horrifying..

A clear view from the underwater cameras made the audience gasp and recoil. But, perhaps there was always terror hidden in beauty…?

In any case, glimmering flashes of gold and cyan lit the building undercurrent. Dragon Pulse tore through the coming wave that would have made Milotic surface, and instead sent Seaking flying.

What remained of Surf's current only lightly nudged Milotic along on the bottom of the pool. She slept soundly. Perhaps there was something to a leviathan sleeping peacefully, while making terror for her foe. The judges seemed to think so, as Quijote's points dipped below half.

"Look at Milotic, sleeping soundly! Even in serenity, she's rattling Quijote and Seaking without having to blink an eye! This feels like a scene out of folklore, unfolding before our eyes!"

Quijote looked up to the scoreboard. He understood, then, what Brendan meant. The cleverness of Brendan's ruse was costing Quijote points. No matter how magnificent his own displays were, the simple fact that he was fighting a sleeping Pokémon, whether he triumphed or failed, would make a fool of him. He would either look like a floundering fool, or a cheap brute! 'Damn his cunning…!'

Whether by time out, points, or knockout, Brendan had clear avenues to victory. But, Quijote was not going to lie down and take this, after all! "Use Scald, Seaking!"

"Sleep Talk!"

As the water heated up around Milotic, she woke up. Brendan cursed under his breath as she was hurt. However, she was not burned. He could keep her awake for a while, he supposed. Quijote felt a sense of relief for Brendan having lost a turn.

"Oooh, but that round of Sleep Talk didn't pan out for Brendan! A gamble is a gamble, I suppose, however well thought-out. It looks like Quijote's still in the running!"

"So sad," Quijote taunted. Though, even he saw how narrow his path forward was, and wasted no more time boasting. "Megahorn!"

"Disarming Voice!"

While Seaking surged towards Milotic, she used another series of fluctuations against her opponent. It was visible to anyone observing. Seaking had to swim into and against Milotic's vibrating attack before he could even get to her. However, once it ended, he was free to ram into her side.

Looking at the clock, Brendan saw the clock ticking. Less than a minute remained. "Rest!"

"Megahorn!" Quijote was growing desperate. If they regained all of their stamina…!

Though Seaking hit Milotic again, he lost points for using the same attack twice.

"Waterfall!"

Brendan held his breath as he watched Milotic be tossed into the air. His big performance depended on a gamble. As she was falling down again, he called out: "Sleep Talk!"

As the final moments of their match counted down, Milotic opened her sleepy maw…

And, used Dragon Pulse.

Five seconds. The beam ripped through the air and splashed into the water with a steamy, sizzling hiss.

Four seconds. Quijote's points were dropping.

Three seconds. Seaking was writhing in pain.

Two seconds. Milotic hit the water with a loud splash.

One second. Seaking gave in and fainted.

The timer ended just as Quijote's points emptied out.

"Aaaand, that's it! By points, time, and knockout, Brendan has decisively claimed victory!"

Brendan took that time to realize he'd worked up a sweat, frenziedly giving Milotic commands and hoping beyond hope he would have been able to pull that off. He wiped the sweat from his brow, a sense of fulfillment, pride, and overwhelming relief flooding him.

Waking up, Milotic slithered out of the water to lean into her trainer.

"What an incredible triple claim to victory! Why, I don't think we've seen a match this decisively in one coordinator's favor since… since… Oh, gosh, since Wallace was titled Top Coordinator in Hoenn! Truly, a student who learned from his master! Let's give them a hand, folks!"

Brendan took a moment to salute the crowd, before shooting a smirk over at the young man he'd so thoroughly steamrolled. Though, by the time he had, Quijote was already on his way out.

Brendan snorted in amusement.

---

When Brendan returned to the gathering of Coordinators backstage, he drew the attention of all present like a magnet. As if him stepping in had sucked the air entirely out of the room. Like any junior celebrity, he reveled in it. "Now, now," he soothed, as if he'd had to calm dozens of screaming fans. Waving his downturned palms. "No need to make a fuss. Just doing my job."

Larkspur leaned over towards Dawn to whisper. "You've got to wonder how he acts just as self-assured as Quijote, but looks exponentially cooler doing it."

"It's because he actually backs it up," Dawn replied, with no discretion whatsoever. "Nice one, Brendan!"

"Ha! Thanks." He sent Dawn a smile, before looking around and about. "But, that's not what I'm here for. Have any of you seen… oh!" He spotted Ciara, who sat at the far opposite end of the bench Dawn and Larkspur occupied. He approached her. "Hey, uh. Ciara!"

"Y-yes?" Ciara squeaked out.

"I'm afraid I ran into your 'insufferable jerk' problem on stage. Gave him a good taste of humble pie. You feelin' any better, now? How's ol' Vulpix?"

"B-Brendan… D-Did you win that… F-For my sake?" Ciara stuttered out. Her face burned with the heat, perhaps, of her own partner's Drought. "She's fine, but… Dawn told me w-what you said, um, earlier… Oh, gosh, I may be thinking about it too much… B-But, I want to thank you… If, um, it was for me… Well, you didn't have to—"

Cutting her off, Brendan took one of Ciara's trembling hands in his own before squeezing it. "Don't worry about it." He winked before walking off.

Overwhelmed, Ciara's knees buckled a bit at the contact from a stranger. Larkspur was ready to jump the gun, but Dawn didn't see that ending well, so she hip checked him to catch Ciara herself. Holding the embarrassed girl, Dawn looked over towards Brendan.

Or, at least where he'd been. The guy had made an exit as quick as his entrance, while Kenny lingered nearby. He looked as if he'd been ready to jump to the girl's aid, but saw no further need. He, too, was burning red in the face. Eyes averted to the greatest extent possible.

While Dawn hoisted the girl carefully back onto the bench, she frowned at her friend. What could he possibly look so flustered for…?

---

Larkspur had advanced past the second round; his Farfetch'd offered a valiant fight to another Coordinator's Golduck. This only left one final battle of the quarter finals; where Kenny and his Alakazam were matched up against Michelle and her graceful Altaria.

However, the boy from Twinleaf had a great obstacle looming over his head; in her desperation in a losing battle, Michelle had ordered a last-ditch Perish Song, to put a definite timer on the battle beyond the clock.

"Time is running short, on both ends of this Contest battle! One can only guess what Michelle has planned, but both she and Kenny are under pressure to secure the wind, before Perish Song concludes! Is this some psychological tactic, or just an act of desperation!?"

Michelle didn't seem to like the accusation, gritting her teeth, but she could offer no rebuttal. That was all Kenny needed to hear, to confirm Lilian's guess. "Use Draco Meteor, Altaria!"

The dragon's beautiful call echoed through the stadium, an bright orange orb conjuring above her. Under its orange glow, Altaria's body illuminated like clouds hanging in the beautiful overcast of a setting sun.

This sun, however, soared instead of setting. It burst, raining down a barrage of fiery meteors upon Kenny's side of the battlefield. After several successive uses, beforehand, however, the attack's results looked feeble. It didn't bode well for Michelle in the points department; Kenny's only took a small dip.

Kenny tutted. 'If she's going to repeat her mistakes, who am I to stop her?' The same move had been avoided handily, earlier in the battle, and Alakazam would do so again. "Go above and beyond, with Teleport!"

Alakazam watched the incoming barrage with an observant eye, vanishing from one point on the stage to the next. In all the chaos, the PSI Pokémon had seemingly disappeared.

Standing tall and poised, Kenny snapped a finger. "Now, pay back the favor with Shadow Ball!"

Far above the smoky debris was none other than Alakazam! A last-second Teleport had brought him even above Altaria, earning cheers and hollers from a watching crowd. "Kazam!" He thrust out both spoons, firing off a hail of violet, crackling orbs upon Altaria.

The normally elegant pokemon squawked in fear, weaving and soaring between the ghoulish blasts to the best of her ability. Most of the Shadow Balls were brushed off, but finally, one impacted, followed by roughly half a dozen more piling on top.

Thank Arceus for Cotton Guard. Altaria wearily hovered lower towards the ground, instinctively hiding under the cover of the dispersing smoke from Alakazam. Not at all suited for a contest, but self-preservation was a primal instinct that would not be won over.

"Ohhh, and Kenny counters with his own answer to Draco Meteor! A terrifying display of prowess, but Altaria's still… Ah! Look at that! It seems the Perish Song finally kicked in!"

Both pokemon were brought down by gravity, each unconscious, landing in a heap.

The swan song had been delivered.

"Would you believe that! A double knock-out! I'm not quite sure what this means for the match… The judges will briefly consult one another and give us a verdict!"

Kenny, Michelle, and the entire crowd had their eyes glued to the panel, all of which crowded together in a hushed cluster of whispers. Try as they might, even spectators in the front row couldn't overhear.

Finally, Wallace stood. "The Wallace Cup can't very well proceed without at least one victor to move on to the next round! Since both pokemon are unable to battle, the criteria used to determine a victor will be the primary one used without the presence of a knock-out!"

A dramatically waved hand gestured to the scores presented on screen.

"...By the remaining number of points! In this case, that honor goes to Kenny, and his wonderfully diligent Alakazam! Both contestants put their hearts into the cup today, but it's a worthy lesson learned for both trainers, that even the most elegant beauty will fall prey to its competitors without a sturdy constitution, and the fangs to keep its enemies at bay!"

With that only, Kenny's face remained on the monitor.

The foreign coordinator resisted the urge to breath a heavy sigh of relief, opting to flash a cool smile and keep his composure. "Excellent job, Alakazam! You played your part well."

"Alakazam!"

Wallace coughed away from his microphone before speaking into it once more. "Ahem. With that last match finished, we have concluded today's battle rounds! Thank you, Coordinators, sincerely, for putting on such a dazzling display with your Pokémon. I hope to see even grander shows of their charm, tomorrow, between the remaining final four!"

As if the Contest Master had spoken it into existence, the final bracket appeared on all display screens present. The semi-final match-ups were presented to one and all:

Dawn was pitted against Brendan, and Larkspur against Kenny.

---

"Dawn's up against Brendan next…!" Ash leaned forward in his seat, staring at the display. "And whoever makes it between Larkspur and Kenny will be her last opponent… But first, she has to get past that guy."

"Pika. Pikachu!"

"Of course she'll win!" Ash smirked at Pikachu's assertion of confidence. "Dawn'll win; there's no doubt. But it's not going to be an easy one."

---

Within the backroom where the Coordinators had gathered, Dawn'd had her eyes glued to the screen. When she saw her face along with Brendan's, she scanned the room. It didn't take long to land on his pale emerald hues.

Leaning against a pillar nearby, Brendan sent Dawn a cool smirk.

In comparison, Dawn was just as eager. But perhaps her smile was more hot-blooded. 'I guess it was bound to come to this, eventually… I've got my work cut out for me, tomorrow. But, we haven't put all this work in, for nothing!'

---

With the day's competition and festivities concluded, a majority of the Wallace Cup's stadium had been emptied. Only scarce spectators lingered in the seats; likely making extended conversation that made them lose track of time. The advent of sunset colored the inside of the dome with strong tints of gold and orange, reflecting most vibrantly of all in the pool centerpiece.

Wallace, Sukizo, and Contesta had already left. Suzie, however, had taken her time in gathering her notes and belongings from behind her judge's desk. She filed one last folder into her bag, looking over absently towards the pool. There, Ciara sat at its edge.

Suzie managed a soft smile, and walked over. "Ciara! It's a pleasure to see you again."

Ciara startled. When she looked over her shoulder and saw her company, it didn't ease her all that much. "...Miss Suzie! Yes… It's. erm."

"Don't stress yourself," the elder insisted. "I can see that you've had a difficult day. You don't have to pretend to be chipper."

The water's surface was awfully still. The scene seemed to be frozen in time, as Ciara found no response to utter. Not that she was sure she had the courage to answer, even if she had.

"...How has your family been? Their business?"

"It's… been fine," Ciara said curtly.

"That's good news," Suzie replied. "I haven't heard any word of their prior-"

Ciara jolted; nearly falling into the pool before swerving around to her feet. "I-it's not like that, anymore! I swear!" She sputtered, holding her oversized sleeves up to hide most of her face. "Mom and Dad have moved far beyond that!"

"Now, now…! Don't worry yourself. I believe you." Suzie placated, giving as kind a smile as she could. "Judging by your performance at the Cup, I can only imagine the best."

Ciara wiped away at her eyes, heaving a sigh. "But, Vulpix…"

"Vulpix was withdrawn with care, and I think that says everything about you as a trainer." The green-haired woman left a reassuring hand on Ciara's shoulder, before turning to be on her way. "Take care, Ciara. Try not to take today to heart."

Afterwards, the only reminder of Suzie was the faint echo of her heels against the floor.

The sound of blunter boots nearby alerted the Coordinator. Dawn was lurking around the stands, nearby, just barely peeking out from behind them. "...Dawn?"

Dawn blinked; a red flush filling her face. "...Sorry." She coughed, walking out to approach Ciara directly. "Hey, so… What was that all about?"

Ciara blinked, several times over. Dawn was… an interesting character. Once the shock passed, though, she averted her eyes to the pool. "It's… complicated."

"Complicated…?" Dawn pressed, leaning over Ciara's shoulder, as if that would bring forth more context.

"...It's not really complicated," Ciara admitted, pulling further back. "Just… difficult." She heaved a sigh. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be walking away from this conversation without giving Dawn an answer. Then again, she could use someone to talk to who had nothing to do with this. "The family business… You know how my parents are breeders."

"Uh-huh," Dawn affirmed.

"...It used to belong to my grandparents. They… didn't stray away from unethical breeding practices," she forced out.

"Unethical…" Dawn gasped. "Like that Gengar!"

"Gengar…?" Ciara prompted.

"Oh, when we were on our way to Celadon City, we came across a haunted house. There was an alternately colored Gengar there, who said that she'd had a trainer who was only interested in having her because of better breeding chances with her, or something… It was awful! She'd run away from them and inhabited some old estate."

"Unfortunately, that… sounds quite at home with them," Ciara squeaked out. If she hadn't been avoiding Dawn before, she certainly was now, sitting by the pool with her knees tucked into her chest. "It was a whole situation… Our family almost lost its licensing. Mom and Dad cut off contact with them afterward." She sighed, rubbing at her eyes. They'd grown red and irritated.

Dawn's silence, right now, was deafening.

"...You must hate me, now."

"Hate you!?" Dawn balked. "No, never! It's just… I can't imagine. Having relatives that awful. I'd be sick."

Dawn's poor show of empathy was striking, but perhaps not in the worst way possible. It made Ciara feel a little better about feeling exactly that. "I swear, my parents took over, and renewed everything! It's good, now!"

"Well, I'd believe so!" Dawn said. "You and your parents are starting a better legacy! That's good!"

"Legacy is the thing," Ciara said. "...To be totally honest, stagefright wasn't the only thing keeping me from entering Contests. It played a part, but really… I hate the idea of becoming well-known, and carrying on their bad name."

"Huh?" Dawn frowned, awfully puzzled. "Why would you do that, if you're a good trainer?"

After a moment of thought, Ciara spoke. "My Vulpix."

"Vulpix…? What about your Vulpix? You two have always seemed close to me," Dawn replied.

"I bonded with her when I was young. My parents didn't have the heart to give her off, after that. Especially when I wasn't the biggest social Butterfree. They said she was good for me. But, sometimes I can't help but look at her and wonder… am I really all that different? Did I only get attached to her be—" Ciara choked, wiping at her eyes. "Because she was rare!? After that battle with Quijote… and the appeal with Rapidash! Am… am I really a fit trainer for her!?"

"...Ciara." Dawn sat down beside her rival. Biting her lip, she hesitated, before resting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Showing comfort was never her forte. All she could do, really, was speak as a Coordinator. "Think back to everything about her appeal, today. Even if she was weaker than Nidoking, she was tenacious and brave. She fought her hardest for you. You have a bond together! You even help each other with hair care, with her heat; like me and Empoleon!"

The example was strange and mundane enough to make Ciara blink the tears out of her eyes. It sounded silly at first, but the more she thought about it, the more it started to click. "Even in everyday life together… we're a team. We help each other." She wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "Thank you for your help, Dawn. Sincerely."

"Yeah. Of course!" Dawn beamed. "I could never leave a rival in need."

Ciara managed a fatigued smile. "Now, I think I'd just like some time to rest."

"Yeah… It's been a long day, huh?" Dawn smiled sympathetically, and stood. "I'll see you later."

With her work done, Dawn walked towards one of the corridors to take her leave, and meet up with Ash and Pikachu. When she reached the tunnel, though, she nearly bumped into—

"Kenny!?" Dawn stopped in her tracks. Blinking repeatedly at the sight of her friend, who'd just rounded the corner. He looked startled, and red in the face. Dawn frowned. "...What're you doing here?"

Kenny looked off, rubbing the back of his neck as if he'd been caught. "I could ask you the same thing, Dee-dee."

"I asked first," Dawn asserted.

"Always the stubborn one, aren't ya." Kenny huffed. "I'm just here to check on Ciara. Give her some comfort after the disaster today, y'know…?"

Dawn furrowed her brow, puzzled. "But, I just did that."

"It's my job!" Kenny snapped back.

"What? Why is it your job?"

"It's just…! Because…!" Kenny opened his mouth, but the words just weren't coming out. His coal-colored eyes focused on Dawn for about as long as they could before he looked off. "She, and you… Y'know, Brendan…!"

"Ciara? Me? Brendan?" Dawn squinted. "Kenny, you're not making any sense!"

Finding the truth more of a difficult thing to wrestle with than he would've liked, Kenny grimaced, as he shrugged past Dawn, and moved on without another word.

"H-hey!" Dawn exclaimed. She could only look on in complete bewilderment; yet another time, he'd run off mid-confrontation with his back to her. What was his problem? What was his deal!?

"Y'know, I've got half a mind to dunk you in the pool, back there!" She fumed, stomping her boot against the floor. All the threat did, though, was echo her own frustrations within the corridor. Kenny had already left her behind.

She huffed, turning on her heels with her hands on her hips. "Whatever." If he wasn't going to speak his mind, then it wasn't her concern… It wouldn't be. 'I've got plenty on my plate already,' she excused, walking down the hallway to leave the main stadium. 'My battles tomorrow, the Aqua Ribbon… everything Ciara said.'

Like her empty threats, just a second ago, her thoughts would echo.

---

As Kenny entered the dome's main arena, he swore he'd heard Dawn shout something behind him. But, that would have to wait. Pinks and purples were starting to take over the sky's stubborn gold. It highlighted Ciara pretty brilliantly, by the pool.

"Y'know, the sunset's a good look for you." Kenny decided on, walking over to stand beside her. He looked off, lacking the confidence to be forthright. "But it doesn't exactly show when you're curled up in a ball, like that."

Perhaps the tiniest of squeaks could be heard, behind Ciara's collar. She crouched over, still, drawing little patterns in the pool water with her fingertip. "You're funny," she decided to say.

"Ahah…" Kenny coughed loudly. Maybe flattery wasn't the avenue to take, right now. "...Are you okay?"

"I think so," Ciara replied. "Dawn was helpful."

Kenny decided to sit down beside her. He could see her gently rippling reflection in the pool's surface. Even distorted by movement and the sky's shifting hues, her eyes looked rather puffy.

"...Sorry I wasn't able to help," Kenny muttered. "The way Brendan did."

"Brendan…?" Ciara looked up, blinking. It was as if, for a moment, she'd almost forgotten. "Oh, I don't… really care about that. Sure, it was nice of him… a-and a little cool," she coughed. Selfishly, Kenny winced. "But, Brendan isn't here for me, right now. He's a showboat."

"You're not kidding," Kenny laughed. Perhaps it sounded a bit more bitter than he'd meant it to.

"You and Dawn were here. She talked me through what was bothering me." Ciara drew more thoughtless patterns in the pool. "She's not the most sensitive, but she had some good advice… And, you've been my friend… W-well, for a while. You called me, even after we'd met… Just like you'd promised."

"Of course I did," Kenny defended. "...It was nice, having someone to talk to, often. Hear how your training was going. I was really happy to hear that you started competing, y'know? I was telling you it was a good idea." A boast he instantly regretted, recalling today.

"...Erm. Sorry.":

Ciara shook her head. "Not everything needs to be a big, cool, heroic show, you know."

"Tell Dee-Dee that," Kenny let slip. His bitterness trickled from his lips, and Ciara's fingertip stopped swirling on the surface. As if his own poison had trickled onto the waters; bringing it to a standstill.

"...Is that how you wanted to be, for her?"

A question that caught Kenny entirely off-guard. It felt like a gut punch. He almost kind of hated it… how someone so meek and gentle could have thrown the brutal truth at him, and confronted him with it.

Truthfully, he felt like shrinking up and just jumping into the pool. Or, running away. But, somehow, Ash's stupidly heroic mug poked around in the back of his head.

'You've gotta be upfront with her.'

Maybe those words had been for Dawn and not Ciara, but the principle was the same.

Kenny heaved a heavy sigh. "...It was." He didn't even bother to look Ciara's way, yet. He didn't quite have the courage, so he let his mouth run. "I always wanted to look cool to her, that way… A tough, dependable guy who she'd like. But then Ash came into the picture… this cool, super-compassionate guy who never seems afraid of anything. I didn't stand a chance."

He smacked the heel of his hand against the water; kicking up a splash in frustration. After the moment's ire passed, he felt shame instead, rubbing the back of his neck. "...Sorry, Ciara. This must be really embarrassing to hear."

"A little," she said. Surprisingly, when he looked over, there was a small smile in the corners of her lips. "I can't help but feel… reassured, honestly. If you'd be willing to admit something that embarrassing to me."

"Agh…!" Kenny groaned, hanging his head. That was deserved. "Was it all that obvious…?"

"T-to be honest… As soon as you stormed off, that time, I'd put it together. Dawn had no idea… But, I was… well, afraid to tell her. She can be a little, erm, explosive."

"Heh, yeah," Kenny laughed lightly. "Dee-dee can be pretty scary."

"Why do you even call her that, anyway?"

The question was enough of a wake-up call; Kenny shook his head. "I really shouldn't be saying it… You don't need to hear that story." Dawn deserved that much, at least, after he'd given her the cold shoulder.

It was time for a change in topics, he thought. "So," he started, scooting a little closer to Ciara, so that he could feel the soft wool of her sweater brushing up against his hand. "Where does that leave… well, the two of us?" He coughed into his hand.

"I-I'd…" Ciara stammered. She took off her glasses, cleaning the fog from them with her sleeve. "I'd say… that you have to sort things out with Dawn, if you want an answer to that." She frowned, and for the first time in a while, turned to meet Kenny's gaze.

She looked far more resolute than she'd been, earlier today.

"This whole situation has been stressful for me, too, you know!"

Kenny winced. The puzzled look on her face. Thinking back, he was hit with quite the ugly case of deja vu. Hadn't Dawn looked the same, when he'd proposed that they travel together…? At the time, he'd had no idea why. Now, perhaps, he did.

What an ugly thought.

"Ciara…" Kenny took her hand, and bowed his head. "I'm so, so sorry. You had no place in any of this!"

"It has been… well, crappy," she muttered out, flushing even at using that sort of language. "...but actually, I'm glad."

Kenny looked up, blinking. "You're… glad?"

"Up until now, I've let doubt walk all over me. I've let other people walk over me, like Quijote, and Dawn. I'm… actually very happy that you made me stand up for myself, for once." Betraying all expectations, the lavender-haired Coordinator wore a wide-reaching, genuine smile.

Even clouded with red, her bold blue eyes shone. The uncertainty he was so used to seeing was nowhere to be found. Kenny, at least, felt better for that.

"I'm glad too," he said. "...Are you going to be okay?"

"I am," she said, retracting her hand to stand back up. "I'm going to go have a conversation with my parents about today. It's something I've never really voiced with them… or, anybody, before today. I think we have a lot to talk about."

"Sounds good," Kenny smiled, hopping back up. "Good luck, and don't hold back!"

Ciara nodded, and walked off her own way. It left Kenny, for the moment, alone.

"...I have my own confession to make." He tightened a hand into a fist. He did, and yet it didn't stop his heart from racing even a little.

---

"Did you see him, Empoleon…?"

"Pol." A negative.

Dawn huffed in frustration, leaning against one of the arches that climbed the side of the dome that housed the Wallace Cup. Crossing one knee over the other, she allowed herself to rest on cool concrete. "We've looked everywhere inside the hall… I haven't seen him on the outside, either! You'd think Pikachu and Rosa would keep him grounded, at least."

Empoleon rolled his eyes, as he stood dutifully beside her. "Empoleon."

"...Yeah, they were probably thinking with their stomachs, too. I'm sure Ash'll bring us something, if he got impatient and went to eat. But it's not like that'll do us any good if we don't know where they went!" She frowned. How frustrating. "...I guess we should just wait here. They're bound to come looking for us, right?"

"Poleon."

"At least we've got a nice view of the sunset," Dawn conceded. She walked over to a nearby elevation of concrete that framed the dome, and scooted up so she could sit atop it. Kicking her feet idly, as a warm spring breeze nudged her bangs.

Frustration stirred somewhere in her. That little fight she'd had with Kenny was still in the back of her mind, but she dismissed it, deciding to focus on more important things. Dawn shook her head.

"Pol…?" Empoleon asked, walking over to rest a cool wing on her shoulder.

"No need to worry, Empoleon," Dawn fibbed. "I was just thinking… about the conversation I had with Ciara, just now. About her family… about setting a legacy. She was so worried over whether she really appreciated Vulpix for who she was. All because of her rotten grandparents. That's… not a place that any trainer should have to be. Heck, any Pokémon, even!"

"Pol! Empoleon." Empoleon adamantly agreed. Although he'd been in his Poké Ball, he'd been mostly aware of the conversation. The heart of it all was simply inexcusable!

"There shouldn't be any confusion about why Pokémon are amazing. Special shiny coats are nice… beautiful, even. But, beauty isn't skin deep. Like, yeah! Your crown is shiny and polished, because we keep it squeaky clean, every day!"

"Empol!" Empoleon adamantly agreed.

"But even that's just part of the work we put in, together… You're also kind, loyal, stubborn, and brave as they come!" When Empoleon flushed and basked in the attention, she giggled, reaching over to pet his head behind his crown. "And that's something I want everyone to see, tomorrow… no, forever! As a Coordinator, I need to shout all that off from the rooftops!"

The breeze carried through again, knocking her blue bangs into her field of vision. Dawn brushed them aside with her fingertips. "Maybe not every legacy is good… but that's going to be mine. A legacy of making people appreciate every one of my Pokémon, for who they are, and what they can do." She smiled fondly at her starter. "With enough time, everyone will see that that's the Dawn Tsumura way. Give them enough time, and I bet they'll follow us! How's that sound, Empoleon?" Whe winked.

"Emmmpol~!" Empoleon saluted her wishes dutifully, with tears rolling down his face and pooling into the groove of his crown and beak. He was moved. Motivated. Absolutely convinced!

"After all… A Coordinator's number one priority is to make their Pokémon shine."

"...Pol?" Empoleon stood upright. The sounds of panting and approaching footsteps drew his sharp eye, before Dawn caught on, too.

Kenny stumbled his way out of one of the multiple exits to the dome, leaning his weight on a nearby pillar. He'd clearly run his way here, only stopping when he spotted Dawn and Empoleon.

"Dawn…" He still hadn't fully caught his breath. "I… I found you." For a moment, he'd genuinely worried that she'd already be gone. That he'd lost his chance, before the finals, to speak his mind.

"Kenny…?" Dawn frowned, quirking a brow. Suddenly, the ire of the past few minutes came flooding back to her. She didn't bother to leave her perch. "I thought you were with Ciara."

A pointed statement, colored by her frustrations with his dismissal. But it was one he unfortunately took the wrong way; as an accusation of… well, the budding, confusing feelings between them that'd turned his stomach upside down a few too many times.

Maybe it was everything that'd been on his mind, tonight. Maybe it was his own, conspiring approach to love that painted Dawn's words in an accusatory light. Maybe it was guilt. Whatever the case, it took Kenny aback, and filled his cheeks with heat.

Worse yet, it made him choke on the words he'd been working so hard to force to the surface.

"N-no! I mean… Yeah! I did go to see her, but… It's… not like that! She just… needed a shoulder to lean on. Agh! That's not what I mean! You know what I mean."

Dawn groaned. Why was he so confusing!? "No, Kenny! I don't know what you mean." Motivated, above all, by sheer frustration and spite, she hopped down, and leaned forward with her hands on her hips. Wearing the same sort of scowl that, were they still little kids, Kenny would have predicted to mean she was about to jump someone. "Spit it out, already!"

Kenny took a deep breath. Since the moment he'd run into her and Ash on Cinnabar, every moment, really, was leading up to this one. The inevitable point he'd resolved to reach. With the spotlight on him, he felt paralyzed.

But, really, this came down to exactly what Ash said. You have to be honest with relationships, of any kind. Ash had refused to tell her, so that he would do it. If he could just explain it, himself, to Dawn's face, surely she'd understand. Surely she'd appreciate that, and they could at least go back to being close friends. That, he wanted, more than anything.

"...I was in love with you, Dawn."

For every sort of guess Dawn could have labored, this was not one of them. "...W-what?" Kenny? In love with her!? When had he said anything remotely like that? It was such a shock, really, that she hadn't had the time to process that. To frame her childhood best friend in that light, let alone know what to say. It was just a truth thrown out of the blue, really, that she was forced to wrestle with, on the spot.

So, thick as a brick as she sometimes was, Dawn raised a brow and said the first thing that came to mind. "...So you changed your mind, because you learned I was with Ash? Is that why you've been hanging around Ciara? No, but wait— you knew her before I told you about Ash…!"

The implications of his words were wide-reaching, and crawled to depths of their lives that, perhaps, Dawn hadn't thought about in years. Like a veritable ocean that she'd have to dive into, she found it hard to fathom and overwhelming. Rather than even thinking of diving to its depths, she treaded water on unimportant minutiae.

He'd thrown information at her that he'd had years to process, and she'd had seconds. While Dawn floundered with new information, her insensitive and irrelevant questioning left Kenny increasingly frustrated. It was like, rather than closing the gap of understanding between them, all it'd done is left them standing on two entirely different cliff faces.

It left Kenny increasingly red; in his face, and in temperament. Hadn't Ash said this was supposed to be straightforward!? "Oh, for the love of— I've always been trying, Dawn! From teasing you and callin' you Dee-Dee, to taking part in Contests…"

He could see the look of utter perplexity in Dawn's face, and he realized how bad that sounded. But, Kenny was already spilling the truth of the years between them; he couldn't backtrack. He could only course correct and explain himself. "I mean, don't get me wrong— I'm glad I became a Coordinator. I'm grateful, even! I love it… but, it's not like I didn't know you were crazy about them! I thought… maybe, like, if we were rivals… You'd think I was cool! We'd have something to be closer over! And, and… all the times I tried to show off in Sinnoh… To look cool for you! You think I was just doing that for the heck of it?"

"...Kenny." Dawn held her closed fist over her lips. In her complete bewilderment, she'd unconsciously bit the inside of her index finger. All of this was… It had red in the face. Not the same exciting pitter-patter that she'd grown used to with Ash, perhaps, but sheer embarrassment. That her best human friend had been harboring all of this, and trying to win her over, and she'd had absolutely no clue at all.

Part of her actually felt guilty. What words should she even use here? Her first, emotional instinct was to comfort him; to offer some kind of condolence. To put a bandaid on a wound she hadn't even noticed until tonight.

Kenny had her sympathies. But, up until now, he'd been prattling off every feeling he'd held, and every move he'd made to achieve what he was after, like a child in school reading off all the answers they'd marked down on a quiz. And perhaps, much like that, he'd noticed that he'd marked the same letter bubble a few too many times in a row, and with lingering doubts, in his anxiety, blurted out the worst possible thing to throw a wrench in it.

"The battle with Ash in Sunyshore!" He exclaimed, hoarse. Even he realized it, perhaps, as the words left his mouth, but he was only doing what he thought was right. What Ash had told him. "When I asked you to travel with me, if I won? I was jealous, Dawn! I wanted us to travel together!"

Though those words had sucked all the air out of the conversation, Kenny didn't yet know it. He was busy collecting himself. Catching his own breath. He leaned against a nearby pillar, perhaps giving her a chance to think. "...That's it. That's everything."

And, everything was starting to piece itself together, in Dawn's mind. That one, bewildering day that she'd spent agonizing over the bizarre, out-of-the-blue request, fit into every other piece of the jigsaw he'd just thrown at her to assemble. It was all coming together in the worst way.

Liking her was well and good enough, but… Every move he'd made, strategically, was to impress her. No, to win her. Years of what she'd taken as genuine, natural occurrences between friends, however positive, however annoying… They'd been a friendship.

And here, he'd been playing a game. Shooting for… a girlfriend!? As if everything before that wasn't something valuable, but just a move in that direction? All down to battling someone else, to take her along with him like a trophy!?

"You… you've got some nerve!"

Kenny winced, but he looked up to meet her gaze. Her eyes were boring into him, like nothing he'd ever seen. A fury that, frankly, terrified him.

"I don't care that you… liked, or loved me, or whatever! But, why didn't you just tell me!? Why pull all of those stupid stunts!? Playing games with me… Choosing your CAREER over it!? It wasn't… your dream!? You picked something that wasn't even for you!?" The idea, to Dawn, really, was unfathomable. "For the love of… Kenny, why not just say something!?"

Every world may as well have been a punch in the chest. He hadn't even thought, really, to frame things this way. Not until he talked to Ash. Or Ciara, or now, Dawn, most of all. But they sounded terrible. "...I-it's not that easy!" He defended, half-heartedly. His voice cracked with his confidence in his words. "I was scared, Dawn! You can't just say something like that!"

"So, instead, you tried to win traveling with me!? I'd even get it if you challenged me for it. But, Ash!?" If Kenny's voice had cracked, Dawn's had split into the worst of shrieks leaking into her words. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, but in her inexhaustible pride, inhaled and retained them. "Like I'm just some… badge to win off the guy I was friends with?"

He hadn't even respected her enough to challenge her. It was no bold move of love. It was cowardice, to steal her away from someone he thought had a better shot.

"Pol…" Empoleon crooned lowly. Reaching a wing out to Dawn, when he saw her trembling shoulders. She pushed his wing away, if gently.

"That's low, Kenny. That's seriously low. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

And, he was. Arceus above, was he. In fact, he'd probably never felt more ashamed in his life. But, still, he opened his mouth. He'd grown beyond that. He'd learned from it! "Dawn, I-"

"SAVE IT." Dawn shouted out, rubbing away at her eyes. He didn't even deserve to see the tears she was spilling, she thought, so she walked past him without sparing another glance. "If that's how you think of me, then fine. But, this friendship is OVER."

The brunet fell to his knees. This was all slipping through his fingers, in the worst way possible. "Dawn!"

"GOODBYE." Dawn sprinted off, with her partner, Empoleon, not far behind.

Though the Emperor Pokémon did spare one look over the metallic guard on his shoulder. The look of sheer disappointment in his cerulean eyes made Kenny cringe. In fact, he was halfway surprised that he wasn't hit by a Hydro Pump on the spot.

As he watched the two retreat into the night, Kenny felt very much like he would've deserved it.