"You got all that, Ash?"

"Y-yeah! Just… Just fine!"

"Are you sure? I could at least take a few more-"

"Bigger chance I'll start spilling if you do! I can make it!"

Ash balanced a large, heavy stack of bento boxes in his arms, shuffling clumsily towards a nearby picnic table with a huge supply of specially-prepared Pokémon chow. Exhaling through grit teeth in a show of effort, he set it all down with a huff. "There! Phew… If I dropped that, I think our dinner would've turned into a free-for-all."

"I don't think we need a repeat of yesterday's lunch," Dawn deadpanned, before setting down a personalized bento box beside the pile. "There's yours!"

Sunset was falling on Mulberry Town on the eve of the latest contest; just hours after Dawn competed in her first bid for her five ribbons. While the event ended in a disappointing defeat, there was a silver lining; contests meant tourism, and tourism meant vendors took to the streets. Delicious scents drifted through the city, and games and attractions dotted the area.

"You sure you don't wanna take a crack at that mallet game? I bet I could win us that huge stuffed Teddiursa!" Ash urged, nudging Dawn with his elbow before distributing the myriad of meals in spots nearby the table.

Dawn shrugged as she assisted him. "C'mon. Where would we even put that thing?"

"...Yeah, I guess you're right." Ash relented. Truthfully, he'd just wanted to show off some brawn.

In short order, the food was left out to be taken, and Ash and Dawn called all of their Pokémon out. "Alright, guys. Dinner time!" Ash announced. "Everyone, take one box. If there's any food-napping, you're gonna have to answer to Pikachu. Think you can handle that, Bud?"

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu proudly thumped his paw against his chest!

The Pokémon all exchanged glances; most eyes were on Pachirisu, Garchomp, and Mamoswine for their past behavior. This didn't last long, though; everyone scrambled to obtain their dinner and sit in groups as they pleased.

That left the two trainers to eat on their own. Though, the far-off stare in Dawn's eyes was giving Ash the impression that this was just a meal for one. "Hey, Dawn. You look like you're zoning out. Still bummed from earlier?"

"...Huh? Sorry!" Dawn's eyes widened as she snapped back to reality. "Nah, no need to worry! I'm not upset. But I definitely haven't forgotten the contest… After a defeat like that, I've got to step up my game. There's no way around it!" She poked at her salad and ginger, finally downing a bite.

"Of course! But we'll have plenty of time for that. It's like I always say!" Ash scooped up a dumpling with chopsticks, chomping it down before waving the utensils in the air. "Eat well, sleep well, and tomorrow will be a better day!"

"Totally!" Dawn chimed, but the optimism quickly faded from her eyes. "But really, I'm a lot more worried about Piplup. He's been impossible to cheer up, since battling Glenda. I didn't think he'd take a regular loss so hard… He was a lot more chipper when we lost the Grand Festival."

"He just needs time to cool down," Ash replied. "Even if a battle isn't the end of the world, if it undercuts your confidence, it still hurts… believe me, I know the feeling."

"Like Lake Acuity?"

Ash nodded, then smiled. "Besides, the other Pokémon are with him! No need to worry."

"Right! No need to worry." Dawn exhaled, putting her worries to rest. "Tonight's specialty dinner should cheer him right up, anyway. I hope everyone else is enjoying it, too!"

"If it's anything like ours, no doubt!" Ash hummed in delight after eating another dumpling. "That stuff got a little pricey, though. Thanks for covering the tab."

"Oh, no problem! It was the least I could do with our runner-up prize money."

A fair distance from where the trainers ate, their Pokémon all huddled in groups around foliage and under trees. The gold of sunset leaked through the gaps in leaves, highlighting each Pokémon's healthy luster. Dawn's from attentive grooming and prim care, and Ash's from their healthy lifestyle of battling. Chatter passed between different assortments of Pokémon over their meals; that was, when they weren't busy stuffing their faces. The night was merry.

Merry for all except one. A lone Piplup faced away from his companions, instead turned towards a nearby tree, where he absently picked at the seaweed that sealed a rice ball together. It tasted of the wild waters; the one thing cheering him up in spite of his pitiful show, today. He felt like he couldn't fully enjoy it, though. He would've stubbornly refused dinner and hopped into his Poké Ball, if not for the nagging rumble of his stomach. He'd sate it, and waddle off to bed.

"Hey, Piplup!" A scratchy voice called him over. Quilava. She waddled over to him, tugging on his cape. "C'mon, don't be such gloomy Gus. Why don't you join us!"

Piplup yanked his blue down away from her, spinning around to point a flipper at her. "Why, so you can rub your oh-so-great performance in my face!?"

"Sheesh. You don't have to be such a jerk about it." Quilava frowned, pushing his wing down. "I was trying to cheer you up!"

Piplup felt his face burn red; he flew off the handle and now he looked stupid. Of course, there was no way to save face but double down. "Hmph! Well, save it." He turned away, folding his wings.

"Alright, alright! Cool it, you two." Buneary stepped in; she probably shooed Quilava off, because her grumbling voice quickly grew distant. The rabbit sighed. "If only Togekiss were here…"

"Aw, cheer up, Piplup!" Now, Rosa had come over, patting him on the shoulder. "I get it. You got your butt kicked and you feel embarrassed. It happened to me, too!" Unabashedly blunt.

Piplup seethed, face burning red in humiliation. He whirled around, and squawked. "I didn't ask you!"

Piplup's anger quickly turned to regret. The Riolu sniffled, tears welling up in her eyes. A quivering lip was all that held back a child's sobbing, and Piplup waved his wings around. "Er… I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean it, I swear, little sis! Uh-oh…" He couldn't deal with waterworks!

"Save it!" Buneary coaxed the sniffling Riolu aside, and then gave Piplup quite possibly the meanest look he'd ever seen her muster. "You're bein' a bigger baby than the actual baby!" She scolded, aiming a threatening fluffy ear at his chest. "Do I need to give ya a wake-up call?"

"Buneary!" A sight for sore eyes. Pikachu entered the fray, placing a paw on her aimed ear. "I'll handle this, okay?"

Piplup rolled his eyes at the way Buneary quickly turned docile, shifting around on her tip-toes with a pink streak across her nose. Even she seemed to read the room, though, and swallowed down her affections. "I'll leave you to it, Pikachu. I trust you!"

"Simp," Piplup muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Pikachu quickly diffused this, herding Rosa towards Buneary with a gentle nudge. "Rosa, you go along with Buneary, alright? It's time for a boy's talk."

Rosa sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the paw that wasn't holding Buneary's. "Boy's talk? Snf. What are boys gonna talk about that we can't?"

Whatever Buneary's explanation was, it fell into the background, as Pikachu became Piplup's sole focus. "...So, uh." Piplup stammered. He felt like a real dope, right now. But if he trusted anyone with his feelings, it was certainly Pikachu. "What's up, Pikachu?"

Pikachu smiled, shaking his head. "Relax. Me and some of Ash's Pokémon wanted to see you."

"Wanted to see… me!?" Exuberance shone in Piplup's eyes immediately. His attention-craving tendencies were played to perfectly, and he grabbed Pikachu's paw. "Well, let's not keep 'em waiting!"

"Piplup!" Pikachu exclaimed, forced to quickly catch up with the penguin. "Take it easy!"

As it turned out, "some of Ash's Pokémon" meant Bulbasaur, Wartortle, and Charizard. The three of them, plus Pikachu, sat in a small grove away from the rest of the crowd. Piplup quickly felt small when he took his seat; his enthusiasm from a moment ago had dried up.

There was something of an awkward silence when Piplup and Pikachu settled, so Wartortle took it upon himself to break the ice. "Yo, Piplup." He greeted, coolly saluting him.

"Oh! Erm… Yo!" Piplup waved his flipper around in the air, and folded both of his wings over his chest. "Good to see you guys. Hey, don't like, worry about today or anything. It's all water under the bridge. Ka-put! I'm over it. No need to worry-"

"The penguin doth protest too much," Bulbasaur quipped. Mark him down for the most well-read member of Ash's squad he'd met, so far.

"Hey, runt. Drop the act." Charizard snorted, leaning his jaw into the palm of his hand. "We're not stupid, over here."

"...Oh! Erm. Yeah," Piplup squeaked out, turning his gaze towards his lap. He'd been disarmed. 'I can see that these guys are Ash's old guard… they're much more mature. I guess I can speak my mind, but…!'

"You're in good company," Pikachu reminded him, patting his shoulder. "We've all had our share of losses. Brutal ones."

"Real stretch of the word 'we,' there, if you ask me." Wartortle cut in. "I'm sure these guys could tell you all about it! I'm just built of tougher stuff. Wish I could relate. Ow!"

Bulbasaur had promptly smacked Wartortle in the back of the head with his vine.

"It's not losing that has me so upset," Piplup admitted. "...Well, it's mostly not that. It's like…! Look at Quilava! She evolved and her appeal was amazing. Pachirisu's picked up new moves…! And, look at you guys! I've never met the three of you, before, but Pikachu's gotten so strong! It's just…" He sighed, looking awfully downcast. "I'm the same as before. No better than the day we ended our Sinnoh journey."

"That explains it." Pikachu nodded along thoughtfully. "Then, maybe that just means it's time to think outside the box! It's not like we haven't gotten creative to improve, before!"

"Well… yeah," Piplup stammered. "But, I feel like I've already made the most of my moves! The only real switch-up is Ice Beam, and Buneary and Mamoswine already have ice covered!"

"Have ya considered evolution?" Charizard asked.

"Evolution!? Well, I-"

"Oh, I probably should've mentioned!" Pikachu interjected. "Piplup already decided that he doesn't want to evolve."

"Snrk! Don't you have an Arcanine in that race, Pikachu?" Wartortle jeered.

"Pikachu's bias is an equally worthy viewpoint," Bulbasaur retorted.

"..." Piplup sat silent in a sort of awe. 'I've been left out of this completely, haven't I?'

"Fine, then let's talk pros and cons," Charizard decided. "On one hand, evolution made me stronger than that lil' Charmander could've ever imagined. Being a Charizard means unlocking a whole bunch of new moves and abilities, to boot." Still laying down, the Flame Pokémon lazily flapped his wings to make a point.

"He's got a point," Wartortle agreed. "It didn't change my moves much, but evolving still gave me a hell of a power-up! Y'dig?"

"Don't forget, you can gain plenty of strength without evolution," Bulbasaur argued. "It didn't stop us from defeating Brandon with Ash."

"Bulbasaur's also right," Pikachu huffed. "Nor did it stop me from taking on Latios. And Moltres!"

"HOLD ON!"

The circle of starters quieted. All of their gazes turned on the squawking Piplup.

"Well, it's about time." Piplup huffed, tilting up his beak. "This was about me, and I'm not even part of the conversation! Sheesh."

"...Oh. Right." Pikachu rubbed his neck.

"My bad, bro."

"Apologies."

"Hmph."

"Anyway. Those are the pros. What about the cons!?"

"Well," Pikachu replied, "what cons do you think it has?"

"Well, you remember. I don't want to… change too much, you know? I want to keep being there for Dawn, like the day we first met! What if I evolve, and everything is different!? What if I'm different!?"

"...I can understand that," Bulbasaur replied. "Charizard, here, went through quite the rebellious phase when he evolved. Both times."

"Hah, yeah!" Wartortle piled on, much to Charizard's chagrin. "Y'know, back then, the two of us made a pact." He gestured to himself and Bulbasaur. "After seeing that disaster, we promised to never evolve."

"Which you broke," Bulbasaur replied. "Traitor."

"I'm not a traitor! I had a self-realization. Uh-huh. One of those things that comes with maturity."

"Mhm."

"Oh no! Ohnoohnoohno, oh no!" Piplup exclaimed, pressing his wings into his cheeks with horror. "That's exactly the kind of thing I'm afraid of! A complete change in personality… a pivot from my kind, noble, virtuous, humble self! What would Dawn do if I could no longer fight loyally at her side! I'd be a failure!"

"You know, the story doesn't stop there," Charizard snorted. "Evolution bloated my ego; that's true. But I eventually found my way. Ash showed patience with me, and it paid off."

"I don't know…" Piplup whined. "Mamoswine went through something similar, too…"

"Listen, brother." Wartortle pulled out his signature shades and wore them. "We all have our fears and doubts. But there's one thing you ought to remember - that your destiny is in your own hands!" The turtle posed with a hand held high… silence drifted through the grove, and he whispered to Charizard. "Hey. Spitfire. Give me some ambiance, here."

Charizard rolled his eyes, but he whipped his tail around, igniting its flame into a roaring inferno behind Wartortle. The fires cast a dark, dramatic silhouette unto the Water-type, who resumed his stance.

"Cowering in fear of the unknown is no way to live! Evolution is your choice, and ONLY yours!"

Bulbasaur idly clapped his vines together. "Very cinematic."

"Wartortle's right, Piplup." Pikachu smiled, ignoring his friends' antics to place a comforting paw on the penguin's shoulder. "In the end, you should do what's most comfortable for you."

"...Yeah." Piplup agreed. Though, none of this solved his inner turmoil. Sure, the choice was his. But that didn't mean much of anything if he didn't know what he wanted! Frustrated, he shook his head, hopping back onto his feet. He turned, sprinting away from the grove.

"Piplup!? Wait!"

Back at the picnic table, Ash and Dawn were already done with their meals, chatting about something or another to pass the time. The lack of a fuss up until now was a good enough sign that their Pokémon were still content.

That was, until a squeaking Piplup sprinted into the open, stopping by Dawn. "Piplup! Pip! Piplup! Lup!"

"Huh? What is it, Piplup?" Dawn turned to her partner. "Is something the matter?"

The penguin paused, cradling the bottom of his beak, seemingly thinking something over. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide, firing a Hydro Pump.

"Ah!" Dawn screamed. "Piplup!?"

Luckily, the powerful jet sprayed right past her, and into the sky. This elicited a sigh of relief from the coordinator. "You gave me a scare there… what's the deal with you?"

"I think Piplup wants to battle!" Ash asserted, closing a fist. He smiled and winked at the small Pokémon. "Am I right?"

Piplup looked to Ash and nodded emphatically.

"So, you do want to battle…" Dawn pursed her lips. "...I get it! You want to keep improving, after what happened earlier today, right?"

"Pip-Piplup!" Without words to rely on, Piplup hopped up and down. While Dawn couldn't decipher his exact words, she understood her partner's sentiments.

"Hey, while we're at it, let's make it a full battle!" Ash suggested. "The two of us haven't had a proper battle in ages, right? We ought to give everyone some after-dinner exercise!"

"Hm… Yeah! Why not?" Dawn stood up immediately. "Though, I think I should go and switch in Togekiss… With how powerful you've gotten, I'm going to need every advantage I can find!"

"Hey, bring it on!" Ash thumped a fist against his chest. "Let's go gather everyone and get to business!"

Shortly afterwards, Ash and Dawn squared off on the closest public battle field. Ash with his partner Pikachu on his shoulder, and Dawn accompanied by Piplup.

"Alright. Since this battle's for you, I want you to watch us until it's your turn, okay, Piplup?" Dawn coached.

"Pip-lup!" Piplup tapped a wing against his chest.

"Not gonna lie, Dawn." Ash said. "I've been waiting for this! So, get ready for us!"

"Bring it on, Ash!" Dawn beamed, welcoming the challenge.

"You asked for it!" Ash grabbed a Poké Ball and drew his weight back; a cue for Pikachu to hop off his shoulder in harmony with Ash. "Rosa! I choose you!"

The Poké Ball was flung, calling on Ash's first choice; a battle-ready Riolu, who took an offensive stance with one foot planted before the other. "Rio!"

"Let's show them what we can do!" Dawn wound up, tossing her own first choice into the fray. "Buneary, spotlight!"

"Bun-Bun!" Buneary appeared, twirling on her feet to stick the landing.

"We'll start!" Ash decided. "Rosa, Vacuum Wave!"

The Riolu threw a paw forward, firing the concussive blast with remarkable speed.

"Quick Attack, Buneary!"

As swift as Vacuum Wave was, it was no match for Buneary, who hopped over the burst, sailing towards to crash into her with a high-speed tackle. The Riolu was sent rolling back with a yip.

"Now, Ice Beam!"

Buneary followed up with a freezing flash from her mouth.

"Double Team!" Ash ordered.

A troop of blue bipeds generated in a circle around Buneary, who continued her spray of Ice Beam in a loop around her. The ground immediately surrounding her was frozen, but there was no sign of a frozen Riolu to be found.

"We missed!" Dawn exclaimed.

Ash grinned, cutting a hand through the air. "Iron Tail!"

A blue blur dropped in from above, swinging down at Buneary with an iron-clad tail! The rabbit's ears stood on end, snagging Iron Tail between her fluffy extremities.

"She caught it!?" Ash exclaimed.

"Nice use of your ears, Buneary!" Dawn praised. "They aren't just strong; her hearing is second-to-none, too!" Luckily, she'd heard Rosa coming even before Dawn had.

"Bun!" Buneary whipped Rosa around with a toss of her head and smashed the pup against the ground, cracking the ice. She tossed Rosa back towards Ash with a swing.

"You doing alright, Rosa?" Ash checked. The pup slid back on all fours, yipping an affirmative. "Good. Now, use Force Palm!"

"Hit back with Dizzy Punch, Buneary!"

The Riolu charged her more experienced foe, striking at her with an open palm that never quite made it; the fluffy of Buneary's ear intercepted, glimmering with a beautiful, multicolored hue. Rosa stopped, cooing at the extravagant display. She quickly regained focus, though, repeatedly jabbing at Buneary with her paws.

The clash quickly turned into an exchange of blows. The explosions of Rosa's Force Palms were fizzled by the force of Buneary's punches; never quite able to launch at their full capacity. Even the speed of her blows was quickly being outmatched, her rapid hits disarmed by Buneary's swift ears. The rabbit overwhelmed her with a Dizzy Punch to the jaw, knocking her back.

"So, Buneary's still ahead of her, blow for blow." Ash narrowed his eyes. "Double Team, and follow it with Vacuum Wave!"

The Riolu multiplied into an ambush, once more, surrounding Buneary. Subsequently, each and everyone started firing Vacuum Waves towards Buneary. Many of them were merely illusions, passing through on contact. But that came with one huge problem; it was almost impossible to tell which one was real, and where it came from!

Buneary recoiled, taking several of the shots.

"It could be coming from anywhere…!" Dawn frowned, watching the many clones for a hint of the real Rosa. But nothing looked amiss; certainly not to the naked eye. "...Hold on. If our eyes can't spot it… Buneary! I need you to focus! Use your hearing to find the real Rosa!"

Focusing was difficult, when you were being battered by super-effective shots of energy. But Buneary was no quitter; her ears surveyed the circle, and soon stood on end. "Buneary!"

"There!" Dawn shouted. "Dizzy Punch!"

"Shoot!" Ash exclaimed.

Buneary spun around on her heel and lunged. The real Rosa, unlike her copies, flinched when she realized she'd been found. A wholloping Dizzy Punch knocked her back and dissolved the ambush. Rosa fell back with swirls in her eyes.

"Alright! Great job, Buneary." Dawn praised.

"Bun, Bun~!" The rabbit twirled on one foot, striking a pose… and predictably sent a wink Pikachu's way. "Buneary~!"

Pikachu seemed to notice, flashing an awkward smile while rubbing his neck. "Pika…!"

Ash, on the other hand, looked none the wiser, recalling his Pokémon. "Return, Rosa! You gave it a good try, so rest for a while." Smiling upon the sphere, he exchanged it for another. "You're up next, Bulbasaur!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur stood on all fours opposite of Buneary.

"And here's where it gets serious…" Dawn thought aloud. 'Ash's older Pokémon. We'll have to be smart from here on out, if we want to stand a chance.' She recalled Buneary to her ball. "Return, Buneary! I might need you later. But right now, I choose… Pachirisu! Spotlight!"

"Chi-paaa~!" Pachirisu cooed, bouncing on her feet.

"Let's go, Pachirisu!" Dawn winked, extending a hand. "Sweet Kiss!"

"Chichi!" Pachirisu winked, conjuring a series of pink hearts that quickly surrounded Bulbasaur. Before he could retaliate, they converged, inflicting him with confusion.

"Oh, no!" Ash grimaced. The oft-vigilant Bulbasaur was now stumbling clumsily about, haphazardly lashing out with his vines. "Snap out of it, Bulbasaur!"

Alas, the situation didn't improve; the Seed Pokémon even managed to stumble over his own vines.

"Now!" Dawn recalled Pachirisu, and snappily called on another Pokémon. "Togekiss! Let's use a Sky Attack, right away!"

Togekiss took to the air, immediately surrounding herself in a white, steadily building light.

"That was your plan, all along?" Ash smirked, brushing his thumb over his nose. "You're something else, Dawn."

"There's more where that came from! Go, Togekiss!"

Togekiss glided in with the full force of Sky Attack, crashing into a confused Bulbasaur with super-effective force.

Bulbasaur smashed into the ground, tumbling back before coming to a halt on all fours. The blunt force seemed to awaken him from his stupor.

"Looks like you're back with us!" Ash smiled. "Use Sludge Bomb!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur spat a volley of dense, toxic masses of sludge towards Togekiss. The Jubilee Pokémon twirled her way around the precise shots, taking to the air well out of Bulbasaur's range.

"That's the way!" Dawn cheered. "Bulbasaur's as clever as he is powerful, but he won't have the advantage against flying Pokémon. Let's show them the Air Slash Special, Togekiss!"

"Kiss~!" Togekiss spun around mid-flight, whipping her wings in a graceful whirl that conjured a ring of Air Slashes about her form. With an agile twist, she launched the barrage at Bulbasaur.

"Dodge that, with Power Whip!" Ash commanded.

Bulbasaur cracked his vines against the ground to launch himself skyward. The Air Slash Special ground away at the dirt and grass below him harmlessly, but there was one danger left; a bright blue sphere shot out of the dust and debris to pursue Bulbasaur further.

"Below you, Bulbasaur!" Ash coached. The Grass-type smacked his vines into the rising blast, detonating it. "Pretty smooth, hiding an Aura Sphere in there," he praised, brushing his thumb over the bridge of his nose. "But that's the last thing that I'd miss."

"That's the idea!" Dawn sing-songed. "Air Slash!"

"She played us!" Ash exclaimed.

There was little Bulbasaur could do to stop the razor-sharp air currents slashing into him while he was suspended. The super-effective move knocked him to the ground, which he was forced to shake off.

"That's another super-effective move," Ash noted. "Use Leech Seed!"

Bulbasaur aimed his bulb, and launched a parasitic seed.

"Use Safeguard!" Dawn triumphantly threw out her hands, mirrored by her angelic Pokémon's movements. A gentle, green light washed over her Pokémon, making Leech Seed fizzle.

Meanwhile, Ash grinned. "Sludge Bomb!"

Bulbasaur immediately followed up with explosive sludge, landing a direct hit on Togekiss.

"No, Togekiss!" Dawn watched her Pokémon fall; unconscious after one hit. "Return, Togekiss." She sighed, recalling the Jubilee Pokémon to her ball. "Just one move…"

"I was counting on that Safeguard, y'know." Ash admitted. "It's a good, hard counter to Leech Seed, but it left you wide open!"

Dawn stared at her friend momentarily, only expressing herself with a blink. 'He read me like a book… Ash isn't just stronger; he's smarter, too. We'll just have to one-up him!' Dawn took a deep breath and smiled. "Alright, Ash. You asked for it! Quilava, spotlight!"

"Lav!" Quilava stood on her hind legs, flaring the flames on her back in a show of bravado. Dawn could only imagine her confidence was high, after her successful appeal!

"You doing alright, Bulbasaur?" Ash checked.

"Bulba." Bulbasaur croaked back. He looked fairly winded after the consecutive attacks from Togekiss, but even Dawn knew that wasn't nearly enough to defeat him, alone.

"And we can't use Leech Seed yet, thanks to Safeguard… Use Sludge Bomb!"

Bulbasaur aimed at Quilava and fired the mucky barrage.

"Eruption!"

Quilava raised her rear to aim her flames, recoiling from the sheer force of magma shooting off her back. The red-hot projectile cut into the incoming Sludge Bombs, detonating the toxic matter in a deafening chain reaction of explosions.

"They exploded!?" Ash exclaimed. "Watch out, Bulbasaur!"

Awestruck, the Grass-type swiftly jumped, only narrowly avoiding the scalding power of Eruption. The blowback from Sludge Bomb, however, knocked him into the air.

"Now's our chance!" Dawn pointed forward. "Use Swift, and heat it up with Flamethrower!"

"Lava!" Quilava tossed her head to unleash a slew of golden, glimmering stars that soared in pursuit of Bulbasaur. They were quickly joined by a stream of flames; hot fire whipped and danced around the stars, turning them from a solid gold to bold and flickering reds and oranges. Stardust and embers cascaded from their trail.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted in vain. The blazing stars battered away at the grass-type, dropping him back to the ground with wisps of smoke trailing from his bulb.

"Bulba…!" Bulbasaur croaked in a tone that was less than pleasant. Sturdy, stubborn legs put him back on his feet, though his expression and burns told of a Pokémon that was nearing his limits.

"That Swift combination… that would be amazing for contests!" Ash said.

"That's the idea!" Dawn boasted. "But it's great for battles, too."

"Hey, I can tell. But it's not like Bulbasaur will go down without a fight, either! Use Leaf Storm!" Ash gestured forward.

The attack that came was far greater than anything Dawn could have anticipated. A spiral of energy-charged, glistening leaves slashed through the air in a typhoon, swiping up Quilava and battering her in a cutting storm. The fire-type dropped, clumsily landing on all fours.

"The power of that Leaf Storm…" Dawn's closed fist trembled. "Even with a type disadvantage, he gave Quilava all that… looks like Eruption's off the table." She frowned.

"The second strongest Grass-type move!" Ash boasted. "Bulbasaur's always got another trick up his sleeve."

"Lup…!" Standing at Dawn's side, Piplup gawked at the damage that'd been dealt out.

"I bet," Dawn replied. "But so do we! Use Smokescreen, Quilava!"

The fire-type complied, flooding the field with a thick, inky smoke that obscured all vision.

Ash coughed into his arm, blocking out the worst of the smog. "Stealth won't work on us. Whip that away with a Power Whip Counter Shield!"

"Bulba!" Stubborn as ever, Bulbasaur fought through his exhaustion, whipping his two vines around in a spiral. Imbued with a strong purple glow, they quickly found the force to whip up a strong gust around their epicenter, blowing the thick veil of Smokescreen away.

"Now, we've got you!" Dawn shouted. "Flamethrower!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that!" Ash smirked.

"What's that mean!?" Dawn replied, watching Quilava's flames clash with the spiral of swinging vines. Surprisingly, the fire was dispelled, blown away by the brute force winds kicked up by Bulbasaur. "Even Flamethrower can't get through it!"

"Toss 'er, Bulbasaur!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur snagged his vines around Quilava, taking her around for an unpleasant swing before catapulting her high into the sky. The fire-type yelped, flipping haphazardly through the air.

"Hang in there, Quilava!" Dawn encouraged. "Let's use your momentum for your Rainbow Flame Wheel!"

Quilava tucked herself into a ball, quickly making use of the speed she'd built to tumble with steadily increasing velocity. Red and orange flames wrapped around her body, quickly gaining intensity to light up her fire with a wide spectrum of colors. The gorgeous attack shot back down, aiming to bulldoze Bulbasaur in a blaze.

Dawn was confident; even Bulbasaur didn't have the fire power, right now, to put a stop to their attack. She took one look at Ash, though, and that was enough to send her certainty crashing down. He was wearing his signature smile; the same one he wore whenever he had a clever idea to upset a match. Then, the words left his lips.

"Sludge Bomb!"

Dawn gasped in horror. "No, Quilava!"

Bulbasaur spat globs of sludge at the approaching flame, and upon impact, detonated it. The fireworks were beautiful; the whole spectrum of the rainbow flashed from the impact point, drowning out even the ugly, dark-green sludge. But the results weren't; Quilava landed on her belly, splayed out in defeat.

"...Sorry, Quilava. I should've seen that one coming." Dawn huffed, recalling her fire-type. "Y'know, Ash, you've gotten real sneaky, since we last saw you!"

"Thanks, but I know I'm not the only one." Ash smirked, brushing his index finger over his nose. "Show me what else you've got, Dawn!"

"You asked for it! Mamoswine, spotlight!" Dawn called the gargantuan mammoth, who trumpeted a battle-ready cry upon appearing. "Now, use Ice Shard!"

"Use Sludge Bomb!" Ash ordered - a tad too late. The high priority of Ice Shard meant a quicker launching time. Before Bulbasaur could retaliate, the large frozen slab crashed into him.

The ice broke, revealing Bulbasaur, who had swirls in his eyes.

"Yes!" Dawn pumped a fist. "I had a feeling Bulbasaur was only hanging in there. If he kept at it any longer, though, he might've taken all of us out! Great work, Mamoswine."

"One of those Leech Seeds really would've done the trick," Ash agreed, exchanging Poké Balls. "But there's more where that came from! Wartortle, I choose you!"

"War!" Wartortle appeared, opposite of Mamoswine.

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Dawn muttered. Another one of Ash's starters coming in fresh, and she was already down two Pokémon. The score was technically even between them, but she knew better; if she didn't press her momentum, this would be a wash. "Use Ice Shard and eat it, Mamoswine!'

"She's using that strategy, huh?" Ash raised a brow at the command. A hint of a smile was plenty sign that he was excited for what was to come.

A glimmering shard of ice was conjured before Mamoswine, and the titan ate the chilling projectile right back up. Ice-type energy spread through his body, empowering him with an icy exterior. Horns of ice ejected from his fur into a glistening crown, granting him Ice Armor. Raring to go, he let out a loud battle cry. "Mamoooo!"

"The truth is," Dawn admitted. "I remember Team Rocket bringing this out against Pikachu and Piplup, right away, when they knew they were outmatched. As gross as it feels to use anything of theirs," she spat, "I think I know just what kind of opponent I'm up against. We can't afford to hold anything back!"

"Well, if that's how you feel," Ash replied, "we won't hold back, either! Use Water Gun!"

Wartortle opened the round with a spout that, truthfully, more closely resembled a Hydro Pump. It crashed into Mamoswine, sending the behemoth sliding back. He groaned, shaking the damage off.

"Use Hidden Power, Mamoswine!"

Mamoswine conjured a ring of mysterious projectiles, flinging them towards Wartortle with a toss of his head.

"Use Rapid Spin, to cut right through!" Ash commanded. Wartortle retreated to his shell, spinning a swift path towards Mamoswine and into the brunt of Hidden Power. His power and speed cut through them, spraying water into puddles across the fray.

Mamoswine took the brunt of Rapid Spin, grunting in pain as he stubbornly held his ground. With a buck of his head, he pushed Wartortle's weight off him.

"Fire back with Ice Shard!" Dawn ordered.

Mamoswine reared back, summoning a mass of ice twice as large as the last. It smashed into Wartortle in retaliation, knocking him back under its weight.

"That's the way!" Dawn cheered. "Another Ice Shard!"

Mamoswine promptly charged a second round.

"Wartortle! Cut through with Hydro Pump!"

A spinning, gushing shell smashed through Ice Shard, and didn't slow down one bit. If Dawn didn't act, Mamoswine would take the full brunt of a Hydro Pump; something they couldn't afford.

"Use Ice Fang on the puddle in front of you!" Dawn urged.

A bright blue crystalline pattern spread across Mamoswine's tusks, and icy, razor-sharp fangs protruded from his mouth. He roared, stabbing the elemental protrusions into a muddy puddle at his feet. The moisture quickly expanded into craggy icy structures. Hydro Pump collided with the ice, battering, and smashing it to fragile shards under its force.

Mamoswine narrowly avoided the worst. Meanwhile, the field was a hazardous pool of water, slush, and ice. Dawn smirked to herself. "Perfect. Now, Mamoswine, let's use that slushy field for a full-power Take Down!"

"Use Skull Bash, Wartortle!" Ash ordered.

Mamoswine roared and charged, stampeding through the slushy field with no traction to be found; while he couldn't do much but charge straight forward, his speed increased considerably.

Wartortle retaliated by launching like a rocket, tucking his skull to smash it into his huge opponent. The juggernaut and the veteran bashed center-stage; the resulting shockwave sent icy waters splashing away, and forced Ash and Dawn to guard against the raw power.

Mamoswine whined out in pain, suffering a painful blow to his snout. Shaking about in anger, he quickly became clumsy, stumbling about.

"Mamoswine…!" Dawn frowned, clenching a fist in worry. He looked close to defeat after that collision… "Mamoswine, I need you to use Ice Fang on the field!"

Icy fangs sank into the mess of slush and ice, spreading waves of cold throughout the field. Bolstered by Ice Armor's power, an uneven sheet of ice spread across the terrain.

"The field…!" Ash watched as icy spires and hills elevated from icy sheets, making the battlefield into a frozen winter wonderland. Though, it was probably less than ideal for Wartortle, who was prying his feet from the ice. "Can't say I saw this coming." He smirked. "You're something else, Dawn."

Unfortunately, that feat was the last thing Mamoswine would muster in this battle. The giant collapsed, overwhelmed by the mere two hits Wartortle had doled out. With a whimper, he laid flat.

"Guess that was it, huh…? Even from you." Dawn bore a half-smile, recalling her Pokémon. "Thank you, Mamoswine… you just set the stage for our counter attack!" She twirled, calling another Pokémon forth. "Pachirisu, Spotlight!"

Pachirisu somersaulted onto the ice, landing on all fours. "Chi!"

"Use Discharge!"

Pachirisu attacked with a bright burst of electricity, highlighting the many crystalline structures of ice. Wartortle was zapped with a super-effective shock, making him wince. Ever bold and sturdy, he shook off the electricity with little trouble. "War! Wartortle!"

"Even a super-effective move barely phased him." Dawn frowned.

"Time to return fire!" Ash shouted. "Hydro Pump!"

Wartortle retreated to his shell, retaliating with a powerful spiral.

"Hide in the ice!" Dawn called.

Pachirisu quickly scurried into a gap in the icy hills, avoiding Hydro Pump's splash completely.

"She's gone," Ash muttered. His eyes darted across the terrain. "Keep an eye out for her, Wartortle."

Dawn now had the advantage of terrain. But, if she wanted to gain an edge, she had to play this carefully; one wrong move, and Wartortle could dominate this match. "...Use Sweet Kiss!"

A fluffy, blue-striped tail popped out of an entirely different crevice, and a pink heart was shot discreetly towards the tortoise.

"Wartortle! Water Gun, at eight o'clock!" Ash commanded.

The turtle swerved and spat a shot over his shoulder, sniping the hypnotic attack out of the air with precision.

"That aim…! Pachirisu, dive back under!" Dawn urged.

"Oh no, you don't!" Ash replied. "Use Skull Bash on the ice, and pin her down!"

Wartortle swerved and launched, smashing his head into the icy spires that hung just over where Pachirisu had just fired her attack. The structure collapsed in a small avalanche, trapping Pachirisu under many frozen fragments.

Dawn smirked. "Thanks, Ash! Time to make that move ours!"

Ash frowned. "What's that mean!?"

"Use Discharge, Pachirisu!" Dawn called.

Flashes of electricity broke from the cracks in the icy rubble, forming a blinding light show before it subsided. The ice was no more; in its place was Pachirisu, covered in a frozen sphere, lit by her Discharge like a kaleidoscope.

"That's Ice Chandelier!" Ash identified.

Pachirisu jumped, sprinting down the icy decline to bash her icy shell into Wartortle, knocking the water-type into a spin; he got a quick shock from the contact, to boot!

"It's great to see that move back, but it's not like we're sitting ducks. Wartortle, Hydro Pump!"

Wartortle used the spin Pachirisu had sent him in to his advantage, quickly withdrawing into his shell and spraying a powerful torrent in retaliation.

"Pachirisu, let's use that Hydro Pump!" Dawn pointed forward. "Run on top of it and launch yourself up!"

Pachirisu circled back around, scurrying her icy shell onto the roar of Hydro Pump. "Chiii~!" Her stubby, fleety feet didn't quit, scurrying across the water to use its pressure for a lift. Pachirisu was sent soaring!

"That's the way!" Dawn cheered.

Flying through the air, Pachirisu scurried to change the trajectory of her spin, just in time to slide down another icy ramp. The speed she quickly accumulated allowed her to smash into Wartortle, once more.

"Not bad, Pachirisu!" Ash smirked. "Wartortle, use Water Gun!"

Wartortle retaliated, spitting several jets of water at the fleeing Pachirisu. As skilled as the tiny Elesquirrel was at running away, the veteran firefighter's aim was too sharp. Water Gun clipped Ice Chandelier, rapidly pushing Pachirisu up an icy hill far faster than she could account for.

"Ah! Pachirisu!" Dawn gasped. She could only watch as Pachirisu was sent soaring into the sky; in this position, she was completely defenseless.

"Got you!" Ash grinned. "Use Skull Bash, Wartortle!"

"War!" Wartortle propelled himself at the airborne Pachirisu, smashing his thick skull into the icy structure surrounding Pachirisu.

"Pah!?" Pachirisu looked around her; cracks were spreading through her Ice Chandelier; in but a moment, the globe surrounding her shattered.

"Thanks for giving us a clear shot!" Dawn smirked.

Ash recoiled at her boast. "What's that mean!?"

"Sweet Kiss, Pachirisu!"

Dawn watched Ash's face fall in real time. Pink hearts orbited Wartortle and struck him, dropping the battle-apt turtle into a dizzy, dazed spin before he hit the icy terrain on his back. The scene quickly became embarrassing, as Wartortle lazily peddled around on his back in vain.

"That's… enough, Wartortle. Return!" Ash's face showed second-hand shame, flushed with red as he recalled the Water-type. "Phew. That was clever, Dawn! You've really been keeping us on our toes."

"Well, as embarrassing as it is to admit it, we really need to, to keep up with you, right now." Dawn winked.

Ash smirked in turn. "Well, if you ask me, I think I've had enough ice for one night. So, let's heat this place up!" He tossed a Poké Ball into the air. "This is a job for you, Charizard!"

A powerful, flame-tipped tail bashed against the ice. Even in the immediate vicinity, the icy floor started to melt under the Flame Pokémon's might. Charizard sized up his opponent… who turned out to be a tiny squirrel, and grunted in annoyance.

"I know she's small, Charizard," Ash interrupted, predicting his Pokémon's train of thought, "but Pachirisu's given us a lot of trouble, so far. Stay sharp!"

Charizard grunted a reply. It sounded skeptical, but he'd follow Ash's commands.

"Speaking of things that gave us trouble," Ash resumed, "let's melt that ice field down, with Flamethrower!"

Charizard answered with a bellowing roar, flapping his wings to soar over the frozen battlefield. Red and orange flames blasted and washed away the sheets and structures of ice; one bath of heat after the next melted the field change away.

"Pachirisu!" Dawn called.

The Elesquirrel nodded and spun off with Rollout.

It didn't take long at all before steam and water vapor fed, revealing the practice field in its natural state; or almost. Huge puddles of water still took up its surface.

Charizard landed, pointedly singing a singular spot with his tail for a dry spot to rest it.

Pachirisu, meanwhile, landed after tumbling back down. A particularly high mass of ice had been all she needed to launch out of Flamethrower's way. Now, she stood paw-deep in water; not ideal, but far preferable to Charizard's flame. "Chi!"

"There." Ash whistled; wiping sweat from his brow. "Now, there's no more ice to hide away in!"

"There sure isn't. Thanks for that, Ash!" Dawn winked, visibly throwing Ash off. "Use Sweet Kiss!"

Pachirisu spun on her feet and winked, sending several hypnotic hearts towards Charizard.

"Blow those away!" Ash called.

A simple, but brutal lash of Charizard's wings obliterated Sweet Kiss.

"Gotcha! Now, Discharge!" Dawn waved a hand.

Blue lightning surged through Pachirisu, and subsequently snaked a path across the water, ensnaring Charizard in a super-effective, super-conductive shock. The Flame Pokémon roared in irritation, shaking Discharge off.

"So, that's why you wanted us to melt the field." Ash deduced. "To use the water to conduct electricity! But how did you know I'd bring Charizard out?"

"That one's simple!" Dawn boasted, wagging her finger. "Your only other options were Garchomp, who's really weak to ice, and Pikachu; he's strong and all, but someone like him who works with speed would be worse off. I figured you'd want to melt that whole maze down, knowing how you treat the battle field!"

"So, that's how it is…" Ash flashed a smirk. "I've got to hand it to you, Dawn. You read me."

"The truth is, I saw how powerful your Pokémon were, back with Samurai; especially Charizard. I had a feeling the only way we'd make any headway against you is to plan ahead, and plan big. Everything starting with Mamoswine was part of disrupting the field!"

"I'm impressed, Dawn. But you missed one little detail!"

Dawn quirked a brow at this. What did Ash mean!?

"Charizard can fly!" Ash punched the air with his epiphany, as Charizard took to the air with a beat of his mighty wings. Puddles were disrupted and splashed about, disrupted by the foe's raw strength.

"C'mon, Ash. Don't tell me you're selling me that short!" Dawn goaded. She watched his eyes widen in surprise in real-time, and grinned. "Let's see a Discharge Counter Shield!"

Pachirisu imitated the most common Counter Shield movements, spinning on her back to rapidly generate electricity. Discharge twisted in with the waters, quickly forming a spiral that climbed the sky. Water vapor and jagged ribbons of lightning twisted and crashed into Charizard's belly, knocking the Flame Pokémon higher.

"Now, that's a new twist on the Counter Shield," Ash noted. "Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Spirals of Discharge had pushed Charizard back, but only the slightest bit. A toss of his head mowed the Counter Shield down with flames, beaming down without discretion. Pachirisu was swallowed in a pillar of flames.

"Pachirisu!" Dawn gasped.

The fire quickly dispersed, revealing a soot-covered Pachirisu, lying on her back with swirls in her eyes. "Pah…!"

Subsequently, Charizard landed with a huff.

"Guess that's the end of that. Thanks, Pachirisu." Dawn recalled the Elesquirrel.

"Pip-lup…!" Piplup squeaked out. His little wings were bundled. From Dawn's perspective, he looked awfully frustrated.

"I know, Piplup. We've really got our backs up against the wall here. But that doesn't mean we'll give up! Buneary, Spotlight!"

Buneary appeared next, flexing her ears. "Buneary!"

Refusing to lose conviction, Dawn gestured forward. "Ice Beam, on his feet!"

Buneary complied, using a flash freeze to secure the Fire-type to the ground.

'Perfect.' Dawn thought to herself, letting out a breath of relief. 'Now, he'll have to melt that down, too. Whatever steam that makes, we can use for a surprise attack!'

However, Dawn's expectations were not meant. Ice shattered and crumbled as Charizard yanked his feet free from the ice with little effort.

"He just brute forced it!?" Dawn exclaimed. "So much for that… Use Quick Attack!"

The rabbit darted a lightning-quick path for Charizard, moving in rapid leaps and bounds trailed by hopping trails of silver.

"Dragon Tail!" Ash ordered with a sweep of his hand.

"Over it!" Dawn urged.

Teal light coated Charizard's flaming tail, whipping around to bash into the bunny - fortunately for Buneary, she cleared the jump by just a hair, thanks to Quick Attack.

"Now, use Bounce!" Dawn called. Buneary landed on Charizard's torso, bouncing off of him with the leg strength her species was so known for. Clearing Charizard's height by a good distance, she found a fitting point for gravity to send her shooting back down.

"Bun!" Buneary sang a battle cry and delivered a solid kick to Charizard's face. Her foot found resistance against his jaw, and she felt satisfied… until she found Charizard's cold, unimpressed gaze staring holes in her.

"Well, you gave it your all! Sorry, Buneary." Ash gave an apologetic smile and waved a hand. "Flamethrower!"

A red-hot, point-blank blaze scorched the rabbit. She tumbled back and landed face-first in the mud, trailing wisps of smoke.

"Just one shot for you, too, huh? Thanks, Buneary." Dawn smiled sadly, recalling her first catch. "The battlefield's really heating up… literally! It's making me frizz." She frowned, attempting to smooth out her blue bangs.

To which, Ash nearly stumbled over in exasperation. "What's with that timing!? We're still in the middle of a battle, you know… you can smooth your hair out, later."

"And I see you still don't understand how painstaking hair care can be," Dawn huffed.

"Well, Piplup." Putting that diatribe aside, she turned her attention to the small penguin standing out her feet. "Sorry to pile the pressure on, but it looks like it's all on your shoulders, now. Do you think you're up to it?" Meeting his gaze, she stared into those large, blue, soulful eyes. There was definitely a spark in them; something weighing heavy on his mind. She wondered what it was?

Could it simply be a tough battle ahead of him?

From the other perspective, another blue pair of hues were the beholder's focus. Piplup stared up at Dawn, who still looked at him with scrutiny. Did she still not understand him…?

They were standing in the same place, more or less. Dawn was faced with an immovable opponent, just like he was. Sure, she wasn't in the ring taking the heat, but her pride was on the line, all the same. But she didn't seem all too bothered by the trend of the battle… why wasn't she bothered!?

Meanwhile, Charizard stood on the other end. A loud, proud force of nature. In some ways, he was almost everything Piplup aspired to be. He'd heard enough from Pikachu; the big lug had a reputation for being one of Ash's most reliable partners, who he could call in to seize any victory.

Why couldn't he do that for Dawn?

Why shouldn't he be able to?

Piplup's eyes narrowed. In a bout of determination, he ran headlong into the battlefield. "Hey!" He pointed a wing at Charizard. "Don't go underestimating me, alright!? You may have one opponent left, but it's ME you're dealing with! Got it?"

Charizard snorted, idly scratching his belly with his talons. "You got the moxie to back that up? Careful, before we end up with roasted bird for dinner, tomorrow."

"Don't even joke about something like that!" Piplup squawked, anxiously flailing his wings. The threat made Piplup's little stomach turn. He had no plans to get killed, out here! Collecting himself, he pointed at Charizard. "If there's one thing I've got, it's moxie! So, bring it on!"

"Looks like Piplup's got the right attitude." Ash smirked, waving a hand. "Flamethrower!"

A frighteningly wide wave of red and orange flames closed in on Piplup. Even from the modest distance he had, his feathers felt warm.

"Spin, Piplup!" Dawn commanded.

Piplup sprinted and dove to the side, twirling his compact body into an acrobatic barrel roll that cleared him of the scorching flames.

But, what was a moving target to a fire-breathing giant? All Charizard had to do was tilt his head to alter Flamethrower's course. Piplup was caught in the deadly heat of the blast.

"Piplup!" Dawn exclaimed. Her starter tumbled back, sitting up with a groan.

Even from a not-very effective move, he stung from head to toe. For just a moment, he winced in sympathy knowing that Pachirisu and Buneary had suffered the same, without a water typing going for them.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Pip-luuup!" Piplup retaliated to Charizard's fire with all of his might, recoiling at the pressure unleashed by the gushing waters of his Hydro Pump. A continuous, brutal stream blasted away at Charizard's torso.

The rushing waters in Piplup's ears drowned out what he could see or hear on the other side, but he did watch his stream break apart into mist in real-time. He'd heard not even a hint of a command from Ash, nor did Charizard look like he'd exerted any real effort.

"What was that, a Hydro Pump or a Water Gun?" Charizard growled through his teeth, impatiently beating his tail against the ground. "If you wanna improve, you HAVE to do better than that."

To say Piplup was discouraged would be an understatement. Even after Pachirisu's attacks, Charizard could pass for fresh out of the ball. How was he supposed to make any headway like this!?

"Don't let up on us, yet!" Ash goaded. "Fire Spin!"

A circular whip of Charizard's tail sparked up a flame that took on a life of its own. Embers grew into fire streams, and streams into spirals that whipped a climbing inferno surrounding Piplup. He backed away from the fire snapping out at him. "Ah!" He yelped when heat snapped at his feathered cape. Everywhere he looked, there was fire. He had nowhere to run.

"Piplup's got nowhere to go," Dawn whispered to herself, outside of the inferno. "There's got to be a way… that's it!" Dawn cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting into the Fire Spin. "Piplup! Break open those flames with Whirlpool!"

Piplup was pretty sure he knew where Dawn was going with this. He raised his wings above his head, whipping up a churning, spinning current that crashed and splashed against the flames. Hissing steam parted the fires, but only momentarily. Charizard's fire was just too hot!

"Keep going, Piplup!" Dawn encouraged.

Piplup redoubled his efforts. With a grunt, he swung his wings in a circular pattern, splashing away at the flames. Unfortunately, Fire Spin didn't come without its hazards. "Youch!" Piplup squealed; unruly embers snapped at his feathery cape! "That's it. I'm SICK of this thing!" He whipped the waters around and around, cutting away at Fire Spin's dense curtain.

"...There! It's working!" Dawn cheered. There was no way Fire Spin would be doused altogether, but Whirlpool was showing breaks in the flames. It was a gorgeous, dangerous spiral of fire and water!

"Is that…!?" Ash gawked at the lightshow; his olive skin highlighted by a strong orange. He smiled. "That's the fire-water combination!"

"From May!" Dawn confirmed. "I don't think we can hold it forever, but we don't need to! Piplup!"

"Lup!" Piplup affirmed, watching the Fire Spin carefully. His Whirlpool whipped around once more, cutting a gap in the fire at his height. He took a leap of faith.

It was hard to see the outcome; Whirlpool evaporated in the process, flooding the field with dense, hot steam. It was impossible to see much other than a blanket of white, from either end.

"Now's our chance!" Dawn shouted. "Use Drill Peck, Piplup!"

Even in the steam, the heat was nigh-unbearable. But it would have to do as a cover, until it cleared. Little yellow feet carried Piplup on a stubborn sprint, moving nowhere but forward, until he could make out a silhouette in the steam.

Piplup dove, smashing into the first point of resistance with a spinning Drill Peck.

Dawn overheard Piplup; she shouted into the vapor. "Keep at it with Drill Peck!"

He spun, spun, and spun some more, jabbing into Charizard's chest repeatedly. The grunts of annoyance he heard were less than Piplup had hoped for. But there was nothing to do but keep attacking until he got results!

"Dragon Tail!"

Piplup's spiral went on, until - THWACK! - a painful impact to the back of the head smacked Piplup into the mud, face-first. The world around him was spinning; or he was. It was hard to tell which. His grip on his consciousness was somewhat weak, he felt, sitting up. Judging by the fact that he was covered in mud and mucky water from head-to-toe, and the distance between himself and Charizard, he collected that he'd been knocked a ways away.

'Ugh…' Everything hurt.

"Piplup!" Dawn gasped. "Are you alright?"

"Luh…" Piplup groaned out half-heartedly.

"...I see. You did, didn't you?" Ash and Charizard seemed to be in on something that Dawn and Piplup weren't. Once the penguin's vision steadied, he could see Ash speaking; and now heard it, over the ringing in his ears that was fading away. "Charizard held back on that shot."

"Not that I'm not grateful," Dawn replied, "I think Piplup's looking pretty rough, as it is. But, why?"

"That's simple," Ash said. "He's trying to goad Piplup to bring out his best!"

"You heard the man." Charizard drew Piplup's attention. "Y'wanted to improve, didn't you? Where's that energy? Where's your resolve? Hell, where's your pride, even!?"

Piplup sat in the mud puddle, short for words. He wanted to argue back, but every rebuttal he was about to squeak out fell short. How was he supposed to muster any of that, here?

"I…!"

"Don't stammer on me!" Charizard grimaced. Half-baked efforts won't get ya anywhere."

Like anything would do a lick of good against Charizard. Piplup's pride hurt even thinking as much, but there was no denying the truth. Once more, he'd hit a roadblock.

"Piplup!" Dawn called out. He looked back; she met him with balled up fists and a look of determination. "If you want to call it off, that's your choice… but, I know my proud little Piplup can do better than that! I know you've still got fight left in you!"

Fight in him? Sure. He could probably dig up a few more swings at Charizard if he ignored the headache. But he certainly couldn't win. He wasn't strong enough; not strong enough to do right by Dawn, for that matter.

...That was his motivation, after all, wasn't it?

"...Piplup?" The girl's eyes softened, reflecting awe. "You're glowing!"

Dawn was right; Piplup looked down at his wings, with the phenomenon brought to his attention. They were glimmering with light. So was his body; his entire being was wrapped in an ethereal light.

"He's evolving, again!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh! Oh, no, no, no! Wait - just hold on, Piplup! I have your Everstone in my bag. Just wait a minute!" Dawn panicked, turning to run back towards camp.

"Lup!" Piplup pushed himself onto his feet and raised his wing.

"...Piplup?" Dawn stopped in her tracks, looking back.

Overflowing with a familiar feeling, Piplup shook his head. That old-fashioned stubbornness wasn't doing anything; nor was it doing anything for his trainer.

"You don't want me to…? Is this the choice you want to make?" The shock was evident, written into Dawn's expression. Her exuberant blue eyes were their brightest, in the wake of the metamorphosis.

This was an odd feeling. His body was growing; a rotund, two-segment body was smoothing out; he quickly found himself taller. His wings spanned into a more suiting shape. The crown of his beak became more literal, arching over his head. Even his cape felt more suiting to his body.

"Prin!" Light dispersed from the penguin, revealing a new body - a fully formed Prinplup.

"He did it!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pii-ka!" Pikachu cooed, looking on in amazement.

"He… really did it." Dawn gasped out, borderline speechless. All the girl could think to do was pull out her Pokédex, which answered her with a beep.

"Prinplup: The Penguin Pokémon. Its wings deliver wicked blows that snap even the thickest of trees. It searches for prey in icy seas."

The Pokédex spoke the truth; the Pokémon that now, he supposed, was known as Prinplup felt a surge of energy through his wings. Instinctively, he coated the light tips of his wings with shimmering metal.

His new form compelled him to charge Charizard, sprinting through the mud with newfound height and newfound strength. Squawking a new, deeper tune, he lashed out, slashing silver deep into Charizard's belly. The Flame Pokémon lost a touch of ground, bearing a smirk.

He was sure Charizard took the blow to test it, but he didn't quite care.

"That move…!" Dawn checked her Pokédex. "You learned Metal Claw, Pip- sorry, Prinplup!" A gentle smile graced her features. She failed to choke back tears that trickled down her cheeks. "So, this is how you want to keep growing, together…?"

Prinplup looked over his shoulder, giving Dawn a beaming smile. "Nothing would make me happier!" Whoops; now he was crying tears of joy, too.

The exact words were lost on Dawn, but the sentiment was not. She smiled back, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Alright, then! Let's see what the new you can do! Hydro Pump!"

Prinplup swerved back around, recoiling from the massive burst of power that came with his new Hydro Pump; it'd practically doubled in size!

"To the air, Charizard!" Ash commanded. The Flame Pokémon quickly soared out of Hydro Pump's reach. "Now, Flamethrower!" Charizard spewed hot flames, once more.

They still looked terrifying. But, not quite as big to Prinplup, now.

"Use Hydro Pump, towards the ground!" Dawn coached.

Prinplup aimed his beak downward, and a powerful jet stream absolutely launched him into the air - even with his new weight!

"Now, let's give you a bridge to Charizard!" Dawn coached. "Full Power Bubblebeam!"

Now airborne, Prinplup inhaled, finding a much greater reserve of oxygen to draw on. "Priiiii!" He cried, spitting out several bouncy bubbles, titanic in size. Certainly, large enough for his new body to land on; he dropped onto one of the soapy suds, trying to find footing. But he quickly found himself stumbling and flopping forward. This body was a little awkward! And fittingly so, he awkwardly flopped face-first.

"Charge in, Charizard!" Ash gleefully ordered.

As Charizard neared, the bubble Prinplup had so embarrassingly flopped into popped under the pressure, sending the squawking penguin flying even higher.

"There's our chance!" Dawn shouted to the sky. "Use Whirlpool!"

With Charizard almost directly below, Prinplup ceased his tumbling, and spun up a roaring Whirlpool. "Hey, Charizard…" The haughty bird smirked and swung his wings. "Try this on for size!"

The cyclone quickly bombarded and wrapped around the Flame Pokémon. Even as Whirlpool slowly sank with gravity, it was knocking a frustrated Charizard about.

"Son of a…-!" Charizard snarled, breaking away from a current with a wave of his arm. "You sure you're the same guy!?" Even from Prinplup's point of view, Charizard hardly looked hurt. But the fact that his move was enough to inconvenience Charizard…!

"Now, Prinplup!" Dawn goaded from below. "He's stuck! Hammer away at him, with Metal Claw!"

Prinplup tucked in his body and dove, using his new, aerodynamic form to bring him down to Charizard. A smack of Metal Claw swatted Charizard in the face, and several more slashes followed, battering the trapped Pokémon again, and again.

Prinplup felt his heart sink; he could see that the Fire-type was getting more and more pissed.

"Now," Dawn followed up, use Hydro Pump!"

This was his it - his chance to grasp victory! Prinplup opened his beak.

This point in the battle was certainly the eleventh hour; for who, though, was a different story. A bellowing roar crashed through Whirlpool. A very stubborn and very powerful Charizard tore it asunder.

"Lup!?" Prinplup gawked, helplessly flailing in the air.

"Guess that's that!" Ash declared triumphantly, and swung an open palm down towards the ground. "Seismic Toss!"

Before poor Prinplup knew it, Charizard had snatched him up in his arms, pulling him into an unbreakable grip. The world once again started to spin. He didn't bother to question whether it was dizziness or the world around him; he knew it was both.

It was all he could do to hold onto his dinner, as he plummeted towards the ground.

The field broke with an explosive, muddy, and dusty crash.

Confronted with an outpour of power and dirt clouds, Dawn braced herself. "Prinplup!"

On the other end, Ash held the brim of his cap down, keeping out the dust that blew his jacket around. Pikachu found refuge burying his face in Ash's messy hair.

The dust and debris soon cleared. A defeated Prinplup laid in a crater, swirls in his eyes.

That was the end of that.

"Talk about overkill," Dawn muttered, and sprinted over to her partner. She hoisted him up in her arms. "Prinplup… Prinplup, can you hear me!?"

"Lup…" He groaned. He could barely make out Dawn's voice, let alone see her.

"Here!" Ash rushed over, offering Dawn an Oran Berry.

"Thanks." She accepted it, holding it up to her partner's beak. "Here. Chew up, big guy."

He instinctively sniffed the sweetness of the common berry and munched on it. Miraculously, as it always did, the fruit lent him enough strength to wake from his defeat. "Prinplup…" He whined. He was sore, everywhere. But worse than that, he'd lost.

A loud thud caught his attention; he looked up. Charizard had landed before the group. "Well, kid. I've gotta hand it to you. You found your way." Prinplup wasn't sure if it was his imagination or even his tenuous grip on reality, right now, but he swore he saw the smallest of smiles on Charizard's lips.

"Man… we just couldn't beat him, huh?" Dawn reflected Prinplup's thoughts, cradling him in her arms. "Even with all the planning we put into it. It's really not as easy as Brock made it look!

Charizard snorted in offense. "Watch it."

Ash laughed, slapping a hand affectionately on Charizard's shoulder. "Hey, don't take it too personally. It's pretty rare that Charizard's defeated! Besides." The trainer winked, turning his attention to the newly evolved Water-type. "What's really important is that this battle helped you and Prinplup grow together!"

"Yeah." Dawn nodded and turned to take Prinplup's wings. "Thanks for giving your all tonight, Prinplup. From now on, we'll keep improving and moving ahead, together. No matter what stage you're in!"

"Yes! Yes! We absolutely will!" He declared through happy sobs. "We'll be the greatest contest duo the world's ever seen! And I'll stay by your side through everything, I swear!" Nuzzling himself into Dawn's shoulder, he felt truly over-the-moon!

Suddenly, a loud grumble interrupted the heartfelt scene. Prinplup froze, his face flooded with red.

"...Well, I guess that's a sign that someone's hungry!" Dawn chirped, before gaining a wicked smirk. "You sure weren't eating when you were moping back there, huh?"

Prinplup pulled away to turn his back to Dawn and cross his wings. "I don't know WHAT you mean."

This scene felt awfully familiar to a certain memory, didn't it…?

"Well, in that case," Ash interrupted, "I say we head back to the stands for round two! After a trip to the Pokémon Center, that is."

"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu chirped. "I wouldn't mind more veggie tempura…"

"Good idea!" Dawn agreed. She was back on her feet, and Prinplup struggled to do the same. "Here," she crouched, pulling him up by his wings. "You look beat. I could always call you back to your Poké Ball, if you want!"

"No way!" Prinplup stubbornly pulled away, starting an awkward waddle towards the Center. His evolution had been a triumph, gosh darn it. He wasn't going to be carried off pitifully in a ball!

"You're as stubborn as ever," Dawn laughed, making a funny face. "Alright. Your call, big guy! I won't baby you." She left the proud Pokémon to his devices and walked ahead with Ash. "So… four-to-zero, huh?"

"It happens," Ash shrugged, his back to Prinplup, now. "The strategies you put on were really amazing, though! You actually got through Bulbasaur."

Anything afterward became background noise, as Pikachu abandoned his trainer's shoulder, dashing back to walk alongside Prinplup. "Might as well keep you company, with those two talking it up."

"Thanks." Prinplup gave a good-natured smile, still struggling with his oddly shaped body. Getting used to this would take effort…

"So," Pikachu started. "...Are you satisfied? With, you know." He gestured up and down. He could parse a hint of curiosity in Pikachu's voice; one he was too proud to admit.

"I was pretty afraid of what it would lead to, to tell you the truth," Prinplup admitted. "Especially after I heard about Charizard… But, if you ask me, I think I turned out PRETTY awesome!" He boasted, stationing bent wings on his hips.

"Well, I wouldn't worry." Pikachu gave a half-smile, his posture slinking in exasperation. "You really haven't changed much, after all."

"What's that mean?" The penguin squinted.

Pikachu smiled, shaking his head. "...Seriously." He turned to Prinplup, raising a paw over his head. "Congrats. I'm happy for you, bud."

Prinplup smiled, though his happiness truly reflected in his glimmering, blue eyes. His heart felt full. "Thanks, Pikachu." With a bit of difficulty, he aimed his wing properly, and slapped it against Pikachu's paw.