Author's Note: This was intended to be a oneshot but with all this demand to continue, I might as well fulfill your request.
The Pokémon Contest was a riveting event as Dawn, posing as Princess Salvia who was suppose to be the Goodwill Ambassador in the Arrowroot Town Contest, watched on to see who might join her in the Grand Festival. She had already won the required amount of ribbons to enter the Grand Festival. However, her mind was still pretty preoccupied when the real princess laid eyes, then lips on Ash after he bailed her out of Gible's successful Draco Meteor. Salvia, wearing Dawn's contest dress after swapping places to try a Pokémon Contest out herself with Togekiss, was dominating the contest with a hand tied to her waist. Flanked by a butler and Freesia, Dawn could only watch instead of being by Ash, Brock, Pikachu and Piplup. On the bright side, she was watching the contest like she said. It was Salvia who told Ash that she'd "changed her mind and wanted to participate." Ash was completely clueless that Dawn wasn't Dawn and Princess Salvia wasn't Princess Salvia as introduced at the start of the contest. "We are now ready for the finals!" Marian announced on the stage. Dawn...uh, Salvia was staring down her opponent, Jessilina. "From the east bracket, it's Dawn from Twinleaf Town!" The crowd cheered on for Dawn/Salvia.
"You got it, Dawn!" Ash shouted louder than others. For a split second, hearing Ash's confident yell made Salvia blush a bit red. A bit of admiration? That irked Dawn a bit more in jealousy. She, Dawn, Freesia and the Pokémon knew of the swap. When Salvia kissed Ash, Brock told her that she could use that as a way to get closer to Ash. It still seemed that she would have a hard time to stomach it.
"And from Violet City in Johto, it's Jessilina!" The crowd let Jessilina...or Jessie in on their support. Salvia wasn't worried one bit. She had Ash on her side. "Okay, let's put 5:00 on the clock!" The scoreboard was set, the finalists were set, the crowd was set. "Begin!" The clock started which now read 4:59.
"Spotlight, Togekiss!" Salvia called out. From her Pokéball, Togekiss graced the audience.
"Seviper, you're up!" Jessie summoned, forthcoming Seviper. "Let's cloud the stage with Haze!" Seviper sprayed a thick black cloud over the arena, camouflaging itself under the toxic smoke. Ash watched, knowing that Salvia was in a bit of a pickle.
'Dawn needs to get rid of that smoke,' he pondered. 'Togekiss' Aura Sphere might dissipate it but her Air Slash and Sky Attack could do the job quicker.' Salvia studied and acted in immediate motion.
"Togekiss, Sky Attack!" she commanded. Togekiss danced in the sky as it began glowing bright. It swooped down and scooped the Haze on each pass. Jessie's score dwindled little by little with each billow-raising pass. The Haze looked like it was gathered in a cloud in the sky. "Now, Air Slash!" Togekiss swirled its wing which was absorbing the Haze. Fully consumed, Togekiss flung the Haze-infused attack. Jessie wasn't impressed, much to the disagreement in her score and the judges. Ash was rather stunned. She did what he thought up to the letter.
"Much like a twerp!" she sneered. "Seviper, Poison Tail!" Seviper sprung to the air using the power in the blade of its tail. Glowing purple, Seviper flung it's tail over its body and sliced the Air Slash in half. Salvia's score took a dip, but her confidence stayed intact.
"Togekiss, Safeguard!" Togekiss shrouded itself in a sphere of blue. Seviper continued to cartwheel at Togekiss. CLANG! Poison Tail hit the sphere but it bounced Seviper back, protecting the Jubilee Pokémon from harm. The deflection knocked points from Jessie's score.
"One minute's passed and already fireworks are exploding in this final round of the Arrowroot Contest!" Marian commentated. "Dawn's holding a slight lead on Jessilina with plenty of time for a comeback!" A comeback Jessie wasn't going to lose focus on. She needed to wait for Salvia to make a mistake.
"Aura Sphere!" Togekiss fired rounds of blue spheres upward. To Jessie, she found an opening.
"Seviper, Wrap!" Seviper leaped into the air and at the still air prancing Pokémon. The thing was Togekiss wouldn't stay still if you wanted it to. The coil missed its mark. It also set an opening for Salvia. It wasn't that the tables were turned, more like the bait was on the other hook. Even Dawn was awed with how slick and graceful Togekiss played around.
"Now, Air Slash!" Togekiss caught Seviper and swirled it around in the Air Slash attack. Then it tossed the Air Slash/Seviper up on now falling Aura Spheres. This was going to hurt and Seviper might be in need of a Nurse Joy. KABOOM! Seviper was hurdled to the ground where it made a huge impact. When the brief smoke cleared, Seviper was down for the count. Jessie gasped at how easy her Seviper was trampled.
"Seviper, no!" The monitors of the three judges read "X" on each and Jessie's score was erased. There was still 3:33 on the clock but the match was over.
"Seviper is unable to continue!" Marian concluded. "That means by KO, the Arrowroot Contest goes to Dawn and her Togekiss!" Jessie stood in utter shock. She came to the final match hoping to dominate and ended up being dominated by an undercover princess who showed more compassion than her lookalike. Salvia laughed innocently like it was just another round in a tournament, always focused on the next opponent. The crowd cheered wildly for Salvia, even the only few who knew she wasn't Dawn. When the podium was set, Jessie and another female coordinator stood on lower platforms than Salvia who was at the top. Dawn, Marian and the three judges, ironically one being Nurse Joy who could be treating Seviper's injuries. "Here to give out the Arrowroot Contest Ribbon, our three judges and the Goodwill Ambassador, Princess Salvia." Dawn knew that the one on top was Salvia.
"Dawn, this is your sixth badge," Mr. Contesta praised. "Was this a practice round with a new Pokémon?" Salvia giggled like it was no big deal.
"It was," she replied with a sweet smile.
"Well, practice or not, your coordinating skills were remarkable," complimented Mr. Sukizo. Joy nodded to acknowledge Sukizo. Dawn opened up a small white chest with a magenta ribbon with a gold plate on it. Accepting the ribbon from the phony princess, Salvia rose the ribbon to show for all who applauded her performance. Backstage, Dawn and Salvia were back into their own clothes. Salvia had Togekiss' Pokéball in her hand.
"Dawn, I want you to have Togekiss." Dawn was flabbergasted. This was Salvia's Pokémon that she wanted to give away. "Togekiss enjoys doing contests. Please say that you'll train it like you with Piplup." It was an offer for Dawn to use in the Grand Festival. That's when Dawn had a ponder. Since Ash didn't suspect anything wrong when Salvia visited him beforehand, with Togekiss, it would be like everyday traveling.
"You-you mean it?" she gasped. Salvia nodded as she gave Dawn her precious Pokémon in its ball. Her face filled with glee. "I-I don't know what to say! Thank you!" Salvia giggled, knowing that she satisfied Dawn and felt entrusted for Togekiss' care. Dawn exited the arena and rejoined Ash, Brock and the Pokémon. "Sorry about that. Just some extra talk with the princess." Ash and Brock weren't worried. Then again, Brock and Pikachu knew the real deal.
"Hey, no prob!" Ash shrugged off. "I'm just anxious to get back to Sunnyshore City and battle Volkner." Dawn chuckled. Typical Ash. "But before that, I think we should rest up at the Pokémon Center before Sunnyshore." Brock would agree.
"That's a good idea," he acknowledged. So with Piplup back with the one-time princess, the group headed to the Center to rest. At Salvia's loaned bedroom, she basked at all that occurred today. Her chance encounter with Ash and his team, her participation in a Pokémon Contest with her now-departed Togekiss and winning it all...but nothing could top tasting the firm and soft lips of Ash. She fingered her lips, still feeling the young and tough but honest skin of the one who protected her from the Draco Meteor. Her mind shifted in mixed emotions. Why? Why did she, a form of royalty, start having feelings for a trainer, just a commoner in her world? She felt as if dressing as Dawn made her feel like a commoner herself. Maybe it wasn't being unlike a princess. Maybe it was her finding a prince for herself.
"Ash..." she whispered herself to sleep. Sweet dreams, princess. Meanwhile at the Pokémon Center, Ash was having a harder time sleeping than anyone else in the room. His mind was also back with that moment when Dawn kissed him...at least it appeared to be Dawn. He, too, began massaging his lips. He turned his head to a sleeping Dawn with Piplup cuddled alongside. It was a habit of hers...except that notion to tell him that she changed her mind about participating in the Pokémon Contest, having a Togekiss on hand during their travels...and her lips touching his.
'That's the first time someone I've traveled with had actually kissed me,' he minded. 'Misty never did it and neither did May. Dawn and I've even helped each other out but I never had the urge to just kiss someone. Maybe she had feelings for me but wasn't sure if they were true.' He got out of bed and crept to Dawn's sleeping face. 'She does look cute snuggled by Piplup.' The urge to find out if Dawn had her heart on Ash continued Ash to lean down on her face. His lips inched closer and closer...he could only imagine the same flavor she gave him when they first did it. But then he stopped. Hesitation. That moment forced Ash's head back. Maybe it was too good to be true. Why would Dawn just do that to show affection? Perhaps it was the fact that Brock wasn't around and didn't want to let him know about unnecessary advances. Shaking his head, he walked out of the room and into the lobby. His mind was jumbled worse than Scrabble tiles in a bag.
"Hey, Ash!" a familiar squawk echoed. Ash looked up and spotted Barry. This was an unneeded surprise.
"Barry, what are you doing after curfew?"
"Me? I should be asking you that!" The mulled look took Barry aback. "Hey, you better lose that smug or I'll have to fine you!"
"Fine! I'll lose it if you listen!" Barry and Ash relented to allow Ash on what bugged him. Something stoked Barry's interest.
"I don't see anything too troubling, I mean considering that you two have been traveling for a long time." It was quite an adventure through Sinnoh but it paled to his earlier travels.
"Not as long as with Misty or May and they never kissed me. I'm just...pretty shocked that Dawn would take advantage of what she doesn't really know about." The more Ash complained about Dawn's kiss and repercussions, the more Barry chuckled in humor.
"Ash, you need to grow up. You should be lucky that you have someone who has a heart for you." Ash groaned at how brazen but right he was. He needed to understand that someone was out there for him. That's when Barry got a little suspicious. "Although for Dawn to have a Togekiss to bring out for a practice contest doesn't ring me the right way. What I could advise is that you train with that Togekiss. If Dawn has any difficulty with her Pokémon up the sleeve, Dawn wouldn't be the one who kissed you." A plan. It would distinguish all doubt on who kissed Ash. "Just don't be upfront about it." Ash nodded to the plan. Tomorrow could be the day Ash finds the truth. Would Dawn give up the Gastly?
TO BE CONTINUED...