Chapter 12 – The Stage is Set
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
Misty sat in front of the mirror in the coordinators' dressing room as Dawn helped finish grooming the gym leader's hair. Misty was quite nervous and was having a hard time hiding it.
"No need to worry!" Dawn chirped in the best soothing tone she could muster, "Everyone in Cerulean is a big fan of yours, and we'll all be here to support you! Your first time is always the hardest, but once you get on stage and hear the supportive cheers of the crowd, you'll feel right at home!" Dawn finished brushing Misty's hair and tried to rub Misty's bared shoulders in an attempt to relax the nerves of the wound-up redhead.
Misty's tension began to fade slightly, but her mind was still a mess, "That's part of why I'm so nervous. I really don't want to disappoint the city with some half-baked performance. I might make a fool of myself and they'll lose respect for me!"
Dawn continued her attempts to reassure Misty, "If your practice runs in the gym were any indication, you'll do great! Just remember to focus on the Pokémon and the field during the performance. Forget about the crowd if it makes you feel better. Just imagine it's you in the gym practicing."
"I'll try. But I'm not sure about this," Misty tried to sound strong, but her voice wavered.
Dawn came to the front of Misty and held the gym leader's hands with both of her own. Dawn looked into her eyes and told her gently, "It's ok, we'll be there afterwards, no matter the result. But if this is too much for you, I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want. I just thought it might be fun and you'd get to see why I love coordinating so much. I thought we could bond over it, you know? But say the word, and we'll drop it all right now."
Misty gave a small smile to her best friend and answered in a voice verging on a whisper, "Thank you, Dawn. You're so nice, and I understand why you want me in the competition with you. And while I'm certainly shaky right now, I can't quit," Misty stood up and Dawn along with her. Misty's voice gained conviction and volume as she continued, "I've never backed down from a challenge in my life, and I won't start now. Whatever happens, I'm still gym leader, and I'm still a great trainer. No botched contest will change that!"
"That's the spirit!" Dawn cheered.
"So, do I look ok?" Misty asked, spinning around her gorgeous sea-blue-green dress with her shoulder-length wavy red hair cascading perfectly downwards, framing her angelic face.
"Fantastic! And me?" Dawn complimented and returned with the question with one of her own. She mirrored Misty and spun around in her own contest garb. Dawn's dress was dazzling as well. It was a light pink shade except for the thick white trim that adorned her upper chest, creating an almost royal-like border that came beneath her neckline and draped lightly onto her shoulders, but still left much of it exposed. A few red velvet lines ran down the front to her waist where it intersected with a matching frilly trim that wrapped around her, culminating with a large bow on the back. The lower portion of her dress was elegant and billowed outwards slightly. It was accentuated by a tied ribbon on each of her sides and ended just above her ankles. She wore short ruby-red heels that seemed to almost sparkle in the light. Her back-length blue hair was tied into an intertwining braided ponytail that flowed down her back like a river, and it was all capped off with a golden flower pinned just above her right ear.
"Like you were born on the stage," Misty praised.
Dawn giggled and grabbed Misty's hand and pulled her to dressing room's exit, "Come on! Let's get to the coordinators' waiting room! We need to see Ash and Zoey before the show starts!"
Misty nearly tripped as she was pulled by the excitable blunette, but she held her footing. Misty silently thanked Dawn for actually convincing her to take the time to practice in her costume, since it just saved her from a potential catastrophe right then and there. A few hallways later, they arrived in the backstage waiting room where a rather meagre collection of coordinators stood.
"Wow... I knew there weren't going to be many of us due to the storm, but this is way less than even I thought," Dawn remarked with some disappointment.
"Well, at least it means we have a better shot of making it past appeals," Misty offered, trying to sound optimistic.
"I guess, but it's not just about winning. I love seeing a variety of inventive and beautiful appeals. It's very inspiring to see all of them," Dawn explained, her eyes glowing in remembrance.
"Yeah, that just means we'll have to work twice as hard to give the crowd a good show."
Dawn and Misty turned to the source of the new entrant in their conversation. They saw two people. The owner of the voice was none other than Dawn's rival, dressed in a sharp burgundy tailcoat that was lined with gold trim that met at its buttons on the chest. The arms of the coat were awash in curling branches of the same trim which met the ones on the torso via the shoulder. The dress pants worn paired with the coat, having the same colour, and bore the same markings only at the hems of the waist and ankles. Underneath the coat was a fluffy white undershirt which had frilly collar and wrists that protruded from underneath the jacket, framing her neck and hands nicely.
"Zoey! Are you ready for this?" Dawn excitedly challenged the top coordinator who had come from behind them.
"Of course! It'll be a great competition, regardless of the fact there are only seventeen of us here today," Zoey affirmed.
Dawn's eyes drifted from Zoey to the man who stood behind her. Ash was dressed very nicely as well, which was fairly rare for her to see. He did prefer his casual clothes, but today he looked especially sharp. He wore pin-striped suit, a black tie, pure white gloves, jet black loafers, and a medium-brimmed fedora. Dawn couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in the whole getup. His charm was only enhanced by the fact that Pikachu sat on his shoulder wearing a cute, black bowtie. This opinion, though her expression was hidden, was very much shared by Misty.
"You bet it's gonna be!" Ash launched into the conversation, "We've got a top coordinator, a runner-up, a gym leader and me! Plenty of talent!"
"Careful Ketchum," Misty drawled, "You don't want that big head of yours to cause you tip over while you're on stage."
"Heh, don't worry Misty," Ash smirked at her warning, "I've practiced a lot, and I've been to quite a few contests. This is actually the fourth I'll have competed in."
Dawn's face took on an unimpressed look and she lay on the sarcasm, "Yes, because three previous contests is so much experience, especially when the last one was about eight years ago."
The group, minus Ash, all broke into a fit of laughter while Ash stood there with a look of neutrality, unable to determine whether he should be upset or laugh along with them. He didn't have to though because something grabbed the attention of all the room.
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Cerulean City Contest Hall!"
The heads of all coordinators turned to the large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall towards the end of the waiting room. On it was the contest MC, dressed in her now iconic outfit which consisted of a white brim visor hat, blue collared top that left a sizeable midriff, and high-cut blue jean shorts. Her brown hair swished as she energetically continued her announcements, "I'm Lilian Meridian, and I'm glad to bring you this year's Cerulean City Contest for the coveted Cerulean Ribbon!" She held up the ribbon for dramatic effect while the camera zoomed in on it to get a detailed look.
"That woman never runs out of energy does she?" Dawn commented as the MC continued her prepared speech for the contest.
"Easily the most enthusiastic of the Meridian sisters, from what I've seen," Zoey agreed with her rival.
Lilian continued her routine and turned to face three podium occupied by three familiar faces, "And now! Let's introduce our judges panel. First off: Chief of the Pokémon Activities Committee, Mr. Contesta!"
"I look forward to a great competition," the now mostly gray-haired man spoke with anticipation.
"Next: President of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!" Lilian introduced.
"In light of recent events, I must say the resilience of Cerulean City's people and their insistence on letting this contest continue is nothing less than remarkable!" the short, squinty-eyed man praised.
"I don't think I've ever heard him say so much in one sentence," Ash mused.
"Still managed to get 'remarkable' in there somehow," Dawn deadpanned.
"And lastly, Cerulean City's own Nurse Joy!" Lilian finished.
"I can't wait to see all wonderful Pokémon and all their lovely performances," the soft-spoken Nurse spoke delicately into her mounted microphone.
"I wonder what traits Brock has written in his little blue book of babes for that Nurse Joy..." Misty asked dully to no one in particular, having noticed that she didn't need to ear pinch a love-struck friend of hers.
"I'm sure it's more than we'd really like to know..." Ash responded dryly.
"First contestant, Dawn! You're up in two minutes, please make your way to the stage entrance!" an usher shouted into the waiting room.
"Ok! That's my cue!" Dawn squeaked happily as she bounded towards the hallway leading to the stage. Ash watched as the fancily dressed Dawn made a quick exit. He couldn't help but stare at her as she left. He loved her contest costumes. She always managed to look absolutely stunning, and that was on top of her already incredible natural beauty. Ash managed to pull himself out of his haze in time to realize he needed to do something really quickly.
"Be right back! I need to tell Dawn something before she goes on stage!" Ash half-shouted in a panicky voice. He put Pikachu down on the bench in the middle of the room and told his best buddy, "Here! Watch the competition for me! And don't forget to cheer them on!"
"Pika pika!" the little yellow mouse answered him with gusto, turning to the TV and letting out numerous squeaks of enjoyment.
Misty and Zoey let out cries of confusion as they tried to grab Ash's attention, but neither managed to succeed as he bolted down the hallway after his girlfriend.
He caught up to Dawn as she was approaching the entryway to the stage. She had less than a minute before she was called up and he really needed to say something to her.
"Dawn!"
The blunette halted at the call of her name and spun around in surprise. Her face lit up as she saw his approach, "Ash! I was worried you forgot!"
Ash pulled her into a side hallway branching off from the main one so that no one would see them. He pulled off his hat and quickly pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss. She was pressed back into the wall, and she pulled him hungrily along with her.
"I could never forget!" Ash growled huskily to her before seizing her lips again. They remained like this for longer than they intended, then they heard a cheer go up from down the hall.
Dawn willed herself to unfasten from Ash and told him wistfully, "I have to get on stage."
Ash just smiled and told her one word, "Spotlight..."
Dawn giggled at the use of her on-stage call. It had become something of a routine ever since that first date in Snowpoint, where he would give her a good-luck kiss and he would tell her that one word. The final part of their tradition had yet to come though. She and Ash walked up to the hallway's exit to the open air of the contest hall's main arena. They nodded to each other, and gave each other a high five. It always caused a surge of nostalgia. That gesture brought them back to when they were young. They needed each other's support back then, and they both willingly gave it. They both agreed it was important to remember the bonds of their youth so that it would strengthen the one they had now.
Her name was called by the MC and Dawn quickly dashed out to meet the cheering crowd. Ash considered watching her from right there, but it was against the rules as an active competitor. He didn't want to be disqualified before he had a chance to show off how he'd gotten better in contests. He briskly walked back to the waiting room where the other coordinators eagerly watched in anticipation of Dawn's appeal.
"What was that about?" Zoey questioned Ash on his return.
"I forgot to wish her luck," Ash casually replied.
Zoey's face went from an emotionally neutral face of analysis to a slight frown as she sensed the implications of his statement.
"Well, with her skills she doesn't need luck," she replied trying to continue the allegedly casual tone of the conversation.
"Piplup! Spotlight!"
The little blue penguin burst forth from its pokéball in a flurry of blue bubbles and he cried out his name enthusiastically. Piplup landed on the stage gracefully and puffed out his chest in pride while holding his stubby flipper-like wings to his sides.
"Now! Whirlpool, a big one!" Dawn ordered, holding her slender arm upwards for effect.
Shouting out his name even more loudly and with a resounding echo, Piplup conjured a much larger whirlpool than his usual fare. The whirlpool dwarfed the tiny penguin as it spun around above his head as Piplup raised his tiny wings to hold it in place.
"Now throw it up to the ceiling!"
The bird complied and with a great motion of his arms, the vortex was sent straight up at a slow pace towards the rafters. It was a major feat and Piplup had only barely begun to sweat.
"Now jump and use drill peck, spinning the same direction as the whirlpool!" Dawn called enthusiastically.
Piplup crouched momentarily before jumping straight upwards. He began spinning clockwise, the same as the whirlpool while his beak glowed as it pierced upwards at a startlingly fast speed. He plunged through the whirlpool's pointed base and everyone expected the small blue Pokémon to merely pass through. But Dawn never intended her appeal to be something so simple. Rather than emerging from the vortex, the attack, coupled with the complimentary spin, pulled the rotating mass of water upwards, changing the shape from a whirlpool pointing down to the earth to one pointing up to the sky. The little blue penguin emerged from the apex and gracefully executed a flip while droplets of water rained from his form.
"Now back down! Spin the other direction!"
Piplup did just that, returning to his original trajectory of straight downwards, he spun counter-clockwise this time and pierced the whirlpool. This time, the counter-acting forces of Piplup's drill peck and the whirlpool's natural spin caused a nullification of both movements. As Piplup burst through the watery form, it shattered into a million drops of rain that poured after the falling penguin. Piplup landed seconds before the rain did. The storm of drops threatened to pound the stage and the head of the little blue bird along with it; but Dawn wasn't done.
"Protect, upwards!"
Piplup concentrated and conjured at green half-shell protect which glowed even more brightly due to all its energy being focused in one direction. It vaguely resembled an umbrella and the comparison was all the more apt when the rain hit it and merely bounced off, keeping the water-type perfectly dry. Piplup even began a little dance while the rain fell around him harmlessly.
Once the last drop fell and Piplup's protect ended, the crowd, which had grown quite silent, suddenly erupted into a massive cheer.
"Great job, Piplup!" Dawn cheered her first Pokémon, who once again took his prideful pose in front of her, even tapping his chest for good measure.
"A fantastic way to start out our contest! She's been the runner-up at three grand festivals, and for good reason!" Lilian praised, "Now let's see what the judges have to say!"
Mr. Contesta was first to speak, "As I have come to expect of Dawn, she showed great technique and understanding of her Pokémon and their abilities. I especially like Piplup's jubilant personality."
"Thrilling and remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added as only he could.
"Piplup is quite astounding in his ability to generate such a massive whirlpool. I'm very impressed with his ability, and having him finish by showing his fun-loving characteristics is always a great thing to see in a contest!" the local Nurse Joy concluded.
"Wow... that was amazing!" Misty gushed, "I've never seen a whirlpool manipulated like that!"
"It was a really risky act, but she pulled it off. I'm impressed," Zoey added, a genuine smile gracing her features.
"Never a doubt in my mind," Ash affirmed.
As another contender took the stage on the TV, Dawn jogged back into the room, looking very excited. She did a little hop and asked in a high pitched voice, "How was it? Did it look good?"
"Of course," Misty complimented, "You definitely set the bar really high as the first coordinator!"
"Oh! Thanks Misty!" she squealed, hugging her best friend tightly.
"Gah! Can't breathe!"
"Oh! Sorry! Sorry!" Dawn relaxed her grip, apologizing profusely.
"It's fine," Misty laughed into the hug, patting Dawn's back.
"Zoey? What did you think?" Dawn asked her rival.
"Honestly, it was a perfect performance. Risky though! So many things could've gone wrong, but you managed it," Zoey answered her happily.
"Ash?" Dawn turned to him next.
"Well, I'm certainly not gonna beat that," he joked.
"Of course not, mister!" Dawn giggled.
They continued to watch the competition together until the usher called out another name, "Ash of Pallet Town! Two minutes!"
"Yes! My turn!" Ash cried out enthusiastically. Pikachu bounded over at the mention of his name and began chirping variations of his name. Ash kneeled down to his starter and told him quietly yet confidently, "I wish you could come on stage with me, old buddy, but only the Pokémon I'm using can be there with me. But I know you're rooting for me! Just watch, this is gonna be awesome!" Ash pumped his fist energetically as he stood up. He nearly sprinted out the door in his near hysterical state of mind at being in a contest again.
"Oh geez! I better make sure he doesn't kill himself on the way there!" Dawn put a palm to her forehead as she pursued the manic boy.
"Maybe a bump on the head will do him some good..." Misty let out sarcastically. Zoey could only laugh at her jab at the raven-haired trainer.
Dawn found Ash waiting at the threshold between the hall and the open field of the stage. She called out to him desperately, hoping he wouldn't prematurely jump into the fray, "Ash!"
Ash turned his head in confusion, but was elated to see Dawn.
"Hey! What are you doing out here?" he inquired.
Rather than responding, she pulled him back to the junction in the hall and did exactly what he did to her earlier. She pressed him to the wall, stood on her toes and locked lips with her boyfriend passionately.
"I figured since you did it for me..." Dawn huskily whispered, closing back in for another kiss.
Once they needed to breathe, he made his retort, "I need to enter contests more often. Any excuse to get another kiss is always a good one."
They kissed one more time then tore apart from one another as they heard Lilian's voice foreshadowing his immediate call. Ash and Dawn began to separate, but before they did, she spoke cheekily, "I choose you!"
Ash was confused for a moment, but then he realized what she did, and a sly smile crossed his face. "Clever girl," he told her smoothly, their hands meeting in a high five before they went their separate ways.
Dawn arrived in the waiting room to the gazes of her two redheaded friends. Dawn felt oddly like she was in the center of something she didn't understand.
"So? How is he?" Zoey asked with a nearly undetectable hint of disapproval in her voice.
"He's ready, and he's going to do well. I know it!" Dawn answered perkily.
"As long as he's not overconfident," Misty remarked with some concern in her voice.
"Please welcome Ash of Pallet Town!" Lilian cheered as Ash ran to center stage.
A loud cheer was heard. Despite his absence from the scene, many remembered this trainer and his many showings, though there were murmurs of confusion as to why someone like him was in a contest.
"Alright! Leavanny, I choose you!" Ash called out tossing his pokéball. The dual bug-grass type landed gracefully on stage amid a shower of orange petals.
"What's that Pokémon? I've never seen that before!" Zoey exclaimed, grabbing her pokédex and listening to its explanation.
"It's one of the ones Ash caught in Unova!" Dawn explained with excitement, "I've seen him in battle before. He's very graceful. Ash made a great choice!"
"Huh... Unova. No wonder I've never seen it. No contests over there," Zoey murmured.
Misty, however, was not reacting well to the choice of the boy she loved, "It's ... a ..." she paused momentarily before screaming out, "BUG!"
Zoey looked at Misty as though the sight of the gym leader couching behind Dawn to obscure the sight of the TV-projected insect was the strangest thing she had ever seen, and it very well may have been. Dawn turned around to comfort Misty, holding her hands and telling her soothingly, "It's ok. He's a very nice Pokémon. He's very graceful, and kind, and Leavanny makes clothes out of leaves for his friends!"
Misty poked her head over Dawn's shoulder to look at the televised insect. She cringed, but still kept her eye on it.
"What's wrong with bugs?" Zoey asked casually.
Misty looked at Zoey as though she were an alien, "Because they're icky, slimy, disgusting, crawly, always hiding and ambushing and sneaking and being generally scary and unpleasant!"
Zoey just stared wide-eyed at the gym leader who had delivered a high-pitched rant about the demerits of bug types. Meanwhile, the gym leader continued to watch the screen with Leavanny as he began his act, as though she were afraid he would leap out of the screen and attack her right there in the waiting room.
"Leavanny, razor leaf upwards!"
Ash's command was elegantly executed as the Nurturing Pokémon swung his arms gracefully, unleashing wave after wave of leaves into the open air of the stage.
"Now! String-shot them all together!" Ash ordered powerfully.
Leavanny opened his mouth to shoot not one large strand, but several smaller strands of white sinew to the cloud of leaves in the sky. Now a veritable web of sticky webbing hooked all the leaves together while a few of the strands were hooked into the ceiling to keep the whole mess from falling down.
"Now climb up and show them your tailoring skills!"
This order threw off both the judges and the audience. They didn't imagine that sewing could be an exciting appeal. However, they were all proven wrong, as Leavanny swung deftly around his network of leaves and strings, sewing leaves together as he went. Soon the leaves were all tucked together neatly in a diamond formation. As Leavanny crawled back down, he wove the various small strands into a larger rope.
"Now... have some fun! Let's go fly a kite!" Ash nearly sang.
Leavanny tugged on the larger rope and the few small sinews of string-shot holding the leafy kite to the rafters were broken. Leavanny danced around the stage, towing the kite which was kept afloat by the quick movements of the bug-grass type. A large applause rose at this almost carefree approach to an appeal.
"Now! Finish up with energy ball along the line!" Ash commanded, pointing at the kite.
Leavanny conjured an energy ball at its mouth, but rather than shooting it, he plucked it with his leafy arm and threw it in line with the kite's rope. It spun around the string shot, spiraling as it travelled its length, until it finally hit the kite. The kite exploded, and a shower of leaves draped the stage. Leavanny did a final pirouette while the leaves fell around him, finishing with a dignified bow.
The audience roared with approval while the judges gave their verdicts. Mr. Contesta was, as usual, first, "Such an inventive use of a Pokémon's abilities and talents that extend both within and outside battle. The tone was very lighthearted and I enjoyed it."
Mr. Sukizo spoke next, "Fun and remarkable."
Nurse Joy said her piece last, "Such a great display of a well-trained and well-cared for Pokémon. It's a delight to have witnessed this."
Ash returned his Pokémon to its capsule and gave a curt bow to the judges before leaving the stage. Upon returning to the hallway, noticing that no one was around, he couldn't resist jumping up and doing a punch into the air in celebration. He spoke to Leavanny's pokéball with great praise, "You did awesome out there! I hope you had as much fun doing it as I did watching!" Ash continued back to the back room to meet up with his friends, and was met with the gazes of the three girls. Dawn's was one of awe and love, though the latter emotion though clearly restrained; as was the desire to just jump on him and hug him. Misty's was a wide, impressed smile with hints of something a bit deeper, though she hid it well. Zoey had a smirk on her face, but she still carried a face that conveyed respect.
"Ash! That was brilliant!" Dawn lavished praise onto her boyfriend.
"See what happens if you actually put your brain to good use," Misty tapped her head knowingly.
"Yeah, I have to admit, that was one of the more inventive appeals I've ever seen. Certainly the most original," Zoey complimented.
"Thanks guys. That means a lot," Ash returned the gesture, nodding and smiling widely. He was greeted last by Pikachu who quickly jumped onto his shoulder, letting out a contented chime of his name in congratulations to his trainer.
They watched all of the appeals until only two remained. Zoey was called and they watched her performance the television with rapt attention.
"Mismagius! Curtain!" Zoey announced. The Magical Pokémon entered the stage through a burst of black light that shot out in beams from the pokéball.
"Oh! That's one of her best!" Dawn remarked excitedly.
"Yeah! That's the one that beat Nando's Kricketune's sing with lucky chant. Such a great strategy," Ash reminisced.
"I hope this ghost type is nicer than some of the one's we've met on our travels, Ash," Misty cringed at the memory. She still wasn't terribly fond of ghost types after Pokémon Tower in Lavender, or the Burned Tower in Ecruteak.
"This one's really friendly," Dawn assured her friend, "And most Mismagius are. The one we encountered created an illusion where we got everything we ever wanted. It was really sad when we had to tell it that we wanted to actually earn all those things."
"As if Brock could win all those Joys and Jennys," Ash laughed as he remembered that whole incident.
"As if you could beat Cynthia's Rayquaza!" Dawn ribbed Ash.
"Cynthia has a Rayquaza!?" Misty's eyes nearly bolted out of her head.
"No no no," Dawn corrected, "It was part of the illusion. Besides, all she needs is her Garchomp to beat Ash!"
"Hey! I bet I could take that beast of hers down... it's just the rest of her team I wouldn't be able to take care of afterwards," Ash boasted before relenting sulkily.
"Look! Zoey's doing something really cool now!" Dawn dismissed the conversation and returned their attention to the television. Zoey had just commanded her Mismagius to launch several shadow balls into the sky. Next, the ghost was ordered to shoot a Psybeam at the highest one at the far end of the stage. The psybeam altered the course of the now descending shadow ball, which crashed into the next one in the line and exploded. This caused a chain reaction which repeated itself until all the shadow balls detonated, leaving wake of black smoke which descended on the stage.
"Now! Thunder!" Zoey called out.
Mismagius charged itself up before unleashing a massive set of electric bolts into the smoke which caused it swell and burst into a mixture of static and blackened sparkles which fell around Mismagius who floated amidst the spectacle, undaunted.
"That was awesome!" Dawn cheered.
"Misty, two minutes!" the usher informed her from the doorway.
Misty closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "And I have to follow Zoey... this doesn't make me feel any better."
As if on cue, without so much as a word between them, Ash and Dawn both put a hand on Misty's shoulder. The redhead looked back and forth between her two friends. She saw the earnest confidence that radiated from both of them. It was their confidence in her. She straightened herself up and put on a face of steely determination.
"Let's go," Misty's strong voice emerged. She left the room with both Ash and Dawn flanking her, providing her with emotional support every step from the waiting room to the stage entrance.
Along the way, they met Zoey, who smiled at Misty with a softer expression than usual. She spoke strongly to Misty, "Your time to shine, Misty. Show them the beauty of water Pokémon."
Misty nodded, keeping her determined face, but allowing a smile to tug the corners of her mouth upward. Misty held out a hand and Zoey took it. Their strong grips assured one another of their mutual respect. Misty's conveyed thanks for Zoey's support and congratulations for her impressive showing, while Zoey's simply told her to go out there and give them all a show they wouldn't forget. Misty took her place at the arena entrance while Ash and Dawn awaited the moment of the gym leader's curtain call.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! An extra special treat today! We have an entrant you all know very well. She is the fiery redhead who guards the cascade badge from those who want to make the climb to the Indigo Plateau. Some call her the Tomboyish Mermaid. I just think she's the toughest gym leader in all of Kanto! Don't believe me? Then please, sit and watch as she demonstrates! I give you, the leader of the Cerulean City Gym! Misty!"
Lilian's speech hyped up the audience immensely. Many were on their feet, and all were cheering and clapping. There was no doubt that she was a beloved gym leader in the city. Misty stepped out onto the stage, waving to the audience and allowing her face to relax into a smile. While she was still certainly a bundle of nerves, she was actually quite happy to see how much they adored her.
Misty took her place at center stage and unveiled her pokéball. She gripped it tightly and whispered to it, "I know you didn't get a chance to make an appearance in my battle against Ash, but now everyone will get to see how awesome you are! Get ready!"
She shouted out to the audience and began her act, "Go! Starmie!"
In a blast of vibrant white light, courtesy of her pokéball's seal, the rays spread out all over the arena to reveal the starfish-like Pokémon. The light faded away and the sheen of its gem-like core glinted at the light's absence to finish its already marvelous entrance.
"Starmie! Power gem front and center!"
The Mysterious Pokémon let out its distinctly feminine cry and flew into the air deftly. Its red central gem glowed a bright crimson before unleashing several copies of it into the air above it. The replicated diamonds sparkled wonderfully, reflecting and refracting each other's light to create an enchanting sight. But Misty wasn't even close to being done.
"Swift!" Misty shouted powerfully.
Starmie flexed its appendages backwards then forwards before shooting a stream of star shaped projectiles to the airborne gemstones. The stream of stars hit the crystalline obstacles and began to cause a rotation. The swift attack began to circle the shining stones as well, causing its spinning motion to grow exponentially. Soon, the gems and stars glittered against one another as they spun in an orbit around a central gap; one that Misty planned to make use of.
"Now take your place among the stars and use cosmic power!" Misty triumphantly instructed.
Starmie launched itself from the ground and struck true, becoming embedded in the very center of the shining disc of stars and precious stones. Then the starfish began to glow bright white as it drew power into itself to become more resilient. The visual appeal was the real objective though. The light only added to the brilliance of the already spectacular light show that was the combination of swift and power gem. Together, all of it seemed to resemble a spectacular replica of a galaxy.
"Back to earth!"
Starmie spun rapidly and dispersed the spinning stones and stars. The starfish landed on the ground directly below where it had been hovering while the lights and fragments of the galaxy fell to the field around it, bursting into small sparkles and crackles of light and sound.
The crowd, already loud with buzzing excitement and amazement, nearly toppled the building with the booming cheers that engulfed the stage. It was certainly the loudest cheer of all the performances that day. The judges had to wait an exceptionally long time to deliver their verdicts while they waited for the crowd's adulations and chants of 'Misty' to die down.
Lilian finally managed to speak above the clamour and began the judging process herself, "I don't think I've seen anything so spectacular, and that's after witnessing the performance of a Top Coordinator and a runner-up today! Judges! What do you have to say?"
"A phenomenal performance that reminds me of the majesty of our universe for certain!" Mr. Contesta praised.
"Absolutely remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo added.
"Starmie is the Mysterious Pokémon. I'm glad that Misty decided to showcase that aspect of her Pokémon when I expected to see a water display due to her specialty. Such a surprise!" Nurse Joy spoke admiringly.
Misty bowed in thanks and waved to the audience as she walked back to the stage exit. Her knees were trembling from the overwhelming response. She exhaled when she finally got into the hallway.
"I still can't believe she managed to pull off something so majestic her first time," Zoey remarked.
"I know! I knew she was going to be good at this! Misty might not admit it, but she has a mind for beautiful and graceful things," Dawn squeaked in excitement.
Ash was still staring slack-jawed at the screen. He knew Misty was talented, but this was far beyond anything he could even comprehend. Between Starmie's magical performance and just how Misty seemed to glow at receiving such high praise from the audience and the judges, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
"Depending on how she does contest battles, I think we may have found someone aside from Nando that I can see handling both league training and coordinating," Zoey commented with some admiration in her voice.
"Though I'd love for her to be a coordinator, I don't think she'll tear herself away from her dream of being a Water Pokémon Master," Dawn spoke with some measure of disappointment. Her voice turned upbeat again fast enough though, "But whatever she does, I'll support her all the way!"
"I think it's something to do with water trainers and water Pokémon. First Juan, then Wallace, now her," Zoey mused, "I think there must be some inherent balance and perspective you need to learn to train water-types. Something that lends itself to both strength and beauty."
"You might be right about that," Dawn accepted Zoey's theory with some consideration.
Ash finally came back to his senses and looked around. Even though he had been staring at the screen long since Misty's image departed from it, he had been in a world of his own. Now he noticed that Misty had yet to return. He was first to ask the question, "Shouldn't she be back by now?"
Both girls looked up to him and realized that he was right. Instantly the three of them were out the door and walked at a brisk pace down the hall. They saw her not far from the stage entrance. She was leaning with her back against the wall and she was taking long, slow breaths.
"Misty, are you ok?" Ash ran up to her and held Misty by her shoulders. She looked up to him and her composed face melted at the sight of his concern. She collapsed onto him in a big hug as her long breaths began to fade into normal pace.
Dawn and Zoey walked up on both sides the hugging duo and began to express their concern and praise. Dawn was first, "Misty, you were wonderful out there."
Misty dragged herself out of the hug that she truly didn't want to let go of and looked at Dawn with a face of relief. She spoke softly, "I can't believe I managed to do that. I was so incredibly scared. I didn't want to mess up. And it got only worse when I saw how much they loved me. I didn't want to disappoint them. I didn't want to fail."
"And you didn't," Zoey reassured her in her tough voice, "You went out there and you gave a performance that, frankly, even I'm a little jealous of."
"And that's saying a lot, Misty," Dawn reiterated, "She's done some absolutely beautiful appeals, and I don't think either of us have done anything so breathtaking. I bet even Wallace would compliment you on that one."
"Guys... that means so much," Misty was still talking in her soft, humbled voice, "Thank you."
"Misty. You were phenomenal out there. I can see you going far in the contest," Ash gave her a wide smile as he complimented her. He honestly wanted to tell her something more meaningful, but he couldn't with Dawn, Zoey, and his conscience present.
"Thanks, Ash. You even used a big word for me," Misty joked, causing all them to break out into giggles.
Pikachu, of course, leapt into Misty's arms and sang her praises is his language, "Pikachupi! Pikaaaa."
"Thanks Pikachu! I'm glad you enjoyed it!" Misty thanked the affectionate Pokémon.
"Come on, let's get back to the waiting room," Dawn spoke up in her cheery voice, "They'll be showing who made it to the battle rounds.
The group of four made their way back to the back room where Lilian had just begun her speech on the television, "This has been a show for the ages already! And we're just getting started! Here's who you'll be seeing in the battle rounds. Due to the shortage of competitors today, we'll be only allowing eight entrants through, for a total of three rounds."
"Wouldn't make sense to just knock out one person after appeals," Zoey commented dryly.
"And, here are the competitors for the quarter finals!" Lilian yelled out.
Portraits of the contest entrants began appearing on the TV screen at a rapid pace. Misty's face came up first and a small cheer went up from the group as the two girls hugged Misty. Zoey's face came up second, Dawn's fourth, and Ash's in seventh.
"We all made it!" Dawn cheered loudly.
"And now, here are the matchups!" Lilian announced.
The pictures were taken and shuffled until they came out into four pairs.
Misty was battling a boy who appeared to be about twelve and wore a cowboy hat.
Zoey was battling a man with a rather scraggly neck beard.
But what shocked them most was the fact that Ash and Dawn were being forced to battle each other in the first round.
"Oh! This is gonna be fun!" Ash enthusiastically cheered, "I've never gotten to battle you in a real contest before!"
Dawn matched his determined face with one of his own, "Yeah! Now you can show me how much you've learned about contest battles by training and watching me!"
"I'll give you a good battle, no doubt!" he challenged.
"I would love nothing less!" Dawn returned the sentiment.
Misty was enjoying this just for the reason that she knew this would be an interesting battle. But Zoey smirk grew twice its usual form because she knew something that Misty didn't. This was a battle of two lovers. If they were truly in love with one another and respected each other's prowess as trainer and coordinator, it would be a passionate battle, and she wondered what it would be like to see such a thing on the battlefield.
Dawn and Ash continued to stare into each other's eyes. Besides practice, Ash and Dawn had never fought each other in a battle since they entered their relationship. It was interesting for one to see the fire in the other's eyes when it came to this scenario. They saw the familiar flames of passion burning within; they knew that heat all too well. But it was mingled with the excitable blaze of being locked in battle with a worthy opponent. It created a blend that they weren't sure they would be able to replicate ever again.
"Ash and Dawn," the usher called, "You're up." The pair looked at Zoey and Misty, who each gave them an encouraging nod. The lovers nodded back to their friends and made for the door.
They advanced towards the stage entrance, but just before they came to the final stretch leading to the site of their battle, they glanced at each other. The fire was still there, and more powerful than ever. As if acting on the very same impulse, they grabbed each other and forced themselves into the side hall yet again. This time Dawn forced Ash into the wall, exerting surprising power for her small size. She hungrily kissed him with a strange power that he had never felt from the girl. He returned it with the same carnal force, flipping their positions so now she was on the wall instead. He ran his hands over her body, and she did the same. It was an absolute thrill that coursed through their veins and nerves. It was greater than their first time and every successive time after that. They almost wanted to rip each other's clothes right then and there. If it weren't for the call to battle that sounded through the hall moments later, they might very well have done so.
"Spotlight," he told her teasingly.
"I choose you," she cheekily replied.
They pulled apart and walked shoulder to shoulder to the threshold where the hall met the arena. When they heard the announcer shout their names, they gave each other one last high five before they walked into the fray.