Conflict. Fighting is all that life is about, a mad scramble of pushing and shoving for survival. And when one push strives us in one direction, what can we do? We either let ourselves get carried away on down the river, or we fight the current till we find where we want to go...

"Piplup, Bubblebeam!"

"Lairon, Iron Head!"

Piplup puffed out his chest and shot a strong barrage of bubbles towards his armoured opponent. The Lairon bellowed as the super-effective attack battered his head, then charged straight into it, his body becoming enveloped in silver light.

Dawn tensed. This move required perfect timing to pull off correctly. Piplup waited patiently and alertly, knowing exactly what Dawn was waiting for, confident that she wouldn't fail.

The ground shook as the heavy Iron Armor Pokemon pounded towards the much smaller Penguin Pokemon. Dawn stared at the glittering silver field surrounding the Lairon, waiting.

If I can just time this right...NOW! "Piplup, clockwise Spin Dodge!"

Piplup lunged forward and to the left, lining up his body parallel to the ground as he threw himself into a spin. The Lairon rushed past a hair's breadth away, the narrow miss making Max take an anxious breath.

To the amazement of both Max and the hiker who owned the Lairon, silver tendrils curved away from the field of light surrounded Lairon, wrapping around Piplup as he spun, attaching themselves to the small cape that was a part of his body. With practiced ease, Piplup rotated around and landed gracefully on his feet. The flowing tendrils of light flickered from his cape.

Dawn smiled. "Piplup, Drill Peck!"

The hiker opposite her laughed. "You're kidding, right? A flying type attack against a rock/steel type like my Lairon? That has got to be the worst move in history. Lairon, Iron Defense."

The Lairon braced itself, it's body taking on a shiny metallic sheen as it hardened. It bared its teeth and growled, his blue eyes daring Piplup to break his formidable defences.

A challenge that Piplup was all too happy to accept. Jumping forward again, his beak glowed and doubled in length as he threw himself into another spin. This time, however, was different. The silver tendrils attached to his cape wrapped around him as he flew forward, forming bright rings. The rings contracted as Piplup spun faster, until they merged with his body, covering him in his own metallic armour, turning his Drill Peck into an Iron Drill Peck.

The hiker merely continued to grin, confident that no physical attack that this tiny water type could throw at him would break his Lairon's thick hide. Dawn had equal faith in her partner's abilities, especially now that she knew that her signature Spin Dodge had worked again.

The furiously spinning Piplup slammed into Lairon's head, causing a bright shower of sparks to fly as metal grated against metal.

The attack continued for several seconds, and finally Piplup began to slow down, falling to his feet as the metallic armour on his body dissipated. The Lairon huffed in his face. The attack had failed to leave even a scratch.

The hiker laughed again. "I told you that wouldn't work. Time to finish this. Lairon, Metal Claw."

Dawn simply grinned as the Lairon, with a powerful shove, pushed itself onto its hind legs, the claws on its right foot glowing brightly. "We've got him right where we want him, Piplup. Hydro Pump!"

The hiker's eyes widened as he realized that Lairon was wide open to the special water type attack, which was one of the most powerful known. "Oh, shit!"

Piplup opened his beak, and a single bubble floated out. It rippled as it expanded into a small, swirling vortex of water, nearly the size of Piplup's own head. A powerful blast of water erupted from the vortex, slamming into the surprised Lairon's exposed stomach. He was carried backwards by the attack, smashing through three boulders and carving a deep trench through the ground before the column of water finally dissipated.

The hiker rushed over to his fallen partner. "No!" A quick examination revealed that the Lairon had been completely winded, and a dent the size of his own head had been punched in the armour on his belly. Judging by the dazed look in his eyes, Lairon had had enough.

The hiker sighed and hung his head. "I give. You win. Return, Lairon, you fought as hard as you could." He held out his Pokeball, and a red beam of light absorbed Lairon. He remained crouched for a moment, then got to his feet and offered Dawn his hand.

"Ha ha! That was great. You, lady, are good. And that Piplup of yours packs a heck of a wallop. I enjoyed that."

Dawn smiled as she picked up Piplup and shook his hand. "Thank you. Your Lairon was really strong too."

The hiker eyed her. "You, eh, haven't considered competing in the Ever Grande League, have you? You would be a formidable battler."

Dawn shook her head. "No, contests are my thing. Is your Lairon okay?"

The hiker shrugged. "He'll be fine. He's a tough old sod, it's nothing that Nurse Joy can't patch up." He jerked his thumb towards the Pokemon Center. "In fact, I think he'll be rather proud of that dent." He glanced up at the sky as he planted his hands on his hips. "Well, I should get going. Those mountains won't hike themselves."

Dawn smiled as the hiker walked back into the Pokemon Center, and Max ran up to her.

"Wow, Dawn, that was great. That Spin Dodge is really neat, and the way you used it to boost Piplup's Drill Peck was awesome. I think you would be really good at Gym battles."

Dawn rubbed her head sheepishly. "Truth is, I did do a Gym battle once, but that was more to help the Leader in question have faith in herself. I lost, but I had fun doing it. But like I said, Pokemon contests are my thing. They're what I'm best at. Besides, they're what my Pokemon love doing." She smiled as she hugged her partner. "Right Piplup?"

Piplup nodded his head proudly. "Piplup." (Of course)

Max smiled as Ralts wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. "That's great." He turned his head to look at his partner, who peered at him from under the edge of her hair. "Ralts and Slakoth are doing good, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to catch some new Pokemon for when I go up against Brawly."

Dawn smiled at him. "Brawly uses fighting type Pokemon, right?"

Max nodded. "Ralts should be able to handle his Hariyama with the type advantage, but I heard that he's recently added a Medicham to his team, which will be harder for Ralts to deal with."

He looked at her curiously. "So, Dawn, what are you going to do? You had said that you were taking a break from contests."

Dawn nodded. "Well, I've actually been planning on leaving Hoenn for a bit, to go find an old friend."

Max looked at her with interest. "Oh? Who?"

Dawn blushed slightly. "Ash, actually. There's some...things...I need to talk to him about. In person."

Max gave her an odd look. "Well, good luck with that. Knowing Ash, he could be anywhere."

Dawn nodded, hoping that her blush wasn't quite as bright as it felt. "That's why I'm going to call his mom, Delia. If anyone knows where Ash has gone, it would be her." She turned and headed inside the Pokemon Center.

Max followed her with his eyes. That was weird.

She feels strongly for him.

Max turned and looked at his partner again, who had closed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

I feel emotions, Max. They are the source of my strength. Her emotions are very strong, strongest when she speaks of Ash. But they are strange, and I have no word for them. The last time I felt emotions like hers, are when we saw your mother and father.

Max sat down on a nearby bench. "Of course you did. Mom and Dad love each...wait, are you saying that Dawn loves Ash?"

Ralts opened her eyes, staring at the boy that she had chosen to be her partner. I do not know what love is. Love is a human word. I do know that her emotions are very strong, possibly stronger than those of your parents.

Max considered it. "Mom and Dad love each other, so love would be the emotions you felt between them. And if you feel the same thing in Dawn when she thinks about Ash..."

Ralts shifted her gaze to the Pokemon Center, where she could faintly feel Dawn's disappointment. Then she does love him a lot.

Dawn sighed as she hung up the phone. Nobody had answered the phone when she had called, which meant that Delia wasn't home.

Picking up the phone again, she dialled a number that she knew very well. After a few moments, the screen flickered, and her mother appeared.

"Dawn! It's great to hear from you again."

Dawn smiled. "Hi Mom. How are you?"

Johanna smiled back at her daughter. "I'm doing just fine. How about you? Are your contests going well?"

Dawn rubbed the back of her head. "I've actually been in a bit of a slump recently. I haven't been able to concentrate real well."

Johanna's expression turned sad. "Oh, that's too bad. Are you still traveling alone?"

Dawn smiled. "Kinda. You remember May?"

Johanna nodded.

"Well, I actually ran into her brother recently. He had been having trouble with some other group from Team Rocket, so I was travelling with him until we got to the Pokemon Center here."

Johanna frowned angrily. "Team Rocket again? First Sinnoh, now they're moving into Hoenn?"

Dawn laughed. "Actually, from what Ash said, they came to Hoenn first, then into Sinnoh."

Johanna continued to frown for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Oh, speaking of Ash, I spoke to him not too long ago."

Dawn's heart thumped in her chest. "You talked to Ash?"

Her mother nodded. "Yes, he called a few days ago, wanting to talk to you."

Dawn swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Did he say what about?"

Johanna shook her head. "No, he didn't, and I had to tell him that you weren't here. He did tell me to pass a message onto you, though."

Again, Dawn's heart made a valiant effort to break out from behind her ribs. "What did he say?"

"He said that he hoped your journey was going well, and that he was enjoying his time in Unova."

Dawn froze at her mother's words. Unova?

Johanna looked at her daughter strangely. "Dawn, are you alright?"

Dawn shook herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. No need to worry, Mom. Um, I need to check something. Talk to you later, bye!" She hurriedly hung up the phone, ending the call.

Johanna stared at the dark screen for a moment, then smiled.

"Well, she's certainly going somewhere. Hmm, I wonder..."

Dawn stared at the screen, her eyes wide. "Unova. Ash is in Unova." she whispered. Wait, where is that anyway?

Turning, she hurried to the counter, Piplup rushing after her. "Excuse me, Nurse Joy?"

The pretty older nurse turned towards her. "Yes, can I help you?" she answered with a smile.

Dawn smiled back. "Yes, I was wondering if you could tell me where the Unova region is?"

Nurse Joy frowned at her. "The Unova region? I'm sorry, but I've never heard of it."

Dawn's heart crashed into her stomach, then quickly bounced back into her chest. "Oh, that's okay. Thanks anyways."

She hurried back to the video-phone booth and punched in another number. Piplup stared at her, now convinced that his partner had quite lost her mind.

Dawn waited impatiently for the connection to go through. Finally, the image of an older man with a stern face appeared on the screen.

"Ah, Dawn. How nice to see you again. I trust that everything is going well for you."

Dawn nodded. "Hi Professor Rowan. Yeah, everything's going great. Um, I have a question. You haven't heard of a place called the Unova region, have you?"

To her surprise and barely concealed joy, the Professor nodded. "Yes, actually, I have. The Unova region is a region far to the east of Sinnoh. They've only recently began communicating with the other regions, mostly due to their isolation. My colleague, Professor Oak, travelled there only a month ago."

Dawn nodded. So, the poet guy went to the Unova region. He takes care of Ash's Pokemon, so Ash probably left at about the same time.

The older professor continued. "According to him, Unova's Pokemon are entirely unique to the region, having no species in common with the other regions. Not surprising, given how far away they are."

That clinched it in Dawn's mind. Ash would never give up the opportunity to see new Pokemon. "How far away is it?"

Professor Rowan glanced off to the side. "Adam, I need those Pokemon ready in the next hour. The new trainer will be here soon! Sorry, Dawn. Unova is to the east of us, across the ocean. In fact, it is so far, that it takes weeks to get there by boat. The only other way to get there is by plane, and even then, the flight takes approximately two days."

Dawn stared at him. "Two days?" Geez, Ash, how far do you need to go?

The older professor nodded. "Indeed. Are you planning on visiting Unova, Dawn?"

Dawn quickly recovered. "Um, yes, actually I might be."

The professor grunted. "Hmm. According to my colleague, and the messages that I have received from Unova's regional professor, Professor Juniper, Unova doesn't have any contests. Though I don't doubt that getting a Pokemon not ever seen before would give you an edge. If you do decide to travel there, do make sure that you bump into Cynthia will you are there."

Dawn blinked. "Cynthia? Why would she be going to Unova?"

Professor Rowan chuckled quietly. "As part of their efforts to promote good relations with the other regions, Unova is hosting a World Juniors Pokemon Tournament. Cynthia, as the Sinnoh League's Pokemon Champion, will be our official representative."

Dawn smiled. She knew exactly what Ash would be doing once he found out. "Wow, that's awesome. I might enter that myself, show the Unovan's how a Coordinator from Sinnoh battles"

Professor Rowan smiled approvingly at her. "Perhaps you will. In any case, I have a new trainer coming soon, so I must get things ready for them. I wish you good luck Dawn." The screen went black as the professor hung up.

Dawn smiled as she put the phone back. It had been a long time since she felt this energetic, for more than one reason. She turned and knelt in front of her partner. "Well, Piplup. Ash is in Unova, so that's where I'm going. Care to join me?"

Piplup cheered. "Piplup, pip pip piplup!" (just try and stop me!)

Dawn laughed as she picked him up in her arms and hurried out of the Pokemon Center. She noticed Max sitting on a bench nearby. "Hey Max!"

Max smiled. "Hey Dawn. Did you find out where Ash is?"

Dawn nodded happily. "I did actually. He's in some place called the Unova region, which is really far away. You have to fly there, so I need to find an airport."

Max pulled out his Pokenav, which he had explained to her earlier. "Hmm, there's actually an airport not far from Slateport."

Dawn was on the verge of jumping in excitement. "Than I guess I had better get moving." She turned away.

"Wait, Dawn?"

She turned back to him. "Yeah Max?"

The younger boy looked at her with hopeful eyes. "You want to get to Unova as soon as you can, right?"

She looked at him strangely. "Yes, why?"

Max jumped to his feet, Ralts raising her head. "Well, Ralts and I passed through Slateport on our way to Rustboro City, after we met up again. Soooo, if you want, Ralts and I could teleport you there."

Dawn looked at him, then smiled happily. "Could you?" Her expression quickly turned worried. "Are you sure Ralts is strong enough to do that? Slateport is a long way from here."

Max turned and looked at his partner, who looked back at him.

"Ral, ralts."

Max nodded. "She's sure. But there's one condition."

Dawn frowned at him. "What's that?"

Max grabbed her arm. "We want to come with you to Unova."

This turn of events startled her. "You want to come with me? Max, you just started your journey here in Hoenn."

Max nodded eagerly. "I know. But I heard Professor Birch talking about Unova, about how there are a Pokemon there that can't be found anywhere else. There might be one there that could give me an edge over Brawly. It would put a serious hitch in his strategy to have to fight a Pokemon he's never seen before." His expression turned serious. "Besides, when Ash, Brock, May and I parted ways in Kanto, Ash promised me that when I became a trainer, we would have a battle, me and him. Now's my chance to have that battle. I'm not passing that up, and neither is Ralts."

Ralts nodded her head. "Ralts."

Dawn looked at him, unsure. It wasn't fair that he should travel to another country so soon after starting his journey, but she could see that he was absolutely determined. "Okay, but you at least have to tell your parents where you're going. They deserve to know."

Max broke into a smile, and quickly nodded. "Of course. It's not like I wasn't going to." He turned and hurried into the Pokemon Center, Dawn following slowly.

She sighed. "Mesprit, please tell me I'm doing the right thing here."

Several minutes later, after a long argument with May, who had been talking to her parents when Max had called, he had finally managed to convince them to let him go to Unova. Almost all of the objection came from May, who had been only a little mollified when she had found out that he would be travelling with Dawn, and that they were planning on meeting up with Ash. The argument had been sealed when Max had stated that he had called to let them know his plans, not to ask their permission. After that, May had grudgingly decided that she wasn't going to stop him. The fact that she was over in Johto, and thus in no position to try, probably had a great deal to do with that.

May sighed. "Max, I'm just worried about you, that's all. Unova is a long way from home."

Max smiled. "And so was Kanto when we left to meet up with Ash again, May."

May giggled. "Yeah, but I was with you that time. I won't be there now."

Dawn leaned over. "Relax, May. No need to worry. He's got Ralts and Slakoth, and I'll be there too. Besides, we'll be with Ash eventually, whose probably got some other friends he's made along the way. It'll be fine."

May sighed again. "Okay, fine. But Max, be careful." Her expression turned serious. "And make sure you catch a Pokemon while you're there! Because you and I will be having a battle when you get back, and you better have something new for me to fight!"

Max grinned. "You can count on that, May. And this time, I'll win."

Both siblings stared each other down, then May ended her end of the call. Norman, Max's father, laughed.

"Well Max, looks you and May have your fighting spirits up and running. I look forward to hearing about your travels, and seeing what new Pokemon you bring back." He glanced off to the side. "That would be my gym assistant calling for me. Sounds like I have another challenger. Take care of yourself, okay Max?"

Max nodded and waved to his father. "Don't worry about me, Dad. Between Ralts and me, nothing can go wrong. Bye!"

Norman simply chuckled as the screen went dark. Max pumped his fist as the pair left the Pokemon Center. "Yes! I can't wait to show Ash how strong Ralts and I am. I wonder what Pokemon he's gotten already. This is going to be awesome!"

Dawn laughed. "Slow down. First we have to get there, and then we need to find Ash. He could be anywhere in Unova."

Max shrugged. "Knowing Ash, he's probably challenging Gyms. And he's definitely got Pikachu with him, which aren't normally found in Unova, so we're guaranteed to find somebody who's heard of him. It's kind of hard for somebody like Pikachu to go unnoticed in a place like Unova."

Dawn smiled. Despite her words, she was optimistic as well. "Still, we need to get there first. So lets hurry up and get to Slateport City!"

Max nodded. "Right. Before Ralts can teleport you, she needs to get to know you."

He crouched down, and Ralts slid to the ground from his backpack. Dawn frowned. "Get to know me?"

He nodded. "Mm-hmm. It'll make it easier. You just need to touch your forehead to Ralts' front horn, so that she can get to know your mind. I did it the first time we teleported together."

Dawn looked down at Piplup, who looked up at her and shrugged. Dawn smiled. "Alright." Setting Piplup down, she crouched in front of Ralts, whose eyes were obscured by her helmet-like hair. She pulled her beanie off, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. Ralts shuffled forwards until the red horn projecting from her head touched against Dawn's forehead. The hard appendage was smooth and warm to the touch.

A soft, feminine voice suddenly spoke in Dawn's mind. You care about Ash.

Dawn took a short, sharp breath. Ralts?

Max says you love him. Is that true? Please don't lie. I don't like lies. Lies are bad. Lies make me cold.

Piplup looked at Dawn curiously, who was suddenly frowning. "Piplup?" (Dawn?)

Dawn thought for a moment. Yes, I love Ash. With all my heart.

She felt a brief sense of happiness, and Ralts' horn seemed to grow a little warmer. Love is good. Love makes me warm and strong. Please tell him. I think it will make him happy.

Ralts pulled back, and Max picked her up in his arms. Dawn remained crouched for a moment, then slowly got to her feet. She stared at Max uncertainly.

"Ralts didn't need to get to know my mind in order to teleport me, did she." Dawn said quietly.

Max swallowed and nodded. "Ralts had been listening that night, after we met, and sensed your emotions. She told me while you were inside. I just wanted to know. I'm sorry, please don't be mad."

Dawn sighed and picked up Piplup. "It's true, I love Ash. The only thing that I love more than Ash is my Pokemon. And I'm going to see him so that I can tell him that I love him. I'm not mad at you Max, or you, Ralts. But I do ask that you never do that again." she said quietly.

Max nodded. "We promise."

Dawn took a breath and wiped her eyes. "Now, how is Ralts going to teleport us?"

Max smiled cautiously. "It would be easier if Piplup was in his Pokeball."

Dawn looked down at her partner, who shook his head vigorously. "Piplup prefers stay outside, like Ralts does."

Max nodded and looked at his partner. "Okay, that should still work."

Ralts climbed up onto his shoulder, then leaned over and held out her arm. "Take her hand, hold Piplup close, and close your eyes." Max told her.

Dawn did as he asked, pressing Piplup close to her chest. Ralts' small hand was warm in her palm.

"This is going to feel really weird at first."

Dawn was suddenly hit a slight sense of vertigo, and her body didn't seem to be able to move. Just as quickly as it came it was replaced with a rushing sensation, and then that too disappeared. She could move again, and she swayed slightly. She immediately noticed the change in the air, turning from the soft, leafy scent of the forest air to the crisp saltiness of the ocean breeze.

"You can open your eyes now." Max's voice sounded slightly shaky.

Dawn opened her eyes, and saw the bustling crowd of the Slateport Market. She had been there only a couple weeks before, trying to pull herself together for a contest. She hadn't succeeded, and had failed miserably.

She let out a breath. "Whew. That wasn't as bad as last time." She turned to Max and smiled.

Max frowned as Ralts leaned against his head, her breathing slightly faster. "You've teleported before?"

Dawn nodded. "Long story. I might tell you some time. But right now, we need to find that airport."

"Dee-Dee?"

Dawn froze at the sound of her nickname. Gritting her teeth, she turned towards the voice that had spoken it.

"Kenny, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me Dee-Dee! I hate that name!"

Kenny smiled briefly, then frowned again. "Uh, did you just appear out of thin air?"

Dawn smiled as Max stepped up beside her. "I teleported, yeah. Kenny, what are you doing in Slateport? Or even Hoenn?"

Kenny grinned as she hugged him. "I had heard that you were in Hoenn, so I figured that I might see if I could tag along. Sinnoh's not quite the same without you, Dawn." He hugged her back, then turned to Max. "Who's your friend?"

Dawn laughed. "Kenny, this is Max, May's brother. Max, this is Kenny. He's a friend of mine from Sinnoh, a Coordinator like me. We grew up together."

Max held out his hand. "Nice to meet you. This is my partner, Ralts."

Kenny grinned as he shook it. "Nice to meet you too."

Ralts looked at Kenny uncertainly.

Dawn smiled. "So, Kenny, what brings you to Slateport?"

Kenny smiled as the three of them started walking. "I had heard that there was a big market here, so I figured I'd see if I could pick some stuff up. I'm planning on entering the contest over in Verdanturf Town. How about you?"

Dawn paused. "Actually, Max and I are seeing if we can catch a plane somewhere."

Kenny frowned as he turned towards her. "You mean that you're not staying in Hoenn?"

Dawn smiled. "Yeah. There's someone I need to see. Someone important."

Kenny's expression turned serious. "Oh. I was kind of hoping that we could do some travelling together."

Something in Dawn chilled slightly. Oh no. Does Kenny...? "Kenny, you know that I'd like to travel with you, but now isn't a good time. This is important for me."

Max looked back and forth between them. "Dawn, I'm going to see if I can book those tickets. I'll catch you later."

Kenny barely looked at him. "So, can I come with you than?"

Dawn took a step back, trying to put a little space between them. "I don't think so, Kenny. Unova's pretty far away, and they don't have contests there."

Kenny frowned, further confused. "So, why are you going there, if they don't have contests?"

Dawn shifted her weight. "There's someone there I need to talk to."

Kenny's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who?"

Dawn sighed. "Ash."

Kenny's hands balled into fists, then relaxed. "Oh." He looked off to the side. "What is it about him, Dawn?"

Dawn frowned. "What do you mean, Kenny?"

Kenny folded his arms. "Why him?"

Dawn took a second step back. "I just need to see him, Kenny. There's something important I need to talk to him about."

"Is it the same thing that I came here to tell you about?"

Dawn looked at him. Oh, boy. This is going to be ugly. "Kenny, I...I like you. A lot. We've been friends ever since kindergarten. But, that's all we are, Kenny. We're just friends."

Kenny sighed. "Dawn, I've felt this way for a long time. And I've been trying to tell you for almost as long. So I'll make you a deal. Battle me. I win, you travel with me. Maybe I can change your mind. You win, I won't bother you with this again."

Dawn frowned, then narrowed her eyes. "Is this what that battle you had with Ash in Sunyshore was about? Were you fighting him over me?"

Kenny nodded as he pulled a Pokeball from his belt. "Yeah, it was. So are you going to battle me or not?"

Dawn stepped forward, putting her nose right in front of Kenny's. "Lets get one thing straight, Kenny. I'm not something that you can fight over. I'm not something that you can 'win' like some prize for a contest. So you better be real careful about this, Kenny."

Kenny merely gazed back at her. "I can't let you go again, Dee-Dee."

He kissed her.

That did it. Dawn shoved him backwards, dropping Piplup in her surprise. "Excuse me! What the hell do you think you're doing!"

Piplup glared at Kenny as he landed on his feet. The drop had been a surprise, but he had decided that the blame was entirely with Kenny. "Piplup piplup! Pip, piplup!" (Hey! What makes you think you have the right to do that!)

Dawn glared at her friend as she wiped her hand across her mouth. "Alright, you want a battle? You got one. And I am going to beat your ass into the ground." She yanked a Pokeball from her backpack.

Max stared at the stand off, rather desperately hoping that he were somewhere else. "Oh, this isn't going to be good, Ralts."

"Ral." Ralts murmured. Not good at all. She had grown slightly colder in response to Dawn's turbulent emotions, chief among which was anger and indignation.

Officer Jenny suddenly roared up on her motorcycle. "What's going on?"

Max turned to her. "My friend is rather angry at her friend, so their about to have a battle to decide the outcome."

Officer Jenny frowned at the two combatants. "Oh, no you don't. Not here in the street you're not. There's a battlefield behind the Pokemon Center. You can battle there."

Dawn glared at Kenny, who simply shrugged. "That's fine." The trio followed Officer Jenny to the Pokemon Center, Dawn fuming the entire time. Finally, they reached the dirt field, marked out in a rectangle with white lines. Dawn and Kenny took up opposite sides of the field.

"Quilava, curtain time!" She threw the Pokeball forward, which split in half in a burst of white light. The light curved towards the ground, forming the long, low body of the Volcano Pokemon. The fur on his back was a dark blue color, his underside a soft cream. On the top of his head, between his small triangular ears, were two red holes, one small and round, the other longer and oval, forming an 'i' shape. Three more oval holes were on his backside, straight in a line. All five shimmered with heat.

Quilava scuffed the ground with his paw. "Quilava!" He looked over his shoulder at Dawn with red eyes, and noticed her furious expression. He turned back to look at Kenny. What did he do to make her so mad? he wondered.

Kenny took a few steps back. "I'm sorry, Dawn. But I needed you to know how I felt. Empoleon, come on out!" He threw the Pokeball in his hand forward. The burst of light formed into the tall form of Empoleon, who was almost three times Quilava's height.

The Emporer Pokemon raised its blade-like wings, staring out with intense blue eyes from between the crown-like horns projecting up from his beak. "Empoleon!"

Piplup glared at his taller evolution, who was nearly five times his own height. Empoleon ignored him, concentrated on the fire type in front of him.

A passing stranger paused as he noticed the combatants. "Whoa, what's going on?"

Max sighed as he sat down on a bench. "An argument."

Kenny gazed across the battlefield. "You haven't got much of a chance, Dawn. A fire type like Quilava is not going to do well against a water type like Empoleon."

Dawn gritted her teeth. "And in case you didn't know, type isn't all that matters, Kenny. I learned that every time I watched Ash battle, and I've taken it to heart. So get ready to get your ass handed to you in pieces, and next time you'll think twice about up and kissing me." she growled.

Quilava's eyes widened, and he shook his head. Even Empoleon glanced back at his trainer with a 'what were you thinking' look on his face.

Max groaned. "Oh, that was stupid. No wonder she's pissed."

Kenny's mouth formed a hard line. "Empoleon, Flash Cannon!"

Dawn glared at him. "Quilava, dodge it!"

Quilava arched his back, and the red holes on his head and back erupted in flames. The air shimmered around him, and he bared his teeth, tensed and ready for the impending attack.

Empoleon turned back to his opponent and opened his beak. A silver orb formed in front of it, and it erupted into a beam, nearly a foot in diameter. The beam shot towards Quilava at blinding speed, a pure white core in a shining translucent silver sheath.

Quilava tensed further, the flames on his head blazing fiercely. Finally, he leaped to the side, briefly turning into a blur as he moved with all the speed of a flickering flame. The beam smashed into the ground, exploding into a cloud of dust and smoke.

Dawn barely blinked. "Is that all you've got, Kenny? You'll have to do better than that." she taunted.

Kenny gritted his teeth. "Empoleon, Steel Wing!"

Empoleon stretched his wings out. Each wide triangle shone with a silver light, and he leaped forward, soaring towards the waiting Quilava.

Dawn smiled. "Quilava, Flame Wheel!"

Without hesitation, Quilava jumped forward, curling into a ball. The flames on his head and back blazed brighter and hotter, enveloping him in a cocoon of fire as he spun. He hit the ground, accelerating rapidly, leaving a trail of flames and smoking earth as he sped on a collision course towards the approaching Empoleon.

Dawn watched closely. She was pissed that Kenny thought he could just kiss her whenever he wanted, but she wasn't so stupid that she was going to let her anger blind her. She had made that mistake too often in the past.

Empoleon and Quilava raced towards each other, each intent on overpowering the other.

Seconds before impact, Dawn suddenly shouted. "Quilava, flip over!"

Quilava threw his weight to his left, causing him to tip over. He grated against the ground as he fell against his side, Empoleon's shining wings passing over him harmlessly.

However, there was a rather large amount of hot air rising from the side of Quilava's Flame Wheel, which was now rising very quickly. This hot air struck the underside of Empoleon's wing, tipping him over just enough. This caught Empoleon by surprise, and his other wing dug in the ground, carving a shallow trench for a brief second.

The unexpected resistance shattered Empoleon's concentration, and he spun around, crashing into the ground hard as he bounced over and over.

Quilava, meanwhile, had continued with his own flip, using his momentum to bring himself back upright. Now he was spinning in the opposite direction, braking hard, and then charging forward as he found traction. Neither Empoleon nor Kenny had any time to react, and Quilava slammed square into Empoleon's back.

Empoleon gave a painful cry as he was thrown forward again, finally coming to rest near a wall. Kenny gritted his teeth. "Empoleon, get up!"

Dawn was not prepared to give him any chance to rest. "Quilava, Swift!"

The flames surrounding the Volcano Pokemon dissipated, and he leaped into the air, tucking into another spin. The flames on his head and back went out, and a series of golden stars fired from his spinning body. The barrage of stars streaked towards Empoleon, battering against his wings, head, and body as he struggled to his feet.

Empoleon simply winced and glared at Quilava, who landed a short distance away.

Kenny glared at her. "Nice string, but it won't do you much good."

Dawn glared back. "It did more than you know, Kenny. Empoleon may be a water type, but he's also a steel type, which do have a weakness to fire."

Kenny threw out his hand. "Then try this on for size. Empoleon, Drill Peck!"

Empoleon lunged forward, hurling himself into a furious spin. He formed a much bigger drill than Piplup did.

Dawn simply gritted her teeth. "Quilava, Smokescreen!"

Quilava opened his mouth, and thick black smoke poured out. It also billowed from his flame vents. Within seconds, Quilava was hidden within a large cloud of thick smoke.

Empoleon simply continued forward, his high-speed spin dispersing the cloud as he drilled through it. Quilava rolled out the side, having easily dodged the oncoming attack.

Dawn smiled grimly. "My turn. Quilava, run a circle around Empoleon with Flame Wheel!"

Quilava jumped to obey, quickly curling into the speedy attack. He raced a flaming track around the Emperor Pokemon, who suddenly found himself surrounded by a wall of flames.

Dawn smiled at the suddenly anxious Kenny, who wasn't sure what she was up to. He had never seen her this mad before, and had no idea what to expect.

"Now, keeping using Flame Wheel, and use Smokescreen!"

Thick, black smoke billowed from the ring, completely obscuring Empoleon from view. Empoleon looked from one side to another, confused and slightly anxious. He didn't like this situation one bit.

By this time, a small crowd had gathered to see the battle. Everyone watched in awe at the ring of smoke and flame. Two Coordinators were watching in total rapture at the performance, for despite her anger, Dawn was still a Coordinator herself. Every battle she did by default was a performance.

Kenny growled. "Empoleon, use Drill Peck in place!"

Empoleon was barely able to hear the command, but he still heard it. He spun on his feet, pointing straight into air. He spun faster and faster and faster.

Unfortunately, the attack had the opposite effect that Kenny had wanted. Instead of blowing the smoke away like he had hoped, the spinning drill causing what little air there was on the ground to shoot up through Empoleon's Drill Peck, creating a vacuum around his feet. This vacuum pulled more air through the wall of flame and smoke, pumping the heat up even higher. Glittering sparks and embers flew into the smoke, which glowed a hellish red as it was pulled inwards, completely enveloping Empoleon.

Empoleon stopped spinning, coughing on the smoke. Kenny had told him that Slateport was near the ocean. He couldn't smell the water anymore. All he could smell was smoke, ash, and fire. Part of him could handle the intense heat, he was a water type, after all. But another half, the steel half of his personality, didn't like this situation at all. He didn't feel like he was on the coast, he felt like he was stuck in the middle of a volcano.

Dawn smiled. "Quilava, get in there, and use Eruption!" she shouted.

Quilava, who the entire time had been continuing to race circles around Empoleon, had been fighting against the vacuum that had been created. He barely managed to hear Dawn's command, and he smiled to himself. Turning inwards, he allowed the vacuum's pull to drag him straight between Empoleon's webbed feet.

Kenny's eyes widened. For a moment, he couldn't say anything at all.

The column of glowing red smoke exploded. The smoke was blown away, revealing a wide pillar of ash and lava blasting straight up with all the ferocity of a true volcanic eruption. Right at the base of the pillar, crouched Quilava. The pillar of flame and ash blasted straight out of the flame vents on his head. His eyes were closed with concentration as he poured every bit of strength in his body into the powerful attack.

The effect was, overall, rather impressive.

Finally, the attack came to its end. Quilava became too tired to sustain it, and allowed the column of lava to peter out, until all that remained were the flames that still blazed from his head and rear.

Seconds later, Empoleon fell out of the sky, smashing into the ground with a loud crash, forming a small crater over six feet in diameter. He lay inside the crater for a moment, then groaned and slowly crawled out. He was breathing hard, and various bruises and scorch marks covered his body. It was clear that he had taken a serious beating from the attack.

Quilava and Empoleon glared at each other. It was a rather impressive comparison. Empoleon was a fully evolved water/steel type, seriously damaged. Quilava was a second form fire type, completely unharmed. Quilava was even starting to get his breath back, a sure sign that he had much more gas in his tank than Empoleon did.

Kenny glared at her, momentarily too furious for words. Finally he managed to get his tongue to work. "Empoleon, are you okay?"

Empoleon supported itself on one wing, glaring at Quilava. "Empol!"

Kenny nodded. "Alright. I'll admit, that was a good combination Dawn. But we're not done yet. Empoleon, Drill Peck!"

Empoleon pushed itself up and launched itself forward, spinning into the attack. Quilava tensed, ready to dodge.

Just as Dawn was about to call a command, Kenny stepped forward. "Now, Steel Wing!"

The rim of Empoleon's drill-like shape suddenly glowed silver, and he accelerated forward. Just as he was about to hit Quilava, he swung upwards, perpendicular to the ground, right over top of Quilava. Silver rings began bursting from Empoleon, descending down to the ground, trapping Quilava. Empoleon sprang out of the drill shape, hovering on glowing wings.

Kenny grinned. "Now, Hydro Cannon!"

Dawn bared her teeth. "Quilava, block it with Eruption!"

Empoleon opened his beak, and a bright blue sphere of water formed, growing larger and larger, until finally it was nearly was wide as his chest. Angling his wings, Empoleon fired the sphere straight down.

Kenny smirked. "That won't do much good Dawn. Hydro Cannon is the most powerful water attack known."

Dawn simply smiled right back. "That's true. But Eruption's power depends on how much energy your Pokemon has. And since Quilava hasn't taken any damage at all, Eruption is just as powerful as Hydro Cannon. So we'll see which one can handle more."

Quilava braced himself and closed his eyes. For a moment, nothing happened, then a massive column of ash and lava burst out of the flame vents on his head. The pillar of flame intercepted the powerful sphere of water, resulting in a cloud of super-heated steam as the two attacks competed for supremacy.

Empoleon floated on the steam, concentrating on maintaining his Steel Wing, lest he fall straight into the battle raging below. Quilava kept his eyes clamped shut, desperately hoping that he could keep the attack going long enough to wear out the water attack. If he failed by anything other than a tiny degree, he knew that he would pay for it dearly. Water types tended to be unforgiving with fire types.

The entire crowd was riveted by the hissing cloud of steam that was trapped within the silver rings, waiting with bated breath to see who would become triumphant.

Finally, Quilava could go no more, and was forced to stop his attack. He cringed, waiting for the dreaded impact.

Nothing.

He had succeeded in wearing out the Hydro Cannon. He nearly sighed with relief, until he remembered who was above him.

Unfortunately, Empoleon was having problems of his own. The Hydro Cannon attack was extremely powerful, but it also took a great deal of energy. He could no longer sustain his own Steel Wing, and fell.

Dawn took her opportunity and ran with it. "Quilava, break out using Flame Wheel!"

Quilava realized that he was getting a second chance. Leaping into a ball, he became enveloped in flames once again and slammed into the silver ring that trapped him. Without the spinning Steel Wing to sustain it, the ring collapsed, and Quilava was free. He quickly ran a long loop, and charged towards the exhausted Empoleon, who could do nothing to avoid it.

Dawn was determined to finish the battle. "Keep going. Swift!"

Golden stars burst from the circle of flames that surrounded Quilava, then sped inwards to form a golden barrier. Quilava accelerated.

Kenny gritted his teeth. He needed Empoleon to recover, otherwise this battle was over. "Come on! Get up Empoleon!"

Empoleon managed to raise his head, in time to see his glittering opponent approaching. He just didn't have it in him.

Dawn saw her chance for victory, and she took it. "Last one, Eruption!"

The golden shield covering Quilava glowed, brighter and brighter, until it was sheer white in its intensity. Quilava shot forward as if fired from a cannon. He could barely contain the raw power now trapped inside his Volcanic Wheel, and was incredibly thankful for his flameproof fur.

At this point, Quilava was moving too quickly to do anything. It was either hit, or miss. Unfortunately, Empoleon was just too tired to try anything except watch.

Quilava smashed straight into Empoleon's face. The impact broke the Swift shield around the Volcanic Wheel, unleashing the full power of the attack in a single explosion.

It was so great, both Pokemon were thrown backwards. Quilava was only a little tired, and thanks to his flameproof fur, and being a fire type, he still had the presence of mind to keep track of himself, and was able to land, albeit unsteadily, on his paws. Empoleon was not so lucky. He simply shot past Kenny and slammed into a wall.

Kenny whipped around. "Empoleon, NO!" He rushed to his partner, who was embedded in the brickwork with his eyes closed. He grabbed Empoleon's crest, something that Empoleon would normally have never allowed. No response.

The crowd was silent. Even Dawn realized that she might have taken it a little too far.

Finally, Empoleon managed to open his eyes. He gave Kenny a sad look, then passed out. Kenny lowered his head.

Dawn pulled out Quilava's Pokeball. "Thank you Quilava. Return." She walked over to her friend and laid her hand on his shoulder. "Will Empoleon be okay?"

Kenny didn't move. "He's taken worse hits than that." His voice was dull, utterly defeated.

Dawn looked at the unconscious Emperor Pokemon, then took her hand off of Kenny's shoulder. The crowd had dispersed, now that the battle was over.

Max stared in awe. He hadn't seen such an intense battle since watching Ash and Paul battle on television. To see such an epic fight in person, it couldn't be described. He turned as he overheard the two nearby Coordinator's whispering to each other. He couldn't catch most of it, but he did hear some words. "The Fiery Lady of Sinnoh?"

Dawn gave Empoleon one last look as Kenny returned him to his Pokeball, then turned and walked to Max. She paused as Kenny spoke.

"Dawn? I love you."

Dawn stood there for a heartbeat, then started walking away. "I'm sorry Kenny."

My my, I do have a bit of a cruel streak, don't I? That was probably not fair to Kenny, but I have problems with him, and I have a love for epic fight scenes, so I sometimes get carried away. Anyways, everybody loves drama. So, in closing, Dawn and Max leave for Unova, after Dawn makes good on her promise to hand Kenny's butt to him in pieces. Next chapter will be a little broken, because that will be a good opportunity to do some nice switching back and forth. See ya!

Psych! I'm not done talking. I am currently preparing what I think is a rather beautiful scene between Ash and Dawn. It won't be showing up for a little while, because I'm evil, but I swear, it will be worth the wait! Have faith, my brothers and sisters!