Chapter seventeen: Gotta Have You

Prompt: #6 Obsession

Universe: AU Animeverse

Rating: T

A/N: Lemme know if you want Zoey to appear more often ;)

x

Cynthia didn't understand why she had to go. Why couldn't Aaron go in her stead, since he was so obsessed with beauty and perfection? All she would rather do is travel, battle and study mythology, but Lucian and Bertha would have none of it: go to the contest or don't bother coming back. Garchomp shared her sentiment, growling with every step that brought them closer and closer to the infrastructure.

As she walked by the various coordinators practicing, she supposed it'd be worth her while. There were some pretty interesting combinations and colours. Garchomp seemed particularly amused by an Altaria using Dragon Dance and Aerial Ace to create a mesmerizing appeal. When the pokémon noticed her trainer watching her, she feigned disinterest and turned her head, causing Cynthia to chuckle.

"Okay Piplup... spin clockwise and use Bubblebeam!"

The two turned their head to see a large Whirlpool move above them. Looking down, they noticed a tiny Piplup rotating continuously with a stream of rapid bubbles evacuating from his beak. The effect was incredible: the bubbles had entered through a hole at the bottom of the Whirlpool and spurted out like a fountain. All the trainers ceased their practice to observe, wanting to see if the move would make it or not.

Cynthia looked around to spot the trainer responsible for the move and noticed her right away, her posture was tense, nervous and excited and she was currently yelling out her next command.

"Piplup, store up your energy and use Peck on the inside of the Whirlpool!"

Piplup obeyed his trainer and entered the water-type move, unleashing a powerful Peck to clash with it. The move shattered, sending blue glitters all over the area and the bubbles floated down gently. The other coordinators smiled and applauded. With a blush, the blue-haired coordinator bowed, Piplup at her side.

Cynthia decided to approach her, since Garchomp had taken the lead and was conversing with the tiny blue penguin. The teen seemed frightened by the huge dragon-type, but didn't mind the extra attention.

"Sorry about my Garchomp," Cynthia apologized, "she likes to do whatever she wants sometimes, including disobeying me."

"It's no problem," the girl replied, waving her hand in the air, "besides, Piplup seems to like the company, right Piplup?"

"Piplup!"

"Hi, I'm Dawn, and this is my partner Piplup," Dawn greeted, extending her hand.

Cynthia chuckled and reciprocated the action. "I'm Cynthia, and I watched your performance. Quite marvelous, if I do say so myself."

Dawn, however, gaped openly. "Wait.. Cynthia as in.. the Sinnoh region champion Cynthia? Oh gosh, your Garchomp... you are her, aren't you?" At Cynthia's nod, Dawn squealed, "oh my gosh... Piplup, the Champion just complimented our, I mean, your performance! Isn't that great?"

Piplup squeaked in excitement and shook Garchomp's hand furiously. Garchomp sweatdropped and stood next to her trainer, posture ramrod straight.

"Now, now... I'm not much of a big deal, I just... came here to watch the contest is all," Cynthia said, deciding to withhold the information of being forced to attend.

"But.. you're the Champion! Of course it's a big deal! You're the strongest trainer in the Sinnoh region. Oh, I've gotta tell Ash and Brock right away!" Dawn exclaimed. Before she could dash off, Cynthia quickly grabbed the trainer's scarf and pulled her back.

"Sorry, but I cannot allow you to do that. Please Dawn, this is one secret you'll have to keep," Cynthia explained, releasing her hold on the trainer.

Dawn sighed but nodded. "Okay, then... well, I hope you enjoy the contest!" Dawn waved as she ran to the pokémon center, Piplup on her heels.

Cynthia smiled and turned to Garchomp. "Let's get going, shall we?"

x

Cynthia seated herself on the seats closest to the front of the arena, ignoring the stares she received and Garchomp's annoyed and perpetual growling. She tightened her hands around the railing as she observed the first round appeals. There were some good ones: a Bronzong using Gyro Ball and Psychic to create various forms, a Glameow that gave quite a show with its Shadow Claw and Fury Swipes combo and the same Altaria from before, but this time it exuded a powerful Dragon Dance as it soared with an overwhelming Sky Attack. Dawn hadn't appeared yet, and Cynthia was waiting to see her.

Her name was suddenly announced from the MC and Cynthia looked down to see the blue-haired girl in a pink dressed that totally suited her. Cynthia smiled and ignored the heat on her cheeks at seeing the girl look so good. She knew she swung that way, but that young..? Garchomp chuckled and prodded her side with a claw and Cynthia swatted it away.

Dawn sent out Piplup, who stood with its eyes closed, fins on its 'hips' and beak up proudly. Cynthia had expected the same appeal to be performed but was shocked when Dawn opted to use something else.

"Alright, Piplup, let's start with Whirlpool!"

A Whirlpool appeared above the blue penguin's head. Piplup held it up with its tiny fins and seemed unaffected by the weight.

"Okay, now, flip it!"

The judges and the entire crowd gasped when Dawn sent out her command, and Cynthia found herself clutching the railing harder. She was enthralled by the power her Piplup showed, by the confidence the trainer was exuding. Garchomp was interested as well, hoping her little buddy would pull it off.

Piplup squeaked and pushed with all his might, throwing the Whirlpool up and flipping it over. It formed a dome above the crowd, and the light from the window panes above reflected and refracted through the water. The audience let out noises of enjoyment; it felt like they were underwater. However, Cynthia only had eyes for the coordinator on stage, watching with narrowed eyes to predict her next move.

Dawn grinned and twirled, Piplup following her every move. They were in complete sync: they stopped at the same moment Dawn released her next command.

"Piplup, store up your energy and use Peck on the center of the Whirlpool!"

Piplup obeyed, unleashing a powerful, long Peck and jumping up. The judges commented on Piplup's leaping ability and watched the water-type cut through the base and center of power of the water attack. The result was instantaneous: the move started to come apart at the apex, and disintegrated slowly, sending splashes of water and sparkles on the audience. They shrieked in joy and applauded once Piplup returned to the ground and bowed with his trainer.

"What amazing power! What an excellent combination!"

"Piplup and Dawn were completely synchronised. I fell in love... with the appeal!"

"Truly remarkable!"

Cynthia sat back in shock, mouth open. That was... amazing. She didn't know why she was so against contests before, but now, she'd attend one whenever she could! Especially if.. Dawn was there. Cynthia shook her head; now was not the time to develop a crush. She had to go congratulate her! She made a move to get up, but stopped, suddenly feeling squeamish. What was she doing? Dawn had friends to congratulate her, she didn't need the Champion of all people attracting unnecessary attention to her.

Cynthia sighed and leaned back. Garchomp gave her a weird look but she ignored it, pinching the bridge of her nose. She watched the rest of the appeals with little interest; they didn't compare to Dawn's performance.

At last, the appeal round ended and the crowd was left with bated breath, praying for their favourites to make it through, The screen above the judges displayed adverts while the judges themselves discussed. MC Marian suddenly appeared on screen, behind stage, and smiled widely to the crowd.

"Hello, everyone! Welcome to a new addition to our contests: here, we will be interviewing contestants back stage while the judges judge the performances. This way, you get the insider look and the judges get less pressure!"

The crowd laughed, applauding and smiling.

"Well, here we are with contestant Zoey and her Glameow. Tell us, Zoey, how nervous were you before the match?"

The coordinator on the screen wore a white suit and had spiked up red hair. She appeared cool and confident, something Cynthia found incredibly familiar. Her Glameow was on her shoulder and purring loudly.

"Not much, I mean, sure I was nervous, but it had more to do with performing again in front of a big crowd than it had to do with my pokémon's performance."

"And there you have it folks! Calm and cool Zoey with her Glameow. Alright, Jeff, did the appeals before you make you decide to use a Sky Attack instead of an Aerial Ace?"

The red head appeared shocked at the pace of the interview but smiled as the camera turned from her to a different coordinator. He was the Altaria trainer, and he was currently rubbing the back of his neck nervously, laugh strained.

"Uhh.. actually, I used that because I found out I was going against Dawn and her Piplup. When I saw one of their contest moves in their courtyard, I knew I had to use something strong. What can I say? I'm really competitive when it comes to contests!"

"That one's for you, folks! Jeff and his Altaria are serious to win, something coordinator Dawn may have to face later on. Speaking of Dawn, here she is! Dawn, a moment please?"

"Hi!" she greeted.

Cynthia was hit by an incredible feeling then. Seeing Dawn on the big screen, with her shining blue eyes and her blue hair tied up, it made Cynthia's stomach churn in a good way. Her eyes watched Dawn attentively, focusing, to her shame and utter humiliation, on her lips at times.

"So, Dawn, weren't you scared that Piplup wouldn't be able to flip the Whirlpool? And what compelled you to use such a risky combination?" the MC asked, eyes wide.

Dawn laughed, and Piplup jumped on her head squeaking out something. Beside Cynthia, Garchomp suddenly barked out a laugh but stopped herself, resigning to a devious grin.

"Kinda, but Piplup and I sorta practiced before. I was only worried he wouldn't land properly and hurt himself. And about the other question, umm..." at this, Dawn blushed slightly, picking up her Piplup and holding him in her arms.

"Well...?" Marian prodded, a teasing smile on her lips. Behind Dawn, Zoey was in view, and she appeared interested as well.

"There's... someone incredibly strong watching our performances right now. I can't say who she is, she told me not to tell, but Piplup and I just wanted to impress her," Dawn declared, laughing lightly, "but I'm not sure if she saw my appeal or not..."

"I did..." Cynthia whispered, regretting not going over to congratulate her. It seemed as though Piplup heard her, for he started to wave enthusiastically at the camera. Garchomp raised a claw and waved back lightly, though she knew the penguin couldn't see her. Cynthia raised an eyebrow but chalked it up to weird pokémon things.

"Well, that's all the time we have for today! Let's move onto the next section of the contest!" the MC announced. The screen switched to a board, and a bunch of pictures flashed on the screen. Cynthia inhaled sharply, holding her breath, and exhaled in relief when Dawn's face appeared. She was up against Jeff it seemed.

"And what do you know, folks? Jeff versus Dawn is our first match! The second round will begin in five minutes."

Cynthia watched Dawn get on the field, body posture firm and expression confident. She then watched the other guy, Jeff, get on the field, slouched and grinning.

"Let's do our best, yeah?"

"You got it!"

"Aaanndd.. begin!"

Dawn released Piplup from his pokéball, the pokémon proud as usual. However, this time, he seemed anxious about something, glancing every which way. Jeff let out his Altaria, and Piplup finally noticed Cynthia and her Garchomp. He squeaked excitedly and waved at them. Garchomp raised a claw and shook it, while Cynthia smiled and waved back. Dawn ignored her pokémon's weird behaviour, calling his name out to grab his attention. The crowd and judges laughed heartily and the battle commenced.

"Altaria, use Dragon Dance!"

"Not so fast! Piplup, Bubblebeam!"

"No," Cynthia muttered to herself, "water type attacks don't work against dragons."

Altaria winced a bit but was unaffected, red and blue streams of energy swirling around it. Dawn lost points for her careless attack and Cynthia sighed.

"Dawn, don't you know? Altaria is a dragon type, too, so water doesn't work well against it," Jeff informed her, grinning, "so, let's go! Altaria, use Aerial Ace!"

"Tarrr!" Altaria flew up, faster and stronger thanks to Dragon Dance and flew to Piplup, claws and beak illuminated.

At this, Dawn smirked and Cynthia felt her heart skip a beat. Such an expression on that angelic face? Cynthia fought down the blush on her face and leaned forward, arms on the railing. She was enamoured by every move, every expression. She couldn't keep her eyes off the girl. One would say she was obsessed... Cynthia shook her head at the sound of Dawn's voice.

"Piplup, Bide!"

Piplup suddenly curled into himself and shut his eyes, grunting when Altaria made contact. He flew back but landed on his feet, striking a pose and causing Jeff to lose some points. Piplup remained still concentrated on the ball of energy that grew within him every time he was damaged.

"Oh no you don't! Altaria, let's finish this quick, Dragonbreath!"

"Hold on, Piplup! Don't let go until I tell you to!"

"Altaria, get closer!"

Altaria spewed out a stream of pure dragon energy, flying closer and closer to Piplup. Piplup remained still, taking in all the energy. Dawn was losing points fast for her lack of creativity and Cynthia flinched. She was going to lose at this rate.

Dawn, however, ignored it and remained focused on her Piplup.

"Aerial Ace!"

"Piplup, grab Altaria's beak, now!"

"What?!"

Piplup obeyed and slammed his fins on Altaria's beak. The flying pokémon squawked in protest and flapped its wings, making Jeff lose points.

"Alright, Piplup, let it go!"

Jeff seemed confused by her command but quickly realized what she meant, yelling at Altaria to get out of the way. Altaria cried out in pain when Piplup unleashed a powerful Bide, enveloping the room in a bright, white light. Cynthia shielded her eyes but Garchomp kept hers peeled open.

Altaria was still standing in the aftermath, further from Piplup than before and Piplup was panting, his body quivering. Altaria trembled but remained firm, and Jeff was just about to call another attack when he was interrupted.

"Piplup, store up your energy and use Peck!"

Piplup dashed to Altaria, charging up his Peck.

"Fly up!"

Altaria pushed its wings against the floor, soaring up into the sky. Piplup, sensing his trainer's next command, pushed off the ground and twirled, gaining enough momentum to deliver an overwhelming blow to Altaria's body.

The bird cried out once more slumped to the ground, knocked out.

Jeff sighed, falling to his butt with his legs crossed. He returned his pokémon to its pokéball and smiled gently. "You did amazing, buddy."

Dawn approached him, grinning with Piplup on her head. She held her hand out and Jeff grabbed it, pulling himself up.

"You did great out there," she said, "I wasn't sure I was going to win when you charged in with Dragonbreath."

He laughed, shaking her hand. "It was a pleasure. Thanks for the battle, hope you make it to the finals."

"That's all, folks! Incredible sportsmanship in contests is just what everyone likes to see! Let's give a round of applause to Dawn and Piplup, the winners, and Jeff and Altaria, strong coordinators in their own right!" the MC exclaimed, clapping.

The audience followed suit and applauded, Cynthia smiling at the girl. She decided to go and congratulate her now, while she waited for her next match. The next set of coordinators appeared on the field and Cynthia walked out of the seating section, Garchomp faithfully beside her. She walked down the hall, greeting coordinators who lounged about and shocked trainers who recognized her.

Finally, she entered the chamber with all of the participating contestants. It was round, and had a large screen on the wall opposite the entrance. There were few benches strewn about for the comfort of the trainers, but most were pacing nervously while watching the match. She spotted Dawn sitting alone with her eyes closed, clutching Piplup to her as he sat in her lap, watching the battle.

Suddenly, Piplup turned to her and wriggled out of Dawn's grip, running over to greet Garchomp. Garchomp smiled and the two pokémon conversed, most likely about Piplup's match. Dawn followed her pokémon and gasped in surprise when she saw the Champion smiling at her gently. She ran up to her and grinned, hands behind her back.

"Hey!" she said.

"Hello. I watched your match, and yes, I did watch your appeal."

Dawn blushed and laughed nervously, fidgeting. "I just thought, since you were Champion and all, that you wouldn't stay long enough to watch my part."

"Oh, come now, Dawn, of course I would. Garchomp would be upset if she didn't get to watch Piplup perform."

Dawn giggled but something in her stance, her eyes, told Cynthia she was disappointed with her answer. Cynthia frowned but her eyes shifted to the red head who suddenly approached them. She put a hand on Dawn's shoulder and gave Cynthia a weird look she couldn't decipher.

"Hey, Dawn, this lady bothering you?" she asked, now glaring at the blonde.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, prepared to show her that nobody messed with the Champion when Dawn stepped in.

"No! I know her, actually, she came here to congratulate me," Dawn explained turning to the girl with a smile.

"Zoey, this is Cyn-di.. Cyndi, this is Zoey." Cynthia, or Cyndi, smirked but chuckled extending her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Zoey."

Zoey ignored the offered hand and put hers to her hip instead. "Dawn, I know when you lie. Who is this lady, really?"

Dawn blushed at being caught but frowned at her friend's behaviour. "Why are you acting like this? Why does it matter, anyway, who she is? You're being weird, Zoey!"

Zoey was about to answer but her name was called from the PA. She excused herself, promising to continue the conversation, and left. She glared at Cynthia once more on the way out and Cynthia sent her an icy one.

Cynthia turned to the sound of a sigh and saw Dawn, slouching slightly. She patted the girl's head and smiled reassuringly. "Does this happen often when you introduce friends to her?" she asked, curious.

"No," Dawn sighed, "only the people she doesn't like. She likes to judge people on the spot, without getting to know them. I mean, she's my friend, and I love her and everything, but it's really annoying." Dawn pouted and Cynthia couldn't help but chuckle, retracting her hand and petting Garchomp instead.

"Maybe she likes you," Cynthia commented, amused at Dawn's scarlet blush.

"N-no way! She... she's not like that.. and.. I don't... like her like that," Dawn muttered, embarrassed.

Cynthia felt confidence brewing in her, a feeling that if she didn't do something now, she'd regret it later. An impulse to act was overwhelming her, and she realized that, yes, she was starting to become obsessed with Dawn. Her scent, her looks, her personality... all of it had her entranced. Put under her spell. She wanted, needed, to know more. She wanted to study every part of Dawn, examine her, pull out the codes and decipher them. Like the ruins and myths she so adored, she wanted to uncover the secrets Dawn hid. She wanted to know what made her tick, smile, laugh, cry... she wanted to explore every crevice and feature of her body. She thirsted for knowledge, though it would be knowledge only she was privy to.

She leaned down, hands on the girl's hips, mouth on her ear. "Good. I'd hate to come between something. I've taken a liking to you, Dawn. I hope you don't mind..." she trailed off, chuckling lightly in her ear. Dawn gasped, and her blush spread to her neck. Cynthia laughed and pulled away, beckoning Garchomp to her as they walked off to the arena.

"Good luck," Cynthia said, her back turned. She turned her head around and winked, "I'll see you after you win the contest."

Cynthia grinned, leaving the girl flustered and squirming.