She hadn't heard that properly, had she?
Surely, those two words were just something she'd tricked herself into hearing…? Some kind of sick joke, cooked up by her blooming fears? Serena wanted to believe as much. A quick rationale that she used to claw her way out of the realization that she'd been thrown into without warning; a rationale she knew was made of a laughably flimsy foundation. Packed together like loose, dry sand ready to slip right through her fingers.
She looked to her companions for any sort of confirmation either way. Bonnie went from loud, wide-eyed surprise to shooting Dawn a dirty look, if her imagination wasn't construing that on its own. Clemont's dropped jaw told her all that she didn't want to know. The ringing in her ears had perhaps tuned everything beyond 'my girlfriend' out, but she caught the tail end of Clemont's sputtering.
"...quite nice to meet you, Miss Dawn!" The lemon-blond bowed his head, jittering from head-to-toe. "I'm s-so sorry we couldn't give you a proper introduction! It's just that, well, Ash didn't exactly tell us that he had a… I mean, give us proper warning that you'd be with us!"
To this, Ash only seemed to laugh. "Take it easy, Clemont! You don't have to go all formal."
"Yeah! It's really fine," Dawn giggled, reaching to give Clemont's shoulder a nudge so that he'd stand upright again. "...On the other hand," she muttered, cutting her gaze towards Ash. "I'm wondering why you haven't said anything about me until now."
"Aha ha…!" Ash laughed nervously, holding his hands up in front of him. "Well… It's just…we've had a lot on our hands! Y'know?"
"What makes you so special?" Bonnie muttered out through a very sour pout.
"Bonnie!" Clemont scolded, lifting up his sister with his Aipom Arm to remove her from the conversation. Covering for his sister, he was back to sweating bullets. "You see, the thing is… Ash is right! We're actually on the way to Snowbelle City, to support Ash as he aims to earn his eighth badge to qualify for the Kalos League!"
"Oh! Well why didn't you say so?" Dawn's chipper demeanor returned immediately; something Serena would have found amusing if she wasn't wrestling with the urge to spill tears on the spot. "He's on the last badge before the league, huh? Then I showed up just in time!" She reached and took Serena's hands, to the blonde's surprise. "Serena! Let's support Ash in Snowbelle with everything we've got!" Because fate had decided to toy with her heart today. And it chose to be cruel.
She could do nothing but force a crooked smile onto her lips, brows turned upward in veiled pain. "Y-yeah…!" She managed out. She had no choice but to agree, lest she pop the cork on her emotions in front of everyone. Besides, Ash still warranted her support. These circumstances, really, didn't change that. Surely they didn't. "...Let's go for broke!"
Over Dawn's shoulder, Ash seemed to be staring at her. Brows raised in… confusion? Concern, perhaps? He had a way of seeing through her facades. Recognizing her quirks and tells, whether it was frustration, or happiness, or sadness. A trait she'd come to cherish and admire in him. Right now, though, she cursed it. She felt relief when Dawn tugged on her wrist, freeing her from scrutiny.
"You said it! Come on! Let's head to Snowbelle! We're ready to hit the road, right?"
"I have gathered all necessary supplies," Clemont agreed. "But let's pace ourselves, please!"
Bonnie simply hung from the Aipom arm, arms folded in discontent. She'd muttered something, but Serena hadn't heard her over the raw enthusiasm in Ash's voice.
"Alright! Let's charge straight for victory!"
Dawn's entrance had certainly stoked a fire, hadn't it…?
A fire had been stoked, earlier that afternoon. Set ablaze by old sentiments, and kept steady throughout the hours. The trek to Snowbell wasn't liable to end anytime soon, leaving Serena with plenty of time to think. To listen, and understand the bond that had been right under her nose, until now.
The day had dragged on, but now, a kindled flame united the group; a campfire, lighting a small clearing where the group had decided to make their campsite for the night. Orange-red ambience from the fire highlighted new and familiar faces to one another. Pokémon gathered more closely around the fire, with their food set before them. At a nearby foldout table, Clemont was setting down dinner for his companions before eventually setting his own.
"Dinner's ready, everyone!" He announced proudly. As was custom at least once a week, pasta with a berry protein faux bolognese, with a side salad and accompanying bread rolls.
"It looks great! And smells even better," Ash sighed happily, sniffing at the air.
"Only you would smell test a food you've eaten dozens of times," Clemont chuckled lightly in amusement.
"Of course! It's… scientific, right?" Ash answered proudly, grinning.
"I… suppose it is," Clemont conceded, shaking his head at his friend's antics.
"Ta-da!" Serena cheered, holding her prized weaved basket case before opening the latch. "To go with dinner, I've prepared us some dessert, too!" A variety of macarons and Poképuffs were packed tightly into the case, separated into halves for convenience.
"Yay! Bonnie wants one!" Bonnie cheered, nearly leaning over the table to grab for the desserts.
"You won't be getting any with those sorts of table manners," Serena scolded, holding the basket on the tips of her fingers out of the child's range.
"Fineee." Bonnie pouted, slinking back into her seat with her arms crossed.
"Besides," Clemont agreed, "you have to eat your dinner first."
"I know, bro! Jeez."
Watching the whole scene, Ash couldn't help but laugh. "Man. She reminds me of me when I was a kid."
This sparked a mischievous glimmer in the child's eye. She pivoted around, gazing up at Ash with excitement. "So that means if I keep misbehaving, then I'll turn out like you, Ash!?"
"Well… the thing is…!" Ash stammered through his answer, bearing an uneasy smile. He knew he'd be in hot water with Clemont if he answered this incorrectly.
"The thing is, Ash was a very well-behaved child, who ate his vegetables and listened to his elders." Clemont pointedly pronounced, his pale blue hues laser-focused on his friend and inspiration. "Right, Ash?"
Ash could only wince, giving a nervous half-smile. "Well you don't have to make me lie."
"Ash!"
Watching the exchange Serena couldn't help but giggle to herself. Despite everything, this was still the little 'family' they'd built over the months, just as it was yesterday. Surely a title wouldn't change anything.
"You have to give him credit for at least pretending to have table manners," Dawn giggled, inserting herself into the conversation. "I'm sure keeping that act up has been draining for you." Smiling wryly, she nudged the teenage boy with the end of her elbow.
"I… don't know at all what you mean by that!" Ash fibbed very poorly, looking off and away.
To this, Bonnie only laughed louder. "I knew it, I knew it! It's cool to be messy!"
"Bonnieee!" Clemont whined, clearly losing control of the conversation.
"Ehe… he…" Serena laughed along uneasily. It wasn't that she minded Dawn's company, or that she'd said anything wrong. She'd been familiar enough with Ash to jab playfully without truly putting him down; something he'd confided in Serena that bothered him in the past.
It was just that little disruption in what she remembered as routine.
"Oh! I almost forgot!" Dawn grinned, holding out a pink case decorated in red ribbon. Flipping the latch, she revealed a batch of pink, round baked treats. "We have more dessert, for the Pokémon!"
Ash's eyes shone at the sight; his hands pressing into the table to lean forward just as Bonnie had. "Alright! Poffins!"
"Poffins?" Bonnie echoed.
"They're a Coordinator's specialty in Sinnoh," Ash explained.
"And if they're baked with the right ingredients, they can help boost a Pokémon's charm," Dawn finished. "I baked them at the Pokémon Center before I met up with Serena!"
"Personally, I think they're just fine for people to eat, too," Ash remarked.
"Well we know that," Dawn joked. "Let them have it first, though!"
"Alright, alright…"
"Aha… I'm sure they'll love them!" Serena said. And yet, in that moment, she admittedly felt oh-so-redundant. But, she swallowed that selfish feeling. "Thanks for that, Dawn! Let's… hand them out, shall we?"
Dawn turned to Serena with that same warm smile she'd seen at the cafe, none the wiser. "Yeah! C'mon. Let's just make sure Mamoswine doesn't hog them all…"
"Somehow, I have a feeling he won't be the only one you have to worry about," Serena added, as they distributed Poké Puffs and Poffins to each member of the party's… well, parties.
"Chespiii!" Chespin cheered, dancing circles around his bowl topped with treats, before somehow shoveling an entire Poffin into his mouth, inflating his cheeks. He started to munch on his oversized treat, before it dawned on him that he'd just taken it in one go. If only he could get another… oh, but there was another in Pancham's bowl. Surely he could sneak a vine over and grab his.
The panda, however, was keen to such tricks. "Cham!" He smacked Chespin's vine away.
"Ches!" Chespin complained, holding his vine. "Chespin!"
"Cha-chahm!" Pancham rolled his eyes, standing in front of his bowl. That one was his!
"Chespin!" Chespin complained, now wielding both of his vines.
"Pan!" Pancham raised a fist, ready to come to blows.
Both tiny terrors swung on each other, only to be separated and stopped by vast walls of snow white. Their faces collided with plush down, where they were momentarily buried. "Kiss~!" A large angelic fowl pushed the two apart. Pulling her wings back to tutt disapprovingly at the troublemakers. "Togekiss. Kiss!"
There was something maternal and calming about her presence, clearly, as both Pokémon separated, muttering a lame apology to one another before returning to their bowls.
"That was… incredible," Clemont remarked. "I've never seen them separated so quickly!"
Ash laughed. "That's Dawn's Togekiss for you! She could even break up Empoleon and my Garchomp."
"You have a Garchomp!?" Bonnie exclaimed, awestruck. "Aw, man… I want to see all of Dawn's cool Pokémon!" Just like that, she was out of her seat, dashing off to see the newcomers.
"Bonnie! Finish your dinner first!" Clemont scolded.
"Aw, she'll be back," Ash waved a hand to placate Clemont. "As soon as she remembers she's hungry."
"I suppose…"
"This one's so cute…! I want to nuzzle him!" The young girl cheered, burying her face in Mamoswine's thick fur. The huge Pokémon paid Bonnie little mind, gorging himself on his dinner and dessert.
Meanwhile, Dedenne and Pachirisu were chasing each other in dizzying circles, though it quickly became clear that Dedenne couldn't keep up, coming to an exhausted, panting halt. Pachirisu laughed, continuing to circle the exhausted dormouse.
"So, now that everyone's had one…" Ash started, poking his index fingers together hopefully. "Could I have a Poffin and Poké Puff, now?"
"That's just like you!" Serena laughed, offering him one of the few remaining cupcakes. "Sure. You can have one." They were still tethered by that knowledge of him; his vast gluttony, even for food that wasn't meant for him.
"He really hasn't changed a bit," Dawn giggled, handing one over.
"Whmph…!" Ash started, before deciding to finish the current bite he'd taken out of the Poké Puff. "...Ahem. Well, maybe you should stop making Pokémon treats so tasty!"
"Do you really want that?" Dawn asked.
"...No, not really."
Serena managed a half-hearted laugh, already feeling like she'd been shoved out of the conversation. Not even in an act of ill intentions; they'd simply walked onto a sidewalk built for two, and Ash and Dawn had unwittingly herded her behind them to make room for themselves. She tried to shuffle back in. "You know," she laughed, "I'm starting to wonder if you are a Pokémon!"
"If I am," Ash replied, smugly folding his arms behind his head with an upturned smirk. "...Then I definitely know Swagger."
Serena tried to suppress a giggle, which accidentally came out as a snort. She blinked her lashes several times, her cheeks tinted with rose in embarrassment.
This triggered a giggle fit from Dawn, before Ash joined her in full-blown laughter.
Serena tried to hold back, hands covering her mouth to avoid another embarrassing incident, but she just couldn't help herself. She was laughing along with them.
"Hey, hey! Look at Pikachu!" Bonnie shouted out, drawing the group's attention.
Pikachu sat towards the edge of the clearing with a bit of distance from the rest of the group; although, he wasn't quite alone. Propped up against the bark of a tree, he was nestled into the lap of Dawn's Lopunny; his head tucked in just below her chin. He'd been in the middle of offering her the Poké Puff; one with a Tamato Berry topping. His favorite.
Unfortunately, having everyone's eyes on him made the poor mouse freeze. "Pi…!"
"Pun~!" Lopunny, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind. She gratefully took the treat, nibbling on it. Seemingly appreciating the taste, she leaned down to nuzzle her cheek into his as thanks. Sparks danced off his red pouch, making her fur and fluff fray with static, but it was no discouragement to her.
"Piii… Pika…" Pikachu poked his paws together, keeping his head low to hide the streak of red-orange across his face. Despite this, though, he made no effort to separate himself from her.
"Pikachu has a girlfriend!?" Bonnie blurted out.
Serena winced; another reminder of her troubles. Ash had mentioned his partner having a 'special someone,' but she'd never pried more than that, out of fear of… well, what today was turning out to be. Bad news underneath. She watched Chespin approach the two with blatant hearts in his eyes, chattering something or another. By the way he was looking at Lopunny, she deciphered some jealousy from him.
"Bun, by…" Bunnelby had intervened, pushing Chespin away from the couple with his ear, scolding him not to impose. Turning back to the couple, he gave a kind smile. "Bun! Bunnelby!"
Surely congratulating them, as Pikachu smiled genuinely and thanked Bunnelby. Lopunny did the same, and went on to offer her ear to bump against Bunnelby's own as a sign of friendship.
"Pun~!"
"Bunnelby!"
"Lopunny's always had a thing for Pikachu," Dawn explained, watching the duo fondly.
"Yeah. As far back as they met," Ash explained in what was probably the most unfortunate and painful exposition possible. "...But Pikachu eventually came around. Lil' devil."
"Pikapi!" Pikachu scolded.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Ash laughed.
"Pu-hun!" Lopunny laughed, agreeing with Ash, while Pikachu amusedly shook his head.
'As far back as…' Serena unconsciously clenched her hand over her heart. She instantly felt ashamed of the envy she felt for their yellow companion. It was like everyone had decided to rub today's revealed truth in. But, they were just… being happy, themselves. That was no crime. "It's… really great that Pikachu found someone!" Serena struggled to say, wearing her biggest smile. "I'm happy for you both."
"It's a shame you don't have Garchomp or Typhlosion on you," Dawn said, nudging Ash.
"Yeah. Sorry." Ash apologized, offering a sympathetic smile towards Dawn's team. "I know you would've loved to see them, Pachirisu, Typhlosion. But I came to Kalos, starting from zero!"
"Chi…?" Pachirisu tilted her head before burying her face back in her bowl.
Dawn's Typhlosion chirped a note of disappointment, but she shook her head. "Tyyy!"
Ash smiled, relieved that they weren't particularly heartbroken. But, in the moments following, he suddenly felt awkward. Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie's eyes were all fixed on him. Wide with what could only be described as absolute shock. "...Did I say something funny?"
"It's just…" Clemont started, nervously adjusting his glasses. He didn't want to be impolite. "Two Typhlosion certainly make sense as a pair…"
"...But Pachirisu and a Garchomp!?" Bonnie followed with the obvious.
Ash and Dawn both laughed, equally amused with their confusion. Before either of them could give an answer, the cork popped.
"You have that many Pokémon together!?" Serena had screeched, before she could control herself. She slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. Mortified. But, it was too late. The entire group's eyes were upon her. Her jealousy had boiled over, staining her cheeks, ears, and shoulders with red-hot humiliation.
"...Serena?" Ash asked, brows raised.
"...I." She stammered. Clinging desperately for some excuse. "...It's just… those are some pretty funny odds," she squeaked out. Forcing the most fibbed of half-smiles, brows upturned in what she hope came off as a far less severe case of embarrassment. "And that pair is just… unusual! You know? But c'est la vie! No offense, Pachirisu!"
"Chi-chi-chi!" Pachirisu had scurried up the nearest tree, plucking at berries out of boredom. She was hardly bothered.
"...Yeah," Ash laughed, after a moment that lasted far too long. "It is strange, isn't it?"
"They're really quirky," Dawn giggled. "It suits them!"
For the moment, Serena could breathe a sigh of relief. They'd bought it.
Off on the sidelines, however, Bonnie sat near Mamoswine, leaning her chin into her upturned palms, wearing a terrible scowl. "Ash and Dawn are being dense."
"Oh! I almost forgot." Ash said, turning to Dawn. "I've been meaning to say something; that's a Keystone in your… headband?"
"Yup!" Dawn affirmed, nose turned to the air with pride. "I was wondering when you'd ask. I was in Oreburgh for a Contest, when I ran into Roark! He'd recently dug this up." She grinned, tapping her index finger against the rare gem. "...And it wasn't long before I came across…"
"Pun~!" Lopunny separated herself from Pikachu to leap to her trainer. She flicked back her ear, showing off an orange bow that matched her vest. A pale cream Mega Stone was bound to it, with several shades of brown and burgundy swirling into its middle.
"...A Lopunnite!"
"Loppunite!?" Ash exclaimed, mouth hanging ajar. "You're telling me Lopunny can Mega Evolve!?"
"I… had no idea!" Clemont gasped. "Research for Mega Evolution is still ongoing… but as far as I've heard, there's been no news of that development! Though, I guess I haven't kept current…"
"That's amazing!" Ash gushed. "So, what's the deal? Have you mastered Mega Evolution yet!?"
"Well… Mastered is sure a word," Dawn said tentatively, casting an exasperated look to her first catch. "We attempted it recently. She went on a rampage!"
"A rampage…!?" Ash gasped.
Serena frowned. She was sure Ash was thinking the same thing she was; as well as Clemont and Bonnie. The berserk behavior displayed by Korrina's Lucario quickly came to mind.
"She ran up Mt. Coronet to pick a fight with any Pokémon she could find," Dawn huffed, slumping over just a bit in the exhaustion she surely recalled. "I heard the commotion from it for hours when I was trying to track her down. I don't know just how long she stayed evolved, but I didn't find her until the next day."
"You've… got to be kidding me," Ash gasped out.
Pikachu was next to show his disbelief, dashing over to marvel at the rabbit. "Pikaaaa. Pikachu!?" She'd gone and done all that? For real!?
Lopunny smugly, and oh-so-sweetly accepted Pikachu's shock as flattery, flipping her ear behind her with a wink. "Pun. Lopunny~!"
"I'm… a little flabbergasted, I'll admit," Clemont said. He frowned, adjusting the rim of his glasses. "I don't know too much about Mega Evolution, but for it to last for hours…! They're only supposed to last the duration of a battle. That's some unprecedented stamina!"
"It sounds like the battle didn't end for her for quite a while," Serena observed. Dawn's Pokémon admittedly had her in disbelief. Even Mega Lucario hadn't done something like that.
"That's… so, so cool!" Ash gushed, reaching to place his hands on Dawn's shoulders. "I wanna battle her, right away!"
"You know it!" Dawn beamed. Her eyes sparkling with the same sort of enthusiasm. "Let's!"
"Lop." On the side, the rabbit had her arms folded. Head shaking side to side, her ears waving around with her. That was a firm refusal.
"...Huh? You don't want to?" Ash frowned, shoulders slinking. "But I thought you'd be raring to battle, after hearing that."
"I believe she's found her… ahem. Object of interest for the time being," Clemont pointed out, as the rabbit had gone to immediately hoist Pikachu into her arms to prove her point. "Perhaps we leave tonight for rest and socializing? You can have your battle, first thing in the morning!"
"Well… I guess I can't blame her," Ash laughed. "Or Pikachu."
"Right," Dawn agreed. "Tomorrow's fine with me! Let's have a battle to make up for lost time, Ash!"
"You're on!" Ash agreed. "I'll have to warn you, though. My skills have improved a lot!"
"I'd hope so," Dawn said coyly. "I haven't been slacking off, either."
Even though the match had been postponed, some might argue that, between the two paramours, the battle had already begun. Sparks flew and boasts were given; something that, while Serena didn't know Dawn well, she figured was characteristic of her. Ash, on the other hand…
He was wearing his true colors; a humble and well-meaning young man, but one with a shade of playful arrogance that he'd so far only confided in her, out of their traveling group. A habit he didn't want to show and make a bad example for Bonnie, or perhaps rub Clemont the wrong way.
Up until now, that'd been hers and Ash's little secret. But now, Dawn had brought out his true self, and though Serena hated to admit it, had probably seen it long before her. It was… unfortunately easy to see how well they bounced off one another. They were happy together.
Dinner and dessert passed, leaving everyone to retire to bed for the night. Serena had just finished coaxing a sleepy, but very stubborn Bonnie into their tent, despite all her protests to continue playing with Dawn's Pokémon.
"But I still didn't catch Pachirisu," the girl whined, barely able to hold her head off her pillow.
"I have the feeling that no one can," Serena said dryly. She wasn't in the mood to argue, or overthink. She, herself, felt heavy as she slid into her own sleeping back. Some thoughtless sleep to reset sounded nice. "If you don't get a good night's sleep, you won't have energy for-"
"Hey, girls!" Dawn's voice sounded, startling Serena into sitting up straight. Peeking in through the zipper to the tent, she blinked. "...Sorry to pop in like that. I just figured I'd come and join you! Have a little girl's night."
"O-oh! Th-that's…!" Serena stammered out, turning away from Dawn in a panic. She wanted thoughtless sleep. Just to rest. God forbid if she spilled what was bothering her, right here! Right now! "That sounds really nice, but…! You just got back! Y-you should spend some time with Ash; the stars are really nice, this time of year!" Everything came out before Serena could even think it through. What was she saying!?
Dawn stared at Serena, blinking several times over. It was enough to make the young woman fret over whether she was totally transparent. "Oh… well, alright! We can hang out more, tomorrow. Thanks for the idea, Serena!" She beamed, oh-so-unable to read the room. She waved cheerily to both Serena and Bonnie. "G'night, Serena, Bonnie!"
With that, the acute sound of a zipper closing could be heard. Serena collapsed into her pillow, face first. She instinctively hugged the pillow, muttering an expletive into it. "Putain de merde…"
"Serena?"
"Eh!?" Serena shot up again with a chill. If Bonnie had heard that, Clemont would go ballistic…!
Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case. The small girl was watching her with curious, wide set eyes. "Is something wrong, Serena…?"
"Don't be silly! What could be wrong…? We got to meet Ash's g- I mean, Dawn; she's coming to Snowbelle with us, and… we'll get to see a thrilling battle, tomorrow! Things are only looking up! Ehehe…" She prattled off a mile a minute, waving a hand in the air with nervous laughter that cracked with her voice.
Bonnie frowned, squinting. "You're a very bad liar."
All the honey blonde could do was avert eye contact completely. That child was far too sharp for her own good. "Go to sleep, Bonnie. A growing girl your age needs her rest."
"Fine." She heard behind her, and the rustling sounds of Bonnie rustling into her sleeping bag. "But I still don't believe you."
In her frustration, she pulled her sleeping bag up, collapsing into her pillow in a huff. Hugging the plush comfort to hide the stinging in her eyes. She felt the faint wetness collect where her tears had fallen. '...I'm supposed to want other people to smile. Ash has given so much to me… He's part of why I stand where I do, today.' A finalist in the Master Class. Someone who'd stood on the precipice of her dream; only coming up short, due to growing she still had to do.
Was she really advancing, though? At this rate… 'If I'm going to be Queen… I should be smiling with him. Dawn, too… She's only shown kindness to me, since we've met.' Then again, Dawn didn't know that the young woman she'd been so welcoming to was madly in love with her boyfriend. The thought made her stomach turn to think about. 'I haven't been giving… I've been lying to her.' Her fingers dug into the pillow cover until her knuckles turned white.
'I have to give back to others; no, I want to. Even if it hurts me.' That was what Serena decided, with a heavy heart, as she rolled over to pull the sleeping bag's covers over her head. She flipped the pillow over to hide the stains of her tears. She hadn't cried tonight.
'I want to give them strength, make them smile, give them advice, and sometimes scold them.'
'That's why I must work much harder still… in order to become a good Queen.'
She wouldn't again.
The stars were, indeed, a sight to behold. Little gleams of stardust decorated the vast blue of Kalos' skies like glitter. Far away from the metropolis of Lumiose, there was little light pollution to dull the sight. It was like Pallet Town, on a night with clear skies… or perhaps Twinleaf.
Whichever it was, it was nostalgic for the couple that laid under the stars. Foregoing their sleeping bags, Ash and Dawn laid in the cool grass not far from either tent. A gentle evening breeze whistled by; it would've made a nice excuse for any couple to get close and stay warm. But Dawn infamously enjoyed the cold, and they didn't need any excuses.
There were no pretenses to Dawn's head lying on Ash's chest, or his arm pulling in around her waist. It'd simply been too long, and they were happy to slip right back into routine. He'd missed the fruity scent of her hair conditioner, and she'd gone too long without smelling the lingering burnt scent of o-zone from the trainer who was so often in proximity of Pikachu's attacks.
For a couple minutes, they'd been silent, content with the rise and fall of their breathing.
"This sure takes me back," Ash finally said.
"Yeah! It's just like old times!" Dawn chimed happily. "Only…"
Ash lowered a brow, lifting his head to look at her. "Only…?"
She smiled cheekily. "Only you got even more handsome."
The remark took Ash off-guard. Like a smack in the face that, fittingly enough, left his cheeks red. He took a moment to recover, and smirked. "What. I wasn't a perfect ten, before?"
"Mmm…" Dawn held her index finger to her lip, seemingly thinking hard about her answer. "Well, in my expert opinion, you already were a ten." She turned her head around, greeting Ash with quite a cheeky smile. Pools of blue staring him down. "Now you're an eleven."
"Well…" Ash trailed off, rolling a shoulder dramatically as he considered that rating. "Alright. I'll take it."
"What about mine?" Dawn asked.
"You were a ten," he started. "Now you're a twenty!"
"What!? That's not fair!" Dawn huffed, sitting up to furrow her brows at Ash. "Now my rating looks bad!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Tusmura." He snorted. "Do you feel upstaged because your rating was higher?"
Dawn had no counter to that. She started to snicker, then giggle. Then, she was laughing. Ash was quick to join her. She'd leaned right back into him, each of them clutching their stomachs in their humorous glee. Ah, it was good to be back.
"I'm glad you got to meet the gang," Ash said, after he'd finally calmed down.
"Me too!" Dawn agreed. "Clemont's really sweet, though he can be… kind of weird."
"He's just nervous like that," the other explained. "You should see his inventions. Science is really amazing!" He emphasized, eyes practically sparkling with awe.
"What's with you?" Dawn smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. "You've never cared about that stuff, before."
Ash only shrugged. "That's just how great his are."
"Bonnie didn't seem to like me much," Dawn pointed out, dropping the last subject. Not with venom or with hurt; Dawn's ego could handle a rude kid… until it couldn't.
"Ah, she's just finicky," Ash dismissed, waving his hand. He wasn't quite sure what was up with her attitude today, either, but he'd mostly brushed it off. "You know how kids can be."
"Yeah," she agreed. "...I'm more stuck on Serena."
"Huh?" Ash asked, turning more in Dawn's direction. "What about her?"
"She just seemed much more friendly when I first met her. Not that she's mean, now!" Dawn clarified. "But… I can't put my finger on it."
"Serena… has a habit of bugging out and acting funny sometimes," Ash explained. Unconsciously, he spoke a little more quietly. "She's had a habit of trying to hide things that hurt or frustrate her… to put on a big smile and keep trucking. She's strong that way."
"I don't see the point of that," Dawn frowned. "If someone makes something my problem, it's going to be theirs, too."
To that, Ash laughed. "You and her are a little different, that way. But… usually she tells me when things like that happen," he frowned. "If not right away, then… sooner or later." Though it wasn't as if they'd had any time to talk in confidence, today. Maybe he'd hear it sometime soon.
"I wonder what the issue is," Dawn asked.
Only one of them knew Serena particularly well; that left Ash with the burden of thinking in reverse to pick for clues; if something was bothering her, after all, that wouldn't do. 'There's earlier tonight… when she flipped out over Pachirisu and Garchomp,' he recounted. Sure, those two were odd, but she'd screamed something about 'them having that many Pokémon together.'
Then, there was that distressed look on her face, before they'd left Notepont Town for Snowbelle… He'd almost missed it, with Dawn pulling him along, but he was sure that wasn't his imagination. It wasn't as if their trajectory was new; the Master Class was over. 'There's no reason not to head there, now… the only difference is that Dawn was with us, then!'
…Dawn. He suddenly felt acutely aware of her weight against him. It was very much welcome, but… it was making the gears begin to turn in Ash's head, and he wasn't sure if he liked it.
Then, there was the time they'd fallen into the ravine at Summer Camp, and he'd twisted his ankle.
"You really are amazing, Ash."
"Huh?"
"Nothing! I'll cool it again."
Words that were a slight oddity, back then, and nothing more. But now that they were piling on other incidents, they were starting to chip away at a cracking veil over a truth he wasn't sure he wanted to unearth. A feeling of guilt stockpiled in his chest; it was almost suffocating. Maybe he should just bury the thought and go to sleep.
But, then there was still the sour look on her face when he'd forgotten the day they'd met… The night Serena had told him quite a personal secret, and she'd rested her hand atop his. Hugged him. At the time, he was able to rationalize that she was seeking comfort during a very fragile time.
The dizzying trail of detective work he'd done in the past few moments had Ash staring off blankly into space. A cold sweat started to trickle down from under his hat and down his cheek and neck. No, no, no. He was definitely just reading too deeply into this. 'If I'm right, then… What if I was stringing her along, all this time? And then, today…!'
He stopped himself, there. Processing any of this with his arm around Dawn was, frankly, making him dizzy. Whether it was guilt, or fear, or sadness… maybe all of the above.
Still lying against him, Dawn frowned. It wasn't hard to detect the changes in his posture and heart rate. He was too quiet. Not with a happy calm, but some trepidation. "You have that look you get when something's really bothering you."
"Huh? Yeah." He acknowledged, looking over to her. He wore an apologetic smile. "I was. But… it's dumb. I was just overthinking things. No need to worry!"
Dawn paused. Ash was definitely acting weird. But, if he said that's what it was, then who was she not to take it at face value?
The cool moisture of the grass made a bed for Ash's exposed skin, as he laid back fully again. He felt oddly cold, despite the warmth of Dawn's closeness, when she finished their age-old script.
"You know that's when I worry the most."
The following morning came. The concerns and trepidations of the night before were, for the moment, buried and set aside, as the group quickly came across a Pokémon Center that was conveniently set between towns for traveling trainers. Luckily, a Pokémon Center, at least in the Kalos region, meant a complimentary battlefield to go with it.
Ash had booked his way to one end of the battlefield as soon as humanly possible. Red sneakers pivoted into the dirt inside his trainer's box; his stance widening with a forward gait. The excitement was bubbling up in his chest that he could barely contain! "It's about time!" He grinned, hands balled into fists.
"You're telling me!" Dawn giggled, skipping into her own space on the field's opposite end. "We haven't battled since the Junior Cup. I'm sure I've missed out on a lot!"
"Junior Cup…?" Serena echoed. Another experience Ash hadn't spoken on… What could that one have been like? 'It seems like I'll find out soon,' she told herself, gearing her mind towards the battle.
"I have to admit," Clemont said, as he stepped halfway between the field's boundaries; ready to referee. "I'm quite curious to see how a Pokémon Coordinator battles. This could be a learning experience!"
"I want to see Lopunny Mega Evolve!" Bonnie shouted, bouncing in her seat. Clearly more enthusiastic for Pokémon than she was angry at Dawn.
"Okay…!" Dawn twirled around, slinging her Poké Ball backhanded with style and exuberance. "Lopunny! Spotlight!" The sphere spun through the air with a curve. Parting at the latch to release a flash of light.
"Punny!" Lopunny appeared, bouncing from one foot to the next. Her coral pink eyes were wide with excitement. Zeroed in on the Electric Mouse sitting on Ash's shoulder. The urge to face her paramour after months of separation and improvement was overbearing, and she'd even waved her paw in a 'come hither' motion to egg him into the fight.
Her provocation, unsurprisingly, was working. "Pikaaa…!" Pikachu smirked, leaning over the edge of Ash's shoulder, his cheeks crackling with golden light. He couldn't wait to see Mega Lopunny!
"Hold on, Pikachu." Ash urged, holding an arm out. "I'm gonna have to ask you to hang back, this time."
"Pikapi!" Pikachu complained, giving Ash a sour look.
"What's the big idea, Ash?" Dawn frowned, stationing her hands on her hips. "You know she's been waiting to battle Pikachu for a while."
"Pun! Pun! Lopunny!" Lopunny yelled and jeered, shrilly dissenting Ash's decision.
"Sorry, sorry!" Ash raised his hands apologetically. "My bad, Buddy. But hey, there'll be plenty more time for you and her to battle! You'll get your chance, alright?"
Pikachu grumbled for a moment, before nodding along. "Piiika." He'd play along.
"There's something special I want to test out against Mega Lopunny," Ash explained, his lips pulling into a smirk. Truly, he wasn't sure whether that special form was going to appear or not. But if Lopunny was as tough as he remembered, and had powered up even more, then there was definitely a good chance! "I've had my mind set on it since last night."
"Something special…!?" Dawn's eyes flashed with intrigue and excitement in response to Ash's boast. Her lips pulled up, hands balling into fists. "Now I've got to see what that is. Alright, Ash!"
With his terms accepted, Ash grinned, hoisting back a Poké Ball. "Greninja!" He named, slinging the Poké Ball overhand with vigor. "I choose you!"
"Ninja…!" The blue, lithe amphibian spawned on Ash's end of the field, standing balanced on one foot, with his opposite knee tucked in behind the foremost. His webbed hands were clasped in a ninjutsu's formation. Pink, half-lidded eyes zeroed in on his opponent in Lopunny. "Gre."
"This will be a one-on-one battle, between Ash's Greninja and Dawn's Lopunny!" Clemont narrated, using his most authoritative voice. "The battle will continue until one Pokémon is unable to battle, or if their trainer surrenders! There will be no time limit!" The lemon blond raised a hand. "Battle… begin!"
"Greninja!" Ash opened the battle with enthusiasm, waving a hand outward. "Water Shuriken!"
Webbed hands clapped against the sky blue insignia on each of Greninja's hips. Spawning quickly forming throwing stars solidified from water. With utmost speed and precision, Greninja slung each of them in a backhanded throw across his chest towards Lopunny.
"Pun!?" Lopunny squeaked; the movement was so stealthy and sudden that she could barely see the distorted light refracted in each throwing star; let alone track and react to them. She cried, as two sharp projectiles crashed into her; one in her torso, and the other striking her ear. "Lop!" She tumbled back, landing on her feet again before shaking off the pain.
"He's fast," Dawn marveled. "But so are we! Dizzy Punch!"
Lopunny sprinted, as the full width of cotton on each of her ears gained a constantly fluctuating rainbow hue to them. She charged in, ready to swing and pummel Greninja.
"Aerial Ace!" Ash punched the air.
Greninja was next. Leaning forward before charging the distance; which at Lopunny's speed, hadn't turned out to be much. A glowing right hook crashed into her own right ear, which he found to be surprisingly brutal for a plush sensory organ. Nonetheless, he pivoted with a roundhouse kick with his left leg to stomp his webbed foot into her opposite ear.
Greninja succeeded in intercepting the second, and kicking it away. Lopunny yelped as his disarming tactic threw off her balance. "Pun!"
There, Greninja saw an opportunity. "Nin…!" He roared, swinging around to deliver a backhanded fist to the rabbit's jaw. Bright light trailing behind it as he felt his fist make contact. Lopunny was knocked back and off her feet, belly-up.
"Use Circle Throw!" Dawn commanded.
Still hanging back, Lopunny was in the perfect position to lock Greninja's midsection between her shins. Her paws reached back to support her weight from the ground, allowing a handstand so that she could lean back and chuck Greninja's weight over her head.
"Ja…!" Greninja flew backwards, caught off-guard by the reversal.
"There! Now, High Jump Kick!" Dawn said gleefully.
Lopunny's backwards throw led her to fully cycle in the air, and bounce off her feet once they touched back to solid ground. She leaned into a backwards leap, soaring high above Greninja. "Looop…!" She cried, turning her body around to bring a vicious knee rocketing down towards him.
Mischievously, Ash grinned. "Double Team!"
"No!" Dawn gasped, quickly realizing the consequences. There was little she could do, as a troop of Greninja clones hung in the air alone with the real deal. Lopunny's High Jump Kick crashed into a copy, sending her plummeting into the ground. Dawn winced at her howl when her knee met solid dirt. "Sorry, Lopunny…! But they can't hide from us! Use Shock Wave!"
Knee and pride both hurt, Lopunny grunted, and pointed her ears towards the copies. "Punny!" She cried, firing a jagged blue bolt of lightning that cut a zig-zag path, slicing through one copy after another.
"Shoot," Ash muttered. "Catch it, with Cut!"
Three Greninja left, two Greninja left… now, there was just one, moments from being sizzled. He followed Ash's direction and drew a sharp needle of light to take the shock. Cyan bolts coursed through the weapon, but it would surely shock him, as well, in just a moment!
"Throw it at 'er!" Ash coached.
"Gre…!" Greninja spun while airborne, chucking the electrified needle at Lopunny. His throwing hand was something to be feared; it jabbed and shocked Lopunny before she could even act.
"Pun…!" Lopunny cried, brought down to one knee. Her Shock Wave was more for show and utility than anything resembling her real strength, though. She was back on her feet momentarily, taking an aggressive stance opposite of Greninja.
"I'm not sure if this is what you meant by 'something special,'" Dawn said. "But Greninja is something else! We've gotten so much stronger, but he's two steps ahead of us!"
Ash couldn't help but puff out his chest, whether consciously or not. "Right?" He brushed his index finger over his nose. "We've been training really hard together. But that wasn't our full power. Greninja and I can do much more! So, what do you say we kick things up a notch?"
"You won't hear any argument from me!" Dawn giggled. A look of jubilance soon hardened, though, into a steely blue. "What do you say, Lopunny?" Her index finger hung on the black fabric of her headband, close to her Keystone. "Are you ready, girl?"
The burgundy-furred Pokémon turned back to Dawn, and punched a fist violently in the air. "Lopunn!" Hot-blooded and shrill, she was more than ready. It was time to pull out all the stops!
Across the way, Ash bundled up his fists in excitement. Pikachu stood down at his feet, eyes shimmering with awe and anticipation. He had to see this for himself!
"Then, let's do it!" Dawn cheered, and tapped her index and middle fingers against her Keystone. "No need to worry… Because we've got a long way to go, before showing our way of taking the spotlight. Lopunny…! Mega Evolve!" Golden tendrils of light erupted from the stone, seemingly eclipsing even the sun in radiance, as its residual glow highlighted Dawn more than that star in the sky ever could. Light branched out from the bearer of its namesake, reaching out to her precious partner.
On Lopunny's end, the cream and mocha of her Lopunnite shone, connecting with Dawn's Keystone. As soon as they touched, the biped hunched over. Her entire body coated in a blinding light. "Puuuuunnn…!" A shrill cry pierced the skies, as Mega Evolution energy coursed through her body with so much excess power.
Her silhouette changed before everyone's eyes; legs and torso growing longer, with the fluff around her shins and feet morphing into shorter, plusher bands. Her legs became more humanshape, while the fluff around her paws receded into guards in much the same fashion. Fluffy brows formed a cross crowning her head, while her ears underwent the greatest change of all. Much of their fluff was shed and receded, forming bands that held far longer, more segmented and muscular ears. The Pokémon stood upright, flexing out her new body with her limbs clenched, and head turned up towards the sky.
The veil of light gave away, showing a very different Mega Lopunny. Her fur was a darker, stronger shade, while black bands of fur that looked like tattered exercise gear wrapped around her darker brown. A low, harsh growl left her throat, as she swung her ears out violently; shockwaves of pure power dispersing clouds of dust around her. "Punny…!"
The multicolored symbol for Mega Evolution flashed before her, then vanished.
"...Woah," was all Ash could say at the incredible transformation. He could feel her raw power and aggression from all the way over in the trainer's box. 'I can already tell I'd hate to be on her bad side,' he joked to himself. Despite himself, his hands were trembling with excitement.
"Piiiikaaa…!" Pikachu was unable to keep himself from swooning, little paws bundled under his chin. The raw power… the… erm. Beautiful appearance she'd taken on…! He couldn't keep his big, beady eyes from sparkling. For his troubles, he saw her throw him a flirtatious wink.
"So that's a Mega Lopunny," Clemont gasped. "The form certainly looks like it's fit for fighting…! Far more than the ordinarily docile Lopunny. I wonder if this necessitates a type change!"
"It sure does!" Dawn chirped. "She's Normal and Fighting, now. Ready to give you guys a real wallop, if you're not careful!" She threatened playfully, shooting Ash a wink of her own.
"So cool…! And pretty! Mega Lopunny is so pretty!" Bonnie cheered, hopping up and down.
"Nenenenee!"
Squishy peeked out of Bonnie's pochette, watching wordlessly.
"Ja…" Greninja narrowed his eyes at his newly transformed opponent. Caution was warranted.
"Well, if you guys won't take the reins, then we will!" Dawn shouted. "Dizzy Punch!"
One plush foot moved before the other, and rather than stopping on solid ground, punched right through it. Breaking the earth, Lopunny leaned and vaulted forward; demolishing where she'd stood into a crater.
The dash kicked up a gust of wind; pummeling Greninja and forcing him to guard from it. Over his arms, he processed the dark-furred lagomorph spontaneously in his face. Her wide, off-pink eyes shone with a vicious fighting spirit, prefacing a sudden turn of her body, cracking him in the side of the head with her glowing, whip-like ear. "Gah!" He croaked, flying back.
"Greninja!" Ash gasped.
"Another one!" Dawn commanded swiftly, and her partner continued the charge.
"That's so much power… ward them off!" Ash coached. "Rapid-fire Water Shuriken!"
Luckily, even with a dull headache, Greninja was a hardened soldier. Flying backwards through the air, he spawned several different layers of shuriken on each side of his body, grabbing for them as he saw fit. "Ja! Nin! Ninja!" Even upside down, he started slinging one Water Shuriken after the next at the approaching rabbit.
The cream, fluffy segments of her ears shone with a kaleidoscope-like brilliance; not slowing her down for even a moment, as they whipped around and crashed into the coming shuriken. Demolishing them into mist. The few that made it through met wrathful jabs of her fists with the same coloration. One after another, she disarmed Greninja's assault, closing in.
'Couldn't even slow her down…!?' Ash's eyes were wide. Even for Mega Evolution, this power was astonishing. "Aerial Ace!"
Greninja finally landed, webbed feet sliding back in the dirt to give him a bit of traction. He was already in the shadow of Mega Lopunny, who swung like mad with her ears. "Ja…!" He smashed a fist into her own, feeling excess force vibrate and rattle through his arm. He pivoted and swung at the incoming ear, only for her opposite to come for him. He attempted an upward kick, but wasn't near fast enough. Lopunny backhanded him back towards Dawn's end of the field.
"She just keeps coming," Ash gasped, in awe. The momentum of this match had done a complete 180. "Double Team!"
A bit dizzy, but ready for more, Greninja multiplied into the skies. Blue and beige dotted Lopunny's vision, giving him a moment's reprieve from her aggression.
"We've been through this before," Dawn smirked. "Shock Wave!"
Lopunny's segmented ears were now more limber and flexible than ever before. They pointed towards the copies, shooting persistent lightning that crashed and cracked violently through the extras.
"Cut!" Ash urged.
Each of the remaining clones drew their needle, holding it to the air. Lopunny needn't guess; the dual bolts managed to claim the real deal before it was singled out, coursing violently through Cut.
"Now!" Ash urged. "Throw-"
"High Jump Kick!"
Just as Greninja was about to chuck the needle overhead, Lopunny took up a majority of his vision, once again. Or rather, her knee did, patterned with black and brown fur. Holding the shocking needle over his chest was all he could do to intercept the crash of her kneecap, forcing him to hold a weapon that was painful to the touch. "Ninja…!" He grunted, falling back under her weight. He wasn't forced to endure for long, as Cut shattered. "Gre!" He used the misdirection of momentum to break off, landing crouched on one knee. "Greninja…!"
"Incredible… Lopunny, you're incredible!" Ash marveled. Smiling so hard that his cheeks were starting to hurt. "She just keeps coming and coming. I can't believe it!" She might not be quite as strong as Alain's Charizard, he thought, but she was almost certainly faster than him. What a thrill!
Pikachu, on the other hand, was absolutely head over heels, with orange-red covering his nose and muzzle completely. "Pika! Pika-chu!" He cheered, hopping up and down. That was his girl!
"Thanks for rooting against us, Pikachu," Ash snorted.
"Piiika." Pikachu's ears fell, as he guiltily rubbed the back of his head.
"Hey, hey! I'm kidding," Ash chuckled to himself. "I get it… It's exciting for me to see Dawn get so strong, too. You've really outdone yourself!"
Dawn giggled, running a hand through her bundled up blue locks. "Flatter us some more!"
"Jaaa…!" Greninja croaked lowly, now standing. Though, he was hunched over. His battle-ready gaze locked on the fleet-footed titan standing before him. He, like Ash, was excited. More than excited. He felt an unbendable drive to win.
Although the frog felt nothing, Ash felt it in his heart. His pulse, racing out of control. His blood, hot, and his excitement ready to burst. This was the fight he hoped for. But hell if he was about to be shown up, after such big boasts! Not against Dawn… He wasn't going to disappoint her. He'd show her strength. He'd show her just how strong they were, together!
With those feelings, their hearts melded. With seemingly no rhyme or reason, those same words left Ash's lips purely on impulse. "We'll become much, much stronger…!" He roared, tightening and clenching in a fist. Greninja imitated the very same motion, and he could feel it in his bones. "Let's go!"
Serena's eyes widened, her fist hanging loosely over her chest. "That's…!"
"It's coming…!" Clemont stammered out.
Watching the group's reactions, Dawn could only turn back to Ash with pure suspense.
"Raaaaaaggggghhhh…!" Ash and Greninja both screamed to the heavens. Throwing their heads back as power flooded and feeling melded together; like two rivers meeting in a bank, and becoming one more forceful tide. Like that very imagery, a cyclone erupted around Greninja, maintaining a constant, twisting watery veil. His image was hard to discern through the current, but a potent red shone through. His features certainly looked different.
Emerging from the transformation, Greninja stood with his arms folded. "Greninja!"
"Wow, wow, Wow!" Dawn exclaimed, eyes widening about twice as much as usual. A hand hung in the air, pointing at the scene before him. "What is that!? It's… it's… spectacular! A spectacle! A whole work of art!" She was absolutely giddy with speculation and admiration.
"Well… we don't know what it's called yet, or what it is," Ash laughed. "This is just mine and Greninja's real power!" Now, she'd see… he'd impress Dawn, and show her how much he'd grown!
In his heart, he knew Greninja felt his motivation, too.
"Well, don't keep us waiting!" Dawn said with gusto, throwing a hand forward. "High Jump Kick!"
"Greninja! Cut!" Ash smiled widely with excitement, waving his hands out.
Greninja mimicked him, drawing dual blades. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it spectacle, as a sudden explosion rocked the entire battlefield. Lopunny's knee had collided with Greninja's crossed blades; each pressing against one another in a struggle for dominance.
Ash could feel the reverberations of blades against pure muscle, and it only furthered the thrill.
Likewise, on the other end of the struggle, Lopunny shared her boyfriend's trainer's sentiments, displayed in a wild, feral grin. To see her strongest attack held off…! "Pun!" She gave Greninja her good praises.
The frog stoically nodded, swinging his blades outward to break the impasse, backing off.
"Water Shuriken!" Ash commanded.
Greninja's torrential veil shot into the air, as two shimmering shuriken plummeted towards Lopunny, power amplified several-fold.
"Use Shock Wave!" Dawn ordered.
Blue, two-pronged lightning crashed into the water constructs. They detonated into a beautiful veil of sparkling, watery mist that covered the center of the battlefield.
"So pretty…!" Bonnie marveled with shimmering eyes.
The display was all intentional, as Dawn felt in her element. Smiling smugly, she made a forceful gesture with her hand. "High Jump Kick, Lopunny!"
The Mega Evolved Pokémon leapt into the shimmering mist, soaring through with elegance. Highlighting her well-groomed fur and pure power, as she smashed her knee squarely into Greninja's chest. Water droplets rained delicately, as the frog went limp.
"Urghk…!" Ash choked. A sharp pain shot through his chest; like he'd been struck there, himself. He clutched at his torso, though there was no actual injury to tend to.
Serena gasped, clutching onto her pink fedora. "Ash…!"
"Ash!?" Dawn gasped. Her blue brows crept down in worry, as she watched her companion stumble and hiss. "Are you okay?" Why in the world did he react to Greninja getting hit!? Surely, that form didn't…!?
"Fine…" Ash coughed, despite his hunched over posture. With the recovering Greninja, he forced himself upright. If Greninja could take a little pain, then he could, too. They were made of more than this! "I'm fine. C'mon. Let's keep this battle going, Dawn! Greninja, Aerial Ace!" He commanded, not even waiting for her answer.
Seeing as Ash had made the decision for her, Dawn could only oblige. "Use Dizzy Punch!"
The scene that unfolded was, from all perspectives, dizzying. Trails of blinding white crashed into rainbow and pastels that stretched through the air, far beyond the comprehension of human vision. Fists met fists. Swift kicks disarmed flailing ears.
The collisions set off chains of explosions that stretched far beyond the battlefield's drawn bounds. Pummeling the earth with patterns of craters that, if only for the combatants' awareness not to cause harm, luckily didn't touch a hair on a single bystander's head.
Power beyond that of a normal Pokémon battle made its mark, and then the two would disengage, only for faint glimpses of blue, red, cream, and brown to relocate to another corner of the fray, only to trade blitzes again.
Through Greninja's eyes, this wasn't like their run-in with the mysterious poachers in red, where protecting Squishy was more of a challenge than the fight itself; where he'd hardly flexed his upper ceiling. Nor was it Alain's Charizard, who, while he and Ash hated to admit it, was three steps ahead of them. They'd ignited their interests, but they'd struggled to do it.
This? It was a clash of speed versus speed. Valor versus a fighting mania. Each failure of one to gain an edge over the other pushed Greninja's ceiling higher. He could see why Pikachu respected her so greatly. Why Ash wanted this match in the first place.
Though, of his trainer… Greninja couldn't ignore the slight lethargy starting to cloud his mind.
'Faster… Sharper. Gotta stay ahead!' Ash squinted. Not even bothering to turn his head to watch the melee. He could feel every conflict. He could see glimpses of Lopunny's limbs flying, and the dizzying spins Greninja engaged in to stay unscathed. It was fast. Far too fast for a human to keep track of. Breathing heavily, he shook his head. 'C'mon, Ash. Focus!'
On the sidelines, Clemont watched Ash, frowning. He didn't have an iota of an idea of what was happening, at the battle's pace, but Ash looked awfully… tense, perhaps?
For her part, Serena was holding her hat back atop her head; keeping it from blowing off her head, between intervals of wind and debris. "They're moving so fast…! It's blinding!"
"Come on!" Bonnie stomped her food. "The battle isn't any fun if we can't see what's happening!"
Perhaps, for bystanders, this battle felt like blips on a radar. A few moments passed far too quickly. For Ash, though, it felt like it was dragging out for minutes at a time. He was now pinned to the ground at the corner of the field. Greninja stood, buckled at the knees, as Lopunny was once again upon him. Her collaborating fists and ears had pushed them on the backfoot.
Even at his new high, all Greninja could do was swing defensively, and ward off attacks that came in fours. He had his fists and legs, but holding ground was only conductive to using the former. The end of her ear pummeled his forearm, making him sluggish. 'On your right!' His second pair of eyes reached him, and he swept a foot around to kick Lopunny's inner elbow.
'She's attacking without any attention to defense,' Ash analyzed on the spot. That one exposure caused by the shove of her joint was all they needed. "Use Cut! Right in the center!" He drew his right arm over his chest, winding up before chopping outward.
"Ninnn… ja!" Greninja roared with vigor, delivering a backhanded slash right across Lopunny's abdomen.
"Pun!" Lopunny cried. The focus behind her Dizzy Punch vanished completely in the shock.
"To think they got past that!" Dawn marveled. This battle was a thrill… A spectacle! From her perspective, that was; if there was any signs that her boyfriend or his Pokémon were struggling, she'd missed it in the heat of the competition. Two super-powerful and stylish Pokémon duking it out, and their trainers guiding them was all she saw. "Okay, Lopunny! Toss him with Circle Throw!"
"Lop!" Lopunny snapped into action, reaching to grab the dull end of Cut, near Greninja's grip on it. The running torrent around him washed against her lower arm, but she found that it did no real harm. It was like a wave pool, constantly churning. She ignored it, and spun around to sling Greninja behind her and into the air. "Lop… Pun!"
Ash shook his head out. As dizzying as the sudden launch was, he had a momentary break from the high-speed combat. "Can't fall behind. Water Shuriken!"
"Nin… ja!" Greninja righted himself in the air, slinging a watery projectile downward.
"Shock Wave!" Dawn countered. She watched dazzling lightning collide with the Shruriken, making it sparkle and implode into fine mist. But for every star, another came down. Shock Wave was more of a utility than it was powerful, and it couldn't stand the test of multiple Water Shuriken eating up its charge.
Finally, a Water Shuriken struck Lopunny; she guarded her body with both of her ears crossed. A burst of mist clouded Dawn's entire end of the field.
"Yes!" Ash exclaimed triumphantly, punching the air. Smiling widely. "We… we got her, Greninja!" There was euphoria, but it was the tired kind. One that felt well-earned, when your body was close to giving out on you and making you rest. He enjoyed the cool sensation of water vapor, as Greninja fell toward the ground seemingly in slow motion.
"...Ja!?" Greninja's eyes widened. A silhouette appeared in the cloud of vapor, and encroached on him, once more.
"She's back!?" Ash exclaimed. Pupils pulling into a tighter shape.
"Close," Dawn praised. "But this battle's ours. You know the drill, Lopunny! Circle Throw!"
Greninja tensed. He felt limber legs grip around his torso like a vice, from behind. Two sturdy ears pulled him in by his chest; he suddenly couldn't move. And the rabbit had even strategically withheld her arms and head, to allow herself breathing room from the veil. With her weight, she was yanking Greninja back towards the ground.
Ash felt the frog struggle, not wanting to impact the ground. But there was an even greater urgency he had to pass on to Greninja. The combination she was setting up…! 'Greninja! We have to break free, now!' He urged in his mind. 'Before that Shock Wave.' Greninja had started struggling, and he felt his arms lock in for it. It was like, he, himself was ensnared.
Stubbornly, Ash growled. "...Let's go! Use Cut!" He acted on nothing but willpower, and chopped his arms outward.
"Gree….!" Greninja drew twin needles, and struck out against the ears that binded him. "Ja!"
Lopunny squealed, quickly withdrawing. Even in her surge of power, she found herself stumbling backwards clumsily, only barely keeping herself from toppling over. "Puh… Lop…" She panted, now finding herself opposite of a now-upright Greninja. She'd sustained several bruises and streaks in her fur where she'd been slashed. Her impressive stamina was being whittled down to a chip, but she could only grin. This might be the best fight she's ever had!
"Jaaa…!" Greninja growled, similarly hunched over. He felt he was at his limit. But the urge to fight was keeping him on his feet.
"They both look ready to pass out!" Bonnie blurted out, hugging Dedenne to her torso. "At least, Lopunny does! I can't see Greninja through the water…"
"They definitely do," Serena agreed, furrowing her brows. "Even if I can't make out his expression, his posture is slack." As was Ash's, she noticed, shaking her head. Surely he was just caught up in the thrill of battle. "But they look ecstatic. Like they couldn't be happier, fighting down to the wire." She pursed her lips. Was this the intensity of a battle between two veteran trainers? Two truly powerful Pokémon, backed up by the bonds that made them that way?
Was this the kind of level Ash and Dawn stood at…? It made her feel so terribly small.
"...This… battle is… awesome, Dawn," Ash huffed out. Struggling to smirk through it all.
"It is!" She chirped, hopping up in excitement. Aware of her surroundings a moment too late, it seemed, as she blinked at her long-time boyfriend's composure. "...Ash? What is it? What's wrong?"
"...Wrong?" He echoed. Panting. "Nothin's…" No, he couldn't say nothing was wrong. His chest ached, where Lopunny had kicked Greninja. His limbs were sore and raw from the constant offense and defense. He felt like he'd run a marathon… He felt, perhaps, like he needed a long nap. His body seemed to agree with that notion, as it started to give out. His vision went blurry, and his legs felt like jello. Then, like nothing at all. He hit the dirt, surrendering to exhaustion.
In his last remaining moments of clarity, he heard shouts of his name. That strange connection to Greninja severed, and he was back fully in his own head again. He'd felt the faint worry, before it'd gone. '...Hehe. What're you worrying about me for?' He thought to himself, almost humorously. 'You were the one taking all those hits, big guy.'
"...Ash? Ash!"
"Ash!"
Yeah. He was due for a nice, long nap.