Thanks to PorcelainDollxx, rin916, RaveOn-LastYear and Ju5t An0th3r H3d63h06.
Disclaimer: Do not own. 'Nuff said.
Previously…
I looked up at the sky, my dark eyes with their piercing stare boring into its darkness. I felt a ray of hope, a glimmer of happiness, though I'm not entirely sure as to how. Or why.
Maybe I'll know what to do when I have to.
~oOo~
~The Dawn in My Life~
~oOo~
Chapter 8: Blue hair and Little Pinks
~oOo~
Arceus, she was taking forever.
I went inside the dressing room, not caring about anything. I saw her in front of the mirror, looking visibly flustered as she tried to comb her bangs to the side, but in vain. I sighed and bent down to pick up the carelessly tossed brush and a few odds and ends scattered around the place.
"Calm down and take a deep breath now," I said, trying to keep the exasperation out of my voice.
She did as instructed, but still stared into her lap, her hands quivering. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"And here I thought Pokémon were supposed to be the main attraction." I smirked at her pout. "Come on, you haven't much time."
She moaned as she tried to do her hair again. I sighed. If this was going to be the case, she might as well as stay in the same dressing room till next year's Grand Festival. Stupid girl.
…
"Okay Dawn, you can do this. You can do this. You can—" She continued to mutter the same thing she had been for the past five minutes over and over like a mantra.
I exhaled and pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. This thing was seriously getting annoying. First her talking to herself and then this.
…How on earth did I end up having to do her hair again?
Reggie sniggered as he tried to imagine his brother's face at that moment.
I felt foolish as I brushed those blue tresses of hers, but took it in my stride. Most importantly, she didn't look depressed anymore; she actually looked pretty determined now, in my opinion. That was by far more important. I sighed and look around, and then suddenly understood why I hadn't gotten kicked out yet.
We were in her dressing room; she had a separate one since she was—
I shook my head. No, this was temporary, wasn't it? I gave myself away by glancing at those crutches beside the dressing table.
"Paul…?" I looked into her reflection in the mirror.
"You're going to win," I said firmly as I placed the brush back on the dressing table and put my hands on her shoulders. She looked at my reflection for a fraction of a second longer before that doubtful look on her face snapped into a determined one. She put a fist to her chest.
"Yes!"
I sprinted through the corridor and made it to my seat just in time. This had better be worth my time.
I made myself comfortable (I was lucky to get the aisle seat, or maybe unlucky, but whatever) and lazily flicked open my Pokédex.
"And now let the Grand Festival begin!" The obnoxiously loud MC blared into her microphone, making me cringe visibly.
It really didn't look promising, but a promise is a promise.
It was a while since the whole thing had started and I was already bored. I blew my bangs out of my face, looking at the stage from time to time. This is really annoying. These people weren't even worth the attention. Even my Pokédex is by far more interesting. Every tiny respect garnered from her training was now crushed under some of the really pathetic appeals I was seeing. Not to be not offensive, but some of them were really too stupid. I wonder why she was even getting worked up. Meh.
"And now, for one of the most exceptional Coordinators the world has ever seen, let's give it up for Dawn!"
…That MC woman is really obnoxious.
I sat upright as I heard those words. So it's finally time, huh?
The spotlight came onto a place near the curtain which opened to reveal her. She stepped forward, and for a second I almost jumped out of my seat in worry as she stumbled.
Damn crutches.
She subtly waved off Lilian, who had come forward to assist her, and walked onto the stage, her eyes blazing. I grinned. This was more like it.
After days of enduring the moldy Dawn, it was refreshing to see this one, full of confidence and determination.
"Ambipom, it's finally time! Spotlight!"
I snorted at the silly 'Contest cry' and almost went back to studying my Pokédex, but decided to watch for her sake.
"Right." Reggie rolled his eyes. He pushed his hair out of his face and then rested his cheek on his palm, smiling as the memories came back to him.
Huge golden stars emerged from the thrown Pokéball, leaving the audience awed, since it wasn't everyday that people saw a Coordinator use seals in Kanto. Moments later a purple monkey jumped out, leaping daintily from one star to another until it reached the highest one before somersaulting back to the stage. It landed smoothly on its toes and gave a pose.
"Now Ambipom, let's get really started. Use Swift and follow up with Double Hit!" she cried, and Ambipom did as she commanded by shooting hundreds of sparkly stars towards the sky, the light from the Sun hitting each one of them perfectly to give it the sheen Dawn had desired.
She really got lucky with the stage being open-air now, didn't she?
Ambipom then proceeded to break all those stars circling in the air, forming golden dust which swept through the audience dazzling them.
I didn't bat an eyelid all throughout that, since I knew every move she was going to use.
"Now, Protect!" My eyes widened slightly at that. When did she…?
Ambipom obliged and created a light green shield supported by one arm. I looked on, finally a little interested in this whole gimmick. The gold dust fell onto the shield, making it glitter like a thousand sequins.
"And now, Last Resort!" Dawn smiled as she flicked her wrist upward. Ambipom tossed the shield up high and hit it squarely with Last Resort, resulting in the shield smashing into a million pieces.
With one last pose in the glitters, their appeal was done.
Not bad, I must say.
I skipped the rest of the appeals and found myself walking aimlessly; those damn speakers are everywhere, it's giving me a headache.
"Aimlessly my ass," Reggie snapped, clearly engrossed. In fact, so much so that anyone watching him would have thought he had escaped from the mental health ward. Now won't talking to air look like that to a harmless passer-by?
…It was a good thing he was in his study.
What? I'd promised to see her appeal and stuff in the Grand Festival, not these other wimps.
But I stiffened as I heard a name from the same damn speakers.
I made it back just in time to see a girl bow deeply, signaling that she had finished her performance.
Arceus, could she be any more similar to her? She had blue hair and she wore a ton of pink. She even gave her Pokémon the most ridiculous nicknames I've ever heard, which was proved by the fact that she was crushing a Jigglypuff in her arms and screaming her thanks to "Little Pink".
Little Pink?
Imagine Piplup being called Bubbles. I snickered.
"Bubbles the Piplup? Oh Dialga," Reggie chortled as he shook with laughter. What he didn't notice was—
"PIP LUP-LUP-LUP!"
-A barrage of the very same bubbles attacking him.
"Gah! Okay, stop already, Piplup! What, you'd prefer being called 'Hydra'?—No, not Peck!"
Reviews and opinions are appreciated. Also please check out a new Ikari one-shot which I published just a few hours ago. Much thanks. :)