Welcome back! Sorry again about the slow update. I'm studying again now, so the time I can dedicate to writing is limited. But I still enjoy it :D. Thanks to all my reviewers from last time! Please enjoy the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Dawn bounced her heels in anxiety. There had been a ten minute break before the Wallace Cup Final and Ash had just left for the bathroom, leaving Dawn and Zoey to talk. She glanced across at her rival, only to realise that Zoey had been staring at her curiously as well.

"Nervous?" The red-head asked.

Dawn nodded. "Definitely. Ash has been really impressive in this Contest… though I can't wait to battle him! It'll be our first official match up against each other since… err Hearthome City I think. And Ash has gotten a lot stronger since then."

"Well, so have you."

"I guess… but… nah, what am I saying. I'll go out there and have the time of my life… and may the best trainer win right?"

Zoey grinned. "That's a good attitude Dawn. So what Pokémon will you be using? One of your new ones?"

"Mhmm. The surprise of Greninja is a big part of how Ash beat you, so I'm going to use one of my new Pokémon to level the playing field."

"Smart." They sat in silence for a minute. Dawn then turned to Zoey once again. She was still curious about her rival's turn around.

"So… you seem a lot better now. What the heck were you and Ash talking about?"

Zoey looked a little embarrassed. "Just a little love advice…"

"From Ash?"

"We had a common problem… but I'm over it now. I'm gonna start looking at my personal life as well as my professional one, or I'll wake up one day at forty and still be single and wonder where my life went."

"Okay… that makes sense I think…"

"Hey guys!" Ash's voice interrupted them from the doorway. "It's time!"

Dawn stood and faced her crush. "Best of luck Ash, you'll need it."

"Well, I'm not holding back either. Out there, we're rivals first!"

"You got that right!"

They shared a brief hand shake. Dawn then pulled Ash into a hug and sighed into the crook of his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms around her back. "No hard feelings when I win, okay?"

"Sure, sure…" Ash said, quietly. "Nothing could change the way I feel about you Dawn." His face was flushed red when he said that and Dawn could feel hers mimicking him.

"Alright you two! You're both late!" Zoey interjected. They reluctantly parted and, after sharing a smile, set off to the arena.

"And our two Finalists have arrived!" Marian cried. "On my left we have Dawn Berlitz from Twinleaf Town- a talented Coordinator who came runner-up in the Sinnoh Grand Festival! And on my right we have Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. This Trainer is most notable for his many achievements in Regional Tournaments. This is sure to be an exciting match!"

"Good luck Ash!" Dawn called across the arena.

"You too, Dawn! Let's give them a real show!" Ash replied, grinning broadly. He then drew out his PokéBall. "Gabite, I choose you!" The evolved form of the Gible he had caught in Sinnoh was sent out, surrounded by a swirl of sand.

"His Gabite, huh? I didn't expect one from Sinnoh!" Dawn said to herself. "But no need to worry! Grovyle, spotlight!" Her tree gecko Pokémon emerged from its ball in a flurry of leaves. She had obtained it in Littleroot Town after it had been the only one left over from new trainers choosing their starters. She had taken pity on it and it had become a fierce fighter under her care.

"Nice! You've got a new Pokémon Dawn!" Ash called across to her. "Hey, do you remember my Sceptile?" Dawn almost face palmed. She had forgotten that Ash had the Hoenn grass starter as well. So much for surprising him with something new. Still, with Gabite out they were more or less on equal footing in terms of knowledge of their opponents.

"And with five minutes on the clock… BEGIN!" Cried Marian, and the timer started ticking.

"Let's start with something simple!" Dawn stated. "Grovyle, show of your speed with Leaf Blade!"

"Match it with Brick Break, Gabite!"

Both Pokémon rushed towards each other, Grovyle extending wrist blades that glowed green and Gabite's claws glowing white. The attacks met in the centre of the arena and both struggled to push the other backwards. Then, simultaneously, both Pokémon disengaged and leapt back to their own side of the centre island. They were evenly matched in terms of physical power.

"Grovyle, as a ground type Gabite can't go into the water safely. Cover the centre island using Bullet Seed as a Countershield!" Her Grovyle spun on the spot and launched a hail of seeds. They spun outwards from his mouth and blanketed the arena, striking Gabite in the process. Ash's points fell and Dawn pulled ahead.

"Man! I should have filed a patent for that move or something. Don't get hit Gabite. Dodge using Dig!" As the centre island was consisted of a dirt field, Gabite was able to hide underground and not take damage. Dawn glanced at the score. She was still ahead as Dig did little to show off a Pokémon. It had to be visible to be judged. Still, it could deal a lot of damage if it hit.

"Okay, stop," she commanded her grass type. "Wait for it and then hit it with a spinning Leaf Blade!"

Grovyle nodded its agreement and ceased the Countershield. It then paused, waiting for Gabite to strike… a rumbling of dirt… "GO!" Dawn cried, as Ash yelled out the same instruction. Her Grovyle leapt into the air and charged up its Leaf Blade. It spun its body around for extra momentum and shot towards the ground… There was an explosion of dust.

As it cleared, Dawn supressed a cuss whilst Ash cheered. Grovyle's arm was wedged in Gabite's mouth. It had eaten the Leaf Blade and Dawn knew what was coming next. She had to act fast.

"Gabite, use Draco-"

"Grovyle, get out of there using Quick Attack!" Dawn interrupted him. The grass type planted both of its feet against the Land Shark's chest and pushed off. It took an immense effort but he finally managed to pull himself loose. Grovyle landed inelegantly in the middle of the arena, but it was better than being blown up inside of a Draco Meteor. Dawn's points had fallen to meet Ash's. They were now even and four minutes remained.

"Gabite! Hit it whilst it's down! Brick Break!" Gabite leapt at the downed grass type, performing a forwards somersault whilst its claws glowed white.

"Grovyle, dodge with Quick Attack. Get to the outside of the arena," The grass type recovered from its tumble and zipped outwards, narrowly avoiding being hit. It then jumped the water and landed on the banister that circled the arena. "Shoot inwards with Bullet Seed!" Dawn commanded. She had to capitalise on her advantage. Grovyle shot the seeds from its mouth.

"Incinerate them! Use Dragon Pulse and don't let up until you hit Grovyle!" A blue orb of energy fired from Gabite's mouth and burned away the Bullet Seed attack. A second sphere shot straight towards Grovyle and struck it before it could dodge. The gecko fell into the water.

"Grovyle!" Dawn cried. "I know you're no water type, but dive down and start moving! Try and sneak up on them." The grass type dived.

"Be ready, Gabite. Hit the entire pool with Draco Meteor!" Dawn was annoyed. An attack that powerful would turn the entire battle in Ash's favour.

"Stay down deep Grovyle!" She yelled, in the vague hope that her Pokémon could hear her.

There was a hissing noise as the orb of orange energy was launched from Gabite's mouth into the air. It exploded outwards and a dozen smaller orbs fell towards the pool. A series of explosions shook the arena and the air was filled with smoke and steam. Dawn's points fell, as Ash had demonstrated what a huge amount of power his Pokémon had. When the air cleared, Dawn could see Grovyle splayed out on the edge of the centre arena. It had avoided the worst of the damage, but had still been flung out of hiding. The gecko struggled back to its feet, but it looked tired. But the leaf on its head glowed a bright yellow… Dawn grinned. It had followed the advice she had given it months ago: When there's a moment of breathing room, start charging.

"Grovyle, use Solarbeam!" She cried, knowing she could still catch up to Ash.

"You won't charge it up in time-" Ash was once again interrupted, this time by a blinding beam of energy launched from Grovyle's mouth. It struck the Dragon type and threw it backwards. "Hold on Gabite!" Ash yelled. At the last moment, Gabite managed to grab onto the edge of the island and pull itself back in. Both Pokémon were left standing where they had been at the start of the match, except they were both exhausted. Neither could go on for much longer and just over two minutes still remained.

Suddenly, Grovyle glowed green. Overgrow had activated! Dawn had a major advantage… Grovyle was at his strongest when he was on his last legs.

Ash felt the thrill of the battle race through his veins. Now the situation was even tenser and he had to level the playing field. Dawn had given him quite a battle so far. "Gabite! Draco Charge!" He called out.

Dawn frowned. Was that a combination of some kind? Gabite charged up a Draco Meteor once again… but instead of launching it, it instead swallowed the attack whole. It was just like what Ash's Grotle had done and what she had done with Mamoswine! The Dragon blazed orange and yelled its name aloud as new power surged through it.

"Wow, Ash! That's quite a power-up!" Dawn called to him.

"I've gotta have something to counter things like Overgrow and Blaze!" Ash replied, grinning. His expression hardened. "But let's finish this. Gabite, Brick Break!"

"Grovyle, Leaf Blade!" With their respective power boosts, the opponents clashed in the centre once more, the friction of their colliding attacks sending out a shock wave that made the air vibrate.

"Don't give up Gabite!"

"You neither, Grovyle!" Both Pokémon pushed against the other, neither able to gain an inch. Then they both erupted in a white and blue glow… evolution!

Dawn gasped. Evolving in a Contest was nearly unheard of, except when the Coordinator initiated it through a stone or other item, and that was only allowed in Appeals. Both Pokémon grew bigger and bulkier, Grovyle's tail lengthened whilst Gabite's claws grew long wrist blades. As the glow faded, a fully evolved Sceptile and Garchomp stood in the middle of the arena, each roaring proudly at their new found power.

"Okay…" Dawn said. This changed things up a little.

"Uh huh…" Ash responded in a similar tone. They then simultaneously pulled out their PokéDexes and scanned their new Pokémon. They could have learned new moves. Dawn grinned at her new toy: Dragon Claw could come in useful against Garchomp. She remembered that Ash's Krookodile had learned the same move in order to beat Iris's rampaging Dragonite. Maybe some moves were learned specifically for the situation. Ash couldn't help but smile at Garchomp's new attacks: Earthquake and Dragon Rush would be very useful. He glanced up at his crush and rival. "Okay Dawn. Let's go one more time. You've done brilliantly by the way."

Dawn blushed. "You to Ash. This has been good fun. But I'm still going to win! Sceptile, jump into the air and use Dragon Claw!"

"Dragon Claw?! Garchomp, dodge!" The newly evolved Dragon leaped to one side, avoiding the incoming attack… it then hung there, hovering above the water. Ash scratched his head, bemused. "Oh yeah, Garchomp can fly. I forgot that." Dawn laughed at Ash's response whilst Garchomp himself growled happily at his new found ability.

"Okay Sceptile, don't let Garchomp get away. You have an impressive leap on you, so use it. Knock it out of the sky by combining Leaf Blade with Dragon Claw!" Dawn instructed her grass type. Sceptile roared and its wrist blades glowed until they formed jagged edges that combined red and green energies.

A combination with a newly evolved Pokémon and a new move? Ash was really impressed with Dawn's thinking, as well as Sceptile's own skill for pulling it off. "We can't let that hit! But there isn't long left… Garchomp use Dragon Rush and add a spin!" From his position in the air, Garchomp engulfed its body in a harsh blue light and shot towards the leaping Sceptile, the Dragon type spun its body around, gaining momentum and leaving a corkscrew trail of blue energy. The attacks collided in the centre of the arena and, with seconds left on the clock, everything was lost in a massive explosion. Ash and Dawn both shielded their eyes.

The smoke cleared… Marian announced time and they both stared at the emerging figures of their Pokémon, eagerly awaiting the result. Both Pokémon where still standing… it was up to the scores to decide the winner.

"And the winner of the first ever Kalos Wallace Cup is… by only a few points: Dawn Berlitz from Twinleaf Town!" The crowd erupted into cheers and Dawn felt the tension fall from her shoulders. She had made it: Ribbon number five, and she had earned it against Ash of all people.

"Thank you so much Sceptile!" She told her Pokémon as she recalled it. "And congratulations on evolving." Ash too, was thanking Garchomp for all of its hard work. He then grinned at Dawn and the two of them left their platforms and made their way around the edge of the pool to where the judging stand was… and Dawn's fifth ribbon.

They met at the foot of the podium and stood there, staring at each other. Ash spoke first. "Well done Dawn. That was one of the best battles I've had in a long time!"

"Same here Ash… no hard feelings right?" She asked him, curiously.

Ash smiled and shook his head. "Nah, how could I? Dawn…" He paused, flushing, as he tried to get his wording right. "I'm so proud of you. You've come all this way… some of it was with my help, or your mother, or Zoey… but most of it was you and your Pokémon. Keep going the way you are, and you'll be a Top Coordinator… there really is no need to worry about that."

Dawn then flung her arms around him and held him close. "Thanks so much Ash… that really means the world to me. And I'll make you even more proud… when I win the Hoenn Grand Festival!" They looked each other in the eye and their lips pressed together… Suddenly Ash pulled back, face crimson. Dawn, a little annoyed, glared at him. "What?" She asked.

Ash stuttered a bit. "D-Dawn… we're on national television…" Dawn leapt out of Ash's arms and looked around. All the cameras in the stadium were focused on the two finalists and their 'moment'. Dawn too, felt embarrassed. Her mother was watching this! And she hadn't even told her that she and Ash had been on their date, let alone kissed!

"Sorry to interrupt," said an elegant voice from behind them. The two turned, faces still red as the saw Wallace approach them. "It was a fine battle to behold, young Trainers. You should both be proud of your Pokémon and their evolutions'. But there can only be one winner! And therefore, I present you, Dawn Berlitz, with the Aqua Ribbon!" The Champion of Hoenn handed Dawn the shining proof or her achievement. Dawn clutched it to her chest… this ribbon was one of her greatest accomplishments. She felt her blush fade as she smiled at Ash. He returned her look with a full toothed grin.

"Well, you two made quite a stir," Zoey told them. It was roughly ten minutes after the end of the Cup and they had all changed back into their old clothes. "It may have stopped raining, but there's a whole other storm out there at the moment." She was looking through the glass doors of the entrance towards the gathered crowd.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked, curiously as he petted Pikachu.

"The media!" Dawn groaned, replying for the red-head. "I almost forgot they'd be there. Knowing them only 1 in every 10 questions will be about actual Contests, the rest will be about…" She trailed off and buried her face in her hands.

"Our moment?" Ash said, sounding apprehensive. Dawn only nodded.

Zoey stepped behind them and clapped them both on the back. "Hey, no need to worry and all that! Take it from a winner of the Grand Festival! Just slip out of the back door and you can miss almost all of them. The fact that you've changed clothes helps as well." The two nodded their agreement to her plan and the three of them headed towards the back of the stadium in order to escape the mob of reporters.

A quarter of an hour later they had arrived back at the Pokémon Centre and sank into their respective beds in their room. Dawn and Zoey were both still suffering from jet lag and the day's events had exhausted them. Ash also felt a little tired: performing in a Contest was more physically and mentally demanding than he had remembered, not to mention the emotional ups and downs the three of them had been through.

"So… what are we doing for dinner? It's like 4 now… so should we eat out in like two hours?" Ash asked.

Dawn muttered something inaudible from the depths of her pillow. She then sat up and repeated herself. "Can we just stay in… cup noodles?"

Zoey nodded her agreement. "Cup noodles."

"Okay, guys." So it was agreed. Their exhausting day would be finished off with a lazy evening and an instant meal.

"These are…" Dawn began, before filling her mouth with noodles. She swallowed. "… A seriously unappreciated meal."

"I know! I practically lived off of them before I got better at cooking!" Zoey responded. Ash just nodded his agreement, as he was very focused on eating.

According to plan, the three of them had not been active at all over the last two hours and had instead spent their time between chatting and watching TV. It had been completed by cooking some of their instant noodles using the provided kettle. Having finished her own noodles, Zoey tossed her empty cup into the nearby bin and left the room, simply saying 'bathroom'.

When she was gone, Dawn set aside her own empty cup and crawled up onto her bed, which Ash was sitting at the foot of, his back resting against it. She had ditched her pink jacket, beanie and hair clips and was feeling more relaxed than she had in a while, the buzz of her win being replaced by a calmness. She lay down flat so that her arms could drape over Ash's chest and her head could rest just next to his.

She turned and pecked his cheek. "So, what's next for us?" She asked.

Ash swallowed the last of his meal. "Huh?" He replied, confused.

"I mean," Dawn explained, patiently. "What are we doing next, on our journeys?"

"Oh!" Ash exclaimed. "I'm not sure. The Kalos League is still four months away. When's the Hoenn Grand Festival?"

Dawn thought for a moment. She then shrugged. "No idea!"

Ash laughed at how casually she said it. They were then interrupted by the sound of flushing and the tap running.

When Zoey re-joined them, Ash asked his question again. The tomboy thought before answering. "In about two months I think. It's hosted in Slateport City, so it's right by the airport."

"That's perfect!" Dawn cried. "That means that I can watch Ash in the League!"

"And I can come and watch you at the Festival. I'd planned on doing lots of hard-core training before then, so I'll definitely need a few weeks break in the middle of it." Ash joined in, equally as happy. Being there for Dawn and having her there for him was sure to lead to their victory.

"It'll be great to have you cheer for me Ash!" Dawn said. "But what sort of training are you talking about? Remember, I'm free until the Grand Festival. I should practise as well!" She wanted to know if she could join Ash. Their reunion was only supposed to be temporary, but the situation had changed since then.

"Just south of Snowbelle City there is this place called Victory Mountain. Its where all the toughest trainers in Kalos gather to practise because of all the powerful wild Pokémon. There's a Pokémon Centre there as well, so I can rotate my team as much as I need to. As for Coordinator training, I'm not sure. But you'll get plenty of battles!"

"Spending more time in Kalos won't hurt us, Dawn," Zoey chipped in. "Whilst I'm not saying I'll join Ash in the mountains, I'm certainly going to tour the Region for a few weeks and try and capture some Pokémon native to here. They're pretty handy in Contests." She smirked across at Ash as she referenced his performance in the Wallace Cup.

"They really are! I might try for a few captures of my own," Dawn agreed. She then turned back to Ash. "The battle experience will help. I can just come up with Appeals with me and my Pokémon, after all, I have my inspiration back!" Dawn winked at him.

Ash blushed. "Thanks, Dawn. But you don't need me to be brilliant… you came up with that unique performance for Mamoswine all by yourself."

Dawn smiled at the compliment. "I know… thanks to you, Zoey and my Mum… I know how far I've come. But a little extra boost never hurt, right?"

Ash laughed. "I guess not. So, you'll join me then? At Victory Mountain?" He asked her, eagerly.

"Of course, Ash! Just as long as we take a few days off in Lumiose City first. I want to meet your friends in Kalos face to face and look around a bit. After all, I still need to shake of the last of…" She was interrupted by her own yawn. "…the last of this jet lag." She finished.

"Okay," Ash responded. "We have to take the train back there anyway. You should come with us Zoey, we'll need to visit Professor Sycamore so we can get you two updated PokéDexes."

"Good idea, I'm still using the one Cynthia gave me for Unova." Dawn said.

Zoey snorted. "Lucky. I've still got the one I had in Sinnoh!"

"That sounds like a plan then!" Ash cried, glad that he could spend more time with Dawn. And Zoey too, of course.

"I'll part ways with you after Lumiose then." Zoey told them.

"What? Why?" Dawn sounded upset that her closest female friend was leaving.

Zoey grinned at her. "Like I said, I want to explore some more. Plus, no offense, but I have no interest in being a third wheel for two months."

Dawn pouted. "Sorry, Zoey. We didn't mean to leave you out."

Ash scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that!"

Zoey shook her head. They didn't need to apologise. "It's cool. Just look after each other, or I'll smack you both upside the head."

From her position on her bed, Dawn twisted her neck so she could look Ash right in his eyes as he turned to face her. They gazed at each other in silence for a couple of seconds. "That won't be a problem." They told the red-head in unison.

Later that evening Ash stood on the balcony, looking out across the city and beyond that, the ocean. In the pale moonlight he could see the form of his new Garchomp as it twisted in the air, practising its gift of flight. The trainer couldn't help but smile. Evolving his Dragon type had been an unexpected bonus from the Wallace Cup and he was sure to be useful in the Kalos League. Now that he thought about it, a lot had changed over the last few days. Garchomp and Sceptile had changed physically and his and Dawn's relationship had moved forwards into something even more special. More than that, Zoey had grown up in ways she wasn't even aware she needed to.

Watching his powerful Dragon, Ash was filled with hope. He knew that this was the League that he would win. He could feel it in his bones and see it in the faces of all his Pokémon. And, perhaps the greatest proof of all, Dawn truly believed he could do it and would be beside him the whole way, just like he would be there for her dream. He grinned to himself. Life was good.

"Think any harder and your brain will overheat Ash," The whisper came from just behind him. He jumped, but was then comforted when he saw two slim arms rap around his waist and felt Dawn's head press against his back. "You okay out here?" She asked.

He turned in her arms so that they were facing each other and put his own arms around her. He smiled softly and the blunette returned it. "I'm fine Dawn," he replied to her question. "Just thinking about all that's happened, and the League and Festival."

She smiled at him and then kissed him gently on the lips. Ash responded with a moan and drew her in closer, deepening the kiss. After a while they moved apart, eyes locked.

"That was because we were interrupted in the Stadium!" Dawn told him, happily. "Seriously Ash. I'm glad you feel the same way that I do… I really do care for you."

"Yeah… It's a weight of my mind to finally tell you. So, are we officially dating?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Well," Dawn said casually, looking away. "The papers will probably draw that conclusion tomorrow, so we might as well."

Ash grinned at her. "Yeah, might as well."

Ash then recalled his Garchomp. The new couple linked arms and made their way back inside, for some well earned sleep. Thing had changed for the better, and the future promised them so much. How could they not run towards it?

And finished! This is the last full chapter of Changes and I'm declaring it complete. I may add an Epilogue later if I feel like it, though I think I wrapped up what I wanted to in the closing scenes. Whilst it does seem like this will lead on to a further sequel about the Grand Festival and Kalos League, nothing like that is planned at the moment. I just wanted to imply that the characters would keep moving, even if I'd stopped writing about them.

This length of story is about the most I could take in terms of writing, just for keeping all the character arcs straight in my head. Because of this, I expect my next project will be a series of Pearlshipping one-shots and brainstorming ideas for potential Fireredshipping stories.

I hope you all enjoyed it, and until my next story, goodbye!