Chapter 8: Tribulations
The crowd gasped in collective unison the moment Cinderace's Pyro Ball connected with Togekiss, enveloped in the blistering silver display of Sky Attack. For one second, it appeared as if the moves fought to overpower one another until one would reign supreme, canceling the other out in a failed attempt of an appeal move. But that wasn't the case.
Togekiss let loose a shrill, yet determined hum as the blistering fireball combined into its shining white aura, transforming the Pokémon into a blazing phoenix of fire. The orange glow overtook the stage lights as Togekiss spiraled in the air, the crackling and incinerating display performed as if it were an aerial ballet. Its massive wings blazed with fire and silver energy, gliding above the mesmerized audience.
"Everyone, I give you-!" Dawn extended her arms towards the crowd, "-Blazing Angel!"
The judges' eyes watched the magnificent display that Togekiss carried with itself. Sparkling embers flaked off as the Jubilee Pokémon entered another series of aerial twists and turns, shedding the whirling flames around and around. Goh and Cinderace cheered on Togekiss, waving and shouting encouragement.
"Keep it up, Togekiss!" Goh shouted, waving his now-gloved hand. He was dressed in his contest tuxedo.
"Cinder-cinder!" Goh's Pokémon partner, Cinderace, jumped for joy at its friend wowing the crowd.
" This is it… we have the crowd… we have the judges… we're going to advance!" Dawn beamed a smile as Togekiss prepared to perform its second pass over the crowd. Contesta had his arms crossed, clearly impressed by the fiery acrobatics conducted with grace, and fervor. Sukizo gawked at the absolutely remarkable performance. Pierre smiled at the blazing figure in the sky, wondering how he had missed out on witnessing such shows outside of Kalos.
Headmistress Matilda's gaze wasn't on Togekiss. The infamous judge, instead, locked her eyes on the stage where Dawn and Goh were cheering on Togekiss. She narrowed her gaze to Cinderace. A few more seconds were given before she exhaled through her nose, and flicked out her pen.
She clicked it.
Matilda muttered in silence, the stylus reaching for her notepad that rested on the judge's desk.
On the stage, Dawn noticed what was happening. Her heart sank at the sight.
"Wh-What? N-No!" Dawn's smile broke apart, the girl whirling to the boy on the stage with her, "It's not enough, Goh! We really need to win over Matilda, or we're out!"
The boy was taken aback, "Are you sure?! Togekiss is stealing the crowd right now!"
Cinderace overheard what was happening between the two coordinators and already began to mentally steel itself for whatever else it needed to pull off.
"Goh, have Cinderace shoot more Pyro Balls at Togekiss! We have to go big, or we go home!" Dawn rationalized, with Togekiss looking down from its side, preparing itself to receive more and more fire to fan out and fly with.
"Can Togekiss even withstand that much power?!" Goh voiced his objections in a panicked fashion, now beginning to draw the attention of the judges and a handful of people in the audience.
"Goh, just trust me!" Dawn replied, sweat now beading down her forehead.
Goh nodded.
"Okay, Cinderace! Pyro Ball on Togekiss! Back-to-back!" the Pokémon catcher-turned-coordinator gave the command, to which Cinderace nervously obeyed. Juggling multiple stones with its feet, one by one, each of them burst into searing fireballs and was punted into the air at Togekiss.
Togekiss collided into each and every attack without hesitation. In every instance, the already ignited Sky Attack fought against the Pyro Balls one after the other as they barreled into Togekiss. Togekiss audibly toughed it out as it dueled the orbs of incineration multiple times in a row. Miraculously, each Pyro Ball was absorbed into Sky Attack, the grandiose display of fire growing larger and larger. The audience shouted and cheered in both disbelief and amazement.
"Incredible! Togekiss is going to do it!" Goh put a hand in front of his face as the fire and light coalesced into such harsh radiance, it was as if the sun itself had descended into the contest stadium, "Go, Togekiss!"
"Toooogeeeeee~!" the graceful creature cheered as it disappeared into the burning luster that now comprised its entire body. It was at this point that Contesta, Sukizo, and Pierre, as well as the entire crowd in the stands, gawked at the display of sheer willpower and brilliance. Not even a Moltres could hold a candle to the fire that danced and glided through the air of the stadium.
Matilda had stopped scribbling with her pen and looked up. She raised an eyebrow.
Dawn knew it was time to prove everyone that questioned her abilities wrong.
"Now, Togekiss! Big finish! Dive down-"
A catastrophic explosion occurred in the air.
For Dawn, the sounds of the crowd and the fire fell silent. Only the crackle of the blast high in the air reached her ears, as well as the cry of Togekiss. From the epicenter of the midair detonation came one descending and smoking contrail from the cloud of burning smog.
The girl's eyes widened, and she choked a gasp before screaming out in pure terror, " Togekiss! "
Goh and Cinderace's pupils reflected the falling meteor hurtling towards the stands of the audience. Their eyes glimmered with dread and horror.
Surrounded in smoke and burning cinders, Togekiss strained in pain as it used its last reserves of vitality to steer away from the screaming audience members to instead crash into the stage. Dawn, Goh, and Cinderace held up their arms to brace their faces from the force of the impact, shooting sparks, and bits of the stage as Togekiss cratered into the ground.
Dawn knew it was over. Nevertheless, she ran to her fallen Pokémon, tears streaming from her eyes. Her hands touched Togekiss's face, the Pokémon weakly smiling up at Dawn. Its feathers were hot to the touch, and Dawn recoiled back from the heat.
"T-Togekiss…! I-I can't- I-" Dawn was at a loss for words at the sight of Togekiss passing out from the damage, fainting right on the stage as its wings smoked from the volatile reaction it had endured, "This can't be happening!"
The stage lights clicked off. Dawn fell forwards. Togekiss was gone. Only a deep, dark void surrounded the girl. Her breathing was labored and painful as she looked around, trying to find any sort of familiar shape she could focus on.
A voice called out from behind her. It spoke in a grating, mocking tone.
"Wow, and I thought Goh was going to be your downfall. How ironic! That was even more priceless than the Daybreak Contest! Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah~!"
Ursula's taunts struck Dawn's heart like Icicle Spear, the girl choking back a pained gasp, "Wh-What's happening?! Togekiss?! Cinderace?! G-Goh…?!"
"Ready to admit I was right, Dee Dee?"
She couldn't see him, but Dawn knew that Kenny was smirking down at her. It was a grin of fulfillment, even at the cost of her heart.
Dawn backed away from the voice, turning to run in the other direction, even if sprinting away would only lead to her wandering aimlessly in the neverending nothingness that was before her.
Then, she saw the one figure she could see with her own two eyes.
It was Goh; the boy's back was to her.
Her sprint reduced to a jog, and her jog slowed to a walk. Eventually, the girl came to a stop just a foot away from the boy. The only sound of breathing Dawn could hear was her own, yet her contest partner in front of her stood rigid, almost as if he was tensing up to contain all of his emotions within.
Dawn's eyes glanced down. She could see that his hands were clenched into fists. Slowly, she reached out to touch his shoulder, "Goh… where are we-?"
"I… I can't believe… you made such a lapse in judgment…"
The girl reeled her hand back in, clutching it to her heart, "What? Goh?"
"Do you have any idea how me and Cinderace feel for contributing to what just happened?!" the boy whirled around, releasing his rage and anguish at the girl, causing her to stumble back, "You told me to trust you, and look at the result! I thought you were supposed to have so much experience after all of this time, and yet you couldn't even realize that this would happen!"
Dawn took one more step back, and all of a sudden, there was nothing to put her other foot on. She tipped backwards, and plummeted down an invisible chasm, the figure of Goh getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller…
His voice, however, boomed with thunderous ferocity.
" Your future is nothing but failure!"
Dawn was frozen stiff under the comforters. A cold sweat covered her body as she silently took in and released bated gasps. Her pupils were shrunk, and snapping awake hadn't even gotten her to spring up from her bed in the hotel room. The coordinator was shivering inside her soul as her eyes darted to and fro in the darkness.
She glanced at the glowing electronic numbers on the bedside clock. 1:37 AM.
The girl sniffled, and shuffled in her bed.
"Luuuppp…?" Piplup quietly yawned as it felt its trainer toss and turn, standing up on top of the bed to assess what was causing Dawn to stir awake.
The moment Dawn heard Piplup at her side, she stretched out an arm and wrapped it around the little Water-type Pokémon, pulling it close to her.
"Hey, Piplup," Dawn weakly whispered to her Pokémon partner, "I just… had a bad dream."
"Lup…" Piplup immediately got into cheer-up-Dawn mode, cozying up to the girl in order for her to feel its warm body accompany her through the night.
Dawn smiled, despite her heart still suffering from painful turmoil, "Thank you, Piplup. You're the best Pokémon anyone could ask for."
The coordinator spent the rest of the night attempting to drift off, a smile on her face, yet in perpetual fear of a nightmare crawling back into her mind.
The night terror had done its damage, however. The girl's mind now recounted the voices that mocked and lashed out at her. Dawn shivered again.
The past was ugly… what did that mean for the future?
Dawn began to fall asleep once more.
" I can't fail. Not again… "
Rubbing his eyes, Goh stirred awake in his bed. This night's sleep wasn't as horrendous as the one before, where he had slept on the floor thanks to the sugar crash. Nevertheless, it wasn't a desirable feeling to arise from his slumber this morning. The boy stretched as he normally did, and yawned, "Nnnhh… good morning, Dawn."
A tiny bit later, Dawn also sat up in her bed, her hair frizzled and messy from her bedhead.
"Piplup, you know the drill," Dawn pointed at her hair, her eyes barely staying open. Of course, Piplup knew the drill, and one Bubble Beam later, Dawn's navy-blue hair was back to its usual smooth and shiny luster. The girl's mood didn't improve much from this, however.
Goh scratched his head as he looked over at her, "Yeesh, looks like you didn't have a good night's sleep for a change…"
"Uh-huh, I wonder what gave you that idea?" Dawn sarcastically remarked, earning a huffy response from Goh.
"Alright, fair enough," the boy stepped out from the bed, took his clothes from his drawer, and walked towards the bathroom, "Guess we should get ready as soon as we can. I have a feeling that the battle practice is going to take everything we've got."
Dawn still stared at her comforters, a headache starting to brew in her temple. She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Dawn?"
"Piplup-lup?"
The contest coordinator blinked and gazed up from the bedsheets, eying both Goh and Piplup, who were looking back at her, unsure if she'd get out of bed. Dawn vigorously shook her head in a last-ditch effort to rid herself of her nighttime stress, and she waved a hand at them.
"No need to worry! You just get dressed in the bathroom, and I'll do so afterwards!" Dawn cheerily replied in an effort to mask the terror that she underwent last night.
"Alright, I won't take too long," Goh uneasily glanced back at Dawn before he nodded. The boy walked into the bathroom, and closed the door behind himself.
Slipping off his pajamas, it was a trivial manner to get dressed for the boy. In no time, he was in his pants and sweater; the Pokémon catcher turned on the water faucet to give his face a rinse. He was thankful that the hotel's water heated up rather quickly, and the relief of the warm tap splashing his head did just a little bit to calm the turmoil that had been pounding his temple these last couple of days.
Wiping his face with a washcloth, Goh took a good look at his reflection in the mirror. The sky-blue eyes in the mirror stared back at him. He exhaled out of his nose.
Goh took out his Rotom Phone. Booting up the contest pairings, he scrolled past his and Dawn's team before coming to Kenny and Ursula's. The boy had remembered not only the rankings of Dawn's contests, but also scores of others. There was one in particular that came to mind.
"Let's see… What appeal cost him the Performance Stage at the Sinnoh Grand Festival?" Goh muttered as he tapped a video player, orienting the phone sideways. On the small screen, Goh bore witness to Kenny's unsuccessful, albeit impressive attempt at a powerful combination to wow the judges.
The combined efforts of Kenny's Empoleon firing a Flash Cannon into the sideways-oriented Whirlpool being produced by his Floatzel for a split second appeared to be stable, only for the Whirlpool to suddenly collapse in on itself, throwing Floatzel into the air and causing the Pokémon to crash back down onto the stage.
Goh zoomed in on the Whirlpool just before the catastrophic failure. The boy gave a small grin.
"Hmph. Can't believe he messed up like that in front of everyone. I'd bet me and Inteleon could pull it off, and even turn it into an attack," Goh chuckled as he clicked his phone off, and stuffed it back into his sweater pocket.
Soon, it would be time to prove everyone that said he knew nothing and called him a weak link wrong. Mixed in with that source of anticipation was the data he had uncovered the previous night.
The boy's fingers tightened into a fist.
"I'm going to show them all that I don't need to be carried," Goh smirked, "Then they'll see."
Thankfully, breakfast had done a good job in helping to improve the morale of both Dawn and Goh, as well as get the Pokémon ready for the day in tip-top condition. While the battlefields of the resort would have been a great location to get their act together and formulate how they'd tackle the extremely important Battle Stage, the conclusion of the Sinnoh League had brought with it the return of all of the trainers that had gotten bookings with the hotel to squeeze in post-League fights and settle some grudges unofficially.
"Guess the nature reserve will have to do again. Let's hope you won't be tempted to catch anything while we practice!" Dawn gave Goh a smile, earning an unimpressed reaction from her partner.
"You're asking me that question after I lost my opportunity to catch that Glameow?" Goh snorted his response as he fumbled through his only two other Pokéballs, discounting Grookey's, "I think the choice is pretty obvious from my end. Cinderace is going to be exhausted performing in two contest rounds in a row, so for the Battle Stage, I'll go for… Inteleon!"
Goh let loose his Pokéball from his hand, and in a brilliant flash of light, the tall, slender, and suave Water-type emerged from within. It stood at a slight recline, its arms already crossed as it held up a hand and finger in front of its face.
" 'Teleon ," the Secret Agent Pokémon just being out in person hung an aura of sophisticated elegance around itself. Piplup was once again enamored with the Pokémon's presence, trying its hardest to mimic Inteleon's signature pose. Inteleon tilted its head at the other Pokémon, grinning at its fan.
"Good call! I think Inteleon is going to do really well in the Battle Stage!" Dawn then brought a finger up to her chin as she transitioned to deep thought, "Now let's see… I've really gotta put some thought into this! A Pokémon that's really strong and can complement Inteleon! Hmmm…"
Dawn tapped her finger as she stared up into the sky.
Piplup sighed. Mamoswine was definitely up for the Battle Stage. The little Pokémon felt heartbroken at the fact that it couldn't get to participate in such an important contest for its trainer, but it believed that whatever decision Dawn made, it would be for the betterment of her chances to achieve that coveted ribbon.
Piplup understood, and it waited for the sound of Mamoswine's Pokéball to click open.
However, the capsule never opened.
A pair of hands wrapped around Piplup's waist, and the downtrodden Pokémon chirped in surprise as it was lifted up and turned around to face its master, "P-Piplup?"
Dawn gave her Pokémon partner a warm smile, "Piplup, I choose you!"
The tiny Pokémon was absolutely ecstatic. Piplup cheered in joy as it finally got to have its opportunity to be center stage in the contest. And alongside Inteleon as well? The chance for Piplup to really show off what it was capable of in a contest battle would have to impress even Inteleon, the fully-evolved Water-type Pokémon.
As Dawn and Piplup began to cheerfully converse, Inteleon cracked a small smile. It too was looking forward to working with the Pokémon that looked up to it. While Inteleon was inexperienced in the nuances of contest battling, the suave Pokémon felt that it would be able to pick up on the techniques and fine details quickly.
Inteleon then noticed Goh's quizzical demeanor towards Dawn and Piplup, giving a questioning grunt to its master, "Intel?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Though, when I think about it…" Goh crossed his arms, "Piplup's great at battling. I've seen it and you've seen it for yourself before, but going into a double battle with two Water-types…"
The boy exhaled through his nose and glanced back up at his partner Pokémon, "On the off-chance, just be ready. We might have some work cut out for ourselves."
Inteleon's gaze narrowed at Goh, the boy not picking up on the Pokémon's stare. Inteleon stroked its chin with a finger once more. It didn't take a Psychic-type Pokémon to know that something was amiss with Goh's line of thought, especially if he's spent enough time with Ash to know that type-matchups weren't the only deciding factors of a battle.
Goh caught Inteleon's sight, to which the trainer flashed back a reassuring smile, "Leave it to me. Maybe we'll even surprise Dawn with a thing or two."
The tall and slender Pokémon narrowed its gaze.
The training for the all-important Battle Stage had begun in the afternoon. Goh mentally reminded himself that although this was a "Battle Stage", conducting a Pokémon battle in the normal fashion of knocking out your opponent by any means necessary was the incorrect way to go about it. His research into prior contestants' performances, victories, and losses had also revealed a section of statistics that denoted how the victories had been achieved.
Some of them were acquired by having a better tally of points than their opponent when the timer had run out—a leeway of five minutes. Others had managed to knock out their opponents, and the judges finalized the result through their approval. Though sometimes, and on more rare occasions, the judges had ruled against victories gained by knockouts if the aggressing coordinator lacked employment of appeal moves, or overall, had battled normally.
"Alright, you two! I've got loads of ideas for what Piplup and Inteleon can pull off!" Dawn pointed at both of the Water-types, "But to start off, I think Piplup's going to need to play teacher to Inteleon for a little while. Y'know, to really get it up to speed with what contests are really all about!"
"P-Piplup!" Dawn's Pokémon partner chirped in surprise, then puffed out its chest at the opportunity of actually getting to lecture its idol on something it was unfamiliar with.
Goh tilted his head at this prospect, waving his hands to his side, "Piplup teaching Inteleon? Well, not sure that's going to be all that necessary. Inteleon definitely gets the message about putting on a show while battling at the same time. In fact, I'd be surprised if there was a single battle where Inteleon didn't end up looking cool."
The girl gave a confused look back at Goh, "Well, if you say so. Not sure what harm it could do, though. Do you doubt Piplup's abilities in a contest battle? You know how many contests we've been through, right?"
" That's what I'm worried about… " Dawn's contest partner avoided her gaze as he mulled in his mind before giving her his reply, "Not at all. Just…" Goh rubbed the back of his head, "You've planned out how the Performance and Choreography Stages would go for me and Cinderace. We've followed your dance routine to a tee, and combining Sky Attack with Pyro Ball was pretty much your idea from the get-go. Do you think that… well, a lot of this is down to your hands instead of mine?"
A pit began to form in Dawn's stomach. Was Goh now doubting her abilities just as others had, and did, from her contest history?
The young girl's face suddenly filled with stupor at this notion, "Goh, I mean… I know you've done a lot of research about contests and all, and I'm really thankful for that, but I've actually competed in a bunch of them as well!"
"Well, I'm just saying that maybe we could do this with a fresh viewpoint in mind," Goh pointed a finger up, "Besides, since you've structured our first two rounds largely by yourself, I feel I should at least take a shot at being more involved with planning the third. Perhaps it'd work a lot better than you'd initially give credit for."
Dawn crossed her arms and gave an unsure look down at the ground, "I… I'm not so sure."
Goh put a hand on his hip, "Come on, my theories have quite the consistency in proving their legitimacy. You should know."
"Oh, great. Now your vocabulary is getting out of control…" Dawn rolled her eyes.
Piplup and Inteleon shared a nervous glance.
To say that the training wasn't going well would be an understatement. Dawn and Goh's minds pounded with their own respective insecurities—Goh's being that he needed to put himself at or even ahead of the recently ill-performing Dawn to show that he didn't need to be babysat through the contest, and Dawn's consisting of her own self-consciousness of her fruitless journeys on her quest to become Top Coordinator, as well as the stress of this contest being the last she'd need for her final ribbon to enter the Sinnoh Grand Festival once more.
The two had something to prove to the nay-sayers, but at the rate it was going, it seemed like both Dawn and Goh were trying to subtly prove themselves to one another. The training had been going on for a while, as the sun had begun to descend in the sky, marking the coming of evening. Not a single appeal move had been formulated yet, despite both of the coordinators trying their absolute hardest to make a discovery.
"One more time! Inteleon, use Liquidation!" Goh ordered once more for Inteleon to charge up its attack, "Let's get it right!"
"In-telll!" Inteleon swirled in place, a rushing stream of water surrounding its feet and jetting up onto its arms, encasing its fists and forearms in the rapidly churning deluge.
"Okay, Piplup! Use Bubble Beam to power up Inteleon's Liquidation!" Dawn thrust her hand forward after she gave her command.
"Pip-lup-lup-lup!" the Penguin Pokémon chirped as it released a torrent of bubbles from its beak, each one barreling towards the water-coated arms of Inteleon. Goh's Pokémon partner held up its limbs to absorb the incoming attack, bracing for impact. One by one, the bubbles impacted against the Liquidation, Inteleon standing firm on its ground as it took the attack effortlessly. Upon observing no discernable change to the formation or intensity of Liquidation, Goh sighed.
"Come on! That can't be all that you can give, Inteleon! We need more!" Goh called out.
Dawn bit her lip.
The situation eerily reminded her of the nightmare she experienced before.
"A-Alright! Piplup, give it a bit more power!" the girl shook her head to rid herself of the traumatic memory and instructed her Pokémon, to which Piplup nodded and let loose another Bubble Beam.
"There we go! Get ready, Inteleon!" Goh called out.
"Tel-!" Inteleon grunted as the much more ferocious Bubble Beam scattered against its formation of water. The boy could visually confirm a small change in the Liquidation, the intensity of the flow of water now increasing more and more. It wasn't nearly enough, however.
"Dawn, you need to give it more power! We're almost there!" Goh shouted from his end, "I've never seen Inteleon's Liquidation at this much power, so give it another go! We can't hold this forever!"
"Tellll…" Inteleon concentrated as hard as it ever had in order to maintain the flow of water, the Pokémon now uncharacteristically gritting its teeth in an effort to steady itself.
"Piplup!" Piplup tapped its chest with its flipper, already two steps ahead of Dawn. Just as it was about to inhale in order to fire another stream of watery projectiles, Dawn picked up the little Pokémon from the ground, startling it into canceling its attack.
"Stop! Stop!" Dawn shouted, causing Piplup to chirp in surprise at its trainer, and for Inteleon to break its concentration. The sudden snap-back of breaking its focus caused the attack to dissipate, staggering the Pokémon. Inteleon quickly regained its composure, dusting off its arms. The Secret Agent Pokémon took a second to focus itself again. It hadn't experienced nearly that sort of pressure from handling a Water-type attack before.
Goh, however, was focused on how Dawn interrupted Piplup from delivering the final Bubble Beam into Inteleon's Liquidation, "Why did you stop?! We were so close to witnessing what Inteleon's fully-powered Liquidation combined with all of those bubbles from Bubble Beam could have looked like!"
The girl took a step back from the sudden flare-up of Goh's temper. She'd been in the position before where the most eye-catching results had been demanded by her at the expense of the capabilities of her Pokémon. But now, Dawn was seeing this sentiment being thrown back at her, and it did not settle well with her. The nightmare she had was beginning to appear more like a vision that was prophesied to her while she slept.
"Goh, I think we're going about this wrong. I'm not sure if Inteleon would have been able to handle that much energy around itself!" Dawn tried to reason with Goh.
"What?! Are you saying that Inteleon isn't up to the task when you implied I was thinking that way about Piplup?!" Goh was not about to let his own contest partner finalize his label as being the underpowered team member.
"No, Goh! That's not it at all, and you know it!" Dawn now fired back at her contest partner, receiving an uneasy expression from the boy. Inteleon patted Goh's shoulder and got him to turn around. The tall and blue lizard gave him a reassuring look, and a signal for him to settle down a bit.
"'Teleon," Inteleon whispered, patting Goh's shoulder once more before getting back to its position. Goh took a deep breath in through his nose, then exhaled.
"Alright, sorry about all of that," Goh rubbed his forehead, his mind throbbing once more with flashes of data and videos he had studied over the past night and morning, "I think… I think we should try an idea I have."
"An idea you have?" Dawn crossed her arms, unsure if Goh's behavior was indicative of his usual analytical self. The young girl's doubts only got stronger and stronger, but when she recalled Goh's point about her seemingly running their performances from the very start, a bit of understanding began to creep up, "Okay, Goh. What do you need me and Piplup to do?"
Dawn's contest partner wasted no time. He pointed into the air with a finger and gave his first order, "I need Piplup to use Whirlpool in the air, and angle the Whirlpool at me and Inteleon! Make sure that Piplup doesn't release it!"
Piplup looked back at Dawn. It nodded, confident that it would be able to pull off the command. Dawn, though uneasy, nodded back, "Got it. Okay, Piplup, start up Whirlpool, and do exactly what Goh said!"
The tiny Penguin Pokémon steeled itself as it leaped into the air, extending its wings above its head and looking up into the sky. A brief glimmer of swirling water converged just over its beak as Piplup charged up Whirlpool, the small swirl of water now transforming into a massive circling vortex as the Pokémon cried out, "Pip- LUUUUUUUUUP~ !"
Spinning with the Whirlpool, the tiny creature controlling the gigantic maelstrom of water now turned its body in midair, facing the undertow towards Goh's Pokémon. It really was a sight to behold. Such a small Pokémon controlling a massive formation of water like that got a moment of genuine awe from Inteleon, the lizard's mouth slightly agape at the sight.
Goh, however, was quick to move to the next step, "Inteleon, use Snipe Shot! Aim into the top of the Whirlpool!"
"Inteleon!" the Secret Agent Pokémon thrust its arm out and pointed its index finger at the swirling mass of water. With one eye closed and taking aim, Inteleon found its mark, and clicked its thumb down. Its hand recoiled back as the hyper-condensed blast fired from its fingertip, instantly reaching the Whirlpool.
Dawn's eyes grew wide. She knew what Goh was attempting to pull off, and what he was trying to do hadn't worked well for Kenny. The coordinator had seen it with her own eyes.
"Great shot, Inteleon!" Goh praised his Pokémon partner as it blew the mist emanating from the tip of its finger.
"P-Piplup, do your best to hold it!" Dawn cautiously called out, earning a confident chirp from the Pokémon still holding the Whirlpool together.
Goh could visually see the glowing projectile of Snipe Shot react inside of the Whirlpool, causing the entire vortex to glow a bright aqua blue, lighting up the nature reserve from the waning evening light. Shadows cast past trees and bushes as the numerous wild Pokémon that were watching began to scurry away from the bright light. Dawn and Goh both held their hands up to their faces to shield their eyes from the illumination. For a moment, the display held, and it was absolutely beautiful to behold.
That was, until, the Whirlpool began to falter in shape, and the sound of the Snipe Shot zigzagging and swirling inside began to grow more and more unstable.
The sight of Kenny's Floatzel being blasted away leaped back into Dawn's mind. Something was about to go terribly wrong.
"Piplup, drop the Whirlpool this instant!" she shouted for her Pokémon to obey the command. Piplup cried out in surprise at Dawn's new order.
Goh also shared a moment of confusion.
"Wh-What?! No! Hold it up, Piplup! Everything is falling into place!" Goh's eyes glimmered with the reflection of the glowing Whirlpool, "We can actually beat Kenny and Ursula at their own game!"
Dawn let out a gasp at Goh's words.
"Kenny and Ursula?!" Dawn blinked, making sure whatever she heard coming out of Goh's mouth was true. Inteleon took a step back. The Pokémon mirrored Dawn's concern, and it prepared itself for whatever might occur once the Whirlpool failed.
Then, the Snipe Shot that was collecting power within began to angle and funnel its way to the bottom of the Whirlpool that was angled at the sky, and at Piplup. The confident demeanor of Dawn's Pokémon partner instantly disappeared as it realized it was now staring down the watery barrel of a loaded cannon.
"Piplup, let it go!"
"P-Pipluuuup!"
Piplup corkscrewed downwards away from the Whirlpool as the Snipe Shot accelerated straight through where the Pokémon was once positioned. The precise, condensed, and subtle Water-type attack that Inteleon fired into the Whirlpool erupted as a screeching, sound-barrier-breaking burst. The attack barely grazed Piplup as it erupted from the Whirlpool, the massive and screaming projectile traveling up into the sky and detonating with a thunderous explosion.
Witnessing Piplup fall from the air, Inteleon sprung into action without a word, nor a command to be issued. Spreading its membrane past its arms, it lifted itself into a glide off the ground, barreling towards the descending Piplup.
" 'Tel! " Inteleon plucked Piplup from its descent and wrapped it close to its body. The Secret Agent Pokémon shut its eyes and braced itself as the collapsing Whirlpool smashed down on top of it, throwing Inteleon into the ground in a torrent of water. Knocked out of the sky and with Piplup still firmly in its grasp, Inteleon grunted as it bounced off of the grass, rolling onto its side, its chest rising up and down as it released Piplup from its hold only when it knew that the danger had passed.
"L-Luuup…" Piplup somberly patted Inteleon's head with a flipper for coming to its rescue, earning a weak smile from the taller and injured Pokémon.
"Inteleon! Piplup!" the respective trainers called out to their Pokémon, rushing to the scene of Inteleon struggling to get back up onto its two legs, with Piplup chirping in concern after seeing its idol tank the entire descending Whirlpool in order to save the little Pokémon from harm.
"Thank goodness you're okay!" Dawn brought Piplup back into her arms before turning her attention to Inteleon, "I can't thank you enough, Inteleon-"
"Why did you do that?!"
The air around the nature reserve came to a standstill. The wind died down. Leaves on the trees stopped blowing and rustling to and fro. Not even the cries and squeaks of Pokémon could be heard between the four as Goh's building temper finally boiled over.
"We were so close to making the best appeal move for the battle, and you just stopped it right there?!" Goh's anger spilled out in force, the boy helping Inteleon stand up by allowing the Pokémon to rest an arm on Goh's shoulders, "Is it me, or is it ironic that I'm going to have to take control of our battle now?!"
The slate-gray eyes of Dawn shimmered in heartache, the girl now matching Goh's worsening attitude with her own, "Goh, I know what you were trying to do! I saw that appeal move fail when Kenny tried to perform it at the Grand Festival long ago! Why would you try and attempt such a thing?!"
The boy avoided Dawn's gaze. She was onto Goh's motivations.
"Doesn't it matter to you that you have an opportunity to prove everyone incorrect? What everyone's been saying about you?" Goh's chest rose up and down as his breathing accelerated, the Pokémon catcher straining to hold back the floodgates for tears, "What everyone's been saying about me?!"
"About you…?" Dawn's shoulders sunk, "Goh… you ran into Kenny in the store, didn't you."
"And I bet you ran into Ursula, considering how you've been since? So why aren't we on the same wavelength?!" Goh jostled, causing Inteleon to grimace at its trainer's behavior. The Secret Agent Pokémon grunted as it got up from Goh's support, standing up straight once more.
"'Teleon," Inteleon sharply hissed at Goh in an effort to get its trainer to cut it out. Goh ignored the Pokémon's warning.
"Don't you want to prove Ursula wrong about you?" Goh asked Dawn.
Dawn shook her head before cradling Piplup in her arms, her Pokémon showing equal concern for its trainer's mental state, "It's not about that, Goh. It never will be. Even though the thought crossed my mind, this isn't how I want to enter the contest. I'm not only entering to try and earn the ribbon, but I'm going in because it's what I enjoy doing, and for once, I get to share that experience with someone else."
"I don't believe what I'm hearing…" Goh pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, "I'm… actually going to have to go about this on my own way."
"Your own way?! Goh, what happened to you being the rational one out of Ash and his new friends?! Has Kenny really gotten to you that badly-"
"What happened to 'No need to worry!', huh ?!" Goh lost his temper, shouting with enough force to send an echo through the now-silent nature reserve, "For all we know, that Snipe Shot wouldn't have ejected from the Whirlpool if you just got Piplup to keep it steady!"
"No, Goh, it would have-!"
Goh made the last interruption he would make in this argument, "Maybe you really have lost your touch. Maybe it was a mistake for you to plan out this whole thing and rope me into all of this while you can't even get any closer to Top Coordinator after all this time!"
The silence was deafening.
Goh's eyes glanced back at Dawn, and for a split second, he was caught off guard. It was as if Dawn was staring straight through Goh. Her face did not carry the expression of sadness, or anger. The only way Goh could have put into words what he saw stare through him was that it was a look of pure emotionless… apathy.
"P-Piplup?" Dawn's Piplup chirped in concern before it disappeared in a red flash. Where once was the little creature cradled in Dawn's arms was now nothing but air, the girl holding Piplup's Pokéball in her free hand.
Sweat dripped from Goh's forehead as he tried to control his breathing, his eyes watching as Dawn shuffled her feet to her right and began to walk off back towards the Hearthome City Resort. Goh's heart felt like it wanted to leap out and reach for the girl, telling her to stop and start everything over from scratch. However, his mind was ablaze with conflict, a headache now brewing in his temple.
The boy could only watch as Dawn walked away, her back turned towards her contest partner. Well, if Goh was lucky enough to even hold that distinction anymore. He didn't say a word.
A sharp pain came from the back of his head.
" Ow! Hey!" Goh stammered and faced Inteleon, whose hand was outstretched at its side after delivering a firm and precise smack, "Is that really nece-"
Goh stood frozen in place after he bore witness to Inteleon's uncharacteristically furious expression. Its eyes, rather than Dawn's which had stared straight through Goh, pierced right into the very soul of the boy. The young Pokémon trainer had never seen Inteleon adopt this expression before, let alone seem this angry at him.
The boy, once more, avoided Inteleon's gaze as he guiltily recalled his partner back into its Pokéball. Those yellow irises managed to glare at Goh as the Pokémon was forced back inside its capsule.
It was already beginning to approach night by the time Goh trudged back to the hotel.
The sliding glass doors of the resort lobby opened for the boy, the disgruntled trainer stepping inside and walking past the concierge. A polite greeting was given, and Goh managed to reply with an uneasy nod, smile, and wave before he headed off towards the elevators. Once within, Goh thumbed the button to the corresponding floor for his and Dawn's room, and leaned against the wall. He blew a breath out from his mouth, running his hands down over his face.
The headache was in full effect now.
He just wanted the day to be over.
Goh didn't want to think anymore.
The elevator doors opened with a chime. Goh stepped out into the hallway, illuminated by the hotel's lights, ever so dimmer during the night. The hall seemed to stretch on and on as Goh walked until he finally came to his and Dawn's room.
The boy inhaled. One way or another, he was going to have to face Dawn after what had transpired.
Goh reached into his sweater pocket to dig for his room's keycard. As he did so, he began to run through all sorts of different reactions Dawn could have for Goh when he came inside. None of them seemed to phase Goh. He was beyond any concern at this point.
He dug around for a few more seconds before raising his eyebrow and switching hands to dig in his other pocket on his jacket. Goh's stomach sank. He had forgotten his keycard.
"Just great…" Goh muttered, his forehead pressing against the door in dismay as he tapped his knuckles on the solid hunk of fireproof wood, "Hey, Dawn? I… need you to let me inside. I don't have my keycard."
The Pokémon catcher blinked a few times, expecting to hear the disgruntled footsteps of Dawn approach the door and wordlessly open it for him. He didn't expect her to say anything else to him. Goh considered whether that would be for his own benefit at this point.
And yet, no such sound was made.
There wasn't even a shuffle from the other side.
Goh narrowed his eyes and knocked again, his irritation beginning to return, "Dawn, come on. Can you please open the door?"
The boy waited a few more seconds.
The door didn't open.
Goh's hand balled into a fist, and he slammed it on the wood, "For the love of- Dawn, you can't just leave me locked out here like this! I know you can hear me!"
He was beyond caring if any of the other hotel guests decided to peek outside to investigate what was causing all of this commotion. Still trapped in the hallway, Goh felt himself quiver more and more. His anger deepened.
"Don't make me go down to the concierge to get another keycard!" Goh threatened, his fist that he slammed on the door now weakly sliding down the frame.
More seconds passed. This time, a minute had flown by. Dawn didn't open the door for Goh. Before he opened his mouth once again, the shiny surface of the polished wood door gave a small reflection back at Goh. It was subtle, but he could barely make out his head, his face, and those blue eyes that glared back.
The boy's chest heaved with pained breaths as the silence droned on. His temperament began to decline, making way for guilt and hopelessness at the situation. His hand on the door slid further and further down before Goh put his other arm across the door, over his head. Goh's forehead once again pressed against the locked slab of wood, cold to the touch.
His lips quivered.
"I…" Goh began, choking as his vexation made way for a sadness barely contained. The nagging thoughts in his head were quickly overpowered by the memory of Dawn leaving him standing in the nature reserve, her eyes void of emotion and response. All of the jeering he received from both Team Rocket and Kenny were overcome by horrendous amounts of guilt as, piece by piece, Goh assembled the puzzle in his brain that painted a much clearer picture.
He messed up.
"Dawn, I… I'm sorry," Goh shivered.
No response came from inside the room.
Goh blinked, and sighed uncomfortably.
"I'm sorry for what I said to you, and for making you leave me like that," Goh then gave a half-hearted smile, "Not that I'd blame you. I… messed up everything."
He knew that Dawn had to be hearing everything he was saying from inside. If she still refused to open the door, Goh's conscience at this point would have forgiven her completely.
"I got distracted by stuff that didn't matter, let all of that get to my head, and… I hurt you because I couldn't even stuff my own ego when my knowledge was questioned," Goh choked back a sob as his voice began to tremble, "A-And I could have seriously hurt Piplup too."
He raised his forehead from the door, gazing at his faint reflection in the wood, "Inteleon already got injured, and… ugh… it's all my fault."
He waited a little bit, his heart slowing down as if it were giving up on him. His hair had become a mess as his head had been pressed against the door for such a long time.
"I let Kenny get under my skin and in my head, I tried to take over our practice because I felt like I really was the weak link in all of this and would be the one to cause us to fail, I put Piplup in a dangerous situation, and… I… I looked up your contest performance history… a-and…"
Goh felt sick to his stomach, "I doubted you from the conclusions I came to just at a glance…"
The boy sniffled. The dam had burst.
"I-I'm so sorry… I don't even know what I was thinking when I said all of that stuff to you, and how I've treated you since this morning… I don't… want to lose you as a friend, Dawn. I mean it," the young boy began to feel a tear roll down his cheek, his breaths now becoming intermixed with chokes and sobs, "And…"
Goh cracked a heartbroken smile, "If… you can't forgive me, then I'll understand."
He shut his eyes, his fist releasing into a palm that rested on the door, "I wouldn't forgive myself either."
Dawn's contest partner blinked a few more times, more tears escaping his eyes as he kept the sorrow-filled smile on his face, "That time I messed up with Horace long ago… and how Chloe can barely stand me at times…"
Goh's heart felt like it was pierced with a stake as he barely managed to choke out his last sentence, "Figures that the guy I travel with all the time manages to be friends with everyone. Even a loser like me."
"Goh…?"
A gasp bolted from the boy's throat as he brought his head up from the door, and looked to his left.
There she was, a hand over her chest.
Dawn.
Her eyes no longer looked past Goh, but were instead now filled with his face. A slight glimmer of her own tears shone from the wall lights, reflecting off of the bottom of her eyes. He didn't know what to say, but could only ask a question before anything else.
"You weren't inside…?" Goh took a step away from the door, embarrassment now fusing with his painful guilt, "Wh- How-?"
Dawn rubbed a hand on her shoulder, "I… took a walk to cool down outside at night."
Goh's eyes stared at the floor, the boy feeling a pit grow in his stomach whenever he tried to look into the girl's eyes, "H-How much did you hear?"
Dawn blinked, her eyes still trying to meet Goh's as he averted her gaze, "...enough."
Her contest partner couldn't even groan. He felt as if his soul had left his body knowing that, for however long Dawn was in the hallway next to him, Goh didn't even notice her presence.
The two stood in silence for what felt like an eternity before Dawn spoke up once more, "Goh, everything you said-"
"I mean it, Dawn," Goh tightened his hands into fists at his side, "Even the part about you not forgiving me. What I did is inexcusable."
The blue-haired girl gave a sigh, taking a step towards Goh, "Hey, Goh. I want you to look at me. Not at the floor."
The boy swallowed, then tilted his head up at the girl. He had to see it for himself. Her eyes really were meeting his, and not piercing through, past him.
Dawn blinked away before returning Goh's gaze, "What you said… really did hurt. I'm not going to lie about that. But… I'm not going to abandon this team over a misstep like this. Especially when I can tell that you're trying your hardest to come clean to me."
Goh's mouth opened, but was cut off by what Dawn said next.
"If I'm being honest, I have some stuff to apologize for too," Dawn rubbed her shoulder, "Y'see, when I… yeah, kinda roped you into this whole thing, I really did mean for it to help you destress yourself from overdoing it on catching as many Pokémon as you were trying to snag."
The girl then grimaced, "But I ended up pulling you into my rivalries, something that I never should have let happen. I took one form of stress away from you, and I just added another, all because I needed a contest partner in the first place."
She gave a nervous chuckle, "And your research into my contest history, well, I guess I can't blame you for the conclusions you came to. It's not impressive to look at, and… ugh… I did end up planning a lot of these routines solely from my end because I did believe you not being in a contest before would have played a big part."
Before Goh could have his reaction to that last part, Dawn shook her hands at the boy, "B-But you've really proven me wrong with how much you've researched contests, and how you've gotten the hang of how appeal moves work! And besides-"
Dawn gave Goh a warm smile, "You're right. There really is no need to worry. Because no matter if we win or lose… I'm glad that I chose you to be my partner, even through all of this."
The Pokémon catcher didn't even know what to say. In the back of his mind, he truly believed that he didn't deserve Dawn's sympathy after he reopened her old wounds from her travels and contests. And yet, here she was, ready to forgive him.
"I know what's going on in that little head of yours~," Dawn poked Goh's forehead, interrupting his train of thought, "I forgive you, Goh. But I need you to forgive yourself. We all make mistakes, y'know."
Dawn stretched out a hand to Goh, "No more of either of us trying to lead the other. We're a team, and we'll do this together!"
Seeing the cheerful and upbeat demeanor blossom back in Dawn proved contagious to Goh. For the first time in days, a genuine smile filled Goh's face as he took Dawn's hand to shake, "Th-Thank you, Dawn! I really don't know what to say!"
His contest partner giggled before pulling Goh into a hug, squeezing the boy tightly, "Ah, forget the handshake. C'mere!"
"A-Agh!" Goh squirmed in the girl's Ursaring grip, his feet dangling as he was lifted off the ground. The boy thanked the stars for having the foresight to inhale right before the hug, giving him enough oxygen to make it through until the eventual release. Dawn's cheeks flushed a rosy color as she gave a closed-eyed smile to Goh, the boy turning his face and scratching his messed-up hair to avoid revealing his own blush towards the girl.
Then, Dawn tapped a finger on her cheek, "Speaking of which, what are you even doing out here? Did you forget your keycard or something?"
Goh's head instantly hung over his shoulders, the dismayed boy groaning, "Y-Yeah. I guess I was pouring my heart out to the door this whole time."
Dawn's cheeks puffed as she suppressed a snicker before unhooking her backpack from herself, and holding it in front, "Well, good thing I've got mine! No need-"
Dawn began to dig through the front pocket, an eyebrow raising as she was unable to feel the thin plastic slip in her traveling pack. She then zipped open another pocket and shuffled around in that one as well.
"To…"
Her smile was still plastered on her face, eyes still looking at Goh as the girl began to shudder as more and more time elapsed with no success in finding the keycard she was supposed to have brought out of the room.
"Worry…"
Goh gave an exhausted smile and sighed, "You think… the concierge will be kind enough to give us new keycards at this hour…?"
The nighttime air was thankfully not too chilly as Goh sat outside on the hotel room's porch. Inside, Dawn was busy taking a shower. Goh had already done so, his hair still moist and attracting the cold from the little bit of wind that blew during the night.
Hoothoot cooed throughout the surrounding treelines, and Kricketot once more played their nocturnal song. The only other sound that found its way to Goh's ears was the dial tone of his Rotom Phone, the screen illuminating with the name of the contact he was attempting to reach out to.
A few rings, and a groggy voice picked up on the other end, "H-Hello…?"
Goh smiled, "Heya, Ash. Sorry I'm calling so late. I just wanted to talk for a bit."
The voice instantly picked up newfound energy and enthusiasm, "Oh, no problem! It's been a bit since you've checked in with me. How's your training going with Dawn?"
Goh's smile slightly faltered, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I… I really messed up, Ash."
"Messed up?" the Pallet Town-born and raised trainer sat up in his bunk bed, raising an eyebrow, "What do you mean, Goh?"
The boy sighed, "I lashed out at Dawn and did some really stupid stuff because some of the stress got to me."
"Oh… last I heard you told me you two were doing great. What went wrong?" Ash now started to sound deeply concerned over the phone; one of the biggest reasons he'd agreed to for letting Goh spend time with Dawn was to keep his health in check. She promised that she would make sure of it.
"Just… I let some stuff people said get to my head, and I ended up taking it all out on Dawn," he said. Looking back through the glass doors, he saw that Dawn wasn't in the room, indicating that she was still in the shower, "She said she forgives me, but… I don't know. I let some really bad stuff come out of my mouth, even though I know I should be better than this. Dawn said it herself too."
"But you just said she forgave you, Goh," Ash pointed out, "I think you should take her word for it and do what she always says!"
Goh chuckled, "Stop worrying? Yeah, guess I really should take that advice to heart."
"That's the spirit," Ash laughed on the other end.
The Pokémon catcher's eyes narrowed before he resumed his conversation with a question, "Hey, Ash? Can I ask you something a little personal?"
"Of course! Anything you need," Ash reassured his friend.
Goh's fingers rubbed the sides of the Rotom Phone as he delivered his question, "I know me and you have had our fair share of disagreements and arguments, but have you ever, you know… really let everything out at someone?"
A pause came on the line before Ash gave a little chuckle, "Yeah. Tons."
Goh blinked, "Really?"
"Oh man, so many times. Let's see… Dewford Town, this one time with a Lucario, that other time with Iris when we were in the Decolore Islands, Snowbelle City…" Ash counted on his fingers before falling back down on his bed, "And if I'm being honest, I kind of wonder how Brock and especially Misty put up with me for so long during my early trainer days. I guess I'm pretty lucky that they're still great friends of mine!"
He listened to everything Ash said. The tiny smile returned to Goh's face, "Thanks, Ash. I really needed that."
The boy then rubbed a thumb on his hand, "Hey… you… still didn't tell Chloe about what I'm doing with Dawn, right?"
Ash blinked, "Nope, just like you said. Though… I dunno why you're making such a big fuss about not telling her."
"Ugh… Ash, you know why. If she knows that I've been spending time with Dawn, y'know, one on one, she'll get the completely wrong idea and flood me with messages asking me for every little detail about what we're doing!" Goh shouted at Ash, his face growing a flustered red, "You know how she is!"
"...I think you might be overreacting a little-"
"Ash, she mistook that Psyduck's trainer for being Chrysa's long-lost special somebody instead of the Psyduck itself."
"Okay, you have a point," Ash tapped his finger on his chin, looking up at the ceiling, "But mark my words, she'll find out about the contest one way or another!"
Goh gave an exasperated sigh, "I know… just, me and Dawn can't afford anymore distractions at this point."
Through the balcony doors, Goh could hear Dawn's voice faintly as she was still in the bathroom with the shower now turned off, "Goh, I hear the room service at the door! Can you get it? I'm still getting changed in here!"
"I got it!" Goh called back, reentering the room through the sliding glass door, "Sorry, Ash. Looks like I gotta go."
"Tell Dawn I said hi, and remember, I'm rooting for you two!" Ash cheerfully bid his farewell to Goh.
"I will. I won't keep you any longer. Goodnight!" Goh smiled as he thumbed the hang-up symbol on the touch screen.