Well, now we're at the actual contest battle. Once again, I thank you all for the reviews you've given me. It inspires me to keep on keeping on. Time to hear the theme song again! ^^ Enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 12
Misty's POV
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" I heard Dawn yell from behind the door. Well that was just great, I was having one of the best dreams I could ever have, and Dawn ruined it. "Wake up you guys!" Dawn yelled again. Now Ash, Pikachu, and my new Vaporeon were awake too. I got out of bed and stomped towards the door.
"Alright we're up! Now quit screaming before you wake up the whole building!" I yelled.
"I'm sorry, but the contest is in a few hours and we need to get moving!" Dawn exclaimed. I guess she was right. Dawn's contests weren't like Ash's battles, you couldn't just show up when you wanted, you had to arrive on time or you didn't get to compete.
"Alright, we'll be down in a few minutes." I finally said. Dawn gave a thumbs-up and ran for the stairs, and I closed the door and leaned against it.
"Dawn sure is enthusiastic about these, isn't she?" Ash asked, slipping on his vest.
"Pika pika." (No kidding.) Pikachu said with a yawn.
"She is…but it's not like there's no one else like that." I teased, earning a playful glare from Ash.
"Va po va." (Hi Misty.) Vaporeon greeted.
"Hello my darling Vaporeon!" I gave the water-type a tight hug, and she purred as I hugged her.
"You know Mist, I just realized something." Ash said.
"What's that Ash?"
"Now that Vaporeon has evolved, it should know a water-type attack."
"Hey yeah! Pull out your Pokédex Ash; let's see what it can do." I said excitedly.
Ash pulled out his red Pokédex, and set it to analyze Vaporeon's moves. "The moves that this Vaporeon can use are: 'Quick Attack', 'Shadow Ball', and 'Water Pulse'. It can also use 'Acid Armor' naturally because of its molecular structure."
"Awesome! 'Water Pulse' is my favorite water-type attack!" I squealed.
Ash smiled at my excitement, but then he let out a sudden shout of his own, "Waah! I forgot something! I was supposed to get Staravia back from Prof. Oak yesterday!"
I giggled, "Well what are you waiting for? Get going!"
"Alright, see you later Misty. C'mon Pikachu!" Ash rushed out the door.
"Pikapi! Pi pi ka chu!" (Ash, wait for me!) Pikachu chased after him, leaving me alone with Vaporeon.
"Well Vaporeon, I have to get dressed, so it's time for you to return to your ball."
"Va po." (Ok.)
I pulled out the newest Pokéball in my collection, and recalled Vaporeon. I closed the door to get dressed, but it swung back open before I could even take my shirt off. "Oh good! Ash is gone!" Dawn exclaimed happily, closing and locking the door.
"What is it? I thought we were in a hurry?" I asked.
"We are, but I'm just dying to know…what did you and Ash do last night?" Dawn was giggling madly. I never got used to having another girl around; it was always just me, Ash, and Brock. But I guess with Dawn around, I'd get the chance to do some girl talk. I got dressed while I told the story; we were both girls, so it didn't really matter what she saw. Dawn was to the point of exploding when I finally finished my story, "Oh my gosh! That is so unbelievably cute!" she squealed.
"I guess, but Team Rocket went and ruined the moment though." I said with disappointment.
"I know, but still! I mean, Ash Ketchum, the boy whose life revolves around Pokémon, was acting romantic?" Dawn squealed again.
"I guess it is kind of hard to imagine, but I'm more than happy with how it turned out." I was now dressed in my regular clothes, and me and Dawn walked out the door.
Normal POV
"Hey guys." Brock greeted.
"Hey Brock, did you check us out of our rooms yet?" Dawn asked.
"We still have our stuff in the rooms, we'll check out after the contest." Brock explained. Just then, Ash walked up with Pikachu and his other five Pokéballs.
"You got Staravia back Ash?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, oh, Prof. Oak says 'hi'." Ash replied.
"What about Mikey, Ash?" Brock asked.
That caught Misty off-guard, "Huh? You mean Mikey from Kanto?"
"Oh yeah, I kinda called him and asked him if I could trade one of my Tauros for an Eevee." Ash said sheepishly.
"You mean Vaporeon is Mikey's Eevee?!" Misty yelled, suddenly snarling in Ash's face.
"N-No, No! Yours is an offspring of his Eevee!" Ash defended, "Oh, and Mikey says 'hi' too." he added nervously.
At that, Misty cooled off, and gave Ash a smile. "Well in that case, I say 'hi' back." Misty said.
Ash sighed with relief, knowing that he had just dodged a bullet, or worse, Misty's mallet. "I think I've gotten spoiled these past few days, I almost forgot how quick she can get angry."
"Well let's go! I'm already registered for the contest, so we can just walk in!" Dawn said excitedly.
"Pi plup!" (Let's go!) Piplup ran out of the doors of the center.
"Piplup, wait for us!" Dawn hurried to chase after her overly-excited penguin.
"Wow, Piplup sure is excited." Brock said.
"But did he forget that Dawn is going to be using Ambipom in both rounds?" Ash asked.
"Dunno. But I do know that if we don't get going, we're gonna lose 'em!" Misty exclaimed.
"You're right Misty! Let's go after them!" Ash took off after the coordinator and her Pokémon, with Misty and Brock not far behind.
When they finally got to the arena, Misty looked around in awe at the sheer size of the place and how many people were crammed into it, "Wow! This place is packed! It looks like one of the shows back home in Cerulean!"
"Yeah, except these people are here to see Pokémon instead of your absolutely gorgeous sisters!" Brock replied dreamily, hearts suddenly appearing in his eyes.
"Brock, don't make me pull out my mallet." Misty's warning quickly brought the breeder back to reality.
"Hey, there's Dawn over there." Ash pointed out a little white hat in the crowd, and the trio went to meet up with their friend who was currently sifting through her backpack.
"Hey guys, glad you finally caught up with us!" Dawn said cheerily.
"I never would've imagined that so many people would come to see this." Misty said.
"Oh yeah, people love to watch Pokémon Contests because they're so appealing to the eye, some contests even get broadcasted all the way to Kanto!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Kanto eh? I wonder if your sisters will be able to see this Misty." Ash said.
The redhead just huffed, "Hmmph, maybe if they did, they'd want to do more battling and less shopping."
Dawn suddenly started tugging on Misty's arm, "Misty, can you come with me please? I need your help."
"Um, sure Dawn." Misty agreed, albeit a little hesitantly. After getting her confirmation, Dawn grabbed her backpack and ran towards where the coordinators got ready, dragging the water-trainer with her.
"We'll save a spot for you Misty!" Brock called.
Misty's POV
I ran through the crowded halls of the coordinator changing rooms, being dragged along by Dawn. "If she doesn't slow down we're going to bump into someone!" My suspicions were proved correct, as we bumped into a boy dressed in green with golden shoulder pads.
"Hey, watch where you're – oh, hi Kenny." Dawn's temper was immediately quelled when she realized she had bumped into her friendly rival.
"Waah! Dee Dee, you're not ready yet?!" Kenny exclaimed in concern.
Dawn's temper quickly got back up, "Stop…calling…me…Dee Dee!" she said through gritted teeth.
"Sorry! It was just a slip of the tongue!" Kenny panicked, shielding himself from any incoming harm.
I decided to bail Kenny out, apparently Dawn and I had a similar temper. "Uh Dawn, didn't we have something to do?"
Dawn looked back at me, "You're right." she then turned to give Kenny one last glare, and then dragged me to the only empty changing room.
"Good luck today Dawn!" Kenny called out.
We entered the cramped changing room, and Dawn opened her backpack. "Uh, Dawn, can you tell me why you wanted me to come back here with you?" I asked.
"I need your help to get ready! I certainly can't ask Ash or Brock now can I?" she replied.
"You managed to get by on previous occasions."
"Oh please, if I'm by myself, I get so nervous that my hair stands on end!" I tried my best not to laugh, but that was a funny sight to visualize. Dawn got changed into a pink dress that made it to below her knees, and placed her hair into a large, but sloppy ponytail. "Alright, could you help me get my hair all nice and neat?"
"So that's why she needed me." I gave her a nod and motioned her to sit down with her back facing me, and I started to brush her hair with the brush she gave me.
"I'm so nervous!" Dawn said.
"Really? You were so confident yesterday."
"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to be confident while you're training for a contest, but once the day of the contest comes, it gets really hard to keep your cool." Dawn's voice seemed to be shaking a little, I was surprised by how much the pressure was getting to her.
"Well, judging from that 'Rainbow Swift' that you and Ambipom worked on, I'm sure you'll do well!" I tried my best to reassure Dawn, but I didn't know very much about contests beyond what Dawn and Kenny had told me over the past couple of days. "There, that should do it." I said, satisfied with my job.
Dawn looked in the mirror and squealed with glee. "Thanks Misty!"
"Will all the coordinators please come to the designated area? We will begin in five minutes!" The announcement over the intercom got me and Dawn to rush out of the changing room.
"Dawn, which way are the stands?" I asked. Dawn pointed me to the exit, and we split up.
Normal POV
"Hey Misty, glad you finally found us." Brock said.
"Saved ya a seat Mist." Ash patted the seat next to him, inviting Misty to sit next to him.
Misty's cheeks turned a light pink, and she sat down. She then noticed the short row of Pokémon next to them, "Hey, Dawn's Pokémon are all dressed like cheerleaders!"
"Yeah, Dawn loves when people, or Pokémon, look the part they're playing." Ash explained.
"And Pikachu, that kimono is so cute!" Misty exclaimed.
"Chaaa!" (Thanks!) Pikachu squealed happily.
"Actually...it kinda reminds me of Maiden's Peak. You remember Ash?" Misty asked timidly.
"How could I forget?" Ash blushed as the memory came to him, "You…looked really pretty." he whispered.
Misty blushed, and shied away a little, a coy smile on her pretty face. "Thanks Ash..." Misty wanted to kiss the boy just then, but then the announcer Marian got things started. "I'll get you later then." she didn't show it on her face, but she was rather disappointed by the timing on the part of Marian.
"Here we go guys, let's all cheer extra hard for Ambipom!" Ash exclaimed, getting the Pokémon excited.
"Let's not forget about Dawn, she'll be there too you know." Misty reminded with a smirk.
"Oh yeah, I forgot." Ash chuckled sheepishly.
"Let's meet our judges!" Marian shouted into her microphone, "We have Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Solaceon's Nurse Joy!"
"Nurse Joy! It's me Brock! I'm up here!" Brock yelled, waving frantically.
Ash and Misty sweat-dropped. "So where's that Croagunk?" Misty mumbled.
Dawn's POV
Marian showed off the Solaceon Ribbon that I would be competing for, and thanks to Misty, I was a little more confident that it would actually be mine! "Sorry Dee Dee, but this win's mine!" Kenny said as he glanced at me with confidence.
"He called me Dee Dee again? He must have a death wish! (Growl) I can't get all riled up now; I have to keep my cool if I want to do well." I just smirked at the boy, "That won't happen, because the win is mine!" I countered.
"Yeah, we'll see, since I'm up first."
I decided to be a good sport, after all, Kenny was still my friend as much as my rival, "Well, good luck then Kenny."
Kenny apparently appreciated the sportsmanship, as he gave me a sincere smile this time, "Thanks Dawn, you too." And with that, Kenny ran onstage.
Normal POV
"Wow, Kenny's up first!" Ash exclaimed.
Kenny rushed onto the stage and gracefully launched a Pokéball, "Breloom, let's do it!" A light emerged from the ball, and a swirling cone of light surrounded it.
And like a lightning bolt, Breloom emerged. "Bre loom!" (Ta da!)
Misty was shocked by the special effects, "Wow! How did it do that?!"
"It's a special contest thing. You put a cover over the Pokéball you want to use, and depending on which cover you choose, you get a different pattern." Brock explained.
"Here we go!" Ash said excitedly.
"Breloom, 'Stun Spore' go!" Kenny ordered. Breloom started vibrating at a high-speed, sending off a stun-spore which showed off Breloom's body.
Misty didn't really like the first choice of move, purely for personal reasons, "Ugh, I remember you and Tracey got sick because of 'Stun Spore'." she said to Ash.
"Yeah, but it can't reach us out here, try to focus on how Breloom looks instead!" Ash replied.
"Yeah, check out how Kenny's using the shine from that 'Stun Spore' to show off Breloom's skin!" Brock added.
After taking a look through Ash and Brock's perspective, Misty shrugged, "I guess it is appealing to the eye."
"See, nothing to worry about, just sit back and enjoy the show." Ash placed his arm around Misty's shoulders, and the redhead nodded with a smile and turned her attention back toward the stage.
"Use 'Energy Ball'." Breloom, still shining from the 'Stun Spore', made a small 'Energy Ball' and launched it upward using its tail. "Now use 'Mach Punch'!" Breloom's arm glowed, and it launched a punch at the 'Energy Ball' that was almost too fast to see. The 'Energy Ball' shattered, and it began raining a glittery mist. "Yeah Breloom, way to go!" Kenny congratulated.
"I didn't even see that punch!" Misty said in shock.
"Just goes to show how well Kenny's trained Breloom." Brock said.
Piplup squeaked, which caught the attention of the three humans. "What's wrong Piplup?" Misty asked.
"You're worried about Dawn, aren't you?" Ash asked knowingly.
"Pip." (Yes.)
"Piplup can see just as well as any of us how much better Kenny's gotten." Brock added.
"Hey, there's nothing to worry about, you just need to trust that Dawn can do it!" Misty reassured.
"Pika!" (Yeah!)
Piplup smiled as its spirits were lifted. "Moving right along!" Marian exclaimed.
The contest continued, with all sorts of Pokémon showing off their beauty, power, and grace. They finally reached a familiar looking coordinator that went by the name of Jessilina. "I know it's a thrill for you all to see me!" Jessilina exclaimed, blowing kisses to the audience. The crowd cheered for Jessilina, responding to her confidence.
"Ash, does that coordinator look familiar to you?" Misty asked.
"Not really, why?" Ash replied.
"There's something about her that makes chills run up my spine." Misty said suspiciously.
"Maybe she had a bug-type or something." Ash suggested. Misty shrugged it off, and went back to the show.
"Now Dustox, let's get this party started!" Dustox flew out of the heart-spewing Pokéball, and flew around the room in the sunlight, showing off the scales on its wings.
"Ooh! Shine on!" James cheered from the stands.
"Feelin' tough and looking buff!" Meowth exclaimed.
"Alright, pay close attention Pokémon people and you just might learn something! Use 'Whirlwind'!" Dustox flapped its wings while flying around Jessilina, who actually started to levitate with the wind underneath her.
The crowd gasped in awe. "Look…at that!" Marian said in shock.
"Is…that even possible?" Misty asked in awe.
"Oh please. That's not new." Ash replied in a bored tone.
"It's always the same thing with her." Brock added in disapproval. The Pokémon all sweat-dropped at the sight, speechless.
"Time for the big finale! 'Psybeam'!" Dustox lowered Jessilina, and fired a 'Psybeam' which caused a massive, green explosion to cover the field.
"That's incredible! That 'Psybeam' has collided with those scales and exploded! But what happened to Jessilina?!" Marina yelled. The dust settled, and Jessilina emerged, unharmed with Dustox perched on her shoulder. And the crowd cheered at her performance.
After the judges had their say, Dawn emerged from the curtain. "Alright, it's Dawn's turn finally!" Misty said excitedly.
"Just keep your cool Dawn, and you'll do great!" Ash cheered. the Pokémon started jumping around, cheering on both Dawn and Ambipom.
"Ambipom, spoootlight!" Dawn called out Ambipom, who emerged in a flurry of confetti. "Use 'Double Hit' let's go!" Ambipom punched the air with her 'Double Hit', sending off shockwaves that showed off its power. But it also reached the stands.
"Ahh! My hair!" Misty cried.
"You might want to put it into back into a ponytail for this Misty." Ash suggested.
Misty obliged and twisted her hair back into her old scrunchie, making a much longer-than-usual ponytail. "I actually got used to having it down." the redhead though to herself.
"Use 'Swift'!" Dawn ordered. Just like during training, Ambipom spun with its two tails upright, sending out a flurry of stars that collided with each other in a colorful and grand display.
"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed.
"That's even prettier than last time!" Misty added.
"Hey, everyone likes it! Let's kick it up a notch!" Dawn thought. "Ambipom, faster!" Ambipom started break-dancing, which caused the stars to surround it and fly everywhere. "Way to go!"
"Gotta love that 'Rainbow Swift'!" Ash exclaimed.
Brock however was no longer that impressed, "Hmm..."
"What is it Brock?" Misty asked.
"It seems a bit much, don't you think?" Brock asked.
"But Brock, you gotta grab the crowd's attention! Right guys?" Ash asked the Pokémon. They all eagerly agreed, thinking that the attack was absolutely stunning.
"The judges don't seem very impressed." Brock thought.
"Finish it off Ambipom!" Dawn yelled. Gradually, Ambipom came to a stand-still, and the last of the stars finally dissipated. Dawn then ran up to Ambipom and hugged her, and they took a bow as the crowd cheered for their performance.
Once they finished taking their applause, Dawn and Ambipom walked into the waiting area, and were greeted by Kenny. "Hey, that 'Swift' was something else!" Kenny complimented.
"Thanks Kenny!" Dawn replied.
Just then, Ash, Misty, and Brock walked in with all of their Pokémon. "You were great Dawn!" Misty squealed.
"Yeah, that 'Rainbow Swift' was beyond awesome!" Ash added.
"Aww, thanks guys." Dawn said sheepishly.
"Pi plup!" (Congratulations!) Piplup chirped, hopping into Dawn's arms.
"That's sweet of you, thanks Piplup!" Dawn said gratefully.
"Ambipom, you were great too!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu and Piplup agreed.
"Ambi pom!" (Thanks!)
Just then, Marian appeared on the screen, apologizing for the delay. Ambipom seemed nervous, but Dawn reassured it that there was no need to worry. They watched the contestants who were moving on appear on the screen. Jessilina and Kenny managed to make it through, but the group of friends were shocked to see that Dawn would not move on past the first round. But none were more shocked or hurt than Dawn herself. "Oh Dawn…" Misty whispered to herself.
Ash tried to say something to console Dawn, but Brock held him back. Everyone stared to see what Dawn's reaction would be. "Congratulations on making it to the second round Kenny!" Dawn said cheerily.
"Uh, thanks." Kenny asked, slightly in shock that Dawn was apparently taking losing rather well.
Dawn looked at her friends, who were still bothered by the results. "C'mon, chin up! Don't look so sad!"
"But Dawn…" Ash was cut-off by Misty, who put her hand over his mouth.
"We're sorry you lost." Brock said.
"No need to worry, I just had a less-than-great day out there, that's all!" Dawn pushed Kenny out the door, getting him to go get ready for round two, "Come on, you got a contest to win!"
"Alright, I hear ya. Root for me, ok?" Kenny said. As the door closed, Dawn refused to look back, she pet Ambipom's head, as she was feeling the same way she was.
"Thanks for coming." an overly cheery voice said.
"Uh, Jessilina, hi." Dawn said.
"Don't let the door hit you on your way out." Jessilina started shoving Dawn out the door.
But Dawn stopped in her tracks, and turned around with her head down. When she raised it, it bore a smile. "I'm staying. Right through to the end."
Misty noticed something that everyone else didn't. Dawn's face wore a smile, but her fists were clenched, which meant that her attitude was an act, and she was hurting inside more than she was showing. "Oh Dawn."
Ash and Brock watched Kenny take on Jessilina, but Misty was more focused on Dawn, who refused to look away from the floor until the end of the round, where Jessilina was declared the winner of the Solaceon Ribbon.
"The winner of the Solaceon Contest and the ribbon that goes with it is Jessilina and Dustox!" Marian exclaimed enthusiastically. The crowd cheered for the Team Rocket girl in disguise, applauding her performance.
"Our girl is finally in the big leagues!" James exclaimed with tears in his eyes.
"Which means we're in da pink!" Meowth added.
"Wobbu wobbu!" (We're safe!) Wobbuffet cheered.
After Jessilina was declared the winner, Dawn said she was going to go change back into her regular clothes, and ran off.
Dawn's POV
"I can't believe I lost again! All that work and I have nothing to show for it! We made 'Swift' look so great! Why didn't I at least make it to round two?!" I sat in the changing room and cried, I had been holding it in while I was in front of my friends, trying to convince them that there was no need to worry. I must've been in there longer than I realized, because Misty was calling my name, looking for me. I quickly changed out of my dress and slipped on my regular clothes. I wiped my eyes and put on my best fake smile, and walked out to greet Misty. "I'm right here Misty!"
Misty walked up to me with a serious tone on her face. "Are you ok Dawn?" Misty asked sternly.
"Of course I am! C'mon, let's go say bye to Kenny!" I grabbed Misty by the wrist and ran outside. I had to change the subject as soon as possible, since she had caught me at a vulnerable moment. I found Kenny saying bye to Ash and Brock, and when I appeared, Kenny asked if I was going to be at the next contest. I wasn't really sure, I was beyond depressed. So I answered him by saying I wasn't sure.
"Look Dawn, let's get one thing straight! There's no way I'm gonna let you quit doing contests, at least not until I've had the chance to beat you!" Kenny yelled.
"Ok! No need to worry, I'll be there!" I said, trying to avoid further harassment. Kenny bowed his head sadly. I was sure he knew I was feeling bad. With one more goodbye, Kenny walked down the path to the next town. I even forgot to wave goodbye before he disappeared from sight.
Normal POV
"Brock, can we stay one more night please?" Misty begged earnestly.
Brock saw Misty's concern for the blue-haired girl, and gave her a nod. "C'mon guys, let's go back to the center, and we'll head out tomorrow."
"Sounds good to me Brock!" Ash said happily. The group walked back to the center, with Dawn trailing behind. "Hey Dawn, aren't you hungry?" Ash asked.
"I'm just really tired, I'm going to get some rest…I'll see you guys tomorrow." Dawn walked up the steps to her room, and closed the door behind her, but she didn't notice that it was still open a crack.
"Ash, I'm going to sleep with Dawn tonight. Would you mind sleeping alone?" Misty asked quietly.
Ash looked into Misty's viridian green eyes and saw the concern for Dawn in them, and gave a nod. "Sure Mist, go do what you have to." Ash replied. Misty gave Ash a small smile and kissed him on the cheek before running after Dawn.
"I think Dawn is taking the loss harder than she's letting on." Brock said in monotone.
"I think you're right Brock. I hope Misty can help her out." Ash said hopefully.
Inside the room, Dawn had plopped onto her bed, holding the ribbon that reminded her of her mom back in her hometown who was rooting for her, and was probably disappointed that her daughter had lost. "Oh mom…I lost again…but how come? Oh, I just don't know…what am I gonna do?" Dawn whimpered. Dawn cried into her pillow, letting the tears that she had been holding for the sake of her friends flow from her eyes. She didn't notice Misty walk in until she sat down on the bed. It was too late for her to stop crying now, so she just refused to look.
Misty's POV
I heard crying coming from the dark room, I knew it had to be Dawn. I felt so sorry for her, but I wasn't sure how to help her…I knew I had to try though, so I quietly entered, and sat next to her on the bed. "Dawn…I'm sorry you lost." I rubbed her back to try and comfort her, but Dawn continued to sob, as she looked up at me with bloodshot eyes.
"Why Misty? Why did I lose? Was the move not good enough?" Dawn said through heaving sobs.
"The move was incredible Dawn…I don't know what happened…all I know is that you have to try and get past it."
"Misty, I let everyone back home down…I let my Pokémon down…I let my mom down."
"You know, I know what it's like to let people down. It hurts all over. But…I know that the pain won't last long, because I know that my friends are still my friends no matter what."
Dawn wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to look me in my eyes. "I guess..."
"And besides, there's always next time."
"Misty, thanks for trying to help, but I just really need time to think." Dawn said pleadingly.
"Actually, I thought I would sleep here tonight to keep you company." Somehow I knew my offer wasn't going to be accepted.
"Misty…please…just let me be alone." Dawn said without looking my way.
"Are you sure Dawn?"
Dawn hesitated, and then nodded. I gave her a small hug, and then turned to walk out of the room. "Hey Misty?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for talking to me." Dawn said appreciatively.
"Anytime." I walked out and closed the door, trying to hold back my emotions as I heard Dawn start to sob again from behind the door. "I guess I should head back to Ash, since she won't let me stay with her." I didn't want to start crying again, after all, it wasn't usually in my nature. I couldn't deny however that it was getting increasingly difficult to mask my feelings.
Ash was about to go to sleep when I finally opened the door to our room. "Hey Misty, what happened? I thought you were going with Dawn?" he asked. I took off my shoes and slid into the bed with my back turned to Ash, not even bothering to change into my pajamas. "Misty, what's wrong?" Ash asked quietly. I didn't reply, out of fear that I would start to cry. Dawn was hurting so much; it made me sad to think about the pain she was feeling in her heart.
I felt Ash come closer to me and pull me into a hug, which finally, admittedly, broke me down. I turned around and sobbed into his chest, and he pulled me closer to comfort me. "She's hurting so bad Ash..."
"I know Misty, but you tried. That's all you could do." Ash said, stroking my back. I cried a bit longer, before I started to get tired. Ash shushed me soothingly. "Listen, we'll talk to her tomorrow, but for now, just try to relax, and let her have some time alone." I gave him a small nod and tried to relax in his embrace, and I eventually fell asleep. I just hoped that Dawn would feel a little better after having some time to herself.
[THE NEXT MORNING]
Normal POV
"It's getting late and Dawn's still not up." Ash said.
"I'm not surprised. Poor Dawn was feeling absolutely horrible." Misty said sadly.
"I saw the whole thing on TV!" a voice said.
The trio looked up and saw another friend of Dawn's standing over them. "Zoey?" Ash said.
"Hey guys, it's been a while hasn't it?" Zoey said.
"Yeah, it has." Brock said.
"And who is this Ash? Your girlfriend?" Zoey asked teasingly.
Zoey looked at Brock who was giving her a signal to quit while she was ahead, or rather, while she had a head. But instead of freaking out, Ash just smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes she is. Meet Misty Waterflower." Ash said with a triumphant smirk.
"Oh, um…nice to meet you." Zoey said awkwardly.
"It's nice to meet you too." Misty replied.
"Hey listen, I…didn't mean to offend you or anything, I was just teasing." Zoey said.
"Don't worry about it." Ash said with a smile.
"So, you're another friend of Dawn's?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, where is she by the way?" Zoey asked. The trio's faces turned grim, which answered Zoey's question automatically. "How bad is she?" Zoey asked seriously.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she cried herself to sleep last night." Misty said sadly.
"She's probably wondering why she didn't make it past round one." Zoey said.
"Actually, I did manage to talk to her a bit, and that's part of the problem." Misty replied.
"Well I know the problem, and I can help." Zoey said.
"You do? What are we waiting for? Let's go tell Dawn!" Ash leaped up from his chair, but Misty quickly dragged him back down.
"Whoa there Ketchum! There's no way you're going into a girl's room!" Misty said sternly.
"But Misty…" Ash was cut-off again.
"We'll be down in a minute, just wait patiently." Misty led Zoey up the steps, leaving a frustrated Ash behind.
"Well, now I know who wears the pants in this relationship." Brock chuckled.
Ash growled and then spotted Nurse Joy, and then an evil grin appeared on his face. "Hey Brock there's Nurse Joy." Ash pointed out.
Brock was already halfway to her when he finished speaking. "Oh, my dear Nurse Joy, the way you judged the contest yesterday was utterly remarkable…"
Ash watched Brock continue to speak, and then counted down on his fingers. "Three…two…one."
"Croa gunk!" (That's enough!) Croagunk jabbed Brock with a poison attack.
"I think…I need…my hospital bed back." Brock strained before falling on the floor in pain.
Pikachu and Piplup sweat-dropped, and Ash gave an evil chuckle. "That'll teach him to mess with me." Ash said triumphantly.
"Pi ka chu." (Oh brother.)
Misty and Zoey were now standing over Dawn's bed, where she had completely pulled the covers over her, as if she were trying to hide from the sun. Zoey smirked and ripped the covers off of Dawn, which startled the blue-haired girl. "Get up." Zoey said simply.
"Misty? Zoey?!" Dawn said in shock.
"C'mon, let's battle!" Zoey said insistently. Dawn said nothing, and just stared at the two red-heads who were looking at her. "You can partner with Ambipom and I wanna battle based on what you did yesterday." Zoey tossed the cover onto the floor and walked downstairs. Dawn looked at Misty who gave a shrug. She quickly got dressed and caught up to Zoey.
"Hey Zoey, where are you…" Ash stopped talking when he noticed that Zoey was just going to keep walking. He then spotted Dawn who was running down the steps. "Hey Dawn, how are you…feeling?" Dawn ran right by Ash, and Piplup immediately followed. Ash was now getting irritated at being ignored. He saw Misty running down the steps now, and decided to step in front of her like a road-block. Misty did not slow down and ran right over him without a word. "What's going on here?" Ash strained on the floor.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who fell head-over heels." Brock joked. Pikachu cracked up and started rolling over with laughter.
"I'm gonna get you back for that." Ash hissed. Brock shrugged, and ran out of the center, followed closely by Ash and Pikachu.
"Alright Ambipom, use 'Swift'!" Dawn yelled, redoing what she did during the contest.
"What's Zoey up to anyway?" Ash asked.
"I dunno, but she must have a plan of some sort." Misty replied.
The stars were flying as Ambipom spun around like a top. "Now think about what you're doing!" Zoey yelled. Dawn reacted and listened intently. "It's a pretty move alright, but the problem is where's Ambipom?" Zoey said. Dawn gasped in realization.
"I knew that it was too much!" Brock exclaimed.
"In the middle of all that flash, Ambipom's disappeared! You've gotta remember that your Pokémon are the main attraction!" Zoey yelled. Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock watched in awe as Zoey continued her speech. "You've spent so much time polishing your moves; you've forgotten what you really need to do to show them off!" Zoey finished. The group was speechless. "Alright Glameow, use 'Iron Tail'!" Dawn gasped as Glameow leaped into the air and broke up the flurry of stars with a powerful attack. "Now 'Shockwave'!" Zoey yelled. Glameow flipped in the air and zapped Ambipom with an electric attack.
Before Ambipom could hit the ground, Dawn managed to catch it. "Are you ok?" Dawn asked.
"Ambi pom." (Yeah I'm good.)
Zoey walked up to Dawn and smiled at her. "Dawn, do you know why I passed on Solaceon Town after the Hearthome Contest?" Dawn stared at Zoey and shook her head in a "no" fashion before dusting herself off and standing. "Everybody gets upset when they lose, when you're not thinking clearly, it's easy to forget what's really important. That's why after a loss I take time off to recharge and get ready for the next challenge."
"You're lucky, when I was working as a gym leader I had to just keep going and going, I never got time off!" Misty exclaimed.
"Yeah, but you don't have to worry about that anymore, do you Mist?" Ash asked sarcastically. Misty smiled.
"The point is Dawn, I don't worry about how many ribbons I have, it's just too stressful." Zoey said.
"Hmmm…I hadn't thought of that." Dawn finally spoke.
Zoey placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "I'm sure we'll meet again in the finals someday."
"Thanks Zoey." Dawn said with a smile.
"Easy does it is the way to go!" Brock said.
"It's a good thing you came along when you did Zoey, I had no idea how I could help Dawn, but I guess coordinator problems should be solved by coordinators." Misty said.
"Timing is everything!" Ash exclaimed.
"Speaking of timing, when and where are you guys headed next?" Zoey asked.
"As soon as we pack up, I've got a Veilstone Gym battle!" Ash exclaimed.
"Then make sure you win it! A victory might be the best present to give to Dawn too, you know?" Zoey said.
"Hey, anything to help a friend!" Ash exclaimed.
"Pika pika!" (I'm with you!)
"Well, we have to get going at some point, so how about now?" Misty asked.
"Sounds great! Let's grab our stuff and head out!" Ash exclaimed. The team waved goodbye to Zoey, who went on her way.
"Hey Misty, I just wanted to let you know I appreciate your trying to help me last night." Dawn said.
"Sure Dawn, you're my friend, it's the least I can do." Misty said, "You know, it'll be nice to have another girl around to talk to."
"Same here!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Alright guys, do you have everything?" Brock asked.
"Yep, Pokéballs, clothes, everything I need." Ash said.
"Girls, how about you?" Brock asked.
Misty and Dawn nodded. "I'm finally going to be on the road again!" Misty exclaimed.
"Yeah, now you can get lost with us." Brock joked. Misty face-faulted and the group laughed. Ash grabbed her hand and held it as he lifted her up, and the group of friends headed for Veilstone City for Ash's next gym battle.