Back at the Pokemon Center an hour after the match. Dawn stood in the backyard of the building watching the clouds while trapped in her own thoughts.
'One choice, one decision is all it took. If only I told him my true feelings, then if I did then maybe, just maybe things would've been different.' the bluenette said with tears flowing into her eyes.
"Dawn!" a familiar voice called out and broke her trance. Dawn then turned her head quickly to catch the brunette coordinator approaching her.
"M-May, what are you doing here!?"
"I could ask you the same thing."
"What do you mean, my friends are-"
"Why aren't you with Ash?" May asked catching Dawn off guard causing her to freeze in place. "I know out of everyone that was against him, you still have some regrets, don't you? I know you truly didn't believe in what you said years ago."
"W-why would I have doubts about what I said, I'm pretty confident in my choice you know." the bluenette said while looking at the ground.
"If that's true then your feelings will prove it in a match against me, what do you say?" May stated as she pulled out a pokeball. Dawn was slightly nervous for a second before giving May a determined look.
"Fine you're on!" Dawn answered, turning to her blue penguin. "Piplup will you battle with me?" she asked her first partner.
"Piplup!" the penguin nodded, patting his chest jumping in front of Dawn.
"Piplup huh, Glaceon take the stage!" May called releasing her ice fox. "Prove to me Dawn, that you actually believe in your own words!"
"No problem, lets go Piplup!" Dawn commanded.
(Meanwhile)
Kenny and Iris were walking through the center looking for Dawn when they heard battle cries out in the backyard. They made their way to the doors just to be blocked off by two unexpected guests. "So where do you think you two are going?" a honey-blonde asked.
"More like what are you two doing here!?" Kenny snarled.
"Well you see, we were told to keep you from proceeding in the backyard and so here we are." a blonde trainer with glasses answered. Iris and Kenny looked behind the two and saw Dawn battling May.
"Why is Dawn battling May, what are you planning… I never caught your name?" Iris asked.
"My apologies, my name is Clemont, and our objective is not your concern." Clemont stated. Earning a glare from both the former friends.
"It is our concern if it involves our friend!" the dragon master said.
"Oh, but how much do you know about your friend?" Serena asked, earning a confused look from both the trainers. Clemont stepped forward.
"Plus if you want to get past us, one of you guys has to beat me in a battle." the blonde stated.
"Fine I'll show you the power of a dragon master" Iris said pulling out a pokeball.
Clemont adjusted his glasses. "You have no idea what you are getting into." he smirked pulling out a pokeball.
(Behind the pokemon center)
"Are you ready to get started Dawn, I'm not just going to sit here all day, prove to me that you're as strong as you say you are." May said while getting fired up. Dawn nervously began the match with the first move.
"Piplup uses a bubble beam." the blue penguin proceeded to fire a ray of bubbles towards the ice fox.
"Glaceon block it with iron tail." Just as its trainer commanded, glaceon jumped into the air and began swinging its glowing tail in a defensive style to shield itself from Piplup's attack. "That's not all you've got is it? I hope your defense is better than your offense, Glaceon uses an iron tail then ice beam." the ice fox began to chase after the blue penguin with its tail glowing brightly.
"Piplup dodge!" Dawn commanded, but the fox Pokemon was too quick for the flightless bird. Glaceon did a backflip in front of Piplup to hit it with its iron tail, sending Piplup into the air. Then once glaceon landed it fired an ice beam hitting the blue penguin head on. "Piplup are you ok?"
"Pip-plup." the little penguin responded shaking off the attack acting tough.
"You're wavering Dawn, show me your true feelings, the one you have bottled up. Don't disappoint me and your Pokémon." May challenged
(back with Clemont)
"Magnezone use flash cannon!"
"Druddigon us flamethrower!" The blue grounded dragon shot a wave of flame towards the hovering steel type, while it countered the attack with a white beam. The two attacks met in the center and the collision was one-sided as the beam pushed the flame back hitting the dragon dead on sending it flying into a tree.
"I expected more from a unova elite four, I have to say I'm quite disappointed." Clemont gloated.
"Iris gritted her teeth at the remark. "I'll show you who to mess with, Druddigon use giga impact!" Druddigon charged towards the Magnetzone covered in energy.
Clemont just smirked. "Dodge then use lock on!" the steel type flew to the side letting the dragon go by it before it's eyes started glowing red then the same happened to Druddigon. "Now because of the giga impact your Pokemon can't move if I'm correct," the blonde stated causing Iris to get nervous. "Now let's end this Magnezone with a Zap cannon!" The steel type then charged up a blue energy ball covered in lightning before releasing at the dragon and because of lock-on it landed a hit dead on causing a smoke cloud.
(back with May)
'May really does plan out her strategies on the spot, it's impressive, I wonder if she got that strength from training with Ash.' Dawn thought to herself becoming aggravated over the thought of May spending six years with Ash. 'I'm not going to lose, I can't lose, not again.' "Piplup use drill peck."
"PIPLUP!" the small blue pokemon yelled, it then charged forward with its beak glowing white.
"Now you're talking, hit it back with iron tail." Glaceon front flipped stringing its tail on top of Piplup's head knocking it to the ground, right before the blue penguin's attack landed.
"H-how? Piplup are you ok?" Sawn asked her pokemon.
"Come on is that all you've got, if this is the best you've got then you have no chance at all at getting close to Ash." May said seriously to Dawn.
"W-why do you think that….."
"Stop acting like you don't know what I'm talking about, I've known how you felt about Ash ever since we met for the Wallace Cup, but you were too scared to admit it then and even now. You haven't changed, even when the opportunity was right in front of you six years ago! You've been acting like a coward, you don't love Ash enough to push forward, and if you think otherwise, then prove it to me or don't even bother showing up to the tournament tomorrow."
Tears began to run down Dawn's face. "You have no idea how much I care, how much I love Ash. I'M GOING TO BEAT YOU, THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE IT UP TO ASH NO MATTER WHAT!" Piplup nodded in agreeance with its trainer.
"Then prove it to me." May responded, she then noticed a blue aura glowing around Piplup.
"PIPLUP!" May was surprised at the fact that Piplup activated torrent.
"It increases its water type moves huh? Glaceon use ice beam!" May commanded attempting to end the match.
"Piplup use hydro-pump." Dawn responded. Piplup then charged a water ring in front of its beak ready to fire the water cannon-like move, and Glaceon charged the icey thunder-like move in return. Both Pokemon fired their blast at each other colliding attacks trying to best the other.
"Glaceon." the ice fox began to gain the upper hand and push back the hydro pump.
"Pip Pip." one of Piplup's knees hit the ground and it was about to toss in the towel.
"Please Piplup, don't give up. We're not done yet, I know you have more strength in you, I believe in you Piplup!" Dawn begged her partner.
"PIP-LUP!" the blue penguin, now more motivated than ever, began to push the ice beam back towards Glaceon slowly. Until both beams stopped dead in the middle. The explosion wasn't very powerful but instead it caused snow to start falling. Both girls stared at the sky in aww until May broke the silence with a slight giggle.
"Wow, I'm so happy Dawn, you really pushed yourself." Dawn looked at the brunette with a shocked expression. "Honestly I hoped that you've grown as a person, but you surprised me just now."
"May," the bluenette was still confused by the situation. "I thought you wanted to push me away, isn't that what you wanted?"
"What, of course not," May ran over to hug her friend. "Listen I know how you feel about Ash, and I know he feels the same for you." the brunette said, confusing the bluenette.
"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.
May shook her hug and handed Dawn a card. "After the tournament starts if you want answers, come to this location alone." May said with a smile before turning around and walking towards her friends.
(with Clemont)
Iris was on her knees gritting her teeth in anger at being defeated while Clemont returned his pokemon. "Well I can't say happy about the battle, from Ash told me you're supposed to be a dragon master. I honestly expected more." Clemon said rubbing in the defeat he handed Iris.
"How about you battle me then?" Kenny yelled
"That won't be necessary." Serena calmly responded. And right on cue May walked in from the backyard door smiling as she approached the group. Serena turned her head towards the smiling coordinator. "Is the job done?" asked the honey-blonde.
"Of course, Ash is going to be so happy, maybe he'll even give me another kiss!" May said putting her hands to both sides of her face while daydreaming while walking away from the formers with Serena arguing about her being the one to get the kiss and Clemont just shaking his head in embarrassment.
Kenny and Iris was glaring dagger at their backs before proceeding to the backyard to where their friend was located. When they made it to the backyard they saw Dawn crying but what they didn't see was the small smile she had on her face.