Next day, Ember and Dawn were training for the Pokémon contest. However, it turns out that there was only one spot left. Ember let Dawn have the spot since she deserved to get into this contest. But Ember didn't mind practicing for the one after. Dawn had decided to use Pachirisu and Piplup this time. She had a practice with her Pachirisu; it knew Bide, Charm, Quick Attack, Spark, Sweet Kiss and Discharge. Luckily Ember brought Veton (Electabuzz) back to help Maizy (Pachirisu) and Pachirisu control their Discharge.

Suddenly Dawn's egg, which Brock had been holding onto, started to glow.

"Dawn, it's time for your egg to hatch!" Brock called out.

The gang went to the Pokémon center, and with Nurse Joy's help the egg hatched. Dawn's egg revealed a Smoochum.

Dawn takes out her Pokédex and scanned her Pokémon:

[Smoochum, the Kiss Pokémon. The pre-evolved form of Jynx. This sweet-natured Pokémon has sensitive lips, which it uses to explore and examine with.]

Dawn was awestruck with how cute her Smoochum was and picked her up at once to hug her. "I so have to call my mum about this!" she said and ran to a phone at once with Smoochum.

"Well Dawn's happy with her new Pokémon." Ember commented.

"Yeah and no doubt she'll want to use Smoochum in a contest soon." Brock added.


After the hatching of Smoochum, Dawn was introducing Smoochum and Pachirisu to Johanna. Then it was time to get back to training.

But then a red-brown boy round Dawn's age walked up to the gang. "Hi Dee-Dee." he said to Dawn.

"Kenny is that you?" Dawn gasped.

"That's right Dee-Dee." Kenny confirmed.

"Stop calling me that already." Dawn demanded, crossly.

Ember, Alain and Brock were confused by Dawn being called Dee-Dee by Kenny. Ember, Alain and Brock introduced themselves to Kenny.


The group and Kenny were now at a café, having some drinks.

"Kenny left Twinleaf Town to start his journey before I did. We've known each other since Nursery School, and we used to play together a lot." Dawn commented. "I'm trying to remember your first Pokémon."

"Here I'll show you." Kenny stated with a smile. "Come on out and meet everybody!" He took out his Pokéball and his starter came out. "Prinplup!"

"Wow, a Prinplup!" Dawn said in surprise.

Ember looked at Prinplup on her phone:

[Prinplup, the Penguin Pokémon. The evolved form of Piplup. It lives a solitary life. Its wings deliver wicked blows that can snap even the thickest of trees.]

"Wow so my Piplup will evolve to that too." Ember said.

She explained to Kenny of her shiny Piplup (Triton) and how she caught him back in Kanto.

Piplup walks up to Prinplup with a happy smile and wave. However, Prinplup slaps him away.

"Hey what was that for?" Dawn asked worriedly.

"Umm...sorry, but sometimes Prinplup gets a little freaked out when anyone gets in his space." Kenny explained. "I'm the only one Prinplup doesn't have a problem with."

"That's penguin Pokémon for you," Brock commented.

"They're the proud, stubborn and spoilt type." Alain added.

"So Ember, are you entering this contest too?" Kenny asked.

"No," Ember answered, "I've got to practice with some new routines with my Pokémon. Not to mention that I have to do some training for the next gym."

"So Dawn are you traveling with these guys?" Kenny asked.

"That I am." Dawn confirmed.

"I saw you using Piplup over at the Jubilife Contest, were you copying me?" Kenny asked.

"I wouldn't copy you ever." Dawn replied firmly and smiled at her starter Pokémon. "Piplup and I were made for each other, isn't that right, sweetie?"

"Piplup." Piplup said sweetly.

"Say, were you at the Jubilife Contest, were you competing or just watching?" Dawn asked.

Her sentence caused Kenny to frown. "Excuse me, my match was on TV, so why weren't you watching?" He questioned.

"I guess I was busy." Dawn admitted shyly and smiled, "Wow, I can't see you as a Pokémon Coordinator, Kenny."

"Oh that, well unlike you, I already made it to the finals." Kenny stated, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Wow, you did, amazing." Dawn said in surprise.

"It was the Contest before Jubilife City, and I thought I had my first ribbon." Kenny explained. "But then I came up against an opponent so powerful, I didn't have a chance, she had a Glameow and her name was Zoey."

Then Kenny turned to Ember, "I've got to say Ember, you did great against Zoey and her Glameow, I had trouble trying to beat her." Kenny admitted.

"Tesla and I have learnt tricks for battles for nine years." Ember said.

Next Kenny ended up telling funny stories about Dawn back in nursery school. Once she cut her hair herself and she looked like a Chimchar in the end, then while performing in a play Dawn was dressed as a Slowpoke and she sneeze so loud that she fell off a rock she sat on and created a mess, then one day she appeared in her pajamas and had two non-matched shoes on. The boys and Piplup thought it was very funny.

"I HAVE HAD IT!" Dawn snapped angrily. "If you think, I was the same as before, you have another thing coming!" She said firmly. "I'll show you a real Pokémon battle!"

"Piplup!" Piplup agreed.

"What I want is a battle against your Umbreon, Ember." Kenny replied.

"What with me?" Ember asked in surprise.

"Did you even hear what I said or not?" Dawn questioned with a glare.

"I want to make Prinplup stronger, so I want to battle with real skills." Kenny responded with a smirk.

"You may have started your journey before me, but you're just a big baby." Dawn muttered.

"Alright, I accept." Ember accepted the challenge.


Ember and Kenny got into battle positions. Kenny sent out Prinplup and Ember sent out Tesla (Raichu).

"Tesla, use Quick Attack!" Ember called out.

"Prinplup, Drill Peck!" Kenny ordered.

"Spin and dodge!" Tesla dodged with the spin move before Prinplup could peck her. "Energy Ball!" Tesla launched the Grass type attack at Prinplup who was stunned by the attack.

"Not bad, Ember. But I'm not giving up." Kenny admitted, "Prinplup, use Bubble Beam!"

Prinplup fired bubbles towards Tesla.

"Tesla, Dig!" Tesla dug into the ground to dodge. "Now Thunder Shock!"

Tesla fired Thunder Shock at Prinplup. Prinplup tried to use Metal Claw to use it as a lightning rod to prevent from getting too much damage from Tesla, but Prinplup was paralyzed and couldn't do the attack and was shocked by the Thunder Shock hard.

"Now Tesla, finish this off with Iron Tail!" Tesla struck Prinplup hard with Iron Tail, before it could do anything, and it fainted. So Ember was the winner of the battle.

Then all of a sudden Haze covers the field, disrupting the battle.

"What is going on?" Dawn asked as she coughed.

"Sora, come out and use Gust!" Ember ordered.

Sora comes out of his Pokéball and blows the haze away just as Team Rocket wraps Prinplup.

"Team Rocket!" Alain growled.

"Hey, don't blame us, if you were too early on the Haze." James reminded them.

"I don't know what you're doing but let go of Prinplup!" Kenny demanded.

"Hey, where's Jessie?" Brock asked.

"Getting her nails done, if you don't mind!" James responded.

"Nails done?" Dawn said in confusion while holding Piplup.

"Hey Prinplup with your power, you can get out!" Kenny stated. Prinplup struggled to get out of Seviper's grip.

"So about that, but Dustox's Poison Sting will harm Prinplup big time." Meowth reminded them with a smirk.

Kenny tries to save Prinplup, but Cacnea and Carnivine knock him aside.

"Kenny, are you okay?" Dawn asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kenny replied. "Who are these people?"

"They are bunch of creeps, who like to steal Pokémon." Alain stated with a frown.

Cacnea, Carnivine and Seviper attack the group, but Piplup jumps up and uses Whirlpool to absorb the blitz attack.

"Piplup, what is that?" Dawn asked quietly.

"I hate twerp tricks!" Meowth complained.

"That must be a new move." Brock suggested.

"It's Whirlpool." Kenny replied.

"That's so great!" Dawn remarked.

Piplup launches the attack towards Team Rocket, restoring Prinplup's energy and allowing it to free itself. Piplup and Prinplup set aside the rivalry. The heroes then notice Team Rocket trying to sneak away.

"Hold it right there!" Ember demanded.

"You're not getting off that easily!" Dawn warned while cracking her fist.

"No one tries to get away with stealing Pokémon that easily." Alain stated.

"And that's an understatement." Kenny admitted with a firm look.

Team Rocket screamed in panic.

"Use Bubble Beam!" Kenny and Dawn ordered in unison.

The two Penguin Pokémon fire Bubble Beam at Team Rocket which sends them flying into the sky.

"At least Jessie will have nice nails!" James complained.

"And I can say the same for you!" Meowth admitted.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet shouted.

They then disappeared in the sky.

DING!

"Piplup, you were great! Learning a new move before a contest is an awesome idea." Dawn commented looking down at her starter.

"And thanks to you, Prinplup is fine." Kenny added.

"We're glad." Alain said.

Then Piplup collapses, making a big red bump grow behind his head.

"Piplup, are you hurt?" Brock asked.

"No need to worry, right." Dawn said with a weak smile.


After getting both their starters back to full health, Kenny spent time looking at Dawn's other Pokémon Buneary, shiny Pachirisu, Burmy, Smoochum and asking Ember questions about her past journeys. Also after defeating Team Rocket, Prinplup managed to become friends with Dawn's Piplup and Dawn's Piplup learnt a new move, Whirlpool. So today was quite a good day.

So since Kenny was going to take part in the Floaroma contest, Dawn knew she would have to deal with him in this contest.


Pokémon Caught:

Ember: Shiny Piplup (Triton)(M), Budew (Hana)(F), Shinx (Raji)(M), Shiny Buneary (Usagi)(F), Staravia (Sora)(F), Burmy (Plant Cloak)(Liko)(M), Shiny Ariados (Arachne)(F), Turtwig (Silas)(M), Shiny Cranidos (Garnet)(F), Shieldon (Bertrand)(M), Pachirisu (Maizy)(F)

Alain: Staravia (M), Ariados (M), Cranidos (M), Shiny Shieldon (F)

Brock: Croagunk (M), Nuzleaf (M), Cranidos (M), Shieldon (M)

Dawn: Piplup (M), Burmy (Plant Cloak Form)(F), Buneary (F), Smoochum (F), Shiny Pachirisu (M)