Well, here it is, the twentieth part of the fifth and final installment in my 'Heart' series on the right day as promised. Dawn's lost her first two Contests back as she tried to reach the Majestic Festival but that's not enough to deter her, she just needs a win and she can get back into the swing of things. Well, third times' the charm, right? She has a third Contest, one with a special additional rule, and a real shot at getting her first (and only) Kalos ribbon especially because there appears to be no one who can stop her this time...or is there? That is all the administrative stuff I have for this Part and as there are no guest reviews to respond to or questions to answer I will leave this off here but do please keep your reviews coming as I love hearing from y'all. That is it for this pre-Part note which means that it is once again time to sit back which and enjoy the latest installment in Heart of Champions. Part CCIX: Embers in Kalos.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Part CCIX: Embers in Kalos

"Dawn!"

Dawn jumped a little at the sound of her name and turned to it her eyes going wide as she saw the person waving and walking over to her in the waiting room. She'd expected to be recognized but not approached however she smiled as the woman who had called out to her was someone she was glad to see in a Contest.

Until her name had been called Dawn had just been mentally getting into the zone for the Contest that was about to start. This was her third Contest in Kalos and she needed to win it so she was focused solely on getting mentally ready for it and without May, any of the other Top Coordinators going for the Majestic Festival, or an up and coming regional favorite like Amelia, Dawn felt that she had a really good shot at winning the Conflagration Contest.

So far Dawn's Contest luck hadn't been good as she shook off the rust from a year removed from the scene. It started with the Haunted Contest when she lost in the finals to Amelia in a big upset that propelled Amelia into the ranks of the favorites for the Kalos Grand Festival that year, and made more so by Amelia beating May in the semifinals as well. That streak progressed onto the Laverre Contest where Dawn again lost in the finals this time to May, her first loss to her friend and first back to back Contest failures since she'd failed in two appeals in Sinnoh.

It had been tough but Dawn was not the girl she was back in Sinnoh, she wasn't going to question her skills but rather bounce back from both loses to continue and work towards the Majestic Festival at the end of the year. Thankfully May had found this nearby Contest for her as a parting gift before May left for her own journey, one that Dawn fully supported and understood why she had to go, and Dawn had worked extra hard to be ready for it.

There really wasn't much else to think about though. After May left, Ash and Dawn had spent one more night in Laverre City before they went shopping for Dawn's outfit for this Contest the next day and then headed southwest through Kalos to a town they'd visited before but didn't know the name of.

All they knew about the place was that it was where they'd stumbled upon a festival celebrating fire types the year before and had entered the various events that the festival was holding. In them Ash had won the aerial race, his Fletchinder evolving into a Talonflame in the process, to start the day off while Dawn won the final event which was a Best in Show even for quadrupedal Pokémon with her Vulpix and Pyroar. In addition, Max, Serena, and Bonnie also won events while they all placed if a few more that they entered.

That win had actually gotten Dawn a Fire Stone that Vulpix had immediately gone for so that he could evolve into a Ninetales to end the day in style. It had been a fun and good time back then but neither Ash nor Dawn expected to be back in this town anytime soon.

However, that changed with this special, fire type honoring, Contest. It was the second after the Haunted Contest in Kalos's Type Series and called the Conflagration Contest but unlike the Haunted Contest it was to be held in a town, and in a newly built, albeit small, Contest Hall that would also double as an events hall for the next Fire Festival though neither Ash nor Dawn had any idea which event would be added to the schedule for the hall.

In addition, the fact that this Contest was in a town meant that the town in question could, if they wanted to, host another Contest that year however to do so. As such, the Conflagration had to have an additional rule to compete and that rule was that anyone in the Contest had to register two fire type Pokémon for it meaning that the winning coordinator, along with the other finalist, had to use two fire types to win it.

Dawn had been fine with that requirement as she had three fire types, all of which she'd use in the Contest, and she spent the trip here and the few days they had to spare in the town training them and her 4th Pokémon for the coming Contest. As a result she was even more ready than usual for it.

That was a necessity because she really couldn't afford to lose this Contest. She was already behind schedule if she wanted to have enough time to qualify for the Majestic Festival thanks to her losses so she had to be fully ready for it and the fact that no regional favorites or Top Coordinators were in it was a blessing.

However, the call out had alerted Dawn to the fact that there was someone here who could pull an Amelia and potentially upset her so she was really glad at her decision to practice hard for it because Amelia had reminded Dawn that anything can happen in a Contest. At least this woman wasn't negative like Amelia but rather positive.

"Kayleigh." Dawn said still smiling as the older woman reached her and hugged her briefly before breaking apart. "You took my advice to enter more Contests then."

"Yup." Kayleigh said with a nod. "Making the finals of the Master Class was amazing but I now know that I need more if I want to win it and challenge Aria so your suggestion to do more Contests was a good one. I'd done a few last year for the practice appeals gave me but never really thought of them as more until the Master Class when you suggested it."

"It was based on what I'd seen that year from Serena." Dawn said. "Showcases and Contests can learn a lot from each other I feel, as can those in them."

"That they can, I watched the Grand Festival and saw Serena make the final of it and how fluid and graceful she was in it." Kayleigh agreed. "Before then I'd have said that she was probably the second best Performer in Kalos, well not at the moment as I heard she's in Unova at the moment, but now there's no question she is. She's looking even better than she did when she faced Aria so clearly there's something to Contests."

"That there is, they've really helped Serena, Miette, and Shauna grow." Dawn said with a nod as she looked over Kayleigh noting that the woman was wearing her usual white skirt, and orange waistcoat, top hat and tails showman outfit with bicep length white gloves which really did suit her and orange was the perfect color for this Contest while she held her cane in her left hand. "All are now taking another year to really hone it away from Kalos and yes Serena is doing so out in Unova while Miette is in Kanto and Shauna has opted to go to Johto."

"Yeah I'm going to see how far I can take this, I advanced past the appeals in the few I did last year but never made a final, and then decide at the end of the year what's next." Kayleigh said. "The goal is to challenge Aria someday but I know that I'm not there yet so we'll see how much Contests help me towards the goal. By the way, love the outfit. You're really something else with them as I recall the various ones you went for in the Showcases last year, that Wallace Showcase outfit in particular was so different from your usual but this is very you."

"What can I say." Dawn said with a little twirl. "I love dressing up for Contests, it's a Sinnoh thing we do out there so being able to do it in Kalos as well is a big boost for me as it just feels normal to dress up for a Contest. Plus this is a fire type town and Contest so I had to stick in theme."

Dawn was certainly doing that with her outfit as she'd gone all out to prepare one that was perfect for the Conflagration Contest while also honoring the Pokémon that she was using. That was why she was wearing a light cream colored, sleeveless dress with a slightly furry bodice though that didn't extend to her neck and a nine folded skirt with an orange hem. It was the exact same colors as her Ninetales's fur was. She also wore matching tights and shoes to keep with that theme.

To accessorize she'd honored her other fire types by styling her hair back in a rough approximation of Pyroar's mane with a long ribbon tied in it that matched the mane's coloration and an orange choker and bracelets with a red flame patter to make the flair that Typhlosion had though she did keep her locket on as she always did. The one thing she didn't wear though, which Kayleigh noted right away, was gloves which even for a non-native was odd in Kalos and especially because Dawn had worn gloves in the past when she was a performer the year before.

"Though I must ask." Kayleigh said. "Why no gloves? I know you're not from Kalos but even those visiting tend to wear them and you wore them in Showcases. It's just a curiosity because it is odd as last year only Miette, Jessilina, and Jessilee didn't wear them regularly in either Showcases or Contests though they were known for never wearing them as part of their styles."

"Oh I would wear them but I've got something I don't want to take off so I can't wear gloves these days though as I didn't wear them consistently in Sinnoh so it's not a big deal for me." Dawn said holding up her left hand to show off her engagement ring. "Plus there are two meanings to this."

"Ah I heard that you'd gotten engaged, the fact that the new Kalos Champion and his Top Coordinator girlfriend announced their engagement right after he became the Champion was hard to miss but I didn't realize what the ring was." Kayleigh said understanding now as she recognized it. "It's a Key Stone, right?"

"It is." Dawn said nodding and lowering her hand. "I have two Pokémon that can Mega Evolve and I've found the Mega Stones for both so it's really useful to have."

"And I presume you're not going to divulge whether you have them on you or not." Kayleigh said. "Or which Pokémon they are for that matter."

"Other than that I have two fire types, no I won't divulge any of the Pokémon I use or if I will Mega Evolve one." Dawn said with a smile. "The way Kalos's system is set up it pays to be secretive and I like that as it adds a whole new level of tactics to Contests while also being unique to Kalos as a region which helps during the expansion of Contests."

"I agree, I actually had to catch a few more Pokémon when I decided to try Contests last year as I only had two at the time." Kayleigh said. "It's really helped me become a better trainer in general which will only further my performing so already Contests are paying off. None that can Mega Evolve though so that's still something I can't do."

"It's not that common, I couldn't until Ash proposed with a Key Stone and I had the Mega Stones by then but if you do form the needed bond with a Pokémon it is worth it." Dawn said. "Though, er, maybe read up a bit beforehand if you can. The information isn't great but trust me it could be worthwhile."

"Really?" Kayleigh asked both confused and intrigued at Dawn's words. "How so?"

"Let's just say that one of my two Pokémon, and the only one I have so far Mega Evolved, has a backlash to it." Dawn said. "Mega Evolution is extremely powerful and not all Mega Evolutions are straightforward. For example, from what I've heard Banette will curse its trainer when Mega Evolved while Lucario will go berserk at first and needs special training according to May as she helped Korrina when she first Mega Evolved her Lucario. that have issues to overcome. Ash has a Lucario as well and their bond is definitely deep enough but no Lucarionite so he can't Mega Evolve yet. Even if he could we'd need time to perfect it."

"He certainly could do it though, I watched his challenge, all of Kalos did." Kayleigh said and while she noted that Dawn hadn't confirmed it she'd mentioned Banette there and seeing as she knew that Dawn had a Banette she was sure that that Mega Evolution was the one that Dawn had done but for the life of her Kayleigh had no idea what the curse could be. "It was damned impressive and he had 4 Mega Evolutions plus whatever his Greninja can do so Lucario shouldn't be an issue for him."

"Ash is special for sure but even then there is some special training needed with Lucario apparently." Dawn said. "So if he ever does get a Mega Stone for Lucario we'd need the time for that just to make sure that Lucario is under control. However, we're not going to Shalour which is the best place to find it so I doubt Ash will get one, at least not right now. Plus, when we leave Kalos for my next ribbon, Lucario and almost all of Ash's Pokémon will stay here unless needed."

"Huh, you have a lot of it figured out." Kayleigh said impressed. "I'm just going around Kalos training and competing in Contests this year."

"I have to go to 8 regions and win a Contest in each one to qualify for the Majestic Festival so I have to really plan things out this year." Dawn said. "Plus Ash likes to only take Pikachu to a new region, or any newly caught Pokémon since his last major Conference, so he's just taking Pikachu and Florges this time around."

"He has a Florges?" Kayleigh asked. "I take it that its new because otherwise he'd have used a Pokémon like that against Drasna at least."

"She is, long story though and we don't have time but suffice it to say that Florges joined him on the way to Laverre in what I've come to expect from a typical Ash side adventure." Dawn said and she was right as the screen in the waiting room turned on to show Jillian standing by the panel of judges which turned out to be the normal three. "Looks like this is about to start so best to be ready."

"Folks, it's time to start the Conflagration Contest!" Jillian said on the screen as Kayleigh nodded and turned to the screen herself as she got ready though she was intrigued by what Dawn had said so she'd ask about that later. "This is the second of the special Type Series that Kalos is doing this year as a special series of Contests that honor the 18 Pokémon types out there and the first with the additional rule for any of the series held inside a town's limits. That rule is…"

Dawn already knew this so she only half listened to the commentary as she thought over her appeal and the order she'd use her Pokémon in should she advance. She wasn't the first up but she was the 4th so she was early and had to be ready especially because she now had a challenger who could surprise her if they faced off in battle. She wasn't going to let that happen however because it was time to finally win a Contest and get her first ribbon on the way to the Majestic Festival, the Conflagration Festival was hers.

"Well that was certainly unique." Jillian said supportively as the coordinator before Dawn shook his head and walked off and Dawn agreed, it was a unique appeal and if it was perfected it could be a great one that could easily advance but this one wasn't just yet so he wasn't going to advance from it but it was still good experience. "Next up is the only Top Coordinator in this Contest so she's the only one going for the Majestic Festival here but as we saw in the Haunted Contest this doesn't mean that a Top Coordinator is a lock to win it. In fact she's been on a cold streak with two losses in Kalos already but looking to change that now. Give it up for the Prodigy of Sinnoh, Dawn!"

Dawn walked out with a smile and a wave to the crowd that was now cheering for her. Jillian was right she was on a cold streak so what better way than to break it with some heat in a Contest dedicated to all things hot, and she had just the Pokémon for it. It was time to finally end her run of losses and remind people why she was a Top Coordinator as she reached her starting point, pulling her Poke Ball out and tossing it in one smooth motion as she came to a stop.

"Typhlosion, Spotlight!" Dawn said as she threw it. "Start us off with Fire Wheel!"

Typhlosion roared as he burst from his Poke Ball and charged forward the moment he landed on the ground, fire bursting from his collar before cloaking his body as he did. Rather than obscure, however, the fire highlighted Typhlosion showing off how well groomed he was and making it clear that he was a strong fire type. This was just the start however and Dawn was already giving the next order as Typhlosion neared the other side of the stage.

"Now transition into Wild Charge as you turn." Dawn called out. "Bring it back to the middle and show off how you'd use that attack."

Typhlosion roared again and the fire died from his body as he reached the end of the stage and turned on a dime, an impressive move for a Pokémon of his size and speed, as he body crackled with electricity in a smooth transition between the two cloaked, charged attacks. Then he rushed forward, the electricity surging and showing him off in new ways while also showing a different style and type as he rushed to the center of the stage just as Dawn had instructed.

The moment he got there, Typhlosion came to an abrupt and hard stop with a thrust as if he'd hit another Pokémon and the electricity surged off him as it ended. It was a good way to demonstrate how the attack would work in combat and already Dawn was transitioning into the grand finale of the appeal now that Typhlosion was in position for it. This was a hot and fast one but for the Contest and Typhlosion it was going to work well.

"Spin and use Flamethrower." Dawn said before raising her hand. "Then rear up and release an Eruption to the ceiling."

Typhlosion knew that this was coming, they'd practiced long and hard for it, so he was already ready and moving, his mouth open as the electricity finished sparking before him and the fire forming in his mouth. Then, as soon as he could, he released it in a continuous stream of flames and began to spin.

The result was that the gout of fire shot out and covered the stage in a varied circle thus ensuring that Typhlosion was always visible. However, as the spin came to an end that became moot as the Volcano Pokémon came to a stop, reared up, and lived up to his name as he tilted his head to the sky with the fire still burning around him.

Then an explosive fury of fire blasted out of Typhlosion's mouth and up to the sky as his Eruption move literally erupted from him. The result was a massive conflagration around Typhlosion with him at the center being shown off the entire time. It all looked great and between his type, the special nature of the Contest and name chosen for it, and the fact that he was a fully evolved starter, it would go down well as the fire blew out and around.

Dawn knew this as well and smiled. This was how she'd honor the theme and show off at the same time and the final moment was still to be shown as the fire died down and the appeal ended. That moment was the fact that in all of it Typhlosion had positioned himself right in front of the judges as he stood before them and thus was able to bow to them as Dawn curtsied confirming that the appeal was over and the crowd had their own eruption at that.

"Another amazing appeal from Dawn!" Jillian said over the cheers of the crowd as Dawn rose from her curtsy. "Well I think so at least but my opinion doesn't matter, only the judges' does so let's have them."

"A fitting appeal for the type this Contest honors and performed to maximize Typhlosion's presence." Mr. Contesta said as the crowd died down to hear the judges' comments. "Well done."

"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo said with his usual smile that showed he approved of the appeal.

"Typhlosion looked so powerful there but clearly it's been well cared for as well." Nurse Joy said. "Dawn knows how to bring the most out of her Pokémon it seems and I can see the use of poffins in the gleam of Typhlosion's fur which is to be expected from a Sinnoh native."

Dawn just smiled at that as she curtsied again while Typhlosion bowed his head before she recalled him, turned, and headed off the stage as Jillian began to introduce the next coordinator. She knew it was a good appeal and with only 17 coordinators in the Contest, one of the smaller ones that Dawn had been in but which was to be expected given the additional requirement, she had a good feeling that she should advance with it. Of course nothing was ever certain so Dawn hurried back to the waiting room to watch and see how the others did, especially Kayleigh.

"Another strong appeal right there, it's been a good showing today indeed." Jillian said as the guy before Kayleigh finished and headed off smiling and she had to agree he'd done well but he was a veteran of the first Galar circuit where he'd made the battle rounds of Grand Festival so it was too be expected. "Let's hope our next coordinator can keep it up. Folks, we saw a little of her last year but she's not actually a coordinator, she's a top tier Performer who made the finals of the last Master Class so her talent in that area is unquestioned. Now she's doing what many Performers do to get the edge and focusing on Contests following a deep Master Class run. From Brindile Town here in the Kalos region, it's Kayleigh the Showman."

Kayleigh just smiled nervously and waved as she walked out with her usual cane in her left hand. She was nervous to follow a strong appeal but that also only added to her own appeal as she had a routine ready and she'd show why she'd made it to the Master Class final. Still, the fact that she already had a moniker despite only being in a few Contests the year before, and one different to the kind of titles she knew that people like Dawn and Serena had, was a bit daunting.

With a small shake of her head, Kayleigh drove that from her mind as she reached her starting point and pulled out her first Poke Ball. She was here to show what she could do, nothing else mattered, and besides she wanted to advance and try to face Dawn in the battles because she knew that she'd learn a lot from that experience.

"Delcatty, let's perform!" Kayleigh said as she tossed out her Poke Ball before tossing her cane to her right hand and catching it with a spin and pointing it out to the stage as Delcatty burst from its Poke Ball and landed before her. "Start with Ice Beam and make us a nice solid barrier."

Delcatty mewled as she opened her mouth and the Ice Beam formed there. Then she released it and sent a blast of ice across the stage, aiming for a spot on the ground right in the middle where it would look the best. The moment it hit, Delcatty began to move her head and rise it up as the move ran its course.

Once it was over there was a slight gasp from the crowd as a large, smoot, slab of ice was formed before them frost rising from it as the stage cooled. It was just what Kayleigh and Delcatty were going for though and why Ice Beam was a common move in appeals and freestyles because it allowed a Pokémon to show off in a lot of ways, one of which Kayleigh and Delcatty were about to do.

"Now break through it with Zen Headbutt." Kayleigh said as she jabbed out her cane pointing to a spot in the middle of the slab. "And carry on to the other side."

Delcatty didn't mewl this time as she focused all her willpower in her head before she charged forward and at the ice. This was the reason for the combo and Kayleigh grinned as Delcatty reached the point they'd decided in practice and leapt up and at the ice slamming her head into the very center of it and letting out a mewl of attack as she did.

This was when people realized that the ice was a lot thinner than anticipated and rather than crack and fall down right there, Delcatty cleanly broke through the ice, the shards really showing off her fur, and landed on the other. As she did crack broke around the ice until it reached a critical moment and shattered, the ice falling down and away to hit the ground and explode into fragments behind Delcatty who wasn't looking at it.

She was ready for her next move and so was Kayleigh so there was no need to look at the results of the opening combo. That was because it was time for their own grand finale combo and while it would be similar in a sense it would still be different to Dawn's.

"Sing Delcatty." Kayleigh said as she moved her cane in the air. "And then dance within your song as you unleash your Uproar!"

Delcatty let out another mewl at that as she opened her mouth and began to sing, the notes of the move soaring into the air around the Prim Pokémon. As she did Kayleigh conducted it with her cane dancing on the spot until it ended. Then, and as the notes of Sing hung in the air with the after affects of the song, Delcatty unleashed her Uproar and began to dance in it.

As she did Kayleigh also danced on her spot, cane moving as she conducted the dance but during it she spun and tossed it from time to time the way she'd done in the Master Class final. Overall it was a good and interesting appeal showing the fluidity of a freestyle but in a more Contest setting where the entire focus was on the Pokémon and what it could do rather than the interaction of Pokémon and performer the way a freestyle was.

However, the big thing with Kayleigh's appeal was the juxtaposition of the moves with how Sing put you to sleep and Uproar prevented it. That was what was going to look good. Well, that and how when the Uproar ended Delcatty was facing the judges, as was Kayleigh from her dancing.

Kayleigh may not know Contests very well but she had been in a few and always advanced in the appeals so she knew how to conduct one well and knew that ending facing the judges was always a good thing. Usually this might be hard for a rookie or novice coordinator but as a seasoned performer who understood timing Kayleigh and Delcatty got it off nearly perfectly and thus were in position when the Uproar ended.

As such Delcatty bowed her head while Kayleigh executed a perfect Kalos curtsy the way only a trained performer could to show that the appeal was over. The crowd got that too and let out a loud roar of support for the appeal which boosted Kayleigh as she wasn't sure how she did with that. She may have advanced in all her past appeals but she still didn't fully understand how they were judged so a good crowd reaction always helped her.

"Yet another classic example of how performers are blending their own freestyle styles into Contest appeals in what is becoming truly the Kalos style and even more fluid than we saw from Kayleigh last year." Jillian said as Kayleigh finished her curtsy and the crowd died down to hear the judges. "At least I think so but do our judges agree?"

"Kayleigh showed once again that there is so much that performers bring to Contests." Mr. Contesta said with a nod. "It's why expanding to new regions was such a good idea as we are really growing how Contests work just like what we saw. Well done."

"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo said in the tone he reserved for when he was pleased with an appeal.

"Delcatty was so cute and its voice really moved me." Nurse Joy said smiling. "And it looks well-groomed and has been treated to the right Poke Puffs so Kayleigh really knows how to raise her Pokémon."

Kayleigh just smiled at that as she curtsied again before recalling Delcatty after it bowed its head and then turning to leave the stage. She'd done well and she could feel it but of course Dawn's opinion would be needed as well, if there was time that is because there were only two more coordinators to go. Regardless, the weight of nerves had lifted from Kayleigh and she was ready to see how she did as she returned to the waiting room.

"And that is it for the appeals." Jillian said on the screen as Dawn and Kayleigh nervously watched following the last appeal having not had the time to speak since Kayleigh got back due to how fast the penultimate appeal had been while the final one wasn't memorable at all. "And we have the results so here they are!"

At that the screen turned to the usual background for the results and 8 trainer cards appeared faced down. They then flipped over to reveal the 8 who'd advanced and Dawn smiled while Kayleigh let out a sigh of relief as their pictures were the first two in the second row showing that they'd both advanced to the battle rounds.

"Well done to all our coordinators and we hope to see those who didn't make it again." Jillian's voice rang out as the cards flipped over and shuffled before falling to the bottom of the screen and a bracket appeared above to show the path to the final and the Conflagration ribbon. "And now the bracket! Let's see how the matchups will be after our lunch break."

With that the cards flipped over again and Dawn noted instantly that she was in the first battle while Kayleigh was in the 3rd so if they were to meet it would be in the final which was just what Dawn wanted.

Dawn was as close to a lock to make it as possible for that but Kayleigh wasn't as she'd never actually made it to a Contest final. However she really wanted to face Dawn so she was going to use this to motivate her to do just that.

"Congratulations to our advancers." Jillian said though the screen didn't change. "The battle round starts in one hour. Until then goodbye."

At that Jillian cut off and the coordinators present either began to file out if they hadn't advanced with the usual mixed reactions or remained in the waiting room for a moment before heading to where lunch was set up for them. As they did Kayleigh turned to Dawn.

"Well we made it." Kayleigh said. "I didn't doubt you would but I was a little nervous if I'm honest as I'm still not sure how appeals are scored."

"Honestly I didn't either and so I made mistakes in the past, even failed in the appeals before, twice in fact back when I was a rookie." Dawn admitted much to Kayleigh's surprise as Dawn turned to her. "I almost quit in fact but I saw how determined Ash was and used that to motivate me to not give up. I was still off though so I challenged a gym leader who was also dealing with confidence issues following a devastating loss to a challenger and while I lost the battle was needed and helped refocus me, as well as helping her in fact. Next time I was in a Contest it was the Wallace Cup and I won it so I understand the nerves but you did great there, I knew you would advance."

Dawn meant it as well. She'd watched Kayleigh's appeal closely and noted that while it was very clearly a single Pokémon freestyle adapted to an appeal it was a lot easier going from freestyle to appeal then the other way around as Dawn had found out as it was easier to subtract a factor than add one. Plus no one cared that Kayleigh was dancing around as well though Dawn did have one question she had to ask but before she could Kayleigh beat her to it.

"Thank you, that means a lot." Kayleigh admitted. "I still find it hard going from freestyle where I'm part of it to appeal though. It just feels unnatural to not be a part of it if that makes sense."

"As someone who's done it the other way around I'd say it's easier for you than it was for me." Dawn said. "I struggled with adding myself to it and still honestly do while using just the Pokémon is easier I feel, especially because you can still do your own thing were you're standing as no one focuses on the coordinator."

"Huh I guess I'm just used to being part of it." Kayleigh admitted. "I can't help myself though I am usually very active in my freestyles to begin with."

"I saw." Dawn said. "So what is with the cane? You're really good with it, I saw that in the Master Class, and really showed it off as you commanded Delcatty there."

"It's what I'm comfortable with." Kayleigh said gripping her cane in her hands. "I've trained hard with it ever since I discovered the performer style that I liked and the whole showman thing is part of that so it just felt natural to use it. Is it too much?"

"Not at all." Dawn said as she felt a pang of hunger hit her. "It actually works well with what you do. Come on, let's get some food and I can give you any appeal tips you want. Not battle though, you've got to learn that on your own for this one but after the Contest I'll help."

"I want to earn my way to my first final on my own so of course I'll wait on that." Kayleigh said as they headed off to where lunch was set up and Dawn smiled at the challenge. "But I'll no doubt have questions afterwards. So, what was good about the cane there? I thought it might be too much."

"Not at all, props are actually useful, one of my friends and rivals, as well as one of the few coordinators I've never beaten though admittedly we've only faced off once, is famous for using props in her appeals." Dawn said as they walked surprising Kayleigh as she knew how good Dawn was at Contests so this was high praise come from her. "If you get the time watch some footage on Mollie, her style may help you hone yours. She's a Top Coordinator from Kanto known as the Sweetie from the Garden and gained her title at the end of the last Contest season when she became the first winner of the Unova Grand Festival. As for the cane specifically, well…"

At that Dawn began to give Kayleigh tips and pointers for how to fine tune her already strong appeal skills as Kayleigh asked questions while they got their lunch and began to eat it. So far the day was going well but Dawn knew that she'd be fine. She just hoped that Kayleigh would be as well because she really did want to face her friend in the final of the Conflagration Contest and soon she'd know if that would be the case as the girls enjoyed their lunch and chatted together.

As Dawn expected, the early rounds of the battles weren't an issue for her. She was in the first battle and started it off with her Helioptile, her only non-fire type that she was using, against a fellow Sinnoh trainer who was using a Monferno which was clearly her starter.

That had been easy as Dawn had gone for evasion and counter attack style to win due to the fighting type advantage Monferno had over Helioptile's normal type. It didn't hurt that her fellow Sinnoh native was a rookie who was a little star struck facing Dawn but even without that Dawn would have easily won on points as when the dust settled she had more than half hers left while her opponent was barely above 25%.

The girl didn't seem to mind though and thanked Dawn for the chance to face one of Sinnoh's finest before leaving and Dawn returned to watch Kayleigh's first battle and that was when she really saw something strange that told her Kayleigh's potential was high; her battle style. To say that it was unique and odd would be an understatement and Dawn would have to be wary of it going forward.

For whatever reason, Kayleigh incorporated her cane into her battle style as well, using it to punctuate movements and constantly spinning and tossing it without any issue. It was a distraction to the opponent if he or she let it be while giving clear instructions to her Pokémon at the same time, which was a strong combination.

When you factored in that her first Pokémon was a Braixen and used its stick the same way it was a really effective method indeed. Well that and the fact that Kayleigh was facing a fellow Kalos coordinator using a Hariyama so a few well timed psychic attacks that landed put the fight out of reach and Kayleigh won on points by 15%.

After that Dawn didn't doubt that Kayleigh would make the final and she intended to be there for it, doing so with ease when she and Pyroar faced off again the Galarian who'd appealed before Kayleigh. As expected he used a fire type though it was using a Sizzlipede, a Galarian fire and bug type, so it was new to Dawn.

The big advantage was that Sizzlipede's fire resisted its own type thus negating its bug type weakness and thus balancing it out. However, at the same time it also meant that it was no longer resistant to fire type attacks so all Dawn needed was one strong hit and a few weaker ones to win and she did that with some strong evasions and counters that neatly set up an Overheat that Pyroar landed at its maximum power before finishing it with the next move for a Battle Off with less than 30 seconds remaining.

That put Dawn in yet another final thus extending her record streak, something Jillian noted, and gave her a chance to watch and wait to see if Kayleigh made it as well. Kayleigh didn't disappoint and really surprised Dawn with her own Pokémon and second fire type as it was a male Pyroar, a flip on Dawn's female one and the rarer gender due to Pyroar being a predominately female species.

However, unlike Dawn's match, Kayleigh didn't win by battle off as she was facing a fellow Kalos trainer for the second battle in row only this one was using a Golduck so she didn't have the type advantage but rather a significant disadvantage. What Kayleigh did have though was the performer style and her showmanship skills had her Pyroar dancing rings around the Golduck with the occasional counter so that she won more by dropping her opponent's points via dodges than anything else.

It was a damned impressive showing and Dawn noted that herself as the battle came to an end and Kayleigh won by more than 20% points this time. However, Dawn had helped train Serena after her friend had first adapted the Kalos style for performers and she knew how freestyles worked.

It would be a challenge for sure but Dawn was ready and relished it as it would make the win better to beat someone who in her mind had the potential to at least make a deep run at the next Kalos Ribbon Cup. Well that and as the other coordinator left while Kayleigh remained, Dawn was certain that she knew who Kayleigh's last Pokémon was due to her using two fire types already and not using it in the appeals. It made sense as it was Kayleigh's best Pokémon but it was also the one that Dawn knew best seeing as she had one too.

"Well folks, the time for the final of the Conflagration Contest has come and what a battle we have in store for you!" Jillian said as Dawn walked out and the crowd roared while Kayleigh just stood in her starting point smiling and waiting for Dawn to reach her. "That's because these two girls have actually met in a final before but not a Contest final, no they've met in a Showcase final and not just any Showcase at that, the Master Class itself. Both lost to Jessilee but they were in it and now they face off once more though this time it's very different to the nature of their Master Class showdown."

Jillian paused there for a moment as Dawn walked and the crowd cheered but it was only for a moment. The woman was the Kalos Contest MC, she knew how to hype a crowd and she was about to really send it over the edge after the slight pause.

"That's because one is for all intents and purposes a Contest rookie in her first final and the other a Top Coordinator in her 20th straight final and 24th overall. It's Kayleigh the Showman verses the Prodigy of Sinnoh, Dawn!"

"Does this always happen?" Kayleigh asked as Dawn came to a stop facing her while the crowd's volume increased from Jillian's hyping. "These introductions I mean. The only Contests I did last year were the ones after Showcases that Pierre hosted and he's got a different style to all this."

"Yup, you get used to them." Dawn admitted. "And having a moniker is big, it means that they consider you strong enough to win ribbons and make the Grand Festival, so embrace it."

"I'll try and I'll give them that it is a fitting one." Kayleigh said. "This is very different to the Master Class though."

"That it is but there are no battles in Showcases so this is a different kind of fun." Dawn said as she pulled out her Poke Ball. "And your Pyroar looked impressive."

"When I knew that I would enter this I wanted to catch one especially because I knew you had one as well but female so I had to go for male seeing as you inspired me to really look at Contests as something more than just honing appeals." Kayleigh said as she drew her own Poke Ball. "And now that I can face you in the first Contest final that I've reached, well this is big for me but I don't plan on losing."

"Neither do I so bring it on and show me why you should be a favorite this year." Dawn said. "Because I'm going all out, I need this ribbon and have already failed twice at getting one in Kalos so you're going to see why I won a Grand Festival."

"I want all of you so I can grow and learn." Kayleigh said. "Come at me with everything Dawn because if you don't you might be upset, again."

"Better you than Amelia." Dawn admitted. "But let's get this started already."

"That's it ladies!" Jillian said excitedly. "Just what we love to hear and on that note, battle begin!"

"Ninetales, spotlight!"

"Furfrou, let's perform!"

The orders and tosses came at the same time as the girls threw out their Pokémon and the balls burst before them with the two quadrupedal and canine Pokémon landed on the battlefield simultaneously with Kayleigh's Furfrou still in its Dandy Trim that it had had in the Master Class. As they did the clock began to tick down and the girls both gave their first orders while many of the locals in the crowd noted the Ninetales from the last fire festival.

"Furfrou use Double Team and move into Dark Pulse as soon as you can." Kayleigh said. "Confuse Ninetales to land a hit, we've never encountered one so we need to be cautious with it while Dawn has a Furfrou of her own so she's got the upper hand right now."

"Sweep with Flamethrower." Dawn said as Furfrou barked and formed several clones the way Double Team did before it opened its mouth just as Ninetales did the same. "We know how to handle that and a Furfrou so make sure you hit it. We won't let this surprise us."

Double Team was a move that Dawn had trained against thanks to Greninja so she knew that one of the more useful counters to it, if done right away, was to go for a ranged move that was continuous like Flamethrower. It wasn't perfect by any means but it could work if it was swept over the battlefield and that's just what it did in this case as Ninetales blasted out the fire aiming for the left edge of the Furfrou squad as he was looking at it.

The gout of fire shot out of Ninetales's mouth and into the far left Furfrou clone as he looked before the rings of Dark Pulse where blasted out from Furfrou and its clones. That clone was destroyed but Ninetales kept the sweep up and blasted through them but before he could hit the real one the Dark Pulse shot out of the clones and the real Furfrou.

That was enough to ensure that the real one would hit as Ninetales couldn't move while sweeping his Flamethrower but before it did the flames hit the side of the real Furfrou who let out a howl of pain and Ninetales stopped so that the fire engulfed it for a moment. That moment ended quickly though as the Dark Pulse slammed into Ninetales's chest and staggered him back with a growl as the fire ended.

Neither was weak nor resistant to the other's attack so it was an even opening exchange as Dawn and Kayleigh both lost points though Dawn lost a little more as her hit wasn't as clean as Kayleigh's. They weren't paying much attention to that, however, as both girls were now fully in the battle and already gearing up thein next moves with Dawn just a hair faster due to her experience and she had just the move to close the gap.

"Quick Attack." Dawn called out.

"Snarl." Kayleigh said a few seconds later and after Ninetales had already shot forward. "Hit Ninetales as it moves."

In any battle be it normal, Contest, or some other kind, seconds mattered and it was no different in this battle. Ninetales was on Furfrou before Furfrou could begin its Snarl and slamming its head into the other canine Pokémon's face to shut it up and stagger it back.

However, that was just to get in close as Dawn gave the next order and showed that Ninetales had been training hard with Pikachu for his debut Contest battle as Dawn's strategy with her fully evolved Kanto fire type relied on a certain physiological feature and Pikachu was an expert with the move that Ninetales had learned to maximize this. It also countered a weakness that Ninetales had but that didn't apply in this particular battle.

"Iron Tail." Dawn called out.

Before Kayleigh or Furfrou could reach all nine of Ninetales's tails fanned out and turn to steel as he kicked his back feet off the ground before pivoting on his front paws to bring the tails around and slam them into Furfrou's side. It wasn't the flip that Pikachu liked, Ninetales was too big for that to be effective and thus was saved for when speed was the goal, but it still brough them to bear and landed the hit that spun Furfrou around and staggered it a good few feet sideways as the Poodle Pokémon slid over the ground.

However, that gap was just what Kayleigh needed to counter and she knew that while Furfrou wasn't resistant to the moves as a normal type it still had the Fur Coat ability which halved the damage from physical attacks so for a normal type like Furfrou it made it functionally resistant to any non-fighting or ghost type physical attacks. As such Furfrou was easily still in the fight and Kayleigh already had her counter ready.

"Dark Pusle." Kayleigh said as Furfrou snarled, head turned to Ninetales as the Fox Pokémon spun around with the momentum from his hit. "Blast it back and then chase it with Giga Impact."

Dawn and Ninetales didn't have time to react to that, though Dawn had to give Kayleigh credit for exploiting the situation just as she would if their positions were reversed, before Furfrou finished its spin first, mouth already open, and blasted the Dark Pulse out the moment that it was ready. All Ninetales could do was yip as the blast was shot out and hit him in the chest for the second time that battle as he finished his own spin and was blasted back through the air to hit the ground just on Dawn's side of the battlefield and rolled a bit as Furfrou focused every ounce of its power for the charge.

However, that gap was now going to be used against Kayleigh as Dawn had her counter and while Kayleigh was going to use the physical attack, Dawn was going to use the ranged one of the two powerful normal type attacks. In this moment range would be better and Dawn was glad that she'd opted to teach it to Ninetales despite the drawback to the move.

"Intercept with Hyper Beam!" Dawn yelled as Furfrou began to charge.

Ninetales didn't even bother to get up, he just raised his upper body, head facing Furfrou with his mouth open and a ball of orange light in it. Then, as Furfrou charged, Ninetales unleashed his Hyper Beam as soon as he could.

With the range and positions there was no way to avoid it and the orange beam slammed into Furfrou's head imparting the high amount of damage it did. In normal situations this would be enough to end an attack and blast the Pokémon back though it would leave Ninetales open for another hit as he had to recharge for a few moments. However, this wasn't normal as Giga Impact was the flip of Hyper Beam and as such the powers balanced so all it did was slow Furfrou before it ended and with a howl Furfrou shot forward with the last of its strength.

As such, and because Ninetales was recharging, the Giga Impact hit and sent Ninetales flying back to land in a heap just before Dawn still recharging from his Hyper Beam. Furfrou however came to a stop and panted also immobile and recharging thus giving the battle a brief respite as neither Pokémon couldn't move for the moment.

Still that just gave the girls the time they needed to think and they already had their next moves planned out. It would come down to whoever could move first, however.

"Iron Tail." Dawn said. "Get in close as soon as you can."

"Hold it off with Snarl." Kayleigh responded. "Don't let Ninetales reach you."

Both Pokémon grunted at that as they waited for their cooldowns to end and they could move again. That was what it would come down to and in this case it was a matter of which move hit first and once again it showed that in a clash of the powerful normal type attacks, range was the one that had the edge in this situation as it landed first which meant that Ninetales came off cooldown first.

As such Ninetales was on his feet with a bark and shot forward and at Furfrou the moment that he could manage it running as fast as he could because he knew that he only had moments to spare before Furfrou could attack so he had to be there first. That was why he leapt and flipped like Pikachu would the moment he could, his tails turning to steel as he did.

This wasn't the best strategy for Iron Tail with Ninetales because of his size but it was the most direct and fasted which was why he only planned to use a flip when speed was key. Right now it was because just as Ninetales leapt Furfrou came off cool down and opened its mouth to Snarl.

However it didn't get the chance as Ninetales finished his leap and brought down the tails right onto Furfrou's head and back driving it to its knees with a grunt of pain but its ability mitigated the damage but once again having its Snarl interrupted by Ninetales's Iron Tail. Regardless, it was a hit and that was all that mattered in a Contest battle and though Ninetales did land on his back from it and had to roll away and put some distance between them to avoid a counter while Furfrou rose. That counter did come but thanks to the distance Dawn had the time to intercept it this time.

"Dark Pulse." Kayleigh said accenting her order with her cane though Dawn wasn't paying attention to that to avoid getting distracted by how Kayleigh moved her cane in battle.

"Block it with Flamethrower." Dawn said as an idea came to her that would ensure she won this and it was all thanks to training Ninetales with Pikachu and all she'd seen Ash do whenever he and his starter battled together.

Ninetales howled in agreement at that and opened his mouth as the dark rings of Dark Pulse shot out of Furfrou's mouth before his own gout of fire blasted from his mouth. As such the two ranged attacks hit with the Dark Pulse closer than Flamethrower due to the timing of the attacks. That didn't matter though as the attacks exploded on impact canceling each other out and filling the stage with dust and debris that was closer to Ninetales than Furfrou so he was more effected by the sudden obfuscation.

Kayleigh noticed that and instantly capitalized on it. She was sure that points wise she didn't have the edge but she did have power and if she landed another Giga Impact then between two of those, boosted by Furfrou being the same type as the attack, along with the two landed Dark Pulses then she'd win by Battle Off because there was no way that Ninetales could survive all that. It was a good plan just a shame that this was the move that Dawn was waiting for to enact her plan to ensure victory.

"Giga Impact." Kayleigh yelled.

"Dodge with Quick Attack." Dawn countered as Furfrou howled and focused all it power for the attack. "Just like Pikachu can. Then use Flamethrower the moment you can."

"Huh." Kayleigh muttered as Furfrou charged.

Dawn just grinned at that as Ninetales barked and shot off to the side as soon as he could running as fast as possible away from the charging normal type with the higher priority move.

The result was that as Furfrou burst through the last of the dust between the Pokémon and arrived where Ninetales had been to find that Ninetales was no longer there having rushed to the side and away thus ensuring that Giga Impact missed. However, that wasn't the big thing as Ninetales came to a stop and turned to face Furfrou and opened his mouth, no the big thing was that Furfrou was now immobile and wide open for this attack.

There was no way to avoid it so Furfrou just grit its teeth determined to not pass out from the hit as the gout of flames shot from Ninetales's mouth and rushed towards Furfrou. A second later the flames reached and washed over the immobile Pokémon who let out a howl of pain from it.

This was the drawback to a move like Giga Impact and why Dawn wanted Kayleigh to use it again. She had a way to evade it which set up this hit and gave Dawn the time to check the timer of the battle as the Flamethrower landed, something she rarely had an opportunity to do in a Contest battle. It would be a good learning opportunity for Kayleigh going forward.

Kayleigh noticed none of this as she was focused on what next. She had to land hits and she had to do it quickly if she wanted to have a chance so with the distance she went with her ranged move as she was sure she'd land it this time.

"Snarl." Kayleigh said as the cooldown from Giga Impact ended. "We…"

Before she could finish speaking, however, the bell sounded and the 5 minutes elapsed ending the battle and the Conflagration Contest. That startled Kayleigh as she'd been so into it that she'd not paid attention to the timer but now that it was over she let out a sigh knowing what was coming as she held out her left hand and caught her cane from the last toss she'd made with it.

"And that is it, the Conflagration Contest is over and we have a winner, it's…" Jillian said as the girls and the crowd looked to the jumbotron for the scores but it was obvious who'd won and that was clear on the scoreboard as one of them was just below 50% while the other was just above 30%. "…Dawn! With this she's gotten her Kalos ribbon at last and is one step closer to the Majestic Festival! That's it for me, thank you for coming to the Conflagration Contest, the second of the Type Series. Next up for it is the Sea Contest near Shalour City in two weeks' time so I hope to see you there."

At that the crowd erupted in cheers but neither girl paid it any heed. They had to recall and thank their Pokémon first before ending the Contest properly.

"Ninetales return." Dawn said recalling her Pokémon and smiling at the Poke Ball in her hand. "Well done, you won in your first Contest, I'm proud of you. That was closer than expected, Kayleigh's got a lot of potential and she went the full time against us. I think she'll be just fine this year and should make the Grand Festival if she keeps this up. Take a rest, you earned it and thanks to you and the others today I finally have my Kalos ribbon. We'll celebrate later before we move onto the next region and ribbon that we will win."

"Furfrou return." Kayleigh said a small smile on her face despite the loss. "You were amazing out there, don't feel bad for that. We were up against a Top Coordinator who's had two loses to get back into shape and get a ribbon she really needs so going the full time against her was impressive enough. I'm certainly seeing the lure of Contests, they're good and we should continue them to grow this year. Take a rest though, we need to be ready for the next Contest and that Sea Contest sounds like a good one for us to try our hands at."

At that Kayleigh shrunk her Poke Ball and put it away before she walked out, cane under her left arm as she stripped off her right glove for what was to come as she did while Dawn walked out as well her own Poke Ball away though she didn't need to remove a glove. It was time to end this the way any Contest was supposed to end.

"Well done." Dawn said as she held out her hand to Kayleigh once they reached the middle of the battlefield. "You went the full time with me and could have won if things went differently, you've got talent Kayleigh, no question. I hope you keep competing this year because I'm sure you'll do well and get a lot out of it."

"Really?" Kayleigh asked her smile brightening as she took Dawn's hand and they shook as the crowd cheered. "I felt like you really had it the entire time. Just finishing without a Battle Off was good for this Contest."

"And it is but if you'd landed that Giga Impact I'd have lost by Battle Off, that is what you were going for, right?" Dawn asked as they ended their handshake and Kayleigh nodded not surprised at all that Dawn had figured that out. "Then I was right, you really do have potential. Keep it up and you'll make the Grand Festival, I'm sure of it."

"Thank you Dawn and I do see the fun of Contests and how they can help me grow as a performer and that's including the battles." Kayleigh said. "So I will be doing more and if I am going to do that then there's no point in not going for the Grand Festiva as well. It will help me but for now you have your moment of victory so I'll take my leave. I hope to see you before you go for some more tips."

"Of course, we'll talk later." Dawn said. "I look forward to it."

Kayleigh just nodded at that before she turned and left the battlefield. As she did Dawn smiled glad she'd faced Kayleigh and that the woman was now going for the Grand Festival as she was sure Kayleigh would get a lot out of them.

She'd likely would struggle against Amelia, that girl's technical skill was no joke and her mentality was better suited to Contests anyway, but it would help Kayleigh grow for her next crack at the Master Class and that's where she'd excel. Dawn was looking forward to keeping an eye on Kayleigh's progress but for now she had her moment and turned as Mr. Contesta approached a small tray in his hand.

"Congratulations Dawn, you've won the Conflagration Contest and gained your first ribbon in your quest to qualify for the Majestic Festival." Mr. Contesta said holding out the tray to reveal that the Conflagration Contest ribbon was bright orange with a red border done in the traditional Kalos ribbon style and held with a seal that was the symbol for fire types. "The Conflagration Ribbon is yours. We're all looking forward to what you do next as you try to reach the Majestic Festival."

"Thank you, I already know what is next and can't wait for the challenges it will bring." Dawn said as she took the ribbon in her fingers and Mr. Contesta backed up so that Dawn could strike her pose. "But first, I won the Conflagration Ribbon!"

At that Dawn thrust her hand into the air to hold the ribbon aloft and the crowd roared at it. She'd done it, after two setbacks Dawn finally had the first ribbon she needed to get and her confidence and love for Contests was coming back following her losses. There were only 7 more to go.

She smiled at that as she brought her hand down and looked at her newest ribbon, her first since Cremini Town, and held it in her palms. This was what she loved to do and she was so happy to do it again now that she was going for the Majestic Festival. That was the goal and it was time to leave Kalos behind after more than a year in the region and move onto the next one on her journey to the Majestic Festival. Next stop Alola.

A little abrupt I know but I feel like this is the best place to end this chapter and officially end the Kalos adventure with Dawn's win over Kayleigh who is now going to really go for Contests so who knows how she does there. There really isn't much more for them to do or accomplish in Kalos and no more side adventures planned though I may do a final Supplement whenever I get around to that in my busy schedule so it is time to bid Kalos goodbye. Next up is Alola and that is where we're about to go so plenty to look forward to as Ash and Dawn take on the next part of their adventure. Lastly, this does mean that Ash will not get Lucarionite at this moment though he may get it later in the story depending on how things go in this story but it is unlikely as I'd like to mainly focus on the new Pokémon that Ash will catch though Lucario will return from time to time when needed. I will say this, if he does get it then he will deal with the same situation Korrina dealt with and have to learn to control Lucario properly after at least 1 if not 2 berserk instances. That is all that I really have for this Part, however, so I will end it off here. As always if you like my work then please favorite (both this story and me in general to be notified of any new content I post), if possible leave a review as I really like hearing what you think of my work and your suggestions that help complete this story (and respond as best I can) and just in general keep enjoying my work. Until next time.

Stringdog