Part XXXVII: Well That Was Unexpected

"Well that was interesting." Misty said with a sympathetic smile at the slightly dejected Emily as she left the stage and entered the small backstage area where Misty was currently waiting to go out. "You put on a good show but sometimes it just doesn't go as expected, been there and let me tell you it sucks."

As soon as Misty had won her semifinal she had headed straight back to the waiting room where only she was left with Pikachu and Piplup waiting for her to watch the other semifinal. Without a word they watched Ash and Emily's semifinal managing to just catch the start. Misty knew that as good as Emily had become, she had only one shot of beating Ash and from the start it Ash prevented that whether he realized it himself or not.

The opening salvo had been odd but it had worked and given Ash a strong start that he didn't look back from for a moment. From that point Ash pushed his advantage and Misty knew that by the time the 5 minutes were up Ash would win. At least that had been what Misty had expected until the surprise at the end.

Emily's Sing attack after the opening hit was good and the right move in most situations given the sudden lack of visibility and Sing not needing line of sight to hit. The problem was that Emily didn't know of Dratini's ability which Ash exploited to defeat Clefairy with a quick combination that played to Ash's strengths of speed and fast attacks.

The real surprise had been the battle between Granbull and Gengar. Misty had forgotten that Gengar could effectively fly but clearly Ash hadn't and used that to avoid the first attack. Emily had made the right call with dark type moves but they just weren't enough to win, even with landing the second attack. Well that and the oddity of a poison type attack working so well against Granbull.

"Thanks, yeah that wasn't what I expected." Emily said with a sigh as she gave Misty a small smile clearly upset at the loss. "Your boyfriend is really good; I don't think I could have beaten him."

"In a straight fight no you couldn't have beaten." Misty said bluntly. "But in a Contest battle you could have."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked her confusion replacing her dejectedness at losing and Misty decided to use this a teaching moment for Emily as it was a lesson any trainer should learn. "I had a chance?"

"If you had thought about your opponent you would have." Misty said her tone kind so that she didn't come off as harsh as she imparted her lesson. "Naturally I couldn't tell you before the battle because, well, I am Ash's girlfriend so he is my main support, no offense. Now that it is over I can tell you though."

"None taken, I understand that you would support him in that match." Emily said clearly not offended by Misty rooting for Ash in the battle. "But for the future, should I face a similar trainer to Ash, what should I do?"

"Don't let that trainer dictate the terms of the battle, do it yourself." Misty said simply which seemed to confuse Emily. "One thing I have learned from watching Ash's many battles, both his victories and defeats, is that he does his best when he is the one in control of the battle and not his opponent. When he dictates the battle he usually wins and that is really true for most trainers as we know our own styles the best. That tactic also applies to Contest battles but it is harder for him in one than it is when he is in a normal battle."

"So I let him decide how that battle went?" Emily asked trying to understand it. "I admit I was on the defensive at the start but I felt like I had overcome that after the initial attack and had it until that poison type attack took out Granbull and ended it when I was least expecting it."

"Despite that Ash was in control from the start." Misty said and continued to explain before Emily could respond. "Ash is not a coordinator so you can't think of him as one even in a Contest battle. He won't use grace or style to win, he will just see it as a standard battle and anything else is incidental hence why he fights for a Battle Off and not a points victory. His preference, though it isn't always the case and against me he may switch it up as he knows my style, is to go for speed and offense to get a quick win. In a Contest battle where he only has 5 minutes that works really well if you don't force him to drag it out."

"So I should have forced him to meet me on my terms as a Coordinator not his as a regular trainer." Emily said as Misty saw the realization come into her brown eyes. "By extending the battle and going with dodges to take points from him and wear him down while countering whenever possible, right?"

"Correct." Misty said with a nod and smiling at how quickly Emily was getting it. "Ash doesn't really get how Contest battles work. In the first one I saw him in he was losing to Zoey and ended up ordering Aipom to use a direct Focus Punch which as a fighting type move probably would have knocked her Glameow out but time expired before he could and he lost on points. He lost in the Wallace Cup because he used his Buizel all the time despite being allowed to switch under the rules which gave away how he used Buizel. This allowed his opponent to figure him out and beat him with a Contest focused style."

"I see, that makes sense." Emily said with a nod of understanding. "I should have been more defensive after the initial attack and thought about how he might use his Pokémon more, he lulled me into a trap I think. That combo he used was something else though."

"Well yeah that is Ash for you." Misty said with a grin. "He actually started practicing double combos from watching me trying to perfect them back in Sinnoh. That one was all his though. Night Shade doesn't miss and while both it and Dragon Rush have set damage effects, according to Ash, by using the Night Shade part, even against normal type Pokémon like you use, he knew he couldn't miss. Now the splitting of the attack, I don't think Ash planned that but he rolled with it and adapted to the new situation."

"Yeah after that I thought I had the right plan but now I think it was what he was expecting." Emily said her brows knitting in thought. "I planned on taking down Dratini with a Sing before using Wake-up Slap while Gengar with a dark type attacks to take it down."

"A good strategy but you had two mistakes there that Ash used to his advantage." Misty said kindly. "It happens to all of us especially against a trainer with more experience so learn from it. Now what mistakes did you make?"

"Well the one I definitely made was forgetting that Gengar was able to effectively fly so it had more maneuverability than I had accounted for." Emily said right away. "I knew it could hover and move around from what I had seen from watching the quarters but I wasn't expecting it to fly so high."

"Ash has faced at least one if not multiple Gengars before and he's been working hard with his since he caught it in Lavender Town so he knows what one can do." Misty said. "Still, even I forgot that part as he never went that high in training, it is something I now have to prepare for. And the other mistake?"

"Um…" Emily began thinking as Misty watched waiting for her to figure it out, it was better this way then just telling her. "It has to do with that Dratini, it woke up earlier than I thought it would and Ash seemed to be expecting it to. That was why he took the hit to counter when I was least expecting it."

"Correct, Dratini's ability is Shed Skin which allows him to, well, shed his skin and recover from status problems faster than other Pokémon would." Misty said using Dratini's gender pronouns now that they knew Dratini was male. "We learned that in training with my Gloom and no doubt Ash was hoping to try that tactic out in the Contest as he believes that Erika will use something similar when the face off when we reach Celadon. Today it happened twice, first with sleep when he used it to counter and then again infatuation at the end but you had lost by that point so it wasn't relevant."

"Yeah I thought I had a chance with Granbull as he is fully evolved so he could take Dratini if he ended Gengar early." Emily admitted. "I was going to go for a Battle Off at that point as I think by points I had lost but, I, er, didn't see that ending coming."

"No one did." Misty agreed. "From my limited knowledge of the types involved, I have normal types but that is it no ghost and while Gloom is a poison types she prefers grass moves so I don't know her second type well but that shouldn't have happened. This is the third or fourth oddity that Ash and I have encountered with specific Pokémon that shouldn't happen. We are going to report it to Professor Oak at some point so he can study it more."

"I see." Emily said and she opened her mouth likely to ask another question but before Misty could hear what Emily wanted to say Lilian interrupted them.

"That is the end of the break, we are ready for the final to begin." Lilian called out loudly. "Will our finalists please step out to be introduced."

"I'll go watch but then I have to leave as soon as it is over, my parents know I am coming home and expect me as soon as possible." Emily said as she began to head towards the waiting room. "Thanks for everything Misty, I will see you at another Contest for sure and I will be cheering for you in the Wallace Cup. Good luck, I'm rooting for you."

"Thanks." Misty said as the young coordinator left and she set herself for the final.

Misty then stepped out and looked across to see Ash smiling at her in his usual loving smile that she had fallen so hard for as he too walked out and onto the stage. She knew what that smile meant. He was going to give his all and so too was Misty. In this moment they weren't a couple, they were rivals competing for the HopHopHop Town Ribbon and Misty intended to thoroughly enjoy it.

"Alright folks it's time for the final of the HopHopHop Town Contest." Lilian called out before gesturing towards Misty. "Our first finalist is none other than the Prodigy of Sinnoh as she seeks her third ribbon of the season. Give it up for Misty from Twinleaf Town!"

"And facing her in his debut Contest this season and reaching the finals against the odds." Lilian said over the cheers of the crowd. "From Pallet Town here in Kanto, it's Ash!"

"No hard feelings babe." Misty called out as she picked out her two Poke Balls and held them out. "But I can't let you beat me today. The ribbon is mine."

"Then don't hold back because I won't, we need the practice and you are the best there is at this so I want your best." Ash said with a grin at his girlfriend as he took out his own balls. "Though I didn't expect this to be our first fight as a couple."

"You are so bad." Misty chided but smiled, nonetheless.

"Wait! You're a couple?" Lilian asked into the mic her eyes wide before clearly remembering something. "Of course you are, I remember how you acted in the Cerulean Contest, I completely forgot about this fact. This final just got really interesting. Well on that note, lovers, begin!"

"Dratini, Gengar, I choose you!" Ash said throwing up his two Poke Balls and the two newest Pokémon in his rotation appeared ready to fight for Ash.

"Gloom, Pinsir, spotlight!" Misty yelled with a grace flourish of her wrists that sent the balls into the air, bursting her Pokémon flipped and laned in front of her, it was time to begin the final.

"Gloom start charging a Solar Beam." Misty ordered as soon as her Pokémon appeared, going offensive to lure Ash into attacking. "Pinsir in front of her with Harden and take the attack."

"Gengar hit Pinsir with Nightshade and test that Harden out." Ash countered. "Dratini use Agility and get around Pinsir's body to strike Gloom."

Gloom began absorbing sun as fast as possible while Pinsir leapt in front of her friend and instantly shined in a Harden move that made her carapace gleam. This was just in time as Gengar sent out a pair of black and purple beams from his eyes that slammed into Pinsir's body dead on but barely did a thing causing Misty to lose a minimal amount of points but that was it.

As this was happening Dratini sped off to the side with Agility boosting his speed with the move. He was a lot faster than Pinsir to begin with so with the boost he was easily able to get to the other side of her and in prime position to strike a still charging Gloom before the grass and poison type could get a move off. It was a small window but Ash knew it was a chance he had to take it and do some damage.

"Dratini Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. "Disrupt it's absorption."

"Just what I expected, Gloom abort and dodge." Misty said at once, she hadn't known which of Dratini's ranged attacks Ash would use but her plan worked for both of his ranged attacks. "Pinsir, forward and get Gengar in a Vice Grip."

Misty's plan was simple, draw Dratini away, dodge the ranged attack she had predicted Ash would use and focus forward on Gengar in that window. The Shadow Pokémon was more manurable and stronger than Dratini so Misty needed to contain it as best she could. If she could reduce Gengar's threat, and its super effective moves against Gloom, then the ribbon was Misty's.

While she honestly hadn't expected to face Ash in the finals, she had known that there was a chance she might face him in battle and had used her foreknowledge to plan accordingly knowing that Ash would do the same against her. All she had to do was draw it out and focus on defense more than offense unless she was counter attacking. Aborting attacks was part of that strategy while also taking some of Ash's points in the process.

Instantly Gloom stopped absorbing and bolted to the side just as Dratini's Thunderbolt would have hit it causing Ash to lose points for the missed attack. At the same time Pinsir lowered her body and charged forward towards Gengar. She still wasn't a fan of battles but she was fighting with her friend and for Misty, she could do this even if she had a bad feeling in her gut about this attack.

"Gengar get up and arc towards Gloom." Ash ordered knowing just the move use on Misty's grass and poison type to take the advantage, he might even be able to pull off a combo idea he had for Gengar if he could ensure that Dratini was safe as well. "Dratini, retreat back to my side with Agility."

"Gloom don't let Gengar get too high, aim your Razor Leaf above it and force it down." Misty said with a grin as Ash played right into her plan, adjusted slightly to compensate for Gengar's mobility that she'd forgotten about until the semis. "Pinsir as soon as Gengar is in range strike and throw it to the ground as hard as possible."

Ash gritted his teeth as he saw too late what Misty had planned. He had to give it to his girlfriend, she was very good at using two Pokémon in a battle. He didn't have as much experience in double battles as he probably should have whereas Misty had more from her Contests. She had out maneuvered him and put him into a position that she wanted him to be in rather than the other way around as he had intended. He had to come up with a backup plan and quickly before it was too late.

Gloom twisted her whole upper body and sent out a series of spinning leaves high and above Gengar's head . The aim was such that Gengar had to fall back towards the ground to avoid them and while Misty lost points it wasn't as many as it would be for a normal didge as it was part of a combo with her Pokémon. Gengar knew that he could have gone to the side but reflexes made him fall back to dodge.

Misty was more than willing to lose a few points because she knew as she would take more from Ash's with her when the next attack hit. Gloom and Pinsir were in perfect synch, she was going to easily nail this combo and well before Dratini was able to come to Gengar's aid.

As Gengar was falling, Pinsir had leapt up and before Gengar could react had closed her pincers around his waist to grab him in her Vice Grip and throw him down to the ground. That had been the plan all the way up until the attack passed harmlessly through Gengar's body causing the Shadow Pokémon to laugh hysterically as he continued to fall back and look into Pinsir's now wide eyes. Her gut had been right, the move didn't work on Gengar.

"What!" Misty exclaimed her eyes as wide as Glooms. "Fuck, it's a normal type move not a bug type like I thought it was. Damn it."

"Yes that's just what we needed." Ash yelled. "Gengar hit Pinsir back with an Ice Punch."

Gengar encased his right hand in ice and as they were falling punched Pinsir clean in the chest sending her arching back to land hard on her back near Misty on the other side of the stage. Gloom instantly retreated to be by her side as Misty's points dropped some more and dipped below Ash's while Gengar came down to stand next to Dratini who was now back in his starting position.

It was almost halfway through the final and nearly dead even between the couple as they stared at each other back where it had begun. Ash had a small lead but that was only from landing the last attack. It was a brief moment of rest before the battle resumed in earnest.

"Dratini use Dragon Rage!" Ash ordered breaking their momentary pause. "Gengar Night Shade as soon as it is out."

"Not this round Ash." Misty called out. "Here's a little something we worked on in secret just in case I had to face you, Pinsir use Seismic Toss on Gloom. Throw her at them."

"Um what?" Ash asked as Lilian questioned the move herself with her commentary.

Pinsir chittered as she activated her attack, grabbed Gloom and hurled her best right at Dratini and Gengar as fast as she safely could. The throw was low and powerful sending Gloom at them faster than Ash had anticipated, not that he had anticipated Misty to try something this reckless against him. However that wasn't all that Misty had planned.

"Now Gloom, speed Sleep Powder at max speed." Misty yelled. "Take them both down."

"Gengar go high and get out of range." Ash ordered and instantly Gengar rocket upwards and safely dodged it. "Dratini try and counter with the Dragon Rage but if it doesn't work take it, you can afford it."

Dratini was almost done building the attack but Gloom's new speed with both the combo and her own speed Sleep Powder was faster that the Dragon Pokémon. Clearly Misty had worked on this just in case she needed to get close to a Pokémon in a Contest battle. It worked as she had planned and Dratini was hit full in the face with a Sleep Powder that put him to sleep in an instant. It wouldn't hold him for long but long enough for what Misty needed to do.

"Gengar throw Gloom back with Psychic." Ash ordered as his points dropped. "Dratini come on, activate your ability and wake up!"

"Gengar!" Gengar yelled as he defended his friend.

His eyes and hands glowed with blue power before he grabbing Gloom with the psychic type move and hurling her backwards to land hard near Pinsir, taking some of Misty's points in the process but with the successful attack and unusual combo Misty had retaken the lead. However it had all been part of Misty's ruse as she had a plan to take out Dratini in her small window of opportunity, one that was closing as Dratini began to glow with a soft light. Time for another combo that she had planned just not for battling Ash.

"Now Pinsir, use X-Scissor on Dratini." Misty yelled and Pinsir launched herself at Dratini. "Gloom surround her with Razor Leaf to make it a double attack. Unleash X-Leaf!"

What happened next was not what Ash had planned. Gengar acted on his own as he dove down to protect Dratini with his own body as Pinsir closed in on him while Gloom fired off a quick Razor Leaf that acted as a shield around Pinsir and would add to the attack when it hit. It was something that only two Pokémon as close as Pinsir and Gloom could manage and Misty knew that the combo would take out Dratini, they just needed to reach him in time.

Dratini was using Shed Skin and was temporarily out of the fight as he woke up. Unfortunately his earlier bouts were slowing him just enough for Pinsir to have a chance of landing the combo move. Gengar knew that as he was fully evolved with multiple resistances to bug type attacks and a resistance to grass he could take the hit. Dratini was only a first stage Pokémon with no resistance so he couldn't survive the hit but Gengar would and they needed to stay in this for Ash.

Gengar proved to be the slightly faster Pokémon as he put himself between Pinsir just in time and Dratini and took the X-Scissor and Razor Leaf to the side, the force of the attacks hurtling him back to land several feet away in an injured heap. He wasn't out of it but he was slow to get to all fours, grunting in pain as Ash lost a good chunk of points.

Dratini saw all thing as the Shed Skin ended and instantly his protective instincts kicked in. Back when he had been a wild Pokémon he had protected his friends at their lake despite that damned Azumarill and her crew bullying and beating him whenever he tried. Now he had a trainer to make him better and a team to defend. His new friend Gengar had just sacrificed himself for Dratini, Dratini was going to repay him for his noble act.

"Dratini!" Dratini yelled and sent out a sudden and powerful Thunderbolt at Pinsir without waiting for Ash's command.

"Pinsir dodge and retreat!" Misty ordered. "Gloom cover her with another Razor Leaf."

Pinsir managed to do that, the attack barely missing her as she scuttled back while Gloom flicked her head and sent more leaves around a retreating Pinsir and at Dratini. Dratini skillfully dodge most of them but a few hit his side and he spun away painfully but not taking too much damage thankfully. With all this happening Pinsir easily made it back as Misty prepared for her finishing move.

Ash's points kept falling and there was now less than 90 seconds left in the final. He was well behind Misty and she knew it, she just had to run out the clock and the HopHopHop Town ribbon was hers.

"Come on Dratini, I know you can do it!" Ash yelled encouragement at Dratini as Dratini slowly raised, filling his voice with his love for his newest dragon type Pokémon. "Don't give up! You got this!"

"Gengar." Gengar grunted out as he too encouraged Dratini showing Dratini how much he believed in the little Pokémon and that he would take the blow all over again. "Gengar."

Dratini heard all of this as he got up to his full, albeit small, height. He met Gengar's red eyes which were filled with pain and determination but also support for Dratini and he knew that he couldn't quit. He was here to win for his trainer and his new friend and battle partner. Dratini wasn't going to lose, not now, not again. Accepting what he had been holding off for the right moment, Dratini released his hold on the energy within and embraced the change as it was triggered deep in his cells. It was time to win this for Ash.

"Dratini!" Dratini yelled as he glowed bright white.

"Is that what I think it is?" Lilian asked into her mic as the crowd and judges gasped in surprise. "I don't think anyone expected this in the final."

"Yes!" Ash yelled pumping his fist in the air. "That's how we do it!"

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Misty groaned, of course this would happen when she faced Ash in a battle and the sudden drop in her points reflected that, evolving during a battle was rare and it always cost the other trainer points due to how good it looked. "Really? Now? Of all possible moments you chose now to do this now?"

Dratini didn't hear any of this as his body elongated getting longer, thinner and corded with muscle. Two small balls appeared near the tip of his tail and a third at the base of his throat. A pair of small wings sprouted from either side of his head as a small horn grew out of his forehead. As the white light receded his color had changed from the purple/blue it had been to a royal blue though his belly was still white just somehow brighter and cleaner than before.

Dragonair roared a challenge at the now stunned Gloom and Pinsir as power coursed through his body in the wake of his evolution. His tail suddenly glowed with a light blue light showing off the new move he had learned upon evolving.

"Alright Dragonair you evolved and learned Dragon Tail in the process!" Ash yelled instantly capitalizing on his momentum shift to take the battle back. "Now use it on Pinsir."

Dragonair roared and charged. Thanks to both his two Agility moves earlier and his evolution his speed was a lot higher than it had been at the start of the battle and he dashed forward faster than Misty could react.

Leaping into the air and coiling his body as he flipped, Dragonair brought his tail down hard onto Pinsir's head as hard as possible and drove her back and into the ground in revenge for Gengar. The way he performed the move looked a lot like how Pikachu used Iron Tail, it seemed that Dragonair had been watching his friend and prepping for the moment he could imitate the style with his own move.

"Gloom quick use Sleep Powder!" Misty yelled as she came back to her senses with Pinsir's chitter of pain, she needed to assess the situation and this was the best thing to do so.

"Dragonair dodge." Ash countered. "Don't let it hit you and give them the chance to recover."

Dragonair instantly extended his small wings and leapt into the air before flapping them once as best he could. He couldn't really fly with them, at least not without a lot of practice, but he could glide and used that to easily avoid the powder sent at him, coiling his new, longer, body as he did to avoid it entirely. Gloom was fast but in that moment he was faster and easily dodged it and gained height.

"Now hit Gloom with a Dragon Rage!" Ash ordered hoping that this wasn't the move that had been replaced by Dragon Tail.

Thankfully it wasn't as Dragonair opened his mouth and the blue fire dragon thing that was the attack shot out faster than before likely due to his boost in power and engulfed Gloom before she could react. It wasn't enough to finish her off as it still had a set damage amount but she stumbled back and fell over a still dazed Pinsir. Ash saw his opening and took it before Misty could process what the hell was happening.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. "Hit them both!"

"Dragonair!" Dragonair roared as he opened his mouth and formed the electric type attack, his body sparking as the power formed.

A second later the bolt of electricity shot out and hit Gloom squarely in the chest before she could recover. As she was on Pinsir it affected both of them before it exploded with a loud boom that kicked up dust everywhere and covered Dratini, Misty, her Pokémon and a decent portion of the stage in a massive cloud that she was forced to shield her eyes from.

Ash, Lilian, the judges and the crowd looked at the large dust cloud with their mouths open as the time ticked down trying to make out what was in it. On points, after what had happened, Ash was leading but he knew Misty to well to count her out until the clock hit zero and the battle ended.

As they were watching the dust began to move in an unnatural way, clearly at least one Pokémon in the center of it was still fine. A second later Dragonair slithered out of the cloud looking unscathed, his head held high, eyes closed, and a smug smile his face as he made his way back to Ash and Gengar not looking back once.

Instead he went to his friend and dipped his head low to Gengar and used his neck to help him up to his feet before they turned, Dragonair still supporting Gengar so that they could both look at the dust cloud together. Gengar had still been down while all of this was happening, amazed, impressed and inspired by his friend's evolution and determination to win for Ash, it inspired him to get better for their trainer. It had been a sight to behold and he rested on Dragonair as the dust settled.

As it did it first revealed a now dusty Misty who was standing there blinking and coughing in shock at what she'd just been through. Before here, crossed over one another and in a small crater, was Gloom and Pinsir. Both had their mouths open in shock but more than that both of them had swirls for eyes indicating that they were out of the battle. As soon as the judges saw the Pokémon they hit the Xs and three of them sounded as the crowd gasped in shock at the sight. To add to it the bell rang to indicate the end of the 5 minutes not that that was needed now.

"I, I don't believe it; I think none of us can." Lilian said finally finding her voice again and breaking everyone out of their shock. "In what has to be the best final of the season to date, the newcomer Ash from Pallet Town has just defeated the Prodigy of Sinnoh, her first loss in a regular Contest in almost 2 years, by Battle Off in his debut on the Kanto circuit."

As Lilian's words set in the crowd finally recovered and began to cheer at the epic battle they had just seen. Ash looked at Misty knowing how much this meant to her and feeling a little bad until he saw her own wide smile at him, clapping and cheering with the others. Ash gave her a sheepish grin before he was suddenly tackled to the ground by Dragonair in celebration, followed by Gengar who had leapt on top of them to get in on the victory hugs.

"Thanks guys, you did great and your teamwork is really up there despite not having much time to build it." Ash said rubbing their heads as they embraced him not caring about the location. "And Dragonair, I can't believe you evolved during that battle. Talk about perfect timing. Gengar, you were amazing protecting Dragonair like that and helping encourage him to keep fighting and win it. That is what teamwork is all about. We did it! We somehow did it!"

"Return girls." Misty said recalling her passed out Pokémon, the would need healing, Poffins and praise but they had earned it in her book after that battle. "That was beyond what I expected, we were pushed right to the end in that one. Ash really was the better one today despite his lack of experience here, though his luck was on his side again with yet another mid battle evolution. We have a lot to learn from this and I promise you we will learn. Ash won't beat me again if we face each other in another Contest, I won't let him pull it off again."

Ash finally got up just in time for Pikachu to come running out of the backstage area to celebrate with them, Piplup waddling as fast as he could behind him. Piplup hung back knowing he shouldn't run and comfort Misty after her loss but she looked happy so he waited for her to come and cuddle him. Plus Pikachu was really happy for Ash's win so he couldn't ruin that, just their celebration later with one of the many pranks his boy Haunter had taught him.

Ash finally got his Pokémon under control and they all walked, or in Dragonair's case slithered, out to the center of the stage with them as the crowd continued to cheer for them and Piplup followed seeing his chance to be with Misty again. Misty walked out as well. Rather than leave like most coordinators did after losing a final, Misty stayed as she had no reason to go. She was going to congratulate her boyfriend on his first ever ribbon.

As they met in the middle Ash smiled as he extended his hand to Misty in a sign of formal respect after the battle. He wanted to celebrate like usual but they had to be professional in the current setting. Plus after a battle like that they had to be respectful to each other and show off to the crowd what good sportsmanship looked like. Misty smiled back and accepted Ash's hand as they shook to the cheering crowd.

"Well done Ash." Misty said still smiling. "That was certainly unexpected on so many levels. Looks like we have some work to do after that battle."

"I got lucky." Ash admitted. "Until Dratini evolved you probably had it. You're combos were amazing as always."

"But I didn't in the end and that's what counts, though I am glad the combos worked out in the end they will come in handy in the future." Misty said with a shrug. "I knew I would likely lose on the circuit at least once though this wasn't how I thought it would happen. Still, I am glad that it was to you because facing you taught me a lot about myself in the process."

"Thanks." Ash said glad Misty wasn't upset at her loss. "You were great though, that toss you did took me by surprise. Then the X-Leaf, I didn't think a move like that was possible."

"Yeah we have been working on it for a while." Misty said. "As soon as I knew that there would be double battles here in Kanto I began working on team combos and of all my Pokémon Pinsir and Gloom have the closest bond with one another so their trust is high enough for those types of combos. I had to pull it out for the final, especially with your own combo coming."

"It worked really well." Ash praised. "I can't wait to see it again as well as what else you might come up with."

They could have kept talking but were interrupted by a polite cough from Mr. Contesta. Ash turned and looked embarrassed as he faced the head of the Contest Committee. With all they had to talk about he and Misty would be up late tonight dissecting this match but they couldn't do that right now. In Mr. Contesta's hands was a small tray containing an elaborate ribbon.

The square shaped golden seal in the center that was likely something representing the town. Around it the ribbon was done in a cross pattern with individual stands on the corners. This ribbon's color was bright green with a light green edging. It was a fancy ribbon and Ash recalled that he had seen May with something similar before, just a different color.

"I know you aren't a coordinator by profession but that was some battle." Mr. Contesta said to Ash. "The best one of the season yet. I for one hope you try for more, you have a style that could be hard to beat if you honed it more."

"Sorry, I am a trainer and this was really about training and pushing myself." Ash admitted nervously rubbing the back of his neck in the process. "I didn't expect this if I am being honest."

"Sometimes that is the right attitude needed to win a Contest." Mr. Contesta said with a small smile on his lips. "Just think on it. For now, enjoy your victory Ash. The HopHopHop Town Ribbon is yours."

"Alright, I won the HopHopHop Town Ribbon." Ash said taking it and striking his usual victory pose as his Pokémon who had competed with him jumping and celebrating around him.

Misty just smiled as she clapped in support of Ash and his victory before bending down and finally picking up Piplup. She knew that she should be upset that Ash had won and denied her another ribbon, one the he likely wouldn't need but in all honesty Misty didn't care about it. Ash had every chance to win this just as she did and today he had won.

Ash's victory had given her plenty of things to think about and to train harder for. If Ash could beat her, even if he needed a Pokémon to evolve in the process, then she really needed to get better just like he did whenever he lost. She would take this loss and use it to fuel her for the next Contest, the Wallace Cup, and then she would be victorious again.

Of course all that could wait. First Ash deserved a special reward tonight for his victory and then it was back to training and preparing for the next thing they had to do on their journey, Ash's full battle with Erika. Misty couldn't wait as she looked at the man she loved with her whole heart while he celebrated with his Pokémon. Today had been unexpected but that was normal when you traveled with Ash Ketchum, Misty couldn't wait for what surprises tomorrow would bring.