The tension in the air was palpable as the finalists of the Grand Festival waited anxiously. Marian, the host, stepped forward, breaking the silence.
"Thank you for your patience!" she announced, and May couldn't help but glance at the screen, her heart pounding with anticipation.
"After careful consideration," Marian continued, her voice filled with suspense, "these are the 32 Coordinators that will be moving on to round 2! On-screen!" As the monitor displayed the 32 pictures, May's eyes locked onto the screen, her excitement building. She found her image in the top seed, and right below her was Marina in second place. The screen cycled through each participant, their pictures appearing one by one and May couldn't contain her joy as she whispered to herself.
"Yes!" Just as she had her own celebration moment, Dawn ran into the room and hugged May with all the excitement she had.
"Congratulations!" she cheered.
"Thanks, Dawn!" May replied, her smile radiant.
"We gotta celebrate tonight!" Dawn suggested, already thinking of the festivities to come.
"I can agree to that." May readily agreed.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, her giggles ringing through the air. May smiled at her dear friend's enthusiasm, as Dawn turned to the others. "And congrats to you guys as well!"
"Thanks, Dawn!" Marina grinned.
"She's absolutely right. You took my breath away, Marina." May agreed.
"Thanks, May, but it was nothing compared to yours! You had the audience having the time of their lives!" Marina responded. May couldn't help but smile at Marina's kind words.
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely! They all loved it!" Marina's reassurance was unwavering. "There's a reason you're in first place, don't forget,"
"Heh, I sure won't." May nodded. With that, she turned her attention back to Dawn. "For now though, let's get moving then, Dawn. I believe we have some celebrating to do."
"Alright!" Dawn cheered. May laughed and grabbed her clothes to change into, but before she could go, she noticed that Dawn appeared to have one more thing on her mind.
"Dawn?" May asked. Dawn glanced at her and took a deep breath.
"Sorry. Actually, before we go, any idea where Kenny went? I wanted to congratulate him too."
"I think he went to change." May recalled.
"Mind if I wait a minute for him?" Dawn looked hopeful and May couldn't help but smile. She knew that look all too well.
"Sure." May warmly smiled.
"Thanks." Dawn smiled back. May chuckled to herself and couldn't resist poking fun at her friend.
"He sure was excited to learn you were here." the comment caused Dawn to start blushing, her heart beginning to race.
"Really...?"
"You should have seen his face." May's eyes sparkled with mischief as Dawn blushed even deeper.
"Oh wow..." she whispered. May couldn't help but giggle at her friend's flustered state.
"I think you definitely should talk to him." she hinted. Dawn's blush deepened as she realized the implications, but she nodded. May offered a supportive smile and that just happened to be when Kenny walked in, and the surprise in his eyes was unmistakable when he saw his blunette friend.
"D-Dawn...?" he stammered. Dawn blushed slightly at the sound of his voice, but she quickly composed herself as she turned around and greeted him with a warm smile.
"K-Kenny...hi. It's been a while."
"Yeah, um... a long while."
"Should I give you a moment?" May wondered, her smile was both knowing and teasing. Dawn's face turned a bright shade of red.
"D-Don't you have to change too?" she stammered. May didn't push the matter, but her words continued to hold a playful undertone.
"I certainly have the option."
"Yes, please..." Dawn mumbled softly. With a sweet smile, May gave the two some space and walked off to prepare get changed, leaving Kenny and Dawn alone to catch up. "Anyway…your performance was amazing...you've really improved."
"You really think so..?" Kenny asked, a hopeful look crossing his face.
"Absolutely. The way your Machamp performed was so polished. Even better than the last time I saw him." Dawn nodded with enthusiasm.
"Thanks, Dawn..." Kenny replied, visibly touched by her words.
"I've...really missed you." Dawn continued, her words holding a softer, more sincere tone. Kenny's cheeks flushed as he processed her confession. He mumbled a modest reply in response.
"I... I've missed you too." With a bashful expression, Dawn continued.
"And... I've been thinking... about what you said last year... about the two of us going on a journey together...?"
"You... have..?" Kenny's eyes widened with a mix of anticipation and surprise.
"Well…Now that I've had some time to travel alone, I... I think I'm ready to take you up on that offer once the Hoenn Grand Festival is over... if the offer's still good, of course..." she offered shyly. After a moment to fully come to terms with the response, a soft, genuine smile formed on Kenny's lips.
"It sure is." he said. "For you, it always is."
"I'd really like that..." Dawn admitted as her cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink.
"Awesome! This is great Dawn!" Kenny cheered, making Dawn giggle at his antics.
"I think so too." she agreed.
"Just wait! I'm gonna blow you away!" Kenny promised, his confidence only growing.
"I'm looking forward to it." Dawn shared his enthusiasm. It was then that Dawn heard May exiting the changing room, now dressed again in her street clothes, meaning it was almost time to head out. With a sense of urgency, she made a quick decision and gave Kenny an unexpected hug. Kenny's cheeks turned scarlet as he was taken by surprise, but a hint of delight danced in his eyes. Dawn giggled softly at his adorable reaction before she finally pulled away and headed off. Kenny watched her go, his heart racing. Dawn joined back up with May, who smiled at her friend.
"Ready?"
"Sure am!" Dawn replied with a bright smile.
"Alright. Let's hit the buffet then!"
"Deal!" Laughter from the two girls filled the air as they ran off together, excited to celebrate and enjoy a well-deserved meal.
The two girls were soon strolling along the bustling festival grounds, engaging in an enjoyable conversation.
"Thanks for giving me a few minutes to talk to Kenny," Dawn expressed her gratitude.
"No problem." May replied, but even still she couldn't help but tease a little. "Did you kiss him goodbye?"
"If you MUST know, I gave him a hug." Dawn fired back, her cheeks flushing at the playful insinuation.
"Mhm." May grinned cheekily.
"I just wanted him to know I was rooting for him, that's all..." Dawn defended herself with a blush. "Look, he's handsome, and I care about him...I just don't know that I'd call it love yet. Besides there's nothing wrong with taking things slow. I'm not the one who's been in love for the past two years after all."
"Whatever you say." May shrugged and maintained her playful tone.
"Besides, it's your love life that's on the line here." Dawn reminded her friend.
"You say that like I'm gonna be forced to date Drew if I lose." May giggled in response.
"You know what I mean." Dawn laughed.
"Yeah yeah, but if you get to tease me, I get to tease you." May grinned, leaning into their friendly banter.
"We're girlfriends. It's what we do." Dawn agreed with a fond smile. Both girls laughed and after a moment Dawn continued the conversation. "Since we're on the topic of love lives, when did you realize what you felt for Ash was something deeper than just a crush? I mean, even I had a little crush on him at the start, but it faded pretty quickly."
"Well…" May's expression turned thoughtful, and she scratched her head. "Truth be told, it was when we were in a life or death situation..."
"Not uncommon while traveling with him, I've learned." Dawn commented. "What happened?"
"We were in this underwater temple that held something called the Sea Crown." May nodded, the memories vivid in her mind.
"That's where your son lives, right?"
"Sure is..." May nodded as she held her heart gently.
"Slight tangent, you gotta show me that place sometime."
"If I ever get the opportunity, you're there..." Dawn's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Yes! Ok, anyway, proceed with the story." May took a moment to gather her thoughts before she continued.
"A bad guy was trying to steal this thing called the Sea Crown, which caused the Temple to start flooding and sinking. Manaphy ran off to try and save it as we were evacuating, which got Ash and me to chase after him and undo the damage. But we were missing a piece. And it was getting bad..."
"Whoa…" Dawn nodded, absorbed in the tale as May went on.
"Eventually, we found the last piece, but by the time we got there, it had flooded so much we couldn't get back. So Ash put us in a capsule to keep us all safe and recklessly ran off to return it alone..." Dawn couldn't help but smile at the image of Ash's daring antics.
"Sounds like him."
"Yeah…" May agreed with a reminiscent smile. "With nothing to do but pray for his safety, that's when I knew it was much more than a crush…"
"Wow..."
"That's when my son came through and sent my prayers to him so he could hear," she said with a proud smile.
"Ash heard your voice in his mind?" Dawn wondered.
"That's what he told me later on." May nodded.
"Aw!" Dawn squealed happily as May blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed by her friend's reaction. "That's so cool, May!"
"Thanks…you know Ash and I had a lot of amazing adventures together…but that one was so much more than just another adventure…he and Manaphy mean so much to me…" she explained, which suddenly gave Dawn an idea.
"You know, that gives me an idea. You've got this whole "new look" thing going on right now. How about adding on that crystal bracelet on too?"
"The People of the Water's Mark…?" May asked.
"Right! That way you have your son with you too." she explained. The idea made May smile.
"That's not a bad idea…in fact…" she turned around and unzipped her bag, digging around until she found and pulled out the crystal bracelet. She carefully slipped it onto her wrist and showed it to Dawn. "There."
"Awesome!" Dawn cheered. "I'm so happy for you! And I want you to promise that I'm meeting this kid one day!"
"I got it I got it!" May laughed.
"And if you don't tell him I'm Auntie Dawn, I'll never forgive you!" Dawn added a playful threat.
"I got it!" May repeated herself as she laughed.
The next day, May stood in the lobby, her eyes filled with determination. Dawn offered her friend words of encouragement, her excitement as evident as May's as she was now wearing her classic cheerleader outfit.
"Good luck! Don't go losing to anyone!"
"Not a chance!" May nodded, her confidence unwavering.
"See you after!" the bluenette waved as she then dashed off to the stands. May laughed and turned her attention to Glaceon, who was wagging her tail happily. May lovingly pet her Ice-type companion, sharing her enthusiasm. Glaceon responded with a warm smile before both of them ran off to the waiting room. They arrived just as on the monitor, they could see Marian in the Contest Hall, taking the stage to address the audience.
"Welcome back, everyone! Today we begin our second round: the Contest Battle stage! Our computer will randomly pair up our remaining 32 Coordinators for our first round of battles, and as is customary, all our battles will be double battles, ensuring a high level of performances." May glanced up at the screen, anticipation building as she prepared herself for the upcoming challenges. Marian continued, her voice carrying excitement. "And now our computer will shuffle our Coordinators for the battle round!" The digital cards on the monitor began shuffling before revealing the first round match-ups. May scanned the match-ups and noted that her first match was in the final bracket against another Coordinator she had a passing familiarity with. The placements of her rivals were similar, each of them battling someone they didn't know personally.
"Darn. I was hoping one of us would get paired up. What an action-packed battle that would be!" Marina expressed a touch of disappointment.
"I'm sure it's just a matter of time." Solidad pointed out.
"She's right. According to the bracket, Harley and Kenny will be up against each other if they both win their first battles." May added.
"Well, you won't have to worry about me getting there!" Kenny assured everyone.
"Please. A crush on your little girlfriend will only get you so far." Harley snarked, unable to resist taking a jab at his fellow competitor.
"Further than pettiness will." May retorted.
"We'll see about that, my little gingerbread cookie." Harley scoffed.
"We sure will." May flashed a smirk in response.
Soon, the first round was drawing to a close, and May found herself on the battle stage. All of her rivals had managed to win their first-round battles and now her match was winding down to its final minutes.
"Solarbeam Munchlax!" May shouted out her commands.
"Take this!" Munchlax responded with a brilliant display of power, launching a Solarbeam attack that blasted both her opponents into the air with a dazzling beam of pure sunlight.
"Now, Skitty! Assist!" May followed up with precise coordination.
"Hi-yah!" Skitty cooed as her paw glowed with a white orb of energy, allowing her to fire an Ice Beam into the air that hit its target, freezing both opponents just as the timer ran out.
"That's it! Time's up! Moving on to the quarterfinals is...May!" Marian announced, causing the crowd to cheer excitedly.
"Alright! You two are amazing!" May cheered happily. Both Munchlax and Skitty leaped into her arms, expressing their shared sense of accomplishment with their trainer. May hugged them both before she recalled them to their pokeballs and then she left the stage as Marian addressed the audience once more.
"And with that, we conclude our first round of battles! So, we'll be moving right along to Round 2! The Top 16 Coordinators will now square off!" As May headed backstage to rejoin her friends and rivals in the back, she crossed paths with Drew in the hallway as he headed out for his next battle, causing them both to stop briefly.
"Well done May." Drew offered his congratulations.
"Thanks, Drew, your match was awesome too." she replied. "Good luck in your next match."
"No need for luck, but thank you." he replied as he flicked some hair away from his face. May smiled at him and after he returned her smile, both of them continued on their way, an unspoken promise that neither of them would lose before they battled one another.
As Drew's next battle raged on, the stadium was positively brimming with anticipation. Drew had a sizable lead on his opponent when it came to points left on the board, and he had no intention of letting up.
"Roserade, Petal Dance! Butterfree, Confusion!" Drew gave his commands.
"Rose roserade!" Roserade responded as she gracefully launched a spiraling Petal Dance across the field. Meanwhile, Butterfree's eyes gleamed with blue energy as he took control of the Petal Dance, increasing its speed and power. The dual attack collided with the opponent's Pokémon, an Empoleon, causing massive damage and he quickly fell over, fainted. Kai, Drew's opponent, gasped at the outcome, his hopes dashed as Marian confirmed the result with excitement in her voice.
"And we have a double knockout! So Drew will be moving on to the quarterfinals!" Drew and his Pokemon bowed respectfully to the audience's cheers as May, along with everyone else, observed via the screen in the waiting room.
"Still as strong as ever…" she mumbled under her breath.
"That's Drew for you." Solidad smiled.
"So awesome!" Marina cheered.
"Coordinators for the next battle, you're on deck." the usher announced, catching both Harley and Kenny's attention.
"We're on, short stuff." Harley jeered at Kenny. Kenny however remained confident, his eyes filled with determination.
"Enjoy the competition while it lasts, Harley. You're going down." he assured the older Coordinator.
"I'm gonna send you home crying." Harley retorted.
"We'll see about that." Kenny shot back.
"Both of you go before you're late!" Marina scolded them. Knowing that she was right, both competitors made their way to the battle stage as Marian's voice rang through the hall, announcing their match.
"Our next match gives us Harley from Slateport City against Kenny from Twinleaf Town!" Up in the stands, Dawn couldn't hide her enthusiasm as she cheered on her friend.
"Go for it, Kenny! You can do it!" Kenny couldn't help but smile at her from the field, more fired up than ever to do well. With the countdown timer displayed on the screen, both Coordinators knew the battle was about to begin. Marian's voice filled the hall one last time before the match started.
"We've got 5 minutes on the clock! Begin!"
To be Continued...
