This is a whopping 8k+ words, mostly due to the Rubello Contest - I also wanted to give you enough to curb you over until after the new year. I am so curious to know your thoughts after reading this chapter. Please enjoy!
I hope you all have a very Happy Holidays!
9. Of Promises and Showdowns
"This is crazy! I can't believe you get to travel with Paul! I am super jealous! How did you go from spying on him during the Sinnoh League to being his travel buddy, anyway?"
Dawn and Piplup, in her arms, scowl at Barry from across the booth. "I already told you, I was not spying!" Her eyes nervously sneak over to Paul, sitting next to her, but he thankfully does not seem to be taking Barry's words seriously as he studies his book.
"Suuure. But, hey! That doesn't answer my question. You've got 10 seconds before I fine you big time! 10 . . . 9 . . ."
Dawn rolls her eyes, but cannot hold back her smile. She did miss Barry - since they ran into him in here, the Slateport Pokémon Center, he has reminded her of all of the people she met while traveling in Sinnoh, and it makes her a little homesick.
"8, 7, 6, 5, . . ."
She looks over at Paul once more, this time to silently ask permission to tell Barry. Paul's face is blank, but simply shrugs back, his eyes never leaving his book. Do what you want - I don't care enough, she is certain he would say.
So she turns back to Barry as his countdown reaches 2 and waves her palms in front of him. "Hey, no need to fine me!"
Piplup also leans forward and mimics her action, chirping.
"A couple of months ago, we ran into each other while we were on the cruise ride headed here, in Slateport. Paul told me he wanted to compete in the Rubello Town contest, so I'm helping him prepare for it."
Barry does not seem surprised, however. Instead, he purses his lips and tilts his head to the side in thought, before addressing Paul. "Huh, so you heard the rumor, too, huh?"
Oh, that's right! Barry was a participant of the Lily of the Valley Conference, too, so he must be privy to the same knowledge that Paul has about this Mew-forsaken contest. Paul has remained tight-lipped about the contest, but Dawn wonders if she can get any information out of Barry.
Paul finally looks up from his book, setting it down on the table, and nods at Barry. "Yeah. Cynthia alluded to it as well. Are you going to compete?"
To her surprise, Barry looks sheepish, but proceeds to quickly speak in one breath. "Originally no, but I made the last minute decision and came to Hoenn after Lucas convinced me." Dawn recognizes the name of Professor Rowan's research assistants. "I didn't have a lot of time, but Kenny prepped me as best as he could. Just got here today, actually . . . Hang on a sec," he suddenly interjects, his brows furrowing together. "You said you guys ran into each other in Slateport City a couple of months ago. What are you still doing here?"
"We've actually been traveling around the region. We're here for a couple of days, and then we're going to fly into Crossgate Town, and then make our way down to Rubello Town." For once, Paul agreed this was a good way to spend Dawn's contest money. It also helped that the Air Altaria tickets were so cheap compared to Sinnoh domestic airlines. "Paul's been fighting gym leaders and I have been participating in contests. I actually participated in the Slateport Contest last night."
Paul nods towards Dawn. "She won," he tells Barry quietly.
Barry smiles amicably and lets out a happy clap. "Oh, that's great, Dawn! You're catchin' up to Kenny real fast."
Dawn resists the urge to blow a raspberry at Barry at the mention of her rivalry with Kenny, but Piplup, understanding his trainer's feelings, does it for her. "Pip, pip, piplup!" It waves a flipper towards Barry before proudly puffing out his chest.
With that, an idea suddenly strikes Dawn."I bet I could teach you way more than Kenny did in the same amount of time." Then, her lips stretch into a smirk as she leans forward towards Barry. "Actually, I will . . . if you tell me what's the big deal about this contest anyway."
Paul pulls Dawn back by the shoulder and sharply glares at her. "Can't you just mind your own business?" he says, exasperated, at the same time Barry says, "No can do!"
She huffs impatiently at both boys. "Why not?" she demands Barry.
Barry grins cheekily and places a finger over his lips. "League secret. Wouldn't want to get fined, y'know. Why ruin the secret?"
She petulantly crosses her arms over her chest and looks away momentarily. "I thought you don't know how to keep secrets," she grumbles to herself, and she swears she almost hears Paul chuckle.
Barry does not hear her and continues, his smile turning triumphant. "Plus, what kind of best friend would I be if I didn't have faith in Kenny's training? I still have a week to prepare and I'm not about to take help from the enemy, his rival!"
Dawn shakes her head and sighs, while Paul listens silently.
"Buuut, the three of us can do some practicing tomorrow morning before I head to Mauville."
She frowns. "Not tomorrow. Tonight," she insists, finding herself risen from the booth. "I need to evolve my Eevee into Umbreon for the contest, so I have to practice all night. I can't take chances in the daytime and have him evolve into Espeon."
Barry stands up, too, almost as quick as a blur. "Oh, you have no need to worry, Dawn. We'll get your Eevee evolved into Umbreon tonight, or else you can fine me a million - no, two million Pokédollars!"
Dawn smiles, pleased. "I'll hold you to that. Thanks, Barry!" She reaches her hand out to high-five him, which he reciprocates eagerly.
.
Dawn wipes sweat forming above her brow, thankful she chose to wear a white tank top and denim shorts today. The weather is sweltering hot, with the high noon sun shining above them.
"Are you ready for the contest?"
Across from her, Paul walks through their makeshift battlefield to meet her, battered from hours of early morning contest battles. They will have to get Torterra and Mamoswine will have to pave down the field later. "Yes." He nods determinedly.
She grins proudly. Her pupil, Paul, is ready to win the Rubello Town Pokémon Contest. He has worked so hard to get to this point, and though she wishes he had participated in some contests beforehand, he has picked up her teachings quite fast and has excelled in learning the ways of contest battling and combinations.
When he approaches her, his lips stretch into a half-smile. "I look forward to facing you in the finals."
The blood drains from Dawn's face. She has been dreading this moment - she was not going to tell him till the very last second and hoped that he would not ask or assume about her participation in the contest either.
"I-I wasn't planning on entering the contest, actually," she stutters, her eyes averting his penetrating gaze.
His stormy eyes flash with anger. "Why not?" He raises his voice, causing Dawn to flinch.
Why is he so upset by this? Doesn't he want to win the contest?
"Um, the contest win seems so important to you," she replies nervously, "and I don't want to get in the way."
"Hmph." He crosses his arms over his chest and turns his face away.
Guilt is quickly replaced by rising irritation in Dawn. "Come on, Paul, I'm only trying to help!" she snaps, taking a step towards him.
"You've helped me enough," he bites back, also moving closer to her.
"Why are you getting mad?"
"What a big ego."
"Excuse me?"
"You really think you're so high and mighty that you will get in the way of my victory. After all of the training, you still think so little of me?" Paul sneers, a finger pointed at her. "Listen well, you may have gotten to the finals of the Grand Festival, but ultimately you lost – "
Dawn's mouth drops. "Excuse me?!" she repeats in disbelief.
"- and you'll lose again, to me at the contest. And then you can show me that ego of yours."
Dawn knows Paul. She knows he is goading her into participating in the contest. He has to be. She knows that he has accumulated enough respect for her as a teacher that he would normally never say anything like this.
So, she does not bother to reply, knowing that she will shout and say something she regrets. Instead, she turns promptly on her feet towards the direction of the Pokémon Center without looking back.
She hears Paul let out a curse in a low voice, but does not stop strutting away.
When she enters the Pokémon Center, Piplup lets itself out of its Pokéball.
"Pip, lup!" He jumps into his trainer's arms and Dawn hugs him tightly.
"Oh, Piplup," she moans, closing her eyes and swaying side-to-side with the Pokémon in her grasp. "Did you hear all of that? I was just trying to help him win."
"You already are, you troublesome girl."
Her eyes fly open to see Paul awkwardly standing in front of her, his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight.
"I . . . I apologize for yelling." His voice is bashful. "I was not expecting to hear that news from you."
Dawn's gaze turns downward. "I'm sorry, too," she apologizes, unable to keep the shame out of her voice. "I should have told you earlier that I wasn't going to participate in the contest."
Paul's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "I still don't understand why. Do you not think I am capable of facing you? Do you believe I can't do it?"
Her eyes widen. "Not at all, Paul!" she exclaims, surprised by his thoughts. "You've learned so much and will be competing against coordinators who might be even more experienced than me. I just don't want to add to the competition. I want you to win. I want to make all of your efforts worth it." I want to never hear from you that traveling with me was a bad idea.
"But then where's the challenge in that?" I'm not here for an easy win. I want to win fair and square. You not participating in the contest means you undermine my efforts and preparation."
"Paul . . ."
His eyes hold hers in a steely gaze. "Listen closely, Dawn. If you don't register, I won't either." His voice is icy.
Dawn's jaw slackens. "You can't!" she protests, nearly dropping Piplup from her arms. "You worked so hard for this!"
Piplup frantically waves at Paul, gasping. "Pip, lup pip!"
His chin juts out in defiance. "And, at any point, if you decide to forfeit, I will, too," he warns.
Finally, his gaze softens and he extends his palm towards her. "Promise me you will participate to the end and won't hold back."
Dawn sighs in resignation. She knows Paul does not bluff. "I promise." In defeat, she places her hand on top of his to seal the deal.
And so, they stand in line together to register for the contest.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
"Why do you keep saying I'm troublesome?"
Paul rolls his eyes. "Because you are troublesome."
She frowns. "Do I . . . need to stop that?" she asks hesitantly. "Is it too much for you?"
He purses his lips, but mirth fills his eyes. "Well, I am used to putting up with it now. You're my teacher and I travel with you, so I have to deal with it, don't I?"
A sudden, sobering thought enters Dawn's mind, and she remains silent. Paul shoots her a puzzled glance, but she is too lost in thought to notice.
Finally, their turn comes.
This contest registration is a little different then most of the contests Dawn has ever registered for. Nurse Joy asks to see their contest passes, and though the database shows that Dawn's is marked with participation from her previous Hoenn contests, Paul has nothing. This prompts Nurse Joy to ask Paul if he is a trainer, to which he responds yes.
"As we are anticipating a huge volume of trainers to try and register for this contest, and we have limited entries available, we will require a coordinator with contest history from any region to state their relation to the trainer and sign a referral sheet to vouch for anyone who has not participated in previous contests. So, Dawn, are you willing to state your referral for Paul?"
"Huh?" Dawn is completely bewildered by this. Such bizarre measures are being taken. What is going on? "A referral? Nurse Joy, doesn't this seem a bit excessive? Aren't contests open to all?"
Paul arches an eyebrow. "What, you don't want to sign for me?"
Dawn huffs at Paul, exasperated, before politely turning to the nurse at the counter. "Nurse Joy, please give me the referral form for Paul."
Nurse Joy smiles back amicably. "Certainly." She slides the paper to Dawn, who begins scanning the form. "I understand this may cause confusion especially amongst our coordinators, as this information was not revealed. Strong trainers who have participated in the last League circuits across the regions have been invited to join. This was a last minute rule added, due to the buzz amongst trainers, but we are only allowing trainers who have gotten their contest passes beforehand and have an experienced coordinator to vouch for them. This contest is a bit different and will be large, second to the Wallace Cup, with 25 coordinators and 25 trainers at most. I cannot reveal too much information, but our secret contest sponsor and Mr. Contesta want to examine and showcase the juxtaposition of competitive battling and coordination with a diversity of contestants."
"I had no idea . . . " Dawn places her hands on her hips and turns to glower at Paul, who gives her a poker-face. "If only I had a travel partner, who comes from competitive battling and is competing in the contest, who could have told me."
Paul gives her a scowl. "Just sign the damn paper, Dawn."
So bossy. Dawn goes back to reading the paper, while Paul looks on. She fills out the appropriate information, such as name, nationality, address, contest history - which is painstaking as Dawn struggles to remember some of the dates of her contests in the Sinnoh circuit - along with some other information about herself as well as Paul.
Time Known Trainer: 1.5 years.
Relation to Trainer:
Dawn quickly glances at Paul before sliding her eyes back to the paper. Her instinct would be to say friend, but is that what their relationship is? He has never called her his friend, though she has not called him her friend either. But it does not feel right.
Friends feels too much, but then again, it feels not enough. They are traveling together, and are more used to each other than just friends, but best friends is not the correct relation either.
Too distant to define their relationship as friends, yet the intimacy of travel companions stops them to be called that.
She feels Paul's eyes burning a hole into her. Is he thinking the same as her? Is he wondering what she is going to write?
Their relationship is not something that can be captured in a word, she finally decides, so she will write it the way that the world outside their bubble will understand. She inhales softly as her pen scratches the paper.
Friend and Travel Companion.
Dawn hears Paul let out a breath beside her and wonders what has been going through his mind, and it reminds her to breathe, too. She pushes the paper back to Nurse Joy, and she hands them the registration forms and some pens.
They fill out the registration forms and are pleasantly surprised when Nurse Joy tells them that they are allowed to register three Pokémon for the contest.
Dawn finishes her forms quickly, already used to the process, and peers over at Paul's papers to ensure he is writing out the information as specified in the fine print.
"Your last name is Rebolledo?" Huh, not a Sinnohan last name, she notes.
Paul stiffens beside her. "Mind your own business, you troublesome girl." She seems to have picked on a sensitive topic, but his tone is calm, and Dawn bites her lip to hide her smile at his subtle joke.
She chooses not to take the matter further, and instead focuses on something else.
"Now, you mentioned you wanted a simpler outfit for the contest?"
"Simple," he corrects.
.
"You tricked me into dressing up."
Dawn blinks, feigning surprise at Paul's accusation. "No, why would you think that?"
She knows why he would think that.
They are surrounded by coordinators and trainers alike in the contestants lobby, and most of the trainers are dressed down. This excludes a few trainers such as Paul and Barry, who looks spiffy in a green doublet and matching slacks - which admittedly is a little short for Barry's height. That, as well as the cravat with a brooch tied around his neck makes Dawn suspect this outfit is Kenny's.
Paul narrows his eyes at her. "Because you told me it was mandatory to dress up."
She shrugs innocently. "Yeah, it's mandatory if you're studying with me."
"You didn't make it mandatory for Ash when he was in the Jubilife Contest." He watched that? It was her first contest and her first loss. "Most of the trainers here are wearing their regular clothing."
She raises an eyebrow, challenging him. "The trainers aren't dressed up, but do you see the coordinators wearing cargo pants? Plus, Ash wasn't spending months training to win," she reminds him. "Today, you are a coordinator. You're playing a part, so you have to dress for it."
"Fine." Then he tugs on the suspenders and scowls. "But I still don't get why I need these."
She giggles. "It is the perfect flair for the outfit!"
"I feel like a retro, evil team boss," he hisses.
"You look fine, no need to worry." Dawn will never admit it out loud, but Paul does look quite handsome and suave in the outfit. Her eyes roam his body to assess his getup once more - dress shoes, gray slacks, a white dress shirt, a teal tie, and suspenders.
"Welcome all, to the Rubello Town Pokémon Contest. I am Vivian Meridian, and I will be your MC for today!"
Everyone's attention turns to the television as the opening ceremony begins.
"Are you excited?" she asks Paul, her body nearly buzzing with exhilaration as she watches the screen.
"No," he says flatly. "Maybe when I get to face you, sure."
She rolls her eyes in response.
"At this time we would like to present a very special, surprise guest, who will be a part of today's judging panel. He needs no introduction - already taking the hearts of the region with his victories through the Elite Four, everyone please give a warm welcome to . . . Steven Stone!"
Dawn lets out an audible gasp, and it echoes through the other contestants.
Only a few people in the overcrowded contestant's lobby do not show surprise, and it occurs to Dawn then that Paul and Barry are not the only competitive trainers competing today.
"Our surprise judge has been gracious enough to include a surprise prize with today's contest ribbon."
It is as Dawn suspected, these trainers are all here for the prize Steven is offering.
She waits with bated breath, as Vivian Meridian suspensefully pauses before announcing the prize.
"The winner of today's contest will receive a Key Stone, notable to allow a Trainer's Pokémon holding a mega stone to mega evolve, as well as the latest PokéNav Plus developed by Devon Corporation, who is also the sponsor of today's contest!"
The crowd is filled with awed murmurs.
"Ah, so that is their secret sponsor," Paul mutters.
But Dawn is focused on the more pressing prize. A Key Stone? Isn't that what Steven used to mega-evolve his Metagross that one time?
She turns to Paul, about to ask if he was already aware of this information and this is why he asked her to help him prepare for this contest, but she falters upon seeing his fierce gaze glued to the screen.
That is the moment Dawn realizes she needs to lose.
As if he has read her mind, Paul's eyes snap to her widened ones and his expression hardens. "This is it. Don't you dare hold back, Dawn," he warns, reminding her of the promise she made to him.
She wants to withdraw from the contest and fight him on this, but she cannot break Paul's trust in her, especially since it is the first promise between them.
She swallows thickly. "I won't. But I do hope you win."
.
"Froslass, standby!"
"Lass!"
"Paul is a part of our few contestants today who comes from a trainer background. He is a national competitive trainer, winning 8 badges from Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn, and has competed in league conferences from those regions."
Froslass was a last minute decision when Paul and Dawn discovered they could enter up to three Pokémon in the contest.
"Froslass, use Ominous Wind!"
"Lass," she calls out, as she begins by waving its arms and letting out an Ominous Wind, to summon a flurry of an ethereal, swirling cyclone of purple wind.
As the wind whirls around, she gracefully dances among the whips of purple, creating an otherworldly and enchanting ambiance.
"Look at Froslass go!"
"Now, Blizzard."
So, Froslass whips up a dazzling snowstorm that combines the spectral purple ribbons and icy snowflakes for a breathtaking atmosphere. It thankfully is neither too cold for the spectators in the stadium, nor is it too hot to be melted by the Hoenn sun - Paul quickly learned that the first time he and Froslass battled Dawn - and instead provides a refreshing and beautiful burst of cool air.
The audience bursts into cheers and applause and Vivian begins to speak, but Paul is not done yet.
"Time to end this! Froslass, use Will-O-Wisp, then Double Team!" This was a suggestion made by Dawn during one of their first training sessions, and now things are coming full circle.
Within the backdrop of the Ominous Wind-Blizzard that slowly fades from the air, Froslass uses Double Team to create illusionary copies of herself, forming a circle. Each illusion holds a glowing Will-O-Wisp, creating an eerie, yet beautiful scene. Some snowflakes hit the flames, creating lovely bursts of purple mist.
Vivian makes a comment, but Paul is too stunned by his own Froslass's performance to pay attention.
She gracefully moves around the copies, and they slowly merge into one another, unveiling the real Froslass beneath a glittering, snowy, ghostly veil at the end.
The crowd goes wild.
The judges also have a positive reaction to his and Froslass' performance.
"Your choice of combinations gave a beautiful and spectacular display of Froslass' dual Ghost and Ice typing."
"Remarkable!"
Nurse Joy smiles amicably. "The glow on Froslass' body at the end was beautiful - you must take good care of her. You and both were in complete sync with each other, something we did not plan to expect from the trainers." Her hands clasp together in delight. "Well done!"
Next to her, Steven Stone's eyes shine with . . . pride? "As a fellow trainer, you've impressed me. You have set the bar quite high for not just the other trainers, but coordinators, too, Paul. I have watched many contests in preparation for today - I can say with certainty that you have done your homework and have performed no less than a seasoned coordinator. I look forward to seeing what else you and your Pokémon have in store for us today."
.
By the time a confident Paul returns to the contest lobby and takes a seat next to a nearly vibrating Barry, both anxious and excited, it is Dawn's turn for the Performance Stage.
They watch on the small television as Dawn softly commands Kirlia to use Psybeam, to project a mesmerizing array of colorful, swirling lights across the stage. Kirlia then uses Calm Mind to create a serene and focused aura around itself, enhancing its elegance and poise.
Suddenly, Dawn twirls something white and pink in her hand. Is that a baton? When did she bring that in? What is she planning? She tosses it to Kirlia, who leaps gracefully to catch it.
Kirla then unfurls the long, shimmering pink ribbon tied to the baton and begins to dance with it, moving with fluidity and precision. She gracefully dances through the lights, twirling and spinning to create a dreamlike and enchanting atmosphere.
The ribbon follows Kirlia's graceful movements, creating a mesmerizing and elegant performance that leaves the audience in awe.
Dawn and Kirlia conclude the performance with a gentle curtsy, leaving the audience spellbound by Kirlia's captivating display.
"Spectacular!" Mr. Contestant's voice exclaims. "A psychedelic dream waltz done by Kirlia."
"So remarkable!"
"Dawn, what an incredible use of the ribbon to highlight Kirlia's movements, lithe like a ballerina!"
Paul is surprised how Dawn and Kirlia made a ribbon go a long way. When he would watch contests or demonstrations, rarely anyone used a prop, and, today, he realizes it is because it is difficult to make it work. The ribbon was not the show, but an accessory to Kirlia and her waltz.
"If I may ask, is your Kirlia male or female?" Steven's question breaks Paul out his thoughts.
"Oh, my Kirlia is a female," Dawn's soft voice answers back hesitantly.
"As you may recall, today's prize is a Key Stone. If you choose to evolve Kirlia into a Gardevoir, I can just imagine the grace and beauty of Kirlia amplified monumentally as a Mega-Gardevoir."
.
The matchups are mapped across the screen, and it makes Paul wonder briefly if they have been rigged.
Dawn is up against her rival, Ursula, while Paul is up against Barry.
No matter the outcome of the semifinals, this would leave the final battle to be coordinator versus trainer.
After wishing both boys good luck in their battle, and receiving the same from them both, Dawn excuses herself to go to the battlefield and start her preparation with Ursula.
Meanwhile, Paul does not allow himself to even gloss over how surreal it feels to have made it this far, to have made it so close to earning himself a keystone, to have made it close enough to face Dawn in the final round.
He can think about all of that once he wins.
Beside him, Barry chuckles. "I guess this makes us rivals in the coordinating world, too, huh, Paul?"
Paul cocks his head to the side. "I don't understand - this is only one battle between us."
The blond boy shrugs. "Sure, but this one battle has a lot of implications for our mentors. Dawn and Kenny are rivals and we learned about contests from them, so it is up to us to prove whose training can win this! I already told Kenny I'd fine him if I lost . . ."
Barry prattles on, but Paul drones out his words, pensive. He cannot deny that Barry is right. It is a matter of pride on the line, both Paul's and Dawn's - his, to defend his teacher's name, and hers, against her one of rivals.
And so, he waits eagerly for his battle with Barry as they watch Dawn defeat her other rival.
.
"Thunder Wave across the stage!" Paul orders, a hand stretched out towards the battlefield before him.
Luxio shocks the field with a wave of electricity, paralyzing Barry's Roserade in the process.
"Roserade, no!" Barry panics.
Paul resists smirking as he spies Barry's points decreasing on the scoreboard. "Now, use Quick Attack with Spark!"
Luxio starts by using its Electric-type move, Spark, to create a dazzling display of sparks and electricity around itself.
"Please, Roserade, break out of it!"
But Roserade struggles to lift itself up off the ground, the electricity still crackling around its body.
Luxio starts to sprint, its body glowing from the Quick Attack, performing a lightning-fast dash across the stage and leaving streaks of sparks in its wake.
Paul is confident in his victory - Barry's points are significantly lower than his at this point, and there are only 30 seconds left on the clock - but he does not want to take any chances, as Barry started the battle with a huge lead over him with Roserade's Magical Leaf, Petal Dance, and Grassy Terrain combination attack.
"Time to end this! Discharge!"
"Lux!"
Luxio finishes by leaping into the air and using Discharge, releasing a brilliant burst of electricity that fills the stage with an electrifying atmosphere.
"No, Roserade!"
From below the stage, in the contestant's lobby, Dawn watches Roserade faint on the television screen.
"Roserade is unable to battle. That means, moving on to the final round, against Dawn . . . is Paul!"
She and Piplup cannot help cheer. Paul did it! He has made it to the final round!
"Paul," she hears Barry shout, "you better win against Dawn or else I'm gonna fine you!"
On a normal day, she might complain to Barry that she will fine him for not cheering for her, but today, she does not want to win.
In contrast to her thoughts, Paul replies, "You bet that I'm going to win."
.
"Espeon, standby!"
"Umbreon, spotlight!"
The crowd murmurs in awe.
"Espeon versus Umbreon, what a show starter! And look at those gorgeous blue rings on Dawn's Umbreon!"
From one side of the battle field, Dawn calls out to her opponent. "Good luck, Paul." Her voice is hoarse from shouting on stage all day.
"Good luck to you, too, Dawn. Don't hold back," he reminds.
"5 minutes on the clock, and time starts . . . now!" Vivian shouts.
"Espeon, Psybeam!"
Espeon starts by using Psybeam to create a shimmering and disorienting display of multicolored lights.
"Umbreon, Dark Pulse."
"Light Screen!"
This creates illusory barriers that shatters Umbreon's beam of weaved dark energy, much to Dawn's displeasure.
"Incredible! Paul is off to a great start. How creative to use Light Screen with Psybeam! The effect is stunning!"
Not wanting to waste a moment against a well-seasoned and talented coordinator as Dawn, Paul commands Espeon to use Future Sight.
Espeon's eyes and the gem on its forehead glow momentarily, but then nothing happens.
"Huh? Hey, what kind of move is that?" Dawn wonders aloud, but realizes there is no time to stall. "Umbreon, Shadow Ball, quick!"
As soon as Umbreon throws the Shadow Ball towards Espeon, its eyes glow again and a slight breeze hits the battlefield. The Shadow Ball is caught in the Light Screen, just as Dark Pulse did, and a sphere of rainbow colored energy suddenly hits Umbreon.
"No, Umbreon!"
Paul looks on smugly. "You shouldn't have used a move like Shadow Ball when Espeon still has Light Screen set up, you know?" His tone is mocking.
Dawn feels the blood drain from her face as she hears the sound of her points getting deducted. "W-What was that?"
Paul capitalizes on her confusion to strike again. "Now, Zen Headbutt!"
Oh, no. "Spin and dodge!"
But Espeon is too close for Umbreon to evade and attacks his brother.
"Bree," her Pokémon moans, as he struggles to push himself off the ground.
"Come on, Umbreon, you can do it!" Dawn encourages.
Paul chooses that moment to explain his strategy. "Future Sight allows a Pokémon to foresee an attack, so I had Espeon use the move to predict Umbreon's movements and position itself strategically."
Dawn glares at Paul, but mentally takes a note to be more wary if he commands Future Sight again. Thankfully, Umbreon has gotten itself back up and has regained some stamina.
After that, the battle moves in Dawn's favor, Umbreon gaining strength to weaken Espeon more, but Paul has a knack for evading her combination moves and their points stay even.
"Espeon, Psychic!"
"Es, pi!"
Dawn panics as Umbreon becomes encased in the same color glow as Espeon's forehead gem. "No! Umbreon, break out of it and use Assurance on Espeon!"
But it is too late. Umbreon cries out as it is lifted into the air.
Thinking fast, Dawn orders her Pokémon to use Confuse Ray, and it does just the trick - his blue rings glow, and in combination with the red light from Psychic, a magenta light beams from its body and hits Espeon. Immediately, Umbreon is broken out of Espeon's Psychic.
Vivian chimes in, much to Paul's irritation."What a beautiful way to display Umbreon's rings and confuse Espeon at the same time!"
He groans. "Espeon, Future sight, again!"
Much to his delight, Espeon's confusion wears off immediately and is able to hear his command.
Umbreon stills for a moment, until Dawn exclaims, "Bite through the Light Screen!"
Umbreon sprints, its mouth opening wide and fangs glowing.
"Look at that speed!"
Paul commands his Espeon to counter, but Umbreon is much faster than his sister and bites through before leaping back to his side of the field.
An exasperated growl escapes Paul.
"Though Dawn had to deal with the Light Screen, Paul has two obvious disadvantages working against him - Umbreon's type advantage over Espeon, and his limited coordinating experience versus Dawn's."
Hearing Vivian's words, Paul snorts. "And one more obvious advantage I do have."
Dawn becomes wary. "And what's that?"
"I've seen you train. You taught me what I need to know, and I know your strats. Espeon, Psyshock!"
Dawn's breath nearly catches in her mouth. She panics as she needs to think quickly, until she realizes that she does not need to think at all. "Umbreon, take the Psyshock!"
Paul's face morphs into an expression of horror as he watches Umbreon try to tank the Psyshock with a grunt, resulting in purple sparks surrounding its body.
"Are you insane?" he nearly thunders almost tripping where he stands. "You're just going to let Pokémon take the attack?" Yes, Dawn's Umbreon is bulky in defense, but not as much as the average Umbreon. And even then, who is stupid enough to take the hit without a play like Bide?
"You don't know all my strats." She cheekily taps at her temple. "Some of my best strats come on the fly!"
His eyes flicker to the scoreboard, but her points do not lower - what is up her sleeve?
He does not have to wait long to find out the answer. To his utter surprise, Umbreon suddenly sprints and butts heads into Espeon, spreading the same jolts of purple to Paul's Pokémon.
"What the hell was that! What did you do to my Espeon?"
"Don't 'cha know? Espeon and Umbreon have the ability Synchronize, so my Umbreon just reflected some of that mental damage from Psyshock back into Espeon."
"B-But that's for status effects!" he sputters.
"Oh?" She tilts her head, mocking confusion. "Look at our Pokémon. You wouldn't call what's happened to our Pokémon a status effect?"
Paul nearly growls. "I don't care enough. This needs to end now! Morning Sun and then Light Screen!"
Suddenly, the stadium is blinded by the brightness of Morning Sun that soon turns into the color of sunset, thanks to the Light Screen. Beautiful.
The visual plants an idea in Dawn at that moment. "Quick, counter with Moonlight and then use Swift into the sky!"
Umbreon uses Moonlight to create an eerie and enchanting aura, shrouding the stage in darkness momentarily before the stars of Swift light the sky.
The result is Morning Sun and Moonlight finally settling together. The audience goes wild, captivated by the dance of light and darkness and stars.
"How beautiful! The combination of Espeon and Umbreon's attacks have created a solar eclipse in our very own contest hall!"
Ping.
Dawn gasps in surprise, while Paul grunts.
"Oh, time is up!"
Time already? They lock eyes momentarily before simultaneously whipping their heads to the screen glowing in the darkness.
The solar eclipse their Pokémon have created starts to fade away, brightness slowly returning to the stadium. Dawn is not sure if it is because her vision is readjusting to the light, but the amount of points they both have left look so identical, she thinks that they could nearly be the same.
"And the winner . . ."
Dawn's heart is pounding as she struggles to make sense of who has more points — was this how frantic she was when her battle against Zoey ended with time running out a few months ago? It is ironic now, because this time, she is hoping she has lost.
" . . . is Dawn!"
Oh, Arceus . . . this is not how it was supposed to go. Vivian is supposed to be calling out Paul's name right now.
Dawn just stole the victory from Paul. The last few months of his hard work, all down the drain, all because she participated.
Her eyes are pricking with unshed tears, but she will be damned if she cries on national television.
She anxiously takes a peek at Paul.
But he appears to be fine - no, not fine . . . he is smiling proudly. His hands raise to his chest and he starts applauding, with the rest of the stadium following, and walks towards her.
Dawn can only respond to him with a weak smile.
After calling their Pokémon to their Pokéballs, they meet in the middle of the battlefield, reminding him of yesterday after their training, right before he told her he hoped to face her finals and they argued over her participation in the contest.
Paul does not know what to do now - admittedly, he has never watched any contest reruns to this point. Are they supposed to bow to each other? Should he shake her hand?
But to his surprise, Dawn acts in a way even he knows is unconventional for contests: she pulls him in for an embrace.
"I'm really sorry," she mumbles tearfully, to his surprise. His hands raise slightly and hover over her back, but before he can assuage her worries, she releases herself from his arms.
He carefully watches her take a deep breath and compose herself, before putting on a polite smile on her face for the approaching judges.
Mr. Contesta shakes Paul's hand and then Dawn's. "This battle truly highlighted the unique qualities of Espeon and Umbreon and the dramatic interplay between their Psychic and Dark type abilities. It truly felt like a tasteful blend of competitive and contest battling. Well done to both of you."
"Thank you," Paul and Dawn murmur together.
Then they move to Mr. Sukizo. "Remarkable, absolutely remarkable!" he exclaims, fervently shaking Paul's hand.
As he steps over to Nurse Joy and hears Mr. Suzika congratulating Dawn similarly, Paul wonders if the word is the only word in his dictionary, or if he means to exclusively use his catchphrase while speaking as some image stunt.
"That eclipse at the end was so wonderful! What a significant end to a battle between a coordinator and trainer - as different as the sun and moon, but both can prove themselves to produce a beautiful result when together!" Paul does not miss Dawn looking over at him shyly when Nurse Joy says that last part.
Finally, Paul moves forward to shake Steven Stone's hand.
Steven commends Paul on his ability to nearly win this contest, with contest battles differing so vastly from competitive battling.
"I would have not believed that this was your first contest, Paul. Very well done."
Paul bows in gratitude. "It was thanks to Dawn's help, actually, that I was able to make it to the finals." His voice lowers to a murmur, so that Dawn does not catch his words. "She has been a mentor to me for the past few months. This victory is rightfully hers."
Steven appears to be delighted by his words. "To echo Mr. Sukizo - absolutely remarkable. Dawn has clearly taught you well." The volume of his words matches Paul's. "You were able to absorb that information and present such a beautiful performance today. I was hoping to see that amongst the trainers, and you proved that today. Thank you."
"Thank you," Paul replies, before stepping away to the side of the battlefield to give Dawn and Steven the floor.
"Congratulations, Dawn!" Steven fervently shakes Dawn's hand. "I cannot think of another coordinator here today more deserving to win this contest and prize than you."
Dawn's cheeks flush a delicate pink, but it is more from guilt than flattery. "Thank you so much."
Mr. Contesta comes forward and begins addressing the audience. "As you all know, this contest is a little unconventional, as we invited trainers across regions to participate. It was my intention to introduce these trainers to the world Pokémon contests and see how well they could perform. It is very rare we get to see the two worlds of contest and competitive battling collide. It just so happened that Mr. Joseph Stone, Steven's father and head of the Devon corporation, approached me to sponsor a contest and award the prize of a PokéNav Plus. So I thought, why not combine these two ideas into one contest?"
Steven jumps in. "I wanted to take it a step further. I had found a Key Stone in my previous expedition, and, when I found out my father was to sponsor a Pokémon contest, I discussed with them the impact of mega evolution on competitive battling, and how we can create an opportunity to impart mega evolution to coordinators and the world of Pokémon contests. That is the reason why I offered that Key Stone as a prize for this contest."
Nurse Joy and Mr. Sukizo approach, each holding trays with the prizes. Steven takes the green-striped ribbon from Nurse Joy's tray and presents it to Dawn as the crowd bursts into applause and cheers.
Dawn steadies her fingers from trembling and takes the ribbon from him.
Steven does the same for the PokéNavPlus and a mesh, white pouch, in which a jagged, rainbow stone is apparent, before they all pose for a photo.
"Once we find you some mega stones, I'll be anxious to see how you plan to proceed as a coordinator with the ability to mega evolve!"
Dawn prays silently that her guilt is not too palpable on her face.
The press affairs following a victory usually do not take very long after the contest, but for Dawn, it seems to drag on forever this time, almost like a taunt. When she finally makes it down to the dressing room and faces Paul, she feels so sluggish and drained of energy.
"Paul, I . . . " She swallows thickly. The words are unable to reach her lips, so she simply holds out the pouch with the Key Stone to him.
Paul's eyes widen in realization. "Are you crazy?" He takes her hand and curls her fingers inward so that the pouch is clasped in her palm. "Dawn, this prize is rightfully yours," he says softly.
"It should have been yours." Her voice breaks, and she feels wetness rolling down her cheek.
Immediately, Paul wipes the stray tear away with a swipe of his thumb. "Not at all. Didn't you hear Steven? The point of this prize is to allow coordinators - "
"Oh, I so hope that I'm not interrupting anything important."
Startled by the voice, Dawn and Paul break away from each other. Dawn turns her face momentarily to sneakily brush the tears off her cheeks before facing the source of the voice.
Ursula leans against the doorframe with her arms crossed over her chest.
Paul narrows his eyes at her. "You're already interrupting." His voice is stiff.
"I thought you had hugged it all out already on stage." A haughty smile plays on her lips. "Hm, so you're Paul . . . The contest is over, so why is such a strong trainer like you still roaming with the likes of Deedee?" Apart from her words, there is something in her more-than-usual saccharine voice that pricks Dawn in irritation.
"Deedee?" Paul's brows furrow in confusion. "Who is that?"
"Excuse me, Ursula!" Dawn butts in. Deedee was not a nickname that bothered her as it did in the past, but she does not need Paul to learn about it, too.
Paul sighs and rolls his eyes. Were he and Ash this bad? He feels a headache coming on. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
Without any prelude, he takes her by the hand and leads them out of the dressing room, much to Ursula's bewilderment.
"W-Wait!" she splutters. "I wasn't finished talking!"
.
"Well, I am used to putting up with it now. You're my teacher and I travel with you, so I have to deal with it, don't I?"
It was a seed of worry, planted in Dawn's head at the time. But now the worry has grown into tangled vines, weaved into thoughts and worries that all root to the same question.
What is going to happen now?
"The contest is over, so why is such a strong trainer like you still roaming with the likes of Deedee?"
Paul asked Dawn to travel with him and prepare him for the Rubello Town Contest, which ended in Paul's loss and her victory, so now what?
Is this the end of her journey with Paul?
She has gotten so used to having him around, and genuinely has enjoyed having him as a travel companion, even if the dynamic they share is different than her dynamic was with Ash and Brock.
"Hey, Dawn?"
But why does it matter so much if they have to part ways? Every phase in life is timeboxed. Her time with Ash and Brock came to an end, and she moved on without much worry. Her time with Paul has now come to an end, and all she is doing is worrying?
"Deedee?"
Paul's quiet teasing breaks her out of her thoughts.
She blinks, but does not acknowledge the nickname.
He folds his arms over his chest and leans back against the side of the Rubello Town Pokémon Center. "Aren't you always saying, 'No need to worry?'"
"Huh?" She wonders for a moment if she spoke aloud while thinking. "Yeah, so?"
A ghost of a smile appears on his face, surprising Dawn. "You're terrible at following your own words. What's wrong?" He has been in high - well, higher than usual - spirits, since their post-contest celebration last night.
Dawn frowns. "Paul . . . the Rubello Contest is over, so what now?" She wrings at the edge of her shirt nervously as she awaits his answer.
He purses his lips as he ponders. "I . . . need to schedule a battle with Winona." He does not seem to catch the double meaning in her words.
"Oh," she responds dejectedly, letting out a breath she does not realize she was holding. Well, it was to be expected that their journey together would end after the contest. Maybe she would visit Mt. Chimney.
"I had to fight her three times before I won against her the first time. This time around, I am thinking of using Froslass, Aggron, and, instead of Electivire, I'll use Luxio - I want to give him an opportunity to explore competitive battling."
"Yeah . . . " Maybe she could go to the Berry Master and his huge garden. She would be able to travel with Paul for a little bit longer before he would have to go up Route 119 to get to Fortree City. And it is on the way to Purika City, too, site of her next contest.
". . . so, I'll need to train with Honchkrow and Togekiss."
"Yeah," she replies again absentmindedly, at least until his previous words actually register.
Her breath hitches upon realization. "Togekiss?" Her voice is a rasp.
Paul stares at her intently, before he looks away. "Yes."
It is silent, but powerful, resounding . . . and all the confirmation she needs for her lips to stretch into a big grin. "Okay. You can train with Togekiss." So, they do not have to part ways just yet.
A faint smile twitches at the corner of his lips.
"Appreciate it, Deedee."
She shoots him the dirtiest look she can manage. "Call me that again and Honchkrow misses out on his training date with Togekiss."
He rolls his eyes. "It's just a crush. He'll get over it.