Heart of Champions

by stringdog

Dreams have been achieved, what needs to be won has been won, but now there is a burning question that needs to be answered; what comes next? That is a question that Ash and Dawn will soon have answered in this fifth and final installment in 'Hearts' series. One thing is certain though, going forward they will need all the heart they have to rise to what is coming. Pearlshipping.

16. Part CCV: A Rocky Return

Well, here it is, the sixteenth part of the fifth and final installment in my 'Heart' series on the right day as promised. The adventure in the Wetlands is now behind them and Ash has a new Pokémon to train for the coming year. That will be interesting for sure but for right now our heroes have reached the location of the Haunted Contest and finally Dawn and May can begin their quest to qualify for the Majestic Festival as they return to Contests after one and two years off respectively. What, or who, could possibly spoil such a return? That is all the administrative stuff I have for this Part and while there are no guest reviews to respond to or questions to answer I will leave this off here there is a clarification I need to make regarding how I determine what non-canon Pokemon characters get, in addition to canon Pokemon which do take priority if there is time for it. Do please keep your reviews coming as I love hearing from y'all.

The clarification is in regards to my Pokemon Diversity Policy as it has been 3 years since I first laid it out in Part XXII in Dreams so a refresh of what it is along with a few new additions added as this story and my understanding of the Pokemon world have developed. The policy is in place to allow for a wide range of Pokemon that the main characters and notable recurring or significant characters have and avoid reusing too many Pokemon thus giving a wide range of Pokemon that can appear and be used in this series. As such, if main character or notable recurring/significant character has this Pokemon, canon or not, then unless it meets one of my exceptions I will not give it to another character in this series, though this does not apply to Gym Leaders, Frontier Brains, Elite Four, and Champions other than Misty. Initially there were 6 exceptions and they are: 1 - Starter Pokemon due to the limited number of them though I will still strive for a range of them if at all possible. 2 - Canonical captures that occurred post the start of the Hearts series as canon takes precedent so this applies mainly to Iris's Gible and Ash's Dragonite and when it comes to canon captures, while Ash won't get all of the remaining 7 canon Pokemon he's not caught yet in the Hearts series, he will get all within the Hearts universe. 3 - Planning mistakes on my part due to lack of research/knowledge at the time of the outline's creation and changing was too much of a hassle, this had initially applied to Dawn but I was able change it though it does apply to Ash's Florges as I was unaware of Trevor's at the time though there is another exception that applies as well. 4 - Type rarity for the types where there are not enough of that type for a proper diversity on that front though diversity is still the goal and this only applies to dragon, ice, fairy, and ghost types and for the most part this applies to type specialists like Iris and Georgia though I've expanded it a bit to physiological specialists like Lucy and Angie due to limited numbers. 5 - Branch evolution Pokemon like Gloom, Poliwhirl, Snorunt, and Kirlia, though if one of the branches is already owned then it will be the other one. 6 - Eevee due to the multiple evolutions though until there is one that I deem appropriate for Ash he will not get an Eevee. Since then I added a 7th exception in Part LX of Dreams for regional variants and an 8th for Pokemon with clear gender differneces like Pyroar and Meowstic. I will now combine those two exceptions and expand them to encompass all fixed variants in general as the 7th exception. This applies to Pokemon like Florgess and her earlier forms, Vivillon, Deerling and Sawsbuck, Furfrou (due to the trims it is allowed in this exception), Basculin, Burmy, Alcremie, Unown, Oricorio (due to the type variations and the 4 that either are or will be owned will be the different kinds), Lycanroc, Toxtricity, Sinistea and Polteageist, Urshifu, Maushold, Squawkabilly, Tatsugiri, Dudunsparce, and any others I have missed. This does mean that once a variant is taken that specific variant can't be taken again. I hope this clears up any confusion there has been and even if a Pokemon can't work of Ash or Dawn doesn't mean that it won't work for others and between recurring characters I may have some wiggle room depending on where they are at the time as there are a lot of recurring characters and only a certain number of Pokemon species per region though if they do get something Ash and Dawn won't unless it meets one of the 7 exceptions.

That is it for this pre-Part note which means that it is once again time to sit back which and enjoy the latest installment in Heart of Champions. Part CCV: A Rocky Return.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Part CCV: A Rocky Return

"It's here at last!" Dawn said excitedly as she straightened her dress in the special tent that served as the coordinators' waiting room for the Contest. "Our return to Contests, I can't wait for it to start!"

"Same." May said with a smile. "Our first shot at a ribbon for the Majestic Festival and a return to competing, this will be fun. It does feel good to be back here, I didn't realize how much I missed this until now."

It was a little over a week since the adventure in the Wetlands that had ended in Ash releasing Goodra and catching the Florges that had caused the issues in his place, well she volunteered to join him and caught herself but same thing, and now the girls were finally about to kick off their pursuits of the Majestic Festival as the Haunted Contest was about to begin. Thankfully it had been uneventful since as the adventure in the Wetlands had been the highlight of the trip but since then things seemed to have fallen into a good rhythm as they often did after a side adventure.

In the wake of the dramatic end to the adventure Ash and the girls stayed in the Wetlands for an extra day to fully recover and help the transition back to the way the Wetlands were before Florges's invasion before they headed north. When they did leave there was another tearful goodbye between Ash and Goodra while Florges wished her Floette well and promised many stories when she returned as they resumed their journey to the Haunted Contest.

To get to the location of the Contest it meant traversing the rest of the Wetlands and the forest but that had been pretty normal, just a standard travel really. Honestly, after what they discovered in the Wetlands, they'd expected to come across Team Rocket but oddly they didn't and the remaining part of the trip was adventure free.

The only thing of note was that Florges had quickly become a team mother to Ash's other Pokémon now that she was no longer worrying about Floette so her natural nature came out more with the others. As such she helped make sure they were doing well whenever they were all out though she was also the only female which seemed to be a bit of an adjustment for her.

She wasn't the only female Pokémon though and between that, her type, and her nature she got on really well with Togekiss and they took to making sure things were smooth while the male Pokémon were their usual selves. This was Ash's winning team though so they were all seasoned and experienced Pokémon and as such well-trained but Florges had a gentle touch with them that they appreciated and in return she learned a lot from them about the human she'd decided to join and the nature of their family so to speak.

She learned that her new trainer was actually the Champion of the Kalos region which was a big thing apparently and that the Pokémon with her, along with Goodra, had been the team to win the Kalos League that set up the challenge that led to Ash becoming Champion. In addition, Talonflame had been in one of the four battles that Ash needed to win to face the former Champion for her title while Lucario, Greninja and Pikachu had been in the final battle itself that had claimed Ash the title with Pikachu also being in one of the four battles prior.

It all really impressed Florges, especially because Greninja was the one who'd won it all in both the Kalos League and against the former Champion, a human female called Diantha, so he'd garnered two of the greatest victories for Ash which made him one of Ash's best Pokémon though there was still a debate if he or Charizard was truly Ash's ace. Regardless, as Florges heard the tales of their battles and how they compared each other she couldn't help but get competitive as well.

She wanted to be able to give her own tales of victory, of facing other strong Pokémon and getting stronger with Ash through many experiences and battles as it was clear that that was how Goodra had gotten so strong. Thankfully she would get that chance because Ash and Pikachu had told her that when they left Kalos in a bit she'd be the only one coming with them as the others would remain here at Ash's place though they may come into the rotation from time to time for battles that Ash might have while traveling.

That had surprised her but Pikachu had explained that Ash liked a fresh start with each new journey and as she was a fresh Pokémon for the team right at the start of a new journey she was on it for this journey. As more new Pokémon joined them, and Pikachu expected at least 4 more though likely more than that, there would be swapping out over the time for various reasons which might mean that Florges would have to go back to Ash's place in Kalos times.

Florges understood this though as Ash did have obligations to battle various other trainers and sometimes she'd not be the best fit for the team so she'd use those opportunities to meet Ash's other Pokémon that he'd caught over the years and get to know them as well. Still, it was just what she wanted and she knew she'd grow stronger with Ash and atone for her past actions. Plus there would almost certainly be new Pokémon who she could help care for which would be nice.

As such, for Ash at least, his main focus on the rest of the trip here had been getting Florges accustomed to the team and up to speed with what was to come while also doing a bit of training to get used to her move set and abilities though as a mature, fully evolved, Pokémon it was going well without many hiccups. Meanwhile May and Dawn got ready for the Haunted Contest and trained for it as they neared the area that it would be though when they got here it was a bit of an adjustment as they were taken aback by what they found.

That was because unlike other Contests that May and Dawn had been a part of, this one wasn't in a city or town so it wasn't in a Contest Hall or Pokémon Showcase Theater. Rather it was in a large open area with a spooky mansion in the backdrop that no one was allowed near due to the haunted nature of it and on a wooden stage that had been set up with bleachers around it though moves like Dig should still work just fine despite the stage.

It was a lot to take in but there had been a sign in booth right as they reached the area along with several others around the impromptu setup to ensure ease of registration and to explain what everything was. Of course when the girls went there to register they'd gotten some raised eyebrows at their gold cards and some murmurs as it was clear that they were Top Coordinators aiming for the Majestic Festival but they were registered and given the layout of the area.

The main thing was how the waiting worked and for their convenience, several tents were erected around the stands with pathways between them in a makeshift tent village of sorts. The tents were there for refreshments, changing, and of course a large waiting tent along one of the long sides of the bleachers where they were now. As they waited no one approached them, likely because they were known faces, but they didn't mind as they chatted with each other.

It was all a new experience as they'd never seen an official Contest set up like this but both girls didn't mind it as they stood there in their outfits waiting for it to start because the new experience added to it somehow. This was a new Contest journey for them, a new, special, circuit and goal at the end and new qualification requirements to get there that currently looked hard to achieve so it was fitting that they'd kick it off with a new Contest experience.

Of course Kalos Contests also meant dressing up and Dawn was smiling as she stood there in her latest dress, one she'd selected to honor the general theme of the Contest. She'd always felt off in Kanto and Johto not dressing up for normal Contests, and especially for the Kanto Grand Festival, but now that she was back in her nice dress she truly felt at home as she got ready for her first Contest since winning the Grand Festival.

For this Contest Dawn had taken a leaf out of Serena's book when Serena changed things up at times and had gone with something in theme for it. As such she was wearing a simple gray dress the same shade as her Banette and in the usual style she'd preferred in Sinnoh with a slightly out there skirt part but no ruffles or flares, a gold sash around her waist tied in a bow at the front and with a small ball at the back and a gold collar part around her shoulders through the short, puffy, sleeves were gray.

However, the sleeves didn't come down far enough to cover the band on her upper right arm where her Ability Symbol was on display. While she always wore her locket, it couldn't be over the dress so it was resting on her chest under it.

As for her hair, Dawn had styled it back and expertly set it with May's help to resemble the head tail thing on Banette but for the two strands that framed her face. They were clipped there with green and pink clips, an homage to her Spiritomb which she wanted to do as well but this was the only place she could without it clashing with the rest of the outfit.

The one thing that Dawn had forgone though was a pair of gloves. She'd worn them in Sinnoh a few times and in Kalos it was all but a given that you wore them but she wanted to show off her engagement ring, which also was her Key Stone, so she couldn't wear gloves though it did mean that the scar on her left forearm was on display but she didn't mind that given how she got it. Overall, it was a good look and Dawn felt herself in the dress, it was perfect for her return to Contests.

May by contrast was not as big into the dressing up aspect of Contests that Dawn and Serena had been as Hoenn didn't do that sort of thing so she'd gone with her usual Hoenn Princess maiden outfit only in a different color scheme as this time she went with something more in line with her ghost types. It had become her signature dressing up look after all so why mess with it.

In this case the top and belt part were a rich, royal, purple with silver accents and borders while her headdress was a pale gold and the dress part a few shades darker. To off set it she wore a black metal band on the headdress with a polished brown stone in it while her hair remained unchanged as she had no need to style it. It was a good look she felt and kept with her overall style that she'd developed for when she had to dress up.

"I'm getting that nervous feeling again." Dawn said with a smile. "It feels good."

"That it does." May said smiling as well. "I wonder what these Coordinators will be like, should be some good competition."

"Same, I…" Dawn began.

"Well I don't believe it." A cool, familiar voice said from behind the girls getting their attention. "The girl who dared beat me in the Master Class and judged two Contests I was in last year and the girl who judged one of those two are both competing in Contests again and just so happen to be in the first one I've entered this year. I heard about that Majestic Festival thing, looks like this Contest has two Top Coordinators in it."

Dawn and May turned to see a raven haired girl in a purple dress and white gloves with a purple, oversized, bow in her head. It was the same outfit she'd worn in the Couriway Contest and the Wallace Cup but even without it they would have recognized her right away. It looked like they were going to start their hunt for the Majestic Festival with an interesting challenger and one with the potential to push them right off the bat.

"Hello Amelia." Dawn said with a slightly forced smile, Amelia fell into the category of negative rivals though for her it was much more just her own nature and personal issues with Serena, Miette, and Shauna than what the negative trio had been which put her more in the Ursula category rather than the Brianna one. "So, you're doing more Contests this year I see."

"I am one shy of the wildcard berth and I saw how Serena, Shauna, and Miette all used them last year to improve their pathetic performer skills." Amelia said. "Anything they can do I can do better so I figured I'd give this a shot this year. I'm already eligible for the Master Class and plan to win it this year but to be ready I may as well compete in Contests some more for the experience, they weren't too bad last year after all. Who knows, I may even win the next Kalos Grand Festival, become a Top Coordinator and make it to that Majestic Festival thingy."

"Well then best of luck to you." Dawn said not rising to Amelia's bait. "I look forward to a new rival in what may be my only Contest in Kalos."

"Oh it won't be Dawn; I intend to see to that." Amelia said her smile not reaching her eyes. "The rest of the people here may be intimidated by two Top Coordinators who they've seen for the last year or two as judges and heard so much about given that the most prestigious ribbon is now named after one of you but I'm not. I relish this challenge to prove that I'm better than you, that you two are rusty from your time away and can be beaten despite your status."

"It has been a while so please, give us a challenge." May said also not rising to Amelia's bait, the girl was nothing compared to the negative trio so she was easy to handle. "We could use a good one to get back into it."

"Oh you'll get it, both of you." Amelia said as the buzzer sounded indicating that there was 10 minutes before the Contest started. "Well, I best get ready, I'm in the first half of appeals so I need to make final preparations before showing the crowd what a true performer can do in a Contest."

With that Amelia turned and walked away to go get ready a smirk on her face as soon as she had her back to the girls. After her loss in the Master Class, Amelia had sworn that she'd get revenge on Dawn for the humiliation Dawn's victory had caused her and now was that chance, she'd win this over two Top Coordinators and show that they weren't all that while making it clear that she was a threat in these Contest things. She didn't care for them, she was the future Kalos Queen after all so Showcases were where she belonged, but Amelia had made a vow and she'd live up to it.

"Well she was as sweet as ever." Dawn noted as Amelia left. "Problem is, if there is anyone here who can be a threat to a Top Coordinator who's been out of the game for at least a year then she's it. We can't take her challenge lightly, treat it like any we got from other contenders before we won Grand Festivals."

"I remember, her technique is Top Coordinator level already." May said. "She lost in the Walace Cup because she was too aggressive and let it get personal with Serena right when Serena had fully embraced her full style, and even then it was a close match. Still, to make it to the Wallace Cup semifinals is impressive even with how that bracket fell. Best be wary of her."

"Agreed." Dawn said with a nod. "But for now, good luck, you're first and I'm last in the appeals. What a coincidence.""

"Of course, that's just how the random draw went, but whatever, see you in the battles, rival." May said with a grin as she turned and walked out of the tent to head to her starting spot as the time to begin the Haunted Contest was almost at hand.

---

"Folks, it is time for this Contest, one of the many special location Contests that Kalos has been doing during its expansion period to increase the number of them while also showing off the uniqueness of our beautiful region." Jillian said as the crowd cheered at her words and May stood just behind the entryway of the tent that would give coordinators a final moment's thought as she waited for the word to head out. "And this is the first special location in that series of Contests, the Haunted Contest to honor the haunted nature of the mansion in this area and the lore surrounding it, though don't go in lest you meet the ghosts who live there."

May had heard these tales before though there might be some credit to them as she'd spoken to Max the other day and told him of this Contest and he'd told her that he'd been to the mansion with Bonnie and Owen the year prior when they were on their way to Laverre. It was real and the old man there was actually a ghost who'd been dead for 200 years or so though he couldn't recall the exact timeframe given how freaked out they were.

Naturally, May had opted to not test her brother's story to see if it was accurate and had made sure that they set up their final camp before the Contest far away from the mansion while in the area. That wasn't relevant now as May put the story from her mind and got ready for the Contest.

"Anyway, it's time to kick this off and as a reminder, Mega Evolution has now been approved in all Contests but is only allowed once be it in the appeals, when it has to start the appeal, or at the start of one of the battles." Jillian continued. "Otherwise the rules are the same as the year prior so let's start this Contest!"

The crowd roared at that, it was a surprisingly good one and with 26 coordinators in it May was surprised how popular the special location series was but she figured that they were part of the whole Kalos Contest circuit experience so coordinators who weren't from Kalos would want to participate in one while those local to the area were just happy to have one nearby. Of course that was something to ponder later as she set herself for her return to the circuit albeit the special inter-regional one that was only for Top Coordinators.

"Folks, we have one hell of an opening coordinator for you because coordinator isn't the right word for her seeing as she's a Top Coordinator!" Jillian said to the cheers of the crowd. "That's right, presenting in her return to Contests the first of two Top Coordinators registered today and seeking their Kalos ribbons as they try to qualify for the inaugural Majestic Festival, the Princess of Hoenn herself, a judge last year and promotor the year before, and a Sinnoh Grand Festival winner, from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region, May!"

At that May walked out and along the path to the simple wooden battlefield with three sides of raised bleacher and a side for the three judges to sit before a special jumbotron set up for the Contes and to her starting point. It was time to use a Pokémon she'd never used in a Contest before and to really show what a Top Coordinator could do as she reached her starting point and pulled out her Poke Ball which she then tossed in a smooth motion as she came to a stop.

"Phantump, on stage!" May said as the Poke Ball burst open. "Start us off with Leech Seed, send it into the air! Show it off in the pattern that we practiced."

Phantump let out a cry of agreement as it opened its mouth and sent out several seeds, angling itself back so that the seeds were high in the air. To add to it Phantump made sure that they were in a clear, circular, pattern as it was what they'd practiced for this particular appeal.

"Now ignite them with Will-o-Wisp!" May ordered. "Show the interplay of grass and fire types."

"Phantump." Phantump said happily as it blew out the ring to blue fireballs at the seeds in the air making sure to take gravity and distance into account with the shot.

As a result, the fire type attack shot across the battlefield to hit the seeds as they fell down creating an even more intense fire as the ring of Will-o-Wisp fireballs burned brighter due to consuming the Leech Seed. It was a skillful and well-coordinated interception that showed May's status and was only the first part of the appeal, it was time for the new move to show of how Phantump move.

"Now, shoot through the flames with Feint Attack." May said. "And then come back again."

"Phantump." Phantump said as it shot across the stage and at the fire.

Feint Attack was a near perfect move that only missed if the target was in the middle of a move like Dig or Phantom Force at the time, which wasn't the case right now, so Phantump easily flew through the flames with it to hit the spot in the air it had selected. Then Phantump turned sharply and used it once more to shoot back through the fire just before it burned out and hit the air only now Phantump was center stage and facing the judges.

To add to the whole thing Phantump was part grass type so there was a thrill of seeing it fly through a ring of fire and risking a burn but not touching the flames once. All this was reaching its head as May gave the final order to finish her appeal.

"Forest's Curse!"

Phantump cried and unleashed the move unique to it and its evolved form. It had no practical effect but there was an appeal to it and Phantump used it in a way that really showed off both the unique move and itself while also paying respect to the theme of the Contest in some way so it was the perfect end to the appeal. When it was over Phantump bowed in the air to the judges while May curtsied to them in a near perfect version of the Kalos curtsy, something she'd made sure Serena taught her before she left for Unova, to show that the appeal was over.

"What an appeal to start us off!" Jillian said as May and Phantump rose to face the judges, the standard three this time around likely due to being the first of the special series, and get their opinions. "It's been over two years since we've seen May in a Contest, excluding the special appearance she made in the Wallace Cup that her hometown hosted 18 months ago, and it looks like she's not lost a step in the process. Do our esteemed judges agree though?"

"May shows us why she won it all in Sinnoh a couple years ago." Mr. Contesta said with a slight nod of his head. "And why the idea of the Majestic Festival is a good one to see Top Coordinators back on the circuit and inspiring a new generation of coordinators to rise up and challenge them."

"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo said with a smile.

"Phantump was adorable and fitting for this particular Contest both in type and setting." Nurse Joy said with a smile, she ran one of the many route based Pokémon Centers and happened to be at the nearest one just north of here where the trio would stay as their last stop before they made it to Laverre. "And yet it was so brave to face a move of a type it was weak to. Well done."

May just curtsied again as she smiled at the judges while Phantump bowed and Jillian wrapped it up before recalling Phantump and walking away as she thanked her Pokémon. It was a good start to her return to Contests and May was sure she'd advance with that; she just had to watch the others and see how it stacked up.

Well that and support Dawn as well so she hurried back as the next coordinator was introduced to be in position to watch the rest with her friend before Dawn's turn came up though Amelia was before her and they both had to see how her appeal went because she was the biggest threat to one of them winning their first ribbon in their first Contest on the road to the Majestic Festival.

---

"Alright next up we have another talented Performer who's actively trying for the Grand Festival this year and is hoping to follow in the footsteps of other Performers like Miette, Shauna, and the runner up in the first Grand Festival and former Master Class winner, Serena." Jillian said as the coordinator before Amelia walked off shaking her head and Amelia agreed, it had been a bad appeal. "She's already gotten two ribbons from last season so she just needs one more to make the wildcard event but she's going for all 5. In addition to that she made the semifinals of the Wallace Cup when it was in Kalos last year so we know she has talent. Give it up for a Kalos girl from Fleurrh City, the Pride of Fleurrh herself, Amelia!"

At that Amelia walked out waving to the crowd and smiling at them the way a performer would with a slight wave of her right hand for emphasis. Even though there was no warmth to her gestures, Amelia knew that she had to sell this just right and as far as she was concerned she was doing just that as she wasn't going to be shown up by inferiors like Serena, Miette and Shauna.

To be compared to the trio of fake performers by Jillian was an insult of the highest degree. That only fueled Amelia to show that she was better than all of them combined as she reached the starting point and pulled out her Poke Ball before tossing it as she came to a stop.

"Sharpedo, perfection!" Amelia said as she tossed out her Poke Ball before she reached into the top of her dress and down into her cleavage as the ball burst open and pulled out a special strap that had a Key Stone on it to correspond with the Mega Stone that was set into a holder on one of Sharpedo's teeth as it burst from its Poke Ball with a roar the stone glinting as Amelia let the stone fall back onto her upper chest so that it was touching her bare skin. "And show that even perfection can be improved upon and Mega Evolve!"

As soon as Amelia said that the tendrils of Mega Energy shot out from the stones and connected them causing the the water and dark type to glow and change. As with most Mega Evolutions, Sharpedo grew with its fins getting longer, it's nose growing out with three spikey protrusions coming from the side of it and a rudder fin forming at the back.

At the same time its teeth shifted so that they were at the fronts and corners of its mouth rather than mainly the top jaw with some on the sides of the bottom jaw. It was a quick but noticeable change and when it was done the glow faded and revealed Mega Sharpedo's new coloration.

Noticeable the blue was a slightly more mutated color though it was hard to make out because there was a more distinct change to Mega Sharpedo's appearance. That was because Mega Sharpedo now had more yellow markings than before so that rather than a single yell X on its nose it had one on the top of its dorsal fin as well as its nose, which had extended and wrapped around to the gray under nose with the first and third spikes bisecting it.

In addition to those markings it now had two yellow lines on its dorsal and bottom fin and long ones on the fronts of its side fins that now had gray around the point they connected to Mega Sharpedo's body and a were bisected at the midpoint by a small but visible yellow line. There was also a yellow marking on Mega Sharpedo's jaw and on the sides of its face under its eyes and gills.

Overall it was an even more menacing appearance for the Pokémon and came off as unusual for Amelia who had favored pink and light purple Pokémon but she'd felt connected to Sharpedo when she caught it and in the time since the humiliation in the Master Class she'd gotten her Key and Mega Stone for it to really boost it in Contests. Now it was time to show that off and show her class by using such power in the appeals not the battles where it would be overkill, after all she didn't want to come off like that unstable Brianna girl now did she.

"Alright Sharpedo, start us off with Hydro Pump!" Amelia said. "Blast it into the air and then freeze it with Ice Beam!"

Mega Sharpedo roared and blasted out the powerful water type attack high into the in a long stream of water that soared into the sky in a straight line and showed off its boosted power. Then as soon as it ended Mega Sharpedo switched to Ice Beam as the ball of ice formed in its mouth and shot out at the water even faster that the Hydro Pump had done.

This was the key, the skill that Amelia had to show off and her technical superiority over her competitors which she did as the Ice Beam hit the base of the water as it began to break apart and froze it so that it became a long line of ice with only the end breaking up in a fountain that looked really good. That was just the set up though and now it was time for the real showing of Mega Sharpedo's power along with the changes to its body that Mega Evolution caused.

"Bulldoze!" Amelia ordered. "Shatter that ice."

Mega Sharpedo roared and launched itself off the ground with its bottom fin and at the ice as it began to fall back to the ground. It never got close as Mega Sharpedo slammed into it with the ground type attack and blasted through the ice with its raw power, the ice shattering as it went and twinkling which really showed off Mega Sharpedo's coloring as it powered through the ice.

At the same time light hit the shards of ice as they fell to the ground that just added to everything while Mega Sharpedo kept the move up through the frozen Hydro Beam to reach its apex. That was the final point of the appeal and Amelia gave the order as the last of the ice fell to the stage.

"Rain Dance!" Amelia said. "Play in it."

Mega Sharpedo let out another roar and storm clouds appeared over it before the rain fell just as Mega Sharpedo did, drenching the entire stadium in the rain as Amelia smiled and Mega Sharpedo spun, flipped and danced happily in the rain showing off its love for the water and moves really well before landing perfectly on its bottom fin as the rain ended and facing the judges. When it did it bowed forward and Amelia executed a perfect Kalos curtsy. To really highlight the end though the Mega Evolution fell as Pokémon and coordinator rose.

"That was the first Mega Evolution of the Contest and what a use of it! I don't think any of us expected Amelia to Mega Evolve a Pokémon like Sharpedo for an appeal." Jillian said excitedly. "Judges, your thoughts on this?"

"It was bold, different, and well executed, just what we like to see in appeals." Mr. Contesta said with a nod. "And to add to it there was an element of showmanship that has come to define the Kalos style that performers show when they take the Contest stage. Well done."

"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo said with a wide smile on his face.

"Sharpedo looked so strong and happy there." Nurse Joy added. "It is well cared for indeed and showed it in that appeal."

Amelia just curtsied again, still smiling as the judges finished while Sharpedo bowed a second time before she recalled it and turned to walk off as Jillian continued her commentary and began to hype up the next person. Amelia didn't care for that though; she knew that she'd advanced and that was all that mattered.

Now she needed to prepare and be ready for the battles because she had two Top Coordinators to beat and beat them she would. Her plan to show up Dawn, May was just an inconvenience in the way of that goal, was one step closer as she returned to the tents to await her inevitable advancement.

---

"Well she has style and power." May said watching the TV that had been set up in the waiting tent as Amelia's appeal ended. "And to use a Sharpedo as her Mega Pokémon in an appeal will go over well, it's atypical for an appeal and yet she showed that it can work. She'll get a lot of points for that."

"Yes and it looked good the entire time with near perfect timing and execution of the moves." Dawn agreed. "Her technical skill is what will carry her. Watching her in Couriway and the Wallace Cup I always got the feeling that Amelia was better suited to the Contest scene rather than the Showcase one given the nature of her talents."

"I can see that." May agreed. "She lacks the factor that Serena and Aria have to go the extra step and become the Kalos Queen because she can't win the hearts of the crowd on technique alone, you need that intangible factor that Amelia's personality prevents her from having. However, a Contest is all about technical skill and judged not by people but by trained professionals. She's got a lot of potential here."

"Shame she's clouded by her insecurities and belief that she's got what it takes to be Kalos Queen." Dawn said as the Amelia turned to leave. "She could easily become a Top Coordinator if she could realize that Contests are where her talents lie, not Showcases. Well, perhaps a solid Contest season will help show her that but for now let's be ready because there's no way she doesn't advance from an appeal of that quality."

May nodded in agreement at that, if she'd been a judge she'd have scored Amelia's appeal highly herself, and the girls fell into silence again as Amelia made her way back to the tent. So far only hers, May's, and one other appeal from an experienced Unovan coordinator had looked good enough to make the cut but there were still 15 left to go and at the end was Dawn so anything could happen before then. Dawn knew that all too well and set herself as she got ready for her return to Contests eager for the moment she could once again do what she loved.

---

"Well that was the penultimate coordinator folks and just as we started the day on a high note we're going to end on one as our final coordinator is our second Top Coordinator!" Jillian said excitedly as the guy before Dawn come off with a neutral look on his face that Dawn could understand as the appeal hadn't been good or bad, it had been distinctly average. "She's one of the most accomplished coordinators out there but besides winning the Kanto Ribbon Cup she's best known for her run of three straight Wallace Cup victories, a feat never before done and for which the new ribbon for the Wallace Cup is named after, debuting as such in Kalos last season."

Dawn just sighed but she knew that she had to deal with this. Hyping up a crowd was important and like her many sisters Jillian was a master at it so Dawn just endured it especially because to hype her up was an easy thing after her Wallace Cup success let along the fact that she was a Top Coordinator as well.

"Now she's gunning for her first ever Kalos ribbon and the one she'll need for the Majestic Festival that she intends to reach this year so it's an honor to have her today." Jillian continued. "And to top all of this off she was a performer last year who made it to the finals of the Master Class but fell just short of challenging Aria for the title of Kalos Queen. From Twinleaf Town in the Sinnoh region, the Prodigy of Sinnoh herself, Dawn!"

At that Dawn walked out waving a bit to the crowd and beaming as she did which really got the crowd going but how could it not seeing as Daw was at last in a Contest again. This was who she was, it was in her blood and she couldn't wait to do another appeal as she fought to reach the Majestic Festival at the end of the year. It was time to return to the circuit and she had just the little surprise for that as she pulled out her Poke Ball and tossed it as she reached her starting spot.

"Pinsir, Spotlight!" Dawn said as she threw her Poke Ball. "Then angle down and use Vise Grip on the stage as you land on it to kick this off because we're going to need some wood for this appeal my dear."

Pinsir chittered excitedly, her freshly polished carapace gleaming as she flipped in the air upon bursting from her Poke Ball and pointed her pincers down to the wood below as they glowed with normal type power. She then extended them a bit and drove them into the wooden stage as she hit it to grab the wood and do an impromptu pincer stand her body straight to show off before she bend down and tightened her grip as her feet touched the ground.

Then, with a chitter she wrenched herself upwards and ripped out a chunk of the stage with her Vise Grip that she kept in it holding the wood in her pincers above her head and showing that the earth underneath her was untouched by her move which added to how precise she was with it. The moment that came Dawn gave the next order.

"Drop, catch, and toss it with Seismic Toss in one fluid motion." Dawn said. "And follow so you can reduce it to sawdust with X-Scissor!"

Pinsir chittered in acknowledgement at that and dropped the wood into her arms where she got a grip of it and spun gracefully before she tossed it into the sky with a cry as she activated her Seismic Toss attack. Then she tensed her knees and leapt up and at it her fingers glowing with bug type power as she flew upwards with all her strength and at the wood.

She reached it as the wood reached its apex, she'd made sure that her Seismic Toss was strong enough to allow this which would be a subtle detail that the judges no doubt picked up on just as they would with her precise Vise Grip, and proceeded to unload into the wood with a few strong X-Scissor attacks. With ease Pinsir shredded the wood to a fine material that slowly rained down from her as she began to fall to the ground as it was carried away on the wind. That was just what Dawn wanted as she gave the final order.

"Now dance my dear." Dawn said as Pinsir began to fall. "Swords Dance!"

Pinsir chittered once more as she went into the fast dance that was Swords Dance, perfectly executing it in the air as she fell the way she'd trained for and timing it such that she finished right before she landed on the same spot she'd leapt from and in front of the broken piece of stage which would add to everything. The only difference was that she'd used the dance to twist and face the judges so that the moment she landed she could bow to them as Dawn curtsied as good as any Kalos native at the same time.

It was a well timed and executed appeal just as Dawn had planned and while it may have seemed quick it was only that way due to its efficiency and how smoothly it all flowed together. Just like with May, time had not blunted Dawn's ability to put on a good appeal.

"It looks like Dawn's not missed a step and her appeals are as good as ever though interestingly that was much more in line with a traditional appeal showing little of the Showcase experience she's gained over the last year." Jillian said as Dawn and Pinsir rose. "Then again we all know that Dawn's freestyle style was rather unpredictable and more about telling a story so perhaps that is the case. Anyway, what do our judges think?"

"I recall Dawn's freestyles from last year and they were more the show kind that aren't what appeals are about so it is understandable to see her returning to her tradition Contest roots with this appeal." Mr. Contesta said his head nodding slightly as he spoke. "She really showed the smooth efficiency of an appeal there just as one would expect from the Kanto Grand Festival winner a two seasons' ago."

"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo said smiling as always.

"Pincer looks so polished there both in moves and carapace." Nurse Joy said. "Dawn really knows how to care for and train a bug type. Well done."

Dawn smiled at that as Pinsir chittered and bowed while she curtsied again before recalling her Pokémon as Jillian called for the stage to be quickly fixed and announced that the judges were now deliberating on who would advance. Dawn didn't need to listen to that as she hurried back to the waiting tent. She knew that she and May would advance, as would Amelia, all she had to do was wait with her friend in the tent for the confirmation and see how the bracket for the battles fell.

---

"Well the appeals are over and the judges votes are in so here are our 8 coordinators who have made it to the battle round of the Haunted Contest." Jillian said as the screen that had been set up in the tent to show the event changed to show 8 face up trainer cards. "Congratulations!"

It wasn't hard to notice that May and Dawn's cards were there as both in the first row of 4 and next to each other in the middle almost as if to highlight them. As expected, the lower row had Amelia's in the third slot so all of them had advanced, not that anyone of them had doubted it.

"Alright and now for the bracket." Jillian said excitedly as the cards flipped over, shuffled and fell to the bottom of the screen before the bracket appeared above them and the cards flipped back over to reveal the first slate of matchups. "And here it is! Looks like a good one and we'll see you all in half an hour for the battles."

At that Jillian signed off but Dawn and May weren't paying attention to that as they looked at the screen to see the bracket and Jillian wasn't wrong, it was a good one. Dawn would kick off the battles against one of the 5 coordinators that the girls didn't know followed by the only matchup with two coordinators that they didn't know and then Amelia was in the third match and May brought up the rear in the fourth.

That meant that May and Dawn would likely meet in the final. However, to get there May would likely have to get past Amelia to do so and the girl was here to play spoiler so it was going to be tough.

Amelia herself knew it too as she turned and looked at them a smirk on her face as the tent cleared of all but the 8 remaining. She didn't say anything, just smirked before turning and heading to a side tent in the complex to get some food and no doubt take it to a quiet place in the coordinators' area to eat it. That was the right idea and there were a few options for that so May and Dawn did the same idly chatting as they went to get lunch and prepare for the battles to come.

---

Lunch was uneventful, between them the girls had been in more than 40 Contests so they knew how it worked and just enjoyed the meal before heading back to relax and prepare for the battles. The first round wouldn't be too much of an issue they felt, though of course they wouldn't take it for granted either, but the semifinals were where things would kick off and they knew it so they had to be ready for it, especially May as she would almost certainly face Amelia then so they fell into silence as they waited.

Soon that wait was over and Dawn got up to head to her starting spot and then out to kick off the battles against a male coordinator from Kalos who'd won two ribbons the year before and was going for the remaining three this year. However, judging by his attitude and style what he really wanted to do was Showcases but as Kalos banned men from them he couldn't.

It was a strange rule about Showcases but it wasn't Dawn's place to question it as she focused on the battle. Alas for her opponent, it wasn't a good matchup because he was using a Corsola against Dawn's Vileplume and favored a very fluid Showcase style that was great for dodging but not good for actual battles. It actually would have looked good in a Showcase but between knowing how Showcases worked and her own Contest experience Dawn easily adapted after a few misses and won by knock out in just under 3 minutes to advance to the semifinals.

That set the tone for the early matches as the next one was a good battle between two coordinators from Unova who had both made the Grand Festival there that went the full 5 minutes and down to the wire before one won by about 8% points so Dawn had to be a little wary but she had a plan to counter him in the semifinals. After them it was Amelia's turn and the girl easily beat her opponent with her Gorebyss to win in a little over 3 minutes and set up a matchup with May in the semis, if May advanced that is.

Naturally, May did just that cruising past her opponent, a Galarian girl with two ribbons in her home region's first Contest season so going for the hybrid approach and using a ghost type from that region that looked like a teacup but which was agile and gave May's Slurpuff a bit of a run for it. However, May adjusted and landed some key hits along with a few good dodges and advanced with more than half her points remaining compared to less than a quarter for her opponent. Still the girl did go the full 5 minutes against May so she had potential.

That set up a match with Amelia but May was ready for it and more so for Dawn afterwards because she was sure she knew what to expect from her friend in the finals. As such their match would be a good one as their Mega Evolution capable Pokémon clashed though the side effect of Mega Evolving a Banette might disturb a few people.

At least that was May's expectation until Dawn shocked her by using her Banette against her opponent's Musharna. The types worked but May had expected Dawn to use her Spiritomb so that she could set up a Mega battle in the end, which is what Dawn had predicted May would expect hence why she'd switched it up to throw May for a loop. Well that and the Unovan guy she was facing had reached the quarterfinals of that Grand Festival before falling to Mollie so Dawn couldn't take any chances against him.

Naturally her Banette comfortably dominated the match with a Battle Off with over a minute remaining. Of course he had the type and was a Pokémon who'd won a Grand Festival so it wasn't a surprise to anyone that he won and without the need to Mega Evolve as well. Thus Dawn advanced to another final and managed to keep her record streak of Contest finals appearances alive.

That just left May to reach it as well and as she high fived Dawn following her win she got in the zone to face Dawn for the first time in a non-Wallace Cup Conference and finally beat her rival in a Contest final. First though she had to beat Amelia and she had just the Pokémon for it as the time came to put one of Serena's negative rivals in her place.

"Well that was a tough semifinal but Dawn showed her grit to advance to her record extending 18th straight Contest final for Contests she's entered and that includes 3 Grand Festivals!" Jillian said her excitement really pumping up the crowd as May and Amelia walked out of their sides and towards the battlefield that was being swiftly repaired to make sure it was good for their match. "Now let us see who will join her in the final of the Haunted Contest!"

The crowd roared at that but May just ignored that as she walked to her starting point and pulled out her Poke Ball for it. Amelia was doing the same a sweet smile on her face that didn't meet her purple eyes though there was no hatred in them, just a mix of desire and contempt it seemed.

May was fine with that, she'd faced worse than Amelia and while Dawn had surprised her in the round before it did confirm which Pokémon Dawn was saving for the finals and it was one that May was looking forward to facing in a Contest battle. She'd still need all her power to face that Pokémon so she was going to stick to her own plan for this match and show Amelia what a Top Coordinator could do.

For her part Amelia was confident as she walked. May was rusty, she showed that in the last round as far as Amelia was concerned as she'd not finished that coordinator with no Grand Festival experience off quickly. That was the opening Amelia was looking for and she was going to exploit that to win even if it took her the full time limit to do so.

Then she'd face Dawn and Amelia had done her homework over lunch, looked into both girls and their known Pokémon so she had a very good idea what Dawn might use in the finals. That was going to be a true challenge but Amelia was ready for it and had adapted to it after seeing Dawn's Banette in this round so she knew for certain which Pokémon Dawn had saved for the final. A win over that Pokémon would really show people that Amelia was as amazing as she knew she was but first came May.

"And as with the last round this is a battle between a Top Coordinator and one of the better coordinators on the circuit this year so this could be a true underdog story as an up and comer takes on a titan." Jillian said as she moved her arm to Amelia's side first. "And that underdog is our local girl who's looking to score a rare win over a Top Coordinator in a Contest, you know her as the Pride of Fleurrh, Amelia!"

The crowd roared at that and Amelia beamed and waved as she turned to the crowd though May couldn't feel the warmth from the gesture the way she would from Serena whenever Serena performed to a crowd. This was the thing Amelia lacked in Showcases and why she'd never challenge Aria but what she lacked in showcases she made up for in Contests and May had to be ready for it.

"That Top Coordinator is none other than the Princess of Hoenn herself." Jillian said to the till cheering crowd as she swept her arm to May's side. "She gained her Top Coordinator status by winning the Sinnoh Grand Festival, her fourth such Grand Festival after steadily getting better from Hoenn to Kanto to Johto, so she's got a lot of experience even if it's been more than two years since she properly competed on a Contests Circuit. Give it up for May!"

"It took y four Grand Festivals to win a Ribbon Cup?" Amelia asked a slight note of condensation in her voice that only May could here. "That sounds like a lot. Are you sure you're as good as they say you are, May?"

"It is but I am grateful for it because it taught me more than I could imagine about many things both Contest and non-Contest related, especially the second one where I lost in the semifinals of the Kanto Grand Festival to Solidad." May said not rising to the bait. "I needed that loss to show me a major flaw in my style, a flaw that prevented me from ever reaching the apex of the Contest world and which forced me to go off on my own to correct. I know that wouldn't be where I am today without those experiences be they good or bad and I know that others have reached their pinnacles because of hard work."

"Still seems like a lot to me." Amelia said dismissively. "Plus that was two years ago so how good are you now?"

"Good enough to win this but I'll admit it will take a bit to get back into the swing of things." May admitted deciding not to point out that Amelia failed to reach the Master Class her first year and lost to Dawn the second, that would only fuel Amelia more and not getting rattled by her was a better way to mess with someone like Amelia anyway. "So give me a good challenge because I need to face someone with Top Coordinator potential to really make sure that I'm back in Contest form. It is going to be a grueling slog to make the Majestic Festival after all so I need all the challenges I can get. You're going to be a good warmup for Dawn, I've never beaten her and I'm eager for the challenge she poses me in the final."

"Oh you won't make the final, I'll make sure of it." Amelia said her smile turning predatory as she glared at May. "I can respect your coordinating talent, May, you aren't like the false performers even if you are their friend which does damage your image but that still doesn't mean I'll let you off. I'm going to show all that I am the future Kalos Queen and a Queen always wins so beating two Top Coordinators will really show that I will one day be the Kalos Queen. You're first, Dawn's next."

"Then bring it on." May said smiling back. "I welcome your enthusiasm, it shows your potential, Amelia."

"That's the spirit ladies, just what we want to hear from our coordinators!" Jillian said as always apparently oblivious to undercurrents in the conversation. "And on that note, battle begin!"

"Aegislash on stage." May said tossing out her Pokémon.

"Dragonair, perfection!" Amelia said before adding as the 5 minute countdown began. "Dragon Rush."

"King's Shield." May countered as the Poke Balls burst open with Amelia's sparking as it did though May expected that as she knew that Amelia's Dragonair was a shiny variant so the pink second stage dragon type was not a surprise to her. "Block it and move into Night Slash the moment you have the opportunity to use it."

Dragonair let out a roar and charged forward with overwhelming malice at Aegislash but before she even made it to the halfway point the Royal Sword Pokémon had shifted from Blade Form that it had burst from its Poke Ball in into Shield Form as the high priority, unique, defensive move activated. As a result, Dragonair slammed head first into the shield with no affect on Aegislash at all so the tackle went nowhere.

Well, it did lead to a small part of May's points bar dipping because the judges deemed it a hit as the attack made contact. Amelia noticed this but May didn't and didn't let on that she had. It didn't help that an Aegislash hadn't been used in a Kalos Contest battle before so they were unaware of the move being akin to Protect which wouldn't trigger a loss of points for either trainer.

That was something to be dealt with later as for now the battle was going on and the moment that Dragonair bounced off Aegislash her physical attack power was reduced, Aegislash shifted into Blade Form and its blade coated in dark type power before it slashed Dragonair across the chest as that was where the opportunity for a hit was. It didn't score a critical hit but that didn't matter in a Contest battle, the true goal was lowering points and doing so in a stylish way, not knocking the other Pokémon out.

"Flamethrower." Amelia countered.

"King's Shield." May said as the fire built in Dragonair's mouth as it recoiled from the hit.

While King's Shield was a high priority move, Aegislash had just used Night Slash so before it could return to Shield Form the gout of fire blasted from Dragonair's mouth and engulfed it causing Aegislash to wail in pain from the super effective attack and May lost a decent amount of points from the clean hit. Still, King's Shield had been ordered and Aegislash shifted again into it as the fire washed over it.

"Follow up with another Dragon Rush." Amelia said.

"That won't do anything." May said as Dragonair rushed the short distance to Aegislash with overwhelming malice again only to bounce off the defensive move for a second time and again her physical attack got weaker not that it mattered in a Contest Battle. "Use Shadow Sneak."

"Dodge and use Flamethrower the moment you can do so without letting it cower behinds its shield." Amelia countered. "We're going to burn that sword and shield to slag!"

Dragonair roared in agreement as Aegislash shifted to Blade Form and extended its shadow to strike Dragonair with it. However, Dragonair used her Showcase training and pedigree to rear up and lean back, its long body really helping as the shadow lunged for it and then at the last minute twisted her whole body in a spin so that the shadow missed her by mere inches. As Dragonair did this her mouth was open and filled with flames so that she could belch them out and at Aegislash as the shadow retracted and she finished her graceful, fluid, spin.

Again the flames engulfed the steel and ghost type doing super effective damage and May grit her teeth. This wasn't the kind of Contest battle she was used to; it was both aggressively going for a Battle Off while also being showy at the same time. In sum it was a fusion in a sense of the budding Kalos style that performers used mixed with the technical skills and personality of Amelia that really backed it up. For the first time in a while May was on the back foot and it wasn't Dawn doing it to her.

"Night Slash." May said. "Then switch to King's Shield as soon as you can."

"Dodge and counter with Flamethrower." Amelia said playing to her strengths in this match while she had them, it was safer to just go for a Battle Off when you had the chance to after all, but she knew it would be good to prepare a little surprise just in case. "Use that King's Shield to slither behind it."

May wasn't sure what that meant but she ignored it as the fire died down and dark type power coated Aegislash's blade and it lunged for Dragonair who was quickly put on the retreat by the attack. The slashes weren't wild though, they were a clean dance the way a coordinator's Pokémon would use them as they cut through the air in a twirling, slashing, fluid sequence that was both elegant and noble at the same time as Dragonair was forced the retreat, bend, twist, and spin away from.

However, the nature of Night Slash was such that it was all about looking for that opportunity to strike and it was found after a few near misses when Aegislash got a feel for Dragonair's movements. It use that against Dragonair to feint one way before rapidly twisting in the air and striking her in the side of the face and this time the blow triggered a critical hit though it wasn't enough to take out Dragonair.

As soon as it happened, Aegislash rapidly switched to Shield Form using the force of the blow and the fluidity of its movements to make the change faster than normal so that when Dragonair finished spinning in place having rolled with the hit, her mouth open and full of fire, Aegislash already had King's Shield active. As a result the Flamethrower slammed harmlessly into the shield of Aegislash and parted around it without doing any damage to the fully evolved Pokémon.

Of course that was fine with Amelia as Dragonair used that to dive down and forward, slithering under the floating Pokémon and rolling onto her back to keep her face towards her opponent as she slid over the wooden battlefield awaiting the next order as the fire finished running its course. Amelia already had that next order and was willing to take a hit to deal with it while May already had her command ready to go that should hit first.

"Shadow Sneak." May said.

"Take it and use Ice Beam." Amelia said as Aegislash shifted to Blade Form but with the move didn't change position and sent its shadow lunging backwards and at Dragonair. "Aim for the holder!"

"Huh?" May asked as the Shadow Sneak, a higher priority move hence why she'd used it, slammed into Dragonair's throat just above the orb thing Dragonairs had there as the ball of ice was formed in Dragonair's mouth. "What does that mean?"

May was still confused as Dragonair took the hit and then fired off the Ice Beam in response which hit Aegislash in the back of its shield right where the sword fit for King's Shield and sent it spinning forward. As a result May didn't see the side effect of the Ice Beam trigger and freeze that area of Aegislash because Aegislash had rolled with the hit to turn and face Dragonair who was whipping her lower body around to return to a normal position. Amelia did and grinned as she gave the next order.

"Flamethrower!"

"King's Shield!" May countered and Aegislash shifted as Dragonair opened its mouth.

However, unlike before, the sword part wasn't sheathed but rather slammed point first into the ice and stuck in it thus keeping Aegislash in a strange position between forms. That meant that it couldn't activate King's Shield so when the fire blasted from Dragonair's mouth all it could do was struggle to push through the ice before the flames hit and washed over it.

That flamethrower was the last straw and while the ice was melted Aegislash was blasted past its limits and faint, falling from the air and out of the fire to land in a clatter on the ground, shield facing the sky and sword to the side with a swirl in the eye spot on just above the hilt of its sword part as the last of the fire passed over it. It was a shocking sight and May blinked as the flames died down and a moment later the red Xs sounded indicating a Battle Off. The first upset of that year's Kalos Contest Circuit had occurred.

"I don't believe it but there it is! In a shocking twist Dragonair has knocked out Aegislash with less than a minute left in the battle to claim the victory by Battle Off." Jillian said as the crowd roared having processed the surprise upset. "Amelia is the winner and advanced to the final to face Dawn! Who would have seen that one coming?"

"Aegislash return." May said recalling her Pokémon as Amelia did the same for her Dragonair and looking at the Poke Ball in her hand. "You were great out there; I was the one who lost that match for us. I underestimated Amelia's tenacity and she exploited your style and moves to hit you with a super effective, ranged, move a few times and you couldn't outlast that. That's on me not you and to think she used a strategy I'd expect from Ash at the end as well. She still has to face Dawn but she may really have what it takes to be a Top Coordinator. Looks like it's back to intensive training for us so that that doesn't happen again."

At that May closed the Poke Ball and looked up to see Amelia smiling at her, though if it wasn't public May knew it would be a smirk, before she offered May a small curtsy that wasn't necessary but would make Amelia look good and she did have some respect for May even after beating her. May responded with a deeper one of her own as was befitting the situation and then turned to leave to see a surprised Dawn waiting for her while Amelia just stuck around.

"She's better than I expected." May said quietly as she reached Dawn. "Be careful out there. I didn't realize how rusty I was in Contest battles until I faced someone who could actually challenge me. There's no doubt in my mind now, if she focused on Contests, Amelia would certainly become a Top Coordinator in an established region let alone an expansion one like Kalos."

"I saw." Dawn said, she'd waited here for May to win and would then move around while Amelia left but to her surprise that hadn't been the case. "I won't underestimate here. Go back to Ash and support us. I'll win this."

"I know you will." May said with a smile as she passed Dawn and added softly so that Dawn didn't hear. "And then I'll encourage you two to leave Kalos while I catch up and begin my own journey to the Majestic Festival on my own."

Dawn had begun to walk out as May was muttering to herself so she didn't hear what May was saying and even if she did realize that May was speaking she'd not have heard it regardless. That was because the moment Dawn stepped out Jillian had began hyping her up for the upcoming final of the Haunted Contest.

"Well folks that was truly a shock to see." Jillian said as Dawn headed towards her starting point as Amelia stood on the other side of the battlefield smiling with a new Poke Ball in hand. "The Pride of Fleurrh has shocked us all with a win over a Top Coordinator though it has been more than 2 years since May was on the circuit and Amelia is one of the budding favorites so perhaps that could explain it."

Perhaps but Dawn had watched that battle, Amelia's aggressive style and technical skill had put her in the position she needed to be to land those hits. There was more to it than May's time away, Amelia understood Pokémon on a level few did it seemed which only added to the shame that she was wasting her potential chasing an impossible dream for someone like her.

Amelia would never be Kalos Queen with her personality but she could be a Top Coordinator and win or lose Dawn would try to make it clear to Amelia where her true talents lay so that she didn't go down a bad path. Already Dawn had seen a few go down the path of darkness and venture beyond the point of no return, Amelia might be saved from that and be an asset to the Contest world so Dawn had to try.

"Now Amelia will get that shot at solidifying her favorite status if she can do what few have done before, mainly due to few Top Coordinators competing after winning a Grand Festival, and beat a second Top Coordinator in the same Contest." Jillian said breaking Dawn from her thoughts as she neared her starting point. "Because it's time for the Haunted Contest final and introducing Amelia's opponent, a Top Coordinator who won the Kanto Grand Festival, the Prodigy of Sinnoh herself, Dawn!"

"I congratulate you on beating May." Dawn said as she came to a stop and pulled out her Poke Ball for the final. "It was very impressive and May will learn from this. I'm going to be just as hard to face though and I can't let my friend down by losing to you as well."

"And I intend to show you up for that humiliation you caused me in the Master Class, a coordinator beating a performer, especially the future Kalos Queen, should never happen." Amelia said her mask slipping a little as her eyes handed though her smile never left her face. "So now a performer will beat a Top Coordinator for a Contest ribbon. It's not on the same scale unfortunately but let's see how you like being humiliated even if it's not as grand a stage as you did to me."

"I didn't humiliate you; I swayed the crowds' hearts more than you did." Dawn said with a sigh as she realized that it might be harder than she thought to make Amelia realize where her true talents lay. "And I won't see a loss today as a humiliation, merely a learning experience to tell me that I'm out of Contest shape and need to practice more to get back into Contests and back to the form that won the Kanto Grand Festival. If I lose then so be it, I lose and I will bounce back just like I've done countless times before. I was humbled hard as a rookie in Sinnoh, almost quit in fact, so my ego won't take a hit with a loss the way yours did in the Master Class."

"Just shut up, stop with all this high and mighty attitude it makes me sick." Amelia said almost snapping but reigning herself in at the last minute though her tone remained unchanged. "You think your better than me because you beat me in the Master Class, well I'll show you. It's time I got a little justice for that and then who knows, maybe I'll come for you again in the Majestic Festival the way you came for me in the Master Class."

"Ladies, ladies, this is the intensity we want to see." Jillian said still missing the true point as Dawn sighed again but got ready to show Amelia that she still had it as a Top Coordinator. "Let the Haunted Contest final begin!"

"Espeon, perfection!" Amelia said throwing out her Poke Ball.

"Spiritomb, spotlight." Dawn said at the same time.

"Just as I thought." Amelia said with a smirk as the Pokémon appeared before their trainers and the countdown began. "You may negate two moves of mine but I'll show you why I chose Espeon for this, in addition to how you used your to disgrace me on the national stage that is."

"Enough of that already." Dawn said. "The only humiliation is in your own head, I never intended on doing it, I only used my Espeon against you because of your challenged. As for this match, I was going with Spiritomb for May to surprise her as I expected she'd plan for my Banette as I can Mega Evolve him but you beat her so you get to face him instead which is fine with me. He's one of my best Pokémon for a reason. Now start this with Phantom Force."

"As I predicted you would." Amelia said as she casually waited while Spiritomb vanished without giving Espeon an order. "You're predictable Dawn, you know that right?"

"I am?" Dawn asked back a little confused by Amelia's question. "My whole Showcase style was unpredictable."

"True it was but that was because you had to change things up to stand out seeing as you're a coordinator not a performer, and when it comes to your true competition you're predictable." Amelia said her smile as broad as ever. "See, I'm no idiot, I used the lunch break to research you to see what ghost types you had seeing as you'd not used one yet despite the setting of this Contest and your outfit and that was when I learned of the two that you used to win it all in Kanto."

"Hard not to." Dawn said. "The Pokémon a coordinator uses to win a Grand Festival will always go down in Contest lore just as much as the winning coordinator."

"Perhaps but I think in your case it's more than just the fact that you won." Amelia said. "Because you used an impressive pairing and when I saw them in that clip of your victory in Kanto I realized that they appeared in a Showcase as well, that morbid Dance of Death you did with them and your Malamar that put you on the map."

"Well yeah I needed to be memorable and what's more memorable than a Pokémon that has never been seen in Kalos before?" Dawn asked rhetorically. "He's really good for that."

"Exactly, so, you see, I know of your Spiritomb, your rarest Pokémon and one of only two that have a trainer in the world." Amelia said as Dawn proved her point. "And from there I learned what kind of moves it knows so that I wouldn't be startled by it like others. It's a strong Pokémon, I'll give you that, but its true talent is its shock value and you always start with Phantom Force. Clever but there is a way around it. Now, Espeon, use Dig."

Dawn grit her teeth at that as Espeon leapt forward and activated Dig so that it broke through the wood and dug into the ground right below the stage before Phantom Force would appear. Amelia was a top level performer who prided herself on perfection in her style, the girl may be arrogant and full of herself but Dawn shouldn't have thought that that would prevent her from researching her opponents.

After all, Amelia had dispatched Miette and Shauna with ease in the Wallace Cup and likely would have beaten Serena had Serena not had an epiphany during the Contest on how to develop her own style using her Showcase pedigree. When you added in the fact that Amelia had just beaten May and how she'd lost to Dawn in the Master Class, of course a perfectionist would want to do all she could to correct what went wrong.

Amelia was a hell of a lot more than she seemed; she had the brains to match her skills and she was showing it right now. Really, she was a Top Coordinator candidate and Dawn had to be careful on that.

The use of Dig was just another example of that as it allowed Espeon to avoid the Phantom Force, a super effective move on it, with Dig and as Spiritomb didn't have the Levitate ability like several other ghost types did this would be annoying. Still, Dawn was a Top Coordinator, she wasn't going to go down easy.

"Pay attention Spiritomb." Dawn said as Spiritomb reappeared with a laugh that was cut short as he missed Espeon and landed on the ground where it had been looking confused at missing an attack he rarely missed or even had blocked. "Dig is coming and as soon as it does use Dark Pulse. Don't let this normal Espeon pull anything, this is a Pokémon on par with the Espeon in our family."

Amelia just kept smiling as Spiritomb nodded at that and looked around waiting for the attack to come a little uneasy being on the receiving end of a semi invulnerable move for once. The attack came a moment later as the ground beneath him, including the wood, burst up and he was sent flying into the air from it. However, he didn't make a sound, he wasn't weak or resistant to it after all, he just focused his dark thoughts and as Espeon came into sight he blasted out the rings of dark type power that was Dark Pulse the moment he had the shot.

Espeon didn't stand a chance to evade the attack, or even hear such a call from Amelia, before the rings slammed into its chest as it was still in the air causing it to wail in pain from the super effective attack. Still, Espeon flipped back with it and landed lightly on the ground as it did just as Amelia gave the next order while Spiritomb was flipping in the air back to Dawn's side of the stage.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Amelia ordered a grin on her face as Dawn's eyes widened a bit. "That's right, the other reason I selected Espeon was that I made sure to teach it a fairy type attack for this Contest season seeing as dark types can be so frustrating to deal with. You know the new type that you helped discover and that just so happens to be a Spiritomb's only weakness. I'm prepared for you Dawn, take it as a complement for your skills as a Top Coordinator because I usually don't put this much planning into my competitions seeing as I'm already perfection incarnate."

"Avoid that with Phantom Force." Dawn said ignoring Amelia's narcissism for the moment as Espeon glowed with light. "That's how we'll avoid this move."

Alas it wasn't in time as the Dazzling Gleam was unleashed and Spiritomb wailed as the super effective hit from a move he annoyingly knew well struck him before he could vanish. However, he pushed through it and vanished ready this time for anything as he countered though Dawn had used it more to avoid the attack as now Amelia had her own counter which she used after a few seconds to ensure that the Phantom Force wouldn't hit.

"Dig." Amelia said as the light faded to reveal that Spiritomb was no longer visible. "That's how we will avoid it."

"Spiritomb, I know you can hear me." Dawn called out as Espeon leapt forward and dove through one of the holes already in the stage to use Dig for a second time in the battle. "Get ready, as soon as you appear pay attention, land on wood and the moment you feel it bending leap away and counter with Dark Pulse before using Toxic as soon as possible afterwards."

"Not bad." Amelia said as they waited and the clock continued to tick down though neither girl was paying it any attention at the moment and with the advantage Amelia felt she began to foresee how far she could take her revenge for what Dawn had done to her. "But I'm more than ready for that. I told you Dawn, you humiliated me so I made sure that I could do the same. Facing you in a Contest is just the tip though. Now that I've got a taste, well mark my words, I will become the first Kalos Top Coordinator and the first native to win our Grand Festival I'll see you in the Majestic Festival at the end of the year where I will get the justice I deserve."

"It would seem that you have the same misconceptions of things as some others I know." Dawn said as Spiritomb reappeared and missed again but landed on the wood as instructed his keystone resting on it as he did his best to sense things as Dawn had explained it to him so he wasn't hit again though he had plenty left to give in the fight. "More self-absorbed and selfish than the others so you're not as bad as they are but you're still delusional in your own way. I'm glad that this will be our only Contest meeting."

As Dawn finished talking the wood began to bend under Spiritomb and he understood what Dawn had meant when she told him to look for this and with a laugh he leapt up and back from it with a flip, the dark thoughts at the ready for when he used Dark Pulse. As a result of the flip, Spiritomb wasn't there when the wood burst out and thus the Dig attack missed as Espeon leapt into the air slightly confused as to how it was evaded.

That confusion didn't last long as a now cackling Spiritomb blasted off its Dark Pulse and again it landed striking Espeon in the chest causing it to flip back like before with a wail of pain as Spiritomb landed on the wood readying his next attack. Amelia too was ready though and already had the counter on her lips even if it meant dealing with the other order Dawn had given her ghost and dark type.

"Dazzling Gleam." Amelia said as Espeon landed. "You've got this Espeon."

Espeon mewled in agreement as it began to glow but as it did the wood under it bubbled and a moment later the Toxic erupted from beneath the Sun Pokémon and poisoned it. However as a psychic type Espeon would be resistant to it despite the increase in damage over time from a Toxic poisoning so Espeon ignored it and pushed through the pain to unleash the blast of light that was Dazzling Gleam. Spiritomb couldn't avoid it so took the hit with a wail marking the second super effective hit he'd taken all battle to balance the two ones of his own that he'd landed.

There was still time left in the final, however, and both Dawn and Amelia, along with their Pokémon, were giving it their all to win it. It was clear that Phantom Force or Dig wouldn't do, Amelia had revealed her hand there and Dawn would use her own style, and inspiration from Ash, to counter it so it was going to come down to the other useful move that they both had and the girls gave their orders at the same time.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

"Dark Pulse!"

Spiritomb cackled as he focused his dark thoughts as Espeon glowed. Then as he released the black rings of Dark Pulse, Espeon unleashed the bright light of Dazzling Gleam for a third time and once again blinding the whole stage with the attack that caused Spiritomb to howl in pain as he was hit by it.

However, at the same time his attack flew true and through the light to slam into Espeon's face as the light filled the stage causing it to mewl in pain from the super effective attack that it took and stagger back but as the light faded it was clear that both Pokémon were still in it. That wouldn't do and again the girls went for the best moves as Espeon shuddered from a bout of poisoning that had this been a normal battle would like be the deciding factor. However, this was not a normal battle.

"Dazzling…"

"Dark…"

A Contest battle was different and as such this time they didn't get to finish their orders as she buzzer rang out to signal the end of the 5 minutes and thus ending the battle right there as well as ending the Contest. It was over and instantly the girls aborted their orders and wiped around to see the scores just as Jillian did the same taking the mic for the first time all final.

"And what a final that was, it came down to the wire but there is a winner and it is…" Jillian began as everyone in the stands looked to the screen and saw that there was a sliver in it with one girl on 17% remaining in her points bar and the other on 19% but in the end it came down to the misses that decided it and one missed twice to one miss from the other. "…Amelia!"

It took everyone a moment to process the announcement but they could all see that it was true and when they did the crowd erupted. A Battle Off over a Top Coordinator was one thing, the right moves, Pokémon, and battle styles could do that, but to win like this on points was something else entirely.

"Unthinkable!" Jillian said loudly so that she could be heard over the cheering crowd. "In back to back rounds Amelia has beaten two Top Coordinators in their first Contest back as they seek to reach the Majestic Festival and in the process she's won the Haunted Contest. This win alone catapults the Pride of Fleurrh into the conversation for favorites in Kalos this year and has already secured her wildcard berth at least but after a win like this she will want the full 5 to qualify outright and she can certainly achieve that."

"Spiritomb return." Dawn said a small smile on her face as she recalled her surprised Pokémon though that was more because Spiritomb had never been to the end of a time limit before, he'd always finished his battles be they Contest battle or normal battles with the exception of that Alakazam he'd faced a while back, so he was confused by the whole thing. "You were amazing my friend, hung in there even with fairy type hits but in the end it wasn't enough. Amelia outlasted us and won on points but such is the nature of a Contest battle. I blame myself for this loss, not you, so take a break. Looks like we're rusty too so it's time to train and train hard."

At that Dawn put her Poke Ball away and looked up to see that Amelia had recalled and thanked Espeon while Dawn had been doing that for Spiritomb. As she did Dawn walked out and onto the stage and towards Amelia to end this properly. Dawn did notice a flicker of annoyance cross Amelia's face at that but it was soon replaced with a sweet smile and the Kalos girl walked out as well, stripping off her right glove in the process as was proper for a post final handshake.

"Well done Amelia." Dawn said holding out her hand as the girls reached the middle of the stage. "You won as you said you would and showed me that I've got some work to do thanks to my time away. Now I see why my mother teaches, it keeps her skills sharp so thank you for showing me that I still have work to do to get back in shape."

"It was a pleasure to beat two Top Coordinators of yours and May's caliber." Amelia said accepting Dawn's hand as they shook to the cheering audience. "Part of my revenge for the Master Class is complete."

"Yes well I take this loss and your words as a declaration of rivalry and I accept." Dawn said looking Amelia in the eye as they shook. "I won't lie, you've got some serious talent Amelia and if you could see past yourself and realize that your true calling is Contests not Showcases you'd maximize it. Regardless, you have the skills and drive to win the next Kalos Grand Festival and become a Top Coordinator. I for one hope you do because I'll be waiting for you in Lilycove in the Majestic Festival so that we can settle things on an international stage. Don't let me down."

"I won't but I expect you to be there as well." Amelia said as they broke apart. "And try not to lose another Contest before then, I want to enter the Majestic Festival as the only one who's beaten you this year."

Dawn just smiled at that as she had no intention of responding to Amelia's statement before she turned and walked off knowing that Ash and May would opt to leave Amelia to her moment and meet up in the changing room to make sure she was ok. Dawn was, she'd hoped not to lose this first Contest and if she had to she'd hoped it would be to May and not someone like Amelia but both she and May had lost. That meant that they were truly rusty and needed to train to get back from this rocky start to their return to Contests.

Well, that was just what they were going to do, it was time to train and train like they'd never trained before as they got ready for the next Contest. This loss taught the girls a lot and neither intended to repeat it when they reached Laverre City and the second Contest on their respective paths to the Majestic Festival.

Well there it is, the first Contest for May and Dawn and it didn't end well for them as Amelia shocks Kalos with two upsets and vaults into consideration for the Kalos Grand Festival though of course all that will be revealed in time. It is clear that the girls need to train and get better as they move onto Laverre for the Contest there and the second attempt at that first ribbon. Who will get it? Well that is coming in time as the journey to the Majestic Festival continues following this first stumble. At least it's early and they can knock off that rust and bounce back from this. However, that is all that I have for this Part so I will leave it off here.As always if you like my work then please favorite (both this story and me in general to be notified of any new content I post), if possible leave a review as I really like hearing what you think of my work and your suggestions that help complete this story (and respond as best I can) and just in general keep enjoying my work. Until next time.

Stringdog