Well, now we're at the actual contest battle. Once again, I thank you all for the reviews you've given me. It inspires me to keep on keeping on. Time to hear the theme song again! ^^ Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 12

Misty's POV

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Dawn's yelling from behind the door dragged me out of one of the best dreams I'd ever had, so to say that was one of the worst ways I've started a morning would be an understatement. I closed my eyes and tried to maybe go back to sleep.

"Wake up you guys!"

Nope, wasn't happening. Now Ash, Pikachu, and my new Vaporeon were awake too. Grouchy and irritable, I got out of bed and stomped towards the door, opening it to shout in the coordinator's face. "Alright we're up! Now quit screaming before you wake up the whole building!"

"I'm sorry," Dawn sweat-dropped and raised her hands defensively. "But the contest is in a few hours and we need to get moving!"

I guess she was right. Dawn's contests weren't like Ash's battles, you couldn't just show up when you wanted, you had to arrive on time or you didn't get to compete. "Alright, we'll be down in a few minutes." Dawn gave a thumbs-up and ran for the stairs, and I closed the door and leaned against it.

"Dawn sure is enthusiastic about these, isn't she?" Ash asked, slipping on his vest.

"Pika pika." (No kidding.) Pikachu said with a yawn.

"She is…" I smirked. "But to be fait, it's not like there's no one else like that." I got a playful glare from Ash for that comment. "I'm just saying."

"Va po va." (Hi Misty.)

"Hello my darling Vaporeon!" I gave the water-type a tight hug, and she purred as I hugged her.

"You know Mist, I just realized something."

"What's that Ash?"

"Now that Vaporeon has evolved, it should know a water-type attack."

"Hey yeah! Pull out your Pokédex Ash; let's see what it can do.".

Ash pulled out his red Pokédex, and set it to analyze Vaporeon's moves.

The moves that this Vaporeon can use are: Quick Attack, Shadow Ball, and Water Pulse. It can also use Acid Armor naturally because of its molecular structure.

"Awesome! Water Pulse is my favorite water-type attack!"

Ash smiled at my excitement, but then he let out a sudden shout of his own, "Waah! I forgot something! I was supposed to get Staravia back from Prof. Oak yesterday!"

I giggled, "Well what are you waiting for? Get going!"

"Alright, see you later Misty. C'mon Pikachu!" Ash rushed out the door.

"Pikapi! Pi pi ka chu!" (Ash, wait for me!) Pikachu chased after him, leaving me alone with Vaporeon.

"Well Vaporeon, I have to get dressed, so it's time for you to return to your ball."

"Va po." (Ok.)

I pulled out the newest Pokéball in my collection, and recalled Vaporeon. I closed the door to get dressed, but it swung back open before I could even take my shirt off. "Oh good! Ash is gone!" Dawn exclaimed happily, closing and locking the door.

"What is it? I thought we were in a hurry?"

"We are, but I'm just dying to know…what did you and Ash do last night?" Dawn was giggling madly. I never got used to having another girl around; it was always just me, Ash, and Brock. But I guess with Dawn around, I'd get the chance to do some girl talk. I got dressed while I told the story; we were both girls, so it didn't really matter what she saw. Dawn was to the point of exploding when I finally finished my story, "Oh my gosh! That is so unbelievably cute!" she squealed.

"I guess," I frowned. "But Team Rocket went and ruined the moment though."

"I know, but still! I mean, Ash Ketchum, the boy whose life revolves around Pokémon, was acting romantic?" Dawn squealed again.

"I guess it is kind of hard to imagine, but I'm more than happy with how it turned out." I was now dressed in my regular clothes, and me and Dawn walked out the door.

Normal POV

"Hey guys."

"Hey Brock," Dawn waved. "Did you check us out of our rooms yet?"

"We still have our stuff in the rooms, we'll check out after the contest."

Just then, Ash walked up with Pikachu and his other five Pokéballs.

"You got Staravia back Ash?" Misty asked.

"Yep." Ash replied. "Oh, Prof. Oak says hi."

"What about Mikey, Ash?" Brock asked.

That caught Misty off-guard. "Huh? Mikey? You mean Mikey from Kanto?"

"Oh yeah," Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "I kinda called him and asked him if I could trade one of my Tauros for an Eevee."

"Wait!" Misty gasped in horror. "You mean Vaporeon is Mikey's Eevee?!"

"N-No, No! Yours is an offspring of his Eevee!" Ash put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Oh, and Mikey says hi too."

"Oh...well, that's a relief." Misty sighed. "Well in that case, I say hi back."

Ash sighed with relief, knowing that he had just dodged a bullet. "I think I've gotten spoiled these past few days, I almost forgot how quick she can get worked up."

"Alright, enough of that! Let's go!" Dawn exclaimed with a fist pumped in determination. "I'm already registered for the contest, so we can just walk in!"

"Pi plup!" (Let's go!) Piplup ran out of the doors of the center.

"Piplup, wait for us!"

"Wow, Piplup sure is excited." Brock said.

"But did he forget that Dawn is going to be using Ambipom in both rounds?" Ash asked.

"Dunno." Misty shrugged. "But I do know that if we don't get going, we're gonna lose 'em!"

"You're right Misty! Let's go after them!" Ash took off after the coordinator and her Pokémon, with Misty and Brock not far behind.

When they finally got to the arena, Misty looked around in awe at the sheer size of the place and how many people were crammed into it, "Wow! This place is packed! It looks like one of my sister's shows back home in Cerulean City, only on an even more enormous scale!"

"Yeah, except these people are here to see Pokémon instead of your...absolutely gorgeous sisters!" Brock replied dreamily, hearts suddenly appearing in his eyes.

"Brock," Misty grabbed onto the breeder's ear. "Don't make me hurt you." Misty's warning quickly brought the breeder back to reality.

"Hey, there's Dawn over there." Ash pointed out a little white hat in the crowd, and the trio went to meet up with their friend who was currently sifting through her backpack.

"Hey guys," Dawn waved. "Glad you finally caught up with us!"

"Well you sure can move fast, I'll say that." Misty replied. "I never would've imagined that so many people would come to see this."

"Oh yeah," Dawn nodded. "People love to watch Pokémon Contests because they're so appealing to the eye, some contests even get broadcasted all the way to Kanto!"

"Kanto, eh?" Ash turned to Misty. "I wonder if your sisters will be able to see this Misty."

The redhead just huffed and crossed her arms. "Maybe if they did, they'd want to do more battling and less shopping."

Dawn suddenly started tugging on Misty's arm, "Misty, can you come with me please? I need your help."

"Um, sure Dawn." Misty agreed, albeit a little hesitantly. After getting her confirmation, Dawn grabbed her backpack and ran towards where the coordinators got ready, dragging the water-trainer with her.

"We'll save a spot for you Misty!" Brock called.

Misty's POV

I ran through the crowded halls of the coordinator changing rooms, being dragged along by Dawn. "If she doesn't slow down we're going to bump into someone!" My suspicions were proved correct, as we bumped into a boy dressed in green with golden shoulder pads.

"Hey, watch where you're – oh, hi Kenny." Dawn's temper was immediately quelled when she realized she had bumped into her friendly rival.

"Waah!" Kenny's eyes widened with concern as he looked Dawn up and down. "Dee Dee, you're not ready yet?!"

Dawn's temper quickly got back up, "Stop…calling…me…Dee Dee!" she said through gritted teeth.

"Sorry!" Kenny scurried backwards and got back to his feet in a hurry. "It was just a slip of the tongue!"

I decided to bail Kenny out, apparently Dawn and I had a similar temper at times. "Uh Dawn, didn't we have something to do?"

Dawn looked back at me. "You're right." She then turned to give Kenny one last glare, and then dragged me to the only empty changing room.

Once we entered the very cramped changing room, Dawn opened her backpack and started sifting through it again. "Uh, Dawn, can you tell me why you wanted me to come back here with you?"

"I need your help to get ready! I certainly can't ask Ash or Brock now can I?"

"You managed to get by on previous occasions."

"Oh please, if I'm by myself, I get so nervous that my hair stands on end!"

I tried my best not to laugh, but that was a funny sight to visualize. Dawn then got changed into a pink dress that made it to below her knees, and placed her hair into a large, but sloppy ponytail. "Alright, could you help me get my hair all nice and neat?"

"So that's why she needed me." I gave her a nod and motioned her to sit down with her back facing me, and I started to brush her hair with the brush she gave me.

"I'm so nervous!"

"Really? You were so confident yesterday."

"You wouldn't believe how easy it is to be confident while you're training for a contest," Dawn's voice seemed to be shaking a little. "But once the day of the contest comes, it gets really hard to keep your cool."

I couldn't help but feel for her, I was all too familiar with these kinds of jitters, particularly when I first fully took over as Gym Leader. "Well, judging from that Rainbow Swift that you and Ambipom worked on, I'm sure you'll do well!" I tried my best to reassure Dawn, but I didn't know very much about contests beyond what Dawn and Kenny had told me over the past couple of days. "There, that should do it."

Dawn looked in the mirror and squealed with glee. "Thanks Misty!"

"Will all the coordinators please come to the designated area? We will begin in five minutes!" The announcement over the intercom got me and Dawn to rush out of the changing room.

"Dawn, which way are the stands?" Dawn pointed me to the exit, and from that moment we split up. "My first time watching a Pokémon Contest, this should be interesting!"

Normal POV

"Hey Misty, glad you finally found us." Brock said.

"Saved ya a seat Mist." Ash patted the seat next to him, inviting Misty to sit next to him.

Misty's cheeks turned a light pink, and she sat down. She then noticed the short row of Pokémon next to them, "Hey, Dawn's Pokémon are all dressed like cheerleaders!"

"Yeah, Dawn loves when people, or Pokémon, look the part they're playing." Ash explained.

"And Pikachu, that kimono is so cute!" Misty exclaimed.

"Chaaa!" (Thanks!) Pikachu squealed happily.

"Actually..." Misty smiled softly. "It kinda reminds me of Maiden's Peak. You remember Ash?"

"How could I forget?" Ash blushed as the memory came to him and his voice lowered to a whisper. "You…looked really pretty."

Misty blushed, and shied away a little, a coy smile on her face. "Thanks Ash..." Misty wanted to kiss the boy just then, but then the announcer Marian got things started. "I'll get you later then." She didn't show it on her face, but she was rather disappointed by the timing on the part of Marian.

"Here we go guys," Ash pumped a fist and got the Pokémon excited. "Let's all cheer extra hard for Ambipom!"

"Let's not forget about Dawn," Misty smirked. "She'll be there too you know." Misty reminded with a smirk.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Ash chuckled sheepishly.

"Let's meet our judges!" Marian shouted into her microphone, "We have Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Solaceon's Nurse Joy!"

"Nurse Joy! It's me, Brock! I'm up here!" Brock yelled, waving frantically.

Ash and Misty sweat-dropped. "So where's that Croagunk?" Misty mumbled.

Dawn's POV

Marian showed off the Solaceon Ribbon that I would be competing for, and thanks to Misty, I was a little more confident that it would actually be mine!

"Sorry Dee Dee, but this win's mine!" Kenny said as he glanced at me with confidence.

"He called me Dee Dee again? He must have a death wish!" I forced myself to take a deep breath, I couldn't afford to get riled up now. I had to keep my cool if I was going to do well, so I pasted a smirk on my face and glanced right back at him. "That won't happen, because the win is mine!"

"Yeah, we'll see, since I'm up first."

I decided to be a good sport, after all, Kenny was still my friend as much as my rival, "Well, good luck then Kenny."

Kenny apparently appreciated the sportsmanship, as he gave me a sincere smile this time, "Thanks Dawn, you too." And with that, Kenny ran onstage.

Normal POV

"Wow, Kenny's up first!" Ash exclaimed.

Kenny rushed onto the stage and gracefully launched a Pokéball, "Breloom, let's do it!" A light emerged from the ball, and a swirling cone of light surrounded it.

And like a lightning bolt, Breloom emerged. "Bre loom!" (Ta da!)

Misty was shocked by the special effects. "Wow! How did it do that?!"

"It's a special contest thing." Brock explained. "You put a cover over the Pokéball you want to use, and depending on which cover you choose, you get a different pattern."

"Here we go!" Ash said excitedly.

"Breloom, Stun Spore go!" At Kenny's behest, Breloom started vibrating at a high-speed, sending off a Stun Spore attack stun-spore which showed off the sheen on Breloom's body.

As impressive as it was though, Misty couldn't help but shudder a little as she glanced at Ash. "Ugh, I remember you and Tracey got sick because of Stun Spore."

"Yeah, but it can't reach us out here, try to focus on how Breloom looks instead!"

"Exactly," Brock added as he turned his attention back to the stage. "Check out how Kenny's using the shine from that Stun Spore to show off Breloom's skin!"

After taking a look through Ash and Brock's perspective, Misty shrugged. "I guess it is appealing to the eye."

"See, nothing to worry about, just sit back and enjoy the show." Ash placed his arm around Misty's shoulders, and the redhead nodded with a smile and turned her attention back toward the stage.

"Use Energy Ball!" Breloom, still shining from the Stun Spore, made a small Energy Ball and launched it upward using its tail. "Now use Mach Punch!" Then Breloom's arm glowed, and it launched a punch at the Energy Ball that was almost too fast to see, causing it to shatter and rain a glittery mist down on the grass/fighting-type below. "Yeah Breloom, way to go!"

"I didn't even see that punch!" Misty said in shock.

"Just goes to show how well Kenny's trained Breloom." Brock said.

Piplup squeaked, which caught the attention of the three humans.

"What's wrong Piplup?" Misty asked.

"You're worried about Dawn, aren't you?" Ash asked knowingly.

"Pip." (Yes.)

"Piplup can see just as well as any of us how much better Kenny's gotten." Brock added.

"Hey, there's nothing to worry about," Misty patted the penguin's head. "You just need to trust that Dawn can do it!"

"Pika!" (Yeah!)

Piplup smiled as its spirits were lifted.

"Moving right along!" Marian exclaimed.

The contest continued, with all sorts of Pokémon showing off their beauty, power, and grace. They finally reached a familiar looking coordinator that went by the name of Jessilina. "I know it's a thrill for you all to see me!" Jessilina exclaimed, blowing kisses to the audience. The crowd cheered for Jessilina, responding to her confidence.

"Ash," Misty raised an eyebrow. "Does that coordinator look familiar to you?"

"Not really, why?"

"I dunno..." Misty narrowed her eyes. "There's something about her that makes chills run up my spine."

"Now Dustox, let's get this party started!" Dustox flew out of the heart-spewing Pokéball, and flew around the room in the sunlight, showing off the scales on its wings.

"Ooh! Shine on!" James cheered from the stands.

"Feelin' tough and looking buff!" Meowth exclaimed.

As for Misty, she was cringing both internally and externally at the sight of the giant moth. "Gross."

"Wow Mist, your instincts for bug-type Pokémon are scary sometimes." Ash sweat-dropped. "I guess that's why Jessilina gives you the creeps."

"Alright, pay close attention Pokémon people and you just might learn something! Use Whirlwind!" Dustox flapped its wings while flying around Jessilina, who actually started to levitate with the wind underneath her.

The crowd gasped in awe. "Look…at that!" Marian said in shock.

"Is…that even possible?" Misty asked in awe.

But Ash was not even a little bit impressed as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Oh please. That's not new."

Brock was similarly annoyed. "It's always the same thing with her."

The Pokémon all sweat-dropped at the sight, speechless, but not for good reasons.

"Time for the big finale! Psybeam!" Dustox lowered Jessilina, and fired a Psybeam which caused a massive, green explosion to cover the field.

"That's incredible!" Marian shouted through the microphone. "That Psybeam has collided with those scales and exploded! But what happened to Jessilina?!"

"Okay," Brock tilted his head in thought. "Admittedly, that's a twist I didn't see coming!"

The dust settled, and Jessilina emerged, unharmed with Dustox perched on her shoulder. And the crowd cheered at her performance.

"Well as much as I despise bug-types," Misty applauded along with everyone else. "I have to admit, that was impressive!"

"It was a good illusion." Brock nodded. "I guess Jessilina just likes to work through a specific theme."

"Everyone has their best pitch." Ash added.

After the judges had their say, Dawn emerged from the curtain. "Alright, it's Dawn's turn finally!" Misty said excitedly.

"Just keep your cool Dawn, and you'll do great!" Ash cheered. the Pokémon started jumping around, cheering on both Dawn and Ambipom.

"Ambipom, spoootlight!" Dawn called out Ambipom, who emerged in a flurry of confetti. "Use Double Hit, let's go!" Ambipom punched the air with her Double Hit, sending off shockwaves that showed off its power, so much so that even the crowd felt the force from it.

"Aah!" Misty shrieked as she held her hair down to try and keep it from turning into a tangled mess. "My hair!"

"You might want to put it into back into a ponytail for this Misty." Ash suggested.

"Well if we're gonna get more stuff like that, you're probably right." Misty grabbed her old hair tie and twisted her hair through her, making a much longer-than-usual ponytail. "I actually got used to having it down." The redhead thought to herself.

"Use Swift!" Just like during training, Ambipom did a quick one-handed handstand, then spun with her two tails upright, sending out a flurry of stars that collided with each other in a colorful and grand display.

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's even prettier than last time!" Misty added.

"Hey, everyone likes it! Let's kick it up a notch!" Dawn grinned as the excitement got to her. "Ambipom, faster!" Also feeling the groove, Ambipom started breakdancing, which caused the stars to surround it and fly everywhere. "Way to go!"

"Gotta love that Rainbow Swift!" Ash exclaimed.

Brock however was no longer that impressed. "Hmm..."

Misty couldn't help but notice how Brock's expression had changed. "What is it Brock?"

"It seems a bit much, don't you think?" Brock asked.

"But Brock, you gotta grab the crowd's attention! Right guys?" Ash asked the Pokémon. They all eagerly agreed, thinking that the attack was absolutely stunning.

Brock looked back down towards the stage, then over to the judges stand. All he saw were three very stoic faces. "The judges don't seem very impressed." Brock thought.

"Finish it off Ambipom!" Gradually, Ambipom came to a stand-still, and the last of the stars finally dissipated. Dawn then ran up to Ambipom and hugged her, and they took a bow as the crowd cheered for their performance.

Once they finished taking their applause, Dawn and Ambipom walked into the waiting area, and were immediately greeted by Kenny. "Hey, that Swift was something else!"

"Thanks Kenny!"

Just then, Ash, Misty, and Brock walked in with all of their Pokémon. "You were great Dawn!" Misty squealed.

"Yeah, that Rainbow Swift was beyond awesome!" Ash added.

"Aww, thanks guys." Dawn said sheepishly.

"Pi plup!" (Congratulations!) Piplup chirped, hopping into Dawn's arms.

"That's sweet of you, thanks Piplup!" Dawn said gratefully.

"Ambipom, you were great too!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu and Piplup agreed.

"Ambi pom!" (Thanks!)

Just then, Marian appeared on the screen, apologizing for the delay. As Dawn turned her attention to the screen, she briefly glanced down at Ambipom, who was chittering nervously. The coordinator placed a hand on the top of her new Pokemon's head, giving it a gentle rub as reassurance. "Hey, no need to worry! It's time for us to get ready for the second round!"

They watched the contestants who were moving on appear on the screen, one by one they popped up, revealing that both Kenny and Jessilina had made it through. But then time seemed to slow, as three more coordinators appeared on screen, and none of them were Dawn. Folding her hands with sudden anxiety, Dawn waited what seemed like ages for the final face to appear.

When it did, her heart sunk. "Wh...what happened...?"

"Oh Dawn…" Misty whispered to herself.

Ash moved forward to try and say something to console Dawn, but Brock held him back, shaking his head. "Not yet." The breeder whispered.

As everyone stared to see what Dawn's reaction would be, the blue-haired coordinator stayed still for several moments, before finally turning to Kenny with a big grin on her face. "Congratulations on making it to the second round Kenny!"

Kenny flinched at the cheerful remark. "Uh, thanks."

Dawn then turned to look at her other friends. "C'mon, chin up! Don't look so sad!"

"But Dawn…" Ash was cut-off by Misty, who put her hand over his mouth.

"We're sorry you lost." Brock said.

"No need to worry, I just had a less-than-great day out there, that's all!" Dawn then pushed Kenny towards the doors. "Come on, you've got a contest to win!"

"Alright, I hear ya. Root for me, ok?" Kenny said before the door closed.

Once Kenny was gone, Dawn refused to look back, she pet Ambipom's head, as she was feeling the same way she was.

"Thanks for coming." an overly cheery voice said.

Dawn flinched as she looked over her shoulder, seeing none other than Jessilina grinning at her a little too widely. "Uh, Jessilina, hi."

"Don't let the door hit you on your way out." Jessilina started shoving Dawn out the door.

But Dawn stopped in her tracks, and turned around with her head down. When she raised it, it bore a smile. "I'm staying. Right through to the end."

While Misty was proud of Dawn for her resolve, she noticed something that everyone else didn't. Dawn's face wore a smile, but her fists were clenched, which meant that her attitude was an act, and she was hurting inside more than she was showing. "Oh Dawn."

The contest continued, and while Ash and Brock watched Kenny take on Jessilina in the final round, Misty was more focused on Dawn. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Dawn did not want to be here, but for whatever reason she couldn't bring herself to leave. Was it really just to support Kenny? If so, her refusal to look away from the floor until the end of the round gave an indication she didn't really care that much.

What made it sting all the more was that Jessilina was declared the winner of the Solaceon Ribbon.

"The winner of the Solaceon Contest and the ribbon that goes with it is Jessilina and Dustox!" The crowd cheered for the Team Rocket girl in disguise, applauding her performance.

"Our girl is finally in the big leagues!" James exclaimed with tears in his eyes.

"Which means we're in da pink!" Meowth added.

"Wobbu wobbu!" (We're safe!) Wobbuffet cheered.

Almost immediately after the match was over, Dawn stood up without a word, heading back to the changing rooms to take off her dress and put her normal clothes back on.

Dawn's POV

"I can't believe I lost again! All that work and I have nothing to show for it! We made Swift look so great! Why didn't I at least make it to round two?!" I sat in the changing room and cried, I had been holding it in while I was in front of my friends, trying to convince them that there was no need to worry. I must've been in there longer than I realized, because Misty was calling my name, looking for me. I quickly changed out of my dress and slipped on my regular clothes. Then I wiped my eyes and put on my best fake smile, and walked out to greet Misty. "I'm right here Misty!"

Misty walked up to me with a serious tone on her face. "Are you okay, Dawn?" Misty asked sternly.

"Of course I am! C'mon, let's go say bye to Kenny!" I grabbed Misty by the wrist and ran outside. I had to change the subject as soon as possible, since she had caught me at a vulnerable moment. I found Kenny saying bye to Ash and Brock, and when I appeared, Kenny asked if I was going to be at the next contest. I wasn't really sure, I was beyond depressed. So I answered him by saying I wasn't sure.

"Look Dawn, let's get one thing straight! There's no way I'm gonna let you quit doing contests, at least not until I've had the chance to beat you!"

"Okay! No need to worry, I'll be there!" I said, trying to avoid further harassment. Kenny bowed his head sadly. I was sure he knew I was feeling bad. With one more goodbye, Kenny walked down the path to the next town. I even forgot to wave goodbye before he disappeared from sight.

Normal POV

"Brock, can we stay one more night, please?" Misty's concern for Dawn was evident in her eyes, so Brock gave a subtle nod as Misty grabbed everyone's attention. "C'mon guys, let's go back to the center, and we'll head out tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." Ash led the way back, but noticed that Dawn was trailing behind. Once they got back to the Pokémon Center, Ash tried to head towards the cafeteria for dinner, but sae that Dawn was attempting to split off from the group. "Hey Dawn, aren't you hungry?"

"I'm just really tired, I'm going to get some rest…I'll see you guys tomorrow."

They watched as Dawn cheerlessly made her way back to her room. "Man, she must really be upset." Ash sighed.

"Ash, I'm going to keep Dawn company tonight." Misty said quietly. "Would you be alright with sleeping alone?"

Ash looked into Misty's viridian green eyes and saw the concern for Dawn in them, and gave a nod. "Sure Mist, go do what you have to."

Misty gave Ash a small smile, and kissed him on the cheek before running after Dawn. "See you tomorrow."

Once Misty left, Brock crossed his arms and lowered his head. "I think Dawn is taking the loss harder than she's letting on." He said in a monotone voice.

"I think you're right Brock." Ash replied as he glanced back up the stairs where Misty disappeared. "I hope Misty can help her out."

Inside the room, Dawn had plopped onto her bed without even bothering to change into her pajamas, holding the orange ribbon that reminded her of her mom back in her hometown who was rooting for her, and was probably disappointed that her daughter had lost. "Oh Mom…I lost again…but how come? Oh, I just don't know…what am I gonna do?" Dawn cried into her pillow, letting the tears that she had been holding for the sake of her friends flow from her eyes. She didn't notice Misty walk in until she sat down on the bed. It was too late for her to stop crying now, so she just refused to look.

Misty's POV

I heard crying coming from the dark room, I knew it had to be Dawn. I felt so sorry for her, but I wasn't sure how to help her…I knew I had to try though, so I quietly entered, and sat next to her on the bed. "Dawn…I'm sorry you lost." I rubbed her back to try and comfort her, but Dawn continued to sob, as she looked up at me with bloodshot eyes.

"Why Misty? Why did I lose?" Dawn was trying to speak through sobs. "Was the move not good enough? Was I not good enough?"

"The move was incredible Dawn…I...I don't know what happened…" All I could do was shrug, I didn't know anything about the intricacies of Pokémon Contests. "All I know is that you have to try and get past it."

"Misty, I let everyone back home down…I let my Pokémon down…I let my mom down."

I sighed before I responded. "You know, I know what it's like to let people down. It hurts all over. But…I know that the pain won't last long, because I know that my friends are still my friends no matter what."

Dawn wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to look me in my eyes. "I guess..."

"And besides, there's always next time."

"Misty, thanks for trying to help, but I just really need time to think." Dawn said pleadingly.

"Actually, I thought I would sleep here tonight to keep you company."

But Dawn just turned back towards her pillow. "Misty…please…just let me be alone."

"Are you sure Dawn?"

Dawn hesitated, and then nodded. I gave her a small hug, and then turned to walk out of the room. "Hey Misty?"

"Yeah?"

She turned towards me, giving the tiniest of smiles. "Thanks for talking to me."

I smiled back. "Anytime." I walked out and closed the door, trying to hold back my emotions as I heard Dawn start to sob again from behind the door. "I guess I should head back to Ash, since she won't let me stay with her." I didn't want to start crying again, after all, it wasn't usually in my nature. I couldn't deny however that it was getting increasingly difficult to mask my feelings.

Ash was about to go to sleep when I finally opened the door to our room. "Hey Misty, what happened? I thought you were going with Dawn?"

I took off my shoes and slid into the bed with my back turned to Ash, not even bothering to change into my pajamas.

"Misty, what's wrong?" Ash asked quietly.

I didn't reply, out of fear that I would start to cry. Dawn was hurting so much; it made me sad to think about the pain she was feeling in her heart.

I felt Ash come closer to me and pull me into a hug, which finally, admittedly, broke me down. I turned around and finally let loose the tears that were trying so hard to escape, and he pulled me closer to comfort me. "She's hurting so bad, Ash..."

"I know Misty, but you tried. That's all you could do." Ash said as he stroked my back. I cried a bit longer, before I started to get tired. "Listen, we'll talk to her tomorrow, but for now, just try to relax, and let her have some time alone."

I gave him a small nod and tried to relax in his embrace, and I eventually fell asleep. I just hoped that Dawn would feel a little better after having some time to herself.

Normal POV

"It's getting late and Dawn's still not up."

Ash's observation was not exactly unique. By the time everyone had woken up the next morning it was well past nine, and now it had reached noon and Dawn still hadn't come out of her room.

"I'm not surprised." Misty shook her head. "Poor Dawn was feeling absolutely horrible."

"I saw the whole thing on TV!"

The trio looked up and saw another friend of Dawn's standing over them. "Zoey?" Ash said.

"Hey guys, it's been a while hasn't it?" Zoey said.

"Yeah, it has." Brock said.

"And who is this Ash?" Zoey smirked. "Your girlfriend?" Zoey then looked at Brock who was giving her a signal to quit while she was ahead, or rather, while she had a head.

But instead of freaking out, Ash just smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes she is. Meet Misty Waterflower." Ash said with a triumphant smirk.

"Oh," Zoey rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Um…nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Hey listen," Zoey turned back towards Ash. I…didn't mean to offend you or anything, I was just teasing."

Ash just smiled and waved it off. "Don't worry about it."

"So, you're another friend of Dawn's?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, where is she by the way?" Zoey asked. The trio's faces turned grim, which answered Zoey's question automatically. "How bad is she?" Zoey asked seriously.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she cried herself to sleep last night." Misty said sadly.

Zoey looked towards the rooms. "She's probably wondering why she didn't make it past round one."

"Actually, I did manage to talk to her a bit, and that's part of the problem." Misty replied.

"Well I know the problem, and I can help." Zoey said.

"You do?" Ash leaped up from his chair. What are we waiting for? Let's go tell Dawn!"

"Whoa there Ketchum!" Misty quickly tossed him back into his seat. "There's no way you're going into a girl's room unannounced!"

"But Misty-" Ash was cut-off again.

"We'll be down in a minute, just wait patiently." Misty led Zoey up the steps, leaving a frustrated Ash behind.

"Well, now I know who wears the pants in this relationship." Brock chuckled.

Ash growled and then spotted Nurse Joy, and then an evil grin appeared on his face. "Hey Brock there's Nurse Joy."

Brock was already halfway to her when he finished speaking. "Oh, my dear Nurse Joy, the way you judged the contest yesterday was utterly remarkable…"

Ash watched Brock continue to speak, and then counted down on his fingers. "Three…two…one."

"Croa gunk!" (That's enough!)

"I think…I need…my hospital bed back." Brock strained before falling on the floor in pain from Croagunk's perfectly placed Poison Jab.

Pikachu and Piplup sweat-dropped, and Ash gave an evil chuckle. "That'll teach him to mess with me."

"Pi ka chu." (Oh brother.)

Misty and Zoey were now standing over Dawn's bed, where she had completely pulled the covers over her, as if she were trying to hide from the sun. Zoey smirked and ripped the covers off of Dawn, which startled the blue-haired girl who had apparently put on her pajamas at some point last night. "Get up." Zoey said simply.

"Misty? Zoey?!"

"C'mon, let's battle!" Zoey said insistently. Dawn said nothing, and just stared at the two red-heads who were looking at her. "You can partner with Ambipom and I wanna battle based on what you did yesterday." Zoey tossed the cover onto the floor and walked downstairs, leaving a very confused pair behind.

Dawn looked at Misty. "Misty, what's going on?! What is Zoey doing here?!"

Misty just shrugged. "Don't ask me, I didn't even know who she was until about five minutes ago."

Back downstairs, Ash saw Zoey walking down the stairs with her eyes closed and a satisfied smirk on her face. "Hey Zoey, where are you…" Ash stopped talking when he noticed that Zoey was just going to keep walking. He then spotted Dawn who was also running down the steps. "Hey Dawn, how are you…feeling?" Dawn ran right by Ash, and Piplup immediately followed. Ash was now getting irritated at being ignored. He saw Misty running down the steps now, and decided to step in front of her like a road-block. Misty did not slow down and ran right over him without a word. "What's going on here?!" Ash strained on the floor.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who fell head-over heels." Brock joked. Pikachu cracked up and started rolling over with laughter.

"I'm gonna get you back for that." Ash hissed.

As they made their way outside, they noticed Dawn and Zoey facing off against each other on the battlefield. As per Zoey's request, Dawn summoned Ambipom and repeated everything she did the day before. "Alright Ambipom, use Swift!"

As Ambipom started unleashing her Rainbow Swift again, the onlookers were watching with baited breath. "What's Zoey up to anyway?" Ash asked.

"I dunno, but she must have a plan of some sort." Misty replied.

The stars were flying as Ambipom spun around like a top. "Looking good Ambipom!"

"Now think about what you're doing!" Zoey's disapproving shout instantly pulled Dawn out of her zone. "It's a pretty move alright, but the problem is where's Ambipom?"

Dawn gasped as her eyes widened in realization. "That...was it..."

"In the middle of all that flash, Ambipom's disappeared! You've gotta remember that your Pokémon are the main attraction!" Zoey shouted over the twinkling sound of the star storm. "You've spent so much time polishing your moves; you've forgotten what you really need to do to show them off! Alright Glameow, use Iron Tail!"

Dawn gasped as Glameow leaped into the air and broke up the flurry of stars with a powerful attack. "So easily..."

"Now Shockwave!" Glameow flipped in the air and zapped Ambipom with an electric attack.

Before Ambipom could hit the ground, Dawn managed to catch her in her arms. "Are you okay?!"

"Ambi pom." (Yeah I'm good.)

Zoey walked up to Dawn and smiled at her. "Dawn, do you know why I passed on Solaceon Town after the Hearthome Contest?" Zoey watched as Dawn silently shook her head. "Everybody gets upset when they lose. When you're not thinking clearly, it's easy to forget what's really important. That's why after a loss I take time off to recharge and get ready for the next challenge."

"That's a good point." Misty stepped up. "When I was working as a Gym Leader, trying to get time off was near impossible and I just had to keep going nonstop. It's enough to flip your entire mindset on its head."

"Yeah, but you don't have to worry about that anymore," Ash smirked. "Do you Mist?"

"It's a nice change of pace." Misty smirked back.

Zoey chuckled and then turned back to Dawn. "The point is Dawn, I don't worry about how many ribbons I have, it's just too stressful."

"Hmmm…I hadn't thought of that." Dawn finally spoke.

Zoey placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "I'm sure we'll meet again in the finals someday."

"Thanks Zoey." Dawn said with a smile.

"Easy does it is the way to go!" Brock said.

"It's a good thing you came along when you did Zoey," Misty put her hands on her hips and sighed. "I had no idea how I could help Dawn, but I guess coordinator problems should be solved by coordinators."

"Timing is everything!" Ash exclaimed.

"Speaking of timing," Zoey said. "When and where are you guys headed next?"

"As soon as we pack up, I've got a Veilstone Gym battle!" Ash exclaimed.

"Then make sure you win it!" Zoey pumped a fist. "A victory might be the best present to give to Dawn too, you know?"

"Hey," Ash shrugged. "Anything to help a friend!"

"Pika pika!" (I'm with you!)

"Well, we have to get going at some point, so how about now?" Misty asked.

"Sounds great!" Ash nodded. "Let's grab our stuff and head out!"

"Right." Dawn turned to Zoey. "Thank you again, hope to see you again soon!" Dawn and the others waved as Zoey went on her way. Then the blue-haired coordinator ran over to catch up to Misty. "Hey Misty, I just wanted to let you know I appreciate your trying to help me last night."

"Sure Dawn, you're my friend, it's the least I can do." Misty wrapped an arm around Dawn's shoulders. "You know, it'll be nice to have another girl around to talk to."

"Same here!"

"Alright guys, do you have everything?" Brock asked.

"Yep, Pokéballs, clothes, everything I need." Ash said.

"Girls, how about you?" Brock asked.

Misty and Dawn nodded. "I'm finally going to be on the road again!" Misty exclaimed.

"Yeah, now you can get lost with us." Brock joked. Misty face-faulted and the group laughed. Ash grabbed her hand and held it as he lifted her up, and the group of friends headed for Veilstone City for Ash's next gym battle.