I like this chapter. It has a sort of guessing game involved. If anyone figures out what the two things I'm hinting at in this chapter before it happens, let me know in your review! Or if you want to be a party-pooper, just skip to near the middle and end of the chapter. And once again, in response to a previous review, MISTY AND ZOEY HAVE MET ALREADY. Look at chapter 12 to see.
MEL-ODiE - MEL-ODRAMATiC: Give me your DA and we'll discuss making the comic, I'm whocares4972 on there, so you'll know exactly who it is.
Without further ado, here's the next chapter!
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Chapter 19
Misty's POV
I knew morning had come when a ray of sunlight hit my face. I tried to ignore it, but I was eventually forced to give in and open my eyes. When I did, I smiled when I saw Ash, still sleeping peacefully. As usual, I was the first one to wake up, but these days I would wish with all my heart that my mind wasn't programmed to wake up early, so that way I could stay with Ash a while longer.
"Mmmm, just stay asleep Ash, stay asleep for another hour and hold me just like this." I thought dreamily. I loved the feeling of being in his arms; I felt comfort, warmth, security, and love, all from being in his slightly toned arms. So naturally I felt disappointed when I felt Ash start to stir, but I came up with a plan. If I pretended to be asleep, maybe Ash would stay still so as not to wake me. I closed my eyes and started breathing steadily, doing my best impression of being asleep.
Apparently Ash fell for my act, because I felt his grip on me tighten slightly, after he moved some strands of hair that had fallen on my face, which gave me the urge to giggle, but I knew that if I did, it would end right away, so I kept my cool and relaxed in his embrace.
Ash's POV
I woke up and saw Misty, apparently still asleep. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful, Misty invoked feelings in me that no one else ever did. Some strands of silky, red hair had fallen over her face. Her hair was one of the many things I liked about her. It was smooth and long. It flowed past her shoulders like a bright orange waterfall, and it looked perfect the way it was now.
I moved the strands of hair away from her face, and I then felt the urge to tighten my grip on Misty. I hugged her tighter, but softly so I didn't wake her. My hands brushed against her arms as I did so, her skin felt so soft, so sensitive, it was pleasing to the touch. How someone so strong-willed and determined could be bundled into such a delicate form was something I probably would never figure out.
"I don't think I want to get up. I'd rather stay here and be close to you Mist. What took me so long for me to realize how much I love you anyway? Gosh that sounds corny, I'm sure glad no one can hear me think." I thought. I stared at her face a little while longer, before I heard stirring from the other side of the room. I decided I would pretend to be asleep, and hopefully avoid someone making me get up.
Brock's POV
I woke up and was surprised to see that Misty wasn't awake yet. She was usually the only one who woke up earlier than I did. I stretched and got up to check on the two. At first I thought they were both asleep, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that both Ash and Misty's eyes were fluttering. "They're faking it." I thought. I decided to let them enjoy each other's company, and not bother to wake them from their fake sleep. I got changed and quietly walked down to the hotel lobby, on the way, I thought about the two fake-sleeping trainers.
Ash and Misty had liked each other since day one of our journeys, and it drove me nuts every time they would deny their love. Of course, they were ten and eleven back then, so maybe I shouldn't have been so hard on them. Or Ash at least, he was totally clueless from day one. Misty on the other hand had a good head on her shoulders, although her temper was a lot more explosive back then than it is now.
"She talks about how much Ash has matured, I wonder if she realizes how much she's matured herself. She doesn't explode as often as she used to, and Ash impressed me last night when he gave Misty the credit for how much he's improved…which makes me chopped liver…oh well, I guess I'll see what's there for the continental breakfast." I thought.
Normal POV
Back in the room, Dawn and May had woken up and gotten changed. "Geez, they must've been really tired." May said, looking at the sleeping couple. "Oh please, they're both obviously faking it. Misty never stays asleep this long no matter how tired she is." Dawn replied quietly. "So she wants to stay with her sweetheart, that's beyond cute!" May gushed quietly.
"Yeah, and it makes for easy teasing." Dawn joked. "Well as cute as it is, if we don't get them moving, we'll miss the Wallace Cup festival that's being held today!" May exclaimed in a hushed tone. "There's a festival? Awesome!" Dawn replied. "Now watch this, I'll get them both up in a flash." May said.
May tip-toed to their bunk. "We better hurry up, registration ends in a few minutes!" she said loudly. Ash and Misty's eyes popped open, and they leaped out of the bed and raced to the bathroom to change. Misty got there first and slammed the door in Ash's face. "Ow! My nose!" Ash yelled, holding his nose.
"Misty opened the door a crack to check on Ash, who was relieved to see that his nose wasn't bleeding from the impact. "Sorry Ash." Misty said guiltily. Ash gave her a small smile, sending her a message saying that it was alright. Misty closed the door again, and left Ash with May and Dawn, who were trying desperately not to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Ash asked. May and Dawn couldn't hold back any longer, and they started laughing hysterically. "Registration doesn't end for another three hours!" May exclaimed, still laughing. Misty stomped out of the bathroom in her regular clothes and scowled. "So why'd you say that?" Misty screamed.
"Because, there's a festival honoring the Wallace Cup, and we can't leave you behind!" May replied. "There's nothing wrong with just waking us up you know." Misty said. "How do you wake up two people who fake sleeping for the sake of cozying up with each other?" May asked teasingly. Ash and Misty looked at each other and blushed when they realized they were both pulling the same act.
"Were you…?" Misty stammered. "Yeah…were you…?" Ash replied in the same manner. Misty nodded and smiled coyly. "Ok, get moving you two! And then you can share a cookie the size of your heads!" May exclaimed excitedly. "Sounds good to me!" Ash replied. Ash ran into the bathroom and came back out in his regular clothes.
"Where'd they go?" Ash asked. May and Dawn went down already, I stayed to wait for you." Misty replied. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Ash exclaimed. Misty nodded and took Ash's arm, and they walked downstairs to join the others. "So…Ash…were you really faking being asleep?" Misty asked shyly. "Uh…yeah…I – uh…didn't want to get up today." Ash replied sheepishly.
"Me either." Misty replied in the same tone. Misty gave Ash's hand a squeeze, which he happily reciprocated. They reached the lobby, where May, Dawn, and Brock were talking. "Hey guys." Ash said. "Well, look who finally 'woke up'." Brock joked. "You told him?" Misty hissed. "Relax Misty; I knew you were faking it ever since I woke up." Brock replied.
"Oh…ok." Misty replied. "Hey, we're all friends here. Come on! I've got a craving for a huge sweet!" May exclaimed. "Sounds good to me! Is there a place to register at the festival?" Ash asked. "Yep, there should be a booth specifically for registration." May replied. "Awesome! So what are we waiting for?" Ash exclaimed.
The group walked to where the festival was taking place, and was amazed at the magnificent sight. "Wow, this place is sure busy!" Misty said. "Look at all the people! To think that most of them are coordinators from just about every region in the world!" May exclaimed. "Every…region?" Dawn asked in a nervous tone.
"Ah ha! I knew I saw it in that brochure! The cookie stand! Come on Dawn, let's go get one!" May exclaimed. "But…I…" Dawn stammered. May dragged Dawn to the stand and bought four enormous cookies. One for herself, Dawn, Piplup, and Munchlax. "You guys want one?" May asked. "I'd rather check out the crepe booth!" Brock exclaimed excitedly. Brock ran to the booth, where a beautiful, young, brown-haired woman stood. "Hi, may I help you?" she asked.
Brock took her hands into his own and replied. "Lovely lady, if only I could be wrapped up in your crepes, I'd feel so free!" he said. "And she'd probably feel free without wannabe Casanovas like you around." Misty said, yanking Brock away by the ear. "Looks like Misty's got her old job back." May said with a sweat-drop.
"Yeah, but Misty only does it part-time now." Ash said. "Huh? What do you mean?" May asked. Misty joined the rest of the group, while Brock took off towards another booth, where a woman with long, black-hair stood behind a popcorn stand. "There he goes again." May said. "I'm not doing this one." Misty said.
"Good day sir, may I help you?" the woman asked. "Yes you could. Instead of you giving me popcorn, I'd like to pop a question to you!" Brock replied passionately. Just then, Croagunk appeared and gave Brock a 'Poison Jab' in his side. "Do you…have any…aspirin?" Brock strained. Brock fell over in pain, and Croagunk dragged him away.
"So you have a little assistant now, huh Misty?" May said. "Yep, of course, I think my method is a tad less painful." Misty replied. Dawn just stared at her cookie, not saying a word throughout the whole ordeal. "What's the matter? Not hungry?" May asked. "My appetite is a little off." Dawn replied.
"Hey Misty, we gotta go register now." Ash said. "Alright, feel better Dawn, ok?" Misty said. "No need to worry, I'll be fine." Dawn reassured. Misty gave a sad smile, and walked off with Ash to the registration table. "Something wrong Mist?" Ash asked. "Dawn's appetite isn't the only thing that's off. I think she might be getting nervous again." Misty replied.
"Don't worry; we'll help her through it." Ash reassured. The couple walked over to the booth, where they proceeded to sign up. "Are you here to sign up?" the woman asked. "Yep, count us in!" Ash exclaimed.
"Very well, can you give me your name, town, and the Pokémon you'll be using please?" the woman asked. "My name is Misty – Misty Waterflower. And I'm from Cerulean City." Misty said. "And your Pokémon?" the woman asked. "Um…" Misty stammered. Ash raised an eyebrow, wondering why Misty refused to speak. "Go ahead Misty." Ash said.
"I really want it to be a surprise." Misty said. "So? Just tell – oh…you don't want me to hear." Ash figured. Misty nodded her head in response. "Fine, I'll wait over here." Ash said, walking over to a nearby bench. "Your Pokémon?" the woman asked again. Misty named her Pokémon in the woman's ear, and then waved Ash over to sign up.
"You're real determined to keep this a secret, aren't you?" Ash asked. "Trust me Ash; you'll be happy you waited." Misty replied playfully. "And your name sir?" the woman asked. "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, and I'll be using my Buizel!" Ash exclaimed. "Thank you for entering, and good luck." the woman said.
"Alright! Now we're registered!" Ash exclaimed. "Now we can enjoy ourselves a little while." Misty added. "Hey Ash! Misty! Long time no see!" a girl said from behind. Ash and Misty turned around, and saw their other red-headed friend: Zoey. "Hey Zoey!" Ash said. "Now don't tell me you're entering the Wallace Cup too?" Zoey asked. "Yeah, we were hanging out with Wallace the other day and he told me I should enter it with Buizel." Ash explained.
"You met Wallace? Incredible!" Zoey said in awe. "That Milotic of his was incredible, I'll say that much." Misty said. "And what about you Misty? Are you entering?" Zoey asked. "As a matter of fact, Wallace said I should enter because of my enthusiasm towards teaching Vaporeon a new move." Misty replied. "New move? What new move?" Zoey asked. "Sorry, no spoilers." Misty replied.
"That seems fair enough. What about you Ash, you keeping secrets?" Zoey asked. "Nah, I'll tell you. I want to try out some new battle moves with Buizel and do it in a real contest!" Ash explained. "I see…I finally figured out I need to learn from both contests and battles in order to get to the top. I guess I've kinda been in denial, and here you've been saying that all along. Sorry." Zoey said.
"Hey, no big deal." Ash replied. "When did you become such a great teacher Ash?" Misty asked playfully. "When I graduated from 'Mallet Boot-camp' I guess." Ash replied, rubbing his head jokingly. "Zoey! Wow, you made it!" Dawn exclaimed, walking over with May and Brock. "Hey Dawn." Zoey said. "Nice to see you again." Brock said.
"I want you to meet a friend. Zoey, this is May, she's in the Wallace Cup too." Dawn said. "I've heard a lot about you. Hi there." May said, holding out her hand for Zoey to shake it. "Back at you." Zoey replied, accepting the friendly gesture.
"So Dawn, I'm assuming you registered, right?" Zoey asked. "You bet!" Dawn replied. "Way to go. I'm proud of you." Zoey said. "Thanks Zoey, that really means a lot." Dawn replied. "Hey, as long as we're all here, let's go have some fun!" Ash exclaimed. "Sounds like a plan to me!" May added. "I think I saw a Ferris wheel somewhere, will you go on it with me Ash?" Misty asked.
"Sure thing Mist! You guys wanna come too?" Ash asked. "Nah, you two go on. We'll catch up later." May replied. Misty took Ash's hand and ran in the direction of the Ferris wheel. "You do realize that you just put them on a date right?" Brock asked. "You're supposed to tease them, not help them." Dawn said with mock disapproval. "What can I say? I just couldn't help myself. It's nice to help things along for a change." May replied. "Same old meddling May." Brock said. "Excuse me?" May screamed angrily. The group walked in the other direction, and didn't even notice when a young, blonde woman signed herself up for the Wallace Cup.
The group spent the rest of the day at the festival, although most of the time Ash and Misty were by themselves. Every now and again they'd run into the gang, but it was just the two of them for the most part. When the sun began to set, and people started to leave, Ash and Misty leaned on the railing that stood before Lake Valor, where the rainbow of colors in the sky reflected on the water.
"I had a great time today Ash." Misty said. "Me too Mist. It kinda reminded me of that carnival we went to with the Exeggcute magician." Ash replied. "Yeah, except then you ditched me to go with Brock." Misty said with mock disapproval. "Yeah, what was I thinking? I almost didn't get to see you in that Goldeen outfit." Ash said.
Misty blushed at the memory of Ash seeing her in that outfit. She had been embarrassed then, but also shy at the same time. "You looked really pretty in that by the way." Ash said. Misty blushed harder and gave a small smile. "Hey you two, it's getting late. We should head back to the hotel." Brock said, walking up from behind the couple.
"Ok Brock. We'll be there in a second." Ash said. Brock nodded and turned to walk away. "Well Mist, your call. Charizard, or walk?" Ash asked. Misty took Ash's hand and squeezed it. "What do you think?" Misty asked playfully. Ash smiled and squeezed back, and they walked back to the hotel in comfortable silence.
When they got there, May, Dawn, and Zoey were standing in front of the front desk. "There you are Misty! Listen, we got us girls our own room, so we can sleep without Brock's snoring for a change." Dawn joked. "Oh…um…ok." Misty stammered. "Unless you'd rather sleep in Ash's room of course." Dawn teased. Misty blushed and replied. "N-No, that's ok. It'll be fun to hang with you guys tonight." she said, trying to invoke cheerfulness into her voice.
"Where is Brock anyway?" Ash asked. "Up in your room Ash, you'll be sharing with Brock." May replied. "That's fine. Guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then." Ash said. "Goodnight Ash." Misty said, giving Ash a quick hug. "G'night Misty." Ash replied, reciprocating the loving gesture. Misty released her boyfriend, who turned to walk up to his room. "You know I was only half-kidding. If you really would prefer to be with Ash…" Dawn was cut-off. "Don't worry about it, let's have some girl fun." Misty replied. "Awesome! I have just the thing to do!" May exclaimed. "What did you have in mind May?" Zoey asked. "Let's go to the room, and you'll see!" May said excitedly.
"You guys go on ahead, I have to make a call." Misty said. After explaining to Misty that their room was right next to Ash and Brock's, the three females walked to their room, while Misty stayed back.
Misty's POV
"I hope they're still awake." I thought. I ran to the nearest videophone, and dialed home. "Hello? Like, who's there?" a voice asked. I recognized the voice as Violet this time. "Turn on the videophone Violet, it's Misty." I replied. The face of my older sister appeared on the screen. "Well well, if it isn't like, our little eloper." Violet joked.
"Honestly Violet, you're as bad as everyone else. Me and Ash are not 'eloping', we're just traveling together again." I replied. "Yeah, but he is like, your official boyfriend though." Violet said. "Yeah yeah, listen, can you do me a favor?" I asked. "Depends on the favor." Violet said. I explained to Violet what it is I wanted, and hoped she'd say yes.
"Like, why do you want that Misty?" Violet asked. "Can you just get it for me please?" I begged. "Fine, I'll be right back." Violet said. Violet disappeared, and came back with a small bag. "Like, here it is Misty. I'll send it over." Violet said. "Thanks Violet." I replied. Violet placed the bag in the larger send slot, and sent me what I needed.
"I hope it still fits after all this time." I said. "It should. You're still like, our scrawny little sister." Violet said with a smirk. "Yeah, because the rules of growing up don't apply to me." I replied sarcastically. "Exactly, glad you like, get it." Violet said. I gave Violet an icy-glare in response. "I'm kidding, ok? In all honesty as a sister, you're growing into a beautiful girl." Violet said sincerely.
Now that comment caught me by surprise. She just said something nice to me, without any persuasion. "Um…gee…thanks Violet." I said. I felt my face heat up from embarrassment. "Like, don't get a big head, you're still the runt, ok?" Violet said. I smirked at my older sister. "Sure, whatever. Say hi to Daisy and Lily for me." I said.
"I will. Oh, and about Daisy, there's like, something you should know. She's…" Violet was cut-off by Dawn. "Come on Misty! We're waiting for you!" Dawn exclaimed. "Sorry Vi, gotta go! Seeya!" I said before hanging up the phone. "What's that you got there?" Dawn asked.
Now I was in a bind, I wanted to keep my plan a secret from everyone, but that would probably be impossible now. "Ok, I'll show you in the room." I replied. I decided to just show the rest of the girls what was in the bag, and maybe even get their opinion. When we got to the room, May and Zoey were comparing contest techniques.
"What took you so long?" Zoey asked. "I had to get something, that's all." I replied. "What's in the bag?" May asked. "I guess I'll have to show you." I replied. I walked into the bathroom and pulled my secret item out of the bag. Then I put it on and was relieved when I found out that it still fit me, although it was a bit snug in certain places.
"Alright, I sure hope they approve." I thought. I walked out of the bathroom, and I saw the now awed faces of Dawn, May, and Zoey. "Wow Misty, you look incredible in that. It just matches you perfectly!" Dawn exclaimed. "So what's the occasion?" Zoey asked. "The Wallace Cup." I replied. I wasn't totally surprised when my friends' jaws dropped when I said that.
"Before you say anything, let me explain." I said. I explained to them what my routine was going to be, and they seemed to grow less shocked as I continued. "Wow Misty, I can't wait to see it!" Dawn exclaimed. "And I bet Ash won't be able to wait either." May added teasingly. "Ash! I almost forgot! Look, I told you guys, but you can't tell Ash, alright?" I pleaded.
"Don't worry Misty, your secret is safe with us." May said. "In fact, we'll even help you keep it a secret!" Dawn added. "Thanks girls, I appreciate it." I replied with a relieved sigh. "I did notice one thing though, it seems a bit tight on you in certain places." Dawn said. "Well, I wore this a few years ago. I was surprised that it fit me THIS well." I replied.
"I can fix that; we'll work on it tonight!" May said. "And how do we do that?" I asked. May went to her designated drawer, and pulled out a bag of miscellaneous items. "Sewing kit anyone? I've got enough stuff here to make a whole new wardrobe! I can fix this for you in no time!" May said.
"Thanks a lot May." I said gratefully. "It's no problem. We girls have to stick together." May said. "And while May's working on your outfit, we'll give you a manicure!" Dawn exclaimed. "Um, that's alright Dawn, you don't have to." I said. "But we want to, right Zoey?" Dawn asked. "Sure, why not?" Zoey replied.
Well, now I was stuck. I didn't really WANT a full makeover; I was content with May making my outfit bigger. Nails, hair, makeup, most of the time they weren't my thing. But there were a few times where I got overcome by girlishness and made an exception, although they usually turned out bad. Such as when Team Rocket tricked me and caught me off guard after they give me a three second makeover. Boy did I pay afterwards.
And then there was that time when we went to that fighting-type dojo in the Johto League. I ended up getting wrapped up in Spinarak webbing as a facial! I think I had every right to be nervous about trying again. On the other hand, they were my friends. They wouldn't do something like that to me…would they?
"Alright Misty, we'll start off with a manicure, and then we'll work on your hair." Dawn said. "What's wrong with my hair?" I asked. "Nothing's wrong, we're just gonna make it look shinier is all." Dawn replied. "A Pokémon Contest is mostly about the Pokémon, but the coordinator has to do her best to look good too, to show that she's into it." Zoey explained.
"I guess that makes sense." I said. "Of course! Now sit back and relax, you're in good hands." Dawn said cheerfully. I closed my eyes and leaned back into a chair, and I let Dawn and Zoey have their way with me. "Hey Misty, you said you'd tell me the story." May said.
"What story May?" I asked. "You know, the story about how you're on the road again!" May replied. "Oh…well, I guess I did say I would." I said hesitantly. "That's right, so start talking!" May said, imitating a mobster.
"Before Ash came, I was still the gym leader in Cerulean. But for some reason, I got on an unbelievable losing streak, and people came in hordes to get their badges from me. Every now and then, there would be a trainer with a Pikachu with him or her, which only reminded me more about how much I missed Ash." I caught my breath before continuing.
"I kept hoping, wishing, dreaming that I could join him again. Although it seemed impossible since we were so far away from each other, which only made me more discouraged. Then one day, after I lost to a Growlithe of all things, I heard a determined voice from the entrance, demanding to see the gym leader." I continued my story. Dawn and Zoey had stopped their work to listen as well.
"I was expecting another random challenger, but I was rendered speechless when I saw that it was Ash and Pikachu there. I almost didn't believe my eyes, but I started believing when Ash threatened to have Pikachu 'Thundershock' me to prove his being real. After a…small reunion, Daisy came in and saw that Ash had come to visit. And boy was I mad when Ash challenged Daisy to a battle instead of me." The three females listened intently to my story, anxious to hear what happened next.
"I would soon learn that Ash had lost on purpose, to show Daisy the thrill of winning a battle. Afterwards, I stomped up to my room and cried, I thought that Ash had come to upstage me or something by making my sister win against him, while I couldn't even beat amateurs at the time. But what happened next was the good part." I started getting into the whole storytelling thing, and smiled when I saw their anxious expressions.
"Ash explained to me why we did what he did…" I was cut-off. "Why'd he do it?" May asked excitedly. "Um, I think it'd be best to keep that private, I don't want to tell you anything that Ash wouldn't say himself." I replied. May groaned in disappointment.
"At any rate, Ash asked me if I would travel the Sinnoh Region with him, Dawn, and Brock. I would've loved to, but I figured that Daisy couldn't do it…until she walked in and saw us…hugging." I said. "You hugged? Now I know when the whole couple thing started!" May interrupted.
"Well, Daisy told me to pack my bags, since she said she was tired of seeing me around the gym moping. But I knew that something called kindness had been awakened in my sister, and she let me go with Ash, and that's how I'm here today. And as you can see, we're living happily ever after." I concluded.
"That is the sweetest story I've ever heard!" May exclaimed. "It never gets boring no matter how many times I hear it." Dawn added. "I upheld my end of the deal. Now get to work you guys." I said, closing my eyes to relax. "Yes ma'am." the other girls said. And with that, my makeover continued, and I reminisced in my own mind the story of how I was here.
Ash's POV
"Hey Brock, looks like it's just you and me tonight." I said. "Yeah…Ash, we need to discuss something." Brock said seriously. "Um, ok." I replied simply. He motioned me to have a seat, and I complied. "Am I in trouble?" I asked. "No Ash, you're not. But if you're going to be in the Wallace Cup, you need to have something decent to wear." Brock said.
"What's wrong with my vest and hat?" I asked. "When did you ever see Dawn wearing her regular clothes in a contest? The rules apply for guys too you know." Brock replied. I guess he had a point; Dawn was always wearing something formal. "Fine…what do you suggest?" I asked. "I suggest we head down to the hotel lobby and see if there's something we can get real quick." Brock replied.
I nodded, and we headed down to the lobby, where there just happened to be a small store of formal wear. "Ash, you're lucky this hotel has a lot of formal events here. Otherwise they may not have had this here." Brock said. "Yeah Brock, I feel really lucky." I said sarcastically. Luckily we didn't have to look around for too long, as Brock had found a tuxedo for me to try on. I agreed to it for two reasons: One, I liked the fedora that came with it. And two, Brock told me that Misty would probably like it.
"Well Brock?" I asked. "Looking good big guy. The judges will be impressed." Brock replied. We bought the outfit and headed back to the room, where I immediately tried to go to sleep. But something was missing…or rather…someone. "Not the same without Misty." I thought. I eventually got to sleep, but it just felt strange to not have her there.
Misty's POV
"Not the same without Ash." I thought. Dawn and Zoey had finished with my "makeover" if you could call it that. All they really did was give my nails a clear-coat to give it a polished look, and they put a leave-in conditioner in my hair to make it softer and shinier. "I have to admit, they did a great job. My hair feels great." I thought.
May had also finished with her renovations on my outfit. I tried it on before she went to sleep, and it fit perfectly in all aspects. Now everyone was asleep but me, mostly because I didn't have my Ash with me. I called out Azurill, who was confused as to why I called it out at such a late hour. "Azu zu azu?" (What's wrong Mommy?) "Nothing sweetie, do you want to sleep with Mommy tonight?" I asked sweetly.
Azurill smiled and cuddled up next to me, and I soon heard the soft breathing of my baby water-type. I sure was excited about tomorrow, it would be my contest debut, and the more I thought about it, the more fun it seemed to be. But I had convinced myself beforehand: "No matter what happens, I'm still a battling girl."
Normal POV
The next morning, the group woke up and had a REALLY fast breakfast. The Wallace Cup started early, so they had to get going quickly. "Geez, how do people get moving so early?" Ash said drowsily. "It takes practice." Misty replied.
The group walked to the stadium at Valor Lakefront, where a sea of white hats filled the stands. "Wow, this place is packed already!" Ash exclaimed. "Of course. Everybody wants to be close to the action, especially since Wallace is here himself." Zoey replied. "(Gulp) Look at all these coordinators." Dawn said nervously.
"Come on guys, we need to go get changed." May said. "We'll see you in the waiting room." Ash said. Misty, Dawn, May, and Zoey headed for the ladies changing room, leaving Ash and Brock to head for the guys room. "Hey I just realized Misty! What are you going to wear after the appeal round?" May asked. "Don't worry; I have something ready to go." Misty replied. "So how are you going to keep Ash from seeing you beforehand?" Zoey asked.
"Simple. I won't go in the waiting room. I'll just stay back until they call me, if I went first, that'd be even better." Misty said. "Um…I'll…just go change now." Dawn said hesitantly. Dawn headed off into one of the changing rooms and quickly closed the door. Misty, May, and Zoey soon followed suit.
May emerged first. She wore a pink half shirt with a yellow heart on it with yellow border on the sleeves and neck. She also wore a peach veil with a green gem on top, and a peach long skirt with a piece of pink fabric at the waist. And on her feet: Brown flip-flops with toe rings and a yellow necklace with a red heart.
Zoey came out next. She wore a white blouse with a wine-red jacket and pants. The jacket was buttoned once at the bottom, and had golden patterns on it.
And then the extremely jittery Dawn. She wore her usual pink dress, except this time she wore a yellow ribbon around her waist.
"Hey Misty, you coming out of there anytime soon?" Zoey asked. "Nope. I'm staying here until I'm called upon." Misty replied. Zoey shrugged and walked back to make some final adjustments. "Misty sure is determined to keep her act a secret." Zoey said. "But the motive behind it is sweet, don't you think?" May asked.
Zoey sweat-dropped. "Yeah…sure." she said. "At any rate, it's almost time. You ready to go Dawn?" May asked. She looked at the blue-haired girl sitting in front of the mirror, who was having extreme difficulty with her hair. "Aah! Big need to worry!" Dawn cried, as she did her best to brush her overly-stressed out hair.
"Not again." Zoey said. Upon hearing Dawn cry out, Misty walked out of the changing room to see what had happened. "Oh no, Dawn." Misty said. "Now you see what happens to my hair when I'm nervous." Dawn said. "Yeah…it's…not too good." Misty replied. "Someone help me!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Here, give me the brush." May said. "Thank you May!" Dawn said gratefully. May proceeded to brush out Dawn's long, blue hair, smoothing and calming it down. "Dawn, you were just like this at your debut." Zoey said. "You're nervous?" May asked. "I'm worried about whether I can still do a good job or not." Dawn admitted.
Piplup chirped determinedly, telling its master that it had faith in her. "That's good advice; Piplup's acting a whole lot more confident than you are." Zoey asked. "Of course, Piplup's a proud water-type, why shouldn't it be confident?" Misty said proudly. "Well that's great for Piplup, but I'm still rattled." Dawn said.
"Don't be Dawn; just remember what got you here in the first place. You're here to have fun with your Pokémon, like I am." Misty said. "That's right Dawn, there's no need to worry, and especially not when you have pretty hair." May added, finally putting Dawn's hair into a large, neat ponytail. "Thanks Misty, you too May." Dawn said, blushing at the compliment.
"Misty's exactly right by the way. Have fun with your Pokémon!" May said. "Just remember this, we're all rooting for you, so there's no need to worry. Ok?" Misty added. Dawn looked at her three friends with admiration, before finally closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Ok." she said quietly.
All the girls, excluding Misty, went to the coordinator waiting room, where they awaited their time. "Where's Misty you guys?" Ash asked. "She's…taking a bit longer than we did, that's all." May said defensively. "Oh…ok. I read the program, Misty's up first." Ash said. "Don't worry, she'll be ready." Zoey reassured.
Just then, Marian appeared on the stage, and introduced Wallace. Wallace and Milotic appeared on stage in a grand display of Milotic's beauty and grace with water. "There he is!" Ash exclaimed. "Milotic looks beautiful!" May added. "They're even more beautiful on stage!" Dawn added. "Too bad Misty's missing it." Zoey said.
Ash looked around and began to get worried when she saw that Misty still wasn't in the room with them. Although he did see a familiar blonde woman with her back turned to them. "Where is she?" Ash thought worriedly.
Wallace gave his own announcements, and then proceeded to where his other three judge colleagues: Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and the now blushing Nurse Joy. "My heart's beating a little faster being here with Wallace, thank you." she had said. "What's he got that I don't?" Brock asked. "Self-control." Dawn and May replied. Brock did a face-fault.
"Alright, let's head on over to the performance stage with our first coordinator!" Marian announced. "Where's Misty?" Ash asked with concern. "Don't worry Ash, she'll be there." May reassured again.
"First up, we have Misty Waterflower, from Cerulean City!" Marian announced. When Misty didn't appear, the crowd started to mumble. "I knew something happened!" Ash yelled. "Wait Ash, look!" Brock exclaimed. Misty had appeared in a white cape that surrounded her whole body, and she looked down at the floor with her eyes closed. "That's what she's wearing?" Brock asked with confusion. "Just wait for it." May said. Misty ran onto the stage, holding a Pokeball with a capsule and a fire-seal. "Misty calls…Gyarados!" she cried, throwing out the ball. Gyarados appeared from the ball and jumped through the ring of fire that formed from the ball. Then it splashed down and breached the water.
"She's using Gyarados for the appeals round?" Ash asked. "I guess we'll see what she has in store." Brock said. "You're gonna like this Ash." May said teasingly.
"Time for a transformation! Gyarados, jump and use 'Flamethrower' on the water!" Misty ordered. Gyarados leaped into the air and fired its fire-attack into the water, causing steam to cover the whole field. "Whoa, what's going on?" Ash asked. The sound of a cloak flying off was heard on the field, and when the steam finally lifted, there stood Misty the Mermaid. The crowd cheered loudly at her transformation.
"Wow! So that's what Misty was keeping from us!" Brock exclaimed. Misty waved her hand and jumped towards the water. But before she splashed down, Gyarados caught Misty and flung her into the air with its tail. She then twirled in the air and dove into the water with almost no splash whatsoever.
"What an incredible dive! Quick, switch to the underwater camera!" Marian exclaimed. Misty was seen dancing in the water, while Gyarados swam around her in patterns that matched her movements, which showed off Gyarados' natural flexibility underwater. She snapped her fingers as she made another movement, and Gyarados responded by swimming underneath her and charging towards the surface.
It leaped high into the air with Misty standing on top of its eyebrow, and it splashed down, giving the front row crowds a large splash of water, which caused them to cheer loudly for the performers. Misty and Gyarados danced together in circles from the top of the water, and then dove back underwater.
"Misty and Gyarados look like they're having a great time." Zoey said. "She looks so graceful down there. It's like she really is a mermaid." May added. "What do you think Ash?" Brock asked. Ash didn't respond. "Ash?" Brock tried again.
Ash still refused to respond. He was hypnotized by the red-haired beauty that was dancing in the water. "I don't think Ash even hears you." May said. "Yeah, he's totally mesmerized." Zoey added. "Misty's…beautiful." Ash thought, as he watched his girlfriend do her underwater ballet.
Dawn on the other hand was mesmerized for a different reason. She looked as if she was under some sort of pressure. She inadvertently increased the pressure on Piplup, who was sitting in her arms. Piplup noticed the pressure change and looked at its master with concern. "To think this is her debut…how can I follow that?" Dawn thought nervously.
Misty made one last hand movement, and Gyarados once again charged underneath Misty. Except this time, Misty flew high into the air after Gyarados stopped short. It then fired a 'Hydro Pump' attack into the air, which caught her in mid-air. The crowd cheered for Misty, as she sat atop the water spout as if she were a mermaid sitting on a rock.
The spout was ceased, and Misty fell back to the water. But before she splashed down, Gyarados leaped into the air and caught her with its tail, and they floated on the water, signaling the end of their performance. The crowd cheered louder than ever, congratulating the two performers for an incredible job.
"That was awesome!" Ash finally said. "She didn't even have to give orders. Gyarados knew exactly what to do just by her hands." May said in awe. "She did say that playing with her Pokémon would be important in her routine, and now we know why." Brock said.
Back on the field, Gyarados had placed Misty back on the end of the field, and she faced the judges.
Mr. Contesta: "The way Gyarados understood exactly what to do without verbal orders was a marvel to behold, and the performance itself was very well done.
Mr. Sukizo: "And of course, remarkable."
Nurse Joy: "The beginning 'Flamethrower' sure caught me by surprise, the fact that it knows a fire-type move shows how well you've trained your Gyarados."
Wallace himself stood up, and gave his input. "The combination of both coordinator and Pokémon were perfectly expressed in this performance, you have certainly given me a treat." he said. "And there you have it folks! Wallace himself was highly impressed by this coordinator's debut!" Marian exclaimed.
"Misty must've done an incredible job to get Wallace's attention like that." Zoey said. "Yeah…" Dawn said quietly. "You're up next May, good luck." Brock said. "Thanks Brock, root for me you guys!" May called out, running down the corridor to the stage.
On the way, she ran into Misty, who had unzipped her tail and turned it into a pair of legs. "That was amazing Misty!" May exclaimed. "Thanks May, I sure hope the judges thought so." Misty replied. "Oh please, how could they NOT? And I think you captured the attention of more than just the judges." May said with a wink.
"Oh…really?" Misty asked shyly. "Ash didn't say a word the whole performance. He was totally hypnotized by you!" May exclaimed. Misty blushed at her statement. "Now go on! I bet he's waiting for you." May said. "Sure thing, good luck with your performance May." Misty said. "Thanks!" May called out, passing the red-headed girl in the mermaid costume.
Misty appeared in the waiting room, where the first thing she saw was Ash gazing at her lovingly. But the first thing she heard was the congratulations of Zoey and Brock. Although Dawn still seemed intimidated. "What did you think?" Misty asked. "Exactly what a coordinator should do. You looked you had fun!" Zoey said.
"That's because I did have fun! Gyarados and I used to play like that in the Cerulean Gym pool." Misty replied. Ash walked in front of the other two friends and faced Misty. "Hey Ash." Misty said shyly. "Misty, that was…indescribable…you were…" Ash stammered. "Just say what you're thinking Ash." Brock said.
Ash fumbled around for words, and Misty giggled at his bewildered expression. "You…you were…" Ash stammered. Misty decided to make it easy on Ash, and embraced him in a loving hug, which Ash gladly reciprocated. "Does this help?" Misty asked. "You were beautiful." Ash whispered. Misty blushed at his compliment and hugged him tighter.
She then broke away from Ash, and faced Dawn. "And how about you Dawn?" Misty asked. "You were great Misty! It was incredible!" Dawn exclaimed, feigning cheerfulness. "Thanks Dawn." Misty replied. "Hey guys, May's ready to go!" Brock said. Misty walked over and stood next to Ash to watch the performance.
"You're not going those wet clothes all day are you?" Ash asked. "Don't worry, I have another outfit set." Misty replied. The couple's attention turned back to the television screen, where Marian was ready to make her announcement.
"Let's keep it going with our next coordinator: May, from Petalburg City!" Marian announced. May ran from the entrance to the field, holding a Pokeball with a pink-bubble seal. "Now! Wartortle, on stage!" May exclaimed. Her Wartortle leaped out of its ball, surrounded by a flurry of pink bubbles, and then it landed on the ground with a handstand.
"Wartortle, cool!" Ash exclaimed. "To think that used to be May's little Squirtle." Brock said. "Wartortle, awesome!" Dawn exclaimed, pulling out her Pokedex to scan Wartortle.
"Wartortle, the turtle Pokémon, and the evolved form of Squirtle. Its furry tail is very popular as a symbol of long life." the Pokedex said.
"Looks like water-Pokémon are gonna be the theme for the day." Misty said. "Makes sense, since it is the Wallace Cup after all." Zoey said. "Misty sure set the bar high. May's got a lot of work to do." Ash said. Misty blushed a bit before turning her attention back towards the screen.
"Wartortle, 'Rapid Spin' now!" May ordered. Wartortle leaped into the air and withdrew into its shell, skipping across the water like a skipping stone, spraying the front row with a refreshing and attractive spray of water. The crowd cheered loudly for May.
"Aqua Tail'!" May ordered. Wartortle came back out of its shell, and sprayed its attack over the entire the stadium. "May and Wartortle look fantastic out there." Ash said. "They've got the timing on that 'Aqua Tail' down pat." Brock added. "And May's doing a really great job of showing off Wartortle's beautiful tail." Zoey added.
Dawn squeezed even tighter onto Piplup, who was now having difficulty breathing, but didn't say anything. Dawn was obviously feeling intimidated now. First Misty and her water-show, and now May and Wartortle were doing fantastic as well.
"Finish up!" May ordered. Wartortle, who was still using its previous attack, landed back onto the ground with a splash from its own tail, and then squirted a small spray of water, which formed a small rainbow above itself and its master. After Marian finished her color-commentary, the judges had their say.
Mr. Contesta: "Excellent work. Great technique and artistry, and I loved how Wartortle kept smiling the entire way through."
Mr. Sukizo: "Yes, remarkable!"
Nurse Joy: "Along with that lovely tail and shell, it was obvious how well-trained May's Wartortle truly is."
Wallace: "Ahh, the technique of using water as an effective way to bring out the best in Wartortle is a feast for the eyes."
"Wow! These first two coordinators have certainly given Wallace a show!" Marian exclaimed. "May's gotten off to a good start, hasn't she?" Brock said. "She sure has." Misty replied. "Well neither me, Dawn, nor Zoey go on for a while, so if you're going to go change, you'd better go now." Ash said. "Right, seeya in a few minutes guys." Misty said, rushing off to the changing rooms.
After a few more battles, Jessilina got her turn to perform. But not before Misty returned in her gym leader attire: A yellow crop-top with matching shorts, with red outlines on the sleeves. "Wow, you still have that Misty?" May asked. "It's decent casual attire, so I figured I'd take it with me. And it's a good thing I did too." Misty replied.
Meanwhile, Jessilina had walked to the end of the stage. "Hello, hello, hello, hello! I'm Jessilina, the brightest star in the coordinator sky!" Jessilina said confidently, blowing kisses to the cheering crowd. "She's sure confident ever since she won in Solaceon." Brock said. "Arrogant is more like it." Misty spat.
"Pay attention Wallace. Wobbuffet, start your engines!" Jessilina twirled and threw out her Pokeball, and Wobbuffet appeared in a flurry of flowers. But then it clumsily fell over, which the crowd seemed to think was on purpose.
"When people get star-struck, they lose awareness." Misty said. "Must be. There's no way it fell over on purpose." Dawn said, seeming to relax a bit, which resulted in Piplup getting to breathe again. "And now if you will folks, feast your frenzied fan eyes!" Jessilina exclaimed.
"She doesn't really believe in subtlety does she?" May asked. The group all simultaneously shook their heads in response. "Wobbuffet, if you please." Jessilina said. Wobbuffet started glowing orange, and charged towards its master, who was charging towards it.
"The two collided, and Jessilina flew high up into the air. "Upsy daisy!" she screamed. "Guess she likes using that same flying trick." Ash said. "It loses its appeal after you see it once." Misty said with a sweat-drop.
Jessilina landed on Wobbuffet's head, and cheered for herself. "Ta da! (Giggle) You like me, you really like me!" she exclaimed, apparently oblivious to the fact that the only one cheering was herself. The judges groaned in disappointment, which Jessilina was also oblivious to.
"Is she delirious or something?" Ash asked. "No, her ego is just too big to accept the fact that no one cared." Misty replied. "Well don't worry; she'll realize it when she doesn't make it past round one." Zoey said.
"Hey, you're up next, good luck Zoey." Brock said. "Thanks Brock." Zoey replied. Zoey ran down the corridor and ran into Jesslilina. "Top that, twerpette." Jessilina said smugly. "With one hand behind my back." Zoey countered. Jessilina growled, which Zoey responded to with a chuckle.
"Ok…moving right along with our next entry: Zoey, from Snowpoint City!" Marian announced. "I finally get to see Zoey in action!" May exclaimed. "Let's see if she does as great as her fellow red-head." Ash said playfully. Misty gave him a playful nudge in response, and turned her attention towards the screen.
"Phineon, ready, go!" Zoey exclaimed. She threw out her Pokeball, and a fish popped out of it, with small embers following it to the water, where it dove under. "Wow, how cool is that?" Misty exclaimed. "Zoey must've gotten a new Pokémon!" Ash said, pulling out his Pokedex.
"Phineon, the wing-fish Pokémon. Because of its twin-tailed fins that flutter like wings when swimming, Phineon has been called the Beautifly of the sea." his Pokedex said.
"Beautifly of the sea…then it is true." Dawn said. Her comment caught the attention of Misty, May, and Brock, who looked at their stressed friend with a mixture of confusion and concern. "She seems intimidated…this is bad." Misty thought.
"Use 'Silver Wind'!" Zoey ordered. Phineon leaped out of the water and fired a shining stream of wind from its tails, which grazed the surface of the water. "You can all see why Phineon is called the Beautifly of the sea, with this lovely 'Silver Wind'!" Marian exclaimed.
"Now use 'Safeguard'!" Zoey ordered. Phineon landed back into the water, but not before glowing in a green aura. The fish glowed under the water, which gave it a mystical look. "What a way to show Phineon off!" Brock exclaimed. "The perfect way to show off the beauty of water-types!" Misty added. "How would a twerp know perfect?" Jessilina mumbled.
"Because I have a mallet that can make your head deformed?" Misty responded threateningly. Jessilina sweat-dropped and backed up in fear. "Thought so." Misty said with satisfaction.
"Waterfall'!" Zoey ordered. A huge pillar of water formed, and with incredible speed, Phineon climbed it by swimming in circles around it. When it finally reached the top, it splashed and shined in the sunlight. "Incredible! To think that I'd be missing out on all these techniques if I was still in Cerulean!" Misty exclaimed.
"Luckily you had someone who cared enough to get you out." May teased. "I've learned a lot in these past couple of weeks: battling styles, powerful contest techniques, all these things I couldn't possibly have learned in Cerulean." Misty said, ignoring the jab. "In…credible." Dawn mumbled, staring at the screen where Zoey and Phineon concluded their performance. The judges then had their say.
Mr. Contesta: "I really loved the way their artistic effort built on itself."
Mr. Sukizo: "Me too, it was remarkable."
Nurse Joy: "Her Phineon is as beautiful and well-trained as any I've ever seen."
Wallace: "Indeed. A truly lovely sight. Today we have been given a real gift."
"Alright, I'm up next." Ash said, handing Pikachu to Misty. "Good luck Ash." Misty said, giving Ash a kiss for good luck. Ash smiled brightly and headed for the stage. "Zoey and Phineon were just stunning!" May exclaimed. Dawn groaned and squeezed even tighter. By now Piplup couldn't take it anymore, and started chirping desperately to get Dawn to let go.
"Piplup, I'm sorry!" Dawn panicked. "Dawn, are you feeling ok?" Brock asked with concern. "Me? I'm fine! No need to worry Brock!" Dawn said, trying to hide her nervousness. Misty sighed sadly, she knew Dawn was lying when she said she was ok, but saying so would make things worse.
But Misty's spirit lifted when Marian announced the next entrant. "Next up is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town!" she announced. "That's me! Buizel, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed. Buizel appeared in a flurry of lightning bolts, which it punched away before landing on the ground. "Aqua Jet'!" Ash ordered.
Buizel complied and charged through the water with incredible speed and power. "Wow, Ash looks great as well!" May exclaimed. "And I noticed that Ash is focusing more on showing off power than grace." Zoey said. "Naturally. Both me and Ash are battlers at heart after all." Misty added. "It sure didn't look like a battler that was dancing in the water though." May said, referring to Misty's performance.
"Put on the brakes!" Ash ordered. In the middle of the water, Buizel stopped on a dime using its trademark inflatable collar to slow down and stop. "But it looks like Ash hasn't totally forgotten about beauty." May said. "Showing off a Pokémon's natural ability is key in a contest." Zoey said.
"Sonic Boom'!" Ash ordered. From underneath the water, Buizel launched a 'Sonic Boom' attack that made a huge ring flow out from the water, and shot Buizel up into the air by momentum. The crowd was now cheering loudly for the two performers.
"Water Gun' go!" Ash ordered. Still in the air, Buizel fired a powerful 'Water Gun' at the pool, and it carried all the way to where the judges were sitting, and gave them a refreshing spray of water to end their performance.
Wallace: "Sensational! A performance showcasing the power of battle, and a nice dose of appeal."
"Thanks a lot! Thanks for the applause!" Ash said, basking in the glory of the screaming fans. "He heard Dawn's suggestions and put them into practice perfectly." Brock said. "The way Ash, Misty, and Dawn have trained their Pokémon so well, it's terrific!" May exclaimed. "Dawn, you're up next. You ready?" Misty asked.
The group looked over to Dawn and sweat-dropped, seeing the blue-haired girl freaking out as she looked at her reflection in a mirror. "Oh no, I can't believe it, even my hair is nervous!" Dawn cried. "What are you up to?" Zoey asked. "My final check. Do I look ok? Anything sticking out?" Dawn asked nervously.
"You're not the main attraction, your Pokémon are." Zoey said. "Please Dawn, just relax." May said. "Be confident." Brock added. "Remember that there's no pressure at all, since we're all here to root for you." Misty added. "But everyone else performed so well!" Dawn exclaimed nervously.
"So what? You'll do the same thing." Misty said. "But Misty, I'm afraid I'm going to embarrass myself. I'm starting to think that maybe it's still too early for me to get back on the contest track." Dawn said sadly. Piplup was now tired of hearing its master's self-pity, and chirped with pure rage.
"What's eating you? Don't get short with me!" Dawn screamed angrily. "Piplup's trying to get you to snap out of it." Misty said. "There's nothing to snap out of! I'm already doing the best I can and Piplup should know that!" Dawn cried.
Piplup had taken as much as it could handle, and fired a 'Bubblebeam' attack at Dawn, which caused everyone including Dawn to stare Piplup down with awe. Dawn blinked a few times before speaking. "Whoa…Piplup." she said quietly. "Pi plup!" (Wake up!) Piplup said insistently.
Dawn stood tall and slapped her face with the palms of her hands. "I needed that. Thanks Piplup." she said gratefully. "Way to go Piplup!" May exclaimed. Piplup chirped with gratitude. "Now that you've snapped out of it, who are you going with?" Misty asked. "After the Solaceon Contest, I'm going with Ambipom." Dawn replied.
"Well I'm really looking forward to the two of you going at it." May said. "Just remember to keep it natural, like Wallace said." Misty said. "Good luck Dawn." Brock added. "Thanks everyone, for everything." Dawn said, walking to the stage.
Dawn met up with Ash and stopped for a quick conversation. "You and Buizel were amazing Ash." Dawn said. "Thanks Dawn, now you have fun out there." Ash replied. "Thanks, I will." Dawn said. Ash raised his hand up in the air, and Dawn responded by giving Ash a friendly high-five.
Ash walked into the waiting room, and was greeted my Misty, May, Brock, and Zoey. "Hey guys." Ash said. "Hey big guy, you looked great out there." Brock said. "Thanks Brock." Ash replied. "Congratulations Ash." Misty said, wrapping Ash into a quick hug. "Thanks Mist, I hope I make it." Ash said.
"In my opinion, you all have a pretty good shot." Brock said. "Let's hope Dawn does too." Zoey said. The group of teens turned their attention to the screen. "And here's our next entry: Dawn, from Twinleaf Town!" Marian announced.
"Alright Ambipooo – aaah!" Dawn cried. Dawn had stumbled and almost dropped the Pokeball on the floor, which brought gasps of concern from all of her friends in the waiting room. "Are you alright?" Marian asked with a sweat-drop. Dawn regained her composure and smiled. "Yep, I'm fine." she said. The group of teens sighed with relief.
"Ambipom, now! Spoootlight!" Dawn exclaimed. Ambipom appeared and twirled in the flurry of hearts, before landing on the ground and making its trademark symbol with its tails. "Use 'Double Hit'!" Dawn ordered. Ambipom leaped into the remainder of flying hearts, and launched an attack that was almost too fast for the naked eye.
"That's the way! Show 'em Ambipom's true nature! Keep it simple and beautiful!" Zoey exclaimed. "It's inspiring to see how Aipom's evolved and working with Dawn so well!" May added.
"Now use 'Swift'!" Dawn ordered. "Uh oh, I hope she doesn't go overboard." Misty said. "I doubt she'll make the same mistake twice." Brock reassured. Ambipom fired a flurry of stars that splashed into the water, making small spouts of water appear all over the pool. Ambipom then landed on its tails, and awaited the final command.
"Finish it with 'Focus Punch'!" Dawn ordered. Ambipom delivered an ultra-powerful punch to the water, which caused two huge waves to head for the stands. Most of the fans cleared out before getting soaked again, but three onlookers, one with a red 'R' on his shirt, did not escape the water attack.
The left over waves sprayed a mist all over the field, and Ambipom and Dawn concluded their performance with a smile. "Alright! Dawn nailed it!" Ash exclaimed. "And she had fun doing it!" Misty exclaimed happily.
Mr. Contesta: "Well, the controlled power coupled with the coordinator's flawless timing was marvelous to behold."
Mr. Sukizo: "And remarkable!"
Nurse Joy: "They've really shown off how adorable Ambipom truly can be."
Wallace: "Power and technique, even cuteness. Thank you for a delightful performance."
"And after this, we have one last contestant, so get ready!" Marian exclaimed. Dawn ran to the waiting room to rejoin her friends, but not before being greeted by a blonde woman with long hair. "Nice job." she said simply but sincerely. "Thanks." Dawn replied.
Dawn reached her friends, who cheered upon her arrival. "You were incredible!" Zoey exclaimed. "And best of all, you had fun!" Misty added. "Thanks for all your help guys." Dawn said gratefully. "Now there's only one more coordinator to go, and then we see the results." Brock said.
Misty decided that she was thirsty, so she headed over to the small water cooler in the room, Ash followed. But no one was prepared for what came next.
"And last but certainly not least, we have Daisy Waterflower, from Cerulean City!" Marian announced. Misty choked on her drink upon hearing that, and Ash helped her by softly hitting her back with his palm. "Daisy who?" she screamed. She looked at the TV screen and saw her sister, wearing a longer version of her usual water ballet attire.
"Alright Dewgong, like, come on out!" Daisy exclaimed. Dewgong appeared in a flurry of bubbles, and splashed into the water gracefully. "What's Daisy doing here?" Ash asked. "I don't know, but I'm sure glad she is!" Brock exclaimed, ogling at her beauty. Brock was then seen on the floor, after a furious Misty slammed his head with her mallet.
"My sister's got some nerve!" Misty screamed angrily. "That's your sister? I walked right by without even knowing." Dawn said. They watched to see what Daisy had in store.
"Alright Dewgong, like, start off with a 'Water Gun'!" Daisy ordered. Dewgong obliged and fired a 'Water Gun' all over the field and ceiling, getting everything soaked. "And now, use 'Ice Beam'!" Daisy ordered. Dewgong fired a freezing beam at all the water, causing icicles to appear all over the ceiling, it then jumped up and fired at the field itself, causing it to freeze over.
"What's she up to?" Zoey asked. "That's my big question too." Misty said, still upset, although impressed so far. "Alright Dewgong, like, let's slide!" Daisy ordered. Dewgong slid across the field on its belly, and flew into the air by going up an icy slope. "Like, finish with 'Aurora Beam'!" Daisy ordered.
Dewgong fired a rainbow-colored beam at the biggest icicle on the ceiling, which caused a rainbow light to shine across the entire stadium. "Whoa, that's pretty impressive." Misty said, apparently not upset anymore. "You did a good job training her Mist." Ash said. "I trained her for battles, not contests. I have no idea where this came from." Misty replied.
Daisy and Dewgong posed to signal their finish, and then they face the judges.
Mr. Contesta: "Dewgong looked positively stunning and graceful during its performance, a wonderful way to debut.
Mr. Sukizo: "And of course, remarkable!"
Nurse Joy: "The shine from Dewgong's coat and the 'Aurora Beam' mixed together perfectly, what a beautiful Pokémon.
Wallace: "You've shown how well Dewgong's natural abilities can be showcased perfectly in this performance, thank you for a wonderful show."
"And that concludes our thrilling first round! So stay tuned for the announcements from the judges, I wouldn't want their job right now." Marian announced.
Daisy walked into the waiting room and confronted the group of teens. "Like, surprised to see me little sis?" Daisy asked. "Daisy, if you're here, then who's running the gym?" Misty screamed, running her temper back up. "Like, chill out. Lily and Violet have it handled; I took what I learned from you and your boyfriend and gave them some tips." Daisy replied with a flip of her hair.
"…Fine…as long as they're not just giving away badges again." Misty huffed. Brock kneeled in front of Daisy and took her hand. "My darling Daisy, your performance captured my heart and now you can have the rest of me too!" Brock exclaimed passionately. Just then, Croagunk appeared and 'Poison Jabbed' Brock's side.
"Unless…Croagunk…calls…dibs…first." Brock strained. The irritated frog dragged Brock away. "So like, that's not your job anymore?" Daisy asked. "We take turns. So you mind explaining what you're doing here?" Misty asked. "Well, we like, saw your blue-haired friend's performance on TV, and we loved the battle style!" Daisy exclaimed.
"Go on…" Misty said impatiently. "So we started doing battle training, while still making sure that we made the moves look as attractive as possible. That's the way it should be for a Sensational Sister." Daisy said. "That doesn't explain why you're here." Misty said.
"When we, like heard that hunk, Wallace, was holding his own contest, we decided that one of us should go represent the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean, I went because I had the most battle experience." Daisy explained. "Well I will admit, you looked great out there." Misty admitted. "So did you mer-girl." Daisy replied.
"Well, I'm glad it's all over now." Dawn said. "What's wrong Dawn? Still uneasy?" May asked. "It went ok, I think so. But the results…they scare me." Dawn said sincerely. "Have faith in yourself Dawn." Misty said. "Trust me kid, if there's one thing I know, it's style, and you've got it." Daisy added. "You really think so?" Dawn asked.
"There's no need to worry." May said. "Thanks everyone." Dawn said. The group turned their attention back to the screen when Marian appeared, saying that the judges had reached a decision. The giant screen in the stadium showed the sixteen advancing coordinators, and it revealed that Ash, Misty, Dawn, May, Zoey, and even Daisy would be moving on to the second round.
"See? You're all moving to the second stage." Brock said. "And I told you, Jessilina failed." Zoey chuckled. "Arrogance never pays." Misty said. "I saw her act, I've like, never seen such a style-challenged performance." Daisy added.
Dawn stared in awe at the screen before finally speaking up. "I made it? I really made it?" Dawn said in awe. "We're proud of you Dawn." Misty said. "Told you there was no need to worry." May added. "Thanks you guys, couldn't have done it without you." Dawn said gratefully. "Hey thanks, but you did it yourself." Ash said.
"Just remember, don't be over-confident." May said. "Right, now the real competition starts." Zoey added. "And I intend to compete to win!" Ash exclaimed. "That's tough, because I didn't come this far too lose, that ribbon is mine!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Glad to see you're finally totally back to normal." Misty said. "That's for sure. I haven't forgotten we're competitors too, you shouldn't either." Zoey said. Dawn gasped in realization. "Y-Yeah." she said.
"Well, isn't this getting interesting? Starting tomorrow, you're all rivals." Brock said. "You bet!" Ash exclaimed. "With one winner, and that's me!" Dawn exclaimed determinedly. "Don't be so sure, because I didn't come just to fail, I came to win!" Misty exclaimed. "It's getting late guys. We should head for the hotel." Zoey said.
"Daisy, are you coming?" Misty asked. "Like, you actually want me to?" Daisy asked. "That's what sisters are for. Come on." Misty replied. Daisy smiled and joined the group on their walk back to the hotel. "What a beautiful sunset." Misty said, leaning her head on Ash's shoulder as they walked. "Yeah, it's real cool." Ash replied.
"You know, I wish I had someone I could hang with like that." May whispered to Dawn. "I thought you did." Dawn said. "Drew? He…I don't know…I'm not sure if he does or not." May replied sadly. The group walked into the hotel and was greeted by the Nurse Joy who worked at the built-in Pokémon Center.
"Excuse me, Miss May? There's a phone call for you from the Johto League." Nurse Joy said. "Um…thanks." May replied. May shrugged and ran to the nearest videophone to accept the call. "I wonder who would be calling from Johto." Ash said. "I bet I know." Misty said with a smile.
"Come to think of it, I should like, call Lily and Violet." Daisy said. "I'll go with you Daisy." Misty said. Misty gave Ash a quick peck and followed her sister to the video phones. "What do you say big guy, get some dinner?" Brock asked. "Now you're talking!" Ash exclaimed.
The two boys took off, leaving Dawn and Zoey by themselves. "So what do we do?" Dawn asked. "My suggestion, get some rest. We've got a lot to do tomorrow." Zoey replied. Dawn nodded and followed Zoey to the bedroom.
With the group all doing their own thing, the Wallace Cup had only just begun, and the next day would prove to be a competition that everyone would look forward to.