AAML: Diamond and Pearl version

by EchidnaPower

Follow me as I remake the DP episodes in order and in sequence, all so I can add the biggest star besides Ash himself. Misty! Watch her and Ash's love grow as they go on their journey. A Pokeshipping series. Also includes Penguinshipping, Handymanshipping, slight mentions of Contestshipping, and a Brock shipping to be named later. Oh yeah, there's PikachuXBuneary here too.

20. The Drama of the Wallace Cup

I am truly ashamed at how long it took for me to update this story, but I hope you all think the wait was worth it for this chapter, and I hope you enjoy the twists I've added to the Wallace Cup! I own nothing except this story.
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Chapter 20

Normal POV

Misty, May, and Daisy joined Dawn and Zoey in the girls' bedroom and changed into their pajamas. "We better get some sleep guys; we have a long day tomorrow." Zoey said. "We can't go to sleep now! We need to have some girl fun before we turn into rivals tomorrow!" May exclaimed. "So what do you suggest?" Dawn asked.

"Well, I just happen to have some snacks here, and we can figure it out from there!" May exclaimed, pulling out a bag of assorted sweets. "Like, a slumber party? I had those all the time when I was a little girl. And there was always like, one thing that it was never complete without." Daisy said. "Oh yeah, and what's that?" May asked.

Daisy glanced at her now nervous little sister before replying. "We talked about boys." Daisy said. "Heh, yeah, great story sis. Moving on!" Misty said, trying to dodge the subject. It wasn't like Misty had a problem with talking about Ash; it was just the fact that it would be on her sister's terms that would make it awkward. "Oh no, no slumber party is complete without a nice, long conversation about boys." Daisy said, insisting upon it. "I'm gonna get you for this." Misty hissed.

"So, let's like, start with Zoey." Daisy said. "Me?" Zoey asked. "Yeah, is there like, somebody you care about?" Daisy asked. "Not really. I figure when the time comes, I'll know who it is." Zoey replied. "Fine, how about you Dawn?" Daisy asked. "Same goes with me. I haven't really been turned on by anyone." Dawn replied. "Wow, does anyone here like anyone?" Daisy said exaggeratedly.

"She's toying with me." Misty thought angrily. Daisy's attention was caught by the bouncing Buneary, who was begging to go next. "Alright then, you go next." Daisy said, acknowledging Buneary's enthusiasm.

Buneary explained her crush on Ash's Pikachu, although it was hard for Daisy to follow. "Like, what?" Daisy asked with confusion. "Buneary said that she likes Ash's Pikachu, although she's not sure whether Pikachu likes her back or not." Dawn translated. "Bun bun bun eary." (I sure hope he does.) Buneary said with her ears drooped.

"Aww, don't worry Buneary, just don't give up. You'll get through that thick head of Pikachu's soon enough." Misty encouraged. "Bun bun eary?" (You mean it?) Buneary asked. "Sure, I cracked through Ash's head, and now we're a couple. Pokémon take on the behavior of their trainers, so just keep doing what you're doing, Pikachu already seems to like you a bit." Misty replied.

"Bun eary bun!" (Thanks a lot!) Buneary squealed, hugging Misty tightly. "It sure took a while, didn't it Misty?" May said. Misty glared at May, sending her a silent message to drop the subject.

"Oh yeah, he's like, all she talked about in the gym." Daisy said. "Daisy!" Misty hissed. "Well am I wrong?" Daisy asked.

"What about you, sis? Who's on your mind?" Misty asked, trying to counter. "Well if you must now, I think that drawing friend of yours is pretty cute." Daisy said. "Drawing friend…that seems familiar." May said. "Of course it's familiar, she's talking about Tracey!" Misty said. "Oh yeah, the guy with the sketchpad?" May asked.

"That's right. And he like, never goes anywhere without his little sketchpad. I should know, he like, asked me to pose for him." Daisy said. "And of course, you agreed." Misty figured. "That's right, like, how'd you guess?" Daisy asked. "It's too obvious." Misty said with a sweat-drop.

"Well, I say we end this with May. How about it then?" Zoey asked. "I'll have to thank Zoey for taking the heat off of me later." Misty thought. "Who me?" May asked. "Yeah, what did Drew say earlier?" Misty asked teasingly. "H-How'd you know it was Drew?" May asked. "A call from Johto? Who else would it be?" Misty asked knowingly. "Well…I guess I can tell you." May said.

[Flashback]

May answered the videophone and found Drew on the other end. "Hello May." Drew said coolly. "Uh, hi Drew. How's the Johto League going?" May asked, confused as to why Drew had bothered to call her. "Same old, same old. I did see you in the Wallace Cup though." Drew said. "Oh…you did?" May asked.

"Yes, I did." Drew replied. "And…what'd you think?" May asked. "Not bad. You and Wartortle were pretty impressive as far as your performances go." Drew said coolly. "Um…thanks?" May replied, unsure of how to take it. "You know Harley was watching too." Drew said seriously. "Oh really? And what did he think?" May asked in an annoyed tone.

"It's Harley. What do you think?" Drew replied. May growled inwardly. "Now listen up, you better get yourself ready for the rest of the Wallace Cup, that way when you come back to Johto, you can actually give me some sort of decent competition." Drew said. "I will Drew, thanks." May said, her face tinted a soft pink.

"Oh, and one more thing, give this to Beautifly." Drew said, sending a red rose over to May. May accepted the rose and blushed deeper. "You sure this is for Beautifly?" May asked, holding the rose to her heart. "You can have it if you want." Drew said coolly. "I do…thanks Drew." May said with a wink.

Drew had the slightest hint of blush on his face for a moment, but then regained his composure. "Make sure you don't disappoint me May." Drew said. "I won't. Thanks for the call." May replied. As soon as Drew hung up, May sniffed the rose and held it close to her heart again.

[End Flashback]

"He gives me these all the time, and I love them every time." May said, holding the rose in her hand. "Aww, how sweet." Misty said. "So what makes you think he may not like you?" Dawn asked. "He never really…says anything. He just hands me the rose, on occasion he'll say a small something, and then walks away." May explained.

"I've like, seen that situation before. That's when a boy is like; too shy to say much, so he acts all cool to throw you off." Daisy said. "Really?" May asked, blushing. "Like, really." Daisy replied. "There you go May! You have someone who cares!" Dawn squealed. May blushed as deep as her face would allow, and held the rose to her heart.

"Just don't think I'll let you win the Wallace Cup to impress him May." Zoey said. "Of course not! I'm looking forward to the challenge!" May replied. "Well you have your work cut out for you, because I intend to win!" Dawn said. "I do too! I never enter anything without making sure to give it my all!" Misty added.

"I'm going to do the same, my mom was a top coordinator, and I want to make her proud!" Dawn said. "Having a top coordinator for a mom must've gotten you on the contest track early, huh Dawn?" May said. "Yeah, I even begged her to teach me her awesome recipe for poffins." Dawn replied.

"So you wanted to be a coordinator since you were little?" May asked. "I grew up idolizing my mom and her contests!" Dawn replied. "Hey May, what about you?" Zoey asked. "Well…let's just say in the beginning I had a little trouble dealing with Pokémon at all. But after I started learning about contests and how much fun they were, I was hooked!" May explained.

"And they like, hooked me too!" Daisy added. "At least you're learning one way or another." Misty said. "That leaves you Misty. I know you're not a contest kinda gal, but how'd you get started with Pokémon?" Zoey asked. "Well, I guess I kind of always liked water-Pokémon." Misty said. "ALL water-Pokémon Misty?" Dawn asked.

Misty automatically knew what she was referring to. "Yes, all. I don't hate Psyduck; I just wish it was less dopey is all." Misty replied. "So you've been a trainer for a long time then." Zoey figured. Ever since I was old enough to talk, and I got my Staryu, my dream was to be a water-Pokémon master. How my older sisters missed out on that, I have no clue." Misty said.

"Because we like, got hooked on something else first little sis. Something girls should focus on." Daisy said, flipping back her long, blonde hair. "Let me guess, fashion?" Zoey asked knowingly. "You're catching on." Daisy replied. "And what about now? You were totally awesome in the Wallace Cup!" May exclaimed.

"Well, after seeing contests in action, I've like, decided that when I head back to Cerulean, I'm gonna open up the gym for spectators whenever I have a gym battle, then I'll like, put on a show for them!" Daisy replied.

"Whatever Daisy, just make sure you remember that your opponent is trying to attack while you're doing that." Misty said. "Don't worry about that Misty; she'll get some experience for that style of battling in round two." May said.

"So May, what are actual Johto contests like?" Dawn asked. Before May could answer, a crash was heard on the other side of the wall. The group of girls got up and ran to Ash and Brock's room, where they saw Ash and Pikachu on the floor at the foot of their bed.

Misty giggled and helped Ash to his feet. "Was it comfy down there?" she asked playfully. "Ash, you do have a bed you know." Brock said with a sweat-drop. "I know Brock; I was dreaming I was in the middle of a really tough battle." Ash said, rubbing his head.

"You like, sure that was it? Or were you dreaming about something else?" Daisy teased. "Nope, it was a battle." Ash reassured, ignoring the jab. Ash went to the bathroom and came out in his regular clothes, and then he walked out into the hallway with Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Ash, where are you going?" Dawn asked. "Well, since I'm not sleeping so well, I thought I'd go for a walk." Ash replied. "Would you mind some company Ash?" Misty asked. Ash smiled and then motioned for Misty to come along.

Misty ran back into the girls' room, and quickly emerged in her familiar attire. "By the way, have you had that outfit since Kanto? I figured you'd have outgrown it by now." Ash said. "I have bigger versions Ash, this isn't the same one." Misty replied. Ash and Misty walked down the hallway and eventually disappeared from sight.

"And so, our talk about boys has like, officially ended." Daisy said, looking in the direction that the couple disappeared too.

Back with Ash and Misty, they had walked outside the hotel, and were heading for Lake Valor. "Sorry about Daisy, Ash, she just can't resist." Misty apologized. "What makes her teasing different from Dawn or May's? I don't really mind." Ash replied.

"But still, what was the point in saying that?" Misty asked in an irritated tone. "Hey, can I tell you something Mist?" Ash asked. "Sure Ash, you can tell me anything, you know that." Misty replied. "Well…uh…I may have been dreaming about a battle…but you were the only one there cheering for me." Ash said sheepishly.

"Not even Brock?" Misty asked. Ash shook his head in a "no" fashion and smiled at the red-headed girl. Misty turned pink and smiled back. They reached the lake and leaned over the metal railing, enjoying the view and each other's company. Misty placed herself underneath Ash's arm and stared back at the crystal clear water.

The breeze softly blew through her red hair, giving her an even more attractive look. "That night breeze sure feels nice." Ash said. "And the water looks incredible; it just shines in the moonlight." Misty said dreamily. "You know, I'm really glad I decided to compete. The way Buizel looks totally energized in the water like that, it's like I'm getting started on something brand new." Ash said.

"I'm having a lot of fun doing it too. Gyarados seemed happier than it had been since the last time we played together like that." Misty said. "You looked awesome out there Mist. I'm sure glad you kept it a surprise, I never expected you to make a comeback as the mermaid." Ash said. "I thought it'd be nice to put on a show again. After all, Misty the Mermaid was a huge hit in Cerulean." Misty said proudly.

"Yeah, I remember. Misty the tomboyish Mermaid was awesome." Ash said with a smirk. Misty jabbed Ash's ribs playfully and laughed at his attempt at a joke. The two then fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's presence, and gazing at Lake Valor and all its majestic glory.

After a little while longer, the sound of ripples was heard in the water, which caught the attention of Ash and Misty. "What's that?" Ash wondered out loud. The lake water swirled, and a small white light appeared in the lake.

"What the?" Ash wondered. A strange see-through, shadowy, figure appeared and flew around the air. "Ash…do you see what I see?" Misty asked in awe. "Yeah…but what is it?" Ash replied. The couple stared in awe at the ghostly figure that was floating in the air. The figure disappeared back into the water, leaving Ash and Misty in shock at what they just saw.

The two stared at each other, both wondering the same thing. "What the heck was that?" After a few seconds of staring, Ash broke the silence. "We gotta tell Brock!" he exclaimed. Misty nodded and followed Ash back to the hotel.

They barged through the hotel doors, catching the attention of two bellboys and an off-duty maid. They looked at the rampaging couple, thinking they were out of their minds or something, as they watched them run up the stairs to the rooms.

They finally reached Ash and Brock's room, where they quickly opened the door and found Brock bending over the desk, probably reading a book on breeding. "Brock!" Ash yelled. Brock stared at the two trainers who were now gasping to catch their breath. "Those two look like they've seen a ghost-type." Brock thought.

"In Lake Valor! It was shining! And it was spinning! And all of a sudden, whoosh!" Ash stammered. Misty and Brock eyeballed the black-haired trainer and his Pikachu, sweat-dropping at Ash's pathetic description.

"I don't have a clue what you just said. Misty, you wanna give it a shot?" Brock suggested. Misty was about to give her input, when the four other girls walked in to see the totally freaked out Ash. "What's wrong?" Dawn asked.

Misty was about to try again, when Ash suddenly turned around, and started speaking incoherently again. "The thing! In Lake Valor! It was glowing! And then, whoosh! It disappeared! We have no idea what it was!" he stammered.

The group stared at Ash and sweat-dropped as he continued to freak out. "Ok, that's it." Misty thought. Misty now had a choice to make. Mallet, Azurill, or maybe a more tender approach. Her heart fluttered and she smiled inwardly at the third choice that had popped into her mind, so she went with that.

Misty tilted her head and kissed Ash's cheek, which caused him to blush and quickly stop talking. "What was that for Mist?" he asked softly. "To get you to stop babbling." Misty said with a smile. Ash smiled back. "I think I should babble more often." he said sheepishly. "Alright, now that Misty's calmed your nerves AGAIN. Care to give your explanation another try?" Brock suggested.

"Let me do it." Misty said. Ash shrugged and sat down on the bed Indian-style, letting Misty have the chance to try.

"We were staring at the lake, when a certain spot in the water started to swirl, like a whirlpool. Then, a strange white light appeared in the lake, and a shadowy figure started flying around in the air. After a few minutes, it flew back into the water and disappeared without a trace." Misty explained.

"That like, seems pretty far-fetched, are you sure you weren't seeing things?" Daisy asked. "No way! We both saw it! It was like whoosh! And then it just disappeared!" Ash exclaimed, getting all hyped-up again. Piplup had grown tired of Ash's mumbling, so it fired a 'Bubblebeam' attack in his face.

"Your turn to wake up!" Dawn laughed. Ash coughed and held up his hands defensively. "Ok, ok! I'm fine, no more!" he panicked. "We'll hold you to that." May giggled. "I think I like Misty's way a lot better." Ash mumbled.

"So let me get this straight. You two saw some sort of strange light in Lake Valor, right?" Brock asked. "Yeah, it was like the light was alive or something." Ash said. "You know, the same thing happened to me." Dawn added. Ash and Misty gasped when she said that. "Tell us what happened!" Misty exclaimed. "I thought I already did to be honest." Dawn replied.

"Well, maybe you did, but I wasn't here to hear about it, so humor me." Misty said. Dawn nodded and began her story. "It happened on the first day I met Piplup, I was at Lake Verity and I saw a strange shadow." Dawn explained.

"That sounds just like what we saw." Ash said in awe. "Professor Rowan's always said that there was a legendary Pokémon living in Lake Verity…wow…you guys must've just gone through what I did." Dawn said.

"Mist, you really think it was a legendary Pokémon we saw?" Ash asked. "It wouldn't be the first time. And come to think of it, it did have a distinct shape to it." Misty replied. "Hey, your stories remind me of another story I heard while I was in Snowpoint City." May said. Upon hearing that, Zoey had her turn at gasping.

"Right around that area, there's a lake there that's called Lake Acuity. And there are all these rumors saying that a mysterious Pokémon lives there." May explained. "All these stories seem to like, have something in common." Daisy said. "You're still with us big sis?" Misty asked teasingly. "Like, give me some credit Misty, I'm not totally brainless." Daisy replied.

"She's right though. All these stories involve a lake somehow." Brock said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Well I know that what May's telling us is the truth." Zoey said. "Really? How?" May asked. "You see, I'm from Snowpoint City, and I used to hear those stories when I was younger." Zoey replied. "Wow! Zoey, that's amazing!" Dawn exclaimed.

"The legend of the mysterious Lake Acuity Pokémon is well-known around there. It speaks of a shadowy figure, emerging from the surface of the water from time to time as it patrols the lake. It's the same type of legend in both Lake Valor and Lake Verity!" Zoey said.

"You know, if they're legendary Pokémon, all of these sightings and stories just might have something to do with the Sinnoh Space-and-Time legend." Brock said. "I'm going to get in touch with Professor Rowan in the morning and ask him first thing!" Dawn exclaimed.

"This is like, really weird, I'm going to sleep while I'm still able to sleep." Daisy said, freaked out a little at the situation. Brock leaped from his seat and kneeled in front of Daisy, holding her hand. "If you're really frightened, I could stand guard for you until you're safe in your dreams, I'll hold you tightly and comfort your aching and uneasy heart!" he said passionately.

As usual, Croagunk appeared and gave him a sharp 'Poison Jab' in his side. "Someone…needs to comfort…my aching side." Brock strained. The eldest male doubled over in pain, and was then dragged and placed onto his bed by Croagunk. "It's like, tough being this attractive." Daisy said vainly. "I think it's tough on Brock too." Dawn said with a sweat-drop.

"Well, like, goodnight everyone." Daisy said, turning to leave. "Night sis." Misty said. Daisy looked back and responded with a warm smile, and then flipped her long, blonde hair before walking out.

"My sister just isn't cut out for adventure." Misty said with a sweat-drop. "How come you don't act like your sisters?" Zoey asked. "Oh…well…I was usually described as a tomboy, since I didn't really care about what my sisters care about. And I guess they had that right now that I think about it." Misty replied.

"Gimme a high-five girl, our kind have to stick together." Zoey said, holding her hand in the air. Misty high-fived her fellow tomboy's hand and smiled. "Wow, best friends in the blink of an eye." May laughed. "I'll be perfectly honest though; this whole situation is a bit scary when you really think about it." Misty said sincerely.

You could've heard a pin-drop after she said that, the room had turned grim, as each of the teenagers pondered the situation in their own mind.

"Well guys, all I can say is that we need to get some sleep. So try your best to keep your mind calm." Brock said seriously. "Right." the group replied in unison. May, Dawn, and Zoey left the room, but Misty stayed back, eyeing the floor as if it was the most interesting thing around.

Ash caught Misty's nervous expression and stared at her worriedly. "Mist, you alright?" Ash asked softly. "Yeah…I-I think so." Misty replied quietly.

Misty looked into Ash's chocolate-brown eyes and saw the concern for her evident in them.

Ash looked into Misty's deep, blue-green eyes and saw what he translated as fear in them.

"Are you sure?" Ash persisted. Misty continued to stare into his eyes, and finally looked away. "I'm just tired is all." Misty replied. "Well, if you're sure that's all." Ash said, unconvinced. Misty forced a smile. "I'm sure." she said. "Why am I lying to him? He obviously doesn't believe me." Misty thought.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong Mist? Is it because Brock's here?" Ash wondered. Misty turned to walk away, but she wasn't expecting Ash to follow her to the door. Misty stopped and turned around, and Ash stared her down, sending her a silent message to keep walking.

Misty caught on and walked out of the room, where Ash closed the door behind them. "Brock can't hear us now. What's wrong?" Ash asked sternly. "Wow Ash, you sure are persistent…I guess that's your way of showing how much you care for me." Misty thought.

"I guess I'm just a little scared is all." she replied finally. "Of what?" Ash asked patiently. "Ash, do you really think it was just a coincidence that we just had a similar experience that Dawn did? I think something's going to happen." Misty said, looking away from Ash's gaze.

"I don't know Mist, it is really weird, but we've made it through everything that's ever been thrown at us, and I'm willing to bet that this time won't be any different." Ash replied. Misty hesitated, but she finally looked into Ash's eyes, and saw the sincerity in them. But she wanted to make sure. "You mean that Ash?" she asked.

"Yeah, I mean, when have we not come out on top?" Ash asked with a smile. Misty gave a reassured smile back. "You have a good point. Thanks Ash." she replied. Misty wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, and leaned her head onto his left shoulder. Ash placed his right arm around Misty's waist, and his left hand went to the back of her head.

Misty sighed happily, feeling Ash finger her hair. They were so wrapped in their tender moment, that they didn't even hear when Dawn had come out to see what was taking Misty so long. "(Giggle) I gotcha this time." Dawn thought mischievously.

Dawn pulled out her Pokédex and snapped the photo that she had been dying to get for so long. She managed to sneak back into the room, just before Misty pulled back from Ash and kissed his nose. "Love you Ash. Good night." Misty whispered. "G'night Mist. Love ya too." Ash replied softly.

Misty reluctantly released herself from Ash's tender hug, and turned to walk into the girls' room. When she got there though, she found Dawn and May giggling at something. "What's so funny?" Misty asked. Dawn pulled out her Pokédex and showed Misty the picture that she had taken of her and Ash embracing each other.

"Oh, ha ha." Misty said dryly. "Don't worry Misty, I won't show anybody else." Dawn snickered. "That better be a promise." Misty threatened. "I'll make sure of it!" May exclaimed. "Hey, I thought you were on my side!" Dawn whined.

"I'll help you out Misty, as long as you keep my liking Drew a secret." May said with a wink. "It's a deal!" Misty replied. "Oh yeah, what's keeping me from telling?" Dawn asked. "You have no proof of it Dawn, that's what." Zoey said. Dawn groaned in defeat, and put her Pokédex back into her backpack.

"You're backing me up too?" Misty asked. "Like I said, we tomboys have to stick together." Zoey replied. Misty smiled and high-fived her fellow tomboy once more. "So does this mean you'll leave me and Ash alone finally?" Misty asked hopefully. "Of course not! Only this time is all." May replied. Misty face-faulted, which brought giggles from everyone except the sleeping Daisy. "Can we just get some sleep now?" Zoey suggested. "Fine, we'll go to bed." May pouted.

The girls slipped into their respective bunks, and the room quickly fell into silence. "I hope that this is a sign that the teasing is going to die down soon. I know they're just playing, but it's really starting to get annoying." Misty thought.

"Hey Brock, can I ask you something?" Ash asked, staring at the ceiling, as he laid in his bed. "Sure Ash, what's up?" Brock replied. "Why do you guys tease me and Misty so much?" Ash asked. "Ash, if you want me to stop, I have no problem with it." Brock replied.

"It's just that I think Misty is starting to get annoyed by it. What if it gets so bad that she decides I'm not worth it?" Ash asked fearfully. "You don't have to worry about that. Trust me, Misty loves you more than you can imagine." Brock reassured. "And I feel exactly the same way Brock…I don't think I would be able to handle it if she left because she was tortured." Ash said.

"You want me to talk to Dawn and May?" Brock asked. "No Brock, I just hope that Misty doesn't decide to leave or something." Ash said. "She won't Ash, just trust me." Brock replied. "But Brock! What if she decides to leave with Daisy or something?" Ash asked, growing more and more fearful.

"Stop right there. I want you to get some sleep before you lose your mind." Brock insisted. "(Sigh) I'll try Brock, but I can't help but feel nervous." Ash said. The room grew silent, Brock quickly went to sleep, but Ash was left in thought.

"Please don't let them chase you off Mist, I need you…I love you…and I won't even be able to eat without you. Please…please…please…" Ash's mind wandered into sleep, he had exhausted himself with worry, to the point where he couldn't stay awake any longer.

The next morning, Misty woke up from her slumber, not surprised to see that she was the only one awake once again. She grabbed her gym leader attire and walked into the bathroom to change.

"(Sigh) Here we go…brush teeth…fix hair…hmmm…maybe some light make-up? Nah…I'm not Daisy, I don't need it."

She came out to see that the only one awake now besides her was Zoey, but Dawn and May were stirring. "Your sister sure sleeps soundly." Zoey said. "The term for people like her is lazy." Misty whispered jokingly. "I'll get the girls up, you go wake up Ash and Brock." Zoey said.

"Good luck getting Daisy up." Misty said. "Don't worry; I have a plan for that." Zoey said with a smirk. Misty looked at her sister and snickered; she then walked out of the room to wake her beloved Ash. And Brock too of course.

She softly knocked on the door, to see if anyone was awake. Brock opened the door to let Misty in, but said nothing. "Ash is still asleep huh?" Misty said quietly. "Yeah, but Misty, I need to talk to you before he gets up." Brock said.

Noting Brock's forlorn expression, Misty's thoughts immediately concluded that something was wrong. "Something's wrong, right?" Misty asked knowingly. Brock nodded in response. "Ash told me last night that you were getting tired of all the teasing that we do about you and Ash being a couple." Brock said.

"Well I won't lie, it's getting really annoying." Misty said. "Yeah, well…you wanna know why I think Ash is so exhausted?" Brock asked. Misty nodded, growing more worried as he spoke. "I think he's worried…" Brock said. "Worried? What about?" Misty asked. Brock hesitated, but eventually gave in. "Worried that the teasing will chase you away from him." Brock said.

Misty's hand slowly made its way to her mouth, and she took a quick glance at the exhausted Pokémon Trainer she loved so dearly. "He told me last night Misty. He thinks if it continues, you'll go as far as to leave with Daisy when she heads back to Kanto." Brock said.

"B-Brock, I-I would never consider that for even a second!" Misty exclaimed quietly. "I know that Misty, but Ash was losing sleep over it last night." Brock said. "Oh…Ash…the teasing is annoying now, but Ash is more than worth it. He's the reason I can take the teasing!" Misty replied.

"Don't tell me, tell him." Brock said, pointing in Ash's direction. Misty stared at Ash, her heart hurting for the troubled boy. "Oh Ash, that would be just like you to be scared of something like that." she thought. She walked past the taller male, and sat herself on the bed, next to the sleeping Pokémon Trainer.

She stroked his messy, black hair, almost mindlessly. "Don't worry Ash; I'll never, ever leave you. Never again." she thought.

"Misty will handle Ash. I think I'll go and tell Dawn what needs to be said." Brock thought. With that, Brock quietly left the room, leaving Misty to tend to Ash.

Misty remained silent the whole time, the only movement she made was the constant stroking of Ash's jet-black hair. Ash eventually started to stir, which brought Misty back to her senses. He fought to stay asleep, but was eventually forced into opening his eyes.

But when he did open his eyes, he smiled at the sight. "Hey Mist." he said sleepily. "Morning Ash." she replied softly. Ash lifted himself into a sitting-up position, and was about to get up to get dressed, when Misty held his hand to keep him from leaving.

"Ash, I need to talk to you." Misty said. Ash suddenly remembered what he had discussed with Brock the night before. "Oh no, don't tell me she wants to leave!" he thought fearfully. Ash sat himself down on the bed next to Misty, trying to hide the despair that he was now feeling in his heart.

"Brock told me what happened last night." Misty said. "Misty, please don't let their teasing bother you! I don't want you to leave because of them! I need you Mist! Please don't go…!" Ash was cut-off by Misty's finger on his lips.

"Calm down Ash. Let me finish." Misty said calmly. Ash obliged, although it was obviously hard for him to stay quiet. "While I admit that their teasing is becoming a nuisance…" Misty paused, and she saw the pain Ash was feeling growing stronger, despair was written all over his face, as he was on the verge of tears, which seemed to hurt her as well. "Next she'll say that she wants to leave…" he thought sadly.

"Nothing will EVER make me want to leave you for any reason whatsoever…I love you Ash Ketchum, and I'm staying right here with you…where I truly belong." Misty said with a loving smile. Ash's face brightened dramatically, and glowed from the enormous amount of blush that was there now.

He smiled at her. She smiled back. The two moved closer and embraced each other tightly, any closer than they already were, and they may have suffocated themselves, but even a thought like that seemed trivial to them at the moment, as they both desired to do only one thing, and that was to hug each other tighter.

They both felt a surge of warmth enter their bodies, as they held each other silently. Neither one of them wanted to break the loving atmosphere the room seemed to have taken on.

They couldn't hear the noise coming from the city that was filtering in from the balcony; they heard only each other's soft breathing.

They couldn't see the flower patterns on the walls, or any other small detail of the room, they saw only each other.

They couldn't feel the bed that they were embracing each other on, or the floor that their feet were resting on, they felt only each other's presence.

They finally pulled apart slightly, so that one could see the other's face, their noses touched each other, the embrace as strong as ever. "Do you really mean that Mist?" Ash asked, in possibly the quietest voice he had ever spoken in. Misty matched his almost non-existent decibel and replied. "More than I've ever meant anything before." she said.

Brown met with blue-green, and stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, they suddenly felt the urge to do something they had never done before.

"Kiss me Ash…Oh how I want you to kiss me…I don't think there could be a better time than right now." Misty thought dreamily, as she continued to stare into Ash's dark, brown eyes.

"Wow Mist…guess you weren't kidding when you said you loved me…I mean…I knew you did, you told me…but to this extent? It's amazing…" Ash thought dreamily, as he continued to stare into her radiant, cerulean-blue eyes.

If their faces blushed any deeper, someone could mistake them for tomatoes. But they didn't care, they were alone, they were together, immersed in each other's love. And slowly, but also surely, Ash tilted his head to the side, which Misty immediately recognized as what she had dreamed of since she had first fallen in love with him.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head in the opposite direction to accommodate the event that she would remember for the rest of her life. Her first kiss.

Their faces moved closer, closer, closer, until finally…their lips touched. Both felt a new surge of emotion, burning in their hearts, as their lips gently brushed against each other.

After for what seemed like an eternity, they reluctantly broke the kiss, and stared at each other with the most loving of expressions, and they both thought exactly the same thing. "Wow."

"I guess this means you're not going back home?" Ash asked. "I am home…right here." Misty replied with a smile. The two silently stared at each other, until one small sound quickly brought them apart.

"Pi…ka." (Oh…wow.)

Ash and Misty's faces were only beginning to cool off, and now that they realized that Pikachu had been silently watching the whole time, their faces were brought up to almost feverishly high temperatures. "H-Hey buddy." Ash said.

"Pi ka chu Pikapi…pi pi chu pika." (Don't worry Ash…my lips are sealed.) Pikachu reassured. The couple gave sighs of relief at that. "Oh my gosh, Ash we have to get moving!" Misty exclaimed suddenly, glancing at the clock.

"Oh man! How long were we…you know?" Ash asked. "About…ten minutes." Misty replied. "Really? Seemed a lot longer." Ash said. "That's what love does, now get moving, you've gotta look good for the Wallace Cup." Misty said with a wink.

Ash nodded, grabbed his tuxedo off a hanger, and ran for the bathroom to change. "So Pikachu, you're not gonna tease us?" Misty asked. "Pika pika chu Pikachupi, pi ka chu chu pika." (Of course not Misty, I'm happy for you two.) Pikachu replied.

"As long as we're on the love subject…I'm sure how you know Dawn's Buneary likes you and all…" Misty said. "Pi…pi chu ka pi." (Uh…yeah I know.) Pikachu said, slightly embarrassed. "Do you like Buneary back?" Misty asked plainly. Pikachu's pigment suddenly turned bright red, which answered Misty's question automatically.

"Don't worry Pikachu, I won't tell if you don't tell anyone what me and Ash just did." Misty said. "Pi ka chu!" (It's a deal!) Pikachu said with relief. "Just make sure you don't take too long in telling Buneary that you like her back." Misty said with a wink. "Pi chu." (I'll try.) Pikachu replied.

Ash came out of the bathroom in his brown tuxedo and fedora, then Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder. "Ready to go Mist?" Ash asked. "You bet." Misty replied. Ash took Misty's hand and gave it a squeeze, and they walked down to the hotel lobby, hand in hand all the way.

They found Dawn, Brock, May, Zoey, and a very sleepy, but awake nevertheless, Daisy. "Hey guys." Ash said. "Morning Ash, how are you?" Brock said. "Feeling great." Ash replied. Dawn walked up to the couple, looking guilty. "What's wrong Dawn?" Misty asked. "Listen, you know I'm not trying to be mean when I tease you right?" Dawn asked.

"Don't worry about it Dawn. Apology accepted." Misty said with a smile. Dawn sighed with relief, and then turned to leave. "Let's hurry it up guys; we gotta get there before it gets too crowded!" Zoey exclaimed.

LATER

The group waited patiently for the lineup cards to be announced, so they would find out who would be battling whom.

"Hey Dawn, you seem so nice and relaxed now." May pointed out. "Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good about the second stage, of course; really believing in myself and my Pokémon really helps a lot." Dawn replied. "That's just what I like to hear." Misty said.

"Guys, look!" Ash exclaimed. The group looked at the TV screen, and the cards revealed that Dawn was up first. But something else was more surprising. "I'm going up against Daisy?" Misty said. "A sibling battle, this should prove interesting." Zoey said.

"I have full confidence in your abilities as a coordinator my darling Daisy. I'm sure you'll come out on top in the end!" Brock exclaimed passionately. For the first time, Ash yanked Brock away by the wrist. "Your loyalties seem a little mixed up." Ash said angrily.

"Hey, if he like, wants to cheer for me, let him." Daisy said, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. "It's ok Ash; I'll kick her can anyway." Misty said with a smirk. Daisy glared at her younger sister, but didn't reply.

The announcement was made that the first two coordinators were to take the stage. "Well, I'm up first." Dawn said. "Good luck." Brock said. "Get a win and start us off right!" Ash exclaimed. "And remember to just relax and have fun." Misty added. "Thanks everyone, seeya!" Dawn replied. Dawn ran to the stage with a full head of steam, ready to take on anything.

"Nothing like getting through the first stage to give Dawn some much needed confidence, you know?" Zoey said. "She's more fired up than when she was ready to go in Solaceon Town!" Misty added. "She's really good at getting fired up; it's staying that way that she needs to get good at." Brock said.

"Looks like she's ready to go!" Ash exclaimed, noting that Dawn had reached the stage. Misty grabbed Ash's hand and gave it a squeeze. "A little worried Mist?" Ash figured. "I just hope she makes it. She can't lose confidence again." Misty replied. Ash squeezed back to reassure her.

"Buneary, now! Spooootlight!" Dawn exclaimed. Buneary popped out of the ball in a flurry of hearts.

"Wailmer, out here for the action!" her opponent exclaimed. His Wailmer appeared in a flurry of bubbles, and splashed into the water.

"Brine'! Let's go!" the boy ordered. Wailmer fired a spout of water from its blowhole, and lifted Buneary up onto the spout. "Quick Buneary, somersault!" Dawn countered. Taking advantage of the power from the 'Brine' attack, Buneary showed off its cuteness by flipping in the air, which the crowd absolutely adored.

"Hey, no fair!" the boy complained. "Why, that's just fabulous!" Wallace exclaimed, getting up from his seat in astonishment. "Now Buneary, use 'Bounce'!" Dawn ordered. Buneary hopped off the water spout, and started bouncing on Wailmer's head like a trampoline. The boy's points started depleting rapidly, as Buneary continued to hop on Wailmer's head, and finally did a back flip to land safely on dry land.

"Quick! Use 'Surf' now!" the boy ordered. Wailmer's eyes glowed blue, and a giant wave suddenly appeared and picked up Wailmer to charge toward the small rabbit Pokémon. "Ok Buneary, now spin!" Dawn countered.

Buneary leaped toward the wave, and spun like a top in mid-air, causing the water to swirl around it in an attractive display.

"Alright! Way to go Dawn!" Ash exclaimed. "Dawn's really looking alive out there!" May exclaimed. "It looks like getting past the first round was the perfect cure for lack of confidence after all." Misty added.

"Dizzy Punch' let's go!" Dawn ordered. Buneary leaped toward the whale Pokémon, and started punching its stomach with its long ears. "Great Buneary! Now keep it up!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Use 'Hidden Power'!" the boy countered. Wailmer backed up from Buneary's attack, and fired spheres of energy that charged towards the small rabbit. "Quick Buneary! Dodge it!" Dawn countered.

Amazingly, Buneary jumped through the attack unscathed. But the attack followed it, as it was determined to hit its target. Buneary hopped onto Wailmer's head, and then leaped off before Wailmer got hit by its own attack, and fell to the water with a splash.

"Ice Beam' now!" Dawn ordered. Buneary jumped up for one final attack, ready to finish the round there and now. "Body Slam'!" the boy countered quickly. Wailmer leaped into the air and charged toward Buneary, but the 'Ice Beam' had already been launched, so Wailmer merely got turned into a giant ice chunk, and splashed back into the water.

The clock ticked down to zero, which signaled the end of the match. After looking at the point total for the two coordinators, it was revealed that Dawn had won easily, and she squealed with glee.

Mr. Contesta: "The wonderful combination of Buneary's elegant footwork and moves was powerful and effective."

Mr. Sukizo: "And don't forget remarkable either."

Nurse Joy: "It was honestly enthralling to see both Buneary and Wailmer with such great form out there."

Wallace: "That was powerful and delicate. A perfect blend. I have high hopes for the next battle too."

After hearing the judges' high praise, Dawn and Buneary embraced on the stage with sheer happiness. "Thank you so much Buneary!" Dawn exclaimed happily.

"Whoa! Dawn won it like I told her to!" Ash exclaimed. "I think her having fun had more of an impact than you did Ash." Misty said with a smirk. "Dawn's choosing Buneary made a big difference too." Buneary's fancy footwork really lifted up the audience's spirits, to say nothing of Dawn's spirits." Brock said. "Well, since Dawn was enjoying herself, the audience couldn't help it." Zoey added.

"The bar's been raised, now we have to win too!" May exclaimed. "So who's next by the way?" Ash asked. The group turned to the TV, and saw that the next ones up were Misty and Daisy. "Oh, that's who's up." Ash said.

"Well little sis, let's like, show them what Cerulean girls are made of." Daisy said. "Sure thing! Let's put on a water show that they'll remember!" Misty exclaimed excitedly. Daisy turned to walk to the stage, followed closely by Misty, but Misty was stopped by Ash grabbing her hand.

She turned around to see Ash's smiling face, and she smiled back in response. "Good luck Mist." Ash said. "Thanks Ash." she replied. And with that, Misty turned and ran to catch up with her sister. "You guys don't mind if I root for Daisy, do you?" Brock asked hopefully.

The younger teens sweat-dropped at the love-stricken Brock, and didn't bother to reply.

"Here are our next coordinators! On one side, we have Misty Waterflower, from Cerulean City! And on the other, we have Daisy Waterflower, also from Cerulean City!" Marian exclaimed.

The clock began to count down, and the two siblings threw out their Pokéballs.

"Misty calls…Staryu!"

"Alright Dewgong, like, let's go!"

Both Pokémon appeared in a flurry of bubbles. Staryu landed on the stage, while Dewgong splashed down into the water.

"Alright Dewgong, like, start with 'Aurora Beam'!" Daisy ordered. Dewgong leaped into the air and fired a rainbow-colored beam at the sea-star Pokémon. "Dodge it with 'Rapid Spin' Staryu, and then use 'Bubblebeam'!" Misty countered.

Staryu spun out of the way of the freezing beam, and then fired a beam of bubbles at Dewgong. The bubbles completely surrounded Dewgong, which made it become restless. "Like, try to calm down Dewgong!" Daisy cried. "Staryu, use 'Rapid Spin' again!" Misty ordered.

Staryu spun again and charged right through the flurry of bubbles, and connected hard with the seal-like Pokémon, and Daisy's points began declining rapidly. "Dewgong, like, try an 'Ice Beam'!" Daisy ordered. Dewgong leaped back and fired an 'Ice Beam' directly at the sea-star Pokémon.

"Dodge it Staryu!" Misty countered. Staryu jumped out of the way, just before the freezing beam made contact, but after missing its target, the 'Ice Beam' hit the field, freezing it over solid. "We'll use that! Staryu, use 'Swift' towards the field!" Misty ordered.

A flurry of stars went flying towards the icy field, and they bounced off, and went in all directions, some even hitting Dewgong in the process of bouncing around. "Come on Dewgong, like, stay with me!" Daisy cried.

The clock ticked down to one minute. More than half of Daisy's points had been depleted, while Misty still had at least three-fourths of hers left.

"Misty and Staryu are looking great out there!" Ash exclaimed. "I don't think we can say the same for her sister." Zoey said. "Well Daisy hasn't gotten much practice besides what little she's done in the gym in Cerulean, so battle experience really makes a big difference here." Brock explained.

"Staryu, let's end this! Use 'Water Gun'!" Misty ordered. Staryu fired a powerful stream of water from its top point, which easily nailed Dewgong head-on. After the barrage of attacks, time didn't even have to tick down to zero, for Dewgong had already fainted in the water.

"Oh no, Dewgong!" Daisy cried. "Dewgong is unable to battle! So that means that the winner of this round is Misty and Staryu!" Marian announced. "We did it Staryu!" Misty cheered.

Mr. Contesta: "The speed and execution of Staryu's attacks and dodges were something amazing to watch the whole way through."

Mr. Sukizo: "And of course, remarkable!"

Nurse Joy: "Staryu's reaction time was absolutely incredible; it's obvious that you've trained it well."

Wallace: "We've just seen the speed and intensity of a gym battle, and it included some of the style of a contest, well done both of you."

"Misty did awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "But poor Daisy didn't make it through!" Brock groaned. "You can't have it both ways Brock." Zoey said. "Hey Ash, you're up next!" Dawn exclaimed. "I'm up against that Kyle kid." Ash noticed. "Be careful Ash, I watched him, and he's good." Zoey said. "Right, thanks Zoey. Wish me luck guys!" Ash called out, running through the corridor to the stage.

As Ash ran through the corridor, he met up with his beloved Misty. "You looked great out there Mist." Ash said. "Thanks Ash, and good luck to you." Misty replied. The two shared a quick hug, and then Ash took off for the stage.

Misty walked into the waiting room, just as Daisy was walking in from the other end. "Way to go Misty!" Dawn exclaimed. "You and Staryu were amazing out there!" May added. "As much as I like, hate to admit it, I still have a lot to learn." Daisy admitted.

"You did a lot better than I thought you would sis, just keep at it." Misty said encouragingly. "I thought you were incredible Daisy! Your beauty was the most noticeable thing during the whole match!" Brock exclaimed passionately. Croagunk appeared and jabbed Brock again. "Of course now…I only notice the pain." Brock strained.

Brock fell to the floor, and was dragged away by the irritated poison/fighting type. "So that means you and Dawn made it, now we have to get through." May said. "But Ash has his work cut out for him. That Kyle guy knows what he's doing." Zoey said. "I'm sure Ash does too. You just watch." Misty said.

"I have faith in you Ash; show everyone what you're really made of." Misty thought.

The clock started ticking down from five minutes, and the two competitors called out their Pokémon.

"Ta da! Buizel, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed. Buizel appeared in the flurry of lightning bolts once more, ready for battle.

"Lanturn, you're up!" Kyle exclaimed. Kyle's Lanturn appeared from the ball with blue confetti flying everywhere. It did a mid-air somersault before finally splashing into the water.

"Uh oh, Lanturn's an electric-type." Misty moaned. "That's a Lanturn?" Dawn asked, pulling out her Pokédex.

"Lanturn, the light Pokémon, and the evolved form of Chinchou. Lanturn's antenna light is strong enough to penetrate the ocean, and can be seen from the water's surface." her Pokédex chirped.

"No doubt Lanturn's gonna be one tough opponent." Brock said sullenly. "Its being an electric-type leaves Ash and Buizel at a huge disadvantage." Zoey added. "Ash has battled disadvantages before and won, this won't be new to him." Misty said. "Don't forget this is a contest battle though, you can't just hack away like in a gym battle." Zoey replied. "Well then let's just cheer them to victory!" Dawn exclaimed. "I like your style Dawn." Misty replied.

"Now Lanturn, use 'Charge'!" Kyle ordered. Lanturn jumped out of the water, only to dive back down. It glowed with a magnificent electric aura, which brought Ash's points down immediately. "Lanturn's showing off those amazing electric powers, which really puts the pressure on Ash." Zoey said. "Yeah, using Lanturn's antenna is brilliant…this coordinator is awfully good." May added sullenly.

"I think we'll use that glowing water too! Buizel, 'Sonic Boom'!" Ash ordered. Buizel leaped into the air and fired a powerful 'Sonic Boom' straight towards the water. The resounding shock wave launched Lanturn high into the air, and depleted more than a fourth of Kyle's points.

Kyle chuckled smugly, which brought concern to Ash's face. He looked up and gasped when he saw Lanturn bearing down on Buizel in mid-air.

"Oh no, not that!" Ash yelled fearfully. "And, if you don't mind, I think we'll use your 'Sonic Boom' as well! Now 'Thunderbolt'!" Kyle ordered.

Thanks to the effects from 'Charge', Lanturn's 'Thunderbolt' was more powerful than it normally would've been, and it hit Buizel dead-on with amazing power. "Oh man, no! Buizel!" Ash cried. The attack finally ceased, and Buizel groaned in pain, but not before Ash's points were depleted almost to the point of almost half of them being gone.

"Charge' increases the power of the next electric-type move; I'm afraid Buizel's taken a serious amount of damage from that 'Thunderbolt'!" Brock explained. "If I know Ash, he'll pull through somehow!" Misty exclaimed determinedly. "He does have a knack for turning things around at the last minute." May added.

"I was hoping you'd use your Buizel again, now I can predict exactly what you're going to do!" Kyle exclaimed smugly. "Why that little…" Ash grumbled angrily. "Alright, 'Ice Beam' go!" Kyle ordered.

Lanturn leaped out of the water and fired a freezing cold beam towards the water-weasel Pokémon, and just firing it alone brought Ash's points down again.

"I'm running out of points, I gotta think of something fast! Wait a sec, an 'Ice Beam'? That's it!" Ash realized.

"Ok, go for it! Use 'Aqua Jet'!" Ash ordered. Buizel enveloped itself in water, and charged directly at the 'Ice Beam'. "Ash is really doing that?" Dawn exclaimed. "Doing what?" Misty asked. "If it works, you'll see in a minute!" Brock replied.

"Buizel, now spin!" Ash ordered. Buizel began spinning like it did versus Maylene in the Veilstone gym, and continued to head straight for the freezing attack. "What are those two up to?" Kyle wondered with surprise.

Buizel and the 'Ice Beam' collided, and the 'Aqua Jet' was glazed over with a thin sheet of ice. Everyone gasped in shock, even Wallace himself was extremely surprised by what had just happened. "I've never seen this before!" Kyle yelled fearfully.

"Use 'Ice Aqua Jet' and take it all the way!" Ash ordered. Buizel, now surrounded by ice, charged towards the water/electric-type fish with incredible speed. "Lanturn, use 'Thunderbolt', hurry!" Kyle countered.

Lanturn fired, but Buizel dodged the attack and dove into the water. It swam directly for Lanturn, and struck it high into the air with an uppercut-like blow. Buizel then broke out of the ice with a surge of power, depleting Kyle's points dramatically.

"Way to go Buizel!" Ash cheered. "A fusion move! He did it!" Dawn exclaimed. "Talk about surprise, Ash is really a piece of work." Zoey said. "Actually, that 'Ice Aqua Jet' was originally Dawn's idea." Brock explained.

"So I guess you could say he stole it from you then?" Misty asked with a smirk on her face. "Well I wouldn't say that exactly, after all, it took Ash's touch to get it to actually work." Dawn replied. "But still! Just coming up with it! Amazing!" May exclaimed. Dawn turned pink from embarrassment, and then turned back to the screen.

"Hydro Pump', go!" Kyle ordered. Lanturn fired an ultra-powerful stream of water in front of Buizel. The resulting shock wave knocked Buizel out of the water, causing Ash's points to deplete further. It now appeared neck-and-neck between the two opponents.

Buizel used its collar to slow itself down, and land safely on the stage. "Buizel's collar just gave me an idea! Misty'll probably be proud of me for this one!" Ash thought excitedly.

"Buizel, use 'Aqua Jet' and head straight up!" Ash ordered. Buizel enveloped itself in water and charged for the ceiling. "Now what?" Kyle yelled. "Alright Buizel, inflate that collar!" Ash ordered. Buizel complied and inflated his collar, and slowly started floating down to the ground.

"Big mistake! It's an easy target now! Use 'Thunderbolt'!" Kyle ordered. Lanturn complied, and fired the powerful electric attack straight for the floating Buizel. "Now Buizel! 'Water Gun'!" Ash countered. Buizel, who by now had caught on to Ash's plan, fired the attack towards the water, and started flying around like it had a jet-pack.

Just like with the 'Ice Aqua Jet', everyone, including Wallace, gasped in awe. "Wow, check that out!" Dawn exclaimed. "You didn't come up with that Dawn?" Misty asked. "Nope, I've never seen this before!" Dawn replied. "Ash must've come up with this just now!" Brock said. "Awesome! Maybe we should call it 'Aqua Jet-pack'!" Misty added.

"Buizel, finish the job with 'Water Pulse'!" Ash ordered. Still firing its 'Water Gun' attack to keep itself airborne, Buizel fired a ball of energized water towards the frightened Lanturn. "Oh no, Lanturn!" Kyle yelled.

Lanturn was hit dead-on, causing Kyle's points to decrease once more. "There's only a few seconds left! Use 'Ice Beam' again!" Kyle countered. Instead of obeying, Lanturn struck itself with the 'Ice Beam', freezing its antenna. "Lanturn, what's wrong?" Kyle panicked.

"Now you know why 'Water Pulse' is my favorite water-type move! It might leave the opponent confused afterwards!" Misty exclaimed. "There's only a few seconds left, Ash has this one in the bag!" Dawn cheered.

The clock reached zero, and the big-screen revealed that the winner (just barely) was Ash. "Awesome job Buizel!" Ash cheered.

Mr. Contesta: "Quite simply, one impressive contest battle move after another."

Mr. Sukizo: "And of course, not to mention remarkable!"

Nurse Joy: "One of the most brilliant and powerful battles I've ever seen!"

Wallace: "This battle between powerful electric-type moves, and that 'Ice Aqua Jet' and creative use of 'Water Gun', demonstrated total mastery of the contest battle!"

"After that awesome 'Ice Aqua Jet' and 'Aqua Jet-pack', how could Ash not come out on top?" Dawn said. "Those moves showed off Buizel well, especially that 'Ice Aqua Jet'." May added. "Like, I'll have to try that someday." Daisy said.

"Sure thing sis, let me know when Dewgong learns 'Aqua Jet'." Misty said with a sweat-drop. Ash appeared in the waiting room, and was greeted by the cheers of his friends. "Nice job out there big guy, that 'Ice Aqua Jet' was incredible." Brock said. "Hey, thanks Brock, but I think I owe Dawn some of the credit for coming up with it." Ash said.

"You were amazing Ash! You too Buizel." Misty said, scratching Buizel's head. "Bui." (Thanks.) it replied coolly. "And where'd that other move come from? I sure didn't think of it." Dawn asked. "Well, when Buizel used its collar to slow down by instinct, I noticed that it kind of looked like a parachute, so I thought if we gained some air, we could kind of do some Para-sailing." Ash explained.

"Well we thought it looked more like a jet-pack, so that's what we called it!" Misty said. "Huh? A jet-pack?" Ash said. "Yeah, we unanimously agreed that the move would be called 'Aqua Jet-pack'!" Misty exclaimed. "Aqua Jet-pack'…I like it! What do you think Buizel?" Ash asked excitedly. "Bui bui!" (Sounds awesome!) Buizel replied.

"Alright Zoey, you're up next." Brock said. "Right, wish me luck guys!" Zoey replied, walking down the corridor to the stage.

The battle ensued quickly, with Zoey easily defeating her opponent with her Shellos, and May did the same in her battle using her Skitty.

"Nice job all of you." Brock congratulated. "Thanks a lot Brock." Ash said, speaking for the whole group. "Now we'll see who we face next." Zoey said. The group stared at the TV screen, and saw their opponents; they were surprised when it was revealed that Ash and Misty would be facing off against each other.

"Whoa, a couple battling against each other." Dawn said. "Well Mist, looks like I'll finally get that payback for you beating me in the Whirl Cup!" Ash exclaimed determinedly. "You wish Ash! I'm not gonna show any mercy!" Misty replied, matching his tone.

"Now I don't know who to root for." Dawn said exasperatedly. "That's easy. We girls have to like, stick together." Daisy replied. "Oh yeah! Guess you're right, good luck Misty." Dawn said cheerfully. Ash face-faulted in disbelief.

"Don't worry big guy, you won't be completely without a cheering section." Brock offered. "Thanks a lot Brock." Ash moaned, still on the floor. "C'mon Ash, let's go give them something to cheer about." Misty said, extending her hand to help him off the floor.

Ash accepted her hand and was helped up by his red-headed girlfriend. They split up and ran for the opposite corridors, and finally met up at the opposite ends of the field. After the announcements were made, the clock started ticking.

"Alright Buizel, I choose you!" Ash exclaimed. For the third time that day, Buizel emerged in a shower of lightning bolts, ready for battle.

"My turn! Misty calls…Vaporeon!" Vaporeon emerged in a flurry of bubbles, and stood on the water, awaiting orders.

"Alright Buizel, let's start off with 'Sonic Boom'!" Ash ordered. Buizel leaped into the air and launched a powerful sound-wave at the bubble-jet Pokémon. "Vaporeon, counter with 'Water Pulse'!" Misty countered.

Vaporeon fired the ball of water towards the 'Sonic Boom' attack, and it exploded in a grand display, with mist falling from the sky, causing Ash's points to deplete slightly. "Alright, try a 'Water Gun'!" Ash ordered.

Buizel fired a stream of water at Vaporeon, who just stared it down. "Vaporeon, 'Aqua Ring'!" Misty countered. Rings of water surrounded Vaporeon, showing off its beauty and grace. That alone depleted Ash's points. And when the 'Water Gun' made contact, the 'Aqua Rings' that surrounded Vaporeon expanded, only making it look even more fabulous.

"Alright, that's it! Buizel, use 'Aqua Jet'!" Ash ordered. Buizel complied, and charged towards Vaporeon at blinding speed. "Water Pulse'!" Misty countered. Vaporeon fired the sphere of energized water at the incoming Buizel.

"We'll take that! Spin Buizel!" Ash ordered. Misty gasped and watched in horror, as Buizel began spinning, and absorbed the 'Water Pulse', adding its power to Buizel's attack, which depleted Misty's points.

The attack made contact with Vaporeon, who was sent flying backwards, not so much by the water, but by Buizel making impact with it. Thusly, Misty's points deteriorated further.

"Ash pulled off a smart move by taking that 'Water Pulse' for his own." Brock said. "Yeah, especially since Misty's countered every other move that Ash has made so far." Zoey said.

"Alright Vaporeon, use 'Blizzard'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon sent a freezing snowstorm towards the water-weasel. "Ready Buizel? Let's get ready for 'Ice Aqua Jet'!" Ash countered. Buizel spun and charged towards the ice-type attack, but Ash became concerned when he noticed that Misty was smiling.

"Take it all the way Buizel!" Ash yelled. Buizel charged into the snowstorm, but instead of glazing over like before, Buizel got lost in the freezing attack. "Use your 'Acid Armor' to dodge!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon jumped into the water and supposedly disintegrated into the water, leaving the poor, lost, water-weasel to crash into the wall painfully. "Oh no, Buizel!" Ash cried.

"Why didn't it work this time?" Dawn asked. "Probably because when it's against an 'Ice Beam', the attack hits head-on. 'Blizzard' is a wide-spread attack, so it doesn't have the same effect that an 'Ice Beam' or an 'Aurora Beam' would have." Brock explained. "And Misty knew that apparently." May said.

"Use 'Shadow Ball'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon appeared from the water and fired a shadowy blob of energy at the shaken up Buizel. "Buizel, counter with 'Sonic Boom'!" Buizel shook itself to its senses, and fired a powerful sound wave right in the middle of the 'Shadow Ball', which caused it to split in two and miss its target.

Misty's points began to lower, but not enough to give Ash the lead. She still had a few spare points before Ash caught up with her.

"Not much time left! Buizel, use 'Aqua Jet' and hurry!" Ash ordered. Buizel charged towards Vaporeon and made contact before Vaporeon could have the chance to react. Misty's points depleted yet again, leaving her and Ash nearly neck-and-neck.

Ash was just about ready to send off another attack, when the clock finally ticked down to zero, with Misty having a very small amount of points more than Ash. "We did it Vaporeon!" Misty cheered. "Aww man." Ash moaned.

Mr. Contesta: "Both Vaporeon and Buizel showed off their power and agility, with one creative use of moves after another.

Mr. Sukizo: "Yes, remarkable!"

Nurse Joy: "Vaporeon's shining scales looked lovely underneath the veil of 'Aqua Ring', and like all of your other Pokémon, it has obviously been trained well."

Wallace: "It is quite refreshing to see that the coordinators we've seen today understand the pressing need to have a combination of both contest and gym battling style.

"Ash sure put up a fight for a comeback." Zoey said. "I guess Misty's opening barrage was too much to overcome." Brock said. "Hey, you know? It's sad that Ash lost, but it's great that Misty won! So I say we look on the bright side!" May said, being her ever-cheerful self.

Ash and Misty left the stage, but not before the crowd gave Ash a standing ovation, for his previous match with Kyle, and his use of 'Ice Aqua Jet' and 'Aqua Jet-pack'.

The two reached the waiting room, where they were greeted by their friends for a job well done. "Nice try big guy." Brock said. "Thanks Brock. Well Misty, looks like you beat me again." Ash said, slightly bummed that he had lost.

"I had a lot of fun Ash; you sure gave me a run for my money right at the end." Misty said. "I guess me and Buizel just don't know when we're licked, huh?" Ash asked with a small smile. "Well…I wouldn't say we had you licked, I'll just say that you still can't match my skill with water-types." Misty replied cheerfully.

Ash gave a small, but sincere chuckle at Misty's attempt at humor. A purple-haired woman with glasses and a huge bow-tie appeared, asking Ash for an interview. "Uh, sure?" Ash said hesitantly. "You should come too! Come on, I need to interview both of you!" the woman exclaimed too cheerfully.

Despite her protesting, Misty was dragged along with Ash to a small stage where the interview would take place. The small make-up man gave the reporter some last minute adjustments to her face, before the cameraman started counting down. "We're on in three…two…one…"

"Hiiiii! I'm out here interviewing coordinators who have already bitten the contest dust!" the reporter exclaimed. "Uh, ok?" Ash said nervously. Ash wasn't nervous about the interview, that had already happened on more than one occasion. He had just never been interviewed by someone as overly-perky as the purple-haired reporter who was doing so now.

"Tough break, losing to your girlfriend and all, but your 'Ice Aqua Jet' and 'Aqua Jet-pack' are the talk of the contest! Even Wallace was knocked out! To be a loser while still making a good impression is really something!" the reporter exclaimed.

"Thanks, but I didn't…hey wait a second! How'd you know she was my…" Ash yelled angrily. "Isn't that something folks?" the reporter exclaimed, cutting him off. "And as for you, you and that gorgeous Vaporeon of yours wiped the floor with this magnificent loser here!" the reporter said, placing Misty on the small stage next to Ash. "Excuse me, but I wouldn't exactly call Ash…" Misty was cut-off.

"Well, isn't that special? This has been Jessidiah, your perky and provocatively cute roaming reporter, back to you!" Jessidiah exclaimed cheerfully. "Huh?" Ash and Misty gasped in unison. "And clear. Good work Miss Jessidiah." the blue-haired cameraman said. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Do I do any other kind?" Jessidiah said proudly.

"Wait a second! You call that an interview? All you did was announce to the world that me and Ash…" Misty was cut-off yet again by Jessidiah, who was now pushing her and Ash back into the waiting room. Just as they reached the room, Jessidiah took off at blinding speed, leaving the couple absolutely bewildered.

"She's a piece of work." Ash said. "Good grief, how can she call herself a reporter? At least Rhonda let you get a word in." Misty said exasperatedly. "What happened to you two?" Zoey asked. "Don't ask." Misty replied with a sweat-drop. "Where's Dawn?" Ash asked. "Like, take a look at the screen." Daisy replied.

Sure enough, Dawn and Pachirisu were already battling another girl and her Pelipper, and by the looks of the point value, Dawn was clearly winning. Ash and Misty didn't get to watch much however, as the clock had already ticked down to zero.

"Wow! We did it! Thanks Pachirisu!" Dawn exclaimed happily.

"Awesome! So Dawn made it past the second stage!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. "Pachirisu was just great!" May cheered. "I wish I could've seen it, instead of being stuck with that creepy reporter." Misty added, obviously still annoyed by what had happened a few moments ago.

"At least it's going well for Dawn." Zoey said. "You're up next Zoey!" May said. "Alright, wish me luck." Zoey said coolly. Zoey disappeared down the corridor, just as Dawn appeared from the other end. "Congratulations Dawn!" May exclaimed. "Thanks May. And Misty, congrats on you making it too!" Dawn said.

"Thanks, but Ash sure didn't make it easy for me." Misty said, elbowing Ash's ribs playfully. Ash smiled sheepishly at the comment.

Zoey's battle went quickly thanks to her Misdreavus' 'Double Team', and May simply over-powered her opponent thanks to her Venusaur's size and strength.

"And that's it for today everyone! Join us tomorrow when someone will be awarded the coveted Aqua Ribbon, and be announced as the winner of the Wallace Cup! On behalf of the judges and the amazing Wallace, I'm Marian, goodnight to you all!" Marian announced.

"Well, that's it then. Let's head to the hotel and get some rest." Brock said. "Good, I like, need my beauty sleep." Daisy said wearily. "Daisy, you didn't even do anything beyond getting beat by me." Misty said. "Like, yeah I did! I stood there and watched you guys battle, which can be exhausting." Daisy replied.

Misty face-faulted and groaned at her sister's pathetic reply, which brought laughs from everyone.

Later at the hotel, the group (minus Daisy) sat on the balcony, discussing the day's events. "Sorry Ash, tough break." Brock said sullenly. "But I have to tell you Ash, you pulled off that 'Ice Aqua Jet' perfectly!" Dawn said. "And that 'Aqua Jet-pack' was genius!" May added.

"Yeah, I found it kind of hard to believe that I had won against Kyle. I guess beating Misty was too high of a mountain to climb." Ash said. Buizel groaned with disappointment. "But I will give you this Ash, you and Buizel were in perfect sync out there!" Misty said. "Hey Buizel, she's right! Just think of how well we'll do the next time we battle!" Ash exclaimed determinedly.

Buizel announced its agreement by punching the air with determination. "Don't think it'll be any easier the next time around though." Misty warned. "I know Mist, but you have to admit, we rocked!" Ash said. "Yes, I guess you did." Misty said with a wink.

"Well, since I did lose, tomorrow you just leave the cheering section to me!" Ash exclaimed. "Easier said than done Ash. Remember that it'll be Dawn and May battling each other, and then Misty versus Zoey!" Brock said. "Oh yeah, you're right." Ash said with a sweat-drop. "Don't worry about me Ash; I understand that you'll probably want to cheer for Misty." Zoey said, a slightly teasing tone in her voice.

Ash seemed to reel back, and then took a quick glance at Misty, who knew exactly why Ash had jumped. She winked at him reassuringly, which seemed to bring peace to Ash's face. "It's gonna be a battle between best friends!" Ash exclaimed.

"Best friends or not, I'm getting the Aqua Ribbon!" Zoey said determinedly. "That's my line!" May said, giggling. "Uh, keyword: AQUA Ribbon. Anything water-orientated is as good as mine!" Misty said. "Friends are forever, but so is winning the Wallace Cup." Dawn added.

"Alright, head on to bed before you get too competitive." Brock said. "Alright Brock, g'night guys." Dawn said, heading back into the room. May and Zoey followed, but Misty stayed back once again. "Something on your mind Mist?" Ash asked.

"Nah, just wanted to relax for a bit." Misty replied. Ash sent down next to her and entwined his fingers into hers. "I think I'll just get to bed now. Don't stay up too late guys." Brock said. The two waved goodnight to the Pokémon Breeder in training, and enjoyed the moonlit sky together.

The next morning, the group of teens rushed to the stadium once more, and had no time to waste before Dawn and May would take each other on for their spot in the finals.

The clock immediately began ticking down from five, and the battle began.

"Okay! Piplup, spooootlight!" Piplup appeared in a flurry of bubbles, chirping excitedly.

"Alright Glaceon, take the stage!" Glaceon emerged, surrounded by red confetti. It somersaulted in mid-air, and landed on the stage for battle.

"Whoa, it's Glaceon." Dawn said, slightly intimidated. "This battle must be Glaceon's first." Ash said. "You know, Glaceon's a lot stronger now than when it evolved from Eevee. Wonder how May's gonna show it off." Brock said.

"Piplup, 'Bubblebeam'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup twirled and fired a stream of bubbles that barely skimmed the surface of the water. "Dodge it, and use 'Secret Power'!" May countered. Glaceon ran right by the 'Bubblebeam attack, and glowed in a magnificent pink aura. Glaceon tackled Piplup hard, knocking it backwards, and also paralyzing it. This caused Dawn's points to wither.

"Just relax Piplup, and you'll be alright." Dawn said calmly. "Using 'Secret Power' like that to show off Glaceon was great strategy, a smart move." Zoey said. "Doesn't the effect of 'Secret Power' change depending on where you happen to be?" Ash asked.

"Right, but when you're on stage, it causes paralysis." Brock explained. "At least Dawn seems to be keeping a level head about it, the last thing she needs now is to freak out." Misty added. "As long as she can keep her composure, she should be fine." Zoey added.

"Ice Shard', go!" May ordered. Glaceon did a back-flip in mid-air, and fired sharp pieces of ice at the paralyzed penguin Pokémon, which caused Dawn's points to deteriorate further. "Quick! In the pool!" Dawn countered. Piplup rolled off the stage and splashed into the pool bottom first to avoid further damage.

"Hey, that'll work!" Misty exclaimed suddenly. "Huh?" the rest of the group said, wondering what Misty meant by that. Piplup stayed submerged, until it realized that the water had cured it of its paralysis. It quickly swam up to the surface and jumped into the air. "Now that's how you use a water battle-field." May said to herself.

"And yet another reason why water rules! Jumping in the pool caused the paralysis to wear off!" Misty exclaimed. "That was a smart move on Dawn's part." Zoey added. "Make a note of that Daisy, water equals paralysis cure." Misty said. "Like, whatever Misty. Now quiet, I'm watching the show." Daisy said dismissively. "If I didn't love Ash as much as I do, I would go home with her just to run her ragged!" Misty thought darkly.

"Piplup, use 'Whirlpool'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup created an enormous whirlpool, and held the powerful attack over its head. That alone caused May's points to lower. "Nice going!" May complimented. Piplup fired the attack at the ice-type, who merely stared it down.

"But I think it's time…to grab some of that power! 'Mirror Coat'!" May countered. Glaceon became enveloped in a mirror-like glow, and sent the 'Whirlpool' back at Piplup, who took double the damage that Glaceon did.

"You ok?" Dawn asked with concern. "Piplup!" (Heck yeah!) Piplup replied determinedly. "Bubblebeam', now!" Dawn ordered. Piplup ran forward, launching a rapid-fire stream of bubbles that came too quickly for Glaceon to dodge, thusly, May lost points.

"Shadow Ball'!" May ordered. Glaceon fired the move it had learned as an Eevee, masterfully aiming it at its target. "Piplup, spin and dodge!" Dawn countered. Piplup leaped into the air and spun out if the way gracefully.

"Wow! What a beautiful dodge! But now…I'll take that water! Glaceon, 'Secret Power'!" May ordered. Glaceon ran for the small puddle of water that had washed up on stage from the 'Whirlpool' attack, and glowed in the pink aura once more. "Secret Power' again?" Dawn asked with confusion.

"So what'll it do this time?" Ash asked. "Oh no!" Misty screamed suddenly. "Dodge it quick!" Dawn countered. Piplup landed on the ground, but Glaceon's speed was too great for Piplup to avoid the mysterious attack, thusly, Dawn's points withered.

"Quick! Snap out of it!" Dawn exclaimed. Piplup defiantly ignored the effects of the attack, and landed on the ground having taken zero damage, which brought gasps of shock from both May and Glaceon.

"And that's because the effects of 'Secret Power' are somewhat random!" Brock explained. "If that attack did hit, it might've caused sleep, Dawn got really lucky this time." Misty said with relief. "Luckily, if 'Secret Power' doesn't hit, it's almost as weak as an attack like 'Tackle'." Zoey added.

"Alright, try this! Glaceon, 'Shadow Ball'!" May ordered. Glaceon formed a 'Shadow Ball' and threw it up into the air, and then with a powerful somersault, it slammed it down toward Piplup, adding to its power. "Bubblebeam' go!" Dawn countered. Piplup twirled and fired the attack, causing the 'Shadow Ball' to break apart. The bubbles swirled around Glaceon, which caused Glaceon to take damage, May to gasp in shock, and her points to deteriorate.

"Piplup, use 'Peck'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup charged towards the trapped Glaceon, ready to continue its barrage. "Dodge it, then use 'Ice Shard'!" May countered. Somehow, Glaceon managed to slide back and escape both attacks, and then it leaped into the air and fired razor sharp shards of ice at the small water-type.

"Whirlpool'!" Dawn countered. Piplup created a small whirlpool to shield itself from the incoming shards of ice, which depleted May's points further.

"They look like they're neck and neck!" Ash exclaimed. "Both Dawn and May are putting up an incredible battle; both of them must really want to get to the finals." Misty added. "And there's only one minute left, these next few attacks are gonna decide it." Zoey added.

"Ride the 'Whirlpool', now!" Dawn ordered. Piplup jumped onto its attack, and stood on the water like it was a surfboard, which the crowd absolutely loved.

"That's it! Show them, May and Dawn!" Ash cheered. "Can't decide who to cheer for Ash?" Misty asked teasingly. Ash smiled sheepishly in response. "They're both my friends, I don't want either of them to lose." he said. "I hope you don't trouble deciding for the next battle." Misty said. Ash audibly gulped, as a huge sweat-drop appeared on the side of his head.

"I'm kidding Ash. Don't worry, as long as I have fun, that's all that counts." Misty said reassuringly. Ash exhaled with relief, which forced a smile to Misty's face.

"Shadow Ball'!" May ordered. Glaceon fired again, hoping that this time it would hit its target. "Dodge it!" Dawn countered. Piplup leaped off of the whirlpool it was surfing on, just before the 'Shadow Ball' caused it to evaporate away.

"Bubblebeam'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup emerged from the steam, firing a stream of bubbles that nailed its opponent hard, and depleted May's points even further.

"Now Glaceon! 'Shadow Ball'!" May ordered. Glaceon complied, and fired once again. "Piplup, use 'Peck'!" Dawn countered. Piplup charged towards the attack with a sharp beak. But instead of disintegrating like Maylene and Lucario's 'Aura Sphere', the 'Shadow Ball' spread out, creating a veil that kept Glaceon hidden from sight.

"Glaceon, 'Ice Shard'!" May ordered. Glaceon launched the razor sharp ice-type move. It went through the ghostly veil, leaving Piplup helpless as it hit dead-on, and depleted Dawn's points once more.

"Great May, nice work." Dawn complimented. "Back at ya Dawn." May replied. "Tiny little attacks aren't going to work against May, so in that case…" Dawn thought.

"There isn't much time left, I know Dawn's coming in with a big attack!" May predicted. Her prediction would be proven correct by Dawn's next order.

"Let's decide it now! Piplup, 'Whirlpool', go!" Dawn ordered. Piplup launched the powerful water-type move at Glaceon. "Ah hah! Use 'Mirror Coat'!" May countered. Glaceon glowed in the mirror-like coating, and hit the 'Whirlpool' attack head-on, attempting to have it return to sender.

Piplup's attack was so powerful this time around however that even the 'Mirror Coat' couldn't keep Glaceon from taking damage. But Piplup did not get away unscathed however, as Glaceon did manage to have the attack hit both itself and Piplup.

Time ran out just as the attack completely disappeared, and it appeared that May and Dawn had nearly equal points. But through the gasps of amazement being made by everyone in Sinnoh and Hoenn (including a certain green-haired boy), it was decided that Dawn won by a miniscule amount of points.

"Wow! Dawn did it! She actually beat May!" Ash exclaimed. "That was a great battle by both of them!" Brock added. "And they really made their Pokémon shine!" Zoey added. "So let's make sure we do the same, ok Zoey?" Misty said. "You got it!" Zoey replied.

"Now Glaceon, don't feel bad, you were completely wonderful. You made me proud." May comforted. "And I hope Drew is proud of me too." she thought hopefully.

Dawn and May regrouped inside the waiting room, where they were cordially greeted by their friends. "Nice job Dawn!" Ash exclaimed. "Thanks Ash, I REALLY had fun this time." Dawn replied. "Hey Dawn, congratulations on making it to the finals." May said. "Thanks a lot, but it was all Piplup if you ask me." Dawn replied.

"Now get ready, because you'll have to take on either Misty or Zoey in the finals, and neither one of them intend on losing." May said. "They better get ready because I want to win this thing!" Dawn replied.

Misty and Zoey took their places on the stage, ready to call out their Pokémon.

"Now Glameow! Curtain, go!" Zoey exclaimed. Glameow appeared and somersaulted in a flurry of bright yellow lightning bolts, then landed gracefully on the stage.

"Misty calls…Gyarados!" Misty exclaimed. Gyarados appeared, and jumped through the ring of fire that appeared from the Pokéball.

The clock started ticking, signaling the battle to start. "Alright, Glameow, let's start off strong with 'Secret Power'!" Zoey ordered. The glow from the attack caused Misty's points to wither. "Glameow knows 'Secret Power' too?" Misty thought.

"Alright then, Gyarados, use 'Protect'!" Misty countered. A green sphere enveloped Gyarados, which protected it from the effect of Glameow's attack, and caused Zoey's points to diminish.

"When did Gyarados learn 'Protect'?" Ash asked. "It probably knew that move from the start, we just never saw it." Brock replied. "But the glow from the 'Protect' is not only a good countermove, but it also shows off Gyarados well." May said.

"Alright Gyarados, use 'Hydro Pump'!" Misty ordered. Gyarados complied and fired an ultra-powerful stream of water at the cat-Pokémon. "Dodge it and use 'Shadow Claw'!" Zoey ordered. Glameow dodged the water-type attack, and charged ahead with a ghostly claw.

"Gyarados, dive and dodge it!" Misty countered. Gyarados dove underwater to avoid the attack, but Glameow wasn't through yet. "Now Glameow!" Zoey exclaimed. Glameow punched at the water with its 'Shadow Claw', causing a curtain of water to form on the field, and Gyarados to be revealed. This caused Misty's points to lower.

"So now they're showing themselves off using water." Brock said. "A contest battle is a whole lot more than just causing damage, which puts Misty at a slight disadvantage since she's used to fighting like a gym leader." Dawn added. "But check it out; Glameow doesn't get around too well in the water either." Ash added.

"Shock Wave'!" Zoey ordered. Still standing in the water, Glameow fired a powerful electric-type attack that climbed up the curtain of water. "Gyarados quick! Use 'Protect'!" Misty panicked. Gyarados attempted to use its shield once more, but it was too weak to keep Gyarados from taking damage.

"Zoey blocked out Misty with water so Glameow could hit it with an electric attack!" Ash exclaimed. "That could've been Zoey's plan all along." May said. "And Gyarados' 'Protect' didn't work, so it just took almost double the damage thanks to that 'Shock Wave' being fueled by that water." Brock added.

"That girl is amazing…she just owns the entire water-battlefield." Dawn said. "No way, the water is and always will be Misty's territory. You just wait and see." Ash said determinedly. "Come on Mist; don't let Zoey beat you at your own game." Ash thought.

"Gyarados, are you alright?" Misty asked with concern. Gyarados shook off the pain and roared in determination. "Zoey's tough alright, she uses the water to her advantage just like I do." Misty thought.

Glameow leaped out of the water, sparking from its electric-attack. "Nice Glameow!" Zoey congratulated. Glameow's body being covered in the attractive sparks of the 'Shock Wave' caused Misty's points to deteriorate even more than before.

"Misty's really in a deep hole now." Ash said. "Zoey's putting intense pressure on Misty; it's obvious who the more experienced coordinator here is." Brock added.

"Let's turn it up! 'Iron Tail'!" Zoey ordered. Glameow leapt for the mighty water-dragon with a tail of steel. "Use 'Flamethrower' towards the water!" Misty countered. Gyarados fired at the water's surface, causing a veil of steam to block Glameow's view, and Zoey's points to lower.

When Glameow emerged from the steam, Gyarados was waiting to attack again. "Now use 'Hyper Beam'!" Misty ordered. Gyarados fired the ultra-powerful beam at Glameow, who took serious damage as it slid across the stage. This caused Zoey's points to lower some more.

"Come on Glameow, stay with me!" Zoey encouraged. Glameow heard its master's plea, and slowly got up to its feet.

"What an awesome attack. Misty and Gyarados are totally in sync." Dawn said. "Misty and Gyarados have been working together for a long time, so they have no issue with working together." Brock said. "I told you Misty would come up with something." Ash said in an "I-told-you-so" tone.

"Alright Glameow, use 'Iron Tail'!" Zoey ordered. Glameow charged ahead again, hoping to hit its target. Misty smirked and waved her hand, signaling Gyarados to do something. "Uh oh." Zoey moaned. Gyarados dodged, and then fired a powerful 'Hydro Pump' at the falling Glameow, which brought Zoey's points down below Misty's level.

"Misty told Gyarados what to do with her hands again!" May exclaimed. "And since she didn't call out a verbal order, Zoey had no clue what Gyarados would do or how to counter it." Brock said. "Wow, Misty's sure come a long way in this." Dawn said in awe.

"Hurry Glameow, there's not much time left! Use 'Shadow Claw'!" Zoey ordered. Glameow charged ahead for one more attack before the clock ran out. "Flamethrower'!" Misty countered. Gyarados fired the attack at the incoming cat, and an explosion took place in the middle of the field, just before the clock ticked down to zero.

The crowd was still and quiet, you could almost hear a pin drop, as they waited to see who the victor would be. After a few seconds, the smoke cleared, and the winner of the semi-finals round was revealed to be Misty.

"We did it Gyarados! Way to go!" Misty cheered. Gyarados gave a celebratory roar, sharing its master's enthusiasm. "Don't feel bad Glameow, cheer up, hey, you were wonderful." Zoey consoled. Glameow gave a sad smile in response.

Mr. Contesta: "It was one new and beautiful appeal after the other without any let up!"

Mr. Sukizo: "Also, it was remarkable!"

Nurse Joy: "I'm deeply grateful to both our coordinators for doing such a wonderful job of showing off their amazing Pokémon."

Wallace: "Thanks to the two of you for a thrilling performance! And now, it's on to the exciting final!"

"It'll be Dawn and me in the finals." Misty said to herself.

"Misty and me…in the finals." Dawn said to herself nervously.

Misty appeared in the waiting room, and was once again greeted by her friends and boyfriend, although Dawn had the familiar look of being intimidated on her face.

"You did it Mist! You're in the finals!" Ash cheered, wrapping Misty into a quick hug. "Like, who knew you could be glamorous all the way through?" Daisy said teasingly. "Once you get the feel of the contest battle, it kind of just comes to you." Misty replied. "You didn't say much during this whole time Daisy, something on your mind?" Ash asked.

"Like, no way. I just like watching the show." Daisy replied. "Well, guess we better get ready, right Dawn?" Misty said. Dawn ignored the taller girl and stared straight ahead. "Wow…I'm in the finals…up against Misty." she said nervously. Dawn increased the pressure on Piplup once again, which caused it to chirp with alarm.

"Oh, sorry Piplup." Dawn apologized. "Dawn, you're not nervous again are you?" Misty asked, putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder. "It has been a while since Dawn's won a contest, and now she's up against you, and you defeated Zoey!" Brock replied for her. "Yeah, I guess I can understand that." Ash said.

"It's true, but here we are, and right about now, we've got to believe in ourselves, right?" Dawn said. "Piplup." (Exactly) "That's the spirit!" Zoey exclaimed from behind. Dawn turned around and saw Zoey, who had changed back into her regular clothes. "Zoey, you were wonderful!" Dawn exclaimed.

"You two were totally awesome against each other!" Ash exclaimed. "Thanks Ash, although I have to say I learned a lot from Misty's performance." Zoey admitted. "What do you mean?" Misty asked. "You showed no fear when it came to showing off your Pokémon, but you did it with a fast and furious battle-style, like a gym leader." Zoey replied.

"That's always been Misty's battle-style." Brock said. "So Dawn, be careful." Zoey warned. "I don't want to lose. After all, we've come this far." Dawn replied. "Hellooo! Would you be so kind as to have an interview with little old me?" Jessidiah exclaimed, holding her microphone up to Misty's mouth.

"Will this be an actual interview, or the Jessidiah show?" Misty asked accusingly. Jessidiah ignored the jab and laughed. She took Misty over to the small stage where her previous "interview" with Ash had taken place.

"Guess who? We're lucky enough to have the lucky Misty here for a word or two!" Jessidiah exclaimed into the camera. "So, thoughts on your close battle?" she asked, holding the microphone up to Misty's mouth.

"Well, Gyarados was its usual tough self…" Misty was cut-off by Jessidiah. "Thanks, but it's time to remind our TV viewers that the finals are soon to come!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Yep, it's the Jessidiah show. I feel sorry for that cameraman." Misty thought with a sweat-drop.

"And someone has to go home with the Aqua Ribbon, oh be still my pitter-patting heart! The excitement's written all over my gorgeous face!" Jessidiah exclaimed.

"How far can we pull back?" the small make-up man asked with a sweat-drop. "Get ready everyone, the finals are almost ready to begin, so stay tuned!" Jessidiah exclaimed. "And we're clear!" the blue-haired cameraman said.

"Can I go now?" Misty asked exasperatedly. "Sure thing kiddo, see you later for a follow-up interview!" Jessidiah exclaimed. "Like, not if I can help it." Daisy said threateningly. "Well well, look who we have here, a second round loser who just can't get enough of my talented talents." Jessidiah said smugly.

"Actually, I've had like, too much of your face on camera. And like, what's up with that bow-tie?" Daisy heckled. Jessidiah's face grew red; being made fun of for her taste in fashion was not something she appreciated.

"I'll have you know that I'm the cream of the fashion crop, and I look good no matter what I wear." Jessidiah said. "What crop? The clown fashion crop?" Daisy heckled. "Why don't you go back and bother someone else who matches your fashion knowledge, because you're obviously not up to my level." Jessidiah said.

"You're right; I'm like, past it." Daisy said, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "That's it! Don't you know who I am?" Jessidiah screeched angrily. "Like, do YOU know who I am?" Daisy replied with the same tone. Daisy and Jessidiah started shooting off comments at each other, leaving Misty utterly bewildered.

Misty left the room shaking her head in disbelief. She looked around saw that the only ones left in the waiting room were Ash and Dawn. "Where are the others?" Misty asked. "They're in the stands, I stayed back for now." Ash replied. "Where's Daisy?" Dawn asked. "She's over there having a fashion battle with Jessidiah." Misty replied exasperatedly.

"Well guys, this is it. You two go out there and give it your all!" Ash exclaimed. "Right." The two girls said. Ash turned to leave the room, but not before Misty blew him a kiss affectionately. "Bribing him?" Dawn asked teasingly. "Nah, he can cheer for whoever he wants. I just like to do it." Misty replied.

"After watching that battle between you and Zoey, I'm feeling a tiny bit queasy…but Piplup and I are so ready to go." Dawn said. "And I'm ready to go too. Don't forget to have fun with your Pokémon. And whoever wins, we're still friends." Misty said. "Right." Dawn replied.

The two girls split up, and walked to their respective ends of the stage.

"And the two finalists have made their grand entrance! On this side, it's Dawn! And on this side is Misty! Misty is from Cerulean City in the Kanto region, she's the former gym leader of the Cerulean Gym, and is currently on a journey to become the greatest water-Pokémon master, and she's been highly impressive all the way through this competition!" Marian announced.

"This will be a treat for all you contest fans out there! So let's cheer these two talented coordinators on through final round, not forgetting their stunning Pokémon as well. I welcome you to my stage!" Wallace exclaimed.

"Thanks!" the two girls replied.

The clock began ticking down from five, and the match that would decide the winner of the Wallace Cup.

"Ok Piplup, spooootlight!" Dawn exclaimed. Piplup popped out of the ball in a flurry of bubbles, happily chirping before landing on the field in battle-ready stance.

"Misty calls…Vaporeon!" Misty exclaimed. Vaporeon appeared in a flurry of bubbles. Mimicking Glaceon and Glameow, Vaporeon did a mid-air somersault before standing on the water, ready for battle.

"Alright Piplup, let's start off with 'Peck'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup charged ahead to stab the Bubble-jet Pokémon with a sharp beak. Although everyone was surprised when Misty did nothing to counter, and allowed Piplup to connect with its target.

"Alright Vaporeon, use 'Aqua Ring'!" Misty ordered. Rings of water appeared around Vaporeon's body, healing what little damage it took, and lowering Dawn's points so that they were neck and neck again. "Now use 'Water Pulse'!" Misty ordered.

Vaporeon fired an energized ball of water towards Piplup. "Whirlpool'!" Dawn countered. Piplup formed a giant whirlpool and caught the 'Water Pulse' attack inside of it. "Now return to sender!" Dawn ordered. Piplup launched the 'Whirlpool' at Vaporeon, along with the 'Water Pulse' spinning inside of it.

"Vaporeon, use 'Blizzard'!" Misty countered. Vaporeon created a freezing storm that froze over the whirlpool solid. "Jump on top of that thing!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon leaped onto the spinning top made of ice, and ran on it like it was a treadmill.

"Misty's off to a great start!" Ash exclaimed. "She's showing off Vaporeon's natural beauty by using the attacks and even modifying them like that 'Whirlpool'." Zoey added.

"Alright Piplup, use 'Bubblebeam'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup fired, but once again Misty didn't bother to counter. The attack hit, but Vaporeon seemed unfazed by the attack. "But how?" Dawn cried. Dawn's points lowered even more, as Vaporeon's special ability of 'Water Absorb' came into play.

"Vaporeon got a health refill from that 'Bubblebeam' thanks to 'Water Absorb'." Brock said. "That means any water-type attack will be useless against Vaporeon!" May exclaimed. "Not all…bigger attacks like 'Whirlpool' are too much for Vaporeon to handle." Brock explained.

"Vaporeon, use 'Shadow Ball'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon complied and fired a ball of ghostly energy at the small penguin-Pokémon. "Quick! In the pool!" Dawn countered. Piplup dove into the pool to avoid the attack.

Misty waved her hand, which caused Dawn to panic. "Stay down there Piplup! Just in case!" Dawn panicked.

"Misty hasn't worked on any hand signals with Vaporeon." Ash said. "Then that means…" May paused. "She's bluffing!" Brock finished. "Vaporeon, use 'Blizzard' on the water!" Misty ordered. With Piplup still underwater, Vaporeon glazed the water over with a thin sheet of ice, trapping Piplup underwater.

"Aaah! Piplup!" Dawn cried.

"Misty's got Piplup trapped!" Ash exclaimed. "If Dawn doesn't get Piplup out of there soon, she'll lose a lot of points!" Zoey added, noting that Dawn's points were slowly deteriorating.

"Piplup, use 'Peck' to get out of there!" Dawn ordered. Piplup looked at its master in confusion. "I said use 'Peck'!" Dawn screamed louder. Piplup still couldn't hear what Dawn was trying so desperately to tell it.

"Piplup can't hear me under there! I've gotta think of something fast! Wait a minute…I've got it!" Dawn thought. Dawn used her hands to imitate a sharp beak, attempting to signal Piplup to use 'Peck'. Piplup apparently understood, as it nodded and charged towards the thin blanket of ice with a sharp beak.

Piplup smashed through the ice, and then hit Vaporeon dead-on with the attack, which quickly brought Misty's points down. "Keep it up!" Dawn ordered. Piplup hit Vaporeon with multiple 'Peck' attacks, quickly getting Dawn to catch up with the red-headed gym leader.

"Dawn used Misty's method to get Piplup out of there!" Ash exclaimed. "Since Piplup couldn't hear Dawn, she had to try something else to get Piplup to understand." May added. "And now she's on the offensive!" Zoey added.

"Vaporeon, use 'Quick Attack'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon jumped back and quickly tackled Piplup with an attack of blinding speed. "Whirlpool'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup formed yet another whirlpool over its head, and launched it at Vaporeon.

"We'll use your moves then! Vaporeon, spin and dodge it!" Misty countered. Mimicking the dodge that it had recently seen time after time.

Thirty seconds remained, and both coordinators appeared neck and neck. "Use 'Bubblebeam'!" Dawn ordered. Piplup complied, but instead of hitting Vaporeon, the bubbles surrounded Vaporeon, leaving it blind.

"Hey! Like, that's what Misty pulled on me!" Daisy exclaimed suddenly.

"Let's hope this works." Misty thought. "Use your 'Acid Armor'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon appeared to dissolve into the cage of bubbles, leaving Piplup confused and bewildered. "Keep your cool Piplup." Dawn warned.

"Use 'Water Pulse'!" Misty ordered. Vaporeon emerged from the bubbles and fired the ball of water, which only barely missed its target.

The two Pokémon readied themselves for one last attack, but the clock had ticked down to zero. The clock stayed silent, waiting for the results of the final match. After much deliberation and waiting, it was decided that both Misty and Dawn had an identical amount of points, leaving them in a draw.

"Incredible! No Wallace Cup has ever ended in a tie!" Marian exclaimed.

Mr. Contesta: "Both Pokémon used their natural abilities in the water masterfully, and seeing non-verbal orders is always a treat."

Mr. Sukizo: "And don't forget, remarkable!"

Nurse Joy: "This was one of the most exciting and unpredictable matches I've ever seen in my life!"

Wallace: "Thank you both for this wonderful treat, I'm proud to announce that you both are the winners of this competition!"

The crowd roared and whistled for the two teens, as they stood to accept their prize.

"Awesome! They both won!" Ash exclaimed. "And if you ask me, they both deserved to!" May added.

"And now, Wallace will say a few words to our big winners: Dawn and Misty!" Marian announced.

"That was wonderful; you displayed true elegance out there, a lovely end to a lovely contest. Thank you." Wallace said, "You both are truly coordinators of the highest order."

"Excuse me Wallace?" Misty asked. "Yes, what is it Misty?" Wallace replied politely. "I'm happy to have won, and I had a lot of fun doing this, but I'm proud to say that I'll forever be a battling-girl, so give the Aqua Ribbon to someone I personally think deserves it more than anyone." Misty said.

With that, Misty stepped down from the podium and raised the hand of the utterly shocked Dawn in the air. Wallace gave an understanding smile and looked at Dawn.

"In that case, Dawn, I present to you for your Wallace Cup win, the Aqua Ribbon." Wallace said. Milotic formed a small 'Aqua Ring', and held the ribbon suspended inside of it. It dissipated when it landed in Dawn's waiting hands.

"Oh Wallace….thank you." Dawn said, a soft pink spread across her cheeks, and tears of joy forming in her eyes. Dawn's Pokémon cheered loudly, celebrating their Wallace Cup victory.

"Dawn really deserved this!" Brock exclaimed. "Thanks to Misty, Dawn's totally back on her feet!" Ash added.

"Alright, now there's REALLY no need to worry! Because the Aqua Ribbon's all mine!" Dawn cheered, holding her second most prized ribbon in the light. (Her first being the one her mother gave her)

"I am truly happy to have met such a wonderful group of Pokémon, and made so many new friends. My wish now is that someday in the very near future, we'll meet here again for another exciting event!" Wallace announced. Milotic fired a 'Hydro Pump' into the air, which turned into a fountain high in the air.

Later that afternoon, the group stood at the Valor Lakefront, ready to say goodbye to May and Daisy. "You know something May, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to truly be one with my Pokémon, and these last few days really reminded me." Dawn said.

"Well you better hold onto it Dawn, because the next time we meet, I'm winning for sure! Unless Misty intends on joining again." May replied. "Nope, it was fun I'll admit, but I don't plan on becoming a coordinator anytime soon. I already have a dream." Misty said.

"I'll just take her place as the tomboyish red-head." Zoey said. "Zoey, good luck in all your contests as well!" May exclaimed. "Thanks a lot May, you too." Zoey replied. "Don't forget, you can dine all over the world, but it won't be MY cooking." Brock said. "Oh now Brock, it was great having your cooking again after so long." May giggled. "Hey May, good luck with the rest of your Johto contests." Ash said. "Thanks, and Ash, good luck on your getting into the Sinnoh League." May replied.

The group shared friendly handshakes, as May headed up the gangplank to the ship. "And you sis? Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Misty asked. "Yeah, I guess…I was just like, thinking." Daisy said. "About what?" Misty asked. "Can I like, really do this?" Daisy replied nervously. "Hey, if you keep going the way you're going, you'll be up to Misty's level in no time!" Ash exclaimed.

"Like, you really think so?" Daisy asked. "You bet. You really impressed me, and I think you'll be an awesome gym leader." Misty said sincerely. Daisy was almost overwhelmed by the kind words, and embraced her little sister in an almost sisterly-loving way. Misty awkwardly reciprocated, but eventually relaxed.

"Let me know how things go, ok?" Misty said. "Yeah…I will." Daisy replied, wiping a lone tear from her eye. Daisy walked onto the ship next to May, just before the ship departed into the sunset.

The group waved goodbye to their two old friends, May had a green-haired boy to greet back in Johto, while Daisy found even more confidence in herself as a gym leader. And especially Dawn with her newly recovered confidence, the future looked bright for every last one of the group, both old members and new.

The group walked back to their hotel, and they'd be back on the road of Sinnoh the next day.
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A/N: Hey, this was the twentieth chapter and I only just now added their first kiss? What's wrong with me anyway! xD I hope you thought it was emotionally satisfying, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, keep an eye out for updates, because I'm nowhere near through!