Well folks, here's the promised Saturday chapter! I'm glad you guys are liking the Riolu wackiness that's been going on so far, and hopefully the little guy will continue to prove to be lots of fun in the future chapters! I sent everyone update messages this time around, if you are a registered reviewer and you did not recieve a message from me saying when I was updating, I apologize and I'll make sure to give you a heads up the next time around. Also, I would like to thank KeyToDestiny, whose stories will be a big help to me in future chapters, even though I'm not sure which couple I'm going with just yet...but if you're a fan of Penguinshipping, I highly recommend that you check out her stories, they are awesome, and she has this uncanny knack of making you feel what the characters are feeling, so be ready for an AWESOME read. Now before we get started, let's take care of the anonymous reviews.
lightningblade49: We'll see about Brock, I think I already have an idea about what I'm going to do with him, but it may not happen for a while. And also I'm really glad you agree with me on Pikachu's power.
Airoh: Alright then, I'll be keeping an eye out for you! And yeah, I'm glad how I wrote up Riolu as Ash and Misty's semi-child, it makes for a lot of humor and cuteness. xD
Aditya Shukla: Thanks! ^^
Polly: We'll see, probably.
Anna: Yep, that was the idea. Stories need to keep getting new things to write about or it gets boring after a while.
sparky1001: Thanks! ^^
angle of darkness: Well maybe I'll do something, but I don't think it'll be anything too big or important. Maybe a competition in an original chapter.
tray125: Thanks for the congrats!
darky/Darkness Shadow: Yeah I'm sure D. =P Well it'll be a while before Riolu evolves, I need to have some more fun first. xD
And now without further ado, let's go!
_
Chapter 45
Misty's POV
Yesterday was just a whole bunch of a huge events one after the other. Brock helped me to realize that I was neglecting my responsibilities as a trainer by not training Azurill because I was afraid of it leaving me the same way Togetic did. But Brock helped me realize that even though I may have let Togetic go its own way, I never really let it go, and it never really let go of me. Just because we said goodbye, it doesn't mean the connection is lost. I would always love Togetic, and in turn, Togetic would always love me. So yesterday I got started with Azurill's training by taking Ash's Riolu. It wasn't easy to overcome Ash using his aura to give orders, but Azurill managed to come out on top in the end! I had to give the little guy props though, even with nothing but 'Quick Attack', it got close to beating Azurill. Speaking of Riolu…we learned something…interesting about the aura connection between Ash and Riolu.
Apparently Riolu has the ability to read what Ash is feeling via its aura…unfortunately, that means it feels passion too. When Ash and I kissed two days ago, Riolu was blushing too! It actually felt the pleasure me and Ash felt during our intimate moment. Guess this means Ash and I will have to be careful for a little while, that is until Riolu grows up a little more and doesn't depend on Ash so much for aura usage. In a lot of ways, Riolu is like the son that me and Ash won't have for YEARS. I guess if anything it gives us a taste of what being parents together will be like since Riolu views me as his mom since I'm so close to Ash. I should be flattered…but I could've done without Riolu's wakeup call by jumping on the bed. Now we were getting breakfast, and I still had to tell the others what I did with Phione. But I have to make sure to tell Ash before Dawn and Brock.
Normal POV
"Hey Ash, can I talk to you a second?" Misty asked. "Sure thing Mist. You guys go on ahead, we'll meet you there." Ash said. "Alright guys, see you outside." Brock led the nosy coordinator out of the room as she whined about not being able to stay and hear what was said.
"Time to make good on my promise Ash. Still wondering where Phione went?" Misty asked. "Uh, yeah." Ash replied. "Well, I remembered that you told me that you wished you could go and fill those holes in your heart, and that you'd start with Max and May." Misty paused.
"Yeah, so what?" Ash asked. "Well I couldn't do anything about Max, but I thought that May might like having Phione to act as a reminder of all the good times she had with Manaphy." Misty replied. "Mist…you sent Phione to May?" Ash asked. "And she loves it…so, you feel better now?" Misty replied. "Aww Mist…I can't believe it." Ash said in awe.
"What can't you believe?" Misty asked. "You…you sent Phione to MAY? But I thought you wanted to keep Phione. You know, since it's a water-type." Ash replied. "Ash, I'd rather help you to feel better inside than add another Pokémon to my collection. How would I be able to train Phione knowing that May's goodbye with Manaphy would be haunting you constantly? I'd rather make you happy." Misty replied sincerely.
Ash smiled and embraced the water-trainer in thanks, and Misty happily reciprocated. "I love you Ash." she whispered as she tightened her grip. "Love you too Mi…" Ash suddenly released the water-trainer, which left her confused. "What's wrong?"
"We're being watched." Ash said embarrassedly. "Is it Dawn? So help me I'll…" Misty paused when Ash pointed behind him. She looked and saw Riolu blushing with his elbows resting comfortably on the bed. "Aura connection right?" she asked. Ash nodded and turned around to face Riolu, who had obviously decided to stay back and wait for his mom and dad.
"Hey there Riolu, you wanna go outside?" Ash asked. The baby Pokémon's blush quickly went away as it squealed excitedly and hopped on to Ash's shoulder and hanged there. "Ash you better make Riolu grow up quick or we'll never any get any time to ourselves." Misty said.
"Don't worry Mist, a little more training and I'm sure Riolu will be able to control himself." Ash reassured. The couple headed outside, where Dawn had released all her Pokémon and was getting ready for some contest training. "Uh oh, she released Mamoswine too." Misty said.
"I think it's asleep though." Ash replied. "All the same, better let out Charizard and Gyarados in case it runs rampant again." Misty suggested. Ash nodded and walked outside. Upon reaching the battlefield, the couple released their two strongest Pokémon who roared upon release. "Keep an eye on Mamoswine, don't let it go crazy." Ash said.
Charizard nodded and went to lean against a nearby tree. "You too Gyarados, if Mamoswine goes berserk, you help Charizard stop it." Misty added. Gyarados nodded and went to join Charizard by the tree.
"Mamoswine patrol?" Brock asked. "Yep." Ash replied simply. "Good call." Brock said. "So Dawn, what's on the agenda today?" Misty asked. "I'll show you! Pachirisu, 'Discharge'!" Dawn ordered. Pachirisu lifted its tail and blasted the electric attack, making sure to keep it under control.
"Pachirisu, that's perfect! Keep it up!" Dawn encouraged. "Those electric-type moves have gotten really slick." Brock commented. "That's thanks to all of Pikachu's advice." Ash said proudly. Just then, Riolu hopped off of Ash's shoulder and ran over to join Pachirisu.
"Hey Riolu, come back!" Ash shouted. "Aah! Pachirisu, hold on!" Dawn cried. Pachirisu stopped just before Riolu ran onto the field, asking Pachirisu if he could battle against it. "Looks like Riolu got a little overexcited." Ash said.
"You're training him to be a strong battler, he just needs a little time to mature and grow before you can let him on his own." Brock said. Dawn picked up the baby Pokémon and held him at arm's length. "Riolu, you should really be more careful, what if you had gotten hurt?" Dawn asked.
Riolu hung his head low in shame. "Hey, no need to worry, just make sure to be more careful next time." Dawn said, hugging the Emanation Pokémon. Riolu hugged the coordinator back, which made her giggle. "Now go on, back to Ash and Misty with you." Dawn put Riolu down and the little Pokémon jumped into Misty's waiting arms. "Cute little guy." Dawn mumbled to herself.
"Alright, now this time try making a carousel of electricity like Pikachu does!" Dawn exclaimed. Pachirisu looked over to Pikachu, who was standing next to Buneary. The electric mouse gave a thumbs up and encouraged the squirrel to try. Pachirisu rose up its tail and used 'Discharge', but the amount of effort it had to exert to make the Counter Shield technique work exhausted the squirrel, as it fell on its tail and sighed with fatigue immediately upon finishing the attack.
"You're tired huh? Alright, how about a little break?" Dawn suggested. Pachirisu smiled gratefully at the coordinator. "It's snack time!" the exact moment Dawn held up a bag of her homemade poffins, she was mobbed by small Pokémon, which included Pikachu and Riolu. "Ok, Pikachu and Riolu too!" Dawn laughed. "Thanks Dawn, I'm sure Riolu's gonna love your poffins!" Ash said.
"Alright, now everybody get into a line and wait your turn." Dawn instructed. The Pokémon obeyed, but just before Dawn could hand out the first poffin, the mighty Mamoswine came charging and knocked Dawn into the air.
Charizard leapt into action and caught the screaming coordinator in midair. Unfortunately, the poffins were Mamoswine's for the taking, and the Twin Tusk Pokémon gulped them all down at once, leaving the other Pokémon with none. "That was a quick snack." Ash sweat-dropped.
Mamoswine swallowed, and without a second though turned around and went back to sleep. "I guess it still likes the poffins." Misty said.
"Don't worry gang, I'll just go and make some more, ok?" Dawn reassured. But then Pachirisu spotted a poffin that had yet to be eaten, and it excitedly scampered over to eat it. Riolu followed the squirrel out of curiosity, and saw that it was eyeing one of the appealing snacks it wanted to taste.
Pachirisu glanced at Riolu and decided to split the poffin with the baby Pokémon. "Aww, that's sweet of Pachirisu." Misty said. But before Pachirisu could even pick it up, a large foot stomped on the poffin and growled down at the two Pokémon. "Hey, what's with that thing?" Ash growled.
Charizard and Gyarados stepped behind the two smaller Pokémon, intimidating the Pokémon to back off before it got pummeled by the two angry bodyguards. "Gabite! There you are!" a voice shouted. A young girl with curly pigtails came into view, walking over with an angry look on her face.
"Hey! You stop bullying my Gabite!" the girl screamed furiously. "Gyarados and Charizard weren't bullying Gabite! Your Gabite smashed Pachirisu and Riolu's snack!" Misty screamed back. Filled with rage, the two small Pokémon charged towards Gabite, using moves that neither had used before.
Gabite blocked the two attacks easily, but the respective trainers of the attacking Pokémon took control before they could attack again. "Those had to be new moves!" Dawn exclaimed. "Sure were! Pachirisu just used 'Super Fang' and Riolu just used 'Force Palm'!" Brock replied.
"Getting mad about that poffin must've made it happen!" Ash added. "What's wrong with those Pokémon of yours?" the girl demanded. "Come on Pachirisu, play nice." Dawn said. But the angry squirrel would not be denied its vengeance, as it unleashed a furious 'Discharge' attack in Dawn's arms, making her hair stand on end and her to fall to the floor.
"I must say, SOMEONE didn't do a very good job raising that Pachirisu, and that Riolu of yours isn't all that much better, not to mention those two ugly monsters. Right Gabite?" the girl said to her Pokémon sweetly, rubbing the bottom of the dragon-ground type's chin.
"Hmmph, let's check out that Gabite." Ash grumbled, pulling out his Pokédex. "Gabite, the Cave Pokémon. Gabite goes wild for precious jewels. First digging them up, and then stashing them in its nest." the Pokédex chirped. "Hmmph, it's got nothing on Gyarados." Misty said quietly.
"If you'll look under Gabite's foot, you'll see why the Pokémon are so upset." Dawn said, recovering from the 'Discharge'. "Oh alright." the girl raised Gabite's foot, and saw the poffin that it had smashed to pieces. "The horror! My beautiful Gabite has been soiled, how dare you?" the girl screamed in horror.
"Um…sorry we…soiled your Gabite. Go ahead and say you're sorry Pachirisu." Dawn said. Knowing it wasn't the one in the wrong, Pachirisu refused. "Good for you Pachirisu." Misty whispered. "You see, that's Pachirisu's favorite food so when Gabite stepped on it…" Ash was cut off by the girl.
"Hmmph, if THAT'S what this is about, I can help you." the girl said smugly, "No Pokémon can resist MY poffins. Here you go, eat up!" the girl held out a poffin that only slightly differed in texture and color to Dawn's, but one sniff was all it took for Pachirisu to shrug it off and reject the poffin.
"The nerve!" the girl said in disgust. Suddenly feeling defensive, Dawn turned to the side to shield Pachirisu, "Please, I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea!" Dawn exclaimed. Brock quickly came to Dawn's rescue, "I'm sure you're aware of how poffin recipes vary for different Pokémon."
The girl raised her eyebrows and looked down, where a certain Pokémon caught her attention. "Hey…that Piplup, you competed in the last Wallace Cup competition, didn't you?" the girl asked. "Me? I did! I mean, we did, as in me and Misty." Dawn replied.
"Dawn, don't drag me into this." Misty said. "Thought so! I still think that that other girl gave you the ribbon out of pity." the girl said smugly. The group gasped with a certain amount of frustration, and Dawn was now officially tired of playing defense. "So tell me, were you in the Wallace Cup too?" Dawn asked.
"Well, I was there. The name's Ursula. Of course since I was eliminated in the first round you wouldn't remember me." Ursula hissed, "That's it. I won't say a thing about it again. But I still think that mermaid girl deserved the ribbon way more than you did." she said.
"Now wait just one minute! I'M that mermaid girl and I gave the ribbon to Dawn because I felt she deserved it more than me because of her skills as a coordinator! How dare you come here and say it was a fluke when YOU were eliminated in round one!" Misty screamed. "Wait a minute...that hair, and that Gyarados! You really ARE the mermaid girl!" Ursula squealed, her attitude suddenly changing to one of admiration.
"I can't believe I'm really face to face with the greatest rookie coordinator I've ever seen perform!" Ursula squealed, "Please, you've got to tell me your secret!" she begged. "Um, no secret, I just used my skills as a battler to compensate for my lack of coordinator experience." Misty replied.
"Wait…so…there's no secret as to why you won? What about that awesome performance round?" Ursula asked. "I did shows in Cerulean City with my older sisters, that's all." Misty replied. "Oh yeah, I remember now, your older sister competed against you…I don't think I'm interested in learning from the runt of the litter after all." Ursula said smugly.
"What did you call her? How dare you?" Ash growled, Riolu also growling while on his shoulder. "Hmm, you're right. After all, thanks to you two I've been working doubly hard! To become an even better, more beautiful, more graceful coordinator. You know, I should thank you two for defeating me. Because of you I am where I am today." Ursula cackled.
"What's with her? Why won't she drop it?" Brock wondered. "And what's with that laugh?" Misty added. Ursula turned around again, "Since I know for a fact that Misty won't be competing anymore…Dawn dear, you have how many ribbons?" Ursula asked.
"I've got three of them." Dawn replied. "Huh. The same as me. I guess you'll be in the Chocovine Contest. I can't wait to see what kind of GRACEFUL moves you've been working on." Ursula said sarcastically. At that point, Dawn decided that enough was enough.
"Alright, back off! You think after all you've said to me and Misty that I'll believe ANYTHING you say? We'll settle this at the contest!" Dawn shouted. "Ooh? You want a battle? Then you have GOT a battle. But you won't win twice!" Ursula cackled. "Fine then, now that that's settled, you can take your Gabite and beat it." Ash growled.
"Why should I?" Ursula asked. Charizard and Gyarados growled at the antagonizing coordinator and Pokémon, who seemed unfazed by their power. "Fine, I guess it's about time for me and Gabite to run along anyway. Good luck tomorrow Dawn dear."
Ursula walked away cackling, with Gabite also walking by her side. "She sure has some nerve." Ash growled. "Don't get yourself all worked up Ash, you're making Riolu feel your anger." Misty said, taking Riolu off his shoulder and into her arms. "I think it's time for some SERIOUS training, what do you say gang?" Dawn exclaimed.
Now motivated to defeat Ursula, Dawn's Pokémon shouted their approval, and the majority of the day consisted of special training for Buneary and Pachirisu. After the training ended, the sun was setting and the group was tired and hungry, so they headed inside to get something to eat. "Oh there you all are, Dawn, there's a phone call for you." Nurse Joy said. "Is it my mom?" Dawn asked.
"No, it's a young boy; he said he wanted to talk to you about tomorrow." Nurse Joy replied. "It must be Kenny!" Ash said. "Yeah Dawn, maybe he's calling to wish you luck." Misty added. "Maybe…thanks Nurse Joy, I'll take it now." Dawn went over to the videophones to take the call.
"Hey there Dee Dee." Kenny snickered. "I'm on a short fuse today Kenny, so I'll say this once. Don't. Call. Me. Dee Dee!" Dawn replied angrily. "Alright, so I heard you're getting ready for the Chocovine Contest tomorrow." Kenny said. "Yeah, my Pokémon are really excited now! Especially since they wanna beat that stuck up Ursula girl now." Dawn said.
"Ursula…oh yeah, I remember. She lost in the first round with that Gabite of hers, and if you ask me it was for good reason. To tell you the truth, watching her perform made me want to rip all my ribbons in half, made me ashamed to be in the same contests as her." Kenny joked.
Dawn couldn't help but laugh. "That's a good one!" she said. "Who said I was kidding? I almost barfed while I was watching her. Gabite, use 'Dragon Rage' on yourself!" Kenny joked. "(Gasp) She didn't REALLY order that did she?" Dawn asked. "Nah, I was just trying to make you laugh." Kenny replied.
"Oh good. I was about to say, she REALLY ordered Gabite to use it on itself? That would've been cruel and unusual punishment…of course knowing her, I wouldn't have been surprised if she had." Dawn said. "Hey you said she was stuck up, did she bother you or something?" Kenny asked.
"Yeah. Her Gabite came and interrupted our training and then she had the nerve to say it was OUR fault for 'soiling her Gabite', and then she went on this whole rant about how I didn't deserve to win the Wallace Cup and that Misty was just showing me pity by letting me have the Aqua Ribbon." Dawn said bitterly.
"You're kidding. I watched you in the Wallace Cup and you've NEVER looked better, you were totally in sync with your Pokémon and if you ask me it was no contest. I don't even know how Misty managed to keep up with you." Kenny said.
"Well I dunno about that. You have to admit, Misty was really creative with her battling the whole way through." Dawn replied. "I suppose…but I still say you're better than she is." Kenny said. "Thanks Kenny, I really appreciate it." Dawn said, "So what's going on with you?"
"Dawn you're so confused about who you like, but if you ask me it's a done deal." Misty walked away from spying on the two coordinators, and let them continue their conversation without interruption. She walked into the bedroom and found Ash and Brock discussing the route they should take to Snowpoint City. "Where's Dawn, Misty?" Brock asked.
"She's still down there talking to Kenny on the videophone." Misty replied. "Hey Misty, do you think that Dawn and Kenny could be…together?" Ash asked. Misty just gave her boyfriend a blank look. "Misty?" he asked again.
She walked up to him, looked him in the eye, which was steadily becoming harder to do as Ash kept growing taller. "It's a good thing you're cute." she said. "Uh, thanks?" he replied, unsure of how to take it. Misty just sighed and playfully tugged at his messy black hair.
"But seriously, are they?" Ash asked. "Why this sudden interest in Dawn's personal life?" Misty asked. "Well I figured that if Dawn and Kenny were together, I could get her back for all the teasing she did when we first became a couple." Ash replied. "Ash that's mean." Misty giggled, "But it sounds like fun."
"It was amazing Kenny, I wish you could've seen it, the Phione just swam up right to the window to where my Buneary was sitting. It had just fallen in love with Buneary!" Dawn exclaimed. "So you think you'll win the contest?" Kenny asked. "No need to worry! The ribbon's in the bag!" Dawn replied. "Good to hear, I gotta hop off now, nice talking to you again." Kenny said.
"You too Kenny, thanks for the call." Dawn replied. "I'll call again after the contest, that ok?" Kenny asked. "Sure thing Kenny, see you!" Dawn waved and hung up on the coordinator, and then happily walked up the steps to the room. For some reason she was feeling really lighthearted after talking to Kenny, he had this feel about him lately, that Dawn felt she could let her guard down around him. Maybe Kenny was maturing. "Hey everyone." she said cheerfully.
"You know you were talking to Kenny for a full hour?" Misty asked. "Was I? Wow." Dawn replied. "What'd you two talk about?" Brock asked. "Oh, this and that. I brought up the contest, oh and Ursula. And the Phione from a couple nights ago. He seemed disappointed when I told him about the Luvdisc that swam around me and Brock, until I told him that Pikachu and Buneary were there too." Dawn said.
"Hmm, wonder why." Misty rolled her eyes. "Well, I think I'll take a shower and head to bed, see you guys." Dawn skipped into the bathroom and softly closed the door. "She didn't seem all there." Brock said. "Yeah, she was like all spaced out." Ash added.
"She forgot her pajamas, be right back." Misty grabbed Dawn's backpack and opened the bathroom door a crack so the boys couldn't peek inside and closed it behind her. "Alright Dawn, spill." Misty said, as she dumped Dawn's backpack next to the sink.
"Spill what?" Dawn asked. "You know what. You walked in here and it looked like your mind was in la la land or something." Misty replied. "Oh that…well…I dunno, I guess I was just feeling happy." Dawn said. "Happy is an understatement. Dawn you were practically glowing!" Misty exclaimed.
"Well, Kenny called me, he seems really interested in talking to me lately, and you know, he seems to be…getting really handsome." Dawn admitted, the steam of the shower increasing her blush. Misty suddenly felt like squealing, the romantic inside her was aching to get out and start screaming like a fan girl, but she knew she had to maintain her composure or Dawn might not trust her with secrets anymore.
"Handsome huh? Could it be that you're starting to think more about Kenny than Barry?" she asked. "Well I'm not sure. But Kenny does seem to be sticking out in my mind after all." Dawn admitted.
"So you haven't decided yet?" Misty asked. "Not yet, no. But if they were racing, I'd say Kenny just caught up with Barry big time." Dawn replied. After that comment, Dawn came out of the shower and dried off. She put on her pajamas and walked out of the bathroom, letting Misty finally take her own shower. "Welcome back to reality." Brock joked. "You guys." Dawn whined.
The coordinator hopped into her bed, with Pikachu and Buneary joining her soon after. "Alright, goodnight everybody, we've got a busy day tomorrow." Dawn said. "Yeah, you've got a contest to win!" Ash replied.
Dawn smiled and rolled over so she was facing the wall and closed her eyes, with the two cuddling Pokémon at the foot of her bed following suit. "G'night to you too Pikachu." Ash rolled his eyes. Pikachu opened one eye and smirked at the trainer, and then closed his eye again to sleep.
"You know Pikachu found himself a new…if you'll excuse the rather unmanly term, cuddle buddy." Brock snickered. "That's fine, guess I'll just have to settle for Riolu then." Ash said rather loudly. Ash glanced over at Pikachu to see if he had gotten a reaction out of the electric mouse.
But Pikachu was already comfortably snoozing with Buneary, who was still awake enough to open her eyes and stick her tongue out at the black haired trainer before snuggling back into the electric mouse's soft and fluffy fur. "I can't wait to tell Dawn how you're treating me." Ash said. Buneary made a face at the trainer, which provoked Ash to make a face back.
"You're not REALLY having an argument with Buneary are you?" Misty asked, coming out of the bathroom in her pajamas. "She's stealing Pikachu from me!" Ash whined. "That's ridiculous, you know Pikachu's been sleeping with Buneary for a while now, why are you so annoyed by it now?" Misty asked.
"I dunno…it just seems like Pikachu wants to hang with me less and less these days." Ash said. "Has Pikachu been mean to you or anything? Has he even shown any other signs of drifting besides wanting to be close to Buneary?" Misty asked. "Well…I-I dunno!" Ash grunted.
"Misty's right Ash, you're just jealous. Trust me on this, Pikachu's still your partner all the way, he's just in love." Brock said. "Yeah, and don't forget, he's just following YOUR example." Misty added flirtatiously. "W-Well…I didn't mean to ignore Pikachu." Ash said.
"But you haven't been Ash; your attention is just a bit more divided now. Before I came back the only thing on your mind was Pokémon, Pokémon, Pokémon. Now you're growing up and you're seeing that there's more to life than Pokémon, and Pikachu's beginning to see that there's more to life than training. He still gets excited about training with you doesn't he? What else do you want from him?" Misty said.
"(Sigh) I guess I can't ask for anything else…I'm gonna shower." Ash grabbed his pajamas and headed for the bathroom without another word. "Ash is still a little kid in some areas." Misty sighed. "Well you know, he wouldn't be Ash if he wasn't." Brock replied.
"Yeah I know." Misty sighed again. By the time Ash got out of the shower, Misty was halfway asleep while Brock was still waiting for him so he could go in. "Cooled off big guy?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, I feel a little better." Ash replied. "Good. Now you'll feel a lot better. Go on, Misty's been trying to wait for you." Brock smirked.
Ash smirked back at his older friend, who gave him a hard but friendly pat on the shoulder as he walked by. When the bathroom door closed, Ash carefully crawled onto the soft mattress, and almost instantly he was wrapped in an even softer pair of arms. He gently grasped at the hands of those arms and gave them a soft squeeze. "Love ya Mist." he waited for the tender reply, but when he didn't get one, he turned his head and saw from the corner of his eye that Misty had fallen asleep.
She had only managed to stay conscious long enough for him to get into the bed, and once she had his arms around him, she had let herself relax, and instantly begin snoozing. Ash chuckled softly and let his head hit the pillow as well, still softly holding onto her hands as he slowly dozed off.
The next morning they were woken up once again by excitement. But the cause this time was not Riolu. "Come on everyone! Contest time!" The group moaned and groaned as their bodies forced them to wake up against their will.
"Dawn, couldn't you just tap us on the shoulder like a normal person?" Misty grumbled as she slung her legs over the side. The water-trainer got a start though when she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrapped around her slender waist. "Hey Mist have you seen my pillow? It has this bad habit of getting up and walking away."
Misty smirked and pulled his arms off of her. Then she got up and threw him her backpack, which he caught. "Found it Ash, good night." she said playfully. "It's not the same." Ash chuckled. Before Ash could get up himself, he found himself tackled by a small blue Pokémon. "There you go, cuddle with Riolu for a while." Misty giggled.
"Hey Riolu, you ready to see your first Pokémon Contest?" Ash asked the excited Pokémon. Riolu squealed with anticipation and happily jumped up and down on the bed. "Glad Riolu's so excited because I've got just the outfit for him." Dawn said.
"Oh no you don't! Piplup may be happy wearing a cheerleading outfit but I'm not gonna let you put Riolu in one of those things!" Ash exclaimed. "Oh relax; I wasn't planning on giving Riolu a skirt. I've got a cute little blue sweater just for him." Dawn said a little too cheerfully. "Oh yeah? Well a little bit of aura influence will fix that." Ash snickered.
Ash readied to channel his aura towards Riolu, but then Misty stopped him. "Hold on a sec, let's see what Riolu thinks of it." Riolu stared at the small sweater and then tried it on for size. "Well what do you think?" Dawn asked. For a moment Riolu didn't even react. But after a while, Riolu's expression brightened and he leaped up to embrace the coordinator in thanks. "Aww, you're welcome Riolu." Dawn giggled.
"Great…" Ash grumbled. After Misty cooled off Ash's temper with a few kisses, the group headed to the contest hall, where Dawn would compete for her fourth contest ribbon. "Feel the port winds, the north winds, and the south winds as they carry their songs and dances…it's contest time! Welcome to the contest from the town of great people coming and going, Chocovine Town!" Marian announced.
The crowd cheered for their town at the top of their lungs, while Ash, Misty, and Brock stood in the VIP section with Pikachu, Riolu, Azurill, Happiny, Ambipom, Piplup…and a snoozing Mamoswine. "Guess Mamoswine moves when it wants." Ash sighed.
Dawn had released Mamoswine to watch the contest in hopes that it would start getting excited about competing, and then possibly trying to get close to her again so it could start training with her. But it seemed that it backfired as Mamoswine was only interested in sleeping. "If Mamoswine actually WANTED to watch the contest, it would certainly make things a whole lot easier." Brock said.
Just then, the two males heard a hushed roar behind them, and they saw Gyarados conversing with Misty. "You gonna let Gyarados watch too?" Ash asked. "Actually I wanted Gyarados to be ready just in case Mamoswine decided to go crazy on us for whatever reason." Misty replied. "Oh, you want me to call out Charizard?" Ash asked.
"Let's not make it look too obvious that we don't trust Mamoswine. Just be ready with his Pokéball just in case." Misty said. Ash nodded and turned his attention back to the snoozing Mamoswine, who had shifted over slightly to get into a more comfortable position. Meanwhile, Dawn was inside the waiting room with Buneary, watching the TV monitor as Marian continued to announce.
"And here is what our winning coordinator will receive…the beautiful and coveted Chocovine Ribbon!" the screen showed the pretty lavender purple ribbon, which gave Dawn a boost of determination. "You just watch Buneary, that ribbon's all ours!"
Dawn suddenly felt a chill go down her spine, and in the corner of her eye, she saw Ursula and her Gabite staring her down. Dawn turned and glared at the girl, who in turn gave her a colder glare back. Dawn could feel the resentment and hatred coming from Ursula, she also knew that she had found herself another rival, but this one was by no means friendly.
"And up next, I'm pleased to introduce our esteemed panel of contest judges! First, the chief of the Pokémon activities committee: Mr. Contesta!" Marian announced. "Thank you Marian! I'm eager to see what will be nothing but spectacular Pokémon today I'm sure!" Mr. Contesta commented.
"Next, the head of the Pokémon fan club: Mr. Sukizo!" Marian announced. "Chocovine Town is remarkable!" the crowd got noticeably louder when the short man said that.
"And last but not least, Chocovine Town's own Nurse Joy!" Marian announced. "I hope you're all as excited to watch the proceedings as me!" the crowd cheered even louder now, including a certain spiky haired young man in the VIP section. "I'm excited to see YOU Nurse Joy!" "Good grief." the other two teens sweat-dropped.
"And with that, let's begin with our first round! The performance round where one Pokémon per coordinator will put on a show! Now please put your hands together for our first contestant!" Once Marian announced the first contestant, the curtains were pulled back, and there stood Dawn with Pokéball in hand.
"Alright! Dawn's up first!" Ash exclaimed. "Now she'll be able to just focus and do her thing since she doesn't have any pressure." Misty added.
"Now Buneary, spooootlight!" Dawn tossed the Pokéball, and the special seal released the small rabbit and a shower of purple hearts. "Alright, 'Bounce'!" Buneary acknowledged and leaped high into the air, "Now use 'Ice Beam'!" Buneary continued to ascend from the power of 'Bounce', but now added on an 'Ice Beam' that she fired as she spun, creating a corkscrew slide of ice that she landed on as soon as she finished.
"And Buneary's made an ice slide to remember!" Marian announced. "Awesome! Way to go!" the trio cheered. Then Buneary jumped onto the slide, laughing as she got to enjoy the slide she had created. "Buneary looks like she's having a ball." Misty said.
"Let's keep it going! Use 'Dizzy Punch'!" Buneary acknowledged and leaped onto her ears, sliding down the rest of the way. Then once she reached the bottom, she used the power of 'Dizzy Punch' to propel herself back up to the top. Dawn then signaled the end of the performance as she took curtsied and smiled towards the judges.
But then Dawn suddenly heard the crowd start to awe and whistle differently then she had expected. She looked up at the big screen and saw Pikachu in his kimono blushing, and Buneary on the other half, blowing kisses at him. Dawn giggled and couldn't help but smile. "Well that's not what we planned, but I like it."
"Hey Azurill, think you could use 'Water Gun' on Pikachu? He's burning up." Misty giggled. Pikachu just chuckled sheepishly and blushed deeper. Finally the judges were ready to make their opinions on the performance of Dawn and her small rabbit Pokémon.
Mr. Contesta: "Buneary's unique qualities were shown in a most appealing way!"
Mr. Sukizo: "That's true! Remarkable as well!"
Nurse Joy: They put together a host of techniques to make a great show, and I couldn't help but smile when Buneary blew a kiss at that cute little Pikachu."
"Hmmph, just like I thought. At least her attitude was decent." Ursula snickered. "Oh dear, rather brusque aren't we?" Jessilina commented to herself. Although the glasses wearing coordinator usually took the side of whoever was opposing Dawn or her friends, she couldn't help but feel that Ursula was a bit too arrogant for her own good.
"Dawn did awesome! What do you think Riolu? Wasn't that cool?" Ash asked. Riolu nodded excitedly; in fact he agreed so much, that he suddenly jumped over the wall, throwing his pompoms in Ash's face. "Hey get back here!" Ash shouted. "Oh dear, it seems that someone's Riolu has gotten loose on the field!" Marian announced.
The crowd started laughing as the officials started chasing Riolu around the field, but the Emanation Pokémon was bent on showing off his speed by using 'Quick Attack' back and forth in front of the judges table. "Looks like this little guy wants a piece of the action!" Marian announced as the officials continued to chase the slippery Riolu.
"Ash! Use your aura! Go out there and get him! Do SOMETHING!" Misty screeched. "I'm trying to concentrate…" Ash said, attempting to make an aura connection with the baby Pokémon. But despite Ash's efforts, it seemed that Riolu either was getting the message, or ignoring it. "No good, Riolu isn't listening!" Ash groaned, slightly out of breath from the focusing.
The crowd was really enjoying it, and even the judges found it amusing that Riolu was giving the officials such a hard time. "Ash, either go out there and get him, or YOU'RE gonna get it!" Misty threatened.
Ash groaned and jumped over the wall as well, and managed to get close enough to Riolu for him to feel Ash's aura call. Riolu suddenly stopped in his tracks and changed direction to run towards Ash, leaving a trail of officials to trip on top of each other like a pile of dominoes.
"Come on Riolu, you've had your fun." Ash knelt down and opened his arms, and the energetic Pokémon leaped into his waiting embrace just before the officials caught him. "Heh heh, sorry about that." Ash sweat-dropped.
As Ash carried Riolu back to the VIP section, he could hear the roaring cheers of the audience giving them a standing ovation. "You can't go running around like that Riolu. Just stay here ok?" Ash said. Riolu pouted, but obeyed Ash's command.
Dawn walked back into the waiting room with Buneary in her arms, and was greeted by the laughter of all the other coordinators who were watching Riolu on the screen. "Oh come on Ash, can't you control Riolu at all?" Dawn sighed.
Eventually Ash managed to get Riolu under control. "He better get better at parenting or Misty will eat him alive." she said shaking her head. Suddenly Dawn felt a chill go down her spine, and she turned to find Ursula glaring at her. "How sweet, having your Buneary blow a kiss to that Pikachu at the end of the routine, I could've poured it over pancakes." she sneered.
"For your information that was all Buneary! I didn't plan that, but I'm sure glad Buneary did!" Dawn countered. "Oh? Do your Pokémon always add things to their routines without asking permission?" Ursula asked. "Look, maybe you didn't know this about Pokémon Contests, but the goal of contests are to make your Pokémon look appealing, NOT to make the coordinator look good!" Dawn hissed.
"Hey!" Dawn turned and saw Jessilinda glaring at her. "Oops, no offense, I realize that's just your style." Dawn sweat-dropped. Jessilina rolled her eyes and turned to pretend to not be listening in on the rival coordinators' conversation.
"But at least Jessilina knows the basics of contests. Even with her style she manages to make sure the focus is on her Pokémon. But you don't really seem interested in making your Pokémon look good or bonding with them, you seem interested only in making sure that YOU look good." Dawn hissed at the arrogant coordinator.
"We all have our motives, what's your Buneary's motive? Does it have a little crush on that Pikachu?" Ursula sneered. "As a matter of fact yes, and I also happen to know for a fact that the feeling is growing more and more mutual.
You could ask Pikachu and his trainer themselves." Dawn said matter-of-factly. "Well then, I can't wait until the first round eliminations so I can ask before you go." Ursula walked away just as Marian spoke back up. "And now let's get on with the show!"
The contest proceedings continued on with a Duskull, Skorupi, Magcargo, and a Marill. Then finally, it was Jessilina's turn to perform. "Looks like I'm up." Jessilina turned to head for the stage, when she was stopped by a friendly call of encouragement. "Good luck Jessilina!"
Jessilina turned around, stunned for just the slightest moment. But she quickly regained her composure and commented back, "Who needs luck when you've got beauty and the skills to match said beauty?" Dawn sweat-dropped as she watched the excited coordinator run onstage for her introduction. "Now for our next coordinator!"
"I know. It's a thrill for you to see me too!" Jessilina exclaimed as she blew kisses to the audience, "Yanmega, let's get this party started!" The dragonfly Pokémon emerged from the Pokéball in a flurry of pink hearts. "Boy, she really doesn't have a wide variety of Pokémon does she?" Brock said. "Yeah, it feels like she uses Yanmega EVERY time." Ash added.
"Yanmega, use 'Silver Wind'!" Yanmega acknowledged the order and swooped downwards with its wings leaving behind a trail of 'Silver Wind', spinning around its coordinator. "And Yanmega begins spinning a powerful 'Silver Wind'!" Marian announced. "Well at least she isn't flying this time." Misty said.
Suddenly, Yanmega glowed in a brilliant bright green, and took off like a shot as it began to spin faster and faster around Jessilina, leaving rings of green and creating a strong, swirling gust of wind. "Now that's fast! Could this be Yanmega's legendary 'Speed Boost' in action?" Marian announced, "And off she goes, spinning like a top!"
"I guess I spoke too soon." Misty sighed exasperatedly. "At least she's showing off Yanmega well." Brock added. Indeed Jessilina was up in the air once again, spinning like a top as the extra speed from Yanmega's 'Speed Boost' created a whirlwind that kept her airborne. "And now Yanmega, it's time to use 'Sonic Boom'!" Jessilina ordered as she continued to spin.
Yanmega stopped and hovered, firing a sound wave into the air that turned and acted like a boomerang. "Next, 'Silver Wind'!" Yanmega flapped its wings and fired the multiple gusts of air, which collided with the 'Sonic Boom' and created a small sprinkle of sparkles.
And then Yanmega flew over to catch Jessilina with its tail and they both struck their final pose and let the sound of the audience's cheers ring loudly in their ears. "They're loving it, and YOU look fab." Jessilina giggled. Yanmega thanked Jessilina for the compliment and went back to enjoying the praises of the audience.
Mr. Contesta: "It's rare to see a coordinator's moves used to show off a Pokémon's qualities."
Mr. Sukizo: "It's true! Which means remarkable!"
Nurse Joy: "Jessilina took some risks…and they paid off."
As Jessilina headed back to the waiting room, she passed by Ursula. "That wasn't bad. So sorry you won't make it past round one." she sneered. "She must hate everybody." Jessilina thought to herself. When she entered, she found Dawn and decided to stand next to her as Ursula was introduced. "Let's see what our next coordinator has for us!"
"You haven't seen anything yet! Now Wormadam! Let's go!" Ursula gracefully threw out her Pokéball, and out of the flurry of pink flower petals emerged a Wormadam. "A Wormadam huh?" Ash said. "That Wormadam can use ground-type moves. I've even heard it called the sandy cloak." Brock added.
"Wormadam, start with 'Confusion'!" Wormadam acknowledged and glowed purple as it rose itself into the air, "Now follow up with 'Rock Blast'!" Wormadam created rings of rock that swirled around it, and used the power of 'Confusion' to make the rocks explode similarly to fireworks.
"That 'Rock Blast' sure shows what makes it called the worm of the desert!" Marian announced. "Looks like Ursula knows what she's doing so far." Misty said. "She must've been really determined to train after losing in the Wallace Cup." Brock added.
"Great! Now use 'Sandstorm'!" Wormadam dramatically created a whirlwind that summoned a storm of dust and dirt that swirled from below it. "Blah. I'm slightly impressed." Jessilina commented. "You gotta admit though, it's simple, but captivating as well." Dawn added. "I suppose." Jessilina shrugged.
"Confusion'!" Ursula ordered. Wormadam glowed purple again, and this time the power of 'Confusion' took control of the 'Sandstorm' and formed a shape with it, shocking the two watching coordinators, the group in the VIP section, and the entire audience. "What was that?" Ash gasped. "Looks like they worked on 'Confusion' a LOT!" Brock added.
"What a surprise! Wormadam's used that 'Sandstorm' to make a sculpture of itself out of sand!" Marian announced. "Alright, wrap it up with 'Captivate'!" Wormadam's eyes began to spray purple hearts, making the sculpture sparkle and finally explode in a storm of purple, ending the performance.
"An amazing ending to an amazing routine!" Marian announced. Ursula puffed out her chest with pride as the cheers of the audience fueled her ego, ultimately disgusting Dawn and the group in the VIP section. However the crowd just ate up Ursula's performance, and was ultimately cheering louder for her than any other coordinator before her, including Dawn.
Mr. Contesta: "There are three types of Wormadam of course, but that performance put the worm of the desert front and center! An amazing sight to see!"
Mr. Sukizo: "Amazing! Also remarkable!"
Nurse Joy: "It seemed like they had synchronized their breathing! I completely loved it!"
"And that's it! The end of the first stage! And our next order of business will be to see who makes it to round two, hang tight everyone, back with the results soon!" As soon as Marian finished talking, Dawn bolted for the VIP section where her friends were, hoping to NOT run into Ursula on the way. Luckily for her, Ursula was too busy taking praise to even bother to notice that Dawn had walked out, and she managed to leave the room without any hassle from her unfriendly rival. As soon as Dawn reached the VIP section, Buneary wasted no time hopping over to Pikachu for a post-performance hug.
"So gang, what did you think?" Dawn asked them. "You and Buneary did awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "And you Buneary, you were the cutest Pokémon out there by far." Misty added. Buneary blushed bashfully at that comment.
"I already know what Riolu thinks by the way he went running around after my performance." Dawn giggled, letting the little Emanation Pokémon jump in her arms. "Yeah…well…Riolu kinda wanted to show off too." Ash sweat-dropped. "Hey Brock, if that's Ash's idea of being a parent, I think you'll have to give him a crash course in babysitting." Dawn laughed. "And if that doesn't work, I'll knock it into him." Misty half-joked.
"What about you Mamoswine? What'd you think?" Dawn asked. Mamoswine replied with snoring, which made Dawn groan with disappointment. "Don't take it personally; it's been sleeping ever since we got here." Misty said. "It's alright; I'm sure once the battling starts it'll wake up." Dawn replied. "Gotta say though…Ursula and her Wormadam were pretty good." Ash admitted.
"Yeah…those two were totally in sync when it came to using a move. The really impressive thing is that Ursula really showed off all of Wormadam's unique talents." Dawn said. "Hmmph, surprised are we?" Dawn turned around and saw Ursula standing there with her Gabite, hands on hips and head held high. "Don't think I didn't notice you slinking out of the waiting area."
"I wasn't SLINKING, I was just coming over here to see my friends." Dawn said matter-of-factly. "It doesn't really matter. Time after time we've been cut out after only the first round, but not in THIS contest, from all that applause and cheering voices I'd say our efforts have finally paid off." Ursula boasted. "Oh yeah you were just eating it up out there weren't you? Made me sick just watching you." Misty spat.
"Oh good, I'm glad we managed to accomplish one thing at least." Ursula replied. "It's not like we were booed off the stage you know! What about all that cheering when Buneary blew that kiss towards Pikachu?" Dawn exclaimed, inadvertently making the electric mouse blush a little.
"Rather cheap way of gaining favor in the eyes of the judges if you ask me. I bet you won't make it past round one, how fitting that you get bumped out by the same person that you took the rightful place in the Wallace Cup from." Ursula sneered.
"Oh yeah? We'll just see about that!" Dawn hissed. Ursula and Dawn just stared at each other for a few moments, lightning sparking in-between them as their anger burned hotly and grew hotter as they stared. Just then, Marian came back out with the results. "Sorry to keep you waiting folks! And now it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for! After careful consideration they've chosen the eight coordinators that will compete in round two, and here they are!"
The screen revealed the eight faces of the preliminary winners all at once, and it was revealed that Ursula, Dawn, and even Jessilina were moving on to round two. "So let's give these eight coordinators a round of applause!"
"We did it! Thanks to you Buneary!" Dawn happily squeezed the small rabbit in her arms, who shared her master's enthusiasm and squeezed back. "Yeah, way to go Dawn!" Ash cheered. "So how does that humble pie taste Ursula?" Misty laughed.
Ursula's fists were clenched and she was obviously furious that Dawn had made it past the first round, but when she turned to face the group, she bore a sickly sweet smile. "Well, congratulations then."
Misty was taken aback by the calm response Ursula gave them. "You mean…you don't mind?" Ash asked. "Oh of course not. I mean sure, I was hoping I could humiliate Dawn by keeping her out of round one, but since she's made it, it gives me an opportunity to deal an even more crushing blow by defeating her myself." Ursula replied. "That's assuming you even make it far!" Misty hissed.
"Oh I will, there's no problem there. If anything, I'm worried that Dawn will lose before I get the chance to face her. So make sure you win Dawn, that way I can exact my revenge in the finals." Ursula turned and walked away cackling, leaving the group to shoot imaginary daggers out of their eyes and into the coordinator's back.
Dawn's POV
"You just wait Ursula. We'll show you what we can do." I turned towards my Pokémon and knelt down in front of Pachirisu, "Pachirisu, you ready to go?" Pachirisu replied with a look of unbridled determination. That was what I liked to see. Like me, Pachirisu was determined to take Ursula down and give her a taste of what it really means to be a coordinator. After all the nasty things that she had said about me and my friends, there was no way I was gonna let her get away with it.
"You better get going. Good luck Dawn, and kick her can!" Misty exclaimed. I nodded at her and took Pachirisu with me to the waiting room, where I would get ready for what might be the toughest contest battles of my life. Not because this was a big time contest, but because there was more at the stake here than just a ribbon. Ursula couldn't be proven right that she was better than me, and there was no way she could get away with insulting me and my Pokémon.
I went into the room and did a quick adjustment on my hair. Since it was time to really get serious, I switched from pigtails to a ponytail so I could be more comfortable while I battled. I was surprised when Jessilina came up to me while I was fixing my hair.
"I know that usually I root against you…but this time I hope you wipe the floor with that arrogant little twerpette who thinks she's better than me." she walked away before I could reply. I always knew there was something strange about Jessilina, but I could never quite put my finger on it. Nevertheless if she was actually putting our rivalry aside to root for me, I knew I couldn't lose, and I wouldn't.
"And now our eight semi-finalists will face off two-by-two in contest battles as they fight for the coveted Chocovine Ribbon! And so with five minutes on the clock, let's go!" Marian shouted. My first battle was against a young boy and his Weavile, and it didn't take long for me to take him down as Pachirisu's 'Super Fang' dominated the dark/ice-type.
After I headed back to wait, I passed by Jessilina who was up next and I wished her luck, and she seemed surprised that I had done so. Then when I walked into the waiting room, I shook the hand of my opponent and sat down, I didn't even have to look to know that Ursula was watching me, so I just pretended she didn't exist and watched as Jessilina and her Carnivine took down another young boy and his Hippopotas with a combination of 'Vine Whip' and 'Bullet Seed'.
Then finally I saw what Ursula and her Gabite were made of when she wiped the floor with a girl and her Hariyama. Naturally she took the time to relish the applause and she seemed to enjoy seeing her opponent's disappointment.
I wanted so badly to just slap her across the face, but I knew that any lack of self-control would only hurt me later, so I held back. Then I was surprised to see when Jessilina and Ursula were paired up to battle. And although Jessilina went off to a good start with 'Bullet Seed', Ursula showed off that training she spent so much time doing and bounced back with a barrage of 'Dragon Claws', and ultimately Carnivine went down hard.
Finally it was me versus another young girl, but I had to pass by Ursula on the way to the stage since she had stayed behind late to listen to the applause. "Well Dawn dear, I hope you win." she said. I didn't even bother to respond, I was in no mood to argue and I had to keep my focus if I was gonna make it into the final round.
So after I defeated the girl's Marill with Pachirisu's 'Discharge', the time finally came for the final round. I stayed on stage since it was me and Ursula facing each other, and I silently growled when Ursula hurried on stage to keep me from getting any sort of applause for my previous win. "Ursula, you are going down!"
"And now the Chocovine Contest moves into its final round! We present our two coordinators! To my left, it's Dawn! And to my right, Ursula!" Marian announced. I heard my friends cheering me on from the VIP section, and I thought I even noticed Mamoswine with one eye open.
Maybe it really did care after all! When I glanced over though I saw Ash, Misty, and Brock staring at Mamoswine with disappointment. "Guess it went back to sleep when its cover was blown." I figured. I stared back towards my opponent and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, but I didn't feel nervous. It was mostly the anticipation and excitement of the battle that was getting to me.
But along with those feelings was an intense, burning anger that was growing stronger deep down in my soul. How could anybody who claimed to be a Pokémon Coordinator be so self-centered and arrogant, and I almost cursed the judges for not noticing that this girl's heart was obviously not in the right place. Contests weren't about self-fulfillment.
They were about showing off your Pokémon and making them shine as brightly as possible in the eyes of audiences everywhere. Sure the fulfillment is there when you win, but it isn't meant to be the only thing you battle for, just a bonus. And I was going to make sure that I showed Ursula that. "The time will be five minutes! Begin!" Once the clock started ticking, I knew it would be all or nothing. "Alright Pachirisu! Spooootlight!"
Pachirisu emerged in a flurry of pink bubbles and landed on the ground, growling at Ursula. "Now Gabite, go! Ha ha!" Ursula tossed her own Pokéball, and in a wrap of musical notes, her dragon/ground-type emerged and growled down at Pachirisu. I could tell that Pachirisu was not only still extremely upset at Ursula, but also at Gabite for destroying my poffin the day before. If there was one thing that that meant, it was that Pachirisu was gonna give more than its all. "It's Pachirisu versus Gabite! One Pokémon's cute, and one Pokémon's fierce! But which one will be the winner?" Marian announced.
Although I was determined to beat Ursula and Gabite, I knew in the back of my mind that I had my work cut out for me this time around. Gabite was not only a powerful dragon-type, but it was also a ground-type which meant that Pachirisu's 'Discharge' would be worthless in an offensive assault. I knew that if I were ever going to do damage to Gabite, it would have to be with 'Super Fang' because 'Discharge' would simply fail and 'Spark' would do no more damage than a regular 'Tackle' attack. Of course I didn't have to worry about being on offense since the second the clock started, Ursula launched an attack. "Gabite, use 'Dragon Claw'!"
Gabite crossed its arms and stood dramatically for a moment, and then leaped up into the air and hurtled downwards towards Pachirisu like a spear. "Spin and dodge it!" I countered. Pachirisu leaped up and did barrel rolls in midair to sneak right by Gabite, but I wasn't aware of just how much of an opponent Ursula's Gabite really was.
"Ha. There's no escaping Gabite's incredible speed." Gabite slashed at Pachirisu, who was simply helpless to do anything after getting pounded by that powerful 'Dragon Claw'. I could feel myself starting to get worried when I heard Pachirisu squeal in pain, and I quickly tried to turn the battle around with an attack. "Super Fang', let's go!"
Pachirisu came out of the spin it was knocked into and flew down towards Gabite with its enlarged front teeth. I figured that there was no way Gabite would be able to retaliate right away after an attack like that, but I wasn't prepared for Ursula's next command. "Use 'Aerial Ace'!" Gabite crossed its arms and leaped up into the air with blinding speed, and slammed into Pachirisu over and over again in midair, invoking squeals of pain each time.
Now I was starting to get really frazzled. Gabite was tearing Pachirisu from limb to limb and my points were quickly going down. But I could barely get a moment to breathe let alone think of something to turn the battle around. "Gabite's using its streamlined body to land hit after hit!" Marian announced.
I took a moment to glance down from Pachirisu towards Ursula, and the smug smirk she was wearing on her face made me want to go over there and slap it off, or if possible I could borrow Misty's mallet and knock her unconscious. Not only was she winning, but every single time she heard Pachirisu squeal in agony, her smirk seemed to get more and more sinister.
"Sweet Kiss', now!" I ordered. I was hoping that a status move would turn things around and even the playing field a little. "Use 'Aerial Ace'!" Gabite leaped up and broke up the hearts that had flown out of Pachirisu's mouth and depleted my points further; it seemed that every move I made Ursula had a move to destroy it. Now Pachirisu was starting to sweat and was obviously in pain from the barrage of attacks.
"I've gotta stay calm. There's still time to turn this thing around…but if every time I attack Ursula counters, and I can't use Pachirisu's electric moves to attack…wait…that's it! Maybe instead of worrying about how I'm gonna take down Gabite without electric-type moves, maybe I should focus more on countering HER attacks WITH electric-type moves! I've been hanging around Ash and Misty too long, I was beginning to think like a gym battler, but now it's time to get back to thinking like a coordinator!" I heard Marian announce the time, and I knew that it was time to go into overdrive. "Less than two minutes remaining!"
"I don't even need half that, because this battle's almost over! Use 'Stone Edge', and make it hurt." Ursula ordered sinisterly. Gabite crossed its arms once more, and pointed stones swirled around its body. Then it sent the jagged rocks towards Pachirisu, but this time I was ready for it. "Jump up and use 'Discharge' like a Counter Shield!" I ordered.
Pachirisu hesitated for a moment, but eventually it leaped up into the air, and the electricity from its tail spun like a carousel and blocked the small rocks. "That was awesome Pachirisu! You're really warming up now!" I could feel the momentum of the battle starting to go in my favor, and by the furious expression on Ursula's face, I could see that I wasn't the only one who realized that, but after a moment she seemed calm again, and I heard her say to herself, "She should realize the Aqua Ribbon isn't a toy."
I added another blow beneath the belt to her already long list, I earned the Aqua Ribbon with my skills as a coordinator, and I was gonna make her realize that even if I had to shove that fact down her throat! "Gabite, 'Dragon Rage'!" Ursula ordered.
Gabite crossed its arms again, and this time it launched a flaming ball of fire from its mouth that headed straight for Pachirisu. "Quick! Use 'Spark'!" Pachirisu charged forward in an aura of blue electricity, and fought against the powerful attack until it finally came apart, lowering Ursula's points further. "Dragon Claw'!" Ursula ordered.
I smirked to myself as Ursula kept ordering attacks, all the way through the battle she had been relying on Gabite's speed and ferocity during attacks, but by the way she kept ordering attack after attack, it was obvious that she hated playing defense, however I was just fine with it.
"What's this? Pachirisu stopped 'Dragon Claw' using the electricity in its tail! I've never seen something so brave and courageous! Truly amazing!" Marian announced. "Way to go! That's showing them Pachirisu!" I looked at Ursula again, and I couldn't help but feel a boost of confidence when I saw how frazzled she was, she simply couldn't believe after all the damage she had done in the first three minutes of the battle that she was close to losing anyway, and each second she seemed to get closer. "Only thirty seconds on the clock!" Marian announced.
"I won't lose to Dawn again! 'Stone Edge', let's go!" By the way Ursula ordered that attack, it was clear to see that she was starting to panic. But when the pointed slabs of rock from 'Stone Edge' swirled around Pachirisu before finally pointing towards it in all directions, I suddenly didn't feel so good, but then I came up with an idea.
"Quick! Get your tail up!" Pachirisu pointed its tail up like a lightning rod and created a force-field of electricity that bounced off the power of the rocks. "Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" It was time for me to finally score an attack off the frazzled and nervous Ursula, "Let's use 'Super Fang'!" Pachirisu charged for Gabite to bite down with its sharp front teeth.
"I'm through giving up points! Gabite, use 'Dragon Rage'!" Gabite quickly launched a blazing ball of fire towards Pachirisu, and for a moment it seemed like Ursula would win after all if Pachirisu were to make contact with that 'Dragon Rage'.
But then Pachirisu starting spinning like a saw and literally charged through the flames just in time to bite down on the fins of a surprised Gabite. But almost immediately after, I felt my heart skip a beat. "Time's up! So who gets the Chocovine Ribbon?" Marian announced.
I looked towards the screen to see who had managed to survive the longest. Had my defensive strategy come into action too late? Or had I managed to pull a bad battle out of the fire?
Normal POV
"And the winner is…Dawn!" Marian announced. The crowd roared their approval with a gusto that dwarfed the cheers of all of Ursula's performances, and Dawn couldn't help but just run up and embrace her electric squirrel in thanks.
"Yes we won! Pachirisu we won, we really won!" the blue haired coordinator cheered. But then Dawn looked towards Ursula, who was angrily glaring at her before her Gabite walked up to her. "Dear Gabite, you were just amazing out there." she said. "Well, maybe she cares more than I thought." Dawn admitted to herself.
"Awesome! They did it!" Ash cheered. Riolu jumped up and down in total joy, revenge had been carried out for the poffin that gave its life for him and Pachirisu, and he was gonna let everyone see his excitement. "Hey, look who finally woke up." Misty pointed out that the Twin Tusk Pokémon had opened both eyes and had been apparently watching with interest.
Ash wasted no time in seizing the window of opportunity and trying to get Mamoswine excited. "See? That's what battling's all about! Didn't Pachirisu work hard?" Upon hearing the word "work", Mamoswine quickly closed its eyes and went back to sleep. "Mamoswine!" Ash groaned. "Well look at that, Mamoswine's starting to care." Brock said.
"And now here is Mr. Contesta, chief of the Pokémon Activities Committee! He has the distinct honor of presenting the Chocovine Ribbon to Dawn!" Marian announced. Mr. Contesta stepped up to the winners' platform and presented Dawn with the ribbon. "Congratulations again, and much luck in the future."
"Thanks!" Dawn took the ribbon from its case and held to her heart with joy, "Wow…thank you so much…yeah alright! I just won the Chocovine Ribbon and it's mine all mine!" Dawn held up the ribbon with pride, and her two Pokémon leaped up enthusiastically to join the celebration.
Afterwards, she met up with her friends who congratulated her for her victory. "That was awesome Dawn!" Ash exclaimed. "You turned that battle around and gave Ursula a taste of some awesome quick thinking! Just like a gym battler!" Misty added.
"Well to tell you the truth, it was thinking like a gym battler that almost killed me. I was so worried about how I would attack Ursula without electric moves that I forgot that beauty and grace through defense would count too." Dawn said. "Well…in any case, nice work. Mamoswine thought so too." Misty replied.
"Is that true Mamoswine? You liked it?" Dawn asked excitedly. Mamoswine responded with snoring. "Take my word for it, Mamoswine was wide awake once things really got jumping." Misty said. Dawn giggled, "Well if you'll excuse me, I have to take a call." Dawn said.
"A call from who?" Ash asked. "None of your business." Dawn stuck her tongue out at Ash and ran off, leaving the two males in confusion and Misty with a smile on her face. Almost as if on cue, Dawn reached the videophones just as one began to ring. "Hi Kenny!" she exclaimed.
"Hey Dee Dee! Nice job today!" Kenny replied. "You know what? I'm in such a good mood; I won't even kill you this time…THIS time." Dawn warned. "Alright alright, you sure gave Ursula a shock huh?" Kenny laughed. "I guess so, but I don't feel as good about beating her as I thought." Dawn admitted.
"Why not? I figured you would've loved to make her eat her words." Kenny said. "Well I am happy that I defended the reputation of me and my Pokémon, but I feel kind of sorry for her too…I mean…was she ALWAYS that way? What happened I wonder that turned her into such a mean person?" Dawn wondered.
"Well I dunno what to tell you Dawn, but I do know that you were awesome." Kenny said. "Thanks Kenny, I appreciate it." Dawn giggled. "So I suppose you'll be heading to Ash's next gym battle now?" Kenny asked. "Yeah, we're heading to Snowpoint City." Dawn replied.
"It's chilly up there, you got some warm clothes? I could get my mom to send you some!" Kenny exclaimed. "Don't worry Kenny! My mom already has us covered." Dawn giggled. "Oh good, I don't want you to freeze up there." Kenny replied. "I'll be ok, thanks for the concern though."
Dawn smiled warmly at her contest rival and childhood friend, which brought Kenny to smile as well. Dawn was usually so focused on beating her rival, that she would often forget that she grew up with Kenny and he was one of her best friends since they were in diapers. Seeing his smile brought back a lot of memories for Dawn, admittedly not all of them were pleasant, but they still brought her joy nonetheless.
"Well I gotta go, gotta do some more training you know? Talk to you later." Kenny said. "Bye Kenny! And thanks for the call!" the two hung up, and Dawn went to go change afterwards. As she walked into the changing room, she started thinking about her two crushes, and weighed them in her own mind.
"I really need to make a decision and soon…if I don't…I'll never get out of this rut I'm in! Ok, let's see…what qualities does Kenny have? He's a coordinator like me, so we have something in common, we grew up together so we know each other really well…but he teases me with the Dee Dee name all the time which drives me CRAZY! And he likes to get really competitive with me too, so I can't focus on how I feel…although he does seem to be acting nicer towards me lately…but then again that may just be because of my friendship with him…how can Misty know what Kenny is REALLY feeling anyway? And Barry…I mean…where was he when I was growing up? He said he's from Twinleaf Town but I don't remember growing up with him…all I remember is that he was in the festival back home…but he's just so cute, the way he gets over-animated about things makes me wanna laugh and laugh…! But…is laughter enough to try and spark a relationship? We barely have a friendship…ohh! I need to talk to another girl! Someone not Misty, she already has a boyfriend in Ash…maybe May? But May already has her hands full with Drew…Mom would just embarrass me…Zoey won't be much help; she doesn't really care to have a relationship right now…wait a minute! Of course! Who else to talk to about a childhood friend than another childhood friend? As soon as I get the chance, I'm calling the hot spring!"
As soon as Dawn finished pondering things, she met up with her friends outside of the changing rooms. "What took you so long?" Ash asked impatiently. "Oh, I was just thinking. Something you wouldn't know anything about." Dawn laughed. "Hey what do you mean? I think all the time!" Ash barked.
"Oh gimme a break Ash, when you do think it's about Pokémon." Misty snickered. "Oh yeah? It wasn't Pokémon that made me want to go get you." Ash said, sure that he had stumped her. He didn't. "True, but it wasn't your brain either. Your heart and your brain are two ENTIRELY different things." Misty replied proudly.
"Hey I just remembered something! Misty you never told us what you did with Phione!" Dawn exclaimed. "Oh yeah! Well, simply put, I gave Phione to May." Misty replied. "Hey, that was a great idea!" Brock said approvingly. "What was so great about it?" Dawn asked. "I'll tell you later." Misty reassured.
As the group walked out of the contest hall, the sun began to set on Dawn's extraordinary day and victory. "Well at any rate, that contest was awesome Dawn; you finally got your fourth ribbon!" Ash exclaimed. "One more and you'll be able to enter the Grand Festival!" Brock added. "Thanks! But I couldn't have done it without you guys!" Dawn said.
"Oh we know, but we won't hold it against you." Misty joked. The group got a laugh out of that, but the atmosphere suddenly tensed when Ursula walked by. "Ursula." Dawn stated. Ursula turned and angrily frowned at Dawn. "You won't get any compliments out of ME, not a chance…but you did a good job I guess." Ursula walked away without another word.
"Uh, thanks I guess." Dawn sighed. "Well now that you've won your fourth ribbon, it's my turn!" Ash exclaimed. "Looks like we're Snowpoint bound!" Misty added. And so with Dawn's fourth ribbon officially under her belt, and a new rival to add to it, the group headed to the Pokémon Center for a good night's rest, and the next day they would be bound for Snowpoint City, and Ash's next gym battle.
_
A/N: Well there you have it! Did everyone laugh when Riolu ran wild on the field? I kinda pictured what happened when Air Bud went wild in the second movie they did. xD Well hey, if a Pokemon that just hatched is feeding off of Ash's aura, I think that's what would happen lol. And lastly, I would like to thank Fanghur-1123, who told me that I surpassed the 1000 page mark with this chapter! Now if anyone wants a message to say when the next update is, please give a signed review and I'll be sure to send a message saying just that. See you all next time!