Well, here it is, the forty-first part of the fifth and final installment in my 'Heart' series. It's time for the Circhester Rock Contest and right as Dawn was registering a blast from Ash's past that she'd never met before but knew well because of his actions towards May in the Johto Grand Festival appeared. That's right, Harley's in town and he's looking for his own Galar Ribbon as he pursues the Majestic Festival as well, one that he is eligible for because of his victory over May in a Johto Grand Festival final that Dawn knows all about. There's no way that Dawn will forget or forgive what Harley did to her friend thanks to Drew's betrayal back then and there's no price she's unwilling to pay to see that May is avenged. It's time to see how far Dawn will go as that is all the administrative stuff I have for this Part and while there are no questions to answer nor guest reviews to respond to so I will leave this off here. Do please keep your reviews coming as I love hearing from y'all. That is it for this pre-Part note which means that it is once again time to sit back which and enjoy the latest installment in Heart of Champions. Part CCXXX: Cursed Avenger.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
Part CCXXX: Cursed Avenger
"Well that was certainly interesting." Killian said as the 17th appeal ended and the applause from the crowd died down. "But do the judges agree?"
Dawn wasn't listening to the judges as they gave feedback to the coordinator before her, she was in the zone, had her appeal mentally planned out and was ready to execute it. Going penultimate in the appeals was good as it had given Dawn the time she needed to focus, watch the appeals before her, and assess them to give herself a sense of what she needed to do to advance. The fact that Harley was going after her to conclude the appeals only added to things as she didn't have to worry about watching him and seeing how good his appeal was, she could just focus on doing her own thing.
So far that had been going well. The Circhester Rock Contest had gotten underway, Killian talked about the special nature of this Contest, explained the rules for anyone who was new, they were of course the same as what Dawn had experienced in the rural Contest that she'd participated in the week before, and hyped it up as an extra special Contest but didn't say why.
Of course Dawn knew exactly what Killian had meant by this Contest being extra special but chose to ignore it as she waited for the Contest to start. By this point she was used to this kind of hype in the Contests that she took part in and with the Majestic Festival now a thing Contests like the Circhester Rock Contest and the two Contests that Dawn had done in Kalos with May would occur so she just accepted that they would be overhyped.
That wasn't really a bad thing, however, as Contests with two Top Coordinators in them really got the attention of the cameras and fans making them some of the highest watched and attended Contests out there. This in turn would help boost Contest popularity and broaden their appeal because people could see some of the best coordinators around going at it.
This was especially true in expansion regions like Galar where anything that boosted Contest popularity was a good thing and when you factored in the chances of an upset of a Top Coordinator, or two as what occurred in the Haunted Contest in Kalos, that really peaked interest. Naturally, upsets were rare and what Amelia did in Kalos in beating both May and Dawn in the same Contest was still unmatched but the possibility of an upset from one of the circuit favorites was always there so people tuned in for that.
Dawn understood all of this and so she didn't mind Killian hyping this Contest as something special, and as there were no favorites for this year's Galar Grand Festival in the Circhester Rock Contest there was only one real reason for the hype, which Dawn fully intended to live up to as she was going to make this a really memorable Contest. As such, she watched the appeals of the other coordinators intently so that she could ensure that she advanced and thus be able to do what she wanted to do in this Contest.
Now, having watched all the appeals before her, Dawn felt that they were decent but not exceptional in. They were above average for an expansion region based on all the Contests that she'd seen or entered in Kalos and Alola, which was a good sign but that was to be expected as there were a few who'd won ribbons in previous years either in Galar or in other regions, three of them being in established regions. As such, there was some competition but nothing that Dawn felt threatened by in the appeals.
True anything could go wrong on the day, Dawn knew that all too well, but with this stage, the uniqueness of it compared to others that Dawn had competed on, and her plan for it, Dawn knew that she would advance. It helped that because of her judging requirements she had a better sense of how appeals were scored and based on that only 5 appeals so far were competitive in an established region so she felt good and was ready for this appeal.
"Thank you for your wise words." Killian said as the judges finished giving their remarks and the coordinator turned and left the stage. "And now onto our penultimate appeal and folks, this is one of the reasons why this Contest is special! Fresh off being on the receiving end of the upset of the Galar Contest season and looking for her needed Galar Ribbon on the path to the Majestic Festival, she's come to Circhester City at the right time! That's right, it's her second Galar Contest so without further ado give a big round of Galarian applause for a Kanto Grand Festival winner, the Prodigy of Sinnoh herself, Lady Dawn of Twinleaf Town!"
Dawn just smiled at that as the crowd gave her a loud round of applause, and even a few cheers which was unusual in Galar, as she walked out into the underground cavern smiling and waving at them as she did. She was used to this kind of hype though and she fully intended to live up to it and give Galar a show as she walked up to the appeals spot and pulled out her Poke Ball. It was time to begin a Contest in which Dawn intended to show Galar something that they'd remember for a while and remind everyone that Dawn was as versatile a coordinator as there was.
"Machamp, spotlight!" Dawn said as she came to a stop and threw out her Poke Ball getting a few gasps from the crowd at the Pokémon that she'd selected for her appeal as it wasn't a usual appeals Pokémon. "Start by using Dual Chop on the nearest rock pillar. Don't let it touch the ground, catch it as it falls away!"
Machamp roared as he burst from his Poke Ball with a flip that showed more grace than one would expect from a Pokémon like him, he and Dawn had been working on his appeal entrance so as to pull this off, as Dawn was giving her opening order. As such he was able to land on the ground, tense his leg muscles thus showing them off, and then push off it in a smooth motion to rocket at a pillar about a quarter of the way to the center of the stage.
As Machamp flew at it, his lower hands glowed with dragon type power as he readied his Dual Chop. He was a seasoned, well trained, Pokémon so he was able to time his leap just right that he landed in front of the rock pillar with enough space to act, sliding slightly over the rocky stage from this momentum, and lashing out with his lower right hand as he was about to come to a stop.
The first of the Dual Chops hit the pillar near the base and even though it wasn't a fighting type attack, Machamp's raw strength behind the blow, which was what Dawn was currently showing off, created a small crater at the impact sight that sent a crack halfway through the pillar. Almost right away Machamp followed this up with his lower left hand, chopping the pillar in the same place and that deepened the crater thus finished the job of breaking off the pillar and sending it flying from its base.
It didn't get too far though as Machamp used the momentum from his second Dual Chop to step forward and catch the pillar in all four of his hands long before it could reach the end of its trajectory or the ground though he didn't pull the pillar into his chest. Before he had it, Dawn knew that he would catch it and grinned as she called out the next part of her appeal. This was a stage that was perfect for Machamp's appeal style and the moment that Dawn had seen it she'd know exactly how to use it and her strong, protective, fully evolved fighting type together to maximize the stage to their advantage.
"Vital Throw!" Dawn shouted. "Toss it high and long before you hit it at its apex with Focus Blast!"
"Machamp!" Machamp roared happily as he planted his left foot, he was still moving forward slightly from catching the pillar and holding it with ease as it was well within his weight limit, and spun on it to build up momentum before he launched the pillar high into the air with Vital Throw. "Machamp!"
The key here was to finish the combo before the pillar either hit the ceiling or flew out of the Contest Hall depending on the layout of the stage as either would happen given how strong Machamp was. That was the part of the Focus Blast and as soon as Machamp had thrown the pillar he heightened his mental focus as he spun a second time keeping the momentum of his throw and tracked the flight of the pillar. Then, as he returned to the starting point of his throw and was ready with his Focus Blast, Machamp planted his right foot to end his spin, brought his arms together and roared as he unleashed his power.
The bluish ball of fighting type power erupted from Machamp and tore up and at the still flying pillar faster than the pillar itself. This was the other part of the combo, the display of a non-physical aspect fighting type prowess and accuracy to send the not so accurate Focus Blast up and at the pillar and hit it, and hit it Machamp did.
Out of everything, he'd been been training this aspect of his appeal the most. Dawn's plans for how to use Machamp in appeals had already been about using props and the stage itself to maximize what he could do best while fully showing off his type and physiology so he wasn't going to let Dawn down now. As such, Machamp fired off his Focus Blast hard and fast so that it slammed into the pillar while it was still rising in the air and a little past the halfway point.
The moment that it hit the pillar it blew up with a boom that reduced the pillar to fine dust which scattered outwards and over the area that the pillar would have continued to fly through had it not been hit while traces of the Focus Blast shot between it. The combo was a display of what Machamp did best and now it was time to follow it up with his appeal's grand finale.
"Now grab the nearest pillar and rip it off with nothing but your raw strength!" Dawn shouted. "And then use Seismic Toss with it! Aim for the middle!"
"Machamp!" Machamp roared as he turned slightly and leapt at the nearest rock pillar.
He covered the distance in a single leap and landed in front of the pillar, his four hands instantly going to it and grabbing it, his arms going around it as he basically bear hugger the pillar before sinking his fingers into it to get a good grip. Then, with a savage leftwards twist that really showed off his back muscles, Dawn had made sure to oil up all of Machamp's muscles that morning to really show them off should he be used in an appeal, Machamp ripped the pillar off at the base in a single, violent, motion.
Machamp didn't stop there, though, he pivoted with the twist bringing his right leg up and over the broken base while bending his left knee and tensing his leg muscles. Then, before he put his right foot down, he launched himself off the ground with Seismic Toss, the force of his leap leaving a small crater where his left foot had been which was a testament to his power.
Thankfully Machamp had just used one leg if he'd used both he almost certainly would have slammed into the ceiling of the chamber but he didn't. He did get most of the way towards the ceiling, and Dawn was glad that there were no stalactites hanging from it as he might have hit one if it was low enough, before he flipped as he reached his apex and hurled the pillar in his arms down to finish his Seismic Toss move.
Machamp wasn't exactly at the midpoint of the stage, he'd overshot it slightly, but that was a small mistake and no one really paid it any heed as they watched the rock shoot down to the stage in a brown blur that slammed into the rocky ground a split second later with a boom that shook the stage and kicked up a lot of dust beneath Machamp. However, the dust didn't reach Machamp so he was clear of it and in fact because it shot up it highlighted him over it as he began to fall down, flexing all of his arms and showing off as he did.
The speed of the move also helped as there was just enough time for the dust to settle and reveal a small crater below Machamp that covered the center of the stage though was slightly off with small, fine, rock fragments in the center of it. Machamp just smiled as he landed to the side of the crater and facing the judges, tensing all of his arms, and bringing them down to show off his muscles as he landed and grinned at the judges.
As he did this Dawn turned to the judges and smiled. Then, as Machamp straightened to his full height, she bowed her head, took her skirts in her hand, and executed a near perfect curtsy that would be good by Kalos standards while Machamp put his right two hands over his chest and bowed formally to the judges to show that the appeal was over. At that the crowd broke out into a loud round of applause as Dawn and Machamp held their curtsy and bow, respectively.
"I don't think any of us saw that coming from Dawn, even with her broad selection of Pokémon her Machamp wasn't on the list and I for one am not even sure when the last time someone used a Machamp in an appeal was." Killian said as the applause died down and Dawn and Machamp rose from their curtsy and bow at the same time. "But do our judges concur with me?"
"It has been a while since one was used in an appeal but in this setting and with a rock filled stage a Machamp was a strong choice to use the stage to her advantage." Mr. Contesta said with a nod as right away several first stage ground types hurried out onto the stage to quickly fix the craters in it for the final appeal though any broken pillars were left as they were. "And using both moves and pure muscles on the pillars to highlight a Machamp's raw power and fighting type prowess which was a nice touch. Just what we've come to expect from the Top Coordinators going for the Majestic Festival this year. Well done."
"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo added in the tone he used when he was impressed.
"Machamp is a perfect specimen of fighting type muscle, strength, and control." Nurse Joy said with a smile. "Dawn's raised it well and Machamp's clearly been working out to keep those muscles up."
"Well there you have it, high praise indeed." Killian said as Dawn smiled at the judges as she curtsied again while Machamp bowed before she recalled him and turned to leave planning on thanking Machamp on her way back to the waiting room. "Next up is the other reason for why this Contest is special. Folks…"
Dawn didn't hear the rest of Killian's statement as she walked off, completely ignoring Harley as he glared at her from the wings in the process, and began to make her way back to the waiting room. She knew that she'd done enough to advance and for all his nastiness and underhanded tactics, Harley was still a Top Coordinator so Dawn didn't doubt that he'd advance as well.
That was fine with Dawn, she wanted Harley to advance and then it would be onto the battles and Dawn was eager to see how the bracket fell. As such, she hurried back to the waiting room to catch the tail end of Harley's appeal while thanking Machamp the great appeal as she did.
"…this Contest does not have one Top Coordinator in it but two!" Killian was saying and the mention of two Top Coordinators snapped Harley back to the task at hand as Dawn ignored him on her way out as he glared at her after her appeal, that task of course being advancing and crushing May's close friend in the battles to further hurt that brat before his next battle with her. "That's right, we've got two today! This is a first this year in Galar and only the 8th time in any region so give a big round of Galarian applause for the second Top Coordinator in the Circhester Rock Contest! He handily won the Johto Grand Festival a few years back, give it up for the Sly Speaker of Slateport himself, Sir Harley of Slateport City!"
Harley put on his usual smile that he always wore for Contests and swaggered out, his confidence real as he waved and played to the crowd. There was plenty of applause from them, which was to be expected, but it was more for his status and the fact that there were two Top Coordinators in this Contest than for Harley himself as for the most part Harley didn't have a strong fan base given how off putting his style could be. That was fine with him, the judges approved of his coordinating and that was all that mattered to him, well that and crushing May and her friends of course.
Today he would get to do both so Harley was in a really good mood as he reached the starting spot, Poke Ball coming out and expanding as he came to a stop, and it was time to kick that off with a better appeal than Dawn's. True he'd not expected her to use a Machamp but she'd wasted a powerhouse on the appeals and that would cost her, he'd show her the error of her ways right after his own better appeal, an appeal that would rattle her, and he'd do it with his newest Pokémon that he'd caught right here in Galar.
"Come on Sandaconda!" Harley said tossing out his Poke Ball. "Start with Bulldoze, obliterate several pillars! Leave the on the other side and near the middle though."
Sandaconda hissed as it burst from its Poke Ball and landed before Harley, its tanned body with a black and brown pattern on it coiled in a spiral while a large dark green and brown ring around its neck, which was actually a neck pouch, kept Sandaconda's head up as it hit the ground. However, Sandaconda only remained on the ground for a second before it shot off and at the nearest rock pillar to the side with its Bulldoze move, its body uncoiling as it rocketed towards its target.
A second later Sandaconda hit the rock pillar head on and, as Harley had said, obliterated it to fine dust with the power of its Bulldoze showing off its raw strength, how good its Bulldoze was, its type, and avoiding any obfuscation in the process. Sandaconda didn't stop though, it moved on lashing its body on the ground before charging towards the next pillar and doing the same to it, keeping its momentum through the blow. The Sand Snake Pokémon then kept this up for several more pillars in a coiling loop around the stage hissing all the way and really showing off its power while the dust accented it nicely.
This lasted a few moments before finally Sandaconda had cleared most of the remaining pillars and ended up facing two of the few remaining that were on the other side of the stage but wasn't between them. No, this landing was different as Sandaconda recoiled its body in midair to show that it was done and as it did, and before it landed, Harley gave out the next order.
"Now break those pillars off with Brutal Swing!" Harley cried out. "And then use Wrap on the first one you broke and crush it to dust! Make sure you're facing the second pillar as you do so."
Sandaconda hissed at that and leapt forward, uncoiling as it did and pivoting on its neck sack to lash its tail around in a hard, violent swing to lash it's tail into the first of the two pillars just above its base. The tail smashed through it with the dark type attack and continued onto the next pillar while the first flew up into the air from the force of the blow. Even with going through one rock pillar, Sandaconda still had plenty of power and force left to smash through the second one and repeat the process sending that one flying up as well while Sandaconda completed its swing.
Then, right as Sandaconda returned to its starting position it leapt up at the first pillar as it was nearing its apex, hissing as it did, and uncoiled its body. This time, though, when Sandaconda recoiled its body it did so around the pillar in a smooth, swift motion using its Wrap move before, and without pause or hesitation, squeezing its body hard.
The pillar was reduced to dust with the single squeeze just as Harley had ordered while returning Sandaconda to its normal coiled state and really showed off how much force that Sandaconda could exert. This was all while the other broken pillar was still rising in front of Sandaconda and that was just what Harley was going for.
"Now grab that pillar and bite through it with Fire Fang!" Harley ordered the moment that Sandaconda had crushed the pillar with Wrap. "All before you hit the ground!"
Sandaconda hissed again and uncoiled in midair, using the uncoiling to reach the pillar, and opening its mouth in the process, fire bursting to life in it. Then, just as both Sandaconda and the other pillar were starting to fall back to the ground, Sandaconda twisted its head and clamped down on the pillar, fire bursting from the bite and illuminating Sandaconda's move and face.
Then, and a testament to Sandaconda's jaws especially when not using a move like Bite or Crunch, Sandaconda brought its jaws together and snapped the pillar off on either side causing the bits to crash down next to it. The parts of the pillar hit the ground a few seconds before Sandaconda did.
All Sandaconda did then was spit out the remaining bit of pillar to show the damage to it and it clattered to the ground in front of the judges because that had been the final aspect of the move, ending facing the judges though not directly in front of them due to where the pillars had been but that wouldn't matter much in terms of points. That was because the whole appeal had been peak coordination and Harley knew it as he turned to the judges and gave them an elaborate bow, doffing his top hat and sweeping it to the side in the process while Sandaconda just hissed as it couldn't bow.
This confirmed that his appeal was over and the crowd broke out into applause that wasn't as loud as it had been for Dawn but was still louder than any other coordinator showing that while they didn't particularly like Harley, the respected his skill and understood that his appeal was top tier. That was fine with Harley, all that mattered was the judges' opinion and he held his bow through the applause as he waited for Killian to speak.
"Harley's reputation precedes him I see, a strong and technical appeal that highlighted his Pokémon nicely." Killian said as Harley rose from his bow and spun the top hat in his hand before putting it back on his head while Sandaconda just hissed again and the applause of the crowd died down. "Do the judges agree though?"
"As expected from someone of Harley's caliber, an appeal in all senses and just what we have come to expect from him." Mr. Contesta said with a nod. "He highlighted type and physiology well while focusing on the Pokémon itself and to do so with a Galar native Pokémon here in Galar was a nice touch. Good job."
"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo added in the same tone that he'd used for Dawn's appeal.
"Sandaconda looked strong and fluid with its movements." Nurse joy said smiling. "Harley's raising it well and knows how to care for snake-like and ground type Pokémon."
"Well there you have it folks, a strong appeal and high praise to end the appeals on!" Killian said as the crowd cheered again and Harley bowed once more though he only held his top hat in place this time before he recalled Sandaconda and turned to leave the stage. "With that the appeals are over and in a moment we'll have the results. In fact…"
Harley knew that with the electronic scoring the results would be in almost right away but he still casually walked off and headed back to the waiting room as the crowd applauded the end of the appeals and the advancing coordinators. He knew that there was no need to rush, he'd advanced and in his mind he'd done so with the best appeal of the day.
All that would just be confirmed when he got to the waiting room and once there the big thing would be the bracket so he knew what he had to do during the battles because he wanted to crush Dawn in battle. Of course there was only one place that would be do for Harley's victory over Dawn and it was time to see if fate would give him that chance.
"…here are the 8 coordinators who have advanced!" Killian said as Dawn watched the screen from the waiting room where she was sitting on one of the benches on the side, Piplup in her lap, while Harley calmly walked off the stage. "Congratulations!"
Dawn had managed to catch the second half of Harley's appeal and it was good and his coordination was near perfect, she couldn't deny it. The man might be an ass who had it out for May for some unknown reason but he wasn't a Top Coordinator for nothing.
That said, Dawn didn't consider his win over May in the Johto Grand Festival finals a legitimate win but that was because of Drew's interference so to her Harley was only a Top Coordinator in name only. However, after what she saw in of his appeal and what May had said of Harley regardless of his underhanded tactics, Dawn was certain that Harley would have won a Grand Festival on his own merits one day. Perhaps not against May, though he had beaten her in the past, but still he'd have won one and his appeal showed that he knew what he was doing.
As such it wasn't a surprise to Dawn to see Harley's picture second from the left on the first row of four coordinators that had advanced when the pictures appeared on the screen. He'd done more than enough to advance and as expected so had she as her photo was right under his. That was annoying to see simply because Harley would enjoy being above Dawn on the screen but she just pushed it out of her mind as the pictures flipped over and shuffled on the screen before forming into a single deck face down.
"And now for the draw!" Killian said as the first card was send down to the bottom left of the screen and into the first spot there while the bracket formed above it and the remaining 7 cards stayed in the top right of the screen. "Let's see those battles!"
At that, the first card flipped over and to Dawn's surprise it was hers indicating that she'd be in the first battle. Then, and as Harley returned to the waiting room, the second card was dealt to the second slot and flipped over to show her opponent. Thankfully, it wasn't Harley's so Dawn wouldn't face him in the first round of battles. Then, when the 3rd and 4th cards weren't his either she had to suppress a grin as the draw had gone in her favor and Harley wouldn't face her until the final. In fact, the draw kept up without Harley's card until the 8th and final slot where it appeared leaving them to bookend the bracket.
"Well there it is and I know that I for one am really looking forward to the upcoming battles!" Killian said. "But first an hour long tea break as is custom here in Galar. Congratulations to the 8 coordinators who advanced and to the rest of you, best of luck next time we hope to see you in another Contest soon."
With that the screen cut out and the room began to disperse with those who'd advanced remaining while those who hadn't heading out to change and either leave or watch the battles with mixed reactions to their failure to advance. For her part Dawn simply waited for the people to leave, not getting up from where she was sitting and stroking Piplup's head as she did knowing that something was coming.
"You'd better not lose, my little prodigy." Harley called out as the last of the coordinators who'd not advanced left leaving only the 8 who had in the room along with a few members of staff who were sorting out the refreshments. "Because I won't. Show me why you're a Top Coordinator."
"I will do my best, Mr. Sly, but unlike you I'm not arrogant enough to believe that no one here can beat me before I can reach the final." Dawn said as she got up and put Piplup on her head so that she had her hands free and headed to the food tables while the other 6 coordinators either ignored the two Top Coordinators or listened intently clearly surprised that Dawn hadn't expected to beat them. "Now if you don't mind I have to get ready and given your reputation I think I'll do so where you can't prattle on about Arceus knows what."
"What do you mean?" Harley asked clearly annoyed as Dawn helped herself to some food, got a few things for her Pokémon to enjoy, and grabbed a bottle of water before she turned to the door. "This is the waiting room, you know, where we wait. You can't get away from me that easily."
"Oh but I can thanks to the advantage of the specific nature of Galar's Contests." Dawn said as she walked out. "I know that you like to cross dress Harley but I don't think that they would look too kindly on you coming into the women's changing room to harass a female coordinator, especially after you used the male one to get ready earlier. Now be a good boy and stay here and prepare, I may not make it but I'm still going to give my all to win this Contest, as will everyone in this room, so you'd better do the same. Oh, and make sure you try to win, I'd love to face you in the finals."
With that Dawn left not hearing Harley as he snapped something back at her that amounted to the fact that unlike her, he'd not lost this year while she'd lost three times and two of those losses were not to Top Coordinators. Of course Harley left out the fact that in both cases Dawn had lost to circuit favorites who either knew her style or were already Top Coordinator level in terms of technique. Naturally, Dawn didn't care about any of that as she made her way to the dressing room and entered looking forward to a relaxing break with her Pokémon as she prepared for the battles to come.
Thanks to her decision to spend the break in the changing room, the rest of said break was uneventful. Dawn remained in the changing room enjoying the food and planning with Piplup and the other Pokémon she intended on using in the battles. Of the other coordinators, 4 were female and they all ended up joining her, though not until after Dawn had returned all her Pokémon so that they could be fully rested for the battles, because clearly Harley was being annoying. None of them spoke to Dawn, or each other, but it was a comfortable silence as they remained there waiting for the break to end.
Finally it did with a buzzer to indicated that there were 5 minutes left before the battles resumed and Dawn was the first to leave the changing room. Of course she brought her empty plate and bottle with here while Piplup remained out and on her head.
That might throw some people as she'd left him in the waiting room during her appeal to avoid confusion but right after leaving the changing room, and before she entered the waiting room where she dropped off her plate, she actually returned Piplup to his Poke Ball. It was something that she only did when she was about to use him in a Contest so by doing so she would make it clear that her starter was in play as well.
Harley would of course take note when she entered the waiting room without Piplup as he'd remained in the waiting room while everyone else had gone to the changing rooms during the break but she ignored Harley and headed out and towards the stage. She did have battles to focus on and until the final Harley wasn't worth her time, she was in the zone and Dawn was more than ready for her first battle as she entered the corridor to the stage.
Almost as soon as she did, however, an attendant met her and directed her around the battlefield and through a side tunnel she'd noticed before so that she knew how to get to her starting spot on the other side of the stage. Her opponent would use the appeal side but that was fine with Dawn, she was prepared for battle as she got into position with a few minutes to spare.
That gave her the time to go over the various strategies that she had for this battle because she already knew who she'd use for it and had several different plans depending on what kind of Pokémon that she was facing. This would come in handy as she entered her first battle because her opponent ended up being from Alola and revealed a new regional variant for Dawn to meet, an Alolan Graveler.
He'd also made it to the first Alola Grand Festival but failed to get past the appeals so he had potential but that really wasn't the issue for Dawn in this battle, no his Pokémon was. That was because Dawn was using her recently caught Sizzlipede in its Contest debut and as a fire and bug type it was super weak to rock type Pokémon and as Dawn had never faced a rock and electric type, so it threw her a bit. Only a bit though, she knew electric types well thanks to Pikachu and her own Pachirisu, and as such she had a plan for such a type disadvantage, play to the nature of a Contest battle.
That's just what Dawn did and she used Sizzlipede's size, agility, and physiology to her advantage as she evaded and countered where she could for the full 5 minutes. Sizzlipede didn't have the strength or moves to knock out Graveler but that wasn't the goal of a Contest battle and Dawn reminded everyone that as she chipped away her opponents points with hit and run tactics that prioritized evading over all else so while Sizzlipede did take one rock type attack that took out a chunk of Dawn's points, it held out and won by a good margin of points when the bell rang to end the match.
Dawn recalled, thanked Sizzlipede and curtsied at her opponent who bowed and then left to wait in the waiting room while the rest of the first round played out. It also gave her time to watch Harley's first battle and get a sense for what he could do in a battle as she'd never actually seen him battle having not bothered to watch footage of him due to not expecting to meet him, an oversight on her part she realized, but now she got that chance and took it.
Additionally, because she was up right after Harley in the semifinals, she could watch the battle directly from the wings rather than the waiting room. That gave here a better sense for Harley's skills and she was glad for the opportunity as she watched Harley kick off his first battle of the day.
It turned out that Harley was a tricky battler who favored sinister looking Pokémon and showed that off right from the start when he used his Ariados in his first battle. It certainly explained his use of a Sandaconda in the appeals and Dawn couldn't deny that Harley was skilled in the art of Contest battles as his Ariados ran rings around his Kantonian opponent's Tangela before it ensnared it with webs and knocked it out with poison in the third minute of the battle.
That advanced Harley to the semifinals and he smirked at Dawn as he walked past her in the wings but she ignored him and walked out to her semifinal against a Johto coordinator who'd won two ribbons in her home region the year before. That showed a lot of promise and thanks to the expansion rules she was going for the hybrid path in Galar this year.
It also meant that she was one of the better coordinators in this contest after Dawn and Harley and naturally Dawn took her seriously but in the end it wasn't much of a battle as types weren't on her opponent's side. That was because she'd opted to use a Pupitar, which as a rock and ground type was at a serious disadvantage to Piplup who Dawn had gone with.
Admittedly Dawn had chosen her starter and one of her best to ensure that she advanced to the final and got a shot at Harley so long as he won his semifinal as well, it was just bad luck on her opponent's part that she'd gone with a Pokémon that had two types weak to Piplup's. She did give it a good effort but in the end she couldn't outlast as Piplup was more agile than Pupitar and landed two Bubble Beams that Pupitar just about managed to survive but the subsequent Ice Beam took it out and Dawn won by Battle Off with a minute remaining.
Again Dawn curtsied, as did her opponent, before she turned and left the stage. This time, however, Dawn just remained in the wings and watched as Harley entered his semifinal from the other side of the battlefield and faced off against a Galar male who'd gotten a lot of crowd support. Alas that was not what Harley liked and he went with what Dawn was certain was his best Pokémon based on what May had told her about Harley, his Cacturne.
Unbeknownst to Dawn, Harley hadn't used Cacturne just because of the crowd's support for his opponent. That was a factor, true, but Harley had also used it because Dawn had advanced and used Piplup so he was going to use Cacturne to ensure advancement and his prediction that she'd save Piplup for him had been wrong so he didn't need Cacturne to ensure that he crushed her the final.
Still, she'd get to see just how good he was and Dawn had to admit that Harley had trained Cacturne well as its skill were clear. This was evident because even though his opponent used a Cramorant, a flying and water type native to Galar that Dawn had never seen before, it was no match for Harley's Cacturne.
The Galarian did show promise by going the full 5 minutes against Harley but he only landed one hit, a solid flying type attack that Dawn didn't recognize, to half a dozen from Harley that were on top of several attacks that Cacturne had avoided so Harley won by a fair amount of points in the end thus ensuring his advancement to the final to face Dawn. Naturally he just remained standing there after he won and his opponent turned and left clearly pleased to have avoid a Battle Off against a Top Coordinator.
"Well ladies and gentlemen, here it is, the final that we all really wanted from the moment that we learned that two Top Coordinators seeking the Majestic Festival would be in this Contest!" Killian said clearly showing more excitement than normal as Dawn walked out the moment that Harley's semifinals opponent walked past her. "Lady Dawn of Twinleaf Town and Sir Harley of Slateport City are going to compete for the Circhester Rock Contest Ribbon!"
The crowd applauded loudly but politely as was the custom in Galar but Dawn ignored it as she walked to her starting point, her face set and determined. Meanwhile Harley just grinned at her from his own spot a Poke Ball already in his hand while his other rested on the top of his cane.
Harley had hurt May on multiple occasions and had been part of what had happened to her in Johto all because of Drew being upset that he lost to her and showed that there was nothing he wouldn't do to beat May when he accepted Drew's insider information on her. Now it was time for Dawn to get some revenge for her friend and she already knew how she was going to do it having planned it from the moment she met Harley in the reception room.
"These two Top Coordinators have never faced off before so we are in for a real treat today!" Killian continued as Dawn walked. "We get to watch the first ever battle between these winners of the Kanto and Johto Grand Festivals and this to be a preview of what to expect from the Majestic Festival! So keep that applause up for our finalists, the Prodigy of Sinnoh and the Sly Speaker of Slateport!"
"Well, well, here we are as we expected." Harley said as Dawn came to a stop at her starting point and pulled out her own Poke Ball. "The two Top Coordinators in the final, been a while since I faced someone who might challenge me but given your current record, I doubt that. At least you'll give me more to talk about with dear old May when I next see her."
"I'm glad that you survived that semifinal, I've been looking forward to this just as much as you have." Dawn said and smiled at the slight twitch in Harley's brow at how he'd not secured a Battle Off in the semifinal despite clearly trying for it though Dawn wasn't sure why he'd felt the need to do that when he was clearly the better coordinator in the battle. "In fact part of me has wanted to face you ever since I heard what you did to May in Johto. That was cruel and unsportsmanlike, a real coordinator and a real man would have told Drew to buzz off when he approached you but clearly you're neither."
"Oh honey, I'm both of those things and more, you're baseless lies won't affect me." Harley said annoyed at the implications but not letting it show as he denied it. "I merely used standard scouting tactics to beat my longtime rival in the Johto Grand Festival, nothing more. Drew's aid was icing on the cake sure but I knew May very well by then, I had her number and won with ease."
"If you were all that then you wouldn't have needed Drew's aid in the first place." Dawn said simply. "You'd faced May enough to know her by then after all, you'd even beaten her in a fair final from what I'd heard. Alas you clearly must have known that you'd lose otherwise because you didn't play fair in the Johto Grand Festival final but I don't mind, I know that May's better than you and this just gives me a chance to avenge her, and Serena too for that matter. You've hurt my friends, Harley, there's nothing I won't go through to repay that debt."
"Scary, I see that you've got a bit of darkness in you, not bad, this will be fun." Harley said still grinning. "I'll enjoy beating you and breaking that arrogant streak you don't deserve to have. Then I'll relish the feeling of letting May know how I easily beat another one of her good friends."
"Bring it, I'm ready and so are you." Dawn said as she set herself. "Let's get this final started already."
"Yes, that's it, just the spirit we love to see from two Top Coordinators!" Killian said clearly oblivious to the underlying tensions that had bubbled to the surface now that the final was at hand. "And on that note, battle begin!"
"Come on Banette!"
"Banette, spotlight!"
Both Top Coordinators called out their Pokémon and threw their Poke Balls out at the same time so it was clear that they were using the same Pokémon which was the second Contest final in a row for Dawn only this time there were no regional differences as Banette didn't have one, both were just standard Hoenn Banettes even if Dawn had caught hers in Kanto. Naturally the crowd didn't know that, they were just surprised by the all Banette final and applauded it while Harley blinked at Dawn's Pokémon choice.
"Hold up, you have one too?" Harley asked surprised as the Poke Balls burst open and two Banettes burst out, zipper mouths opening and the Pokémon laughing as they flipped in the air before landing in front of their trainers as the zips closed while the timer began to count down. "Even with that burly Machamp you had, I wasn't expecting a cute thing like you to use something so sinister."
"Then you didn't do your homework on May's friends, now that's some bad scouting tactics right there." Dawn said grinning as the Banettes squared off, identical but for one difference dangling from Dawn's Banette's zipper and resting against his face. "If you did then you would have known that I used my Banette and Spiritomb to win the Kanto Grand Festival, thanks to my fiancé I've learned that I shouldn't restrict myself to certain styles of Pokémon as well as how to use unconventional types for someone as cute as me. Anyone with half a brain, especially someone who has a grudge against a good friend of mine, would have scouted me out and seen that I have many unexpected Pokémon."
"Fine, so what, you're beneath me so I never bothered looking into you beyond noting that you're one of May's friends and thus someone to crush before I see her again." Harley snapped back. "And besides, that won't matter. Ghost types are weak to their own type, this is an even battle with no differences and I know Banettes well, you won't surprise me. I'll beat you and rub it into May's face that I beat the woman she's lost to on so many levels but still considers a friend. Don't think that I didn't realize how badly she wanted to be Ash's woman, it cost her Drew after all, but that was for nought because she'll never be his, oh how sweet that is."
"Oh I'm pleased you mentioned that Harley because if you haven't noticed, there is one clear difference between our Banettes." Dawn said and Harley blinked, he had noticed it but he'd not fully grasped what the glinting stone in a holder that dangled from Dawn's Banette's zipper was as he couldn't fully make it out from this far away. "And my fiancé proposed to me with just what I need to use it. This is going to suck for me but to beat you and get revenge for how you treated May, I'm more than willing to pay this price over and over again."
As Dawn spoke she raised the back of her left hand so that Harley could see it and revealed why she'd forgone gloves when she'd normally wear them in a Contest that she got to dress up for. She needed to keep her engagement ring out because from the moment that Harley had shown up she'd known what she would do and was pleased that Banette had already been with as he was on the deck for this Contest before running into Harley. The fact that Harley was using his own Banette as well was, to borrow a phrase Harley had used to describe his victory over May in Johto, just icing on the cake for Dawn.
Harley saw it and his eyes went wide as he finally recognized what exactly the ring was. He'd noticed it of course and had presumed that Dawn was forgoing gloves because she wanted to show it off, something he planned to rub in May's face when he next saw her to salt the wound of how she'd never be Ash's woman nicely, but that wasn't the case. No, Dawn had opted for no gloves because her engagement ring was a Key Stone that would allow her to use her Banettite and Mega Evolve her Banette. Harley hadn't found either for his own Banette and now he was about to face one in a Contest final.
"So what, so you can Mega Evolve and that's allowed, that still won't win." Harley said defiantly, refusing to let Dawn get to him when he was the one who was supposed to get to her. "You won't beat me!"
"Oh the Mega Evolution is only part of what you're about to face." Dawn said as she splayed the fingers on her left hand before she used her right fingers to twist the ring's band so that it was facing her palm without any part of her skin touching it and grinned at Harley. "Hit me with everything Banette, let our hearts become one as you unveil your full form. Mega Evolve!"
At that and with no fear or hesitation for what she knew was coming, Dawn clenched her left fist and made contact with her Key Stone. As soon as she did, and for the first time with her own Key Stone, Mega Energy shot from the stone in her palm and at Banette just as the same energy shot back from his Banettite and at Dawn. A second later the two sources of energy connected midway between Dawn and Banette and the moment that they did Banette glowed with Mega Energy and began to change.
His arms bulged, spikes formed on both sides of them before the fronts of his arms unzipped and three fingers grew out from each arm. As this was happening his legs seemed to merge together with more spikes appearing on his hips before another unzipping, this time from his rear where his tail had been but wasn't anymore and moved around his waist to reveal two stubby legs close together as he now had a lower body. Finally, the middle spike on his head got slightly larger and the head tail changed from hanging down to sticking out in a jagged wave behind his head.
Dawn's grin never faltered as the light faded and Mega Banette now stood before her his body slightly taller and now a darker gray than before while the exposed fingers, waist, and legs were a hot pink. The zippers were still golden but now there was a new one that went from the top of his right eye, over the middle spike on his head and around the head tail to the end though like his mouth zipper it remained zipped up. This wasn't the case for his hand and lower body zippers that were undone and spewing his cursing powers. Lastly his eyes were more pronounced as he grinned at the normal Banette before him.
However, as that faded, Dawn braced and grit her teeth, biting the inside of her cheek in the process to prevent the scream from coming out as the side effect of Mega Evolving a Banette, of what the Chamber of Emptiness had tested her to make sure that she could withstand it, hit Dawn at full force. That side effect was a Mega Banette cursing his own training because he became more vindictive when he Mega Evolved and as such his cursing power was amplified so much that he couldn't help but curse Dawn.
That was fine though, it was just a side effect that would only last for as long as Banette was Mega Evolved and as Dawn had Mega Evolved Banette once before back when she'd had a full battle with Ash to help him prepared for the Lumiose Conference, she knew what was coming and was ready for it. It was, after all, just pain that she had to deal with.
Admittedly it was an ungodly amount of pain that caused her mind to temporarily snap in order to process it but Dawn knew that could handle it. Only someone who's heart was truly one with her Banette could endure his curse and she'd shown that in the Chamber of Emptiness so she rode out the initial shock of being cursed, staggering back in the process and her head falling but she held in the scream and remained on her feet this time.
"Er, what's going on?" Harley asked as the first minute of the final elapsed without any moves the surprise of the whole thing distracting everyone as Dawn's upper body began to sway where she stood. "Seriously, this is strange. Why'd you move? Shouldn't it just be Banette who's affected?"
"You wouldn't understand, someone like you could never survive the challenge it takes just to get a Banettite stone." Dawn said chuckling that turned into a coughing fit which spewed blood from her mouth and onto the ground between her feet, a few drops staining her dress and shoes in the process. "You can inflict pain, Harley, I know that well thanks to May, but I bet you can't take it. No, someone with your mentality would break under this. Me, not so much, and that's why I'm going to beat you!"
At that Dawn let out a maniacal laugh as she snapped her head up and swayed forward so she was back where she'd started the final. Harley and his Banette backed up a bit where they were as they saw Dawn while Mega Banette just grinned more his connection with Dawn strong and stable.
As for Dawn herself, her head was now at an angle, her eyes unfocused with a gleam of madness in them that chilled not just Harley but everyone watching including Ash and he'd seen Dawn go through this once before, but worst of all was the blood. It was running down Dawn's chin from her mouth staining her lips, teeth, and her dress as it dripped onto it but it clearly wasn't bothering her as she grinned broadly.
"You see, when a Banette is Mega Evolved, his cursing power is too much to contain and it blows back on his trainer and curses her." Dawn said her grin never fathering, blood droplets flying as she spoke, and her voice clearly off as she swayed where she was. "So to make sure that the trainer can handle the pain of this curse, and let me tell you I'm in so much agony right now my mind can't properly comprehend it but it's excruciating, the Banettite itself appears in a place that will test your resolve and ability to handle pain. I won't lie, what I went through there almost broke me but I survived so this is nothing to me, my bond with Banette is too strong to break, and it's not just with Banette, it's with all of my Pokémon and friends."
"What the hell are you going on about?" Harley asked shocked before he looked at the judges and Killian. "Come on, this can't be legal? She's completely lost her mind! Call the battle and disqualify her!"
"Mega Evolution is legal in Contests, that was a rule change this year, and that includes Banette." Mr. Contesta said while Killian had a hand to her ear clearly getting something relayed to her. "So there's nothing against this even if this is really hard to watch."
"You're not the one going through this!" Dawn said snapping her head to the judges causing them to jump as she was still grinning her bloody grin. "Trust me, this is a lot worse in person but I can withstand it. It's worth it to show that my heart and Banette's are one and that we won't let Harley beat us!"
"Just to announce, I'm getting word from the main Contest Committee in Hoenn that this is how Banette's Mega Evolution works and as there are only two known trainers both with a Banette and the materials and strength to Mega Evolve it, we were unaware of the effects of it." Killian said. "We should have prepared for this as Dawn is one of those known two trainers and the only one who is also a Top Coordinator that is known to use her Banette at times. The committee has confirmed that this is legal and allowed but, um, in future they've requested that Dawn inform us if she's got Banette in her party."
"Didn't that come through when I registered?" Dawn asked looking over at Killian and noticing that the countdown timer for the final had briefly stopped with three minutes remaining in the battle likely to avoid the final suddenly ending while the main Contest Committee was conferring over the sudden, emergency, situation. "Pretty sure it should."
"No, not in Galar at least." Killian said shaking her head though this was going to change after this Contest, especially when there was a good matchup like this so that future broadcasts could be properly planned for as this one had been forced to discontinue due to Dawn's current state. "But please, in future do so because we didn't expect this. You're a Top Coordinator so naturally the Contest was going out live when this happened, there will be a few complaints."
"Oh, er, sorry." Dawn said before laughing as the countdown resumed and she turned back to Harley her manic grin somehow getting even wider. "Well, whatever, how Mega Evolving a Banette works is out there now so let's do this Harley. Get ready to be crushed for what you did to May. This was the price that I was more than willing to pay to avenge what you did to May, I'll go as far as to endure this curse to make an example of you! Now Banette, use Sucker Punch on that sucker!"
"Torment!" Harley shouted as Mega Banette laughed and launched himself at Banette to start the final just over two minutes into it. "Make it fail, prevent it from using it twice in a row, and then use Thunder! Just because that Sinnoh brat's using Mega Evolution doesn't mean that we're done for!"
"Oh, clever." Dawn said as Harley was speaking and Mega Banette closing in on Banette but because Banette wasn't readying an attack it didn't work and at that Banette tormented Mega Banette into not using Sucker Punch for a second time in a row. "But that's fine, let's see if you can hit what you can't see. Dazzling Gleam!"
The moment that Dawn called out the attack Mega Banette began to glow but as he did, Banette, who'd backed up laughing at Mega Banette following the Torment, was sparking with electricity. It would come down to seconds on what amounted a to quick draw as the moves build but in the end, Mega Banette was a shade faster as the flash of light burst from him and hit Banette full in the face doing an average amount of damage as Banette was neither weak nor resistant to the fairy type attack.
However, that wasn't the big thing from the move. No that was reserved for the fact that the flash threw off Banette just as it was about to release its Thunder which didn't help its aim with the already lower than normal accuracy of the move. As a result, Banette staggered and the Thunder shot out and past Mega Banette by a decent margin recording a miss which coupled with the landed Dazzling Gleam put Harley below Dawn on points after he'd taken an early lead thanks to using Torment to counter Sucker Punch. Naturally, Dawn wasn't one to pass up on this sudden opening.
"Now, Sucker Punch again." Dawn called out as soon as it was clear that the Thunder was off target. "We won't miss this time!"
"Phantom Force!" Harley called out as Mega Banette laughed and shot forward at Banette and going for an attack that would be super effective when it landed rather than try to force the Sucker Punch to fail and fall into another Dazzling Gleam because otherwise he'd always be on the defensive as she chipped away at points with Dazzling Gleam to follow failed Sucker Punches. "I know that you won't miss!"
Banette just braced itself and understood what its trainer wanted. There was no way to get the Phantom Force off first, Sucker Punch would hit before Banette vanished, so instead it got ready and grunted as Mega Banette slammed its fingers into Banette's face and blasting Banette back. Banette grimaced at the super effective dark type attack but started chuckling as it vanished while flipping through the air thanks to Phantom Force activating and with that Banette prepared its own super effective counter.
"We know how to handle that." Dawn said as a lull fell over the battle and she coughed up some more blood that she was forced to spit out and onto the ground in a very un-ladylike manner but ignored it her grin never faltering even as she coughed and spat. "Get ready for an attack from anywhere and counter right away with Hex. Banette won't be able to avoid that because you're faster my darling!"
Mega Banette just nodded as he looked around patiently. Spiritomb knew this move and they'd practiced together as part of his training against his own type so he was ready for an attack from any possible angle.
The order was to counter, if he could intercept he would but Mega Banette understood that that would be hard given the infinite directions that Phantom Force could come from so he readied his Hex and waited. He understood that Dawn usually wouldn't call this move but against a fellow ghost type it would do double damage so basically would function as if his opponent was already suffering from a status effect which was more than fine with Mega Banette.
As such, he was ready the moment that Banette appeared above and behind him on the right hand side, shooting down from the air and slamming into the side of Mega Banette's head as he turned to his non-Mega Evolved counterpart. Even as he took the super effective hit and let out a wail of pain at it, Mega Banette was riding it and before Banette had even begun to pull away he'd launched himself forward and was on Banette, unleashing a relentless attack on the other ghost type.
Now it was Banette's turn to howl in pain from the super effective attack and fell back under it. Dawn's grin was the same, it couldn't get broader and it was really off putting given her swaying, cocked head, mad eyes, and the blood that continued to dribble down her chin, but if it could get bigger it would as she pressed her advantage.
"Sucker Punch!" Dawn called out.
"Not this time." Harley spat. "Will-O-Wisp!"
"So what? That's not stopping us!" Dawn shouted as Mega Banette attacked but passed through Banette with no effect as Banette chucked and turned with the failed attack so that it could continue to face Mega Banette, a blue flame bursting between Banette's hands thanks to Will-O-Wisp being a status move not an attack. "A little fire is nothing! Power through it and use Sucker Punch!"
"Phantom Force!" Harley called out as Banette blasted out a sinister bluish white flame at Mega Banette that hit him in the chest and inflicted a burn that also cut Mega Banette's attack power. "We've got this!"
Banette understood but before it could even begin to activate its Phantom Force, Mega Banette was on it again and struck Banette in the face with the tips of his fingers sending Banette flying back again only this time with a wail of pain and not just a grimace. Still, Banette had its orders and thanks to the Will-O-Wisp the Sucker Punch hadn't been as bad as it could be so Banette just grinned as it vanished right when Mega Banette combusted in flames as he came to a stop from the attack though he made no sound of pain at the sudden burn.
The burn was a status effect so it did damage and Dawn lost points but she was fine with that, she knew that she had this battle now. Banette had taken a Dazzling Gleam and three super effective attacks, albeit one after Will-O-Wisp had landed, so it had to be near the end and she had the counter ready for this Phantom Force to win it.
"As soon as you see it, use Dazzling Gleam no matter what happens." Dawn called out before a crazy idea hit her that she knew Ash would be proud of as it was definitely something that he'd do in her situation. "Time it to your burn and then go right into Hex as soon as you can! Use the noise it makes from taking Dazzling Gleam to pinpoint it if need be!"
Mega Banette nodded, his grin board as he set himself. He understood what Dawn wanted and was ready as he waited. Harley was confused by the order that Dawn had given but Mega Banette got it. Phantom Force was a two part move, Spiritomb had explained how it worked to him so Mega Banette had deduced, thanks to Dawn's command, that because his burn triggered right before Banette vanished then it should trigger again right before it reappeared and so if Mega Banette could time it right he'd have a massive advantage in this battle.
Therefore he patiently waited as the seconds ticked by before suddenly the burn triggered and he combusted where he stood but he ignored it and the pain from the flames as they weren't super effective on him so he paid them no heed as he looked around while engulfed by the flames and saw Banette appear right in front of him zoom towards him. Mega Banette cackled as he pivoted back and to the right as fast as possible causing Banette to shoot past him, a look of surprise in its eyes as it missed the attack and now with its back to Mega Banette.
Banette wasn't deterred though, it turned but as it was doing so Mega Banette glowed and then unleashed a powerful flash of light that hit Banette just as its face turned to Mega Banette's. Then, right as Harley called out another Phantom Force, Mega Banette launched himself at Banette.
The light from Dazzling Gleam was still in everyone's eyes so they didn't see what happened but Mega Banette reached Banette right before it could vanish with Phantom Force and unleashed the relentless attack that was Hex. That was it for Banette, it had taken two Sucker Punches, two Dazzling Gleams, and a Hex already and even with the advantage of landing Will-O-Wisp, Banette was at the end of its ropes from the second Dazzling Gleam so a super effective Hex was overkill but it was the best move that Dawn had for the situation hence why she she'd called it.
Not that Banette would realize as it was out cold as soon as the Hex landed but Mega Banette kept the attack up through the end and everyone could fully see again. When they could the Hex attack was over and Banette was falling back to hit the ground with a flop where it lay on its back with swirls for eyes while Mega Banette laughed as he stood over his vanquished foe.
Instantly the buzzers went off to signal a Battle Off and the crowd burst into applause and even several cheers after the intensity of the final. The final of the Circhester Rock Contest was over and it had been a decisive victory.
"And with only half a minute remaining Banette has been knocked out by Mega Banette!" Killian said into her microphone over the applause and cheers. "Which means that Dawn has defeated Harley in this battle of Top Coordinators to win the Circhester Rock Contest by Battle Off!"
That was all that Dawn and Mega Banette needed to hear and with that Mega Banette's Mega Evolution fell in a flash of Mega Energy and he returned to normal. The moment that he did the curse lifted and Dawn was suddenly pain free with no lingering sensation of it at all. It was a shocking change, one she'd not been able to process last time because she'd passed out with Banette, was almost euphoric and she almost collapsed from it, staggering more and her head falling as she suddenly felt drained and woozy from the experience but she remained on her feet.
"Banette, return." Harley said as he recalled his Pokémon and looked at the Poke Ball in his hand his eyes hard but the hardness wasn't directed at Banette. "This isn't our fault, it's that Sinnoh brat's fault. She embarrassed us and made us look like fools by cheating with Mega Evolution; we won't forget this. Next time we'll destroy her for what she did."
Dawn of course didn't hear this, she just looked down and saw the blood stains on her dress and winced at the sight. She recalled that whatever the curse did to her it caused her to cough up blood and so she'd packed a pack of wet wipes just for this situation. As such she pulled them out and used them to clean her chin and lips as best as possible, she'd need some heavy mouthwash afterwards to clean her teeth and get the taste of blood out of her mouth, but for now this will do.
When Dawn removed it from her face, the wet wipe was more red than white when she looked at it and she grimaced. There was no way that she'd not get some kind of warning for this stunt, though as Mega Evolution was legal she'd get nothing worse than that, but that was fine with Dawn. She'd done this to avenge May and pay Harley back for what did to her in the Johto Grand Festival and she'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Speaking of Harley, she looked up as Harley finished putting away his Poke Ball and met his eyes. He glared at her, hatred burning in his eyes, before he turned and left without another word. He'd lost, badly, and this battle would be talked about for a long time. He'd been humiliated and Harley didn't forgive this kind of stuff. Dawn was now on his grudge list and he'd make sure to add her photo to his album, he'd put it right next to May's so that next time they met he destroyed her.
Dawn just blinked at the unsportsmanlike act that Harley had done, he'd not even bowed which would have been acceptable especially if there'd been damage the battlefield but instead he'd just walked off. That would be talked about though there was no penalty for what he did as nothing rose to a warning; it was just a bad look and wouldn't help increase his appeal with Contest fans. Well, Dawn should have expected it and she just shrugged it off as she put away her wet wipe and pulled out her Poke Ball to recall Banette.
"Banette, return." Dawn said recalling her Pokémon and then smiling at the Poke Ball as she spoke to it her voice a little horse. "You were amazing my friend, we did it and we avenged May. I can't wait to tell her though I think she'll learn soon about this long before we next see here seeing as we did cause quite a spectacle today but it's over and the pain is just a faint memory now. Nothing I can't handle and totally worth it, we're a team and this is just part of Mega Evolution so I'll keep using it whenever we need to. Take a good long rest, you earned it."
Dawn put away her Poke Ball and looked up to see that Mr. Contesta was now standing in the middle of the battlefield a small tray in his hands having clearly moved there while Dawn was recalling Banette due to Harley storming off without coming out to shake her hand. Dawn looked over to the judges and up at the jumbotron where her trainer card was surrounded by circles with the images of her Pokémon from the Contest in them under a WINNER banner while graphic fireworks went off on the screen around the images.
At that Dawn smiled and walked out and towards Mr. Contesta. As she did the crowd continued to applaud though they were no longer cheering, this was the respectful nature of Galarian Contests and now that the presentation of the ribbon the winner was at hand that nature was on full display.
"Congratulations Dawn." Mr. Contesta said as she reached him and the applause died down so that everyone could hear the presentation. "You've won the Circhester Rock Contest and gained your third ribbon on the path to the Majestic Festival, well done. You certainly put on a show that Galar won't soon to forget."
"Sorry about that." Dawn said sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her neck, she may have cleaned her face but her teeth were still stained red and there were several spots on her dress and shoes that reminded everyone of what she'd put herself through when she Mega Evolved Banette. "I should have warned you about what happens when I Mega Evolve my Banette but I only committed to Mega Banette after I met Harley and, well, I was focused on that."
"That's fine, we should have looked into all the Mega Evolutions as Banette's isn't the only one with some odd quirks to it apparently, just remember next time." Mr. Contesta said. "Though I'm sure that Allister is going to be upset that this didn't occur in the Stowe Ghost Contest, I'm sure that he'd have liked to see that."
"Sorry, I'll make sure to inform someone whenever Banette is in my Contest party from now on." Dawn said unsure what to say about Allister who she was pretty sure was the Stow-on-Side ghost type gym leader. "I won't not use him or Mega Evolution, but I understand that the judges and committee should be aware when there's a chance of it happening."
"Good and now I present you your latest ribbon." Mr. Contesta said holding it out. "The Circhester Rock Ribbon!"
Dawn looked down at the ribbon and noted that it was different to the others that she'd seen this year, she'd not stayed long enough last time to see it when Emily beat her so this was her first Galarian ribbon. It was just a simple golden disk with what she presumed was the crest of Circhester engraved into it and surrounded by a jagged, rough, light brown ribbon in a circle around the disk with ice blue edges and no bow or dangling strands. It was both simple and not at the same time and Dawn couldn't wait to add it to her Majestic case in the Galar slot.
That and celebrating with Ash would come, for now it was time for Dawn to savor this moment and she reached out to the tray and picked up the ribbon. She then turned from Mr. Contesta and held it between her fingers and thrust her arm up into the air.
"I won the Circhester Rock Ribbon!" Dawn exclaimed as she did so and the crowd burst into applause at her display.
Dawn smiled as she held the pose for a moment while the crowd applauded and pictures were taken of her holding it aloft with blood clear on her dress that would really get the forums and blogs talking. Dawn didn't care about that, however, as she pulled her arm down and cupped her hands before smiling as she looked at the ribbon in her hands.
"Well, you were hard to get but it was worth losing to Emily to have this chance." Dawn said quietly to the ribbon. "I got to face Harley, avenge May for what he did to her, and show everyone just how tough I am and how far I'll go for my friends so thank you, you mean so much. One more down, five to go."
Dawn continued to smile as she looked at her Galar Ribbon and the applause rang out. She'd done it and in a way no one would forget, she couldn't be happier. They'd celebrate later and move on with their journey but for now this was her moment and Dawn embraced it as the Circhester Rock Contest came to an end.
Well there it is, Dawn's won her Galar Ribbon and in the process she's beaten Harley and gotten some revenge for what he did to May while also getting herself added to his grudge book but I'm sure she doesn't mind that. For those wondering about how I did Mega Banette and Dawn's references to when she's Mega Evolved him before, that happened in the 24th supplement of 'More Supplement for the Heart' the supplement to Winning and the reason for what she went through is my own interpretation of the curse that Mega Banette puts on its trainer when it Mega Evolves per the description. That curse was also why I had Dawn go through what she did back in Part CLXXII when she retrieved the Banettite from the Chamber of Emptiness, she had to endure that emotional pain and overcome it with Banette by her side to show that she could handle the pain of the curse she'd endure upon Mega Evolution, which of course she can even if it is disturbing. This is something that she'll always have to do when she Mega Evolves Banette, there is no way around or out of it, but she's more than willing to go through it when she has to. There really isn't much more to say about this Part, Dawn's won and now it's time for Ash's fun in Galar with a few adventures on the way to that of course so stay tuned for the rest of the Galar arc. That's all that I have for y'all so I'll leave this Part off here. As always if you like my work then please favorite (both this story and me in general to be notified of any new content I post), if possible leave a review as I really like hearing what you think of my work and your suggestions that help complete this story (and respond as best I can) and just in general keep enjoying my work. Until next time.
Stringdog