Well, here it is, the thirty-eighth part of the fifth and final installment in my 'Heart' series. The training is done, Dawn caught a new Pokemon in the process, and now it is time for Dawn to make her Galar Contest debut and see how Galar does Contests. Will she be a one and done like in Alola or will Dawn fall short like in Kalos? Well let's see as that is all the administrative stuff I have for this Part and there are no guest reviews that need responding or questions that can be answered without giving away spoilers at this time. 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 CCXXVII: Student v. Teacher.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
Part CCXXVII: Student v. Teacher
"Dawn! There you are, I thought that you'd be here before me."
Dawn turned from where she was sitting thinking about the upcoming Contest to the look over and saw Emily walking towards her from the entrance to the marquee, that was what the big white tent thing that the coordinators were assembled in and served as their waiting room was called apparently, and waving at her. Dawn smiled and waved back as the younger girl approached her noting what she was wearing as she did.
Emily wore the expected formal outfit that was completely white which all female coordinators had to wear for a Galarian contest though the style and cut could be as the coordinator saw fit, even something not traditionally Galarian so long as it was classified as formal. In Emily's case it was a simple white dress the was snug around her chest with thick, pristine straps over her shoulders, a slightly ruffled skirt that fell to her knees and white tights. She completed the look with simple white pumps and a white sash around her waist that had her Poke Balls on it.
Dawn felt that it was a good look for the younger girl, simple and classy without any fanciness that fit Emily's personality. She didn't look too comfortable in it but Dawn thought that it suited Emily quite well.
Meanwhile Dawn was going back to her roots with a Sinnoh style full white dress to her knees, a frilly hem, an extra bit over her shoulders with three white bows on her left shoulder, slightly poofy sleeves that came to her biceps, and a double sash around her waist with an elaborate bow tying it at the small of her back. While Dawn didn't go for stockings, she did go for bicep length white gloves that can up to her sleeves and low heeled formal shoes with a white flower design where the tongue would be to finish her look.
As a Sinnoh native raised by a Top Coordinator and always wanting to be one herself, this was the kind of outfit that Dawn loved to wear for Contests. Dressing up just felt so natural to Dawn, she'd never fully gotten the hang of doing a Contest in her normal clothes the way it was done in Johto outside of the Grand Festival and Kanto, or in her lone Alola Contest, so being able to dress up again was really nice.
The limited color choice was an interesting challenge for her but Dawn didn't mind it as it gave her a selection to work with and part of the prep work had been choosing the right dress. That and she really wanted to see what she looked like in white what with her wedding coming up at some point though that was still a long ways off what with the Majestic Festival and PWC this year. As such she had to make do with wearing it for a Galarian Contest.
Thankfully, there were a few roving stores that traveled from rural Contest to rural Contest offering outfits to coordinators for them to buy or rent. Mainly it was for the male coordinators, almost all of whole were dressed in a full tails suit in a different style to how they were done in Kalos and all were black jackets with gray pants and waistcoat and a white shirt complete with a top hat, though they went with different colored ascots and pocket squares to fit their own preferences. However, there were female options at the roving stores as well.
Dawn had enjoyed finding one when she and Ash had come in the day before to settle in and make final preparations for the Contest, while also enjoying the festival, or fête as it was called in Galar. It was a full affair with people from the surrounding area coming in to have a day out at fête or to set up stalls for food, nicknacks, and other goods while games and rides were available as well.
It was like some of the other festivals that they'd been too only more general with the Contest as the centerpiece of it. As such they made sure that they enjoyed it as much as they could before the Contest and fully intended to maximize enjoyment afterwards.
That would have to be tomorrow though as the Contest was the afternoon event today so they'd spent the morning making sure that Dawn was ready, she'd registered the night before when they'd checked into the mobile Pokémon Center, before having an interesting lunch of some local Galarian curry at one of the booths set up in the fête grounds and then heading to the outskirts of the fête where a set of wooden stands had been erected around the area that had been designated for the Contest stage.
Dawn had no clue what the stage would actually be, she couldn't enter the stands as a participating coordinator, so she just gave Ash a kiss goodbye before she was escorted around the stands to the large white tent on the other side of the entrance and told that this would be where she was to wait until it was time for her appeal. That was when she got her appeal slot number 19 so near the end if not the very last one, and entered the cool tent.
Inside the grassy ground had been covered with wooden decking and there were several chairs and tables set up inside. Additionally there was a designated snack area on one site that was already filled with Galarian snacks and beverages, mainly tea, for the coordinators if they needed it.
Outlets were clearly present as cables ran around the wooden decking and there had to be a generator somewhere as lighting was set up overhead. Finally, there was a large TV broadcasting the Contest on one opposite side from the main entrance right next to a flap that led out to the stands where another attendant would be to direct the coordinators to the side entrances under the stands for the appeals and battles.
It was all very different to what Dawn was used to seeing in a Contest, even the few outdoors ones she'd been in in her time didn't have something like this, but she loved experiencing a new take on Contests as she moved through the marquee not noticing a few of the looks she and Piplup got as they moved and found a table to sit at. As she did the TV turned on and Dawn blinked at the broadcast, it was not what she was expecting.
The TV showed the entire Contest stage and revealed that it was entirely grass, untouched by the organizers but for chalk boundary lines set up around it that had been set up to indicate the boundaries for the appeal. The three judges, in this case the expected three of Mr. Contesta, Sukizo, and the nearest Nurse Joy, were already at their podiums that were set up on the grass and chatting with each other while a portable jumbotron was behind them showing the Contest Committee graphic.
Dawn had never had a Contest on natural grass before, though she of course knew of other surfaces as the Wallace Cup had used water and ice in the past, so she was wondering how it would work in a Contest setting. That was what she was contemplating when Emily called out to her.
"Yeah we spent the last few days up on a plateau nearby training before heading down yesterday morning after the event opened." Dawn said turning to Emily who had some sweet cake things on a plate as she came up to the table that Dawn was sitting at and sat next to her. "I needed to find a dress for it, sort out my Pokémon as I caught a new one the other day, and check the whole thing out. It's not something I've really experienced before. I've been to festivals obviously but they've either been town or type specific, this feels different."
"Yeah the Galarian fêtes as they are called are something unique to this region." Emily said. "Apparently all villages and towns here have them at some point in the year so when Contests were expanded they just began doing them twice a year rather than once a year with the Contest being the centerpiece of the second fête. When it became clear that that worked they began having rural fêtes outside of town and villages just for Contests which really helped up the number of Contests that they could do. They're used to these kinds of quick setup so it worked out as they're not yet popular enough for the stadiums and the Committee is still figuring out how to get Dynamaxing to work for Contests."
"I see, that does make sense." Dawn said recalling the limitations on Contests in Galar and impressed at how the Committee had worked around them. "Galar is almost at the same level as Unova for Contest expansion from what I've heard and I can see why. They're both behind Kalos but Kalos had the jump on the other expansion regions what with their Showcases. Always best to incorporate it into what you know that way it's easier and appeals to the locals as well."
"That's what Adam noted when we were in Kalos." Emily said. "I just like the whole fun of them. My initial reason for doing them was to help my parents out financially, and I still do that, but I've also come to really enjoy them as well."
"You and May are like that, not the same reason but in the sense that Contests grew on you which I love to see as someone who grew up always wanting to be a coordinator." Dawn said. "And as someone who's long loved Contests seeing the differences between the regions makes me enjoy them even more as it shows just how popular they've become. The grass aspect is interesting, I've never competed on a stage like it, but how is it maintained?"
"Grass types are on hand just like how they had ice types in the Wallace Cup last year." Emily said. "The rural Contests always use the natural terrain for their battlefields while the enclosed city or town Contests vary depending on where they're held. There is a fair bit of variance in Galar, it's one of the unique things they decided to do when Contests expanded to this region."
"Sounds it, Alola was a bit similar minus the required outdoors nature of them no matter where they were being held." Dawn noted. "Well that's good and it should…"
However before Dawn could finish there was a buzzing sound that she knew well, it indicated that the Contest was about to begin and so Dawn looked to the TV in time to see a familiar looking woman walking out of one of the entrances and onto the grassy stage a microphone in her hand. As with her other sisters, the Galarian MC had the same physical appearance but a different dress style, in this case it was a white summer dress with thick straps over her shoulders and a few tasteful flowers and bows on it. She even had a white bow in her hair as she made her way to the center of the grass.
"Right, I better go." Emily said getting Dawn's attention and she turned to her friend. "I'm up first, got in last as well so just my luck to be the first to apple."
"Well good luck and have fun." Dawn said smiling at the younger girl.
"Thanks." Emily said smiling back before she headed off and Dawn turned to watch the woman on the screen.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another beautiful day here in the Galar region as we enjoy another fine Contest." The woman said her accented formal and clear in a stark contrast to her siblings. "I am your host, Lady Killian, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to this fête and the rural Contest that it's for."
Rather than a cheer like Dawn was used to, there was instead a polite round of applause from the stands as the fans clapped and nodded at the words. It took Dawn aback seeing it. Even in Kalos and Sinnoh, where the style was more formal, there were cheers but here it seemed like everything was polite and respectful. It was yet another stark contrast for her and how Galar did Contests.
"As always it is a pleasure to introduce today's fine judges." Killian said once the applause died down. "With us we have the head of the Galar Contest Committee, Mr. Contesta, President of the Galar Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo, and one of our charming field Nurse Joys who's kindly agreed to come to this Contest to judge."
As Killian introduced the judges they all nodded respectfully and the crowd applauded them politely. Dawn had to shake her head at that as it wasn't what she was used to but such was the culture of Galar's Contests and those who attended them it seemed.
"Thank you and now onto the rules for today's Contest." Killian said as the applause died down. "This is a standard Contest today, no entry requirements or double battles or appeals, just a single appeal for our 19 coordinators with the top 8 advancing to the battle round. A good afternoon of Pokémon, pageantry, and power for us to all enjoy."
Again the crowd applauded, a little louder now, as Killian finished. The format was as Dawn expected and one that she was used to so she was more than ready for it as she mentally got into the zone for upcoming appeal. The fact that she'd be the last to appeal only added to it as she'd know what she needed to do to advance so she felt good as the Contest began.
"I know that this will be a good Contest, trust me." Killian said as she backed up to take her spoke next to the judges' podiums. "And on that we shall start with an exceptional young woman who's already secured 2 ribbons here in Galar and cemented herself as one of the favorites for this year's Ribbon Cup. She's a two time Grand Festival semifinalist first in her native Kanto and then in Kalos last year but you know her best as the Charming Fairy, presenting Lady Emily of Mt. Moon in the Kanto region."
Dawn just blinked as the crowd gave a loud round of applause, with a few slight cheers, as Emily walked out and towards the starting spot for the appeals her normally rosy cheeks flushing red at the intro. That was one of the most formal and polite entrances that Dawn had ever seen given.
Clearly Emily had held some things back about how Contests were conducted in Galar, likely to surprise Dawn, and apparently this was one of them. Dawn would have to brace herself for what would come when she went out as she looked at the screen and watched as Emily reached the starting spot and tossed out a Poke Ball.
"Milcery, fairy lights!" Emily's voice said through the TV speakers.
Dawn wished she had her Pokedex on her as the Poke Ball burst open and a small, white Pokémon that looked to be made of cream burst out. It was the pre-evolved form of Alcremie, a Pokémon that Ash had faced while training for the Lumiose Conference, and one she wanted to know more about. For now, though, Dawn just watched as Emily began her appeal by using Aromatherapy that Milcery used as it emerged from the Poke Ball before it, well she as it was a female only species though Dawn didn't know that, landed on the grass with a cute splat right in front of Emily.
It was a good move, Dawn approved of it as it showed off a status attack and put everyone watching the appeal in a good mood. It also worked well with a Pokémon of Milcery's appearance and on a grass battlefield. That's why Dawn was surprised when Emily followed it up with a simple Tackle attack that was called out right as Milcery landed and was still wobbling from the impact.
However, Dawn had to give it to Emily, it was the right call as it allowed Milcery to show off the standard attack that a Pokémon of her size and evolution status usually knew. It covered the basics while looking good at the same time, which was important in an appeal.
The only critique that Dawn had was that Emily's timing was a second or two off due to when she called for the Aromatherapy so Milcery spent an extra moment on the ground before moving to the middle of the stage. Admittedly, Dawn was being a bit more critical than usual having developed a better sense and importance of time thanks to her Showcase experience which she was now applying to how she'd judge an appeal.
Regardless this small mistake was corrected right away when Dawn heard Emily call out a Dazzling Gleam as Milcery moved to the middle of the stage. This timing was better and Dawn nodded in approval as she watched Emily's Milcery reach the center of the stage and bounce off the grass usings her unique body to get into the air and then blast off the fairy type attack right above her.
The move was controlled and ensured that all could see Milcery use it and show off her type without being too flashy or obscuring the small Pokémon thanks to the direction in which she'd focused the Dazzling Gleam. That was a mistake Dawn had made in the past, and knew that Emily had as well, so it was good to see that it wasn't a factor this time.
All of this set up the finally, an Attract at the judges as Milcery fell to the ground. The hearts reached them as Milcery landed and happily wobbled while Emily tried to execute a curtsy to them but Dawn did note that even after a year in Kalos the girl was clearly uncomfortable in a dress and so it came off as stiff and unnatural, which Dawn knew that it was for Emily. Regardless it worked and Dawn mentally assessed it as the judges gave their praise and the crowd applauded the show.
To Dawn it was a solid appeal, one that wouldn't guarantee an advancement in an established region but would be in the mix for sure depending on the competition and the judges, so she felt that Emily had a strong chance in an expansion region. Of course she didn't know what the judges would be looking for here or what standard would be and as Dawn didn't recognize any of the other coordinators she couldn't say one way or another how Emily would do.
Still, it was good as far as Dawn was concerned and she intended to ask Emily about it when she got back but for the moment she would watch the next coordinator go up, a male who was from Wyndon and introduced with the honorific 'Gentleman.' That was a bit of a surprise to Dawn and she was still trying to figure why honorifics where being used when Emily got back.
"What did you think?" Emily asked snapping Dawn out of her thoughts, and the acceptable appeal that she was watch, and looking over at Emily as the girl sat down. "About my appeal that is?"
"Huh?" Dawn asked. "Sorry trying to understand something?"
"What?" Emily asked.
"The whole Gentleman and Lady thing, why is Killian using them when she's introducing us?" Dawn asked. "Also this is really polite for some reason."
"Oh that, that's apparently got something to do with Galar's historic notions of honor, class, sophistication, and nobility." Emily said. "It takes some getting used to but yeah here Contests are treated with respect and polite approval, not cheering, and roaring like we've experienced in other regions. That's reserved for the gym battles while Contests are trying to play into the history of the region and be the classy alternative to gym battles. Adam things that it's about harkening back to noble roots, or something like that."
"Um ok that's certainly one way to do it." Dawn said. "And they use honorific's because of it?"
"Yup, it's a bit much but they like it." Emily said. "I still don't really get that part but it's part of the Contest culture here and does make things very different in Galar compared to Kalos or Kanto."
"Well then we have to accept it as this is their region and their culture." Dawn said. "Plus different affectations in different regions is nice. This will be the 7th region I've competed in though as my one Contest in Hoenn was a Wallace Cup I don't fully count it so technically my 6th region for a standard Contest. There's been differences in each and the expansion regions are really playing into it which I like."
"I agree." Emily said. "But anyway, what did you think about the appeal? I want your honest assessment of it. Adam is good at analyzing battles but he still doesn't understand appeals so I need an expert assessment of it."
"It was good." Dawn said as the second appeal finished. "A little off with the timing at the start that will cost a few points, at least in my assessment but there is always variance with judging, and slightly heavy on the status attacks but with a Milcery that works. I don't see why it shouldn't advance though of course anything can happen when you're the first appeal up."
"Thanks, it's Milcery's debut so I was a bit worried for her." Emily said and Dawn heard a note of relief in her tone at that. "We've been working hard ever since she hatched to get her to this point and I wanted to show her off a bit."
"Right, you got it shortly after arriving in Galar." Dawn said recalling a message from Emily the morning they were set to fly to Galar regarding it and why she and Adam couldn't meet them at the airport. "She certainly seems to have grown since then."
"Yeah her egg was a thank you gift Owen's parents out in Ballonlea when we went there after getting to Galar." Emily said and Dawn knew that she was referring to a breeder they'd both met in Kalos who was currently traveling with Max and Bonnie in Kanto after joining them in Kalos. "I helped them out with some fairy type Pokémon care while Adam secured a writ to challenge the Galar gyms from Opal, the Ballonlea Gym Leader so they gave me one of the eggs they had as a thank you though none of us knew that it would be a fairy type like Milcery. I also saw Opal as well while I was there as she's a fairy specialist. She's a bit odd but I learned a lot from her."
"Sounds like quite the adventure." Dawn said as the third appeal ended. "I look forward to hearing about it but for now let's watch the appeals and see how they compare to yours. I'm set to go last so I'll know what I have to do to advance but for you it's the waiting game now."
Dawn saw Emily nod out of the corner of her eye but she was focused on the screen as she watched the appeals unfold on the TV in the marquee. For the most part they were decent and showed a lot of promise though only 2 were better than Emily's in Dawn's mind and she felt that she could easily break into the top 8 even with a Pokémon making its Contest debut.
As such Dawn was ready, calm, and confident when she got up after the 17th appeal ended and headed out of the marquee and was directed to the waiting area what was just a wooden tunnel under the stands. That was fine with Dawn, it was a bit like the Alola Contest she'd won in fact, and she waited back from the exit so as to not be seen by the crowd as she watched the 18th appeal unfold.
The appeal had promise but the coordinator, a girl from Unova it seemed, was a bit too aggressive in her moves and the final one backfired on her so Dawn knew that she'd not advance. Still it had promise if the coordinator could either tone it down a bit or perfect what she was going for and Dawn clapped with the crowd when the girl was done and again after she got her feedback and left.
"Thank you for your wonderful support and now it's time end the appeals and we have a true pleasure for us to enjoy today." Killian said smiling as the girl walked past Dawn and Dawn braced herself to head out. "It's been a few weeks since we last had a Top Coordinator grace Galar on his or her path to the Majestic Festival but that ends today as we have one of the most notable names out there. She's a past winner of the Kanto Grand Festival from two seasons ago, and one of the most consistent Top Coordinators out there having made the finals of the last 21 Contests she's entered, including 3 Grand Festivals in that span. Presenting Lady Dawn of Twinleaf Town in the Sinnoh region but you all know her better as the Prodigy of Sinnoh!"
Dawn just smiled as she walked out and waved to the crowd at her introduction while the crowd applauded louder than ever and gave her a few cheers, all still in a polite way. Dawn wasn't too surprised at that, she was the biggest name in the Contest, so she just she walked over the grass and to the starting point.
As she did her blue hair fluttered slightly in a sudden breeze that ran through the stadium and Dawn fought the urge to reach up and check the white bow that was tying her hair back into a long sheet down her neck and upper back, she'd opted not use her Pikachu clip due to the color clashing, as her engagement ring, and therefore her Key Stone, was there but she didn't. Dawn knew that the ring was secure and it was just natural worry which she pushed away as she had to keep her poise and focus at the task at hand.
As such all Dawn did was pull out her Poke Ball and come to a stop where she was supposed to. As she did with most Contests, she threw out her Poke Ball as she came to a stop and called out her Pokémon.
"Jangm-o, spotlight!" Dawn said as she tossed her Poke Ball. "Start us out with a Focus Blast the moment you land."
"Jangmo-o!" Jangmo-o cried as she burst from her Poke Ball with a flip and landed gracefully on the ground before Dawn, heightening her mental focus as she fell, and then unleashed her power.
Almost instantly a ball of fighting type power burst from her and soared across the stage. It would soon veer and head towards Pikachu, despite all their training they'd still not overcome this odd issue with the move, but that was just what Dawn needed in this appeal and was already on it. This would take precise timing but she and Jangmo-o had drilled it down during their preparations so Dawn trusted her new dragon type to pull it off.
"Now follow and get on an intercept with Headbutt." Dawn cried out. "Then knock it down to the center with Dragon Tail."
"Jangmo-o!" Jangmo-o cried again as she launched herself to the side of the still moving Focus Blast, her head low and speed as fast as she could manage as she showed off her Headbutt attack.
Dawn had made it clear to Ash that he was to make sure that he sat opposite the judges when he found a seat for the Contest and while he'd been a bit confused by that he'd done as instructed so Jangmo-o was on the right track as the Focus Blast suddenly veered to the side. Thankfully, the move had a lower than normal accuracy so Dawn knew that so long as Jangmo-o got the timing right it would just look like the move was showing off it's lower hit chance rather than there being a problem with it. This was Dawn's solution to the issue, turn her and Jangmo-o's problem into an advantage.
This was shown when Jangmo-o reached the Focus Blast as her Headbutt ended and leapt up and to the side of it as it began to go off track, her tail now glowing with dragon type power, so that she was in position for what came next. Admittedly she was a little ahead of the Focus Blast but with her flip, a technique that Pikachu had shown Jangmo-o using his Iron Tail attack, Jangmo-o spun in the air from where she was above the Focus Blast and hit it with her Dragon Tail.
The result was a boom that sent the Focus Blast back and down to the grassy stage in a way that Jangmo-o was always visible above it as it flew down and hit the ground, hard. As expected, the Focus Blast blew up and cratered the earth sending grass and dirt everywhere but as Jangmo-o was above impact zone all it did was highlight her as she flipped in the air showing a surprising amount of grace in the process. All eyes were on her and Dawn grinned as she brought her appeal to a close.
"Now finish your routine and send a Dragon Pulse into the sky as soon as you land!" Dawn shouted as Jangmo-o flipped. "Show off your power!"
"Jangmo-o!" Jangmo-o cried happily as she began to spin and flip as she fell.
It took timing to pull this acrobatic feat off as well but of all the things that Jangmo-o could do, this was the one thing that Jangmo-o was really good at from before meeting Dawn. She'd loved Contests and how they looked and especially this kind of grace and movement, though she knew she'd lose it if she evolved, so she'd made sure to teach herself how to be acrobatic in the air.
Dawn had polished up Jangmo-o's acrobatic moves just like she polished Jangmo-o's scales and now it looked really good, just what one would see in a Contest or Showcase, and Jangmo-o pulled it off to near perfection, landing on the ground behind the crater her deflected Focus Blast had caused, though not in the center of it due to slightly overshooting the Focus Blast before she batted it down, with only a slight bend of her knees. As she landed her head was to the sky, tilted back, and she unleashed her Dragon Pulse.
Thanks to her position the shockwave that was Dragon Pulse could be clearly seen as it blasted up from Jangmo-o's mouth and into the sky above the modest wooden stands. It carried onto the apex of its flight where it exploded sending rings of shockwaves around it at the top and getting a reaction from the crowd at it.
Dawn just smiled as it ran it's course and turned to the judges as Jangmo-o lowered her head as well. This was the indication that the appeal was over and Dawn confirmed it with a near flawless, she wasn't at Serena's standards yet, curtsy as Jangmo-o bowed from where she was and the crowd burst into the loudest applause of the appeals, complete with a fair few cheers a well.
"And just as we expected from Lady Dawn in her Galar Contest debut, a strong appeal that was unpredictable but beautiful and powerful." Killian said as Dawn rose from her curtsey and the applause died down. "But do our judges agree?"
"It was as I expected, a good mix of power and moves that showed off Jangmo-o's dragon type as well as teasing the added fighting type that it will gain upon evolution." Mr. Contesta said with a nod. "And there was a hint of the emerging Kalos Showcase style of appeals which given Lady Dawn's Showcase experience is to be expected and refreshing to see from a Top Coordinator as it shows how the expansion regions are impacting even those who've already won a Grand Festival and are now seeking to qualify for the Majestic Festival. It's just what we like to see, well done."
"Yes, remarkable." Sukizo said in the tone that showed he was impressed.
"Jangmo-o looked strong but also elegant at the same time, clearly it loves Contests." Nurse Joy said with a smile. "And its scales are well polished, Lady Dawn clearly knows how to care for her Pokémon."
"There you have it ladies and gentlemen, praise at the end of another wonderful appeals session at a rural Galarian Contest." Killian said as Dawn curtsied again and Jangmo-o bowed before she recalled her Pokémon and turned and left as Killian wrapped things up. "That concludes the appeals and in a second we'll have our advancing coordinators. One moment please."
Dawn heard this but she was already rushing back to the marquee to see if she'd advanced she didn't hear anything else from Killian. She was sure that she'd made it but she needed confirmation, same with Emily of course, and so she powered back and made it just in time to see that the 8 trainer cards were already on the screen faces up as Killian's voice came in over the speakers from the TV.
"…congratulations!" Killian said as Dawn caught her breath and smiled seeing her picture in the top right spot with Emily's the one right below hers. "And now the draw for the battles."
This was also new to Dawn as the cards flipped over and shuffled into a single stack while the bracket formed at the base of the TV graphic. However, rather than all going down to form the bracket and then flipping over like she'd seen in other regions, the top card went first and then flipped over to reveal the trainer's face. This was followed by the second to show who the person was facing and then the third at the start of the next battle, which happened to be Emily's card.
It was a unique, if a bit longer, way of doing things, but Dawn didn't mind as she watched the fourth card being dealt and breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't hers meaning that she'd face Emily in the final if they both won out. She also wasn't the 5th card dealt down but she was the 6th confirming that she'd be in the third battle after the break. The other two followed shortly after but Dawn was solely focused on her own path to her Galar Ribbon.
"Well done to these 8 coordinators and well wishes to those who didn't make it, we hope to see you in another Galar Contest soon." Lilian said as the screen cut back to her. "Now we shall take an hour long tea break before we return for the battles and determine a winner of this Contest. Thank you all for your support and the wonderful appeals that we have witnessed today."
With that the screen cut back to the bracket and the coordinators who'd failed to advance began to leave, some of them stopping to get snacks on the way out, while those who'd made the cut remained in the marquee. Some stayed where they were but others went to get some tea and snacks from the station once it was just the 8 of them remaining. Dawn didn't get up because she knew what was coming and turned to Emily as the other girl began to speak.
"Well we made it past the appeals and might meet in the final if we win out." Emily said her tone excited as she beamed at Dawn. "I hope to do just that. I know you'll make it Dawn so I'm going to do my best to win out as well."
"Same." Dawn said with a smile. "But I know from experience that anything can happen so I've got to give it my all as well."
"If you do then I'm sure you'll make it, especially after your appeal, which was as good as ever by the way." Emily said and Dawn got a sense that a bit of Adam's nature had rubbed off on her in the year and change that the pair had been traveling together. "And there was a sense of timing in it the way Serena, Shauna, and Miette appeal."
"There was, I took inspiration from them to help out in some areas." Dawn said. "And my own Showcase experience helped of course though my freestyles were still more about the show than timing I feel. I'm always looking for ways to improve and inspiration."
"I can tell, it shows me how much I've got to do." Emily admitted. "Oh and you did it with a new Pokémon, right? I've never seen that Pokémon with you before so it has to be new."
"It is, I caught Jangmo-o in Alola." Dawn said with a smile at the memory. "It was the second of the two new Pokémon I got there and until the other day the newest on in my roster. I caught it after I won the Iki Town Contest when I was in Alola. You'll see the other in the battles I'm sure, and."
"Really?" Emily asked. "That's so cool that it happened right after a Contest!"
"It was one of those catches that just happens." Dawn said. "Jangmo-o loves Contests but didn't find anyone it wanted to join until it saw my Contest appearance in Alola and decided to follow, Ash, Iris, and me into the woods until it found the right moment to come up to me. I had to prove myself to it but I did by beating it with Piplup and now it's part of the team. The amusing thing was that the entire time it ignored Iris."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me, the catch that is." Emily said. "But why is it amusing that it ignored your friend? I don't get that."
"Right you met Iris briefly in Kalos if I recall but don't really know her." Dawn said recalling how brief the meeting was when all groups involved had crossed paths in Kalos. "It's amusing because Iris is a dragon specialist and loves the type but Jangmo-o had no interest in her at all. She was mortified that a dragon type would reject her off the bat."
"Oh I see now, I must have missed what type it was, I was so transfixed by the appeal and dragon type moves don't tend to register with me." Emily said. "Almost all of my Pokémon are immune to those attacks after all. Still cool and I bet it can evolve."
"It can, two times in fact." Dawn said not surprised that Emily wasn't the most clued in on dragon type attacks and pretty sure that she knew which of Emily's Pokémon wasn't a fairy type. "But it will evolve as it sees fit."
"Of course." Emily said. "As it should be."
"Correct but that's enough chit chat." Dawn said as she got up deciding to get something to eat and drink. "We need to get in the zone, we have two battles to win if we want to face off in the final and I have a few last minute strategies to go over."
"Right, gotta focus on that." Emily said nodding at Dawn. "See you in the final, Dawn."
With that Emily hurried off to a different table no doubt to strategize. Dawn just smiled and headed to the break table to get something from it before she prepared her own strategies for the battles to come.
The rest of the tea break, an interesting concept to Dawn but not an unwelcome one, was uneventful as the remaining 8 coordinators did their own things to prepare for the coming battles. Dawn had some tea, a Galarian blend that wasn't too bad but not to her usual tastes, and a few snacks as she mentally went over her plan.
Dawn knew who she'd start with and if Emily made it to the final end with but she had to decide on who to use in semis. Regardless, she was certain that things would work out and just wanted to make sure that she was ready. Dawn was certain that she was as the hour break came to a close and the first pair went out to take their positions before the battle.
As she was third up Dawn just watched that battle on the TV, it was a decent one that went the distance and was won on points at the end. That had been a lot easier to tell than Dawn had expected as while Galar used the horizontal, single bar for points it had a number on either side showing how many points each coordinator had left out of 100 which meant that you could accurately track the score during the battle.
That was going to be useful, or at least it could be useful, and Dawn noted that as she got up and headed to her entrance tunnel as Emily walked out to her first battle. That meant that Dawn got there just as the battle started and watched an interesting one as Emily used a strange, small, bipedal pink Pokémon with tufts of hair on the back of its head that resembled bat wings and a dark purple mask-like marking over its eyes and the top of its nose with a matching tongue lolling out as it fought.
Apparently it was called an Impidimp, at least that's the name Emily used, and judging by it's appearance it was likely part fairy type. However, between the moves that Emily used and its general appearance Dawn felt that it was likely was a duel type but that was something that she could ask about later.
In that regard Dawn would be right as she'd learn that Impidimp was a primary dark type that had added the fairy type when the emergence happened and could evolve twice making it and its evolutions the only known duel dark and fairy type out there. Emily had caught in the Ballonlea Forest shortly after they left Ballonlea to head down to Turffield for Adam's first gym battle but for now all Dawn could do was watch as Emily used it to beat a Galarian native using an Applin.
Emily won it by Battle Off though Dawn did note that that was because it appeared that Applin was part dragon type, which made sense as it looked like it was the pre-evolved form of that Flapple that Paul had used against Ash in the Lumiose Conference Final, so it was at a disadvantage against a part fairy type. Add in that it seemed to know three dragon type moves and a single grass type move and Emily had the clear advantage. Despite all that, Dawn did note that Emily didn't let that get to her and rather used Impidimp's mobility most of all to dodge and get close to win.
After that Dawn smiled at the younger girl before heading out herself to face her first opponent, the only other Sinnoh native in the Contest. The other girl was clearly a bit awestruck to face Dawn, she was well known back in her home region after all, but Dawn just told her it was a Contest and to treat her as another opponent which seemed to help and got the girl focused to send out a Litten. That had surprised Dawn, especially as she sent out her Popplio, but she wasn't going to complain about the type advantage, or take it for granted.
That was a good thing as Litten had the mobility on Popplio on dry land, that was part of why Dawn had opted for Jangmo-o in the appeal not Popplio as the lack of water options was a bit limiting for her though their appeal could have worked as well, so Dawn had to play defensive. She did just that and used timed evades and a few counters to set the tone and work things to her advantage so that when Popplio took a strong head on attack Dawn was ready and used that opening to land a super effective Water Gun that ended the battle there with a Battle Off.
Thankfully, her opponent didn't seem to mind and Dawn smiled and curtsied at her before heading back to watch the final opening battle. That one was, as expected, a standard one that lasted the full 5 minutes and gave Dawn some sense for her next opponent so she was ready as she headed back out to her waiting spot to wait for her semi and see if Emily advanced.
As expected Emily did though to Dawn's surprise she used a pure psychic type to do so and what's more it was a regional variant of a Kantonian Pokémon, a Ponyta. The Galarian one was beautiful and a pure psychic type which was a shock to her Alolan opponent who'd clearly gone for a Salazzle, a fully evolved fire and poison type, especially to counter Emily's type specialty. That was completely negated and while the guy who Emily was facing was able to last until the end of the time limit, in part because of Salazzle's mobility, he still lost on points thanks to a super effective Psybeam landing.
All that was good for Dawn, and she had a feeling that if Emily had a Galarian Ponyta it was because it's evolved form added a fairy type, though it could also be because the pure white equine Pokémon with a light blue and lilac mane and tail, lilac fetlocks, and a small black horn was very adorable looking. Now all she needed to do was win as well and she'd face Emily in the final.
That would be the case as Dawn's semifinal opponent went with a Pincurchin, a Galarian electric type, likely to try and counter either Popplio or Piplup who'd been with Dawn in the marquee. However, Dawn had instead used Malamar to the surprise of her opponent and easily won on points using an evasion based tactic that prioritized smooth dodges than going after her opponent, though Dawn did land three hits in total as well just to make sure she won on points.
It was a straightforward and good battle which Dawn was happy with as she curtsied to her opponent who just nodded at her before he left. Dawn just remained where she was smiling as her opponent exited the battle stage and Emily walked out ready for the final.
"Well ladies and gentlemen, it's the final that I'm sure you all hoped for when the draw happened." Killian said smiling as the crowd applauded and Emily came to a stop on the other side of the battlefield from Dawn. "Lady Emily of Mt. Moon and Lady Dawn of Twinleaf Town will now face off for today's rural ribbon. They have faced off thrice before with Dawn winning all three, most recently in the semifinal of the Kanto Grand Festival that Dawn would subsequently win, but as you know anything can happen in a Contest. That's all I've got for you so let's give a warm round of applause to our finalists, the Charming Fairy and the Prodigy of Sinnoh!"
The crowd clapped loudly and enthusiastically for them but Dawn just smiled as she looked at the younger girl. It had been almost 18 months since that semifinal and she knew that Emily had been really looking forward to this rematch as it would show Dawn how much she'd grown since Dawn won her Ribbon Cup. It was also why Dawn had prepared a special Pokémon for this battle and not the one that Emily would expect. Next time though.
"Here we are again, been a long time since that final in Cerulean City." Dawn said smiling at Emily. "You've come a long way in the 2 years since then, now you're in my shoes, a favorite for a Ribbon Cup and an experienced coordinator in her third year."
"I still have a long way to go to be at your level Dawn." Emily said. "You made it to a finals as a rookie and in an established region no less. Then you made it again in your second year while I've only made semis. Plus you were the top favorite in an established region, twice. I'm only a secondary favorite here and was tertiary last year, and only in expansion regions."
"It's still impressive." Dawn said. "And you've beaten some big names on the way here, both Nando and Brianna are Top Coordinators now, so don't sell yourself short."
"Oh I won't, I'm going to add your name to that list." Emily said and Dawn liked the challenge in her tone as the girl took out a Poke Ball. "I've been saving this Pokémon just for you, it's time I showed the Top Coordinator I admire the most and the woman who I look up to, just how far I've come since we met."
"Then we have that in common as I planned this Pokémon just for you." Dawn said grinning as she pulled out her own Poke Ball. "Show me that growth Emily, I can't wait to see it."
"Yes ladies, please end this suspense and commence the final." Killian said excitement in her tone despite her professionalism. "Battle begin!"
"Ninetales, spotlight!"
"Ninetales, fairy lights!"
The cries came at the same time and Dawn was instantly confused as the Poke Balls burst open and her own Kantonian Ninetales burst from his Poke Ball with a bark and a flip to land before her, tails up and ready for his opening command. The confusion deepened when Emily's Ninetales appeared and it was a pale blew with white legs below its knees and the tops of its tails while the base of its tales was a medium blue. It also had a longer, more flowing, crest than Dawn's with white tips and bright blue eyes compared to a Kantonian Ninetales's red eyes.
"So, your Vulpix evolved then." Dawn said kicking herself for not expecting this as the time began to count down and she took in the her first Alolan Ninetales. "When you said earlier that you almost all your Pokémon were immune to dragon type attacks I was thinking of your Alolan Vulpix and not expecting a new Pokémon like your Galarian Ponyta. That's on me for not seeing this coming."
"Yeah Vulpix found and Ice Stone a while back and opted to evolve and Ponyta is the same, he'll get a fairy type when he evolves." Emily said. "Though I'll admit this is going to be more annoying than I expected. I thought you'd go with that Dragalge that you have what with it being a poison and dragon type. That was why I opted for my sole ice type."
"That's what Iris would do, though she'd likely use her steel type Excadrill against a an Alolan Ninetales seeing as it's her worst nightmare so she'd want the best Pokémon she had for it." Dawn said. "I expected fairy types and wanted to go with a fire type rather than one of my poison types. This works well though. Ninetales, use Flamethrower!"
"Ninetales, block that with Weather Ball!" Emily said as Dawn's Ninetales opened his mouth and fire filled it and the final began in earnest. "Then move to the side and use Dazzling Gleam!"
"Track it with your eyes as you attack and then charge with Quick Attack." Dawn added as the gout of flames shot from Ninetales's mouth, a ball of normal type power formed in Emily's Ninetales's mouth. "We need to get in close Ninetales."
As Dawn finished her order a ball of normal type power shot from the Alolan Ninetales's mouth and at the incoming Flamethrower. As there was no environmental effect in place at the moment so Weather Ball remained normal a normal type attack and wasn't boosted but that wasn't the goal as the ball shot out and into the Flamethrower, blowing up on contact and negating the fire type attack.
That was the plan and as the explosion rocked the battlefield, scorching the ground in the process, Alolan Ninetales moved to the side to be out of the backlash and began to glow. As she did, Kantonian Ninetales tracked her with his eyes as Dawn had instructed and the moment that his Flamethrower ran its course and was caught up in the explosion he bolted at his Alolan counterpart.
With his speed Ninetales knew that he'd reach his foe before she could move but that wasn't her intention. No, Alolan Ninetales's intention was to hit her counterpart with Dazzling Gleam thus help her trainer out by taking points from the other human's points bar.
That's exactly what happened as the powerful flash of light was blasted off Alolan Ninetales and struck Kantonian Ninetales as he ran. However, it was a fairy type attack to which Ninetales was resistant so it was nothing more than a nuisance to him as he powered through it and slammed his head into his counterpart's face at full speed despite taking an attack on the way.
Alolan Ninetales howled in pain and was tossed back to hit and roll over the grass but as she was neither weak nor resistant to the normal type attack it wasn't that bad. However, that was not the goal of the move, well not fully as the points that dropped from Emily's points bar were part of the attack, but rather to get Ninetales in close so that Dawn could use the other close combat move he knew, a move that would be devastating in this battle.
"Iron Tail!" Dawn called out.
"That's not good but we prepared for such a close quarters steel type attack." Emily said as Dawn's Ninetales's leapt after Emily's, which was on her side as her roll ended, his tail turning to steel as he leapt. "Block and counter with Triple Axel just as we planned!"
"Triple Axel?" Dawn asked as Emily's Ninetales let out a bark and pushed off the ground with her tail. "Never heard of that move, what does it…oh."
Dawn was cut off as her Ninetales finished his flip and brought down his Iron Tail down on Emily's Ninetales just like Pikachu had taught him so as to maximize the move but as he did, the Alolan Ninetales pushed up onto her forepaws and whipped her lower body around to kick out with her hind legs. There was a boom as her legs hit and blocked the Iron Tail revealing that Triple Axel was a kicking based move and pushed against the Iron Tail for a moment before she won out thanks to her more stable position and knocked the Kantonian Ninetales's tails away.
As Ninetales's tails were knocked away, the Alolan Ninetales pushed off the ground with her forepaws and leapt into the air to be above her Kantonian counterpart before she kicked down with one of her hind legs and slammed it into the top of Dawn's Ninetales's head driving him down to the ground with a crash. The smoothness of the action showed Dawn that Triple Axel was not a single strike move.
It wasn't a double strike either as Alolan Ninetales wasn't done because as she landed and kicked out with her other hind leg as Kantonian Ninetales grunted and tried to get up so that she caught him under the jaw and snapped his head back to complete the move. Then again with a name like Triple Axel, Dawn should have presumed that it was a three strike attack though as she'd never heard of the move before she had no clue what it would do until it ran its course.
Dawn also wasn't aware that the move increased in power as the kicks went on so that the third kick was the strongest but as they were ice type attacks they were resisted by Dawn's Ninetales. Still it took out a chunk of her points, blocked a strong attack, and put Emily in a good situation that Dawn realized she'd capitalize on before Dawn could get out a move but the capitalization was something that Dawn could turn back on Emily the moment she heard it.
"Dig!" Emily called. "Avoid the coming attack and get into position for our steel busting move!"
"Hold, don't attack." Dawn said aborting her planned command of Flamethrower the moment that she heard what Emily's attack was and she grinned as she saw the flash of surprise flicker across Emily's face as her Ninetales dove into the ground. "Thanks, I needed that breather. Dig is a move that we can handle. Ninetales, this is a counter one situation. The moment that you feel the ground bulge, leap as high as you can."
Ninetales let out a bark as he tensed his knees and crouched low keeping close watch on the ground his senses on high alert so that he could react the moment that he sensed the attack coming. Ash had been the one to first devise a counter to Dig, he actually had two and while Dawn could use the other one, counter two as she called it, the direction that Alolan Ninetales had been facing in was away from her Ninetales so she couldn't be certain where it would move so as to position itself for the attack. As such it was better to prepare this way and then counter before Alolan Ninetales could reach Ninetales.
"I should have expected that you'd be ready for a ground type attack like that but we had to use it." Emily said. "It's our go to move to deal with steel and fire types though."
"It's a good one but one I've faced enough to know, and of course Ash has taught me how to counter it." Dawn said grinning. "Seems like Adam's taught you some fighting type moves though. That Triple Axel was something else, never seen it before."
"Thanks and we learned it from some guy we met in Galar shortly after Ninetales evolved but while the technique and skill of it has been honed by Adam's guidance, the move isn't a fighting type one." Emily said surprising Dawn. "It's an ice type attack that constitutes three kicks of growing power. We needed it to block and counter something like Iron Tail or other close combat steel type attacks."
"Well then it's well honed." Dawn said as she saw Ninetales's hackles rise. "But let's see if you can pull it off again. Now Ninetales, Iron Tail!"
Dawn called out the move just as the ground beneath Ninetales began to bulge and he let out a bark of agreement as he leapt up as high as he could manage using the sudden change in the ground to his advantage. The result was that he was a fraction of a second ahead of his Alolan counterpart and that was all the time that he needed to get above her and avoid the super effective Dig attack from hitting his underbelly as she burst from the ground below him, earth and grass flying everywhere and a look of shock on her face as she missed with the attack, one that grew as Ninetales's tails turned to steel.
"Dazzling Gleam!" Emily shouted as Dawn's Ninetales flipped. "Make sure it lands and then use Dig again to get away from a follow up attack and to counter."
"Use Flamethrower as soon as you can." Dawn said quickly to press her coming advantage. "Emily's a lot stronger than before, we're going to have to make sure that we win this one Ninetales."
Ninetales barked in agreement as he finished his flip and drove his tails right into Emily's Ninetales's face as she was still rising in the air below him. There was a boom and a howl of pain as the ultra-effective attack slammed home and stuck Alolan Ninetales in the face and chest driving her down and into the ground, hard.
A split second later she hit the ground and the earth exploded around her, cratering it though not too deep as she wasn't that heavy and the fall hadn't been that far, but still it was an impressive crater thanks to the speed of her impact. However, as she fell she was already glowing and so even as the dust and debris shot up covering her and Dawn's Ninetales above her as he finished his flip, the flash of light shot out visible through the dust and the growl of pain from within showed that Kantonian Ninetales had been hit by the Dazzling Gleam which cost Dawn some points.
Of course, Ninetales wasn't deterred by the fairy type attack that he was resistant too as he brushed off the hit a gout of intense flames shot from his mouth and through the dust causing it to expand and blow apart, dirt and grass chunks flying everywhere and causing Dawn, Emily, Killian, and the judges to duck to avoid them while hot dust rained down around them. However no one took their eyes off the battle as the fire was now visible scorching down from the airborne Ninetales and into the crater where Alolan Ninetales was.
At least that's what it looked like but as the fire cleared all anyone saw was blackened earth in the center of the crater with a hole right at the base. What happened was clear, the moment that Alolan Ninetales could, and using her position on the ground to her advantage, she'd used Dig straight down to avoid the Flamethrower, which likely would count as a move and cost Emily a few points as a registered miss, but that was a fair tradeoff as it was also a clear miss for Dawn as Emily's Ninetales had gotten clear of the attack and was now somewhere underground.
For his part Dawn's Ninetales just grunted as he landed on the edge of the crater and growled down into it as he glared at the hole below him. This was frustrating to him but Dawn was still calm and that helped as he awaited his orders. Dawn knew what she had to do, there was no point in subtlety anymore in this battle, Emily had earned that. It was time to go full Ash and flush out Alolan Ninetales and use that to set up a finishing blow. After that Iron Tail, Dawn was certain it would only take one more super effective move to take out Emily's Ninetales.
"Ninetales, use Iron Tail on the ground!" Dawn shouted. "Hit the center of the crater with all the power that you can bring to bear. Flush out Alolan Ninetales and then hit it with Flamethrower."
Ninetales let out a howl of agreement as his tail turned to steel and he leapt off the ledge of the crater and down to the center of it, flipping as he did to bring his tail to bear with all the strength that he could muster. That was when something Dawn had not expected to happen happened and which she was certain came from Adam's influence, which itself no doubt came from studying Ash's insane battle tactics.
That was because as her Ninetales flipped to bring his Iron Tail down on the center of the crater and deepen it to flush out Emily's Ninetales, said Ninetales burst from the slope of the crater near the base of it. Ninetales had no time to process what was going on before Alolan Ninetales slammed her head into his chest with her Dig attack and launched both of them out of the crater and onto the grass above it and in front of Dawn.
All Ninetales could do was let out a howl of pain from the super effective ground type attack as his Iron Tail ran out and he and Alolan Ninetales hit the ground together in a tangle of limps and fur. The landing jarred both Pokémon and they bounced off the ground and away from each other faster than either of their trainers could react so Dawn's Ninetales was out of Iron Tail range before she could get the order out though he was clearly still in the battle.
Still, Dawn was ready and her training paid off as her Ninetales rolled with the situation and flipped over so that his feet were to the ground as she called out her attack. She knew that despite that hit she still had the battle well in hand and would end it now.
"Quick Attack into Flamethrower!" Dawn shouted. "We still got this Ninetales!"
"Dazzling Gleam and then Dig!" Emily countered. "You can do it Ninetales!"
Dawn's Ninetales howled as he landed on the ground and shot off it with his Quick Attack the moment that he had his footing to do so while Emily's hadn't managed to reposition herself and just bounced off it and into the air. As a such she stood no chance and as she was trying to reorientate herself before Ninetales was on her, slamming the crown of his head into her side and launching her across the grass battlefield and over the crater, her body spinning as she flew.
However, Alolan Ninetales wasn't done and she flashed as she turned in the air so that she was facing Kantonian Ninetales as he pulled up from his attack and the flash of light hit him as came to a stop. Ninetales grunted but otherwise ignored the third hit from Dazzling Gleam as he opened his mouth and fire filled it. He had to hold for a few seconds as his opponent hit the ground and bounced over it but that was so that he could line up his shot and fire before Alolan Ninetales came to a halt thus ensuring that she couldn't escape with Dig this time, and of course taking her out as he hit her with Flamethrower.
At least that was the plan but as the fire was about to come out of his mouth and Alolan Ninetales began to roll over the grass on the other side of the crater the buzzer suddenly went off. The 5 minute timer had run out and thus the battle, and by extension the Contest itself, ended.
Ninetales, however, couldn't abort his Flamethrower in time so he tilted his head back and blasted his Flamethrower into the air to avoid an illegal hit that would instantly disqualify Dawn. As this was happening his opponent continued to roll over the grass until she came to a stop just after the Flamethrower ended showing how close it had been.
In fact it was a lot closer than that as Dawn and Emily turned their heads to the jumbotron. Dawn knew that she'd lost track of things in the battle and not kept track of her score. She was sure that Emily had as well and now it was over and she had no idea who'd one.
"My what a final that was, that lived up the billing, but one of our lovely ladies has to win and the winner by only a single point is…" Lilian said as Dawn noted that one of them had 13 points left to the other's 14. "…Emily! What an upset!"
Finally the crowd couldn't contain it anymore as they let out a roar that they hadn't all Contest and burst into the loudest applause of the day at the battle that they'd seen while Dawn smiled as she saw Emily's eyes go wide and she collapsed to her knees overcome by shock at what had happened. Dawn would go and congratulate her in a moment but for now she had to recall Ninetales.
"Ninetales, return." Dawn said recalling her Pokémon and turning to look at the Poke Ball in her hand with a small smile on her face. "That was amazing Ninetales, I couldn't have asked for better from you and it came down to the wire. That really showed how much Emily's improved in the last 2 years. Take a rest, we'll get it next time, I promise."
With that Dawn shrunk her Poke Ball and put it away before she walked out onto the battlefield. Emily was still staring at the jumbotron and on her knees clearly unable to process what was going on but Dawn didn't mind as she navigated around the crater and made her way to the younger girl who was now getting bopped by her own Ninetales to no effect. It wasn't until Dawn was standing over Emily, her shadow blocking out the now setting sun and she spoke that Emily finally reacted.
"Well done, you showed me just how much you've improved since out first battle back in the Cerulean Contest." Dawn smiled as she crouched down and held her hand out to Emily as Emily's wide brown eyes turned and looked up to meet her blue ones. "Remember that one? Your Clefairy was run over by Mamoswine in two minutes for a Battle Off and now you've secured what has to be your biggest win by beating a Top Coordinator. Come on, let me help you up so that you can celebrate this moment."
"D, Dawn…" Emily said and Dawn just smiled as she raised a trembling hand to take Dawn's offered right hand in hers. "I…"
"I know, it's a lot to take in." Dawn said as she grasped Emily's hand and pulled her up. "You can manage it, it's your third ribbon so you've reached the Wildcard already."
"Yes, I…" Emily began as Dawn helped her to her feet but nothing more came out and Dawn was thrown by Emily suddenly embracing her and holding her close while the crowd looked on in surprise.
"There, there, it must be a bit overwhelming beating your idol." Dawn said as she felt the wetness in her shoulder and knew that Emily was crying tears of joy into it as she just held the younger girl one hand on the back of her head the other rubbing her back. "I think I'll have the same reaction when I finally beat my mom, it's a lot to take in so let it all out."
There was a mumbling sound but Dawn couldn't make it out as she held Emily there for a few more moments while the crowd just watched. It was a touching moment, those in Galar all knew how much Emily looked up to Dawn from her interviews while on the circuit so to see Dawn embracing her after losing was a big deal.
The embrace and support that Dawn showed would eventually go down as one of the great moments of the Galar Contest Circuit that year but for now all Dawn did was hold Emily. The younger girl just cried and mumbled how much the victory meant and how grateful she was to Dawn for everything she'd done for Emily since they met and the inspiration that she still was.
"Alright, good, you feeling better." Dawn said as she felt the sobs end and released Emily to back up a pace though she still held the Kanto girl's shoulder as Emily nodded her tear streaked face at Dawn as she looked up at Dawn while Dawn smiled at her. "Now go and enjoy this moment first by yourself as you raise your latest ribbon for the crowd to see and then later in private with Adam, I'm sure he's going to be thrilled that you won. Ash and I will see you in Unova for the Wallace Cup, I'll get my revenge if we meet in it so be ready for it."
Emily just nodded clearly at a loss for words now that she'd let it all out and Dawn smiled. She then let go of Emily and stepped back again. As she did, Dawn stripped off her right glove and held it in her left hand to make sure what came next was skin to skin as she held out her right hand to Emily. The younger girl looked at it for a moment before realizing what to do and with a slight tremble raised her right hand to take Dawn's in hers and they shock to the applause of the crowd.
Dawn nodded once more before she let go of Emily's hand and walked past her and out the exit behind Emily as the crowd applauded the display they'd seen and Mr. Contesta approached Emily with the ribbon and a few words to congratulate her on her win and making the Wildcard. Dawn didn't hear them as she walked out of the stadium and back to the marquee to get her things, meet up with Ash, and retire for the night. Tomorrow they'd discuss the Contest as they enjoyed the fête and then it was onto Circhester and Dawn's backup Contest.
She may have lost but Dawn was still smiling as she left the temporary stadium. It had been a good battle and she'd lost fair and square; she'd bounce back and they'd get to see more of Galar in the process. Dawn couldn't wait as her first Galar Contest officially ended and it wasn't going to be her last.
I think this is a good spot to end this Part on, there's nothing more that really needs to be said and Dawn needs a moment to process all this. I know that this is a surprise and a violation of my OC rules but I ultimately decided that this would be the sole exception to them for a few two reasons; 1 – to show how Dawn is still not back to full form when compared to a now veteran coordinator who's been active for more than 2 years and has two Grand Festival semifinals under her belt, and 2 – because I want Dawn to do 2 Contests in Galar and the other one is special so she had to lose this and better to Emily than some random Top Coordinator brought in a challenger who may not have an impact later on unlike with Mollie's win in Kanto. For anyone wondering, a lot of my decisions for the Galar Contest style are based off various aspects of British formal events and customs that are a bit dated in some cases but as Galar is based off the UK it felt right to use their stylings here. It's actually rather fitting, and purely coincidental, that this is coming out during the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament as the whole white outfits for women and referring to the coordinators as ladies and gentlemen are actually older affectations taken from Wimbledon before the tournament was somewhat modernized in the last few decades. There's nothing else to really say here so I will end this Part 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