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Good Love Charm (Advanceshipping, PG-13)

shadow_shipper

...indeed...
It's funny; in the anime I absolutely can't stand TR, but when writing them in fics... They're just so loveable. I also miss the old Team Rocket of Kanto, back when the organization was still feared and they weren't just slapped on to each episode as an afterthought.

true...*sighs*...true...since Hoenn and Meowth's ridiculous daydreams about the Boss/plots to steal pokémon/rewards, they've became really boring to me -_-

the part on taking it personally if you "offend" any ship I support, well, it might make me grit my teeth, but I knew what I was going into :D so no problem there :p

Drew Shuu does sound stupid ^_^'
But yeah, Blackthorn...just seems too dark (Black and thorn) though the pun on thorn was a nice find.

Yes, Paul does know Ash is harmless xD

For the italics, I usually put inner-discussions and thoughts in italics, it's kinda a visual aid :p

The rest, well, I'll see as it comes, bye ;)
 

buster_wolf

Shinnippori!
Nice chapter as usual. ;P This is definitely to my liking...

First off, lovely display of each of the contesters. I can't write contest stuff if my life depended on it, but you clearly make it seems like it's directly from the anime. I don't see that much talent around in this forum really who can pull it off like you do.

As for characters, wow, Dawn would so go after Drew, she's like... I dunno. XD Hard to put it in words, but yeah. What a little minx... :3 But I like your depictions of all the characters, especially Paul. He was so cool, even when there is a risk of Ash's idiocy infecting him. ;P Also, Team Rocket is so well portrayed in this, it's fun to read about them... but god Meowth, you make Giovanni sound like a moron really... XD

Fanboyish response, I know, but really, I am addicted to this. Don't fail on me Gaz, you can do it. T_T

PS. Nico is the coolest Contest OC I've seen. XD
 

anime_aficionada

Shameless prick. :3
EEEEEeeeeee! Yesh Gazzoo! Where were you ol buddy? Zi twas boreddedd wifout youuu! Ok, now I'm acting like a complete retard.

*cough cough* Ahem....Ok, Can't Can't Can't wait...til Ash finally sees May again! ^^ EEEeeee! I like the new OC Nico you added in too. Drew, well he's our second favourite bad boy in the series, and kudos for adding him in! ^^ Dawn...hm...well Dawn, I haven't seen much of her yet, cos I only have seen the epis on like youtube and stuffs. So I don't really favour her much. Though I can commend her fashion sense for one! lol

Paul. Well I don't really like him, because I'm attatched to my beloved Gary #^_^# But somehow, your writing style has somewhat, urged me to actually like his character. I'll take my hats off to you for that. And lol Brock! Ahhh there's never a god story without our lovable perverted Brock! ^^

Gee....I'm reading over this, and I find that my review sound so ridiculously crap and sooo childish. But my fangirliness fowards you make me like this! EEeeeee! ^^

Keep your good chappies a coming! :D ^^ Your faithful fan

a_f

PS. Nico is the coolest Contest OC I've seen. XD
Lol, I can't agree more! ^^
 

Ariel_Anderson

Just some Random
There are so many evil(ish) people in this ship...

Oh, I have a question! Why does everyone call May "May Maple"?

I wonder what pokemon May will use for the battle round? I hope Blaziken!

I can't believe that Butch and Cassidy actually agreed with the stupid boss fantasy. You're after pokemon for their power, you idiots!

And please add me to your PM list!
 

Gazmof

Zephyr Trainer
Thanks a lot for the reviews, you guys - it's good to hear from you as always :D

the part on taking it personally if you "offend" any ship I support, well, it might make me grit my teeth, but I knew what I was going into so no problem there
Haha, alright, good. At least now I know where you stand!

As for characters, wow, Dawn would so go after Drew, she's like... I dunno. XD Hard to put it in words, but yeah. What a little minx...
Haha... Well you already know my opinion on that ^^;

EEEEEeeeeee! Yesh Gazzoo! Where were you ol buddy? Zi twas boreddedd wifout youuu! Ok, now I'm acting like a complete retard.
Hey, I don't know, where have you been? ^^;

Oh, I have a question! Why does everyone call May "May Maple"?
I have no idea - it's a popular fanon name so I went with it.

And please add me to your PM list!
Done.

Unfortunately work on the third chapter is progressing slowly right now due to roommate issues (if anyone wants to save me, please do T_T; ) so I wouldn't hold your breath anytime soon. Regardless, it won't be abandoned, trust me on that ^^; Perhaps I'll get some time to write it over Thanksgiving break...

Thanks once again for all your reviews.
 

Vulpixi_Misa

Starving Artist
I've always liked Advancedshipping stories that take place in Sinnoh, maybe because I think Dawn and May would make the best team and pair of friends, ever. X3

I really like the fic, and everything. When are May and Ash going to reunite?! >.<

Anyways, update soon, pretty please?

(Belleshipping sounds interesting, though I'm thinking it's going to be Ikarishipping, with how popular it is now...)

-Atsuko
 

Gazmof

Zephyr Trainer
Hey guys - first up, I wanna apologise for the delay in getting this chapter up due to some serious issues that arose over the last couple of months. Fortunately that's all sorted now and I bring you this chapter, which is fairly hefty, so it should prove to be an interesting read.

Thanks also to everyone who expressed their interest in the fic and didn't assume I abandoned it. Would I do that to you guys? :b

Chapter Three:
The Reunion

"Oh!" came the voice of Alisa, who was busy excitedly commenting on the progress of yet another contest battle over the tent's loudspeaker. "What an incredibly stunning attack! And Cacturne is the winner! Jaina Rondache moves on to the next round!"

The audience let out another roar as the match came to its end and the victorious trainer and her Pokemon gave a bow in the centre of the stage. Ash, Brock and Pikachu all applauded loudly, whilst Paul simply sat there, his arms folded, a look in his eyes which almost made him seem to be waiting for something to happen.

"And so our next match-up is ready to get under way!" Alisa continued to announce. "Ladies and gentlemen, don't leave your seats, because this next battle between Dawn Hikari and Andy Sains promises to be one heated battle!"

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed upon hearing his friend's name. "Dawn's up next! Come on, Dawn, you can do it!"

A shower of red confetti covered the stage as the two coordinators rushed out, both waving eagerly to the crowd which was cheering with fevered excitement.

"Just listen to the roar of that crowd!" Alisa commented as the two trainers took their positions on opposite sides of the stage and the huge television monitor which hung over their heads had its scoreboard reset. "I can tell that you're just as excited as I am to see yet another incredible contest battle! So, coordinators... On your marks... Get set... Release your Pokemon!"

"Alright Piplup, let's do this!" Dawn yelled, hurling her Pokeball into the centre of the stage and causing it to snap open, leaving a shower of white sparks and stars as Piplup appeared, punching its wings in anticipation of the battle.

"You too, Tangela!" her opponent, Andy, countered, releasing his own Pokeball onto the stage and revealing a Pokemon that could only be described as a mass of tangled green vines with two small feet and a pair of large, white eyes.

"Tangela, huh?" Dawn chuckled to herself, removing her Pokedex from her side and reading up on the creature's attributes as she stood there, contemplating the best strategy to begin the fight with. "Grass-type... Dang... But we're not scared, right, Piplup?"

"Piplup!" the small, penguin-like Pokemon chirped in agreement, frowning at its opponent, who seemed rather unfazed by the occasion.

"Alright then, Piplup!" Dawn called out, her voice booming with confidence as she pointed her finger towards the enemy and issued her command. "Looks like we're going to be the ones to get the ball rolling! Attack and use Bubblebeam!"

"Tangela, Ingrain, now!" Andy returned, causing the Grass-type Pokemon to swiftly obey its master's command, closing its eyes and lashing several vines down into the stage floor. After a few moments the grass which covered the Pokemon's body began to glow as it slowly absorbed nutrients with its roots and causing the vast tide of translucent bubbles that Dawn's Piplup had fired to slide off the creature's body without leaving so much as a scratch.

"Ugh, fine, whatever!" Dawn complained, stamping her foot impatiently. "In that case, Piplup, get in close and use Peck on that heap of grass!"

Piplup squealed in agreement, quickly landing from its previous attack and rolling to the side before dashing towards the Tangela with surprising speed and agility.

"What an incredibly graceful Piplup!" Alisa's voice commented over the loudspeaker. "Its evasions flow seamlessly from defence to offence without a moment's hesitation! Will the stalwart Tangela be able to fend off a super-effective hit?"

"Tangela, Solarbeam now!" Andy yelled, prompting Tangela to glare at its opponent and begin to charge a bright, green energy which seemed to slowly liquify in midair before launching into a powerful, concentrated beam of energy which struck Piplup directly above the Grass-type.

"Piplup!!!" Piplup squealed in pain as the attack met its mark, thrusting the small blue penguin up high above the stage and allowing its limp body to crash with a thud.

"Piplup, no!!" Dawn exclaimed as she watched her Pokemon slowly get back onto its trembling feet. "Are you okay!?"

"Pip!" Piplup growled, glaring at its enemy defiantly.

"That attack means that Piplup and Dawn have just lost a lot of points!" Alisa continued her commentary. "Yet meanwhile Andy's Tangela continues to grow more and more powerful by the second thanks to the effects of Ingrain! What will happen next folks?"

"Piplup, try another Peck attack!" Dawn instructed.

Piplup reacted almost instantaneously, charging straight towards the Tangela, who began to charge another Solarbeam immediately in reaction.

"Dawn, watch out!" Ash called from the stands, getting to his feet with Pikachu standing up atop his hat. "He's using another Solarbeam!"

"Pikachu Pi!!" Pikachu added with concern.

"Your friend isn't very smart, is she?" Paul groaned as he watched the Water-type make its second head-on charge.

'C'mon Dawn...' Ash thought to himself as he watched the action unfold. 'You can do this... Don't get overconfident from your first ribbon... Not like May was...'

"Now dodge and use Whirlpool, Piplup!" Dawn called.

"Pip!" Piplup agreed, suddenly dashing to the side and leaping high into the air, spouting a huge swirl of water from its mouth which collided with the Tangela, engulfing it completely in a torrent of crystal blue.

"What!?" Andy cried in disbelief. "No way! Tangela, use Synthesis!"

There was a moment of awkward silence as the watery vortex continued to spin, slowly pressing down against its opponent with immense pressure until finally the water subsided, leaving an unconscious Tangela lying on the floor.

"And Dawn and Piplup cruise through to the next round!" Alisa congratulated the duo over the megaphone. "Congratulations you two! Now get some well-earned rest before round two begins!"

"Alright!" Dawn squealed with excitement, pumping her fist in the air as she hopped on the spot, causing her Pokemon to do the same. "We did it! Awesome job, Piplup! You're the best!"

"Pip-lup!" Piplup agreed, unable to stop itself from dancing.

"Phew..." Ash breathed a sigh of relief as both he and Pikachu returned to their seats, Ash slumping down low in his chair before smiling at Paul. "See, Paul? Dawn knows what she's doing."

"Yeah, barely." Paul retorted, shuffling in his seat as he waited for the next match to start.

"I was worried that Dawn's first ribbon would have gone to her head," Brock explained, smiling to himself as he watched the next two contestants head out onto the stage - a boy with jet black hair and a light-grey jacket, and another boy with light-brown hair and a red t-shirt, "but she did really well to keep it together against an opponent with a sizable type advantage."

"And now ladies and gentlemen," Alisa continued, "we bring you what is sure to be a stunning match... Please welcome Nico Cyrax and Jose Gellipe!"

The audience burst into applause once again as the two coordinators confidently threw their respective Pokeballs into the arena, showering the stage with brilliant sparks of light.

"Let's go, Glalie." Nico chuckled, eying his opponent with a hint of arrogance as the huge form of an icy, levitating head with bright blue eyes and enormous, sharp fangs appeared before him. "Crush this loser. We've got bigger targets to take care of."

"You can do it, Altaria!" Jose told his Pokemon, an elegant, blue bird Pokemon with large, fluffy white wings which seemed to have the texture of cotton. Altaria flapped its wings high above the stage as it watched the enemy from afar.

"Huh, another favourable type match-up." Brock noted. "Both those Pokemon look tough; this could go either way."

"Heh, reminds me of my Glalie." Ash commented, causing Paul to take notice of him again.

"You mean to tell me you actually have an evolved Pokemon?" he mocked. "I thought you only liked weak ones."

"Chu..." Pikachu glared at the boy, though Ash seemed to ignore him as the battle began to start down below.

~*~*~​

"Dawn, congratulations!" May's voice greeted the young Pokemon coordinator, who smiled in slight embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck as she turned a light shade of pink. "You were awesome out there! And so were you, Piplup!"

"Piplup Pip!" Piplup thanked the girl, blushing itself as May scooped the Pokemon up into her arms and cradled it fondly.

"Aww, thanks, May!" Dawn smiled happily. "Good luck when you get out there - you're up soon, right?"

"Yeah, I'm one of the last performers." May replied as Piplup happily rocked itself in her arms. "It's been a while since I last performed in front of a big crowd... I hope I haven't lost my touch!"

"I'm sure you'll be fine - your Beautifly was looking awesome during its appeal." Dawn giggled. "I can't wait to see your battle Pokemon! I'll bet its even prettier, right?"

"Hehe," May chuckled as she thought of the next Pokemon she would use in the contest, "you'll just have to wait and see, Dawn."

The sound of a large explosion rocked the television set of the waiting room, prompting both of the girls to look up towards the screen with interest. They were both surprised to find that Nico had already won his match, soundly defeating his opponent's Altaria with a powerful Ice Beam.

"Wow..." Dawn muttered nervously. "He's better than I thought he'd be... He was barely even out there for a minute!"

"Hm..." May mumbled, slowly losing herself amid her thoughts once again.

'He's not the one I'm worried about, Dawn...' she thought to herself cautiously.

~*~*~​

"One potato, two potato..." James muttered to himself as he and the other members of Team Rocket continued to remove Pokeballs one by one from the numerous boxes and shelves which lined the carnival's storage room. Slowly, with his arms full, he eventually got to his feet and began to move towards their storage trolley where the already stolen Pokeballs were being kept, when he stumbled unwittingly into something soft and immobile.

"Wobbuffet." came the reply from the blue Pokemon, as it used its free arm to slap its forehead, the other filled with Pokeballs.

"Ugh, Wobbuffet!" James scolded disdainfully. "Watch where you're standing!"

"Wobbuffet..." the Pokemon sighed.

Suddenly the door to the main tent was opened and a tall man in an impressive-looking suit strode in, causing Jessie, James, Cassidy, Butch and Meowth to jump in surprise.

"Don't worry; it's only me." the stranger said, raising his hand to signal his innocence. He was of average height and build, with dark brown hair and a matching beard and mustache. In his right hand he held a jet-black cane which matched his suit and top-hat perfectly, though he appeared to be in his late forties at most so Jessie, James and Meowth were all a little dubious as to why he would need a walking stick.

"It's good to see you officer Kendrick," Cassidy greeted the man as she hoisted another armful of Pokeballs into their cart, "but as you can see we're a little busy here."

"Yes, so I see..." Kendrick replied, before removing four Pokeballs from his suit pocket. "Actually I just came to give you these. They were delivered from your head office in Kanto just this morning." Kendrick smiled at this. "Your boss works fast... I'd like to meet him someday; he seems like a pleasure to do business with."

"That he is, officer." Cassidy said as she accepted the Pokeballs in her traditionally gracious way, frowning slightly as she examined them closely, before proceeding to hand one to each of the human members of Team Rocket. "And how goes the lock-down of the carnival?"

"As expected, most every visitor has decided to attend the contest;" Kendrick began, unable to help himself chuckle as he spoke, "any stragglers have been ejected from the premises. No-one suspects a thing."

"Perfect..." Cassidy purred, a wry smile forming on her lips. "Give us another half hour and all of these Pokeballs will be accounted for."

"You're going to have to move fast, Cassidy." Kendrick explained, adjusting his tie anxiously. "There are only a few more contest battles left before the first round is over, and it will be difficult to hide our actions from the public for too long."

"Trust me," Cassidy sneered, "with these new Pokemon Giovanni sent us there's nothing any of these pathetic coordinators can do to stop us..."

~*~*~​

The roar of a defeated Ursaring rang through the tent as yet another contest battle came to an end. Ash, Paul, Brock and Pikachu had all been sitting watching the battles unfold for some time now, and now there were only two matches left to be decided.

"Man, there sure are a lot of entries in this contest..." Ash sighed, shuffling awkwardly in his seat and causing Pikachu to hang onto his hat precariously.

"Well, it's clearly not a part of official Sinnoh Contest rules, so anything the carnival administration says, goes." Brock noted, his arms folded as he quietly surveyed the local women on display a few rows down from where they were seated.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience!" Alisa's voice boomed over the megaphone once again. "We are now down to the last two matches, the first of which will be between Mark Philanthra and Drew Blackthorne!"

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, watching as the two coordinators made their way onto the stage. "I wonder what kinds of Pokemon these two trainers will have!"

Brock, meanwhile, frowned to himself as his thoughts began to echo through his mind.

'Drew...?' he wondered. 'No, it couldn't be...'

Sure enough, there on the left-hand side of the contest stage, was the familiar face of their dear friend May's rival during her Hoenn and Kanto contest circuit - Drew Blackthorne.

"Huh...?" Ash stammered as both he and Pikachu leaned over the edge of the seats in front of them to get a better view. "Is that... Drew...?"

He was dressed as he always was - purple pants with a matching jacket and that same, familiar lime-green hair was recognizable anywhere. He stood with his hands in his pockets as he brushed aside some stray strands of hair - his usual, confident smile hadn't changed one bit as he casually readied his choice of Pokeball.

Drew's opponent, however, was clearly not impressed by the boy's lack of respect, and so immediately sent his Pokeball flying towards the centre of the stage.

"Roserade, come on out!" Mark announced; the crowd watching in silence as the Pokeball split in half and revealed the short, humanoid Pokemon with an enchanting, leaf-green body and colourful bouquets of blooming roses sprouting from each hand.

"Rose..." the Pokemon growled, glaring at Drew.

"Let's do this, Absol." Drew muttered, flicking a Pokeball up into the air and watching idly as it opened up, releasing a bright white light which slowly transformed into the image of a large, intimidating Pokemon with long, glossy fur as white as snow and soft, velvety skin which shared the same shade as the dark, navy blue of midnight. Sprouting from the top of the Dark-type's head was a long, curved horn which bore the same shape as a scimitar's blade and looked almost as sharp as the vicious claws which extruded from each of its four feet.

"Absol..." the creature whispered back, almost as if it was uninterested in the opponent and saw it as no real danger to its chances of victory.

"Huh..." Paul commented out loud to himself. "An Absol... Haven't seen one of those in a while."

Ash, Brock and Pikachu all remained silent as they watched the competitors closely. Both Mark and Drew said nothing, but the looks in their eyes spoke volumes.

"It's amazing..." Brock acknowledged. "Drew's Absol has taken on the characteristics of its trainer down to a tee. Neither of them even look fazed by that Roserade. And I'm no expert on Grass-type Pokemon, but that looks to me like one powerful opponent."

"Yeah, you're right, Brock..." Ash agreed. "But what's Drew doing here in Sinnoh? I thought he had gone to compete with May and Harley over in the Johto circuit?"

"Pika..." Pikachu added.

"So you guys know this clown?" Paul asked, curious.

"Yeah." Ash replied, unable to take his eyes off Absol as the two Pokemon began to exchange blows and the battle timer was started on the main screen. "He was a coordinator rival of one of our friends back on our adventures through Hoenn. But we thought that they had gone to Johto together, and that was only a few months ago..."

"Hm..." Paul muttered, his focus turning back towards the battle that was raging down below.

"Razor Wind!" Drew commanded.

"Magical Leaf!" Mark yelled.

Both Pokemon leapt back several feet towards their respective trainers before slowly charging their attacks - Roserade's bouquets glowed an eery yellow whilst Absol was slowly engulfed by a torrent of vicious, twisting winds. It wasn't long until both the attacks were complete and tore towards their targets, colliding in an explosion of colour and noise in the centre of the contest stage and leaving the audience breathless. The competitors seemed evenly matched.

"Roserade, use Solarbeam!" Mark ordered, pointing his finger directly towards Absol.

"Heh, amateur..." Drew whispered, smiling. "Absol, use Flash, then get in close and finish this off early!"

"Sol!" the creature agreed, snarling and blasting forth an intense flash of white light from the blade-like protrusion on its head whilst Mark's Roserade attempted to gather as much sunlight as possible.

"Ooh, looks like a tactical oversight may have cost Mark and Roserade this match," Alisa announced over the loudspeaker as Absol rushed towards its target, its claws reflecting the steadily growing light of Roserade's oncoming attack, "as Solarbeam requires a long time to charge, especially in an arena as dark as this!"

"Oh no, cancel, Roserade!" Mark stammered, but it was already too late - Roserade felt the sharp sting of Absol's claws rend into its leafy body before it was sent spinning across the stage, eventually landing in an unconscious heap. "Uh-oh..."

"And with that, we have our winner!" Alisa cheered as confetti began to fall from the stage, signaling the end of yet another contest battle. "Ladies and gentlemen please give it up for Drew Blackthorne! I for one am looking forward to seeing him and that Absol in action again!"

"Hmph." Drew sniffed, recalling Absol into its Pokeball and glaring at it before walking off the stage as Mark continued to cradle his Roserade in despair. "I can see you need more training..."

"Wow." Brock muttered, clearly impressed by Drew's performance. "Looks like he hasn't lost his edge at all."

Ash remained silent, staring down towards the stage as his mind raced with questions regarding Drew's appearance in Sinnoh, and just as important - what had happened to May?

"And now it's time for the last of our first round match-ups!" Alisa continued as the confetti was hurriedly swept away by numerous carnival employees and Mark and Roserade were ushered off the stage. "We've all been waiting for it, so please give a warm welcome to two fine young coordinators - Samantha Applejay and May Maple!"

Ash immediately bolted upright in his seat at the sound of this last coordinator's name. Could it really be her?

"Brock, did you...?" he stuttered.

"Pika...!" Pikachu squeaked in disbelief.

"I can't be hearing things..." Brock stammered. "...Can I?"

Sure enough, there, down on the stage before them, came the now too-unfamiliar sight of their close friend May, wearing her usual red outfit and matching bandana. She confidently jogged out onto the stage in her usual, happy-go-lucky way, smiling that same smile that Ash, Brock and Pikachu had come to love after so many months of traveling through Hoenn and Kanto. Eventually she arrived at the foot of the stage and gave a bow to the cheering audience, and her opponent on the other side of the arena.

"Well no sense just sitting here not doing anything!" Ash laughed, getting to his feet and applauding loudly. "Go May! You can do it!!"

Brock and Pikachu both paused for a moment's thought, then swiftly joined in with Ash and applauded and cheered as loud as they possibly could. Though they knew May probably couldn't tell them apart from the rest of the crowd's roars, they at least hoped that the extra boost they provided in volume would help spur her on to an impressive victory.

Paul, however, simply looked at his two companions awkwardly, and secretly hoped that no-one would realise they were together.

"Let's go, Poliwrath!" Samantha yelled, hurling a Pokeball into the centre of the stage with a vigorous spin of her body. "I need you!"

"Blaziken!" May announced, twirling on the spot as she threw her own Pokeball directly towards her opponent. "Take the stage!"

The two Pokeballs released their respective Pokemon in an explosion of light and colour, revealing two large, humanoid Pokemon in the centre of the stage. Towards Samantha stood the burly form of her Poliwrath, a Water-type Pokemon with a navy-blue body and a pearl-white stomach, its muscular arms and legs bulging with power. On May's side stood her trusty Blaziken, her starter Pokemon and first friend on her journey all the way from Littleroot Town in Hoenn. The flames on its tall, red body ignited, making the creature's figure markedly taller than its opponent and no less intimidating. Blaziken clenched its fists tightly and glared down with its sharp, blue eyes, gently shifting its weight into its back leg and assuming a fighting stance.

"Woah..." Dawn gasped from inside the waiting room at the sight of May's Blaziken. "May has a... Blaziken?"

"Fire-type, eh?" Samantha chuckled, licking her lips with glee. "That makes things a lot easier." She suddenly launched her hand towards the stage, pointing her finger directly towards May's Blaziken as she issued her first command. "Poliwrath, Rain Dance!"

"Wrath!" the Pokemon croaked its reply, pointing its arms towards the ceiling of the tent and launching a huge torrent of water up into the air which began to quickly disperse and fall back down to the ground as a quick, harsh rain, causing Blaziken to tense up and lose its footing.

"So she's trying to keep the battle going on for a while, huh?" May spoke under her breath, her nerves not allowing her to smile and enjoy the moment - she always got tense during a contest match, even an unofficial one. Especially when she knew that Drew was watching... "Blaziken, Quick Attack!"

"Ken!" Blaziken replied, leaping up from its position and striking a clean jab straight into the Poliwrath's gut before retreating back to where it once stood.

"Follow it up with Sky Uppercut!" May exclaimed as Poliwrath struggled to maintain its balance after the surprisingly fierce punch. "Let's end this quickly!"

"Oh no you don't!" Samantha growled. "Poliwrath, Counter!"

The two battlers roared against the crash of rain as it came tumbling down and splashing over the stage, cascading in miniature waves down towards where the audience was seated with bated breath. May couldn't help but wince as she watched Blaziken launch a Sky Uppercut towards the enemy, only to watch its wrist be grabbed, the intense fire of her Pokemon's skin unable to even graze the Water-type. Poliwrath appeared to smirk slightly as it twisted Blaziken's wrist into a lock before launching it into the air with a quick spin of its powerful, bulky arms.

"Blaziken, no!" May called whilst Blaziken fell back onto the stage with an enormous crunch, the impact reverberating around the tent. "Are you okay!?"

"Blaziken!" the Pokemon roared as it sprang back onto its feet. "Ken!"

"That poor landing cost May and Blaziken a lot of points," Alisa commented over the thundering rain which continued to pour down upon the contenders, "but it seems like Blaziken is raring to go another round. We're approaching the one-minute mark, folks!"

"Looks like this match-up could've been better for your friend." Paul noted, his arms still folded as he watched the two Pokemon launch into close combat once again. "Blaziken's at a severe disadvantage right now."

Brock nodded sagely.

"Right." he answered, scratching his chin. "Normally May's Blaziken would be able to use its Fighting-type knowledge to work around its weakness to water Pokemon, but since Poliwrath is also a Fighting-type that makes things complicated."

"Come on, Blaziken!" Ash yelled, his face revealing his intense nerves. It was strange and only now that he realised... He never felt this nervous during any of Dawn's contests. Regardless, that simply meant he had to cheer louder than ever. "You can do it!! Come on!!"

"Quick Attack!" May called.

"Submission!" Samantha retaliated.

Once again Blaziken's wrist was gripped tightly by the Poliwrath and soon the Water-type was crushing its body against May's Pokemon, its strong, powerful arms coming close to snapping the creature in two.

"Uh-oh!" Alisa's commentary continued. "Could this be the end for Blaziken? May's points are taking a serious tumble!"

It was only then that the rain suddenly died down, causing Blaziken's flames to ignite brightly once more. Poliwrath continued to apply pressure to its enemy, despite the intense heat which was now burning against its chest with unrelenting power.

"Keep up the pressure, Poliwrath!" Samantha urged, smiling confidently. "Their time's almost up..."

"Now, Blaziken!" May boomed suddenly. "Use Overheat!"

"What!?" Samantha gasped in surprise.

"Ken!!" Blaziken roared, the flames which covered its body now engulfing the entirety of the Pokemon's figure and causing Poliwrath to yelp in pain, signaling an end to its attack as it quickly backed away. Soon Blaziken was a walking inferno and it rushed towards its enemy with unrelenting vigor, punching it up into the air.

"Now Fire Spin into Mega Kick!" May continued.

Blaziken let out another cry before leaping up into the air and blasting the scarred Poliwrath with another volley of fire which wrapped around the creature's body, creating patterns and flashes of orange light which illuminated the tent in stunning fashion. The audience had no time to enjoy the stunning light display, however, as Blaziken followed up with a powerful kick from its enormous foot, driving Poliwrath into the hard surface of the contest stage and remaining silent as its enemy quickly slipped out of consciousness.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" Alisa exclaimed excitedly as the spotlight fell over May and her Blaziken. "May's extraordinary comeback had both power and style and it was enough to knock out Poliwrath and put the young coordinator through to the second round!"

The audience cheered and Ash found himself on his feet applauding as loud as he possibly could. Both Paul and Brock eyed him curiously, but Pikachu was more than happy to join in, hopping up and down on the chair, sparks flickering from its red cheeks. May simply waved towards the crowd, smiling happily as her Blaziken returned to her side before the two of them walked backstage together.

"Now folks we will take a quick break before moving onto the second round!" Alisa explained over the megaphone. "Please feel free to grab some refreshments just outside the seating area. I promise you that we won't be long!"

~*~*~​

Making her way towards the waiting room May took a moment to stop and take a deep breath before continuing. Her heart was still pounding after such a fierce battle and it had been so long since she had last competed in a contest with such strong coordinators she was worried that she had lost her edge. Fortunately her Blaziken had come through for her as it always did - it was by far her most reliable team member and she was always so grateful for its strength and commitment to her coordinating career. Slowly she removed its Pokeball from her fanny pack and smiled down at it.

"Thank you, Blaziken..." she whispered. "I could never have gotten this far without your help."

"Hey!" came a familiar voice from behind the girl, causing her to turn and see the face of Samantha, her previous opponent in the contest. "May, right?"

"Uhm, yeah!" May replied quickly, a little shocked to have suddenly been disturbed. "It's Samantha, isn't it?"

"That's right." the girl replied, nodding happily as she adjusted the collar of her cardigan, creating a pleasing contrast between its striking white colour and her golden blonde hair. "Hey I just wanted to say that that was a really great battle. I've never fought a Blaziken before!"

Samantha was a strikingly pretty girl who was quite a few years older than May - certainly approaching her late teens at least - and exuded an air of confidence about her. She wore black, loose-fitting jeans with a brown leather belt and off-white boots, whilst her eyes were coloured a brilliant, emerald green and her hair flowed down to just above the small of her back.

"Oh, thanks!" May replied, her face flushing a slight red at the compliment. "Your Poliwrath was awesome, too; you had me really worried there for a while."

"Heh," Samantha chuckled in response, flicking her long hair back as she did so, "well it seems we still have a lot to learn. I just wanted to say thanks for such a great match. Well, that and I'm a total Hoenn-phile. I'm actually hoping to go and compete over there during the next contest season."

"Oh, that's awesome!" May squealed excitedly. "I've lived in Hoenn my whole life so if you want to know where the best beaches are just let me know!"

Samantha and May both laughed as they began to walk towards the contest waiting room, all the while discussing the different aspects of their coordinating careers and all the different regions in which they had traveled to take part in contest circuits.

The waiting room was a lot quieter when the two coordinators entered, as much of the competition had been thinned from the first round and now only a few trainers remained to compete. Sixty-four competitors had been quickly stripped down to thirty-two within a matter of hours and soon round two would thin the ranks even further. May eyed the clock in the centre of the room nervously but tried not to let her feelings show as she noticed Drew standing directly underneath it, staring at the ground in his typically aloof manner.

"May!!" came a girlish scream of excitement from across the room and before May realised what was happening Dawn was standing square in front of her, hopping up and down on the spot with intense fervour.

"Hey, Dawn!" May greeted the girl happily, unable to help a grin form on her face in response to the younger trainer's infectiously peppy attitude.

"You did it!" Dawn squealed. "You won! Oh my gosh, Blaziken was so awesome!! Is it yours? Well, I mean, of course it's yours, but oh my goodness it was so strong and graceful and elegant and dignified and I've never even seen one before and-"

"Woah, calm down there, Dawn!" came a familiar gruff voice from behind the coordinator, causing Dawn to turn and see her friends Ash and Brock, with Ash's rival Paul skulking close behind. "Save some energy for the tournament!"

May's eyes widened as she suddenly realised who it was that the voice belonged to. There, standing before her after all these months of absence, were her two friends: Brock and... Ash. It had been so long and all she desperately wanted in the entire world right now was to run up to him and wrap her arms around her very best friend with the Pikachu sitting on his shoulder as always. She could feel tears of joy beginning to slowly well up inside of her but she gritted her teeth and kept them from forming; the last thing she wanted to appear as was weak in front of her two friends. She needed to prove to both them and herself that she was a stronger person now and that she could cope with the pressures of journeying alone, with nobody but her Pokemon to rely upon.

"Brock!" Dawn gasped, taken by surprise. "And Ash! And... What's HE doing here?"

The girl cast a glare at Paul, who continued to ignore her, staring up at the waiting room's television monitor which was currently displaying the half-empty contest hall as spectators moved back and forth from the food stalls to the seating area and back again.

"Ah, we met at the carnival and Paul decided to tag along with us..." Brock explained uncertainly, as he wasn't entirely sure of the circumstances behind his presence himself. "When we saw that there was a contest going on we figured we'd find you here... And you've made your way through to the second round, too. Very impressive!"

"Heh, thanks Brock." Dawn giggled, quickly turning to the side to introduce her new friend. "You guys, I'd like you to meet May. She and I met during the appeal rounds. She's come all the way from Hoenn!"

"May..." Ash muttered, uncertain of what to say, though her very presence made any expression other than a smile an impossibility for him. "It's been so long..."

"Y-yeah..." May stammered, unsure of what to say as she continued to fight back the tears that she so desperately wanted to cry.

"But I thought you were traveling through Johto to compete against Drew and Harley in the Grand Festival there?" Brock enquired with curiosity evident in his voice.

"Wait, what?" Dawn managed, shocked at what she was hearing. "You mean you guys KNOW each other? Like... From before I introduced you?"

"Heh, that's right, Dawn!" Ash laughed, May's very presence beginning to invigorate him as it always had during their adventures together. It felt strange to return to such a familiar, yet now uncommon emotion after so long. "May traveled with Brock and me during our adventures in Hoenn and Kanto! We're friends!"

'We are...' May reassured herself in her mind.

"And not only that," Brock continued, "but May is one of the best Pokemon coordinators you're ever likely to meet! She even came in the top four of the last Kanto Grand Festival with that very same Blaziken you just saw!"

"You're kidding!" Samantha gasped in response. "No wonder me and Poliwrath never stood a chance!"

"That's sweet of you to say, Brock!" May laughed, the encouraging words of her friends rousing her from her uncertain state of mind in no time at all. "But I'm far from the best coordinator you're likely to meet, Dawn!"

"Don't be modest, May!" Ash insisted, pumping his fist. "You were awesome out there! Your training in Johto has paid off in leaps and bounds!"

"Pika!" Pikachu added from atop Ash's shoulder.

"Um, well, I..." May coughed nervously, her face turning a bright shade of red as she looked down towards her feet in embarrassment.

There was silence for a moment before Brock quickly spoke up once more.

"So how come you're not in Johto?" he asked. "There's no way the Grand Festival circuit there could have ended this quickly; it's only been a few months."

"Well, I-" May began, but was quickly interrupted by yet another familiar voice.

"It's a long story, right May?" Drew cut in, frowning at the group of reunited friends from a few feet away.

"Ah, that's right;" Brock recalled out loud, turning to face the newcomer, "Drew's here, too."

An awkward silence filled the air as Drew and May stared at each other for a moment, neither saying a word.

"But that just makes this whole situation even stranger..." Brock continued, his tone of voice accentuating his obvious confusion. "Would you guys mind explaining what happened?"

"Whatever." Drew replied, suddenly turning his back on the group and walking away calmly. "It's none of your business anyway."

Paul watched the scene out of the corner of his eye as it continued to unfold, but took no action; instead deciding to remain a few feet away and out of direct association with the rest of the group.

"Well it's nice to see that his attitude hasn't changed one bit..." Brock commented under his breath as the young coordinator made his way back to the wall to await the beginning of the second round. "So May, are you going to elaborate for us?"

"Um..." May began slowly, when suddenly a voice boomed over the megaphone once again.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, the second round will be underway very shortly!" Alisa declared, her voice echoing throughout the tent as the audience hurriedly attempted to return to their seats. "But we have a special surprise for all of you, as the next round will be fought using double battle rules!"

"What!?" Dawn exclaimed in shock. "Double battles!?"

Ash, Brock and May all frowned at this announcement, knowing that such a change of pace would prove difficult to manage for inexperienced coordinators and that the ranks of the contestants would be very quickly thinned out as a result. The group continued to listen intently, interested to know how such a rule would be implemented.

"To keep things fair our computer will now randomize the team selection and partner up our coordinators!" Alisa explained. "Are we all ready for this?"

Every head in the waiting room turned to check on the television monitor which was displaying the main screen above the contest stage as it shuffled what appeared to be a virtual deck of cards.

"Well, good luck, May." Samantha said as she turned to exit the waiting room. "It was an honour battling you."

"Oh, you too, Samantha!" May replied happily, waving as her former opponent headed out the door. "I hope we can do it again some time!"

Soon enough the cards had been shuffled sufficiently and slowly the computer revealed pairs of coordinators who would be teamed up for the next round whilst Alisa confirmed their names audibly.

"...Drew Blackthorne and Dawn Hikari will be up against..." came the announcement, causing everyone to pause for a moment.

"Uh-oh..." Dawn groaned. "Talk about irony..."

May chuckled nervously at this revelation, but her attention soon shifted back onto the announcements as she heard her name being spoken above the loudspeaker.

"And after that match-up our next team will be May Maple and Nico Cyrax up against..."

"What!?" Dawn and May both gasped simultaneously.

"Not that guy!" Dawn sighed. "I'm sorry, May."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Dawn!" May coughed, her eyes searching the waiting room for any signs of her sudden partner. "I'll just have to try my best, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so..." Dawn agreed, her eyes trailing down to the floor. "But man, we really got some rotten luck on those draws..."

"Why?" Ash asked, puzzled by their reactions. "What's so bad about that Nico guy?"

"He's a total jerk, Ash!" Dawn explained angrily, her voice suddenly taking on a tone usually reserved for teachers disciplining their students. "We met him during the appeal stage and he was showing off about his Pokemon and stuff. I don't like his attitude one single bit!"

"Oh." Ash answered blankly.

"Well we'd better head back to the stands to watch." Brock suggested. "Good luck you two; we'll be rooting for you!"

Brock began to make his way out of the waiting room, at which point Paul quickly exited and headed back to his seat. Brock paused, however, when he noticed that Ash hadn't moved from his spot. Quickly he grabbed the boy's arm in an attempt to awaken him from his daydream.

"Uh, Ash?"

"Oh, right!" Ash exclaimed suddenly, quickly coming to his senses. "Good luck May! Uh, you too, Dawn!"

"Thanks you guys!" Dawn squeaked excitedly.

"Oh, and um, May?" Ash coughed, his heart suddenly heating up inside of his chest as he contemplated a few simple words to say while May looked towards him curiously. "Uh, it's great to see you again."

May smiled, her face flushing another shade of pink, though she made no effort to try and hide it.

"Thanks, Ash..." she replied.

With that, Ash, Brock and Pikachu headed back out towards the contest hall to take their seats as Dawn and May began to prepare for their upcoming battles. Drew watched the two from afar, smiling to himself at this latest development, while on the other side of the room stood the young coordinator, Nico.

'Not bad...' the boy thought to himself, his eyes admiring May's legs from afar, a grin appearing on his face as he did so. 'At least I'll have some eye-candy to admire during the battle...'
 

buster_wolf

Shinnippori!
I've been waiting a long time for this~! As usual, your character interpretations are dead on and well thought out. You really know how to do battles very well if I haven't mention that before. You also did a good job on all the character interactions, especially Paul and Dawn, I thought that was so brilliant! Your OCs are also pretty well done, including Nico, he's got quite the spunk, might I say and I would say a pretty good taste in women.

The relation between Dawn and May is really cute, I like how you write them. Also, the reunion seemed to flowed in naturally, so it didn't seem awkward at the very least. Hehe, and Drew seems to be interesting in here as well. Oh and your writing of Team Rocket, top notch I would say.

Hehe, I'm extremely curious and excited on how chapter 4 turns out. The wait was long for this one, but I'm sure no matter how long you take, chapter 4 would come out fabulous like this chapter.

PS, More Spotlight on Nico. XD
 

GrizzlyB

Confused and Dazed
I second pretty much everything buster_wolf said. I am quite curious as to what happened in Johto, as well as the natures of Nico and Kendrick, and how the contest will unfold with the apparent scheming going on. You're a very talented writer, and so I hope you can get the next chapter up soon.
 

Gazmof

Zephyr Trainer
Also, the reunion seemed to flowed in naturally, so it didn't seem awkward at the very least.
Thanks, that was definitely the part I dreaded writing the most and I think it came off quite pleasantly, especially considering how many people were involved. Thanks for your comments, and I agree, more Nico! I didn't get to write as much of him as I had hoped, but perhaps next chapter... :D I already have quite a few ideas for it.

Hurrah, GrizzlyB is still lurking! You're awesome, dude! Thanks for your comments, they're really appreciated and I'm glad people haven't forgotten about this fic quite yet ^^;

Oh, as a side note for anyone interested, I'm also planning a Christmas Advanceshipping one-shot. It's completely unrelated to this but be sure to keep a look out - I'm planning to get it up before the big day.

Thanks as always for the reviews, guys!
 

shadow_shipper

...indeed...
Hey man, glad to see a new chapter up ;)

"Your friend isn't very smart, is she?" Paul groaned as he watched the Water-type make its second head-on charge.

hehe, she's just like Ash, so passionnate :p

'C'mon Dawn...' Ash thought to himself as he watched the action unfold. 'You can do this... Don't get overconfident from your first ribbon... Not like May was...'

Yeah, I remember that phase...man, she got brought back to earth the hard way...

There was a moment of awkward silence as the watery vortex continued to spin, slowly pressing down against its opponent with immense pressure until finally the water subsided, leaving an unconscious Tangela lying on the floor.

You've gotta be kidding me -_-
There's just no way :rolleyes:

"Heh, reminds me of my Glalie." Ash commented, causing Paul to take notice of him again.

"You mean to tell me you actually have an evolved Pokemon?" he mocked. "I thought you only liked weak ones."

Such a low blow :D
Though I bet Ash could wipe the floor with him if he made something of an all star team from his journeys xD

"Don't worry; it's only me." the stranger said, raising his hand to signal his innocence. He was of average height and build, with dark brown hair and a matching beard and mustache. In his right hand he held a jet-black cane which matched his suit and top-hat perfectly, though he appeared to be in his late forties at most so Jessie, James and Meowth were all a little dubious as to why he would need a walking stick.

"It's good to see you officer Kendrick," Cassidy greeted the man as she hoisted another armful of Pokeballs into their cart, "but as you can see we're a little busy here."

"Yes, so I see..." Kendrick replied, before removing four Pokeballs from his suit pocket. "Actually I just came to give you these. They were delivered from your head office in Kanto just this morning." Kendrick smiled at this. "Your boss works fast... I'd like to meet him someday; he seems like a pleasure to do business with."

I love the corrupt cop idea ^_^'

"Let's do this, Absol." Drew muttered, flicking a Pokeball up into the air and watching idly as it opened up, releasing a bright white light which slowly transformed into the image of a large, intimidating Pokemon with long, glossy fur as white as snow and soft, velvety skin which shared the same shade as the dark, navy blue of midnight. Sprouting from the top of the Dark-type's head was a long, curved horn which bore the same shape as a scimitar's blade and looked almost as sharp as the vicious claws which extruded from each of its four feet.

Great description here ;)

"Huh..." Paul commented out loud to himself. "An Absol... Haven't seen one of those in a while."

Oh yeah, some interrest from Paul's side ? xD

Paul, however, simply looked at his two companions awkwardly, and secretly hoped that no-one would realise they were together.

of course, the "I don't know those guys..." thing...

The audience cheered and Ash found himself on his feet applauding as loud as he possibly could. Both Paul and Brock eyed him curiously, but Pikachu was more than happy to join in, hopping up and down on the chair, sparks flickering from its red cheeks.

AdvanceChuShipping ftw :D :D

"May!!" came a girlish scream of excitement from across the room and before May realised what was happening Dawn was standing square in front of her, hopping up and down on the spot with intense fervour.

"Hey, Dawn!" May greeted the girl happily, unable to help a grin form on her face in response to the younger trainer's infectiously peppy attitude.

I somehow thought, that if they ever met, Dawn would absolutely be all fangirlish over May, and Drew by the way : she'd just idolise them both :D And this part reflects that :p

"May traveled with Brock and me during our adventures in Hoenn and Kanto! We're friends!"

'We are...' May reassured herself in her mind.

And let's see how you change that ;)

"Whatever." Drew replied, suddenly turning his back on the group and walking away calmly. "It's none of your business anyway."

I sense bitterness...tell us what happened in Johto ! Pleeease...

"...Drew Blackthorne and Dawn Hikari will be up against..." came the announcement, causing everyone to pause for a moment.

"Uh-oh..." Dawn groaned. "Talk about irony..."

Awwww !! Please don't make him treat her like dirt !! :'(
Let some BelleShipping take place :D

"And after that match-up our next team will be May Maple and Nico Cyrax up against..."

"What!?" Dawn and May both gasped simultaneously.

Now that's Irony ^_^

Drew watched the two from afar, smiling to himself at this latest development, while on the other side of the room stood the young coordinator, Nico.

'Not bad...' the boy thought to himself, his eyes admiring May's legs from afar, a grin appearing on his face as he did so. 'At least I'll have some eye-candy to admire during the battle...'

Oh yeah, Drew and Nico are my favourite characters so far, but I'd have Drew a little less condescending :/
And yes, Nico does roxx :D

I really liked all the small thoughts you placed, shipping wise, AdvanceShippy from Ash's side, then from May's as well :p some ContestShipping from May's side (imo...) :)

This is very good ! Really nothing to say, perfect length, and the plot gets thicker and thicker, makes me waiting impatiently ^_^

Keep up the brilliant work ;)
 

anime_aficionada

Shameless prick. :3
GAZMOF! You are in such big trouble! Naughtly little boy; posting while the a_f-chan was on holidays! ><...you will face the wrath of--

lol kidding! Your great chapter contemplated for your sin ;P

Gawd, do you know how long I've been waiting for this chapter? DO YOU? ...Well, to be honest, I don't know myself! XD

Anyways, back to replying ..hehe ^^;;;

I love this chapter! I probably have said this about all of your chapters; but hey, a great fic deserves a lot of applause! :D Description, well, you know that I would say that it is great as always - which it is; don't get me wrong. The punctuation, vocab, grammar etc is practically flawless from the eye can see, and oh my friggin gawd I LOVE NICO! XD *faints*

It's intriguing how you described Ash in this, like...I kinda don't know how to explain this - but I'll try my best :S
---Like, in your fic, he's described so perfectly as if the chapter is an actual episode. But, usually I hate Ash altogether in the anime...and somehow - you made me root him on all the time when he's out there thinking of May.

Gah! I don't know...I guess what I'm trying to say is that you make Ash (though what I'm going to say is quite unorthodox as I say this only a tad bit) actually enjoyable. And for you, you should be flattered at this statement because, well, I despise of Ash ;)

Nico, you know I love him. He's like the new and improved version of Drew :D And Paul - though he does annoy me tad a bit in the anime - I love him in your fic. He's so enjoyable to watch, all grumpy and sulking in the corner. Hm...who else??

Oh, Dawn is so cute when she flatters May. But as soon as Paul arrives the scene she's like - WTF are you doing here??! XD lol Just like in the anime. Though to really make me crack up, would be if you do the 'don't you remember me?' thing like in the anime.

I have a LOT more to type about in this chapter -- but I'm running out of time 'cause I need to log off soon. So bye for now and not forever,

Your ever so faithful fan,

a_f and Keep Smiling! :D

P.S Be back to edit this later if I can ;)
 
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'Not bad...' the boy thought to himself, his eyes admiring May's legs from afar, a grin appearing on his face as he did so. 'At least I'll have some eye-candy to admire during the battle...'
Oh no, don't you even think about it Nico or you're going to heck early. Nice job with your fic. It's also a good thing to have a insensitif stupid jerk in a fic. Can I be in your PM list?
 

Gazmof

Zephyr Trainer
lol, thanks for the reviews, guys, and to Don for keeping my fic alive :D You're on the list, thanks :D

Chapter Four:
The Teams Are Set

Alisa sighed as she made her way back towards the commentary box, preparing herself for the first round of contest double-battles which were due to get underway at any given moment. The inside of the carnival's contest tent was like a maze - numerous corridors and dimly-lit hallways littered the backstage and she was secretly embarrassed by the poor standards the coordinators had to deal with - she had always admired Pokemon coordinators and if truth be told she often wished she could join them up there on the big stage with Pokemon of her own.

Alisa's eyes trailed the floor as she turned another corner and opened up the door to the small commentary room, seating herself in the chair in front of the audio desk and taking a sip of the glass of water which lay idly before her.

That was all in the past now, and she had a good life; she was happy to be a part of her father's carnival and to enrich so many people's lives of all ages. And she got to work with a lot of Pokemon at the carnival too, so she didn't feel at a complete loss.

Just then the sound of a door opening behind her startled her out of her daydream. She was quickly put to rest, however, when she saw her father, officer Kendrick, standing in the doorway.

"Dad!" she exclaimed. "How's the security going? All the coordinators are being well looked after, right?"

"Yes, no troubles to report." Alisa's father replied. "Everyone who was attending the carnival has decided to watch the contest battles."

The man smiled as he spoke, adjusting his top-hat slightly.

"I have to hand it to you, Alisa; this contest tournament was a great idea. It's really bringing in some much-needed revenue for the carnival."

"That's great, Dad." Alisa giggled, smiling to herself as she did so. "Oh but I've really got to go - the next round is due to start any second now!"

"Right..." Kendrick agreed, nodding as he bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind him. "Good luck!"

The man grinned as he set off back down the hallway to enact the final phase of his plan.

'Yes, Alisa...' he thought to himself. 'Some much-needed revenue, indeed...'

~*~*~​

It was time to begin the next phase of the contest and Dawn watched nervously as the rest of the coordinators all met up with their respective partners. Nico had happily taken May by the hand and led her to one of the unoccupied corners of the room to discuss their strategy and soon came the moment that Dawn had been dreading ever since the announcement of who her partner would be: introducing herself to Drew. Slowly she sighed and summed up the courage to walk towards him as he continued to stand uninterested, leaning against the waiting room wall.

The young coordinator was unable to help but admire the boy, who was a few years older than her, though not by much. He was everything her mother had always told her to look for in a boyfriend: good-looking, confident, talented, intelligent and - presumably, judging from his demeanour - rather rich. She would be lying if she claimed to not be interested in him, despite the way he had snapped at her friends earlier. There was something about him that was undeniably intriguing and secretly, though she feared May's reaction, she was looking forward to battling with him.

"H-hi Drew!" she stammered slightly upon her final approach, causing Drew to open one eye and watch her lazily. "I'm Dawn... I'm gonna be your partner in the next round and-"

Drew smiled to himself as he watched her and a plot began to develop in his head. From the other side of the room he could see Nico and May planning their strategy. Every second that a lesser man even breathed the same air as her made his blood boil with rage. Nico had no idea who he was dealing with.

"Hey Dawn!" Drew replied with a cheerful tone, prompting the young girl's eyes to widen in slight shock. "I was gonna come over and meet you myself but I was a little nervous. I saw you with May and the others earlier and I watched your last battle with..." He paused for a moment, unable to help a grin from forming on his face. "Piplup, wasn't it? You were really awesome out there!"

"Oh..." Dawn murmured, her face flushing a bright red and her eyes drifting down towards her feet as she flexed her fingers nervously. "You... You really think so?"

"Absolutely!" Drew returned, running his fingers through his lime-green hair and flashing her a delightful smile. "It'll be an honour to battle alongside you in the next round! Don't worry; I'll make sure Absol performs the best it can. After all, I don't want to make you look bad!"

Dawn was speechless as she gawked at the boy, unable to force her blushing to fade. She stared into his bright green eyes and watched them shimmer, feeling her heart jump a little as she did so.

"Then again..." Drew chuckled, closing his eyes again and leaning back against the wall. "It would be impossible to make YOU look bad."

Dawn had to forcibly stop herself from emitting a loud squeal of delight upon hearing these words. Was this really happening? Was the legendary coordinator Drew Blackthorne flirting with her? Maybe she was just imagining it... Yes, that's right! There was no way such a prestigious and powerful coordinator like him could be interested in a relative nobody like her... Was there?

Dawn had little time to discuss strategy with her new partner as suddenly the loudspeaker began to announce the first of the double-battle rounds.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen! The time for the second round match-ups has begun!" Alisa explained. "First up in our coordinating double-battle is the team of Nico Cyrax and May Maple up against Jaina Rondache and Hal Corner! Please give them a round of applause as they take the stage with their Pokemon!"

The audience could be heard erupting into cheers and Dawn and Drew both stared after May as she and Nico exited the waiting room and headed down the long hallway towards the contest stage where they would be battling.

"Um, Drew..." Dawn began, feeling her heart beat a little faster as she spoke his name. "About the battle..."

"Don't worry about it, Dawn." Drew answered eagerly, adjusting his hair idly with his right hand. "It'll be like a ballroom dance - just follow my lead and everything will be fine."

He then proceeded to flash the young girl a wink, causing her face to flush an even deeper shade of red than it was before. Dawn was unable to help but smile to herself as she thought of their upcoming battle together. Her Mom would be delighted to see this...

~*~*~​

The outermost corridor of the contest tent was once again empty as the entirety of the crowd and audience had now returned to their seats in excited anticipation of the next round of contest battles. In fact the woman who was attending the sole entrance desk of the tent was the only other person in sight. Samantha was pleased that she had some breathing space, as she tended to do her best when she avoided large crowds in small, cramped spaces.

"Hi." the young coordinator greeted as she approached the woman with shiny, golden hair which was tied into two long pigtails that curved down to the small of her back. "I'm Samantha Applejay, I'm here to reclaim my Pokemon."

"Oh, leaving so soon?" the receptionist replied with a bored tone to her voice.

"Well I got knocked out of the last round, so it makes no sense to just sit around and wait." Samantha chuckled, trying hard to suppress a sigh of disappointment. "I just want to get back out there and start training again."

"That's cute, kid." the woman answered, feigning a smile as she did so. "I'll just need you to fill out this form and sign and date here, here and here..."

Samantha silently accepted the ball-point pen which was offered to her and began reading over the details of the Pokemon release form. She hadn't been surprised when she first entered into the contest and discovered she had to submit all of her four other Pokemon to be looked after backstage - it was a common practice amongst official contest circuits. She did not, however, appreciate the receptionist's aloof attitude. Perhaps it had been a long day.

Eventually the girl finished writing her details down and handed the form to the receptionist, who quickly snatched it away from her before looking it over with a critical eye.

"Alright then, Miss Applejay," the woman began as she rose to her feet and walked towards the inside of the hallway, "please follow me and we'll retrieve your Pokemon."

Samantha nodded and began to follow the receptionist through the corridor towards where the contest Pokemon were being kept unable to take her eyes off her pink, triangle-shaped earrings which glittered underneath the faint lighting of the carnival tent. She could hear their footsteps echoing throughout the tent, though this sound was no match for the sheer volume of the crowd's constant cheering from inside the stage area.

Soon the two of them reached a small door which led to a secluded room towards the rear of the tent and the receptionist began to slowly turn the handle. Samantha felt a little hesitant - this part of the tent had been cordoned off for coordinators and members of the public alike and the ill-lighting certainly didn't feel very welcoming. She secretly apologised to her Pokemon for having to leave them in such a dark and uninviting place.

"They're just in here!" the receptionist suddenly spoke up, snapping the young coordinator out of her train of thought. "Please, go right on in!"

"Right, thanks, I-" Samantha began, but her voice quickly trailed off as she saw several coordinators bound and gagged inside the small room, all seemingly knocked unconscious for good measure. "What the? Hey! Let go of me!"

The girl began kicking and screaming as she felt the receptionist grab onto her shoulders from behind and begin to apply a cloth to her mouth.

"Just hold still and be quiet, it'll be easier that way!" the receptionist snarled as she fought to hold the girl in place.

"Elekid, Thunder!" a voice barked, quickly followed by a flash of electricity which forced the receptionist to release the girl and duck for cover.

"What the hell!?" the receptionist snarled, getting slowly to her feet as a man in black uniform with jade-green hair and a bright red "R" emblazoned on his shirt dashed out of the small storage room, Pokeball in hand.

"Need some help here, Cassidy?" the man asked, scowling at the boy whose Elekid had just launched the Thunder attack.

"Heh, perfect..." Paul chuckled, clenching his fists in anticipation of an interesting battle. "I knew if I tailed that girl long enough I'd find out what was going on here."

"Big mistake, kid..." the receptionist snarled, removing her lab coat and revealing a black uniform which matched that of her partner. "Nobody messes with Team Rocket and gets away with it."

"Please, don't make me laugh." Paul retorted snidely. "Elekid, get ready. Looks like this contest thing won't be a complete waste of time for us after all."

~*~*~​

Meanwhile in the centre of the tent May and Nico's battle had begun and the crowd was roaring with excitement. Blaziken and Glalie squared off against Granbull and Torkoal, and it all promised to be a truly exciting match-up.

"May!" Nico called over towards his partner as the battle got underway. "You take the Torkoal and I'll handle the Granbull. Got it?"

"Right!" May agreed. Though she knew Blaziken had a sizable type advantage against Granbull, she knew that in order to win a double battle she would have to cover up her opponent's weakness to fire, and that meant keeping the enemy's Torkoal occupied for as long as possible. "Blaziken, Sky Uppercut on Torkoal!"

"Glalie, Ice Beam on Granbull!" Nico added.

The audience oohed and ahed as they watched the battle unfold, beams of ice and fire blasting into the air with intense power as the four Pokemon collided against each other. Ash, Brock and Pikachu sat riveted as the battle continued, none of them able to take their eyes off the match for even a second.

"Hey, Brock..." Ash managed to turn to face his friend during a brief stalemate between Blaziken and Torkoal. "Do you know where Paul went? I haven't seen him since the start of the battle."

"Pika?" Pikachu questioned.

"Hm," Brock considered, "now that you mention it he didn't say where he was going. Maybe he just left?"

"Why would he do that?" Ash wondered out loud, his eyes drifting up towards the ceiling of the tent which was being illuminated by flashes of deep red and pale blue. "These are some of the most awesome contest battles I've ever seen!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, adjusting its footing on top of its trainer's hat in order to watch the spectacle in a more comfortable position.

An explosion of fire and ice drew the spectator's attention back to the battle, where Nico's Glalie had managed to narrowly avoid damage from an Overheat attack by the enemy Torkoal by using Protect.

"Dammit, May!" Nico cursed just loud enough for his partner to hear. "You're supposed to be diverting its attention away from me!"

"I'm not gonna sacrifice my Blaziken just to keep your Glalie safe!" May protested. "Besides, we're doing the best we can!"

"Well do it better!" Nico growled before turning back to his own Pokemon and issuing some new orders. "Glalie, Double Team!"

The floating head of ice roared in agreement, closing its eyes and focusing as its entire form vanished briefly, before reappearing as several shadowy duplicates which circled the entire stage.

"Now's your chance, Blaziken!" May exclaimed. "Use Overheat on Torkoal!"

"Ken!" Blaziken agreed, clenching its fists tightly as the flames around its wrists ignited with fury. The creature's entire body began to glow a molten red and before either Torkoal or its trainer could react Blaziken had cupped its hands together and generated an enormous fireball which washed over almost half of the stage, engulfing the fire tortoise completely.

"Wha!?" Hal cried, falling to his knees as the flames began to die down and Torkoal was revealed to have been knocked unconscious. "Torkoal, no!"

"Oh, and it looks like that last Overheat was just too hot for Hal's Torkoal to handle, ladies and gentlemen!" Alisa commented over the loudspeaker as the entire audience cheered in excitement. "Such incredible strength, yet both May and Blaziken seem to command it so elegantly! And now it's two Pokemon against one! Can Jaina and her Granbull make a spectacular recovery?"

"No way!" Nico laughed. "Glalie, close in and use Crunch!"

"Glalie!" the Pokemon snarled, rushing towards the enemy and clamping over its hands with its enormous fangs which glistened like crystal. May couldn't help but wince a little as she watched the Granbull roar in pain.

"Now finish it off with Ice Beam and send it out of the ring!" Nico continued.

The Ice-type Pokemon glared into its opponent's eyes and even the towering form of Granbull seemed powerless to stop the creature as it was sent high into the air by an enormous Ice Beam which seemed to generate falling drops of snow with every passing moment the target was airborne. Soon Granbull plummeted back down, landing in the centre of the stage with a loud thud, completely unconscious.

"And we have our first winning team, ladies and gentlemen!" Alisa squealed, excited as a schoolgirl who had just been awarded her Pokemon trainer's license. "It was looking bad for a moment as their points were dropping due to a lack of teamwork, but May and Nico have pulled through and are heading into the next round!"

Both Nico and May met in the centre of the stage and gave a bow to all sides of the audience before returning their Pokemon to their Pokeballs and walking off the stage together, surrounded by cheers and applause.

"It seems like May's really improved." Brock commented as he continued to clap along with the rest of the audience. "And that Nico guy isn't too bad, either."

"Yeah." Ash agreed. "And according to the scoreboard Dawn and Drew are gonna be on right after this next match."

The boy paused for a moment as he considered something.

"Heh, seeing all these battles makes me want to get out there and do some training myself, don't you think, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu Pika!" Pikachu nodded, hopping down into its trainer's lap, who happily scratched underneath the creature's ear affectionately.

"Dawn and Drew, huh?" Brock wondered out loud. "Why do I not have a good feeling about that pairing?"

~*~*~​

"Ha!" Paul laughed as his Elekid effortlessly dodged another attack from the Rocket grunt's Sableye's attack. The dark, shadowy Pokemon snarled and continued to lunge after its enemy, which responded by sending forth another powerful Thunder attack. "You morons are completely incompetent! And you actually thought you'd be able to get away with stealing all these people's Pokemon right under their noses? Pathetic!"

"This kid is really starting to get on my nerves!" Butch commented, growling as he watched both his Mightyena and Cassidy's Sableye regroup near their feet, preparing themselves for another electric attack from Paul's Elekid. "Mightyena, use Shadow Ball!"

"You too, Sableye!" Cassidy added, clenching her fists as she watched the two Team Rocket Pokemon charge towards their opponent; dark, shadowy orbs slowly shifting and forming in front of them as they readied their attacks.

"Heh, bring it on..." Paul chuckled. "Elekid, finish them off with a-"

There was a loud thud and Paul's voice became cut off, causing his Pokemon to turn in surprise. During this moment of weakness Sableye and Mightyena's attacks collided into the back of the Electric-Pokemon, sending it flying into a heap where Paul now lay, knocking it unconscious.

Butch and Cassidy both looked up, curious to know what had happened, but everything soon became clear once they saw their ally, officer Kendrick, standing above the bodies of the boy and his Pokemon, gently polishing the side of his walking stick innocently with a handkerchief.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything," Kendrick smirked, "but I was afraid that all that ruckus might have attracted some... Unwanted attention."

"Well, it's appreciated officer," Cassidy began, recalling her Sableye back into its Pokeball, "but I can assure you that we had everything under control."

"Hm," Kendrick mumbled under stifled laughter, "I can see that."

There was a pause before the man turned and headed off in the opposite direction.

"Make sure you throw him in the room with the others." Kendrick explained as he began to walk away. "We just need a few more hours and then all those Pokemon will be ours."

~*~*~​

"And here are Dawn Hikari and Drew Blackthorne!" Alisa's voice boomed as both Dawn and Drew entered the main contest hall and made their way up to the front of the stage, opposite their two rivals, a young boy with spiky blond hair and a girl with a bundle of brunette hair hidden beneath a large, furry cap. "They're facing off against Lee Gondola and Felicia Raquele in a battle that's sure to burn hotter than the brightest Solarbeam! I can't wait to see what's going to happen - our competitors had better be ready for anything! Let's start the countdown!"

"You're not nervous, are you Dawn?" Drew asked the girl standing beside him in a reassuring tone, causing her to blush a light shade of pink before stammering her answer.

"Um..." she replied awkwardly as she tried to avoid eye contact with the boy. "I am a little, I guess..."

"Don't be." Drew answered, his voice soft like the fluffiest pillow of Torchic down as he reached to her side and gently squeezed her hand, causing her blush to intensify beyond measure. "I'm here for you."

"And get set!" Alisa's voice slowly reappeared inside Dawn's field of perception as she gradually came back to her senses. "Coordinators! Unleash your Pokemon! The match clock has started!"

"Go, Absol!" Drew lead the way, throwing his Pokeball down into the centre of the stage and revealing the ominous figure of his Dark-type Pokemon, Absol, which glared apathetically towards the opposite side of the contest hall.

"Right!" Dawn added, throwing her own Pokeball down into the arena. "Piplup, you're up!"

"Piplup!" Dawn's tiny penguin Pokemon chirped as its form slowly escaped the red-and-white sphere that the girl had thrown and took its place confidently beside the towering black-and-white Pokemon which was its partner.

Drew and Dawn both watched as their opponents threw down their choice of Pokemon. The girl, Felicia, had sent out her Camerupt - a Fire and Ground-type Pokemon whose body was covered with menacing craters that steamed with heat. It was a Pokemon that was native to Hoenn, so Dawn was confident that Drew would know its strengths and weaknesses well, since he also hailed from the same region. The boy, Lee, had another Fire-type Pokemon - this time a Magcargo, a fiery, snail-like creature with an intensely hot, rocky shell which gave it the benefit of the Rock-type as well. The four Pokemon all watched each other closely as they waited for their trainers to make a move.

"Two Fire-types, huh?" Dawn reassured herself as she smiled confidently. "That means Piplup's got a great advantage!"

"In that case, I'll let you concentrate on attacking them, Dawn." Drew suggested, winking as he spoke to the girl and causing her heart to flutter as if it were a butterfly caught in a gentle breeze. "Absol and I will distract them and draw their attention."

"Right!" Dawn agreed, brimming with anticipation as she pointed towards the Camerupt on the right-hand side of the field. "Okay Piplup, attack Camerupt with Whirlpool, but keep your distance!"

"Lup!" Piplup responded, leaping into the air and blasting the quadrupedal Pokemon with a torrent of bubbles which quickly spun and contorted the battlefield into a giant vortex whose immense pressure pounded down on Camerupt like a tonne of bricks.

"Oh and it looks like Dawn and Drew have an early advantage as that Whirlpool traps Camerupt helplessly in a cyclone of water!" Alisa commented excitedly whilst Drew simply smirked to himself at the girl's power. "Such beautiful grace and power! Piplup may be small but don't let its size fool you - this little penguin packs quite a punch!"

"Right!" Dawn cheered, jumping on the spot as she watched her Pokemon continue its attack. "Keep it up, Piplup! Drew's counting on us!"

"Wow, Dawn's really in sync with Drew!" Brock exclaimed, though he wasn't sure whether he should be happy about that or not. "It's as if she almost doesn't want to let him down."

"Nah, you must be imagining it!" Ash assured his friend as Pikachu watched from atop his cap, glued to the on-stage action. "I think Dawn just doesn't wanna let Piplup down - look how hard it's trying out there!"

Ash paused for a moment before he clapped his hands together loudly.

"You can do it, Dawn!" he yelled. "Keep on attacking and you'll win this match in no time!"

"Hm..." Brock considered under his breath as he listened to his friend's fevered cheering. "I'm not so sure about that, Ash..."

"I'm not going to let this little girl dictate the playing field all day!" Dawn's male opponent, Lee, exclaimed in retaliation. "Magcargo! Launch a Flamethrower attack at that pipsqueak, now!"

"Heh," Dawn chuckled, smiling confidently to herself, "every trainer should know a Flamethrower's not gonna do much damage to a Water-type... Piplup, keep at that Whirlpool!"

"Absol, dive in front of that Flamethrower!" Drew commanded, prompting an immediate response from his Pokemon. Dawn's eyes widened in shock as she watched the Dark-type dash in front of the oncoming inferno without a second thought, its glossy white coat quickly becoming enveloped in flames.

"Wow!" Alisa's commentary continued over the loudspeaker, awe evident in every syllable she spoke. "What an astounding sacrifice! Drew and Absol - despite the dangers involved - have just risked everything to keep Dawn's Piplup safe! This couple are in perfect harmony!"

"What!?" Dawn gasped, and even Piplup was shocked by the Pokemon's selfless - though somewhat reckless - move. "But Drew, you-"

Dawn quickly felt the warmth of the coordinator's hand against hers as he gripped it reassuringly.

"Don't worry." he whispered into her ear softly. "I won't let anything happen to your Piplup."

"But..." Dawn mumbled, staring at the intense fireball which continued to burn just inches away from her Piplup. "But Absol must be hurt..."

"Absol's fine." Drew insisted. "Right, Absol?"

"Sol!" came the voice of Drew's Pokemon as the flames finally extinguished and its figure slowly came back into view amidst the smoke and ash that Lee's attack had created. Its white fur was badly singed a light-grey and what patches of skin were visible were covered in savage marks and bruises where the flames of Magcargo's attack had cut into it. It panted heavily, but refused to show any sign of weakness to its trainer, growling intimidatingly at its opponent.

"Now, Dawn..." Drew continued, turning to the girl and smiling. "Let's finish this. Together."

~*~*~​

"Drew..." May whispered to herself as she watched the contest battle unfold on the television screen inside the waiting room.

She was sitting alone in one corner of the room, Blaziken's Pokeball in her hand. She was so grateful for everything it had done for her, and whilst she had no doubt of its abilities, she did have doubts about her own - particularly with regards to how her emotions might affect an eventual showdown against her long-time rival, Drew.

Of course she had battled Drew numerous times before, but not since she had left Johto after that incident. She was worried that she might not be able to pull through if her emotions were cloudy. Drew was always so strong and never showed any signs of weakness, yet she... She was different. She knew she was a great coordinator and her results spoke louder than words ever could, but she still felt like she was missing something. She hated being alone, and perhaps that was why she now harboured so much ill-will towards Johto and her time there. She knew she didn't need anyone to help her, so why did she always feel so helpless whenever her friends weren't around?

"Penny for your thoughts." came a voice from behind the girl, causing her to jolt upwards in surprise and turn to see who it belonged to.

Her partner, Nico, stood above her, his expression as blank as always. Silently he took a seat next to her on the waiting room bench and looked up towards the television monitor, where Absol continued to staunchly fend off any attacks which were targeted at Piplup.

"Ah," May stammered in reply, turning her gaze back down to the Pokeball that lay idly in her hands, "I was just thinking about my next match, is all."

"You know you're a terrible liar, right?" Nico answered bluntly, not taking his eyes away from the television monitor which was hanging above them. "You and him used to have something, didn't you?"

"Wh-what!?" May exclaimed suddenly, backing away from the boy. "N-no! I mean, uh... I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay with you."

"Well you can deny it all you want, but it's so painfully obvious to me." Nico explained, leaning back and stretching his body out of boredom. "Well I'm glad you left him, anyway. He doesn't deserve a girl like you."

"Wh-what do you mean?" May mumbled, slumping her shoulders in a depressed state.

"I know exactly the kind of guy he is." Nico continued, his mouth curving into a slight smile as he spoke. "Rich, good-looking, talented, well-respected... He could have any woman he wants - you know that as well as I do, I'm sure."

May was silent as Nico's words seemed to penetrate through her like a nail being hammered into a wall. She didn't know why she was letting him speak to her like this - she barely even knew the boy - but for some reason she just didn't have the energy to protest as he continued his hypothesis.

"Which is exactly why he doesn't deserve you." Nico said, his eyes idly tracing the action on the screen above them as Magcargo went down to a powerful Water Pulse attack from Drew's Absol. "I'll bet it took him a long time to win you over, huh? Didn't you ever think it was strange?"

"...I don't know what you're talking about." May lied, turning her gaze the other way.

"A good-looking girl like you deserves a guy who's gonna treat you with respect." Nico pressed, his words wrapping around May's emotions like a Seviper slowly choking its prey. "You're just a trophy to Drew, and you know it."

May began to feel tears well up in the back of her eyes and she quickly stood up and dashed towards the exit, mumbling some excuse as she went. She didn't know where she needed to go, but she just couldn't sit there listening to Nico's words any longer; she had to get some air.

Just as May entered the main corridor to head to the restrooms she heard a roar from the crowd and looked up towards the television monitor where Dawn and Drew had just won their contest match. The camera gave a close-up view of the two coordinator's faces; Dawn was wearing an enormous grin, whilst Drew simply smiled in his typically subdued manner.

"Congratulations to our winners!" Alisa's voice boomed throughout the arena, coming through loud and clear on the television set. "What a perfectly matched duo! It's as if they were made for each other!"

"Made..." May repeated, sniffing as tears started falling down her face. "For each other?"

Just then the crowd roared even more as Drew embraced his partner in a powerful hug, which she eagerly returned, and May felt her heart slowly and painfully break inside of her chest. Bursting into tears she sprinted into the restroom and locked the door, falling to her knees and sobbing desperately.
 
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"What the hell!?" the receptionist snarled, getting slowly to her feet as a man in black uniform with jade-green hair and a bright red "R" emblazoned on his shirt dashed out of the small storage room, Pokeball in hand.
LOL, some of the first swear I recall from a fic.
"Drew..." May whispered to herself as she watched the contest battle unfold on the television screen inside the waiting room.
She was sitting alone in one corner of the room, Blaziken's Pokeball in her hand. She was so grateful for everything it had done for her, and whilst she had no doubt of its abilities, she did have doubts about her own - particularly with regards to how her emotions might affect an eventual showdown against her long-time rival, Drew.
Of course she had battled Drew numerous times before, but not since she had left Johto after that incident. She was worried that she might not be able to pull through if her emotions were cloudy. Drew was always so strong and never showed any signs of weakness, yet she... She was different. She knew she was a great coordinator and her results spoke louder than words ever could, but she still felt like she was missing something. She hated being alone, and perhaps that was why she now harboured so much ill-will towards Johto and her time there. She knew she didn't need anyone to help her, so why did she always feel so helpless whenever her friends weren't around?
"Penny for your thoughts." came a voice from behind the girl, causing her to jolt upwards in surprise and turn to see who it belonged to.
Her partner, Nico, stood above her, his expression as blank as always. Silently he took a seat next to her on the waiting room bench and looked up towards the television monitor, where Absol continued to staunchly fend off any attacks which were targeted at Piplup.
"Ah," May stammered in reply, turning her gaze back down to the Pokeball that lay idly in her hands, "I was just thinking about my next match, is all."
"You know you're a terrible liar, right?" Nico answered bluntly, not taking his eyes away from the television monitor which was hanging above them. "You and him used to have something, didn't you?"
"Wh-what!?" May exclaimed suddenly, backing away from the boy. "N-no! I mean, uh... I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay with you."
"Well you can deny it all you want, but it's so painfully obvious to me." Nico explained, leaning back and stretching his body out of boredom. "Well I'm glad you left him, anyway. He doesn't deserve a girl like you."
"Wh-what do you mean?" May mumbled, slumping her shoulders in a depressed state.
"I know exactly the kind of guy he is." Nico continued, his mouth curving into a slight smile as he spoke. "Rich, good-looking, talented, well-respected... He could have any woman he wants - you know that as well as I do, I'm sure."
May was silent as Nico's words seemed to penetrate through her like a nail being hammered into a wall. She didn't know why she was letting him speak to her like this - she barely even knew the boy - but for some reason she just didn't have the energy to protest as he continued his hypothesis.
"Which is exactly why he doesn't deserve you." Nico said, his eyes idly tracing the action on the screen above them as Magcargo went down to a powerful Water Pulse attack from Drew's Absol. "I'll bet it took him a long time to win you over, huh? Didn't you ever think it was strange?"
"...I don't know what you're talking about." May lied, turning her gaze the other way.
"A good-looking girl like you deserves a guy who's gonna treat you with respect." Nico pressed, his words wrapping around May's emotions like a Seviper slowly choking its prey. "You're just a trophy to Drew, and you know it."
May began to feel tears well up in the back of her eyes and she quickly stood up and dashed towards the exit, mumbling some excuse as she went. She didn't know where she needed to go, but she just couldn't sit there listening to Nico's words any longer; she had to get some air.
Just as May entered the main corridor to head to the restrooms she heard a roar from the crowd and looked up towards the television monitor where Dawn and Drew had just won their contest match. The camera gave a close-up view of the two coordinator's faces; Dawn was wearing an enormous grin, whilst Drew simply smiled in his typically subdued manner.
"Congratulations to our winners!" Alisa's voice boomed throughout the arena, coming through loud and clear on the television set. "What a perfectly matched duo! It's as if they were made for each other!"
"Made..." May repeated, sniffing as tears started falling down her face. "For each other?"
Just then the crowd roared even more as Drew embraced his partner in a powerful hug, which she eagerly returned, and May felt her heart slowly and painfully break inside of her chest. Bursting into tears she sprinted into the restroom and locked the door, falling to her knees and sobbing desperately.
Poor May, tortured by an insensitif jerkfuc*er. But still, Drew and Dawn, at least Drew and Dawn are occupied. May is still confused who she loves and seeing Drew and Dawn which is some of the reason her heart is sobbing. It's a Advanceshipping fic but you put some little Contestshipping(<<I can't believe I'm typing this word out) you able to make this fic emotional, that's what I expected from a fic, I'll give you MAXIMUM IMPRESIVE for this fic you wrote.
 

Ariel_Anderson

Just some Random
Butch and Cassidy both looked up, curious to know what had happened, but everything soon became clear once they saw their ally, officer Kendrick, standing above the bodies of the boy and his Pokemon, gently polishing the side of his walking stick innocently with a handkerchief.
Paul is going to be so p**sed when he wakes up...
"I have to hand it to you, Alisa; this contest tournament was a great idea. It's really bringing in some much-needed revenue for the carnival."

"That's great, Dad." Alisa giggled, smiling to herself as she did so. "Oh but I've really got to go - the next round is due to start any second now!"

"Right..." Kendrick agreed, nodding as he bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind him. "Good luck!"

The man grinned as he set off back down the hallway to enact the final phase of his plan.

'Yes, Alisa...' he thought to himself. 'Some much-needed revenue, indeed...'
Poor Alisa... an innocent idea gone so very wrong...
 

kawaii serebii

PokeSpe Collector
If Paul wakes up he's gonna slowly murder the guy who knocked him out and mutiliate him so bad.

Gosh, Nico's an a**hole. And what incident? You're a pro at cliffies like this.
 

EarthBorn

ConVulATiON
Belleshipping, Contestshipping, Advanceshipping. Nice collection. :p

Loved the chapter here. The person who knocked Paul out is going do pay dearly for his endeavor.

Nico...nasty character you have that. He's one of the most inconsiderate persons ever: and May can be quite sensitive sometimes: I wonder what happened to her and Drew? Dawn was acting like a real fangirl there - but I think I echo Brock's opinion on that attitude (Ash being clueless as usual).

"Made..." May repeated, sniffing as tears started falling down her face. "For each other?"

Drew's plotting a nasty plot. Good emotional overcharge - the balance is quite right in that respect. I hope you'll deepen Nico character gradually: there's a real scope in nasty characterization for that person.

Ride ahead then!
 

Gazmof

Zephyr Trainer
Yay, I do love waking up in the morning and seeing reviews have been posted. And four whole ones, too! Awesome :D

Don:
It's a Advanceshipping fic but you put some little Contestshipping
I know, and trust me, it was difficult to do ^^;;; But I think it's unavoidable considering the strong hinting towards the end of the BF... But hey, don't worry, I tagged this as an Advanceshipping fic for a reason and I hope you'll stick around to see it through the good times and the bad ^^;

Ariel: Haha, yeah, as much as I love Paul it's just too early for him to be meddling just yet. We'll see what happens...

Also, yay, I'm glad people don't hate Alisa. I think she's just been caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time, so-to-speak.

Kawaii Serebii: Haha, thanks for the compliment :D The incident? Well, let's just say it'll be revealed in due time...

Earthborn: Ah, it's good to see some regulars of the Advanceshipping thread like my story and you and Kawaii Serebii fit the bill. This chapter was both difficult and fun to write in equal measure (I think my favourite part was writing the whole Drew/Dawn battle, surprisingly) and I hope you'll stick around to see what happens.

I hope you'll deepen Nico character gradually: there's a real scope in nasty characterization for that person.
Haha, thanks, I always appreciate getting feedback on my original characters. I don't want to give away too much, of course, but I plan on having Nico around for a little bit longer, so you'll see some more development in future chapters.

Well, thanks for the reviews everyone and stay tuned! :D
 

shadow_shipper

...indeed...
Yeah, well, I'd have reviewed sooner, if the forums would have alowed me xDD

'Yes, Alisa...' he thought to himself. 'Some much-needed revenue, indeed...'

I just thought the same thing, the poor girl doesn't suspect a thing...

Every second that a lesser man even breathed the same air as her made his blood boil with rage.

Be afraid...be very afraid...

"Um, Drew..." Dawn began, feeling her heart beat a little faster as she spoke his name. "About the battle..."

"Don't worry about it, Dawn." Drew answered eagerly, adjusting his hair idly with his right hand. "It'll be like a ballroom dance - just follow my lead and everything will be fine."

Wow ! I mean that is one genius comparison :D

He then proceeded to flash the young girl a wink, causing her face to flush an even deeper shade of red than it was before. Dawn was unable to help but smile to herself as she thought of their upcoming battle together. Her Mom would be delighted to see this...

Please, I'm begging you, don't make him destroy her heart in cold blood...At least make their relationship work out at the end !! *pleads*

"Elekid, Thunder!" a voice barked, quickly followed by a flash of electricity which forced the receptionist to release the girl and duck for cover.

"What the hell!?" the receptionist snarled, getting slowly to her feet as a man in black uniform with jade-green hair and a bright red "R" emblazoned on his shirt dashed out of the small storage room, Pokeball in hand.

"Need some help here, Cassidy?" the man asked, scowling at the boy whose Elekid had just launched the Thunder attack.

"Heh, perfect..." Paul chuckled, clenching his fists in anticipation of an interesting battle. "I knew if I tailed that girl long enough I'd find out what was going on here."

Yeah, he knew this would happen...now let's see what he decides to do ! ;D

"Dawn and Drew, huh?" Brock wondered out loud. "Why do I not have a good feeling about that pairing?"

I don't know...I still try and keep the faith and hope, but it's really Gazmof who decides :D

May was silent as Nico's words seemed to penetrate through her like a nail being hammered into a wall. She didn't know why she was letting him speak to her like this - she barely even knew the boy - but for some reason she just didn't have the energy to protest as he continued his hypothesis.

aka. The Truth

Just then the crowd roared even more as Drew embraced his partner in a powerful hug, which she eagerly returned, and May felt her heart slowly and painfully break inside of her chest. Bursting into tears she sprinted into the restroom and locked the door, falling to her knees and sobbing desperately.

Great...now I feel terrible for her :/

You know, I'm always angsty when reading this fic, because at anytime, you might place a huge bomb for me as a ContestShipper, with May being in a certain state of mind, with Drew not caring at all...

I don't pretty much care about AdvanceShipping, it's just that whether or not it makes Drew and CS look bad ^^'

Besides my pov shipping wise, I enjoyed it, as usual :)
Keep it up, and...well...yeah, I'll (fearfuly) see what Drew does next time :D

Bye ! ;)
 
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