Chapter 40

Serena groans softly and opens her eyes to see the sun shining through the hotel room window. She sits up to yawn and stretch before turning to Absol, who is sleeping next to her, and shakes it gently.

"Wake up, Absol. It's morning," she says softly.

The disaster Pokemon slowly wakes up and lets out a cute yawn before smiling at Serena and giving her a brief lick in the face. Serena giggles quietly and pets her young Pokemon.

"Did you sleep well?" She asks.

"Absol," Absol says, nodding.

"I'm glad," Serena says happily. "Now, let's start the day. We have my fifth and final ribbon to win today."

"Absol," Absol says excitedly.

"Don't you mean my final ribbon?"

Serena and Absol turn their heads to see Dawn and Piplup slowly waking up in their own bed. The blunette girl gives the honey-blonde girl a tired but competitive look that Serena returns.

"We'll see who wins their final ribbon first," she says.

Dawn nods and says, "We sure will."

"Will you two keep it down?"

The two girls and their Pokemon turn their heads to see May and Holly getting up with groggy looks.

"Some of us don't have a contest to compete in today," Holly whines.

"Same here," May groans.

Serena and Dawn chuckle quietly, and the former says, "Sorry," before the two of them quietly get dressed and exit the hotel room with Absol and Piplup following. They walk to the hotel's cafeteria on the bottom floor in silence until Serena decides to speak.

"You know, speaking of the contest, what will you do if you win?" She asks.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Dawn asks.

"I mean, will you stay with the group until it's time to head to the Indigo Plateau?" Serena clarifies.

Dawn stares at Serena as they walk for a moment before she looks away.

"That's a good question," she says. "I do like to travel alone sometimes so that I can practice without people knowing what tricks I have up my sleeve, but at the same time I really enjoy traveling with you, Ash, Pikachu, Holly, May, Max, and Brock."

Serena smiles and says, "Same here. It's been fun traveling with you."

Dawn nods and thinks for a moment.

"Tell you what," she says. "If I win, I'll travel with you guys until you get your last ribbon. But if you win, you guys have to take me to the nearest contest for mine."

"Okay, it's a deal," Serena says before taking out her tablet and searching for upcoming contest. "The nearest contest that's happening soon is one in Cremini Town near the border between the Kanto and Johto regions. It looks like there's a ferry that will be heading there tomorrow, so we can just stay here for one more night and then sail to Cremini Town. Sound good?"

"Perfect," Dawn says, smirking. "We'll tell the others on the way to the contest."

"Sounds good," Serena says.

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Before long, Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Holly, May, and Max go downstairs to have breakfast in the cafeteria with Serena and Dawn. Once everyone finishes their meals, the group decides to head over to the contest hall as Serena and Dawn decide to bring up their plan as they walk.

"But what about Max and me going to Viridian City for our last badges?" Holly asks. "And doesn't Ash plan to re-challenge that gym?"

"Don't worry, Holly. You'll have more than plenty of time for that." Serena says assuredly. "After all, we'll only be there for just one more ribbon, and then it's straight to Viridian City from there."

"Yeah, Serena's right," Ash says with a smirk. "Besides, the Indigo League doesn't start until about a month after the Grand Festival. Right?"

"Right," Serena and Dawn say simultaneously.

"Be that as it may, I'm afraid you'll have to count Max and me out," May says with a sad smile.

"Yeah, we already booked a ship heading back to the mainland," Max says. "I want to get my badge in Viridian City right away, and May wants to start practicing hard for the Grand Festival."

"That's a shame," Brock says. "I was starting to get used to us all together."

"I know. So have we," May says with a sad smile.

Ash scratches his chin in thought before his face lights up, and he says, "Well, since about half of us are going to compete in the league, why don't we all stay at my house after the Grand Festival, and we can all go back to Indigo Plateau together for the Pokemon League?"

"That sounds like a great idea, Ash," Brock says. "But are you sure your mom won't mind?"

"Nah, she'll love the idea," Ash says confidently.

"Well, as long as your mom doesn't mind, I'm in," Holly says.

"I'd love to," Dawn says happily.

"Count me in," Max says.

"Me too," May agrees.

"How can I say no to that?" Serena says with a cheerful smile and a wink.

"Then it's settled," Ash says.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu says happily on Ash's shoulder.

"Piplup," Piplup chirps beside Dawn.

With the plan made, the group continues walking until they make it to the contest hall. Once Serena and Dawn are signed in, they split ways with the others and join the other coordinators backstage. The two girls sit at a bench with Piplup on Dawn's lap, and Serena taking Absol out of its Pokeball as they wait patiently for the contest to begin.

"Now let's knock them dead at the appeal stage. Okay, Piplup?" Dawn says.

"Pip, Piplup," Piplup replies cutely.

"Absol, I'm going to have Sylveon in the appeal stage so you can compete in the battle stage. Okay?" Serena says.

"Sol," Absol says with an understanding nod.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?"

Serena's eyes widen, and her blood freezes before she and Dawn look up. Standing in front of them tall and proud with her hand on her hip is Giselle giving Serena a cold, unamused look.

"Fancy seeing you all the way here, Serena," Giselle says.

Serena sighs and begrudgingly says, "Fancy seeing you too, Giselle."

Dawn and Piplup look back and forth at the two girls confused before Dawn asks, "How do you know this girl, Serena?"

Giselle turns to Dawn and raises an eyebrow.

"And who are you?" She asks.

"I'm Dawn, and this is my partner, Piplup," Dawn answers.

"Piplup," Piplup squeaks.

"I see," Giselle says unimpressed. "Well, Dawn, Serena is the person who humiliated me during the Celadon City contest. Her Poliwag used my Golem as a giant ball to balance on taking all of my points."

"No way!" Dawn exclaims, turning to Serena half shocked and half impressed. "This is the Giselle girl you faced to win your second ribbon?"

"Uh...yes," Serena admits.

"And that's how you beat her?" Dawn asks.

"Guilty," Serena says.

"Wow, that sounds like a cute idea," Dawn says. "I wish I saw it."

"Yeah, well, you won't get a chance today," Giselle claims while taking out a ribbon case. "I've learned my lesson from that day, and now I already have half the ribbons I need to compete in the Grand Festival."

She opens the case and proudly shows off three contest ribbons inside to Serena, Absol, Dawn, and Piplup. Then she closes it and gives the two girls and their Pokemon a boastful look.

"You may as well give up, Serena, because the Cinnabar Island ribbon is as good as mine," she claims before turning to Dawn. "And that goes for you too."

Dawn stands up and glares at Giselle, saying, "Excuse you, I'm a professional coordinator. You can't just claim you can beat me with the little experience you have under your belt."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that," Giselle says unfazed. "Until then, ladies."

With that, she turns around and leaves. Dawn huffs in irritation before turning to Serena.

"Now I see why you couldn't stand being anywhere near that girl," she says. "She's so full of herself."

Serena frowns and says, "Tell me about it."

"I guess she let her new contest ribbons go to her head," Dawn comments. "Still, though, we'll have to see if she has improved as a coordinator as much as she claims."

Serena nods and starts petting Absol again to keep her cool.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, the TVs installed against the walls in the waiting room turn on to reveal the stage and Lilian entering. Thunderous applause can be heard from the tv speakers while she waves her hands in the air before she takes out a microphone.

"Hello, Cinnabar Island!" She shouts. "How are we doing this morning?"

The audience cheers loudly again, and Lillian lets out a giggle before she speaks again.

"That's great!" she says. "We have a great competition for you today. So many competitors have already won a lot of ribbons, but only one can win the ribbon for this contest. Now, who's ready to see some performances?"

The audience cheers again.

"That's what I like to hear," Lilian says. "So, without further ado, let's hear it for our first contestant, Giselle!"

"Oh, of course, the rival ends up going first. How fickle," Dawn bellows.

Serena stays silent and intently stares at the TV to see Giselle entering the stage and waving at the audience proudly like a movie star. Then, with a flick of a wrist, she tosses a Pokeball into the air, and it opens to reveal an Espeon.

"Wow, so she has an Espeon," Serena says, surprised. "I thought she only uses ground and rock-type Pokemon."

"Guess she's after a little variety," Dawn says.

The girls and their Pokemon watch silently while they hear Giselle order Espeon to use Baby-Doll Eyes, followed by Swift through the TV speakers. Espeon winks at the audience, and countless little pink hearts appear from its open eyes and float up into the air. Then it opens its mouth, and dozens of yellow stars come out of its mouth and float into the air together with the hearts. Finally, Giselle tells her Pokemon to use Psybeam, and Espeon fires a Psybeam at all the hearts and stars in the air. The move causes a giant explosion of all sorts of beautiful colors, and the audience "oooo"s and "ahhh"s loudly. With a final pose from Giselle and Espeon, the audience roars in applause before the girl and her Pokemon leave the stage. The judges are so amazed that they gave Giselle high marks.

"Wow," Dawn says in awe. "I hate to say it, but that was amazing."

"Yes, it was," Serena says reluctantly. "Looks like she's improved an awful lot since Celadon City."

"I sure have," Giselle says proudly, overhearing Serena as she re-enters the waiting room. "So, you better hope we don't meet at the battle stage, Serena, because it's going to take more than your cute little Poliwag to beat me."

Serena and Dawn glare daggers at Giselle as she and her Espeon walk past them and Absol and Piplup. Once Giselle is out of sight, Serena lets out a big sigh and frowns until Dawn pats her on the back.

"Don't let her get to you, Serena," she says with a friendly smile. "Just focus on your own performance, and you'll be fine."

Serena smiles at Dawn, feeling slightly better.

"You're right," she says. "I just have to focus on making everyone in the audience smile with everything my Pokemon and I have."

"There you go," Dawn says encouragingly before she gives the honey blonde girl a competitive look. "But let's kick her arrogant butt anyway, alright?"

"Right," Serena agrees with a smirk. "Don't give up until it's over."

Dawn nods before she realizes something.

"You know, you tend to say that a lot," she says. "Did you come up with that saying yourself?"

"Nope, it's what Ash told me when we were little," Serena answers.

"What, really?" Dawn asks, shocked.

Serena nods and opens her mouth to elaborate until there is a ding on the intercom, and someone says, "Serena, please report to the backstage in 2 minutes please, Serena."

Serena sighs and says, "Well, it looks like it's my time to shine. Could you look after Absol for me? I think it would like to watch me and Sylveon perform."

"You can count on me," Dawn says with a wink.

Serena smiles back and gives Absol one last pet before she leaves the room. By the time she makes it backstage, one of the competitors has just finished his performance with his Metapod.

"And now attempting to win her fifth and final ribbon, give it up for Serena!" Lilian announces.

Serena smiles and enters the stage, happily waving at the applauding crowd. At a distance, she can see Brock, Holly, May, Max, Pikachu, and Ash cheering for her in the middle row, and her smile brightens at the sight of Ash clapping and cheering loudly. Then she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and, with a twirl, she tosses a Pokeball into the air.

"Sylveon, let's go!" She calls out.

Sylveon comes out of her Pokeball and does a flip before it lands perfectly on the ground. The audience applauds at the Pokemon's entrance.

"Alright, let's show them how it's done," Serena says. "Create a big ball using Fairy Wind."

Sylveon brings all of its feelers in front of its face and starts creating a round vortex of pink wind at the center. It slowly spreads its feelers and holds them up in the air as the ball of pink wind grows bigger and bigger until it's as big as twice Serena's height.

"Now lift it into the air and use Swift," Serena commands.

With a light push, Sylveon lifts the ball of Fairy Wind high into the air and then jumps up and throws several yellows stars with a swish of its tail. The stars get sucked into the round vortex and starts spinning around inside the ball. The audience and the judges look amused at the display, curious with how Serena and Sylveon are going to finish it.

"Alright, now let's do it just like we practiced," Serena says.

"Sylveon," Sylveon says.

Sylveon runs over to Serena, and Serena lowers her right arm and lifts her left arm high, pointing at the ball. Sylveon jumps into Serena's right arm and without stopping runs all the way past Serena's head and up her left arm. It makes a jump right from Serena's left hand and heads straight toward the ball with a blue forcefield appearing in front of it. Sylveon rams through the ball with its forcefield, and the ball breaks into millions of tiny pink and yellow pieces. The intertwining Pokemon does two more flips before landing on the ground a few feet away from Serena, and the two of them make a final pose.

"Ta-da! All finished!" Serena declares.

The audience happily cheers at the performance, and Serena and Sylveon smile at each other, pleased to see so many people happy. The judges also applauded and gave her high marks as well. After giving the crowd a bow, the two of them exit the stage and head back to the waiting room where Absol, Dawn, and Piplup are waiting for them. Absol runs over to its mother figure and starts rubbing its head against her legs, making her smile while Dawn walks over to her, carrying Piplup.

"Wow, that was a pretty performance, Serena," Dawn compliments. "I didn't know you can do that with Fairy Wind, Swift, and Protect."

"Piplup," Piplup chirps.

"Thank you, Dawn," Serena says while petting Absol back. "It was a hard combo to perform. We must have practiced that a hundred times before we got it right. Didn't we, Sylveon?"

"Sylveon," Sylveon replies cutely with a nod.

"Well, I'm willing to bet you secured a place in the next stage," Dawn says confidently with her hands turned into fists. "So now I just need to secure my spot, and then we'll see who gets their fifth ribbon.

"Right," Serena agreed.

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After several other people perform including Dawn with her Quilava, the judges tally up the points and make their decision. Serena and Dawn both clasp their hands and mentally pray while they nervously watch the screen reveal who is going to continue to the next stage. Thankfully, their pictures appear in the middle row of the screen, and they both let out breaths they didn't know they were holding.

"Every time they reveal who's going to continue by revealing only one picture at a time, I feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest," Dawn says.

"Mine too," Serena says, giving her blue-haired friend a smile. "But the important thing is we're both going to continue, and it's time for Absol and me to go win our final ribbon."

"Sol," Absol says with a determined grin.

"Not if I get my last ribbon first," Dawn says. "And remember, Serena; if we face each other, there's no holding back. I wanna get back at you for beating me at Saffron City."

"Absolutely," Serena says. "But I don't plan on losing to you."

Dawn nods, and the two girls glare at each other in a friendly, competitive way until they hear a ding, and they turn their heads to see that the remaining competitors have been revealed.

"Oh no," Serena whines. "Giselle made it too."

Dawn sighs and says, "Well. That's hardly a surprise. She got really good marks."

"I know," Serena says, "But I still hoped it wasn't going to be the case."

Dawn opens her mouth to reply, but she is interrupted by Lilian speaking again.

"Let's hear it for everyone who made it to the next stage," she said, earning another applause. "And now for a special treat, the battle stage is going to be...a double-battle stage!"

Serena's face drops and her blood freezes in shock. Dawn, however, looks thrilled with this news.

"Wow, a double battle stage," she says. "I haven't had one in ages. This should be fun."

"Uh...yeah...fun…," Serena says hesitantly.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Dawn asks, noticing Serena's change in demeanor.

"Well...you see...I've never done a contest double battle," Serena admits, scratching her chin.

"Oh. I guess that's something May and I should have brought up on the ferry ride here," Dawn says in realization. "Well, it's nothing to worry too much about. It's basically the same idea as a normal battle stage, but you're doing it with two Pokemon. You've fought in double battles before, right?"

Serena hesitates and nervously says, "Once."

"Once?" Dawn says, shocked.

"Yeah, I had a double battle with my friend Aria," Serena explains. "It was a little difficult, but Pancham, Fennekin, and I were starting to get the hang of it when Fennekin evolved into a Braixen. Unfortunately, Aria had to leave before we could continue."

"So you've only had one double battle in your life, and you didn't even finish it?" Dawn asks, worriedly.

Serena gives Dawn a sad look and nods. Dawn opens her mouth, but once again, she is interrupted by Lilian.

"We will now choose at random who will go against who in the first round," she announces.

As soon as Lilian finishes her sentence, a large bracket appears on the screen. Serena's heart stops when she looks to find her picture appear on the very top left bracket with Giselle. She and Dawn look at each other with Dawn looking unsettled for her friend and Serena looking like she's on the verge of panicking.

"The first battle in the double battle stage will be Giselle against Serena!" Lilian shouts.

"But...but...but...but…" Serena stutters before Dawn puts her hands on Serena's shoulder.

"Calm down, Serena. Just calm down," she says. "Take deep breaths."

Serena obeys and takes several long breaks, feeling slightly better.

"Now you gotta focus," Dawn says seriously. "Just keep your head at the moment, and don't panic. You can beat her? Don't give up until it's over, right?"

Serena takes one last long breath and gives Dawn a timid smile.

"Right," she says. "I...I got this."

"You bet you do," Dawn says, grinning. "And hey, I'm in the bracket below you, so if we both win, we'll get to face each other already. We don't want this stuck-up girl to keep us from that, now do we?"

Serena can't help but chuckle lightly before she says, "No, Of course not."

"Then, get out there and show Giselle how it's done!" Dawn exclaims.

Serena gulps and nods before standing up and exiting the waiting room with Absol following. The disaster Pokemon frowns and gives the honey blonde girl a slight nudge with its head as they walk. Serena turns to her Pokemon and smiles while petting it, appreciative of the gesture.

"Okay, no use fretting, Serena," she thinks to herself. "Just stay focused and do your best."

She takes one last deep breath before she enters the stage and stands on one side of the battlefield. Giselle is already standing on the other side of the field with a cocky smirk and her hands on her hips.

"Amusing performance with your Sylveon, Serena," she mocks. "Too bad, I have the better one with my precious Espeon."

Serena glares daggers at Giselle while Lilian shouts, "Ladies, call out your Pokemon!"

"Gladly," Giselle says as she tosses two Pokeballs into the air. "Espeon, Rhyhorn, time for battle!"

Her Pokemon come out of their Pokeballs and give Serena battle-hungry looks. Serena turns to Absol, and the two of them nod before she takes out a Pokeball.

"Braixen, Absol, I choose you!" She shouts, throwing her Pokeball into the air.

Braixen comes out of her Pokeball with the tip of its stick already set ablaze, and Absol runs to stand next to it. Giselle's smirk grows, amused with Serena's Absol.

"So, you decide to use a Pokemon that Espeon and Rhyhorn are weak against?" she teases. "Smart, but that won't be enough."

"We'll see about that, Giselle!" Serena shouts.

"Battle begin!" Lilian shouts, and the timer on the screen starts counting down.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower on Rhyhorn! Absol, use Night Slash on Espeon!" Serena shouts.

"Rhyhorn, dodge, and protect Espeon! Espeon, use Psybeam!" Giselle commands.

Rhyhorn quickly dodges Braixen's attack and steps in front of Espeon, allowing it to get hit by Absol's Night Slash. Then, Espeon climbs on top of Rhyhorn and fires a Psybeam at Braixen, hitting it square in the chest. Serena turns to her partner worriedly while the judges take away some of her points.

"Braixen, are you okay?" She asks.

Braixen groans before it fights through the pain and stands up to take another fighting stance.

"Well, well, well, I'm impressed that it could get up so quickly," Giselle says. "No matter. Rhyhorn, use Drill Run on Absol, and Espeon, you use Psybeam again on Braixen."

"Braixen, dodge, and use Fire Blast on Espeon and Absol, dodge Rhyhorn using Double Team!" Serena calls out.

Braixen does a backflip, dodging another Psybeam and unleashes a Fire Blast that successfully hits Espeon. As the judges take away some of Giselle's points, Absol creates multiple copies of itself, and Rhyhorn runs into one of them, completely missing its target. But instead of stopping, the spikes Pokemon keeps running straight toward Serena, confusing Giselle.

"Rhyhorn, where are you going?" She calls out.

But instead of responding, Rhyhorn keeps running toward the honey-blonde girl, and Serena grows uneasy. She screams in fear until Rhyhorn tackles her and starts vigorously licking her in the face.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Stop that! That tickles!" Serena giggles.

Giselle, Espeon, Braixen, Absol, Lilian, the judges, and the audience stare at Serena and Rhyhorn, baffled. The entire auditorium is completely silent except for the sound of Rhyhorn licking and Serena screaming in laughter.

"Rhyhorn, what are you doing?!" Giselle growls angrily. "Stop licking her and get back to the battle!"

But her command falls on deaf ears. Rhyhorn just happily licks Serena away like a little child eating ice cream. After a moment, Max shouts from the stands, "Yes! That's what it feels like!" After a couple more seconds, the rest of the audience and the judges begin to laugh awkwardly, slightly amused by the display. Giselle's face turns hot red in frustration, Espeon is embarrassed for its battling partner, and Braixen rolls its eyes, having seen this happen to its partner before. Absol, on the other hand, growls angrily and prepares to attack Rhyhorn so that it backs away from its mother figure.

"N-n-n-no, d-d-don't, Absol!" Serena manages to say in mid-laughter. "F-f-f-focus on Espeon! B-b-b-both of you!"

Absol stops and tilts its head in confusion. Then it hits the Dark-type Pokemon, and it turns to Braixen to share a mischievous grin. The two of them turn around and make battle stances against Espeon, who realizes that it's now two against one.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Giselle shouts, turning to the judges. "She can't do that."

"It seems clear to me that this is not really Serena's fault," Mr. Contesta says.

"You need to regain control of your Rhyhorn, or Espeon will have to fight alone," Nurse Joy says.

"Yes, I'm afraid there's nothing in the rules against this rather remarkable turn of events," Mr. Sukizo says.

Giselle screams, irritated, and shouts, "Fine! Espeon, we'll have to deal with this without Rhyhorn."

Espeon appears hesitant but reluctantly obeys, making a battle stance.

"Espeon, use Swift on Absol!" Giselle commands.

"B-b-b-braixen, destroy the Swift with Flamethrower, then use Night Slash, Absol," Serena commands, fighting through the laughter.

Espeon fires several yellow stars at Absol, but with a large stream of flame, Braixen destroys them all, creating a blast of flame and yellow sparkles. Then, with its horn glowing white, Absol charges at Espeon and slashes at the eeveelution Pokemon, knocking it a couple of feet back. The audience "aahhhh"s at the display while the judges take away more points from Giselle.

"Uh, Espeon, use Baby-Doll Eyes!" Giselle says, desperately.

Espeon winks and several pink hearts appear and hit Braixen and Absol making their bodies glow blue briefly.

"Ha! Their attacks are lowered," Giselle says, trying to sound confident. "What are you going to do now, Serena?"

Serena tries to concentrate despite Rhyhorn licking her with its tongue and calls out, "Braixen, use Hidden Power and Absol, use Night Slash!"

"Ha! Dodge them both!" Gisele orders.

Braixen uses Hidden Power, but Espeon dodges it. Right as it's about to land, however, Absol pounces and slashes at Espeon's face. The sun Pokemon whimpers in pain and collapses on the floor, making Giselle's fear grow.

"N-n-now, B-b-Braixen! U-u-use, Fire Blast!" Serena manages to say.

Without hesitating, Braixen releases a powerful Fire Blast that consumes Espeon. When the fires die down, Espeon is completely unconscious, with its body covered in burns.

"Espeon is down, so Giselle loses half of her points!" Lilian announces.

Giselle grows frustrated at the sight of her points bar shrinking dramatically and glares at Rhyhorn, who is still licking Serena.

"Rhyhorn, get back here right now!" She barks.

But still, Rhyhorn doesn't listen. It stays in its own little world of showing affection to the honey blonde girl. Serena still struggles to try to get it away from her, but the spikes Pokemon is too strong. Braixen and Absol turn to each other and grin, knowing they have a chance for an easy knock out against their opponent.

"B-b-Braixen, A-a-Absol, u-u-use Flamethrower and Night Slash r-r-repeatedly!" Serena says in mid laughter.

"Dodge them both, Rhyhorn!" Giselle screams.

Without hesitation, Serena's Pokemon hit Rhyhorn on both sides with Braixen using Flamethrower on its left side and Absol scratching it ferociously on its right side. The spikes Pokemon stops licking Serena and howls in pain, giving the honey-blonde girl a chance to get up. Rhyhorn keeps roaring in pain while its opponents hit it relentlessly until it stops in mid-roar and falls off its left side with swirly eyes. Giselle stares at Rhyhorn in shock while the judges press their buzzards.

"Looks like Espeon and Rhyhorn are down for the count!" Lilian says. "So, the winner of this battle is Serena with her Braixen and Absol!"

The crowd cheers, and Serena happily runs over to hug Braixen and Absol. Giselle lets out a frustrated scream before she returns her Pokemon back into their Pokeballs and storms out of the stage. Serena can't help but smile at her opponent's demeanor before she turns to her Pokemon.

"Guys, get a good rest until the next round," she says as she returns Braixen and Absol. After that, she gives the crowd one last wave before exiting the stage and walking back to the waiting room, where a gratified Dawn is waiting for her with Piplup.

"Oh my gosh, that was so humiliating!" She laughs. "I completely forgot that Ash told me Rhyhorn act like that around you!"

"Yeah, I kind of forgot myself," Serena admits. "I feel a little bad for Giselle, to be honest."

"You should."

Serena jumps and turns around to see Giselle glaring venomously at her. Her eyes are twitching, and her hands are balls of fists.

"That's twice in a row you have humiliated me," she snarls. "You better watch yourself, Serena, because next time I'm going to crush you!"

With that, Giselle bitterly storms out of the waiting room, grumbling as she leaves. Serena, Dawn, and Piplup stare at where she was until Dawn decides to speak.

"Is it weird to say that she kind of reminds me of Jessie when she storms out like that?" She asks.

Serena thinks for a second until she says, "A little bit."

Dawn shrugs and says, "Well, anyway. I guess this means if I win this battle, we'll be facing each other in the second round."

"Yeah, I guess so," Serena says. "You better get out there if you're going to try and beat me, though."

"Oh, I will beat you. Mark my words," Dawn says with a grin.

**************************************************

As expected, Dawn easily defeats her opponent in the first round with Piplup and Quilava. Serena grows more nervous as she watched her blue-haired friend easily knock out her opponent's Pokemon within only two minutes. She tries to hide it after Dawn comes back from the battle, but Dawn can tell she is still worried.

Finally, the last battle in the first round ends, and Lilian steps in front of the stage and says, "And now, let's begin our second round of battle!"

Serena hears the crowd cheering through the TV speakers, and she takes a deep breath before turning to Dawn.

"Well, that's our cue," she says.

"Yep," Dawn says as they stand up from their seats. "Now remember, Serena, no holding back. Just give it your best shot."

"Right, same goes for you," Serena says, trying to sound confident.

"Serena, Dawn, you're up," a backstage person calls out.

The two girls nod and exit the waiting room. As they go back backstage, Dawn walks ahead to enter from stage right while Serena stands near stage left. The honey-blonde girl sighs with her eyes closed, slaps her cheeks, and shakes her head to snap out of her edgy state.

"Come on, Serena, get it together," she thinks to herself. "You got this. You've beaten Dawn before, and you can do it again. She is not going to stop you from this next step towards your dream. You can do this."

"And now, to start off the second round, it's Dawn vs. Serena!" Lilian announces.

Serena takes one last breath through her nose and opens her eyes before entering the stage with a bright smile on her face. She gives the audience a wave before turning to Dawn, who is standing on the other side of the battlefield. The two of them give a competitive glare that lasts until Lilian shouts, "Battle begin!" and the clock starts counting down.

"Braixen, Absol, let's go!" Serena calls out, throwing two Pokeballs into the air.

"Piplup, Quilava, spotlight!" Dawn shows tossing out two Pokeballs into the air as well.

The four balls open to reveal their respective pairs of Pokemon, all looking ready for battle.

"Alright, let's not waste any time, guys!" Serena says determinedly. "Absol, use Night Slash on Piplup and Braixen, use Hidden Power on Quilava!"

Dawn smirks at her opponent's eagerness before she commands, "Piplup, dodge and use Ice Beam on Braixen's attack, then Quilava, you knock them back with Swift!"

Piplup does a quick side flip to dodge Absol's attack and releases an Ice Beam from its beak. Braixen fires Hidden Power, but the Ice Beam freezes the three light blue balls in mid-air. Right as they are about to fall into the ground, Quilava knocks them back with Swift, causing one to hit Braixen and two of them to hit Absol. Serena's point bar lowers slightly, but she keeps a brave face.

"Absol, use Feint on Quilava and Braixen, use Scratch on Piplup!" She orders.

"Quilava, use Smokescreen and Piplup, start making a big bubble with Bubble Beam!" Dawn shouts.

Quilava releases a thick, black cloud of smoke that covers the entire battlefield. Braixen and Absol stop what they're doing and look around, trying to find their opponents. Serena tries to do the same but grows uneasy as she can clearly hear Piplup doing something. She looks back and forth until she sees something above the cloud of smoke. She looks up and gasps to see a giant bubble floating right above her Pokemon.

"Braixen, Absol, move away!" She cries out.

But as soon as her Pokemon acknowledges what she said, the bubble lands right on top of Braixen and Absol and bursts, causing a large amount of water to fall on them. Absol groans and shakes the water off its fur, but Braixen gets down on one knee and relies on its stick for support, shaking uncontrollably.

"Braixen, are you alright?!" Serena calls out.

"Piplup, use Hydro Pump!" Dawn calls out.

Without any further warning, a large stream of water hits Braixen square in the chest and sends it flying into the wall. Serena's heart sinks as she watches her dear partner plummet to the ground with swirly eyes.

"Braixen is down for the count, so that means Serena loses half of her points!" Lilian announces. "Will she manage to win the battle with just Absol?"

Serena grows nervous again as she returns Braixen and stares at the large cloud of smoke that still hides Dawn, Piplup, and Quilava. She turns to Absol, who is just as unsettled as she is, and turns to its trainer for hope. Serena realizes how her worries are affecting Absol and quickly shakes her head and smiles kindly.

"Don't worry about it, Absol," she says. "We can do this. Don't give up until it's over, okay?"

Absol realizes what she's doing and gives her a smirk and a nod. The two of them face the cloud of smoke and wait for Dawn to make her move.

"Quilava, use Flame Wheel!" They hear her say.

"Dodge it with Double Team!" Serena orders.

Absol makes multiple copies of itself just in time for Quilava to appear, spinning toward it with its body engulfed in fire. The volcano Pokemon rams through one of the copies and stops to search for the real Absol among the crowd of fake ones.

"Take all of them down with Flame Wheel!" Serena hears Dawn command. "Piplup, you help out with Ice Beam!"

Serena smirks, knowing what Dawn is thinking and orders, "Absol, make more copies of yourself and wait until you see Piplup or Quilava to use Feint!"

More copies of Absol appear all over the battlefield while Quilava starts spinning again and rams as much of the copies as possible with Flame Wheel. Serena sees several Ice Beams come out of the cloud of smoke and take out other copies. Suddenly, one Ice Beam phases through a copy of Absol and hits Quilava. The fire type Pokemon howls in pain and tumbles to the ground with a block of ice appearing on its right front paw.

"Quilava? Quilava, are you okay?" Dawn calls out.

Serena's eyes widen, and she realizes this is her chance.

"Now, Absol, use Feint on Piplup!" She calls out.

Serena waits for a moment until she hears a hard smack and Piplup squealing in pain. Her confidence rises slightly while Dawn loses a slight fraction of her points. As she is about to make another command, the Smokescreen finally fades to reveal a shocked Dawn staring at Absol standing next to an injured Piplup and Quilava struggling to stay up with its paw covered in ice.

"Now's your chance, Absol!" Serena calls out with a smile. "Use Night Slash on Quilava!"

With a confident grin, Absol charges toward Quilava, who is still selling with its leg. The disaster Pokemon's front claws start to glow whitish-purple and it slashes at the volcano Pokemon

"Alright, use Night Slash one more time on Quilava!" Serena shouts confidently.

All too willing to obey, Absol grins and charges at Quilava again with claws already glowing whitish-purple.

"I don't think so," Dawn says. "Quilava, use Flamethrower, and Piplup, follow it with another Ice Beam!"

Quilava quickly stands up despite its paw still covered in ice and releases a Flamethrower. The attack hits Absol and sends it crashing to the middle of the field where Piplup unleashes Ice Beam. The attack hits and covers Absol in a block of ice, completely freezing it.

"Absol!" Serena cries out.

"Now, let's finish this off," Dawn says with a grin. "Quilava, Piplup, time for a Bubble Beam and Swift combo!"

"A what?!" Serena exclaims worriedly.

Piplup jumps on top of Quilava and unleashes Bubblebeam into the air. The bubbles form into a large circle spinning above Absol. Quilava opens its mouth, and white stars come out and float above the center of the circle of bubbles, creating its own circle. The two circles slowly mesh together and form a vortex of stars and bubbles directly above Absol. The vortex slams right on top of the frozen Pokemon, causing an explosion of dust mixed with white and blue sparkles. When it all clears, Absol is found free from its ice prison but is also lying on the floor unconscious. Serena stares at her poor Pokemon in shock while the judges press their buzzers.

"And that's both of Serena's Pokemon," Lilian declares. "Dawn moves to the next round!"

The crowd cheers and Dawn gives a friendly wave to them. Then she returns her Pokemon and turns over to Serena, who sadly returns Absol to its Pokeball and walks over to her. Serena looks up to see Dawn in front of her.

"Good battle, Serena," she compliments. "I must admit, you and Absol put up a good fight. That was a cunning way of using Smokescreen against Piplup and Quilava."

Serena smiles slightly, feeling better by Dawn's compliment.

"Yeah, you too, Dawn," she says.

The two girls shake hands, and the crowd cheers again. After giving the audience one last wave, they exit the stage and make their way back to the waiting room. Dawn goes back to her seat on the bench and lets out a loud sigh.

"Ahhh, what an exciting battle," she says. "I feel like I can take on anybody after that."

Serena gives a sad smile and says, "Come on, Dawn, you're exaggerating."

"Am not," Dawn claims. "I watched the other contestants compete in the first round. I bet I can beat them all with Piplup and Quilava, no doubt. As long as I don't have a tough opponent like you or May or even some of my rivals from Sinnoh like Zoey or Kenny, that ribbon is as good as mine."

Serena's smile grows slightly from Dawn's enthusiasm, but it is quickly replaced with a frown as she lowers her head.

"But I feel like I barely did anything to you," she says. "Absol managed to get a hit against Piplup and Quilava, but that was after you quickly took out Braixen. I guess if anything, it shows I'm still better at handling just one Pokemon than battling with two."

"Then, you'll need to learn to battle with two Pokemon properly."

Serena and Dawn turn around to find May entering the room with a soft smile on her face.

"May? What are you doing here?" Dawn asks.

"I thought I should have another talk with Serena after she lost," May explains.

"So, you knew I was going to lose?" Serena asks a little hurt.

"I had a feeling," May answers. "You looked like you have a fair idea of how to battle with two Pokemon but not enough to handle a pro like Dawn."

Serena frowns and looks down, saying, "Yeah. It's like I said to Dawn earlier; I've only had one double battle in my life up till today, and I didn't even finish it, so I felt so unprepared to do it in a Pokemon contest. I guess commanding more than one Pokemon is easier for me in a Pokemon showcase where you and your Pokemon have a whole routine planned and practiced hundreds of times, and you don't have to battle against other people and their Pokemon."

"I see. So we should have gone over that with you," May says before giving the honey-blonde girl a supportive smile. "Don't worry about it, Serena. You didn't know about double battles in Pokemon contests, but now you do. You just have to learn from this experience. That's all. I know it can be hard to learn something you're not prepared for in the middle of a competition. Believe me, I've been there."

"Me too," Dawn says assuredly. "Just ask Ash and Brock. They'll tell you all about how I competed in some contests where I didn't even make it past the appeal round."

"Really?" Serena asks, surprised.

"Yup," Dawn answers. "That's just the tough life of being a coordinator."

Serena smiles slightly, feeling a little better before she frowns and turns to May.

"So, is it normal for there to be combos during a double battle in the second stage?" She asks.

"Not quite, but it's a good thing to have with your Pokemon," May says. "If done right, they can cause a lot of damage to your opponent's team and earn a lot of appeal from the judges. Not to mention, the audience loves them."

Serena smiles and says, "Then I think that's something I want to work on next. I decided to compete in Pokemon contests so that I could grow more with my Pokemon and make people and Pokemon smile through my performances. I think - no, I know if I can figure out how to create combos with my Pokemon as I did in Kalos that entertain the crowd while at the same time helping me with battling other competitors, not only will it help me improve as a coordinator, but I'll come closer to my dream."

May and Dawn smile warmly at their honey-blonde friend. Then May puts her hand on Serena's shoulder and gives her a friendly but serious look.

"Then, from one girl to another, you better work very hard, Serena," she says honestly. "Because you are a wonderful performer, but you still have much to learn about being a coordinator."

Serena is taken aback by May's words for a moment before she smiles and says, "Right."

May nods, and the three of them stay silent for a moment before Serena sighs.

"Well, if I'm going to do what you suggest, then I better head to the Pokemon Center," she says. "Hopefully, Braixen and Absol will be healed up by the time the contest is over."

"Sounds good," May says approvingly.

"Be quick, though," Dawn says with a playful pout. "Don't you dare miss me winning my final ribbon."

"Right, and don't you dare win your ribbon before I get back," Serena calls out as she races out of the room and exits the building.

*******************************************

By the time Serena comes back from dropping off her Pokemon, the semifinals had started, and Dawn is battling against an old man who has a Houndoom and Raticate. The old man tries to do a Flamethrower and Super Fang combo, but it ended up blowing up in his face and give Dawn an easy chance to knock out his Pokemon.

The final match, however, is against a woman who appears to be much more prepared with her Jolteon and Grimer. She proves to be much more cunning by creatively blocking Piplup and Quilava's attacks with Sludge and Pin Missiles. Serena watches in awe as Dawn's opponent orders a Sludge Bomb and Thunder combo where Grimer belches out a giant ball of mud, and Jolteon hits it with Thunder, creating a powerful orb of mud and electricity that badly hurts Quilava and Piplup and takes away a good amount of Dawn's points.

Fortunately, halfway through the battle, Dawn starts to strike back. First, she has Quilava use Flame Wheel to create a long trail of fire and circle around Jolteon and Grimer to trap them, then she has Quilava use Flamethrower, and Piplup uses Bubble Beam on their opponents. Then Piplup and Quilava make a Flame Wheel and Drill Peck combo where the pair charges at their opponents close together and ram them with their respective moves. Finally, Dawn orders a Flamethrower and Bubble Beam combo and so Quilava and Piplup created a large stream of both attacks that hit Jolteon and Grimer hard. The Pokemon didn't faint, but they were badly hurt, and the judges took away a lot of the woman's points. In the end, time ran out, and the woman lost the majority of her points where Dawn only lost a little more than half, making her the winner of the contest.

Serena was amazed during the entire battle. The way the two coordinators managed to both create beautiful spectacles while trying to take down each other's Pokemon with two Pokemon was remarkable to her. At the same time, however, she still felt a little intimidated at how much she would have to focus on performing and battling at the same time with two Pokemon, thus sinking in how much she still has to learn.

After the contest ends, the entire group met up and went to the docks to see May and Max off.

"So, Max, are you ready to try to get your final badge?" Ash asks.

"What do you mean try, Ash?" Max asks. "I'm going to beat the gym leader without breaking a sweat."

"I don't' know. I don't think it will be that easy," Ash says. "Agatha runs the Viridian City gym and is also one of the members of the Elite Four. Pikachu and I had a brief battle with her, and boy was she tough. Right, buddy?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu says with a nod.

"Good," Max says confidently. "That means I'll have an idea of what to expect when I face the Elite Four after I win the Indigo League. Besides, the bigger the opponent, the greater the challenge, right, Ash?"

It takes a second before Ash realizes that Max is using his own words against him, and he starts laughing out loud.

"Right," he chuckles. "Still, though, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Of course," Max says with a nod.

May smiles at her brother before turning to Dawn and Serena.

"Well, I guess the next time I see you guys, it will be at Indigo Plateau," she says.

"Looks like it," Dawn says. "So, you better be ready when we do because victory at the Grand Festival is as good as mine."

"We'll see who defeats who, Dawn," May says before turning to Serena. "And Serena, remember what I said."

Serena nods with a smile and says, "I will. I'm going to get my last ribbon, and you'll see me at the top of my game at Indigo Plateau. You'll see."

"I'm looking forward to it," May says, smiling back.

The group hears the ferry let out its loud horn, and May and Max turn to each other, knowing it's time to get on.

"Alright. Take care, everyone," May says.

"You too, May," Brock says with a smile.

"And Max, don't forget I'm aiming to get my last badge at Viridian City too," Holly says with a smirk. "So don't forget that you'll have me to deal with also at the Indigo League."

"You got it, Holly," Max says with a smile as he and Max leave to get on the ship.

Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Holly, Serena, Dawn, and Piplup wave May and Max goodbye as the ferry begins its journey back to the mainland. Once they are out of sight, the group stays quiet for a moment until they turn to each other.

"So, do we have a plan for Cremini Town?" Ash asks, turning to Serena.

Serena takes out her tablet and looks through it before she says, "It looks like the ferry heading there is leaving at 10:30 sharp tomorrow. So we better get up really early to head there."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Holly says with a smile before turning to Brock with a flirty look. "In the meantime, I say the two of us should check out as many remaining tourist spots as we can for the rest of the day."

Brock smiles with his cheeks turning pink and says, "Lead the way, my lady."

The two adults giggle as they walk side by side, leaving the others behind without another word.

"I guess it's time to train some more for me," Ash says. "I gotta be at my best for the next time Timothy and I battle, and I know Boldore wants to get strong enough to evolve. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu agrees.

The raven-haired boy and his partner turn and leave to find a spot to train, leaving only Serena, Dawn, and Piplup left. Dawn sighs and shakes her head before turning to Serena.

"Typical Ash, ready to start training again," she says before giving Serena a teasing grin. "Just the way you like the guy of your dreams, right?"

Serena blushes furiously and gives the bluenette girl a frustrated pout.

"Dawn, stop that!" she shouts.

Dawn, however, giggles in response, and Serena slowly releases her angry glare to a smile and turns to where Ash and Pikachu disappeared.

"You're right, though. Ash is always eager to get stronger with his Pokemon," she says. "I can't wait until he faces Agatha again and feel ready to compete in the Indigo League again."

Dawn smiles at the way Serena stares at the direction where Ash and Pikachu left with a fond and blissful look. Then she picks up Piplup and nudges Serena.

"Well, too bad because fawning over him will have to wait," she says. "I need to tell my mom that I have all five of my ribbons and then practice for the Grand Festival, and you have to get ready to win your last ribbon."

Serena turns to Dawn and gives her a smirk and a nod.

"You're right," she said. "Braixen and Absol should be healed up at the Pokemon Center by now, so we need to get ready for the Pokemon contest at Cremini Town."

With that, the two girls and Piplup start making their way to do what they plan to do, determined to rehearse with their Pokemon for the rest of the day. As Serena heads to the Pokemon Center, she sees Dawn admiring her ribbon case containing all five of her contest ribbons and hopes that her final ribbon is not too far away.