Chapter 50

Serena has been working extra hard with her Pokemon as she, Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Holly journey to Indigo Plateau. Day after day, the honey-blonde girl practices in the morning before the group starts walking when they take a break for lunch, and at night before going to bed. No one has said a word to her about it because they know she's determined to make sure she's ready for the Grand Festival. Even when they're walking down the road, Serena has a cheerful yet determined look in her eyes.

Finally, the four trainers and Pikachu make their way to the top of a hill where they can see all of Indigo Plateau. Holly and Serena run ahead of Ash, Brock, and Pikachu to look in awe at the various buildings and the large lake.

"Wow, all of this is Indigo Plateau?" Holly asks.

"Sure is," Brock answers, smiling. "In fact, that stadium closest to us is the Indigo Stadium. That's where you and Ash will be if you make it past the preliminaries."

"Oh, I will make it past the preliminaries, alright," Holly claims. "I'm going to battle in that stadium, and you're going to cheer me on."

"I'm counting on it," Brock says, giving Holly a side hug.

"Hey, Serena, you see that stadium standing close to the lake?" Ash says, earning a nod from Serena. "That's the Auxiliary Stage. The building at the far right corner with the big Pokeball symbol is the Main Stage. The preliminaries take place in both of them, but the main competition is at the Main Stage."

"Wow, is that how they handled allowing two hundred and seventy people to compete when you came here to watch May compete?" Serena asks.

"Yup," Ash says with a nod. "And I bet there will be many more people competing with newcomers like you and Dawn and people from previous contest seasons who didn't win all five ribbons in time."

"Yeah, but only sixty-four of those people will actually compete in the main competition," Brock says.

"Fine by me," Serena says confidently. "Because I'm going to make it to the main competition, and I intend to win the whole thing with everybody loving every performance my Pokemon and I do along the way."

"That's what I like to hear, Serena," Ash says with a toothy grin.

"Pika, Pika," Pikachu says, smiling.

"Then let's not waste any more time!" Serena shouts. "Let's get over there already!"

"Right!" Ash, Brock, and Holly say simultaneously before they all run downhill to their destination.

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The four trainers and Pikachu make their way to the Main Stage building where already many coordinators are either outside practicing with their Pokemon or standing in three separate lines outside the front entrance to enter into the festival. The gang waits for almost an hour and a half until they make it to the front desk, where Serena shows the woman behind the desk all five of her ribbons and inserts her Pokedex in a slot to register Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, Poliwag, and Absol into the competition. Once Serena is all set to compete, the group gets out of the line, and Ash turns to the honey-blonde girl.

"So, what do you want to do?" he asks. "We could see if May, Max, and Dawn have arrived. Maybe Bonnie, Clemont, and your mom have made it here too."

Serena smiles and says, "That sounds wonderful, but why don't you guys go ahead and look? I need to make a phone call."

"Huh? To whom?" Brock asks.

"Palermo," Serena says. "I just realized that in all the excitement, I haven't called her at all to let her know how I'm doing in Kanto."

"That's a good idea," Ash says. "You better do that since she was the one who suggested that you compete in Pokemon contests."

"Exactly," Serena agrees. "So, you go ahead and look for everyone else while I make the call."

"Sound good," Holly says.

Thus, Ash, Brock, and Pikachu exit the building while Serena finds a wall full of video phones that are being used, sits down in front of an empty one, and enters Palermo's number. It rings a couple of times before Palermo appears on the screen.

"Serena, so good to hear from you," she says calmly. "To what do I owe this call?"

Serena smiles and takes out her ribbon case to show all five of her ribbons.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm about to enter the Kanto Grand Festival," she announces. "I just registered with all five contest ribbons I've won."

"That's wonderful news," Palermo says with a smile. "Was it hard to get used to competing in contests as opposed to showcases?"

"It was a little hard, but once I started to get the hang of it, it started to become fun," Serena answers. "I've learned a lot throughout my journey, and I've been growing stronger with Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, and my new Pokemon, Poliwag and Absol."

"Excellent," Palermo says. "It sounds like entering Pokemon contests has proven to be as beneficial to you as I've hoped."

"Yes, ma'am, it really has," Serena says. "I aim to make it all the way to the top."

"That's what I like to hear," Palermo says with a small but sincere smile. "Have you thought about what you're going to do after you compete?"

Serena's smile suddenly falters at that question. Her confidence seems to disappear before she looks away hesitantly.

"Well...uh… I haven't really thought about that," she admits.

"That's okay," Palermo says. "It's clear that you've been focusing on making it all the way to the Grand Festival, and it's probably for the best that you keep your eyes on the competition for right now. You should think about what you're going to do next after the festival, okay?"

Serena smiles, feeling a little better.

"Okay, I will," she says.

"Good," Palermo says with a small nod. "Now give it everything you've got out there, Serena. I'm counting on you."

"I will," Serena replies. "Give my best to Aria."

"Will do. Good luck," Palermo says.

Palermo disappears from the screen, and Serena stands up to meet the others outside. Once she is outside, she only has a moment to look for her friends before she hears a little girl screaming her name.

"Serena!"

Serena turns around just in time to see a familiar girl with bright blond hair jump into her arms and give the honey-blonde girl the biggest hug an eight-year-old child can muster while happily laughing out loud. Serena takes a moment to realize what is happening before she smiles brightly and hugs her friend back.

"Oh, Bonnie, it's so good to finally see you again!" she says happily.

"You too!" Bonnie exclaims as she pulls back to give her older friend a toothy smile. "I can't wait to see you perform!"

"I can't either," Serena says with a chuckle.

Serena looks past Bonnie to see that Clemont is standing a few yards away from them while having a conversation with Ash, Brock, and Holly. Serena breaks her hug with Bonnie as she continues their conversation.

"So, you have already met Brock and Holly?" she asks.

"Sure have," Bonnie says. "They're so cute together. I love how they're waiting until the Indigo League to officially get together. So romantic!"

"I know. Isn't it great?" Serena says.

Bonnie nods before she gives Serena a playful look.

"Speaking of romantic, how did it go with admitting your feelings with Ash?" Bonnie asks.

Serena's pupils shrink, and a blush emerges on her face before she looks away nervously.

"It...hasn't happened," she admits.

"What?! Are you kidding me?!" Bonnie shouts, annoyed. "How did you go on another journey with him and never once try to admit your feelings like you said you would?!"

"There just wasn't a good time," Serena says nervously. "After Ash decided to join me on my journey, I focused more on my goal of competing in Pokemon contests and supporting him with his rematches at various gyms throughout Kanto. And even then, he appears to be just as clueless about those kinds of feelings as ever."

"Aw, come on, Serena. You need to be more confident than that," Bonnie rebukes childishly. "I hoped you would be kissing by the time Clemont and I would see you two again."

Serena's blush grows, and she looks away from her small friend, playing with her fingers.

"Well...I might have kissed him once on the cheek...and then again on the cheek in front of our friends," she says bashfully.

Bonnie's face turns from pouty to filled with excitement as she screams, "You did?! When?!"

"Well, we were going back to our room at a Pokemon Center one night, and he fell asleep complimenting me on my cooking, and I felt so touched that I kissed him on the cheek," Serena explains. "A little while later, I told our friends May and Dawn, and they pushed me into kissing him publicly and formally thanking him for the compliment and for all of his support."

"And what did Ash do about that kiss?" Bonnie asks, ecstatic.

Serena sighs and says, "He just said that I didn't need to thank him, and that's what friends are for."

"Oh, come on!" Bonnie shouts before sighing in defeat. "Ash really is one dense guy."

"Tell me about it," Serena moans.

The two of them sigh simultaneously and stand around in silence before Serena realizes something.

"Hey, have either of you seen my mom? She said she was coming here too," she asks.

"Oh yeah, she came here with us," Bonnie answers, smiling again. "She left a while ago to book us a couple of rooms while Clemont and I look for you."

"I see," Serena says with a smile. "And how is Dedenne?"

Bonnie smiles brightly and holds up her yellow pouch.

"Dedenne, look who it is!" she says.

It takes a moment before a familiar little mouse Pokemon wakes up and emerges from the pouch before turning to Serena and smiling brightly.

"De, ne, ne, ne!" Dedenne says happily before it jumps out of the bag and into Serena's arms.

"I'm glad to see you too, Dedenne," Serena says as she hugs the little Pokemon.

"Hey, Serena," Clemont says as he, Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Holly walk over to her, Bonnie and Dedenne. Dedenne jumps out of Serena's arms and starts playing with Pikachu while the boy with glasses approaches Serena.

"Clemont. So good to see you," Serena says happily.

"You too," Clemont says with a friendly smile. "Are you all set to compete?"

"I sure am. I just registered a few minutes ago," Serena answers. "Now we're just waiting for our other friends, May, Max, and Dawn."

Clemont nods before he turns around and looks in confusion.

"Speaking of your friend, Dawn, is that her at the end of that line over there?" he asks, pointing past Serena.

Everyone else turns to where Clemont is pointing, and Ash and Serena's faces light up to see Dawn and Piplup standing at the very back of one of the lines. The two of them don't hesitate to run over to her while everyone else follows behind.

"Dawn!" Serena calls out.

"Hey, Dawn!" Ash shouts.

Dawn looks in confusion until she spots her friends running toward her. She smiles happily as Serena runs over to hug her before she and Ash exchange a high-five. Pikachu and Dedenne run over to Piplup, and the three of them start playing together.

"Hey, you guys. Nice to see you have made it," Dawn says before turning to the blonde siblings. "And if I recall correctly, you two are Clemont and Bonnie. Am I right?"

"That's right," Clemont answers. "Nice to meet you in person, Dawn."

"Yeah, same here," Bonnie says excitedly. "I have so many questions to ask you."

"Huh? You do?" Dawn asks.

"Of course," Bonnie replies before she leans closer to Dawn and mutters, "Mostly questions revolving around Serena and her pursuit of a certain dense someone."

Serena overhears what she's saying and gives Bonnie a disapproving glare. Dawn smirks at the little girl as a silent way of saying, "I'm going to like you. I can tell." Ash and Clemont, however, look at the three girls in confusion while Brock and Holly smirk at each other, having a good idea of what Bonnie secretly said. Serena pouts bitterly at the way things are turning against her and decides to change the subject.

"Dawn, have you seen May and Max around yet?" she asks.

Dawn smiles and says, "I have. In fact, May already registered this morning. She and Max are waiting for me at the Pokemon Center. We were planning to find you guys afterward if I didn't find you while waiting like I did right now."

"Excellent," Clemont says. "Then, since Bonnie and I were looking for Ash and Serena while Serena's mom is booking rooms for us, let's all go to the Pokemon Center together to meet up with her and your friends, May and Max."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Brock says.

"Me too," Ash says.

"Alright, Dawn. We'll all wait until you have registered," Serena says.

Dawn nods before she turns to the line and sighs sadly.

"Well, I'll be waiting for a while, so why don't we catch up while we wait?" Dawn suggests. "You guys can tell me how things went with Timothy's battle with Anabel."

"Great idea," Ash says excitedly. "It was such an awesome battle. You really missed out."

"Timothy, as in Ash's rival for the Indigo League?" Clemont asks.

"That's right," Dawn says. "Now stop advertising it, Ash, and tell me everything already."

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It took a couple of hours until Dawn finally made it to the end of the line, and by the time she finished registering, it has started to get dark, and Ash's stomach is growling for food. Thus, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne, Dawn, Brock, and Holly all walk together to the Indigo Plateau's seven-story Pokemon Center. As soon as they enter the building, Grace is revealed to have been waiting for them in the lobby, and Serena doesn't hesitate to run over to her mother to give her a hug.

"Oh, Mom, it's so good to see you," Serena says.

"It's so good to see you too, dear," Grace says before turning to Ash with a smirk. "Glad to see you've been taking good care of my daughter, young man."

"Don't worry, ma'am; Serena hasn't needed to be taken care of," Ash assures. "She's been taking care of herself just fine throughout our journey."

"Oh, really?" Grace says, turning to Serena with an impressed smirk.

"It's true, Mom," Serena says. "Although, the food would not have been so good without Brock traveling with us."

"Brock?" Grace asks, confused.

"That's me, madame," Brock says, politely stepping in. "I'm Brock from Pewter City, and this is my future girlfriend, Holly."

"Hi. Nice to meet you," Holly greets.

"Same to you," Grace says before giving the young adults a look of confusion. "But what do you mean, future girlfriend?"

But before Brock or Holly could say anything, May and Max come running towards everyone.

"Hey, you guys!" May calls out before she runs over to Serena for a hug.

"What took you so long?" Max asks.

"The lines were pretty long by the time I got there," Dawn complains. "I think I might have been too late to register if I took any longer to arrive."

"Well, the important thing is we're all here now," May says with a smile before turning to Clemont and Bonnie. "And who might you two be?"

"We're friends of Ash and Serena from the Kalos region," Clemont answers with a friendly smile. "My name is Clemont."

"Bonnie's my name, and this is Dedenne," Bonnie says while holding out her pouch to show her friend.

"De, ne, ne," Dedenne says.

Max's eyes widen, and he walks closer to Bonnie to look closer at Dedenne.

"Wow, so this is a Dedenne?" he asks. "I've never seen or heard of one before. What type is it?"

"Dedenne is a fairy and electric type," Bonnie answers proudly.

"Amazing," Max says as he adjusts his glasses while examining Dedenne. "So is Dedenne, your partner?"

Bonnie hesitates before she admits, "Not yet. Dedenne is currently Clemont's Pokemon until I'm old enough to become a trainer. Though I wish I were old enough already."

Max looks at the girl and smiles.

"I can relate to that. I actually just became a trainer a few months ago," he says.

Bonnie's eyes light up, and she steps closer to Max while hugging her bag containing Dedenne.

"You did?!" she asks excitedly. "Do you have any gym badges?"

"Yup," Max states proudly as he takes out his badge case and reveals he has all eight badges. "I just got my last badge before we came here."

"That's awesome, Max," Ash says, stepping in. "Now, we can face each other at the Indigo League."

"Yep, and I can't wait for that, Ash," Max says with a smile.

"Oh, can I see your Pokemon?" Bonnie begs, "Please, please, please, please pleeeeaaaassseee?!"

Max hesitates at the abrupt request but ultimately gives in to the way Bonnie is begging with her big blue eyes.

"Uh...yeah, sure," he says, chuckling nervously before he tosses six Pokeballs into the air. "Come out, everyone!"

The six balls open mid-air, and out comes a Sceptile, Gallade, Rhydon, Kabutops, Arcanine, and Pinsir. Bonnie's eyes light up, and she immediately runs over to Arcanine to pet it happily.

"They're all so cute!" she giggles. "Especially this, Arcanine!"

Arcanine growls, enjoying the affection.

"Huh? You find all of my Pokemon to be cute?" Max says, failing to see how the girl could find his other five Pokemon to be cute.

"Bonnie has special taste when it comes to finding Pokemon to be attractive," Clemont says with a nervous chuckle. "Having said that, you seem to have a very strong team, Max."

"I'll say," Ash says. "It's awesome to know that Grovyle is a Sceptile and that you did find a Dawn Stone."

"Yep. Not to mention Rhyhorn is a Rhydon, so it won't be going after Serena again," Max says, giving his rock-and-ground-type Pokemon a disapproving glare.

Rhydon looks away bashfully, and Serena covers her mouth to hide a chuckle, overhearing their conversation. Bonnie keeps petting Arcanine until she realizes something and walks over to Max.

"Hey, can any of your Pokemon mega evolve?" she asks, her face leaning close to Max's face.

Max's eyes widen, and his cheeks turn slightly pink at how close Bonnie is. He takes a step away from the little girl and clears his throat.

"I'm afraid not," he says. "I wish I could find a keystone and the mega stones I need for Sceptile, Gallade, and Pinsir to mega evolve."

"That makes sense since most mega stones are only in the Kalos region," Clemont says, giving Max a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, but even so, I love my team, and we're all determined to win the Indigo League," Max says before turning to his Pokemon. "Right, guys?"

Sceptile, Gallade, Rhydon, Kabutops, Arcanine, and Pinsir all let out proud cries.

"Right, that's the spirit, Max," Ash compliments. "But remember, I'm not planning to lose to you."

"I'm counting on that, Ash," Max says.

But before anyone can say anything else, Ash's stomach suddenly begins to rumble loud enough for the entire group to hear, and he chuckles nervously.

"Sorry, everyone. Guess it's time for dinner."

Everyone chuckles before Grace steps in.

"In that case, let's all go out to eat," she suggests.

"Sounds good to me," Brock says.

"Me too," Holly says.

May's stomach begins to grumble, and she moans before she says, "Me three."

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After Max returns his Pokemon back into their Pokeballs, everyone goes to a restaurant not far from the Pokemon Center and combines a couple of tables so that the three adults and seven kids can eat together while Brock gives Pikachu, Piplup, and Dedenne each a bowl of Pokemon food. Grace eats close to Brock, Holly, and Ash to hear about the two soon-to-be couple and everything the three of them have been through on their journey. Clemont and Max sit close to Ash so that the three boys can talk nonstop about Pokemon battles and the Indigo League. At the end of the table, Bonnie, Serena, Dawn, and May sit together, and Bonnie asks all sorts of questions to Dawn and May about Serena's feelings for Ash.

"So, it was all your idea to get Serena to kiss Ash while he is wide awake, May?" Bonnie asks, invested.

"Yup. I made a bet that if she lost the contest battle against me or if she refused the challenge, then I would come over to Ash and peck him on the cheek," May answers. "She may have beaten me to it even though she lost the battle against me, but hey, if it got my friend to take a step toward confessing her feelings for Ash, that's fine by me."

Bonnie looks at May in awe as if the coordinator from Hoenn did an amazing magic trick in front of the little girl.

"That's genius!" she praises. "I wish I thought of that. Maybe I could have gotten our friends Shauna and Nini to try something like that ages ago. Maybe Miette would have helped, too."

"No!" Serena shrieks.

Bonnie, May, and Dawn turn to her, and she clears her throat, embarrassed by her outburst.

"I mean, I'm sure I don't need someone like Miette to help me with my predicament," she says calmly.

"Oh, Serena, who are you kidding?" Dawn says, shaking her head. "At this rate, you'll need the whole world to help you say how you feel about him."

"But then again, if it takes the whole world to get her to say it, how much will it take to stop Ash from being so dense?" May asks with a sigh. "Let's face it, girls, our friend needs a miracle or two."

"Well, I'm not giving up," Bonnie declares. "I'm going to make sure my friend says something to the guy she likes before Clemont, and I go home if it's the last thing I do."

Serena sighs, slightly annoyed by her friend's persistence, but she soon smiles appreciatively, knowing Bonnie wants to support her just like May and Dawn.

"That's the spirit, Bonnie," May says cheerfully until she realizes something. "Speaking of which, though, have you or Ash talked about what you two are going to do after the Indigo League?"

Serena winces and looks away sadly.

"No, we haven't," she says. "In fact, I don't even know what I'm going to do to further pursue my goal after the Grand Festival."

"Really?" Dawn says.

"Well, that should be easy, shouldn't it?" Bonnie says optimistically. "After you compete in the Grand Festival and Ash competes in the Indigo League, you two can just go compete in the Pokemon contest and league in another region, right?"

"Maybe," Serena says. "But I don't know if Ash will want that."

"Why wouldn't he?" Dawn asks. "I mean, his dream is to become a Pokemon Master, right?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean he's going to reenter every single league he's competed at, allowing me to keep traveling with him," Serena says. "I'm worried that we may have to part ways eventually. He means so much to me, but if I go with him to someplace just for the sake of being with him, even if that path doesn't benefit my dream, I feel like I would be betraying everything I've become."

Bonnie, May, and Dawn stare at their friend silently. Neither of them knows how to respond to what Serena has said. Eventually, May takes Serena's hand and gives the honey-blonde girl a supportive look.

"I still think you should tell him sometime, Serena," she says. "You may not get to keep traveling together, but you may regret it if you never tell him anything."

Serena frowns and looks down at her food.

"I suppose you're right," she admits. "I would never forgive myself if I never say anything after everything we've been through."

Bonnie and Dawn nod in agreement and pat their friend on the back. Serena gives all three girls an appreciative smile before they all go back to their food. The four of them eat for a couple of minutes before a waiter walks over to May.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he says. "But I was asked to give you this."

May looks at him in confusion as the waiter takes out a deep red rose and hands it to her. The brunette girl holds it out and looks at it in awe before turning to the waiter.

"You were asked to give this to me?" she asks.

"Yes, ma'am," the waiter answers. "A young boy told me to give this to you and says he hopes to face you again at the festival."

Without another word, the waiter walks away, leaving the four girls confused.

"Some guy who is competing at the festival gave you a rose?" Bonnie asks.

"Who would do something like that?" Serena asks.

"Maybe it's a secret admirer," Dawn says with a teasing smirk.

May's pupils shrink, and she gasps sharply in realization.

"Oh, my goodness, I know who sent this," she says.

"Who?" Dawn, Bonnie, and Serena ask at the same time.

"My rival, Drew," May answers. "He tends to give me a rose before a competition."

"Oh, just you?" Bonnie asks with a teasing grin. "Sounds like he likes you, May."

A blush forms on May's face, and she bashfully plays with the soft leaf attached to the stem of her rose.

"It...it's not like that, you guys," she says.

"Oh, really? Your blush says otherwise," Dawn says with a grin.

"Come on, May, tell us about him. What's he like?" Serena asks, smiling.

"I'm not telling," May says defensively. "You'll just have to find out at the Grand Festival.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that, May," Bonnie says with a pout. "You just told Serena to be open about her feelings for Ash, so you should lead an example and tell us how you feel about this guy."

"Yeah, come on, May. Tell us about Drew," Dawn says. "What's he like? Is he good-looking? Is he charming? Has he implied to have any feelings for you?"

May struggles to respond to either of Dawn's questions. She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing but incoherent sounds come out of her mouth. Dawn, Bonnie, and Serena all wait for their friend to answer, with Serena secretly glad that this turn of events has turned the focus away from her problem. But as May tries to answer, another waiter walks over to their table and clears his throat to gain their attention.

"Excuse me, madams," he says, eyeing May and Serena. "I have been asked to give you these."

The waiter takes out two black roses with thorns covering the stems, startling May and Serena before they awkwardly take them by the leaves. Dawn looks at May's black rose in confusion while Bonnie gets off her seat and walks over to Serena's side to observe her rose.

"What a strange-looking rose," Dawn says.

"Do you have any idea who would want to give that to you, Serena?" Bonnie asks.

"No, I don't," Serena answers. "I don't know anyone who would -"

But before Serena could finish her sentence, both roses explode, making all four girls jump in alarm, and little springs stick out from the center of the roses.

"What in the world is this?" Serena asks.

"Oh, no," May says, staring at her black rose in horror.

"What? What is it?" Dawn asks.

"I know who sent this," May says fearfully. "Oh, I was hoping Harley wasn't going to compete."

"Harley?" Serena asks, confused.

"Harley is this really strange coordinator with effeminate mannerisms," May explains. "He has a tendency to humiliate his opponents publicly and purposely give inaccurate information to them. The last time I competed at the Kanto Grand Festival, he decided to cross-dress as me, and it was the most horrifying thing I've ever seen in my life. Oh, I'm not ready to deal with him again."

"But why would he give me a rose?" Serena asks, confused. "I've never met anyone that fits this Harley's description before."

"He may have seen you compete in Pokemon contests," May says. "Maybe he sees you as a formidable foe and wants to show you that you're as much his target as I am."

"Uh, that doesn't sound good," Dawn says.

"It's horrible," May says before giving Serena a worried look. "Serena, whatever you do, don't listen to a word Harley says. If he tries anything to embarrass you, fight through it. It's just his own dirty means to get to you. I don't care if he somehow finds out how you feel about Ash and tries to use it against you. If he does anything, don't let him get to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Serena says while still not entirely sure what May means.

"Good," May says, feeling a little better. "Now, with that said, let's give it our all tomorrow, girls. We can't let petty tricks like this get the better of us."

"Right," Serena and Dawn say before the three of them, and Bonnie go back to their food.

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The next day, everyone gets up bright and early for breakfast at the Pokemon Center before they all head over to the Main Stage building. Grace and May hug Serena and Max, respectively, while Ash gives Dawn a high five. The three girls follow the other coordinators backstage while Grace, Max, and Ash head to the stands with Brock, Holly, Clemont, and Bonnie. May, Dawn, and Serena walk over to a contest official, asking to direct them on which building they will be competing in during the preliminary round between the Main Hall and the Auxiliary Stage. The official looks them up on his clipboard and smiles as he says that all three of them are scheduled to perform on the Main Stage. So, the three of them stay in the waiting room with countless other coordinators while they wait patiently for the contest to start.

Finally, after about half an hour of waiting, the TVs on the walls turn on to reveal fireworks exploding in the sky and the audience from both stadiums cheering. Lilian appears on stage and turns on her mic before speaking.

"Good morning, all you wonderful contest fans!" she begins. "It's time to witness the love between some very talented coordinators and their Pokemon! The Indigo Plateau Grand Festival is about to get underway, so let's do it!"

The audience screams in excitement as Lilian continues.

"Folks, you're in for Kanto's biggest Grand Festival yet!" she says. "We have a grand total of three hundred and fifteen coordinators putting their reputations on the line!"

"Wow, three hundred and fifteen?" Dawn says in amazement. "That's insane!"

"You can say that again," Serena says.

"And the person who comes out on top gets the ribbon trophy!" Lilian says as she shows a large, golden trophy standing on top of a brown table. "This trophy shows everyone around the world that the owner is Top Coordinator! And we're here to find out who that is!"

"That is a big trophy," Serena comments.

"Oh, I can't wait to bring that beauty back home to Twinleaf Town," Dawn says in a giddy voice.

"We'll see who wins the trophy, Dawn," May says with a smirk.

"And now it's time to introduce some familiar faces!" Lilian says. "First, we have the beloved head of the organizing committee, Mr. Contesta! Next, we have the head of the Pokemon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo! Third, we have Indigo Plateau's very own Nurse Joy! And last but not least, we have a return special guest judge who is the emcee for the Hoenn contests and my big sister, Vivian!"

The crowd cheers loudly for all four judges. The judges all smile and wave, with all of them expressing their excitement for the Grand Festival. Suddenly, May, Dawn, and Serena see a little girl running toward Vivian on TV, and they all look in shock to see that it's Bonnie.

"What in the world is Bonnie doing there?" Dawn asks.

Serena chuckles nervously and says, "I think I have a good idea."

The three of them stare at the TV as Bonnie tugs Vivian's dress, earning the woman's attention, and gets down on one knee.

"Excuse me, Vivian, you're a keeper! Please take care of my big brother, Clemont!" Bonnie asks out loud, holding out her hand with a smile. "Clemont can be a big goof sometimes, so he needs someone like you to take care of him. You could be my big brother's wife, okay?"

Everyone on the stage turns to Bonnie and stares at her awkwardly. Suddenly, Clemont runs over to the stage, wearing his large backpack with his face blood red.

"BONNIE, I TOLD YOU TO STOP THIS A MILLION TIMES!!!" He screams.

He presses a button, and his mechanical Aipom arm comes out of his backpack and picks up Bonnie. He starts running away as fast as he can, carrying Bonnie away.

"I hope you'll think about it!" Bonnie calls out cheerfully.

"IGNORE HER!!! THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING!!!" Clemont wails in humiliation.

"Uh...I take it this happened a lot when you were traveling with them?" May asks Serena.

"Oh yes," Serena says, shaking her head. "Honestly, I should have considered the possibility that Bonnie would do that."

On TV, the stadium is completely silent for several seconds until Lilian clears her throat and tries to regain the energy.

"Anyway, it's time for the preliminary round, where all of our three hundred and fifteen contestants have the chance to show off their Pokemon's favorite moves!" she shouts.

It takes a moment before the audience eventually begins to cheer and applaud again at her announcement.

"So, while we bring our coordinators onto our two big stages, let's also bring out three of our fabulous Nurse Joys who will be doing the honor of grading all our Pokemon!!" Lilian continues as three Nurse Joy appears on the Auxiliary stage. "Based on the result of their grades combined with the results from their judges, we will reduce the field to an elite group of sixty-four coordinators who will return tomorrow!"

"Wow, so two hundred and fifty-one are only going to perform once and get sent home?" Dawn says.

"That's right. And during this round, we can only show off one move from one of our Pokemon," May says.

"Only one?!" Serena and Dawn say simultaneously.

"Only one," May repeats. "So, if you two want to make it to the next round with me, then you better think about what move you want to use to get yourself there."

Dawn and Serena look at each other in shock before they look away to immediately start thinking of what Pokemon to use and what move to focus on while Lilian speaks again.

"Without further ado, let's get round one started, where only the elite meet and compete!" she announces. "So, sit back, and let's watch some talented coordinators as they show off their most brilliant moments! So, let's get busy!"

The spectators from both stadiums let out a deafening cheer as the roof of the Main Stage stadium opens to reveal the bright blue sky, and a girl enters the stage and tosses a Pokeball to reveal a Bellossom. From the TV next to the one that May, Dawn, and Serena have been watching, a teenage boy enters the stage and takes out a Pupitar from his Pokeball. The three girls and all the coordinators standing behind them watch intently as the Bellossom and Pupitar amaze the audience with a Petal Dance and Hyper Beam, respectively. As the crowd cheers and the judges give the coordinators good scores, Serena frowns and thinks hard about what she's going to do.

"Who am I going to choose, and what move will I use?" she thinks. "I could have Braixen use Flamethrower to create a large circle of fire. Maybe make a field of blue stones with Pancham's Stone Edge? Sylveon with Swift? Make another big bubble with Poliwag? Maybe Night Slash or Perish Song with Absol? What do I do?"

The honey blonde girl moans quietly, feeling like she's giving herself a headache from all the worry. She turns to her friends to see that Dawn is also showing a hint of unease in her eyes as she watches the performances. May, on the other hand, appears to be focused, already knowing what move she's going to use and with what Pokemon. Serena grows nervous at the way May is displaying confidence before she shakes her head and tries to keep it together.

"I can't worry about who I'm going to choose," she thinks to herself. "What's important is that I trust in my Pokemon and give everyone a performance that will fill them with joy. I need to think less about what I can do to wow the judges and more on how I can make everyone beam in happiness. I need to think about what the best move would be to do it."

She thinks hard and long about her decision as coordinators from both stadiums show their Pokemon's moves. One by one, they give it their all with the scores varying mostly between seventy to ninety-one points. As they watch the competition, a backstage person comes to Serena.

"Serena, you're going to be up in three minutes," he says.

"Okay, thank you," Serena says politely.

May and Dawn turn to their friend, and May says, "Give it everything you've got, Serena."

"Yeah, and don't forget to smile," Dawn adds.

"I won't, Dawn. I promise," Serena says with a smile as she follows the backstage person down the hall.

At the end of the hall, another coordinator is waiting to go into the field. As one coordinator renters the hall after competing and the person in front of Serena runs on stage, Serena mentally makes her decision of what to do when it's her turn. She takes out a Pokeball and holds it close to her while she watches the coordinator on stage surprise the crowd with his Yanma using Ancient Power. The crowd cheers, and the judge gives him a score of eighty-seven before he exits the stage, and Lilian steps up.

"And now, from all the way from Vaniville Town in the Kalos region, it's Serena!" She shouts.

Serena takes a deep breath before she runs into the stage with a big smile. She gives the audience a happy wave before she throws her Pokeball into the air.

"Go, Sylveon!" She shouts.

The Pokeball opens, and Sylveon does several flips before landing on the ground perfectly for everyone to see.

"Sylveon, use Fairy Wind just like we practiced!" Serena instructs.

Sylveon puts its feelers together and summons a pink gust of wind. The gust of wind grows bigger and bigger until Sylveon has created a tornado of pink wind large enough to reach the top stands of the stadium for everyone to see. The judges and the audience watch in awe as the tornado keeps spinning in pink dust that starts to sparkle in different colors. Finally, with a gesture from both of Serena's hands, Sylveon lifts up its feelers, and the tornado rises up to nearly touching the ceiling before it separates into smaller orbs, and they all explode into giant, pink fireworks. The audience oohs and aahs in amazement before Serena and Sylveon make a pose and the audience roars in applause. The judges join in the applause and give Serena a total score of ninety-two. The honey-blonde girl and her beloved Pokemon give the audience a bow before they run back into the hall, and Serena returns Sylveon to its Pokeball. With a thrilled smile on her face, Serena makes it back to the waiting room where May and Dawn are waiting for her.

"Serena, that was amazing!" Dawn praises.

"Yeah, I've never seen Fairy Wind used that way," May compliments. "And that was a really good score, too."

"Thank you, you guys," Serena says happily. "I honestly feel wonderful. I'm so glad to have done that with Sylveon."

"I bet. I'm sure you made it to the next round, no problem," Dawn says. "In fact, I better aim to get a score just as high if not higher."

"I wouldn't worry about how high Serena's score is yet, Dawn," May advises. "But I admit Serena's chances are good with a ninety-two score."

Serena nods and turns to Dawn, who suddenly has a serious look on her face. Serena looks at her friend, puzzled until she turns to where Dawn is looking and gasps. In the TV that's showing the performances at the Auxiliary Stage, Giselle is standing tall and proud as her Espeon releases a powerful Psybeam.

"Looks like Giselle got her last two ribbons just in time," Dawn says dryly.

"So, this is the girl, Giselle, that you were talking about, Serena?" May asks.

"Yes, that's her," Serena answers. "And I wouldn't put it past her if she is really hoping to face me again here."

"I see," May says.

Just then, another backstage person approaches Dawn and says, "Dawn, it's going to be your turn soon."

"Okay, I'll be right there," Dawn says before turning to her friends. "Alright, it's my time to shine. Wish me luck, guys."

"Good luck, Dawn," Serena says, smiling.

"Knock them dead, Dawn," May encourages.

Dawn gives them a gleeful smile before she follows the backstage person to the end of the hall. Once the blunette girl is out of sight, May and Serena turn back to the TVs, where the judges just gave Giselle a score of ninety.

"Looks like she's likely going to make it to the next round," Serena sighs.

May nods in agreement and continues watching until her eyes widen, and she groans.

"Oh great, there's Harley," she moans.

Serena looks at her friend in confusion before the looks at the TV showing the Auxiliary Stage again to find a tall man with purple hair dressed to look like a Cacturne entering the stage, blowing kisses at the crowd in an over-the-top manner. He moves like a ballerina as he tosses a Pokeball into the air, and it opens to reveal a Banette. The Banette raises its arms, and three blue balls of flames appear around it. Before the crowd has a moment to admire the display, the man's Banette suddenly eats all three balls of fire in one bite, and it takes a couple of seconds before the ghost Pokemon's body is surrounded in flames. The Banette starts dancing in circles while still on fire while the purple-haired man watches happily with his hands clasped together like a mother watching her child in a school play. The crowd applauds, the judges give him a score of ninety-one, and the man laughs joyously in a high-pitched voice before returning Banette to its Pokeball and leaving the stage.

Serena frowns before turning to May, who is visibly unsettled.

"So, that's the guy who gave us those roses?" Serena asks. "I hate to admit it, but he's good."

"I know," May whines with dread filling her voice. "He's a good coordinator, but he's unpredictable as a person. I wish he wouldn't keep going to the same competitions I compete in. And I especially wish he didn't pick you to be another one of his targets."

Serena gives her friend a sad smile and says, "Don't worry, May. I won't let whatever this Harley has up his sleeve get the better of me. I'm going to keep in mind everything you said about him last night. I promise."

"I hope you do, Serena," May says seriously. "And I really hope he gets disqualified from the competition; the sooner, the better."

Serena nods before the two of them go back to watching the TVs just in time to see Dawn enter the stage. Their bluenette friend tosses a Pokeball into the air, and Piplup proudly comes out with a spin. Dawn makes a command that May and Serena can't hear from the TV, and the little penguin Pokemon points its head up and uses Bubble Beam. The bubbles in the air start to collide and form a large bubble that becomes so big that it grows large enough for everyone in the stands to see it clearly. Piplup keeps it up until Dawn makes a command, and it stops using Bubble Beam. The large bubble stays afloat for a moment until it bursts into sparkles of many colors. The crowd cheers out loud, and the judges give her a score of ninety-three. Dawn and Piplup run into each other and happily embrace, joyous of their score before they leave the field. It isn't long before the blunette girl and her Pokemon run back to the waiting room to meet up with Serena and May, who are both impressed.

"Dawn, that was remarkable," Serena praises. "That must have taken a lot of work to time it just right."

"You have no idea," Dawn says. "After I watched you and Poliwag used your battle against me to make your own performance out of making a large bubble, I knew I had to step up my game."

"Well, it paid off. That was really beautiful, Dawn," May compliments. "Now, we just need to see how my performance goes, and hopefully, we'll all make it to the next round together."

"Agreed," Serena and Dawn say at the same time.

May nods at her two friends, and the three of them turn to go back to watching the TV to look at the other performances. Once again, the performances range from great to okay, and even some of the coordinators score less than seventy points much to their dismay. As the contest continues with most of the contestants gone, Dawn begins to grow bored and decides to amuse herself by turning to May with a teasing smirk.

"So, May, are you wondering when your guy, Drew, is going to perform?" She asks.

May glares at Dawn with her cheeks turning red.

"I told you, it's not like that," she barks.

"But you are wondering, aren't you?" Dawn points out. "Come on, we're friends. You can tell us."

May struggles to say something, but the words fail to come out of her mouth. Just then, a backstage person walks in and approaches May.

"May, you're on soon," she says.

May lets out a happy sigh of relief and says, "Thank you," before turning to Serena and Dawn, who pouts bitterly at the backstage person.

"You won't escape me, May. You'll have to cave sometime," Dawn says, shaking her fist.

"Don't count on it, Dawn," May says with a smirk. "Wish me luck, guys."

"Good luck, May!" Serena calls out as their friend follows the backstage person in the hall before turning to Dawn. "Seriously, Dawn, don't you think you're overdoing it?"

"And why shouldn't I?" Dawn challenges. "It's clear May feels something for this guy, so shouldn't she at least tell us about him? I mean, at least you don't try to hide your feelings from your friends."

Serena hesitates and reluctantly sighs in defeat, admitting Dawn has a point. The two of them go back to watching the TVs, waiting for May to soon appear next on the Main Stage. As they are waiting, however, they hear an announcement from the other TV that instantly catches their interest.

"And now for our next contestant! From LaRousse City, please welcome Drew!"

The two girls instantly turn to the second TV to see a green-haired guy give a proud smile as he tosses a Pokeball, and a Roserade appears. The green-haired boy points at his Pokemon and appears to be shouting before his Roserade summons a Petal Dance. The bouquet Pokemon spins around repeatedly as a tornado of pink petals spins around gracefully, letting the audience watch each and every petal move around as if they are dancing as they spin. Serena and Dawn watch the display in awe before the Roserade stops spinning and the petals disappear. The crowd goes wild, and the green-haired boy and his Pokemon give their audience a respectable bow while the judges give them a ninety-six-point score.

"Wow, that was awesome," Dawn says. "So, this is the Drew that gave May her red rose?"

"It looks like it," Serena says. "Clearly, he's a pro when it comes to Pokemon coordinating."

"No, kidding," Dawn agrees.

"And now, from Petalburg City, please welcome our next contestant, May!" Lilian says from the first TV.

Serena and Dawn immediately snap out of their thoughts on Drew and turn back to watch May run onto the stage.

"Come on, May!" Serena cheers.

"You got this, May!" Dawn shouts.

May throws a Pokeball into the air, and her Blaziken comes out with a powerful glare in its eyes. May tosses several frisbees high into the air, and with the end of its leg set ablaze, Blaziken jumps into the air and spin kicks at all of the frisbees, smashing them into thousands of burned pieces. As soon as Blaziken lands on the ground perfectly, the crowd cries out in thunderous applause, and the judges give May and Blaziken a ninety-five-point score. May happily waves at the audience as they cheer while Blaziken merely smirks proudly before its partner returns it into its Pokeball. Serena and Dawn stare in awe before they turn to see May running toward them in the hall with a giddy smile on her face.

"May, that was incredible," Serena praises.

"I know!" May squeals happily. "Blaziken and I worked so hard to perfect that. I was so nervous that it was going to miss one of the frisbees that I could have just died."

"Well, you didn't look so nervous when you were out there," Dawn says before giving her friend another teasing smirk. "And you were just one point behind your boyfriend, Drew, too."

May grinds her teeth and turns red both in frustration and in embarrassment, Before she shouts that Drew is not her boyfriend, however, her face softens as she realizes the other half of what May just said.

"Just one point behind?" She says. "You mean Drew already performed?"

"I'm afraid so," Serena says, giving her friend a sad smile. "He performed at the other stadium just before you did."

May frowns sadly and says, "I wish I could have seen it. I bet it was a wonderful performance."

"It sure was," Serena confirms. "He used his Roserade, who displayed this beautiful Petal Dance."

May looks at Serena and smiles.

"Yeah, that sounds like Drew," she says. "Roserade is his partner, so I don't doubt that the two of them gave it their all to make it to the next round."

"Plus, that means you'll definitely have time to see him some more before the next round," Dawn adds. "I'm sure that's more than enough time to introduce him to two of your friends who might help you two get together."

May glares at Dawn with an irritated pout, but the moment is interrupted when she hears another announcement coming from the second TV.

"Let's move on to our next contestant from Pewter City who won the Grand Festival two years ago; it's Solidad!"

May's eyes widen, and her head snaps to the second TV as she watches a woman with salmon hair. The field has turned into a pool of water, and the woman stands on a platform in the middle of the pool as she tosses a Pokeball into the air, and a Lapras comes out. Lapras splashes into the pool violently, creating a wave of water, and simultaneously freezes it into place, creating a glorious pillar of ice. Serena and Dawn look at what is happening in confusion before the announcer at the Axillary Stage stadium speaks again.

"Amazing! Lapras once again amazes the audience with Sheer Cold, and the result is even more beautiful than it was before!" the announcer praises.

"Wow, Solidad is just as talented as ever," May says, staring at the screen in awe.

"You know this person, May?" Dawn asks.

"Yes, Solidad is the coordinator who beat me in the semifinals and won the tournament the last time I was here at Indigo Plateau," May answers. "She's amazing at what she does and is very powerful. I barely took away any of her points before she knocked out my Munchlax and Blazkien back when it was a Combuskin. I was so devastated that I couldn't help but cry afterward. Drew even experienced his first loss against her and cried when she won."

"Wait, if she won the tournament, then why is she here now?" Serena asks. "Shouldn't she be focused on winning other Grand Festivals or something?"

"That's what Max and I thought when we bumped into her on the way to Vermillion City for his gym battle there," May says. "Apparently, she wants to keep competing whether she's already won a Grand Festival in Kanto or not, so she was traveling through Kanto to win five more ribbons so that she can compete this year."

"I see. That seems a little strange if you've already won," Dawn comments.

"I know, but I'm honestly very happy that she is," May says, confusing her friends. "You see, I have never faced an opponent as powerful as Solidad before or since that day. I've lost to other trainers in other big events since, like when you defeated me at the Wallace Cup, Dawn, but I've never come across anyone as powerful or as cunning as Solidad. I hope we can face each other during the battle stage again because I plan to win this time if we do."

Serena stares at May for a moment before she smiles at nods.

"Then I hope you get your chance, May," she says.

"Thanks, Serena," May says appreciatively.

Just as she finishes her sentence, the crowd cheers again as the last person performs on the main stage, and Lilian steps up.

"Let's hear it for all three hundred and fifteen coordinators who have performed!" She shouts.

The audience applauds again before she continues.

"And now the 64 contestants who will compete in the next round will appear on screen!" Lilian announces.

As soon as the announcement is made, the TVs turn blank, and images of several coordinators start to appear, beginning with Solidad. May, Dawn, and Serena huddle together, equally praying that they are all going to appear, with Piplup hugging Dawn's leg. Drew soon appears on the screen, followed by May, much to her relief. Dawn and Serena, on the other hand, keep their eyes glued to the TV as the empty space on the screen grows shorter.

"Please, please, please, please," Serena mentally prays.

Finally, on the last row of images, Dawn and Serena appear together, eventually followed by Harley and Giselle at the end of the row. It takes a moment for the girls to realize what is happening before all three of them cheer loudly.

"Alright! We made it! We all made it!" They shout together.

"Piplup!" Piplup cheers.

The audience can be heard cheering from the TV speakers as the image changes to Lilian again.

"I'm sure all 64 contestants on-screen will all give excellent performances tomorrow!" She shouts. "We will see you all then!"

The crowd applauds one last time before Lilian, and the judges leave the field, and everyone else begins to disperse.

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

It doesn't take too long before May, Dawn, Piplup, and Serena find Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, Max, Grace, Brock, and Holly. Max and Bonnie run to hug May and Serena respectively before Grace walks over to hug her daughter as well. Afterward, they all go to the Pokemon Center together, where the three girls give Blaziken, Piplup, and Sylveon bowls of Pokemon food, and they happily start eating.

"Eat as much as you want, you guys," May says with a smile.

"I bet you three must be relieved that the first round is over," Grace says with a smirk.

"Oh, you have no idea," Dawn says with a big sigh. "It's so hard to pick just one move that will allow you to keep going,"

"You said it," Serena agrees.

"Well, I think you all did great. Especially you, Serena," Ash says, scratching his nose.

"O-oh, thank you, Ash," Serena says as she blushes and looks away from him, earning teasing looks from May and Dawn.

"I agree with Ash," Clemont says, not noticing Serena's bashfulness. "You all created wonderful performances."

"I'll say. They were so pretty!" Bonnie exclaims.

"De, ne, ne, ne!" Dedenne says in agreement.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu says, nodding.

"Yeah, but you three should be on your guard," Brock suggests with his hand on Holly's shoulder. "It's going to be harder from here."

"He's right, you know," says a voice coming behind everyone.

The group turns around to find Solidad walking over to May, Dawn, and Serena with a friendly smirk on her face. She glances at Ash, Max, and Brock to greet them silently before turning directly to Serena.

"So, you're Serena," she says. "May told me about you. The use of Fairy Wind with your Sylveon was nicely done."

"Thank you, ma'am," Serena says.

Solidad turns to Dawn and says, "And that was a creative use of Bubble Beam, Dawn. You timed it well."

"Thanks," Dawn says.

Finally, Solidad turns to May and says, "And that was a spectacular use of Blaze Kick, May. You clearly have gotten stronger with your Pokemon. I can't wait to see more."

May stares in awe, taken aback by the compliment.

"Thank you, Solidad," she says. "Don't worry. I'm just getting started."

"I'd expect nothing less from my rival," Solidad says before turning to the other girls. "All the same, Brock is right when he says to stay on your guard. You made it this far, but the battle is just beginning."

"Right," Serena and Dawn say simultaneously.

Solidad nods in approval, knowing that the girls understand her warning. As Serena softly pets Sylveon while it eats, she turns to Clemont, Bonnie, Grace, and especially Ash. The two blonde siblings smile warmly while her mom nods, but Ash gives her a toothy grin for support while Pikachu is on his shoulder. She smiles back, thankful to have all of them there to support and hopes that wherever Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu are, they are taking the time to watch the Grand Festival and cheer her on as well.