Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

TEAM ROSTER

-Team 1 (Galar): Ash, Goh, Chloe, Bea, Sheena, Baraz, Raihan, Sonia, Nessa, Kabu

-Team 2 (Sinnoh): Serena, Dawn

-Team 3: TBA

-Team 4: TBA

-Team 5: TBA

-Team 6: TBA

-Team 7: TBA

-Team 8: TBA

Team Rocket HQ
KANTO REGION

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If you're just joining us, you're looking at a replay of footage taken at Motostoke Stadium. At approximately 12:00 local time, what was slated to be a normal World Coronation Series match between Hammerlocke Gym Leader Raihan and Motostoke Gym Leader Kabu was interrupted by what local authorities are tentatively calling an 'airship'. An airship boasting revolutionary technology. "

"Nyaaaaa..."

Giovanni continued stroking his Persian's head gently as his dark, beady eyes remained glued to the massive TV screen. Right now, he was watching the first of what was sure to be many, many live news reports to come about Team Rocket's newest and perhaps most formidable incarnation. The Syndicate. The great culmination of a decade's worth of planning. The penultimate step towards the realization of his ambition. The name that would bring fear and dread to the souls and hearts of many in the years, decades...no, generations to come.

His life's work.

It had not taken the operation long to come to fruition; in fact, the Syndicate was well ahead of schedule. In all honesty, the executive had expected Team Rocket and their newfound allies to take approximately six months to coordinate and finalize what he had been planning all this time, not a meager three months. Of course, that was simply the benefits of Team Rocket already having the research conducted by their allies under their possession for many years, and already preparing for the prospect of an alliance for many months beforehand. In fact, Team Rocket had already made sense of about eighty percent of the research materials in their trove; they just needed Teams Aqua, Magma, Galactic, Plasma, and Flare to help them understand the remaining twenty percent.

And once that was done, the master operation could officially begin. And it was already shaping up to exceed Giovanni's wildest expectations.

"Local authorities have also told us the airship was manned by a criminal organization going by the name of Team Rocket. Their motives for interrupting the match and taking over Motostoke Stadium are still unclear, and the investigation is still ongoing. Records obtained by our affiliates show that Team Rocket is active in the Kanto and Johto regions, as well as the Orange and Sevii Islands, and that they specialize in Pokémon theft, trafficking, and abuse. Given what the organization stands for, and what the match they interrupted stands for, it definitely raises alarms on what their intentions could've been for this attempted takeover.

"Now, what we  do  know happened next, based on eyewitness accounts and footage on the ground, was that Raihan and Kabu fought back against Team Rocket, and that they held them off until the local police, as well as other renowned World Coronation Series participants from neighboring cities and towns, intervened. The airship fled, as did its crew, and no arrests were made, nor were any Pokémon taken in. "

Giovanni's lips curled into a smirk of malicious triumph as the televised report showed a replay of the image of the metal ship hovering right over Motostoke Stadium. Despite the events of the past hour, he wasn't deterred by the outcome, nor was he perturbed by the fact that Raihan and Kabu had been present at the scheduled event and thus were instrumental to this defeat. After all, the secondary purpose of attacking their target at a public location such as Motostoke Stadium, rather than isolating him before striking, was nothing more than to provide the world with a stunning, dramatic debut of the Syndicate.

And, if he knew his best agents well, they wouldn't view this defeat as an unexpected, debilitating setback, but rather as a mere first step towards a greater victory. Fortunately for him, he did know his best agents well, otherwise he wouldn't have enlisted them to this specific mission. The luck of a few kids was nothing to tremble to, not when it could easily be outmatched by the determination and resolve of his organization.

"Boss," a calm voice said, "I just received a call from Petrel. He is-"

Giovanni didn't need to turn his head and address the speaker, nor did he need to know what Petrel had to say. Instead, he closed his eyes and allowed the reporter's semi-rattled voice to fill his ears like a melody.

"If he just called to offer his sniveling apologies and more of his irking neuroticism, Matori," he interrupted with a calm, smooth voice, "then tell him that will not be necessary, and that he should be counting his blessings."

"If I may, sir, why would Petrel be counting his blessings?" Matori crossed her arms. "He lost the Ketchum boy, one of the centerpieces to Operation: Spear."

"Because I am in a very happy mood." Giovanni opened his eyes, which were gleaming with excitement. "The world has now been offered an appetizer to what the Syndicate can do, and one mere embarrassment at Galar is nothing compared to the success we've had in Sinnoh. Not to mention the positive developments that I'm seeing out of Kanto and Johto..."

The executive tapped his finger on the armrest, momentarily looking to be lost in thought. Then, after about a minute or so spent in rumination, he spoke up again, his voice laced with triumph.

"Inform Petrel that he shouldn't lose hope just yet. That he should take a moment to gather his bearings and prepare for the secondary initiative."

With that, Giovanni took a remote control that had been lying on his left thigh. He pressed a button, switching the screen to another channel, which was airing another livestream of news coverage unfolding in real time. This time, however, the headline had changed, and the words, in bold, capitalized lettering, brought a malevolent smile to his face.

STRANGE AIRSHIP ATTACKS JUBILIFE POK ÉMON CONTEST ; SEVERAL PEOPLE KIDNAPPED.

"Because right now, he, just like the rest of us, are at the center of history in the making..."

Jubilife City Pokémon Center
SINNOH REGION

– Three hours earlier –

A beautiful teenage girl with chin-length honey-blonde hair stepped out of her rented room, yawning and stretching her arms with a soft, dreamy smile. She was wearing a cool-gray hoodie with light-gray diamond patterns over a magenta buttoned-up dress, with black modesty shorts underneath, along with tartan green socks, a pair of brown boots, and a green-and-white tam o' shanter. Trotting beside her was a Sylveon with freshly-groomed fur, who briefly shook her head with a purr to alleviate herself of her remaining drowsiness.

Then, the Trainer and her Intertwining Pokémon strolled into the lobby of the Pokémon Center, in search of someone. It fortunately didn't take them long to find who they were looking for: another teenage girl with blue hair that was draped over her shoulders and down her back; she had a proud-looking Piplup by her side. With a smile, the honey-blonde girl gave her friend a wave.

"Hey!" she greeted. "Good morning!"

"Eon!" Sylveon added.

SERENA

The blue-haired girl looked away from the TV screen she had been watching. Upon spotting Serena, her lips curled into a soft, lovely smile.

"Oh, good morning to you too, Serena," she replied warmly.

"Piplup, piplup!" Piplup chirruped while giving Serena and Sylveon a wave of his flipper.

DAWN

"So," Serena said, following the direction of Dawn's earlier gaze towards the TV, "what's going on?"

"Well, Rhonda's reporting on the Pokémon Contest," replied Dawn.

Indeed, Serena could see the brown-haired, middle-aged woman standing in front of the Contest Hall building.

"As you can see here, the streets surrounding the Contest Hall are totally  packed  with thousands of people flocking over from all corners of Jubilife City, the largest and greatest city of all of Sinnoh, for this Pokémon Contest! And believe me, the festivities here have already gotten underway! But fortunately, we at  Sinnoh Now  will be there all the way, covering these celebrations and, of course, the Contest that is soon to follow. For all of those lovely people back at Sinnoh who unfortunately cannot travel to Jubilife City to experience these festivities for themselves, this is Rhonda for  Sinnoh Now , signing out- OOF! OW!"

Serena blinked in concern as she watched the woman clutch her forehead. In the foreground, a certain boom microphone entered the frame and dangled uselessly, just several seconds before the live feed switched back to the anchorman. She had been watching Sinnoh Now for a couple of months now, ever since her arrival at the Sinnoh region, and every time she watched one of Rhonda's reports, they would always end on that note.

"That Rhonda person really needs to get a new boom operator," she commented.

"Eon-eon," Sylveon added, nodding her head in agreement.

"Well," Dawn replied with a shrug, "it's good to know some things haven't changed since the last time I was here."

"Piplup, piplup," Piplup chirped nostalgically.

"Serena?" a familiar voice called. "Dawn?"

The two girls turned their heads towards the counter, where they saw the local Nurse Joy and her Chansey approaching. They were each carrying a tray holding Poké Balls; Nurse Joy had five on her tray, while Chansey had four on hers.

"Your Pokémon are fully healed and ready to go," Nurse Joy announced with a kind, gentle smile.

"Chansey, chansey!" chirruped Chansey.

"Thank you very much, Nurse Joy," Dawn replied. She took the tray from the nurse's hands, while Serena took Chansey's tray.

"So, Dawn," Nurse Joy said, watching as Dawn put her Poké Balls back into her skirt pockets, "I take it you're going to go through Sinnoh's Contests again?"

"Mm-hm!" Dawn gave the pink-haired woman a determined smile. "And I'm in it to win it!"

"Oh, don't get ahead of yourself, Dawn," Serena commented while her lips curled into a small, playful smile. "If anyone's gonna get that Ribbon, it'll be me."

Dawn chuckled. "Yeah, in your dreams, Serena."

"Oh, my!" Nurse Joy uttered, even though her smile was one of kind amusement. "So you're participating in the Contests too, Serena?"

"That's right!" Serena replied, giving her a determined smile of her own.

"Ahhhhhh... Well then, I suggest you'd better watch out for Dawn!" The nurse gave Dawn a proud, nostalgic glance. "I've been following her Coordinating career ever since her first performance at this very Contest years ago. She's improved a lot ever since that time. In fact, she's become a very fine Coordinator, if you ask me. Well on the track to becoming a Top Coordinator, even!"

"Oh, thank you, Nurse Joy!" Dawn replied as her face turned red with embarrassment. "But I think I've still got a ways to go..."

"Nonsense! I think the differences between your performances then and in an hour are going to tell Mr. Contesta and Mr. Sukizo your entire story, not just me." Then, Nurse Joy looked between Serena and Dawn, her smile becoming wry. "But, to tell you the truth, it's quite interesting that you two are traveling together and yet competing in Contests at the same time. Must be tough, having to see your rival twenty-four-seven."

"Well, let's just say encourage each other in our own little ways," remarked Serena, as she and Dawn looked and grinned at one another.

"Hmm, I see." Then, Nurse Joy quickly remembered something and looked at her wristwatch. "Oh, my! Look at the time! Sorry, girls, but I have to go check on a Drapion that fell into a thorny bush. I'll see you both at the Pokémon Contest!"

"Alright, see you, Nurse Joy!" Dawn said.

"Piplup, piplup!" Piplup chirped.

"Yeah, see you soon!" Serena added.

"Eon!" Sylveon crooned.

The nurse and her Chansey quickly dashed off to the emergency room, leaving Serena, Dawn, and their Pokémon alone in the Pokémon Center lobby. With that, Serena faced Dawn and gave the blue-haired girl a warm smile.

"Alright," the honey-blonde said. "I'm just gonna go pack up the last of my stuff, and we should be good to go."

"Okay." Dawn glanced towards the bank of phones nearby. "I think I'm gonna try and give my mom a call again."

Serena arched an eyebrow. "Again?"

"Yeah. I rang her three times a few minutes ago, but she hasn't responded. S-She's probably busy with her Coordinating seminar, but I just wanna see how she's doing."

"Ah, okay then." Serena prepared to turn away. "Send her my regards, will you?"

But before she could leave, the Vaniville Town native heard her friend let out a tiny but audible squeak. Blinking, the girl turned and saw Dawn petrified to the spot. She seemed to be staring off into the distance, but the terror in her sapphire-blue eyes was unmistakable.

"Uhhhhh... Dawn? Are...Are you alright there?"

"Sylvie?" Sylveon asked in concern.

But Dawn didn't respond, nor did she budge an inch. It was as if paralysis had fully taken over her body, and the girl was now a stone statue. Increasingly concerned, Serena stood in front of her friend and looked into her frozen face.

"Uhhh, Dawn? Y-You alright? ...Dawn?" She began waving her hand in front of Dawn's face. "Hey, Dawn!"

"Piplup, piplup!" Piplup squeaked as he started tugging at his Trainer's leg.

This seemed to snap the Coordinator out of her reverie. Blinking twice, she let out a softer gasp and looked around, her expression now frantic. Then, when she laid her eyes on Serena, relief seemed to wash over her like a tide, for her whole body began to relax.

"A-Are you alright?" Serena asked in concern. "Wh-What just happened to you?

"Y-You didn't hear that?" replied a confused Dawn.

Serena simply blinked in confusion. "Hear what? I didn't hear anything."

"What?!"

Dawn frantically around again, but it quickly became clear that whatever she thought she had heard, the source was now gone.

"Dawn, are you okay?" Serena asked, catching her attention.

"Piplup?" Piplup chirped.

Dawn looked at Serena, and the honey-blonde could tell she was contemplating on telling her about what the noise she thought she had heard. However, about a minute passed in awkward silence, and then, for some reason, Dawn gave her an awkward, embarrassed smile.

"Y-Yeah... Yeah, I-I'm okay, Serena."

"You sure?" asked Serena. "You looked pretty freaked out the-"

"I'm fine, really," Dawn interrupted. "I just...I thought I heard someone calling out for me. But it looks like I was wrong."

Serena blinked. "Okay..."

Dawn glanced at her and gave her a small but reassuring smile. "Serena, really, I'm fine. There's no need to worry."

Serena merely blinked at her friend, hesitant at accepting her reassurance. However, after some rumination, the honey-blonde eventually smiled as well.

"Okay. If you say so, Dawn."

Dawn gave her another smile, and Serena turned on her heel and walked away, with Sylveon trotting beside her. But as she reached her room, Serena couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that was tugging away at her heart. While she truly wanted to respect her new friend's privacy, there was clearly something that bothered her, and it was something that she wasn't willing to divulge to her.

"Is there really no need to worry, Dawn...?" she thought.

– Several minutes later –

"There it is, everyone!"

Dawn's blue eyes beamed brightly as she and the rest of her group approached the Jubilife City Contest Hall. Just as the Sinnoh Now newscast depicted, there was a large gathering of people crowded around the Hall, with everyone excitedly waiting their turns to have their tickets scanned for entry.

"Looks like a lot of people are excited," Serena remarked as she examined the crowd.

"Well, that's because it's the first Pokémon Contest of the season!" replied Dawn. "And I can't wait to get started!" With that, the blue-haired girl and her Piplup ran up to the entrance of the Hall and waited for his friends to catch up with him. "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Hey, wait up, Dawn!" Serena began running after Dawn and Piplup, with her Sylveon keeping up every step of the way. "You don't want us to get separated again, do you?!"

"Then you'd better catch up, Slowpoke! Otherwise it's gonna be Route 218 all over again!"

The two girls began running faster, with Serena smiling brightly at Dawn as they reached the crowd and began pushing their way through in order to get in. It had been two weeks since she arrived at Sinnoh at Palermo's advice, in the wake of her admittedly impressive but ultimately short-lived run in the Johto Grand Festival. It was at her destination point in Canalave City where she met Dawn, who had also arrived there from Kanto after her own stint at the Pokémon Contests there. As Pokémon Coordinators with an eye for fashion and beauty for humans and Pokémon alike, the two became fast friends and decided to travel to Jubilife City together for their first Sinnoh Contest of the season.

During their travels together, Serena often caught herself making comparisons between Dawn and a certain raven-haired Trainer she once knew and cherished dearly. Indeed, Dawn had a lot of the same confidence, optimism, and adventurous spunk that Ash Ketchum had, in addition to her love of clothes, shopping, and other markedly feminine qualities. In fact, Serena thought, more than once, that Dawn was essentially a female version of Ash.

Perhaps there was something about those qualities that would cause her to instinctively gravitate to a certain person...

Soon, Serena's train of thought was interrupted once she was able to break through the crowd and approach the droopy-eyed person manning the ticket booth. She showed him her new Sinnoh Contest Pass, whereupon the man nodded lazily and gave her a noncommittal grunt, nonverbally signaling his approval of her entry.

Serena stuffed the Contest Pass back into her pocket and prepared to follow Dawn inside the Contest Hall, but at the last moment, the girl took one last look over her shoulder, aimed at the blue, slightly cloudy sky outside. Her thoughts about Dawn being a female version of Ash had provoked old memories to bubble back to the surface.

"I wonder how you're all doing," she thought nostalgically. "Clemont, I hope you're still making inventions and improving on them. Bonnie, I hope you're still coddling Dedenne and obsessing over cute Pokémon. And Ash..."

Memories of the raven-haired boy from Pallet Town flashed through her mind.

Their unexpected first meeting, all those years ago during Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp...

Their reunion at the Santalune Gym...

The time they got stuck together in the ditch during Professor Sycamore's Pokémon Summer Camp...

All of the times they trained together for Gyms and Showcases...

All of his words of encouragement, reserved specifically for her...

Their kiss...

"Oh, Ash..." Serena's face turned red, even as she smiled fondly. "I hope I will be able to meet you again one day, show you the person, the girl I've become, and see that you're still you. Until then, I will keep making you all proud. I'll keep improving myself and pushing myself. I won't let anything stop me or limit me. After all, it's just like what you told me a long time ago, Ash. Never give up till the end."

With newfound determination, Serena looked away and entered the Contest Hall, Sylveon still trotting beside her.

"Yes. That's what I'm gonna do. I shall hold those six words close to my heart as I reach my dreams..."

"Ahhh, just like the good ole days!" Dawn exclaimed as she stepped into the dressing room.

"Piplup, pip-luuup!" Piplup chirped in agreement.

Dawn and Piplup then began strolling further into the dressing room, with Serena and Sylveon trailing right behind him. As the quartet passed the doorway, Serena and Sylveon noticed how there seemed to be a considerably-sized crowd of Coordinators gathered around something at the corner of the room, shouting and squealing indiscernibly, their giddiness and excitement crystal-clear. However, the two female Coordinators ignored the mild commotion, and soon, they found an available dressing table and mirror and sat by it.

Once they did, Serena and Sylveon began admiring the interior decorations of the dressing room. There was a number of high-end furniture, dressing tables, and mirrors occupied by various Coordinators and their Pokémon. There were also a dozen private dressing booths, clothing racks, and weight and height measurement tools. There was no doubt to Serena and Sylveon that Sinnoh Contests took greater care in the styling of Coordinators and Pokémon compared to the Johto's Contest venue. However, Sinnoh's Contests definitely paled in comparison to Hoenn's Contests in that regard.

"So, this is how Coordinators prepare for Pokémon Contests in Sinnoh," Serena remarked. She looked over her shoulder and watched, among others, a teenage boy with dark-auburn hair customize his proud-looking Empoleon.

"Yep!" Dawn replied while opening up the drawers provided by their dressing table to see what laid inside them. "This is the place where half of the magic happens!"

Serena looked at her, puzzled. "Most of the magic?"

"Well, yeah! Half of a Coordinator's time and effort to win a Ribbon is spent dressing up their Pokémon to meet their own standards of beauty!" Dawn closed the latest drawer and faced Serena. "Don't tell me you've never thought about that. A Coordinator's purpose is to bring out their Pokémon's natural beauty as effectively and gracefully as possible. That's, like, rule number one!"

"Heh, of course I didn't forget that." The honey-blonde then gave her friend a smirk. "You just have a bit of a funny way of describing it, that's all."

Dawn chuckled playfully. "Hey, that's what my mom taught me."

"Oh, speaking of which!" Serena turned away and began examining the makeup kits provided by the dressing table. "Did you manage to reach your mom?"

"No, still nothing." In her peripheral vision, Serena could see Dawn's shoulders sagging a little through the mirror. "I just decided to save the call for after the Contest. I'm sure she's preparing for her upcoming seminars." Dawn smiled warmly. "When it comes to nurturing a new generation of Coordinators, my mom gives it her all..."

Serena smiled as well, quickly remembering the phone call she watched Dawn have with her mother on the day they first met. "You and your mom sure hit it off well, huh?"

"Heh, yeah you got that right." Dawn beamed with pride. "She worked hard to raise me. When I was younger, she had to juggle between Contests, a paying job, and motherhood. C-Can you imagine that? A single mom having to deal with that triple whammy?! And in spite of all the stress she must've had during that time, not once did she ever treat me badly for it. She'd went to the ends of the earth for me, and she still would. And she taught me everything that I know." The blue-haired girl began fidgeting in her seat, blushing brightly as she gushed over the topic. "I-I wouldn't be me if it wasn't for her love and compassion..."

"Lucky you." Serena glanced at Dawn. "My mom and I... We got off on a bad start."

"Yeah, so you've told me." Then, Dawn crossed her arms. "In all the weeks I've known you, you haven't tried calling her and introducing me to her. You should do that. She's probably worried sick over you."

"I doubt it. My mom's a tough woman. And no matter how much I hated her lessons, they've imprinted on me, and she knows it." Then, Serena noticed Dawn's doubtful expression and waved her hands frantically. "Okay, okay, Dawn! I'll call her, first thing after this! J-Just don't give me that face!"

"Good." Dawn reverted back to her upbeat, beaming face. "Like my mom always told me, moms love their daughters, no matter what, so daughters should always return the favor."

Serena chuckled and glanced back at the mirror. "Jeez, Dawn. When the Contests are over, we should trade moms some time."

Dawn smirked and rolled her eyes. "Ohhhhh, no thank you. I'm happy with my Coordinator mom and I'll be keeping her. You're stuck with that Rhyhorn Racer of yours.

The two began laughing in earnest. However, a few seconds later, their playful banter was disrupted by a familiar voice.

"Oh my Arceus, DAWN!"

Dawn came to attention. "Huh? Who- EEK!"

Someone had embraced her in an extremely tight hug. At first, she couldn't recognize the person, but once this person broke the hug, her eyes widened.

"Z-Z-Zoey?!"

ZOEY

Zoey had definitely changed since she last saw her. She had foregone her dark-magenta shirt, orange vest, and pale-blue jeans in favor of a white shirt, a red-and-yellow light jacket that reached her thighs, and torn dark-blue jeans. However, there was no mistaking that tomboyish, reddish-orange hair; the dark sunglasses over her head; and the small necklace with the yellow jewel-like pendant hanging around her neck.

"In the flesh, Dawn," replied Zoey, in response to her latest utterance.

"O-Oh my goodness, Zoey!" Dawn exclaimed as she hugged her fellow Coordinator. "It's SO good to see you! I-It's been a while!"

"Too long, in fact. It's sooo good to see you and Piplup again."

Zoey broke the hug and gently patted Piplup on the top of his head, earning a pleased chirp from the Penguin Pokémon. As she did, she spotted Serena and gave the honey-blonde a smile, though Serena couldn't help but notice how awkward it seemed.

"And who's this, Dawn?" she asked. "I see you two are being quite chummy together."

"O-Oh! Th-This is Serena! I met her when I arrived in Canalave City two weeks ago. We traveled here together."

"So you have." Zoey held out a hand towards Serena. "Pleased to meet you, Serena. I'm Zoey. I was Dawn's rival in this very Contest venue a few years back."

"Pleased to meet you, Zoey," Serena replied as she took the redhead's hand and shook it. As she did, she noticed Zoey's iron-like grip and the stilted way the handshake was carried out on her end. "I... I-I assume you're here for the Contests too, am I right?"

"Well, not exactly..." Zoey broke the handshake and took a step back, allowing Serena and Dawn to marvel at the same crowd of Coordinators from before, who were excitedly gushing at the redhead's direction and trying to take photos. "I'm a Top Coordinator, Serena, and I was requested by Mr. Contesta himself to ring in this year's newest Contest season."

Serena gasped in shock. "Y-You're a Top Coordinator?!"

"Eon?!" Sylveon squeaked.

"Yep. I got the title during that same season where I was Dawn's rival. But, enough about me!" Zoey refocused on Dawn, startling the blue-haired girl. "How about you, Dawn? The last I heard from you, you were trying your hand at the Kanto Contests. How were they? I hear their quality's taken a nosedive recently, but I am sure you were able to handle it, am I right?"

"Th-They were fine," Dawn replied, still startled by how intensely Zoey was staring at her. Then, she recomposed herself and cleared her throat. "I actually thought they were fun and interesting in their own way."

"Ahhhhh yeah, that a girl!" Zoey patted Dawn on the back in a congratulatory manner, though the other girl winced from the slight stinging sensation these pats left behind. "I knew you could do it, Dawn! I may not have been able to see you compete, but I knew deep down that you would be able to pull it off! After all, I know you've gone through a lotta worse wringers than those Contests!"

"Dawn?" a voice asked, and Serena could see Dawn's skin crawl in response. "Dee Dee?"

Serena, Dawn, and Zoey turned towards the sound of the voice. There, they spotted the same auburn-haired Coordinator with the Empoleon; he had stood up from his chair and was now approaching them, his look one of incredulity. One look at his clothes gave Serena the impression that he was trying to strike the look of some modern squire.

"Is...Is that really you?" he asked.

Dawn's eyes widened with shock. "Kenny?!"

KENNY

"That's me," Kenny replied, his shocked expression turning into a playfully smug one.

"I don't believe it! You're here too?!"

Kenny's lips quickly curled into a sneer. "Well, of course. After all the things we've been through together in Kanto, there is no way you'd be getting rid of me that easily...Dee Dee."

Dawn immediately broke away from Zoey's grasp and fumed at the boy, her face turning steadily red by the minute.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, KENNY?!" she screamed, causing everyone within earshot but the auburn-haired boy to flinch. "STOP CALLING ME 'DEE DEE'! WE'RE NOT KIDS ANYMORE!"

"I'll keep calling you 'Dee Dee' as many times as I want...Dee Dee..." Kenny shot back jeeringly.

Dawn growled, but before she could lash out at the boy, Serena suddenly spoke, something in her memory having been triggered.

"Wait a sec, Kenny, Kenny...Kenny..." Then, she snapped her fingers. "Ahhh, I remember, you're Dawn's childhood friend, aren't you?!"

"That's me!" Kenny replied.

"Yeah, tragically so..." Dawn added a split-second later.

Then, Kenny scanned Serena from head to toe, puzzled by the new presence. "I-I'm sorry, w-who are you?"

"I'm Serena!" exclaimed the honey-blonde. She gestured to herself, looking quite enthusiastic despite Dawn's discomfort with Kenny. "I'm also a Coordinator, but this is my first time trying out Sinnoh's Contests. This here is Sylveon. Say hi!"

"Sylveooon!" the Intertwining Pokémon greeted happily.

"Huh..." Kenny proceeded to pull out his Pokédex. "A Sylveon, huh...?"

Once he aimed the device at Sylveon and scanned it, the Pokédex explained, "Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon, and one of the evolved forms of Eevee. It sends a soothing aura from its ribbon-like feelers to calm fights. It also likes to wrap its feelers around the arm of its beloved Trainer and walk with them."

Kenny deactivated the Pokédex and absentmindedly put it away. "Wooow... I've never seen a Sylveon before. Where are you from, Serena?"

"Oh, Kalos," Serena replied. "But I've been traveling around the world, participating in Pokémon Contests. I've been with Dawn for a couple of weeks, ever since we met in Canalave City. Dawn's mentioned you a few times during our journey." She gave the boy a wide, bright smile. "It's so nice to meet you!"

"L-Li-Likewise," Kenny said. Serena couldn't help but notice how quickly his teasing demeanor had receded in favor of a shy, red-faced expression. "So...Dawn, uh... S-She talks about me...?"

"W-Well...o-of course..."

At that point, Serena became uncertain if she should've raised the topic in the first place. Kenny's behavior had changed drastically, and at the detriment of Dawn, who looked mightily embarrassed and was trying to signal for her to shut up.

"H-How often does she talk about me...?" Kenny asked, his blush intensifying by the second. Then, he blurted out at the last minute, "I-If you don't mind me asking."

It was at that moment where Serena's lower jaw dropped open. She couldn't believe what she was seeing right now, but there was definitely no mistaking it. Kenny had a crush on Dawn, and it was as obvious as day. However, she recalled all of the times Dawn mentioned her childhood friend, and it was clear to Serena that while Dawn held Kenny in high regard (in spite of the banter that she witnessed between them just moments ago), she didn't view her friend that way.

Upon reaching that painful conclusion, Serena felt a pang of sympathy in her heart. Kenny had clearly been holding onto his feelings for Dawn for Arceus knows how long, all the while not knowing what Dawn truly felt about him. In a way, his situation reminded her of her own situation when she grappled with her own blossoming feelings for Ash, where she was stuck in a limbo-like state when it came to expressing those feelings out in the open and hoping to the high heavens that Ash would reciprocate them.

The only difference was that Ash did reciprocate those feelings when she kissed him on that fateful day...while Dawn did not...

"Uh, Serena?" Kenny's voice immediately pulled the honey-blonde out of her thoughts. "Did...Did you hear me...?"

"Ummmm..." Serena glanced nervously between Kenny, who was wearing an expectant expression, and Dawn, who was now sighing softly and shaking her head. "Well, I, uhhh-"

"Anyway!" Dawn interrupted, breaking apart the awkward conversation, much to Serena's relief. "How're you doing these days, Kenny? Last I heard, you were competing in Fiore's very first Pokémon Contest season!"

"O-Oh yeah...th-that..." replied Kenny. He looked between Dawn and Serena, momentarily conflicted on what to do next, before deciding to continue his conversation with the former. "I-It was great, actually! Very well-organized. A-And I saw some Pokémon Rangers too!"

"Really now?" Dawn's blue eyes shone, and Serena knew it was from relief over managing to shift the conversation away from such an awkward topic. "Did you happen to meet Rangers by the names of Kellyn, Solana, and Ben?"

Kenny smiled slightly, evidently relieved at the chance to talk to his childhood friend and crush again. "W-Well, actually-"

"Well, well, well," another voice interrupted smugly, "this is a pleasant surprise."

Upon hearing the voice, Dawn's eyes widened, and she looked over Kenny's shoulder. Serena followed her friend's glance and immediately spotted another female Coordinator walking towards the group. She sported cherry-colored eyes, which gleamed with unbearable overconfidence, and peach-colored hair that was styled into twin pigtails with lavender ribbons; each pigtail was curled tightly in a drill-like fashion. She was also wearing a white, long-sleeved mini-coat tied together at the chest with another lavender ribbon; along with a light-blue, knee-length dress; white, thigh-high pantyhose; and a pair of white, low-heel pumps. Trotting by her feet were a pair of Pokémon: Plusle and Minun.

"Though an unexpected one," the girl said.

URSULA

"Ohhh, for Arceus's sake," Dawn growled, her voice quaking in tranquil fury. "You're here too?"

"Oh, why yes," replied Ursula as she arrogantly flipped a loose strand of hair away from her face. "After the disaster that was Fiore's first Pokémon Contests, I felt it was time for me to have another shot at the world's most prominent Contest venue. And I must say, my decision was well-timed." She shot Dawn a nasty smirk. "Because I've improved on my skills the last time we met."

"Oh, joy," Dawn spat sarcastically. "Well, same here. I've doubled my knowledge on Contests and Coordinating since the Sinnoh Grand Festival, in fact! Which means I'm still better than you, you twin-tailed-"

"Better than me? Doubled?! Ohhh, ho ho ho!" Ursula began laughing in a way that reminded Serena of a pretentious rich girl...or a certain blue-haired Performer who still seemed a lot better than this character. "Well, I'll have you know, Dee Dee, that I have tripled my knowledge on Contests and Coordinating since that time! Which means I've surpassed you in that regard!"

"Doubled? Tripled?" Zoey remarked. "What are we, back in kindergarten?"

But Dawn ignored her redheaded rival and snapped, "Don't you DARE call me that name! After all these years stewing in your loss, one would think you'd come up with a more creative insult than that!"

However, Ursula snapped her fingers with a smirk. "Hey, that insult got under your skin, did it not?" Snickering nastily at Dawn's increasingly red face, the peach-haired Coordinator walked past the group, her Plusle and Minun loyally following suit. "Let's hope the randomized match-ups put us together for the Battle Stage, Dee Dee. I can't wait to battle you once again and floor you this time."

Dawn glared over her shoulder, her eyes burning with unmatched hatred that even Serena could not have predicted from her. "The only thing that the floor will feel at the end of that battle is your face, Ursula!"

"We'll see about that!" Ursula called in a mocking singsong voice as she began looking for an available booth to call her own.

With the tense conversation over, Dawn glared at Piplup, startling her starter Pokémon. "Piplup! Let's get ready! We must not waste anymore time!"

"Piplup, pip-LUP!" Piplup squeaked as soon as he recovered from his shock.

As Dawn proceeded to open the drawers of the dressing table and sift through the provided accessories, Serena watched her friend with a flushed face of uncertainty.

"Uhhhhh..." the honey-blonde said, "I, uh...I assume you know her as well...?"

When Dawn ignored her query, Zoey stepped in. "Yeah, Dawn and Ursula have quite a history, to say the least."

Serena looked at the redhead with a raised eyebrow. "How so?"

"Ursula tends to set expectations that're too high for her, and when she doesn't fulfill her own quota, she doesn't just go to a corner and sulk. She literally crashes and burns."

"Ohhhh..." Serena glanced awkwardly at Ursula's direction. "So I assume it's like the opposite between you and her. She thought she could get the better of Dawn but simply couldn't live up to that expectation, and she's been seething 'cause of it."

"To be perfectly honest-" Zoey followed the honey-blonde's gaze. "I don't know what happened to Ursula that'd make her so snippy at Dawn."

"Dawn once told me it was because Ursula was triggered by her performance at the Wallace Cup," Kenny interjected.

"Dawn competed in a Wallace Cup?" Serena asked, surprised.

"Oh yeah, I was there!" Zoey replied, beaming. "She did pretty well." Then, she glanced at Ursula again. "And I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of that. Ursula's been a pretty sensitive girl ever since the moment I met her. Well anyway, they've been trying to best each other at everything Contest-related since then. And now, it looks like the rivalry's been reignited."

"A reignited rivalry, huh...?" Serena smiled nostalgically as the memories of Shauna, Nini, and Miette began flowing back into her mind. "Reminds me of some people I knew back in Kalos..."

"H-Hey, I've never been to Kalos," said Kenny, his curiosity quickly piqued. "Wh-What's it like?"

Serena's smile widened. "Only the most beautiful place on this world! It's full of-"

But before Serena could complete her sentence, she was cut off by Dawn gasping loudly and shooting up from her chair.

"This darn table sucks!" she snapped.

Before Serena could try and calm her down, Dawn was already running past her, Zoey, and Kenny with a panicked face. Frantically, she looked around in search of a table that met her expectations before rushing off.

"Wow," Zoey remarked with a wry smile. "Looks like someone's in a hurry to prove a point."

"I've never seen Dawn so worked up before," Serena replied. Then, she reluctantly sighed and shrugged. "But I can't do anything about it right now. I gotta make up for lost time and prepare for the Contest too."

"Yeah," Kenny said. "I gotta get back to dressing up Empoleon. I-It was really nice to meet you, Serena. I wish you the best of luck out on the stage!"

"Yeah, thanks! And to you too!"

Serena glanced at Kenny and saw that he was still standing there, his face turning red again. She knew at that moment that he still wanted to ask her about Dawn, but something was holding him back, whether it be his own embarrassment or his conflicting commitment to the Contest. Eventually, with pursed lips and trembling fists, Kenny turned and headed back to his booth, leaving Serena with Zoey.

"Well, uhhh," Zoey said, her voice suddenly stilted, "I-I think I'm gonna go too. I think those clothes are calling out my name, anyway."

"R-Right." Serena immediately remembered how awkward their greeting was. "Y-You go prepare too."

The Top Coordinator merely nodded stiffly at her. Then, she stood up and headed back to her own spot, followed by her loving, gushing fans, thus leaving Serena all alone. The honey-blonde watched Zoey go for a moment before turning her head to focus on the mirror.

"That was weird," she thought. "I hope I made a good first impression, but...I get the feeling that she doesn't really like me..." Then, Serena lightly shook her head. "No, I can't think about that right now. I've got a Contest to win."

With a confident smile, the honey-blonde focused on Sylveon. "Well, Sylveon?" she asked. "You ready to blow audiences away today?!"

"Sylve-ooon!" Sylveon crooned in agreement.

"Alright, then!" Serena patted her lap. "Hop on! Time to get you dressed!"

Downtown Jubilife City

It was a busier day than usual in the downtown area of Jubilife City, just as it was for several weeks now. Ever since the announcement of the Wallace Cup Sapphire Jubilee in Hoenn, attendance rates for Pokémon Contests spiked significantly in regions all across the globe that hosted Pokémon Contests, due to the Pokémon Contest Committee's unprecedented promotional campaign. And with that inter-regional promotion campaign and the higher Contest attendance rates came higher tourism rates. As such, Jubilife City's streets were filled nearly to the brink with the latest arrivals, and the stores there enjoyed a greater amount of sales. Of the amount of people leaving Jubilife City, there was about a hundred times more for those who were arriving.

Of those who milling around in the downtown area today, only two people stood out. One was taller than the other, with dark-brown eyes and long, spiky purple hair that was kept tied in a ponytail at the back of his head. He wore a salmon-colored shirt with a long collar, light-brown pants, a light-blue apron, and a cap that matched the color of his pants. His soft, caring expression would easily indicate to even the least-brightest of people that he was a person they could easily trust.

However, the boy walking beside him was a different story. Like his companion, he had dark-brown eyes and long, spiky purple hair. However, he didn't keep it tied in a ponytail, instead just letting it fall down his forehead and nearly obscure his eyes, casting them in shadow. He wore a long-sleeved dark-purple sweater with a dark-red zipper, pocket, and cuffs; a black undershirt; light-purple jeans; and purple-and-dark-red-striped running shoes. With the dark, almost brooding expression and the piercing eyes, this boy would definitely be viewed upon by others as an untrustworthy person. Many would even be surprised to know that these two people were actually brothers.

"Well, here we are," announced the taller boy. "Jubilife City. Man, it's been a while since I was last here." He scanned the downtown area, his face etched with nostalgia. "Wow, it sure has changed a lot since then..."

"You don't have to say that all the time, you know," the younger boy replied bitterly. "I believe this was the fifth time you said that since we arrived."

PAUL

His companion shrugged and stared at him. "Oh, come on! Arceus knows how many years have passed, and Jubilife City is a brand-new place now!"

"So?"

"So, this calls for a brand-new adventure!" The boy chuckled. "You know, even after all this time, you still need to learn to be more adventurous, Paul."

REGGIE

Paul scoffed. "I do not need to be adventurous, Reggie," he said sleekly. "All I'm concerned about is reentering the Lily of of the Valley Conference and getting farther than I got last time." He clenched his fist to the point where it trembled. "All of these years later, and I must know if all that time spent training and honing my skills was all worth it..."

"Ahh, that's so you, lil' bro," remarked Reggie, smiling as he shrugged. "Always aiming for the competition instead of just taking the advantage to rest and relax, even for a brief moment."

"Anyone who spends their spare time resting and relaxing will not get far in the Sinnoh League, Reggie. And that is just the natural order of things." Paul shot an annoyed glance at his older brother. "Now, remind me why I brought you along on this trip?"

"Uhhhhh, hello? I want to check out the new Pokétch exhibit! Three days and limited time only, courtesy of the Pokémon Contest Committee! If their technology lives up to the hype I've been hearing about, then it could be useful for the-"

Paul sighed with exasperation and closed his eyes. "I retract my question."

Reggie merely continued smiling. "Sulk and brood all you want, Paul, but this could be beneficial for your Pokémon. You do want them to be fully prepared every time you challenge a Gym, right?"

"Of course I do." Then, Paul's lips curved into a devious smirk. "Fortunately for me, I am always prepared. Once I come out on top of all eight Gym Leaders, the Sinnoh Elite Four, and the Pokémon Champion, I am pretty sure you will retract your statement."

Reggie rolled his eyes with amusement. "Oh, I look forward to it."

"Now," Paul said, looking around, "where were we...? Ah..."

The boy approached a food stand, which was currently the host to a long, bustling line of young children and enthusiastic teenagers hoping to get a taste of Jubilife City's cuisine. However, Paul didn't join the line and instead walked past it, his eyes focused on something else.

It was a small rack propped up next to the food stand; it proudly displayed the cover pages for several tourist brochures. Once he reached it, Paul realized that someone was walking beside him. This new person was a Trainer who seemed to be around his age, if not slightly younger. He had a composed posture, dirty-blond hair, and pale-gray eyes that pierced deeply and judgmentally into Paul's soul in the exact same way his eyes would do to other people. He was also wearing an orange jacket, a charcoal-gray hoodie under it, a light-purple undershirt, silver cargo pants, and dark-blue-and-white sneakers. Both Trainers stared each other down intimidatingly.

"Hello..." the Trainer greeted cautiously.

"Hello yourself," replied Paul.

Callously disregarding the newcomer, Paul directed his gaze towards the brochures. He briefly eyed the ones promoting the city's many tourist attractions with distaste before grabbing the brochure promoting Jubilife City as a whole. Flipping through the pages, the purple-haired Trainer finally settled on the city map, which he surveyed closely. Then, within the corner of his eye, Paul noticed the same cold-eyed Trainer grabbing the same brochure without giving a second thought about the others.

"Hey, Paul!" Reggie called. "What're you looking for?"

"The battlefield closest to here," replied Paul as he closed the brochure and approached his older brother. "It's apparently in the eastern part of the city."

"Ahhh, already itching to have a battle, are you?"

Paul merely pursed his lips. "I am not joining you in your window-shopping endeavor for Pokétch technology."

"Alright, alright, whatever you say. So, you wanna go over there right now?"

Paul smirked again. "I can think of nothing better."

"Well, then..." Reggie patted Paul's shoulder, eliciting a slight but uncomfortable recoil from the younger boy. "I'll just be going on my way to the Pokétch Company conference, then. Let's say we meet up back here in about..." He checked his old Pokétch. "Three hours?"

"Sounds like a reasonable amount of time."

Reggie crossed his arms and gave him a teasing smirk. "You sure you don't need anyone to accompany you?"

Paul closed his eyes, evidently not amused. "I've memorized the city map a thousand times. I'm confident I will not get lost, and even if I did, I have my Pokémon to help me out." He opened his eyes and looked up at his brother. "I will meet you there in three hours, Reggie."

"Alright, then."

Suppressing a relieved sigh, Paul turned around and began to walk out of the downtown area. However, he hadn't gotten too far when he heard his brother call out to him.

"I still think you desperately need some R&R!"

"Yeah, yeah..." he replied indifferently as he picked up his pace.

Paul never noticed the Trainer with the dirty-blond hair following him, walking in a brisk pace.

UNKNOWN LOCATION

"I really don't like this, you two."

Saturn pursed his lips as leaned against a balcony. Right now, he was overlooking large metal walls that surrounded the expansive room in three different directions, as well as the busy hangar below. He glanced at Jupiter and Mars, who had varying expressions. Jupiter appeared to be lost in thought, while Mars was obviously enthusiastic.

"I just don't like the looks of this whole thing," continued Saturn, his voice deeply, ominously grave.

"W-What're you talking about, Saturn?!" exclaimed the redheaded Commander, shocked by her comrade's attitude. "This could be our chance to finally achieve our lifelong goal of a New World Order! Don't you see what's before you?! We don't have to worry about starting over, because Team Rocket's already gathered our resources for us! We do not even have to begin recruiting again, for we have an endless supply of allies! They may not be as like-minded as us, but Giovanni-"

"Look, forget about what Giovanni said, Mars," Saturn snarled harshly, silencing Mars.

The blue-haired Commander then gazed over the balcony and at the last corner of the room, a set of gigantic iron doors that were already open, exposing the sky outside, sparsely populated with whiffs of clouds. When he, Jupiter, Mars, and their remaining loyalists within Team Galactic were prematurely freed from their lifelong incarcerations and offered the opportunity to join Giovanni's brand-new coalition, this so-called Syndicate, their decision had been resoundingly, but not unexpectedly, unanimous, made without any room for counterarguments: yes.

But while many within Team Galactic's ranks sided with Mars's notion that this was a once-in-a-lifetime second chance to make their ultimate plan a reality, Saturn did not adhere to this mob mentality. He knew he agreed only because he HAD to, not because there was a choice in the matter. And why should there have been? It was either acceptance and a quick induction into the ranks of this strange organization, or declination and a quick trip back to the confines of a cramped cell with iron bars...or worse...

And it was that aspect of this entire arrangement that deeply bothered him so.

"What do you mean forget what he said?!" Mars snapped, as soon as she regained her bearings. "This is perfect for Team Galactic! Just because Cyrus is gone, it does not mean the New World Order is too!"

"We were all fooled by Cyrus into thinking he would share the New World Order with us."

Saturn narrowed his ice-cold, blue eyes upon remembering his superior, to whom he had entrusted everything, even his entire life. He can still feel the reeling blow that he felt when Cyrus exposed his betrayal, when the man engaged in the ultimate hypocrisy and locked those who served him out of his ambition at the eleventh hour due to pure greed.

"Mars," he continued, "what makes you think this Giovanni person is just as trustworthy as Cyrus was when we first met him? What makes you think this is going to be any different? For all we know, he's been planning his betrayal of us and our causes from the very beginning. Once we and all those other people carry out his bidding for long enough, once he is close to reaching his ambition because of our efforts, he'll most likely leave us to suffer the consequences while he reaps all the benefits, all the fruit of our labor." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "This is all too good to be true..."

"I don't think Giovanni is going to betray us like Cyrus did," Mars replied. "Why would he go around uniting other criminal organizations from all across the planet? If he did decide to turn his back on us at the last second, all he is going to do is make a whole lot of people upset. There's too much risks for him. I think he's been sincere with us from the beginning, Saturn."

The blue-haired man scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You said the same thing about Cyrus, and look where that got us."

Mars scowled stubbornly. "Heh, yeah. Says the person who took up Giovanni's offer in almost an instant. Admit it. You've been itching to grasp the first chance at freedom, the first chance to bring about the New World Order!"

"Team Galactic has been itching to grasp that first chance, regardless of the consequences. I am not so desperate."

"But at least we're grasping the opportunity for a second chance! Saturn, this whole Syndicate debacle, it is much bigger than Team Galactic this time around! The New World Order could be possible! Why?! Why do you refuse to leave it all up to chance and accept their offer? I know I would! I mean, it looks like Charon took that initiative."

Saturn scoffed again. "Oh, really? You trust Charon's word over mine?"

She crossed her arms. "Well, this has to be the most tactical decision we had on our hands ever since we were defeated by those meddling children. We mustn't pass up this opportunity!"

Saturn sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince his colleague. Then, he remembered something important.

"Wait a minute, Jupiter hasn't decided..." he said. Both Commanders glanced at the purple-haired woman, who was still thinking. "Jupiter?"

"What do you think, Jupiter?" asked a hopeful Mars.

Jupiter didn't respond.

Jubilife City Pokémon Contest Hall

– Several minutes later –

" After all these years, still no answer from her... Typical..."

Kenny tried to control himself, but eventually, he couldn't refrain from looking over his shoulder and at Dawn once again. She was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her, all those years ago in Sunyshore City. For the longest time, he never lost faith in the words Dawn wrote in her letter to him, that the two of them would meet again as long as they shared the same dream of becoming Top Coordinators. And he knew it would be then when he would properly confess to her. His confidence did waver at several points, but it was never broken, not even once during his journey.

Now, the reunion finally happened, after all this time...and yet, it wasn't going the way he wanted it to. From the bottom of his heart, Kenny knew Dawn had caught on to his feelings for her and wasn't exactly interested in reciprocating them. And he had a sinking feeling as to why.

Ash Ketchum. The boy who had been traveling with her throughout Sinnoh when she first started out as a Coordinator.

When he first met the raven-haired boy from Pallet Town, Kenny did not think much of him at first. He seemed to be just some guy from the Kanto region who wanted to see the sights and sounds the world had to offer. There wasn't anything about that to deride or disrespect. In fact, Kenny initially felt nothing but utmost respect for Ash when he learned he was dabbling in Pokémon Contests and had even racked up quite an impressive run during the Wallace Cup at Lake Verity.

But then, it all changed. Not in a single sitting, but gradually, through many recurring encounters and get-togethers with Dawn and her friends. With every meeting, it became more and more clear to Kenny that Dawn was more interested in Ash...in the romantic sense. He could see it in the way she looked at the boy with the Pikachu. It didn't matter if she was aware of it or not; the special gleam in her sapphire-blue eyes was unmistakable to anyone who had been (or currently are) head over heels in love. That gleam grew stronger and stronger with every time Kenny met back up with Dawn and her posse...and with it, his disdain and his envy at Ash.

Kenny desperately didn't want to hate Ash, or hold him in a low regard. Ash's obliviousness to Dawn's feelings were just as clear to him as Dawn's feelings themselves. Plus, Ash was a respectable Trainer and an even more affable person. He cared for nothing but the safety of his friends and those who were innocent, human and Pokémon alike.

But it was those qualities that made Kenny hate him even more. After all, how could someone as bright, optimistic, and likable as Ash Ketchum be so utterly blind to the feelings of a girl who had been traveling with him for so long? And yet, Dawn continued to worship the very ground he walked on, all the while simultaneously toiling in the deep, dark, murky swamp of emotional pain, pain from the constant, unintentional denial of her true feelings.

"What a big load of crud," Kenny thought bitterly. He narrowed his eyes at Dawn's direction as she began trying out the Contest dresses provided to her. "I bet she's thinking about Ash right now. I bet she's been thinking of him all the time. Why else would she try to make Serena dodge my question? Why else would she try to dodge my own feelings?!"

The auburn-haired Coordinator refocused on his Empoleon, who by that point had been fully customized according to his own specifications. The Emperor Pokémon was staring down at him, his normally proud face replaced with a look of deep concern. In response, Kenny gave his first Pokémon the gentlest smile that he could muster.

"I'm fine, Empoleon," he said. "Don't worry about me. Just think about the Contest that's ahead of us."

"Pole...?" Empoleon asked, sounding unconvinced as it tilted its head slightly.

"I swear, Empoleon, I'm fine." Then, Kenny blurted out, "I-It's just..."

Kenny's voice trailed off into silence. Then, with a sullen sigh, he reached toward the light, green-and-dark-green-striped jacket that he bought at Fiore. He momentarily groped around inside one of the waist pockets, before finally pulling out a Piplup figurine and a rolled-up sheet of paper, which was evidently torn around the sides and aged overall. Unfurling the sheet of paper, Kenny read the words written on it like it was gospel.

But it would be as such to him. After all, it was the very letter Dawn had sent him all those years ago at Sunyshore City. He couldn't even count the amount of times he read it and reread it and re-reread it during his journey. Her words gave him such great comfort, so surely they would comfort him once again, during this time of emotional turmoil for him.

But as soon as he started reading it, almost obsessively, Kenny felt nothing. No tender feelings of love and compassion swelling up from within, no determination that he could use as motivation for his upcoming Pokémon Contests...nothing. He just felt more of the dark unhappiness that had been tugging uncomfortably at his heart for the past few minutes.

So, with another sullen sigh, Kenny slammed the paper down on his dressing table and buried his face in his palms.

"Why, Dawn?" he thought in dismay. "What is it about Ash frigging Ketchum that makes you love him so? What does he have that I don't? Can't you see that I care about you?! I've cared for you way longer than he has! So tell me, what is it that you want from me?! I'll give you anything!"

Just a few tables away, Ursula overheard the brief but loud slamming noise. She glanced at Kenny's table, just in time to see him bury his face in his palms and begin toiling in whatever grief he was feeling right now. At first, she was puzzled, but then, she noticed the Piplup figurine on his table. Its colors were faded, and it was collecting some dust, indicating its advanced age.

It was at that moment when she remembered how carefully and lovingly Kenny treated that figurine, like it was a prized childhood toy. Ursula even remembered once making fun of him for his seeming obsession with it when they competed in a Contest in Fiore, only for Kenny to become extremely defensive and blurt out that it was a gift from none other than Dawn.

Ursula glanced from the anguished Kenny to the awkward Dawn and back, before her lips curled into a nasty sneer.

"Well, well, well," she whispered. "This is gonna be tons of fun." She refocused on the mirror in front of her and began to apply more of her makeup. "I'm gonna enjoy making your Coordinating career miserable, Dawn. After all, I've learned a lot of new tricks since the last time we met..."

"GOOD MORNING, JUBILIFE CITY!"

The Contest Hall auditorium was filled with a thunderous orchestra of cheering, which swept through the thousands upon thousands of spectators, residents and tourists alike, all of whom were seated in their allocated aisles. Their seats faced one singular direction, and it was towards the wide, rectangular Contest battlefield. At the center of this battlefield was a middle-aged woman with curly, shoulder-length, orange hair; she wore a flashy yellow dress with a rosy-pink undershirt, skirt, and leggings underneath.

"How's everyone's day today?!" the woman announced.

Her question was met with another roar of approval from the audience, and it thundered louder than last time. When the clamor died down and the spectators watched with building anticipation, the woman slowly turned to address every last corner of the auditorium through the microphone she was holding.

"I'm so glad that you all could come here today, either in person or in spirit, through the use of your TV sets! My name is Marian Meridian, and it is my honor to ring in the newest Pokémon Contest season of our lovely home region, Sinnoh!"

The audience's approval couldn't have been more evident, for a third wave of cheering and applause rocked the Contest Hall. Just as the cacophony died down again, a pair of panels opened up at one end of the battlefield, and from the dark depths underneath, a single oblong desk, shiny and silver in coloration, rose atop a mechanical platform. Seated before this table were three people: two well-dressed men, one taller and slightly thinner than the other, and a Nurse Joy. Their presences provoked another, smaller cheer from the audience, who excitedly applauded their timely arrivals.

"Now then," Marian announced, "allow me to introduce you to our judges for this year's Pokémon Contest season! First, we have our one and only Mr. Contesta, Chief of the Pokémon Contest Committee!"

"Welcome, one and all!" greeted Contesta, the taller and thinner of the well-dressed men. "I am so glad this new season is underway at Sinnoh, and I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that we will see it through to its logical conclusion!"

As the audience applauded animatedly for Contesta, Marian spoke again. "And next is our beloved Mr. Sukizo, President of the Pokémon Fan Club!"

"Oh, it's so good to be back!" Sukizo announced, his squinted eyes doing nothing to dull the brightness of his wide smile. "Remarkable!"

"And finally," Marian said, over the clamor of the new wave of applause, "we have Jubilife City's very own Nurse Joy!"

The applause was the loudest yet for Nurse Joy's introduction. The pink-haired woman smiled and waved kindly towards all of the spectators.

"I am so delighted to be here, everyone," the nurse said. "I hope we all have a wonderful and safe Pokémon Contest that everyone can enjoy!"

"Now, let's give ourselves one last round of applause for our three judges!" Marian hollered.

The applause was so loud and mighty that the ground slightly shook from the crowd's overbearing enthusiasm. People in the seats were so jubilant and caught in the throes of their pro-Contest zeal that their cheering was like a tidal wave.

In the dressing room, all of the Coordinators and Pokémon inside were fully dressed. Serena, Dawn, Zoey, Kenny, Ursula, their Pokémon, and all of the others stood by the TVs propped on the corners of the ceiling, their eyes glued to the wide, high-definition screens. Though it was mostly silent in the room, the Coordinators' collective enthusiasm was just as real and palpable as the audience's.

"Well, looks like the Contest's about to start soon," Serena whispered to Dawn.

"May the best Coordinator win," Dawn replied, giving her honey-blonde friend a grin of determination.

Serena nodded, just as determined as Dawn. "May the best Coordinator win."

"Eon!" Sylveon squeaked.

"Piplup, piplup!" Piplup chirped.

Pokétch Company Headquarters, Jubilife City

It didn't take long for Reggie to spot the Pokétch Company Headquarters, and with it, the festival set up within the small square at the base of the building. His cheek muscles tugged the corners of his lips into making an excited smile.

"Here we are, Paul," he said. "The Pokétch-"

At that moment, Reggie looked beside him and saw nothing but empty space. Immediately remembering where Paul had gone off to, the young man rolled his eyes and proceeded towards the festival grounds.

"Oh, Paul," he thought. "After your little conflict with that Ash kid all those years ago, I thought you'd turn over a brand-new leaf. I thought you'd ease up on your views of Pokémon and Pokémon battling. But...I suppose whatever progress you made in that regard was erased by your experiences in Kalos. Your fight with that Drasna woman must have really snapped you back to your old self. I can understand how a very big loss like that can sting hard, but...you really need to learn how to go with the motions sometimes."

At that moment, Reggie entered the festival grounds. Shaking his head, he began to survey the new Pokétch devices on display at the tents and stalls. However, it didn't take long for Reggie's thoughts about Paul to creep back into Pokémon Breeder's mind.

"Seriously, Paul. You're making my wind wander. And if you're the reason my mind wanders, then it's because I'm pretty worried about you. You really need something that'll keep you grounded and out of your head. Something that will keep the worst of yourself in check, and the best of yourself constantly motivated. Well, it can't be a Pokémon. You've already got loads of 'em at the ranch. Maybe a person? Maybe it won't be something that'll keep you grounded, but someone...? Perhaps I could try and call Ash, set the two of you up for another Full Battle...but Arceus knows where he is right now. That boy just can't stay in one place for too long..."

Reggie absentmindedly stopped beside one of the tents. He glanced at the new Pokétch devices that were being offered there and noticed a pair of identical Pokétches that were part of one set: one turquoise with a white arrow insignia on it, and the other hot-pink with a black heart insignia. In that moment, a stroke of inspiration hit the Breeder.

"Alright. It's settled. Once we're both done here, I'm gonna try and get you a girlfriend, Paul. I will find a girl who's a lot like you and set you two up for a date! ...Or should it be a girl who's the complete opposite of you? I dunno..."

"Hello, sir," a wheezy voice greeted. Reggie was shaken from his reverie, and he found himself staring at the young male vendor whose face was still riddled with acne. "Would you like to sample any of the Pokétch Company's newest products? These will be hitting the market in about six months!"

"Y-Yeah, sure," Reggie replied. "I'd like to sample-" He looked down and tried to examine all of new Pokétches thoroughly and with an open mind, but his pupils kept wandering to the same dual turquoise and pink Pokétches. "Um, tell me, sir, w-what're these?"

But before the vendor could explain what the Pokétches were, the ground beneath started to tremble. At first, it started off as mild and almost unnoticeable, but as the seconds passed, the tremors grew in intensity. Reggie looked down at his feet hesitantly, as did several of the other festival-goers, while the wheezy-voiced vendor chuckled nervously.

"W-Well," the vendor said, "seems like everyone is getting riled up at that Pokémon Contest nearby."

However, Reggie's eyes were narrowed with suspicion. His prior experience as a Pokémon Trainer indicated one thing to him: this wasn't some Pokémon-made tremor.

"I don't think it's that," the Breeder replied, his voice low and serious.

Then, all of a sudden, a shadow loomed over the festival area, enveloping everyone and everything underneath. Screams suddenly filled the air, and Reggie and several others looked upward. What they saw next kept them rooted to the spot, taken over by a combined sense of horror and wonder.

Jubilife City Pokémon Contest Hall

"And now, without further ado, let us begin this Pokémon Contest!"

"YAHOO!"

"LET'S GOOOOO!"

"HELL, YEAH!"

Several shouts and cheers erupted in the dressing room, with the Coordinators and their Pokémon celebrating the official beginning of the newest Contest season. However, despite the abruptness of all the jubilant celebrating, Serena, Dawn, Zoey, Kenny, and Ursula weren't startled one bit. Instead, they all looked at one another.

"Well, you guys," Zoey said, "I wish you all the best of luck out there."

"Yeah, thanks Zoey!" replied Dawn. "Y-You too!"

"Wait, what do you do now that you're a Top Coordinator?" Serena asked curiously. "If I remember correctly, there really is no need for you to participate here."

Zoey chuckled and winkled at the Vaniville Town native. "Ohhhhh, Serena, there's a lot a Top Coordinator must do in the world of Pokémon Contests. Just stick around till the end of the Contest, and you'll see."

At that moment, a voice shouted, "What?! Wait, wait, wait, slow down, where are you?! What's going on?!"

Though many of the Coordinators didn't pay any heed to the voice, Serena, Dawn, Zoey, and Kenny turned to see a male Coordinator nearby, the only one in the group whose attention wasn't on any of the TV screens. He had a strange-looking Pokémon that none of them had ever seen before; Serena was suddenly reminded of Ash's Froakie. This Coordinator was currently on the phone with someone, and his expression was becoming increasingly panicked.

"C-Ca-Calm down, Mom, I can't follow- H-Hello? Mom? Mom?! Hello, Mom?!"

"Is, uh... Is something wrong...?" Serena asked hesitantly.

But the boy hung up and looked around frantically. When he didn't find what he was apparently looking for, he glanced at the nearest TV screen and pointed at it.

"Drizzile, see those buttons?!" he cried.

Drizzile followed the direction of its Trainer's finger and then nodded.

"I need you to change the channel of that TV! Find a news channel!"

"H-Hey, we're watching right now!" Kenny snapped, feeling both shocked and irritated.

In contrast to Kenny's reaction, Serena and Dawn were more sympathetic to whatever the boy's plight was.

"Hold on, why do you need to watch the news?" Serena asked.

"What's the matter?" asked Dawn. "Is something wrong?"

But the Coordinator ignored their questions, for he called out, "I'm sorry, everyone, but I need to change the channel for a moment!"

Before anyone else could react, Drizzile leaped onto the TV and began pressing buttons, scrolling through the multitude of channels the set had. This elicited a wave of annoyed yells and groans from the rest of the Coordinators.

"Hey, what the hell gives?!"

"Whose Pokémon is that?!"

"Yo, what the?! Hey! We're trying to watch a Contest here!"

"How in Arceus's name are we supposed to know who's supposed to be performing first?!"

"Alright, whoever owns this Pokémon better show themselves! 'Cause you're in for a big electrocution!" This time, it was Ursula who said that.

Fortunately for Drizzile's Trainer, however, his Water Lizard Pokémon found a news channel, and the contents of the live report prompted everyone to fall silent.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. If you're just joining us, you're looking at live footage of Motostoke Stadium. A-At approximately 12:00 local time, a World Coronation Series match between Hammerlocke Gym Leader Raihan and Motostoke Gym Leader Kabu was interrupted by what appears to be a...a ship hovering in  midair ."

"Motostoke Stadium?" Zoey asked.

"I've heard of it," Kenny replied. "I think that's in the Galar region."

Serena started to direct her gaze towards the TV screen. "Wait, what's happening in Galar?"

Once she focused her attention upon the screen, the honey-blonde felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. Footage recorded live from the safety of a distant airborne helicopter depicted a massive, futuristic airship made of metal, which was looming over an entire stadium, its mammoth size easily enveloping the area in shadow. In fact, the ship was simply so large that the camera was unable to record it within the sphere of its lens.

"T-There appears to be some battling going on, and as you just saw, a Centiskorch that I'd assume belongs to Kabu is trying to break  through  force-fields surrounding the ship. Eyewitnesses at the scene are telling us there were people who were  aboard  this ship, and their leader claimed to be affiliated with an organization known as Team Rocket."

At that moment, a strange scarlet Pokémon rose from the stadium, its size easily rivaling that of a skyscraper. Its species identity was indiscernible, though Serena was slightly reminded of a Scolipede. The crowd of Coordinators and Pokémon watched as this Pokémon, Centiskorch, tried to grapple with the airship, which appeared to be fortified by a force-field of sorts.

"Oh, my Arceus..." Drizzile's Trainer whispered in horror. Then, he yelled out loud, "Come on, Drizzile! W-We gotta go!"

Drizzile silently nodded before leaping off of the TV set and landing on its Trainer's shoulder. Then, the boy ran out of the dressing room, leaving the other Coordinators and their own Pokémon to watch the news report as it continued to unfold live.

"Oh, man," Kenny whispered, his eyes bulging with disbelief. "That looks pretty bad..."

"Just great," muttered a bitter Ursula. "Now I'm not gonna be at the top of my game. Not with a story like that hanging over my head."

"Piplup..." Piplup squeaked in terror.

"Sylvie..." Sylveon whispered with disbelief.

"Excuse me, guys," Zoey said, patting both Dawn's and Kenny's shoulders. "I, uh... I think I gotta go make a few calls..."

As Zoey left the group, Serena and Dawn looked at one another. The former's face was filled with uncertainty, while the latter's was etched with concern.

"What're you thinking, Serena?" Dawn asked.

"You don't think-" Serena began, before taking a moment to take an audible gulp. "You don't think whatever's happening in Galar will have an effect here, do you?"

"Well, I doubt it." Dawn glanced at the TV again. "If I've never heard of Galar before, then it should be a ways away from Sinnoh. But whoever that guy was, he's obviously from there, though. Motostoke must be his home..." Her eyes softened at the memory of the boy's panicked tone. "I feel bad for him... He was talking to his mom..."

"I don't know about this, Dawn..." Serena's tone was extremely hesitant, and her voice was quaking slightly. "I...I have a really bad feeling about this..."

Dawn looked at Serena again, and she gave her friend a small but upbeat smile. "It's alright, Serena. It's just like I said, whatever's happening is happening over there, not here. The Contest's not going to get canceled over something that's happening many miles away. No need to worry!"

Just then, the ground beneath them started to tremble. At first, the tremors were mild and almost unnoticeable, but as the seconds passed by, they grew in intensity. Serena, Dawn, Zoey, Kenny, Ursula, their Pokémon, and all of the others looked down at their feet hesitantly.

"Wh-What is that?!" shrieked Ursula.

"Is that an earthquake?!" Kenny cried.

"Crud!" Zoey snapped as she put away her phone.

"Piplup!" Dawn exclaimed while holding out her arms.

"Piplup, piplup!" Piplup squawked fearfully; the Penguin Pokémon jumped into her embrace to avoid falling over from the growing tremors.

"AAAGH!" Serena screamed. The honey-blonde nearly fell over, but she grabbed onto the surface of the nearest dressing table, while Sylveon acted quickly and wrapped her feelers around her Trainer's unoccupied wrist.

More and more of the Coordinators started screaming and bracing themselves as the earthquake continued to intensify in strength. Clothes were dislodged from their resting places upon racks, while an assortment of items fell and rolled off the dressing tables. Glass shattered, quick banging noises echoed, most of the other TV screens went out, and the dressing room's walls started to groan ominously from the challenge to their structural integrity. Soon, the Coordinators began to dive underneath the dressing tables for shelter, including Serena, Dawn, Zoey, Kenny, and Ursula.

"Sweet mother of ARCEUS!" one Coordinator cried.

"I don't wanna DIE, I don't wanna DIE!" wailed another Coordinator.

"Everybody stay calm!" a third Coordinator hollered, even though his own voice was riddled with terror. "Everybody j-just stay CALM!"

Out of everyone in the dressing room, however, Zoey was the only one who remained calm and composed. Swallowing all the fear she felt and steadying her breath, she quickly looked around the room, evaluating the current situation. It was at that point when she saw something that alarmed her, but she kept silent and simply nudged Dawn's elbow to attract her attention.

"Dawn!" she whispered urgently.

Dawn flicked her head at her friendly rival. "W-What?!"

"Don't panic, but the walls are cracking."

"Wha- Mmph!"

Zoey narrowed her eyes as she pressed her palm against Dawn's mouth. "I said don't panic!"

Dawn's pupils flitted towards the walls, and she saw that Zoey was right. Cracks were beginning to appear on the surface of all four walls of the dressing room. They were spreading slowly but surely, like branches and twigs growing from a tree straight out of a nightmare. In addition, the walls were continuing to buckle from the constant, growing tremors. It soon became clear that the room would not be able to handle all of this pressure for a second longer...

Then, the shaking began to subside, and the creaking and crackling noises went with it. Once all that could be heard was a distant rumbling noise, the scared Coordinators began to peek their heads out from underneath the tables, wondering if the threat had truly passed on.

"What was that?" Ursula asked, her agitation masking her fear.

"Beats me..." Kenny moaned while rubbing his ear.

"Everyone!" Zoey suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs. "Head towards the door in an orderly fashion! We're going to evacuate!"

The Coordinators were quick to obey the redheaded Top Coordinator's instructions. They emerged from their hiding spots and formed organized lines as they carefully departed from the dressing room. Serena was about to join one of the lines when she took notice of one of the TV sets that still remained active. With wide eyes, she grabbed Dawn's arm, stopping her from joining another line.

"Dawn!" she exclaimed in horror.

"What?" Then, Dawn saw the TV as well, and her jaw dropped open. "Oh, my..."

The TV was still recording the Contest battlefield live, but Marian was no longer there, nor were Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy. The audience of spectators, once in their seats, were now crouched all across the aisles, their hands over their heads. There was a small amount of debris scattered everywhere. But none of that compared to the one thing that now stood out to both Coordinators.

Despite the sparse presence of debris, the Contest Hall's roof was gone...and in its place was a gigantic, futuristic airship that loomed over the entire auditorium.

"Oh, my Arceus..." Dawn whispered. "That ship..."

"It looks exactly like the one from Galar!" Serena exclaimed in horror.

"Sylvie..." Sylveon growled defensively.

"Piplup..." Piplup squeaked softly as he held onto his Trainer.

"Alright, we're at an ideal elevation! Open it up!"

The Team Rocket grunt moved to the side, waving a yellow flag while the hangar to the Rocket Frigate slowly opened up. Sunlight filled the expansive chamber immediately, exposing Jupiter, her group of Team Galactic grunts, and their faithful Pokémon to the Jubilife City skyline. Down below, they could see civilians running down the streets in terror, while traffic was backed up for miles and miles, impeded by stopped vehicles and even some car crashes.

"Okay, let's move, move, MOVE!" the Team Rocket grunt barked while waving a green flag.

With this cue, Jupiter's group lifted themselves into the air, courtesy of the hovercraft they were riding, big enough to fit the pilot and one of their Pokémon. Safely secured to the hovercraft by the special black, metal boots they were wearing, Jupiter's group flew out of the Rocket Frigate in a uniform fashion and descended towards the Jubilife City Contest Hall. As they did, Jupiter glanced towards the building's roof, which had been sawed off by the Frigate and lifted away through the use of dozens of extra-strength grappling hooks.

As the Team Galactic squadron flew into the Contest Hall, frightened people crouching in the aisles of seats began to cry and scream. However, Jupiter ignored the terror that filled the air, and instead, she pressed a button on the dashboard of her personal hovercraft. Then, she took a moment to clear her throat before speaking.

"Greetings, everyone," she said, her voice amplified by speakers attached to the hovercraft. "My name is Jupiter, and I'm a Commander of the organization known as Team Galactic. We apologize for interrupting your daily viewing pleasure."

"Team Galactic?" Serena asked, memories of Team Flare filling her mind as she watched Jupiter's speech. "Who are they, exactly?"

She expected some sort of snippy answer from Dawn, but instead, she heard the blue-haired girl say in horror, "No... No way..."

"Huh?" Serena looked at her friend. "W-What do you mean 'no way'?" Then, she saw how horrified both Dawn and Piplup were in the face of this apparent threat. "Wait a minute... You...You know them, Dawn?"

Dawn nodded, her eyes still glued to the TV in incredulity. "Yeah... My friends and I have had dealings with them before, so many years ago...but...I thought they were all locked up! How'd they get out?!"

"Pip-pip-pip-LUP!" Piplup squeaked defiantly, his beady eyes narrowed at Jupiter's image.

"Now's not the time to worry about them, Dawn," Zoey said. She had just guided the last of the Coordinators out, which left just her, Serena, Dawn, Kenny, Ursula, and their Pokémon in the dressing room. "We've gotta focus on getting outta here, like, pronto!"

"Right!" Dawn replied.

But before the Coordinators could leave the room, they heard Jupiter speak again. "Now believe me, Team Galactic is not interested in taking your money, your Pokémon, or yourselves hostage. Our ambitions are grander than a mere heist or standoff. However, your cooperation is key if you wish to avoid either scenario."

"Wait," Kenny commented, stopping and turning back. "They're not here to take our Pokémon or our money?"

"Forget about it, Kenny," Zoey hissed. "We gotta focus on-"

"So," Jupiter said, cutting the Top Coordinator off, "we implore you all, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, help us in our search. You have in your midst a girl that Team Galactic requires for its next objective. Her name is Dawn."

Everyone froze, and Serena could see Dawn's skin paling.

"Hold up, Team Galactic wants you?" Ursula asked, her eyebrows shooting up.

Dawn didn't answer. Instead, she slowly looked over her shoulder, panic and fear spreading through her fair face. Serena was stunned, for she had never seen her friend look so terrified before in her entire life.

"We know she is here," Jupiter continued, scanning the audience in the auditorium. "We know she has an affinity for this competition. And we know she had just returned to these lands from Kanto. If you are aware of her whereabouts, please, divulge them to. Take all the time you need, for we can wait."

"So they just want YOU!" Ursula shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Dawn. "If we give you to them, they'll leave!"

"Don't even THINK about it!" Serena snapped while stepping in-between her friend and the peach-haired girl. "We're NOT handing her over to those guys!"

Ursula scowled nastily and crossed her arms. "Well, how else are we gonna get back to this Contest?!"

"Really?!" Kenny hissed incredulously. "Is that all you care about right now?! Look, I dunno if you noticed, but regardless of whether or not we hand over Dawn to those guys, this Contest is all but taking place!"

Before Ursula could retort, Jupiter spoke up once again.

"And now, I speak to Dawn, and Dawn only."

Everyone's eyes turned towards the screen, with Dawn letting out a tiny squeak of fear.

"I know you're  here , little girl. There's no use in hiding or running from us like a coward. This whole Contest Hall is surrounded by the men and women of Team Galactic. And we are ready to go through this entire area with force. If you don't want to inconvenience the people here today, then I strongly suggest you come out and face us. We have some... catching up  to do."

"Don't do it, Dawn," whispered a concerned Serena. "It's definitely a trap."

"Eon-eon!" Sylveon crooned with concern.

"But you heard her!" Dawn hissed. "This whole building is surrounded! There's no way we can get outta here in time and without being seen!"

"Well, we gotta do something," Zoey replied. "I for one am not letting those Team Galactic creeps lay a hand on you."

"Neither am I, Dawn," added Serena, eliciting a subtle stare of annoyance from the Top Coordinator. "We're gonna have to fight our way out if we must."

Dawn blinked once, and then her eyes shimmered with emotion. "You guys..."

Then, Jupiter spoke yet again. "Alright, girlie. Since you're obviously not taking this situation seriously, then I'll have to present you with some serious stakes. Fortunately, I've got the perfect one, right here..."

Serena, Dawn, and the others watched through the TV screen as Jupiter procured a futuristic tablet device. After clicking a button, the Commander raised it high in the air, displaying its screen for everyone. The cameraman behind the TV that Serena's group was using zoomed in on Jupiter's tablet, revealing the slightly grainy image of a gagged, restrained blue-haired woman on the device's screen.

The next thing Serena heard was a horrified, throaty, almost strangled gasp coming from Dawn. She couldn't blame her, however, for she recognized this woman from the one time she had an exchange with her via phone at Canalave City.

"MOM?!"

Chapter 3:
CONTEST

Murkrow, the Darkness Pokémon.  Feared and loathed by many, it is believed to bring misfortune to all those who see it at night. It is said that when chased, it lures its attacker onto dark mountain trails where the foe will get lost.

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Next Time:

Dawn: Just...please... Don't hurt the people I care about...

Paul: It looks like you weaklings needed some help.

Unknown: That would be me.

Zoey: DAAAAAWWWWWN!

Saturn: I still believe in the New World Order! Don't you dare judge me on that...

Serena: Don't worry, Dawn! We're coming for you!

Jupiter: You got a lot of spirit in you, girl. It's almost admirable...

Looker: So tell me, why keep me in the dark about a thing like that?!

PEARL