Shinnippori!
Nice chapter as usual, I like how you build up the drama for everything. Yay for lots of drama. XD Anyway, hopefully the chapters keep on getting better and better like like you normally dish it out. =P
Anyway, I like how interesting your "contestshipping" perception is... hehehehehehe. I definitely approve of this. >=P
I waste my life away on Nico Nico Douga.
Zephyr Trainer
Muwahahaha! Your fate is in my hands, shadow_shipperOriginally Posted by shadow_shipper
Yeah, it's becoming like a soap opera, isn't it?And the reasons behind my "Contestshipping" perception should be revealed shortly.
Thanks for the reviews, everyone ^^
Beginning Trainer
sweet
just sweet
i'm not good in giving compliments but this surely is good
keep up the good work please
Zephyr Trainer
Thanks solidsnake ^^
Sorry this is kind of late... But, eh, please enjoy anyways ^^;;
Chapter Five:
Round Three Rumble
The hallway of the contest tent was deserted as usual, the echoing footsteps and blunt roar of the crowd from the main stage the only sounds which pierced the somewhat gloomy silence. Drew stood with his back against the tent wall, eying the red-and-white sphere in his hand. Absol had done its job, yes, but it still wasn't at the peak of perfection that Drew demanded from all of his other Pokemon.
Drew considered his course of action carefully for a moment. The battle had gone almost flawlessly and Dawn seemed to fall for him quickly - much quicker than most other coordinators, it had to be said. Drew chuckled to himself as he thought of the girl with the navy-blue hair and innocent, happy-go-lucky smile, pleased to know that he hadn't lost his touch.
Dawn was without a doubt a very pretty young girl, though her bubbly attitude was a little annoying at times, but such a personality was to be expected from a rookie coordinator such as herself. Drew certainly had to admit that he was enjoying her reactions a lot more than he would have done with most women, and he hoped that the double battle system of the tournament would continue for a little longer so that he might enjoy watching them even more. She almost reminded him somewhat of May.
Drew's eyes eventually returned their gaze on the Pokeball in his hand and his smile vanished as he released the Pokemon that lay waiting inside of it, causing a flash of light to illuminate the corridor and the elegant, white form of his Absol to appear before him.
The Pokemon watched its trainer closely, with eyes that tried not to show too much defiance. It was difficult for a Dark-type not to come across as arrogant at times, but Absol knew that arrogance was one personality trait this coordinator didn't like.
"What are you thinking, Absol?" Drew snarled with a hushed voice, prompting the Pokemon to hang its head in shame. "I thought you had learnt your lesson from the Kanto Grand Festival! You know I don't tolerate anything less than one-hundred percent from my Pokemon!"
Absol said nothing and simply continued to look at the floor in dismay.
"You should have been prepared for that Flamethrower attack a lot sooner than you were!" Drew continued, adjusting his hair idly as he spoke. "I'm just thankful that we weren't against any Fighting-type Pokemon. The last thing I need is for you to make me look bad!"
Absol's eyes trailed the ground and it stared down the far end of the corridor as its trainer spoke.
"Don't make me regret using you for the battle rounds, Absol..." Drew whispered, raising the creature's Pokeball again and retracting it back inside the sphere. "I don't care about this contest. I'm here to bring her back."
~*~*~
Dawn sat in the waiting room, eagerly swinging her legs back and forth underneath the bench as she rewound the events of the battle with Drew back and forth in her mind, unable to remove a constant grin that was permanently stuck to her face. Piplup watched its trainer curiously as she continued to giggle to herself, unaware of the world around her.
"Piplup?" the small penguin asked, nudging the girl's leg with one of its tiny blue wings in order to attract her attention.
"Hm?" she queried, then grinned again as she saw the small Pokemon looking up at her with its round, endearing eyes.
"Oh, Piplup!" she cooed, sweeping the creature up into her arms and cradling it lovingly. "You were amazing out there! I'm just so happy right now I swear I could burst!"
"Piplup Lup!" Piplup squealed in response.
"And you know, Piplup..." the girl added, looking up towards the television monitors where the final match of the second round of battles was just wrapping up. "You weren't the only amazing one out there today."
"Pip?" Piplup wondered out loud.
"Drew was simply incredible!" Dawn whispered, a deep blush emerging on her face as she scanned the room to make sure nobody was watching. "I still can't believe he even thinks I'm worthy of battling alongside him!"
The girl paused as her heart began to race a little bit faster and she glanced down towards her right hand, her blush intensifying further.
"And..." she stammered under her breath. "I can't believe he... He held my hand..."
"Piplup..." Piplup sighed, not entirely certain of why its trainer was acting so ludicrously. She was beginning to remind it of a certain other Pokemon on her team whenever it came into close contact with Ash's Pikachu...
"Oh, Piplup!" Dawn squealed once again, hugging the Water-type Pokemon even tighter in her arms. "Do you think he likes me? Do you really think an amazing coordinator like him really... Likes me?"
A look of sudden worry struck her face, causing Piplup's eyes to widen.
"Oh no!" she gasped. "Was my hair okay? I didn't mess it up, did I? I just got so excited and I wanna look my best for him and-"
"Hey, Dawn!"
The voice of Ash suddenly jolted Dawn away from her worries and caused her to immediately jump to her feet, turning to face her friend, who was standing behind her along with Brock and Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu congratulated the small penguin in Dawn's arms, who quickly blushed in response.
"Piplup Pip..." it chuckled, rubbing the back of its head with its wing.
"Oh, Ash! Brock!" Dawn coughed, trying to get her bearings and wipe away the blush that had invaded her face. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Uh..." Ash mumbled, uncertain of why the girl had such an unusual demeanour. "Well, don't we always come and see you during a break in your contests?"
"Oh, right, of course!" Dawn replied, obviously flustered. "Um, I was just thinking of the strategy for my next match, that's all!"
"You were really awesome out there!" Ash complimented, pumping his fist with excitement. "I mean you and Drew were in perfect harmony the whole time! It was like you guys had battled a million times before!"
"Well, I was just following his lead..." Dawn muttered, her blush quickly reappearing on her face. "I still have a lot to learn..."
"Aw, don't be so modest, Dawn!" came a familiar voice from behind the girl, prompting everyone in the group to look up and see Drew making his way towards them. "You're just a natural! It took me years to become as proficient as you are in contests. I guess you were just born talented."
"Drew!" Dawn gushed, unable to contain her excitement of seeing the boy once again as she fought the overwhelming urge to leap into his arms.
"Well, that and beautiful, too..." Drew added, flashing a smile towards the girl, who swallowed nervously, her face now entirely painted red.
"Piplup..." Piplup glared at the boy, obviously not convinced by his words.
"You've certainly improved from the last time I saw you, Drew." Brock commented, watching the boy closely. "How many contests did you win while you were in Johto? You couldn't have been there that long."
"Long enough." Drew replied, brushing his fingers through his hair as he spoke. "I got plenty of ribbons while I was in Johto. I'll admit it was interesting to see the different battling styles another region has to offer, but for the most part the contest circuit there bored me."
Brock said nothing, refusing to take his eyes off the boy while he cited his explanation. There was something Drew wasn't telling them and Brock was determined to find out what it was.
"Oh, hey, have you guys seen May?" Ash asked, breaking the silence and immediately snapping Dawn out of her daydream. "I've been looking around ever since we walked in and I haven't seen any sign of her."
The mention of May's name suddenly caused a burst of guilt to explode inside Dawn's mind and her eyes widened as she realised what she had done. She knew that May and Drew had history, and whilst neither of them had yet admitted to it being a relationship, it had become pretty obvious to her that it was. How could she have just continued to let him flirt with her? And the television monitors had been sending it all back to the waiting room for her to see! Would May ever forgive her?
"I should go and find her!" the girl suddenly spoke, kneeling down and scooping up Piplup in her arms.
"Woah, hey, Dawn, wait-" Ash began to protest but was quickly cut off by an announcement from the overhead speakers.
"Attention everybody!" Alisa's voice boomed. "Now that we have concluded the second round there are only sixteen coordinators left in the draw! Time is not on our side and so we are now beginning the third round immediately!"
"What?" Dawn wondered, stopping in her tracks and looking up towards the television monitor where the contest stage was being prepped for another battle. "So soon?"
"The third round will continue to use the double battle system which we had set up in the second." Alisa explained. "Our first match will be Ken Marx and Maria Hawke against the team of Drew Blackthorne and Dawn Hikari. Okay, Ken, Maria, Drew and Dawn - please make your way to the contest hall immediately!"
"But..." Dawn sighed. "May..."
"Come on, Dawn." Drew suggested, offering his hand towards the girl. "We can't keep them waiting."
"Right..." Dawn groaned, walking past Drew with Piplup in her arms.
'I'm sorry, May...' her thoughts spoke inside her mind as her guilt continued to slowly eat at her from inside. 'Please don't be mad at me...'
Ash, Brock and Pikachu all watched the couple leave the waiting room, along with two other coordinators who were presumably their opponents in the next round.
The waiting room was almost entirely empty in comparison to how it had been earlier and Brock stared up at the clock on the far side of the room. Alisa was right about time not being on their side - it was slowly approaching four o'clock and Brock was beginning to feel as though he had forgotten what the light of day looked like. However, the contest was continuing to excite the huge crowd of spectators more and more as the rounds progressed and he was certain that they didn't mind sacrificing a bit of time in the name of entertainment - this was, after all, a carnival.
"Well Ash, we'd better head back to the hall and grab some good seats again." Brock said, causing Ash to nod.
"Yeah, I guess..." the boy sighed. "I just wanted to wish her luck in the next battle, is all..."
"Don't worry, Ash," Brock comforted his friend as they made their way towards the front-stage exit so as not to interfere with the coordinators backstage, "May knows you'd be rooting for her no matter what."
"Yeah, but still..." Ash mumbled under his breath, his eyes trailing the floor which passed beneath his feet as they walked. "I want her to hear me say it..."
Just then Ash felt himself hit something in front of him. Immediately his thoughts disappeared and he looked up, quickly apologising to whomever it was that he had collided with.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I-" both he and May said in unison before pausing as they realised who they had bumped into.
"May!" Ash exclaimed, happy to see his friend again. He still couldn't believe quite how long it had been since they first parted ways in Kanto.
"Pichu Ka!" Pikachu greeted, happily waving towards the girl from the safety of Ash's cap.
"Oh, Ash..." May replied, stammering as she tried to cover her face in as inconspicuous a way as possible. "I'm sorry, I was just-"
"Hey, are you okay, May?" Ash asked, suddenly noticing her bloodshot eyes and her reddened cheeks. "Did you get some dirt in your eyes or something?"
"Um, y-yeah, that's it..." May lied hesitantly, her finger moving towards her eye as if trying to remove a stray eyelash. "It... It must have happened during the battle and it was really bugging me so I went to try and fix it..."
"Well they've already started the third round so you'd better get ready!" Ash explained. "I'm glad I got to see you to wish you good luck!"
"Thanks, Ash, I heard it on the loudspeaker." May replied. "And that's sweet of you, thanks."
"Just make sure you win for me!" Ash laughed, pumping his fist as Pikachu did the same.
"Uh, I'll try!" May agreed, her depressed tone of voice slowly becoming more optimistic as the boy's infectious attitude began to spread to her. "Thanks Ash, I really appreciate it!"
"It's obvious you've really improved since we last saw you, May." Brock added. "Don't worry, we'll all be rooting for you from the stands."
"Thanks, Brock." May smiled as she spoke now, which was always a welcome change. Ash was always amazed at how May's smile would seem to brighten up the colour of the world all around him; even now the waiting room suddenly seemed so much more vivid and alive than it had before she walked in and spoke with that angelic voice of hers.
"Right, see ya!" Ash said as he and Brock exited the waiting room and headed towards the stands, Pikachu waving from atop Ash's cap. "Good luck again!"
'Thanks, Ash...' May thought to herself, her smile having now completely replaced her former frown. 'You're the best friend a girl could ever hope for...'
~*~*~
"Now, let's once again give a warm round of applause to our next two coordinating teams! Ladies and gentlemen it's Ken Marx and Maria Hawke up against Dawn Hikari and Drew Blackthorne! Are you all up and ready for this!?"
"Alright, Dawn!" Ash yelled from the stands, clapping loudly amongst the blur that was the rest of the audience. "You can do it!"
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement, static flying gently from its cheeks as it hopped up and down on Ash's lap.
"Contestants, please release your Pokemon!" Alisa continued, marking the official start of the third round of contest battles.
"Alright, then come on out, Absol!" Drew began, launching a Pokeball into the centre of the stage where the familiar figure of Absol appeared.
"You too, Piplup!" Dawn added, motioning for the small penguin Pokemon to make its way up onto the stage beside Absol, which it eagerly did.
Dawn and Drew's opponents, Ken and Maria, began to release their Pokemon also, and Dawn took this opportunity to analyze them as best she could. The boy, Ken, was in his late twenties and had long, blond hair which was left to hang loose around the side of his neck. He wore a dull, brown leather jacket and black pants and had a moth-eaten backpack slung over his shoulder. From the tattered appearance of his clothes and the obvious layer of stubble covering his chin he was a hiker who had just been traveling through these parts, presumably on his way to some faraway contest.
The girl, Maria, however, clearly took much more pride in her appearance. She looked to be in her early twenties and wore a pink uniform which seemed like it would normally be worn by laboratory workers and scientists; it had the same body and definition of a lab coat aside from its rather unusual colour and was adorned in several black-and-yellow emblems which Dawn didn't recognise. Underneath this jacket she continued to wear a dull pink on all of her clothes - even down to her shoes and the sunshades which rested on top of her head, nestled just above her fiery red hair. Dawn was curious how much of Maria's wardrobe didn't contain the colour pink, and made a mental note to ask the girl what stores she shopped at - in Dawn's mind, pink was a colour that could never go out of style.
"Come on out, Rhydon!" Ken roared as the enormous figure of his chosen Rock-type Pokemon emerged onto the centre of the stage, directly opposite Drew's Absol. "It's time to wipe the floor with these guys!"
Dawn swallowed nervously as she sized up the competition. Rhydon was an enormous creature, standing at almost six feet tall even when hunched over. Its entire body was covered in grey, stone plating which resembled armour and at the centre of its forehead a horn as sharp as a digger's drill protruded from its body, reflecting the intense lighting of the contest hall intimidatingly.
"Okay, Phanpy, I choose you!" Maria declared as her Pokeball split in half and ejected the form of a small, elephant-like Pokemon with a long trunk and a pastel-blue body. The creature snorted with pride at its trainer's decision and began to bounce up and down on the spot eagerly.
"Oh my gosh!!" Dawn squealed, prompting Drew to stare at her awkwardly. "That is just the most adorable little thing!!"
"Aww, thanks!" Maria giggled from the other side of the stage. "Your Piplup is cute, too!"
Both Drew and Ken were silent for a moment as the two females began to exchange stories about their Pokemon, acting as if they were oblivious to the enormous crowd which surrounded them.
"Uh, Dawn..." Drew began hesitantly. "Perhaps we should stay focused on the battle?"
"Oh, right!" Dawn agreed, quickly snapping out of her infatuation with her opponent's Pokemon and deciding on her first move. "Piplup, use Whirlpool on Phanpy!"
"Lup!" Piplup chirped, leaping forward and spewing a torrent of blue bubbles from its beak, which crashed into the awaiting Pokemon.
"Phanpy, Defence Curl!" Maria commanded, watching as her Ground-type Pokemon curled itself into a tight ball and did its best to deflect the crushing power of the watery vortex which continued to crash down onto it.
"Rhydon, use Hammer Arm on that little squirt!" Ken ordered, pointing towards Dawn's Piplup, which continued to blast Phanpy with a Whirlpool attack.
"Oh no you don't!" Drew interrupted. "Absol, dive in front of that attack!"
"Ab!" Absol snarled, coiling its hind legs against the floor before launching itself in front of Piplup, shielding the tiny penguin Pokemon from harm.
"Another selfless act of defence from Drew and his Absol!" Alisa commented, almost breathless at the display. "Now that's dedication, folks! But Absol won't be able to shrug that blow off easily - Hammer Arm is super-effective against a Dark-type and though it may have saved Piplup, it's also cost Drew and Dawn an awful lot of points! Was it worth it, I wonder?"
Both Ash and Brock were unable to help but flinch as they watched Drew's Absol continue to be attacked by Ken's Rhydon, the Rock-type Pokemon effortlessly pounding its enemy into the ground with its frighteningly powerful arms.
"Drew, you've got to do something!" Dawn gasped as Absol made no attempt to retaliate at all. "Absol looks like it's in so much pain!"
"Absol's used to it." Drew replied coldly, his eyes scanning the fight for any signs of weakness from either combatant.
Dawn paused for a moment, shocked that she could hear such a thing from a coordinator as high-ranking and respected as Drew.
"How can you say that!?" Dawn exclaimed suddenly, glaring at the boy with piercing, accusative eyes. "Absol's your Pokemon! You can't possibly feel nothing when you watch it getting hurt out there, can you!?"
"I do what I have to do, Dawn!" Drew snapped back, suddenly turning his gaze onto his partner and looking her straight in the eyes. "And so does Absol."
Dawn was silent, Drew's words echoing in her mind, causing her to analyze them over and over again. Though the moment only lasted for a few seconds, it felt like an eternity to Dawn - it was as if she was six years old again, being scolded by her mother. She could remember staring at her feet nervously in the kitchen, her heart pounding, her mother's voice reprimanding her for her clumsiness. All the feelings suddenly rushed into her head and she felt her eyes twitch as she fought back some tears.
"Now hurry up and finish off that Phanpy!" Drew yelled, snapping the girl back into reality. "I can't hold off this guy much longer!"
"B-but I..." Dawn mumbled, her eyes slowly moving back to where Piplup continued to attack with Whirlpool.
"Heh, not so fast..." Ken chuckled. "Rhydon, use Earthquake!"
"Dammit!" Drew cursed loudly, pointing straight at Rhydon. "Absol, jump onto Rhydon and avoid that attack!"
"Wh-what!?" Ken stammered, unable to do anything but watch the ensuing carnage as Rhydon stamped its feet into the ground, causing an enormous tremor which split through the stadium, throwing both Phanpy and Piplup out of the ring, unconscious. Absol managed to avoid the full brunt of the attack, teetering precariously on top of Rhydon's head as it tried to avoid a swift stab from the creature's drill-like horn.
"Now use Water Pulse!" Drew shouted. "Full power!"
"Sol!" Absol growled, leaping away from the Rock-type and flicking its head back, a large wave of water emerging from the blade-like protrusion on the side of its head. The wave crashed into Ken's Rhydon with astonishing force, completely submerging the creature. The entire hall was silent with anticipation until finally the water receded and Rhydon's unconscious body was left lying in the centre of the soaking stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Dawn Hikari and Drew Blackthorne are through to the fourth round!" Alisa's voice boomed, followed by an enormous roar of excitement from the crowd. "What an incredible match! Is there nothing these two coordinators can't accomplish when they're together?"
~*~*~
The echoing sounds of roaring crowds and fevered commentary could be heard rumbling through the thin walls of the carnival tent, where inside the second storage room the four members of Team Rocket; Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet, all continued their organisation of the competitor's Pokeballs into carts with which to easily haul their contents off to the boss. Much of the noise in the room, however, was being emitted from the television monitor that was hooked up to the main viewing system in the rest of the tent, giving the team an insight into how the competition was progressing.
"Y'know as much as I hate to admit it I gotta hand it to those clowns Botch and Cassidy." Meowth spoke up as he continued to pour a number of Pokeballs into a nearby cart. "This plan is going so smooth I don't think it'd be possible for even the three of us to mess it up!"
"Wobbuffet." Jessie's blue Pokemon agreed.
James smiled at the thought of finally being able to complete a job well done - it would be an enormous weight off his shoulders and his dignity if they could walk into Team Rocket's Kanto headquarters with a sack of rare and powerful Pokemon slung over their shoulders. Jessie, however, simply sighed as she sat huddled in a corner on the floor, her eyes fixed to the television monitor which was blasting images of another fierce Pokemon contest her way.
"Say Jessie," James spoke up, wandering over to his partner of many years who looked positively miserable, "something the matter?"
"Yes, James..." she muttered, dismay hanging off every syllable she spoke. "This... This whole thing... I shouldn't be stealing Pokemon in a seedy storage room like a tramp searching for scraps! I should be out there!"
She pointed to the television monitor where an electric attack had just engulfed the stage.
"Competing in Pokemon contests like the beautiful and talented maiden I am!" she exclaimed. "I'm sick of this, James! Aren't you? Don't you want something more from life?"
"Something..." James echoed uncertainly as he looked into her eyes. "More?"
"Yes!" Jessie continued, getting to her feet and clasping her hands over his. "I could have everything we've ever dreamed of! I could travel the world entering contests and signing fabulous modeling contracts! You could be my agent and make all the phone calls!"
"And..." James stammered uneasily. "What about Meowth?"
"Meowth?" Jessie repeated, her gaze moving slowly over towards where the small feline Pokemon was standing next to Wobbuffet, both of them continuing to sort through the Pokeballs they had discovered. "He can be my mascot. Him and Wobbuffet."
Suddenly the voice of the announcer spoke up from the television monitor once again, causing Jessie to return her attention to the contest.
"And now ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for the return of Nico Cyrax and May Maple!" Alisa's voice cheered excitedly, prompting the crowd to roar in eager anticipation of yet another enticing match-up. "Their opponents in this round are the fearsome Shizuka Tamaki and Nami Robbin!"
Jessie's eyes widened as the monitor's camera zoomed in on the faces of each competitor one by one, and she could swear that she recognised one of them.
"Wait, hold on just a second!" Jessie exclaimed, grabbing the attention of her colleagues in the storage room. "Isn't that the old female twerp?"
"You mean the one from Hoenn?" James double-checked as Jessie nodded her confirmation. Sure enough the girl on the television screen did indeed look strikingly similar, even down to the same red outfit and matching bandana she wore over her brunette hair. "But why would she be here?"
"Argh, alright, that does it!" Jessie yelled, suddenly pumping her clenched fist into the air, her temperament flaring up so intensely that James was certain he could see fire igniting from all over her body. "I'm getting out of here! I can't just skulk around in the shadows while there's a contest going on! I need to be out there where people can marvel at my beauty and accept me as their true mistress!"
"But Jessie!" James protested nervously - he was always sure to be as cautious as possible when his partner reacted like this. "The cutoff point for registering in the contests is over! You can't compete!"
"Who said anything about competing, James?" Jessie purred, a familiar look of desire flashing in her eyes as she spoke. "I have a plan..."
Last edited by Gazmof; 27th February 2008 at 1:33 PM.
...indeed...
wah, can't believe we're already to the 5th chapter ^^
I believe there's a "with" missing there...otherwise it gives a new meaning to the sentance
We all have our plans in mind...
Yeah...Dawnpictured to the extreme, I love it :d
I can absolutely immagine them sweatdropping in a situation like that xD
Yes, for you guys, it's always possible to mess things up ^^'
And Drew seems to be losing his temper...I wonder how he became how he is now ?...
I just need to say this : I love where this is going.
Plot is excellent, writing is also excellent, very enjoyable length per chapter, what more can you ask for ? One of the best AS fics that came out recently, imo (yes, I do check on everything that gets posted here...) and I'd definately support this for a shipping oscar, but let's wait and see
Yeah, I see no reason why I shouldn't rate this five stars...good job mate ^^
Untill next time, or on the BeaconShipping thread xD
ConVulATiON
Hey, nice to have an update!
I suspect this to be a clear reference to the Cafe episode in DP.
Yup, this is a very believable statement; it's mutual as both are symbiotic in a way.'Thanks, Ash...' May thought to herself, her smile having now completely replaced her former frown. 'You're the best friend a girl could ever hope for...'
Poor May, though, she was insulted badly earlier.
That is SO Dawn. She's probably the most girly of the three main females we've had so far...she would do something like this in a contest; no doubt about that!
"Oh my gosh!!" Dawn squealed, prompting Drew to stare at her awkwardly. "That is just the most adorable little thing!!"
In truth, Dawn didn't do much at all. The important thing is that she has begun to see through our green-haired friend, and is reconsidering his ethical stance."Ladies and gentlemen, Dawn Hikari and Drew Blackthorne are through to the fourth round!" Alisa's voice boomed, followed by an enormous roar of excitement from the crowd. "What an incredible match! Is there nothing these two coordinators can't accomplish when they're together?"
Yes, something else that Dawn would do. Yay for in-characterness.
No denying that Jessie LOVES contests now,"Who said anything about competing, James?" Jessie purred, a familiar look of desire flashing in her eyes as she spoke. "I have a plan..."
Spoiler:- Spoiler:
but I sense another failure from the trio...you can trust them to mess up the operation.
< Guess who's back?
I just started on this fic, but from what I've read I can say I like it.
Better, more detailed comments will come in the future. Keep up the good work, good writing and advanceshipping is always appreciated.
Bring Back The Golden Age
Zephyr Trainer
Dang, Ariel's post got deleted, but... Yes, that was a reference to Gundam SEED - glad someone caught it
Okay, answer time.
Shadow: Oh snap, I didn't notice that mistake @_@;; I'd better go edit that, thanks ^^;;
Aww, that's very flattering ^^;;; Especially coming from a Contestshipper :O But yes, I will do my best to continue and finish this fic to the degree you expect ^^;I just need to say this : I love where this is going.
Plot is excellent, writing is also excellent, very enjoyable length per chapter, what more can you ask for ? One of the best AS fics that came out recently, imo (yes, I do check on everything that gets posted here...) and I'd definately support this for a shipping oscar, but let's wait and see
Earthborn: Yep, references all around. Plus the anti-Pearlshipper in me just couldn't resist taking a jab at that episode -;
Hunter: Good to have another regular Advanceshipper reading the fic ^^
The comments I most enjoy receiving from you guys are the claims that I'm keeping the characters... Well, in-character. That's always my biggest fear with writing fanfictions, so it's nice to hear I'm doing a good job in that department ^^;
Chapter six is well underway and I'll post it as soon as it's ready. Thanks for all the reviews, people!
PokeSpe Collector
Zephyr Trainer
Heh, well I've seen worse, but y'know, some people get mad if there isn't a new chapter up every week or something like that ^^;; Glad you're enjoying it though, and thanks for the comment ^^
Anyways, I have a special surprise for all of you... Chapter six :O Two chapters in one week? No way! Yep, it's true... Well, enjoy ^^ I had a lot of fun writing this one
Chapter Six:
Kisses and Roses
May felt a trickle of sweat roll down her forehead as her eyes scanned the battlefield determinedly. There were only a few minutes left on the match's clock timer and the entire battle had been a difficult standstill. Nami's Golbat, a blue-coloured, bat-like creature with a gaping maw flapped its wings energetically, just a few feet in front of Nico's Glalie whilst Shizuka's Pokemon levitated directly opposite May's Blaziken; it was a Claydol - a part-Psychic, part-Ground-type Pokemon which brought back bad memories of her journey through Hoenn with Ash, Brock and Max when they were chased by a gigantic version of the creature.
May smiled to herself as she recalled the day in her mind. She had to admit that it had been fun dressing up in a nurse's uniform to try and lure the Claydol away from a village that was in dire trouble, though she wished that Ash had paid perhaps a little more attention to her when she was wearing it.
'Ugh,' her thoughts spoke to her, 'why do you have to be so naive, Ash Ketchum?'
Both girls on the opposing side of the contest stage were in their early-to-mid twenties and seemed to be contest veterans. Their Pokemon were both well-trained and seemed to be as strong and as graceful as one would find in any official contest hall throughout the region.
Nami had short, auburn hair tied into a bun and dark, hazel eyes, almost the colour of chocolate. She stood around five feet tall and wore a black, Chinese-style dress which hugged her slender figure and was decorated with a white dragon pattern. Her partner, Shizuka, was slightly taller and had long, jade-green hair down to her shoulders and a much less formal wardrobe. Her sweater was as fluffy as a Mareep's wool and as white as a cloud, and from the waist-down she wore jet-black jeans and a pair of leather boots.
"Claydol, Earthquake!" Shizuka commanded, prompting the tall, black statue's several red eyes to glow a deep crimson, its short, arm-like protrusions temporarily detaching from its clay body and hovering in a hypnotic fashion a few inches from the ground as a tremor began to slowly grow in power beneath the contestant's feet.
"Blaziken!" May called in retaliation. "Jump into the air and use Sky Uppercut on Claydol!"
"Oh no you don't!" Nami exclaimed. "Golbat, Aerial Ace on Blaziken, now!"
May flinched, closing her eyes as she watched her Blaziken launch itself into the air, narrowly avoiding the heavy quake which tore through the contest stage. The Fire-type Pokemon continued its climb towards the waiting Psychic-type, readying its fist for a powerful attack, when Nami's Golbat began to swoop down for an attack of its own with the edges of its razor-sharp wings. There was a sudden blast of white air and the bat let out a cry of anguish as it felt a wave of ice crashing into its side, burying the creature in snow and slush on the other side of the stage.
"Golbat, no!" Nami called out, watching helplessly as her Pokemon lay trapped in a block of snow.
May smiled to herself as she watched her partner's Glalie hover a short distance behind Blaziken, protecting the Pokemon from any impending signs of attack from either of their opponents. Shizuka's Claydol braced itself before feeling the powerful impact of Blaziken's red-hot fist and was soon sent plummeting into the ground.
"Ladies and gentlemen it's another win for May Maple and Nico Cyrax!" Alisa exclaimed as the dust began to settle from the battle, leaving only Blaziken and Glalie still conscious. "Congratulations, you two! You're both through to the quarter-finals! What a spectacular battle!"
The crowd let out a huge cheer as confetti began to float down towards the main stage where the clean-up crew had already begun tidying up the mess from the battle in the hopes of getting the stage ready for the next match. As May recalled Blaziken into its Pokeball she smiled to herself, sliding the ball into her fanny pack and casting a glance towards her partner, Nico.
"Thanks for the help out there." she mused, nodding towards the boy who quickly grinned back.
"Heh, anytime." he replied, his eyes covertly trailing the girl as she walked past, zooming in towards her behind. "Anytime at all..."
~*~*~
"Oh my, what a dazzling display of spunky young Pokemon coordinators we have here!" the familiar voice of a woman with long, red hair spoke into a makeshift microphone that was clasped tightly in her hand. "Of course some of their wardrobes leave something to be desired, but-"
"Wobbuffet!!" the short blue Pokemon at the woman's side yelled, slapping its forehead loudly with its free hand whilst the other attempted to keep the light stand in its possession as stable as possible.
"Will you be quiet, Wobbuffet?" the woman snapped impatiently, shoving her face directly into Wobbuffet's and glaring at the creature intimidatingly. "How am I supposed to be a great news reporter with you interrupting me all the time!?"
"Wobbuffet..." the creature replied wearily.
The man with the light-blue hair and a heavy video camera in his hands sighed, turning to face his short companion - a Meowth wearing a green baseball cap and matching jacket and pants, along with a thick pair of black sunglasses.
"I hate when she gets like this..." he groaned.
"Aww, relax, Jimmy-boy." Meowth replied. "After working with you two for so long I figured out that you shouldn't argue with Jessie no matter how stupid she's being."
James groaned once again, heaving slightly as he lifted the camera back up to point towards the disguised Jessie, who was smiling as innocently as she possibly could, her free hand using Wobbuffet's head as a bench with which to lean on.
It hadn't taken long for Jessie to order the rest of the members of Team Rocket to comply with her plans and soon they had each found themselves wearing yet another ridiculous disguise with which to fool the unsuspecting members of the public. Jessie wore large, round glasses and had fashioned her hair into two long pigtails. On her feet were black, high-heeled shoes and from her neck down she wore a figure-hugging red dress that seemed to accentuate every curve on her body. She had insisted on cutting the length of the dress as short as she possibly could and James was beginning to wonder how long it would take for carnival security to eject her from the premises for indecent exposure. In stark contrast, James wore an outfit which was almost identical to Meowth's, save for the fact that he lacked the sunglasses his shorter counterpart possessed.
"Oh, and here come the winners of the last match!" Jessie declared, rushing over towards the backstage entrance of the tent's waiting room and greeting May and Nico abruptly. "Well well well, if it isn't Twer-uh, I mean May Maple and Nico Cyrax!"
Both May and Nico responded with rather vacant stares at the woman, a moment of silence slowly passing like a tumbleweed drifting through an old ghost town in the desert.
"Uh..." Nico broke the silence uncertainly, glaring at Jessie. "Who are you...?"
"Why I'm none other than the beautiful and glamorous Jessica Roquet; world-famous Pokemon coordinator and top model!" Jessie lied, clearly enjoying every moment as she spoke her words. "But that's not important - you two are the stars of this show today! And what an amazing battle that was!"
"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet agreed, then quickly hung its head low when Jessie directed a sharp glare towards it in response.
"Heh, yeah, well," Nico smirked, "I guess we were pretty impressive out there..."
"Hey, May!" Ash's voice called from the other side of the waiting room as he, Brock and Pikachu all entered and dashed towards the young Pokemon coordinator, Ash showing particular enthusiasm.
"Ash!" the girl replied, smiling. She was always happy to see the boy and she felt her heart flutter slightly whenever he called her name. As she smiled back at the boy, Nico scowled a little from her side.
"You were so great out there!" Ash continued, pumping his fist excitedly. "You've trained Blaziken to be so strong; you've done such a great job!"
"Oh, Ash..." May mumbled, a blush quickly making itself known as it spread across her cheeks and she glanced down towards the floor. "Blaziken was the one who did all the work, not me..."
Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet stood in shock for a moment as they watched Ash and May's conversation unfold in front of their eyes, as if this was a day no different from the days they spent chasing the group around in Hoenn, desperately trying to capture Pikachu. As Ash continued to compliment his blushing friend, James leaned in closely towards Meowth, his hand covering his mouth so that only his intended target could hear what he was about to say.
"Say, Meowth," he whispered cautiously, "this looks like a regular twerp convention, don't you think?"
"I'll say..." Meowth stammered in reply.
"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet added, helpfully.
"Say, you guys look kind of familiar..." Brock wondered out loud, his eyes carefully examining the film crew. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
"Aha, my friend!" Jessie exclaimed suddenly, grabbing Brock by the arm and causing him to jerk forward in surprise. "The question to be asked is not if you know us but if you know this girl right here!"
Her finger then proceeded to point accusatively towards May, who was still recovering from a large bout of blushing received from Ash's compliments.
"It seems that your friend with the Pikachu here is taking a larger-than-usual interest in this young coordinator!" Jessie continued, adjusting her glasses knowingly. "Does the budding couple have any words to say to our loyal viewers?"
"C-couple!?" May repeated, gasping as her face began to turn an even brighter shade of red than she thought was humanly possible. "We're not, um, I mean, that is to say, I-"
"Couple?" Ash stammered uncertainly. "You mean like a double-battle partner or something?"
A large thud could be heard as everyone around the boy tried to stop themselves from falling to the ground in a heap. Even Pikachu seemed to teeter dizzily from atop the boy's cap upon hearing his words.
"Ash, she means-" Brock began, but was quickly cut off by Nico as the boy reached a hand around May's waist, his fingers beginning to stray underneath the fanny back she wore.
"I'm pretty sure a girl like May needs a real man to keep her satisfied." he chuckled, flashing a challenging grin towards Ash.
Upon feeling the boy's roaming fingers on her body May jolted out of his reach and rushed over to where Ash and Brock were standing, turning and glaring at her former partner with a look of extreme anger in her eyes.
"What do you think you're doing, Nico!?" she yelled, her hands instinctively reaching to Ash's arm and gripping it tightly for reassurance.
"Just what you've been wanting me to do this whole time, that's all." Nico answered bluntly, his eyes taking in a good look at the girl's figure. She was by no means stunning or unique - in fact she was rather plain; the 'girl next door' kind of look - but this only served to enhance her impressive physique and soft, pretty facial features. It simply made him want her all the more intensely.
"Don't even think about touching her again!" Ash growled, suddenly taking a step towards the boy and clenching his fist menacingly, causing Brock, May, Pikachu and Team Rocket to all widen their eyes in surprise.
"Heh," Nico laughed in reply, running his fingers through his black hair idly, "tough words for a boy and his Pikachu."
He then shoved past Ash and took one final glance at a defiant May before walking towards the main entrance of the waiting room.
"Oh, and by the way, May..." he added, turning and admiring her blue eyes which glared back towards him. "By the time this contest is over you'll be begging to be with me."
~*~*~
"Piplup?" the small, blue penguin chirped as it stared up towards its trainer, who wore a disappointed frown on her face.
"I'm sorry, Piplup..." Dawn sighed, kneeling down and patting the Water-type Pokemon on the head affectionately. "I'm just beginning to feel useless from that last battle, is all."
"Piplup!" Piplup snapped, turning its beak away from the girl defiantly.
"Oh, hey, I didn't mean it like that!" Dawn quickly stammered, waving her hands as if to push away the negative aura her Pokemon was now emanating. "You were great Piplup, just like always!"
"Lup." Piplup agreed, its beak curving into an undeniable smile as it patted the girl's hand with its wing reassuringly. "Piplup Pip!"
"I was just saying..." Dawn groaned, looking up towards the ceiling of the tent's outer corridor from the backstage area. It was quiet here, far from the hustle and bustle of the spectating areas and the waiting room where all of the coordinators eagerly anticipated their next match. "I just froze when I saw Absol getting attacked... I completely forgot about winning the match... If it hadn't been for Drew's quick thinking, then you could've been seriously hurt, Piplup..."
"Pip..." Piplup said half-heartedly. The small penguin Pokemon had a stubborn pride but even it had to admit that without Absol's quick defence there would have been almost no way of winning that match. Truly, it seemed as though the coordinator known as Drew was as on-the-ball as ever and had kept a cool and level head at all times throughout the match.
Dawn was startled by the sudden sound of footsteps approaching from behind her and she quickly got to her feet, turning to see her partner, Drew, clipping a Pokeball to his belt. He had just returned from healing his Pokemon in the backstage Pokemon Centre and looked as serious as always.
"Ah, Drew!" Dawn greeted the boy hesitantly, then peered over at his waist where the Pokeball now lay. "Is... Is Absol okay?"
"We've been through worse." Drew replied bluntly, then began to make his way towards the waiting room when Dawn stopped him.
"Um!" she began nervously, her eyes examining the floor as she spoke. "I, uh, I... I want to apologise about the match..."
Drew was silent as he stood there, waiting for Dawn to finish. This caused the girl to become flustered and she hurriedly began to form a sentence which she hoped would make sense.
"I mean, well," she murmured uneasily, "you were right to yell at me. I should've been more focused on the match, and... Yeah... I'm sorry."
Drew proceeded to turn and face the girl once more, approaching her, his expression blank and lifeless with every step he took. Eventually he reached the girl and gently placed his arms on her shoulders, causing her to blush a little, surprised at his touch.
"No," he began, his voice as soft as velvet as he whispered to her, causing her heartbeat to quicken, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You were just worried about my Pokemon and I got nervous. I thought we'd lose the match."
Dawn remained silent, her pulse racing as she stared into his eyes and felt herself being pulled towards him as their embrace continued.
"Drew, I..." she mumbled, her arms moving up and wrapping around the coordinator's torso as if by instinct. She could feel his gentle breath pressing against her skin and soon their faces were mere inches apart and she continued to feel like lifeless putty in the boy's hands - it was a strange sensation, but one that Dawn just couldn't get enough of.
"But when I look into your eyes, Dawn..." he breathed ever-so softly as the girl's blush intensified. "I just feel so calm..."
Dawn's eyes instinctively closed as Drew pressed his lips against hers and she began to lose herself in his embrace. She could hear Piplup loudly protesting by her feet, yet somehow the Pokemon seemed to be worlds away from the girl and all she could see was Drew and herself embracing in a field of beautiful stars.
It felt so strange... This was a first for her in so many ways. Her first kiss, the first boy who had ever shown interest in her in such a way and the first time she had ever felt those emotions in return. Her fingers gripped the boy's shirt and glided up and down his back, not wanting the moment to end. But soon a wave of guilt hit her as she thought of her new friend May and the kiss was soon brought to a close as Drew pulled away slowly.
"Drew..." she murmured, her face an undeniably bright shade of red.
"Piplup Piplup Piplup Piplup!!!!" the Water-type Pokemon squealed furiously from beside her ankle, jumping up and down and shaking its wings at the couple in anger.
Dawn watched Drew closely as he fumbled with the Pokeballs on his belt and opened one up, causing a brief flash of white light to fill the corridor and his trademark plant Pokemon Roselia to appear beside them.
"Rose?" it questioned, looking over towards its trailer, who leaned over and patted the creature gently on its head.
"Roselia." Drew began, smiling at his prized Pokemon as he always did. "May I please have one of your roses?"
Roselia smiled back and stretched out its arms, both of which were overflowing bouquets of brightly-coloured roses - one red, one blue. Drew gently picked one of the flowers from the creature's left arm and presented it to the female coordinator standing beside him.
"A beautiful lady should have a flower as beautiful as she is." Drew suggested, taking the girl's hand and passing the flower into her grasp. "It's almost as pretty as your eyes."
It was then that the voice of Alisa began to echo through the carnival tent once again, announcing the start of the quarter-final rounds. A nearby television monitor could be seen, showing eight Pokemon coordinator's faces, four on the left side and four on the right, both sides divided by a single white line in the middle.
"Alright then, ladies, gentlemen and coordinators!" Alisa declared. "The quarter-finals are about to get underway! Our double-battle system is now being scrapped in favour of some intense one-on-one Pokemon action! Our final eight coordinators will now be randomly assigned an opponent by our tournament computer! Get ready folks, because it's just going to get even more exciting from here-on-in!"
Drew, Dawn and Piplup all watched with interest as the faces of the final eight competitors were shuffled within their respective brackets and then lined up side-by-side with their opponents.
Dawn couldn't believe who she had been paired up against.
"Sorry, Dawn." Drew sighed, moving away from the girl and releasing his grip on her hand gently. "It looks like we're rivals from now on."
With that the young coordinator flicked his fingers through his lime-green hair and turned to walk away, Roselia swiftly following, leaving Dawn and Piplup to watch them leave.
"Drew..." she whispered underneath her breath, her eyes glancing down to the single, blue rose in her hand.
~*~*~
Blurs of colour and flashing lights swirled in front of Paul as he slowly opened his eyes. His head was pounding and it took a few moments for his vision to adjust, slowly allowing the ceiling of one of the carnival tent's storage rooms to come into view. He was too groggy to move and didn't make a noise for a moment, instead choosing to continue lying in a heap on the floor, feeling the weight of a nervous group of people on either side of his body, all of them bound and gagged.
Suddenly Paul heard the hissing of a radio's static and glanced to his right, where he saw the familiar face of the Team Rocket grunt with the green hair pacing up and down. He quickly squinted his eyes in an effort to appear asleep in the most natural-looking way possible whilst still allowing him the opportunity to watch what the man was doing.
"Butch?" the radio spoke fuzzily. "Butch, can you hear me?"
Butch moved over to the small, wooden table where the device was located and snatched it into his hand, pressing it against his ear and flipping a dial on the box to allow him to return a message.
"Yeah, what?" he asked.
"It's already five; we should've been out of this dump by now!" the voice of the female Team Rocket member, Cassidy, replied through the radio's tired speakers. "Where are those bumbling clowns Jessie and James?"
"I thought you told them to come meet me once they'd finished packing up all of the Pokemon!" Butch answered, planting his face into his palm. "Don't tell me they managed to screw even that job up?"
"Ugh, probably." Cassidy groaned back. "That Jessie never was any good at housework. What about the coordinators?"
"They're all tied up nice and tight." Butch smirked, a smug smile appearing on his face as he glanced down at the angry faces which stared defiantly up at him from every side of the room. "They aren't going anywhere soon."
"Then I guess it can't be helped." Cassidy sighed. "Butch, go and check in the other storage room." She paused, then added something. "And make sure you lock the door after you."
"Hey, give me a little credit!" Butch protested.
"Whatever." Cassidy returned, followed by a hiss of static that indicated she had terminated the call.
Butch idly threw the radio back onto the table, reaching his hand into his pants pocket and removing a large set of silver keys which jangled loudly in his grasp. Paul opened one eye, snatching a brief glimpse of the man as he turned and walked out of the room, slamming it shut behind him, the sound of a lock slowly turning from behind its meagre frame.
It was now that Paul could finally attempt to sit up, though this was difficult as he soon realised that both his hands and feet had been tied together with rope and his mouth was covered by a tight band of cloth. He eventually struggled to press himself against the back wall, grinding against it before looking around the room.
It was a very small area, with nothing of much interest to note aside from the wooden table and a single chair where Butch had been talking. Directly opposite Paul was a single, locked door, and in the far corner was a cart of Pokeballs ready to be hauled off.
Paul instinctively glanced down to his belt where he kept his Pokeballs, only to find that they were missing.
'Dammit!' he thought to himself, his eyes glued to the cart. 'They must've taken my Pokemon, too!'
All around Paul were the rest of the coordinators. Some were still unconscious, others were awake and seemed both scared and angry. They were so close to the Pokeballs and yet there was nothing they could do - they were powerless to stop the thieves. And if there was one thing Paul hated feeling, it was powerless.
'Whoever knocked me out back there is going to pay dearly for this...' he thought, snarling from underneath the gag.
~*~*~
"And Nico Cyrax wins his way into the semi-finals with some help from his very impressive Glalie!" Alisa declared, her voice bouncing throughout the carnival tent's contest hall where Nico recalled his Pokemon into its Pokeball before walking confidently from the main stage.
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the loser of the match was ushered off the stage in order to prepare for the next contest battle. The digital clock display which hung over the battlefield was quickly reset and the names of the coordinators due on in the next match began to scroll across the screen.
Ash, however, refused to applaud; instead staring down towards the back of the stage where Nico disappeared like a Buneary into its burrow. Brock noticed this, then nudged his friend gently.
"Are you still thinking about what happened between him and May?" the breeder asked, causing Ash to groan and stretch out his arms idly.
Truth be told, Ash wasn't entirely sure why he had gotten angry at the boy. Yes, he knew that you were never supposed to touch a woman in a certain way, though he had no real clue why. But it wasn't so much the fact that Nico had tried to touch May, but more the fact that May seemed so angered by it. And whenever May felt angry, Ash felt that way too. It was almost as if it was an indescribable connection between the two of them.
Ash wondered for a moment if he would have reacted the same if it had happened to one of his other friends, like Dawn or Misty. Whilst he had no doubt that he would be the first one to jump up and defend a friend in need, would he really have been so volatile about it?
Come to think of it, Misty was probably more than capable of defending herself.
Ash glanced down to his right hand; the same hand which had clenched into a fist during the incident. The same hand which he had to stop from launching into Nico's face by summoning every ounce of his willpower. Ash had almost scared himself by being so angry - never in his life had he felt such an overwhelming urge to harm someone, with no regards for the consequences it may have brought upon him.
But he knew, deep down inside, that no matter how angry May had been at the boy, she wouldn't have wanted that to happen.
Ash leaned back in his chair and smiled to himself.
Perhaps it was her touch that had calmed him down.
"Nah." Ash replied, leaning his head against his arms as he sank deeper into his chair. "I was just angry, that's all. It's over now."
"I'd be more worried about Drew, myself." Brock suggested, causing Ash to raise an eyebrow curiously.
"Drew?" he repeated.
"Pika?" Pikachu squeaked an echo from its position on Ash's lap.
"Yeah." Brock continued, folding his arms as he always did when he was about to discuss something serious. "The way he's been acting with Dawn since they got teamed up together in the second round... It's had me worried."
"Worried?" Ash questioned, not entirely certain of what Brock was getting at.
"Right." Brock nodded. "I think Dawn's starting to get way too excited about him."
"Well, it's always good to make new friends, right?" Ash concluded, causing Brock to groan in exasperation.
"Ash, you're missing my point." Brock attempted to explain to the clueless boy. "I think that Dawn wants to be MORE than just friends with Drew."
"What, you mean like..." Ash began uncertainly. "Like... A girlfriend?"
"Right!" Brock exclaimed, his inner-self jumping for joy to celebrate the fact that he may have finally penetrated the young Pokemon trainer's thick skull. "And I think that's bad news because Drew and May have history together."
There was a pause before Brock spoke up again.
"I'm certain of it."
Ash stared at his friend for a moment, somewhat puzzled. History? That didn't make any sense. Of course May had history with Drew, just like Ash had history with Gary. They were rivals, after all. It only made sense that they would both be an important part of each other's lives.
"I..." Ash stammered. "I don't get it."
Brock groaned once again, slumping down into his chair. Trying to explain romantic relationships to Ash was more difficult than trying to activate a Pokemon Gym's emergency water sprinkler in order to defeat an Onix with a Pikachu.
But then again, Ash had somehow managed to do that long ago.
"What I mean, Ash," Brock reasoned, sitting back up in his chair and resuming his serious expression, "is that I think May and Drew used to date."
Ash's pupils dilated a little as he heard this theory and he quickly turned away from Brock, lowering the peak of his cap to cover his forehead. He stared down at his feet and began to make small circles with his toes as he analysed the words which echoed through his brain. Used to date? They couldn't... May wouldn't!
But then again, towards the end of their journeys together in Kanto, May always did seem distracted by the young coordinator whenever he appeared. Even after May finally earned her first victory against her rival he still seemed to have a mental hold over her which she just couldn't shake away.
Was it because... She liked him?
Ash frowned, feeling his heart tighten like a knot as he continued to think about the girl. He felt like dashing out of the hall for a moment to get a breath of fresh air, but he didn't want to explain his reasoning to Brock or Pikachu. Heck, he didn't even understand it himself, but he just felt so... Betrayed. And he had no idea why.
Suddenly a pair of shiny black eyes appeared in front of his own.
"Pika Pi?" Pikachu spoke softly, worried that something was wrong with its trainer. It lightly reached up with its right paw and patted the boy on the cheek, worry in its eyes.
"Pikachu..." Ash sniffed a little, as if he could feel tears welling up inside of him. "Uh, I... I'm fine, buddy."
"Pika?" Pikachu seemed less than convinced.
"Ah, yeah, I, um," Ash mumbled, lifting up his cap and smiling nervously towards Brock, "I'm just... Hungry... That's all, heh."
"I'm still not sure I trust Drew's intentions for Dawn." Brock considered out loud, scratching his chin as he thought of the numerous possibilities the situation could give rise to. "I mean they've barely known each other for a day and already Dawn seems ready to head off and marry the guy."
'I wish I could have that effect on women...' Brock's thoughts added, bitterly.
Ash remained silent, hardly hearing a word that Brock said as the noise all around him seemed to dissipate and replace itself with his thoughts and worries. Just what had happened between May and Drew during their adventures in Johto? Why had she come back so soon? He still wasn't certain of exactly how he felt about May and Drew being an item, but something inside of him seemed to sting every time he thought of the possibility. Brock was right; something had happened between the two of them and he was determined to find out what it was.
Suddenly Ash began to get to his feet and Pikachu leapt from his lap and onto the arm of the chair he had been sitting in. Ash felt the strong grip of Brock's hand on his wrist and he turned to face the breeder.
"I've just gotta go talk to May real quick." Ash explained.
"But Ash," his friend protested, "Dawn's battle is just about to start."
Ash turned to face the stage where Dawn began to walk out, Piplup marching confidently beside her. Her hair had now been put up into a bun, and what appeared to be a deep, blue flower had been set into it to hold it in place, whilst her face seemed solemn and her expression was a serious, almost depressed one.
Ash then looked up at the main screen above the stage, where he saw the faces of the coordinators who would be battling each other in this match. He couldn't quite believe what he saw.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen!" Alisa announced eagerly. "It's time for our last quarter-final match between former teammates Dawn Hikari and Drew Blackthorne! Coordinators, please have your Pokemon take the stage! On your marks... Get ready, and... Battle!"
~*~*~
At last! Some shippiness
Just wanted to take this moment to thank shadow_shipper and sp1derp1g for them nominating for this as the best Advanceshipping fic and me as the best Advanceshipping author in the Shipping Oscars 07/08 ^^; It's really flattering, so thanks a lot you guys, I've never been nominated in anything like that before so I'm really grateful; it made my day ^^ Thanks also for the nomination for Bayleef-tan, Shadow ^^
As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think and I'll begin work on chapter 7 as soon as I can ^^
Time Lord on duty
Anytime, Gazmof!
Now, to the review.
There is more to this than it meets the eye...Dawn's eyes instinctively closed as Drew pressed his lips against hers and she began to lose herself in his embrace. She could hear Piplup loudly protesting by her feet, yet somehow the Pokemon seemed to be worlds away from the girl and all she could see was Drew and herself embracing in a field of beautiful stars.
Drew's intentions are not good! The rose is a giveaway..."Drew..." she whispered underneath her breath, her eyes glancing down to the single, blue rose in her hand.
ARGH! MY EYES! Oh, USED to, that's better."What I mean, Ash," Brock reasoned, sitting back up in his chair and resuming his serious expression, "is that I think May and Drew used to date."
Well, it's not much, but it's "My two cents" by Kent Brockman
until your next installment;
Smell ya later,
Sp1derp1g
Last edited by Sp1derp1g; 1st March 2008 at 12:27 AM.
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You won't regret it! (actual regret may be experienced.)
ConVulATiON
I'm glad you've got a new chapter up and running so soon!
No expression can possibly describe this statement."Oh, and by the way, May..." he added, turning and admiring her blue eyes which glared back towards him. "By the time this contest is over you'll be begging to be with me."
You know...that could come off the wrong way."Heh, anytime." he replied, his eyes covertly trailing the girl as she walked past, zooming in towards her behind. "Anytime at all..."
But it's probably meant to seeing what happens later.
Aah, but Ash DOES know what couple really means. Watch Bicker the Better again"Couple?" Ash stammered uncertainly. "You mean like a double-battle partner or something?"
It was funny nonetheless, so I don't mind.
So that's where he gets the roses from."Roselia." Drew began, smiling at his prized Pokemon as he always did. "May I please have one of your roses?"
It's so obvious.
Paul is angry. This day will go down in Team Rocket history; the worst mistake of their lives.'Whoever knocked me out back there is going to pay dearly for this...' he thought, snarling from underneath the gag.
PokeSpe Collector
O.O will be anticipating the day Butch and Cassidy getting owned by Paul's elite Pokemon team.
Nico you a****le!!! Your face is going to have an appointment with BOTH my shoes and fists if you don't watch out!!!
Does a blue rose mean anything =S?
...indeed...
Well what do you know, an update
Because PokéShipping and AdvanceShipping wouldn't be so fun if he wasn't
YES ! He's showing signs of hormonal male teenage reactions !!!
I suppose this will be something that triggers Ash's attention, that's my theory anyway
Another running gag, besides them never recognising them, is that Brock always suspects something...
Now normally, this leads to disaster further in the episode, let's see xD
MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA !!!
I LOVE IT XD THE DENSENESS IS KILLING ME !!
Sadly, he'll always be like that imoBut hey, that's why we have fanfiction
The whole part with the rose was sweet, and I believe that this was the first trace of him being sincere, or he really has his act together, and copletely in control of his plan...
Ouch
*enjoys moment of triupmh*
It's obvious that it happened, but this is your fanfiction, and I respect what you do with it
But I feel like saying thanks
*keeps on reading*
I'm assuming May passed ? Of course she did
Heh, no problem, you deserve it
Especially for Bayleef-tan, it was awesome
And yeah, this chapter seemed shorter, but nonetheless, very enjoyable as always
Keep it up, see you ^^
edit @ kawaii serebii : a blue rose means mystery, and in Chinese folktale, the blue rose signified hope against unattainable love...how sad :/
Shameless prick. :3
Oh, I am really, terribly sorry for not replying earlier than this. DD'x
School's been at my bum since I'm part of the academic achiever's blah blah blah whatnot class, who gets pummelled with yards of homework everyday.
And so, I shall try to finish this belated post without typing my fingers to death.
Ash~ w00t, our little Ashy, has become...a MAN! :S *tear*
May~ You went out with DREW - How...how could you?!! *shot*
Brock~ Eh, not much to say. xDD
Drew~ Damn you [insert's beeped word here] - giving Dawn a blue rose! Do you know what that represents?! Guess you did, being the efffin, twofaced --beeped-- that you are!! (O.o;; Man, I must be angry.)
Dawn~ Honey, I feel for ya...eck, now I sound like Drew! D8
Nico~ Now, you are one guy I am devoted to, yes I am. Perverted child = drama/angst! 8DDD
Aw, I lost what else I was gonna say to ya Gazzo, apart from that I voted for ya!
Anyways, great chapter - no chapters; so to say, and Keep Writing.
Sayonara,
a_a
Last edited by anime_aficionada; 4th March 2008 at 6:30 AM.
Zephyr Trainer
Heh, yes, at times it felt like I was writing a Contestshipping fic... Maybe shadow_shipper's starting to get to me @_@;;;;
Hehe, yup, that was intentional, so your eyes were not deceiving you ^_~You know...that could come off the wrong way.
But it's probably meant to seeing what happens later.
Oh snap; this is what I get for not watching the anime in months. And to think that that's one of my favourite AG eps, too...Aah, but Ash DOES know what couple really means. Watch Bicker the Better again
It was funny nonetheless, so I don't mind.
Haha, yeah, I never truly believed Drew went and bought them for May...So that's where he gets the roses from.
It's so obvious.
Ah, Paul... It pains me to hurt you so...
Hehe, yup, and that's the kind of reaction I was wanting from you guys
Gah, too true my friend, too true indeed..MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA !!!
I LOVE IT XD THE DENSENESS IS KILLING ME !!
Sadly, he'll always be like that imo
I must admit, Drew is a lot of fun to write and I'm glad you're enjoying it
Haha, honestly I meant that as a compliment to Misty. I for one would not want to cross her path ^^;;;Ouch
Ouch... *winces* Yeah, but don't expect it to stay like that for too long, okay? ^_~*enjoys moment of triupmh*
It's obvious that it happened, but this is your fanfiction, and I respect what you do with it
But I feel like saying thanks
*keeps on reading*
Actually I honestly thought you were joking about the nominations earlier... And yay, glad you liked Bayleef-tan. That was actually my first 'shippy fic so *dances*Heh, no problem, you deserve it
Especially for Bayleef-tan, it was awesome
Aww, it's okay, a_a, I was just worried I'd lost a valued reader ;.;
Haha! Now I wasn't expecting that! Guess I'd better start a Nico fanclub or one-shot or something-*gets thrown off stage*
It... It's okay ;.; I'm sure I'll survive ;.;Aw, I lost what else I was gonna say to ya Gazzo, apart from that I voted for ya!
And hey it was just nominations... The voting still has to begin, right? Or something... To be honest I'm not really sure how the whole thing works @_@;;;
But yes, thank you all for reviewing
PokeSpe Collector
Shinnippori!
Hehehe, excellent chapter as always The only reason I messed the other one is because I didn't check on it.T_T But yeah, I really like how you did the interaction between Drew and Dawn, something's bound to happen like in those soap operas... but much more interesting. XD
Secondly, I still like that Nico guy, he got quite some character in him. Hahaha, I'd touch May like that too, but Ash would probably kill me. But anyway, enough bout me, it's really nice how you made Ash considerate to May's feeling, but he's such a dunce when Brock is explaining the situation between Drew and Dawn... hahaha, it's so likely.
And man, Team Rocket... it's so like those 3 to goof up a good plan... XD but you got to love them for that.
Anyway, can't wait for some more. =D
I waste my life away on Nico Nico Douga.
Beginning Trainer
it is a good chapter. I like how dawn and drew have something because this is so unexpected, and how you created Nico and how he effects the story. The only thing i dont like is team rocket but i hate team rocket in any shipping.
Beginning Trainer
This is a great fic. I hope you haven't abandoned it as it's been over a month from the last update. ;_;
I hope Ash sees some action(lol no pun intended) soon though. It almost seems like he's been relegated to a secondary character for the most part. Hope that changes soon! ^_^
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