"Dawn, just as I expected! It's the two of us standing on the final stage!"
Kenny looked at Dawn with a confident grin, while Dawn, full of determination, met his gaze without hesitation.
Even though Kenny was using Prinplup, the evolved form of Piplup, she and her partner weren't afraid.
The Pokémon Contest wasn't a traditional battle—level differences didn't dictate the outcome.
"No problem! Piplup and I will definitely defeat you!"
With the match about to begin, both coordinators threw their Poké Balls into the air, revealing their Pokémon—Piplup and Prinplup!
The sight of the unevolved and evolved forms squaring off was so fascinating that even the host, Marian, couldn't help but express her excitement.
"A battle between pre-evolution and evolution—this will be interesting!"
"Piplup, use Bubble Beam!"
"Prinplup, counter it with Bubble Beam as well!"
The two attacks clashed in midair, creating a mesmerizing burst of blue sparkles that rained down like stardust—a dazzling display fitting for a Contest Battle.
"Kenny, I'll show you just how strong Piplup and I are! Piplup, use Peck!"
"Dawn, we'll take that head-on! Prinplup, block it with Metal Claw!"
Back and forth they went, each move executed with precision and flair.
Their scores fluctuated as the battle progressed, but as time passed, Dawn and Piplup started gaining the upper hand!
Kenny and Prinplup fought valiantly, but just when things seemed evenly matched—something unexpected happened!
Piplup learned a new move!
Whirlpool!
A dazzling, spiraling vortex of water erupted onto the battlefield, capturing everyone's attention.
The newly learned move became Dawn's key to victory.
By the time the five-minute countdown reached zero, Dawn and Piplup stood victorious, having edged out Kenny and Prinplup by a narrow margin!
"Yes! Piplup, thank you! I knew we could do it! Our first Ribbon!"
Dawn cheered, jumping with excitement, while Piplup chirped proudly, sharing in the celebration.
Though Kenny and Prinplup were disappointed, they still smiled, genuinely happy for Dawn and Piplup's win.
Having secured her first Contest Ribbon, Dawn was practically floating on air.
However, Ash, as someone who had been through similar experiences, knew this feeling all too well.
If she let this victory get to her head, her next loss could hit her even harder.
"Dawn, looking at you now reminds me of my past. After winning my first big match, I thought I was unbeatable… and then…"
Hearing Ash's words, Dawn, sharp as ever, immediately understood what he was implying.
Realizing his concern, she quickly adjusted her mindset, thanking Ash while also feeling a bit embarrassed.
He was right—getting carried away wouldn't help her. If she wanted her second Ribbon, she and her Pokémon had to work even harder!
__
At the Pokémon Center, Dawn eagerly called her mom, while Anabel contacted some of her friends. Naturally, Ash had his own calls to make as well.
First, he planned to check in with Misty and May to see how they were doing.
"Haha! Ash, guess what? You know how I used to be terrified of Gyarados? Well, when I got home, I ended up having an incredible experience with the Gyarados at the gym! I overcame my fear and even caught it! Cool, right?"
On the video call, Misty was sitting triumphantly atop a massive Gyarados, beaming with pride.
Meanwhile, on Ash's end, he simply smirked as if he had already predicted this outcome.
"That's great! But what about your fear of Bug-type Pokémon? Are you still working on that? Next time we meet, I hope you've conquered your biggest challenge."
"Of course! Progress is slow, but I'm trying my best! Ah—gotta go! Someone just came to challenge the gym. Time to show them what this beautiful Gym Leader is made of!"
With that, Misty quickly hung up.
Afterward, Ash contacted May to check in on her journey.
Following that, he also called his mom, Delia, and then Professor Oak.
As part of his preparations, Ash also requested that Professor Oak send over Electabuzz.
He had been planning to train Electabuzz in Sinnoh for a while now but hadn't brought it along initially.
Now, with a new addition to his active team, Ash and his friends rested for two hours at the Pokémon Center before setting off once again.
A New Destination: Eterna City Gym!
After leaving Floaroma Town, their next goal was Eterna City's Gym!
As they walked along the route, Anabel was researching details about the Eterna Gym on her Pokédex.
By their third day on the road, they came across a Pokémon Center.
When they arrived, they were surprised to find an entire family of Nurse Joys managing the center!
Among them, they met a young girl—a little Joy named Paige.
Only about six or seven years old, she seemed even younger than Max.
Paige quickly took a liking to Ash, sticking to him like glue.
After finishing their lunch, she excitedly ran up to him.
"Ash! I have a super big secret! Right now, only my big sister, Marnie and I know about it—not even my mom and dad! But I want to tell you! But you have to promise not to tell anyone else, okay?"
Dawn and Anabel were resting inside the Pokémon Center, while Paige had just helped Ash feed some Pokémon in the nearby forest.
After they finished, she suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him toward a cave.
Wait… a cave?
Paige? A cave?
Something about this seemed familiar…
Then, as they stepped inside and she began excitedly explaining her secret, it finally hit Ash—
On the other side of this cave was an incredibly clear lake…
And in that lake resided the North Wind's incarnation!
"Ash! Just up ahead, there's a lake! My sister and I have been visiting it for a while now, and we've made a friend there!
Suicune is waiting! I want to introduce you to it!"
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T/N:
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