Mood of a Teenager
Das dieses Kapitel so schnell on war heißt leider gar nichts, ich hatte es halt schon feritg gestellt^^'
Der Titel ist super, nicht? Ach ja, bevor irgendwelche fragen aufkommen, ich habe im späteren Kampf absichtlich einen Teil der Befehle ausgelassen, da sie einfach beim lesen stören, find ich. (Keine Sorge, meine Charas sind nicht stumm. Dumm ist vllt ne andere Geschichte..)
"So, your name is?"
"Dawn."
"And your age?"
"16."
"And you are from?"
"Sinnoh."
"A bit more detailed, please."
Dawn let out a heavy sigh. She and her Pokemon were in a small office at the Goldenrod City police station. A grumpy looking officer sat on the other side of the small desk, noting her personal data in some files. Piplup had fallen asleep in Dawn's lap and Pichu was busy exploring the room with curious eyes.
"I'm from Twinleaf Town."
The policeman nodded and wrote something down. "How long have you been in Johto and what are your plans here?"
The young girl frowned at the question. "What does this have to do with yesterday night?"
"Well, formalities," He said, but then he folded his hands infront of his face and fixed Dawn with his glare. "And to find out, how you are connected to either criminal organization, which caused us much havoc in the Ilex Forest."
His sharp tone gave Dawn a certain idea and she didn't like the direction, it took. "Are you assuming, I am an accomplice?" His expression told the whole story and baffled as she was, she needed a few seconds, to find her voice again. "I would never help any of them! I'm not a criminal!" She actually glared at the policeman, a guy with a serious look on his face and short, black hair partly hidden under his hat. He had put on his uniform neatly, but it looked rather worn down.
On the whole, he looked like an officer, who had chased and arrested countless criminals, risking his life more than once. Determined, brave - and hardened enough to believe, that a 16-years-old girl could be an assistant to any evil act. Why did he have to interview Dawn? Where was the nicer, soft Officer Jenny, when you really needed her? Handing out parking tickets?
He simply replied by returning to his notes. "That is not for you to decide."
Sighing in defeat, Dawn dropped her shoulders and answered his previous question. "I've been in Johto for one and a half months and I'm here to participate at the Grand Festival."
"Grand Festival?" He repeated her words and raised an eyebrow. "Well, you seem to be very confident in your skills, regarding, how little time is left until it begins. A month, I believe? Most suspicious." Before Dawn could defend herself, the officer already went on, his eyes fixed on the document. "I believe, you are here to participate at the Goldenrod Contest?" A nod. "You know, it had been delayed?"
Now her expression darkened and she let out a huff. "Yes, I know." One of the only reasons, she accepted Hunter J's help, and it had been delayed?! What kind of sick joke was fate playing with her?
"Well, before we digress too much from the most important information, what happened yesterday night? And don't try to make me believe, you didn't notice anything until our units caught you this morning. I want to know every detail, of what happened, understood?"
Letting out a sigh, Dawn nodded and reluctantly, she told him about the previous events. How she got lost in the forest, how she met J and how they escaped the apparently very dangerous woods. She didn't hundred percent follow his instruction, though. There were a few details, she felt the officer wouldn't need to bother his time with. Like the wound on J's leg, which was treated by the young girl. Or that they had helped each other on different occasions. No, the busy policeman surely had other duties, then listening to such insignificant data, which would put the coordinator in a bad light anyways.
"... and that's when I was suddenly ambushed by your colleagues," She concluded her tale and grimaced. The memory of her "arrest" was still vivid on her mind. Just when she was about to enter the city, just when she was about to leave the incident of the Ilex Forest behind her - suddenly dozens of policemen lunged at her, roaring fiercely all the while. Dawn had a déjà-vu of Mamoswhine falling onto her during their training.
The officer still had many questions, especially about possible hints about J's plans. As the young girl already had enough of that interview, she only answered in monosyllables. But when he asked about something unusual about the huntress, Dawn couldn't help but wonder again.
"She did behave strange today..."
"Strange? In what way?" He pressed her, now at best attention.
A little hesitantly, Dawn gave a reply. "She seemed to be troubled and later on she was.." She searched for the right words. "Friendly. Helpful, kind of nice..."
Suddenly, the blue haired girl remembered a little detail in her conservation with J, which seemed to be important. The huntress had said, that she had some personal interest in Dawn's survival. What was the meaning behind those words?
The officer seemed to be lost in thoughts, while he wrote down some more notes in the file. "Well. Even the most ruthless criminals can be friendly to their accomplices."
Her jaw dropped. He was still accusing Dawn of assisting J? Apparently, the policeman read her expression, as he spoke on. "You want to deny it? You received help by a wanted criminal, you did nothing that would help putting this Hunter to justice-"
"She is dangerous!" Dawn interrupted the officer, but he just spoke on, unaffected.
"And you have arrived in Johto only a few weeks later, than Hunter J did. Not to mention, that she stopped her crimes at about the same time you came. I do not believe in accidents. The facts you told me lead me inevitable to the assumption, that you have something to do with her. Could it possibly involve poaching rare Pokemon?"
"I would never do that!" Dawn had her voice risen, to match the volume of the officer. The longer she listened to his words, the more irritated she became. How could he believe something like that? The blue haired coordinator was the last person, who would be involved in hunting business! "I would never work with such a cruel, ruthless person! I could never put harm to anybody, especially not Pokemon!"
The policeman wanted to respond and even stood up from his chair, but an excited squeak jolted them back to reality.
"Pichu! Chu Pi!"
Turning their heads to the little electric type, they both gasped at the sight. The two had concentrated on the discussion so intensely, they never noticed, how the computer started. Pichu jumped around happily on the keyboard and poked the mouse from time to time. Multiple windows opened, all featuring reports of criminal organizations. One of them showed the big headline "Team 'Missile' Rocket - Radical Group of Pokemonthiefs".
"Team Missile?" Dawn asked, frowning, but remained at her seat, as she was not in the mood to take care of Pichu. The officer on the other hand was quickly approaching his computer, his eyes never leaving the yellow pipsqueak.
"Yes, Team Missile, the political correct term for the radical group, which separated from Team Rocket three years ago. They still pursue the original goal of world domination by stealing strong Pokemon. Well, I guess they could not accept helping people with charitable projects." He arrived at the desk and tried to catch Pichu. The tiny mouse managed to dodge his attempts effortlessly and let out some sparks. The officer snorted. He definitely didn't want his computer to be damaged by an accidental ThunderShock. "I'm sure, they were not too happy about Pokemon Hunter J rivaling their crimes and tried to get rid of her. Then you probably came to save her and now she gets her revenge by sabotaging their operations! And you are here to help her!"
Dawn blinked. The officer just rattled through his speech so fast, her unfocused mind couldn't understand everything he told her. Something about radical groups of people, who wanted world domination by charitable projects. She definitely needed her sleep. And seeing the policeman being busy with his own problems, she saw a chance to leave finally. "Excuse me, can I go now?" She asked, but was simply ignored.
"Did you just send that? To my superior?!" He shouted in horror and tried to push Pichu off the keyboard. The tiny mouse jumped away and accidentally pressed a button. Suddenly, the alarm went off and red lights flashed through the office, startling the three. Pichu's scared cry filled the air and sparks began to build up in its cheeks. It didn't take too long for the yet unexperienced Pokemon to discharge the weak, but effective ThunderShock that hit everything in direct prolixity - including the officer and computer. The now crispy-fried policeman watched with horror, how the screen flickered, before it went black.
Phones were ringing loudly, officers stormed into the room, Growlithe were barking fiercely. Nobody cared for neither Dawn nor Pichu, which had already taken its place on her shoulder, muttering its name. The chaotic mess was the perfect chance to get away and the blue haired coordinator didn't hesitate, as she took it.
Finally, she was able to step behind the glass doors and the moment she did so, she let out a relieved sigh. The warm late morning sun shone at the tired girl, almost mockingly. Goldenrod City was already awake and busy. People were hurrying to their jobs or took walks in the lively streets, most likely unaware of the riot in the police station. Many shops lined the road, their labels attracting potential customers. Any other time, the young coordinator couldn't wait to explore, what the city had to offer, what kind of fashion products she would find or what culinary specialities awaited her.
But not that day. While Pichu scrambled around her shoulders, simply astonished by the view and Piplup still peacefully asleep in her arms, Dawn only thought about the nice, soft bed in some nearby Pokemon Center. Both her body and mind were exhausted and she wished for nothing more, than a long rest. From afar she could already see the giant 'P' that indicated her destination and a faint smile played on her lips.
At last she arrived at her room. A sigh escaped her lips, as Dawn went over to the single bed and let herself drop on the soft mattress. Piplup hadn't woken up even once, when she put it onto the pillow and watched it curl up. She then turned her attention at Pichu, which was busy exploring the room. It sniffled around and squealed all the time. When it found the lamps, or more precisely, the switch of the lamp, it even let some sparkles of excitement dance around it cheeks. As it was playing with the light, it drew a giggle from the blue haired girl.
"You really are a Baby Pokemon. You're so cute!" She went over to the tiny mouse and picked it up. It looked at her with big, shiny eyes and tilted it's spiky ear to the side. "I bet you're hungry. After all, you haven't eaten anything yet, right?" Although Pichu didn't seem to understand, what Dawn just said, it snuggled itself close to her chest.
She took a pink poffin out of her backpack and held it in front of Pichu's nose. The electric type sniffled at it and licked it. It let out a squeal of delight and tried to nibble some of the sweet candy, but failed. How could it, without teeth?
"Oops, I forgot." Dawn exclaimed and put Pichu onto the bed. She exited her room and returned shortly afterwards with some fresh milk. Together with the poffin she created a bowl full with pink yoghurt. The tiny mouse immediately started to lick the sweet substance and quickly splotched it's cheeks. It just looked adorable and Dawn couldn't help, but shake her head.
"How can such a cute thing think, J is its mother? I mean, it's Pokemon Hunter J we're talking about!" Although it couldn't have understood her words, Pichu looked up and squealed questioningly. She stroked it's head with her hand and let out a sigh. "But you really like her, don't you? Well, I guess, it can't be helped. If we ever meet again, I'll think of something, okay?"
Although the tiny mouse had no clue, what Dawn just said, it seemed to have understood the message and happily returned to its meal. The girl on the other hand dropped on the mattress and once again thought about the past events. She was still wondering about the unusual behavior of the older woman. Or her motives of being in Johto, sabotaging Team Rocket or Team Missile, or who ever they might be. And why had she helped Dawn? Why was she interested in her survival? Whatever the reasons were, it was most likely that Dawn would never find out about them. But she was curious. Really curious.
The answers would have to wait, though. Since it was still morning and Dawn didn't want to sleep through the whole day, she set her alarm-clock a few hours later. She would then go and explore the city for a bit, until it was time to get ready for her contest the next day.
Quickly, she changed into her pajamas and hopped onto the bed. "There's one more thing..." She said and grabbed an empty Pokeball. She held it directly in front of Pichu's little black nose, which sniffed the device. "As long as we didn't figure out, what we will do with J, you should stay with me, okay?"
With a slight movement of her wrist, Dawn catched the tiny mouse. When the red light stopped blinking, she released the electric type. Pichu seemed to be troubled by the device and frowned, an act that drew a giggle from the young girl. Yawning heartily, she made herself comfortable on the bed and soon fell asleep, in a world without any dangerous woods, hunters or annoying police officers.
The next day, Dawn was roused from her sleep by the penetrate beeping of the alarm clock. It took her a moment to find the annoying device and to slam the snooze button. Immediately, she curled back into her sheets and enjoyed the warmth.
Until suddenly something small and fluffy jumped around her, preventing her attempt of falling back into her peaceful slumber. No matter how hard she tried, the young girl couldn't ignore the noisy squealing of the energetic little Pokemon. Still reluctant to leave her sleep just yet, her eyes flung open and she shot Pichu a glare. The tiny mouse didn't mind, as it hopped around and sent out sparkles in every direction. Piplup accompanied the electric type and chirped happily at it's trainer.
Groaning, Dawn finally sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her whole body felt sore, especially her legs, which still burned after all the strain they had been through. The little rest hadn't been enough to wash the tiredness away, so that the coordinator began her day in a foul mood. Not even the thought about her contest could lift her spirits.
Unmotivated as she was, Dawn prepared herself very slowly for her performance.
With a look into the mirror she had to find out, that her legs still looked like a mess. Countless red lines covered her rather pale skin and almost shone due to the contrast. She grimaced. She couldn't just walk outside like that with her skirt - how would all those scratches look like, especially in her contest dress? A tight-fitting jeans was the only piece of cloth, which was long enough to cover her legs, but as she had found out the day before, the weather was very warm, even hot. Although Dawn didn't want to suffer a sunstroke, she couldn't just wander around as if she had been attacked by a horde of Rattata.
Sometimes I hate being a girl, She thought as she eventually walked out of the Pokemon Center, dressed in a white sleeveless shirt and the dark jeans. Pichu sat on her shoulder, while Piplup walked right beside her on the street, chirping happily.
It promised to be a beautiful day. The sun shone and only some fleecy clouds covered the light blue sky. People were laughing and enjoying their day off, many of them obviously went into the same direction, the young coordinator did. Only Dawn did not fit the picture with her constant frown. That moment, she wished for nothing more, than her warm, comfortable bed, but instead, she found a reminder of the reason for her bad mood.
There was a huge poster that drew her attention. She stopped and looked at the picture, the Goldenrod Gym accompanied by fanfare and colorful confetti, the place, where the contest should have taken place. Another smaller note was a sincere apology of the gym leader Whitney, whose gym fell victim to an intense battle. The repairs wouldn't be finished before the contest, so they had to delay the date and rearrange the location into the National Park.
Whoever that Whitney person was, she did not leave a good impression on Dawn. Now, even more angered than before, she continued her way to the National Park in a faster pace. She was ready to blame any other person for her bad mood. The gym leader, the police officer, Hunter J - everyone! Who did they think they were, messing around with Dawn's life like that?
Frustrated as she was, the young girl wanted to vent her anger and kicked a street lamp. Not only shot a sharp pain through her big toe, the metallic sound drew the attention of some passerby and especially the older ones shook their head in disapproval. Dawn could hear a murmuring voice, complaining about "those rampaging teenagers".
The anger was still there, but now it was mixed with embarrassment. Her cheeks burned up with a deep blush and she directed her eyes to the ground, hurrying on in a much quicker pace. The day had not even started yet and Dawn wished for nothing more, than her bed and the blanket that could cover her from the rest of the world.
Finally, Dawn sat in front of a huge mirror in the changing room at the contest site at National Park. She was already dressed in her contest-outfit, a rather simple, but short dress in a light color. To conceal the scratches on her legs, she had to put a thick pile of make-up on her skin and even then there were still some red lines shining through. It was well enough, though and she was relieved, that she didn't have to wear tights in the heat.
The first round was still some more minutes away and gradually, the young girl felt a trace of nervousness rise within her. She couldn't help but worry about her performance. After all, she and her Pokemon hadn't been able to practice for three days, as their trainer was either occupied with getting lost in the Ilex Forest or too tired. She let out a sigh and rubbed her hands over her face. The Grand Festival was four more contests away and Dawn had only achieved two ribbons thus far. The last three would be hard to earn, especially regarding her success rate in the last couple of contests. No matter how much she and her Pokemon practiced, there would always be a mistake, which affected their chance of victory greatly. And how should she be able to win in a state like that?
A sigh escaped her lips and she leant back a bit in her chair. Dawn could see her Piplup looking at her with uncertain eyes and a faint smile played on her lips, as she made a decision. Grabbing a Pokeball from the desk, the young girl released her Quilava. Immediately, the fire type ignited the bright flames on its back and cried out its name, clearly ready to take on the first round. When it saw it's trainer's expression, though, it shot her a questioning look.
"Alright, Quilava, Piplup," She said and patted their heads. "You don't have to win this time, it doesn't matter. We haven't practiced for a few days and I'm still very tired... As long as we kind of get it over with it, everything will be alright. No need to worry, we still have one more chance! ... But today I just want it to end soon, so take it easy, okay?"
She could see and feel the confusion of her partner, but instead of answering, she just gave each of them a little squeeze. If we are already about to lose, she figured. We don't have to waste anymore energy, then necessary.
When the announcement for the first round came, Dawn turned away from her still baffled Pokemon and faced Pichu. The tiny mouse sniffed a plug socket with great interest. hastily, the coordinator jumped to her feet and grabbed the electric type. As she didn't want to put it in its Pokeball, but couldn't just let it run around freely, she called another of one of her partners.
A white light emerged and a tall Lopunny stood gracefully in front of her. "Lopunny," Dawn greeted the rabbit. "Could you take care of Pichu? I'm afraid, it will only hurt itself."
"Lo! Punny!" It sang and took Pichu into its own arms. The electric type sniffled the taller Pokemon and eventually gave it a little lick on its fluffy cheek. Despite her state, Dawn had to giggle and with that settled, she turned around to Piplup and Quilava. They still gave her those unsure looks and she smiled faintly.
"Come on, guys. The first round is waiting." She quickly retrieved her partners and dashed outside to her contest.
A large stage had been built over the lower half of the Pokeball-shaped grassland. Curtains had been set up in the back behind the huge fountain, which still shot water highly into the air. And there was a tribune for the cheering spectators.
"We had some interesting coordinators here," A young woman with light blue hair and a white and pink dress exclaimed. Her name was Marina and she was the Contest Annoucer of Johto. "But now, let's welcome one of the uprising coordinators of the past few years - the Bubble Queen, Dawn!"
The crowd cheered, Dawn frowned. She did a lot more, than just creating bubbles!
Brushing the thoughts about her awkward title away, the young coordinator stepped out from behind the curtains and threw her Pokeball. Fireworks emerged from the Ballcapsule and in the midist of the colorful lights Quilava appeared. When it landed, bright flames burst apart, away from its body.
"Quilava, use Swift!" Dawn yelled and her partner created a storm of stars in different shapes, sizes and even colors. They flew around the stage and illuminated everything in an almost ghostly way. "Now jump and use Flame Wheel!" A cry, followed by the hissing sound of ignited fire pierced through the air and Quilava leaped up into the sky. A wild and powerful inferno spun rapidly around its body, as the volcano Pokemon bounded from one giant star to the others, a couple of smaller ones trailing behind it like a swarm.
This is it, Dawn thought and bit her lip. This is where we will make a mistake. One of the stars will break, or Quilava will miss one, or, or, or...
But to her astonishment, nothing happened. As a finishing move, the fire around Quilava split, revealing an unobscured view to it's nicely illuminated body. The Flame Wheel was still active, but the volcano Pokemon didn't have to roll around for it. A last leap right through a giant, bursting star and the performance was over. Pokemon and coordinator stood there, grinning at the cheering crowd, surrounded by a cascade of colorful stars.
Dawn couldn't remember the last time, their performance went that smoothly.
As Dawn first entered the waiting room for the coordinator, she could already hear the frustrated squealing of Pichu. And mere seconds later, she could see the reason for it. A young woman with pink hair, dressed in a red sport suit, was hugging the little electric type with great affection. Or rather squeezing it to death, as the uncomfortable look on Pichu's expression became more and more visible.
"Aren't you the cutest? With those little, pink cheeks and those spikes on your ear! Waaaah, I just want to take you with me and -" Whatever that person wanted to do with the poor tiny mouse, Dawn would never know. Before she or Lopunny, which hopped up and down right next to the stranger, could do anything to interfere, Pichu let out a ThunderShock. The attack was still weak, but it was enough to knock the pink haired woman down to the ground.
Rushing over to her Pokemon, Dawn catched the electric type, which quickly hid behind her shoulder. Lopunny went to check on Pichu, looking apologetically at its trainer all the while. Slightly annoyed of the whole scene, the blue haired coordinator tapped her foot on the ground.
"Excuse me," She began and glared at the woman in front of her. The stranger had moved into a sitting position and rubbed the back of her head. "But what makes you think, you can just choke my Pichu?"
The stranger laughed nervously and sprang to her feet. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. It was just so cute! Where did you get it and how come it has those spikes? Don't tell me, you use hair gel?" She fired questions at the younger girl, until she noticed the mood, Dawn was in. "Oh, where are my manners - I'm Whitney."
Dawn's eyebrow twitched. Hadn't she read that name just an hour before? "Oh. So you're that infamous gym leader?"
Whitney seemed to be a little intimidated by Dawn's harsh words. "Yeah, well... You're Dawn, that awesome coordinator! I watched your progress in a few Grand Festivals... Too bad about the last one in Sinnoh-" A little too late she noticed her mistake, but before the moody girl could reply anything, the announcement for the next coordinator saved the gym leader. "Ah, I need to go. Sorry about your Pichu, see you!" With that, Whitney dashed of to the stage.
Dawn let out a heavy sigh. The day was becoming worse and worse by every hour. She just wondered, when she would finally hit rock bottom. Feeling a little strengthless, she flopped onto a comfortable seat and leaned back. Pichu was happily playing with Lopunny and seemed to have already forgotten the encounter with Whitney. If only Dawn could do that... Simply forgetting about all those people she met the past two days.
For just a few seconds she let her eyelids drop and blocked the background noises out. The next time she opened her eyes again, was because Piplup shook her with its little flippers and chirped right into her ear.
"Piplup," She groaned and rubbed her face. "Where have you been? You could have stopped that Pokemaniac..." The penguin pointed proudly to the neatly bounded, black bow tie around its neck. "Oh, you managed it yourself... That's great, I guess." When it moved her attention to the monitor, where her success of the first round was displayed she straightened up and blinked confused. "When did they already decide?"
"Piplup Pip," The water type exclaimed with a chiding undertone and crossed its flippers in front of its chest.
"I know, I know. I'll sleep later, I promise! After we get kicked out, that is," She muttered the last part much to Piplup's disapproval and her amusement.
"Pip! Piplup Pip Lup!"
"Calm down, I was joking. I'll give my best, no need to worry!" That's when you usually worry the most, anyways, She grimly added in her thoughts, as she was well aware of the sleepiness that fell upon her. The second round was about to begin, so Dawn and Piplup went over to the curtain, to meet their first opponent for the day.
"To my left is the Bubble Queen, Dawn!" Marina exclaimed. "And to my right is Red and Black Flash, Larry!"
Dawn's brow twitched. She thought her title was already ridiculous. What did the poor biker on the other side of the stage do, to earn that nickname? He seemed to be indifferent about the absurd name, as he was grinning broadly in his black leather jacket and made such a person participate in a contest in the first place?
Dawn brushed those thought aside for the moment and called out for Piplup. The penguin was surrounded by numerous ice flowers, which rained softly to the ground like snowflakes. When it landed, it shifted its bow tie into the right position with its flippers and crossed them in front of its chest. That day, Piplup was overflowing with pride and confidence.
Alright Dawn, remember, The girl thought to herself and tried to push her tiredness away. Make your Pokemon look good and show of its strength. Use the attacks of your opponent, find the right timing to attack yourself, stay calm... She rattled through the rules for a good battle performance as an attempt, to focus her concentration. Nervousness was coming back to her and she clenched her hands into fists. When had she become that vulnerable for jimpiness?
"Heat 'em up, Houndoom!" Larry shouted and in a wild blaze a dog-like Pokemon with huge horns on its skull appeared. It let out a fierce roar and looked intimidating at its next opponent.
Dawn jaw almost dropped. "This has to be a joke!" She hissed quietly through her teeth. Immediately, she remembered the incident in the Ilex Forest and the tension that had been in the air. The burning sensation in her legs became once again noticeable, as well as the frustration she had felt that night. She could see Piplup tense up, too. That battle would be interesting, no doubt.
"Now, begin!" Marina initiated the second round.
"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" The dark type obeyed and spit its glowing fire at Piplup. Both Pokemon and trainer remained calm, as Dawn ordered a defensive Hydro Pump. Water splashed around Piplup's flippers, as it formed a shield-like circle in front of its body. The flames were deflected to the sides, without harming the penguin. Their guard lasted a moment, before it shot a powerful jet of water to their opponent.
Houndoom dodged the attack swiftly and used its Thunder Fang to splash the water at the sides of the Hydro Pump. Both attacks had cost points of both sides, but Dawn paid no mind. She was focused on taking out her anger on the Pokemon in front of her.
"Use Bubble Beam!" She yelled and Piplup created multiple bubbles that floated in the air, instead of damaging the opponent. Excited, Marina announced the upcoming moves of the blue haired coordinator, but Dawn didn't even listen to her words. Piplup was already jumping around on their own stage, dodging Houndoom's Flamethrower.
This is too easy, Dawn thought and waited for the biker to change his strategy into some kind of surprise attack. He surely wouldn't just keep up firing at them, would he? When his smirk grew wider, she readied herself for his next move.
"Now, Faint Attack!" He yelled, certain, that he would definitely hit. The dog-like Pokemon leaped into the air to smash the penguin head-on, but mere seconds, before the impact, it vanished from view. That was when Dawn ordered Piplup to dodge. The water type let it's feet sink a few inches into the bubble it stood on and waited for the perfect timing. Just as Houndoom appeared behind it, the penguin fell forward and spun around until it was hanging down and faced the fire type.
"Hydro Pump!" Quickly, Piplup created another jet of water, which was about to become a critical hit on Houndoom. But the dark Pokemon was lucky. The slippery surface of another bubble made Houndoom glide of into a different direction. The move wasn't graceful, but at least it was able to dodge the otherwise devastating attack. Dawn gritted her teeth. If it hadn't been for that bubble, she and Piplup would have already been victorious!
"Time to make things more interesting! Houndoom, Solar Beam!" Larry yelled with a wide grin. Solar Beam was an attack that needed time to charge up, so Dawn felt save enough to attack first and dodge afterwards. However, before Piplup could react anyhow, Houndoom unleashed a bright, greenish beam. The penguin had been able to avoid a critical hit, but the impact still sent it flying across the stage. The blue haired coordinator glanced up into the sky and the dazzling sun. Obviously, the light was enough to skip the long charging of energy.
"Ha! Take that! A minute's left and your chicken is almost down! Let's end this, pal! Once more, Solar Beam!" The biker was sure of his win and let his guard drop. Dawn welcomed the opportunity and smiled faintly herself.
"Piplup, get up!" were all the words her trusty partner needed to get back to its feet. Not only did it dodge the attack, it was able to shoot up highly into the air. Before Houndoom could launch another attack, Piplup already used another, less powerful Hydro Pump. The dog-like Pokemon was able to avoid a hit of the jet of water, but it didn't anticipate a huge bubble falling onto it and trapping it inside.
"Doesn't matter, the sun's still enough! Solar Beam!"
However, a quick Ice Beam froze the bubble and weakened the sunlight getting through to Houndoom. Now, that the fire-type was completely helpless, Piplup could create once more a powerful Hydro Pump, which broke easily through the frozen surface and landed a critical hit.
Houndoom crashed to the ground, steam rising up from its limp body. The battle was over in Dawn's favor. But she hadn't calmed down, yet.
"We're only minutes away from the grand final! Two outstanding coordinators with their respective partners - The Incredibly Pretty Girl versus The Bubble Queen - Whitney and Dawn!"
Dawn didn't mind Marina. She was a nice, talented person and her excitement for contests was catching. But where in the world did she get those absurd nicknames from?
Whitney stood on the other side of the stage. Her appearance looked much more self-confident than before and she was smiling. "I'm warning you! I'll use all my experience as a gym leader and I won't hold back! Miltank, go!" She tossed her Pokeball and released a burst of stars and her trusty milk cow Pokemon.
The crowd cheered, as they saw the Pokemon appear, which was responsible for the infamous reputation of the Goldenrod Gym. Dawn had heard about its enormous defense and attacking strength and she was not the type of trainer to take her opponent lightly.
She released her own partner. Piplup struck a pose, before it focused on Miltank and shifted into a fighting stance. The air was already filled with the tension of two strong Pokemon facing each other and as the beginning of the battle was announced, both coordinators unleashed their Pokemons' powers at one another.
"Hydro Pump!" Dawn ordered her Pokemon. Such straightforward actions were usually not her style, but she didn't plan on using that attack in any way, to show of Piplup's strength. It was all about Miltank's powers.
When Piplup launched its strongest water attack, Whitney smirked, as if she knew, what Dawn was planning. "We'll accept your invitation - Zen Headbutt!" She told her own partner and immediately, the normal type dashed forward. Dazzling blue energy wrapped itself around it's body and focused on its head. Despite it's chubbiness, Miltank was unbelievably fast and reached the Hydro Pump only a second later. As if it was running against a mere Water Gun, Miltank just kept running through the stream. Water splashed around its Zen Headbutt and before Piplup could react, the attack crashed into it's body.
As the penguin flew backwards, a trail of blue energy followed it and engulfed it. Now that Dawn had witnessed the power of Miltank, the real appeal battle could begin.
"Alright, Sandstorm," Whitney said and the normal type aroused a huge sand spout, which enveloped the whole stage. "Now, let's show them our Rollout!" Miltank jumped into a somersault and began rapidly spinning around itself. The sand was partly drawn around its body and acted like a Rough Skin, which would cause additional damage. Dawn wanted Piplup to dodge, but it couldn't move. The aftereffect of Zen Headbutt made the water type flinch and so Miltank landed a direct hit.
Once again, Piplup was pushed backwards, but that time it managed to remain on it's feet. It nodded at Dawn, a signal, that it was able move freely. The Rollout attack was coming back rapidly, still covered by layers of sand. In order to get away in time, Piplup created a few bubbles and used one as a trampoline to leap high into the air, where another one was floating in the storm.
"We're not letting you get away! Follow with Zen Headbutt!" Whitney ordered. Miltank stopped spinning and took some of the impulse to jump after the penguin. The blue energy of Zen Headbutt was building up and drew the sand into it. Miltank itself couldn't reach Piplup, but the powered up attack would. However, the penguin and it's trainer had other plans in mind.
Piplup had sank into a bubble and used it as shield to deflect most of the Zen Headbutt. Too late, Miltank and Whitney realized their mistake. "Piplup, use Hydro Pump on Miltank and on the sand!"
Another jet of water shot through the air and made direct contact with Miltanks belly. It moaned loudly, as it was pushed towards the ground. The whole stage shook, when the heavy normal type crashed on the floor. Seconds later, Piplup stopped putting pressure on Miltank and rather spun around itself, to hit the whole sandstorm with its water move.
Mud rained on the stage and covered most of the ground, as well as Miltank, which had still been lying down there. While Piplup landed on top of the mess, the pink cow hat to fight itself free from the bothersome substance. Satisfied, Dawn watched Whitney frown. She obviously just realized, that her strategy was backfiring her and she needed a solution for her problem, quickly.
However, the young coordinator didn't want to give her any time for that. "Piplup, use Brick Break!" She yelled and not even a second later, Piplup's flippers were glowing in a bright, white light. As Miltank was still too occupied with its own struggle, it couldn't prevent the strong fighting move, which hit it in the cheek. A lot of damage had been done, but at the same time it had been freed from the muddy sand, it had been trapped in.
"Okay, I have an idea! Miltank, use Rollout - but stay where you are!" Whitney said with a renewed smile. Miltank followed the order and used the spinning attack in the mud. Soon, it became clear, why she had ordered that move. As it was turning around, the sand was catapulted on Piplup and took its sight. Blinded, it staggered around, unable to fight back for the moment.
"Yes! We'll finish it with another Zen Headbutt!" Whitney exclaimed excitedly, all too sure, to become the winner. One more time, Miltank launched it's blue shining attack and jumped at the defenseless penguin.
"Piplup," Dawn called out her partner with a calm voice. "Hydro Pump against the ground." Her plan for the finishing move needed precise timing and so she tried to block out every unnecessary emotion. As Piplup heard her words, it stopped its struggle of cleaning it's eyes and simply shot another jet of water on the ground. The pressure was easily lifting it of the ground and out of Miltank's attacking rage. The normal type on the other hand, got caught in the Hydro Pump and found itself being pressed against the mud.
"Use Bubble Beam, first the smaller, than the bigger one." Some of the water had cleaned Piplup's eyes, so it could aim properly at its goal. The inside of its beak glowed, as the penguin shot many little bubbles at Miltank. The normal type was still shaken from the previous attack, so it couldn't react fast enough. Before it even had any chance of getting up again, Piplup enveloped the pile of bubbles with a huge one, before it finally landed on the ground again. It was panting heavily, but the battle was almost over.
"Miltank, get out of there! Rollout!" Whitney called out to her Pokemon, her bodylanguage showing the tension that built up in her.
"Ice Beam, Piplup," Dawn told her partner. Like it had already reacted two nights ago, the penguin froze the surface of the bubble, before Miltank could start its attack. Mere seconds later, the walls were shaking from the constant hits of Miltank's most feared move. "Alright Piplup," Dawn said, her voice slowly giving away her tiredness. "... let the bubbles inside explode." She gave her partner a faint, but reassuring smile, when it shot her a questioning look.
With a serious expression on its face, it turned back to the cage it had created. The ice walls were already giving in and many cracks covered the surface. That was about to change, though. Suddenly, loud popping noises echoed around the stage and Miltank cried out in surprise. The damage was comparatively low, but it was enough to make the normal type stop in its actions and to anger Whitney.
"How could you do this to my precious Miltank?! You asked for it, finish them with Hyper Beam!" Whitney stomped her foot to the ground, when she yelled the command, furious, about what happened to her partner. Dawn was a little surprised to hear about a special move, rather than a phyical, but Hyper Beam would work just fine with her plan.
"Brick Break through the bubble." Since Piplup already had a clue about her next steps, it was more than ready to dash of with its flippers glowing. Just to make sure, Miltank would not be able to aim for the penguin properly, it jumped on top of the frozen bubble. Ice shattered loudly, as Piplup broke through it and hit Miltank on the head. The Hyper Beam was about to be fired, but the impact made the normal type shut its mouth with the orb of powerful, orange energy still trapped inside.
That explosion was a lot more devastating, than the tiny bubbles. A dark cloud of smoke rose and engulfed both Pokemon. When it finally cleared, the time was already over. Miltank was lying more or less conscious, while Piplup was still on its feet, panting exhausted. Eagerly to see, who the winner was, both trainers looked at the monitor that displayed their points and the countdown. When Dawn saw the difference between her and Whitneys scores, she let out the breath, she had been holding the whole time since the last Brick Break.
Whitney was a couple of points behind the younger girl. Dawn and Piplup had not only won that battle round, but the whole Goldenrod Contest.
"We... we did it..." Dawn muttered. She couldn't believe it. When she had been fully rested, she had many troubles, even reaching the final round. And now, that she was tired and frustrated, she won. It didn't make sense to her.
Despite it's state, Piplup rushed over to its trainer, chirping happily all the while. She lowered herself to her knees to give her partner a warm hug. "You did a great job, Piplup. You deserved a good rest and a poffin, later. How does that sound?"
"Pipluuup!" The penguin only replied and nuzzled its head in her shoulder. Dawn couldn't help, but smile faintly.
"That was some battle! Awesome!" Whitney's voice pulled her back to reality. The gym leader has already retrieved her Miltank and was now approaching the younger girl. "Your Piplup was great - and it still looked cute!"
"The same with your Miltank. I can see, why it's feared by your challengers." Dawn got back to her feet, with Piplup in her arms. There was something that was still on her mind, though. "I'm sorry about earlier. You see, I didn't sleep properly for the last two nights, so I was a bit irritable." The blue haired coordinator shot her an apologetic look.
"Nah, there's no need to apologize," Whitney brushed the topic off. "I know, how that feels. I have a great idea! To make things up, let's go shopping tomorrow! I can show you around the city, if you like. There is an exclusive restaurant and the shopping mall is just great. Oh, not to mention the -"
Dawn had to suppress a yawn. "That's just great, but... can this wait until later?"
A little embarrassed, Whitney agreed and took her leave to the changing rooms. However, Dawn was still not allowed to just walk away on her own. Suddenly, the excited Marina ran up to her and fired questions at the fresh winner of the contest. "Dawn! How does it feel, to have won this ribbon? And against Whitney, the gym leader of this city!"
"Uh... I'm glad, I guess. And yeah, Miltank was quite the opponent," Dawn exclaimed, her voice giving away her wish of leaving fast.
"One more question, then I'll let you off the hook for now. We all saw you creating your bubbles and using them as your own stage for a while now, but never before you broke them in such a manner. Why? Is this some kind of introduction to a new style coming? Or -" Marina added to her speech, before Dawn had time to reply anything. "Or is it to make a statement, that your current low is over?!"
I would love to tell her the truth, Dawn thought with a crooked smile. But I don't think, it would be good for my career as a professional coordinator, if I told her, that I just wanted to work of my anger. "I won't reveal anything yet. You'll just have to wait and see."
But could this really be it? She wondered, while she made her way to the waiting room, where Nurse Joy would take care of Piplup. Could this be the end of my low?
At evening, when the sun already began to draw near the horizon and plunged the landscape in different shades of orange and red, Dawn and her Pokemon were in the National Park, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Piplup and Pichu, together with Lopunny, Quilava and Pachirisu were happily playing around in the tall grass in the northern part of the park. Dawn watched them with a smile from a wooden bench not too far away. After they had received the ribbon, they had returned to the Pokemon Center. Finally, after a quick nap, the young girl felt refreshed.
In the distance, she could see a group of Machokes removing the remains of the stage and tribunes. There would be a Bug-Catching contest the next day and the workers wanted the park to be ready for it.
Watching them working so hard in order to accomplish their goal, Dawn couldn't help but wonder. What did she have to do, to achieve her goal, the title of Top-Coordinator? Hard work didn't seem to help - no matter how much they practiced, something would go wrong. Maybe she should try and be just as weary and ready to give up during the next contest, as she had been that day? Or rather filled with anger, because of some annoying people?
She hopped Marina was right. If that was the end of her current low, Dawn would be more than glad. But contests weren't the only problems lingering on her mind. Her thoughts always kept circling around a certain topic. Hunter J and Team Rocket. Somehow Dawn had a feeling, that she hadn't seen the last of those criminals, yet. And while another encounter with either of them meant life threatening danger to her and her Pokemon, it could also bring her the answers she was curious about.
But the next time, Dawn thought with a serious expression. Next time I won't be as defenseless as I had been yesterday. Next time I'll stop them and her evil acts!
Das wars! Habt ihr Marina erkannt? Für Gamer: ihr spreche von Crystal. Jop, diese Fanfic ist eine Mischung aus Anime, Spielen und teilweise aus dem Manga. Zumindest die Informationen über Pokemon kann ich was das angeht nicht mehr auseinanderhalten...
Also, write ya next time!
