Chapter 55

The third day of the Grand Festival arrives, and everyone has already gone to the Main Stage stadium. Serena picked up Braixen and Poliwag after they spent the night in Nurse Joy's care, and now she is waiting for the festival to continue with May, Dawn, and Piplup. Her hands are balled into fists, and she looks down as if she is deep in thought, which easily catches May and Dawn's attention.

"Take it easy, Serena. You're looking tense," May says.

"I know, but I'm trying to be prepared for what to expect," Serena says. "After you told me all of those stories about Harley, I want to be prepared for anything he tries to pull on me."

"Yeah, but you're not going to help yourself by being edgy the whole time," Dawn says. "You gotta think positive. Show him that anything he tries to pull on, you will never work. Come on, Serena. Let me hear some deep breaths."

Serena hesitates before she takes a large breath and slowly lets it out. She turns to her friends and smiles.

"Thanks, guys," she says.

"Anytime," Dawn says with a cheerful smile. "Besides, if you beat Harley and I win my battle, then we will get to face each other in the semifinals, and I want you at your best when that happens."

"Piplup," Piplup says, agreeing.

Serena's smile turns into a smirk and says, "Don't worry. I will give it my all and beat you. That's a promise."

Dawn smirks back before turning to May with another teasing grin.

"So I couldn't help but notice your first battle today is with Drew," she says teasingly.

"What? I'm going against Drew already?" May says, shocked.

Serena looks at May confused and says, "You mean you didn't notice on the tournament bracket? His battle yesterday was right after yours, so you two are going to battle right after Dawn."

May blinks before she puts the pieces together in her head and gasps.

"I am going against him," she says. "I guess I've been so caught up on making sure Serena is ready for Harley that I didn't notice."

"That's not good."

May nearly jumps off her seat to find Drew standing next to her with his hands in his pockets.

"I was hoping you'd noticed that you're already thinking of a strategy against me," he says.

May panics for a moment and stands up before she claims, "Don't worry, I've been working on my strategy since Johto. So I'm ready for whatever you throw at me no matter what."

Drew looks at May skeptically for a moment before he flips his hair and walks away.

"I hope so," he says dully. "I wouldn't want you to disappoint me."

May frowns sadly and sighs as she sits down. Serena looks at her friend sadly

"You really want to impress him, don't you, May?" She says.

May nods robotically.

Serena opens her mouth to speak again, but she is suddenly interrupted by an attendant.

"Excuse me, Serena. We're about to start in a couple of minutes, and you're battling first," she says.

"Okay, thank you," Serena says as she stands up and turns to May. "Don't worry about how Drew is going to feel. Just think about the battle at hand, okay, May?'

May didn't say anything for a moment, but eventually, she turns to the honey blonde girl and says, "Right."

Serena smiles back before she follows the attendant down the hall, where she can already see Lilian and the judges entering the field. The crowd is cheering at the sight of them before Lilian steps up and turns on her microphone.

"Good morning, Indigo Plateau!" She shouts. "It is time for our third and final day of our wonderful Grand Festival!"

"Final day?" Serena says, surprised while the audience applauds.

"With only eight coordinators left, we are going to start the day with the quarterfinals and semifinals right away!" Lilian explains. "After that, we will take a short break where the remaining two contestants can have their Pokemon briefly checked at the Pokemon Center before our final battle that will decide who will become this year's Top Coordinator!"

The audience cheers a third time before Lilian continues.

"So, without further ado, let's get started with our first quarterfinal battle; it's Serena against Harley!"

Serena runs into the field and gives the audience a big smile. The crowd cheers for her, and she can see Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Holly, Clemont, Bonnie, Max, and Grace sitting in one of the front rows again, cheering out her name. She waves at them, and they wave back until the applause abruptly dies down. Serena looks around in confusion until she turns to the other side of the field and gasps in horror.

On the other side of the field, Harley is blowing kisses at the audience dressed in almost the exact same outfit as Serena. From his hat to his boots, to his red coat, the only thing that's missing is a blue ribbon. Even though May told Serena about the time Harley dressed up as her friend from Hoenn, the poor honey blonde girl feels violated with the grown man dressed almost exactly like her.

"Hi, princess!" Harley calls out with a flamboyant wave. "I hope you are flattered with my little cosplay!"

"No, I'm not flattered at all!" Serena shouts. "If anything, I should be grateful that you didn't copy my ribbon!"

"Oh, what? That little thing?" Harley says, pointing at her blue ribbon. "I thought about adding that, but it looked so tacky that I just didn't want to be caught dead in it."

Serena becomes livid and puts her hand on her precious ribbon, yelling, "Hey! My ribbon is not tacky! It is my most valuable treasure!"

"That's cute, hun," Harley says uncaringly with a wave of his hand.

Serena grinds her teeth angrily while Harley just smirks without a care. Lilian steps up and shouts, "Battle begin!" and Serena quickly snatches two of her Pokeballs from her pocket.

"Braixen, Absol, I choose you!" She shouts, throwing her Pokeballs.

"Come to Papa, Cacturne and Banette!" Harley says gleefully as he spins and throws two of his Pokeballs.

Braixen and Absol come out with determined glares in their eyes while Cacturne and Banette just look at their opponents with mischievous grins.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower on Cacturne! Absol, use Night Slash on Banette!" Serena barks.

"Cacturne, dodge, and use Bullet Seed. Banette, use Torment," Harley says plainly without a care.

Banette yells at Braixen before the disaster Pokemon hits it hard, giving it several scratches around its body. At the same time, Braixen fires Flamethrower, but Cancturne jumps away and shoots many glowing yellow seeds from the middle hole at its mouth.

"Braixen, counter with Flamethrower! Absol, use Night Slash on Cacturne!" Serena shouts.

Braixen points its stick at Cacturne, and Absol runs to the opponent, but nothing comes out of Braixen's stick before it's hit by Cacturne's Bullet Seed. Absol, on the other hand, successfully hits the scarecrow Pokemon before turning to its battle partner, confused with it not attacking.

"What? What happened?" Serena asks in disbelief as the judges take away points from both sides.

"What's the matter, princess? Don't you know your Pokemon moves?" Harley calls out mockingly. "Torment prevents your Pokemon from using the same move twice in a row."

"It prevents my Pokemon from using the same move twice in a row?" Serena repeats.

"That's right, hun. So you better get creative with your strategies," Harley says. "Anywho, Cacturne, Banette, use Cut on Absol, and Thunder on Braixen."

"Absol, use Double Team, and Braixen, dodge, and use Fire Blast on Cacturne!" Serena commands.

Cacturne charges at Absol with the dark green patches in its arms glowing white and growing into long needles, but the disaster Pokemon just creates multiple copies of itself, causing Cacturne to stop in its tracks and look around for the real one. Meanwhile, Banette releases a powerful bolt of lighting, but with a jump and a flip, Braixen dodges it and unleashes Fire Blast at Cacturne. The scarecrow Pokemon is so distracted in finding Absol that it doesn't notice the Fire Blast heading toward it until the fire move hits it, making it fall to its side with burns all over its body.

"Cacturne, my baby!" Harley shrieks while the judges remove some of his points.

Serena smirks and says, "Luckily for me, Braixen knows more than one fire move, so I'm not too worried about not being able to use the same move twice in a row."

Harley grinds his teeth angrily while Cacturne gets up.

"Oh yeah, Miss Smarty Pants? Well, let's see how you like this," He growls before he commands with more volume in his voice, "Cacturne, use Cotton Spore!"

Cacturne releases multiple white cotton balls from its mouth that float around and stick on Braixen's body. The fox Pokemon tries to move, but the spores are so sticky that it can barely move.

"Now, Banette, use Thunder, one more time!" Harley orders.

"Absol, intercept with Night Slash!" Serena commands.

The horns on the heads of Absol and its copies glow purple, and it charges at Banette as it gets ready to use Thunder.

"I don't think so," Harley says in a singing voice. "Cacturne, darling, protect Benette with Needle Arm!"

Cacturne steps in front of Banette, and with Absol and its clones coming close, it bows its head, and the green patches on its arms turn into long needles. The needles make the copies disappear and pierce the real Absol, making it howl in pain. Banette takes the opportunity to use Thunder, and it zaps Braixen, causing it to scream. The judges remove a fraction of Serena's points.

"Looks like you're in a real pickle, dear," Harley teases. "Your Braixen is stuck, and your Absol can't defend its teammate."

"I wouldn't count Braixen out yet," Serena says. "Braixen, use Flamethrower on yourself!"

Braixen struggles for a moment before it manages to aim its stick at itself and uses Flamethrower. The attack burns all the spores stuck to its body, and so Braixen makes a battle stance, free from its prison.

"Hmph, not bad. But that won't help you for long," Harley says. "Banette, use Screech and Cacturne, use Bullet Seed!"

Serena's eyes widen, remembering the effects of Screech.

"Absol, counter the Screech with Perish Song, and Braixen, use Fire Blast to counter Bullet Seed!" she shouts.

Banette and Absol use Screech and Perish Song respectively, and the two sets of sound waves collide and cancel each other out. Shortly after that, Cacturne uses Bullet Seed only for Braixen to use Fire Blast and destroy the seeds, causing them to explode and create a cloud of smoke.

"Now, use Feint and Scratch on Cacturne!" Serena orders.

Braixen's claw glows white as it and Absol charge through the smoke and take Cacturne off guard, attacking it. The scarecrow Pokemon is sent flying back a couple of feet and falls down on its back. While the judges remove more of Harley's points, the flamboyant man looks flabbergasted before glaring daggers at Serena.

"Nice call, missy, but you seem to have forgotten about Banette," he snarls. "I thought you knew to focus on both of your opponent's Pokemon during a -"

"Braixen, Flamethrower followed by Fire Blast! Absol, use Night Slash after Braixen's attacks!" Serena shouts.

Harley's eyes widen as Braixen hits Banette with Flamethrower and then with Fire Blast. The marionette Pokemon is so disturbed from the fire attacks that it doesn't notice Absol before it slashes at it with its Dark-type move again. Banette cries in pain before it falls down on the floor with swirly eyes.

"Banette! My baby!" Harley screams in a high-pitched voice. "What in the world happened to you?"

Serena smirks and says, "I didn't forget about your Banette. I just decided to hit Cacturne hard enough that it can't defend its buddy from Braixen and Absol. So it looks like you could learn a little bit about how to focus on a double battle yourself."

Harley in stunned as he processes the information in his mind. The judges remove half of his remaining points because Banette fainted. Harley looks up at the screen to see that there's less than a minute and a half to the battle, and his blunder has put Serena in the lead. His hands turn into balls of fists, and he stomps his foot on the ground, angrily like a child.

"That does it! No more Mr. Nice guy!" he shouts while returning Banette to its Pokeball. "Cacturne, trap them both with Cotton Spore!"

"Braixen, destroy the spores with Flamethrower, then Absol, use Feint again!" Serena commands.

Cacturne releases another set of spores heading toward its opponents, but Barixen just destroys them all with Flamethrower. Before Cacturne or Harley knows it, Absol is already ramming its horn at Cacturne's stomach. The scarecrow Pokemon takes a couple steps back, holding its gut while Harley begins to panic.

"Quick, Cacturne, sweetums, fight back with Needle Arm!" he cries out desperately.

"Absol, use Double Team to dodge, and Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena shouts.

Cacturne turns its dark green patches into needles again, but Absol creates multiple copies of itself to disappear from Cactunre's line of fire. Braixen once again uses its grass-type Pokemon focus on getting Absol and unleashes Fire Blast. The attack sends Cactunre flying back a couple of yards.

"Now, use Night Slash!" Serena commands.

"Cacturne, get out of there!" Harley screams.

But before Cactunre could stand up, Absol slashes at it with its horn glowing purple, hitting Cacturne in the head. Cacturne groans in pain, making Harley hopeful because it's still conscious until he hears a "ding" that makes his heart stop.

"And that was the last of Harley's points!" Lilian announces. "And so, Serena is the winner!"

The audience cheers while Braixen and Absol rush to Serena and happily tackle her. The honey blonde girl laughs out loud as Braixen hugs her, and Absol licks her face vigorously. Harley stands still in shock while Cacturne gets up and gives its trainer a guilty look. The purple-haired man sighs before he gives his partner the best smile he can muster before he returns it. He sadly walks away while Serena manages to get up and return her Pokemon.

"Now, let's get on to the next battle with Ben versus Dawn!" Lilian shouts.

The audience cheers again while Serena heads back to the waiting room. Along the way, Dawn is running towards the field past her, and the two of them cheerfully give each other a high five. By the time Serena enters the waiting room, May is already running towards her and pulling her into a hug.

"Way to go, Serena!" She exclaims. "I knew you could to it!"

"Thanks, May," Serena chortles.

May breaks the hug and gives her friend a pout with her hands on her hips.

"It serves Harley right, too," she says. "I saw how he humiliated you by wearing your clothes."

"Yeah, but what really upset me was that he called my ribbon tacky," Serena groans.

"He did what?" May shouts.

"I sure did, hun."

The two girls jump to see Harley standing right next to them.

"I was hoping that insulting you would cause you to slip up throughout the match," he says. "But, I suppose you are sharper than that, princess."

"Will you stop calling me that?" Serena says, annoyed.

"Why should I?" Harley challenges with a wave of his hand. "After all, as I recall correctly, you didn't beat Aria, the Kalos Queen at the Pokemon Master Class, so that makes you a princess."

"Yeah, well, this 'princess' just defeated you in a contest battle - your own profession, so she's a queen compared to you!" May counters.

Harley pretends to be hurt and says, "May, darling, you know how to hurt a beaten man."

"Well, it's what you deserve," May says. "And get out of my friend's clothes already!"

"Yes, please get out of my clothes!" Serena shouts.

Harley looks at the two girls baffled before he glumly walks away. May and Serena sigh, relieved that he's is gone and smile at each other before they hear cheering coming from the TV.

"Augh! Dawn's still battling!" May exclaims.

The two quickly rush to the nearest TV to find the timer down to 2 ½ minutes, and Dawn has most of her points while her opponent, Ben, only has a fifth of his points remaining. Ben's Porygon and Scizor are looking weak while Dawn's Buneary and Mamoswine appear to still have plenty of energy. Ben shouts at his Pokemon, and Porygon unleashes a Psybeam while Scizor charges using Bullet Punch. With a confident smile, Dawn commands her Pokemon back, and Buneary hops toward Scizor while Mamoswine prepares to use Ice Shard. Once Buneary is close enough, it uses Bounce to jump over Scizor and punches it on the head with both of its ears, causing the mantis Pokemon to stop charging and look around in confusion. Mamoswine then fires Ice Shard, and it collides with Psybeam, causing an explosion of multicolored sparkles. As Ben's point bar shrinks, Dawn makes one last command, and Buneary uses Ice Beam to turn Porygon into a block of ice while Mamoswine's body glows orange and it tackles the confused Scizor, knocking it out. With one of Ben's Pokemon unconscious and the other stuck in ice, the judges press their buzzers and declare Dawn, the winner.

"Alright, Dawn!" Serena cheers.

"That means you two will face each other in the semifinals," May says. "I hope you're ready for her this time."

"Believe me, I'm more than ready now that I don't have to worry about Giselle or Harley anymore," Serena says.

"Good," May says before she sighs. "Looks like it's time for my battle with Drew."

"Give it everything you have, May," she says encouragingly.

"I will," May says before she exits the room. Serena mentally prays for her friend while Dawn reenters the room.

"Alright, we've both made it to the semifinals!" She cheers. "I hope you're ready for me, Serena."

Serena chuckles over Dawn, saying the same thing May said before she replies, "Don't worry. I'm ready to beat you again."

"I should hope so," Solidad says, suddenly walking behind the girls. "Defeating Harley is not a simple feat in my eyes."

"He was pretty cunning to use Torment," Dawn begrudgingly admits.

Solidad nods and turns to the TV where May and Drew are already on stage.

"Those two have been rivals for a long time. I sure hope May will win," she says. "Drew does like to talk a lot about what a coordinator May is."

"Does he now? How interesting," Dawn says with a smug look before turning to Serena and giving her a wink. Serena struggles to contain a giggle before she turns to the screen to see Drew taking out his Flygon and Absol while May releases her Venusaur and Beautifly.

"Hmmm, this should be a very interesting battle," Solidad comments.

"How so?" Dawn asks.

"Flygon, Absol, Venusaur, and Beautifly are the same Pokemon those two used the last time they battled each other," Solidad answers. "So clearly, May wants to prove she and her Pokemon have learned from last time."

"Oh. I hope she has," Serena says.

The battle begins with Flygon using Dragon Breath and Absol using Razor Wind. Beautifly's eyes glow blue, and it shoots a light blue beam to destroy Dragon Breath. Venusaur tries to destroy the Razor Wind with Razor Leaf only for the white blade to cut through the leaves and hits Venusaur. Both May and Drew lose a couple of points, but the two coordinators smirk, knowing that they're just getting started.

Drew calls out to Flygon, and it creates a giant sandstorm heading toward May's Pokemon. May counters by having Beautifly use Silver Wind. The butterfly Pokemon creates a gust of wind with silver scissors coming out, and the gust blows the Sandstorm back, and both attacks hit Absol and Flygon. Drew loses points, and May tries to go further by having Venusaur and Beautifly use Petal Dance and Aerial Ace, respectively, but Drew quickly has his Pokemon retaliate. With its wings turned into metal, Flygon swats at Beautifly right as it's about to hit the mystic Pokemon, and Absol uses Water Pulse to block the pink petals heading its way.

"They are really going back and forth between each other, aren't they?" Dawn says.

"Yeah, they're staying evenly matched," Serena agrees, giving to Solidad. "Do they always battle like this?"

"No. I think this is a much more serious battle than they've ever had before," Solidad says as she stares at the TV screen intently. "I think it's clear that at this point this is not just about who's going to make it further into the battle stage. May is trying really hard to show that she has gotten so much stronger, and Drew is trying hard to prove that she's wrong. Ultimately, this is a true battle between rivals."

Serena and Dawn turn to each other for a moment with looks of worry before they go back to watching the battle. For 3 minutes, May and Drew go back and forth between successfully countering or harming the other's Pokemon. As soon as one of them counters and or successfully hits the other's Pokemon, the other is quick to retaliate. The two of them quickly make a move after move as if they are a pair of master swordsman determined to make sure the other doesn't get an inch. As the time on the clock get shorter, Serena, Dawn, and Solidad feel the intensity of the battle growing.

With 1 ½ minutes left and only half of the points remaining from both sides, Drew has Flygon release a powerful Flamethrower at Venusaur and Beautifly counters using Psychic again. The two beams create an explosion, but it was all a ploy to have Absol emerge from the smoke and strike Venusaur with Iron Tail. The disaster Pokemon hits Venusaur in the head, and May is taken aback until she suddenly gets an idea. She gives a command to Venusaur, and two long vines come out of the seed Pokemon and wrap around Absol's legs before it could go back to Drew's side of the field. Before Drew has a chance to react, Venusaur uses its vines to slam Absol against the ground repeatedly. The green-haired boy's serious face fades into one of worry before he tells Flygon to free its partner with Steel Wing. May smirks confidently as Beautifly holds Flygon off with Silver Wind. After hitting its opponent against the floor enough times, Venusaur flings Absol into the air, and it crashes right into Flygon, causing both of them to plummet into the ground.

The judges remove the most amount of points than they did throughout the entire battle, and May decides to have Venusaur prepare a Solar Beam. The dinosaur-like Pokemon gathers energy from the sun while Drew grinds his teeth and yells at his Pokemon. Flygon and Absol slowly gets up and use Dragon Breath and Water Pulse, resulting in the two moves combining into one. May grows nervous with the giant move heading towards her Pokemon, and she orders Beautifly and Venusaur to attack. Venusaur unleashes its Solar Beam, and Beautify uses Psychic, and the two moves also combine into one giant move. The two combos collide, creating a massive explosion that knocks all four Pokemon back and covers the entire field in smoke. Everyone struggles to see what happened for a few seconds until the smoke clears to reveal Flygon, Absol, Venusaur, and Beautifly struggling to stay conscious with their bodies full of scratches and bruises. Suddenly, a large ding is heard, announcing that time has run out.

"That's time, and with Drew short a few points, the winner is May!" Lillian announces.

May happily runs over to her Pokemon to pet them while the crowd applauds. Absol and Flygon turn to Drew sadly, but the green-haired boy just walks over to them and pets them, saying words of comfort that can't be heard. After that, both coordinators return their Pokemon before leaving the stage. Solidad smiles and turns to Serena and Dawn.

"Looks like I better get going for my battle," she says. "Tell May I said Congratulations, for me."

"We will!" Serena calls out as Solidad leaves.

Shortly after Solidad heads out for her quarterfinal battle, May runs in with a cheerful look on her face as she runs over to Serena and Dawn.

"Oh, I feel so relieved!" She exclaims. "I thought Absol and Flygon were going to hit Venusaur before it could use Solar Beam."

"Yeah, we noticed," Serena says. "Also, I didn't know Psychic can also be a beam instead of a move that controls your opponent's Pokemon."

"Yeah, Beautifly is one of the few Pokemon that use Psychic differently," May says.

"Well, I'm glad it does," Dawn says. "Combining it with Solarbeam was quite the powerful combo."

"I agree," Drew says, stepping.

Once again, May is startled to see Drew standing behind her. The two of them stare at each other before Drew smirks and offers his hand.

"Good battle, May," he says.

May smiles brightly and shakes his hand.

"Thanks, Drew," she says.

Drew nods and says, "I admit, I wasn't sure you really improved, but you proved me wrong. I'm glad."

May's smile grows as if Drew just said the most flattering thing in the world. Her moment is broken, however, when they hear the sound of buzzards coming from the TV.

"And that's it for Josephine's Pokemon!" Lilian announces. "So, the final contestant who will move on to the semifinals is Solidad!"

"Wow, Solidad won already?" Dawn says, shocked.

"And they weren't even two minutes into the battle too," Serena says surprised.

Drew frowns and turns to May.

"Looks like you'll be facing her at the semifinals again," he says.

"Mmmm-hmmm," May says, nodding.

"I hope you are ready for her this time," Drew says seriously.

"How badly did Solidad beat you?" Serena asks curiously.

May hesitates before she answers, "Within three minutes into the match, I only took out a fraction of her points before her Pidgeot and Slowbro knocked out my Pokemon. I didn't stand a chance."

"Yikes," Serena says.

"Yeah," May says before she gives her friends a determined look. "But I've been working hard to face her again, too, and I don't plan on losing this time."

Serena smiles and says, "Good. Then give it your all just like with Drew."

May nods, and Dawn gives her a wink and a smirk, while Drew nods in approval. Just then, an attendant comes in and approaches them.

"Serena, Dawn, your battle is going to start in five minutes," he says.

Serena and Dawn nod at the backstage person and turn to each other with competitive smiles.

"This is it, Serena," Dawn says. "Are you ready for this?"

"I am," Serena says confidently. "Let's give it everything we have."

With that, they exit the waiting room in different directions while May calls out, "Best of luck, you guys!" Before long, Serena is at the end of the hall, and she takes a deep breath and gives herself the best smile she can muster.

"Now that the short break is over, let's move on to the semifinals!" Lilian announces. "For our first battle, it's the Sinnoh coordinator, Dawn, against the Kalos performer, Serena!"

The crowd cheers, and Serena runs into the field from one side while Dawn enters from the other side. The two girls smirk at each other one more time before they each take out two Pokeballs and throw them into the air.

"Quilava, Togekiss, spotlight!" Dawn shouts.

"Pancham, Sylveon, let's go!" Serena calls out.

The four Pokemon come out of their Pokeballs ready to fight, and the timer on the screen starts as soon as Lilian shouts, "Battle begin!"

"Quilava, use Swift! Togekiss, use Aura Sphere!" Dawn commands.

Quilava fires several golden stars while Togekiss creates a light blue ball of energy and releases it.

"Pancham, use Dark Pulse on that Aura Sphere, and Sylveon, you use Swift as well!" Serena shouts.

Pancham and Sylveon fire their respective attacks, and the two Swift attacks collide and explode into golden sparkles while the Dark Pulse and Aura Sphere collide and turn into purple and light blue sparkles. The crowd looks at the display in awe, and the judges take away some of Dawn's points.

"Now, Sylveon, Pancham, use Swift and Dark Pulse again!" Serena shouts.

"Quilava, stop them with Smokescreen!" Dawn shouts back.

Quilava unleashes a cloud of smoke that covers the field before Sylveon and Pancham can begin to attack. The judges remove points from Serena, but the honey blonde girl just smirks.

"Quilava, use Flame Wheel and Togekiss, use Sky Attack!" Dawn commands.

"That won't work again, Dawn!" Serena says. "Sylveon, blow the smoke away with Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon smiles and unleashes a powerful force of pink wind with its feelers. The wind clears the smoke away and sends Quilava and Togekiss back, preventing them from using their respective attacks.

"Now use Fairy Wind again on Quilava, and Pancham, use Arm Thrust on Togekiss!" Serena shouts.

While their opponents are distracted. Sylveon uses Fairy Wind again on Quilava, and Pancham punches Togekiss. Dawn's Pokemon move back upon impact but don't appear to be really hurt at all.

"What creative execution from Serena and her Pokemon!" Lilian comments. "Too bad Quilava is resistant to Fairy attacks, and Togekiss is resistant to fighting attacks!"

"What? They are?" Serena asks, shocked.

"Yes, they are," Dawn says matter-of-factly. "Now, Quilava, use Flamethrower and Togekiss, use Air Slash!"

Quilava releases a stream of fire at Sylveon, and Togekiss creates a spinning, light blue ball of energy and fires it at Pancham.

"Sylveon, use Protect! Pancham, cut through that Air Slash with Shadow Claw!" Serena orders.

Sylveon creates a forcefield and protects itself from the Flamethrower. Pancham slashes at the Air Slash with Shadow Claw, but the ball of energy is too big and approaching with too much for the playful Pokemon. The attack explodes upon hitting Pancham, and it crashes into the ground with scratches all over its body.

"Pancham!" Serena cries out.

"Sylveon!" Sylveon shouts as it rushes to Pancham's side.

"What a valiant effort!" Lilian comments. "While Sylveon protected itself, Pancham tried to destroy the flying attack that it's weak against!"

The judges take away a tiny bit of Dawn's points while also removing a portion of Serena's. Serena and Sylveon look at Pancham worriedly until the panda-like Pokemon slowly manages to get up. Serena smiles in relief while Dawn smirks.

"I'm glad that Pancham's still up. I don't want any of our Pokemon fainting yet in this battle of all battles," she says. "Use Flamethrower and Aura Sphere combo!"

Quilava and Togekiss fire their respective attacks, and the stream of fire merges with the energy ball, creating a more powerful force of both fighting energy and fire. Pancham and Sylveon grow nervous, but Serena just smiles.

"Don't be afraid, you two!" She calls out comfortingly. "Sylveon, get behind Pancham, and Pancham, create a wall with Stone Edge!"

The two small Pokemon turn to their trainer and nod before they do as they're told. Sylveon gets behind its teammate while Pancham slams its fist into the ground, and tall blue pillars emerge, creating a wall that protects them from the combo. The judges remove points from Dawn, but the blunette girl just smirks.

"Nice trick, Serena, but you forgot that I saw you use it at the Cremini Town contest," she says. "Quilava, Togikiss, ram through that Stone Edge with Flame Wheel and Sky Attack!"

Quilava runs toward the pillars with its body filled in flames while Togekiss flies beside it with its body surrounded in white aura.

"Sylveon, Pancham, just like we planned!" Dawn hears Serena say.

Dawn looks in confusion while Quilava and Togekiss burst through the center of the wall only to not find their opponents on the other side. Dawn looks at Serena through the hole in the wall, and the honey blonde girl smirks at her.

"I didn't forget, Dawn," Serena says.

Suddenly, Pancham and Sylveon emerge from opposite sides, and Pancham strikes Togekiss with Shadow Claw while Sylveon uses Protect to ram Quilava on the side. Dawn's Pokemon collide with each other, and Pancham uses Shadow Claw with both arms to send its opponents flying back to Dawn's side of the field.

"Amazing!" Lilian shouts while the judges remove some of Dawn's points. "Not only did Serena use Pancham's Stone Edge to protect her Pokemon, but she also used it to trick Togekiss and Quilava on where they are!"

Dawn blinks in surprise, processing everything that just happened until she smirks.

"I see," she says. "So you knew I would keep Stone Edge in mind and so created a way to turn it into a trap. If I didn't know any better, this was influenced by the way Ash would trap his opponent's Pokemon with Double Team."

Serena blushes lightly and shakes her head before she smirks back.

"I might have fashioned this based on Ash's tactics," she admits.

Dawn shakes her head while smiling and says, "You are a clever performer, Serena. But you're not the only one with clever tactics. Quilava, hop on Togekiss and use Smokescreen!"

Quilava gets on top of Togekiss, and it uses Smokescreen again, which covers the entire field once more. Serena frowns, unsure of what Dawn is up to.

"Sylveon, blow the smoke away with Fairy Wind again and Pancham, use Dark Pulse on the air," she instructs.

Sylveon blows the smoke away, and Pancham fires Dark Pulse, hoping to hit its target in the air, but when the dust clears, their opponents are nowhere to be found. Serena and her Pokemon looks around desperately while Dawn keeps on smiling.

"Now use Sky Attack and Flame Wheel!" She shouts.

Serena's eyes widen, and she keeps looking around until she looks up and sees Togekiss and Quilava flying down above her Pokemon.

"Pancham, Sylveon, jump away, quick!" She yells.

But it is no use. Before her Pokemon could realize what is happening, Togekiss and Quilava strike at Pancham and Sylveon, respectively, with Sky Attack and Flame Wheel. Pancham and Sylveon fall to the ground with Pancham's body covered in more scratches, while Sylveon's body is full of burns. The judges take away a large amount of Serena's points while she looks at her Pokemon worriedly.

"Pancham, Sylveon, get up! Please, get up!" She begs.

Pancham and Sylveon whine and moan while they struggle to move. Dawn, Togekiss, Quilava, Lilian, and the judges watch patiently as they watch the little Pokemon try to pick themselves back up. Serena puts her hand on her heart, feeling it race.

But as she has her hand on her heart, she also feels her blue ribbon touching her hand. She looks down to look at the ribbon, and her mind goes back to Ash. She turns her head to see Ash, Grace, and all of her friends watching her. She can see Ash yelling words of encouragement even though he is too far to be heard. She smiles, sweetly at him before she takes deep breaths and turns to Pancham and Sylveon.

"Pancham, Sylveon, you can do it," she says gently. "I believe in you both. We've come a long way, and we're not about to stop now. Remember, don't give up until the very end. Okay?"

Pancham and Sylveon smile, feeling comforted they turn to each other and nod before they slowly get up and look at Togekiss and Quilava with purposeful looks in their eyes. The crowd applauds, and Dawn smiles and nods at Serena. The honey blonde girl nods back before her face turns focused.

"Now, use Swift and Dark Pulse!" She commands.

"Quilava, get on Togekiss again! Togekiss, use Safeguard!" Dawn commands.

The volcano Pokemon gets on Togekiss, and the jubilee Pokemon flies up a couple feet and creates a force field in front of it, blocking the Swift and Dark Pulse. The judges remove a couple more of Serena's points, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"Pancham, Sylveon, use Dark Pulse, and Swift again at each other!" She commands.

"Huh?" Dawn says, confused. "Why is she doing that now when we're not attacking?"

Pancham and Sylveon obey, firing their attacks at each other, and the explosions cover Serena's side of the field in smoke. Dawn frowns and turns to her Pokemon.

"Watch out, guys!" She calls out. "Keep using Safeguard!"

Serena smirks, having heard exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Pancham, throw Sylveon into the air using Arm Thrust!" She commands.

"What?" Dawn says, baffled.

Everyone waits for a moment until they hear Pancham shouting and Sylveon soaring through the air. Before Dawn knows it, the fairy type Pokemon is right above her Pokemon, hanging in the middle of the air.

"Now, use Fairy Wind!" Serena shouts.

Sylveon looks down and releases a powerful Fairy Wind underneath it. The wind blows down on Quilava and Togekiss, and Togekiss loses control in the air and crashes onto the ground. Sylveon lands on the ground perfectly while Dawn smirks again.

"Nice move, Serena, but Fairy Wind still only affects Togekiss!" Dawn comments.

"I know it does, but I believe this one seriously hurts both," Serena says. "Pancham, use Stone Edge!"

Dawn's eyes widen, and she sees the smoke clearing to see Pancham slamming its fists onto the ground, and the blue pillars emerge on the ground again. Quilava and Togekiss can only watch until a pillar emerges from underneath them and send them flying into the air, crashing into the ground with several scratches all over their bodies.

"Quilava! Togekiss!" Dawn screams.

"Wow, what an inventive way to get Sylveon up in the air for a Fairy Wind and Stone Edge combo!" Lilian announces while the judges take away a good portion of Dawn's points. "With a minute and a half on the clock, how will Dawn fight back?"

Dawn frowns as Togekiss and Quilava slowly get up.

"Okay, Serena, let's finish this!" She shouts. "Quilava, use Flame Wheel through that Stone Edge and Togekiss, use Aura Sphere on Sylveon!"

Quilava spins, creating a wheel of fire and rams through the stone pillars, creating blue sparkles in the air it crushes through. Serena loses more points, but she gets another idea.

"Sylveon, dodge by using Double Team multiple times and use Protect on Pancham!" She instructs.

Sylveon creates multiple copies of itself before Togekiss can use Aura Sphere, and the copies begin to appear all over the field. Togekiss looks in confusion while the real Sylveon appears between Pancham and the last pillar Quilava is about to crush. The intertwining Pokemon creates a forcefield around itself, and its teammate and Quilava runs into it only be knocked back.

"Now use Shadow Claw, Pancham!" Serena shouts.

Pancham charges at Quilava and swipes at it with Shadow Claw. The volcano Pokemon is sent back to the other side of the field while the Sylveon copies disappear.

"Alright then, Quilava, use Flamethrower on Sylveon, and Togekiss, use Air Slash on Pancham!" Dawn commands.

"Sylveon, block the Air Slash with Protect and Panchan, use Dark Pulse on the Flamethrower!" Serena shouts.

Sylveon uses summons another forcefield to block the Air Slash while Pancham uses Dark Pulse, and it collides with Flamethrower, creating an explosion of fire and purple sparkles.

"Alright, then, let's hit them with our Flamethrower and Air Slash combo!" Dawn shouts.

"Pancham, Sylveon, get ready to dodge it on my signal!" Serena orders.

Ding!

Both girls and their Pokemon freeze in place, hearing the timer go off. Dawn and Serena look at each other, realizing they've been so focused on the battle that neither of them have checked the score. They slowly look up and gasp while Lilian steps in.

"Wow, what a battle!" She says. "With just barely enough points to win the match, Serena will be moving on to the final round!"

The audience cheers, and Serena stares at the screen for a moment before she smiles brightly and runs to Pancham and Sylveon.

"Alright, we won!" She exclaims.

"Pancham!" Pancham cheers.

"Sylveon!" Sylveon squeals cutely.

Dawn stares at the score in shock and looks down sadly

"I...lost?" She says in disbelief.

Quilava and Togekiss walk over to her sadly, and she looks up to them and puts on a comforting smile.

"Don't worry, you guys. You were wonderful," she says. "We'll get them next time. I promise."

Her Pokemon smile, feeling a little better before she returns them to their Pokeballs. Dawn walks over to Serena, who has already returned Sylveon and Pancham.

"Nicely done, Serena," Dawn says. "Guess you got me again this time, but I'll be ready for you when we battle again."

Serena smiles and says, "I'm looking forward to it," before the two of them high five and leave the stage together. As they head back to the waiting room, May passes by them on the way to her match and gives Serena a bright smile.

"Great job, Serena!" She shouts.

"Thanks, and good luck, May," Serena replies.

Once Dawn and Serena are back in the waiting room, Dawn finds a place to sit and take Piplup out of its Pokeball. The little penguin Pokemon looks at its partner sadly and stands on her lap before she hugs it.

"I'll be okay, Piplup," she says. "We just need to work harder for next time."

Serena looks at her friend sadly, knowing what she's going through. As she watches Dawn, though, she feels a tap on her shoulder and turns around to see Drew.

"Nice battle," he says plainly.

"Thanks," Serena says.

The room grows silent until the crowd is heard cheering from the TV. Serena, Drew, Dawn, and Piplup look to see Solidad on one side of the field with her Pidgeot and Slowbro, and May with Blaziken and Munchlax. The timer on the clock has already started, and both coordinators are making commands.

May begins with Munchlax and Blaziken using Focus Punch and Sky Uppercut, respectively. Solidad just plainly tells Slowbro and Pidgeot to counterattack with Aerial Ace and Water Gun, knocking May's Pokemon back and taking some of her points. Solidad then orders Slobro to use Psychic on itself so that it can spin on its tail like a top and uses it to ram Blaziken and Munchlax. The two Pokemon look too weak to stop Slowbro's attack, but when Solidad's Pokemon is close enough, May makes a command, and Blaziken suddenly appears to be okay and knocks Slowbro back using Blaze Kick, sending it spinning back to Solidad's side and crashing into Pidgeot. The crowd gasps as the judges take away some of Solidad's points, surprising Drew.

"I don't believe it," he says in shock.

"What? What is it?" Serena asks, confused. "Is it that May tricked Solidad into thinking thst her Pokemon were really hurt?"

"No, that's the most points Solidad's lost in any match during the entire tournament," Drew says. "In fact, I don't think she's ever lost that many points in a battle since the first time she and I battled each other."

Solidad also appears to be slightly shocked as her Pokemon get up, but her shock quickly turns into an amused smirk as she looks at May, who just smirks back. The two of them stare at each other, confusing the judges and the audience before they both command their Pokemon.

"What was that all about?" Dawn asks.

"I think it's a declaration of war," Drew says with his eyes glued to the battle. "It's been so long since someone has managed to knock down that much of Solidad's points like that, and May just did that within the first thirty seconds. By doing that, May just proved that she's learned from their battle from two years ago, and now she's a legitimate threat to Solidad's goal to win the Grand Festival again."

"So, that means May might win?" Serena asks, hopefully.

"Maybe, but it's not going to be easy," Drew says seriously. "Look closely into what's happening."

Dawn and Serena look at each other before they turn back to the TV. It takes a moment before they realize that May and Solidad's Pokemon are constantly blocking each other's attacks. Blaziken and Munchlax would combine Fire Blast with Ice Beam via Metrodome, but Slowbro knocks both of them back with Psychic. Pidgeot and Slowbro would then fight back with Feather dance and Yawn only for Blakizen to destroy both the feathers and the bubble with Fire Blast. Pidgeot and Blaziken then ram at each other with Aerial Ace and Sky Uppercut to give Munchlax and Slowbro enough time to release Solar Beam and Hyper Beam, respectively. The two powerful attacks create an explosion that knocks all four Pokemon back, but they soon get up looking ready for more. On and on, the process goes with Solidad and May shouting ways to counter each other's offensive tactics back and forth with the judges removing points from both sides bit by bit for their creative means of defense.

"They haven't landed another hit on each other," Dawn says in realization.

"Just as I figured," Drew says bluntly. "Now that May made it clear that she's not going to use the same battle style as before, Solidad is looking for another way to knock her down. May is being careful with the way she goes for the offense, making sure Solidad can't use her Pokemon's power against them. If either of them makes one wrong move, it will cost them badly."

Serena turns to Drew and asks, "Are you rooting for any one of them since they're both your rivals?"

Drew remains silent for a moment before he closes his eyes and looks down.

"I'd hate to see Solidad lose to May before I could beat her," he says seriously before his face softens, and he looks back at the TV. "At the same time, I want to see how far May can go."

Dawn teasingly smirks at Drew, but the green-haired boy ignores it. They go back to watching the battle just in time to see Blaziken and Munchlax surrounded by copies of Pidgeot via Double Team. The Pidgeot uses Feather Dance again, and Blaziken and Muchlax defend themselves by knocking the feathers back with Sky Uppercut and Focus Punch, but they don't realize that it's a distraction until it's too late. Slowbro uses Water Gun while they knock the feathers back, and May's Pokemon are knocked back a couple of feet with Blaziken taking the most damage from the water attack. The blaze Pokemon gets down on one knee and pants heavily, worrying May while Solidad smirks, glad to finally land another hit.

"Come on, May, come on," Serena says.

"You can do this," Dawn says.

"Piplup!" Piplup calls out.

Drew just stays silent as he watches May calling out to Blaziken. Solidad takes the opportunity to have Slowbro use Water Gun again while May and her Pokemon are distracted, but May notices and shouts at Blaziken. Blaziken's eyes suddenly snap open, and its body begins to turn a faint red. Then, right as the Water Gun is about to hit it and Munchlax, Blaziken stands up and releases a giant, white fire with a red-orange flame spiraling around it. The white fire rams through the Water Gun, creating steam that covers the field as it makes its way to the other side of the field and hits Slowbro and Pidgeot.

"Wow, was that Overheat?" Serena asks.

"It sure was," Drew says. "Clearly, May has been waiting for the right moment to use that attack since it gets weaker every time you use it. I hope May makes the most out of it."

Solidad frowns and tells Pidgeot to flap its wings, The bird Pokemon obeys and the steam starts to clear away, only to reveal Munchlax about to release another Solar Beam. The big eater Pokemon fires its attack, and it hits Slowbro and Pidgeot before they even have a chance to move. When the dust clears, Slowbro is still standing strong despite scratches covering its body, but Pidgeot has fainted.

"Yes!" Serena and Dawn cheer simultaneously.

Drew's serious face falls as he stares at the fallen Pokemon with his eyes slightly widened and his mouth open.

"She actually took down one of Solidad's Pokemon," he manages to say. "I...I don't believe it."

May is seen cheering on the TV while Solidad stares at Pidgeot dumbfounded before she sadly returns it to its Pokeball. The judges remove a large portion of her points, and the salmon-haired woman gives May a determined glare. She gives Slowbro a command, and Slowbro lifts Blaziken and Munchlax in the air with Psychic. The hermit crab Pokemon uses Water Gun again, and May has Blaziken use Overheat again while Munchlax uses Metronome. Munchlax waves its hands back and forth, and its body turns light blue while Blaziken uses Overheat only for the attack to fail to stop the Water Gun from hitting it. Both of May's Pokemon crash to the ground, but while Munchlax appears to be fine, Blaziken is down for the count.

"Oh, no!" Dawn says worriedly.

"Now they both have one Pokemon left," Serena says.

"Piplup," Piplup says worriedly.

"Yeah, and May was lucky Metronome resulted in Munchlax using Harden," Drew says with another serious face. "May took a gamble with both moves, and it only saved one of her Pokemon. Now Solidad is back in the lead with a little more than a minute to spare."

May is crushed to see her partner unconscious before she glumly returns it back in its Pokeball. She glares back at Solidad and makes a command resulting in Munchlax charging at Slowbro using Tackle.

"What is she doing?" Dawn says. "Slowbro can easily avoid a move like Tackle."

Solidad appears to be thinking the same thing as she orders Slowbro to use Yawn. It releases a blue bubble from its mouth. But May appears to be ready for that has she just as Munchlax break the bubble with Focus Punch and then slams into Slowbro. Solidad retaliates by having Slowbro send Munchlax crashing into a wall using Psychic. Munchlax falls to the ground and struggles to get up, scarring May while Solidad frowns seriously.

"It looks like Solidad is eager to finish the job," Drew says. "I think she's going to tell Slowbro to use Hyper Beam again."

Serena and Dawn's hearts sink as they see that Drew is right. Solidad makes another order to Slowbro, and the hermit crab Pokemon opens its mouth against and prepares a Hyper Beam. An orange beam appears inside its mouth, and it fires an orange beam from the ball heading toward Munchlax. May panics and shouts out to Munchlax. The big eater Pokemon stays still for a moment before it slowly gets up and moves its fingers back and forth again.

"Metronome again?" Dawn says.

Drew frowns and says, "That might as well be game. There's little hope Munchlax will conjure the right move to deflect the Hyper Beam."

But just as Drew says that, multiple copies of Munchlax appear before the Hyper Beam hits most of them, making them disappear. The area of the wall is covered in smoke, and everyone stares at it, wondering what happened to Munchlax. Eventually, the smoke clears, and Munchlax appears to be alright with just a couple of scratches on its body.

"Alright!" Serena says happily. "Metronome caused Munchlax to use Double Team to dodge!"

"And look at Slowbro," Dawn adds.

Everyone turns to Slowbro, who appears to be panting on the other side. Serena's face brightens as they realize what Dawn has noticed.

"It's getting tired," she says.

May smiles on the TV, realizing the same thing and turns to Munchlax with a grin. She makes one last command, and the big eater Pokemon stores up white energy inside its mouth. Solidad tries to get Slowbro to move, but the poor hermit crab Pokemon is too fatigued to do anything. Finally, Munchlax unleashes its Solar Beam, and it inevitably hits Slowbro, knocking it off its feet. Solidad can do nothing but watch as her Pokemon falls to the ground, limp with swirly eyes.

"Folks, I can't believe I'm saying this, but both of Solidad's Pokemon are down for the count!" Lilian announces. "That means May is going to move on to the next round!"

"Yes!" Serena and Dawn shout joyously.

May and Munchlax run to each other and hug each other tightly. Solidad watches them sadly before she gives a small smile and returns Slowbro to its Pokeball. Both coordinators leave the field, and it isn't long before the two of them enter the waiting room with Drew, Dawn, Piplup, and Serena waiting for them.

"Congratulations, May!" Dawn cheers. "You've made it to the finals!"

"Thanks, Dawn," May replies as the two of them high-five.

Drew walks over to May with his hands in his pockets and smirks.

"So, you beat Solidad before I did," he says.

May nods and says, "Yeah, I guess I did."

Drew shrugs and says, "I guess your luck was with you all the way with Metronome. But know that I'm going to work even harder to beat both of you next time."

May chuckles and says, "I'm counting on it."

"As am I," Solidad says, stepping in. "In the meantime, I wish you the best of luck in the finals, May."

"Thanks," May says.

"And now, we will be taking an hour-long break before we begin the final round!" Lilian announces from the TV. "Who will win the Ribbon Cup? Will it be May or Serena?"

At the mention of the last round, May's smile disappears, and she turns to Serena, who has the same serious look. The brown-haired girl walks over to the honey blonde girl, and they stare at each other silently for several seconds.

"So, it's down to you and me now," May says.

"Yeah, looks like it," Serena says.

The two of them become silent again for a moment before May says, "You know, apart from the Wallace Cup, this is the first time I've made it to the finals in a big tournament like this."

"This is the second time for me," Serena replies. "And I'm planning to win this time."

May stays serious for another moment before she smiles.

"Good," she says. "I'm planning to win too, so let's not hold back at all."

"Agreed," Serena says, smiling back. "Let's go back to the Pokemon Center. We should have Nurse Joy check out our Pokemon before the big moment."

With that, the two of them firmly shake hands and leave the room together, followed by Dawn, Piplup, Drew, and Solidad. As they walk over to the Pokemon Center, the tension rises as everyone wonders who is going to win between May and Serena.