Salamence was sent flying through a tree, and as the tree fell forward, Dragonite went up and caught it. Then she spun around, using it as a bat, and slammed it down on Salamence so hard that the tree cracked again, leaving only the stump in her hands.
At the same time, Slaking ran through, catching Ariados and Drapion by the face and slamming them into the ground. He then began dragging them across the forest floor, and as much as they struggled, they weren't strong enough to break out of Slaking's grip.
Hunter J stumbled backward, her eyes widening as she watched her Pokémon get tossed around like toys. She quickly reached for another Poké Ball, but Ash was already moving.
"Dragonite, don't let her get away!"
Dragonite tossed the broken tree stump aside and shot forward, her wings beating hard enough to send leaves and dirt flying in every direction. Salamence tried to lift itself back into the air, but Dragonite grabbed it by the tail and swung it around, sending it crashing into the ground once more.
"Salamence! Get up!" Hunter J shouted.
Ash casually glanced over at her, "You might want to start thinking about a backup plan."
"Shut up!" Hunter J shouted as she gritted her teeth and pulled out two more Poké Balls. Salamence, Ariados, and Drapion might be her main battlers because they were her strongest, but that didn't mean she had no other Pokémon.
The balls flew out, and from them, Toxicroak and Bisharp emerged, landing in battle stances.
Ash whistled, "Huh, didn't think you'd be smart enough to have more than three Pokémon."
And that just made Hunter J even madder, "I'll show you! Toxicroak, [Poison Jab]! Bisharp, [Metal Claw]!"
Both Pokémon immediately took off running, heading directly toward Ash, but he wasn't worried. He just pulled out another ball from his waist and casually tossed it into the air as it opened.
Then, in front of Ash, his Tyranitar stomped out, catching both attacks in its hands. It looked down at them and let out a low breath through its nose.
Tyranitar stared down at the two Pokémon for a moment before tightening its grip. Then, with a grunt, it shoved them backward, sending both skidding across the dirt.
Ash grinned, "Careful. He doesn't really like people interrupting his walks."
"Toxicroak, get back up! Bisharp, use [Night Slash]!"
Bisharp immediately sprang forward, its blade-like arms glowing with dark energy. Toxicroak followed, its fists glowing purple once more.
"Tyranitar, [Stone Edge]!"
Tyranitar slammed one foot into the ground. The forest floor trembled as several enormous rocks tore out of the ground and shot upward. Bisharp tried to dodge, but one rock clipped its side, sending it tumbling into a tree. Toxicroak wasn't any luckier, as another piece of rock struck it head-on and buried it beneath a pile of rubble.
Hunter J's eyes widened so much that she looked like a certain frog Pokémon, and unconsciously, she began to shiver and take a step back.
Ash stretched his shoulder and looked down at Hunter J, "What's wrong? Don't tell me you're scared. Weren't you talking so much before? You know, I actually preferred the way you were acting a little while ago," Ash said with a bit of condescension.
Hunter J stared at him, her expression twisting with anger. For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to say something, but the words seemed to get stuck in her throat. She glanced around, taking in the state of her Pokémon. Salamence was struggling to get back up, Ariados and Drapion were still trapped in Slaking's grip, and Toxicroak and Bisharp were buried beneath the rubble.
She was losing. Badly. And she knew it.
"Who exactly do you think you are?" she finally snapped, "You have no idea who you're dealing with!"
"Hmm, bland and unoriginal. Six points," Ash said out of habit.
Then he cleared his throat, "Still, you're quite unlucky that you ran into me, and especially today of all days, when I'm not in the mood. Blame your own bad luck."
Ash wasn't even lying. He had no intention of going after Hunter J yet. Her showing up here was just luck of the draw, and the only reason Ash was showing some mercy and giving her the chance to surrender was because he didn't want to waste more time than he needed to, since they were on a time limit.
But even Ash's mercy wasn't infinite. This was her last chance. She either surrendered now, or she got left tied up until the International Police found her. The choice was hers.
Unfortunately, Hunter J made the wrong choice, "I'll never submit!" She gritted her teeth and whistled sharply, "Salamence!"
Salamence opened its eyes weakly and immediately tried to run away from Dragonite to get to Hunter J. She wanted to get Salamence over here and run away. In her mind, as long as she could get back into the air and reach her ship, she might have a chance to escape.
Unfortunately, Dragonite reacted faster and caught Salamence's tail before it could get to Hunter J. Then she spun around, slamming Salamence onto its back.
Hunter J took another step back instinctively. Slowly, she turned toward Ash, who was shaking his head disappointedly, "It's a shame. I was considering letting you go," he said, you know, like a liar, "But I guess we're doing this the hard way."
Hunter J gulped. For once in her life, she realized she may have bitten off more than she could chew.
—
{With Dawn and Verity}
"You girls should've stayed out of this. Mightyena, [Bite]! Golbat, [Air Cutter]!" one of the henchmen sneered.
"Piplup, dodge and use [Bubble Beam]! Budew, [Razor Leaf]!"
Verity's Pokémon moved immediately. Piplup darted sideways as the air blades tore through the space where it had been standing, then fired a stream of bubbles toward Mightyena. Budew followed up with a burst of razor-sharp leaves, forcing Golbat to veer away.
"Buneary, [Quick Attack]! Piplup, [Bubble Beam]!" Dawn called.
Buneary sprang forward, moving between the opposing Pokémon before striking one of the Houndoom across the side. Dawn's Piplup sent a stream of bubbles toward the second Houndoom, forcing it to back away.
Then the Rhydon stepped forward, "Rhydon, [Rock Blast]!"
Several rocks shot toward the clearing.
"Budew, watch out!" Verity shouted.
Budew barely managed to dodge the first few, but one of the rocks clipped its side and sent it tumbling across the grass.
"Budew!"
"Buneary, quick! Help Budew!" Dawn called.
Buneary immediately broke away from its opponent and rushed toward Budew, putting itself between the little Pokémon and the incoming attacks.
"Don't let them regroup!" one of the grunts shouted, "Houndoom, [Flamethrower]!"
A stream of fire swept across the clearing.
Verity quickly swiped her arm, "Piplup, get in front of them! [Protect]!"
A shimmering barrier appeared just in time, blocking the flames before they could reach Buneary and Budew. Piplup strained to hold it, his little feet sliding backward through the grass.
"Piplup, hang in there!" Verity encouraged.
Dawn quickly redirected Buneary's attention, "Buneary, [Double Kick]!"
Buneary leapt forward and struck the nearest Houndoom twice, forcing it away from the others.
Sure, they were definitely pushing the Pokémon back and were definitely stronger, but sheer numbers would overwhelm them if they couldn't end the fight quickly.
And Dawn knew that too. They were still trying to fight eight Pokémon while also avoiding the actual henchmen themselves, all while protecting Cresselia.
"Verity!" Dawn called, "We need to keep them from getting around us!"
"I know!" Verity replied, "I'll cover the left! You keep the right side clear!"
Dawn and Verity continued to hold their positions, carefully keeping themselves between the attacking Pokémon and Cresselia. Their Pokémon were doing their best, but the constant stream of attacks was beginning to wear them down.
"Piplup, [Bubble Beam]! Keep that Mightyena away!" Dawn called.
Piplup fired a stream of bubbles, forcing Mightyena to retreat before it could get any closer. At the same time, Verity's Piplup continued holding its [Protect] barrier, blocking another wave of attacks from Golbat.
"Budew, are you alright?" Verity asked.
Budew shook its head, getting back onto its feet despite the earlier hit.
"Good! Then use [Razor Leaf]!"
Budew released another volley of leaves, forcing one of the Houndoom to jump backward.
However, the grunts weren't giving them any breathing room.
"Rhydon, [Rock Blast]! Aim for the girls!"
"Buneary, [Quick Attack]! Knock those rocks away!"
Buneary rushed forward, striking one of the incoming rocks and knocking it off course. Unfortunately, there were too many. Another rock flew past her and smashed into the ground just a few feet away from Dawn.
"Dawn!" Verity shouted.
"I'm fine!" Dawn replied, quickly stepping back, "We just need to keep them away from Cresselia!"
Behind them, Cresselia watched as they protected her. She could see the two girls standing in front of her, refusing to back down despite being surrounded. She looked down at her injured wing and turned it slightly. It had healed enough for her to fly away if she wanted to, but she couldn't. She didn't want to leave them behind.
So instead of running, even though she could, she made a choice. A soft cry escaped Cresselia's mouth.
Dawn glanced over her shoulder, "Cresselia?"
The Legendary Pokémon slowly lifted her head. Her eyes moved between Dawn and Verity, then toward the henchmen and their Pokémon.
Her body began to glow with a gentle pink light. The glow spread outward, and the surrounding forest seemed to grow quieter. Then Dawn and Verity's Pokémon began glowing a soft pink, and they even began to heal.
Cresselia was using her [Lunar Dance], healing all the damage they had received and restoring all their stamina.
But then something else happened. Budew and Buneary both began to glow. Together, they grew larger. Budew grew arms and legs, while Buneary got taller and her ears grew. Then, together, they evolved into Roselia and Lopunny.
Dawn and Verity watched with their mouths agape. They blinked a few times, then slowly turned to look back at Cresselia, who was breathing heavily. Usually, the move [Lunar Dance] should make Cresselia faint, but obviously, Cresselia could resist that effect. However, in exchange, Cresselia was now too tired to fly away. She had put all her faith in the two girls to protect her.
Of course, the grunts weren't nearly as impressed, "What are you idiots standing around for? Attack them!" one of them shouted, "They're still just two girls!"
Dawn's expression changed immediately. She looked toward the grunts, then slowly, a confident grin grew on her face, "Alright, Lopunny. Let's show them what you can do!"
"Roselia, are you ready?" Verity asked, crossing her arms as she stood right next to her.
Roselia nodded.
"Good! Then let's turn this around!"
The nearest Houndoom rushed forward, its mouth filling with flames.
"Houndoom, [Flamethrower]!"
"Lopunny, [Jump Kick]!"
Lopunny sprang into the air, easily clearing the stream of flames before twisting her body and bringing her leg down. The kick struck Houndoom squarely in the chest, sending it tumbling backward.
"Roselia, [Magical Leaf]!" Verity called.
Roselia raised both arms, and a shower of glowing leaves appeared around it. With a graceful movement, it sent them flying toward the opposing Pokémon. The leaves curved through the air, following their targets and forcing Mightyena and Golbat to scatter.
"Golbat, [Air Cutter]! Mightyena, [Crunch]!"
"Piplup, [Bubble Beam]!" Dawn ordered.
Dawn's Piplup refused to be overshadowed, so the sassy penguin fired a stream of bubbles toward Golbat, disrupting its attack and forcing it higher into the air. Meanwhile, Mightyena charged toward Lopunny, its jaws glowing.
"Lopunny, watch out!"
Lopunny casually hopped backward, avoiding the bite before landing a quick kick against Mightyena's snout.
The Dark-type Pokémon stumbled, shaking its head.
Dawn grinned, "That's it! Don't let them get close!"
But the grunts weren't finished, "Rhydon, [Rock Blast]! Houndoom, [Flamethrower]! Hit them together!"
The two Pokémon attacked at once. A barrage of rocks rushed toward the girls while flames swept across the clearing.
"Roselia, [Protect]!" Verity shouted.
Roselia twirled in front of them and created a shimmering barrier, catching the incoming attacks. The rocks shattered against it, while the flames spread around its surface.
"Now, Roselia! [Petal Blizzard]!"
Roselia swept its arms outward, releasing a storm of petals. The swirling attack rushed through the clearing, engulfing the opposing Pokémon and forcing them backward.
"Lopunny, [Quick Attack]!" Dawn called.
Lopunny darted through the petals, moving so quickly that the grunts struggled to follow her. She struck Mightyena, then bounced away before Houndoom could retaliate.
Dawn pumped her arms, "Oh yeah! Now we're doing it!"
"Don't celebrate just yet," Verity said, although she couldn't help wearing that familiar smirk, "We've still got a few more to deal with!"
As if to prove her point, Rhydon stomped forward, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Its horn began glowing as it lowered its head.
"Rhydon, [Megahorn]!"
"Lopunny, get out of there!" Dawn shouted.
Lopunny sprang sideways just as Rhydon charged past, its horn narrowly missing her. However, one of the Houndoom took advantage of the opening and rushed toward her from the opposite direction.
"Lopunny, behind you!"
Lopunny turned, but before Houndoom could reach her, Roselia slid in from the side.
"Roselia, [Sleep Powder]!"
A cloud of grayish powder spread through the air, catching Houndoom directly in its path. The Pokémon stumbled, its movements becoming sluggish before it fell face-first onto the ground and began to snore.
"Nice one, Verity!"
Verity nodded, "Thanks!"
But they weren't done. Dawn swung her arm back around, "Lopunny, [Dizzy Punch]!" Dawn called.
Lopunny darted forward, slipping past Mightyena before landing a series of quick punches. The Dark-type staggered, its eyes spinning before it collapsed onto the grass.
"Roselia, [Magical Leaf]!"
Roselia sent another wave of glowing leaves toward Golbat, striking it from several directions. Golbat tried to climb higher, but Dawn's Piplup caught it with a well-aimed [Bubble Beam], sending it tumbling out of the air.
"That's two!" Dawn cheered.
One of the henchmen gritted his teeth and pulled out a second Poké Ball, throwing it out. From it came a second Rhydon, "Rhydon, you better do more work than the other useless one!"
When the Rhydon landed, it charged forward, its horn lowered.
"Lopunny, [Jump Kick]!"
Lopunny leapt over the charging Pokémon and brought her leg down against its back. Rhydon stumbled, giving Roselia the opening it needed.
"[Magical Leaf]!"
The leaves struck Rhydon from behind, knocking it off balance. It took a few more steps before finally collapsing face-first into the dirt.
The remaining Houndoom tried to retreat, but Dawn wasn't about to let it escape.
"Piplup, [Bubble Beam]! Lopunny, [Quick Attack]!"
The bubbles interrupted Houndoom's movement, and Lopunny rushed in to finish the job with a quick strike.
One of the grunts looked around in disbelief, "How are two kids giving us this much trouble?!"
"Maybe you should've brought better Pokémon!" Dawn shot back.
Verity gave her a quick look, "Dawn, we're not finished yet."
"Right, right!"
The remaining grunts were still standing, even if their Pokémon weren't. They began backing away, looking for an opportunity to regroup.
Verity noticed first, "Roselia, let's make sure they can't go anywhere. [Leech Seed]!"
Roselia raised its arms, scattering several seeds across the clearing. They quickly sprouted, sending thick vines twisting across the ground. The vines wrapped around the grunts' legs and arms, pulling them together until all eight were securely restrained. And if you're wondering, won't that hurt them because of the drain? You know she can just choose not to drain their energy, right?
One of them struggled against the vines, "Hey! Get these things off me!"
Roselia promptly ignored them and turned away, only slightly tightening one of the vines around that grunt's mouth.
"Wow," Dawn said, looking over the captured grunts, "That actually worked!"
Verity smiled, "And nobody had to get hurt."
"Not bad, huh?" Dawn said, turning toward her, "I think we're getting pretty good at this teamwork thing!"
"Yeah, we are."
Dawn looked at Lopunny, who was happily posing beside her, "And with how strong you've gotten, I bet winning the Contest tonight will be easy peasy!"
Dawn closed her eyes, and she was already imagining the look on everyone's faces when she stepped onto the stage. After everything they'd just dealt with, a dance Contest hardly seemed intimidating anymore.
Unfortunately, neither girl noticed one of the grunts still struggling against Roselia's vines. While the others complained and tried to free themselves, he slowly struggled and managed to reach his belt, where he pressed a button on his communicator.
High above the forest, a warning light flashed inside the aircraft's control room. One of the operators glanced at the incoming signal before turning toward the weapons console.
"Target confirmed. Preparing the railgun."
The weapon mounted beneath the airship began to rotate. Several electrical coils around its barrel flickered to life, gathering an increasingly intense charge as it aimed down toward the clearing.
Meanwhile, Pikachu and Vee were still doing their best to keep the aircraft from escaping. They noticed it charging and immediately panicked. Together, they started pulling as hard as they could, even using a nearby tree as leverage to bring the jet down.
And, for what it's worth, they managed to start dragging it down. But even then, the weapon managed to charge just enough to let out one shot at about 50% strength before the aircraft was sent crashing into the ground, where Pikachu and Vee were waiting.
The bright light of the electric railgun finally caught their attention as they looked up, but by now it was too late. The shot was heading straight toward them, and they were too slow to react.
But then, something moved in front of them. It was Cresselia. Cresselia used the last of her strength to push herself up and protect the girls with her own body.
"CRESSELIA!" Dawn screamed.
A deafening impact shook the clearing, followed by a burst of electrical energy that sent leaves and dirt flying in every direction. Cresselia's body was thrown backward, and she fell from the air, landing heavily on the ground.
Dawn stared at the fallen Legendary Pokémon, her eyes wide, "C-Cresselia...?"
She rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside her. Verity followed immediately, her expression paling as she saw the damage.
Cresselia wasn't moving. Her breathing was faint, and her body was covered in fresh injuries. The attack had reopened the wounds Ash had worked so hard to heal, leaving her in an even worse condition than before.
"Please..." Dawn whispered, carefully reaching toward her, "Please, wake up..."
Verity knelt on Cresselia's other side, trying to keep her voice steady, "We need to help her. Dawn, we need to do something!"
But the girls had little time to react.
Another jet was approaching through the trees. Its engines grew louder as it descended, and the aircraft soon landed in a clearing nearby. Several more people began climbing out, carrying equipment and releasing additional Pokémon.
Dawn and Verity's Pokémon stood in front of them protectively, but now things weren't looking good. They were surrounded.
Dawn slowly looked up, her hands still resting beside Cresselia.
A few moments ago, she'd been celebrating. She'd thought they'd won. They'd defeated the Pokémon, captured the grunts, and managed to protect Cresselia, but then they got cocky.
If they had just stayed focused the whole time, they might have noticed the communicator. They might have seen the weapon charging. They might have been able to move out of the way or hide in the trees with Cresselia, or do anything. Even calling for Ash would have been better than what they did.
And the worst part was that, based on how the fight went, Ash was right. They could have handled all of this. They were strong enough, but this time they lacked the right mindset. After the Alamos Town incident, they thought that as long as they got stronger, they wouldn't have to worry about anything else, even when Ash had told them that strength wasn't everything.
And now, because of this, they were in this situation.
Dawn lowered her head, her expression crumpling. Her voice shook as she gently held Cresselia's head in her arms, "I'm sorry..."
Verity didn't answer. She could barely look away from Cresselia.
The newly arrived poachers began spreading out, surrounding the clearing and cutting off every possible escape route. Their Pokémon moved forward, ready to attack.
One of the men stepped forward, looking over the two girls before glancing down at Cresselia, "Secure the Legendary Pokémon!"
Dawn bit her lip. She wanted to fight. She wanted to stand up and tell them they weren't getting anywhere near Cresselia. But her confidence from earlier was gone. She had already failed to protect the Pokémon who had trusted her.
And Verity wasn't much better. Sure, she was willing to try, but without Dawn standing next to her and helping, she knew full well she couldn't take them all out on her own.
Neither of them knew what to do, short of yelling at the top of their lungs for Ash to come save them. In the end, they both thought they couldn't even do this by themselves. They had to rely on Ash, even when he told them that he believed in them. How pathetic was that?
But then, before they could try that, a black streak shot through the clearing.
Before anyone could react, it swept past the poachers' Pokémon, knocking them aside one after another. Mightyena, Golbat, and the rest of the remaining battlers were sent crashing into the ground, all defeated in a matter of seconds.
The poachers froze, "What was that?!"
A dark figure appeared behind Cresselia, hovering just above the ground. Its blue eyes looked down at Cresselia before shifting toward the two girls protecting her.
Verity blinked, then looked at the Pokémon in surprise, "Darkrai...?"
For a moment, she thought it was Ash's Darkrai. After all, she knew he had one, and the timing was certainly suspicious.
But for some reason, Dawn didn't know why, she could tell this wasn't Ash's.
Darkrai didn't say anything. It simply watched the two girls as they hovered protectively over Cresselia, their Pokémon gathering around them. Then its gaze shifted toward the poachers. It didn't take long to understand what had happened.
The Legendary Pokémon slowly raised one arm. Dark energy began gathering around its body, spreading outward like a shadow across the clearing.
The poachers barely had time to react, "Wait, what is that—"
Darkrai let out a [Dark Void], and a wave of darkness washed across the clearing. One by one, the remaining poachers collapsed, falling asleep wherever they stood. Some dropped straight to the ground, while others slumped against their own Pokémon.
Within seconds, the entire group was unconscious. Silence returned to the forest. Darkrai lowered its arm and looked back toward Cresselia.
—
{In the Contest Hall}
Zoey was pacing back and forth, looking at her phone. She was trying to stall because right now, her turn was up. And she also knew that as soon as her turn was done, Dawn's would be right after, and she still wasn't here.
She could try to prolong her own performance, but even the longest one couldn't go past two minutes.
And she couldn't stall anymore since the announcer called out, "Last call for Zoey!"
Zoey gulped and hoped that Dawn would make a dramatic entrance at the last second, like it happens in stories. I mean, there's always a happy ending, right?
Zoey took one final breath, then went out onto the stage for her turn.
[Time until Dawn's turn: 2:20]
—
A few seconds earlier, Ash was finishing up dealing with Hunter J's Pokémon. He had her on the ground, and Ash was about to interrogate her to get more information from her, but that's when a bright light flashed in the sky.
He quickly looked up and saw the railgun charging and firing right before it got pulled out of the sky and another jet entered the area.
Ash's eyes widened as he cursed. He didn't even give Hunter J the luxury of seeing the expression on his face. These hands were rated E for everyone, so he grabbed her by the head and slammed her face-first into a tree, knocking her out cold.
Then he quickly grabbed onto Dragonite and flew over. He held his breath the whole time, but when he saw that they were okay, he let out a sigh of relief. His eyes locked onto Darkrai, but that was the least of his concerns. He flew down immediately, jumping off Dragonite before she even landed.
His eyes immediately swept across Dawn and Verity, checking them from head to toe. For once, there was no teasing remark, no goofy grin, and no playful comment waiting on his tongue.
He simply looked relieved, "Are you two alright? Did either of you get hurt? Anywhere? Are you bleeding?"
Dawn looked up at him, her eyes already glistening. Verity shook her head, although she seemed to struggle to meet his gaze.
"We're...we're okay," Verity answered quietly.
Ash let out another breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly, "Good. That's good."
He looked between them again before his attention finally settled on Cresselia. His expression changed immediately.
"What happened?"
Neither girl answered right away.
Ash knelt beside the Legendary Pokémon, carefully examining her injuries. He could already feel how badly the electrical attack had damaged her. The wounds he'd healed earlier had reopened, and the energy from the railgun had left her body in an even more unstable condition.
"Cresselia..." he muttered.
Dawn finally broke.
"Ash..." Her voice cracked as tears began running down her cheeks, "Please, you have to help her. She protected us, and then...then she got hurt again. It's my fault! I should've noticed the communicator. I should've been paying attention, and I—"
"Hey, hey. It's alright."
Ash placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before turning his attention back to Cresselia.
"Let me take care of her first, okay?"
He placed both hands against Cresselia's body, and a faint blue glow began spreading from his palms. His Aura flowed into the Legendary Pokémon, carefully stabilizing her condition before he started repairing the damage.
Dawn wiped at her eyes, but the tears kept coming, "But we were supposed to protect her...We defeated all their Pokémon, and we thought we'd won, and then we stopped paying attention. If we hadn't—"
"Dawn."
Ash didn't look up. His hands remained steady as he continued healing Cresselia, "This isn't your fault."
"But—"
"It's mine."
Both girls froze.
Ash continued focusing on Cresselia, his expression serious, "I should've dealt with Hunter J faster. I knew she was dangerous, and I knew there was a chance she'd have more people nearby. I should've made sure nobody else could get to you before I left."
"Ash, that's not—" Verity started.
"I left you two here with a Legendary Pokémon to protect, and I couldn't even finish the job fast enough. It's all my fault," Ash said, lowering his head.
Neither Dawn nor Verity knew what to say because even through all of this, he wasn't blaming them. He wasn't telling them that they got careless, or that they were weak, or that they let him down. He just blamed himself for not being fast enough.
Dawn looked down at Cresselia, then back at Ash, "But we still messed up..." she said, trying to make Ash stop blaming himself. He was the last person who should be blaming himself after what happened.
"Maybe." Ash's voice softened, "But you're both safe, Cresselia's going to be alright, and those idiots aren't going anywhere. That's what matters right now."
He gave Cresselia one final pulse of Aura, and the glow around his hands slowly faded. Her breathing had become noticeably steadier, and some of the worst injuries were beginning to close.
Ash leaned back slightly, letting out a quiet breath, "There. That should do it."
Dawn looked at Cresselia hopefully, "Is she going to be okay?"
"Yeah. She's stable now. But she's going to need some more time to recover," Ash said honestly, as Darkrai looked down at them, then flew down and sat on the ground to wait.
Dawn's shoulders finally loosened, "Thank you..."
Ash gave her a small smile, "Don't mention it."
He stood up, brushing the dirt off his knees before looking around the clearing. His eyes briefly landed on the unconscious poachers, then on the wreckage of the aircraft.
"Man, what a mess," Ash muttered.
Then something occurred to him, "Wait." He turned toward Dawn, "Dawn, how much time do you have before your Contest?"
Dawn blinked. For a moment, she seemed confused by the question. Then her eyes widened as she remembered, "Oh! The Contest!"
She quickly reached for her phone, fumbling with it slightly before checking the time. Her face went pale, "Zoey's...she's almost finished!"
Ash looked over and saw Zoey on the stage, "...Oh."
Ash stared at the phone for a second.
Then he clenched his fist, "Okay, that's not good."
He immediately started looking around, his mind racing through possible solutions, "Flying's out of the question. Even if Dragonite went full speed, we wouldn't make it in time. Abby? Where is she? Come on, tell me she's nearby."
He began checking the Poké Balls on his belt, muttering to himself as he tried to figure out a way to get Dawn back to Hearthome in time.
"Or Gardevoir! Maybe if I—"
"Ash."
He didn't seem to hear her.
"Or maybe if I get Dragonite to carry us and then—"
"Ash." This time, Dawn reached out and gently caught his hand.
He stopped.
Dawn looked up at him, her eyes still red from crying, but her expression was calmer now, "It's okay..."
Ash looked down at her hand, then slowly raised his eyes toward her, "Dawn, your Contest—"
"I know."
"You've been looking forward to this all day."
"I know."
"And you're going to miss it."
Dawn gave him a small smile, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, "Then I miss it."
Ash blinked.
Dawn glanced toward Cresselia, who was resting peacefully on the ground, "Besides, what about her? Is Cresselia really going to be okay?"
Ash looked down at the Legendary Pokémon before nodding, "Yeah. She'll recover. It'll just take longer this time, and she'll probably be asleep for a while."
Dawn smiled a little more, "Then that's okay."
She looked back at him, "Sure, I'm a little sad. I really wanted to participate tonight, especially after everything I've been practicing. But...we did something good here, didn't we?"
Ash remained quiet.
"We protected Cresselia. She trusted us, and even when she could've flown away, she stayed to protect us too." Dawn gently looked down at her, "I don't want to regret helping her just because I missed a Contest."
She paused, then gave Ash another smile, "And besides..." Her eyes shifted back toward him, "Seeing how much you care makes me happy too."
Ash opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Dawn continued, "You came running over the moment you saw what happened. You didn't even stop to check anything else. And then you immediately started blaming yourself, even though you know we made mistakes too."
She gave his hand a little squeeze, "So stop worrying so much, okay? It's okay…"
Verity stepped closer, placing a hand on Ash's other shoulder, "She's right."
Ash glanced over at her.
Verity gave him a grin. It was a familiar grin, the one Ash would usually give to cheer them up, but now she was the one trying to do it, "If anything, it's thanks to you that Dawn and I are even standing here. You came back when we needed you, and you saved Cresselia again. So don't go blaming yourself for everything."
She folded her arms, "And besides, this just means we need to be better too."
Dawn nodded, "And it's only a Contest. There will be more."
For a few seconds, Ash simply stared at them. Then he snorted, "Heh. Look at you two. Getting all wise and mature on me."
Dawn giggled, "Hey! We're allowed to be wise sometimes!" she said, still wiping the wetness from her cheeks.
"Yeah," Verity added, "Especially when you need it."
Ash chuckled, finally giving them a genuine smile, "Alright, alright. I get it."
He glanced back at Cresselia, then at the two girls, "Still, are you sure?"
"Yeah. Besides..." Dawn said, sitting down right next to Ash as she took hold of his arm and hugged it, "I'd rather be right here with you guys, taking care of Cresselia, than at some Contest any day."
"Same here, though I could use a nap after all of this," Verity said, sitting right next to Ash on his other side.
Ash let a small smile form on his face, "You guys are unbelievable." But he didn't even try to push them away, not that they would let him.
Then Verity suddenly blinked, "Oh right, what happened with Hunter J, by the way?"
Ash waved his hand, "Oh, Slaking is taking care of it."
—
{Cut to Slaking}
Hunter J slowly opened her eyes and felt a heavy weight over her. She looked around and saw all of her Pokémon were on top of her, all knocked out.
She tried to push herself up, but she couldn't. That's when she heard a snore. She turned her head and saw Ash's Slaking using all of their bodies like a pillow and napping. And no matter how much they struggled, they weren't getting out.