For Kashiwagi, the greatest benefit of meeting Dawn was gaining a practice partner who was effectively on par with a Gym Leader.
Dawn was clearly accustomed to the role of a collaborator. Even without being asked, she would enthusiastically offer her help as a sparring partner.
Of course, sparring couldn't be a one-way street. Kashiwagi felt bad about constantly troubling a young maiden, so he compensated her by whipping up a variety of delicious meals.
Over time, Dawn seemed to genuinely enjoy the arrangement.
The only issue was that she struggled to get up early. Due to the nature of her hair, it tended to have a mind of its own—every morning, she woke up with a frizzy, explosive mess that required significant time to style.
This allowed Kashiwagi to witness the legendary, "special-effects-free" bedhead. To be honest, with that "explosion" style, Dawn looked like a rather adorable cave-dweller.
...
Days passed. During this time, the primary focus of their training remained transforming Ice Punch from a contact move into a projectile.
Progress was slow, perhaps because Mawile lacked experience in long-range combat; she was a Pokémon who could even turn Fairy Wind into a semi-contact move, so projecting ice energy was a bit of a stretch.
However, failing to master the ranged Ice Punch didn't mean they walked away empty-handed. Mawile learned a move Kashiwagi hadn't even considered: Icy Wind.
It started when Mawile was practicing her dance inside an ice cave created by Buneary. The setting allowed her to feel the summer coolness while sensing the flow of ice-type energy.
Unexpectedly, when she fanned herself with her two plastic practice fans, she produced a shimmering, chilly breeze mixed with snow.
Kashiwagi suspected this was a result of Mawile's deep understanding of manipulating the wind. Since the ranged Ice Punch wasn't working out, they decided to pivot to this new move for the performance.
In terms of visual appeal, Icy Wind was actually superior to a projected punch, and it paired perfectly with her fans.
"Plans can't keep up with changes..."
Kashiwagi realized that in Pokémon training, things don't always go according to script. However, he wouldn't give up on the projectile Ice Punch; the ability to release a physical attack at range had immense tactical value in battle.
Even if they didn't use it for the Contest, they would keep working on it.
On the other side, Dawn was initially worried when she heard he was changing the move for the performance. But once she saw Mawile execute it, she was speechless with admiration.
As for Piplup, after the visual shock of the previous night's training, he had intended to withdraw from the world of romance forever.
But after seeing Mawile's new routine... he lost his resolve instantly.
"Pip-lup~"
He stared tearfully at the sky. In his mind, the image of the goddess pummeling Mamoswine and the image of her dancing gracefully overlapped and separated.
Eventually, the violent image was discarded, and the dancing one remained.
Thus, Mawile—who thought Piplup had finally "recovered"—saw him in this state again and felt even more pity for him, assuming his "illness" had relapsed.
Aside from move progression, Kashiwagi was paying close attention to Deino. The little dragon, who had been fighting every single day, had become restless.
A recent standard simulation had granted it two levels, pushing it into a specific developmental stage.
Simply put, it was hyperactive. Not only did it "remodel" the hotel by chewing up a sofa—a first for the team—but it also became hot-headed during training, often needing two commands before it would stop.
And at night... it wouldn't sleep. It spent the hours tossing and turning in Kashiwagi's bed like it had a bad case of the jitters, crawling from his left side to his right and back again.
A check-up at the Pokémon Center yielded no medical issues. Nurse Joy informed him with a smile,,,
"It's perfectly normal for young Pokémon to undergo sudden changes during growth. It's like humans moving from childhood to adolescence; they experience physical and mental growth spurts. During this period, the most likely event is..."
"Evolution," she told him.
"It likely won't be long before it gets a new look. Evolution is a very natural thing. However, you must take good care of it afterward; some Pokémon find their new bodies very difficult to get used to."
"Thank you..." Kashiwagi thanked her and looked back at the confused Deino.
Evolution was a foreign concept to the little dragon. When it joined the team, Aggron was already an Aggron, and Chansey had remained a Chansey. But this seemed like something to be happy about.
In Deino's small head, evolution was linked to getting stronger. It desperately wanted to be someone Kashiwagi could rely on, just like the "Big Brother" of the team, Aggron.
Whenever Aggron stepped onto the field, Deino noticed that his Trainer's breathing would instantly become steady—as if victory were guaranteed just by Aggron's presence.
Deino was incredibly envious. It craved that same level of trust. Its pride as a Dragon-type demanded it. Enter the field, and win. No other outcome.
The desire to be a trusted partner outweighed any fear of change.
As Professor Rowan once said:
"The start of evolution often stems from a strong bond with humans, or the Pokémon's own fervent desire to become powerful."
Deino had plenty of both.
...
...
The sea breeze blew, and waves rolled in. Finally, the day of the Slateport City Contest arrived.
Kashiwagi woke up early, prepared breakfast, and went upstairs to get Dawn. When Piplup opened the door, he found Dawn wearing a sky-blue dress, twirling in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Ta-da! How do I look? Is it cute? Is it pretty?" Dawn turned around and smiled, holding her skirt.
Kashiwagi nodded. "It's very pretty. But aren't you worried about it wrinkling if you put it on before we even get to the venue?"
"No need to worry!" Miss "No Problem" replied cheerfully.
"Alright, but come down and eat breakfast as soon as possible. It'll be a pain if we have to wait in a long line to register." He gave Piplup a meaningful look and headed back downstairs.
"Pip-lup!"
Piplup looked solemn. He resolutely took on the heavy responsibility of rushing his Trainer.
He knew all too well that Dawn could be airheaded and had little concept of time; if left to her own devices, she'd almost certainly be late.
This was a job for a reliable penguin!
Half an hour later, Kashiwagi came back up to check on them, only to find Piplup fast asleep on the sofa...
"..."
He didn't even know what to say.
"..."
Fortunately, they had both woken up early. By the time they finished breakfast and reached the venue, the lines weren't long, and the contestants were scattered about the area.
"Registration complete," Kashiwagi said, taking his pass from the receptionist.
"There's still some time before the start. Should we go back and do some last-minute practice, or walk around?"
"Walk around, of course! It's almost time for the show—don't put so much pressure on yourself and the Pokémon!" Dawn replied with a giggle.