I left my pokemon with the nurse and glanced around, wondering where Kailani was. She left the stage before I could even shake her hand and I hoped that she wasn't feeling too sad. I had lost so many times at this stage of a Grand Festival that I had a good idea of what she was feeling right now and even though I knew she disliked me, I wished I could do something for her.

Sighing slightly I thanked the nurse when she came back with my Pokeballs after a few minutes and returned to the prep tent, not surprised when I didn't see Kailani there either. I took one of the many empty seats in front of the main TV showing Traavi and Leia's battle. Traavi had chosen his Marowak and Vikavolt for the battle, while Leia had gone with an Emolga and her Espeon. I watched their battle with interest and was slightly jealous of the way that Espeon was able to use Psychic to control some of the electric attacks, but it soon became obvious that Traavi was more seasoned in battle. He knocked out Espeon fairly easily and he eventually won because of points, but if the battle had dragged on anymore I was fairly certain he would have beaten Leia's Emolga as well.

"And our second finalist has been determined! Will Dawn please join us on the stage so the theme for the final battle can be announced?" 

Surprised that the workers hadn't come in to get me I stood up and hurried out to the stage. I blinked in surprise when a large cheer burst from the crowd when I began walking up the steps and I waved happily at them all. I tried not to stare too much at Paul, but now that I knew where he was sitting it was almost impossible not to look at him. I took my spot on Keanu's left and smiled when she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze.

"We have had so much fun watching you two perform and battle today. Now we are going to have the pleasure of seeing you battle each other! Professor Kukui, will you do the honor of telling us the theme for our final battle?" 

I looked down at the judges' table and smiled when I saw the young professor stand up with a huge grin on his face.

"This next battle's theme will be 'The Sky is the Limit' and the type theme will be flying. I'm excited to see the amazing moves you will show us, yeah!" he said expressively and I couldn't help but giggle slightly at his enthusiasm. 

Looking over Keanu's head I saw that Traavi was regarding me steadily. I allowed myself to give him a challenging look, which surprisingly made him smile.

"The battles will start in five minutes to allow Traavi time to prepare his pokemon. Good luck to you both!" Keanu said into her microphone. 

Traavi stepped over and offered his hand to me. I shook it with a smile and he grinned before letting go and leaving the stage to the right. I left the stage as well but I had already healed the pokemon I was going to use so I walked around the stage and took a few minutes to come up with a strategy for dealing with Traavi. To be honest I was a little nervous since I was pretty sure I knew which pokemon Traavi was going to use and he had obviously done a lot of training with both of them.

No need to worry, Dawn. Just be calm and strategic like Paul taught you and you'll be fine, I told myself firmly. 

The five minutes passed quicker than I could believe and I was once again walking up the steps to the stage. I took my spot that had been painted onto the stage and looked over at Traavi on the opposite side.

"Good luck," he said with a confident smirk and I placed a hand on my hip in a sassy gesture and quirked an eyebrow at him.

"You too," I replied with a slightly teasing grin and he smiled broadly.

Just as I had thought, he released his Braviary and Talonflame and I immediately released Oricorio and Piplup. I had to laugh a little because it looked like this was going to be a David vs Goliath type battle, but I was confident in my pokemon's abilities.

I won't lose to anyone until I go up against Paul, I reminded myself and as the crowd once again counted us down to the start of the battle I smiled confidently down at my pokemon. Piplup, even though he was small and cuddly, looked ready for a fight and had a determined glint in his eyes as he looked back at me. Oricorio only glanced back briefly, her expression filled with her normal superiority, but I noticed that there was a competitive spark in her black eyes.

"START!" The crowd roared and I looked over to Traavi who grinned wolfishly.

"Double Tailwind!" he said, his voice being amplified by the small microphone taped to his cheek, just like my own. 

Before I could even speak his two pokemon shot up and began beating their wings together, perfectly in sync, and a massive gale of wind blew towards our side of the stage. I could feel my flowy skirt and faux sleeves flapping in the wind like crazy and I gritted my teeth as I saw Oricorio and Piplup desperately trying to stay on their feet.

"Oricorio, Mirror Move!" I yelled over the wind.

Oricorio flew up and began frantically flapping her wings towards the two bigger flying types. After a moment I felt a shift in the wind as she created her own opposing tailwind. The two gusts of wind pushed against each other and an almost imperceptible funnel of wind where the two moves were colliding began to form and gave me an idea.

"Use Hurricane, Oricorio!" I called while dropping my arms which I had been holding up to protect my eyes from the power of the tailwind. 

Oricorio instantly stopped flapping and held her wings out proudly as she dropped a few feet in the air. I watched as she gathered the power necessary and then slammed her wings down, releasing a Hurricane into the center of the two conflicting tailwinds. The moves strengthened the Hurricane and it grew enormous as it moved towards Traavi's side of the stage. I watched as Braviary got sucked into the whirling funnel of wind, but Talonflame had used Flame Charge to escape its destructive path.

"Brave Bird, Talonflame!" Traavi called out and instantly the large bird of prey began glowing blue as he streamed down towards Piplup, who was shaking his head from the sudden absence of wind buffeting him.

"Wait," I instructed. Piplup crouched, trusting me completely as Talonflame raced towards him.

"Surf, now!" I yelled. 

Piplup raised his flippers and a massive wave shot up from under him. Talonflame was too late to change his trajectory and he was swallowed by the wave, flopping around a few times before it subsided and deposited him on the ground.

"Piplup use Drill Peck on Talonflame and Oricorio, fly up and use Air Slash on Braviary." 

The Hurricane had subsided and Braviary was shaking his head roughly on the opposite side of the stage. Piplup leaped towards Talonflame, his beak elongated and spinning rapidly, but Talonflame recovered quickly and shot up into the air, easily dodging my landlocked Piplup. As Oricorio made her way towards Braviary he also recovered from his dizziness and flew up to meet her with an Air Slash of his own on Traavi's order. The two moves collided, canceling each other out and I was grateful that Braviary didn't have a high special attack stat.

"Talonflame, use Flame Charge on Oricorio. Braviary use Sky Drop on Piplup!"

Thinking quickly I swallowed and hoped that what I was about to do wasn't a terrible idea.

"Oricorio, use Mirror Move and dodge, Piplup stay still and let him take you," I said firmly. 

Piplup looked back and nodded at me and I felt grateful that he trusted I had a plan. As Braviary swooped down and snatched my little Piplup into his talons and made his way up into the air, Oricorio watched Talonflame coming towards her. After a moment she too burst into a Flame Charge and spun gracefully underneath Talonflames belly, avoiding his attack beautifully. Talonflame backpedaled midair to try and chase after his prey just as Braviary roughly threw Piplup towards the ground.

"Piplup, use Hydro Pump on Talonflame! Oricorio, catch Piplup!" 

Even while falling through the sky Piplup was able to aim himself and shoot a giant jet of water towards Talonflame as he tried to catch up with Oricorio. The super-effective move slammed into him, instantly dousing the fire surrounding him from Flame Charge. I watched as Talonflame fell from the sky, without trying to catch himself, and crashed to the ground. 

Oricorio let the flames from her copied move fade as she swooped over and gripped her small talons around Piplup's flailing flippers as he continued to fall. But before they could get back to the ground Braviary shot an Air Slash attack at them. They tumbled the last few feet to the ground and rolled around for a few seconds before getting back to their feet, wincing.

"Sky Attack, Braviary!" Traavi called, looking at his fainted Talonflame with a surprised expression. 

Braviary's body began to glow yellow as he flipped in the air and began a sharp dive. It looked like he was going to faceplant into the ground, but with only inches to spare he straightened and shot towards Oricorio and Piplup.

"Oricorio, use Air Slash to slow him down, and Piplup use Ice Beam as soon as you have a clear shot." 

Oricorio flew up above Piplup's head and began to shoot Air Slashes towards the fast approaching Braviary. He hardly seemed to feel the attack, but he did slow down slightly. Just as Piplup was about to create an Ice Beam I glanced up at the jumbo screen above us and a feeling of absolute horror ripped through me when I saw the point columns.

"Piplup, don...!" 

Before I could take back the command though Piplup had fired a powerful Ice Beam directly at Braviary. The move connected. Braviary lost control of his trajectory and crashed into the ground, rolling several times before coming to a crumpled stop only a foot away from Piplup.

"Get up. Oh, please get up," I whispered desperately.

But it was not to be. Braviary stayed down and all of my strength fled from my legs, causing me to drop to my knees in disbelief and shame. The loud "Ding" sound rang out, signaling the end of the match and I felt tears begin to pool in my eyes. I didn't need to look again to know that Traavi had ended the match with 95 points and I was five points behind him. Shame-filled tears dripped down my cheeks and I raised an arm to hide my eyes as I called myself every version of idiot that I could think of. How could I have forgotten that this wasn't a contest battle?! I hadn't even looked at the points until it was too late.

"Piplup..." 

Sniffling I wiped my eyes quickly and tried to force a smile as Piplup looked up at me with his own eyes brimming with tears. My heart broke at the sight and I reached out and grabbed him to me.

"No, Piplup. It was my fault. I wasn't paying attention. I am so sorry." 

A fluttering sound made me look up and I saw Oricorio looking at me with regret. Again I tried to smile as I reached out and ran my knuckle against her cheek.

"You both were absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for your hard work," I said while blinking rapidly to try and keep myself from crying anymore.

"Dawn." 

Continuing to blink I looked up slowly and smiled sadly up at Traavi, but I was shocked when his face filled with guilt as he looked down at me.

"I'm so sorry, Dawn. No one wants to win like this," he said as he gestured weakly up at the jumbo screen. I looked up at him for a few seconds and then slowly my shame and frustration were overtaken by acceptance and I smiled sincerely up at him.

"Don't be silly, Traavi. You followed the theme better than I did, you deserve to win," I said sincerely and he frowned.

"But you..."

"No," I interrupted firmly, letting go of Piplup and gently brushing away his tears before I stood up and faced Traavi. After only a second's hesitation, I held out a hand and smiled at him. "That was a great battle, Traavi. Congratulations."

Traavi looked down at my extended hand and then to my shock he closed the distance between us and in front of the entire cheering crowd, he gathered me into his arms and held me against his bare chest. Not knowing what to do I held my arms out awkwardly for a few seconds without touching him but then, jerkily, I slowly returned his hug, tapping his back twice briefly before quickly lowering my arms and attempting to move out from his embrace. He held onto me for a few more seconds though but he did eventually let me go. I immediately took a step away from him, smiling at him awkwardly and trying to ignore the heated expression he was giving me.

"What an amazing final battle that was!!" Keanu called happily into her microphone as she came onto the stage and walked over to us. "Let's give one last cheer for our runner-up, Dawn, and all of her wonderful pokemon!" 

Turning away from Traavi I looked out at the crowd and waved as everyone cheered loudly, many of them calling out my name, but I couldn't bring myself to look at the part of the stage where Paul and my friends were. After a final curtsy, I returned Piplup and Oricorio and left the stage behind me.

I wasn't surprised to see the prep area completely empty when I got back and I changed as quickly as I could, not wanting to be here when Traavi came back to get his things. Thinking back on my battle with Traavi was too painful for now so I tried not to think as I quickly packed up my things and stepped out of the prep tent without bothering to remove my makeup. When I stepped out of the room I hesitated as I tried to decide what I should do. The thought of falling into Serena's sympathetic arms was tempting, but Paul was sitting with her and I didn't want to go back to the crowd. 

What will Paul think? I wondered unhappily, gripping the straps of my backpack and telling myself not to cry.

"Excuse me, Miss Dawn?" 

Swiftly wiping a hand under my eyes to remove any stray tears I turned to see a skinny man with close-cut blonde hair, a curling goatee, and huge yellow protective goggles of some kind. Glancing at his clothes I recognized the white lab coat that a few of the aether foundation employees wore and I nodded uncertainly.

"Yes, that's me," I replied quietly and he walked over to me with an amused smile.

"I am so glad I was able to catch you. I wanted to tell you that I think you should have won that battle. The judges must be crazy to think that young man did better than you," he said with an arrogant tone and I felt my eyes scrunching up as I wondered how I was supposed to respond to that.

"Thank you, but Traavi did use more flying type moves than I did. He deserved to win," I countered, and I was glad when it didn't feel like a lie. I knew that I messed up and I was glad that I wasn't secretly harboring any anger toward Traavi. 

The man tsked though and reached out to pat my shoulder consolingly. Weird goosebumps erupted on my arms at the unexpected and unwanted touch.

"That is very noble of you to say, my dear, but if I had been a judge then you would have won by a landslide. True beauty, both in appearance and from the power you wield with your pokemon, should be rewarded," the man said with a look that bordered on a leer and I hesitantly took a step back.

"Umm. Thank you, Mr..."

"Faba. I am the Chief of Operations here at the Aether Foundation and I was instrumental in bringing the Luau Showdown Tournament to Aether Paradise this year," Faba said with a self-important tone and I bowed slightly to him, taking another step back.

"Thank you very much for your help with the tournament and your kind words, Mr. Faba. If you'll excuse me now," I said awkwardly and flinched as his gloved hand reached out and clasped onto my arm.

"Oh no no, don't leave yet! Let me treat you to a personal tour of the Aether Paradise. Being the Chief of Operations means I have access to even the most classified sections of the island," Mr. Faba said with a broad smile as he twisted his goatee with his other gloved hand. Swallowing quickly I shook my head.

"A-actually I was going to go find my friends..." I started to say when Mr. Faba's hand was suddenly yanked off my arm. My heart leaped into my throat as a familiar body planted itself directly between me and Mr. Faba.

"What are you doing?" Paul's voice was hard and gravelly as he stood in between Mr. Faba and me and it took every single ounce of self-control I had to not press myself against his back.

"I was offering the young lady a tour of the island. Now unhand me," he demanded, yanking his arm out of Paul's grip. 

I took a breath before taking a single step to the side so that I was still mostly behind Paul but I could look at Mr. Faba.

"Thank you for the kind offer Mr. Faba, but I have people waiting for me," I said politely.

I froze when his eyes slid past Paul and locked onto me. His eyes traveled up and down me and I shivered, taking a small step back to hide a little more fully behind Paul.

"She said no, so you can go now," Paul said roughly while folding his arms. As I looked up at him I could see his eyes were glittering dangerously. Mr. Faba raised himself to his full height, which couldn't have been more than 6', and gave a carefree laugh.

"But of course. If the lady has plans then I wouldn't want to encroach. But if you ever want a tour just ask for Chief of Operations Faba and I will come running," he said, looking over at me and giving me a large, arrogant smile. I nodded jerkily and watched from my protected spot behind Paul as he turned and walked down the hall that led further into the building.

When he turned a corner and was lost from sight I let out a shaky breath and leaned my forehead against Paul's shoulder slightly. He immediately moved away from me and fear coursed through me as I thought that he was going to leave, but to my shock, he turned to face me. He reached for the arm that Mr. Faba gripped, holding it gently in his large hands as he checked for any visible injury before he met my eyes and the depth of concern in them warmed me from my toes to my ears.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked quietly and I shook my head.

"No, he was just making me feel uncomfortable. Thank you for stepping in like that," I said sincerely. He let go of my arm and took a baby step back from me.

"You always seem to get yourself into trouble," he remarked softly and I grimaced slightly but then glanced up at him, uncertainty beginning to rise up in me.

"I... Are you disappointed?" I asked quietly and his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"About what? That you can't stay out of trouble?" he asked and I shook my head.

"No... about me losing to Traavi," I said, a small portion of the shame I had felt when I realized my mistake on the battle stage coming back. 

An incredulous snort came from Paul and I blinked and looked up at him in surprise as he looked at me with disbelief.

"Are you serious?" he asked and I furrowed my brow, not understanding what his reaction meant. Paul chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"Dawn. You just beat two fully evolved and incredibly well-trained pokemon almost single-handedly with your unevolved Piplup. I think we both know who the real winner of that battle was."

Surprise and delight rushed through me at Paul's approving smile. Before I could stop myself I stepped forward and hugged him, burying my eyes into his chest and allowing myself to let go of my disappointment and shame.

Paul was proud of me. He didn't think I was a failure because I hadn't become the Tournament Star. My body relaxed as I felt Paul slowly wrap one arm around my shoulders and he patted the back of my head with his other hand. We stood there for a long time. I was amazed that he hadn't let me go yet, but I wanted to talk to him, so reluctantly I pulled back and he immediately removed his arms and stuck his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Did you enjoy my dances?" I asked and he nodded slowly.

"I was impressed with the number of moves your pokemon have mastered," he admitted and a rush of happiness went through me at his compliment.

"Did I... make you uncomfortable?" I asked hesitantly, rubbing a hand against my arm and I was surprised when he met my eyes steadily.

"Were you trying to?" he asked without emotion and I quickly shook my head.

"NO!" I denied firmly but then my shoulders slumped. "But you said you weren't going to talk to me so I... wanted to try and speak to you through the lyrics," I explained quietly and Paul let out a long breath through his nose.

"I heard you," he said, almost inaudibly. I blinked up at him, sadness descending over me as I looked into his calm eyes. "We agreed to separate until the pokemon league though. You know I can't stay."

Sighing deeply I nodded and tried to keep my disappointment from showing. The fact that he had stepped in between Mr. Faba and me showed that he still cared for me and he had stayed to talk with me even after he was sure I was okay, I shouldn't have expected anything more.

"What are your plans after this then?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light and he shrugged.

"Training for the pokemon league," he answered and I glanced at his belt, noticing that he was now carrying six pokemon.

"Did you catch a new pokemon?" I asked with interest and he nodded.

"Reggie traded me a Kingdra," he said and my eyes widened.

"Wow! Isn't that a really powerful pokemon?" I asked and he nodded again but didn't expound.

A scuffling sound came from behind me and I glanced behind me to see a few people walking down the hall to the elevators that would take them down to the ferries. Turning back to face Paul I saw him looking over my head at the people walking by and I knew that he was going to be leaving me again.

"Thank you for coming," I said sincerely.

He slowly lowered his gaze so that he was looking into my eyes and I found myself searching for the purple flecks in his predominantly black eyes.

"Stay away from weird men," he said and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'll just release Arcanine if someone bothers me again," I quipped and Paul nodded, looking serious.

"It's okay to fall for someone who will take care of you, though." 

Anger boiled in me as I glared up at Paul and contemplated slapping him.

"Don't say that, Paul. You know I love you and I'm not looking for anyone else," I said firmly and Paul ran a hand through his bangs, which had gotten a little longer.

"But you will after I beat you, right?" he prodded, his voice sounded a little strangled and I folded my arms.

"IF I lose then I will keep my promise," I replied with exasperation before I took a small step closer to him and waited for him to meet my eyes. "But WHEN I win, then you will keep your promise and let me stay with you unless I choose to leave. Right?" 

Paul met my gaze for several long seconds and to my shock, his eyes softened. Tenderly he reached up and brushed my cheek with the knuckles of his right hand.

"It's a promise," he whispered and a thrill of excitement and love went through me as I looked into his gentle expression that I knew was only for me. 

Before I lost my head and kissed him again though he pulled away and began walking down the hallway towards the steadily increasing stream of people.

"I'll see you in March," he called over his shoulder.

Tears of relief and hope began to escape my eyes as I watched him walk away and disappear with the crowd.

A/N Question. For the pokemon league, I was planning on having Paul bring in a few of his old pokemon from other regions during battles, although he will be using his alolan pokemon for his battle against Dawn... but do you think I should bring back some of Dawn's other pokemon? To be honest, I've gotten so attached to her current six pokemon I don't even want to bring any of her old ones back, but if any of you have been dying to see some of her previous pokemon then I wouldn't mind bringing them back for a battle or two :)