Dawn stared at Kenny from across the arena, her heart pounding in her chest. Memories of the battle, the pressure, and the embarrassment of her ruined hair started to fade, replaced by the warmth of his voice. He had always been her anchor, whether they were sparring in contests or sharing awkward moments back in Twinleaf Town.

Kenny stepped forward, his princely attire catching the sunlight, making him look far more regal than she ever thought possible. He cupped his hands around his mouth again and shouted, "Come on, Dee-Dee! You’ve faced way tougher than this! You’re the queen of the stage—show them why!"

Dawn blinked, her lips twitching into a small smile. "Kenny..." she whispered to herself. She straightened up, brushing the dust off her skirt, and adjusted her ribbon. Her confidence began to return, and the crowd erupted in cheers as she stepped back into the center of the arena.

Her opponent, a smug-looking trainer with a Lopunny, smirked. “Done with your little breakdown? Or should I just finish this now?”

Dawn narrowed her eyes. "Don’t count me out just yet." She glanced at her Piplup, who was standing ready by her side, determination gleaming in his eyes. “Piplup, you ready to show them what we’re made of?”

“Pip-PIPLUP!” it cried, pounding its chest confidently.

Kenny grinned from the stands, his fists clenched. "That’s it, Dawn! That’s the girl I know!"

Dawn stole one last glance at Kenny, her face flushing slightly as she muttered, “Thanks, Kenny.”

The battle resumed with a burst of energy. The Lopunny darted forward, aiming a dizzying Bounce attack. “Dodge it, Piplup!” Dawn commanded, and her partner leaped gracefully to the side. “Now, counter with Bubble Beam!”

Piplup unleashed a flurry of shimmering bubbles, their iridescent glow dazzling the crowd. Lopunny’s trainer called out a desperate “Deflect it with Ice Beam!” but the attack was too fast. The bubbles exploded on impact, sending the Lopunny skidding backward.

From the sidelines, Kenny was practically jumping out of his seat. “That’s it, Dawn! Keep it up!”

Dawn couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm. “Alright, Piplup, let’s finish this! Whirlpool—go!”

A massive spiral of water enveloped the field, trapping the Lopunny. The crowd held their breath as the swirling vortex intensified, and with one final push, Piplup sent the water crashing down, leaving the Lopunny unable to battle.

The referee raised a hand. “Lopunny is unable to battle! The winner is Dawn!”

The arena erupted into applause, and Dawn’s heart swelled with pride as she and Piplup celebrated. But as she looked up into the stands, her eyes immediately found Kenny. He was clapping wildly, his grin so wide it looked like his face might split in two.

Dawn felt her cheeks heat up again as she waved at him. “Thanks, Kenny,” she called.

He waved back, his voice ringing clear above the noise. “I knew you had it in you, Dee-Dee!”

She groaned, though the smile never left her face. “Stop calling me that!”

But deep down, she didn’t really mind—not when it came from him.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Dawn stood at the center of the stage, clutching her newly won ribbon. Her smile was radiant, her confidence restored after the intense battle. The announcer handed her the ribbon, proclaiming her victory with enthusiasm. Dawn held it high, letting the light catch the glimmering edges.

Kenny was at the base of the stage, his chest puffed with pride as he watched her. "That’s my girl!" he yelled, clapping as loudly as he could.

Dawn turned, her eyes immediately finding Kenny’s in the crowd. The sight of him standing there, beaming with pride, made her heart skip a beat. Without a second thought, she bolted off the stage, leaping into his arms.

"Kenny!" she cried, laughing as he caught her with ease.

He stumbled slightly under her momentum but recovered quickly, spinning her around as the crowd cheered even louder. "You were amazing, Dawn!" he said, his voice full of admiration. "I knew you could do it!"

Dawn hugged him tightly, the ribbon still clutched in her hand. "I couldn’t have done it without you, you know," she said, her voice soft enough that only he could hear.

He stopped spinning and set her down gently, his hands resting on her shoulders as he looked at her. "Nah," he said, shaking his head. "You had it in you all along. You just needed a little push." He smirked. "And maybe a reminder that you’re a diamond, not a disaster."

Dawn laughed, lightly punching his arm. "You’re such a dork."

"But I’m your dork," Kenny replied, grinning.

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. “Yeah, you are.” She held up the ribbon between them. "And this? This one’s for you, too."

He raised an eyebrow. “For me?”

“For believing in me when I didn’t,” she said, her voice sincere.

Kenny scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing. “Well, I… uh…”

Before he could come up with a response, Piplup waddled over, chirping excitedly and pointing at the ribbon. Dawn laughed and knelt down, holding it out so Piplup could admire it. “Alright, Piplup, you earned this too!”

Kenny crouched beside her, patting Piplup’s head. “Nice job, buddy. You and Dawn make an unbeatable team.”

As they stood back up, Dawn slipped her hand into Kenny’s without thinking. He glanced at her, surprised but smiling, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Together, they turned to face the roaring crowd, their fingers intertwined, and Dawn felt like nothing could bring her down.

😭😭😭😭😭