Kenny held Dawn close, letting her sob into his shoulder as he gently stroked her back. Her tears soaked through his shirt, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was helping her let go of the pain and frustration she had been carrying.

“It’s okay, Dee-Dee,” he whispered, using the old nickname he knew would irritate her just enough to distract her from her spiraling thoughts. “You’ve got this. You always bounce back.”

Dawn sniffled, pulling back slightly to glare at him through her tears. “You know I hate that name.”

Kenny smirked. “Exactly why I said it. You’re mad now, aren’t you? That’s better than sad.”

She gave a half-hearted shove to his chest, her lips twitching upward in the faintest of smiles. “You’re such a jerk.”

“Maybe,” Kenny said, grinning. “But I’m your jerk, and I’m not leaving until you’re back to your usual stubborn self.”

Dawn wiped her eyes, her breath hitching. “I just… I don’t understand, Kenny. I worked so hard. Amipom worked so hard. And we still failed.”

Kenny’s expression softened. He tilted her chin up again, making sure she was looking into his eyes. “Dawn, listen to me. Losing doesn’t mean you failed. It means you have room to grow. Every great coordinator—every great trainer—loses sometimes. It’s part of the journey.”

“But I feel like I’m letting everyone down,” she whispered. “Mom, Amipom, you…”

“Hey.” Kenny’s voice was firm. “You’re not letting anyone down. Especially not me. I’m proud of you, Dawn. You’re the hardest-working person I know. And I believe in you, even if you don’t believe in yourself right now.”

Her eyes filled with tears again, but this time, they weren’t from sadness. “Kenny…”

“Shh,” he said, pulling her into another hug. “Cry it out. Get it all out. And then we’ll get back to work.”

From the doorway, Ash and Brock continued to watch quietly. Ash frowned, his arms crossed over his chest. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”

Brock nodded, a small smile on his face. “She’s got Kenny. He’s doing exactly what she needs right now. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for someone is just be there.”

Ash scratched his head. “Man, Kenny’s really good at this stuff. I wouldn’t know what to say.”

“That’s why he’s her boyfriend,” Brock said with a chuckle. “You’ve got other strengths, Ash. But emotional support? Yeah, that’s not really your thing.”

“Hey!” Ash protested, but before he could say anything else, Dawn’s voice carried from the room.

“Are you two just going to stand there spying, or are you going to help me train?” she called out, her voice a little stronger now.

Ash and Brock exchanged a glance before stepping into the room. “We weren’t spying!” Ash said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “We were just… checking on you.”

Dawn rolled her eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Sure, whatever you say.”

Kenny stood up, ruffling Dawn’s hair affectionately. “See? There’s the Dawn I know. Ready to get back to work?”

Dawn took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

Ash grinned. “That’s the spirit! Come on, Dawn. Let’s show everyone what you and Amipom are made of!”

The group headed out to the training field, where Dawn called out Amipom. The Pokémon immediately perked up, sensing Dawn’s renewed determination. “Alright, Amipom,” Dawn said, her voice steady. “Let’s work on perfecting that spin we struggled with in the last contest.”

As Dawn and Amipom began their routine, Kenny stood off to the side with Brock and Ash, watching her with a proud smile. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?” he said softly.

Brock nodded. “She’s got heart. And with you by her side, she’s unstoppable.”

Ash folded his arms, grinning. “Dawn’s not the type to give up. She’ll make it to the top, just wait and see.”

Kenny’s smile widened. “Yeah. She will.”