A Champions Beginning

The Adventure Continues!

"Ash!" a voice called out as the four friends walked into the contest hall in Hearthome City.

"Huh?" Ash spun around at his name, and came face to face with Dawn and Paul.

"Dawn! Paul!" Ash exclaimed.

"Hey! And hey to you guys too!" Dawn greeted Ash and the others, "Are you guys here for the contest?"

"Yeah!" Ash replied, "Serena's gonna win it!"

"Not if I do first!" Dawn grinned, turning to Serena, "Well, let's both do our best alright?"

"You bet!" Serena exclaimed, grinning at the girl.

"Paul!" Ash called to the boy as he left with Dawn. "Let's have a battle later!"

Paul simply grunted and turned to leave with Dawn, who slapped his arm lightly, "Sure."

"Awesome!"

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"Braixen!" Serena jumped into action as the appeal round began, "Let's go!"

Braixen cartwheeled around the stage, pillars of fire shooting up as she did. 

"Sylveon!" Serena exclaimed a moment later and the fairy type shot out a Fairy Wind that lifted the girl into the air; Braixen following shortly after.

Cheers erupted from the room as they finished, and when Serena walked backstage she was met by Dawn.

"That was amazing!" the blue haired girl exclaimed, "You're pokemon are so cute!"

A little while later, it was announced that both Dawn and Serena had passed into the next round. And that they were facing each other.

"Flamethrower!" Serena commanded.

"Focus Punch!" Dawn exclaimed, and Ambipom shot off into action.

Braixen shot flames out at the normal type, and Dawns points went down as the practically sparkling flames hit Ambipom.

"Now! Use Fire Blast!"

"Swift!"

The moves met and both trainers points went down as they exploded into sparkles in the sky. Serena called for another Fire Blast, and the attack landed on Ambipom as her Swift hit the fire type.

Dawns points went down once more, and by a small margin; Serena won!

"That was awesome Serena!" the girl could hear Ash's voice from the front of the crowd as he grinned up at her.

"It was," Dawn told her as they walked off stage, "You were fantastic!"

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Not long after that, Serena won her first contest and it came time for Ash and Paul's battle. They each took a side of the battlefield.

"Serena." Ash walked up to the girl, "Can you watch over the egg for me while I battle?"

Ash held out the egg he had been keeping close all day.

"S-sure." Serena held the egg in her hand.

"Alright," Paul took his side, "Ursaring! Stand by for battle!"

"Greninja! Let's go!" Ash called out his trusted water and dark type.

"Battle begin!" Clemont swung his arm through the air as the battle commenced.

"Hammer Arm!"

"Aerial Ace!"

Ursaring slammed down his glowing arm at Greninja, only for it to be kicked away by the other pokemons glowing foot. Then came Greninja's fist into the normal types face. 

"Slash!"

"Cut!"

The glowing claws met the white blade in the air, but Ursaring managed to force Greninja back a ways. Greninja followed through with a Double Team and a Water Shuriken. The attack slammed into Ursaring, causing him to grunt in pain.

"Hold in there." Paul said to his pokemon, much to Ash's surprise, "Now use Hammer Arm again!"

"Dodge and use Aerial Ace!" Ash exclaimed, grinning at his old rival, "Then follow that with Cut!"

The Hammer Arm hit the ground, but what surprised Ash was the force from it throwing Greninja back a ways; interrupting the attacks.

"Looks like we need to get stronger Greninja!" Ash exclaimed, and on the bench off to the side both Serena and Bonnie grinned, "Alright then! We gotta get stronger! Stronger! And stronger! Let's go!"

Ash and Greninja moved in sync as they pumped their fists, water enveloped Greninja and was quickly sucked into a Water Shuriken on his back.

"Woah..." Dawn gasped quietly.

Paul had a look of disbelief on his face, and Ash and Greninja capitalized. Greninja shot off at Ursaring, Cut forming in his hands as both he and Ash slammed them into Ursaring.

Paul shook his head quickly, "Focus Blast!"

The attack charged up quickly, and Ursaring shot it off at Greninja.

"Greninja!" Ash exclaimed, and they moved their hands to their backs; drawing the large Water Shuriken, "Let's go!"

The attack met the Water Shuriken, smoke shot up and then a blur of blue slammed into the normal type. Blurs of white spun around as Aerial Ace slammed into Ursaring, sending it into the air before slamming it to the ground.

"Let's finish it with one last Water Shuriken!" they hurled they attack at the normal type, a small crater forming at the impact. 

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"I still can't believe you can do something like that." Paul said quietly as they all ate dinner together, "It was a great battle."

"Thanks Paul!" Ash grinned, "I was really surprised by what you said to Ursaring.

"Hold in there..."

"It gets better." Dawn spoke up, turning from her conversation with Serena, "Pauly, show them the thing! I taught him a new trick!"

"No."

"Pleeaase~" 

"Fine." Paul turned the corners of his mouth up, a smile that would scare a psychopath forming on his face. Everyone started to laugh and the usually grumpy teenager chuckled along with them.

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"Well, good luck you guys!" Dawn told them as they waved goodbye.

Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all walked towards the next city; grins on their faces. Ash held the egg in his arms, smiling softly at it as he spoke up to the others.

"Well." he began, "I suppose The Adventure Continues!"