Ash's Last Dance

Santalune City Contest

3rd Person POV

The next day, Ash woke up at about 6:30, which was quite unusual for him. He looked outside, and the sun was just starting to rise as he stepped out of the Pokémon Center.

Ash took in a deep breath of air and looked around. It was quite chilly but not surprising, considering that Kalos was the second most northern region.

"I've gotta say, I'm surprised to see you up," came a voice Ash recognized as Dawn's.

"What the hell, why are you awake right now?" Ash asked, eyebrows raised.

"I always wake up around this time," Dawn replied with a shrug. "So, what's the deal? You're not supposed to get up for another five hours."

Ash chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing special, I've just decided to come outside. It's pretty nice out."

Dawn raised an eyebrow but didn't prod further. "So, what did you find out about the Expos?" Ash asked, changing the subject.

"I actually have no clue. I'm just going to have to figure it out when I get there, I guess," Dawn said with a nervous chuckle.

Ash smiled. That was exactly what he had done when he first challenged Brock at the Pewter City Gym.

"Are you gonna come to the contest today, too?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, I don't have anything else to do," Dawn replied. "Plus, I wanna see how the contests here in Kalos work."

Ash nodded. "It'll be interesting to see the differences."

He looked over near the park and saw May doing her routines with Blaziken and Delcatty. He smiled as he saw Blaziken destroying ice that Delcatty had created, making an icy mist.

"She's good," Dawn said, impressed.

"Yeah, hopefully she can get the ribbon. She was pretty sad when she wasn't able to win the Grand Festival in Hoenn," Ash replied.

They watched as she went through her routines with all her Pokémon. After a bit, the two of them decided to go and say hi. Once they made it there, they were greeted by May, who was taking a break.

"Why are you up so early, Ash?" May asked, wiping sweat from her brow.

Ash facepalmed while Dawn giggled. "Why is that the first thing people say to me when I'm up early?" Ash said with comical tears.

"Well, you almost didn't get a starter because you woke up late," Dawn said with a smile.

May nodded in agreement. "She's got a point, you know."

"Well, everything turned out great. Look at me now!" Ash said with a smirk.

The two girls gave Ash a skeptical look before shaking their heads in amusement.

Ash sighed. The three passed the time talking and training until it was about 8 o'clock. They walked back to the Pokémon Center. The contest was at 9, so they went to get the others and have breakfast.

They made it back to the Pokémon Center and found Clemont, Bonnie, and Max already eating. They quickly grabbed their breakfast and joined them, discussing the upcoming contest as they ate.

Soon, they finished eating and quickly rushed to the contest hall. May went to the coordinators' dressing rooms while Ash and the others went to find seats. Thanks to Dawn's former coordinating career, they didn't have to pay for admission.

"Well, now we wait for another 15 minutes," Ash said with a sigh.

Fifteen minutes later, at exactly 9, the announcer came up onto the stage and introduced the judges as usual. He then began the introduction to the skills showcase part of the competition.

May was set to go seventh, and there were a total of 32 people participating, mostly because the Grand Festival wasn't for another three months.

One by one, six people showcased their combinations. Two of them were good, while the others were alright at best. May came out in the same dress she had worn for the Sinnoh Contest. Even Ash had to admit, she looked good.

May performed the same combination she had been practicing in the morning with Blaziken and Delcatty, pretty much guaranteeing herself a spot in the next round with a score of 28/30.

The crowd applauded May's skill, and a certain green-haired coordinator looked on enviously.

"Nice job, May!" Ash cheered, standing up and waving.

May looked at Ash and smiled. It had been a long time since he had cheered her on. She returned her Pokémon and walked off the stage. When she made it back to the waiting room, she saw Drew waiting for her.

"Nice job out there, May," he complimented, his tone genuine.

"Thanks, Drew," May said with a smile.

"By the way, where were you yesterday? Solidad and I looked for you. We booked a room for you here."

"Oh, I had already booked a room at the Pokémon Center. Plus, Ash and everyone was there, and I wanted to stay for a bit," May replied.

Anger flashed through Drew's eyes for a moment. He quickly shook it off, but the feeling of jealousy was still inside. How dare Ash Ketchum try and steal May from him!?

"Are you okay, Drew?" May asked, noticing his momentary change in expression.

"Uh, yeah, I'm good. Just let us know next time. Oh, it's my turn, I gotta go," Drew said and ran off.

"Good luck!" May called out.

May sat on a bench. She saw Solidad talking to some random coordinators and decided not to intervene to say hi. It would probably come off as rude.

She thought about how boring her travels throughout Johto had been. When she was with Ash, Brock, and Max, she had fun and made lifelong memories. During Johto, however, it was completely bland.

While they didn't end up in as much trouble as they had in Hoenn, May certainly missed those heart-racing moments. She shook her head to clear her thoughts; she first had to focus on the contest. She needed to start off her new journey with a win.

Back in the audience, Ash, Dawn, Clemont, Bonnie, and Max were chatting excitedly.

"So, what did you think of May's performance?" Dawn asked, leaning closer to hear Ash over the crowd.

"It was amazing! She's definitely going to make it to the next round," Ash replied with a grin.

"Yeah, May always puts on a great show," Max added proudly.

"Do you think Drew stands a chance?" Clemont asked, curious.

"He's good, but I'm rooting for May," Ash said firmly.

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A/N: I would've updated last night but the Bolts were playing lmao. But it was worth it cuz they won pog. I'll try to update the Kanto Journeys book tomorrow but I'm about to pass out it's 2:30. 1000 words cyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.