Paparazzi
A/N: I know everyone must hate me for doing this, and for getting rid of one of my most popular stories just to start new and all I have to say is, I hope this goes well. The reason for giving up on 'The Media' is because I simply just don't write like that anymore and I'm not happy with it and I feel I could do better.
I hope you guys as fans will like this, because this story is either going to fly or fall with you guys.
Much love-xoxo-C3R-xoxo
Disclaimer: Don't own nothing.
Chapter 1: Starstruck
Baby now that we're along got a request, would you make me number one on your playlist?
-Lady GaGa
. . .
"This is perfect!"
"I completely agree, it's nice to get the chance to swim in something other than chlorine filled waters"
The redhead rolled her eyes as she dropped her bag onto the sandy shores of Sunyshore City. With its clean beaches, playful Pokémon, cute little kids running around, and rather nice eye candy, what was there not to like about the Sunny city in Sinnoh?
Another giggle emerged catching their attention and following behind them was none other than the Hoenn born coordinator herself, May.
"Awh c'mon Misty, I thought you loved the water" She said with a mocking smirk at the end. She put her hands on her hips as if she were flaunting her wonderfully cute, if she did say so herself, red bikini. Wrapped up in a bandeau style top, a nice red bow tied in the front with matching bikini bottoms tied respectfully at her hips, what was there not love? Not to mention May couldn't help but feel rather confident in the little red suit of cuteness.
"Oh trust me, she does-if I didn't know any better she'd sprout a mermaid tail any sec' now"
"Pika~" The little electric mouse cried as he hopped of his trainers shoulders and onto a nice soft spot in the ground, which he would now declare as his napping spot.
"Ha-ha Ash, you're just jealous because to this day, I still swim better than you" She retorted right back to the voice she had gotten so used to over the years, but all the same…the voice she missed terribly.
"Nuh-uh, not true, I could beat you anytime, anywhere!" The ambitious trainer was quick to respond, a grin still spread wide across his face.
Misty narrowed her cerulean eyes, her hands going to clutch the ends of her oversized tee, the words 'You're lookin' at a Sensational Sister' printed across the front. A shirt Daisy had gotten all of her sisters for Christmas once year.
"Cannot" Misty smirked.
Ash removed the towel from around his neck and carelessly threw it on the ground where he assumed the gang would set up camp and in a swift movement removed his shirt-which only meant one thing.
"3…" Misty slipped off her shirt to reveal a light green monokini with its sides cut out to accentuate her curves and toned body.
"2…" She echoed. Ash kicked off his shoes.
"1!" And as fast as that, the two made a beeline for the ocean waters, ready to fight for title of best swimmer.
Dawn watched the two race off, crossing her arms over her simple baby pink halter that wasn't too elaborate, and just the right amount of simple to draw attention to her petite waist, "Geez, we're barely here for 5 minutes and they're already arguing and competing"
May laughed, "I know, we all barely get a chance to get together all six of us and they're off"
Dawn nodded in agreement before a light bulb went off in her head, "Hey wait, speaking of the six of us, where's Dr-" But as soon as her eyes laid sight on something, or someone else , she immediately redirected her words, "Oh hey Paul!" She raised a hand to call the usually brooding trainer over.
May turned her head only to look at Paul approaching, looking all cool with a towel draped around his neck and his black trunks hung low, and then back at Dawn, then back at Paul, a smile on her face.
"Hey Paul," She greeted to the older trainer as well, "Where's Drew?" She asked, referring to the final missing member of their little troop.
Paul made a motion, jerking his head to the side, nudging to the elaborate stand labeled 'Snack Shack', "Getting something to eat, he said he'd only be a second"
May nodded, "I'll go see if he needs help, or if I can get him to buy me somethin'" She smiled, taking a step forward, "Don't wait up for us 'kay?"
Dawn nodded, "Gotcha" she smiled, unaware of May's true intention.
May raised her hand to wave a quick 'bye' to the two before turning around completely to start her path over to waving blue and white striped flags near the snack stand.
She couldn't help but give herself a pat on the back as she walked away. Sure she had only known Dawn for a short time, and Paul for an even shorter time, but it didn't take her long to piece things together.
They were all 17 already, with the exception of Dawn being 16 and Paul 18-but shouldn't some of them be getting together by now?
May nodded to herself; as if to reinforce her thoughts, if she could help…she'd defiantly do all she could to give people a little nudge. Herself included.
. . .
"C'mon Prinplup, try and make friends" Dawn crouched over her finally evolved penguin of a Pokémon and cooed at it gently, trying so hard to get it to become friends with the giant Torterra standing four feet to the left.
But the little Prinplup was persistent and crossed its arms, shaking its head to the side muttering an effective, "Prrrrrin"
"But you know Torterra, don't you remember your old buddy?" She tried to persuade, her words stretching out, of course Prinplup knew itself and Torterra weren't friends…or acquaintances for that matter but still, Dawn tried. And all her efforts washed away when Prinplup yawned loudly in its trainer's face.
Behind her, Paul let out a snort trying to hold in his laughter as he sat sprawled out on his towel, his hands behind him, in the shade of a giant umbrella.
Dawn groaned.
"Prinplup… we're gonna have to work on your manners" She stuck a scolding finger out at the Pokémon.
"Prin-plup!" Prinplup retorted.
"Fine, go play with the others" She gave in, motioning to her other Pokémon happily playing in the warm waters.
The penguin cried happily not hesitating to skip off to its friends and its element but most importantly away from the fully evolved grass Sinnoh starter.
When Dawn was sure Prinplup made it safe into the waters she let out another defeated sigh and proceeded to sit down on her pink towel placed effectively across from Paul's.
"That was…entertaining" He smirked, throwing a glance to his reluctant Torterra, who seemed almost oblivious to the entire failed meet and greet as it yawned and took in the sunlight, shaking it's leaves.
Dawn crossed her arms, "Well I was trying to be nice," She huffed, "But who would've thought…Prinplups and Torterras don't get along" She muttered.
"Or Pachirisus and Electabuzzes…" Paul added with a mocking chuckle.
"Or Lopunnies and Honchkrows…" Dawn grumbled.
Paul smirked, "Or Magmortars and Mamoswines…"
She groaned, "…and especially not Ursarings and Typhlosions" She groaned, remembering her little…well, not so little any more, fire Pokémon and how it tried to launch a flamethrower right into Ursaring's face, who proceeded to counterattack with Focus Blast.
His Pokémon were strong, she gave him that.
"Hm, maybe our Pokémon just weren't meant to be friends "Dawn said nonchalantly, letting it go just like that, her tone light.
"Probably" Paul agreed sarcastically and to be honest, he could see why. After all those years when he and Ash constantly duked it out on the battlefield, his Pokémon were everything but merciful or…nice, something that Dawn's little cheering Pokémon were quick to catch up on, and Dawn.
So suddenly he began to wonder.
If Dawn knew for a fact that their Pokémon didn't like each other…like at all, then why did she try so hard? He figured after the first failed attempt she'd give up but she kept calling out her Pokémon, and making him call out his.
Maybe she was just persistent.
He shrugged it off. He didn't know, he wasn't around her enough to know.
…unfortuanly.
"You know Paul, you should hang out with us more often" She looked up at him, her words somehow picking up where his thoughts left off.
"Well, I'm here right now aren't I?" He asked rhetorically.
"Yeah," Dawn dug her toes deep into the sand, suddenly bringing her knees up to her chest, "But I mean after, are you just gonna go back to traveling by yourself in Sinnoh?" She questioned, the first time she'd ever brought this topic up.
Paul shrugged, never thinking this much into their traveling situations. All he knew was after this, Drew and May would probably be heading back to Johto, and Misty had to back to Kanto, she was the Gym Leader, and he and Ash and Dawn would be back to wandering around in Sinnoh…bumping into each other now and then.
He didn't think anymore before answering, "Probably, I mean that's what I was doing before right? And besides the league's coming up in a little over a month so I'm sure if me and Ash traveled together we wouldn't get that much training done"
Dawn blushed, "W-wait, n-no, I didn't mean you should come with us-I was just sayin', ya know, I wasn't…talking about something like that, geez" She tried to play off, not realizing her words were that obvious.
Paul's eyes followed to the younger girl who went to occupy herself by drawing little outlines of Pokémon in the sand near her feet.
But before Paul had time to think of something to say Dawn shot her head up, "Well, if you and Ash are going to be all super secluded-don't-bother-me-I'm-training zone, then I guess I'd better make the best of this mini vacation" She suddenly smiled, her hands reaching for her bag, immediately rummaging through its contents.
Paul rose an eyebrow, "Dawn…what're you-?"
Click.
It wasn't long before he actually managed to register what had happened. When he blinked his eyes, getting adjusted to the natural lighting, he heard her giggle.
"Smile" She cooed.
He lowered his eyes on her before bending his legs up, as if he were ready to pounce, "No way-"
Click.
"Now ladies and gentlemen we have Mr. Paul Shinji here, an up and coming Sinnoh Champion, relaxing peacefully on the beach-" A smile spread onto her lips as she held her little silver camera in her hands.
"Dawn-"
Click.
"Oh, now this is Paul getting up-"
Click.
"And this is the famous Paul looking kinda pissed off"
"Dawn…"
Click.
"And this is Paul ready to-whoa!"
Click.
But the last picture consisted of a blurred shot of the scenery, because Paul managed to get up past the bombarding snaps and clicks of the tiny camera and lunge himself lightly at Dawn to reach for the camera only to have Dawn twist her body away resulting in Paul attacking her waist instead, finding himself now situated on his stomach on her tiny towel compared to his tall frame.
"Hey-haha, no fair" She laughed as he continued to lay there, his elbows propping him up as he ran through the pictures through Dawn's camera and deleted all the candid shots of him.
She too rolled onto her stomach right next to him so that their bare arms brushed against each other as she tried to reach back for the camera. When Paul finally hit the last 'delete' on the last picture of him he cracked a tiny smile and turned back to Dawn, "Oh no, all the pictures you took happened to delete themselves" He said with fake sadness as he handed the camera back.
Dawn furrowed her eyebrows as she grabbed it back, "Gee, wonder how that happened," She glowered as Paul simply shrugged his shoulders with a smirk.
"Here I'll make it up to you, let's take a picture-" He took his left hand and draped it over Dawn as the two lay there on their stomachs, he grabbed her hand with the camera and pulled it up, motioning for her to snap a pic as she held it in front of both of them.
She blushed insanely as he then had to scoot himself closer so the two could fit into the tiny lens.
"It'd better look good" She managed to stutter out as she suddenly turned to stick her tongue out at Paul before clicking the button.
When she pulled the camera back and clicked the 'review' button, she noted how the picture consisted of herself turning her head, making a sour face at Paul, her tongue darted out and Paul, covering his face with the palm of his hand.
"Paul!" She groaned before bursting out into a small laughter at the failed picture.
"I think it looks great" He said in a joking, sarcastic manner, his face completely straight which only made Dawn crack up that much harder.
"Oh shut up Paul, learn to enjoy the spotlight" She taunted, sticking her tongue out for real before Paul snuck the camera into his hands, snapping another pic of the two.
Click.
"You know Dawn you keep doing that and we're just gonna have to look hideous in every picture for the rest of our lives" He shook his head tauntingly as though Dawn had snapped the picture.
She giggled, "Hey that was all you Paul, don't blame your un-photogenic skills on me!"
"Sure, sure" He dismissed before locking eyes with her, a smirk on his lips.
Dawn cracked up in pure laughter again. She didn't really care how many more pictures it took, as long as Paul continued to pull her closer like he was, and as long as the two got to record the memories then she was okay with that.
More than okay.
Snap.
. . .
"Want some?"
She shook her head as Drew shrugged, taking the spoonful of chocolate ice cream away from her lips and back to his as he sucked the little pink spoon clean.
"Hm, May's not hungry, that either means the world is ending or something is on your mind" Drew smirked.
May rolled her eyes, it was weird how traveling around with the same person through Johto, sharing rooms, contests, conversations, and memories could make you learn all the little quirks of someone. Thankfully, that was exactly what Drew did.
"So which is it?" He pressed, putting another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.
She smiled, "What do you think?" knowing very well that Drew knew the answer, but before he head time to respond a small, shy hand reached out to tap on his shoulder.
They both turned their heads to a group of girls, none of them being no older than fourteen. The one in the middle, her blonde hair put up into a high ponytail was the first to speak.
"Y-you're Drew right?"
"From Hoenn?" The girl with the auburn hair on the left couldn't help but interject.
Drew threw a glance at May before putting down his ice cream to cross his arms on the table, "The one and only" He smiled.
The blonde girl squealed slightly as she bit her lip, "Um, I was wondering-could you sign my ribbon case? Sorry if this is weird but I watch you all the time and uh-you're really good" She said, her voice soft and tentative.
Drew smiled, "Sure, course I will"
She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a white ribbon case, the Hoenn Region Symbol on the front and handed him a marker. Drew took it out of her hands and set it on the table, looking at it before signing 'Drew Hayden' in neat script on the front.
"Here you go" He said as he handed the case back.
"Thank you so, so much" She said happily as she tucked the case back into her bag.
"Um, do you have a girlfriend?" The girl with her black hair in a braid on the right suddenly blurt out.
The other girls blushed and then groaned, "Awh Bridget, way to a be loudmouth"
"Sorry, I just wanted to know!" The girl said in her defense.
May bit her lip, trying to keep the smile calm on her face, "Yeah Drew, do you?" She asked leaning forward.
The other girls turned to May, immediately recognizing her as well.
Drew in turn, mirrored May's expression before turning back to the girls, "Well just between you and me," Drew motioned, between himself and the girls, making them squeal oh so loudly, "Yeah, I do" He spoke the truth.
May smiled.
The girl known as Bridget nodded, a heavy blush on her face, "Okay, thanks, we won't spread the word, promise!"
The blonde girl nodded, "Yeah, thanks again!" She smiled before the three of them began to walk away from Drew, who lifted his hand up to wave a 'bye' to the young girls.
When they left Drew sighed and then turned his head back the brunette he'd gotten so used to as she now took up all his attention.
"So let me get this straight," She began, Drew listened, "You can tell a group of fan girl teenagers the truth about us, but you can't tell our best friends?"
Drew smirked.
"Well you're the one who said we should keep it under wraps, because what was it? You didn't want the 'tabloids' to find out which would result in your 'parents' finding out before you could tell them…was that right?" He asked, mimicking her words she previously uttered in Johto.
The two had only been together for a few months, having getting together during their journeys through Johto, but have kept it under wraps only because the camera's were already on them for supposedly being together, and not to mention because each of them kept scoring wins in contests.
So drop a sudden bomb like this on the tabloids would mean a hectic whirlwind for them, and a whirlwind during Grand Festival time, was not good.
May blushed, knitting her eyebrows together, "Well it'd be nice to be able to go out without some guy creeping on us" May stated the obvious.
But Drew just scoffed, "I'm pretty sure that already happens May, and besides, I said I'd tell everyone today right? And I will, don't worry" He reached his hand foreword and suddenly entangled his fingers with hers on the table, "and you know if it were up to me," He dropped his voice low so only she could hear, "I'd have made sure everyone knew right away"
She rolled her eyes with a smile and tore her gaze away from his, "Of course you would've, because you're just so romantic" She teased.
"Well that's what you said" He smirked, knowing he spoke the truth.
She opened her mouth to retort back but Drew shoved his spoon into her mouth, making her lick off the chocolate ice cream with a blush. He pulled the spoon out of her mouth slowly, his eyes on it as he spoke slowly, "We'll tell them May, don't worry. They'll find out from us, not the paparazzi"
Snap.
At least, that's what Drew thought.
. . .
"Float-floatzel!" The Pokémon smiled happily as it floated on it's back, it's tail propelling it through the warm waters around the two childhood friends. Misty couldn't help but lean forward to pet the Sea Weasel Pokémon.
"He is absolutely adorable" Misty smiled, in complete awe of a new Sinnoh water Pokémon she didn't get to see often.
Ash chuckled as he stood about waist deep in the water, his eyes never leaving her.
"Figure you'd like him Mist, you don't change" He couldn't help but slip out. Misty turned her gaze from Floatzel back to Ash, her eyebrow raised tauntingly.
"Which is a problem?" She asked, skeptical.
Ash was quick to defend, his arms raised before him, "No, no course not! I'm just saying…it's kinda of nice to you know, not see you for so long and then finally get a chance to meet up with you, only to have you still have the same little quirks about you," He smiled genuinely, "It takes me back" He said with a laugh.
Everything he had said was true for Misty too. Standing there with Ash, showing off a new Pokémon he'd caught, spending time together in the ocean, it almost seemed nostalgic between the two of them.
Misty smiled as she bend down to give Floatzel a nice long stroke on its belly, one that it happily responded to, "It's hard when you're here and I'm way over in Cerulean, I mean, it's hard to call when I don't even know what Pokémon Center you'll be at" Misty almost scolded.
"Yeah but you have my Nav' numb-"
But Misty countered that, "Yeah, which according to Brock and Dawn, is always either getting shocked and busted by Pikachu," She counted one on her hand, "hit by a water gun attack," She held up another finger, "or just being flat out broken down 'cause you never manage to put it away" Misty said one hand on her hip, the other holding up a big three, "Which you can't deny" She added with a smirk.
Ash opened his mouth to come back with an insult or some kind of justification but the only thing he did was grin cheekily and mutter a weak, "Do not?"
In which Misty couldn't help but roll her eyes and giggle at the age old argument. With those two, it would always be a toss up between did not/did too and do not/do too. It was classic.
When Floatzel finally took a dive into the water to stretch its legs, that left Ash and Misty standing in the water, it's constant ebb and flow rocked the two back and forth, and almost rocked Misty right into Ash's waiting arms.
Key word being almost.
"So Ash, what do you plan to do after you win the Sinnoh League?" She said with a smirk.
Ash laughed and ran a hand through his hair, "You think I'll win?" He asked, almost shocked.
"Uh, yeah," Misty answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "what kind of a best friend would I be if I didn't think so Mr. Pokémon Master?" She teased.
"Right, right" He nodded, shooting a familiar grin back at Misty, " Well, if I win the Sinnoh League I'll go back home and train up, and compete in the Indigo League to become the next Kanto Champ," He held his fist up in triumph, "and if I lose, I'd do that same" He shrugged.
Misty smiled at his unforgettable gusto, "You'd come back home? Really? No lounging off in the Resort Area or taking a first class cruise on the SS Anne?" Misty bribed but Ash only shook his head.
"Nah, I think winning the Indigo League is gonna be a set goal of mine, after the Sinnoh league o'course, that way I can be the top dog in my home region-after having getting wiser and gaining experience in Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh" He laughed, "besides, this time, I'm sure I'll win it!" He cheered for himself.
Misty smiled, "And I'll be sure to be there when that all goes down" she reassured, dipping her arms low in the water only to splash a small stream of water at him.
He laughed as he dipped his hands in the water, only to splash her back, "You'd better, and besides, it'd be nice to be around the stuff I grew up with ya know?" He dipped his body low, walking further into deeper waters as the tide soon went up to his chest.
Misty followed him, her feet easily treading water as she swam right up to him, "You miss home don't cha?" He opened his mouth to answer but Misty continued, her tone now teasing, "awh Ash, you can grow up all you want but you're still gonna miss your mommy in Pallet" She cooed, reaching her hand up to mockingly pinch his cheek.
Ash shook his head away and laughed, "Yeah there's that," He complied before reaching out to grab Misty by the elbows, pulling her closer to him with ease, "and it kinda sucks that whenever I get together with you all we can talk about is how much we miss each other and stuff" He said.
Her red locks fell down her back, completely straight due to the water. It swayed gently around her fanning around the both of them, obviously longer than her usual tom-boyish side pony, as she ditched that image the last couple times Ash met up with her.
She blinked her cerulean orbs a few times before sighing, she reached her arms up and stretched them over Ash's shoulders connecting them behind his neck, if an onlooker didn't know any better, they'd say they were gonna smack one on each other any second now.
Ash in turn wrapped his arms around her waist, letting her put her full dependence on him; although he was sure she didn't need him to be her floating device in the water.
She pursed her lips and looked back at him, "Yeah, you're right about that" She nodded in compliance, "So…"
"So…?" Ash prompted.
"Hurry up and win the league, so you can come back home" She smirked, looking right back at him, cerulean eyes meeting familiar chocolate orbs of happiness, joy, and new found determination.
"You betcha" He nodded, knowing he had a new fuel to win.
After all, home was where his heart was. Especially if 'home' happened to be a little place called Cerulean City.
Snap.
. . .
A cell phone rang off in the deep pocket of a man's jeans.
He dug roughly into his pocket and pulled out he ringing device, pulling it up to his ear, "Talk to me"
'Oi, where the hell are you? You'd better gettin' some good stuff, deadline's tonight! These magazines are gonna be hot on the presses tomorrow!'
He smirked, holding his delicate camera in one hand, "Don't worry boss, I've got everything all taken care of, we've got enough material to whip up a storm"
'Alright then what the hell you stayin' out there for? Get back here and show me!'
He nodded, "You got it"
And in the small little blue memory card, he'd just made enough for his new salary.
"This'll be great for the magazine"
. . .
A/N: What'd you think? Wasn't so bad if I do say so myself. Some big changes are, well, the title, there's no Kym and Brendan, there is Dawn and Paul, May and Drew are actually together, yeah…that's pretty much it so far.
As I'm typing this I'm pretty nervous to what you guys are thinking so just review and let me know, please?
Much appreciated.
XoXo-Contest3Ribbon-XoXo
