The rain poured heavily. Big fat drops tried to dampen her hair, but to no avail, she was already soaked. Damn traveling, damn contests, damn rain, she thought as she rushed down the road. Luckily the Pokémon Center wasn't too far and she knew it would billet her for the night. She just had to get there before it closed.
Her feet pounded the wet pavement, sending sparks of water into the air and splattered her legs and clothes. She no longer instinctively ducked her head; instead she looked determinedly forward, hopeful to find her refuge. Through the curtain of falling water, the glow of the oversized 'P' was dimmed, but she could make it out just enough to get her there.
She entered the building with a swoosh of the automatic door. She noticed that the mats in place to keep the floors dry were useless as they were soaked and the water started to puddle around them. A crack of thunder in the background made her jump and urged her closer to the front desk.
Her feet made the wet squeaky sounds. And her clothes and hair dripped on the tiled floor, but she didn't really care. The center was warm and cozy and she was mere moments away from a bed of her own to crawl into. She smiled warmly at Nurse Joy as she approached, the thought of dry sheets and a plump clean pillow filling her head.
"Before you ask Dawn, I don't have any more rooms."
Dawn stopped dead in her tracks, "What?"
Her question came out in a childish whine and the poor nurse she had befriended looked as haggard as she did at the moment. The pink-haired woman wasn't nearly as chipper as usual. And after years of traveling through this town and, effectively through this center, Dawn knew what was usual for the nurse.
"I just gave away the last bed to this young man right here." The nurse told her pointing to the person standing to the right of her.
Dawn turned and looked at the young man. She hadn't noticed him when she came walking in. Obliviously, he was doing something on his phone and had taken no notice of her either. The little green monster wormed its way in. His purple hair was as dry as a bone, and so was the rest of him. Not to mention there was that eerily familiar scowl on his face that Dawn just felt the need to dislike.
"And who exactly are you?" She asked rudely. Under other circumstances she would have restrained herself from being so crude, but she was tried and soaking wet, any consideration for manners had gone out the window a long time ago.
The young man looked up and the scowl changed into a smirk. He slipped his phone into his pant pocket and crossed his arms instead.
"Well if it isn't Troublesome."
Dawn narrowed her eyes in recognition, "Paul…"
"Yep, now if you'll excuse me," He picked up the stack of linens that he had sitting on the counter, "I think I'll head to bed."
With that said he walked away; leaving Dawn to seethe at the front desk at his retreating figure. Once her nails bit into her palm from her clenched fists, she decided to give it up and try to beg Nurse Joy for another option.
"If you don't have any more beds…what am I supposed to do?"
"There's plenty more seats in the lounge area if you'd like to stay here, but you might just want to find a hotel for the night.
All she had to do was look at the storm outside for Dawn's shoulders to slump forward. Nurse Joy looked sympathetically at her from the other side of the counter.
"Would you like me to look after your Pokémon?"
Dawn could tell that the nurse was trying very hard to cheer her up. So she faked a smile for her.
"Sure."
She gave the nurse her pokeballs, and begrudgingly started to head towards the lobby. She resigned herself to the fact that she would probably be sleeping upright tonight.
Suddenly she felt herself pulled around by the shoulder and something was forced into her arms. At the impact, Dawn looked down and found a stack of linens. She looked up and found Paul.
"What are you doing?" She couldn't help but ask in surprise.
"Giving you the last available bed, what does it look like?"
She sent him a look, "I know what you're doing but why? You never do anything nice, at least not on purpose."
"Because you're tired and wet and a girl and my brother Reggie would kick my ass if he found out I didn't give it to you." Paul said in a seemly displeased tone, "Now go to bed before I decide to take it back and make you sleep in the lobby."
She glanced at the aforementioned lobby; several people had already camped out there, leaving only a couple of wooden chairs for use. She turned back to Paul, grateful.
"Thank you, Paul."
The young man turned his eyes away, but Dawn could see the slight flush to his face.
"If you want to make a big deal of it fine, you're welcome. You can make it up to me by treating me to breakfast in the morning."
He turned and made an exit that, given the right settings, could have made excellent use of a cape. Dawn hugged the dry blankets to her. Breakfast was an extremely good price for a comfortable bed, but how could she treat him? The Pokémon Center gave everyone breakfast free of charge…unless…
Dawn bit her bottom lip with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He wanted a date.