This is my first EVER ikarishipping fanfic, so please, not too many criticisms! I've read so many ikarishipping fanfics (I am a total supporter of ikarishipping, along with pokeshipping and contestshipping, but my favorite is ikarishipping!), that I was inspired to write one, too! Also, I've been annoyed by how many fanfics either don't include enough of Paul, or make Paul totally out of character! I know there are some times when Paul HAS to be out of character, or else it wouldn't make sense, but sometimes Paul is OOC the whole fanfic! It annoys the heck out of me! So I decided to make a fanfic where Paul is in character when he should be and out of character when he shouldn't be in character. Note: I find that making Paul act slightly like Drew (my fourth favorite Pokémon character OF ALL TIME) makes the fanfic a lot more satisfying, so Paul may remind you of Drew. Also, I was inspired to write a fanfic by the LACK OF GRAMMAR SKILLS IN MANY FANFIC WRITERS! Incorrect grammar annoys the heck out of me, and when I see these totally awesome ikarishipping stories ruined by a lack of grammar skills, I could almost cry…(sniff,sniff). Jk, I don't cry. But it does annoy me. So please, enjoy this MISTAKE-FREE (well, almost) ikarishipping fanfic!
Oh yeah, the disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters, or anything Pokémon-related. I just wrote the fanfic for fun.
"Hearthome Destiny"
"I can't believe we're almost at Hearthome!" Dawn squealed as she walked along the route with Ash and Brock. "I can't wait to participate in my next contest!"
Ash and Brock just smiled at the smiley blunette as she skipped along the route. It was only a week before her next contest, and she was determined to win this one.
She turned around to face Ash and Brock and started walking backwards. "And just imagine all the shopping we can do while we're there!"
Ash and Brock's smiles faded as they anime-sweat-dropped. They could still feel the lightness in their wallets from Dawn's last shopping trip.
It was a beautiful day- blue skies, fluffy clouds, Starly and Combee flying and buzzing around, the trees slightly swaying in the breeze, the gurgle from the river below. It couldn't be a better day; that is, until Dawn ran into someone.
Not watching where she was going, Dawn continued walking backwards down the path, not watching to see the path merge with another, and not seeing someone walk down the merging path. The two collided, and Dawn fell onto the ground. The person did not fall, but staggered a bit before looking down at the blunette, now on the ground.
"Dawn!" Ash and Brock called out as they ran up to Dawn, not stopping to see who it was Dawn ran into. They both held out a hand to help Dawn up, but she just smiled a little at them and said, "It's alright guys, I'm fine" before helping herself up. Turning, she faced the person she ran into.
"Look, mister, watch where you're going!" she started yelling, her sweet, smiling face now transformed into an angry one.
"Hn," said the person. "Troublesome."
Dawn gasped. "Paul?" She immediately stepped back, her face slightly pink. She looked down at her feet.
"Hey, Paul, what are you doing out here?" Ash asked, not having noticed Dawn's reaction (and being dense, as always).
"Where do you think I'm going?" Paul said a little harshly. But, after all, this was Paul. "I'm going to Hearthome to get my Relic Badge."
"So am I!" Ash said. "And Dawn is going to have another contest while we're there!"
"Dawn?" Paul asked sarcastically.
Of course, Dawn didn't let this comment go. She pretty much exploded. "Well, excuse me, your Rudeness, but I'm Dawn! And we've met before, so you have no excuse NOT to remember!"
Paul just smirked. "Hn. Well, I have better things to do than talk to people like you." He continued walking down the path.
Dawn was still angry: angry that he had forgotten her name, angry that he REFUSED to call her by name, angry at herself for running into Paul in the first place. She glared at the back of Paul's head. Why is he such a cold-hearted, selfish, mean…cute, mysterious…wait, what? I mean, uh, uncaring, heartless jerk! She mentally smacked herself. Why in the world did she have to think of Paul like that? Why did she have to like him, of all people?
Ash noticed Dawn's glare and, not being dense for once, knew she was still angry. But the thought flew out of his mind as he thought of something else. He yelled after Paul, "Hey, Paul! Wanna have a battle before you battle Fantina?"
Paul slowly turned around, a smirk present on his face. "Wouldn't be much of a practice battle, would it?"
Ash's face turned red with anger. "Hey! I'm a good trainer, Paul: nice to my Pokémon, unlike you! And I have as many badges as you do! You're no better than me!"
Paul's smirk was replaced with an expression that plainly said: pathetic.
"Fine," Paul said, now with a bored expression. "Let's make it quick. I can't afford getting behind in my Pokémon's training."
Paul and Ash set up a battlefield on the edge of a cliff. Below the cliff was a small river, moving lazily in the heat of the day. Brock stood where the ref usually stands, and Dawn stood watching, leaning against a nearby tree. She was still angry with Paul, but the anger was engulfed by her excitement of watching Ash and Paul battle. There was a strange sense of happiness that came over her whenever she saw Ash and Paul, particularly Paul, battle. It was something about the way Paul called out his Pokémon, totally focused and ready to destroy his opponent. Unfortunately for Ash, Paul generally did destroy his opponent.
"Turtwig! I chose you!" Ash called out.
"Chimchar! Stand by for battle," Paul said, his voice steady and calm, as opposed to Ash's voice, the excitement of being in a battle showing.
The Sinnoh starters faced each other, ready to follow their trainers' command. But neither was giving any commands. Turtwig and Chimchar looked at Ash and Paul, respectively, expectant of their commands. Dawn was also wondering what was going on.
Apparently, Ash and Paul were having a stare down, and Paul, being the master of keeping a straight face, was winning. Ash realized this and his face turned red again. Paul smirked at Ash. "Anytime soon will be nice."
Ash's face, already red with anger from Paul's comment before the battle and from losing the stare down, turned a bright crimson as he held his anger in.
"Oh, look at that," Paul said, still smirking. "Ash is getting red. Did I, perhaps, upset him?"
Dawn sighed. Why did Paul have to be so irritating?
"Why do you have to be so irritating?" asked Ash, mirroring Dawn's thoughts.
"Why do you have to get upset over every little comment?" returned Paul with a bored expression.
"Why do you have to be such a jerk to your Pokémon?"
"Why do you have to get on my case about that every single battle we have?"
"Why do you have to be such a jerk in general?"
"Why can't you think of anything other than how much of a 'jerk' I am?"
The comments were shot across the battle field like bullets, each one returned with another. Turtwig and Chimchar, apparently having been forgotten, were sitting down in the middle of the battlefield. Turtwig was taking a nap, and Chimchar was watching the fight between Ash and Paul as it became bigger.
By this time, Ash was screaming at Paul, but Paul kept the same monotonous tone he had at the beginning of the fight.
"Because you ARE a jerk!"
"Yeah, I got that. Tell me something you haven't told me yet."
Brock, by this time, was also sitting down, watching the fight. He sweat-dropped at how childish the whole ordeal was. Croagunk appeared out of nowhere and stood beside Brock. Its hand started to glow purple, and it looked at Brock, waiting for the okay.
"Nah, they'll be fine," Brock said. "They'll be able to solve their problems without any violence… hopefully." Croagunk's hand stopped glowing purple, and it continued standing next to Brock, its gaze steadily resting on the scene before it.
Dawn, originally leaning against a tree on the side of the field opposite Brock, was now sitting in the tree's shade, enjoying the fight between Paul and Ash. She thought it was hilarious how childish Ash was being, and how calm Paul was the whole time. She giggled. Unfortunately for her, Ash heard this.
"Stop giggling! I'm being serious!" Ash yelled a little quieter than he had been yelling at Paul.
"But it's funny!" Dawn retorted, now standing.
"It is NOT funny!"
"What a lovely couple."
Ash and Dawn both turned their heads to Paul. Ash's face was not red with anger anymore, but had a confused look on it. Of course, he's being dense again. Dawn, on the other hand, was offended by the comment and whatever anger Ash had lost was now gained by Dawn. I mean really, why does anyone think Ash and Dawn will be a couple? The only hope Ash has for a girlfriend is Misty. No offense Ash, you're my third favorite character behind Barry.
Anyway, ignoring my senseless rambling, back to the story.
Dawn fists were balled at her sides as she glared at Paul. Ash, still confused, said, "Wait, Dawn and I aren't a couple…"
"Sure sounds like one to me," Paul said with a straight face. Even though he was talking to both Ash and Dawn, his comments seemed to be more directed at Dawn. Dawn didn't observe this; she was too angry.
"Look, Paul, I've had enough of you today," Dawn said as calmly as she could manage.
"I'm sure you have," Paul interrupted.
Dawn was further enraged by his interruption. She took a deep breath and continued, "I think it would benefit everyone here if you left."
If she wasn't so angry, she would have never told Paul to leave. In fact, seeing Paul was the highlight of her days. But he was being impossible, so she had to.
He kept his face straight, but his eyes betrayed slight disappointment. He quickly hid this with smirk. "Fine. Guess you two lovebirds need some time alone."
THAT WAS IT. Dawn couldn't take it anymore. His cold attitude, his heartlessness, and the calmness with which he carried it out. Nothing seemed to make him mad! And, he was an expert at making others mad. Dawn was fed up with him. Brock saw this and immediately stood up.
"Now, Dawn…" he started. But it was too late; Dawn had made up her mind.
She ran for Paul. Paul had already turned around and was going to pick up his bag by the edge of the cliff. He didn't see her coming. When Dawn reached Paul, she stood behind him, an infuriated expression on her face. Paul turned around and, surprised, found Dawn, seething with anger. Then he did the stupidest thing he ever did in his life.
He smirked.
Dawn stamped her foot into the ground. "That's IT Mister!" But she never finished her thought. Paul and Dawn were on the edge of a very unstable cliff. Dawn's foot stomp immediately crumbled the ground below them. Dawn looked down and saw the ground underneath her disappearing. She looked up at Paul, her previously angry expression covered up by a terrified one. Paul's onyx eyes betrayed a bit of fear. This made Dawn even more frightened- if Paul was scared, you had every right to be scared and possibly scream. Which is exactly what Dawn did as she started falling.
Ash and Brock, incredulous to what just happened, were frozen with shock. When Dawn and Paul started falling, Brock came to his senses and yelled, "Dawn!" (Sorry, Paul, but Brock doesn't really talk to you, so why should Brock yell for you? Well, there was that one episode where you talked to Brock but… look at me, rambling on again. Back to the story!)
As Dawn fell, she screamed, flailing her limbs. She didn't know what to do. She was scared- the most scared she had ever been in her life. So, understandably, she fainted.
Paul (being the ninja he is) was calmly descending along the side of the cliff, looking for a safe way to get down. But Dawn's screams were not helping him concentrate. Irritated, he looked at Dawn. Unfortunately, she had fainted. Great, he thought. He reached out to grab Dawn. He was able to grab Dawn's hand. He propelled her to him and held her bridal style. (What a cute scene! :D) All the while, Paul and Dawn fell closer and closer to the river below…
Me: Omg, that was actually pretty good, I think. Good length, ends with a nice cliff-hanger, and I even got a cute PaulxDawn scene in! Am I great or what?
Paul: What.
Me: I said-
Paul: I know what you said.
Me: Then why… OHHHHH! Wow, thanks Paul. Anyway, you shouldn't be back-talking to me. I can do…bad stuff to you!
Paul: Psh. Like what?
Me: (writing) But suddenly, Paul forgot how to swim! When he fell into the river, Dawn swam out, but Paul could not. He sank towards the bottom of the river, losing precious air with every precious second-
Paul: Okay, I get it. Fine. I'll be good.
Me: Yay! Oh, and, to all those viewers out there, review please! I really want to know how I did!
Paul: They're not going to review.
Me: (lifts up pen and prepares to write, glaring at Paul)
Paul: Okay! Fine! I'll stop!
Me: Thank you Paulie!
Paul: …
