Happy Halloween everyone!

To Paul, October 31st was just another day. He had never particularly liked Halloween. Even as a child, he felt that begging for free handouts from neighbors was pathetic. Apparently, the people of Rustboro City didn't agree.

All around him, throngs of trainers in costumes were dancing to ridiculously loud music, capes and pointed hats flying everywhere. The poke center lobby filled with witches and ghosts and vampires, most of which were already drunk. Even the pokémon were getting into it. A Buneary in a glittering cape bounced by, its fluffy ears adorned with little plastic bats.

"Ridiculous," Paul muttered. Wait, he knew that Buneary . . .

Sure enough, the pokémon bounded over to its trainer, a pretty girl with a curtain of dark blue hair. Dawn was dressed to match her pokémon, with a dark red cape that shimmered subtly every time she moved. It had been a couple years since he'd last seen her, sure, but he would have recognized Dawn anywhere. Paul swallowed hard. Leave it to Dawn to look hot in a cape. Paul was wondering if he'd have time to make it outside before she spotted him when Dawn turned around.

"Paul!" Dawn called, wading through the crowd. He'd found himself thinking of her from time to time, wondering where she was and if she was still traveling with Ash. For some reason the idea didn't sit well with him, although he wasn't sure why.

"I can't believe you're here," Dawn squealed, throwing her arms around him. There was an odd swooping sensation in his stomach, and he stiffened in surprise. Usually girls kept their distance, especially ones who looked like Dawn. For a second, he considered hugging her back. He quickly thought better of it.

Dawn pulled back, looking slightly embarrassed. "Sorry," she apologized.

"It's fine," Paul said, ignoring the tap dancing still going on in his stomach.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Training," he said briefly. Dawn raised an eyebrow.

"Just training?"

Paul nodded.

"Sounds boring," Dawn said matter-of-factly. Paul just looked at her for a second before chuckling.

"Yeah, well, that's the lot of a trainer."

Dawn raised a finger. "Which is why I'm a coordinator," she pointed out. Paul laughed again, a real laugh, and Dawn beamed. Again, there was that stupid feeling in his stomach. It felt like someone had lodged a hook in his abdomen and jerked. He found himself noticing how pretty Dawn was when she smiled. He wanted to make her smile again.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Paul heard himself asking. For a brief second, he could picture taking her to a little coffee shop, the two of them talking into the night, smiling, laughing. It felt so real that Paul almost let himself believe it. And then he saw the surprise shoot across Dawn's face, how taken aback she looked. Paul felt himself deflate instantaneously. Of course she wasn't going to leave a party and go off with him. Who would?

"Never mind, sorry," he muttered, turning away. He walked away, disappointment spreading throughout his body. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Dawn sighed, watching him go. Paul was such an enigma. For a second, it had almost sounded like he was asking her out on a date. But he'd obviously thought better of it. Dawn bit her lip, wondering if she should follow him.

For a second, she hesitated, caught in her own insecurity.

What's the problem? she asked herself. If it was anyone else, you wouldn't have a problem chasing after them, demanding to know what was wrong.

But that was the crux of it. Paul wasn't just anyone. Every time Dawn saw him, she felt . . . untethered, as if she wasn't really in control of herself. When he'd laughed earlier, Dawn had felt such an ache, so acute that she couldn't breathe. She wanted to say something, say anything, to make him laugh like that again.

"Well? Are you going to follow him?"

Dawn jumped and turned around. Zoey stood there, one hand on her hip, looking at Dawn expectantly. Her costume was just a black leotard with cat ears and heels, but she looked absolutely killer.

"What are you talking about?" Dawn asked, fiddling with the edge of her cape. Zoey gave her an exasperated look.

"Dawn, if you play dumb with me, I swear I will kill you," Zoey threatened. "I saw the whole thing. You're both so into each other it's disgusting."

"Please," Dawn scoffed. "Paul barely knows I exist."

Zoey raised an eyebrow. "From the way he was looking at you, he definitely knows you exist."

Dawn blushed. "You're being ridiculous."

"No, you're being ridiculous," Zoey countered. "I know what your problem is. For some reason I can't even begin to grasp, you're incredibly insecure. Especially around Paul."

For once, Dawn had nothing to say. She just stared miserably at the door, wishing she was a real witch. Then she could just turn herself into a toad and be done with it all.

"Dawn," Zoey said gently, "there's nothing worse than regretting something you didn't do. You don't want your life to be one giant 'what if?'."

Dawn nodded and took a deep breath. "You're right."

"As usual," Zoey smirked. "Now go. Or I'll go call Kenny and tell him you're here."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Dawn laughed and hugged Zoey. "Alright, alright, I'm going."

"See you later, Dee-Dee. Or maybe I won't," Zoey said, winking.

"Zoey!"

Paul stretched out on a bench and stared up at the stars, marveling at how clear the night was. Of course, the colder months were always the best for stargazing. Paul sighed and tried to pick out Orion. Reggie had always told him to look for the three stars that formed the belt, but for some reason, Paul never could seem to find them.

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, oblivious to the chill in the air. Maybe when he woke up, the humiliation from tonight would be like the stars, dim and distant, and he could get on with his life.

"Paul?"

Paul jerked up and fell off the bench, his elbow cracking against the concrete. He swore loudly and got to his feet, glaring at whoever had snuck up on him.

Of course it was Dawn, standing there with huge eyes and a pale face.

"I'm sorry, I . . ." she stammered, blinking rapidly. "I shouldn't have . . ." She turned and ran, heading towards the edge of town. Paul groaned and grabbed fistfuls of his hair in frustration. He'd always heard about people tearing their own hair out in anger, but he'd never quite understood why a person would do something so drastic. Well, now he knew. Only this anger was directed at himself.

Without even meaning to, Paul began to run after her, telling himself he just wanted to apologize. Dawn was faster than she looked, though, and by the time Paul caught up with her, they were already outside the town limits.

"Dawn," Paul wheezed, causing her to turn around swiftly. Apparently, she hadn't realized he was following her. Paul leaned forward, his hands on his knees, as he tried to catch his breath. He wasn't out of shape by any stretch of the imagination, but dammit, Dawn could run.

"Why did you follow me?" Dawn asked, sniffing.

"I wanted . . . to apologize . . ." Paul gasped, sitting down next to the road. Hesitantly, Dawn copied him, pulling her cape around her.

"For what?"

"I kind of freaked out back there," Paul admitted.

"I didn't mean to sneak up on you," Dawn said, staring at her hands.

"I blame Orion," Paul replied. Dawn looked at his quizzically.

Paul sighed. "I can never find Orion," he explained. "And I kind of zone out when I'm looking for it."

"You mean the constellation?" Dawn asked.

Paul nodded. "Yeah."

Dawn laughed. "It's right there," she said, pointing at a spot in the sky behind Paul's head. He turned and looked, but he couldn't see anything.

"Sorry," he shrugged. "Reggie's been trying to show me for years, but . . ."

"Here, look," Dawn said, coming to sit next to him. Paul felt his breath catch in his throat. She was very, very close, and he could smell whatever perfume she was wearing. It was something flowery that reminded him of summer.

"You just have to focus," Dawn said. She pointed again, but Paul wasn't paying attention. He leaned forward and kissed her gently, his heart going crazy. Dawn's eyes went wide, her long lashes almost touching her brows. And then she was kissing him back, her arms around his neck. Paul somehow ended up with his own arms around her waist, holding her close.

Paul couldn't exactly say how long they kissed. All he knew was that when they broke apart, her smile made his heart ache so intensely that he thought it might stop.

"Umm . . ." Dawn said, blushing.

Paul laughed. "My thoughts exactly," he said, kissing her again.

Kind of short, but I hoped you guys liked it. In the spirit of Halloween, please leave me a review, and be on the lookout for my other Halloween themed oneshots. Thanks!