Castle in the Sky

A Pokémon Two-shot by TKCat

Rating: K+

Paring: Ikarishipping (Paul/Dawn), (hinted) Advanceshipping (Ash/May)

Genre: Romance, General

Warnings: Mild Language, slight Spoilers (but you all knew Ash would battle at Sunnyshore, anyway…)

Beta'ed by: [Unbeta'ed]

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or anything related to the series.

A/N: At the end...

-Castle in the Sky-

Part 2

What's he doing here? Dawn wondered to herself as she eyed the Veilstone trainer, who was staring blankly back at her. Had he seen her sneak out? Or had he followed her? Perhaps to make sure she was okay; perhaps to keep her company. Was that too much to hope for…? Paul raised an eyebrow at her sudden silence, and she knew she should've said something by then. Panicking, she spoke the only thing that came to mind…

"Paul," she stated flatly, dumfounded expression present on her face.

She knew that was the wrong answer when Paul gave her a look that told her he was half tempted to say "No, it's Santa Claus," even though that would be way out of character for him. Instead he repeated what he had said when he startled the Twinleaf coordinator earlier, slower this time as to insult her short attention span. "Little girls like you should be safely tucked into their beds at this hour. Who knows if you'll still be there in the morning if you get mixed up with the wrong people?"

Dawn's heart skipped a beat and she felt her cheeks redden a bit at the remark. She couldn't be any more relieved that the darkness hid it. Seen from any other person's eyes, Paul had just shown great concern about her wellbeing. But then again, this was Paul. Coming from him, she knew it was an insult on her young foolishness. Pouting, she countered, "Well, you ain't that much older than me, so how come you can be out at night then?"

"At least I am old enough to not be dependent on travelling with a bunch of people who aren't even going the same direction I am."

The smugness of his voice irritated Dawn, and the fact that he had a small point was even more frustrating. But Dawn couldn't say she agreed: far from it actually, and she immediately countered the statement. "Travelling with someone else with different goals gives much more than a solo journey. Sure, I can't go directly to my destinations, but I get to learn a lot of things I wouldn't have otherwise… and it's a lot of fun," she argued proudly, smiling slightly at the fond memories she had created on her journey. Memories of her friends, Pokémon, rivals... they were of the kind she couldn't have discovered alone. She directed her hearty smile at Paul. "You should try it sometime."

The Veilstone trainer closed his eyes for a second. Glancing up at her again, he replied with a simple declaration. "Not interested."

Dawn huffed in defiance. She hadn't expected a different answer, either way. Something else was poking her interest, though. "So what are you really doing out here?" she asked, then said teasingly: "You aren't only looking out for me, are you?"

For a split second, Paul looked a bit taken back. Dawn disbelievingly thought she had actually managed to bring out a reaction like she had intended, even though she hadn't expected one, but as a strange sound vibrated through the air the slight shock dissolved and turned back to the expressionless face Paul usually wore. Now Dawn's attention was on the strange noise. It sounded like the buzzing of a bug's wings mixed up with the flicker of a Seviper's tongue. Dawn looked around, trying to find the source of the eccentric noise, but ended up clueless. She turned back to Paul to ask him about it, but was to her horror met with the red-glowing eyes that hovered in the air only a couple of inches from her face. Seconds ticked by as they stood staring at each other, Dawn and the strange eyes, unblinking… and then it hissed.

It was a miracle that Sunnyshore City didn't jump out of their beds at Dawn's scream.

"Ah! Go away, go away—get away from me!" she yelled, waving her arms hysterically around her head as she crouched to "hide" from the monster. She could bet she was close to fainting out of sheer fear when Paul's familiar dark voice reached her ears.

"Ninjask, return," he ordered calmly. Perplexed, Dawn looked up just in time to see the red silhouette of a bug Pokémon being drawn into a Pokéball in Paul's right hand.

Sparkling cobalt orbs, only vaguely dimmed by the night, blinked a couple of times, just staring at the ball in sheer puzzlement. Gradually everything ticked into place. Leisurely rising from her crouch, Dawn laughed embarrassedly while scratching her cheek with a delicate index finger. "Um… whoops?"

Paul gave an inaudible sigh, shrinking the ball and putting it into its rightful place on his belt. "I was training."

Dawn realized that statement was the answer to her previous question. Of course Paul was training. Wasn't he always? She should've been able to figure that out herself, instead of fantasizing about the Veilstone trainer actually following her out. Why did she have those thoughts, anyway? Why would she hope for Paul to be concerned about her? A voice in the back of her head knew the answer. For the same reason you want him to recognize you as a great coordinator.

But what was the reason…?

Dawn snapped out of her thought just in time to realize Paul had actually started to walk down the dirt trail and away into the woods – without even saying goodbye! Puffing to her cheeks, she stopped herself from tossing a childish insult at him for being so rude to a young lady. But she didn't want him to leave already: she wanted him to stay. Or at least stay with him. Swallowing her annoyance, she turned after him.

"Paul!" she shouted, and smiled in relief when he stopped. He didn't turn to face her, though that was ignored as a minor detail. Dawn continued, "Can I… can I watch you train?"

An awkward silence followed, and Dawn once again expected a negative answer. She turned mutely and began to walk away when Paul's voice stopped her. "Suite yourself," he said, and the soft footsteps that followed proved that he was starting to walk again.

Dawn couldn't help a wide smile as she spun around to follow him, hair waving behind her as she ran to catch up.

Watching Paul train was nothing short of amazing. He was cleverly using the darkness of the night and the bending branches of the trees in the forest as the perfect training field for his Ninjask. The Pokémon had to concentrate on avoiding crashing into anything in the darkness and still hit the targets Paul threw up for it. The spectacular show of speed and accuracy was breathtaking for Dawn, being the coordinator she was. The show they presented would work really well in a performance rounds. She unconsciously applauded the Pokémon when it hit three targets in a row.

After a while of having the Ninjask hit targets and avoiding trees, Paul decided to raise the bar. Clicking another Pokéball out of his belt, he called his Honchkrow out. Dawn took notice of how it enjoyed the dark of the night around it, and the shadows of the trees really complimented its dark-type nature. She was, however, perplexed when Paul called its Haze attack. The move covered the area in a thick cloud of darkness, and made the night even darker than it already was.

"Ninjask, continue," Paul commanded, throwing more targets into the dark veil. Only the pieces falling down confirmed that they had been hit. A smirk was brought onto Paul's face. "Honchkrow, Night Slash, into the haze," he ordered, throwing up more targets. The flying Pokémon did as ordered, but Ninjask's speed was once again up to the task. It avoided Honchkrow's attack and hit every target.

But Dawn wasn't as impressed as previously. "Why'd you do that?" she asked from her spot by the edge of the makeshift training field, catching Paul's attention.

"Do what?" he asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at her as Honchkrow landed by his side.

"Use the Haze like that!" At Paul's questioning stare, Dawn continued, "You're hiding Ninjask in the cloud, and while everyone knows it's doing great, no one can see it! You can't show it off if you… if…"

Dawn trailed off as her face heated up in embarrassment of what she had just said. She'd been so into how well the training showed Paul's Pokémon's good points and abilities – Ninjask's speed, Honchkrow's natural beauty in the given scenery – that she had forgotten the fact that she was watching a trainer aiming for the Sinnoh League – not a coordinator like herself. Looking shamefully at Paul, she saw he had realized her error.

He eyed her intensely, making her feel a little uncomfortable and vulnerable in the darkness of the night, before he spoke, "If you're looking for ways to improve your little act in that huge circus of a talent show you call Contests, you're being pathetic. I'm not interested in doing summersaults because you aren't happy with the wheels. You're wasting your time."

Dawn found her feet to be very interesting as Paul spoke those harsh words. They stung, deeply, and perhaps they went a little over the border, but the facts remained the same. The truth was hard to swallow. "… Sorry."

She wanted to hit herself for sounding so meek and hurt. Actually, she wanted to hit herself for saying something like what she had in the first place. But she had been so carried away, and now she had by mistake proved that she was far from "smart"; she was pretty dumb, if she had to say so herself.

Dawn waited for Paul to tell her to go to bed, as he had suggested earlier, but was surprised when he merely exhaled and lifted his Pokéballs. "Let's take a break. Return, both of you," he ordered, and with a flash of red the Pokémon went back into their respective Pokéballs. Turning to Dawn, he tilted his head in a fashion that could easily be read as "follow me". He started walking, and Dawn followed sullenly.

-Pawn-

Dawn found herself sitting on a small grass-clad cliff bending over the endless ocean that resisted on the coast of Sunnyshore, with a good view of the harbor and the dock where they had met with May just a few hours ago. The clock was probably nearing three in the morning already, and the city was as dead as a graveyard, but she couldn't seem to mind. Her stomach churning violently with excitement was one of the factors. The whole situation was so… unbelievable. Here she was, listening to waves crashing gently against the shore, watching the moonlight reflected on the surface of the sea and admiring the stars up at the sky as they gleamed brilliantly, filling every corner of the never-ending blue; almost like a star ocean. What made the setting so extraordinary though was the person sitting to her left.

Paul was watching the stars with her. Squeak.

Well, that was probably not his point in bringing her there, but the fact still remained the same. She couldn't explain why, but the situation made her extremely happy. Just spending time with a superior Pokémon trainer… No, spending time with Paul made her feel like this. Excited, trembling, happy… it was as if she was sitting by a friend she hadn't seen in a long time, and that made her feel good, like she was finally reunited with a long lost part of her life. Strangely, she wanted it to stay like that. Be Ash's rival or not, Paul being there made Dawn feel good, like she still had many things to accomplish and many goals to reach. She felt that it still mattered that she was there.

Somehow, she could imagine that must've been what May felt when she had seen Ash again. The safety, the empowering feelings that gave new determination... Dawn could feel that, too. Now she understood why May kept glancing at the Pallet trainer. She found herself doing the same with the Veilstone trainer she sat with. He makes me feel worth something.

"What's wrong?"

Paul's voice brought her out of her high, and she blinked a few times before smiling. She didn't want to worry him. "Oh, nothing's wrong. I'm perfectly fine."

Her answer didn't seem to please him. He dug his intense dark orbs into her, obviously saying that he didn't believe her. A soft breeze blew by, disarranging his deep, purple locks to lie to some extent over his piercing eyes. The same happened to her cobalt hair. Paul didn't as much as move. Dawn fixed her hair singlehandedly, never breaking their gaze. But it was hard not to. She disliked the way he was looking so doubtingly at her, as if she couldn't be trusted. She didn't want that…

Dawn gave in first, breaking the staring contest to look down at her bent knees. She sent him a small glare to see that he still waited for an answer to his previous question. Dawn sighed and hesitantly gave it to him. "I've just been feeling… useless lately. And now May… Ash's friend, the one I told you about at the Pokémon Center, remember? Well, she and I are supposed to have a contest battle at noon using the Pokémon we used in the Grand Festival finals, and I'm sort of at a huge disadvantage," she paused a little to glance up at the sky, trying to calm her shaking voice. "I was going to try and train a little... but then you came around, and I thought that maybe I could… pick up something."

"I've already told you, there is nothing to pick up."

She nodded regretfully. "Yeah…"

They both grew quiet after that. The cry of a Wingull could be heard not far from the coast line as a fishing boat set out from shore. So early in the morning, Dawn murmured, happy that she wasn't much into fishing. She glanced over at her quiet companion to see his onyx orbs following the boat as it left the safety of the harbor. That's true, Dawn suddenly remembered. Paul's boat is leaving for the league today.

"Um," Dawn broke the silence. Paul glanced sideways at her. "When does your boat leave?"

"At six in the morning," he replied casually. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Dawn assured, looking at her knees again as she pulled them up to her chest. "That's just a few hours until…"

Paul didn't answer. They went back into their comfortable silence; just listening to the slowly waking city and watching the night slowly ebb away. They sat quiet like for what seemed like hours to Dawn. She was sure dawn would break at any time now, and stared longingly into the horizon, expecting the sun to show up. Before that could happen, however, Paul stood up.

Disappointed that he was leaving, Dawn was about to ask the Veilstone trainer to stay a while longer. She stopped herself, however. Paul had a boat to catch. She, one small annoyance in his life that had just wasted his time greatly, didn't even have the right to ask. Hugging her knees tighter, she waited for him to go, but was surprised when he spoke to her.

"What did you come up with?"

Dawn blinked. Huh…? She whipped her head up to stare questioningly at him. "What do you…?"

The purple-haired trainer repeated himself. "What ideas for your battle did you come up with? How are you going to use Togekiss' and Piplup's charms to win over this May?" As Dawn blinked blankly again, Paul sighed. "Don't tell me you just sat there for an hour without thinking of a single strategy…"

She blushed furiously and all but jumped up from her position. "N-No! Of course I… hey, wait. How did you know I used Togekiss and Piplup…?"

Paul smirked this time, partly over Dawn's embarrassment and the obvious answer he was about to deliver. "It's kind of impossible not to know when they keep replaying clips from the final on TV all the time." Dawn stilled her blush, but didn't say anything. "So, do you or do you not have an idea?"

"Uh, w-well…" Dawn stuttered, avoiding eye contact in fear of letting Paul read her through her eyes.

"Alright, I take that as a 'no'," Paul stated, and turned to look at the sky again. Dawn was about to say something, but Paul cut her off once again. "Piplup, the penguin Pokémon and a water-type; Togekiss; the jubilee Pokémon and a dual normal and flying type... Let's start with Togekiss. What do you connect with celebration, Dawn?"

"Oh, um…" Stumbling out of her earlier embarrassment, Dawn bit down on her lip, thinking seriously about her answer. "Well… there's cake, balloons, dancing… and then there's fireworks…"

"Alright," Paul stopped her from going further. "What are your immediate thoughts when you think of your Togekiss? Any specific items or feelings…?"

Dawn had to think harder on this one. She thought back to the first performance she had seen with Togekiss while it still belonged to princess Salvia, her undeniably less clumsy doppelganger. It had seemed graceful, and brought a serene calm to her, as well as the rest of the crowd watching – it expressed real royalty throughout the whole show. A higher form of society, much more graceful and correct than she was used to, yet respected. Royalty of the highest levels, meaning kings and queens, handsome princes, beautiful princesses, great riches, and everything a luxurious though unrealistic life should include. It made her think of fairytales, which again made her think of…

"…Castles," Dawn spoke, smiling suddenly. Throwing her arms out in expression, she continued. "Huge, magnificent castles made of crystals that glitters beautifully in the sunlight every morning when dawn becomes a new day."

She glanced sheepishly at Paul, a bit embarrassed by the awakening of her poetic side, but she then understood that giving her exact thoughts was exactly what he wanted from her when she saw him nod calculatingly. "Good… and now Piplup. What do you feel when you see Piplup?"

Dawn didn't have to think long about this one. "Happiness, courage… it's this strange feeling that always makes you feel like you can fly higher than anything, do anything. It's like fireworks are going off inside you, if you know what I mean!"

Dawn, too busy finding words to express her feelings for her first Pokémon, didn't see Paul's almost invisible nod. It was more like a drop of his head, though. Only the slight movement of a few strands of hair could prove that he moved at all, and with the slight breeze of the night it couldn't really be confirmed. But though Dawn couldn't see it, she could feel the intense stare that had been holding her for a while, soften even so slightly. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, she decided to ask, but was given no time as Paul gave her one last exercise.

"Now, combine the two."

For a moment, Dawn looked questioningly at the Veilstone trainer. A second later, her cobalt eyes widened to become almost impossibly big as she realized something gravely important. Her pink lips twitched into a soft smile, and then into a full-blown grin. Everything was falling into place now. "Of course… of course, that's what I have to do! Why didn't I realize sooner!" she exclaimed, excitement bubbling up in her like she was going for her first contest ever, all over again. "I already have everything I need, I just have to see it as a whole, do something only I can do… It's perfect. It's so perfect! Oh, I have a lot to do now! I need to work hard!"

She jumped up in sheer bliss, laughing loudly with joy as the ideas kept popping up in her mind. She spun around and threw her hands up at the night sky, not knowing what to do with all the positive energy that filled her. Everything just felt so right. Then she spotted Paul, standing at the exact same spot he had since he stood up, but with a huge difference that made Dawn's heart jump again. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't smiling either, but he wasn't smirking one of his usual degrading smirks. Instead, there was something in-between; a small tug of the lip that made his whole face light up in some sort of amusement. Amusement of the good kind, mind you. He almost seemed… glad. He was glad for her.

Dawn couldn't really decide what she should think about that conclusion, but she knew one thing for sure. That was the pure, sweet happiness she felt when looking at the boy who had just helped her out big-time; the boy who had second handedly helped her though her whole journey. This boy made her feel safe. This boy made her feel worth something again. She wanted to share that happiness with him, Paul: the closed off boy that somehow lit a Christmas tree of feelings in her.

I want him to feel the same.

Closing the distance between them with a few lighthearted steps, Dawn stood less than a foot's length from the Veilstone trainer, smiling brightly up at him.

Paul stared bewildered down at her as she leaned closer – too close for the normal comfort. She stood out like a lighthouse in the near-dark. It was impossible not to notice how her long, dark hair complimented her paler, though healthy-looking complexion; or how her eyes looked so much deeper when standing so close, like oceans of cobalt velvet; or even how her pale pink lips moved temptingly as she caringly spoke three simple words that usually weren't directed at him. Three simple words that made a usually stone-cold heart skip a couple of beats. Three simple words…

"Paul…"

-Pawn-

The night was at its deathbed. More life, though still subtle, could be observed in the harbor, and several boats started moving out to the sea, Wringulls following them on their way. The air was still a little cold, and dew gathered up at the chilled leaves of the trees as a rush of warmer air came to pass. A streak of light appeared in the horizon, telling of the birth of a new day. Sunnyshore city would soon be buzzing with life – but for now, this was the ideal time to lie in ones bed and wait to rise with the sun…

"Dawn! What's up with dragging us out at this hour?" Ash groaned loudly, followed by yawns coming from May and Brock.

"Quit complaining!" Dawn replied back as she continued to lead the way away from the Pokémon Center, mystifying the gang with her unusually grand cheeriness. When she saw them tagging too far behind for her liking, she turned around to urge them on. "Come on, come on! We haven't got all morning, you know!"

"Pi…" Pikachu's tired sigh accompanied by a load of exhausted groans sounded through the dim morning, but Dawn paid them no mind.

After a couple of minutes of walking, Dawn came to a halt. She turned and grinned at the gang as they took in the scenery. They were standing at the shoreline, right next to the ocean, with an outstanding sight of the slowly waking harbor. The strong green of the grass clashed wonderfully with the blue of the ocean and the white in the horizon. Vista Lighthouse provided a strange effect to the scene, the light it emitted bouncing off of the waves. It was truly a beautiful sight, but what would Dawn want them here for?

May was the one to ask as she tiredly rubbed her left eye. The Hoenn coordinator was however fully alerted when she saw the determination shining in the blue-haired girl's eyes. It was empowered by the growing light of the day as it reflected brilliantly in her cobalt eyes. May knew what Dawn wanted even before she opened her mouth. "Our battle… I want to have it here. Here and now."

And May accepted, sporting a grin herself. "You're on, Dawn. But don't think you'll be at an advantage just because I just woke up," she warned, pulling her gloves down to secure them on her hands. "I'm always ready for a battle."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Dawn replied, smiling challengingly at the brunette.

"Hey, wait," Ash shot in, giving the girls an exhausted smile. "Can't you just wait until noon as planned? I really want to be awake to watch it, not half asleep…"

"No!" the girls replied in unison, glaring daggers at the poor Pallet trainer. May then smiled gently at his stunned expression. "Now is as good as ever," she said, then looked up at Dawn again. "Let's get it on."

Ash backed away to slump down at the sideline with Pikachu as the girls took their position. Brock sighed tiredly, but knew that there was no rocking those girls if they said no to even Ash. "I guess I'll get the Pokégear ready…"

Brock explained how he had been talking to Khoury's father the evening after they returned to the Pokémon Center to receive a new prototype function to his Pokégear. The function, dubbed "Contest Card 1.6", would enable Brock to judge an unofficial Contest battle by taking points from the participants using the Pokégear. They were all amazed by the new addition in the Pokégear, and the boys immediately got it up and running by plugging it to a portable TV-screen they got from the Pokémon Center.

Now they could finally begin.

Brock looked between the two contestants, eying the fiery spirits shown in their eyes. He was smiling to himself as he deliberated that they had both grown enormously since he first met them. This could be one tough battle.

"We'll be doing this in Sinnoh Contest style, using ball capsules. Everyone ready?" he asked, and was answered by two curt nods. "Alright… Begin!"

Dawn went first, pulling out her two capsules, both marked with the Bubble seal. She grinned in excitement as she did her usual contest pose, releasing both Pokémon. "Piplup, Togekiss… spotlight!" The Pokémon were shown off in a field of bubbles that ultimately brought out the serene blues of their coats. Piplup landed in front of Togekiss, appearing as a cute mascot in front of the graceful Pokémon behind it. Dawn smirked as her Pokémon posed. Entrance, success!

"Cute," May commented, bringing out her capsules. "But that's nothing against these! Come on, you two! Take the stage!"

Blue bubbles once again covered the field, disabling Dawn from seeing the Pokémon entering. However, with a raging battle cry from within the bubbles, small green lightning from what must've been the Ele-seal shot out from a center in the mass of foam, popping every single bubble into incredible fine, glittery dust in the shades of blue and green. The elegant form of Glaceon was revealed, fur standing out beautifully in the cloud of dust, but what really captured Dawn's attention was the other Pokémon May sent out. Landing powerfully behind Glaceon, like a master behind its pet, stood Blaziken like a blistering torch in the night. The display of power seethed through the night, making the Twinleaf coordinator shiver.

Dawn immediately steeled her nerves as she realized that. She had to focus. These were the Pokémon May used when she won the Johto Grand Festival. These were the Pokémon she had to beat. She had already fought and won against Glaceon, but Blaziken was a whole new territory for her. And at that, both Pokémon must've grown stronger over the last months. She felt her hands quiver in anticipation as she opened her mouth to call the first move.

Please… watch me.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

-Pawn-

Paul leaned against the ice cold rails of the boat he was taking. The night had proved colder than he had first anticipated. Right now, he couldn't wait for the first warming sunrays. He was cold, and additionally he was tired. Sitting out at night with a perky coordinator did that with you. That Dawn… she had really been bubbling with energy when he left her to pack his bags. If he had caught her right, she was going to use that energy to battle another coordinator at noon.

He snorted quietly. It was almost a shame that he couldn't be there to watch. He wanted to see if she could actually do something talented with all that raw energy. Perhaps she wasn't the brightest Magnemite in the power plant, but she did have something promising about her… for being a coordinator.

Personally, he couldn't stand coordinating. All the superficial glitter and glam they brought over the old art of Pokémon battling was sickening to him. Pokémon were helpful guardians and good for helping out with work in the daily life – they were not dolls you could stash up to make entertainment for fashion-freaks. Battling, after Paul's opinion, helped Pokémon use their abilities to protect and help their trainer. Coordinating didn't. It was as simple as that.

But Dawn was different. Not in her way of coordinating, but there was something about her Perhaps her fighting spirit, which reminded very much of the spirit of a Pokémon trainer. She wished to become stronger, more so than being a fashion icon. Sure, like every other coordinator, that was appealing to her as well, but her will to become stronger was outstanding comparing to them.

Perhaps that was what had him so…

The rumbling of the boat as it left shore shook him out of his thoughts. He closed his tired eyes for a moment, breathing in the salt air as he was carried away from the harbor. The clock was past six, then. Soon enough, the sun would rise, he concluded, looking over at the horizon. But as a blazing streak of red appeared in his vision, he knew sunrise wouldn't come that soon.

Glancing to his side, he found the red light coming from the darkness of the opposite shore. His onyx eyes widened slightly. That was the blazing of a Flamethrower attack. No mistaking it. A second later, the spinning of a Whirlpool captured the blazing fire, balancing fire and water perfectly in a deadly spin.

His mouth formed a thin line as he realized what this was.

Dawn…

Paul's full attention was now at the coast line, gaze never faltering as he watched the raging moves of a contest battle from afar.

…I'm watching you.

-Pawn-

The battle had been raging on for some time now. Attacks and combinations of the highest levels had been exchanged between the two coordinators. Dawn had managed to surprise May with her new array of combinations and techniques, but on the other hand, she never knew what May was going to do next. She had been ultimately surprised, and perhaps a little annoyed, when May imitated her Flame-Ice combination by mixing Ember and Ice Shard into a beautiful storm she dubbed Blazing Blizzard. Both Togekiss and Piplup had taken damage from that move, even though Togekiss had managed to fly them into safety.

Ash had been cheering from the sideline along with Pikachu, urging both coordinators to go on. Strangely, this affected May more than his current travelling companion, and Dawn found herself pushed back every time Ash gave them a compliment – either because May wanted to prove it right, or because she wanted to prove it better than Dawn.

Brock was measuring points, being as fair as any judge should be. Shown on the screen, three minutes remained and May was in a clear lead.

However, when May commanded Blaziken to shoot another Flamethrower directed at the flying Togekiss, Dawn hatched a plan to turn the tables. She ordered Piplup to launch a Whirlpool while spinning to make room for the fire in between the waves of water. She gave a victorious cheer as it succeeded, resulting in Piplup holding on to spirals of fire and water. Blaziken had just landed very close to Glaceon, and Dawn took this as her chance to create massive damage.

"Alright, Piplup!" she shouted he command, "Throw it, now!"

"Pip-Piplup!" the penguin Pokémon gave a battle cry as it threw the heavy combination move at the two Pokémon. Dawn grinned as it was a sure hit, but her expression faded as she saw May smirk knowingly at her.

"I was waiting for this opportunity," she said, turning to her Glaceon. Dawn knew right away that something was up. "Let's go. Use your Iron Tail!"

Cold dread washed over the Twinleaf coordinator as she watched the ice-type do the exact same thing Zoey had her Glameow do to ruin her act during the finals. She was losing points now May had waited for her to slip up like that so she could use her advanced knowledge to throw it right back at Dawn… literally in this case.

"Spin it, and add Ice Shard," May then ordered, and Glaceon instantaneously spun the flaming Whirlpool to make room for needle-sharp shards of ice. Dawn panicked, not knowing what to do to avoid the hit when it came. Togekiss was still soaring, and could graciously avoid the attack, but it wouldn't have the time to pick up Piplup from the ground. Piplup was in some serious danger. May kept up the act. "And now Blaziken, show them a Mega Kick! Send it flying!"

The Blaze Pokémon lit up with the energy needed to perform the commanded attack. Dawn watched it jump up and swing its leg at the gleaming multiple-elemental Whirlpool, dreading it as she saw it work. The combined attack soared towards Piplup. She swallowed dryly. This would be a chance game. If it worked, she'd hit back. And if not… she hadn't thought about that yet. But for now, it was all on one chance.

Please make it work, she prayed, before shouting desperately out to a fearful Piplup. "Piplup, stand your ground! Use Bide!"

The penguin did as its master told it, taking its stance right in front of the attack. Dawn's determination had reached it, but if it would work was another story. As the impact came, Dawn couldn't help but shut her eyes tightly until the flashing lights were gone. It darkened once more, and as she slowly cracked her eyes open, she found herself staring at a glowing cloud of smoke. No, just smoke, but with a glowing source inside it.

It cleared slowly, and Dawn unconsciously noticed less than two minutes remained on the clock. Both Ash and Brock stared intensely at the smoke as it settled down, and May kept a straight face as she waited for the results of her attack. It was deadly quiet on the field. A large lump formed in the Twinleaf coordinator's throat, and she wished dearly that it would be alright. No need to worry… right…?

Suddenly the lump disappeared. The smoke had cleared completely, and Piplup was still standing, body filled with the energy of the Bide. Its coat gleamed luminously, and it appeared as a small star standing in the middle of the battlefield. Slowly, it turned around to face her, giving a curt nod to sign it was okay. Dawn couldn't have been more grateful. A smile found its way to her face.

Now it was her turn.

May stood awed at the other side of the field, admiring the sheer beauty of the small penguin, but was alerted when Dawn gained a very confident expression on her face. Raising her voice, she commanded Togekiss to fly down to Piplup. May knew not to let that happen and immediately had Glaceon mix its Ice Beam with Blaziken's Flame Thrower to bring down the royal Pokémon, but to no avail as it made it down to the still glowing Piplup.

"Alright, jump onto Togekiss, Piplup!" Dawn commanded next, grinning at May's frustration. "Fly straight up!"

The Pokémon did as ordered, resulting in a glowing star sending out rays of light soaring up into the night. Just as this went on, the sunrise finally came. The display ended up as a star fleeing the growing light of a new day, in a way no one had ever seen performed in a Pokémon contest before. May lost a great deal of points, but Dawn wasn't anywhere near finished.

And spotting a boat leaving shore over at the harbor only strengthened her willpower.

Dawn smiled knowingly, cobalt eyes following the small, dark figure standing on the deck and following her every move. This was it. "Let's build a castle," she spoke quietly, to herself more than her Pokémon – and to the figure even more so. She turned her attention on the soaring combination, and gave her next command. "Piplup, Togekiss, let's try what I told you about earlier! Bubblebeam and Air Slash, let's go!"

May was at a loss as she watched Dawn's Pokémon work together up in the sky, using Togekiss' Air Slash to catch and form Piplup's bubbles into some sort of great construction. She couldn't do anything to stop whatever was going on as she couldn't even spot the two Pokémon in the cloud of bubbles surrounding them. The sun rose further above the horizon and the sight that met them all was more striking and breath-taking than anything they had seen so far in the battle.

High up in the air, slowly sinking down towards the ground, stood a castle made solely of bubbles and sea foam. Every glossy bubble reflected the growing morning light, making the castle shine in the colors of a new day. Its reflection bounced off of the surface of the ocean, making it seem like two castles – one in the sky and one under water. Both coordinators stood unmoving as the palace of bubbles soared down to them.

May was about to have her Pokémon destroy the castle and use the glittering of the bubbles to her own benefit, but Dawn took action first. "Now, release the energy, Piplup!"

In the matter of seconds, the castle exploded into an array of shining dust and glowing bubbles moving out in every direction, bathing Sunnyshore City in the beautiful radiance. The light show had May's attention for a few long seconds until she realized she had been fooled. She turned her head back to the battle just in time to see the burning red aura of Dawn's Sky Attack-Peck combination aiming straight for her Pokémon.

She desperately yelled out for a countering Blaze Kick and Shadow Ball, but it was already too late. The impact was unavoidable.

Bright pulses of light were sent out with immense force. Morning suddenly became Day in Sunnyshore City.

-Pawn-

Paul was now not the only spectator to the show going on over at the shoreline, but the amazed comments and cheers coming from his co-passengers didn't bother his attention at all. He was firmly watching the castle in the sky as it exploded, sending bubbles flying everywhere – including the boats way. The display was breath-taking – even Paul couldn't say something at that – and the audience was laughing and cheering as the bubbles reached the boat.

The Veilstone trainer was busy trying to spot Dawn's Pokémon up there, and didn't notice a bubble right in front of him before it touched his nose. He staggered back, staring suspiciously at the thing as it didn't break. It neared him again, this time stopping in front of him. He then noticed the inscription on the surface, made out of sea foam that formed three simple words.

Then his thoughts went back to just a few hours before.

"Paul…" she spoke sweetly, face slowly nearing his. He could feel her warm breath on his cold cheeks, gently caressing the pale skin there. He was about to ask her what she was doing, and tell her to stop.

She didn't know what she did to him. She didn't know how she made him feel. She didn't know that he hated how obsessed she was with coordinating and her friends to even notice that he had trouble trying to stare her down like he did with everyone else. She didn't know that he hated it when she cheered at his rival instead of him. She didn't know that he wanted her to smile at him more…

Dawn would never know that the next words she spoke only meant so much to him when they came from her.

He read the words slowly, and was inwardly grateful that everyone's attention was at the show on shore… No one saw how his face heated up in a strange sort of deep embarrassment.

"…Thank you."

The warm lips pressed onto his cheek could've melted the greatest ice bergs out there. He'd know, because they had already melted the ice covering his heart.

A pale hand came up to gently touch the same spot Dawn had kissed him, still feeling the velvet touch on his cheek. He was about to touch the bubble, perhaps shade it from any sort of destruction, just as a sharp pulse of light hit the boat. The bubble burst into golden glitter, blinding him for a second.

Then everything was gone.

Only the words inscribed on the bubble echoed in his head. "Thank you."

Dawn pulled back, before hoping a few feet away from the shocked trainer. She grinned brightly, eyes shining with cheeriness as she looked at his hot-glowing face. And she spoke again.

"I'll do my best… for you. Okay? Let's both do our best!"

For the first time in years, a small smile graced Paul's lips.

"Yeah," he spoke to himself, giving a last glance at the shoreline before it vanished out of his sight. "Let's do our best."

Dawn... Thank you.

-Pawn-

Dawn gave a last glance at the shoreline before it vanished out of sight. She sighed heavily, as that would be the last time she'd see Sunnyshore City in a while. Then she smiled, looking happily ahead as the boat made its way towards the Sinnoh League Conference. That's where her future lay, for now.

After her Sky Attack-Peck combination during her battle with May, all the Pokémon had been left standing – but just barely. They were both down to only a few points with ten seconds remaining. Dawn was just about to call out a last attack when May had stopped the battle. She firmly called her forfeit and ran up to her severely injured Pokémon, gently nursing their wounds. Dawn had stood paralyzed for a second before doing the same, gently soothing her hard working Pokémon.

When she had asked the Hoenn coordinator why she had forfeited, May simply laughed and smiled happily at her as she said: "I've been proven that there are coordinators stronger than me out there. In a real contest battle, I'd have lost the moment I got distracted by the air castle. Now I have a reason to keep getting stronger, so for that… thank you, Dawn."

Dawn had felt the same. She still had a reason to get stronger now.

They had said goodbye to May that evening, watching as she left for Hoenn, and then to an unknown destination. Dawn wondered if she should've asked where, as she'd never pass up another battle with the Top Coordinator – but that could wait.

The next day, Ash had battled Volkner for the Bacon Badge, and won with the help of Infernape. Additionally, May's last wish of good luck had empowered his will to the point where loss was out of the question. Now, in the evening, they were already off towards the Sinnoh League Conference.

There she'd see Paul again. She smiled to herself, wondering what he had thought of her parting gift. If she had been right, he had given the reaction she had hoped for ever since the hinted reaction she had gotten when they met at the Pokémon Center.

Dawn really liked Paul. That was something she had come to accept. She'd prove it when they met again. And this time… she'd make sure to hit her mark as well.

She pouted as she thought back to her missed shot. Damn… why did you have to tilt your head that one second, idiot! I wasn't aiming for the cheek!

End

A/N: There! A strange ending for a strange kind of love… in my head, that is. I was frozen at the point where I wanted the Pawn-ness to jump up. I've never written Ikari-fluff before… I feel like I failed. On the other hand, Paul better watch out now! Dawn isn't letting him get away this time! So there!

I feel like I need more understanding of this shipping, though… if you have a good story, don't hesitate to tell me. :] Other than that, I might try a MC for this pairing, but right now… I have some angry fans in the Naruto fandom that needs feeding. They're filling my inbox with pleas for food. O_o I'll see what I can do for them, but my mind is so into Ikari right now… damn.

Okay, that's it for now! Thank you for reading! *bows* (_ _)

-TKCat