A/N: . . . I honestly have no excuse for taking so long.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line. Kudos to Satoshi Tajiri completely.

Everything around them was still as they walked. The only sound was the rain dripping through the canopy of trees, drops falling on them every now and then, and the soft, pitiful cries of Dawn. As Paul had been walking, she'd calmed down enough to the point where she could walk on her own. By then he knew if he set her down she wouldn't go running back to the burned field.

At first when he set her down she was a little wobbly. She'd almost fallen over from her exhaustion, but he'd managed to steady her by grabbing her arm. Neither of them said anything as the rain continued to fall on them. Condensation was misting around their hair, causing Dawn's blue locks to frizz. She didn't really care at the moment though; her hair was the last thing on her mind.

It was impossible for Paul to not realize how upset she was. She'd just watched one of her childhood friends get bashed in the ribs by another Pokémon, and neither of them saw what had happened to Topaz. Maybe the shiny had gone after the injured Flygon. Maybe it was still fighting that dinosaur-like beast.

Maybe this. Maybe that. Maybe maybe maybe.

There were too many possibilities of what could be happening back there—for the moment they needed to be worrying about how they were going to get home. With the trees and rain clouds above them blocking the sunlight, it was impossible to accurately determine how long they'd been walking. Dawn's Pokétch couldn't get a signal, its LED screen blank and useless to them. Her phone was equally useless, the trees interfering with any chance of receiving calls or messages. The battery was almost dead anyway. All they could do was trek on, hoping they were going in the right direction.

(Private chat box open)

— water_lily is online

— tempertantrum is online

— A_Plus_Girl is online

May: Hey, has anyone heard from Dawn yet?

Leaf: Not a peep. Wasn't she supposed to battle Paul today?

May: Yeah, but she hasn't called or texted me to let me know what happened. I know service is shoddy that far into the woods, but at least something should be able to get through.

Misty: I haven't heard anything either. Anybody know how to get in contact with Paul?

May: Please, like he'd give any of us his number.

Leaf: You've got a point there.

May: I wonder what his deal is.

Misty: Didn't his parents die when he was young? I heard Ash mention something about it a few days ago.

May: For real?

Leaf: That's so sad.

May: Yeah. I don't know what would happen if I lost mine.

Leaf: With mine and Misty's working out-of-town jobs, we might as well have no parents sometimes.

Misty: No kidding. My dad is manager at a bottling factory and my mom's the lifeguard of the state park. I wish they were home more for my swim meets :(

May: You're at the pool more than you are at home, Mist lol

May: You're like a Psyduck out of water.

Misty: Hey, my Psyduck is plenty fine on land. He's just … special.

Leaf: More like he needs special attention. Why does he keep doing that weird thing with his head?

May: I read that they do that because their psychic power is so strong it gives them massive headaches.

Leaf: That makes total sense!

Misty: Doesn't explain why he can't use a simple Psychic sometimes.

Leaf: Totally!

.

.

.

May: Hey, weren't we talking about Dawn?

The sound of rain above them was beginning to fade, the steady torrent changing into a light drizzle. Less drops of water were falling from the canopy of leaves, but the ground was still muddy beneath the layer of debris and dead leaves. The storm from a few weeks ago had caused more damage than what Dawn had first suspected. Limbs hung suspended from small vines, swaying in the slight wind; leaves stuck wetly to the soaked bark of fallen trees; so many branches hung low enough in their path that they had to duck beneath them, their damp ends brushing along their back. It wasn't long before she could feel the water soak through the lining of her thin coat. The wind blew over them, chilly enough to make her shiver. The cold seemed to wrap itself around her, keeping her in its grasp tight enough that she had to pull her hand from Paul's to wrap her arms around her front. She stuffed her fingers beneath her underarms, trying to find any way to keep warm.

I don't remember rain in the forecast, she thought idley when they stopped for a break. She'd peeled her coat off, bundling it into a ball. It wasn't much use to her soaked through with water. There was no other way to carry it besides with her hands, so she draped it over her arm in its bundled mess. Pain throbbed at one of her knees, so she sat down on a nearby fallen tree. The poor thing almost looked like it had been purposefully knocked over, its roots unearthed from the dirt. They looked straggly and dying. I wonder if this is from after Topaz ran off that day. Running her hand down the bark she found indentations that stretched down most of the trunk. They were dual markings, running parallel in a wavy pattern. Like something had been struggling to push it. There's two claw marks. Charizard have three claws on their arms.

A sudden gust of wind broke her train of thought. Her wet coat hit the ground with a sodden squish, effectively securing itself in the mud. The breeze brought an icy chill, a sign that winter was closing in on them. Criminy, she cursed. It's only the beginning of September. It's not supposed to get this cold for another month or so.

Small branches that were somehow still intact sat on both sides of her, barely blocking any of the wind. Huddling between them, she curled herself into a ball and tried to ignore the cold even as shivers ran through her. This is ridiculous—Ack!

A sudden weight on her shoulders startled her, almost knocking her off balance. She teetered on the log for a minute before she was able to right herself. When she could sit up straight, she blinked a couple times in surprise. On her shoulders hung Paul's jacket, its soft lining tickling her cheeks. Wait, what?

Looking up she saw that Paul was standing a few feet away, his back turned to her. From his posture she could tell he had his arms crossed in his usual moody way. He wasn't saying anything, so she assumed he meant for her to wear it. Heat flushed Dawn's face as she looked back down at the jacket. The sleeves were way too long she realized as she pulled it on, the edges falling past her fingertips. After a few moments the shivers ceased and feeling came back to her fingers.

"It's waterproof, better than what you were wearing." Paul's gruff voice broke their silence. He didn't turn to look at her when he said it, just hunched his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. A bit of a flush was visible creeping up the back of his neck and his ears.

Is he actually bashful? she wondered. The idea of it made her laugh a little. Impossible. When the wind blew again she didn't feel it as much as before. The heaviness of the jacket blocked it from her neck almost to her knees. This thing is huge on me, she mused as she zipped it up. As she pulled the collar around her neck a sudden smell caught her attention. For a moment she was confused, she didn't know any vegetation that smelled like this. Then she realized that it was the jacket itself. Its lining was giving off an aroma of whatever soap that Paul used. It was so warm inside of it that she couldn't help but wrap it tightly around her, cocooning herself in the scent.

So . . . This is what a boy smells like. Even though she tried her best, a small giggle escaped from her lips. The sound caught Paul's attention; he turned his head enough to glance at her over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. The feel of his gaze on her made her shy. Burying her blushing face inside the jacket she muttered, "It's warm."

With a nod he grunted, turning to look back at his front. They'd been resting for a few minutes, listening to the drizzle above as they both were silent. Beads of rain were still falling around them, but because the branches above kept them sheltered, only a few drops landed on either of them. Taking advantage of the silence, Dawn took the time to study Paul's back. His posture was straight, standing tall even with his hands stuffed deep in his pockets; his turtleneck was a fitted style, enough that she could determine the defining shape of his body.

Any visualization of Paul's body made her face flush furiously. Tugging the collar of the jacket, she heaved a heavy sigh. It felt like it came from deep within her, like even her soul wasn't sure what to do. I've got to pull myself together. First things first, they needed to find their way home.

"Anything yet?" May cradled her cellphone against her shoulder so she could pick up notes that had fluttered to the floor. Homework assignments were now scattered across her carpet, unfinished math problems peeking up at her as she grabbed them in stacks. She'd been studying to keep her mind off the fact that Dawn had been unreachable all day. A call from Leaf had been a welcome interruption.

"No, not yet." The older brunette sounded tired. All three girls had been trying to get ahold of Dawn all morning, but every time they called her cell there was a busy tone. They all knew that getting a signal out in the forest was difficult unless one flew over the trees, but it didn't hurt to try. "Have either of you gotten an answer from Ms. Johanna?" Calling Dawn's mom had really been a sort of a last resort, but after a few hours May and Misty had tried to call her too. The voicemail recording told them to leave a message, which both of them did.

May sighed. "Nothing. I think she's still at work, so she can't answer her phone." The chair she sat in creaked as she leaned backward. Stress and worry had been building up since the morning, weighing heavily on her shoulders. Dawn would disappear into the forest every now and then, but never for this long. Usually she'd let one of her friends know where she was going just in case something happened. But this time, all of them may have known where she was going, but none of them knew where she was. It was killing May. Misty and Leaf were equally worried, all three of them becoming agitated from worry. She continued, "I'm going to try and call Barry, he's the only other person I can think of that could know where she might be."

"Right. Misty and I will go check at her house, maybe she's already home but her phone's dead."

She has a home phone, though. May worried her lip between her teeth as she pushed a hand through her hair. She kept the thought to herself, saying good-bye to Leaf with a "Good luck."

"Have we been going around in circles?"

The grass rustled as they moved through a greener area. It seemed the smoke and fire hadn't reached this part of the forest, if the healthy vegetation was any indication. Dawn was glad that the entire forest hadn't been destroyed, but all the trees were making it difficult to navigate their way home. Maybe she was imagining things, but she swore that they'd passed the same fallen tree twice now. It was hard to tell whether it was the one they'd rested at, but she was pretty positive that moss didn't grow the same way on every tree. This is insane, she thought as she ducked under another branch. I've been walking through these trees as long as I can remember, how could I be lost?

Paul seemed to be having similar thoughts. Trailing slightly behind him, Dawn could hear grumbles as he muttered under his breath. It was hard to hear what he was saying since he had his back to her, but just like when she'd been outside the nurse's office she caught snatches of his one-sided conversation: ". . . can't be too far from town . . . stupid forest . . . like a maze." Obviously he was irritated about their situation, but that was no reason to insult her beloved forest. Maybe a little conversation would help to lighten the mood?

"Um . . ." She had to resist flinching when he turned to peer down at her. Maybe she was imagining it, but he actually seemed on the verge of exploding. "Um," she tried again, "I might have an idea to help."

Frustration was rolling off of him in waves, and it was making her nervous. A cold sweat formed on the back of her neck as she tried to speak. But when she opened her mouth, nothing but a pitiful squeak came out, much to her embarrassment. Oh jeez, why now? It wasn't just that he was looking at her, it was the way he looked at her. Almost as if he could see straight through her with his dark eyes. His dark, deep . . . She forcibly swallowed her nerves, trying to screw her head on straight again.

"Maybe," she started. He raised an eyebrow, motivating her to continue. "Maybe I can try something with Piplup. You remember that one thing he did earlier, using Hydro Pump to shoot himself into the air?"

He knew what she meant. It had been the one move that had cost him his second Pokémon during their fight. Frustration shown slightly in his eyes as he furrowed his brow for a moment, then it was gone. Any sort of window of emotion he ever left open for her almost always slammed shut immediately. It was starting to get very frustrating. "What of it?"

You don't have to sound mean . . . "Well, I was thinking—Shut up." His raised eyebrow annoyed her. "I was thinking that maybe he could try it again and see if he can get an overhead view of the trees. He might be able to point us toward town."

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Paul seemed to roll the idea around in his head. After a long silence he shrugged, turning his back to her. "Do whatever you want."

This nonchalant attitude of his is starting to piss me off. "You know what? Fine. I'll do what I want." Spinning on her heel she said, "And right now I want away from you." With that she stepped into the brush, pushing her way through it.

Somehow they'd managed to stray into a thicker area of trees. Branches kept pushing back at her as she tried climbing over another fallen tree in their path. These things are everywhere. That storm from a couple weeks back couldn't have possibly knocked over so many this far into the forest. Most of them were still young, their bark too thin to protect themselves from the cold. The same dual claw marks kept showing up, some of them gouged deep into the trunks. This was getting really weird.

Worrying her bottom lip, Dawn touched the tree that lay at her feet. Hopefully she could find what was doing this so she could stop the killing of so many trees. There had to have been at least twenty in the last thirty feet. Thinking back, Dawn remembered how large that dinosaur had been. It was far too tall and wide to be able to make damage like this; it would have been a much bigger amount of destruction. This was little stuff, most of the trees one- or two-year-old saplings. Was there something else running rampant?

When—if—she ever came upon what had made such a mess she'd worry about it then. For the moment she needed to focus on where she was going. What didn't help was that she had no idea how deep into the trees she'd gone; she refused to let this deter her. The whole reason she'd walked off the way she had was to make a point, and dammit, she was going to make it. Getting lost probably wouldn't help, though. Maybe she really should try to figure out just where she was.

Sighing, Dawn collapsed onto the ground. Her knees were killing her. None of the trees looked any different from ones she'd been walking past for Arceus knows how long. Honestly, she wasn't even sure if she'd been walking a straight path, so many trees, vines, and brush had been in her way and made her weave around them to continue walking. She was so tired that it didn't matter anymore if dirt got on her jeans, she'd already been disgusting. Soot still caked her clothes from earlier, and she didn't even want to know how bad she looked overall. God, she felt horrible, too.

Why did I storm off like that? Daddy always told me to never wander away from a group. Tears pricked her eyes as the cold, stabbing feelings of self-pity started to roll over her. She was lost, her feet were killing her, and loneliness was making her feel . . . well, alone. Before she could really begin to cry, a small gust of wind surrounded her, blowing it all away. It carried the scent of grass and . . . open air. That meant she was somewhere near the edge of the trees.

Ignoring the pain in her knees she scrambled to her feet, pushing her way over bushes and under branches. The wind was getting stronger, the sunlight growing brighter with every step she took. She could feel the warmth as she walked through patches of light that littered the ground. It wasn't long before she burst through some thick saplings, sunlight flashing in her eyes.

"Never thought I'd see this place again so soon." Pushing any remaining brush out of her way, she stepped into the sunshine. The warmth was so nice on her face; it felt so much better than the coolness of shade. Sunshine lit the entire field before her, its rays catching the movement of the long grass as it swayed in the wind. Oh man, it was such a nice breeze Dawn couldn't help but close her eyes as it swept over her, lifting her hair around her face. The scrunchie that had held her hair back had fallen out so long ago that she had no idea where it could be. Probably somewhere under a bush, buried in the dirt. I'll need to get a new one, she thought idly as she moved closer to the grass.

It was quiet in the field, no sound but the wind in her ears. It was . . . peaceful, something she didn't realize she'd been wanting ever since she'd been carted away over Paul's shoulder. Recognizing it as the field where the Stantler and Sawsbuck herd had been grazing helped her stay calm, even when the scenery around her seemed to . . . tip.

"Whoa." Steadying herself on a nearby trunk, she leaned her forehead against the back of her hand. The rough bark beneath her palm was the only thing keeping her stable for the moment. Maybe she shouldn't have ran as hard as she had. It had been difficult to stay away from the sunshine any longer, though. She'd always been slightly impulsive; it was what got her in this situation in the first place.

Maybe . . . Maybe I should apologize when I find him. Sighing, she opened her eyes and stared at the ground. The grass grew past her ankles, winding around her pant legs in the breeze. A flower caught her eye as it bent with the wind. It was a bright red, a contrast to the relaxing green that surrounded her. She leaned down and plucked it from the ground, bringing it to her nose. Taking in the smell of it, she smiled. Nature was amazing, she thought.

Her moment of tranquility was disrupted by the rustle of leaves behind her, a quiet, muted sound. Had Paul followed her? The Pokémon who lived in the area seemed to have disappeared out of fear from all the noise earlier, so who else could it be? Trying to calm her startled heart, she steeled herself to keep from turning around, saying flippantly over her shoulder, "If you're looking for an apology, you won't be getting it." Even if she did sort of owe him one, she wasn't going to give in so easily.

Silence greeted her. It was odd; usually Paul would retort with something mean or smart with which she would respond accordingly as best she could. She couldn't remember from any time during the past week where he'd never made a sound when spoken to—he'd usually huff or grunt some sort of response to make the other person leave him alone. This was baffling, enough so that she finally turned around and began to say, "Paul, come on—" but stopped when she saw what stood before her.

As she'd been leaning against the tree, it hadn't been Paul who'd walked up behind her. Instead, what was probably one of the most majestic Pokémon she'd ever seen stood before her. It was a large Stantler, its antlers covered in red and orange leaves. Some of them fell as it took a few steps toward her, blowing away in the wind.

"Oh, wow," she breathed. She'd never seen a Sawsbuck this close before, except for the last time she'd been near this field. Once again she felt that awed feeling as she looked into the creature's eyes. It was small, but she could see the signs of worry as the creature dipped its head down to her eye level. Its remaining leaves surrounded her head, some of them brushing against her cheeks and hair. Even though they were falling with the season of autumn they felt . . . soft somehow, almost ticklish.

Dawn giggled when the Sawsbuck touched her face with its nose, sniffing her. "That's cold," she laughed. She swore she heard it chuckle. Maybe . . ."Are you the same Sawsbuck I met here last time?"

Its leaves crackled as it bobbed its head in acknowledgement; it took a step closer to her. "Thank goodness," she sighed. "I hate to ask this of you, but I was wondering if I might have a favor?" The majestic creature looked at her, cocking its head as it listened. "I'm lost, and I was hoping you might be able to help me find my way home? I got separated from a friend after we were attacked by this giant, dinosaur-like thing in a field somewhere around here."

At the mention of dinosaur, the Sawsbuck's nostrils flared in agitation. Dirt sprayed her shoes when it stamped its hooves against the cold ground, digging into the grass. It seemed to know what she was talking about with that simple description. Before she could say anything else the creature knelt down for her to climb on, bending its legs beneath it. Startled, she stared at it. Dawn had never ridden anything bareback besides a Ponyta, and that was at a free-lance carnival her parents had taken her to when she was maybe five. Something had agitated the Ponyta and it had bucked, knocking her to the ground. She'd had bruises for weeks and a hurt pride for months.

A cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck, sliding down her back. The Sawsbuck seemed to detect her hesitation, but it lay patiently on the ground as she decided whether or not to ride. The Pokémon's calm demeanor helped to keep her from spazzing—she was just being a big scaredy cat, she realized. With a swell of courage she threw her leg over the broad back of the Season Pokémon. There were no reins or a mane for her to hold on to, so she made the best of it by wrapping her arms around its long neck. Its fur was soft against her cheek as she tensed up expectantly.

The Sawsbuck wasted no time. As soon as it felt her settle against its back, it rose to its full height, carefully taking off into the trees. With its great antlers it had to duck numerous times to keep from catching them in the low hanging branches. The way it galloped made her feel as if she were flying, though. It was such a smooth ride she almost never would have guessed how many times it dodged fallen logs and trees in its path. The only indicator that the Sawsbuck was even running was the feel of its powerful muscles working beneath her and its leaves crackling against her ears. It was amazing how strong and fast this creature was.

Keeping herself curled against the Pokémon was probably her safest choice, but curiosity was beginning to get the better of her. She wanted to feel the wind in her hair, see the trees as they flashed by. Maybe one peek wouldn't hurt.

Clenching her hands deep into its fur, Dawn slowly lifted her head to peer through the Sawsbuck's antlers. Its leaves brushed against her face, somewhat obscuring her vision. With the constant air flow pushing past her it was hard to push them away. They kept slipping from between her fingers, but with the use of her elbows she was able to hold them at bay. What she saw took her breath away. Literally, the air that pressed against her made it hard for her to breathe. Trying to look past this, she tried to take a deep breath.

The trees they flashed past were green blurs, some of them changing colors with the coming autumn. Reds and oranges mixed with the bright green that filled her vision, like water lilies that spotted the surface of a lake. It was so magnificent that she couldn't even come up with a better metaphor to describe it. This would be pretty cool if I were brave enough to stand. But she knew how stupid an idea that was—she'd go tumbling into the brush and probably break something. Maybe even vow to never ride on another wild Pokémon. But that was only if she had the nerves to stand—or the stupidity.

Just how far did I get from him? Keeping a steady hand on one of the Sawsbuck's antlers, Dawn lay her chin atop the beast's head. She peered through the leaves, still somehow amazed at just how wondrous this animal was. For the past few minutes they'd been running around, almost as if every turn were selected randomly. But she knew enough about Sawsbuck to realize that they were smarter than a lot of wild Pokémon. She knew that it was following some sort of direction, something that was invisibly pointing their way through the trees and over brush. Maybe I'm giving it too much credit, though, she mused. Sawsbuck are smart, but I don't really know how—

A sudden jolt almost caused her to go flying through the antlers. Before she was thrown to the ground she tightened her hold on the antler, holding it with both hands now. Heart pounding, it took a moment for her to realize the Sawsbuck had stopped galloping. As she pushed aside the leaves she could see a black nose sniffing at the air, nostrils flaring as it picked up a scent. The snuffling filled her ears as it swiveled its head back and forth. Then it was off again.

Trees seemed to speed by faster than before, barely even visible to Dawn's human eyes. The Pokémon's path became even more erratic, taking sharp turns around trees to avoid blocked paths and vines that swept over their heads. It made her wonder just what scent it was using to track Paul. Each person had their own individual scent, so how . . .?

Then it dawned on her. Vaguely she remember the Sawsbuck leaning it head down to her eye level, pressing its nose to her face. Maybe it had picked up the lingering smell of the jacket's lining that she'd pressed against her cheek earlier. Had it been able to tell Paul's boyish scent from her own? It was the only possibility that she could think of, especially since she could now feel the swaying sensation of the Sawsbuck's running. It seemed to be in a hurry now.

Trees, trees, more trees. Nothing stood in their path now as they raced across the forest floor. Dawn was beginning to worry if they would even find him, it was so difficult—

A sudden clash against the brown surroundings caught her eye. Peering over her shoulder as they moved, she narrowed her eyes. There. "Over there," she said aloud, leaning forward so the beast would see where she was pointing. Within moments it changed directions, skidding slightly in the mud. Bouncing over fallen logs and thick brush, Dawn held on for dear life as the sensation of motion jostled her even more. Never again, never again, never again, she internally chanted, her grip on the antlers tightening to almost a death grip when it jumped. Strong muscles moved beneath her as it glided over a pile of moss-ridden tree trunks. The landing rattled her teeth more than the running. She was going to be sore for a good week after this.

When she managed to force her eyes open and un-grit her teeth, she glanced behind them. It might have been her imagination, but it seemed like the trees were moving, bending their thick bodies to the sides as they raced through them. She swore she saw them settle back into place once they were far enough away. Maybe being lost had chipped away at her insanity somewhat. She was riding one of the most majestic creatures of the forest after all.

I'm just tired, she told herself. All the stress from earlier has really worked me today. Yeah, I'm worn out, that's it ... It was hard trying to shake off the odd feeling she felt settling over her. Everything around her was alive, she obviously knew that. But trees didn't just move out of someone's path. As soon as they made it home she was going to lie down; nothing was making sense anymore.

They swerved around more vegetation for a while longer before they came upon a log hanging straight across their path. The tree's roots were still visibly tangled in the dirt it was uprooted from, its large body held in the air by vines that looked ready to snap at the smallest additional weight. There wasn't any room to jump over it, and any path around it was blocked; their only option was to go under. The only problem with that idea was that the log hung so low that it would probably try to take Dawn's head like a Christmas ornament if she tried to go under it on the Sawsbuck's back. So she decided to try something else.

"I guess I need to get down, huh?" she said idly to the animal. It answered her with a light snort, shaking its head and rattling its leaves. "All right," she muttered. "Here goes."

Aiming to jump down on the side of the ground with the least thorny brambles, she tried to lift a leg to swing over the beast's back. One problem though: she couldn't get her knee high enough. It felt as if weights had been tied to her foot, anchoring her down like a ship at port. Her legs had fallen asleep during their run through the trees. Oh dear . . .

This was putting a big, gaping hole in her plan. If she couldn't dismount how was she going to find Paul? She was going to have to think of another idea. The hard part was that she was feeling so stressed that she was having a hard time thinking straight. Was it from dehydration? She couldn't even remember what she'd eaten that morning, only that it had been too light. As she tried to process her morning a sudden thought struck her. She remembered that she'd screeched for her Pokémon to wake up, how shrill she'd sounded. Maybe she could replicate that? It's worth a shot, she thought.

Inhaling so deeply her abdomen ached, Dawn let out the loudest yell she could in the form of Paul's name. It was a sharp sound, making the Sawsbuck cringe and duck its head away. The yell had started out strong, but as she ran out of breath her voice started cracking, soon tapering off into nothing. It left her breathing hard, her breath loud in her ears as she heard the yell echo for a second, then die away among the trees. Keeping her intake of air as even as possible she prepared to try again. As she was inhaling, a sudden voice startled her. She choked on air when she heard it, letting it all out in a fit of coughs. Pounding on her chest with a fist, Dawn pressed the back of her wrist to her mouth to force herself to stop. The answer had been distant, but it was definitely there.

"Paul?" she cried, her voice hoarse, swiveling in place so she could get a better visual around her. There it is again. The sound came from behind her this time, but there were too many hanging vines and trees that her vision was blocked. With every passing second anxiety creeped further up her spine making her feel twitchy. She could hear him, she just couldn't see him.

Last chance. Taking in the deepest breath she could, she let loose such a loud scream that a flock of bird Pokémon nearby fled their roost. "PAUL!" she screamed, dragging it out as long as she could. The scream was at such a high pitch that her voice cracked multiple times, but determination pushed her on. Blood rushed to her face, and soon the deprivation of oxygen made her cut off sooner than she'd have liked. Collapsing to her elbows on the Sawsbuck's backside, she coughed as she tried to breathe, her fingers digging into the Pokémon's fur. But even as she sat there gasping for breath, she could hear the rustling of leaves.

"Paul?" she gasped, holding a hand to her throat. The rustling was becoming louder, until it morphed into a crashing sound, as if whoever it was kept tripping over roots and shrubbery. Which was how Paul fell into her sight. He'd seemed to miscalculate where he was stepping, stumbling over a root hidden beneath some leaves behind her and into the Sawsbuck. It paid him no mind.

"Oh my Arceus, there you are!" she cried, twisting so she could see him fully. Her leg was so numb from the ride that she didn't even noticed that she had successfully managed to finally swing it over the creature's back, which sent her rolling to the ground. Letting out a high-pitched squeak, she made a grab for the Sawsbuck's hindquarters, but there wasn't enough fur for her fingers to grasp.

"You stupid girl!" Rushing forward he reached his arms out, grabbing and simultaneously catching her. Her weight dragged him down slightly, pushing him to one knee, but he kept her from eating dirt. "Watch it," he growled, dropping her unceremoniously to her knees.

Before he could move away and straighten again, he had to catch himself to keep from joining her on the ground. There was a strong pull on one of his sleeves, and looking down he saw that Dawn had a death grip on his arm. Her hands clutched at the fabric, almost pulling his sleeve off his shoulder.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, trying to jerk his arm away. But she held fast, tightening her grip by wrapping her arms around his elbow. The feeling of being pulled grew stronger as he watched her with an irritated scowl. He realized she was trying to stand up by using him as an anchor.

"I was on the Sawsbuck too long," she stated, grunting with effort. "I can't feel my legs. If I can't feel my legs, I can't stand up." Grimacing, she gave a huff as she gave up, collapsing fully to the ground. Tears welled in her eyes as she sniffed. "If I can't stand up, I can't get home."

"Oh for the love of -" The world spun as he pulled her to her feet as easily as if she were a doll. Feeling still hadn't returned to her legs yet, so she stumbled around a few steps, colliding with something solid. Everything tipped for a moment, making her feel as if she were on a carousel. It made her feel slightly nauseous. But soon it passed, leaving her lean against whatever was supporting her. "Get off," she heard it say.

Good grief, she'd fallen against Paul and hadn't even realized it. Stuttering an apology, she tried to push away from his as easily as possible, stumbling back toward the Sawsbuck. Resting her forehead and hands against its ribs, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to quell the nausea. It didn't take long for it to pass thankfully, but it left a small sense of uneasiness behind. Blinking, Dawn looked at Paul using her peripheral vision.

She hadn't noticed at first, but now she could finally see that his face was covered in scratches. Dirt and ash covered him from head to toe, even more so than earlier. He was pushing a sleeve above his elbow so it matched the other one. Apparently she'd pulled it out of place when she'd had a hold on his arm. His collar needed a readjustment as well, tugged down by her hands, revealing the scar on his back once more. Then she noticed his injury.

"Oh, Arceus," she breathed, reaching a wavering hand toward him. He was still close enough that if she straightened her arm fully she could touch him. But she left her fingers just a breath away from his collar as she looked at it. From what she could see it had begun to swell, dried blood spotting the back of his shirt, dark splotches against the blue fabric. "That has to hurt."

Grimacing, he pulled from her reach, roughly tugging his shirt back in place. "It's nothing." Glancing at the Sawsbuck he changed the topic by asking, "Where'd you find this thing?"

"It's not a thing," she grumbled. "It helped me find you. Show some respect for once." Clicking her back teeth, she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. She leaned back against the beautiful creature. She wasn't in the right mind to verbally spar with him for the moment, she was too tired. Ignoring his glare as best she could she said, "It should be able to get us out of here."

"Oh really?" Shoving his hands in his pockets, he stepped in front of the Sawsbuck, tilting his head as he studied it. Doubt shrouded his features. "How do you know it'll help us?"

"Because it's my friend," she said simply.

He scoffed at her reply. "Pokémon aren't friends. They're meant for battles, not a silly thing like friendship." Taking a step closer to it, he glared at the Sawsbuck.

His attitude was really starting to grate on her nerves. Rising tension was causing a headache behind her eyes to stir. Maybe she should have just stayed in bed this morning. "Whatever," she muttered. "Let's just get out of here and go home. I'm exhausted, I looked disgusting, and I'm imagining trees moving."

"Moving trees?" It was hard to not detect the mild humor in his voice, but she ignored it as best she could as she tried to climb back onto the animal's back. But she could barely even lift her legs, they were still too weak to jump. The Sawsbuck saw how she was struggling, so it laid on the ground once more in front of her.

Almost falling onto its back, she shot a smirk at him as she said, "See? It trusts me." Petting its head as if it were her own, she felt joy when it chuffed and swayed its head at her touch.

"Shut up and move."

Now here was the awkward part. Dawn wasn't sure how they were going to do this - they hadn't exactly gotten that far into the conversation. Was he going to sit behind her and hold on to her as they rode like on the front of her mother's romance novels? Or was she going to sit behind him as if they were riding a motorcycle? She'd only ever ridden that Ponyta, and that had been by herself.

Before she could let her thoughts overwhelm her, Paul sat between her and the great Pokémon's shoulders. It both surprised and pleased her that he didn't leave the choice to her— she probably wouldn't have been able to make it. Her seat gave her the perfect view of his back, though, her eyes level with his shoulder blades. Nope, nope, she wasn't going down that train of thought again. She needed to keep a hold of her brain. Though that didn't stop her eyes from wandering.

"Hold on," he said, glancing over his shoulder at her.

To be honest, she wasn't really sure just where to hold on. Should she wrap her arms around his waist? His chest? Arceus, this was going to drive her mad!

"Come on," he snapped impatiently. She fumbled a bit, completely unsure of what to do. Sighing, he asked, "Haven't you ever ridden a motorcycle before?" as he reached around to grasp her wrists. Sputtering, she couldn't come up with a response as he wrapped her arms around his front, securing them at his waist.

The moment he touched her she felt her temperature hit maximum. Blood rushed to her face, making her dizzy. Oh Arceus, she cursed internally. This was so the wrong time to feel embarrassed. For her to be able to ride behind him without falling off she needed to hold on, that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet . . .

"I found a path in the other direction that should get us out of here," he said. But she wasn't listening.

Her internal toil was strong enough to cause a headache behind her eyes. She was making this so complicated. He was trying to get them out of the forest, she needed to concentrate. The urge to twitch was strong, but she dug her nails into her arm to quell it. Maybe the pain would help. Just forget it.

Trying to push anything negative out of her head, she rested her forehead against his back as she concentrated. She hoped he couldn't feel the heat of her flushed face through his shirt. Let it go, she chanted. Just let it go. Without realizing it, she tightened her arms around his waist, clicking her back teeth again. Maybe she should take advantage of their situation?

Don't think anything of it, she begged before she adjusted her position ever so slightly. Moving her arms from his waist, she wrapped them more securely across his abdomen, tightening her grip. Burying her burning face in his shirt, she listened to the sound of his heartbeat as the Sawsbuck stood to its full height. It's nerves, she thought when she felt the beat against her ear accelerate as the Pokémon took off into the trees.

A/N: So this was honestly the hardest chapter to write so far. I couldn't decide on anything.

Also, if there's anything wrong with my punctuation or grammar, it's because I don't have a beta to read through and correct anything I missed. Oh well!