I stretched. Man, those claws were killer on my back! And my pride. But mostly my back. Thank goodness when the balloon crashed down they snapped a bit so I could easily break them. And I would like to thank the lovely Gardevoir for making sure we hadn't died. That woman has a seriously powerful Psychic.
Which is why I will never pick a fight with her.
"Are we certain they are not dead?" said Pokémon asked as she looked back at the way we came from.
"Eh, they do it all the time," Pikachu assured. "They must be super human, considering how many times they've flown off into the distance."
"He's right," I stated. "I'm more concerned about Paul and Ash."
"I assure you they touched down just fine," Gardevoir said.
"That's not what I mean," I replied.
"Then whatever do you mean?"
Pikachu and I looked at each other. "They aren't...on the best of terms," we answered.
"Really," Gardevoir gasped.
We nodded. "And Paul's low on supplies and without Pokémon," I continued, remembering at how his belt had been swiped off by Meowth. "But maybe Ash has his."
"Uh... I wish," Pikachu told me.
"Why wouldn't he?"
"He gave the team and I to Brock so Nurse Joy could heal us. Brock still had his belt."
I blinked, and then I sighed. "Paul isn't going to be too happy with that," I stated.
Pikachu sighed as well. "Right."
Gardevoir was looking up at the canopy of leaves. "Something on your mind?" I asked.
"Infernape," she began. "May you jump up to the top and fire a Flamethrower? We might be able to signal the others."
I smirked. "Climbing and firing Flamethrowers are my specialty," I stated. I jumped up into the trees, swinging from some of them.
"Show off!" I heard Pikachu call.
I chuckled. I just can't help it, you know?
Finally, I was above the leaves. I scanned. It was impossible to see the town from our position, but I could see Mt. Coronet, so I fired in that direction. A few moments passed, and then there was a Thunderbolt fired from the northwest, followed soon by two gray blobs and one black one.
"You are just a trouble magnet," Honchkrow complained when he and the two Staraptors approached us.
I laughed. "Nice to see you, too!" He rolled his eyes.
"Where are Ash and... Paul," Ash's Staraptor asked...grumbled...askbled?
"Keep your beak shut," Honchkrow snapped. The two males glared at each other.
"How about both of you do?" Star muttered. They stopped, and she sighed. "Seriously, do you know where they are, Infernape?"
"I know they aren't dead," I responded with a smile.
"That comment doesn't deserve a smile!" Honchkrow shouted.
"Okay, okay, sorry," I chuckled. "No, sorry Star. And they don't have any Pokémon, either"
Star sighed again. "Haley and the others are already worried as it is. This won't make things better."
I frowned. "Well, unfortunately there's not much we can do," I explained. "This forest is huge, and the trees are too thick for you guys to be able to see through."
The birds looked downcast. I couldn't blame them. I was worried too, despite all of my joking. "Let's at least get you three back," Star advised. "One less thing for them to worry about."
I nodded and then looked down. "Yo, Pikachu, Gardevoir!" I called. "We have an escort back!"
Soon, Gardevoir flew above the trees with Pikachu in her Psychic hold. "Gardevoir, you can ride with me," Ash's Staraptor offered.
"Thank you." And she daintily sat on the bird.
"Put Pikachu on my back," Honchkrow stated.
"Look at that," I joked.
"Infernape…" Star warned.
"Joking!"
Pikachu sighed as he was lowered onto Honchkrow's back. I hopped on Star, and they took off back towards town.
When we flew over, we noticed all of the humans, and being who I am, I jumped down and grabbed a light pole to swing down before hopping off. Like I said before, I can't help it, especially since I wanted to be back on the ground with my Trainer again. And speaking of her, she had run up to me and enveloped me in a hug.
"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered, obviously fighting back tears.
I chuckled. "You think something like that would put me out of commission?" I asked.
She chuckled as well. "No, but I couldn't help but worry," she explained.
I smiled, but immediately dropped it when I noticed tears were running down her face and she definitely wasn't smiling. I realized she wasn't trying to hold back tears; she was trying to keep her voice steady.
"Do you know where Paul and Ash are?"
"I don't," I answered honestly. "I'm sorry, Haley. If I had just gripped tighter-"
"I don't blame you," she interrupted quietly. I knew she didn't, but that didn't stop the guilt from eating at me. "I just hope they're okay."
"They most certainly are, Haley," Gardevoir answered as she walked up to us. "I was able to slow their descent. They are alive, I guarantee."
"Yeah, and both of them are practically made of steel," I assured. "They'll be fine, Haley." Then I chuckled. "The only thing we have to worry about is the two of them surviving each other."
She smiled. "You're right," she said. "I just wish there was more we could do than just sit here."
"You and me both," I told her.
Paul, you better come back, was the only thing I could think.
...
The tension was so thick not even a machete could cut through it. And yet, I was just glad we weren't sitting around a campfire. That would be even more awkward. Walks are better for being quiet. And after our snap fest, it stayed quiet for the rest of the time. To be honest, even though Paul spoke first, it was my fault.
Originally I had slowed down because I accidentally tripped (which I silently thanked that he hadn't noticed), and when he had told me to stop lagging behind, I had rolled my eyes. Then, just to piss him off, I walked slower on purpose. When he had snapped again, I decided to retort.
Probably not one of my best ideas, and there's a laundry list of them.
But then that ended, and we were just walking. We had to take quite a few detours, and some made us forget which way was west so we would have to climb the trees again. After climbing down a third time we realized that we had little light left. We had to find some place to camp as soon as possible. And luckily we did.
We moved quickly to get firewood and start a fire before the sun disappeared completely. Not once did we speak; it was like we were on autopilot. I knew if I was with Dawn and Brock, I would be offering to set up the tent or the tables, but with Paul, in a strange way and despite how much we couldn't stand each other, it was like we knew what our jobs were and how fast to work. And right before the sun disappeared behind our destination, a fire was going with food cooking. We sat down and watched it.
One...two...three...four...
Okay, it was officially awkward.
Campfires are for talking, not for staring into the fire and watching the pot boil! But what were we supposed to say? I didn't know what I would say to Paul, and I knew he would ask me questions I didn't want to answer. Yet the silence was killing me! And it continued even after we were done eating! So I went to say something.
"You-"
I stopped because we had spoken at the same time, and so we were eyeing each other warily.
"Hey-" ... "Just-" ...
Then I pointed at him. I hoped he understood that meant he had the floor, and he did. But only one word.
"Explain."
Now, there were a few things I could have done here. First option: ask what he meant, despite me knowing exactly. Of course, that would make me sound stupid and he now knew I was not. That led me to my second option: be an ass. Beat around the bush, explain random shit, but he would probably beat the shit out of me for doing so. There was the third option: give him what he wanted. HA! So I decided to go with the fourth option: decline. I sighed.
"No, I've already told you that," I answered.
He stared at me, completely unreadable. "And I told you I want answers," he replied surprisingly calm.
Think, think, think. "How about this? If you ask a question, you have to answer back." He gripped the log he was leaning against. Got him. I knew he wouldn't want to open up to me.
I underestimate Paul too much.
"Very well," he said. I gulped. He is way too persistent.
Well, I reasoned, he'll probably not want to open up that much and he'll ask something simple.
"Tell me about your dad."
He had to go all guns blazing, didn't he?
I narrowed my eyes. "No," I told him sternly.
"You get to hear about mine."
Yes, let's hear about your perfect life, I thought sarcastically.
I always figured Paul was one of those guys who had that perfect family of four, that life I envied, and the last thing I wanted to hear was how amazing his dad was. That was the only reason I could think of as to why he asked about my dad, so he could have something simple.
Well, it's not simple for me.
My blood boils at his name, and usually I'm good at hiding it, since I have had years of practice. But Paul... He just irritates me, with him calling me pathetic all time. God, I hate that word. And how he will just give up on Pokémon he deemed weak. I hate abandonment even more. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it...
And without wanting to I just started talking.
"Because this is the perfect tradeoff," I hissed. "I get to hear about how awesome your life was, and you get to know about my bastard of a father!"
It was too late to stop. If he wanted to interrupt, he would have to wait. Because my mouth was a train, and it wasn't going to lose steam any time soon.
"How about it, Paul? You want to hear about how my father hated me, about how he hated my mom? Is that what you want? So at the end of all of this you can laugh at my face and call me pathetic? Fine, whatever, I can take it! I mean, it's not like my dad said that to me all the time! Oh, what's that, he did? And that wasn't all? Please, let me explain more! Let me talk about how I knew the words bitch, shit, fuck, and a whole list of other words at the age of four! FOUR!
"Or let's talk about how my mom was constantly beaten and yet somehow still loved him, saying they were mistakes or just little spats! Tch, little she says. Yeah right. Shall I continue with the fact that a week or so after my fourth birthday he just got up and left? Best birthday present ever, right?! And how about we keep going, explaining how my mom assured me - and still does - that Dad didn't mean it and he'll be back one day!"
At that I laughed like a crazy man, just imagining my mom smiling and saying that to me over and over again like she used to, like she sometimes still does.
"You want it, Paul, you got it!" I laughed. "I could go into full detail, explain every little gruesome detail, but unfortunately, we don't have a week to kill, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to understand ANY OF IT! I MEAN, YOU ONLY HAVE REGGIE, AND YOUR DAD'S PROBABLY AN AWESOME TRAINER, AND I BET YOU JUST HAVE THE BEST MOM THERE IS!"
He looked at me as I panted and tears started running down my face. "So I give the impression of having the perfect life, huh?" he finally stated.
I stared at him. "What?"
Paul continued to look at me, not moving an inch. And then finally, he moved, reaching for his bag and unzipping it. He dug through it and pulled out a card and stared at it for a long time. He gripped it tight, and then he handed it to me.
"Well?" he egged on. I looked at the plain white card, confused at what this would answer, but I took it anyway. I flipped it over, and my eyes widened, probably like everyone else who read the card.
"Now before you say how right you were," he began, "let me tell you about how much I hated it. Because it's kind of hard to enjoy the life of luxury when your best friend and idol is treated like dirt is worth more. It's kind of hard when you're the youngest son, yet you're supposed to be the heir because your father refuses to acknowledge your older brother's existence. All because he likes something your father doesn't.
"And let's not forget I had to keep my own interest in them a secret, and I didn't understand why. All I knew was that I had to. To this day I still don't know why. Neither of us know why. My father gave me anything I wanted, he said he would, and yet he never gave Reggie a chance, the one thing I wanted more than anything. He never gave the position to someone else, the second thing on the list of unfulfilled wishes. I had to, no matter how much I didn't. And do you know I almost lost Reggie when I was four? That he almost ran off without me? That he wanted me to stay behind but I refused?"
There was a question I wanted to ask, but I was also scared to do so. "Have something to say? Have any other assumptions?" I shook my head slowly. "Oh come on, you must."
Well, here went nothing. "Did... Did he want you to stay because..." I gulped. "Because of your mom?"
He was silent and staring at me once more, the light from the campfire shading half of his face. "What mother?" he responded. "She was gone. Died the day after I was born."
The fire snapped, and Paul let a few seconds pass before he moved to take the empty pot away from it.
"Shall we move on? I assure you that I have many childhood stories that are exactly what you are looking for."
No, they weren't, and I knew it. I had made a terrible mistake in my assumptions, and I was paying for it. "W-we don't have-"
"I insist," he said calmly, and that just made it all the more unnerving. "Let's begin with the fact that I had no friends. And how I tried. But no one wanted to be friends with me, and even if they said they were, I was nothing more than some thing for them to complain to. I was a fucking brick wall. 'Sarah did this', 'Terry did that', 'Michelle told me I looked ugly today', 'Toby was mean to me', 'My dad sucks', 'My mom yelled at me for no reason', and not once did I get context for any of it. Who was Rayne, why did Andy hit you, have you tried talking to Ms. Rosemary, but they would just wave it off. I was the kid you came to when you wanted to blow off steam, but no one wanted to hear about my troubles besides Reggie. And certainly no one cared when I would get beat up by those four." He flashed me an evil grin. "You want to see the scars of my perfect life, Ash?"
He didn't let me answer as he quickly unzipped his jacket, threw it and his shirt off, and then showed me his back, laced with old scars and small burns. They were all faint but very much visible. And I hated looking at them. I felt a wave of nausea crash over me. It was just like my mom, and I started hearing her screams.
"Just peachy, isn't it?" Then he chuckled emotionlessly as he put his shirt back on as well as his jacket but left it open and faced me again. "Oh, but why should I stop there? I'm surprised I can stand Electric types, seeing as how those four guys shocked me. I'm surprised I'm not afraid of water, considering how many times they dunked me into it. I'm surprised that I use the word pathetic. I hate that word. Pathetic, pathetic, over and over, again and again. Of course, there are also worthless, useless, meaningless, weak, powerless, and my absolute favorite, unloved. I hate horror movies or anything else horror themed, I can barely stand Ghost types, and I never want you walking slow again. Because I hate having men behind me."
I bolted up and went for the bushes. Her screaming rang in my ears as I emptied all of my stomach content. Stories like that... They made me sick, figuratively and literally. And when I was done and I had turned around, I noticed Paul actually had a look of concern on his face.
"Sorry," I mumbled as I went to sit back down.
The only thing that happened for a while was the fire jumping and crackling. "Did it happen to you?" Paul asked.
"No... Just Mom." I squeezed the water bottle I had been given. "Did... Did it hurt?"
"Thank God I will never know," he answered. "Reggie saved me before it actually happened." That didn't mean it still wasn't terrifying. "Well?"
I looked at him, and then at the fire again. "After Dad left, I had to grow up fast. But Mom didn't want me to, so I had to keep it hidden. I learned really quickly how to slip from one Ash to another. The one everyone knows is a perpetual ten-year-old who always smiles and has something positive to say every day. He's the guy everyone came to when something was bothering them and needed comforting. Just comforting, and once that was done, they would go to someone 'smarter'. Someone who could give them advice on how to fix the situation." I snorted.
"And I was stuck as the happy-go-lucky kid who's so stupid sometimes it hurts and yet many find it so endearing. I'm supposed to be the guy who didn't realize it was a Rock type Gym from design alone, the guy doesn't know that a Rhydon's ability is Lightning Rod, the guy who will scan his Pokédex on Pokémon he already knows about, etcetera, etcetera." I sighed.
"I'm way past all of that, but that's not Ash. He's not supposed to grow up and understand adult things, he's supposed to be naïve and stupid yet supportive and happy. It's..."
"Frustrating?" Paul offered. "Demeaning? Annoying?"
"Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that," I stated.
He grunted, smiling as he did. "I think I know what to ask next," he said. I looked at him once more. "What is the real you?"
I chuckled quietly. "Find a way to stable yourself," I joked. He chuckled as well. "I could easily give advice, I knew it was a Rock type Gym, I unfortunately forgot about Lightning Rod, I don't understand why I'll scan a Pokémon twice, and so on so forth. I'm a fourteen-year-old boy with the mind of someone older who has to act four years younger than I actually am." He was staring at me, surprised. "What?"
He blinked. "Bullshit."
"Huh?"
"There is no way you're one year younger than me."
Now I blinked. "That's what you're stuck on?"
"I always thought you couldn't be any older than thirteen."
"Aw shit, I guess I've been getting lazy with my acting. You're supposed to think I'm ten at most." He laughed, and I realized I hadn't heard him do that genuinely before. He needs to do it more often; it has a nice ring. "So, what's the real Paul like?"
He looked up. "In a way you already know him," he answered. I was confused. "Chimchar... Heh, guess it's Monferno now, but I was never able to be that cocky and confident."
That meant once upon a time, Paul was sweet, kind, and friendly yet slightly timid. He had smiled frequently and had been fun loving and happy and warm.
"I laughed often, but I was also a little bit of a crybaby. I had Reggie on a pedestal, and I honestly thought you couldn't find anyone else in the world who was more excited to receive his starter or to catch his first Pokémon." He chuckled emotionlessly. "You know, sometimes I really hate the three of you."
"What have Dawn and Brock done?"
"I mean you, Monferno, and Haley," he informed. "The three of you are taking sledgehammers and breaking my mask and I'll never be able to piece it back together again."
Anyone else would have asked why he would want to keep that mask he had created. But I knew all too well. It's a security blanket, something to make sure no one worries or asks questions that are too painful to answer.
"I could easily say the same thing about you, Paul, seeing as how I've never told a soul about any of this," I replied.
"What about all of your friends?" would be the question to that statement, if anyone else were hearing this. I knew Paul understood; I decided to explain anyway.
"Not even my childhood friends know. They think Dad went on a journey and that Mom and I are without a care in the world. I don't want to worry them, especially since one of them has enough to worry about. He thinks I'm lucky that I still have my parents around. At least his died loving him down to their last breath."
The fire was dying, so we threw more wood onto it. "Well, sometimes I didn't talk to Reggie," Paul said. "Sometimes you just need time to yourself and not have words that are filled with good intentions yet mean nothing thrown at you. Because everything was not always okay."
"So, what did you do when you had time to yourself?"
"Read... Watch TV... Listen to music, sometimes singing along."
"You sing?"
He moved his eyes away from me. "I... I'm not all that good," he stated.
I hummed. "Somehow I don't buy that," I accused.
Paul was looking at me again. Then he leaned back against his log and looked at the sky.
So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone, you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face
I do have to admit, he was pretty good. It was funny. I could hear the background music as he sang.
If a great wave shall fall
It'd fall upon us all
And between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own?
But God, why this song? Don't get me wrong, I love Wherever You Will Go, but that's the problem. I'll start singing along like an idiot in no time
If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
(And maybe, I'll find out)
He was surprised by my sudden take over but I didn't stop, and he just let me go.
(The way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days)
(If a great wave shall fall
It'd fall upon us all
Well I hope there's someone out there
Who) [can bring me back to you]
If someone had told us when we first met we would one day be camping in the woods thanks to being separated because another one of Team Rocket's schemes and we would end up talking about our pasts and singing to a song we both liked, we probably would have told them that was wishful thinking on their part.
[If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go]
Run away with my heart
Run away with my hope
Run away with my love
(I know now, just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart, in your mind
I'll stay with you) [for all of time
[If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go
[If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go
I'll go wherever you will go]
The fire crackling was the only sound once more, and then I chuckled. "That was probably the most out of character thing I have seen you do," I told him.
"I blame Haley," Paul replied.
I laughed. "And yet you still like her."
Paul frowned, red streaking across his face. Then the frown transformed into a smirk. An awkward smirk, but a smirk nonetheless, and I didn't like it. "I'll only answer that if you do," he stated. Aw crap, I had accidentally dug myself a hole with that one. "After, of course, we hear what you liked to you in your spare time."
I was still kind of stuck on the fact that I would have to confess who my crush was, but we had made a deal, and I was going to have to live up to it in due time. "Well, I liked to do the same things you did," I confessed. "But I... I... Well, uh... I liked to research." I think even the fire stopped at that. "I-I mean, it wasn't anything too deep or spectacular, just... Y'know... Like, if someone said something earlier in the day that I didn't know about and I was interested, I would look it up. Simple stuff." Paul glared. "O-okay, and a little-" He glared harder. "Quite a bit... Still not good enough?"
"No."
"Uh... A large portion of my research was also dedicated to psychology. I don't know, it just...fascinated me. Just how the mind works and everything, I wanted to learn all that I could." I looked down at my feet and shuffled them on the ground. "And archeology. That was the other big topic. I just love ancient cultures and ruins and fossils and all of that stuff."
My love for archeology actually caused one of my bigger mistakes, and for once it wasn't because I was acting. I picked up that stone that was on the Pokélantis king's throne of my own free will and curiosity...and got possessed because of it. Internally, I chuckled as I remembered the events.
And then I remembered Brandon had been there.
Brandon.
The man both Paul and I had lost to, the man who made us feel small.
I feel like the two of us are two sides of the same coin. But in one short night I learned that sometimes we are on the same side.
Suddenly I felt his gaze. I looked up to see him smirking mischievously. I felt my face heat up. I knew exactly what he was looking for. "I'm not saying it," I told him, looking at the fire.
"I'm pretty sure you're done, and you asked," Paul replied.
"I didn't ask," I defended. "I was pointing out something entirely obvious."
"Just like how my life was obvious?" Point taken.
I took a deep breath as I felt my face heat up even more. "MistyWaterfloweroftheCeruleanGym," I proclaimed so fast I don't even think I caught it.
"I need to be able to understand you," Paul egged me on.
In went another deep breath as I felt myself basically become a volcano. "Misty Waterflower," I answered. "She's the Gym Leader of the Cerulean Gym, and she was my first traveling partner."
Paul snorted. "You're in love with one of the ditzy Waterflowers?" he asked.
"Misty's the only one who isn't ditzy and girly, thank you!" I retorted. "She's a tomboy, damn it!"
"Ah."
Ah? The hell does that mean? Was it "I see" or "That's the only reason?" or a thousand other things that "Ah" could mean?! God, he's infuriating.
And yet, here I am, still talking to him.
"I mean, she's sweet and optimistic, and she's extremely confident in just about anything she does," I continued, ignoring my confusion on what he meant by his one-worded answer. "Sure, she can get easily frustrated and angry, but I guess that adds to her charm, and overall she's great. So who cares if she has ditzy sisters? I don't."
"Hmm."
Why the fuck does he have to be so vague?! I was about to spit out more of my reasoning when I noticed the red on his face.
Oh. So he wanted me to keep talking so that he could prolong his own explanation. I leaned back on my log, hands behind my head.
"And that's about it," I stated.
I heard him shuffle, and I chuckled mischievously mentally. "Really? Are you sure there isn't more about her?" he asked in a desperate attempt to make me keep talking. Oh there was plenty more, for sure, but he had to hold up his end of the bargain. I shook my head. "H-honestly?" Wow, I think that was a first for me. I never thought the day I heard Paul Shinji Zuckerman stutter would come.
Then again, I never thought the day I knew his full name would come. Or...anything about him, really.
"Honestly," I lied. "Come on, Zuckerman."
He growled. "None of this leaves here," he warned.
"Paul, if I said anything about you, that would give you the free will to talk about me," I reasoned. "That would be too much for me to handle."
My rival mumbled out, "Point taken." Then he fell silent.
This was probably just as hard for him as it had been for me. I mean, our fucked up lives are one thing. We were probably just so fed up with each other not understanding the other that we just let loose and didn't look back. But confessing love? I'd rather relive that day not too long ago where I had lost to this purple haired Trainer a thousand times over.
"I... I have feelings," he finally spit out, "for... Haley Paige Sedai." I could practically hear him screaming, Stupid, stupid, STUPID! over and over again. Then he groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "God, did you see that dress?" he whispered, and I bet that award money that he was mostly saying it to himself.
"Yeah," I answered.
I mean, yes, I had a crush of my own, but when another girl is pretty, they're pretty, and I thought as such. I remembered the moment Haley had stepped onto the stage. About half of the guys, single or not, stopped whatever it was they were doing to stare at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I had seen Paul the most stricken. I really shouldn't have been surprised, but maybe - just maybe - because this is Paul we're talking about, I was caught off guard a tad.
"You got lucky, you know?" I told him.
"I tell that to myself every day," he stated, his hand flopping to his side. "Every single day."
"So what were you doing after we left?" I asked.
"About to have the greatest moment of my life," he answered. "Fucking PA system."
I chuckled. "What does that bring your count to?"
"Five."
"Whoa, that's low. Mine's probably in the hundreds, at least."
"Your own fault."
I sighed. "I know." Then I yawned. "Damn, I'm tired, and I didn't even realize it." Suddenly his bag was thrown into my lap. "Huh?"
"You're welcome," Paul said. I looked over and narrowed my eyes at the sight.
"Jackass."
He smirked as he laid out on his sleeping bag, hands behind his head. "You're the one who didn't bring his backpack along with him," he replied.
I huffed. "First my belt, now my backpack, excuse me," I muttered.
"Always got to be prepared, Mister Archeologist."
"Right back at you, Mister Businessman." Then something clicked in my head. I suddenly and uncontrollably started laughing.
"What?"
"Your dad set you up with Ursula!" I laughed.
I heard him growl. "Give me the bag," he demanded.
"No way!"
"It's my bag, give it."
"You gave it to me," I responded, my laughter dying.
"And now I want it back."
I smirked and held it out as far away from him as possible. "You want it, come get it," I taunted. "But that means you'd have to get off of that oh so comfortable sleeping bag, and then I might just take it."
He growled again. "Whatever," he grumbled. "Jackass."
"What goes around comes around."
He smirked and then laid back on his sleeping bag. I set his bag on the ground, unzipped my vest, bundled it up, and placed it on the bag. Then I took off my hat, lied down with my head on my makeshift pillow, and put my hat over my eyes.
"Night, Zuckerman," I said for reasons I can't explain.
Paul didn't say anything, not like I expected him to. "Night, Ketchum." My eyes were wide, then I blinked and smiled, and my eyes closed as I drifted off to sleep.
It had been a long day.
...
Argh, shit! The light fucking hurts! I moaned, then turned away from it and slowly opened my eyes. I grunted. Damn, stupid, fucking hat. I grabbed the strap of my bag and yanked it out from under his head, which not only made his head thump on the ground, but also knocked his hat off. Take that, asshole.
"Argh, sunlight!" he hissed. "Paul, what the hell?"
"Get up and stop complaining," I grumbled, putting my bag on. "We've got to get moving."
"I get that, but do you have to be such an ass about it?"
"That's just what I do," I stated as I stood up.
"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled and finally stood up as well, putting on his vest and hat. "Well, let's get moving." He pointed towards me. "That way was west, right?"
Somehow, lucky for us, we had found a campsite surrounded by trees with low branches. I quickly climbed one, took a glance, and climbed back down. "That's right," I answered. He nodded, and we started where we had left off.
For a while it was silent, and unlike the day before, I didn't feel like I was going to suffocate from the thick tension. Maybe it was because we weren't as annoyed at each other as we had been, or maybe it was because we knew more about each other. It was strange about how similar we really were. I bet Brock knew, and maybe Haley realized it too, and the two of us should have as well. But maybe we had been so wrapped up in hating each other that we refused to acknowledge it.
Suddenly I felt this gaping hole in my chest. Why? What caused this feeling? It made no sense to me.
"Hey Paul," Ash suddenly spoke. I looked at him, and he looked at me. Then his gaze fell to the ground. "Never mind."
"No, what?"
"I said never mind."
"Damn it, do we have to go through this again?"
He sighed. "Last night doesn't mean we're friends," he stated...sadly? Was there actually a hint of sadness in his voice, or was I just imagining that?
I scoffed. "I know that," I replied.
And for some reason...that hurt.
Why? I spent most of this journey hating him. Well... I did have to respect his persistence in trying to prove me wrong, in trying to beat me, in never giving up even when he should have. And I did respect him more thanks to the night before. But that was all; he just gained more respect, nothing more... Right?
"Hmph," I heard. "Good." But I noted it was quite, a little unsure, and still a little sad. Damn it, what the hell is wrong with us?
Suddenly we were stopped by something that had jumped out of the bushes. I was both extremely grateful and absolutely annoyed. Grateful because it got me to forget the weird sensation I was having, and annoyed because the "something" were actually "someones". A trio of annoying someones.
"Alright, twerps, hand us your Pokémon that we stole!" the woman shouted.
First off, I realized that somehow Infernape, Gardevoir, and Pikachu escaped. Second, even if we had our Pokémon, why would we hand them over? And third, since we didn't, that meant we had no way of defending ourselves. Knowing their stupidity, we would probably be used as bait or something. Ash and I eyed each other.
We sprinted north.
As fast as we could we ran through the forest, with a cry of "Get back here!" behind us. Like they actually expected us to stop. Then we turned, heading west again, and I heard them running behind us still. Man, they're fast.
"How far were we when you last checked?" Ash asked.
"Closer than when we checked last night," I answered.
He huffed. "I just wish they would fuck off," he grumbled.
"You and me both."
We just kept running. What other choice did we have? And then... "Oh thank all that's holy!" Ash shouted.
"Let's see... That's Mew, Arceus, and-"
"Just shut up," he interrupted as we finally broke through the trees and onto the main road. Like idiots we stopped to catch our breath.
"Carnivine, Bullet Seed!"
Fuck!
North was our destination once more as we dodged the rain of small seeds. At least the attack wasn't Seed Bomb, but still. We just kept running, and I swear my lungs were catching fire.
"Seviper, Poison Tail!"
"Use Bite, Carnivine!"
Why me?!
The two of us looked back to see the two Pokémon lunge for us. Right before they hit us, Pikachu and Infernape flew past us and hit the two with Quick Attack and Mach Punch. The thieves' Pokémon flew back and landed near their Trainers, who stopped and panicked. I turned. Brock had a look of disapproval. Troublesome and Bandana were agitated.
And Haley had her infamous chill-you-to-the-bone glare.
Oh boy, they were so in for it.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Troublesome commanded.
"Infernape, Flamethrower!" Haley shouted.
"Gardevoir, Shadow Ball!" Bandana ordered.
"Sudowoodo, use Mimic and copy Flamethrower!" Brock called out.
Wow, I don't think I've ever seen him so angry.
The four attacks fired, and when they collided, the criminals let out a scream, there was an explosion, and then they were flying off.
"We're blasting off again!" they shouted. And then they were gone, followed by a twinkle in the sky.
Seriously, they should meet up with the Lowells.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried. His Pokémon jumped into his arms and they cuddled. After spending an entire night with his other half, this just seemed...weird. I swear I will never be able to see him the same again.
"Ash, we're glad to see you're okay," Bandana said with a smile.
He laughed. "Yeah, we made it through just fine," he replied. "Right, Paul?"
I huffed. "Whatever."
Troublesome huffed as well. "Why shouldn't I be surprised?" she muttered. Then she pointed at Haley but never stopped glaring at me. "You know, you had her worried sick."
"Dawn, it wasn't that bad," Haley stated.
"That's right, you were too busy trying to fend off Ursula," Troublesome responded.
Haley growled. "Gardevoir, return," she mumbled. With the Psychic type back in her Poké Ball, Haley spun on her heels and stormed off to the Pokémon Center, most likely to return her.
I was slightly confused, but only slightly. I mean, this was Pigtails we were talking about. "Ursula was giving her a hard time, saying it was all her fault you were stuck in the woods," Brock explained. "Of course, that didn't make her feel any better. She wasn't worried sick, but she was still worried."
"Ah," was all that came out of my mouth. Suddenly I noticed Infernape beside me, looking glum.
"In, Infernape," he muttered. He was probably saying sorry for not having a tight enough grip. I shook my head, and he looked at me. Then he gave off a small smile.
"Hey, come on guys, let's go!" Ash exclaimed. "I can't wait to get my next badge!" I thought I saw a hint of a smirk, like he somehow knew I only had six badges, so in response I stealthily gave him the middle finger. He just smiled, and I knew what he really wanted to do was smirk even bigger.
"I wish you luck," Bandana replied. "I'm going to head off to Celestic Town."
"Have fun, and good luck in the Johto Grand Festival!" Troublesome told her. Ash and Brock nodded in agreement. "Paul, can you tell Haley we said goodbye?"
"If I feel like it," I answered. She huffed and stormed off, forcing her traveling parents to run and catch up with her, waving and calling out to the other girl as she moved north. So now it was just Infernape and I standing in the middle of the road.
"Some friends of hers they are," I mumbled. Infernape shrugged.
A couple minutes later Haley walked back, looking like she had swallowed lemons. I chuckled as she approached. "And what made you all sour?" I asked.
She stopped and looked at me, and her gaze softened to sad and guilty. She looked at the ground. "I'm sorry," she muttered.
"Hold on, why are you listening to Pigtails, huh?" Haley giggled a little at my nickname for the annoying rich girl, but then she went to a sad smile, almost a frown. "I'm serious, it wasn't your fault."
"But they were my Pokémon," she argued. "I should have gone up there-"
"I wouldn't have let you," I interrupted. "I'd be even more worried than you were."
Suddenly, her arms were around my neck, her head was buried into the crook of my neck, and her body was close. I could feel the heat of her body seeping into my skin.
"You can't say that when you don't know how worried I was," she whimpered, her voice a bit muffled.
I hooked my arms around her back. "How worried were you?" I asked in an almost whisper.
"I didn't fall asleep until 3 a.m. this morning," she informed.
"I wouldn't have slept at all," I told her.
Her head pulled back so we were looking at each other. So that I was looking at those hazels. "I barely ate."
"I wouldn't have eaten a bite."
She connected our foreheads. Her skin radiated even more heat. "I hardly sat still." Her voice was a whisper now.
This time, I moved as I connected our noses. "I would have been a fidgeting mess." Now my voice was at a whisper as well.
Haley was obviously running out of reasons, and I was running out of self-control. "I... I..."
"BRUT, WHERE ARE YOU?! AND WHERE'S MY PAULIE?!"
One inch. One fucking inch.
Not to mention she now has a pet name for me. Fantastic.
Infernape started chattering. Shit, I forgot he was there. "Infernape says we have thirty seconds," Haley relayed.
I grunted in amusement. "Well, I've been running all morning, but one more quick dash shouldn't hurt." She finally smiled, and the three of us took off.
While we ran, Haley pulled her backpack off and dug through it. She pulled something out and then put her backpack back on. "New belt," she stated, handing it to me. "And everyone's accounted for."
I smiled, took it, and put it on. "Thanks." She nodded.
"So, what happened last night between the two of you?" she asked.
"A little change in perspective," I answered. There was a voice of confusion. "Maybe I'll tell it to you one day."
"As long as neither of you killed each other, I'm fine," she replied. I chuckled.
And we kept running, not realizing that the next big event wouldn't be a Sunyshore Gym Battle.
A/N: Ah, how I love being the fisherman, and all of you are my little Magikarps on fishing lines. MUHAHAHAHAHA!
…I think there's something wrong with me.