"Arceus, nothing's interesting around here..." Paul muttered, shaking his head as he looked around the stores. From one boring store to another, he moved down the path in search for something to catch his attention. As he passed the jewellery store, a voice called out to him.
"Oh, Mr. Paul!" he looked over, confused to see a girl about his age hurrying towards him out of the store. She wore a store-brand white top with the logo on her right shoulder, with black jeans. Her blonde hair was pulled into a small ponytail in the back.
"Uh...Yes?" he asked, trying to think if he knew her before.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but you're friends with that Hilbert fellow, right?" she asked, the Sinnoh trainer noticing she had a slight southern accent.
"I wouldn't exactly say friends, but I know him. Do you have a message for him?" he asked the girl, she shook her head.
"He left this in the store when he was buying his gift," she told him, showing the trainer a small amount of coins. He nodded, accepting the coins in his hand. His expression suddenly turning bewildered, he looked up at the store sign.
"Wait, he was in the jewellery store? Buying something?" he inquired, unable to imagine the familiar man buying acessories.
"Yes, he said he had to get a gift for a friend of his. From the way he said it, it sounded like there's a girl in his life," she stated, Paul arching an eyebrow.
"You have no idea," he chuckled, stuffing the coins in his pocket. "I'll get the coins to him, don't worry."
"Thank you kindly, I wouldn't want him to go losing an amount like that," she smiled, Paul getting a strange feeling from seeing the girl's smile. He turned away, feeling his cheeks begin to warm slightly. Glancing down at his pocket, he wondered what exactly she meant by 'that amount'. Come to think of it, he hadn't thought about what coins they were.
"Oh, by the way," Paul looked back at the girl, the girl still smiling. "...ah..."
"Is something the matter?" she looked worried, looking at him closer. He moved back, rubbing the back of his neck.
"...Ah...Nothing, never mind," he told her, the girl looking confused.
"Okay, then. Thank you again for getting Hilbert's stuff back to him, I appreciate it," she smiled again, Paul feeling the strange sensation again. "Well, my shift isn't done yet. I've got to get back to work," she waved, walking back into the store. Paul bit his lip, closing his eyes with a sigh. He was going to regret this.
"...Um...Hey," the girl stopped, looking back at him curiously. He rubbed his neck nervously, managing to look back at the girl. "...If you don't have to work much longer, would you...maybe...want to get a coffee or something?" he asked, surprising the girl.
"...Um...I'm sorry, Paul, but my shift goes until 8, and I'll be really tired after that," she said with a frown, the Sinnoh trainer giving a nod.
"It's alright, sorry I asked," he began to turn away, a frown on his face as he felt another strange sensation in his body.
"But, my shift tomorrow is only an hour. We can go then, if you still want," she told him, moving her arms behind her back. Subconsciously, she began twiddling her thumbs. Paul stared at her, surprised.
"...uh...Sure, that's good with me," he told her, feeling nervous. She giggled, smiling.
"Great. I'll be off around 2, so meet me at the cafe, 'kay?" she told him, the trainer giving a nod. She winked, walking back into the store and behind the counter. A few customers looking at the display cases, she moved towards them and began friendly speaking with them. Paul stared at her, then blinked.
"...Why did I do that...?"
"Alright, start from the beginning," Zo sighed, sitting in a chair in the center lobby.
"Well, starting a while after the match," Hilda sat across from her, smiling to herself. "I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk, he said yes, we-"
"Not every little detail, just the juicy stuff I'm interested in," Zo crossed her arms, leaning forward on the table. "You kissed him, didn't you?"
"W-What?" Hilda's face brightened, surprised at the girl's sudden accusation.
"I knew it," she sighed, leaning back into the chair. "Look, Hilda, I know you're a human girl and all, you can't just ignore your emotions. I'm only trying to tell you...Some things are just stronger than others, you know what I'm getting at?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I know, Leaf and Ash love each other," Hilda nodded, frowning as she crossed her arms. "But I couldn't help it. We've been friends for five years now, and I've only ever thought of him as a friend. But since this competition started and the three girls that love him, I guess it made me realize I needed to be true about myself."
"...I never thought I would be having this conversation with you, Hilda..." Zo smiled at the brunette. "I'll be honest with you, and I'm sorry to say this, but you may have a smaller chance at Ash than Leaf."
"I know that, it's obvious she has an advantage over me," Hilda smiled, laughing to herself. "But that doesn't mean I'll give up. Ash still isn't saying who he loves, so I've still got a chance. I just have to...Pick up the pace."
"Hilda, you've been hiding these feelings for years...I know Leaf might seem threatening to you, regarding Ash, but...are you sure you actually want to do this?" Zo asked, the brunette giving her a confused look. "I'm friends with both you and Ash, and I can clearly see that you both are very close friends. You, me and Hilbert have been the only ones near him for years. But if this doesn't go well...Your feelings are never going to disappear."
"I know that. Where are you going with this, Zo?" she asked, tilting her head. Zo sighed, crossing her arms behind her head as she leaned back, looking up at the ceiling.
"Your feelings will never disappear, and if Ash does choose Leaf, you will become depressed every time you see them and feel sorry for yourself. As well as that, it will make things between you two awkward and uncomfortable. As a close friend of both of you...I don't want to see either of you get hurt. Not to mention Hilbert."
"What does he have to do with it?" Hilda asked.
"...Me and Ash haven't been lying all these years, Hilda," Zo told her, closing her eyes and frowning as she pictured the cheerful and energetic man. "His feelings are true and pure. We may have made a few perverted jokes about him, but those are nothing more than jokes. I know this may seem happy to you and all with Ash, but imagine what it will do to him."
"But he's our friend, he would understand," Hilda told her, the pokemon girl giving a sigh.
"Will he really? Or do you just expect him to?" Zo stood up, pushing the chair back in behind her as she took a step away. She stopped, turning back to the girl. "Before you go making rash decisions, always be careful of the emotions of others around you. You could be making your life better, but also bringing others to their knees," Zo continued out the doors, leaving Hilda with a confused and worried expression.
"That guy can't hide forever..." Brendan muttered, looking carefully at each other that passed him as he walked. Earning strange looks, he continued searching. Nearby, his companion shivered.
"Ah, what the...Did you just get a chill?" Hilbert asked, rubbing his arms. Brendan shook his head, Hilbert giving a sigh. "Must be imagining it."
"Come on, let's check the food courts again," Brendan told him, walking away from him.
"You just want to get a burger and fries again."
"Just a coincidence of searching the food court."
"How long are they going to be gone...?" Leaf muttered, tapping her fingers on the grass. "Well, I guess I'm out of the question now."
"Never would've imagined it..." Leaf's attention perked, confused as she heard the familiar voice. "Can't believe the guy did it..." Ash shook his head as he stepped into the campsite, sitting against his tree and leaning against it. Surprisingly, he was oblivious to the brunette's presence. She looked at him curiously, wondering how he didn't notice her. She puffed her cheeks, quietly moving towards him until she was right beside him. "...Gotta feel proud of him, though...Surprised he did it, even before me..." she looked at him curiously as he spoke to himself. Smiling, she sat gently beside him and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Hey, anyone here?" Leaf frowned, watching the second male figure step through the bushes. Ash opened his eyes, looking at him.
"Hey Paul," he greeted plainly, then he remembered what he had recently learned. "Oh, am I glad to see you right now. I just heard about it, congrats, man."
"What are you talking about? Actually, it can wait. Can I talk to Leaf for a bit?" he asked, looking at the brunette leaning against the trainer.
"We're a little busy, thanks," she puffed her cheeks, glaring at the Sinnoh trainer.
"It's important, please," the pair from Kanto were beyond surprised to hear Paul - Paul of all people - pleading for help.
"I'm sure it is, but no way."
"What? Why not?"
"I don't trust her with you now."
"Why not? Why are you suddenly so protective, or even aware of the women around you?"
"Since I heard about your little run-in with Dawn a while ago."
"What are you talking about?" Paul looked at him cautiously. "...Who did you hear this from?"
"It started when May brought Dawn into the center lobby, but she seemed like she was drugged or something. She said you two had a little quality time," Ash explained, the Sinnoh trainer getting a bad feeling.
"What exactly did she tell you?" he asked.
"She was going on about how you two were so deep in love, then she went on about what you two did together," he smirked, holding his hand up to the staning man. "Way to go."
"Okay, you would never give a high-five to anyone. Whatever they said, it was clearly a lie if you're acting like this," Paul crossed his arms, frowning. "What exactly did she tell you?"
"Yeah, what did she say?" Leaf added, holding onto Ash's arm with a smile. He looked down, confused.
"Oh, hey Leaf. When did you get here?"
"Hello to you too, Mr. Daydreamer."
"Hey, back to the topic," Paul stated, feeling frustrated. "What did she say?"
"She said you two did some very physical things together. On the bed, against the wall, painful on the floor. Her exact words," Ash's smirk grew, Paul thinking about his words. His face suddenly burned red, realizing what he meant.
"What the HELL?!" he kicked the trainer in the gut, the raven-haired trainer grunting with a cough.
"What was that for? I'm just telling you what I heard, like you wanted!" Ash winced, holding his side.
"Do not believe a word of that crap, that is a filthy damn lie," Paul said in a serious tone, glaring at the trainer. "Why would you even think I would do something like that?"
"That was the only problem, I couldn't really see it happening. At the time, I thought it was good news coming from Dawn, but she did seem like she was drugged. Wait, did you-"
"No, dammit!" Paul shouted, Ash smirking again.
"You're sure defensive of it, so I guess it can't be real. Too bad this isn't a dream, would've been awesome," Ash chuckled to himself.
"Whatever, I just want to talk to Leaf about something. Is that too much to ask?" Paul sighed, Leaf looking at him curiously.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I need...Advice on women," he sighed, Ash's attention perking up again.
"What was that? Paul needs advice? And on women?" he taunted, Paul clenching his fists.
"Shut up, or I'll tell May and Dawn about what happened between you two at the lake," he replied, the Kanto pair's faces going red.
"H-How do you know a-about that!" Leaf clutched more on Ash's arm, the trainer glancing at her confused.
"If you don't want it out, then let me have one conversation. Just a few minutes, that's it," Paul told them, the pair looking at each other.
"I guess I could-"
"No way."
"What! But he knows about what happened!" Leaf looked shocked at the Kanto trainer, but his expression remained serious.
"I know, but I can't trust him with you right now. After hearing the rumor, I don't think you should be spending time alone with him," Ash told her, the brunette's eyes lighting up.
"You're worried about me?" she asked hopefully, beaming as she hugged the trainer tightly. "Oh, you're so romantic~!"
"Whatever, I'll just find someone else," Paul muttered, shaking his head as he walked out of the campsite.
"Do you think he'll tell anyone? About what happened?" Leaf asked worried, her cheeks warming up again.
"I don't know, but I should go follow him just in case," he sighed, hinting at the girl. With a frown, the brunette hesitantly moved so he could stand. "Pi," the mouse hurried out of the tent, climbing to his shoulder. "Sometimes I forget you're even here," the mouse frowned, punching above his trainer's ear.
"Just go make sure he doesn't say a word. And thank you for being concerned about me," Leaf told him, smiling.
"No problem, you're my friend," he smiled, then something dawned on him. "Oh no, he might go after May, Hilda or Zo! Let's hurry, Pi!" Leaf frowned, watching the trainer hurry out of site. She sighed, puffing her cheeks.
"I knew it was too good to be true..."
"Man, this is getting bad..." Zo muttered, arms crossed as she stood in the open plaza. "...Leaf, May, and Dawn...Now Hilda...How am I supposed to help him through this...?" she asked herself, giving a sigh. Catching her eye, she noticed Paul emerging from the bushes and walking towards the hotel. "Where's he off to...?"
"Stupid Ash...Stupid Troublesome...Always causing trouble for me..." Paul muttered angrily, stepping into the hotel and walking through the lobby. He didn't notice the nurse was gone from her desk as he moved towards the hallway to the rooms. He stopped, something catching his ear.
"Are you sure?"
"Unfortunately, yes. It shows one hundred percent normal."
"That can't be right."
"Nurse Joy...And...That's one of the other girls who like him..." Paul told him, looking at the twin doors behind the nurse's desk. He stepped towards them, looking curiously through the small windows. Confused, he saw the two women standing over a human figure he couldn't identify. He pushed through the doors, the two women turning to see him.
"Oh! Paul!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, her expression turning to surprise. Confused, he waved, watching the brunette suddenly move towards him. Surprised, she grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye with a serious look.
"What did you do to her? Tell me!" she demanded, the trainer still confused. Looking over her shoulder, he noticed the familiar annoying blunette lying on the stretcher. Suddenly it made sense.
"It's a lie. What you, Ash, and whoever else was there heard, she is clearly delusional and is making crap up," he told her honestly, the brunette still looking at him suspiciously. "I did not do anything. She dragged me in, made a fool of herself with words, but I knocked myself out before she did anything really weird."
"...I guess she did tell me about you knocking your head on the wall," May stated, releasing the man. "But she did lie to me, so I can't be sure on who to believe. What did she mean when she was talking about against the bed, the wall and on the floor?"
"Ugh, why do I have to go through this..." he muttered angrily, rubbing his forehead as the brunette tapped her toe inpatiently, arms crossed. "The bed was nothing, I got up before she did anything. I tried running, but she pushed me against the wall before I could get out, and the floor...I have no idea. If I had to guess, after I knocked myself out, I would assume my bodyweight knocked her over or something."
"...I guess it does make sense...And Dawn wouldn't go that far..." May told herself, watching him closely. "...I guess I'll believe you."
"Thank you," he sighed, frowning.
"But don't think I trust you completely. Dawn is my friend and if anything happens to her, I'll hold you responsible and you better be ready," she said in a serious tone, the trainer feeling nervous at her expression.
"Why am I being held responsible? I don't have anything to do with her," Paul defended himself, the brunette crossing her arms tighter. Paul looked at the floor beside him.
"That's not true. Whether you see it or not, it may not be love, but she definitely has some kind of feelings for you," Paul looked strangely at the brunette. "You may find it weird, and so do I, definitely. But no one can help what they feel, and men and women have two different ways of experiencing that," the brunette turned away, closing her eyes.
"...Speaking of which..." opening one eye, she glanced back at him. "...Can I talk to you about that?"
"Are you confessing about your feelings?" she asked, the trainer waving his hands.
"No, no, no way. I mean...Just a talk in general, about feelings," he told her, the brunette watching him closely.
"...Okay, I guess," she shrugged, the trainer giving a sigh of relief. She walked past him, the trainer watching her confused as she walked away. She turned back to him, looking expectant. "...Are you coming or not?"
"...Oh, yeah, sorry," he shook his head, following her down the hallway.
"It must be serious, if you're saying sorry," she stated, the trainer frowning as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah, in a way..." he muttered, following the girl until she stopped in front of a door. Pulling an object from her pocket, she opened the door. She stepped to the side, allowing him to move in as she tossed the key into the small dish on the nightstand. "Thanks," he stepped in, the girl closing the door behind him. He didn't hear it close, though.
"Wait," the pair looked at each other confused, May opening the door revealing Zo with a smile. "I thought this was suspicious, so I thought I'd come to make sure I get something interesting out of it," she explained. May looked at Paul expectantly, the trainer giving a shrug.
"She could help too, I guess," the brunette nodded, letting the girl step in. She closed the door, the two girls sitting on the bed.
"...You don't have to just stand, you know. You can sit," May told him, giggling to herself. The trainer sighed, feeling uncomfortable as the two girls watched him sit on the bed across from them. "So, what did you want to talk about? I heard you mention feelings."
"Yeah..." he rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the bed beside him. "...You two promise not to tell anyone about this? Not like a pinkie-swear or anything like that, I mean an oath on your life."
"Wow, this must really be serious," Zo smiled, leaning forward. "Now I'm really interested."
"We swear. Don't worry, Paul, you can trust us," May smiled, holding her hand over her chest. She nudged the girl beside her.
"What? Come on, I love secrets," Zo told her, the brunette remaining silent. "...Alright, I won't say a thing."
"Okay...Why I came to you two, that's because you're girls," they stared at him confused, the trainer feeling nervous. "...I need advice on dating."
"What?" Zo asked quizzically, the brunette forcing her elbow into her gut.
"By that, you mean...?" May inquired, Zo glaring at her while rubbing her side.
"...I think I asked a girl out today."
"What did she mean, 'be careful of others' emotions'...?" Hilda asked herself, watching the ground as she walked. "We were talking about me and Ash, then she brought up Hilbert...What was that about...?" she sighed, crossing her arms. "Man, this is so confusing!"
"Look out! Coming through!" confused, she looked behind her to see a man sprinting towards her. Unable to react, she was knocked to the ground. The brunette grunted, rubbing her back as she sat up. She winced, looking at her side with concern. The man rubbed his head, gasping as he noticed an object between the two on the dirt. He snatched it, shoving it in his pocket.
"Ow...My back..." she muttered, looking angrily at the man. Surprised, she recognized him. "Hilbert?"
"Huh? Oh, Hilda?" getting a look at her, he recognized his friend. "Hey, what's up?"
"What do you mean, 'what's up'? You just ran into me!"
"You got in my way!"
"This plaza is empty. You have all this space."
"Didn't notice..This is weird..."
"But you still had to run into me, huh?"
"Sorry about that, kind of in a hurry," he frowned as he stood and dusted himself off. He extended his arm to the brunette. "Here."
"I don't need help, I'm perfectly capable-" attempting to stand, she winced as she fell back down. She clutched her lower back. "Aah...Maybe not..."
"Come on, don't be stubborn now," Hilbert smiled, gently putting his hand on her back. She winced, glaring at the man. "Sorry if it hurts," her expression softened, surprised at his sudden kindness. Carefully, he helped her to her feet. "There you go, better now?"
"Yeah..." she said quietly, watching him confused.
"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her look.
"...Why did you help me? Usually, you would just run off without a second thought," she frowned, the man chuckling.
"Yeah, that's usually me. But I can't just leave a friend of mine like this," he smiled, the brunette seeing something new in his expression. "Are you good to walk?"
"Uh...Yeah, I think so," she replied, turning and moving her back slow and freely.
"You sure? You still look a little stiff, want me to help you back to the campsite?" he asked, the brunette shaking her head from her thoughts.
"No, I'm fine, really. You can go," she smiled, waving to him. He looked at her carefully, then shrugged.
"...If you say so, I guess. If you need help, don't hesitate to call me," he smiled, waving as he rushed off. The brunette watched him disappear from sight into the trees, feeling a strange sharp pain in her chest. She winced, noticing something. Moving her hands to her cheeks, she felt they were warmer than usual.
"...Was...Was Zo...Right...?"
END
How will Zo and May help Paul?
What will happen on Paul's "date"?
Where is Hilbert hurrying off to?
What will happen between Paul and Hilbert, with both knowing the rumor and Hilbert's purchase?
