I got an outline for the rest of this story. OMG. I'm so excited. It's gonna end at around 15 chapters (maybe even less). I've been trying to shorten my stories because I think I make them unnecessarily long. Let me know how you feel about this one once I'm done.

Rule #7: He'll include you in other parts of his life.

"Hey, Leafy?" smirks the auburn haired man to the naked brunette laying beside him.

"Hm?" Leaf scrolls through her pokenav messages.

"Remember all those times I'd help you with your paperwork?"

She rolls her eyes because she already knows where this is going. Leaf keeps her attention on her pokenav. "And I paid you back in sex."

He chuckles. "It doesn't count when you enjoy it too."

She fakes a laugh. "Oh please, Gary. If I enjoy it too."

Bringing up a hand, he removes her pokenav from her face to look at those amused green eyes of hers. "Really? Tell me you don't enjoy Gary Oak." He taunts her.

Leaf playfully pats his cheek. "I would, but I don't wanna hurt your feelings, Gare." Seeing his smirk falter makes her have a smirk of her own. Gary is just too much fun to tease. "Let me hear your proposal. If I like it, you can pay me back in more paperwork." Gary can't believe how this woman can get around his charms using her own. She continues to surprise him every day.

After speaking to Ash a few weeks ago, and he was indeed at that Route 1 river, Gary learned that Ash still loves Misty a lot. Ash wants to marry her but just not right now. Gary had brought some beer for them to sip on while Ash cried to Gary. Although Gary prefers not dealing with emotions, he knew Ash needed a friend; thus, he let Ash confide in him. Last Gary heard, the tabloids caught the exes hanging out in public weekly. It seems like Misty is still willing to be Ash's friend, which is good.

Clearing his throat dramatically, Gary says, "I'll give you, Leaf Green, Viridian City Gym Leader, hottest leader in Kanto, the opportunity to go to Johto with me, Gary Oak, sexiest man alive, heartthrob of Kanto, future Professor Oak, for dinner with my sister and gramps."

Leaf gives him an unamused look. He really tried to butter up this favor he's asking from her. "Why?" She won't fall for his charms. Not yet. Leaf Green isn't a player for no reason.

Gary fights the nervousness threatening to show. He knows once it doesn, Leaf will just laugh in his face and leave. He doesn't catch feelings, but if she thinks he did, she won't see him again. It's who Leaf is. She likes wooing men, and once she has them, she moves on to the next challenge. Gary is the longest lasting man who has yet to confess to her.

"Gramps keeps complaining about how he's gonna die before I ever get into a serious relationship. I don't wanna hear him and Daisy lecture me for hours." groans the man.

Leaf resumes looking at her pokenav. "Sounds like a you-problem."

"And your paperwork is a you-problem, but I still help you."

"I don't ask for help." She reminds him. Plus, Leaf knows Gary will continue to come over and work on papers with her. She feels that she's close to getting him to crack, and she needs him to break before she does. Wait. Did she just admit that she's caving into Gary Oak? No. No way! Gary Oak needs to break so that Leaf can move onto her next toy. "Besides, you do know I'm the biggest player of Johto."

"That's even better!" Gary grins. "If you were some sweet innocent girl, I'd get lectured about not breaking your heart with my player ways. But since you're you, then they know you can handle me."

Tired of this stupid talk that won't make her go back to Johto, Leaf places her pokenav back on the nightstand. She rolls over to sit on top of Gary where she straddles his hips. Winking down at the blushing man, she says, "Of course I can handle you, Gare."

Forgetting about his request, Gary sits up to capture her lips as the two prepare for another round of fun in his Pallet Town home. Leaf Green did live up to her words when she agreed to visit him after he left to help Ash's heartbreak. While Gary really wants Leaf to officially meet his family as his pretend girlfriend, Gary doesn't want to risk losing her for good by letting her think he caught feelings for her. Thus, the conversation will be pushed away for now.

Sinnoh

"What?" exasperates the champion. This troublesome woman has been sighing loudly for the past 10 minutes. He was trying to ignore her because he really isn't in the mood for a conversation, though he never is, but she's really annoying. While Paul doesn't have too much work, he doesn't want to sit in this quiet room where she's constantly sighing.

Why is she even here? For something about Reggie's wedding, however she didn't need him for that. Now, she's been lounging around on his couch sighing at her pokenav. Does the Top Coordinator really have this much time on their hands? Drew used to come over often, though not as often as Dawn. Paul is starting to wonder what Top Coordinators even do, or maybe Drew and Dawn are just slackers?

"I need help, Paul." moans the woman sinking down on the couch.

That's exactly what she said when she had that one stupid question about the wedding, and then she hasn't left since. "What?" he grumbles in annoyance.

Dropping her arm so that she can look at him work, she says, "Am I getting cold feet?"

"You're not getting married." Has working on the wedding made her feel like she's getting married? She was trying on dresses the other week.

Dawn shakes her head. "Not yet, Paul! I'm talking about Conway."

The man stiffens up from the name he hasn't heard in a while. With his scowl deepening, Paul asks, "What about him?" Dawn has only had good things to say about Conway, but she hasn't spoken about him since the day she called him in Oreburgh City.

"Don't get me wrong." Dawn quickly says. "But I like him! He's sweet and he follows all of the rules!"

Paul sighs. "But?"

The woman nervously looks away. "I don't know, Paul. We're getting serious, but I keep avoiding him. It's like I'm hesitant, but I shouldn't be." Taking in a deep breath, Dawn glances back up where her eyes meet Paul's.

As soon as their eyes meet, he gazes back at his monitor. Awkwardly clearing his throat, Paul mutters, "Maybe you don't like him?"

Dawn shyly blushes. "I do. I like him a lot, Paul. He's exactly who I have been looking for. He's nice. Treats me well. Supports me. Listens to me. Is patient with me." She sighs. "Am I getting cold feet?"

"Is this your first relationship?" he annoyedly questions.

"Yeah. First real serious one."

Paul bites the inside of his cheek because his heart continues to ache too much for his liking. "You're probably just scared. It's something new for you."

Dawn sits up to put her arms and head on his desk. "Did I ever tell you about my family?"

"Don't care." lies the man.

She giggles at him as she ignores his words. "My parents were never together. They hooked up a few times, and when my dad found out my mom was pregnant with me, he left." Paul furrows his brows hearing this. Dawn isn't looking at him because her head is still in her arms. "My mom raised me alone. She doesn't want me to make the same mistake as her."

"It wasn't a mistake."

The woman curiously glances up at her working friend. "Huh?"

Paul sighs and turns his head to lock eyes with her. "You're not a mistake."

Dawn can't help but grin from his words. "I'm not saying I was a mistake, Paul!"

Embarrassed, the champion resumes looking back at his monitor. "I'm supposed to give you dating advice. Not be your therapist."

"I think it's the same thing."

"No."

Feeling better, Dawn sits up straight to look at him. "Well, maybe that's what's wrong with me, right? Like I'm scared to be in my mom's shoes and disappoint her?"

Paul groans to let her know how much he doesn't want to talk about this. "Do you like Conway?" Ouch. That hurt saying his name.

Dawn's blush just irritates Paul more. "Yeah. He's sweet." She shyly mutters.

Nodding, Paul tells her, "Then if you like him, and he likes you, and he follows all the rules, then you're fine. Stop being troublesome." Women constantly overthink. That's another reason why relationships don't work out.

Dawn takes in a deep breath. She knows Paul is right. Her past trauma is making her hesitant on dating Conway. Conway has been nothing but great to her, and she's been ignoring him. With a new resolve, Dawn gets up. "Thanks, Paul! I'm gonna see if Conway wants to hang out this week!" she rushes out of the office, though she doesn't feel fully satisfied with this conclusion.

Once Dawn is gone, Paul waits some time as he absentmindedly stares at his computer. When he believes she's long gone, he slams his fist hard on the desk in anger. It's loud enough that his secretary outside his door flinches, but she's used to Paul's angry outbursts, so she leaves him alone.

The man stands up and grabs his pokeballs. Why is he so upset? He just gave Dawn advice that aligns with his rules. She found someone she's been looking for, so now Paul's job is done. Nonetheless, he hates this. It hurts too much, and he hopes training will take his mind off of it. He doesn't understand why his chest aches. Maybe he's anxious that his advice might be wrong? Like this Conway guy might not be the right person for Dawn?

Hoenn

"Where are we going?" the brunette asks her friend.

Grinning at her, Drew continues to drag her through the streets. "We're in LaRousse City!"

"I know that, Drew." They're competing for their fourth ribbon here. "But the Pokemon Center is that way." May points in the opposite direction.

Drew rolls his eyes. "Duh, but the Pokemon Center is always crowded." Plus, they are famous, and Drew wants to avoid the unwanted attention, especially from young trainers.

"So where are we sleeping?" May skeptically asks as she continues to follow him.

Smirking at her, Drew flicks his hair. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

Drew is somewhat upset that she forgot, but he doesn't blame her. They've rarely been in this city at the same time. Eventually, they arrive at a very big mansion. "My house."

May's eyes spark with realization. She's only been here a few times before, and she met Drew's dad twice. "I miss your dad, Drew! Let's go!" Now, it's May's turn to drag the man up the long driveway. Of course, the workers immediately recognize his green hair, so no one stops them. Drew can't help but smile at the woman who is just as excited to see his father as he is.

Once inside, Drew asks a servant where his father is. His mother passed away when he was young, which is why Drew latched onto Solidad quickly as an older female role model. He never had one. Going to the office, Drew knocks on it. He hadn't called home because he wanted to surprise his father.

"What is it?" comes the annoyed response.

"Your son." Drew can't help but smirk at the door.

Rustling can be heard, and the door swings open for Drew to be tackled by a large man. Drew's father is taller than him and very muscular compared to the tone coordinator. Thus, Drew is always enveloped by his father. When Mr. Hayden's eyes land on the woman beside Drew, the older man's smile grows. "May Maple! I haven't seen you in almost a decade!"

May giggles as he hugs her. "Hi, Mr. Hayden."

Mr. Hayden waves a hand at her. "If my son can call your parents by their first name, then you can call me by mine."

"Okay Bernard." chuckles Drew, earning him a glare from his father.

"To you, Andrew, it's dad." Bernard then returns his attention to the both of them. "How long are you two staying? And are you finally dating? I've always waited for the day Drew would finally grow a pair and ask you out!"

"Dad!" the blushing young man whines while clamping a hand over his father's mouth. Bernard is known as a very serious business man, but he's a great father. Around Drew and Drew's friends, Bernard is playful and talkative.

May was intimidated by Bernard when she first met him, like most people are, but due to her being Drew's friend, Bernard was just like this: playful and welcoming. Of course, the first time they met, Bernard assumed May and Drew were dating because Drew's never brought a girl to meet him before. The young adults were teenagers then.

Coming to Drew's rescue, May says, "We're competing this weekend, Bernard. Will you be watching us again?"

Proudly grinning at them, Bernard bellows, "I always watch my son compete. I watch you too, May." He's met her twice before today, but he likes May a lot. She's like the daughter he's never had. May also loves spending time with Drew's father. Unfortunately for Drew, Norman isn't quite as welcoming to him as Bernard is to May.

Drew shakes his head in amusement as he watches May and Bernard talk on the way to the kitchen. May likes the endless amount of food the Haydens have, and everyone here loves her. She doesn't let anyone serve her. She cooks and cleans by herself. She treats everyone with respect while trying to get to know them. Everyone loves her friendly, kind personality. It's another reason Drew loves bringing her by. She really lightens up everyone's moods, especially his hard working lonely father.

The young Hayden really hopes May starts giving him more time. Right now, she's practically forced to hang out with him. He knows how he feels about her, especially with the intense ache in his chest at watching her get along so well with his father. However, Drew knows that if he asks May out now, she will reject him, and most likely stop traveling with him due to focusing on winning a Grand Festival. He can't risk never seeing her again. Therefore, Drew Hayden will be patient and take what he can get.

Sinnoh

"Why are you here early?" Reggie inquires his brother who had arrived home this morning and is currently lounging on the couch after training outside. The wedding is in a month, but Paul only agreed to come two weeks prior to it.

Shrugging, the champion mutters, "Bored."

Maylene curiously raises an eyebrow at her fiance who doesn't know what to do. Paul doesn't get bored. He loves training, so he will always do it. That's all Paul ever does: train, work, eat, and sleep. Anything else is just an annoying chore, which is why Reggie was surprised when he found out Paul and Dawn were friends. While Paul never admitted it, Reggie knows otherwise.

"Don't you usually train when you're bored?"

"I already did." grumbles Paul.

Sighing, Reggie sits beside his brother. "What's wrong, Paul?"

Paul annoyedly glances up at Reggie. "Nothing." Why is Reggie questioning him? It's not like Paul talks about his feelings anyway.

"You never get tired of training. You're never bored. You would never come here earlier than you wanted to. Something is wrong." Reggie knowingly tells him.

"Nothing is wrong, Reggie." exasperates Paul. He knew he should've hid in his room. However, he didn't want to be alone. Arceus, since when did Paul Shinji get lonely? He prefers being alone! Just what has happened to him?

"Why don't you call Dawn?" Maylene suggests, and Paul groans aloud.

"We're not friends. I don't have friends." he reminds them.

Chuckling, Reggie remarks, "I'm pretty sure you guys could be best friends." Paul shoots his brother a sharp glare, making Reggie gulp. "Look, Paul, Dawn's been planning the wedding. We don't really have anything for you to do, so you can ask her if you're bored."

Paul stands up to go to his room. He doesn't want to talk about her. He hasn't seen her much besides for when he has to help with the wedding, which has only been a few times since the day she told him she was going to start seriously dating Conway. The Sinnoh Tribune is already all over the new couple, and they're constantly in the media. Everyone loves them. Paul hates seeing it. Love is stupid. Relationships are dumb. Everything is just so annoying.

Whenever Paul does see Dawn, he ignores her. She's usually too busy with the wedding that she doesn't have much time for anything else but her Top Coordinator job. The few times she can spare, she tries to talk to Paul, who just walks away from her. He has no reason to talk to her anymore now that she doesn't need dating advice. Besides, everytime he is reminded of her, his chest aches too much. Avoiding her will prevent the pain he still can't understand.

Nevertheless, a few hours later, when his pokenav rings with her as the caller, he picks up. "What?"

"I heard you're bored." giggles the bluenette.

Paul frowns unamused. He knows he's been trying to ignore her, but it's hard. Phone calls prove more difficult in case it's work related. Usually, he'd have his secretary handle that, but he also doesn't want Dawn to know he's avoiding her. He isn't sure how he would explain himself if Dawn caught on.

She's used to his silence, so she tells him, "Well, if it makes you feel better, I'll be in Veilstone City next week. We can hang out."

"Not interested."

"Stop trying to act cool."

"I'm not." grumbles the annoyed man. "You shouldn't be hanging out with other men when you're in a relationship."

"Conway isn't insecure like that. He trusts me." Dawn knowingly remarks. She's also missed her friend a lot. It's like they don't have much time for each other anymore now that her spare time is taken up by her boyfriend.

"It's a rule."

Dawn rolls her eyes. "You never told me that rule."

"It's a relationship rule."

She's missed talking to him. Paul is a lot of fun. He's very stoic and never amused, but Dawn loves teasing him. She knows her bubbly and talkative personality is too much for him, though he never pushes her away. "Well, I just wanted you to know that I'll keep you company starting next week. Find something to do while you wait for me."

"I'm not waiting for you."

"I'm the best you're gonna get, Paul." Dawn giggles. "Bye."

He tosses his pokenav to the side and groans. She's right. She's the best he's ever gonna get. The best friend. The best companion. The best partner. It's all her. Others who have been or tried to be in her position before have only been an annoyance to him. The closest person he didn't mind was Drew, but even then, Paul found the Hoenn native utterly irritating. Dawn has a way more loud personality; however, Paul for some reason prefers her company. Sighing, he shuts his eyes in hopes that sleep will take away this intense ache in his chest.