Rules are stupid. (Part 1)

"Director Lampert wants me to talk to you." the bored woman says as she walks unannounced into the Champion's office.

There are few people Paul will ignore. Cynthia is one of them. She was once the champion, and it took him many tries to beat her. It's rare he ever has to battle because Cynthia usually takes care of these challengers before they reach him. Sighing, the man looks over at Cynthia when she sits in the chair across from him. "You just did."

Cynthia rolls her eyes while twirling one of Paul's pens from his penholder. "He knows I'm the only one you listen to." It's the reason Cynthia is always the one coming to relay the Director's messages to Paul. "I don't care what you do until it causes me unnecessary work."

"And then I always complete some of your work." Paul currently doesn't mind the tradeoff because Lucas has all of his work, making Paul have more time for Cynthia's work.

Sighing, Cynthia looks at the stoic man. "He says if you miss another meeting, he'll put you on gym leader duty again. Fatina needs someone to watch her gym for a week in a few months."

Paul shivers at the memory of when he had to sub for Fantina the other year. He doesn't want to do that again. "Lampert can't make me."

"He can." Cynthia shrugs. "You know the rules."

"The rules are stupid."

She raises an amused eyebrow at him. "I've been wondering, Paul…"

"Hm." Paul isn't keen on that look in her eyes right now.

"You're so against all these rules except for your own. You keep yourself on such a short leash, but you completely disregard the rules of others." Paul is considered a social outcast, though he doesn't mind. Moreover, Paul constantly misses League meetings and avoids various events he deems unnecessary.

The champion's scowl deepens, so he returns his attention to his monitor to avoid facing Cynthia. "My rules aren't stupid." They've gotten him to everything he's wanted. He's the champion. He's satisfied.

Cynthia gives Paul a disinterested look. "How was your brother's wedding?"

Paul glares at his monitor. "Fine."

After Dawn's failed attempt at talking to him, Paul stuck around until Reggie got too wasted to notice him slip out. Paul already had his bag packed, so he immediately returned to the League. Being around the wedding festivities and the Top Coordinator were too much for him. He feels like he can finally breathe now. It's been a few weeks since the wedding and since he last had to see her. His heart doesn't ache as much unless he's reminded of her, which is often.

Cynthia chuckles and stands up. "Typical Paul Shinji with the curt responses. It's why I like talking to you, Paul." When Cynthia reaches the door, she adds, "Because I like you, I'm gonna give you some advice." Paul gives her a slightly annoyed glance. "Don't be a hypocrite. You either follow all rules or don't follow any, including yours." With that, Cynthia waves at him and leaves.

Glaring at the computer monitor, Paul clenches his fists. He knew Cynthia would eventually come talk to him. He's been missing the meetings for weeks now. He hates it when Cynthia comes because she always manages to make him feel guilty despite not saying much. And then he also gets her added work since she claims talking to him takes up too much of her time. Cynthia manages to make him think his life decisions over.

Therefore, Paul glares at his reflection in the timed out black screen. Rules are stupid. He hates the rules society and the League try to impose on him. He finds them utterly annoying, so he breaks them often. However, Cynthia is right. He has been following his own set of rules to keep him in order. They've gotten him far in life, so he's stuck by them. Nevertheless, he's been feeling constricted by them lately, like how he feels with the League's and society's rules.

Letting out a long breath, Paul glances at his pokenav on the desk. He reaches for it and pulls up the calendar, something he never does. Despite not going to any events or meetings, Paul's secretary continues to input the information to keep his calendar up to date. This is also for purposes in case the League wants Paul to do something but he already has a prior appointment. He knows of today's event. Out of habit, his secretary continues to tell him events where she will be at. Paul's asked her to stop, but sometimes, she forgets and the information slips.

He clicks on today's date to read the details: Eterna City Spring Festival. Of course, Paul is always requested at these events. He never goes, so he ignores them. Nevertheless, he knows this is a huge event where the presence of both the Top Coordinator and the Champion is wanted. She will be there. Being in her first year as a Top Coordinator, she tries to do everything. It bothers Paul because he doesn't want her to collapse. It's a reason he didn't want her to help with Reggie's wedding.

Shaking his head as his heart aches tremendously, Paul stands to grab his coat. Cynthia is right. Paul can't be a hypocrite. He needs to choose. Follow all the rules or follow no rules. Right now, he sees how dumb his rules are since they're causing him so much turmoil. He's going to choose to follow no rules. It's what he's been doing anyway.

As he rushes out of the office, he mutters to his curious secretary, "I'll be in Eterna City." She smiles knowingly, glad that he's finally going out to the public, though she's more glad that he will see the Top Coordinator. The secretary had been curious why Paul would tell her to stop bringing up the Top Coordinator. Knowing Paul will run into her makes the secretary feel more relieved. Paul is a lot more approachable when he has a good relationship with the Top Coordinator.

Kanto

After finding the Viridian City Gym closed, and people saying the gym leader has been gone for days, Gary defeatedly makes his way back home to Pallet Town. Viridian City is near the Indigo Plateau, so he had hoped to see everyone he wanted to see in one trip. None of the cityfolk know where the gym leader went. Gary could call her, but he's scared she won't pick up. He needs to talk to her in person.

When he enters his Pallet Town home, he's surprised to see the lights in the hallway are on. Cautiously walking over with a hand on Umbreon's pokeball, Gary peeks down the hall. Whoever is here is obviously in his room because the light is on in there. Gary takes a deep breath while creeping down the hall. As soon as he reaches the open doorway, he relaxes.

"What're you doing here?"

The person jumps with a start and quickly turns to face him. She was reading some papers he had left on his desk. "Hi, Gare." She innocently smiles.

Gary suspiciously eyes her. Although his heart is beating quickly from seeing her, he's curious about her being in his room, especially his house. Last he checked, she wanted nothing to do with him. "You didn't answer my question, Leaf."

Leaf. Leaf cringes at the name. He rarely calls her by her name except in professional settings. Usually, it's Leafy or Greeny or some other nickname. "I used to be a thief, remember?" After her call with Ash, Leaf left to Pallet Town. She couldn't find Gary at the lab, so she figured he'd be home. Even the professor said Gary would be at his home, but he wasn't.

Bored, Leaf explored his house by herself. It's not her first time seeing it, though it's her first time alone in it. She saw many photos of Gary and his family as well as his achievements. Leaf wanted to avoid Gary's bedroom because it brings back too many painful memories. However, it was the last room to be explored, despite her only ever seeing it. She was surprised to see the papers on his desk though.

The man eyes the papers she was looking at. They are his research papers on ground type Pokemon. "Interested in my research now?" He slightly teases in the tense atmosphere.

Leaf meets his dark viridian eyes. "You mean lack of?"

Chuckling, Gary picks up a random paper. "Ground the blah this is boring ground. I just need to type ground enough to seem like I'm doing research, but really, I'm checking out the beauty across the room. She's stunning. Gorgeous. Mew. I'm such an idiot. She got me. I lost this ground. Game, but you know I had to type ground right there. Yup. More ground Pokemon. Observing ground Poke-"

"When will I finally tell her? That dreaded L word we both want and don't want to hear." Leaf interrupts as she reads a different paper. "She has her eyes on someone else, but I only see her. I want her." Leaf takes in a deep breath. She's been rereading this specific line for the past 10 minutes before Gary showed up. "I-"

"Love her." Gary finishes, and Leaf slowly looks up from the paper to him. With a small warm smile on his face, Gary repeats, "I. Love. You. Leaf Green." He sighs and sets the paper back down. "But I know you love someone else."

Leaf nervously eyes him. She's had all this time to think about what to say to him, though she hasn't. Swallowing the little pride she has left, she takes a step towards him. "I'm sorry, Gary."

"You can't control who you like." he sadly chuckles.

The woman shakes her head. "No. I'm apologizing for the way I treated you last time. You don't deserve that."

"I deserve it." He's done the same to the women he's played in the past before.

"You don't deserve to be treated like the rest."

He raises a confused eyebrow at her. "Leaf-"

"You're not like the other guys. You're not like Silver." Leaf gets closer with her eyes still locked on his. "I played those men. I had a crush on Silver. But you…" Her breath hitches in her throat. Will he even believe her? Or will he think it's a part of her game?

Gary expectantly eyes the brunette. When she stops talking, he brings his arms out to hug her tightly. That distressed look on her face is genuine. Silver and Misty are right when they say Leaf has been authentic with him. He can read her. She's feeling guilty about rejecting him, and the torment is unbearable. "It's okay, Leaf. We can continue our engagement if you want."

She quickly removes her face from his chest to look up at his face. "No! I don't wanna go back to that!"

Gary feels hurt hearing how she wants nothing to do with him now that he lost their game. With a small frown, he mutters, "Okay, Le-"

"I wanna earn your trust, Gary." She cuts him off, making him surprised. He glances down at those apologetic green orbs. "I was so stupid relying on my childhood feelings for Silver. It just made everything so much easier. I didn't wanna admit I fell for my own trap." She takes in a deep breath. "That I fell for you, Gary."

The past few years, Leaf has been in constant turmoil with her feelings for this man. She knows their arrangement is nothing more than an unspoken bet. It also caused her to rely more on her feelings for Silver. Leaf thought she could hide behind that crush to keep her feelings for Gary at bay. When Silver gave her a reality check, though, Leaf learned otherwise. If she had to choose between Gary or Silver, she knew she wanted Gary back more than Silver. Nevertheless, she felt like it was too late to finally follow her heart.

The man isn't sure he heard her correctly. "Huh?" This must be a dream. He's hallucinating from his long journey.

With a little more confidence, Leaf replies, "I...love you, Gary."

Gary crashes his lips onto hers. He knows she's being serious. Players know how to play the game. Nothing in Leaf's eyes or demeanor shows him she's messing around. He's seen both sides of her before. Besides, if she is playing him, which he knows she isn't, Gary doesn't care. He loves her. He just wants to be with her.

Sinnoh

"What's wrong?" The teal haired man asks his girlfriend as she pulls away from his attempted kiss. She just stopped by his place for lunch on her way to Eterna City. However, he's noticed she's been pretty distant. She was distant at the wedding, but he assumed that was due to her being stressed from planning it.

The woman shakes her head while offering him a small smile. "I'm just tired, Conway."

Conway sighs as they sit beside each other. He would like to put an arm around her shoulders, though he fears she'll pull away again. She's been avoiding any contact with him lately. He even finds it hard to reach her. It was easier contacting her when her schedule was more packed with the wedding. "Is that all?"

"Yeah. No need to worry!"

He shakes his head. "Dawn, I know when you're lying."

"I'm fine. Really, Conway." giggles the woman. She moves closer to put her head on his shoulder, and he relaxes slightly. "I just wanna hang out with my boyfriend for a bit before I have to go back to work."

Satisfied that she does want physical contact with him, Conway replies, "You mean the Eterna City Spring Festival?" Dawn nods tiredly. "Is Paul gonna be there?" Conway knows the Champion usually avoids these public events, but Paul has been going to some here and there.

Dawn frowns. After the wedding, she found out Paul had left. Rather than being persistent, she chose to keep their relationship at that. He must want her out of his life so much that he left as soon as he could. Dawn can't force people to be her friends. She's also busy. After three attempts on her end, and Paul still turning her away, Dawn gets the hint. She won't make a fool out of herself anymore.

"Dawn?" Conway asks with concern when she doesn't respond.

"Hm?"

"I asked if Paul is gonna be there?"

The woman sits up slowly and shakes her head. Conway is disappointed she removed herself from him. "No." She doubts Paul will be there. He wants to avoid her. He hates these events anyway.

After a few silent minutes while Dawn continues to think about that lonely prunehead, Conway takes in a deep breath. "Are you gonna tell me what's wrong, or should I guess?"

This question breaks her out of her thoughts as she quickly looks at him in surprise. "What?"

Conway meets her eyes. "Why have you been so down? I noticed it at the wedding too. I thought you were just stressed out, but you'd get all spacey." He can't read those midnight blue orbs full of mystery. "Why, Dawn? What's going on? Do you even wanna be with me?"

"I do!" Dawn hurriedly replies. "I like you, Conway! You're nice, charming, considerate-"

"But not him." The woman blinks in confusion. Conway lets out a breath. "I'm not him, Dawn."

"Not who?"

He continues to study her face. She genuinely has no idea what he's talking about. He could stop now and keep her. However, he likes her too much to force her to stay with him when she's so unhappy. "Paul. I'm not Paul."

"Of course not. You're Conway." Dawn knowingly remarks.

He shakes his head. "No, Dawn. I'm not who you wanna be with. I know you left me to see Paul that night a couple months ago."

Her mouth drops. "Conwa-"

"It's okay." Conway grabs one of her soft hands. "I was wondering what type of relationship you two had. Watching you at the wedding…" Conway takes in a deep breath to fight the lump in his throat. "I wish you looked at me the same way you looked at Paul."

"Conway, I'm with you! I like you! I want to be with you!" insists the bluenette.

"It's okay. You can follow your heart."

"Stop it! We are not breaking up! It took me forever to find someone like you. I'm not about to let this end over your misjudgment!" Are the rules wrong? No. The rules have never been wrong. Dawn is just stressed and a little upset over losing a friend. Conway must think it's something else because Paul is a man. However, Paul was just a guy-friend. Nothing more!

"You're confused." Conway tells her.

"No way! I know what I want! I've always known what I wanted!" It's how she finally became the Top Coordinator.

"Then look me in the eyes and tell me, Dawn." Conway softly says.

Meeting his gaze again, Dawn furiously stares at him. She wants this. She finally found someone to treasure her, so she won't lose him. Nonetheless, when she opens her mouth to speak, the words get caught. Dawn furrows her brows. Taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves, she tries again. Still, no words emerge. She watches as Conway shifts his gaze to the side.

"It's okay. You don't need to force yourself." He mutters sadly.

"No." Dawn whispers. "I want-"

"Stop lying to us both, Dawn."

Biting her bottom lip, Dawn tries to think of the words to say to him. Conway has it all wrong. She doesn't like Paul. She doesn't even see him in that way. He was just a friend and partner. Yes, they got along, but she gets along better with Ash who is just a friend. Nevertheless, only Paul makes her heart ache immensely like this. Only Paul constantly clouds her mind. Only Paul can have her feeling this lost for so long. Maybe Conway is right?

She glances back at her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend with an apologetic gaze. "Conway…"

Dawn's soft voice makes the man reluctantly meet her eyes again. This time, she doesn't look as down or lost anymore. Her midnight orbs look more sure of themselves. It's like her confidence is back. That same confidence that enticed him to begin with. Despite the intense pain in his chest, Conway knows this is best. She was never his. Her heart belonged to someone else long before he came around. Therefore, Conway will let her go. They are still in the beginning of their relationship, so while he likes her a lot, this breakup isn't too painful.

"Thank you for being my first boyfriend." she smiles.

He nods with his own small smile. "Thank you for giving me a chance, Dawn."

Moving towards him, Dawn pecks his cheek lightly. She then stands to grab her purse and coat. "You're a great guy, Conway. You'll find someone who loves you as much as you love them someday." Dawn is sure of it. Conway is a catch.

With his grin growing, Conway watches as she exits his apartment. It was nice dating Dawn for as long as he did. He learned a lot. Sighing, the man decides he needs a break from breaking for the time being. While he was always infatuated with Dawn, Conway figured she wouldn't be the right woman for him. If she didn't like him at his worst, what makes him think she'll like him at his best? Dawn isn't superficial like that, though Conway does recall the times she'd call him creepy in the past.

With Paul...Paul has always been quiet and stoic. However, the younger Paul was very brutal and mean to his Pokemon. He was extremely rude too, but Dawn didn't hate him. She found him irritating and harsh; nonetheless, she was never put off by him. While Dawn preferred to avoid Conway's creepiness, she challenged Paul's ruthlessness. Conway hopes she can be happy, despite it depending on Paul opening up to her again.

I caught a cold. No. It's not COVID. I got tested and my results were negative. It's just a cold. Anyway, due to being sick, I've been slow to type. Thankfully, I work from home, so after I finish working, I usually just sleep off the sickness. Starting to feel better, so I've been typing again.

This chapter got really long, like chapter 8. Thus, I'm splitting it in 2. There's the second part of this chapter left and then the epilogue!