"Castelia City Chaos"

By MisterAnimeFan

Part of the DP Love Series

The story takes place in the Unova region from Pokémon Black and White. Paul and Dawn have been dating for about two years now, and as such, they're two years older (Paul 17-years-old and Dawn 16-years-old). I'm fully aware that in the anime, Dawn actually goes to Hoenn and not Unova, but just ignore that and pretend that she went to Unova with Paul to participate in the Pokémon Musical.

Sorry about taking so long. I got caught up in some other things. You know, school, family vacations, time with friends, other media projects, etc.

Disclaimer: You know what would be cool? Pokémon games for the 3DS! Oh and Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak. The fan fiction exists out of fun and enjoyment.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Paul stood on his knees, staring at the defeated Scraggy in front of him. N's Sigilyph hovered over them. N retreated the Sigilyph back into his Poké Ball. "The best of the Sinnoh region, huh?" N asked, sarcastically.

Paul just remained on his knees in disbelief over having lost his battle.

Just then, Dawn walked out of the Museum and was shocked to see Paul on his knees. "Paul?" she asked, worriedly. "What happened?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Sigilyph, use Psybeam!" shouted N.

The unusual Sigilyph fired a multi-colored beam at his opponent, Paul's Pignite. "Pignite, stand your ground! Paul shouted.

Pignite put his arms up to ward off the Psybeam. He winced as the Psybeam made impact with his stubby arms. The Psybeam pushed him back a few inches, but Pignite shook off the effects and glared at his opponent. "Alright Pignite, now use Ember!"

Pignite took a deep breath and fired a barrage of small fireballs towards Sigilyph. Sigilyph quickly flew out of the way.

"Now use Air Cutter!" commanded N.

Sigilyph appeared behind Pignite. "Pignite, behind you!" warned Paul. Pignite turned around and was met with a saw-like disc to the face. "Pignite!" Paul shouted, worriedly.

"Have to say Paul, you certainly have not improved much since our last battle," taunted N.

Paul only shrugged off the insult. "Come on Pignite, get up!" Paul shouted.

Pignite slowly pushed himself off the ground. Although a bit battered, he was still roaring to go! "Now Pignite, use Flame Charge on Sigilyph!"

Pignite began stomping his feet repeatedly until a cloud of dust covered his body. "Sigilyph, stop him with Whirlwind!" ordered N.

Sigilyph quickly flapped his wings until he created a strong gust of wind. Pignite struggled to stay on his feet. Nonetheless, Pignite cloaked himself in a ball of fire. He fought against the wind and jumped towards Sigilyph. He cut through the Whirlwind and tackled Sigilyph, much to the surprise of everyone around the battlefield. Pignite landed on his feet while Sigilyph crashed to the ground. He had been knocked unconscious. "Sigilyph is unable to battle!" announced the referee (some random citizen). "The winner of this round is Pignite!"

Pignite raised his arms in the air, celebrating his victory. "Don't get too cocky," warned Paul. "We still have two more Pokémon left."

"Look at you, ordering your Pokémon, telling him how he should feel," said N.

"Shut up," snapped Paul. "Just send out your next Pokémon already!"

N said nothing. He only retreated his Sigilyph back into its Poké Ball. "I'm impressed, little Paul," taunted N. "Last time, Sigilyph managed to single-handily defeat every one of your Pokémon. It seems that this time you're ready to put on a fight. However, if you thought Sigilyph was powerful, wait until you meet my other friends."

N reached into his pocket and took out another Poké Ball. "Go...Liepard!" he shouted. He threw the Poké Ball up in the air and a purple cat-like Pokémon appeared on the battlefield. "It's funny," commented Paul. "You always get on my case for "trapping" my Pokémon in Poké Balls, but here you are doing the same thing."

N didn't reply to him. Paul only smirked. "Yeah...that's what I figured too," he boasted.

"Are you going to battle or are you just going to run your mouth?" N asked.

Paul carefully examined the Liepard. Although he's confident that Pignite could defeat it with ease, he decided to make a switch. "Pignite, return!"

Paul then retreated Pignite back into his Poké Ball. He then took out another Poké Ball. "Timburr, stand by!" Paul shouted. The Poké Ball opened up and a Timburr appeared on the field, holding onto his large wooden 2x4. "Hmmm...you're going to challenge my Liepard with Timburr?" asked N. "Trying to capitalize on type advantages I see. I'm afraid that will not do you any good."

"Oh yeah? Just watch," replied Paul.

"Round Two: Timburr vs. Liepard...BEGIN!" announced the referee.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

MEANWHILE...

Dawn was walking all around the city, angrily pouting. "Stupid Paul," he muttered, angrily. "Always having to act like the big man...can't he just let things go? Why does he always have to pick a fight with everybody? He didn't even listen to anything I said!"

Dawn continued walking until she had an idea. "You know what? Forget him!" she said to herself. "I don't need him! I'm going to go to the Fashion District by myself!"

Dawn then felt her stomach growling. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. "Okay, maybe I'll get something to eat first...and then I'll go to the Fashion District," she mumbled to herself.

Dawn then looked all around her. Tall skyscrapers and many people going about their daily routine surrounded her. Immediately, a feeling of anxiety washed over her as she couldn't recognize a single building around her. She was so frustrated with Paul that she didn't pay attention to where she was going. "Ummm...where am I?" she asked herself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Timburr, use Rock Throw!" Paul shouted.

Timburr slammed his foot into the ground, sending up a piece of concrete in the air. Timburr quickly grabbed his piece of lumber and whacked the concrete as if it were a large baseball. The concrete flew towards Liepard. "Liepard, dodge and use Hone Claws!" shouted N.

Liepard quickly jumped to the side, missing the large piece of concrete. She then began rubbing her claws together, sharpening them. "Now use Fury Swipes!" N shouted.

Liepard bared her claws and lunged at Timburr. "Timburr, counter with Rock Smash!" ordered Paul. Timburr took a step back and made his right hand into a fist. His fist began to glow brightly. Timburr tried to punch Liepard, but Liepard managed to sideswipe him and unleashed a fury of sharp claws to his face. With one final scratch to the face, Timburr fell to the ground. Liepard jumped back towards her trainer and watched as Timburr struggled to get back on his feet. Timburr winced as he felt the scratches in his face. "Hang in there, Timburr! We're not done yet!" encouraged Paul.

"It's a shame that your girlfriend's not around to see you battle," taunted N. "Then again, maybe it's for the best that she doesn't see you lose miserably."

"I'm not going to lose!" shouted Paul.

Paul turned back to the battlefield. Timburr was now back on his feet. "Alright Timburr, use Bulk Up!" commanded Paul.

Timburr flexed his arms and began to glow bright red. He felt himself becoming more powerful. "Now use Rock Smash!" Paul shouted. Timburr's fist glowed and he lunged at the Liepard. "Use Protect, Liepard!" N shouted.

Liepard crouched down and a strong barrier appeared around her. Timburr punched the barrier, but he ended up injuring his hand. Timburr grabbed his hand in agony as the barrier dissipated. "Now use Payback!" N shouted.

A dark purple aura appeared around Liepard's front paws. She lunged at a stunned Timburr and punched his face. The impact sent Timburr flying back towards Paul. Timburr landed face first onto the concrete, knocked senseless. "Timburr is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Liepard!" announced the referee.

"Great job N!" cheered one of the Team Plasma grunts.

"Keep it up!" another one shouted. "Show this punk what Team Plasma is all about."

Paul retreated Timburr back into his Poké Ball. N said nothing. He only snickered as he watched Paul dig through his pocket. Paul looked at the battlefield and saw Liepard stretching out. "I don't understand," he thought to himself. "Liepard's a Dark-type. Timburr should have wiped the floor with her."

"What did I tell you, Paul?" N asked. "Type advantages are important, but even one can overcome that obstacle with perseverance. My friends refuse to allow type advantages and disadvantages get in the way of our goal."

"That's right, leader N! Show no mercy!" shouted a Team Plasma grunt.

Paul only breathed through his nose as he looked through his options. "Let's see, what can take down Liepard? Drapion a Bug-type, that could easily defeat Liepard, although Liepard is pretty fast and evasive."

Paul then made up his mind. He took out his Pignite's Poké Ball.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dawn continued circling around, feeling lost and disoriented. She didn't know where she was and nobody around her offered any help. She was starting to get worried. She walked up to a man who wore a suit. "Umm...excuse me?" she asked. The man didn't reply and continued on his way. Dawn then approached another man walking by. "Can you help me, sir?" she asked. Like the first man, this one didn't reply and continued on his way. Dawn then talked to another person, this time a well-dressed woman. "Ma'am, could you tell me where I was?" she asked. The woman didn't reply.

Dawn grew angry. "What's with all of you people?" she asked, sternly. No one seemed to care what she was saying. "Will someone please help me?"

"What's wrong?" asked a voice.

Dawn turned around and was approached by a tall man wearing very nice clothes: a black vest, tie, and slacks. He almost looked like a young butler. "Oh, hello sir," Dawn said to the man.

"You said you need some help?" the man asked.

"Oh yes, uh...I'm kind of lost right now and I don't know where anything is," explained Dawn.

"That's no surprise," the man replied. "This city is one of the largest in the world. Not a day goes by without a few hundred people getting lost. So where is it that you want to go?"

Dawn's stomach then began growling again. "Well...right now, I'm looking for a place to eat," she answered.

"Is that so?" asked the man. "Well, you're in luck. I just happened to know this great place that serves some delicious food!"

"Really?" Dawn asked.

"If you just follow me."

The man then began heading towards one of the nearby buildings. Dawn quickly followed after him. The two of them walked with the flow of traffic until the man quickly ducked into an alleyway. Drew grew a bit worried as they walked down the dirty alleyway. "Ummm...where are we going?" asked Dawn.

"Trust me, you'll like this place," assured the man. Although Dawn wasn't too sure about it.

As the two walked down the alleyway, she peered at the man's face and could have sworn that he had an evil smirk on his face. She then remembered something Paul told her.

"If there's one thing that this city has the other cities have too, its crazy people and criminals. You need to be careful."

Dawn tried to take another look at the man's face. "This guy doesn't look crazy," she thought to herself. "Although..."

"Come on, keep up!" warned the man. "Don't wanna anything bad happening to you."

They soon reached the end of the alleyway. A tall metal fence separated the alleyway from the city streets. There was a rustic metal door in the brick wall to right of Dawn. Dawn was confused as to where she was. The man then knocked on the door. "Brother, it's me! I got another one!" he said.

The door then cracked open. Dawn was shocked to see a menacing eye peering right at her. "Ooohhh...she's pretty cute," murmured the man behind the door.

The door swung open and there stood a tall man with long black hair. He had a very creepy smile and an intimidating glare in his eyes. Dawn's heart pumped faster as she grew more and more scared. "Welcome young lady," he said, in an oily voice.

Dawn slowly started walking backwards away from the door. "Oh no!" thought Dawn. "This doesn't look good. That man lied to me! He wants to do unspeakable things with me!"

"Don't be shy, little girl," the long-haired man said.

"I-I-I think I better go," Dawn said.

She then turned around and took off running. "Wait! I thought you said you were hungry."

"I lost my appetite!" Dawn shouted back.

The two men were confused. They only watched as Dawn booked it out of the alleyway. "What's wrong with her?" asked the long-haired man.

"I don't know," the other man said.

The two men then turned their attention to inside the building. Inside was a beautiful little café with many young girls and women sitting down, eating pastries. "I thought that girl would have loved to eat at our new restaurant."

"I must have scared her away...like I have to so many others. Why must I be a terrifying figure?"

"Ah, don't blame yourself brother. Maybe if you got a haircut-"

"I told you, I like my hair long!"

Dawn continued running until she reached the busy city streets. She placed her hand on her chest and felt her heart beat wildly as she caught her breath. "Man, that was close," she panted. "Maybe I should just stick with Paul. At least he knows his way around the city."

Dawn looked all around her. Once again, Dawn had no idea where she was. "If only I knew where he was," she moaned. She then looked up at the tall building in front of her. She could make out a small observation deck at the top. Just then, an idea suddenly popped into her head.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Pignite, use Ember!" Paul shouted.

Pignite flared through his nostrils and fired a barrage of small fireballs from his mouth. "Use Protect, Liepard!" ordered N.

Liepard crouched down and a barrier appeared around her, preventing the Ember attack from damaging her. "You can't hide behind that Protect forever!" shouted Paul.

"I don't plan to. Liepard use Hone Claws!"

Liepard began sharpening her claws, readying them for a Fury Swipes attack. "Pignite, stay where you are!" ordered Paul.

"Giving up already?" taunted N. "I am disappointed. Nevertheless...Liepard use Fury Swipes!"

The barrier around Liepard disappeared. Liepard lunged at Pignite and bared her claws. "Pignite, use Smog!"

Pignite then spewed out a stream of thick smoke from his mouth and covered the battlefield in the toxic gas. Everyone began coughing as the gas hung in the air. Liepard stopped her attack as she began coughing alongside the crowd. "Now use Brick Break, Pignite!" Paul shouted.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dawn was up on the observation deck, peering through a set of binoculars, looking out towards the city. "Paul's got to be around here somewhere," she muttered, as she looked towards the harbor. "Let's see...I remember walking along the harbor, and then Paul and I made a right into Gym Street, so if I can find the gym, I can find Paul."

"If you're looking for the gym," said a small boy next to her, "you should look straight ahead and you'll barely make it out."

"Oh...thank you!"

Dawn rotated the binoculars until they were facing dead center. Dawn peered through the binoculars, but she couldn't pick the gym out from all the other buildings. "I...don't really see it," she said.

"The gym is pretty small, you'll have to look hard."

Suddenly, Dawn saw some smog rising up over some parts of the city. "What was that?" she asked.

"Oh...it's probably from the battle," the small boy mentioned. "Some Team Plasma guys were protesting the gym leader, so some guy challenged the team leader to a battle."

"Yeah...I know. The guy challenging the team leader is my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" the small boy asked. "So that makes you his girlfriend?"

"Yeah..."

"Then why aren't you there with him, cheering him on? Isn't that what girlfriends do?"

Dawn sighed. "Well...he and I got into a fight," began Dawn. "I didn't want him to battle the leader of Team Plasma, but he's just so stubborn! All he cares about are winning gym badges and being the best trainer in the world! He refuses to listen to anything I say!"

Dawn then grew sad. "He's been like this ever since we came to Unova," she began.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

FLASHBACK...

After Paul had won his Basic Badge from the Nacrene City Gym, Dawn decided to spend some time in the Nacrene City Museum. Paul just stood back while Dawn awed at the exhibits on display. "Wow...this is so cool," gasped Dawn, as she looked at the skeleton of a Dragon-type Pokémon.

She then turned towards Paul. "Hey Paul, check this out!" she called.

"Mm-hmm, yeah impressive...can we go now?" asked Paul.

"Go? Why? Don't you want to check out the museum?"

"Not really. I just came here for the Basic Badge. I got it, so now I want to head back to the Pokémon Center."

"Oh you're no fun!" pouted Dawn.

Dawn turned back towards the skeleton on display, but then she turned back to Paul. She walked up to Paul and wrapped herself around his right arm. "Oh come on Paul," she swooned. "You've been training none stop for the past week. Why don't you just relax and tour the museum with me?"

"I don't really like museums," Paul said. "I never cared about fossils or ancient artifacts. It's all just junk to me."

"Junk? Paul, all of these things are more than junk, they show us what happened in the world before you were born. Don't you want to see the ancient Pokémon now extinct?"

"If they're extinct, that means I can't catch them."

"But it's still pretty interesting."

"What good are they now? You know what, if you want to check out the museum, that's fine. I'll be outside, waiting for you."

Paul then headed towards the front door. "Fine then," grumbled Dawn. Paul then walked through the front door, while Dawn continued exploring the museum.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Eventually, Dawn grew tired and was ready to go back to the Pokémon Center. She walked out the front door...and was greeted to the sight of her purple-headed boyfriend, on his knees staring at the weakened Scraggy in front of him. "Oh my gosh! Paul...what happened?" Dawn asked, worriedly.

Paul didn't give her a reply nor did he turn towards her. Dawn then turned her attention to the young green-haired man walking away. The man just went on his way, not bothering to turn back at Paul or Dawn. "That guy didn't do anything to your Scraggy, did he?" Dawn asked.

Paul didn't answer her, enraging her. "Answer me, Paul!" she demanded.

"We just had a battle!" Paul finally answered.

"Oh..." replied Dawn. "So...I take it you didn't win?"

Paul said nothing. He got back on his feet and picked Scraggy up off the ground. "We better take him to a Pokémon Center," he said.

"Oh...right! We should!" agreed Dawn.

The two of them then took off towards the Nacrene City Pokémon Center. Along the way, Dawn grew more and more worried for Paul.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"I tried to help him," continued Dawn. "There's something eating him, but he doesn't want to tell me. And ever since then, he's been training nonstop. He's so determined not to lose again. I keep telling him that losing one battle isn't the end of the world, but he doesn't listen to me! I just want to help me, but he just pushes me aside and tells me that I wouldn't understand. It's just like how he used to be before I met him."

"Wow..." commented the little boy. "Well...maybe once your boyfriend defeats the Team Plasma guy, he'll feel better and he'll tell you everything you want to know."

"I doubt it," Dawn replied. "Before he used to tell me everything that was bothering him, but now he and I rarely talk about that to each other. He keeps everything to himself now."

"Maybe he doesn't want you to be worried about him," hypothesized the little boy. "Girls like a strong guy, and strong guys don't really share their feelings or else they'll look weak...or at least that's what my dad says."

Dawn laughed quietly as she heard the little boy's advice. "Look, you can do whatever," the little boy said. "I think you should go back to him and cheer for him. But hey, I'm just a kid."

The little boy then left the observation deck and took the elevator down to the lobby. Dawn was all by herself. She thought about what the young lad had told her. "Why would Paul not want to talk to me?" she asked herself. "He did before and he has ever since. It's only until we got to Unova that everything changed."

Dawn sat down on one of the benches, thinking to herself. "Maybe that little boy is right," Dawn said out loud. "If Paul defeats N, then maybe he'll lighten up." Dawn then sat up and peered through the binoculars again. "Now, where's that gym?" she asked herself.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

N couldn't see what was happening on the battlefield. The smog was so thick, he couldn't see through it. But he knew that if Liepard was hit with that Brick Break attack, she would be done for. "Liepard, use Protect!" he shouted.

Liepard couldn't hear her trainer. She still wheezed as the smoke filled the battlefield. Suddenly, Pignite appeared in front of her and punched her in the face. Liepard flew backwards towards N. She stopped just short of his feet, unable to continue battling. "Liepard is unable to battle!" announced the referee. "The winner of this round is Pignite!"

The crowd cheered as Pignite celebrated the victory. The Team Plasma grunts however, were less than pleased. "Don't worry, N!" they sympathized. "You're not done yet. You still have one Pokémon left!"

N only retreated Liepard back into his Poké Ball. "I'm rather impressed with the way the battle's been going," commented N. "Last time you couldn't even defeat my Sigilyph."

N then looked at Pignite, who stared right back at him. N looked right into Pignite's eyes. Paul noticed this and grew suspicious. "What?" he asked.

"It appears I may have misread your Pokémon thoughts earlier," N said.

"Huh?" Paul asked.

"Your Pignite seems very trusting of you," continued N. "The same could be said about your Timburr. Both Pokémon, while they find you a bit tough on them, seem to love being with you and don't mind battling for you. But still, there's something about you Paul that I don't trust."

"What do you mean?" asked Paul.

"I'm getting some strange vibes from the Pokémon you brought over from the Sinnoh region, as if they have a history with you."

"Of course they do, they been with me for a long time," explained Paul.

"And thus they know you better than the Pokémon you caught here in Unova. I hear their thoughts...and apparently, you have had some...issues. Have you always treated your Pokémon as if they were your friends?" N asked. "Something tells me you haven't always thought of Pokémon as your friends."

Paul was tempted to snap at him, but no words came from his mouth. N only stared into Paul's eyes. "Just send out your next Pokémon already," muttered Paul.

"...I see..." replied N. N then dug through his pockets. "Very well then, prepare yourself. For my next Pokémon is a force to be reckoned with. He is one of the most powerful Pokémon in existence."

N threw the Poké Ball up into the air. "Go Zekrom!"

The Poké Ball opened up and out came a large black winged Dragon-type Pokémon. The legendary Pokémon rose over the city streets and the people down below. Zekrom let out a mighty roar as the light blue parts of his body glowed. He landed on the ground, causing a small tremor.

Everyone gasped as Zekrom stood on the field. Even Paul was amazed at the sight of this Pokémon. "This can't be real," one citizen said.

"That has to be a fake!" accused another.

"Amazed, Paul?" asked N. "I expected you to be. This is Zekrom, not only is he the one Pokémon I've spent most of my childhood with, but also one of the most legendary Pokémon in the Unova region. He too shares a common goal in liberating the Pokémon from their trainers."

Zekrom only glared down at the cowering Pignite in front of him. Zekrom's red eyes were very intimidating. "It-It's okay Pignite," comforted Paul. "We can still win this."

"Ha! Against a legendary Pokémon like Zekrom, I doubt it," laughed a Team Plasma grunt. "Lord N has your number!"

Paul tried to remain strong in the face of the large legendary Zekrom. But secretly, he was worried about how he would take him on.

"Round four: Zekrom vs. Pignite...BEGIN!"

"Pignite, use Ember!" Paul shouted.

Although reluctant, Pignite fired a barrage of small fireballs at the Zekrom. "Zekrom, use Rain Dance!" commanded N. Paul was taken back when Zekrom looked towards the sky and formed a rain cloud above the battlefield. It then began raining, effectively dousing Pignite's Ember attack. Pignite trembled with fear as the rain doused any of its fire attacks. "Zekrom, use Dark Pulse!" ordered N.

Zekrom roared and unleashed a swirling beam of dark energy towards Pignite. Pignite quickly jumped out the way and continued running with the Dark Pulse attack chasing after him. There wasn't much Pignite could do. The rain prevented him from using any Fire-type attacks or Smog. The only move he could use was Brick Break, but Dark Pulse kept him from getting close. "Now finish off Pignite with Shadow Ball!" shouted N.

Zekrom formed a large black ball of energy in his hands and fired it at Pignite. The Shadow Ball was so strong it drove Pignite into the concrete ground, creating a crater and kicking up debris into the air. "Pignite!" Paul shouted.

"Wow...that thing is powerful!" commented a bystander.

"Its still a fake," said another.

When the smoke cleared, Pignite lied in the crater in the middle of the street, defeated. "Pignite is unable to battle!" the referee shouted. "The winner of this round is Zekrom!"

N smiled as Zekrom let out another roar. The crowd began doubting if Paul could take on a Pokémon as large and powerful as Zekrom.

Just then, a bus pulled up near the battlefield. Dawn hurriedly stepped off the bus. As her feet touched the pavement, she smacked herself in the forehead. "Why didn't I think of this before?" she murmured quietly. She then put her arms up to shield herself from the rain. "What the...when did it start raining?"

She then immediately stopped in her tracks upon seeing Zekrom. "No way," she gasped, along with the other passengers. "Is that...really the legendary Zekrom?"

Dawn then looked down and saw Paul. "Oh no, and Paul's battling it!" she exclaimed. She then charged into the crowd, pushing and shoving anybody who got in the way. She made it to the front of the crowd and saw her dispirited boyfriend returning his Pignite into his Poké Ball. Dawn then turned to N's side of the field, where Zekrom proudly stood. "Oh no..." she murmured, worriedly. "Did Paul lose?"

"Still think you can beat me?" N asked. "You talk about how close you are to your Pokémon and yet it seems that you're ready to give up."
"I'm not going to give up," replied Paul. "I still have one Pokémon left."

"True, but what Pokémon could you possibly have that could stand up to Zekrom?"

Paul didn't reply. He stared N in the eyes, refusing to show any signs of weakness. The rain pounded on his head (as well as the heads of everyone in the crowd). Secretly, he doubted whether any of his Pokémon could defeat Zekrom. "You know Paul," N said, "if you decide to back out now, then you'll spare the trouble of having your Pokémon injured by Zekrom's power. Would you risk getting your Pokémon seriously hurt just to prove a point? Zekrom and I would hate for your Pokémon to be hurt simply because you were too stubborn to admit defeat."

Dawn turned to Paul, who retained a strong face. "Paul please, just back out," she pleaded, "There's nothing weak about backing down from a fight."

"...I'm not going to quit," murmured Paul.

"What's that?" N asked.

"I'm not going to admit defeat, especially to a hypocrite like you!"

Everyone in the crowd, including Dawn, were surprised by Paul's determination. N grew cross. "Very well then," he said. "But I pity your Pokémon, seeing as how they will resent you after they are brutally defeated by Zekrom. Maybe forcing you to release them will be a good thing for them."

"And just what makes you think they'll resent me?" Paul asked, angrily. "You think you know Pokémon, hearing their voices in your head? Well, they're not from my Pokémon. Even if I lose this battle, my Pokémon won't leave me. They have stuck with me through some of the worst. They won't abandon me just because I lost one battle to some child like you! They love me...just like I love them."

Dawn smiled upon hearing those words. Although she still wished that Paul would just back down, she was proud to hear him declare how much he loves his Pokémon. "Besides," continued Paul, "you think my Pokémon will resent me? What about Zekrom? You say he's one of the most legendary Pokémon in Unova, and yet you're treating him like he's your personal minion."

"I am not," denied N. "Like most of my other Pokémon, I grew up with Zekrom. Zekrom and I share a common goal, which is to create a world where Pokémon are free from humans."

Paul didn't listen to N's spiel. He just rolled his eyes. Dawn, however, was a bit puzzled by what N had said, about Zekrom being one of the Pokémon he grew up with. She remembered learning about Reshiram and Zekrom back at the Nacrene City Museum. The curator told her about the two's ferocious battle and how two brothers fought each other with said Pokémon and how Reshiram and Zekrom disappeared after the battle. "Something's not right," thought Dawn. "How can Zekrom be his friend when N when the myth says that Zekrom and Reshiram disappeared years ago?"

Paul (still having not noticed that Dawn has returned and was right beside him) reached into his pocket and took out another Poké Ball. "Now N, allow me to introduce to you my childhood friend!" exclaimed Paul. He threw the Poké Ball into the air. "Torterra, stand by!"

The Poké Ball opened up and out came the powerhouse Torterra. While only two feet sort of Zekrom's height, Torterra's size was still intimidating. N was surprised by Torterra's appearance, being that Torterra normally couldn't be found in Unova and that it was the first time he has seen Paul's Torterra.

Torterra looked up at his opponent, not feeling intimidated in the least bit. Zekrom's size impressed him however. "Didn't think Unova Pokémon get this big," he commented.

"Surprised, N?" Paul asked. "This is my Torterra. He's been with me ever since I first started my journey, when he was just a Turtwig. Needless to say, he's been with me for a long time and he has put up with just as much trouble and hassle as I did. He's the strongest Pokémon on my team."

"Maybe so, but he's still not strong enough to defeat Zekrom," replied N.

"We'll see about that. Torterra, use Stone Edge!" Paul shouted.

Torterra's eyes glowed bright green as he summoned a group of sharp stone around him. He then fired the stones at Zekrom. "Zekrom, use Dark Pulse!" ordered N.

Zekrom then fired another swirling dark energy beam at Torterra, destroying the stones. Torterra couldn't move out of the way in time and took the hit. But he still remained on his feet. "Torterra, use Giga Drain!" commanded Paul.
"Zekrom, dodge and use Shadow Ball!" shouted N.

The mountains on Torterra's back glowed. Three green energy beams then emerged from the mountains and lunged at Zekrom. Zekrom quickly jumped to the left and shot a Shadow Ball at Torterra.

The battle continued with the two monstrous Pokémon attacking each other with everything they got. The rain continued its downpour, drenching N, Paul, and everyone around them with water.

Dawn watched the battle unfold in front of her. As she watched, she couldn't help but notice that Zekrom was acting very strangely. Referring back to her visit at the museum, she was told of Zekrom's incredible power by the curator. She had heard about how Zekrom's electric attacks were unlike anything that has ever been seen before. However, N's Zekrom was only using Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse, a Ghost-type attack and Dark-type attack, respectively. They were powerful, but not in the grand scope that Dawn had been told. Dawn found this very peculiar.

As if that wasn't enough, Zekrom could also fly, yet N's Zekrom only seems to be able to dodge by jumping to the side. She wracked her head trying to figure this out the strange behavior.

Eventually, after a good ten minutes of battling, Paul noticed that Zekrom was starting to show signs of slowing down. He decided that it was time to finish it off. "Torterra, use Frenzy Plant!" he shouted.

A green outline appeared around Torterra's body as he began channeling all the power and strength in his body. He violently slammed his two feet onto the ground, causing large roots with spikes to break through the ground, striking Zekrom all over his body. The crowd cheered and gasped as the spikes drove into Zekrom's body. "Whoa, he nailed him!" cheered a man in the crowd.

"Maybe this kid can defeat Zekrom," said another.

Soon, the roots disappeared back into the ground, leaving Zekrom weak and battered. Dawn again couldn't help but notice how weak Zekrom was, despite being once known as one of the most powerful Pokémon in the world.

Zekrom panted heavily as it was trying to recover from the Frenzy Plant attack. "Oh come on, I thought you would put up more of a fight than that," commented Torterra.

"Huh...so much for being one of the most powerful Pokémon in the world," boasted Paul. "Torterra, finish him off with Giga Drain!"

The three energy beams appeared from the mountains on Torterra's back and wrapped themselves around Zekrom. Team Plasma began panicking as Torterra began sapping away all the energy in Zekrom's body. "N, what do we do?" one asked.

"They're going to find out the truth!" another mentioned.

N said nothing. He just watched the battle unfold in front of him. "Come on Torterra! Finish him!" encouraged Paul.

Torterra lifted Zekrom up off the ground, amazing everyone. Torterra furiously sucked all the energy from Zekrom, and Zekrom couldn't do a thing about it.

But then, Zekrom began glowing bright purple and suddenly disappeared from Torterra's grasp. His eyes popped in surprise. "Huh?" he asked.

"What? What happened?" Paul asked.

Everyone was confused as to what happened to Zekrom. They looked down at the ground and they saw a small, fox-like Pokémon lying on the ground, unconscious. Team Plasma were shaking in their boots, while N remained rather calm. "Where did that thing come from?" asked Torterra.

"What is that?" Paul asked.

"It's a Zorua," answered N.

"Zorua?" Paul asked.

Despite the rain still pouring, Paul took out his PokéDex and analyzed the Pokémon.

ZORUA

The Tricky Fox Pokémon

Zorua has the ability to change into the form of other people and Pokémon to surprise their opponents. They will also change forms to protect themselves from danger.

"So...wait...you mean that Zekrom wasn't actually real?" Paul asked, suspiciously. "It was just that thing disguised as one?"

"I knew this was something off about Zekrom!" thought Dawn.

"Ah man, what a rip-off!" shouted someone in the crowd.

"I knew it was fake!" shouted another.

"Phony!"

The crowd began booing Team Plasma and N. N, despite being found out, still kept calm. The referee looked down at the Zorua and noticed that it was unconscious. He raised his hands into the air. "Zorua is unable to battle. The winner of this round and the battle is Torterra!"

"Alright Paul, you did it!" cheered Dawn.

Paul then turned his head and finally noticed Dawn in the crowd. "Dawn?" he asked, surprised.

Just then, the rain began to die down and the cloud began to dissipate, allowing the sun to shine on everyone. At that moment, people began to go about with their normal routines. Many of them complained about the fake Zekrom or their wet clothes.

N disregarded the complaints and walked over to his fallen Zorua. He gently picked him off the ground and held him in his arms. "How could N have been defeated?" asked a Plasma grunt.

Paul and Dawn walked over to N. "So, that little guy can change into different Pokémon?" Dawn asked.

"Yes," answered N. "However, Zorua can't change its moves or increase its strength."

"Which explains why when he was a Zekrom, he couldn't use any Electric-type attacks," said Dawn.

"Correct."

N gently brushed Zorua's fur as it slept in his arms. "Zorua is one of my childhood friends," he continued, "He and I grew up together. We understand each other. Everything I said earlier regarding Zekrom is my true feelings towards Zorua."

N then turned to Torterra. "So, this is your childhood friend, eh?" he asked. "It's not very often that we see a Torterra in the Unova region. Admittedly, he was quite powerful.

N continued to stare at Torterra, almost as if he was analyzing wildlife. "Hmmm...that's interesting," muttered N.

"You got a staring problem?" Paul asked, annoyed.

"I was just listening to the thoughts of your Torterra," he answered.

Torterra grunted at N, confused about what he was talking about. "I'll explain some other time," Paul replied.

"Torterra's thoughts are intriguing," continued N. "I know a little more about you now. Torterra speaks of how you used to be aggressive towards your Pokémon, pushing them beyond their limits and releasing any Pokémon that you deemed to be weak...exactly what I thought when I first met you."

"Why were you thinking of that?" Paul asked, angrily.

Torterra didn't answer. He only averted his gaze. "However," continued N, "Torterra continues to say that you eventually saw the error of your ways and you changed your behavior and attitude towards your Pokémon, treating them as your companions instead of your personal army. It's interesting, and yet skeptical, that someone like you would turn around and change the way they treat their Pokémon."

"Well Paul did, in fact, change," assured Dawn. "I can attest to that."

"Hmm...well, if that is to be believed, then I wish that other trainers similar to how you once were, Paul, could see the error of their ways and change as well. But sadly, that is unrealistic. Which is why Team Plasma strives to create separate worlds for Pokémon and humans."

N then turned towards his team. "Alright team, let's pack up and head back to headquarters," commanded N.

"What? We're leaving?" a grunt asked, angrily. "What about our rally?"

"What about it?" replied N. "I lost the battle, therefore we must pack up and take our business elsewhere. Was that not the condition I agreed to earlier?"

The grunts were upset that they have to cut their rally short, but they nonetheless followed their leader's commands and they began cleaning up. N then retreated Zorua back into its Poké Ball and turned to Paul. "Well then, little Paul, until our paths cross, I bid you farewell," he said with a wave.

"Hold on a moment!" shouted Dawn.

"Dawn, what are you doing?" asked Paul.

"Before you go N, can I ask you a question?" Dawn asked.

"A question? What do you want to know?" N asked.

"Why would you have Zorua disguise himself as a Zekrom? Did you actually think you wouldn't get caught?"

N only smiled. "Oh no, it's nothing like that," he answered. "I knew eventually that if I had Zorua disguise himself as a Zekrom, I would be found out. After all, how could a young man such as myself obtain a powerful legendary Pokémon like Zekrom?"

"So then, why did you do it?" Dawn asked.

"I...wanted to see how Paul would react," answered N. "I wanted to challenge his faith in his Pokémon. I wanted to know what would Paul do should he ever meet Zekrom? If he had to battle it, would he believe in his Pokémon to overcome it? Those were the questions I wanted answers to. For a moment, it looked as if Paul was intimidated, and who could blame him? I would be frightened too if I were in his shoes. And that was a fake Zekrom. Imagine what would happen should Paul ever meet Zekrom or Reshiram."

Paul only narrowed his eyes and glared at N like a snake eying a rodent. "Well luckily, Paul won't have to be in that situation," Dawn said. "Because from what I learned at the museum, both Reshiram and Zekrom disappeared years ago after their great battle."

"Oh...you read up on the legend? Very smart of you," commented N. "You may recall that the legend was about how two brothers with differing ideals used Reshiram and Zekrom and battled to see who was right. I like to consider myself as sharing the ideals of one of those heroes. I long to find the other hero who believes in the other ideals, but I have yet to find him. And Paul certainly is no hero."

Paul could feel a vein popping out from his forehead. He clenched his right hand into a fist. "What did you say, you little smartass?" he seethed through his teeth.

"Lord N, we're ready to depart," called out a grunt.

"Excellent," N said to his grunts. "Well then Paul...and Dawn, until we meet again..."

With those final words, N took off along with Team Plasma towards the city square. Dawn and Paul were all alone in the middle of the street. Paul flared through his nose, trying to cool down. Their hair and clothes were still drenched from the rain. They watched N walk until he was no longer visible. "Well...today was certainly interesting," commented Dawn. "At least it ended well...mostly."

"Yeah," replied Paul.

Paul then turned towards Dawn. "So you actually came back...after I yelled at you earlier," mentioned Paul.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad at you for raising your voice at me," replied Dawn. "It's just that...when I was walking around the city...I thought about the way you've been acting lately and...I figured..."

"You got lost, didn't you?" interrupted Paul.

Dawn threw her arms up and turned her back towards Paul. "What?" Paul asked.

"Why do you assume that's what happened?" Dawn replied, angrily.

"Well...was I right?"

"Do you really think that I'm that bad of a klutz?"

"Was I right or not?"

Dawn only pouted angrily and crossed her arms. She then glanced away from Paul. "Well...maybe I..." she muttered.

"See? What are you getting so mad about?" Paul asked.

"Look, you got what you want. N's gone. Team Plasma's gone. Now you can go and battle the gym leader."

Paul turned and looked down the street. He could see the gym from where he was standing with no visible obstacles or barricades in sight. Earlier, he was roaring to battle Burgh for the Insect Badge. But now, that determination had died down. He still wanted to get his Insect Badge, but not right away. Dawn noticed this. "What's wrong?" Dawn asked. "Don't you want to get your next badge?"

"Well...yeah," answered Paul. "But look at me. I'm tried, I'm wet, I have a headache...maybe I should just hold it off until tomorrow."

Dawn's mouth dropped upon hearing Paul say this. "What?" Paul said.

"Are you serious?" Dawn asked, rather annoyed. "Ever since we left Nacrene City, you were eager to battle Burgh for the badge. You trained almost non-stop for the battle. You wanted to battle him right away! That was the whole point of you battling N! And now...you want to hold it off until tomorrow? Like I said you should earlier?"

"Dawn, you better calm down," asserted Paul.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" snapped Dawn, grabbing the attention of everyone around them. "This whole time you wanted this! And now suddenly it's not that important to you?"

"Dawn, people are looking at us," mentioned Paul.

"I don't care!"

Dawn continued ranting loudly, despite the stares the two were getting. Paul grabbed Dawn's wrist and began to drag her away closer to the harbor. "Dawn, come with me," he said to her, disregarding her protest.

Eventually, the two reached the pier. Dawn managed to wriggle her wrist out of Paul's grasp. "Let me go!" she shouted. "Let me tell you something, Paul!"

"Dawn, just listen to me," pleaded Paul.

"No, you listen to me! Ever since we came to Unova, you've been so obsessed with being the best of the best that you haven't listened to a single thing I said! All you cared about was winning all the badges and defeating N. What happened to the Paul who actually loved me?"

"Dawn, I still love you," interjected Paul, "it's just that..."

"Let me ask you something!" interrupted Dawn. "While you were busy trying to be the bigger man against N, I was wandering around the city by myself. I almost got groped by two scary looking guys!"

"Look Dawn, I...wait, what? You're making that up!"

"Yeah, but of course you were too busy with N to care about what was happening to me!"

"Dawn, if you just..."

"Just admit it, you don't love me anymore!"

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK?" snapped Paul. "Look, I do love you, Dawn. I really do. It's just that...I really hate N, okay? I absolutely hate every single thing about him! I hate his smug little smirk! I hate his stupid green hair! I hate the fact that he's the leader of that group of hypocrites! I hate how arrogant he is! I hate how he judges other people but never himself! I hate how he calls himself a hero when he's anything but! I hate him! Every time I see his face, I just want run up and take a swing at him!"

Paul then violently kicked a nearby trashcan, scaring Dawn a little bit. At that moment, Paul's face was very red and hot. He took many deep breaths, trying to blow off some steam. Dawn grew very concerned about him. Paul glanced quickly at Dawn before storming off towards the Pokémon Center. "Paul, wait!" called out Dawn.

Dawn ran up and looked him in the eye. "Look Paul, let's you and I just sit down for a moment and talk this out," suggested Dawn.

"Oh jeez...right now?" Paul asked.
"No, we can do it tomorrow night," Dawn said, sarcastically. "Yes, right now! Otherwise, we'll never bring it up again! Now sit down!"

Reluctantly, Paul sat down on a nearby bench. Dawn sat down next to him. "Look Paul," she calmly began, "I understand that you have a problem with N. Considering that you still didn't listen to me."

"Dawn..."
"Just let me finish. I told you that I was nearly groped by two guys, and yet you reply with a rant on why you hate N. Paul, what is it about N that really got you so worked up about him? I mean, you been so focused on N ever since we left Nacrene City, to the point where you don't even pay any attention to me. What did N do to anger you so much?"

Paul didn't say anything at first, much to Dawn's annoyance. "You...you wouldn't understand," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

"I wouldn't understand?" Dawn replied, angrily. "Paul, in the two years that we've been dating, when I have never understood you? Isn't that why we're in love...because we can trust each other? Before, you didn't mind telling me your feelings. But ever since we came to Unova, you and I didn't talk as much as we used to. And then after N beat you in Nacrene City, you just...stopped talking to me altogether. Please Paul, what happened?"

"Look...N just...said some things that really pissed me off," admitted Paul.

"What things?" Dawn asked.

Before Paul could say anything more, he took a deep breath. "He mentioned my father," he confessed.

Dawn's eyes popped upon hearing it. It had been quite a while since Paul's father was last brought up. "What do you mean he mentioned your father?" Dawn asked.

Paul then told her the whole story. "It started right after I left the museum," began Paul. "N called me out and asked me if I just beat the gym leader. I said yes, and then he went on and on about how I shouldn't abuse Pokémon so that I could obtain power and all that other junk. We exchanged some words and then we had a Pokémon battle...which of course, I lost. That's when he brought him up."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

FLASHBACK

Paul stood on his knees, staring at his beaten Scraggy, dejected after losing to N's Sigilyph. N retreated Sigilyph back into his Poké Ball. "Best in the Sinnoh region, huh?" N asked, sarcastically. "From someone who boasts about being in the Sinnoh Pokémon League, I'd expect more of a battle. But frankly, I find it disgusting that someone like you would take pride in abusing Pokémon so that you can climb the ladder and obtain fame. But I suppose it's to be expected from someone whose father was a Team Galactic commander."

Paul was shocked to hear someone, especially one that he hardly knew up until now, bring up his father. "How do you know about that?" asked Paul.

"As the king of Team Plasma, it's important to keep track of the other criminal organizations in the world, not that Team Plasma is a criminal organization. After all, we're fighting for the greater good of Pokémon. In any case, I heard what about had happened at the Sunmoon Islands. Commander Paul, otherwise known as your father, tried to take control of all the Pokémon using a machine that would close their hearts, a plan similar to the one made by Team Snagem."

"Yeah, but the plan didn't go through," mentioned Paul. "Because I actually tricked my dad and stopped him and Team Galactic from taking over the world. So really, you have me to thank."

"That doesn't change the fact that you're his son and that his genes circulate through your body."

"Hey! I am nothing like my dad!"

"Are you now? Your father wanted to control Pokémon so that he can become powerful. You want to control Pokémon so that you can collect badges and become powerful. Like father, like son...that's what I say."

"You're one to talk about controlling all the Pokémon. Isn't that what you strive to do?"

"Yes...so that people like you and your father can't control them and force them to do what you bid them to do!"

N then turned his back towards Paul. "Whether you want to believe it or not," he sighed, "you really are as rotten as your father. You're one of the most ill tempered people that I have ever met. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason why your father decided to join Team Galactic, instead of raising you."

That comment shot through Paul like a bullet. Paul was too stunned to say anything else to N. "Well then, little Paul, since you seem to have nothing more to say, I bid you good day." With that, N began to walk away.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Dawn, you don't know how much of a jerk that green-haired freak really is," Paul said. "He claims he puts on peaceful demonstrations, but he's nothing more than a arrogant bastard who thinks he can change the world. Honestly, he's almost as bad as my dad."

"Well, that explains a lot," replied Dawn. "But still, I was so worried about you. Because after that loss, you trained your Pokémon non-stop and disregarded anything that anyone else said...just like how you used to be."

"I wasn't that bad, was I?" Paul asked.

Dawn only turned away, afraid to really tell Paul how she felt. But she didn't have too. Paul could read her facial expression. He also thought back to when Dawn told him that he was almost groped by two strangers (A/N: Not really, but Dawn doesn't know that). "Oh god," he sighed. "I'm such an idiot!"

"No, no! You're not an idiot!" Dawn said, trying to cheer him up. "It was a really dirty move for him to bring up your father."

"Still, I actually let N manipulate me, to the point where I almost turned into my old self, selfish and angry. He could have been proven right."

"But the important thing, he wasn't. He's wrong about you. He doesn't see the side of you that your Pokémon and I see every day."

Dawn then put her hand on his shoulder. "You're not a bad guy Paul," Dawn said, softly.

Paul looked back up to her bright blue eyes and her smiling face. He began to cheer up a bit and grabbed onto her hand. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he replied.

He straightened himself out and looked Dawn in the eyes. "Dawn, I'm sorry about the way I acted these past couple of weeks," he apologized. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, ignoring you, and making you worry about me. I shouldn't have let myself be blinded with rage."

"Well, hey...since the not-so-serious Paul is back, then I...forgive you," Dawn said.

The two smiled at each other. Paul pushed aside some of the wet strands of hair from Dawn's face before the two leaned in and kissed each other passionately. Like all their other kisses, they forgot about the world around them and focused solely on enjoying each other's company.

Eventually, the two broke the kiss and stared at each other. "I love you Dawn," Paul muttered.

"I love you too, Paul," Dawn replied.

"What do you say you and me go back to the Pokémon Center, change out of these wet clothes, and take a nice hot shower together."

"Wait-what?" Dawn asked, surprised.

"I mean, separately!" corrected Paul. "You go first, and I'll take my shower after you."

"Oh! Well, I was going to let you shower with me," Dawn replied, playfully. "But I guess since you don't want to..."

"You have a dirty mind," blushed Paul.

"Hey, you brought it up!" reminded Dawn.

Paul only got up and walked towards the Pokémon Center. "Hey, wait for me!" Dawn called out. Dawn caught up to him, and the two walked back to the Pokémon Center, hand in hand, arm in arm, smiling all the day. "Hey Dawn," Paul said.

"What?" replied Dawn.

"Do you still want to go check out the Fashion District?" he asked.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

THE END

A/N: Wow...that certainly took me forever to write! I apologize for the long wait. Hopefully, this has met everyone's expectations. I'm really happy with how it turned out!

I'm sure some people will be upset at how much I changed N's personality and character. Well, just hear me out. In the games, N may not be as much of a jerk as I portrayed him here, however, that's because the character you play as is kind, naïve, and innocent. Your character loves Pokémon almost as much as he does. That, in turn, eventually leads to N wanting to challenge you, as he sees you as the other hero.

Now, think about it...will N really act that way towards Paul? I didn't think so. Let's be honest, Paul would probably be very aggressive towards N, which would probably lead N to be aggressive towards Paul. So I thought I would explain why I thought the change would be appropriate.

With that, I want to alert you guys about the future chapters. Normally, I try desperately to get these chapters out on a monthly basis. However, looking back at the past few months and the fore-coming future, I realize that that'll no longer be possible, due to how busy I will be. You see, once the fall semester starts, I'm going to be very busy with physics class and computer programming class, as well as my presidential duties towards my school's anime club. I also want to focus more attention towards my social life and be more outgoing with friends and family. As much I love writing fanfiction and entertaining you guys, school has to be my top priority.

That's not to say that I'm quitting. Just be patient with me and understand why it takes forever for this story to be updated (not to mention, I have another fanfic that I must update as well).

Thank you guys so much! I honestly love you all for taking the time to read my fanfiction and leave comments! I promise to get the next chapter out as soon as I get it finished!

Next time: Hmmm...what is next? Oh right! "Paul On The Rocks, Part Two!" Stay tuned!