Hi, guys! I think you'll like these next chapters, epsecially the next one. :D I've started on chapter 19, and keeping with the double update thing, I'll post again when 20 is done. And there's good news! At the end of this week, I'll have to get a laptop for school! I'll be able to do my writing on there from now on and not have to share a computer! Hehe! My brother used the computer a lot this summer, so I didn't have my usual amount of writing time. But now, I'll have more! :D

Yay~
-RD :)

Dawn's Diary

Chapter Seventeen

.x.x.x.

"Really?" Ash exclaimed. "I missed all THAT?"

"Yeah!" said Barry. "It was great!"

"We're beginning to think that Paul might like Dawn after all," added Brock. "He wouldn't look at her after she jumped into his arms. I think he was embarrassed."

"Now THAT'S what I really wanted to see," Ash said, laughing. "Seeing Paul embarrassed would be almost as good as beating him in a Pokémon battle!"

"So, now what do we do?" Barry asked.

"Well," Brock began, "I think we should wait and see what happens next. We might not have to do too much if they can get together on their own!"

…

"They can't get together on their own." The three were watching Paul and Dawn, who were sitting at opposite ends of the Pokémon Center lobby. Occasionally, one would look at the other one, but look away before the other noticed. Contrary to Brock's earlier statement, the HUD members realized that those two would need some help. Big time.

"What should we do?" Ash asked. "I want to focus on training, but I can't when those two are being totally hopeless."

"We've got to take more action," Brock said firmly. "Sneaking around them showed us that Paul might have feelings for Dawn, but we can't sneak around forever. Dawn is too afraid of rejection to make a move."

"Wow, Brock!" exclaimed Barry. "You sound like a love guru!"

Brock smiled smugly. "Well, of course. I know lots about love. For example, my heart belongs to Nurse Joy! Currently." Ash rolled his eyes, but Barry still looked rather impressed. "So, here's the plan."

Ash sauntered up to the table where Paul was sitting and sat down. "Hi, Paul," he said with a smile.

"What do you want?" came the quick and harsh reply.

Ash scoffed. "Still the same, huh?"

"What? Do you expect my personality to change after just a few episodes?"

"Maybe."

They stared blankly at each other.

While Paul and Ash stared blankly at each other, Barry and Brock were poring over Dawn's diary, trying to come up with a good idea for a date. Although Dawn had written many things in her diary about Paul, none of them were very… ¿como se dice? Helpful.

There were things like:

I really like Paul, but I'm so scared. What would he think? What will ASH think? Ash would probably faint if he knew I like Paul…

Honestly, they were surprised Ash hadn't fainted yet.

Maybe someday I'll get so good at battling that I can beat Paul! Then he'll definitely accept me as his girlfriend!

He probably would.

One day, Paul and I are gonna have a big house by the sea! We're gonna live there and then we're gonna make babies! Cool, fashionable babies!

That was just too much information.

Brock and Barry had mixed feelings about the previous snippets from Dawn's diary. They sat in odd thinking poses until a light bulb appeared above Barry's head.

"Wait a second," he said, quickly standing up. "Why don't we just ask Dawn what kind of date she likes? We're not going to get anything out of the descriptions of the ten fashionable babies," he said as he made a face.

"Yeah, we should!" Brock explained. "I'll get a notepad and we-"

"Hello?" a voice asked as the door opened. Barry and Brock had looks halfway between horror and surprise as Dawn stepped into the room.

After thirty seconds, she spoke. "Why the heck are you guys looking at me like that?" Barry and Brock snapped their mouths shut, but they knew something was wrong. Dawn looked angry, and they had never heard her speak in such a way before.

"Ah, Dawn?" Barry asked timidly. "What's wrong?"

"Has anyone ever told you that love hurts, Barry?" she asked.

"Possibly."

"I'm telling you right now!" Dawn said with a huff before she jumped on the bed and buried herself with the cover. Brock and Barry stood with mouths agape as Dawn began to scream out her frustration. They thought two things at that moment.

1. Their hearing may have been permanently damaged.

2. Dawn really needed some help with her love life.