You guys talked me into this chapter. You'll see what I mean really soon.
I loved writing this, so you'd better enjoy it with me! xD
-RD :)
Dawn's Diary
Chapter Eighteen
.x.x.x.
"Well, first we need to prove that Paul has a heart, 'cause I'm not so sure about that." The three HUD members and Pikachu sat in a circle on the floor of their Pokémon Center room.
"He'd better have a heart! Poor Dawn!" Barry exclaimed. Dawn was currently out, explaining that she was upset and wanted to see the ocean. The boys didn't question her decision, knowing that she was upset. "She's so sad!"
"I know, I know," said Brock. "We have to act even more quickly than I thought we would."
"Yeah. But how are we even going to get through to Paul?" Ash asked skeptically. Pikachu nodded in agreement. Paul was a very closed-in person. No one seemed to know him very well.
"If we can't get to know him better, we'll have to find someone who already knows him…" Barry mumbled.
"I've got it!" exclaimed Brock. "Let's call Reggie!"
"Yeah!" Ash pumped a fist. "No one knows Paul better than Reggie!"
"Let's go call him now!"
The three HUD members and Pikachu, who was currently in the process of being inducted into the HUD, ran downstairs to find a video phone. Unfortunately, the only operational phone was being used by a woman who was talking rather loudly to a close friend of hers. It was about an hour before the HUD members burst through the door of the small phone room.
"Call him, call him!" Ash yelled. He had grown very impatient during their long wait.
"Pika pika!"
Brock stared blankly at the phone before asking, "Does anyone know his number?"
Ash fell over anime style.
"I do!" Barry exclaimed, digging a piece of paper from his pocket.
"Pikachu pika pikachu pi pikachu pika?" Pikachu asked, which roughly translated to, "You keep Reggie's phone number in your pocket?"
"Maybe," said Barry as he handed Brock the paper.
"Stalker," Ash muttered under his breath.
"Hey! I heard that!" Barry yelled. "And aren't we all stalkers now? We run around following Dawn and Paul all day like we have nothing better to do with our lives!" The other three shared a look.
Their lives were really sad.
Brock dialed the number, and after a few rings, someone picked up.
"Oh, Brock!" Reggie said as his face came up on the video phone screen. "I haven't seen you guys in a while. How are you?"
"We're fine, Reggie. But Dawn isn't fine. That's why we called you," said Brock.
"What's wrong with Dawn?"
"She's…" Barry began.
"She…" Ash said.
"Pika," said Pikachu.
"She's got a serious case of heartbreak," Brock finished. The rest of the HUD nodded gravely.
"Um, okay," said Reggie. "Who broke her heart?"
"See, that's why we called you," said Ash. "Paul did."
The HUD members spent the next fifteen minutes or so telling Reggie the whole story: from when Brock first found Dawn's diary up to where she went to stare at the ocean. Of course, they put in all the good parts, such as when Dawn and Paul had an interaction and how Dawn drew hearts in her diary around Paul's name. They also told Reggie of the Pachirisu incident, and that Dawn and Paul wouldn't even meet each other's eyes now.
"Wow," Reggie said when the group finished their story. "That's horrible! They like each other but they can't admit it?"
"Yeah," Barry answered sadly. "And if something doesn't happen soon, Dawn might give up on him, and then they'll never get together."
"Well, I'll do my best to help."
"REALLY?" the HUD exclaimed.
"Of course!" came Reggie's happy reply. "Paul needs some excitement in his life. If all he ever does is train Pokémon all day, he'll be old and alone when he grows up. Dawn has a lot of spunk. She'll be good for him."
"Thank you!" yelled Barry, hugging the video phone screen. "I love you!"
"You're welcome?" Reggie said awkwardly.
"Reggie, we would like to accept you into our Operation Hook Up Dawn club," Brock said. "Will you join the HUD?"
Upon hearing the silly name, Reggie laughed. "Sure. I've always liked Dawn. I'll help her out!"
"YAY!" the HUD exclaimed together.
"Now," Brock said with a slightly mischievous voice. "Tell us about Paul."