Chapter four

"Okay Cyndiquil use flame wheel now!" I called out to my pokemon. "Use it to get up to Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeotto use gust to blow Cyndiquil away from you!" Another coordinator commanded.

"Pidgeot!" Pidgeotto called out as he flapped his wings continuously to get my pokemon back to earth but all the move did was make the flame bigger. I knew this was going to happen since fire needs air to grow but too much air will burn it out. It was a risk since there was only two minutes until the battle ended. I saw Cyndiquil spin in mid air as he was being pushed back and forward while Pidgeotto kept using gust on my fire type pokemon. All that was happening was flame wheel was getting bigger and bigger and it keep spinning around and around in one direction. Soon Cyndiquil had enough and got push back into the earth. Smoke covered the field. I was worried about Cyndiquil. That fall took a lot of damage.

"Please get up Cyndiquil!" I called out. Hoping Cyndiquil was alright.

Then my eyes widen as stands of white lights burst out of the smoke as the smoke started to subside. When the smoke faded away I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Can you believe it everybody?!" The announcer called out to the amazed crowd. "Dawn's Cyndiquil has evolved into Quilava!"

The crowd was just as amaze as I was. I never expected for Cyndiquil to evolve in a middle of my first Johto contest. I looked up at the score board and saw that the contest was about to end in less than a minute. If I didn't make a move now I could lose this contest. I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Quilava use lave plume now!" I called out.

"Quil!" Quilava responded as he shot out rocks covered in flames. I saw the flame collar around his neck grow and grow brighter. Pidgeotto's trainer commanded to let Pidgeotto protect himself by using it's wings as protection. This was my chance. Pidgeotto didn't have its attention on the battle.

"Now flame wheel!" I called out.

Quilava ran towards to Pidgeotto as he opened his mouth and breath out fire to cover its entire body in flames. When Pidgeotto realise that Quilava was going straight for him he had already go hit by the fire type attack. The coordinator's score decreased and I was in the lead. Soon the horn went and me and Quilava was shown on the huge board with the Violet city ribbon next to my photo. I ran to Quilava and grabbed him into my arms and hugged him.

"Thankyou." I whispered as I felt a tear run down my cheek.

"Dawn." Nurse Joy started. I turned to her direction and found the Violet ribbon right in front of Quilava and my eyes. "You have earned this."

The ribbon looked a little similar to the ribbon my mother had gave me. The center piece was a diamond shaped and was coated with gold. At the bottom was two strands of green ribbon with tips of lime green at the end. I grabbed the ribbon from it's case and showed it to Quilava. He smiled as he looked at me and I smiled back.

We both deserved this ribbon. We both worked hard.

I waved to the cheering crowd that was called out my name. I smiled at them as I waved my hand in the air. After waving my hand in the air I looked around if Paul was around. I didn't seem to see him so I walked backstage to my dressing room to get changed. When I got to the room I returned Quilava back to his poke ball for some deserved rest.

When I got into my room I took a seat in front of the mirror. I looked at myself noticing on how good I looked. I mean that I normally would wear something this good. Normally I would stick to a pink dress and put a few ribbons in my hair and that was it.

Was I trying to get Paul notice me?

I shook my head to get that sentence out of my head. Why do I want Paul to notice me? That was the last thing I wanted to do. I pulled the red ribbon out of my hair, letting my thick navy blue hair release and spread across my back. I got up and took my dress off and put on my white shirt. I sat down to take off my black flat shoes and put on my black shirt. Then lastly I put my pink and white jacket on and my black shoes back on. I again looked myself in the mirror as I clipped on my pink hairclips back into my hair. I got a brush and brushed my hair flat and put the brush down again and looked at myself.

I was so different to the way I first started. I was only ten years old and I started with Pilpup. I grabbed Empoleon's poke ball and looked at the few scratches it had on the red part of the ball.

I smiled.

Eight years later I was now one of the best coordinators in Sinnoh. In that time I have met so many pokemon and people and now I'm travelling in Johto to do the same thing.

To become one of the best.

Then I thought to myself.

Paul also wanted to become one of the best.

We had the same desire.

We wanted to be the best.

I returned Empoleon back into my yellow backpack and zipped it up and threw it over my shoulder. I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled.

One day I will become the best coordinator the world has seen. As I walked out my room I thought that if I wanted to become the best coordinator I had to fight my best friend, May. She too had the same goal as mine. I still remember back in the Wallace Cup I had to fight her for the Wallace Cup. It was a close fight. One wrong move and I could have lost the match.

But that was eight years ago.

And everything has changed.

Even the best trainers never stop improving and I bet Ash and May and my rivals haven't stop either. Even Paul.

I had walked out of the hallway and saw Paul waiting for me which was no surprise to me. I just didn't know why he did. He was lying his back against the wall like he always does. He looked at me and walked away from the wall and to me.

"So Cyndiquil evolved?" He asked.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"I could tell he was going to evolve in that battle."

"You watch?!" I asked in a surprised tone of voice

.
"I had nothing else to do. So I watched your contest from here." Paul replied.
"I thought you had already left." I replied.

"Well I will if you don't hurry up." Paul told me as he started to make his way outside the building.

"Hey wait for me." I called out as I chased behind Paul.

*~*~*~*

"What do you mean it's too late to help you?" I asked as I walked closer to Paul.

"She's gone."

"Who's gone." I asked. Wanting an answer from Paul.

"The most important person in my life is gone."

"Paul…"

*~*~*~*

"I said this way!" I called out as I tugged Paul's arm to the left of the fork road.

"And I say it's right." Paul replied as he tugged his arm right.

"No left!" I called out as I tugged his arm left again.

"It's right." Paul replied as he started to get slightly annoyed as he tugged his arm right. I wasn't holding tight so we both lost balance and fell on top of each other.

I opened my eyes and saw I was on top of Paul's body. I looked at him and he did the same.

We both blushed.

I sat up and tried to cover my face in embarrassment. I have never been so embarrassed in my life.

"Will you mind?" Paul asked, still annoyed.

Then I realised that I was still sitting on him. I quickly got off and stood up. Paul dusted himself and stood up as well.

"I never knew how much you weigh." Paul replied as he picked up his bag from the ground.

"Hey!" I called out in a unpleased manner. "I don't weigh THAT much!"

"Well I couldn't say you weigh light. If I did that I would be lying." Paul told me as he turned to my direction.

"You… are the most horrible, ugly, mean, terrible, horrible, rotten, dreadful person I have ever met!" I yelled. Taking a breath from all the words I had said to him.

"Well wasn't that a speech." Paul replied sarcastically. "Well let me tell you this." Paul started. "I met you eight years ago back in Sinnoh with your friends and since then you haven't changed one bit. You treat your pokemon like that weak trainer of a friend you have and it took you this long to become one of the great coordinator in Sinnoh when you could of done that in less then that. If you have the guts and interest to become a great coordinator step it up. Time isn't something you don't have."

There was a moment silence between us until I replied. "Is that why you want to go to Goldenrod city already? And what is Erika have to do with you?!" I asked.

"Nothing." Paul replied.

"Well let me tell you something Paul. In the last eight years let me tell you something as well. You are too personal and you want to solve your problems without anybody to help you. Sometimes there are things that you need people that can help you. Like me." I replied as I took my bag off the ground and started to walked ahead of him. When I was a few steps ahead of me I looked back and he was looking at me and soon he turned away with a 'Hmph" attitude. I just sighed and kept on walking.

"Some people just don't change." I sighed.

End of chapter