Chapter 21 C:!
Thank you for 100 reviews! I honestly never thought I'd get any when I first started this up! So yeah, thanks!
I think I'm going to continue this story but start a new one at chapter 30. Of course, it'll use the Pokemon characters, but I'm not so sure I want to include the Pokemon themselves. What would you guys think of a more medieval story? I was debating whether I really should have two stories going at the same time. So I've decided that I will continue both, but because it's only a few days into their survival, I'm going to time skip at some point so I can bring this fanfic to a wrap. But, hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not going to do something ridiculous like time skip and then end the fanfic on chapter 22.
In this chapter, there will be a hint or two about Dawn AND Leaf/Gary's life before the Kalos Crash. I'll explain some things to the best of my ability at the end, don't worry.
I've been pretty lazy when it comes to updates, but not to worry, I'll get myself back into the weekly-chapter arrangements soon. I hope you all had a happy thanksgiving or whatever... Well, that's all I have to say xD
Gratitude/Comments:
ElectroPhoenix, thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm sure Red will come around soon! He'll have his moment c:
miss ASSASSIN MASTER, thank you for reading and dropping a review! I'm glad you liked it ^-^!
Cid Neha, I'm delighted to hear that you like my story :3 Update coming right up!
Kindness Over London, I'll just go and destroy your theory. Red has no connection to Ash in this story, haha xD. But thanks! I'm happy that you feel both Lucas and Red. #LeafnissEverdeenIsMyBae ):3 So thanks for reading and reviewing!
Thanks, BananaBomb! I'm glad you thought my last chapter was great! And I'll clear up your confusion, Leaf kicked the pile of leaves, but because they flew everywhere, she did not see it. Drew pulled her away before she could because of Gary's apparent warning. Uhuhuehuh. Oldrivalshipping ):D But Yeah, so everyone will eventually prove their use and I guess Lucas' isn't exactly the most important. However if you think about it, almost none of these kids know anything about survival since they grew up in the comfort of their homes. Not to worry, I'll figure out some sort of role for Lucas as I will for Misty. Misty can act a little bitchy, but I made her like that since Red is not, if you get what I'm saying. The group needs some sort of harsh authority and at the moment, it's like a good cop, bad cop system going on between Red and Misty. Everything she says and does, I assure you, is done with good intentions in her heart. So, thanks again and I'll see you soon!
Alpha The Loyalist, thanks for reading and reviewing again c: So that's a Myers Briggs profile? Well, you learn something new every day. Bear humor is the best, I agree, uhuhuh. Thank you, thanks, I'm happy to hear that my last chapter was well developed! Oh! So I took that freakishly long test and got ISFJ. In regards to your opinion on the Red Ache section, I can smell an Oldrivalshipping chapter right here, uhuhuhuu. Glad you understand the amazingly awesome bond between Red and Leafy ^-^ Theories, theories. Thanks again! eheh
Blacknebulastar, thanks for stopping by again to read and review! As for Yellow being Red's fiancé, you'll just have to wait and find out! Ehe .o.
That's all for now.
Onto the chapter!
Disclaimer:*
I don't own Pokemon
Chapter 21:
'It's okay.'
"Ngh.." Dawn's eyes fluttered open. Sunlight blinded her for a split second before disappearing into the thick clouds above. Lifting her head from whatever she was laying on, Dawn sat up. She looked around in a daze before letting her eyes rest on Paul who was sitting to her left. His head was tossed back and supported by the big oak. The hair that usually hung down on both sides of his face fell backwards, giving his face a more fresh look. Especially with the afternoon light illuminating it.
Usually, she would've had a panic-attack and jumped to conclusions that whoever woke up next to her did something. However, this was Paul. Unlike Lucas who couldn't go five minutes without touching her, Paul knew his boundaries. Even if Lucas was her boyfriend, Dawn felt uncomfortable when it came to excessive touching. She felt primarily uneasy when he'd abruptly grab her and try to cuddle. Despite that, she kept her feelings to herself as there were many times when Lucas' touch did somehow manage to calm her down. He made her feel a bit uncomfortable, but oddly enough, Paul was the opposite.
When she was with him he was bitter and didn't try to smother her with sugary words. Dawn found herself staring at Paul once more through her blurred vision. Head aching, she closed her eyes and laid her head back against his shoulder, trying not to move any part of her body as the smallest gestures sent burning pains into her body. Everything felt stiff, and as much as she wanted to get the blood flowing in her limbs, Dawn could not bring herself to move.
Faint murmurs could be heard from where she knew was in the direction of the campfire. Smoke entered her nose as she inhaled and exhaled, trying to fall back asleep to escape the pain. After a couple moments of peace and quiet, along with the occasional shouting coming from the campfire, Dawn opened her eyes. The girl squinted as rays of golden light warmed her face and beat down on her. Her hand felt slightly heavy as she lifted it to shield her eyes from the sun.
Tilting her head downwards, she glanced at her left hand. It was firmly locked in a certain someone's right hand and showed no signs of releasing any time soon. Dawn felt her face begin to heat up as a blush crept up and onto her face. Her lips pursed as she realized that not even Lucas had managed to fluster her. Which was surprising as he had been practically throwing himself at her continuously for the past few days. Although, he wasn't exactly the person she had met on the plane anymore, different from the other survivors who were genuine and true to themselves as far as her knowledge led her. Shaking her hand a little, she tried to break free from his hold. The girl pulled and tugged over and over again.
"Hey..." Dawn leaned in close before whispering softly into Paul's ear after several failed attempts. Letting both of their arms sag and droop back down by their sides, she gave the struggle up. She reached and tapped his shoulder in a delicate moment as if trying not to break thin glass. Even if she trusted him just a tad bit more than Lucas, Dawn still had no idea how he'd react to being suddenly woken up. "Wake up.."
Upon receiving no response, Dawn slumped, letting an exasperated sigh escape her lips. It hurt too much to try and flee from Paul's iron grip. How could one have such immense strength while sleeping? A gust of wind blew, loosening up the hair that was once stuck to her face and Drew's coat, which was still draped across them. Flinching as it tickled her face, she shuddered before realizing that the warmth she had been feeling came from both the sun and Paul. Inching a bit away from him, she tugged at his arm in hopes of waking him.
"Kuuu..." Paul breathed in response, shifting slightly. The blush on Dawn's face grew more intense then before, burning away at it. Was he actually capable of making such a cute noise? Dawn brought her right hand up to her mouth, covering it as she averted her eyes. Face red, she shuffled her feet, trying to distract herself from the current situation. However, soon enough, she found herself looking back at him.
Making sure her clothes didn't rub and create sound, Dawn turned her body so that she was sitting cross-legged to Paul's right. A small smile spread across her face as she looked down at her left hand which was still clasped in Paul's hand. She gave a small squeeze before shaking him with her right hand. Deciding to try and scare him, the midnight blue haired girl leaned in close to his face, staring intensely as she shook him back and forth.
"Hnn.." He grumbled, peaceful face forming a familiar scowl. There he goes again with his un-cute 'hnn'. Slowly, Paul opened his pitch-black eyes which blinked the sleep out of his eyes several times. In seconds, his fuzzy, drowsy-looking eyes cleared and set themselves on Dawn's. Eyes widening in shock, Paul released her hand and roughly shoved her backwards.
"Ow!" Dawn winced, sitting up and brushing herself off. She shot him a glare of both questioning and irritation but he simply returned it.
"What the hell were you doing?" Paul muttered bluntly. As usual, it sounded more like a statement rather than an actual question and his voice was emotionless. Even so, his body language told her otherwise. He was now completely pressed against the big oak and his muscles were more tense than usual. His face was also fairly red which probably could've been from a wind burn, but Dawn decided not to pay much attention to the little details.
"I was just trying to wake you up, it's probably the middle of the afternoon now! No need to get all salty.." Dawn scoffed, standing up and stretching her legs which were no longer asleep. From the corner of her eye, she watched his shoulders and jaw quickly lose their stiffness.
"Take this to Drew." He stood up and tossed the coat at her. Somehow, Paul had managed to get a hold of himself and recover quickly like it was no big deal at all. He didn't even bother asking what had happened or maybe why he woke up with her pretty much on top of him with her face shoved close to his.
"Wha-!" Dawn's hands moved quickly to catch it. Balancing herself out, she brought the coat close to her chest. It was warm and it smelled like him in a way, though things like grass and body odor in general tried to block out his natural scent. Looking upwards, she watched as he pulled a travel bag out from under on of the many large roots protruding from the earth. Paul's hands fumbled through it before pulling themselves out of the bag along with what looked like an MP3 player. "Did you salvage that from the plane?"
"No. I had it with me the whole time." He hesitated before running a finger over it and stuffing it back into the bag. Turning around, Paul brushed past her, heading out towards the campfire. For a moment, Dawn stared blankly at the large oak, seemingly trying to come up with something else to say. But, it was then when she realized he had already walked away.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she stretched her arms out one by one once more before letting them fall to her sides. Still blushing a little bit, the girl followed after Paul where she was greeted with several familiar voices. However, their voices were stiff and the atmosphere around them was thick. Narrowing her eyes, she plopped down in an open spot next to Lucas. Aside from the short greetings and occasional shuffling of feet in the sand, everything was dead silent. For a moment, Paul and her exchanged confused looks, though his seemed more irritated for whatever reason.
"So, babe, did you happen to see Leaf or Gary anywhere?" Lucas spoke up after several moments of awkward silence. Drew, who's head was originally hung, looked up with what seemed to be an interested look on his face. May, who was sitting a couple inches away from him and Ash on the same log had the same expression on her face. Red looked concentrated and both Misty and Ash seemed to be staring blankly into the campfire. Confused, Dawn shrugged.
"Ah... Please don't call me that anymore... And, no, was I supposed to have?" A shiver ran up her spine as Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Not wanting to argue with the tension already building higher among the others, she let him pull her close to him. It was the first time Dawn had actually felt absolutely disgusted with her body and his.
"Hey, what's wrong? I thought you said that it was fine." Lucas' smile dropped a little, a worried look settling in. He grabbed at her hand and held it. His hand was surprisingly rougher than Paul's giving it an uncomfortable feeling.
"Well.."
"So, where's Leaf?" Paul coughed loudly, averting his eyes and looking towards the ocean.
"And Gary." May added. She was currently swinging her sling back and forth in boredom.
"Who cares?" The teenager grumbled, not bothering to turn his attention back to the group.
"They're probably fine, couldn't have strayed too far. Besides, Leaf is a smarty and a cutie." Drew yawned, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes looked tired and his face, though smiling, seemed a bit dull. Flicking his hair, he plastered a grin across his face. Dawn raised an eyebrow to this. Everyone's behavior seemed very bizarre.
"O-oh really?" May muttered quietly, also averting her eyes towards the sea.
"Can somebody get that?" Red smiled a bit, whittling away at a branch with a makeshift knife make of stone. It grew sharper and sharper by the minute and Red didn't seem as if he was even close to stopping. For a split second, he pointed towards the fish on the rotisserie.
"Mm." Paul nodded, leaning forward and removing the rotisserie stick carefully. He blew on it before taking off a small pieces and passing them around.
"Thank god, I was starvin'!" Ash grinned, brightening up. Quickly, he consumed his portion before taking another. The raven haired boy hesitated before receiving a glare from Misty and passing it over to May. Soon enough, Dawn could hear her own stomach rumbling and felt it ache more than usual as the scent of freshly cooked fish was carried through the wind. Her eyes focused and narrowed as she noticed how small the fish and the portions were compared to when they first arrived on the island.
"Red, we aren't causing you troubles, are we?" Dawn took her portion from Lucas, staring intensely at it rather than eating it right away as she had planned. The young adult looked up, setting aside his newly crafted spear and shoving his knife in his pockets. Giving her a smile about as warm as Ash's, he took the rotisserie stick and set that right next to the spear. Now, he had crafted five eight spears, five of which were split among Gary, Paul, Drew, Leaf, and May. Two of them were in the ground next to him and the other had yet to be given away. As much as she wanted one, Dawn knew that she could probably make something herself with iron or other metals she could scavenge if she really wanted to.
"Of course not, why would you think that?" Red laughed lightly, shaking his head and refusing to take any fish from Paul. Pursing her lips, Dawn stood and walked over to the man. Luckily, the others were engaged in their own conversations with each other, too busy to pay much attention. Though, Paul and Misty paid close attention, despite their wordless behavior. Lucas was listening, but stopped as Ash tried to converse with him.
"How much have you eaten today?" She eyed him up and down like a mother would, hands on her hips.
"A lot..?" Red smiled awkwardly, scratching a little at the side of his face. Dawn frowned, looking at the piece of fish in her hands.
"Eat this." Shoving it into his hands. His eyes widened with surprise as he was taken back by the sudden gesture.
"Hey, this is yours, you take it." The man handed it back to her. Pursing her lips, Dawn immediately forced it back into his hands.
"Eat it."
Red said nothing, only handing it back to her. Dawn shook her head, crossing her arms. Paul rolled his eyes before sighing and standing up. Ignoring it, Dawn could see that Red was very hesitant. How could he just give his portions away like that? At this rate he was going to starve himself to death.
"Eat it!"
"No, you need something in your system."
"Eat it, Red! You need it too!" She uncrossed her arms and clenched her fists tightly. Red was beginning to get dangerously thin which was a problem as when she had first met him, he was already as slim as a stick. His facial hair was probably the only thing on his body that was thick as his flesh seemed to cling to his bones. He wasn't exactly bone-thin, but thin enough to get her attention.
"Dawn, please, I'm fine. No need to worry." Putting his hands up in the hair he waved them back and forth in a denying motion.
"Don't lie to me, what are we going to do if we lose you?! What is Leaf going to do?!" Dawn nearly screamed, attracting the eyes and disrupting the conversations of the others around them. For some reason, she lost control of her limbs. They flailed around and finally, the fish made it's way to Red's hands. Everything seemed slow and everyones' voices were unclear as well. Her head ached and her eyes burned which confused her greatly. Why had she gotten so worked up? What was going on? It was like she'd totally lost the ability to control herself. Almost as if someone or something else was controlling her. The only thing she could hear properly were the sounds of her own ear-blasting screech.
"Hey."
A familiar voice interrupted her flurried rage. However she kept on flailing about, gritting her teeth and tightening her jaw.
"Calm down."
There it was again. It was low and somewhat relaxed. The world was blurred as she floundered about for no particular reason. Suddenly, it felt as if all of her emotions were hitting her at once. Half of Dawn's heart felt as if it was on fire while the other half felt icy and painful. She stopped moving and brought her hands to her face, digging her nails into and down it in frustration. Her lungs hurt and she could still hear herself screaming.
"Dawn!"
"Hey, Dawn!"
"Babe!"
"Dawn?!"
"Dude?!"
"Shut up!" Dawn screamed loudly. Once more, she found herself thrashing around. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
"Alright, even... Red... sn't... kno... to... handle... thi..." The next few words that came her way were choppy, fuzzy, and in that wonderfully soothing deep tone. It was unlike the other panicked, higher voices putting aside Red who was silently sitting in front of her, fish in hands. He looked shocked, but Dawn apologized mentally and figured she'd do it in person later. Her body felt numb and flashes of different colors made her vision and headache worse. Hot, wet tears streaked down her face and had been doing so for some time now. She just hadn't noticed it. They were coming out continuously and she couldn't stop them.
All of the sudden, Dawn felt an immense, almost painful, amount of pressure just below her breasts and above her waist. It wasn't long until she knew for sure that she was being lifted into the air. Whatever was holding her, she trusted it, though it was a bit uncomfortable. Even so, Dawn could feel the pains in her body fade as she took a deep breath of the salty ocean air. Smoke was still detectable, but being high in the air as she was moved towards to sea shore allowed her to breath in more fresh air than pungent odors coming from the campfire. Tears that once rushed down her face had ceased until the last few slipped out of her eyes.
"Nngh..."
A short grunt was heard before Dawn felt herself being lifted just a bit higher. Eyes widening, a smile crept up and onto her face. The afternoon was long gone now and the sun was beginning to set. Light reflected upon the shimmering ocean waters sparkled while the pink-orange hue of the sun in the distance illuminated her face. She heard and felt a small pop in both of her ears, flinching Dawn's ears cleared up. Her ears were greeted with the sound of lulling waves that gently touched the sand of the beach.
"Higher." Dawn whispered, feeling almost brand new. It felt as if the cold yet refreshing ocean breeze was passing right through her. Suddenly, her heavy heart and burdensome body became as light as a feather.
"Pardon?" The deep voice grumbled.
"Higher." She repeated, softly smiling to the sky above.
Hands that were holding her up quivered and shook, causing her to giggle a little bit. They tickled a lot, but eventually the trembling stopped and she was lifted even higher. At the moment, she couldn't see anything but the ocean and it's skies. However, she could hear faint murmurs and even what sounded like an outraged scream from behind her.
The touch she received was refreshing and rough with a touch of delicacy. Her grin grew a little bit pained as she remembered Nicholas. This touch was nothing like his and she liked it that way. It took her years to move on and in some corner of her heart, she felt a painful sting. And yet within a matter of seconds, it melted away, replaced with a much more indescribable emotion. Inhaling, Dawn took control of her originally limp hanging arms and moved them. She softly touched the hands before smiling softly and slowly shutting her eyes.
"Thank you... Paul."
"Wait, Gary."
Leaf shouted to the best of her ability, however it simply came out in her usual hushed tone. The boy she had called to tore through the woods, running as fast as he could. Even so, Leaf was used to chasing after him so she was able to match his quick pace. He ignored her and stormed forward, keeping his head down low and directed to the ground. Furrowing her eyebrows, she huffed and inhaled before speeding up in an attempt to catch up.
It shocked her at first when she witnessed the usual laid-back, careless boy abruptly dash away and into the woods. Although, that feeling of shock and surprise faded away as Leaf began to sympathize with him. She couldn't even come close to imagining what it would feel like to have a friend try to kill you over for such an unreasonable reason. Of course, Gary was not the type to mope and show any negative feelings to everyone around him. So now that she thought about it, it made more sense for him to run away into the woods. However going alone when strange and dangerous things have been happening all around them was not the wisest of choices. Leaving the safety of the group was even more dangerous being emotionally hurt or unstable.
"Gary."
"Shit!" The chestnut-haired boy cursed, tripping over a root protruding from the earth. He fell forwards and onto his hands and knees. As Leaf approached him, she slowed to a walking pace. Gary did not bother standing up, only leaning backwards and letting his weight carry him so that he now sat on his knees. She sat down and crawled around him to get a look at his face.
"Gary." Leaf stared right into his emerald-green eyes which were beginning to glaze over with her own pacifying jade eyes. It was clear that he was about to cry, but she narrowed her eyes as Gary bit down on his bottom lip and clenched his jaw. His face was as red as hers and she was sure it was from the emotions overtaking him rather than the biting cold. Both of their eyes were puffy and she could only imagine how swollen hers looked compared to his.
"Whut?" Gary whimpered, pressing down on his knees harder. The expression he gave her was that of a child and it was full of nostalgia. But of course, she was most certain that the feeling of nostalgia was only felt by her. It hadn't been very long since she'd seen that face. In fact, he was seventeen and she was sixteen so it had only been three years. Those unforgettable memories still touched her heart, but it obviously didn't for him.
"What's wrong?" She hummed, gazing at him through the shadows of the trees. Light patches of light broke through the leaves, but aside from that, it was very gloomy. A shiver crept down her spine as she realized that she'd have to get everything settled and get back before it got completely dark.
Three very long years...
"My head hurts and I feel dizzy!" He complained, completely breaking down like a child.
"Oh no, that's not good now, is it?" Reaching out, Leaf began to stroke her hand through his spiky brown hair. Wordlessly, he shook his head and allowed her to touch him much to his surprise. It even shocked Leaf herself that she would willingly touch him once more. Although she thought nothing of it, only continuing to rub his head. "You've always been a crybaby."
"Wha-! I'm not a crybaby!" Suddenly, Gary shot upwards and smacked her hand away. Leaf froze for a moment before bringing down to her lap and rubbing the small sting until it disappeared. "Ah..." A look of regret flashed upon his face.
"I suppose that's true now... But you were originally." She murmured, piercing his eyes with her own. The tears had stopped and left a red and pink face behind.
"What do you mean..?" Gary raised an eyebrow in confusion before sniffing and wiping his nose. He really was just like a child...
"I mean that you used to cry and cry all the time. And you'd come to me especially whenever you'd get beat up. You also came to love me at one point after crying to me about how your 'one true love' dumped you." A light laughter escaped her mouth as soon as she said it. Leaf reached back upwards to his face and caressed it, wiping away the wet streaks his tears had left. "I'd always have to do this for you..."
"What? When was this?" More confusion flooded onto his face. His eyebrows knitted together and by now his jaw had relaxed and he had let go of his lip which was beginning to bleed.
"We were in different grades because of age back then. Seventh and eighth. But of course you can't remember for some reason I'd love to hear." Her thumb swept over the surface of his lower lip, removing the blood. However it wasn't long until another small amount began to pool on it. Wiping her thumb, Leaf sighed.
"I don't get it." Gary grabbed fistfuls of the loose cloth of his pants in frustration. Leaf herself raised an eyebrow to this as she had figured he'd been pretending not to remember or know her. It was possible that he really didn't remember, but it didn't make sense for him to not remember everything she had done for him.
"You don't have to get it. It already happened, Gary." She muttered softly ruffling the hair on his head. His eyes widened and pursed his lips before roughly grabbing handfuls of her hair and holding his hands up to her mid-neck. "Ouch!" Leaf winced.
"You..." He took a sharp intake of air before tightening his grip around her hair, pulling it much to Leaf's displeasure. Glancing up at him, Leaf lifted her chin slightly before grabbing his wrists and giving him a look. Releasing her hair, he brought his hands back down to his sides and stared at her with a look of shock.
"I'm listening." Leaf murmured calmly.
"You are... My ex from middle school?!" His mouth was open, agape with surprise. Was it really that shocking? Sighing again, she quickly ran her fingers through her messed up hair in an attempt to fix it. Quickly glancing at him, Leaf nodded.
"You've changed so much though." Gary's fists clenched and his eyes looked watery. Noticing this, she laughed a little bit.
"People can change, Gary. You've also become... different since I last saw you." She shook her head in a slightly disapproving motion. It was true. The boy she knew was a loyal person dedicated to the one he set his eyes on, she knew at least that much. By the looks of it, he had been playing and sleeping around with girls for the past three years. There was no way he was a virgin now and the romantic gestures and remarks made were of course, made light-heartedly or emotionlessly. What had happened? To that sweet, sugary personality and innocence as pure as a newborn? That's what she'd like to know.
"What do you mean?! You've changed way more than me! Look at your hair! And your clothing! What the hell happened?!" He raised his voice and stared at her with wide eyes. However Leaf thought nothing much of it, eyes narrowing.
"Calm down."
"Calm down?! How can I possible calm down in a moment like this?! You lied to me! Why didn't you tell me who you were?!" Gary yelled, roughly grabbing the collar of her light blue tank top. Clearly irritated now, she frowned and looked straight into his eyes with a more aggressive feeling rising up.
"I didn't lie to you! I told you who I was but you didn't god freaking remember me! Don't try and blame me for everything and don't you dare say that I've changed more!" Leaf reached out and grabbed his arm, twisting it until she couldn't go any further.
"Ow!" He winced, letting go and swiftly moving away from her. There was now a fairly large distance between them and it made Leaf feel uneasy and slightly frustrated with him.
"It's very shallow-hearted to make assumptions based on appearance. Your personality now is completely different. I suggest you either accept the changes or get away from me." She straightened her tank top out before sending him a look. It was not a glare and it showed no rage, it was but a mere look of disappointment.
"Leaf, I..."
"How many girls have you dated?" Dead serious, Leaf crossed her arms. Cold wind bit at them, but at the moment, she couldn't care less.
"Th-that's personal!" Gary, face still red, seemed to look very uncomfortable with the subject.
"Answer me."
"How the hell could I answer a question like that?! Stop pestering me and get aw-"
"Do you love me?"
Leaf interrupted, speaking quite bluntly. Even so, there was a big amount of emotion welling up inside her. It must've shown clearly on her face as Gary's once angry face twisted into an astonished, then uncertain expression.
"I..." He trailed off, averted his eyes and desperately looking around. The boy was obviously trying to distract himself and began to stall. Again and again, he repeated 'I', testing Leaf's patience. Eyebrows knitting together, she bit her lip and folded her hands. Leaf rested them in her lap before looked down at the ground. She knew exactly what was coming and as much as she didn't want to hear it, she needed to in order to move on.
"Gary, do you still love me?" At the moment, the cold wind seemed a whole lot icier. It felt like her body was being pelted with hail, but she waited in silence. After several minutes of pure silence, only the wind whistling in their ears, Gary sighed.
"I loved the old you, not the new you."
"I see.." Pursing her lips, Leaf couldn't bring herself to look up.
"B-but if we give it some time, maybe I'll adapt to this change! It's so much to take in and I was surprised." He stammered, scratching the back on his head nervously. His face seemed more red than before as he spoke and reminded her of her shyness. When she was with him, she couldn't feel that fear. Though maybe it was due to knowing him beforehand.
"Time... It'd be a challenge for you to actually wait for someone. Are you certain you won't move onto another girl right away?" Leaf laughed as if it was a joke.
"You're really lovable according to the others! It can't be that hard." Gary grabbed her hands and held them in his own, bringing them to his chest. "I will wait and see... You have my word!" He exclaimed.
"O-oh?" Today was just full of surprises... Leaf let him take her hands for a couple seconds before breaking away from his grasp, feeling very awkward. Her glare softened into a sharp gaze, still keeping the serious look. "If you break that promise-"
"I will marry you."
"Yeah.. Wait- N-no! Why would I want to marry a cheat and a liar?!" Coughing, Leaf averted her eyes for a split second towards the sky. "Besides, that condition is completely unreasonable." Flustered, she shoved his shoulder and ripped grass out of the ground before chucking handfuls at him.
"Well, then I give you permission to cut off my right hand yourself." He hesitated before saying it, but he seemed to be earnest. Smiling softly, she leaned forward and lightly tapped his hand which was in the middle of twiddling his thumbs. Stopping, he looked up at her.
"I'll take you up on that, Gary." Leaf brought her hand up and ruffled the hair on his head. After several moments, she stopped and began rubbing it. It really was like he was fourteen... or maybe six-years-old..
"Greenie~!"
Sobbing hysterically, a boy picked up his pace, now running. His jacket flew up and trailed behind him, followed by the echoing patters of his footsteps landing upon the ground. The hallway was practically empty, giving off a somewhat lonesome aura. It was about twenty minutes since the middle school had let out and nearly everyone had gone home.
"Oh!" A petite female turned around, short chocolate-brown hair swaying slightly. Her books slapped and pages flapped as they were knocked out of her hands and she was knocked forward. Stumbling to regain her balance, she flailed about until finally, she retook control of her body weight. As her eyes adjusted and quickly set themselves upon the boy in front of her, she gently smiled.
"Greenie, my... my.. she.. she...!" He wailed and stammered, mind completely breaking apart. His expression was filled with both anguish and struggle as he tried to cough up the words he wanted to say.
"Ah.. Gary, you surprised me. What's wrong this time?" Leaf Green crouched in front of the boy and extended her arm. She softly stroked his head in an attempt to pacify him as a mother would a child. Though she smiled sweetly and warmly, she couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. This boy, the boy she had met two years ago was a year older than her yet acted even younger than one should for their age-group. However she held onto her patience and continued to run her hand through his hair until hesitantly, Gary opened his mouth.
"She... she was already dating Blake!" Tears and tears rapidly flowed from his eyes as he let out a heart-breaking wail. He was a crybaby, innocent, and childish, all things that Leaf thought was impossible to be for a boy his age. She had learned a whole lot about him the past two years since she'd first met him. It wasn't surprising to find doodles or drawings related to the girl he had a crush on and eventually, she had learned his innocence came from being homeschooled and isolated from the public up until fourth grade. At first she wouldn't believe that he'd stayed like this for such a long period of time, but as soon as she was placed in an elective with him, Leaf was able to observe how his classmates babied him. They must've thought he was acting as their tones weren't the friendliest, but of course, Gary paid no mind to it which hurt her a little.
"Blake? That guy in your class who dyed his hair dark red?" Analyzing his face, Leaf raised an eyebrow. Gary nodded, biting his lip before choking on his tears again. She sighed and continued to stroke his head.
"Apparently they've been going out for months... Her friends laughed and I totally embarrassed myself!" His face was bright head and his head was now hung. He did not bother to even look at the ground, tightly shutting his eyes as if he could run away from the mortification.
"You'll find someone." She grabbed him and wrapped her arms around him as more tears began to fall from his face. He was truly heart-broken and although she couldn't even imagine how that felt, Leaf decided to simply shut her mouth and let him sob while no one was around to judge him.
"Greenie, you'll always be with me in highschool, right?" Quieting his cries, Gary fell forward into her arms. Leaf put as much effort in to support and balance both her weight and his as he leaned further into her. Finally, she was brought to a point where she fell back and onto her bottom.
"I'm sorry, Gary." The younger girl murmured, beginning to stare into space. Now that she thought about it, his body was like four times bigger. However, he wasn't fat, he was just tall and she had a small build. It was like having a living, breathing stuffed animal cling to her. Maybe he was thinking that it was like she was a stuffed animal too. The thought of it made the smile on her face even warmer.
"What do you mean?" His voice was panicked and at last, he looked up and into her eyes. They were red, swollen, and glassy, typical signs that a person has been crying hard.
"In two months I'm going to be transferring. You see, my papa got offered an even higher-paying job in Unova." Leaf pushed the excitement that she was feeling for her father away for the sake of Gary who looked as if she had just whipped out a knife and stabbed him. Gary's eyes were wide and tears seemed to be welling up once more.
"You can't stay in Kanto with me?" The answer was obvious, and it was evident on his face that he knew it too. But that didn't stop him from asking anyway.
"Of course not, but I'll be here for two months." She fiddled with the spiky hair on his head.
"I love you, Greenie!" Leaf coughed and winced as he began to squeeze her tightly.
"I know, Gary, you told me." Smiling, she hugged him back before letting go and sitting back. There was now a good amount of space between them, allowing her to breathe more clearly.
"No, no, I mean it." Gary looked extremely serious as he locked eyes with her. Even so, Leaf looked unfazed by it, not exactly taking it to heart herself.
"Look, tell me all about it after you've gotten over your crush and maybe I'll take you seriously and give it some thought." Leaf laughed a little bit, smacking him on the back in a friendly gesture.
"Wh-why?!" He clenched his fists, fear evident in his expression. Was he that afraid of rejection? She shook her head and mentally agreed that it was the right thing to do.
"I want to be sure that I'm not your backup." Standing, Leaf brushed off her pale gray skirt and adjusted the dark red ribbon tied around her neck and the collar of her white blouse. The uniform that she wore was required by her school and her neatly tied red ribbon signified that she was a second year at the middle. Gary on the other hand wore a simple white shirt and black pants, though they were baggy and too big even for him. It only made him look more like a child than ever.
"Mmm... Whatever you say, I guess. But let's get along until you leave, okay?" He flashed her a big, warm and friendly smile before standing and shoving his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"Of course!"
-
He became my boyfriend several weeks later after pestering me and staying persistent until I wanted to scratch my eyeballs out. Though I understood his devoted, good-hearted intentions and set that aside. However the soon, the month ended and there was but one left to go.
Occasionally I'd catch him glancing over to his former crush and for a moment I thought he was just doing it to try and make her jealous or something. So of course I was a bit hurt, but bit by bit, I stopped speaking my mind and sharing my emotions with him. I noticed that he'd spend minutes just looking at her which is what made me close up entirely. Even so, I was still friendly with him, though we were more like best friends than lovers.
At first, I thought nothing of it. But when he tried to take my first kiss, it was cute and I swear I would've let him since he too looked nervous. Yet something inside me told me 'no', so I refused to kiss him and high tension was between us for about a week. I couldn't bring myself to believe that he genuinely loved me and spent nights just thinking about it. After several more days I was okay and kept up the friendly act with him. Those days of watching him ogle at his apparent 'ex-crush' passed and began to get to me by the hour.
I had no idea what was wrong with my head or my heart. Then I realized that it was because of one thing.
I had fallen for him.
It broke me and the moment I realized it, I walked straight past him and home to my room where I locked myself there. Even my father wasn't allowed to see or speak to me that night. Horrible thoughts of wanted to 'get rid' of his crush crossed my mind and I studied to take my mind off of it. I studied and studied until my paper became wet with tears and ripped when I set my pencil upon it.
Before I knew it, it was my notebook which was filled with drawings and depictions of him. I wanted to remember his face so that if I ever met him again, I would immediately recognize him. His innocence continued and his cuteness only rose, but it was clear that he was more interested in the girl with the longer hair. Was I not pretty enough? Had I not comforted him enough? Had I not been there enough? What could I have done to get him to turn his attention to me.
I wanted to hug him again and ruffle up his hair. I also wanted to wipe those tears from his face and tell him that everything was going to be okay. But, perhaps I was only really good for being there. Maybe I really wasn't meant to be his girlfriend or anything. Had I accidentally mistaken our close friendship for a budding romance? Most likely.
Time passed and there was only a week left until my departure. I did not cry anymore as I packed and I told Gary who cried and wailed in my place. Those tears were genuine and I knew he'd miss me and want me to stay. Unfortunately, the cries came from a friend, not a lover, I could tell. I also told him that there was a chance he could catch me before my flight, but he simply nodded, wiped his tears, and walked away wordlessly. Had I made him mad? It was not my choice. It was my father's and I love and put him before everything else.
That week, it seemed as if he was getting closer and closer to his 'ex-crush'. There were times where I wished that Blake noticed more of it and there were times that I even distracted Blake to give Gary some alone time with that girl. Because Gary and I were supposed to be dating, Blake and that girl obviously trusted each other enough to be alone with either one of us. Although it can go either way, which is what made me think that the bond they had could not be cut. So even if I, Gary's girlfriend, helped him out with his actual crush, deep down, I knew that he'd never get that girl.
The morning of my flight, I waited in hope. Maybe Gary would come to see me off and maybe he'd tell me that he loved me with more heart and emotion to it. So I checked everything, social media, texts, even his blog. There was nothing. And by the time it was time for me to leave with my family, time had run out. He never came.
On January 18th, just days after I had arrived in Unova, I received a text from him. He still called me 'Greenie' but he broke up with me saying that he wasn't ready for a relationship and trying his first one over a long-distance relationship was too hard on him.
I always thought that maybe he'd follow me to Unova. I always thought that maybe, just maybe, one day I'd walk into class and see him sitting at my desk. Eventually, I let my hair grow out and soon I had everyone in the palm of my hands. At first, guys flocked around me, asked me out, and girls befriended me, not worried about how much of a guy-magnate I was. I couldn't have asked for more, I was so lucky. Then, in my first year of high school, I was called out. All my friends had turned on me for whatever reason, maybe it was because I had attracted the attention of their crushes? The drama killed me.
By then I was sitting in the position that Gary's crush was in. Barely scraping by everyday by communicating with the boys that actually liked me and girls who maybe weren't so hot on campus, but didn't care about social reputations. Unfortunately for me, there was no one that would approach me. No matter how nice I was, I was quickly labelled a fake, lying bitch. How did everything take such a drastic turn in events? I really don't know. However in those times, I had stopped dwelling over Gary and selfishly focused more in on my own problems.
Then, the crash happened and I reconnected with Gary. However he was not the same... Over the past three years he had learned things that shattered his fragile innocence. He was a flirt, he was a player, and he was a sleaze. I had learned that much just by observing him and I still don't know what made him change today. That day, when he dumped me... I would have much rather preferred him dating me for a week then confessing to his crush and dumping me over unintentionally making me fall for him then dumping me because he wasn't ready after two months.
The Gary who just promised his right hand to me along with his patience is the more mature version of that fourteen-year-old boy. I have hopes and this time...
I will not give up.
AND THAT BRINGS CHAPTER 21 TO A WRAP!
YOU MAY NOW APPLAUD SINCE I PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO THIS *sobbing quietly onto my keyboard*
Alright, so before I do or say anything else, I will clear up some things.
No, I did not make up any characters other than the unnamed girl.
In Dawn's section, a boy named Nicholas who seemed to have a big impact on the reason why she is uncomfortable with touch is mentioned.
Note: There are two types of people, those who run away from their fears, and those who force themselves into their fears to try and overcome them. Dawn is one of those people who force themselves into fears to try and overcome them. However, of course, she knows when to put a stop to her risk-taking.
Nicholas is a minor and easily forgettable character from Pokemon: Battle Frontier. His first appearance is in the episode, Weekend Warrior. You can find him on the Pokemon character wiki, but you'll find absolutely NO information on him as he isn't important at all. Which is of course, why none of you would know his name.
In Leaf's section, so wow! Lots of things involving Leaf and Gary's history were cleared up and I jumped away from the survival point and went onto character development and romance for this chapter. So haha, sorry, but I will get to the survival point... as I promised like 87 times, haha.
Blake is another minor character from The Pokemon Series: XY. He first appears in the episode, Splitting Heirs. Now I think we know the reason why Gary didn't recognize Leaf and we know a bit more about Gary himself.
Now, getting down to one question that may be asked. Why did I choose these two minor characters to play a part in Leaf and Dawn's stories'? Well, I'll be honest... Their faces and character design just looked fitting xD haha. No, I'm not even kidding. I would've had Barry or Kenny play the enemy, but their characters are just too nice and I wanted to stay as close to the characters' base personalities as possible. I guess I haven't done a very good job with Gary or Red though, right? I sort of switched theirs up a little bit.
You may also be thinking that I could've been using Conway in Dawn's story. But seriously, think, would someone like Dawn really willingly date Conway? Oh!
And for Leaf, I'm hoping I didn't screw up in my writing and make her seem like one of those tragic heroines, because that's not what I'm aiming for. I still want her to be seen as that cute, quiet girl, but hopefully she didn't seem needy, whiney, etc. I'm also working with Dawn's personality and making it seem less cliche, maybe their not supposed to be likable 24/7, but I definitely don't want them to be characters you all hate. After all, they're two of the more major main characters, man, haha.
So there was some major Ikarishipping AND Oldrivalshipping stuff in this chapter, but wrapping things up with them, next chapter will be more serious and maybe there will be some time to clear up Ash and Misty's personalities and situations with a Pokeshipping section. I've decided to put Contestshipping on hold for now, I just can't find it in myself to figure out a scenario where May and Drew won't be at each others' throats and I won't reuse the comforting after an event thing. I just used that on Leaf and Gary.
Of course, I will not forget Lucas or Red. Lucas will definitely interfere with our precious Ikarishipping, but that's just how the story and human emotions in general work. I want you guys to honestly think to yourselves next time you find yourselves hating his guts (Don't worry there are times where I just wanna smack him silly too, haha), if you were in his place, or any of the characters places, would you honestly be able to control your emotions and only let it leak out every once in a while? I mean, for example, it'd be your girlfriend, one true love, getting friendly with a guy who hates your guts and everyone around you is just bashing and hating on you. On top of that, you've got a fiery ginger at your throat, haha xD.
Summing it up, just for future references, it's really important to understand the difference between human ideals that everyone has for these characters and things that even you couldn't do in such situations.
We all get mad, we all throw tantrums, say things that aren't meant to be said, cry uncontrollably, do or say jerkish things. It's what people do. I encourage you to tell me how you feel about these characters, but please note that there will be times where your favorite characters could do or say something that'll make you absolutely hate them. Even so, stick with them and stick with me, everything will come around at some point! We'll survive this together, right?
Oh, yeah, and you also might be thinking things like, "Well Bear, aren't you pretty much bashing the characters 24/7 yourself?" Shh... Children, it's okay if I do it... ehehe The characters do whatever I want them to, uhuhuhuhuhuhuhuuuuuuu c:
With the current circumstances they'll most likely get forced to move camp to the lake, but how will they cope with leaving the site near the comforting ocean that has offered them so much in both resources and sanity? We'll just have to find out. Will the weather get any worse? Colder? Windier? They haven't even started on building shelters, what will our heroes possibly do?
If you think this is a story that will eventually drop the drama, then I suggest you just stop reading if you're not big on emotions and major character development. xD
Anyways! So here's a brief summery of what happened this chapter:
Dawn and Paul had their little moments along with Leaf and Gary.
It's revealed that Dawn has some problem with being touched, but doesn't complain or say much about it. We're sort of back to step 1 with Ikarishipping, but at least now we have Dawn's interest in Paul piqued.
Like I said earlier, Leaf and Gary's history is cleared, but there still is a bit of a mystery as to why Gary acts the way he is. Maybe we'll see a section from his perspective? Eh, I'll do whatever I want xD
Going back a bit further in the chapter, we have Red's problem. With low resources, it is indicated that he's practically starving himself for the sake of the younger members of the group. How much more can he take without going completely insane? We'll just have to see.
And of course, we have yet another emotional breakdown with Dawn. Why are these characters just so emotional? Well, you know, they are children in adolescence. Could she be on her period? Maybe, but that would mean that both Drew and Gary are too xD
This is probably the longest afterword I've had..
Oh! Oh!
So I'd love to hear opinions on characters and I would also really love to hear some survival situation suggestions. You know, just to make it so that I have tons of options to choose from. Since... I'm really bad at coming up with this stuff, so far I've only done the basics... Oh! And I'd like to hear whether or not you would read a new story at the same time as this one!
There might be a little storm or typhoon, suggested by PolarDawn in the future, hint, hint.
Yep! That's it!
I encourage you all to review!
Until next time!-
~Bear