A/N: Alright, I think I got the pace again :) Thank you all for your response last chapter, I'm very happy you guys are enjoying it :D I hope you like this one!
To cake0108: Misty as an Elite Four member is indeed going to be very interesting… Thanks a lot for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the picture used as cover, though I did edit it.
Days
The day at the Veilstone Gym
Dawn
Saturday, November 16th
"Oh wow, it's really a coincidence you ask that, Dawn!" Maylene said with a big smile. Dawn cocked her head in confusion at the pink-haired woman, who continued, "Sure, I'd love to help you with Competitive Training, but your visit is just perfectly timed."
"Uhm?"
Maylene continued to grin. "My boyfriend and his brother are coming over, they're both experienced in Battling, and they wanted my help in Coordinating, but you can do it much better and I'm sure they'll help you with Battling if you help them with Coordinating. That way, we can all help each other!"
"Wow, that's indeed really a coincidence," Dawn said, grinning back at Maylene. Perfect! Finally luck seemed to be on her side!
She had come over to Veilstone City to chat with Maylene and hopefully get the chance to practice with her. The Wayland Tournament was a perfect opportunity for Dawn, because she had only managed to get three Ribbons so far and the Grand Festival was slowly but surely coming closer. And that wasn't because her Coordinating had suddenly gotten worse, but rather the lack of time. Her designing career, for which she had followed several courses this past year, had eaten away at both her time and monetary resources. And then there was also having to keep up a social life (and rolling from one failed relationship to another), which was also taking its toll.
The Wayland Tournament would give her a chance to get into the Grand Festival and of course it would be a great experience on its own, but Dawn had another reason to participate, namely that she had played a big part – if she did say so herself – in getting the whole Tournament on the road.
Half a year ago, Dawn had been looking through her mother's old Coordinating stuff and had found a notebook detailing plans about setting up a tournament that combined Contests and Battles. She had made the plans together with her friend Rebecca Wayland, who had been a Trainer. Sadly, they never got it off the ground and when Rebecca met an untimely death, the notebook disappeared into a box forever. Well, until Dawn found it. She had read the plans with growing enthusiasm, and had encouraged her mother to do something with it. It would be the perfect way to honor her old friend, after all.
For her mother and for herself, Dawn wanted to win this thing. But half of it was Battling, and she knew that she ought to prepare herself and get a Badge. So Dawn had decided to pay Maylene a quick visit, for both the practicing and perhaps a Badge.
Dawn followed Maylene inside the house next to the Gym, and Maylene made some tea as they waited for the brothers to arrive.
"So, how is the Coordinating coming along?" Maylene asked, as she filled the kettle with water. Her Lucario had followed them inside and sat down in a meditative pose in the corner of the kitchen, which seemed specifically meant for that purpose.
"Good, good," Dawn said lightly, making a vague gesture. "I have three Ribbons now, but my designing career is eating up quite a lot of my time, but I hope that I can balance it out better soon." She laughed sheepishly, and quickly switched topics. "I didn't know that you had a boyfriend, how long have you been together?"
Maylene didn't blush or giggle, but instead smiled with a certain glow and Dawn felt a stab of jealousy. "Well, we've been friends for a really long time-"
The sound of a door opening interrupted her and Maylene smiled brightly, turning away from kettle. "Ah, there you'll have him."
And indeed, there he was, he and his brother, only Maylene's short explanation had not been able to prepare Dawn for their identities.
It was Paul. Paul and Reggie. Maylene immediately walked up to Reggie and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. Dawn felt the slightest bit of relief that Reggie was the boyfriend and Paul the brother and not the other way around, but it was overshadowed by her feelings of awkwardness.
At least Paul seemed just as uncomfortable as she was, as he was looking pointedly at the table and not at her. But then again, maybe that was just the way he acted.
Maybe Maylene seemed to sense the awkwardness, because she quickly said, "Let me introduce you to each other! Reggie, Paul, this is Dawn, she's a Coordinator, and Dawn, this is Reggie, my boyfriend, he used to Train, but now he's a Pokémon Breeder, and this is Paul-" Maylene paused, looking at each of them in turn. "Haven't we all met before…?"
Reggie nodded with a bright smile, extending his hand towards Dawn in greeting. "It's great to see you Dawn, it's been so long."
"Dawn is also planning to participate in the Tournament, she wanted to practice Battling, so we can all help each other," Maylene explained, and Paul looked up sharply.
"Did Maylene invite you over or is this just a big coincidence?" Reggie asked with a friendly smile.
Dawn found herself relaxing slightly and shrugged. "Just a big coincidence, really." Or just my luck, she added sourly to herself. "I simply dropped by and hoped that Maylene wanted to practice, I had definitely not expected this."
Definitely not.
"So, I've got tea… Paul, you prefer coffee, right?" Maylene said, turning back to the kitchen counter and reached for the kettle.
"No, let's go to the Gym and train," Paul said rather rudely and Maylene seemed thrown off.
"Paul." Reggie gave him a sharp look, but Paul simply stared back at him.
"No, that's fine, that's fine," Dawn said, glancing at Paul. She did not want to sit at a table with Paul and be expected to make small talk. One one-night stand and karma punished her like this-! "I don't mind, we can have something to drink later."
Maylene gave Dawn an inquisitive look, before shrugging. "If you're sure…" Dawn nodded, and Maylene smiled. "Alright then, let's go to the Gym and we can train! I'm sure we can all learn a lot from each other!"
Maylene set off enthusiastically, followed by a thoughtful Reggie, and Dawn closed the line, a nice distance behind Paul. Dammit, this wasn't how today was supposed to go! Just when she thought things were looking up again… She glared at Paul's back.
The Gym was still designed as a dojo, but Dawn noted several new sorts of equipment that she couldn't recognize straight away. Lucario had followed them and now settled in a corner of the Gym, while several other Pokémon were training with each other in other spots in the Gym. The Gym was closed for this afternoon, Dawn heard Maylene say to Reggie, since she had already known that he and Paul were coming-
"How many Ribbons do you have?"
Dawn jumped, startled out of her thoughts, and looked at Paul with what couldn't be a very attractive expression on her face. She quickly gathered herself again. "Three."
That obviously wasn't enough for Paul, since he raised his eyebrows and half-scoffed. Dawn felt blood rise up to her face and she clenched her fists.
"But you're a professional Coordinator?"
"Yes, yes I am." Dawn straightened her back and looked Paul defiantly in the eye, daring him to say something about it.
"Hmph. If you say so."
He dared-
"How do you mean 'if you say so'?" Dawn practically exploded.
Paul only raised an eyebrow and this infuriated her even more, but he did answer. "It means," he said slowly, "that if you only have three Ribbons in November, you can hardly be a professional Coordinator."
"You- you-!" Dawn tried to speak, but her rage made it difficult to form a good sentence. How dare he judge her! "I actually have other goals in my life, unlike you! You- you're only obsessed with training, and battling, and winning- And you don't care what it does to your Pokémon!"
There was a moment of deadly silence, but Dawn felt a rush of hot triumph when Paul narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.
"You," he said in a low voice, "have no right-"
"Paul!" Reggie's shocked voice broke into their fight and Dawn suddenly remembered that Reggie and Maylene were also there. Her face flushed even more. How could she have lost control like that?
Paul, too, seemed appropriately scolded, because he straightened up (she hadn't noticed that he had been leaning down) and, looking at a point above her head, said, "My apologies."
Her surprise at Paul actually apologizing was overshadowed by her own embarrassment. "I'm sorry, too. That was out of line."
Out of line, and rude, and petty, and childish. Definitely not like a professional Coordinator. "I've been having some trouble with balancing my designing career and Coordinating," Dawn admitted honestly, looking apologetically at Reggie and Maylene.
Their faces softened, though Maylene still looked worried and Reggie glanced at Paul with a similar look in his eyes. Dawn herself didn't dare to look at Paul.
"Alright, so why don't we start training!" Dawn said with forced cheer, and fortunately no one objected. Paul looked at her darkly, but Dawn pushed her shoulders back and forced a big, bright smile on her face.
Professional Coordinator, she reminded herself. Professional Coordinator.
A/N: Thanks a lot for reading! Please review and let me know what you thought about it!
Thank you!
Recommendations:
Pokémon: mannequin by inklaced. FFN. A short, angsty and sad one-shot about the DexHolders, or more specifically, Platina, Green and Blue. A love story without a happy ending… But still beautifully written :)
Pokémon: Dawn's Epiphany by Alyss Ashworth. FFN. This is a light, funny one! A PokeShipping one-shot, also featuring Dawn and Brock. Dawn suddenly realizes how cute Ash and Misty's baby would look… Very funny :)
Harry Potter: Unspoken by queen-sheep. FFN. A short collection of AUs featuring Ron and Hermione as a couple. There's a sad one, and there's a fairy tale one… But they're all nice, so give it a look :)
Recommendations are very welcome!