A/N: Thank you all for continuing to read and support this story! I also have something to celebrate: we're halfway through the first part of the challenge! So that was writing 25 000 words for this story by updating weekly, and we're now halfway. Yay :D But we'll go on, of course. Here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or the picture used as cover.

Days

The day in Oreburgh City

Dawn

Wednesday, December 18th

"You can go get breakfast already, I'll just pack up my things and join you in a moment," Dawn said as she moved through the Pokémon Center room to collect her stuff.

Paul stood in the door opening, his own full bag already on his shoulders. He raised a skeptical eyebrow as Dawn's bag laid open and half-empty on the bed.

"Really, I'll be there in a minute," she said.

He looked around the messy room. "We've only been in Oreburgh for two days, how did you…" Paul trailed off when Dawn gave him a look. She smiled in satisfaction when he instead said, "I'm going to get breakfast. Hurry up."

"Sure thing," Dawn chirped, and she heard Paul close the door with a sigh. She returned her attention to the admittedly rather chaotic room. It was mostly due to the Contest yesterday; she had gladly taken the opportunity to dress up a bit, now that they weren't on the road, even if she was just going to be watching.

Despite their delay in Wayward Cave and her stomach bug, they had still made it to Oreburgh City the day before yesterday, just in time for the Contest yesterday. Paul's Contest.

Dawn grinned with pride. Weavile and Ursaring had pulled off their well-practiced Appeal amazingly and they had passed to the Battle Stage. She had teased that she personally thought it had been due to his new suit that he had won, to which Paul had glared at her.

But he had looked good, though. Uh, he had been good in the battles. Yes. And maybe it hadn't been close to Grand Festival level good, but he would get there. And since now there hadn't been any Top Coordinators or strangely strong Pokémon participating, Paul had finally had his chance and had won his very first Ribbon.

Just after the Contest, Dawn had been worried that Paul would not uphold his end of their bargain, now that he had gotten what he wanted. But during the celebratory dinner (which wasn't really that different from their usual dinner, because it was Paul) she had been reassured, as he had already been outlining his plans to continue practicing with the Contest style and had given her tips on how to beat Roark.

Which reminded her, and Dawn quickly continued with packing her bag. Today's goal was the Oreburgh Gym, and after that… Well, after that they would split up for a short while. The holidays were coming up and she was going to continue on to Twinleaf Town, while Paul…

Well, she didn't know what he was going to do. Surely he would go home for Christmas, too… She would ask. In any case, they would meet up again in January.

She grabbed the last remaining shirt from the floor and put it in her bag. With satisfaction she looked around the now clean room, before returning her attention to the rather full bag.

However, after a short fight with the zipper, Dawn had to concede defeat and accepted that there was no way everything was going to fit into the bag without her neatly folding it again. With a sigh, she pulled out some clothes again, her neatly folded underwear, personal hygiene stuff, her not-so-neatly folded socks…

Dawn froze, looking at the box of tampons on the bed. Shouldn't she…

She thought back to the last month, trying to remember… Cold sweat broke out on her skin and her stomach dropped to her feet. She counted. Counted again. Pulled out her phone to check her agenda and counted again.

Four weeks. Almost five weeks. Almost five weeks since she had had her period.

She sat down on the bed, taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. Maybe she had just skipped a cycle. It had been years since that had happened, but she had had a lot of stress, and she had been sick-

"Oh Arceus," Dawn whispered, feeling like the ground had just dropped from under feet.

No. It had to be a coincidence. A sick, really scary coincidence.

She breathed in, and out again. They had been safe. She was… She was 99 per cent sure of that.

She dropped her head in her hands. She couldn't be pregnant. That was just not… It couldn't be true. These kind of things happened to other people, not to her. It couldn't have happened to her…

"Damn it!" She jumped up from the bed and paced around the room. "This isn't happening. This can't be happening. No, no!" She grabbed the pillow from the bed and threw it across the room.

She breathed heavily and stared at the pillow laying on the floor against the opposite wall. Her hands were trembling, and slowly Dawn sat back down on the bed.

There must be another reason. Stress. Yes. She really didn't have to be pregnant, there could be another explanation…

Right?

She let herself fall back on the bed, feeling hollow. What was she going to do? If she was pregnant… She couldn't take care of a baby… No matter how she turned the situation, life as she knew it was over. Even if she got rid of it, it had still happened, and…

A tear slipped out of her eye. "Dammit." She rubbed it away, and then slowly sat up again. "Don't be so dramatic." She took a deep breath.

Right. The facts. She had missed her period by almost five weeks. She had been stressed. She had been sick- Dawn swallowed. She had been sick in the morning. She had been sexually active… with Paul, of all people.

"Oh dear fucking Arceus." Dawn groaned and dropped back on the bed, before quickly sitting up again. No, she wasn't going to do that again. She needed-

A knock on the door and she froze.

"Dawn? Are you almost done?" Paul asked from behind the door.

"I'm fine!" she squeaked. "I mean, I'll be there in a minute!"

"…Alright." She waited until she heard his footsteps leaving before letting go of the breath she had been holding.

She needed a plan. Despite all the signs pointing to the scary possibility of pregnancy, she wasn't sure yet. She needed to do a test. Yes, a test. But not here. At home. Yes. Yes, that was a good plan. She would go home.

…Except how she had a Gym Battle first.

For a moment, Dawn considered actually doing it, for just one short moment. But then she got up from the bed and her legs felt like jelly. Nausea was swirling in her stomach, and a glance in the bathroom mirror told her that even with her biggest, brightest smile she still looked like she had seen a ghost.

Nope, a Gym Battle wasn't going to happen. Sickness was the perfect excuse, and with how she currently felt, it wasn't even a lie.

She threw her remaining clothes back in the bag, and managed to zip it halfway, before giving up. She would go by bus to Jubilife City, anyway, so it didn't matter much.

After throwing one last cursory glance at the now neat Pokémon Center room, Dawn walked to the main part, not bothering to hide her shaky steps. She dropped off the key at Nurse Joy's desk, who looked at her worriedly, but Dawn smiled and quickly left before the woman could say anything.

Paul stood waiting by the tables, his arms crossed and a frown on his face. Dawn thought it softened somewhat when he saw her, but she really didn't want to think about it.

"Are you… okay?" he asked when she only offered him a feeble smile in greeting. Maybe she was laying it on a bit thick, but she didn't really trust her voice.

"Not really," she finally said.

"I can see that."

In any other instance, she would have glared at him, but right now she didn't care. "I'm not going to do the Gym Battle today."

"No, you'll only lose in this state," he said with a nod. "I mean… You're better off at home? You were planning on going there today anyway, right?"

"Yes," Dawn said, relieved that Paul wasn't being difficult. "I'll take a bus and I'll be home before tonight."

Paul nodded, then shifted his weight slightly. "Do you… want me to accompany you?"

His expression was blank and Dawn had no clue what he wanted her answer to be.

"Uh, no, no, that isn't necessary," she said quickly. "I mean, thank you, but no, thanks."

Paul only nodded.

"So, I'll see you after the holidays?" she offered, trying for a smile to soften her previous words.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, before nodding. "Safe travels."

This time, the smile came on its own. "Thanks. You too, and enjoy your holidays!"

"Hmph," he said, but he was smiling slightly.

They stood in silence for a few moments, before Dawn shouldered her bag more securely and walked towards the exit.

At the door, she turned one last time and Paul raised his hand in a goodbye. With a quick last wave and a half-smile, she fled.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Now all the girls know they're pregnant. And we're about 15 percent into the story haha. I'd really like to know what you thought about it :)

Thank you!

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