Finally, we've reached the chapter. So happy to share this with you. Enjoy!
20. Paul
The living room of the Oak residence is bathed in a soft, dim light. Dawn and Paul lie on mats facing each other, their eyes wide and curious in the darkness, like the first night they shared a bed together back in Unova.
Dawn stares intently at Paul's face - regretful that she immediately succumbed to sleep the last time they shared a bed a few nights ago, after she learned about his father - with her eyes studying his eyes, the curvature of his nose, the bow of lips, the way his hand is tucked under is defined jawline . . .
She jolts upright with a gasp, her hand darting out to grasp Paul's. "What happened to your hand?" she frets, her fingers tracing the edges of a burn on his wrist. "When did you hurt yourself?"
Paul is silent for a moment, his darkened eyes fixated on her. "It's nothing. It'll heal."
Dawn's jaw drops in disbelief. "Nothing? It's a burn."
"Stop making a big deal. It's not the first time I've burned myself," Paul replies tersely, but there is a hint of unease in his voice that Dawn does not catch.
She huffs, before twisting her torso and stretching her way to the other side of her mat, where her backpack is propped up. She rummages through for two minutes before finally pulling out a silver tube.
Returning to Paul's side, she takes his hand in hers with determined gentleness.
"This isn't necessary."
"I don't care what you think is necessary, Mister," she says stubbornly, applying the cream to his burn. "I'm putting it on, and there's nothing you can do about it."
As Dawn tends to his injury, Paul's expression softens as he looks up at her, a rare flicker of gratitude in his eyes. He can't deny the comfort of her care, a warmth he hasn't felt in a long time.
"How did you even burn it like this?" she grumbles, furrowing her brow in concern, but to no response.
As Dawn peeks at his face while she applies the burn cream, she notes something about his stormy eyes that immediately makes her think something is off.
She stares at the burn closely, The mark is fresh, red, and puckered, starting off wide and narrowing as it approaches his wrist. She was with him for most of the day, though. When could he have possibly burned himself without drawing attention to it? She thinks about the day's events once more.
Dawn's eyes widen in realization, the pieces clicking into place, and she lets out a gasp.
"You were burned when Infernape tackled you," she breathes, her voice tinged with disbelief and sorrow. "Why didn't you say anything? Professor Oak would have treated it." Not one flinch, not one complaint.
Paul does not quiet her like she expects, and instead, looks away, as a haunted look clouds his face. "A burn is the least I can get compared to the way I treated Infernape."
Dawn's heart sinks at his confession, her fingers pausing. Paul is a much better trainer than he used to be, but he has never given any indication of ongoing guilt for the way he treated Infernape - frankly, Dawn assumed that chapter was closed by him, Ash, and Infernape after their battle at the Lily of the Valley Conference.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Huh? Like what?"
"Like you pity me."
"I don't. I just didn't know you felt that way."
He makes as best of a shrug as he can while laying on his side, but his eyes soften. "I can't take back what I've done and can only try to do better. Doesn't mean I don't think about it, though." He untangles his hand from her fingers.
"W-Wait, your burn! I'm not done!"
Paul offers her a small smile. "Like I said, it'll heal over time. Thanks, though."
Though Dawn instantly catches the double meaning behind his words, she still cannot worry. "But - "
Words choke in her throat as he leans up to quickly peck the underside of her jaw, barely missing her cheek. His silent gesture effectively leaves her dumbfounded as he stands and walks away with a quiet chuckle.
.
It had been a strange gut feeling that had indicated to Paul of Dawn's presence in the Pewter Gym.
As he sat at the table in Brock's kitchen, his eyes fixated on Dawn. Her presence seemed to draw him in, her every movement and expression captivating his attention.
"So, Paul, Dawn mentioned that you guys traveled through Hoenn together," Brock remarked, breaking Paul's silent reverie.
Paul shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, what of it?"
Brock's mention of their journey through Hoenn piqued Paul's interest, and he glanced at Dawn, his gaze piercing and intent. She met his eyes briefly before looking away, a faint flush creeping into her cheeks.
"She also told me you challenged some of the gym leaders there," Brock continued.
Paul nodded. "I wanted to train my Pokémon there before taking on Brandon again . . . Reggie took my place on the battlefield and won."
He finally turned to look at Brock's face, causing Dawn to release a breath that she didn't realize she was holding.
Brock's eyebrows shot up in surprise, a grin spreading across his face. "That's amazing to hear! My congratulations to Reggie."
"Thank you," Paul replied, his attention drifting back to Dawn. There was something about seeing her after months that intrigued him, sparking a curiosity he couldn't quite explain.
Dawn frowned, unsatisfied with the direction of the conversation. "I want to battle you, too," she declared.
Paul raised an eyebrow, surprised by her request. "Can I ask why the sudden interest?"
Her expression hardened with resolve. "Our battles used to help me so much, and I think I've been on a losing streak because I haven't been battling with you, specifically."
"'Bad?'" Paul raised an eyebrow. "You reached Top 8 in the Junior Cup, I saw you."
Dawn blinked, surprised. "You did?"
"Of course." Paul regarded her thoughtfully as his eyes held her gaze. I fail to understand . . . what makes battling me so special?"
Dawn let out a frustrated sigh, grappling for words to convey her feelings. He might have found her and Brock's conclusion of "unfinished business" to be senseless. "I've been trying to figure that out myself, actually. I think . . . when we train, you push me outside of my comfort zone," she admitted. "You challenge me in ways no one else does." In more ways than one.
His lips quirked into a soft smile at her honesty. "I told you back in Hoenn that it's hard to recover when you lose a big battle or contest. You'd lose a few times before you win, and then you'd lose again. It took time to pick yourself back up. But if you didn't remember how far you made it before, you'd never get yourself back there again."
There was a pause as Paul's hand drifted to his trainer's belt, fingers lingering over the Pokéballs. "Hey . . . speaking of Hoenn, I made a promise to someone."
Dawn's curiosity piqued as she watched him, her heart quickening with anticipation. "Huh?"
With a smirk, Paul tossed a Pokéball into the air. "Honchkrow, standby!"
"Honchkrow!" Honchkrow emerged from the Pokéball, his expression serious before breaking into a joyful cry at the sight of Dawn.
Dawn gasped happily, crouching down to pet him, her eyes shining with delight. "Honchkrow!"
Eager to complete the reunion, Dawn released her Togekiss from its Pokéball. "Togekiss, come on out!"
Togekiss chirped happily, fluttering over to join Honchkrow and Paul, who gave her with a faint smile.
Brock chuckled at the interaction. "Looks like Honchkrow has a crush on Togekiss. They seem to like each other."
Paul nodded, a subtle smile playing at his lips. Dawn's eyes widened in surprise at his relaxed demeanor, noting the change in his attitude towards their Pokémon's interactions. It was a small shift, but it spoke volumes about his growth since they last traveled together.
"Yeah, not just a crush after all," Paul replied, his gaze lingering on Dawn's, sending a shiver down her spine.
.
After collecting herself after Paul's sudden kiss on her now burning cheek, Dawn follows him down the stairs and outside the lab. As they gaze up at the stars in silence, a sense of nostalgia washes over Dawn, reminiscent of the night they spent marveling at the Pokétopia skyline a year ago.
"I think I want to go to Kalos," she announces suddenly, breaking their silence.
Paul's brows furrow slightly, his expression unreadable. "Kalos, huh?"
Dawn turns to him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of hesitation. "Will you come with me?"
He pauses, and Dawn's heart pounds in her chest as she waits for his response. Finally, Paul nods, his voice soft but resolved. "I'll come with you."
Relief floods through Dawn, a smile spreading across her face. But as she basks in the momentary happiness, a nagging thought creeps into her mind.
"Why'd you even leave me in the first place if we were just going to end up traveling again anyway?" she jests, but the bitterness seeps into her voice.
Paul's expression softens, a hint of sadness flickering in his eyes. "Why did you let me go in the first place, Dawn? I would have stayed if you asked," he answers, his tone earnest.
She hesitates for a moment, struggling to find the right words. How can she explain her fears and insecurities without sounding foolish? How can she tell him that she has harbored a silly little infatuation for him that he would not return?
"I didn't think you cared about me as much as I care about you," she finally admits quietly, her gaze dropping to the ground.
"What? How can you think that? We've traveled together."
Dawn shakes her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "I was just your teacher until the Rubello Town Contest. After that, I just stayed as a training buddy - a benefit of being your travel partner."
A snort of disbelief escapes Paul's lips. "Does it look like I need to travel with a buddy?"
Dawn's heart clenches at his words, a pang of hurt piercing through her chest. "No, but . . ."
"You're the only one I've ever traveled with," Paul admits, his voice softer now, his gaze meeting hers with a rare vulnerability. "I . . . I care about you, too."
"Then why did you leave? You could have said something, too!" she counters.
His demeanor shifts, guilt crossing his features. "I left because I didn't know how to handle our closeness. I misunderstood you to be a distraction - which I know now that you are not," he adds quickly, giving her a reassuring look. "You were becoming more than just a travel partner; you were becoming a confidant, something I wasn't used to outside of Reggie.
"I'm sorry."
His short but sincere apology stabs at Dawn's chest, and tears well up in her eyes as a myriad of emotions swirl within her. "So, what about after Kalos? Where would that leave us? Will you disappear again when you worry that we're too close?"
Paul reaches out, ruffling Dawn's hair playfully before smoothing it back down, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "No. I'm not going anywhere." His voice is gentle. "Isn't it obvious, troublesome? We may not travel together everywhere, but I want to support you in your journey."
Their heartfelt conversation fades into the background as a sudden, brilliant meteor shower steals their attention.
Dawn, quickly wiping her stray tears, marvels at the celestial display, but Paul's attention is drawn to a singular green light streaking across the sky.
With a sense of urgency, he suddenly breaks into a sprint towards the path leading to Route 1, his eyes fixed on the glowing green beacon.
"H-Hey, Paul, wait up!" Surprised by his sudden movement, Dawn quickly follows suit, her curiosity piqued.
Paul sends out Honchkrow to track the trajectory of the meteorite, and Dawn sends out Togekiss to follow. Suddenly, she is grateful they are staying the night at Professor Oak's for tonight, and don't have to deal with the Pokémon Center curfew.
As they race forward, Dawn struggles to keep pace with Paul, nearly stumbling a few times. "Why are we running?" she calls out between pants.
"I have to reach the meteorite before anyone else beats me to it!" Paul explains in a hurried breath.
Dawn is confused, but still determined to help him, she stops running. "Wait!"
Paul freezes in his tracks and turns back to face her. "What are you doing? We have to go!"
She pulls a Pokéball from her trainer's belt. "Arcanine, we need your help!" she says, as she summons her Arcanine, who appears with a cry. Paul briefly wonders when she acquired the Pokémon.
"Arcanine, we need to chase that green meteor!" She points at where the green light has fallen from the sky.
"Arc!" Arcanine barks dutifully, before lowering its back to Dawn and Paul.
With a curt nod, Paul quickly places his hands low next to the Pokémon and interlocks his fingers hands to create a support for Dawn to step on.
She places a hand on his shoulder and props on his makeshift stair before she leaps onto the Pokémon's back, extending a hand to Paul to join her. He hesitates for a moment before accepting her offer, pulling himself up with surprising strength.
Together, they chase after the green light, following Honchkrow and Togekiss to the meteorite's landing site. Paul jumps off Arcanine, sliding to the ground where the glowing green rock rests and picking it up. Dawn follows behind him.
"Mega Stones are also periodically created from meteorites that fall down from the sky in a form of green light," Steven's words echo in Paul's mind, guiding him to the discovery of the Mega Stone.
They find themselves huddled together, heads touching, marveling at the soft green glow of the rugged stone. Dawn steals a glance at Paul, full of wonder and an unfamiliar, childlike excitement.
In the quiet moment, he reaches for her hand, sparking an unspoken magnetism between them.
Acting on said magnetism, as well as the adrenaline running through her veins, Dawn leans in to excitedly give Paul a quick peck on his lips. Though it is only for a moment, his lips are cool and soft against hers.
When she pulls away, she avoids his curious, but blazing gaze and rests her head on his shoulder, relishing in their closeness and the tingling on her own lips.
End of Safe Travels, Part IV: To the East of the Barrier.
And, after 20 Chapters, they've finally kissed!
Now, onto Part 5, probably my most favorite part.
Thank you for all of the love and support! It truly means so much to me!