Author's Note: What's this? A NEW idea? Me? Never...

Anyway, I was inspired for a Marriage Law fic after reading one in a different fandom and I couldn't find many fics like this for Pokemon characters (feel free to let me know if there are good ones out there!), so I'm writing my own.

Summary:

Team Rocket left Sinnoh devastated in the aftermath of a war spanning years. A marriage law is enacted to repopulate the region in case Team Rocket try to come back... Dawn is matched with Paul, and she tries to be optimistic about the forced marriage—except Paul is nowhere to be found, and he would have been her last choice in the entire world...

To business:

I plan to mostly stick to Anime Lore for their backgrounds but if it suits me to deviate from canon, I will.

I've matched some characters I don't often see paired just for fun, so there will be multiple ships but I probably won't focus much on the minor couples. Ash x Misty will be the secondary major ship. If there are other ships you want to see I can probably find a way to work them in but focus is of course on Dawn x Paul.

This fic will remain rated T but I might post a more mature/explicit version on A03 just for fun.

Potential Trigger Warning: discussion of fertility/issues conceiving children. I don't plan to get super deep into it but it is relevant for a plot point later on. I'll post content warnings on specific chapters.

Also there will be mention of tragedy and sad events. The tone of the fic will be mostly light-hearted but it is a post-war setting and there will be some deeper undertones.

Content Warning for Chapter One: mention of fertility issues

Chapter One

Matched to My Worst Enemy

Friday 17 May 2024

Dear citizens of Sinnoh,

Team Rocket has been defeated. The whole region is devastated after years of war and strife. So many lost family, friends, and loved ones.

Regrettably Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni, remains at large—in hiding for now, but who knows when he may emerge to finish this war? Too many great trainers were lost to his evil schemes and Sinnoh is all but defenceless.

There is not enough time for natural repopulation. In order to protect Sinnoh and ensure Team Rocket can never attempt an invasion again, I have enacted The Marriage Law:

Every unmarried Sinnoh citizen between the ages of 21 and 40 years old will be matched for marriage, with the intent of quickly repopulating our region.

Once officially matched, you will have one month within which to hold a marriage ceremony. The penalty for failing to complete the marriage ceremony will be a fine, or in extreme circumstances, jail.

The first child must be conceived within the first six months of marriage.

If no child is conceived within the time limit, you must consent to undergo fertility testing. If determined not fertile, the marriage may be dissolved. If one partner is found to be fertile, they may be subject to being remarried.

To the best of my ability, according to recent population censuses, I have matched you all to someone close in age and location.

—Cynthia, Champion of Sinnoh

Twinleaf Marriages:

Kenny Kengo & Leona Yumomi

Barry Jun & Zoey Nozomi

Dawn Berlitz & Paul Shinji

…

Ignoring the rest of the list, I stare at my name in the newspaper. My name, next to Paul's.

This can't be happening.

Anyone but him.

Please, Dialga. Anyone but him!

"Dawn?" My mother asks, placing a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"

I look up at her, devastation in my eyes. "The announcement of who I have to marry… it's…" My mouth stops working. I can't even form the shape of his name. "It's… It's… P… P… P…"

"Oh honey, it can't be that bad. You know, I wasn't too sure about your father at first either, but we fell in love after a whirlwind courtship," my mother muses.

She doesn't understand. I hate Paul more than I've ever hated anyone. In fact, I'd go as far as to say Paul is the reason I know what hate feels like.

He's despicable.

"Mom, I'm supposed to marry… Paul." I spit his name through clenched teeth.

"Hmm, now why does that name sound familiar…?"

I think back to the last time I saw him, and my fingers curl into fists at my side. We were sixteen years old, and I hadn't seen him in three years since I stopped travelling with Ash. I had just arrived in Hearthome City for a contest and I was taking in the sights of the beautiful city when a stranger bumped in to me, knocking me to the ground. As I climbed to my feet, I recognised the back of the purple-haired head walking away from me: it was Paul. I called after him and he didn't even turn around. Something possessed me in that moment and I ran after him, grabbing his arm so he had to face me. When he looked at me, his face was stone cold. He tried to shake me off and keep walking so I yelled at him: "I see your manners haven't improved since I last saw you!" He just looked back at me blankly and replied, "Who are you?" Then he started walking again and I let him go. It was so rude I was speechless. Me, speechless!

So, yeah. I hate him.

"Paul was Ash's rival when I was travelling with him," I tell my mom, feeling my cheeks darken with an angry flush. "There's no way I'm marrying him. He's the worst, coldest, meanest, rudest boy I've ever met!"

"Oh, you're both adults now, I'm sure he's grown up since you knew him," Mom says. She isn't taking this nearly as seriously as she should. "You should give him a chance, Dawn. Besides, I doubt Cynthia is going to let anyone request partner swaps, at least for now. She's got enough on her plate re-building Sinnoh after… everything." Her voice trails away.

I sigh and glance out the kitchen window. Even in our little town of Twinleaf, the devastation Team Rocket caused is evident. Our pretty grass fields are torn and muddied, half the houses have collapsed walls and holes in their roofs and smashed windows, and many of the trees and flowers are broken; fallen down and crushed beyond recognition. Our own home is only half-liveable. Our kitchen is okay, and my mom's bedroom. But our living room and my bedroom are on the right side of the house, which weathered a lightning strike from a Luxray, I think. It'll take time and lots of materials to repair—materials no-one has access to because most of our natural resources were also destroyed.

"I know," I say after a small silence. A lump rises in the back of my throat. "I'll… I'll try to make the best of it."

My mom smiles and reaches an arm round my shoulders for a one-armed hug. "That's my girl. Now, you only have a month to get married. Don't you have someone to call?"

"Oh! Of course!" I jump out of my reverie and hurry to our house phone. Thankfully it was unharmed amidst the devastation.

I hesitate for a moment, my fingers hovering over the screen. I realise I don't know exactly who I'm supposed to call. To the best of my knowledge, Paul lives with his brother, Reggie. And again to the best of my knowledge, Reggie lives in Veilstone City… not Twinleaf Town. Which begs the question—how the hell did I get matched with Paul?

Hope flutters in my chest. Maybe it was a mistake! Yes, it has to be a mistake!

I grin as I dial Reggie's number, still in the back of my mind from our meeting all those years ago when I still travelled with Ash.

I'll get this all straightened out with Reggie and never even have to talk to Paul. Problem solved!

Reggie's face promptly fades into view, wearing a wide smile. He hasn't changed much; his dark purple hair is tied back with a spiky fringe framing his kind expression.

"Dawn!" he exclaims. "Why, I haven't seen you since…"

"Since Ash battled Paul that last time?" I supply, trying not to let my voice drop as I say Paul's name.

He nods. "I can hardly believe how many years it's been. My am I glad to see you're all right after the war. So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Have you seen the newspaper? Specifically the announcement Cynthia put out?"

Reggie's smile becomes a faint smirk. "I believe I know to what you are referring."

I can't help it: a scowl overtakes my face. "Isn't it insane! Can you imagine, Reggie? Me and Paul?" I can't stop the words from bursting out of me. "I'm sorry, I know he's your brother, but… me and Paul?"

Reggie chuckles. "You know, Paul had a somewhat similar reaction."

I gape at the screen. "So he knows? He saw the announcement?"

"Yep. He called me immediately. He was quite… shocked, shall I say? I told him to find you and talk it out with you. He hung up without replying, but I'm certain he'll do the right thing."

"Yeah, if the right thing is walking himself off a bridge…" I mutter under my breath.

"What was that?" Reggie asks curiously.

"Nothing!" I cough lightly. "So is he coming here, then? To my mom's house?"

"He left without telling me his plan exactly, but I know him. Under his tough exterior his heart is in the right place." Reggie's tone is warm and reassuring, but I can't help the shudder than runs through me. Paul hasn't made the right decision a day in his life.

"Well, I guess I'll wait for him then," I say with a sigh.

Reggie's eyes soften. "Look, I know this isn't exactly what you hoped for. But let me say I'm glad to welcome you to the family. I have to say, if Paul has to marry anyone, I'm glad it's you. I have a feeling you're exactly what he needs."

I stare at the screen, perplexed by my complicated feelings. I appreciate Reggie's compliment, but it doesn't sit quite right with me.

I'm what Paul needs? What about what I need?

"Paul can be… difficult," Reggie admits, lowering his eyes to somewhere off screen. "You're both young and strong, and I know you'll be good for each other."

"Maybe." I can't look at the screen either.

"Once you straighten out the details, give me a call. I want to clear my calendar for your wedding!" he chirps positively.

"Of course, Reggie. I'll keep you updated."

I give him a sad smile and then I end the call, my heart sinking inside my chest.

So, Paul knows he's supposed to marry me… I wonder how long it'll take for him to come and find me?

I spend most of the day wandering restlessly around the house. I try to help Mom with the house repairs, but after Piplup and I drop a plank of wood on her foot, she shoos me away to sit in the kitchen.

Paul doesn't show up. Not a single person knocks on our front door.

My foot taps against the kitchen tile, increasingly anxious.

Finally, I can't take it anymore.

I traipse back to the phone and dial Ash's number.

It takes him almost nine rings to answer.

"Hey Dawn!" he greets enthusiastically. His hair is as messy as always, his warm brown eyes sparkling with life. "How's it going?"

I can't help but smile at him. "Boy am I glad to see your face, Ash. Are you still in Twinleaf?" He's been visiting for a couple weeks, wanting to help with the reconstruction in my hometown. My mom offered to host him at our house, but he took one look at our half-collapsed home and decided it would be easier for all of us if he stayed at the Pokémon Center. I haven't seen him in a couple of days, ever since Cynthia made the first announcement on the news about the Marriage Law.

"Yeah, my Pokémon needed some rest, and my friend actually turned up here a few days ago so we've just been hanging out. Are you doing all right? Tell your mom I'll be back in a couple of days once the resin on the wall has fully cured!"

"No need to worry, Mom's been busy laying some new floorboards in the living room. She doesn't need you 'til the end of the week. Anyway, have you seen the Marriage Law announcement?"

Ash's cheeks turn bright pink. "Maybe!" he yelps. "What of it?"

I frown. I realise suddenly that the only names I really noticed in the newspaper were mine and Paul's. The fact that Ash is still in Twinleaf means he must have been matched with someone in Twinleaf too…

"Wait, who were you matched with?" I ask eagerly.

"Uh…" He looks shiftily behind him and lowers his voice conspiratorially. "You remember my friend, Misty?"

"MISTY!" I squeal at the top of my voice. "No way! Really? Ash, that's awesome!"

His cheeks turn a darker shade of red, the flush spreading to the tops of his ears barely visible under his mop of unruly black hair. "Yeah, well, she's not so happy about it. Somehow she blames me for—" He stops suddenly and looks behind him. All I can see is the background of the Pokémon Center. "Anyway. Who were you matched with, Dawn?"

I sigh heavily. "Er, I don't know how to say this… I have to marry Paul."

"Paul?" Ash's jaw drops. "Paul as in my old rival? Seriously?"

I nod, wishing the floor would swallow me up. "Yep. Unfortunately. I didn't even know he was in Twinleaf. Sucks to have my luck, right?" I attempt a lighthearted joke.

Ash groans. "That idiot."

"Wait, what am I missing?"

"He's staying in the Pokémon Center. I don't know why he's in Twinleaf, but I've been seeing him around the last couple weeks." Ash's eyes narrow. "After the newspapers arrived, Paul stormed out of here muttering something about training in the forest. You know, the wreck of trees East of your home?"

I close my eyes and groan. I know what he means: the wooded area technically still part of Twinleaf town within view of my mom's kitchen window. It's always been a wild mess, even before the war.

"Ugh, I guess I should go find him. We only have a month to plan a wedding."

Ash nods sympathetically. "Want me to come with?"

"No, it's okay."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything."

"No need to worry! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Ash nods and ends the call.

I lean back against the wall with a groan. So, Paul is in the forest… and I have to find him.

The forest is dark.

Piplup walks next to me. We both side-eye the trees shiftily as we walk. It's been a long time since we hiked around Sinnoh—almost ten years, actually. At least when we were travelling with Ash, we had a map and a vague plan of where we were going. The woods East of my mom's house have never been fully explored. They grow closer and closer together the deeper you get, and suspicious rustling sounds have been stalking us since we first passed the tree line.

"Pip, Piplup!" Piplup exclaims, pointing his flipper to the left, at a bush laden with dark red berries.

I squint through the dim light. "It's just a bush, Piplup," I whisper. For some reason I feel like we're being watched.

"Pip-lup," he insists, waving his flipper indignantly.

I squint harder. The bush is rustling, but so is every other bush in this Arceus-forsaken forest.

I'm about to tell Piplup to keep moving when something large flashes in the corner of my eye.

I whirl around—only to come face-to-face with four yellow legs banded with purple, a large red body with black stripes, a white horn, and two purple eyes.

Ariados.

I shriek. My hands fly to my mouth.

Not again!

Piplup squeals and jumps into my arms. He remembers it as clearly as I do: the first day we met all those years ago, we were attacked by Ariados in a forest not far from here.

Ariados hisses, and before I can comprehend what's happening, a sticky white web is flying toward us.

"Piplup, Hydro Pump!" I scream.

"Pip, lu—" His breath is swiftly silenced by the String Shot wrapping around both of us, sending us flying back into a tree and securing us against the trunk.

I groan at the ache starting up at the back of my head and try to move my arms, but they're pinned tightly to the rough bark of the tree.

Ariados makes menacing clicking sounds with its mouth and slowly advances.

Trapped beside me, Piplup is panicking. He wriggles with his whole body, to no effect.

A noise from somewhere to the left of Ariados drawn my attention to a patch of light shadows in between two small bushes. A human figure stands there, his head lowered, purple hair covering his eyes…

Wait, purple hair?

I gape soundlessly. There's no way…

"Paul?" I ask breathlessly.

The silhouette raises its head—and Paul's onyx eyes connect with mine.

In all the universes, in all the world, I never imagined our next meeting would be like this.

I entered this forest knowing Paul was somewhere in here, aiming to find him. But now he's in front of me, all I feel is repulsion. The way he looks at me with those piercing black eyes, as if there's no soul inside him…

I regret searching for him and I regret ever thinking I could make this Marriage Law work.

But right now, he's my only option if I don't want to be Ariados-fodder.

"Paul, help me!" I yell, swallowing my pride and beginning to struggle against my String Shot bonds.

Ariados continues to advance, oblivious to its audience.

"Hn." Paul scowls, and looks away.

"Hey! Paul!" I yell again. "It's me! Dawn!"

"Who?" he drawls, unbothered. I notice his hands are in his pockets, and his posture is slouched.

Anger flushes through me. "You know who I am," I spit, frustration coursing through my bloodstream. "Are you going to help me, or what?"

"Help you?" he scoffs. "You got yourself into this situation. I don't associate with people too weak to beat a common Ariados."

He turns away, a dark figure merging with the blackness of the forest in just a few steps.

A scream of fury rips from my chest. My clenched fists strain against Ariados's String Shot, and its ever-clicking maw steps closer.

I'm going to die here.

The thought sends a bolt of terror through my limbs.

I don't want to die alone in the forest, stuck in Ariados's web!

"Pip-lup," my longest companion utters sadly. As if he's given up hope.

Looking at Piplup, I'm filled with renewed determination.

"We are not going to die here," I promise him fiercely.

An idea occurs to me.

I still have some Poffins in my pocket, from my baking session in the middle of the night due to anxiety about the Marriage Law announcement in the newspaper today. The last time I was trapped by Ariados, I was able to distract them with snacks…

My hands are already stuck close to my sides. All I have to do is wriggle my hands into my pockets, and once I withdraw the poffins, it's not too hard to flick them onto the ground.

I don't manage to toss them far, but Ariados pounces upon them with vigour. It scarfs them down, and then turns its unblinking purple eyes back to me.

"You know Ariados, if you let me go, I have many more Poffins to give you," I wheedle temptingly.

Ariados hisses. Its bug-eyes scan me. Piplup whimpers.

With a clack of the pincers on its back, it rips through the String Shot binding.

I fall to the ground, landing on my knees in an ungainly pose.

Piplup shrieks and jumps behind me.

"Piplup," I groan.

Ariados clicks its tongue menacingly.

"All right!" I yelp. "Here, these are all the Poffins I have!"

I throw the remaining three Poffins on the ground. Behind me, Piplup sighs sadly. He knows I was saving them for him, for our next contest practice.

Ariados pounces upon the Poffins. I waste no time. I hiss, "Run!" at Piplup, and together we race into the trees.

A splatter of String Shot web flies past me. I scream and duck sideways, accidentally knocking Piplup into a thick leafy bush.

"PipLUP," he cries indignantly.

"Sorry!" I wince and dive right as Ariados spits another web toward me.

I end up in a crouch at the roots of a large oak tree. I crawl behind it and try to think logically. I'm out of Poffins; if Ariados hits me with String Shot again, I'm screwed.

"Piplup," I whisper, seeing the leaves of the bush that swallowed him rustle, "Use Bubble Beam!"

An immediate stream of bubbles erupts from the bush, hitting Ariados directly in the face.

"Yes! Awesome work, Piplup!" I punch the air in celebration. "Get ready to dodge!"

"Lup!"

Trusting my word, Piplup dodges the Pin Missile Ariados aims his way. By this time, Ariados is angry, but its responding moves seem a little slower.

"Aria…dos!" It gathers itself to send another wad of String Shot—toward me, not Piplup! I dive back behind the tree, barely missing becoming a Dawn pancake.

"Not fair," I complain. "Piplup, use Hydro Pump and finish it for good!"

"Pip… LUUUUUP!"

A blast of water thicker than my head shoots toward Ariados.

Ariados's eyes become swirls as it collapses to the ground.

I heave a sigh of relief. Piplup jumps toward me and we high-five. Of course, I knew Piplup could take the Ariados. We've been training together for ten years. No wild Pokémon is a match for my Piplup.

Now that that's dealt with, I hasten in the direction Paul disappeared in.

"Hey, Paul!" I yell into the darkness.

Of course, he doesn't respond.

I break into a run, and soon catch sight of a dark human figure walking ahead of me. His hands are still in his pockets and he doesn't slow nor speed up as I approach. The asshole truly doesn't care.

"Paul!" I yell again. "You can't avoid me forever!"

The human silhouette wheels around, and I skid to a halt a couple of feet in front of him.

"Paul," I say, slightly breathless. "Can we talk?"

Paul examines me with harsh black eyes. "Hn. I didn't expect you to escape. Maybe you're not too weak, after all."

I try not to show my surprise. "You were really going to leave me to the mercy of the Ariados?"

A shudder runs through me. When I travelled with Ash, every time we ran into Paul I saw he was heartless, but I didn't truly believe he didn't care about human life at all. Regarding the man in front of me, I suddenly realise he is capable of letting someone die. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised," I add before he can respond. "You always were a stone cold jerk."

"You shouldn't be in the forest if you're not strong enough to fight off a basic Ariados," Paul scoffs. He turns as if to walk away.

Panic seizes control of my body and I lunge for his arm. I didn't come this far and almost get killed by Ariados for him to just dismiss me.

His eyes flash to mine like onyx blades, honed to cutting edge. "Get. Off. Me," he grinds out through his teeth.

His forearm is thick with muscle and for a moment I hang on, feeling it tense beneath my grip. He might be the same mentally as when he was a kid, but physically he's changed a lot. He's taller, so I have to crane my head to look at him, and he's in peak physical shape. I could've been matched to someone a lot worse looking than him.

I let go of him with a start, cursing myself for letting my mind run away in the moment.

"Look, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be," I begin hotly. "You saw the paper, right? You saw the Marriage Law announcement?"

"Hn." He doesn't so much reply as grunt in acknowledgement.

I steel myself and continue. "We're supposed to marry each other, Paul. Within a month. Don't you have anything to say about that?'

In the darkness of the forest, with shadows and creepy rustling noises pressing in on us, his eyes appear extra black.

For a moment, I believe he's just going to walk off without a word.

Then he opens his mouth.

"I'd rather pay the fine than marry you, however troublesome."

He should have walked away. Because that last word sets my every nerve on fire with fury.

"What did you say?" I all but scream. I can't help it—he brings out the worst in me. "We may not have seen each other in years, but I know you're not rich, Paul Shinji. Neither am I and I certainly can't afford the fine! You know the next step? Jail! I don't want to go to jail, do you? Answer me, damn you!"

"Yes, Troublesome," he hisses through his teeth. "I'd rather pay every cent to my name than marry you. And if I end up in jail, so be it. Better than a marriage to a vapid, conceited, pretentious—"

Piplup tugs at my skirt, barely warning me in time before the hiss of a Pokémon move flies past me.

A steaming spit of Acid narrowly misses burning Paul's face off.

If I wasn't so shocked, I might laugh.

"Shit," Paul mutters as he ducks and reaches for a Pokéball. "Stand by, Electivire!"

His electric type flashes into the forest, and he wastes no time in telling it use Thunder Bolt.

The whole forest lights up with the powerful move. I have to admit, I'm a little in awe.

Unfortunately, the move misses, and the next thing I know, a Sludge Bomb attack is headed directly for Paul's head.

What is with these wild Pokémon and aiming for trainers instead of the Pokémon they're supposed to be fighting?

"Piplup, Ice Beam!" I order swiftly, my contest battle instincts kicking in.

Piplup's attack is smooth, completely in sync with my command.

Ice Beam slices through the center of the Sludge Bomb, causing the poison move to uselessly disintegrate into pretty purple powder before it can engulf Paul's head. If I was getting judged on this, I'd be doing well on points. Ice moves can make any other type moves sparkle.

The Arbok hiding in the shadows tries to flee, but Ice Beam continues its path and catches Arbok squarely in the chest. With a flash of white, Arbok freezes into an ice sculptor. It won't hold the wild Pokémon forever, but at least Arbok is temporarily disabled. And in a contest, I'd have just won the round even though Arbok isn't technically knocked out.

"You're welcome," I say snarkily before my brain can catch up to my mouth.

Paul doesn't answer. I look at him properly and find him staring at the frozen Arbok, his mouth slightly parted.

"Paul?"

He still doesn't answer. I step closer to him and touch his arm tentatively. "Paul," I prompt again. "We really should get out of here."

"Why?" The bitterness in his voice surprises me. "So we can get married and become a happy little family? That's never going to happen."

"No, so we don't die," I respond snippily. "Look, I don't want to marry you any more than you want to marry me. But Cynthia didn't make the Marriage Law for no reason. Sinnoh is weak right now. Look at what just happened. Wild Pokémon are going crazy and Team Rocket could return at any time. If you care about our region at all, marriage is your duty. All we have to do is have a couple kids and they you can go do whatever you want. You can curl up under and rock and die for all I care, but first you have a duty to ensure the future of Sinnoh. If I remember correctly, you once wanted to become the Champion of Sinnoh. If you still want a chance of that happening, you'll marry me whether you want to or not."

The words are poison to my ears, but I spit them with purity. I mean every one of them, and it's only as I say them that I realise I believe in them. I might hate that I was matched with Paul, but I do want to do everything I can to make sure Sinnoh doesn't fall to Team Rocket. I want my Mom to be safe and my friends, who were fortunate enough to survive the war, to live long happy lives.

In the corner of my eye, I make out the form of a hovering Zubat in the trees just behind Paul. Before I can say anything, the Zubat draws in a deep breath and blows out a stream of what I can only assume is Confuse Ray.

I react instinctively.

"Togekiss, take the stage with Safeguard!"

Togekiss flashes in front of Paul and a pulse of an invisible shield ripples through the air. The Zubat's attack hits the shield and dissipates.

"Air Slash!" I follow up with, immediately back in battle mode.

Togekiss complies smoothly. The Zubat isn't prepared for our quick response and is instantly knocked out. These wild Pokémon might be acting weird, but they're weak.

"See?" I whirl on Paul. "We're being attacked from all over! The sooner you agree to marry me, the sooner we can get out of here instead of dying to some random crazy Pokémon!"

Something dark takes over Paul's expression.

"Oh yeah?" He steps closer to me, until I can feel his breath on my cheeks. "Is this what you want, Dawn?"

I don't have time to react.

Suddenly his face lunges towards me, and then his lips are upon mine.

He kisses me hard and insistent, without pause for reprieve. His lips cover mine completely, not giving me the chance to process what's happening. I barely realise my mouth is responding to his, trying to match the movement of his lips, trying to keep up as he presses harder, deeper.

My hands curl into fists at my sides as a whirlwind of emotions sweeps through me.

Before I can gather my thoughts, the kiss ends.

Paul pulls away abruptly and drags his sleeve across his mouth. "Fine, Dawn. I'll marry you."

He doesn't wait for me to respond before he storms off into the trees.

I stare after him, speechless for the second time in my life.

I don't know how to feel. That kiss was simultaneously the best and worst thing to ever happen to me. It wasn't the way I pictured—sweet and slow and kind. It was hard and swift and bruising. But I couldn't ignore how good it felt—how secretly it made me yearn for more.

Then I shake myself. He's Paul—Ash's rival, and my own worst enemy!

"C'mon," I mutter to Piplup and Togekiss, barely able to get my thoughts straight. "Let's get outta here before any more wild Pokémon show up."

I trail after Paul, shaken to my core.

Author's Note: Please let me know in a review if you like this idea!

As always, thank you for reading :)

~Jay