His Own Journey

Chapter 1: Just You Wait

One day had passed since Paul had that battle with Ash, or, as he liked to call him, a pathetic loser. There was just something about that kid and his upbeat attitude that pissed him off to no end. He shook his head. I have got to stop thinking about that, he thought. He grunted. A loss, yeah, whatever. It was a tie and...God DAMN IT! He shook his head once more. He wondered if he was attracting stares from the other people in the Pokémon Center, but he seriously didn't care. Who cared about what other people thought? Unless it came to how strong of a Trainer you were, of course. And even then, only the opinion of those he thought were worthy to be considered strong could tell them their opinion and not get ignored. Like that Loser, who does he think- oh for crying out loud! "Hey, Mister Twitchy?" someone piped up. "Mind cooling it? You're rocking the whole bench with your constant foot tapping?" Paul opened his eyes and turned to the voice. It was a girl who looked to be about his age, which was 15, or maybe even a year younger. She had Murkrow black hair that went a little passed her shoulders and was tied up in a ponytail. She wore a red bandana that had a white Poké Ball logo on the right side, a white button-up t-shirt, a red-and-black plaid skirt, and red sneakers. She sported a fingerless glove on her left hand and a very annoyed look on her face.

Paul hadn't even noticed that he was tapping his foot quickly. He stopped it and huffed a very non-meaningful, "Sorry."

"Oh, thank you for the sincerest of apologizes," the girl replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She rolled her hazel eyes. "You must be a riot at parties."

"I don't go to parties," Paul stated curtly, ruining the joke, though he didn't care.

"Sorry Mister Sensitive," the girl mumbled, rest her right elbow on her knee and then her head on the open palm.

"I thought it was Mister Twitchy."

"You changed when you started being a pain."

"Why are you talking to me anyway?" Paul asked, glaring at her. "You don't even know me."

"Hey, all I did was ask you to stop shaking the whole bench, and then you had to be all pissy about it."

"I don't get pissy."

"Keep telling yourself that."

The purple haired boy grunted. He wished his Pokémon would get healed already, but the whole Center was crowded. "Thanks, Nurse Joy!" a little boy cried as the lady handed him his Poké Balls. He ran out the door. Paul sighed, getting impatient.

"I know, this is boring," the girl said. "How long have you been waiting?"

Paul wondered if he should answer that. One minute they were having a spat and the next she just wanted to chat. Weird girl. Might as well talk, though. I've got nothing else to do. "10 minutes."

"15," was the reply from the other Trainer. "Wonder why it's so crowed?"

"Does it matter?" Paul asked.

"Guess not." There was silence. "I would ask you to battle, but then we'd have to wait all over again."

Paul grunted, but this time out of amusement. If the girl knew him, she would feel proud. Getting any sort of amusement out of the teen was like trying to find a Ralts. "How would I know if you're even worth my time?" he asked with a smirk.

The girl gave a smirk of her own. "I've been across Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn and challenged every single gym and won every single badge."

"Doesn't mean shit if you haven't won a Pokémon League."

"I have, so don't be throwing that lame ass excuse at me."

"Where's your proof?"

"At home, proudly hanging on my wall." Then she dug through her backpack and pulled out a camera. "Or in the archives, since we can't exactly get to Saffron City from here."

Paul took the camera and turned it on. "Saffron, huh? Must be rich then."

"Hey, not every person in Saffron is a rich stuck up asshole."

The teen grunted in amusement again. "Touché," he said. "So, which picture?" The girl scooted over and went through the various pictures until she got to one where she was standing in front of three plaques hanging on her wall. Paul raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't look like any plaque of the Pokémon League that I've ever seen."

"Not familiar with the Elite Four Run?" the female Trainer asked.

Paul looked at her with slight surprise. The Elite Four Run was harder than the Pokémon League, so most people didn't participate in it. The challenge was to go through all four Elite Four members and then the champion (the Kanto League was an exception) in a row without going to a Pokémon Center. This girl must be incredibly tough if she won all three of these, Paul thought. "You know, it's not fair to go into a new region with Pokémon that have done that challenge," he noted, giving her the camera back.

"I know that!" the girl replied, putting the camera back. "They all stay at home...well, except for one."

"Haley Sedai, your Pokémon are all healed!" Nurse Joy announced.

"Finally!" Haley huffed, standing up. She walked over to grab her Poké Balls. Paul was curious about the Pokémon she never left behind, so he followed her. Normally, he wouldn't do so, but his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Oh, and you must be Paul," Nurse Joy stated as he walked up. Paul nodded. "Well, I just so happen to have your Pokémon as well." She showed him tray of four Pokémon. In his battle against Ash, he had only used two of them, but in truth he had a team of four since he had just gotten back from the Hoenn region and had decided not to give two of his Pokémon to his older brother. He bowed (he wasn't rude to authority figures, even if they did make you wait forever) and took his Pokémon back.

The girl he now knew as Haley took her party of four. "So, show me this reoccurring member," Paul insisted.

Haley smiled at him. "If I do, can I get a battle?"

"I have a reoccurring member of my own. If I think yours is good enough, I might just agree.

"Okay then." She took one of the Poké Balls and threw it up. The ball opened and the beam released an Umbreon.

The feline-looking Pokémon shook out its body. "Um-Umbre!" it cried.

Paul studied the girl's long time partner. Its muscles were well toned, looking like a runner; from the many days he had watched his brother (who was a breeder) take care of Pokémon, he could tell it was fast and light on its feet, a trait not common among others of its species, which while fast obviously not as fast as this one appeared to be. Its fur was glossy, meaning it was well feed and healthy. Its crimson eyes looked like it had seen many battles, not to mention they were calculating. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, since he never thought any Pokémon could do this, but he swore as he studied it, it was studying him. And its eyes seemed to scream, "What? Do you think you're good enough?" Paul kind of reeled back from that, making Haley laugh. "Umbreon likes a challenge, don't you, Girly?"

"Um!" the Moonlight Pokémon cried, wagging her tail. Umbreon was looking at Paul again, and now her eyes said, "Come on, you're a strong trainer, right? Let's fight!" Or at least, that's how he interpreted it as. He had never read anyone's eyes before, much less a Pokémon's.

The teen had seen enough. He huffed in amusement. "Alright, I'll battle you," he decided. "You'll be taking on my Torterra."

"Ooo, so big and scary," Haley said, obviously faking it since she had a big grin on her face. "Umbreon was my first you know. She was just an Eevee when we started," she continued, boasting. Said Pokémon was wagging her tail even more.

"Like that little cat can actually do anything," he stated with a smirk on his face.

"We'll make you eat those words," Haley challenged.

The next thing they knew, both Trainers and their respective partners were out on the battlefield right behind the Pokémon Center. Apparently they had some sort of aura or atmosphere to the fight that attracted spectators. Not the Paul took notice. The only person he was focused on was his opponent on the opposite side. "Just so you know, Torterra was my first," Paul warned. "It's not to be taken likely." Torterra cried out in agreement.

"He does look pretty strong," Haley agreed. Paul raised an eyebrow. Not even he or his brother knew Torterra was male, and yet this girl could tell without blinking an eye. "But Umbreon has taken down her share of big foes, so don't think size is everything." Umbreon crouched to the ground, as if she were ready to pounce. He expected her to growl from the hunting look her eyes gave, but not one sound came from the black cat.

"Then that only means I won't hold anything back." Paul sneered. "Not that I was going to." Haley snickered. "Since you were the one who challenged me, I'll let you go first."

"Aw, I thought you would let me go first 'cause I'm a girl and you wanted to be a gentleman," she joked. Paul couldn't hold back a small smile. When Ash bantered before their battle, it was something about being friends and trust. He assumed Haley was friends with her Pokémon as well, but unlike his rival, she didn't preach it. And though the joke was corny, he had to admit it was fresh compared to the "We'll show you the real super power of teamwork!" bullshit speech every other trainer gave him. "Whatever, it's all the same to me. Umbreon, let's get this party started with a Shadow Ball!" The way her Pokémon jumped in the air made Paul believe the reason the Moonlight Pokémon had been in that crouch was because she was anticipating her Trainer calling out that move as their first. Like they're in perfect sync or something. He watched as the purple ball of ghostly energy began to form in Umbreon's mouth.

Paul looked at Torterra. There was one problem with his starter: he was too big and too slow. With something as agile as Umbreon, there was no way it could dodge attacks. Of course, Paul knew this already. He had known it ever since he had evolved him the first time. So the two had come up with ways to counter the flaw: either sit back and take it, or block it with your own attack. Seeing as it was probably best to try and slow the agile feline, he decided on the latter. "Leaf Storm, let's go," he ordered with no trace of panic in his voice. Torterra's tree began to glow green, and leaves began to shoot out at their opponent. In that instance Umbreon fired, and then followed up with something Paul never expected. Without even so much as her name being called, Umbreon's eyes began to glow blue, signifying that it was using Psychic. The Leaf Storm stopped dead in its tracks, and the leaves were dropped to the floor while the Shadow Ball zoomed straight to Torterra's face. The Continent Pokémon braced himself as he took the full force of the attack. Paul, meanwhile, was stunned. "But...but..."

"Surprised?" Haley stated as Umbreon landed safely. "See, we do that all the time when someone uses Razor Leaf. It's kind of just a habit now. Girly here knows what she's doing." The black cat let out a cry.

Haley's opponent grunted. It was as if these two could read each other's minds. For a second he doubted himself, something he never, ever did when he battled. But it was only for a second. The battle was just getting started, and it wasn't like he and Torterra hadn't faced impossible odds before. Now he knew what to expect. They had played their trump card most likely, while Paul was just getting started. He smirked as Torterra easily shook off the last attack. Never one to skip a beat, Paul went on the offensive this time. "Rock Slide," was his next command. His Pokémon let out a cry, and rocks began to rain down towards the opponent.

"Dodge!" the girl responded. Umbreon jumped out of the way, not realizing it was heading straight for Torterra.

Perfect, Paul thought. Now, we'll take back the damage you took, if you don't mind. "Giga Drain!" Now his Pokémon summoned green vines out of the spikes on his back.

"Shit," Haley cursed under her breath. "Faint Attack, get out of there!" The Moonlight Pokémon disappeared.

"Keep those vines alive!" Paul ordered. The vines whipped the air like crazy, trying to locate the invisible Pokémon. And then, right before Umbreon struck, Torterra caught her. "Good, now drain it!" Energy began to flow from the captive to her captor.

Haley growled. Then she noticed the leaves. "Umbreon, Psychic!" Her Pokémon didn't need to be told which objects to pick up, and with her mind sent the discarded leaves towards Torterra. Being half Ground type, it did some damage and allowed Umbreon to wiggle out of the loosening vines. She jumped back, never taking her eye off her opponent. "Faint Attack once more!" And the Pokémon disappeared again.

"Same as last time, Torterra!" But then Paul heard a "Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Honestly, never use the same trick twice in a row," she advised. Paul was about to retort with how much of a hypocrite she was when Umbreon reappeared suddenly in front of Torterra, and with an already charged Shadow Ball in her mouth. Torterra was taken by complete surprise, as was Paul. With no order again, Umbreon attacked, and this time the close range Shadow Ball did more than just faze Torterra; it made him faint. Needless to say, Paul was speechless. No other Umbreon had that much strength, and yet in basically three attacks this one took Torterra down.

This Umbreon was special.

"Nice job, Girly!" Haley celebrated. The Pokémon let out her own victory cry before running to her Trainer and jumping into her waiting arms. "So, what did you think of that, Mister Hotshot?"

I get new nicknames with every passing second, Paul noted. He let out a "hmph". "Not bad," he said. Probably the best praise anyone would get. "But I want one more battle." He got Torterra's Poké Ball and beamed him back in, then replaced that Poké Ball with a new one. "We each use a Pokémon we just got from the Sinnoh region. And I have the perfect one." He moved his arm back. "Chimchar, stand by for battle!"

He threw the Poké Ball, and out popped the Chimp Pokémon, looking determined as ever. "Chim-Chimchar!" it exclaimed.

Paul gave off an evil-looking smile. "Just as that Umbreon of yours is one of a kind," he began, "my Chimchar happens to be special. You got lucky with that pervious win, but you won't this time."

"So things are about to get heated up, huh?" Haley replied eagerly. Once again Paul couldn't hold back a smile, dropping his previous one. Her starter jumped out of her hands as she reached for a Poké Ball. "Just don't come crying to me when you can't stand my kitchen. Chimchar, time to burn down the house!" She threw the Ball, and now there were two red chimps out on the field, both looking equally determined. "Since you were such a gentleman last round, I only think it's fair as a lady to return the favor."

The boy changed his smile again, now a smirk. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a 'lady'," he stated.

"That, my good man, would be even more insulting."

This girl knows how to battle. "Chimchar, Scratch!" he ordered, wasting no time. His Pokémon ran to the other, bearing its claws.

"Dodge!"

"Follow it!" He wasn't going to skip any beats this time, and he was taking all measures to win.

So there they were, one swiping at air as the other dodged, not easily but not too difficult either. The boy called off Scratch and went for Ember, despite the fact that it wasn't effective at all. Chimchar fired, and the other one dodged. Haley followed up with her own Ember, which Paul's Chimchar took on full force. He was left with just tiny burns but nothing major. And when his opponent ordered another Ember, Paul commanded a Flame Wheel. He hoped the opposing flame would get sucked in, which it did, and he also hoped for Blaze, which once again did not appear. Paul was getting a little agitated. Where was that Chimchar he had seen only two weeks ago? The Flame Wheel displayed was weak, at least by his standards. But to Haley it was amazing. When the wheel broke she was about to compliment how hot it burned when she noticed the unpleased look in his eye. Strange, she thought. Why does he look upset? Maybe 'cause we dodged yet again. Then she heard a voice.

Across the field, Paul was contemplating about whether or not to yell at Chimchar for his abysmal performance yet again when he noticed a look of confusion on the girl's face. She blinked twice, and then was whispering harshly to her own Chimchar. Wonder what that's about? Paul questioned. Doesn't matter. "Chimchar, Flame Wheel again!" The chimp charged up another one and shot towards the other.

"Try and keep him at bay!" Haley exclaimed. Her Chimchar fired off another round of Ember, which Paul welcomed but at the same time did not like. If Chimchar decides to wimp out on me, I- His thoughts were cut off when Flame Wheel became bigger and stronger, and now the wheel was charging faster towards Haley's Chimchar. "Come on, dodge!"

But it was too late. The Flame Wheel, while not as strong as the one Paul had seen the first time, hit full on, sending the girl's Chimchar flying right into her arms...fainted. Paul couldn't believe it. That couldn't have been Blaze, he knew it. So...was it just by accident? Had his opponent miscalculated? No, Paul thought, frowning. She knows the battlefield; she was dominating it the entire time. It's like she wanted to lose but...why? He walked over to his Chimchar, who looked a tad confused but happy that he (once again, this girl knew the gender and Paul was now informed) had won. Paul looked down at him, and Chimchar went from a very big grin to just a plain expression. "Why'd you throw the match?" Paul asked, turning his attention to Haley.

The girl looked at him, perplexed. "Not sure I follow," she replied as she petted her now awake yet very sleepy Chimp Pokémon.

"I'm not stupid," Paul retorted. "Why did you throw the match?"

"I didn't!" Haley defended. "I don't know what you saw to think I did, but I swear I'm not lying! Why would I throw the match anyway? Not like I have anything to gain from it. Not to mention I'm not a quitter, or have these two battles blinded you to that?"

Damn it, she was right. She hadn't faltered once in her attacks. He was probably right in assuming she had miscalculated, thinking Ember would actually push the Flame Wheel back. Paul sighed. "Sorry, I get paranoid sometimes. I don't like those who just give up." He quickly eyed Chimchar, but it was so quick the only one who noticed was the target, who had trained himself for moments of harsh criticism. It was what came with the price of being on Paul's team, after all...

"I completely understand," the girl stated, smiling. "So...Paul, right?"

"Yeah. And yours was Haley, I believe."

She grinned and, shifting her Chimchar, stuck out her hand. "Good battling, Paul. You're really something else, you know." Paul looked at the extended right hand. He wasn't the type who would usually return it, but he believed this opponent deserved his respect so he extended his own right hand and shook.

"You're not a bad battler yourself," he replied. "I would take pride in that; I don't hand that compliment out often."

Haley beamed, and even the tired Pokémon in her arms managed a pretty big smile, as did the Umbreon at her feet. "Hey, we'll see you again sometime, right?" she asked.

Silence. "...Perhaps."

"Good enough for me. Come on, Chimchar, I feed you some Oran Berries and then we can be on our way. I am not waiting again." Chimchar nodded, and with a wave and a "See you later!", the girl and her Pokémon walked off. When they were a good distance away, Paul noticed Haley and her Chimchar looked at each other and shared a triumphant smile. He saw her lips move. He wasn't good at lip reading, but those four words were so etched into his brain that he could easily tell what she said.

"He fell for it."

His eyes widened. She had thrown the match; that whispering must have been a quick plan ordered to do so, but for what purpose? Why did she throw the match? That question kept ringing, and it was so God damn loud. And it hurt that she blatantly lied to his face about it. He felt sick, betrayed, and most of all confused. Chimchar looked up at his Trainer. He met the Pokémon's eyes and crossed his arms. "What, you expect praise?" he lectured. "You got lucky, again. It's obvious we have to work harder on you." He narrowed his eyes as the girl disappeared into the city. "And we're going to find out about the reason behind her actions." He growled. "Haley Sedai, I will find out those motives."

"Just you wait."

 

Chapter 2: We Could Be Partners

It was probably late afternoon. The sun would start to disappear behind the mountains soon. But Paul wasn't really concerned with time. He was just glad to be out of Bewilder Forest, probably one of the most annoying places the planet could produce. At least he got an Ursaring out of the whole thing. Didn't change the fact that he also ran into Ash again, who didn't just want to preach friendship and teamwork like everyone else, but now he was also insisting that the two of them become buddy-buddy. Like that's ever going to happen, Paul grunted. He kept walking down the path towards Oreburgh City, and then, off the beaten path, he heard someone singing. He also saw smoke. Someone had obviously set up camp a little ways in. Normally, he'd keep going without a second thought, but the voice sounded oddly familiar, so he hiked into the forest.

Not far from the path, he found Haley setting up a small camp and preparing dinner, singing to herself.

There's a place I know, it's always jumping.
I'm thinking we should go and leave our worries.
You got a friend in me, and I'll tell you something:
This time can be extraordinary!

"You have a good voice," Paul said, making Haley jump. Of course, that was his intention. He couldn't help but smile at the reaction.

"Holy shit, Paul!" Haley replied. "Not cool, man!" She sighed. "Well, it's nice seeing you again. What's up?"

What's up is that I want to know why you lied to my face, Paul thought, frowning internally. But he couldn't ask. He had gone over multiple conversations about the topic in his head, but every one of them he thought of some way she would counter. So he came up with a different idea, and it started with writing down what had happened and what he would ask when he got enough evidence to finally call her out. Instead, he answered with, "I was walking when I heard singing and saw a campfire. Thought I would check it out. And then I saw you, so I decided to scare you." He smirked to emphasize.

"So I noticed," the Trainer stated dryly. "Since you're here, you want to stay and have dinner? It'll be ready in a few minutes."

Paul shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do," he informed and walked into the small clearing. "Need help?"

"I'm making Pokémon food for my team. If you want to help me make some, that would be helpful. I can even make some for your team, if that's okay."

Another shrug. "Sure." When Haley asked for him to grab a berry out of her backpack, he went to get it. "So are you a breeder?"

"Nah, but my Uncle is," she explained. "He taught me the basics so that I could always have a strong, healthy team."

"What's his name?" Paul asked with the Oran and Pecha berries in hand.

"Ted Stewart. He's my mom's older brother." She took the berries and began to grind them up.

"I think I've heard of him."

"How?"

"My brother. He's a breeder as well." Haley looked at him but her hands were still working. "His name is Reggie."

Haley repeated the name quietly. "Oh yeah, now I remember!" she exclaimed. "He use to visit my uncle frequently. He was also a Trainer, right?"

Paul quickly walked towards the pot to check if their food needed attention. "Yeah, he was..." he mumbled.

"You don't seem too happy about that."

"More like I'm not happy about how he left the battling scene." He huffed. "I don't want to talk about it," he added, thinking she wanted more of an explanation.

"I wasn't going to ask." He turned around, surprised. "What? It obviously bothers you, so unless you wanted to, I wasn't going to pry."

"I see." Paul rubbed the ground with his foot. "Did you ever meet him?"

"Once or twice," she answered. "Hey, do you have any extra bowls for your team? I recently filled my roster so I don't think I have enough for both of our teams."

"Yeah, I have a few." He knelt down and opened his bag.

"Anyway, he was a pretty energetic guy," Haley continued. "Liked to talk and he rarely had a frown on his face. Totally the opposite of you."

Paul chuckled. "What, you think I didn't notice that?"

Haley laughed. "I just had to point it out. It's like when someone sees a tall person and they just have to go, 'Gosh, you are so tall!', as if said person didn't already know that." Paul chuckled again. "And I'm not saying that you guys being opposite is a bad thing. I actually think you're a pretty cool guy."

The boy zipped his bag and threw it next to the log where Haley's bag was resting. "You think so?"

"Well, I don't know you all that well, but my first impressions of you say that you are." She sniffed. "Think you can stir?"

"Got it." He took the ladle and circled it around. Then he heard one of the Pokémon coming out of its Poké Ball. Suddenly he was tackled. Luckily the ladle didn't fall out, but he was still on the ground, with Umbreon on his chest. "What the-"

Haley laughed. "Aw, are you excited to see him?" she sang. Umbreon's tail wagged, and her Trainer laughed again. "She missed you, you know. She hasn't had a battle that fun with a normal Trainer for quite a while."

"Um, Um!" the Moonlight Pokémon barked in agreement.

Paul sighed, though strangely he was a little happy. "That's nice and all, but can she get off my chest?" he asked. With that Umbreon jumped off, allowing Paul to sit back up and dust off his jacket.

A few minutes later, everything was ready. "'Kay, gang, dinner's ready!" Haley exclaimed as she threw five Poké Balls in the air. They popped open, and out came Chimchar, a Piplup, a Shinx, a Starly, and a Turtwig. Looking at the Tiny Leaf Pokémon reminded him of his earlier battle, and then Ash's lectures rang through his head. His left eye twitched. "Oh what, are my Pokémon not good enough for you?"

"What? Oh, sorry. No, it has nothing to do with you. I was thinking of someone else."

"Mind telling me? After we get everyone out here and eating, of course."

"Sure." Unlike most Trainers, Paul didn't say anything or throw all of his Pokémon out at once when it was time to eat, especially if the space was small. He had to find a place for Torterra to be without crushing anyone. When all of his Pokémon were out, Haley began passing out food, with Umbreon's Psychic to help.

Haley walked over to Torterra and Chimchar. "I didn't get the chance the other day, but thanks to both of you for a pretty good battle."

"Tor," Torterra replied and went to eating.

Chimchar didn't say anything. He looked at Paul, who only stared back at him. Thanks to Paul's rising suspicion of Haley's actions, Chimchar was worked a little harder than normal. Now Chimchar looked back and nodded. "Chim," he thanked and quietly went to eating as well.

Haley smiled, but Paul could have sworn it looked fake. He wasn't sure, though. "Well, shall we eat ourselves?" she asked, standing up. Paul nodded. "I'm actually really glad you're here," she continued as she got the bowls. "I always make extra, and then I have it for breakfast, sometimes even lunch the next day."

"Well at least that way you don't have to waste extra supplies."

"Good point." With bowls filled they sat on the log. Haley observed Paul's Pokémon. "So besides those two, you have an Elekid, an Ursaring, a Murkrow, and an Azumarill. Not bad."

"I just got Ursaring today, and Azumarill only yesterday."

"Oh yeah, what happened today?"

Paul huffed. "There's this really bratty Trainer who's always super upbeat and optimistic, like he thinks nothing in the world could go wrong. He's 10 years at least, 13 years at most. We've only met twice, but both times it's been the same thing. Friendship this, trust that."

Haley thought. "Kind of sounds like Reggie," she noted.

"Too much like him, maybe even worse," Paul added. "Not mention he insists on holding on to useless Pokémon, like that Turtwig of his."

"Ah, now I get it," Haley said, taking a spoonful and swallowing. "Mine triggered the memory."

"Exactly," the boy stated. "It wouldn't listen to a word he said, not to mention it was battling Chimchar, and his little antics attracted this trio of losers who sent us straight into Bewilder Forest."

Haley groaned. "It took me hours to get through that forsaken forest yesterday! All of those Stantler I luckily avoided, and the annoying ass Beedrill, and then there was this one Ursaring that-" She stopped and eyed Paul's, who was now eyeing her. She pointed. "That...that wouldn't happen to be-"

"So, what complaints were you going to make about my Ursaring that I caught in Bewilder Forest," he stated with a shit-eating grin.

"N-not important," Haley retracted. "That place was still stupid, though. So anyway, did you win or what?"

"We finally got out of that forest and resumed since that trio left. The Turtwig listened the second time by some miracle, but we still won because he decided to jump into the hole Chimchar had made using Dig."

"And then you used Ember?" It wasn't a question, more like she was looking for confirmation.

"Yep." Paul sighed. "And what's even more annoying about that kid is that he wants us to become friends."

The girl was thinking again. "I don't see harm in that," she voiced.

"Except that I find him annoying."

"So I've heard," Haley chuckled. She finished the last of her food. "Anything else worth mentioning?"

"He has this Pikachu that knows Volt Tackle, but in all honesty, even though its his strongest it's still not all that impressive."

"Hmm..." Haley looked over at Elekid. "He seems riled up."

"Those two have a rivalry of their own, I guess." He looked at Elekid as well. "Though, Elekid is stronger."

Haley shrugged. "I'd have to see it to judge." She stretched. "Well, I can see this conversation is getting on your nerves, so why don't we drop it."

Was it...written on my face? Paul thought, surprised. I was only thinking that. I didn't say or do anything. How does this girl... "Yeah," he replied. "Are you heading Oreburgh?"

At the mention of the city, Piplup ran over and started chirping its head off. "Pip-pip-pip-pip-pip-"

Its Trainer laughed. "Alright, alright, Piplup, you're excited, I know!" She petted the Pokémon's head to calm it down. "Every time that city or the gym is mentioned, Piplup just goes nuts! He really wants to partake in the Gym Battle."

Paul huffed in amusement. "Well, it is a Rock-type Gym, so he would be a good choice."

"Pip-lup!" the Penguin Pokémon replied, puffing out his chest.

The boy could literally see a sweat drop form. "Please don't stroke his ego," Haley begged.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"So who are you going to use? I was actually planning on Turtwig and Chimchar. Hopefully he evolves before then."

Paul thought about the team of three he would use. "Azumarill definitely," he began. "Elekid-"

"But that's just asking for trouble!" Haley exclaimed.

"He knows Brick Break," Paul informed. Haley had one of those "Ooh" moments. "And Static will come in handy as well. The last one is tricky, though. If it weren't the first gym, I would use Torterra, but that would just be overkill."

Haley scanned the six Pokémon. "Why not Chimchar?" she suggested. Paul looked at her, and Chimchar looked a little frightened. Haley looked at the chimp. "You know Dig, not to mention you're fast. I think you could beat a Geodude. Maybe even an Onix."

"But not Roark's Cranidos," Paul said. Haley looked at him, confused. "You've never heard of one?"

"Well, excuse me for living in Kanto!" she cried sarcastically, throwing her hands up. "I bet you didn't know what a Dratini was until you saw one."

"Touché," Paul said to her. "Anyway, it's a pure Rock type and has alright defenses and is fast too."

"Doesn't hurt to at least try. You do want Chimchar to get stronger, right?" Paul was surprised. He had never said anything about that. Well...true, everyone wanted their Pokémon to be strong, but he suspected no one wanted it as badly as he wanted it for Chimchar. Blaze, I just want to see that Blaze again. "This is a chance," Haley continued. "At least think about it."

Paul already was. "Yeah, I think I will."

Clean up was quick, and by the time they were done the light from the sun was starting to fade. "Stupid mountains for obstructing a beautiful sunset," Haley mumbled.

"We missed it anyway while we were eating," Paul pointed out.

"True." It was just the two of them and Umbreon in the clearing now. The Moonlight Pokémon was curled at Haley's feet as the humans watched the colors fade from their purple and oranges to a navy blue that would soon turn black and be filled with millions of white specks. "Hey Paul," Haley piped up after some silence, "do you ever get lonely?"

"No," he admitted. There was silence. He had a feeling of what he was trying to ask.

Perfect.

Because that was step two in his plan to finding her motives.

"But I wouldn't mind company."

"Really?"

Paul looked at her. He stuck out his right hand. "Partners?"

Haley grabbed it. "Partners."

...​

A week had passed. Paul still wasn't use to the whole traveling-with-someone-else thing, but he was getting the hang of it. And Haley never pushed him to learn any faster. She never spoke to him if he didn't feel like talking and she rarely started the conversation since Paul wasn't use to that, either. But they did talk. He learned that she got Chimchar from Professor Rowan, Shinx was the first Pokémon she caught with Starly soon to follow, and by luck she happened to come across a wild Turtwig, which was very rare. "And a few days ago Uncle sent Piplup over, saying he needed a good Trainer and thought I fit the bill," she explained. Then she mumbled, "Doesn't mean he's not a pain in the ass sometimes."

Paul smiled. He found himself doing that more often as of late. "How is it that you know the genders just by looking at them?" he asked.

"Uncle taught me," she said.

"Look just because he's a breeder doesn't mean anything. Reggie can't tell unless he asks and gets a nod or a shake."

"My uncle has a sharp eye," Haley continued. "He said I inherited that. Not everyone can do it." Paul dropped the subject.

They finally got through the tunnel that led to Oreburgh City. Paul watched as the girl scanned the city, probably looking for the gym. "Just follow me," he said, taking the lead.

The duo walked through the city, and they stopped in front of a building that looked like a plateau. "How...original," Haley stated. Paul rolled his eyes. "At least it fits." They walked to the door and entered. A man was standing behind the counter. He looked up when they walked in and offered a smile.

"Ah, and what can I do for you two?" the man asked.

"We're here for a gym challenge," Paul said, getting to the point.

"Both of you?" They nodded. "Well, unfortunately, Roark isn't here right now. He's working at the mines and probably won't be here until later today."

Paul grunted. He hated when Leaders were more preoccupied in their hobbies rather than their jobs. "Guess we'll just come back later," Haley stated. "Hey, Paul, we need to figure out-"

"You can go first, I don't care," Paul interrupted as he headed for the door.

"Always the anti-social," the girl replied, hands behind her head, as she followed. The automatic doors opened, revealing another Trainer standing there. He looked shocked as the partners stepped outside.

"Whoa, it's Paul!" the boy exclaimed.

Great, just fucking great, Paul thought. "Do I know you?" he said aloud. Haley had to hold back a chuckle, instead keeping the straight look that was on her face. Hearing the other voice, the man walked outside as well.

"Paul, are these friends of yours?" he asked.

"No way," the boy responded quickly, as if he already knew the question and had prepared an answer beforehand.

"You must have just fought a battle," the new Trainer stated. Oh so because I walk out of a gym that means I battled? Paul scoffed. Give me a break. "Get a badge?"

Haley was about to answer but was quickly cut off. "Actually, that's none of your business," Paul answered.

Ash (though Haley kept referring to him as "the boy" or "the new Trainer") looked confused before the man said, "I'll bet you're here for a gym battle, too," he noted.

"Y-yeah," Ash stuttered. "M-my name's Ash and I'm from Pallet Town. This is going to be my first battle in Sinnoh. It's great to be here."

"Pikachu," the Pikachu on his shoulder agreed.

"Say, that's quite a long trip, all the way from Kanto," the man said. "Welcome to the temple of Rock Pokémon, the Oreburgh Gym."

"This is a gym for Rock Pokémon?" Ash asked.

Paul couldn't believe that. "Duh," he said. And to that, Haley couldn't hold back a chuckle, though she tried.

"And what's so funny?" the only other girl asked.

"Hey, no need to get testy," Haley defended, smiling.

"Anyway, you've got it," the man told Ash. "And our Gym Leader's name is Roark."
Ash came to a realization. "Wait, then that must mean you're not the Gym Leader," he figured. Paul had to resist smacking some sense into this guy.

"I take care of the Pokémon here," the man explained. "The name's Ian, and Roark's not here at the moment. I'm sure you'll be able to have a battle with Roark once Paul and..." Ian felt awkward for not asking the name of the girl, and even more awkward when he realized the only reason he knew Paul's was because the other challengers had said it.

"Haley," the girl answered him.

"Right, sorry. Once Paul and Haley finish theirs."

"Sounds great!" Ash exclaimed, not bummed out in the slightest.

Well with this pointless conversation out of the way... "So until Roark gets back, I'll be at the Pokémon Center," Paul informed. He bowed quickly and began to walk off, with Haley ready to follow him.

"Hey Paul!" Ash called after him. Haley stopped. "You better give it everything you've got!" Now Paul stopped.

"Well actually, I go first," Haley stated, finally getting something in that was useful to the conversation.

"So Paul wanted to be a gentleman, huh?" the other girl joked.

Paul didn't say a word. He let Haley do all the talking. "No, I forced him," Haley lied. Paul gave off a tiny smile, but no one noticed.

The girl blinked. "Oh," she said. "Well...I'm impressed."

"Why?"

"Paul is stubborn like a Tauros."

The mentioned teen twitched his eye. Did that girl really just- "And you would know that because...?"

"And you think you know him better?" the girl questioned. "We've met him twice."

"Good for you, I've been with him all week," Haley retorted calmly. Now the party of three was really confused. "Look, it's not any of your business, nor is it your place to judge. So unless you've got anything to say that I actually care about, I think we'll go."

"Actually, I have a question," the other male in their group stated. "Might you have an Eevee?"

"Well, she's an Umbreon now, but yeah, I did." Haley looked at him. "Why? Do you know me from somewhere?"

"Yeah Brock, do you really know her?" the girl asked.

Haley blinked. "Oh, Brock? As in, Pewter City's Gym Leader Brock?" she asked.

"It's been a while," Brock greeted with a smile. I didn't even know he was a Gym Leader, Paul thought. Let's see, who did I actually fight? ... I think his name was Flint? Yeah, that was it. He did say something about taking over from his son...huh.

"I can't believe you even remember me!" Haley replied in surprise but with a smile as well.

The girl in the group looked at her friend. "How do you remember her?" she asked, both curious and suspicious.

"She was just a new Trainer, but her talents were amazing," Brock explained. "Her Eevee came really close to beating Geodude. To be honest even though she fainted, I was amazed at how she managed to fight for so long. Then Haley brought out her Squirtle and she wiped the floor with me." Ash looked sheepish, and Haley guessed his battle probably didn't go over so well. "And now you're here in Sinnoh," the former Gym Leader continued, his attention back on Haley. "Would you mind if we watch later today? I would like to see how you've grown."

Haley grinned. "Well...okay," she said, giggling. Paul was a little peeved but then again, it was her battle. She could choose who watched and who didn't. "Just so you know, Umbreon won't be participating, but I guess you can see my skills as a Trainer."

"That's fine by me," Brock said.

"Guess we'll see you later, then," Haley called happily before she and Paul walked off to the Pokémon Center.

"Did you really have to invite them?" Paul asked when they were out of earshot.

"Look, Brock's someone I respect," Haley told him. "And I didn't want to be rude. Though, I can see why that Ash kid annoys you. He's a little too upbeat and cheery and he's totally oblivious."

Paul decided to reuse his earlier response. "Duh," he stated, though this time there was a smile on his face.

Haley laughed. "Do you even see your face right now?" she asked. "It's hilarious. Not to mention the way you say it." She laughed again.

"Honestly, though, how did he not know it was a Rock type gym?" he questioned, going back to his stoic face. "He couldn't tell just by the exterior? Didn't do any research?"

"He doesn't look like the researching type."

Her partner snickered. "Right."

So the two waited at the Pokémon Center. Haley and Paul had their Pokémon healed up, and then the girl sat in the chair at the desk in their shared room to form a strategy. She was lost in thought, and Paul found her face somewhat amusing. And it became more amusing when she placed her feet at the edge of the desk and started rocking the chair back and forth. It stopped being amusing, however, when she pushed too far. "H-hey!" she exclaimed. The chair fell back, and she crashed onto the floor.

Paul cringed and stood up. "You all right?" he asked.

Haley grunted, rolling out of the fallen chair. "Yeah, just a little sore," she reported before picking herself up. "But! It did help clear my head! I think I know how I'm going to do this!"

"You are one of the strangest people I've met," Paul said before sitting back on his bed.

"I take that as a compliment, thank you," Haley replied. Paul smirked. He didn't want to hear her strategy, though; he wanted to see it. And Haley didn't say a word.

Around 120, the two walked back into the lobby, wanting to walk around. "Oh, Haley!" Nurse Joy called as she ran over. Both teens looked at her as the woman caught up with them. "Ian called. He said Roark just returned."

"Sweet!" Haley exclaimed. "I am so ready for this! Paul, are you going to stay or come and watch?"

Paul smirked. "Hmph. Don't think those three are going to keep me away," he replied.

"Good!"

With her Pokémon healed and herself full of determination and energy, she and Paul made their way back. The automatic doors opened for them. "Oh, there's Haley," Ian said as the doors closed. "She's your first challenger." The older teen with the hard hat turned around, as did Ash and his friends. "And the boy next to her is Paul, your second, though I assume you'll battle him tomorrow." Ash locked angry eyes with Paul, who returned with just his same I-give-no-fucks glance before looking at the Gym Leader.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Roark said, walking up to the duo. Though he figured they knew, he decided to introduce himself anyway. "I'm Roark, the Gym Leader. It's nice to meet you."

"The same here," both of them replied.

"So why don't we get started, then?" Roark insisted.

"Of course!" Haley exclaimed. Her body was tingling with excitement. Man, she loved gym battles! They made your heart race and got your blood flowing and she felt like every sense in her body was heightened. Roark walked off, presumably towards the battlefield, with Haley and Paul tagging behind them.

"Can't wait to see a gym battle!" the girl in Ash's group exclaimed.

Everyone (excluding Paul since he didn't care) turned to her in surprise. "You've never seen one?" Roark asked.

"No!" she replied with a smile. "And hearing about how good of a rookie Trainer Haley was, I'm even more excited! I want to learn everything about them that I can!"

"Well, that's fine by me," Roark said. "Hey-"

"They already know my answer, it's totally cool," Haley stated. Then she eyed Paul, wanting absolute confirmation that he was okay.

Paul looked back at the group. "No prob," he told everyone. Then he began to walk off. "I really couldn't care less."

They walked onto the battlefield. The spectators went to the bleachers, Ian took to the referee platform, and the battlers took their sides. The ceiling opened up to let in the sunlight and illuminate the rocky battlefield. The girl, who in their short walk Haley had learned her name was Dawn, was scanning the Gym with eager eyes. Brock, meanwhile, was explaining that all Gyms were different, and that this one obviously had Rock type Pokémon in mind. Ash and Paul were both silent, since all Ash could think about was how awesome this battle might be, and Paul just had nothing to say. "The Oreburgh City Gym battle between Haley the challenger and Roark the Gym Leader is about to get under way!" Ian announced, the green and red flags in his hands now raised. "The battle will be a 3-on-3, and when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue the challenge will be over! In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon!"

"Hey guys, ready to see me rock this place?" Haley joked.

"You have got to stop with the puns," Paul stated, rolling his eyes.

"It's what I do!" his partner replied.

Roark smiled. He liked challengers that had a sense of humor and didn't let their nervousness and/or excitement get the better of them. But what he loved even better, and what Haley was demonstrating, was the serious look they gave in their eyes when those five words were uttered.

"Now let the battle begin!"

 

Chapter 3: Something's Up My Sleeve

With determination in their eyes, both battlers threw the Poké Balls, and in beams of light they appeared on the field.

Roark's first Pokémon: Geodude.

Haley's first Pokémon: Monferno.

Just looking at the field, Paul had a slight idea of what Haley's plan would be. Rock types were weak to Fighting type moves, yet they had high physical defense. Monferno was probably going to be used to whittle away as much strength as he could with Mach Punch. That move increased his speed when he used it, doubling his already incredible speed. Paul liked watching the days when Haley's Chimchar was training his speed, more so after he had evolved.

Now it was time to put all of that to the test.

Haley made no hesitations in calling out the first attack, and as Paul predicted, it was Mach Punch. Monferno's hand glowed white and with a powerful push from his legs sprang at the Rock Pokémon. He was so fast he landed a clean punch without any resistance since the attack was too fast for Roark to even counter. But after Geodude quickly recovered, Roark quickly commanded his own move. "Use Rollout!" Geodude spun, almost looking like a wheel of a racecar, and flew at its opponent.

"Mach Punch!" Haley ordered. The right hand glowed white again, but instead of attacking Geodude head-on, Monferno punched the ground, disturbing the already rocky terrain. The disturbance caused Geodude to be launched into the air uncontrollably, and in that instance Haley call Monferno back. "Turtwig, let's move it!" She threw the Poké Ball, and as soon as Turtwig popped out, he knew what to do. Seeing the Rock type up in the air, just now curling out of its uncontrollable spin, Turtwig swung his head left, and launched a Razor Leaf. The attack landed a direct hit, and being quadruple effective and already weakened, Geodude came crashing down, fainted.

"Geodude is unable to battle," Ian declared. "Which means Turtwig is the winner!"

Roark couldn't help but marvel. He took out Geodude's Poké Ball. "Good job, buddy," he muttered to himself, smiling. He recalled it. "I'm impressed," he stated to Haley. "You used Monferno's speed to halt my Geodude's, and then went for his weakness when he couldn't defend himself."

"I like catching my opponents off guard," Haley replied as she recalled her Tiny Leaf Pokémon. That's true, Paul recalled. She loved throwing surprises my way and doing something unexpected...but that still doesn't explain...no, this isn't the time for that. He watched as Haley brought Monferno back out. So he really is there just as bait, Paul concluded. But can she pull it off a second time? And if she does, can she pull it off a third?

"So you're trying the same thing?" Roark questioned. "I welcome you to try, but I don't know how well it will work this time. Onix, let's go!" He threw out another Poké Ball, and out of the beam of light emerged the Rock Snake Pokémon, letting out a mighty roar.

"Monferno, use Leer!" Haley ordered, trying to lower her opponent's defenses.

But Roark had a counter to that. "Screech!" Onix opened its mouth, and sound waves came out, disrupting Monferno and causing him to put hands up to his ears. Haley had to do the same, and Paul found that very strange. At most a Screech would cause a human to be pushed back by the power, but the actual sound was only something a Pokémon could hear. Or...maybe humans could. He had never been on the receiving end of a Screech, and maybe someone with sensitive ears could have slight irritation. His curiosity declined, replaced with the thought of, So now what? "Stealth Rock!" Roark ordered next.

Haley flinched. "Monferno, Mach Punch, quickly!" Shaking the Screech off, Monferno followed orders and hit Onix in the face. "Keep going! Don't let him pull off that attack!" The playful chimp, now completely serious, landed punch after punch after punch, in hopes of making his opponent faint before he could pull off Stealth Rock.

"Grab it by your tail, Onix!" Roark shouted. The rock snake lashed his tail at Monferno, getting him in a bind and squeezing him.

"Try to break free, and quick!"

But it was too late for that. Roark had already ordered the attack, and now rocks had sunk into the battlefield. "Now, how do you plan on continuing your little strategy if your Pokémon get hurt each time they're sent in?" Roark asked.

At the same time Monferno finally wiggled one of his arms out and punched, making Onix release him and jumped back, never taking his eyes off of his opponent. Haley, meanwhile, was thinking if she really should continue. Monferno looked back at her, but in a way where he could still see Onix out of the corner of his eye. "Mon-monfer," he told her, nodding his head.

Haley stared at him, and then nodded as well, taking out his Poké Ball. "We'll still take the chance!" she announced, causing everyone to be shocked. Everyone except Paul, who smirked at her bravery. "You've only caused a set back, Roark, and my Pokémon and I have dealt with set backs before. Besides..." She smiled. "No pain no gain, right?"

Roark got over his shock and chuckled a little as she recalled the chimp again. "You have guts," he stated. "That, along with those tricks of yours and your trust towards your Pokémon...I can see how you've come so far."

"And we're only going to go farther!" Haley exclaimed. "Piplup, it's your time!" She threw the Poké Ball, and out came the proud little Pokémon.

"Pip-lup!" he cried, puffing his chest. Of course, Stealth Rock took effect, and soon unavoidable stones flew at him. "Pip-pip-lup!" The stones crashed into him, and then disappeared a second later.

"Come on, Piplup, shake it off!" Haley encouraged. "That was nothing!" The penguin shook his body, and raised a fin, signaling he was ready. "Good!"

"Onix, use Slam!" With great speed, Onix lunged towards Piplup and went to slam down his tail.

"On his back!" Piplup dodged the tail, and then used the rocks that were flying as platforms to jump onto Onix's back. "Bubble!"

"Shake it off!" But Piplup was quicker and unleashed water bubbles from his mouth, causing Onix to wiggle in pain, and then slump to the floor, fainted.

"Onix is unable to battle, which mean Piplup is the winner!"

As Haley expected, that stroked her Pokémon's ego, and he puffed his chest out. "Just because you won buddy, doesn't mean this is over," she told him. Piplup blinked, and then looked down at the ground. "Now come on back." Piplup began to argue with her. "This is not a debatable issue, you piece of fluff!" Paul had to let out a chuckle.

"Geez, and I thought my Piplup was a pain," Dawn mumbled. The group watched as Haley recalled the proud penguin, ignoring his protests.

"But still, her Pokémon are awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "Don't you think so, Paul?"

For once, Paul had to agree. There was a difference between battling and watching, and the show he was watching was quite the spectacle. Still, he didn't want to admit that he agreed, so he simply shrugged. "She's okay, I guess," he said.

"That's all?!" Ash yelled. "But she's your friend!"

"Who ever said we were friends?" Paul replied. And in a way that was true. Not even he or Haley knew what to call their relationship. Partners? Acquaintances? He didn't know. "Our relationship is none of your business anyway, so why don't you just shut up and watch?" Paul heard his rival growl, but he paid no mind.

Out on the field, Roark was calling out his final Pokémon. "Cranidos, you're up!" he exclaimed and threw its Poké Ball. Haley's new opponent popped out and let out a cry.

"This is it," she muttered. She clutched Monferno's Poké Ball, as if it were her lifeline. "Monferno, it's your time!" she shouted. Monferno was once again on the battlefield, and immediately tensed up when the rocks hit him. Being in two battles already, Monferno was a little tired, but he wanted to keep going. He wanted to fight. And Haley wasted no time in letting him. "Mach Punch, and to his knees!" she ordered. Monferno flew.

"Zen Headbutt!" Cranidos charged.

Haley let out a squeak. "Keep that Mach Punch up, but start dodging!" Monferno began jumping all over, using the extra speed to help evade the opponent that just wouldn't give up. Come on, look for an opening...THERE! Monferno lunged and punched, but Cranidos moved to the side, only getting its torso nicked. NO! Yet there was nothing the challenger's side could do. Cranidos' shining head slammed down onto Monferno, and when the chimp bounced back up from the impact, his opponent head butted him again, sending him flying right towards the bleachers. Paul stood up and stabled himself, catching the flying chimp and looked down at him.

Haley's first Pokémon had fainted.

"Monferno is unable to battle, which means Cranidos is the winner!"

The girl ran to the bleachers, calling Monferno's name. Paul, with a slight pain in his chest, managed to get to the first row and hop down onto the floor. At this point, Monferno woke up. "Nice to see you awake, buddy," Haley said softly. Monferno gave a weak smile and nodded slowly.

Paul gave off a tiny smile. "You were quite the trooper," he said so quietly only the three of them heard it.

"He's right. Now get some rest." Haley took out his Poké Ball and summoned him back in. "Thanks for the catch."

Her partner nodded. Then he walked past her so he could get back to the stairs. "I hope you plan on continuing rather than just standing there," he stated.

Haley smiled. "Like I would give up just like that." Paul smirked.

Back on her side, Haley sent out Turtwig again. Stealth Rock activated once more, but the Grass type wasted no time, immediately using Razor Leaf after the rocks disappeared. Roark decided to pull out a surprise of his own. "Flamethrower!" he announced.

"What?!" all five of the kids exclaimed. Not even Paul knew this. Cranidos released a flame from its mouth and scorched not only the leaves but also the poor unsuspecting Turtwig. He braced himself, but that could do so much against a super effective move, and it didn't prevent the nasty side effect: burn.

With her Pokémon now getting whittled away by the burn, she decided to use the little time she had left wisely. "Absorb!" she ordered. It was pointless to get that health back; it would almost instantly be taken away, but Haley just wanted to weaken Cranidos as much as possible. A red beam shot from Turtwig's leaf and hit his opponent, and some of Cranidos' energy was transferred to the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. But as soon as that was done, burn took effect again, undoing the attack. And right after burn was done, Cranidos charged in with a Headbutt and sent Turtwig flying past Haley. He hit the wall and fell to the floor.

Pokémon number 2 was down and out.

Haley grunted as she recalled her fainted Pokémon as Ian called out Cranidos as the winner again. She swapped Turtwig's Poké Ball for Piplup's and sighed. "He's going to boast about this, I know it," she mumbled. "But I don't want to lose just so he doesn't." She inhaled and then let it go. "Okay Piplup, it's your time again!" The penguin was out once more, and he cried out again as Stealth Rock activated for the last time.

Both sides had one Pokémon left.

"Cranidos, Headbutt!" Roark ordered.

"Dodge, Piplup!" Haley shouted.

The proud penguin jumped out of the way of Cranidos' charges. Haley's opponent also swiped his claws at Piplup in between Headbutts. The blue Pokémon was just quick enough to barely dodge the ferocious attacks. He even got a small scratch but didn't dare let the slight stinging sensation slow him down. Then Piplup jumped behind a two-foot tall and three-foot thick rock. But Roark wasn't fazed by such an action. "Destroy it!" he shouted. Cranidos smashed the rock, lifted his head, and then suddenly everything went into slow motion for the Rock type. He looked at Piplup, who was standing there with his fins stretched out, smirking, as the shattered remains of the rock fell. Cranidos' eyes widened.

This had all been planned.

"Freeze!" Haley ordered. Piplup opened his beak and flapped his fins, and a cold wind carrying beautiful sparkling blue snow followed, but Cranidos knew that the beauty hid something dangerous. He braced himself as he was hit by the blast. Soon, the wind subsided, but left a now shivering and slowed down Cranidos in its wake.

Roark was shocked. "Was that-"

"Icy Wind!" his challenger boasted. "I forgot to mention, this Piplup was bred by my uncle, so he has moves you wouldn't normally see on a Piplup. It's great for me!" She giggled. Then she gave off a slightly evil grin and her face darkened. "Terrible for you," she continued hauntingly. "Looks like Cranidos won't be speeding off any time soon."

Paul had to admit, he was impressed. This girl was just pulling surprises seemingly out of thin air. He was glad he had decided to tag along with her; she was fun to watch.

"Shake it off, buddy!" Roark encouraged.

Haley snickered. "Oh he can shake all the ice off he wants," she retorted as Cranidos did just that. "But the result is the same. His speed has been lowered, and now I say it's our turn to take the offensive. Piplup, close range Bubble!"

"Get away!" the Gym Leader called. Cranidos began to jump away, never taking his eyes off of Piplup, who was shooting an endless stream of bubbles. But his decrease in speed allow Piplup to get closer than he had liked, and Cranidos was so focused on the penguin that he didn't notice the rock come up fast. He smashed into it, and before he could recover he was hit with what Haley had ordered: a close range Bubble attack. And when the bubbles disappeared...well...what do you think happens when a weakened Rock type gets hit dead on with a Water type attack?

"Cranidos is unable to battle," Ian stated. "Which means the winner is Piplup!" The referee's left hand pointed at Haley. "And the victor is Haley!"

"What else did you expect?" Haley asked, though she had dropped the serious attitude and had gone back to her more bubbly ways, so the statement sounded cocky. Piplup, meanwhile, was cheering and jumping up and down in celebration.

Roark blinked and then sighed, though it was content and he had a smile on his face. "Cranidos, return," he said, recalling the fainted Pokémon. "You did awesome," he spoke. The Gym Leader placed the Poké Ball back onto his belt and walked up to Haley. "I'm very impressed," Roark told his victorious challenger. "You had many surprises to throw me off, not to mention that you had full trust in your Pokémon." Paul resisted rolling his eyes.

"I just believe in my abilities as a Trainer that I toughened them up enough to take anything," Haley replied. Piplup puffed his chest again, which caused his Trainer to form yet another sweat drop.

The Gym Leader chuckled at the proud Pokémon. "All the same, I feel honored in awarding you this." He dug into his pocket and showed her a brown badge shaped like a boulder with a Poké Ball symbol in the middle. "This is the Coal Badge. Take it, you earned it."

Haley took the small piece of metal and held it up, moving it back and forth so the light from the sun made it gleam. She let something that sounded like a cross between a chuckle and a giggle, and then flicked the badge into the air like a coin. It spun as it flew up, and halfway down Haley snatched it. "Pip-pip-lup!" the penguin cheered.

His Trainer laughed. "You've gotten a lot better," Brock stated as he and his friends walked up to her. Paul, meanwhile, was leaning against the wall, waiting for her to finish. Haley turned her attention to the three. "Of course," the former Gym Leader continued, "I expected nothing less."

"Thanks, Brock," Haley replied, beaming.

"Your Pokémon were amazing!" Ash exclaimed, looking pumped. "That battle was so awesome!"

"Still, how could you be so cruel?" Dawn inquired with a slight irritated look on her face.

Haley blinked while Piplup tilted his head. "Cruel?" she repeated.

"Pip...lup?" the Pokémon added.

"You intentionally let your Pokémon get hurt just so you could win!" Dawn accused. "And poor Monferno! It was just used as bait!"

The victor stared at her accuser. "First off, about Monferno," Haley began, "he agreed to it. I would never use my Pokémon as bait without consent. Second, as I said before, I believed in my Pokémon and I knew they could handle Stealth Rock. And besides, no pain no gain."

"That's all that is to you?!" Dawn snapped, not believing what she was hearing.

"Well then, missy, explain how you train your Pokémon," Haley snapped back. "What, do they just roll around in the grass and suddenly they become stronger? If they don't fight and they don't struggle just a little, then they aren't growing. The world isn't just sunshine and rainbows."

"I treat my Pokémon with love and care, and I don't push them more than they have to be," Dawn retorted, holding back anger. "I'm a Coordinator."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Because Coordinators are soooo different from regular Trainers," she said sarcastically. "Your Pokémon still battle, you know. They still have to be strong."

"At least I'm not cruel!" She huffed. "No wonder you and Paul get along. You both treat your Pokémon with no respect."

The older female glared. "I'll ask again, what do you know about either of us?" Haley hissed, each word oozing with venom. "Neither of us are cruel. Harsh, maybe, but not cruel. There's a difference."

"Because all you care about is power!" Dawn accused. "You probably don't think of your Pokémon as friends, either!"

That struck a nerve. "Why you little bi-" Paul, who had been slowly walking over when he saw the situation beginning to worsen, put a hand on Haley's shoulder. The girl whipped her head to see who dared to interrupt her but then when she saw it was Paul, Haley's face soften slightly.

"They obviously aren't going to listen to," he said. He couldn't believe that, for once in his life, he was being the voice of reason. "Let's go. They aren't worth your time." Haley glared at Dawn once more and growled before spinning her feet and walked towards the door.

"Hey Paul," Ash piped up. Paul turned his attention to him. "May we watch your battle as well?"

Paul was about to reject, but then Haley interrupted him. "If he's asking, it means they have nothing better to do," she stated. Her annoyance levels were dropping, but Paul knew from her tone that they hadn't fully disappeared. "Let them come. Ash might learn even more for his upcoming battle." Then she turned her head and glared at the Coordinator. "But keep her as far away from me as possible if you do allow them to watch."

The boy stood there in silence. Then he turned to walk to the door as well. "Fine," he said. "Like I said, I really could care less." The partners opened the door to the hallway.

"You can be sure I'll be watching you guys battle!" Ash called after them, sounding a little pissed.

Paul grunted, but only Haley heard it as the two made their way out of the Gym. The walk back to the Pokémon Center was silent, until an annoyed grunt came from Haley. Paul looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He had never seen her so riled up. "Just let it go," he advised, closing his eyes. "She doesn't know you, so her accusations shouldn't bother you."

"But it's the fact that she would make such accusations without knowing me that pisses me off to no end!" Haley exclaimed. "And that's they second time she's made some claim about you when in all reality she hasn't seen you outside of battling."

"To be fair," Paul replied with a smirk on his face, "I haven't exactly given them good impressions. Not that I care."

"I know you don't. I didn't need to be with you for a week to know you don't care about other people's opinions."

Haley's partner slowed down just a tad, not that the girl noticed. He watched Haley walk and thought back to the argument the two girls had. Paul realized Haley had been defending him. Only Reggie had done that. He smiled. I care about certain people's opinions, though, he thought. And yours is one of them. He couldn't believe how much he had come to respect her, and in such a short amount of time. "So what are we going to do now?" he asked as they entered the Pokémon Center.

The girl tilted her head. "I think I'm going to wash my clothes and take a shower," she stated. "And I guess you can explore the city or train."

Paul stopped. "Wait, do you have extra clothes while you wait for those ones to be washed?"

Haley turned to look at him. "Yeah, my pjs. Why?"

He shrugged. "Just checking," he replied. "Guess I'll see you later, then. Enjoy." He turned to exit the building he had just entered and decided to go train for the next day.

 

Chapter 4: Who's The Better Trainer?

A/N: Unless the episode(s) are important for character development, they will be skipped. As such, if you want to see the full fight between Paul and Roark, go to DP015 and skip to about 7 minutes in. And the full fight between Ash and Roark is in DP016, about 8:50 or so. I mean, if it's already there, why do it again? So...yeah.

Haley watched as Paul's Chimchar was getting knocked around. Her already tight fists became even tighter. Of course, that was making her knuckles white and pain shoot up her left hand like no one's business. Come on, Chimchar! You can do it! she encouraged in her head.

Meanwhile, Paul looked agitated. Will you stop flinching?! he shouted. Damn Zen Headbutt and its stupid side effect. Damn it to hell with no return trip. And then, just when Paul had lost hope in the Chimp Pokémon, he began to glow with an orange aura. For the first time in front of rival, Paul actually gave off a real happy grin, not that Ash noticed. The kid was too focused on the aura surrounding Chimchar. As was Roark, who gasped. Of course, that grin didn't stay for long, replaced with an oh-so familiar smirk. "I was waiting for this," Paul announced.

"For what?" Ash asked.

Blaze, Haley thought. But...why would Paul wait for something that only works when Chimchar is close to fainting? Unless it's...special...oh...OOOHHH. Roark didn't stay stunned for long. "Zen Headbutt again!" he ordered without skipping a beat. Cranidos charged.

But now Paul had a way to counter. He just hoped this was the Blaze he was looking for. "Now, Flame Wheel!" he commanded. Chimchar ran and then curled up into a fiery wheel, moving faster than normal. Quickly Paul thought back to Haley's battle. He remembered how she had tried aiming for the legs with Mach Punch. He figured he should do the same. "Aim for the legs!" Chimchar spun and hit Cranidos right on the kneecap. The Rock type let out a cry, while his Trainer gasped once more. Cranidos stood up, although he was a bit shaky. Still, it wasn't enough. Blaze had given the chimp a speed boost, but what Paul was looking for the power. And once again, it was missing. He kept going, though. "Flame Wheel, Chimchar, once more!" Chimchar repeated the motions and hit the legs again. Confident that his opponent's speed was lowered enough thanks to his knee injuries, Paul decided on a move that seemed to fail him for most of the fight. "Chimchar, use Dig, let's go!" Chimchar jumped back into the ground.

Again with using the same moves, Haley thought. Variety is the spice of life. Come on, you have to throw him off guard. Her thoughts were interrupted when Roark ordered, "Cranidos, Focus Energy now!" The girl watched as the Rock type focused again. If Chimchar wasn't careful, this would be it. Chimchar dug out of the ground, pushing Cranidos up as he did so. His opponent went flying, but Roark didn't faze. "Use Headbutt!" Cranidos recovered in midair and began to sail towards Chimchar like a comet. The air didn't require the use of his legs, so he was just as fast as before Chimchar hit him with two Flame Wheels. When Paul ordered his Pokémon to dodge, there just wasn't enough time to do so, and Cranidos hit Chimchar dead on.

Paul was now down two Pokémon.

"Chimchar is unable to battle!" Ian stated. "Cranidos wins!"

The challenger now had a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe Chimchar had lost. He recalled the fallen Pokémon and stared at the Poké Ball. "Chimchar, I'll deal with you later," he promised.

Up in the bleachers, Haley noticed Paul's frustration and that he had said something to the Poké Ball, but she didn't catch what. Well, I know one thing for sure; Paul really, really, REALLY wants something out of Chimchar. She sighed. Guess I'll find out later. She continued to watch as Paul called Elekid out again. The Electric type took the Stealth Rock, but just like Haley's Pokémon he shook it off. Haley's eyes began to dart back and forth as the two battlers exchanged blows, growing increasingly tired. The battle would be over soon; Elekid was worn out from the fight with Onix, and Cranidos' knee hurt even more thanks to a punch Elekid had given him. Finally, Roark ordered a Zen Headbutt and Paul decided to match it with a Brick Break. The two attacks landed, causing quite the explosion. If the two Pokémon didn't already look tired, they sure did now. They wobbled, obviously about to topple to the ground at any second. But Elekid had a stronger will and apparently more stamina, because the only one who fell was Cranidos.

"Cranidos is unable to battle!" Ian declared. "Elekid wins! The victor is Paul!"

Paul didn't smile, nor did he celebrate. It just wasn't his thing. He just simply said, "Okay, Elekid, return," and did just that.

Meanwhile, Roark recalled his Pokémon with some encouraging words. "That was some impressive battling, Paul," the Gym Leader stated. He walked up to Ian, who handed him a small tray. "And here's your Oreburgh Gym Badge," he continued, showing it to his victorious challenger. "Congratulations, Paul." Paul couldn't help but smirk internally as Roark had simply fished the prize out of his pocket for her rather on a silver platter...so to speak.

"Thank you very much, Roark," he stated, grabbing the badge. He put it in his pocket. "I'll see you," he added, although he was pretty sure that was a lie. Paul would probably never see the Gym Leader again-

"Where're you going?" Ash asked, sounding slightly competitive. Fucking Arceus, what now? But despite his urge (and probably what was the better option) to just keep walking, he stopped and turned his head.

"Hmm?"

"Aren't you going to stay to watch my battle?" A silence fell over everyone. Paul resisted the urge to scrunch his face up in disgust, and Haley just looked on as she stood next to her partner. She had a feeling she shouldn't voice her opinion until one was needed. The girl was expecting Paul to reject right away, but what he actually did kind of surprised her: he smirked and chuckled. Haley waited for Ash's reaction to the response, and again she was surprised: the naïve, happy-go-lucky boy rolled his eyes. He then ran up a bit. "What's so funny?" he inquired.

Paul turned his whole body to face the younger male, still smirking. "That you want me to watch you lose," he stated.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed.

Dawn and Pikachu skidded in between the two boys, their arms held out. "Alright, time...out!" she shouted. Now Haley rolled her eyes. If she was so into keeping the peace, where was this yesterday? Clearly, it was off participating in a contest, she thought. Dawn turned her head to Paul. "You've already battled Ash once," she continued. Actually, twice, Paul thought. "Why not stay and watch?" Paul looked at her with a blank, uncaring expression. He was thinking some similar to what Haley was, wondering why the Coordinator had lashed out yesterday and now wanted to make sure no fighting broke out. Not to mention her accusations against Haley had bothered him, mostly because Haley barely calmed down until she fell asleep, tired from her Gym Battle. Dawn's face grew slightly confused as Paul continued to look without a word. "Wh-what's wrong?" she asked.

Paul was trying to think of a response, and he decided to go with the one he had used yesterday for two reasons: one, he didn't like her, especially not after the stunt she pull and two (most importantly and slightly embarrassing)...

He barely even remembered her name.

"What's wrong?" he repeated. "Who are you?"

A volcano erupted. "Excuse me, rudeness, but we met once before!" she shouted. Again, twice, Paul repeated. "The name's Dawn!"

The older boy continued to give the same expression. Oh yeah, that was it, he thought. Still don't like her. Just keep up the charade. "Don't remember," he said calmly.

Now there was a supernova. Haley quickly leaned over to whisper, "Okay, that might have been a little cold," before Dawn totally let loose.

"You think you're funny, don'tcha!" she shouted even louder and even more angry. "Listen, mister!" Brock quickly ran over and picked her up, but that didn't stop her from kicking and yelling some more. "You nasty, insulting, spoiled brat! Apologize!"

Roark calmly walked over. "You're welcome to stay," he said, though it sounded slightly (very slightly) nervous.

The victor smirked again and closed his eyes. "With that enthusiasm, how can I refuse?" he replied, though it had a hint of sarcasm.

"Good!" Ash exclaimed with determination. "And I'm going to show you a whole new style of battling!" The kid turned to Roark. "Whenever you're ready, Roark, I am!"

Roark blinked but gave a smile anyway. "Ash, would you mind terribly if...we had our battle tomorrow?" the Gym Leader asked. Now Ash blinked. "You know, my Pokémon and I just went through some serious battling, and to tell you the truth, we're exhausted."

Ash, once again, didn't seem to mind the delay and just smiled. "I hear ya," he replied. "Hey, tomorrow will be just fine."

The Gym Leader was replying, but Haley was focused on other things. "Wait, so we have to stay another day?" she asked Paul, hoping that slight sarcasm was the truth.

"You're free to leave, but it's clear I'm wanted here," Paul told her, opening one eye slightly to look at her. Haley just huffed and crossed her arms. Suddenly he felt a glare, and he moved his attention away from Haley to lock eyes with Ash. He chuckled again, and without another word, turned and began to walk away. His partner, still a little ticked that their journey was delayed one more day, followed.

"So what now?" she asked.

"Now?" Paul took out a Poké Ball and glared at it. "Now I give this to someone else."

"Azumarill?"

Paul growled a bit. "Did you see it? Absolutely worthless. I would have been fine if it-"

"She."

"Do I look like I care at the moment? Anyway, if she..." He rolled his eyes. "Had landed one, just one attack, I would have been fine, but no. She missed, and then was down in two hits. Two!"

"Torterra went down in three when you and I fought," Haley pointed out.

"At least he landed an attack, and Umbreon is skilled, you and I both know it," he informed.

Haley sighed. There was no way she was winning. "Fine, we'll find some kid who's looking for a Water type," she caved in. "Shouldn't be too hard since there will be challengers looking for an advantage."

Back at the Pokémon Center, the two found a young boy, who wasn't actually a challenger, but he liked Azumarill and always wanted one, so he was more than happy to receive her. And Azumarill didn't mind the change in ownership since she couldn't keep up with Paul's style of training anyway. Then Paul gave the other two Pokémon to Chansey and had Nurse Joy's assistant put the Poké Balls into the machine. To pass the time, the partners got themselves lunch. "Salads," Paul stated as he finished said dish. "When there isn't anything else to get."

Haley giggled slightly. "I knew there was a funny bone somewhere," she said. Paul grunted in amusement. "Speaking of funny, did you really forget Dawn's name?"

"Kind of," he admitted. "But I also just don't like her."

"It's the same old jokes with you," Haley half sighed, half chuckled as she tore into her sandwich.

Paul smirked. "You know me." Haley waved her hand, which Paul had learned meant, "Yeah, yeah." He then saw the Chansey behind the counter, waving at him. "Hold on, I'll be back." He got out of the booth and went to pick up the two Poké Balls. As he walked back he noticed Ash and his four Pokémon. Apparently he was trying to decide on whom to use, though Paul knew that Staravia would be the one who got X'ed. He might have found the scene amusing, if he was five, but he continued to watch anyway. He finally found interest when Brock pointed out that the most important factor of his battle was his speed.

Ash crossed his arms, thinking. "So do I," he agreed. "Thing is, what do we do?"

The recent victor smirked. Maybe he could finally knock some much needed sense into his rival, so he decided to intervene. "Now that should be a no brainer," he stated, walking up to them. "Just imitate me."

The group turned to him. Haley, who had finished her lunch, wondered what was taking Paul so long. She stood up slightly and turned around. When she saw the four she frowned. "Oh boy," she sighed. But she decided to watch for now.

"I'd never do what you do!" Ash shot back. "I wouldn't force Chimchar to battle the way you did for a million bucks!"

Paul sneered. Rejecting my advice. Typical. He heard footsteps running towards him. "Hey, wow!" It was the kid from before. Paul turned to him, and the kid flashed Azumarill's Poké Ball. "Thanks again for the Azumarill, mister!" he exclaimed. "We'll train real hard, so see ya!" The kid ran off once more, and Paul held up a hand. A slight wave, you would say.

Of course, Ash wasn't too happy with the small scene that just took place. "You gave him Azumarill?" he asked in disgust.

His rival turned to him again. "Yeah, so?"

"Cause it lost?" Ash continued, even more disgusted.

"That's as good as that Azumarill's gonna get," Paul informed.

"I thought it was your friend," Ash snapped. "You could have kept trainin, ya know?"

"No, that one was a lost cause," his rival replied calmly.

"I don't get you," the younger boy stated.

"And I thought you wanted to win," Paul shot back, his eyes narrowing.

Ash gasped but quickly recovered. "I do!" he insisted. "But not the way you do."

Paul figured Azumarill wasn't the only lost cause. Haley, seeing that this conversation was ending, joined him. "So are you done here?" she asked. Paul looked at her and turned for the door.

"Why do you keep following him?" Ash asked. "He's not your friend, and he'll never think of you as such!"

"I don't know about that last part," Haley replied. "But I do have to agree with you on the first. For once, you're right." The gang was shocked. "We're partners, not friends." She walked after the purple-haired boy. "Though I might inform you if such information changes." And with that the door closed behind them.

"Must you tell them things that aren't their business?" Paul asked.

"I don't like hearing the same question twice," she told him. "If I didn't answer, he'd probably keep asking. So..." She ran ahead and then walked backwards, looking at him. "Apparently there's a fossil museum. We have a whole day to kill, you know."

Paul was about to protest, since he wanted to deal with Chimchar and his lackluster battling, but the whole day wouldn't be wasted there, and he knew it.

Because Haley knew him too well.

...​

This time, Haley had company when watching someone getting knocked around. But when Paul got up, she figured she would be alone for the rest of the match. That was, until Pikachu suddenly stood up and let out a Thunderbolt. He didn't want Paul to leave, not just yet, oh no.

Pikachu still had fight in him.

Paul walked back next to Haley and sat down again. "They don't give up on trying to prove you wrong," Haley stated.

"To my dismay," Paul replied. "And yet, I'll be honest, I'm curious."

They watched as Pikachu performed a Quick Attack. "I'll be honest, too," the girl began. "Ash is going to lose."

Her partner sneered. But before he could respond, Roark ordered Head Smash. He gave off a serious look. "So Roark learned that move after all," he noted.

"It sounds powerful," Haley commented.

"It is, but it causes recoil."

Haley leaned forward a bit, resting her arms on the railing. "I don't like those moves. Too much of a risk."

Paul didn't reply. "If you're going for it, then we're going for it!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!"

"Pathetic strategy," Paul commented. "He must be desperate."

"He has been the entire time," Haley said. Paul eyed her as the two recoil moves clashed, causing an explosion of power. Haley let the wind die down before continuing. "You're probably wondering why I say that," she said. "It goes back to what I was saying about him going to lose this match."

Again, Paul sneered. "I thought that was obvious," he stated, finally getting his comment out.

"It has nothing to do with your opinion on how weak or strong he is," Haley replied as Ash switched Turtwig for Pikachu. "He's too focused on showing you up."

"Are you serious?" Paul asked in surprise, facing her.

She nodded slowly. "His body language and eyes tell all," she explained. "Watch. Subconsciously, he looks at you from time to time. He's wondering if you're still watching and what you think." Paul now had all eyes on the challenger rather than the fight. And right now, Turtwig was running towards Cranidos, going in to use Bite.

"Oh my," Roark commented with a smile. "That just might be the fastest Turtwig I've ever seen."

Paul took a quick glance. "I hate to admit it, but Turtwig's speed really improved," he mumbled. But right after that observation he went back to watching the Pokémon's Trainer.

"Remember that promise he made before the match began, saying he would show you 'real battling'?" Haley continued as if no comment had interrupted them. "He wants to make sure you see it, and that's taking his focus off of what's in front of him."

Paul thought she must have been joking. Even Ash wasn't that stupid. But right before Ash ordered the Razor Leaf that knocked Cranidos out, he saw it. For just a split second, Ash's brown eyes darted over to his rival and then back to the fight. Paul couldn't believe what he had just seen. "Is he that dense?" he hissed as Roark recalled the fainted Cranidos. "Is that why it took all three of his Pokémon to take Cranidos down?"

Another slow nod. "And Roark has two Pokémon that are well prepared while Ash has two that are worn out," she added. "Do you see now? It has nothing to do with his strength; if he were focused but still losing, I would say that's the problem, but this is a factor that makes judging him unfair."

"Tch, this is ridiculous," Paul stated. "But I'm surprised you noticed it. I didn't until you brought it up."

"I told you before, I have sharp eyes." To see all that? Those eyes must be sharper than a Scyther's arms.

"Okay, Paul, watch this!" Ash suddenly exclaimed, proving Haley's point to pretty much everyone now (not that anyone else but Roark had an idea that Ash was unfocused). Paul just let out a "hmph".

The battle continued. Turtwig was knocked by Onix very quickly, and it was clear Pikachu was struggling. Paul admitted to himself that using Thunderbolt to ravage the field was smart, but Onix countered with Screech, which required no movement. Paul knew this was it, and so he focused his attention on Haley's strange reaction, which was her face scrunching up and her hands twitching. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"I have...sensitive ears," she replied. Those must be really sensitive ears, Paul thought. He heard Pikachu crash into some rocks. When the dust cleared, he was standing, looking like he was okay. But only mere seconds later he fell to the ground, fainted.

Haley's prediction had come true.

Seeing no point in staying, Paul got up to leave, with Haley following, her ears slightly ringing. Ash, who had a tired Pikachu in his arms, noticed the two walking to the door. He stood up, and Paul heard him mumble something. In response, Paul turned his head slightly.

...​

The partners were now on their way towards Jubilife City. Haley wanted to battle the Eterna Gym, and Paul wanted to go to a city west of it called Diablo City. "Why don't you just challenge the Gym there like me?" Paul asked.

"If I do, we won't go out of our way to explore more of the region," Haley replied. "Besides, we don't want to have completely identical cases, right?" Paul nodded. "You think he'll get over it?"

"Hmm?"

"Ash. Do you think he'll get over the comment you made?"

Paul put his hands in his pockets. "If he doesn't, then he's proving my point and I'll say it to him again."

There was silence. Paul then repeated his comment.

"How pathetic."

 

Chapter 5: What's So Great About Honey?

Haley took a big whiff and then sighed happily. "Aaaahhhh, I LOVE the smell of flowers," she stated.

"Then you hit the jackpot," Paul said. "Floaroma Town is infested with them."

"Infested? What, do you they're some sort of disease?"

"Just trying to have a more colorful vocabulary." Haley rolled her eyes.

The town's motto of "Vivid and Scented" wasn't all bark and no bite. Next to every house and building was a flowerbed, big or small. Some buildings had multiple flowerbeds beside them. And the fields that surrounded the town had flowers that stretched on for what seemed like miles. Suddenly, Haley's stomach rumbled. She blushed. "Uh...hehe, looks like I'm hungry," she laughed nervously.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "You said you ate breakfast," he pointed out.

The girl stretched her cheek. "Um, funny story..."

"Humor me."

"I'm...really picky when it comes to breakfast. Today at the Pokémon Center there wasn't anything I liked, so I just grabbed an energy bar and then-"

"Lied," Paul sighed. "Great, now I have to wake up earlier than you so I can make sure you eat, even if it means shoving something down your throat."

"Nonono, you don't-" Her rumbling stomach interrupted her, louder this time.

Her partner sighed again. "Well, it is almost lunch, so I guess we can look for a place to eat. Either that or just go to the Pokémon Center." He walked on. "Come on, because I don't think your stomach will be able to handle another second without food."

"Sh-shut up!" Haley snapped, embarrassed.

They continued towards the Pokémon Center, but then a young woman ran up to them. She had bushy blue hair tied back. She was also wearing a red apron, a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and red sneakers. "Hello, are you two travelers?" she asked.

"We are, but right now we're in a hurry," Paul replied. He had slowed down a bit, but was now going back to his normal speed. "Right now-" It was now his turn to be interrupted by the very loud stomach.

"Oh, you're heading to lunch?" the woman observed. Paul stopped and Haley blushed again. "Well, luckily for you, I work in the café right over there." She pointed to a white one-story building with a flat roof and a red awning. A small sign stuck out of the side next to the door with a picture of a coffee cup. "Our special ingredient today is honey made from the local Combee. All of our selections use honey in some way."

At the mention of honey, Haley began to droll. "R-really?" she asked in a dream-like way.

Paul, meanwhile, raised his eyebrow again at his partner's reaction. "What's so great about honey?" he asked.

He should have probably thought that one through.

Haley grabbed his wrist. And by grabbed, that meant squeezing it really tight. Paul winced at her sudden strength. Then she proceeded to yank him towards the café. "You clearly have not tasted heaven," she stated.

"I didn't know the trip there would be this painful," he muttered, but it was so low not even Haley would here it. Yet right after he said that her grip relaxed a little. What...there's no way she should have been able to hear me...maybe she just realized by herself. Yeah, that's it. Why do you keep thinking she's superhuman, you idiot?

The eager girl opened the door, causing the little bell to chime. It was a small cozy, homey place. Not many people were there, but it seemed more because of the fact that it was the slow hour rather than because it was unpopular. The partners stepped inside, and were immediately followed by the employee. "My name is Jennifer," she introduced. The waitress grabbed two paper menus. "Please follow me." The three walked to a table that was next to the window looking out towards a flower patch and a large white building decorated in flowers. Paul felt strange as he sat down, not that any one in this café would understand. He had never been in a restaurant with someone...Well, except for his brother, but that was when he was younger. To him there was a difference between eating in a Pokémon Center, where food was free, and an establishment where you had to pay. He felt awkward sitting in his chair across from Haley, who was hungrily scanning the menu.

"Okay, I've got it," she stated a little later, placing the menu onto the table.

Paul hadn't touched the paper once. He was still trying to figure out a way to sink into his chair. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in years, and he hated the hotness and the feeling of Butterfrees that ravaged his stomach. I'm just glad THEY aren't here, he thought. "I still can't believe you pulled me into this little scheme of yours," he said aloud, hiding the dreaded feeling.

"Well, if you had lied about never trying honey, then I would have let you go," Haley replied.

"Actually, that's not what I said."

"You asked what makes honey so great? No one who has had honey would ever say that."

The boy sighed for the third time that day. "Fine, I'll humor you." Haley beamed. When Jennifer came back, his hungry partner ordered focaccia to share and some sort of corn and potato chowder. Paul was getting sick of raising eyebrows, but he did it again after she had also gotten both of them waters. "How do either of those have honey?" he asked.

"The focaccia has melted ricotta cheese that you spread honey onto," the girl explained. "There's a restaurant in Saffron City that does the same thing, and it's meant for sharing. And the chowder...they probably use it in the broth or something. Who knows, but it sounds good."

Paul was stuck on mixing cheese and honey. That just sounded...weird. Then he thought about it. It sounded weird to mix cheese with ketchup, or mustard, or anything else really, and yet those all tasted good. He decided to try it to, as he put it, humor her. He rested his head on his arm supported by his elbow and looked out the window. He looked at the white building. Paul wasn't a Coordinator, but when he traveled through Hoenn, he had seen a few of the halls, and so he was pretty sure that's what the building was. Then his eyes caught something. Two people walked in front of the buildings, and saying they looked strange or weird would be the understatement of the year. The two looked identical in every way. They had teal bowl cut hair and wore outfits that made them look like they were going into space. But they couldn't have been. This wasn't Mossdeep, and there wasn't a city in Sinnoh that launched rockets. He sat up. "Hmm?"

"What is it?" Haley asked.

"Those two," he replied, pointing out the window. Haley followed his finger.

"Man, they give me the creeps," she noted, shivering.

Paul looked at her. "I expected something about them being freaks or weirdos or something along those lines, not that they're creepy," he stated.

Haley blinked. "Oh, right, sorry. I forgot you don't have as sharp of eyes as I do," she said.

That again. The men were a good 15 feet or more away, and she could see them well enough to get the creeps. "Then explain to those who don't, Miss Sharp Eyes."

"Hey, nicknames are my thing," she retorted jokingly, her eyes narrowed playfully. But then they became serious. "They had on these stoic expressions, like yours only more severe. In fact, at least when you have on a stoic expression, I can still tell you have emotions and feelings. Those two...they almost seem like robots or like they had their souls sucked out of them."

Now that did sound creepy. Paul looked out the window again and noticed they were walking towards the east end of town, the way they would use to go to Eterna and Diablo. "They're definitely suspicious," he said.

"Should we do something about it?"

"Like Officer Jenny would take action because they 'gave you the creeps'."

He expected a defense, but she just sighed. "Guess you're right." She looked out the window. "Besides, it's not like they've done anything wrong." Paul nodded. Their conversation about the two men had made the time go by fast, so when they finished their food came out. "Since it's your first time, you take a piece first," Haley said.

Paul looked at the focaccia like it was going to jump up and attack him. But he had already promised himself he would do this, so he grabbed a corner piece. Then he took the small knife that sat on the paper that held the honey and honeycomb and took a small chunk, proceeding to smear it over the bread. Cautiously, he brought the piece up and took a bite. He expected a gag reflex.

Expectations aren't always the actual result.

His taste buds were exploding. The blend of the mild melting ricotta, the slightly crunchy fresh-baked focaccia, the dash of salt and the added sweet melting honey on top all sounded weird on paper yet just came together so perfectly. He looked at it and shrugged. "It's alright," he reported. Alright? ALRIGHT?! Paul, this is better than alright! Just say it, dumbass! But his mouth refused to comply and instead focused on finishing the piece.

Haley didn't mind. She just took her own piece and put on some honey. Paul had a slight suspicion that she already knew what he was thinking. She always seemed to know. Now he was reaching for his second piece, although it was very odd. His mind wanted it so badly because it was just so good, but his body was resisting since it wanted to keep up the charade. So his arm ended up slowly making its way to the tray, but once he had a hand on another piece, his body submitted. "Yeah, just okay," Haley spoke up as he put on some honey. Her voice sounded as if she agreed with him, but he knew better. That statement might as well have a footnote saying "Drowning in sarcasm".

The boy ignored her. He tried tasting more of the honey this time, since that was the reason he had been brought to this café in the first place. And when he tasted it, he wondered why he had never asked his brother to get some when he was younger. Paul actually had a major sweet tooth that no one but his sibling knew about. Not even their dad knew about it. Then again, what does he know about us? Paul mentally shook that thought away. How did that pop up? he asked himself. Choosing to ignore it, he went back to what he was originally thinking of, which was how sweet and tasty the honey was. He wanted more of it, and just of it, but with Haley there, that would seem really weird and childish. And then he got a lucky break when Haley, who had finished her chowder and water, had to use the restroom. He watched her walk away, and then he quickly scanned the café before taking a finger and greedily dragging it across the paper, getting a fair amount of the honey not still in the honeycomb. He looked at the golden substance and, after licking his lips hungrily, he took it into his mouth. So...so good, he moaned in his head. Not Paul could explain why he acted so strange when he had sweets. When there wasn't a drop left on his finger, he smiled. "So that's what's so good about honey," he noted. He picked up his napkin to wipe his finger.

Then he discovered the downside to the sweetness. It's kind of...sticky.

"Ugh. Great, just great," he mumbled. "Guess I have to go to the- huh?" There was a wet paper towel in his face.

"Should have probably warned you that honey can be a bit of a pain on the fingers," Haley said.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" The earlier feeling came back to his stomach, and Paul prayed to any deity, human or Pokémon, that she hadn't seen him licking his finger like a messy child.

"I was thinking some might have gotten on your hand when you ate the focaccia," she explained. Paul sighed in relief internally. "So I got a wet paper towel ready just in case. Looks like I was right." She laughed.

Paul felt his face heat up. He snatched the towel and cursed her for embarrassing him under his breath. The scowl Paul had on his face just made Haley laugh more. Her actions made it so that she didn't notice Jennifer, who was carrying a jar of honey. Paul's partner accidentally hit her in the arm, causing the jar to fall. The glass fell and broke on the tile, and the honey splattered onto the floor.

And onto Haley's legs.

"OH MY GOSH!" Jennifer cried as Haley wore a shocked expression. "I am SO sorry!"

"No, I'm the one who's sorry," Haley said calmly despite her obvious discomfort with the honey on her legs. Paul had to hold back a laugh, settling on a quiet snicker instead. "I'll help you clean up."

"It's fine, I'll get this," Jennifer replied. "I'll be back with everything I need and another jar of honey for you." She ran off.

Paul looked at Haley. "You ordered a jar of honey?" he asked. "When?"

"When I was walking back," she explained. "It's good honey." You're damn right! Paul exclaimed in glee, though he didn't show it. "And you don't have to laugh at me, you know. This isn't comfortable."

"Karma's a bitch, ain't it?" Paul replied smugly. Haley let out a low growl but didn't counter. Jennifer came back with a bucket filled with soapy water, a mop, and another jar. Haley paid for it and lunch, and the partners left, though Haley did so with a slight awkward walk. "Why don't you just have Umbreon Psychic you to the Pokémon Center?" he offered.

Haley let out another low growl. "Because I'll never hear the end of it," she mumbled.

As if they were waiting for a cue, Haley's Pokémon exited their Poké Balls. All except Turtwig had evolved, meaning they were tougher and much more mature. Though Paul was considering if he should amend that last part of the description when all five of the Pokémon (and the Tiny Leaf Pokémon) sniffed the air, saw the honey, and fell over, laughing so hard tears rolled from their eyes. And then Paul's Pokémon came out. He still had the same five Pokémon that he had since the Oreburgh Gym Battle, and he had only expected Chimchar, who still insisted like acting like a child despite constant warnings, to laugh. Instead, he noticed all of his Pokémon were having trouble holding in laughs of their own, even Torterra. Torterra. Paul realized he hadn't been the only one affected by Haley's presence. "Too late now," Paul stated with a smirk, making the Continent Pokémon almost what little composure he had. "Now come on, don't you think being carried would be a wise decision?" Umbreon's eyes widened in understanding.

Meanwhile, Haley looked agitated and embarrassed. "It's bad enough they all had to see me, so can we just-" She was interrupted by chanting. Nine Pokémon were begging for Umbreon to carry her Trainer (yes, even Paul's Pokémon were in on the act). The black cat didn't do anything, however, until Torterra voiced his opinion.

"Um," the Moonlight Pokémon agreed. Her eyes glowed blue, and Haley was swept off her feet.

"Wah! Torterra!" she cried. "I thought you'd be on my side! Come on, Umbreon, put me down!" Everyone laughed, except for Paul, who snickered. The teen recalled all of his Pokémon except for Torterra since he shook his head. He would rather be here for the show. Meanwhile, Haley's Pokémon (minus Umbreon of course) hit their own Poké Balls and were beamed inside. The three then walked to the Pokémon Center while Haley floated right next to them, struggling and cursing them all the way.

"Hello," Nurse Joy began as they entered. "How may I...what do we have here?" The confused look on her face almost made Umbreon burst into laughter, Torterra lose his composure, and Paul to snicker.

"She just needs a shower," Paul explained, jerking his thumb towards the floating girl. "She got into a...sticky situation," THAT made Umbreon and even Torterra laugh a little, "so we need a room. Just for a half an hour, maybe a little longer. We aren't staying."

"P-Paul!" Haley protested. "That's too cruel! Come on!" Paul gave her a look that said "No chance". Haley pouted, yet he refused to give in.

Nurse Joy understood, though a little sweat drop did form. "There's a room on the first floor, down that hall and second on your right. And here's the key." She handed Paul a card.

"Thank you." He bowed. The three (with Haley in tow) went down the hallway and entered the room (except Torterra; he just laid down in the hall since he was too big to fit through the door, but not too big to where he took up the entire hallway). Paul opened the bathroom door, and Umbreon set Haley on the toilet. The female Trainer, however, refused to move.

"Not until you let us stay the night," she argued, a frown and narrow eyes on her face.

But Paul wasn't backing down. With an evil thought, he looked down at the black cat. "Umbreon, I think you'll have to use those powers just a bit more."

"WHAT?!"

"Um." The feline strode into the room, and Paul closed the door. "Um, Um, Umbre."

"No, no, Umbreon, put me down! Stop it! H-hey, put my clothes back on! Girly!" The shower turned on. "Umbreon come on-eep!" Paul smirked and sat on the bed.

15 minutes passed and the shower turned off. After another three or five minutes, Haley emerged, dressed and livid. Paul sat up (he had kicked off his shoes at some point and laid down, dozing for a bit) and smirked once more. "Hey, now you're all clean. In hindsight, you should be thanking me."

She huffed. "I'd be more thankful if we could stay here," she replied. Umbreon followed, a triumphant smile on her face. Then she turned, presumably to talk to Torterra. But she was greeted with an empty hallway.

"Um, bre?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Paul replied. He slipped on his shoes and noticed his absent Pokémon.

Haley joined them. "Now how did that happen?"

"Don't you mean when?"

"No, I mean how? You're always observant, and you wake up at the slightest noise. Unless..." She pointed a finger at Paul. "You lied to me this morning, too! You said you got sleep last night! You trained late again, didn't you?"

"We didn't get as much as I would have liked, okay?" Paul defended. Haley rolled her eyes. "Anyway, that's not what's important right now. Can we try and find my missing Pokémon?"

"Right." Then the lights flickered, and then shut off. "Whoa, now what?"

Paul wanted answers. He walked quickly to the front desk, with Haley and Umbreon at his heels, and met a frantic Nurse Joy and Chansey. "Nurse Joy, have you seen a Torterra anywhere?" he asked.

"Huh?" she stated, obviously confused due to her panic. "Oh, sorry I'm so distorted. The Valley Windworks must be experiencing difficulties, so all of our equipment has shut off...er, sorry, that's not what you asked. Yes, your Torterra walked out the door about ten minutes ago by itself after the lights flickered the first time. I was surprised it left on its own, but-"

"You just let him go and didn't tell me?!" Paul interrupted, visibly irritated yet worried.

"W-well, he seemed like he had a destination in mind," Nurse Joy replied. "M-maybe the Windworks?"

"Where is it?" Haley asked since Paul was a little too irritated to speak.

"Just off of Route 205," Joy stated.

Route 205. The way to Eterna Forest. The same way that...! "Haley, let's move quickly!" Paul exclaimed, whipping around and heading for the door. "I have a bad feeling about something."

Haley and Umbreon looked at each other before quickly following the Trainer. "What do you mean?" she asked as they walked quickly.

"Those men. They were heading towards Route 205. But maybe they weren't heading towards Eterna Forest."

His partner's eyes widened in understanding. "And maybe Torterra felt a disturbance coming from that direction," she said. "Pokémon have a strange sense for knowing these things."

"Exactly." Paul took out a Poké Ball. "Murkrow!" he exclaimed as he continued to walk. The bird appeared. "Go and find Torterra. He should be along Route 205 near the Valley Windworks. When you find Torterra, report back to me and lead the way. There might also be some strange-looking men there. Avoid them at all costs." Murkrow nodded and flew into the skies.

Meanwhile, the humans and Umbreon continued along the route, on guard and ready to jump into the trees if they saw one of the men. Finally, Murkrow came back to them and lead them into the trees on the right. They noticed the power plant through the trees, but more importantly they found Torterra, who was watching the Windworks. "Torterra!" Haley whispered. Paul recalled Murkrow as Haley and Umbreon ran up to him, and he joined them, eyeing his Pokémon.

"We'll talk later," he said. Then he knelt down, watching the power plant as well. "So this is why you left?"

"Tor," he replied, nodding.

"But there doesn't appear to be anyone there," Haley stated.

"Ter," Torterra said, shaking his head.

"So they are there," Paul said.

"Even so, what do we do? We're just a couple of teens, Paul. Maybe we should just wait for Officer Jenny."

Paul was about to reply when he heard footsteps. The four remind silent, even holding their breath, as two men looking like the other two (or maybe they were the same two men) walked down the path next to the trees. "That old man still won't give us honey, huh?" one of them stated.

"Commander Mars says it's not all that important," his twin replied. "She says although getting more Pokémon would be nice, getting power from the Windworks takes top priority." The eavesdroppers shrunk back as they approached just a little close for comfort.

"We're on a time limit, though," the first one said. "The power in town just went out according to the readings."

"That's what the hostages are for, idiot," the other hissed. Paul and Haley looked at each other. "No one would even come near us if we said we'll hurt them."

The first was about to speak, but this time it was Paul's turn to interrupt. "Ursaring, grab them!" he ordered as he quickly threw the Poké Ball. The bear grabbed the two surprised men, who now struggled under his grip. With narrowed eyes, Paul walked in front of Ursaring. "Take me to your leader," he hissed.

The second man sneered. "Kid, what do you think you're in, a video game?" he asked.

"I don't think you're really in a position to be refusing," Paul retorted. Ursaring squeezed tighter. "Fine, if you won't lead me, tell me."

"Commander Mars is in the big green building near the stone wall on the second floor!" the first grunt exclaimed quickly.

"Idiot, what do you-"

"Ursaring, get rid of them," Paul order curtly. His Pokémon promptly threw the two men far into the trees. "Now you and Torterra return." He recalled them, promising himself he'd use Torterra later. "Haley, let's go."

"Normally I'd fight you on this, but hostages are a different story." The three ran towards the plant, using the trees as cover. "Heh, looks like I was wrong. They do have souls."

"Just those two. Who knows how many of those people there are." They were now right next to the wall, looking at the building the grunt had mentioned. They knelt down in a bush.

Haley took out a Poké Ball. "Monferno, come out," she whispered just in case. The chimp was now out. "I'm going to hoist you onto the top of the wall. Nod if it's clear."

"Mon," Monferno replied. Haley clasped her hands together and gave her Pokémon a foothold. He stepped onto it, holding onto her shoulders as she cautiously stood up. With his strength and flexibility, Monferno was able to avoid the barbed wire to look and scan the power plant grounds. He looked at the Trainers and nodded. Haley nodded and he jumped down. Now the four quickly went to the gate, which Umbreon quickly and quietly opened with Psychic. They ran through the grounds, making sure they were spotted. Cautiously they opened the door to the green building and ran inside. The lights were on here, probably because whoever was doing this kept energy at the plant so they could see and continue whatever it was they were doing. Following the grunt's lead, they made their way up to the second floor. Umbreon's ears swiveled.

"Ummmbreee," she growled.

Her Trainer strained her own ears. "It sounds like electricity is crackling and...two Pokémon gathering energy," she reported.

"Curse you and your superhuman abilities," Paul mumbled. Haley rolled her eyes. They followed Umbreon to a door and, without hesitation, Paul flung it open. In the room there was a Luxray and an Electivire on panels, taking electricity into their bodies. Whoever these people were, they obviously wanted the energy the plant had. When they heard the door slam against the wall two men looking similar to those outside turned around, along with a young woman, who had red hair and red eyes and was wearing the same sort of outfit as the grunts except it was a dress.

"Hmm, when I expected company to barge in I was thinking it would be the police, not two children," the woman.

"What do you want with the energy here?!" Haley asked, getting straight to the point and noting the Pokémon as well.

The woman chuckled quietly. "Now why would I tell you?" she answered. "You wouldn't understand anyway. You two, get rid of them."

"Yes ma'am!" the grunts replied. They unleashed their Pokémon: a Zubat, a Glameow, and a Stunky.

"Elekid, stand by for battle!" Paul called out. His Pokémon emerged, sparks flying from his plug-like prongs.

"Umbreon, Monferno, get ready!" Haley said. Both of her Pokémon dropped into fighting stances. Then the three Pokémon fighting the thieves sprung without orders. Elekid Thunder Punched Zubat, Umbreon used Faint Attack on Glameow (and seemed damn proud of it; apparently without anyone noticing Glameow had given a typical teenager nose-in-the-air, not found of Umbreon's obvious tomboy nature, and the black wasn't pleased), and Monferno landed a direct Flame Wheel to Stunky. All three Pokémon fainted, to which the young woman was not pleased.

"Either your Pokémon are weak or you are," she said curtly. "To lose to children."

One of the grunts turned to her. "Commander, I believe these are no ordinary Trainers," he reported. His leader didn't change her cold expression. "I know I've seen them before, and it dawned on me. One is a repeat participant in various Pokémon Leagues, and the other is a three-time Elite Four Run Champion."

Now the woman seemed intrigued. "Interesting," she said. She turned and walked forward a little. "This may actually be fun."

"So you're strong then," Paul stated. "Or at least, you think you are."

The woman didn't hide the small vein that popped up on her temple. "You little brat," she grumbled. She sent out three Pokémon: a Bronzor, a Golbat, and a Purugly. "You get one chance to leave. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences. You are dealing with Commander Mars of Team Galactic. In fact..." Her irritated frown turned into a smirk. "Go ahead and bring out three Pokémon each. I'll still easily beat you two."

Paul looked at Haley and noticed she had on the serious scanning face she had worn when watching Ash's Gym Battle. "What do you think?" he whispered.

"Overconfident," Haley replied, sounding almost like a robot. "She will lose because of it. However, if she wants us to use six Pokémon, I see no reason not to comply." With that she brought Luxio out as well.

Finding this overkill but deciding to go along with it anyway, Paul sent out Chimchar and Torterra, as promised. "Monferno and Chimchar should go after Bronzor," he said. "If Bronzor tries to use a Psychic move, Chimchar will counter it before it lands a super effective hit."

"Elekid and Luxio are going to take Golbat," Haley continued. "That leaves Umbreon and Torterra to take Purugly. Everyone got that?" she asked a little louder than she had been talking at. All six Pokémon nodded. "Good. If any of you finish early, help any group that needs it."

Mars laughed. "None of them will be finishing any of my Pokémon," she replied. "Sic 'em." The three Pokémon lunged, and so did their opponents.

(A/N: The Pokémon are talking to each other, but none of the humans can hear them...They are still speaking, uh, Pokémon. However, I figured I would let you guys hear their conversations since it's their plans on how to defeat their opponents. I will note of moments like this if I ever do it again.)

"Hey Luxio, I have an idea on how to take Golbat out," Elekid informed her.

"She's just a Golbat," the spark Pokémon commented. "A Spark from me and a Thunder Punch from you will take her down."

"Yeah, but let's make 100% sure, and like I saidI have an idea."

"Fine. What is it?"

"Let me hit you with Thunder."

"Are you trying to knock her out or me?!" Luxio hissed. "Besides, why can't you just use Thunder on her?"

"Low accuracy plus good speed."

Luxio grumbled. "Good point," she said. "But still!"

"You're strong, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you can handle a Thunder, right?"

"Never tried."

"It'll power you up."

Luxio looked at Elekid, still not sure about this. She then looked at Golbat and sighed. "Fine." She braced herself. "But if I faint, it's your prongs I'll be after."

Elekid charged up. "Alright, here we go!" He unleashed it, and Luxio flinched as the electricity entered her body.

Golbat laughed. "What is this, internal strife?" she mocked. "I was a little nervous to be battling two Electric types, but if I had known about this, then I wouldn't have been."

Haley's Pokémon snickered. Her eyes were sharper, and her muscles felt more powerful than ever. "You should be nervous," Luxio growled with a smirk on her face. She roared, exploding with power. Then she pounced, using a well juiced up Spark. In just one hit, Golbat hit the ground, fainted.

In that time, Monferno and Chimchar were taking on Bronzor. "Chimchar, attack it with Flame Wheel!" Monferno exclaimed. "We'll take it out in one shot!"

"What?!" Chimchar replied. "But...I'm not strong enough to do that! And even if I was..." He frowned. "Paul would still find me weak."

"Forget all of that for a second," his evolved counterpart stated. "We have bigger things to- urk!" Their opponent suddenly used Extrasensory, sending Monferno flying thanks to the rainbow-colored beam.

"Monferno!" Chimchar cried.

"Must eliminate," Bronzor said in a deadpan voice.

Chimchar turned to it, furious. "I won't let you push my friends around like that!" he shouted. He then began to charge up a Flame Wheel, revving up in place.

Monferno recovered quickly from his quick flight and chuckled. "Perfect," he mumbled. Just as Chimchar flew Bronzor, his friend launched an Ember attack right at him, causing the Flame Wheel to power up even more. Chimchar hit Bronzor dead center with the powerful attack, and the Steel-Psychic type fainted. "See, told you we could take it out in one shot," Monferno said as Chimchar landed on the ground.

The unevolved Pokémon looked at Monferno and nodded. "Yeah, you were right," he said. He still looked down, though. He's probably going to scold me anyway. He always does...I wish I were stronger, for him and for myself... He looked at the veterans. "Do you think they need help?"

Monferno chuckled. "Eh, I think they've got it," he voiced. "If they really need help, we'll jump in."

"But-"

"They're fine, buddy." Monferno looked at the other chimp and winked. "Trust me." Chimchar looked at him with wonder, and then at his teammate and his partner. Right now Torterra was just watching as Umbreon and Purugly clashed, with the former using Faint Attack and the latter using Aerial Ace.

At least, it looked like Torterra was just watching.

"You know, I could really use some help right now!" the black cat requested with an annoyed tone.

"I still need to recharge from using Frenzy Plant and missing," the continent Pokémon replied calmly.

"You've been at that for, like, 20 hours!" Umbreon exclaimed as she jumped back.

"It has been five minutes."

"It's called hyperbole, big guy."

"Just focus on dealing with her, I'll been done soon. Don't worry about me."

Umbreon clashed her Faint Attack with Aerial Ace again and then jumped on top of Torterra's back, near his head. "And let you get hit with a super effective move? No way, Mister."

Torterra chuckled. "I appreciate your concern, but I've taken worse."

The feline growled aggressively at the other advancing feline. "Fine. If you say you'll be okay, I should trust you. But the second you recover from that cool off time, fire a Leaf Storm."

"It's never a good idea to tell the enemy your plans!" Purugly advised smugly as she got closer.

The Continent Pokémon nodded. "Go get her."

"On it!" Umbreon jumped and spun, making her tail glow silver and slammed the ground in front of Purugly with Iron Tail, stopping her in her tracks. Haley's Pokémon growled again. "You aren't getting near him," she threatened.

The Tiger Cat Pokémon smirked. "So he can make me faint and let you little pests win? Not a chance."

"Why are you doing this?!" Umbreon asked as she charged, forcing Purugly to jump back. "This is wrong! Can't you see Electivire and Luxray are suffering?!"

"My master commands they gather energy, and so they shall," Purugly answered.

"That's it?! Your fellow comrades-"

"The hell do I care? They're just tools."

Umbreon growled. "Umbreon, I'm ready," Torterra said.

"Hit it!" the Moonlight Pokémon ordered. The tree glowed green, and then leaves fired from it.

"Hmph." Purugly jumped to the side. "You missed again." Then she noticed Umbreon's glowing blue eyes and her smirk.

"Not this time, heartless bitch," she replied hauntingly. Purugly gasped and began to run away from the Psychic-controlled leaves, but eventually it was no use.

(A/N: Back to human perspective. Yay!)

"Purugly!" Mars shouted as her last Pokémon fainted. She called all three of them back, let out a growl, but then calmed down. "Oops," she said, as if she didn't really care. "I messed that one up. No matter, though. Not like it changes anything, though."

"You're out of Pokémon, of course it does!" Haley exclaimed as all six Pokémon looked at the commander with serious expressions.

"Really?" Mars chuckled. "See, I have a full team of grunts I can call here at any time. What made you think I would leave if I lost? You're children. Did you think you would scare me enough for me to shit my pants and run in a need of a change of clothes?"

Paul grunted. Then he got an idea. He hoped it worked, because either way, Haley would be pissed. "Oh trust me, you'll be running for that change of clothes pretty soon," he said with a smirk.

Mars laughed. "Kid, none of your threats will scare me that bad," she stated.

"Whoever said it would be from a threat?" While everyone was in confusion from that statement, Paul quickly dug into Haley's bag, getting slight protest out of her. He felt his target and pulled it out.

"Paul, now is not the time for a snack," Haley told him as she stared at the honey jar.

"Hey Mars, what's so great about honey?" Paul asked, sounding smug.

"Huh?" both females said.

With a strong throw, the honey jar fell at Mars' feet, shattering open and splattering the substances all over her leggings. She had a shocked, angry look on her face. Umbreon, now understanding what Paul meant, used Psychic to gather the honey on the floor and smeared it on the rest of it on the Team Galactic Commander's clothing. Mars let out something that sounded like a scream, a squeal, and a cry of frustration all at once."My clothes!" she exclaimed. "Ew, this is gross! I hate honey!" She turned to one of the grunts. "You! Call everyone else and tell them we're moving out, now!"

"But, Commander-"

"We have enough electricity, and the police will probably be here soon!" Mars snapped. "Recall them and let's go!"

He didn't reply. "...Yes, ma'am."

"What are doing with that electricity?" Haley demanded again.

"I told you before, you won't understand," Mars replied calmly despite her obvious discomfort. "But I can say this: We've been trying to create a new world that's better than this one."

The two teens and their Pokémon were so shocked that they didn't lift a finger when Mars and her grunts ran out of the building with their stolen energy.

...​

"We can't thank you two enough," one of the workers told the partners. After they had recovered from their trance, Paul and Haley searched the buildings to eventually find the workers behind a locked door thanks to Umbreon's sensitive hearing.

"You're welcome," Haley replied. "Sorry we couldn't stop them from stealing energy, though."

"The important thing is that everyone is safe," Officer Jenny, who had arrived a minute or two after everyone was on the grounds, stated. "So let me get this right: the group that stole the energy went by the name of Team Galactic." Both teens nodded. "Did they happen to say why they needed the energy?"

Paul shook his head and said, "No." At least it was true in a way. Mars never said specifically why they needed the energy. Still, he didn't have a full understanding by what she had meant by creating a new world. He didn't want to answer questions he didn't fully know himself.

"Is there any way we can repay you?" a middle-aged man asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Haley thought. "This may sound silly," she began, "but all we need is a jar of honey."

The former hostages and Officer Jenny blinked. "That's it?" the man asked.

"This idiot broke the last one," Haley stated, jerking her thumb at Paul.

"It made her leave, so I don't see the problem," Paul stated nonchalantly.

"That costed money, you half-wit!" Haley snapped. Her partner just shrugged, succeeding in making Haley even more furious. She huffed and crossed her arms, pouting. "Fine. But you didn't have to use the honey. I know you're not a huge fan of it, but you could have used water."

If I figured that would have worked, I would, Paul thought, but no one's going to complain about a splash of water. He sighed mentally in sadness. You don't how painful it was to waste that jar. All of that sweet, sweet honey...gone... "Well, if it's honey you want, I can give you two jars," the middle-aged man told the partners.

"R-REALLY?!" Haley exclaimed. If there wasn't a huge crowd, Paul would have been drooling.

"Of course," the man stated with a smile. "I am a Combee keeper, and I make the honey around here." Haley's eyes sparkled, and Paul was starting to lose what little self-control he had.

"I'll keep an eye out for Team Galactic," Officer Jenny reported, bringing Paul back to reality. My savior! Paul cried. "Thank you for your hard work." With a salute of gratitude, she got back on her motorcycle and sped off.

Meanwhile, the Combee keeper dug through his bag and gave two jars of honey to the duo. Haley exclaimed a thank you while Paul bowed but on the inside was panting like a Growlithe. He was such a child when he started thinking about sweets, and he kind of wished there was a way to stop it. With the jars in Haley's bag, the girl waved goodbye as Paul walked off. Haley caught up with him as the two entered Route 205 and headed towards Eterna Forest. "Man, what a day!" Haley exclaimed. "And it's not even sundown yet! How is that possible?"

"And that's why I didn't want to stay the night," Paul said. "I figured we could get even closer to Diablo City today. It'll make up for being sidetracked at the Jubilife TV station."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault!" Haley defended. "They dragged me in there!"

"Just like you dragged me into that café?" the purple-haired boy pointed out. Haley was about to retaliate when Paul quickly reached into her bag and pulled out of the jars like before. He finally gave into his urges. He unscrewed the lid. "Of course, I'm extremely glad you did. I actually have a major sweet tooth." He scooped some of the substance with his finger and licked it. Haley's mouth dropped wide open. "Remember this morning when I asked what was so great about honey? I kind of answered it for myself. It's very sweet and therefore very tasty. And you want to know what else is so great about it?"

"What?"

Paul screwed the lid back on and gave the jar back to her. He smirked. "It's one of the greatest weapons against women I've ever seen."


Haley blushed.

 

Chapter 6: Waxing Darkness

"Ugh, FINALLY!" Haley sighed and flopped onto the grass.

Paul grumbled. "It wasn't that bad," he argued calmly.

"We got fucking lost because you wouldn't ask for directions!" Haley snapped. "If I hadn't asked the local Pokémon by saying to nod or shake to my questions, we'd probably still be wandering around, most likely until night time. Then we would have to stay in Eterna Forest until morning."

"So?"

"I don't know about you, but when I hear rumors of a haunted mansion in a forest," Paul ears perked, "I don't feel like staying. Not that I'm really afraid of ghosts, but people have been saying that mansion is barely standing. I hate that shit!"

"Wh-where did you hear these rumors?" Paul asked.

Haley stood up and dug through her bag and pulled out her blue Poké Gear. It was the newest version, and it looked sort of like a Pokédex. She pointed at the top screen. "On the map function, it gives fun facts, although some aren't all that fun," she explained. Then she looked at Paul and blinked. "Why? Something wrong?"

He flinched before quickly walking towards Diablo. "N-no reason," he said. Damn it, I'm being too obvious, he thought. She can already read me like a book, and I'm just making it worse.

His partner watched him go, shrugged, put her Poké Gear back, and ran after him. They continued down the path and quickly saw Diablo City.

The city had a mix between old fashion and modern architecture. It was kind of like Ecruteak City, but it also felt darker while the Johto city had felt nobler. And with the newfound knowledge of the haunted mansion rumor, the city seemed even darker, making Paul shiver. "Are you cold?" Haley asked. Then she shivered herself. "Guess it's understandable. It is really chilly."

She's either avoiding it for my sake or for once she can't tell, Paul noted. "Well, just over those mountains is Route 217, where it constantly snows," he explained aloud.

"It does?" Haley stated. "Looks like I'm going to have to buy some sort of gear before we go."

"You have plenty of time for that," Paul replied. "Come on, let's go to the Pokémon Center and then to the Gym."

"You don't want to get some sleep before?"

Thanks to your information, there is no way I'm sleeping now. "Yeah," he said and began to walk to the building with the red roof, Haley following right after him.

After ten minutes at the Pokémon Center, both parties were healed. Then, thanks to directions from Nurse Joy, the partners found the Diablo Gym, which looked a lot like the Ecruteak Gym, except with a black roof instead of purple. Without hesitation, Paul opened the sliding door to find a dark room except for the middle of the battlefield. A circle of candles was lit, with a girl sitting in the middle of it, meditating. She had a black jumpsuit that went down to the middle of her shins and a purple sash in the middle. She also wore purple flats. Her carmine red hair was shining in the dim light, although Paul couldn't help but think of how much of a contrast it was. "I have been expecting you, Paul," the Gym Leader said calmly without opening her eyes.

"You...were?" Haley asked.

"I see you still speak for him," she continued.

They blinked. "H-how-"

"My ability to see the past and future," she explained. "I saw you would be coming and I wanted to know about your journey through Sinnoh thus far." Her eyes opened, revealing their crimson color. She stood up and snapped her fingers. Torches in each of the four corners and the candles on the chandelier above lit with purple flames, lifting the dark curtain. Paul noticed the back wall was covered side-to-side and all the way to the ceiling with books. "My name is Luna, and I am the Dark type Gym Leader of Diablo City."

Haley clapped. "Congrats, you're the only one," she said dully.

"I expected you to be happy, since your favorite type is Dark," Luna replied. "As is your favorite Pokémon and your first. Am I wrong in any way?"

The Trainer looked down. "No," she stated quietly. "I guess I'm just annoyed there aren't more Dark type Gyms."

"It makes me feel unique," Luna revealed. "Now Paul, would you like to begin?"

"Wait," he said. "If you said you can read the future, does that mean you know what moves I'll use? Do you know the outcome?"

Luna stared blankly. Then she proceeded to extinguish all of the candles in the middle of the battlefield to store them. "I fight fair," she answered. "Any further questions?"

"Where's the ref?" Haley asked.

"Here I am!" a young girl exclaimed in a bubbly voice, muffled by the door she was behind. She opened the door that was on the left side of the field. She wore a pink dress, white leggings, and pink slip-ons. She also had curly blonde hair and a pink bow on top. The young girl seemed out of place in the Dark type Gym, especially with her bright, shining golden eyes.

Haley blinked. "She's the referee? She's only, like, five!"

The girl cleared her throat. "I'm six!" she declared boldly, causing Haley to form a sweat drop and Paul to roll his eyes. "My name is Alice, and yes, I am the referee! So you better treat me with respect!"

"My cousin has a mind that is a few years above her physical body," Luna explained in a monotone voice. Alice nodded twice in triumph. "Now if you two are out of questions, shall we proceed?"

Paul got on the right side, the challenger's side, and the Gym Leader took her place opposite of him. Haley sat on her knees on a mat on the opposite side of the door, next to Alice. "The battle between the Diablo City Gym Leader Luna and the challenger Paul from Veilstone City is about to get underway!" Alice exclaimed happily.

"Wait, how do you know I'm from Veilstone?" Paul asked.

Luna didn't answer. Then Paul remembered. She can see the past and future, he thought. Probably found out what city I'm from when watching one of my past battles and then told her cousin. "The battle will be a 3-on-3, and when all three Pokémon on either side are unable to continue the challenge will be over! In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon!" She raised both hands with a giant smile on her face. "Now let the battle begin!"

"Houndoom, come forth," Luna said in her monotone voice. The Dark-Fire type emerged from its Poké Ball and roared.

"Chimchar, standby for battle!" Paul shouted. The chimp popped out and went into a fighting position.

The Gym Leader closed her eyes. "Your Chimchar," she mused. "Yes, I have seen why it is so special. I know why you bring it into battle." She opened her eyes. "Very well. As the challenger, you may go first."

"Dig!" Paul ordered without a second thought. Chimchar jumped and dug into the ground.

"Be ready," Luna stated. Houndoom braced itself, but when Chimchar came out of the ground, it did not expect the strength of the small Pokémon's throw and was flung into the air. "Houndoom," the Gym Leader said with slight concern, but it was very tiny. It was probably the most emotion she had shown all day.

"Scratch!" Chimchar let up and began to hurt the bigger Pokémon with his claws, which sent Houndoom crashing to the ground.

Luna waited Chimchar to land and then called her own attack. "Dark Pulse." Despite its injuries, Houndoom executed the attack with ease, and Chimchar barely had time to dodge, getting nicked on the back as he jumped out of the way. The slight impact caused Chimchar to roll a bit. Paul grunted, making Chimchar flinch at what he knew would come later.

(A/N: Pokémon voices again.)

Houndoom watched the chimp get up. "I see the fear in your eyes," he noted with a smirk.

"I don't fear you!" Chimchar exclaimed angrily.

The Dark-Fire type snickered. "Who ever said I thought you were afraid of me?" he asked evilly. Chimchar began to tremble slightly, though whether it was from anger or fear, not even he knew. "Your Trainer. You're afraid of him scolding you." He chuckled. "You fear he will abandon you if you don't live up to his expectations. You fear he no longer believes in you, like everyone else use to."

Chimchar felt his blood boil and beginning to race. "Shut up," he mumbled. "Shut UP!" Without really thinking, he released fire from his mouth and enveloped himself in it. Then he lunged at the taunting Pokémon, who was now still in shock from the sudden, unordered attack.

(A/N: Back to normal.)

"That's Fire Spin," Paul mumbled. Then he remembered Houndoom's ability. "Chimchar, stop!" But the chimp was too angry and hit Houndoom straight on. Paul was about to curse his Pokémon out, when he noticed Houndoom wasn't absorbing the fire, but rather taking damage from it. Apparently it had Early Bird and not Flash Fire. The challenger decided to take advantage of the opponent being trapped in a vortex of flames. "Use Dig again!" he ordered.

Chimchar was taken aback for learning a new move out of the blue when he landed, but as soon as Paul gave his order he snapped out of it and jumped into the floor. He quickly reemerged, sending Houndoom flying again, and when it hit the ground, everyone saw that it had fainted.

"Houndoom has fainted, which means Chimchar is the winner!" Alice exclaimed.

Paul expected his childish Pokémon to cheer like he always did, but he didn't. In fact, he still looked angry. What exactly did Houndoom say to Chimchar that made him so...different? Paul thought, recalling the Pokémon chatter that had occurred after Chimchar recovered from the Dark Pulse. Wouldn't it be the most convenient thing if someone could understand Pokémon? "Chimchar, re-" His Pokémon turned to him with anger and determination in his eyes. Then he started chattering and shaking his head. He...wanted to stay and fight? This was new. Chimchar was usually timid, and after battling once he was perfectly fine going back into his Poké Ball. "Ursaring is up next, your time is-"

(A/N: Here again.)

He knew Paul couldn't understand him. But he decided to shout at him as if he could anyway. "What, so I'm really not good enough?!" he cried, placing his right hand over his heart. Paul stepped back, obviously not use to Chimchar yelling at him. And truthfully, Chimchar was scaring himself, but at this moment, he didn't care. "You think I'm done after one battle, don't you?! That I'm too weak to fight another one?! Is that it?! Well I am strong enough! I...can...still...FIGHT!" The last word was accompanied by his tail of fire bursting out into much stronger flames. They went out ten seconds later, and Chimchar looked at his Trainer with the same stare he had been wearing.

Paul looked at Chimchar, his mouth open. But then it closed and transformed into a smirk. "I guess you're more determined than I thought," he said. So...so does that mean... "Still, I promised Ursaring he would be used in this battle, and I'm not about to go back on that." Chimchar's face dropped slightly as his Trainer pulled out his Poké Ball. "But if Ursaring goes down, then I'll bring you back out. Not that I believe that will actually happen."

Chimchar smiled a little. Better than nothing, he thought as he was beamed back in.

(A/N: And back again. Last time for this chapter, I promise.)

"Ursaring, standby for battle!" Paul shouted, sending his next Pokémon out. The bear let out a roar.

Luna took out her next Poké Ball. "Honchkrow, come forth," she said. The Big Boss Pokémon emerged and simply stretched its wings. It seemed to have the same personality as its Trainer: deadpan and serious, which was a contrast of the proud and ruthless nature of other Honchkrow. "Night Slash." Honchkrow's wing lit up with a purple glow as it flew towards Ursaring.

"Dodge, then Hammer Arm!" Paul ordered. Ursaring sidestepped and pounded Honchkrow on the back with his glowing right arm. "Back up and use Hyper Beam!" Ursaring jumped back and fired the yellow-and-orange beam, which hit the big bird and sent it into the wall next to the front door. Paul thought for sure it was knocked out after that, but Honchkrow pulled itself back and stretched out its wings.

"Wing Attack," Luna ordered in her deadpan voice. Honchkrow flew at Ursaring, who couldn't do anything thanks to the recharging Hyper Beam required. So he ended up getting slapped around with nothing he could do.

Chimchar then popped out with his own free will and chanted at Paul. "Not yet, Chimchar!" Paul barked. But the chimp pointed at Ursaring and chattered some more, showing that not only did Ursaring not have much time left before he fainted, but also how determined Chimchar wanted to fight. But why? Why is he so determined to fight in this battle? Then Paul remembered how he grunted at Chimchar getting nicked by Dark Pulse, and it seemed right after that Chimchar had a new fire in him. Is he...trying to prove something to me? He remembered how many times he had called the Pokémon before him weak. Perhaps all of that had finally caught up with him. Paul smirked at him again. "Fine. You win. But you better prove that I made the right decision." Chimchar gave one curt nod. There was no smile, no happiness shining in his eyes, just pure determination. "Ursaring, return!" Paul shouted as he recalled him. He looked down at Chimchar. "Go." The chimp didn't hesitate.

"I am surprised," Luna stated, though her voice didn't portray anything near surprise. "I never expected you to do such a favor for Chimchar."

The challenger smirked. "I couldn't refuse such enthusiasm," he replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Haley had on a very big smile. It was clear Torterra and Chimchar were her favorites on Paul's team, so to see the chimp up again probably made her very happy. "Chimchar, Flame Wheel!" he shouted. Chimchar ran and then turned himself into a ball of fire and went straight for his opponent. It was a direct hit, but Paul wasn't going to wait for Honchkrow to recover again. "Ember!" Chimchar canceled out of his wheel and fired rapidly, hitting Honchkrow directly again. The Dark-Flying type fell to the ground, fainted.

"Honchkrow has fainted, which means Chimchar is the winner!" Alice exclaimed, sounding even more excited (if that was possible).

"Way to go, Chimchar!" Haley cheered, finally saying something since the battle began.

For once, Paul smiled after a win, though it was very small. Perhaps he has the potential I once saw after all, he thought. "Got that out of your system?" he asked. Chimchar looked at him and nodded, smiling a little as well. "Good. As much as I want you to get stronger, I don't want you hogging all of the attention. Return." He brought out Chimchar's Poké Ball, and this time Chimchar went in without any sort of retaliation.

"Mightyena, come forth." Luna's last Pokémon emerged with a slight growl. "I would bring out your Torterra," Luna advised. "Your other Pokémon will not be able to win."

"Is that a fact?" Paul questioned. Still, he hadn't used Torterra since his quarter final (and last) battle in the Ever Grande Conference, and Paul decided it was time to let Torterra participate in an official battle again. "Torterra, standby for battle!" The Continent Pokémon appeared.

"Tor-terra!" he cried.

Luna breathed in and closed her eyes as she exhaled. "I peered into the past to watch your Torterra fight," the Gym Leader stated. "So strong. When I saw you coming to challenge me, I thought yes, this would be the day I can fight such a powerful Pokémon." She opened her eyes. "I ask that you show me my thoughts were never wrong." Mightyena crouched into a hunting position, reminding Paul of his battle with Haley. He wondered if Luna had surprises up her sleeve like his partner.

"Paul, that Mightyena is specially bred!" Haley suddenly exclaimed.

Like Piplup, Paul thought. That means it has a move you wouldn't normally see. Against a Grass-Ground type, and it has fangs...Ice Fang! "Torterra, get ready!" he said.

"Good deducing," Luna stated. "And you are correct. Go." Mightyena pounced, its fangs glowing icy blue.

Wait...wait...NOW! "Giga Drain!" Paul ordered. Torterra summoned the green vines from his back and caught the black-and-gray wolf. "Now, Leaf Storm!" The tree glowed a familiar green, and leaves shot out, cutting Mightyena. Torterra let go, and his opponent was sent flying back.

Luna watched her Pokémon flop onto the ground but pick itself back up. "Shadow Ball," she ordered.

"Brace yourself!" Torterra did so as Shadow Ball hit him, causing smoke to blind him. "It's going to use the smoke as cover," Paul whispered. "Hear its footsteps and then use Frenzy Plant." Torterra nodded and concentrated. He heard Mightyena running, and then it used its powerful legs to jump up, presumably using Ice Fang again. But it wouldn't get the chance once more as Torterra unleashed the vines, sending Mightyena flying back, and this time when it hit the ground, it fainted.

"Mightyena has fainted, which means the winner is Torterra!" Alice pointed her right hand at Paul. "That means the challenger Paul is the winner!"

"Nice going!" Haley exclaimed, jumping up from her mat.

Luna walked over to her challenger. "I saw this outcome," she said.

"But you said you fight fair," Paul stated as he recalled Torterra.

"I only see who wins, not how or why." She dug into her sash and pulled out a badge, which was purple with a white fang in the center. "Here is your prize, the Fang Badge."

"Why the Fang Badge?" Haley asked as she ran over to study. "I always figured a Dark-type Gym would have a much more...darker-sounding badge name and design."

"Mightyena was my first Pokémon, and I have always wanted to name it Shadowfang," she replied in her monotone voice. That sounds way too childish for someone like you! both Paul and Haley thought, a sweat drop forming on the latter.

"Congratulations, Paul!" Alice exclaimed in her bubbly voice. "It's been a while since my cousin lost!"

"It has also been a while since anyone has come to this Gym," Luna stated. "Mainly because-"

"It's in a secluded location?" Haley guessed.

"They could always go to Eterna," Paul stated.

"They find it too scary," Luna answered. That's why?! the Trainers thought. Paul sighed. This Gym Leader was too confusing. He turned to leave with Haley following behind him. "Wait Paul, there is something I need to tell you," Luna stated. The victor stopped. "I sense darkness approaching you. Something from your past is trying to find you."

Paul froze. "What does that mean?" Haley asked.

"Probably nothing," Paul replied quickly. "Let's go." He walked quickly, pretty sure about what the Gym Leader was talking about, but he didn't want Haley, who was trying her best to keep up with him, to hear. I'll speak with her tonight, when Haley's asleep, he decided.

"Paul, is something wrong?" Haley inquired as she finally caught up with him just before they entered the Pokémon Center.

The boy shook his head. "No. What makes you say that?"

"You seem...spooked. And a bit pale. Not to mention you seem to have fear in your eyes."

Her partner shook his head again. "I think for once your eyesight is wrong," he stated. At least...I wish it were...

For the rest of the day, Paul was antsy, waiting for night to fall. Haley tried to coax out whatever was eating at him, but he refused to tell her. About an hour or two later, back at the Gym, Luna was meditating once more. "You think he'll come back?" her cousin asked, setting Luna's dinner in front of her.

"He will," she replied, her eyes opening when she heard the bowl tap the floor. "He is curious and scared, and if he does not get answers he will feel like he will explode."

"Hmm..." Alice mumbled. A few more hours past, and it was around 90. "Will he be here soon?" the six-year-old asked.

Luna peered into time. "In exactly thirty minutes," she reported. "He is waiting to make sure Haley is definitely asleep since she would scold him, thinking he is going out for late night training again."

Alice giggled. "Cousin, may I stay or should I not be here?" she inquired.

"You may stay behind the door, but you must not show yourself or make a sound," Luna informed her. "This is very personal to him, and he wishes for no one to know."

"Okay," Alice grumbled. She sat down. A few minutes later, she said, "Can you tell me what it is?"

"Alice, you will hear about it when we talk in 25 minutes," her older cousin stated.

Alice groaned, impatient. 20 minutes later, Luna told her to go behind the door. "I still wish I could be out here," the young girl grumbled as she opened the door and slipped into the darkness.

Paul, meanwhile, was walking quickly to the Gym. The main doors had closed, so he had to go down from the balcony with Murkrow carrying him from the third floor to the ground. He told Murkrow to wait on the railing and then was on his way. The streetlights helped guide his way, but they might as well had been turned off. The hotness and the feeling of Butterfrees was back, and no amount of light was going to make it go away. He was now in front of the Gym again, and this time he had to take a breath before slowly opening the door. It was exactly like when he had opened the door earlier, except Luna was sitting on her knees instead of crisscrossed. "Is Alice here?" Paul asked.

"No," the Gym Leader lied. "Sit." She stuck out an open palm, pointing to the space right outside the circle of candles. Paul walked up and sat on his knees. A silence hug in the air, and he gulped.

"So...what did you mean earlier today?" he asked. Forget Butterfrees, now it was Yanmas.

"I see something from your past," Luna said.

"I already fucking know that, damn it!" Paul shouted. "Tell me what from my past!"

Luna didn't flinch at her visitor's raised voice. "Four," she replied.

"What?"

"I see four. I'm sure...no...I know that means something to you."

Paul began to shake. He knew it. He knew this is what she would say. Yet he refused to believe it. "No," he whispered. "Impossible. It's been five years! Why would they-"

"You know as well as I do how persistent they are when it comes to you," Luna interrupted. "They heard you came back to the region and decided to find you."

"But why me?!" Paul exclaimed. He was losing his cool, and he hated how that would happen every time he thought of them. "What's so special about me that they want to make sure I'm miserable?!"

"I cannot answer what I do not know," the Gym Leader replied. "I have searched through their pasts, knowing you would ask that question, but I saw nothing as to why they would pick you specifically. However, I can say why they bully; all of them are abused by someone in their family, and so they take it out on others."

Paul was breathing irregularly through clenched teeth. "How...how do I avoid them?"

"You cannot," Luna stated. "I see that you will try, but no matter what they will find you. It will happen when you are alone. You and Haley will be separated, and then they will find you."

"You're wrong!" Paul shouted, jumping to his feet. The only reaction he got was Luna opening her eyes. "I can and I will!"

Luna looked straight ahead and sighed. "I knew you would argue," she said. "Very well. Do as you wish." Paul, still shaking, spun around and stomped towards the door. "One more thing." He stopped. "I also see the haunted mansion in Eterna Forest, although I do not know why. After they find you, it goes blank for me. You will have to find out the future on your own."

"They won't find me!" Paul insisted one more time before slamming the door behind him.

A few moments passed before Alice slowly opened the door. She walked over to her cousin. "Poor Paul," she said softly.

Luna looked at the door. "Yes," she agreed. "To see someone force themselves to grow up and build up a barrier over their heart as he has...it always breaks mine."

Paul was now running, and then stopped at a light post not far from the Pokémon Center, panting and shaking. "I won't..." he panted desperately. He slid down the post and ruffled his hair with his hand. "I won't let them." Murkrow flew down, and was scared to find the blank, empty yet fearful expression in his Trainer's eyes. Paul looked at him. "I won't let them," he repeated one more time before Murkrow quickly grabbed his wrist and flew him to the balcony.

This wasn't Paul he knew, the Paul that caught him in the Johto region. And for once, Murkrow wished he would go back to his scolding, harsh ways.

...​

Haley was totally confused the next morning. Usually Paul would insist on moving on without seeing any of the sights, but this morning he was. Diablo Beach was one, not that there was anything but giant rocks that where constantly assaulted by the waves. She noticed an island far, far out in the distance before a layer of fog obstructed the little view she had. I feel sorry for anyone who gets shipwrecked there, she thought. You can't see the beach from there, and therefore no way of knowing there's a civilization over here. "Let's go check out the rest of the city," Paul stated, starting to walk away.

"Paul, what-"

"Is there something wrong with resting once in a while?" he interrupted.

His partner walked after him. "No," she said quietly. "I guess not."

She expected to leave the next day, but apparently there was still more to see, not to mention Paul insisted she look for something to wear on Route 217, despite his protests to do so the day they got here. But when Haley looked around the store, there was nothing she liked. "Are you sure you checked everything?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, nothing," Haley said. "Come on, we should get moving-" Paul interrupted her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Th-there's no reason to go right now," he told her.

Haley looked at him. "Paul...you're scaring me," she said quietly, honestly. "Please...tell me what's wrong."

Paul slowly took his hand away. "N-nothing's wrong," he insisted.

"Okay, then why don't we-"

"Tomorrow!" he blurted out, attracting stares from people in the store. Haley expected him to ignore them as he always did, but this time he seemed to shrink under their looks. "Tomorrow," he said again, whispering this time. "If you really want to go, then let's get some sleep."

His partner blinked at his strange reaction. "A-alright," she said.

That night at the Pokémon Center, Haley couldn't sleep. She was watching Paul, whose breathing was irregular. Yet when she quietly got up, she noticed he was sleeping despite of it. Something was wrong, very wrong. She looked at his bag and silently picked it up. I need answers, she told herself and walked down to the lobby so she wouldn't wake anyone.

The next morning, Paul did not look rested. Yet now he insisted they start moving. Everything about Paul was freaking Haley out, and she still hadn't gotten her answers. When the pair reentered Eterna Forest, it was definitely different from when they traveled through it the first time. Paul was paranoid, so much so Haley wondered if there was stronger word to use. Every twig that snapped, every rustle of leaves, even the cries of the forest Pokémon caused Paul to jump. Haley thought he was acting like a scared child. Even the strange act of licking honey with his finger that he had done didn't compare to this strange behavior. "Paul, nothing is going to hurt you," she stated, trying to reassure him. That only made things worse.

"You don't know that!" he snapped, his eyes wide and filled with fear he was obviously trying to conceal. Suddenly they heard the cry of a Dustox, making Paul jump once more.

Haley didn't know what to do. "Maybe we should just relax for the rest of the day," she advised. "You didn't get enough sleep last night, I can tell. Try getting some more."

Paul was taking shaking breaths, but was able to nod. "Okay, okay," he said quietly.

They found a small clearing, and while Haley made something for dinner, Paul laid down on his sleeping bag. "Shoot, I'm out of Oran Berries," Haley noted. "I'll be right back. I saw some along the path back a ways and-"

"Send Staravia!" Paul suddenly cried, sitting up.

Now Haley was even more confused, if that was possible. "O-okay." She opened up the Poké Ball, and the Starling Pokémon shook out her body. "There are some Oran Berries along that path a little ways," Haley told her. "We need some. Think you can fetch some for us?"

"Star," the Flying-type replied, nodding. Then she took off into the skies.

Her Trainer watched her go, and then sighed. "Paul, please, I can't help you with whatever problem you have if you don't tell me," she begged.

This time Paul didn't reply right away. "It doesn't concern you," he finally said quietly and sadly.

"Yes it does!" Haley shouted, exasperated. "It's what Luna said the other day, isn't it? What's coming back from your past? Is there any chance you could get hurt? Could I get hurt? Any of our Pokémon?"

Paul didn't answer at all this time. Haley rubbed her temples. Staravia came back quickly, and the girl finished making dinner. Because Paul seemed out of it, she released his Pokémon for him, who all looked very concerned for their usually cool, collected Trainer. Haley's Pokémon also looked at with worry, all of them sensing was very wrong with him. Yet, no one said a word throughout dinner, and they all decided to stay out of their Poké Balls for the night.

When everyone woke up the next morning, they noticed Paul seemed better, his color coming back and his paranoia fading, but only slightly. He seemed much calmer and much more rested, so Haley let her guard down.

She shouldn't have.

After breakfast and returning their Pokémon, the two Trainers began their trek towards Eterna City again. It went on in silence, and even the noises that had made Paul jump yesterday didn't do so as much today. He scanned the forest, relaxing a little. And then he noticed a shadow. It was too big for a Pokémon, yet it wasn't flying. It was human, and his eyes widened. Then he sighed. No, no it's not them, he thought. Stop being so jump- "Hey, do you see another human here?" a voice asked, sounding far away. But he still recognized it.

Paul bolted without thinking.

"Hey!" Haley shouted after him, but Paul wasn't listening. He just had to get away...that was all he could think about. He didn't even remember the warning that he would be found when separated until he tripped on a tree root. He picked himself up and looked around. His belt with his Pokémon was gone, but more importantly, so was Haley.

"No, no, no!" Paul panicked, scanning the forest in hopes that he could find her. But he couldn't even find the path. Without a map he didn't even know which way was north. For all he knew he was heading back towards Floaroma Town. The logical part of his mind told him to stay put since if he kept walking he would get even more separated from his partner. But they were out there, and if he stayed in one place they would surely find him. He decided to continue walking and even if he found his way towards Floaroma instead, he could get directions. He only took three steps.

"Hello, Polly," a voice came from behind, making him freeze.

 

Chapter 7: Haunting

Paul whipped around, and his heart rate skyrocketed. His breathing quickened as well, and he backed up, only to trip over another tree root. He scrambled and turned around but when he stood up, strong arms caught him. "Let me go!" Paul screamed.

The voice laughed. "Why?" he asked. "It's been so long. I thought you missed us, Polly." The captive gulped. He was put down and turned around, but it was definitely not out of kindness. It was so that they could see his fear.

The gang of four had no name, but Paul had given them one a long time ago: The Nightmare Gang. Why? Because that's what they gave him.

Braxton, on the far left, wore a black shirt with an electricity pattern in the middle, black gloves, blue jeans, and black sneakers. He was the brains and inventor. He once invented something that sent 20,000 volts through his system. He was surprised after that he wasn't afraid of Electric-types. Braxton also loved setting up traps to capture Paul for the gang's torment.

Zach, next to Braxton, was the crazy kid. His brown hair and messy clothes showed that, not to mention the crazy look on his face that made it look like he was always on a sugar high. He loved popping up out of nowhere and scaring Paul right into another one of the members. Zach even managed to scare him once into a river in the middle of winter, making Paul stay cooped up in his house for a week.

Chase, the kid on the right (fitting since he was the leader's right hand man), had an appropriate name. He was the fastest kid in Veilstone, only matched by Paul, who had to become fast to evade him. He was there to make sure the tormented kid never got too far away. Today he wore a navy blue hoodie and jogging shorts. Paul knew he was the one who had spotted him before, and then he had reported it to the boss, the one standing in the middle, right in front of Paul.

Jason.

If Paul had been the one to write the dictionary, Jason's face would be right next to the word "nightmare". He was two years older than him, and much bigger and buffer, meaning he was the one who laid down most of the physical pain, though the other boys occasionally joined in. And while the other could mess with him mentally, no one was better than Jason. He was the reason Paul was hostile to most people and Pokémon. He was the reason why he only cared for strong opponents (well, mostly). And he was one of the many reasons why Paul had left on his journey. The purple-haired boy thought after five years they would forget him and move on.

With the evil smiles that were on their faces, they clearly hadn't.

"So," Jason began, "what are you doing out here in Eterna Forest all by yourself?" Paul was at least glad they hadn't seen Haley; otherwise she would probably be hurt, too.

"Has Polly grown up while he's been away?" Braxton asked, chuckling. "I hear there are ghosts in this forest, and we all know how our little Polly can't stand ghosts."

"Shut up!" Paul snapped.

Chase laughed. "Hey Jason, seems like he grew a tongue," he said.

"Really, let me see," Jason replied, suddenly reaching into Paul's mouth and pulling his tongue out. Paul grabbed Jason's arm with both of his hands and tried to pull him away, but it wasn't any use. "Oh, would you look at that, he did."

"Leh meh gah!" Paul shouted.

Jason laughed again. He let go of the muscle and then flung Paul over his shoulder like a shack of potatoes. "Come on, Polly. It's been so long. I thought the five of us could hang out together."

"We're going to some place special!" Zach exclaimed with a big grin. That could only mean bad news. "We saw this awesome mansion and thought you'd love it!"

They were taking him to the haunted mansion, and they were probably going to lock him in there, too. "No! NO! Put me down!" Paul shouted, kicking and screaming, praying that Haley would hear him.

"Maybe if you beg, I just might," Jason stated as he began to walk.

Paul knew begging would do nothing more than egg them on, not to mention the pride that he had built up over that last five years refused him to do so. Instead he continued to kick and scream. Braxton chuckled and slapped his left cheek and then his right. "Sorry, Polly, no one's coming this time," he said hauntingly. "Your big brother isn't here now."

But Haley was. And even if Braxton had been right, kicking and screaming were the only things he could do now. Maybe he would get lucky and somehow kick Jason hard enough to make the older boy drop him so he could run. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky, and they stopped without any interruptions. "Well Polly, what do you think?" Jason asked. "Cool haunted mansion, isn't it?"

The captive spun his head and his eyes widened. The mansion had a blood red roof and a dark brown body. All of the windows were boarded up, so even if Paul in his frozen state managed to stop banging at the door desperately, he wouldn't be jumping out of any windows. It didn't help that they were in a part of the forest where very little sunlight hit and that at this moment the leaves were swirling around it. "Of course," Braxton said, "ghosts aren't real, right? I'm sure you've learned that. You must have visited the Pokémon Tower and Mt. Pyre on your journey to become big and strong, right?"

Paul gulped. He hadn't, and it was their fault, they knew that. They had come up with stories of how all ghosts were evil and attacked and possessed little kids like him. At first he never believed them, but then he began having nightmares, and soon he developed a fear of ghosts, one the Nightmare Gang loved to exploit. When he had passed by the two burial grounds, despite the locals' pleas he had not stepped inside to pay respects for those who had passed. He was too scared. Suddenly Paul was jolted out of his thoughts when Jason lifted him over his head. Now Paul was looking at the wide open door, greeting him like something waiting to swallow him whole and never let him see the daylight again. "Tell us how it is," the boss said.

Their victim suddenly lost his voice even though he wanted to scream. He had frozen up despite wanting to struggle. Time seemed to slow, and it was as if he was starting at that gaping door for hours. But before he was tossed inside...

"What do you think you're doing to him?!"

Haley! She was here, just in time. But he still couldn't speak or move, though she sounded pissed.

The four boys turned their heads and looked at the girl, who looked as pissed as she sounded. "Oh, just playing with our old friend, Polly," Jason replied. "We haven't seen each other in five years and-" Haley was having none of that shit. She punched Jason in the middle of his back, causing him to lose grip on Paul, who tumbled to the ground.

"Hey, who do you think you are?" Chase shouted.

Haley brought out a Poké Ball. "Oh, you want to mess with me?!" she threatened. But Paul didn't give her the chance. He grabbed her wrist extremely tight and took off. "Paul, what-"

"Just run and don't look back!" he commanded, finding his voice. They ran far away from the mansion until Paul finally stopped in a clearing. After they caught their breath, Haley looked at him.

"Now can you tell me what's going on?" she asked.

Paul looked guilty. He didn't say a word, didn't move a muscle. Then he finally went to a tree and slid down the trunk, sitting down. But he still refused to speak. Haley found a seat on the grass across from him. I'll wait as long as it takes, she thought. "...They're bullies from my childhood," Paul finally spoke up. "I went to speak with Luna after you had fallen asleep the night of my Gym Battle. Luna said we would meet up, but I thought there was a way to avoid it."

"Is that why we stayed in Diablo City for so long?"

"...Yeah. And that's why I was so paranoid yesterday, and why I didn't want you to leave camp. Luna said they would find me when we were separated, so I didn't want you to leave. But then, this morning, I heard Chase, and whenever I hear any of them...I lose all rational thought. I just go into flight mode."

Haley looked at him. "They...must have done some horrible things...if they make you do that every time," she said.

"Horrible is putting it lightly," Paul said quietly. "They've abused me mentally, shocked me with 20,000 volts, pushed me into a river in the middle of winter, broken multiple bones multiple times, destroyed any toys I had, whipped me-"

"They whipped you?!"

Paul turned around and lifted his jacket and shirt, revealing old scars. "They've knifed me, too. And once...Jason almost...a-almost..."

"Stop," Haley said. "I think I know."

"Reggie saved me from that one," Paul stated, pushing his shirt and jacket back down and facing her again. He wanted to cry, but he had trained himself not to. The last time he had...four years ago. And he refused to ever do so again. "In fact, Reggie saved me from a lot of their attacks."

"I wish I had more than 'I'm sorry'," Haley told him.

"It's not your fault. I...really don't know who's to blame."

"At least you aren't blaming yourself."

"I did, when I was younger. But...Reggie stopped that, too." Paul sighed. "They're kind of the reason I'm what I am now. I probably would be making friends and not caring about strong opponents and Pokémon like Ash, but..."

"You want to make sure you're strong so they don't break you anymore."

"That was the idea. But today..."

Haley moved over to his side. "Look, you were caught off guard," she reassured. "You have your Pokémon," she showed him his belt that she had found, "and you have me. I'm your partner, Paul. I have your back, and I won't leave you." Then she laughed. "Well, unless you do something incredibly stupid."

Paul smiled, but it was very small. He closed his eyes, and without realizing it, he dozed off. When he woke up, the first thing that happened was the smell of Haley's cooking hitting his nose. "I...fell asleep?" he asked, confused.

His partner turned around, slightly surprised, but smiled. "Yeah. Guess you were exhausted. You slept the day away." Paul noticed everyone was out of their Poké Balls and that they were quiet, probably because they didn't want to wake him.

"That long, huh?" he chuckled. He stood up, only to be pushed gently back down.

"Just relax," Haley told him gently. "We'll take care of you tonight. Tomorrow you can be all callous and devoid of any emotion again." She winked.

Paul blinked, and then slowly began to laugh. It was a genuine laugh, one he hadn't heard from himself in years. Yet he liked it. Soon dinner was ready, and everyone began to eat. "Thanks," he said to his partner.

"I told you, I have your back," Haley responded. They ate in silence for a bit. "Hey, you wouldn't also happen to be afraid of ghosts?"

"I am," Paul admitted, sounding slightly cheerful. Probably because he no longer feared telling Haley his fears.

"They caused it, I bet?"

"Who else?" Suddenly Chimchar was in front of him, with surprised eyes.

"Whoa, I didn't expect that," Haley claimed. "I mean, they're all surprised, so why is Chimchar-"

"He's morbidly afraid of something as well," Paul explained. "And I was there to get him after."

Haley looked at Chimchar, smiled, and petted his head. "He probably thought you weren't afraid of anything, then," she noted. "Of course, you won't treat him any different, will you?"

"Chim," he replied, shaking his head and smiling. The rest of Paul's team agreed, making Paul give off a tiny smile. Then Haley yawned.

"Oh man," she said, running her eyes. "I'm so tired, I don't want to clean up." She stood up anyway. "But I know I have to. Come on, guys, let clean this up fast." Her Pokémon jumped up and helped her out. Paul would have, too, but he listened to Haley and just relaxed. Once everything was put away, the Trainers went under their sleeping bags. Haley yawned again. "See you in the morning," she said before falling asleep.

Paul didn't reply. He just looked around the clearing and smiled before falling asleep. For the second night in a row, the Pokémon were sleeping under the stars with them.

...​

Sunlight. That's what woke him up from a peaceful sleep the next morning. He sat up and stretched, then looked around. Everyone was still asleep. He was glad everyone was there. He looked out into the forest and frowned. They were still out there, probably, and they were looking for him, most likely. He hated being afraid like a child, but he just couldn't help it.

Haley opened her eyes and noticed Paul was watching the forest and wasn't looking her way. She didn't want to scare him, so touching him or moving was out of the question. She even wondered if maybe she shouldn't speak, either, but what else could she do to grab his attention? "Paul," she said quietly.

Paul turned to her. She smiled. At least he hadn't jumped. "Morning," he said.

"They won't touch you again," she promised.

He looked at her and continued to do so as he lay back down. "I know," he stated. "Too bad it kind of makes me feel like a girl."

"Everyone has those moments and-hey, hey, no falling back asleep!" she scolded jokingly, punching him lightly as she sat up. He chuckled and sat up again as she stretched and everyone else began to stir. "Okay, today's the day we make it to Eterna City!" she declared.

"Prin-plup!" the Penguin Pokémon exclaimed, puffing his chest.

"Sorry, buddy, but Eterna Gym is a Grass-type Gym," Haley informed. "You won't be participating this time." Prinplup looked dejected, to which Grotle comforted him.

"I say we get moving," Paul said as he stood up to put away his sleeping bag. "We've lost quite a bit of time."

"Oh, and whose fault is that?" Haley retorted, narrowing her eyes playfully. Paul just smirked, making her smile. He was recovering, which was a good thing.

After a quick snack for breakfast, the Pokémon were recalled and the duo set out again, back on the path. Of course, they had to be interrupted one more time by the Nightmare Gang, who were strangely down one member. When Paul saw them he tensed up slightly, but he tried keeping his cool. Haley had promised, and he knew she would keep it. "Hey, we need your help!" Jason said. That was new.

Haley narrowed her eyes. "Paul, let's forget these jokers," she said. She began to walk again, but Jason stepped in her way, making her growl. "Look, buddy-"

"Just hear us out!" Chase pleaded.

"Hear, hear!" Zach exclaimed.

Paul poked Haley's arm. "They never ask for help," he whispered. "It must be something really bad."

The girl processed. "Fine," she stated. "But if I smell bullshit, we're out of here. What do you want?"

"We were in that mansion yesterday-" Jason was interrupted when Haley stepped forward threateningly.

"I knew it, this is a trap!" she accused.

"It was going to be!" Jason admitted. "But it went all wrong, and now Braxton is trapped!"

Haley backed off, sighing. "Alright, what happened?"

"Okay, yes, we were setting up a trap for Po-" The intense gaze Haley gave off made Jason gulp and not use Paul's pet name. I didn't know Haley could be so scary, Paul noted. "For Paul, but then this crazy man started chasing us."

"He had this bloody butcher knife, and somehow we were split from Braxton," Chase continued.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. And I bet this man was a ghost, too?" she asked, not amused.

"We're not sure," Zach said. "I mean, he looked real enough. And then when we had gotten out of there and pretty far away from it, we noticed Braxton wasn't with us."

"And you've come to us because...?" Haley questioned.

"Look, you two are the only other humans in this forest, we need somebody," Jason stated.

Haley looked at Paul, who was trying to think if this was a good idea. He feared the beating he'd get otherwise, and also, despite how much Braxton deserved it, this just didn't feel right. He nodded at Haley. "Okay, we'll help," she said. "But!" She stomped, making the gang of three jump. "If I smell even the tiniest of bullshit, I'll have your heads, understand?" They didn't respond. "Understand?" she hissed.

"Y-yes ma'am!" they replied.

"Good. Now lead the way."

"But-"

"Lead the fucking way!" The boys scrambled.

Paul looked at her, amazed. "Wow," he breathed.

"Comes with dealing with an older and younger brother," she answered. "Now let's move."

In no time, they were in front of the mansion again. Paul gulped but tried his best to keep calm. Jason opened the double doors, which squeaked as they did. "So-"

"Paul and I are one team," Haley interrupted, taking charge. "I don't trust him with any of you. And speaking of trust..." She brought out Luxio and Monferno. "Luxio, you're with fat man over here."

"Fat man?!" Jason repeated. Paul would have snickered, but he held his tongue for fear of losing it. But Luxio wasn't afraid to do so since she could just shock the seventeen year old if he tried anything funny.

Haley ignored the boss. "Monferno, you're with the other two," she continued. "Don't let any of them out of sight, you two. And if they try anything funny, you have my permission to beat the shit out of them." Both Pokémon nodded.

"Can I at least bring out my Golbat?" Jason asked.

"Sure, if you think it'll help," Haley agreed. "Luxio, keep an eye on it, too."

"Lux," she said.

Jason let out his Pokémon, and the eight of them entered. Suddenly the door closed behind them, making Paul jump a little. "Hey!" Haley exclaimed, glaring at Chase and Zach.

"We didn't do that, honest!" they exclaimed. "We're not trying to scare him!"

"It's just the wind," Paul mumbled to himself. "Y-yeah, just the wind."

Haley sighed and pulled out a flashlight. "Monferno, check the east wing. Luxio, the west. Paul, we're going upstairs." She then released Prinplup. "Release Chimchar." Paul did so. "Alright then, let's begin." The groups went to their assigned areas. When Paul and Haley were upstairs, the girl began scanning everything with her flashlight. Chimchar jumped onto Paul's shoulder without really thinking. His Trainer looked at him, causing the chimp to flinch.

"This is the only time, okay?" he told him. Chimchar nodded. Apparently Paul wanted close company. And truthfully, so did Chimchar. The Trainer's footsteps echoed down the empty hallways, making the already scary atmosphere even worse. Then there was a gust of wind, which sounded too much like a ghost's wail. No matter how much close company he had, that made Paul spin around and suddenly bolt in the opposite direction.

"Hey, Paul!" Haley called after him. But Paul was once again too scared to listen. He turned down a hallway, with Chimchar clinging onto him tightly. His Trainer opened a door and ran inside the room, closing the door after him. He sunk to the floor, catching his breath. Then he realized what he had done.

"Damn it, not again," he mumbled, ruffling his hair again. He sighed and stood up, looking at Chimchar. "Well, let's go look for Haley."

"Chim," the Pokémon agreed. Paul turned to open the door.

"Um...hello?" a small voice asked. It sounded like a little girl. Paul and Chimchar turned their heads and saw a girl with short black hair with a red ribbon in it and a yellow dress. But more importantly, she was slightly transparent. The two screamed and dove into the corner, hugging each other. "Wh-what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" the girl asked, floating closer.

"D-d-don't come any closer!" Paul ordered. The girl stopped. "Stay that far away! I'm warning you!"

The girl looked sad. "Mister, I didn't mean to scare you," she said.

"Y-y-you're a ghost!" Paul pointed out. "What else do you do other than scare?!"

"Please, all I want to do is help!" the girl exclaimed desperately.

Paul and his Pokémon calmed down slightly. "H-help...with what?" Paul asked. He couldn't believe he was having a conversation with a ghost.

"I want to help find your friend!" the ghost replied. "You are in danger here, and you need to leave as soon as possible!"

"You...know where Haley is?" Paul inquired.

"Chim...char?" his Pokémon followed.

"Well...I know where she is, too, but I mean your other friend, the one you came in here to find."

"Oh...he's not a friend, just someone I know. Haley and I agreed to help find him."

The girl floated back slightly. "I can lead you to him-"

"If you're leading us anywhere, it's to Haley first," Paul interrupted. "I don't want to be around him without her."

She nodded. "Okay, and then we find him."

"Right." Paul stood up, a little shaky. The girl went for the door. "Don't," Paul began, "you dare fly through the door. I open it and then you lead the way."

The girl still didn't understand why Paul was afraid of her. "...Okay." She backed up, making sure to stay the distance he had requested. Paul opened the door and walked out, with the girl floating behind him, and then she took the lead. The Trainer gulped and followed her, Chimchar still clinging. "This way," she said and turned down a hallway. Suddenly there were footsteps.

"Paul? Chimchar?" Haley called.

"Priiinpluuup," her Pokémon called.

The group stayed right where they were as Haley and Prinplup ran up to them. "Oh, thank goodness," Haley sighed in relief. "Stop doing that." Then she noticed the ghost girl. Prinplup jumped behind Haley's leg, but the Trainer didn't flinch. In fact, she looked curious. "Hello. Who are you?" Paul couldn't believe how casually she was talking to the ghost.

"My name is...or was...Lynn," the girl introduced. "I use to live here."

Haley nodded. "We're looking for someone," she said.

"I know," Lynn stated. "I was going to lead you to him, and then all of you need to get out of here. It isn't safe."

The alive girl let the dead one go in front of her, and the three boys watched in shock until they decided to follow. "Why isn't it safe?" Haley asked.

"My grandpa haunts these halls," the ghost explained. "He isn't like me. You see, when he was alive, he was the one who killed me."

Haley gasped."Oh my, I'm so sorry," she said.

Lynn shook her head. "It's okay. My Pokémon made sure he went with me, though she too lost her life. Soon some people came and boarded our house up. Though there are still some teenagers who dare each other to wander our halls, and then...Grandpa..."

"What does he do, exactly?" Paul gulped, not really wanting to hear the explanation.

"He uses the butcher knife he used on me and tries to kill intruders," Lynn explained.

Haley thought. "So that was the man the boys saw," she realized.

"Yes, and luckily when they separated, I was able to lead the other boy into the one room Grandpa can't enter."

"H-how can a ghost not enter a room?" Paul asked, finally finding a voice to contribute to the conversation.

"When I was still alive, I hung dream catchers in my room. I didn't realize they also repel ghosts." Lynn giggled. "I can't enter my own room."

Haley smiled, and then Lynn stopped. "Is this it?" she asked.

"Hey, is someone there?" Braxton asked from the other side.

"What do you know?" Haley said, amused and annoyed. "Braxton, right? Yeah, we've come to get you, along with your buddies. We have to get out of here, now."

"Would like to, but the door's jammed."

Haley sighed. "Is it okay if I bust down your door?" she asked Lynn. The young girl nodded. "Prinplup, Metal Claw!" Prinplup's claws glowed a metallic color, and then he attacked the door, tearing it down.

"Wow, thanks," Braxton said. He blinked. "Oh, it's you, that girl. And...Po-" Again, the glare made the fourth member stop from using the pet name. "Paul. It's Paul. But how-"

"Like I said, your buddies are in here, looking for you," Haley interrupted. "They enlisted us for help."

"Well then, let's go!" He started to run off, only for Haley to grab his wrist.

"Hold on, do you seriously want to get lost in here again?"

"But you said we have to get out of here."

"Yeah, in one piece. I don't think your gang would like it if I brought you back in bite-size pieces."

Braxton opened his mouth, but closed it again. Then he sighed. "Fine, lead the way."

"Prinplup, stay between Braxton and Paul. Lynn, think you can follow behind Paul?"

Paul froze. "I promise I won't get any closer than you requested," Lynn stated. The boy nodded. Now the five walked down the hallway and found the lobby again.

"Mon, monfer!" Monferno shouted. He, Chase, and Zach ran up to them.

"Braxton, good to see you, man!" Chase exclaimed.

"Have you seen that crazy old man?" Braxton asked.

"Nope, nope!" Zach replied. "Haven't seen Boss, Golbat, or Luxio either."

There was the sound of something coming through the floor. "In the kitchen/dining hall," Lynn reported.

The two new boys screamed, to which Haley sighed. "Alright, girls, let's go fetch them," she said. As the group began to walk down the stairs, Jason and the two Pokémon ran out of the dining hall. "Luxio, up here!" Haley called.

"Lux, lux!" the Pokémon cried.

"We've gotta get out of here!" Jason shouted. Suddenly a knife flew right by him and hit the wall next to the door. Everyone (except for Lynn) jumped.

"Intruders!" an old man cried. The three on the ground floor screamed.

"Th-that wouldn't happen to be..." Haley trailed off, scared for the first time. An old man emerged from the room. He had another knife, covered in blood, and he looked crazy. Murder crazy.

"Grandpa, stop!" Lynn requested. She flew down and held onto her grandfather's wrists. "Everyone, run!"

"Must...kill...INTRUDERS!" her grandfather shouted.

The teens and Pokémon ran for the door. "Duck!" Lynn suddenly ordered. The group hit the deck as a flurry of knives flew above their heads.

Haley scrambled to her feet. "Chimchar, Monferno, keep up covered with Ember!" The chimps released their fire as everyone ran outside. The two Pokémon stopped and ran after them. Haley went to close the doors, seeing Lynn smile at her before she did. And she was glad she closed the red doors when she did, because as soon as she did, one more knife made a THUNK on the door. She jumped back and then sighed in relief. "Well, at least we're out alive," she said. She whipped around, glaring at the Nightmare Gang. "Of course, we wouldn't have been in that situation if you idiots hadn't gone inside!" The group hung their heads. "And don't even dare say you're sorry, 'cause I know none of you are!"

"Look, we just want to scare-" Jason found himself interrupted again.

"Scare? SCARE?! You call tormenting a kid until he can't even function properly around you just scaring?! Try scarring! What right were you given to do such things to people, HUH?!" Haley grabbed Paul's wrist. "Come on, we're leaving. You guys can do whatever the hell you want, just stay away from us!" The four watched the girl storm away.

"Haley, you shouldn't say such things," Paul said. "They'll come after you."

"And when they do, I'll kick their asses!" she retorted. "I meant every word, Paul, and I won't let them do things like that to my friend!" They had exited the forest, and that's when Haley released her grip and turned to face him, surprised. "I-I mean...my partner...yeah..."

Paul looked at her. He realized that in the mansion, thanks to Lynn, he had called Haley a friend, but he still didn't want to say it out loud. "Right," he said. He walked ahead a little. "Over that hill is Eterna City," he continued. "We should get going. It's almost sundown."

"Yeah. I have a big day tomorrow." Haley walked beside him as they continued over the hill. "Hey...Paul?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm proud of you."

The boy looked at her. "How?"

"You went into that mansion and never ran out, not once. You even spoke to Lynn. She was the one who lead you to me, right?" Haley smiled at him. "That must have taken a lot of courage."

"But...I was absolutely terrified in there."

"At least you know that. But acknowledging your fears and still facing them is one way to get over them. You'll see." She put her hands behind her head. "One day, you'll be able to face them, I can feel it."

Paul blinked and then watched as the city appeared in front of them. "...Maybe."

 

Chapter 8: The Grass Be Greener

"Mmm..."

"You look...uncomfortable."

"Why the fifth floor?"

"Nurse Joy said it was the only room available."

"Mmm..."

Paul sighed. "You've asked that question five times already. I can't believe I've kept up the charade and continue to answer with the same explanation you already know. So now you'll answer a question of mine. What's wrong with the fifth floor?"

Haley was sitting on her bed, knees curled up to her chest with arms wrapped around them and her back to the setting sun. She had only looked out the window once and then went straight into that position. That was a half an hour ago. "...I'm afraid of heights," she finally answered.

"You are?"

"I'm allowed to have fears too!" she snapped, though it sounded a tiny bit timid. Then she sighed and held up her left hand. "See this glove?"

"Yeah?"

"It's not because I like it...although, I guess it is a nice glove."

"So you wear it because of functionality."

The girl pulled the fingerless glove off, revealing a scar. "I fell off of a cliff when I was young," she explained. "Luckily, I grabbed a tree branch that was sticking out of it, but the branch also cut my palm pretty deep. I managed to climb back up, but I didn't get this treated until a few days after the accident. I wasn't suppose to be playing at those cliffs, so I feared getting yelled at them for it. Thanks to my stupidity, my left palm is really sensitive now, so I have to wear something to pad it." She put her glove back on. "I would like to touch it, but then a shock of pain would course through me."

Paul chuckled, and his reward was a glare. "In all honesty, I can see you doing something like that," he stated. "I at least got these treated," he added, pointing to his back.

"Yeah, but you probably didn't tell anyone who did it. That's why they're not in jail."

"Perhaps," Paul said with a shrug.

"How can you be so nonchalant about a gang who has scarred you both physically and mentally?"

"I was too soft. I never wanted them to go. I thought maybe if I treated them nice, they would treat me nicer." He laughed quietly. "I was quite the idiot."

Haley looked at him, then took a Poké Ball from out of her belt and studied it. "Let's stop talking about this," she said. "There are better things to discuss."

...​

The next morning, both Trainers were rested, and with Haley's team all ready they immediately went to the Eterna Gym. "Whoa, holy foliage!" Haley exclaimed. "It's a giant indoor forest!"

"That's how my Pokémon like it!" someone replied happily. Haley directed her attention to a young woman. She had orange hair and orange eyes, and she wore a short-cropped black long sleeve with a green cloak over it. Her orange shorts went down to just above her knees, and she had green boots on. She smiled big. "Welcome to the Eterna Gym! I'm Gardenia, the Gym Leader!"

"Haley," the challenger introduced. "I want to challenge you for your badge, please!"

Gardenia laughed. "Enthusiasm! I like it!" She pointed to the east side of the "forest". "Well then, get over there and let's battle!"

"Where's the battlefield?" Paul asked.

"This is the battlefield!" the Gym Leader stated.

It will give her Grass-types the advantage, then, Haley realized. "Alright then, fine by me!" she exclaimed. "This'll make it more fun!"

Gardenia laughed. "That's the spirit!"

Soon, both battlers were in position on their sides of the field. "The Eterna City Gym battle between Haley, the challenger, and Gardenia, the Gym Leader, will now begin!" announced the woman referee who had entered soon after the duo.

"Nuz-nuz!" her Nuzleaf exclaimed, acting as a sort of co-referee.

"Three Pokémon will be used, and the challenge is over when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle! Furthermore, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon during the battle!"

"Nuz-leaf!"

Paul was in the bleachers, which were higher up than most bleachers, making it possible to see through the trees. He was thinking that, despite all of the crazy shit that ended up happening afterwards, he was glad to have fought at the Diablo Gym since it was plain and simple. The miniature forest below him would makes things a tad difficult for Haley, especially if she didn't want to set the place on fire. He looked up at the sky. There were clouds, but it was mostly a sunny day. If any of the Pokémon had Chlorophyll, it would make things even more difficult. "Alright, let the battle begin!" The sentence from the ref caused Paul to look back down on the field.

"Okay, Cherubi, let's go!" Gardenia exclaimed as she summoned the Cherry Pokémon. Maybe I should start knocking on wood, Paul thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Haley was deciding between Staravia and Monferno as her first. She quickly reached her conclusion. "Staravia, time to shine!" she shouted and released her Flying type.

"As my challenger, Haley, you get the honor of first attack," Gardenia offered.

"We'll take that," the Trainer replied. "Staravia, Tackle!" The Starling Pokémon flapped her wings once and then charged towards Cherubi.

"Dodge it, quick!" Gardenia ordered with a smile. It almost seemed as if she was here to be entertained rather than fight a serious battle. But when Cherubi dodged the Flying type with a quick sidestep, that thought went straight out the window.

"Whoa!" Haley exclaimed. "That's a fast Pokémon!"

"When Gardenia said 'quick', she meant it," Paul said to himself. It reminded him of Ash's Turtwig, another faster-than-average Grass type. He smirked. He might get a run for his money. Assuming he hasn't been here yet.

"If you think that's fast," Gardenia commented, "watch what happens on an extremely sunny day!" She pointed at the sky.

Haley followed the finger up. The clouds that had been blocking the sun had moved a little, and now the sunlight was even stronger. And if Cherubi gets faster due to sunlight... Two and two clicked together. "Staravia, get ready, things are about to get a bit fast paced!" she warned.

"Tackle!" the Gym Leader ordered. The Grass type charged like Staravia had, but thanks to its ability it was even faster. It hit an unprepared Staravia, and then it was on the ground. "And now the perfect move on a perfect day like this: Solar Beam!"

No charge-up time combined with extra speed would spell disaster. If the Trainer in the challenger's box was a rookie. "Dodge with Quick Attack!" Haley's mouth ran before her mind could even process the order. The Flying type swooped under the beam and then circled back to begin above it, charging at Cherubi. Staravia hit it dead on, sending Cherubi flying back...into the forest. "Ah, shit," Haley mumbled. "Staravia, up! Keep an eye out!"

"Star!" the Starling Pokémon responded and escalated into the air. She scanned the forest, but Cherubi was so small and the trees were so thick that she couldn't find the Cherry Pokémon. "Star, ray!"

Haley growled. "Then keep on guard!" she ordered.

Paul sat up a little. To him, the call sounded like a confirmation of whereabouts. Of course, from where he was, he was able to see inside the forest, whereas above, there was barely a way to do so. He began to think maybe that was the case, and Haley just figured it out before him. I'm getting lazy, he thought. Then he noticed Cherubi, climbing up and up and... "Haley, it's coming for Staravia!" he shouted without really thinking. Haley looked at him.

"Backseat drivers," Gardenia grumbled. "Cherubi, Magical Leaf!"

The challenger's attention was quickly back on the field as Cherubi emerged from the tops of the trees, ready to fire. Magical Leaf was an unavoidable move, but not an unstoppable one. "Swat them away with Wing Attack!" she shouted. Staravia's wings glowed white, and she bat the leaves away as they came for her.

"Not bad," the Gym Leader complimented as Cherubi landed. "Looks like you've done this before. Although that little comment did help you out." She grumbled that last bit and eyed Paul.

"That wasn't on purpose," Paul huffed.

Haley chuckled. "In all honesty, I think that warning only gave us an extra second," she admitted. "A second we really didn't need."

"What do you mean by that?" Gardenia asked.

"First, you're right, I have done this before," Haley commented. "Most of my Flying types have batted Razor or Magical Leaf away, and Staravia is trained to do so because of how often it happens. And second..." She chuckled again. "Well...just look up."

The older female did so, and found that more clouds had come, partially covering the sun again. She grunted in surprise. "When did-"

"Weather is unpredictable, and since only a little of the sun was covered, it was hardly noticeable." Haley smirked. "Of course, I don't like taking chances, so I'm still going to act as if Chlorophyll is in full effect. Staravia, why don't we demonstrate that little combo of ours?"

"Star," her Pokémon replied, nodding.

"Combo?" Gardenia and Paul questioned. When was she working on a combo? Paul asked himself. Maybe I was too busy training my own Pokémon.

"Now for my Sinnoh Flying type to demonstrate a Haley special: Quick Wing!" Staravia's wings glowed, like she was using Wing Attack, but a white trail of energy followed behind her as she charged, like with Quick Attack. With two different glows, Staravia was practically blinding to her opponent as she charged towards it, stunning it and making it unable to dodge the double attack. When Staravia swooped up and flapped her wings to get rid of the dust, everyone saw Cherubi had fainted.

"Cherubi is unable to battle!" the ref announced. "Which means Staravia is the winner!"

"Nuzleaf!"

Gardenia was amazed. "Thank you so much, Cherubi," she said with a smile. "Return." She recalled it. "Wow, Haley, I never expected that."

"No one does," Haley replied. "Though I'm surprised no one else has thought of it, or any of the other combos I've come up with."

"Maybe you're just a Combo Master," Gardenia stated, half joking and half serious.

"I like that title," her challenger said. "But it's not really as satisfying or fulfilling as Pokémon Master."

"Star-Star," Staravia agreed.

The Gym Leader laughed. "I'm glad I'm getting such an exciting challenger," she said. "Hopefully my battle with Ash will be just as exciting."

So he hasn't been here, Paul thought. "You know Ash?" Haley asked.

"Looks like you do, too," Gardenia answered. "I met him a few days ago in Eterna Forest. The route they were using, they were avoiding the back side of the forest."

"You mean there was a different route away from that mansion?!" Paul exclaimed, a little angry and annoyed that he went through that hell when he could have avoided it completely.

Gardenia looked sick all of a sudden. "You mean that haunted mansion really exists?" she asked, her voice a tad shaky.

Her too, huh? Haley thought. "H-hey, let's forget about that," she advised, not wanting to see either of them succumb to their fears. "We have a battle to fight."

The other two calmed down. "Yeah, you're right," Gardenia agreed. Crisis avoided, Haley sighed internally in relief. "Turtwig, you're next!" Another Sinnoh Grass starter revealed itself.

"Tur," it said, a little higher pitch than Ash's or Haley's.

Haley once again found herself deciding on Staravia or Monferno. Then she realized that Monferno didn't get to do much in the last Gym Battle besides be bait. Dawn's words didn't really affect her, but in a way the pre-teen Coordinator was right. "Staravia, take a break," she said. The Flying type nodded, and her Trainer recalled her. "Monferno, time to shine!" She released her chimp, who stretched, apparently not quite awake yet. "Let's get moving, buddy. Today's the day for your proper Gym Battle debut." That seemed to do the trick.

"Mon, Monfer!" he chattered, pumped up and ready to go.

"Haley, I know you and Monferno are fired up, but try to not burn the place down," Paul advised. A pebble (probably from her shoe) came sailing towards him, which he easily avoided. "Hey, if you can make bad puns, so can I."

His partner waved him off. "So, shall it be you or I who goes first this round?" Haley asked.

"You again," Gardenia replied.

"Generous. Monferno, Flame Wheel!" Her Fire type reeved up in place and shot off. And Turtwig...just sat there. "What-"

"Dodge." In a flash, Turtwig was gone. Monferno stopped his Flame Wheel, surprised, as were his Trainer and Paul.

"Another one?!" the Trainers exclaimed as Turtwig reappeared in front of Haley as quickly as she had disappeared.

"Tackle!" Gardenia ordered.

Monferno acted on his own, using Mach Punch to dodge the attack. "Glad I have two brains instead of one," Haley mumbled. She sometimes liked to her Pokémon as other brains of hers, since they sometimes thought exactly like her. "But now what? That's one fast Turtwig. Staying in the open...hmm...well, this may not work, considering she has home field advantage, but it's better than nothing." She exhaled. "Monferno, into the trees!" The playful chimp jumped right in, disappearing from sight.

Gardenia laughed. "My Pokémon know this battlefield inside and out," she stated. "Playing hide-and-seek isn't going to do you any good."

"Maybe you're right," Haley admitted with a serious look on her face. "But Monferno by nature play in the woods, just like an Aipom. Just because your Pokémon know this neck of the woods, doesn't mean they'll find a jokester on their first try."

"Fine, we'll go along with your game. Turtwig, time to play 'Tag'!" Turtwig jumped into the forest.

"Monferno, stay alert!" Haley ordered. "Use all of your senses, and strike when you think it's right!"

There was no answer, but Haley knew Monferno understood. The Trainers were left to wonder what was going on out of sight since all they heard was Turtwig moving around. Then there was a THUD, and for a split second Gardenia smirked, only to find that the Pokémon that came flying out was Turtwig. "But...how?!" she exclaimed as the Tiny Leaf Pokémon got to her feet.

"Like I said, by nature, Monferno knows how to swing from tree to tree," Haley replied. "Silently." Then a shadow jumped in front of her, from the challenger right side to the challenger left side of the forest.

Gardenia grunted. "After it-"

"And how do you know that was Monferno?"

"Who else could it be?!"

"Not who, what," Haley answered. "Didn't I also mention Monferno being a jokester? How do you know that whatever flew from here to there wasn't a twig he threw?" In all honesty, Haley herself wasn't sure if Monferno had thrown a twig or not, but she decided it would be better to act calm, collected, and in complete control.

The Gym Leader wasn't about to be thrown off by her own Gym. "Turtwig, fire Leaf Storm into the trees!" she ordered. Turtwig summoned the leaves and fired into both of the challenger's corners. Then Monferno jumped, but from the forest on Gardenia's right, and landed a Mach Punch to Turtwig's back. The Grass type rolled, but was able to get up and skid to a stop. "Leech Seed!" Turtwig fired a seed from her stem.

The seed's slower than I imagined, Haley thought. All of that running around and two Mach Punches must have made her lose some steam. We'll take that advantage, thank you. "Monferno, dodge! Then follow up with Flame Wheel again!"

"Dodge!" Gardenia ordered as the seed missed. Turtwig jumped over the wheel.

"Follow with Mach Punch!" Monferno broke out of his wheel and quickly turned around to chase after his opponent.

"Jump, Turtwig!"

Big mistake.

"Flame Wheel!" The Fire type reeved up quickly and shot after her. With nowhere to go, Turtwig was forced to endure the hit. She fell to the ground, and Monferno landed a ways back. Turtwig tried to stand up, and almost did, but then she fell back down, her energy spent.

"Turtwig is unable to battle, which means Monferno is the winner!"

"Nuzleaf!"

Gardenia sighed. "I'm sorry, Turtwig. I got a little cocky. But you did good. Return." She recalled her.

"Nice going, Monferno!" Haley congratulated.

"Mon-on, Monfer!" he cheered.

"It's not the end yet," Gardenia stated. "So don't think you've backed me into a corner. Roserade, come on out!"

The final Pokémon, the only dual-type, came out of its Poké Ball. "Roserade!" she cried.

This time, Haley had no trouble making her next move. "Monferno, get some rest, you earned it." Monferno nodded happily as Haley recalled him.

"No flinching this time?" Gardenia noted. "I assume you have a specific Pokémon in mind?"

"My best friend," Haley answered. "Umbreon..." She pulled back her arm. "Show time!"

With a powerful throw, Umbreon was released. Her paws gently touched as she landed in her hunting-like stance, the one she had begun her battle with Paul with. The spectator smirked. "This should be fun," he said to himself.

"So an Umbreon," Gardenia mused. "And you say it is your best friend? That makes two of us."

"Good," Haley said with a smirk. "I was afraid I would win this too easily."

Gardenia matched her challenger's smirk. "Would you mind if I took the first move this time?"

"Be a nice change of pace."

"Alright then. Roserade, Magical Leaf!"

Roserade spun, and the leaves shot of her rose hands at Umbreon. "Catch them!" Umbreon's eyes glowed blue, and the leaves stopped in their tracks. Then Umbreon began to revolve them around herself, as if she were a planet and the leaves were the rings around it. "I figured you would have Magical Leaf on that Roserade of yours, but I'm afraid this is an old song and dance for us. So now we'll just use the ones you've generously given to us as a shield. Faint Attack!" Haley ordered. Umbreon charged, fading out of sight.

Gardenia wasn't fazed. "Grass Knot," she whispered. Roserade's eyes glowed green, and dozens of blades of grass grew bigger than normal to tie themselves together. Umbreon reappeared as she tripped over one of them, skidding on the ground. The Magical Leaf ring collapsed around her, and she got up, growling. "Now, I'm going to try something new," Gardenia announced. "Tie its paws up completely!"

"Shadow Ball!" Haley ordered, hoping to stop Roserade. But the Bouquet Pokémon simply dodged as her eyes glowed green again. The grass around Umbreon grew and wrapped itself around her paws, all the way up to her ankles.

Paul, meanwhile, was amazed at the Gym Leader's move. "Never seen Grass Knot used like that," he noted. "But it's going to take more than that."

Haley proved his point. "Quick, untangle yourself!" The Moonlight Pokémon went to work with Psychic to unwrap the thick grass.

Since this was a new way of using the move, it wasn't as tight as Gardenia would have liked. She was on a time limit that was fading fast. "Roserade, Weather Ball!" Roserade jumped up and, thanks to the sun being fully out again, summoned a ball of fire. She threw it at Umbreon, who had just finished, and therefore had no time to react. When the flames lifted, Umbreon was revealed to have a burn. "Well, now it looks like you're on a time limit," Gardenia stated, satisfied. But then she took note of Haley's distress. Or rather, lack thereof.

"Hey, Gardenia, ever heard that I'm rubber and you're glue?" she asked. "Whatever you do bounces off me and sticks to you!" Suddenly Roserade was engulfed in flames that disappeared as quickly as they came, signifying that the Bouquet Pokémon was inflicted with burn.

"Ah!" the Gym Leader screamed. "But-"

"Synchronize," Haley explained. "Passes on status problems. Umbreon is the only Dark type to posses this ability." Yet another way she catches opponents off guard, Paul noted. "You know, I'm actually grateful for stopping Umbreon. Imagine if Girly had hit, and Roserade's ability was Poison Point. Synchronize wouldn't work then because of Roserade's typing. But would've, should've, could've, didn't, right?" She smirked. "Oh, and one last thing: that time limit you mentioned? You're under it as well. And it's worse for you, considering I still have my entire team."

Gardenia grunted. "Okay Roserade, let's end this quickly! Flash!" Roserade illuminated her entire body, blinding Umbreon. "Now, Magical Leaf!"

"Use your ears and use multiple Shadow Balls!" Haley instructed. Umbreon jumped away from the leaves and fired quick small Shadow Balls, destroying most of the leaves. But one caught her, and she stumbled, causing the rest of the attack to connect. The burns then affected both Pokémon, though thanks to the last attack Umbreon was feeling worse. And she was still blinded "Umbreon, sense her out and use Shadow Ball!" Umbreon found her target and fired the shadowy orb.

"Magical Leaf again!"

"Keep those Shadow Balls going!"

This time all of the leaves were destroyed. Roserade used that time to jump into the air (after being affected by burn again). "Weather Ball!"

Umbreon dodged, but thanks to her closed eyes she didn't see one of the leftover Grass Knots and tripped over it again. "She's off today," Paul mumbled to himself.

Why, why, WHY?! Haley screamed. Had they been too cocky? Was that it? "Come on, Umbreon, get up! You can do it!" she encouraged. Umbreon lifted herself up, flinching thanks to the burn.

"You know, I'm kind of disappointed," Gardenia stated as Roserade landed.

Haley didn't listen to the rest of whatever the Gym Leader was saying. She hated when her first Pokémon, her best friend, was getting ridiculed. It pierced her heart more than anything, and it made her feel like she had failed the veteran fighter. "Umbreon, fight!" she shouted, sounding desperate.

Umbreon hated when her Trainer, her best friend as well, got like that. It was as if Haley had magically regressed to a rookie every time that happened, flustered and unsure. That angered the Moonlight Pokémon, because it made her feel like she had failed. Fueled with that, Umbreon formed a dark ball in her mouth. But it looked slightly different. "That doesn't look like any Shadow Ball I've seen," Paul said. Then he realized what it was, right as Umbreon fired.

"Um-bre-on!" she shouted. Her eyes flew open, showing their anger and determination, and released a beam of black and purple circles at Roserade, who was surprised.

"Umbreon?" Haley asked, equally surprised at the new move.

"I was right, that's Dark Pulse," Paul commented.

"Dark Pulse?" Haley repeated.

Whatever it was called, it hit the Grass type dead on, and she was sent flying, the beam still going as she was against the wall. It quickly subsided, and both Roserade and Umbreon fell to the ground. Roserade fainted, but Umbreon went on a little longer, giving a triumphant smile before fainting as well.

"Both sides have fainted!" the ref announced. "However, since Haley still has useable Pokémon, she is the victor of today's challenge!"

"Nuuz-leaf!"

It was sort of bittersweet for Haley, since she felt like she could have done a bit better. "Umbreon, are you feeling okay?" she asked gently as she walked up to the Pokémon, who was starting to wake.

"Um...Umbre," she answered quietly and slightly nodding.

"I'm sorry," Haley stated. She scratched her friend's left ear. "That didn't go so well."

"You still won," Gardenia said as she approached the victor. "And I have to say, Umbreon has a spark that is quite amazing. To learn a new move right then and there, just to shut me up...you must be really special to her." Umbreon nodded again.

"I know she is to me," Haley replied. "Oh, right, what move did you forget?"

"Iron Tail," Paul interjected, holding his open Pokédex. "Honestly, sometimes I worry about you. I hope you realize no matter how much you ask Umbreon, you'll never get answer."

Haley and Umbreon blinked. Then they laughed, though Paul noted that for some strange reason it was slightly nervous. "Of course!" Haley exclaimed "Guess my mind is still stuck on the battle, so it's not working properly!" Her laugh went to a chuckle, then she cleared her throat and stood up. "So no more Iron Tail, huh? Oh well, not like it was used much. Well Umbreon, you ready for some rest?" Umbreon nodded, and her Trainer returned her.

"Well, I've gotta admit, I am extremely impressed," Gardenia said. "You're really tough! Wasn't it hard for you to raise your Pokémon to be so good?"

Haley laughed. "Kind of!" she replied. "But if you don't put in effort, you don't get results!"

Gardenia smiled. "You certainly got results. Forget anything I said, because you've demonstrated serious bonds and incredible teamwork." She dug into her pocket. "And for it, you get this, the Forest Badge." It looked exactly like it was called, three green forest trees all coming together.

The victor took her new badge. "Thank you," she said happily.

"And thank you for such an awesome battle," Gardenia told her. Then she hopped from one foot to the other, looking antsy. "Man, this just got me even more excited for my rematch with Ash!"

"You already battled him?" Haley asked.

"Unofficially in Eterna Forest," the Gym Leader replied. "He lost."

Paul rolled his eyes. Typical. "So...is there really another route through Eterna Forest?" he asked.

Gardenia looked at him and blinked. "And is there really a haunted mansion?"

"Thank you again so much, Gardenia!" Haley said quickly. She grabbed the back of the collar of Paul's jacket and tugged at it. "But we need to get to the Pokémon Center, and then we're exploring the city."

The boy turned his head. "Look, I just want-"

"I am not going to try and calm you down again!" Haley shouted.

"And I don't feel like playing therapist to Gardenia again, either," the woman ref sighed.

"Well, since someone is on my side, I think we can leave." Haley tugged at the collar so that she was almost dragging Paul behind her.

"Good luck on the rest of your journey!" Gardenia called after them.

The door closed behind the Trainers, and then they suddenly heard, "No, it's just a stupid rumor!"

Haley sighed. "But it's not," Paul stated.

"She doesn't need to know that," his partner grumbled.

"Fine, fine, but can you at least release me?" Haley did, and Paul straightened his jacket. "So, Pokémon Center and then exploring the city? Why not just leaving?"

"Just the Eterna Historical Museum," Haley stated. "I want to learn about the Sinnoh region, and that's not exactly easy or satisfying in Kanto."

"How about no."

"How about this is totally fair," the girl retorted back. "You dragged me through Diablo City for two days and didn't even tell me why. I only want to go to one place, and depending on the time of day when we exit, we could still have daylight to use."

Paul was about to argue, but then he realized she had a point. "Fair is fair," he finally admitted.

"Thank you," Haley responded.

They entered the Pokémon Center and got Haley's Pokémon healed up, then made their way over to the Eterna Historical Museum. On either side of the entrance were statutes of Pokémon. "The Pokémon that commands time, Dialga," Paul explained when Haley asked what Pokémon they were. "And the Pokémon that controls space, Palkia."

"Hmm." Haley smiled. "Pokémon have pretty amazing abilities."

"Humans must be even more amazing if they can control such creatures," Paul added.

"What about legendaries like these two?"

"Well..." He looked at the statues. "Maybe." With that they entered, and something behind the desk caught Paul's eye. "That's strange."

"What's strange?" Haley asked, but so did the Officer Jenny that walked up to the counter.

Paul looked at the adult. "The security system; it's outdated," he explained. "That's a third gen system. I thought PythonTech was on fourth gen."

Jenny narrowed her eyes. "Kid, what do you know about security that I don't?" she asked.

"That's a H-134 model," Paul stated. "Granted, it is the most advanced gen three systems, but it has been known to be a bit faulty as of late. Model S-201 is the most up to date."

The officer blinked, as did Haley. "I didn't know you were such a techie, Paul," his partner piped up.

Paul shrugged. "Just a little interested," he replied nonchalantly.

"I would say 'little' is an understatement, considering S-201 is at best a prototype," Jenny informed. "Only those who were following the latest conference closely and us officers know about the newest system."

Now it was Paul's turn to blink. "Really," he said, somewhat surprised. "No, I was sure they were out already."

"You're suspicious," Jenny accused. "You and I need to have a talk. Alone."

Haley looked from Paul to Jenny and back to Paul. She shrugged to him and left the two. "Guess I'll see you later," she called over her shoulder.

Paul watched her go. "Kid, who exactly are you?" Jenny questioned.

"My name is Paul."

"Last name?"

He flinched. "Uh...don't have one."

The officer raised an eyebrow. "Let me see your Trainer ID," she requested, although he knew it was more of a demand.

Now he gulped. He hated his last name. Not because it sounded stupid, but because of what it meant. "O-okay, I lied, I do," he stated. "It's Anderson."

"ID?"

Paul bit his lip. "Uh...forgot it?" Now that was a painfully obvious desperate attempt to get away from the situation if he ever heard one, and it was coming out of his own mouth.

"Very funny, kid. Now do I have to bring you down to the station?"

"No, no, I'll get it." The last thing he needed was a call from Reggie yelling at him for being dragged to the police station. With shaky hands he took his bag off his bag and opened it up. He dug through it and found his Trainer ID. When he handed the plastic card over, he got the reaction he was expecting: wide, surprised eyes. "My name is Paul Zuckerman," he admitted. "The very Zuckerman you're probably thinking of."

Jenny looked at the card, at Paul, at the system, at Paul, and then back at the card. "I-I had no idea...I apologize-"

"Please don't act formal, I'm not a representative for my father's company," Paul interrupted. "I'm just a normal Trainer." What a fucking lie that was.

There wasn't a person in the world who hadn't heard the name Zuckerman, and whether they knew it or not, everyone had something that had been through PythonTech. They made software, hardware, security systems, you name it technical, most likely they made it. Except for Poké Balls. That was Silph Corporation's territory, and no one stepped into it. PythonTech dared once, and that was probably the worst finical year of the company's long history. And Paul was the son (and unfortunate heir) to the father and current president, Fredric Zuckerman. It would be Reggie, but the bastard hated Paul's older brother because of his love for Pokémon, not knowing Paul liked Pokémon as well. His older brother was neglected and treated unkindly, and as a result Reggie ran away when Paul was four. Reggie wanted his younger brother to stay behind, but Paul refused, so they left together. That was eleven years ago, and they had yet to be caught. There were a few people in the world besides the brothers who knew Paul's last name: the people who registered him for the Pokémon League, and now Officer Jenny. "So then...no one knows?" she asked.

"Not a word," Paul requested. He then added a "Please" as he reached for the card.

Jenny met him in the middle. "I won't tell a soul," she promised. When the plastic was in Paul's hand he quickly threw it into his bag and put it back on. "Anyway, since I assume you only saw the announcement of the S-201, I'll explain. Apparently it still has problems, according to President Zuckerman himself."

"Impossible," Paul countered. "My dad's too much of a workaholic and perfection for it to have any problems upon announcement. Once they're out for a year or so he doesn't give a damn, but not a moment before."

"I thought it was impossible too, but that's what they say," Jenny informed. "Even Cyrus said so."

Cyrus. His father's biggest business partner, and the man who knew just as much about every product as his dad did. As much as Paul hated both men, if both of them said there were problems, his hands were tied. "Then never mind, I guess," he sighed. "Sorry for taking your time."

"That's my line," the officer said, giving her first smile all day. "Well, enjoy the museum."

Paul nodded and went to find Haley. It had just been confirmed both men had said the newest model was faulty, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was...off about the whole thing. He ruffled his hair. "Oh, what's the point of trying to understand those two?" he mumbled. He finally found his partner, who was busying looking at a scale model of the Space-Time Tower.

"Hey, you're back," she noted. "So, what was that all about?"

He shrugged. "She must be the cautious type," he replied. He would rather not let another person know about his real identity. It wasn't that he didn't trust Haley, but so much of his past had been revealed to her already, and he didn't want something else to be dug up in front of her so quickly. Besides, at least his reply was somewhat true.

They walked around a bit, finally coming back to the lobby, which held a special piece that Haley had been too busy caught up in the paintings and artifacts to notice. "What is it?" she asked as she searched the pedestal. "There's no plaque for information or anything."

"That's because not much is known about the Adamant Orb," someone said. The Trainers turned to see one of the tour guides. "All that's really known is that it somehow connects to Dialga and Palkia."

"Like, as in summoning them?" Haley asked him.

"Perhaps," he replied. "But no one knows for sure. Not yet, anyway. Professor Carolina of the Celestic Town Historical Research Center wants to study it, but apparently is too busy working on the Celestic Ruins at the moment."

Paul was sure he had heard that name before, but he also didn't really care at the moment. "Well, if that's all there is to it at the moment, I guess there's nothing else here I want to see," Haley declared. "Thank you for the information."

"Any time," the man stated and walked off, and the Trainers left.

"So, are you ready to go?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Haley replied. He seems a little on edge ever since that conversation, she noted. I wonder what they talked about. Well, guess I shouldn't push it. She sighed internally. And I don't think now would be the best time to admit that my feet are killing me...

...​

The journey to Mt. Coronet was...interesting, if Paul could only use one word. First thing that happened was, not long after they left Eterna City, Haley collapsed, due to her feet being absolutely sore, forcing them to stay at a Pokémon Center. They were about to leave the next morning when a Trainer with blue hair interrupted them. He wore a pink shirt, a brown vest, black pants, and black boots. There was a red handkerchief around his neck and sunglasses resting on his head. To say he was a snob and an arrogant asshole was putting it lightly. The first thing he did was hit on Haley, making her very agitated and Paul growl a little. The other male slyly asked if Paul was upset that he was trying to steal his girlfriend, which not only got an angry reply of "She's not my girlfriend!", but also somehow ended up with the two in a Pokémon battle. It was Chimchar verses a Growlithe. The opponent commented on how Fire type starters were weak, and how he had once had a Charmander that he had given up for said reason. Now Paul wouldn't have minded since he also believed in strong Pokémon if the teen didn't brag about leaving it in the rain to die. For once, both he and Chimchar were angry at the same thing. Having enough with this clown, Paul ordered Dig, which took out the Growlithe in one shot. The Growlithe looked strong. The Trainer was just too weak.

"Maybe that was why the Charmander was weak," Haley commented. "He just doesn't know how to properly raise Pokémon."

"What a waste of time," Paul grumbled. Chimchar actually agreed. "Let's go."

"Oy! You just gonna walk away?" the boy asked. Paul sighed. "I've got stronger Pokémon than that. Fire types are weak anyway."

Chimchar took offense to that, and Paul couldn't believe he was trying to coax another battle out of him. "Find some other loser to fight you," he responded.

"Afraid you'll lose? Think you'll embarrass yourself in front of your girl-"

"You're asking for it!" Paul snapped as he charged. Soon there was a scuffle where neither Haley nor Chimchar knew what was going on.

"Have you ever see him this...immature?" Haley questioned.

"Chim-char," the chimp replied, shaking his head slowly.

They watched the dust cloud for a few more moments. "Well, looks like we're not going anywhere for a while," the female Trainer stated. "How about we go inside?"

"Chim." The Pokémon followed her into the building. The TV was on, and everyone was focused on it. There was something about the Eterna Historical Museum, and the Adamant Orb, and thieves...

Haley flew back outside. "Paul, you might want to see this!" she called. Paul and the other male stopped fighting. They went inside to watch the breaking news.

"Once again, we bring you to our top story on the stolen Adamant Orb," the newscaster reported.

"Stolen?" Paul repeated. Other Trainers who had just walked in also gasped and mumbled to each other.

"The robbery took place ten minutes ago by unknown thieves," the woman continued. "We do not have the full details, but police say that at the time of the robbery the security system was experiencing a series of glitches."

Paul immediately sat down at a table to where he could see the TV. Chimchar hopped onto it. "Chim?"

His Trainer was silent. "We're not leaving until we see the conclusion of this," he declared.

Haley and Chimchar were taken aback. "Really?" she clarified. Her partner said nothing, but the look on his face was enough to make her quietly sit down, with Chimchar in her lap. Paul wasn't too concerned with the stolen orb. He had a feeling the police would get it back. What did concern him was the statement he knew his dad would sooner or later make about the faulty security system, especially since it was a priceless artifact. And I want to be there when he makes it, Paul decided.

He hated his dad. He hated the company. He hated the idea of taking said company from said dad. But, in the case that he was found and forced back, he wanted to know as much as he could about it. That was the reason he knew about the latest system and the systems before it. He had that knowledge just in case worse came to worse, and when he would appear on center stage for the whole world to see (assuming he got caught in the first place), he wouldn't make a complete fool of himself.

An hour passed, and finally the orb was found and returned. The thieves were the three Team Rocket losers, so Paul figured Ash was somehow involved. For a few minutes nothing else happened. He was surprised his dad hadn't appeared yet and, thinking he wasn't going to, got up. "Let's go," he said. Haley looked at him walk past, and Chimchar woke up (he had dozed off at some point, finding the very rare updates boring). The chimp hopped off the girl's lap to let her stand up, and they were almost out the door when the woman newscaster said something about a statement from Fredric Zuckerman. Paul grabbed Haley's shoulder. "Actually, just a few more minutes."

"Why...oh," she said when she noticed the TV.

"On behalf of the entire company, I apologize for our faulty system," the president began. "We understand that the model is outdated. As we speak, our fourth generation of systems is being finalized and will be out shortly. We understand that what was almost stolen today was an artifact that is to forego studies and is very important to the world of archeology, and therefore we will work even harder to make sure something like this does not happen again."

The room was silent. "You know, Paul," Haley whispered. "Earlier I wanted to leave. Now I have the energy to train at best."

Paul was silent for a few more moments. "I agree," he finally said. Dad sure does know how to suck the energy out of everything.

The next morning, Haley actually wore a different outfit: a red t-shirt with white sleeves and jean shorts. Paul asked why the sudden change, and Haley told him she had found out they would have to travel down Cycling Road. "Bike plus skirt equals no thank you," she ended her explanation. Paul agreed with the logic.

One bike trip later, and soon the two found themselves at a very large river, with a Wailord-looking steamboat just docking. The duo walked down to the docks and discovered it was one of those sightseeing steamboats that also made its way towards Hearthome City. Paul would have agreed to it, until he heard the words "first class restaurant". He quickly made his way to the Pokémon Center. "I'll pass," he stated.

"But it sounds like fun," Haley insisted.

"It also sounds like there will be a bunch of rich snobs there," he argued. "Therefore, I'll pass. You may go if you so choose."

Haley sighed. "Every party needs a pooper that's why they invited you," she sang in a monotone voice. "Party pooperrr, party pooperrrrrrr." Paul just rolled his eyes.

Next day came; there was a storm, preventing them from going anywhere. The day after that, they began their three day walk down the river, a day trip by boat, as Haley pointed out a total of three times. She would have gladly rubbed it in more, but Paul threatened to duct tape her mouth shut. "And the only way you'll be able to get free is with my help," he finished, his tone showing he was way past even the slightest bit of tolerance.

"Do you even have duct tape?" Haley inquired.

"Shall we find out?" Paul answered hauntingly.

The reply was a quiet "No" and silence (depending on who you were, it was either much needed or awkward). Finally, Mt. Coronet was ahead of them, and in no time, so was the entrance. Paul had gone through it once when he and Torterra (then a Turtwig) were just starting. They were traveling to Oreburgh for their first Gym Battle, but a call from Reggie asking if he wanted to see an important battle he was going to have canceled those plans, and then, not long after, canceled his plans on returning to Sinnoh for five years. He sighed, more heavily than he realized. "You okay?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, just breathing."

"Just...breathing," the girl repeated, not believing the excuse. "That sounded way too heavy to be 'just breathing'."

What is with the interrogations lately? Paul asked himself. "I was thinking about something," he replied, which was at least truthful.

Haley grunted. "Will you just forget about it already?" she asked, a little miffed.

Paul almost jumped back in outer shock and asked how the hell she knew about Reggie's last battle when he immediately (and thankfully) remembered the steamboat. "Good, you seemed to have listened," he said as he walked into the mountain path.

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled. She followed in after him, and a few seconds later he heard her grumble, "Duct tape. Next time, we'll see who uses the duct tape." He couldn't help but smirk at that.

Of course, his short-lived happiness always had to fade quickly, didn't it?

"...where the Sinnoh region began," Paul heard someone mutter up ahead. He knew that voice.

There was no way he wanted to encounter the face.

Paul grabbed Haley's wrist and immediately covered her mouth to drown out the squeak, shout, or whatever of surprise that would no doubt come out of her. He then proceeded to go on another path that would take them to the exit. It would take a bit longer, yes, but it would be better than running into-

"Hello, Paul. I didn't expect to see you of all people today."

Oh damn everything to high hell.

 

Chapter 9: Something Will Be Born

What had she done to deserve the sudden grab-and-tug? All she was doing was thinking. And a hand over her mouth? What was he doing?

"Hello, Paul. I didn't expect to see you of all people today."

He stopped, the grip tightened, and he huffed, sounding annoyed and frustrated. Apparently, Paul hadn't wanted to be spotted.

Clearly, his wish had been denied.

She turned her head and saw a man, probably in his late twenties. He had blue spiky hair and blue eyes, and he was wearing...a business suit? In a mountain cave? Haley might have focused more on how odd the sight was if her focus wasn't on the atmosphere the man brought with him. It radiated with importance and leadership.

And Paul knew this guy, although he didn't seem too happy about it.

Paul finally let go of her wrist and faced the man, his face seemingly calm. But he was definitely not. "Cyrus, how...surprising it is to see you," he said, the annoyed tone in his voice betraying his face.

"Now come on, is that any way to treat a family friend?" Cyrus asked. The low growl Paul gave told Haley that no matter if this guy was a family friend, he wasn't Paul's friend. Then Cyrus noticed Haley. "And who is this?"

"H-hello," Haley greeted, the man's atmosphere making her a little nervous. "M-my name is Haley. I'm Paul's traveling partner."

"I see," the man stated. "My name is Cyrus."

"Nice to meet you," the girl replied, although she wondered if it really was, considering Paul's attitude. "So...I know this is going to sound strange, but why are you wearing a business suit in here?"

Cyrus laughed. "Not the one to be afraid of asking the blunt questions, are we?" he inquired.

Paul rolled his eyes. "He's the mobile man of Sinnoh's industrial complex," he explained. "Almost every library and museum is built under his supervision, as well as a few other buildings in the region." He looked at her. "The Eterna Historical Museum, for instance." Haley was amazed. Never mind the fact that Paul clearly didn't enjoy his company, his family personally knew the man responsible for preserving Sinnoh's history. Paul then turned, his back to Cyrus. "Now that you two know each other, we're leaving."

"Hold on, Paul, why so hostile?" Cyrus asked. "I just want to have a friendly chat. It has been three years since you and have last met."

"Cyrus, you are treading on very thin," Paul warned.

"It's surprising how much more you sound like your father every time I see you."

"VERY thin ice," the boy hissed.

"Can we just talk?"

Paul was going to reject again, but Haley brought him close and whispered, "Just do it. He might follow us and keep on pestering you if you don't."

He was silent for a while, and finally he sighed. "Fine," he huffed. He walked up to his dad's business partner for the second private conversation of the week. "This better be important," Paul grumbled, his arms folded and a scowl on his face.

"Would I take your time away if it wasn't?" Cyrus replied. "I am a busy man, after all."

"Yes. Clearly, you're busy, seeing as you're sightseeing inside Mt. Coronet, mumbling incoherent nonsense."

Cyrus remained calm, except for his eyes. Paul clearly saw them twitch a little at his sarcastic comment. "I see you definitely have gotten more of a...sense of humor since we last met," he noted.

"Or maybe I always have, and I just didn't feeling like sharing it with you," Paul replied. "Now, I'll say it again, this better be important."

"I had heard of your return, and wanted to see how you were doing," Cyrus explained, getting to the point this time. "I had also heard something interesting about the Valley Windworks about a week or so ago. Seems like you defeated a group of criminals. Team Galactic, as I recall."

"And?"

"Well, since it was his security system, your father was informed and led to believe the police handled everything. Of course, I had the sneaking suspicion that wasn't the case." Typical, on two fronts. First, that his dad would only care if it had to do with his security and second, that Cyrus went out of his way to confirm if the police were wrong. Paul always found it strange that the man didn't care for the police force, but then he would counter that thought by pointing out that maybe he just didn't like how they handled certain situations. "I am glad I chose to find out for myself."

"I never said I did anything about it," Paul said, rolling his eyes.

"That 'And?' made it pretty clear to me."

"Fine, whatever, you're correct. Now can you please leave? I have places to be."

"But wouldn't you like to come with me and tell your father about your heroics?"

Paul narrowed his eyes. Again. He was doing this again. "How many times," he began, hissing, "do my brother and I have to tell you to not say a damn word to him?"

"It's easy to ignore children."

If he didn't get out of this conversation now, Paul was going to snap, and it wasn't going to be pretty. He whipped around and stormed off, then grabbed Haley by the wrist once more and yanked her along. "We're leaving," he hissed.

"Hold on-"

"We're fucking leaving," he repeated, sounding agitated and livid.

Haley looked back at Cyrus, who gave her a warm smile and a wave. She couldn't hear what they had talked about, but whatever it was, it didn't look like the experiment for this product she now had on her hands. Or in this case, the hand of the product wrapping around one of her wrists. And to make matters worse, Paul hadn't realized he had taken her left wrist. He was squeezing it so tight, barely any blood was allowed to flow. It would only be slightly uncomfortable, if her left hand had been what it was eight years ago. "Paul-"

"It's none of your business!" he snapped, not realizing she didn't care for whatever they had talked about at the moment.

"But-"

"Stop trying to talk about it!"

"Hand!"

They stopped with the exit only a few feet away. Paul turned his head. "What does that mean?" he asked, confused but the agitated tone still there.

"You're squeezing my left wrist!" Haley exclaimed. "I can't feel my left hand!"

"Left...hand?" He looked down. "Oh God!" he shouted and let go as if he had been touching fire and just realized how hot it actually was. He quickly walked out, leaving Haley to stand there, shaking feeling back into her hand before running after him. She had expected him to be farther along the path, and she almost took off down it if Paul hadn't piped up, "I'm sorry." She turned around to find him leaning against the cliff, hands in his pockets and a guilty look on his face. "I didn't mean to."

"Hey, it's alright," Haley stated. "See, look, the color's back!" Her reward was the hint of a small smile. "And I understand. Some people get me agitated, too."

Paul's face darkened, and Haley realized too little too late that even mentioning Cyrus, whether it was by name or not, was a very, VERY bad move. "Forget him," he said in a voice that made a chill sprint (the usual run analogy too slow for this moment) down Haley's spine. "Don't mention him, don't ever bring him up, I don't want to even think about him." He glared at her, and for the first time since she had around him, Haley flinched. "Understand?"

All Haley could do was nod. He walked on, and she let him get ahead of her before she followed him. Walking next to Paul just didn't seem as inviting as it usually did. It was basically impossible for Haley not to think about Cyrus, and she was amazed she was able to bite back her questions, but miraculously she did it. She had been so caught up in thinking she didn't realize they had made it to a Pokémon Center, or that it was close to sundown. And she especially didn't hear Paul until there was a snap of fingers. "Huh? Wha?" she responded unintelligently.

"I said we're stopping here for the night," Paul sighed. "Honestly, sometimes I worry about you. Where were you, Wonderland?"

Haley's brain pushed Cyrus aside. She didn't want Paul to think that the man was occupying her mind, and the only way to do that was to prove her witty blade hadn't dulled. "Yeah, fell down the Buneary hole," she said. "Thank goodness you brought me back. They were about to make me drink the shrink potion."

"Didn't Alice drink the potion herself?" Paul commented with a smirk.

"Not in my version."

"Ah, so you've taken up writing fan fiction, then?"

"Wait till you see what I've done to you."

Paul huffed but still had a slightly amused look on his face. "Don't even joke like that." Haley giggled.

The next morning, Paul woke Haley up early. Normally, she would complain, but it seemed that she had gotten a very good rest. They went downstairs and looked at the selection for the day. There was absolutely nothing Haley wanted, but Paul picked something for her anyway. Now they were sitting in a booth, and Haley grumbled at her Pokégear map as she ate her unwanted breakfast. "I didn't realize," she mumbled in between bites, "that the road to Hearthome is that long." She swallowed. "And I can't believe you are actually doing this. I don't even like oatmeal!"

"I told you I would make sure you ate breakfast even if it meant stuffing something down your throat," Paul stated.

"To be honest, I'd rather you be literal than metaphorical at this moment," she replied. "Kicking my shins? Really?" His foot touched her right shin as a warning.

"Keep stalling, I dare you," he warned with his familiar shit-eating grin.

Haley grumbled and quickly forced the slop (at least, it looked like slop to her) down her throat. "There. I'm done. Can we go now?"

"Sure," Paul said, shrugging and then slid out of the booth.

"I hate you," Haley grumbled.

Paul walked over to her, grabbed her wrist (he made she it was her right one this time), and yanked her out of the seat so that now they were in each other's faces. "Say that to my face," he whispered jokingly.

"As many times as you want," the girl retorted with a smirk. "I hate you."

"And I'm a brunette," Paul replied, matching the smirk. He then let go of her wrist and walked off. "Come on, let's get moving."

They were on the road again, and thanks to Paul's early morning rise, they had gotten pretty far down the road, and there was still plenty of daylight. Haley now had high hopes of getting to Hearthome City in four days unlike her predicted seven or more. That was, until a group of kids ran by going towards a nature park. "The Champion!" they sang. "We're really going to see the Champion!" And with Paul's eyes following them, Haley threw that new hope out the window.

"Okay, Mister Eager, let's go see the Champion," she said dryly.

She expected a witty comeback, something like, "It's been a while since you've given me a nickname", but Paul didn't say a word as he walked towards the park. It looked like he was going there with purpose, and she had no idea what was swarming through his head. Anxious, she followed him, not knowing exactly what to expect. They walked up a flight of stairs and were greeted with a crowd of Trainers and an alter of some sort. But more importantly, they were greeted with one of the most dazzling people Haley had ever laid eyes on.

The last three Champions she had met were Lance, Steven, and Wallace (she had been Steven's last challenger, and had talked with Wallace while the stone collector was recording her into the Hall of Fame). They all had a powerful aura around them, indicating their positions of being Top Trainers. But the female Champion didn't give that off. She gave off something calm as she licked away at her ice cream and ran her free hand over the stone she was in front of. Haley also found her very pretty, with her long blonde hair and her black trench coat, pants, and high heels. The teen looked at her in awe, wanting to stay where she stood for just a few more moments to admire her, but then she noticed Paul kept going. Towards her. And with determination. A horrible thought flashed through her mind and she ran after him, hoping to stop whatever stupid plan he had in mind.

"Hey Paul!" a familiar cheerful voice rang, stopping them both. Haley was actually relieved for the distraction despite the low tolerance Paul had for his younger rival. Speaking of which, Paul turned to look at Ash as he walked up. "Haven't seen you since Oreburgh," he continued, a smile on his face. It was clear that what Paul had said to him blew off and into obscurity. "So how many badges have you won? I've got two of them now!"

Answer, answer, ANSWER! Haley screamed, hoping Ash could get Paul to focus on something other than what she feared he was focused on. But of course, answering with a simple "One" would be too out of character. And too hopeful. "It's really none of your business, see?" he replied curtly and began walking again. Haley became even more nervous watching him do that.

Ash's face was filled with confusion and Dawn frowned, her hands now on her hips. "The same old same old," she mumbled.

Paul was getting closer, and Haley's stomach was doing somersaults. "Um...P-Paul!" she called in a desperate attempt. He stopped again. "D-Dawn has something to say to you!"

"I do?" the younger girl asked.

"She does?" Paul questioned, though it also sounded like he should have added a "huh" before the question mark. "Well, she can tell me later." And he started back up.

Running out of time, RUNNING OUT OF TIME! "Dawn, please!" Haley begged, her eyes and her voice showing desperation. "Do something! Anything!"

"W-why me?" she asked. "A-and what's wrong?"

Haley was about to reply saying there was no time to explain when Paul's voice rang out, "You're Cynthia, aren't you?"

"Shit!" Haley whispered.

"Language!" Dawn scolded.

Cynthia turned to the boy who had addressed her. "Yes," she replied sweetly.

"My name is Paul, and I'm from Veilstone," he introduced. "I'd like to challenge you to a battle." The park was filled with gasps, and Haley realized she had been right all along. She didn't like that one bit.

"Paul, are you crazy?!" she cried.

The challenger turned his head slightly so she could see his eyes, and for a second she swore they flashed with a look that screamed "Betrayal". She flinched, and quickly realized that everyone (minus the three behind her) were saying the same exact thing only...much more hurtful. They were scoffing, taunting, mocking, calling him insane. Right now, only four people were there who might believe in him, and only one was close to being considered a friend, although Haley wasn't sure if she had reached that status yet. And then she realized something else: despite his jokes last night and this morning, it was clear he still hadn't gotten over the meeting in Mt. Coronet. He was looking to blow off steam, not to mention he was on a winning roll, having beaten Roark, Mars, and Luna (plus a few Trainers here and there), so his confidence was probably at new heights. After their run-in with that gang in Eterna Forest, he probably felt like he had earned this, needed this, and so Haley gave in. She stepped back and threw him an apologetic look. He closed and opened his eyes, a way of nodding, before looking at the Champion again. She was contemplating on her answer with a smile, and she seemed to be going through some past memories. "It's been a while since I took a field challenge," she stated. "Are you competing in the Sinnoh League now?"

"That's right," Paul answered.

"I see," she said. She began walking down the stairs. "Then I'm assuming you transferred here from another League." She stopped a couple yards in front of him and wore a very big smile. "Fine then, I accept your challenge."

The park was once again shocked, and Haley knew that if she were in Paul's shoes, she would probably hurl from stage fright. Of course, when it came time to fight the Champion at the end of her journey she would be just fine but now, with only one fully evolved Pokémon in her belt, there was no way her legs would even allow her to stand, especially with all of the comments and snickers that were being tossed around. Then again, this was Paul. If he wanted to battle Cynthia right here, right now, no amount of jeering was going to stop him. "Is this why you were asking for me to do something?" Dawn asked. Ash had made room for Paul's traveling partner in between him and Dawn, and Haley at the moment didn't really care that their last meeting had ended up with an almost catfight.

Haley nodded. "I'm...a little nervous," she admitted. "But I can't stop him, and I won't. I shouldn't have tried."

"Do you mind if we battle with six Pokémon each?" Paul asked.

"No problem," was the response.

The crowd was at it again, one person very close to the group of four claiming Paul had no brains. "Wow, this crowd's giving Paul a tough time," Dawn noted. Haley knew that if any of these people were Jason or his cronies, he would be breaking, but to Paul these other Trainers meant nothing. And I don't know if that comforts me or scares me, she thought.

"That's true," Brock agreed. "But don't forget, this is Paul were talking about. I'm sure he's done his homework."

"Has he?" Dawn inquired.

Haley wondered for a split second who Dawn was talking to, seeing as how the fourteen-year-old was still trying to figure out how she felt about all of this. "Well...maybe, when I wasn't looking," she replied. "Or maybe when he was younger. To be honest, he hasn't mentioned Cynthia once to me. I didn't even know her name until Paul said it when he asked if it really was her." Her attention was suddenly drawn to the battlefield by a shift in the atmosphere. Cynthia had gone from calm and even slightly bubbly to the usual empowering one, the one that screamed, "YES! I AM the Champion! Now bow, my peons!"

"Then let's get this underway," Cynthia said. "Garchomp, battle dance!"

She threw the Poké Ball, and out popped a dark blue Dragon-looking Pokémon. "Gaaar!" she cried. Haley flinched at her superiority. Not even Lance's Dragonite or Steven's Metagross had made her do that. Then again, she hadn't met them until she battle them on center stage, and this time she was seeing the Champion's Pokémon when she only had two badges. Clearly, it made a difference.

"Whoa, there's Garchomp again!" Ash exclaimed and opened up his Pokédex.

"Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon," the computerized female voice explained. "When it folds up its body and spreads its wings, it can fly like a jet plane at the speed of sound."

"She's that fast?!" Haley shouted.

Paul wasn't fazed at the sight of his high-speed opponent. "Chimchar, stand by for battle!" Once again the chimp was on the field, looking determined. The battle with the blue haired Trainer had left him unsatisfied, and just like Paul, he was also on a winning streak. Confidence was the name of their game.

The Champion blinked and her mouth was wide open. "A Chimchar?" she noted with confusion.

Apparently Paul enjoyed the taunts the Trainers were throwing at him, because they were at it once more. It was as if he wanted to add fuel to the fire. "Even I'm not so sure about this," Dawn whispered.

Haley might have agreed, if at that moment the kid repeated his no brains comment and then added a snicker this time. She wasn't really thinking when she suddenly shouted, "You can do it, Chimchar!"

"Haley?" Dawn asked, concerned.

"Hate to break it to you, Miniskirt, but your boyfriend just sent out a Pokémon with a terrible type disadvantage," the kid sneered.

The older teen looked at him and gave him an icy glare. The kid looked no older than twelve, and this was how he decided to treat someone older? "First off, Chimchar can," she snapped. "He's more powerful than you realize. Second, he's not my boyfriend. Third, no one disses the skirt, especially since it's definitely not mini."

"You know he has a point on the typing," Dawn told her as the kid blinked in surprise.

"Maybe, but you saw the Oreburgh Gym Battle too," Haley pointed out. "May I remind you of Elekid? And you should be seeing the combo Paul and Chimchar have been lately. They haven't lost since Chimchar fainted that day."

"So, do you think they'll win, then?" the Coordinator asked.

Haley dropped the smile that had grown. "I...I don't know," she admitted. She looked around the park. "I hope."

Paul's first attack was Fire Spin, used in a different way than in the Gym Battle against Luna. Instead of charging, Chimchar fired a spinning vortex out of his mouth, and hit Garchomp dead on. Brock and Ash marveled at the power, but then Dawn said, "But let's see if Fire Spin does anything."

The vortex went on, and Paul quickly took action. "Now Dig!" he ordered. Chimchar burrowed into the ground.

"We'll use Dig as well," Cynthia declared, and Garchomp did, despite still being caught in the vortex. Paul growled and Haley was holding her breath. The sinking feeling both of them had grew when the ground began to shake and the fire vortex popped out, with Chimchar being flung back and hitting the ground. He tried to get up, but the hit had been too much. Time slowed for the three as Chimchar fell back down. The chimp's world went black, Paul was frowning, and Haley tensed up.

For the first time in weeks, Chimchar had fallen.

And Garchomp, breaking out of the Fire Spin, looked as if nothing had happened.

"Boy, that didn't take long, did it?" Dawn gasped.

Haley looked at her partner, who was recalling Chimchar. The look in his eyes gave Haley one thought: We're back to square one. "You outta be ashamed," he said aloud, causing both Cynthia and Ash to frown.

Too bad they couldn't hear his thoughts.

Damn it! he shouted. One attack?! And its not even fazed?! I knew it, Haley was trying to stop me, and maybe I should have listened! Chimchar be ashamed? So should I! I sent him out, thinking that spark of determination would carry him through, but one attack?! I'm in way over my head! His eyes scanned the crowd quickly. Well, I can't back out now. Not yet. I have Weavile. And Torterra...That's it! I'll weaken it with Weavile, and if...uh, Haley said he, right?...Yeah, he. If he goes down, I'll bring Murkrow out. By then, Garchomp should be weak enough for Torterra to take it out. Maybe its not showing it, but Fire Spin had to do something! "Weavile, stand by for battle!" he shouted.

The Sharp Claw Pokémon, materialized. "Weavile!" he cried.

Now Dawn had a smile on her face, Haley finally not feeling alone. "Let's see how Weavile does," she said, pulling out her own Pokédex to get his information.

"I haven't seen Weavile in action yet," Haley stated as the voice ended. "But an Ice type-"

"Pokémon like Weavile against Garchomp is a good match," Cynthia said, drowning out the younger female. "Yes, a wise choice indeed."

Was she...talking before I did or did she cut me off? Haley thought.

Did she just...cut someone off? Paul asked himself. He mentally shook the question away. It wasn't important at the moment. "Blizzard!" he ordered quickly. The gem on Weavile's forehead glowed, and then snow came out of his mouth. Garchomp guarded with her fin, and didn't even flinch. To a quadruple effective attack. Paul was horrified. Now in his head he was screaming, hoping this was a bad dream, that he had conked out standing up. He was waiting for a pebble to fly and hit him in the back of the head, followed by one of Haley's quips. But when he secretly pinched his hand and felt the pain but nothing changed, he knew he had gotten into a hole he probably wouldn't be able to climb out of.

Meanwhile, the group of four was stunned, though definitely nowhere near Paul's level. "What...happened?" Brock questioned, not believing this. Yeah sure, Cynthia was Champion, but this was beyond insane.

"That Blizzard should have been huge but it did nothing!" Dawn added.

"Hacks, I call hacks!" Haley cried. Her anxiety was shooting through the roof, not just because of Paul's situation but because she was now thinking of her future battle. She predicted that breakfast she had wasn't going to stay with her for long.

"Dragon Rush!" Cynthia called happily, as if she enjoyed the awe she was putting the five through. Garchomp hit the Blizzard with her fin, stopping it, causing the challengers to gasp. They watched as the Dragon-Ground type grew a blue aura around her and dove straight for Paul's Pokémon.

Weavile was scared stiff. The power flowing from the move was overwhelming. He hated just standing there, not being able to move. Paul wasn't in the line of fire, but he could still feel what Weavile was. If he's feeling what I am, there's no way he's dodging. "In that case, Ice Beam!" he exclaimed aloud. His Pokémon fired twice, but Garchomp just dodged and rammed into Weavile. He fell to the ground, and it was the same thing as Chimchar. Paul recalled the fainted Pokémon. The Yanmas were back, but this time they weren't just scared and nervous. They were angry. Furious. Livid. "Murkrow, stand by for battle!" he shouted. As he watched his Pokémon materialize, he thought, There's no way she's getting away with this! First order, Haze, which Garchomp dodged, but Murkrow used that time to fly behind his opponent. "Sky Attack!" Paul ordered. Murkrow charged.

"Giga Impact!" the Champion ordered.

Something clicked in Paul's head. He smirked internally. "Here it comes!" he told his Flying type. Murkrow didn't falter and continued his charge, and the two Pokémon collided. As Paul predicted, Murkrow fainted while Garchomp was unfazed. But this time, Paul had a little bit of luck. He recalled the Darkness Pokémon, and decided to wear his smirk, accompanied by a chuckle. Cynthia was confused, as were the four Trainers close to him.

"Hold on, what's Paul smilin about?" Ash asked, vocalizing what they were all thinking.

"He lost three Pokémon with a single hit!" Dawn pointed out.

Haley was thinking. The image of Murkrow falling to Giga Impact weighed on her mind...

Wait...

Giga Impact?

"Dawn, I need to borrow your Pokédex." Before the pre-teen could respond, Haley snagged the pink device. Normally she hated touching anything pink, but now was an exception. She ignored the owner's cries of theft as she looked up Giga Impact. "I was right!" she exclaimed.

"Right about what?" Dawn and Ash asked, the former grabbing her Pokédex back.

"Watch," was the reply. And they did.

"Torterra," Paul began, smiling for the first time since earlier that morning, "stand by for battle!" He released his starter, who landed on all fours with a powerful THUD.

"Tor-terra!" he cried.

On the sidelines, Ash checked out Torterra's data, and his two friends commented on Paul's incredibly bad state. As for Haley, she finally felt relaxed, her realization giving her much needed reassurance. "Giga Drain!" Paul ordered, his smile still on his face. Torterra unleashed the vines, which wrapped around Garchomp, who hadn't even attempted to move a finger.

"A hit!" Ash noted.

"But I don't understand why Garchomp didn't even try to dodge," Dawn piped up.

Suddenly Brock had a realization. "Of course!" he exclaimed.

"So, you figured it out, too?" Haley stated with a smile. Both of the younger Trainers were confused.

"After a Giga Impact is launched," Brock explained, "it takes a while to recharge. So Paul knew that by using Giga Drain at this moment, he could sap Garchomp's power just long enough until Giga Impact could be fully charged up and Garchomp could use it again."

"Think of it as a physical Hyper Beam," Haley continued. "If Paul's own moves won't work, then he'll let Garchomp do the damage to herself instead."

Ash and Dawn now realized how the tides had changed into Paul's favor. "But why did you need my Pokédex?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know every move in the world, and Giga Impact is one of them, so I wanted to confirm my suspicion."

The Coordinator nodded and turned her attention back on the battle. "Giga Impact is a powerful move," Paul was saying, "but it's also one of Garchomp's weak points as well." He knew he sounded like he had this whole thing planned out, but in all honesty, this was a lucky break. Not like I'm going to let anyone know that, he thought. Giga Drain ceased, and finally, FINALLY, Garchomp sunk to her knees. Ah Torterra, why didn't I bring you out first? he beamed mentally. He figured he would need only one more hit, and he decided with something powerful. "Now use Frenzy Plant!" he ordered. Torterra glowed green and then stomped the ground. Thorny vines appeared and went straight for Garchomp. A cloud of dust appeared and ripped through the park, making everyone cover their eyes and brace themselves. Everyone except for Paul, who was still smiling, and Cynthia, who had been wearing a straight face ever since Garchomp had been hit with Giga Drain. The wind and the dust died down, and Paul expected a fallen Garchomp.

Reality had never been so cruel.

Garchomp was kneeling there, her fins stopping the vines and protecting her. She lifted one of them and glared. Paul gasped and stepped back. No, no, NO! he panicked. Garchomp should have still been affected! So why, why, WHY?! Then he noticed Cynthia's smirk and chuckle. FUUUUCCCCK! "Use Brick Break!" she ordered. Garchomp pushed the vines away and jumped, her fins glowing white. Even if Torterra didn't have to recharge, he wouldn't have been able to dodge. Why didn't I use Leaf Storm?! Paul cried. He watched helplessly as Garchomp slammed one of her fins onto his starter's head. He flipped over and then landed upright, only to shown to have fainted.

Just like everyone else, Paul thought solemnly.

How could he finish this battle now? Yes, he had been the one to request a full battle and yes, he originally planned to go through with it, but Garchomp had dashed those plans away. He recalled his Pokémon. "I guess that's it," he said. That was all he had. He had put his best Pokémon forward. He was done.

Cynthia seemed to realize Torterra was Paul's strongest. "Guess so," she replied. She looked at her Dragon type. "Nice Garchomp, great battle." She smiled as she was recalled.

Haley was trembling slightly. This hadn't been fair, it was a total sweep, and the Champion was saying "Nice battle"?! Patronization was the last possible thing Paul needed right now. Of course, the crowd didn't care for that fact. They were at it again, and her rage was boiling, threatening to explode. These...worthless Trainers didn't understand a damn thing about him! They didn't know what she did about his past and what had happened in the last week. When some kid cried out "What a loser!" and everyone started laughing, she snapped.

And so did Ash.

"Knock it off!" they both shouted. They looked at each other, Haley a little confused, until she noticed the glint of respect in his eyes. No matter how badly he had been beaten, Ash admired the fact that Paul had the guts to challenge Cynthia like that. Just as Haley was finding some respect of her own for Ash's maturity, he ran off towards Paul. Crap, Haley thought. He's going to try and congratulate him. As if losing this badly wasn't already a blow to his pride.

"I'll tell you, Paul," Ash said as he walked the rest of the way, "it was great."

Paul quickly glanced at him before looking back at Cynthia, causing Ash to frown for being rejected. He was too annoyed with the battle to think of a reply to him. He wasn't even sure on what to say to Cynthia. "Well, I'll work on it and try again," he stated.

"I'll look forward to it," the Champion replied.

He bowed. "Good bye," he said, and then turned. Haley watched him walk before quickly following him.

"Paul?" they heard Ash say. Paul ignored him. "Hey, wait! That's not where the Pokémon Center is, you know."

It's not? Haley asked. Had we passed it and not realized? But with the way Paul was walking, Haley realized he didn't want to be in a public place. He only stopped when Cynthia said, "Paul, hold it right there" in a demanding voice. "Brining injured Pokémon to a Pokémon Center," she lectured gently, "is a Trainer's first responsibility, you know."

The teen didn't respond to her. "Haley..." he muttered.

The need in his voice was overwhelming. "Paul, I know you don't want to be around people right now," she began softly so that only he could hear. "And I would gladly give them Sitrus Berries, but I think we should." When he didn't reply, she gently grabbed his shoulder. "No one's going to pester you. You have my word. But we can't deny the Champion."

He was silent for a few more moments before saying, "Right", loud enough for Cynthia to hear.

Satisfied that the young Trainer listened, Cynthia led the way, with Ash right next to her. Paul growled, but Haley tightened her grip a bit. "I won't even let him," she promised.

He looked at her, and she flinched again. Why have his glares been doing that lately? "Tch. Whatever," he grunted, and followed after them. Haley followed after him, with Ash's two friends ending the group.

"Did...I do something wrong?" Haley asked Paul timidly. She hadn't done that in years.

"What makes you think I'm thinking you did?"

"You just seem annoyed with me, and I want to know if there's a way to fix it."

"Not unless you can time travel."

Haley gulped. "Paul, I didn't mean-"

"To doubt me like everyone else?" He scoffed.

"Okay, yes, I did. I won't deny that. But it was for a spilt second, I promise."

"Of all people..." he muttered. Then he looked back at her. "And this...why couldn't you just say you would take care of it?"

"She's been giving me the feeling of Ninjasks in my stomach all day," Haley whispered sheepishly. "I've never met a Champion before battling them. It's intimidating. And besides, I promised. You know I keep my promises."

Paul snickered. She didn't like that. "That's why all you could think about yesterday afternoon were questions about Cyrus."

"N-no, I-I was-"

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he interrupted, narrowing his eyes. Haley gulped. Why is he acting like this? Before either of them could say anything, the Pokémon Center appeared. Paul huffed and walked faster to catch up with Cynthia.

Haley felt like disappearing. The witty comment he had made the afternoon before had been a cover up, an attempt to keep his anger down. He probably would have been successful, and the whole thing would have blown over, if he hadn't lost, angering him again. She stood in front of the Pokémon Center, not noticing that Brock and Dawn had caught up. "Haley, are you okay?" the former Gym Leader asked.

She looked at him. "Yeah," she replied. "What makes you say that?"

"You look...kind of down," Dawn stated.

"No, I'm fine," she reassured and walked in. The two friends looked at each other and then followed her inside.

Timing couldn't have been worse. Nurse Joy needed to perform surgery, so she wasn't available to help. Haley was about to voice doing it herself, but then Cynthia beat her to it. Then she was going to volunteer to be her assistant until a love-struck Brock butted in. Guess I'm of no use here, she thought sadly. "Haley, are you alright?" Paul asked. "You look antsy."

Haley definitely didn't want to say what was on her mind. "Just gotta use the bathroom," she replied. Oh God, that excuse? He'll never fall for it.

Paul shrugged. "The room were using is down that hall," he said. "Meet us when you're done." And he walked off after the group.

She watched the five of them go. "So he wasn't dense last night, but he is now, huh?" she muttered sadly. "Being the sixth wheel sucks." And she went to find a bench.

Meanwhile, Cynthia was treating Paul's Pokémon. Doing it the old fashion way was taking a while, and after marveling at her vast knowledge, Dawn looked around the room. "Hey, where's Haley?" she noted. Cynthia had finished putting Chimchar to sleep and was about to move on to the two Dark types. However, she stopped her actions and studied the room along with Ash and Brock.

"Something about the bathroom," Paul stated nonchalantly.

Dawn suddenly became furious. "Are you that dense?!" she shouted.

Paul was taken aback by the sudden shout. "What do you mean, if she has to go-"

"That was, like, 20 minutes ago!" Dawn pointed out. "Did you ever think for a second that she, excuse my language, feels like crap and is trying to distance herself?!"

"Why would she do that?" Ash asked.

Paul shrugged. "I wouldn't know," he said. Aw shit, it's because of what I said. And then she probably wanted to help out but felt like there would be too many hands.

The Coordinator huffed. "Well, unlike you, I'm going to go find her and figure out if something's wrong," she said. Nose in the air, she spun on her heels and went to find the older Trainer. It wasn't that hard, seeing as she didn't have too many places to go. And wouldn't you know, she was sitting on a bench in the hall across from the one Dawn was in. "Hey," she piped up, grabbing the attention of the sulking girl.

Haley looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy, and it was the only way Dawn knew she had been crying, since the older Trainer had wiped away the streaks and she didn't wear any make-up. "Is Cynthia done?" she asked quietly.

"No, Murkrow and Weavile are going to get treated," Dawn explained. "I noticed you were missing and went to find you."

"Oh," Haley said. Then she chuckled. "Guess you didn't fall for the bathroom excuse."

"Men are idiots," the other female grumbled and sat down next to Haley. "Paul's such a jerk. He just waved it all off like your feelings are nothing."

The Trainer didn't reply. "I'm sure he didn't," she finally said.

"If that were true, he'd be out here."

"I would agree, if we were talking about anyone other than Paul."

Dawn looked at her and blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"If I tell you what I'm about to tell you, can you keep it a secret?" Silence. "Please, Dawn, it's personal to him." Now the younger girl was wide-eyed. She nodded. "He doesn't want to seem weak," Haley began. "Imagine what he would feel if he went to come find me and consult me right in front of your eyes. Paul has already lost so much today, he'd probably break, especially since he knows why I'm acting like this."

"It's his fault?" Dawn inquired.

"And I bet he feels guilty, though he's not showing it," Haley added. She sighed. "I wish you could see what he's really like."

There were a few moments of silence. "What is he like?" the Coordinator asked.

"Witty. He makes a lot more jokes than you'd believe. Sort of childish." She giggled. "You should see him and honey. That just equals disaster." Dawn laughed. "And he really does care for his Pokémon, in his own weird way. I know it's hard to see if you only meet with him every once in a while, but he does."

"So...do you like him?"

"I want to become friends," Haley admitted. "With Paul, you have to take small steps. I've learned that, and I think that's one of the reasons he doesn't get along with Ash. He wants to be friends with him so quick but Paul...he doesn't really trust people anymore, considering most of them gave him shit." She eyed Dawn. "And no, I don't care about language. That's the only word to describe his past."

Dawn's eyes became dinner plates. "Now I see why I have to keep this a secret," she said. Haley nodded, and there were a few more silent moments. "Still doesn't excuse him for being an asshole to you."

"I see I'm slowly corrupting you, my young padawan," Haley commented with a smirk. Dawn laughed again. How was it that she ever hated this girl? Oh yeah, she had jumped to conclusions about Paul's traveling partner. Then she noticed the smirk faded. "I think his behavior has to do with an incident yesterday."

"What happened?"

"We met this man in Mt. Coronet," Haley explained. "He must have done and said some things to Paul in the past, because it was clear Paul didn't like him. Then the two had a private chat, and the next thing I knew Paul was furious. He told me to forget him and to not think about him. And ever since, Paul's been on edge. Battling Cynthia was a way to blow off steam, I think, and well...you saw the results."

Dawn absorbed the information. She sighed. "Great, thanks," she mumbled. "I want to hate Paul for being a jerk, and yet I can't help but feel guilty if I do." Despite her annoyed tone, there was a mischievous spark in her eye.

"You're welcome," Haley joked. Then she yawned. "Man, I'm tried for some reason."

"Crying will do that," Dawn informed. Haley whipped her head, looking scared.

"Did...did you guys hear me?"

Dawn shook her head. "Your eyes are red," she explained. "That's how I knew."

"Oh, thank goodness," Haley sighed. "Don't scare me like that, Dawn. I don't want Paul to feel any worse." Then she yawned again. "I also think my anxiety has caused this dilemma."

"Anxiety?"

"Cynthia. I have to battle her at the end of the Elite Four Run. If she's that powerful...ugh, I don't even want to THINK about how badly I'll do."

"You have like, what, six more badges to go?" Dawn replied. "You're only starting. I'm sure you'll do fine. Don't stress yourself out so early."

"Oh don't act like you don't think of the Grand Festival and don't start getting Butterfrees in your stomach."

"No, I get Beautiflies," Dawn stated. The girls laughed, and then Haley rested her head against the wall. "You take a nap. I'll get you when everything's done."

Haley gave a thumbs-up that immediately drooped as she went off into dreamland.

The next thing she knew, Haley was lightly shaken out of her sleep. "Wuzzat?" she muttered, blinking in hopes of getting the sleep out of her eyes.

"Cynthia said there's something all of us should see," Dawn said gently. "Come on, sleepy head."

Haley groaned. "That was, like, five minutes," she protested as she stood up.

"You might want to add twenty minutes to that," Paul stated. He, Ash, and Brock were crowded around with Dawn while Cynthia was near the door. He was side glancing her, Haley still in his line of sight but he was also looking away. It was clear he felt bad.

"Yeah, yeah." Haley yawned. "But after we see this thing, I'm crashing on the couch until we're leaving."

"But you already slept some," Ash pointed out.

"25 minutes is nothing," Haley replied before the five kids followed the Champion. The woman led them to the park and showed them the stone tablet she had been admiring earlier.

"The words that are written here," Cynthia began, "completely changed my life. Listen while I read them." There was a pause before she said, "'When every life meets another life, something will be born'." Ash and his friends repeated the words to get a better grasp. "When I was younger," Cynthia continued, "I use to dream of nothing other than becoming powerful through being victorious in battle, and so I trained endlessly." Haley would have inserted a witty remark right there, and Paul guessed she would and knew what it probably was too, but both of them stayed silent. "Then I discovered that, even the same types of Pokémon have unique personalities. It was at that moment, I decided I wanted to get to know each and every one of them better. And then, after meeting more and more Pokémon, learning more of their ways, something completely new began to stir deep within my soul. I learned that meeting new Pokémon was just like meeting new people." She turned and faced the younger Trainers. "I'm sure because of our meeting today something powerful has been placed in each one of us. Something important. Something that will make us stronger in our own ways."

Haley thought about everything the Champion had said. She had zoned out when Cynthia started talking about her dream to meet Dialga and Palkia since she believed it was a little off topic, but that was beside the point. Something that will make us stronger in our own ways, she repeated in her head. She quickly glanced at Paul. It was if those words were made for him. Now the group was walking back, and the couch was eagerly calling Haley. But things could never be that easy, could they?

"Come back!" they heard Nurse Joy yell. "That's not your Chimchar!"

The group stopped, confused, and noticed two humans and a Meowth running away. The purple-haired one had Chimchar in his hands. "That's Paul's!" Ash realized.

"And Team Rocket's got it!" Dawn added.

Chimchar! Paul shouted. He took off after the three. Damn it, damn it, damn it! The others followed behind him. "Stop!" Ash yelled.

"Give Chimchar back!" Dawn shouted.

"Or you'll be sorry!" Brock threatened.

The three jumped into the bushes, and soon there was a Meowth-shaped balloon in the sky, with the three in the basket. "Now you take your lumps!" they sang tauntingly.

"Huh, déjà vu," Haley commented.

Paul looked at her. "You've...met these losers before?" he asked.

"Huh?" Haley blinked. "Oh, no, they just remind me of another group I know. It's not important."

"Right," Paul said.

"Oh dear," Cynthia's voice full of concern as they watched the balloon ascend.

"I'll take that as a compliment," the male stated.

"Any dear from you means fear to us," the Meowth added.

...Wait.

The Meowth added?

"What the fuck, he talks?!" Haley exclaimed.

"Language, young lady!" the female scolded.

"Gotta keep it PG for the kiddies," Meowth stated.

"But I thought this was T for teen," the male pointed out. His partners looked at him, and then Chimchar waking up distracted them. The group on the ground watched as the three cooed at him and the chimp looked absolutely confused. After a while it was clear Chimchar didn't care for their pointless banter and scorched them.

Ash clearly had enough of this too. He brought out a Poké Ball, but Paul beat him to it. Chimchar was his Pokémon, after all. "Ursaring, stand by for battle!" he shouted. The Normal type emerged, and then Paul ordered, "Hyper Beam!" Ursaring fired, and just before it made contact with the balloon, Chimchar jumped. Haley, not caring that the trio was "blasting off again", sprinted and dove, catching Chimchar before he hit the ground, and tumbled into the trees as a resulted. She hit her head on one of them, causing her to groan a little.

"Chim-Chimchar?" the chimp asked with concern.

Haley smiled, rubbing the top of her head. "Don't worry," she replied. "I'm more concerned about you." Chimchar smiled as well, and then the Trainer stood up, the Fire type in her arms. She walked out and was met with Paul ending his run up to her.

"Is-"

"Just fine," Haley reported.

"And you?"

"What would be wrong with me?"

"I saw that tree shake." Then he smirked. "Oh wait, I forgot. You have such a thick skull, you probably did more damage to it." Haley rolled her eyes and was about to joke back when she noticed the look in his eyes, and it was aimed at Chimchar. "To be captured by a bunch of losers," he scoffed. "Useless!"

Chimchar looked down, ashamed. "How could you be so mean?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Chimchar was sleeping when Team Rocket took it!" Dawn added. Then she remembered her talk with Haley. What if Paul was just trying to hide how he really felt?

She was getting the hang of Haley's perspective.

Damn it! Paul was thinking. Of all the times I had to be away...and with no one watching, either! Haley could have stayed there; we didn't need to bother her! Or, at the very least, let one of her Pokémon watch them so she could sleep! Hell, let one of my Pokémon watch them! I'm so stupid! "Okay, that's enough," the Champion's voice rang. "The important thing now is that Chimchar's safe and sound. Dear, sweet Chimchar." Her hand went up to his cheek, and he smiled. The other three voiced an agreement, with Dawn going first, making Haley even a little bit happier.

She could see Paul's guilt, and it was eating at her.

What had he done to deserve to crap thrown at him today? All he had done was get pissed off at some guy who clearly liked pushing his buttons.

 

​Chapter 10: One of Those Days

"And Chimchar?" Nurse Joy inquired.

"I can take care of him," Haley insisted. "All he needs is sleep and a Sitrus Berry, I'm sure." The nurse looked at the Pokémon. Her trained eye scanned him, and then she looked at Haley. She nodded in approval.

Cynthia had proposed that the partners stay the night, for the sake of Paul's Pokémon. At first, it had looked like he wouldn't agree, but then he rethought that. "Well, alright," he had agreed. The two Trainers walked back, and Paul grabbed the other three Pokémon and then handed them over to Nurse Joy. Now, with that business taken care of, Paul figured they had other matters to attend to. "Let's go get dinner, and then bring it upstairs," he stated.

Haley looked at him. "What's wrong with eating dinner down here?" she asked. His eyes began to scan the Pokémon Center, and she noticed the Trainers from the crowd earlier. They hadn't been present after the battle, but it seemed quite a few of them had ventured back. "Ah yes, the peanut gallery," she noted dully.

They walked over to the food corner and ordered something. And while they waited, trouble reared its ugly head. "Oh, that is a nice one you found, little bro," someone said. Paul and Haley turned to the voice. It was the kid from earlier, along with a blond-haired boy who looked like him but slightly older.

"Thanks, Sam," the boy beamed. "Though why she's with that loser is beyond me."

"Look, you little shit," Haley hissed as she sat up. "You better back of. I am not afraid to kick your ass."

"Aw, don't go saying that to my little brother," Sam said slyly. "He's just saying the truth, Beautiful."

"Well I don't see you walking up to the Champion to challenger her!" Haley snapped as she stormed up to him.

Sam snickered. "If I recall, you thought he was stupid too, just like the rest of us."

"She worries about me too much sometimes," Paul interjected. He felt bad for getting mad at Haley for what was, he realized, a reasonable reaction to have. Plus, he wanted to shut this guy up. This was the second time this week someone had tried hitting on her, and for reasons he couldn't explain he hated it. He walked up to them, Chimchar at his heels. "Is that hard to understand?"

"What's hard to understand is your stupid decisions," Sam stated, nodding towards Chimchar. He then began, in a mocking voice, "Oh, let me send out a Fire type, and then use a Fire type move on a Dragon type. That'll work perfectly." He and his brother laughed.

"Fire Spin does damage over time, moron!" Haley defended. "Besides, typing isn't always everything. I beat Lance's Dragonite with an Eevee, and then with a Typhlosion."

"Babe, you have to stop standing up for this idiot," the mocking male replied. He suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her close, but just as quickly as he had his hands around her, they were off again. Paul had thrown him off her and then to a wall, pouncing at him to make sure he didn't go anywhere.

"Touch her again," he threatened, "and I promise I will break every bone in your body."

Sam looked at his brother. "Yo, Liam, what the hell?" he asked. "I thought you said they weren't dating."

"Because she told me," the pre-teen defended.

So now Paul was left to wonder whether he should tell the truth or start a charade. He was about to enact his plan when their order number was called. "Just leave us alone," he hissed before throwing Sam aside. He spun and stormed off, snatching the food before making his way to their room. Haley and Chimchar, after glaring at the brothers, quickly followed him. They got to the room just as Paul unlocked the door and opened it. Haley quickly snatched the food, set it on the desk that was on the opposite side of the room, and sat on the bed that was across from it, Chimchar in her lap, before Paul screamed in frustration. He punched the wall and then kicked it.

Haley let him go at it, cussing and assaulting the wall, for a full minute before she calmly said, "Words, Paul. I need you to explain in words other than cursing the high heavens if I am to help. I think I know everything that's bothering you, but can you tell me anyway?"

"You already know!" Paul spat. But he went on anyway. "That bastard Cyrus, the most humiliating loss ever, those three losers, and that's the second guy, the second guy, Haley! Fucking Arceus, it's annoying as shit!"

His partner took a deep breath. "Can you sit on the edge of your bed for me?"

"Why?!"

"Just sit down, Paul." He grunted and sat down, his arms crossed. "Take off your jacket."

"What?"

"Take off your stupid jacket."

Paul grunted again and unzipped his purple jacket and took it off, and then threw it onto their bags that had been thrown carelessly onto the floor. He crossed his arms again. "Now what?" he asked, still annoyed at not knowing what was going on. Suddenly she climbed onto the bed, kneeling behind him. He quickly turned to look at her. "What the hell are you-"

"Face forward, shut up, and relax," Haley demanded.

"Not before-"

"God, Paul, I'm trying to help, but you have to cooperate with me."

Now he let out a low growl. "Whatever," he grumbled and did as he was told, though relaxing was an issue. He had no idea what she had planned and it was making him a little tense. Then she gripped his shoulders and he jumped a little. He was about to protest with whatever was up her sleeve until she suddenly began to knead the backs of his shoulders with the bottom part of her palms. She was...massaging him? And oh God it felt amazing. He let out a little moan. "That feels gooooooood," he said.

"Glad you like it," Haley replied. "Now, how about we start from the top, and calmly this time. Tell me about Cyrus."

"I don't feel like revealing more of my past."

"That's fine. Whatever you feel is essential is fine by me, even if it's a simple 'I hate his guts, end of story'."

Paul let out a "hmph" of amusement. "He's a bastard," he stated. "Likes to threaten Reggie and I. Don't ask about what, I won't tell."

"Like I said, that's all I need," Haley responded, continuing her massage. She got another moan for her efforts. "If you feel like telling me later, that's all up to you. Okay, next. Cynthia."

"I just needed to blow off steam, although I assume you knew- wait, right there, a little harder." Haley had traveled her right hand to below his shoulder blade, and to his request she massaged it a little harder. "Yeah, that's it," he sighed. He completely relaxed; his arms (now on the bed) were barely holding him up as he let Haley do the stabilizing. "And my confidence was pretty high. Although, you were right, I was crazy. I didn't really think that through."

"You had every right to be angry with me on that," the masseuse said.

"No, you had the right to call me out," Paul argued.

"Not with everyone else ganging up on you. And don't say it didn't affect you, I'd call bullshit," she added quickly.

"Guess it did this time," he admitted. "But unlike them, you were saying it because you cared, not out of malice. And I snapped at you for no reason."

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"No reason, my ass. Childhood, ring a bell?"

Paul chuckled. "Damn it, you know me too well already. It's only been a month, two at most. How the hell do you do it?"

"A girl's got her ways," Haley answered. She fell silent for a while and focused on the massage. Paul had to try and keep his mind focused, but it was getting hard to do so. He was at least able to keep his mouth shut so that his increasing moans were slightly muffled. "Now, Team Rocket."

"Should have been there-"

"We were somewhere else, and I think Cynthia was right to show us that stone slab. You can't be in two places at once, Paul."

"We could have gotten one of our other Pokémon to guard them," Paul pointed out.

"Would've, should've, could've, didn't, so don't beat yourself up about it," Haley said. "Like Cynthia said, the most important thing is that everyone is safe."

"Chim-Chim," Chimchar agreed.

Paul looked at his Pokémon. He had kind of forgotten the chimp was there. But who could blame me? he thought. This massage is just so fucking amazing that I can't really focus on anything else but her movements and her voice. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Chimchar," he said. "I've been a little stressed lately. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

Chimchar nodded in understanding. "It happens to everyone," Haley voiced. "Even though it's not right."

"Right," Paul stated. Then Haley massaged a pressure point, and the kneading sent a shiver running through his entire body. He couldn't keep his mouth closed any longer and let out a loud, elongated moan. "God damn it, Haley, why...mmm...why are you so fucking good at this?"

Haley chuckled. "Think you could keep that down just a tad? People might walk by and think we're doing something..." She leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Dirty."

Another shiver ran through his system, but he kept his cool and chuckled as well. "Let them think that," he whispered. "I'm sick of guys jumping for you."

"Why?" Haley asked, backing away and slowing her hands down. "That's the one thing out of all of this that I haven't really been able to read. I guessed Cyrus said things and that you wanted to blow off steam and that you felt like you should have been there but...why this?"

Why did he care that much? He had been wondering that himself. Paul put more weight on his arms since most of Haley's stability had gone away. "I'm...not really sure myself," he admitted.

"Is it because you think it's a distraction?" Haley offered.

Was that it? He couldn't really say for sure. "Maybe," he replied.

Haley sighed and ceased her work, then backed up so she was leaning against the pillow. Paul turned to face her to see that she was taking off her bandana and letting her hair down so she could run her fingers through her hair. "Tomorrow morning's going to be a disaster," she said. "That Sam guy wasn't the only one eyeing me, though I don't think you noticed."

There it was, that feeling again. His blood boiling and racing as if he were about to erupt but...why did that happen? This was the third time now, and he didn't understand why it happened. Suddenly, he remembered what he had wanted to do in the food corner. He smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about them," he stated.

"You have something in mind?" Haley asked. Paul told her, and after he was done she and Chimchar were laughing so hard tears were rolling down their faces. "Paul, you're a fucking genius!" his partner exclaimed.

"So I assume that means yes?"

"Hell yes!" she cried. Then she looked at Chimchar. "I'm sorry you don't get to be apart of this, Chimchar."

The chimp shook his head, signaling it was okay. But Paul had other plans. "Actually, he will," he said. The two threw him curious looks, and he continued to explain. Now Chimchar looked pumped.

"Chim-Chim-him-char!" he chattered.

"Tomorrow morning's going to be sooo much fun!" Haley chuckled.

Paul chuckled as well. "Hey, do you think you could massage me again sometime?" he asked.

"Only if you're stressed out like that again," the masseuse replied. "I use to give them to my dad and my older brother when they were flipping out, and once I did it to my older brother when he wasn't. Apparently I'm too strong and I can't soften my kneading. So now it's a stress-relief tool only."

Another chuckle escaped Paul and he crawled over to her. "Well I thoroughly enjoyed it," he whispered.

"So I heard," Haley said smugly. Then she let out loud, exaggerated moans that soon turned into a laugh. It died down, and then she smiled. "You should wear your jacket less often," she stated. "That dark gray fitted t-shirt of yours looks really good on you."

Paul was thinking of how to respond to that. Legit or keep playing the game? He smirked. Of course he knew which one to pick. "So I take it you like what you see?" he asked.

"I'd like if I could see more," Haley purred with a smirk and half-lidded eyes. Clearly she liked playing the game, too.

"Chim?" the chimp piped up innocently. The Trainers looked over to him to see a confused look on his face.

Haley's eyes opened fully and she smiled. "So, what did you think of rehearsal, Chimchar?" she asked.

Chimchar looked surprised, and flustered to figure out an answer. Eventually he gave a thumps-up. "Chim!" he exclaimed.

The girl groaned jokingly. "One thumps-up, Paul. Pathetic."

He smirked. "Hey, we can't put our best foot forward when it isn't even the main act," he stated. "Alright, Flirtatious, off my bed." He pushed her off, sending her tumbling to the floor. "And can you get my food for me?"

She stood up, her cheeks puffed. "Asshole," she muttered. Haley walked over to the desk. "I shouldn't be doing this, you lazy ass. I give you a massage and this is the thanks I get? And who are you to call me 'Flirtatious' when you're the one whispering in my ear."

"Well you're the one pulling the half-lidded eyes," Paul replied.

Haley ignored him for a while as she fished a Sitrus Berry out of her backpack. "Take slow bites, Chimchar, and then get some sleep," she told the Pokémon as she set the berry down in front of him. "You can use my bed and sleep with me tonight."

"Chim," he said, nodding, and then went to eat the berry.

"And you," she addressed Paul, "were the one you took my genuine compliment the wrong way."

Paul smirked again. "If you didn't want it to sound flirtatious, you shouldn't have added the fitted part."

"Since when are you an expert?" He shrugged, making Haley roll her eyes. "Whatever. Here's your food." She dropped the box that held his dinner onto his bed. "And don't you even dare and ask for me to feed you."

"What made you think I was? That sounds stupid."

"People do it, don't ask me why."

"Well I'm not one of those people, alright?"

"Good."

They ate in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Chimchar finished most of the berry and then fell asleep curled up next to Haley. She ran her hand up and down his back for a while, and then went to take a shower. Paul lied in his bed, looking up at the ceiling and listening to the running water. He began to feel his eyelids drooping. Maybe this wasn't the best idea, he thought. He tried to keep himself awake, but only succeed in drifting off to sleep.

...​

"..ul...aul...PAUL!"

The sudden yell jolted him awake and he crashed onto the floor. "Ugh, what?" he mumbled.

"I've been trying to wake you up for the past five minutes," Haley replied sternly.

"What time is it?" Paul asked as he stood up.

"80."

"That's early."

"You've been asleep for more than twelve hours." When Paul blinked in confusion, Haley sighed. "I came out of the bathroom at eight last night, and you were already conked out," she explained.

"Huh," was his reply. "I'm going to take a shower, then, since I didn't last night."

Haley shrugged. "Do whatever." And then she went back to Chimchar, who was on her bed and looking very, very close to 100% again.

Paul grabbed his jacket off of the floor and went into the bathroom. 10 minutes later he emerged, his jacket back on and his hair dry. And, as Haley noticed when she turned, he had a smirk on his face. "You ready to make some bastards jealous?" he asked.

"Actually, I've been thinking," Haley began. "What if no one is down there?"

"They will be."

"And how would you know?"

"Intuition," he replied. Then he looked at his Pokémon. "Chimchar, you feeling okay?"

Chimchar looked pumped. "Chim-Chimchar!" he exclaimed.

His Trainer smirked again and then returned the chimp to his Poké Ball. "Let's go get the other three," he said. "And don't start until I-"

"Paul, I know the plan," Haley chuckled. She grabbed her backpack. "Let's go. I want to make it to Hearthome sometime this century."

Her partner let out a grunt of amusement and they left the room. They walked over to Nurse Joy, who said all of Paul's Pokémon were at 100% (including Chimchar; Paul had brought him out just to make sure and then returned him right after). They turned and began walking, and Paul noticed Sam eyeing Haley. Then he noticed all of the other eyes on the girl next to him. Looking around the lobby, he couldn't believe it. Guys were smiling like idiots, studying every inch of her, or both. He even saw one boy drooling. And upon seeing him, Paul set the plan in motion. His arm wrapped around Haley and grabbed her right shoulder. It was a total douchebag move, and he remembered seeing a few couples on his journey and rolling his eyes, but now he was enjoying it because he was getting the best reactions. He almost broke the façade to roll on the floor laughing. When it was clear he had gotten their attention (the kid from earlier wiping his drool gave him the cue), he squeezed her shoulder. She rested her head on his chest and snuggled.

Something unexpected happened.

Electricity...that's what it felt like, and he should know. It ran through his entire body, spreading from the center of his chest to every tip of his body, just like when Braxton had shocked him with that device of his all those years ago. But unlike those 20,000 volts, this electricity felt nice. Really nice. He almost jumped and gave a weird face, but if that happened the act would be over, so he just gave off a smile as he pondered why Haley's action had done that to him. Then five boys (one of them Sam), blocked their way, and they looked pissed. He smirked. Now the fun part could begin. "Oh, hello, is there something you need?" he asked in a pleasant way, which succeed in making the five of them even more agitated.

"What the hell is this?" Sam asked, speaking for all of them.

"Is there a problem? 'Cause I don't see the problem of a guy putting an arm around his girlfriend." Paul had to slightly force himself to say that word. It wasn't like he hated Haley or the word, but they weren't even friends (At least, I think that's the case, he thought), much less was she his girlfriend.

One of the other boys, a redhead, spoke up this time. "But Liam said you two weren't-"

"Oh, that," Paul interrupted. "See, we just started last week, and we actually use to be at each others throats, so she's not quite use to this." In a way he figured his explanation wasn't a total lie. The first few minutes they knew each other they were arguing pretty bad, and he figured the "we just started" was as close to "we're not actually dating" that he could get.

"Fine then, we challenge you to a battle for her!" proclaimed a black-with-red-streaks haired boy.

That was quicker than expected, Paul thought, smirking internally. He figured it would come to this, and he really didn't like that idea because he tried to treat women with respect (annoyances got an exception). He recalled the discussion he and Haley had last night.

"The one problem I have is that they'll probably ask to fight for you," he had said.
"Normally, I wouldn't either, but I can handle an exception this once," Haley had replied. "I'm thinking of a plan to deal with it, anyway, and it goes along with this fake couple thing we're doing."
"Care to share?" Haley explained. "Not bad," Paul had agreed. "I'm still not entirely comfortable about all of this, though."
"You want to fight them anyway to show your actually strength, why not? Right Chimchar?"
"Chim-Chim."

With that Paul agreed. He was still going to voice his discomfort with the situation. "Haley isn't an item, you know," he stated.

"Farfetch'd, Grape-Head?" another blond taunted. (A/N: Yes, I am using Farfetch'd in replacement to chicken. There isn't a chicken-like Pokémon in Gens I-IV. A duck is about as close as I'll get.)

Paul really wasn't angered by the taunt since these five boys didn't really matter to him, but he decided to act as if he was. He forced his eye to twitch and made his face into a scowl, and he was about to speak when he felt a tug at his arm. He looked to see Haley with a spark in her eye. "Paul, I'm okay with it," she said with a smile. "Besides..." She then proceeded to run her fingers through his hair. His body began to heat up and spread from end to end just like the electricity, and once again he had to resist jumping, instead settling on relaxing because that's what her fingers were doing: making him feel relaxed. They ran through so smoothly. "I love watching you battle," she purred. Damn it she sounds so...so... He didn't want to think of the word despite the fact that he knew what it was.

He watched the five boys' irritation grow. He smirked. "Alright," he agreed. "But only because you make such a great persuader." When he said "persuader", he put quite the emphasis on it, hoping the boys would catch his meaning.

Judging by their expressions, they got it alright, and if looks could kill, Paul would be dead ten times over.

"But we play by my rules, since this is my girlfriend were fighting for," Paul stated, stepping forward after Haley stopped. "I will fight all five of you, one at a time. You can only use one Pokémon, but I get four."

"Four?" Sam repeated.

"That's all I'll need," Paul sneered.

"Yesterday-"

"I fought the Champion. Today, I fight losers." Their eyes widened, only to go to furious looks.

"You're on," Sam snarled.

The seven, along with a crowd that had gathered, found themselves at the park again. In the walk over there, thanks to the five boys trying to talk to Haley (resulting in Paul having to pull her away), they found out that they were all friends. And they're all trying to get her? Paul questioned. What the hell are thinking of? A six-some? He then immediately beat himself mentally for thinking of such a stupid idea. Besides, he had a battle to focus on. The first boy (the black-with-red-streaks; apparently his name was Jamie, but Paul hadn't paid much attention) was up first, and it was Paul's Murkrow versus his Dodrio. The three-headed bird charged using Fury Attack, but Paul had Murkrow blind it with Haze. "Faint Attack!" he ordered. Murkrow disappeared from sight.

"On guard, Dodrio!" Jamie advised. With three heads, that meant six eyes were scanning for the Darkness Pokémon. But there was one place it would never be able to look.

Paul smirked. "Watch your back," he warned. The comment confused his opponents, and they were even more confused when Murkrow appeared behind Dodrio, charging with a white aura.

"Sky Attack?" the boy asked in confusion and shock as his Pokémon was struck in the back by it. "But you used Faint Attack-"

"As a distraction," Paul finished as Murkrow flew to their side of the field. "It's a little trick I learned after watching someone battle recently." He and Murkrow had been working on this combo ever since Haley's Gym Battle with Gardenia, and "Combo Master" was there to give them pointers. From Paul's perspective, it was pretty close to being perfect.

"Tri Attack!" Jamie ordered angrily.

"Faint Attack once more!" Murkrow disappeared just as the attack was about to hit him.

Jamie grunted. "Look everywhere this time!" he yelled. "And jump when he charges with that Sky Attack of his!" Paul smirked once and made a "tsk, tsk, tsk" noise.

"Honestly, never use the same trick twice in a row," he advised.

"Hey, don't go stealing my lines!" Haley yelled just as Murkrow reappeared in front of Dodrio, starting it, and then ramming into it. Dodrio fell to the ground, fainted, and Jamie growled at Paul.

"Next," was all Paul said.

It was now Brett, the redhead, and his Arcanine versus Weavile. Paul sighed. He liked the Growlithe line just as much as the next guy, but he had dealt with one love-struck idiot using it, and now he was stuck with another. "Fire Fang!" Brett commanded. Arcanine sprung into action.

"Dodge and use Swords Dance while you do so!" Paul ordered. Weavile sidestepped Arcanine's Fire Fang and making his claws longer as his feet moved. Both Pokémon were fast, but Weavile proved to be a bit faster as he kept ahead of Arcanine. "Night Slash, let's go!" Weavile spun to face the oncoming Fire type, then charged, jumped over its head and onto its back, and slashed with his glowing purple claws. Arcanine let out a yelp of pain and crashed to the ground and, thanks to the Swords Dance along with Night Slash's higher chance of critical hits, fainted. Paul chuckled at how it fell rather quickly and Weavile jumped to be in front of him, a smirk on his face.

"Wea-Weavile!" he jeered, causing Brett to growl.

Now it was Daniel, the other blonde's, turn. His Vigoroth was up against Torterra. And that battle didn't take long, either. Vigoroth tried using Slash but was blown away by Leaf Storm, and then was finished off by Rock Slide. Next was the fourth boy, a brown haired boy named Chad, and his choice was a Marowak. Chimchar was Paul's fourth and final Pokémon, and Chad looked like he figured something out. "You've been using the Pokémon that used yesterday!" he noted.

"Thanks, Sherlock," Paul commented, causing Chad to growl at the insult and then angrily order Bonemerang. The Bone Keeper Pokémon threw its bone, which Chimchar dodged with Flame Wheel and then used it to hit Marowak. He used Flame Wheel right after breaking out of the first, and then jumped back. The Ground type had been so distracted it didn't notice its bone coming back and failed to catch it, instead getting hit square on the forehead, knocking it out.

Sam didn't take the fact that all of his friends had lost so well. "I can't believe all of you lost to him," he spat. "Fine, I'll handle this. Golduck, show 'em how it's done!" The blue Duck Pokémon materialized and stared at the chimp. Chimchar flinched when looking at the Water type, but quickly recovered. The quick flinch didn't go unnoticed by Sam, however, and he snickered. "Aw, is wittle Chimchar scared?" he mocked.

Neither Paul nor Chimchar reacted to his comment. "Dig, let's go," Paul ordered calmly. The chimp clawed his way into the ground.

"Water Pulse into the hole!" Sam shouted. Golduck jumped and formed a water sphere in its hands. But when it went to fire it into the hole, it only stared with a look of shock. "Yo, Golduck, what's wrong?" The fact that I'm seeing something I shouldn't, the Pokémon thought. What he saw was a smirking red chimp.

Chimchar hadn't planned on going anywhere.

"Fire Spin!" Chimchar released the spinning vortex, which hit Golduck dead on and evaporated the Water Pulse. The Water type fell to the ground, engulfed in flames. "Scratch, let's go!" Chimchar jumped out of the hole and charged at Golduck, slashing at him with sharp claws.

Sam growled. "Water Gun!"

"Dodge!" Chimchar ducked under the shot and then threw a punch to Golduck's side. That along with the earlier attacks and Fire Spin's effect sent the Duck Pokémon to his knees, and then Chimchar finished the job with one last Scratch attack. When Golduck fainted, he and Paul smirked.

Flawless victory.

The five boys didn't know what to say. Their faces fluctuated from irritated to disappointed to defeated and then circled to the beginning again. It went on for some time until they settled on a new face: annoyed. "I don't buy this," Daniel grumbled.

"Buy what? That you lost spectacularly?" Paul sneered as he returned Chimchar and Haley walked up to him. "We have a whole crowd of witnesses if you need confirmation."

"He means this," Brett stated, pointing at Paul and then at Haley and back again. "And I agree. This seems set up."

"Jealously clouds the mind," Haley replied. "I mean, how you mistake this as being set up?" Then she kissed Paul's cheek.

Fireworks. That's what the sensation that was currently traveling up and down his spine felt like. It was like fireworks popping and crackling along his nerves. He was struggling to not drop the act, fearing any second he'd do something stupid. Quickly composing himself mentally, he smirked, turned to her, and titled her chin up gently with one finger. "Oh come on, you can do better than that," he said smugly. Haley giggled.

"Okay, okay!" Sam exclaimed. The two looked at the group and watched as Sam sighed in defeat. "Sorry for trying to steal your girl, man. And sorry for doubting you about it."

Haley looked at him. "That's not all you need to apologize for," she said.

"You can't be serious," Jamie said flatly.

"I don't know if Sam told you, but I'll say it again: at least Paul had the guts," Haley retorted. "So apologize."

The five boys sighed. "We apologize," they groaned.

Paul wondered if Haley would be looking for a better apology (not that he cared), but she just rolled her eyes. "Whatever. That's the best we're going to get, I guess. Let's go..." She winked at Paul. "Love. Hearthome won't come to us." Paul smiled as she walked away, then smirked at the boys before following her. And when they were far enough away, the pent up freak out moment finally exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Paul cried frantically.

"They weren't going to believe us if we just kept saying it!" Haley retorted.

"I wish you had at least warned me!" He let out a cry of frustration. "I almost looked like an idiot!"

"Almost only counts in horseshoes," was the witty reply. Paul let out another cry and then slammed his head against a tree. Haley watched as Paul rubbed his forehead and then ran his fingers through his hair. She sighed. "Though, I guess you're right," she continued. "I should have warned you. But it was a reactionary decision. They weren't going to believe us for much longer, and I just came up with it on the fly. Look, the point is, I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine," Paul assured, finally calming down. "It just caught me off guard." He turned to look her and smirked. "Besides, I had fun."

"Oh, you did, did you?" Haley chuckled. "And I bet you're somewhat pleased your Pokémon got some training in, right?" She didn't wait for an answer as she spun on her heels. "Let's get moving. Like I said earlier, I would like to get to Hearthome some time this century."

Paul nodded and watched her take the lead. He waited for a few seconds before following, the smirk still visible on his face.

It was one of those days. Those days that made him feel like nothing else would go wrong.

...​

A face-twitching Paul plus occasional grumbling equaled a not good sign, and Haley knew it. She knew that she had to think of something to lighten the mood, and fast. "Let it go, Let it go, Can't hold it back-"

"Keeping singing that song and I will not hesitate to hurt you," Paul snapped. There was silence before he added, "Badly."

"Alright, alright, sorry," Haley stated. "But seriously, can you just forget about that Fearow?"

"No I can't 'just forget about that Fearow'," he repeated mockingly and slightly annoyed. "It looked strong, I wanted it, and they made it flee, end of story." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and mumbled in an annoyed tone under his breath. Haley grumbled. This was getting old. When he didn't stop after a minute or so, she snapped and slapped him upside the head. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"That incident was two days ago!" Haley shouted. "You have been irritated about it since then, and I'm sick and tired of it!" She huffed and rubbed her right temple. "Now if you don't shut up, I'm going to have to use that duct tape."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Do you seriously believe I have duct tape?" he asked.

"I will make duct tape appear if I have to!"

"Will you stop thinking about the stupid duct tape?!"

"Only if you stop thinking about the stupid Fearow!"

"WELCOME TO HEARTHOME CITY!" a little boy randomly cheered. Since they had been so absorbed in their argument, the partners were caught off guard and tripped over each other, tumbling to the floor, with Paul on top of Haley's back. The boy slid over to the pile and blinked. "Are...you two okay?"

"I've had better days..." Haley whined quietly.

Paul picked himself up, letting Haley have the ability to stretch. "Did you really have to yell?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm welcoming tourists," the boy declared. "What's wrong with that?"

There was silence, and then it broke when Paul sighed. "Whatever. Do you know the way to the Gym?" After a round of confusing directions, a woman (the boy's mother) walked up and gave them understandable directions. Haley said thank you, Paul bowed (and then glared at the boy, only to receive another slap upside the head), and the two went to the Gym. It was hard to miss: a four-story building with a Drifblim on top and a very elegant door. But when they got to said elegant door, they found a not-so-elegant note tape to the door that said the Gym was-

"CLOSED?!" Haley screeched.

"Bullshit!" Paul shouted. "What is it with Gym Leaders and not doing their jobs?!"

"Technically, Roark was at his job," Haley stated. "He also works in the Oreburgh Mines, and he came back rather quickly."

Paul huffed. "Fine, sure, but does that excuse this?!" He pointed to the note, which described that Fantina was going on a journey of her own.

"I never gave this an excuse, I was excusing Roark," Haley replied, a little growl obvious in her voice. The two bickered for a while until finally Haley took a deep breath. "You know what, we just need to calm down. We didn't stop until really late last night and we've been walking all morning." Under her breath she mumbled, "And someone still isn't over his Fearow."

"I heard that," Paul grumbled. "Don't think your comments are helping."

"Anyways, I think I have an idea. There was this café-"

Paul turned and began walking to the Pokémon Center (at least, to where he thought it was). "No," he said flatly.

"You didn't even let me finish!" Haley cried. "And how do you know that's the way to the Pokémon Center?"

The purple-haired teen stopped. "I don't," he admitted with no change in tone.

Haley face palmed. "Listen. I saw desserts on the menu, and one of the items I saw was chocolate lava cake." She was staring down the street they had just come up, so she didn't notice Paul straitening up. "It was just down that road, a little ways back. I don't know about you, but whenever I need to calm down, chocolate helps me out quite a bit." She looked at Paul, finally noticing he hadn't moved. "Hey, are you okay?"

There was silence, and then he turned around, his eyes wide. "Chocolate...lava cake?" he repeated.

His partner stared at him in disbelief. "You and your sweets..." she finally whispered in shock. "Well, if that's what works, I guess we should go."

"Just show me where the café is," Paul grumbled, feeling stupid for sounding like a child. But Haley saw the glint in his eyes, and to that she gave off a tiny smile.

"Sure," Haley replied.

They walked back down the road, and soon found the café. Noticing the chalkboard and seeing the various items, Paul gulped. "Damn it," he whispered.

"What?" his partner asked.

"I just hate how much of a child I am when it comes to sweets."

"So am I."

Paul smirked. "The difference, however, is that you almost always act like a child," he stated.

"I resent that," Haley said. "And I'm doing something nice for you, so the last thing you should be doing is insulting me." Paul just shrugged and walked inside. Haley rolled her eyes and followed him.

The café was a little dimmer than the one back in Floaroma Town, but it still had that homey feel. In fact, to Paul, it felt more comfortable. No windows so no one could look in, a guitar quietly playing on the speakers, the wood was a dark brown instead of white, and there was even a bar in the back. And speaking of the bar, that's where the two decided to sit. Paul didn't have the nervous feeling in his stomach like last time, and he wasn't sure if it was because of the atmosphere or that he had gotten more use to Haley's company. When the man behind the counter asked what they wanted, Haley replied wondering how big the lava cake was. "Enough to share between the two of you," he answered.

"Then we'll take that," Haley stated.

"Do you want me to cut it in half?"

"You don't cut chocolate lava cake in half!" the two teenagers cried, causing the one other customer in the café to jump. The waiter blinked and then hurried off to place the order.

Haley suddenly giggled. "What's so funny?" Paul asked.

"Well, two things. One, that we said the exact same thing and two, how are we going to spilt this?"

Paul opened his mouth, about to say that there was nothing wrong with eating the same cake, but then he closed it. He was silent for a few seconds. "Um..." he said, and then he sighed, deciding to stick to his original plan. "We'll just eat it. Nothing wrong with that." Then he looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "Unless you're sick and I somehow didn't notice and or wasn't told."

The girl next to him shook her head, a smile on her face. "Nope, nope," she replied.

"Ugh, now I'm thinking of a girl version of Zach," Paul groaned. "Thanks for that." Haley laughed.

A few minutes later, the cake came out along with two forks. The waiter asked one more time if they were sure they didn't want it spilt, but that only got another cry of protest, and this time the other customer chuckled. The waiter glared at him. "Yeah, just keep laughing, Clyde," he warned. "I might make you treat us next time we go out for a drink."

"Clint, you wouldn't," his friend jokingly gasped.

Haley laughed again and took the first stab. "Hey!" Paul snapped.

"I'm paying, so I get first bite," Haley reasoned. Paul grumbled as the piece went into her mouth and then went for his own piece, which was quite big. "Hey!"

Paul just smirked as he took his bite. "What can I say?" he said. "Chocolate lave cake is my favorite."

"You're lucky I'm so nice," Haley mumbled.

"Yeah man, you should treat your girlfriend nicer," Clyde chuckled.

"No, no, see, that was eight days ago," Haley joked.

Clyde raised an eyebrow, and then he went, "Oooh. You guys played a prank?" Haley laughed to confirm. Clyde laughed, too. "Ah man, that's one of the oldest tricks. My wife and I did that when we were younger."

"Your wife?" Paul asked.

"My best friend at the time," the man explained. "She's a beauty, kind of like her." He pointed at Haley as he said that. "Guys couldn't keep their eyes off of her, and it was pissing us off. So we pulled the play. And the more we did it, the more I fell in love with her."

"And you've regretted it ever since," Clint taunted.

"I only regret her cooking," Clyde replied. Haley giggled. "So if Chocolate guy ain't your boyfriend, who is?" he asked.

Chocolate guy? Paul repeated in his head. Add a "Mister" in front of that, and that's a nickname Haley would come up with. "I don't have one," Haley stated.

"You probably have a celebrity boyfriend," Paul joked with a smirk on his face. "Let me guess, Fiorello Cappucino like every other girl?"

Haley flicked his arm. "Far from it, Mister Chocolate Guy," she stated. And there we go, Paul chuckled. "I don't see what's so great about him. The other girls can have their Romance star. Steven Stone...now we're talking."

"The former Hoenn Champion that you beat out of his spot?" Paul said.

"He was going on a journey, regardless if I beat him or not," she informed. Then their forks clashed going for the last piece. "Oh no, Mister, that's mine," Haley challenged.

Paul smirked once more and quickly grabbed the cake with his fingers. Haley's jaw dropped as he put it into his mouth. "I don't think so," he replied smugly.

His reward was a glare. "That's it. I'm so done doing nice things for you." Paul chuckled and Clyde laughed as Haley grumbled incoherently while she paid. Then she sighed. "Well, guess we should get moving. The next Gym is in Veilstone City, right?"

"Guess so seeing as some Gym Leader doesn't want their position," Paul stated.

It was Clint's turn to laugh. "That woman is quite the traveler," he explained. "She's always looking for a new style of battling."

"So she does this often?" Haley asked.

"And frequently pisses off Trainers like you two," Clyde added. "Hey, if you guys are looking for battling, there's a tournament coming up in two days. It's called the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition."

The two turned to him. "A Tag Battle Competition?" Haley repeated.

"Yep. Happens every year right after the Contest. Sometimes Coordinators compete if they lose in the Contest, though it's very rare."

Paul's gears were turning. "Are there strong Trainers?" he asked.

"Almost always," Clint replied. "Are you thinking of competing?"

"Possibly," Paul answered.

Haley tapped her finger on the counter. "...No," she finally said.

"No?" her partner questioned.

"Think if we were paired," she reasoned. "We would cream the competition so bad they'd all fly into next month. And besides, I'm not a huge fan of tournaments. I'll watch them, but I rarely participate."

Maybe that's why she does the Elite Four Run, Paul thought. "Your loss," he said aloud. He hopped off his stool. "I'm going to go train."

"Because of course you will," Haley stated. "Clint, do you know where the Pokémon Center is so my power-hungry fri...partner doesn't get lost?"

Paul could have sworn she almost said "friend", but decided not to say anything. Clint told them where the Pokémon Center was, and Haley told him he would meet him there since she wanted to explore. Paul shrugged and walked off. He went to the battlefield that was right behind the Pokémon Center and released his Pokémon. They looked at him. "We have some preparations to make," he told them. He looked at all them, but he looked at Chimchar the most. "We have a tournament to win." Everyone nodded, especially Chimchar.

But for whatever reason, the chimp couldn't shake this terrible feeling that was racing through his stomach.

...​

Two days later, and the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition was upon everyone. Paul had signed up and was handed a card that had the number "5" on it. "Aw, two spots away from being in the top three," Haley joked. Paul rolled his eyes at his partner's corny joke. Despite his lack of enthusiasm, the chocolate had help quite a bit, although it seemed to be running out. But all things considered, today was a good day.

An hour later they went to the stadium, where they spilt up, Haley to the bleachers and Paul (with Chimchar and Elekid by his side since they were the ones who were going to appear the most) to the battlefield. Soon the MC and Mayor, Enta, came onto the stage and made his opening speech. Of course the purple-haired Trainer tuned most of it out, seeing as what he was here for wasn't a sappy speech. Then the MC hit a red button, and numbers appeared on the brackets on the jumbo-tron scoreboard. Paul noticed his number was in the "H" block and matched with "15", whoever that was. I just hope they aren't pathetic, Paul thought. Enta instructed the Trainers to find their partners, and Paul began wandering around, looking for Number 15. He then noticed a familiar-looking Pikachu sitting atop a very familiar-looking Trainer's head. Oh, please no... But of course, bad luck had to be on his side. The card Pikachu was holding read "15". He sighed mentally. I REALLY need to start knocking on wood, he thought with a scowl on his face. "Of course you had to be number 15," he scoffed.

"And I'm ready to win!" Ash exclaimed happily, turning around and not noticing Paul until he opened his eyes. His face turned into that of surprise and then to a frown. "Hey Paul," he greeted dryly, not liking the situation any more than Paul.

Haley, of course, noticed this since she was sitting in the front row. She huffed. "Umbreon?"

"Um?"

"Remember how I said the chocolate had been doing good, and that today was a good day?"

"Um."

"I think all of that chocolate finally drained, and I take back what I said: today's not a good day."