"You've brought me your petals?" Mina asked with a whimsical smile.

I pulled out the small glass vials from my backpack. Handing them over to Mina I glanced over to where Dawn was releasing all of her pokemon at the edge of the field. They all lined up, with Piplup claiming Dawn's lap, and I noticed that Mirageon was sitting calmly by Dawn's right knee.

"Ta-da!!!" 

Turning away from my observations I looked as Mina lifted what looked like a flower made of the multi-colored petals I had gathered against a glass backing. As she slid the last green petal towards the center they all gleamed briefly, melding together to create what looked like a real, cohesive flower, and a sweet scent was released as the glow disappeared.

"What now?" I asked impatiently and Mina smiled serenely before walking away to go sit by Dawn and her pokemon.

"You'll see," Mina said cryptically.

If Dawn hadn't already told me the totem was a Ribombee I would have rolled my eyes. Hoping that I wasn't making a mistake, I released Riolu and he growled threateningly as he appeared in front of me.

"Quiet now," I said evenly and Riolu instantly went silent. 

I noticed happily that Riolu didn't even look towards Dawn and her pokemon, but remained still and watchful for the opponent that would have a distinct advantage over him type-wise. A faint flapping sound caught my attention and Riolu and I turned as one to watch as a small dot in the distance became larger and larger. I felt my mouth drop open when the ribombee suddenly zoomed past us and buzzed loudly in Riolu's face before flapping backward and taking its position on the other side of the field. Dawn had said the ribombee was big, but this thing was the same size as Riolu! 

What does Alola do to create such massive pokemon like this? I wondered in shock before shaking my head and focusing.

"Are you ready for this, Riolu?" I asked and he nodded firmly, bending his knees to get ready to move at a moment's notice. 

Ribombee moved first though, flapping her wings quickly to create a wave of Fairy Wind.

"Use Force Palm on the ground," I commanded.

Instantly Riolu's hand began to glow and just as the wind was about to hit him Riolu tapped the ground. The explosion of force shot him up nearly twenty feet into the air, allowing him to successfully dodge the super-effective attack. I raised my arms and allowed the sparkling wind to rush over and past me. 

Here we go, I thought ruefully.

"Riolu, Bullet Punch!" I ordered. 

As Riolu streaked down to the ground both his paws gleamed a metallic grey and he dived towards Ribombee. The large pokemon bobbed up and down and let loose a massive Pollen Puff up towards Riolu. In a blur of blue and grey, Riolu punched at the green puffball rapidly, breaking it apart easily and as he popped out the other side he managed to land a quick three-part punch into the ribombee's stomach. The pokemon screeched in pain and zipped away, leaving Riolu to drop to the ground.

Ribombee spun in a circle and let out a loud, "Bombee!" and I gritted my teeth, hoping that we would be lucky and it wouldn't be a pelipper that answered its call. Taking advantage of Ribombee's moment of calling for help I quickly called for Riolu's second new move.

"Poison Jab!" 

Riolu stood up and pulled back one paw clenched in a fist. A purple light began to swirl at the end of his fist and he punched into the air, letting loose several large streams of poison. Ribombee was more alert than I thought though and zipped up, missing the poisonous streams of light with ease before it buzzed angrily down at Riolu.

"You need to get up in the air, Riolu," I said, gritting my teeth and wondering how he had convinced me to let him do this. Metang was obviously the better choice for this battle, but Riolu's determination calmed my frustration. I watched with quiet approval as he used Force Palm to once again launch himself into the air.

"Pelipper!" 

Groaning I turned to see a large beaked bird pokemon swooping towards the field. It let loose a jet of water towards Riolu but luckily the Pelipper's aim was atrocious and the water sailed harmlessly underneath Riolu as he continued rocketing upwards.

"Use Poison Jab multiple times!" I called as his upward momentum began to cease. 

I watched as both his paws glowed purple this time and he let loose a barrage of Poison Jabs. Ribombee ducked and dodged but one of the streams finally hit her, causing her to shudder and drop nearly to the ground. My eyes widened though as Pelipper swooped toward my falling pokemon and whacked him with his wing, smacking him forcefully towards the ground where he crashed onto his back.

"Get up, Riolu," I urged, watching the ribombee shaking her head as her helper flew in circles above my fallen pokemon.

"You can do it, Riolu!" 

Looking over in surprise I saw Dawn with her hands cupped over her mouth, shouting encouragements to Riolu along with all of her pokemon adding in their own calls of support. I watched as Riolu sat up, holding the arm that Pelipper had smacked and he glanced over towards Dawn and her pokemon. Then to my surprise, he looked back at me with a look of unease.

"Don't you give up, Riolu," I said seriously, trying to show my support in my own way. 

Riolu's eyes widened and then he nodded, pushing himself up. Once he was standing on his feet again his body began to glow.

"Oh! Look!" Dawn called out excitedly.

I watched as Riolu began to grow taller, his arms and legs becoming thicker and stronger, and his body lengthened. As the glow dissipated he let loose a deep roar, now a fully evolved Lucario, and part of me was shocked. I knew that Riolu only evolved if they were close friends with their trainers, and I had wondered if I would ever be able to inspire that level of friendship in a pokemon. Lucario looked back at me and grinned, pumping his fist in excitement and I returned his grin.

"Incoming!" I warned.

He instantly jumped and did a backflip, dodging both Ribombee's Pollen Puff and Pelipper's Water gun attacks.

"Use Thunder Punch on Pelipper!" I said.

With a bang, Lucario's paw began to crackle with electric energy. Running swiftly forward he leaped and crashed his electrified fist into the Pelipper, smashing it on the side of its head and causing it to crash down onto the ground in a heap of feathers. Lucario landed on the ground and turned to face Ribombee, who had unleashed another Fairy Wind attack.

"Force Palm," I instructed and Lucario dashed towards the wind making both of his paws glow. He tapped them against the ground and launched himself once again into the air.

"Use Poison Jab to trap her and then get her with Bullet Punch!" I instructed, feeling excitement rush through me as I watched Lucario's confident movements. 

He sent a spray of poison to Ribombee's left and right, boxing her into the perfect spot. As he fell through the sky towards her he slammed a metallic fist into her, propelling her away from him and causing her to crash to the ground where she did not move.

I looked at the two crumpled pokemon with satisfaction and then turned my attention to Lucario. He was looking at himself, seeming to be shocked at his own evolution, then he glanced up at me. Walking over to him I placed a hand on his shoulder. Lucario wasn't a very tall pokemon, he looked to be just under four feet, but I knew with his off-the-charts attack stats he would be a formidable foe.

"Congratulations, Lucario!" Dawn yelled from her spot on the sidelines, and I was a little surprised that she hadn't rushed over to give him a hug. Even more surprising though was when Lucario lurched forward, stumbling as Mirageon tackled him and wrapped her front paws around his shoulder.

"Mira mira," she mewed happily, rubbing her cheek against Lucario's. If he didn't have fur covering his cheeks I was sure he'd be blushing like crazy at the unexpected hug and I felt both pleased and sad at the sight.

"Well done. Ribombee hasn't had a beating like that in a long time," Mina said as she slowly walked toward us. "Dawn's battle was much more elegant, but a bold and strong battle can be a great inspiration as well."

I rolled my eyes at that comment but as they rolled they came to rest on Dawn who was walking over to us with a smile on her face. Swallowing hard, I realized that I would only have one more battle where Dawn would be cheering me on from the sidelines and I was surprised at how empty that thought made me feel. 

Mina presented me with the Fairium Z stone although when she showed me the move I tried to give it back to her because there was no way that I would ever pose in such a ridiculous way. She stubbornly refused to take it back and instead told us to go to the Pokemon Center to schedule our battle with the island kahuna, Hapu.

The trip to the PokeCenter was only an hour's walk and I decided to let Lucario stay out and walk. I watched as Dawn's pokemon dragged Lucario into a small game of tag as we all walked along the path and Dawn was constantly giggling at her pokemon's antics. Even I couldn't keep from laughing when Piplup tagged Arcanine but before he could run away Arcanine used one of his giant paws to capture Piplup and pin him to the ground with his beak in the dirt. His muffled cries of outrage were hilarious and Dawn had to go over personally to convince Arcanine that he should let him up. Piplup looked ready to use Hydro Pump on his large friend but Dawn picked him up and tickled him until he loosened up.

As we got closer Dawn returned her pokemon and I noticed that Lucario looked a little sad as Mirageon disappeared in a stream of red light. I returned him as well and we handed all our pokemon over to Nurse Joy before she gave us Kahuna Hapu's schedule and we signed up for a time to battle her.

"Hapu holds all of her kahuna battles at the entrance to Vast Poni Canyon," Nurse Joy explained to us and gave us directions on how to find our way.

"Should we stay at the Pokemon Center for tonight?" Dawn asked me but Nurse Joy paused, glancing over her shoulder before going into the back room.

"I'm so sorry, but we only have one room available for tonight. We're a small center and we only have four rooms," she explained apologetically and Dawn's face fell.

"I see. Don't worry, Nurse Joy. We're used to camping," Dawn said with a smile and I looked away. 

If I hadn't kissed her she probably would have suggested that we could share the room and complicated feelings swirled through me to know that Dawn didn't even briefly consider that option this time. She probably is doing it for me, I thought and cursed at myself for ruining our friendship.

Once Nurse Joy was finished checking our pokemon we left the small center and began to make our way to Vast Poni Canyon. It was getting dark by the time we passed the adobe home that Nurse Joy had described as where Kahuna Hapu and her family lived. Dawn had released Piplup after leaving the Pokemon Center and she had kept up a strange conversation with him as we traveled. Honestly, I was surprised at how well she seemed to understand the little runt. During the walk, I remained silent and Dawn didn't try to include me in their conversation, but I found myself watching her out of the corner of my eye throughout the day.

"Wow," Dawn exhaled in obvious awe. I looked up, seeing a towering cliff wall shoot up with only a small aisle to cut between it and allow a path into the canyon.

"I guess we're here," I remarked flatly. 

Dawn looked up at me, sadness shining in her eyes, but she quickly looked away and cleared her throat.

"It's getting kind of late. Are you okay with ramen for dinner?" she asked without looking at me.

"Ramen sounds great," I answered honestly and walked off the path, choosing at random a flat spot near the cliff's wall to start setting up a fire. 

There wasn't a water source nearby so Dawn and I both sacrificed a water bottle so we could boil water for the ramen and I portioned out our pokemon's food as Dawn worked on dinner. Later, as I was eating the now familiar taste of the perfectly tender ramen noodles that Dawn made I steeled myself for what I knew I needed to say.

"I'm going to leave for Melemele island tomorrow after my battle," I announced loudly.

It was like a switch had been turned off. All of the sounds of eating instantly stopped and as I looked around all of our pokemon had frozen and were looking at me with varied expressions of surprise and unhappiness but I found that I couldn't bring myself to look at Dawn. Slowly I lowered my eyes and sipped some of the broth of the soup, listening for any kind of reaction from her.

"I see." I closed my eyes and swallowed the broth with difficulty as Dawn's barely audible voice sounded. "Then I guess everyone gets poffins for dessert tonight," Dawn said after a small pause and I could hear the forced nature of her happy tone. 

The sounds of our pokemon mumbling in response to Dawn's announcement made me open my eyes and I saw that they had all turned back to their pokemon food looking upset. Things were so much simpler when I didn't care about my pokemon's feelings, I thought ruefully, looking down at my dinner again.

True to her word Dawn portioned out the rest of the poffins that she had left over for each pokemon and I frowned when they didn't attack them with gusto like they normally did. One by one, as they finished their treat, I watched as my pokemon walked over to Dawn. I turned away to clean the dishes from dinner as best as I could and was surprised when Arcanine padded over and sat next to me. Even sitting he was massive and it made me feel strange that he was actually taller than me when I stood up.

"Are you angry with me too?" I asked gruffly, rinsing my sudsy hands with water before rinsing the pot and bowls that Dawn and I had used. 

Arcanine woofed gently. Looking up I was surprised to see he was staring over his shoulder. When I followed his gaze I saw that Dawn was hugging Torterra around the neck, her shoulders shaking slightly as Incineroar patted her back while Lycanroc had her head pressed against her shoulder with her ears turned back sadly. Emotion gripped me and I quickly turned away, clearing my throat and telling myself that this was the best decision for Dawn in the long run.

"Arc ar ar," Arcanine barked.

I nearly fell over when his large muzzle came over and knocked against my side. Looking up I thought I saw him smile and I furrowed my brow, wondering what he was trying to tell me. Suddenly a faint buzzing sound came from behind me and Dawn's Ribombee flitted over my shoulder flying in the air in front of my face and looking at me sadly. Mirageon, Piplup, and even Vulpix soon followed, all coming to sit around me, although Vulpix stood between Arcanine's front legs and seemed to be looking at me with distrust.

"What? I'm not going to hug you," I scoffed gruffly as Dawn's pokemon all regarded me. 

Mirageon stood up and walked over to me. I stiffened as she batted at my knee and then gracefully boosted herself into my lap. I didn't move as she stood on her back legs, resting her paws on my shoulder, and licked my cheek once. She let out a small "Geon" before hopping off me and trotting over to Dawn. Ribombee also flew up and pecked me gently on the cheek before looking at me sadly and flying away. Arcanine glanced down at Vulpix in between his legs and then stood, giving me another doggy smile before moving away, Vulpix following after him. Reluctantly I looked down at Piplup who had folded his flippers and was looking at me angrily.

"I thought you'd be happy for me to leave," I admitted after a long pause.

Piplup continued to glare fiercely at me. He pointed firmly towards Dawn and I reluctantly looked around, seeing that she was now hugging Lycanroc, ignoring the sharp rocks around her neck, and I thought I could see tears streaming down her cheek. I turned back to Piplup and glared down at the little thing.

"Would you rather she cry now and then move on or cry for years later?" I asked angrily and Piplup frowned, obviously confused. Shaking my head I ran a hand through my bangs. "You wouldn't understand. But I didn't mean to make her cry. Truly," I mumbled, not looking at the blue ball of drama in front of me. 

My eyes widened when Piplup ran towards me and kicked my knee awkwardly with his webbed feet. I sat still as he kicked me several times and I was shocked when he looked up at me and had tears in his eyes. He briskly rubbed at them with his flippers and then kicked me one more time before turning and waddling angrily away

He could've done more damage if he attacked me with one of his moves, I thought as I watched his small form walk over to Dawn where he crawled onto her lap and hugged her stomach. Why did he kick me when it probably hurt him more than me?

Once again I left my pokemon out of their pokeballs and they all slept in a circle around Dawn. My sleep was fitful that night and strange dreams filled with my mom, dad, and Dawn circled through my subconscious. I was awake as the sun rose and I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever be able to forget Dawn.

Hapu found us while I was making bluk berry oatmeal for breakfast. I was briefly shocked at how short she was. She looked like she was barely over four feet tall, but when she spoke she sounded mature and she graciously accepted Dawn's offer to join us for breakfast.

"It's nice to have people taking the island challenge during the fall," Hapu said with a smile. "It's been a while since I've gotten to have a kahuna battle. I look forward to it." 

I nodded my head in acknowledgement and she nodded back.

"What type of pokemon do you favor, Hapu?" Dawn asked as she poked at her oatmeal. I watched her from the corner of my eye, wondering why she wasn't eating since this was supposedly her favorite.

"I have ground type pokemon. I feel like I can really connect with their sturdiness and strength," Hapu said calmly. I thought of Mirageon and couldn't help but think that "sturdy" wasn't a word I would ever associate with the little trickster.

After Hapu and I finished our meals we walked a little way into the canyon where a large expanse of dirt with a single tree growing in front of a cave's entrance was the only vegetation that could be seen. Hapu was tough, and her pokemon were incredibly well trained, but I was able to beat them all without too much trouble with Torterra. It felt good to battle with Torterra again, tearing up the battlefield and timing the Frenzy Plants just right. He seemed to be even more motivated than usual today, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was doing it for Dawn.

Hapu gave me a Groundium Z after we successfully beat her and I immediately started making plans for when I would use it in the future. Dawn congratulated both of us brightly, but she was quick to look away from me and pointedly walked on the other side of Torterra when we left the canyon together. Hapu waved us goodbye and left down a path that I hadn't explored, but didn't intend to either. The time had come for me to say goodbye.

As Hapu disappeared down the path I looked over and was surprised to see that Dawn was on her knees. She was hugging Torterra tightly, pressing her face against his cheek while Torterra had grown vines to stroke the top of her head soothingly. Turning away I waited for them to finish their goodbyes. When I heard the scrape of Dawn's shoes signaling that she'd stood up I turned and returned Torterra to his Pokeball. Dawn's head was tilted down so that her bangs were covering her eyes and I cleared my throat lightly, wondering what you were supposed to say to the girl you loved when you hoped she would find someone else to love and be happy.

"Take care," I heard myself say and I knew that that was the best I could do. If I tried to say anything else the pain would be too much. Determinedly I turned around and took a step away from her.

"Wait." My heart ached as my feet instantly froze. "Will you come to watch me in the Tournament?" 

I turned slightly so I could look over my shoulder. Her face was calm as she looked at me steadily, waiting for my answer.

"I... don't think that's a good idea," I replied slowly. 

It was going to be hard enough to see her again at the pokemon league. If I went to her tournament and saw her beautiful smile up on the stage I wasn't sure I'd be strong enough to leave her again.

"Please? You're the one who stopped me from quitting. You... you need to take responsibility and watch me to the end," Dawn's voice hitched slightly as she spoke, but she finished strong and I could see the silent pleading in her eyes. I could feel myself weakening and I clenched my hands into fists and breathed out firmly through my nose.

"When is it?" I asked softly, looking away from her.

"November 16th. It's going to be held at the Aether Paradise. You can get there from any island," Dawn said quickly. I could hear the relief in her voice and I schooled my expression into an emotionless mask before looking over at her again.

"I won't talk to you," I told her firmly.

The small smile instantly fell from her lips. She looked down for a second, but then she looked back up at me with a pained expression.

"That's fine. It will help to know that you're watching at least," she said quietly. 

I felt like someone was reaching in and squeezing my heart as I tried to think of a time when anyone had ever found strength from just knowing I was nearby. This is what I wanted to be for my mom, I realized and I quickly turned away, telling myself that if I followed my papa's career path then I would just drag Dawn down my mom's fate.

"Wait... Wait a second, Paul!" 

My quick footsteps slowed and I cursed at myself for being a weakling but I felt myself come to a stop. Once again looked over my shoulder at her. My throat went dry as I saw a single tear slip from her eye, but she quickly reached up and brushed it away.

"I just... wanted to say thank you," she breathed out. I looked away and shook my head.

"You have nothing to thank me for," I stated firmly.

"Yes, I do, you jerk!" she yelled angrily.

I blinked, turning around completely this time. I watched as her cheeks reddened and she covered her eyes briefly, letting out a calming breath.

"Sorry," she mumbled before removing her hand and looking me squarely in the eye. "I am truly grateful to you, Paul. I was so stuck on my failures that I couldn't find a way to get out of my head and you helped me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for teaching me about strategy. And... and thank you for believing in me."

My throat seemed to be squeezing closed as Dawn struggled through what she wanted to say. There was plenty I wanted to say too. The thought of how she made poffins for my pokemon even though I knew it took hours of her time, and how she cooked delicious meals for me every night happily were only the start. I wanted to thank her for teaching me how to be friends with my pokemon. For supporting me as we went around the island challenge even when I was rude to her. I wanted to tell her how much it had meant to me when she bought me a gift just because she wanted to. And more than anything I wanted to thank her for falling in love with me, even though I tried to keep her from doing it.

Emotion continued to squeeze against my throat and I quickly turned away, knowing that if I said anything it would be too hard to leave her. Painstakingly I began to move away from her again and in my mind I begged her to let me go... because every time I turned around it was getting harder to remember why I was leaving.

"Paul!"

Letting out a groan I once again came to a halt. My eyes widened as I turned and I saw Dawn sprinting to me. Before I could react she threw herself against me, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck and burying her face against my shoulder. I held my arms away from her, telling myself that I had no right to touch her when all I could do was bring her pain. Dawn's arms squeezed tighter though and she lifted her head so her forehead was pressed against my cheek.

"I'm not letting go until you hug me back," she declared forcefully.

A strangled chuckle escaped my throat as I gave up and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulders.

"You can't change my mind," I whispered, more to myself than to her. 

Dawn moved her head and bolts of electricity seemed to race through my body as she pressed her lips against my neck, directly below my ear. My muscles tightened and it took all of my focus just to breathe as Dawn moved her head once again so that her breath brushed against my ear.

"I'm not giving you up without a fight, Paul," she said and I shuddered as her lips brushed against my earlobe. "I love you... And I love that you are trying to protect me from getting hurt. But I'll prove that I am strong enough to stand by your side."

Dawn's grip on my neck loosened and my blood churned as the desire to keep her close roared through me. Even the memory of my mom crying seemed distant in the face of such a huge need to have Dawn stay right where she was. I hadn't realized that my eyes were closed until I felt Dawn place her smooth fingers on my cheeks and they flew open, panic and longing rushing through me. But the look she was giving me calmed some of the panic when I realized that she was wanting to show me her determination that seemed to crackle like fire behind her sapphire blue eyes.

"I promise I won't lose a match until I battle you in the pokemon league, Paul. So wait for me, okay?" 

I stared into her eyes and wondered for the first time whether Dawn may have an actual chance of beating me. There's no way. Don't give yourself false hope, Paul... With herculean effort I forced myself to remove my arm from her shoulders, but instead of falling back to my side my hand came up to grip one of her hands on my cheek.

"You... you rely too much on Draining Kiss," I heard myself say. Dawn blinked in shock and then her eyes began to fill with the moisture. "Ribombee's defense is terrible. Instead of trying to heal her you should use double team and make it more difficult to hit her." 

Dawn's lips began to tremble and she nodded as she visibly tried to hold back her tears.

"Vulpix is useless in a fight unevolved, but Aurora Veil is a super useful move. It may look pretty but its strategically important," I continued to babble and I cringed at the slight hint of desperation in my voice. 

Stop, Paul. She could never be happy with you. I grimaced as I silently agreed with my inner voice but my mouth continued to run on.

"Mirageon has a lot of stamina but her defense is weak. Don't feel guilty by using sandstorm and taking advantage of her ability. And don't overuse Overheat with Arcanine or his special attack will be next to useless." 

Dawn bit her bottom lip as a tear finally slid from her right eye and she stroked my cheek with the thumb of the hand I wasn't holding. Squeezing her hand even tighter I swallowed hard and closed my eyes briefly.

"I won't go easy on you, Dawn. I would never forgive myself if I... if you..." my words failed me as I watched another tear roll down one of Dawn's perfect cheeks and I was surprised when she sniffled and then gave me a smile.

"You forget that I've been watching you for months now. If there's one thing I know, it's how you battle. And I am going to use everything you taught me to beat you," she proclaimed with a challenging look.

I couldn't help but laugh and shake my head, still pressing her hand to my cheek while holding her tightly around her waist.

"Don't count on it," I breathed out a little painfully.

To my shock, Dawn rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips against mine in a brief kiss. She pulled away before I could even tell myself to not kiss her back and she slipped her hands from my cheeks. My hand followed her as she rested it over my heart.

"Don't underestimate me," she whispered fiercely. 

Swallowing with difficulty I slowly moved my arm from around her waist and allowed myself to brush my knuckles along her cheek, wiping away some of her tears before digging my fingers into her hair and cupping her cheek in the palm of my hand. She turned slightly and pressed her lips against the heel of my palm, her eyes closing and pushing out two more tears.

"I... need to go..." I forced myself to say, gritting my teeth as she turned even further and kissed the palm of my hand. Her shaky breath tickled my palm as she pulled away and looked up at me.

 She remained silent, opening and closing her mouth several times as if trying to find the words and it took all of my self-control not to lean down and capture her lips with mine. To stop myself I moved my hand and covered her mouth with my hand. Closing my eyes briefly, I let go of her hand that was above my hammering heart.

"Don't hurt yourself while I'm gone, okay? And if... when I win our battle, don't forget your promise," I said quietly and Dawn's eyes sparkled happily when I slipped and used the word "if".

Slowly I lifted my hand from her mouth and backed up several steps. Dawn stayed where she was, her hands staying pressed to my chest until I backed up past her arms reach, and then they slowly fell back to her sides as she stared at me.

Releasing a quick breath I turned, cutting off my view of Dawn and I quickly walked away, hating myself more and more with every step that I took.

"I love you, Paul!"

Closing my eyes briefly I grit my teeth and continued walking swiftly towards the port, burying my desire to turn around and show her that I loved her too.

A/N This is probably one of my favorite chapters that I've written so far, although it was really emotionally draining. I hope you enjoyed it as well.