Chapter 24: Meeting

I woke up in the middle of the night, with Dawn's head on my chest. It was comforting, but I felt worse than ever. Like my heart didn't work. Which was even crappier than I'd imagined because a few months ago it hadn't worked either. And it was fine when something didn't work and you weren't aware of it, or didn't care. It was fine when a child had never had chocolate cake before and had been living off lettuce and had no idea what chocolate cake was. But after eating it, the child can't go back to something as ridiculous as Buneary food. The kid would choose cake every time, no matter how long it took for cake to be an option.

I just didn't know how to make chocolate cake.

I spent half the night staring at Dawn, tracing her face gently enough so she wouldn't wake up.

I loved this girl.

My heart felt a bit more at ease as I thought that, so I imagined moments with her. The moment I realized she still wanted to travel with me despite the Contest. How it'd felt to give her that rose. The feel of her skin as she hugged me, melting into her embrace and feeling like a child again. Feeling secure. Every caress, every kiss. The first one, where the storm seemed to speak what was raging within me.

Realizing I couldn't live without her, no matter how much I tried to push her away. Finding her in the Team Magma cave, knowing she was alive. Realizing that I could finally breathe again, knowing she was safe.

I loved this girl.

My breathing came easier after that and I soon fell back asleep, my uncle's voice drifting through my head, Strength comes from love.

A kiss pressed against my forehead made me awake, though groggily.

"Good morning." Dawn whispered.

I put a hand in her hair in response, letting my fingers trail through her silky hair.

"Demi told me everything that happened yesterday." Dawn said.

"We're going to talk about this now?" I groaned mentally. I hadn't even been awake for ten seconds.

"You locked yourself in the room so you'd be all alone, shutting people out. I let you be yesterday. But today you need to be honest with me. You can't run away."

I traced her ear gently, glad that I'd fallen asleep thinking about much I loved her. It kept me from closing off, "Alright."

I began explaining everything from my point of view, how the satchel must have been a fake. I left out Demi telling me she loved me as a brother. I couldn't deal with that.

"Are you still upset with her?" She asked.

"I don't want to see her anymore." I answered truthfully. I wasn't upset with her, not after hearing how she felt, but I couldn't see her. Not when everyone I got close to seemed to die. I looked at Dawn again, wishing I could promise that she also wouldn't get hurt. But I couldn't. She could have died because of me with Team Magma, or when Salamence had fallen. And it was because she was with me.

At least Ash Ketchum hadn't ever almost gotten her killed, as far as I knew.

"But are you upset with her?" Dawn asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

"No. But I'm not going to see her. I need to figure things out." That was also true.

"You're not doing well again, are you?" Dawn asked. I could feel the hurt in her voice.

"I'm doing better when I'm close to you and remembering how much I love you." I said softly into her ear.

I heard her breathing hitch slightly and pulled away, not feeling myself even if the words were true. I was going through the motions. Even her closeness could not mend me. It just kept me from breaking.

"I think you need to talk to Roric." Dawn said suddenly.

"Yeah, because his sister isn't bad enough." I said dryly.

"You need to talk to him. Just try."

"What's the big deal about talking to him?"

"What's the big deal about not talking to him?" She countered.

Touché.

"I don't want to."

"I got that part. Why?"

"You act like me more and more with each passing day, you know that?" I sighed and sat up, running a hand through my hair.

She sat up as well, gripping my hand tightly as her eyes narrowed, "Do you want me to act more like you?"

"No." I said warily.

"Then talk to Roric. Please." Her eyes softened after a moment and her voice was smaller, "For me."

She dropped her head onto my shoulder. I exhaled, "Fine."

"Thank you." She said in relief, "He'll be by after breakfast."

"Excuse me?"

"So you should get ready." Dawn said hastily, grabbing some clean clothes before practically running to the door, "Love you!"

The door slammed as I yelled her name, agitated. I flopped back onto the bunk, sour faced. A penguin head peeked at me from the top bunk, blinking. I sighed and ignored Piplup, getting dressed. Not only was he a little bugger of a Water type, but he also seemed to be a pervert.

"You better be looking away." I grunted, facing the opposite direction.

"P'lup," He said. It sounded more like he was counseling me than telling me he wasn't watching me change.

As if I could understand him either way, "I'm not talking to you. You can't give me advice."

"Piplup."

"Yes, I'm certain that what you said was very educated and refined in taste. But I'm not listening to you." I pulled on a new shirt.

"Pip Piplup!"

"Toodle pip to you too." I said dryly, starting off the day in a bad mood. Roric would just love me. I left Piplup in our room by himself, half hoping he'd get himself killed as he tried to get off the top bunk by himself. Perhaps food would dispel the grumpiness.

I ate breakfast by myself, though I would have been nice to Dawn if she showed up. She seemed a bit too scared of me to do so.

"Late breakfast?" A shadow fell over me.

I almost started laughing in annoyance. Whoever was talking to me didn't know they were poking their hand into a Beedrill nest, "Depends on what time it is."

"Noon."

I looked up to see who was informing me of the time, recognizing him right away even though I'd never seen him in person. He had the same darker skin and black hair as his sister. The only difference was he was in his early twenties and had a pretty muscular build. His sister looked so fragile and innocent, while he looked like he wouldn't mind fighting anyone who crossed his path. He certainly wasn't intimidated to start a conversation with me on one of my bad days.

Roric noticed how much I studied him and held out his hand, "Nice to finally meet you, Paul."

I didn't shake it and went back to eating my cereal, "I didn't know you'd be coming so soon."

"I thought Dawn was going to tell you."

"You can say that." I said dryly, looking him over again as he sat down across from me. He seemed very at ease despite my irritableness, "She acted as if I have the choice."

"You do have a choice." Roric stated.

I put down my spoon, "Funny, doesn't feel like it."

"How are you doing, Paul?"

"Lousy, thank you very much for asking. How are you?" I said with as much polite interest as I could muster.

"This isn't about me."

"Jumping right into a selfless sermon, aren't you?"

Roric paused to study me this time, "No, I'm not. You know what, I don't even know you."

"Amazing. You're correct. Did God tell you that?"

"So I just want to get to know you better."

"You'll be pleased to know that I find conversations to all be as entertaining as getting dissected physically." I started plunging into the ham on my plate, stabbing it with my fork.

"So you're a Trainer."

"Yes." I sighed.

"Fine." Roric stood up.

I sat up a bit in shock, alert, "Where are you going?"

"Miss me already?" He turned around and smiled.

I stabbed my fork into the ham so hard it stood up by itself.

"I'm going to the battle field."

"And what will you do there?" I asked slowly.

"Get to know you better."

We started walking towards the field.

"You have no idea what to make of me." Roric stated. He said it as a fact, as if what he said was correct and there was no likelihood that he was wrong.

"You're much different from your sister."

"You've known me a full five minutes and that's what you think?"

His tone made my opinion feel inferior to his. I felt a simmer of anger, "You don't go around twirling in happiness and saying how wonderful God is every five seconds."

"Yet again, it's only been five minutes. And if I did do those things, I wouldn't be stupid enough to scare you off with that."

"So you admit that you would?" I raised an eyebrow.

"And do you admit to being scared?" He mimicked me.

I didn't like him.

We got to the field. Roric took the other side, not pausing as he turned to face me. I could see it in his eyes. This was what he was good at doing. He could battle. He was an actual opponent.

"This will be a three on three battle." Roric recited, "Two out of three wins."

I nodded.

"This is the easiest way for both you and me to get to know each other. This should be our first impression of each other, of who we are." He took out a Poke Ball, then looked back at me, "My sister told me about your battle. That you lost."

"She forfeited."

He ignored me, "She said she refused to battle you until you're ready. And maybe she's right."

"But?"

"But I'm going to battle you anyway. Because we're more alike than you think. I can tell." Roric inclined his head slightly, "And I know you'll give it a better shot against me."

There was something that felt like rivalry already between us, some sort of tense electricity that sparked at how badly I'd always wanted to battle. I thirsted to prove myself better than he thought I was, to show that I wasn't some broken mess that Demi seemed to be telling everyone that I was. I could still battle, and I could still win.

"Do not expect mercy." I said softly, taking out my own Poke Ball.

"It's been awhile since I've battled myself." Roric murmured, releasing his first to take the field.

And Roric has entered the story. *Insert dramatic music here* Get ready for a good battle. It was so much fun to write. Battles in general are a lot of fun to write, but I love these two battling together.

Tell me what you think in the comments! 

Pokemon Question of the Day: Which two Trainers battling each other would make the most epic battle ever?

-Flips