Hannahmypet
Scientific Dreamer
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2009
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 2
Hello, I'm Hannahmypet. You probably don't know me, but who cares? This is my first attempt at a oneshot, (and first completed fanfic of any kind
) so I'm sorry if it's terrible. Any feedback would be great! But, enough chatter, let's start the story!
Ash, Dawn, and Brock were setting up camp. There was no Center near where they were, so they had to stop for the night on the route. At the beginning of their journey, Dawn used to protest, but now she was used to
this. Besides, being with Ash and Brock made everything ten times better.
Brock was checking the supplies. “Hey, Dawn,” he said, handing her a container. “We're almost out of water. There's a stream nearby, can you go refill this for us?”
“Sure thing, Brock!” Dawn was ready to help her friends in any way, no matter how small. She took the container and began picking through the trees.
The young coordinator soon found the river, and began to fill the container with water. She had let her hair down today, and she wasn't wearing her hat, so the wind made her blue hair flow gently across her face. She
wasn't sure why she let it down; maybe it looked better that way. As the container finished filling, she thought she heard a noise. She closed the lid on the container, and decided to investigate.
Dawn soon reached a clearing. When she got there, she gasped. There was a huge lake in the middle, and the moonlight reflected off of it perfectly. The area was too beautiful for words.
But that wasn't what caught her breath.
A certain purple-haired boy was sitting on a rock in silence, gazing up at the sky. The wind blew his hair, too, and he made no attempt to stop it. Dawn approached him slowly. He didn't seem to hear her footsteps as
she walked forward.
“Hey, Paul.” Even though she said it quietly, the moment was broken. Paul whipped around.
“Who's there?” he shouted, startled. When he saw who it was, his face hardened.
“Oh. It's you. What do you want?” Paul snapped. Dawn gulped. She had only been talking to him for 5 seconds and he was already angry.
“Uh, nothing. I just wanted to say hi.”
“Oh.” Dawn was confused. This wasn't like Paul. No “That's stupid”. Not even a “Whatever”. Just an “Oh.”
Paul was looking at the moon again. Dawn walked up and sat next to him. He didn't budge. Dawn looked at him, and thoughts flooded her brain.
It wasn't just his attitude that was different. Paul seemed like he was different. He was.. calmer. More sentimental. And... more human. He seemed to be deep in thought. Dawn forgot to think and asked about it.
"Hey, Paul. What'cha thinking about?" Paul looked over at her. His face showed that he did not appreciate her interrupting him. Not one bit.
"Leave me alone, okay?" Paul snapped again.
"Why do you have to be so mean?" Dawn frowned. She never liked how he treated Ash or his Pokémon.
Paul turned away. "Why? It's not like you care about me," he said, and his voice was quieter this time. Dawn was caught off guard again. She had expected an "It's none of your business!" or, possibly, a "You're
wasting my time." Not an "It's not like you care about me."
Dawn realized that she did care about him now. Before, she couldn't care less. Before, he was just a cold, heartless person who was mean to everyone. He barely seemed human. She couldn't get past that
presumption. Now, she realized, he was definitely a person. In fact, he was a young boy. Even though she was the same age as him, she realized he was still a young boy. A boy all alone in the world, who needed
someone to be a friend. To try and understand him. Dawn realized that she would have to be that friend.
"Paul," Dawn whispered, her voice filled with emotion that she hadn't intended on using. "You're wrong. I do care. I care a lot. And I want to help you. But if you don't tell me, I can't. Please, let me in."
Dawn had been expecting a typical Paul answer. But, just as everything else tonight had, Paul surprised her.
He sighed, then started. "You know, my parents died when I was young. When I grew up, Reggie was like my parent. I looked up to him. I was so proud of my big brother. He was one of the only things I could be proud
of in my life.
"Since there was nowhere for me to stay, Reggie took me along on his journey. I remember watching in awe as he beat all the gym leaders. I thought he couldn't get any better.
"Then came the Battle Frontier. He beat all the leaders. I was confident he could win the last match with Brandon.
"Then he lost. And that's when Reggie gave up. He stopped being a trainer, he stopped traveling, he quit. All his hard work just dissolved." His voice started to quaver a bit as he recalled these memories. It got worse
as he continued.
"And so I wanted to be better than him. I wanted to beat everyone. So I promised to never give up. Never stop training. And never, ever, show any weakness..." He broke off, and Dawn realized he was shaking. She put
an arm around him to try and comfort him, and was surprised when he didn't shake her off.
Dawn realized what all the harsh training was about. Paul wanted to be strong so he could beat gym leaders. He felt he couldn't afford a weak Pokémon on his team. Why? Because he was afraid. Afraid of losing a
match and losing all his hard work. Afraid of following in his brother's footsteps. And he never wanted to show anyone he was afraid, so he put on a mask of heartlessness to hide himself. It didn't seem so bad, how he
acted, when you knew why he acted that way.
"Paul," Dawn whispered, "Thanks for telling me. You know, I want to help. We can all help you. Me, Ash, and Brock. We can help you. If you come back with me to camp, we can start..."
"No," Paul said bluntly, and Dawn couldn't help but smile: he was putting his mask back on. "Not now, not here, not today."
"Okay," Dawn said, and stood up. "But you will let us help you, right?"
"Maybe," Paul replied in a casual tone. "Just give me some time."
"Alright," Dawn said, and set off back to the camp.
When she got back, a very anxious looking Ash and Brock approached her.
"That sure took a while. Are you okay?" Ash asked as soon as he saw her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Dawn responded.
"Did you get the water?" Brock asked.
Dawn gave him the container. "Yep," she said happily. They were already set up, so all they needed to do is pull out sleeping bags and get in pajamas, and they started right away.
As Dawn lay in her sleeping bag, looking up at the star-filled sky, she remembered Paul and all the things she learned about him today. She smiled as she thought of one comforting fact: even if Paul wasn't ready yet,
she knew eventually that would change, and she could help him. If one thing from that experience comforted her, it was that she could help him.
) so I'm sorry if it's terrible. Any feedback would be great! But, enough chatter, let's start the story!Never Give Up
Ash, Dawn, and Brock were setting up camp. There was no Center near where they were, so they had to stop for the night on the route. At the beginning of their journey, Dawn used to protest, but now she was used to
this. Besides, being with Ash and Brock made everything ten times better.
Brock was checking the supplies. “Hey, Dawn,” he said, handing her a container. “We're almost out of water. There's a stream nearby, can you go refill this for us?”
“Sure thing, Brock!” Dawn was ready to help her friends in any way, no matter how small. She took the container and began picking through the trees.
The young coordinator soon found the river, and began to fill the container with water. She had let her hair down today, and she wasn't wearing her hat, so the wind made her blue hair flow gently across her face. She
wasn't sure why she let it down; maybe it looked better that way. As the container finished filling, she thought she heard a noise. She closed the lid on the container, and decided to investigate.
Dawn soon reached a clearing. When she got there, she gasped. There was a huge lake in the middle, and the moonlight reflected off of it perfectly. The area was too beautiful for words.
But that wasn't what caught her breath.
A certain purple-haired boy was sitting on a rock in silence, gazing up at the sky. The wind blew his hair, too, and he made no attempt to stop it. Dawn approached him slowly. He didn't seem to hear her footsteps as
she walked forward.
“Hey, Paul.” Even though she said it quietly, the moment was broken. Paul whipped around.
“Who's there?” he shouted, startled. When he saw who it was, his face hardened.
“Oh. It's you. What do you want?” Paul snapped. Dawn gulped. She had only been talking to him for 5 seconds and he was already angry.
“Uh, nothing. I just wanted to say hi.”
“Oh.” Dawn was confused. This wasn't like Paul. No “That's stupid”. Not even a “Whatever”. Just an “Oh.”
Paul was looking at the moon again. Dawn walked up and sat next to him. He didn't budge. Dawn looked at him, and thoughts flooded her brain.
It wasn't just his attitude that was different. Paul seemed like he was different. He was.. calmer. More sentimental. And... more human. He seemed to be deep in thought. Dawn forgot to think and asked about it.
"Hey, Paul. What'cha thinking about?" Paul looked over at her. His face showed that he did not appreciate her interrupting him. Not one bit.
"Leave me alone, okay?" Paul snapped again.
"Why do you have to be so mean?" Dawn frowned. She never liked how he treated Ash or his Pokémon.
Paul turned away. "Why? It's not like you care about me," he said, and his voice was quieter this time. Dawn was caught off guard again. She had expected an "It's none of your business!" or, possibly, a "You're
wasting my time." Not an "It's not like you care about me."
Dawn realized that she did care about him now. Before, she couldn't care less. Before, he was just a cold, heartless person who was mean to everyone. He barely seemed human. She couldn't get past that
presumption. Now, she realized, he was definitely a person. In fact, he was a young boy. Even though she was the same age as him, she realized he was still a young boy. A boy all alone in the world, who needed
someone to be a friend. To try and understand him. Dawn realized that she would have to be that friend.
"Paul," Dawn whispered, her voice filled with emotion that she hadn't intended on using. "You're wrong. I do care. I care a lot. And I want to help you. But if you don't tell me, I can't. Please, let me in."
Dawn had been expecting a typical Paul answer. But, just as everything else tonight had, Paul surprised her.
He sighed, then started. "You know, my parents died when I was young. When I grew up, Reggie was like my parent. I looked up to him. I was so proud of my big brother. He was one of the only things I could be proud
of in my life.
"Since there was nowhere for me to stay, Reggie took me along on his journey. I remember watching in awe as he beat all the gym leaders. I thought he couldn't get any better.
"Then came the Battle Frontier. He beat all the leaders. I was confident he could win the last match with Brandon.
"Then he lost. And that's when Reggie gave up. He stopped being a trainer, he stopped traveling, he quit. All his hard work just dissolved." His voice started to quaver a bit as he recalled these memories. It got worse
as he continued.
"And so I wanted to be better than him. I wanted to beat everyone. So I promised to never give up. Never stop training. And never, ever, show any weakness..." He broke off, and Dawn realized he was shaking. She put
an arm around him to try and comfort him, and was surprised when he didn't shake her off.
Dawn realized what all the harsh training was about. Paul wanted to be strong so he could beat gym leaders. He felt he couldn't afford a weak Pokémon on his team. Why? Because he was afraid. Afraid of losing a
match and losing all his hard work. Afraid of following in his brother's footsteps. And he never wanted to show anyone he was afraid, so he put on a mask of heartlessness to hide himself. It didn't seem so bad, how he
acted, when you knew why he acted that way.
"Paul," Dawn whispered, "Thanks for telling me. You know, I want to help. We can all help you. Me, Ash, and Brock. We can help you. If you come back with me to camp, we can start..."
"No," Paul said bluntly, and Dawn couldn't help but smile: he was putting his mask back on. "Not now, not here, not today."
"Okay," Dawn said, and stood up. "But you will let us help you, right?"
"Maybe," Paul replied in a casual tone. "Just give me some time."
"Alright," Dawn said, and set off back to the camp.
When she got back, a very anxious looking Ash and Brock approached her.
"That sure took a while. Are you okay?" Ash asked as soon as he saw her.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Dawn responded.
"Did you get the water?" Brock asked.
Dawn gave him the container. "Yep," she said happily. They were already set up, so all they needed to do is pull out sleeping bags and get in pajamas, and they started right away.
~~~
As Dawn lay in her sleeping bag, looking up at the star-filled sky, she remembered Paul and all the things she learned about him today. She smiled as she thought of one comforting fact: even if Paul wasn't ready yet,
she knew eventually that would change, and she could help him. If one thing from that experience comforted her, it was that she could help him.