Paul and Dawn: First Light

Chapter 25: Pieces

Chapter 25: Pieces 

That night was tranquil. It was cloudless and the Pokemon surrounding our camp made soft, reassuring noises that sounded like a natural, ancient music. It was absolutely peaceful, though Dawn and I were both lost in our own thoughts. I didn't know about her, but I was thinking about our earlier conversation and didn't really want to be bothered. 

"I wonder how Ash is doing." Dawn looked up at the starry sky and kicked her feet back and forth. 

For some reason I felt angrier than usual at the mention of Ash. Recently, he was all that she ever talked about. My voice boiled with loathing, "Why did you even travel around with him, anyway?" 

Dawn, startled, stopped kicking her feet. "What do you mean?" 

"He's an idiot, Dawn. Has he gotten any stronger since he first became a Trainer?" 

"Of course he has!" 

"Prove it."

"He beat you." Dawn held her chin higher. 

"A fluke." I waved my hand airily. 

"Whatever," Dawn muttered. "Ash is still a great guy no matter what you say." 

"You mean like your Contest boyfriend?" I snorted. 

Dawn opened her mouth, quiet for a couple seconds before yelling, "Where is this coming from?" 

A good question. Where was this coming from? 

I paused, trying to come up with a decent retort, "If you haven't noticed, every guy you've ever hung out with is just chasing your skirt." 

Dawn laughed. "Wow, Paul. Since when do you care?" Then she paused, "Are you counted under the category of 'every guy' when it comes to chasing after my skirt?" 

"Of course not." I shifted my weight. "I'm just informing you of what's happening because you seem too oblivious to even notice when a guy is taking interest in you." 

Dawn looked at me solemnly. "I think I can tell when a guy is interested in me all by myself." 

A very awkward silence passed while I stared back into her blue eyes before turning away. "So, tell me about this apparent skill you have. I never would have guessed you could do more than sit and play dead." 

Dawn ignored my jab. "What about it?" 

"I'm not going to believe you until you give me examples, Dawn," I said testily. "Prove you can tell if boys are attracted to you." 

"Like who, Ash?" Dawn laughed. "He never liked me as more than a friend." 

"And how do you know that?" 

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Ash told me about a friend he had traveled around with in Kanto, the Orange Islands, and Johto. He mentioned her quite a lot, actually." Her lip quirked up. "It was almost annoying. It was 'Misty this' and 'Misty that'. Not a day went by when she wasn't mentioned." 

"So? How does that prove he likes her?" I scoffed.  

Dawn's smile softened. "You didn't see how he lit up every time he mentioned her." 

I turned away, pondering what Dawn had told me about Ash. It fit his personality- being weak enough to not let someone go from his life, to be unable to grow because of the distraction of a girl. Still, he had left her behind and continued his journey without her. I'd never heard of this Misty before. I wondered if she was as wimpy as Ash. 

"I think they'll get married one day. Isn't that amazing to think about?" Dawn sighed happily. 

"Stupid seems like the better word," I answered.