A New Dream

Ready, Set, Zap!: Dawn's POV

"That was so good, Vulpix!" I squealed happily, scooping her cold body into my arms and spinning us around. Vulpix squeaked in surprise but I grinned widely when she leaned her cold nose against my neck affectionately.

Vulpix had taken a while to warm up to me, but being surrounded by my affectionate pokemon day in and day out started to loosen her unobtrusive behavior. She still seemed closest to Arcanine, but when I asked her to help me and Piplup with our dance performance for the Paniola Town showdown she had agreed immediately and had been practicing with me diligently day in and day out. I set her back down on the ground and then gathered Piplup into my arms for a spinning hug, which he accepted happily.

"You were wonderful as well, Piplup. I think this is going to be a great performance!" 

Piplup tapped his flipper against his chest and I noticed that he was still breathing a little hard. We had been practicing since lunchtime and we were all getting tired. Feeling guilty, I set Piplup down and told him and Vulpix to go rest for a while. Piplup immediately walked towards the small creek we were practicing by and Vulpix jogged over to Arcanine, who was sitting alone on the outside of the clearing and acting his chosen role of bodyguard. I smiled as Arcanine's expression softened and he knocked his large muzzle against Vulpix's body in a gentle greeting.

The guilty feeling surfaced again and I wondered if I was pushing Vulpix and Piplup too much. Usually I took weeks to prepare a new performance routine, so I had used the excuse of needing more extra time for practice to avoid my lessons with Paul. As the days went on and Paul seemed to loosen up around me I was noticing more and more things about him that were making my feelings for him grow. Just this morning when he offered to teach me how to make toast over a fire I was only able to watch his practiced movements for a few minutes before I realized that I was staring at his handsome face instead of his hands. His amethyst eyes seemed gentler than normal the last few days, and I found any excuse I could to touch his arm or his back to get his attention.

Groaning I sat down and leaned my forehead against my bent knees. I need to get a grip. Either I need to come clean and tell him how I feel or figure out how to hide it better. 

A gentle weight landed on my shoulder and I raised my head to smile at Ribombee. She buzzed at me in concern and I shook my head.

"It's nothing, Ribombee. I'm just being silly," I said and she tilted her head slightly. With a finger I stroked her small scarf and she closed her eyes and smiled happily at the attention. "Even though you don't speak I think it's easier to understand you than Paul," I said with a sigh and Ribombee covered her mouth with her little hands and buzzed a giggle.

The day of the Paniola Ranch Showdown came faster than I could believe and I found myself sitting in the prep tent putting the finishing touches on my makeup. I was wearing the dress that Serena sent me for my birthday and I had accessorized with a snowball theme. My necklace, bracelets, and shoes all had cute little pompoms that looked like snowballs.

"Well, if it isn't the Angel of Sinnoh," a deep voice said from behind me.

 I glanced up to see Traavi walking toward me in the mirror. I rolled my eyes and dipped my makeup brush back into the shimmering silver color that I was working with and finished painting the pattern of snowflakes going down from the corner of my eye to my jaw bone.

"Hi, Traavi," I mumbled, concentrating on my makeup and hoping that the design didn't look strange since I was doing it in a mirror.

"How many pins have you gotten so far, Dawn?" Traavi asked while coming over and leaning against the vanity I was using. 

He was once again shirtless but he had changed out his black shorts for a pair of cream and red ones, which created a contrast to his dark skin. I continued my work on my stage makeup and was surprised when having a half naked, muscular young man sitting within inches of me wasn't making me even a little fidgety.