A New Dream

You Can't Change my Mind: Paul's POV

A/N Obviously I do not own the song "What About Now" by Daughtry. But I do love the song ^.^

Dawn was true to her word and she did her best to act as if nothing had changed between us. I knew this was torturing both of us but even with that knowledge, I couldn't leave her yet. When she proposed her ridiculous wager I knew I should refuse, that I should have left her then and there so that both of us could try to forget about our feelings... but I couldn't do it. She was right. I was in love with her. And I didn't want to leave her any sooner than I had to.

But I will, I told myself resolutely as I looked over to where Piplup was helping her select ingredients for dinner. We were on Poni Island again, and when we found the Whiscash houseboat Mina had described her family told us she'd stepped out and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. So Dawn and I went to where I used z power successfully for the first time and made camp.

To my surprise, she had actually started watching me train my pokemon and she insisted that we continue with my lessons for her. I knew that she wanted to learn as much as she could so that when I left she could train and try to get strong enough to beat me at the pokemon league, but she made no mention of our bet and had virtually stopped touching me. Looking over at her I tried to forget how right it felt to hold her in my arms. I'd never felt anything like the passion that erupted when I snapped and kissed her in the river.

But thoughts of that kiss would inevitably lead me to remember Dawn holding out her hand to shake mine and then her breaking down and crying. Her tears had nearly broken me because I knew that they were 100% my fault this time. She cried because I'd been foolish enough to think that her feelings for me were platonic and when I lost control of myself her own feelings that she had been holding back came to the surface. And then I crushed them.

"Because you hate me? Well, that won't change the fact that I like you." Dawn's angry words floated through my head constantly throughout the day and I tried to convince myself that her stubbornness was annoying instead of charming. 

Sighing heavily I leaned my back against Torterra's shell as he ate his dinner and he strained his neck to try and look at me. Absently I patted his spike of an ear and he let out a worried rumble in his throat. I didn't think any of our other pokemon had noticed a difference between Dawn and me, but I could tell that Torterra knew something was wrong.

"Did you want to have your battle first tomorrow, Paul?" 

I flinched as her words washed over me and seemed to pull my eyes over to her. She was stirring something in the pot over the fire and I had to blink away the fantasy of going over and looping my arm around her waist as she cooked.

"Sure," I responded flatly, swallowing my stupid emotional urges. 

Dinner was miso soup with bits of tofu and nori and hand-rolled mini sushi. Eating the delicious food was becoming harder and harder because I knew the days when I could enjoy Dawn's cooking were dwindling. Just the fairy trial and the kahuna battle left, I thought to myself and tried to squash down the pain that the thought caused. After finishing my meal I stood up abruptly, causing Dawn to flinch back slightly.

"I'll wash the dishes when I get back," I mumbled without looking at her and shoved my hands into my jeans pockets. 

It was foolish, but I thought I could feel Dawn's eyes follow me as I turned away and walked towards my pokemon, telling them that I was going for a run. To my surprise Torterra looked up and grumbled, taking a few lumbering steps toward me.

"You want to come with me?" I asked in surprise and he nodded so I shrugged. Usually, I let my food settle before going to exercise, so it might be a good idea to take it slow and go at Torterra's pace.