All Alone (BEING EDITED)

Chapter 24: Only One Option

I wipe the rest of my tears away and take a deep breath. Paul sits silently next to me, having slid down the tree during my story. His eyes are closed and he's frowning deeply. Chatot taps me on the shoulder and I slowly stand up, taking a step away from Paul.

I turn around getting ready to leave when a hand grasps my wrist again. I wince slightly in pain and turn back to face him. He stands up as well and takes a step towards me. I shiver under his gaze and look down at the ground. I haven't been this nervous since I first arrived in Hoenn. He sighs and I glance at him curiously. He locks his eyes with mine and I hold his gaze. He finally opens his mouth to speak.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this?" he asks, still gripping my wrist. I close my eyes and exhale slowly. Opening my eyes again I give him my explanation.

"I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me. Telling the police would have been futile since Giovanni would have moved his base. If I told you or my friends he would have tracked me down months earlier. Plus he would kill anyone who got in his way like he did to my mom." I sigh and stare at the ground.

"I've finally got over that guilt and I didn't want to be burdened with another death. The only option was to stay hidden, so I became a trainer, left my pokemon with Prof. Rowan, and started another journey where I was constantly on the move. I would have told someone if I could, but it wasn't worth the risk." I tilt my head back up to look at him. Some emotion flashes behind his eyes, but it's gone before I can figure out what it is. His grip loosens and his hand falls to his side. He stuffs them in his pockets and takes a few steps back. I flex my hand to get the blood flowing again.

Chatot looks at me worryingly.

"What do we do now that we have told him?" he asks quietly. I shrug my shoulders in confusion.

"I have no idea." I admit reluctantly. I glance back at Paul. He's leaning against the tree again with a scowl on his face. An idea suddenly comes to me and lean towards Chatot.

"Maybe we should have him travel with use." I suggest. Chatot's eyes widen and he stares at me in horror.

"Giovanni probably knows he was there that night. If he travels with use I can protect him from getting killed, but I can make it sound like I want him there because he can help protect me instead." I explain. Chatot is still staring at me as if I've grown a second head. I smack his head lightly and he growls at me in annoyance. I roll my eyes and walk towards Paul. I fidget nervously. Come on, Dawn! You faced four years of torture, so why is this making you scared?

"Um...Paul?" I ask cautiously, taking a step closer.

"Hn?" he grunts and looks at me. I keep my cool façade up and ask him the question.

"I've been thinking. Since you know about what I've been through it might be a good idea if we travel together." He turns to me, giving me his full attention.

"Giovanni now knows how powerful I am and he is going to be more prepared next time. I'm just saying that two people are better than one and since I know what you're like you probably have a powerful team with you." I explain nonchalantly. He stares at me before turning away.

"No." he answers bluntly. A growl echoes in my throat and I slide in front of him, intercepting him.

"Listen here, Paul." I say harshly. "This is not just for me. My father knows you were there and he will come after you. He doesn't want anyone to know about me and if they do he will dispose of them. So if you value your life you might want to stick with me." I cross my arms and glare at him. He closes his eyes as if debating the question. He opens them after a few moments. He glares back and slowly nods in agreement. I smirk triumphantly and spin on my heels.

"Now that that's over with I would like to get to Fortree City before it gets dark." I say, strolling back to the forest. I hear him groan and shuffle behind me. Chatot and I smirk at each other. I turn back to the trail, making sure I avoid all the branches and roots.

Now I have to deal with Paul and his attitude. Even after I told him what happened to me he remains cold as ever. Nothing has changed in the last 5 years. He walks beside me as we exit the forest, the constant scowl on his face once again. I shake my head slightly and continue down the road. At least we are safe...for now.

Sorry it's so short. I might need some help with Paul since I don't want him to be OOC. This is basically a filler chapter since I am having Dawn catch another pokemon next chapter (spoiler)! Tomorrow is busy so I will try my best. Thanks for the support!