Wouldn't You Miss Me?

Chapter 3

A/N: Woo, back again! Man, I can't believe it's been a yr since I updated this! IK I assured you guys that it would be out quicker, but as we can see, that is not the case lol... YKW, no assurances from me now on, I am sorry XD Anyways, I'll try my best to finish this story for sure tho, whether in a week, a month or a yr lol! 

A special thanks to the people who have sticked around for so long, you're the real ones :D ^^
~

Since the outing with Ash and his friends weeks back, Paul found himself going out more frequently. Although he still thought of it to be a waste of time, it was a good escape from his 'obsessive' thoughts - which was rather ironic, as his thoughts were often what helped him cope earlier. But since Dawn had gone missing, his entire thought pattern had gone haywire too. Due to this change in personality though, some part of him could not help but feel... perhaps, the world wasn't such a bad place. The other voice in his head opposed this from time to time ofcourse, but the positive effects reflected as well: He was, comparatively, more present in the current moment. He also found Ash and May contacting him more often than usual, which was rather odd - especially May, because she had always seemed to keep her distance from him, unless absolutely essential. Did she need something?

Besides this internal conflict, it was also a good excuse to get out of his room more often. He was clearly not a fan of socialising in the least, but was also aware that changing his environment once in a while was necessary. Speaking of which... he decided to go out for a walk, alone.

He needed to get that assignment done - and fast! It felt like he had disappeared from the world for a few days now. It was only when the teacher posted a reminder on the PokeChat group did he realise oh no! But right now it didn't matter. He was out for a break - not for a self-sabotage session with his thoughts regarding an unfinished assignment. He looked around for a while. Ah, how quiet and peaceful.

"WAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

So much for 'quiet and peaceful'! Paul had to cover his right ear with one hand; otherwise he would have gone deaf. He glanced around to find the source of disruption and found a kid - around 5-6 years old, he guessed - crying his eyes out... Ofcourse, kids. The most annoying creatures on this planet. As he was walking away, he felt something draw him back. He turned around, expecting something different. Nope, just an irritating, troublesome kid. He stood there, seemingly frozen for a minute, feeling a weird... urge taking over him. He couldn't pinpoint what it was, but there was something in this place. It's not like he knew this kid or had ever even seen him before.

"Hey Mr., can you please help my friend's Starly? His wing is injured and he is stuck on that tree", another boy around the same age requested while desperately pulling his sleeve. "I went to look for help, but nobody else is here" 

A tug on the sleeve.

"Paul c'mon, help the poor kid!" 

"He should have been careful, too bad" 

"Oh don't be so mean, he just a kid! I would ask Misty or Ash or do it myself, but we have all left our Pokemon at the Pokemon Centre"

"I am busy"

"With what? You're just roaming around! Stop being so stubborn, Paul!"

"I am thinking of a strategy for my battle"

Finally, Dawn gave up and tried to console and help the kid with whatever she could find.

She would have done it. It wasn't the place, it was the vibe - a vibe which had started to scare him. He had underestimated its profoundness and it seemed to be taking its revenge. He pulled back his wrist from the kid's grip without any further thought and quickly walked back to his room. 

~~

On c'mon, why was he still thinking about that? He had to give in that assignment! He could always go back, it was barely a 15 minutes walk. Ugh, he either shouldn't have gone out or just helped that pathetic kid and get it over with! The disagreement between his newfound feelings and ego would drive him insane at this rate! His thoughts seemed to be getting muddled. And besides, what was the point? There was no way he was going to waste his time... 

... Right?

~~

"Thank you so much!", the kid beamed after Nurse Joy assured him that Starly would be fine. "I am Joey. What's your name, Mr?"

"Paul"

"Your Electiwire is AWESOME!", the kids gushed on, making the purple-haired teenager slightly uneasy - very slightly. But the conversation ended rather quickly when he explained that he had work. What was he thinking?!

~~

Paul was convinced that it was just stress and getting used to new things - nothing more. It was NOT for, or because of, anyone that he did it. He helped the kid for his own peace of mind, not for the sake of it. And certainly not because of a pretty blunette gone missing. Oh, he was definitely overthinking this. Besides, he did remember Reggie helping him out in a similar situation when he was younger. Maybe that was it, the incident must have triggered the sentiments connected to an old memory. Yes, that was it! Finally! Oh wait... Reggie! 

"Hey! Are you still there?" 

That snapped him out of it. After his assignment was done, he had called his brother. "... Yes"

"Geez, once in a blue moon, you call me first and then zone out? Something on your mind?"

He didn't wish to talk about it though, so just ended the call saying that he was tired and needed sleep. It was not a lie however. His overthinking was probably a sign that he needed rest. 

~

A/N: I am writing after so long I hope the quality didn't drop in comparison to other chapters lol. Feel free to share your views! Always open to constructive criticism, but no flaming pls! :)