A New Dream

I'm in Trouble: Paul's POV

 I walked out of Lush Jungle with a frustrated sigh, pocketing the Grassium Z that I just won. Torracat and I had practiced for days to get the Firium Z to work, but no matter what we did we still couldn't get it to work. The totem Lurantis had been easy to beat with Torracat's newest move Flame Charge so I hadn't needed the extra power of a Z-move, but it was still incredibly frustrating that I couldn't get it to work. 

After the trial Mallow, the trial Captain, suggested that I try to get a special holder for the Z-stones for all of my pokemon. I doubted that would make much difference, but I had written down the shop she suggested I try in Konikoni City when I went to challenge the Kahuna just in case. Trying hard not to heave another sigh, I walked into the Pokemon Center and handed my Pokeballs over to Nurse Joy.

"Oh my gosh, look! Dawn is so cool!" 

My back stiffened and I found myself glancing over my shoulder. Two girls were standing in front of a large TV screen positioned along the wall and I blinked in shock as Dawn, dressed in her showdown outfit, raised her hands and then threw herself forward in a perfect layout, landing a foot from a buff black-skinned performer and instantly going into several quick dance moves.

"That was one of the finalist dance battles for the Wela Volcano Showdown. The recordings have been so popular that I've just left them running for the past few weeks," Nurse Joy's voice suddenly said. 

I jumped, turning around to face her and feeling like I had been caught doing something wrong for some reason. She smiled at me and nodded at the TV.

"Traavi has always been popular, especially here on Akala, but a lot of people have been talking about that girl from Sinnoh. She's beautiful, isn't she? And such a dancer!" 

My head seemed to turn against my will and I found myself watching the screen as Dawn and the shirtless guy danced around each other.

Stop watching, Paul. What are you doing? I mentally yelled at myself but my body seemed to freeze in place as I watched the guy and his Marowak force Dawn and her Growlithe back using sweeping motions with their hands. Suddenly Dawn stopped and turned around and her blue eyes seemed to be dancing with a look of sassy confidence. She began advancing on the muscular teenager, swinging her leg out in a half circle shape before stepping forward and flicking her ankle up sassily. Somehow her Growlithe was using Ember to leave a trail of flames behind her feet as they moved, making it look like she was exhaling fire from the bottom of her soles.

"Wow, if I was dancing against Traavi I wouldn't even be able to breathe. But she doesn't look like she even cares!" One of the girls watching the dance commented. 

My eyes went to Dawn's opponent and I instantly disliked him; he looked like he was trying to eat Dawn with his eyes.

"Oh, oh, this is my favorite part!" the girl's friend squealed as Dawn spun away from Traavi and began a complicated movement, her Growlithe bouncing back and forth by her. Traavi began to copy her moves almost perfectly. I narrowed my eyes, wondering if they had planned this somehow but the flicker of surprise across Dawn's face as she glanced over at Traavi told me that they hadn't.

Suddenly Traavi spun around, putting his back to Dawn's shoulder and began doing a complicated dance move. Dawn turned around so they were back to back, nearly touching, and then began sinking down towards the ground as her hips swung in a way that could only be identified as sexy. 

Blinking rapidly my foot moved back a millimeter as I desperately told myself to stop watching, but then Traavi grabbed Dawn's hand and spun her around, leading her back towards the middle of the stage. I felt my throat tighten with irrational anger towards this guy I had never met. I was shocked when a smile tugged at my lips as Dawn pulled her hand out of his and began hopping sideways as if she were trying to hit him with her hip as he continued to back up.