Work Text:
Irida woke up in a cold sweat, sitting up suddenly as her eyes shot open. She could feel herself shaking.
That dream again… those memories, coming back to her…
Her breath was heavy as she looked around the dark room, only lit up by the outside moonlight that was just barely shining in. It was late – very late. She took a moment to gather herself. She was in Dawn’s room. That’s where she was, now. And she was in Sinnoh, not Hisui.
Which was hundreds of years in the future.
The people she knew… those she remembered… long gone. Those she held close to her heart, those she knew for a majority of her life.
All gone, within what felt like to her like an instant. Her heart felt heavy. She knew she wanted to be here – with Dawn, next to her, forever and always, but… the true reason she was here was still a mystery to her. She was remembering some things, and the two had gotten back together, but that was a double-edged sword.
It hurt. Every time Irida would have this dream, where she would talk to someone from the past, with them asking why she left, why she abandoned them… did she really do that? She couldn’t have, right? But she didn’t know. Not yet. And that was terrifying to think about. Her hands trembled as she thought about it more and more, it causing her stomach to turn into knots. She knew why she was here, to be with Dawn, and she was truly, truly happy for that, because she loved Dawn.
But was that selfish of her? Should she have done that? Did she abandon the people she loved, those she cared for? Those whom she would never speak to again? Those whom she had memories of, but they were scattered across her brain, like blurry, distant objects – just barely visible, but difficult to make out?
I…I need to clear my head…
Irida looked to her side, seeing Dawn fast asleep. Despite how stressed out and awful she felt in this moment, how she felt she had let those she held dear down by leaving… she was at least the shining ray of light in her life.
Irida knew she was happy where she was, but… it didn’t make the process any easier, unfortunately. She sighed to herself lightly. Irida got up very slowly and quietly, trying not to wake Dawn up as she snuck out the door (though not before tucking her girlfriend in a bit, smiling a bit at seeing her snuggle up in the blanket) closing it ever so slightly as to not disturb her sleep. Dawn was always very helpful whenever she was distressed by this kind of thing, but it wasn’t her burden to carry. Especially not this late at night.
But whenever it was this late at night, and she needed to clear her head, to take in a slightly different atmosphere, she knew exactly where to go. Dawn had shown her the spot before, and she knew she had gone to a similar spot whenever she needed to clear her head.
Sneaking out the front door, Irida slowly made her way out of Twinleaf Town and headed towards Lake Varity. She knew the path well, and she knew there wouldn’t be any issues for her to leave on her own, given there were no wild Pokemon on the path.
----------------------------------
Dawn mumbled a bit as her eyes ever slowly opened, barely being able to process what was going on. She wasn’t sure why she was waking up at this point, it felt as if she was just made awake all of a sudden by… something. In her half-awake state, she couldn’t really figure out what it was.
Maybe she could get back to sleep pretty easily. Dawn had a pretty big bed, after all, and she was the only one in it-
Wait a second, she was the only one in it.
Dawn immediately felt a rush of energy as she sat up, looking at the bed and the spot where Irida was previously. The sheets were neatly tucked into her, so she knew that nothing bad had happened.
And given how late it was, she figured she knew where Irida had gone off to. It maybe was better to leave her be, sure, but… Dawn hated seeing her suffer like that on her own. She didn’t want to see Irida suffering in silence, dealing with the struggle of losing those she had loved because she was here, now. This wasn’t the first time Irida had been struck by it quite hard, and Dawn was always happy to help in whatever way she could. Plus, whenever your girlfriend is grieving like that, it's hard not to try and comfort her.
Slipping on a pair of socks, some basic sneakers, and a simple pullover sweater, Dawn slowly made her way down the stairs and outside the house, heading towards Lake Varity.
It was a really nice place to clear your head, after all.
“I just hope you’re okay…” Dawn mumbled to herself quietly, as she made her way towards the path. She used the flashlight on her phone to guide a path for herself.
At least it was a very lovely night. Even though it was late at night, the dark night sky was lit up by the glow of the full moon.
----------------------------------
“…Hey.”
Irida looked behind her as she saw Dawn standing there from behind. She looked a bit surprised, but her expression eased into a light smile when she saw Dawn. Dawn was smiling warmly, just happy to see Irida. It was bright enough at night for Dawn to be able to see her girlfriend’s face – she looked like she had been crying. She was sitting at the edge of the lakeside, her feet hanging off the edge.
“You mind if I sit next to you?”
Irida nodded slowly. Dawn made her way over, sitting down next to her slowly. The lake really did look lovely at this time of night – especially with the full moon reflecting on top of the water. It was always nice to come back to this place. It always looked really nice, and it was a wonderful spot to clear your head. Dawn had done that a lot.
“Everything okay, Irida?”
“…I’m… I’m okay. Just… I just woke up, and wanted to get some fresh air, is all.” Her voice sounded a bit strained.
Dawn grasped Irida’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she did. She looked at Irida with a warm smile, as Irida’s smile seemed to fade slightly. “It’s alright if something’s up, honey. I’m here for you. Promise.”
Irida looked off towards the rest of the lake. “I…” She let out a shaky breath. Dawn squeezed her hand a bit harder. “That dream happened, again. T-those memories…” Irida looked down slightly into the lake itself. “I… it’s painful, remembering only glimpses of those I hold dear… but knowing I’ll never see them again…”
Dawn nodded, a sorrowful look on her face. She stroked Irida’s hand with her thumb gently. “Do…do you want to talk about it, a bit? If not, no worries. We can just spend some time together like this.”
Irida paused for a bit, seemingly mulling it over. She let out a small, shaky breath.
“I… it was Gaeric, this time. I… I don’t remember everything, but… I remember him being an incredibly kind soul, being a-a teacher to me… I…” She began to sniffle a bit as she continued to look downwards into the lake itself, gripping Dawn’s hand much more tightly. Dawn just continued to sit and listen, simply rubbing her thumb over her hand.
“I… I know that I truly want to be here, Dawn, with you, but… leaving so many people I’ve loved behind, not being able to remember my memories of them to the full extent, I…I feel as if I’ve betrayed them, I’ve left them behind, a-and… and I feel as if I was a horrible, horrible person for it…”
She looked up at Dawn, tears in her eyes. “T-t-they were so important to me, and I just left them… I-I don’t even know how they would feel about it, i-if they even wanted me to go, and it horrifies me…” Her words were interrupted by chokes and sobs, as her emotions seemingly got more and more overwhelming. “I-I… do I even know what I’ve done? Do they…do they even know w-where I went? It’s all so much, sometimes, a-and…” She broke into tears, throwing herself around Dawn. “I-I miss them, Dawn! I know I can’t remember much, b-but I do!”
Dawn felt her heart sink. Even though this had happened before, it was never easy. Seeing Irida hurt like this… she was never really sure what to say. She rubbed Irida’s back gently, letting her get it all out of her system, as much as she needed to.
All she could say was “It’s okay, Irida,” as she did. It was the only thing that could really come to mind. Even if she wasn’t sure what to say, or what to do to make things easier, she knew that she wanted to be there for Irida.
It hurt for her too, admittedly. She had made so many friends while she was in Hisui. Knowing she would never see them again… it hurt a lot. But she knew that for Irida, that meant something so much more. She had lost people who she practically saw as family, and she could barely remember them in her current state.
Dawn held Irida closely for some time, letting her get the emotion out of her system. Perhaps it was the lake being the location of Mespirit that was causing such an emotional reaction out of the two of them, as Dawn began to tear up a bit, as well.
The two held eachother in this embrace, with no other sound other than tears of mourning from Irida and the gentle ripples of the water flowing throughout the night air.
After some time had passed, Irida pulled back a little, her sobs having calmed down a little. Dawn looked at her, smiling a bit. “You doing okay?”
“I...” Irida swallowed a bit, wiping her face as she did. “I think so… at least a little bit. I… Thank you, Dawn.”
Dawn smiled. “It’s nothing, really. I… I know that this is rough for you. But you don’t have to suffer alone, you know? I’m here for you. Always.”
Irida shuffled a bit, looking down into the lake again. “I… I know, but…” Her hands balled up a bit as they laid on the grass. “T-this isn’t your trouble to bear, Dawn… I don’t want to trouble you with my issues. Y-you shouldn’t have to deal with them in the same way I am… I’m… I’m really sorry you have to deal with this, I-“
“Nonsense, Irida.” Dawn grabbed one of Irida’s hands, holding it close to her own chest. “Whatever you’re going through, I’ll go through it with you. I said I’ll always be by your side, and I meant that.” She smiled warmly. “No matter what it is, no matter what it takes. You don’t ever have to apologize for that. I promise. Nothing’s changing the fact that you’re the single most important person in the entire world to me.”
Irida looked over at Dawn, a smile on her face. “T-thank you, Dawn. It… I miss him, a lot. Him, and the others…” Her expression had a bit of sorrow to it. “I… I only wish I knew how they felt…”
Dawn looked off, towards the lake itself. She looked around, taking in the atmosphere. It really was quite nice, out here.
It made her reminisce, a little.
“…I didn’t really… know Gaeric that well, but… I think he would have been happy for you.”
“Do… you think so?”
Dawn nodded lightly, still looking ahead. “Absolutely. He cared a lot about you, and… well, knowing what he’s told me, I think he would’ve been happy no matter what you chose.”
Irida looked at Dawn with a look of wonder. “Could… you tell me what you mean by that? Like… what did he say? How did he feel?”
Dawn turned to look at Irida, giving a cheerful smile. Irida returned the gesture, as Dawn began to recall the events that she was thinking of.
“Well, I was visiting you – just to see you for the day, really…”
----------------------------------
Centuries ago…
It had been about two weeks since Dawn and Irida had gotten together – and about a day since Dawn had completed the Pokedex. It had been a big accomplishment not just for the Galaxy Team, but for her as well. Her impending worries about what was going to happen regarding Arceus’ mission for her – Seek out all Pokemon, and thou shall find me once more – was indeed on her mind, but that was for another time. Right now, she was approaching the Pearl Settlement, to spend the day with Irida.
She approached the small area on Wydeer, skidding to a halt as she crossed the bridge that would take her to the settlement. She thanked Wyrdeer for it’s help as always, sending it off before turning her direction to the settlement itself. She began to walk forward, until…
“Young Dawn! It’s quite good to see you as always!” Gaeric approached from the side, raising a hand in greeting. “What brings you to the Pearl Settlement?”
Dawn smiled. Gaeric was always a nice face to see – even though she didn’t really see him too often. He was often off doing… whatever he was doing for training. Dawn still wasn’t quite sure, even though Irida was his student, giving her prime opportunity to ask. But, it didn’t bother her too much.
“Hello, Gaeric! I’m just here to visit Irida.” She hitched a thumb in the direction of the Pearl Settlement. “She wanted to spend some time together after I had completed the Pokedex.”
“Ah, yes!” He put a hand to his chin, nodding. “That small booklet of information the Galaxy Team was working on… incredible work, Dawn! The Galaxy Team must be quite proud.”
She grinned, letting out a small, bashful laugh. “Well, Rei helped out too, for the most part. But thank you! Definitely wasn’t easy, but… it’s nice to have that done.” Dawn looked off towards the Pearl Settlement. “I guess we’re heading in the same direction?”
“Well, yes, but… before we do, could we have a small chat?” Gaeric looked at Dawn with a bit of a serious look to his face. Dawn was… a bit worried, but didn’t assume it was anything bad.
Plus, it can’t get much worse than him threatening to bury her if she treated Irida poorly.
“It’s nothing serious, do not fret.” He smiled at her.
“…Sure, what’s up?” Dawn turned to face Gaeric fully, not really sure what to expect. Gaeric’s normally large posture seemed to loosen up a bit, to something a bit more casual. Dawn hadn’t really seen this before, but she supposed she didn’t see much of Gaeric to really see it beforehand.
“…I wanted to thank you, young Dawn. And… to apologize, I suppose, for my rather harsh choice of words a few weeks prior.” Dawn’s eyes widened a bit in surprise.
“Oh, um… I think I know what you’re talking about on the latter part, and… no hard feelings.” She chuckled. “I totally understand. But… thank me for what?”
Gaeric walked off a bit to the side, but not too far. “…Ever since the two of you have gotten together, Irida has truly looked like a new person. She’s been upbeat before, but… it’s almost as if when you’re with her, she never stops smiling.” He let out a content exhale of air.
“And even when you’re not around, she still smiles so happily. The way she talks about you, the energy she’s had since then, and the joy in her face when she hears you’re visiting…” He turned towards Dawn, a gentle smile on his face as his hands rested on his hips. “It’s magnificent to see. Irida has been my student for quite some time, and I’ve seen so much of her… but never have I seen her look so upbeat.”
“I, um…” Dawn… wasn’t quite sure what to say, but… she know it made her really happy to hear. To know that she made Irida that happy, that she had just as much of an impact on her as Irida had on her own heart… she couldn’t help but smile. “T-thank you, sir. I’m… I’m really glad to hear that. She’s just… she’s really important to me.” Dawn blushed a bit, feeling a little embarrassed saying this to someone that wasn’t Irida. “I’m really glad I can make her feel as happy as she makes me.”
Gaeric’s smile grew. “That makes me glad to hear, young Dawn. I worried a lot for her, sometimes. I still do, to an extent… I feel as if I care for her like a parent does.” His smile turned into a slight frown, as he seemed to be contemplating something, his head turning slightly to look towards the settlement itself. “Irida’s had to take on a lot, especially for someone her age, and taking on leadership of the Pearl Clan at such a young age has… really been hard for her, sometimes. I am sure you’ve heard of how her and Palina had a bit of a disagreement regarding Lord Arcanine.” Dawn nodded. She was there to help out with it, to an extent.
“But... seeing her so happy with you, and seeing how she’s been able to truly mature and grow, leading the Pearl Clan to such incredible things… it really does help quell my nerves. She’s done so many great things, even though she’s been taking on so much, and it makes me proud of her as her teacher to see her be able to grow so much. I know that whatever she’s going to end up doing, whatever path she’s going to end up on…”
He turned towards Dawn again, putting a hand on her shoulder rather roughly, which startled Dawn a bit. “She’ll be happy, travelling that path with you. So… all I ask is that you lead her well. But I know you will.” He let out a content huff of air once again. “You’ve got a good head on that set of shoulders. After all, you’ve led all of us in Hisui towards a much better future!” He let out a hearty, cheerful laugh.
Dawn smiled confidently, nodding. “Thank you, sir. That really does mean a lot, and… I’ll make sure I won’t let you down.” She looked off towards the Pearl Settlement. “I’ve already promised her that I’d never leave her side, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep that promise.”
“That’s the spirit!” He gave Dawn a pat on the back (that was definitely intended to be a lot gentler, but it almost sent Dawn toppling over), as the two saw a familiar-looking figure get closer and closer. Dawn’s heart felt as if it immediately warmed up just seeing Irida, running towards the two, smiling happily.
“You two are a great fit for each other,” Gaeric said, looking at Dawn. “It’ll make me quite happy to see you two wed off.”
“Thank you, si-!!!” Dawn’s face flushed red as she fully processed what Gaeric said. Gaeric grinned, chuckling a little. As this was happening, Irida managed to finally run up to the two, an excited expression on her face.
“Dawn! It’s so great to see you, my shooting star! And it’s nice to see you too, sir!” Her excitement turned to confusion as she looked at Dawn. “Are you… alright? You look awfully red…”
Dawn blinked a bit, trying her best to shake off the nerves. “I’ll, uh, tell you about it later. But it’s nice to see you too.”
As Gaeric waved the two off, they took eachother's hand, walking off towards the Pearl Settlement after a short chat with Gaeric.
Whatever the future held, Dawn was ready to take it on with Irida. Even though she had only really known Irida for two months, it felt as if she could take on anything with her at her side.
----------------------------------
“…And, well… he told me that whatever path you’d end up taking, he’d be happy.” Dawn leaned back onto her hands, looking off into the distance as a smile was on her face. “I mean, the guy even threatened to bury me if I treated you wrong.” She grinned, turning towards Irida with a slight giggle. “Thankfully, that didn’t happen…”
Irida let out a slight giggle. “I…I suppose that is a rather good thing. But…” She looked up towards the sky, seeing all the stars in the sky. “…Do you think they were okay with me departing so suddenly? That they miss me in the same manner that I have missed them?”
Dawn looked up at the sky herself. The stars seemed like they came out somewhat suddenly, but they shone brightly in the night sky, almost illuminating it. “Well, that I wasn’t around for, but… if I know them, then I know they were happy with whatever choice you chose to make for yourself. They cared about you a lot, and… I’m sure they’d miss you too, but… they’d know that whatever you chose, you were happy. At least, that’s what I think.”
Irida paused for a bit. “It’s… it makes me happy to hear that, at the very least...”
“I’m glad, Irida.” Dawn grabbed her hand again, holding it gently as she looked at Irida, who was still looking up at the stars, a slight smile on her face. “I… I know it’s really, really hard to cope with, and it’s not something that’s going to change overnight. But I know that everybody loved you. They were all proud of you. And I was proud of you. And I still am. And they’d be really happy for you, no matter where that took you.” Irida turned towards Dawn, a small smile on her face, tears forming in her eyes.
“Oh, Dawn…” She gave Dawn a tight hug, one that was somehow still gentle in nature. And though it was a bit muffled, she could hear a “thank you” from Irida, which made Dawn’s heart practically glow with happiness.
“Any time, my love. I love you so, very much. No matter what.” She rubbed Irida’s back gently, genuinely happy. “And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Irida pulled back from the hug, looking Dawn into the eyes.
“I… even though I still may not remember everything, I’m… I’m glad that I have someone who will be with me every step of the way… and that she’s someone as amazing as you are, my shooting star.”
Dawn’s smile widened. “And I will be there with you always, my shining pearl.”
Dawn's lips met Irida's slowly, the two embracing in a silent kiss, enjoying the love they could share underneath the moonlight that night.
Dawn’s heart was full. She was glad to help her girlfriend out – even if just a little. Though it’d still be a struggle for her, Dawn would be there every step of the way for her. That’s what she set out to do, and she wanted to keep that promise no matter what it took, and no matter how long it took.
For Dawn Platinum’s heart shone brightly for her shining pearl, and that love made her the happiest woman in the whole wide world. And she wouldn’t trade a single thing for that.
After the two pulled back from the loving embrace, they simply held one another, looking out towards the lake itself, taking in its atmosphere.
“…It really is quite a nice night out tonight, isn’t it?” Irida said, letting out a content, happy sigh as she leaned into Dawn’s shoulder. Dawn smiled at that, looking upwards at the stars. “It is. The stars really are shining so brightly tonight…” She smiled, looking upwards. “It’s not often you see them all out like this, especially at this time of night.”
Irida giggled. “Well, I guess because the brightest star of all is right here, beside me… my beautiful shooting star…” She gave Dawn a kiss on the cheek.
“And yet, nothing shines as brightly as my beautiful shining pearl.” Dawn returned the favor, and the two let out a synchronized noise of content, basking in the atmosphere and the company of the person they loved at their side.
…Shortly after, though, Dawn let out a yawn. “…Y’know, I… kinda forgot about how late it was. Do… do you wanna get back and get back to sleep?”
Irida’s eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. “Goodness, I forgot all about that. I think that’d be a nice idea…” She nuzzled up to Dawn, which caused Dawn to laugh a little. “I could go for some cuddles right now…”
“Me too. It’s kinda chilly out here, anyway.”
“Are you kidding? It’s so warm out…” Irida fanned herself a little. "The lakeside helped me cool down a bit, but still. I don't know how nobody else notices it."
Dawn rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. “Right, right, I should listen to the walking furnace about how cold it is outside…”
“Don’t you give me that look! ‘Walking furnace’…hmph! It’s not my fault it’s so warm here!” Irida pouted slightly, making Dawn laugh at the sight. “Honestly, you’re so cruel, sometimes…”
Dawn sat up, stretching a bit. “Well, I’ll make it up to you by cuddling you lots and lots. What do you say?”
Irida smiled, getting up as well. “That sounds lovely. All is forgiven, my love.” Irida linked her arm with Dawn's, giving her a smile as she did.
And as the two made their way back, their hearts full of love and happiness, a cry could be heard from the lake, sounding awfully like the lake’s guardian. Though… Dawn couldn’t really tell.
But she was happy to be with Irida, and to walk by her side no matter what the future held for the two of them.