Chapter Text
Dawn felt a tingle in her heart, as the professor held out his Pokédex for her. Until this moment it was Barry dragging her along. He was the one desperately looking for an adventure. Barry was the one talking about the rivalry between them and becoming Trainers. Unconsciously Dawn has followed his lead. Going after his shining blond hair in the sun and loud, energetic voice that she could recognize in any crowd. It has been comfortable being dragged along, surely. But just now she realized the hunger it left in her soul. She had a massive appetite for a choice of her own. For a path, she’s her ground to stand on instead of stepping into Barry's footprints. Right now she longed to help professor Rowan and Lucas with their field studies. Maybe just because of the reason that her childhood friend wasn’t.
„Are you sure it’s alright to ask me for help? I just got my first Pokémon. I’m inexperienced and don’t know if I’ll be of any help.“ Lucas was the one smiling at his newfound colleague. He placed his hand softly on her shoulder.
„It’s alright, don’t worry. See, I have the same one.“ He took the device out of his pocket and showed it to her. „It’s proof that we share the same goal. We’re gonna be mates.“ Dawn's heart began fluttering again as she looked up at the tall boy. His kind face burned itself into her memory and she was sure she would visit this moment many times again as the real beginning of her journey.
„How lovely…“ The whisper fell from her lips on its own as she turned back to the professor. „Thank you… for having me. I will do my best.“ She bowed respectfully before him and Rowan seemed pleased with the polite young woman and handed over her very own Pokédex.
She felt like a completely new person as she left the laboratory next to Lucas‘ side. Still holding the Pokédex with both hands close to her chest.
„Welcome to the team, Dawn. It’s nice having some help. Professor Rowan tends to ask a lot of his assistant so I haven’t had all too much time looking for Pokémon.“ The young man with dark hair scratched the back of his neck in a shy gesture. Dawn didn’t know what to say. She also felt shy all of the sudden and lowered her head a little.
„I- I don’t know how to be of any help… Is there anything I can do to lighten your workload? How… do we fill the Pokédex exactly…? If you… don’t mind me asking.“
- „Of course! Yes! How about we go about the basics a bit? I…“ Lucas looked a bit puzzled thinking about how to proceed until his eyes lit up. „How about a walk back to Twinleaf Town?“ Dawn was visibly surprised by the offer and he proceeded to explain his thought process to her. „Well working for the professor involves traveling. I thought you might wanna tell your family about your plans and if you or they wish I could - you know, as your colleague - tell them some things about the job and guarantee that you will stay safe.“
Dawn was baffled for a moment. Lucas seemed very gentle. If it were Barry he would have just grabbed her by the wrist and headed into the unknown without looking back. She nodded. „That is very considerate of you. Thank you, that would be perfect.“
As they walked side by side Lucas made sure to match Dawn's tempo and he didn’t stop looking out for her, always going first and offering her a hand whenever they had to cross an obstacle. He did it so naturally that he didn't seem to notice it while talking about the job.
„The most important part of our job is to observe Pokémon. What are behaviors that seem prominent? Does the species live alone or in a group? Do they seem to have a hierarchy and follow one bigger or stronger Pokémon? Do they fight a lot over food or are they sharing?“ He stopped to gently push Dawn to the side of the road so they could swap places when a girl on a bicycle rode past them. Dawn fought against a giggle but kept it in. She didn’t want to interrupt him. She told herself it was good to observe his behavior a little… just as an exercise.
„Catching Pokémon is also helping a lot. I guarantee you, you will know all your Piplups quirks in no time! That’s important too. And if you decide to catch several Pokémon of the same species either you can keep observing them or you send them into the lab so we can take care of them.“ They arrived at the entrance of Twinleaf Town and Lucas stopped.
„Sorry, I’ve been talking a lot, haven’t I? I hope it wasn’t too hard to follow my babbling. Do you have any questions or anything you want to know more about?“
Dawn gave him an honest smile. „You are a great teacher, Lucas. You have a very comfortable pace while explaining and your thoughts always follow a red thread. I… do feel excited and a little overwhelmed with these tasks but I’m honest: I can‘t wait to get started! Your explanation consoled me. Thank you for being so patient and considerate.“ Lucas let out a shy laugh and Dawn noticed how he scratched the back of his neck again.
„Who are you talking about…?“, he mumbled awkwardly, before giving in with a smile. „You surely flatter me too much. Don’t let it go to my head. But I am glad to see your enthusiasm and motivation. It’s contagious. I’m looking forward to working with you, Dawn.“ The young woman nodded excitedly. „Likewise, Lucas. Please take care of me.“
Dawn's mother was thrilled from the very start. There was no need to convince her or guarantee that her daughter will be alright. If she could she would tag along right away. So the plan was officially set. Dawn had a goal to look out for and her very own journey to begin.
Still, she took a few days to properly take care of the preparations. Dawn and her mother packed a big bag together and planned out what clothes she will need and what could stay at home. Her Piplup didn't spend a minute in its Pokéball since she arrived home. Dawn wanted to properly get to know each other before heading out together. And it was a blessing that her new partner was a contact-friendly one. Dawn wrote down that Piplup loved socializing with Dawn and her mother but also found a liking to her mother's Pokémon. It liked eating sweet food and it was very important for Piplup that it could eat together with its trainer. But regarding sleep, it preferred to have some space for itself.
After Lucas‘ instructions, everything felt new and important to her. She flourished with this commitment.
It was early in the morning when Dawn already reached the laboratory, announcing that she was ready to get going. Lucas found her talking to his dad when he came in yawning and quickly corrected his posture when their eyes met.
„Good morning“, he greeted her rather mechanically. „How are you doing?“
Dawn smiled happily. Her Piplup ran around her feet, just showing how excited it was. „Good morning. I am doing great, thank you. What about you?“ Lucas nodded and looked down at the small Pokémon.
„Well aren’t you in a good mood today, mate?“ With a grin, he scrunched down. „Excited for your journey?“ The Piplup felt animated and started jumping up and down, giving his little cries of joy. Lucas laughed. „That’s the reaction I wanted to see. You have to take care of our Dawn for us, alright? Can you do that?“ The Pokémon puffed his chest eagerly building itself up and looking simply adorable.
The man grinned satisfied. „Perfect. Thank you very much, Piplup.“ Dawn couldn’t stop herself from watching them interact with each other with an admiring expression. Lucas knows his way into hearts. When he came back up she averted her gaze and cleared her throat, now focusing again on the assistant she was previously talking to.
„Sorry, did I interrupt you two?“, asked Lucas and looked at his father who was standing at one of the PCs in the lab.
„No, no, don’t worry. I’m just registering Dawn as one of the assistants and filling out her trainer card. Alright, dear. Would you be so kind to tell me when you were born?“
Dawn nodded. „December 8th.“ The man noted the date. „Alright. And how old are you?“
- „Eighteen, Sir.“ He made a delighted sound. „Oh! Just a year younger than Lucas then!“ Lucas, who still stood next to the two, being interested in the process huffed a bit. „Dad! Focus please.“
Dawn's eyes widened. „O-oh! You are Lucas‘ father! I’m sorry for not knowing!“ She bowed her head nervously. „Your son was very kind to me and explained to my mother and me what I could do to help the professor.“ The man with the glasses grinned.
„Has he now? How considerate of you, son.“ The mocking tone in his voice was all too obvious and Lucas blushed while scratching the back of his neck. „Of course I did. Don’t make it weird dad! We’re colleagues after all.“ The professor entered through the front door and he took the opportunity to quickly get away from the situation.
„I’ll get going. Good luck and don’t hesitate to ask if you need help.“, he said to Dawn before leaving. The young woman nodded. „Thank you once again!“ As soon as he turned his back to her, Dawn's shoulders dropped. She looked up at the man beside her. „I’m sorry, did I upset him by any chance?“ The man laughed wholeheartedly. „No, no, you didn’t.“, he assured her but added full of pride: „But I did.“
Dawn decided to stay around Jubilife City for a while. The area in itself felt gigantic to her but she was still close enough to her mother's place so she could ride the bike and sleep at home. On top of that, she had the opportunity to ask for advice at the lab if she was stuck or didn't know what to do. And her notes got progressively better. Dawn turned out to be amazingly patient and quiet. She loved observing Pokémon and she even felt the need to get herself a camera since she was incredibly bad at drawing. Every time she discovered something new she was thrilled to get back to the professor and show him her progress. Rowan already noticed in front of his other assistants that Dawn truly wasn't the fastest but certainly the most dedicated.
But the days went by and Lucas couldn’t help but notice a little difference in her mood whenever she came in. At first, it seemed like she had small bruises and bandaids that lurked out here and there but she made sure to hide them when she felt his gaze - which she started to avoid. The second thing was something he couldn’t grasp but it did feel odd; she only had her Piplup around her yet. He had the gut feeling something wasn't going right. So he decided to check on her.
Since she kept nearby it wasn't too hard to find her. He followed the known habitats of the Pokémon she’s been observing recently and found her crouching on the ground. Lucas was immediately alarmed. She seemed down and her Piplup tried to console her without many victories there.
The Pokémon was the first to notice him and pointed to him excitedly before running up to him so they could greet each other. „Hey, mate“, said Lucas in a soft tone, not averting his gaze from the young woman that jumped up to her feet the moment she realized it was him.
„Lucas! Hello. What a surprise! What are you doing here?“ Again Dawn tried to hide her arm and pulled the sleeves of her jacket over her hands. His brows furrowed at this gesture. „I wanted to check on you. I don’t know I had the feeling something worried you. And it seems like I was right. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to push myself onto you but I would love to listen if there’s something you’d like to talk about.“ Dawn wasn’t expecting this honesty and was speechless for a moment.
„What? No, I-… It’s nothing just…“ Piplup started protesting as she tried to find a way around opening up. It stomped its feet and cried as if it was scolding her. Dawn looked down at her partner and gave up hiding. Depressed she slid back to the ground and Lucas didn’t say a word while simply sitting down next to her on the ground.
The woman felt ashamed and it took her several deep breaths before she started talking. As a way of pacifying herself, she started fiddling with her fingers nervously.
„I… please don’t laugh at me, okay?“, she asked and looked at him with helpless, pleading eyes. Lucas gave her a comforting smile. „I would never. Come on, in your tempo, tell me what you feel comfortable with. What happened?“
Dawn took one last breath and nodded as if to convince herself it was fine. „I met Barry. In Jubilife City.“, she pointed with her head to the entrance of the city in front of them. „His mom asked me to bring him a parcel with several things he left behind but she felt was useful. He already got himself a Starly next to Turtwig. And he kept on and on about catching Pokémon and how important type differences were. And he's right, I give him that. But I just can't… bring it over me you know? Hurting the wild Pokémon as well as letting my Piplup fight and letting it get hurt. Before I know it I jump in between them, get my Piplup, and… run away.“
Her eyes were glued to her feet and Piplup gently clung to her. "Is there something wrong with me after all?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. She stretched down to Piplup and wrapped her arms around it, softly caressing its head. Lucas listened intently and watched her. She was as easy to read as a children's book.
"You became very close you two, huh?" Dawn looked up from her partner in confusion. "What?" Lucas smiled and seemed rather relaxed. "I am just saying." He stretched out his hand, also stroking Piplups cheek with the back of his finger. "You are honest with your feelings. It's easy to understand you. Especially for your partner here. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so attached to you. Do you realize how amazing that is?" Dawn didn't know what to say and just kept petting her Pokémon. "You see some Pokémon need it. Fights I mean. It's like... entertaining them. For some, it's a way to make friends. Like children that start wrestling." He placed his hand on her shoulder and tried to cheer her up with a smile. "Others don't." Without a further explanation for now he rose to his feet and asked her for her hands so he could help her up. Her eyes seemed uncertain as she looked up at him. "Come on, trust me, I will show you something nice." Dawn felt close to tears. How was he so nice to her? How did he always know what to say and how to say it? She asked Piplup to go back into its Pokéball and took his hands.
"Okay."
Dawn's confusion rose when they stopped in front of Jubilifes Pokémart. "What... are we doing here exactly?" Lucas hid his hands in the pockets of his jacket, being overly satisfied with how puzzled she seemed. "We're going shopping." With that, he just walked in and Dawn stumbled after him. She followed suit as he walked through the aisles. "Would you be so kind as to get a basket for us?" The girl nodded right away, getting to the front once again. And only on the way back to him she met the thought of what it was that he wanted to buy, that they even needed a basket. Lucas was already standing with several items in his hands. "Perfect, thank you." He unloaded his share of two bottles of lemonade, several Pokésnacks, and a few pink Pokéballs.
"Are these for me?", she asked confused. "I still have some left... I haven't - you know... - used mine." Lucas grinned. "It's alright. These are special Pokéballs. You will see, just trust the process." Dawn did her best but she didn't know what to think. The lemonade was probably for them. And the Pokésnack for their Pokémon. But how was that gonna help her? Lucas headed to the counter, paid against Dawn's protests, and put everything neatly into his bag. "Alright, let's go!"
- "Where to?", asked Dawn curiously. "To Route 204." Dawn blinked in confusion. "Why...?" She wasn't sure if he would give her an answer or keep on being mysterious. "Because we want to make a picnic.", he said. Dawn stopped abruptly. "We... what?"
Lucas gently pushed her so she would proceed walking. "You and I and Piplup and my Chimchar are going to have a little Picnic in the park on Route 204. We have something to drink and our Pokémon will be happy about the snacks. It will be nice." He was truly a mystery to her. Was that a date? To cheer her up? Dawn felt her cheeks heating up. No! No? No, no, no that seemed absurd. Or... did it? She was too confused to throw a fit and just followed him into the wide area. Many people went on walks with their Pokémon or just chatted away with each other. The sidewalks were rather packed but the area with the tall grass was widely untouched. Until Lucas stepped into it without hesitation. Dawn wanted to ask but he already fell to the ground and laid back after letting out his Chimchar, that seemed delighted about the free time with its trainer.
He looked back at her and tapped on the spot next to him. Dawn gave up trying to make sense of his actions and stepped into the grass next to him, also releasing Piplup. Both Pokémon were happy to see each other and immediately started chasing each other playfully. The girl sat down and watched their Pokémon having fun. A smile crept back on her lips. She bend her knees and rested her arms around her legs. She turned her head around to look at the boy next to her. He laid on his back, eyes closed, his hat covering his forehead and casting a shadow over his lids. She just now realized how tall he was. His face was pretty too. Dawn knew that he was in the same school as her because many girls in her class had a crush on him. She always tried to keep herself out of thoughts like this but she couldn't deny that she understood his fans now. It was easy falling for him. Dawn was sure of it...
Lucas moved and she turned her eyes back to the Pokémon until he opened his bag and gave her one of the bottles. "Thank you", she said as she took it. Smiling he nodded and unpacked the Pokésnacks too.
Chimchar immediately let go of Piplup and came running to his trainer jumping up and down, waiting for his treat. "Well look at you. Behaving as if you wouldn't get three massive meals a day at home.", Lucas laughed and held one of the poffins in his hand. "Do you want to show Dawn what we've been training?" Chimchar nodded and jumped on his hands balancing his body on one Hand. Dawn giggled. "Wow, that's impressive!", she applauded. Chimchar bowed happily in front of his audience and got the poffin. Piplup shrieked and flapped with his arms. He wanted compliments and poffins too.
Dawn thought about what they could show off in return. "Piplup, how about you show Lucas and Chimchar your Bubbles? But remember; gently." Piplup cried out in excitement, took a deep breath, and softly blew bubbles into the air.
"Beautiful!", Lucas grinned and Chimchar felt animated to hunt down the bubbles, trying to pop them. "You did great!", beamed Dawn proudly and gave her partner his poffin as well. She realized the peacefulness that grew back in her mind and she took a deep breath. "I feel better now... Thank you." Lucas shook his head. "Didn't do anything. Don't mention it." She already knew he would say something like that. And as they were enjoying the mild day in the sun she closed her eyes and just took in the atmosphere. Lucas proceeded to play with their Pokémon and feed them poffins. It was perfect. She nearly felt like meditating, when something suddenly touched her lap. Dawn opened her eyes and got a fright, as she saw a Budew climbing on top of her. She felt paralyzed. "L-Lucas? I-... Help?" The boy turned around to her and grinned widely. "Well look at that! You have a visitor!" He took another poffin and gave it to Dawn. "Wanna see if it wants a treat too?"
She moved mechanically and stiffly, as she took the snack. "A-are you sure?" He nodded. "Go ahead." The Budew stretched up to her hand, curious about the sweet scent. "H-Hi, b-buddy. Are you... hungry?" She offered the wild Pokémon the poffin in her hand and it happily took the trait. Delight immediately grew into the girl's face. "It ate out of my hand", she whispered overwhelmed. Lucas just sat there, having a dreamy smile on his face. "Well, would you look at that, it did.", his voice was incredibly soft and Dawn felt hot shivers dancing across her arms. Her heart pounded nervously and she focused back on the Budew, which asked for another one, by completely sitting down on her lap and squeaking for her attention.
"Arceus, aren't you the cutest?", Dawn asked and got another puffin to feed the happy grass-type Pokémon. Piplup curiously stepped up to its trainer and greeted the unknown Pokémon. They seemed to communicate with each other and in the end, Budew started playing with Chimchar and Piplup. Dawn was speechless. She didn't want to take a breath in worry this would end up being a dream. They played tag and even though the grass-type Pokémon was slower than its new friends, they had so much fun together. Until Chimchar tripped and shot an Ember right at Budew. It cried out in pain and fright and came running to Dawn, who immediately took it in her arms while it was crying onto her chest. "Oh no, you poor thing! Piplup, please use Bubble again, but gently." The Piplup obeyed and shot soft bubbles at the painful burn. Dawn patted Budew worriedly. "You poor thing, it's gonna be alright. You're gonna be okay." She turned to Lucas. "Maybe we should go into the Pokécenter?"
He seemed very relaxed, consoling his Chimchar, who felt sorry for the accident. "I think it's gonna be alright. Here." Lucas took one of the Pokéballs out of his pocket and gave it to her. "It's a Heal ball. It is one of the coziest of Pokéballs. It will heal your Pokémon on the spot." Dawn held the pink Pokéball in her hand. "I-... you want me to... I mean..." She looked down at the Budew who now realized the interesting thing in her hand too. It was still whining and as if it understood what this was about it snuggled into her more. "Would you... like to... be my Pokémon, Budew? I would... love to take you with me." The Pokémon wiggled with its bud. Nearly in an automatic notion, Dawn touched it with the Pokéball.
It jumped into it and the ball wiggled for a second in her hand before it became silent. Dawn just sat there, not realizing what happened. She let Budew out and it was happy and lively again, truly being healed and it greeted Piplup right away. Both seemingly happy they're gonna be companions from now on. "Lucas...", Dawn mumbled. "I-... Did I just catch a Pokémon?" Lucas smiled nodding and patting her back. "Seems like you did. Won't you look at that! And you didn't have to fight it. If that's your way of finding friends and catching Pokémon there's nothing for you to worry about. You're doing great."
Dawn couldn't avert her gaze from Lucas's eyes. She was still speechless. Did he just use magic on her? How was that possible? "You're amazing", she whispered. Lucas truly knew his way into one's heart.