End-Game Plus
My eyes shot open at the sound of a door slamming down below. The fast-paced footsteps that quickly disappeared outside my window confirmed that the door-slammer had been Barry. It was a good thing I was genuinely exhausted or he might've just woken me up. It didn't really matter, since he unintentionally woke me up anyway. I yawned and dozed off again.
A couple hours later, maybe ten in the morning, I woke up feeling refreshed rather than tired. Not bothering to fix my hair or change into everyday clothes, I bumbled down into the living room, where my Mom was fixated on a Contest show. She immediately tore her eyes off the TV and stood up to greet me.
"There's my Dawn! Or should I say, Miss Champion?" Before I could protest, Mom enveloped me in a big hug, and I had no choice but to endure.
When Mom broke off I pouted in exasperation. "Mom, please. I'm gonna be sixteen soon. Don't treat me like a baby." However, my irritability was short-lived when I spotted the plate of bacon and eggs on the counter. When was the last time I had had a hot lunch?
As I wolfed down the food (delicious as always, Mom was a great cook) Mom leaned on the counter and beamed at me. "My little girl, Champion! I always knew you were destined for great things, Dawn." I acknowledged her with a moment's smile before returning to my well-deserved breakfast. My mother continued vacantly, "Oh, Barry stopped by. He said something about boarding a boat in Snowpoint. He was gone before I could ask anything else." My mother shook her curly blue locks while I looked up from my food, startled.
"Is he crazy?" I asked in bewilderment. "I became Champion yesterday! Hasn't that boy ever heard of taking a break?" However, as his best friend, I knew him best, and I knew that the answer was no. Barry was like the unstoppable force and for him, the only immovable object was me, always one step ahead of him in strength and unable to be conquered. My mom smirked at me since she also knew I knew the answer as well.
"Well, maybe you should go on Staraptor to Snowpoint and see if you can figure it out. I know you want to relax, but you'll be getting antsy before the day is out anyway." I sweatdropped.
"Jeez, Mom, I thought Barry knew me best, but I guess you do." I knew she was right, and decided to go see what Barry was talking about as I put my plate in the sink. As I headed up to get changed, Mom called up to me, "Dawn! It's starting to get warm out again; you should wear a light jacket!" I called out my acknowledgment and headed up to get changed.
For some reason, I felt giddy inside. With spring coming and a new travelling outfit, this could be a new adventure. What would this new journey bring? I paused and reprimanded myself. Stop it, Dawn, I chided. You're getting ahead of yourself. Just because the last time Barry got excited, resulted in a journey, doesn't mean this one will. But now that the previous journey had ended, I desperately wanted something to keep me going, and I hoped my best friend had something interesting in store.
Having decided that, I headed to my beautiful large closet and sifted through the tons of clothes on hangers, trying to find the perfect outfit. It had to be practical and stylish, as well as good for the Champion…what would be good for the Champion, I wondered. I could never pull off something extravagant like Cynthia's outfit, plus I was traveling. Eventually I decided to pull my hair back and tie it with a gray ribbon, though not making a bow, just letting the long ends of the ribbon match the length of her wavy blue ponytail. Then I paired it with a denim jacket over a lavender sundress that went halfway to my knees. Finally I paired it with gray leggings and a pair of black boots. After a moment's deliberation, I topped off the ensemble with some simple makeup. I grabbed my traveling bag, not having had the opportunity to unpack previously, and rushed down the stairs. Finally I spun at the bottom, mu dress whirling around me.
Mom beamed at me. "That's a wonderful outfit, Dawn. And good job on the makeup. You look your age and yet mature." Like me, Mom had an appreciation for good style. I beamed back at her, and after a casual "See ya later!" I rushed out the door and called out Starry, my Staraptor.
I wasn't that great at nicknames, but still.
Starry was a pretty swift flier and could get me to Snowpoint in two hours tops. While holding on tight to keep from falling off, I still had plenty of time to think about what this boat could hold for me. Would it be to an island, like Iron Island? Maybe a new region entirely! I had always wanted to go to Nimbasa City in Unova and meet my idol Elesa. Barry knew that…could he be guiding me here as an early birthday present? The thought made me giddy again.
Finally, I touched down in Snowpoint. For once, it was not snowing, but a thick layer of snow coated the ground. In summer there was typically only a thin sheet of frost on the ground, but I was still shivering, having forgotten that this place was always cold.
"Need a jacket?" I heard a familiar, elegant voice sound behind me. I whirled around to see Cynthia holding up a long, dark black coat, similar to hers only with buttons. I gratefully took it and put it on. Cynthia laughed.
"You should see yourself. Your cheeks are as red as apples. Shouldn't you have remembered to bring a winter coat?"
To hide my embarrassment I giggled and retorted playfully, "Hey, I'm your boss now, you've been bumped down to Elite Four. Shouldn't you always be calling me Miss Champion or something?" Cynthia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I apologize greatly, Miss Champion," she replied in a fake-polite voice. I laughed out loud, admittedly surprised she had continued the joke. Then Cynthia continued, "You know, Dawn, you always seem to bring light to an situation. Whether it's because you're a beacon of last hope or because you're always optimistic, it seems people are naturally drawn to you."
Without noticing it, we were walking toward the port, as I considered what Cynthia said. Was I really that way? I hadn't even noticed. I do remember, though, that I had been the one to get Barry the way he was. He used to be shy, but after he was around me for a little while, his true colors shone. True, he was a bit impatient, but he was a fun, entertaining guy. If I was as optimistic as Cynthia claimed, perhaps that was like we were as close as twins.
We were at the port. A sailor waved us over and we crunched through now-falling snow to get over. "Oy, Champion!" the man remarked. "Yer friend Barry asked me to take ya to the Battle Zone. Are you willin' to come?" My eyes widened in shock, and Cynthia chuckled. The sailor continued, "I've always wanted to have someone like you on me boat! Come aboard, come aboard!" I turned to Cynthia, and we both smirked, before I nodded goodbye and climbed on the ship. "All aboard!" the sailor called out, and soon we were aboard the ship and speeding away. It was about then that I remembered what happens when I get on boats…
I leant over the railing and lost my big breakfast.
It seemed an eternity before we finally reached the Battle Zone. I had long ago stuffed Cynthia's coat into my bag as the atmosphere had gotten warmer again, and the worried sailor escorted me as I stumbled weakly off the ship. Thankfully, I felt ten times better once I had dry land under my feet. The sailor saluted me and sailed away. Afterwards, I walked around a while, tugging on my gray ribbon vacantly, until I spotted a familiar head of blonde hair.
"Barry!" I called out, dashing towards him. He whirled around just in time to see me, and caught me in a big bear hug. Hey, since when had he gotten so strong?
We pulled apart and I blinked in surprise. I had seen him many times over our journeys, but now that I was taking a good look at him, he was at least a head taller than I was. And he had gotten more handsome.
Wait, where did that come from? He's my best friend. There's nothing special about our relationship, I was just saying is all. Of course.
Barry pretended to be mad at me. "I can't believe you just went ahead and beat the Elite Four without my permission! What's up with that, huh?!" I just laughed and waved him off, then linked arms with him.
"So Barry, what did you drag me out of bed for this time?"
This time Barry looked genuinely irritated. "Come on, you'll see!" So he set off at a brisk pace, leaving me no choice but to walk alongside him, our arms linked and all. I guess I should've been grateful our arms were linked, because he would've dashed out of sight if we hadn't.
After a couple of minutes large buildings loomed, followed by a smaller building, like a gate entrance. In front were two people I recognized- Flint, the now second member of the Elite Four, and Volkner, the now seventh Gym Leader. Now, even though everyone had been bumped down, things worked out for the better since Byron retired and gave his position to Roark, who would've been out of a job otherwise. That was far from my mind as I tore my arm from Barry's and hugged the two of them like they were old friends. They definitely seemed surprised (I was naturally more touchy-feely than most) but returned my hug. They were at least two heads taller than me. Arceus, I was a shortie!
I broke apart from the embrace with a grin. "Flint, Volkner! What are you doing here?" I was especially excited to see Volkner, someone I hadn't seen in a couple of weeks, while I had seen Flint only yesterday. Flint grinned widely back at me.
"Hey there, little victor! You're burning hot, huh?" I had to grin back. Volkner took in my ponytail, denim jacket and lavender dress, then grinned slightly.
"You look nice. Not in those ragged traveling clothes." I stuck my tongue out at him, when Barry linked arms with me again and glowered.
He exclaimed, louder than necessary, "These jerks won't let me into the Battle Frontier! Something about testing my strength!" Volkner rolled his eyes while Flint smirked.
Flint replied, "Well, not just anyone can survive. The Battle Frontier is serious stuff. I decided that we needed to test his strength to get in."
Volkner sighed and replied, "I don't really care. He just dragged me into this."
Barry turned to me and grinned. "I figured I needed some super-strength to get through both these guys. We can use that strategy from Mt. Coronet, it'll work especially well on Fire- and Electric-types!" Just out of the corner of my eye, I saw Flint and Volkner exchange a nervous glance. Normally, Barry and I would be a force to be reckoned with. With this strategy, we were virtually unstoppable.
"Yes…" I grinned mischievously as I enlarged Elle's Poke Ball. "Let's show them what we're made of."
"I can't believe it," Flint muttered for the thousandth time into his fries.
I playfully poked his forehead with a French fry before popping it in my mouth and remarking, "You should've known what you were asking for." I frowned as a heard the snap of a camera from a few feet away- were these reporters everywhere? They must have gotten a kick out of Flint, Volkner, Barry and I just casually eating lunch at Ben's Barn. Especially since, you know, I became Champion just yesterday. Barry was grinning and posing for the camera, completely out of the conversation. I smirked as I knew without looking that the camera crew was probably trying to get a clearer shot of me, to no avail. I sat on the inside for a reason- Barry completely blocked view of me.
Volkner had opened up more after the battle and was grinning widely. "I still can't believe it," he remarked. "That was an even more inspiring battle than ours, Dawn! I mean, to think of it…both Fire- and Electric-types are weak to Ground-type, so to have Barry's Snorlax use Earthquake and tell your Gengar to Levitate above the field…it was pure GENIUS!" I beamed at the praise.
"Well, think about it. If you guys were to think of a combo like that…maybe you would win!" I widened my eyes in mock-shock and popped another French fry in my mouth. Volkner put his arm around Flint's shoulder.
"Hey buddy, cheer up. Once you and I think of a strategy, we can rematch them," Volkner said encouragingly.
All of a sudden Flint sprung back to life. He grinned and announced, "And with a strategy, we're going to win, too!" He pointed his finger right in my face, and I simply smirked instead of cringing. "You wait! We're gonna win, Miss Champion!" And with that, he stormed out of the restaurant, leaving Volkner to throw some money hurriedly on the table and chase after him. I smirked and shook my head at the comedic duo. Flint was more like Barry than I was.
Speaking of Barry, he started on a rant that went unheard by the reporter that shoved him out of the way to get to me. "Miss Champion!" she cried eagerly, even though she was right next to me, and I flinched. "To see you here of all places! What's going on with you?" I looked to Barry, who saw my discomfort and tapped the reporter on the shoulder.
Barry announced loudly, "Excuse me ma'am, but the Champion doesn't want to deal with reporters right now. We were busy, if you couldn't tell."
The reporter seemed irritated for a second, and then her face grew into an almost evil grin that I hated from the moment it came on. Most of the reporters in Sinnoh respected your privacy, but I could tell this one would do anything to get the "scoop". However, nothing could prepare me for what she said next in her fake singsong voice.
"Oooooh! Are you the Champion's boyfriend?" A cameraman crept up behind her, taking the opportunity to record us as we blushed and glanced at each other. Then I turned angry- I realized that this was more a bluff than anything. A rumor had gone around that I was interested in Professor Rowan's assistant, a boy named Lucas, and the reporter was just going to use my denial to get more details out of me. They wanted a story? Alright, I would give them one. I smirked and looked straight at the camera, ignoring Barry's confused look, and said:
"Yes, that's exactly right. Barry and I are dating." With that, I grabbed Barry's wrist and stormed out of the restaurant, having relished in the surprised look I had caught on the reporter's face before I turned away.
"Are you crazy?!" Barry yelled at me, and I cringed visibly. It was rare to see Barry more than simply irritated, even rarer to see him angry for so long. He was in fact red in the face as he yelled at me in his room at the Pokemon Center. He was genuinely angry, and I was genuinely afraid.
Barry put his head in his hands. "Dawn, that's the kind of stupid thing I'm supposed to do! You're supposed to be the one who thinks things through just a little bit more than me! Even I would know that was stupid!" I couldn't help but whimper. Those were some harsh words. Did it really bother him that much to be portrayed as dating me?
Barry was continuing his rant now. "You should've just explained to them what had happened that day instead of making up a lie to distract them! Now we'll get more media attention than ever before! And a bad kind!" He growled and shook his head. I was so afraid of this different side of Barry that a tear slipped out my eye. The action immediately made me feel weak and insufficient. Barry saw it and his face softened as he sat next to me.
"I don't want to make you upset, Dawn," Barry said as he put his arm around my shoulder, his voice calmer now (though still a bit irritated). "It's just that this is going to make us swarmed. And how will we explain it to our family?"
I had to think about that one. In honesty, Barry was completely right. I had caused more trouble than it was worth. In fact, this was probably the first time I had caused a problem instead of solving it. Worse, I had dragged my best friend into it.
Barry now looked at me expentantly. I looked up at him and gave him a confused look, to which he smiled a bit sadly. "You always come up with solutions, and you can't come up with one for the problem you started?" I didn't take the humor well, and sighed. But the gears started turning in my head, and I suddenly perked up and said, "I know what we'll do."
Barry grinned. "Tell me, Dawny!"
I smirked and replied, "Simple. There's some place to travel around here, right? We'll just say that we're journeying for a little while longer, because the routes around here are too tough for the paparazzi. We can tell our parents we'll be journeying, too. By the time we get back, everything should have settled down." I closed my eyes and beamed, proud of myself.
"That's my Dawn!" Barry replied with a large grin of his own. "Come on Dawn, we should go right now! There's no time to waste!" At his urging, we quickly called our mothers to let them know of the traveling and we headed out. I was plenty amused at the sight of Flint and Volkner being caught in a crowd of reporters, asking if they knew what happened between us and where we were now. The poor guys must have regretted not having gone back to the mainland sooner. Barry and I deftly snuck around some guys blocking the entrance to Route 225. In the gate, we looked at each other and grinned.
"So we're headed for the Survival Area next, then?"
"Race ya there! Loser pays a fine of one million Poke!" And with that, Barry was gone, racing out of the gate. I laughed and chased after him.
"Barry…" I moaned, wiping more sweat from my forehead.
To take Route 225, rather than head towards the Resort Area, had been suicide on our part. We were only prepared with a few days' worth of food and water, which would clearly not get us too far. The Route itself wasn't insanely long, but it was an up-and-down rocky climb, all in intense heat. Paparazzi would be on the lookout for us, though, and we couldn't afford to go to a town and heal.
I had peeled off my leggings and denim jacket, and my bare arms and the part of my legs not shielded by my dress were exposed to the strong sun. I had tucked my ribbon ponytail into a bun so as to not let it brush the back of my neck. Meanwhile, Barry had rolled up his sleeves and stuffed his scarf in his bag, though those pants must have been making him burn up.
At this point, the race was long over, both of us deciding to work close by and fend off any Trainers or Pokemon together. I bet we were a sight, sweating like crazy and too stupid to bring lots of water. I don't know why, but the Trainers didn't offer us anything. Maybe, as the Champion, I was supposed to tough it out? Whatever the case, we set up our first camp of the night on uncomfortable rock. I found myself grateful that Barry wasn't complaining too much, because I already felt so guilty as it was for getting us into this mess.
I held the paw of Red, my Infernape, close as I sprayed it with healing medicine, at the same time avoiding the deadly heat coming from his head. I looked up at Barry sadly.
"That's it, Barry… I'm out of Potions of all kinds."
Barry groaned. "I've only got a few left, too…Arceus, we were pretty stupid, weren't we?"
I looked down, not meeting his eyes. "No, just me. I was pretty stupid."
Barry cupped my chin and pulled me to meet his eyes. "Don't say that, Dawn," he said, smiling gently. "I know you were just trying to get the reporter to shut up. We just gotta give it our all." We looked into each other's eyes for a couple of seconds, each trying to read the other. At the same time we both pulled away, in some sort of embarrassment.
To brush off the awkward moment, I commented, "Barry, you're acting so different lately, much more serious than usual. You're acting somewhat normal." I smirked.
Instead of laughing alongside me, Barry just shrugged. "I really am more normal. It's just…I was always one step behind you. Even before our journey, I mean. So I joked around, acted the way I did to hide my embarrassment, I guess."
I looked up at Barry. The cocky, laughing, impatient boy was abnormally quiet as I viewed him in a different light. He seemed to be in thought. Finally I said, "Thanks for saying that, Barry. We're even closer now." He met my eyes and smiled a bit. I stood up and grinned. "I would totally hug you right now, but I'm kind of covered with sweat."
Barry returned my grin. "Same here. Let's hurry up and get this trip over with already!"
The last couple days were almost too painful to recall. We were riding on the path of dehydration at this point, not to mention forcing ourselves around Trainers and grass since our Pokemon had exhausted themselves as well. I knew well before the end that I would never come back to this hell. The burning sun and physical exertion were too much. At some point, I don't know when, we found a pond and refreshed ourselves, but that seemed so long ago. Often I found myself wondering why I felt so weak, since although Barry was obviously completely wiped, I kept falling behind and stumbled often. It hurt to move, even. So when, in the only slightly cooler night, I caught sight of the red roof of the Pokemon Center, I nearly fainted with joy.
"Barry," I muttered, tugging weakly on his sleeve. His eyes had been trained on the ground, but he looked up, and before looking towards me he was what I was seeing. He grinned.
"I think we can make it there, don't you? Let's hurry up and sleep in a nice bed for once!" You could see how tired, how exhausted he was, but now that we were in the final stretch he was filled with momentary energy. I wondered why I didn't feel the same way, but just grinned slightly back at him and tried to keep up with his now brisk pace.
The Survival Area was a small place. There were no more than just ten homes, a Pokemon Center, and Poke Mart. The small sight overjoyed us, though, and we went to the door of the Pokemon Center. We found, however, that it was later than we thought- late enough for a Nurse Joy to assume there were no more travelers for the night. One look at Barry, though, and I knew that if not for myself, we needed to find a place for him to stay the night. I hoped that I looked considerably less beaten, but my hopes weren't high.
Luckily, a boy in a karate uniform, or whatever they call it, greeted us at the first home, the others seemingly having no inhabitants. One look at us, and his eyes widened, holding the door open wider for us to step in. It was one good characteristic of Sinnoh citizens- if you were a traveling Trainer, you would likely be accepted into any home if there was no nearby Pokemon Center. In this case, the boy (no older than me) must have understood that the Pokemon Center was closed. I finally decided to stop overthinking it and just accept his hospitality gratefully.
This boy, his name being Ken as he informed us, was a man of few words. He cooked us a healthy dinner, and Barry downed it eagerly. I couldn't understand it, but even after the small traveling rations we had had to live on, the meal seemed generally unappetizing. I took a few bites but mostly drank water, feeling awfully warm. It was hard work, but I managed to avoid Barry's concerned stare.
Ken was suddenly standing by us. "I have two beds." He seemed a bit uneasy. "One of us takes the floor, or you share a bed."
Barry and I turned to Ken, saying simultaneously, "I'll take the floor." Ken smirked at us as we turned to face each other.
I protested to Barry with the usual: I had gotten us into this mess, so I would take the floor. What happened next was a bit unnerving to me. "Dawn. In all honesty, I would probably agree and take the bed, if you didn't look the way you did now." I furrowed my brows, but decided not to protest. If, now that we were safe again, Barry was still being serious, it was probably better not to argue. I changed in the bathroom and sunk into thick, comforting blankets.
I woke up to low voices over me. I kept my eyes closed so as to feign sleep and hear what they were saying- it was barely legible, though.
"…sleeping for a long time…"
"…looks…..horrible time…."
"…wake…? ….worried…"
"…yes…"
I felt someone sit down near my head, then shake my arm gently. Immediately I knew it was Barry.
His voice was light, with an almost imperceptible tinge of worry. "Come on Dawny, you gotta wake up. Otherwise I can just take the fine from your bag, you know." I groaned slightly, and opened my eyes, finding myself staring into Barry's chocolate brown ones. Even in my state (what that was, I didn't know, my head was kind of foggy) I still couldn't help but think how funny he looked- Barry's hair had finally been restored to its crazy style that I loved so much. Seeing me awake, Barry looked relieved.
"I swear Dawn, if you weren't okay I would've went on a big old rampage like this, where nobody could stop me!" Barry pantomimed rampaging around the room, like Godzilla or a dinosaur, which brought a slight smile out of me. Obviously taking what he could get, Barry turned to me and grinned triumphantly.
"So Dawn, I bet you're ready to eat now, huh?" And though I still didn't know why, I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to disappoint Barry and was about to tell him to serve me up when he frowned. "Dawn, don't even try to fake it. It's written all over your face that you don't wanna eat." This I sighed at- Barry knew me a bit too well. I was a bit surprised though when Barry grinned happily again, then soon found out why: "Well Dawny, if that's how you're going to be, we'll just take you to Nurse Joy and she'll make you eat!"
I looked at Barry for a moment, then quickly pulled the covers over my head. I was tired. I felt weak- I was still recovering. Why wouldn't Barry just leave me alone? After a moment of silence, I assumed Barry had decided to leave me alone. That was when I was swept into the air- blanket and all! I would've screamed, had I had the energy. When had Barry gotten so strong?
Barry wasn't looking at me, but rather ahead as he said, "We'll get this settled once and for all. You're a strong girl, Dawny, and this is way not normal for you." He said this all in a carefree tone, but I could barely care anymore. His hold was comforting, and even as we made the short trip to the Pokemon Center, I fell asleep in his arms.
This time, when I woke up, I found myself in a stiff bed I knew to be at the Pokemon Center. I was on my side, staring out the glass window through which those in the hallway could see me. I panicked for a moment, remembering seeing others in these windows hooked up to machines, but the room was void of anything mechanical. I felt considerably better than I did before, but still exhausted.
Now I found myself wondering, why would I be in this bed? I didn't have to move my head to know that my pink kitten pajamas were still on. Surely they would've changed me into a gown of some sort if I would be staying awhile, but they would've woken me if it were not serious at all. So, what was it? My head was cloudy, and I was weak, but I was pretty sure that I could operate if I needed to. Not that I wanted to, of course.
This left me to conclude fever, more likely serious because it had festered on Route 225.
I decided to leave it at that because obviously Barry would know and would take care of me.
Barry. The name rang in my head, and for some reason I wanted nobody but to see him right now. He had watched over me since the previous night and had taken me here, but that wasn't the reason why I wanted him. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I knew it was a change since I usually wanted my mother by my side, with her soothing home remedies.
Almost on cue the door open, and I glanced over to see the familiar blonde boy. His hands were jammed into his pockets, and he grinned slightly at me.
"How you feeling?" His voice was surprisingly soft, and I was taken aback. Surely, he had been more serious and kind since we had taken on Route 225, but this was the most yet. Now, I saw absolutely no trace of the Barry I knew. I decided that I liked this.
"I have a fever, don't I?" My voice was a bit more energized than it had been the previous night. Barry noticed this, as well, and grinned at me.
"You do. But you're already looking better. Your face isn't, y'know, beet red as you burned up." There it was, some of the Barry humor. This time, it was him just trying to cheer me up, though I was embarrassed to think of how I must have looked, burning with fever.
Right then I became pissed at myself. For some reason I wanted to spend more time with this Barry, but…I was starting to drift off again, I could feel it, and Barry noticed and started to walk towards the door. I called his name weakly, and he turned around curiously. I grinned slightly.
"Stay with me?"
He grinned back. "Whatever you say, Dawny."
Barry sat in the chair and yet again I fell asleep.
Barry stayed true to his word- he came and kept me company whenever I was awake. He told me jokes and stories, all of which were accompanied by extreme hand gestures and acting. It had been amusing to watch, and it really did cheer me up. At the same time, though, he talked kindly to me in between stories, asking if I was all right, or did I need anything. I knew that he would do this for me simply because we were best friends, and he had done this kind of thing to a lesser extent in the past, but for some reason it made me elated now. Why was I viewing Barry so differently lately? I thought of how we had acted in the past, and I realized that today I would be embarrassed to link arms with Barry, yet it would please me. I chalked up my confusion on my feelings to the fever, and figured everything would be back to normal soon.
Yet, it didn't. In a few days' time we stocked up on supplies at the Poke Mart and gave our thanks to Ken, the boy who had received us that first night. Then we were back on the road, headed to the Resort Area, in much better condition with a larger supply. Linking arms had always been our thing, Barry and I, and now neither of us seemed to want to, or even hug. It was a sort of shyness that had overcome me, but I couldn't say the same for Barry. What was going on in his head? In any case, he continued to entertain me with his many stories and jokes, as he had during the time that I had been sick.
On the surface, everything was normal. But clearly, everything was not.
A silence fell a few days later as Barry actually seemed to run out of jokes. Dusk was setting, and I began to wrack my brain to fill the silence, no longer wishing to ponder our strange relationship.
"…Barry?"
"Hm?" For once, Barry was lost in his own thoughts. I had never seen him like that; once or twice over the years I had caught him talking to himself instead of choosing to listen to silence.
"What's going on?"
He gave me a look of mild surprise, but quickly it turned into confusion. Perhaps…feigned confusion? "Whaddya mean, Dawny? Everything's a-ok. You're not sick, and we're getting to the Resort Area, so we're both in good health and-
"You know that's not what I mean." Fear bubbled in my chest as I said those words, but enough was enough. It was time to talk this out.
"Then what do you mean?"
I gave him a disappointed stare. "We can't fake ignorance anymore. Something's different, Barry. I don't know when it happened- we were totally fine a couple weeks ago when I got to the Battle Area. But now we can't even hold hands." I began to build up momentum, listing the strange things I had noticed over the course of the past two weeks. "You were, understandably, angry at my asserting us as a couple. But…overly angry, don't you think? And then we spent so much time together over the couple of days I was sick. I got to see every side of you, then. Both your joking side, but your really sweet side, too. And now we can't even hold hands." I stopped, and Barry did as well, though avoiding my eyes. "And you've run out of steam! You're not talking! If there's one thing Barry isn't, it's silent!"
"W-well…" Barry looked up at me, and I recoiled at seeing his angry expression. "…You're no better than me! You just HAD to go with your first instinct to drive off the media, which caused us to go out here in the first place! And anyone would run out of stuff to say eventually after spending day in and day out together! I don't know what to do anymore!" His face was red with anger. I shuddered as I gathered the meaning of his words.
"You…didn't enjoy this time together?"
The anger drained from his face. "N-no, that's not-"
I shook my head, turning away. I wasn't having any more excuses. "Forget it, Barry. I thought I had turned my mistake into something good, but to you, I guess, I was wrong." I began to tremble, pent up emotions bursting at the seams. "I…I can't believe you!" And I dashed away into the jungle surrounding the route.
I heard him calling my name behind me, but I didn't stop to listen.
I eventually came to a stop. I had ran for awhile, tiring myself out, my thoughts bouncing around in my head and my emotions bouncing around in my heart. I slowed, but refused to stop.
"Stupid Barry." I kicked the dirt under my feet, and shoved my hands into my jacket pockets. "Stupid me, getting us into this, and stupid him, not having fun with me…"
A thought prodded the back of my mind. What was wrong with Barry not having a good time? Why was that wrong of him?
"Because…" I squeezed my eyes shut. Because I was having such a good time with Barry. But that wasn't even close to a good reason. In the end, I was resentful for someone who had done nothing wrong by me. He had accompanied me to this point, and had entertained me while I was sick. He had gone beyond expectations, and it wasn't his fault if he hadn't had a good time.
It was my fault.
Guilt began to pervade me as I readily accepted that reason. Of course it was my fault. I was the only person with Barry the entire time. Who else would be to blame for his lack of fun?
I tried to conjure more anger at Barry again, but my heart was no longer in it. More and more I confirmed that I was completely in the wrong.
There was one more feeling, though, besides guilt and my fading anger. What was it?
I snapped my fingers. Of course! I called out my Gardevoir, who turned to me with a small, obedient smile.
"Grace," I started respectfully. "I have this…emotion that I can't really place. You worked with emotions when you were unevolved, so maybe…you can tell what I'm feeling?"
Grace tilted her head curiously, and then slowly nodded. A calming pulse- Fairy- or Psychic-type, I couldn't tell- enveloped both Grace and me. When it passed, Grace smirked.
Actually smirked.
Grace never smirked!
"What is it?!" I asked in hesitant desperation. She shook her head, walked over to me, and pushed the button on her Pokeball, disappearing inside.
I stood frozen, mouth agape. Did Grace just…return to her Pokeball? On her own?! None of my Pokémon ever did something disobedient, especially not Grace! What in my emotions did she find to make her do that?
I stood in the heat of the jungle, feeling my heart thump in my chest. Whatever Grace had found, she wasn't saying. I was on my own.
I felt a heavy desire to call out Starry, but I knew he wouldn't be able to fly to my destination without getting lost. He simply could not fly to places we had not been before, Arceus knows why.
"Dawn!" I heard a voice sound behind me. I gulped in fear. Whatever emotion I had felt would be coming into play. Right here, right now. I turned to face the approaching blonde boy.
"Dawn!" He stopped and panted with exertion, looking up at me. "Dawn- I- I'm-"
"I'm sorry!" we both exclaimed simultaneously. We both then shook our heads.
"I'm sorry. I had to start all this-"
"Don't be, it was me who-"
"-I didn't have to say what I said-"
"-terrible choice of words-"
"-I was so boring-"
"-you had even been sick and-"
"I'm sorry!" we both exclaimed again. Then we were silent, looking into each other's eyes.
Then we cracked up.
"This is-" I started through my laughter.
"-so stereotypical!" Barry finished, and we doubled over with even more furious laughter. We laughed until our breath came out.
I glanced up at Barry, and felt a blush taint my cheeks, and my heart began to thump. The emotion. There it was. And now I knew what it was. Something much more than the schoolgirl crush I had on Lucas.
Before I could do or say anything, though, Barry looped an arm around my shoulders.
"Let's hurry to the resort area! I'm really craving a veggie burger."
I resisted the urge to slap my hand smack into my forehead. Barry either didn't return the feelings or was completely oblivious to the moment we were about to have.
My money was on the latter, because it fit Barry. But mostly because I wanted him to return my feelings.
"Ag-huh-whag…huh?!"
I stared at the deed placed in my hands, written in fancy script, unable to form proper words. I glanced up at the mystery man giving the deed to me. Right behind him was an impressively large and extravagant villa. And the deed to it lay in my hands.
"Yep, s'all yours! Peace! G'bye!" Without another word, he scampered off, right out onto Route 229.
I blinked.
"Dude."
I glanced up at Barry, who grinned widely.
"That…is…awesome!"
I grinned back suddenly, throwing my hands into the air and shrieking in glee. Barry hugged me then, easily lifting me off the ground in his bear hug.
"C'mon, let's go inside!" He ran off, at the speed of sound as usual. I giggled, his excitement much too infectious, and scampered after him.
"Dawny, look! This is AMAZING!"
His words couldn't have been much more of an understatement. The shiny wood floors were shining with a gloss, and blue flowers were painted elegantly in a mural on the tall white walls. I admired it for a few moments before coughing.
"Yes, it is. But uh…"
Barry followed my gaze, correcting his upwards gaze.
"…Oh."
The villa was entirely unfurnished, excepting a worn-down table sitting in the middle of the room, with a magazine sitting on it.
I approached it, in sync with Barry's steps. He made a grab for it, but as a professional-magazine-reader (also as deft with my hands as Barry was with his legs), I nabbed it first. It was thicker than I expected. The catalog contained no advertisements, or even a title, just a phone number on the front and pictures of furniture items with their cost next to the pictures.
I felt dizzy. "Those are…a LOT of zeroes."
"Lemme see." Barry grabbed it out of my hands, and as soon as he so much as glanced at a page, he threw it back on the table. "Never mind."
I giggled. "Well, MAYBE we can't use that catalog. But I make a pretty good salary as Champion, and I've made quite a bit of money from winning battles."
"I know just the place."
Barry and I surveyed proudly as a work force brought in several pieces of furniture. They were not of the super-high quality that the catalog featured, but they were perfectly functional and gentle on the eye, if a bit basic. The kitchen and bathroom were the only separate rooms, so I watched as the living room (left side of the big room) and bedroom (right side) were sparsely populated with furniture. A queen sized bed, a nightstand. A couch, recliner, and small television set.
I was living the dream.
When the workers finally left, I giggled in girlish anticipation. Barry laughed.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you this excited. What, being Champion isn't as good as this?"
I shrugged, smiling with glee. "This was something I just didn't expect coming my way. C'mon, let's turn on the Battle Channel!"
Where almost anyone not an intense battler would have groaned, Barry nodded with equal excitement. We sat on the couch and I clicked the remote.
Nothing.
We both sheepishly chuckled. Of course. You needed cable to watch TV.
"Well, what now?" I asked hesitantly.
I turned to Barry, and froze to see his incoming face.
Then he kissed me.
Barry kissed me!
When he backed away, I smiled charismatically and grabbed his hand, ready to kiss him again.
No, of course not.
"Humma…wha…what?" I stuttered in shock. His face turned beet red.
"Uhm…was that…a bad time?"
I opened my mouth, and closed it again, a fish out of water. Barry rushed to fill the embarrassing silence.
"I-I'm so sorry, Dawny!" He bit his lip. "I just, I…I've been in love with you for a couple years now, and it got really bad these past couple weeks, and I wanted to kiss you when we were done apologizing but I still didn't know if you liked me back or not-"
"Barry?"
Barry started to ramble even more incoherently, squeezing his eyes shut as he muttered apology after apology.
"Barry!"
He glanced up, still red in the face. "…Sorry?"
I grinned. "Stop apologizing and kiss me."
And Arceus, he did.
And that affectionate feeling- not love, not yet- filled my heart just a tiny bit more.
…
…
….
Oh, who was I kidding? I was in Arceus-freaking-love with Barry, and now I was kissing him!
We broke apart, and Barry grinned. "I can't believe you like me back!"
"Why wouldn't I?" I asked. Barry was an awesome best friend and an even better boyfriend.
That said, I locked lips with him once again.