Author's Note: Story doesn't take place in either the game or manga universe(s). It takes place more in our world but in a city called Sinnoh with different streets named after the cities from the game.
Disclaimer: Pokemon is published and owned by Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri. I own nothing but the computer this story was typed up on and the account that posts it.
"Cynthia, I would like you to stay after class," the short aging teacher stated as she turned her back to the aforementioned blonde sighed as she pressed her head to the cold surface of her desk. She really had been hoping for a nice and quiet day with no problems or trouble. She couldn't help but feel like she wasn't asking that much from the universe. It was Friday, after all. A quick and boring day of class that ultimately lead into a fun-filled weekend with her friends. She didn't have any class meetings or clubs to handle today so once the last class ended she was free to let the goofing off begin. It wasn't so much that she wanted time with her friends, but with someone else all together.
With the school bell ringing to end the day, the rest of the class gathered their things and hurried off to their own lives. Cynthia kept her head to the desk as she waited for them to leave. Whatever the old lady wanted to talk about she sure didn't want eavesdrops around. She glanced up when she stopped hearing footsteps. The class was empty save for her and her teacher. Bertha sat at her desk smiling at her. This action made Cynthia raise an eyebrow. With that kind of expression, it couldn't be bad, right?
The blonde let out a sigh of surrender. She stood up from her desk and began the tedious march to the old woman's desk. She began to rack her mind for possible causes for this meeting. She could recall no bad grades; no arguments or fights. It was public knowledge she didn't pick on any of the underclassmen. Rather she had been known as a sort of defender for them. Protecting them from being picked on by her more childish peers. She glanced over her attire, thinking her uniform may have been a miss. There was no such fault. Whatever the old woman wanted, Cynthia was clueless to it.
"Do you know why I wanted you to stay after, Cynthia?" Bertha genetically started.
With her hands on her hips, Cynthia shrugged.
The graying woman gave a gentle nod, her smile vanishing. "I didn't figure you would." She glanced out the window for a moment, trying to collect her words. Cynthia watched the woman's hands shifting awkwardly. Bertha looked back to Cynthia. "I'm just going to come out with it: There are rumors passing around, Cynthia."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow to this.
The elderly teacher wanted to talk with her about…Gossip? It was well-known that Bertha was a bit of a gossip-hound - making her nothing like her sister Agatha - but surely she wouldn't believe the nonsense kids spewed out from their mixed up hormones.
"And?"
"The particular rumor I wish to address involves you," Bertha stated.
"Me?"
This further confused the blonde. Of all the people in the school, there was a rumor about her? She knew better than to be surprised. Somewhere she had once heard that every student has a rumor about himself that he may or may not know of. The point, however, was that Cynthia had thought herself well-received by her fellow student body. What sort of rumor was it that could involve her?
Bertha stood up and walked around her desk to stand in front of Cynthia.
"Yes, but it isn't only about you. It involves another. One of your underclassmen, a girl by the name of Dawn."
Cynthia's eyes widened at the name.
It couldn't possibly be…They had been so secretive. So careful. The chances that THAT was what the rumor was about had to be slim. No, it wasn't possible that someone had found out and had told. It couldn't be.
Bertha gave the blonde a look of suspicion at her reaction. The near graduate took note of her look. Cynthia regained her composure, putting up her calm mystic once more. No need for the woman to consider giving credit to any rumors started by teenagers.
"The Berlitz girl?" Cynthia cleared her throat when she heard how dry it suddenly sounded. "What possible rumor could involve the two of us?"
The old woman closed her eyes. She leaned her back to rest against her desk, with her arms laced gently in front of her. An awkward silent fell between them for a moment before Bertha opened her eyes to explain.
"The rumor has it that you and Dawn are in fact," she paused trying to find the perfect word. "Involved in a tryst."
Cynthia didn't have to feign shock. She truly was when she heard the woman say that specific statement.
"A tr-tryst?"
"It means a meeting of lovers."
"I know what it means," Cynthia half-barked. When Bertha gave her a look of warning Cynthia gave her an apologetic stare. "Sorry, it's just…Surprising to hear you say that."
Bertha further pressed the topic with, "Am I too assume this means there is absolutely no truth to these accusations?"
Cynthia scoffed.
"Of course there's no truth to them. She's not even a freshmen yet."
She was lying.
There was nothing but truth to that claim of romance between the her and the underclassman. They had been meeting in a romantic way for quite sometime now. They had been nothing but careful about it. Not wanting to let others spoil it with their opinions or prejudices. It had been months since they first started. It, for obvious reasons, hadn't gone beyond chaste kisses, hugging and cuddling, and holding hands in the privacy of their own homes. Dawn, as far as Cynthia was aware, didn't even know how to use her tongue in kissing let alone do full-blown making out. The other students knew Cynthia had taken a shine to the much younger girl. Though it always seemed that they just believed she was 'training' an apprentice to take over her mantle when she left the school.
The two had met in a sort of fated encounter as Cynthia thought of it. Dawn and her class had just been assigned that ridiculous assignment of watching after an egg. Dawn had been partnered with a redheaded girl from their class do to there being more girls than boys in the class. The problem was that that redhead, whatshername, was a known bully and had lost her temper at something Dawn had said. She had thrown the egg out the window to Dawn's horror. It was pure luck that Cynthia had been outside that window. She caught the egg without cracking or bruising it. Dawn came down and found her with the egg, and after some playful teasing the two seemed to hit it off very well. Cynthia had even 'suggested' that redhead stop harassing her new little friend.
From there on Cynthia began to have Dawn spend more time with her. Simple things like hanging out together at lunchtime or sometimes in the halls. But it built up to hanging out together outside of school, even going to the movies and taking her home to help the younger girl with her homework and such. That's where the talk about Cynthia's training Dawn came in. Dawn had asked her about it one day, and Cynthia was surprised to admit that there wasn't exactly true. That whatever was going on between them felt bigger than that. The discussion ultimately lead to an awkward kiss. Their first.
Cynthia thought over that for a moment, knowing there was some truth to that but it was still more of a mutual exchange of amore.
Despite that, Cynthia had no intention of taking things to a much more physical level. Not now at least. That would be far too demanding of Dawn. She understood that Dawn wasn't physically or mentally ready for such a relationship yet. So she would happily wait, not just for Dawn but for herself as well. Cynthia wasn't sure she was even ready for that kind of relationship. She had never been one to be overly perusing the idea of a sexual relationship with any girl, and definitely not any boy. Though that didn't mean she didn't want to at sometime go the next level with a girl, but only with the one she truly wanted to give her body and heart to. Perhaps that was just the way her grandmother had raised her, she didn't know for certain.
Bertha nodded to her reply.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Cynthia. I don't think I have to tell you the implications of such a relationship. It could be damaging to both of your own appearances in the public eye."
Cynthia cursed the public and their symbolic eye.
"Not to mention the fact that once you graduate that kind of relationship will be considered illegal."
Cynthia bit the inside of her cheek to keep her mouth shut. She knew the truth of that. She had known since she first started the relationship. Dawn and her had had full conversations about this particular topic many times before. More so now that that cursed day was steadily approaching. But Cynthia had stated she wouldn't date in college, but would rather wait until Dawn was of a more legal age. If Dawn, however, wanted to date someone else and ended up actually being in love with that person instead Cynthia would just move on. It would hurt, at first, but she always overcame any problem faced against her so this shouldn't be any different. Nor should the situation as a whole. They'd pull through it in the end, she was certain.
"Besides, the whole thing would be just gross," Bertha finished her opinion.
The blonde couldn't stop herself from frowning this time. In fact, it probably looked more like a full blown glare to the elder woman. Bertha surprised expression was evident of that.
"It's not the matter of tw-two girls involved in that sort of relationship," she had stammered to correct herself. "I may be getting old, but I'm not that narrow-minded. I understand some amount about the gay and lesbian culture. I hear two of you friend Flint is involved with that Volkner. They are a couple, right? So I have no dislike of their culture."
Cynthia continued to frown. Typical cover up. 'Forgive my misuse of words by accepting me giving an example of someone I know like that so you know I'm not really like that.' If she had just apologized, Cynthia wouldn't have been as annoyed. She couldn't stand people doing those kinds of cover ups.
Bertha continued, "It's just the matter of two people dating and one of them being an impressionable youth that I find disturbing. The age-gap, not the gender issue." She made sure to emphasis on that last statement.
A gentle knock came from the door. Both women glanced over to the door seeing Dawn poking her head into the room. Her beaming smile lighting up on her soft features. The blonde knew the smile wasn't for a polite or lady-like greeting to them both. It was aimed directly at herself. Cynthia gave a ghost of a smile back.
"Am I interrupting anything?" the young girl squeaked out.
"No." Cynthia crossed her arms over her chest, long since through with this conversation. She eyed her teacher. "Is there anything else, Ma'am?"
Bertha sighed, lowering her head.
"No, I suppose not. You may leave, Cynthia."
Cynthia didn't even waste a goodbye on the woman who had been trying her patience. She walked out the door, her arm wrapping around Dawn's waist slightly to instruct her on following. Cynthia heard Dawn give the teacher a farewell as Cynthia half dragged her out of the room. The two remained silent as they walked on towards Cynthia's custom built navy blue sports car with the yellow upside down star on the hood. Cynthia assumed Dawn realized she wasn't in a talking mood at the moment. So she just followed in silent obedience. Cynthia unlocked the car, stepping in. She heard the door next to her opening and the easing shut. It seemed Dawn minded Cynthia's warning about not slamming the door shut. An awkward silence befell the car as the two sat there: Cynthia glaring at the stirring wheel while Dawn sat next to her with a worried look.
Dawn reached out and placed her hand on Cynthia's hand. Cynthia glanced at Dawn out of the corner of her eye. Her heart began to swell as she saw the concerned look in those big blue eyes. Dawn opened her mouth as if to say something but never got the chance as two soft lips closed over hers. Dawn's eyes blinked, surprised. Cynthia pulled back flashing the bluenette that charming smile spreading that made ever girl and boy she knew weak in the knees. A smile that had become exclusive to her now. The blonde burst out laughing. Dawn looked at her older girlfriend with an uneasy smile.
"You're absolutely adorable," Cynthia said, her hand reaching up to stroke the girl's cheek.
Dawn blushed, smiling.
"T-thanks. Ar-are you gonna be-"
"Nah," Cynthia said, turning on her car engine. "I'm fine as long as you are. I can live through the stupid crap, as long as I've got you. You're all I need to felt health and happy."
Dawn leaned over, kissing her on the cheek.
"Then you're gonna be the healthiest person in the world," Dawn said giggling as they pulled out off the school parking lot into the street.
Cynthia smiled at the road in front of her. Surprising how the love of a cute and pure hearted girl could make a gal like she was some powerful warrior, unstoppable. Like a shark…No, more like a dragon. But that's what they were: the dragon and the penguin chick, weren't' they?
Author's Note: Love has no limits and will ultimately concur all problems, if given hope.