He noticed her.
He noticed her dark blue hair, he noticed the way it fell over her shoulders, he noticed her hips moving as she walked, he noticed her soft smiles, he noticed her love for her Pokémon and for the world around her, and he noticed her eyes, how captivating they could be.
He noticed her.
Lucas caught her as she walked out of the Professor's lab, glad to have a moment with her without her loud friend around. She stayed mostly silent as he showed her around Sandgem, but he noticed her marveling at the expansive sea of Sandgem Beach.
"Come on, I'll show you the beach," he said. They kept silent as they watched their footprints in the sand, and Lucas would every so often sneak a look at her. She seemed poised, polite. Her slim figure made her look almost frail, but Lucas knew better. She had strength in her, and with the show she put on at Lake Verity, she also had the drive to prove herself.
They stood at the edge of the water and Dawn let her Piplup out of its pokéball to play in the water.
"Do you travel, Lucas?" She asked him.
"Hm, me? No, I don't really. Now that the Professor's back, though, I suppose I'll go wherever he goes. Maybe we'll run into each other."
"Oh." Dawn sighed. "It's just… I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me. I mean… What the Professor did for me, giving me a Pokédex and my very own Pokémon and everything, it was really nice of him. But going out there all alone scares me."
He smiled at her, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Don't worry. The Professor has a good eye. I don't know about your friend back there, but I'm sure you'll do great. If Champion is what you're aiming for, it's yours, no problem."
She smiled back. "Thanks."
They sat and watched the sun fall together.