Leading Dawn away from the roadside, Lucas relinquished his grasp on her shoulders. "Please, come with me," he said, offering her his arm and, politely, gesturing for her to take it. "Let's go... The Professor is waiting."
Anxiously, Dawn glanced at him from aside. You're actually offering me your arm? Her insides trembled with deliriousness.
...Cool.
Slipping her arm in his, she walked side by side with him, and basking in his attention, she experienced a surge of growing warmth. It feels like I'm in an old-time movie. Ah, I'm having weird thoughts again...
"See? This is our Pokemon Research Lab," Lucas told her, shivering and exhaling.
Are you chilled? Dawn pondered, startled by his trembling. ...How long have you been waiting outside?
Realizing that they had to unlock their arms to enter through the front door, Lucas laughed nervously. "Oh." He said, pointing ahead. "We'll just..."
"Right," Dawn responded, deeply disappointed. That was short... Letting go of his arm, she reached out for the door knob– only to witness it yanking back from view.
Barry flew out at her.
THUD!
"!"
Dawn landed in the sand– face upwards– her knees fully bent in the sit-up position. Fortunately, it seemed her legs had deflected most of Barry's high speed collision.
"Ugh..." Dawn groaned, slowly becoming aware of her sudden back pain. My butt feels really weird...
"What the," Barry yapped, finally noticing his prey, "Oh, it's you, Dawn!"
Shaking out of her daze, Dawn finally became aware of Barry's hands. She gasped in conclusion. That's why my butt feels really weird!
"That old guy–" Barry jabbered, completely unaware of his violation of her person, "–he's not scary so much as he is totally out there!" His hands were shoved under the space where Dawn's thighs met the sand.
"...Do you know what you've just done?" Dawn muttered, too angered to even breathe. Fluffy! Have you reverted to your seven-year-old self?...! I thought you had progressed past sticking your hands up my skirt. I am sorely disappointed in you!
"Aww, it doesn't matter, Dawn," Barry stated distractedly. He eagerly glared back at a distraught Lucas. Look at what I'm doing, you beret-wearing hipster! I'm touching her butt!
Whatcha think now, huh?...!
Take that!
As if hearing Barry's crazed challenge, Lucas broke out of his shock and raised an eyebrow. He wryly smiled– almost as if to say: 'Ha, that? ...I've seen worse.'
Pulling his hands away, Barry chocked back his spurting uncertainty and fumed in failure. I knew it! This guy's goody-goody personality is all an act! ...What a frightening nerd! I have to step up the pace if I'm to make him take me seriously–
Ahh! What do I do? What do I do?...! Rattling his childish brain for answers– Barry – in a moment of desperation, finally remembered an invaluable truth that his father had once taught him.
Yeah... That's right! Barry realized. It's genius!
His father's words echoed: 'If someone tries to steal a possession of yours– be it a video game or a dinner roll– indefinitely lay your claim on it by... licking it! No one wants to handle someone else's drool! ...And that's how you protect your stuff!
Barry faithfully obeyed, even though Dawn was far from being a video game or dinner roll, and he was blatantly abusing his father's keen advice.
"Eh..." Dawn froze in horror– her face turning blue. Fluffy. Why are you licking my knee?
You idiot! Is it covered in honey?...! No– even it was– that's still not a reasonable excuse!
Normal people don't do that!
Finishing his assault, Barry pulled away and stood up to confront a petrified Lucas; discombobulated and devoid of life, the boy gawked back at Barry in defeat.
"Heh!" Barry chuckled at him, posing in supreme victory. I did it! I won! A tried and true tradition wins out in the end!
Dawn crawled off her back and shamefully cradled her face. No... This can't be happening. and in front of Lucas, too... Fluffy, how do you always know how to humiliate me?
"I'm out of here. See you later!" Barry yelled, throwing up his fists and skipping off.
Drained of their will to exist, his two victims quietly lingered behind.
"What was THAT?" Lucas finally demanded, his disturbed face regaining some color.
"My... knee..." Dawn gazed at the ground. ...Has been defiled. A violent hailstorm brewed beneath her wooden eyes as she slowly considered Lucas' question. You ask me what that was?... You want me to explain it?... In truth, even if she wanted to, not even she knew what that just was. Even after knowing Barry– and experiencing him, for so long– she still found him bewildering her into submission with his unstoppable and inventive idiocy.
Sensing Dawn's deep distress, Lucas stepped toward her. "Your friend always seems to be in such a rush." He laughed uncomfortably, trying to break past his newfound hesitance. "Anyway..." He crouched down and held his hand out to her. "Let's go in."
"...Hmm... I see," Professor Rowan remarked, carefully observing Dawn's Piplup. Placing a steady hand on the pokemon's plush, round blue head, the professor gazed into her beady penguin eyes.
"Piii?" Piplup chirped, sitting obediently.
"This Pokemon seems to be rather happy. Hm!" Rowan stated, sounding quite pleased, "Entrusting you with that Piplup was no mistake, it seems!"
"Plup. Plup." Piplup warbled, standing up and waddling over to Dawn. The tiny penguin stopped and gazed up at the girl in concern.
"Nh. Are you hungry?" Dawn said, kneeling down to dig through her duffel bag. I made sure to bring plenty of junk food for us to eat...
"Well, would you like to give it a nickname?" Rowan inquired.
"Yeah, sure," Dawn distractedly agreed, handing Piplup a tube of snack chips. The pokemon peeled back its plastic lid and excitedly fished out a chip.
You share my love for that snack, don't you? Dawn thought; You like those kinds of chips the best.
"Oi... I know then." Dawn finally decided, gazing lovingly at Piplup, "Your name shall be Pringles."
Rowan coughed slightly and scratched his head. "Hmm, OK, I see," the old man said strangely; "And you're happy with that nickname?"
Dawn looked down at Piplup, who gave the thumbs-up with her tiny bird wings.
"Yeah, we are," Dawn said, blinking steadily to keep her mind off of the unpleasant thing that happened earlier.
"You two must really like potato chips." Lucas chortled at her expense. Dawn skittishly focused her eyes on the floor. Why? ...Is that weird?
"Ahem!" Professor Rowan cleared his throat, commanding attention.
"...When I first saw you two about to step into the tall grass without pokemon, I was shocked." Rowan rambled, bringing his hands behind his back, "I was astonished by these foolhardy children."
"But now," he continued, "you've astounded me in an entirely different way. Already, there is a bond growing between you and that pokemon. I feel privileged to have met you. I'm sure Pri... Piplup feels the same way about you. That's why I'll ask you to cherish that Piplup of yours."
"Of course." Dawn nodded seriously. Whenever the Professor speaks, it sounds like he's talking to himself...
"Boy, am I glad you're kind toward pokemon," Lucas said with a troubled tone, "If you weren't, well... I don't even want to think about it."
"Eeh?..." Dawn murmured, suppressing her own surprise. Did he just... THREATEN me? A storm of nerves pulsated in her brain, sending malaise and alarm throughout her entire body. Did Fluffy's little stunt earlier damage Lucas' opinion of her?
"Er-hem!" Professor Rowan called everyone's attention; "Let's move on to the main topic. There is something I want you to do for me. Allow me to properly introduce myself first."
"But I watch your show all the time," Dawn interrupted, raising her hand to speak. I know who you are.
"My name, as you know, is Rowan." The professor ignored her. "I study pokemon."
Dawn stiffened her face. Is it too early in the morning for him?...
"First of all, I want to know exactly what kind of pokemon live in the Sinnoh region," he went on, "to do so, it is necessary to collect data using the Pokedex... This is what I wish to ask of you." He produced a red and black handheld device from his large coat pocket. "I want to entrust you with this Pokedex," he announced.
Lucas gasped in revelation, appearing to be surprised about the Professor's decision.
"Will you use it to record data on all the Pokemon in Sinnoh for me?" Rowan asked sternly, gazing at Dawn with his unmoving gray eyes. He held it out for her to either accept or reject.
Sweat beaded down the side of Dawn's forehead. Accept? But I came here to... I mean, I came here for...
...What was it? Her brain locked up, unable to process any decision or thought; Lucas's strange, disapproving expression overloaded her nerves that much. "No," Dawn coldly denied at last.
"... ... ..." Rowan stood like a tree, dull and speechless.
And Dawn continued to sweat nervously. He's not moving... Is he upset with me? she wondered; Is he having a stroke?
"... ..." Still more silence followed. "I can stand here without speaking for hours," Rowan finally expressed, "I'm a very patient man."
Dawn nearly jumped out of her boots. So I don't have a choice after all?...!
"Let me ask you again, Dawn. I want to entrust you with this Pokedex." Rowan forced it at her with his huge hand. "Will you use it to record data on all the pokemon in Sinnoh for me?" He glared down at her with an intensity that threatened to obliterate her tiny frame if she so refused again.
Dawn instantly became aware of how much taller he was than her. "Yes." She quickly took it. "Sir."
"Hm! Good answer!" Rowan nodded, randomly pulling a candy bar from his pocket. He munched it silently.
Dawn held her new pokedex at her side, quivering in mute fear. Fluffy, I was wrong. This old man... he really IS scary...
"Hey, Dawn! I want to show you a few things." Lucas called out to her, tilting back his head, "So, follow me!" Snapping it back around, he power walked ahead and led her down the street.
Lucas has been acting weird ever since the incident, Dawn worried. And I'm having many stupid thoughts... and I'm getting even more paranoid!
On a walk throughout Sandgem, Lucas took her, showing her the pokecenter and pokemart, and then explaining to her their various amenities. He explained these things to her thoroughly, but Dawn couldn't seem to pay attention at all. Her noisy heart kept clouding up her ears, and her mind was jumbled up with a blaring red noise that originated from somewhere below her ears. Lucas patted her on the shoulder, waking her up.
"Don't worry about it, OK?" he told her, studying Dawn with an air of hesitance when she nodded. "Oh, yeah, right! Dawn..." he murmured, "you should let your family know you're helping Professor Rowan put together his Pokedex."
Dawn folded her arms tightly to her chest. Go back and tell my family? ...The same family I'm running away from?
"Sometimes, you have to go far away, so you should let someone know," he said thoughtfully; "Go heal up first, ok? You'll be safer then..."
Dawn nodded at him.
"OK, be seeing you!" He waved back, walking off and away from the lab. He was heading up the route where Barry had run off through. It was along the path to Jubilife City– the path to freedom.
"But... No. I'm not going home," Dawn said to herself. Because that's not my home anymore! She raced after Lucas, escaping through the town's northern route and following him past the trees.
Ahh no! Barry panicked, flailing his arms. I can't believe that I went all the way to Jubilife City only to remember that I had forgotten Dawn! This is awful! I hope I can find her–
Huh?
...What's this?
Slowing down from his frantic pace, Barry hung close and hid behind a tall line of cypress trees. When he heard the sound of Dawn's familiar heavy footsteps, he watched silently as she ran into the grass, sprinting toward somebody. Barry instantly spied Lucas nearby, since his red beret was clearly visible in the dim light.
"Dawn?" Lucas yelled, turning around and appearing troubled at her expedient arrival. "Did you tell your family that you're helping the professor?"
Panting, Dawn averted her gaze and eyed the tops of her boots. "Yes," she lied, freezing her face to appear more convincing.
"...You didn't, did you?" Lucas remarked. "I know. There's no way you ran home and back that fast."
"I went home! I told my mom I was leaving!" Dawn stubbornly lied.
"I know you're eager to get going, but... you shouldn't make your mom worry." Lucas determined, grabbing her arm and spinning her back around. He gently shoved her away.
"..." Dawn defied him and stepped back into the grass. I'm not going back... I'll keep trying to pass until you give in!
"This is an odd time in the morning to leave. No one's awake, huh?" Lucas muttered, shuffling close and staring her down, "I noticed it earlier when you entered town... You were busy kicking around in the snow, and then in the sand. Why?"
She panicked, backing away. He stepped forth after her.
"Suspicious. Were you destroying footprints?" he asked.
Dumbstruck, she wildly shook her head.
"What are you hiding?" He got in her face, sending her body into overheat mode.
"N-n-nothing," she sputtered, squinting her eyes.
"Na na nothing, you say?" he monotonously imitated her; "You're running away from home, aren't you? Hm."
"No!" Dawn strongly denied, shifting all the blame onto Barry: Agreeing to Fluffy's plan was a bad idea, I should've stopped him from dragging us to the lab. Now Lucas is going to tell Rowan– and then Rowan is going to call my mom, and then–
"Tell me why you're running away," Lucas implored, ambling off several paces; "I want to honestly hear you out."
Huh? Dawn froze in place, her mouth twitching. She observed Lucas's back, trying to discern if he was sincere or not. But it was even harder to read him when she couldn't see his face. Leaning forward, she decided to believe in him.
"That guy... Barry... Our parents go way back," Dawn began, clenching her fists. Am I really going to tell him this? I'll die if he decides to laugh at me...
But something wants me to tell him the truth...
Lucas threw back his head and gazed at her. "Barry? You mean your impatient friend? What about him?"
From behind the trees, Barry listened carefully. Something strange was going on. He felt his blood pulsing through his neck and his instincts were telling him to jump out and yell something. Yet against all urges, he stayed still where he crouched.
"It's hard to tell, but Barry is actually one year older than me," Dawn began, "You know... My parents only decided to have me after he was born."
"Oh. So they saw their friend's baby and wanted their own?" Lucas concluded.
"No. This was all so I could be his maid, valet, and slave," Dawn said, "My parents owe an unpayable debt to his parents, so I'm part of that payment."
Lucas's eyes widened. "That's..." He dwindled.
Barry felt his arms go numb. He was hearing things he had never been told– perhaps things that he was never supposed to have been told.
"I was ok with this. It wasn't so bad," Dawn simply admitted.
"Was ok?...Wasn't so bad?...!" Lucas exploded; "That sounds awful! Embarrassing! Wow, that's reason enough to run away from home!"
"But that's not the only reason," Dawn concluded; "I heard our mothers speaking... both our fathers are probably coming home for this... Today. To take Barry and I to sign the marriage register together."
From that confession alone, Barry felt his awareness begin to shake and pull apart. It took him several seconds, but he finally realized that he had been magnificently duped– and in more ways than one. It threw his fluffy world on the ground and stomped it into tiny bits of lint.
"What..." Lucas scoffed in disbelief.
"You know... To be married," Dawn muttered, nervously scratching her head; "Hey... Do you think I'm weird?"
"Of course." Lucas spat, unable to move from where he stood. "The weirdest girl I've ever met."
"I'm glad..." Dawn mumbled. At least I'm that much to you... Because there's no way you'll ever look at me seriously now.
"I uh... Wow. Does your friend know?" Lucas inquired, pacing toward her.
"No."
I can't take this anymore! Barry held his head. Jumping up and down, he sped away. Fumbling through the grass, he bolted back for Jubilife City, panting once he reached full speed.
Tripping on a ledge, he stumbled and cut his hands– but he bounded back up and kept on running.
Dawn, is that the reason why you've always been there for me? Is that the reason why you climbed into my room to take me away?
I don't know what to think anymore...
How could I have not known any of this?...!
"Of course you don't want to be with me!" Barry yelled, flailing his arms in a bizarre fit of rage. Marriage! Marriage! We're too young for that, I understand! But you've rejected me from the start, haven't you?
He stopped at the large, stony staircase leading up to Jubilife's entrance.
You probably... honestly hate me. And you probably think your parents don't really care about you...
But...
I care about you. He smiled, but it was actually a restrained frown. "Eh?..." he whimpered in confusion. Hot tears streamed down his face. Fighting against them, he grabbed his face and blindly curb-stomed the cement steps. Bellowing unintelligibly, he continued his bewildered rampage, at least until tripping and falling backwards.
Lying face upward, he bawled like a huge baby.
Letting out a flood of depressed sobs, he drained his overflowing emotions and finally sat back up– wiping his nose all over his coat sleeve.
I won't cry anymore... because at least I'm smart enough to know that I'm an idiot... Standing back up, he quickly forged up the staircase.
And it's not over yet... Nothing's impossible!
I've always been after Dawn, but always in the wrong direction... But I'll change that. I'll change directions.
Instead of running straight for her, I'll...
I'll run clear away from her!
"And I'll keep trying every direction until I finally get somewhere!" Barry yelled in determination; "I'll become stronger and keep going– and one day I'll be escaping from a direction where she's running after me!"
Pulling his scarf tighter, he kept moving on, the city's bright lights offering to illuminate his uncertain future.
~To Be Continued...~
Geez, that was a depressing chapter... Here's a cute Barry and Dawn picture to make up for it:
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http:/www.*pixiv*.net/member_illust*.*php?mode=medium&illust_id=9383038