This part is only 2 chapters long, which means the other parts are closer than you think. Part 1 sets itself apart from the rest of the story in terms of tone and plot - as we move away from the anime-style story telling and slice-of-life of Dawn and Paul's travels, things start to get a little heavier from here. So, yeah, I am both so nervous and excited to finally be heading deeper into this story!
I wouldn't be anywhere near this far into Safe Travels if it weren't for you lovely readers, so thank you so much for the love! 3
Part II: Of One Variety
14. Honchkrow Likes Togekiss
Paul is not a guy to fret over many things.
But the feelings that grip over him when it comes to Dawn is something to fret.
"Admit it, Paul. She's been helping you learn new things and you enjoy her company. She's far from a distraction."
"No, but . . . she eventually will become one."
It is just till Nimbasa City, he promises himself, as he attempts to clear his previous conversation with Reggie out of his head.
Almost as if she can read the tenor of his thoughts, she asks him, "Are you coming with me to Nimbasa City?"
"I am," he answers immediately. "I will challenge the gym leader and then head off to defeat the others."
Ask to come with me, a small voice in his head suddenly pleads, and it takes him by surprise.
Her responding nod holds an air of casualness, much to his dismay. "I figured as much. Though we won't be traveling together anymore, it was nice that we were at least able to fly together."
The voice in Paul's head represses the urge to angrily bite back at her. How can she be so nonchalant about this?
"Yes," he answers calmly instead, though his palms clench into fists at his side. He finds himself so frustrated with Dawn - but why? He should be frustrated with himself at his behavior and thoughts instead. He recognizes that it is in his best interest to separate from her, so why must he fight with himself and pathetically hope that she sways him from this decision?
They exit the Arrivals section of Highwind Freedom International Airport, and Dawn finds herself taking slightly shorter breaths, due to the elevation of Aspertia City.
They quickly find a teenager holding a sign with their names messily scrawled onto it. The boy, Cheren, who awkwardly but politely greets them, introduces himself as the new gym leader of the local gym.
This perks up Paul's ears and he immediately asks to battle him.
Dawn rolls her eyes exasperatedly. "Come on, Paul, we just got here," she moans. "We're not even out of the airport yet."
Cheren chuckles. "It's alright. I would be thrilled to battle you, Paul. Why don't we head to my gym first?"
.
Later that afternoon, while Dawn introduces her Buneary to Cheren and his Lopunny, Paul broods from afar.
How could he have lost against the battle so easily?
Though Paul nearly did not believe those words as they came out of his mouth at the time, was he really right when he told Reggie that Dawn has been a distraction all along?
"Even when Paul lost, he and his Pokémon were still brimming with fighting spirit," he hears Cheren say from afar.
He does not know how long he stands there for, pondering, but at some point, Dawn comes up to him, asking him if he is hungry, and Cheren greets them farewell, hoping for Paul to come by for a rematch soon.
They quickly decide on a café behind Cheren's gym, up on the lookout. It is quaint, surprisingly quiet, and has a beautiful view of the scenery through its large, glass windows. They eat in silence, Paul still pensive and Dawn still wary of his shift in mood as of late. She is afraid to say something and set him off, so she chooses to spend her dinner enjoying the sunset.
A radio plays in the café, the hostess of the café switching occasionally between the music and news channels. The music is pleasant, but their attention is caught by the news channel when she switches over for the third time.
They hear news of Steven Stone winning against Hoenn Champion Wallace. Wallace will soon step down from his position and Steven will be coronated into the Championship title.
Paul cracks a smile at that. Dawn is happy, too, but stays silent in fear of bringing back grumpy, distant Paul.
The next time they hear more news, it is not from the radio.
After dinner, an escort, sent by Paris, ushers them to a jet arranged to fly them to Nimbasa City, so it thankfully only takes them an hour to land. (Dawn might be so thrilled to ride in a private jet, even if it is a simple one, if she is not so tired.) The Pokémon Center is thankfully near the domestic airport.
When their tired limbs drag them into the Pokémon Center and they tiredly show their ID cards, even before they are able to request rooms, Nurse Joy informs Paul that he has received a call from his brother.
Dawn and Paul share a look. He must be calling to share the outcome of his battle against Brandon.
They quickly make their way to the phone booths, and Paul calls Reggie.
"Hey . . . Good. I had no doubt that you'd win."
Dawn gasps happily. "Oh, that's awesome!" she cheers, pumping a fist into the air.
Paul also smiles, pleased. "Congrats. I owe you a RageCandyBar . . . Ha! That's your fault. You'd always get them for me when I was a kid."
Dawn, bouncing with excitement, pulls the phone from Paul's hand momentarily to cheer into the receiver, "Congratulations, Reggie!"
She faintly hears Reggie's laugh on the other end and a, "Thanks, Dawn!"
When she hands back to Paul and takes a few steps back, putting some distance between her and Paul, she sees his free hand grip tightly around the mouth of the receiver.
"Did you say anything?" he whispers urgently, causing Dawn's ears to perk up, as she struggles to hear. " . . . no, of course not! . . . Good, we're better off letting things stay as is. I knew you would have caved if I was there."
At the expense of creating a hundred more, this does explain one - or maybe half of a - confusion Dawn has had since she and Paul boarded that Braviary Unova flight: Why would Paul choose to go to Unova with her right then instead of accompanying Reggie to his battle against Brandon? Paul told Dawn on the plane that he suspected that Reggie had been secretly training for a rematch against Brandon, and that is why he asked Reggie to take his place in battle. But, from the one-sided sound of this conversation, it appears that Paul purposefully avoided being there, but why? Reggie's victory against Brandon clearly seems important to Paul.
Whatever the case is, she knows she will probably never get the answer out of Paul - in spite of Reggie's belief that he will open up to her more as time goes on. Instead, she decides to savor the small amount of time he has left before he leaves for Castelia City.
When they go back to Nurse Joy, she informs them that since it is so late, there is only one room left with one bed.
Paul is ready to sleep on the couch (at one point, he would have claimed the bed for himself, but he owes it to their last few nights together to be courteous to Dawn), and places his jacket over the couch.
"Hey, don't be ridiculous, Paul," Dawn calls out. "The bed is big enough for both of us." She wedges the third pillow on the bed between the other two, efficiently creating a divider between both halves of the bed.
Paul hesitates for a moment. Will the distraction get worse for him if he chooses now to sleep in the same bed as her, in spite of the small barrier in between them?
Dawn pats the empty space on the bed. "Come on," her voice croons to him.
His eyes take her shining eyes, her pink-tinged cheeks, and her encouraging smile, perhaps for one of the last times. When will they meet again after parting ways? Months, years? Will she be a top coordinator the next time he sees her? Will he have beaten the Sinnoh League by then?
It is the last of their moments together . . . how can he say no when she is demonstrating the trust to platonically share a bed with him?
Sighing in defeat, Paul walks to the bed. "Fine, you win." If she is showing trust in him, he should return the favor, too.
Paul finds sharing a bed with Dawn to be quite amusing. She shifts around and talks in her sleep quite a bit, and he finds himself chuckling at and softly responding to some of the things she garbles out.
Finally, as she settles into deeper sleep, he smiles in content. "Good night, troublesome," he murmurs, his eyes fluttering closed as he is lulled into his own slumber.
.
Dawn's eyes fly open in the morning to meet Paul's eyes smoldering back at her. Instead of closing her eyes or shifting away shyly, she stares back.
Her arms, she realizes, must have clutched around their barrier pillow in the middle of the night. She is so used to hugging Piplup at night while she sleeps, but was not able to last night due to the lack of space in the bed.
"Hi." Her voice is a hoarse whisper. "Morning."
Paul nods with a grunt, as his cheeks tinge pink.
Suddenly, Dawn is hit with a wave of excitement as she remembers today's date.
Ah, it is the day of Elesa's fashion show!
She immediately wrenches upright, ignoring Paul's confused glance, and leaps out of bed, mentally compiling her to-do list for the morning.
She pulls out her outfit for today. A vintage, spring green two-piece set, complete with a layered, cropped turtleneck and flared skirt, stolen from her mother's closet when she first started her journey. Unova's weather is thankfully much cooler for this outfit than Hoenn, though the autumn season barely holds a candle to Sinnoh during this time of year.
Dawn carefully curated this outfit with the region in mind - she will not only stand out, but also will complement the yellow, orange, and red hues of Unova's beautiful fall foliage, which is also the theme of the show.
Paul watches on amazed, as Dawn's bubbly self bounces from corner to corner of their room, happily humming a tune.
While Dawn - who, he must admit to himself, looks lovely in her simple, yet elegant attire - attends the fashion show, he decides to take up a few battles at the Battle Institute.
He loses nearly all of them.
Except for the last battle, when Dawn appears after the show, still looking beautiful in her green dress, to cheer for him.
And when he wins, he is confused again. Wouldn't Dawn being a distraction mean that he should have at least lost this battle, as he did when he fought Cheren?
He does not have time to think much about it, though, as Dawn, with her wide, shining doe-eyes, pleads with him to visit the local amusement park with her.
"Pleaseeee, Paul," she begs with a pout. "We need to do something in honor of our last night together as travel partners!"
When Dawn guilts him like that, he feels obligated to give in. Especially after hearing the words, "last night together."
In the amusement park, Paul leads them instantly to the boardwalk, where Dawn learns that he is equally as competitive in arcade and carnival games as he is in battling.
Dawn manages to win against him in "Whack-a-Diglett," winning herself a pair of Victini sunglasses, red and cream with a gaudy 'V' across the bridge of the nose.
She places the glasses on his face, sweeping away the stray hairs sweeping across his forehead.
"Oh, no you don't." Immediately, his hand reaches up to take off the offending accessory.
Her fingers catch his. "Nooooo, keep them on!" she whines.
He rolls his eyes, but lowers his hand. "I look silly."
"There's nothing wrong in being silly and loosening up every once in a while, Paul." She sees him frown, and she is ready to complain about whatever protest leaves his mouth, but his next words surprise her.
"If I'm going to walk around here looking ridiculous, then I refuse to be alone." He moves to the booth adjacent to the Diglett game, and quickly wins a game called "Dunk the Ducklett," where he deftly throws two bean bags to hit two moving silhouettes of Duckletts.
Dawn groans when he points at the prize of his choice with a wicked smirk.
"Noooo," she protests, as he throws the abomination that is a garish, Serperior boa, covered in senseless feathers and sequins, around her neck.
Paul appraises the boa wrapped around her. "There, now we are even."
"This is a fashion crime," she mumbles, but burrows into her new boa, secretly gleeful at his participation.
That night, Paul also learns of Dawn's love for roller coasters at the old wooden roller coaster, the Twister, and her strange, non-height related fear of ferris wheels.
"Next!" the attendant calls, as they reach the front of the line of the Rondez-View ferris wheel.
Paul grasps her hand and pulls her forward.
But Dawn hesitates to move forward, her feet glued to the metal ramp. "I'm afraid of how the ferris wheels rock back and forth," she admits in a whisper.
She nervously recounts to him a childhood memory of Kenny and Leona rocking their bench too much, in spite of Dawn tearfully pleading for them to stop moving. That incident ended with all three of them getting kicked off the ride, much to Dawn's relief. She has not ridden on a ferris wheel after that.
"The view will be worth the fear," Paul assures. "Besides, this one is different. See?" His finger moves through the air, circling the enclosed shape of the gondola. "It's covered and stable. You can't rock it even if you wanted to."
Dawn cannot argue with his logic, and hesitantly agrees.
As the Ferris wheel starts its gentle ascent, slowly lifting them into the night, neon lights begin to adorn the streets, casting a kaleidoscope of colors on the buildings and bustling boulevards below.
At the pinnacle of the ride, Nimbasa City - and Castelia City, which appears to be a short distance away at this height - unfolds beneath them like a glittering mosaic of dreams, which is fitting for the region that never sleeps.
The lights of the ferris wheel cast a soft halo around Dawn and Paul, their faces glowing warmly as they take in the magic of Nimbasa City at night.
Dawn cannot help but express her awe at the breathtaking, panoramic view of the skylines. "Isn't it amazing, Paul? A sky of stars above us and a sea of stars below us." It's like a fleeting escape from their usual Pokemon adventures.
Paul simply nods, but the subtle glint in his eyes betrays an appreciation for the scenery unfolding before them.
For a brief moment, the world below seems to fade away, leaving only the two of them above the dazzling city lights.
When they step off the ride a few minutes later, the attendant addresses them before they walk away. "Would you like a commemorative couples' photo?" she asks politely, gesturing to a booth to the right.
Dawn giggles nervously and her eyes briefly flit to a suddenly stone-faced Paul. "We're not a couple, actually."
Her mouth twists in disapproval. "Oh, I was so certain that with that body language, you had to be a couple. My apologies, but please know for next time that this is a couples-only ride on Fridays."
With that, the pleasant mood between them is dumped on by the attendant's words like a bucket of freezing ice.
Paul takes a step back and Dawn looks away, unable to contain her embarrassment.
"Let's get out of here," she hears him mumble.
"Yeah," she agrees, not meeting his eyes. She was looking forward to the fireworks show at the end of the night, but her wish has been washed away with the mood.
They walk back to the Pokémon Center, an awkward silence looming over them. Dawn's mind races much faster than her legs, though. Sure, people have thought of them as a couple before - even the ex-boss of Team Aqua, Archie, assumed they were together - but this is the first time the thought has truly crossed her mind.
Dawn sneaks a glance at Paul as he strides ahead. Of course, with her beautiful looks and his admittedly handsome face, she ascertains that they would make a pretty couple that might put celebrity couples to shame.
Nevertheless, the air between them is tense for the rest of the night, and Paul wordlessly moves to sleep on the couch to avoid last night's occurrence.
The next morning, Paul and Dawn make their way to Elesa's Gym, albeit in silence.
Dawn has to meet up with Paris in an hour at Elesa's Gym, but Paul also plans to challenge Elesa.
Hermione, having been in Unova for Elesa's show, joins them as she wishes to watch the battle with Dawn. So, as the three of them sit in the coaster that leads them to the gym's battlefield, Dawn wonders what will follow after.
Though she is not wearing her cheerleading uniform today, Dawn cheers on as an eventful battle unfolds between Paul's Phanpy, Torterra, and his newly evolved Blaziken, against Elesa's Zebstrika, Emolga, and Mareep. Elesa is delighted whenever Paul's Pokémon attack with the grace and combinations of contest-style moves. Hermione points out that it must be Dawn's influence.
At the end of the battle, as Paul defeats Elesa, she takes her fainted Mareep into her arms, hugging it and thanking it dearly. It's a sight that makes Dawn's heart swell, but also makes her mind swirl with a color palette full of yellows and blues.
As Elesa hands Paul his hard-earned Bolt Badge, she asks Dawn - and Paul - to stay for another one of her fashion shows.
"I will have to decline," he answers Elesa politely, accepting the badge with surprisingly clammy hands - the battle is over, so why is he so nervous? "I must be going. I don't have much time to get my badges before the Unova League." The last sentence is directed at Dawn, whom he struggles to take his eyes off.
It is silent for a moment as he looks at her fondly for the last time in, maybe, a long while.
"Well, what are you waiting for then?" Elesa asks teasingly, breaking him out of the trance.
The tips of Paul's cheeks redden in embarrassment. "I'm actually waiting for Dawn," he admits quietly.
"Oh!" Dawn cries, finding herself to be blushing. She turns to Hermione and Elesa apologetically. "Would you please excuse me for a moment? I want to see Paul off before he leaves."
Elesa and Hermione share a chuckle. "Sure," they respond in unison.
Dawn swears she hears Hermione and Elesa say something about being young, but brushes it off and she walks Paul out of the gym.
It is finally time to part ways with Paul. Her hands are shaky, her heart is beating rapidly, and her throat feels raw.
"So, this is it," Paul states awkwardly. " . . . it was nice."
"Huh?" She's broken out of her thoughts.
He gives her a mildly annoyed look - he doesn't like stating his feelings so openly, let alone repeating them. "Traveling with you was nice. It was pleasant. You're not as annoying as I thought."
That was as good as a compliment Dawn might ever get from Paul.
She blinks in surprise. "Oh . . . yes! It was nice traveling with you, too!"
As soon as the words are out of her mouth, the sound of a Pokéball opening pierces the awkwardness, with Honchkrow emerging at Paul's side.
Paul appears to be taken aback at his forlorn Pokémon. "H-Honchkrow, what is wrong?"
Dawn smiles sadly. "I know what is going on." She throws a Pokéball up in the air to release Togekiss. "Togekiss, come on out to say goodbye to Honchkrow."
Togekiss immediately flits to Honchkrow.
"They like each other," Dawn murmurs, watching Honchkrow nuzzle his beak against the top of Togekiss' head, and it evokes an odd sense of longing within Dawn.
"It's just a crush. It won't last forever," Paul repeats her previous words to himself.
After a few minutes, they both recall their Pokémon and Paul turns to face Dawn.
"Thank . . . thank you for teaching me about contests and for training with me." He bows. "I couldn't have found a better teacher than you."
She laughs sheepishly, feeling warmth spread across her face. "Paul, I should be saying that to you. You taught me so much about Pokemon and battling and about myself as a coordinator, and my Pokemon. Thank you." She bows in front of him as well. Her throat suddenly feels tight and she attempts to clear it.
"Dawn . . . "
"I-I wish you the best of luck in your journey, Paul." She smiles, and maybe it's a little forced because she genuinely doesn't want to see him leave her, but she truly means the words.
She then hands him her little parting gift. "You might find this useful."
He frowns disapprovingly at her. "You know that this isn't necessary."
"Please," Dawn requests, in a sweet voice that is difficult to refuse, "it would make me happy if you'd take it."
He cannot argue against that.
"Thank you." He stares momentarily at the emerald green pouch, feeling its weight in the palm of his hand. Should he have gotten her a parting gift, too? His eyes flit back to hers, a strange, indiscernible feeling washing over him. "And I wish the same to you, Dawn - good luck in your contests . . . so, I'll see you."
"Yeah, see you." They hesitate awkwardly, and Dawn is not sure if she should shake his hand, high-five him, or hug him, but ultimately decides to go in for a hug, just like she did at the Rubello Town Pokémon Contest.
This surprises him, as expected, but this time she feels his arms hover closely to her body.
And then, finally, his arms fully wrap around her body, just for a mere second, but Dawn does feel him hug her back. At least until he pats her awkwardly, prompting her to release him.
He smiles amicably at her and parts with a nod and his signature wave, before he turns the way he came.
.
On the bus ride to Castelia City, Paul opens the cloth pouch that Dawn gifted him. The content spills onto his palm to reveal a chunk of green, glistening stone . . .
Shocked, he marvels at it for a couple of minutes and is in awe that Dawn would give him - instead of someone else with a Torterra like Ash - a Torterrite.
That strange feeling washes over him again like cold water, and he wonders if he's making a mistake by leaving.