Paul and Dawn: First Light

Chapter 19: Adaption

Chapter 19: Adaption 

"Let's travel more ground today," I said. I was getting tired of this part of the forest. It now held too many memories of being frustrated at Dawn and to start over as best as I could, I needed to move and really start from a fresh slate. 

"Ok. I'll be ready in a couple minutes," Dawn called, packing her bags swiftly. 

As we began heading east, I ordered my Pokemon to run in front of us again, back and forth, just like the last time we had taken the day to travel instead of train. 

"Do you ever train with them, Paul?" Dawn asked from besides me, her boots wading through the tall grass. 

"Not that it's any of your business, but I do. And I train my mind, unlike most people, so that I can better assist my Pokemon's training." 

Dawn stared at me and I remembered that she had been using her Pokedex to help her train. I added, "It's a good thing you're learning to do that on your own. I don't wipe drool off of people's chins for a living." 

"Does every sentence that comes out of your mouth have to be offensive?"

"I thought you knew you what you'd signed up for, friend," I used her term now, smirking. 

She scowled. "You're not acting like a friend." 

"How would I know how to act like a friend? I've never been one before." I shrugged. 

"Did you grow up under a rock!?" I noticed she went straight to yelling furiously instead of using reasoning. How unlike her. "How can anyone not know how to be a friend? I mean, seriously?" 

"It's simple. I focused on things that mattered instead of childish things like friendship." 

"Friendships aren't childish! They're supposed to be about trust and fun and happiness and being there for someone when they're not feeling that great. No matter if you're eight or eighty, you need friends," Dawn finished urgently. 

"All I've seen in my years are people gossiping behind their supposed friend's back and a load of drama, especially in groups of more than two people. Do I really want or need that? No. So, like I've said and demonstrated by my years of practice, I like being alone." I was surprised that I was even bothering with giving her such descriptive answers. I normally hardly talked. 

"Well, not all friends are like that! I'll prove it!" Dawn scowled again. I raised an eyebrow as she continued, "I'll just prove that you and I can be friends without any problems!" 

Oh, Arceus. What hell had I released from its dormancy? 

"No, that's ok. I'll just take your word that my research was not taken from a large enough pool of observations." 

"I'm still going to prove it!" Her eyes were determined. "I will show you the power of friendship!" 

"What does that even mean? Sounds like a motto from children's television." 

"You'll see," Dawn muttered, ignoring me. I didn't know friendship required so much concentration, silence, or plotting, but that's what Dawn did for the next hour of the walk. 

After returning all my Pokemon to their Poke Balls from their two hour jog, I looked over at Dawn, who was still concentrating fiercely. I smirked and asked, "Am I going to see the power of friendship anytime soon?" 

Before she could respond, she whipped her head to the left, looking at something I couldn't see. 

"Look out, look out!" A voice hit me before a body did. My breath left me and I slammed into the ground, coughing as dust erupted on the path, forcing its way into my lungs as I gasped.