Paul and Dawn: First Light

Chapter 35: The Rose

Chapter 35: The Rose 

For the next few hours, I explored the town. There wasn't much that held my interest as I walked down several blocks, looking for something that wasn't mind numbing to do. I had a couple hours to kill before a possible meltdown from Dawn would occur during her dear "competition". I had no idea how long this wretched Contest or, as I liked to call it, hell would last. 

It reminded me of how I'd always been forced to attend all of Reggie's sports games. I never liked watching and I didn't remotely enjoy playing any of them either. Everyone else in the city had been such big sports enthusiasts. Growing up, I'd get the evil eye so often for disagreeing with favorite teams or plainly stating "I don't like sports" that it didn't even make me flinch by the time I was five. I only enjoyed watching Pokemon battles. Contests? Well, I suppose they deserved at least one shot. For Dawn's sake, anyway. 

I ended up going into a Pokemon exercising gym and watching people and Pokemon training side by side. Special places were set up so that they'd have to dodge balls and climb ropes or make their way through various obstacle courses. It was interesting and I spent a good deal of time just analyzing the different techniques everyone used. One girl had her Ariados training in the pool, its many legs skimming the water with ease. I hadn't known that Bug Pokemon could look so natural in the water. 

The training methods helped me come up with new exercises that Bagon and I could try together. I studied the way each Trainer and Pokemon worked together, some seamlessly, some struggling, and was overall pleased that if Bagon and I were to train here, we'd probably cooperate flawlessly. After all, our personalities and desires normally were in sync.  

It was starting to get pretty late, so I left the exercising gym and began walking in the right direction, sure that I'd be perfectly on time. I was a block away from the Contest Hall as I passed a store full to the brim with flowers. Never before had I felt an interest in flowers of any kind, but the smell of something familiar pulled me into the store. The bell chimed above to glass door and the lady behind the counter smiled cheerfully at me. 

Besides her and a Skitty perched on the wooden surface, I was the only one occupying the small space. Flowers covered  practically every inch of shelf and hanging from baskets that I had to avoid bumping my head on. Fortunately the floor was clear enough to walk on without tripping over the flowers' attempts of a Frenzy Plant attack. 

"Can I help you, young man?" the lady asked kindly. 

"I was just on my way to today's Contest." I cringed, feeling like I was stating I had leprosy. "And came in here by accident." 

It was true- I hadn't meant to come in here. The action had just happened unexplainably. 

"I see." The lady peered at me. "Do you know any of the Coordinators in the Contest?" 

"Yes," I replied. "A.... friend of mine is competing." 

The woman moved toward me and I noticed her light brown hair had strong hints of gray sprouting in many places. Wrinkles on her face moved as she chortled, "A lady friend, hmm?" 

I gave a very stiff nod and felt the need to leave as if the place was infected with disease. Taking a step back, I turned around. 

"Young man," she called. 

I tensed and turned around. 

"Is this the first time you've seen this blue eyed lass compete before?" 

I didn't respond. How would she know Dawn had blue eyes? Must have been a lucky guess... or maybe there's an accurate study that had been released stating that blue eyes are a very common trait in Coordinators.