A New Dream

Storm at Sea: Dawn's POV

Now that Piplup and I were on our way I was determined to enjoy the cruise ship and did my best to relax. I managed to leave the pokemon center without bumping into either Nurse Joy or Kenny, ensuring my secrecy. Leaving behind Mamoswine, Typhlosion, and the rest of my dear pokemon had been hard, but Professor Rowan promised to take good care of them when I transferred them over to him. I knew that they would enjoy spending time with all of the other pokemon I had caught during my travels. Throughout my journey, I had switched between traveling with friends and by myself so it didn't feel strange riding a boat to an unknown region with no one to talk to but Piplup, but what WAS strange was my run-in with Paul.

"Piplup piplup pip!" Piplup chirped at me happily as he swam by on his back as we relaxed in the shallow end of the pool on the top deck.

"It does feel great doesn't it?" I replied, smiling at the little creature I considered to be my best friend. 

I sighed, allowing myself to relax in the lukewarm water as I felt the gentle sun rays wash across my face. Thinking of Johto's harsh winters made me all the happier to be right where I was and my mind turned once again to Alola. I wondered if I would be any good at the Luau Showdowns Serena mentioned.

I had spoken with a few people who mentioned they were originally from Alola on the ship about them. However, most of them hadn't even heard of them, which didn't inspire much confidence. 

Well, even if they aren't a big deal, I can still use the experience for future contests, I thought determinedly, pushing off from my spot on the edge of the pool and swimming confidently towards the deep end of the pool. 

Piplup followed me with a happy call, diving down and seeming to cut through the water effortlessly. Piplup and I played in the water for nearly an hour before I got tired and pulled myself out. I accepted a towel gratefully from one of the cruise staff members and rubbed it against my long hair, then along my legs before slipping on my flip flops and walking towards my cabin.

Thirty minutes later I stepped out of the shower, dressed once again in my white knee-length shorts and black shirt with three pink roses of varying sizes stamped on the bottom left-hand corner. Piplup had fallen asleep on one of the bottom bunk beds in our cabin. I giggled, tempted to go scare him, but I decided to leave him to his nap and instead began picking up the three books that I had checked out of the ship's library. One of them had been a wonderful romance story between a girl who could speak to pokemon and a prince who wanted to exploit her gift, only to end up falling in love with her. The other two were practical, one of them a book on the history of Alola and the other on famous contest combinations.

Tiptoeing stealthily, I left our room, closing the door behind me as softly as I could as to not disturb Piplup. Clutching the books against my stomach I walked casually towards the elevator and smiled politely to the other people in the shaft when the doors opened for me.

"What floor?" a girl who looked my age asked with a smile.

"Third, please," I replied and she nodded, touching the button I requested. 

After a short trip, the elevator opened onto the third floor and I got off with two or three of the other occupants. I made my way down the hallway and stepped through the open door that beckoned me into the library. Tossing a smile at the worker behind the library counter I slid the books in my arms carefully through the return machine and took a step back as it dinged, signaling that it had successfully recorded their return.

I wondered what I should do until dinner, allowing my eyes to wander towards the rows of books when a pop of purple flashed in the corner of my eye. Blinking as the color registered in my mind, I turned to see that Paul was leaning forward staring intently at a computer screen. Something flashed on the screen that his purple head was covering and my curiosity peaked.