A/N: I thought I'd try my hand at writing an actual fic. I was inspired by numerous authors on the site. My experience primarily comes from role-playing but I haven't been doing that for months. I hope that this isn't too horrific. The main reason why I decided to write this story was due to the lack of Cynthia/Dawn stories. As a huge fan of Girlpowershipping, I felt that this was a must. It'll also be a long-term story that I aim to have multiple chapters for. Your encouragement and reviews are welcomed but I would continue to produce new chapters regardless. My goal is to increase the number of good quality stories for this pairing after all.

Thus, I hereby dedicate this story to all the deprived Girlpowershippers out there!

Oh, and anyone! Please feel free to notify me of any mistakes, grammar, or otherwise. I will fix it up ASAP.

BTW, if the first chapter seems boring to you, it's fine to start off with the second. Hopefully it'll seem a little better then. You'd still get the gist of things.

Disclaimer: The majority of the work is mine but I did use some lines from Platinum, to stick to the story. This won't be a problem in the later chapters.

Prologue

The screams of the crowd echoed throughout the stadium. Some were cheering me on, calling my name. Others were simply roaring out of excitement. It was not everyday that one got to view a championship match after all. However, I could not hear their voices. I was already in a whole other world of my own. In that realm, the only beings who accompanied me were my Pokémon and that woman. We were fighting; I did not know what she was fighting for, but I simply wanted to win; to experience the ultimate victory.

My opponent and I were both down to our last one. In an epic clash between our Pokémon, a cloud of smoke and dust formed, obscuring the battlefield. As it began to fade, I glimpsed at the silhouette of my opponent, who stood absolutely still.

"And the winner is--"

Beep. Beep. Beep. Be—

"Aw, this one was getting good."

Dawn lifted her hand off of her Piplup-shaped alarm clock, looking at it with contempt. Ignoring the time, she remained in bed. She had been experiencing similar themed dreams such as this rather frequently during the past few days. They all some how had cliff-hanger endings—a fact that she found rather disappointing. She never did get to see the features of the trainer she was battling against. She also never got to see the Pokémon she was using either. In reality, she actually did not even possess a single one. She was not a Trainer.

Sighing, Dawn got up from her bed and made her way toward the bathroom, where she began her usual morning routine. Well, not quite usual, as it was currently Saturday. She did not have school.

"Dawn! Your friend wanted to see you!"

"Okay, mom!" Slipping on her signature white hat, Dawn finished the last of her ensemble and hastily made her way downstairs.

"Pokémon are by our side, always. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words."

That was the comment left by Prof. Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region.

"What are you watching, mom?" Dawn asked curiously, passing by her mother who was sitting on the couch.

Joanna turned off the TV as the credits began to roll. "Oh, it was an episode of 'Let's Ask Prof. Rowan'. You do remember him, don't you?"

"…Of course I do! He's a very famous and important scientist!" The thirteen-year-old replied, helping herself to some juice in the refrigerator. "He studies Pokémon evolution or something like that."

Her mother nodded. "That's right. And I've also heard that he will be visiting the area, for research. It might be good if you—"

"Hey! Finally!"

Both Dawn and Joanna turned toward the direction of the voice. It belonged to none other than Dawn's hyperactive, best friend, Pearl. He exited from the guest bathroom and immediately made his way to the navy-haired girl.

"Didn't you hear? Prof. Rowan's visiting the lake!" He began eagerly. "I'll bet you he has tons of Pokémon—maybe he'll even give them away! You know what that means don't you!?"

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Pearl, I don't think that he'll just—"

"C'mon! We have to hurry! He could be there right now!" The blonde interrupted. "I'll wait outside. If you're late, I'll fine you $1 million!" Before waiting for a reply, he was already out the door, calling back a short 'thanks' for bathroom usage.

Dawn sighed while Joanna laughed. "Why don't you go ahead Dawn? This is the year after all."

Usually Pokémon Trainers began their journey at the age of ten but that was not the case for Dawn. Joanna had opted to sending her daughter to the local schoolhouse instead, deciding that education was as equally important—despite Dawn's protests. It was after Dawn graduated from middle school that Joanna finally gave in. Of course, the majority of the other kids in Twinleaf Town had left ages ago, leaving Dawn alone with Pearl. The blond's mother had thought along the same lines as Joanna, regardless of her son's impatient pestering.

After waiting for so long, Dawn was not quite sure how to react. The means of obtaining a Pokémon and raising it properly were rather intimidating now; it had seemed so easy and carefree back when she was ten! She inwardly resented her mother slightly for that but she understood where Joanna was coming from. After all, Dawn's father had never returned after many years; he too wished to become a Pokémon Trainer.

"Dear?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Dawn returned to the present. "Oh, um…okay. I'll be back in awhile," She answered, heading towards the door.

"Remember not to enter the tall grass! Wild Pokémon might attack you," added Joanna. "And since you don't have one of your own yet…"

"I'll remember, mom!" Dawn called back as she closed the door.

Joanna sighed as the door shut. How very much like you she is. I suppose there really is nothing I can do much longer...

***

Outside, Dawn stepped onto the path and searched for her friend. However, he was nowhere in sight. Walking past the meager piles of dirty snow, Dawn asked a local if he had seen the blond.

"I think he's at his house."

"Thanks," She replied with a smile before heading to the said location.

As she reached for the knob however, the door swung open on its own, sending her best friend plowing into her. Managing to stay on her feet, Dawn frowned; though Pearl beat her to the punch.

"What was that about!?" He yelled, before realizing who it was. "Hey, Dawn! I'm going to see Prof Rowan! You should come too! And quickly!"

Again, before she could reply, he began to rush off; however, this time he paused, only to remember that he had forgotten something.

"Aw, crud. Hold on," He said shortly, disappearing back inside his house.

Dawn fixed her hat and wearily followed suit. Greeting his mother before following Pearl upstairs, she now found him stuffing a journal into his bag.

"Alright! Let's get going!" He declared. "I'm charging you $1 million if you're late!"

"Pearl!" Dawn cried, side-stepping as the 14-year-old charged down stairs.

***

"Too slow!"

Dawn eyed her best friend with hints of annoyance as he stood waiting for her at the edge of town. Sometimes, she could not understand how she kept up with him for all the years they have been together.

"…I'm not going to say anything," She murmured.

Oblivious, the blond grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her forward—to the tall grass. "Alright! To Prof. Rowan's lab!"

Dawn gave him a look that said 'you know better than that', causing him to pause. "…What? Don't go into the tall grass, right?" Pearl grinned. "No worries! No problem! It doesn't matter that we don't have any Pokémon."

"How can it not matter!?" Dawn cried.

"Trust me on this one," he answered. "I've got an idea! Now listen. You know how wild Pokémon jump out at you? We'll just dash through using stealth—we'll move through fast so they don't get the chance!"

The younger girl cringed at the idea. "That doesn't sound…"

"Just follow me!" He said, backing off for a running charge. "Okay, on your marks…get set…"

"Pear—"

"Hold it!" A man roared.

Pearl and Dawn stopped in their tracks, turning to face him. They knew they were probably going to be in for it, but they were never expecting to see Professor Rowan!

"You two don't seem to have any Pokémon between you?" The old man began. Both shook their heads. "Then, what is he meaning of going into the tall grass!?"

An uneasy silence formed amongst them; part of it was due to disbelief…on Dawn and Pearl's part anyway.

Pearl was the first to speak, whispering to Dawn, "Hey…this old guy's Prof. Rowan isn't he? What's he doing here?"

Dawn sighed. "Either way, what makes you think that he'll give us Pokémon now?"

Catching bits and pieces of the kids' conversation, Professor Rowan stood still, his mind swimming with thoughts. They tried to go into the tall grass because they wanted Pokémon… Hm…what to do…? Their world would surely change if they were to meet Pokémon… Is it right for me to put them on that path…?

As if making up his mind, he spoke abruptly, his eyes meeting Dawn's. "You two…you truly value Pokémon, do you?"

"…I do."

"Me, too! I love Pokémon, too!"

His moustache gave a slight twitch. "I will ask you once again. You truly do, don't you…?"

"What!?" Pearl cried suddenly, as if the older man was insulting his mother. "You can ask a hundred times! The answer will never change! We'll both answer a hundred times the same way! Right, Dawn?"

The navy-haired girl nodded firmly, meeting the professor's gaze confidently. "That's right."

The old man's eyes narrowed slightly. "…A pair of reckless kids who foolishly try to enter tall grass without Pokémon of their own…? It worries me what people like that would do with Pokémon."

Pearl slightly faltered. "Well, uh…I…" Shaking his head, he pulled Dawn over by the sleeve. "Well, then forget about me but give a Pokémon to my friend here!"

"Pearl…"

He continued slowly, releasing his hold on his friend's arm. "I mean, it was me who tried to go into the tall grass and all…"

The professor looked mildly surprised. "How big of you…" However, his face broke out into a warm smile afterward. "Very well then! I will entrust you two with Pokémon! I apologize for putting you through that exercise."

Upon hearing his words, both Pearl and Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. Though their smiles could not finish forming before the professor added a 'however'.

"You must promise me that you will never recklessly endanger yourselves again," He stated sternly. Both kids nodded. "Hm…now where…?"

Pearl and Dawn looked at one another questioningly. Professor Rowan seemed like he was looking for something. As if he was waiting for his cue, a boy about their age came down the path, carrying a rather large suitcase; though his most distinguishable feature was the red beret atop his head.

"Professor Rowan," The boy began. "You left your briefcase at the lake!" Upon spotting Dawn and Pearl, he also added, "Oh? Is something wrong here?"

The old man seemed pleased to see the boy. "Ah! There it is! Lucas, nice work," To answer his assistant's question, he replied, "What I was about to do was to entrust these two with their own Pokémon."

Lucas blinked. "Pardon!? Those Pokémon are hard to replace… Are you sure about giving them away?"

Pearl scowled upon hearing the dark-haired boy's words but Professor Rowan smiled. "We exist side by side with Pokémon. There comes a time when people should meet Pokémon. There is a world that should be explored together. For them, today is that time. The place, right here."

Seizing the briefcase, he held it open for Dawn and Pearl. "Go on! Choose!"

Pearl could not believe his ears. "Prof. Rowan! You don't know how hard it is to keep a straight face right now!" Grinning, he turned to his friend. "Hey, Dawn. You can choose first."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I don't—" She began.

The fourteen-year-old crossed his arms. "Hey, I'm practically a grown-up. I have to show some class here."

With a light nod, Dawn proceeded to look into the briefcase. Inside were various papers, along with three Poké Balls. Er…how would I know what Pokémon is in which?

"You can choose between a Turtwig, a Chimchar, or a Piplup," Professor Rowan said kindly, noting her expression.

"Mm, then I will choose…" Dawn continued, picking up the ball on the right. "…Piplup."

"Alright! Then I'll just take this Chimchar here!" Declared Pearl, grabbing the middle ball.

Smiling, Professor Rowan closed the briefcase. "Very well then. I'm afraid I must be leaving now. I'm rather busy today, you see." Taking a few steps ahead, he paused to add, "You two ought to visit my lab tomorrow. I promise you won't regret it."

Both children nodded, watching as the white-haired man took his leave. It was when the boy named Lucas brushed past them that Pearl and Dawn came back to their senses.

"I'm sorry…Please let me pass," He said, jogging to catch up to the older man.

Pearl stood still for a moment. "Prof. Rowan's actually pretty nice, isn't he? On TV, he seems so stern and scary."

"…And you were still going to ask him for a Pokémon?" Dawn replied, smiling lightly.

"Heh heh…man! We've both got one now though!" The blond grinned. "There's only one thing to do, right? Are you up for this?"

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Uh, sure, what do you want to do now?"

"I've always wanted to say this…" His smile only seemed to widen. The next thing Dawn knew, Pearl declared, "The time has finally come! Dawn! I challenge you to a battle!"

Touching the center button on the Poké Ball, he sent out a fiery orange ape-like creature. It emitted a shrill cry as it took its place on the field, facing Dawn. As if sensing the situation, her Poké Ball seemed to take action on its own. With a flash of light, a blue penguin Pokémon leapt out, standing before its owner.

"I didn't even—"

"Alright! Let's do this!" Pearl interrupted. "Chimchar, use Scratch!"

"Hey, that's—" She began again. However, Dawn was cut off once more as her Piplup instinctively avoided the attack. "…Okay… Er, attack back! No wait, that's not right…use Pound!"

Pearl grinned. "Nice try, Dawn, but I don't think so!"

They both watched as Chimchar easily avoided Piplup's strike. Seizing the moment, Pearl issued another Scratch command. This time, it hit its target, sending the penguin Pokémon back a few steps.

"Ha, ha! I've got this one!" He declared triumphantly.

***

"Whew…let's go home."

"I thought you were having fun?"

The blond ruffled his wild hair. "Not after that."

"Oh c'mon, it was best out of three."

"Stuff it. We're all beat," He replied, holstering the Poké Ball at his belt. "I had you that first time."

Dawn smiled. After receiving their Pokémon from the professor, she and Pearl decided to test them out with a battle. Though he had won their first match, Dawn proved otherwise during the last two. Surprisingly, the battle took the majority of the day. It was already time for dinner.

"See ya, Dawn!" Pearl said as they came back to town.

Waving, she watched as he ran off—as usual. With a smile, Dawn headed home herself. Upon returning, she found that her mother was waiting for her with dinner.

"Wow, these are all my favorite dishes!" She cried in awe.

Joanna smiled. "Well, I thought that we ought to celebrate."

"Eh, how did you know?"

The older woman laughed. "I'm your mother, sweetie. I'm the first to pick up on any changes you might have. Though, I wouldn't mind if you told me the details."

As they ate, Dawn filled her mother in with the events that happened during the day. By the time they were finished, Joanna had a very different expression on her face. It was not sad but there was something about it that did not seem truly happy.

"You and Pearl are lucky to have met Prof. Rowan," She began. "I'm glad he stopped the both of you from going into the grass."

Dawn scratched her head sheepishly. "Oh, um…about that…"

"Ha, ha. Just make sure that you go and see him and thank him properly for your Pokémon," Her mother answered. "His lab is in Sandgem Town. Now that you have your own Pokémon, you'll be fine."

Dawn nodded. "Pearl and I are going to see him tomorrow!"

"Good, now I also have something for you," Joanna began, taking out a box. "I'll bet that these will be useful."

Taking the box, Dawn curiously lifted the lid. Inside was a pair of neat running shoes. "Wow, mom! Thank you! Does this mean that…?"

Joanna smiled warmly. "Yes, you can become a Trainer."

"Mommy~!" The thirteen-year-old cried happily, pulling her mother into a hug.

"Oh my, don't get carried away," The older woman laughed. "You're supposed to be mature!"

***

I still can't believe it… I'm a Trainer now. I have my very first Pokémon! Dawn thought as she lay in bed. The Poké Ball with her Piplup inside was sitting on top of her nightstand. Watching it happily, Dawn closed her eyes. As she drifted off to sleep, her dreams did not seem so far off anymore. Perhaps, it would someday cease to be a dream. Today was simply the first step.

A/N: Sorry, the beginning is always the most boring part. Though please bear with me. The plot needs to be set up! You don't just want pr0n without plot, do you?