Obviously, something was strange about the situation. When the two exited, Lucas gave Dawn a look she could only decipher as anxiety.
Inside the bag was a black box coated in soft, cushiony velvet that only amplified the premium feel radiating from the parcel. But the more he stared at it, the more he felt he shouldn’t.
“Are you going to check what’s inside?” Dawn asked, trying to hide her curiosity.
“I thought there was no time for that...” Lucas laughed nervously.
“A little peek won’t kill anyone, dude.”
Lucas gulped, pulling out the black box, making Dawn’s eyes light up like gems in the sun. What could be inside? Jewellery? A watch, maybe? Most of all, who would give Lucas such a nice gift with such beautiful packaging?
Dawn’s mind raced with questions, but she waited and waited... until nothing happened.
“Uhh... is something wrong, Lucas? You’re not having a seizure again, are you?” she asked.
Lucas shook his head. That wasn’t the problem.
“I can’t open it,” he said, putting the box back in the gift bag. No matter what he told himself, he couldn’t shake the feeling.
He wasn’t allowed to. Not until later. Now wasn’t the right time.
“I can’t take this,” Lucas muttered, making a sharp U-turn back into the store… only to find the man was nowhere to be seen.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Lucas’s eyes darted around, convincing themselves that the strange man might reappear if he just looked away and looked back.
“Excuse me,” Lucas walked up to one of the clerks behind the till. “Where’s the security guard?”
“I’m sorry, who?”
“The security guard—the man dressed in a fancy green suit who was standing right by the door.”
The clerk glanced at her colleague, as if telepathically sharing the thought that this kid might be crazy.
“Sorry, but we don’t have a security guard. It’s just us. There’s no one else who works here,” she said with a polite, half-concerned smile.
Lucas exited the store again, parcel still in hand, now spiralling. Dawn glared at him with icy eyes, her hands on her hips as she pointed at the shiny silver watch on her wrist.
“I’m going to punch you, Lucas. You could’ve at least told me if you forgot something before you went back in,” she hissed.
“What?”
“It’s fine, no big deal. Let’s just get on with things. The professor sent me to pick up some papers in Jubilife, and I can’t afford to be late.”
“Wait, Dawn, I was trying to return this box to that guy in the green suit. What do you mean—”
“What guy in a green suit? There’s never anyone other than Lana and Lola in there, and I never saw a guy in a suit. A green suit at that—who wears a green suit? That’s just... ugh!” Dawn scoffed, shivering in disgust as she adjusted her white beanie. It needed to look perfect.
The two marched out of the small, sandy town and into the greenery of Route 202. Pine trees, shrubs, and chirping birds filled the scene. The sky had a bit of glitter in it, stars twinkling as the sun’s dying orange flame was consumed by the violet darkness of night.
Wasting no time, Dawn pulled a shiny Pokéball out of her marshmallow bag and threw it in the air.
A bright blue flare burst like a firework, and out came a fluffy, feathered little penguin chirping with excitement.
“Hi, sweetie!” Dawn squealed in a high pitch as she smothered her Piplup with hugs and kisses. She dug into the pocket of her rosy red trenchcoat and pulled out a handful of small Pokéballs. “Okay, Lucas. Time to learn how to catch a Pokémon!"