road too steep // cynthia & dawn
@celesticshuntress Dawn stifles a tiny yawn before continuing along the winding path. Her battered sneakers kick up sand and pebbles as her feet drags, body clearly not doing so well after a whole day of walking, climbing and scurrying. Not to mention the wild Pokemon that are so keen on taunting the rare visitor or two. She wonders whether they’ll get to the top and set camp, or whether it will soon be too dark to even see waggling fingers in front of oneself. Judging from the hue of the sky and Cheripuu’s dejected chirp as she lands, it’s likely to be the latter. She stops to recall the Togekiss into her pokeball and turns to Cynthia. “What do you think about stopping here?” Her eyes wander to a relatively flat and smooth spot between two trees. “We could pitch up the tent right there for the night.” It is a slight disappointment that they can’t make it according to schedule, but the scenic detour through a natural passage behind the waterfall is easily worth it. Besides, they aren’t going to catch a lunar eclipse, or a meteor shower (like last time). This time, it’s slow and easy, simple and plain stargazing, more process and less results. Dawn has a handheld telescope backpacked, but that’s about it for devices. It’s her very first one, etched with childhood memories of bonding moments with her dad. It’s almost as if she can see the same sky ten, twelve years ago. The first time was during November, and she remembers how she mistook specks of snow on the lens as intricate alien technology. Definitely embarrassing. This time around though, she has long learnt the basics and even some of the more advanced details about astronomy and its vassals. No more of that inexperience, especially not in front of the Sinnoh champion. At that thought, she looks around to make sure that Cynthia is close by. “So tent up?” She shoots Cynthia a lop-sided grin and indecisive thumbs-ups. It’s been four whole days and they still haven’t scaled the mountain. Surely Cynthia must be impatient by now–Dawn knows that it’s her that’s slowing everything down–and for that she lets the guilt echo hollowly. At least she can make it up by assembling the tent. “Also, here’s water as I go prepare.”