[Author's note: I do not own Pokemon or the game Pokemon Black, nor do I claim that the relationship between the player and N is anything but platonic in the actual game. This is merely something that I deemed plausible in my own mind from the interactions between the two. This is a work of fiction created for others enjoyment. Please take the time to review so I can get better in my writing!]

Hilda's P.O.V.

His name was N, and he made her want inexplicable things from him.

She couldn't tell why. He was meant to be her enemy, after all. The main antagonist of the adventure that she had been wanting, no, destined, to travel; the King of Team Plasma, for god's sake! They were meant to be anything but what she wanted them to be. They were polar opposites, meant only to clash with each other. He was outspoken, whilst she restrained most of her answers to nods and smiles. He was raised with feral Pokemon, whilst she had met her Snivy not a few months back. It was a match made in hell, and by god, did she know the price of pursuing it.

There would be only one champion, and loving the boy with the crown meant giving up her lifelong dream. Sure, she would perhaps gain his affection, maybe even the touch she craved so badly, but those would not last. Eventually, his rank as Champion and King of a terrible organization would force her to return to her hometown, head hanging and mouth telling the story of the boy with the green hair. Her mother would comfort her, and her Pokemon would too, the dear partners they were. But somehow, she it would never replace that dream of being the champion. A boy was not worth giving up her destiny for.

So she fought the feelings. She had fought them during that moment in the Ferris wheel, where he admitted his identity to her and stared her down with blazing eyes. She had fought them when he told her of her Pokemon's love for her in Karakusa town, instead focusing on her training, and denied them when the Goddess of Peace said those strange words in the castle:

"Oh, person who provides N heart with tranquil..."

The words had shocked her then, but she didn't resign, even as she heard a Goddess tell her that her nemesis held some sort of love for her. Instead, he fought the memories of his eyes, dark and brooding with something resembling affection flickering in them when he looked at her. She fought all the cravings and the dreams that left her wanting. The dreams, especially, were the worst. It didn't matter where she slept. The thoughts of N haunted her, woke her in the middle of the night just as the fantasy reached its high point. They always ended with N, and the wondering if he had dreams of her, too.

Now? Now they were alone in the room where she had battled the champion, the only ones left standing in the battlefield. The others had left, bored with the whole thing and off to find a new cause. They had seen nothing but the fall of a king. But Hilda, she had seen N at his weakest, being berated by his father. She had witnessed him being called a nothing by the one who had over seen his raising. It should have empowered her and made her feel strong, but it didn't. Instead, she felt pity, compassion. She should have wanted to laugh, but instead she wanted to kiss his face that showed all of his pain.

It sickened her and repulsed her, the whole idea, but at the same time, she craved to follow through with it. She had learned about him, and in doing so she had felt the twinge of...love, maybe? No, she couldn't think like that. She had to simply go over what she had learned; maybe that would keep her focus off of those dark eyes. He was innocent at heart, she knew that now. A lion in sheep's clothing: the phrase would never fit anyone better. And he knew her too, she could tell that as well. Knew she had a lion's heart herself, and knew she had the makings of a champion. Perhaps even a queen. He knew she had the love of some very blessed Pokemon as well. Yet she could not tell if he knew her feelings for him.

A moment later, the pain on his face from before was gone. He now looked at her with..what? She couldn't tell. He was unreadable, except for the glint of something in his eye, as always. And then he spoke, and she felt something in her twitch with sadness as he said a goodbye.

"You said you had a dream..fulfill that dream." The words were a quiet surrender, a white flag in the midst of the war. Her own face, one that had once been a mask of determination, softened at the realization. He was giving up, and in the process, encouraging her to move forward in her journey. There had never been a more sorrowful battle for her, even though she had won.

"Make your wonderful dream a reality. I believe you can do it, if anyone." His face was now smiling somewhat unconvincingly, as if he were unaffected. But if anyone could see through it, it was Hilda. It was the champion herself who knew the fallen King, and as he turned to walk away, she finally spoke to him.

"Wait."

He stopped, his back remaining turned to her. But she could almost feel his shock. She was the quiet girl. She almost never spoke, much less to him. She spoke through her method of fighting, through her Pokemon and her never ending success in battle. That had been easy, but talking to the boy that had been in her dreams? This was a whole new type of battle, and her dear Pokemon could not help her this time.

"Stay." She was monosyllabic, but that was an achievement considering how she felt. N slowly turned, an eyebrow quirking up and then coming back down to furrow with the other one.

"What do you mean, stay?" She had spoken two words, but yet he already understood that she wanted him to remain in her company. She could see that as he slowly made his way towards her, closer although not nearly as close as she wanted.

"I have a ton of battles to fight." Her reply was lengthy, and he seemed almost impressed that she could say more than one word at a time. "But for now, I think I'll enjoy the victory of this one." Her words were teasing, and the pulled a small smirk onto the green-haired boy's mouth. Something in her twitched.

"I know about your feelings, you know." The unexpected retort froze her, and her eyes went wide as he spoke. How had he known? He couldn't have. She didn't even know, for crying out loud. What progress she had made with words felt like nothing now, and she resigned again to a lapse of silence. He was closer again, and if she reached out her arm she was sure she could touch him. She wasn't stupid enough to do it, of course, but it was a nice thought to distract her from their short proximity. "It surprised me at first. To think such an ambitious, wild-eyed beauty could ever hold a place in her heart for her nemesis. Yet as I said, even the champion had it in her heart to forgive me my sins, to even love them, too." He was closer now, enough that she could feel his heavy breath. What was he doing? He seemed rather nervous about it, whatever it was. "She will have to forgive me again, for what I am about to do."

A sudden pressure was on her mouth, light and almost tender. How many had he kissed before? Ten? Twenty? Heaven knew he was good looking enough. But this was not the hard, experienced kiss of a seasoned professional. This was the gentleness of an unsure boy, and all at once Hilda realized that he was nothing but a scared boy who wanted to be more than that. Yet at the same time, there was a forcefulness that would not let her pull away. A forcefulness telling her that he had wanted this, and he would not have anything else. Before she could return the favor and tell him the same, he was pulling away and stalking off, almost angrily. Now it was her turn for her eyebrows to furrow, and she was left thinking that yes, he had dreamed about her too.

It was only later than she met him again.

She had gone back home after the year long journey was up, deciding that her mother's bright and happy demeanor was what she needed after the journey she had taken. They had gushed over her main Pokemon and her evolution from Snivy to a beautiful new Pokemon, and they talked about everything that happened, but Persephone cleverly left out the Harmonia boy during their daily talks. It was not that he was a secret, or that the quick kiss he had given her was, but merely that she wanted to forget about both of them. She wanted nothing to do with love. She would leave that to Bianca, who was currently wrapped up in Cheren and his new maturity. She had more important things to deal with, Pokemon to train and keep in shape. But during that lazy Saturday morning, where she was awoken from her bed by the sound of the people bustling outside, it became evident that he would not let himself be forgotten.

Groaning in agitation at her small town, Hilda pushed aside the covers, standing with sudden vigor as she ripped aside her window curtains. Her eyes searched for the hubbub, finding nothing at first but a small mob of civilians at the entrance to the town. Then she saw a flash of green in the center of the mob, and out of habit, she looked.

He was there.

Surrounded by people, asking him questions and prodding him for information, was N. She immediately went numb, unsure of what else to do but to go into lock down and let no one into her heart, like she did when she had first returned home. She remembered clearly the boys, begging for her affections as they all looked on like she was a goddess. They still did, but with less adoration and more bitterness. It was not that none of them were attractive, but more than none would compare to N Harmonia. She could see those arms of his pushing through the tiny crowd that had gathered, and he was obviously after something. It was clear where his destination was, and as he slipped out of sight of Hilda's window, she felt a growing dread that was only increased by the sound of a knock on the door.

"Hello? Oh, hello. You seem to be making quite a fuss. Can I help you?" Her mother's voice, oblivious and well-meaning.

"I'm here for Hilda. I'm a...friend, you could say." His voice, innocence veiled with a false toughness that he put on for the public.

Her mother, charismatic as always, laughed with a certain amount of pride. "It seems everyone is. Ever since she became a champion and completed a Pokedex, everyone is out for her company. But right now, she's up in her room. I'll go get her." Footsteps up the stairs, then her mother poked her head in to catch her daughter staring blindly out the window.

"Oh, dear, you're up! There's someone here for you. Some boy. He's kind of cute, actually. Come on down when you're ready." She could hear the door close again, and her mother returning down the stairs. She would never be ready. No amount of training could bring her down those stairs and into the sight of him, but she would try. She went through the motions hurriedly, pulling on some clothes and throwing her hair up into a ponytail and yanking the hair through the back of her baseball cap. No makeup: she'd faced two whole regions of trainers and gym leaders without make up. She could face one boy without long eyelashes or lined eyes.

With that, she was ready, and she took a deep breath before she went down the stairs.

The scene was surprisingly casual. Her mother sat at the table, conversing steadily with N as they both sipped coffee. Well, she sipped coffee, anyway. N's beverage looked untouched. Perhaps he had been excited to see her after all.

N's P.O.V.

"Hello." One word left her pretty mouth, as per usual, but it was enough to catch both people's attention.

"Oh, darling! I was just talking to Mr. Harmonia about you. I was telling him all about how you caught those legendary Pokemon, and how they seemed to love you quite a bit. Really, I don't think anyone else is as dedicated as you.." Hilda's attention trailed N as her mother gushed happily, and what he saw in it was a mix of surprise and longing. He was terrific at hiding emotion, but two could play at that game, it seemed, because a second later the girl's face was empty like his. He wanted to laugh at her stubborn demeanor, as she was always able to match him in a game. The game did not go unnoticed.

"Oh, I see you know him..I'll just be in my own room if either of you need me." Never one to stay unwanted, Ms. Black trailed up the stairs, nudging her daughter on the way. It wasn't until the door shut that either of the two spoke.

She was the first to break the silence, and the words that left her mouth were accusing. "Why are you here?"

He could not hold her penetrating gaze, and eventually he broke it to stare at his untouched mug. Slender fingers traced the rim, and he had planned to take his time answering, but she wouldn't have it.

"Answer me, damn you." She was ferocious, N knew that, but he'd forgotten just how much.

"I want to give you this." His hand reached into his pocket, pulling out the pokeball that nestled there. "It's the legendary Pokemon that I captured in Geechisu's name. Think of it as an apology." He lay it on the table, knowing her and knowing that she could not resist the offer of a new companion to love her. All Pokemon she adopted into her care loved her, protected her, served her like a queen and not a partner. When they wanted out of captivity, he didn't doubt that she would release them, but what Pokemon would? Yes, another Pokemon to adore and cherish over, and he knew deep down that she could never resist such an opportunity. As predicted, Hilda slowly inched towards the table, unable to resist the magnetic pull of a Pokemon. One last glance at him, and then the pokeball was gone, safe in her grasp.

Her gaze was filled with wariness and..hurt? Why? He didn't understand. He had just given her his legendary Pokemon freely, yet she wasn't pleased. Seconds later, she spoke, her voice still raspy like a smoker from her years of silence. He didn't mind. If she could see past his deeds, he could see past her faulted voice.

"You left me." Oh. "Where did you go? You kissed me and then you left. I wanted you, and you left me there like an unwanted toy." She lost the eye contact war this time, her baby blues looking at the floor. Her tone betrayed none of her hurt, but it didn't have to. Eyes were the window to the soul, and he could tell that her soul had missed him. He couldn't imagine why. He was stupid and clumsy and evil, and she wanted him. He didn't think he would ever understand her reasoning. "I wanted you, and you didn't want me."

He immediately stood, ready to defend his claim despite the shock of her sudden confession. "But I did." Oh, he had. He had pictured her and dreamed of her and drawn her, but nothing satisfied him until that kiss. And that had only prolonged the inevitable. He was drawn to her, by lust and by love especially, and she believed he didn't want her?

"Liar." She almost spit at him, like a crackling fireplace that had been poked too much.

"I'm not lying."

"Then actually say it, coward, instead of just answering me."

"Say what?" That was a useless question. He knew what she wanted to hear.

"Tell me the truth."

"I want you."

"Convince me."

He had been taking steps towards her, but at her last answer he stopped. "Convince you of what?"

Hilda's gaze, piercing and almost reading him like a book, stared him down. "I said, convince me."

It was an invitation to take his prize, to take what he wanted. He could not have the championship, she was saying, but he could have her as a consolation prize. After all he had been through, he could have something that he had wanted since he first set eyes on her.

So he took her.

In half a second the situation burst like a bubble. A year of frustration and anguish and separating and laughing and battling and all of it had driven him mad, and now he could finally let it all out. In the next minute he was pushing her against the wall, no, slamming her like a wild animal. It wasn't surprising. He had been surrounded by wild Pokemon his whole life, and when it came down to it, his very core was feral. Desperate to prove to her that he was not weak. He was strong, and he would take her.

Mouth against mouth, and in the battle for dominance he realized she was strong too. She had won the world with her battle skills, yet he was still surprised at her strength. His long fingers gripped the tanned skin on her back just above her shorts, sure to leave a mark as they dug into flesh greedily, lustily. Her arms constricted in turn around his neck, and although he was a head taller than her she still pulled him harder into the kiss. A leg, long and slender from constant travels, wrapped around his lower half, and she pulled that into her too. He wanted her, and she had to know. After all, his need was evident in the hardness tucked away in his jeans. Oh, he did, and he would have satisfied a year of wanting against that living room wall if she had not pulled away. Barely an inch away, but enough to separate their hungry lips that had a tendency to crash against each other.

"No." Words had never crushed him so much, but he should have seen it coming. She would never surrender a battle so easily, no matter how much she wanted to. He had noticed that quality every time they had battled. "You have to fight for your prize, N." Her hand slid down from the back of his next, down his chest, to the need, and to his disappointment, back up again to his back. "Fight for your champion, if you're really a king." The title, derived from his place as King of Team Plasma, should have caused him pain, but…instead it made him feel like he was at his coronation again, wearing the crown as they all bowed.

His answer was whispered, their breath colliding as he spoke in a hushed tone. "How?"

She smiled coyly. "Go on an adventure with me. Travel the region, and prove your worth. I won't surrender simply for lust." There. There was her deal, and in his haste he accepted it with a hurried nod. But instead of attacking him again, like he had wanted, she uncoiled herself from the body that she was fighting against wanting, and sauntered upstairs, calling her retort over her shoulder.

"There's a guest room next to mine. You can sleep there, if you plan on staying. Until then, there's a TV you can busy yourself with. Eat whatever is in the fridge." She turned in her doorway, a small smile playing on her mouth.

"Later, your majesty."