The midnight rain had cleared the streets save a few civilians returning home. It had been like this for almost three days, a consistent rain that made front yards muddy and had everyone in summer attire wearing their winter clothing early.
But that was business as usual in the city of Nimbasa. A hustling cluster of human residences not so different from the other cities and towns in the area, save the bright and colorful lights of the Ferris wheel in the distance barely seen through a sheet of rain.
The small and only cafe in the area didn't have the charm of the ones in Lillycove but they did have a nice brew of chamomile tea that warmed Simone's soul in just the right way. She blew on the hot drink before nursing on it into the minutes of the early morning beyond midnight.
"Toushiro?" She called to the Absol resting his head on the windowsill in the booth next to her. He spared one red eyed glance through his white bangs then huffed and continued staring out the window into the rain almost waiting for something.
She knew why.
"I know, you miss Raikin. " Simone chimed sipping her tea. Of course he missed Raikin. He loved her more then he loved getting gym badges, more then pecha berries (his favorite) and more then, she dare say it, lapping hot chocolate from a mug. The poor thing hadn't touched his cooling mug in that proof.
No, he was the embodiment of a broken heart. Her only Pokemon left, out of a team of six, was suffering from what could have been and what should have been. Giving a defeated breath she checked the time again.
What she wasn't aware of was that Toushiro was rather fond traveling with the girl almost women. Otherwise what was the point in leaving Hoenn behind? Though, he would be lying if his mood now had nothing to do with Raikin's decision to stay behind.
Mercy. Those red eyes. Her beautiful spirit filled eyes who spoke ghostly shivers down his spine or the way she would sit perfectly still in the morning's first glow.
It still hurt so bad.
What was she doing now? Was she with another trainer or had she settled down to have pups? He of course would never know now.
His trainer could only smooth the white rough around his neck in comfort. She wished there was more that she could do. He knew that but they were in a new region with the whole gym agenda to finish.
At least that's what Toushiro wanted. After all, he did bully her towards that poster in the lobby of that one Pokemon center in Petalburg city. Thank any name that she understood that he needed to get away.
What did it say: "The hope of a new adventure in a distant land." and it had a picture of some rodent looking thing that must have been this region's version of a Zigzagoon. Two badges in confirmed that.
The Patrats were everywhere.
If Toushiro didn't love hunting them and insist on the badges, then Simone would have given up and gone home to her own rodent infested region. She complained about such things too much.
Simone sighed longingly in homesickness, then ordered another drink but this time she got a coffee. The rich blend in these parts were to die for- nothing like the watered down version at home.
When the waitress delivered the mug a jingle near the front counter alerted the girl to a tall 6 foot something stranger with a white hat rushing in to get out of the rain. The brunette trainer craned her head a bit to get a better load of the newcomer.
Simone snorted in amusement. She had seen some bazaar hair styles in her day, seeing as gym leaders had a fetish for them, but this gentlemen was put in the top 10 on her list. It really wasn't the shape of it, that fell down his back, that bothered her but rather the odd color of green that had no business then being on a Treecko or a Flygon
Even Toushiro had lifted his head over the booth's backrest to get an eyeful but his eyes were trained on something entirely different. On the man's shoulder was a black Vulpix looking Pokemon with only one tail.
Simone's eyebrows raised high to the oncoming urge to squee in delight. Despite the dog Pokemon of the second gym, she had yet to see any canine related species of this region.
Toushiro had his own agenda as he jumped from the booth seat then wandered over to the green haired man and looked up in a curious manner. The man, seemingly unafraid, shifted and bent to his knees petting the Absol on the head.
This gave her the perfect excuse to get a closer look.
Simone left her table apologizing. "Sorry, he only wanted to look at your black fox Pokemon." Ha, that was a lie. Toushiro was trained on both the man and his fox but Simone wanted a closer gander at his canine who was now staring at her.
It was a smoky black color with little red accents and a pair of beautiful blue eyes. It seemed to have an air of regal intelligence like a Ninetails but it's pointy nose and huge ears may have suggested that this wasn't it's final form. Creativity in the brain department yielded a large evolved form for it. A good example would be a Growlithe to Arcanine ratio of evolution but Simone didn't know for sure.
"Come on Toushiro. You have a three dollar hot coca that isn't going to drink itself." She encouraged trying to nudge the Absol back to the table before the waitress cleared their drinks from neglect on their part and feeling like she had seen enough.
The man, about her age maybe younger, was frowning at her. She paused and gave him her own look. What was this guy's problem? Toushiro was only looking. He had a mind of his own and she wasn't a bad trainer for letting him do as he pleased.
"You're standing on my foot." She looked down and sure enough her foot was on the tip of his.
"Whoops, sorry." Simone backed away with her hands raised. Toushiro looked at her as if saying 'way to go jackass.'
After apologizing repeatedly, Simone noticed how the trainer looked upon her Absol in absorbed interest. It occurred to her that he was most likely native to this region only and had yet to see a Pokemon like Toushiro.
"He's an Absol." She really wanted to tease the manish boy (she got a better look at his face) for not whipping out his Pokedex for confirmation but maybe, like her, he was too poor to afford one.
The boy tipped his head staring intently into Toushiro's eyes who, moment later, sat down and slightly wagging his bladed tail. "He's kinda sad but he's happy to be here. How strange..."
Strange? Why was it strange that Toushiro was happy to be with her? What was strange was why this random person was saying that as if he understood Toushiro.
"Why aren't you keeping him in a Pokeball?" Okay, what was with the odd questions? A lot of trainers kept their Pokemon out for many reasons. Nosy, nosy guy.
"I smashed it." She stated suddenly. The boy raised his head up quickly as if utterly shocked but the surprise quickly left his eyes as he rose over her and smiled only at the tips of his lips.
He had obviously had made up his mind about something because I wasn't five minutes later that he was sitting at Simone and Toushiro's table drinking a cup of his own jasmine tea.
The boy had taken off his hat and had it next to his left hand resting on the table. His peaceful smile seemed to glitter like the men in a magazine: practiced and oddly flirtatious.
"What's your name?" Wow, even with all the oddness the boy had built through their first encounter he had to go with that question. Must be dying to get it out of the way. Fair enough.
"Simone." She sipped her tea. He followed with his own sip before offering his identity.
"My name is N..." Wait, was he spelling it out? Simone had given up prematurely. Go a head buddy, be weird. she had seen a worse personality in a person.
However, he didn't continue on with any other letters. Simone raised her eyebrows and dipped her head to signal him farther along the spelling of his name but he sat there as if the question was cleared.
An initial? That's it?
"What's that short for?" She asked.
"Pardon?" Was this kid for real?
"Your initial, what's it stand for?"
He looked slightly perplexed but smiled in what only could be called honesty. "My name is N."
Just one letter? His parents must really hate him or have an odd sense of humor. Simone could only imagine the kind of childhood he had growing up.
"What's your uh... Pokemon's name?" The creature looked up sensing the conversation shift. It made a hop to the table snickering like a Sneasel. Simone give it a smile. It was obviously a dark type. They all seemed to have a snarky attitude save Absols and Umbreons. The other dark types not worth these descriptions were all angry assholes otherwise.
"Zorua doesn't have a human name." So N was one of those types of trainers. How could he tell it apart from the others?
"Is it a female?"
"Yes."
Toushiro, not really keeping an ear on the humans, was too fascinated by the Zorua. She however, was enjoying the attention his human was putting on her. He put his front legs on the table and rubbed his cheek to Simone's. Something he only did this when begging for something or when he was jealous but Simone didn't get his intentions as she took it as just attention for a pet and gave him strokes on his black cheeks.
Toushiro gave a slight smirk when the little Zorua stopped snickering and frowned before begging for her own petting from N.
Oblivious to their Pokemon's little exchange, the two trainers continued on into a conversation that got deeper and deeper in subject until it was going in the direction N was aiming for from the beginning.
"...a Skitty named Sakura, a Manetric named Raikin, Toushiro, a Arcanine named Dante, a Mightyena named Tenshi and a Ninetails named Iyachi."
"Whatever happened to them?" N by this point was leaning in on his elbows participating like a good listener as Simone filled his questions with good detailed answers, though crude as some of them were.
" Sakura went with my brother, Dante is staying with my grandmother, Tenshi and Iyachi went back into the wild to start a family and" She paused looking down at Toushiro waiting to see the sadness on his face." and Raikin left just before we started in this region."
The Absol, though sad, laid his head down on Simone's lap understanding her hesitation. It wasn't easy for either of them to part ways with everyone.
"Fascinating. So, you gave your Pokemon the option to leave and all but one left you." N said smirking to himself as if he was right about something.
Simone was a little off about how to react to N's silent smirk. He was happy that they chose to leave her? He was so socially awkward. Forget his hair and name, this guy's entire existence just screamed wacko and he was really into himself too. Like he knew everything.
N was starting to sound and act like her mother. That's how she knew the signs.
Whatever, let's hear what he had to say after his interrogation was finished with her. Simone hadn't conquered all of Hoenn to let some schmuck in a cafe to start preaching his narrow views on her. If that just so happened, which he just might here any minute.
"Yeah, they were a great team. I'll miss them. Right Toushiro?" The white dog huffed in mournful agreement.
"So, why is your Absol still with you?" The question this time wasn't really aiming for something like the last one. N sounded actually confused when he asked it. "Didn't you give him the same opportunity to leave?"
Simone sighed. "Yes but I did it when the others left and I was down to just him and Raikin." She put her hand to her mouth in nervous habit remembering the not so cheerful departing of her Manetric. "I was very upset at the time and yelled at them to just leave me like the others. Raikin looked so hurt when I yelled at her. She had always been a tough girl but I think I broke her. Especially when I threw her and Toushiro's Pokeballs at that rock."
Simone had to pause to get it together before continuing. "She stayed a long time after that. For around a two days all I could do was yell and cry at them to leave. Raikin had finally cracked and was about to use a Thunderbolt on me but Toushiro stepped in and I think he threatened her or convinced her to leave because after that she ran away. Toushiro stayed with me even after I resorted to yelling and begging him to leave after Raikin. He loved her so much but for whatever reason of his own, he decided to stay." Said Absol placed a paw on her thigh next to his head.
N leaned back absorbing in the context. This seemed new for him and the way he dipped his chin in thought betrayed some kind of war he was having with himself or something of that nature. This didn't stop him too long until more questions came forth.
"So why are you in Unova?"
"Toushiro wanted to come for the badges." N's lips focused around the edges as his eyebrows raised resembling the face of a confused child.
"Explain."
After leaving Hoenn with sweet sorrow it was surprisingly easy to elaborate to N the nature of their mission in Unova. Simone was all too ready to dump on someone why she chose to come here, a commodity she missed traveling with Brandon back home.
"It is as it sounds. Toushiro, ever since, I caught him, has taken over with collecting the badges. I'm just the human component needed to get him through the gym's doors. The rest he takes care of." She sipped again absorbing the boy's measured reaction. Just what sort of conclusion was eating him so much that caused him to spend a random midnight talking with a stranger?
"Your Pokemon wants to stay with you? You're not forcing him to fight because he wants to do it?" N said more to himself than to Simone but she answered him anyways.
"Toushiro is most likely the most battle addicted Pokemon you will ever meet. To him it's like an art and he's just beautiful at it." She didn't see the Absol's smirk under the table at her comment. "He knows just as much or more than I do when he fights. All I have to do is stand back and watch him go."
"Were your other Pokemon like that?"
"No, everyone wanted to leave but Toushiro and Tenshi somehow convinced them to stay until after the Elite Four then part ways. As for battling, they all relied on my commands to coach them through battles. Only Raikin sort of took on her will in battle but she never really got to explore that option for long."
While waiting for his next question, Simone looked down at her watch. Good grief, it was three in the morning already. She must have missed it because of her caffeine high from the coffee. Toushiro, comparatively, was already asleep on the booth next to her using her thigh as a pillow.
"Do you think your Absol would be happier battling his fellow Pokemon in the wild in a natural setting?" Taken back by this question, Simone wasn't really into string theory so answered it honestly.
"I think his Pokeball being broken and him being here speaks for how he likes to battle." N nodded.
This was a point in their exchange that Simone felt needed a change. Something within had her starting to formulate questions and it wasn't as if she was being rude. She had answered all of his questions after all.
"What about you? Is Zorua your only Pokemon?" N patted the fox's head who purred in delight.
"She isn't mine. I didn't catch her in a Pokeball forcing her to fight for me. We are just really good friends. She never has to battle if she doesn't want to." N seemed too practiced in this answer for Simone to really feel heart swept by it. It almost seemed preachy.
"If your not a trainer than what are you?"
"I'm on a mission to spread the ultimate truth." This time he raised his chin to square Simone in the eyes almost in a challenging way.
"And that is..."
"It's nothing for you to worry about." N closed his eyes as he tossed back the rest of his tea. Zorua bowed on her front legs and yawned.
A few moments had passed between the trainers who didn't have much else to say to each other. For N it might have been the most interconnected night in a long while but Simone would never really know for sure.