A/N: Hi there! I'm CGA and this is my second... no, third attempt at writing this story! If you want to see really bad writing, go to my profile and click the original Footprints (now with the Abandoned title)!
Whenever I look back at my previous ANs they're always extremely obnoxious so I'll try and keep them short now... For all of faves and follows on the first rewrite of this (i.e. the version that was posted before I updated it with this), thanks so much! I hope this version's even better, and if you want, you can always leave a review :P
I won't bore readers with flashbacks unless they're absolutely necessary, and I won't bring OCs into this anymore (sorry Aarfy [her uncle who is actually not unnamed]) because they're boring and stupid. Besides, the way I write them, Touko and N are pretty much OCs anyway, lol.
So, I'm not entirely sure what else to say here... so thanks for reading!
Oh, I won't have that "full summary" BS here either, that's too edgy. (Speaking of edgy, lemme just say that this won't be your typical N-imprisons-Touko-she-escapes-but-mushy-romance-anyway sort of plot. There's a lot of angst, but I hope the eventual plot keeps people on the edge!)
Footprints
This was the moment she'd been waiting for. Ever since she was ten years old, she'd longed for the day to come when she could finally be considered an adult.
But did adults really spend this much money?
Touko stared wide-eyed at the device, pink and black with the gigantic touch screen spanning nearly the whole length. After all of her wishing for it, it was definitely worth the price, but…
Did she really need it? It wasn't like she had anybody to contact through it – maybe just her boss, if she ever decided to quit her journey and come back to the Poké mart on the other end of town.
She scolded herself. Like she would give up. This was every kid's dream, going on the adventure of a Pokémon trainer when they turned sixteen.
This device was essential for such trainers, right?
There was a mewl at her side and she looked down. Her Umbreon's ear flicked against her leg. Touko smiled, momentarily forgetting the expensive device.
"What's wrong, Luna?"
The rare-colored Umbreon just stared at her, dumbstruck. She probably didn't understand why Touko was spending so much time here, talking to herself. They'd already been in the store for about a half hour, and even the store associates were getting impatient.
Touko ruffled Luna's fur. "Sorry, I'll hurry up."
She spent another few seconds staring at the Xtransceiver, running through more of the pros and cons mentally.
"What do you think?" she asked Luna. "Should I get it?"
Luna's blank expression proved to be as unhelpful as Touko expected it would, and she sighed, stuck in the middle.
On one hand, this was the device she'd been looking forward to since childhood. It would be the first thing she bought when she set out on her very own adventure. If she couldn't meet her old friends or see any old faces, then she would at least have this one thing. Though the technology and design had changed over the past six years, the same premise remained, and she wasn't sure if she could pass it up. What if, throughout her journey, some of the trainers – or especially gym leaders – she met wanted her contact information for rematches? What would she say if she didn't have one? It was like one of those payphone screens in Pokémon centers, except it was small enough to fit inside a bag or even one's pocket.
On the other hand… it cost nearly a fifth of her savings, which she'd saved up throughout her three years of being Poké mart cashier. That money was supposed to be for all sorts of medicines and other essentials she would need along the way. Did she really want to blow so much money on something she wasn't guaranteed to use?
She groaned, hands on her head. Trainers got prize money for a reason.
And that reason, she surmised, giving up, was to buy the luxury items.
…
"Stupid… thing," Touko muttered between her new Xtransceiver's beeps. She finally managed to make up her mind and buy the thing, but even after having the staff walk her through the interface, she still couldn't figure out her own number to save her life.
The confusion probably could've been avoided if she'd at least once paid a visit to the electronics store before now. Three years she'd spent in Accumula and she'd never even stepped foot inside the store, despite living just a few blocks from it. Though, it wasn't really her fault…
Her father always told her that kids her age weren't allowed outside without an adult by their side.
Being under sixteen until today, Touko had no choice but to wait. Her uncle, and legal guardian now, was always busy managing the store, so she couldn't exactly ask him. Besides, she never had an ID card either, so she didn't want to press her luck harder.
As her thoughts raced, Touko realized that was another thing she would probably have to get used to: all of Unova's laws and regulations. Of course, she knew a lot of them already from being around so many trainers all the time anyway, but the oddity of others would probably get to her. She already was skeptical of many because her father wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.
Then again, she knew firsthand that Team Plasma, the police force, didn't like to screw around with law enforcement.
"Ah!"
The sudden been signaled that she pushed a button she probably shouldn't have. This thing would definitely take some getting used to.
Regardless, she pocketed it to forget about everything but her journey.
The two were making their way to the town gate, finally ready to tackle the route ahead and eventually Striaton.
Touko smiled and stopped walking. She turned towards Luna. "Everything's about to change… Things are finally looking up for us."
Luna tilted her head in confusion but smiled a moment after anyway. The blue rings on her body glistened in the afternoon sun, and Touko just watched, remembering the first day she met Luna.
She shook her head. Now wasn't the time for another thought train. She knelt down and patted the Umbreon's head.
"You know, it's been ten years today since we met. Isn't that great?"
Luna seemed happy as she made a smiling expression, pushing her face upwards into Touko's hand. Touko laughed and rubbed her back with her other hand, giving her the attention she oh-so-desperately was begging for.
"Come on," she coaxed, standing up. "We better get moving."
The Umbreon nodded and followed after her trainer obediently.
Touko yanked out her Xtransceiver and blindly messed with it some more as she walked, too distracted by it to notice the people ahead of her. Luna alerted her with a whimper.
"What is it, Lu – "
There were two men dressed in silly spacesuits. Their matching orange hair (actually, everything about one was identical to the other) was underneath gray helmets, and their mouths were hidden by scarves on the bottom of the hoods.
Touko would know those Team Plasma uniforms anywhere, but wondered why they weren't the same two women who usually patrolled the town.
And neither officer looked thrilled to see her. As they blocked the outside gate, the man on the right glowered.
"What's outside?" he asked.
Touko gritted her teeth, sensing Luna tense up as well at the sudden appearance. "The route to Striaton." After all the pain they'd caused her… how dare these grunts speak to her like that. Their superiors should've educated them better, just like the two women normally stationed there were.
"Yes," the other grunt said, "but inside, the great Lord Ghetsis is preparing to deliver a speech."
Well, at least now she knew of one superior to blame. Ghetsis…
"Consider it a miracle that you get to beat witness to His presence. Lord Ghetsis never makes house trips like this."
Touko was confused by their babble, but she honestly didn't have the patience to listen to them anymore. She tried to pass by them through the gate but they stopped her.
"Passage is prohibited until Lord Ghetsis is finished."
She huffed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Where is Ghetsis?"
"Lord Ghetsis is nearing the town square as we speak," one of the grunts told her. "You should educate yourself with His vast knowledge."
"I'm not obligated to do anything for you people," Touko hissed, glaring at both of them equally. She used to be afraid of Team Plasma and its authority, but she was weak then. She was much stronger now, and she especially didn't care how rude she appeared to these horrible people.
The left grunt glared back. "Insolent girl. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Lord Ghetsis is a very busy man. Five minutes of His time is worth more than ten years of your life. Listen to His words and then we shall see what your thoughts are."
Touko clenched her fists, grateful that the Xtransceiver was put away lest she break it. Talking to these grunts was like talking to a thick brick wall. They were going to listen.
"Fine," she spat. Her tone made Luna stand guard but she held her back. She didn't need Luna taken away.
If she needed to listen to this Ghetsis guy's speech, so be it.
She turned on her heel and stomped away from the two Plasma men, feeling her heart beat a mile a minute.
So maybe she only acted tough out of fear.
In a short while, she and Luna made their way to the town square. Sure enough, a man clad in a robe, surrounded by grunts just like the ones she'd talked to, stood on a podium. Townspeople circled around him on the ground, each looking probably just as confused and frustrated as Touko. Some even resorted to shouting profanities at the robed man, though he paid them no mind.
Team Plasma was obviously not very well-liked by the general public, and neither was this Ghetsis man.
Touko quickly scanned the crowed for her uncle's face, wondering if this man's appearance had also closed the mart temporarily. She didn't see him, though, and the man looked about ready to talk anyway so she gave up.
More people crowded in at the last minute, even pushing Touko around a little bit. She grabbed Luna and held her in her arms – then she thought better. If this was a Plasma conference, they might confiscate any loose Pokémon.
For whatever reason, they'd always seemed intent on stealing other people's creatures.
Luna seemed confused when she unzipped her backpack and began lowering her into it. She made a few quiet whimpers.
"It's only for a few minutes, Luna," Touko pleaded as she zipped up her bag. "Safety precautions and whatnot."
Luckily, Luna was somewhat of a runt anyway so it didn't seem like too many people saw Touko's actions. However, that didn't mean she didn't notice all the added weight to her bag when she raised it up over her back. She focused her attention on Ghetsis, though, to get her mind off of the pressure.
It seemed like she did what she did just in time.
"Please settle down, everyone!"
The man's booming voice echoed across town. Touko briefly wondered if he was wearing a microphone.
All the idle chatter and booing stopped.
Ghetsis cleared his throat. "We of Team Plasma are eternally grateful for all of your support and cooperation. I am pleased to announce that our numbers are on the rise – steadily, might I add."
He prattled on about the names of several support groups and new recruits, but none of that interested Touko at all. Still, she couldn't exactly leave as the town was swarming with Plasma grunts.
In any case, she had to admit, if this was "Lord Ghetsis," she could certainly see why so many people were sneering and distrusting. He hardly seemed like a man of virtue.
His full head of hair matched his oversized robe, completely obstructing his arms from view, and he wore an eyepatch over one eye while the other appeared to be made of glass.
As he spoke, Touko glanced around the crowd. Most people's faces were blank with confusion or disinterest, but others' seemed utterly enraged.
She knew she harbored disdain for the police, but she had never seen this Ghetsis man before. Was he new? She'd never even heard his name before on television.
So why did these people despise him so much?
"I shall cut to the chase," Ghetsis continued, catching her attention. "At Team Plasma, we have all been thinking. We have been thinking for more than ten years now, and we have come to one conclusion.
"We owe a great debt to our fellow creatures, the Pokémon. People and Pokémon have lived side by side for hundreds of thousands of years, walking on the same paths together. Throughout this time, they have selflessly helped us, adhered to our every whims – we have created Pokémon Mover Helpers, Pokémon-built edifices, among many more. We use Pokémon to accomplish the simplest of tasks like fetching the newspaper to the most laborious such as working construction. For many millennia, it has been this way…
"But we are undoubtedly horrid when it comes to caring for them."
Ghetsis stretched a hand out from his robe and clenched it into a fist.
"I have no time for tangents, however." He softened his voice as if he'd figured out he'd frightened a number of people.
"My message for you today is simple, though I hope each and every one of you puts as much thought into it as we of Team Plasma did."
He stopped, probably creating a dramatic pause before he spoke again. Once he realized the unrest of some of the townspeople, though, he continued.
"For all the years Pokémon have served humans, mankind must do only one favor in return. Just one.
"Liberation."
There was a sudden outcry from the crowd, many angrily demanding why, some wondering what the mysterious word meant, and the rest like Touko, standing in pure confusion.
Pokémon… liberation? Pokémon freedom? How ridiculous. Pokémon were already free; they could leave whenever they wanted, and already did if they did not respect a trainer.
Luna rattled and whimpered from inside the bag, and Touko reached back to unzip it a little more. She just hoped Luna was whimpering because of all the noise around her and not because she understood what this Ghetsis guy was saying.
"Spread the word!" his voice rang out over the crowd. "Pokémon liberation! Tell your friends!"
The plasma grunts behind him began tossing papers up into the air. As they floated down, one fell into Touko's hand. It was… a flyer?
Printed on the bright green paper were the words CONSIDER THE FUTURE… BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! In the middle was the Team Plasma logo, which Touko would probably never forget, and at the bottom in small font was FREE YOUR POKEMONN FROM HARM! RELEASE THEM INTO THE WILD NOW! DOWN WITH POKEBALLS!
Touko honestly couldn't believe what was going on. People had been training and taking care of Pokémon for a very long time, and now they wanted to put a stop to it?
And what did Poké Balls have to do with that?
Then on top of that, their spokesperson was just a huge nutcase who couldn't even explain it properly.
She shook her head. She looked back up at the podium, but Ghetsis and his men were already gone. They moved fast, she guessed.
"That was way too much excitement for one day," she said exasperatedly. At least she didn't have to worry about keeping Luna in the bag anymore, and they could probably head out the gate now.
As she unzipped her bag all the way, Luna jumped up with a loud gasp, her paws over the side of the fabric. She smiled over at Touko after she caught her breath.
"Sorry, Luna," Touko said sadly. "Next time I'll get in the bag and you can stay outside."
Luna cooed happily, though Touko doubted she actually understood her teasing.
"Pokémon liberation…"
She spun around immediately to see who was talking. There wasn't anyone else around her, so she knew the voice was talking to her. "Excuse me?" Was he making some sort of joke? If it'd been any other time Touko probably would've just laughed it off – Luna emerging from the bag being considered liberation – but right now, after the short conference, she wasn't in the greatest mood anymore.
She knew she couldn't have avoided Team Plasma for long in the first place, but she at least wanted to be comfortable on her first day out, especially her birthday.
"Isn't it something to think about?"
This man was persistent. "Yeah, I guess. If you're stupid, anyway."
Touko got a good look at him then. His light green hair almost reminded her of Ghetsis', but everything else was too normal to be associated with him.
He carried a puzzle cube on a chain around his neck, and a black and white hat hid the rest of his hair. Other than that, his clothes were plain and uninteresting.
But for some reason, he found Touko interesting and wanted to annoy her.
After giving him the once-over, she crossed her arms. "You must be pretty stupid, too, if you buy into that garbage."
"Oh, really?" he tried, mimicking her pose. "Then why isn't your Umbreon inside a Ball?"
Touko frowned. He was really starting to get on her nerves. "That's none of your business."
"Has she ever been inside one before?"
"Look, do you want to fight or some – "
"No, that's not what I want at all, really," he reassured her, hands in the air defensively. "I'm just making conversation."
Touko stood her ground, Luna stuck to her side in an offensive stance. "It seems to me you're looking to start trouble."
He frowned now. "I apologize."
She wasn't sure if he did it to make fun of her or actually emphasize his point, but he bowed just like a butler or waiter would.
"All right, all right," she told him, thoroughly annoyed. "Pick your head up before those Plasma guys come back. I don't need them causing trouble."
The man did as he was told, meeting eyes with Touko and looking like an entirely different person.
Touko sighed, calming down a little. "What was with that stupid tough guy act? Is that how you pick up girls?"
He laughed awkwardly and nervously, rubbing his neck. "I'm not sure… Did it work?"
"No."
"Ouch. Flat-out rejection." He cracked his knuckles in front of him, and then looked down at Luna in her guarding stance. He crouched down next to her and stuck out a hand for her to sniff, but quickly retracted it after she tried taking a chomp.
"Do you not remember me? It's been quite a while, I suppose…"
Touko's interest was piqued. "What do you mean?"
She knew she probably couldn't trust this guy as far as she could throw him, but if there was even just an inkling of a chance that he knew something about Luna, then…
The man didn't miss a beat, not leaving Luna's eyes. "Well, normally I expect humans to forget a face after several years pass, but only rarely do I find a creature who forgets me regardless of the time frame. I thought we bonded rather well, too," he told Luna, not surprised when he had to back away.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but Luna's learned the hard way not to trust anyone who approaches me. I can't stop her if something happens."
He seemed to think this over for a moment, playing with the puzzle cube around his neck. Touko didn't know why, but she felt a little nostalgic watching him.
"Do I know you?" she heard herself asking.
He smiled and nodded, getting up to look at her. "What is your name?"
If they knew each other already, wouldn't he remember? "Touko."
"Have you ever been to Kanto, Touko?"
"Kanto?"
She thought for several seconds, trying to remember a time when she had been in Kanto. The only thing that came to mind was her sixth birthday, on –
"The shore of Vermillion," she said, the lightbulb clicking on. "My father won the S.S. tickets through work, and we went there for the summer. I saw you on the beach, looking into that box, and when I got closer I saw the creature nobody wanted."
She didn't understand how or why she couldn't remember this guy before, but there was no mistaking it now. She knew him.
"My parents were shopping at the tourist places so I was alone and scared. I thought they abandoned me or didn't want me anymore or something… I think I was crying. Then I saw you and wandered over there to see what was going on."
"…And then you fell in love with me because of my charm and good looks."
Touko scoffed, snapped from her thoughts because of him. "No. I was six – how does anyone fall in love at that age?"
He shrugged. "I just wanted you to stop repeating the event because we'd be here all day."
She smiled sheepishly. "I guess."
Truthfully she couldn't remember all the details after then anyway, but she could recall getting his "permission" to adopt Luna after some debate about her name. Apparently if a Pokémon already had a nickname, calling it anything else, even just its species name, would confuse it. She accepted it in the end and he told her to be extra careful with her because she'd been through a lot of hardships.
Even though they were just kids (he was probably just a few years older than her) he taught her a lot and she was grateful. But there was one thing he never told her…
"What's your name?"
He smiled. "N."
"N?" Was that another joke?
"It's short for Natural," he said with a chuckle, noticing her irritation. "It isn't exactly a name I would like to be called, so please just call me N."
Touko nodded slowly, trying to take that in. "Well… as grateful as I am to you for introducing Luna to me, I really have to get going. I need to make it to Striaton as soon as possible." She awkwardly tried to hurry along.
N cocked his head. "What's in Striaton?"
"The gym!" she told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If I'm going to be the champion someday, I need to take on all the gym leaders, right?"
She admitted she was a little more out of the loop than normal people her age because of her circumstances, but she knew at least that much; even kids knew that because it was something to aspire towards. So she didn't understand much about Team Plasma or Ghetsis but she made sure to catch up on the basics of the Pokémon adventure.
"Are you going to battle with only Luna?" N asked, looking down at the lone Umbreon. She didn't seem to understand what was going on but at least she wasn't as hostile towards him anymore.
Touko nodded. "The first couple of gyms are easy, anyway. But when I start moving up I'll catch some more." She dug out some Poké Balls from her bag and presented them.
"Touko… Perhaps because Luna loves being outside so much, shouldn't your next Pokémon also travel alongside you?"
She frowned, though she thought about it for a moment. "I guess you're right. If I get too many, though, I'll have to put them away."
"Why don't – no… never mind." N bit his tongue. He smiled when he saw her confused face. "May I travel with you? I am going to Striaton as well."
"That's… strangely convenient, but all right."
She paused for a second before they started walking. "One rule, though," she said warily.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"You have to act like yourself," she spat. "No matter how little we're traveling together, I can't have too much attention drawn to me. I have to be able to trust you, and honestly even though we only met for about an hour back then, I can tell you've changed a lot."
N smirked. "It's been ten years since then. Doesn't everybody change after so many years?"
Luna whimpered beside Touko, knowing from the tones of their voices that an argument would soon follow.
Her trainer caught on, though, and sighed. "Fine, whatever. Just don't get on my nerves or be stupid."
"As you wish, Miss Touko," he said, a bit of snark in his voice. Touko ignored it, and after a few moments his tone sounded serious. "Why are you so worried about attention?"
Touko sighed as they walked. "There's… a lot of stuff regarding my past that I'd rather leave buried right now. If the wrong person hears of my whereabouts, there's no telling what might happen."
"Miss Touko has secrets."
She snapped her head towards him. "Are you always this annoying?"
He simply nodded. "More or less."
Touko groaned and started muttering under her breath. "I shouldn't have talked to you in the first place."
~CGA