Hi there! Just a cute little Ferriswheelshipping two-shot coming your way! Inspired by the song Home by Phillip Phillips. Sorry about the terrible summary as well. Woops.

Enjoy!

~Hold on, to me as we go. As we roll down, this unfamiliar road.~

Home

"Look N, A Pikachu!" White squealed, dashing off into the forest after the small yellow rodent without a backwards glance.

N skidded out of his standing position and flew after her. Even though he'd been all alone on his journey throughout Unova, he felt scared when the girl wasn't with him. He didn't know if it was because it was a new region, because he was afraid he would get lost, or even because he just didn't want to be away from her. All he knew was that now, the instant he was left on his own, he felt uneasy.

His long legs easily matched her strides and before he knew it he had caught up to her, without even breaking a sweat.

The small brunette was now on the forest floor, rolling around with the yellow creature who seemed overjoyed that it had found a playmate. It squeaked out its name and N could almost see White's heart melt. He knew what the Pokémon had said of course. In all reality it was commenting that her hair smelled weird but White had taken it as an open invitation to catch the electric type.

"Go, Pokeball!" she called, chucking the red and white ball at the small and now bewildered mouse Pokémon.

N cringed as the Pikachu's eyes widened with surprise. He still didn't like it when Pokémon were captured and packed into those tiny contraptions. Yes, White had won their battle. Yes, he knew he should feel better about it since their battle had decided whose ideals were right. But somehow he still didn't.

Pokeballs, training, battles. All of them still seemed cruel to N. He knew that his battle with White had been the ultimate answer; proving that keeping and training Pokémon was in fact still the right thing to do, but N still had his lingering doubts.

White pranced over to his side, a smile the size of Kanto scrawled across her face.

"Wasn't he cute?" she asked, turning the ball holding the rodent over in her hands.

"Uh," N grunted, forcing a smile onto his face. "Yeah, I guess so."

White frowned, her eyes narrowing. "You still don't like it when I catch Pokémon do you?"

N contemplated for a moment on whether or not to tell the truth. He knew all White wanted was to show him that the way she and everyone else treated Pokémon was fine. And he could tell she was getting more and more frustrated by the day when time after time he still protested against it.

"No," he said quietly, looking at the ground.

White let out a loud sigh. "Oh come on, N! That's what this whole trip was supposed to be about. We said we'd go to Hoenn and then you'd be able to see other people with Pokémon and realize that we all aren't just fire-breathing, Pokémon-abusing, monsters."

N couldn't help but crack a grin. She really was on her last straw. She was cute when she was angry.

"I know you aren't a monster White, it's just…" N trailed off, looking to the Pokeball that still resided in her hand. "I just don't think he wanted to be captured, that's all."

White glanced down to the Pokeball in her hand as well, squinting at its shiny surface.

"Here," she said, throwing the ball into the air. It exploded in a bright flash of light and on the ground slowly appeared the same Pikachu.

It shook its fur out, blinking a few times as it surveyed its surroundings before glancing up at White. It was obvious the moment it realized that she was its trainer. A wide smile broke out across its face as it dashed up her leg and perched itself on her shoulder, rubbing on the side of her head with its cheek in glee.

N's eyes widened as he watched the blatant show of affection. It was a far cry from the expression on its face when it had been caught.

The Pikachu settled down after a few moments and glanced at N in interest, its beady black eyes holding nothing but pure curiosity. It didn't hold an ounce of sadness in its stare, the emotion N had expected.

"See, look N. He's happy," White said, reaching up and ruffling the Pikachu's fur lightly.

N nodded halfheartedly.

"Pokémon want to be with trainers N! I figured you would know that by now. Sure they might be a little frightened when a stranger just walks up to them and chucks a ball at their face, but they grow to love their caretaker. It's the balance of nature." White reached forward and placed her right hand against his cheek.

His eyes were trained on hers in an instant as a slight warmth coursed through his face. Throughout the week they had been in Hoenn she hadn't shown any signs of affection. She had been more than a little giddy in Unova, always running up to hug him and playing around as if they were a couple, but the minute they went on the trip to Hoenn she had changed. N could tell that she truly meant business. It was her new top priority to get him to see things her way. And so the small affectionate gesture took him by surprise.

"N, I know you've been taught differently, but you have to believe me. The bond between a trainer and Pokémon is beautiful and important. They don't battle because we force them to, they battle because they want to. They want to make their trainer proud."

N frowned almost immediately, any hint of the blush he had had now gone.

White sighed and took her hand away from his face, glancing up at the sky. "Well, it's getting late. I had hoped to make it to the next city today… but I guess that's not gonna happen."

N nodded, not exactly hearing what she had to say. His mind was still on what she had said before. Pokémon wanted to battle to make their trainer's proud? He could imagine it. White's Samurott was always a bit battle-happy, always wanting to challenge any trainer that came along. N's Zoroark was similar. Although it wasn't exactly pining after battles, the minute it was in one N could sense its mood change; it was extremely happy when it battled.

A small jab of pain raced through N's heart. He remembered the other side of the spectrum. Pokémon hurt by battles, struggling for breath. Sure they wanted to battle, but that didn't meant it was good for them.

He sighed, taking off his hat and combing his fingers through the mass of hair. He knew White was right, to a point anyway. He couldn't deny the happy looks that Pokémon had when with their trainers, but that didn't mean that they had to be confined in such tiny spaces, or made to fight one another.

"Hey, Mr. Spaceout. How about some help?" White asked as she struggled with a pole to their tent, a bit of humor in her voice.

N hadn't even noticed her move but quickly shuffled over to her side, whipping the tent together in less than a minute.

White dropped to her knees the instant the tent was finished, the Pikachu still perched on her shoulder squeaking out in surprise as it held on for dear life. The brunette scooted into the tent just as fast. N didn't see any remainder of her until a hand poked out of the tent, motioning for him to come inside. The hand then disappeared just as quickly.

N chuckled as he ducked into the tent. White did always like her sleep. And she didn't take kindly to anyone taking any of it away from her. Whether it meant waking her up early, going to bed late, or nudging her in the middle of the night; the result was always the same: A slap to the face.

N crawled in carefully, zipping it up behind him before plopping down next to White who was already half asleep in her sleeping bag. The Pikachu was happily curled up on her bag, small and high-pitched snores squeaking out every few seconds.

N paused for a moment, watching her face. It was so peaceful, not a care in the world seen in her expression. In that moment everything they had been talking about escaped N, his mind now solely on his traveling partner. And he decided to ask a question that had been bothering him since they had left Unova.

"White," he whispered, gently shaking her shoulder.

Her arm, as if guided by an otherworldly force, flew out and hurtled toward N's head. He ducked swiftly, expecting the movement ahead of time and White's arm kept moving until it was back where it had started, at her side, almost looking like a helicopter blade as it sliced through the air.

She grunted and opened one eye. "What?"

N grinned and stifled a few chuckles as he asked his question. "Why have you been acting so different since we left?" The question flew like a bullet and his confidence was gone just as quickly as her other eye opened and her head shot up.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"U-uh," he stuttered. "You know. You've been kinda serious lately, and we haven't gotten to, uh, do any of the stuff we normally do."

White cocked an eyebrow, "What do we normally do?"

"I don't know," N muttered, his entire face heating up. He had no idea how to word it. "Here!" he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at the space between their sleeping bags. "This. This used to never be there."

White looked down at the bottom of the tent and then back up to N. "The tent?"

He pursed his lips. He could tell she was making this difficult for him as a smile cracked across her face. "You know what I mean. We used to sleep so close you couldn't fit a piece of paper in between. And now… this," he said, gesturing to the one foot gap.

"If you wanted to sleep in the same sleeping bag all you had to do was ask," White said in a deeply sarcastic tone as she began to crawl out of her bag.

N hadn't exactly meant for it to end like that but he had to admit he wasn't going to protest. He wanted an answer as to why she had been so distant lately, but as she shimmied her way into the bag he didn't make a peep of a complaint.

"Better?" she asked, her eyes already drooping. She was smashed against him and he could already feel the body temperature heating up the tent just due to the close proximity.

"Yeah, I guess…" he trailed off, scooting down next to her and tentatively wrapping his arms around the girl. "But it still doesn't answer my question."

"And what was that question again?" White muttered against his chest.

"Why have you been so serious lately?" N stated. He wanted to make it as clear as possible.

There was a long pause and N for a moment feared she wouldn't answer. But after a few minutes ticked by he felt her head move as she looked up to his face.

"I just want to convince you, that's all."

Again, any playfulness he had somehow coaxed out of her instantly vanished.

"I just think you'd be so much happier if you believed the way I do. If you just let go of the past and focused on what's happening now, and what our battle proved."

N blinked, looking down at White as she gazed up at him with sad eyes. He wanted to believe the way she did as well. But he knew he just couldn't still condone all of the fighting. Sure during the week they had spent so far in Hoenn he had grown a lot. He had witnessed countless Pokémon and countless people and Pokémon having fun with one another and getting along flawlessly. He had even pretty much gotten past the fact of Pokémon capture, minus the tiny balls that is. But he just couldn't see a reason why Pokémon should fight. And that's all it seemed trainers did these days.

"Hey, I know!" A sudden burst of loudness from White made N jump and refocus his thoughts.

"What?"

She grinned, "I have someplace to take you. I think you'll like it."

N felt a wave of hesitance wash over him as she grinned to herself. If it involved battling again he would just up and leave. She had dragged him to countless places that she thought would be good for him. Gyms, training schools, Pokémon Centers… the list went on and on and in each place battling was always a key aspect.

N knew White saw the hesitant look on his face as she spoke up.

"Trust me, N. I think you'll really like this one."

He glanced back down at her again. Her brown eyes were sparkling with anticipation and excitement and once again those orbs melted his heart.

He nodded in agreement. He'd go along with anything she said, as long as she was the one saying it.

"Thank you!" she squealed, springing upward and crushing her lips to his. The small and jubilant kiss only lasted for a second and yet N felt lightheaded. His lips were on fire, even after she pulled away and settled back down to go to sleep, her arms now wrapping around him as well.

He glanced down at her with a dazed expression and smiled.

"That's what I missed most," he said, a stray chuckle that sounded more like a giggle passing through his still parted lips.

He saw a smile stretch across her face and even though her eyes were closed he knew she was very happy.

He settled down next to her, his brain still on a high. Whatever she had planned the next day he would go along with without protest. He trusted her. And it was because he trusted her, and loved her, that he would open his mind to possibilities in the world around him he would have never considered before. He trusted her to fix him.

~And although this wave, is stringing us along. Just know you're not alone.~

So what did ya think of it? I hope you liked it! Stay tuned for the second half! :D

~Foxtail-chan