Cold air caressed the young trainer's face as he made his way through the busy streets of Castelia city. The city was crowded as usual, the sharp air filled with the noise of conversation. Business people avoided each other's glances as they strolled, preferring the person talking on their earpiece, to the pedestrians around them. Black sighed, conjuring a puff of wispy fog. Life has been pretty dull after all the excitement of the Team Plasma fiasco. He'd beaten Alder an uncountable amount of times, along with the Elites. No Pokémon battle could quiet live up to the ones with N and Ghetsis. Black shook his head at the thought of Ghetsis, with his gaudy clothing and egregious demeanor. Black clearly remembered the condescending sneers he would uphold while having a conversation. Black wondered how anyone could live with such a terrible and corrupted person. N did. Black continued walking around the city, reminiscing about his very recent adventures, and N. The mysterious, kind-hearted, innocent, socially awkward teen. Of course he was all of the above, but that's what made him him. And made him likeable. Black halted for a few seconds trying to erase that thought from his mind. He tried to convince himself that he had meant interesting, but to no avail. So Black had missed N more than he would have a rival or even a friend. He would admit that to no one.
The trainer glanced down at his watch, trying to remember what it was he was supposed to be doing. Groceries. What the heck was he doing in Castelia looking for groceries? I guess that's what happens when you wander around with nothing to do. Tiredly, he pulled a small red pokeball from his back pocket. He had scribbled on top of the ball, in black sharpie, 'Bomberjet'. Since he caught all of his Pokémon in standard issue pokeballs, he needed to differentiate them somehow. He tossed the ball into the air, a red beam shooting out in jagged patterns. Amongst the light, an Unfezant appeared, in all its oddly colored glory. The bird Pokémon ruffled its feathers a bit, happy to be out and unrestrained by the pokeball. The Pokémon glanced at Black a bit angrily as to say 'It's about time'.
"Hehe I guess so." Black said soothingly, running his fingers through the gray feathers of the creature's back. "Ok Let's go"
Problem was that Black had forgotten exactly which city had marketplaces. Without any instructions to act upon, the Unfezant flew aimlessly, confused for what seemed like hours. Occasionally Black would point to a random city, thinking that that was the city with the market, only to change his mind and direct his Pokémon in the completely opposite direction. The Pokémon shook its head as Black yanked it in yet again, another direction. The sun was beginning to set, tinting the sky shades of orange and pink.
"Don't worry buddy, we'll find it soon..." Black spoke comfortingly.
Eventually, they ended up going to Nimbasa. Black had heroically decided that after 3 or more hours of flying, 'screw it, we're eating out tonight'. With his bird tucked away into its labeled pokeball, Black walked through the booths at Nimbasa. There was always some sort of festival here at all times, and with festivals, there were street vendors. Paying an old woman some money, the trainer picked up a soup of some sort and some bread. He'd considered becoming vegetarian after learning what 'chicken' and 'beef' were in the Unova region... but he reconsidered. He munched on his bread eagerly, being extremely hungry after all that air time, absorbed in his thoughts. He was rudely interrupted by someone propelling their body directly into his side. The two bodies tumbled in uncoordinated circles, finally ending in the two being sprawled out amongst the grassy areas of the sidewalk. Of course the soup hadn't gone unharmed, as it lay splattered over the pavement.
"Yo man! Leave me alone!" the other figure screeched scrambling of the Black with the elegance of an elephant. He didn't even bother apologizing after tackling the small boy to the ground. Black sat hands propping his torso off the ground, staring at the strange man who was about to sprint off into the distance. From afar, he could see another figure running casually, towards him and the other man. He wore a hat that covered most of his face, and a heavy winter jacket, accompanied by a fluffy white scarf. As he stood up, he could see the stranger's eyes glisten a brilliant emerald. The other boy stopped gracefully in front of the two, shifting his hands in his pockets.
"I merely wish to convince you to stop eating hotdogs." His voice rang out clearly even amongst the other people holding conversations.
"Dude that's not a reason to sick your Pokémon on me! That's not aight!" the tackler spoke, taking steps back in precaution just in case the jacket wearing stranger did anything.
"Do you wish to know what is in one hotdog? There are about-" but he stopped talking as his audience had left him in midsentence. He turned to Black, staring down at him warmly. He was about a head and a half taller than the young boy, and looked at least 3 years older. He seemed familiar somehow.
"Sorry about him. I guess he does not wish to be enlightened on the subject of his food. Are you hurt at all?" He cocked his head slightly, letting a few strands of hair come loose from his hat. From the low lighting, Black could see the hair was green.
"Nah. I'm fine. I've had much worse." Black said shrugging of the question. He was too busy inspecting the stranger's (or maybe not) face.
"Do I have something on my face?"
"Wha-a? Oh no! No! It's just that... you look like someone I know..." Black stuttered, slightly embarrassed that he had been caught staring.
"Haha. Thanks for noticing. ." The stranger said lightly, chuckling a bit. "I see you are still the same, Black." Black stared at him blankly, not knowing how to respond to the man's familiarity with him. And how exactly did he know his name? Before he could question the man, the stranger removed his hat, releasing a mane of soft-looking green hair. It reached about the small of his back, flaring out at some places, despite having been tucked into a hat.
"Remember me now?" Now did Black feel like an idiot.
"N! Where have you been? It's great to see you!" Black gushed at a million miles an hour. In his excitement he clutched N's shoulders and shook him a bit. Wow he'd gotten a lot taller, but at the same time a bit thinner.
"I have been on the run for a while. You know, because trying to get people to release their Pokémon is not exactly legal." N stated with a smile, though a hint of bitterness was evident in his voice. Black searched N's piercing gaze, and removed his hands slowly. He missed the warmth somewhat though, and rubbed his hands together to try and compensate.
"And exactly where have you been staying while you've been running?" Somehow I doubt any hotels would have let you stay." Black questioned skeptically.
"I have been sleeping on the streets for the past few months. And yes. Hotels do not take fondly to harboring criminals if that is what you mean." N scoffed slightly, starting to pull his hair back into his hat. If the outrageous green hair disappeared, then so did his identity. Black stared at N harshly while he adjusted his hat to fit on his head again.
"So you've been homeless for the last few months?"
N nodded.
"What exactly have you been living off of?" N opened his mouth again to answer but was interrupted by Black saying "Never mind. I don't need to know. Point is you need a place to stay. Wanna stay at my house for a bit?" Black confidently spoke, though his insides twisted with anticipation and anxiety. Had he really just invited a guy who he had just reunited with, and is also a criminal, into his home? What happened to all that this mother said about avoiding strangers. By the wayside apparently. Well he certainly couldn't just leave him out on the streets to eat whatever it is that he eats. That would be cruel and inhumane, not to mention gross. Black battled internally with himself for a few seconds, before looking at N with a confident expression.
"No." N stated sternly.
"Ok come wi- wait what?" Black sputtered incredulously. Had he really just refused his offer?
"I do not want you to get involved with me again. Especially now, since I am practically a fugitive. I do not want you to get hurt because of me." N justified himself stubbornly. Black flushed a little bit, taking words the wrong way like a teenage girl. Well N did just imply that he cared about him.
"Really N. It's no problem. I'm the Pokémon master now. I'm pretty much immune to the law. It'll be fine to have you around." Black smiled warmly, grasping N's wrist. "Now come on."
"I still refuse." N yanked his hand back pouting. "I do not want to trouble you."
"Now you're just being stubborn."
" If I am, so be it."
Black sighed and resorted to rummaging through his bag, pushing aside his other pokeballs to find the one labeled 'Floofy'. When the recipient of compassion refuses your kindness, force your kindness upon them. Aggressively. Oh mom and your life lessons. What I would do without them.
"I guess it won't be so bad housing a felon, if I become one myself." Black shouted dubiously at N as he tossed his Pokémon up in to the air. N's countenance changed from bewilderment to agitation as the red squiggly lines cleared. A cottinee floated atop Black's head, flailing its leafy arms comically.
"Black you would not dare." N spoke quietly, squinting his eyes in disapproval.
"I guess you didn't know me as well as you thought huh? Floofy! Use sleeping powder!" Black dramatically pointed in N 's direction, a line of white powder following his finger. N tried to cover his nose and mouth with his scarf, but in vain, as he had inhaled some in a gasp. Almost immediately N's knees buckled, letting him fall not too gently to the cushy looking concrete. Black walked over to the now unconscious N contemplating his choice. Maybe I'm moving this 'friendship' along too quickly. He shrugged it off casually since he'd already knocked the guy out, and was about to carry him to his home. Somehow. Well it wasn't like he was going to chain him up to the wall or anything at his house. And it wasn't like he had anywhere to go either. Justifying his choice to himself, Black put Floofy back in its ball, having regained its place on its trainer's head, and sent out his Reshiram. Black highly doubted his out-of-shape Unfezant could carry the weight of two people. The gigantic Pokémon shook its head, tossing its white fur mane majestically.
"Hey Cupcake, how you doing?" Black asked his Pokémon, stroking its side. The Pokémon crooned at the attention, nudging Black with its head.
"S-Stop! Cupcake!" Black giggled childishly as Reshiram grabbed his signature hat off his head. "Give it back!" he said starting to jump around to try and reach his head gear. To no avail obviously. The Pokémon let out a chortle-esque sound, throwing the trainer's hat up into the air and catching it again between its teeth. Absorbed in his jumping, Black neglected to notice exactly where he had been jumping to, until he heard oomph! And a sputtering cough. Woops.
"Oh shoot! Sorry N!" The trainer proceeded to jumble the unconscious and not-so-unharmed man in his arms. "Cupcake, we're going to have to keep him with us for a while. I don't care if you don't like him; you're going to have to deal with him. If he does anything weird I'll let you incinerate him, okay?" Black conversed with his Pokémon. The creature merely tossed its head to the side, not happy about having the crazy, weird other trainer around them.
"Could you put him on your back? He's a bit too heavy for me to toss him over." Black suggested, still holding the extremely limp and lightly snoring N. Toss him. Maybe Black should have worded that differently, since Reshiram decided to grab N by the front of his shirt and chuck him into the air. Lifeless limbs flailed helplessly as N's body made its descent towards Earth, before being abruptly stopped by a jaw of teeth. Reshiram teasingly nibbled on the back of N's shirt, the shirt-wearer still sleeping soundly. Somehow. Cupcake snorted as Black clambered upon its back, Black anchoring himself between the being's shoulder blades.
"To home Cupcake! And try not to drop N. He already has trust issues, and I don't think letting him freefall in his sleep will help with that." His plea went ignored and the creature lifted from the ground, incinerating the neatly trimmed grass below.
Meanwhile, the attentive police officer finished off his donut, oblivious everything that had just happened.