"Thank you so very much again, Touko! There should be more kind trainers like you!" the Lenora called as she walked back through the Pinwheel forest.
Touko flopped down onto the bed of tiny white flowers beneath her, which seemed to glow in the dim light. This part of the forest was so lush, dark and green. A sight breeze rustled the leaves above, bringing more cold air to the already slightly frosty forest. So quiet. She took of her white cap with the pink Pokeball symbol on it and undid her ponytail, letting her dark chocolate colored hair fall loose around her. "Oh. Hello."
Touko shot up into a sitting posture to face the voice. To her utter surprise, it was N. He stood at the entrance of the clearing, his long minty green hair moving subtly in the breeze, and his dark blue-gray eyes looking at her from under his gray cap.
She relaxed a little bit. "It's you, N." She slowly eased herself back to the position she once was. N joined her.
"Isn't this forest so beautiful?" She began excitedly, "And this clearing - it's so wonderful! I can barely hear them here…uh! She gasped when she realized what she said.
N started, shocked too. "What did you say?"
"Never mind that." she utter quickly, sitting up. "How's freeing the Pokemon going?"
"I can't convince them." he said, sitting up too. "I need more power."
"I don't think what you are doing is right, N."
"What? So, you think the humans should capture the Pokemon? Enslave my friends?
"Well, yes and no." she said, looking at the mossy ground. "If you try to release the Pokemon, there is a chance that someone bad will come and capture it. They will abuse it, and act cruel toward it. That is enslavement. But….if more kind, gentle, and good people have them….I think everyone should be kinder to their Pokemon, and to listen to them. But, not everybody can, can they?" she said, hugging her knees close to her chest.
"Wait, Touko, are you saying-"
"Maybe what I am saying is wrong, but pokemon need to be looked after. They're here so we can take care of them, aren't they? And I don't want someone abusing them. I want to make the world a gentler, quieter place."
"Touko, you can hear them, can't you?
Touko was silent. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out were small gasp and noises. She merely sighed and collapsed back down onto the flowers, gazing up at the trees. She barely noticed how close N was, or how he was only staring at her, with a glazed expression of longing.
Suddenly Touko bolted up onto her feet, causing N to squeak out of surprise.
She giggled. "Well, I must be going. I'm off to Casteila City!"
"Wait, Touko." N said, brushing the flowers off of himself, "I'm heading that way too."
"You want to come with me? Sweet! Let's go!" She grabbed N's head and then proceeded to drag him out of Pinwheel forest.
"Touko, you don't have to pull me." N struggled to say as she tugged him along.
"I'll let go when we get there!"
N laughed, a small smiling forming on his lips.