Almost ten years have passed since Blue and Red set out on their journey across Kanto, hunting for all the Pokémon in the world. Blue shot to stardom, becoming the Elite Four Champion, until he was beaten by Red. He then became the Viridian Gym Leader, whereas Red retreated to Mt Silver where he continued his training. But what about Leaf? The girl who was following, continuously pushing on with her Pokémon? The girl who everyone forgot? She looked up to the two older boys, pursuing them with all her might, but they left her behind.

Years ago she vanished, not leaving a trace. Now she's back, but something is different. Something happened to Leaf in the past and changed her dramatically. Impossibly strong, but shunning human companionship, she is the exact opposite from the amiable girl from Pallet Town that she once was. Blue is looking for her, haunted by memories, but now the tables have turned and he is the one a step behind.

The man with the green hair and the ridiculous outfit finished his speech with a strong gesture of his arm. He gave a stiff bow, turned on his heel, and left. The group of people who had been standing behind him filed after him in a rigid order. His words seemed to still hang in the air.

Pokemon liberation ... Selfish commands of Trainers ... Pushed around ... Pokémon are different ... Consider the relationship between people and Pokémon.

It was a speech the likes of which none of the audience had heard before. They were to give up their Pokémon? Their trusted friends and dear companions? How was that even possible? No, it was not possible. Of course it wasn't. Pokémon liked to travel with trainers, be put into battles, be levelled up. Didn't they?

Doubt began to inch up the spines of the gathered crowd. People cast glances down at the Poké Balls resting at their hips. Then, with quiet murmurs and hurried steps, they began to disperse.

There were only four people remaining in the town square.

Two boys were standing and having a conversation. One was skinny, with glasses and an expression of contempt for what he had just heard. The other was taller and looked thoughtful. A little way from them, and watching the couple intently, was a third boy. This one had green hair tied in a ponytail and a sharp nose.

The fourth person was standing a short way back and still facing where the man had given his speech. She had wispy hair cut rigidly around her square chin. Warm brown eyes blinked out from behind the stray clumps of hair that had fallen in front of her face. There was a pink coloured Pokémon curled up in her arms. As she stood there, she was stroking its back. The creature's long, forked tail was swaying gently.

"What do we think of that?" the girl asked in a quiet voice.

The creature in her arms gave a soft thrumming purr in response, making the girl nod. Yes, the man's reasoning was flawed. Very flawed. As if Pokémon and Trainers could be separated so easily. He had a lot to learn.

The green-haired boy jerked around, his eyes fixed on the girl. "Your Pokémon... Just now, it was saying..." He tailed off, but took a step forwards. The girl kept stroking the Pokémon in her arms and barely seemed to have heard the other person speak. Instead, the bespectacled boy turned his head.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was thin and reedy, much like his body. "What's this about Pokémon talking? That's an odd thing to say."

The green-haired looked at him and his eyes flashed with disappointment. "Yes, they are talking. Yours are too. So you can't hear them either... How sad." He looked at the boy for a moment, a strange expression on his face. "My name is N."

"My name is Cheren and this is Hilbert." Cheren jerked a finger at the boy beside him who hadn't said a word. "We were asked to complete the Pokédex and we just left on our journey." He paused, and then puffed out his chest. "My main goal is to become the Champion, though."

Neither the girl, nor N paid much attention to this last sentence. N continued speaking, his eyes flicking to the Poké Balls attached to Hilbert's belt. "The Pokédex? So... You're going to confine many, many Pokémon in Poké Balls for that. I'm a Trainer, too, but I can't help wondering... Are Pokémon really happy that way?" He glanced at the girl. "And what is your name?"

The girl didn't answer. She just kept stroking her Pokémon and staring off into space.

N frowned slightly. "Well, never mind. Let me hear your Pokémon again!"

From a back pocket of his trousers, N pulled a Poké Ball which he hurled at the girl's feet. A small, purple cat with a creamy-coloured face appeared in a flash of red. Purrloin. The other two boys stepped backwards, surprise etched across their features. The Purrloin let out a shrill cry, preparing to go to war.

The girl looked down at the creature in her arms. In the same quiet voice as before she asked, "Would you?"

The Pokémon barely stirred. Still purring softly, it gave a minuscule flick of its forked tail.

WHAM!

The shockwaves sent out caused the cat to be hurled backwards. It smashed into the stone ground with a loud thump and fainted, its Hit Points vanishing almost instantaneously. Immediately, the trainer called it back.

"I apologise for that," the girl said. She angled her head, making it obvious that she was speaking not to N but to her Pokémon. "I know it was a waste of PP, I agree."

The creature stirred, then raised its head. A small face, a jewel set in its forehead. Then two large, pointed ears. It sat up in her arms, yawned, and jumped to the ground where it stretched. It was revealed to be a catlike Pokémon, about a metre high, with soft pink fur and a lithe body. Espeon.

"I've never seen a Pokémon like that before." This was that boy Cheren speaking. He stepped forward. "So powerful!"

"You reveal your ignorance," the girl said without looking at him. "This creature is not native to this area, it is true, but it is well known. As for power... It would not take too high level a Pokémon to fend off that attack." She turned her face towards N. "You reveal your ignorance too. You send your Pokémon into a battle without first checking your opponent's strength. Foolish." Her voice was cold, almost freezing the air around her. She gave N a searching look.

N looked away, his grey eyes narrowed. He started talking, but as though they had not interrupted the earlier conversation with a battle. "While Pokémon are still kept in Poké Balls they will never become perfect beings," he said in a low voice. "I have to change the world for Pokémon because they're my friends." He paused and looked as though he was about to say something else, but then turned and strode away without saying anything.

Cheren gave a small snort. "Huh... Strange guy. Pokémon and Trainers need each other! That was pretty cool though." He turned to look at the girl again. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"Well, I'm Cheren and this is Hilbert." Cheren glanced round at the boy beside him. "He doesn't speak much."

"I gathered that."

There was a brief silence during which the girl looked up at the clouds passing over them. Hilbert looked at the girl. Her hair was a light, dusty brown colour and fell to her chin in ragged clumps. She had a small nose, but large eyes, although they had a large amount of bags. She seemed tired, as though she hadn't been to sleep in weeks. And her clothes looked odd for a girl her age: a high-collared black shirt and black trousers, with scuffed grey boots. The clothes were torn in some areas, revealing bronzed skin beneath. Around her waist she had a belt, the belt buckle worn and faded due to years of use. There was a line of Poké Balls at her hip, these too were old and worn. She had been a Trainer for many years, it seemed, but she could not have been much holder than seventeen. That, or the balls and clothes were secondhand.

Almost as if she sensed his eyes on her, the girl glanced at Hilbert. Her gaze seemed to slice straight through him. "You are both new trainers," she stated. "You only got your Pokémon this morning, by the looks of things."

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Cheren asked.

The girl didn't look at him, keeping her eyes on Hilbert. "It's easy to tell a rookie from a professional. When you've seen as much as I have, it's easy to tell some things."

"When you've seen as much as you have?" Cheren repeated.

"You are still painfully weak," the girl continued, "And horrendously ignorant. I suggest you get in some serious training before you go too far." She glanced down at a silver watch on her wrist. "I have to go, I am meeting someone soon. Good day."

She turned to leave, but another voice said, "Wait! Don't we at least get your name?"

The girl turned. It was Hilbert who had spoken. She gave him another long look. The silence became almost tangible. Then, when Hilbert was just about to give up hope, she spoke.

"Leaf. My name is Leaf."

With that, she turned and walked away. The cat walked beside her, its head held high and proud. Soon they were turning into the road out of the city. Here, the land was more rugged and the grass was longer. Wild Pokémon would be wandering through this, ready to be stumbled upon. The girl ignored this, and pulled out a Poké Ball. The creature she released was tall, with wide wings. She picked up her Espeon and climbed onto this new Pokémon's back.

"Fly," she told it. Obediently, it flapped its great wings and took off into the air with a rush of wind.

That had been an enjoyable stop at Accumula Town. Certainly, the speech by that man Ghetsis had been illuminating. A look into the minds of the Unova people, so different to those she was used to. It seemed that, what with being so cut off from the rest of the world, these people had become idiots. Gullible to such an extent that one speech was enough to leave them doubting the bond they shared with their own Pokémon. She would have liked to stop and talk to this Ghetsis, but she didn't have time. That N, he was interesting too. The resemblance between him and Ghetsis was obvious, only a fool could miss it, and yet... N did not seem to share his father's motives. He seemed perfectly innocent, genuinely wanting to give Pokémon a better life. He seemed to honestly believe that Pokémon would be better separated from trainers. Ghetsis, however... Leaf had been in this business a long time to know when someone had goals which were not entirely pure. This man positively reeked of -for want of a better word- evil. She would have to watch out for him.

There was a beeping from a bag strapped to her hip. Without looking down, Leaf pulled out a small phone. The caller ID read "Blue". She looked at this one, small word and let her Pokémon hover in the air. Its great winds beat in a steady rhythm, lulling her thoughts.

Blue...

She could answer the phone. She could talk to him. But doing so would bring back all those memories. His terrified face. The flashing red eyes. The metal restraints which had held Leaf in place while she waited for Blue to arrive. Too many memories. Memories which she should not put him through. Although, perhaps talking to him would be a cathartic thing. Get everything out, help him over it.

Not now though. She had another plan which had to be put into motion before all else. And the first step was to defeat this region's Elite Four. Of course, to gain entrance to the Elite Four she first had to battle Unova's Gym Leaders.

"Tedious," she sighed, slipping the still-ringing phone out of sight. With a small tilt, Leaf directed her steed to a nearby gym town. "Perhaps one of these days I could simply ask them all to line up and let me dispose of them all at once."

In her arms, Espeon purred in agreement.