Touko shivered, her arms coming to wrap around her as she tried to keep warm. "M-Man, wh-when'd Twist Mountain g-get so c-c-cold," She chattered, her breath appearing in front of her as warm puffs of air. She looked around the cavern, her footing cautious as she avoided any ice that had arrived with the coming of winter.
"Alright, almost the-" She was cut off as the sound of paws slapping against the ground accompanied her echoing footsteps. She turned her head around, immediately spotting the small light blue bear loping after her. It stopped a few feet away, its head cocked to the side as it studied her.
"Choo," It growled questioningly, its nose dripping with icy mucus. It inhaled deeply, immediately sucking the substance back into its body. Touko shuddered at the action as she removed a Pokeball from her belt.
"May be cute, but that's gross no matter what," She thought, tossing the Pokeball into the air, "Come on out Dwebble!"
The hermit crab look-a-like popped out of the sphere, landing on the ground feet first, eyes roaming the cavern. "Dweb?"
"Cuboo…" The Cubchoo growled, standing up on its hind legs in an attacking stance. Dwebble noticed this, raising its claws in a menacing manner.
"Alright Dwebble, use Smack Down," Touko shouted, pointing straight at the Cubchoo. Dwebble picked up a nearby rock, immediately throwing it at the enemy. Cubchoo leapt out of the way before charging towards Dwebble, its claws glowing an eerie white.
"Cub," It cried, immediately slashing Dwebble across the face. It continued to attack, Dwebble's claws failing to block to nails from raking into its skin.
"Use Bug Bite while it's still so close," Touko shouted, her voice working to be heard over the clamor of Cubchoo's attack. Dwebble glared, its teeth immediately latching onto the oncoming paw of Cubchoo.
Cubchoo squealed in pain, ceasing its attack as it ran around in circles, waving its paw around to rid it of the immense pain. "Alright Dwebble, use Smack Down now!"
Dwebble grabbed a rock, instantly slamming it down on the Cubchoo's head. Cubchoo's eyes widened as it halted in its running, unsteadily swaying from side to side from the force of the hit. Dwebble released itself, landing a few feet away from the dazed bear.
"Now use Faint Attack," Touko cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Dwebble moved silently until suddenly it was right behind the Cubchoo. The little bear only had a nanosecond to glance back before the crab punched it across the jaw with its claw, sending it flying to the other side of the cavern. It landed with a hard thump, its eyes closed as it sank into unconsciousness.
"Dwebble," The hermit crab announced, raising its claws in victory. Touko cheered alongside him, her face broken in a huge grin. Suddenly, Dwebble's body began to glow a bright white color, almost blinding Touko as she watched in amazement at the process before her.
"No way…He's finally evolving," Touko thought excitedly, her body tense with suspense as she watched it change shape and form.
"Touko, phone for you!"
The evolution immediately halted as Touko jumped, her thumb accidentally brushing against the B-button of her DS. "No! I was so close!" She screeched, staring dejectedly at her screen. Touya rolled his eyes, tossing the phone in her direction.
"Whatever…" He muttered, closing the door behind him. Touko sighed, picking up the phone that had landed in front of her.
"Hello?"
"Oh Touko~! I'm so so so sorry about making you upset," A musical voice rang out, apology practically dripping off of every word the voice spoke. Touko smiled, resting back against the headboard of her bed.
"It's no big deal Bianca; I can always just use a rare candy later on," She said, checking her nails casually, "So what's up?"
"Huh? Oh right," Bianca exclaimed, causing Touko to giggle, "The reason why I called was because I wanted to know if you'd come to the carnival with me~!"
Touko raised an eyebrow. "The carnival's in town? Since when?"
"Well, a few days ago I was walking down the street after an eventful day at the store, and I saw a flyer posted on a telephone pole. And I thought 'Well that looks like fun! I should try to get Cheren and Touko and Touya to come along!' Because you know, things like a carnival aren't as fun when you're all by yourself, especially when you're our age and everyone thinks you're out looking for trou-"
"For Christ's sake, will you get to the point already," Exclaimed a young male's voice in the background. Touko snickered as she practically imagined Bianca giving a sweet yet deadly glare in Cheren's direction.
"Now Cheren, it's not your turn to talk~," Bianca sang, causing dark mutterings to arise from the male, "So anyway Touko, do you want to come?"
Touko sighed. "Well…I don't know…If I go I'll have to bring Touya, and right now he's in trouble with me for a certain prank involving water balloons and syrup."
"Oh pretty pretty pretty please~," Bianca pleaded her eyes practically boring into Touko's with a sorrowful look over the phone, "If it's any bargaining chip, I heard N will be there~"
Touko's face instantly took on a pink tinge. "A-And just how do you know that?"
"Oh, well you know his sister Anthea? Well one day I was out shopping because there was this sale going on and this one shop had the most adorable little pair of shoes that I just had to have because-"
"Make a long story short Bianca," Cheren called out, the irritation evident in his voice as he had to listen to her prattle.
Bianca sighed on the other end. "Well, like Cher-Bear said, to make a long story short, I met Anthea at the sale and we got into a discussion about the shoes. Next thing I know, I'm sitting in the cutest little café with her and we're giggling away like we were born together!"
Touko smiled. "So you basically have an inside informant?"
"Well…To put it that way, yes. But it sounds so sneaky~!" Bianca whined, causing Touko to imagine her stamping her foot.
Touko laughed, "Don't worry, I'll be there."
"So we're meeting where again," Touya asked, popping a large piece of pink cotton candy into his mouth. Touko turned her head to look at him, her body still moving forward as she spoke.
"They said to meet up at the Nimbasa Rollercoaster," Touko said, turning her attention back to the map, "Wherever the heck that is…"
Touya's eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. "The Nimbasa Rollercoaster is here?"
Touko raised an eyebrow. "Yeah why? Just another mechanical thrill ride."
Touya snorted, waving his hand dismissively as he sped up his pace. "To a mere enjoyer of the rides, it may be just another rollercoaster; but to me, a connoisseur of all thrill rides of every size and shape, it is a masterpiece!"
"Oh really," Touko asked, a hint of boredom at his speech evident, "And what makes it so special?"
"Nothing much, besides the fact that you can choose your own course while riding in the car," Touya said, placing stress upon the last fact, "In all reality, you could actually spend hours just riding that one ride!"
"But I'm assuming people haven't?"
"Mostly because they kinda get a little nauseous after a while."
Touko snickered, "Sounds reasonable enough. So I guess we should just look for-"
"Oh Touko~," Bianca's voice sang, immediately catching both their attention. The two turned their heads towards the direction of her voice, immediately catching sight of Bianca's large green hat. Next to her stood two others; a young male with short, black hair and glasses and a female with long pink hair in a white summer dress.
"Who's the pink chick," Touya asked in a hushed whisper as they headed towards them.
"I'm assuming that's Anthea," Touko replied in the same tone of voice. Touya stared at her incredulously.
"You've never known who's who in his family?"
"Well…I've never really seen them in the light of day, and he's never mentioned them!"
"But still, that's something you've gotta know!"
"What's something you have to know," Anthea asked, hearing them clearly when they were closer to them. Touko and Touya stiffened, both snapping their heads up to face her, their faces tinged red with embarrassment at being caught.
"O-Oh nothing!"
"Y-Yeah, just some stupid thing between us siblings!"
"Isn't it amazing how twins can practically mimic each other," Bianca whispered to Cheren, awe in her eyes. Cheren sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Bianca, it's not a twin thing; they were just whispering about something that they don't want Anthea to hear." He explained, hands shoved back into his pockets. Bianca went wide eyed, pulling away and staring at him in shock.
"No way! Really?"
He sighed. "Please don't make this any more painful than it has to be…"
Anthea smiled, a slight giggle escaping from her lips. "Really, if you're discussing me then I'm quite fine with it; after all, the mysterious sibling of a mysterious person must seem…Well, mysterious."
"Uh yeah…Hehe…" Touya said, rubbing the back of his neck. Touko just stared at the ground, her face red as her shoes kicked the dirt. Anthea smiled, her pink eyes shining with a gentle light.
"Speaking of mysterious people," She began, causing Touko to glance at her, "My brother should be awaiting your arrival at the Ferris Wheel, Touko."
"Ooh, a Ferris wheel," Bianca squealed, her hands clasped together, "How romantic~!"
"B-Bianca," Touko shouted, her face turning red. She turned her attention back to Anthea, smiling at her. "Thank you for the information. I'll head over there right now." She said, beginning to run in the direction of the ride. Anthea waved, a smile still spread upon her face.
"It was nice meeting you Touko!"
"Ah…Almost…there…" Touko thought, her breath coming out in pants as she finally reached the Ferris wheel. She bent forwards, her hands resting on her knees as she scanned the area for the obvious green hair and black cap.
"Ugh…Ran all the way here, got hot and sweaty, and he's not even here," She muttered, standing up straight, "Talk about a lack of manners."
"Well then, shall I show the princess proper chivalry," A voice asked from behind her. Touko smiled, turning around to see N standing there, his hands in his pockets.
"Hmm…I dunno," She said, a finger tapping her chin in mock thought, "It'd be some stiff competition you're up against. Think you can handle it?"
He smirked, walking towards her until he was directly in front of her, "I think I can manage."
"Oh really," She asked, her eyebrow raised in question as her own smirk flit across her face. N chuckled, the smirk melting into a smile at her attitude.
"Always the independent princess, huh Touko?"
"Well somebody's got to be; otherwise you've got a bunch of blonde bimbos running the joint."
"Well, no argument there," N stated, grasping her hand as he walked towards the Ferris wheel, "But maybe, just for this ride, you can be a little dependent?"
Touko blushed lightly, smiling at his question. "Hmm…Might have to consult the royal counsel on that, but I think it can be arranged."
"Good," N said, handing the operator their tickets as Touko stepped into the carriage, "Because I wasn't going to take any other answer."
Touko giggled as N sat opposite of her in the car. The operator shut and bolted the door, making sure that it wouldn't suddenly fly open at the height of the ride. "Enjoy your ride you two," He said, pushing a button that immediately sent the two rising into the air. Touko glanced out the window, watching as the distance between the ground and they grew larger and larger with each second.
"From up here, everything looks so…small," She murmured, resting her head against her arm, "Almost makes the hustle and bustle of life seem insignificant."
N nodded, his own eyes cast out towards the horizon. "And yet, without that hustle and bustle, we wouldn't be able to enjoy views such as this as easily as we can, just by sitting in a small carriage on a never-ending wheel."
Touko looked over at him, her eyes brimming with curiosity at his statement. He chuckled, pointing towards the horizon instead of giving an answer. Touko followed the direction of his hand, her eyes widening as she caught sight of the scene before her.
"It's…It's beautiful…" She gasped, her entire being transfixed by the landscape. The sun was slowly beginning to set on the horizon, casting a light pink hue mixed with a vibrant orange across the landscape; shadows of houses, stall, rides, and people danced and mingled with each other, creating a patchwork of shades upon the slowly darkening ground. As the sun continued to set lights of all colors began to flicker on, adding a dash of ethereal aura to everything that fell in the lights path. Touko closed her eyes, allowing for her senses to soak it all in; her consciousness floating backwards in time as the intoxicating scent of summer carried her away.
"Touko…I've gotta tell you something…" A young boy said, no older than ten at the time. His messy green bangs hung in his face, effectively hiding his green eyes from the young girl's sitting across from him. Her blue, innocent eyes were filled with curiosity, her tongue not ceasing its work on the ice cream that she held in her sticky hands.
"What is it N," She asked, her six year old voice filled with questions. N balled his hands into fists, glancing away from her and out at the horizon instead.
"I-I…" He stammered, eyes searching the horizon wildly before finally blurting it all out, "We can't be friends anymore!"
Touko cocked an eyebrow, her head tilted to the side. "Huh? Why not?"
"Um…Well…" N stalled for time, trying to quickly search for an answer not at all related to the truth, "Well, because we're just too different! I mean, you're a girl, and I'm a boy!"
"But Cheren's a boy too, and he's one of my bestest best friends ever," Touko piped up, her voice filled with a challenging authority, "So that's not a good answer at all!"
N bit his lip, trying to search for another argument. "I can't tell her the truth…Can I," He thought, his desire to tell the truth almost overpowering his previous choices, "Can I really tell her that none of this is my decision?"
"N," Touko's concern filled voice broke through his thoughts. He looked up only to be met with shining blue eyes; eyes filled with worry, concern, friendship, and a pure yet naïve desire to help. As he looked into those eyes, he finally came to his decision; that he must protect those eyes at all costs, even if it cost him dearly.
"Just get away from me," He shouted, pushing her away, "I hate you!"
The sudden jerking of the ride coming to a halt snapped Touko out of her memories, the reality of the present rushing back to her in an instant. She glanced over at N as he stared at her amusedly, completely unaware of her inner thoughts.
"For a second there I thought you had actually fallen asleep on me," He said, a vague hint of teasing in his voice. Touko smiled slightly, nodding as she swallowed to fight back the pain the memories had brought.
"Y-Yeah…" She mumbled, her eyes averting themselves back to the scenery. N raised an eyebrow, immediately noticing her change in behavior.
"What's wrong," He asked, causing her to jump slightly. She immediately looked at him, a forced smile plastered onto her face in an attempt to throw him off.
"N-Nothing, just a little bit of sleepiness I guess," She said, rubbing the back of her neck, "You know, maybe I really did just doze off there for a minute or so."
He sighed, his gaze so focused on her that she began to feel uncomfortable. "I know that you're lying Touko; tell me what's wrong."
She sighed, looking down at her lap instead. "Y-You'll think it's stupid, and it's really not a big deal…"
"Try me; I've heard some pretty stupid, insignificant things in my life."
She smiled at his comment, taking a deep breath before coming clean. "It was…I was just…remembering."
He raised an eyebrow. "Remembering what?"
She squirmed, a light pink dusting her face as she spoke. "You know…When we were younger and rode the Ferris wheel, and…yeah…"
Realization dawned on him as he finally understood what had upset her. "Why didn't you say something? You know I would've been fine with going on any other ride if this one specifically upset you."
Touko smiled at his kind words and gesture. "I wasn't thinking, or maybe I thought it wouldn't come to me…Or maybe, I was just so happy being able to see you again that it never even crossed my mind."
N nodded, watching her as she vaguely wiped at her eyes, ridding them of whatever tears they may have at the ready to fall. "Well then, allow me to make it up to you then; for the rest of the night, you'll be in charge of what goes on."
Touko looked up, surprise evident on her face. "The rest of the night? As in, from the time we get off this to when we leave?"
He shrugged. "I trust you; unless of course you're about to give me reason not to," He added, smirking at her. She huffed, cheeks puffed out indignantly at his comment.
"I am trustworthy," She stated, glaring lightly at him. He chuckled, the ride slowly reaching the station again.
"I know you are," He stated, hopping out of the car. He helped her out of the car, hand grasping her own as she hopped out as well. The two walked together, neither in any rush to go anywhere or do anything in particular.
"Hey…N," Touko began, glancing down at the ground. N turned towards her, a questioning look crossing his face as he did.
"Yes," He asked, prompting her to go on.
"Well…" She began, fiddling with her fingers as she searched for the right words, "I guess…thank you is all I can really say."
"'Thank you'?"
"Yeah…I mean, when I'm upset like back on the Ferris wheel, you try to make me feel better. And, you know, it usually works, so…thank you."
He smiled. "You're welcome, Touko."
Touko cried on her bed, her knees brought up to her chest as she buried her face in her arms and legs. "He hates me, he hates me, he actually hates me," She thought, the phrase running through her mind like a mantra. Each time it ran through the tears fell harder; the ache in her chest at losing a close friend made more painful with each passing second.
She sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Oh...who needs boys anyway," She muttered, hands balled into tiny fists, "They have cooties anyway!"
A light tapping sound was heard outside her window, causing her to look towards it. "What in the world…" She thought, getting up out of bed and running towards it. When she reached it, her eyes widened in surprise before turning into a hard glare. She opened it, her eyes glaring daggers at N's own pleading ones.
"What do you want," She spat, her arms crossed over her chest, "Come to tell me my hair is stupid too?"
N looked down, guilt filling his chest as he heard her words. "No…I just…I just wanted to apologize."
"Apologize," She repeated, her mind appalled at the thought of forgiving him, "Why should I even think about forgiving you?"
He looked at her, his eyes filled with hurt, practically begging her to listen; it took all she had to not hand out forgiveness right then and there. "Because what I said back there…It was because this is all so complicated, and I don't want you upset, and…and it was all just a really big misunderstanding!"
"Didn't want me upset," She repeated again, surprised at his choice of words, "You thought telling me that you hated me wouldn't upset me?"
N looked down, a shameful red tinge on his face. "I just…I just needed something effective…"
"Well, it was effective; now bye ex-friend," She stated, putting extra stress on the –ex. Just as she was about to close the window, N tossed a black package into the room, immediately halting her actions as she stopped to catch it. Her eyes widened as she stared at the stuffed toy in her arms; its glossy yellow and red eyes staring back at her from a black fur coat.
"You're giving me Poochyena," She asked incredulously, staring back up at him, "But why? He's like your favorite Pokemon in the whole wide world right now!"
N shrugged, still staring at the ground. "Well…I figured, even if you didn't accept my apology and plea for friendship again, you could at least have Poochy to spend time with. Or…destroy," He said, practically choking on the last word. Touko's eyes softened as she stared at him, finally coming to her own decision.
"Wait right there," She said, running into the depths of her room. N tried to see what she was doing, moving his head in all directions before finally giving up. When she returned, his own eyes widened as she shoved her own stuffed toy towards him.
"I can't take this; you absolutely adore Torchic," He said, staring at the small orange chicken held before him. Touko looked to the side, her face slightly pink as she did so.
"Well…I figure, if you're going to give me Poochy, then you might as well take Torch too; that way, we can still be friends even if we're not seeing each other a lot." She said shyly, her eyes darting upwards to meet N's.
N's face broke into a huge grin as he processed what she said. "So…does this mean you forgive me, and that we're friends again?" He asked, cautiously taking the Torchic from her grasp.
Touko nodded a small smile on her face. "Just make sure that you let me know next time when you're trying to protect me."
N nodded, giving her a small salute. "Will do!" He said, imitating a soldier's deep voice as he accepted her command. Touko giggled slightly, causing a chain reaction of laughter as N joined in; soon the star filled night was filled with the melody of their reunion.
A/N: So someone asked me to continue this, and lucky for them I actually had a few ideas roaming my brain after writing "the oneshot". So, this shall be an actual story, although it may seem a little..disjointed? Not good like my other works? Yeah, those are the words/phrases; I'm not really used to writing legit chapter stories without cliffhangers. XD Anyway, updates shall be sporadic at best, but it shall be updated! So thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, and leave a review to receive a Pokemon plushie! Until next time, JAA MATA
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Otherwise, the games would be far more pairing oriented then they are at the moment.