Chapter 2: The Trouble with Emotions

Iris sighed and leaned against the trunk of the tree she was sitting in. She had a lot on her mind, but not enough time to actually think. She would never admit it, but she was secretly sick of her daily life. Travelling and training, that was all she seemed to be destined for. Sure, it was fun at times, but it still left much to be desired.

"Iris, are you okay?" Came Cilan's voice from below her. She looked down and smiled, waving at him. To her, meeting Cilan was the best part of her entire journey. Sure, they would argue frequently, and were exact opposites, but it didn't really matter. He was currently her best friend in Unova, and nothing was about to change that.

"I'm fine, Cilan. Just thinking about unimportant stuff." She half-lied. It was only a half-lie, because she really was thinking, but what she had been thinking about was incredibly important to her. She jumped down from her spot in the large tree and landed perfectly on her feet next to him.

"Well, just remember that I'm always here if you need someone to talk to, okay?" He reminded her,"Anyway, Ash has just finished packing up. We're going now."

Iris looked up at him, confused. Usually they would spent time to train their Pokemon and have fun while on a route, so why was he so eager to go now, of all times? It just didn't feel right to leave so soon after they entered the route.

"Hey, Cilan? Why are we leaving so early?" Iris quizzed,"I mean, usually we take our time, and it kinda doesn't feel right to be leaving so soon..."

"The answer to your question is simple. The Pokemon league tournement is starting soon, and we wouldn't want to miss that, now would we?" The older teen explained. Iris nodded quickly in agreement. The Pokemon League tournement was a very important event for trainers, and nobody in their right mind would want to miss it. His answer certainly explained a lot.

"Iris, Cilan, come on!" Ash shouted,"We're gonna be late if you two don't move it!"

The two teens smiled fondly at their younger friend. Ash was always so childish and bubbly, and was rarely ever mad or upset. He could make anyone smile, and could turn even the deadliest task into a simple walk in the part. That was just how Ash worked, and nothing could change that.

"Alright Ash, we're coming! Just wait up, okay?" Cilan shouted. He turned around and offered his hand to Iris, who took it with a slight blush. They then broke into a run, desperate to catch up to their friend.

'Why did I accept his offer? I can run perfectly by myself!' Iris thought to herself,'Then again, maybe I do have a tiny crush on him. Of course, I'd never say that out loud."

Iris was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Cilan's hand let go of her's. She then realised how natural it felt, holding his hand. She quickly shook her head to rid herself of that thought.

'NO!I do not have a crush on him!' She hissed in her thoughts,'This is so childish!'

"Iris, look out!" She heard Cilan shout. She turned round to see what he was talking about, only to have her face slammed against a tree.

"Too late!" Ash chuckled, only to receive a light smack on the back of the head.

"Guys, look! Look where we are!" Iris shouted. Sure enough, they could see a huge building somewhere in the distance. They turned their attention to the space in front of them, only to see another building, set up to look like gates.

"We're almost there. Let's go." Cilan said, his voice firm.

And there's chapter two! This chapter is the first chapter I've uploaded this year, and I hope you like it! This may seem like it's moving on too fast, but this is moving slowly compared to some things I have in my notebooks. I'd also like you to note that this has character death in later chapters, so be prepared.

Happy new year, everyone!

~Star~