Wow, I never anticipated such an overwhelmingly positive response! Thanks so much, everyone, I really appreciate it! I can't promise every other day updates, but I will try to update as I hit the scenes with N in my game as quickly as possible. I've started a connected fic from Touko's side of things called, "Crazy" as well, just because I can't make things easy on myself and just do one perspective, it seems. /laughs. So some events you see here may not happen over in her story, and some things you do see here will be further elaborated on in her tale and vice versa.
As a side note, if people think I'm bashing Cheren, please don't! I don't see N caring much for Cheren in the least and am pretty much playing it up for laughs and because I see it in his personality. I personally adore the tsundere brat. Sorry about the format for last chapter as well, I tend to write in centered format, as it looks nicer to me and apparently helps me write/get my thoughts together. I'll try to remember to convert it when I'm done!
My plans are going well.
There's been an increase, according to my subordinates, in the number of people joining our cause. This pleases me, as it means more of my friends are being released back to their own world, where they never should have been taken from to start. I've made a mental note to go look into some of the locations the Pokemon were freed to, that way I'm able to make sure they're all doing okay, and to let them know they'll always be safe from any human harm.
I'm in Nacrene City now, though I'm puzzled as to how they can call it a 'city' when it's really nothing more than a bunch of warehouses being converted into something barely resembling an appropriate living establishment. I'm going to assume it's because they pour so much of their money into that precious death trap they call a Pokemon Gym.
Makes me sick even looking at that place, I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the fact that there's a lot of potential new members just waiting to be discovered. Some of the 'starving artists' are actually pretty good, I've realized as I wander through building to building, maybe I can help them with a donation and they can do a painting of me as the Hero of Unova to hang up later.
That actually sounds pretty cool, and there was that one painting I really liked by that artist in that left building there by the forest...
Wait.
Did... Did I just see her again? That girl with happy Pokemon and pure eyes, what reason would she have to come here?
I quickly pick my way through several of the little back alleyways, easily climbing over the fences like I used to back when I was a child. It was great fun, especially when one of my friends needed to be rescued and we escaped together. It was good hero training, and I've kept myself in good shape, just like a hero should be. Peering around the corner, I notice that she's heading into the Pokemon Center. I can't make out their voices from here, but the look on her face is a little worrying.
I hope no one is hurt.
I frown slightly at that thought. I'm not fond of Pokemon Centers either, their intentions are honorable, I know that much. But they should really encourage the people who visit to let their Pokemon go, or should just take them away from bad people and release them once they're fully recovered. After a few minutes, I decide I'm going to investigate, just for a little bit to make sure her Pokemon are okay. I've mastered the art of not being noticed when I don't want to be, even if I am really tall and tend to stick out a lot.
Thumbing through the pages of a random magazine in one of the stands, I listen carefully to one of the pink haired nurses as she calls out the girl's name. Touko stands up and heads for the counter with four balls held protectively against her chest and stomach.
They say something I can't quite make out, but the sense of urgency and overwhelming concern on her face bothers me. The nurse nods and gives her what's supposed to be a reassuring pat on the shoulder before accepting the prisoners and taking them to be healed like just anything that comes in.
I want to be angrier about it, but watching her face... I can't bring myself to hate her. She's clearly beating herself up about something and trying not to show it as she dejectedly slumps down in a chair and stares at something for a couple minutes.
The nurse comes back out just as I'm about to go wander over there and see what she's doing, maybe tell her more about my dream and ask her if she wants to join as one of my subordinates and stands in front of her, not looking happy. I'm not liking what that probably means; I may have misjudged her, or her eyes were lying to me, just like I've seen others' do before.
"Honestly, what would your mother say if she saw you like this?" The nurse asks, sounding stern and incredulous at the same time, hands on her hips as she scolds Touko. I'm almost waiting for her to- there we go, now she's shaking her finger like I was expecting her to. I kind of want to laugh about it, but the looks on their faces are too serious for me to find it all that funny. "They're all completely fine, though they're wanting nothing more than to come out and see you, as you are the one they're worried about."
...they were what?
My thought was pretty much the exact look on her pretty- and dirty, why didn't I notice that before?- face. "W-What do you mean? They were acting like something was really, really wrong. They're not hurt? I mean, Purrloin was about to go over one of the ledges and then Luka went after him and started g-going over," Great. She's about to cry now, can't that lady see? Her eyes are nearly glowing with tears, it's almost pretty, in a very sad way. "I tried to g-grab both of them and then I started going over before Amath-thea tried to grab the back of my vest and lose her balance."
Sniffling now, she's trying too hard to be brave. I watch her hands clench into fists as she glares angrily down at her knees, or at the floor, I'm not sure which right now. "And then Snivy tried coming out to help and he wasn't feeling good already after that battle with Cheren,"
Speaking of this 'Cheren'...
There's no sight of that stupid boy with a smart mouth either, and I'm unexpectedly annoyed by this. It sounds like it's all his fault that her Pokemon got hurt- even if she's responsible for making them battle against him too- and he didn't even have the decency to escort her here to make sure they were okay?
Maybe I need to send some of my subordinates to go talk to him.
Nurse Joy shakes her head and gives her another reprimanding look. "You're definitely old enough now that I shouldn't have to lecture you like this," She chides. "It's because you were hurt that they were acting strangely; we don't have Potions for humans, you know. We're a lot weaker than our Pokemon, it's why they protect us in ways we can't protect them."
My eyes snap to Touko's sitting form, automatically looking her up and down to see the extent of the damage. Dirty, I realize, she's pretty dirty and has grass stains on her shorts, legs and arms, as well as some grass bits stuck in her hair and on her torn vest. What I missed before were the angry looking red scrapes and scratches that barely looked scabbed over on her elbows and knees, she's looking at her hands now and they look pretty roughed up too.
I take that back, I think I'm going to go have a little "talk" with this Cheren kid.
I don't agree with Nurse Joy though. Pokemon can't protect humans without being hurt, they're not supposed to protect us. And it's even laughable that we humans are arrogant enough that we claim to want to protect them. Not in the ways we should, anyway. The best way to protect Pokemon is to separate them from humans- to have our own worlds where we don't interact anymore.
I nod to myself, that's the only way it could ever work.
Touko bows her head again, and I tune the rest of what Nurse Joy says out in favor of watching her expression. She doesn't like being told what to do, I realize and try to hide a grin, and she definitely doesn't like being lectured. I'll keep this in mind the next time I approach her, it'll make it easier for me to figure out how to get her on my side.
Another nurse comes out with the stupid cages we keep Pokemon in, I hate looking at those shiny red and white spheres- even if that one odd white and red one is a little interesting, and hands them quietly over to the rough looking trainer with a gentle smile. "All done, I was expecting the worst when you came running in here all panicked and on the verge of tears, but they just needed an Oran berry and they were just fine." The stern one gives the other nurse a rather nasty look, I don't like her very much for how rude she's being, and finally sighs. "You should probably let them see you're okay," She says after a moment, resigning herself to the fact that she needed to stop lecturing and start being nicer again.
About time too, I think to myself.
Stern Joy smiles suddenly, even if she is still irritated with Touko, and speaks once more. "It does say a lot, however, that your first thought was to come here for them instead of thinking about yourself." She's actually praising her now. Humans are really confusing, I realize as I try to figure out what the heck was going through the woman's head. They're mad at someone one minute, and praising them the next. "Good job, Miss Touko. I wish more trainers were like you."
...why would we want more trainers? We need less of them. Less people who want to imprison my friends into tiny spaces that make them suffer, that's what we need. My frown deepens at her words, maybe I need to have a talk or two with them as well, not like the one I want to give that "friend" of hers, but a talk all the same.
"Wait here, I'll see if there's a shower and room available for you while I get some bandages and some antibacterial ointment for you. Those scrapes need to be taken care of before they get infected, you know." She scolds Touko again, but in a nicer sounding voice as she turns to head upstairs into the private rooms they sometimes lend to trainers who need a place to stay overnight. The other nurse bows quickly and practically skips back to her place at the counter, waiting for the next round of victims that need to be cared for and released back into the cruel hands of their owners.
...yeah, I really don't like Pokemon Centers.
Now that I know what happened to her and that her Pokemon are okay, I'm about to leave when the sound of Pokeballs opening and releasing their contents catches my attention. Sometimes I hate the part of me that gets curious, it makes things a lot harder than they should be, and I can't help but look behind me to see what's going on.
She's getting a team together, I realize with dismay and shake my head in disapproval. I knew she was going to catch more, I could see that from the beginning, but it's still not something I want to see up close. Forcing myself to be objective and reminding myself that I'm supposed to be a Hero, I listen to the sound of their voices as they crowd around her.
...sorry, I'm sorry.
What? They're sorry? Why are they sorry? I stare openly now, confused by their reactions. They should be mad at her for getting hurt, for making them fight stupid, useless battles against other Pokemon. ...really, they need to be mad at her for getting hurt.
"...sorry guys," She says with a weak smile and a tremble in her voice. "I kinda blew it, didn't I? You guys did awesome against Cheren, totally kicked his butt... and I let you down." Purrloin- was that... no, there's no way it could be my Purrloin, could it?- leaped up into her lap, the sickle shaped tail slashing the air in a way I knew very well. It meant that the feline was annoyed. He placed a delicate purple paw against her cheek. After a moment, claws popped out far enough that they were barely touching the skin, surprising everyone- including me.
Don't be stupid. Not at fault.
...he wasn't blaming her either. I'm not sure what to make of this and quietly begin contemplating this. What kind of person was Touko anyway? What power did she have that made Pokemon mysteriously trust her and have fun with her like this? The others' hearts said similar things, though some were more concerned about the scratches than anything else and the Blitzle, I think that's who she called 'Amalthea', was rather sorry about ripping her clothes.
"It's okay guys, I'm okay." She says to them, reaching out and comforting each of them in some way. One by one, and little by little, they were reassured and, in return, seemed to be doing what they could to reassure her. I'm not sure what to make of this, the only time I've ever seen Pokemon act like that is around me. Maybe I haven't really taken the time to judge her well enough yet. I thought she'd make a good subordinate, maybe even someone high up in the rankings other than just the regulars who serve me and are under my protection.
I'm starting to think that this trainer, Miss Touko, as the people who don't know her are calling her, is a little more unique, a little more special than I initially thought. I avoid Purrloin's gaze as it turns its attention toward me, it's definitely my friend from Accumula Town, I know this now, and head for the door without looking back... even though it's hard to resist doing it.
My hand immediately seeks the cool chain, running down the links as I fiddle with the Menger Sponge hanging heavily off the end. It's been my favorite thing, aside from my friends that is, since I was little. It's always brought me comfort in times of stress and confusion, or when I'm really agitated like I'm starting to feel right now.
"Perfection," I mumble to myself as I head toward the outskirts, toward Pinwheel Forest to meet up with the loyal men and women awaiting my arrival. "That's what we're striving for; a perfect world where no Pokemon is hurt or bothered by humans."
I need some time to think, I need some distraction that doesn't include the girl in the Pokemon Center right now. The one who continues defying my expectations and shaking things up that I don't want shaken. Once I'm back to myself again, I'll find her, probably at the Gym since she's a Trainer, and I'll see what the voices of her Pokemon say this time.
Maybe I'll figure out a way to get the answers to the questions I have, but don't know how to ask, that way.