A/N: This is the introduction of a skill that Lindsey has in the Pokémon world, Sign Language. Unovian Sign Language, to be exact. Think of it as a equivalent to American Sign Language, because Unova is based off of New York and America. The signing is underlined
"Lindsey, are you going to tell Drew and Gavi that I'm autistic?" I signed to Lindsey.
"No Hannah, unless they ask." Lindsey signed back, "I trust them enough just to ask. Who knows, they may even help you."
"So the drill is not answer unless you tell them?" I signed back.
"Yep." She signed, then we were in front of her band members Drew and Gavi. "Hey Drew, Gavi, I have someone you have to meet!" She said, putting her hand on my back, not too hard, nor soft, to prevent me from backing away. Drew and Gavi looked up to Lindsey as she introduced me. "This is my old friend Hannah White. I ran into her, quite literally, behind the theater earlier, and I cleared it with Erich to her to stay with me!" As she said this, she smiled brightly.
Gavi was the first one to talk to me. "Hi Hannah. My name is Jason Gaviati. You can call me Gavi for short." Looking straight at me. I moved my face away from his view. "She doesn't like people looking at her?" He asked Lindsey.
"Something like that." Lindsey assured, giving a sweatdrop, "It's more along the lines of looking right at her."
"Ah." Gavi said, then to me, "How did you meet Lindsey?" This time not looking directly at me.
"I met her when I was 3 and a half in Nuvema Forest. She was lost, trying to find the town. I helped her." I said slowly, "My name might be familiar to you, specifically my last name."
Drew finally spoke up. "Yeah, your name sounds familiar. Did you become an honorary champion?"
I nodded. "Yes. After I stopped Team Plasma the first time." I said the last part scornfully.
"Wait, so does that mean that you're the Hero of Unova?" Gavi asked me, putting the pieces together.
I nodded, and signed, "Yes." My mind was still reeling to the fact that I did something and I can't fix it. I hate when I can't fix something, especially when I make the mistake. Some people would say that I'm being too hard on myself, but Lindsey knew otherwise. She knew that I like to fix stuff, make it better, just my mom, who's a nurse. Lindsey, mom, and my psychologist told me that it's part of my obsessive part of my Asperger's, along with music, Science (specifically Biology and Chemistry), Math, History, Videogame, and most of all, Pokémon. I could give Cheren a run for his money in his Pokémon knowledge. Every argument we ever had involved Pokémon someway. After I won the Unova League and solved several of my problems involving Team Galactic, I planned to continue my education, while going to more regions to compete in their Pokémon Leagues. When N asked me if I had a dream, I told him yes, I do have a dream. My dream is to prove everyone wrong. To prove to everyone that someone with a form of Autism can in fact become a great Pokemon trainer, and by competing in different regions Leagues and become the honorary champion of that region. I'm already the honorary champion of Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh and Unova, and I plan on becoming honorary champions in as many Pokemon Leagues before I'm 18. I planned that in April when I'm 18 is when I'll reveal that the Hero of Truth has Asperger's. I made that promise to Lindsey and myself. That is my truth, and I will never forget that. Some days it's really hard to see other's point of view on certain things, because I fixate on my own personal truth, and I can't really see their view on something. It's one thing I have to work on.
"So why haven't you go and stop Team Plasma again?" Drew asked me, bringing my attention to him.
I glared at him and shouted, "BECAUSE I MESSED UP! I DID SOMETHING WRONG AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT! IT'S MY FAULT GHETSIS IS ATTRACTING UNOVA AGAIN. IF GHETSIS FINDS OUT THAT I'M BACK IN UNOVA, HE WILL POSSIBLY TRY TO KILL ME!" With tears of regret forming in my eyes. "It's a feeling that he will. He hates me and wants me dead. If he tries to, Time will not allow it. I've been having nasty nightmares ever since he came back, and I don't remember them. I know I'm being very cryptic, but I don't..." I struggled with finding the right words.
Lindsey read my actions and speech, and reacted accordingly. "Like people assuming that you can fix everything when in reality you can't fix everything and struggle with life and society in general?" She helpfully added, knowing that I was trying to get the point across but my mouth wasn't working correctly, and steering me away from a panic attack. I looked at her and nodded in agreement. "Guys, you should know that Hannah struggles with words and social situations. She always had a very hard time understanding emotions too because she can mistake what people mean while talking to others."
"It's always so confusing, and it really sucks when people are being sarcastic to me and I take them literally!" I cried, frustrated and slamming my right hand into my thigh lightly in frustration.
"And please don't ask her if she's going to stop Ghetsis again because she told me before she left that he did actually tried to kill her when she fought against him. If I remember correctly of what you said, he first tried to have his Pokemon kill you, then after you made a mistake while battling, he tried to strangle you." Lindsey said, however softly because I didn't like being reminded of that. (A/N: This took place a bit after the Ghetsis fight in the games, about 2 years ago in the story timeline. Yes, I imagine Ghetsis is that horrible of a person.)
"Yea, and I burned his hands and arms because my body fought against his assault." I murmured, "I don't know how to describe it."
"Wow." Gavi breathed, "I knew that he was a horrible person who basically lied to everyone's faces, but I never imagined that to happen, especially to you, the Hero of Truth."
"He tried to kill N. Ghetsis's team was specifically designed to take down N. I mean, his Hydreigon is a completely ass and hacked!" I started my rant, trying to make myself feel better, "After I got the Light Stone, I ran into him on Tubeline Bridge. He mocked me, saying that I wasn't the Hero. I talked back, challenging him, because I knew the truth, the Real Truth. I asked almost mockingly, 'You think I'm not the Hero? Then why do I have the White Dragon embedded in my arm?'"
"Of course you talked back." Lindsey sighed.
"He didn't believe me!" I said, growling under my breath.
"Uh Lindsey, is she going to calm down?" Drew asked Lindsey.
"It's a way she destressess." Lindsey explained, "I have been on the receiving end multiple times, sometimes about school, other times during her Pokemon League journeys. Drew, you just got lucky. She's letting you hear her ranting, so that shows that she unconsciously trusts you two. Almost, Hannah doesn't have a filter of her mouth, so she'll say something that she doesn't really mean to you, or say something completely rude. This is one where she's ranting on an evil team leader making fun of her and her status. When I was on the receiving end of her Team Galactic rant, she has said horrible things that should be never repeated."
"He punched me in my chest and broke several of my ribs! He freaking deserves those words!" I pointed out angrily, "How was I supposed to know that my dad and Cyrus have this extremely bad rivalry between each other?! What Cyrus did to me was completely uncalled for me being on the receiving end of their rivalry!"
"In your opinion. Hannah, I don't know what caused this rivalry, nor do I know who your dad is. You speak of him like you do love him but he has done bad things, and that confuses me. When will I ever learn who your dad really is?"
"This is not the time to learn who he is! It's never the right time to learn! With my luck, you'll find out in the most horrible of ways!" I growled, clenching my fists, "You're deflecting my rant!"
"Well of course Hannah. I'm trying to save my band from your rants, and some of them can never be unheard again. I have no idea how you learned those words, but I don't want to hear them right now. I'm trying to calm you down without having you explode or something."
Gavi and Drew just watched as me and Lindsey talked to each other, unsure what to call this an argument or a rant session between both of us. Drew turned to Gavi and asked him, "Should we get between them Gav?"
"I don't think so, Drew. Look at their faces. Lindsey has a calm face and determined, calming eyes while the girl, Hannah, has angry frustrated eyes with so much hurt in them. Hannah must of had the worst luck ever to be the legendary Hero of Truth. When Hannah spoke of talking back to Ghetsis, I noticed a fire in her eyes. I think it's a similar fire to Lindsey's, because I can see the familiarity to each other. Hannah probably sees Lindsey as a kind, gentle but ferocious defender, like either a pseudo mother or a older sister, and knows that she can go to Lindsey when it becomes too much, while Lindsey sees Hannah as a young child, so scared of herself and the world, sees the unspoken fear in Hannah, but still a strong, determined person who has the qualities of a Hero, who knows fear and anxiety, and does her best to overcome it, showing true courage. Drew, I think that Hannah's life has not so great, and she came back to Lindsey specifically for the grounding, to quell the anxiety in her and show her that it's alright and okay. This girl recognizes that she's not all right and needs help, so she came to the one who could help her. Probably a good idea, because Hannah's past is probably pretty horrible. The real question is, can they overcome two years of separation to get where they want to be?" Gavi said, being a voice of reason to the chaos.
"How can you see that, Gavi?" Drew asked him, surprised that Gavi could read the situation.
"I just do." Gavi shrugged, "We've both seen one side of Lindsey, where she puts everything into the show and never stops. This side of Lindsey where she takes the time to help her friends is brought up to the surface by Hannah, who I do think that has not so great past few years. Lindsey is probably familiar with balancing those two sides of her for years now, but we can try to help in any way we can. Let's try at first to help them in subtle ways, and try to see what's the main issue before we ask Lindsey what's going on with Hannah."
"Agreed." Drew nodded. It was at this time I finally calmed down enough to communicate.
"Yes! I got you to calm down Flamer!" Lindsey cheered, using her old nickname for me.
"Dork!" I retorted goodnaturedly.
"And everyone knows that." Lindsey cheekily said.
"Yep, I see the friendship between them." Drew said to Gavi.
Gavi nodded, and said, "Hey Lindsey, isn't it time to get ready for the show?"
Lindsey turned to face him, and said, "Yes it is! Hannah, you're watching from the backstage. It'll all make sense to you when you see it. Just remember, I'm making that drawing true." She hinted to me.
My eyes widen in recognition, and said, "It's coming true? Wow."
"What drawing?" Gavi asked.
I fingered my glasses, and smirked. "The drawing without a face." Being mysteriously cryptic. Then Lindsey grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
"Come on! Time to get ready!"
"Okay Hannah, you'll stay here during the performance. Would you like some familiar company?" Lindsey asked, all dressed up for the show. I nodded, and Lindsey pulled out a pokeball. "Then come on out, Melody!" Sending out her Oshawatt.
Melody looked at me strangely at first, then the spark of recognition ignited in her eyes. "Hannah!" She cried, my family abilities letting me understand her. She tackled me in an Oshawatt hug, and said, "You're back you're back you're back! Now we can play and you can translate what I say to Lindsey!"
"Hi Melody." I greeted, reciprocating the hug. I have been friends with Melody and Lindsey for a very long time, and I've always felt better with a Pokemon beside me. Lindsey had all her Pokemon trained as therapy Pokemon to help me and others like me, as well as Ricky my Charizard, Brandon my Pikachu, and Lucy my Dragonite. It's how I was able to go off on my journeys with my Asperger's. I start losing it, they help me through it. I had good days and bad ones, and they helped. Sometimes, I ran into Team Galactic while my bad days. Those were never fun. Loud noises, my senses heightened to the point where it's too much and gives me a severe headache. Cyrus took advantage to them, and forced me to become the God of Time. I knew Lindsey needed to know, but for right now, I could just watch one of my best friends do what she loves. "I'm going to watch Lindsey perform soon. Want to be with me?"
"Of course Hannah!" Melody agreed.
Lindsey smiled, and said softly, "Time to go out. Wish me good luck, silly girl."
I looked to Lindsey, and nodded, smiling softly. "Best Wishes, Violin Girl."
A/N: The chapter that never ended. My brain wouldn't shut up and added things. Why did I make Gavi the voice of reason? Because he was like that. This is my tribute to you, and always remember that. I know, I need to edit the earlier chapters, and hopefully I'll add a physical description this time. Things to come and several reveals to be had. Until the next chapter, See You Later!