Author's Note: What is this? Another update? Wow! This is a short chapter, just setting the scene for the rest of the chapters to come. I want to thank all of you that bother to read this. It means alot!

Chapter Three

The imperious sense of dread continued to weigh me down for the remainder of the day. I just knew that something was seriously wrong, yet I couldn't put my finger on it. My birthday had been a nice celebration, but now I was back home, and the overwhelming knowledge of my demise was drawing near, resting was the last thing I could do. My attention piqued when a news report flashed on the television screen, and I stopped walking, watching the reporter intently.

"This is Cerise Winters reporting in Castelia City. International Police are currently on the lookout for two teenagers, who are suspected to be leading rebel forces. Reports claim they last saw the teenagers fleeing the scene of a petrol bomb attack at the Pokemon Centre in Castelia City. Descriptions show that one is male, and the other female; both around sixteen years of age," Suddenly a firm hand gripped my shoulder, diverting my attention from the reporter.

"You shouldn't listen to all this nonsense. Most of it is scare tactics." Touya mused quietly, flashing a supportive smile. It wasn't nonsense if the Police were after these people, and if they were part of the rebel forces then things didn't look good for anyone.

"Both were last seen around Virbank City, so for your own safety the Police have issued code amber; stay indoors, don't go outside, and if you have any information regarding the suspects please call in at your local Police Station,"

"That's not far away…" I said aloud, watching as blurred images of the two suspects came onto the screen; one was a female with brown hair, and the other a blond haired male. Their faces weren't clear, so it made identifying them harder.

"Don't worry about it. I doubt they'd come to Aspertia for anything. Unless, they want to bomb the Pokemon Trainer's School."

This wasn't the time for jokes; especially if the media was right, and there were dangerous rebel forces lurking nearby. The last thing I wanted was to be caught up in a war between two opposing forces. With a heavy sigh, I decided against dwelling on issues that didn't concern me; after all, my main concern was getting these next few days over with.

XXX

Sometimes time flies by so fast, that if you blink you'll miss it; other times it drags so mere minutes feel like hours in comparison. That was what this week had been like. Three days had passed since my birthday, and it felt like three years.

I had tried to take my mind off it by keeping myself busy. I spent time with Lily, building our relationship, so when we did have to venture into the big bad world we would be ready for whatever life tossed our way. We had a great connection, and things could only get better. Just like Touya said, he hadn't left my house since my birthday, and spent the majority of his time with me. I didn't really mind the attention, because soon enough I wouldn't get to see him for six weeks.

I did my best to help my Mom around the house, doing odd jobs for her whilst she was out at work, and joining her when she cooked meals for the family. I had to keep busy until Friday, because that was when my world as I knew it would come crashing down around me.

Right now, I was taking a break, lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling with Lily snuggled on top of my stomach. She had fallen asleep, and I dared not to move. She could be very grumpy if rudely awoken. Sighing softly I thought about the next few days, about how everyone was in the same boat as I was. We would all make that agonising step together, but then forcefully torn apart, maybe to never see each other ever again. It frightened me...

"Nate...?"

I glanced at the door, seeing Touya poke his head from behind it. He flashed a small smile, almost as if he was apologising.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Was it that obvious that I had the weight of the world balancing on my shoulders? I nodded weakly, not really wanting to converse about it right now. I just wanted to close my eyes, and forget about reality for a while. It was something I didn't need right now.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything, okay?"

With that said the figure of my ever-reliable half-brother disappeared from my door, and I heard his soft footsteps going down the stairs. Sighing heavily, I stared back up at the ceiling, attempting to sort out the mess that was my mind.

I hadn't forgotten what Touya had told me, that when the time came he would willingly join rebel forces, ultimately putting his life in great danger.

How could I possibly be okay with that? I needed him in my life...and if anything happened to him...I doubt I'd be able to cope with that.

The thought of people being executed for their crimes continued to send a horrible shiver down my spine, because even though they broke the law, death was a little too much. It wasn't as if they hurt anyone, or murdered civilians, so why the death penalty? Was it because Team Plasma was losing their grip in this dictatorship?

"Veee..." Lily purred sleepily, stirring from her short nap. I just smiled at her, and watched as she stretched her limbs, and shook her fur. Her large brown eyes flickered open, and she nuzzled her face against my chest, obviously happy I was still here.

At least I wasn't alone, no matter what happened. Even if I was sent away to some boarding school for six weeks, I had Lily to keep me company, and that thought alone eased the twin demons of my mind. I combed my fingers through her fur, hearing a contented purr as she rolled onto her back so I could scratch her tummy.

Suddenly Touya came bounding back up the stairs, and into my room startling both Lily, and myself. He held the house phone out to me, obviously directing me to take it for some reason.

"It's Rosa." He told me, and with that said, I struggled into a sitting position, feeling Lily jump onto the bed beside me. I took the receiver from Touya, and held it to my ear, waiting to hear her high-pitched voice.

"Hello?"

"Nate...! How have you been? Urgh, I would've called sooner, but right now I'm having some issues with my family." Touya left my room, giving me time to talk to Rosa in private, which was nice of him. I sighed softly, deciding whether she needed to know about the rebel forces Touya told me about earlier.

"I'm alright...just a bit worried about Friday..."

"Oh yeah! Results day! I almost forgot about that..." How the hell could she forget? It was the only thing I had been thinking about these past few days. "...sorry, Mom isn't very happy with me right now." She added in, sighing.

"Why? Has something happened?"

"Not as such, she just doesn't want me to go to the choosing ceremony. She wants me to stay at home for another year, and do things at a slower pace. Apparently I'm 'rushing into things', which is ridiculous!"

I understood why her mother would be so concerned. Rosa was an only child, and the world out there was very dangerous, especially under Team Plasma's rule. Little did she know about the growing rebellion, and the threat of war about to break out. Maybe I shouldn't mention that...

"What did you say to her?" I asked.

"I said that I'm going to the ceremony, and she can't stop me. I'm sixteen, Nate! This is my chance to prove everybody wrong! That I can be a strong determined trainer, and not some weak little girl everyone thinks I am." Rosa was far from weak, if anything I was the weak one... I cleared my throat, deciding not to say anything about that.

"You're not weak, Rosa..."

"Awww, thank you Nate! I just wished my Mom thought the same way as you. Urgh...it's SO frustrating! I mean, Hugh doesn't get this shit off his parents! Just because I'm a girl, they think they need to wrap me up in cotton wool to protect me from everything. I hate it!"

I wished I could have been more helpful in this situation, and not just sit here idly, having no idea what to say to her. She was right, a lot of people thought that way, but that was society nowadays. If you were a guy it was easier to go travelling, than if you were a girl. People always assumed the worst.

"Well, soon enough she won't have any control over you. You'll be able to go on your own adventure."

"Damn right I will! I'll prove her wrong; I'll prove them all wrong!" She said, determinedly, and I couldn't help but smile. I wished I were as brave and strong willed as she was. There was no way Rosa would ever back down from a fight, even if it looked like she was going to lose.

"It will come round sooner than we think...after Friday our lives will start to change." I muttered, hating how it sounded aloud. Just a few more days, and the control from my life would be slipping out of my fingers.

"Oh my gosh...I know! I'm so excited! I wonder what my results are...I hope they aren't lame." Unlike mine, you mean...

"I'm sure you did great..." I encouraged, not wanting her to feel bad about it. We didn't need the both of us lamenting over bad test results.

"I hope so, Nate. I hope we both did great." I smiled; genuinely happy she felt the same way. If she found out that my results were bad, I knew she would be there for me in every way possible. However, the results weren't set in stone, just mere guidelines.

"Well, soon we'll find out..."

"Yeah...but until then, we are going out!" She beamed down the phone, and I blinked in response.

"Say...wha-?"

"You heard me! You, Hugh, and me are going out! Tonight! No excuses from you mister! I know what you're like~" Well, Hugh was definitely right, Rosa really did like to take charge of the situation, not giving either of us a say in the matter. Not that I minded. Getting out of the house might do me some good.

"Go where exactly?" I asked, hoping it wasn't anywhere too fancy. I always felt out of place if we ever went to those areas.

"The lookout! I thought we could have a picnic or something, you know, just to chill and have a laugh as friends." It had been so long since I had a picnic, and the idea sounded good. I wondered if Hugh would kick up a fuss as usual, claiming it was 'too girly'.

"Sounds good!"

"Okay, I'll call for you in an hour. Make sure you're ready~!" I smiled, happy that she was part of my life. I just wished that I could hold onto her for longer than a few days. It was too soon, I wasn't ready to make it on my own yet.

"Sure…no problem…"

"That's settled then! See you soon!" Just like that she hung up, always too excited to let you say goodbye. Not that it mattered. I didn't want to say goodbye, ever. Goodbye meant the end of things, and the end terrified me.

XXX

As expected, Rosa called precisely in an hour, just like she said. Touya offered to take care of Lily, much to her disapproval. She squirmed and whined in his arms, desperately wanting to come with me, but for now she was safer indoors. Especially if rebel forces were lurking in the shadows.

"Nate!" The brunette squealed, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm surprised! You're actually ready on time~" I rolled my eyes, as she pulled away; a mischievous smirk lighting up her features.

"Yeah, yeah, isn't it you who takes forever to get ready?"

"Oh Nate, I am offended by your sexism! Just because I am a girl it does not mean I spend over an hour in the bathroom, and then an extra forty five minutes choosing clothes to get ready!"

We both smiled at the banter, which even though right now was a normal part of life; soon it would become a rarity. Then, as I realised there wasn't an extra voice taking part in the conversation, I noticed that Hugh was not present.

"Where's Hugh?"

"Oh, he had to stay home, some family issues and what not. Not that it matters! More food for us~!" I never understood where her endless amounts of confidence and enthusiasm came from. No matter how grim the situation, or how bleak the future seemed; she always saw positivity to anything. It was inspiring.

"Maybe he saw the news…" I rambled, glancing away.

"The news?"

"Yeah, there have been reports of rebel forces being seen in Virbank City." Her expression altered from blissfully happy, to that of confusion; almost concern. Her brow furrowed in thought, as she glanced away momentarily.

"That's…bad…"

"Yeah, they have advised people to stay indoors." For a moment, it was as if she was contemplating something. Perhaps the news of rebel forces had affected her idea of wanting to go for a picnic up on the lookout. Then, after a few minutes, she smiled once more, as if nothing happened.

"Well, who cares about what they say? No rebel forces are going to ruin our picnic!"

With her free arm she linked it with mine, pulling me away from my front door, until we were walking down the path. It was amazing how carefree she could be about the whole scenario, even though the ominous idea that there were evil people lurking a little too close for comfort. It meant nothing to her, and a part of me wished hold me down.

The view from the lookout had always been a remarkable sight; it was only days like these; where you knew soon enough you wouldn't get the chance to see it every day, did it mean that little bit more. Rosa had bounded ahead of me, far too excited to stick to my mediocre pace of walking. B

y the time I reached the summit, she had already placed the basket down, and was now unfolding a Pokemon themed blanket. There were dozens of tiny Cherrim's dotted all over the yellow fabric, and it was large enough for the both of us to use.

"Nate!" She cried, finally noticing my arrival.

I smiled meekly, watching as she indicated with her hand for me to sit down on the blanket. This felt so strange to me. Usually Hugh was here for company; moaning about something trivial, which resulted in Rosa losing her temper, and endless bouts of laughter. Only this time, Hugh wasn't here.

"This looks great!" I added in, watching as she started to unpack the items from the picnic basket. There were so many different types of sandwiches to choose from, fondant fancies, a dozen or so bags of chips, chocolate bars and a bag of fruit to share. It seemed she went to a lot of trouble to get all of it prepared on time, but obviously dispersed the idea that Hugh would not be joining us.

"You can eat Hugh's sandwiches if you want to." Rosa piped up, grabbing paper plates from the bottom of the basket and handing one to me. I took it graciously, and wondered if I was actually capable of eating so much food. It had always been Touya who had the insatiable appetite.

"Thanks. You literally bought everything."

"Come on, Nate! A girl is always prepared!" She giggled, and sat herself down opposite me, and grabbed a plate for herself. Her nimble fingers grabbed one of the fondant fancies first, and then two cheese sandwiches. As I chose what food I wanted on my plate I realised that we had nothing to drink.

"Uh…Rosa?" She looked up at me, smiling brightly.

"Yes?"

"Did you forget to pack the drinks?" In a matter of seconds, her beaming smile changed to that of a concerned frown, as she brought her hand to her face in dismay.

"Oh I KNEW I forgot something!" She groaned, and started to rummage around in her tiny handbag for something. I just watched her anxiously, wondering what her next move was.

"Here, look after my X-transceiver for me yeah? I'm going to go to the vending machine and buy some drinks."

Just like that, the tiny device was thrust into my hand, with the utmost trust. I nodded, determined not to let her down. She stood up, brushing herself off, before glancing around for the nearest vending machine.

"I won't be too long, okay? You can start eating without me." With a smile, I watched as she happily bounded back the way we came, in the desperate search of finding a vending machine.

I sighed lightly, and cautiously placed the X-Transceiver down in front of me, on the blanket. It always felt strange when someone placed their trust in me to take care of their things, especially something so personal. I wasn't the type of guy who went snooping through people's things willingly, so the idea itself un-nerved me.

As the gentle summer breeze wafted through my hair, and the sound of Pidove's cooing in the treetops was the only noise that greeted my ears, I started to eat one of the sandwiches that Rosa had made. Even though it felt wrong to eat without her, she did state that it was okay, and my stomach seemed to think otherwise.

As I allowed my eyes to drink in the beautiful scenery, I heard a faint buzzing noise, accompanied by music. The longer I ignored it, the louder it become, and when my eyes readjusted to the direction of the noise I realised it was coming from Rosa's X-Transceiver. The screen was flashing, and it was obvious someone was calling her.

I stole a quick glance at the caller I.D, only there wasn't a name behind the number. Just a letter. The letter C. Soon enough, whoever it was realised Rosa was not going to answer, and the ringing subsided.

I subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, not even daring to pick up the phone and answer it for her just in case it was someone important, or someone she didn't want anyone to know about. After all, I didn't know anyone with the first initial C.

Absentmindedly I continued to munch on my sandwich, wondering how long Rosa was going to be. Surely, the vending machine wasn't that far away.

Then, it happened again. Her device started ringing, and once again, it was the same person. Obviously, the matter was urgent, but I just couldn't muster the courage to answer on her behalf. She could call them back when she arrived.

As expected, after a while the ringing stopped, and 'two missed calls' flashed on the screen. Deep inside I wondered just who could be calling her so urgently. I had no idea what 'C' stood for, whether it was a code for someone, or just simply an initial that she could remember.

"Urgh…I have just been reminded why I never use vending machines…" Rosa's voice entered my ears, and when I turned around, I saw her walking back up the hill to where I was situated, holding two cans of soda pop. Her expression appeared exasperated to say the least.

"What happened?"

She sighed heavily, as her feet plodded heavily up the hill, until she was standing right in front of me. I grabbed the soda pop from her hands, and watched as she sat down beside me, her cheeks puffed out like an enraged Jigglypuff.

"Why did I have to choose the one vending machine that is so unpredictable?! Like, I pressed the Lemonade button! I didn't get Lemonade, I got Soda Pop! What is wrong with those blasted things?!" I couldn't help but smile at her words. Rosa had a habit of getting angry at inanimate objects.

"It doesn't matter. I like Soda Pop." She opened the can, the sound of the liquid fizzing erupting into the atmosphere.

"Yeah, but that's not the point. If I WANTED Soda Pop, I would have pressed that button!" A small chuckle escaped my lips, as I opened my can. Rosa was never intentionally amusing, but some of the things that occurred in her presence were too amazing not to laugh at.

As I sipped at the ice cold drink, the sound of her X-Transceiver ringing entered my ears for a third time, and instantly the brunette recognised it. She reached over the basket, and grabbed the device swiftly, her icy blue eyes scanning the screen intently for a sign of just who was behind the call. Then, she answered.

"Hello?" I glanced away, and decided against eavesdropping purposely. It wasn't any of my business, so I just drank my Soda Pop, and munched on another sandwich. Being ignorant was the best option right now.

"What…? You can't be serious!" She cried, and instantly my interest piqued. Her voice sounded desperate, almost pained, and that meant something bad was either happening, or about to happen.

"No….here?!" I watched as her eyes scanned the area nervously, and without even realising it, I ended up copying her actions, wondering just what she was looking for. Had something bad happened?

"Oh my….shit, what shall we do?!"

Her body language had altered drastically; from calm and carefree, to on edge and nervous. It was as if she had just gone full circle in a matter of seconds. Her sudden change in demeanour was now starting to affect me, and now I felt nervous.

"Right okay…thank you so much for the heads up. I'll call you later with any more information, okay?"

Everything was so secretive, and I didn't like it one bit. Was there something she was hiding from me? Something I wasn't supposed to know? My eyes focused on her intently, as she continued to warily check the surroundings like a Deerling caught in the headlights.

"I swear…I owe you for this. Speak soon!" And just like that, the conversation ended, and she thrust her X-Transceiver back into her bag, not wasting any time. Then, her eyes were on mine instantly, panic, and horror flooding the once beautiful calm icy blue depths. I could feel my heart start to beat ever faster in my chest, as my anxiety started to reach its peak.

"We have to leave here, right now." She warned me, her voice almost in a hushed whisper. My eyes blinked in confusion.

"Why?"

"Nate, you just have to trust me on this, okay? It's not safe." I didn't need to be told twice, and without even thinking I just nodded and helped her pack away. Was it those teenagers they spoke of on the television? Had they finally made their way to Aspertia? Were we in danger by being out in the open?

"Who was it who rang? A friend?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible, as we worked together to fold up the blanket.

"I guess you could say that…" She answered, her eyes not daring to meet mine.

"Why have you saved their number only as the initial C?" She paused, her whole body tensing. Then I realised that maybe I had put my foot in it somehow. Now, she would be aware of the fact I had checked the caller I.D previously.

"Nate, have you been spying on me?"

"N-no…! They rang earlier when you went to get the drinks. I never answered the call, I just saw the caller I.D." As the blanket was neatly folded up and put away, and Rosa grabbed the basket, she sighed heavily.

"You have to just trust me right now. I will tell you when the time is right, but now is not that time. Believe in me, okay?"

Her voice was soft, and I had no reason not to trust her about anything. Rosa had never hurt me, or let me down in the past, and I knew she wouldn't even dream about doing so intentionally. So, I nodded, deciding to leave the subject.

"Thank you…now, let's go back home."

As she walked back down from the lookout, I couldn't help but let my mind wonder. Rosa was never usually the sort of person to act secretive, or keep secrets from anyone, especially me. So why now?

Well, whatever the reason, I had this awful gut instinct that something terrible was about to unfold, and that no matter how hard I tried to deter from that, fate would always bring us back to the path of destruction.