Touya eagerly hopped out of bed and dressed as quickly as he could. He was so anxious to see his beloved Pokemon friends. N came into the room with a small smile on his face.
"Oh! You're up already?"
Usually N woke Touya up. Once he became a prisoner, Touya had spent most of each and every night awake. So N grew accustomed to him being a late riser.
"I'm really excited to see my friends," Touya explained honestly.
N frowned ever so slightly.
"It's still very early. We can see them at two 'o clock. But right now you need breakfast. Then we'll watch an episode of Sherlock. You like that show, don't you?"
Sherlock was an interesting take on the old stories of Sherlock Holmes. Not only was Sherlock set in modern times but all the characters were played by Pokemon. Touya loved the show very much. He loved seeing the Umbreon that played Sherlock and the Quilava that played John Watson.
But no matter how much he loved the show, Touya loved his Pokemon more. The younger boy frowned.
"Do we really have to do all that?"
"You have to learn patience," N told him, "Besides, you need to eat. We have delicious pancakes made for you. And you can still have another sweet today after you eat them."
N was, for some reason, very strict about what Touya ate. It was almost like N was compensating for his crappy childhood by nurturing Touya as if he were his father. Touya was surprised that N would let him have more than one sweet today. He'd rather N keep the treats and let him see his Pokemon early.
But Touya knew that whatever N said goes. Even though he really wanted to see Serperior and the others now, Touya had to wait. He didn't want N to get angry and revoke his right to see them.
"Okay. I'll wait. But we'll see them right at two, right?"
N smiled and nodded. They had their breakfast (the most delicious pancakes Touya had ever had) and watched some t.v. This one episode showed Professor Moriarty as a Zoroark. He and the Umbreon Holmes battled it out.
Finally, it was two 'o clock. Touya practically hopped up and down as N lead him. The room that his Pokemon were confined in was spacious. It was a replica of the wilderness, except that there were corners of walls and a big iron wall locking them in. Touya knew that N hated having to keep them in here. But the ex-trainer also knew that N wouldn't have them and Touya communicating freely to each other.
Touya had been a pretty big threat together with his Pokemon. He had almost won.
Half of his team noticed Touya coming up and they hopped up and down in excitement. Unfezant, Darumaka and Simipour were all happy to see him. On the other hand, his other Pokemon were cooly lying around.
Touya hoped that they didn't feel abandoned by him. N had the doors open and Touya was free to give his Fire-type a hug. Darumaka was so little that he fit snugly into his arms. Touya knew that once he evolved, Darumaka would be even more powerful.
The small Pokemon smiled at him. Darumaka didn't growl at N but he looked pretty close to doing so. Touya guessed that his Pokemon don't know whether to like N or not. N was extremely kind to all Pokemon. And most Pokemon were naturally friendly to him.
With Darumaka in his hand, Touya went up to Simipour. She smiled at him and started using Water Gun out of sheer happiness. A few drops splashed onto Darumaka and he started yelling at her.
"Calm down, Darumaka. She didn't mean it," Touya insisted.
Simipour apologized. Unfezant spread her wings and flew around her trainer. Touya was happier than he had been in weeks.
N smiled. He did it. He made his Touya happy by showing him his Pokemon friends.
And yet...
And yet was there a way that N could make him happy with just the two of them? Couldn't Touya appreciate having N around?
N didn't know why he felt like he was in competition with Pokemon. It was a very unfamiliar feeling to him.
Touya walked closer to Exadrill, Garvantula and Serperior. The Grass type was lying down lazily with his eyes closed. Exadrill was sharpening his massive claws. Garvantula was spinning a web. She didn't give Touya a second glance.
The ex-trainer frowned when he saw how distant they were. Darumaka called to them. Touya knew that his Fire type was urging them to be more friendly. Serperior lazily opened his eye to look at Touya.
The ex-trainer came closer to his starter.
"Serperior," he began.
The Grass type didn't say anything but it was still looking. It didn't look mad, exactly. But it did look...defiant. Touya gulped.
"I'll get you out of here," he promised softly.
Serperior closed his eyes again. Touya didn't know if his starter believed him or not. He hoped that he did.
Unfezant chirped at N. She sounded very friendly, despite what all happened. Touya turned around to look at N talking to his Flying type.
"Really?" N turned to Touya with a smile, "Is it true that Unfezant single-handedly earned you the Insect badge?"
Touya smiled. Darumaka crossed his arms angrily.
"Well, she beat the gym leader's Leavanny. It was his most powerful Pokemon."
N glanced at the hovering Unfezant.
"You're much more powerful now. I've seen it."
Touya looked down at the Pokemon in his arms. Darumaka didn't look nearly ready to be put down. He remembered when Serperior was a small Snivy and he would let him carry him. Ever since Snivy evolved, he grew a little more distant. Touya once heard that Pokemon could change their personalities when they evolved. Serperior still listened to him. But sometimes Touya was afraid that Serperior was doing so very reluctantly.
N suddenly looked at Touya very seriously.
"Why don't we watch a movie with your Pokemon? We can watch Ghostbusters."
Darumaka chirped excitedly. Touya liked this idea too. Maybe it would be a way to reconnect with his Pokemon.
He would figure out a way to escape later. Right now he needed his Pokemons' trust.
Sorry it took so long. Truthfully I was so interested in my Sherlock fics that I neglected this one. You can see from this chapter how obsessed I am. But I'll try to treat all my fics fairly from now on. I still like NxTouya.
