A/N: Gosh, you have NO IDEA how many times I rewrote this chapter! I was never happy with the things I wrote. I'm still not completely happy with this chapter, but I guess this is the best I can do for right now. Hopefully the next chapters will be better. Enjoy!

"You're unusually early, Miss White," Cheren joked, smirking.

"Hey, what's with the 'Miss White' thing?" I pouted. He was starting to sound like the Plasma grunts.

He eyed me up and down. "Judging by your outfit, you must've been secretly adopted by some rich family within the past 48 hours. What, was our home town not good enough for you? I'm sorry that we couldn't live up to your expectations."

"Shut up, you little jerk! I'll have you know that I wasn't adopted by a rich family."

But then I looked down at my clothes; N had insisted that I wore a somewhat formal attire that fit a modern princess. I sported a light pink coat with a matching pencil skirt along with white high heels and pantie hoes; It was autumn and it was getting pretty chilly.

"You should commend me for noticing you, because I almost didn't recognize you with your hair down. Seriously, what were those foster parents of your thinking?" Cheren's sarcasm never ends, does it?

I whipped my hair around. "It makes me look cute, doesn't it?" I stuck my tongue out at him.

"You know it's not healthy to be egotistical," he teased before flicking at my forehead.

"Argh! Come here, you!" I had his neck in an arm lock, ruffling his hair with my other hand playfully like old times. Serious, what was I saying? It had only been two days since I became a 'princess'. How could so little time feel like so long?

He quickly broke out of my hold and fixed his hair back to the way it was.

"Okay, that's enough. Let's get serious." His eyes suddenly became cold and unfriendly.

"Cheren?" I worried for my dear friend. Why was he so angry all of a sudden?

"Tell me. About yesterday," he began, crossing his arms like an adult about to punish a child. "What's happened? First you're ending your battle with N, and next thing I know, you're gone from Nuvema Town without a trace!"

I shifted my attention to the ground. "Well..."

"Well?" He tapped his foot impatiently.

I remembered the time when I met N here in Nimbasa City; He treated me to a ride on the Ferris wheel to confess that he was the leader of Team Plasma. It would be more comforting and easier to tell Cheren about my new lifestyle in the same place.

"Can...I tell you on the Ferris wheel?"

Cheren raised an eyebrow. "The Ferris wheel? Why? What's wrong with telling me here?"

I tightened my fists. "I'll feel better if it was there. Please?"

Calm down, White. All you need to say is a few words. Just say what N's side of the bargain is. It's as simple as that.

Cheren sighed, giving in. "Fine."

Thankful for his decision, I grabbed his arm and held it closely. "Thanks."

"Okay." I breathed in heavily. "Here it goes."

Cheren sat across from me in the gondola, staring me down intently as if I was about to tell him the cure for cancer.

"Don't hate me for this, okay?" I felt so vulnerable under his gaze.

"Don't worry, I won't."

"Remember when N said we would make a bargain?"

Cheren gasped. "He must stop his ambitions. But you-!"

I nodded, ashamed of the words that were begging to pour out of my lips.

"I'm his princess."

No wind could be heard, the creaking of the gondola ceased, and the Pidoves stopped singing. All that remained was a wide eyed Cheren sitting across from me in horror, the thought obviously not processing well. His expression slowly molded into one of rancor.

"And you agreed to this?" His words were laced with venom.

"You don't understand! If I didn't obey him, then he would separate humans and pokemon!"

He shot up from his seat. "Oh I understand perfectly well! You're just too convinced to see it! How would N be able to change the world by himself? Team Plasma is weak as we've proven many times."

"But our battle...it ended in a tie!"

"Precisely! He doesn't have the power to fully defeat you! He would have nothing in the end if we all stood up to him together! That's why you should leave and come back home to train with Bianca and I! You could win in the end! 'Fall seven times and stand up eight!'"

"But-" He was right. I didn't have to listen to N. He didn't have enough power. I could go home and train, then come back and face him again when I was strong enough. So why didn't I want to listen to Cheren? What was holding me back? I couldn't be in love with N!

"Oh, I get it," he groaned.

"What?"

"You like him, don't you? A lot."

I covered part of my face to hide my blush. Was Cheren my conscience now?

"Admit it." He clenched his fists. "It's obvious."

There was no lying to Cheren. He could read you like a book.

"Yes." It was partially true; It isn't easy sorting out your feelings for someone. I liked him, but it couldn't be love.

"You're so stupid, White! How could you let N do this to you? Really, what's gotten into you lately? You've changed ever since you met him. Even more so after your final battle with him. This guy is a maniac; He's practically a kid. You shouldn't let him control you like this."

I felt horrible. I knew that N was changing me, but why did I like him? It may not have been love, but I knew that I had existing feelings for him. They felt beyond friendship, and yet something was keeping it from truly being love.

"Look, you're my best friend, White. I've known you for practically forever, so I know what's best for you."

I chuckled. "You sound like an older brother."

He shook his head, smiling. "Hey, that's what friends are for, right? To be like siblings."

The Ferris wheel came to a halt and it was our turn to get off.

"Well, I've got the whole day to spend here, and I wanna make the best of it!" I twirled around on the asphalt road with my arms spread out.

"Gosh, you sound like you'll never leave that castle again. What, does he keep you locked up in a tower and feed you nothing but bread and water?" It was strange how his mood could change so quickly.

I giggled. My stomach began to growl a little. I smiled sheepishly. "Speaking of bread and water, I'm getting a little hungry. Wanna stop at a café?"

I had barely picked at my breakfast this morning, worrying N half to death; I felt bad for scaring him like that. Last night's dinner had surprisingly filled me up, but now my stomach was begging for calories.

"Sure, if you want."

"So, how has your training been in the past few days? You said you were gonna challenge the league again the day after the final battle."

Cheren and I sat at a little table next to the window of the café. He looked up from his menu and adjusted his glasses.

"I managed to train a little in Victory Road, but that's about it. I'm pretty confident that I can beat the Elite Four again. It'll be a breeze. All I'm worried about is fighting Alder. I haven't challenged him yet because he already knows my battle style. I'm gonna try to come up with a new one to surprise him."

I giggled. "You're really in it to win aren't you?"

He scoffed. "Of course! But even if I don't win, Alder said that he would like to take me on as an apprentice. It's pretty much a win-win situation."

I smiled. Alder was like a second father to Cheren. Of the four of us, Black, Bianca, Cheren, and I, I had no doubt that Cheren was his favorite.

"How are you folks doing today?" A cheery waitress said as she danced over to our table, pulling out her notepad. "What would you and your son like to drink?"

I could barely contain my laughter when I saw Cheren's shocked expression. His face was Cheri Berry red and he didn't look one bit pleased.

The waitress gave me an odd and confused look but I just shook my head. "Two Nanab Berry smoothies, please."

"You are for sure as hell NOT going to tell anyone about this, you hear?"

I shrugged, smirking at this rare blackmail opportunity. "Who is there to tell? Other than Bianca?"

Cheren grumbled and crossed his arms like a kid, taking large gulps of his smoothie through the straw. "It's not even biologically possible! I don't even look remotely like you! Not to mention, I'm older than you!"

"Gosh Cheren. You take things way too personally! It was just a mistake."

"She insulted me. I'm not going to be treated like a child! I'm a sixteen year old and I would like to be treated like one!" He pouted.

You know, it was ironic because by complaining about it, it made him seem more like a child.

But I just laughed it off. Maybe Cheren could try to put some effort into putting up with being seen as a child.

I sighed. Maybe I should do the same in my situation; Put up with my bargain with N. I also had to be able to verbally stand up to him.

Easier said than done.

After a bit of conversation and more glares at the waitress from Cheren, we exited the café. Glancing at my Xtransiever, I saw that I still had around three hours to spare! Ugh. There I went again, listening to N.

But something was telling me that it wasn't right for me to stay.

"Cheren?" I may not have spent a lot of time with him, but something was calling me back to the castle. It's like I had to convince N that I could think for myself and not have to listen to everything he said. Ironically, by going back to the castle, I'd still be listening to N. Was there any way around it!

"The one and only."

"Haha. Listen, I've gotta leave."

He gave a forced sighed. "Back to the king of PETA already?" I couldn't help but giggle. "Gosh, I really wonder what you see in that guy."

"Yeah, yeah, I don't need your two cents worth. You're just as insane."

"And yet you guys still love me. What were you and Bianca thinking when you decided to be friends with me? Black must've spiked your drinks or something."

"Cheren, you realize we've been friends since we were kids, right?" I swear, he came up with the craziest things.

"That's what you think."

"Well, better get going!" I gave him a one armed hug.

"Remember, White: Dominance!" He made a fist jokingly, then pointed at me. "Unless being submissive is what you want. Remember, I'm still against this. So if you end up being unhappy, don't come crying to me, cuz I'm telling you right now that it's a bad idea."

I smacked his shoulder. "Yeah, sure. Call you on the Xtransceiver sometime, 'kay?"

"'Kay, whatever you say," he replied, waving goodbye before we parted ways.

N looked up from his book as he lay comfortably on the love seat. "Why darling! You're home early. Did you realize how much of a scoundrel that boy is?"

Scoundrel? Honestly, N sounded like someone from the 16th century!

"He's my friend. Please don't insult him." I tried my best to sound dominant. 'Dominance!'

"I'm sorry...I won't insult him if you don't want me to." Now he was becoming submissive! He was like a child after all, but weren't most children rebellious? Maybe he was taught to behave. Maybe Ghetsis actually did have some good parenting skills, even if they were minute.

"And speaking of friends, I'd like to see them often during my stay here. I refuse to tell you every time when I want to see them. I have a right of privacy."

N set his book down and stood up. "What's gotten into you, dear? Has that boy been filling your head with nonsense?"

"He has a name, you know." I crossed my arms and scowled. "And I told you not to insult him."

"And you let him insult me? Darling, I could give you much more than anything your friends could ever give you. What have I been doing wrong?"

"N, you're my friend-"

"And future husband," he added.

I sighed. "Let's not go there. Anyway, you're my friend and so are they. I can't just spend all my time with you."

"Why not? A prince needs a princess at his side all the time." N looked away, downtrodden.

"Cuz that's just selfish."

N really needed to cut this 'But princes and princesses always do this' act. It had only been two days and it was already getting old.

There was a pause between us. I hoped that this stuff was getting to him.

N inhaled deeply.

"White, I love you."

Like any girl, this hit me square in the chest hard. A girl's heart was something that made no sense; Our hearts pounded at the sound of any man's voice telling us that they loved us, even if we knew it wasn't true. Maybe it's because it made us feel special, like somebody cared. But I knew better.

"No you don't, N." I spoke through the pounding of my heart. "Why would you say that?"

"I heard that if you tell a girl that you love them, then they will be happy. Are you still angry? If not, then I could say it again," N replied innocently.

Even for someone as innocent as N, I couldn't believe that he knew so little of love that he would believe that just by saying it people would become happy! It was too unreal.

"N, you can't just say 'I love you' to just anyone. Just saying it won't mean anything. You could say it and people could take it the wrong way. You can only say it when you mean it."

"But when do I say it?"

I never thought that I'd ever have to explain love to someone one day. But how could I explain to N what love was?

"Well, you can say it when you know you love someone." This was going nowhere. "You love someone when you want nothing more than their supreme happiness. You get this feeling of Volcaronas in your stomach."

N stared at me wide-eyed. "But Volcaronas are too big to fit in your stomach. Wouldn't that hurt?"

I clamped a hand over my mouth so my laughter couldn't burst out.

"It's a figure of speech, N!" I said between chuckles.

"Look! You're happy now! I don't know what I did, but I've made you happy!" N cheered, taking hold of my hands.

N was a very kind soul. Very sweet. He had a weird way of expressing kindness, but who could blame him? It's not like he asked to be the son of a tyrant that locked him up in a room. N was just one of those people that you couldn't hold a grudge against.

N grinned. "Alright, dearest. I'll let you see your friends whenever you want. Just save your best smiles for me!"

I laughed. "Haha! Sure, N!"

Maybe, I could learn to like it here. I would be able to show Cheren how much I've grown from the day we left on our journey. Sure, I would try to be dominant like he told me, but this could be a way to prove my tolerance. He could learn a thing or two from me, as well.

Wait...Cheren wanted me to stop listening to N so much. He wanted me to think for myself. But wasn't I listening to everything he said, now?

Shit.

A/N: I feel as though this chapter could've had more, but it seems that it would only drag on. But that's just me. Hope you liked it! But I still think I could've done better.