A/N: Sorry about the delays, everyone… I've been trying to keep on top of everything, but between my training at work, trying to catch up on sleep, being sick, and everything in between, I'm struggling… Anyhoo, N's "big reveal" is in this chapter, as everyone already knows. Enjoy~
Disclaimer: I own nothing but this version of N & Black pairing up.
Journey Of Heart
Chapter 4
I was trekking through the desert to get to Nimbasa City, Zorua in my arms and Servine walking alongside me, and we were all three squinting against the sandstorm blowing against us. As I trudged through the sand, I thought I caught a glimpse of a shadow by the rocks, so I decided to go and investigate. As I got closer, Zorua yapped, struggling in my arms, and when I looked down at him, he looked like he was trying to get away from the figure hiding by the rocks. Even Servine bristled in warning, so I heeded my friends' unspoken advice and turned away, quickly heading to the concrete path where I could move more easily. Glancing back, I saw the shadow by the rocks was gone, with nothing left as evidence that someone or something was there. Narrowing my eyes suspiciously, I decided to continue on my way. After all, if my pokémon were nervous about that shadow, then I'd best steer clear. They have better instincts than me, anyway.
We passed through the gate to Nimbasa, where as I approached the steps to the street, I saw an elderly man being hassled by two Team Plasma grunts. They yelled at him about giving up the pokémon in his care, and he panicked, even as he noticed me there.
"Please, help me!" he pleaded, and I nodded.
"Of course, sir," I said, and I went to battle one of the grunts.
"Don't try and protect him, or we'll take your pokémon, too!" the grunt spat as he sent out a Sandile.
"Try me," I growled, and Servine stepped forward. "Servine, use Vine Whip!" My first partner nodded, and then struck the Sandile several times with his vines until it fainted.
"Ack!" the second grunt yelped. "We need to get out of here! Let's hide in amusement park!" And with that, the two grunts fled into the amusement park after returning Sandile to its pokéball. Before I could give chase, however, the elderly man came over to me.
"Thank you for that! They were after the pokémon I tend to at the Pokémon Day-Care on Route 3, but I couldn't let them just take those poor pokémon," he told me, and then pulled out a foldable bike from his own bag. "Here, you can have this as a sign of my gratitude. I'd always wanted to ride it around Nimbasa, but I never took the chance."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "If it means that much to you..."
"No, don't worry about it! Please, do take it, and I hope to see you at my day-care sometime!" he grinned, and then handed me the bike before leaving. Servine and Zorua, the latter of which having moved to my shoulder, watched me for a second before Servine trilled and pointed to the amusement park.
"Oh, right! Thanks, Servine, let's get moving," I said, and we quickly ran off to the area after I placed the folded-up bike in my bag. When we passed under the archway to the amusement park, I spotted N standing nearby, and then he noticed me.
"Black, it's good to see you. I saw two members of Team Plasma running past, but I lost sight of them," he informed me. "Maybe we can see them from the Ferris Wheel?"
"Good idea," I smiled, and returned Servine to his pokéball. As we climbed on, I immediately got an uneasy feeling, but I didn't understand why. Zorua seemed to sense my sudden discomfort, as he snuggled closer into my arms against my chest, soothing me a bit. Once the Ferris Wheel began to move, though, my unease grew, and then N told me something that felt like a complete betrayal.
"Black, first, I must tell you... I'm the king of Team Plasma," the green-haired teen murmured, and the last six words felt like powerful blows to my chest. Or was it my heart? I don't know... "Ghetsis asked me to help him save the pokémon, and I agreed."
"..." I couldn't even say anything, I felt so hurt. Why the fuck would someone as good as N help Ghetsis?! I didn't even understand why it hurt me so damn badly, which was the worst part. He didn't say anything after that, and when our car returned to the ground, I felt about ready to either bolt or drop. Finally, I managed to stagger out of the car, and N wasn't far behind when those same two grunts from before appeared, declaring how relieved they were that their 'king' was okay.
"I'll cover your escape, as you're both fellow servants to the king," N told them, and then turned to battle me. The grunts quickly fled again, and N pulled out a pokéball. Finally, I managed to muster up enough strength to speak.
"I can't believe you…" I breathed. "Why would you be so good to me, even though you're part of Team Plasma?!" The older teen appeared confused, but I didn't say anything more, just waited, glaring furiously until he hesitantly sent out a Sandile. I immediately sent out Servine, yelling, "Use Leaf Tornado!" The grass type complied, swiftly attacking his opponent with the whirlwind of leaves, and then returned to my side once it fainted. N returned the Sandile to its pokéball, and then sent out a Darumaka. Quickly, I switched out Servine for Dewott, and had him use Razor Shell. Another single hit defeat, and he swapped out for Scraggy. Immediately, I returned Dewott and sent out Tranquil, and had her quickly use Air Cutter, defeating her opponent with another single hit. By this point, N seemed almost wary and nervous, maybe even fearful, but I didn't care. I felt betrayed and hurt, and all I wanted was to cause hurt in return. Hesitantly, the green-haired teen sent out a Sigilyph after returning Scraggy to its pokéball, and I rotated Tranquil for Blitzle.
"Black... Don't do this. You can't be so vicious," N suddenly told me.
"Don't tell me what I can do! You've caused this!" I snarled, and he looked taken aback.
"I just want to help free the pokémon," he said simply.
"Well, then you're going about it completely wrong!" I spat. "Team Plasma is stealing pokémon from innocent people, claiming it's all for the good of the pokémon!"
"Humans are far from innocent," he snorted.
"Enough talk!" I shouted. "Blitzle, use Shock Wave!" He whinnied loudly, and then released the electric blast at Sigilyph. The psychic and flying type flew back, and then N frowned deeply.
"Use Psybeam, friend!" he called, and then it fired off the beam of psychic energy, striking Blitzle. He cried out in pain, nearly collapsing from the attack. I knew Psybeam had a varying amount of power, but that was crazy.
"Blitzle, you can do this!" I urged, and he struggled to right himself. Once he did, however, he began to glow brightly, and my eyes widened. Soon after, the glow diminished, and in Blitzle's place stood Zebstrika. "Awesome job! You evolved into Zebstrika!" I grinned, hugging my newly evolved pokémon around his neck while Zorua licked his cheek. "You ready to finish this?" He nickered softly, nuzzling me and Zorua, and I smiled. "Great! Now, finish off Sigilyph with Spark!" He cried out determinedly, and then charged at his opponent while cloaked in electricity. Sigilyph had no chance to dodge, and then Zebstrika slammed into it, sending it flying and making it faint once it hit the ground. "Great job, Zebstrika!" My electric type whinnied victoriously, and then looked at N as he returned Sigilyph to its pokéball.
"Black, I'm sorry. But this is my destiny, and I see a future for pokémon where they are free of contact with people," N murmured. "The only way you can stop me is by defeating me at the Pokémon League, where I plan on making all trainers release their pokémon. Try and stop me, if you can." And with that, he left, soon disappearing into the crowd. My shoulders slumped once he was gone, and I felt crushed as I fell to my knees. Zorua licked my cheek and Zebstrika nuzzled me, trying to comfort me, and I gave them both a miserable smile.
"Sorry, you guys," I whispered. "I guess Cheren was right about him…" Zorua shook his head, and I frowned slightly. "But he said he's the king of Team Plasma..." The little fox pokémon yipped and then growled, appearing to try and tell me N wasn't aware of Team Plasma's ulterior motives. "You're right, but I don't know how to tell him that and make him believe it... But I've got to try." He wagged his tail happily, smiling at me in response. "All right. We'll get to the Pokémon League, and then we'll make him realize the truth!" Zebstrika even nickered joyfully at that, and I chuckled. "We'll do it together."
"Black?" Bianca's voice called timidly, and I looked up, seeing my friend watching me with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'll be okay, Bianca," I sighed, getting up. "Just needed a bit of a wake-up call from my pokémon."
"All right, I just wanted to make sure. Cheren told me you guys argued again at the gate leaving Castelia, and I was hoping you weren't mad at me for telling him where you were…" she mumbled.
"Bianca, don't worry, I'm not mad at you. I'm still irritated with Cheren, but not as much," I assured her. "I just know that some things have changed now."
"Do you mind if I hang out with you for a bit? I met Elesa, the gym leader, when I first came through here, and she stopped my dad from making me go home," she said. "Besides, I want to thank her for helping me, and I want to watch you battle."
"I don't see why not," I shrugged as Zorua wagged his tail again. "Do you know what the gym layout is like?"
"No, but Cheren would, since he already got his badge," she replied. "But I think he told me it's like a roller coaster setup or something of that sort."
"Hell, if you're okay with riding them, then you're free to watch me battle Elesa," I smiled at her, and she grinned.
"Thank you, Black! Besides, I miss hanging out with you, and I don't count that incident in Castelia when Musharna was stolen because that wasn't really fun," she giggled. "Is your team okay to challenge the gym still? I know the desert can be pretty harsh..."
"I had best stop by the Pokémon Center first, or else I'll probably regret it later," I agreed. Standing up, I returned Zebstrika to his pokéball before letting Bianca lead me to the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy happily healed my team.
"Will you both be staying here tonight?" she asked as she handed me back my pokéballs. Looking outside, I saw just how late it was, and sighed as I realized I wouldn't be able to challenge the gym yet.
"Yeah, I will, thank you," I smiled slightly, and she giggled before getting Bianca and me set up with two connecting rooms, and then told us there would be breakfast in the morning at eight, compliments of the Day Care man.
"What did she mean by that, Black?" my friend asked once Nurse Joy had left.
"I protected the Day Care man from a couple of Team Plasma thugs earlier, and I guess he was more grateful than I'd initially thought," I explained, pulling out a bag of chips and a sandwich I'd picked up at the Poké Mart yesterday. "They wanted to steal the pokémon in his care, apparently."
"That's terrible! Well, I'm glad you were there to help," she said. I nodded, humming my agreement around a mouthful of sandwich. The blonde stood up after a bit, stretching and yawning. "I'd best hit the hay, Black, but I'll see you in the morning, okay? Try and get some sleep."
"I will, Bianca. I just gotta call Mom over the Xtransceiver first and let her know how I'm doing," I replied.
"Oh! Good point, I'd better call Daddy, too, or else he'll worry," she nodded, and then left to her room. "Goodnight, Black!" she called through the door once it was shut.
"G'night, Bianca," I answered back. Zorua was sitting on the bed next to me, appearing to be half asleep, which made me smile in amusement. Carefully, I got up and padded to the bathroom to change, and then I returned to find the little dark type sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. Chuckling, I slid under the covers, setting Zorua on the pillow next to me before I called up Mom on the Xtransceiver.
"Hi, Black," she smiled when she picked up. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you in a couple of days..."
"Sorry, Mom. It's kinda been a bit crazy, but I won my second and third badges, and I'm staying at the Pokémon Center in Nimbasa City," I told her, and she grinned.
"That's fantastic, sweetie!" she praised. "How has Snivy been?"
"Everyone's been great, and Snivy actually evolved into Servine before my second gym battle," I informed her. "Tepig evolved into Pignite, and Oshawott also evolved into Dewott, while Pidove evolved into Tranquil, and today, Blitzle evolved into Zebstrika."
"You're all just growing as a team, huh?" she guessed with a small smile. "I'm happy for you, Black. How are things between you and Cheren?"
"...Still tense, but I might try to get a hold of him tomorrow," I sighed. "I'm not sure yet."
"Well, you guys haven't been friends since you were little for nothing," she pointed out. "Don't worry, you'll both work things out."
"I hope so, Mom, I hope so."
"How's Bianca been? You haven't mentioned her since you left," she asked after a moment of quiet.
"She's good. She'll be joining me tomorrow during my gym battle, and she's going to watch me," I grinned.
"Great! I'm glad she's doing well, because her father has been pestering me and Cheren's mother if we've heard from her," she complained.
"She said she was going to call him before bed tonight, so that should put him at ease for a bit," I laughed lightly.
"Thank goodness," she giggled. "Well, I won't keep you up, so get some sleep so you'll be ready for your gym battle tomorrow, okay?"
"Thanks, Mom, I will. I'll try and call tomorrow before bed," I said.
"I'll be here," she smiled. "Love you, Black. Goodnight."
"Love you, too, Mom. Goodnight," I replied, and then ended the call. Sighing heavily, I looked over at Zorua one last time before closing my eyes and going to sleep.
*X*X*X*X*X*X*
Knocking on the door woke me the next morning, followed by Bianca's voice.
"Black? Nurse Joy is here with breakfast. Can she come in?" she called through the wood.
"Um...yeah," I replied groggily, rubbing my right eye tiredly to try and rid myself of the sleepy feeling. The door opened, startling Zorua into waking, and he yelped as he fell off the bed with a thump. "Dammit," I hissed, and quickly reached over and scooped him up off the floor, setting him back on the bed. "You okay?" The dark type yipped tiredly, and I chuckled.
"Sorry for scaring your Zorua," Nurse Joy apologized. "I brought breakfast for you, courtesy of the Day Care man. I hope you enjoy it." She smiled kindly at me before leaving, and then Bianca walked in, fully dressed, and sat on the bed next to me.
"Mind if I join you? I have barely anything left to eat in my bag..." she asked with a sheepish expression.
"No problem, I don't mind," I smiled. "I just need to change first, and then I'll eat." She nodded happily, and then I grabbed my clothes before heading straight to the bathroom to get dressed. After getting dressed, I walked back out and sat down with Bianca, who was petting Zorua gently along his tuft.
"He's so soft," she commented when she noticed me.
"Yeah," I murmured.
"...Black?" my friend said after a few minutes into breakfast.
"Hmm?" I hummed around a mouthful of pancakes.
"What happened between you and Cheren yesterday?" she questioned, making me sigh after swallowing my food. "I don't mean to pry, I just want to help..."
"No, it's okay," I assured her. "We...we argued about Zorua and N. He told me N is part of Team Plasma, but I didn't believe him. But yesterday, when you found me, I had just found out N's the king of Team Plasma, and I had beaten him in another battle. For some reason, it hurt incredibly badly to find out that someone I felt I could trust completely was part of something so awful..." Bianca frowned in thought, gazing at her food for several moments, and then said something I didn't expect at all.
"You like him as more than a friend, don't you?" she guessed. I nearly choked on my orange juice at her statement, and had to quickly clear out the juice from my windpipe by coughing for a minute or two before I could speak.
"Why do you say that?" I wheezed.
"Because I can tell. Besides, you've never shown any interest in any girls from home, and I'm a little more in tune with you and Cheren more than you guys think, even if I am a bit ditzy," she giggled. I turned red with embarrassment, unable to look at her at all. "Black, it's fine. I'm fine with it. And even if N is the king of Team Plasma, I know he won't be forever. He'll have to see that what they're doing is wrong eventually."
"...You sure?" I mumbled, still able to feel the burn in my cheeks.
"Of course! I've met him when he battled Cheren once, and he's honestly against battling, but he still seems to be uncertain about doing battles himself, which is why he's challenged you and Cheren," she told me.
"It just hurt so badly when he told me… I can't help but feel betrayed," I muttered.
"You like him that much, huh?" she asked, a sympathetic smile forming on her face at my nod. "It'll help if you two can properly talk it out, I'm just not sure about his own feelings. I'm able to read those I'm close to, but since I'm not close to N, I can't really tell. Look, try not to think too much on it now, because you have a gym match today!"
"Right..." I nodded, and continued to eat my breakfast. After a couple minutes longer, however, I murmured, "Thanks, Bianca."
"Anytime!" she chirped. "That's what friends are for!"
"Still, it helps," I smiled slightly, and she smiled back before we resumed eating. We ate until there was nothing left on the cart, and then I straightened up the bed before gathering up my things and plucking Zorua off the bed. "Ready?"
"Yep! Let's go to the gym!" she grinned brightly. We headed out to the lobby, where we both thanked Nurse Joy gratefully as we left. As we walked to the Pokémon Gym, I thought about what Bianca had told me. I knew she was right about N, that he would see the light eventually, but it was still hard to believe that he was the king of that damned group of pokémon thieves. Finally, we arrived at the amusement park, where there was no line to the gym, surprisingly, but the Ferris wheel line was long as hell. The sight of the Ferris wheel nearly made my blood boil from yesterday's events, but Zorua sensed my tension and licked my chin, distracting me.
"Sorry," I whispered when I looked down at him. He merely smiled and yipped, wagging his tail out of relief that he had succeeded in calming me down. As we walked into the gym, I was nearly blinded by the darkness of the room, if not for the neon lights from the roller coasters and their corresponding tracks. Those lights helped me to see easier, and I headed for the first roller coaster car. Bianca stuck close to me, and we rode the first one with ease, and then I battled the gym trainers as we made our way to the end, where Elesa was waiting. Eventually, we reached the final coaster before Elesa, and Bianca squealed loudly when it went upside down, but I laughed with exhilaration. I climbed out first, and then helped my friend out since she was shaking from fear.
"You okay?" I asked her.
"Y-yeah, I'll be f-fine," she stuttered. "Let's just get to Elesa so you can challenge her."
"All right," I nodded, adjusting my grip on Zorua. I led the blonde to the arena where Elesa was indeed waiting, and she smiled when she saw my friend.
"Bianca, it's good to see you again!" she greeted, and then noticed me. "Is this your friend who had to stay behind when you started out?"
"Yeah, this is Black, and he's here to challenge you for his fourth badge!" Bianca chirped.
"It's nice to meet you, Black," Elesa smiled, shaking hands with me. "I'm sure Bianca told you how we met."
"She did. Thank you for that," I told her. "It really helped her out."
"Of course. Now, are you ready to earn your next badge? Because I'm certainly not going to just hand it over," she smirked.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," I chuckled.
"Great! Then follow me," she said, and I followed the electric type gym leader to the arena, where we took our places while Bianca stood off to the side, watching.
"The match between challenger Black and gym leader Elesa will now begin!" the referee called out. Elesa was first to send out her first choice, Emolga. I knew Dewott, Pignite, Servine, and Tranquil would be at a complete disadvantage here due to Emolga's dual type of electric and flying, so I pulled out Zebstrika's pokéball.
"Go, Zebstrika!" I yelled, and he cried out as he took his place.
"You can do it, Zebstrika!" Bianca cheered from the sidelines, making me grin.
"Thanks, Bianca," I smiled. "Zebstrika, use Spark!" My electric type complied, charging at Emolga while covered in electricity.
"Double Team!" she ordered, and her Emolga quickly used the move, making several copies of itself and confusing Zebstrika. He stopped moving, looking about at the copies in a panic.
"Calm down, Zebstrika!" I urged, and he nodded once, his sides heaving slightly as he took a deep breath. "Now, use Shock Wave!" He whinnied loudly before releasing a powerful burst of electricity that destroyed all of the copies and striking Elesa's Emolga itself. It cried out in pain, but then righted itself in midair before it could hit the wall.
"Emolga, Quick Attack!" Elesa told her pokémon, who immediately streaked towards Zebstrika, slamming into him. Zebstrika skidded back along the floor from the force of the impact, and then glared fiercely at Emolga.
"Hit it back with Flame Charge!" I shouted, knowing that if this dragged out, then I was screwed. I couldn't use four of my pokémon on her damn Emolga, so I was down to Zebstrika and Zorua, and since Zorua's new Dig attack that he learned back in the desert wouldn't affect Emolga, it was really up to Zebstrika. The zebra pokémon dashed at Emolga, cloaked in flames, and struck it powerfully, sending it flying off into the wall where it slid to the floor, defeated.
"Emolga is unable to battle! Zebstrika wins!" the referee announced.
"Well done, Black, but we're not finished yet!" Elesa declared as she switched out Emolga for her next pokémon. "Go, Emolga!" She then sent out a second one.
"Seriously? Another one?" I frowned, but then regained my composure. "All right, but we'll beat this one just like the last!"
"Try this on for size, then," she smirked. "Emolga, use Double Team, and follow it up with Aerial Ace!" Her second electric and flying type cried out as it did as told, and then the copies all struck Zebstrika in succession.
"No!" I yelped as he was hit several times. He appeared to be struggling to stand after that, but quickly shook it off. "Shock Wave! Take out those copies!" Once they were gone and Emolga was stunned from the blow, I yelled, "Now, follow it up with Spark!" Instead of running at Emolga while covered in electricity, however, he fired an electric beam at it, taking it out. I immediately recognized the move as Charge Beam. "Awesome, Zebstrika! You learned Charge Beam!" He nickered in a pleased manner at my praise.
"Emolga is unable to battle! Zebstrika wins!" the referee declared. Elesa returned Emolga to its pokéball, and then pulled out her last pokéball.
"All right, here's my last pokémon, Black. If you can defeat it, the badge is yours!" she told me.
"Then we'll give it all we've got!" I grinned.
"Okay, I warned you," she smirked, and then sent out a Zebstrika of her own. My Zebstrika narrowed his eyes at his new opponent, and I growled quietly under my breath. Even Zorua bristled at the sight of our last foe. "Now, use Flame Charge!"
"Counter it with your own Flame Charge!" I ordered. The pair met head on, slamming into each other with a fiery blast.
"Hit it with Quick Attack!" Suddenly, her Zebstrika sent mine flying, and he fell to the floor, defeated.
"Black's Zebstrika is unable to battle! Leader Elesa's Zebstrika wins!" the referee announced.
"Dammit," I growled, returning him to his pokéball. "You did well, pal. Get some rest." I was about to pull Pignite's pokéball off of my belt, but then I felt Zorua tug on my pant leg with a paw. "You want to go for it?" I asked. He nodded, and then ran out onto the arena.
"So, Zorua's your next choice, huh?" Elesa asked. "We'll still keep it up!"
"Just watch!" I snapped. "Zorua, use Foul Play!" My dark type threw himself at Zebstrika, cloaked in dark energy, and hit it hard, sending it flying. "I love that move!" I grinned.
"Damn," she hissed. "Zebstrika, Volt Switch!"
"Dig!" I yelled, and Zorua burrowed under the ground right before the electrical attack could hit him. Out of nowhere, he shot from under Zebstrika, striking it and sending it skidding back.
"Counter with Spark!" she shouted. Her Zebstrika launched itself at Zorua, smacking into him and sending him flying back.
"Zorua!" I gasped as he yelped painfully upon hitting the wall. As he slid to the floor, I watched helplessly as he fought to stand. Once he stood, that's when he began to glow. His form grew larger and changed in shape, and then the glow burst away to reveal my newly evolved Zoroark. He cried out angrily at Zebstrika before raising his arms while they were covered with a black and red energy, and then threw them down, sending the energy exploding through the ground, heading straight for Zebstrika. The electric type's eyes widened in alarm as the attack, which I recognized as Night Daze, burst out of the ground at it, and then struck. Zebstrika cried out in pain, and then collapsed, beaten.
"Zebstrika is unable to battle! Zoroark wins, which means Black is the victor!" the referee declared, and I grinned widely. Running over to Zoroark, I hugged him, proud of him and his win.
"You did it, Zoroark!" I laughed. "And you evolved, too!"
"That was a great battle!" Elesa called out as she approached. "I haven't had a challenge like that in quite a long time."
"Thanks, Elesa," I smiled. "You certainly didn't make it easy for us, that's for sure."
"Good to hear. Now, in recognition of your victory, I present you with the Bolt Badge," she told me, and gave me my fourth badge. I placed it in my badge case, and then shook hands with the electric type gym leader. "Now, I know the drawbridge to Driftveil City is raised right now, so I'll contact the gym leader there and let him know he has a new challenger with great potential. Feel free to head over after a stop by the Pokémon Center, okay?"
"Sure thing," I nodded, and smiled at Zoroark before returning him to his pokéball. Bianca ran up to me as Elesa walked off, dialing a number on her Xtransceiver, and my friend hugged me tightly.
"You did it, Black! Now you just need four more badges, and then you'll be able to go to the Pokémon League!" she cheered.
"Thanks, Bianca," I chuckled. "Gonna head to the bridge with me?"
"Yeah, let's go to Driftveil City together!" she grinned. "But first, a visit to the Pokémon Center for your pokémon."
"Right, good point," I agreed, and we waved to Elesa before leaving on the roller coaster that led to the entrance. Once we got outside, I was startled by a familiar voice.
"Black, you got your fourth badge, huh?" Cheren's voice called from near the Ferris wheel. I glared at him, irritated by the surprise in his voice.
"Of course he did! Black's a great trainer!" Bianca answered for me, noticing my glare.
"I don't doubt that, I'm just surprised you're getting your badges so quickly," he replied.
"Cheren! Be nice!" the blonde snapped, hands on her hips. Zoroark popped out of his pokéball at that moment, growling at Cheren. His eyes widened behind his glasses when he saw the evolved dark type, and he stared at me.
"You evolved Zorua, even after I advised you to give it back to N?" he demanded.
"Of course I did! In fact, he just evolved during this last gym battle!" I yelled. "Look, I know you were right that N is part of Team Plasma, but I know he's not aware of their real intentions, so I'm going to show him the truth."
"How are you gonna do that?" Cheren frowned.
"Not sure yet, but I'll manage it," I replied coolly, and began to head towards the Pokémon Center, Zoroark following close behind me. I could feel Bianca hesitate, but then she followed me, and I sighed as we reached the familiar red building. "Why can't he just leave me alone? I just don't get it!"
"I'll talk to him, Black. I won't blame you if you go on ahead, but don't forget that we're your friends, and we'll always be there for you, okay?" she reminded me.
"I know. Thanks, Bianca. I'll go on ahead to Driftveil," I murmured. She nodded before leaving, and then I headed into the Pokémon Center to heal my team. While Nurse Joy healed my pokémon, I waited patiently, and then thanked the pinkette after she handed me back my pokéballs. Once they were clipped back onto my belt, I began to head out for the west end of Nimbasa towards the bridge along Route 5. As I exited the gate, entering Route 5, I stopped when I heard a voice call out a greeting to me.
"Hello, young trainer!" the voice greeted, and the owner approached me, an older man with wild red hair and tanned skin. He wore his pokéballs around his neck like a necklace, surprisingly, and he gave me a concerned look when he saw my face. "Can I help you? You seem troubled."
"Don't know, unless you know how to mend a damaged friendship," I shrugged, lowering my gaze.
"That would depend on the situation," the man replied honestly. "But there is something that should make you smile."
"And that would be…?" I asked, quirking a brow.
"Come with me, and I'll show you," he said mysteriously, leading me along the route, closer to the bridge. As we walked, he added, "By the way, I'm Alder, the Unova League Champion."
"What?! What's the Champion doing away from the Pokémon League, though?" I yelped.
"Just journeying and taking some time off. We haven't had any challengers in a while, so I'm out to enjoy the sights," he answered with a shrug. "What's your name, trainer?"
"My name's Black," I told him. "I remember my friend Cheren mentioned meeting you once. He said he thought you were lazy when you guys first met."
"Yes, he did. But I changed his mind shortly after," he smirked.
"What, with a battle?" I asked.
"Yup. It only took one of my pokémon to defeat him, and he apologized profusely afterwards, becoming very humble," Alder chuckled. "I take it you'd rather not challenge me yourself, huh?"
"No, not yet," I laughed lightly. And then he stopped walking, making me pause. "What's wrong?"
"We're here," he replied, and then turned me to look at the area. What I saw instantly made me smile warmly. There were two young children playing with a couple of Herdier while being watched by their parents nearby, dancers dancing to the music played by a guitarist on the sidelines, and several people socializing as they waited for food coming from a trailer. "It's good to see everyone so happy and peaceful, hmm?"
"Yeah, it is," I nodded, my gaze focused mainly on the children playing with the two Herdier. It reminded me of the days when Cheren, Bianca, and I were little kids, playing with some of the pokémon in Professor Juniper's lab, mainly her Mincino.
"Want to give them some excitement?" he asked.
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
"I see someone who you can battle, and not be too much trouble for you," he explained.
"Um, okay," I said, and he approached the trainer before bringing her back over.
"Black, this is Denise, and she'll be your opponent," he told me. "Denise, this is Black."
"Nice to meet you," she smiled. "I'm trying to get stronger, so hopefully we'll both gain from this experience!"
"Agreed," I chuckled, shaking her hand. "Ready for this?"
"Of course!" she grinned, and then we took our positions across from each other for our battle. "I'll go first! Go, Deerling!" She then sent out a Deerling, its coat colored pink for the spring season.
"All right, then I'll use Pignite!" I yelled, sending out the aforementioned fire type. He cried out eagerly, exhaling flames from his nostrils.
"Ready, you two? Start!" Alder called out, and then Denise went first.
"Deerling, use Jump Kick!" Denise shouted, and her Deerling swiftly leapt at Pignite, landing a powerful kick on him.
"Pignite! Are you okay?" I demanded of my pokémon as he got back to his feet near me. Pignite gave an angry oink, and nodded firmly. "All right, then use Flame Charge!" The pig pokémon stomped his feet as he cloaked himself in flames, and then rushed at Deerling, slamming into it. The grass and normal type flew back, landing by Denise in a heap.
"Deerling!" Denise wailed. "Can you keep going?"
"Deer! Ling!" her pokémon cried out, getting up.
"Great, now use Take Down!" she ordered, and the deer pokémon charged at Pignite.
"Brace yourself, Pignite! You can take it!" I yelled. He nodded, and then dug his feet into the ground as his opponent neared. When Deerling smacked into him, he grunted as he slid back a couple of feet. "Finish it with Arm Thrust!" Pignite quickly used the attack, striking Deerling repeatedly, and once he finished, he backed away as Deerling fainted. "Awesome job, Pignite!"
"Pignite!" he cheered, running over to me. I hugged my fire type, and then returned him to his pokéball. I then pulled Tranquil's pokéball from my belt and sent her out.
"Ready to battle, Tranquil?" I asked, and she cried out eagerly, spreading her wings wide from where she stood on the pavement.
"Okay, then I'll use Mincino!" Denise declared, and sent out said pokémon. "All right, Mincino, use Tail Slap!"
"Into the air!" I commanded, and Tranquil took flight, narrowing avoiding the attack.
"Swift!" she called. Mincino launched the star shapes from its tail at Tranquil, and they struck her successfully. My bird pokémon cried out in pain, and I growled under my breath.
"Tranquil, use Air Cutter!" I yelled. She flapped her wings rapidly, and the attack struck Mincino quickly and repeatedly. "Follow it up with Quick Attack!" With a loud cry, Tranquil shot at Mincino, slamming into it powerfully and making it faint. "That was great, Tranquil!" I praised as she landed on my forearm. Tranquil nuzzled my cheek, and I chuckled before returning her to her pokéball. Denise returned Mincino to its pokéball, and then sighed.
"Looks like I lost," she said. "Those are my only two pokémon right now, but I definitely will catch more!" Her expression brightened as she spoke, making me smile.
"Good to know. Besides, you'll be able to broaden your horizons like that," I told her. "I know I have, thanks to my friends."
"That's wonderful," she giggled. "I have my friends, but they're already back home from their journeys. So I'm travelling alone. But I'm not really alone as long as I have my pokémon!"
"Very true," I nodded. "It was nice meeting you, Denise. I've got to keep going, since I'm aiming for Driftveil City's gym next."
"Well, good luck on your journey, Black! I hope we meet again!" Denise grinned, and I laughed.
"I hope so, too," I smiled, and then turned to Alder. "Thank you, Alder. I'll see you around."
"Of course, Black. Good luck on your journey," he said, and then I left, heading towards the bridge to Driftveil. I just prayed that Bianca was right, and that N would come to realize the truth soon enough. And if not, then I would do my best to help him.
A/N: I hope this lengthy chapter makes up for the wait! It came out to be 12 pages, which is impressive! R&R, peeps!