By the way, this is where the chapters get really lengthy...

Thank you, Neoshadowwolf for your constructive criticism I will take it as a chance to improve. Your questions will be awnsered later on in the story, I made sure to enclude them. It will be a while before you find out Zoroark's age, so I will just say it now. Zoroark is 15. Everything in this fic will become relevant later on.

Zoroark left Accumula Town, traveling along route 2. N seems nice. Zoroark thought. he definitely cares about Pokemon, that s for sure. I can t believe Cheren thought I was flirting with him though, I mean, he s cute and all but it s not like I love him. That would just be a waste of time. Love isn t important anyway. She faced a few weak Trainers in battles and finally made her way to Striation City when Bianca hurriedly asked for a battle. Zoroark s transformation and the battle was all a blur to her that ended in a successful battle and a stunned Bianca.
"Hey! You re strong! Oh, and Cheren called me, he said you have a crush on someone! Is it true"?, stated Bianca.
Zoroark only stayed silent. She knew if she said yes, Bianca would confirm it with Cheren and they would mock her forever. If she said no, they would pester her until she said yes. "No, I don t have a crush on N. Don t listen to Cheren", Zoroark scoffed.
Bianca then left to train her Pokemon some more with a Humph at Zoroark's answer to her question as Zoroark headed onto Striation City. After exploring the city at high speeds in her Zoroark form (in which she actually quite enjoyed scaring the other passersby) she found a tall, interesting looking building and Zoroark walked in. There were many kids studying and Zoroark decided not to get into mischief and bother the kids she took to be students as she realized she must have walked into the Trainer's School. At the back of the room she saw Cheren looking at a blackboard, obviously reading. Zoroark tapped Cheren s shoulder. Cheren jumped with fright and screamed at the sight of a small, deadly looking Zoroark baring its teeth at him.
"So, Nerdy. Are you ready to apologize yet?", Zoroark began.
"Apologize for what?", Cheren sneered.
"Insulting me!" She growled. A couple students looked up to watch the brewing fight between the teen and strange Pokemon.
"A-and N...You insulted him too...", Zoroark whimpered.
"Ok, I m sorry for insulting you! But I m not sorry for insulting him! He's weird, just plain weird! If you can't see past your little crush on him then too bad!"

"I don t have a crush on him!"

"Really? What about all that 'Can I show you something? I can understand Pokemon too... and That's a cute name...", Cheren hissed in a mocking tone. "I mean seriously! N! It's just a letter! What's so cute about that?"

"It's just a compliment. Get over it. I know you are just jealous." Zoroark replied calmly. She slapped Cheren's face with her tail and walked away to challenge the Striation Gym.

Zoroark ran around town as a Pokemon again, searching for the Striation Gym. She saw an old building near a clearing and she decided to explore. There was nothing around but a few wild Pokemon, some trainers, and the strange old building. One kind Trainer gave Zoroark a green Pokemon that looked like a monkey,
called Pansage. Zoroark named him, Fellow, for his good, friendly nature. She headed back into the city and finally found the gym and walked inside she was greeted by the smells of delicious food. For a moment she thought she had walked into a restaurant instead of the Striation Gym. She saw a large green curtain knew she needed to get through it. Zoroark let out a burst of blue electricity that cloaked around her. She knew she needed to charge energy before she attempted what she was about to do. The electricity on her body wore off but the electricity around her paws stayed and gathered around her claws, forming a hard outer coating that made her claws longer. Zoroark clawed at the wooden beams holding the curtain up and began to climb them. Her muscles flexed and her lengthened claws dug into the beam until she reached the top. Once at the top she crouched down to lower her center of gravity so she wouldn t fall and charged energy once again. She stood up on her hind legs and attached her claws to a beam in the ceiling of the gym, swung herself up on top of the beam, and walked along it, hidden from view. When she was just above the Gym Leader and his two followers she jumped backwards, landing just in front of them and delivering the shock of their lives.
"I'm here for a battle!", Zoroark demanded and turned human again.
"Uh...Oh., said the one with green hair, Great. We will decide which one of us you will battle. What did you choose for your starter?"

"Wait, Zoroark cocked her head to the side, you mean you re not the only Gym Leader?", Zoroark said, pointing at the green-haired one.
"No. These are my brothers, Chili, He pointed at the redhead, and Cress, He pointed at the one with blue hair. I'm Cilan", he finished.
"Oh. I get it!", cried Zoroark, I'm Zoroark", and this, Zoroark released Ambest from his Pokeball, "Is Ambest! Ember of the Beasts!" "A Tepig? Cilan said, Great. Because you have a fire type, you will battle Cress!"

Cress stepped forward onto the battlefield, "I specialize in water types and will be your opponent," he exclaimed calmly.
Zoroark bit her lip. Cress was a water type trainer, who knew her first gym battle would be to her disadvantage! She bent down and whispered to Ambest, "Good luck. I can't battle, but I ll help you all the way through this", then to Cress, "Let this battle be electric!" Cress sent out a Panpour, a Pokemon that looked like a blue monkey. Zoroark resisted the urge to pull out her Pokedex and scan the creature that stood in the way of her first gym badge.
Ambest went first and used Tackle, but Cress s Pansage dodged the attack and struck back with a Water Gun that hit Ambest straight on and caused him to topple backwards. It was obvious he had taken some serious damage.
Ambest!, Zoroark screamed, please stay strong! Ambest got up and teetered around in a daze for a second, then shook it off and looked at Zoroark, confirming he was ready for her to issue her next command.
Ambest, use Ember! Zoroark knew the type match up was terrible, but a long range attack was the best strategy.
Panpour, who was being overly proud of its attack on Ambest, that the hot embers that hit it surprised the Panpour and it used Dig without Cress consent and Zoroark ordered Ambest to follow it. Ambest jumped down the hole Panpour created and a blast of steam burst from the hole. Both Trainers gasped as calls, flames, and water bursted from the hole. This wasn t a battle the Trainers controlled anymore. It was personal between the Pokemon and no one could stop it unless the Pokemon came out of the hole, one Pokemon fainted or they settled whatever problem they were having down there. A few minutes later a vicious pounding started below ground and Zoroark desperately hoped the Pokemon were OK. Soon Ambest busted through the surface of the rock battle field with a limp Panpour tail in his mouth he crawled out of the hole and a fainted Pansage followed, being dragged by its tail.
Panpour!, yelled Cress, are you OK? he ran onto the battlefield and Zoroark ordered Ambest to release Panpour. Cress cradled the hurt Pokemon in his arms, sent it back to its Pokeball, then sent out a puppy-like Pokemon, a Lillipup to be exact, to take Panpour s place. Zoroark as well switched her Pokemon to Fellow, the Pansage she received in the Dreamyard. Fellow taunted Cress and his Lillipup for a moment then looked at Zoroark for a command.
Use Vine Whip!, Zoroark ordered.
Lillipup! Bite!, Cress ordered.
Both the Pokemon moved at the same time but Cress Lillipup was faster, because Zoroark had nearly no time to train Fellow much. Fellow dodged the attack slightly and whipped Lillipup, wrapping the vines around Lillipup so it was immobilized. Fellow squeezed the vines around Lillipup until it fainted, and the battle that had been nice then turned so deadly was finally over and Zoroark had won.
Yes! Yes! We did it!, Zoroark glinted on her fangs and she let out a roar along with a crackling burst of blue electricity.
Cilan cautiously stepped towards the happy Zoroark, afraid of being shocked and presented the badge. Zoroark took a quick swipe at Cilan with her claws and he fell backwards in surprise, tossing the badge in the air. Zoroark leaped up and caught the badge in her mouth, like a Herdier playing fetch. Zoroark ran out the door in a hurry, almost swallowing her gym badge in the process. Just as Zoroark reached the exit of the gym she received a call on her X-Transceiver from Bianca. When she picked up, Bianca seemed to be in a panic.
H-help. M-me. N-now...I m in the Dreamyard., Bianca said then she hung up with no other word. Zoroark feared the worst for Bianca and charged power to make herself faster and put her gym badge into her badge case she got on her past birthday, not too long ago. She ran to the outskirts of town, retracing her steps back to the Dreamyard. When she arrived she saw the strange people in chain mail uniforms again, Zoroark instantly recognized them as Team Plasma. She crept silently along the wall of the abandoned building, so as not to alert Team Plasma. She leapt down from a ledge on the old building as soon as she saw Bianca, who was cornered by Patrats that lashed out if Bianca made any sudden movements or noises. Zoroark surprised the Patrats by picking up the one that seemed to be the leader in her jaws, she clamped down on it and shook the Patrat with enough force to scare it, but not cause it harm. The other Patrats begged Zoroark to put their leader down.
Never!, Zoroark growled in Pokemon, struggling to talk with the wriggling Patrat in her jaws, I ll only put your precious leader down if you release my friend! The group of Patrat cringed and stepped away from Bianca.
Zoroark released the Patrat from her jaws and it ran out of Zoroark s sight, along with the other Patrats.
Bianca! Are you OK? F-fine thanks... Upon hearing Zoroark and Bianca the members of Team Plasma turned around to see the girls.
Run!, Zoroark screamed.
No!, Bianca denied, That Munna! Bianca pointed to a pink Pokemon in a Team Plasma Grunt s arms.
Fine..., Zoroark muttered. Zoroark turned human again and confronted Team Plasma. Let that Pokemon go!, Zoroark demanded.
No... Said the grunt firmly.
Fine! Then I ll take it from you! Zoroark was about to reach for the dagger in her bag when one of the grunts shoved her to the ground. Zoroark knew she couldn t beat them with human strength alone so she transformed again. The grunts faces couldn t have looked more confused or angry then they were and Zoroark enjoyed looking at the grunts paranoid faces until one of them shouted,
Traitor! at her.
It was time for Zoroark to be confused, but instead of questioning herself or the grunts she got up and inflicted a wicked bite on the hand of the grunt who was holding Munna then ran away. Zoroark stopped suddenly when Ghetsis, the man who delivered the strange speech in Accumula Town appeared in front of her. Zoroark growled and clawed at Ghetsis, but Ghetsis disappeared just as quickly as he appeared as soon as Zoroark ripped her claws through his robes. Zoroark screamed in surprise and ran out of the Dreamyard and Stration City as fast as she could until she grew too tired to run any longer.
Zoroark walked around, looking at the tall trees. She knew she was too tired and too far from Straiton City to go back so she settled for a tall tree she had found; Zoroark was just about to climb it when something hit her head and she felt herself vaporizing into energy and blackness consumed her. She struggled for a moment before she materialized again and reappeared again back into the light. Zoroark looked around frantically only to find a Poke ball behind her and a pair of Team Plasma grunts frowning in frustration.
You again!, Zoroark spat angrily, You threw that Pokeball didn t you? Yeah, so?, Answered one of the grunts, You will make a perfect Pokemon for our king! And you talk! How rare can you get! The other grunt said, she then switched her taunting tone to one dripping with honey, Now dearie, what kind of Pokemon are you anyway? I m not a Pokemon! Zoroark screamed and transformed into a human again, Now go away or I ll turn back and rip out your throat! The Team Plasma members seemed to reconsider and ran off.
Zoroark climbed up the tree and soon fell asleep, her dreams clouded with evil knights, a crazed evil man, and the cute boy, N she met.
Zoroark woke up to Ambest headbutting the tree trying to make Zoroark wake up.
Ambest! Buddy! Stop! I m awake!, Zoroark yelled.
Ambest tried to scramble up the tree only to end up oinking noisily on the ground for Zoroark to come down.
Zoroark jumped down from the tree and let Ambest snuggle up in her long mane and she ran, hoping to make it to Nacrene City by nightfall. after many hours of walking, Zoroark smelt a warm familiar smell she secretly hoped to smell again and followed it. At the end of the trail she saw none other than N, his back turned and talking to a Patrat. Without thought she walked up to N where she nuzzled into his hair and purred. N turned around, seemingly alarmed to see another Pokemon that had taken an immediate liking to him.
N..., Zoroark purred. N turned around and asked, Oh...um...Zoroark, what are you doing? What does it look like I m doing?, Zoroark giggled and transformed into a human again.
N flinched back and Zoroark thought about the first time they met, remembering that N seemed to be more comfortable with Pokemon rather than humans, Zoroark willed her Zoroark ears and tail to form. Zoroark tried to restrain herself from snuggling into him once more and looked away from N to fight her temptation. As soon as Zoroark turned away N grabbed Zoroark s hand. Oh dear Arceus, no...Don t make me fall in love with you...If I'm not already madly in love with you..., Zoroark thought. She couldn t help herself and wrapped her long tail around N s waist and crawled into his lap. Zoroark felt the heat rising in her cheeks and a gentle smile played on N s lips.
Zoroark, can I ask you something? Sure, N...Anything at all... Are we friends? Yeah..., Zoroark replied simply, Um...N, do you want to walk to Nacrene City with me? It s not too far... Sure, but I have to go as soon as we get there, there s some business I have to cover. Zoroark reluctantly uncurled her tail from around N s waist and tried to keep her tail under control by wagging it back and forth, pulling it away quickly when it neared N to fight temptation.
It was about a half hour walk to Nacrene City,in which N nor Zoroark said nothing to one another, though Zoroark purposefully brushed her tail against N s hand, the cube that hung from the chain on his belt loop, or sometimes even across the nape of N s neck, struggling to push his bushy hair away with her tail that was supposed to be used for lashing out at enemies in combat when the thick fold of skin over her tail that revealed a sharp metal blade was drawn back, rather than for affection. N completely ignored Zoroark s attempts at getting his attention.