Hi there, and welcome to the final chapter! (Well, of the Black 1 story anyway) Once again it's wrapping things up and setting things up as well, but this chapter has a bit more action than the last one. Well...guess not a lot more to say than that. Enjoy!
Chapter 8 - The Summer: The End (and the Beginning)
Unova - (Layla's illusion wore off! Layla used Facade! It doesn't affect the strange deer… It doesn't affect Cheren…It doesn't affect Hilbert…It doesn't affect Bianca…It doesn't affect Professor Juniper…)
The three strange deer Pokemon were Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion, as Layla later learned from Professor Juniper. They too were legendaries, though not nearly as famous or powerful as Reshiram or Zekrom. Long ago they had protected the Pokemon of the land from a destructive war among people. Because they had seen the peak of human violence, they had despised humans ever since. At least, that was the common theory.
Well, they certainly despised Layla. She often ran into one or more of the strange deer during her travels. Sometimes they merely leered at her from the shadows, while other times they attacked her. Sometimes they acted alone, but often they were with one or more of their brethren. They clearly saw her - and Reshiram - as threats, as they were much more likely to appear if she was manic (Cheren's kind term for her dragon madness - strangely, it stuck).
Not that Layla was their only target, though she was the only one they tried to gang up on. Sometimes they would go after Cheren, who eagerly fought back (though sometimes they would team up with him instead, to deal with Layla). There had been reports of them threatening some of the Gym Leaders, and even regular people. It was deeply unsettling, because the strange deer had almost never appeared to humans in the past few centuries. People took it as a further omen that Unova was going astray.
For people were quickly losing faith in Layla's status as the true hero. Now that the dragon madness had broken through once, it continued to seep out of the cracks of her fracturing charade. She was often zoned out, or laughing at nothing. Occasionally she and Reshiram went on a mini-rampage somewhere (with Cheren often the one to stop her). She spoke so fast that sometimes she confused people. Sometimes it got so bad that she couldn't remember what happened the day or night before. Those times scared her the most. She wore sunglasses to mask her too-bright eyes, and wrapped her winter scarf over her crazed smiles even as spring melted into a scorching summer.
She was sure Hilbert would have made fun of her out-of-season outfit, if he ever got the courage to face her again. But ever since that first outbreak of insanity, Hilbert had gone from passively avoiding her to actively disappearing when she came near. It both saddened and angered her, but she couldn't really blame him - most people tried to stay away from her, including many of the Gym Leaders. But Cheren blamed him - she caught him yelling at Hilbert about what a useless coward he was. So Hilbert wasn't even hanging out with Cheren or Bianca anymore…Did he even have friends besides Cheren, Bianca and her?
Bianca…She had proved braver than Hilbert, and many other people, but not by much. She was still willing to approach and talk to Layla, even after witnessing some of her madder moments. But Layla clearly saw the worry in her old friend's eyes, and that made her feel guilty. There was a time when Bianca ran to her for protection and reassurance. Now Bianca buried herself in research so she could be Professor Juniper's assistant. Layla only saw Bianca when she came in to let them do research on her and Reshiram.
Professor Juniper wasn't stupid either. Though she never said anything directly, her concerned looks and grim lips told of her true thoughts.
The female professor also kept her father, the first Professor Juniper, away from her research and away from Layla. Didn't want to stress his weak but happy heart with the results, she had said. It was the most direct thing she had ever stated on the subject. So Layla made sure to avoid him as well. Let the older man have his dreams of perfect legends.
Layla avoided her hometown in general too. She didn't want to bring any bad press to the little place. She wondered how her mother was doing - her only contact with her nowadays was with the sporadic Xtransceiever calls.
And Cheren…Dragon Slayer Cheren had made himself the self-appointed guardian of humanity. He gave himself no such fancy title (in fact he was still a bit embarrassed at the nickname Dragon Slayer) but as far as Layla was concerned, he might as well have. When he wasn't interrupting Reshiram's (her) escapades, or dealing with the strange deer, he was chasing down the legendary Tornadus and Thundurus. The twin genie Pokemon loved to use their wind and lightning powers to wreak havoc on both people and Pokemon. So Cheren often battled them, or helped others evade their irresponsible destruction.
And when he wasn't fighting with some legendary or other, he was researching them. Not just Unova's legends and legendary Pokemon either - he studied everything from Mew to Ho-oh and Lugia, to Groudon and Kyogre, to Dialga and Palkia, and even Arceus itself. He would investigate each one, trying to determine how much of a threat they were. Sometimes he stopped by Professor Juniper's lab to get further information.
It didn't leave much time for this dating thing he and Layla were supposed to be doing.
Undella Town - (Wild Cynthia appeared! Cheren used Echoed Voice! It's not very effective…Cynthia used Relic Song!)
Undella Town was a beautiful place on the coast with a great beach line and many ritzy beach houses, the definition of a summer vacation stay. But there wasn't much for a Trainer to do there, besides hunt for some treasures in the sands. Layla sometimes passed through while heading elsewhere, and sometimes even spotted Hilbert sunning himself on the beach. Hilbert always did love warm and bright weather.
But Layla was here for a different reason. She was her to challenge Cynthia, the visiting Champion of Sinnoh. She had heard the black-clad blonde had the power and skill to face off against legendaries if she wished. Layla wanted to know how true those rumors were.
She flew there on Reshiram, and earned a few stares along the way as she always did. The world was so much smaller now that she had a giant dragon to ride on. She even flew alongside Skyla as she was flying one of her beloved planes (the expression on Skyla and the passengers' faces was priceless, as the plane suddenly rocketed away). Upon finally tracking down the cottage Cynthia was staying at, she threw open the door.
Only to be completely ignored by the arguing inhabitants inside.
"The legends aren't beings to fear," Cynthia was saying, as she was putting some old books on a shelf. The golden spines of the books showed that they were about legends from other regions.
"I don't fear legendaries," Cheren corrected crossly. He was sitting at a nearby desk, an ancient tome opened before him. The weathered pages showed several stylized drawings of Latios and Latias, the twin psychic dragon Pokemon. "I just refuse to let them do as they please, not if they're hurting others."
"Legendaries rarely hurt others unnecessarily," Cynthia went on, turning around. Her gray-eyed gaze was calm. "When others, usually people, provoke them, or try to take advantage of their power, then yes they will lash out. It's a natural reaction if one is angered or scared."
"But what if they aren't provoked? What then?" Cheren asked.
"I'm not saying that unprovoked attacks don't happen. They happen with all of us, Pokemon and people," Cynthia continued. "But as I have personally observed in my studies of legends, nine times out of ten there is a reason behind their attacks."
Cheren looked rather skeptical of this.
"Sometimes it's human interference, like with organizations such as Team Galactic or Team Aqua and Magma," Cynthia went on. "Sometimes it is a natural rivalry, like with Kyogre and Groudon, or Dialga and Palkia, and usually there is a peacekeeper between them, such as Rayquaza or Giratina. There are even times when their anger seems unprovoked, when in reality they are trying to tell us something, or warn us." She smiled a little. "If we could understand their words, perhaps our relations with them would be better."
Cheren gritted his teeth, probably biting back a scream. Layla didn't blame him - No, understanding Pokemon speech did not automatically solve everything. N was proof enough of that…Where in the world was he?
Cynthia kept her cheery smile, though she seemed to notice that her joke had fallen flat. "Point is, they don't go out of the way to inflict harm. In fact, they protect us more than harm us. They are not threats, but rather beings to be respected."
"…If I had respected the legendaries' whims, there wouldn't be an Unova for you to vacation in," Cheren muttered, his slate-blue eyes stern as he gazed up to the much taller woman before him. "That…is all I can say on that particular subject. You're on your own from here."
Cynthia's grin vanished, replaced by a grim look.
Cheren glared at the floor. "Ghetsis is a truly horrible person, but he got one thing right: A legendary Pokemon is still a Pokemon, not a god, and I won't grovel at their feet." He looked back up to Cynthia. "I will treat them as equals, no more and no less, just as I treat my own partners and other Pokemon. And if they're endangering either people or Pokemon, they will be punished. For I am Cheren Scarlet, the Dragon Slayer! That is my purpose!"
Cynthia seemed to be a bit stunned by the sudden intensity in the teen's words and glare. Then she recomposed herself, her expression becoming somber. "I don't know what happened to you, or everyone else in the Unova region. But understand this: There is a reason why fate exists, and why the legendaries exist, and it's not to make common man or Pokemon miserable. It's what holds the universe together, what allows life to exist. And if you divert too far from it, or fight against it for too long, you will become lost in the chaos."
Cheren remained unmoved. "I'd rather be lost in the chaos than be trapped by rules that make no sense."
Cynthia sighed. "Is that really what you want? A life where nothing is ever certain? You should think about that, child."
The Sinnoh Champion and the Dragon Slayer stared each other down. Layla was reminded of those old Western movies, where the two gunslingers were quietly calculating the right time to shoot.
Then Cynthia finally noticed Layla standing in the doorway. "Oh hi there!" she exclaimed, her demeanor instantly changing as she held up one hand in greeting and smiled awkwardly. "How long have you been here?"
"Layla!" Cheren yelped, just as surprised.
"Oh, this is Layla?" Cynthia asked. "As in, the Layla who wields the legendary dragon Reshiram?"
More like the legendary dragon wields me, thought Layla, but she grinned anyway. "Yep, that's me. And I'm here to challenge you to a battle!"
"Fantastic!" answered Cynthia, smiling brightly. "I would love to see your Reshiram in action. No one seems to be willing to tell me anything about it or Zekrom." At this her face saddened a little, though it was also laced with suspicion. She quickly perked up again. "I've been waiting for this honor, actually!"
Layla blinked. She didn't expect the Sinnoh Champion to be so…excited about fighting Reshiram. Perhaps some part of Layla had expected, maybe even hoped, that the mere mention of Reshiram would scare Cynthia off. Well, the lady was brave if nothing else.
"Uh, I don't think that's a good idea," Cheren interjected, clearly concerned. "If things…got out of hand-"
"Oh, it shouldn't be a problem," chirped Cynthia, heading toward Layla. "We'll just need to fight outside, is all."
IIIIII
Cynthia was right.
Reshiram didn't have too much trouble taking out Cynthia's Spiritomb, though the sneering purple-and-green ghost Pokemon was sturdy enough to take quite a few Fusion Flares. Then Cynthia sent out her signature Pokemon, the bipedal land-shark Pokemon Garchomp. The lithe blue-and-red dragon Pokemon easily danced around Reshiram's many lunges and Dragonbreaths, striking at the larger white dragon with precise slices and jabs. Reshiram grew more angry and frustrated, and used Outrage despite Layla's orders. Garchomp quickly put a stop to that with an Earthquake attack, causing Reshiram to lose its footing in the fine sands and fall over. After Garchomp nailed the downed Reshiram with a Dragon Rush to the face, Reshiram was knocked unconscious.
Layla couldn't help but stare at her defeated dragon, a legend so quickly dethroned. This was nothing like when the three strange deer attacked for the first time, or even when Cheren had battled her many times afterward. Sometimes Reshiram would eventually be taken out, but that took a lot of effort. Most of those fights went for exhausting the great white dragon, not knocking it out outright. This…was being utterly conquered.
The face-off had attracted a good crowd, some Trainers, others just passerby or curious rich people observing the fight. They cheered when Reshiram was beaten. Cheren, not far off, stayed silent, but was taking notes like he was in class.
"That was incredible!" Cynthia exclaimed joyously. "Reshiram is such a powerful yet graceful being. It's an honor to have seen and battled it."
Layla could only nod numbly as she returned Reshiram to its Pokeball. She couldn't believe how…normal Cynthia was. Almost supernaturally normal, except that description didn't make any sense.
"Would you like to continue the match with your other Pokemon?" asked Cynthia, her Garchomp still standing at attention before her. "Or have you had enough?"
Layla smirked despite her lacking confidence. "Bring it on. Cynthia! Go, Serperior!"
Serperior fared even worse than Reshiram, being taken down in only a few hits. In fact, Cynthia's agile Garchomp trounced the rest of her team too. It was looking tired by the end of it, but it still acted ready for more challengers.
"Oh man…You totally wiped me out…" Layla breathed. She hated losing, but she couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the match. "Wow, I don't think I've ever lost this bad before…No wonder you're still Sinnoh's Champion!"
"Don't be discouraged. It was a good match," Cynthia replied with a smile.
For you maybe, Layla thought, but grinned and shook her head. "Nah, takes more than that to being me down. Reshiram needed a good fight anyway. Been a bit full of itself lately, y'know? That might take it down and peg or two."
"Let's hope so," Cheren commented, walking over to Layla. "Hey, after you get your Pokemon healed, you wanna go for a swim?"
"Yeah, that'd be awesome!" said Layla.
Undella Bay - (Cheren used Surf! Layla used Surf! Cheren used Attract! Layla is in love with the opponent!)
"So, how's the Sage search going?" asked Cheren, taking off his shirt. Scars snaked and dotted his back and arms. The place where Zekrom's Thunderbolt had hit him left a burn mark like an exploding sun between his shoulder blades.
Layla glanced away, pushing back some of her currently-free hair as she did so. She still wasn't used to Cheren's scars, and suspected she never would be. They were mostly her and N's fault after all, though some of them were more recently acquired from spats with other legendaries. Wasn't it only a couple weeks ago when Cheren himself was still uncomfortable with those blemishes, and stayed awkwardly away from all the Gym Leaders at their pool party? Cheren's changes during their initial journey were nothing compared to the quicksilver transformations over the past few months.
"Well?" Cheren said, now stripped down to his bright-red swimming trunks. His glasses were set on top of his discarded clothes.
"Oh right," Layla replied, still looking out to the sparkling ocean. Her pink-and-black bikini was a bit tight, but it made her look good and that was the entire point. "Found four of them. Two more, not including Ghetsis, to go."
"Ah," Cheren replied, diving into the water and swimming around. "And N?"
Layla looked down. "…Nothing."
"…I see," Cheren answered, swimming up to her. He paused, smirked, and then yanked Layla down into the water. With a shriek she fell in. Layla quickly resurfaced and began splashing Cheren in furious embarrassment.
Cheren laughed, even as he shielded himself from the spray. "You were taking too long in get in the water. I was getting bored."
"I was gonna jump in, in like, five seconds!"
"Five seconds too slow," Cheren taunted, before glancing to a small land mass in the distance. "Hey, race you to that island over there."
Layla looked over to the place in question. It was mostly beach, with a small mountain in the middle of it. She heard rumors that a tunnel was under construction on the other side, which led to some obscure resort town whose name she couldn't pronounce. "Sure! Like your scrawny butt could beat me, Cherie!"
Cheren smiled. "I ain't as scrawny as I used to be, you know."
Oh, Layla noticed that, even as the race got underway. The way the water rolled over Cheren's body as he swam, how the sun highlighted the curves of his muscles just under his wound-tattooed skin…Yeah, it was really hard for her not to notice that. And since when had he gotten faster than her? She could always swim circles around him when they were younger. Now she couldn't even keep up with him.
Cheren was waiting for her patiently when she finally reached the island. He was smiling, and didn't appear tired at all.
"It's not fair," Layla muttered breathlessly, as Cheren helped her get to feet. "When did you get so strong?"
Cheren just laughed, pulling her closer.
"Cheren! I'm serious!" Layla protested, trying to squirm away. "First you're taller, then you're faster, and now you even swim better than me! I'm the one who's supposed to be good at everything!"
Cheren's laughter dissolved into chuckles, before her rested his forehead against hers. "Silly. I got strong for you, of course," he purred.
Layla shivered a little despite herself. She had never heard Cheren speak that way before, much less seen that look in his eyes…"Cheren…?"
His kiss silenced her. She kissed back. His hand got tangled in her long loose hair. Her lips pushed harder against his. Yes, he loved her, and he saved her over and over, and he deserved this, even if, even if-
Reshiram erupted out of its Pokeball with a proud howl, its body looming over both of them.
Cheren's body tensed as he gritted his teeth. "Go away."
"Reshiram!" Layla snarled, also angered by Reshiram's sudden materialization. She took out Reshiram's Pokeball and tried to recall it, but Reshiram kept flying out of the range of the retrieving beam. "Return, dammit!"
Reshiram paid no heed to Layla's demand. Instead it shoved her and Cheren apart with its snout, growling. It was sending Layla feelings of strong disapproval and even anger.
Layla did not back down. "I said return! Now!" She held out Reshiram's Pokeball and attempted to recall it again.
Again Reshiram dodged. It howled loudly, stomping the ground.
"You heard her!" Cheren yelled at Reshiram. "What kind of devoted Pokemon doesn't even listen to its Trainer?"
Reshiram growled at Cheren.
"Is it because you're a legendary, because you think you're above humanity, above all other life forms?" Cheren went on, his voice becoming low and quiet as he stood up. "Do all you legendaries only care about yourselves?"
"Cheren-" Layla began, more in warning than disagreement, as she also got onto her feet. She did not want to go in a manic episode here, not with so many people nearby…She shook her head vigorously.
Cheren took this head-shaking as a sign that Layla was upset, and his expression darkened as he glared at Reshiram. "I once had faith in the likes of you, the supposedly perfect beings. You could do no evil in the old stories. If anything went wrong, it was us humans that were at fault, always…because us humans were always the flawed ones, right?"
Reshiram snorted. It seemed to be both agreeing and disagreeing with Cheren at the same time.
"We were the ones always warring, we were the ones who abused you and Zekrom to the point of causing another dark age…" Cheren went on, almost absently, before his voice began to rise. "But tell me, is any of that even true? It was your fault the whole time, wasn't it? You did all that, or drove us to do it! You were put into dormant states because you were dangerous! You're not gods, you're demons!"
Reshiram screeched at Cheren, enraged at his words. Layla had never felt it so angry.
And Layla was enraged too - Reshiram was not the most well-behaved creature, but it was not evil. "Are you trying to make me go manic, Cheren? Stop it, before you really piss Reshiram off."
"Layla! Why do you put up with this?" Cheren snapped back. "You know what Reshiram is capable of! Get rid of it!"
"You think I haven't tried that?" Layla yelled. "You think I haven't tried to get my old life back, and just be a stupid kid again? I can't!"
"But you can go back!" Cheren shouted. "You can go back to who you really are, if you really want to!"
"What if I don't want to be who I used to be?" asked Layla quietly, her expression caught somewhere between anger and sadness. "I only thought about myself back then. I only cared about winning, no matter who got in the way. But along the way I figured out that I needed to fight for others to be truly strong. You learned that too, right?"
Cheren only nodded, though his eyes still looked wary.
Layla reached up and stroked Reshiram's neck. "Now I'm aura-bound to Reshiram. It's a part of me, and I'm a part of it. And that's not counting Zekrom and N, who I know I'll find again, no matter how long it takes. It's inevitable. I can't just leave Reshiram, because it is me, in some weird way."
"No it's not!" Cheren shouted. "It's just Reshiram using you, like it always does! Why are you being so stupid?"
"You're the one being stupid!" Layla yelled back, Reshiram barking and howling behind her. "Not everything's Reshiram's fault! Ever think of that?"
"I understand that!" Cheren snapped back. "But a damn good amount of it is! Deny it all you want, but we all know it! Even N-"
"You leave him out of this," Layla growled in a low voice.
"Even N must have known!" Cheren went on. "He got Zekrom before you got Reshiram! He experienced the madness himself first, knew how dangerous it was, yet what does he do? Immediately baits you into following into insanity with him, without telling you a damn thing about what was really going on! He could have stopped at any point, or at least warned you, but he didn't! Because he's a selfish bastard who didn't give a shit about your safety!"
"You don't know anything about my Other!" Layla screeched.
Reshiram charged forward, bellowing. Layla didn't bother to stop it, letting its rage fuel her own.
"Emboar!" Cheren shouted, throwing out a Pokeball and summoning the great fiery pig. "Head Smash!"
"Booooooooaaaar!" Emboar roared, rushing forth with its head lowered. Fire and smoke trailed from its flame-beard like a demonic locomotive.
Reshiram's eyes shone, and Emboar was suddenly slammed into the nearby mountain by the white dragon's Extrasensory attack. It shot out of the debris, however, and struck Reshiram's head with its own, causing both of them to recoil.
Reshiram's eyes glowed bright blue, ready to unleash another Extrasensory, when a volley of sharp stones struck its side. Moments later, a blue-and-red blur blocked Emboar's attack as well, driving it back. The blur stopped between the two combatants, revealing it to be a Garchomp.
"Enough!" shouted Cynthia, riding on her serpentine Milotic several feet away. She was wearing a gold-and-black one-piece swimsuit, and her usual barrettes were absent. "This kind of fighting is pointless!"
Layla's anger only spiked at Cynthia's interference. What business did she have trying to stop this fight? If the Sinnoh Champion had been listening earlier (and Layla highly suspected she had been eavesdropping), then she knew that this was a personal thing between her and Cheren.
Reshiram meanwhile wanted a rematch with the dragon it lost to before, and fired a Fusion Flare at it. Garchomp dodged the attack, and hit Reshiram with a Dragon Rush straight to the chest. Reshiram screeched in pain, but it bit down on one of Garchomp's arms before it could retreat. It shook Garchomp violently from side to side, before finally flinging it into the mountainside. Reshiram fired another Fusion Flare where Garchomp had landed for good measure.
But Reshiram had forgotten about its original opponent, and was struck by Emboar's Brick Break attack while it was distracted. It angrily slashed at Emboar, who evaded the blow.
Cheren had unleashed his other Pokemon too, and they were hurrying into the fray. So Layla sent out the rest of her team as well: Serperior, Zebstrika, Golurk, Hydreigon, and Zoroark. She couldn't hear over the cacophony inside and outside her head, but that was fine. Her Pokemon didn't need constant orders to fight, least of all Reshiram. If all-out war was what Cheren wanted, then she would gladly should him how it was done!
Then she caught some movement on the mountainside. Garchomp wasn't down yet - in fact, it was just done dancing about in a strangely energetic manner. Dancing…A Swords Dance! The landshark-dragon had been performing the strength-boosting move while she and Reshiram had been diverted by Cheren's Pokemon!
Garchomp started giving off a golden aura as it swiftly descended - an Outrage attack. It roared as landed in the middle of the two opposing Pokemon groups, and began lashing out at them at random. Most of her and Cheren's Pokemon went down in one hit. Even Reshiram stood little chance against it in this boosted berserk state. By the time Garchomp had finally tired itself, it was the only Pokemon left standing.
Even in her mania Layla was impressed, and even intimidated. That one Garchomp had taken out two entire teams of Pokemon, including a legendary! And that was just one of Cynthia's Pokemon…Had Cynthia even been fighting her seriously earlier?
Cheren seemed to be thinking the same thing, as he quietly retrieved his team. It had been a while since they had been that synced, Layla realized.
Cynthia rode over on her Milotic to the shoreline, and recalled her Garchomp before it hurt itself or anyone else in its exhaustion-induced confusion. She gave both of them reprimanding glares. "I apologize, but I had to stop it. Things were going too far. You and others could have gotten seriously hurt."
Cheren sighed, his expression drained. "Welcome to my life, Cynthia."
Relic Castle - (Layla swayed around, dancing in a strange manner…Wild Plasma Grunt appeared! Wild Plasma Grunt used Wide Guard! Wild Plasma Grunt's ability changed to Defiant!)
Layla only needed to find one more of the Sages. That didn't count Ghetsis, of course. (though in a strange way, she was glad he was free - once she did find him, she could do whatever she wanted to, as long as Cheren or Alder weren't nearby…). So when she heard rumors that some Plasma members had been lurking around the Relic Castle recently, she went to investigate.
Layla still hated sandstorm weather. Inside the castle there was sand everywhere, and she kept falling into sandpits. She kept getting sand in her eyes, in her hair, in her mouth, in her clothes. Actually, she was beginning to hate sand in general.
So upon (finally) reaching the deeper levels of the ancient bastion, she was beginning to wonder if she was wasting her time when she spotted a Plasma Grunt. The Grunt noticed her too, his body stiffening like a Patrat caught in the sights of a Braviary. When she took a step toward him, he fled down the stairs into another room.
Layla grinned. She was feeling a little manic today, and if this Grunt still worked for a Sage he was a bad guy anyway. She didn't mind a chase. She almost skipped down the stairs after him.
The next chamber had four pillars in it, and sand creeping in the cracks and corners. The Grunt was in the middle, and jumped in surprise upon seeing Layla. But then his countenance hardened. He yelled out as he suddenly charged her.
Reshiram erupted from its Pokeball, growling. The Plasma Grunt quickly backed up, eyes wide and body trembling. Nonetheless he took out a Pokeball himself and threw it, releasing a brown-and-black-striped crocodile Pokemon, a Krookodile. It opened its maw wide and hissed at Reshiram, slamming its tail into the ground.
"You really want to mess with us, bub?" Layla taunted, still smiling. "Reshiram!"
Reshiram howled, and then used Slash. The slicing attack left a nasty gash on the Krookodile's chest, but it seemed more angry than hurt.
Huh, tough Krookodile, though Layla. This guy might actually know how to train Pokemon…Or he might've just stolen it from a good Trainer. Probably the former.
"Crunch!" ordered the Grunt. He seemed more composed now that his Pokemon was out.
The Krookodile chomped down on Reshiram's leg. Reshiram cried out, and then began thrashing about trying to get the Krookodile off. The Krookodile hung on despite the battering.
"That's it Krookodile!" the Grunt shouted. "Don't let go!"
"Reshiram, careful!" Layla shouted, as Reshiram began charging toward walls. "We don't need this place coming down on our heads!" It was the same reason she didn't want Reshiram using Fusion Flare here either.
Reshiram calmed slightly, and fired a Dragonbreath at the Krookodile. The purple-and-gold fire hit its mark, and the Krookodile let go when it shrieked in pain. It got up again, but its movements were much stiffer and slower.
Alright! Must've got paralyzed when it got hit by that Dragonbreath attack, thought Layla.
Reshiram fired another Dragonbreath at the Krookodile. Despite its hindered movements it managed to dodge the attack.
"Krookodile! Outrage!" yelled the Grunt.
The Krookodile roared, a golden aura enveloping it. It rammed itself into Reshiram, biting it over and over in a frenzy. Reshiram launched a point-blank Fire Blast into the Krookodile's face. It stumbled back, but raced forward again for another Outrage. Reshiram then unleashed a Flamethrower attack on the Krookodile, while finally felled the creature.
"Krookodile!" shouted the Grunt, now really frightened. He hastily recalled his Pokemon, pain clear in his features. "Plasmaaaaa! I have fallen in the Relic Castle!"
Layla rolled her eyes at the generic defeat cry. Was the whole 'Plasmaaaaa!' thing something N had invented, or was that something they came up with themselves?
The Grunt backed up a couple of steps, seeming to realize how vulnerable he was now. "Ryoku of the Seven Sages is looking for a Pokemon inside the Relic Castle. I was his lookout so he wouldn't be interrupted…"
So the last Sage is here, thought Layla. "Thanks for the info."
The Grunt seemed to have realized what he had just done, and grimaced in aggravation. "Stupid, stupid, stupid me! Plus, weak…and did I mention stupid? It all adds up to nincompoop!" He kicked up some sand in further frustration.
"Hey, you were fighting a hero and a legend," Layla answered, petting Reshiram before recalling it to its Pokeball. The door leading further was too small for Reshiram to pass through. She walked past the beaten sentry, who was still lost in self-loathing. "Later Grunt."
"Dean!"
Layla paused, glancing back. "What?"
The Grunt was standing tall again. Though there was still definite fear on his face, there was also a brave stubbornness. "My name is Dean! And I swear, I will avenge my comrades! You so-called heroes and your legendary dragons won't get to have your way with everything. For, though I couldn't do it today, I will take you down! For the sake of Unova, even if it always hates me!"
Layla stared at him for a little bit, and then broke out into almost-sane laughter. "Dean, huh? I'll try to remember that, if you ever do make anything out of yourself."
She had no trouble rounding up the last Sage. It seems he didn't know much of anything either. Layla was sadly unsurprised - the other five didn't have much to offer either. If the Sages had nothing wise to say on the subject, she was going to have to find her answer a different way.
Route 9- (You're in charge, Alder!…Alder has no energy left to fight!)
When Layla had tracked down all of the Sages, Looker told her what she already suspected: N and Zekrom were in another region. Layla was at least grateful for the sighting, knowing that they were still alright. Though Looker's refusal to tell her the exact location frustrated Layla to no end. He must not trust her. Then again, few people did nowadays. She hid her madness less and less. She came out more into the sunlight too.
Alder was not surprised by the news either, when Layla told him about it later. She had run into him on Route 9, the carnage from Tornadus's antics still in the process of being cleaned up. Cheren was in the hospital again, now a semi-regular haunt for him. At least there weren't any serious injuries this time. The mall was still open despite the destruction, as if blissfully trying to reassure everyone that everything was fine.
"I doubt he will ever come back to Unova," Alder said tiredly. It seemed like he had gotten fifty years older since Layla last saw him. "At least, I hope he never does."
"Why not?" Layla growled, her tone more snappish than she had meant it to be. She hoped it wasn't a precursor to another manic episode.
Alder gave her a weak smile. "I apologize. I do not mean to sound rude. It's just…" He sighed, his smile fading.
"What?" asked Layla.
Alder looked up to the flawless blue sky. It was a scorching afternoon after days of rain. "He is a truly incredible boy, with truly incredible powers…powers that make certain people very alarmed and fearful of him."
The government, Layla thought, a cold anger simmering inside her. N wasn't a person to be feared - he was a person that could help them, and other people and Pokemon!
"Because of that fear, those people will gladly have him arrested," Alder went on, still gazing at the sky above. "And once he's in jail, they'll make sure to keep him in there indefinitely."
"But they can't do that!" Layla exclaimed. "I mean, yeah, he was the King of Team Plasma, but besides sitting pretty as their figurehead he didn't do anything, not really. All they can really nail him for is being a part of Team Plasma, but that would only land him in jail for, what, a few months?"
Layla knew this from international news reports about other criminal organizations, such as Team Rocket or Team Galactic. There would be a big fuss about the leaders and most of their minions getting arrested - only for most, including their leaders, to be quietly released within six months. The charges wouldn't stick, the witnesses abruptly retracted statements or vanished altogether, anonymous donors would pay their outrageous bail, or their bills for top lawyers, that kind of thing.
But Alder shook his head. "Ah, but they do have something they can use against him, something that can't be denied because of his involvement."
"What?" Layla asked.
"Those eight deaths at N's Castle," Alder explained. "Though the casualties were given minimum attention, that information was released to the public. All they would have to do is release further details that says that N was directly involved, and they'll have him for far more than being the King of Team Plasma - they'll have him for eight counts of murder. Eight life sentences."
"That's bullshit!" Layla spat. "They can't prove any of the deaths were his fault! Too much was going on! They…They could have been my fault, for all I know!"
"But you can't prove that they aren't his fault either," Alder pointed out. "What's the chance that not one death was caused by him or Zekrom? Even if it's just one life, that's reason enough to lock him up, to make sure he doesn't harm anyone else. At least, that's the public logic." The way he muttered the last part told Layla what the Unova Champion thought of such reasoning.
Layla leered at the ground. "Even…Even if that is true, then they'll have to convict me, their hero, as well. 'Cause by that logic they can't prove I didn't kill anyone either."
"And if it comes to that, they'll gladly sacrifice you to make sure he is contained," Alder answered. "They have never been terribly attached to you, since you too were part of what happened at the castle. It has just been more convenient to use your hero status to save face and cover up the true events. If becomes more favorable to throw you to the Krookodile, don't think they will hesitate."
"Then what should I do?" Layla snapped. "None of this is right!"
"I know," Alder growled, mouth drawn tight. "I have been trying to find out the answer myself. But it seems the more I try to interfere, to bring some common sense into this, the more I just become tangled in the bureaucracy and stupidity of it all…I thought being the Champion would allow me to help as many people as possible, but clearly this is not the case…"
Layla started to speak, but quickly decided to stay silent instead. She was understanding why Alder had seemed to age half a century so rapidly. So this is the truth behind being the Champion of Unova. It's not just constant training and battles with challengers. It's being used by the government, and not having much say in return. Was that another reason that Alder wanted us pursuing other dreams instead?
Alder shook his head again, putting on a wan smile that did not reach his eyes. "So, given all that, I think it's best for that boy to stay away for now. If you do see him here, please tell him that." He started to walk away, and then paused. "I hope the other regions offer more peace to them, and are not so obsessed over appearances like we are here."
Layla nodded, though Alder's back was still turned to her.
Alder ambled on, no more words or glances exchanged. As Layla watched him go slowly on his way, she realized this was the first time the Unova Champion ever truly looked old.
Unova - (Go for it, Layla! Layla used Bulk Up! Layla's Attack and Defense rose! Layla used Calm Mind! Layla's Special Attack and Special Defense rose!)
Layla trained. She trained and trained and trained, producing several boxes' worth of strong Pokemon. She trained all kinds of Pokemon, from Chandelure to Chatot, from Sawsbuck to Salamence. Not that she didn't have her favorites - Reshiram was a given, but so was Serperior. It was her starter after all, who was cheery under almost all circumstances, and knew how to reassure her in her darker moments. She also had a roster of top proven Pokemon that she regularly rotated in and out of her team - Zoroark, Metagross, Gyarados, Golurk, Nidoking, Stoutland, Zebstrika, Simipour, and multiple Hydreigon. But she always left two spaces in her party for up-and-coming Pokemon as well.
Layla wasn't sure why she trained so much. She wasn't aiming to fight the League and become the Champion anymore - seeing the toll it was taking on Alder was enough. Perhaps she had stopped trying for it even before that. Trying to prove herself? Helping these Pokemon reach their true potential, as N would have wanted it? Protecting herself from more violent remnants of Plasma, or possibly the upper government? Preparing to take said government head-on with numerous powerful and loyal Pokemon?
In the end, maybe she did so much training because it was the one thing she was really good at. The one thing she enjoyed. The one thing that let her escape her thoughts.
N was elsewhere, a hopefully much safer elsewhere. It was too dangerous for him to come here even if he did want to come back, which Layla highly doubted. And she would respect his desire for distance - he needed to find his own path, as he had said. And if she did reach N somehow, that would only put him in further peril from the many others seeking him…Like possibly Ghetsis. She didn't think at first Ghetsis would go out of the way to bother N, but her latest, rather odd, encounter with the Shadow Triad made her wonder…
They appeared suddenly around her on Marvelous Bridge, gave her three mysterious orbs, and then vanished. Well, it wasn't quite that simple, for they also talked about how they were loyal to Ghetsis because he had saved them. Though Layla could hardly see Ghetsis bothering to save anyone…and she certainly didn't trust these "gifts" from him either. She didn't trust giving them to anyone else either though, so they remained heavily guarded in her bag.
Still, she almost felt sorry for the Shadow Triad. They seemed a bit lost without both their king and their leader. And…Layla thought she sensed a bit of discord among them, even though they said nothing out of place. But maybe that was just her.
Layla was finally understanding her bond with Reshiram, as she trained it intensely in isolated areas. Its emotions were maturing at an incredible rate, compared to its toddler-like state nearly five months ago. Sometimes it still seemed very young, but other times it seemed very old. In a way it was both old and new at once, its purity laced with ancient regality and loyalty.
For it loved humans, more than anything, even other Pokemon. It wanted to be with humans, look after humans, protect humans constantly. Nothing enraged and horrified it more than human pain. The consequences of that night at N's Castle left it terribly guilty and disgusted with itself.
And it was always, always lonely, for Zekrom was too far to detect. There had never been a time when it couldn't detect Zekrom, or Zekrom's Other, when Reshiram only had its chosen human. It was a web of emotions torn in two, trying to weave itself back together…And those were the days when she and Reshiram went mad, and left battered ruins in their wake. Layla wondered if N and Zekrom went mad on those days too.
Layla didn't bother hiding her madness anymore. Most people knew when to avoid her anyway.
Route 5- (Layla is hurt by poison! Cheren is hurt by poison! Cheren is trying very hard to keep up with Layla…)
And then there was Cheren.
She was emerging from the lower part of the forest on Route 5 (another of Reshiram's hunting trips) when she spotted her childhood friend. He was leaning against the white picket fence separating the forest from the civilized road, mindlessly gazing ahead. Some new bandages were on his right arm and under his shirt, and his newest pair of glasses were already being held together by tape. When he finally noticed her his expression brightened, but it still didn't hide the exhaustion on his face.
She strolled up to the fence and said hello, even though she knew her outfit was smudged with dirt (and blood) from hunting, and her hair was full of leaves and twigs. They chatted, even flirted a little, like they usually did when they weren't fighting. Cheren was going on about strength and memories, specifically when they had met (and attacked) Alder on this very route. Layla's mind wandered back to those times. She and Cheren were almost like twins back then. It had been that way since they had met in kindergarten. Now…
"We all have our brand of strength, people and Pokemon both," Cheren went on, his gaze back on the forest Layla had come out of. "The strength to make our dreams a reality, the strength to protect what we hold most dear…" He paused, and then turned to Layla with a smile. "Why do I think this way now? It's thanks to you Layla…And Bianca…And Alder…"
Layla smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we've all changed so much, haven't we?"
Another pause from Cheren, longer this time. He picked some leaves out of Layla's hair. "…If only N could see this too, someday."
Layla was surprised by the admission. She knew most of his anger was aimed at the legendary dragons, and legendaries in general, but he still didn't like N much. Their argument near Undella Town proved that much.
Cheren sighed, staring over the fence again. The silence between him and Layla seemed to drag on for days. It was a strange quiet, for neither of them were quiet types, especially around each other. Layla thought she heard festival music, but it was only a memory.
"…Layla, what am I doing wrong?" Cheren finally asked, still not looking at her. His words didn't carry accusation, only fatigue.
Layla gazed up to the overcast gray sky, also sighing. "I don't know."
More silence, more averted eyes. It lasted longer this time.
Finally Cheren stopped propping himself up on the fence, and stood up straight. "I'm going to take a long, hard look at myself on Victory Road. I'm going to think about what I can do and who I can become…"
Layla nodded, still leaning on the fence. "Cool. Sounds like a plan."
Cheren turned to her, smiling again as he picked out yet another stray leaf from her hair. "Visit me sometime, if you want. We'll have a battle like old times."
Layla also smiled. "Yeah, just like old times."
Cheren walked away, instead of flying off on his Unfezant or rushing off on his Haxorus like he often did nowadays. Layla watched him leave, then glanced up to the sky when she heard the rumble of thunder. She would have to leave soon herself, she knew.
Route 19 -(Wild Spiky-Head appeared! Wild Fluffy-Head appeared! Wild Spiky-Head used Pursuit! Layla used Quick Guard!)
Layla didn't blame people for hating Team Plasma. Many people never got their stolen Pokemon back. And yet she felt sorry for many of its former members.
Not that all deserved sympathy. There were the obvious evil bastards that roamed the region, unremorseful about everything. Some even tried to start up new organizations and plots. Most would fail miserably, as the cronies found out how hard it was to be a thinking, responsible leader. In a way she hated the bad ex-members even more than the average person did, because they made all the other ex-Grunts look bad.
Because there were more good, or at least decent, ex-Grunts than bad ones, at least from what Layla had observed. Some had been fooled or tricked into it, fully believing Ghetsis's message. Others were desperate for a job, a cause, friends, family, a reason to live. Some joined because their friends did, or their siblings did, or even because their parents did.
Now they knew better, of course. But most other people didn't see it like that. They saw nothing but unchangeable criminals, not worthy of forgiveness. Because of this, most ex-Grunts couldn't get Pokemon, Pokemon-related items like Pokeballs, jobs, friends, or respect. And Layla saw this lack of acceptance forcing some of them back into the criminal life, whether they wanted to or not. That enraged her, and saddened her.
She ran across one of those unfortunate ex-Grunts while mindlessly wandering less familiar routes. She wondered why she hadn't visited the southwestern part of Unova more, really. Though she supposed there wasn't a lot of see down here, just mostly trees, trees, trees…
It was funny at first. A full-grown male ex-Grunt was fleeing rather pathetically from a 12-year-old boy half his size. But perhaps the ex-Grunt had good reason to be scared of this kid. He looked mean. Said kid had black pants, a red sweater, blue spiky hair, and cold fury in his slanted red eyes. The boy's upper body was bent parallel to the ground, his legs pumping out long, deep strides as he pursued his graceless target. It was like the running those characters in Naruto did. Layla just couldn't get into those newer shows…
It took Layla a moment to notice the second boy, trailing behind the first one. Unlike his companion, he was getting winded, and seemed more curious than furious. This boy, about the same age as the first one, wore a light-gray top and dark gray pants, and had the most babyish face and fluffy brown hair Layla had ever seen. Layla quietly dubbed the first boy "Spiky-Head" and second one "Fluffy-Head".
Spiky-Head swiftly snatched something off the ground, which was easy for him since his upper body was already so close to the forest floor. Then he flung the object, a rock, and struck the fleeing ex-Gunt on the back of the head. Stunned, the ex-Grunt fell over. Spiky-Head quickly shot across the remaining distance, with Fluffy-Head still lagging behind.
The ex-Grunt was just getting up when Spiky-Head pounced on him like a Liepard, forcing the ex-Grunt down onto his back. Spiky-Head began punching him over and over while sitting on his quarry's chest. Fluffy-Head stopped, staying at a safe distance while watching the beat-down with a gruesome fascination.
This was too much for Layla, so she threw a Pokeball that whacked Spiky-Head's noggin.
The blue-haired boy yelped in surprise and pain, causing him to stop his onslaught and glare in Layla's direction. "Hey! I was unleashing-"
Layla's Zoroark then fully materialized, and the dark humanoid fox Pokemon shrieked inches from the boy's face. Spiky-Head skittered back, finally freeing his half-dazed prisoner. Fluffy-Head was just as startled, ducking into some nearby bushes. Zoroark then got between the still-stunned ex-Grunt at Spiky-Head, who it growled at.
"The hell you think you're doing, kid?" Layla yelled, stomping over to the boy. "You normally go beat the crap out of people?"
Now over his initial shock, Spiky-Head leered back at her. "I'm protecting everyone and their Pokemon! Team Plasma's evil!"
Here we go, thought Layla. "And what did this particular Grunt do?"
Spiky-Head scowled. "He wouldn't tell me where all the Pokemon Team Plasma stole are being kept. Then he ran. So I chased him."
Layla wanted to facepalm herself. A random Grunt isn't going to know that, you dumb kid… "That doesn't justify you beating him to a pulp."
"Why not?" Spiky-Head snapped. "He's a bad guy!"
Said "bad guy" was coming back to his senses. He sat up, looked at Layla in groggy puzzlement, stared at her as he fully recognized her, and then hastily climbed onto his feet and dashed into the woods.
Layla merely sighed, as she recalled her Zoroark. She had suspected the ex-Grunt would react that way. Many already had.
Spiky-Head on the other hand was hopping mad. "No! You let him get away! You…You…You darn-gone stupid-head girl!"
Layla's anger was hampered somewhat by her amusement, and she couldn't help but smirk a little. She heard some snickering from the bushes Fluffy-Head was hiding in. "Really? Is that the best you came come up with, kid?"
Spiky-Head's rage quickly cooled down, replaced by an almost noble expression. "I don't cuss. Real heroes don't need cussing to be cool. Besides, I can't have my little sister hearing that kind of thing…"
The abrupt mood change caught Layla off-guard. Perhaps there was hope for this kid after all. "So you're gonna be a hero, huh?" Like cussing or not cussing really makes a difference in the long run…
"Sure am!" boasted Spiky-Head, now beaming. "I'm gonna beat all the bad guys, just like in comics and movies and everything!" He leapt forward on one leg while lifting opposite knee high into the air, spinning as he kicked with his heel. However, in mid-kick his body leaned backward too far, and the blue-haired boy whirled into the ground face-first.
Layla somehow was able to contain her laughter. She heard more snickering from the bushes.
Spiky-Head peeled himself off the ground, obviously frustrated and embarrassed. "…And that supposed to be a air back-hook kick…But I guess I need to train more…" He then instantly cheered up and slammed his fist into his palm. "Okay! More training! I gotta get stronger!" He suddenly rushed off, disappearing into the woods.
Layla was quiet as she pondered the now-departed boy. He had some serious anger issues, but she actually kind of liked the kid, probably because he reminded her of herself some. She hoped he would outgrow his temper tantrums, and become a real hero.
There was rustling behind Layla, as Fluffy-Head finally emerged from the bushes. He paused next to Layla, looking up at her with his big brown Lillipup-dog eyes. He seemed to be trying to decide what to make of her, like a Trainer who just ran into a Pokemon they had never seen before.
"So, you're the sidekick of No-Cuss-Man?" Layla asked with a grin. She had to resist ruffling his soft-looking hair like her own grandma used to do to her. Arceus, I feel so old…
Fluffy-Head smiled too. "No-Cuss-Man doesn't realize that his little sister already knows plenty of cuss words from school. She just doesn't use any of them around him. Can't have our future hero getting discouraged over something so stupid, right?" There was an impish glint to his eyes that suddenly made him less cute.
"Trace! C'mon!" Spiky-Head yelled from somewhere deeper in the woods.
"Geez, Hugh, I'm coming already!" shouted the boy apparently named Trace, dashing into the forest himself. "Wait up!"
Layla stood there as the second boy vanished into the foliage. Some prematurely-turning leaves drifted down to her. It was going to be an early fall.
When will I stop judging people by first impressions? Layla wondered, as she continued in the opposite direction. I should have learned better from N…
Victory Road -(Sunny Day! The sunlight turned harsh! Cheren is challenged by Layla! Layla used Perish Song! Cheren used Hyper Voice! Layla is looking up to the sky and shouting!)
In the end, Layla knew it would come down to this. She could deny and delay all she wanted. It couldn't change fate.
She got up early that day, waking at the foot of Victory Road. Or what was left of it - a recent rampage of Reshiram's (her's) had ravaged it on both the inside and outside. Oh well, at least the many newly-jutting rocks and level places made it easier to climb, though it still took awhile. She could have used Reshiram, of course, but she didn't want to waste its energy on something so petty. Not today.
Cheren was in the top cavern, as he always was nowadays. He practically lived there, leaving only if there was some (usually legendary-related) crisis elsewhere. She visited him every now and then to chat and have Pokemon battles (barring the use of Reshiram, for safety and personal reasons). They were evenly matched, but Layla won more. Her visits were usually brief, as both of them had their own busy schedules to keep.
It had been more than a week since she last saw him, her longest absence yet. Not a terribly long time, really…but already something was different about Cheren, though she couldn't place it. It made her distinctly uneasy, which didn't help her already-frazzled nerves.
"Hey Cherie," Layla said as casually as possible, putting on a bright grin. "What's up?"
Cheren gave her a curious, slightly suspicious look. "You're up early. For you, anyway." He was blinking a lot for some reason, and Layla thought his eyes might be tearing up a bit. Arceus, did he already know? Or was the dust and grit of the place just bothering him?
Layla laughed nervously. "Yeah, well…"
"What are you up to?" Cheren asked, folding his arms. "You don't seem manic right now…" The gaze from the glasses-wearing boy…
But he wasn't wearing glasses today! Layla blinked a couple of times, to make sure she wasn't mistaken. And his eyes…was it just the poor light, or were they darker now? "Hey, where are your glasses? Did you lose them or something?"
"Oh yeah, that," Cheren replied. "I got tired of constantly having to get new glasses. I swear Tornadus always blows them off on purpose…Anyway, so I got contacts instead. Still getting used to them though…"
"Oh okay," said Layla. That explained all the blinking and tearing-up.
"They're colored contacts too," Cheren added. "Makes my eyes less sensitive to sunlight. Plus they look cool, right?"
"Yeah," Layla answered with a smile, even though she preferred their natural color, the slate-blue eyes that matched her own.
There was an awkward silence.
"But seriously, what are you up to?" Cheren asked. "You're never up this early. Not nowadays."
"Well, thought I'd say congrats on finally getting Gym Leader status," said Layla. "I know you've been working hard for that on top of…everything else."
Cheren smiled a little. "Right now I'm just Gym Leader in title only. It'll take awhile for me to sort everything out, like choosing what Pokemon type to specialize in, where the Gym will be, what the Gym theme will be, what the badge design will be, all that stuff. Not to mention all the time for everything to be processed, approved of, and built…"
"Hey, it's still awesome," Layla replied. "Though I'm kinda surprised you accepted the offer. I mean, you're so busy as it is…"
Cheren sighed, his grin growing more wistful. "I want to protect as many people and Pokemon as I can. And new Trainers still collecting their badges need protecting most of all, because they don't know what they're doing, not really." He smirked. "I know we sure didn't."
"How true," Layla agreed, chuckling. "Though we sure thought we did."
"Yeah," Cheren replied, shaking his head.
Another pause.
"…So why else did you come here?" asked Cheren, growing serious again. "Why take the trouble of hiking all the way up here, when you could've just flown on Reshiram as usual? I know you hate getting pointlessly dirty."
Layla sighed, the false smile fading. She never was much of an actor. "I wanted to let you know…that I'm leaving Unova."
Cheren was quiet at first. "Leaving? Where are you going?"
"…I don't know," Layla admitted. "But I can't stay here."
"…You're going to search for him, aren't you?" Cheren asked, his words edged with both anger and pain, but not surprise.
Layla nodded. "Me and Reshiram are only growing more dangerous to everyone the longer we stay. I'm going out of my mind here, literally. Reshiram and Zekrom, and those linked to them, aren't supposed to be far apart like this. The worst of the madness happens when me and Reshiram miss them the most. We must find N and Zekrom. If we could just find them-"
"Because all of you together were so sane before," Cheren snapped. "Layla, if you go after him, it won't get better, it'll get worse! You'll be putting even more people and Pokemon in danger!"
Layla gritted her teeth. His reaction didn't shock her, and she couldn't blame him either. She knew this was coming….But the sharp words still hurt.
Cheren calmed slightly, his darkened eyes anguished and averted. "Layla…You have so much here. Would you really abandon everything? Everyone?"
"I don't want to," said Layla. "But I have to. This goes beyond myself, Cheren. This is fate."
Cheren glared at the ground, and then took out a Pokeball. "I won't let fate claim you so easily. Not if I can stop you."
"Bring it on, Cherie," answered Layla with an almost sincere smile, bringing out a Pokeball herself. "Just like old times."
IIIIII
It was Cheren's Unfezant, battle-scarred and prouder than ever, versus Layla's Hydreigon. He had only Unfezant left. She had Hydreigon and Reshiram, but she needed the white dragon at full health for the travel across the sea. There was a Pokecenter just a little ways away at the League, but Cheren could heal his Pokemon too, and it would only lead to another fight. She needed to defeat Cheren completely, and leave on Reshiram while his Pokemon were healing. Using Reshiram in battle was not an option, and Reshiram knew this and stayed impatiently in its Pokeball.
"Unfezant, U-Turn!" Cheren ordered, wearing the cold glare he usually reserved for his Dragon Slayer missions. Well, Layla supposed this was a Dragon Slayer mission of sorts, even though it didn't directly involve Reshiram or any other legendary.
The gray avian rammed sharply into Hydreigon, causing the dark dragon to cry out, and swiftly curved away to a safe distance.
"Hydreigon, Dragon Pulse!" shouted Layla.
The three-headed Pokemon spat a purple ray of energy at Unfezant, who quickly dodged.
"U-Turn!" Cheren yelled, as Unfezant prepared to attack again. "Layla, please listen to me for once! This isn't worth it! He isn't worth it! You belong here!"
"Protect!" Layla commanded, as Hydreigon generated a blue barrier that repelled Unfezant's blow. "You know that's not true. Not now."
"Stop it! You're stronger than this!" Cheren barked, before his shoulders sagged. "Layla, what's happened to you? I mean, I know what happened, but…"
Layla looked away.
No longer receiving orders, their systematic Pokemon battle dissolved into a mindless squabble, the two Pokemon screeching and clawing and snapping at each other. Their Trainers barely noticed.
"But I love you, dammit!" Cheren yelled, his voice just as desperate as it was angry. "Even…no, because of everything! I don't care what anyone else thinks!" His voice dropped down to a murmur. "We…We've known each other since forever, been together since forever, always looking out for each other and having fun. I don't want to lose that…I don't want to lose you…"
Layla clenched her fists, unable to look at Cheren. She wanted to say so much, but she couldn't speak. Even if she could, she knew it wouldn't change anything. But she hated seeing Cheren like this…
"…But I don't know what to do anymore!" Cheren screamed, the cavern amplifying his agonized words.
Layla's Hydreigon struck Cheren's Unfezant with a point-blank Fire Blast. The attack slammed Unfezant into the cave ceiling, the great gray bird shrieking the whole time. Afterward it fell to the ground, unconscious.
Cheren stared at his fallen Pokemon in half-disbelief. Then, silently, he recalled the defeated Pokemon into its Pokeball, He gazed numbly at the ground.
"Cheren…" Layla began, as she recalled her Hydreigon.
"…It's difficult, isn't it?" Cheren asked, his tone quiet, still not looking at her. His hand moved up to adjust his glasses, only to fall back limply when there was nothing to touch. "When you confront yourself, you have to notice things about yourself that aren't too flattering…"
Layla nodded, remembering that Cheren had said something similar the first time they had met in this top cavern. Then Elite Four Marshal had randomly burst in and babbled on about losing not really being losing, and using battles to understand the world and yourself, and on and on. But the martial artist wasn't here now.
"Cheren! Please understand!" Layla suddenly exclaimed. "I'm doing this because I care! About you, about Bianca, about the Gym Leaders, about Unova! Because of all I've done, and all I haven't done, and what I need to do! I'm not a hero, not yet, not like you are, so I need to go and be a true hero, because I can't do that here, I'm not allowed to be a hero here, I-"
"…Slow down," Cheren interrupted, his dark eyes gazing at her emptily, an icy sorrow to his words. "You talk too fast."
Layla felt the rest of her speech stick fast in her throat. She pulled her cap over her eyes.
Cheren sighed, now looking exhausted, and turned away from Layla. "I'll keep battling many Trainers and Pokemon like this, and, if I can learn what kind of person I am, it will open my path. I'm sure this path will lead me to become the person I'm meant to be." Bitterness seeped into his voice. "Pokemon will always be with you and me as we go down our own paths. Our important friends, Pokemon…"
There was silence, a cold quiet that seemed to suck all the warmth from the already-chilly cavern.
Cheren remained rooted in place. "…Just go, Layla."
The harshness of his words pained Layla. "…Goodbye, Cheren."
She walked out of the cavern. Cheren stayed where he was.
Layla kept her cap pulled over her eyes, and not because of the brightness of the coming sun. That wasn't how she wanted to end between her and Cheren…Arceus knew when she would see him again…
Layla summoned Reshiram, who materialized before her. It gave a long yet soft howl, before nuzzling Layla gently. It lowered itself so she could easily climb aboard. Layla quickly did so, making herself comfortable on Reshiram's downy back. From her perch on Reshiram she could see the sunrise bloom into oranges and purples as well as yellows and reds, its stunning colors spreading across the sky. The scent of autumn leaves was in the air, as well as the cold autumn nip that had been strangely absent last fall.
Has it really been a year since I became a Trainer? wondered Layla. A year since I first met N? Since everything started to change?
"Wait!"
Layla whirled around to see Cheren running up to her and Reshiram. He stopped to catch his breath.
"You know, if I hear anything about you guys wrecking other regions, I'm gonna have to come after you," he said, wearing a brave smile. "But in the meantime I have to protect Unova from itself. Behave out there and don't make my job any harder than it has to be."
Layla smiled and winked at him. "Gotcha."
Cheren's expression softened a little. "Well…I know how stubborn you are, and I can't change your mind once it's set, but…just be careful, and…safe…and…just…uh…" His face steadily turned redder as he stumbled over the words. "Just…I just wish I could've done more for you, and…I'm sorry…"
Layla shook her head, still smiling. "Don't be. I wish I could've done more for you. Just…Well, it's not like I'm gonna be gone forever. Can't get rid of me that easily."
"I know," said Cheren, before sighing. "Well, I'll make sure there's still an Unova for you to come back to. And if N's being an ass in any way, or if the dragons are causing trouble-"
"Right," Layla replied, her expression becoming more serious. "And thank you."
Cheren nodded. "Welcome."
There was a graceless silence, a sad regularity these days.
Layla turned back to the sunrise. "Well…bye, for now."
"Bye," said Cheren. "Just…don't be reckless, okay?"
Reshiram took off, and quickly shot toward the sunrise. Cheren, the League, and soon all of Unova vanished from sight. All Layla could see was shimmering blue ocean and the glorious dawn before her.
But that was fine. Layla no longer disliked sunlight. In fact, she relished its bright challenge. She headed straight for the sun, where he was waiting.
Black 1 End
IIIIII
Note on Hugh's (semi) mad skillz - I know he's not a martial artist in the games...but his dad is (at least, he has the spite of a Black Belt). Also, Hugh went through a traumatizing experience when he was little where he was helpless to fight back. He also known for punching people XD. So, between all of that, why wouldn't he be a martial artist? At least, that's the logic I'm going with XP.
On a similar note, what do you guys make of your glimpse of the Black 2 protagonist Trace?
Btw, has anyone noticed that a certain Pokemon has appeared in almost all the chapters? A couple of people have already figured this out...Did you?
Thanks so much to everyone who has read this to the end! I hope this story has been a fun ride for you all - it certainly was for me.
EDIT: As for a Black 2 sequel...well, it may or may not happen. I'm moving away from big fanfics to big original fiction, so I don't know if it'll be practical for me to do so. Then again I would like to write it out someday. Maybe after I wrap up my other multichap projects? No guarantees though.
As for Pokemon stories that do exist...well, I've written a lot since then. If you liked this fic, then you might like The Famished (A Striaton Trio horror multichap) or the fancy wording of the Ferriswheelshipping-centric Meteorous,among many other 5th Gen fics I've written.
This is only farewell for now! Cya next time!
