Pure White Dreams / First of the Dreams & Destiny Trilogy
Updates Every 6-7 Days
Rating: K+ for occasional minor language
Disclaimer: Despite using characters, story, and some dialogue from this lovely source material, I can only express my admiration, rather than any ownership.
Previously: Touko was still traveling down Route 3 with N, problems consistently popping up to impede her progress.
Edited 9/17 (changed opening, made various writing adjustments, fixed errors)
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Chapter Nine
A Trainer's Purpose
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"Nacrene City…just beyond the gate…"
The attendant didn't even bother to look up from her magazine when the doors swished open, indicating a trainer's arrival.
The trainer didn't even bother to step all the way inside. Touko stood at the center of the double doors, looking back out to route 3. She paid as little attention to the attendant as the woman had to her. Snivy, who actually walked fully inside, seemed the only one actually invested in the present. He stood in front of his trainer and watched her carefully. It must have been pretty boring, because the distracted trainer hadn't moved an inch.
Touko could still see the faint outline of a herd of Blitzle. It surprised her how close they were willing to venture to the city. It was a distant thought as she looked back at the path she'd tread with an increasingly deep frown.
Aside from these three—Touko, Snivy, and the attendant—the gate was completely empty.
That was precisely why Touko was so distracted at the moment.
After all of that time spent fretting over getting to Nacrene City, she was hesitating now at the final steps. The experience she was leaving behind in route 3, somehow she felt couldn't be matched by whatever would happen in Nacrene. The experience she couldn't quite let go because of how abruptly it had ended and the questions left behind.
Why say that…what did he mean?
The why regarding the departure had become secondary to the words before he left. Though the reason for leaving was puzzling as well and something she didn't even really think to question. Maybe that was why he showed her something so amazing that day, it was his way of saying goodbye.
It was secondary, but she did still wonder about it. Just a little, though. That was the odd thing. She wasn't all that curious, but a little disappointed.
It shouldn't have been a problem. Now that she was just outside of Nacrene City, she'd be with Cheren soon. In fact, he should be right on the other side of the gate, she'd called him up. There was certainly no danger of nightfall before then. There was nothing left to be scared or lonely over…
Touko let out a huff of hot hair. She'd just chalk it up to another one of the infuriatingly confusing things about her travel companion—former travel companion.
Just the same, she couldn't help but notice that there'd been a lot less infuriating things the longer they'd spent together. Or that the most bothered she'd ever gotten was mildly exasperated. Infuriating was a bit…
But why did he go and say that before he left? She didn't think it was to be mean. She wasn't even sure it was supposed to be negative at all.
Just the same, she couldn't get it out of her head.
"I'm a good trainer," she muttered to herself. She glanced down at Snivy and received a nod of confirmation. Finally she managed a small smile before finally noticing his little frown. His little "I'm unhappy about this" frown. After a very quick burst of glee that she could even recognize such a thing, she noted that he shouldn't have such an expression anymore.
"You know, we probably won't see him again for a while. Unless we just happen to run into him in Nacrene City before we leave. I mean, sure, we've run into each other a couple of times in some odd places, but that just makes it more unlikely to happen…" As she spoke, her words slowed until she drifted off, face settling into a crooked frown.
There was that disappointment again. It felt like something was still unfinished. Though what that was exactly, she couldn't quite say.
Snivy was watching her far too closely and Touko quickly straightened herself up. "It's a shame, because we never got around to that rematch…Now, I really…" Then her face twitched. The rematch…
She stood up a bit straighter and put her hands on her hips, a wide smile on her face. "Of course, that's the problem. I haven't even done any battling the past few days." She turned back to Snivy. "Well, if we want that rematch, we'll just have to keep our eyes open. Speaking of…we shouldn't really keep Cheren waiting!"
With much more energy befitting the young trainer, Touko walked ahead through the gate, not noticing her own Pokémon's mild exasperation.
As promised, Cheren was waiting right on the other side of the gate for Touko when she stepped outside.
"I hope you're ready," she said, immediately pulling out a Poké Ball for battle when she saw him.
"You don't want to go to the Poké Center, first?" Cheren asked with a raised brow. "Also, hello by the way."
"My Pokémon haven't fought in more than two days. They're itching for a battle now."
"How did you manage that?"
"Ah. Well, it's a long story," Touko explained quickly, shuffling her feet for a moment. She shook her head—those problems were left out by the gate—and jumped back into her challenge pose. "So, are you ready?"
Cheren adjusted his glasses and sighed, resigned to Touko's sudden challenge. "I suppose if you are." Then he smirked, taking out his own Poké Ball. "Just don't say I didn't give you the chance."
He sent out Tepig while Touko sent out Panpour. She'd guessed his first Pokémon right. So far, it seemed he liked to lead with Tepig and this time was no exception. It was understandable in a new trainer if even that trainer from back on the route was doing it.
Or perhaps it was unfair to send Panpour out when Cheren clearly saw her walking with Snivy.
His fault for assuming, Touko reasoned and called for Panpour to use water gun.
It didn't take too long to win the first round. Panpour had excellent aim after all of the training with Snivy back before the Striaton gym. If he could hit the speedy grass-type a couple of times, he was in pretty good shape.
Then he sent out Purrloin, so Touko recalled Panpour and sent out Lillipup. Knowing her Lillipup, he'd fight with all his might against a Purrloin.
That was the first mistake. It quickly became apparent that Lillipup didn't get his usual burst of energy upon seeing Purrloin. Sure, he was still quick and anxious to fight, but it wasn't the same somehow.
When she ordered him to tackle, Cheren's Purrloin used a sand attack as he gracefully stepped out of the way, so unlike her own Purrloin's quick and somehow ferocious dodges. Touko ordered an attack again and again, but Lillipup always missed.
Cheren was doing the same thing she'd done to the trainer before. She realized this, but she was too caught up in the Pokémon's different behaviors. Cheren's graceful Purrloin made the memory of her own's battle look almost feral. Was that the difference Lillipup could sense?
Eventually, the Purrloin went in to attack, just like she had. It was so like her battle before, but she was still too late to stop it.
It was the first time one of Touko's Pokémon fainted.
The shock was greater than she imagined. She'd made other Pokémon faint; it shouldn't be that different just because they were hers.
But it was. Because they were hers. They were her responsibility and her friends. She was their trainer and she'd let Lillipup down.
The moment passed, but something clicked inside Touko. She found herself moving again on the instinct that ran her after a challenge. She returned Lillipup to his ball and turned to Snivy in the same motion.
"Pay him back for Lillipup!" she declared, although she still smiled, smirked more like as she played into the fun of the fight, "Leaf tornado!"
As soon as Snivy jumped into the unofficial battleground, he let out the whirl of wind and leaves at the same time as Touko's words, throwing Cheren's Purrloin back and knocking him out instantly.
Snivy stood up tall and both he and Touko folded their arms in satisfaction.
"Well, this time I've prepared for this occasion," Cheren said pulling out his last Poké Ball. He sent out a Pidove.
Touko blinked. A new Pokémon…well, of course. She bit her lip nervously. She had only battled the one Pidove on Route 3, she didn't quite know what to expect. Of course, that battle had gone in her favor, so there shouldn't be too much to worry about.
"Alright, Snivy, vine whip this time," Touko commanded her Pokémon.
The attack hit, but the Pidove seemed to shake it off just fine. He then threw a gust of wind which knocked Snivy all the way back to Touko. She had to resist the urge to pick up her first Pokémon, it would forfeit the match.
But why? She'd been training Snivy longer than Cheren could have ever caught Pidove…
Flying-type! Touko realized, feeling exceedingly stupid. Grass is weak against flying!
She hadn't been paying enough attention to her Pokémon's weaknesses. She, too, had fallen for the trap of depending too much on her starter.
Pidove was coming at Snivy for another attack again. "Dodge and tackle!" she ordered quickly.
They were caught by surprise, but Snivy was smart and regained his bearings quickly, following Touko's orders. He missed the worst of the attack and struck back quickly. However, if things played out at they were, Touko knew the battle wouldn't end in her favor.
Snivy stumbled and Touko gasped, immediately reaching into her pocket to call him back. She froze, hand wrapped around Snivy's Poké Ball, when she saw the look in his eyes. Snivy was determined. He wanted to win.
Of course, Snivy must have his own pride. If he lost, she could just bring out another Pokémon. But that would only protect her undefeated record, not his.
It was time to use a strategy to protect her Pokémon.
"Snivy! We have an undefeated record together! Let's do our best to protect it!" she shouted encouragingly from behind.
Snivy stood up a little straighter and gave a little nod without looking back at her.
"First, leaf tornado!"
Her grass-type Pokémon sent Pidove up in the air in a whirl of leaves. Of course, it didn't have much of an effect; Pidove just spread out its wings and glided on the wind.
"Vine whip—!"
A strong vine immediately went swinging at the airborne Pokémon.
"—and capture him like in the Dreamyard!"
Snivy caught on before Touko could finish the rest of her instructions. Once the vine had wrapped around the Pidove, he began pulling with all his strength left. But Pidove fought against its bonds, forcing Snivy to pull harder and harder.
It still wasn't enough. Pidove was pulling backwards and Snivy was slowly sliding on the ground. The vines began to break.
Then something happened.
Touko saw Snivy narrow his eyes in determination before he was obstructed from her view by a glow and light. She watched in wonder. Nothing like this had happened before, but she remembered seeing a similar scene once or twice in videos.
The great mystery of Pokémon…Evolution.
But so soon? Less than a month after she'd met him?
Already…He won't be Snivy anymore…
It was a silly thought. She knew. She read enough books. Most Pokémon didn't change drastically in demeanor afterward. All that should change was their appearance and strength.
And yet, she thought of Snivy making her pillow his own little bed and she couldn't keep the worry out of her voice. "S…Snivy…?"
It was as thought the light wavered for a moment. Then it burst entirely. In the same instant, Pidove was pulled down by one last yank and harshly hit the ground, knocking him out.
Touko didn't notice her victory right away. Her eyes were on the grass-type Pokémon standing at the center of the makeshift battleground.
Snivy was still Snivy.
"Sniv…you…"
He turned back at her. He was ducking his head, almost shyly, but his eyes were fixed on her. Snivy was looking at his trainer, as if for approval.
She immediately ran and took him up in her arms. Then she held him high above her head, laughing as she noted how light he seemed to feel after considering the alternative. She beamed up at him. "Good job, partner."
In return, he gave her one of his small smiles. She treasured it.
"I thought I might have at least been able to defeat your Snivy this time," Cheren commented as he walked over to the winning team.
"I didn't even remember about flying-type being stronger than grass…" Touko replied, frowning immediately at her mistake. She lowered Snivy back into a more comfortable carrying position. "It almost cost me the battle."
"The battle? Don't you have at least five Pokémon? Or even more if you changed your mind and caught more after all…" Cheren said, bringing up the Striaton incident with minimal discretion.
Touko felt a stab at the memory of their entirely stupid argument. "It's still five. Listen, I'm sorry about that…back in Striaton…"
"No, it's fine. I took it too far. I should know you better than that," Cheren replied, brushing it aside, even though he'd brought it up. "Clearly I need to learn some other things as well. I never expected your Snivy to start to evolve in the middle of battle like that. I'm not sure what happened, but it threw me off. I guess I need to expect things like that if I intend to beat you."
At that, Touko laughed a little uneasily. "Trust me, I don't think you do."
Now that her grip was getting weaker, Snivy was getting squirmy, so she set her still small companion down on the ground. Immediately, he sat down, giving the first indication of his battle-weariness. Touko looked at Cheren seriously. "But you did give me my first one-on-one loss. None of my Pokémon ever fainted before Lillipup today."
"It's still not a real win," Cheren muttered with a frown. "We have the same number of gym badges and yet you win each time…"
"Same? You didn't go to the gym in Nacrene yet?"
"I did actually. I lost."
"What?" Touko sharply turned on her friend, disbelief obvious on her face.
Cheren had lost his second Gym Battle? Cheren. Her friend that spent every day since they were twelve reading up on some new piece of information to use as a strategy in battle…
"The gym leader, Lenora, is really strong. I just fought her today before I got your call. Even after training all this time, it still wasn't enough." Cheren shrugged, playing it off that he wasn't too bothered, but Touko knew that couldn't the truth. Just considering how bothered she was about it…
"What happened? What was it like?" she asked, suddenly a lot more concerned over her own upcoming battle. Cheren had gotten so much stronger. If someone like him lost, Touko didn't think much of her odds right off the bat either.
And as a trainer she…
"I'll tell you on the way to the Poké Center," he said briskly and headed off before her, into the city. Touko followed behind quickly after calling Snivy back into his ball, where he gladly went for a change, happy to rest after the tough fight.
According to Cheren, Lenora used normal-type Pokémon. Touko couldn't see why this was such a problem until Cheren pointed out that normal Pokémon have almost no weaknesses. Certainly none to any Pokémon they'd encountered so far. On top of that, Lenora was a ridiculously good trainer with some just plain strong Pokémon.
"You really need to watch out for when her Pokémon use retaliate. That's where she got Tepig," Cheren finished explaining while they waited for their Pokémon to heal.
"I'm not going to be able to fight her yet," Touko said what she'd been thinking aloud. "I barely did any training on Route 3…"
"That's right, you said that before. It doesn't seem like you…"
"I just wanted to get here quickly," Touko replied hurriedly, a small frown starting, before it settled into the same puzzled one she'd worn until the gate at the reminder.
"You still need to stop every once in a while…"
"Well, I can't change that now," Touko replied irritably. She caught the frown on Cheren's face and quickly modified her approach. "It doesn't really change what we need to do. We have to focus on is training for now. How long until your rematch?"
"I have to wait a week before I can challenge again."
"Then that's how long both of us will train!" Touko was instantly full of energy and smiles again with the distraction of a plan. "We'll do better together than apart. Plus Bianca will be here within a couple of days, too. Then we'll be in great shape for practice battles and stuff."
"Well, I suppose that would be better…" Cheren murmured, looking thoughtful. "You have Patrat and both of you have Lillipup. Training against normal-type Pokémon can only be beneficial…"
"Just say, 'Ok. Let's do it,' Cheren. Oh! Also pump your fist in the air too. Like this!" Touko demonstrated.
Cheren looked at his friend with a thoroughly unamused frown. He did at least choose to acknowledge her when he answered, "Alright, we should do it. We'll train everyday until Monday."
"…Close enough."
Although anxious to get to training, Cheren pointed out that Touko had only just arrived and lead her upstairs to get settled into the boarding room. As they walked up the stairs in silence, Touko found herself without distraction, and a small frown slowly grew deeper on her face as she thought over their plans for training.
When they reached the room, Touko set her things down on the nearest bed, glad to have her bag's burden off her shoulders. She had enough to worry about she knew as she glanced over to Snivy who was already busy investigating underneath all the beds.
"What's messed up your face?" Cheren asked after her closed the door for a little privacy.
"What does that mean?" Touko turned on her friend.
"Downstairs I thought you looked pretty much like yourself. Now all of a sudden, you have that look like you're letting something meaningless bother you. Again."
"You just assume it's meaningless?"
"Relatively. After all, it's you. If you're letting it show it's probably not all that bad."
Touko looked at Cheren for a good, long while, trying to read more into the statement. Even after all this time she was never quite sure how to respond to his mildly insulting shows of concern.
"The battle had me worried," she finally muttered begrudgingly.
"The battle you just won?" Cheren clarified, raising his eyebrows.
"And the one before…"
"What one before?"
Touko ignored the question, despite standing by her ideals, that wasn't exactly her proudest moment. She wandered over to the windows. The blinds were drawn. She couldn't look out to try and find her answers in the sky.
"What's the problem, Touko?" Cheren had joined her and was watching her intently.
She immediately frowned again, keeping her eyes focused on the blinds. If she looked at Cheren and saw him concerned, she'd lose her composure. "You'll get mad at me."
"I won't…I'll try not to," Cheren amended, causing a brief smile to break Touko's gloom.
It still took a lot of courage, even just for her to look to Cheren and mumble, "It's Team Plasma…"
She saw Cheren's eyes narrow and his fists tighten, but he kept his word and tried not to let much else show. She could tell though and knew that the rest of it wouldn't make things much better.
"They get me thinking, not that I agree, just…whether or not fighting with my Pokémon is the right thing…"
Cheren's effort was admirable, if short-lived. "Pokémon like fighting, Touko. Don't let them fool—"
"I know. I just don't know if it's right for me." She'd managed a smile just at the relief of saying it out loud. When it was clear Cheren was going to let her continue, she had to take a deep, relaxing breath to find the strength. "In the Dreamyard, I let my Pokémon get hurt, not in battle, but by humans. I couldn't do enough. Then, I don't think my first gym battle went perfectly. I was relying way too much on the type advantage I got with Panpour. On route 3, I let my temper get away from me and I don't think I should have done that battle really. If it wasn't for…Purrloin almost got hurt really badly."
She glanced at Cheren, who already looked like he was itching to interrupt, but she figured she could at least get in the big one. "I stopped Snivy from evolving. I'm not sure that's what I was supposed to do. I don't really know what I'm doing."
"Are you done? If that was in chronological order, it sounds like you're done," Cheren began in a rushed tone. After receiving a nod from Touko, he immediately relaxed and said simply, "It's only been about three weeks. Calm down."
"That sounds like an excuse," Touko replied with a small pout.
"It's a reason. An explanation. I'm not saying not to keep those things in mind, but don't go straight for failure. Strive to get better." Cheren folded his arms. "Plus, you're still winning battles. If you're a failure, what does that make me?"
Touko stiffened. She hadn't actually considered what sort of effect her words might have on Cheren aside from him being mad at her, which was really more about her. Although Cheren was trying to be light about it, she could see his frustration from the stiffness of his expression. Cheren was so serious, she had to keep in mind that he really took things to heart.
"I'm…just tired," she excused herself, smiling weakly. Already, the wheels in her head were turning, looking for a way to really fix things. She brightened her smile up. "Let's go explore the city. You can show Snivy and me around. After all, being here almost a week kind of makes you the expert over me."
It was the wrong thing to say, she realized quickly when Cheren's expression darkened for a moment. It was a reminder of all the time he'd spend training that hadn't been enough to beat the gym leader.
But he agreed and afterward Touko stepped much more lightly and asked plenty of questions to keep her friend distracted.
Once you figure out his mood, Cheren gets easier to figure out, she thought with a satisfied little smile after Cheren enthusiastically gave her some inside information about the restaurant giving out specials on a certain day. If only she could say the same for everyone…
But she shook the thoughts out of her head and started excitedly asking Cheren what he knew about the local food.
Despite her best efforts, her enthusiasm eventually ran out. As they walked out of the third warehouse in a row that had been converted into an art studio, her feet were dragging. "Sure are a lot of artsy types around, huh…"
Cheren was still very well distracted by Touko' original plan and was all too happy to take Touko's observation as a request for information. "Well, as I showed you, the train tracks on the edge of town don't actually go anywhere anymore. They're all broken down now. So, the warehouses that were once used for storage and shipping on the trains have become a bit of a relic. Then a wave of artists found it to be the perfect place for inspiration. Supposedly the combination of old style architecture, industry, and nature caught their imagination. Nowadays, Nacrene City is the center of art in Unova."
"Mmm…" Touko replied absently. Halfway through the brief lesson, her gaze had been caught by a couple walking alongside a Petilil and Cottonee. It was already the seventh and fifth she'd seen of each respectively. "Lots of grass-type Pokémon, too."
"Pinwheel Forest is just on the other side of the city," Cheren explained helpfully, even more in his element when it came to talking about Pokémon. "If you'll notice, there are a lot of bug-types around as well. It makes for some very interesting battles in the city."
Touko did notice. As Cheren finished, she stopped as she noticed the first makings of a crowd. It didn't happen very often back home, but she could still recognize the excitement of a Pokémon battle anywhere.
The crowd was still sparse enough to see the two fighters. One was a girl with blue hair and the most impressive set of twintails Touko had ever seen. She was wearing a smirk and a Swadloon sat before her. On the opposite side was a boy looking quite at ease, despite the fact that it was a Cottonee standing before him.
Bug and grass-type against an unevolved grass-type. It was pretty easy to predict the outcome. Except that behind the boy stood another Pokémon. It was dauntingly large, even with its great wings folded. Mandibuzz, a dark and, more importantly, flying-type.
Why would use Cottonee when you have a flying-type? Either the trainer in front of her was a complete novice (unlikely since he had a strong Pokémon like Mandibuzz) or he had some sort of plan. Judging by the easy smile on his face…well, he at least thought he knew what he was doing.
She racked her mind for information on Cottonee, trying to figure out just what was at play. When she glanced at Cheren, she saw a similar look of concentration on his face.
"You said you've been looking for one for two years," the girl commented across the paved street that made their battlefield. She had an accent Touko couldn't quite place, though it sounded familiar. "I can give you another chance. Are you positive you don't want to try another of your Pokémon? You can use anyone except Mandibuzz. I'm not quite that generous. After all, I do a lot of traveling to find my treasures. I can't just give them away."
"I wouldn't want you to. It's meaningless if it isn't Cottonee, anyway," the other trainer replied with a shrug. "But thanks for the offer."
The girl sighed exaggeratedly. "Well, I did try." Then she shifted demeanor entirely, her face hardening. "Prepare yourself!"
The boy, as well, stopped smiling. And without a word of "go" from anyone else, they both called out their attacks at the same time.
"Bug bite!"
"Substitute!"
Swadloon went after Cottonee, slowly enough that Touko was sure Cottonee could dodge, but Cottonee didn't make a move. Then when Swadloon attacked Cottonee, it disintegrated into fluff floating in the wind.
The wind… Touko looked up, seeing the true Cottonee floating just out of view of the Swadloon. It was an excellent use of a substitution. One that the opposing trainer only noticed when the boy called out his next attack,
"Poison powder!"
"Ah, crud! Swadloon…erm…use protect!"
The order wasn't in time. The toxic dust sprayed out by Cottonee fell upon Swadloon, poisoning the Pokémon.
After the shock was gone, the girl's face shifted into determination. "Bug bite, again!"
Cottonee could no longer stay aloft on the wind and was slowly drifting back to the ground. But even from there, Swadloon would attempt to attack and Cottonee would fall back, leading to the Pokémon going around in circles. And Swadloon was getting slower, tired under the effects of poison.
Cottonee is faster than you'd think… The fact that Cottonee had gotten both the substitute and poison moves in first made all the difference. She couldn't tell how strong Cottonee might be from training, but there was a decent chance one bug bite would be enough to bring it down.
Except, when that finally did happen, Cottonee was still standing. Only barely, but Swadloon didn't look to be in very good shape.
"Alright, looks like this is enough. Solar beam, Cottonee!"
"That's—" the girl began, a frown forming on her face. A grass-type attack wouldn't be as effective. But solar beam after all the time under the effects of poison…
As Cottonee charged up the attack, Swadloon went in for another bite. Just before the bug-type could land the blow that might knock out Cottonee, a bright beam burst forth, knocking Swadloon back and cleanly out.
It was something that was told to new trainers all the time. There was no such thing as a "strongest" Pokémon. She believed it, too. But she'd never seen something quite like this, a battle that looked to be overwhelmingly in one Pokémon's favor
If Swadloon didn't have such a high defense it would have been over much more quickly. If Swadloon was just a little bit faster or if Cottonee was just a little bit slower, it would also have been over quickly, but with a different outcome.
It was amazing how much difference the seemingly small things made.
The two trainers shook hands good-naturedly—the girl was actually laughing over something—and they went off to discuss whatever it was they were referencing before the battle. Seeing there would be no more show, the crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only Cheren and Touko behind.
"It was an impressive battle. A good lesson in strategizing," Cheren commented, nodding his approval of the winner's techniques.
"It's a few good lessons…" Touko replied, a smile growing on her face.
Cheren raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I'll let you know when I figure it out myself. Come on, I've got some reading to do." Touko immediately took off for the nearest store where she could pick up some of the magazines she remembered Cheren and Bianca always having their heads buried in. Perhaps along with a couple that she'd always favored…
She still had a lot to learn about Pokémon, but she had an edge in training. It was about time she utilized it.
XWXWXWXWX
Touko spent hours shifting through the magazines at stores. Cheren held out admirably, but eventually abandoned her when she went looking for a library to find a good stat encyclopedia. When she arrived, she learned it was because the big library in the city was located in the gym. She felt a little guilty, but it was buried somewhere underneath her excitement.
When she walked inside she was immediately challenged, but for the first time she had to politely decline. The next time she battled, she wanted to be at her best. Fortunately, she didn't have to venture too far and disappoint more trainers; she found exactly what she was looking for on the first shelf and it confirmed all the ideas that had been forming during her quest that day.
Now she had a plan and she put it into action the first thing the next morning, heading out with her team as soon as she woke up. She traveled to the edge of Pinwheel Forest, the perfect place for training according to Cheren.
It took some time to get everything all set. She'd instructed her Pokémon on what to do, but they weren't quite getting the point until Touko had to demonstrate herself. Then Snivy got it and the rest all demonstrated to Touko's approval. Purrloin did curl up by her feet after about five minutes, but Touko let it go as part of the reward for her victory on route 3. Until she found some of that promised milk, she felt she had no right to complain.
A half-hour after the routine began, Cheren showed up holding a couple of paper bags, Tepig trailing along behind him. "So, you get up a lot earlier now than you ever did back home."
"Sorry." Touko looked up from petting Purrloin, feeling a little guilty. "I just wanted to get started early and you were still asleep, so I didn't want to bother you. Besides, I'll have you know I got up plenty early on practice days back home. Which is what this is."
"Right…" Cheren spared a glance at Touko's running Pokémon, raising an eyebrow before setting that matter aside for the moment. "It's no problem. I would have been here sooner myself except I figured you had also forgotten to eat." He took out a bagel wrapped in paper from the bag.
Immediately, Touko's stomach remembered it was empty and growled loudly at the sight of food. With a blush and a sheepish smile, Touko took the meal, muttering her thanks.
"So, what are you doing anyway?" Cheren asked, gesturing to the odd layout of rocks that Touko's Pokémon were weaving around.
"Agility drills," Touko mumbled with a mouthful of bread. She swallowed quickly and continued excitedly, "Like what the team used to do back home to get better at baserunning and fielding."
"So…you decided to catch nine Pokémon, then? To create your own baseball team?" Cheren asked straight-faced.
"Funny." Touko gave him a sarcastic smile. "They may be the drills I learned back home, but agility is for more than just softball."
"Then what is this about?" This time Cheren looked more serious, he frowned when he looked at the layout again.
Touko quickly stepped back into his view, a smile playing at her lips. It was pretty rare that she got to explain a tactic to Cheren. "Well, that battle we saw yesterday got me thinking. Your Pokémon's strengths are really important; they can easily turn the tide. Even if logically, it should easily be your loss."
"Isn't that what you and Snivy did against Pidove?"
Touko's brow furrowed in confusion. It wasn't like Cheren to give credit where it wasn't deserved. Then she recognized the look in his eyes and she smiled back at him; he was poking at her, testing her. "That had nothing to do with me. You know that. It was all Snivy. It's not exactly something we can count on either."
Cheren smiled back at her. Test passed, obviously. It was an easy question, like Cheren just wanted to reassure himself about his friends…or perhaps he was just looking for an excuse to dig at her if he caught her off-guard.
She shook her head with a smiling sigh, before returning to her explanation, "Part of that battle was based on experience with their Pokémon. I don't the girl had Swadloon for too long, because they evolve after getting really close to their trainers, and despite the loss I think she was a good one. The boy and his Cottonee though…Having that sort of knowledge and relationship with your Pokémon, I think is the most important thing. Snivy and I may still have a long way to go, but I'm starting to figure things out. His determination is what won the battle last time, but I'm not willing to count on that. What I can count on is the fact that Snivy is fast and he'll only get faster."
Touko frowned and suddenly plopped down on the ground. The next part was difficult to say, to explain her failing. "…The problem is that your Pidove was able to out dodge him."
"Flying-types have more advantage when it comes to dodging, because they don't have to stay on the ground," Cheren noted as he took a seat next to Touko, taking out his own food.
"I guess, but I don't like excuses…"
"That's good. Understanding your opponent's strengths is important too though. It's not always about what your Pokémon can and can't do."
It took a bit of effort not to roll her eyes when she heard that know-it-all tone. "I get that. The thing is…if Snivy is going to stay Snivy, I'll have to take responsibility for it. I have to get smarter and we have to train differently. Because he won't keep getting stronger at the same rate anymore."
"I've been wondering about that…you acted like you regretted it afterward, so why did you stop him?"
"I didn't—" When she looked at Cheren, Touko realized she was going to do it again. Try and deny something she didn't want to be true. Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know."
"Snivy may not get stronger as quickly, but he will have an easier time learning new attacks. So, you'll probably want to strategize around that."
"Thanks." Touko smiled to herself. Cheren may have done it in his usual single-minded way, but she could tell he was trying to encourage her.
For a while, Cheren was silent. A frown was slowly forming on his face as he watched Touko's Pokémon. "You mentioned Snivy, but you're training all of them this way?"
"Well, speed is always important. Plus I figured maybe it'll make them closer to train together, too. I want a real team, you know."
"I guess it's not a bad idea. You never know when you might be facing multiple opponents. Especially with Team Plasma around."
"I don't really…" Touko started, distress apparent on her face until she got a good look at Cheren. This wasn't about her and what she'd said before at all. "Bianca talked to you too, didn't she?"
Cheren nodded silently.
"I'm not sure what to do." Touko looked to Cheren. "I don't want Team Plasma to get away with it…"
"It's not your responsibility."
"It has to be someone's…if I can do something, I want to do it. Aren't you the same?"
Cheren met Touko's pleading eyes before quickly looking away with a stubborn frown. "Well, they are bothersome. The sooner they're out of everyone's hair, the better. I just think you should just take it a little bit easier. They keep…well, it's better if you just forget about them."
Until then, Touko had forgotten that she hadn't discussed the incident at the Dreamyard with Cheren at all. What she did know was that Cheren had been worried enough about her to actually backtrack. Now she felt even more insensitive for bringing up Team Plasma so casually the day before. "Thanks…I'll keep it mind."
Cheren grunted in reply, an undignified action that was so unlike him Touko had to giggle. He spared a glance back at her, before clearing his throat and changing the topic again, "All of this, though. How did you come up with it?"
"I told you, we did it back home."
"People did it back home. Pokémon are a little bit different, you know."
"Not that different. That's why I had to drag you around to all of those store, to find those magazines. What I wanted to…wait a second, I'll show you." She leaned down to her bag and pulled out a magazine, an issue of The Sports World she'd worked particularly hard to find. She opened it to the feature on the Pokéathalon events from Johto and handed it over to Cheren.
"See? If Pokémon can participate in sports just like people, you should be able to train them like people, right?" Touko asked eagerly after Cheren finished looking over the article. "Plus, battling itself isn't all that different from a sport when you think about it. It's a competition and it's physical. When it comes to softball, we do practice games, but it's not enough. If you don't hone your individual skills, practice just becomes a mess."
"You've thought a lot about it."
"Just a little," Touko answered with a little laugh. "So, what do you think?"
"Well. I guess it would work. For you."
Touko frowned at the tone carrying her friend's words. At first she thought he was just being blunt like usual or maybe making a quick dig at her. But she didn't hear Cheren's usual boundless pride anywhere.
Maybe the loss against Lenora hit him harder than she'd thought…
"I'm going to go train up by the rock," Cheren informed her briskly and handed the magazine back to her. "Come find me when you're ready to do some practice battles."
"Oh…okay…"
She watched Cheren leave with Tepig, a feeling of unease resting in her stomach. Snivy noticed her expression and stopped his training, coming up to her and resting a hand on her leg. She managed a smile and gave him a quick pat on the head, thanking him for his concern once again.
"You know, it's times like this…" She frowned, unsure what she wanted to say. It shouldn't matter, Snivy couldn't communicate back to her anyway, but he was looking for her to continue anyway. Her expression softened, finally letting a little sadness show. "I'd say it was easier back home, but that's a given. Change is hard."
Snivy looked confused. She wasn't sure if he understood her words, but even if he did, he probably didn't understand the reason. Not the Pokémon that had almost changed irrevocably the day before.
"I guess not for you." She smiled faintly and rested her hand atop of his head. "It's just me. But I promise I'll do my best."
Already, all of them were changing. She hadn't figured that out until the previous day. That was why Snivy suddenly being so strong, strong enough to evolve, had caught her off-guard. He was just the first one. If she was a good trainer all of her Pokémon would change. Her friends, Bianca and Cheren, were going to change as well.
Somehow, she had to catch up.
It shouldn't be too hard, she encouraged herself, with her training plans. Though there was a nagging feeling that training wouldn't be enough to put her mind at ease. Strong Pokémon alone didn't make a good trainer.
But she pushed the thoughts aside for the moment and continued on.
After lunch, she met up with Cheren and pursued more traditional training. But even with just the two of them, Touko still felt somewhat left out. In the late afternoon she decided to go back to the Poké Center for a break and had to leave on her own. Cheren insisted that he should keep training.
"I can still get more out of my Pokémon."
It was like he begrudged her for not doing more training. It wasn't even like she was slacking. Her Pokémon were tired, they needed a break. Plus, she was intending on writing a few notes on her progress, something Cheren should approve of; note-taking and analyzing and stuff.
Maybe I should have told him that… she thought with a frown as she walked inside the boarding room. With Cheren off who knows where, she had the room to herself; she knew there were a couple other trainers staying there (oddly not the ones she'd seen battling the day before), but they didn't seem likely to come back until after dark.
She had time to think to herself. The one thing she really didn't want.
For the first time, when she heard the loud ringing of the Xtransceiver, she was actually relieved. Even more unusual was the smile on her face when she saw the call was from home.
"How's Nacrene City?" her mother's smiling face asked before Touko even got the chance for a 'hello.'
"Fine. I haven't been to the gym yet."
"Well, I would hope not, seeing as I haven't gotten a call from you."
"Yeah, about that…you seem to be doing a lot of that on your own. I just talked to you the day before yesterday. What happened to our gym deal?"
"That only applies to you. I can call whenever I want." Mrs. White's face softened away from her usual trickster smile. "Besides are you really going to blame me for checking up on you?"
"No, I guess not…" Touko flopped down on her bed, figuring she might as well relax for this phone call. It was swiftly becoming apparent she was heading into quite a discussion with her mother. "I can blame you for the things you said during the call, though."
"I can blame you for hanging up on me then," her mother replied, smiling easily once again.
"But Mom…Zebstrika…"
"Oh? Is that why? Your father's old 'lightning in your veins' excuse? It didn't sound like that was on your mind at the time."
"That's because you being embarrassing takes over everything."
"How is your new friend by the way?"
Touko shifted in her seat. "He's not my friend, just…"
"Fine, your boyfr—"
"Mom!" Touko felt her face heat up; she didn't want to hear that sort of grade school teasing from her mother. "Seriously…"
"Sorry," Mrs. White apologized with a very un-sorry sounding laugh. "But it's pretty cold to say that you're not friends."
"I've only known…you can't be friends in just a few days."
"Sweetheart, if you expect to have known all of your friends for ten years, you're going to get very lonely as you grow up."
"I didn't say it had to be ten years…"
"My point is that there's no time requirement for friendship, especially for someone traveling. You're very lucky to have two good friends, luckier than a lot of people, but there's no point in ignoring others."
"I'm…I'm not on this journey to make friends."
"What are you doing then?"
Touko frowned and looked down at her lap, but it was hard to be discrete about avoiding someone's eyes on a video. When her mother cleared her throat, she had to look up.
"Even if you had something, it would make a weak excuse. There are so few good reasons to avoid people. What do you say?"
"I have Cheren and Bianca," Touko replied stubbornly. "They're already more than enough trouble."
This time Mrs. White actually laughed out loud. "Well, true. There are parts of a friendship that aren't that easy; the parts of yourself that you have to give back to them. I forget, sometimes. I just hope you're not giving too much…you're a lot like your father…"
Every so often, her mother would get this look in her eyes, as if she was somewhere else away from Touko; perhaps to a time before Touko. She would look so serious, unlike the mother she knew so well. Touko saw that look in her mother's eyes now.
"Mom…"
"Well, I guess I'm not in a position to lecture. It's so boring anyway." Her mother let out a deep sigh and sat up straight, an energetic nuisance yet again. "Tell me about your plans so I can bother you on schedule again."
They fell back into the routine Touko could handle after that, spending a good ten minutes with her mother trying to end the call, but constantly getting distracted. Despite her exasperated sighs, Touko felt a little disappointed when they actually made it to the goodbyes.
"Don't forget…Take your time on your own, too, Fluff Head."
The final words before her mother cut the call stayed with her for a long time. Not for the usual reason—that nickname—but her mother's advice; she said it as though she'd mentioned it before.
It distracted Touko the whole way through her notes until she eventually had to give up on that pursuit. It wasn't very like her anyway. At school, she'd had a seat by the window and spent most note-taking time staring out the window. Every so often, she'd get to see a Pokémon fly by. Usually Pidove, occasionally Woobat. Once it was Brav and Touko had actually squealed out in delight at the sighting. Her father had been gone for the longest time since he stopped being a trainer, she couldn't help it. She didn't even mind when she got sent into the hallway.
There were a lot of windows on the second floor of the Poké Center; Touko wondered why the blinds always seemed to be drawn. She turned around and opened up the blinds to the window closest to her. There were no Pokémon flying outside, but she could see the people walking around with their Pokémon; grass-types and bug-types mostly, almost all from the nearby forest. These were the people that were perfectly content to know and care for the Pokémon in their own backyards.
"It must be nice…" She put her hand on the glass; it was slightly cold in the evening air, the sign that summer was still waiting in the distance.
As she looked down at all of the smiling people with their Pokémon, Touko felt the first hints of loneliness return. No, not loneliness…but it was similar. It was still a feeling of emptiness.
All she wanted was a Pokémon of her own. Then she got Snivy. Then Lillipup, Patrat, Panpour, and Purrloin. She had five Pokémon that were getting stronger and she was getting to know better each day.
What could possibly still be missing?
Was it that fighting really wasn't enough? What about the fire she felt whenever she was in battle? Wasn't that the sign of something right?
She'd talked with Cheren about it, but she couldn't help the way she felt. She couldn't help the irksome words stuck in the back of her head.
Why do I fight? Because it's fun? It is, but it doesn't seem like enough. It's…because I have to. Why?
It's what's expected.
That wasn't it either, but it certainly felt that way. Travel Unova, collect 8 badges, go try and be champion. Cheren certainly felt that was the right way to do things. She didn't really know what Bianca thought, but at least it looked like she was having fun. Because this is what trainers did.
Her father did it, her mother apparently had as well. Now she was on the same path. Because it was what her father had done.
"You have lightning in your veins."
It was something he used to tell her whenever she needed a pep talk. It made her sound like a born fighter, like the power was in her blood. But it was funny how she'd sort of forgotten about it until her mother had mentioned it just now. Even though she held so much of what her father had said and done so dearly…maybe it was because it never actually fit.
Touko wanted to be a trainer because of her father, but she wasn't him. She'd changed a lot. Maybe she was just trying to hold on. To her friends and her father's memory.
She was getting too worked up. She leaned forward, putting her forehead against the cool glass. It was calming, like there really was a heat in her that needed to be settled down.
"Take your time on your own, too…"
The words calmed her, despite still not knowing what her mother meant by them. It cleared her mind just enough.
She wasn't willing to give up battling. Not just yet. She didn't know why, but she knew that much. There was something…all she had to do was imagine the look her Pokémon wore in battle and she knew. Something was there; it was just out of reach.
And Touko felt restless, trying to reach for it.
Her mother said to take her time, but how could she do that when it felt like she couldn't keep still? That's why she didn't really understand.
Maybe that's all the lightning really was, the excitement sparking under her skin, looking for an outlet.
If only she could figure out where that was.
XWXWXWXWX
The greatest sense of relief Touko ever felt was when she got the call from Bianca saying she had just arrived in the city.
She and Cheren had been training together again by the forest and things were a little…tense.
Cheren would say that all he needed was to win next time, but the loss was clearly still bothering him. After a while, Touko learned that encouragement from her only made it worse. Anything she said was likely to be met with, "Easy for you to say" or something along those lines.
It felt a little bit like Cheren was angry at her for winning battles against him. What was she supposed to do, lose on purpose? If she was even willing to, she knew it would just make it worse.
With that uncertainty looming, Touko found herself unable to tell something to one of her friends for the first time. Already on the first day, Cheren made it clear that her problems weren't that big. She was good at fighting, she was still new, but she would become a good trainer. It was that simple.
She wished it was that simple, she often thought with a sigh. It was hard to find a solution when she didn't even know the actual problem.
But if there was one person who could create a solution without even knowing there was a problem. Instead of just saying a problem was small, Bianca had the ability to actually make them seem small. Touko didn't even realize how much she missed her friend until she greeted them with her sunshiny smile. It didn't solve anything, but it made her feel a lot better, and Touko immediately threw her arms around Bianca.
Both girls giggled for a few moments, Cheren rolled his eyes and said hello to Bianca in a much more restrained manner, and suddenly it was all back to normal. As they walked around the city after the Poké Center for Bianca's little sightseeing tour, they all joked around again like there were no problems at all. No Team Plasma, no loss at a gym, no…whatever was bothering Touko. It was just like being back in Nuvema Town.
Touko started to wonder if Cheren had a certain amount of snark he needed to get out each day. If Bianca wasn't there to give him opportunities, it would just build up and make him irritable.
Of course, all of this just served to underscore what Touko had thought all along: they should still be traveling together. (Honestly, how was she supposed to survive a desert on her own?)
But for the time being, she'd try to just enjoy what they had.
All the questions could probably wait. She was starting to get a better idea about how to figure it out anyway…
"Are you okay?" Bianca asked suddenly as the three strolled down the street.
"Hmm?" Touko turned to face her friend's worried face.
"You keep looking around like you're looking for something."
"Oh…that's…" Touko stopped walking, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. Down on the ground, all three of the group's starters were now looking up at her. Snivy then chattered something to the others, causing them to make a small "oh" and give a nod. Touko frowned, wishing she knew just what that was about; it looked like they were sympathizing with Snivy, like he was having a tough time, because of her.
"She's been doing that since she got to Nacrene City. I've just learned to ignore it," Cheren informed Bianca in Touko's stead.
Oshawott was actually patting Snivy on the back, but she set it aside, turning to Cheren and something she could actually handle. "I have not—"
"Of course you have," Cheren replied without missing a beat. "You do it all the time."
Despite her weak protests, Touko knew that her friends were right (except whatever Snivy and the others were on about, she had some doubts there). It was just that most of the time, she wasn't even aware of it. But as soon as her mind started to wander to her problems, instead of looking up to the sky, she began searching the crowds.
If she met up with him again, she thought, maybe she'd get a better idea about things.
It was all his fault that she was on this train of thought anyway.
"I'm fine. Just distracted." Touko shrugged and returned to an easy smile. "We can talk about something else though. Maybe you can distract me away from the distractions."
Bianca giggled and nodded, ready to take up the challenge. Her face was screwed up in concentration as the three walked in silence down the road. Cheren and Touko exchanged a smile past their friend.
"Oh! I know!" Bianca said excitedly. "Did you see the Blitzle on Route 3, Touko?"
Touko came to an abrupt stop. "A-a couple of times…"
"Then did you catch one yet? You've always wanted a Zebstrika." Bianca's face was beaming.
"Not yet…"
"Eh? Why not?"
Touko gave a little shrug, then went silent as she began to walk again, hands in her pockets.
"Maybe she just doesn't feel up to taking care of one yet, Bianca," Cheren said so deliberately that Touko could easily read between the lines.
Bianca caught on too, because she just went, "Oh," before going silent as well and running to catch up.
After a while, Touko folded her arms and frowned, getting a little angry at herself.
Zebstrika hadn't just been her favorite Pokémon, it had been one her father talked about all the time. The story he told most often from his training had been about the only trainer he lost to more than once. A trainer that had an incredible Zebstrika. To young Touko, the Pokémon that could defeat her father was something amazing indeed.
How could she forfeit all of those good memories for the one bad?
"If I defeat Lenora," she said suddenly, "I'll catch a Blitzle."
"If?" Bianca repeated and added encouragingly, "Don't you mean when?"
Touko shook her head. "No…if."
Because if I can't catch Blitzle, I'll never be able to move forward anyway…
The declaration only served to heighten Touko's anxiety as the days until her challenge passed by. Things were still easier with everyone all together, she didn't worry nearly so much, but things would still lurk in her mind. Most worryingly was the fact that Snivy had taken to sleeping on the floor with the other Pokémon. Without his presence to reassure her, sometimes the worries kept her up at night.
But eventually the week passed without further incident and Monday arrived.
They decided that Cheren would challenge the gym first; Touko would wait until Tuesday morning. She wanted Cheren to get his badge first so at least if she won on her first try it wouldn't put more pressure on him.
However, she wasn't sure what they'd do if Cheren didn't win. To be honest, no matter how strong Lenora was, she was sure that someone like Cheren wouldn't lose to the same person twice…
Except Touko herself was the contradicting example.
In the end, her worries were pointless when Cheren came out of the gym with his Basic Badge. He still went on about how difficult it was though, getting Touko plenty nervous before Bianca thought to stop him. At least he felt sorry enough to agree to stay in Nacrene City through her battle the next day for encouragement.
Touko appreciated the sentiment, but she insisted that they stay behind when she went to her challenge. At some point she'd have to face a Gym on her own, might as well be sooner than later.
Despite her show of bravery, she still had to stand on the steps to the Gym/Museum for a while. All of her courage had fled on the way there and she was doing her best to build it back up. She'd decided to put all of her doubts aside, but of course they would come back at the worst possible times. Going alone, she should have known it would happen.
At least she had Snivy with her, but even a smile from him wasn't fully effective.
She wished she'd been able to settle her mind a little better beforehand. Now she was facing an obstacle she wasn't sure actually meant anything to her. Maybe she'd never figure things out. Not if she couldn't find him. It had been a week and she hadn't even seen him once. Even though, despite all of her talk to Snivy about a rematch, all she really just wanted to ask him one question.
Why?
Somehow, she doubted he even knew what he said was having an effect on her. So, maybe he already passed through Nacrene City without a single thought about her. That sounded like him. If she wanted to catch up with him for that rematch, or whatever else, she was just wasting time standing there.
Even putting that aside, she had to go forward. Blitzle and then Castelia City were waiting.
With a deep breath, Touko found her courage and finally reached for the handle of the door and pulled…
…Just as someone else pushed it open.
Touko stumbled back, startled by the sudden movement, but quickly righted herself. "Excuse me, I didn't…" She began in her quiet voice, until she looked up and found herself facing the person she'd been looking for all this time.
"N?"
Author's Note on Timeline: I am doing that thing that people shouldn't do again, poisoning the water by pointing out a problem in my writing. This is a common issue though, so I want people to know I am aware of it. I'm just ignoring it for lack of having a better solution.
If you add up all the passing of time I have stated and what I will state in the future, it probably won't be correct.
The problem stems from the fact that there really is no time passing in the games. Events just happen one after another. This gets a lot worse in Black and White because the routes are just so short. Two bridges? They can't possibly take more than half a day to pass. They're bridges. Camping on them would be silly.
I think if you add up what's happened so far in the story, I think something like two weeks have passed by. Which is why I prefer to say "less than a month." For the amount of stuff and development that is happening, it seems silly that Touko has only been away from home for two weeks. That's how long my vacation to Disney World when I was seven was (it was a fabulously long vacation, but still).
Speaking of Disney, they are an excellent example. It's like when you get older and you realize most of those films take place across 2-3 days. Cinderella? 2 days. The Princess and the Frog? 3 days. Tangled? 3 days. The Little Mermaid? 4 days. Families broken, lives changed, and true love found in less than a week. I prefer the Beauty and the Beast way of doing things, which is to slowly stop referencing time directly and leave people puzzled as to whether it's been a week or a whole season. The action we actually see could all take place in about a week, but the development seems more meaningful if you imagine it's been stretched out farther, that it took more time.
That's where I am with this. I actually have a set amount of time I want to reference this story taking place across, so it's even more difficult and confusing. I'm just admitting that it's going to be flat out wrong. But Disney did it with their Best Picture Oscar-nominee, so whatever. I'm sure we can make it work.
