Chapter Nine: Found

Again, the trail went cold as Vaporeon lifted her head, losing the scent of the missing girl. Her webbed ears fell in disappointment. If Vaporeon or the other Pokémon didn't find the girl, she would be lost to the snow forever. Not wanting to give up, she sniffed at the surface of the ice. A new smell caught her attention, but it was not the warm aroma of a human. This was a Pokémon, and its scent grew more powerful the longer Vaporeon stood still. She began to paw at the snow, her ears now catching the sounds of chirping and digging.

A tiny hole opened in the snow, and a small yellow creature sprouted from it like a dandelion. It chirped wildly, growing excited at the sight of Vaporeon. She sniffed the tiny Pokémon and detected a faint trace of the missing girl's scent. Vaporeon began to howl, alerting her trainer of her discovery. Leaf jogged to her partner and spotted the tiny lemon-colored bug.

"Cheren!" she called. "This Pokémon...it belongs to Snowe, right?" Leaf bent over and let Joltik crawl onto her hand. He hugged her thumb, stealing her body heat. Cheren appeared at their side, his expression marginally relieved.

"Yes, this is her Joltik," he replied. Warmer now, Joltik began to thrash around in Leaf's hand, begging for their attention. "Can you show us where you came from?" To answer Cheren, he leapt from Leaf, landed on the snow, and began to scurry down the slope.

"You think she's nearby?" Leaf asked Cheren. He removed his glasses for a moment, polishing the fog off of the lenses.

"He was crawling in and out of her bag when the avalanche hit," Cheren replied. "They couldn't have been separated that much. Anyway, it's our best lead." They called to Red to follow, and the three followed Joltik nearly fifty yards down the mountain. Stopping at the base of a tree, Joltik began to claw at the snow, desperately trying to uncover his trainer. Pikachu jumped from Red's shoulder to assist, followed by the rest of the Pokémon. This left no room for the helpless trainers. They would only be able to help if Snowe was uncovered.

The hole grew deeper and deeper, yet it only yielded more ice and snow. The Pokémon began to tire, the frigid temperature and darkening sky hampering their efforts. Finally, Red grew impatient and ordered the Pokémon to fall back. Although the Pokémon his friends had brought were great for search and rescue, none of them could match the sheer power needed to move this amount of snow.

"Charizard!" he shouted, ignoring his own warnings about future avalanches. "I need you down here!" Abandoning his post in the sky with Cheren's Noctowl, the orange dragon swept down and landed behind them. Red motioned for everyone to stand back. "I want you to skim the top of the snow with your Flamethrower, Charizard. Pikachu, Espeon, I want you to check the area after each sweep. If you smell her, start digging." This Pokémon let out a collective cry, and Charizard unleashed his Flamethrower. The snow hissed and burst into steam as he swept across the ground with a beam of fire. He cleared another foot of snow before stopping to let the others investigate. They yielded nothing, and the cycle repeated itself thrice more.

After the fourth burn, Espeon's ears pricked and it began to excavate the snow. The other Pokémon swarmed the scene, assisting the dig. Even Joltik squeezed between them and scratched at the ground. Again, the humans were left to feel useless. Cheren looked at his feet, repeatedly telling himself that Snowe was okay, that she was too tough to let a little snow knock her down. Though they were still mostly strangers, Leaf found herself shaking with worry, and Red bit his lip in frustration.

The Pokémon stopped abruptly as Joltik went still. His claw caught a fiber from a pink, canvas bag. Stoutland inched forward to dig, but Joltik turned and sent a bolt of electricity her way. All of the Pokémon stepped back from Joltik, who was now pulsating with energy, cobalt and yellow sparks dripping off of his body. A white burst of power seized him, then expanded to about the size of a dog. Suddenly, the light appeared to explode, spreading in all directions. In Joltik's place, a new monster stood on four, powerful legs. Six, blue eyes directed their attention back to the snow, his two new appendages pulling at the bag. Cheren noticed the sparkles embedded in the spider's coat and realized the significance of what happened.

"I don't believe it," he mumbled to himself. "You finally evolved." Galvantula ignored Cheren's awe and managed to free the bag from the earth's frozen grasp. He allowed the other Pokémon to dig once more. Cheren allowed himself to get excited and pushed through the Pokémon. Suddenly, the Pokémon stopped, each looking around and sniffing the air.

Cheren felt the blood drain from his head. Despite their best efforts, the Pokémon had gone through all the snow, only to discover nothing but the bare earth beneath them.


Limping, Bianca emerged from Red's cave. The pain of her injury caught up with her the moment she found herself safe at the top of the mountain. She stared down the slope, watching the blurry figures of Cheren, Red, and Leaf scour the hillside. The weather grew more inhospitable by the second as a thunderstorm rolled closer. The wind picked up, cloaking her friends with blowing snow. Torment pulsated through her chest. Again, she knew she'd be unable to help Snowe when she needed it most. This time, her inability pitch in could be deadly. Snowe wasn't fighting a criminal organization, she was fighting death. Bianca couldn't even bring three Gym Leaders to her on time. How could she save her life?

Distraught, Bianca sat down on a boulder and stared into the distance, tears sliding down her cheeks. If only her leg hadn't gone numb with pain. Then she'd be able to at least hobble down the mountain and assist in any way she could. Her wet cheeks burned from the cold. She hated how useless she was.

Through the haze of the snow and her bleary, green eyes, she could have sworn that she'd seen a large, white object soaring towards Mt. Silver's peak. Bianca wiped at her eyes with her coat sleeve, yet she still noticed the anomaly. It appeared to be a Pokémon she had never seen before, a fragile, ivory dragon, with eyes so piercingly blue that she could pick up their color even at this distance. The creature approached at high speed, growing larger and brighter against a backdrop of sable thunderclouds. Within moments, it zoomed past the top of the mountain, churning up the loose, top layer of snow in it's wake. Banking on a dime, it turned around in the air and dove downwards, skimming the ground as it traveled down the mountain. Removing the hand that shielded her eyes from the blowing snow, she spotted a man on the creature's back. At the sight of his long, emerald hair, Bianca was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Like a prince, N had arrived just in time to save Snowe. Bianca's mind eased, but only slightly. He may have arrived like a fairy tale, but the reality guaranteed that this story wouldn't end with a simple "Happily ever after."

N held tight to Reshiram's neck as they flew down the mountain, passing by trees and three bewildered trainers and their Pokémon. Cursing, he suppressed the frustration he felt by her friends' inability to find her. Reshiram would lead him right to her, no time wasted. The white dragon flew up suddenly and hovered a few feet above the ground. It spat an ember at the ground. It fizzled out, and N jumped from his partner's back.

"The Mistress is here," it declared, gesturing to a black mark it left on the snow. "She isn't far from the surface."

Frantically, N fell on his knees and began to dig at the snow with his hands. Not more than a minute went by before he saw the black fabric of a woman's jacket. He worked with more fury upon finding her, quickly uncovering the girl to her waist. With the majority of her body freed, he was able to pull her from the snow. N cradled her body, holding her close to warm her, whispering desperate pleas for her to hold on.

Reshiram let out a sudden roar, turning to bare its fangs at the trainers barreling down the mountain. N paid little mind to them, only concerned about the blue color of Snowe's skin.

"Let them pass," he commanded, focused only on the shallow breaths flowing from her lips. Leaf, Red, and Cheren walked past Reshiram cautiously, trying not to meet the gaze of the dragon. They watched as N held Snowe, fear growing in his eyes.

"She needs to be taken to a hospital," Red insisted, bending over to examine Snowe. "The nearest one is in Viridian City. You'll need to meet us there later, N. We're going to attract enough attention as is." Cheren's gaze shot from N to Red to back again. Although he was curious to know how they were acquainted, it needed to wait until Snowe was safe. He made a move to take her from N, but he pulled back, glaring at both trainers.

"I'm not leaving her side, not until I know she's okay," he protested, holding her more tightly.

"Then have fun in jail," Red retorted, snapping his fingers to call his Pokémon. "Cheren, go get your friend and meet us there." Rather than follow Red's orders, Cheren stood still, glaring at N through his glasses like a viper. N returned the expression.

"So help me God, if you weren't holding her right now, I'd break your nose," Cheren hissed. "Haven't you done enough to her already? It would break her heart to find out you were arrested while taking her to the hospital." N's expression evolved into one of shock. He hadn't expected Cheren to show his teeth like this. "Go ahead, be a hero, or do the smart thing and give her to Red."

Though he looked at Cheren with venom in his eyes, he saw his point. Reluctantly, N picked Snowe from the ground and placed her in Red's arms. Red sprang into action immediately, calling Charizard and mounting his Pokémon. He gestured to Leaf for climb up with them.

"If something happens to her, I'm holding both of you responsible," N mumbled, looking from Cheren to Red.

"Relax," Red replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his PokéGear. "I'll be in contact when the coast is clear. Just stay close behind." He threw the phone into N's hands and ordered his Charizard to keep it low. They took off, whisking Snowe away to Viridian, to help, away from N.

"She's a fighter," Cheren remarked, watching as N stared after them. "She wouldn't want us to worry.

"I know," N replied. "But don't you find it difficult not to?"

Cheren's gaze followed the flickering tail of Charizard as it faded deeper into the distance.

"Of course I do, but I know that when she wakes up and finds us worrying, she'll call us women and break our legs."


A chill swept through her body. Slowly, Snowe opened her eyes, catching the glimpse of a handsome face. Almost immediately, she closed them, the cold wind sweeping away their moisture. Still, she felt the young man, she smelled his scent, his distant gaze emblazoned on the inside of her eyelids. Moments ago, she had been trapped in frozen limbo. Had he rescued her? No. He appeared uninvested, as if he were merely a vehicle taking her to the next destination. Had she slipped away? Was he some kind of angel of death with his black hair and scarlet eyes? Perhaps, but she felt warmth, and love, and trust from the Pokémon beneath her. Where ever he was taking her, she hoped she would arrive soon. Snowe was so very tired...

The metronomic drone of a hospital monitor beckoned Snowe away from unconsciousness. Her arm and chest throbbed in tune with the machine, and when she lifted her head, it pulsated along with them. Together, her friends ran to her side, urging her to lie still. Rather than listen to Cheren and Bianca, she lifted herself up. Pain shot through her, forcing her back.

"Stay down," Cheren commanded gently. "Your left arm is completely shattered, and you have six cracked ribs." Snowe scowled at him, unable to speak from the stabbing discomfort. To alleviate this, Bianca carefully rearranged her pillows, allowing her to sit up. Though it pained her, there was nothing more Snowe hated than being stuck on her back.

"Oh, Snowe," Bianca cried, no longer able to hold back her concern. "I-I thought you were going to die." Snowe returned her hug weakly, just barely able to lift her good arm to stroke her back.

"It was just a mountain of snow and ice," she dismissed, recalling the incident. "No biggie. I'm cool."

"We're all lucky to be alive," Cheren subtly rebuked. "Especially you, Snowe. If it weren't for N, you'd still probably be out on the mountain."

"Wait," Snowe interrupted, inching forward, ignoring the rib pain. "N? He was there?"

Cheren explained N's sudden appearance and his almost supernatural ability to find her. Most likely, he was lurking outside of the hospital, waiting for an opportunity to see her. Snowe looked out of the window of her hospital room. Night had fallen, and a late autumn rainstorm buffeted the window with drizzle. She hoped that he would come to her soon, and that until then he was somewhere warm and dry.

"I'm so sorry, guys," Snowe mumbled. "This was all my fault again."

"No," Bianca yelped. "Don't say that, Snowe. We followed you, and I for one would be willing to do it all over again if it helps make you happy."

"She's right," Cheren agreed. "We know you'd do the same plus some. Besides..." Snowe watched his eyes glide towards the door. Through the small, rectangular window, all three saw the back of a head, green hair facing them. "I don't think you'll need to chase after N anymore." Silently, Bianca and Cheren excused themselves for bed, walking hand in hand out of the room. Snowe stared at the door, watching it close behind them. N waited for a moment before slipping into the room. Upon seeing Snowe, her hair tousled, a bruise growing on her chin, he rushed towards her to kiss the crown of her head.

"You're okay," he whispered to himself. "Thank God, you're okay."

"Do you know how sloppy you are?" she asked, looking up at him, her brow furrowed. "You left a paper with your next destination just laying around. What if interpol found that?" N laughed dryly and pulled a chair towards the bed. He sat, arms resting on his knees, a tired smile on his face.

"Well, that was a mistake," he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "No wonder you were on Mt. Silver..."

"Looking for your enigmatic ass," she quipped.

"So, this really is all my fault?" he thought aloud. "I was sloppy, and it put you in danger." He paused and let out a sigh. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have even left you in Ecruteak..."

"That night...why did you leave?" she mumbled, taking his hand. Although her hold was weak, N gripped back and gently stroked her knuckles with his thumb. "Everything was so perfect. I just...I didn't expect it."

"I don't have a good excuse," he apologized. "I can't even explain it. I guess...I guess I was scared. Nothing has ever made me feel so...peaceful than your presence. I kept looking up at the ceiling, with you sleeping in my arms, thinking, 'How could someone care this much about me?' It made me even more aware that I wouldn't know how to give you the same amount of affection in return. I had to run. If I stayed, if we woke up and started our lives together the next morning, it would only lead to heartbreak."

"Way to fulfill your own prediction," she replied, her tone unintentionally accusative. "I told you that it wouldn't be a problem, and even if it was I'd risk it."

N's hand slipped away from hers, and he stood from his seat. "I don't understand why you'd even risk your emotions on someone like me, a fr-"

"A freak?" she finished, staring him down. "Don't tell me that you actually think that about yourself..."

"My father was right," he murmured after a long silence. "I haven't seen anything to disprove it. It's been a year and I still can't relate to normal people."

"You aren't a freak, N," she said, fighting her broken ribs as she repositioned herself on the bed. "Besides, being normal is overrated. It's boring, and I don't want boring. I want you." Speaking to him was like talking to a wall. He fell silent, watching her with his lime-colored eyes, staring like he did on that day in Accumula Town. N heard the same determination in her voice that her Pokémon had attested to, and that she had shown in battle. Though her eyes glistened on the verge of tears, she held her gaze on him. "Are you going to leave me again?"

N remained stoic as he considered his options. Snowe was completely unable to read him, yet she accepted his silence as a confirmation. She turned away to hide an escaped tear. Now, her only wish was that he'd leave quickly, that he'd stop staring and just go. Another drop fell from her eye onto the sheets. With a creak, the bed sunk beside her, and she felt his arm fall against her shoulders. Gently, as to not disturb her broken bones, N wrapped himself around her and softly printed a kiss on her forehead.

"I can't stay for long," he admitted. "I have something I need to do..."


His alarm let out a shrill scream. Cursing, Red fumbled at the clock, unwilling to roll out of bed and meet the morning. Rather than do the responsible thing, he let his heavy eyelids drop and resumed his snoozing. Still, he wouldn't be allowed to rest peacefully. Pikachu hopped onto the bed and pulled at his tee shirt, forcing him up. Listlessly, he switched on a coffee maker and collapsed into his desk chair, checking his e-mail as the machine brewed. Red yawned at his desk and reached down to scratch Pikachu's head. The electric mouse pulled away, his attention focused at the door.

Silently, Red crept towards the door, listening carefully, hoping to catch the same sounds that roused his Pokémon. He slowly slid the door open a crack, only to recoil at the sight just outside of his home. Shutting his eyes, he tried to reconstruct what he had just seen. Certainly, it was a large Pokémon, and it was definitely one he was unfamiliar with. The only thing he could compare it to was the bastard child of a Ninetales and a Lugia, fluffy, white, and fearsome. He heard footsteps approaching his hideaway and reached for a baseball bat he kept near the door.

Three quiet knocks cut the air. Wordlessly, Red slid the door open, ready to beat down any intruder. Not many made it to the top of Mt. Silver, and those who did were either harmless trainers looking to battle or old Rocket Admins looking for revenge. Whoever brought that white dragon meant serious business. Much to his surprise, when his gaze met his visitor, he found a young man about his age, slightly taller, with long waves of moss colored hair spilling out from beneath a baseball cap. He squinted in disbelief and strain from the rising sun. For weeks, Red had received intel from interpol, news reports, and other miscellaneous tidbits about this man. Honestly, he had never imagined that the infamous N Harmonia, the King of Team Plasma would come to him. Now the white Pokémon made sense; it was the partner he had heard about, the legendary Reshiram.

His disbelief was so great, Red found himself mute. Unable to react, he watched helplessly as Pikachu cautiously edged towards N, sniffed his pant-leg, and crawled up his side. The Pokémon settled on N's shoulder, his face bright with glee. He nuzzled N in the cheek. Red sighed and gestured for his visitor to come in from the cold.

Although they remained relatively quiet, only exchanging the most basic pleasantries, it became very obvious that N was seeking something. However, whatever he wanted seemed secondary to a good talk. Soon, the two young men were speaking like long-lost friends. They recalled their childhoods, the highlights of their adventures, the magic of Pokémon, and the beauty of brown-haired girls. Red felt that he and N got carried away in conversation for the same reason as him. It had been a long time since he had good company, and he wasn't willing to squander the opportunity.

Then, suddenly, as Red turned around to refill their coffee mugs, the reason for N's visit sprung up like jack in the box.

"I think I'm in a bit over my head," he mumbled. "I've been in hiding for way too long. When my time comes, when they do find me, there's going to be hell to pay."

"Are you asking me what you should do?" Red asked, setting the mugs down on the table. "I think you're as harmless as a Metapod, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook."

"I had good intentions," N mumbled defensively. "I only wanted to do what was best for Pokémon."

"Regardless of your intentions, you still hurt people and Pokémon," Red explained. "The correct thing to do is go to the police. I've seen some of the highest Rocket executives get off with nothing just because they snitched on their friends. If you really hate Plasma, and if you really want to keep your freedom, you should give up all of the info you can." He paused to sip at his coffee, sneaking a peek at his guest though half-closed eyes. N appeared just as forlorn as he had when he arrived. "Why are you asking me for advice anyway? I'm a trainer, not a therapist or a detective..."

"You're similar in a lot of ways to someone I know...someone whose advice I really want but can't get," he replied. Red had an inkling about who this person was. Although they had never met, when Red caught word of the girl that singlehandedly took on this criminal organization, he took a great interest in the young woman. In fact, he wanted to track her down, to talk, to battle, just to know that someone else like him existed.

"Hilda Weiss?" he replied. N looked at the floor, but he was unable to suppress the corners of his lips as they curled into a subtle smile. "So, why not just ask her? From what I can gather, she must care a lot about you if she let you escape."

"I'd rather not implicate her in any of this," he said quietly, his voice quick. "Besides, she doesn't need to waste her time helping out someone like me. She has her own life, her own journey."

"Like it or not, I think you two are on the exact same journey," Red argued. "After what you went through, it seems like destiny. You two are supposed to be on the same path." Though he only knew the guy from the news and a quiet conversation over a cup of coffee, he realized that this man was in serious need of guidance. Red never liked to speak to someone like a child, but he felt that N needed a lecture or a pep-talk or some sage advice to get him on the right track. N reminded him too much of the darkest times of his life, when he stumbled through the proverbial wilderness and found himself at the top of Mt. Silver. "I know what it's like to not understand someone, even when I cared deeply about them. That's just what life is: trying to understand the people around you, failing, and trying again. Eventually, we all get it, but I don't think it's something that happens overnight," Red explained. A bitter look encompassed his face. "I just got needlessly philosophical, didn't I?"

"No," N denied. "That was very...enlightening. It's no wonder everyone considers you a legend."

"I'm just a trainer," he dismissed, giving N a halfhearted smile. "Just a regular guy like you."

Together, N and Red spent the morning regaling each other with stories of their separate adventures. N found that he wasn't so different from Red, and thus he realized that he wasn't so different from Snowe either. That afternoon, when he mounted Reshiram and took off for the east, he decided that he needed to do the right thing. Hopefully, his path would cross with Snowe's before that would happen. He felt optimistic; they were on the same journey after all.


"So you're going to turn yourself in," Snowe replied candidly. He ran his fingertips up and down her shoulder, holding her as tightly as he could without provoking her broken ribs.

"That's the plan," he affirmed. "Red is right. I need to do the ethical thing. I'll be in less trouble if I go quietly. Besides, it's my only chance at a normal life. If I don't go to the police, I'll be a fugitive forever, and I doubt that you want a fugitive for a boyfriend."

"That's a good point," she remarked, sighing. "I don't like the idea. I don't want you to go, but chances are you'd end up in jail anyway. The sooner you get it over with the better, like ripping off a band-aid."

"This is a hell of a band-aid, Snowe," he breathed. Snowe let out an airless laugh, holding her side as she giggled. N raised an eyebrow and gave her a wry smile. "What?"

"Hehe, ow, it's nothing. It's just the way you said that...so serious," she snickered, huddling closer to him.

"It's a serious subject," he declared, his tone taunting. "When I leave this room, there's no way of telling when I'll see you next." Snowe laid her head against his chest, silently contemplating the true meaning of those words. His heart beat against her ear, slow and steady, just as calm as he was. To think of his leaving, to know that be together, they would need to separate, made her feel as if reality reached into her chest and squeezed her very soul. Yet, there was no way around it if they wanted some semblance of a normal life.

"Then I'll write to you," she promised. "I'll visit you and send you stuff, and I'll even talk to Looker to see if I can get you out quickly. Just please..." She craned her neck upwards, her blue eyes big and wavering with a vulnerability few had seen from the gutsy tomboy. "Please come back to me."

Gently, N placed a hand on her cheek and stroked it. They hypnotized each other, pulling their faces together like gravity. Snowe closed her eyes and felt his kiss, soft and warm like the rain on a summer afternoon. She pulled him against her chest, pushing the limits of her body, ignoring her pain to revel in this moment. After several breathless kisses, N retreated slightly. In silence, he reached around his neck and lifted his necklace, the aqua and yellow planetoid he wore always. He looked into Snowe's eyes and placed the cord over her head.

"As sure as this world is round, I will come back to you." Snowe bowed her head to examine the medallion, for the first time becoming aware of it's beauty and opaline blue finish. She felt him embrace her and rub her back. Her eyes caught sight of a clock on the wall. It was late, and they both sensed that it was nearly time to part ways. Once more, N kissed her, then dropped his face to her cheek, making a final whispered confession. "Since the moment I met you, I loved you, more so now than ever before."

Reluctantly, as if he were about to walk to his grave, N slid from the bed and stood, facing the wall. He looked once over her shoulder, briefly, a silent glance serving as his final goodbye. Swiftly, he walked away, his gait as long and silent as it had always been. As the door slammed shut behind him, Snowe grasped at the pendant around her neck and realized that this time was that last that she'd see his back to her. Yet, she didn't cry. She didn't even feel the despair that she was rightly owed. Instead, she smiled. Though the scent he left on her would fade, and the weeks would pass in an endless cycle of sunrises and sunsets before she'd hear from him again, the token in her hands would remain hers until N's return. It was a promise, concrete and sincere, that she would no longer be forced to follow him, that he would return to her in Unova, and that they would walk together in the shadows of their Pokémon, beginning a journey together that would color their lives forever.

The End.

Note: Stick around guys. There's going to be an epilogue/acknowledgements when I get a tad bit of spare time this weekend =)