Disclaimer: I'm sure you're tired of hearing it, 'cause I'm tired of saying it: I DON'T OWN POKEMON. OKAY? Okay.

Chapter 9: Castellian Shennanigans Begin


After booking the last room in the Castellia Pokémon Center, Touya decided a remarkable way to make things up to N would be to go get ice cream. They had both said some rude things today, and he wanted to show N he forgave him.

"N," he started, cut off by the glare the other boy sent his way.

"What now, Touya?" N said, still in the less friendly mood he'd been in for a half hour now.

"Um… well… we've both… said some things we shouldn't have. So, I was thinking… how about we go get ice cream? I'll pay," he said. N considered it for a moment, then shrugged.

"I guess I don't have a problem with it. We are going to be stuck in each other's company for a little while anyways," the green haired boy said.

N and Touya sat on one of the piers at the Castellia docks, ice cream in hand. N seemed to have snapped out of his mood again, and the two sat and talked while Touya's Pokémon ran around, playing with each other and the wild Pokemon nearby. Every once in a while Touya would say something that would cause N to turn red and look away for a moment. Touya was curious as to what that was about, after all, he wasn't teasing N, not ever! He was absolutely unwilling to risk causing N to revert to his moody alter ego, or whatever it was.

"N," Touya said, not sure where his train of thought was going, "I… I just wanted to say thanks. For everything. You're the first person to stay with me for more than an hour, and I just… it means a lot to me, okay?"

N looked taken aback for a moment, but nodded. "Yeah… it's no problem."

Touya smiled, then had his attention redirected to a beeping on his watch. "Oh, we need to get back to the Center! Come on, guys!" he shouted at his Pokemon, who broke away reluctantly."


Touko walked into Castellia City early the next morning, eager to take on the Gym. She paused to check the map, when a deliveryman came running up to her.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Touko Grey?" the man inquired. Touko looked up, surprised, and nodded.

"Ah! I have a delivery for you. Here," he said, pulling a small, unmarked ticket from his bag and handing it to her. She inspected the bare ticket. The only word on it was "liberty".

"I have to run, I hope to see you again!" the deliveryman said as he scampered off. Touko considered the mysterious package before her again. It was certainly bizarre enough. There was no instruction on it whatsoever, just that word.

She thought for a minute. Touya might know something, she realized, pulling out her Xtransciever. She selected Touya's number, sending him a quick text.

I need to ask you something. A few minutes later, her Xtransciever buzzed with a response.

What is it? Touya asked.

I just got this ticket, but it's all weird. There's no return address, and the only thing on it is "Liberty". Any idea what it means?

No, but it would be helpful it I had a picture. Touko complied, photographing the ticket and sending it to her brother.

She waited a few more minutes, when the Xtransciever rang. She picked it up, adjusting the camera so that Touya could see her.

"Touko, I don't have any idea what it's about, but N says it's important. I'm going to put him on the line," he said before disappearing from the video. A few seconds later, the mysterious boy from Accumula Town appeared.

"Listen very closely to what I'm about to say. Take this ticket you've received to Castellia City. Once you get there, head to the Liberty Pier. There is a large orange boat docked there, it's bound to be the center of gossip on the pier. Talk to the attendant there, show him the ticket. He'll ask you where you're headed. Listen very carefully to this part, because you will be shot if you do not give him the correct passphrase. You have to tell him, 'my destination is that of a garden where liberty awaits'. Write that down," he said, and Touko complied. "When the ship sets sail, do not go below deck. I don't know what goes on down there, but none who go down there during the voyage return sane. Beyond that, I can't say for sure what awaits you. It's different in every report. Be careful, Touko," he said, a touch of concern in his voice, "There are powerful forces at work here, and you're caught in the center. Oh, and don't even think of ignoring the ticket, you'll just end up dead," he finished before handing the Xtransciever bask to Touya.

"Um, well, I didn't realize N would react like that," Touya said, turning ever so slightly red, "So, yeah, sorry. Hey, I've gotta run, N's about to drag me by the earlobe to the art studio down the street. Good luck with your quest, or whatever it is," he said before hanging up.

Touko looked down at the ticket in her hand. Powerful forces, she mused, her curiosity piqued. She decided to head to Liberty Pier, since she had plenty of time that particular day. Bianca and Cheren had gone on ahead, and as much as she'd wanted to go with them, she had been practically kidnapped by some art enthusiast back in Nacrene City who refused to let her go after she'd admitted to an interest in painting. Knowing she wouldn't be escaping anytime soon, she'd told her friends to go on without her. As a result, she was now the furthest behind in their journey.

She turned down onto Liberty Pier, and true to N's word, there was a large orange boat docked at the pier. She could hear the hushed whispers as she approached, whispers about how it was back and how it shouldn't be here, but ignored them. She had to know, for her sake, where this ship was headed.

Walking up to the man at the boat's side, she showed him the ticket. He lit up in recognition, asking her where she was headed.

"My destination is that of a garden where liberty awaits," she said, trying not to stutter. The man nodded, motioning for her to come aboard.

"Would you like to come below deck, milady? I hear there's a rough storm on the way to the island," the same man asked in monotone. Touko shook her head, remembering the warning N had given her.

"I'm a tough girl, I'll be fine," she said, smiling sweetly at the man, who blushed a little. This for some reason surprised Touko; after hearing N rant about certain peril, she half expected the crew of the boat to be soulless monsters.

"If you say so mistress. Should you change your mind you are always welcome below deck," he said, bowing and making a hasty retreat. Touko looked after him. What does go on below deck? She wondered. For a second, curiosity overtook her, but she shook her head. N had been right about everything so far. There was no reason to think that he was wrong about this.

Shaking her head, Touko looked out across the ocean. What does await me at the end of all of this?


"Hey Touya, look at this one!" N said, steering Touya to a massive painting, at least fifteen feet across and twice as tall, of a great black dragon. The great beast stood on two legs, whilst a pair of wings and a separate pair of arms protruded from the shoulder. The head was shaped similarly to a football, and its eyes were a blood red. Touya had the feeling he would never want to face this creature in battle, and Roggs chirped his agreement.

N paid them no attention. "Just look at the detail!" he exclaimed, gushing over the subtle differences in the various shades of black and dark grey used in the legs alone, and how they changed in the different parts of the dragon.

Milly was right in naming him an artist, he mused, hoping that the two of them could hurry up and get out of there.

As it would happen, he had no such luck. Molly became entranced before long as well, and somewhere along the way Lily had also wandered off. Touya wondered if Roggs was only still with him because he carried the rock type in his arms. N continued to scour the museum in search of other works featuring the black dragon, so he was of no use tracking the Pokémon down.

"Excuse me, but does she by any chance belong to you?" asked an unfamiliar voice behind him. Touya glanced back, surprised to see another boy his age in the city. The youth had striking green eyes and medium length brown hair, and looked as though he did everything with a naïve grin on his face. He looked down and saw at the boy's feet that Lily had been following him.

"First off, she does not 'belong' to me. She is my friend and companion, but she is not my possession. Second, as I said, she is my companion, and I was beginning to worry about her. Thank you," he said, beckoning Lily over. The canine obeyed, but seemed sad to leave the other boy.

The boy grinned. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just, well, she's a Pokémon, and it's normal to speak like that. My name's Suzaku, by the way," he said, offering his hand. "Suzaku Kururugi."

Touya shook the boy's hand. "Touya," he said. "Touya Grey."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Touya," said Suzaku. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stick around a while. Your Herdier is interesting, and I'd like to get to know her Trainer."

Touya hesitated. One the one hand, Lily seemed to have gotten along with this boy well. On the other hand, he had referred to her as property, which he had a hard time moving past.

One look at the Herdier was all it took. She had so much excitement in her eyes, underneath which was a hidden threat. Say no and you'll find something unpleasant in your shoe tomorrow morning.

"Yeah, fine. Oh, have you seen a guy with long green hair? I'm supposed to be traveling with him, but he wandered off and now I can't find him," he said at last.

Suzaku nodded. "I've seen him somewhere around. Come on, let's go find him," he said, taking off down the mostly empty hallways of the art gallery at an impossibly fast speed.

"Suzaku, wait!" Touya shouted as he ran after the other boy. Even sprinting at top speed, the Trainer could barely keep up, a new experience for him. No one had ever been able to outrun him before, and he had a feeling Suzaku was deliberately holding back, deliberately slowing down for Touya's sake.

Suddenly, Suzaku skidded to a halt. Touya, unable to stop in time, crashed right into him, and the two boys went tumbling to the ground.

"Oof. Sorry," apologized Touya, who was currently trapped underneath the other boy.

"Touya? What are you doing?" asked a familiar voice. Touya looked up, grateful to see N at last, even if it was in this… awkward position.

"Uh… looking for you?" Touya replied, aware that Suzaku hadn't moved yet. "Uh, Suzaku? Do you mind?"

"Huh? Oh, right! Sorry," said the green eyed boy as he scrambled to his feet. Touya stood more slowly, still gasping for breath.

"Um… right. Anyways, Molly and I are about ready to go. We'll leave when you're ready. Or would you prefer to go now?" asked the taller boy. Touya nodded.

Out on the open street, Touya took a deep breath. "Arceus, it was stuffy in there," he muttered.

N shot him a glare. "Don't take the name of Arceus in vain," he said bitterly.

"Right. Sorry," Touya said.

"Hey, how about we go check out the Battle Company over there?" asked Suzaku. Touya had forgotten the odd teen was still with them. Well, Touya supposed he wasn't that odd, knowing N.

"Ugh. No thanks. Go on without me," said N. Suzaku nodded, grabbing Touya by the wrist and dragging the unfortunate boy along towards the skyscraper. His Pokémon followed with concern.


N watched the two teens go, grateful for the distraction Suzaku provided. The athlete would certainly keep Touya busy long enough for N to report in the Ghetsis.

"And it's not even noon," N remarked with pleasure. He could be in and out and keep going. He'd have to defeat the Castellia Gym across the street before he left, but he figured that he could be gone by the end of the day.

He picked his way through the city, taking a couple backstreets as shortcuts. He nearly got mugged in the process, but the local Pidove were friendly, and he was able to escape while they provided a distraction for him.

At last he walked into the Plasma offices across the street from the Gym. That was a bonus, he could be gone that much quicker if he didn't have to track down the Gym afterwards.

Ghetsis was there to greet him. "Lord N," he said, taking a deep bow in the presence of his king. The other Team Plasma members in the room mimicked him. N dismissed the bows with a wave of his hand.

"Please," he said as they rose, "do not bow. I am king of little yet, and for quite some time that shall not change."

"Be that as it may, you are still our king, and it is important to treat a king with the respect he deserves," Ghetsis said coolly. "Now come. The Seven Sages await your presence."


The weather stayed clear for the duration of Touko's voyage, despite the mysterious man's warnings of storms. At last, a small island came into view, most notable for the lighthouse that stood at the center.

When they docked and Touko disembarked, she was startled to see some more of Team Plasma in their plastic armor milling about on the island. One of them noticed Touko and walked over. "Hey girlie, get lost, we're busy here," he sneered.

"Busy with what?" Touko shot back. If there was one thing she hated, it was being called girlie. Sure, maybe Bianca was tougher when she was enraged, but she was more than capable of holding her own.

"We're busy freeing a Pokémon on this island," the Grunt replied. "Now, get lost."

"I don't think so," snarled Touko, pulling out Oshawott's Pokéball. "I know who you are. You're a lot of thieves. And Arceus damn me if you're not up to something fishy here."

The Grunt smirked. "Well, well, well. Looks like we've got ourselves a Trainer. Allow me to liberate your Pokémon for you," he said, releasing a Sandile.


"My, my, you are a powerful Trainer," remarked the janitor (CEO) at the top of the Battle Company building. "Here. This is an Experience Share," he said, offering Touya a small collar. "Put it on a Pokémon, and it learns just like it had been in the battle."

"Wow, Touya!" exclaimed Suzaku, who had watched the Trainer battle his way up the skyscraper. "You could raise anything with that!" he said. Touya grinned.

"Hey, why don't we go visit the fountain in the main square? It'd be nice to just get away from everything for a moment," Touya suggested. Suzaku nodded.

They found a bench away from the general bustle of the city, where they could have a moment of peace. Touya put Roggs down and let his Pokémon run around while he just took a break. Suzaku nudged him gently, and he looked up.

"It's been fun, hanging around with you today. I had a great time. Uh, if you don't mind, I have something I need to tell you." The other teen looked apprehensive suddenly, a new look for him. Touya wondered what brought it on.

"Sure, what is it?"

"It's just that, erm, I mean, what I'm trying to um, say, is, well… Imgay," he blurted out. "I'm gay. I'm attracted to guys."

"Cool," Touya said, and he meant it. He honestly didn't have a problem with it. He was imperfect, was it truly his place to judge?

"Really?" asked Suzaku, as though he couldn't believe it. "You don't have a problem with it?" he asked. Touya shrugged.

"Why should I?" he asked. Suzaku shrugged.

"I just… I had a friend, once. My best friend, actually. When I told him, he… didn't take it so well," he said, staring into space. Touya put a hand on his new friend's shoulder.

"I'm… sorry, Suzaku. I really am. I know what it's like, to be… rejected, kinda, but… I'm sorry."

Suzaku nodded. "It's… not pleasant. I felt betrayed, kinda. It hurt. A lot. Arceus, what was I thinking? I was such an idiot!"

"It wasn't your fault, Suzaku. He made his choice, and now he's missing out on someone special," Touya said, hugging the other boy close.

Suzaku looked up at Touya, eyes filled with hope. "Really?" he asked. Touya nodded.

"Suzaku, you're sweet, you're funny, you're caring, and you're cute. Any boy would be lucky to have you," he said.

"Suzaku?"

Touya and Suzaku looked up to see another teen their age standing before them. He was a touch taller than Touya, with medium length black hair and striking purple eyes.

"Le- Lelouch!" Suzaku said, jumping up. He motioned as if he was about to hug the other boy, then hesitated. Seeing this, Lelouch pulled Suzaku the rest of the way into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry, Suzaku. I shouldn't have run from you. I just… I was scared," the purple eyed boy confessed. Suzaku stared at him in shock.

"Scared? But… I thought…"

"I'm sorry Suzaku. If I had the courage… can we sit down somewhere?" Lelouch asked, looking fearful. Suzaku nodded, then realized he was neglecting Touya.

"Touya… I need to go… I'll see you around sometime, alright?" he said, kissing Touya on the cheek before walking away.

Touya watched them go. I get the feeling that that he didn't tell me the full story, he thought to himself.


Touko stepped into the darkened lighthouse, having beaten all the Grunts outside to submission. None of them followed her, looking as if they couldn't enter the lighthouse. Surprisingly, no one was inside to block her path to the room at the bottom.

She stopped at the door. Emblazoned on the massive wooden frame was the standard Team Plasma insignia, but this one was different. In addition to the standard letter P, a letter V was barely observable behind the letter. Furthermore, the insignia protruded from the door in layers, expertly done so that the whole thing appeared to be burning. Shuddering, Touko considered turning back, but something told her that turning back now would be a huge mistake. Gathering her courage, she pushed open the massive door.


A/N: Surprise cliffhanger! I was originally going to keep going, but I figured you guys could use an update. And yes, Suzaku and Lelouch are Code Geass characters. I might or might not write a spinoff of this that tells their whole story here.

Gah, Touya's character is so hard to write sometimes. I hope he's staying fairly consistent to you guys.

Wow, Liberty Garden took a dark turn! I'll be honest, that wasn't meant to happen, but I needed an excuse to explain why the ticket showed up. The whole secret will be revealed next chapter. Stay tuned, my rainbows!