Her belt was empty;
just like her heart.
What had she done?
She didn't know.
More than anything, she wanted Oshey back, but at the same time, the question of why she wanted him kept coming back.
I don't want to hurt him.
So I should stay away.
I have to leave, anyways;
for my own life.
That last thought sickened her. More than anything, Touko wanted to get out of there, so that her life would no longer endanger those around her, so she could figure things out for herself, but at the same time, that meant leaving Oshey, Cheren, and Bel all alone, to never see her again, to never know what became of her, leaving them to struggle on their own through life, without any support from her.
And then there was Leif.
She wasn't fond of him, but he had helped her, and seemed rather worried about what would happen to her if the Shadow Triad found her again. She didn't know what was going on, but Leif did, and he was genuinely concerned.
And all she could do was leave him behind, without even thanking him.
But she still had to make it to Driftveil before actually leaving, so her only hope was that she could somehow find a way to figure things out before she got there and boarded the ship out of Unova. Touko had a small feeling, somewhere in her gut, that Team Plasma really did have something to do with all of this, and that she hadn't seen the last of them just yet.
Small feeling or not, it was something to rely on.
A new pain settled in as she got asked many times to battle one her way to Nacrene City, other trainers mistaking her for one of them, only to have her reject their challenges and walk away with her head held low.
Upon reaching Nacrene City, a gust flew by, catching her hat. The wind blew the white and pink cap down the streets of the city, leaving Touko to bustle behind it, trying desperately to catch up. She had only planned to walk through this city, ignoring most of the buildings and attractions, but now it seemed things were taking a different toll.
The gust subsided, leaving the hat rather dirty and scuffed in front of two large glass doors. Touko sighed, traipsing towards it. She fashioned it back over her hair, pulling her big ponytail out of the way.
Before she had the chance to even think about leaving, the glass doors opened to reveal a green-haired boy, making his way out of the museum.
It's him…
Catching sight of her, N stepped over to where Touko stood, keeping his stance steady, and his presence at a calm demeanour, while her legs could barely even hold her up.
"I…believe we've…met before," she managed to get out, tired and weak.
"Yes, we have. Touko, was it?" He asked.
She nodded in reply, not sure if she could have answered, otherwise.
"I see you've made it this far, and I heard about your battle in the Dream Yard….I'll take it as you're still a trainer. Do you know why I'm here?"
Touko shook her head.
"I want to understand the truth about Pokemon, the ideals of their trainers. I want to see a future where Pokemon are perfect…Do you feel the same?"
She didn't know.
Sure, Touko loved being with Pokemon, but she had just left her only one behind, trying to protect it.
She nodded her head "yes", even when she really thought otherwise.
"Really now; well then my friends and I would like to test you. Are you ready?"
Her lips mouthed the word "no", but no sound could come out. There she was, and she couldn't even fight for what she believed in, she couldn't show N that her and her Pokemon were close; not anymore.
But Touko thought quickly, calling out to a Pidove that sat idle in a near-by tree.
"Please fight along-side me, just this once."
N was about to ask where her Pokemon were, but thought differently when the Pidove obeyed, coming to her side.
"I'll take it as this Pokemon is yours? Well, it's good to see that you let it off on its own."
Sure… She thought. My Pokemon.
Touko quickly checked the Pidove's states as N sent out his first Pokemon; also a Pidove.
Level 15, eh? That should do just fine.
"Trainer, be thankful I'm helping you, for it won't happen again."
She gestured a nod to show her understanding, and called for the first attack. The strongest thing it had was Air Cutter, which took it and N's next Pokemon, a Timburr.
Touko had only just met this Pokemon, but they were already doing quite well together. Two of N's Pokemon were down, and the last one was anything but a threat. The Tympole went down after two Air Cutters. Touko wasn't a fan of spamming moves, but she was desperate.
As the Tympole fainted, marking Touko's victory, N returned his friend to its Pokeball.
"I can't see the future I wanted just yet; my friends aren't strong enough to make everyone agree with me." N seemed to almost be talking to himself as he walked away, not even saying goodbye. "Zekrom…that Pokemon created Unova along-side the hero…could I be that hero, could I make that Pokemon my friend? Yes, Zekrom is what I need if I'm going to fulfill my ideals…"
As the green-haired trainer left their sight, the two of them, trainer and Pokemon, stood there together.
The Pidove watched him walk away. "What's he blubbering about?"
Touko shrugged. "I have no idea."
After merely seconds passed, Touko couldn't help but do what she did next. The brunette grabbed the Pidove, holding it close in her arms.
"Thank you," she whispered.
The young bird giggled, "Don't mention it! But why were you all alone, without a Pokemon? You seem to be a very capable trainer…"
"Well, I don't really want to talk about it…but let's just say my old Pokemon and I just…aren't together anymore."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear about that…" The Pidove looked up at Touko. "I know I said I would only help you just that once, but if you want some company, I could always tag along with you for a little bit. I don't want to leave the area, but as long as you're here-"
"That'd be great!" Touko didn't even let her finish, but instead pulled the Pidove into another embrace.
Touko enjoyed the company that the Pidove provided, but the strange thing was, she also enjoyed that of N's.
Sure, they didn't see eye-to-eye, but she could understand how he was feeling. When they'd first met, she hadn't a clue what he was talking about, and even Oshey had thought it was crazy to want to separate Pokemon from people.
But now it was different. She could see how happy people were with Pokemon, and even felt that way herself, but she also knew what it was like to give up her Pokemon, only because she wanted to help them;
First it had been with Celebi all those years ago, and with Oshey not all that long back.
"Where are we going?" The Pidove asked, as they left their place outside the museum, now making their way inside.
"I just feel like we should be here." The small teen looked up one last time at the outside of the building, before entering. Not that she trusted her instincts, but she had an odd suspicion about this place.
"It just feels right."