We're moving slowly but steadily; but that's what wins the race in the long run! (What race, might you ask? Who knows! I'm apparently racing against... something. I haven't figured it out yet!) We've got another chapter or two of 'filler' type stuff with our favorite two rivals as they journey together, and then things are gonna heat up once we reach Castelia!
Thank you once again to all who read and review, I totally love waking up in the morning to find a bunch of reviews and alerts in my email inbox; makes it a good day!
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I definitely spent more than five minutes on that stupid question of hers.
"I don't get it," I finally admit after an hour of following her around the forest, observing how she seems to check on each Pokemon who crosses her path and, inevitably, makes the decision on whether or not she's going to catch them or let them go. She's taking a break after that last battle, so I crouch down next to her, trying not to appear interested in the contents of her bag, or in anything she's doing right now.
Plotting her route, I'm guessing by the way she's taking out the map again. I get the strong feeling she's done looking for things in the forest and is ready to move on to new sights.
"Don't get what?" She asks me absently, apparently not caring that I'm following her to begin with. Once again, this girl provides an interesting, if frustrating puzzle. She doesn't know me at all, but she's allowing herself to be alone with me when I have the upper hand in all areas that matter. I can't tell if she's reckless, naïve or just that good at sensing whether or not someone is a good person. If it's recklessness, she's going to need someone to keep her out of trouble. If it's because she's naïve? I'll have to keep an eye on her so she doesn't end up crying and wounded like so many others have.
...if it's because she's good at sensing peoples' hearts and intentions? I'm definitely going to have to appoint someone, maybe even myself, as her guardian; her Pokemon are definitely strong like she is, but they won't be enough to protect her when it comes down to it. I can definitely say that much, I've heard of it and seen it happen before through the eyes of others.
Memories can be very painful things for Pokemon, after all.
But I'm getting off track; she's asking me another question, but I can answer this one since she's apparently forgotten the one driving me nuts this time. "What you said before, I don't get it." She's making me repeat myself when it's already hard enough to admit when I don't know something that seems so... simple and easy? Maybe she is cruel after all and is annoying me on purpose because she likes it.
Her eyes have a blank expression, blinking a couple times as I watch her search through what little conversation we've had today. She really does have some fascinating expressions, this girl, I could probably watch it for a long time without getting bored. A faint pink stain suddenly graces her cheeks as she lowers her eyes back down to her map, lower lip drawn beneath her teeth in a way I find enticing enough I'm unable to keep from staring. "S-Sorry. I don't remember, what'd I say?"
Instead of me being the one embarrassed, she is.
I think I'm okay with this.
"You said I was cute," I explain to her happily, more than able to jog her memory by repeating the conversation. Mostly because I was going to finally get an actual answer out of this girl who seems to be made of nothing but endless questions, endless, unknown formulas that I'm unable to solve. New knowledge is always welcome, in my eyes. It means I'm more powerful than before; and that's the absolute truth. "and that something about me being cute wasn't that big of a surprise." What was it she'd said exactly... oh yeah. "And when I asked you if my being cute wasn't a surprise, you asked me if I was full of myself."
Touko looks up at me, surprise back on her pretty face as she studies me in the same way she'd done the very first time we'd met. That very same, oddly weighty look that made me wonder what she was thinking even more than I usually did. "You're still thinking about that?" She asks, that note of disbelief in her voice again. Is everything I say so hard to believe or something?
"Well, yeah. What did you mean by that? I don't get it." I give her an equally surprised, slightly disbelief-filled voice and look. I mean, isn't it normal for someone to think on something they don't know until they either admit they don't know it- and then have someone tell them the answer- or they end up figuring it out and are all the better for it?
She rubs her forehead, I notice she does that whenever she's thinking about something that probably takes more than a quick explanation, or when she has to say something that might hurt someone's feelings. "It's another way of someone asking if you think highly of yourself." Her voice is very patient, and the odd look on her face still lingers as she watches me carefully. "Basically, I was kinda telling you that you're arrogant because you know you're good looking."
That wasn't all, and we both know it. I lock eyes with her and wait patiently for her to finish the explanation.
She breaks eye contact first and mutters something under her breath I don't quite catch before huffing to herself and saying the rest of it. "And because you're a ladykiller. Alright, there, I said it."
I have the decency not to look too pleased with myself at finally getting a straight answer out of her, but the smile on my face only earns me a glower that gets even more intense when I cheerfully pick up the heavy bag for her and carry it for her to the edge of the clearing and wait for her there.
"What the hell? Where are you going with my stuff- N! Come back here!" I hear her yell, scrambling to her feet as she storms after me and grabs hold of the white strap to the big pink bag. "Give it back, there's nothing in here for guys like you!"
I keep a firm hold on the bag, still smiling as I look down at her. She really is about six or seven inches shorter than I am, it's really funny how I never noticed this until now. "I can carry it for you," I tell her in my best King-like voice. "We're going in the same direction, after all. You get a free escort to make sure you get to your destination safely, it's the least I can do."
"You've gotta be kidding," She snaps at me, tugging in a futile way at the strap I have securely over my shoulder. "I don't need an escort, I'm fine by myself!"
She's really stubborn in a kind of cute, but annoyingly independent way. Maybe I should offer to read her stories about how young women should act in tales where they travel with a hero and member of royalty. Might help her realize she's doing things kind of wrong, she's a smart girl and will catch the hints, I'm sure.
You're barking up the wrong tree there, N. Purrloin states calmly, draped over her shoulders like some strange kind of shawl. She's a princess type the same way you're the kind of person who'd make a good gym leader or elite four champion. His claws appear after a moment when Touko tries tugging a bit too hard and nearly dislodges him. A mewling protest, sounding infinitely more pathetic than he really needed it to be stopped the motion almost immediately. Concern fills her face as she starts talking to him.
Zorua's muttered response from his perch on my shoulder and under my ponytail is that Purrloin is a huge suck up and is trying to pull strings for some shady plan. I wouldn't put it past him; but as the feline replies immediately, Zorua is very much like him and thus, in theory, should have his intentions questioned the exact same way.
"It's dangerous out here lately," I inform her quite sternly, surprising her into looking up at me with a wary look. I hate that look. It makes me feel like I'm the one who's done something bad. "I saw police in the area earlier today and they had a rather unhappy look on their faces as they patrolled."
"I have my Pokemon," She replies instantly, but the nervous, uneasy look she sends behind her is more than enough for me to decide on my own that it's in her best interest for me to stay. "I'll be fine with them, and as long as I don't, you know, do anything stupid. "
Why is this girl so ungodly stubborn?
I pinch the bridge of my nose slightly, suddenly stricken with the urge to growl at her for being so unreasonably human. Why didn't the heroes and kings in the tales I studied so carefully ever mention anything about stubborn, headstrong women and how to handle them? "Be that as it may," I begin, trying to pick and choose my words carefully. "if they have Pokemon stronger than your own, it would mean big trouble." My tone is still sterner than I'd like it to be, but I take this kind of potential danger very seriously.
None too few of the friends I've made shed tears over not being able to save their trainer in time; I don't want any others to go through that. Not if I'm around and can help it.
She looks like she's going to argue with me more, I fix her with a look that says I mean business and I'm not playing around. "You're a smart girl, Touko, and I would hate to see you and your friends hurt because of a foolish mistake."
That look on her face shows up again, the one I remember from our very first encounter. It's this weird, exciting mix of surprise that quickly slips into a guarded kind of contemplation and curiosity. It defies any really good description, and it's confusing to try and even define in words; it's just something you would have to see in person. I wonder, privately, if it's a look she reserves just for me when I'm around or if I'm brought up in a conversation.
I can't decide if I like this expression or her smile more.
I watch her ponytail swish with the movement of her head, her clear, pure blue eyes looking right into mine as she cocks her head slightly to one side. Her arms fold over her chest and she shifts her weight on to her right hip and leg. She too seems to be measuring her words carefully. Much more so, I notice, than she does when she's around her two friends or around Pokemon.
I wonder why?
"You're speaking from experience, aren't you?" She asks, continuing on without allowing me a chance to reply. "That's why you won't drop it, am I right?"
I consider my options. I could be vague and hope she accepts it, I could relay one of the... less horrific memories from one of my poor friends, or I could go into full detail and hope it terrifies her to the point she'll actually stick close to me and ask me to protect her.
"I don't like talking about it," I say finally, a little too quickly for my own taste. "but, yes. I do speak from a certain level of personal experience." I turn towards her a little, trying to figure out if she could read me as well as I'm trying to read her. "So... how about it? Can I come with you?"
It's a long, tense silence between us, and I can almost swear she's going to tell me no, but thanks for the concern and go back to trying to take her bag away from me again. Finally, with a sigh of defeat that signals my victory, Touko shakes her head and gives me a look I can only describe as strange before she says something. "I guess, just for a little while though, okay?"
I smile at her, bowing in a way that Concordia had taught me a long time ago and made a grand gesture with one arm. "Of course, as milady wishes."I say with a solemn tone of voice, unable to keep said smile off my face and out of my eyes when I say it as I watch her flush pink and scowl at me. She's not used to having someone tease her, I'm starting to realize as we begin walking together.
"Hey N?" She breaks the silence about fifteen minutes later, right as I'm about to start peppering her with all of the questions I've thought of since my first encounter with her. I try not to appear frustrated with that development and do my best to look like I'm not thinking about anything.
"Hm? Something wrong?" I ask mildly, acting like it's no big deal and that I'm not really interested in what she's going to ask me. Maybe she'll ask me about Team Plasma, and more about what they want to accomplish. I'll have a chance to impress her then, and she'll definitely want to join.
She shakes her head. "No, just wanted to know if you wanted to play a game to pass the time."
I think the silence makes her nervous.
"What kind of game?" I don't know any games that can really be played while we're on the road, but, maybe she'll wanna play with the void cube I have. She seems like she might enjoy that.
Touko's smile suddenly isn't so comforting, not like I usually find it, and there's a glint in her blue eyes that makes me think of Zorua and Purrloin right as they're about to pull something that's going to get me into a massive amount of trouble. "Twenty questions; I get to start us off."
...I've never played this game before, and if that smile is anything to go by? I don't think I have much of a choice- or that I'll like this game very much.
