Day 79: Touko

Authors Note: So I finally put Touko is full time, I use both the name Touko and White just so you know. ^^ More importantly this kinda set up the shipping for White and N and the shipping for OC and N. ^^ Enjoy yourself and tell me what you think.

I don't know why there was a double up of the history one. Don't know how long it was like that, sorry.

….

N

Frustration knotted his guide's eye brows together as she gazed at the glowing screen before her. The two of them had been sitting in his attic bed room for well over an hour, struggling with things they were both sure they once knew. N had been surprised that afternoon when Alice declared a memory search; it resulted in the two of them cooped up in this dark little room fixated on a game that represented his world.

The concept that people played his own world as a game was still something N struggled to fully come to terms with. At first it had made him feel all kinds of things, confusion, fear, unwarranted anger. But like everything else in this world he was slowly adjusting to it.

"Still nothing yet Sensei?" He asked her quietly, getting an even more agitated sigh from her. Obviously this was not the easy task she had taken it for so lightly.

"Nothing at all. The N in this game does everything just as usual. He says the same things and does the same things, it's telling me nothing new." His guide had gotten a hold of two versions of this game and described to him how they were usually released in pairs and she, by chance, had accidentally gotten her hands on both versions. Yet one game simply wouldn't work. Alice claimed she had just destroyed the elite four which N could also remember himself doing and his little sprite form did the same thing.

It was odd watching him say the same things as he remembered saying be receiving them in such a manner that they seemed less righteous. It made N uneasy knowing he was painted at a villain through this game. It made him more uncomfortable to know that's how Alice would have seen him through this whole game.

That was not the only problem on his mind, despite her claiming to have beaten the elite four and taken good care of her game, it no longer progressed. The moment the little spite of Touko walked through the doors of his newly risen castle the game would cut out and leave Alice to get frustrated all over again.

N had looked over the game cartridge and found no signs of physical failings; perhaps the circuits had been ruined? With two brothers in the house it wouldn't surprise him if the kids had broken it and not told their older sister. Of course poor ignorant, sweet, trusting Alice wouldn't believe that idea; her brothers were something like the light in her life.

The thought made N squeeze the game and almost damage it himself. He struggle to believe those two were so precious to her, she couldn't even see the blonde one's true nature anymore then she saw through his own disguises. Vincent had given N no amount of rest either.

His hat had gone missing on several occasions and was always returned to him by Hewie who apologised for Vincent's actions, three times he'd found the lunch Alice made removed and replaced with nails by the boy and he was sure that Vincent had tried to cut his hair while sleeping. Just thinking about the brat made N's annoyance grow. Children were normally so kind and good that he was almost as nice to them as to pokemon…but this brat.

"N?" Without realising it he had been squeezing the game almost too shattering point and drawn his guide's attention. Smiling quickly he eased off the grip and put the game down before it broke under his aggravation. "I know it must be hard on you. I mean….I'd be upset to if I woke up in a whole different world with no idea how it happened."

N watched her closely; she had picked a perfectly reasonable explanation for his anger, not at all thinking it could be her brother at fault. Still she wasn't entirely wrong, N did still have trouble sleeping at night when thinking about his current situation. He had to get home but he had no idea how to do that.

"Actually I was thinking, perhaps it's a dimensions change." She continued flicking through one of her books quickly to a page with Gardevoir on it. "I know that Gardevoir can create small pocket black holes and shift dimensions…but…to this level I don't know if it's possible. Still it could very well have been a pokemon that sent you here."

Looking at the book with her N frowned. She was right, pokemon had all sorts of wonderful powers so what was to stop them from being able to achieve this feat? But for what reason? It left N stumped.

"But more likely than Gardevoir is…. Giratina." She declared while flicking to the page that held the legendary creature. N had never seen this pokemon in person but he had herd rumour of it from the neighbouring lands.

"It lives in a totally separate dimension to your world and mind after all and it can travel between them with its own power. If any pokemon was behind this it would have to be it. What do you think?" Alice turned back to N who considered her words quietly in his own time.

"It's possible…but I still can't confirm anything. I remember even less than the game shows us." Alice sighed heavily and dropped the console onto the bed before falling onto her back and staring at the ceiling. Her eyes must have been hurting by now. Picking up the discarded game N gazed at the sprite of Touko in silence.

All this time he had been searching for the way back home trying to remember what it was he had forgotten he hadn't yet asked his guide anything about the girl who had met him at every twist and turn on his own adventure. Closing his eyes he began to think about the first time that the two of them ever met.

…. (This is where I twist the events of the game a bit more by mixing it with the manga. ^^ )

It was such a warm day and N had travelled out to a small town far from his own home. In Accumula town his father was conducting one of his many speeches. The great sage had always had a way with words and his inspirational speeches encouraged trainers all over Unova to release their pokemon and/or join team plasma's cause.

Standing in the slight breeze of summers midday pulled at N's green hair while the great sage's words filling the once empty air and drawing many eyes to watch and many minds to be changed. N remained away from the main bulk of the crowd and watched with equal amounts of joy and frustration that came with knowing most but not all the trainers standing there that day would release their pokemon.

Sure enough only seconds after the speech had ended the first trainer pulled his pokemon into the open and began to walk from its side. N pulled his hat down just slightly as the chain reaction that followed was more and more pokemon being released. This session had been a grand success…at least that's what he thought.

"What are you doing!?" The shout came from the middle of the crowd and N stopped in his tracks. The voice of a female rang out over the cries of pokemon and the goodbyes of their trainers. "How can you just walk away from your partners? Consider their feelings a little more!" This was new; someone was openly and loudly opposing the chain reaction of pokemon releases.

Turning around fully he watched as a dark haired girl pulled herself onto the stage that had once been set for his own father and continued to speak out. By her side a Snivy had entered the stage with her, it was not in a pokeball but it remained by her side faithfully and N heard it, the voice of that pokemon.

'I agree. Listen to my human, if you want to stay with the humans you like then do that!' While its trainer spoke to the other humans the Snivy was speaking out to other pokemon and N as well.

"But maybe they are right." The trainer who had first let go of his pokemon spoke in a sad uncertain tone. "I can't tell if my pokemon want to stay with me or not. Isn't it better to just let them be free?" That was what N wanted to hear but it only seemed to fuel the fire in that girl's eyes.

"Absolutely not! If your pokemon hated being with you it would let you know, can't you see what you're doing right now? Any of you? Look at your pokemon, actually look at them!" Pointing out towards the crowd she singled out the first released pokemon. Whatever the trainer saw gave him a moment to pause and before N could grasp the damage that had been done it spread like wild fire.

One by one the trainers began to rethink their choices and N could only stare in horror as they began to bring their pokemon back to them. His friends were going to end up in pokeballs again! Absolutely forbidding it in his mind N took a solitary step forward before his father's voice boomed from off the stand, he had not yet left.

"If you are so certain that your pokemon are happy this way why not release your own? After all if you are right your pokemon won't take a single step from your side. Test your conviction." All eyes were on the girl now and just for a moment she looked shaken but it was a short lived expression. Looking down at the Snivy she clenched her fist tightly and nodded.

"Alright Snivy! Here's your pokeball." Without the slightest hesitation she bent down to her pokemon and handed it the pokeball. "You can leave right now and never have to be my pokemon again. Do what you like." Snivy stared at its own reflection in its pokeball before reaching out for it, N waited for it to take its freedom but a second later its tail had slashed the pokeball from the ground and into the trainers hand again.

Smirking triumphantly the girl returned the pokeball to its holder and turned towards N's father who, being the collected man he was, merely smiled and turned from them. "Soon your little party trick will not matter. Enjoy your delusions while they still cloud your minds." With that said his father truly did take his leave but the damage could not be undone. Pokemon returned to their trainers left, right and centre.

N was distraught, one girl had put a spike in their goals and impeded their progress. Clutching his hat more tightly he walked through the slowly vanishing crowd of pokemon and trainers to the girl who sat on the stage with the Snivy on her lap. She was smiling and patting its head while muttering to it.

"I was so scared I would my legs would give out…haha…no, no you were brave to not like scaredy cat me." She was saying before noticing N had come to stand right in front of her. His appearance must have startled the brunet because she was looking up at him with wide eyes.

"That was quite a show…" N spoke softly to her, the wind of that midday whipping past the two of them. She took his words as ones of praise she smiled, her smile was surprisingly warm. "Did you believe any of your words?" He asked her just as quietly, his hand remaining on his hat.

"Of course." Her determination and resolve was startlingly strong. "Because I know that pokemon and trainers can share the strongest of bonds. To have that severed by some strange speech…it makes me feel sad." N was silent while watching her pat the green pokemon's head affectionately. "I was worried that maybe Snivy might really want to leave but if that's what he wanted I wouldn't stop him. Because he is my precious friend."

N remembered the Snivy speaking out with its trainer and he wondered why a pokemon would do such a thing.

'It's because she is my trainer, my friend.' Snivy's heart spoke to N, able to understand his question with it never being asked.

"You got really quite, is everything okay?" The girl was speaking to N again but his eyes could not leave the pokemon in her lap. A Snivy was a hard pokemon to please but for it to say something so firmly…it was strange.

"Your Pokémon... Just now, it was saying..." N murmured reaching out to touch the Snivy that, like most pokemon, was wry of a human touch but accepting of N. The girl made a little 'huh' sound and N smiled as he continued.

"Yes, they're talking. Oh. Then, you can't hear it, either... How sad. My name is N." Without realising it he had been hoping this girl was able to hear the voices of pokemon. She had been so bright and brilliant in her beliefs and her love for the pokemon he had gotten his hopes up and had them dashed just as quickly.

"…My name is Touko." On that sunny wind touched day N had met the girl Touko and had their first clash of beliefs and even their first pokemon battle. He had lost to her and he still wore the scars of that defeat in his pride. After the battle she had asked him why he said the things he did and when parting with her he left Touko with his ideals.

"As long as Pokémon are confined in pokeballs... Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokémon, because they're my friends."

…..

Opening his eyes again N realised he had been off in his own world. Alice was hard at work trying to get more information and had just let him daydream. Thinking back on the words that the Snivy had spoken to him he sighed and repeated the words he had back then.
"I never expected to hear Pokémon say such things..."

"Hm? Something the matter N?" Alice turned to him looking away from her hard work at study to peer at him with concern.

"No, nothing really." N was being distant he knew but there was little he could do when he was thinking about the past. After that first meeting of theirs N constantly ran into the female, their encounters were actually a little bit fun.

Before knowing who he was Touko seemed intrigued and uncertain around him but kind enough, she was rather funny when she'd make that surprised face when he'd appear suddenly to scare her. Touko was very honest, her expressions were always the most interesting to watch and to top it off she was always kind to pokemon and sometimes he never revealed himself at all…he would just watch her play with her pokemon and wild pokemon.

Of course he couldn't always remain unseen and when he eventually knew he had to reveal himself to her he had picked the perfect place for it.

….(still fucking with the story but guess what? Ferriswheelshipping time!)

N was aware of Touko's intentions, she was after two of his own team and he couldn't have that. However the main reason he was steering her the wrong way was because he had decided to be honest with the female. It had been fun having their 'chance' encounters and seeing those funny faces she made but the fact was she was a trainer and he was the king of team plasma if they were to continue running into each other she had to know where they both stood.

As usual N appeared suddenly in her life when she arrived in Nimbus city looking for the grunts. Approaching her swiftly he smiled and offered up the false advice he had to give. "You're looking for Team Plasma, right? They ran into the amusement park. Come with me." Touko was such a trusting soul and went with him without a fuss.

Of course when they arrived out front of the Ferris wheel the grunts were not there and N played the innocent bystander once more. "They're not here. Let's ride the Ferris wheel and see if we can spot them." Touko was a little more hesitant here, she knew if she got on there'd be a bit of wasted time but she didn't deny him.

Climbing into the ride N and Touko settled in, she was staring out the window actually trying to see she team plasma members while N rest his hands on his knees and waited in silence for the ride to begin. The sun was setting and the stars began to appear above their heads, the view was truly beautiful but the sight was lost on N as his nerves began to get him excited for the outcome of this meeting.

Once they were half way into the ride he began to speak. "I love Ferris wheels. The circular motion… The mechanics… They're like collections of elegant formulas."

It was not a lie, formulas were always on his mind, how and why things in their world worked. In all truth Touko was also a formula he was decoding. Her trust and bond with pokemon was boggling his mind. Still he hadn't trapped her on the ride to talk about that interest right then. He had to get to the real reason behind this ride.

"First, I must tell you... I am the king of Team Plasma." Touko, who had been staring out the window tensed up. Her shoulders, her arms even her fingers were all tight and rigged. Perhaps she was afraid of him? That would make him….unhappy. However he couldn't afford to stop speaking just yet.

"Ghetsis asked me to work with him to save Pokémon. I wonder how many Pokémon exist in this world..." Slowly her eyes were being pulled from the window and to N, her expression wasn't as nice as the usual cute ones she made but it was still gratifying to know that shock was placed there by him.

"What are you telling me this for…? N?" Her voice was uneven, waving slightly as she spoke.

"Because it's important. I've known you for a while now and it's important you and I know exactly where the other stands. Touko, your bond with pokemon both your own and wild pokemon is truly admirable and noteworthy. However…I also know that if we were to be on opposite sides of this cause you would pose a problem to me and my team."

"So you're trying to eliminate me?" At those words one of her pokeballs exploded into life without her having to touch it. A second later a brown furred pokemon appeared and began to growl and snarl at N in the most threatening of ways. N had never seen a pokemon growl and spit at him like that. The Eevee was very protective of Touko it would seem. Still N kept a cool head and continued slowly.

"No. I do not wish to eliminate you. I want quite the opposite. Touko please consider joining my cause." N watched her face light up in surprise and so he pushed forward, intending to win her over. "Touko your bond with pokemon is strong I can see you truly care for them so I want to make sure you and I are both working towards the same goal. Pokemons perfect existence and happiness!" He knew he was getting riled up but it was hard not to become passionate.

Sitting forward in his seat he took Touko's hands in his own, eyes sparkling with excitement and hope. "White, don't you see? We can save the pokemon together. I know that you can be truly amazing and I know that you could further our cause. I saw you on that first day your words reached the hearts of trainers and pokemon alike. You could help me save this world, these pokemon!"

Touko was staring at him with an expression he did not yet know. It was an expression he had never seen someone direct his way, it was not happy and it was not sad it was not angry nor afraid. N didn't know what expression it was that darkened the brown haired beauties features.

"Stealing others pokemon, hurting pokemon and humans alike. N…you're the leader of an organisation I will never agree with!" Touko's hand torn from his own divided them both indefinitely but N was not about to give up. He wanted her, he wanted her to see the light, to join him by his side and become closer to him. N wanted to keep Touko! But the hand was torn from him and not a moment later the door of the Ferris wheel wretched open. Touko looked back at him just once as the Eevee leapt onto her shoulder.

"I'll fight you at every twist and turn N. I will show you the future I believe in!" N reached for her but it was too little too late and she fell from the carriage. N looked out of the door to see her land safely onto the soft grass bellow. A moment later she had gotten to her feet and taken off, leaving N to wonder why she couldn't understand. Before he quite knew it himself a rage had taken over him and he shouted from the Ferris wheel to her retreating form and he knew she heard him.

"You're quite strong. But I have a future that I must change. And, for that future... I'll defeat the Champion and become unbeatable, unlike any other! I'll make all Trainers free their Pokémon! Just try and stop me! If you want to be together with Pokémon, your only hope is to collect the Badges from each area and head for the Pokémon League! Try and stop me there, if you dare! If your conviction is not strong enough, you will never be able to defeat me. Touko! You will see my ideal future I will defeat you and make you see!"

…

Again N's eyes opened remembering that time with mixed feelings but the reason he had opened his eyes was the gently nudge of Alice's head in his lap. Alice had once again fallen asleep on him and he found his hand resting on her head gently.

Watching his guide with troubled eyes he let out a small sigh, just what had become of Touko? After he defeated the elite four…had she come to challenge him? Had she found her way to his castle and sought him out? The game suggested as such but what was more important was….if she had defeated him or not.

He had sworn to make her see reason, to defeat her but he could not remember the outcome of their encounter. He had become king hadn't he? So what of Touko? It was giving him a headache just trying to think about it but he got the most unsettling feeling when he remembered her jumping from the Ferris wheel ride.

"Miss guide you know…I think that if I could go back and do it again I'd change it." He told the sleeping girl who could absolutely not hear him in her dreams. "Because I know that I ended up scaring her away from me that day, I could have done better I could have made her see but I was too eager. I just wanted to have Touko by my side….not just as someone working for my cause but I wanted her by my side as my first….friend."

At the word he stopped patting Alice's black hair and stared out the window. "I've always had lots of friends…my friends were everywhere but in this world they do not exist and in my home I never had a human friend in my life. I had decided to make Touko my first…where did it go wrong?" Sighing heavily he looked down at the sleeping girl.

"You're even worse than she was…she was trusting sure but you constantly fall asleep on me. What are you trying to do sensei? Don't you know I've already stolen your lips? Your first kiss…you should be a little more careful." Smiling with a little chuckle he bent down to rest his head against Alice's.

"What would Touko think I wonder…she was always much more human than myself…what would she do in this situation? I've been thinking carefully…when I return home I won't let you slip away like I let her slip away. Even if I have to force you…you'll return to that world with me. I decided." He tried to sound firm with himself but when the time came he doubted he would force her to do anything like that.

"I can't even get my head straight...what an awful reality this is." Noticing that his guide had slept through his discussion with her he smirked deviously and held her chin gently. "Well…perhaps it's not all awful." And for the second time he stole her lips without her even knowing. "I'm making a habit of this."

…..

Touko: "So I can finally talk in this thing huh? About time you made me mute for too long."

Me: "I know…sorry but I couldn't figure out how I wanted to use you in the story."

Touko: "Okay, will I be in it much more from here on in?"

Me: "I plan to use you more."

Touko: "Good…more importantly."

Me: "Hmm?"

Touko: *Fire crackles around her.* "What do you mean I didn't always notice N around? You telling me he was stalking me?"

Me: "He-Heh-Hehe…stalk is such a ….strong term. Observed probably suits it better?" *Hides until the next chapter is out, oh year review or I'll take forever to update. ^^ Reviews equal more chapters faster, longer, better!*