Well, that only took a little less than a year! Dang, I need to step it up, huh? As for all you Sequelshippers, do not despair! Don't count Hugh out for even a second! Grit your teeth through the Livecaster chapters and try to be patient. Our favorite rooster will make his return in the next chapter!
Thanks to yorushihe, Emily Clapton, kalledom, Kyaaaah, Ingvaros, sayaXhagi, Dubstepy Baka, Mike, Simply Delicious 2.0, Amy, StoryReader17, SleepyBella, and Pana for leaving reviews. And thanks to all of my followers here and on tumblr as well!
My Great Big Adventure
Thick black smoke was quickly filling the room. She could hear her parents screaming for the servants. It had happened all too fast... the entire kitchen had been engulfed in flames in mere minutes. Another party dinner, ruined.
She could hear the butler in the next room. All of the guests were accounted for. The cook had run down into town to get help. If only someone at the stupid party had a water Pokemon. Her Abra... Where was Abra?
Where was the book? She couldn't leave without it. She had to return what was inside. But where had she hidden it? Although she had grown up in the library with all its vast twists and turns, she still managed to get lost.
She coughed deeply from the smoke and covered her face. No doubt her parents would blame her, as they always did. She scoffed. If she put so much as one toe out of line... These dinner parties were ridiculous and frivolous. She was never invited of course; parties were no place for a rambunctious child such as herself. Not that she wanted to be there, but her parents at least made her do introductions. As such, fancy dresses, shoes, and hairstyles were required. Children should be seen and not heard. Yet somehow she was always deemed 'inappropriate.'
Although the fire was on the other side of the house, the smoke seemed to fill every room. Her parents were calling for her. Where was the book? It had to be around here somewhere... Of course! The Pokemon section, why hadn't she searched there first?
Her parents were still screaming after her, at a loss to her location. Serves them right, she thought bitterly. She just had to get the book and then she'd leave. The fire was in the kitchen, far away. Although the smoke was awfully thick... And where was Abra?
At last, her father found her in the library, dragging her out of the room forcefully. He would have none of this book nonsense. The damn house was aflame, for crying aloud! Have some sense, child, he said. She called out for Abra. Hadn't he been in the parlor last? The parlor was next to the kitchen.
She broke free and ran away from the front door, away from her screaming parents. Surely they'd berate her later, for never keeping Abra in his Pokeball. If she had, he'd be safe on her person, they'd say. Instead, she was running through a burning house looking for him.
The parlor had caught fire already. The floorboards were weak here, with the basement directly below. Shielding her eyes and nose, she called out to Abra. The flames were spreading across the ceiling now. The chandelier crashed to the ground behind her, flames licking at it.
Abra, where was Abra? Abra...
"Rosa."
…
"Rosa..."
Not quite ready to open my eyes, I snuggled against my pillow and tried to drift off back to sleep. A soothing thumping was coming from somewhere nearby, and I almost managed to get back to sleep...
"Rosa... are you awake yet?" Something stroked my hair.
I blinked and sleepily stared at the bookcase across from me. Wait, bookcase...?
I realized the rhythmic beating was coming from my pillow, and I looked up to see Curtis peering down at me. Had I fallen asleep on him?
"Hey, I think the storm is over," he said. "And the ghost hasn't come back since..."
I tensed at the word ghost, thinking back to everything that had happened before. "How long was I asleep? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
He laughed and tugged at my hair lightly. "It's okay! I think I dozed off for a bit as well... several hours at least! My xtransceiver says it's six in the morning!"
Oh wow, we'd slept through the night. We never did manage to find an exit, but we'd grown a bit... preoccupied... I blushed at my own thoughts.
"I suppose we'd better look for that door," Curtis was saying. I sat up and off of him so he could stand and stretch. I glanced around and saw Zorua pacing about near my bag. The little Pokemon had carried it all the way from where I'd left it and managed to find us last night. I stood and stretched as well. The sooner we got out of here, the better. The lack of an exit posed a problem... there were no windows in the room, either. Just a lot of books...
Where was the book?
"I think I had a dream about this place," I said, picking up my bag and slinging it across my shoulder. Curtis picked up Zorua and held him in his arms. The Pokemon had warmed up considerably now that Curtis's identity was out in the open. Apparently Zorua had known all along! I have a feeling he was trying to tell me sometimes, but I clearly didn't pick up on it.
"Oh really? Like... a nightmare?"
"Hmm... I'm not sure. I was looking for a book. A book about Pokemon, I think..."
We were currently in the Arts section of the library, where Curtis had hoped to find a book about the architecture of the house. We never did find such a book, but now I was thinking maybe we should check in the Pokemon section...
Curtis followed me around the rows of shelves. We saw many old and dusty books on various topics, but it took a while to find the Pokemon ones. It was a small section.
My hand immediately grabbed a thin green storybook. Pokemon Myths and Legends: Mysteries Unsolved.
"A children's book?" Curtis asked, curiously looking over my shoulder.
I flipped through the stale pages. Faded illustrations showed several legendary Pokemon from distant lands. My hand stopped on a page that had been bookmarked by a feather. Although the book was old and worn, the pink feather was soft as if new. I looked at the depicted Pokemon.
"There is a Pokemon called Cresselia in the far Sinnoh region," Curtis read. "Its wings shine like the crescent moon and keep nightmares away. It is said those who sleep holding Cresselia's feather are assured to have pleasant dreams."
I picked up the feather and wondered if it was supposed to be some sort of symbolic bookmark.
"Please return the Lunar Wing to the Pokemon."
We jumped at the sound of the ghost's voice. I looked around wildly but saw no sign of the ghost. Even so, Curtis wrapped an arm around me and pressed me to his side. There was a sudden chill in the air, and I leaned into his warmth.
"Wait on the bridge to return it... please do this for me..."
The chill was gone then, as quickly as it came. I stared at the little feather, or the Lunar Wing, as the ghost had called it. Pieces of my dream floated back to my mind. I was struck with horror at the thought of my dream being about the ghost girl. When she had touched me, I had seen visions of fire. My dream had been vague, and I couldn't remember the girl's face at all. Actually, I might have been dreaming as if I was her... But there was definitely this house, an Abra, and a book. Had she died searching for her Abra?
"Rosa, look," Curtis said quietly. I followed his gaze down the row of books. There, at the end of the wall, was a door. A door! Finally! I sighed with relief, Curtis's hand squeezing my arm in reassurance. I smiled up at him, and he leaned down and kissed me. "Let's blow this popsicle stand," he suggested with a wink.
I nodded enthusiastically and put the book back on the shelf, the little pink wing clutched tightly in my other hand. We could finally leave! But first...
Curtis followed me curiously when I exited the library and did not rush for the front door. "I have to see something," I told him. Not entirely sure of which way to go, I did remember something about the other side of the house, so I headed for the hallway across from the library. There were several doors along the left side of the hallway, and at the end, a large grand parlor (which I suspected was connected to the kitchen). Not that we could know for sure, as there was a large hole in the floor, preventing us from entering the parlor at all.
"Be careful," Curtis warned. "It looks like there was a fire here..."
"Yeah, the boards gave out and fell to the basement," I said quietly. "At least, that's what I think I dreamed... I think she died here."
"The ghost died here?" he asked anxiously, pulling me away from the edge. His concern for me was touching! I could have swooned right then and there.
"I think so... There was a fire and she was looking for her Abra..."
"But surely Abra could just Teleport out safely, right?" he said.
Of course.
Abra was probably long gone by the time she searched for him. Sensing the danger, he would have escaped in the quickest way possible. I felt a great stab of pity for both the ghost, who died without knowing if Abra was safe, and for the Abra, who was surely guilt-ridden after realizing he could have saved his trainer if only he had waited a bit longer...
"Okay, let's go," I said, tugging at Curtis's hand. It was time to leave this depressing place. I slipped the Lunar Wing inside my bag carefully, placing it next to the Master Ball in the inner pocket.
As much as we would have loved to trek through Reversal Mountain together, Curtis had to return to Pokestar Studios to begin working on his next film.
"I don't know if I ever properly thanked you," I told him, grasping his hands between us. We were saying goodbye at the airport in Lentimas town, where Curtis would fly back to PokeStar Studios.
"Thanked me for what?"
"For last night, with the ghost. And for my contract. I really don't like the acting business, and even though I was mad with you, I am very glad I don't have to return to PokeStar Studios every month!"
"You're very welcome, Rosa," he replied, bringing my right hand to his lips and kissing the back of it. He chuckled as a furious blush consumed my face. He just...! "And again, I'm sorry for not checking with you first. I promise I won't do anything like that again!"
"Okay," I said in a dazed voice, still a bit giddy from all of the romance. Why was I turning into a giggling schoolgirl? I mean, I know I have dreamy thoughts about Hugh and how good he looks, but I tend to keep those in control and INSIDE my head. Is this really how it feels to have someone like you back? If I'm this happy liking a guy I've only known for a few months...
I wonder how it would feel if Hugh liked me back...?
Oh, who cares? Hugh and I seem to be drifting apart, so why think on such things? Curtis isn't my boyfriend or anything, but I don't know if I can handle having feelings for two boys at one time. Then again, it's not as if Hugh feels the same way, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.
"Unfortunately, I'm about to be very busy filming a movie or two," he explained sadly, "but I will call you when I can. And maybe when I'm free... we could, umm... go out sometime?" His cheeks were suddenly rosy.
"Are you asking me out on a date?"
Just seeing his nervous nod and knowing that I was making him feel so nervous... I actually did let out an extremely dreamy and uncharacteristic sigh. "That sounds wonderful," I told him, smiling.
Curtis perked up at my answer. "Great! We could check out the carnival in Nimbasa City properly this time. Maybe even ride the Ferris wheel or something?"
"It's a date," I agreed enthusiastically, still blushing slightly.
Checking his watch, Curtis frowned in disappointment. "Well, it's almost time for my flight to start boarding. I'd better head inside. Goodbye, Rosa."
Then he leaned down, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me in. I felt my cheeks burn at the thought of other people being able to see us. We were in the main part of the terminal! I mean, it's not like there's a huge crowd but still... We're in public!
"Curtis, people can see us..."
"So?" he replied, inching closer. "It's not like they'll recognize me."
"Not that! I just mean, they can see us... you know..." I felt my blush deepen as Curtis smirked at what I was implying.
"They're just jealous that I'm about to kiss the cutest girl on the planet," he said, winking.
"Yeah, well–"
Wait, he's about to what?!
And then he was kissing me.
I swear, whoever figured out how to kiss... they were a genius. I just feel so happy and content and wonderful, and I have to steady myself on Curtis's arm as he deepens the kiss slightly. Is this what they mean by having butterflies shoot through your stomach? Thankfully, he seemed to remember that we are indeed in a public place, and he didn't let himself get as carried away as he did last night...
By the time he pulled away to grin down at me, I felt woozy. There was probably an extremely stupid and goofy look on my face right then.
"If we weren't in public and I didn't have to catch a flight, I would definitely go back for seconds," he said in a low voice. I blushed brightly and started coughing at this admission of his. I can't believe he just said that!
"You're cute when you're flustered like that," he said, leaning down to kiss my cheek. "Bye, Rosa!" Then he was gone, waving at me from the escalator. I weakly waved back, the goofy grin still on my face.
I continued to wave until I could no longer see him. I let out a happy sigh. I never would have thought I'd be kissing Curtis, aka Christoph, the teen pop idol my mother is obsessed with. Ohhh, she would be extremely jealous if she knew... Actually, it's probably best she never finds out about my close relationship with him, or she'd try to use it to her advantage. She'd tail me everywhere, waiting for him to show up. I cannot believe that woman is my mother...
Oh shoot. I forgot to ask Curtis if he recognizes the man on the magazine I found here yesterday. Taking another look, I'm now 99% sure it is indeed my dad, but without a name printed in the magazine, I can't be fully certain. I mean, it's been a while... the man could have dyed his hair black for all I know.
I set off once again for the caves through Reversal Mountain, this time with no interrupting phone calls from Curtis. Though I really wouldn't mind it...
I was shaken out of my stupor by battling trainers near the entrance. It was a good thing my silliness from earlier hadn't affected my battle skills! Curtis just made me feel so... I shook off the romantic thoughts and nearly swore out loud as Serperior barely managed to dodge a nasty Stomp from a cyclist's Zebstrika. I was turning into a giggling fangirl like my mother! Well, sort of. I still didn't care for his music, but I definitely liked him... a lot, as I recalled how passionately he'd kissed me last night.
Serperior suddenly smacked me across the face with his tail. Get your head out of the clouds! His tail had smacked all thoughts of Curtis out of my mind for the time being, and I crunched my face into a serious frown. After all, Pokemon before gentlemon!
We battled our way to the inside of Reversal Mountain. Judging by the puddles of water and large lake in the center, I'd guess the mountain used to be an active volcano of some sort. Thank goodness it's empty now!
"Rosa! Is that you?!"
Bianca looked incredibly relieved to see me, though I was confused at seeing her. Why was she out here? ...oh right, Professor Juniper had mentioned Bianca was here doing research. I wondered if the professor was still here too.
"Hey, Bianca, what's kicking?" I asked, glancing around for more trainers. I really didn't want to get stuck chatting with her for too long; she could talk for hours about Cheren, and I'd already heard enough about the guy to last a lifetime.
"Heeey, Rosa!" she said, overly enthusiastic. I was suddenly suspicious.
"Uh, hey," I replied. "Is the professor still here?"
Bianca pouted. "No, she had to go back to the lab. Um, you know what though? I still have to do some more research. But the wild Pokemon are really tough, and I'm having trouble with them. Could I travel with you for a bit? You're going through to Undella, right? I'll heal your Pokemon for you and everything!"
Is this really the same girl who traveled with the champion? I know she's not as strong, but really, she should be able to fend for herself! The wild Pokemon here are at least ten levels below me, and I'm sure Bianca's Musharna is stronger than my Pokemon. Right...? Then again, Bianca is pretty timid. Perhaps she hasn't really trained since ending her journey with the champion and Cheren. Maybe I've been judging her too harshly. And me, of all people, shouldn't judge her. Heck, I never wanted a Pokemon to begin with, and if it wasn't for Bianca, I still wouldn't have any. And now look at me. Taking on the gyms and forming close bonds with my Pokemon; they're practically family. I should cut the girl some slack.
Traveling with Bianca isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, she complained a bit here and there, but for the most part, she focused on whatever she was looking for relating to her research, while I battled the few trainers we came across. She did attempt to help in battling wild Pokemon, but my Pokemon clearly outmatched hers and did most of the work. I don't think they minded though, and I didn't either. As she promised, Bianca healed my Pokemon regularly, and she actually kept her Cheren-talk to a minimum.
We stopped to rest for the night, and I was happy to hear when she told me that we were only a few hours away from the other side of the mountain. Had I been alone, I may have sucked it up and traveled straight through, but I could tell Bianca was going to need a good night's sleep.
"Thank you so much, Rosa," she gushed, laying out her sleeping bag. "You're so much better at battling than I am! I bet your Pokemon are twice as strong as Cheren's were when he had that many badges."
"How did you meet Cheren and the champion?" I asked, curious to hear more about Bianca's past. I was also interested to know if she had ever met the mysterious N to whom Zorua belonged.
She smiled fondly as she thought of her friends. "We grew up together in Nuvema Town. We received our starter Pokemon at the same time, and we traveled together after that. Cheren was always running off on his own though... thought he could do everything by himself just because he's so smart. In the end, of course, he realized he needed his friends just as much as we needed him."
The way she described him as a loner made me think of Hugh. "Did he want to beat the Pokemon League?"
Bianca nodded. "It was his lifelong dream. He wanted to be the best, like no one ever was. He tried very hard, but you and I both know who became the champion in the end. He was pretty torn up about it at first. I tried to cheer him up, but Cheren went off alone and trained in seclusion for the past two years. I hadn't seen him until recently, to be honest."
He wanted to be the best, just like Hugh. But Cheren didn't beat the League, and he was upset that his friend did. I wonder if Hugh would hate me for taking the League challenge. I haven't really considered it or anything, but I suppose I should figure it out at some point. What am I going to do after beating all eight gyms?
"You hadn't seen Cheren until recently?" I asked, surprised. I thought they'd been seeing each other for longer than that.
"I had my own motives for going to Aspertia to give you the Pokedex," she said, winking. "I'd heard Cheren was a gym leader, but I hadn't talked to him in so long... I was really nervous about seeing him again!"
Before I could stop myself, I blurted, "Are you and Cheren together?"
A light blush spread across Bianca's cheeks as she bit her lip and glanced away. I hastily shook my hands apologetically. Me and my big mouth...
"Sorry, that was a bit personal," I told her.
"It's okay," she said quietly. "I just..."
"Yeah?"
She turned to me, hands clasped and stars in her eyes. "I just never expected you to ask me, Rosa!"
Wait, what?
She dragged her sleeping bag right next to mine and plopped down eagerly. "You were never interested in hearing about Cheren, and I thought maybe you didn't even like talking to me... I've been wanting to talk to someone for ages!"
I blinked, trying not to look guilty after hearing she thought I didn't like her. I thought she was annoying, yeah, but she's still a good person. Oh no, I bet I always looked bored around her! Now I felt bad...
"Oh, err, sorry..." I said awkwardly, fidgeting.
"It's okay," she said, smiling. "I know you've been busy collecting badges and then that whole ordeal with that crazy scientist! I can never thank you enough for rescuing Cheren. I know he appreciates it, too. He can be impatient and headstrong, but I know he means well." She sighed in admiration.
"How long have you been dating?" I asked, again without thinking.
Her face fell. Dang it! I made her sad; I am not good at this boy-talk!
"I'm not even sure we are together... You know, for a long time, I thought he was in love with someone else," she explained wistfully. "But she left on a dragon to chase after another man, and Cheren was left behind."
He was in love with the champion?
"He got very moody after she left," Bianca said, brushing her hair. She then tapped a finger to her chin. "After talking with him recently, I realized he was more upset at his own failure, as he put it, of not becoming the champion. I don't know if he ever had feelings for her or not, but he claims she is just his best friend."
"What about you?" I inquired, pulling my knees under my chin. I am very happy that I didn't have to share Hugh with another girl growing up. How must Bianca have felt, to always be chasing after the two of them? She seems happy enough, but I wonder if she ever felt jealous.
"I don't really know, Rosa. Two years ago, before Cheren disappeared to train with his Pokemon, I told him about my feelings. He didn't really say anything, and he sort of ran off after that," she said sadly. "I figured it was because he was in love with someone else."
He ran off after she confessed her feelings?! What a jerk! What kind of guy leaves a girl standing there and just takes the coward's way out?
"What a jerk," I mumbled, startling Bianca. "Sorry, but he was. How could he just leave you there?"
Her expression melted into a warm smile. "Thank you, Rosa. Yeah, I thought he was a jerk at the time, too."
At the time? I asked, "But not anymore?"
"Hmm, yeah. After giving you and your friend Hugh the Pokedex, I visited Cheren at his gym. He was surprised to see me; he hadn't contacted me in two years, after all. I yelled at him for a good bit, but of course I was just too happy to see the idiot," she said, thinking back on it. "He told me he was wrong to run off like that, but he was upset and confused at the time. He told me he didn't know what to say to my confession; he didn't want to say the wrong thing, so he needed time to think about it."
By now, Bianca had finished brushing her hair, and she had started in on mine. I'd never had anyone else brush my hair, aside from my mother when I was small. I grew up without female friends and girly sleepovers, but I have to admit this isn't bad. I can see why Bianca is always bursting to chat with me, if her childhood friend is off in another region tracking down the former leader of Team Plasma, and the only other girl she hangs out with is the older Professor Juniper (who is also her very busy boss and likely doesn't have time for such trivial discussions). And she can't exactly talk to Cheren about Cheren, so I bet it's nice talking to me, another girl, about these things. Really, it's not as bad as I thought it would be.
"So what did he say?" I prodded, wincing slightly as she brushed through a bad knot of tangles. Zorua had poked his head out of my bag at the noise I'd made, and now he was making a bed out of my bag. Bianca merely petted him affectionately.
"What a cute Pokemon! Oh! Well, Cheren went on to say that he, uhh, wasn't really sure how he felt about me."
"What, really?" I asked, surprised. I definitely remember, back at Clay's house, him staring at her while she did the dishes or the laundry. Or even those few times when he would go to grab her hand or put an arm around her, but then decided not to. Had she not noticed any of that?
"Yeah... He told me I was a good friend, but he isn't sure of his feelings yet," she sighed, braiding my hair into one long plait. "I don't want to read too much into it, but does that mean anything, Rosa? Am I crazy to hope on that tiny little yet?" Zorua, as if sensing her distress, climbed out of my tote and into her lap.
I grinned and turned around after she was finished with my hair. "I think you've been missing a lot of signals," I told her cheerily, laughing at her dumbfounded expression. "I think he's totally into you! I mean, he's a guy, so he's just being a dork and isn't sure what to do. But I swear, Bianca, that week I stayed with you guys at Clay's place after the tournament... I caught him staring after you a few times, and I think he even wanted to hold hands. I'd say you definitely have a chance!"
She practically lit up like a firecracker. "Really?" she squealed, squashing me into a hug. "You think so?! Oh, thank you, Rosa! I feel so much better after talking with you!" She released me from her tight grip and giggled to herself as she crawled into her sleeping bag. "I'll have to pay more attention around Cheren, I guess! Even though I already can't take my eyes off him..." She giggled again, and I chuckled a bit too, as I got into my sleeping bag as well.
"Oh!" she gasped, so seriously that I actually thought something was wrong.
I sat up quickly. "What? What is it?"
"What about you and Hugh?" she asked intently. I stared at her, wondering what she was inquiring about now.
"Are you together yet or what?!" she demanded to know.
I began to choke and blush horribly. "Why... Why would you..."
"I'll take that as a No," Bianca guessed, frowning. "That boy's more stubborn than Cheren, if you ask me."
I laughed and tried to calm down from my choking fit. "Please. Hugh doesn't like me! He's always berating me for dragging him down and telling me we can't travel together. I don't even know if we're still friends, Bianca. I don't think we'll ever be the same."
She continued to frown but didn't argue. "Well, I'm not even sure he knows you like him, to be honest. He seems to have a one-track-mind that's focused on Team Plasma. I'm sure after that has been dealt with, he'll go back to his old self."
"Maybe."
"Well, what about other boys?" she asked with great interest. "Broken any hearts yet? Or had your first kiss?!"
I blushed deeply, thinking about Curtis. She grinned victoriously.
"Oh come on now, you can't make a face like that and not tell me!"
So I told Bianca a bit about Curtis and our adventure in the Strange House. I left out the intimate details and the fact that Curtis is also Christoph, but it was kind of nice telling someone else about what happened.
"Well no wonder you aren't concerning yourself over Hugh!" she marveled. "You and this mysterious Curtis are making fast progress!" She gave me a saucy wink.
"We're not moving THAT fast!" I hurried to counter, feeling my face turn tomato-red. "And I don't know what to do about Hugh... but since he wants space, I'll give it to him. Maybe it will help me move on. I mean, I like Curtis now, so..."
"You don't have to give up on Hugh completely," Bianca said softly. "But I do think this Curtis guy is good for you. You were so depressed after the tournament, and Hugh treated you poorly. Curtis seems like a nice guy who makes you happy."
I stretched out in my sleeping bag. "Yeah..." Bianca was right. Curtis is good for me. We make a good pair. What was I thinking, hoping Hugh and I would work out? We're just too different. And he doesn't even want to be friends anymore. Well fine, I'll just leave him be. With time, maybe I'll even stop liking him. Maybe.
I resolved to call Curtis sometime tomorrow and set up a date. Hugh said he doesn't need me? Well guess what. I don't need him, either.