A.N: Thank you for checking out my Fanfiction ^^ From the get-go: This Fanfiction was heavily inspired by "The truth will prevail" by Maydei and therefore, there will be inevitable similarities. I asked for permission whether I'm allowed to post this nonetheless (Their account name is shame-archive-2k17) and therefore this is "authorized" (check out "The truth will prevail" though, it's genius).
Aside from this, this story focuses on Ferriswheelshipping (I just can't get over them =[ ) and while I wanted this story to be all about it, I ended up heavily focusing on Touko's journey (as well as N's). From the notes I've gathered so far, this story takes things rather slow (as off now we're at chapter 10 and Touko has only just left Striaton City). I like to take my time with things and wanted to warn everyone starting to read this. Generally speaking, the story will roughly follow the game's story (with some edits/changes from my side) up to the end, which is when the changes start to come in. This covers the journey andthe drama after the big battle, or that's what I have planned for it so far.
I hope I get to finish this Fanfiction and I hope that you'll join me on the journey of getting there, enjoying it just as I will do writing this ^^
Have fun reading and leave any form of feedback in the reviews (I'm not a native speaker, so getting feedback on spelling/grammar would be highly appreciated) ^^
There once was a man who took a sword and split himself in two. And from his blood bloomed war and from his cries bloomed hatred and when the sun set and he was patched back together, nothing had changed and still everything had.
.
.o.O.o.
.
Too little colours to describe the world
Chapter 1
Red, Blue, Green and Golden.
.o.O.o.
It was the 24th of August when Touko sat in her room, biting her lip while trying not too stare at the small package sitting on her desk. Outside, the weather was trying to rip the small community of Nuvema Town apart with raindrops, the size of golf balls. Inside, Touko was fuming with excitement. And, well, she was also low-key pissed.
It rained. Of course it rained. In fact, it rained hard enough for the narrow streets of Nuvema Town to have turned into torrential rivers. The sun had shone yesterday, it had shone the day before that and it had shone the day before that day. According to the weather forecast there wouldn't be a cloud in sight tomorrow. Nor would there be one the day after that. Or the day after that.
But today! Today it rained. Of course. It wasn't even supposed to rain today! But it did and instead of binge-watching a show in her bed, wrapped in an approximately one thousand blankets she was sitting her, nervously biting her lip, avoiding to look at the package on top of her desk.
Life sucked. But, honestly, after spending 16 years at a place like this, Touko already knew that. And she knew sulking wouldn't help. She'd simply have to wait another day, regardless of how much of a pain waiting was (especially if you've already done that all summer long). Touko wished she could have done something, but suspension and excitement paralysed her will to do something as she impatiently waited for her friends to finally show up.
For a moment a bright smile lit up her face as she realized, she was going to be a trainer! For a second she wiggled around, as a way of dancing, before she tried to calm herself again.
She was going to be a trainer! A trainer! She could dance and sing and...
No. No, Touko. No. She had to be mature. Mature.
Touko tried to calm herself (she failed), before determinedly stalking toward it and putting a pen away, before going back to sitting on her bed, biting her lips and waiting.
A minute later and she got up again and put something else away. Time was getting to her and slowly wearing her down. Plus, she had run out of things to do. There were no chores left to do and heck, she had even cleaned her room!
Again, Touko glanced at the package. This time she couldn't help but smile and then she jumped in a circle, a silent squeal escaping her lips, when, once again, reality set in.
SHE WAS GETTING A POKÈMON!
Arceus, she was so excited! It was...all she had ever dreamed about! If there had been anything she had been good at, then it was learning stuff about Pokémon and memorizing all the different routes there were to travel, and places that were to visit and gyms that had to been beaten. And all of it had been done with her big goal in mind: to become a successful Pokémon-Trainer. Not necessarily a champion, just a successful trainer. Her mum always mused she was just like her dad, and maybe, maybe, her mum was right. But then again, did it matter? No, no it didn't.
So, instead of worrying about becoming just like her father (he showed up sometimes, but he usually traveled the world, in search of something apparently) Touko got up and put something away, yet again. She kept glancing at her desk and at some point she even went over, looking at the package, inspecting it for whatever reason. Then she sat back down, short nails clicking on the book laying next to her.
She got up again. This time she got herself a glass of water.
It was the fifth one so far.
Shouldn't her friends be here already anyway? No, there were still five minutes to go.
Arceus, couldn't they just have shown up earlier?!
After another hour (ok, just seconds, but really, that didn't matter), she put away the book too. Then she inspected her wardrobe and decided to shove her pink pajamas deeper into the depths of the drawer. If Bianca ever found these, she'd never let it go. Never. There was a reason why she hadn't packed them for her journey...her journey!
SHE WAS GOING TO START HER JOURNEY!
Touko started squealing and danced around the room once more, convinced she might just explode any time soon. Arceus, she couldn't…she couldn't believe it! And...And! Quickly, she sat down on her bed again, folding her hands in her lap.
Arceus, she had to calm down. She had to calm down. She had to. She couldn't…She was going to be a trainer! She had to become serious! And...and...mature! A successful trainer didn't dance around their room uncontrollably.
But then again, she didn't have her Pokémon just yet, so technically speaking she wasn't a trainer and the day (despite the rain – there weren't enough words to describe how much Touko despised rain) was just too great as to not dance around her room, thus, she continued, it wasn't like her friends didn't know what she was doing right now, so she kept dancing around her room, occasionally…
Then, finally. The doorbell rang. Touko froze.
She heard the door being opened, she heard two familiar voices, she heard the footsteps coming up the stairs, making their way into her room she saw her friend's face, she..
She got tackled. She got tackled, her fists still up in the air and the tune caught on her lips. The moment Bianca collided with the brunette all air was knocked out of said girl's lungs and she was thrown onto the bed, as the blonde threw her arms around her and let out a high-pitched "TOOOOUKOOOOO" right into her best friend's ear.
Touko, by now used to this kind of treatment, couldn't help but grin widely as she hugged Bianca back and waved at Cheren, who silently stood in the doorway She didn't even notice the cold, wet water dripping from her hair to her shoulders and onto her white t-shirt, that evidently came from Bianca's over sized hat. "Hey guys...", she managed to say, before her air supply ran out. She had to wrestle her way out of Bianca's arms.
Cheren was the exact opposite of Bianca, his cool demeanor slowing him down. A somewhat judging expression clouded his eyes, while he absentmindedly dried his glasses, before putting them back on, in an equally absentminded way. He was leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed and lips pressed together, watching Bianca drenching Touko's room. "You should have taken off that hat of yours, before entering. Just look at the floor!", he sighed, shaking his head, before stepping into the room, knowing full well how useless his remark would be. The blonde girl wasn't known to worry about much. And she could be rather oblivious.
"Hey, Touko. Sorry for all of that..." Cheren didn't finish his sentence, instead option to simply point at Bianca and a half-smile crept its way onto his face.
"He-ey!" Bianca let go of Touko, a blush forming on her face and she shortly glanced at her drenched hat. Her cheeks started heating up. "It's not like it matters...", she said, before exclaiming:"Hey!"
Confused, the blonde girl turned around several times, taking in the sight in front of her.
"What happened to Touko's room?", she inquired, still inspecting her best friends room, an inquisitive expression (so very untypical for the rather clumsy blonde) adorning her face. The girl frowned, turning back and facing her friend once more. Cheren made his way to stand next to her and both looked at Touko expectantly, a gesture which made Touko blush and bury her face beneath her pillow.
Why hadn't she known tidying her room would be a bad idea?!
When she peeked out of from her pillow, she saw he friends, still looking at her. Bianca gave the brunette a warm smile, while Cheren's expression was guarded just the way it always was (and always had been).
Touko couldn't help but blush even harder. She got up though, seemingly only to nervously scratch her neck, her gaze avoiding that of her friends. "So...Uh...I decided to tidy up. Because...of reasons..." Touko greatly disliked being the center of attention (although she usually didn't mind that at all). Her gaze drifted to the package standing on her desk, a package she had gone to all lengths to forget about, just so she didn't die of curiosity.
How she wished her friends would inspect the package instead of her right now.
"Yeah, we can see that...", Cheren said,"But you never tidy up. And if you do, you know...you don't really do it."
"Yeah!", Bianca chimed in,"you usually just throw everything into your cabinets and wardrobes so you can vacuum the floor!"
"Uh...", Touko responded, unsure what to say. Why was she so nervous? There was no reason to be nervous! Those were her friends! And she was allowed to tidy up her room!
"Well, you know, new life, new me?", she murmured eventually. She even managed to smile at her friends halfheartedly. But before Cheren could comment anything (or Touko herself for that matter), Bianca had already tackled her again, flinging her arms around the smaller girl. They both fell onto Touko's bed in the process, an action that was accompanied by a shared "EEK".
"Ah, BIANCA! Get OFF of me!" But the blonde was already happily ignoring her demands as she hugged her best friend. This was great! It was awesome! They had dreamed of this!
"I can't believe it! Touko is finally growing up!"
"It's not that bad!"
This scene was oddly familiar to her mother's reaction when she had first set foot into Touko's new, and improved, room and it irritated the brunette greatly.
"Yes. Yes it is", Cheren deadpanned. Again, he sighed while watching his friends wrestle. However, he couldn't help but smile at the scene.
He didn't watch them for long though. Instead he turned to face the window, starring at the constant rain and the occasional thunder. He sighed again. Touko, who had finally managed to wrestle herself free once more, followed his gaze and her smile disappeared.
"We really got unlucky, didn't we? There's no way we can start our journey during weather like this…"
The brunette sat up again, a smug smile making its way to her lips.
"But hey, at least I don't have to leave my room today...", she added, blue eyes starring at Cheren's wet hair before moving to Bianca's hat.
Bianca gave her a jealous stare, while Cheren simply shook his head, responding that they did have to visit Professor Juniper today and there was no way they could postpone that until the sun grazed Nuvema Town with its presence once more. At once, Touko's smug smile disappeared and she sighed, glancing outside where the storm was still raging on. Oh well. Today was too exciting as to get upset over some stupid rain drops. And thus, Touko got, or rather sprang, up, clapping her hands and disclaiming:"Now, who wants to check out the Pokémon?"
Of course, all of them already knew which Pokémon they were going to receive. They had even gone as far as deciding who was going to get which one. They didn't have to argue about it – Touko had claimed Oshawott right from the start and none of her friends had dared to object. Cheren had chosen Snivy (Touko suspected it was to get a type advantage over her, but she didn't really mind) and Bianca had been happy with whatever Pokémon she got. As long as it was cute. Which wasn't a requirement because Bianca would call a Trubbish cute (just look at its big and innocent eyes!).
But still. Hearing, reading and learning about them was something entirely different to finally see them and Touko couldn't calm down her accelerating heart rate anymore.
The moment Touko's words had left her mouth, Bianca sprang up too (Touko almost expected to get tackled again, but thank Arceus, that didn't happen).
"I almost forgot!", the blonde said. She started frantically searching the room for the three Pokéballs.
"Of course you almost forgot...", Cheren retorted, making his way to Touko's desk. Bianca had never been the most focused of them, especially when excited, but even that didn't explain her fleeting mind. She had chewed his ear of talking about how thrilled she was to finally meet her lifelong partner and bla, bla, bla.
There really was no helping it
But now, the mysterious box on Touko's desk had caught everyone's attention and finally, they surrounded it, nervous eyes twitching and sweaty hands grasping at fabric.
Even Cheren finally showed a sign of excitement when he cleaned his glasses another time.
"Uh, uh, someone needs to open it!", Bianca exclaimed, though she was whispering. Her excitement was evident nonetheless.
"Should we...", Cheren said. It wasn't like him to be nervous, but he didn't want to be the one to just barge in and do it either.
However, Touko didn't mind doing exactly that. In fact, she didn't think twice and when her friends didn't immediately snatch the package, she couldn't help but rip the paper apart in a swift, familiar motion. Bianca gave of a shrill "EEK!" and Cheren sucked in air as the paper made its way to the ground, revealing a box and then, finally, three Pokéballs.
Three Pokéballs. Three friends.
One red, one green, one blue.
.o.O.o.
"Sire!". A firm voice echoed through the empty hallways, slowly losing its force as it passed a thousand miles of loneliness. Eerie lights dimly lit the corridors of the opulent castle, it's beauty still hidden from the world it soon would govern.
"Sire", called the voice out, a second time, although this time it was closer and the ageing man could make out hasty steps on the stone floor.
Ghetsis grunted, but came to a halt. His robes shifted as he turned back, a cold gaze falling onto the grunt that had appeared before him and was now kneeling on the cold, marble floor. "Sire. Your presence is requested!" The grunt held up a scroll above his head, eyes glued to the floor, not daring to meet the sage's gaze. For a few seconds Ghetsis inspected the yellowish scroll, before long finger grasped it, his movement neither too lingering nor to fast. Although this action may have been insignificant, he carried it out with such grace and poise, the grunt couldn't help but hold his breath in awe.
Carefully, Ghetsis read through it, red eyes fixed on the letters, neatly written with ink. There were easier ways to transport messages. There were faster ways. But they were not his way. And they simply didn't carry enough weight. Accepting a scroll was much more befitting of his role and the role he'd soon be playing.
Once Ghetsis was done reading the message, he silently put the parchment back into the waiting hands of the still kneeling grunt, before turning once more. "Very well", he said, his voice as sweeter than honey, but harsh and strict at the same time.
"I will be there, good servant, tell them that."
And with the wave of a hand, he added:"You are dismissed."
Ghetsis didn't look back as he continued his way through the castle, therefore missing the puzzled expression of the grunt, wondering just where the sage was headed. He had been summoned by the other six sages and their chambers lay at the other end of the castle. But it wasn't his place to question his lord's motives, so instead of paying the gesture much attention he, too, turned and left, to deliver the message Ghetsis had given him.
The sage himself gracefully strolled through the long hallways, his robes perfectly matching the castle's interior, knowing that he was headed in the opposite direction. But he didn't need to speak to the other sages to know what they had to tell him.
He had read the news. He knew of the weather.
For a split of a second Ghetsis' gaze flickered, a somewhat triumphant expression distorting his usual guarded face, before it fell back into line again. Soon. Very soon.
But not yet.
His robes barely moved as he made his way to the fourth floor. He halted in front of a door, looking just like every other of the castle's door. Most of them led to the grunt's chambers or they concealed other pawns. This one, however, had just a bit more meaning, although not much. The faint laughter coming from the other side gave it away.
It didn't matter though. There was not much of a difference.
Ghetsis straightened his robe (there really was no reason too, but he had gotten accustomed to doing this), while he fixed his face. His cold gaze shifted to a warmer, yet strict, expression and although it was no smile by any means, it was the closest to one that Ghetsis could muster.
Then he knocked.
He knocked exactly three times, before his hand disappeared beneath fabrics once more and waited, as the laughter died away at once. He didn't have to wait for long though. Hurried footsteps soon made their way to the entrance and the door was opened, revealing the smiling face of a young woman. "Ghetsis! What surprise to find you here at such a time! Do you want to join our class today?" The goddess of peace, Concordia, couldn't hide the hopeful glimmer in her eyes. Ever since they had started this particular class they had hoped for Ghetsis to join them, to teach N some more about life outside the castle, but the sage had refused to do so.
He hadn't given an explanation other than that he thought those lessons to be useless. Natural didn't need to interact with other people. He was better than that.
"I have come to deliver a message", the sage simply stated, ignoring the goddesses glimmer of hope. Then he added, not even trying to hide his distaste:"May I interrupt your...lesson?"
Concordia, her smiling faltering just a little bit, simply nodded, letting the tall man stride into the room and silently closed the door behind him. Plenty of times Ghetsis had demanded, rather vehemently at that, for guards to be placed in the prince's room, but the goddesses had refused every single time.
The boy, whatever role his destiny would thrust upon him, needed some privacy. If he was to be surrounded by servants, at the very last he should be given his freedom within his own room. So, Ghetsis had compiled. If the goddesses were so keen on opening doors, so be it.
The second Ghetsis strode into the room, filled with colourful toys that seemed to be so out of place in a castle like this, he caught the attention of another woman, Anthea, and the boy they were currently teaching, a Zorua sleeping on his lap. Both rose at the sight of the sage (although N took his time to carefully place the Pokémon next to him on the skateboard ramp) and Anthea made a curtsey.
Ghetsis didn't know whether it was meant ironically or not. Anthea's actions were a mystery, even to a man like Ghetsis.
The boy's gaze flickered to Concordia, an unvoiced question hidden beneath grey eyes, however he didn't dare to look away from his father for long. Instead he straightened his back and met the sage's gaze, a smile taking over his expression. The Zorua, that had taken his seat next to him, growled. Maybe it was complaining about having been awaken so rudely.
"Father! Why...May I ask why you are paying us a visit?" N then added, his voice accelerating: "Is it to teach me something of the world outside? I'd love to learn more abou…"
"You speak too fast, my lord", Ghetsis replied, interrupting his adopted son's train of thought, before it could get out of hand.
N bit his lip (and then quickly stopped), and lowered his gaze, knowing of this...quirk of his. The Zorua's ears perked up, feeling his friend's distress and shuffled closer to him. This little gesture elicited a smile from N, be it for a few moments before it was masked by a stern expression once more.
"Yes, father", he murmured, before shifting and looking at the older men.
Gehtsis, however, didn't look at his son anymore. Instead his gaze drifted through the room, displaying a clear distaste at the many toys scattered around. Stuffed animals, basketballs, skateboards and even a model railway were spread around the room, their colourful design clashing with the style of the castle's interior. Ghetsis had tried to throw them out, or, at least, to replace them with something else, but Natural had protested. Through his sisters, that was.
The boy had been raised well enough as to not speak up against his father.
Once the sage's gaze was fixed on the prince again, he finally spoke:"I've come to relay an important message, my lord. A thunderstorm is shaking the south-eastern part of Unova."
N shifted uncomfortably. A thunderstorm? What… "As trivial as it may sound, this thunderstorm seems to have no explanation and we must assume it isn't caused by any natural phenomena." A sigh escaped N's lips. Was he supposed to learn more about meteorology? He didn't mind science, but this specific topic had never managed to fully consume N's attention.. Luckily, Ghetsis had deemed it as irrelevant to a king's tasks, and therefore, he didn't have to learn all that much about it.
"If it is about a lesson, father, I'm sure it can…"
"The coronation can no longer wait." Ghetsis had no interest in prolonging this conversation. Instead he cut straight to the point. A thunderstorm could mean anything, but on the slight chance another hero had just been born, or worse, had taken on their mantle of becoming a hero, they had to act now. No more waiting. It may be a bit early, or at least earlier than planned, but it was time.
Natural seemed to be of a different opinion though. The boy needed a few seconds before the realization set in and his eyes widened in shock.
"Father, I don't..." Coronation? He wasn't ready just yet, he didn't have...But once again, his side was cut short.
"The coronation can no longer wait", Ghetsis repeated, his voice taking on a sharp edge:"You will be crowned king of Team Plasma this very evening."
And, without a goodbye, or any other word for that matter, the sage turned, his robes shuffling, and he left the room.
.o.O.o.
It was still raining in Nuvema Town as the three teenagers stood in front of Touko's room, starring at the Pokéballs laying on the desk.
Bianca swallowed. Cheren polished his glasses. Touko bit her lip. If she had worn her cap, she would have shoved it into her face now, trying to hide her expression, but she wasn't wearing a cap, something she was painfully aware of.
God, she should have put on her cap. A cap would have been helpful. Very helpful indeed. But wouldn't that have been weird? Wearing a cap inside? Then again...No. She couldn't go down that rabbit hole again. So instead, she straightened her back and looked at her friends, a cheerful smile on her lips.
"Guys", she said, her voice just a little bit more high-pitched than usual:"This is it. This is it!"
Ok, now her voice was definitely more high-pitched than usual. But it didn't matter. What mattered was finally getting their hands on their starters.
In an attempt to rip through the somewhat fearful atmosphere, she wrapped an arm around both Bianca and Cheren and then squeezed the three of the together with an added "EEEEEE!" and, although she felt somewhat weird doing it (really, only Bianca would really be able to pull off something like this), it did the trick. Bianca's expression lit up and she jumped at Touko once more, hugging her another time, which made Touko lose balance. She then proceeded to stumble into Cheren, who then lost his glasses he was currently cleaning and it all ended with the three of them falling onto the floor, accompanied by a loud "AAAAAAAH".
It took them some time to realize what just had happened.
"Bianca!", Cheren hissed, frantically searching for his glasses before getting up again. Touko rubbed her arms and got up too, while absentmindedly giving Bianca a hand and pulling her up in the process.
"Sooorry!", the girl chimed, still giggling though.
"You need to be more careful! You could have gotten one of us hurt! Or worse…"
"Expelled?", Bianca interrupted, which only earned herself more deadly lasers (and a chuckle from Touko).
"This is not a joke..!"
"Cheer up, Cheren! Your name even begins with..."
Touko, kept he mouth shut as her friends squabbled, still rubbing her elbows though. Her gaze was fixated on the PokéBalls before them and for some reason, her gaze seemed to get attracted by the PokéBall sitting in the middle of all of it. So instead of waiting for her friends to settle down (and really, she couldn't wait any longer) she snatched the ball (did it really feel slippery, or was that just her imagination?) and let out the Pokémon inside.
White light filled the room, catching both her friend's attention, as the small Pokémon that had currently been held by the Pokéball materialized in front of them.
Touko felt her breath. It had to be an Oshawott, after all holding the ball had felt so right and...
It was a Snivy.
So much for feeling a connection with her starter even before seeing it. A disappointed expression took over Touko's face.
"Well then...", Cheren, said, snatching the Pokéball out of Touko's hands:"Should we free the other two?"
Bianca started squealing.
.o.O.o.
"King?", N asked, his voice a mixture of surprise and fear. He looked at Anthea, then at Concordia and then at Anthea again.
What...why? It felt so rushed...Of course, maybe the thunderstorm was an indication for his counterpart to have been chosen, but that didn't matter, right?
Even if the other hero appeared, he'd win. He was right in what he was going to do. Liberate his friends. Save both, humanity and Pokémon from humanity's ugly nature.
This didn't make sense. He grasped at the golden token he always took with him, his breath accelerating and his thoughts looking for anything to make sense out of this decision.
"I don't...", he murmured, glancing at the black Pokémon at his feet that had jumped up as soon as he had noticed the tension rising.
"Hush, hush...", Concordia responded, pushing N back down into the pillows that had been scattered on the ramp.
"You will be crowned king today. We must prepare."
Anthea got up, joining her sister, making a courtesy at the boy they had once seen as their son.
No longer. He was to be king. He was to fulfil what had been promised.
"We must, leave, my lord", she said, leaving N puzzled. My Lord? When had they started calling him "My Lord"?
"We must prepare. I ask you, stay here until all is done. We will come and get you for the ceremony." Both made a courtesy (N frowned at this odd behaviour) before making their way out of the room. N didn't dare to call them back, too shocked was he by his father's revelation. His breath was still accelerating and his mind was seemingly frozen. What...Why...How...
King. He was to be crowned King.
Of course, he had always known of this, but...it wasn't supposed to happen until later it…
He was to be King.
Once the realization had set in, a wide grin spread over N's face like a wildfire.
King.
"Soon", he said, turning to Zorua and gently petting his head. "Soon all will be free."
.o.O.o.
Touko couldn't help but stare at the Pokémon in front of her. Blue eyes locked with black ones and Touko could imagine this to be the start of a wonderful bond...Until the Oshawott started backing away, clearly terrified by all that was going on around them.
There was this one loud and obnoxious blonde girl that didn't stop sounding like a hurt Tepig, there was this other, black-haired boy that started talking to his friend Snivy very fast and seemed so...so serious and then there was this weird girl starring at her, after she had let out a deafening scream and then there were those lights and the rain and...and… To say Oshawott was terrified was an understatement.
She decided to walk backwards, which led to visible confusion on that brown-haired girl's side. She tried to grab the Oshawott, which started to squeal and jumped away, accidentally knocking over an equally terrified Tepig that was currently the blonde girl's centre of attention while Snivy was too shocked to interrupt his, apparently, new trainer.
Tepig didn't take getting kicked into the back all too lightly.
And thus, mayhem ensued.
It ended in the room getting trashed and three young Pokémon fleeing into their new trainer's arms, suddenly welcome for the attention they had received just earlier. The fight had mainly taken place between Bianca's Tepig and Touko's Oshawott, although Snivy had occasionally tried to pacify them by knocking both out. It hadn't worked at all, but hey, at least he had tried.
At the end, both Pokémon only stopped once Bianca and Touko had gotten a hold of them, while Cheren stood watching, shaking his head as Touko's room got trashed. Their Pokémon, their problem. After all, all three of them had to learn how to control their Pokémon to become successful trainers. He couldn't help but smile proudly at his Snivy, that hadn't done anything too reckless. It seemed as if he had made the right choice.
A shaking Oshawott in her arm's, Touko looked around the room and a sigh escaped her lips as she saw the emptied cupboards and the dirty flooring.
At least she had managed to find 50 Poké Dollar when tidying it up. It hadn't totally been in vain.
When Touko felt the small Pokémon in her arms starting to struggle, she zoned back into reality and carefully put it on the floor. She hesitated just for a second before taking a seat next to it, having learned from her first meeting. Maybe, just maybe, the situation had been a bit confusing for the three Pokémon. And although she wanted to get angry, she couldn't bring herself to reprimand the small Pokémon, its black eyes looking at her, as terrified as ever.
Maybe they weren't used to humans. Or maybe they just weren't used to screaming teenager girls. Touko couldn't help but smile (after all, she wasn't used to herself either) before, tentatively petting the Oshawott's head and looking at it with big eyes widened by curious wonder. Touko's excitement had finally cooled down and her thoughts weren't as cloudy anymore (she still wanted to scream out loud from happiness, but by now she could control that urge) and now she took her time to properly observe her first Pokémon, while Cheren sat next to Bianca, healing her Tepig.
The Oshawott seemed to be just a tad smaller than the average, though her ears were rather big. Her eye were pitch black, a typical coloring for the species, although, sometimes an Oshawott's eye color took on a more grayish shade. This one's left eye was a tad bigger than its right eye and her whiskers seemed a bit shorter than the average whisker size Touko had heard about.
All in all, her starter was just a normal Oshawott though. Nothing out of the ordinary. But this was her Oshawott, her Pokémon, her partner. And looking into those widened, still terrified, eyes, Touko knew she didn't want it any other way.
A smile spread on Touko's face as this thought made its way to her consciousness and she ended up extending a fist, her eyes curiously awaiting her new partner's reaction, before whispering:"Hey, buddy. I'm Touko. And we're going to be the goddamn greatest team there is!"
As soon as those words had left her lips, the Oshawott seemed to be just a bit less terrified and, after a second of hesitation, fist bumped her.
Touko couldn't help but squeal.
And the terror was back.
.o.O.o.
Hurried steps announced the arrival of some grunts to N, as he had taken his seat at his desk, starring down at some equations he had scribbled down. They helped him relax. They were logical and made sense and were predictable, unlike his father's most recent action. He had thought of solving another Rubik's Cube, but he didn't want to change any of the intricate patterns. N was still taken aback by the sudden change of plans, although he shouldn't mind. The less prepared the ceremony, the less grand. And if this sudden development meant the ceremony would be bearable it was worth all the wonder and confusion that had spread through the castle like a wildfire.
N was about to be proven wrong though, when several Team Plama grunts marched into his room, disrupting the peaceful silence, and fell to their knees. He knew one of them, standing, no, kneeling in the front row. They had stroke up some interesting conversations. Although, really, it was just N talking undisturbed with an occasional nod from the grunts side.
N didn't even know his name.
Reluctantly the green-haired boy left his desk behind, approaching the kneeling mass of grunts. He wasn't sure how to treat them, they way they knelt there, the way all of them just looked the exact same way...It made him reluctant to come close. But when he did...
Not a single head was raised.
For a second N glanced at the grunt he knew better than all the others. Now was not the time to strike up a conversation. Not with the event at hand. Not with his father watching, standing at the door.
"It is time."
N gulped.
.o.O.o.
Touko was shivering, despite wearing a coat. Her mother had convinced her to put on a jacket instead of just snatching an umbrella when making her way to Professor Juniper's lab and though Touko wouldn't admit it out loud, she was thankful for it. She still got soaked though. And while her starter may gleefully play in the rain, she shared the Tepig's, recently named Oinky, sentiment.
Boy, did she hate rain.
Right now, her friends and the brunette were standing in the laboratory, which was just as cold as it was outside and Touko couldn't help but shiver, much to Bianca's chagrin.
"I told you to put on some warmer clothes!", she exclaimed, shaking her head at her friend's weird antics.
This action resulted in a bunch of water drops to land on Oinky, which in return, proceeded to jump out of Bianca's arms. Bianca was on her knees in a second's notice, begging the small Pokémon for its forgiveness, confusing the young Fire-starter even more.
Humans were weird. Especially this one.
Meanwhile, Cheren merely shook his head, glancing at his Snivy. Indeed, he was immensely proud of his well-behaved starter. He still had to think of a name, something he hadn't want to think about in the first place. He didn't want to name his Pokémon, but the two girl's had nagged him all the way to the lab until he had conceded. Now he had to come up with something clever, or at least something than "Oinky". Or "Planty" for that matter.
Touko hadn't needed to think about a name at all. She had already chosen one for her Oshawott before even receiving an Oshawott, just like for every single one of her other Pokémon that she was going to catch throughout her journey. She wasn't usually the type to plan things ahead - really, usually she just did things and thought about it later - but this journey had been different. This journey was important. Touko couldn't afford to just trust her intuition on this one. Heck, she wanted to be a trainer! She wanted to be a trainer for longer than just that one year it took teenagers her age to complete the gym circle before going back to complete their schooling. She wanted to be a trainer for life. She wanted to spend every waking second with her team and accomplish great things. Maybe she'd even try to win against the Elite Four at some point! Preparing for that journey took way longer than just a year and barely anyone ever made it to Alder, let alone beat the aging champion. But maybe, after a few years, maybe she'd try.
If her team wanted to, that was.
And her mother had been pretty clear about her wish for Touko to take this serious. She had demanded to see an elaborate plan before signing the paper that granted Touko a year reprieve from school and Touko was not about to challenger her mother.
Thus, an elaborate plan was made. And an elaborate plan included nicknames.
Her starter was to be called "Ollie".
It was a simple name. It was simple, but it could be used for both, a male and a female starter and in addition "Oshawott" and "Ollie" both started with an "O".
Really, it was a perfect name. And the Water-Pokémon didn't seem to mind either.
Hurried footsteps coming from the other side of the laboratory caught Touko's attention and she turned away from her starter, that had almost started another, though less serious, fight with his friend, now dubbed Oinky. For a split second Touko wondered whether they had their own names, in whatever language they were talking (if they were talking at all), but she didn't cling to it. The implication would have been a bit too...dangerous? There had been news of that one environmentalist group and Touko had no intention of going down that path.
Touko shook her head before focusing on the middle-aged woman that had appeared in the hallway leading to the Professor's apartment.
Her white lab coat flattered dramatically as Professor Juniper swiftly made her way to stand in front of the three teenagers, her hair fixed in a messy bun. Professor Juniper's father walked in behind her, an amused smile on his face. He halted in the doorway, his arms crossed and wise eyes overlooking the three new trainers. Once Professor Juniper had taken her place before Cheren, Bianca and Touko, she couldn't help but start talking way too quickly again, murmuring a thousand apologies.
Touko smiled. That's Professor Juniper for you.
At least her sudden appearance had broken up Oinky's and Ollies' fight.
"I'm so, so sorry, I just didn't expect you to come over today, seeing the rain and all...I thought you were going to postpone your journey's start!", she exclaimed, a bright smile featured on her delicate facial features. But also a question. For a moment, the three teenagers glanced at each other, silently discussing who was going to say what.
Eventually, Cheren stepped forward, clearing his throat, and responded:"We're going to postpone it. We just didn't want you to wait for us, so we decided to come over anyway." He stepped back.
Professor Juniper obviously already knew they wouldn't leave today. None of the three were that crazy. But, well, Professor Juniper wasn't the only one that was to be concerned with this decision. And thus, once Cheren had answered the professor's question, three heads turned and three pairs of curious Pokémon-eyes starred at their new trainers. Postpone? They weren't going to leave now?
Tepig's eyes burnt with anger as he heard this news (he had been so excited, although he hadn't imagined his new trainer to be quite like...this!), while the Snivy simply shrugged his shoulder and turned back to face Professor Juniper (it didn't mind waiting – in fact, that was probably the most clever thing to do) and Ollie...Ollie's eyes lit up in excitement.
They were going to wait. They were going to wait! She had been so terrified by the prospect of leaving town (with such a weird trainer at that), so postponing the trip sat rather well with her.
Judging from her trainer's expression, it apparently didn't sit too well with her though.
Well, she'd have to wait anyway.
The fact she'd have to wait for another night indeed didn't sit too well with Touko, and a grumpy expression took over he face. Today was, truly, an up and down for her emotions. At first it had been a great day, she had gotten her starter and all, but...she wanted to go, she wanted to finally explore the world and she wanted to see everything. And now she had to wait. A sigh escaped her lips. Professor Juniper didn't seem to notice. Instead, she clapped her hands together, her smile brightening and said:"Well, that's a good plan! Nonetheless, let's get to the trainer stuff, right? So, as you may have heard, my father and I have..."
.o.O.o.
N felt strange, standing in front of the mirror, watching himself get dressed. It just...It didn't look like him. He wasn't supposed to do this. Not yet, at least.
The coronation wasn't supposed to take place until he was of age. And the gown he was currently wearing just seemed to be too...big. Too much. It didn't fit. N simply felt uncomfortable, as he stood in silence, waiting for the grunts and the two goddesses to get him ready. Nobody dared to talk, not even N, and whenever something happened, a whispered apology was all that dared to break the stillness of the room. A whisper that didn't help making N feel any more comfortable. He...He already missed the old ways. When Anthea and Concordia hadn't addressed him as "My Lord". When the grunts had dared to look at him.
No one had been all too pleased by Ghetsis sudden order, as not much had been prepared just yet. Their Lord had turned 17 just recently and all had thought they had to wait for another year. But then again, the grunts supposed there had to be a reason. They wouldn't be told why, of course, but there had to be. Ghetsis was a good leader. A kind, although strict leader. Whatever the reason for the sudden hurry, it had to happen and they'd all happily do there part to make the ceremony as grand as it deserved to be.
They were to witness the coronation of a king.
Of the king of Team Plasma and, eventually, Unova.
And this very grandeur was what made N feel uncomfortable, although he really shoudln't. But he couldn't help it. He knew it was important. It was supposed to be a symbol, this ceremony, a symbol to all those who had joined Team Plasma.
He was supposed to be a symbol.
It was Anthea's soft voice that disrupted his thoughts and his head snapped up (he tried his best to avoid looking in the mirror). "My Lord", she said, gesturing to the grand door, leading to a hall.
Leading to the hall.
He disliked that word. Lord. Of course, the grunts had always referred to him that way, but...not Anthea. Not Concordia. It didn't fit them. The words...It felt as if there was an invisible barrier between them. As if things had changed.
But they hadn't, right? He...Everyone knew what he was to become. Could a simple crown really make such a difference?
"My Lord, it is time."
.o.O.o.
They had gotten everything they needed. Honestly, Touko hadn't paid to much attention to what Professor Juniper had told them, after all she knew about all of that stuff already. Instead she had tried out whether Oshawott would fit on her shoulder (it did, but Ollie was way too heavy) or on her head (Ollie had been too scared to sit there) and checked her stats time and time again (after all, she had gotten access to a Pokédex, which made things a lot easier).
Ability: Torrent
Nothing special from that side. Just it's standard ability. It could come in handy though.
Nature: Timid
Its speed got boosted and its attack got reduced. It wasn't necessarily the best nature for an Oshawott to have, but it didn't reduce its special attack, which was probably the most important thing. And a bit of extra speed could come in handy in some battles.
Touko couldn't help but grin once she had finished scanning her starter. She was so….normal. So absolutely, boringly normal. But it was the most exciting thing she had ever seen in all her life.
She had a starter. This Oshawott was her Pokémon. P Her okémon.
Bianca and Cheren seemed to do the same thing, judging from their regular glances at their newly gifted Pokédexes. And, Professor Juniper knew, of course, that the three trainers weren't necessarily paying close attention, a behavior that strongly reminded her of her own youth. She couldn't blame them for being impatient. Although, and she reminded the three of them of this little, annoying fact plenty of times, they had to wait one more day.
Touko hated it. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she got. This...This sucked! She...She just wanted to feel like a trainer, after all those years of working so hard to archive her dream! And now she had to wait another, stupid day. Touko couldn't help but huff as Professor Juniper went on and on about the responsibilities of being a trainer and other stuff she already knew. To be fair though, Professor Juniper tried and after roughly half and hour all three of them were released back home. The three practically stormed out of the room once she had finished. Or rather, Touko and Bianca did, with Cheren trailing behind him, his Snivy by his side.
Professor Juniper simply sighed, watching the three of them go.
Cheren and Snivy...It fit. Their personalities, that was. The other two...not so much. But every trainer had to take on some challenges and for Bianca and Touko taming their Pokémon would be the first.
Professor Juniper watched them leave the building, expecting them to make their way home, but then she frowned, surprised by them taking a left, instead of going straight. What were they planning? Oh, well. They were trainers now. Surely, they'd be a reason.
.o.O.o.
It had been Touko's idea to trudge through the rain for just a tad longer than they had too. Just a quick detour she had said. Bianca had been in on it immediately and Cheren...well, Cheren had gone along, not minding the rain all that much.
He'd have to take a shower anyway.
Amusingly, Touko was the one regretting her decision more than anybody else. Except maybe for Oinky, as the Tepig had practically begged Bianca to be recalled into his Pokéball. Bianca hadn't liked that (after all, she wanted to spent as much time with him as possible), but Cheren had made her do it. "It's better for your Pokémon", he had said, pointing at the streams running down the streets. Touko had agreed. And Bianca had recalled the fire pig Pokémon.
Touko's socks were soaked by now (luckily, her mother had forced her to put on a jacket), but she was undeterred, her eyes starring at the goal just in front of her, as her two best friends idly made their way towards Route One and Ollie happily played in the water.
And then...they stopped. Just in front of the sign announcing the end of Nuvema Town. "Something is coming. Our sea breeze tells you that", the sign read.
Touko let out a shakily breath and closed her eyes, as suspension built up inside of her. She had taken this route plenty of times. But...It had always been different. Just a little bit different than compared to now.
She...She was a trainer.
A trainer!
And while she had to wait just one more day...She couldn't resist. She had to know what it felt like. Be it just for a second.
"Ready?", she murmured, her voice oddly faint, but she just couldn't talk any louder than this. She was too taken aback by everything.
But the almost spiritual atmosphere didn't last forever.
"OF COURSE!", Bianca screeched, before snatching Touko's wrist and pulling her forward, taking Cheren's hand in the process and pulling him along. Both trainers almost fell and for a second, Touko's suspension and excitement was just….gone. But then they were on Route One and the thunder grew louder and the lightning grew brighter and...And the feeling was back.
For a second, all Touko could do was gaze at the grass laying in front of her, at the muddy pathways between flowers and trees. She had seen this plenty of times already, but now, holding a Pokéball in her right hand, although empty (Ollie was still playing in the rain), it looked...fresher.
And in that very moment Touko just knew the world had just become a whole new place.
She couldn't help but smile a goofy smile.
"Great. And now let's go back or else we'll probably catch a cold", Cheren interrupted the brunette's train of thought. Bianca, still holding both her friend's hands, tore her gaze away from the view in front of them, a grin threatening to slit her face.
"Yeah, you're right!", she cheered, her excitement clearly showcased on her face. She let go of Touko's and Cheren's hands and made her way back, Cheren following her along.
"Touko?", she called back to the third of them and at once, the girl's head snapped away from the Route that lay ahead of her. She barely managed to whisper a faint "Yeah", too taken aback by the weight of what was going to happen (had she truly just realized it now?). But she didn't have much time to think about it, as Bianca took hold of her wrist once more and dragged her along. But, although Touko had to leave…
She knew, the world would be just a fresh and new as it had been just five seconds ago. She smiled.
The future lay ahead of her.
.o.O.o.
N wanted to run. He wanted to run down the aisle, get the crown and then run away, far away, to a place where there was...less. Less of everything. He could feel a thousands eyes resting on him, as he strode down the aisle, four grunts holding up the coat he dragged along behind him. He could a thousand held breathes and he could feel a thousand mind's anticipation.
Should he smile? Should he keep his face serious? They...They had told him so much about this day. About the day he was finally, finally, going to start what he had worked for all his life.
But they had never told him what a king looked like. Surely not as terrified as he did right now? No. They'd be proud. Proud of what they were to archive. Wise eyes would rest on every single one of their subjects, telling them how loved they were and how their king would do everything to protect them from evil. Surely, a king would fill the coat he was wearing. Surely they'd feel like it fitted them, seeing as it had been made just for them. They wouldn't feel small and vulnerable. They'd feel strong. Invincible. They'd feel like every inch the person they were supposed to be.
They, the sages, the goddesses, Ghetsis, they had told him so much about this. He knew everything there was to know about it. He knew the words he were to recite. He knew the amount of steps he had to take. He knew were to stop. He knew when to look up, when to speak, even when to breathe.
But they had never told him what he was supposed to feel.
He had been...For so long, he had been excited just thinking about the day the coronation was supposed to take place. Just a year from now, all he had dreamt of would come true, he could finally, finally, fulfil his destiny, just by putting on a golden crown. But then why, why all of sudden, did he feel so...so unprepared?
He should smile. Smile.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't stop his voice from shaking as he recited the vows to serve the liberation of Pokémon loyally either. He couldn't stop himself from shaking, or feeling small or talking just a bit too fast and a bit too quiet.
But, still.
N recited the words. His voice may have been too faint, too fast, maybe it was shaking while a thousand eyes followed his very movement, but...he recited them. And, just a second before Ghetsis finally lowered the crown onto his head, the sage whispered:"I'm proud of you, Natural."
And that was all he needed to hear. Finally, his eyes lit up. Finally all his fear was washed away. Finally, he almost felt as if he fit the coat. And, although the crown weighted heavy on his head, N couldn't help but feel liberated. The fire that had started in his eyes spread to his lips and he smiled.
And when he turned around, he was greeted by a thousand cheering voices and a thousand clapping hands.
And by a brand new world.