Hello there and welcome to another chapter ^^ This one was written just a tad faster than the last one – I hope to be able to keep up this speed, though university will start soon, and I'll be busier then.
Anyway, thanks again for your reviews, they really mean a lot to me! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter too and read you at then end again!
danielapmatute: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you liked last chapter – especially after it took me so long to finish it. Luckily, I was able to write this one faster and I hope you'll enjoy it just aw much ^^
imaginair: If you enjoy Team Plasma's involvement in this story, I bet you'll enjoy today's chapter! And I'm glad you enjoyed the fight scene – as you may have noticed, those give me most trouble. If you enjoyed last chapter's cuteness, I hope you'll enjoy the scenes with Touko's team today! I was going for some sort of fluffiness and I hope I managed to hit the tone just right. Thanks again for your review and see you next update ^^
Too little colours
Chapter 13
A grey cloud of conflict
"Ollie! Emblitz! Cut it out, right now!"
Her scream ripped through the air, but when unheard by the ones it was directed at. Maybe it had been drowned out by the shouts of her own team.
"KYAAAH!"
Another Tackle. Another Water gun. This was getting out of control.
"I said CUT. IT. OUT!"
But Touko's team didn't listen. And all that happened, was that Touko felt the scratch marks on her wrist pulse even stronger.
.
.o.O.o.
.
Silent feet moved through the thick undergrowth found in the south-eastern woods of Unova. Some birds were singing out in alarm. No doubt they had spotted him - his black fur stood out greatly against the greens and yellows of early autumn leaves.
He, however, had no interest in cowardly birds and too curious Purrloin. His ears twitched and whiskers shook as he, instead, took in the smell of the undisturbed woods, tasting the air.
He was close. Not too long until he'd reach the next human settlement.
Careful not to step on any too dry leaves, he made his way to the last offshoots of the forest, halting where the forest met plain fields, still hidden within the bushes. Just in front of his feet lay a cobblestone street and he shuddered when he imagined himself walking across it – human may have shoes, but he had not. There was nothing protecting his paws from the stones, which were either too hot in summer or too cold in winter.
He waited a few moments, listening to the shrieks of wild Pokémon behind him. Unlike him, they feared most humans – not daring to get too close. But he knew better. And thus, without wasting another minute, he stepped out of the forest, onto the street, silently watching humans walk by.
They were here. He was sure of it. The air still tasted of his litter mate and he had never moved quickly, instead enjoying nature. All he had to do was to wait until they'd finally notice him and then they'd escort him to where he wanted to be.
He didn't need to wait long.
"Help – weird, strange; something wrong; wrong – you - boy – man; how old - ?"
An elderly man had spoken up, clutching onto his cane for support and watching him from wise eyes. His human language had accompanied his speech, but, despite the many attempts to teach him, the boy had always refused to learn it, snarling and snapping at his friend, whenever he returned from his own lessons. He was not to become a human pet, to be shown off at their gatherings and to awe a crowd.
And this wasn't the right human anyway, so, really, an answer was unnecessary anyway.
The elder waited a few tense seconds, gripping his cane like his life depended on it, until, eventually, his patience ran out.
Of course, the boy could have indicated that he did not need help. A simple shake of his head would have sufficed but – where's the fun in that? He had gone as far as shielding his thoughts against the prying eyes from outside, knowing it would be in vain – the man was human. He could not hear what others could anyway.
Force of habit, the boy supposed.
"You alright – strange, very strange; leave - ? You lost – trap?; robbing? - ."
It was amusing to watch the old man lose his cool. The boy was tempted to eventually jump forward, outstretching one claw – or hands, as humans tended to call them – and scaring the man, but he thought better. While he did want to grab attention, he did not intend for him to stand out.
Maybe he shouldn't prank this human. The hint of a smile that had formed at his lips vanished and he settled on shaking his head.
That should suffice. He did not intend to use hand gestures. Those were difficult anyway.
The man did not seem to be satisfied with his simple gesture though. Instead he came closer, frowning, as he stared at his face.
How rude. He had been told such behaviour was considered rude.
"Sure – lying; liar; hate liars; brother lair; - ? You really lost..."
The boy simply blinked at him. He did not want to talk to this particular human – the man offered him nothing, so why bother? Luckily, the elderly seemed to have understood, straightening himself and casting one last look at him before leaving.
The boy would have liked to rejoice at the silence once more, but while his ears were spared any and all nonsense, his thoughts were not. He wished he had spent some more time shielding his thoughts, not from prying eyes, but from other Pokémon's words.
It wasn't until a rather particular set of thoughts came his way though, that the boy started paying attention again.
Unlike all the others, these thoughts came out small and distorted. The boy allowed himself to glance at the crowd that loudly passed him, before he made out a speck of pink hair that happily jumped back and forth.
A smile battled its way onto his lips and he listened in more intently, convinced those thoughts were meant for him – or rather, the challenge they posed.
Her pictures were far less colorful than he was used to from her, often being nothing but a simple, muted grey. Evidently, she was trying to shield her thoughts from him. A pitiful attempt, and an amusing one, but he presumed it was to be expected – not even her teacher was able to do it without fail. Sometimes, his litter mate still talked like a newborn and if he tried to stay silent, a single distraction could make him spill all his secrets. Though, he had gotten better, It made for less amusements, but for better conversations.
The boy looked up, when the woman finally came close enough for her footsteps – loud and careless – to be picked from the crowd.
Sometimes, he wondered how humans had gotten this far, when they were such terrible hunters and such terrible prey? Surely, another, stronger Pokémon would have eradicated them already long ago? But then again, maybe it was their helplessness and perceived innocence that had made them so strong. He remembered vividly, how he had taken towards his "brother" when he had first met him.
A few more moments passed and the woman was finally standing in front of him, holding out her basket to him, offering him some of the fruit inside, though he declined.
He could gorge himself out on the most delicious food later, if he just waited patiently enough. Not surprised by his decision at all, the woman let the basket hang idly next to her again, before smiling widely at him and asking in fake concern:
"Alright, young man – not - ? You lost?"
His lips twitched at that comment. Evidently, she must have heard the earlier exchange – just how long had she been here? All those human thoughts were so distracting – and was now mocking someone. Whether it was him or the elderly man, he did not know.
He had always liked Anthea – she was easily convinced to join in on his pranks and shared her mischief with him. He knew for a fact, that she would burst out in laughter and call off the charade.
And, just as he had predicted, she did. The woman chuckled in good human, her eyes filled with mirth, before she bowed closer, murmuring:
"Good to see you again. N missed."
.o.O.o.
|I have to offer my apologies, Touko. I find myself unable to keep our appointment. Something has come up and I will not be able to attend our "battle buddies battle".
I sincerely hope you will be able to forgive me.
When N had awoken this morning, he had felt elevated. There was something in the air that told him that today something great was going to happen.
And then he remembered the conversation he had held with his father yesterday and the world came crashing down once more.
"Son, I beg you! Cease all and any communication you have with that vile creature! You have seen what she did!"
He had not seen it – N hadn't been there after all. But he could picture the scene perfectly. A trainer standing over a cowering Lilipup, lording their power over them, with a self-satisfied smirk, recalling them into their prisons with a nonchalant flick of a wrist. He had seen enough footage to know what to expect. But he just couldn't picture Touko in it. He kept reminding himself of all the things she had done, all the warnings he had willfully ignored, because of a warm smile and manipulative eyes. That one time she had forgotten about Ollie. The fact that she was a trainer. And, by the original dragon!, he did not know, what had happened after her failed gym battle. He-He had thought that she hadn't done anything vile, but, well, he didn't know! And what else could she have done, all alone, out of the eye of the public?
But regardless of how much he reminded himself of what had happened...He just couldn't imagine her in that scene. Wasn't she as much a victim of the system as her Pokémon were? He should pity her.
And while he had followed his father's request, he had been unable to "block" her – to cut her out completely.
Thus the message. It went against everything N had been taught about texting so far, but he decided it was of too much importance to make a mistake. Maybe it'd be the last one he'd ever sent her.
It probably should be the last one he'd ever sent her.
A sigh escaped his lips and he shoved his VisoCaster away, leaning back in his chair and waiting for Sage Zinzolin to arrive. While he was travelling, his father had still insisted on him taking his classes whenever possible. And today was packed with them. His first class had been with Sage Bronius (it was supposed to be with his father, however Sage Ghetsis had pointed out that after yesterday, there was enough for N to discuss without needing another lesson in philosophy). Manners and etiquette were N's least favourite classes. He often failed to see the point of them and they seemed so useless.
Not to mention, that N was utterly hopeless, when it came to them.
Bronius had, like always, chastised him on his too quick talking and had expected him to practice small talk with strangers on the street.
It had gone horribly. Bronius had looked disappointed, but had admitted, that, at least, he had improved. Not by much, but it was a step in the right direction. When N had then asked on his opinion on "texting etiquette", he had hesitated, before questioning "why he needed to know". Undoubtedly, his father had told Sage Bronius about the incident. For a second, N had feared that the sage may be unwilling to teach him, however he hadn't commented and simply pointed out that their time was up – however, he'd research the topic and teach N next time. With that vague promise, he had departed and N had been left to wait for his next class.
Next up had been history and geography. Giallo and him had discussed the legend of the White Dragon once more. Then he had been told that he was to research more on his own in the library in Nacrene City. And that he had to be careful as "It is the city's gym too – it is disgusting, how they dare to defile such a sacred place with such terrible acts!".
And now, it was time for his last lesson of the day – literature and arts.
Unlike "Etiquette and manners", Ni did not dislike this subject – however, just like "Etiquette and Manners" he was terrible at it and failed to see how it related to his life.
"Ah, my Lord, my apologies for my lateness. It was not my intention to keep you waiting. However, we shall begin quickly to make up any time that was lost."
Sage Zinzolin settled into a chair next to him, unloading three books onto the table and opening the first one. A metal bookmark was marking the page they had left off last time they had sat down together. The bookmark portrayed a curious scene. A man had flung himself to the floor and was kneeling, praying, in front of a terrible sight – three Garados, their monstrous heads sticking out of a gigantic wave, seemingly wanting to swallow the man and the land around them.
According to Zinzolin, he had been touched by the scene – a simple man, begging the gods to spare him – when he had first seen it during one of his travels to Johto.
N disliked the bookmark. Garados weren't bad Pokémon – they were merely easily provoked. But more often than not, it was not their fault. And, unlike a Garados, human were able to fight back. Once caught, there was no escape for them. No matter how much they begged.
It didn't matter. N had classes to attend and, while he may not understand most of what Sage Zinzolin was telling him, he had no intention for this lesson to be fruitless. After all, Zinzolin had shown him so much about human culture, that N couldn't help but be thankful.
And thus, the lessons continued, without any incident. Without any incident, until Zinzolin came to speak of literature in everyday life that was. Why he wanted to talk about that specific topic had been a mystery to N at first.
"For you see, my Lord, words are so much more than simple sounds. They explain the world, and if one phrases them right, they can explain so much more. You can speak an infinite deal of nothing* or you say it all in one word...And such wisdom can be used in everyday life as well. Perhaps, we shall see whether you're able to do so?"
Sage Zinzolin cocked a single eyebrow and if N had been less tactful, he would have flinched back, or even groaned. However, the only reaction Zinzolin managed to coax from him was a nervous smile – and even that already betrayed too many of his emotions.
He just hoped he didn't have to talk to any more strangers.
As it turned out, he didn't.
"My Lord, I was informed by your father, that you have come to the agreement to cut ties with that girl?"
Not he hadn't. Ghetsis may have implied he was supposed to, but he hadn't agreed to anything yet. Then again, his father probably didn't expect him to either. But he was a king and that had to count for something.
"I...was not aware I was to cut all ties with her, Sage Zinzolin."
"You were not?"
"No."
N recognized the silence that followed, stretching over the entire room, for what it was: disapproval. N wished, that in that second, his sisters were here. They seemed to be the only ones understanding what he wished to gain from his contact with Touko. Not that he blamed the sages for disapproving. Maybe his decision to keep her on friendly terms was a bit rash – but he enjoyed her company and he couldn't await the day she'd see the truth and follow him on his path to freedom for all.
"Very well", Zinzolin cleared his throat, breaking the awkwardness that had settled on them once N had stopped paying attention to the silence:"May I see your conversations with this...girl? I'm sure it will be very insightful for my lessons, if I do."
N felt himself nod along, before he realized what he was doing and hastily added:"Of course, Sage Zinzolin. It'd be my pleasure."
He was rather curious what he would say. He held Lord Zinzolin in high esteem – in fact, he was one of his three favourite teachers, the others being his father and Sage Rood – and his opinion did matter – even though he was not following the Sage's advice at the moment.
Without hesitation, he handed over his VisoCaster, straightening his back and patiently awaiting judgment. He hoped his teacher would forgive him for the, sometimes, informal tone N had used – but Touko had insisted. At once point she had texted him back the same way he did, apparently expecting him to see the ridiculousness of it – he had failed to do so. After a while he had confessed that he had never texted before, at which Touko had appeared to be surprised at – and promptly had asked him how he could have possibly survived this long without texting?
N had been rather proud of himself too, as he had noticed immediately, that she had used a figure of speech. It was...admirable to see just how much she had taught him in merely two days.
Lord Zinzolin seemed less pleased though. He handed N the VisoCaster back, before keeping quiet for a few moments, seemingly looking for the right words.
N found himself dreading them.
"My Lord, mayhaps you should stop…conversing with that...vile...woman. You have seen what she is capable of..."
He still hadn't. But he could still imagine it. (With anyone but Touko, but that didn't matter, did it? Humans were humans after all.)
"...and we can't have her hold some sort of sway over you. As one says, "Your hand, your tongue; look like th'innocent flower, but be the serpent under't.*" We cannot allow her to whisper foul sayings to you."
N frowned at that. What was that supposed to mean?
"Sage Zinzolin, I don't understand. What do you mean by that?"
"Don't betray your k-your father, my Lord. That is all."
N pondered the sage's words, before glancing back over at his VisoCaster, reading the messages Touko had left. He tried his best to appear as if he was deep in thought about what Zinzolin had said and hoped the sage would "buy it".
|Oh, that sucks!
|But dont worry! Its fine!
|Maybe we can meet some tie later?
There was a pause between her messages now, roughly two hours, before they picked up again.
|Are you ok?
|Normally you don't need this long to answer
|Are you busy rn?
|Arceus, am I annoying you?
|Its just you usully always text back immediately
|But then again I always take my time too
|Guess im just pampered
|I really hope I didnt annoy you to much
|Have a nice day then and ttyl?
That was the last message she had sent. It had been a few hours ago and N found himself wanting to text back. Desperately so. Not answering someone but still keeping their attention was something that didn't happen to him all too often – usually, people lost interest in him or scolded him fro misbehaving. Even his sisters did that sometimes, though they had gotten used to his behaviour by now.
He hadn't expected Touko to be so calm about his silence. She didn't seem to be annoyed by him in the slightest either. A smile crept on his face and he found himself wanting to text her back even more badly, but reigned himself in just in time when he realized he had forgotten about Zinzolin.
Immediately, he pushed the VisoCaster away, snapping his head up and smiling at the sage – not too widely to be awkward but not too little to look forced either.
He hoped so, at least.
He still spoke too hastily though. Luckily, Bronius was not here to judge him.
"My apologies, Sage Zinzolin. I got distracted. I..."
Ad then he trailed off. N didn't usually trail off – his father had advised him to always know what he was going to say, to avoid looking uncertain – but he hadn't had the time to think over what he was going to say. He hadn't had the foresight to realize this would reflect badly on Touko too.
He had to deflect.
"But wasn't the thing that ultimately brought him down his ambition?", Ni picked up the conversation where it had left off, expectantly looking at Zinzolin. He knew that quote and its use just didn't seem to make all that much sense to him. His distraction seemed to have worked, too, as the sage nodded, thinking about his student's words.
"That much is true, my Lord. However, these words hold truth, still, even if taken out of context. Beware of this worlds manipulation, your majesty. And now we should probably hurry – we have already waste too much time on such trivial matters."
He took out another book and flipped it open.
"Today we will talk some more about expressionism..."
.
.o.O.o.
.
|I have to offer my apologies, Touko. I find myself unable to keep our appointment. Something has come up and I will not be able to attend our "battle buddies battle".
I sincerely hope you will be able to forgive me.
Touko stared at her VisoCaster reading N's message once more. She had received it yesterday, after a day of traveling. It had been a day since the incident - an incident Touko tried her hardest to momentarily forget about, be it only to calm her bad conscious – and she had spent all of yesterday trying to make sense of it, sitting idly in a bus and waiting for her to finally arrive at her destination. She hadn't dared to call out Ollie or Lil - out of fear they'd miss behave, she had told herself – but had decided that this would be the perfect time for Emblitz and her to bond.
Emblitz, however, had disagreed.
X
"This is the first time for you to be on a bus, isn't it, Emblitz? I used to hate them when I was younger, but I got used to them fairly quickly – lets just hope you won't have any trouble at all!"
Touko tried to sound as cheerful as possible. She didn't know whether calling for Emblitz was a good idea in the first place – but she was bored and she knew she and Emblitz needed to bond eventually.
Plus, they were on a bus. No one could snatch him and run away. Not while they were on a bus.
"Buses are actually quite useful, did you know that? We don't have to travel all this distance by foot anymore! It will save us days!"
Touko's eyes shone with enthusiasm, even if she didn't really feel it. But she tried her hardest to appear happy for Emblitz, who seemed to be less than pleased with their current mode of transportation.
In fact, he seemed to hate it. He kept hissing and his claws were already sunk into cushions of the seats. But Touko wasn't about to give up hope. She was bored and this seemed like the right thing to do.
And then they stopped and more passengers entered the bus and everything went downhill. One group of them passed Touko, sitting in the very last row and they just looked...scary. Dangerous. Like no goods. And Touko felt herself stiffen and before she had realized what she was doing, she had snatched Emblitz from his place next to her and pressed him against her chest, protectively glaring at anyone getting too close.
Touko didn't even realize the way Emblitz's eyes widened at her gesture, or how he started snarling louder and louder.
x
His scratch hadn't drawn blood – luckily – but it was bad enough as it was. At first, she had been shocked. She had never before been scratched by a Pokéon – let alone a team mate. She had never heard of a caught Pokémon doing something like that either and the throbbing pain made her lose any sense of what was going on.
She had been unable to distract her eyes from what she was seeing. It wasn't until she had got hit another painful time that she had noticed he was still trashing in her arms and she had realized she had to recall him. The other passengers were eyeing her warily already.
With all that happened, Touko was on the verge of tears.
Somehow, Touko couldn't rid herself of the feeling that the incident was somehow connected to it. Maybe it was because N had gone back to his weird texting ways again or maybe it was just her brain telling her just how badly she had fucked up.
It didn't matter. There were more pressing matters to attend to – namely her team.
Truth be told, Touko had been somewhat relieved, knowing that their training battle wouldn't take place anymore – she doubted her team was up for one, not until she had managed to apologize to Lil. Touko could only hope that apologizing would pacify Ollie. Additionally, she had to hope, too, that Emblitz would be in a good mood (it had been a bit over a week that she had received him and he still disliked her. That wasn't normal, right? Right? They had spent day and night together after all!) and she still hadn't really spent anytime with her two new teammates. Maybe she was lucky and they'd be as much of a breeze to get used to as she had with Lil, but maybe it was another Emblitz case (though, they didn't seem to hate her yet) and she would hardly be able to get them to do what she wanted them to do.
Maybe they were like Ollie and it would take some time, but it wouldn't be an impossible feat either.
Touko didn't know. But knowing she had at least one day (one day should be enough, right?) to train and get everything settled was a relief.
So, while Touko had been rather put off by the cancellation (she had needed to buy bus tickets just for this and now it not taking place was annoying), she had to admit it was probably for the better. She just hoped they could have their battle tomorrow (and then, maybe, they could have lunch in the PokéCenter afterwards).
Though, he still hadn't texted her back. And it did kind of suck, that they didn't have their meeting today- She had really looked forward to it and, well, he was kind of cute, so, who wouldn't look forward to it? Plus, he was a nice, good with Pokémon and maybe Bianca had been right but it didn't matter, because Bianca sucked anyway.
She had to concentrate. She had, possibly, only one day to solve this mess. And she was going to solve it. No questions asked.
X
Touko had no clue how she was going to solve this mess. She had tried to divide the tasks, finding a good starting point. Logically speaking, there were four things to do. Lil, Emblitz and her two newest team members. She had neglected Emblitz's dislike of her for too long already and she couldn't let him continue to be so hostile. When she had allowed her team outside their Pokéballs, he and Ollie had gotten into a huge fight, going as far as attacking each other and while they had never gone this far, Touko wasn't surprised.
They didn't like each other. Touko had known that.
Yet, she had failed to intervene.
Touko had to make sure that something like that wouldn't happen again. So she'd start with Wobuff and Rockstar, just to make sure that not another problem would fester.
So she had started training.
And it was a catastrophe. A complete catastrophe. A disaster, so to say. And it started the moment the Pokémon had been freed from their confinement.
"Alright, Wobuff! Let's start with going over your..."
Touko's voice trailed off when she noticed that the Woobat wasn't paying any attention to her. Instead, Wobuff was busy inspecting the grass around her, as if she had never seen any before.
Maybe she hadn't.
It didn't matter.
When Touko walked closer to her Woobat, to make sure she wouldn't wander off, Rockstar saw his opportunity to cause some mischief and not a second after Touko had turned her back, he started looking for something he could use.
No puddles this time, not from the sound of it at least, but judging fro what he heard, there was still that bag.
And with that bag, came food.
Touko didn't notice though. Wobuff had decided to venture deeper into the woods. And that one second in which Touko didn't pay attention, she had vanished.
Without hesitation, Touko sprinted after her. Cold fear gripped her when she realized she couldn't immediately find her. It was a slow kind of dread, making its way through her entire body and settling everywhere where it matter. Equally slowly her throat started hurting, as Touko screamed and screamed, eventually begging Woobuff to stop hiding.
And when she eventually did and they returned back to the training site, it was Rockstar who was gone.
.
.o.O.o.
.
"My lord? Your friend Zorua - ? - has arrived."
Anthea quickly glanced at the Pokémon, an unspoken question in her eyes. Unspoken, but not unthought.
"Zorua? Name? - mad wrong name; scratches hurt – New name? - always new name; annoying - He wishes to speak to you."
Zorua smiled smugly when he heard the woman's question. When she and her sister had first taken to caring for his brother, they had insisted on using his first name – a name eagerly told to them by N. It had taken weeks for them to drop that habit once more, but he had scared them enough for them to always ask about his preference. Even though they found his habit to change his name weird.
"Zorua is here?! That's great! Thank you so much, Anthea!"
"It is my duty, my Lord. I will leave you to the privacy of your walk, your majesty."
He had never understood the humans' insistence when it came to names. This one was his fifth and surely, was not to be his last. He had been called Big Spot, Claws, Best Friend, Brother and Zorua and he simply happened to like this newest one most. Though, he did forgive N for using his nickname occasionally – apparently, it held special meaning to him.
"You're...not staying, Anthea?"
"No, my Lord. I do not wish to interrupt your time with Zorua."
Then again, there were some Pokémon that were weirdly insistent on never changing their names too – maybe it wasn't just a human thing after all.
"...Alright. Thank you, Anthea. You are...dismissed."
Zorua decided that it was unimportant right now anyway and instead concentrated on the thoughts his brother was sending him. Anthea had left by now, leaving him and his brother alone.
There was a strange sadness in N's eyes as he watched his sister leave, but his thoughts, for once, were closely guarded. And once she had vanished from view, he turned around, an amused smile on his face.
"Missed me already, Spotty?"
This was going to be fun.
.
.o.O.o.
.
Touko was fed up. She knew she shouldn't be, but she couldn't help but be mad at her newest two team members. They didn't even try to be helpful. All they did was making her life more difficult than it had to be.
So, after a whole day of trying her best to train them – with some one-on-one time, of course, she couldn't let the disaster from yesterday morning repeat another time – she decided she had had enough. It was time for a change. And as much as Touko wanted to just stay in bed today, the weight of the other three Pokéballs grounded her in reality.
She was a trainer. She had to be mature. And as such, she had to take care of her team first.
But she couldn't face Lil's heartbroken expression just yet and she had tried to talk to Ollie earlier, to no avail. She had only seen the Pokémon during breakfast, lunch and dinner and it had been three days since she had last let Lil out of her Pokéball for any other reason – the last time having been when they had battled Team Plasma.
Touko just wasn't ready yet. And, was it really that bad if she was a bit selfish from time to time?
When she called for Emblitz, she wasn't sure what to expect. Of course, she could still feel the scratch marks on her arm, but maybe it had been because of the bus? Maybe she had startled him?
She couldn't help but feel like it was somehow her fault – she had messed up with Lil after all.
Touko wished she could train him and Ollie at the same time – she couldn't afford wasting time; already she had needed more than three weeks to get first badge – four whole days, to be exact – and she only had twelve more days to get her second one, if she wanted to get back on track – but it just wasn't an option. She had tried to train and it had ended in disaster.
So Emblitz only it was.
The moment the white light vanished, Emblitz started scowling at her and any hope Touko had had about today's training left her at once.
"You're mad at me too, huh?"
Touko smiled bitterly and leaned back, starring at the thick canopy of leaves that had yet to fall.
"I suppose I deserve it. It's not like you ever liked me anyway."
Touko's words fell on deaf ears. Chestnut wasn't listening, instead choosing to cross his arms in front of his chest and snarl at the human sitting in front of him. He hated that human. Not even Furball deserved to get treated like that. And it was just such...such a human thing to do! She didn't even care about it!
At least, that's what Chestnut thought. Until he listened in to his trainers words once more, looked into her thoughts and-and shuddered.
"I didn't want to lose her."
Over and over and over again the human repeated it, like a mantra. He didn't know what those weird sounds she was making meant, but they didn't matter. Her thoughts did though. Human thoughts rarely ever lied.
"I didn't want to lose her."
Chestnut didn't understand. Because he felt sorry for that human. And he really, really shouldn't. This human was bad! She had done something terrible! She had stopped Furball's evolution!
But she did feel bad and if Chestnut could understand one thing, it was the fear of losing someone important.
He had lost someone important after all. After he had been caught and torn away from all he had ever known – he had felt like it for days. He had hoped he'd be able to return eventually, but he had never seen them again. Instead he had eventually appeared in a warm room, in front of a squealing girl and a self-satisfied looking man.
It had felt terrible. As if he was some doll to be handed around.
And he had never seen his family again.
Roasted Chestnut dared to look at his trainer and, instantly, his eyes fell to her wrist. He could still see the scratch marks he had left her and wondered why she hadn't punished. Then again, she had stuffed him into this stupid capsule for magic stone knows how long.
Maybe she had been scared of losing him, too. He had gotten a glance into her thoughts just before she had pulled him onto her lap after all and she had seemed panicked. And maybe if he hadn't scratched her, she wouldn't have recalled him.
So, maybe she wasn't all that bad after all.
Unsure what to do, Chestnut looked around, before perking up at the sight of a log that was sufficiently wet – it had finally rained the night before.
And then he started practicing his Ember. If he was out and about already, he might as well do something useful. If he didn't, that trainer would probably recall him back into his ball anyway, and he didn't want that to happen.
And if that action made that human smile – well, it wasn't too bad, if she was happy, now wasn't it?
.
.o.O.o.
.
"My Lord, may I speak?"
N jumped at the sudden voice of his father, interrupting the conversation he had held with Zorua.
His father evidently hadn't noticed. N was always surprised at how difficult it was for Ghetsis to notice when he talked to Pokémon – his sisters had figured out the tell-tale signs by now.
Well, his father was a busy man. It was to be expected.
"Of course, Sage Ghetsis. May I ask on which matter you want to speak to me?"
N apologetically glanced at Zorua, knowing the Dark-type Pokémon didn't like his father. He had been kicked out of the castle at first, just lkme all his other close friends, but had not given up until N had finally felt comfortable enough to ask for permission to keep Zorua close to him. Ghetsis had reluctantly agreed and even offered to apologize to Zorua. According to his partner, that apology had never come, but then again, Zorua was not interested in human customs – he had probably just misunderstood.
"It has come to my ears that you have sent a message to that wretched trainer?"
N jumped once more at the description of Touko. Even after what she had done - "wretched" just...didn't sound right. She was nice. A bit weird but nice and cheerful and had been nothing but kind to him. And...she had almost seemed just a bit better than all the other trainers.
"I...have sent a message to Touko canceling our latest appointment, that is true."
N was tempted to ask how his father could possibly know about that, but decided to not mention it. Zinzolin had probably talked to his father, not knowing he had told him in confidentiality.
"It does seem you have yet to fully cut ties with...I assume you will be taking that step in the near future?"
N visibly deflated at his father's words. He was admonishing him, wasn't he? But he couldn't truly blame Ghetsis either – his father was just looking out for his best interests. But he didn't want to cut Touko off. She had kept him company throughout the past few days and it had been more fun than he had had in a lot of time. And as much as everything she had done pointed to her being a terrible, albeit typical, human, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"I...am not sure. It...is difficult for me to imagine her being a bad person."
N paused, taking a moment to look at his father and froze when he saw his disappointed smile. His eyes widened at the almost...feral stance he had taken on and flinched back, scared he might lash out.
He had to fix this. Immediately.
"I know you are of different opinion, father! I know that there are dangers involved in spending more time with her and that you most likely do not understand but..."
...and he would, of course, "block" her on the messaging app and stop any and all contact to her, is what he wanted to finish his sentence with, but he didn't get to it. Because Ghetsis was smiling. Sympathetically.
Ghetsis rarely ever smiled. And if he did, it was one of pride or superiority, but rarely ever out of sympathy. It filled his chest with warmth and made him stand taller, more confident.
"No, Natural, I understand. She is a...friend of your after all and I am not surprised you seem to be reluctant to cut ties with her...However, perhaps we can find other ways of putting your consciousness at rest..? Retienne!"
His father sudden call, was surprising, but N did not have the luxury to appear startled. Not a second after she had been called, the shadow ninja appeared out of thin air, face hidden behind a thick mask like always. Her hair seemed more unruly than usual, but other that that her appearance was as calm and collected as always.
"My Lord. Sage Ghetsis."
Her voice was toneless when she greeted them and she did not even as much as look at N when she spoke his title.
"Retienne, I must ask you to shadow a certain trainer, by the name of "Touko". It is of interest to us to get a better...grip of her character. Any information regarding her person we have gathered so far will be sent to you shortly. I expect you to report back to his majesty, the king."
"Yes, sage Ghetsis."
Ghetsis cast a glance at his son, before clearing his throat and folding his hands in front of him.
"Very well. We will speak again later, Retienne. For now, you are dismissed."
"Yes, my lord. King N."
She nodded at him once. And then she was gone in a heartbeat again, leaving nothing behind to ever have proven her existence.
N had asked about the ninjas origin plenty of times. He had prodded his sisters about them, had even asked his father, but he had never been able to lift the mystery surrounding their being.
He had never asked them directly, though. He had been taught such questions were rude.
"Father, what are you meeting the Shadow Triad for later?"
However, their missions were fair game, to N. He was their king after all. And...he couldn't shake the feeling that any meeting taking place today between his father and the Shadow Triad would most likely concern Touko.
N wasn't necessarily afraid of his father. He held him in deep respect, however, at least according to his sisters, he could be a bit overprotective.
For all Touko had done wrong, he did not wish to inflict any damage onto her.
"I fear such trivial matters would bore you, my lord. It is a simple mission, one of no great importance. It is a private endeavour and I'd prefer for it to stay that way. However, if you wish to know, my Lord, I'd gladly explain."
At first, N wanted to ask his father why he was using Team Plasma members for his own endeavours, before remembering – the Shadow Triad were technically speaking not Team Plasma members
His second thought was, that his father looked uncomfortable.
Ghetsis rarely ever did. He knew his father as self-assured and confident. Whatever this private matter was, it seemed Ghetsis preferred for it to stay secret.
"No, Sage Ghetsis. My apologies, I was out of line."
"Thank you, my Lord. I'm grateful for your understanding."
Had his...father just thanked him? He...he had!
"However, I do wish to know whether the solution I have provided is to your satisfaction? I fear I may have..."
"No! No"; N interrupted him and almost froze when he noticed his father's shocked face, before it morphed into something calmer. Happier.
"N, Sage Ghetsis. It sounds perfect, sage Ghetsis. Thank you for your assistance and understanding."
.
.o.O.o.
.
Touko doubted she had ever needed to tackle a more daunting task in her entire life. Never in her life had she feared anything as much as she had this. Not the start of her journey, not her third gym battle.
Maybe when she had to get Wobuff back she had been more scared.
Touko took her time, choosing to stare at the Pokéball in front of her for several more minutes instead of just jumping into the cold water like she was used to.
And then, after a minute or two, she finally found the strength to call for the Pokémon slumbering within its confines.
When the white light had vanished, Lil sat there, her ears flattened to her head and not daring to meet Touko's gaze. And neither did Touko dare to meet Lil's. She didn't know what she was supposed to say. She didn't fully understand what had happened either. Of course, she had interrupted Lil's evolution, but...why did it matter so much? She could evolve anytime now. It wasn't gone!
And while Touko's thoughts were raging a war, she stayed silent, biting her lips hard enough to draw blood.
It was her silence, however, that made Lil look up in wonder.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry."
Lil almost smiled. Trainer didn't even send out any other thoughts. But she did regardless and soon enough, there were words following it.
"Lil I-I made a mistake. I should have let you evolve the way you wanted and when I interrupted you – that was a terrible thing to do."
Humans had always had trouble lying to Pokémon. It was a fact known to any Pokémon that had ever come near one – they, somehow, failed to control the things they said (though there had been rumors, once upon a time, of a boy who could). Sometimes the jumbled mess they said – because they let absolutely everything through – made no sense or was difficult to understand and sometimes a Pokémon didn't want to understand – but Humans were honest creatures. And if they were as sincere as trainer was right now – you knew she wasn't lying.
As hurt as Lil was and as mad as she was at her trainer – she knew she was sincere.
.
.o.O.o.
.
N wasn't doing it on purpose. He was not, but he knew people were noticing. The first one was Bronius – his father had requested he take another class with him after what had happened yesterday – and the sage was less than pleased with his behaviour.
"My Lord, if there is a more pressing matter distracting you, then mayhaps we should postpone today's lesson to a later date. I'd gladly accommodate your majesty's wishes."
"Oh, my apologies, Sage Bronius. But I wouldn't want to go against my father's wishes."
There was a beat of silence in which Bronius seemed to be at a loss of words. He did not stare at N – much to his relief – as such things were rude, but he did occasionally examine his student, before eventually speaking:"My Lord, I was under the impression that you had requested this class."
Sage Bronius leaned back, watching him with curious eyes and N felt himself at a loss of words. He was unsure of what to do. Of course, he simply could say what had happened, but it almost felt as if he were betraying his father's trust by doing so.
He didn't like the feeling.
He didn't like that he felt it – there was no reason to, after all. Neither sage Ghetsis nor he had ever done wrong.
"My Lord?"
"I...did...order this class. However, my father was the one to request me to do so."
"I assumed as much. However – it is a request."
N looked up, dumbfounded. So..?
"My Lord. You are the king. You are under no obligation to do as High Sage Ghetsis tells you."
"But...he is my father!"
Bronius cocked an eyebrow at that. It was rare to see him so expressive and it did not help N feel more comfortable with the situation at all.
"I fail to see how that matters. As much as I admire High Sage Ghetsis and respect his skills as our leader – he is your servant and so am I. If your majesty wishes to focus on different matters, then his wishes are to be respected."
"But, he requested it!"
N knew what a weak reply it was that he had just given. He didn't know why it mattered that much anyway.
"My Lord, if you do not wish to fulfill that request, I believe you will have your reasons. You are a capable young man. You are able to make your own decisions."
"But..."
He almost stuttered there. Almost.
"...your council is of importance. The council of the sages was establishes for this exact reason!"
N knew he was right – his father had told him so time and time again. The sages were important – he may be king, but he was young and as such, prone to make mistakes. The sages council was important to ensure everything ran smoothly and no mistakes were made. Simply ignoring a safe's warning – his father's no less – would be foolish!
Bronius seemed to be of different opinion.
"As much as I am grateful for your majesty's consideration – If a king is distracted, he is not attending his most pressing concerns. I advise you to clear up whatever it is that has occupied your thoughts. Your lessons can wait. While I must admit, that you do have trouble navigating society, your training is sufficient for now. May I request you take a break to attend whatever matters..."
There was a short, almost amused glint in Bronius' eyes that told N that the sage knew exactly what was going on.
He had seen him talk to Anthea earlier. That must have been it.
"...that are aggrieving you. I'm sure, you will be able to find a solution for the problem."
Patiently, Sage Bronius waited for N's answer, undoubtedly expecting to be dismissed. But N had different plans. He felt his cheeks heat up and he wondered whether he'd be...No. He wouldn't be out of line. This was precisely the reason, why Sage Bronius held the position that he did.
"Sa-Sage Bronius..."
N was stuttering. Why was he stuttering? He never stuttered!
"May I request your input? What do you advise me to do?"
Bronius blinked, seemingly caught off-guard, before clearing his throat and smiling sympathetically.
"You are asking for my advice? I am honoured, your majesty...And I suppose, if it were me, I would...I would demand an explanation. You have not been there to witness what happened and therefore, we do not have the full picture. It would be unbecoming to not ask for the girl's opinion on what happened."
Expectantly, N watched the sage, however Bronius simply looked back, attentively, seemingly content with what he had said.
"That's it?"
"Yes, m Lord. My apologies, should this advice not suffice."
"No, no, your...advice has been noted...You may leave now."
"Very well, my Lord. I thank you for your time and trust."
And with that, Sage Bronius got up, bowed, before scuttling away and leaving N behind, just as confused and unsure as he had been before. Because, as much as N would love to simply ask Touko – ask her why she had done what she had done – he wasn't supposed to know. But he could still ask, right? It wouldn't be weird for him to ask, would it?
Plus, she was weird, too! So it didn't matter!
N was still mulling over his thoughts, intently watching his VisoCaster, when Rood arrived to start his maths class.
At last, reprieve! He'd go crazy if he waited for Touko to text again any longer. He had spotted the telltale sign of someone else typing several times, but it had ceased to appear afterwards and N was worried – he didn't know what he was supposed to say. Would saying "I ignored you" be ok?
There was no way that would be ok, right? But he couldn't lie to her either!
Maybe Touko had understood that he did not want to talk. Maybe she was busy herself too and hadn't even realized that he hadn't answered for quite some time! He didn't want her to think he was ignoring her! Even if he was!
N got startled from his thoughts when his teacher loudly cleared his throat. He whirled around, eyes wide as if caught doing something wrong (he had been doing something wrong, after all, not paying attention was immensely rude).
"My Lord, you seem to be distracted. Is there something troubling you?"
By the original dragon, not that again!
"It is nothing of importance, Sage Rood. We should start our lesson – I'd hate to miss out on mathematics."
Most sages would have left it at that. He was their king after all. But Rood wasn't most sages. If Ghetsis was his father, then Rood was his uncle, one that almost treated him like his own son. And as such, he was bolder.
"Your majesty, please, I implore you – tell me what is troubling you."
For a second, N truly believed Rood didn't know what had happened – a curiosity, considering just how fast gossip seemed to spread once humans became involved – but then the sage glanced at his VisoCaster and N knew his teacher was aware of all that was going on.
It irritated N. He did not like that his father – or Zinzolin or Bronius – though Bronius was too...proper to ever do such a thing – talked about all this, but then again, he was a king and as such, he could not allow himself the luxury of privacy.
Not all the time, at least.
"You already know what I'm thinking about."
It wasn't as much as a question than a statement.
Rood frowned:"How did you know?"
"You looked at my Visocaster."
The sage nodded and looked at it once more, a proud smile forming on his lips, before a frown took over once more.
"Very well. I do know. However, I do not believe in gossip – I'd much rather like to hear from you."
Expectantly, Rood fixed his gaze on N, which made him shift uncomfortably. For a moment, he hesitated – should he really talk about it again? But then he met the sage's gaze and realized that if he valued anyone's council – with exception of Ghetsis, Concordia and Anthea – it was his.
"I met a trainer."
"A friend, I presume?"
"A...Yes. A friend. She..."
"Oh, so she is indeed a girl? I thought that may have been an exaggeration..."
This time, it was N who frowned.
"Why does that matter?"
"Excuse my presumption, my Lord. You just never portrayed any interest in boys. However, I assume it is, indeed, unimportant."
N's frown only deepened. What did he mean by that? Luckily, he was spared elaborating the situation any further – Rood had seemingly gotten all the information he had wanted.
"My Lord, are you unhappy with your decision?"
"I am not sure. Do you think it was the wrong choice?"
"My Lord, it is above me to judge your decisions. However, I fear I must point out that she is, in fact, one of your future subjects. People like her are the backbone of this nation. You may be powerful on your own and you may tame the white dragon in the near future, but they must still be convinced – they must be shown the error in their ways. It may be wise to keep contact with her."
"So...you think my father's assessment was wrong?"
N seemingly caught Rood off-guard with that question. The sages did not like to question his father – at least not while N was present. The goddesses had told him it was because Ghetsis was his father and they didn't want to mess with his parenting. But N wasn't asking Rood as a student, but as his king.
He just hoped it counted for something.
"When your father selected the other sages and me, it was because he believed in the flaws of mankind. He chose six more advisers for you, our future king, to ensure the infallibility of our joint council."
N knew that. His father had told him time and time again. It was the reason why Anthea and Concordia both had been tasked with his well-being – to guarantee the best possible outcome.
"Therefore, it is my duty to inform you of any criticism towards your father's advice. Ghetsis', by, far, most fatal flaw is his love for you, my Lord. He is rather protective, and for good reason."
N almost recoiled at that. He-He wasn't weak! He had survived on his own just fine for five years!
"You do not fully understand human society and as such, can be vulnerable at times. However, we know that. We can protect you. Having contact to people outside of Team Plasma...while it does involve dangers, I'm convinced the advantages gained will far outweigh the risks. And as long as you are willing to listen to us and our concerns, there should be no danger involved in it at all."
"You...really think so?"
Almost. He had almost stuttered again. What was it with this topic that made him lose his composure so easily?
"Your majesty, it is not my place to tell you what to do. You are almost an adult and I trust your abilities. However, as your adviser, and I do hope you respect my word for it, I believe you are making a mistake by simply cutting her off. I trust your judgment and your openness with this matter."
With that, Rood bowed once, a hopeful smile adorning his face. A smile mirrored by N.
"Thank you, Sage Rood. Your council means a lot to me."
.
.o.O.o.
.
Two days after Touko had first trained with Lil once more, the Pokémon finally truly forgave her. And three days after, a blinding white light engulfed her once and Touko hated it, because she couldn't put Lil through that again but she knew what it meant.
.
.o.O.o.
.
"Did you talk to the trainer girl?"
They were laying in one of those fancy beds (if humans knew one thing, than how to properly lazy around – their covers were simply amazing), N's hand gently scratching his scalp. It was almost like it had been oh so many times in the past, except that the stars were missing and N wasn't as relaxed as he let on.
Perks of being a Pokémon.
Zorua's question was answered with silence. Which wasn't surprising and which also reminded him of the past. For some reason, "Cheerful White" tried to avoid that topic. It was just like that one time N had met a human girl in the forest.
Which was simply one more reason to talk about it, really. Not that N was willing to do so, as he didn't even react. Zorua almost suspected "Cheerful White" had fallen asleep, but after nibbling on his fingers, N startled and then sheepishly hid his face underneath his arm.
"I...did not. As much as I agree with Rood – she...Touko did something terrible. Father was right. It is in everyone's best interest if I look for someone else to teach me."
N put his arm away from his face and looked down at Zorua, smiling brightly.
The Pokémon did not seem to be impressed by his answer.
"You seem to disagree, Zorua. What is it?"
Zorua took his time to answer. N wasn't the cleverest human out there and he would definitely dislike what he was about to say. If Zorua wanted to get a chance of getting him to listen, he'd have to be careful. His brother could be extremely stubborn.
But then Zorua realized, that it didn't matter. If Cheerful White wanted to be stupid, than that was his brother's problem.
"I don't like that father of yours."
"Zorua, we've talked..."
"But I like that mate of yours."
"She's not my mate!"
Zorua rolled his eyes at that. Sure.
"Whatever. Girlfriend. Love interest. "Friend". It doesn't matter. Point is, she's nice..."
"You have never even met her!"
N had sat up, starring down at Zorua angrily, only to lose his mad composure once Zorua broke out into a taunting grin. It was simply too easy to tease Cheerful White. Too. Easy. And always fun.
"You are right. I never did. And I don't like her either! She's human and humans are stupid. I don't like any of them, but..."
"Hey!"
"Ugh."
Zorua rolled his eyes once more, when he heard his brother's protest again. It was the same with him, every single time.
"Duh, Cheerful White, you're more Zorua than human. You're still stupid, but not as stupid as everyone else."
N frowned.
"You mean "Pokémon", Zorua. I am more Pokémon than human."
"No, I meant "Zorua". I stand by what I said."
N let out of a sigh and fell back into the cushions once more. They had been over this, but no matter how often they discussed it, Zorua stood by his opinion. Humans were Pokémon. Shamefully weak and stupid Pokémon, but Pokémon nonetheless. Almost like a Magikarp.
N had, of course, reproached him for saying this. There was no such thing as a "weak" Pokémon, to which, in turn, Zorua had told him he couldn't possibly know, because he had never even seen a Magikarp.
N had then conceded the point, because he had, in fact, never seen a Magikarp. Though he doubted Zorua ever had.
He was a Dark-Type Pokémon, one that specialized on illusions no less. It wouldn't be a first for "Big Spot" to tell him a fairy tale and then mock him for it.
"Anyway. As I was saying, I don't like her, but you do. So go to her. Talk to her. Do whatever weird stuff humans do."
"What – Being mean -? No!"
"What do you mean by "no"? You like her and you're only not texting her because your "dad" said so!"
Once again, Zorua was met with silence. Which was answer enough, really.
"Stop doing what your dad tells you to do. He sucks anyway."
"My father does not "suck" - maybe a bit right; no, wrong, wrong! - !"
"Uh-huh. I swear, it's like he ate a Pomeg berry and hasn't calmed down ever since!"
N didn't respond to that. Instead he started to sulk and carefully guarded his thoughts. He didn't manage to completely close him off and Zorua had a prime seat to N's inner turmoil.
It'd be funny if it weren't so sad.
Eventually, N stopped sulking. He shuffled around a bit, to get into a more comfortable position. He never stopped scratching his head though, so Zorua didn't mind.
"Will you join me for the gym battle?"
Oh, so that was what this was about.
"Nope. I won't stay around for long. I simply happened to pass by this town and couldn't help but catch a whiff of your smell..."
N smiled at that. Sure. That was all. Zorua had always hated battles. Even just watching them scared "Big Spot".
"And then I thought to myself – well, if he's here and I'm around I might as ell check in on him. Can't have you completely covered in leaves again, crying your soul out because "you don't want to disturb the Sewaddle"."
Zorua snickered. That had been hilarious. He had made the leaves look like Pokémon and N had flipped.
Pah, N's thoughts were making the situation out worse than it had actually been.
"That was really mean of you! I was scared of Bug Pokémon for months!"
Zorua simply started snickering, before closing his eyes.
He had most definitely not expected N to stop massaging his head and he couldn't help the "Hey! Don't stop scratching!" that slipped past his barriers and immediately felt his hackles rise.
Not to soon after he was rewarded with a chuckle and a rather detailed description of why N found that this amusing.
Zorua wasn't sure whether it was supposed to have slipped past, or if his "Brother" had simply made the same mistake as he had.
It didn't matter, he supposed.
The next few minutes were spent in silence. They were far enough away from the city to listen to the silent cries of wild Pokémon and, for a moment, to feel like they were younger again.
Zorua missed the time when they had been younger. No Ghetsis, no "Natural Gropius Harmonia", no royal titles.
Just N and him and some other friends they had made along the way.
It was N who broke the spell, like had done years ago already.
"Hey, Spotty?"
Zorua hated that nickname. He absolutely hated it. Judging from the mirthful thoughts N was sending out, he knew it (of course he knew it. They were brothers after all).
That jerk wasn't even trying to stifle what he was thinking.
"Thanks for helping out today...I'm glad you're here."
N glanced at his VisoCaster once more, smiling when he saw the message he had sent himself. Touko had yet to text back, but he was sure she'd text back eventually.
They were battle buddies after all.
"You know, you're a little pest sometimes, but it's still a pity you can't stay."
Zorua simply shrugged and buried himself deeper into N's embrace.
The silent "I missed you" didn't need any thoughts behind it to be heard. And if Zorua sent an equally silent "I missed you too" back, then he could always pretend that I had been a mere mistake.
.
.o.O.o.
.
Touko still remembered vividly the light that had engulfed Lil, even better than last time. It had been late evening when she had evolved a second time and the colorful sunset had highlighted the moment's magic. All eyes had been glued to the Lilipup, twisting and changing within seconds, shaped by powers no one yet really understood, to become stronger.
If it hadn't been for cold realization gripping Touko's heart, she may have enjoyed the moment. May have felt excitement at the prospect at getting a new Pokémon, while simultaneously just keeping an old one. Most trainers would.
But most trainers hadn't made a promise to themselves.
She made her way to the PC in the corner. She had found another, smaller, PokéCenter just a days trip from Nacrene City away when Lil had evolved and she had been staying here all of yesterday and today.
She told herself it was because she needed to train more, but the Pokéball in her hand told a different story.
It was time. With shaking hands, Touko held the PokéBall in front of her, before tossing it and releasing the newly evolved Herdier in front of her. For a second, she simply held the Pokémon's gaze, before glancing aside and shoving her cap deeper into her face.
She spoke once she tasted blood on her lips,
"Lil, I-I want you to know that, whatever happens, I love you. I do. I really, really do. And-And that will never change, do you understand?"
The Herdier in front of her should make things easier for Touko – but they didn't. Because, as much as Lil had changed, her eyes hadn't. They were still the same shade of brown, still loyal as ever as they looked up at her, shining with love and trust.
And Touko was about to go breaking that trust. Twice in one week.
She felt terrible.
Behind those eyes, Lil was desperately trying to make sense from what her trainer was saying. Humans were sincere and she knew what her trainer was thinking, but it didn't make any sense, because why would she say good-bye and why would she…
"Why would she recall me?", before red light engulfed her.
Touko looked down at the PokéBall in her ahnd, feeling warms once more, now that it was inhabited.
She had made plans. And she would keep to them. She owned herself that much. So, without as much as looking at the ball in her hand another time, Touko pushed it into the PC, waiting for it to disappear into thin air.
And then she turned around and didn't look back once.
Me to myself: Ha, I bet they didn't see that coming! Me to myself not a second later: Or-Or did they?
Yeah. Lil's gone now. Or is she? Only god knows (and my somewhat messily assembled notes for this story, though I wouldn't trust those – half of the time, I can't understand what exactly I wrote down, so that's that – anyway) and I honestly don't know if I'll go through with what I want to do. I hope I will, because I most certainly like the idea I have (and also, technically speaking, there are some hints as to what I have in mind) but I also liked the idea of Touko and N having another battle before the one at the second gym and that got axed too.
I don't know when Bronius became such a bit part of this chapter, but here he is, doing it. Half of his lines were originally meant to be Rood's, but well, we all see how that turned out. I'm pretty glad on how the three sages were portrayed in this chapter though, so that's that – my apologies for anyone who hates quotes as much as I do, however I read each sage's quotes from the game and Zinzolin just sounded like the guy who would do that. All. The. Time.
Yeah, I don't like Zinzolin.
Anyhow. I hope I hereby fulfilled my promise of a more N-centric chapter. I know it was mostly him interacting with four different opinions, but I thought fleshing out the dynamics and characters on Team Plasma's side could be helpful. And, do not fret my friends, this little setback in their relationship won't stay there for long.
The teenage angst will get started after the ferriswheel scene. Before that, I plan on adding tons, upon tons of fluff. Depending on how much I write, I'll be able to fit in the next NxTouko scene next chapter, but maybe it will be too much and you'll have to wait for the one after that. I don't know yet. Really, I'm just kid of winging this story.
Talking about "Winging" a story – I'd love to hear your feedback! I'd especially like to know whether I should include the thoughts of Touko's team more often. I fell like the whole evolution plot would have worked better if we hadn't just heard Touko's side of things, but the team's side too – especially Lil's. I've tried to work on that in this chapter and hopefully it makes things less "disjointed". If you guys want, I might add a scene or two portraying their feelings to earlier chapters.
Btw, does it annoy you guys that I frequently change perspective while writing the same scene? I'm not sure whether I should change that or leave it be – I personally think it's rather obvious who's thinking what, but then again, I'm the one writing this, so obviously I know.
Read you later – Bluestpaw
Random fun fact: When I wrote N being unsure of how to respond after not doing so for a day, I felt that, on a deep, personal level, because I do that everyday and I totally lie to people about it.
*Act Once, Scene 5, Macbeth; spoken by "Lady Macbeth" to her husband, "Macbeth" in order to convince him to kill King Duncan and take over the throne.
*"You speak an infinite deal of nothing." - Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
(I apologize for the use of the many, quite frankly, obnoxious Shakespeare quotes - I wish I could have at least found them myself, but I could only find my "Macbeth" book =( - however, after reading all of Zinzolin's dialogue, he just striked me as a quoting guy. I hope the quotes weren't too annoying.)
