The next day, Jirachi teleported Hilda and N to Striaton City. They walked around the city, looking for Cheren, Bianca, and Hilbert. They went near the gym, and just like magic, they had found them!
"Cheren! Bianca!" shouted Hilda happily as she ran up to her two friends.
Cheren and Bianca saw Hilda happily heading for them. Hilbert was there too, and he smiled at the sight of Hilda.
"Hey Hilda!" said Bianca. "Where have you been?"
"We've been looking all over for you!" said Cheren.
Suddenly, the trainer with black hair, the trainer with blonde hair, and the trainer with brown hair that wasn't Hilda all cringed as they saw N and Jirachi approaching them.
"Hey! Isn't that the guy that kidnapped you?!" asked Cheren as he pulled out two pokéballs.
"You again?!" complained Hilbert. "I hope you came to apologize!"
N made a sad expression as the three trainers, specifically Cheren and Hilbert, angrily looked at him. Hilda jumped in the way of N and Jirachi got in front of the green-haired male too.
"No! He came to apologize!" said Hilda.
N smiled in relief. Hilda had got his back. Cheren and Hilbert put down their pokéballs and Bianca smiled.
"That's right. I didn't introduce myself properly. My name is N!" said N happily. "I'm sorry about all of the trouble I caused."
"Nice to meet you N!" shouted Bianca excitedly.
"Thank goodness you apologized!" shouted Hilbert.
"But you're still kind of suspicious." said Cheren. "What have you been doing with Hilda?"
"I'll explain!" exclaimed Jirachi.
Jirachi explained everything about Hilda being N's girlfriend in the past. The star-headed Pokémon made sure to cover every detail possible. Once all the explaining was finished, Cheren, Bianca, and Hilbert understood everything.
"So, this is basically an alternate timeline?" asked Bianca who was visibly confused.
"Correct. N made a wish to bring Hilda back to life, and so I did what I was told." said Jirachi.
"Were we friends with Hilda in the previous timeline?" asked Cheren.
"Yes! But I don't think Hilbert met Hilda in the previous timeline… Nobody from the current timeline will have any memories of the previous timeline unless they are told. If another timeline gets created, then nobody will remember anything of what's going on now." Jirachi explained.
"So, if another timeline gets created, then we won't remember the current timeline?" asked Hilbert.
"That's correct! N has been keeping Hilda in his castle so she can be protected." said Jirachi.
"What's your real name?" asked Cheren.
N blushed and got all shy. "Oh! Well… My full name is Natural Harmonia Gropius… I think it's a bit difficult to call me by that name, so I just go with N." said N as he pulled his cap down over his blue eyes.
Hilbert burst into laughter. "Gropius?! That's your last name?!"
Hilda, Cheren, Bianca, and Jirachi frowned at Hilbert's comment. N began to cry.
"You're hurting his feelings!" shouted Hilda.
"No Hilda! It's okay!" said N as he wiped the thick tears away. "I guess that would be a normal reaction to my last name… Anyways, you three can still hang out with Hilda from time to time, but she will still live at my castle!"
"But isn't keeping her in your castle kind of selfish?" asked Cheren.
"Does she sleep in the dungeon?!" asked Hilbert who was visibly stressed.
"Not at all! N lets me borrow his bed and he sleeps on the floor next to the bed!" said Hilda.
"I can guarantee that Hilda is in good hands." Jirachi said. "You three don't have to worry!"
The five trainers stood silently for a couple seconds. Then N began to change the topic.
"Hilbert was it?" asked N politely. "Can I talk to you, alone?"
"Hm? You mean between us? Okay!" said Hilbert. "Cheren, Bianca, N wants to talk to me in private."
"In private?" asked Cheren suspiciously.
"That shouldn't be a problem!" exclaimed Bianca.
"Hilda, I need you to stay here with Cheren and Bianca. We'll be back!" said N.
"Oh… Okay!" said Hilda.
N walked up to Hilbert and grabbed his hand. The two went into a building near the gym. Jirachi's expression changed from happiness to worry.
"I wonder what N's thinking?" thought the white, yellow, and blue Pokémon.
The brown-haired girl's blue eyes glanced at Jirachi. "Is everything okay Jirachi?"
Jirachi's black eyes looked over at Hilda, moments before it smiled. "Everything's okay Hilda!"
In the boy's bathroom in a building, N and Hilbert stood near the sinks and had a conversation.
"Listen, I'm sorry about all of my suspicious behavior from when you first met me, but I was wondering, can I trade my Oshawott for your Snivy?" asked N.
"Huh?! What are you trying to say?!" asked Hilbert. "I choose Snivy and that's final! But… Then again… I kind of wanted Oshawott."
"It's a deal then!" exclaimed N with a confident smile.
"But why are you giving me your Oshawott?" asked Hilbert. "Let me guess, you were sorry about stealing the Oshawott from Professor Juniper's lab, so you want me to give you my Snivy so that way you can at least have a starter Pokemon through legal means, correct?"
N took his hat off and brushed his light green bangs out of his eyes. He then put his hat back on.
"Correct!" said the green-haired male happily. "I want to be forgiven. I feel like stealing is something they would do…"
Hilbert's thin, chocolate brown eyebrows went up. "Who?"
"Never mind! It's nothing!" shouted N. "Alright, let's trade."
The two male trainers then traded their Pokémon. N got Snivy and Hilbert got Oshawott.
"Hey N?" asked Hilbert.
"What is it?" asked N in confusion.
"I need to use the bathroom. Is it okay if you go on ahead and meet up with everybody?" asked the brown-haired male.
N's blue orbs blinked twice, moments before a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Sure!" N left.
Back outside, Hilda, Jirachi, and Bianca were happily having a conversation. N approached them.
"Hey N! We were just talking about the gym!" said Bianca.
"I see… Where's Cheren?" asked N.
"He just went inside to challenge the gym leader." said Hilda. She looked down at the ground sadly. "I was wondering, I know Cheren was eager to fight the gym leader, but I don't think I have enough Pokemon in my party right now…"
"Well what are you waiting for? Let's catch some more Pokemon!" said N as he grabbed Hilda's slim hand.
The brown-haired girl smiled happily. The green-haired male and his girlfriend took off. Jirachi and Bianca watched with happy smiles on their faces.
Hilda caught a Purrloin thanks to her Tepig while Bianca, Jirachi, and Hilbert, who got out of the bathroom, watched. N didn't really catch anything. He had tried to catch a Patrat, but it had popped out of the pokéball and ran away. Hilda told N that he could either use Snivy or Purrloin to help weaken the Patrat. But N refused. He said he "didn't want to hurt the Patrat."
"By the way, N, where'd you get that Snivy?" asked Hilda.
"I traded my Oshawott for Hilbert's Snivy. To be honest, I had never actually traded Pokémon before…" said N who had an amazed look on his face. He looked like he had been blown away. "It was actually fun! Now I know my Oshawott will be safe with Hilbert! Plus, his Snivy will be safe with me!"
"I know! Trading is fun!" exclaimed Hilda.
Bianca, Hilbert, and Jirachi went up to the two.
"That's great, Hilda! You caught a Purrloin!" shouted Bianca. "I think Cheren has one too!"
"I have a Purrloin also." N said.
After what seemed like twenty or thirty minutes of happy conversation, Cheren came out of the gym, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Hey guys! It looks like you're all having fun!" said Cheren. He was holding something in his right hand. It was the gym's badge. He showed it to everybody.
"You got the gym's badge!" shouted Bianca happily.
"Yep! Now then, I should be heading for the next gym." said Cheren as he put the badge away. "It was great to see you again Hilda!"
"It was great to see you again Cheren, and Bianca, and Hilbert!" said Hilda happily.
"Anyways, me and Bianca are going to challenge the gym leader." said Hilbert as he put his hands on his hips with a confident expression. "Come on Bianca!"
"Okay!" responded Bianca.
Hilbert and Bianca hurried towards the gym, and in a few moments, they went in. N smiled sweetly at Hilda.
"So, Hilda, do you want to challenge the gym leader once they're done?" asked N.
"I would love to!" exclaimed Hilda.
The two held hands for several seconds, moments before it started to rain on them. The two looked up at the sky and saw that the sky was dark and gloomy. They heard thunder.
"Oh no!" said Jirachi. "It's starting to storm!"
"Hilda, I think we should fight the gym leader tomorrow." said N.
"Why?" asked Hilda.
"Well, I battled the gym leader in the previous timeline before you were my girlfriend. There's three of them, but you only fight the one who has a Pokémon that has a type advantage against your starter. You have a Tepig, so you'll fight the gym leader who has a water type."
"I see." said Hilda. "Maybe I should wait until I get a grass type."
"That sounds like a plan!" said N. "Jirachi, teleport us back to my castle!"
"I'm already on it!" exclaimed Jirachi.
Jirachi teleported itself and the two trainers back to the castle.
Once it was nighttime, Hilda had gone to sleep for the night. N was up in the kitchen reading a book. Jirachi looked at N while floating above the counter that the green-haired male was using to read.
"It's getting late N. Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" asked Jirachi nervously.
N looked at the clock, moments before he closed the book he was reading. He gently put it on the counter.
"You're right Jirachi." The blue-eyed male said in a gentle tone. "Hilda is either asleep or she's waiting for us."
N and Jirachi went up to the bedroom door and opened it. N's blue eyes widened in fear at what he saw. Jirachi gasped.
Author's Notes
Cliffhanger time! What were N and Jirachi shocked about?! Find out when Chapter 4 comes out!