Chapter Fifteen - The Missing Champion
No city seemed to be more colorful than that of Nimbasa. Silver cobblestone walkways paved through the center of the town, curving smoothly around the brightly-lit Battle Subway station and rolling out of sight. It was not the cobblestones that stole the show, however, nor the Subway's neon-laced red and green banners flapping gently in the breeze. Instead, Rosa's eyes were drawn to the mosaic of rainbow-colored glass embedded directly into the sidewalks. The crushed-up bits of crystal shined delicately against the setting sun, reflecting their light on every surface like a disco-ball.
Down the street was the Pokémon center, and beyond, Rosa could see an array of tightly-squeezed buildings with modern windows. Folks focused on their business swarmed around her and Sal as they made their way through the town, but few spared the odd pair a glance.
"Are you gonna be alright, kid?" Sal asked, fingering the zipper of his leather jacket as his eyes swept the city.
Despite his insistence on escorting her back to town, Rosa had thought he'd put most of his worries aside. It had been a long week of defense training, and although she was far from perfect, Sal and his gang had passed her abilities off as "almost adequate".
Except Elliot, who, after his return from the hospital, had promised to make her his bodyguard if she decided being a trainer wasn't for her.
"I'll be fine." She soothed, swinging her bag more tightly over her shoulder as she tossed him a smile. It had been a long time since she'd seen her father, but if he was around, Rosa imaged he would be a lot like Sal. "I've been fine on my own up to this point, haven't I?"
He nodded and tightened his enormous shoulders. "Of course you have. You're one of my gang, I'm not worried about you at all. But if something does happen, I've programmed mine and Elliot's information into your Xtransceiver. Shoot us a call anytime. And I've slipped you a bit of extra pocket money, so spend it if you get hungry. I know you're stubborn about your finances, but if I hear you're not eating, I'll kick your butt. Oh, and it's getting colder, so make sure you buy yourself a decent coat. That jacket you like wearing isn't worth crap."
Rosa rolled her eyes, but jumped up onto her tip-toes to wrap her arms around Sal's neck. It was difficult because he was so tall, but then his burly arms tightened around her middle and he lifted her up so they were the same height. She gasped as her ribs crushed into uncomfortable positions.
"You come back and see us, 'ya hear? Anytime."
He dropped her back onto the concrete, and she wobbled a little trying to find her footing. "I will. Be careful traveling back to the desert."
The wild-looking man ruffled Rosa's hair, and as they stepped away from each other and Sal disappeared through Joint Avenue's gateway, Rosa felt her heart squeeze. As strange as her time in Desert Resort had been, she was going to miss that rugged gang leader.
"Oh my goodness, Rosa?! Is that you?"
Hurried footsteps sounded behind her, and Rosa barely had time to turn around before a slim body rammed into her chest. There was a warm breath on her collarbone as thin arms curled around her neck and tugged on her hair, and as she struggled to pull away, Bianca giggled. "It's been over a month since we saw each other in Castelia, can you believe it? I've missed you so much! How have you been? And who was that man you were with? He seemed so scary!"
Was it possible for her grip to be stronger than Sal's? "I'm great." Rosa rasped, shoving the girl away to make room for her lungs to expand. Bianca's mushroom hat tipped slightly as the broke apart, but the assistant didn't adjust it. She just grinned girlishly and leaned in to smudge some of the dust from Rosa's cheeks with her fingers.
"Ugh, you are an absolute mess, Rosa." She scolded, licking her fingers as she smoothed away more sand. Rosa cringed at the feeling of warm saliva against her skin, but she didn't pull away. "I know you probably just came from the desert, but this is disgusting. Don't you care what you look like at all? And you smell like old men!"
"I was out there for a long time, and I haven't had a chance to shower yet." Rosa protested. "It's not like I have a lot of time for grooming when I'm trying to train."
Bianca huffed. "Taking care of yourself is always a priority. You're a beautiful girl, but you run around looking like . . . like this, and I suddenly remember why you're single!"
Rosa closed her eyes and ran a tired hand through her hair. The brunette strands did feel unusually tangled and gritty, but it wasn't like she was looking to impress anyone. Besides, she had more important things to worry about.
Like Team Plasma, and whether Bianca had spoken to Professor Juniper about their suspicions concerning the break in.
She opened her mouth to ask, but just then the assistant heaved a sigh. Perhaps she sensed that Rosa wasn't in the mood to be scolded, because instead of trying to wash away more grime, Bianca entwined her arm with Rosa's and started strolling down the square.
"You know, you look even stronger than the last time we met." Bianca mused as they walked towards the second half of town. It was still early morning, so many of the businesses were just starting to open, but they didn't stop to window shop. Instead, Rosa trained her eyes on the glittering swirls of glass under her feet. "But there's a lot more to Pokémon than just battling. Did you know that here in Nimbasa, they have a place for Pokémon to perform in musicals? It's a beautiful theater, with hundreds of tourists coming every day to watch. A lot of people consider performing a respectable business. Maybe you'd like it more than training."
Was she seriously suggesting what she thought she was? "Bianca, I'm not interested in dressing my Pokémon in frilly outfits and letting them strut around a stage. They've got too much potential for battling, and Zaveid would literally kill me."
She swiped at a bit of sand sitting dangerously close to her eye. "If you're hoping to go watch, then I'd be happy to go with you, but we're perfectly content shooting for the league. Besides, that's not even important right now. I'm a lot more concerned about Team Plasma, and I wanted to ask you-"
Bianca tilted her head and gasped. "Not important? Rosa, how could you say that? A lot of people care about musicals, and contests, and other elegant things. How would you know your Pokémon would hate it if you never even give it a chance? Your Riolu is beautiful. She would be radiant on a stage."
"Anna is a Lucario now."
"Even better."
"And she's vital to my team."
"She would still be a part of your team; you'd just be doing something different."
Rosa suppressed a groan and tilted her head back in exasperation. Why did it matter so much? Bianca had never had a problem with her being a trainer in the past. "Why are you so worried about it?"
Bianca stopped by the rainbow-colored gate outside Nimbasa's amusement park. A look of frustration creased her delicate brows as she tugged her arm away from Rosa's, and her emerald eyes flashed. "I just don't get you. You could be an amazing coordinator, or a breeder, or anything else, but all you worry about is working you and your Pokémon to the bone. You don't care about anything aside from chasing Team Plasma down the block and becoming champion, even though there are plenty of other career options available.
"No matter what me or anyone else tells you, you're still determined to do whatever you want. Touko was the same way, and look where she is now. Dropped off the face of the earth, she and all her Pokémon, without so much as a note of goodbye to her best friend!"
Rosa stood still with her mouth agape, completely shocked, but Bianca wasn't finished. "If she'd have just stepped down from her champion position, or left Team Plasma alone like I'd told her too, then maybe she would still be here! But no, she had to be exactly like you! Hard headed, stubborn, completely convinced she could take on the world. She chased Plasma around until their organization fell to its knees, but the next thing I know, she's vanished like she never existed."
The assistant squeezed her eyes closed and let her face fall into her hands. Waves of erratic emotions cascaded off her as the girl paced back and forth and breathed deeply, but as much as Rosa wanted to reach out to her, her feet remained rooted in place.
Until she calmed down, Bianca was beyond reach.
"It's not worth it, Rosa." Bianca finally whispered, crossing her arms tightly against her small chest. "I know what you want to ask me, but being a hero isn't worth it. You need to just leave them alone."
Feeling somewhat braver, Rosa reached out and touched the girl's arm with her dusted fingers. She felt stupid for not realizing that Champion Touko and Bianca had been friends before, but then again, how could she have known?
"I'm not trying to be a hero, Bianca."
Rosa wrapped her slender fingers around Bianca's porcelain-hued elbow and turned her around so they were facing each other. Bianca's eyes were still hard. "I just want to understand. What do you know about Touko? Who told you she'd disappeared? Everyone else thinks she's in Johto."
Bianca scoffed, but it sounded more distressed than scornful. "How could I not know? Touko, abandoning her position as champion to run away to Johto? What a load of trubbish."
"Then what really happened?"
The assistant sighed, and her emerald eyes darted around the busy street to glare pointedly at curious passerby. For the most part, people had been making a wide arch around the two arguing girls to try and avoid them, but any lingering ears scurried away when they were met by Bianca's irate glare.
"Two years ago, Touko was in the same boat you are. Team Plasma was growing dangerously active around the region, and she and Cheren were determined to root them out. They wrestled them at every turn, and when their leader, Ghetsis, overtook the league and revealed their castle built beneath, it was she who went inside to take them down.
"There was no one else with her, but in the end, Touko was strong enough to defeat Ghetsis and his overpowered puppet, N. The former got away, but Plasma's entire organization fell apart."
If only it had stayed that way.
"Things seemed to fall into place after that. Touko took her position as champion, N realized his mistake and left on a journey, and Unova moved on. Everything was normal."
Bianca looked out towards Nimbasa's mammoth-sized ferris-wheel, her fingers fidgeting absentmindedly. "Three months after she'd become champion, Touko disappeared from her bedroom without a trace. There was no sign of a struggle, no resignation from her position, nothing. She was just gone. Her Pokémon too. All of us – Cheren, me, her family, and all the gym leaders and elite four members – searched everywhere, and did everything we could to get in contact with her. I even became Professor Juniper's assistant in the hopes of traveling the region to find her, but even two years later, no one has found anything."
Shock at the girl's last statement rocked Rosa's system, and she had to consciously close to mouth to keep it from hanging open. Bianca had always been so proud of her position as an assistant. The girl practically worshipped Professor Juniper.
But rather than do it for her own pleasure, she was working to find her best friend. It was almost unbelievable.
"Three guesses who it was." Rosa growled. "You said Plasma's leader escaped."
Bianca didn't look so sure. "I've always suspected them, but there isn't any evidence supporting it. We've never found a body."
Taking Bianca's hands, Rosa dragged her across the square to a nearby park bench. The sound of people screaming on the roller-coaster in the distance echoed through the buildings and off the cobblestones, but the two ignored the high-pitched squeals as they sat themselves on the metal seat.
If Touko took down Plasma, it would only make sense for them to strike back at her. She ruined their plans, their dreams, and took away their victory. Kidnapping didn't seem so extreme, especially considering they'd once tried to overtake the entire region.
She only had to trust that the former Unova champion was still alive.
"Bianca, this only means we have to work harder to take them down. If we find their leader, then maybe we can find Touko."
The assistant vigorously shook her head. "No, I don't want you involved anymore. It's dangerous, and I can't lose you as well."
Why did Bianca care about her so much? It wasn't as if they were friends. "But what if Touko's out there somewhere? What if she's locked away in a cell, barely hanging on, and we have the chance to free her? Don't you want to do everything you can to find her? Don't you want your best friend back?"
"Stop it Rosa, of course I do." Bianca hissed in the deadliest tone Rosa had ever heard come out of her mouth. "But we're talking about messing with an organization that potentially murdered the champion of Unova. You want to know what they stole from the lab that night over a month ago?"
An answer formed in Rosa's throat, but Bianca plowed right over the top of her. "An ancient artifact sent to Professor Juniper from the Sinnoh region. She was partnering with Professor Rowan in an extensive research project, but Juniper confirmed our suspicions after I told her of our conversation in Castelia."
"Do you know what exactly the artifact was?"
"No. And I wouldn't tell you if I knew."
Rosa leaned forward in the bench and put her head in her hands. There was so much information running through her head at one time, it was difficult to sort through.
Massaging her forehead with her fingers, she asked, "Are you going to try and stop me, Bianca?"
The girl looked taken aback. "From what? From searching for them? I can try."
"I really wish you wouldn't."
"And why's that?"
Rosa lifted her head to smile at her. "Because I am going to find the leader of Team Plasma. And after I've ruined him and destroyed his ludicrous organization for good, I'm bringing Touko home."