Chapter six it is! Look at me, updating on time. *pats self on back*

Just a couple things to say... One, the last part of this chapter is about N! I figured I'd have a bit about him probably about every other chapter, and this time it's at the end. I'm also trying to keep my stuff with N and my stuff with White on the same timeline, so all this would be happening at the same time. If that makes any sense... which it probably doesn't. XD And second thing, I apologize if this one is odd. It's a little different from the other chapters, but after this one it should be back on track!

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 6: Disappointment

"Professor Oak?" I called, knocking on the door rapidly as I bounced on my toes in anticipation.

I hadn't exactly considered myself to be on a time limit but throughout the long flight to Kanto I realized there was a good chance I was. If I knew N as well as I thought I did most likely he would be hopping from place to place rather quickly, never staying in one area for very long. He wanted to observe the relationship between Pokémon and trainers and to get a good feel for it he would have to visit many different places. So the sooner I made it to the lab and got an answer the better.

The door to Professor Oak's lab creaked open, the professor himself poking his head out the door, a light blue nightcap perched on his head.

"White?" he croaked, opening the door the rest of the way and rubbing his eyes.

It was about one in the morning in Kanto, and I knew I was being a bit of a nuisance banging on his door that early in the morning. I just hoped that I hadn't woken up anyone else in Pallet Town. Especially Ash's mother, because she had a very fierce way of scolding people who awoke her, including getting her Mr. Mime to whack you with his broom.

"Listen I really need to ask you a question," I said, my words flying out so fast they almost melded together.

"What?" Professor Oak groaned, "Speak slower."

I chuckled. I had gotten to know Professor Oak very well over the few years since I had started my journey. It was his job now to take care of all of my Pokémon and so I made a habit of calling him every week to see how they were doing. During those calls we had chatted about various Pokémon related things and had gotten rather close. He was fascinated by Unovian Pokémon, and was overjoyed whenever I had a new one to send him.

"I just want to know if you've had any unexpected visitors stop by here lately," I said, my fingers crossed behind my back.

Oak gave me an odd glance before nodding. "I get unexpected visitors all the time, White. People drop in to see the lab when they stop by Pallet Town on their journeys."

I sighed, "Okay, you wouldn't happen to remember anyone by the name of, N would you?" I asked. My heart began to pound. This was it. My one lead I had gained from the Sages and it was the moment of truth to find out whether or not it was legitimate.

Professor Oak sighed. "I can't remember everyone's names, but I don't recall an 'N' stopping by."

I bit my lip, trying not to get discouraged. "Did you have anyone stop by who wanted to ask you about Pokémon-human interaction?"

I probably should have asked that question first because Oak straightened up with a defiant smile on his face. He sure took pride in some things.

"I may not remember names but I sure remember every conversation I've had about Pokémon!" he boasted. "And I don't remember a single person ever asking me about the interaction between Pokémon and people. That's a rather odd inquiry, why do you ask?"

Professor Oak may have been happy that he could remember whether or not he had had a conversation, but my world felt like it came crashing down. N hadn't been to Professor Oak's lab, at least not to talk to him anyway. The one bit of information I had gained had been wrong. Not only wrong, but perhaps miles away from the right answer as to where N had gone. I was probably not even in the right region and here I was hoping to find N at the lab. I had all of my hopes riding on that one fact from Zinzolin and now that it was proven to be a lie, I had nothing. Nothing at all.

"Woah, hey, what's wrong?" Oak asked, putting a hand on my back as I leaned forward and looked at the ground.

The entire time since N had left I had had my mind set on finding him, or at least contacting him. I had kept my hopes high and promised myself I would never give up or be let down. But with this one final crashing blow, reality hit me. I was no closer to finding him than I had been when he had left, almost seven months ago. It was like finding a needle in a never-ending haystack. It was impossible.

I could feel Oak's hesitancy as I didn't respond. He didn't know what was wrong with me, and I began to ask the same question to myself as I felt warm wetness sliding down my cheeks. What was wrong with me? On that doorstep I was a far cry from the person I had been. I was a strong person and trainer, not only the best in the region, but not someone to never give up. But now I was crying, like a weak child who had finally lost all hope. I was only a watery image of who I had been.

I wasn't sure if I was so upset because I couldn't find N; the most powerful trainer in Unova couldn't find a single person, or because I just wanted N back so badly. It was frustration and heartbreak all mixed into one and suddenly I couldn't cope with it.

"S-Sorry," I sniffed, quickly wiping my eyes and turning to leave, the Professor's hand falling from my shoulder as I jogged down the steps, tears still blurring my vision.

"White!" Oak called after me. I contemplated not stopping but as I heard the shuffle of his slippers on the concrete behind me I did. I didn't want to make him run.

He again placed a caring hand on my shoulder and turned me towards him.

He gave me a warm smile. As much as I saw Alder as a father figure I saw Oak as one too. They both took care of me, they both were there to answer my questions, and they were both there to make me not only a better trainer, but a better person. Even though I had only seen Oak in person a few times, I felt comfortable around him, and it was obvious he felt comfortable around me as well as he bent down so he was on my level and placed his other hand on my other shoulder as I continued to sniffle pitifully.

"I don't know exactly why you came here, White. And I don't know who that person was you were looking for, but I think I have a poem that might help you," he said, his face stretching into a grin.

The Professor was famous for his poetry, however I didn't exactly know how it was going to help me.

Oak cleared his throat. "Just like a Piplup, never give up."

It had to have been one of the worst pieces of Pokémon poetry I had ever heard and I think that was what Oak had counted on as my sniffles slowly turned into giggles and hiccups.

The Professor grinned. "White, whatever you're after, never give up. I saw how that attitude benefited you in the Unova league, and I think it will again this time."

I smiled up at him, wiping away the last remnants of tears and choked out another giggle before nodding.

He smiled, patting me on the shoulder before standing up. "How about you spend the night here? Then tomorrow you can see your Pokémon," Oak said, already walking back toward the still open door to his lab.

I took a deep breath and nodded, jogging to catch up with him.

He was right. All I needed to do was not completely lose hope. Even if I couldn't find N he had said that eventually he might come back. So even if I just continued on with my life one day he might just pop right back up. If I wanted to be the Champion of Unova, I couldn't let sadness over some boy get me down, even if that boy was N.

I sighed with a smile. It felt good to finally let the frustration out. Maybe now I could really focus on my goal.

0=0=0=0=0=0=0

"Hey N, look at this."

N peered back over the couch to where his Zoroark was slowly making his way over to his trainer, his eyes focused on a piece of paper in his hands.

N yawned, stretching and reaching out his hand to Zoroark. The dark type gave his trainer the newspaper and plopped down on the floor, watching N's face carefully.

The green haired boy was currently in a Pokémon Center room, taking a long deserved rest. Throughout his journey in Unova he had stopped in Pokémon Centers many times, most commonly to check up on White and get a chance to talk to her, but many times nonetheless. He had already traveled around the entire Pokémon center, talking to trainers and Nurse Joys, observing all he could about the place that held injured Pokémon. He had expected to learn more. All he saw was Pokémon trainers worriedly waiting for their sick Pokémon to heal and Pokémon that were slowly recovering. None of the injured Pokémon had anything new to say. N had stopped by numerous Pokémon Centers and all of the sick Pokémon seemed to say basically the same thing. That they would try harder next time.

It baffled N that Pokémon who were wounded in battle would be eager to get back into action. He would have thought the Pokémon would tell him exactly how much they hated battling because they were hurt, but instead they just seemed invigorated by it.

N read the paper carefully and his eyes widened. They were broadcasting a Champion's ceremony from Unova today, live.

N scrambled across the couch for the remote. This was a prime chance for him to get to see White. Her dream was coming true and N couldn't wait to see her happy smile on the TV.

"No, I don't think it'd be good to watch it," N's Archeops tsked, smacking the remote off of the couch just before N could grab it.

"Hey," N whined, reaching toward where it lay on the ground just in time for Archeops to pick it up in its talons and fly to the other side of the room.

N's Vanilluxe flew out of the way of the rock type as it whizzed by with a frightened jingle. On the other side of the room where Archeops was floating around, a smug and triumphant look on its face, were the rest of N's Pokémon. Carracosta and Klinklang were peacefully sleeping, whereas N's Vanilluxe was too shocked to move. Archeops had always been the reckless one of the bunch and inevitably, even from the time the ice cream Pokémon was just a Vanillite, it would always be in the way, getting smashed against a wall by the bird Pokémon.

Zoroark was still peacefully lying on the floor next to N, amused to watch the events play out, and Reshiram was still in his ball, too big to fit in such a small room.

"Oh come on, it won't hurt," N said, standing up and marching over to the bird.

N had had his mind set on releasing all of his Pokémon once he had left Unova, and almost had on a few occasions, but as he observed more and more he found himself hesitant to let them go. They seemed happy, and N would sure miss them.

"Yes it will," Archeops teased, zooming to the other side of the room, crashing into a lamp in the process.

N frowned and put his hands on his hips. It wasn't common for him to raise his voice around Pokémon but he sure was ready to. It was just TV, there was no harm in it.

"U-um, N."

A hesitant and high pitched voice broke through N's thoughts of malice and he turned to see his Vanilluxe floating next to him with a hesitant look on its face.

"Reshiram said i-it probably wasn't good for you to see her. He said for us t-to keep you in check when he wasn't a-around." The ice cream Pokémon's eyes were focused anywhere in the room but on N. It had always been a bit nervous.

N frowned. Reshiram had easily become the captain of the team when he had awakened from the Light Stone, and so all of N's Pokémon tended to listen to the large dragon with interest. All except Zoroark who tended to march to his own beat.

N rolled his eyes. Somehow even from his ball the white dragon had eyes on N and was still able to keep him from contacting White.

N wanted to talk to her, but it wasn't just Reshiram holding him back. He was nervous. He wasn't ready. Not yet. But watching a ceremony with her in it and talking to her on the phone were two completely different things. And he felt as if he was at least ready for the first.

"Oy, just let the boy watch it. Reshiram isn't here and we don't always have to listen to him. Plus it might keep the volume in this room down." Carracosta grunted from the other side of the room, opening one eye and glaring at the bird and the ice type.

Archeops sighed and rolled his eyes before tossing the remote down to N. "Fine. But if Resh gets mad, I'm blaming it on you."

The bird returned to its place by the large turtle and curled into a ball, falling asleep effortlessly as Vanilluxe tried its best to get situated in a chair much too small for itself.

"Thank you," N sighed, flopping back down on the couch and wiping Archeops' spit off of the remote before clicking the TV on. N perused the channels like a pro. He just hoped it wasn't over by now, since the battle for the remote had taken up a good chunk of the ceremony.

N sighed in relief as he reached the station and realized that the actual swearing in hadn't taken place yet. Actually White had yet to even enter the room. He relaxed into the couch, nerves still prickling in his stomach.

"~And now, welcome the soon-to-be Champion of the Unova region," a blisteringly loud voice announced.

N cringed at the volume before leaning forward in anticipation as the gigantic wooden doors at the side of the screen slowly creaked open. This was it, he was finally going to get to see her on something other than his X-transceiver. She was going to live out her dream and N wanted to be there cheering her on, even if he was regions away.

"~Iris Cuasorome!"

N froze as the doors revealed someone else. Iris. The Gym Leader. Not White.

"What?" N whispered to himself as a grinning Iris walked into the room, arm in arm with Alder.

"No, no no no no. What happened?" N whispered to himself, standing with a jolt and rushing over to the small kitchen table to grab his X-transceiver. Surely there was a missed message from White, explaining how this could be happening. There wasn't however and N began to panic. What had happened? He remembered White talking in her messages about living in the Champion's quarters. He remembered clearly how happy she was and her talking about the new Gym Leaders. He remembered her going out to search for Sages, and finding all of them, but nothing had ever been mentioned about her not becoming Champion. Nothing.

N leaned back into the wall and slid down to the ground, crossing his legs. He wracked his brain for any signal she had given that would have shown him that she wasn't going to be the Champion, but he came up dry. He knew it was her dream, and he couldn't think of anything that would surpass it.

"I-I'll just call and ask," N stuttered to himself. He realized she hadn't called in nearly three days, the longest gap yet by far and he suddenly wondered if she was alright. What if something had happened to her? What would he do then?

"Yeah, I'll just give her a quick call to make sure she's alright," he whispered to himself, his hand shaking so bad he nearly couldn't punch in the right numbers.

"Nope!"

The screech came only milliseconds before the X-transceiver was snatched out of his hands.

"Give it back! I need to know if she's alright!" N growled.

Archeops, again floating in the air with ease and a cocky smile shook his head. "Sorry, watching her on TV is one thing, calling her is another. I think Reshiram would have my head if he knew I let you do that."

N sighed and glanced back over to the TV where Iris was now standing facing the crowd and smiling, waving out to the people as the new official Champion. N knew his Pokémon were right. He shouldn't be calling her yet.

N sighed before leaning his head back against the wall and wondering to himself, 'What happened, White?'

So there it is! I hope you liked it! A sad White and a... sad N. And a stubborn Archeops. I like N's Vanilluxe, it's probably my fav character. lol!

Anyway, I actually have something important to say as the after note this time! Crazy right?

My good friend on here, Misty Ketchum97 is starting a podcast! A podcast is basically like a live chat that you record and then broadcast later, for those of you who don't know. Haha. And she's invited me to be a host along with another one of my good friends on this site! It will be a podcast about Pokemon and Fanfiction, among other things, but mostly just those two.

Anyway, why I'm saying this is because we need your help! We need to have discussions in the podcast so we can get the listeners interacted, and that's where I would love it if you came in! I'd love to hear some suggestions for topics to talk about!

Just a few examples given by the lovely Malory79080:

Discussion 1: Pokemon Fanfiction

Q 1: What are your favourite shippings, and why? (that's a pretty basic, starter one ;D)

Discussion 2: Pokemon Games

Q 1: Do you think that the older games (Red, Blue, Gold, Crystal, Emerald etc.) are better than the newer ones (Diamond, Black, X, Platinum)? Or do you think that newer ones are better?

Discussion 3: Legendaries

Q 1: Do you think Arceus is 'all that'? Many people think it's the supreme legendary, but is Arceus as good as we think?

Discussion 4: Pokemon X and Y

Q 1: Will there be a Pokemon Z? Many people think that Game Freak is very predictable, as they had anticipated that 'Pokemon Yellow' and 'Pokemon Platinum' would come out after the others. But could they be wrong, as they had predicted that there would be a 'Pokemon Grey' after B&W.

Those are just a few ideas, but we need some more! (Because we just love to hoard ideas XD)

So if you could please please please, if you have time, drop me a PM or a review with some questions I would legitimately love you forever. XD If you do, I'll give you an Eevee. Well... maybe not... but I'll give you a virtual one?! Lol.

Anyway, aside from that I sincerely want to thank not only my lovely reviewers last chapter, but anyone who read all the way through that! You deserve an award!

Thanks for reading that mess and have a great week! :D

-Poke-lover88