Sorry! It's been a long time since I last updated! I didn't know what to write...

Anyway, enjoy!


Chapter Three: Can I Trust You?

"Come here, isn't that a rough place to sleep?" A voice came up right behind Touko. She snapped her head around, going to the location of the voice. Green hair. It was that green haired guy from before. His name was just a singular letter, right? It was...what was it?

What do you want? Touko broke free of his grasp, holding up the board.

"Very appropriate mannerism towards someone who is trying to care for your well-being." That man growled. Touko's mind racked for memories of this man's name.

A…B…C…D…

"Anyway, since I know you can't talk, just listen." He ordered like a prince.

E…F…G…H…

"To be frank and honest, you disgust me and intrigue me all at the same time. I don't know how it was even possible to win that fight this afternoon." He muttered.

I…J…K…L…

"You disgust me because you're a human and you imprison my friends in those tiny little Poké balls of yours."

M…N? No, that's can't be it… O…P…

"But you intrigue me on so many levels. I can only think of you as a 'rival' to me. And when I saw you sleeping on this bench, I knew you were going to catch a cold. And with you having a cold, winning against you would be no 'win' for me whatsoever." He continued, rambling on.

Q…R…S…T…U…V…Maybe it's X… Sounds epic…

"So, if you agree to liberate your Pokémon, I'll lend you my tent." The green haired man sighed.

W…Whoa, wait what?

Are you out of your mind? The bench is better. The girl growled mentally in her mind.

"I think you are out of your mind. There's no way you can spend the night at a bench. Just come on, stay in the tent." He snapped.

I won't liberate my Pokémon. Touko pouted. Tyson yawned, moving its spot on her lap. Touko finally remembered this man's name is N. N stood there in silence, thinking what to say next.

"Fine. Now come on." He grabbed her by the wrist. Touko resisted, pulling back her arm.

Don't touch me. Touko flashed the board.

"Stop using that board for right now. It's too dark to see anything, now follow me." N hissed, walking into the woods right behind them. Touko followed suit. They reached up to a little tent, far away from the city. N held up one side of the tent's opening for her, like a gentleman. She nodded, having no expression on her face. She walked inside the tiny, yellow tent. There was a lamp inside, so she took out her board.

So… Why are you being so nice to me? Or at least attempting to be?

"Didn't you hear a single thing I was saying before? I consider you as my rival. And as my rival, I can't let something happen to you." N sighed, taking off his cap. Touko did the same.

So very sweet of you. She rolled her eyes, slipping off her shoes. Tyson yawned once more, lying right between them.

"I know right?" He replied sarcastically, hating the feeling of talking to another human. "Anyway, I think you shouldn't be a trainer anymore." Touko's eyes widened, her face forming into something that looked like she was disgusted.

And why's that? She didn't want to stand another second to be with this man. But, she couldn't just decline his offer; especially when it had to deal with her well-being.

"One; you can't talk. What trainers have to do on a daily basis is barking out orders. What happened back there was just a fluke; it was your Oshawott attacking on its own free-will. That thing is going to happen every time you are going to battle, so are you really going to harm your Pokémon this way?" He spoke all at once, speaking way too fast at points.

Slow down. Touko looked away, avoiding eye-contact. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation with him, except he was the only one talking.

"Second; making Pokémon battle for entertainment and going against their will is just plain wrong. I've seen so many Pokémon abused and injured almost all of my life. I believe in a black and white world; where Pokémon and humans are separated for their benefit. So quit being a trainer before-hand, before all the pain and suffering goes towards both you and your Pokémon." N sighed, holding onto a Poké ball.

I can say that you're right at times, but I won't. She held up her board, quickly erasing it. You're a hypocrite. You tell me that when you have Pokémon of your own. Touko wrote in such a tiny font that N had to hold up to his face to read.

"I have Pokémon for my own reasons." He looked away, twisting the ball around and around.

And I have mine for my own reasons as well. Touko sighed, lying down.

"I see you have no room for reason then." N sighed, lying down.

Touko wasn't able to hear him, since she was already fast asleep. It was a long day for her; it was her birthday, she has her first Pokémon, had her first battle with a strange man, and is sleeping in the same tent as him. But, naïve little Touko didn't remember that she shouldn't trust strangers all too easily; especially this one, who was a man. He could've taken advantage of her, since she was sleeping and all. But N, being naïve as well, didn't know about 'explicit human contact'.

. . .

Touko's eyes opened slowly as the sunlight hit her face. She groaned, covering her face.

"Oh, you're awake?" A deep voice asked. Green hair covered the man's face.

Oh, that's right… She spent the night in the same tent as N…

The man lying right beside her groaned as well, stretching his arms and legs.

"You slept during the middle of our conversation. I can only guess you slept like a baby, correct?" He chuckled softly.

Yes, I had a wonderful dream about sweets. She pulled out her board. Her eyes still strayed from his.

"That's…lovely, I guess." N shrugged his shoulders. "Let me ask you something… Do you still have your heart set upon being a trainer?"

Of course, nothing will change my mind. She laid out the board near him, petting Tyson. She felt the corners of her mouth creep upwards slightly, but it was a failed attempt of a smile.

"Then come on, eat this and get ready." He threw her an apple, walking out of the tent. His hair was already tied up and, somewhat (?), brushed. She took a small bite at first, offering most of it to Tyson. She took the brush out of her bag and thoroughly fixed her hair. She held Tyson in one arm as she exited the tent. She remembered to grab everything that she owns out of the yellow tent.

N walked over and started to dismantle the tent. He folded it so neat, so carefully and with care, he held it out to Touko.

"Here, this is for you. I don't need this." He muttered, dropping the folded item in her hands. She nodded, putting it in her bag. "Alright… Oshawott is your only Pokémon, correct?" N asked. Touko nodded slightly, unsure where he was going with this. "Well, I think it's time to catch other Pokémon as well."

Catch? Touko tilted her head.

"Yes. You take an empty Poké ball and capture a Pokémon. I find the whole idea repulsive…" N groaned, holding up the red and white ball in his hand for an example. A Pidove hopped right on over, like on cue. "You send out your Pokémon…" He sent out his purple cat Pokémon from before. Tyson growled furiously at it, while the Purrloin hissed. "Weaken it. Purrloin! Use scratch!"

Touko watched as she saw the cat attack the small, grey bird. N held up that empty Poké ball from before in his hand.

"Throw your empty ball, and capture it." His voice sounded so cold. N truly despised this. He didn't want to beat up other Pokémon, like how a lot of trainers do; he simply wanted to help them. But, this was for the benefit of his mute rival.

The ball emitted a red light, making the Pidove disappear. The ball flung to the ground, landing with a soft thud. It shook to the side at least 3 times. It stopped shaking, meaning that he caught it.

"Wait for the ball to stop shaking to know for sure that you completely caught the Pokémon. When the ball stops shaking, then, that Pokémon is now yours." N sighed, holding up his newly caught Pokémon. Touko thought for a second that he was going to pass off the Pidove to her. But N wasn't that nice towards a rival; a human, nonetheless.

Thank you? She raised a brow. She already knew this, considering the fact that her father was a trainer, and she spent most of her life surrounded by his Pokémon and his lessons. But N didn't really know that, it was practically impossible to know that much about a stranger.

Suddenly, N's wrist started vibrating. He looked down at his watch when he saw the time. He had to leave.

"Goodbye." He remarked in such haste, running away.

Touko stood there, confused with the situation.

He was her 'rival'.

Yet he just helped her.

Rivals don't usually help other people.

Is N someone that she can trust so casually?

"Touko!" A whiny voice emitted, running towards the quiet girl. A woman dressed in bright colorful ran over to her and tackled her to the ground. Touko's eyes widened, too shocked to do anything. "Touko! Touko!" The strange woman wept, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry I ditched you!"

Bianca?


Sorry if this was a bit of a boring chapter. It was a bit of a filler/FerrisWheelShipping moment. Don't worry though! The next chapter will be much longer and include more characters! Plus, you'll get to learn something interesting! ( I won't give away any spoilers!)

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter!