A/N

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry this took so long. To make up for it, I wrote a really long chapter! I honestly don't have any reason why this took so long, other than the fact I was experiencing a bit of writer's block, which happens a lot around this stage of any of my stories. Once again, I apologize for how long it has taken me to upload! :( I hope y'all can forgive me after this because I promise to do better on updating.

I'm going to start responding to your views in the author's note because I think its a good idea, don't y'all think?

jayfeather12345: awww thank you! I hope I don't make them a little too perfect for each other because I want them to be realistic, but I'm glad you like them :)

SilverWorld: haha sorry about taking forever to update! But thank you so much for the compliment, it means a lot to me :)

The other two people who updates, I'm pretty sure I send y'all a PM thanking you for the reviews. If not, thanks so much, I appreciate it!

Remember to review, favorite, or follow!

Shelby


Hide and Seek

Chapter Six

Someone was shaking me awake, and I groan loudly. Next thing is someone covering my mouth, which freaks me out. Instead of squealing and struggling, I slide my tongue across the person's palm. I crack an eye open to see Paul glaring at me with disgust as he whips his palm on the leg of his jeans. I end up giggling at him as I slide up and stretch my arms above my head and my legs out in front of me. One glance out of the window tells me that we are slowly descending over a forest.

"Attention passengers, we will be landing in about ten minutes. The seat belt light will be cut on when you should put those one and brace yourself. When I make the announcement to get your carry-ons, you may do so. Until that is given, you must stay in your seats to insure your safety. Once again, thank you for flying with us today, and I hope you enjoy your trip in the Unova region."

I grab a hair tie from my wrist and slip my blond hair into a ballerina bun atop my head; from my years of practice when I use to take dance. I rub at my blue eyes which are still heavy with sleep. I'm still exhausted even though I slept a good bit. Paul looks like he got a full eight hours in his own bed. How the hell did he manage that? I think to myself as we wait for the plane to land. The light cuts on and I hear the continuous noise of people clicking their seat belts into place. When the plane lands on the runway, my stomach gives a lurch from all the jerking that happens. But as soon as we get settled, I feel better.

I really don't like flying. Never have, and I probably never will. Even flying on Cashmere makes me want to puke, especially the landing. That's why I prefer to walk, or even swim. It makes me feel better to be at least close to the ground.

When we get connected to the airport, the captain gives us his final goodbyes and wishes. Everyone starts to immediately grab for their luggage, but Paul stops me when I try to do the same. "It'll be quicker if we wait for the others to get off first," he tells me.

At first I pout because I want to get off this plane as fast as possible, but of course he was right. With most of the people off, we got to grab our carry-ons much easier than before. To get off the plane is ten times easier than I remember because mostly everyone else had departed a few minutes ahead of us.

The airport inside is bustling with activity. People move around quickly trying to catch flights, and families try to keep their children under control as they head to their destinations. There's a couple of Timburr that walk around carrying luggage for a few people, but other than that it seems that Pokemon aren't allowed in the airport. Which makes a lot of sense the more I think about it because the place is already crowded enough. Paul and I are bumped around as we make our way to baggage claim.

Once outside, I lead Paul to the closest Pokemon Center. He raises his eyebrow at me quizzically at first, but lets me grab his wrist and drag him along with me. "We need to get rooms before the others do!"

He nods his head, a sign of praise for thinking ahead. Once inside, I drop my team off for the night, as does Paul. We both check into the same room, which houses two separate beds. Paul and I dump our bags on the floor before we both crash for a few hours.

Too soon, my alarm goes off which lets me know its ten o'clock. I get up and shake Paul awake. Once we've showered and gotten dressed, we head out to the lobby. Paul heads for Nurse Joy, but I grab his sleeve and head over to one of the numerous computers on the wall. I can feel Paul's eyes on me as I race over to the computer and turn it on. The computer hums to life and I make the video call to Hilda's phone. It rings, and then her face slowly fills the screen.

"Oh my gosh is that really you Aerin?!"

I smile back at my friend. "Yes, yes it is. How are you Hilda?"

"I'm doing wonderful! I've made it to Nacrene City, where I've been training my team against the Gym Leader. She's so tough, but I know I can do it."

"That's wonderful, Hilda!" I praise her. She appears like she's been doing well, no broken limbs or bruises from what I can see. In fact, this is the happiest she's look since I've known her. "What starter did you end up choosing?" But even I already know the answer to that.

"Osha!"

The water type starter for the Unova region, an Oshawott, jumps up from behind Hilda's back to lay over her shoulder. I smile and wave at little guy, who waves back enthusiastically. Yes, I knew this rambunctious little guy would be perfect for Hilda. Oshawotts were notorious for being a hyper ball of non stop energy; exactly like Hilda.

"I knew you would pick him," I tell Hilda.

She smiles back at me with a cheeky grin. "Oh, I knew it the first time I laid eyes on him. He's just so cute." she adds while pinching his cheek.

"Well, we're in Mistralton City right now," I say before she gives a quizzical look. "Oh, this is Paul," I motion to the boy standing off to the side with his phone attached to his ear. "I met him in Sinnoh, and he decided to travel with me over here. He's a trainer, just like you."

"And incredibly attractive," she says with a purr.

Oh dear sweet Jesus, not again. I think to myself as Hilda eyes Paul up and down. Hilda is your typical boy crazy teenager. She grew up in a town with only one other boy, who had a huge crush on Hilda's childhood friend, so whenever she sees a guy, it's like a Fearow sees a Caterpie. "Oh Hilda, calm yourself. Besides, he's taken."

Her eyes drop momentarily. "Well darn." However, her eyes brighten again. "Well, there are other Goldeen in the sea!"

I roll my eyes at her. "You haven't changed one bit, have you?"

"Nope!" she tells me with a shake of her head.

I laugh at her. "Okay, well Paul and I are going to fly out there today. You'll meet us when I give you a call?"

"Of course!"

"Great, see you in a few!"

The line cuts dead, and the screen goes black. I turn around to see that Paul is still on the phone. To save some time, I go ahead and pick up both his and my team from Nurse Joy. When I walk back over, he clicks his phone off and throws it in his pocket angrily. I hand him his team, to which he barely utters a thank you. I don't ask him what's wrong though; but I will later when he's cooled off.

Once outside, we head to the local restaurant to grab a quick breakfast. Paul still seems like he's pissed at the world. He doesn't speak to me, only to ask if we would be flying via Cashmere. Though the thought makes me sick to my stomach, I tell him yes. We pay and consult a map before deeming the course we shall take. I make sure Cashmere knows about which directions we'll take.

We climb aboard her back, and she takes off east towards Nacrene City. The sky is cloudy, with small burst of lightning off towards the north of us. I steer Cashmere away from the pocket; no need for taking risk.

"Isn't that a little strange?" I ask Paul as we coast through the clouds. "I don't remember there being any news about a thunderstorm."

"Me either," he shouts from behind me.

I shrug my shoulders and continue to guide Cashmere through the sky. However, the small pocket of thunder has gotten my interest. Not only do I not remember there being a report of potential storms, but it seems too contained to be natural. It could be a new Pokemon I've never heard of, or Zapdos releasing some unused energy. Who knows.

"So Paul, I never did ask you about yourself," I say after a time of silence between the two of us.

The clouds have all but evaporated due to the sun, which shines down on us with radiance. The Unova Region, surrounding a small island and lake, boasts a large amount of forest, unlike the other regions. The amount of water in the center of the region helps to create dense underbrush, along with a bountiful amount of creates to capture. No one knows what's on that island in the center; whenever people get too close, they somehow pass, or go through it and appear on the other side. Of course, folk lore has been passed down from generation to generation about the island, but no one knows if its true or not.

"Well, there's not much to know."

I turn my head to smirk over my shoulder at him. "Of course there is silly."

"I'm a very simple person," he says indifferently.

"Well," I respond laughing, "I still want to know some things about you. It only seems fitting if I know some of the basics, since we'll be traveling together, and all."

I hear him sigh loudly. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, what's your favorite color?"

"Really? Such a kiddy question Aerin."

I huff loudly. "No it's not! Someones favorite color can tell you a lot about them as a person. Mine is blue because it reminds me of the beach and of the sky, and because its a very calming color compared to the others. It's also said to represent freedom because both the sky and ocean are very boundless places. And, I like to think of myself as a pretty "free" person because I like to wander a lot."

Paul is quiet for a few seconds, before responding to, "My favorite color is white."

"White can symbolize purity, rebirth, or a blank canvas. The first two are self explanatory, but the blank canvas can mean a lot of things. It means you can make anything of yourself because there hasn't been a mark made, or it could mean that you haven't done anything to put something on your canvas," I tell him, trying to remember what I had read from one of my books in my house.

"I like the color white because it's a simple color. It doesn't demand attention, nor does it want to be the center of it."

"So, someone is shy?" I ask teasingly.

He blushes and looks off towards the horizon. "No, I just prefer to not be the center of things."

"That's funny because I'm not like that at all; I like being in the center of things. I learn more that way," I respond.

Now, I'm not the type of girl who likes all the attention on her, all the time. Sometimes I enjoy knowing that people are watching me at contests because it shows that I have something that captures their attention. But Paul, well he really surprised me. You would think that a guy who was so power driven and who wanted to be the champion wouldn't mind the spotlight on him all the time. But he doesn't, which is a surprise. I guess there is more to him than I originally thought.