Admittedly, finding Team Plasma in a city this big seemed impossible. There were so many buildings and even more floors to each building. Even with Bianca taking half the city, it could take the whole day to even come across a lead to them.

Sighing, I began to walk to the far part of the city, heading up and down every row of buildings. I walked into a few of the buildings I passed, mostly finding restaurants. Even though I knew little about Team Plasma, I assumed it was fair to say they wouldn't be hanging out in a restaurant.

Shaking my head, I continued down the street. I reached the very heart of the city and stopped for a while, looking around. People continued to bustle passed me, tossing half-hearted greetings my way. I rolled my eyes and took a seat on the closest bench.

I slumped back and crossed my arms over my chest. Why were hey always around? And why did the trouble they cause always have to involve me? I just wanted to go on a journey and make new friends. Not be involved in some criminal plans and become the hero of the world.

I thought back to Bianca and how she told me I would become something great. I hadn't believed her then, just taking her words with a grain of salt. But now it seemed like I was being forced into a role of greatness, and I wasn't sure if I could live up to it.

Before I had time to dwell on these thoughts, screaming from a nearby street distracted me. I stood to my feet and sprinted there immediately. At the end of the very last street, I saw two team rocket grunts facing someone and they seemed to be in a heated battle.

"I told you to get out of my city!" The man yelled, stepping closer to the grunts.

They laughed, "If that's what you want, make us!"

After that they turned and ran into one of the buildings across the street. I hurried to close the distance between me and the man they were yelling at.

"Excuse me!" I walked right up to him, "What was that about?"

"That? Oh. That's team plasma ignoring my demands to get out of my city." He growled.

I tilted my head a little to the side in confusion, "Why would they listen to that? They're an evil organization."

"And I'm the gym leader of this town." He replied, "And it's my job to get rid of them."

"Oh!" I cried, "Forgive me. I wasn't aware. But please, do allow me to help. They've stolen my friend's pokemon and I'm determined to get them back."

"The help would be greatly appreciated," He replied, "They're hiding out in there."

"Thank you!" I turned on my heels and sprinted across the street and into the building the gym leader had indicated. It was, obviously, the same building the two grunts had run into earlier.

The doors before me slid open with ease. Nobody was in this room. It had a few chairs a desk and an elevator on the far wall. With a deep breath, I crossed the room and entered the elevator clicking the Up button, seeing as it didn't offer me buttons with floor levels.

The elevator doors slid shut before the whole thing shuttered to a start. It moved smoothly up before halting abruptly, dinging and opening the doors. I stepped off the elevator only to be swarmed by people in Team Plasma uniforms.

"What are you doing here?"

"How did you know where to find us?"

"Hand over your pokemon and we'll let you go in peace!"

They all yelled different things to me at the same time and I found it hard to figure out what any of them were saying. Finally, I took in a deep breath.

"Hey!" I yelled, successfully quieting all of them, "I am not about to give you anything. In fact, you guys will be giving me some answers along with giving back all the pokemon you've stolen."

One of them stepped forward, chuckling, "That's some pretty big talk for such a small girl."

I crossed my arms over my chest, "Unlike you guys, though. I've got some bite to back up my bark."

"Well then. Let's battle and see whose bite is biggest."

He stepped back and released a Trubbish. I wasted no time in sending out my Blitzle, prepared to take on the opponent.

"You're going to never wish you took me on," He growled, beginning to fight.

I smirked, "Actually, you have it backwards. But nice try."

We battled for a few minutes before my Blitzle made the final blow on his trubbish. He growled, returning it to his pokeball and stepping back. Before I had a chance to ask any questions, the next grunt stepped forwards, releasing his pokemon.

It continued on this way. I had to fight and defeat all twelve of them in a row before I even had a moment to speak. Finally, however, they all stood opposite me with their faces a mask of complete shock.

"How…?"

I stepped forwards, facing the man who had first fought me. He seemed to be the leader of the group, "You owe me some answers. And some pokemon."

He went to take a step around me, along with the rest of his crew, by my pokemon were all lined up behind me, blocking their only exit.

"First, return to me every pokemon you have stolen." I demanded, staring them down.

"And why should we do that?"

Lilipup stepped forward from the line, a low growl escaping him. They all stared at my pokemon before hurriedly pulling out different pokeballs and handing them over to me.

"Is this all of them?" I asked. They nodded. "Good, now for some answers. What is your aim?"

"We're going to liberate pokemon! They don't deserve to be with awful trainers who abuse them and only use them as tools!"

"For the last time!" I yelled, stepping closer to him, "I do not and will not iever/i abuse my pokemon. Do they look abused or unhappy to you? If they were, I would let them go. You stealing pokemon from people who love them is the crime here!"

He chuckled, "You have quite the attitude, don't you?"

I ignored him completely, "And what do you do once you have separated people and pokemon? What then?"

"Then?" He smiled, "Well, that's for us to know, isn't it."

"You really have some nerve. To be so cocky against me when you have no defense is really something." I muttered.

His smile turned into an evil smirk, "Well, I'd tell you. Really, I would. But that's not my place. There's someone else who's been waiting to tell you everything. So just keep on your current track and you'll get your answers soon enough."

i"Just keep on the track you're on. Your answers will come soon enough."/i

N's words echoed in my head. I let out an agitated breath. Was N really involved with this?

The elevator behind me dinged before the doors slid open. My pokemon scattered, all running to my side. I turned in time to see the gym leader step off the elevator.

"Thank you for your help. I'll take them from here." He smiled at me, giving me a curt nod of approval.

I nodded back, knowing that arguing with him would be futile. I took a quick moment to place all the pokeballs of stolen pokemon into my backpack and return all my pokemon to theirs before exiting the building and hoping that I'd never have to deal with those infuriating idiots again.

Once exiting the building, I leant back against it, hands resting atop my head. Slowly, I pulled out my Xtransciever and called Bianca.

"Hey," I mumbled, "I have your pokemon. Meet me right by the…" I trailed off, looking around for something she could easily find. The gym sign glowed brightly right across from me, "By the gym, okay?"

She nodded before the line went dead. Slowly my legs began to give out and I slid down towards the ground. Once I reached the ground, I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

I was a mixture of frustration and defeat. It seemed like there was no way to get myself out of the Team Plasma trouble. I was in so deep now that the only way to escape was to defeat them and end their plans once and for all. And of course, I'd be lying to say that I was terrified by that thought.

I could fear tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to cry. I was strong. I had to be. To be involved in such a huge ordeal meant that I couldn't be weak and indulge myself in my fears. I had to work past them and become tougher.

"White!"

My head shot up at my name and I saw Bianca running towards me, "Hey." I slowly pushed myself off the ground, dusting off my legs and shorts. She reached me and I pulled my backpack off, opening it, "In here. All these pokeballs are pokemon that Team Plasma stole."

"Wow," She whispered, digging through the find the ones that belonged to her, "And you got them all back? That's amazing, White."

I shrugged, "I couldn't let them keep all of them! What they're doing is wrong."

"You know this is what I mean, right?" She asked after a moment, looking into my eyes, "You're already doing great things. White, you're going to change this world."

"Don't say that," I whispered, looking away, "You don't know that."

"I do, White. I really do." She replied, rubbing a hand on my arm.

I shook my head, refusing to look up at her. Everything around me seemed to be happening so fast and I felt like I would soon be lost in all the drama. I knew I had to be strong and confident in order to stand out and make it through with my sanity in tact.

"Young lady," A strong voice came from behind me and I jumped, "Thank you."

I turned to see the gym leader standing besides me, the members of Team Plasma being led away by police officers, "It was nothing. Really. I'm glad I could have helped."

"You did more than help. You got them to give me some crucial answers. You are a great person. What is your name?" He asked, smiling down at me.

"White," I replied quietly.

"I'm Burgh," He replied, "It's nice to meet you, White. And thank you again."

He began to walk away and for a moment, I let him. But then I realized that he couldn't leave just yet, "Wait, Burgh!" I cried.

He stopped and turned to face me. I held out my backpack, still full of pokeballs, "These are all the stolen pokemon. I was able to recover them from Team Plasma. But I would have no idea how to go about giving them back to their owners."

"Wow," He breathed, an expression of anger crossing over his face as he looked at the large amount of Pokeballs, "Alright. I'll take them. Are you collecting the badges, White?"

"Yes," I was a little taken aback by the suddenness of his question.

He smiled as he took all the pokeballs out of my backpack and cradled them in his arms, "Well then, I look forward to our meeting in the gym. Please, don't keep me waiting."

"I won't."

With another short nod, he walked off towards the gym and I let out a slow breath. Bianca stared at me. I finally looked away from the empty street and over at her,

"What?"

"I'm honored to be your friend, White. And you will change the world. Just, take my word for it."

I sighed, "If you say so. Just, take good care of them," I motioned towards her pokemon.

"I will. I'm going to become stronger so that I can fight for myself now and not rely on you and other people to save me." She clutched her pokeballs closer to her body before walking away, waving to me over her shoulder.

I sighed once she had got out of sight, looking down to the pokeballs that hung around my waist. Team Plasma's words were bothering me. It wasn't that I was worried that maybe I did abuse my pokemon, because I knew I didn't. I loved my pokemon and they knew that.

What bothered me was the fact that they thought people really did abuse their pokemon. I couldn't fathom where they got that idea. It was true that I hadn't finished my journey, but still. Everywhere I had been I had met people and pokemon who loved each other and worked together wonderfully. It just made me wonder where they had been for all this time.

I brushed the thoughts out of my mind and began to walk around the town again, looking for something to do. I passed a building that for some reason caught my attention. As I walked in, I saw two people standing and facing the door.

The young boy on the left advanced a little, eyes locked on me, "Bark! BARKBARK!"

I stumbled back a step or two, unsure of what to do. The girl on the right stepped forwards, "Oh my. It seems that he likes you."

"Uh…?" I looked between the two, unsure of what to do.

The boy barked again, running to my side. In a moment, he morphed into a small dog-like pokemon, "Oh! I cried. "A Zorua! I've only heard about these. I thought they were very rare and hard to find!"

The girl walked up to me, a smile on her face, "They are. And this one here doesn't tend to like anyone. But he's taken a liking to you. You are a trainer, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well then," She placed a pokeball in my hands, "Please do take him with you. I think he'd love to go on an adventure with you."

"Really?" I asked.

She shook her head a little, "Ask him."

I knelt to the ground, "What do you say? Would you like to go with me on this adventure?"

He barked again, jumping into my lap. I smiled and stood up, cradling him in my arms, "Well then, welcome to the team, Zorua!"

I thanked the girl before heading out of the building with my new friend in my arms. For a moment, I forgot about all the trouble Team Plasma was getting me into. I had made a new friend and my mood was improving again. I couldn't give up. There was still so much I needed to do.