This is my personal favourite chapter out of anything I've ever written. I really hope you enjoy this as a huge amount of thought and effort has gone into it. It's quite strong in the feeling department, so brace yourself for an epic tale. Feedback is appreciated. Thank you.
This chapter contains multiple references to my previous story 'I Don't Remember'.
After a bit more crying, Leaf begins to calm down somewhat.
Hugo is now sat with her at the edge of the hill. Brock, Misty and Dawn are standing over them. Hugo keeps trying to get a glance over at the picnic blanket of food behind them, but his three friends are deliberately blocking his view of it.
"This is torture for him." Dawn smirks as she whispers to Misty.
Leaf sits up straight. "You left me. You know that? You left me all alone."
"I did?" Asks Hugo, confused.
"You know what I've been doing every single day since the day you left?" She quizzes him.
Hugo shrugs. "Ballet practise?" Brock instantly bursts out laughing at his friend's stupid remark, ruining the emotional moment.
"NO! I've been searching for you! Every single day! For over three years!"
"WHAT?!" Hugo is shocked by this.
"You left me this note. I held onto it ever since." She explains.
She reaches into her backpack and grabs a folded up sheet of paper. It's very creased and has clearly had water spilt on it at least once, but Hugo is just about able to read it.
'To Leaf
I'm very sorry to be writing this, but by the time you've read this I'll be gone. I can't confirm when I'll be back, or even if I ever will be. Something's seriously wrong with Hubert. He's been possessed by the dangerous pokémon Oblistrum. I need to get away, because my presence in the village is putting everyone else's lives in danger.
I must plead with you to stay away from Hubert no matter what. He will try to keep to himself. Please allow him to do so. He's a very dangerous man.
I know things are very difficult for you, and I'm really sorry that I won't be there. But you are a strong woman and I believe in you. You can get through this. Stay strong, and give it your all.'
From Hugo.'
"What IS that handwriting? Are you mentally retarded or something? My grandma can write neater than that and she's dead!" Misty remarks.
"Geez, someone's clearly on her period..." Brock jokes in his usual sexist manner, receiving a punch to the face from Misty.
"Ok, I get it." Hugo says as he makes a pathetic attempt to fold up the paper. "So you lived in the village?"
"Well, not exactly..." Leaf explains. "It's a long story..."
(Thirteen years ago, just outside the Village of Giants, Sinnoh)
Within her secret, underground layer lives a notorious criminal across the pokémon world. Her name is Sarah. A tall woman with long, brown hair. She wears high heels and a bright red dress as if she's about to go out on a date. Her fiery brown eyes have a constant look of evil within.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Sarah screams in anger. "SHE'S A LITTLE BRAT! LET'S JUST GET RID OF HER!"
"B-but my dear, sh-she's only six years old. She's a little kid. She doesn't know what she's doing." Replies her husband, sounding absolutely terrified and very nervous.
"ARE YOU CHATTING BACK TO ME?!" Sarah sounds even angrier.
"N-n-no, dear. I was merely advising y-you..." He lies.
"Good. Because if you were, that was the last straw."
Just then, they receive a knock on the living room door.
"Empress Sarah, we have an issue." A woman in a uniform tells her. The uniform consists of totally black clothing. A black collared shirt, black trousers and black shoes.
"Right away." Sarah replies. She leaves the room to discuss the matter, closing the door behind her.
Leaf is left alone with her father sat on the sofa together.
"L-leaf, my little princess." He smiles at her. "Such a sweet little girl."
"Daddy, what's Mummy angry about?" Leaf asks.
"Don't worry about that, sweetie. But I need you to make me a promise. And you can never break it, at least until you're big and strong."
"What's that, Daddy?"
"Listen to your mother. No matter what she asks of you, do it. And don't question it. Even if you think it's wrong."
"But what if I don't want to do bad things, Daddy?"
Leaf's father is visibly upset. Tears form in his eyes. He puts his hands on both of his daughter's shoulders.
"Leaf. You mean the world do me. Please do what your mother asks and you will be safe. If you go against her word bad things will happen."
"Okay Daddy, I promise." Leaf replies with a cute little smile.
Leaf's father manages a weak smile. "Ok, darling. Daddy has to go now. He won't be coming back. So it's just going to be you and Mummy from now on."
This statement came out of nowhere, and for little six-year-old Leaf it's the worst news she could ever hear.
"But Daddy – where are you going? Daddy?! DADDY?!"
"I'm sorry sweetie – I'll always love you!" He gives her one last smile as he closes the living room door, which is effectively their front door, and locks it from the outside.
"NOOOO! DADDY! DON'T GO! DADDY! NOOOOOO!" Little Leaf bursts into tears, screaming and shouting. She slams on the wooden door with her little fists, desperate for him to come back.
In the distance, angry shouting can faintly be heard.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE, HAROLD?! I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO-"
"FUCK OFF YOU EVIL COW! I'M SICK TO DEAF OF LIVING THIS WAY! YOU CANNOT ABUSE ME ANY MORE! YOU FORCE ME TO GET MARRIED AND HAVE A CHILD, THEN YOU DECIDE YOU NO LONGER WANT THIS CHILD AND ABUSE HER TOO! YOU'RE SICKENING AND YOUR CRIMINAL ORGANISATION IS ABSOLUTELY SATANIC! I'D RATHER DIE THAN PUT UP WITH THIS FOR ONE MORE DAY!"
"HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME! GO AND BURN IN HELL! GUARDS, KILL HIM!"
A loud bang can be heard, and then the shouting stops.
Leaf leans against the door, tears streaming down her face.
"Daddy. Come back. Please Daddy."
(Five years later)
"Oi! Get back here, ya little rascal!"
That phrase is all too familiar to young Leaf, now eleven years of age. For the last five years she's had to survive this way. An angry resident of the village is chasing her as she carries as much food as she can while running away. She's much faster, and soon enough she's lost him. She makes her way into a quiet alleyway, checks that the coast is clear, and pauses to catch her breath.
"Wow, you're fast!" A voice tells her from up above. Leaf glances upward, just in time to see a young boy with a small pokémon jumping off the roof of a one story building. He lands at the end of the narrow alleyway, unintentionally blocking Leaf's way so she can't escape.
"Have you ever tried climbing buildings? It's super fun, although Uncle Eric gets mad if he catches me doing it." The boy tells her happily.
"I-I need to go. Excuse me please." Leaf tells him. She shoulder barges past him and runs away as fast as she can.
"Oh..." Says the young boy. "What's up with her?" He wonders aloud.
"Shiiiinx!" Cries his partner.
(One month later)
Leaf is once again running away, carrying both food and water scooped up in a small metal cooking pot. She reaches the outskirts of the village, looks around, and sees nobody. She catches her breath, but this time, instead of continuing, she has a breakdown.
Leaf lies on the floor sobbing loudly. She's so busy sobbing that she doesn't notice someone approaching her.
"Shiiiinx!" the pokémon's cry makes her heart jump a thousand miles. She's been caught!
"Please, please let me go! I'm just trying to survive!" She weeps as she grabs onto the person's leg. When she finally looks up to make eye contact, she sees that it's the same young boy as before.
"Hi. Uh… what's wrong?" The boy asks.
"I-I can't talk to you." Leaf tells him.
The boy looks puzzled. "Well I don't see why not. And there doesn't seem to be a single person within a mile of us, so nobody's here to stop you anyway." He gives Leaf a warm smile that reminds her of the kindness she used to receive from her father.
"Me and Shinx got a bit carried a way with our game of tag, hahaha. Shinx is pretty hard to catch since I have to crouch down to tag it." He says, explaining why they're out here alone.
"T-tag? What is that?" Leaf asks curiously.
"What?! You don't know how to play tag?! Really?"
"N-no." Leaf tells him, sitting up. "I don't know much of the outside world."
Hugo looks puzzled. "Is that why you're always stealing people's food?" He asks rather casually.
"You don't understand!" She tells him. I don't want to do it! I hate doing it!"
"But your parents won't buy you enough food, huh? They say your appetite is ridiculous and you're always hungry? Haha." Hugo assumes that Leaf is just like him.
"I wish!" Said Leaf. "My mother says if I want food and drink I have to get it myself."
"REALLY? Well there goes my theory… but that's horrible! I always thought if my theory were correct it'd be funny, but now I just feel sorry for you..."
"Don't feel sorry for me. I have it much better than all those naughty kids in the village."
"What do you mean?!" The boy asks, confused.
"You knows, the ones who get tortured constantly for months if they step out of line."
"What are you talking about?!" The boy asks. "Who told you THAT?!"
"M-my mother." Leaf stammers, realising it's all made up, and feeling ashamed.
"I think your Mother has been telling you things that aren't true. Don't you have any friends where you live?"
Leaf frowns. "Mother says I don't deserve friends..."
The boy look distraught upon learning the details of Leaf's life. But in an instant, he manages to put on a smile.
"Well, I'm Hugo. And this is Shinx. We'll be your friends." He gives her another one of those warm smiles he seems to be really good at.
"My name is Leaf. But I can't have friends. Mother would kill me."
"Your mother monitors you 24/7, huh?"
"Not at all! She checks that I've kept the house tidy and washed up after she and her gang when she eats, but she doesn't like to see my annoying face often. Once or twice a week she walks through the house while I'm cleaning and makes more mess, but doesn't acknowledge me other than to tell me I've missed a spot or threaten what she'll do if she isn't satisfied with my cleaning standards."
"Leaf..." Hugo looks shocked.
"Come here..." He grabs her hand, pulling her to her feet, and wraps his arms around her.
"I'm so sorry..." He says. He looks genuinely concerned about her. Leaf isn't used to this.
"What are you doing?" Leaf asks.
"It's called a hug, silly." He tells her. "Doesn't sound like you get many."
"I-I used to...off my father..." Leaf hugs Hugo back.
After a moment, they separate, and Hugo smiles. "Leaf, I don't want you to steal food any more."
Leaf frowns. "But I have to! It's the only way I can eat!"
Hugo shakes his head. "No. I can sort you out. Don't worry."
Leaf starts to feel anxious. They are stood out in the open. They could easily be seen. "I-I have to go. I can't be seen with this..."
Hugo nods. "I understand. How about we meet back here tomorrow morning? I'll help you"
Leaf nods. "Okay."
That night, Leaf can't sleep. She's moving around a lot in her uncomfortable bed with an ancient mattress. She isn't sure what to do. What it this Hugo was just pretending? What if he was going to set her up to get caught? But would being caught really be that bad? It couldn't be any worse than the life she's currently living. In the end, she decides to take the risk and meet up with him.
Leaf arrives in the morning, feeling nervous. She's stood out in an open grassy area with small hills behind her and the back of a few buildings in front. There's no particular reason for anyone to come back here though, unless they just fancy a walk.
She waits and waits, but Hugo doesn't turn up. Disappointed, she turns around, about to head home.
"W-w-w-wait!" Hugo's voice calls as he sprints over.
"S-sorry I'm late..." He apologises, catching his breath. "Hey, what are you so happy about?"
Leaf hadn't noticed the huge smile on her face. She quickly stops smiling, feeling a little embarrassed.
"W-well I thought you weren't coming, but here you are."
"Haha, sorry, Margaret always says I'd be late to my own funeral…. Anyway, here, I brought you something."
Hugo hands Leaf a large supply of food. Easily enough to last her a week. There's also a large quantity of bottled water. Unlike Leaf, Hugo enjoys the luxury of having access to water whenever he wants, but he's obviously put much thought into this gift, acknowledging that she hasn't got such a luxury.
Leaf is speechless. Her mouth is gaping open in shock. This is the first act of kindness she's experienced in her entire life.
"B-but how'd you get this for me?"
"Well… whoever's taking care of us always buys me twice as much food as they buy for my brother. Hubert, because they say my appetite's twice as large… but I think you need this more than me, so I'll have to get by on Hubert's portions from now on."
Despite how this situation has obviously caused a huge inconvenience to Hugo, he looks perfectly happy about it.
Leaf cannot describe how she feels at this point. What is this emotion she is experiencing for the first time? Could it be… happiness?
"I-I-I can't believe it..." tears begin to form in Leaf's eyes as she cannot suppress her feelings any longer. A single drop begins to move down her cheek, until Hugo puts his hand to her face and wipes it off for her using his finger.
"When you told me about your situation yesterday I just felt so awful." He explains.
"Now to see that you've cheered up, I feel so much better."
All through her life, all Leaf has known is anger and fear, but now at last she's met some kind-hearted person to turn things around for her.
"You gonna take that food back to your secret home I'm not allowed to know about?" Hugo asks.
"Y-yes." She replies, wiping away her remaining tears and asserting herself.
"That's great! Enjoy! That's some of my favourite food you've got there! I can give you more next week too! Anyway, maybe I'll see you around town some time? Catch ya later!" Even as a kid, it's the same Hugo, very much relaxed in an emotional situation. He turns around and begins strolling away.
Leaf stares at him for a moment. In her head, she thinks 'that's it? I meet up with him once a week to grab some food and water?'
"W-wait!" She calls out.
Hugo turns around and looks at Leaf.
"C-can you teach me how to play that game some time?" Leaf asks, full of hope.
Hugo looks deep in thought for a moment. "You mean tag? Sure, but that's more of a game you'd play with pokémon. I'm 13 now. I'm a little old to be playing such games with people. Haha. There's lots of other stuff we could do though."
Leaf smiles. "That sounds great. When can I meet you again?"
Hugo smiles back. "Well I don't have much to do all day today. Maybe you could come and meet my brother, Hubert, and my friend Mark?"
Leaf's eyes widen. "M-m-more people?"
Hugo frowns. "Oh come on. Hubert's the nicest guy in the world. He'd be happy to meet you.
Leaf feels incredibly nervous. "Can it just be you and me, please?"
Hugo puts his head in his hands and shakes his head in the negative for a moment, as if to ask himself 'what have I gotten myself into?' Afterwards, he looks back up at Leaf, and his warm smile that she loves has returned.
"Okay. But promise me one day you'll let other people meet you. I don't want to spend my days sneaking around and avoiding people."
"Deal!" Leaf agrees, feeling overjoyed.
Over the course of the next three months, Hugo and Leaf would secretly meet up so Hugo could give her food and teach her other things. He taught her many things that children would typically do; climbing trees, playing with their pokémon, even playing pranks on each other. She even taught Hugo a few things; mainly how to avoid detection from other people. Their agreement was that Hugo would introduce her to his friends on her 12th birthday. Well that day quickly arrived…
"Are you ready, birthday girl?" Hugo asks, excited about this moment.
"Y-yes…" Is all Leaf can manage. Although she normally feels most relaxed around Hugo, the situation makes her feel horrible.
"I'm gonna be sick..." She says, clutching her stomach.
"No. You'll be fine." Her only friend reassures her, with his usual, contagious smile.
They walk around the corner, with Leaf reluctantly following behind Hugo. His two friends are his identical twin brother, Hubert, and the nerdy kid with glasses who's also always up for a laugh and a bit of banter named Mark.
"So what's the deal, Hugo?" Mark asks. "Why'd you bring us to such a secretive spot? What's the surprise?"
"Guys, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Leaf." He steps to the side of the alleyway so she can't hide behind him.
Leaf's face is incredibly red, and she doesn't know what to say. "U-uh..hi" She's so nervous it makes her feel sick.
"Hi there!" Mark exclaims. "Are you new to town?" He looks happy, which makes Leaf feel slightly more relaxed.
"Hang on a minute..." begins Hubert. "Aren't you the girl who steals all the food?"
"Waaaaah!" Leaf's biggest fear was recognised with this statement. She's so ashamed, she has to get away. She bursts into a run...or at least attempts to, but Hugo swiftly grabs her arm, preventing her from escaping.
"She used to." Hugo explains. "Only because she had to. It's the only option when your mother doesn't feed you."
Mark and Hubert stare at each other for a while, then a huge smirk appears on their faces. "So that's where you've been going off to lately, huh? You've been meeting up with your girlfriend?" Hubert teases. "Hahaha. It does appear that way." Agrees Mark.
Hugo lets go of Leaf's arm, trusting her not to run off this time. He leans against the brick wall on the side of the alleyway, with his arms folded. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem fazed by his friends teasing him. Can this boy ever feel embarrassed about anything?
"Oh Mary. I love you so much Mary. Marry me Mary." He teases, doing his best impression of Mark's voice. Leaf figures Mary is a girl he has a crush on. Mark's smug smile is removed, and his face turns a little red.
Suddenly, Leaf's best friend sounds more serious. "Guys, don't judge Leaf for something she's forced to do. She's a great person, and deserves friends to hang around with. So that's what we'll be."
The boys frown. "Girls are supposed to hang around with girls, aren't they?" Asks Hubert.
Mark glares at him, making out as though that was a very stupid statement.
"Oh yeah? And you'd love it when they grass up Leaf and she suffers a life in prison?"
"And if either of you two want to say a word I'll kill you, then after your funeral I'll dig up your grave and kill you again!" Hugo smiles after he says this. Boys are weird. Their 'jokes' with each other are brutal!
"Don't you worry about me!" Says Mark. "You know I have the most carefree parents in the world!"
"And I don't even have parents!" Adds Hubert.
From that day forth, Leaf would join Hugo, Hubert and Mark in their crazy games. She was by far the shyest of the group, but she proved to be the best tree climber and fastest runner out of the lot of them. She took a very long time to warm up to Mark and Hubert. At first she'd only really speak to Hugo when the other two couldn't hear, but over time she started to speak a little more openly, although if she had any concerns about anything, Hugo would be the first to hear it, and she valued his input above that of the other two.
On one occasion, while they were playing, someone spotted and recognised Leaf, which resulted in the police searching for her. That was a huge knock to her confidence, but the boys cheered her up, and reassured her that they'd be sure to stay in places outside of public view.
More time passes, and Leaf reaches 13 years of age. Then one morning…
Leaf is sleeping in her uncomfortable, itchy bed in her tiny bedroom when her bedroom door is banged loudly. "THE MISTRESS ORDERED ME TO INFORM YOU, HER DAUGHTER, THAT SHE WILL NOT BE RETURNING HERE DUE TO WORK COMMITMENTS. GOODBYE." The voice belongs to a member of Sarah's criminal gang. 13 years and Leaf doesn't even know the name of this gang!
But what was that they'd said? Her Mum is gone? Not that she'd seen much of her anyway…
The entrance to Leaf's home has always been hidden. It's at the bottom of a valley between hills. The entrance is a hatch with a padlock on. Leaf's Mum had certainly never bothered to tell her the code, but luckily she still remember it off by heart from when her Dad was around. Their house is tiny, with nothing but Leaf's bedroom, her Mum's room, a bathroom, kitchen, and very small living room.
Leaf has never been allowed to enter her Mum's room, but due to the circumstances she builds up the courage to peek inside… and see that all of her Mum's stuff have gone!
Through the living room door, Mum's gang's secret base is accessible. But the door's always locked, and Leaf has never even been allowed a peek through. She checks the door, and is not surprised to find it still locked. Damn…
The next time she meets up with the boys, she explains to them that her mother is gone. The boys see this as an exciting opportunity.
"You know what this means?!" Asks Hubert. "Now we can go to your place without fear of your Mum catching us!"
Hugo, taking his usual role of worrying about Leaf, has other concerns. "Are you gonna be alright on your own? Will you get lonely? You don't want us coming and wrecking your house, do you?"
Leaf shrugs with a content smile on her face. "It doesn't change much. I barely saw Mother anyway..."
"You know what this means guys?" Asks Mark.
"What's that? Hugo and Hubert ask together.
"It's a great opportunity for Leaf! Finally, she'll be able to catch her first pokémon, since there's no parents to tell her she can't.
Hugo and Hubert stare blankly at him. "But you don't have one yet either?" Hubert asks.
Mark grins. "That's because Sinnoh's rules say all pokémon trainers must be a minimum age of 17 years, and the three of us aren't even 16 yet. You two don't know how lucky you are. My parents would never bother to take care of a pokémon for me to raise from such a young age! But Leaf can raise it herself. I just know she can..."
"But Leaf isn't even 14 yet, is she? We'd have to carefully select a kid-friendly pokémon." Hubert says, worried about her compatibility with pokémon.
"Guys, haven't you considered ASKING Leaf if she wants a pokémon?" Interrupts Hugo.
"W-well..." Begins Leaf. "It would be nice to have one… for company."
"Don't worry." Hugo tells her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'll sort everything for ya. No way Uncle Eric would notice if one or two pokéballs went missing."
Secretly, Hubert does an impression of Hugo and Leaf kissing, which Mark giggles uncontrollably at.
Leaf is thrilled that her friend looks out for her in so many ways, she can't wait to see what Hugo has planned.
The day of her 14th birthday arrives, and Leaf is excitedly leaving her home, where she now lives alone. All of a sudden, a voice beckons her from behind.
"Leaf!" Hugo calls. He runs excitedly towards her, losing his balance and slipping. He slides down the snowy hill, landing in front of Leaf. He gets up and frowns as he feels that his bottom is now very wet. Leaf giggles at him.
Hugo feels so happy to hear Leaf laughing. It's such a rare occurrence. She must be in an exceptionally good mood. "Happy birthday! It's not much, but I got you something." He passes Leaf a pokéball. She has no idea what to expect, but she really wants a flying type. They are fast just like her.
She pops open the ball, and to her delight, the cutest little Starly appears, chirping happily. This just fills Leaf up with happiness.
"Oh, thank you so much. I love it!" She cries, wrapping both arms around her friend in a tight hug, which he returns. They must've been stood like that for longer than she thought because Hugo eventually ducks down, escaping from he arms. When he's out of her clutches he's gasping for oxygen. "Wow...you're strong." He gasps.
"Th-thanks you so much. I always wanted a Starly." Leaf's smile stretches from ear to ear.
"Don't mention it." Pants Hugo with his hands on his knees, still gasping for breath.
Another year and a half passes by. Leaf brings her three friends around to her house on several occasions, and a couple of times the boys even sleep there to keep her company. They're able to get away with it by telling their carers they've gone camping. Leaf sleeps in her Mum's old bed now. It's so comfortable, and it's even king sized. It's so much easier to sleep nowadays. She's the happiest she's ever been, but she does start to notice one thing. Something seems a little off about her best friend Hugo. Over this period of time, he's gotten worse, and worse, and worse...
"Leaf! I-I brought you your week's food." Hugo arrives in their usual meeting place, looking exhausted and out of breath.
Leaf frowns. "Oh dear. What's wrong?"
"N-nothing. Just a bit tired. That's all."
Leaf stares at her best friend. He seems to have lost a lot of weight lately. He's definitely gotten weaker, too. And this isn't the first time he's been caught short of breath easily.
In that moment, Leaf realises something. It's a realisation that will change her life forever. This entire time, her amazing friend Hugo has helped her out so much in all aspects of life, and what has she done to repay him? Hugo's life would've been so much easier without her, yet he'd gone to extreme efforts to include her in it as much as he could. She feels so selfish…
"Hugo, you're hungry, aren't you?" She asks.
Hugo puts on a fake smile and pretends to laugh. "Haha. Yeah. You know me, always hungry!" His stomach rumbles aggressively as he says this.
Leaf shakes her head. "No. You're starving. Look at you. I've been taking some of your food all this time."
Hugo doesn't know what to say. He just stands there, still struggling to catch his breath.
"You lied to me." She accuses him.
Hugo frowns. "Leaf, I would never lie to my friends-"
"Oh yeah?!" She asks. "Well how come you look so terrible then? You told me you get given extra food, and you were giving the extra food to me."
"Y-yes..." Hugo nods.
"You lied." Leaf says sternly. "You were given the same amount of food as everyone else, and you gave lots of it to me, despite your large appetite."
Hugo seems to barely have the energy to argue. "Leaf, I-"
Leaf feels angry. "Why?! I just want to know why?! Why do all of this?!"
Hugo frowns. "When I saw someone struggling so much just to survive, I-I just had to step in and..."
"AHA!" Calls a voice. "I knew it!" It's Hubert, and he's followed by Mark.
"THIS is the reason why you're so weak and pathetic nowadays, is it brother? How long have you been doing this? Giving your food away?!"
Leaf realises that Hubert and Mark have been eavesdropping this whole time.
"Not long." Hugo lies. "Only recently..."
"He's been doing it for four years now." Leaf admits.
"FOUR YEARS?!" Mark yells angrily. "AND YOU LET HIM?! UNBELIEVABLE!"
"This is not right, brother. You shouldn't be starving yourself just to help her out. Think of yourself for a change mate. Unbelievable! Leaf, I'm sorry, but I think it's best we don't hang around any more." Hubert tells her.
"Don't you ever come near me again..." Mark gives her a cold stare, pointing his index finger directly at her. Leaf is distraught. The two boys storm off, not looking back at Hugo or Leaf.
While Leaf is standing there having a meltdown, Hugo barely has the strength to remain standing.
"Hugo..." She begins. "I think they're right."
Hugo is gasping and wheezing and takes a serious amount of effort to be able to talk.
"Leaf… it's fine… don't worry..." With that, he collapses on the floor, unconscious.
Leaf has never been in a situation quite like this before. She's standing there in front of the person she cares about more than anyone while he's helplessly laid on the floor. There are several bags of food and bottles of water with them.
It's a stupid thing to do. Probably the dumbest thing she's ever done. But she can't help herself. She does what many children might do in this situation. She screams. Screams for help.
"HELP! HELP! AAAAARGH!" She screams, louder than any noise she's ever made.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" "WHERE'S THAT COMING FROM?!" "OVER THIS WAY! I SEE SOMEONE!" Within a very short time, many adult villagers run over to Leaf and Hugo's location. Around six of them arrive at the scene. All of them freeze in their tracks when they see Leaf.
"What's happened here?" One man asks.
"Isn't it obvious?!" A woman yells. "That's that thieving girl! She's knocked that poor buy out so she can steal his food!"
"And she even had the nerve to scream and pretend he was attacking her when he was most likely just protecting himself." Adds a man.
"DISGRACE!" One man yells furiously, as several more villagers arrive, taking their total up to about thirteen.
"I'M GONNA KILL HER! SHE'S LIKE GIRATINA'S CHILD! PURE EVIL!" Half of the mob of villagers chase angrily after Leaf while the other half rush over to Hugo in order to assist him.
Leaf is absolutely terrified. She runs and runs and runs, not once looking back.
That evening, she's back at home. She escaped the angry mob… barely. She explores her kitchen, and honestly she still has a lot of food that doesn't go out of date any time soon, Hugo usually brought her more than she could eat to be honest…
She makes herself something to eat, sits down at her kitchen table and digs in… or not.
When leaf tries to eat, her mind is consumed with horrible thoughts. Images flash up in her mind. Horrible ones. She sees Hugo, so skinny he's like a skeleton. She sees him collapsed on the floor, unable to move.
"I-I'm not hungry…" She tells herself.
Later that night, Leaf hears a banging on her bedroom door. She gets up and opens it to find that it's none other than Hugo. He's about as skinny as one could possibly be.
"Hi! I'm glad you're okay-" She begins to say.
"How could you do this to me Leaf?!" He asks. "How could you let me get like this?!"
"I-I-I'm so sorry..." She begs for forgiveness.
"You took ALL the food, Leaf. Look at you, you took ALL of it." Hugo holds out a mirror. Leaf looks in the mirror and sees herself… but she looks so fat! REALLY fat!
"You could've saved some for me! Why did you let me become this way?!" Hugo asks. "Why Leaf? WHY?!"
Leaf suddenly sits up in bed. "Phew… it was all a horrible dream." She tells herself.
She gets up and goes to her mum's old mirror to do her hair, but when she looks into it, she can't help but feel ashamed. "I'm so fat!" She tells herself. "Fat! Fat! Fat! I'm HUGE! It's MY fault what happened to Hugo! GAAH!" Leaf curls up in a ball in the corner of her room, sobbing gently.
A couple more months pass. Leaf doesn't get to see Hugo at all. She's just turned 16 years old now, and Hugo would be 17. She's managed to survive on just the leftover food Hugo had given her months ago, not that she ate much of it… as for water, she'd been able to just leave out a bunch of bottles whenever it rained. She'd only had Starly as company this entire time, but even Starly serves as a constant reminder of the boy she misses so much.
Leaf is sitting in her room one evening, when an unexpected guest pops in.
"Hugo!" She cries in delight, immediately running over and embracing him in a hug. "Where have you been all this time?" He looks so much healthier, and now that he's becoming a man, Leaf can't help but feel that he's become quite good looking too…
"Sorry I've been gone so long Leaf." Hugo smiles softly. "I was in the hospital for a while, eating plenty and rebuilding my strength. Then by the time I got out I'd turned 17 and it was time for me and Hubert to set off on our journey… I never got a spare moment, so I couldn't come and say goodbye."
"It's ok." She smiles, still hugging him. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'd gotten so fat and greedy, eating all your food."
Hugo gently moves apart from Leaf and glances at her for a moment. "L-leaf. Not one inch of you is fat. You're very thin. I'd almost say too thin."
Leaf glances over to the bedroom mirror. From the angle she's stood at, she looks as fat as ever.
"Something's wrong with Hubert, Leaf. I'm not sure exactly what. But I'm worried..."
Leaf sees that her poor friend is exhausted. He's been working so hard recently…
"Shhh." She puts her index finger over his lips. "You need some rest."
Hugo nods. "You can say that again. Been having trouble sleeping lately though. I'm almost worried Hubert's gonna attack me in my sleep..."
Leaf sees this as the best opportunity she'll get. She smiles. "Well… you'll be much safer sleeping here, right?"
Hugo smiles back, the warm of it making Leaf feel so much happier. "Sure. I guess I can crash on the old mattress one last time."
Leaf pretends to frown, but does her best to look cute while doing so. "Or..."
"Or what?"
"You know, my bed is a double bed. And it's much more comfortable..."
Hugo shakes his head. "Oh no. It's fine. I don't mind-"
Leaf decides it will be so much easier just to be more assertive. She holds his hand. "Come on. You're sleeping in here tonight." She knows she's succeeded when he doesn't argue against it.
Leaf's home hasn't had any heating since the day her Mum left. She's almost always cold at night. Especially considering she's underground within a valley in the already cold area of northern Sinnoh. But tonight, it's the warmest she's ever felt. Her best friend looks so peaceful lying next to her. Gradually, Leaf wiggles a little closer, then a little more, then a little more. Eventually, she's snuggling up with Hugo. He doesn't react or even open his eyes. They simply wrap their arms around each other. With a feeling of complete happiness, Leaf drifts off into a blissful sleep….
(Route 2, Kanto, present day)
"When I woke up that morning, you were gone, and in your place there was only this note." Leaf explains.
"What a horrible story." Brock is in tears.
"I know, right?" Agrees Dawn, also visibly upset.
"My man Hugo was SO close to getting laid... So close..." Brock sobs some more.
"I kno- hey, wait a minute! THAT'S why you think it was sad!?" Asks Dawn.
"Leaf, I don't know what to say..." Even Hugo is affected by the emotions of this situation.
"If Hugo was seventeen then, and now he's twenty one, you've been searching for him for FOUR YEARS?!" Misty works out.
"Almost." Leaf nods. "Every single day. Without exception. I was so worried about you. I never found out why you left without a goodbye..."
Hugo looks pissed off. "Well one man's got some explaining to do..."
Leaf stares at him with a sad expression in her eyes.
"Leaf, when you say you were searching, where have you been?" Hugo asks.
"Everywhere! I had to sneak onto boats, inside trucks, travel through tunnels, beg people for money..."
"And you did it all alone?" Asks Dawn.
Leaf nods. "Me and Starly, who evolved into Staravia a while ago."
"In four years..." Hugo begins.
"...Just you and Staravia..." Dawn finishes.
Leaf frowns. "It wasn't that bad. Honest. It was worth it, because now I found you! In the end, I got a bit desperate, and even though you said not to in your letter, I hoped that Hubert would be better by now. So I went to see him, and he told me where you'd be! But he also warned me about your memory loss, I truly believed you'd remember me though..."
Hugo feels absolutely devastated. He's never cried in his life, but this is the closest he's ever gotten to doing so.
"Leaf, you know, I can't ever be the person you're looking for… all that stuff you just told us about. I don't remember any of it. Not a single part."
Out of desperation, Leaf grabs both of his hands with hers.
"Please… remember something… I came all this way..."
It's tough, but Hugo forces himself to let go. "But the person you searched for… they don't exist any more. They were lost, and replaced with me..."
Before he can feel any worse, Hugo runs away. He dashes off towards Viridian City, abandoning his friends. He has a bone to pick with someone...
"Yeah, what's up?" Hubert asks via video call, back in the Viridian City Pokémon Centre.
"You've got some explaining to do pal. Why'd you never mention anything about Leaf? When you got your memory back, I asked if you could tell me EVERYTHING."
Hubert looks embarrassed. "Well, uh… you see..."
"Not acceptable man." Hugo fumes. "You know she's spent the last FOUR YEARS on her own?"
"Look mate, I know how you felt about Leaf, and I just wanted you to be happy for a while. I didn't want you worrying about Leaf for the rest of your life. As far as I knew, she was probably dead."
Hugo stares at the monitor for a minute, deep in thought. "I'm sorry man." He frowns. "I understand. It was wrong of me to speak to you with suck an attitude. Again, I apologise."
Hubert nods. "I understand."
"So what happened the night I ran off then mate?" Hugo asks.
(Four years ago, Village of Giants)
There's banging on the hatch at the front of Leaf's home in the middle of the night. It's not so loud, but enough to awaken Hugo. He quietly slips out of bed, leaving Leaf alone there. He opens the hatch to find Hubert.
"Leave her alone." Hugo tells him aggressively. "She stays out of this, okay?"
Hubert frowns. "Hugo! I knew you'd be here. I was careful to knock quietly, ensuring I didn't wake up Leaf. But I knew you'd wake up, mr light sleeper."
Then he gets to the serious part. "I can't suppress it much longer. You have to go. You don't know how badly it wants to get you..."
"So this is goodbye bro..." Hugo frowns.
Hubert holds his head in pain. "Hurry, please. Even at this time while it sleeps, I can barely resist… gyah!"
(Viridian City, Present day)
"...And that's all I remember." Explains Hubert.
Hugo nods. "Thanks a lot. It was worth the long run back to the city to hear this. Now I've got more running to do to get back to the gang."
Hubert frowns. "Brother, what's going on in Kanto?"
"Bad things. But don't worry, we can handle it. See ya!" Hugo ends the call, and immediately dashes out of the Pokémon Centre, eager to get back to his friends.
Meanwhile, Hubert ponders how he can help. "Kanto, huh? Brother, this time, we'll both be the heroes." He stares at a recently purchased plane ticket in his hand.