Loooong chapter! Haha, enjoy!
Xx
Chapter 3- Your Highness
-Black's POV-
Cheren rolled his eyes irritably behind his small, round glasses, which were reflecting the blinding rays of the shining afternoon sun into dazzlingly into my eyes. He had his hands planted deep within his pockets and was grumbling under his breath as we strolled through Nimbasa's fairground, the lights from the colourful rides around us flashing madly and energetic music blaring from the speakers above. People were laughing and screaming as the nearby roller coaster nearby ascended slowly up the slope, then quickly dipped down into a spiral, sending the people in the carts into a frenzy.
"Sorry, Cheren…" I mumbled remorsefully, gazing up longingly at the ride as the roller coaster twisted into a loop. He groaned, wiping beads of sweat off his forehead.
"Seriously Black, of all days to forget the freakin' money…"
"I said I was sorry!" I yelled, stamping my foot on the pavement. "I could have sworn I put it in my bag, but… wait, maybe not…" The truth was I'd completely forgotten to pack the prize money we'd collected from winning matches at the Battle Subway, leaving it back in the room at the Poke Centre, most likely buried under a stack of dirty clothes…
"Well…" Cheren began, plopping himself down onto a nearby bench. "It's because of you we can't go on rides or anything, so…"
I moaned, and parked myself beside him. The roller coaster was calling out temptingly to me now; ride me, ride me Black! Sighing, I began to remove my jacket. Although it was only autumn, the heat was blistering, the stunning rays of the sun beaming down onto the crowded amusement park with not so much as a faint breeze blowing. What I wouldn't give for a cold lemonade…
I sighed heavily, wondering if the girls were having a better time than us. Even shopping with Bianca or sitting outside the Nimbasa Gym for a mind-numbing hour waiting for White to get her damned gym badge was starting to sound appealing now, which convinced me I was really in the dumps.
"We could train some more…" I suggested. "We have our Pokémon and stuff…"
"There's no point," Cheren mumbled dispiritedly. "They're tired from the subway battles, Black. You're not supposed to push them to hard."
"Fine," I groaned, rummaging through my bag. I had to have some sort of drink in there… Potions, no… Elixirs, no… Soda Pop, aha! Smirking contently, I pulled the metal ring of the top of the container and chugged back the sugary liquid within. It was warm, having been in my bag for the last week or so, and a little mouldy round the edge of the can, but it was a drink, no less. Licking my lips satisfactorily, I crushed the empty metal can beneath my shoe and hurled it towards the nearby trash can. I cheered when it landed in the bottom of the bin with a brash clang, as Cheren rolled his eyes yet again.
"What?" I snapped at him. "There's no point sitting around being miserable, you grump! Come on, you could at least try to be cheerful!"
"Oh, sweet Arceus, not again…"
"Hey!" I retaliated furiously, feeling a vein pop in my head. "I'm just trying to brighten the mood!"
"Not you, idiot. Look…" Cheren pointed towards the bumper ride in the distance, where a pair of confused-looking Team Plasma grunts was standing, dumbfoundedly scratching their heads.
"What are they doing here?" I questioned, craning my neck to get a better view. After that last encounter, almost a month ago, I'd hoped we'd seen the last of those clowns. Obviously not, I concluded, watching them as they appeared to be searching for something, which was never a good sign, given their record.
"Whatever it is, it can't be good… Do we go after them?"
I nodded. If no-one else was gonna do anything about them, I guess it was up to us to be heroes once again. Besides, Bianca and White had gotten to fight some grunts in Castelia City, it was about time we got some action, too! Being careful not to make any sudden noises, we gingerly rose from the bench and quietly crept closer to where the grunts were stood.
We hid behind the edge of a nearby ride to observe them, so as they wouldn't realise we were watching. I clung to the side of the wall as Cheren tried hopelessly to get a view from behind me.
"Black… move your butt!" he moaned, squirming to see what was going on. It was then I noticed the two grunts shake their heads in defeat and head off deeper into the amusement park. They had to be up to something, I figured. Why else would they be here?
"Let's go!" I ushered Cheren, taking a few steps in the direction the two had escaped in. Cheren folded his arms, his irritating little eyes rolling yet again.
"And do what, exactly? You can't just go chasing after random people, you know, people will stare…"
"We have to investigate!" I yelled, feeling my temper with him wearing thin. "Come on, it's not like those thugs turned up in full Plasma uniform to ride the freakin' Bumper Cars!"
Cheren bit his lip, pausing as he thought for several moments. "I guess that's a logical assumption," he eventually concluded, before quickly rounding the corner. "Let's go, then."
-N's POV-
She had a stunning smile on her face, an amazing, twinkling one that stretched from ear to ear. Her crystal blue eyes were sparkling in the glistening Nimbasa sun as she cradled her tiny Sewaddle lovingly in her arms, rocking it back and forth like a human baby. The caterpillar-like Pokémon was smiling too, chuckling as White tickled its belly playfully. They were stood in the doorway of Nimbasa City's Gym, obviously elated after a victorious battle with Elesa, no doubt. They both seemed so happy, so peaceful; it was almost heart-warming.
She couldn't see me. This was good. I was standing in front of some sort of amusement park booth, an idiotic game of some kind, I guessed. The path was thronged with people rushing about, enjoying the beautiful weather and hopping from ride to ride, laughing amongst themselves with no worries, a recreational custom I'd come to discover lately. I hadn't expected to see White here at all, in fact, I hadn't even meant to come here myself, accidentally stumbling across this strange place after following a group of overexcited Patrat through the bushes. I knew I was supposed to be researching the legend for our plans right now, but that could wait- I needed some time to relax.
She was walking away now, Sewaddle tucked snuggly into its pokeball as she disppeared into the vast crowd. Inside my mind, I was debating whether or not I should talk with her again, though feared she would call me that strange word, 'stalker' once more and try to escape if I did so. I concluded it was unnecessary that I should disturb her while she was out enjoying the theme park, yet wondered when I would next get a chance to speak with her alone… Plasma members didn't just recruit themselves…
I must have been stood there wondering for some time, because, before I knew it, she'd already disappeared off in the opposite direction, blending in amongst the bustling crowd. I sighed heavily, realising I'd let an opportunity for 'social interaction' slip by, and buried my hands into my trouser pockets casually. She'd left, off to enjoy her carefree life as a trainer with her idiot friends. Grunting irritably, I decided I should leave too, coming to a conclusion that I was relaxed enough. I had work to do, and lots of it.
I'd only begun strolling off in the direction of the Nimbasa city centre, however, when suddenly my attention was caught by a gruff whisper emanating from the groove between a games booth nearby.
"What do you think, will she do?"
I froze. I'd heard that rough voice before, somewhere. Cautiously, I turned and silently peered behind the corner nearby, feeling panic pulse within me when caught sight of the owners of the voices. There, whispering callously among themselves, stood two of my servants, dressed in full Plasma uniform and eyeing something in the distance keenly. I hid myself slightly almost as soon as I noticed them, for fear they would see me.
"Definitely. Did you see her Sewaddle? That thing looked tough for a stupid bug! At least, tough enough to beat that gym leader…"
"And I'm sure that little pink bag of hers is full of other powerful Pokémon, too, not to mention truckloads of rare items! Oh man, think of all the credit we'll get from Ghetsis when we hand him over all of that!"
My eyes widened in sickening horror. They couldn't mean White! I clenched my fists as I watched them snicker slyly among themselves, before swiftly taking off in the direction she'd left in. This wasn't possible, these morons were messing with my perfectly-choreographed plans! Instinctively, I dashed after them in pursuit. There was no way I could just let them hurt White, nor her Pokémon.
I caught up with them after about a dozen or so yards, though stayed back a bit, for fear they'd notice me. White was only a couple of feet ahead, humming happily to herself as she strolled down the pavement, her ponytail sashaying from side to side as she passed. I began to panic as the grunts edged even closer to her, conflicted as to what I should do. If I stopped them directly, they'd become suspicious of me protecting White, and probably tell the sages, or Father, even, whereas if I didn't, White could get hurt by these idiots. I knew her Pokémon couldn't be in the best of shape after that gym battle, and if those two mugged them off her, she would become angry with Team Plasma, sending my plan to convince her to join our side awry.
I had to think of something, and quick, because White had just realised they were following her. There was a panicked look on her face as she began pacing herself a little faster, quickly glancing back occasionally at the sinister pair in her pursuit. She was trying to shake them off, I noticed, by pretending to ignore them, but wasn't doing a very good job.
"Hey, you!" one grunt yelled gruffly after her. She kept walking defiantly onwards, though I noticed her body trembling slightly at the sound of their coarse voices. I continued sneaking unnoticed a few paces behind the pair, desperately racking my brain to think of something to do, some way I could fix this.
"Are you deaf? We're talking to you, ponytail!"
She was getting anxious now, shaking as she continued to put one foot in front of the other, her face visibly flushed as she glanced back. You have to do something, stupid! I screamed at myself, my breathing quickening and the sound of my trainers hitting the concrete floor ringing in my ears.
"Team Plasma is talking to you!" the other grunt yelled viciously, malice dripping from his voice. He chuckled darkly, watching her as she momentarily lost her footing, staggering awkwardly before quickly composing herself once more.
Suddenly, the two took off into a speedy sprint after her, the clinking of their armour to be heard shuffling as they ran. She glanced back, her eyes sinking instantly, before instantly shooting off down the path, her boots pounding heavily off the ground. Panic rushed through me as I followed in hot pursuit, cursing myself for allowing this whole thing to happen- if I'd been paying more attention in the first place, I could have prevented this. With a heavy breath, the teenager abruptly turned a sharp corner, but was quickly trailed by the grunts, who were beginning to pant in the immense heat. And that's when I noticed something that inspired me.
Between the games booth at the corner she'd turned at and the corresponding one at an angle to it, was a lengthy, narrow groove. I realised I could easily fit through there, following the trio through to the other side without being noticed. Decisively, I darted through into the darkened passageway, where I could keep track of White easily through the gaps between the booths as she darted madly down the pathway, wiling for her tiring legs to carry her faster.
"You! Stop in the name of our king!" a grunt snarled after her, as the pair edged even closer to the distraught teen. How ironic, I thought as I sprinted through the alleyway, coming closer to the light at the other end with every step. That's the complete opposite of what I'm trying to accomplish here!
Swiftly, she twisted around the next corner, her wild chocolate-brown hair whipping across her face as she scampered crazily through the park. Our paths were intersecting now, I realised, as the both of us impedingly, (and on White's side, unknowingly,) approached each other. Now was my chance; instantly, I thrust my hand out towards her, catching her forcefully by her arms and yanking her to safety beside me. She tumbled madly into the alleyway next to me, safe and protected from the grunts.
She blinked rapidly several times, adjusting her crystal eyes to sudden darkness. "N?" she whispered, bewilderment in her voice as she stared up at me, her body still in shock. Strands of her silky brunette hair were strewn widely across her face as she inhaled deeply, her arms, which I still had grip of, trembling between my fingers. "Again? What the hell!"
"Are you ok, White?" I asked her, sighing in relief as I checked her up and down. Not a single scratch. Mission accomplished.
She glanced around her in dismay, trying to make sense of her new surroundings. "What the…? What are you…? How did…?" she mumbled, before blinking away her dizziness, briskly shaking off my hands from her arms. "What is going on here?" she demanded, fixing her gaze back at me.
"…Well… I saw you were in trouble… so I rescued you…" I explained, as she stared back out into the crowded pathway. The pair of grunts from before had perplexed expressions on their faces, and were standing scratching their heads and scanning around them for any sign of the disappeared teenager. Sometimes I really did wonder how our employees were such idiots…
"You know…I just saved you and your Pokémon, you could at least say thanks…"
She spun around instantly, her face blazing a bright shade of scarlet. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed childishly, her tone puzzling. "Thank you so much, Mr Stalker! Now can you please tell me why you were spying on me in the first place?"
I flashed a cheeky smile as she shot back her own dissatisfied glare, her arms folded huffily. "I guess I was just worried about you. But it's not like I don't have reason; you obviously need me to protect you, White. If it wasn't for me valiantly rescuing you every time, who knows what would become of you?"
She groaned as I smiled to myself, her baby-blue eyes making a strange rolling gesture. "I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself, thank you very much! I don't need a stupid hero…"
It was then I suddenly noticed, out of the very corner of my eye, a different pair of boys, sitting on a bench in the distance looking very glum. I recognised them instantly; that idiot Black, unmistakably, who was slugging back a fizzy drink, and that other boy from before, the one with the glasses, who sat with his chin resting in his hands and his eyes drooping disgruntledly. I bit my lip anxiously as I watched the two boys glare hostilely at one another. Not yet, please. I wanted a little more time to spend with White before they came to steal her away again, like they always did. And I knew exactly how I could buy us that little time…
"They're still looking for you," I began, referring to the grunts from earlier. She cocked her head, but before she could turn to check for herself, I grabbed hold of her hand. "They know you have powerful Pokémon… you should really come with me." It wasn't exactly a lie… If I was to leave her now, chances were the grunts would probably hunt her down again, and I wasn't about to let that happen twice in one day. Well, I hadn't exactly been honest to her about seeing her friends, but she didn't need those dopes right now- I was perfectly capable of looking after her.
"Sorry Mr Stalker, but as much as I'd love to run off with you to Arceus knows where, Mommy always said never do that… so, I think I'll leave, thank you very much…"
I twisted to meet her gaze and grabbed hold of her wrist softly, gripping it just sturdily enough so she couldn't escape. "…You're Pokémon are weak, aren't they?" I whispered, as she cast confused glances between her imprisoned wrist and me. "…If you can't fight, you'll need your hero to protect you from those two, correct?"
"What did I ever do to get stuck with you?" she whispered, almost inaudibly, though didn't protest further, only moaning loudly as she followed me out the opposite end of the alley, back into the pathway she'd originally been heading down. Across from us stood Nimbasa's famous Big Wheel, a giant Ferris wheel that towered above the entire theme park, colourful lights flashing as the carts bobbed high in the amber sky above.
"Here," I said with a reassuring smile, leading her towards the massive structure. I swiftly handed over what I guessed was sufficient money to the crabby looking man sat behind the booth and he nodded blankly, yanking at a lever. "They won't find you up here…"
We sat side-by-side into the pokeball shaped carts, though White, for some strange reason, had herself pressed up as tightly as possible against the glass window, almost as if she didn't want to sit next to me. Realising that this must be the way you were supposed to sit in a Ferris Wheel, I slid up next to her, smiling as her face turned a dark crimson hue, her eyes sinking. I couldn't help but think this was a strange way to sit- the cart was obviously very wide and spacey, with large windows encircling it and plush, red-leather seats on either side. Why would she want us to sit pressed up right against the glass?
"Are you ok?" I questioned, staring curiously at the prominent redness smouldering on her face. "You're all red…"
Her eyes popped open, her lips twisting into an uncomfortable smile. "No, I'm fine, don't worry about me…! Haha! …Oh sweet Arceus help me…" She laughed oddly, squirming even closer to the window. "Plus, it's not every day you get held hostage by some random guy who stalks you everywhere…"
"Like I've already told you, I'm not a stalker. And I'm not holding you hostage."
"Well I can't exactly leave now, can I?" she joked, allowing herself to slink back into the leather seat as I finally decided it was illogical trying to squeeze that tightly up to the window and allowed myself some space at the opposite side of seat.
The Ferris Wheel was beginning to move up now, the people below becoming smaller and smaller as the cart ascended higher into the sky. White began gazing out the window in awe, twirling a strand of chestnut-brown hair playfully between her fingers and sighing heavily. A soft smile tugged at her lips as she stared down at the hectic scene below, her clear blue eyes shimmering in the sunlight. "I guess it was nice of you to bring me up here… in a weird sort of way…"
"I'm glad you like it…" I sighed, relaxing against the leather seat. "I like Ferris Wheels…" there was a long, silent pause, before I finally added, "….they remind me of bagels…"
She paused for many moments, a strange expression clouding her face. "…bagels?" she eventually mouthed curiously.
"Yup, bagels. Bagels are nice…"
She turned away then, but didn't supress the cheery smile that formed on her face as she gazed out at the fading scene on the ground below. "I guess bagels are nice…" she whispered.
I felt a smile sneak onto my face as I watched her; she was just so happy, so peaceful… Suddenly biting down my lip, I wondered how she would react if I was to tell her the truth about who I was now? Would she be upset? I exhaled deeply, figuring that maybe now was as good a time as any, if not better…
"White…" I began, trying to decide how I should phrase this. It was crucial that I got this right, to stand a better chance at getting her to join us. Should I just jump right in and tell her direct? Maybe not. I should probably talk about her first. "…I think you're kind of amazing…"
She spun round instantly with wide eyes, a look of pure shock on her face. I was a little confused- why was she acting this way? Surely she could see it herself how outstanding she was? "W-what?" she uttered, her mouth flying open. "…AH! No no no… Pervert!"
"Um… I saw you battling, that time in Pinwheel Forest…" I continued, perplexed as to why she was denying my truthful comment. "You really are an amazing trainer…"
She averted her gaze back to the scenic view, puffing out a seemingly relieved breath as the tenseness in her body faded away. "Oh… well, thanks, I guess…" she mumbled half-heartedly.
What was wrong with her? She seemed upset about something, but why? All I'd done was told her she was an amazing trainer… didn't people like it when others complimented them? I watched her as her cerulean eyes gazed blankly out at the vista. Maybe she didn't believe me… maybe her so-called 'friends' had told her many times that she was useless that she was unable to see what was so clear to everyone else. It wouldn't have surprised me if they had, of course they would be jealous of her talents, and try to knock her down. They could never truly understand how special she was…
"I saw you today, coming out of the gym." I continued. She stared at me again, a slight look of curiosity on her face. "You and your Sewaddle looked so happy. And… then I saw those grunts going after you, and I don't know why, but I couldn't let them. I couldn't let them hurt you, so I followed you…"
"You know, you're not doing a very good job of assuring me you're not a stalker…"
"Well… I don't really know what a stalker is…" I explained bluntly, to which she only laughed, covering her mouth as her melodic giggles filled the cart. "Same goes for 'pervert'…"
Many moments of hysterical laughter on her side and confusion on mine followed.
"But White… you should really know something about me…" I started, my tone becoming increasingly serious as her infectious giggling died down and I leaned in closer to her, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest, anxious at the thought of how she would react to the truth. More than anything, I didn't want to tell her. She hadn't exactly agreed with Team Plasma before, what if she hated me? My throat suddenly drying up, I opened my mouth to speak. "…I am the king of Team Plasma…"
-Black's POV-
"You lot!" I shrieked fiercely at the Plasma grunts across from us, Darumaka's pokeball gripped tightly in my hand. "Why the hell are you here!"
The ugly pair twisted to meet our gazes, their faces pale and washed out. We were stood parallel to each other smack bang in the middle of the amusement park, the worn-out Cheren and I having trailed them for what seemed like forever through every nook and cranny of the park.
"That was a bit loud, Black…" Cheren muttered, sinking his hands casually into his pockets and gesturing with his head towards the group of people nearby who were beginning to notice the commotion occurring, and were swarming around to get a better look.
Ignoring him, I continued shouting threateningly at the grunts across from me, my face flaming up in rage. "You'd better go away right now, or we'll…"
"Save your breath kid…" one of the grunts mumbled, tossing his hand dejectedly in the air, the metal plates of his uniform clinking as he did so. "I'd advise you two to scamper, pronto."
I clenched my fist, my teeth grinding to stubs. "Don't you tell me what to do! Now hand over… um… whatever it is you stole!" We hadn't really thought this through had we? The amused pair on the opposite side of the street only laughed as they watched us.
"Look kiddo," the other grunt began, crossing his arms across his chest and smirking. "We know you and your little friend are trying to be big boys, but we're grown men, we're a whole lot bigger than you! So unless you want your little ass kicked, you really oughta just run back home and play with your dolls or whatever."
My temper wearing thin, I growled under my breath, knowing now that I couldn't let a comment like that go unpunished.
"Let's go, Daramuka!" I yelled, suddenly tossing the little red and yellow Pokémon from its pokeball onto the pavement. The overexcited fire-type jumped up and down giddily, pumped and ready for battle against these thugs. I smirked. "Ok, use Flame Cha-"
My order was abruptly cut off by the sound of heavy footsteps fading into the distance. I looked up, only to notice the two grunts walking away disinterestedly, chuckling among themselves snidely. "Stupid kid…" one muttered, before they finally disappeared from view.
Oh, that did it.
"COME BACK HERE YOU TWO! I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!" I screeched defiantly at the top of my lungs, but to no avail. The Plasma grunts were gone, disappeared off into the crowds. I felt my cheeks turn a faint, embarrassed blush as the spectators nearby rolled their eyes and dispersed. Cheren stood pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head, mortified.
"That was a fail…" he mumbled, face-palming.
Huffing, I returned Darumaka to his pokeball. "Sorry… but what else was I supposed to do? For all we knew, they could have been smuggling stolen Pokémon. In fact, they could still be smuggling stolen Pokémon!" I was about to take a step in the direction they'd run off in, when I felt Cheren automatically reach for my arm and grip it tightly.
"No." he said simply. "Give it up, Black. We'll get them another time"
I sighed, straightening myself up. "Fine…" I groaned dejectedly. "But what are we supposed to do now? We've no money, no food, nobody to battle… any suggestions?"
Cheren checked his watch and thought for several moments. "How about we just move on to Driftveil? I mean, we've been in Nimbasa for almost two weeks now and we've done everything- gym badge, battle subway, stadiums- why don't you and I just head over to Driftveil now? White and Bianca can catch up with us later…"
"Ok then. Hey, good idea; if we leave now, then they'll be left to clean up the room at the poke centre!" I laughed, throwing my palm in the air and waiting for a high-five from Cheren. He only rolled his eyes a final, exasperated time, before quickly beginning his stroll off down the pathway, his hands planted in his jacket pockets.
-N's POV-
She wasn't saying anything, she was barely even blinking. All she did was stare motionlessly at me, those giant sapphires so full of confusion, hurt, despair. Her mouth hung open slightly, her body stiff and unmoving. This was not good…
After many long, unbearable minutes of this act, I began to wonder how much longer she would stay like this, so still and silent. She wasn't reacting to my news at all, which was a bad sign.
"Are you okay, White?" I eventually whispered.
She straightened herself up and awkwardly rose to her feet, her legs shaking beneath her. "You're such an idiot, White…" she mumbled to herself, gazing blankly out at the golden sky surrounding us. "Such a stupid idiot!"
"You're not an idiot, White…" I told her, rising from my seat so that we were both standing in the cart, her back turned to me as she gently banged the top of her head off the glass in frustration. "And… y-you don't have to be afraid of me, if that's what you're worried about…" With every passing second, I sank further and further into a pool of absolute confusion. As far as I could tell from this whole situation, my perfectly thought-out plan seemed not to be going well. At all. I could never have predicted she'd react in such a way- I couldn't even tell if she was upset or not, which, again, was not a good sign…
She twisted back to meet my gaze, chuckling darkly as she looked me up and down. "Now what's to be afraid of? I'm only trapped in a tiny glass box in the sky with an evil king I thought liked me!" Her voice trailed off into a series of slurred murmurs after that as she puffed out a heavy breath, her gaze averting from me back to the evening sky outside. "…Just my luck, huh? Oh, White, girl, you really should just give up on men altogether…"
"I'm not evil… I only want to save the Pokémon…" I insisted, reassuringly taking hold of her hand. She glanced at it momentarily before coldly shaking it off and folding her arms across her chest.
"Don't go there!" she snapped, to which I cocked my head in confusion; where couldn't I go? "Sweet Arceus, I can't believe I let myself think that you actually…that you…that… uhh! You know what, I don't care anymore!"
I sighed. "Please don't be angry with me, White," I begged, trying to prevent my voice from coming out frustratedly, like I was feeling. "You're special to me, and I think you'd be a good member of Team Plasma.
She averted her stare back out the window, shaking her head frantically. The ground was quickly nearing us now, the figures below becoming clearer and clearer. "Leave me alone…" she uttered, her voice but a cracking whisper. "I don't want to get involved with you lunatics…"
No, this couldn't be happening, White wasn't supposed to be acting like this. Panic rushed through every inch of me as dozens of thoughts ran through my mind. What was I supposed to do? I had to get her to understand, to see what I saw… "I'm going to change the world, White! I'm going to summon the Legendary Black Dragon and become the hero, just as the legend says!" I explained to her, restraining myself from grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face me.
The cart touched down with a thud on the ground, and White darted out the door the very instant it opened. I was too fast for her however, and caught her by the arm before she could get five feet away from the Ferris Wheel. "Please, White, I'm just trying to help them. You don't know how many hurt Pokémon there are out there! Please don't hate me…"
"This isn't the way to help them! Don't touch me!" she insisted, struggling hopelessly to shake my hand off. Tears were brewing in the corners of her eyes now as she looked up at me, her stare beaming into me, as if she could see right into my mind.
"I'll defeat the Champion, and become unbeatable. And you can join me!"
"Shut up, N! And to think I thought you were kinda ho…" she began, her voice cracking and cutting off. I hated seeing her like this, filled with such anger and agony. This wasn't who she was- she was a strong, talented, beautiful girl, yet now her eyes were overflowing and tears were streaming down her face. I just couldn't bear to stand there and watch her in pain.
"White…" I whispered, moving in closer awkwardly to comfortingly take her face in my hands, like I'd seen those little people do on that weird thing called 'TV' do. "Don't cry… you don't have to be afraid of me…"
She glanced up at me, her tear-brimmed eyes glistening. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" she mumbled, biting down on her lip.
What had she gotten herself into, what had I gotten her into? Though I'd only known her a little over a month, she'd already managed to claw her way into my life, or, more like I'd clawed her into my life. But she was special- so special, and I didn't want to leave her. She was the only person I knew outside of Team Plasma, the only person that would even half-bear me as I adjusted to what was socially acceptable in modern society, and I liked her. I didn't want her to be with those awful friends of hers, I wanted her to stay with me. I wanted her to join us, to be with me forever in my castle, to stick by my side and to be there to support me when I gained control over Unova, because I wanted to have a relationship with someone who didn't just pretend to like me because I was their superior or because I was rich.
"Please, White… you'd be so amazing as one of us…" I began, a looming feeling of fear growing inside me. "So choose …you can join us… or stand in our way…"
She clenched her eyes shut, and inhaled deeply. She was shaking uncontrollably now, though did her best not to let her crippling emotions get the better of her, and put on a tough face. I wanted more than anything else in the world for her to say yes, and come home with me, leaving her stupid friends behind, never to be seen again, but I knew well that she wasn't the kind of person who would do that to the people she loved. It was as if I could tell what she was going to say before she'd even said it.
"You're crazy…" she stammered, her eyes drifting downwards to the pavement. "As much as I don't want to hurt you, I won't help you bring down the entire region, no matter what stupid lies you justify it with…"
I felt my heart shatter into millions of fragments inside me as I attempted to wrap my brain around those words. She couldn't see what I saw. She just didn't understand. I clenched my teeth together, a grim, sickening feeling lingering in my gut.
"If that's what you want, White…" I murmured, stepping away. I desperately didn't want to let her go, but I knew I could never force her to do anything that would upset her. She'd chosen which path she wanted to take, and there was nothing more I could do to make her change her mind. My plan had failed miserably.
We stood silently for several moments, the atmosphere around us unbearable, until a loud call blared from further down the path. We both looked up, only to notice the pair of grunts from earlier charging towards us, worn out expressions on their faces.
"Sire!" one greeted me, as they both stopped briefly to bow. He narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of White standing before me, his face twisting into an angry scowl. "My lord, shall we apprehend her?"
"No." I ordered sternly. "She is not to be touched." I began walking off down the now less-crowded pathway, before stopping to glance back at White. The wind was blowing her chestnut ponytail to the side and fresh tears were lingering in the corners of her glistening eyes, just on the verge of overflowing.
"We'll see each other soon, White."
With that I left, heading off towards the entrance of the amusement park in the distance, my servants quickly following suit. My restless thoughts were like rockets darting around inside my mind. What did this mean for White? Would she try to stop us now? Was there any possible way to get her to change her mind?
Between my restless thoughts and my thumping heart, I had a lot of things I needed to figure out. I sighed, fixing my cap firmly atop my head. But where to start?