Chapter 11: Rumors

The opening ceremony in the morning couldn't have been more bland in Touya's eyes. He stood in the middle of the throng of participants in the arena, barely listening as the stuffy old man on stage jabbered on about the honor and the privilege of participating in 'the biggest tournament in the world'. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes, recalling the events that had happened earlier.

The morning had started with Touko running into his room and tearing open the blinds, sunlight streaming into his had rolled over, mumbling into his pillow, only for his sister to badger him until he had given up the notion of a few more minutes of precious sleep. The only time he could trust Touko to wake up before him was on these occasions.

Glancing to his left, he could see the top of his twin's hat bobbing up in down with excitement as she took in the cheering crowds around her. No doubt her fan girls and boys were littered throughout the stadium cheering their little heads off.

Studying the people surrounding him, he found that was able to recognize most of their faces, if not their names. Many participants were people who had made a name for themselves already for being great trainers, mainly gym leaders, former Champions and many others who were famous for their battle prowess. However, there were few new faces. Strangers he had never seen before. Unusual, but not impossible. Kinda like that guy wearing a cloak and hood. What a weirdo. He was disturbed from his musings as the old man wrapped up his speech and gave way to a younger man in his twenties, handing him the microphone and nodding at the rest of the band behind the leader singer Touya winced as Elesa started screaming into his ear. At least some people were having fun.

"I thought the ceremony was never going to end," groaned Cheren as he massaged his ears. "Touko went berserk when that band showed up. I thought I was going to go deaf."

Touko glared at him. "Don't blame me just because you can't get excited for anything."

"What was that?" Cheren responded, a hand around his ear.

"I said-"

"I can't hear you!"

"You're so la-"

"Huh? You just came?"

Their bickering was interrupted as a voice spoke up behind them.

"Ummmmm, is this a bad time?"

Turning around, their eyes were met with a pair of buns and messy brown hair.

"No no no. We were finished!" Touko exclaimed as she rushed over, eyes sparkling. Grasping Rosa's hand, she started shaking it vigorously.

"You're Rosa right? I'm a huge fan!"

Bianca laughed and Touya chuckled as Rosa awkwardly nodded, completely put off by Touko's reaction and the questions flying out of the brunette's mouth. They watched as Rosa's cheeks flushed and grew redder by the second while Touko showered her with praise and compliments, all the while questioning her about her battle style. Bianca grabbed her friend's ponytail, and gave it a few very gentle tugs, laughing as she did so before letting go.

"Down girl. Let's give her some space shall we?" Touko pouted as she turned around. "But Biancaaaaaaaaaaaa," she whined, "I was just getting to the good parts!"

"You'll have plenty of time to talk to her later," was the firm response. "We need to go find out who your opponents are."

-o-o-o-

Picking out her name, she found that she had a drawn a relatively easy first match up against Cress, one of the Striaton City Gym brothers. How he had managed to make it into the main draw was beyond her.

"It looks like N is participating after all," Touko murmured quietly as she assessed the bracket. The teal haired man was on the complete other side of the bracket, and the only way for her to battle him would be to meet in the finals.

She scanned the bracket again. Elesa had managed to get paired against one of the wild cards, while Nate, Rosa and N had both drawn a weaker gym leader as well. She heard a groan from her brother and she quickly found the reason behind it as she came across his name.

Touya vs Bruno.

"How did you all get easier opponents while I have to battle an Elite Four member right off the bat," he moaned. Rosa smiled sympathetically at him as Touko sniggered. He glared at her.

"I want a redo."

She stuck his tongue out at him.

"Stop."

"Make me."

"Idiot."

"Git."

"Are you Bri-"

"Have you heard the rumors?" Nate questioned, interrupting them and cutting short Touya's retort.

Elesa perked up, a devious glint in her eyes. "Rumors? What rumors?"

Nate warily eyed Elesa as she started at him, the gym leader urging him to continue.

"Well, you know how Red from Kanto has been holed up on top of Mt Silver? Apparently, he's gone. People have come up with all sorts of reasons as to why he left. The most popular one that he's participating in this tournament." Glancing sideways, he noted the surprise on their faces with the exception of Elesa, who looked visibly deflated at the rumor. "I'm surprised you haven't heard it."

"We haven't, but it would be pretty exciting if it was true wouldn't it. It would be fun to be able to see the legendary Red in action." said Touya as he squinted up at the board. "His name's definitely not up there, though I wonder if he's disguised as someone else. Did you see that guy in a cloak before? Maybe that's him."

Cheren snorted as he recalled the image of the hooded figure. "Yeah, I remember seeing him. I couldn't get a look at his face though underneath that hood. But seriously, who would wear something like that to an event like this?"

"Someone who wants to be noticed."

The whole group jumped in shock, just noticing the dark haired man behind them.

"How long have you been there Ash?" squeaked a startled Bianca. "You just about gave me a heart attack."

"Since you guys got here." He gestured at the wall. "I was waiting."

Touko smirked. "Nice of you to join us Ash. Are you ready to see me kick some ass?"

She only received a blink in response from the man she was addressing while behind her, Cheren rolled his eyes.

"As great of a trainer as you are Touko, I'm not sure if you could beat Red he's in this tournament" he stated. "This IS Red we're talking about here.

Touko crossed her arms, a scowl on her face at what she perceived to be a lack of faith in her abilities. "I can beat anyone, especially Red."

There was a pause as an awkward silence followed that statement. The disgust must have been evident on her face as Nate shifted uncomfortably before quickly changing the subject.

"I'm famished Rosa! Let's get something to eat before our matches." Offering the others a smile, he extended an offer. "You guys want to come?"

"Sounds like a good idea." As Cheren made to follow the siblings, Touko suddenly remembered something and whacked him on the head.

"I knew you could hear me!"

The two friends resumed bickering, the group unaware of the eyes trailing them as they crossed the room. In the shadows, cold eyes focused on a certain figure, a mirthless smile dancing on its face.

Found you.

Red sat at the table, quietly eating and ignoring the others as his thoughts drifted to the words Touko had spoken before.

"I can beat anyone, especially Red."

The words echoed in his head, and he would admit, they bothered him. If he was to be specific, it wasn't the actual words that had him on edge, but the way she had said his name. He couldn't remember a time in their history where she had sounded so… repulsed.

Across from him, Touko was uncharacteristically quiet as the remainder of the group continued chatting, Rosa occasionally throwing a concerned look at her. Eventually, Rosa's curiosity got the better of her and she spoke up quietly.

"You don't seem to like Red."

Touko glanced to the other side of the table, where Nate, Bianca and Cheren were engaged in listening to terrible jokes, much to Elesa's delight. It was a rather personal thing and she didn't really want to discuss it, but she didn't want to sound too cold, having just met the girl next to her.

So she answered.

"I think he's a heartless coward," Touko stated bluntly, spearing a tomato with her fork and watching its juices gushing out. A quick look around confirmed that that only Rosa, Ash and her brother were listening.

"Why do you say that?" Rosa asked, frowning slightly. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

Touko sat quietly, picking out her words and thoughts carefully before speaking.

"What kind of person would abandon everything and go sit on top of a mountain?"

She fumed angrily for a few seconds before answering her own question.

"Someone who's running away. That's who."

There was a slight pause in the conversation as she let her statement sink in, the others still unaware of the serious conversation taking place.

"Maybe something happened to him. I can't imagine someone as strong as him running from anything," Rosa replied softly after a moment while Touya listened on with interest. "I'm sure he had a good reason for it."

"Maybe, but even if something did happen, you can't just run way from it like that."

Touko jabbed her fork angrily in the air a few times at Red, the cherry tomato still attached.

"For example, if this guy here pulled a stunt like that where he just disappeared on me, I'd be really angry. If Touya did something like that, I'd probably march my way up the mountain and drag him down."

Touko shook her head as she continued. "Maybe it's just me, but I don't like how he brought his Pokemon up there in those conditions and made them suffer as well. You should treat your Pokemon with love and to make them sit up there with him? I don't like it. And what about all his friends and family he made worry? It just seems to me that his actions were selfish and doesn't care for anyone but himself."

Sensing that Touko was gaining steam on her rant, Touya finally spoke up, attempting to calm her. "Ultimately, we can only speculate as to why he's up there. We have to be reasonable. We can't judge people based on our own assumptions."

He sighed. "We won't know unless he tells us himself, and I somehow doubt we'll ever find out."

"Hmph. Well, I have some choice words for him if I meet him."

Her eyes settled on the man opposite her, as if looking for his support.

"Right Ash?"

Red just nodded silently, pondering her words.

He could relate to what she was saying.

Just a little bit.

-o-o-o-

"There are 2 days of rest between rounds following the quarterfinals. There's also a one day break between the Round of 16 and the quarters." Cheren paused, making sure Touko digested all the information. "There's no break between today's Round of 32 and tomorrow's Round of 16. So don't fuck around today. Got it?"

Touko nodded, silent as she actually listened to the gym leader.

"We'll be in the participant viewing section. Good luck." Cheren called out to her as he, Elesa and Nate headed out into the stadium.

"Sis." Touya extended his fist out to her. "Kick some ass will you?"

She grinned at him before acknowledging his fist bump, heading towards the stadium floor entrance. "See you on the other side."

"Touko! Good luck with your match!" Rosa waved enthusiastically at her and Touko beamed back at as she paused at the doorway, a dark shadow against the bright light behind her. Throwing Rosa a thumbs up, she took a deep breath, before striding out the entrance into the blinding light, a single thought entering her mind.

-o-o-o-

Red shifted in the shadows underneath the second deck, his back against the wall as he ignored the screaming of the people around him. He had to admit, even he was eager to watch the upcoming fights. Focusing on the two trainers facing each other on the stadium floor, he raised an eyebrow as Touko somehow managed to spot him and Bianca in the throng of people and tossed him a smirk. Crossing his arms, he jerked his head and pointedly looked over at her opponent, intent on sending her a message.

Stop messing around and focus.

She wouldn't take silence for an answer.

Touko stared at him, feet planted, hands on her hips, demanding an answer and refusing to let him enjoy the fresh air in peace.

Sighing, he finally relented, his back against the railing.

"I was impressed."

Red sincerely meant what he said. Even if he felt her opponent was subpar for a gym leader, especially one who had made it this far, she had done well, winning the battle without losing a single Pokemon. Her reflexes had been quick and her strategy spot on despite the ever changing terrain of the stadium. Her actions had been clever and decisive and she had ended the battle quickly before her opponent had managed to gather his wits to attempt any sort of comeback.

Touko glowed happily at his response, before skipping past him, cheerfully humming a song as she went to go find her brother without a response.

He eyed her retreating back.

What a strange girl. -

-o-o-o-

Touko trotted along the corridor down to her shared room, happily singing and reflecting on the day's events. In the end, it had all had turned out well for their group, even Touya. Nate, Rosa, Elesa, Cheren and (of course) herself had rolled over their first round opponents fairly easily with few or no losses. Her battle had gone without a single hitch and she congratulated herself on a demolishing well done.

Turning the handle, she opened the door and was greeted with the sight of her brother glumly slouched in front of the TV. For someone who had just managed to defeat one of the premier trainers in the world, he was doing a great job of being depressed.

Touya's battle, unlike everyone else's, had been quite rough. Bruno, a member of the Elite Four, would have been a stern test and difficult to defeat for the top trainers in the world if they had prepared for months to face him. Touya had been given a few hours. Being a first class trainer himself, he had ended up barely winning, with one Pokemon remaining. His Samurott was finally able to overcome his opponent with a well-placed ice beam at its feet followed by a final hydro pump, forcing Bruno to graciously accept his defeat.

Touko was proud to call him her brother after that move.

The victory had come with consequences though. Despite the magic the kind nurses at the Pokemon Center were able to perform, their Pokemon still required time to recover and Touya's Pokemon would be battling again tomorrow after a particularly intense battle without a break. He'd be at a huge disadvantage.

But she knew that wasn't the reason he was in this mood. She sniggered as she thought about what had happened.

Elesa had banished him from her presence immediately following her own victory, not even giving him the time to congratulate her. "After all," she had said, "I can't be fornicating with the enemy. See you tomorrow in the ring!"

Touko smiled cheerfully as she gave her brother a sympathetic pat. "Don't look so sad! Either you lose and she never lets you live it down or you have really pissed off girlfriend to look forward to!" She ducked, the flying shoe passing over her head and hitting the wall as she ran for the bathroom.

"Sir, he's made it through into the Tournament."

"As expected of him."

He exhaled, smoke billowing out into the air.

"Make sure he doesn't do anything foolish. We're too close to fuck up now just because he's a loose cannon."

The three kneeling figures vanished into the night, as he swiveled in his chair and looked out the window.

He took another drag, the cherry of his cigar glowing brightly as he watched the clouds cover the moon.

Everything was coming together and soon he would be unstoppable. Crushing the cigar in fingers, he pressed the lit end into the tray, watching as the embers slowed died down in a sea of ash.

Soon.

Author's Notes:I bet you all didn't expect me to update again! I would've thought that too, since I pretty much disappeared for a long time. So first off, I'd like to apologize for the huge delay in between chapters. Sorry! I hope you enjoyed this chapter at least.

Just a few things. I've decided not to describe every battle that happens or occurs in the tournament. Only the ones I choose. But don't worry. They'll be coming shortly. You'll get a chance to see some certain characters in their full glory.

Some of you have been speculating on what will happen. I'd just like to say that some of you are really close, yet at the same time really far off from what is to come. That's all I have to say :D

As always, please REVIEWWWWWW and let me know if you find any errors/corrections or things I need to change! Also, I've addressed a few questions/reviews below. Thanks for all the support!

Shuiro9: I tend to agree with you on the moves for the most part. That being said, I think there would be times when commands are going to be given, but some things shouldn't be completely necessary. Especially something like growl as you mentioned. :D

Kim Jong-Un: Firstly, nice name. Secondly, I can't really answer your questions! Answering them would reveal the plot and you're just going to have to wait :P

Windvalley: I'll take your suggestions into consideration, but I already have something in mind.

EoP: Have you seen the Pokemon TV show? I didn't pick the name because of the cigarette, or fire or anything. I just stole the name from the main character haha. Thanks for thinking I was somewhat witty though! And no, I don't have a Beta. I'd love one but I feel that with my very irregular schedule of updating, it might be better for me to not have one. Let me know what you think. And you'll find out the answer to your questions soon enough (depending on when I update next of course)!