Welcome to chapter 6!
You get to learn a little about some of our characters this chapter!
I gingerly held Leaf's 16 gym badges as they clung to the piece of velvet in the small container.
"How did you get sixteen?" I asked, not bothering to look up at her.
"I've been to Johto." She answered. "You know, the region, right across the water?"
"I know where Johto is!" I snapped. As the words poured out of my mouth, old, painful memories filled my head. The countless hours Ghetsis spent with me memorizing every single route and town of every six regions. And whenever got something wrong I was forced into a dark room with only enough light to stare at a map.
I shuddered as the memory soon faded.
Leaf's warm soft hand gentle touched my back as she said, concerned. "Are you okay?"
I looked at her, as her gray eyes stared back at me.
"I'm fine." I take her hand in mine, and kiss it softly on the top. "I promise."
Her face immediately became Cheri berry red.
I looked around the room silently, night had already fallen hours ago, and we had no light source. And, for some weird reason Leaf always avoided the Pokémon center. So, we had to make due with an old run down building out in the woods.
"How did you get to Johto from here?" I asked, letting go of her hand.
"I took the train. After I beat the Champion, Professor Oak gave me a train pass. The train goes from Kanto all the way to Kalos."
"Does that mean we can ride the train to Unova?!" I grew excited, wearing a mad man grin,
"No." She said simply.
The happiness of seeing home again, soon faltered and was replaced by anger. "Why not?!"
See glared at me. "In case you haven't seen, I'm wanted."
"Wanted?"
Leaf sighed and looked away, her shoulders drooping, "Wanted, by law. I'm a criminal…"
"What did you do that was so bad?" I asked, not really sure if I was ready for the answer.
"I nearly killed, someone. No, make that two someones. My best friends in fact…." She let out a sigh, not wanting to look in my direction. "I thought if I went to Johto, I could start all over. Well, that worked until I went to face the champion again….. He recognized me… I was nearly captured, but I escaped…."
I looked at her, knowing the feeling. "Can you tell me what happened exactly, maybe I could help?"
Her head whipped around as her eyes filled with fury. "I don't want to talk about!"
I knew to back off, to let her have some space. "I'm going to get some air….." I stood up and headed out the door.
She stared at me as I walked past, tears threatening to spill.
I walked out into the chilly cool air, I shivered slightly and rubbed my arms. I could see my own breath as I exhaled.
Closing my eyes, I pictured Hilda's perfect face. From her dark auburn, to her ocean blue eyes. My heart ached, longing to see in real life instead of seeing her as a memory.
"N?" a voice whispered softly behind me.
I turned, to see who had spoken.
Leaf stood there, her eyes puffy, she had been crying. But I heard no sound of sobs?
"What is it Leaf?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her bare shoulders.
"Can I tell you something? Something you can never tell anyone else?" Leaf wept softly.
A gentle smile formed on my face. "Of course you can…."
There we sat, facing each other. A small wind blew through the abandoned building, making me shiver.
"It all began when I was a little girl." Leaf began. "There was a war, in Kanto. My father fought in this war, and he lost his life…."
She took as a pause as she tried not to let out a cry.
"I never really knew him. But anyways, I had a normal life, like all the other kids. But I was always different. No one liked to hang out with me at school. They always thought I was weird and avoided me at all costs. I only had one friend at the time, Blue. But I never had any classes with him. Blue was sort of like me, we lived in the same town. But in the war, he lost both his mother and father, so he lived with his grandfather. He was my best friend. Every day after school, he would race over to me and try to cheer me up, I was always bullied so I would have bruises and would be bawling. Almost every time my mother would never see me cry. But that was when that one day happened. It was on father's day, the kids were bullying me way worse than they ever did. Blue was absent that day, but that was also the day the new kid came. I never really knew him, all I knew about him was that he was in my class. He never talked. All the kids avoided him too. Anyways, it was after school, I was getting my daily beatings. When, he showed. 'HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!' He shouted. All the bullies turned and laughed at him. He was the smallest one there, with jet black hair and blood red eyes. 'What are you going to do about it? Short stuff?' One of them laughed, sending the crowd into a fit of giggles. 'Charmander! Let's go!' He said as he tossed a pokeball in the air. A small orange dragon appeared. 'I'll give you to the count of three to get away from her.' The small boy said. 'If not, things are going to get hot in here.' The crowd of bullies laughed. 'One.' The small boy threatened. 'Two. CHARMANDER! USE FLAMETHROWER!' The small dragon let loose a jet of fire that burned the bullies. They screamed and ran away. The charmander went back into its pokeball and the small boy walked over to me, holding out his hand. 'You ok?' I looked up at him, no really sure what to say. 'My name is Red. What's yours?' he asked. I said nothing, staring at his open hand. 'Well, why don't just call you leaf then?' He said, pulling a leaf out of my dark auburn hair. 'The name's green.' I whispered silently. 'But I kind of like Leaf better.' Red smiled, and took my hands. 'Well madam Leaf, what were those meanies bullying you for?' 'I lost my father in the war.' I admitted silently. 'Well, it looks like you and me aren't very different.'