Chapter 7.,...yeah

Anyways! I have a request for you readers!

The request is...questions! (Can I haz some questions please?)

In our finale chapter, we plan on providing you all with some surprises! But to start the celebrations, we need an interview!

Send me questions about the characters, the authors, the story, anything you don't understand or are curious about!

With that out of the way, let the chapter commence!

"It is my pleasure to bestow upon you the Soul badge," Koga said, smiling faintly as he handed me the little pink heart. I giggled silently; this badge did not suit his personality very well. After thanking him, I met up with Layla, who had been waiting at the bleachers.

"White! Can you believe it? In just a week we gathered five badges! That's like a badge a day!"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I'm very impressed with you and your team, Layla! This is your first journey, and you're doing splendid! Even I didn't get this far in my first week!"

"That's because you didn't have such a great mentor!" Layla smiled at me.

Or maybe because my mind was partially occupied with team Plasma and N in particular, I thought silently.

"Hey! Let's celebrate with ice cream! I hear FuchsiaCity has a really good ice cream parlor!" Layla charged from the gym down the sidewalk. Laughing, I accompanied her in the act.

"Layla? How do you know so much about this region?" I asked curiously.

"Well, most of what I know is from my sister. She went on a journey almost ten years ago! In fact, we're going to meet her soon!"

` "We are? How are you so sure?"

Layla smirked. "Let's say my sister is hard to miss…"

After paying the ice cream man, Layla and I took a walk around the beach at the outskirts of town. Arriving at the end, where the sand met the water, we noticed some construction workers.

"Excuse me, sir?" I asked one of them. "Is something going on here?"

"I'm afraid so," the man frowned. "Past these waters is the island known as Cinnabar. In the past, CinnabarIsland was a bustling place, full of tourists, challengers to the gym, and many other sorts of people. Recently, however, there has been a bit of a problem with the island."

"Is it losing tourists?" I asked.

"Worse," he replied. "All buildings have been shut down and the island has been evacuated due to a sudden volcanic eruption. From what my buddies tell me, only the PokemonCenter survived. Until we're certain the island is safe, no one is allowed to access it."

"I see. Thank you for telling us." I waved the man goodbye, and Layla and I walked back into the city.

"White, that doesn't sound too good. The seventh gym was on that island. And I know a lot of people must have lost their jobs if the island is evacuated. It really was a thriving place for how small it was." Layla frowned. "I remember visiting there with my sister once. I met Leaf there- Have you met her? She's really nice. Anyways, she was telling me about visiting the Pokemon mansion, a place no one was brave enough to venture inside. That was a lot of fun."

"Sounds like it," I said softly. Though my mind was buzzing. Leaf? Where had I heard the name?

"Hey, White? It's getting dark. Let's train and battle the next gym tomorrow."

"Okay," I said, following Layla to the PokemonCenter.

The next morning, I got up early to train my team, which had been falling behind due to my laziness. I walked out onto route 15, and sent out my four partners from Kanto: Venusaur, Fearow, Lapras, and Arcanine. We trained for what felt like minutes but ended up being hours. I smiled at the friends I had so quickly gathered together. This was one of few moments I actually got to sit down with them.

"Alright team! We're going to beat the gym with flying colors! I believe in each and everyone of you!"

I looked around. Who said that?

The answer was not far from me. A few yards away Layla stood facing her own team. When had she gotten here?

"Layla!" I walked over. "You ready?"

"Yep!" Layla walked over to her Pidgeot, who lifted her up onto it's back. Climbing myself onto the back of my Fearow, the two of us flew upwards into the sky. I could help but grin with the wind racing past me, and my hair flying wildly. I wish I could have stayed like that forever. I turned over at Layla, who laughed with similar joy as myself. As the skyscraper of Silph Co. came into view I sat quietly as Fearow and I descended down.

"Thanks Fearow. Take a good rest" I smiled, pulling out the pokéball and allowing Fearow inside. "So, Layla, what types of pokemon can we expect in this gym?"
"Psychic types. I'll warn you, Sabrina's really tough. As a trainer, and as a sister."

"Sister?" I looked back at Layla. "She's your sister?"

Layla grinned. "I told you we'd meet her."

"Well, you're right. Are you ready for this challenge?"

"You bet! I'm going to show her I'm not weak! I've been waiting for this moment since I was little." Ambition flared in her eyes. "With the strength of my team, and the bond we've created, I can't lose."

"Well, in that case, I can't wait to see this battle!" Layla and I raced towards the Gym, laughing the way there.

Layla grabbed hold of the door handles, starting to pull. But, for some reason, the doors wouldn't budge. Were they locked?

"Layla!" A voice cried. Layla and I walked over to the figure.

"What are you doing here?" The man said. "And who's this?"

"This is White, and the two of us have been journeying through Kanto! I was about to challenge Sabrina, actually. Why are the doors locked?"

The man frowned. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Odd. I figured she'd tell her sister. Well, she was invited to Unova to participate in a movie with some upcoming star, to encourage people to visit the recently opened Pokestar Studios. She won't be back for a while."

"She went to be a movie star? And she didn't think it important to tell me?" Layla's face saddened almost immediately.

"I'm sorry, Layla. I didn't know she'd never told you." The man seemed anxious to leave, and that he did. I looked over at Layla. She drooped her head, looking down at the pokéball in her hand.

"Hey, Layla. Let's go do something fun. Is there any thing you want to do in particular?"

Layla smiled softly. "I know you're trying to make me feel better."

"Well, is it working?"

"A little?" Layla laughed. "If it's fine with you, I just want to talk."

"Alright. What about?"

"Do you have any older sisters, White?"

I frowned. She was trying to ignore this, and she was failing.

"No older sisters, but a little one. Around your age, actually."

"What's she like?"

"You know, she's a lot like you. Maybe sometime I can introduce you two to each other."

"Well, she's lucky. She doesn't have an older sister that runs off when she's about to take her step in the world."

I nodded softly, before taking in the words. Rosa… is that how she saw me?

"Hey Layla, do you mind if I make a call?"

"Sure." Layla smiled. Actually, let's walk over to my house. We can take a break there and you can call then."

"Alright." I followed Layla down the street to her house. Raising the Xtransciever from my wrist, I scrolled down for Rosa's name. My fingers numbed as N's name passed my sight. I had come here to look for him, and look how far I'd strayed. I frowned. N…how was he doing? Arriving at Rosa's name, I called her.

Pick up, Rosa, pick up I thought frantically. No response.

Moments after, a small message signaled. Reading the sender to be Rosa, I opened the message eagerly.

I'm in the theater right now, seeing a movie I'm starring in. The message read. Talk later.

Um...yeah.

If you thought this chapter was a little too sister oriented, I'll agree with you. See, I wrote this chapter the day I saw Frozen in the theaters, so I had sisters on the mind.