Days, weeks, finally months passed since that night. When the boys returned to the company of their friends, N acted differently. He smiled more, laughed more, but for some reason, Black could not tell if they were genuine. There was something about that look in his eyes; more dreamy, almost like he had been drugged. N no longer cried, which was a refreshing change of pace. But Black could not help but wonder why. Wonder if this was healthy. Wonder if N even had feelings for him anymore.

They continued to have sex. Black wasn't sure if could be called 'making love.' N would almost demand it, daily, regardless of where they were or their plans. While the younger boy enjoyed these nights, something about it was different, and he couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.

After four months of battling wild pokemon, seeking advice from Alder and occasionally Cheren, Black decided that he wished to obtain the title of Champion. It had been a childhood dream that had gotten lost as he struggled to find himself. With N finally at his side - albeit slightly distant - he realized that it was a position he could see himself holding happily. And judging by Alder's passing comments, the older man would not mind a break from the sometimes grueling job.

With this decision, Black brought up the subject one morning as he and N ate breakfast outside their tent currently set up in White Forest.

"So I was thinking," he began, hoping that N would be understanding. "That it's time I go challenge Alder. I feel ready, and I believe I just might be able to be Champion."

N set down his cup of tea, looking only as though he was considering those words carefully. "But aren't you the Champion already, really?"

"What?"

"I defeated Alder. And then you defeated me. You should have been capable of being Champion at that time."

Black chuckled, realizing his point. "That's probably true. But it wasn't the strength part that I've been training for all these months. I worked hard to be able to beat you in battle, and my team and I were strong enough to do it. But mentally.. emotionally.. I wasn't prepared to be Champion. It never even crossed my mind back then. Then after that, I was still so obsessed with you that I didn't care. Now that I finally feel like my life is in order, like I can find a goal for myself, I want to do this. Properly."

Leaning back on his hands, Black continued. "After you left and things started to settle down, Alder did offer to name me Champion, but the bigwigs running the Pokemon League said that without the proper ceremonies and whatever, it wasn't official. And I turned down Alder's offer to try to get them to change their minds. I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment."

N fiddled with a few blades of grass. "Why do you want it so much, now? What is the point of being Champion?"

"It's just.." Sighing, Black slumped forward again. "To prove my own strength, my capability. I probably won't even be Champion for long. Cheren is catching up to me; he's sure to kick me right back out before I can even settle down in the position. I just don't want to upset you. Please try to understand that this is what I want to do. My pokemon also want this, as you should well know."

Biting his lower lip, N turned away.

"I want to do some training on Victory Road. With trainers. Just to test my abilities. Battling trainers is different than wild pokemon. I have to be prepared; Alder has had lots of experience. I want you to come, N, but if you really have an objection to this... you don't have to, I guess."

"I don't ever want to leave you, Black," N said softly. "You make me happy..." Black smiled and put his hand on the other's shoulder, and N turned to him.

"I'm glad to hear that, N. If you don't want to watch the battles, that's fine. I'd just really like for you to come with me. Maybe I'll fight Cheren, and beat him!" Black poked him and N laughed. The warm expression on his face eased the tension. "I'm sure you'd be as happy about that as I would be! Now come on and finish your hot cakes. We've got a long road ahead of us!"

Later, having packed up their camp, the couple flew off to Victory Road.

"Do you want to wait out here?" Black asked N as they approached the cave system.

N shook his head and latched onto Black's sleeve. "I'm staying with you."

As fond as he was of N's clingy behavior, in the back of his mind, Black worried about it a little. But now was not the time to be thinking of such things. "Alright, then. Here, I brought my Chandelure." Black summoned the pokemon from its designated ball before heading into the cave, their path now lit by its gentle purple glow.

It did not take long before Black found another trainer exploring the depths of the cave; a well-dressed trainer approached him, introducing himself as David and asking if he'd be interested in battling. Black wholeheartedly agreed to the challenge; N decided to sit on the side and watch idly.

After the trainer released a Darmanitan into battle, Black chose his Stoutland. The large dog-like creature roared as it was released from its ball, standing merely a few inches short of the opponent's pokemon. Its ferocious howl startled the fire-type, which flinched slightly.

Battling was one of the things Black was best at. It came naturally to him, and it was an undeniable fact that the connection he was able to forge with his pokemon was powerful and flawless; trainer and fighter moving as though they could read each other's minds. It was what had caught N's attention in the first place. It had drawn him to the young boy and been the ultimate blow to his naive Truth. Though he hated battling, watching Black with his pokemon was something he secretly enjoyed. It was like they were at play, comfortable in their element, and together they proved to be too skilled for the other trainer. Defeat came quickly and cleanly.

The trainer shook his hand as he reached into his pocket for some money.

"Good job, man. Here's a few bucks." The young man handed Black several bills. Black smiled and turned to N, who had gotten up and stood next to him.

"Look, N! I can buy us a nice dinner tonight!" he said, attempting to cheer N up. The older boy did not seem noticeably upset, but his apathetic front spoke almost as much as any smile or frown would. "We can go to tha-"

"N?" another voice echoed off the cave walls, as another trainer stepped into the light of Black's Chandelure. It was another male trainer; young looking, but considerably larger than any of the other young men. "N Harmonia? That guy from Team Plasma? Is that you?"

N hid behind Black's back, feeling intimidated by the two sets of eyes now on him.

"Hey, it is him!" David, the previous battle opponent, exclaimed as he ripped the money out of Black's hands. "I'm not giving you anything if you're going to spend it on this bastard. His crazy cult made me release one of my most beloved pokemon!"

"Team Plasma grunts killed one of my pokemon!" the other trainer shouted. "You lied to everyone, telling them you were fighting for the better of the world... you killed my Sandile!"

Black held his arm out to shield N from any possible retaliation.

"Back off," he said sternly. "That was in the past. Things have changed."

"'Changed,' eh?" The trainer scoffed. "That man who told us all to release our pokemon escaped, and now the king of Team Plasma is walking around a free man with no justice served. I have friends whose pokemon still have not been found after they were released!"

"Maybe they didn't want to come back, then!" N retorted. Black quickly shushed him.

"None of this is N's fault. He was brainwashed like the rest of you. Don't make him the scapegoat for your inability to hold true to your own feelings for you pokemon. If you understand them so well, don't you think you would have known that they wanted to stay with you?"

"What?" the larger trainer roared, forcefully grabbing Black by the collar of his shirt. He pulled his fist back in warning. "How dare you say that, you-"

In what felt like a blur, Black felt the hand grasping him let go as the man fell to the ground. A taller, thinner body was over top of the trainer, slamming into him with balled fists. The young man being assaulted cried out in pain as blows to his chest and face rained down relentlessly. It took Black several moments of focusing before he realized that it was N.

"N! Stop!" Black screamed, grabbing onto his shoulder and attempting to pull him off of the helpless man. "STOP! What are you doing?"

Even as he tore N from the body below him, he continued punching until he was out of reach. Black held his arms back as the green-haired boy continued to lean towards him; it was as if wasn't finished, as if he needed more.

"No one touches Black!" N shouted, his voice unwavering and filled with rage. There was no hint of empathy, no question of his dedication. He was undeniably furious.

"Calm down, N! You can't just react violently like that!" Black held onto the livid, thrashing boy tightly.

"I won't let anyone hurt Black!" N screeched, kicking out at the trainer being helped up by the other. "He's mine, you can't touch him!"

Handing N over to the Chandelure that continued to hold him back, Black glared at their accusers. "If you don't even know the whole story, you have no business blaming anyone but your own gullibility."

Wiping his bloody lip, the older boy spat. "Aren't you supposed to be the one that brought down Team Plasma? Now you're fraternizing with the enemy? And what, you gonna try to be Champion, now? As if any trainer in Unova will accept you in that position you don't deserve."

Black realized there was no use arguing; it would only make the situation worse, and would most likely bother N even more. He motioned to his Chandelure to follow him as he walked past them and down another dark corridor of the cave. The other trainers continued to heckle him, but he ignored their words. It would just stir up more emotion.

After walking for a few minutes, N had calmed down. Black's pokemon released his grip on the boy and he fell to the floor. N crossed his arms and narrowed his hazy eyes. He held an expression Black couldn't quite decipher.

"N," he said firmly as he bent down to him. "Why did you do that? You really hurt that trainer back there! That was so unlike you!"

"No one can say such things to you," N muttered darkly. "You belong to me, and I will not stand such disrespect from worthless trainers."

Rubbing his head, Black sighed. "That's... well I'm touched by your sentiment, but you can't just act so violently like that! You have to understand where he's coming from, even though he was being a dick about it."

N faltered. "He was being a... dick?"

Black grimaced. "I mean... he was being rude."

Dismissing the crass term he did not understand, N continued to sulk. "You're a Hero, Black. You saved my life and you stopped me from making a terrible mistake. You deserve respect for that." He paused for a moment. "Am I hindrance to you? Is it my fault?"

"No!" Black took him by the shoulders and made sure their eyes were locked together. "I don't care what other people think. We'll show them who you really are. They'll understand eventually what a kind and pure-hearted person you are. Don't let this bother you in the slightest."

"But..."

Black kissed him quiet. "I love you, N. No one else matters but the two of us."

N slowly relaxed and nodded. "Yes... Just us..."

Before standing up, Black wrapped his arms around the older boy in one final comforting gesture. He hugged N tightly in hope that this was just a one-time occurrence. Just more time, more time to heal him, and this would all be over. A large part of him was convinced that it would be all he needed.

Another part questioned.