EDIT: IMPORTANT NEWS GONE.
I talked to some peoplez. They said my fanfic is fine rated T. :D
Whee new chapter! :3 I've been dying to update this for days. I know I said Monday, but I realized that I wouldn't be able to update until Monday afternoon, so I was going to change it to Sunday, but then I figured, hey, why not just Saturday? So, I'm not actually sure when I'm going to submit after this, but expect something like Friday/Saturday.
Well, this is a bit of a tangent from the main plot, but it's shipful x3 and it's got important stuffs in it =P And yes, Pokemon centers are apparently hospitals, too XD
So anyways, enjoy!
The rain beat down on them as if driven by a curse; it had started only a few hours after their departure, and it seemed to get heavier with every passing hour. N held on to Reshiram's mane with one hand and clung to Touko's feverish arm with the other. Surprisingly, Bianca was fine-idiots never caught colds?-but he knew that Touko had already been sick before they started flying, and the rain only made it much, much worse. They had to find a stop soon.
Bianca scanned the ground while holding on to her hat and her friend, wanting to lose neither to the rain. She could sense N's growing panic. She was worried about Touko as well, but she knew her friend would be fine as always.
More importantly... She giggled silently at N's frustration. It boded well for Touko, who was so often alone. She was inclined to being too neutral to the point of ending up alone, and Bianca was much more worried that her friend would end up alone for life than for her health. Being the justice-bringer often meant alienating everyone, no matter how kind your intentions, and that happened often with Touko, who tried to be fair in everything.
She sighed. It was in large part her and Cheren's fault. Whenever they argued, Touko found herself as the mediator, and her compromises never pleased either Cheren or Bianca, stubborn as they both were. But Touko did not take sides, did not agree or disagree with anyone, did not battle against... or with. It was unhealthy to be so alone. Only N had really been able to make her fight for or even express her own beliefs without worrying about making others unhappy. And in a lot of ways, they were so different yet so alike. Yes, they were perfect for each other.
"Oh! There!" Bianca pointed to a patch of red among the never-ending forest-green canopy. "A Pokemon center?"
"But there isn't a city around here for miles," N objected.
"We could try,"' Bianca suggested.
At that moment, Touka coughed, and N acted impulsively, taking Reshiram down to see the red patch. "I can't let something happen to my only human friend," he gritted as the white dragon raced toward the ground.
Bianca could only barely hold on to Reshiram as she yelled, "Hey, I'm your friend too, aren't I?"
The patch turned out to be nothing but a clearing of beaten flowers and berries. Disappointed, N asked Reshiram to go up again, but the great creature only shook it's head.
N slipped off and frowned in concern. "Are you alright?"
He listened for a response, but it was jumbled and mushy. He couldn't tell what the beast meant. As he tried to ask again, the dragon suddenly roared without warning and charged into a tree, splintering the ancient trunk and blowing Bianca and N back. Alarmed, he returned Reshiram to its Pokeball.
"They're Figy berries," Bianca said sadly, examining the ground. "Berries don't grow in Unova proper, but we're so far into the borderland forests that they've started appearing."
"Oh!" N lapsed into thought. "It's my fault. Reshiram would have been able to resist the berries' effect if it hadn't been for the rain. I should have realized it would be weakened by water. We should have asked Zekrom."
"I'm so sorry," Bianca wailed. "I really should have paid more attention. There are so many flowers and berries here. I should have known that even a legendary would get Confused."
Touko coughed and muttered something.
Bianca blinked before understanding her words. "Oh! No, the berries shouldn't work on humans if we only inhale them. It would be bad to eat one, though. No, I think your headache is because of your fever."
N tugged at Bianca. "We need to find shelter. Reshiram needs to rest for at least a couple of hours, and Zekrom won't listen to me, only Touko. He won't even let me call him out of his Pokeball, so I can't explain." He sighed sadly at his friend's pain, then gently lifted Touko's limp figure and began walking in the direction of the forest.
There was a rather large hollow at the base of an ancient tree, and the three of them tried to squeeze in, but it was an uncomfortably close fit.
Bianca prodded N. "Hey, we're friends, right?"
He looked confused. "Are we? How do these things work?"
Bianca giggled. "Well, if you care about someone and someone cares about you, then you're friends."
"Oh." Silence. "So you care about me?"
"Certainly." A laugh.
"Then I suppose we are friends." More silence. "That's it?"
"Yes. That's it." Bianca laughed again, then patted Touko's dripping wet hair. "It's a bit too squishy in here, though, so in the name of friendship, I shall move to that other hollow right there."
And with that she left, despite N's protests, leaving him to his thoughts. And Touko.
He looked at her. Her head was resting on his shoulder, and her damp brown locks framed her face perfectly. In the moonlight, her pale skin glowed, and she looked like a goddess. More perfect and beautiful than Anthea and Concordia both, though they would not have liked to hear it. Ghetsis had called her "coarse" once, but he must not have eyes if he thought that. He recalled that time on the Ferris wheel, the lovely glow in her eyes as they danced with the lights of Nimbasa. Even the fever made her look lovely, a light blush bringing a pink glow to her face.
When she was asleep, she looked so at peace. What did she fight against when she was awake? The thought nibbled at him. She fought it every waking second, and only in sleep did she look fragile and vulnerable. Yes, she fought her weakness. She fought herself.
No wonder she was the true hero, he realized; he had only fed his doubts and tried to solve them by battling her. He had been using Pokemon as tools, he realized sadly. But they were still friends, weren't they? He would apologize to them, to his Pokemon friends.
He sighed. She had never looked so fragile as she did now. Who did she show her weak side to, he wondered. Her friends, probably. That was what friends were for, he had been told. For helping each other. Would she let him see her weak side, then, if he was her friend? Would he be able to help her and hold her? He sighed again. Friendship was very complex. A puzzle he could not solve. A system of formulas that would not balance. It scared him, this nondistinct line between black and white, but it was beautiful, so beautiful.
No, that wasn't right... it wasn't black and white anymore, he realized. The world had stopped being black and white to him, but neither was it gray. It had become colorful, and that was what scared him. Which was more right, red or blue? He couldn't say, but he knew that they were both worth fighting for, and that was a new thing to him. He no longer knew exactly what to do. The formula for changing the world was to combine those ideas... was that right...?
"Don't..." Touko murmured, a look of sheer pain on her face. He instantly forgot his thoughts as he turned to look at her.
"What is it?" N whispered in alarm. He felt her forehead, but she didn't stir. Sleeptalking. A nightmare. He shuddered. Those were always unpleasant at best, he knew from countless nights. Should he wake her? But she needed her rest.
"Please..." One of Touko's hands grasped weakly at thin air. "N..."
"Touko? What do you need?" Panic rose in him again. He needed to help his friend, needed to help her, but what could he do?
"Don't... leave...!" A small sob escaped her.
N didn't move for several moments, but then he carefully moved his arm around her and stroked her wet hair. "I won't leave."
Still asleep and feverish, she tried to cling to his shirt, but her grasp was weak and her hand slipped. Hesitantly, N reached out and held her hand. It was freezing cold.
"Why did you leave..." Her painful whisper clung to the air. He was about to respond, but his answer was knocked out of him by a single name. "Why... How could... you... Touya..."
How did one answer a plea to another person? For some reason, the name sent a sharp pain to his chest. Suddenly tired, he leaned his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes for a quick rest. Just a few minutes, he told himself. A few...
Touko woke to a chilly dampness on her skin, but somehow she felt warm to the very core of her being. With great effort, she forced open her heavy eyelids, but only halfway; sleep still hung over her like a heavy blanket, and she could not see or feel much. Only words penetrated her exhaustion.
She began to feel a body wrapped protectively around hers. The light breathing meant that he was still asleep, a dimly conscious part of her said.
N! He had been holding her this whole time? If she had been able, she would have been shocked and embarrassed beyond measure, but her blanket of sleep did not let her. She couldn't even try to shift away.
The breathing began to quicken a bit. N shifted a little, and she heard his hair rustle as he looked around sleepily.
"It's morning already," he frowned, then patted Touko's head. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I meant to take care of you better. We have to get to a city fast."
His words almost made her want to either cry or yell. She didn't need anyone to take care of her. She took care of others. Since when did it flip? It was a strange thing, depending on others.
She trusted her friends, of course, but it had always been her who had gone out to battle gyms first, to challenge N, to catch Zekrom, to fight Ghetsis... And whenever Cheren and Bianca began to bicker too much, she always stepped in, even if it made them a bit mad at her.
She gave a little squeak as N picked her up. He brought her carefully to Reshiram, where Bianca was waiting.
"I got the coordinates right this time!" Bianca announced proudly. "We're too much to the southwest of Mistralton. It'll be a bit of a detour, but it's necessary."
The great dragon began to flap it's wings, blowing away everything around it, before finally launching into the sky and wheeling in the direction of Mistralton. Somewhere along the way, the rocking of the dragon lulled Touko to sleep, and the last thing she saw was the vastness of the sky, the sky that covered everything.
As they finally landed at Mistralton, N nearly tripped in his haste to get to Nurse Joy. "Please," he told her, "She's terribly sick."
"Oh dear!" The worried nurse's hands fluttered over the unconscious girl. "Audi, dear, please get Milly to prepare rooms for these poor children, and a hospital room for this girl." An Audino nearby gave an attentive chirp and bounced away.
"Follow Audi there, she'll get you to your rooms. You must have been in a terrible storm. Oh my, and that poor girl looks quite sick..."
N did not say anything but followed the Audino quickly. Luckily, they had been given a set of rooms on the ground floor, so they didn't have to walk far. N gently placed Touko on the white hospital bed with a light creak and collapsed into a nearby chair.
You should take a shower. Your friend with the blonde hair is already, and you're soaking wet.
"Soon," N promised. "As soon as the doctor gets here."
The Audino frowned disapprovingly but said nothing before bouncing away to take care of other patients. Moments later, a doctor knocked on the door and entered.
"Room A5, patient 'Touko'?" He queried.
N scrambled up. "Yes. She's terribly sick. Will she be alright?"
The doctor put on his stethoscope and began to examine her. He checked her pulse and breathing as well before frowning. "Quite unusual indeed," he muttered, then rapped the door three times hard.
A nurse came in as if by magic, bearing a needle and some tubes. Swiftly, the doctor took the needle and attached one of the tubes, inserting it into Touko's arm. N watched in concern as they extracted three tubes of blood, but he didn't protest.
Finally, it was over, and the doctor sighed. "We'll have to wait a while for results from the lab. Her breathing is erratic but her pulse is relatively normal, so I think she should be fine for now. Meanwhile, you need a shower, and I'll get some people to help this lady bathe. Don't worry about a thing."
Unconvinced, N decided to follow the doctor's instructions anyways, but first he turned around and asked, "Can you ask someone to bring a mattress or a pallet to this room? I'm a bit worried, so I'd like to sleep here tonight..."
The doctor gave him a brisk glance. "Certainly. She must mean a lot to you."
"Oh yes, she's a great friend."
"I bet. We've all heard that one before," the doctor muttered and snorted.
An hour later, both N and Touko were in dry clothes. Bianca had come in to chat for a while, but she left to update Cheren and Professor Juniper on their journey.
A knock on the door. The doctor entered without bothering to be let in. "The results. As I thought, they are incredibly unusual. You must have had quite the adventure."
"Will she be alright?" N jumped up from his seat next to Touko's bed.
The doctor frowned. "If she's lasted this long, yes. There shouldn't be any problems if we get immediate treatment."
Relieved, N sunk back down into his chair.
"Now," the doctor said, tapping his clipboard, "your friend seems to be suffering from an intense cold, which is nothing new. She also seems to be suffering from Figy berry poisoning, so she is in a state that is very similar to a Pokemon's Confused state. However, being human, her ability to recover from it is severely weaker, so not only will it last for another night at least, she is also nearly unconscious from the strain." He snorted and muttered under his breath, "I don't even know how you managed this seeing as there aren't even any berries in Unova."
"But... she was sick even before we got to the berry field," N protested, ignoring the last comment. "And besides, Bianca said that inhaling berry scent or pollen wouldn't affect you. This does not equate."
The doctor sighed. "Normally, it would not affect her, but she was already in a severely weakened state. Indeed, what you say matches up with the results. The primary cause for her sickness seems to be..." He paused and frowned. "Has she been in any battles lately? Ones involving incredibly powerful Pokemon?"
"Yes," N answered, confused.
"Did that particularly strong Pokemon have an irregular Psychic move? Not Psychic or Confusion or even Psybeam, but maybe Psywave or Extrasensory?"
N opened his mouth, then closed it again in realization. Finally, after several moments, he spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Reshiram has Extrasensory. Touko got hit with it once."
The Extrasensory had been aimed at her Serperior, but it had dodged, not realizing that Touko was behind. She had tried to dodge as well, but the blast was too big and still hit her.
It was his fault, then? It was his fault that Touko was sick?
Night had fallen. A nurse entered the room with a cart full of strange objects.
"Are you sure you want to sleep here? There's a room with a proper bed right next to this one, and it might get cold." The nurse glanced at the trees outside, which were swaying wildly from the heavy wind. Dark clouds obscured the bright moon, so the night sky was gloomy and cold.
"Oh, yes. If she needs help she might not be able to yell since she's sick. If I'm in the other room, I won't be able to hear her." N nodded with conviction.
"Alright, then. Your girlfriend is very lucky."
N tilted his head. "Friends are supposed to help each other."
The nurse blinked and shrugged. "Um... sure." She rolled her eyes before she left. "Remember to give her the medication at 3:00 AM. If you don't, a nurse will come by ten minutes later to check anyways, so don't worry. We just thought that for this... particular case... someone familiar would be... safer."
"What do you mean?"
The nurse shrugged. "It's hard to say. It's different for each person because the medication works based off of their mental structure, especially their subconscious. A stranger might make them scared or upset. If it gets to be too much, just ring the bell."
She gently closed the door as she left, and N yawned. It was late already, and he needed sleep. He glanced at Touko once more before slipping into his puffy pallet. It was cottony soft and it did not take long for him to fall asleep, dreaming of clouds and a soft embrace.
A deafening roar of thunder followed by a sharp gasp woke N from his sleep. Touko was sitting upright, panting, a frenzied look to her eyes. She was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and her hands were clenched tightly. N glanced at the clock, but it was still 2:34. The earlier dose of medicine was probably wearing off, but it was still too dangerous to give her another.
"Touko? Are you okay?" He got up quietly and kneeled next to her bed.
She couldn't hear him, though, and she shuddered and gasped again as another thunderous roar passed. He put one hand on her shoulder, and her head whipped around, fear glistening in her wild eyes as they met his.
"Shhh... it's okay..." He gently patted her head, feeling awkward and useless. Much to his relief, her tense body relaxed just a little, and he wondered what to do next.
After several fretful minutes, he glanced at the clock again. 2:57. He took the small vial of medicine and uncapped it, offering it to Touka. "You'll need another dose now."
She shook her head vigorously. Her eyes were still wild and unfocused.
"You have to. It's for your sickness." How had Ghetsis made him take his pills? He shuddered and shook his head. What about his mother? He only had vague memories, but he tried to recall them anyways.
"I'll give you an reward," he promised. "Anything you want."
Her eyes began to focus again and she blinked, then took the small vial swallowed its contents. A moment passed, and she shuddered, but nothing seemed to happen.
"N... I thought you left?" She asked in a small voice. She seemed extraordinarily childish for some reason, probably because of the medicine.
"I didn't leave." He wanted to add that he would never leave, but he knew that he had intended to at first.
Touko smiled an achingly beautiful smile. "That's great... I was so worried about that."
"You were?" He blinked before remembering that she was still delirious, but it warmed him nonetheless.
She half-smiled and giggled childishly. "I didn't know what I was going to do anymore. I just couldn't imagine going on an adventure that you weren't part of."
"I..." He didn't know what to say. Were these her real feelings? She spoke with so much emotion that they had to be, but she was feverish. He didn't dare believe it. He wanted her to be his best friend so much, but he was afraid of wanting when it came to humans. What did she feel?
Yet another burst of thunder broke his train of thought. Touko inhaled sharply and her eyes widened, staring past him, seeing nothing. Was she afraid of thunder? He had seen her face bug Pokemon, deadly poison Pokemon, great dragons, howling blizzards, raging blasts of fire... He would never have guessed.
What did one do to comfort a friend? he wondered, dismayed. He took one of Touko's tightly clenched fists. They were much too warm from the fever. Slowly, she relaxed her hand it was so small! and wrapped her fingers in his.
Her eyes began to close and she let her head rest on his shoulder. He hesitated and kissed her lightly on her forehead, just like his mother had done when he was young. He didn't remember much of her, but she had been warm and beautiful and comforting.
"I want a hug," Touko demanded.
"Er...what?" The request made him blink.
"I. Want. A. Hug." She pouted a little, for all the world like a 6-year-old, but somehow he doubted that Touko at age six had sounded like that. "You said I could have anything I wanted."
"Oh. Yes." He put one arm around her stiffly. She snuggled in closer to him, and he relaxed and pulled her in.
"Touya, you're always so warm." She murmured dreamily.
He sighed. She was dreaming of that "Touya" again. Who was he to her? More special than a simple friend? More special than he was to her? Human friendship was complicated... But it was far too warm and soft for such thoughts. He drifted off to sleep.
Bianca entered the room the next morning to find the two of them sleeping soundly together. She giggled a bit before tapping N. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, then carefully shifted away from Touko and got up.
"You look absolutely adorable together!" Bianca gushed, clapping her hands excitedly. N tilted his head in confusion, but Bianca only shook her head and giggled again. "You probably shouldn't do that when she's awake, though. Unless she lets you."
"Was that wrong?" N asked apologetically.
"No, no, no. Oh, it was absolutely perfectly correct. But if she was awake, Touko would hit you. She doesn't like to depend on people or look weak." Bianca sighed, and N nodded. He had seen that. "And also," Bianca continued with another giggle, "You should only do that with your girlfriend."
"How is that different?" N frowned, puzzled.
"Well, a girlfriend is very special. She should be your soul mate. She's your most special person, the one you love with all your heart and soul, more special than all the people in the world. The one you never want to leave, the one you want to spend the rest of your life with. And the one who loves you in just the same way." Bianca sighed dreamily. "Ideally, anyways."
N nodded. He had seen those before. Couples at the amusement parks and musicals that seemed to see no one but each other. They held each others hands and hugged and kissed and battled side by side and rode Ferris wheels together and gazed into each others eyes. It made him feel lonely sometimes.
"N? Bianca?" Touko was sitting upright now and was rubbing her eyes. "Is it morning already? What happened?"
"Nothing at all." Bianca giggled suspiciously, and Touko frowned. She was about to ask her about it, but the doctor knocked and gestured for her to come.
He quietly closed the door behind him as they exited, and he spoke gravely. "We diagnosed your sickness last night. I'm afraid that being exposed to a very powerful Extrasensory caused long-term damage to both your physical and mental state, causing you to be weakened enough for both high altitudes and berries to affect you dramatically. Luckily, we have treated it for now, but..."
"But what?" Touko asked cautiously.
"I'm afraid that your sensitive state may recur if the proper stimulus is present due to the fact that the Pokemon was so extraordinarily powerful."
"What sort of stimulus, then?"
"Some sort of psychic energy that is similar to the one found in the Pokemon's Extrasensory, probably. I think you'll be fine unless you are caught in the blast again, though." The doctor sighed and tapped his clipboard. "Although honestly, these readings are already off the charts. I've never seen any sort of Psychic energy like this. It almost resembles..." He frowned. "It resembles the energy of Ghost-type moves quite a bit, which is very odd. But your friend did say it was a very unique Pokemon, so I suppose that must be it."
Touko nodded numbly and returned to her room, but she had no time to brood, for Bianca had already interrupted her.
"Do you remember what happened last night?" The blonde asked innocently.
"No..." Touko frowned again, trying to figure out her friend's game. For some reason, she glanced at N, whose face was a mix of disappointment and relief.
"How was your sleep?" He asked, and his voice carried an undercurrent of something she couldn't grasp. Confusion? Sadness? Concern? No, none of those was right...
"I... It was nice," she answered cautiously. "I think I had a nightmare at first, but all I remember is warmth and fuzziness." Her answer got another inexplicable giggle from Bianca, but she ignored it.
N nodded and his voice returned to its normal resolute but daydreamy tone. "Let's get going, then! We have whole regions to explore!"
Her suspicions were pushed aside as her excitement flared. They were starting their voyage! They were going somewhere new! Her thoughts turned to Touya, but she shook them off. He was somewhere far away and just a part of the past. If she found him she would tell him that. Yes, if she found him... He was part of the past. Nothing but the past.
The past would not bother her. It couldn't bother her. But all the same, she shuddered a little in foreboding.
And it's over. XD I'd have liked to show Touko's tough side more first, but whatever. Next chapter is a return to the main plot. :3 Be warned: from this point on, there will be a steady development of relationships, including some love triangle-ness. It won't be very slow, but it might take a while for impatient people. So, long story short, no free fluff. =/ Although I do like fluff.
Also, please review! I'm actually sort of stuck. I'm not sure whether I want my story to be more fluffy or plotful/suspenseful. Either way, there'll be a fair amount of both, but I'd like to see what readers want more. Also, if you thought this chapter was cheesy or OOC, or even if the characters were too undefined, I'd like to know since I'm trying to improve. XD So, if you read this and liked it, please please please take just 2 minutes to write a few quick sentences about why it was good! And if you really hated it, write about that too as I am trying to improve. Pretty please? Thanks and look forward to next week! XD