Okay, I lied. I know I said I was going to update on Fridays/Saturdays but I'm updating twice this week. Again. /shot XD

I mean, ACTUAL PLOT. Can you imagine that? ACTUAL PLOT now. :D And plus I just finished writing freaking chapter 5 so I'm like whatever I might as well, right?

Warning: some Touya and Touko moments. D: But you'll forgive me because it makes everything better (later) x3

Enjoy!

"Hoenn!"

"Johto!"

"We should definitely go to Hoenn first!"

"But think of the Pokemon that Team Rocket abuses!"

"Team Magma and Aqua want to summon legendaries! That's far more dangerous! Besides, Hoenn is closer!"

"But "

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but can we... uhh..." Bianca pointed at an island town in the distance below them. "We haven't seen civilization in two days, and I want real food."

Touko and N both glared at her.

"Fine," N accepted a bit unhappily. "Since we're already at Dewford, I guess I have no choice. Johto is only two day's flight away on Reshiram or Zekrom, though.

"Well, at least we're going the right way," Touko scowled, looking not in the least happy to have won. She would have preferred to win by arguing.

Bianca laughed nervously and pulled her fingers through her hair. "It's rare for you to argue, Touko... You're usually the one breaking up me and Cheren's arguments."

Touko sighed and relented. "Sorry, Bianca. I'm a bit tense because of all the flying."

N nodded too. "I shouldn't argue with my friends over little things. I won't be able to find a perfect solution if I can't accept others' ideas."

Touko laughed fondly all of a sudden. "You sound just like Touya when you say that."

N tilted his head. "Who is that, anyways?"

Her laughter died. "He was... someone very important to me."

"A friend?"

"Oh, yes," Touko's eyes darkened. "Just a friend. Even though I "

Bianca cleared her throat nervously and Touko blinked and sighed. "Sorry. I shouldn't dig up the past like that."

Bianca sighed as well. It had been more than two years... Could Touko not forget it? Silently, she cursed Touya as well. She wasn't a mean-spirited person, and her rare curses were twice as venomous for their infrequency.

She pushed her thoughts away as Zekrom hovered for a few seconds before plunging downwards toward the small island town of Dewford. Next to her, Touko was laughing and feeling the wind roar by with an outstretched hand, but Bianca preferred hanging on for dear life, herself. As the ground began to near, she squeezed her eyes shut until she felt Zekrom slow and touch the wonderfully solid sand of the beach.

"Whoaaaa! That's some Pokemon you got!" A nearby fisherman seemed to have fallen off of his rock and was trying to get back up.

"Yes, isn't he magnificent?" Touko beamed at the great black dragon, who roared proudly in response.

To his credit, N didn't say anything, but his thoughts were transparent from the smug look on his face. Touko noticed and elbowed him teasingly, sticking her tongue out at him. He chose to ignore it.

"Say..." The fisherman interrupted their silent banter. "You wouldn't happen to be that thief that came by two nights ago, would you?" He scrutinized them suspiciously, then shook his head. "Nah, it was definitely a guy, and not nearly as tall as that bean sprout of a freak you got there." N opened his mouth to protest, but the fisherman had already started ranting and showed no signs of stopping. "Here, we like tough men. Men of character! Yes, sir ee! You need to have plenty of muscle to tough them big catches. Take Brawly. He's a tough one, aye, or else he wouldna been no gym leader, 'specially not here. Why, even that girlie next to you looks tougher than you are, eh?"

The fisherman roared with laughter and slapped N good-naturedly, causing the slender boy to almost fall. N winced. "Aha... Yes, well... What was that you said about a thief?

"Aye, that thief, he was short but spry as an Ambipom! A fine sort of lad. He was, eh... I suppose you'd call him a 'Pokemon thief'?" He laughed again for some inexplicable reason and slapped his knee. "Stole a gym badge, though by the looks of those Pokemon he was carryin', I dunno why he'd need to steal it."

"A Pokemon thief?" N asked, shocked. "I thought that kind of thing only happened in Kanto."

The fisherman kept laughing. "Aye, that's why yer so skinny, lad. Ya think too much. Oh!" His rod began to shake, and he lost all interest in the trio as he frantically fought with the thrashing Pokemon on his hook. N began edging away with a hurt look on his face, and Touko followed, snickering. Bianca was engrossed in the fish on the hook for a moment, but she noticed Touko leaving and quickly followed.

"A Pokemon thief!" She exclaimed. "You should try to catch him! It's perfect work for heroes!"

"Of course. I don't intend to let anyone mistreat Pokemon so," N said with a frown. "It bothers me that this is happening in Hoenn, though. This was the region with the lowest reported amount of Pokemon theft and abuse. Nonetheless, we must catch the thief." He looked at Touko expectantly.

"Yes... we should... catch the thief..." Touko echoed, distracted by somethin. Bianca bit her lip with a worried expression.

They wandered across the small beach, finding the town they had seen from Zekrom's back. One building was much more ornate than the others, and a sign labeled "Dewford Hall" was planted in front of it.

Touko pushed open the fancy double doors brusquely and found herself among the most hideously dressed people she had ever seen. The bright neon colors screamed at her eyes and they began to water. She had trouble seeing for several seconds, but after blinking, her eyes began to focus.

"Look, look!" A woman exclaimed excitedly. "She's so moved by our trendiness that she's crying! Oh, it's always so wonderful to bring joy to the world."

"Are you kidding?" Touko asked with disbelief. "I think I'm going blind just looking at these ridiculous colors!"

"Our radiance is so dazzling that you're blinded? Oh, you kidder," the woman giggled with a wave of her hand.

"Touko, what's going on?" N asked as he entered with Bianca. "Did something happe Arceus, my eyes!" His hand flew protectively to his face.

"What's wrong?" Bianca asked, then glanced around. "Oh, what a lovely room!"

The woman nodded in satisfaction and put an arm around the little blonde in camaraderie, leading her away. "Yes, we put our utmost trendiness into decorating it. Look over there! That statue was created recently out of recycled hippy vans and chalk. And that painting..."

"Hippy vans," Touko muttered and snorted with a glance at N.

"Hey, hey, have you heard about the thief from a couple of nights ago? He was totally hip!" A little boy piped up nearby.

"Indeed, he reminded me of my youth," an old man agreed.

"How could you say that?" N asked in horror. "He was a Pokemon thief!"

"A Pokemon thief...? Oh, you must have been listening to old Sherman. He thinks he's so funny when he mixes 'Pokemon trainer' with 'thief,' so just humor him," the old man shook his head with a sigh. "No, the thief only stole a gym badge, and right in front of Brawly, I might add. The gym leader says he had mighty powerful Pokemon hold everyone down, so he's just letting the guy have the badge."

"Powerful pokemon..." Touko seemed distracted again. "Was he..." She hesitated. "Did he laugh a lot? Did he seem happy or cheerful?"

"Eh? I wouldn't know, you'd have to ask Brawly or the other gym trainers. Do you know him?"

"No, that's impossible," Touka said with a frown.

With some effort, she dragged Bianca out of the hall and they walked towards the hall. Touko remained silent the entire way, and she stared at he ground with a troubled gaze.

Touya was nimbler than any Pansage in Unova, and he had been the most cheerful person around. She knew that he had been bothered by his shortness since he had been little the last time she had seen him, he had only barely reached Touko's height and she had teased him constantly about it. Whenever she had felt scared or weak, she had turned to Touya. Whenever she had trouble, she had turned to Touya. For all his pranks and mischief, Touya had been the most reliable person she had ever known.

"Why did you leave?" She whispered, feeling a sudden loneliness. "Why did you leave ME?" She shivered, the salty wind reminding her of the Unova sea. Touya's favorite.

As if sensing her thoughts, N asked quietly, "Touko... who is Touya?"

"What?" She whirled around, alarmed, disliking the intrusion into her most sensitive thoughts.

"You said, 'How could you leave me,' to him before, when you were sick with fever. Is he... very important to you?"

"In... In some ways," she said cautiously.

He said nothing in reply. They had reached the door of Brawly's gym, and he wordlessly held the door open for her. Bianca noted the silence and decided to wait until they had both entered to walk through the doors.

"Halt!" A girl with a lithe body and a fierce expression planted herself in front of them. "If you wish to challenge Brawly, you must first "

"We don't want to challenge Brawly," Touko interrupted. "We need to talk to him about the thief."

"Oh." The girl huffed in disappointment. "Well, I'll show you in, then. Follow me." She turned and led them through a maze of dark passageways, with Touka following close to her heels impatiently.

"Yo, Louise! Are these challengers?" Brawly greeted them with a friendly grin.

"No, they're here to talk to you about the thief, apparently."

"Ah, him! He was incredibly impressive, I must say. His eh, what was it called again? A Hydreigon, I think yes, that dragon Pokemon knocked out my Hariyama in one hit! None of my Pokemon would have stood a chance!"

"What..." Touko felt a lump form in her throat, and she cleared her throat impatiently. "What did he look like? Did he talk?"

"Surprisingly, not much. He looked like he would be a complete chatterbox From his voice, though, I think he was no older than, say, seventeen. I couldn't see his face or hair, but he had cheerful brown eyes." Brawly nodded in satisfaction. "He was a worthy opponent, indeed."

N was about to say something, but Touko didn't notice and asked anxiously, "Did he have any other Pokemon with him?"

"Six Pokeballs. I think he used a Crobat to fly away, but I'm not sure. Say," Brawly looked at her carefully. "You seem to have a suspicion as to who the thief is. Do you?"

"N-no, I merely was curious," Touko answered defensively.

Brawly didn't answer, but after a moment's silence, he shook his head. "That thief had his reasons for not challenging me to a proper battle, and you seem to have your own reasons for chasing him. I won't pry. I honor those who are strong enough to withstand the burden of such secrets. But I must warn you, some memories are better left as simply memories. Some secrets are darker than you want to know about. Heartache, grief, anger... They will disrupt the waves of your mind."

"That doesn't make much sense," Touko said with a tense smile. She turned heel and walked away briskly, leaving N and Bianca to chase her.

They caught up to her at the beach, where she was sitting and throwing stones. There wasn't another soul in sight, not even any of the fishermen, but the roar of angry waves and the sharp splash of rocks hitting the water covered the silence. Bianca sat down next to Touka, and N awkwardly followed suit.

"You think the thief might be Touya?" Bianca asked quietly, much more subdued than usual.

"No. Maybe." Plop. Another stone, thrown with sudden ferocity, hit the water.

There was silence. "Why?" Bianca finally asked.

"He has a Hydreigon. It... I..." Touko's voice broke. "I've known it since he caught it seven years ago. And the Crobat. I remember his father catching it as a Zubat for him from another region."

"But why would he be in Hoenn?"

"Touya said often... He wanted to see the world. He said Hoenn was the most beautiful place in the world. There was so much sea and fresh air, so much of nature... Caves and volcanoes and underwater trenches." She sighed wistfully, painfully. "He said once that he wanted to come with me to explore the Dewford caves, then travel to Lavaridge and see the ash that looks just like snow. He wanted to go to Lilycove and surf to Sootopolis and dive for treasure. Bianca, he loved Hoenn. It was adventure to him."

"But why would he become a thief? It's not like him."

Touko's face twisted. "To prevent people from knowing his identity. To prevent me from going after him." Because he's tired of me, she thought, but saying it aloud would be like admitting it.

Neither N nor Bianca knew what to say in response. "Touko..." Bianca finally sighed. "Will you tell us what happened the night he disappeared? It's been two years and you haven't told anyone... Maybe talking will make you feel better. I know you hate to look weak, but I'm your friend, aren't I?" There was a desperate plea in that question. "You can depend on me, can't you?"

"I... he..." Touko lowered her head wearily. "It's a long story."

2 Years Ago

"Touya, Touya!" Touko ran excitedly towards her friend. "Tomorrow's the day we get to set off on our Pokemon journeys! Which Pokemon are you gonna choose?"

Touya laughed. "I already have Pokemon. I'll let you and Cheren and Bianca pick."

"Psh. Show-off." Touko stuck her tongue out at him. "It's no fair that we have to wait until we're fifteen to go on our journeys. Did you know that in Kanto, you can set out when you're ten?"

"Pfft. I can have adventure whenever I want," Touya remarked impishly.

"At other people's expense," she said, rolling her eyes before laughing. "I always feel so relaxed with you, Touya."

Touya grinned mischieviously. "Now, that's rather dangerous. Remember the time I threw water balloons at Cheren after he had just gotten his hair trimmed?"

Touko snickered. "Oh, yeah, that was hilarious. He was so mad afterwards."

Touya patted her on the head. "Serves him right for trying to win your heart in such an underhanded way."

"Oh, please, Mr. Drama King. You know he's got such a ridiculous crush on Bianca." She rolled her eyes and added, "Besides, how is that underhanded?"

"Well, for one thing," he said while plucking daisies absentmindedly, "guys are supposed to protect their princesses, not go around primping and fussing with their hair." He snorted. "Cheren looks so serious, but he's so vain."

"Girls don't need to be protected," Touko told him, elbowing him in the ribs. "We don't live in that age anymore."

"Hmm, even so, I don't want you to get hurt," Touya said rather seriously, or maybe he was kidding as usual. A shadow flickered in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly.

Touko elbowed him again, trying to hide a blush that stained her cheeks. "Don't say ridiculous things. You're such a player, shorty."

Touya only laughed it off. "Whatever. To celebrate, let's go to the beach. It's your birthday, after all."

Touko smiled. "You remembered?"

They walked to the beach in contented silence, Touya always staying slightly ahead. He didn't walk too fast, and Touko almost reached for his hand several times.

"Hey, Touko?" Touya stopped walking, thwarting her most recent attempt, and gazed at the stars. "You know, you see the same stars in Hoenn and Kanto and Johto and Sinnoh... it's the same sky."

"Yeah. But we're all going to be traveling in Unova together." She blinked, confused.

"Yes... Have fun on your trip. Don't do anything dangerous. Don't get involved with anyone suspicious, either."

"Of course not." She punched him lightly. "I'm not stupid."

"No," he smiled at her affectionately. "Of course not. That's why I l " He stopped. "No, it's nothing."

"Wait!" Touko grabbed his shirt. "What were you about to say?"

"I said nothing!" Angrily, or perhaps desperately, he pushed her away, but gently. "Touko, I can't stay... I have to go now." His words lingered for a moment as he hesitated, but he shook his head and began to turn. Before he could leave, Touko grabbed his arm.

"Then I have something to tell you! I... I...!" She stopped, took a deep breath, and blurted, "I like you a lot! Or rather, I've loved you for years."

He froze. She couldn't see his face, but his breathing was ragged. "Look at me," Touko demanded, but he still didn't respond. She shook him, and slowly he turned to face her.

"I..." His face was a tumult of emotions, and suddenly, fiercely, he pressed his body to hers, holding her close. "I love you, Touko, I always will." He closed his eyes, and his embrace became more desperate. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I love you, but I'm sorry. I... Touko... the stars are the same everywhere. They are! Believe me. The same stars and the same sea. Please, remember. I'm sorry..."

His words didn't make any sense anymore, but the raw emotion, the bitterness and despair and desperation rendered her immobile. She was just about to speak as Touya suddenly released her from his grasp and ran. She reached for him but grasped nothing but air and watched his figure disappear into the night, her hand still outstretched, unable to say anything, unable to even cry for the hollowness that suddenly filled her.

Woodenly, Touko stood up. Bianca tried to follow, but she shook her head, not trusting her voice. N watched as she disappeared into the darkness, stifling an urge to run after her.

"I'm glad she's decided to tell the story, but she still won't depend on me," Bianca sighed. "I wonder if it's because I'm so useless..."

N blinked. "She doesn't depend on you? But... I thought friends..."

"That's what friends are supposed to do, but she's never cried in front of or talked about her fears with me or Cheren. I think the only one she's ever relied on is Touya, but he's gone. She's all alone, N," Bianca said sadly. "I wish I could do more. I wish I were stronger."

"Touya was very good with friends with her, wasn't he?" N felt a twinge of envy, an emotion that was none too strange to him.

"I suppose. He pranked every one of us constantly, but there's none of us that wouldn't walk on hot coals for him. He was very kind. I just don't get why he would leave the girl he loved, especially not right after she confessed." She twirled her hair sadly.

"He's her most special person, then? And she is his... Does that make her his girlfriend?" Yes, there was that twinge again. It wasn't a new feeling at all, he thought; he had envied the people on his journey their intimacy with each other, while he could only imagine it. But always, his obsession with being a Hero had stifled that envy, and now, without his protective blanket, it threatened to overwhelm him. "I suppose, then... that I-"

"Oh, no! He's not her boyfriend. They're not in a relationship. It's..." Bianca hesitated. "A bit complicated."

"Yes, it is rather complicated." N tilted his head, hiding his relief. "But didn't you say that all the necessary conditions were met?" He fingered the Menger sponge on his belt, trying to figure things out.

"He left her." Bianca ground her teeth in frustration. "He has no right to call her his."

"Oh." That was right. Touya had left her. Suddenly, he pictured her alone, crying into her pillow, or maybe simply lying there, looking in the direction of the sky without really seeing anything. "I have to go..." He realized, and without any further explanation, he left running towards the Pokemon Center, leaving Bianca on the sand.

"What should I do, then? I wish I were stronger..." Bianca whispered as she watched him disappear. "If only I could do something as well..." Her eyes followed N as he, too, disappeared into the darkness. "If only I could also..."

N knocked on Touko's door hesitantly, his heart racing. How would she react? He bit his lip. Upon thinking it over, perhaps this wasn't the best plan. If she wouldn't confide in Bianca or Cheren, whom she had known all her life, why would she depend on him? Perhaps he should just go back and wait for morning so he could ask

"N? Why are you here?" She had opened the door, and she was trying to scowl at him in an attempt to scare him away, but her eyes were red from unshed tears.

"Uh... I..." This was definitely a bad idea. He didn't know what to say to make her feel better. He had never tried to make anyone feel better before. Perhaps he really should leave...

Since when had he become this indecisive? He scolded himself mentally. He had to think of something...

"If you're just going to stand there with your mouth open like an idiot, go away." A slight tremor in her voice betrayed her act of toughness, though, and N found the words he wanted.

"I... I'm not strong enough to save all Pokemon. I can't solve the equation for changing the world. I've said something similar before."

Touko only regarded him suspiciously. "When you still wanted to take over the world," she said after a shaky breath.

"I said this, too: 'I need power. I will be the new hero. And you and I will be friends.'" He hoped that she understood what he meant.

She half-smiled. "I thought you were crazy back then." She hesitated, then mumbled, "Fine, come in, I suppose."

With a heavy sigh, she fell into her bed. N gingerly sat down next to her. He was at a loss for words again; this whole comforting business was difficult. For a moment, he wished Touko were a Pokemon, so that he would know how to talk to her properly. But she was his human friend. He fingered his cube again, fumbling for words.

Luckily, Touko spoke before him. "Touya was born just a day before me." She fell silent again.

"Ah..." Something comforting, something comforting...

"He never argued with anyone. Even though everyone always got mad at him after he played a trick on them."

More silence. N shifted uncomfortably.

"N, he was my best friend." Her voice broke and became a sob. He turned was astonished to see her crying. "It's not just that I love him. I need him. What will I do without him? I'm so alone. If I hadn't met you, if the fate of all Pokemon trainers hadn't depended on me, I would never have lasted through my whole journey. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do..."

"Don't worry..." He patted her head awkwardly as he had done before, but it only made more tears spill out.

"You know, I only just barely defeated you that last time. In truth, I wasn't the real hero. That's why Zekrom wouldn't awaken until the last moment. He was waiting for Touya."

"What? That's impossible. Touya wasn't even near him. He chose you, Touko. Believe in yourself."

Her voice broke again, and her slender body trembled violently. "That's not true... The truth is, I saw him. I saw him right before I entered the Pokemon League, and he challenged me to a battle, and I never told anyone. N, he utterly defeated me without even having one Pokemon faint. Zekrom wanted me to deliver the stone to him, I'm sure of it. A hero of the legendary lightning dragon, afraid of thunder? What a joke! You wanted to hear the voices of Pokemon who love their trainers? His Zubat evolved straight into a Crobat without even bothering to stay as a Golbat! I was there, I saw it. N, I'm nothing. I can't do anything."

"Of course you can," he whispered fiercely. "Even if he beat you, you've beaten me, the former Champion. You've beaten Cheren, the current champion. You shouldered the burden of being the Hero all alone. You can't say that's nothing. Besides, I've heard Zekrom's voice, and all your Pokemon's voices. He knew that you were afraid of thunder all along. That's why he picked you because you can stand up to your fears. You can handle the burden of the fate of the world. Even if Touya is better at battling, so what? That's not all a hero does."

She said nothing, and he listened to her ragged breathing in silence.

"Please don't say you're nothing..." he whispered, not sure if she heard him.

Touko closed her eyes and leaned on his shoulder. They sat peacefully as the time sped by and her breathing calmed. After several minutes, Touko sighed and straightened up. "I'm sorry... I've never talked to anyone about any of this. Thank you..." She gave him a small, shaky smile and inhaled deeply.

He never got to tell her what he thought of her, N realized and sighed. But perhaps he was unraveling just one of the intricate patterns of human friendship... of Touko's thoughts.

But would he make it in time? He bit his lip. His gut instinct told him that something was going to happen soon, and he suspected that the "something" would have to do with Touya. If they met Touya, who would Touko choose?

Him... or Touya?

Whoa I just realized that there are so many lines near the end... -_- I hope that doesn't bother anyone...

Rawr prepare for even moar secrets next chapter XD

If you have a few minutes or even seconds, please pretty please review! :3 Whether it's good criticism or constructive criticism.

On a side note, I have a history project, an English essay, an English speech, a chemistry project, a French project, and two math tests (one of which is a final) within the next three weeks. D: Gah. Wish me luck. (But luckily, new chapters shouldn't be late because I procrastinate on homework and because I already have like a bajillion chapters written :D I wish I were that productive in everything else.)

Soooo... see ya next time?