Chapter 6

"So I fainted."

"Yes," The hiker named Jirou says for the fifth time, handing N a cup of hot water, "Here. This helps to get you back into your senses." He continues, "I was going to ask you to battle, but then you started rambling something about your lover and you shook me by my fat shoulders and then you just collapsed."

"Huh." N just says, shifting in his cushioned seat and shimmying off the thick blanket. He grabs the hot cup and relishes the warmth zipping through his body.

"Bet you want to know why it's so hot in here." Jirou remarks, taking off his hiker's outfit in exchange for a comfy T-shirt and weirdly, in the sizzling weather, sweatpants.

"Yeah, but it's fine. I like it when it's too hot." N says, confirming this by sipping the still scalding hot tea. His forehead still sleek with sweat and the bangs of his long, green hair stuck to his forehead.

"Really?" Jirou asks, "That's funny. I only do this because I heard extra heat exfoliates the pores and burns off fat."

N waits a moment to make sure that Jirou isn't kidding. When he finds out he isn't, he bursts out laughing and then stops from a severe aching in his skull. His hand flies to his temple and he winces.

"Hey, boy, you alright?" The plump hiker asks, waddling over to N and feeling his forehead. He inhales sharply and takes the tea from him, "This heat is too much. You feel like an angry Flareon. I'm taking this away until you cool down."

"No, no." N reaches out and snatches it back from him, "It's just, uh, the aftershocks."

Jirou shakes his head and sits back down on a small chair and takes a fan to cool himself a bit, "You better get yourself checked. Is this your first time fainting all of a sudden like this?"

"Yeah." N murmurs, leaning back in the chair, his head still pounding with discomfort.

"I still want to contact your parents. They should know about this so they can get you proper treatment."

"My father is away and my mother…" N exhales loudly and clutches the arm rest of the chair with his free hand, "She's deceased."

Jirou lays out one stubby leg and turns on the TV and says, "Oh, sorry to hear that. It's a bit saddening isn't it? I know the feel. My mother died of disease when I was about thirteen."

N shrugs and downs the rest of the hot water, "I don't know even know what to feel. I never knew her."

"Ah, that makes the hurt easier to handle," The hiker looks at N, "Anyways, so, uh…" He raises a thick, dark eyebrow, "Who's this Shinjitsu girl, hm?"

N gives a confused look at the hiker, and then remembers, "Oh… To be straight, I don't know. Seriously."

Jirou gives an unconvinced look at him, scratching his beard, "Really? Because you started freaking out about how your 'princess' is missing and something about Zekrom."

N purses his lips and frowns, "This is really getting on my nerves. You see, I keep blurting out things that I don't even know of, and I don't even say these things in my own voice."

The hiker nods knowingly, "Yes, your voice was a bit manlier when you started talking in that possessed way."

N smirks, "Manlier?"

The hiker shrugs, "Well, yeah. Like in the twenty's. I mean, your voice isn't squeaky or girlish or anything…"

N shakes his head, the pounding still hammering. He stares at the TV at a pointless nature show talking about berries. He can't believe that the hiker is so fixated on this. He rolls his green eyes and adjusts his cap, "Hey, Jirou, you really believe all this heat is going to literally burn off all of your fat?"

The hiker, a bit offended, says, "Am I really that fat?"

"Not too fat, but yes, chubby."

Jirou shrugs and sips his warm water, "Oh, who cares. All the hiking I do in the mountains, they require flab. Gives me an advantage in the winter."

N chuckles and stands up, "True. Oh, and thanks for everything, but I should get going."

Jirou gives a surprised look at him, "Already?"

"Yeah, I mean, I've been here for what, two days?"

Jirou struggles a bit, pulling himself up to a stand-up position, "Yes, but, with that weird condition of yours… You might spaz and faint again."

N brushes himself off and cracks his knuckles and neck, "Oh, it's nothing. I just have a mild (lie) headache right now. I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern though."

The hiker seems skeptical, "Oh… Fine. But if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, the only house with the fireplace on. I'll definitely remember." N says, making way towards the door.

They laugh and Jirou watches him off, making sure he doesn't collapse all of a sudden.

"Strange one, that boy." He says, smiling and shaking his head.

N clenches his jaw as he walks back towards Nimbasa again, to the library. The fact that girls are glancing at him and looking at him up and down hungrily and his headache are just the small part of his stress. He starts thinking about Haruka again, wondering where she is now.

"Probably bitching to her friends and making a plan to kidnap me." He mumbles, flipping his green bangs out of his matching eyes, "I don't blame her. I'd probably do the same, if I were a girl, that is."

He walks up the steps and enters the cool place, thankful for the cold. All of a sudden, he stops in his tracks, questioning himself why he's even here.

Then it comes back to him, and the thought actually causes him to smile, "Oh, that's right. I promised my doll that I would do research for her."

He then tells himself, "I'm not supposed to call her doll. Why do I…" He sighs, "Why do I keep doing that?"

But thinking about the happy moment when he promised her ups his spirits a little, and he continues walking towards the exact section Haruka was in two days ago. He picks out ten books and drops them onto a table, a bit loudly.

The same, short librarian with the pinchy face walks over to him, then stops shortly, "Ah! You're the young man that helped out the girl! I thank you for that."

N, knowing why she's there, flashes her a gorgeous smile, with a hint of an apologetic aspect, "Yes, I am. And you're welcome. I also apologize for the noise. I'm a bit… frustrated. That's all."

The librarian blushes and she stammers, "N-no, that's fine! Um, do you need any assistance?"

He shakes his head still smiling, "No thank you, I'll be sure to let you know when I do though."

She squeaks an ok to him and she hurries back to her desk, still flushing and giddy about his comment. A small smile stretching out onto her thin, red lips. He turns back to a book, rolls his eyes slightly, and drops the fake charming boy act and thinks, yeah, that's never going to happen, woman. What are you, fifty two?

He opens the large, thick book and skips the introduction, starting on the first chapter. Like Haruka, his eyes fall upon the four names, Shinjitsu, Risō, Zekrom, and Reshiram. He takes note of this and continues reading (really reading, unlike Haruka) to find their meanings.

He gets so into the reading, in fact, it takes him all day to get through all ten books. Every single word he reads getting him excited and interested. The stories told engaging him. His head pangs with ache again and he rips his eyes off the words and he stares straight ahead, clenching his fists.

"Dammit, don't do it N, don't say anything stupid." He mutters under his breath.

Of course, his mouth wants to do something else, and he says, "How are you today, my doll? You look beautiful, as always."

Luckily, he says this quietly, and he groans in embarrassment. Out of all things, why a question? Especially to someone who isn't even there!

"Thank Arceus I didn't say that so loud." he growls to himself, leaning back in this chair. He pictures Haruka in his mind again, and then it switches to some other woman, exactly like Haruka, but older.

It's not completely clear, but he knows it's her. It's Haruka for sure. How can anyone mistake those sapphire eyes and brown locks? N stares deeper into the table, and tries to focus on the woman, but she's gone.

"Weird," he murmurs, "Am I seriously thinking about her that much?"

He watches two girls giggle at each other, looking at him from time to time. He turns away and wonders why girls find him so attractive.

Come on, there are other guys that probably look a lot better than me, he thinks.

He fiddles with his planet necklace and continues thinking, resting a muscular arm onto the arm rest, and my doll. Did she find me that good-looking too?

He stops, "There I go again, calling her doll…"

He asks himself another question, "Why do I even call her doll?"

"Wait, isn't that what I say when I start to randomly blurt things out? My doll?" He asks himself, putting a finger to his chin, "When did that even start? Why do I even…"

He thinks about her blue eyes, "That's right. Her eyes make her face look like a doll's. But why not something else? I met her in Accumula, and I think I called her doll there for the first time…" He crosses his arms, "And I didn't even notice how weird that was?"

He furrows his green brows and growls lowly in confusion, "Something's not right here. This isn't me."

He decides to read more, until he comes to an informational section in the book and it catches his attention.

"The prince was famed for calling his lover 'doll' because of her exquisiteness." He reads to himself.

His mouth drops open and he whispers, almost scared, "What the actual fuck…"

He skips the reading and flips through the book and falls upon an old picture of the prince and princess, and N almost falls out of his chair.

"Oh, my, Arceus," he breathes, and widens his emerald eyes. He slams the book shut, and returns the books. The librarian waves at him and he gives her a quick half-smile, immediately dropping it after turning away from the old woman. He walks out of the library and his heart pounds with a weird, rushing feeling, "That picture… Were my eyes deceiving me?"

He continues walking and accidently bumps into a girl.

"Sorry," he mutters, not even looking at her face.

"Hey."

N recognizes that snarky voice as Haruka's friend.

He turns around and being right, is met by the sight of a pissed Cheren.

N can't help himself, trying not to start laughing at his honest mistake, "I thought you were a girl."

"Watch it, jerk," Cheren hisses, taking a step towards N, "I know what you did to Haruka."

"So she did tell you." N puts his hands in his pockets, glad that he's a head taller than the feminine looking boy.

"You bet she did, and man, was I right about you." Cheren sneers, glaring at N with hate behind his glasses.

N doesn't want Cheren to win this round, "So, what'd she tell you?"

"Oh, just that you're a piece of shit that happens to be the king of that idiotic Team Plasma."

N glares back, but smiles dangerously, a bit amused, "I would watch your mouth, it's not suitable for a miss."

"Shut up!" Cheren shouts, his anger taking over, "I've always hated you, you took her away from me!"

Cheren punches N in the stomach. Unfortunately, it's not really effective. His arm stops, stiff, and his knuckles start to turn red on N's abs. N didn't even flinch. He resumes standing straight and tall, hands in his pockets.

N's stomach is rock hard, and he smiles at Cheren, trying not to laugh. Cheren, humiliated, takes a few steps away, withdrawing his arm, and glares at his stomach.

"Hm," N says, smirking, "Thought you would punch a little harder. But, well, what did I expect from a girl?" He laughs almost evilly.

Cheren grits his teeth, "You… I…" He can't find anything mean enough to say to him. He's having such a bad time right now.

"I what?" N snaps, finally having it with this boy (or girl), "I destroyed your chance with Haruka? Sorry, not my problem. I have other things in mind. Now if you'll excuse me." N walks around Cheren.

Cheren blocks his way, "No, stop. I'm not done with you."

"But I am with you." N says back, getting impatient.

Cheren ignores him, "Look, if you ever see her again, just stay away from her, got it? If you as so much bat an eyelash at her, I swear, I will rip that pretty boy smile off you face!"

N laughs, "That's not a problem! She already hates me, doesn't she? Besides, I don't have to worry about your pathetic threat. You can't even punch me."

"She doesn't hate you." Cheren mutters, ignoring N's jab. He looks down, adjusts his glasses, and goes into his pose.

N looks at him, shocked at what he'd just heard, "What?"

Cheren looks at N with his cobalt eyes, "I said, she doesn't hate you. She's just… Not really herself right now, okay? So just leave her alone."

N, a bit speechless, shoves his way past Cheren and walks, slightly smiling. It takes all his man power to not squeal. (Who's the girl N?)

"She doesn't hate me." He says, relieved, "I don't know why, but hearing that makes me feel so much better." He continues walking away, grinning.

"You don't hate me? Really? No, of course I don't hate you, my doll!" N says, again, in the other voice.

But this time, he doesn't curse like he usually does. For this time, he might actually know the reason why to these outbursts.

Cheren looks at the ground, upset. He breathes in and out, trying to calm himself down.

"Dammit!" He shouts, storming his way towards Elesa's gym, "I just made that asshole happy! Why did I even tell him that?"

He continues his rage, "I should've told him that Haruka hates his guts!"

He stops in front of the gym's doors, and then rushes in, filled with rage and hate, prepared to beat the shit out of everybody in the gym, snatching the fresh water out of Gaido's hands.

Haruka decides to pause her journey today. She had already done enough, literally beating fifty trainers, and successfully evolving her Dratini into a Dragonair (thank Arceus) and not Dragonite.

Haruka brags about this to Bianca over the Xtransceiver, and Bianca says smartly, "You know Dragonite has better stats."

Haruka shrugs, munching on her Pecha Berry Candy. She's sitting next to her three, chatting pokemon, who are eating Oran berries, "I don't want that thing. Besides, how can such a cute little blue serpent turn into a fat, obese, orange dragon? How the heck is that supposed to make sense?"

Bianca laughs and says, "You're right, but that fat, obese dragon is nearly stronger than any other dragon pokemon, except for the legendries, of course," she stops and notices Haruka's loud crunching noise, "What is that you're eating?"

Haruka opens her pink lips to answer but then she's interrupted, "Wait, don't tell me. It's… Pecha Berry Candy?"

Haruka opens her mouth wide so Bianca can see the contents of the candy, "Yeah, how did you know?"

Bianca covers her eyes in disgust and answers, "That's your most favorite thing to eat, and you always eat that when you're, you know, depressed."

Haruka stops mid crunch and shouts, "I'M NOT DEPRESSED!" Her pokemon stop talking and stare at her.

"Augh!" Bianca covers her ears, "Haruka. Be quiet! You're so freaking loud!"

"That's what Cheren said to me when we first got our pokemon." She smiles at the memory, stroking her huge Dragonair. It purrs and licks her hand. Haruka giggles. She reassures her pokemon that she's fine, and they continue their chitchat.

Bianca frowns at his name and she pouts, "I don't want to talk about that boy. I'm still pissed at him."

Haruka turns back towards the screen and says, "Aw, come on Bianca, don't be like that…"

Bianca says sharply, "No! I will be like this. He's always like that to me, and I can't take it anymore! He's all nice to you and stuff…" She gains a saddened face and looks down at something, and her blonde hair shadows her face a bit.

Haruka feels a bit pitiful for her friend, then remarks, "He is not nice to me! He makes fun of me and calls me stupid. You think that's nice?"

She pulls out another candy and pops it into her mouth, "Besides, that's just Cheren's style. He thinks all high and mighty of himself, but he thinks others are low."

"Yeah, I get what you mean, but this time he went all rude and dare I say it, bitchy on me and he's never like that."

Haruka thinks for a moment, then answers, "He told me he just wanted to be alone for a while."

Then Bianca bursts out crying, and then Haruka almost chokes on her candy, "Bianca, why are you crying?!"

She continues to bawl and then she manages to get out, "I knew i-it! Cheren likes y-you Haruka!"

She continues to sob and then Haruka, this time, bursts out laughing, "Oh, Bianca! You're funny! There's no reason to worry about that, Cheren won't like a dumb girl like me. He wants a smart, brilliant, girl that wears glasses like him."

Bianca shakes her head snickering a bit, "But Haruka, you're not dumb, and you're gorgeous too. I mean, those eyes, and you're hair, and your body, and-"

"Bianca, nobody wants a skinny stick for a girlfriend."

Bianca's tears still drip down her pale face, "Yeah, but nobody wants a super curvy girl with a big ass."

Haruka is speechless at this and says, "Bianca! Oh! My! Arceus! Did you seriously just say that?"

"Yeah."

Haruka chuckles again and she says, "Your body is amazing! I swear, at least you won't snap in half, and guys like big butts. I don't know why though, they just do."

Bianca wipes snot from her nose, "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm crying?"

"Huh?" Haruka asks.

Bianca rolls her glassy, green eyes and scoffs, "Honestly, Haruka, sometimes you can seriously be so dense!"

Haruka ignores the jab and thinks about her best friend's sudden broken waterworks. She seriously can't figure it out until it hits her, "Oh…"

Bianca blushes a bit, "You figured it out?"

Haruka puts down her candy box, already having the effects of a stomachache, "You loooove Cheren!"

Bianca looks away and stammers, "Well, y-yeah. I always have, actually."

"Always?!" Haruka screeches, shocked at how she's never noticed.

Bianca nods, "I'm just really good at hiding my feelings."

"Wow…" Haruka breathes, and then chortles, "Ew, Bianca! Why him? You deserve a guy so much better than Cherie!"

Bianca mutters a bit indignantly, "That's what I'm thinking right now too…" Her Musharna floats over to her and plops herself on top of Bianca's poufy head.

"But, I mean, if you still do really like him, go for it." Haruka continues.

Bianca asks, "Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

Bianca cocks her head, "Don't you like him too?"

Haruka shakes her head, "No! I never have, and never will. We're just best friends, like you and me, and it's going to stay that way. Besides, I, um, I'm kind of over guys."

Bianca squeals, "Ew! You're going to be a lesbian?!"

Haruka recoils in disgust, "Hell no! Bianca, I thought you knew me better!"

They both laugh and then Haruka says seriously, "It's just that… I had a bad incident with a certain green haired guy."

Bianca gives Haruka a sympathetic look, "Oh, you poor thing. You still heartbroken?"

Haruka motions towards her Pecha Berry Candy, "Isn't it obvious?"

"I'll take that as a yes," Bianca says, patting her Herdier, "You know Haruka, just get over him. I know he's hot and all," She giggles with a glint in her eyes, "Really hot, but isn't he just one of your usual short time crushes?"

Haruka sighs and pats her aching tummy, "Yeah, I want to Bianca, I really do, but for some reason, it isn't so easy…"

Bianca, as if she didn't hear her, goes on, "Remember Hideki? The Ace trainer? You were so into him for like, three weeks and then you found out that he has a wife back in Kanto and then you ripped your pillow to shreds. Cheren and I had to buy you like a whole tub full Pecha Berry Candy for you to calm down."

Haruka glares at Bianca for not listening, "Bianca."

Bianca questions her, "Hm?"

Haruka continues, "I said that I really want to get over N, but I just can't. I just can't seem to stop thinking about him."

"That's weird. Didn't you just meet him?"

Haruka rolls onto her back and lays her head down on her Dragonair's tail, "Mm, yeah. But it feels like we have a whole past together. Like…" She pulls her lips to a corner, takes her cap off, and rubs her head, "Uh, how should I explain this…"

Haruka closes her tired eyes and says, "I feel like I know him from before. And-"

"Ooh! Pretty necklace! Did he give that to you?" Bianca squeals, her eyes staring almost with jealousy at Haruka's white stone necklet.

Haruka looks down at her neck, and picks to stone up between her index finger and thumb, "It's a beauty isn't it? My Risō gave it to me."

Haruka groans and plunks her messenger bag onto her blushing face and Bianca scrunches her eyebrows together in muddle, "Haruka? Who's Risō?"

Haruka clears her throat and says cautiously, "Does my voice sound the same?"

"Um, yeah…"

"Good." Haruka says, popping another piece of hard candy into her mouth despite her tummy ache.

Bianca scratches her head and brushes Herdier's fur off of her white skirt, "But, if I'm not mistaken, you sounded different for a second. Almost more… More…"

"Womanlier?" Haruka finishes, giving a knowing look to Bianca, placing her hands together on her flat stomach.

"Yeah. Hey, is there something wrong with you? Like a split personality?"

Haruka, not even offended, shrugs, "To be honest, I'm not even sure. See, I've been saying really weird things lately, and not in my voice. Sometimes, I'm not even aware of when I'm going to blurt out something. It's really bugging me."

"Um," Bianca raises one eyebrow, giving a strange look at Haruka, "I don't know how to respond to that…"

Haruka laughs lightly, "I don't expect you to respond to that correctly. I don't even know how to face it myself," She looks up at the sky and admires the beautiful clouds passing by, "Sometimes, I just know I'm not myself."

Bianca stays silent for a moment, then says gently, "Me neither, Haruka."

"Hm?"

Bianca continues, keeping a slightly gloomy expression on her pastel, white face, "Ever since our journey started, it seems that you've already really matured. You don't sound like the old Haruka. You sound all grown up."

Haruka, surprised, says, "I can say the same for you. You're not as ditsy as before. I mean, you even told me about how that stupid orange dragon's what's-its-name's stats are way higher than my bea-oo-tiful Dragonair, and dare I say it," Haruka chuckles, "You sounded like Cheren."

"What?!" Bianca shouts slightly, moving back from the screen, "No way! I do not want to start sounding like that nerd!"

Haruka shrugs and gives a half smile, "Who knows? Maybe a few years from now, you'll be the one wearing glasses, and he'll turn into a hottie."

"Never!" Bianca says, patting her jade eyes delicately, "These eyes will always stay in perfect condition. And if I have to, I'll not once touch a book ever again!"

Bianca then says, blinking her eyes a bit, "Besides, since N is the king of that weird Plasma group, you might become his princess one day…"

Haruka flinches at that and she frostily snaps, "NO! I'll destroy that group before they even lay their eyes on that Zekrom pokemon thing."

Bianca gives a devious smile and says before hanging up, "You never know…"