CHAPTER THREE- THE FIRST SIGHTING
I had been visiting Cheren in Aspertia City for a few days. There was a little apartment above the gym where he lived. He let me sleep in the bed and he stayed on the couch. Only one person had challenged him while I visited and he beat the kid easily.
The sun shone brightly into Cheren's apartment and it woke me up much sooner than I had planned to wake up. I couldn't fall back asleep because I was so nervous to tell Cheren that it would be my last full day in Aspertia City. I was planning on resuming my search for N, but I wasn't going to inform him of that. I laid in the bed until I heard Cheren moving around. A few minutes later I was dressed and ready for the day and I walked into the main room of the apartment practicing what I was going to say to him.
"Good morning, Hilda," he smiled at me as I sat down at the table. His smile was charming, but there seemed to be another emotion fueling it.
"Morning, Cheren. Have you been up for a while?" I asked.
"Actually, yes. I've been running some errands."
I poured some cereal into a bowl. Cheren had left my favorite kind out. "Oh, yeah? What kind of errands?"
"You'll see," he grinned at me.
"Oh no. That does not sound good."
He chuckled at me. "Professor Juniper should be here any minute to inform you about what I was doing."
"Professor Juniper? I thought she was in Nuvema right now."
"Not today," he answered. Then we heard the knock. "That must be her!" Cheren got up from the table and answered the door. Sure enough, it was Professor Juniper. Her chestnut colored hair was drawn into a ponytail and her cheeks were flushed.
"Oh, Hilda, it's so good to see you so soon! How are you liking Aspertia?" She asked. She shed her labcoat and placed it on a coathanger that Cheren had near the doorway.
"It's wonderful here! I can see why Cheren likes it. I can't imagine what it would have been like growing up in such a big city," I answered.
She smiled at me. "Yes, Nuvema is quite small compared to Aspertia." Then she switched the topic. "Has Cheren told you about tonight yet?"
I looked quizzically from Cheren to Professor Juniper. "No... what's going on tonight?"
Professor Juniper turned to Cheren. "Cheren! How could you not tell her she needs to pick out a dress!"
I interjected, "A dress?! What on earth could I need a dress for?!" I glanced at Cheren who had reseated himself across the table. There was a smug smile firmly cemented between his cheeks.
"Go on and tell her, Cheren. My goodness," Professor Juniper huffed. She then sat herself at the table.
"Well, Professor Juniper decided to hold a banquet honoring the gym leaders and all the champions that Unova has had. You are currently the Unova champion, as you well know, so you are expected to be there. There's going to be all sorts of other people there too that we get to mingle with. It'll be a lot of fun, especially since we have to fly to Nimbasa in a few hours."
"Nimbasa?" I asked with a lump forming in my throat. "Why wouldn't we go to Castelia?"
"Elesa was one of the main planners. She revamped the gym, you know, and it's perfect for a banquet!" Professor Juniper answered rather than Cheren. "Now, Hilda, dear. We need to leave soon. You want to go, don't you?"
I don't know whether it was the prospect of returning to Nimbasa that sparked my interest or the fact that I could put off telling Cheren that I was leaving soon that fueled my agreement.
"Elesa told me that you're dress looks absolutely gorgeous on you," Cheren called from the other side of the door. We were in Elesa's home. She was waiting for us with Professor Juniper.
I opened the door and looked at Cheren. He was dressed sharply in a tuxedo. I'd never seen him dressed up before and he looked very handsome. "Do you think so?" I giggled to him. I twirled in the gown that Elesa helped me pick out. It was a red dress that shimmered in the light. It had a sweetheart neckline and the back was open. The dress went to the floor. My hair was in a curly messy bun.
Cheren's mouth hung open wide. "Hilda, you look stunning."
"Thank you, Cheren," I beamed at him and looped my arm through his. "Let's go."
An hour later we were at the banquet. Cheren and I sat at a table with Professor Juniper, Elesa, Drayden, Burgh, and Lenora. The other gym leaders and elite four members were at various tables around us. Trainers had bought tickets to come and eat at the banquet and after the main meal we would get to interact with them, and maybe even battle. The money raised for the banquet was for a charity to help get Feebas off the Endangered Species list.
I was in the middle of catching up with the various gym leaders that I had battled so many years ago when Professor Juniper dismissed herself and went up on to the stage.
"Hello, everyone! I hope you're having an enjoyable meal. We can't wait to meet all of you," she announced to the crowd, which responded by erupting in applause. She was about to continue speaking when a loud whirring noise.
The noise was becoming unbearably loud. Then we heard a voice come over a speakerphone. "Professor Juniper, it was a mistake to put all of Unova's strongest trainers under one roof. Team Plasma has returned and we are ready to fulfill our true purpose! Be warned all of you! It would be wise of you to keep your Pokemon close." A voice that I faintly recognized echoed throughout the room, and then maniacal laughter ensued. Then the whirring retreated. Everyone in the banquet was buzzing with the announcement of Team Plasma's return. Cheren and the other gym leaders were talking at me, but I wasn't listening. My mind was stuck on the voice.
I blocked out the everyone else's voices and looked up at the ceiling as if I could see Team Plasma. Then I heard it. It was the sound of a Pokemon's cry that I hadn't heard in two years. I pushed myself out from the table and ran as quickly as I could towards the exit. I heard Cheren call after me, but I didn't turn back. I looked ahead.
I threw the door of the exit open roughly and ran out into the amusement park, "N! N, are you here?!" I called, but I didn't get a response. I tried again with my voice cracking and my insides throbbing. I kicked off the fancy shoes I'd been wearing and ran towards the ferris wheel. My hair fell from its updo and I could hear something snag my dress. That's when I saw him. His dragon was as dark as the night, but it was unmistakeable that N was there.
"N!" I called loudly. I still hadn't seen the boy with the long green hair. "N, where are you?" I asked when I reached his Zekrom. The Pokemon seemed to recognize me because it stood calmly where it was. I reached my hand out to the dragon. That's when I heard the voice.
"Hilda?" He spoke.
I turned around so fast that I almost fell to my knees. N was standing in front of me looking every bit as handsome as he had two years ago. I could tell in his face that he'd matured in some way, but otherwise he seemed very much the same. "N, it's really you!" I cried out. I ran forward and threw my arms around him. I placed my head against his chest and I could feel his heart pounding. N was hesitant to put his arms around me and they rested lightly on the skin of my back. It made me shiver.
I pulled away from him and I placed my hands on his face. "N, I've missed you so much."
He smiled at me for only a second before being replaced by a stoic look. "I missed you too, Hilda." The words rang through my veins melodically. Then he spoke again, "I'm' here because of Team Plasma. I've been chasing Ghetsis in order to discover his plans. I'm sorry, Hilda. I must stop him." He declared and began to walk towards his dragon.
Out of desperation I reached for him, and with luck I was clutching his hand. "N, you don't have to do it alone. I can help you. Someone will stop him. You've been alone for so long. Let me come with you."
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, it took me only a second to realize that N had seen him before I had.
"You're back," Cheren spoke coldly.
Shivers ran up and down my back again, but not out of pleasure this time.
