This is a message to my anonymous reviewer: yes, Red will be in this fic. I mean, come on. It's Red. How could he not be in it?
If you have any comments, please leave a review or message me. It's nice to get feedback.
The phone's beeps were muffled, but still audible. Leaf ignored them. She still didn't want to talk to Blue, not just then. And it had to be Blue calling her. Nobody else called her. Nobody else even remembered she existed.
"Your phone is ringing."
Leaf glanced round. That tall boy, Hilbert, was standing a little way away from her and watching her. She nodded at him.
"Good afternoon," she said, regarding him coolly. "Here to try to get the Gym Badge?"
He nodded. Leaf reached into a pocket and pulled out the Insect Badge which she had just earned. No, she wouldn't say 'earned'. Something so menial as that battle could not possibly have 'earned' her anything. She had merely taken it from the Gym Leader's sticky palm.
Castelia Gym. The Bug Gym which doubled as an Art Gallery. Although, Leaf did not care for any of the pieces on display. They were too slapdash and crude for her taste. To her, it seemed like the Gym Leader was crying out for attention. He was a Gym Leader, not an artist, and it was time he accepted it. Perhaps then he would be able to concentrate on training and put up more of a fight next time.
At her feet, Espeon gave a long sigh. She had not enjoyed the paintings either. That, and the entire gym was filled with honey which was now stuck to her fur. At that moment, she was licking the back of one paw to clean herself.
Hilbert stood in silence, looking up at the Gym.
"You have improved slightly," Leaf told him, looking at the Poké Balls on his belt. "But not a great deal. There is still a long way for you to go."
"I know."
There was a pause.
"Have you encountered Team Plasma any more?"
Hilbert nodded. He briefly described how Team Plasma had stolen a skull from the museum in Nacrene City, then his friend's Munna in Castelia. Leaf listened to Hilbert's slow voice, nodding at appropriate moments. Team Plasma seemed amateurish. They were very much the same as Team Rocket had been when she had first encountered them. Stealing objects and Pokémon, trying to force their way to the top. They even had a strange uniform which the Grunts were forced to wear. Yes, the similarities were striking.
The metal straps digging into Leaf's bare flesh. Hot tears trickling down her face. Laughing. That loud, awful laughing.
Leaf sighed and rubbed her temples. That phone was still ringing. Why did Blue have to call now? Why did he have to bring back those memories now?
"Why aren't you answering?"
At his question, Espeon stopped cleaning herself. The Pokémon looked up at her trainer and twitched her ears curiously. She too wanted to know the reason.
"I do not feel like talking just yet."
There was a brief moment in which neither of the two spoke. It was not silence, not by any stretch of the imagination. Castelia City was the largest town Leaf had ever visited. There were people passing them by, talking into phones, running to catch a bus. A little way behind Hilbert, a Pokémon battle was taking place. The crackles of electricity shook through the air from this tussle. It would be practically impossible for any moment of silence to take place here.
"You can handle this Gym," Leaf said eventually. "Good luck." She gave another nod before turning and walking down the street. Espeon stuck close to her heels, her tail swaying lightly.
The phone stopped ringing at last.
"Where to next?" Leaf asked herself. Checking a map, she saw that she had to pass a desert to get to Nimbasa City. There was an Electric Gym there. Espeon could handle them as well.
"A desert might be fun," she commented, pausing at the gate. She glanced down at Espeon who blinked back at her. "Shall we?" The Pokémon gave a purr of agreement.
Leaf was slightly behind in her schedule. She had wanted to be on her fifth Gym badge that day, but was still only on her third. The food she had eaten at a hotel the previous week had disagreed with her. The Unova food was overly spiced and upset her stomach, so she had been left vomiting for hours. Espeon had sat beside her, sending out waves of calming Psychic energy. These had helped and she was out and about soon after the illness had first hit. Still, it was taking her too long. If that boy Hilbert was already caught up with her, then she was being slow. A rookie trainer had kept pace with her: the elite.
Because Leaf was the elite.
She kept telling herself that.
The desert was long, but she had soon crossed it. The wild Pokémon knew enough to stay away. Espeon sent out rays of energy to deter any of the braver ones. As for trainers which mistook her for one of their level? They were easily disposed of. Leaf barely had to look round.
When she arrived at Nimbasa, Leaf was briefly dazzled. Almost every building in that town was bedecked with lights, all brightly coloured and flashing. She had known this was a town for entertainment, but she had not realised it was to this extent. With one hand, she shielded her eyes from the glare and let them adjust. Where was the Gym? In the amusement arcade, that's right.
Leaf turned to her right and started walking. All around her the lights glared, casting strange shadows on her skin. Above her, the sun shone brightly, adding its own light to this cacophony of colour. She just needed to get this next badge and get out, that would be that.
A flash of green caught her eye. A boy with long green hair in a ponytail was standing in front of a ferris wheel just by the Gym. This was too good an opportunity to miss.
Quickening her pace, Leaf strode across the streets towards the Ferris Wheel. She needed to get N alone and talk to him. This Team Plasma was intriguing and she needed to know just what they were planning. Perhaps she could complete her mission slightly earlier than she'd thought.
"Hello." Her voice was just loud enough for N to hear and he turned round.
At the sight of her he gave a small smile. "Oh. Hello. It's good to see you again."
"Leaf."
"Pardon?"
"My name is Leaf. I did not tell you before."
"Ah. Leaf." N paused, looking at her. "If you want to talk to me, may we talk on the ferris wheel? You can only go on with a partner and I have been longing to try it for some time now. I enjoy Ferris wheels. The mechanics of the things..." He tailed off, looking up wistfully.
Leaf nodded. She scooped Espeon up into her arms and stepped into one of the compartments alongside N. There was a shudder, then the wheel began to turn. They inched higher and higher up into the air.
"What is your position in Team Plasma?" Leaf asked as soon as the door had closed.
N answered without missing a beat. "I am their king."
"Their king? I had expected something of importance, but I admit that is a surprise. I did not even suspect that Plasma would have a king." Yes, Unova was certainly very different. "Is there any reason why you are king? Or are you just lucky?"
"I am king because I have abilities." N was looking out of the window at the twinkling city below them. "I can talk to Pokémon."
"All Pokémon?"
"Yes. I can understand them and befriend them. I have yet to meet another person who can. And yet..." He looked round, and a minute smile was playing around his lips. "You understood your Espeon. In Accumula Town."
At the mention of her name, Espeon twitched slightly. But she kept her head buried in the crook of Leaf's arm.
Leaf stroked her Pokémon absentmindedly. "I don't have your ability," she told N.
"But you do!" His voice was elated now, almost giddy. "You understood your Pokémon and what it was saying! You talked to it-"
"That is true. But it is only true because we are close." Leaf smiled, remembering that time, many years ago, when she had first received the Eevee which would become her cherished Espeon. "I have been with Espeon for many years. Over time, we have grown closer, a strong bond has developed. I know her moods and her habits. I know everything about her. That is the only reason why I can understand what she is saying to me." She looked up and saw disappointment shining in N's eyes. "It is not an inbuilt ability, but hard work and time spent with my Pokémon. Of course, some trainers do not even use that." She lowered her eyes again, but was scowling.
The Ferris wheel shuddered to a stop, just near the top. They were about a third of the way round.
"You intend to get Trainers to release their Pokémon," Leaf stated, stroking Espeon. "How? Will you just ask them?"
"No. I have a plan."
"Do you care to elaborate?"
She did not expect him to reply, but N said without blinking, "Reshiram."
"Reshiram?"
"Reshiram. It is the Pokémon of legend, who-"
"I know who Reshiram is." Leaf was watching the other boy now, a small smile on her face. This was too perfect. "You intend to catch it, then?"
"I am deserving. I am always kind to my Pokémon and have never deceived them. Pokémon are my life. Why would it not come to me? I shall become the champion by defeating the Elite Four. Then, as the strongest Trainer in Unova, I shall tell people to release their Pokémon!" He was grinning widely now, threatening to split his face in two. There was a strange gleam in his eye.
Leaf barely moved except to stroke Espeon. "And what about Zekrom?"
N nodded. "We have chosen who shall summon Zekrom. It will be Hilbert."
She thought for a moment. "A wise choice. He seems to be improving greatly."
There was another pause. The Ferris wheel shuddered into motion again, bringing them up over the apex.
"Tell me, Leaf. Do you have a dream?"
This question was unexpected. She tilted her head on one side and considered. She looked out the window at all the people scurrying in the streets below the Ferris Wheel, then at the boy standing opposite her. He waited patiently for her answer.
"Yes. I do."
N smiled. "That's wonderful. It is good to have a dream. It gives us direction. I hope you can achieve it."
Leaf's mouth twitched. "So do I."
They waited in silence for the rest of the ride, then stepped out into the open air. Espeon stretched and leapt to the ground. N watched it for a moment.
"I believe that Pokémon should not be used by Trainers," he said in a low voice. "People are foolish and abuse them. They cause them pain. But, every so often, a trainer comes along who cares deeply for their Pokémon. You, Hilbert, Cheren, Bianca... You will all have to be separated too." He looked away from them and up at the buildings. "That does break my heart a little."
Leaf said nothing. She merely watched the boy stand there, the lights from the city silhouetting his form. It was Espeon who moved to stand in front of him. Her eyes met his and she stood strong. A harsh cry thrummed from her chest. It was obvious both to Leaf and to N what Espeon was saying.
"If you think that I will leave my Trainer simply because you tell me to, you are a fool."
N looked at her. Leaf smiled.
The phone rang.
"You should answer that," N murmured, looking round at her. "Hopefully, I will see you some other time."
He walked away through the crowds of people, waving over his shoulder as he went. Leaf watched him leave.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "We'll meet again. I'll make sure of it."
The phone kept ringing. The beeps pierced the air and drove into her skull. She reached down and pulled the phone free from her pocket. The ID screen said 'Blue'.
Blue's face was terrified, tears spilling down his cheeks. In his eyes, the reflected image of Leaf.
No. Not now. She would not recall those memories now.
Leaf turned and strode into the Gym, Espeon padding along at her heels. She was putting it off, she knew she would have to talk to him one day, but not then. Perhaps afterwards, when the plan was complete. When she had achieved her dream.