Slightly longer chapter, and with lots of POV breaks. But important for plot and stuff.
And one last thing. Here's some fan art which made me laugh. Just take out the spaces. Unfortunately, I don't know the artist. Sorry:
http:/img4 (dot) gelbooru (dot) com/images/800/fe33ca516ad1c 09da8c4f8da0 30666d6 (dot) png?943146
If you have any comment or feedback or ways in which I could improve, please let me know.
"This... I... Is it really you?"
Leaf held the phone against her ear, standing in the middle of that silent room. Behind her, the two people were still chatting merrily. Leaf barely registered them. "Yes," she said at last. "Yes, it's really me."
"Oh, thank God!" Blue's voice sounded elated, as though this was the best news he had ever received in his life. Leaf heard his voice coming in gasps now. She could imagine him clutching at his heart the way he always used to do. Or did he still do that? Maybe he had developed another habit.
"Leaf, I haven't spoken to you in years," Blue was saying. Yes, his voice was breathy now, the shock was reaching him. He was probably having to sit down. "I thought for sure you'd changed your number or lost your phone or... Or died." On this last word, his voice cracked a little.
Leaf did not smile. "I was breathing the last time I checked."
There was a choked laugh. "Yeah, but... Leaf, what happened to you? I haven't seen you since-" He broke off.
The chair had been cold and hard against Leaf's back. Straps had cut into her flesh, tight enough to leave huge welts which did not fade for days. Her tears had run down her cheeks hot and fast, until she reached a point where she realised they would not help. They were salty. They stung her cracked and bleeding lips. Behind her, the man laughed.
"I'm sorry I left you like that. I... I had to get away." Leaf's voice dropped to a murmur, and there was a clear sense of shame. Embarrassment. Fear. It was the voice of a child who had recently learned of all the suffering in the world. A weak voice. However, her face was the same steely expression as always. It was at odds with her words. She turned and moved to stand in the doorway, facing out.
On the other side of the line, Blue had to be hanging his head. When he next spoke, Leaf could hear the tears. "Leaf... Look, I know that all this stuff has happened to you and I know that everything's gone to Hell and I know how you were treated." He took a shuddering breath. "But please... Where are you? Nobody's seen you anywhere. It's like you've vanished."
Leaf's mouth twisted into a half smile. "I think I have, Blue. I've vanished. Disappeared completely."
"What? Leaf, what are you talking about? Where are you? What happened? Why has it taken you so long to answer the phone? What's going on?" Blue's voice was angry now, rising.
Leaf didn't react. "You'll see soon enough, Blue."
Blue was silent for a long moment. "Leaf? What happened to you? You sound so different..." He tailed off.
Leaf frowned. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. Her knuckles clutching the phone were turning white. "We all change, Blue," she spat into the phone. "Some just change more than others." Blue began to speak again, but Leaf flicked the phone shut and cut him off. Weren't her Pokémon healed yet? What was taking so long?
With a scowl that would have cracked stone, she turned and marched into the Pokémon Centre.
000
On the other side of the world, at the back of a Pokémon Gym, a boy was staring at the silent phone in his hand.
Leaf? What had happened to her?
He was fighting to reach her. His Pokémon were battling against everything coming their way. The corridor stretched in front of him. That door, barricaded and locked. She was behind that door. But he would get her out. He would save her.
Blue began to pace back and forth across the Gym floor. Behind him, the various Gym trainers watched him warily. They had never seen him like this.
He was thinking furiously. Where was she? Where on earth could she be? Think. Think.
That conversation in the background. Bits of it had drifted in when he'd been talking to her. What had been said?
There had been someone named Joy. And a man named Timothy. A Pokécentre's yearly check. She was near civilisation, then. But where? Think. What else had been said? That woman, Joy, she'd been talking about someone else. A trainer. Someone who used Dark Pokémon. Someone strong. What had his name been?
"Grimsley," Blue murmured, frowning in thought. "I know that name."
There was a long pause as he thought. Then realisation dawned.
"Unova."
000
Battles blurred into one another. Over time, they all looked the same. Some stood out slightly, but most were so monotonous. No variation at all.
Leaf settled down on a chair at the back of that Elite Four and waited. The battles had been quick, but they were not important. Not this time. For her plan, she merely had to wait, and...
N entered the Elite Four. Without pause, he ran for the nearest steps to his first opponent. Minutes passed. N emerged and proceeded to the next member. Then the next. Then the next. Then he descended to face the champion.
Leaf did not move. She wasn't even noticed. Instead, she waited.
Hilbert arrived soon. She smiled. This was who she had waited for. She got to her feet and moved over to him.
"Hello," she said as she approached. Hilbert looked at her.
"Hello," he replied.
Leaf smiled again, stroking Espeon. The cat raised its head and directed its penetrating gaze at Hilbert. The gem in its forehead pulsed.
The boy's eyes rolled up into his head and his legs gave way. There was a thump as he collapsed to the floor. Leaf smiled wider. Things were going perfectly to plan. She knelt down, let go of Espeon, and started to go through the unconscious trainer's bag.
She emerged with a black orb.
The Dark Stone.
000
Leaf's head was hanging limply. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything and was feeling feint.
The sound of Pokémon cries from outside the door of her prison roused her slightly. She raised her head and looked at the door.
Blue?
She opened her mouth to call out to him, but no words came out. Just a small, wavering croak.
Behind her, the voice laughed again.
In front of her, the door burst open.
000
Blue was flying over the mountains, forests, and seas. The wild countryside where even the most experienced trainers didn't go. If his Pidgeott were to collapse and crash land here then he would never be found. But he didn't care. He had to go forward, to Unova.
He had to get to Leaf.
Leaf.
000
The elevator came to life, whirring in the stone. Leaf stepped on board and let herself be lowered down to face the champion.
She could hear voices.
N and Alder, the Unova Champion, were conversing. N had won, that much was obvious. The way he was shouting about his dream and the new world could only mean he had defeated the flame-haired man in front of him. Leaf stepped off the elevator and walked towards them. N turned, his eyes widening at the sight of her.
"Leaf?" he breathed. "So, Hilbert did not..."
In reply, Leaf held up the Dark stone. It was heavy in her palm.
He smiled. "Yes. You are the one. Reshiram is respondingto that stone..." He stepped forward, then pulled up short. "Stop! This is not the place for legendary dragons." N's voice sounded wild now, as he cried, "From the ground rise up! The castle of Team Plasma! Surround the Pokémon League!"
At his command, the ground began to shake. There was a loud rumbling as of an earthquake. Then a large edifice erupted from the surrounding soil, racing upwards to the sky. A large castle of dark, foreboding stone. Windows stared down at her like so many glistening eyeballs. Thick walkways thundered down and connected to the stage where they were standing.
Leaf raised her eyebrows. An impressive feat.
N turned to look at her. His face had a tinge of madness to it when he smiled. "What has just appeared is Team Plasma's castle. The king's words will resound from the heights to all below. You must come to the castle, as well. Everything will be decided there. Whether Pokémon will be liberated from people, or whether Pokémon and people will live together... We will decide it now."
000
The man stepped forward, in front of the chair where Leaf was confined. She blinked out and saw a boy. Brown hair, with a Jolteon standing behind him. Their eyes met.
000
The castle was long and winding. Leaf walked slowly, her head turning this way and that. She saw Plasma Grunts scurrying to and fro in various states of composure. One or two were not in uniform, indicating that they had been caught unawares by this sudden occurrence.
She paused at one room which was full of toys. She knew it was N's bedroom. It smelled of him. And the toys reminded her of him. His innocence. It was all so inncocent.
"He is fascinating," Leaf commented, stooping to run her fingers over a train set in the middle of the floor. Espeon gave a mewl.
They continued climbing. Girl and Pokémon, inside that strange edifice of power at the Unova Pokémon League. The Dark Stone pulsated in readiness for what awaited them.
On the top floor, Ghetsis was waiting. He turned to face Leaf as she approached, frowning slightly. "You are not who I expected," he said, petulantly. "Nevertheless, be warned, holder of the Dark Stone. The King of this castle is the strongest trainer in the world. He is-"
"Do not talk about things you do not understand, you ignorant little man." Leaf's words were snarled at Ghetsis, making the man take a hasty step backwards. She gave him an icy glare, locking their gazes together. "The strongest trainer in the world? I apologise, but that title belongs to me. Step aside so that I may put an end to this little act of yours."
Ghetsis spluttered out an enraged, "What-?", but Leaf swept past him and into the throne room before he had a chance to form a coherent sentence.
In her hand, the Dark Stone throbbed.
000
Pokémon glared, screeching. Electricity flashed, fire burned. The boy and the man glared at each other as the Pokémon leapt. The girl watched, her eyes wide and terrified. The metal cut deeper into her skin as she twisted to follow what was happening.
The man fell. He lay on the ground, limp and unmoving. Burns covered his clothes, rips and scrapes from the battle. On his back, a large red capital R.
The boy ran forward and tugged at switches on the side of the chair. With a hiss, the bands came loose. The girl slid free. The boy enveloped her in his arms, pulling her close to him.
Into her hair, he murmured her name over and over.
000
Blue skimmed over the land, pressed tight to his Pidgeot's back. He was pushing his Pokémon to the limit, he knew that. Yet he didn't pull bak. He was there. He was in Unova. And the Elite Four...
He touched down.
With a flick of his Poké Ball, Blue recalled his Pokémon. Then he ran.
000
Espeon tossed her head, sending out Psychic energy at her opponent. Focussed like a bullet, it pierced the Reshiram's flesh and sent it hurling backwards. As the dragon crashed into the wall, she yawned.
N kept pushing, his brow set. He could not lose this. He had to keep going and win. For the good of all Pokémon. He was the hero of legend, and he had to fulfill his dreams.
000
Blue stooped over the boy. He was tall, with dark brown hair stuffed under a cap. Poké Balls were at his waist, but his bag was open and items were scattered about the floor surrounding him. He had been stashed behind one of the staircases, out of the way. Blue would not have noticed him if he hadn't been searching.
"Hey," he said, shaking the boy gently. The boy opened his eyes blearily, looking up at him. Blue smiled. "Hi. I think you fainted. Listen, I'm looking for someone. Maybe you could help."
000
N stood, facing Leaf across the ruin of a throne room. His Pokémon, confined to their Poké Balls, were all defeated. He was defeated. Leaf had won.
He stepped forward, his head bowed in admittance of his loss.
That was when the door burst open and Ghetsis swept into the room. His eyes were boring into N, a cold fury in every fibre of his being.
"After all of that, do you think you're still worthy of sharing the name Harmonia with me?" he thundered, his voice echoing throughout the room. N took a step back, his eyes wide in shock. "You good-for-nothing boy!" Now, Ghetsis turned to Leaf. He was sneering. "Well. Since you defeated him, I suppose you deserve to know the truth." He cleared his throat and adopted the same voice had had used to make that speech in Acumula Town so many days beforehand. "To start with, I spurred N into pursuing truth. The reason we reawakened the legendary Pokémon now was to give my Team Plasma more power! Power to control the fearful masses! I-"
Leaf flicked her hand. Espeon sent out a blast of energy. Ghetsis choked, clutching at his throat. He had been struck dumb.
She stepped towards him, an aura of superiority flowing from her. "You honestly think I could not see through you?" she muttered. "You think I did not understand from the start the way in which you were manipulating N? I have experienced more than you could ever hope to. I have seen more of this world than you would imagine. Do not think that I can be fooled as easily as the average layman in the streets. You are nothing to me." Her eyes narrowed, staring Ghetsis in the eye. He looked fearful. Stepped back.
"Someone like you, who manipulates people for their own ends, has no right to inhabit this earth. You have no right to use Pokémon. You have no right to talk to me, to talk to N."
Leaf's voice was low and dark. "You will leave," she told him. "You horrible, sniveling little creep of a man. You will leave and never try to talk to me or anyone else again. I can, and will, squash you beneath my heel."
She hissed again.
"Go."
000
Blue and Hilbert thundered down the elevator. The Elite Four were just behind them, their Pokémon recently healed. At the sight of the Castle looming in front of them, the Elite Four gasped. Blue leapt off the elevator and pelted towards it. Somewhere in there, he knew, was Leaf.
000
Leaf and N stood by the large hole in the wall. Through it, the sea could be seen twinkling below. N released a fully revived Reshiram which hovered in the air. He stood watching it, caught up in his own thoughts.
"You're my superior," he said finally. "The bond you and your Pokémon share is unlike everything I've ever seen. There was no way I could have measured up. I mean, I'm just some freak without a human heart." His face twisted as said this, remembering what Ghetsis had shouted as he left, after Espeon had released her hold on his throat.
Leaf reached over and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that." Her eyes were downcast. "You are not a freak. You cannot be held accountable for what other people have done. It was Ghetsis who made you like this."
N looked up. There was a small smile playing around his lips. The sun was rising and light was starting to pick out his features in perfect clarity.
"Leaf. You said you had a dream. Back in Nimbasa."
"Yes. What of it?"
N turned to face her fully. A smile stretched across his face now. He reached out and took her hands in his, clasping them tightly to his chest.
"Make them a reality! Dreams and ideals give you the power to change the world! If anyone can do it, it's you!"
Leaf blinked. "My dream?"
"Yes."
"You want me to fulfill my dream?"
"I do."
The girl's eyes fluttered downwards. N looked at her, taking in everything about her. In that light her face had a soft, other-worldly charm. She was really quite pretty.
Just as he thought that, Leaf moved her head up. She stepped closer, wrapping her fingers through his as she did so.
Their lips met.
000
The dungeon had been cold and dark. Leaf couldn't remember how long she'd been left down there. She was weak, needing Blue's support as they made their way out. The sunlight burned her eyes. She collapsed into his arms again, burying her face in his chest. Blue had summoned his Pidgeot and the two of them had flown to Pallet town. It had been almost midnight when the two friends had returned home.
000
Blue thundered up the stairs of that castle. Hot on his heels were the Gym Leaders and Elite Four of Unova, along with a few trainers that Hilbert had been friends with. A skinny boy with glasses, and a blonde girl with a ridiculous green hat.
Blue's eyes narrowed as they reached the top floor. That door. That single solitary door. This was't the first time he had broken a door down to get to Leaf.
000
The two trainers stood in the morning light, softly kissing. It was the kiss of two people with no experience, just learning how. Their eyes were closed. Their hands had fallen to their sides, at a loss for what to do.
Or at least, N's hands were at a loss. Leaf's knew exactly what was planned. One hang limp, the other moved. It reached into the bag at her hip and withdrew a Poké Ball. A very strange Poké Ball: black and purple and covered in wires, rivets, and reinforcing bars. Casually, as if she did this every day, Leaf tossed the ball out of the window. It hit Reshiram.
With a loud swishing sound, the white dragon was sucked into the ball.
"What?" N broke away from Leaf's embrace just in time to see his Reshiram disappear. The ball drifted over to Leaf. It hovered by her hand, then vanished. Sent to her PC.
N looked at her. His eyes were wide.
"Why-?" he asked, his hands shaking.
Lead raised her eyes to meet his. She blinked. Then she smiled.
000
Too tired to go back to her own room, Leaf had stayed with Blue that night. The children collapsed on the bed, curled up in each other's arms. Blue fell asleep with the smell of Leaf's hair thick in his nostrils. When he awoke, she had gone. She was nowhere to be seen, nobody had seen her arrive or leave. There was no evidence that she'd even been back. He tried calling her, but she did not answer. The next day, he called again. Then again. Then again. He refused to stop until she answered. She would not answer for eight years.
000
Blue barreled into the door a third time, finally managing to break it open a fraction. The horde of people piled through, looking about them.
Leaf was nowhere to be found.
The only person in that room was N.
He was lying by a large hole in the wall, his eyes closed. He was unconscious. If they were to look out of the window they may have just been able to make out a small speck on the horizon. It was heading in the direction of Kanto.
And with that, we have done with the four chapter of exposition. Plot will start to really get underway from here on out.
Thought this would all take place in Unova, did you? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but my heart belongs to Kanto. However, my heart also belongs to N, so he's going to be here a lot too, don't worry.
Thanks for making it this far.