CherenxBlack (Caretshipping/Kuroshipping)

"Excuse me."

"Yes?"

"Umm~… Well, I've noticed that you've been sitting here for about an hour now… without an umbrella."

I try to look at the woman's face, the drops of rain on my glasses is obscuring my vision. She seems concern for my well-being because from what she said, I have been sitting on this bench for about fifty minutes while soaking in the rain. I study her physical appearance; she looks like one of those women where men would call her "cute". She wears an office attire so she must be a typical clerk at a random building in this city or in Castelia city. "Yes… Is there a problem?"

"N-No, no. What I mean is… are you alright?"

"I am well."

"…Oh. "

"...I apologize if I trouble you, madam. I am waiting for a friend, who should be here any minute now."

"I see. I thought something was wrong, but then again I shouldn't be meddling in other people's business. I'm sorry about that."

I stand up and face her. "It's alright. Anyway, you should get going. A lady like you shouldn't be walking at this time, especially in a weather like this."

She laughs. "I know. Well, I must go. See you."

I nod and give her a smile. In return, I see her blush. She quickly turns around and leaves. I adjust my glasses and cross my arms. A few meters away from where I stand, I look at the towering Ferris wheel.

Why here?

I head towards the amusement ride where a few people are lined up. At this hour, this must be the last batch. The other rides are closed already and the other visitors are heading for the main gate.

"Cheren!"

Right on time.

I look at the boy riding on his Zoroark. It stops in front of me and the rider gets off of it.

"Am I late?"

"No."

He smiles. "I thought I wouldn't make it. I wanted to fly over here but I know what you would say if I did. Black, you are a fool."

"And I am glad you remember it. Now, come on. Let's continue this when we're inside the passenger car."

He puts his Pokemon back into its Pokeball and we go to where the line is. The line is moving until we are the last ones to go inside our passenger car. I hear the guy, handling the ride, curses us because we are both drenching in water and we are making a mess. I let him go first and we sit facing each other. I don't understand why they made this ride for couples only, nor the shape of it.

It is not that romantic.

The ride starts to move, and slowly, we go up. He yawns and stretches is arms. "Being a champion is hard! Ever since I won, a lot of strong trainers had been challenging me for a battle."

"And let me guess. It was a piece of cake?"

He laughs. "Hell yes!"

"You shouldn't get carried away. One day, an unknown trainer might take away your title."

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, how are the training with your Serperior?"

"Satisfactory."

"Great! And you already know mine. Emboar and the others are getting stronger than ever!"

"I shall see that on our next battle."

His facial expression changes. "…Yeah…"

It is quiet.

Too quiet.

"Let's get to business."

"Huh? Oh right. Ha…ha…"

"Is there something wrong?"

He is looking outside, trying to avoid my question. I look at the scenery outside, it is still raining, but I can see the buildings, trees and the full moon.

"I'm going away."

I look at him and wait for him to continue.

"…It's gonna be a long journey."

"When you mean by long, are we talking about months?"

"Maybe… or maybe even longer than that…"

"Have you told this to your parents?"

"Yes…I also said my goodbyes to White, Bianca and Professor Juniper."

I am somehow irritated by this fact.

"Don't get me wrong. I wanted to tell you early but you were busy so I waited for a few days."

For a few minutes, we did not speak. The atmosphere in the passenger car is cold.

Literally and figuratively.

I take off my glasses and inspect it like it is the most fascinating thing I have ever seen.

"Are you mad?"

"No."

And silence again.

I put my glasses back on. "You want to see the world."

"What?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Oh. Well, not really. I guess it's part of the package."

"So what is the main reason of this unexpected journey?"

"…I'm going to find him."

Him? Does he mean…? "Why?"

"I want to talk to him."

I close my eyes and let his words process in my mind.

Talk.

He wants to talk to him.

He will travel the world and try to find this guy just to talk to him.

I feel…

"It must be that important for you to pursue him."

He smiles sadly. "Yeah."

When I met that guy, I had a "bad" feeling about him. I was right, and wrong.

I feel indifferent towards him.

I notice that we stop and we are at the top. We must have been lucky to get this car.

"Beautiful isn't it? My first time riding this was with him…"

For some reason, I feel angry, but, there is something else, a feeling that has been surrounding me ever since he brought him up. My mind knows what it is, but I try to ignore that fact.

I arrange my glasses and glare at him. "Tell me, Black. Is there something you're hiding?"

"Hiding?"

"Honestly, what's your relationship with N?"

He stares at me, as he tries to think of what I have said. His eyebrows rise. "What?! I-it's nothing like that! Look, I'm going on this journey because there are things that I want to say to him, nothing more, nothing less."

"I see." I feel relief washes over me.

He smiles. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

"My concern is not about that."

The Ferris wheel starts to move, and a few minutes later, we are at the front of the amusement ride. The people on the ride with us are gone, only the man who is closing the entrance is left.

The rain is pouring over us, trying to wash our sadness away perhaps? But mine might take a long time.

"This is it."

"I'll give you three years."

"Wha-"

"Three years, and let me warn you, if you are not here by that time, I will find you, and I will drag you back here."

He stares at me and laughs. "Being in the victory road must have changed you. Back there, I thought you were jealous of N or something."

I did not answer.

The next thing I knew, he is hugging me.

"…I'll miss the others, and you."

I am surprised, but I slide my right hand on his back and pull him a bit tighter, and softly, I whisper "If only you knew…"

"What?"

I pull away from him. "Nothing. Look, if you're going to travel in this weather, use your Zekrom."

"Got it!" he says as brings out the huge Pokemon. It roars after being released. We hear the man at the Ferris wheel screaming and running the other direction.

Black climbs up the Pokemon and looks at me. He smiles, and I in return, smile at him.

In a blink of an eye, they are gone. Gone to wherever his Pokemon would take him.

And I will be here, waiting, for his return.

Two and a half years later…

"Cheren!"

I am jolted from my memories as Bianca on my Xtransceiver calls me.

"Cheren! Were you even listening?"

"It depends…"

She sighs. "Look, all I ask of you is to stop training so much. You're a gym leader! Not a champion!"

"I am aware of that."

She ignores my comment. "How many trainers have won against you for the last eight months?"

"Four. No, make it three. I took it easy on the last one, just like you said."

"And that's what you should do. Another thing, your Pokemons are too strong. How about you capture a Deerling?"

"I already have a Sawbuck, and it is one of my strongest Pokemons."

"If you make another kid cry, I'll go straight to your gym!"

I sigh. "Alright. I'll stop training… for this month."

"Good… you're already there?"

"Yes." I look at my surroundings. It is late in the evening and I am sitting at one of the tables of an ice cream shop at the amusement park. It is raining, just like back then.

"It's been a long time."

I agree. A lot has happened since his absence. Bianca became Professor Juniper's assistant. White became more popular with the Pokemon Musical. I on the other hand, became a Gym Leader, and also a teacher. There is also a new champion. Funny thing is, he looks just like him.

"Cheren, has he…called you?"

"No."

For the last two and a half years he didn't.

"…Anyway, don't forget the gift you'll be giving to him. We want this "Welcome Home" party to be a success!"

"As always."

"Alright. See you!"

I turn off the Xtransceiver and look back to my laptop. I was looking at the message he sent me a few days ago when Bianca called me. When I first read it, I felt happiness, more so than when I became a gym leader.

I read it again.

I'm coming home… ^

The only thing that bothers me is that caret.

A mark to show a missing word.

A sentence won't be complete if a word is missing.

I wonder if that has been my life for two and a half years...

A sentence, with a missing word.

I close my laptop and put it in my bag. I pinch the bridge of my nose. I tend to forget that I'm not wearing glasses anymore. Standing up, I walk towards a particular amusement ride as the rain starts to drench on me. I look at the towering form and stop a few meters away from it. He didn't say anything about meeting here, but, I have a feeling this is where he will go.

And I am right.

I hear the familiar roar of a legendary Pokemon. I look up and see it heading towards to where I stand. It lands and from it, someone jumps off of it. We stare at one another, the rain pouring, mixed feelings surrounding us.

It's just me and him.

Then, he smiles and says "I heard that there's a new gym leader, so I decided to find him. I didn't think I'll find him here."

I smirk. "And what is the name of the challenger?"

"The champion of Unova region, Black."

"Cheren, the Gym Leader of Aspertia City."

"Well then, Cheren, I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

"Challenge accepted."

I am complete.