A/N: Why, hello every Reshi! How are y'all? It you're doing fabulous, then that's just FABULOUS! Me? Where have I been this entire time? Well, busy with school obviously and was actually caught up in a LOT of anime catching up. I had to finish anime, re-watch some, homework, more homework, and not to mention school with work. Since hell will almost be over, I'll have more time to spend with you all! So, disclaimers or whatever it's called:
I do not own Pokémon, just this story because after all, I am the author. (^W^)
Wow! Can you believe this is the eleventh chapter already? I'm so happy to see how far this story has gone and its popularity, not to mention the great feedback on it! Masked Heart has to be one of the number one stories of mine and it's all thanks to you Reshi's! I would like to give all fabulous hugs! Pepper, you seriously need to talk! You haven't in a while, so just down below this line, say something interesting!
Pepper: I'm not really an interesting person xD. But sorry for taking so long with the editing, that's more my fault that HeroOfReshiram's; she was finished with this chapter like weeks ago, and I forgot I wasn't finished editing! I hope everyone enjoys the story—I know I am! ^.^
So, let the story continue!
"Touya, do you think they're almost done? I'm quite worried that something has happened to Touko," N murmured, leaning against the wall that he had grown used to. Touya looked over at the green-haired man, stretching his arm over his head with a groan. He shuddered, feeling the stretch's relief in his muscles.
"Touko in trouble? My sister may be a pain and can injure herself often, but remember: she has Reshiram and Cheren by her side. Nothing will stand in their way! Come on, we have about a little over three weeks—there's plenty of time for them to return home. Hey, want to do something fun?" the brown-haired male asked excitedly. N tilted his head questioningly.
"What would that be?"
"To go outside and have a Pokémon battle; I never experienced how strong you are! What do you say about that, huh? Our mother did give you more privileges, ya know?"
N gave a smile, looking over his shoulder to stare out the small window on the wall. He was still stuck in the dungeon, but Touko's mother gave him the freedom of letting him outside and taking a walk around the large castle. Several times she had let him dine with her and Touya, talking as if he were a simple guest. She was beginning to understand him more, but was still unsure of his true intentions. She was probably still afraid and angered by his past and who his father was.
"That sounds fine, but I'm quite strong. I want to understand your ways and how your Pokémon respond to you," N murmured, standing up. Touya jumped up too, holding a tight fist before him.
"Hell yeah! I've wanted an intense Pokémon battle for a while now! Come on, let's get out of this terrible place and out into the open earth! We've been down here for several days, haven't we?" the younger one questioned, opening the dungeon's gate to walk down the long path leading out of the gloomy prison. N followed behind him, dusting off his khaki pants.
"Yes, I do believe so. Let's have a three-on-three Pokémon battle; Zekrom could probably beat all off yours in a single move."
"Ehh?! He's that strong? Well . . . he is a legendary, so I guess he is. All right, three-on-three!" Touya cheered. N chuckled lightly, walking up the long flight of stairs to the first floor of the castle. The sun's rays beamed through the large windows that lined the hall. He stretched his hand out, feeling the warmth. Freedom. He loved the feeling of exploring the unknown lands and the unknown rooms of Touko's palace, her world where she grew up from a young child.
"Oh, here's your Pokémon—I forgot I was holding them with me! We can go to the back of the castle—our mother has a Pokémon battleground for us to train on. Everyone should be busy, so no one will disturb us in our fun. All right, let's get it on!"
Opening the large doors to the back, Touya led N into the large garden. It was neatly symmetrical, with flowerbeds of all sorts of colors and trees cut into the shapes of legendary Pokémon. Walking beneath the hedge that arched over them, they meandered straight through the maze that was supposed to be perfectly squared, but the center was cut into a pathway to the other side. Walking separate ways, they faced each other. Touya held a Poké Ball in hand, smiling with his teeth showing. Adjusting his hat, N let his hands move before him swiftly, palms up.
"Let the Pokémon battle begin, shall we?" he asked with a teasing edge to his voice. Touya nodded in agreement, throwing his Poké Ball. Popping out, Gigalith stood before him. It stomped its large leg down, letting out a battle cry. N smiled, pulling a Poké Ball out. It was nice to let time pass like this, to feel the energy surge through his veins, to feel alive. He wanted time to pass; N wanted to see Touko again. To feel her in his arms again would be a dream come true.
"All right, it's time to enjoy ourselves!"
Cheren nuzzled his nose against his pillow, enjoying the warmth of the bed. He would have to wait another hour before getting up to prepare for the day. But what was on their schedule? All they had to do was wait for a Shaymin to hatch from the egg and both prince and princess would be able to fly back home on Reshiram. Home, where he could spend his time with his Pokémon and study and help his father rule the kingdom. Touko, on the other hand, would be enjoying every moment of her time with N and updating him what had happened over the past two months. Yes, life was going to be simple again.
With a slight groan, Cheren wrapped his arms around the overly large, soft pillow, pressing half of it to his chest. The bed felt like his—comfortable and relieving to his aching body. He still felt terrible after walking from the town towards the Pokémon caretaker place. Luckily, having his Haxorus, he had a ride home; but the constant up-and-down motion did make him feel achy. Cheren opened his eyes only to pull his head back in surprise. Touko lay on the other side of the bed, staring at him with an amused smile. He stared plainly at her.
"Don't say anything about this to anyone—are we clear, Princess?"
"Hmm, I don't know; it's just out of character of you to hug something so close to you and mutter. So, what were you thinking?" Touko pondered. Cheren rolled his eyes, adjusting the pillow so his head lay on it. Moving on his back, he ran a hand through his messy hair, staring at the ceiling.
"Nothing really—I was thinking about home. It'll be nice to go back once the Shaymin is hatched and life can go back to normal. You'll be with N, Touya can go back to Yellow's kingdom and they'll rule together, and I'll be able to help my father rule the kingdom," he murmured. Rolling onto her stomach, Touko lifted her upper body up onto her shoulders. She looked over at Cheren.
"That seems boring on your part. Don't you want to do something more than read all day and help your father? You could probably handle a kingdom now if you wanted to—why not enjoy your life now?"
"Because playing around would simply waste it all. I want to learn all that there is in this world, it's true. I want to know what's truly out there in the world, what kind of Pokémon I can challenge and catch, what boundaries I could possibly reach. But reaching those boundaries, those long periods of times with my Pokémon, I can never achieve because of my position in the kingdom. I'm the only child of my family, making me next in line to be heir to the throne—there's no possible way I can live the way I want. I need to study the proper ways of being a king for when it comes time, what will happen to the kingdom in terrible times and wonderful times and how to handle both. I need to be prepared, Touko. I want those lands to continue on strong, to make my family proud."
He cleared his throat, moving the covers close to his waist as it began to get too warm underneath them. Adjusting his white nightshirt—while unbuttoning a few buttons—he continued with, "But being on this journey made life thrilling. I met new people, encountered danger, felt pain, and I'm spending all this time with you, Touko. Even though it's been a short amount of time being out of Unova and somewhere we don't know, it's been pretty fun taking care of you. It's been fun all the way around. So, going back home, I don't care about being back in the library and helping my father."
"You sound like an old man, Cheren."
He laughed before looking over at the princess once more.
"Do you really think such terrible things of me? Well, since we're awake, why not get ready, Princess Touko?"
"Don't put 'princess' in, you moron—you can just call me Touko. I call the shower first, so you can flirt with the pillow some more," she said, standing up. Adjusting her loose shirt and pants, Touko collected her things before going inside the shower. Cheren stayed where he was, staring on the side of the bed where the window's curtains were pulled back to bring in the rays of the new day. Yawning, he sat up. Liar, he thought. You're not going to be happy once you're back. Being cooped up in the library, what's the fun in that? It's better this way, to feel my body rush in excitement, to feel freedom, to feel what adventure is. But lie only to Touko—I want to make her happy in any way possible.
Cheren stood up, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and walking towards the other side of the bed. He opened the glass sliding door, walking onto the small patio. The new hotel was better than the first one: it was bigger in size, the bed was more comfortable, and the patio outside showed half the island with the town displayed before them. Some of the townspeople were already walking along the sidewalk, minding their own business. He ran a hand through his messy hair again, feeling his wick-like hair flick out of his palm. Cheren sighed. He was so tired of his hair that stood out in the oddest way; any way he tried to get rid of it was impossible. Some things never changed.
"What a pain," Cheren whispered, leaning over the railing. The sun was slowly rising into the sky; white puffy clouds confirmed it would be a fair day.
"Hey!"
He looked down, eyes widening slightly. It was Suzuki standing down by the sidewalk, staring back up at him. She waved with a smile on her face. Cheren waved back, not wanting to be rude.
"Hello Suzuki—what are you doing in this part of town? How is your boy doing as well?" he asked. She placed her hands on her hips with a laugh.
"I came to do some shopping over here—the food is cheap and tasty. And he's doing great, actually. He stayed home to take care of a sick Pokémon we found a few days ago. You know, he's always asking for you," Suzuki said. Cheren smiled with a tilt of his head. He was surprised the boy even asked about him; not many kids cared at all.
"Really? What does he say about me? Hopefully nothing too bad."
"Oh no! Nothing bad, just questions about if he could see you again or when you're coming back. John admires you greatly; he's really happy to have met you."
"I'm glad. Maybe I could see him sometime later in my free time? I'm quite busy at the moment," Cheren said. Suzuki crossed her arms, a blush over her face.
"Yeah, I can see you're busy in . . . your night clothing. Well, call me later, will you?" she questioned, leaning slightly on her toes. Cheren nodded.
"Of course; it would be rude not to."
With a wave of goodbye, Suzuki walked away. Some people looked up toward the patio, watching as Cheren stared after the girl, but quickly minded their own business once again. Pressing a hand against his face, Cheren could tell he was blushing badly. He was glad Touko was in the shower—if she knew any of this it would be teasing all day from the princess. Standing straight up, he turned around to begin preparing for the day. Waiting for Touko to come out of the bathroom, he walked in the kitchen to begin breakfast.
Cheren sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, looking at the Pokémon egg. Leaning close, he inspected it. It didn't seem any different ever since they got it. Perhaps it was a dud? Maybe it was a new egg? Question after question went through his mind, but he let them all disappear. The Shaymin inside must have been ready now; it was impossible for it to be new. He never saw any Shaymin at Suzuki's work and for it to be a dud was a slim chance.
"Cher, did you cook pancakes?"
"Of course; why, am I not allowed to cook for the princess now? I'm your maid, after all," he responded, smiling in amusement. Touko walked in, a towel over her head as she glared at the prince.
"I said I didn't want that darn image in my mind! Geez, you're a handful at times with all those . . . retorts. Where did you get your personality? From your mother or your father? Oh, who were you talking to? I heard you clear as day in the shower," Touko muttered, grabbing a plate and placing two pancakes on it. Cheren froze for a moment, feeling as his face gave in to a blush. Looking over at him, Touko only grinned.
"Don't tell me—was it Suzuki out there? Is she still near? I wouldn't mind seeing her!"
"S-shut up, it wasn't her. Leave me alone, annoying woman. It was simply business," he growled, standing up. He walked towards the bathroom, ignoring Touko continuing with her ranting. Cheren wished he had used a softer voice; now the princess wasn't going to leave him alone. The princess set her plate down, rubbing her head a little bit to dry it off.
"Hurry up in there—I want to go out and buy some things while we're waiting for the egg!" Touko said, sitting down at the table. She poured syrup on her pancakes before eating, staring at the Shaymin egg blankly. Turning her attention away from the egg, Touko leaned over the table to dig through her carry-on bag, finding that strange bracelet thing she bought a few days earlier. Investigating it, she pressed a button, signaling it to turn on. A leaf-like shape formed on the screen, showing a variety of colors before going to a blank white. In the center, a dot appeared. She clicked it.
"'Identify the Pokémon'? What Pokémon, to be exact, though?" she whispered. Digging into her gray sweatpants' pocket, she grabbed a Poké Ball. After tossing it, her Lucario appeared. He stood tall and straight before her, his sharp eyes watching carefully. Pressing his soft paw to his chest, he gave a bow to the princess. Touko smiled, rubbing his ear.
"Hey, Lucario—sorry for pulling you out so early. I need to scan you—is that all right?"
"Cario!" Lucario grunted, tilting his head with a small smile on his lips. After placing the electronic in front of the Pokémon, the thing made a strange noise before it scanned the Fighting-type Pokémon.
"Lucario, the Fighting-/Steel-type Pokémon. Lucario are usually polite and modest. Some Lucario can also use Telepathy and communicate with humans; these are the most powerful of them all and are rare. The black appendages on its head can locate aura from any creature and can also track down many living creatures. Lucario is able to evolve, but needs the Mega Stone to begin the final evolution. Would you like to continue?"
Looking down at her Pokémon, Lucario stared back up at Touko with his red eyes. Touko bit her lower lip in thought. The device said something about another evolution, but what kind? Lucario was already at its final form; why would it have another? Wouldn't someone have known about it? Pressing the continue button, the device continued to speak.
"The final form of Lucario brings out all of its power. With this final evolution, the Lucario can damage the other Pokémon greatly and can easily win most battles. This final form does not last long; it can only stay for a short time period before changing back to its original form. Final form name: Mega Lucario. Not much is known about the secret evolution due to Mega Stones being rare, but most Trainers are successful for finding at least one. Would you like to continue?"
Turning the device off, Touko leaned back in her seat. Lucario shifted on his paws, arms crossed over his chest with a huff. The princess had to let all the information sink in. Lucario could evolve even more, but only for a short amount of time before going back. How stupid was that? The stones were rare. What did the stones even look like? Sighing, Touko lifted her hand to pat her Pokémon on the head. He closed his eyes in delight.
"Oh Lucario, things are even more complicated now that we know about this. Well, we can look into it later; it doesn't need to be done now. Cheren could probably help—he's the nerd, after all! We need to finish this mission before anything else happens, right?" Touko asked. Lucario nodded his head, red eyes shimmering in delight. Digging in her pocket again, she brought out the ball that contained Reshiram. She stared at it for a while. Slowly, everything began replaying again in her mind: encountering N, running away with him from her mother, spending those nights with him as he spoke about almost everything, and having Reshiram show itself before her.
"Things happen for a reason, don't they? It's interesting how everything falls into place in odd ways . . . N snuck into my room by chance, but then I fell for him without even knowing who he was and where he was from, and soon he was falling for me. It was an accident in a way, but it was really amazing for it to turn out to bring love. Say Lucario, would you fall for a girl Lucario in the near future?" Touko questioned. The Pokémon's mouth hung open slightly from the question before shaking his head, giving a look as if to say, "Are you dumb today?"
"Touko, we can leave now if you're done eating! Come on—I'm already at the door!"
Touko finished the last few pieces, quickly walking towards the front door of the hotel room. Cheren was waiting for her, arms crossed impatiently. The princess looked at him. He wore black pants that hung loosely around his legs, but still snugged his figure. His shirt was white, with the sleeves below his elbows. She could only grin.
"Are you expecting to see Suzuki, since you're all fancy-pants here?"
"Shut up, no. It's a bit chilly out there, so I thought this would be quite comfortable for today. Besides me, look at you in gray sweatpants and a simple black shirt. You look as if you were from the streets, in a prince's eyes," he remarked. Touko stuck her tongue out at him, slinging her bag over her shoulder. Lucario was returned before she placed the Poké Ball back in her pocket. Leaving the hotel room, both eventually left the building to walk down to the marketplace. Cheren followed along carelessly, looking around. The sun was higher in the sky, but clouds were slowly rolling in.
"Hey Cheren, what should we have for dinner? I want something . . . sweet."
"Sweet? Since when did you crave candy for dinner?" Cheren asked. Touko looked over her shoulder at him.
"I've always had a taste for candy, moron! I mean a dinner that's sweet-tasting that can make your mouth water upon the smell. Does that explain better?"
"Hmm, how about Risotto a la Milanese? Adding wine to it while the rice cooks, some broth, and saffron enhance the wonderful flavor. There's cheese lightly draped over the dish, seasoned with salt and pepper before adding the final touch to it, which are the accompaniments of vegetables and wine. That seems quite delicious just thinking about it, don't you say?" Cheren questioned, smiling as the princess stared at him over her shoulder, surprised. Turning around to face the prince more directly, Touko nodded her head.
"That sounds really good! I haven't had that for so long; just thinking about it actually makes me feel hungry. So, we need to buy a few things before heading home, right? Oh, you can have the wine—there's no way I'll be drinking that nasty crap! Hey, when did you begin drinking wine?!" Touko snapped. Cheren looked to the side, scratching the back of his head.
"Well, a few months ago, when the maid accidentally brought a glass with my dessert. I tried it and actually liked the taste, so I drink it now. Come on, it's legal for me to drink wine now. Why are you questioning me, anyway? We're in our twenties."
"I wasn't expecting you to be a drunkard! Anyway, let's split and grab what we need. Get your wine and the rice, plus the seasoning; I'll go get the side dishes and whatever I would like for dessert. If you run into Suzuki, invite her over~! Bye Cher!" Touko hummed, walking away. Cheren rolled his eyes, feeling his face warm up upon his nickname. He was glad no one had heard the childish name. Turning the opposite way, he walked around with the list in hand, skimming around the market shops. He grabbed what was needed, only catching glimpses of the princess from time to time. He made sure to keep sight of her, noticing as the market became busier as time passed.
"All right, all that's left is the wine. I think I passed that," Cheren murmured to himself, adjusting the bag in his hand as he looked at the list. Nodding to himself, he turned around to where an older male was selling the drinks. After browsing the different kinds, he picked a bottle and paid. Walking back into the tight crowd, he began searching for the princess again. The people around him minded their own business, talking amongst each other. Cheren looked to his sides, still not catching sight of his childhood friend. With a long sigh, he began walking through the people as they pushed by him, earning a few glares his way. Touko was probably sidetracked again, just like any other time when something new had appeared. All he needed to do was search harder.
Touko adjusted the small bag in her hand, beginning to turn around as the edge of the marketplace appeared. She stood still for a moment, adjusting her hair as some of it blew in her face. Looking around, the princess noticed it was beginning to crowd with many people, probably stocking up for the long week that lay ahead.
"Why, hello. Would you mind if I borrowed you for a second?"
She turned her head around, confused as an older male stood before her now. He was rather . . . different than the other people around her. He had yellow hair that was cut short with a strange blue-colored piece of hair that wrapped above his head, the end just passing his right ear. He wore a long, clean white lab coat and a black shirt and pants both lined with a pale blue. Smiling down at the princess, he placed his hand in front of her.
"Well? Do you mind? It's only for a short moment."
"Uh, sure. I—I don't mind," Touko stuttered, letting the man lead her back to the end of the marketing area. A small tent was pitched up, the flaps closed to preserve whatever lay inside, which was covered from sight. With his free hand, the man lifted one flap to the side, leading the princess inside first. A simple candle lit the small area, revealing just two chairs and a table in-between them. Touko sat down on one chair; the man sat on the other. He grabbed a notepad, pulling a pen from his pocket with a click.
"I've been questioning people on the relationship between Pokémon and humans. You seem like the type who is . . . interesting. Would you mind answering some questions?" he asked. Nodding her head, Touko slowly slid her hand inside her pocket, rolling the Poké Balls around slowly in a soothing way. Earning a smile from the odd male, he began with a simple question.
"What do you think about Pokémon, with your relationship and how you think they should be treated?"
"Well, the way I think about Pokémon is . . . they expand our world. They're here for us so we can learn about our world and about each other and ourselves. Pokémon just bring the desire out more by wanting us to do more with them, expanding the possibilities. Um, I'm probably not making much sense, am I? Sorry—it's complicated to talk about this on such short notice," laughed Touko, scratching the back of her head. The man smiled, nodding his head as he wrote down some simple notes.
"No, no—I understand what you are after. That's quite an interesting way to think, my dear. Last question: what do you think about Pokémon being controlled to pull out their strength?"
She stared at the man, brows furrowed slightly. That was an odd question to be asked by someone she never met. Who was he? If he was a scientist, what would he being doing in a marketplace questioning strangers who were likely inexperienced in that area? Her questions slipped away as a large head appeared through the tent's flaps. Touko's eyes widened. It was an Arcanine. The Pokémon looked like the same one from . . . the forest. Wait—if it was trained by the scientist, why was it attacking them back then? Swallowing sharply, her mouth hung open in the shock. The man moved his gloved hand to pet the Pokémon on the head, its eyes opening to reveal glowing red orbs. She looked over at the other person in the tent. He was grinning.
"To control Pokémon, to pull out all the strength from their bodies, to control that strength in your very own hands . . . it's exciting just thinking about such a dream. If we can accomplish controlling wild Pokémon like this, don't you think we can control Legendary Pokémon? Maybe . . . oh, I don't know, Reshiram?"
Touko clutched a Poké Ball in her pocket, her heart quickening at the Pokémon's name being mentioned. It shook in her hand several times, probably the Pokémon inside beginning to feel the danger they were in. The Arcanine was staring at her, lips drawn back to reveal the familiar teeth.
"Listen, Touko, you have something I need . . . well, more than one thing I need to be able to do what I would like. One: the Mega Ring and two: a Legendary Pokémon. You're the person I have been waiting for since I heard the announcement that a prince and princess ran away, not to mention there's been the excitement of both Reshiram and Zekrom awakening again, at presumably your hands. Marvelous! Simply marvelous! Someone who's from a royal family having control over a Legendary Pokémon. Since I've got you now, N will be running here with Zekrom at first mention of you. Taking control over both of them would give me so much power! I can grab more Pokémon, take control over their minds, and then take over the world by controlling them!"
Touko slowly stood up, the man following suit. Arcanine blocked the exit as Touko stared at it with shock. She felt her body shake. Pulling out one of her Pokémon could lead to disaster; the man could instantly take over one of them if he did what he had done to control the large Fire-type Pokémon. Plus, the people outside would do something stupid and barge in. That would be a disaster as well. Moving closer to the princess, the man grabbed her arm quickly. He leaned close.
"You're coming with me, Princess Touko."