A Zekrom for Iris

Here is the fanfiction focusing on Hugh and Iris I announced.

I don't know if anyone cares for this story, but for me this shipping always seemed quite obvious. Since nobody wrote a fanfic about this before, I guess I have to name it. I thought about "Strengthshipping", because both of them intend to get stronger. But please feel free to suggest better names if you got some.

I don't own the characters, places or pokemon itself, and I have no intention to make money with this story in any way.

Chapter 1: A new aim

It was unfair! Why was life always picking on him? He dedicated the entire last year to finding the stolen Purrloin of his sister. Wasn't that a good deed? Weren't good deeds always to be rewarded?

The last week had been terrible for Hugh, the strong, blue-haired Trainer from Aspertia City. His misfortune started after he delivered the Liepard back to its owner. While his friend Nate went on with his journey to beat the Pokemon League, he returned home. But soon he had to think about what to do next... Now that he thought about it, he realized how much time he spent preparing for the chance to avenge his sister's loss.

He tried to remember every part of his journey. Maybe one of these memories contained an event he could use as a template. He evaluated if he might find his place by helping Rood and his entourage to deliver the other stolen Pokemon back, but he still had mixed feelings for the supporters of N. When he heard Cheren and Bianca debating about the last fugitive Team Plasma grunts, he got distracted for a while.

He got a new idea when he met Nate on his way to the Pokemon center the day after his return. During accompanying him when he wanted to get a Greet Mail, he remembered a girl he could write himself.

A month had passed since then. It was a sunny evening in Nacrene City, where Hugh wasted his time in the 'Cafe Warehouse', drinking Lemonades one by one the whole day by now, angered and alone. Whenever someone wanted to sit down near him and ask him if he could help somehow, he just rejected the person with a grim look. But as the sun already sank behind the woods, someone he couldn't just scare away entered the big room.

He had seen Nate's new girlfriend in many pictures in magazines and TV-shows. Actually, it was pretty hard to miss the reports about the new champ and the girl who got famous as a model during Elesa's show being a couple now. But as he finally saw her in person, he was quite impressed. He immediately knew why Nate had been so hurried to write her.

Although Hugh had hoped for him not to do so, his childhood-friend spotted him in the dark corner only seconds after their arrival. He tipped Rosa on the shoulder and pointed a finger towards his friend, whispering a few words. She nodded smiling and went to the counter, while he himself made a few steps down the stairs and came to the table his friend was sitting at.

"Is this seat taken?", he asked friendly, as it was his nature. Hugh just couldn't stand that at the moment. He wanted to say 'yes', like he did it all day, but he wasn't able to be rude to him after all they had been through together. So he only shrugged.

"I missed you at my eighteenth birthday party!", Nate claimed with a hint of disappointment when his friend didn't make an attempt to start a conversation.

"Yeah, sorry, I was... busy, somewhere too far away.", Hugh apologized. That was only half of the truth, but he really didn't want to talk about it. He himself had the unpleasant characteristic not to notice when people wanted to keep a secret, but he hated to deal with Nate imitating it.

"Tell me about it.", the champ asked inquisitive. His amused lineaments told Hugh that he thought he had had fun where he had been. He took another long sip hoping not to be forced to answer afterwards.

As he did so, Rosa sat down at the table, placing two glasses filled with Soda Pop on it and happily laid her arm around her boyfriend. Why did they need to cuddle in front of him? Watching that was like poison to him. They sprinkled salt in his wound! He wanted to scream at them so they stopped. Maybe they noticed he had a hard time restraining his anger.

"Is something wrong?", Nate questioned.

"I failed!", Hugh exploded. "Okay? Is it that what you wanted to hear?" The couple jumped at his sudden outburst. He took several deep breaths before he closed his eyes and bow his head.

Nate waited until his friend calmed himself down. "What did you fail at?", he wanted to know.

Why did he have to be that curious? But Hugh realized that talking about it may be exactly what he needed. "Do you remember the letter I sent to Iris?", he started, and explained the events of the last week as his friend nodded.

"After I waited for about three weeks to receive an answer, I decided to make the next step myself and flew to the Pokemon League on my Flygon. To defeat the Elite Four was easy. But when I finally was down there, in her chamber, I..."

"You lost?", Nate asked in disbelief when his friend seemed to be unable to speak on.

"I took one look at her and couldn't concentrate anymore. I guess she didn't even remember our meeting in Castelia City. Who would blame her for that? I was way to obsessed with fighting Team Plasma back then! Anyway, she gave me no sign that she received my mail, and that... kind of downed me. My Pokemon put on a heck of a show even without me giving the right orders. But her's were... better."

"And what happened after the battle?", Rosa inquired. Hugh sighted. She really was just like her boyfriend!

"I wasn't able to say another word. I just stepped out of the room and went back to the Pokemon Center. The last I saw of her was a look of concern, probably dedicated to my Pokemon.", he ended.

"And what are you going to do now?", Nate wanted to know. "The Hugh I know wouldn't just give up like this.", he added when his friend looked at him with a clueless expression.

"The Hugh you know isn't in the mood to do anything at the moment.", he growled.

Nate shook his head annoyed and wanted to give up the attempts to cheer him up, but Rosa tried it another time. "Girls want to be impressed!", she explained. "She'll give you more time if you manage to amaze her."

"And how am I supposed to do that? I can't even defeat her in a Pokemon battle!", Hugh replied agitated.

"Well, what do you know about her? What are her interests?", Rosa started.

"I don't really know." Hugh admitted. "At least I don't know much more than a few magazines told me. We just met one time, and I was in a hurry. But she seemed very special to me. She actually managed to calm me down." Nate knew how much that meant! "She accompanied me on the way to the gym, and we talked a little, but she mainly asked questions about me, not the other way around. I guess I'll just have to forget her."

Nate couldn't bear seeing his friend like this. He thought a moment, then he got an idea. "She likes dragon types.", he said.

Hugh looked at him upset. "I know that! But I can't impress her with a dragon, I don't know stronger ones than Haxorus and Hydreigon, and she got those herself.", he commented.

"I heard rumors that the Zekrom N owned returned to the Dragonspiral Tower after he released it. You could try to catch it, that would surely impress Iris.", Nate suggested.

"You propose him to catch such a powerful legendary Pokemon to impress her?", Rosa asked dubiously.

The champ laughed. "I would have done that for you!", he asserted as he brought her closer to him again. This time, Hugh was a little less angered about it. "In fact, I found the three Swords of Justice and caught them. I'm sure you're capable of that as well.", He addressed to his neighbor again.

They went on talking about his chances to find Zekrom and catch it for a while. When it turned ten o' clock, the couple claimed they had to leave. But Rosa remembered something she still wanted to tell him.

"Fennel invited us to a dance evening next Friday in the Dreamyard. We're allowed to take company. Please come when you feel disposed.", she invited him. With that, they left him alone in the corner again. He somehow felt way happier than before. Finally, there would be some action again.