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Peers around corner

Heh... hey guys... bet you weren't expecting this, were you? I'll be honest, neither was I, at least until I started writing this. Welcome to You, Me, and the Impending Blizzard, or, The Extremely Gay Adaptation of Pokémon White Two. This fic is set about two years after Brendan's Journey and Sinnoh's Heir, and about a year before A Hui Hou Kākou (By authors jmoul18, kskaundry, and Braviary Scout, respectively) I'm so excited to bring the world of Unova (at least, my own personal take on it) to this universe and I'm also excited to bring you guys along for the ride.

So before we start:

I would really, really appreciate any kind of constructive criticism on my work, and don't be afraid to speak up. Unless, of course, it's shit like Homophobia or really, really unnecessary flaming. That's not all cool.

I do not own Pokémon, any of its games, or any of its other lesser properties. Those fall under the ownership of GAMEFREAK.

Now without further ado:

Prologue: White.

[Oh, by the way, just a quick content warning for this chapter: there's going to be a depiction of a character suffering from a panic attack, so if you're not cool with that, go ahead and skip the first section]

Dark and Light. Truth and Ideals. These have defined Unova for generations upon generations. Not even the crisis of two years ago could upset the balance, and instead, ended in a humiliating defeat for the alleged usurpers. However, in the two years of peace and rebuilding that the Unova region has had, the usurpers, Team Plasma, have also retooled their plans, now stopping at nothing to fully subdue the Unova region and crush all who oppose.

However, there is an unknown threat to their plans. Two trainers, one seeking to prove herself, and the other seeking to prove others, have just started their own respective journeys at the same time. Although they don't know it yet, their lives will define the Unova region for generations to come. They just have to take the first step.

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[Shit… not this… no…]

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[Why do you have to be so scared? It's just… everything that's about to happen… this is normal, Hilda. This is normal… just some nerves.]

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[What? What's the worst that could possibly happen on this journey? I die or something?]

YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL DIE. ALONE.

Hilda sprang out of bed like a Spoink. Everything felt numb as she felt the mass amounts of adrenaline in her veins. Her stomach felt like a twisting bunch of Ekans, tossing and turning with every pounding step over to her bathroom. Hunching over the toilet, she grabbed onto the rim of the porcelain bowl with shaky, clammy hands as she expelled what remained of her special "bon voyage supper," tasting like a vile cocktail on its way up and out.

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Shivering, she was barely able to flush before collapsing in a heap of pale flesh and a vomit stained, oversized Chandelures t-shirt, curling herself into a fetal position on the cold, white-tile ground. Here she was- a pathetic girl who panicked and threw up on the morning of her major journey. How auspicious.

"Hilda… honey are you okay?"

The door slowly creaked open, her mother gingerly stepping in as she heard what sounded like a Houndoom in its death throes. Seeing her daughter lying on the floor, she rushed over, sitting down on the floor right next to her as she started scratching her head.

"It's… I… I…" Hilda spat out in quick succession.

"You had another panic attack?"

Hilda stayed quiet after that. Why did her mother have to know so much?

"It's okay Hilda... It's okay… can you tell me five things you can see?" Her mother cooed, hoping to alleviate her Daughter's pain. It helped… somewhat. What could she see?

[A sink…]

[A toilet…]

[A showerhead…]

[A tube of toothpaste…]

[That one stupid skitty poster saying "you can do it!"]

"Hilda?"

"There's… the sink… the toilet… shower… toothpaste… skitty" Hilda spat out, still obviously not in reality

"Okay… Four things you can touch?"

[My hair…]

[Mom's hand…]

[The floor…]

[My ruined shirt…]

"The floor… my hair… my ruined shirt… your hand…"

"Okay... three things you can hear?"

As she said that, Hilda's mother began humming a lullaby. It wasn't anything special, and slightly embarrassing whenever she thought about it, but good Arceus did it ever work when it needed to. Hilda started humming along with her as she slowly relaxed, slowing down her shivering.

Hilda's mother was satisfied that her daughter was coming back to Earth rather quickly skipping over two and one (smell and taste respectively). "Hilda… it's okay, I'm here… don't worry…"

Hilda was fully returned to earth at that point, slowly willing herself into a sitting position, looking at her mother with largely apologetic eyes.

"Mom I'm… I'm sorry…"

"Sorry about what, dear?"

"I'm… sorry about… right now… and…"

Tears started streaming down her face as she collapsed into her mother's shoulder, half crying her eyes out straight into her shoulder.

"There there… it's okay… it's okay…" her mother kept cooing, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her daughter. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but it certainly wasn't going to be the last. That wouldn't necessarily have been a problem if today wasn't already stressful in store.

Today would be the day that Hilda selected her Pokémon. Tomorrow would be the day she… left.

"Hilda… you know you don't have to do this today… right?"

Hilda grimaced into her mother's shoulder. She was right- she didn't have to do this now. She also didn't have to do it two years ago… or four… or six… or any time in the future. She could always just remain here in Nuvema Town, becoming one of those people who wondered what might have been-

"No, Mother, I want to do this. I want to see what the world has to offer to me and my Pokémon… and to try and find my own place in it, as well. Staying here in Nuvema might be fine, but… there's a world out there, Mama. And I, for one, want to see it."

Hilda's mother smiled. "You are so much like your brother…" she said, shifting away from Hilda in order to look her in the face. "And I know that you'll be just as strong of a trainer like him."

Hilda smiled. She had seen her brother's old league tapes. The way he was able to look battling almost effortless, especially with the Pokémon he had. Sure, most every champion-caliber trainer was able to pull off such a feat, but with her brother… there was something special. He was brave. He was strong. He was courageous... heck, he was almost like Hoenn's Goldenrod Champion.

He was fearless… unlike me.

"Tell you what!" Hilda's Mother interrupted her thoughts. "Why don't I just cut up some fruit! If… you're hungry that is..." Unfortunately, while they were embracing, some residual discharge made its way from Hilda's nightshirt onto her Mother's sweater, making the orange stain especially noticeable on the cream-colored fabric.

"I'd… like that, mother. I really, really, would." Hilda started to feel her stomach growl when her mother suggested something to eat. Hopefully, it would stay down as well.

"Well… I guess I'll change, then…" Her mother stood up, brushing herself off as she offered a hand to Hilda.

"Same. I'd rather have this shirt clean when I leave…" Hilda ripped off the vomit stained Chandelures shirt, revealing a lithe, but toned figure, with cream-colored skin boasting a random freckle here and there. Throwing the shirt into the wash basket, she ventured back into her room, gathering up her clothing for the day. She figured that if she was taking the first steps of her journey, she might as well be wearing her traveling clothes, for late Summer, anyway. After changing her underwear, she first put on a pure white tank top with zero other features, other than it being very comfortable and flexible. Over that, she put on a black vest, full of pockets for various smaller items, such as potions, pokeballs, or Trainer ID. She completed her outfit with an incredibly short pair of jean shorts, so short the pockets jutted out at her outer thighs, along with leaving most of her legs exposed. Putting on a pair of black, steel-toed boots with pink laces, she made her way downstairs, where the her mother was busy hacking at a pineapple.

"Well… somebody's hungry…" Her mother quipped as she was hard at work on the board. "Professor Juniper is supposed to stay in her office for most of today. She would have had to head off to Aspertia City today, but she managed to get Bianca to take care of her errand for her."

"Heh…" Hilda sighed as she found a place on the breakfast table. "That means I get to select my Pokémon personally, don't I?"

Her mother nodded. "Aurea is a good friend of mine. You'll come to like her, too." She finished cutting the fruit. Tossing it in a bowl, she divvied it out between her and her daughter, carrying it over to the breakfast table. Hilda's mother was able to work rather fast, as it was quickly flanked by a pot of Lapsang Souchong Tea and her anti-anxiety meds.

"Thank you, mother." Hilda started to work on her fruit, as she considered exactly what her mother said. So… she'll be able to see which Pokémon's life I'm about to make incredibly difficult… charming. She kept working on her meal as she didn't have much to talk about with her mother. They both knew the elephant in the room- this would be her second to last breakfast at her home for a long, long time.

"Here, why don't I turn on the television? I'm sure the local news has a few things to say!" Hilda's mother proceeded to pull out a remote and turn on a television that was located on the kitchen counter where they ate. It sprang to life as it was tuned to Good Morning Unova right in the middle of a story.

"-as work continues to fully restore Lavaridge town and its hot springs. We spoke with Flannery, who was away from the town on a business trip when the eruption that buried the town occurred, and how she's handling the situation now that the crisis has long passed."

"Growing up in Lavaridge taught me a few things," Flannery started, with her signature red hair and tied off shirt was front and center on the television before she started going off into a spiel about the strength of Hoenn's people and their tenacity. Basically, all the general fluff you say after a disaster.

Hilda's Mother nodded along. "I honestly can't even decide what was worse. The awakening of primal forces or the Plasma Putsch."

"Neither can I…" Hilda responded. "Oof, I can still remember crying into each other's shoulders because we were both so afraid…" Hilda remembered what had happened. The climactic battle between the gym leaders and the Seven Sages, grainy footage of a showdown between Reshiram and Zekrom themselves, the resignation of Alder…

They sat in silence as they picked at their pancakes. The TV kept playing away at mindless morning television before transitioning to a story that caught Hilda's eye substantially.

"... SHE'S SURVIVED! SHE'S SURVIVED A Z-MOVE!"

"OH, MY ARCEUS!"

"SHE'S REACHING FROM BEHIND!"

Hilda now had her eye totally towards the television, remembering the time she watched this. It was during a time she was sure she would never compete in the league and yet… Brendan had risen from almost nothing. And reaching the point that he did...

"SHE'S DONE IT! SHE'S DONE IT!"

"DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!"

"YES!"

She saw an image she had watched over and over again. Brendan, May, and Gwen embracing each other on the wrecked arena floor. That battle had become a case study in classes studying Pokémon battles all over the world, as Brendan went from son of a gym leader to international celebrity almost overnight. She wondered if that was what it would look like if her brother ever became champion.

[Heh… not that I'd ever become champion. But I'll have to see, won't I?]

The picture transitioned from the old footage right and back to the studio, where the same Champion was sitting down with a cookie-cutter blonde anchor who looked like she had one too many shots of Botox.

"Now let's check back in with Brendan Maple, who two years ago today became the top trainer of the Hoenn region. Mr. Maple, welcome!"

The White hatted champion smiled.

"Thank you, thank you, I appreciate it!"

"Now, I have to ask, how have these past few years affected your life?"

"Well, I'd say that it's affected my life quite a bit, yeah. It's a bit of a change when you go from making about four to seven figures practically overnight!"

[It must be a change, isn't it?] Hilda thought to herself.

The interview went on quietly, as Hilda kept working on her bowl of fruit, plopping a cube of Cantalope into her mouth.

"… and finally, one last question: What advice can you give to trainers aspiring to become Champion?"

Brendan sat and thought for a second, deeply contemplating her words.

"I would say… you won't know what's going to happen unless you try. It's a huge amount of work just to become champion, let alone the sh-[BLEEP] I did along the way."

The reporter and Brendan both made a quick chuckle.

"I will say, however, is that the most important thing is to have fun. Enjoy yourself along the journey. Don't think of this as one major journey that'll define your life- you'll find out that that will break you. Just loosen up and have fun."

"Thank you, Brendan, just remember his new memoir, Moving Mountains and Talking to a Gardevoir, comes out September Twenty-fifth, a month from now, so be sure to keep a lookout for that at your nearest bookseller. Coming up, we interview...

Finishing up her breakfast, she sighed heavily, knowing exactly what came next.

"Hilda…" Her mother began to ask, "Are you ready?"

Hilda nodded, standing up on legs that suddenly became shaky.

I can handle this…

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I… can handle this...

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Hilda put on her cap, white save for a pink visor and pink Pokeball ensign, along with a pink sachel, and opened the door to the outside…

Right into a whole new world…

"Now, I'm expecting Hilda to come in at any moment now, so give Rosa and her friend the other two Pokémon, okay?"

Two women were sitting down, in a white, sterile-looking laboratory, with various desks, computers, bookshelves, and other scientific machinery strewn about in an otherwise organized fashion. One was obviously the head of the laboratory, wearing a white, v-necked blouse with a bottle green pencil skirt, covered by a white lab coat. Her assistant was wearing a bottle green hat and pants, a black camisole, white vest, and bright neon orange coat. Pushing in her glasses, she was listening intently to her master's instructions.

"I got that, professor, but… what if Hilda isn't coming?"

The Professor pondered. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, won't we?"

As if the stars aligned, they both heard the main door creak open and saw a meek face peering inside. "Hello? I-is anybody here?"

The Professor smiled. "See? What did I tell you?" she said in a low voice. "Hilda! Come in! We were just wondering where you were!"

Hilda sighed. "Well uh… here I am…" She slowly stepped into the lab, terrified that she would break something important. That was until she came to the two women standing there. One of them was Bianca, an old friend from a long time ago. The other…

"It's good to see you, Professor Juniper." Hilda took her hand and shook it gently, as she breathed deeply, trying to calm her fiery nerves.

"So…" Hilda said, "Today's the day, huh?"

"It is. I'm so glad you were finally ready to do this, Hilda. It means a great deal to a lot of people." Professor Juniper stood up from her chair, bringing Hilda into a tight hug as she rubbed her back.

"Right then…" Hilda pondered. "I suppose I should get the usual introductory speech, shouldn't I?"

"How astute!" Professor Juniper exclaimed. "Well, in that case, welcome…" Professor Juniper said while taking out a Pokéball, "... to a world of Pokémon."

Releasing its contents, it released a small, gray mouse Pokémon, wearing one of its many tails like a scarf.

"This world is widely inhabited by mysterious creatures called Pokémon! They have many mysterious powers. They also come in many shapes and live in many different places."

Hilda felt relaxed. This was the speech that every professor gave to aspiring trainers, whether in writing or verbally. There was something special about Professor Juniper, however. Her inflection, tone of voice, and calm demeanor rubbed off on Hilda greatly, and it visibly calmed her down for a while.

"We humans live happily with Pokémon! Living and working together, we complement each other. We help each other to accomplish difficult tasks. Having Pokémon battle one another is particularly popular, and it deepens the bonds between people and Pokémon. And that is why I research Pokémon. Well, that's enough from me…"

Professor Juniper pulled out a pen and a pad with a registration form.

"Could you tell me about yourself? Do you wish to be identified as a boy, girl, or something else?"

"Girl."

"Please state your full name."

"Hilda Blanchard."

"Last name spelling?"

"B-L-A-N-C-H-A-R-D"

"Good. SSN?"

"It's three…"

This is it… this is it… this is it…

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Not now… not now… not now…

"Alright!" Professor Juniper excitedly shouted. "Follow me to the photo booth…"

Hilda was a mess of nerves by this point. What if it comes out bad? What if I blink? What if she uses the wrong person's photo-

FLASH

"Perfect!" Professor Juniper said. "I rarely get it on the first try!"

Hilda chuckled. That is when she noticed Bianca holding the box. She knew that she would have one of those Pokémon in just a few moments. What a great change was literally about to happen. Suddenly, Professor Juniper came along, handing Hilda a little plastic card, still warm from the printer.

"This is your Trainer ID. This grants you the right to free medical attention for both you and your Pokémon at any Pokémon Center located throughout Unova. This also grants you the right to carry Pokémon and participate in friendly and regulation battles within any region that has a recognized Pokémon league and the Alola Region."

Blah blah blah

"Now that all the legal stuff is out of the way…" Professor Juniper got a devilish smile on her face. "... wanna see your new best friend?"

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Hilda began shaking again as her heart began to pound heavily. This was it- her Pokémon journey was about to begin. Bianca opened the glass case with a smile, as she noticed three Pokéballs on a purple velvet pillow.

"These Pokéballs all contain very rare Pokémon, endangered to the Unova region." Bianca began, ready to clearly explain which Pokémon was where. "The one on the far left-" she pointed to the specific Pokéball, "-is the Grass Type, Snivy. The one in the middle is the Fire Type, Tepig. And the one on the right is the Water Type, Oshawott. Make your choice carefully. Once it is final, you cannot be given any of the other two."

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It began again. Hilda's vision blurred, her palms became clammy, and her stomach began twisting into knots. She knew that she had to make a choice soon- otherwise, she may never get another chance. Closing her eyes, she fumbled her left hand around until she knew it was definitely on a Pokéball. Taking no time for Bianca to confirm her choice, she opened the ball-

To reveal an orange and black pig.

"Err… I… yes, that is Tepig, the fire pig Pokémon," Bianca reacted with slight concern. "Do you wish to keep him?"

Hilda stared at it. Her heart was still pounding, her palms still clammy, her stomach threatening to make a horrible mess on the floor... and on Tepig. Yet, somehow, against all other rhyme or reason, Hilda knelt down while shivering ever so slightly, beckoning the Tepig over with an outstretched palm. The Tepig waddled over, seeing this new person with wonder and amazement, as it sniffed Hilda's hand… and then licked it.

What the- I… that is… that feels surprisingly good…

Tepig kept licking Hilda's hand, it's warm tongue licking off the sweat of her palms. Professor Juniper and Bianca watched in amazement, and half disgust, as Hilda felt something deep within herself. It wasn't vomit, it wasn't a scream, it was… something else.

"Heh… heh… haha ah..." Hilda began to giggle as Tepig kept on licking her hand. Using her other hand, she tried doing an experimental pet, feeling that the Pokémon was warm to the touch, but didn't instantly burn her. Emboldened, she picked it up, cuddling it on her shoulder as it began licking around her shoulder and ear.

"So… what is his name?" Hilda asked, starting to feel… happy. Was this happiness? At least she wasn't panicking. It felt… really good instead.

"It's Gene…" Bianca said, smiling as Gene the Tepig kept licking around Hilda's ear. "He uh… gets a bit licky…"

"That's fine!" Hilda barely said through her laughter. "I'm keeping him!"

"Hilda," Professor Juniper said, barely able to keep a straight face. "We have to make absolutely certain, are you sure that you want Gene the Tepig?"

"Yes! Haha! Absolutely yes!"

"Alright then… mind if I see your Trainer ID?"

Hilda quickly fumbled with Gene in her hands, producing her brand new trainer card. Professor Juniper then took it to an odd-looking machine, with six spherical holes and a card swipe in front of it. "These are Pokémon healing machines. As long as you present your Trainer ID at any Pokécenter, this is where your Pokémon will be healed. Would you mind if I recalled Gene for just a short moment?"

"I… Yes." Hilda quickly spat out, as Professor Juniper recalled Gene while he was in her arms.

"This'll just take a moment…" Professor Juniper said as she took the Pokéball, and placed it into one of the spherical holes. Swiping the card, the machine whirred for a moment, before dinging twice. Satisfied, Professor Juniper gave the Pokéball and the card back to Hilda, who marveled at it for a short while.

"So… Gene is now mine?" Hilda asked the Professor.

"Yes, Hilda… I'm so proud of you…"

Professor Juniper spread open her arms, as Hilda ran straight into them for a hug. The embrace they shared was short, yet sweet, as Hilda felt any remaining worries and cares slip away, unimpeded. Suddenly, she felt an extra arm on her back, as she looked to her left and saw Bianca, joining in the warm embrace.

"Well Bianca, I trust that you'll get those Pokémon safely to Aspertia City?"

"Yes, Professor!" With that, Bianca took the box and headed straight outside.

"Don't worry about her," the Professor reassured. "Skyla lent her one of her Pokémon so that she could fly over there."

Hilda heard a Pokéball open as she later heard the telltale flapping of Fly being used. "Well… the die is cast, isn't it?"

"Yes, Hilda. It is. Oh, before I forget…"

Professor Juniper disappeared for but a moment into the private apartment located within the building as she found one last gift for Hilda.

"This… is the Unova Pokédex. It contains information related to all Pokémon that can be found in the Unova region, and beyond, should it be necessary… and before you ask, no, I don't give out an empty Pokédex to new trainers… what that senile fool was thinking, is something I will never have an idea about…" Professor Juniper began muttering under her breath as Hilda examined her new Pokédex. It was a long, grey device with a red Pokéball design towards the bottom, sporting a small LCD screen at the very top. Upon pressing the power button on the side, the device lengthened as an unseen panel slid out from under the first one, lengthening the already long device and providing a second screen.

"Right then! This also contains a GPS, Pokémon battle tracker, important information on all Pokémon, including stats, nature, region of origin, oh and personality quirks, and-"

"Thank you, Professor… you're too kind."

Hilda was in amazement. Her very own Pokémon… and a Pokédex… and a new life ahead of her… this was a lot to take in at once, but she knew she had to do one thing first-

"Okay, Gene! Let's introduce you to Mama…"

And that's it! I really hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Updates may be slightly spotty because I'm a rather busy college student, but I'll generally update every Saturday. Whether or not this means every Saturday or every other Saturday remains to be seen, but I'll have to be the judge of that. Either way, see you next week!

[Putsch- German for Coup D'etat]