Title: Touko plus N equals Red?

Summary: It's been a few years since Touko foiled Team Plasma's plans. She finally becomes the Champion of Unova; even though she isn't over N why does she keep thinking about a new guy named Red?

Rating: T

~CHAPTER TWENTY~

Outside the Aspertia's Gym stood a gray-haired man wearing a pair of shades and a relaxed smile. "Glad you're here so early, Cheren," the man said and uncrossed his arms.

"Yes, I needed to put my luggage in my new home, Mr. Guide."

Mr. Guide smiled and helped Cheren with his luggage; with his free hands, Mr. Guide rummaged through his khaki pants and showed the new Gym Leader the keys to his Gym.

The ebony-haired young man took the keys eagerly and unlocked the place. He opened the door and a gush of air whooshed out.

"…"

"Is something wrong, Cheren?"

"…"

"…"

"…This is a Trainer's School…"

A knock rapped on Touya's door.

Touko stood outside his entrance way and waited for someone to open it, then she knocked again. Checking her watch and tapping it, she noticed that five minutes have flown – why wasn't anyone answering?!

She bent down and lifted the front edge of Touya's doormat and smiled. He was too simple whenever it came to hiding stuff. Shoving the key in the door she opened it and ransacked each room of the house to find N.

Touko then followed the trail of snoring and a creak of a bed and busted the door down, "WE NEED TO GO – TOUYA, WHERE'S N?!"

A figure twitched on his bed while Touya snored away on the floor. "Yes, I'd love more cake…" Touya mumbled and continued to snore. His right leg hiked up on the edge of his bed and his left arm smacked the wooden floor. "Jun, you idiot," he mumbled again, "stop being so—!"

"Tell me where N is, Touya," the girl commanded as she leaped on Touya's torso.

Touya's face changed to a suffocating shade of blue and coughed. "No, my caaaake!" he whined as his hands and body parted ways from the floor. "Touko," he shouted, "you just made me miss cake!" He rubbed his eyes and blinked, "Wait, Touko – what are you doing here?!"

He pushed the girl away and covered his body, "Y-You're not here to kill me, right? I-I mean I've teased you, but it's just because you're like my little sister and—"

"Touya," she rubbed her sore bottom, "I'm not here to kill you…"

"Phew!"

"…Not yet anyways," she finished, giving him a deathly glare from her blue eyes. She stuck her tongue out and laughed, "Nah, I'm kidding. I'm actually looking for N."

Touya shot her a sleepy glare and scratched his head, "Why are you looking for N and waking me up in the process?"

"It's not like I know where he sleeps."

"You suure~?" his usual teasing tone returned as he waggled his thick brows.

"On second thought, I'm here to kill you."

Mr. Guide laughed and patted Cheren's head, "I thought the league told you about your Gym!" The older man led the newbie Gym Leader to a giant door way back in the main classroom of the Trainer's School. He motioned Cheren to open the door; he followed and slowly opened the door.

His blue eyes instinctively closed due to the bright light flashing from the other side and carefully stepped out. "…Wow…" he gasped out.

"Yep, a true masterpiece – if I do say so myself," Mr. Guide proudly added.

Cheren stared at the large post with wonder before speaking. "That's right. I always forget that you're the one that manages the Gyms behind the curtains…Thank you for taking your time out for this Gym, Mr. Guide."

"Don't hesitate to call me, Cylde, Cheren." He heaved up Cheren's luggage back to his arms, "Now, we should probably get your new home ready before a challenger comes here!"

"Yes, we should."

"And Cheren, what happened to your glasses?"

Cheren blinked and remembered the empty feeling he had across his nose. His fingers gently felt the bridge and smiled, "I decided to change myself."

Clyde curiously raised a brow as he followed the Gym Leader to his new home.

"Did you want to see some action too, Red?" Touko asked, releasing her Braviary from his Pokéball.

Red nodded and stared at the gallant bird Pokémon standing in front of him, flapping his wings to show them off. Red blinked and waited for Touko's invitation to hop on the Pokémon.

N gently sat on the Pokémon's wide back and motioned Red to sit behind him; the silent trainer obeyed while Touko plopped herself in the front seat. "Everyone on board?" she asked staring back at the two men with a smile.

N smiled back with a feint blush, "Yes we are!"

"Hm!" Touko pointed her finger to the distant sky, "Braviary, fly us to Aspertia City!"

The Pokémon squawked loudly and took off.

"Hold on tight," his owner exclaimed, grabbing on to her Pokémon's beige feathers.

~AFTER WORD~

I'm finally back from my vacation! Galveston is seriously hot, it made where I actually live feel like spring/ early fall! As I write this – Friday, August 10, 2012 – my internet connection was lost because supposedly a squirrel gnawed on the line and broke it. Guys, i-is that even possible?!

Okay, I lied—Hue and Kyohei will come up in the next chapter.

I PROMISE.

CIAO~