rebirth

chapter one - leave

two years ago

"Touko..." N sighed, tangling his hands in her hair. Her sleeping face was pure, untouched, and free from any worries that plagued her during her waking hours. He frowned; surely, he would add to the growing list of the things Touko worried about. He pondered over his decision until the telltale signs of morning shone on the floor. Moving away from the sleeping girl, he wondered if he would be able to revive this memory again.

He gritted his teeth. He had to believe he'd be able to make it out alive, even if it was just for the sake of seeing Touko again. Grabbing the knob on the door, he didn't look back as he walked away, fearing that if he did, he'd never be able to do it.

nimbasa city, present day – touko

Touko dragged her feet along the pavement, hands in her hoodie's pocket and looking way too bored for her own good. She third-wheeled behind Cheren and Bianca, dismissing any of the latter's comments that consisted of "including her" in their little hang-out-turned-date at the amusement park.

She was contemplating about bringing her Samurott out of its PokeBall when her female friend held her hand, grinning at Touko and eyes shining like diamonds.

"Touko!" Bianca almost pleaded in her high-pitched voice. "Please, please ride the Ferris Wheel with us! I promise it'll be fun, and it's almost dark anyway. We'll hopefully get a glimpse of the sunset up there, and even enjoy the sparkling lights! What do you say?"

"I don't want to be a cock-block," Touko said, her chest tightening when she was reminded of the Ferris Wheel. The sun's rays were turning red, the same colour that radiated off it when N first took her here to admit he was the King of Team Plasma a few years back then. She felt a pang of pain when she couldn't remember the scene as well as she could before, and shook out of her trance and gave Bianca a fake smile. "I'll be riding in another gondola."

She entered the gondola alone, and patiently waited until it was being lifted up. It was cold since the AC was blasting cold air that was supposed to be for at least two, leaving Touko shivering as she watched out of the window. Bianca wasn't lying, because the sun looked amazing and a few buildings have already turned on their lights. She looked down on the park, scanning for nothing when her eyes caught a sight of green hair in a ponytail, albeit the ponytail being longer than the one she remembered. The top was covered by a cap, but she would know the shade of his hair anywhere.

The ponytail was still messed up, like how he used to leave his. Touko cursed, wishing she had brought a flying-type to land on the ground below her. Her Zekrom would help her get down, but there was a chance that this N look-alike would run away at the sight of a legendary, or even battle it.

Zekrom, sensing Touko's anxious thoughts and another presence in the park, woke up. It cracked open an eye to look at the girl, observing her as she peered out of the window the best she could to keep an eye on the person she was fretting over.

"...Zekrom...here..." it heard Reshiram's voice, even though it was muffled. The black dragon shook itself, making itself aware and actively trying to keep the white dragon out of its thoughts and aura. "...hard...N...leave."

Zekrom wanted to take a chance and warn the white dragon to never trace them again, but knew it would give away Touko's and its positions. It let out a soft cry in its PokeBall. "Touko! Reshiram is here, yet I cannot hear much. It must be in its PokeBall, with N. We shall leave at once when the ride ends. Do not make yourself known."

Touko frowned. "What? What do you mean N and Reshiram are here?" her heart started beating faster. "Zekrom, what is it that you sense?"

"Reshiram...trying to get into my thoughts. To track you down, maybe. I do not know what they want to do with you," Zekrom said, shaking its head in its PokeBall.

Touko's mind clouded with excitement, fear, anger, and many other feelings. She was so excited to see him come back again, especially when he left her without a word two years ago. It was the exact same reason why she didn't want to see his face again, hoping she'd move on and get over him for good. Reminding herself to think with her head and not with her heart, she chose to get off the gondola as fast as she can. The people brought up their usual murmur around the Champion, and she could see a familiar face turning to look at her.

Turning away before she could see him and calling her Zebstrika, she commanded the Pokemon to return to Lostlorn Forest, where she could hide and call her Swanna to fly back to Nuvema Town, hopefully losing the green-haired man along the way.

nuvema town, one week after sighting – touko

"Have you gone mad?" Cheren asked Touko, resisting the urge to chuck something at her head. "You've had a good head on your shoulder, but ever since he left, you've started to go nuts. I know you've had plans to leave Unova to find Touya, but you decided to act on it?"

Touko winced at his harsh tone. She knew he meant it for the best, but sometimes she thought he could use a gentler way to scold her. She was packing her things into a small duffel bag and preparing herself to go find Touya as a way to get N – curse him and his green hair, damn it – out of her head, when Cheren burst into her room and caught her in the middle of things.

"I'm sorry, okay? But I need to do something to get him off my mind. I'll settle on finding Touya. You can contact me anyway, if you needed to," Touko offered. "It's not that dangerous, and I'll come back every six months or so. Cheren, please."

He stared at her warily. He came here to ask what was wrong yesterday, not catch her in the middle of packing to leave. "...Fine. I will await your return in six months. Call me, okay?" he said, muttering a few curses to himself. "I'll go ahead and tell Bianca," he said, frowning when Touko's mouth opened, as if to say something. "What? You don't want Bianca to know, too?"

Touko blushed. "Yeah, I know she wouldn't let me go..." she said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I have to leave in about an hour and a half, Cheren. Please, wish me luck and don't tell Bianca anything until I call you, unless she breaks down my door."

Cheren continued to frown at her, as if frowning would do any help to ease Touko into changing her mind. Finally, he sighed and helped her with her bags to the Castelia Pier, hoping that the girl would still change her mind.

She covered herself with a cap and a mask, wearing sunglasses to mask her features. People were looking at her with looks, and she could admit she did look strange. The man beside her grunted, giving her a tight hug. "Call me or Bianca when you need help," Cheren murmured. Touko nodded, almost melting into a hug.

"Yes. And...Cheren, when you get the call from me," Touko paused, handing him her Lilligant's PokeBall. Cheren stared at it, recognizing it as her Lilligant's Ball. "Please give this to mom. Someone would need to take care of her, and it would probably be better if I also left a Pokemon with her."

Cheren nodded. "Alright, I will," he paused, as if debating with himself if he should say something else. Touko's brows knitted in confusion, and Cheren waved his hand around as if to dismiss it. "Have fun in Alola, but stay safe."

tracking, a month after departure – n

"Reshiram, are you picking up traces of Zekrom?" N asked, petting the dragon's soft fur while the wild Pokemon approached him. He picked up a wild Minccino, letting it sniff his hand before petting it. The white dragon merely whined, obviously frustrated.

"I cannot sense Zekrom. Where has the girl gone running off to? Is she to find you?" Reshiram questioned, looking down at N with a curious expression. The Minccino jumped off from N's arms, clearly scared off by the legendary. N watched it scamper away before he turned his attention to Reshiram.

"I saw her at the park yesterday," N said. Reshiram nodded in agreement. "You said you could sense Zekrom's presence, yes? But it was quite hard to exactly pinpoint where if Touko was high up, and Zekrom was in a PokeBall."

"High up and not in a PokeBall? Did you mean that she was in that circular contraption?" Reshiram asked. N stiffened, knowing full well that his dear friend was referring to the Ferris Wheel. He closed his eyes, his heartbeat speeding up. The legendary seemed to sense that he was getting anxious. "Is there something wrong, N? Do you think she was in there?"

He nodded, his memories quickly flitting to that moment where she reluctantly agreed to go on a ride with him, just for him to admit that he was the King of Team Plasma. He could still remember her face of betrayal and shock, and her desire to get out of the gondola quick. He still had small clips of their battle on his mind, the battle that would buy time for the grunts to escape.

He had to stop himself before he once again spiralled into temporary madness, which seemed to happen from time to time during the two years he was on a run. A run from his personal demons that Touko managed to keep away, a run from the people still wanting him dead, and a run from Colress, who he managed to bump into. The scientist simply greeted him and told him that he no longer did not want to do anything with Ghetsis, and he would move to somewhere else.

And that was why N wished to go back to Touko, but he knew he wouldn't be taken lightly in Nuvema where her friends and family also resided. Getting a glimpse of her in Nimbasa was purely by chance, even if he was angrily denied even a glance at him. It happened a month ago, and he was yet to see her again.

"Master N," Reshiram cooed, nudging N lightly with its wing. "Do you not want to meet her head-on, in Nuvema Town? Tell them that you have been hiding from the Colress, who has now changed, and that you would like to return again."

N stood still, wondering and imagining how his precious Touko would react. Judging from the event a month ago, he guessed she would be pissed at him, and even get scolded or ignored. He also guessed that her friends and mom would be disappointed, as well. He felt guilty when he left the spare room that Touko cleaned up to be his room while staying with them. He thought all of these over, before agreeing with Reshiram. "You're right, my friend. My return is quite overdue, even if it is unwelcomed."

nuvema town – n

The green-haired man was right.

When he landed on the vacant plot of land that was for Touko's Zekrom to land on, he was met by a very, very angry Cheren and a disappointed Bianca. Apparently, they had heard Reshiram's cries from below and decided to meet with N, who expected a speech about betrayal and leaving in the middle of the night. Instead, he was met with the words he never wanted to hear.

"Touko is gone."

Cheren said, his steely gaze on N's form, but the older man didn't care if he was being judged. He was so vague about the statement, that Cheren couldn't help but wonder if the older man thought Touko was dead. Bianca shared her thoughts with him, and gave him a good shove. "Cheren!" she hissed at him. She may have been disappointed in N, but she didn't want N to think Touko was dead. She turned to him. "N! We weren't saying that Touko is dead."

N couldn't help the relieved sigh. He didn't want to think that Touko would die when he just saw her at the park a month ago. "How is she holding up, then?" he asked. He looked around, and surely there was no Touko. He guessed that it was because she didn't want to face him right now, and even if he was hurt, he knew he deserved it. "Is she home?"

He saw the two friends' eyes darken. Cheren was the one who spoke up first. "Touko left for Touya. She wouldn't tell where, but she's supposed to return after five months before returning to travelling again after two or three weeks," he said, his hand instinctively reaching up the bridge of his nose to adjust his glasses, only to feel bare skin. He winced before continuing. "She thought she'd need to get over you."

N barely held back a small whimper, wearing the pain he was feeling on his sleeve. He was gone for two years, and she went away a month after she saw him. He swallowed thickly, steeling himself before facing the two friends ago. "I-I see..." he muttered, turning to Reshiram when Bianca called him out.

"N! You might want to stay here," Bianca said. N visibly shuddered, knowing that he didn't deserve to stay at Mrs. White's house any longer. She took measured steps towards him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You were gone for two years, N. Her mom would give you maybe a decade's worth of warnings, but she knows Touko loves you."

Loves.

She still loved him, even when he left her alone in that room? He could feel his heart shatter a little bit more, knowing that he had hurt her enough to drive her away from Unova. He wanted to follow her and tell her how much he loved her and that he wanted to apologize so badly for leaving her without even a note. Even if going to her house would be bad, he knew that maybe the mother knew where Touko went.

N hesitated, but called Reshiram back to its PokeBall. "Very well. I will go to the house with you two," he said, a slight tremble in his voice. Going back to the house he tried to avoid for the past two years would be downright terrifying, and it didn't help that the person he wanted to see the most wouldn't be there.

x

"How – how dare you!" Mrs. White said, clutching onto poor Bianca's hands. The Lilligant was trying to soothe the agitated mother, but Touko's Pokemon seemed to make it worse by being Touko's Pokemon. N braved through all insults thrown at him, even if he was shaken, but he doubted if he could brave throught this onslaught of names and insults. "You dare visit this house after two years, and while my dear Touko is away?! She was heartbroken when you left her, and now you go showing your face around here?"

The woman quieted down when Bianca whispered something to her, no doubt a brief summary of his story, patting her shoulders calmly. Mrs. White narrowed her eyes at N for a moment before giving an exasperated sigh, rubbing her temples. "Alright, you can stay here for the night. Do not, by any under circumstances, go to Touko's room. I will tell you her contact information, but it is up to you to know where she is right now," she eyed him warily. "If she comes to me crying again and it's because of you, I will never let you near my daughter again."

The mother stood up and retired to her room for the night, grumbling about something under her breath. N stood up to thank Bianca, but she lifted a hand up gently. "It's alright. I knew you would need outside help, anyway. Touko's mom has been on the edge when you left because Touko suddenly withdrew herself from the society. For months, she'd never go out or eat that much. She had challengers, so we wouldn't need to worry about her skills. I must get going, though. Good night, N." Bianca said, leaving the quiet house.

It was silent until a voice spoke up, the Lilligant walking over to him and sitting on the couch parallel to his. "N...I cannot express how disappointed I am in you now," it said, shaking its head. "I know that you are beating yourself up for this, but I am still sad about what happened to our Mistress Touko. She became completely silent for the first few weeks, yet never neglected us. We – her Pokemon – are angry at you. We have sensed that her aura has completely changed, and even now, the bright light she had was dimmed.

"She kept on thinking that it was her who was at fault. She kept on blaming herself, and for months on end we tried to cheer her up. Sadly, she was not blessed with the talent of understanding us, but even then, she talked to us. Now, she is on a mission to go find Touya, who has been gone without contact for four years now," the Lilligant paused, as if thinking about something. "She has taken all her Pokemon except for myself, as I am to take care of her mother. I do not know of her whereabouts, so you might have to ask her yourself."

N hung his head in defeat. Getting the story, even if it was not whole, from her own Pokemon was heartbreaking. He felt guiltier than before, and he wished that he could turn back time and never leave her side again if he knew that Colress was alright now that he didn't work for that damned Ghetsis. He barely made a move when her Lilligant urged him to get up and go to sleep. "I'm alright, Lilligant. I will retire as soon as I feel tired."

And he was nothing but tired, especially after all the information that he had taken in for today.

Author: Hello! It's been a long while since I posted here, but it's also been a long time since I finished a story. I'm not a seasoned writer (yet, I hope!) but I'm willing to improve! I don't know how to do stuff around here, but hey, you can always tell me how!

A few notes: the next chapter starts in "present day". When is that? I, too, do not know. But all chapters start in "present day", which is different from last chapter's "present day" I'm still figuring out the timeline in this story, which I'm totally screwed in, but it's usually based on events.

Sorry for this short chapter! I'm looking forward to writing longer chapters that I hope do not move too quickly. As much as I hate writing fillers, they seem cute, too.

Please review if you want to!