Written Story Unova Teen Healing Wish: A Black Nuzlocke (Completed)

[SimplyUnknown]

Spoiler: Ruleset

1. I can only catch one Pokémon per route.
   1. Dupes Clause Activated
   2. Shiny Clause Activated
   3. Gift Clause Activated
2. If a Pokémon faints, it is dead.
3. Nickname everyone.
   1. Theme is Japanese names.
4. I cannot use the Daycare.
5. No trading.

Spoiler: Table of Contents

Prologue: This Update
Chapter 1: The Arrival
Chapter 2: The Encounters
Chapter 3: The Discussion
Chapter 4: The Gym
Chapter 5: The Dreams
Chapter 6: The Rescue
Chapter 7: The Meeting
Chapter 8: The Robbery
Chapter 9: The Conversation
Chapter 10: The Kidnapping
Chapter 11: The Revenge
Chapter 12: The Desert
Chapter 13: The Train Ride
Chapter 14: The Ferris Wheel
Chapter 15: The Lost
Chapter 16: The Turning Point
Chapter 17: The Apology
Chapter 18: The Champion
Chapter 19: The Cold Storage
Chapter 20: The Good-Bye
Chapter 21: The Ninjas
Chapter 22: The Reunion
Chapter 23: The Farewell
Chapter 24: The Throw
Chapter 25: The Phone Call
Chapter 26: The Preparations
Chapter 27: The Resurrection
Chapter 28: The Ruins
Chapter 29: The Call-Out
Chapter 30: The Final Gym
Chapter 31: The Gates of Victory
Chapter 32: The Guardian Elites
Chapter 33: The Truth Comes out
Chapter 34: The Final Battle
Epilogue: A Clean Break

Spoiler: Prologue

He was grateful they were sitting at the table so that Lance couldn't see his hands twisting into his jeans. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" he asked quietly.

"The League has been petitioned to have you removed as Viridian Gym Leader and replaced," Lance repeated solemnly. "We received it earlier today, but I thought we should let you know immediately." The dragon-type user chewed his lower lip and sighed. "Blue, I'm sorry."

"What are the charges?" Lance blinked in confusion, forcing Blue to elaborate. "I know the rules, Lance. If a petition makes it this far, there needs to be a viable reason. What are the charges?" Realizing how loud he'd gotten, Blue coughed and tried to calm himself. "Sorry."

"It's fine, it's fine. Arceus knows you're handling this a lot better than I would have, and you're what, ten years my junior?" Lance attempted a smile that fell flat at Blue's stare. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The charges are incompetency, which is a load of Tauros-shit if I've ever heard any, but the recommendation for your replacement is someone that we...can't afford to overlook."

Instantly, Blue knew who it was. Of course it's him. "Yeah, I can see why you'd want the guy who beat me as my replacement." A sour laugh escaped his throat as he leaned back, blinking rapidly at the ceiling to get rid of the furious tears building up. "Red finally got back from Sinnoh, huh?" A quick glance as the guilty look on Lance's face said it all. "Yeah, I thought so."

"We're going to fight this, Blue. No one, Gym Leader or League member, wants to replace you unless you choose to step down." The redhead's face turned a kind of fierce normally only seen during League challenge battles. "No one considers you incompetent." The snarled statement had Blue snorting.

"Clearly someone out there thinks I am. Enough people to get a freaking petition through to the League to kick me out." Lance quickly dropped his head to avoid Blue's gaze. Something cold began brewing in his gut at Lance's reaction. "...Did it break a record or something for signatures?"

The Dragon user chewed his lower lip for a bit, clearly weighing out the pros and cons. Finally, he sighed. "Blue, there was only one name on the petition."

Blue was completely stunned. Any petition that made it to the desks of the league members had to have at least 50 signatures or it was tossed out. The only ones that were let through without it were either sent along with substantial evidence like a police report or... Oh. To both of their shock, Blue started to laugh. "Of course. Of fucking course. The league would have to look at any petition recommending Red and sent in by Gramps."

"Blue..." SLAM! Lance jerked back from the table as Blue brought his hands down onto it, shoulders shaking. "Blue, just listen..."

"Get out." Praying that the tears wouldn't fall, Blue jerked his head back up in a furious glare. "Get out!" Clearly reluctant, Lance pushed back from the table and headed for the door. As he stepped into the hallway of Blue's apartment complex, he paused to look back at Blue.

"The League is on your side here, Blue. I want you to remember that." The gym leader didn't respond, and Lance let the door close behind him. As the footsteps faded, Blue shot to his feet, grabbed the first thing that came to hand (an old mug), and flung it into the wall. It shattered into pieces, and it was like the sound was the trigger Blue was waiting for. A desperate keen escaped his throat as the gym leader sank to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. He should have known. He should have fucking known that even after all this, after being one of the strongest gym leaders in the Kanto region for 6 years, after all the research on various Pokemon he sent back to Pallet, after becoming the fucking champion, he wasn't good enough. He'd never be good enough. Never measure up to Red. Not for Samuel Oak, Pokemon professor.

"Damnit! Damnit! DAMNIT!!!" Blue slammed his fist into the floor, as though the pain would fix things. But of course it wouldn't. It never did. It would just make his knuckles bleed and maybe break a finger or two. Just like every other time this happened.

But as he sank into misery, there was a knock at the door. Thinking it was either the downstairs neighbor complaining about the noise or the building superintendent, Blue forced down his sobs and ran a hand over his face. Hopefully he could keep himself together long enough to handle this. But instead, there stood an elderly woman at the door, dressed in purple and a dark oak cane in her right hand. Her sharp eyes gentled at the sight of the Viridian gym leader. "Oh, Samuel really did a number on you this time."

And the sight of the closest thing he had to a grandmother is what broke him. Throwing all his pride aside, Blue flung himself into the outstretched arms of Agatha, buried his face in her shoulder, and started to cry.

---

"So that's why Lance called me." The former Elite 4 member sighed as she took a sip of the tea lovingly prepared by Blue's Alakazam, Harry. "God, Samuel truly is going senile, isn't he? It's probably because he isn't battling enough; that's what keeps me sharp." Blue let out a watery chuckle, still a bit raw from all the crying he'd done. Shadow, his faithful starter and Umbreon, nuzzled his face into Blue's stomach and Gale the Pidgeot chirpped in agreement before returning to his preening of Blue's hair.

Staring down into his own cup, the small smile on the gym leader's face quickly faded. Agatha noticed this and reached over to pat his hand. "You'll be fine, Blue. The only person who would believe the shit Samuel is spouting is himself. Amazing that he can know so much about Pokemon, but be so wrong when it comes to his own grandson."

"...Maybe I'm just not good enough," Blue whispered. Agatha sighed, set down her cup, and then clasped Blue's head so that he couldn't avoid her eyes.

"Blue, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth. You are always good enough. Hell, you're more than Samuel deserves, you and your sister." His Pokemon let out squawks and barks and various noises of agreement, making the old woman grin. "And I doubt your team would put up with you if you were truly incompetent."

"You're right about that," Blue agreed as he ran a hand down Shadow's back and used the other to scratch Gale under his chin. "Thank you."

Agatha waved off the thanks easily. "You know what I think? I think you've been working too hard. Why not take advantage of all this...fuckery, and go on vacation."

"Va...vacation? Now?" Blue opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by noises of agreement from his entire team. Egbert the Exeggutor floated a suitcase out from...somewhere in his room. When did he even get that? Harry and his Arcanine Beast started piling in random clothes and outfits while Gale and Shadow called out recommendations from the couch. The pokeball that housed his Gyarados, Maggie, rattled in clear eagerness while Agatha cackled.

"Looks like you've been outvoted. When's the last time you've relaxed anyways? Probably before you started your journey, I bet." She held up a finger when Blue tried to answer. "And don't start talking about those 'days off' you have, because I know you spend them doing research for Samuel. And that's just as much work as your gym, Blue." Something appeared to occur to her and Agatha whipped out her phone. "Tell you what. I have an old friend in Unova, and it's just lovely this time of year. He's been harping on me to come visit and sent me a ticket so why don't you take it?"

"Unova? But I'd have to quarantine my team if we went there," Blue quickly pointed out.

"Maybe that would be for the best," Agatha easily countered. She sighed at the confused look on Blue's face. "Look, Blue. If you travel with your team there, it will turn into just another journey for you. You'll constantly be pulled into battles by people who want to beat a former champion and current gym leader. For this to truly be a vacation, you should probably step away from battling for a bit. Just be a tourist, see the sights, eat some good food. Be a teenager while you still are one instead of a miniature Samuel." The Ghost type user reached out and ruffled Blue's hair. "I'll look after your team while you're gone unless you'd rather your sister do it?"

Blue glanced from the stern face of Agatha to the eager faces of his team. Beast trotted over with a closed and packed suitcase in her mouth to plop it on the couch nex to him, wagging her tail. "But I...with the petition and..."

Agatha sighed and pressed a hand to her temples. "Blue, when is the last time that you've been able to talk to someone without them comparing you to Samuel or that Red boy?" Reluctantly, Blue closed his mouth and looked away. "That's what I thought. Unova is far enough from Kanto that most of them probably haven't heard of Samuel, Red, or you."

"You forget he's the youngest champion ever," Blue muttered, receiving a death glare in response.

"Don't sass me, boy. I may be retired, but don't you think I'm soft. But back to what I was saying, maybe you need some time away from all this. Find out who you are without your grandfather or Red." She gently squeezed his shoulder. "And if not, it's still a free vacation. Take the gift, Blue. For an old woman's sake if nothing else."

Blue bit his lip and looked away from Agatha's earnest stare. Shadow bumped his head against his chest as Gale let out a chirp. Sighing, he leaned back and gave the shadow of his usually cocky grin. "Looks like I'm heading to Unova then."

Spoiler: Notes

So, this isn't a run I was expecting to write, but the plot bug got its teeth in me and I felt I needed to write this. As a note, Blue's team is sort of a mashup from all his teams from the games and an Umbreon added instead of the other eeveelutions to separate it more. Alakazam, Gyarados, Arcanine, and Exeggutor are from the team he uses in the PWT tournament, his Pidgeot is his first catch and most commonly associated pokemon. He won't be the trainer in the games, just a traveler joining them as Unova has some interesting similarities to the Kanto games if you look at it in a certain way.

Another thing that didn't come up in the prologue; I'll be using the Japanese names for the human characters from Unova. But not for the Pokemon as I do not have the time to look all that up. We'll get to meet some of them next time. Hope you all enjoyed this, leave a like and a review if you did, and see you all next time! 👋

 

[Lemurro]

Just saw your thread "Pokemon Opinions That Have Changed" and then I saw this. I like your take on Blue's relationship with his grandfather and I think it provides a very interesting explanation for why Blue would drop everything to got Unova. Looking forward to seeing more of this run!

 

[Bowser's Family Vacation]

I always love popping in on Unova runs!

I also always need to send some love to writers tackling the challenge of adapting currently existing characters in the Pokemon multiverse into storylocke protagonists. I'll admit that I was initially unsure about Blue filling this role—since he's already had a generations-spanning arc—but...

"Of course. Of fucking course. The league would have to look at any petition recommending Red and sent in by Gramps."

There's nothing like toxic family members destroying the position you've put that generations-spanning arc achieving to jumpstart a new journey.

I initially had more in this comment, but I had so much to say that I figured it would be better said in the form of a feature. :)

 

[Tailsimp]

Ohh I like your spin on Blue, Samuel, and Agatha's relationship. You wove it all into this start perfectly, and I certainly can't blame him for wanting to get out for awhile. I'm glad Agatha and his team out-voted him so he'd go. Looking forward to seeing more of this run!

 

[SimplyUnknown]

Spoiler: First Replies!

Lemurro: Glad you're enjoying this look at Blue and Oak's relationship, and thanks for being the first to comment! Hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Bowser's Family Vacation: I'm going to be honest; I had a minor freakout when I saw the feature that you gave this run. Especially considering it had been up for less than 2 hours at that point! Thank you so much for the feature and I really hope that you enjoy this update!

Tailsimp: Glad that you like what I wrote! Blue definitely needs to get away for a bit, he's been working far too hard. His team definitely knows it.

Spoiler: Chapter 1: The Arrival

Plane rides were never fun, but they only got worse when they stretched into the double digits. Gritting his teeth, Blue checked his watch once more. Taking into account time differences, they'd be landing in Unova in approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes. Over halfway there, and Blue was already going a bit insane. He'd finished the book he'd brought with him while waiting to board, his laptop battery was practically dead, and the inflight movie about a boy dealing with abusive parents wasn't exactly what he wanted to watch right now. The only thing he could do was sleep, but his body was more than willing, his mind just wouldn't stop whirling.

It had been three days since Lance had delivered the news and his trip had come together shockingly quickly. Apparently Blue had too many vacation days saved up. Agatha had sent him off at check-in with a bone-crushing hug and a promise to look after his team while Blue was in Unova. He had considered leaving them with Daisy, but his sister didn't deserve to watch his Pokemon while he was gone for who knows how long. The ticket had been one-way so Blue had no clue when he'd be returning to Kanto. And...he didn't want his grandfather to know that he'd left. At least not yet.

...What am I doing? Blue asked himself for the hundredth time since this all started. Part of him just wanted to turn around and head back to Kanto, where he could bury himself in work and battles and literally anything else that silenced his churning thoughts. If he wasn't busy, they tended to creep in. Thoughts like 'you aren't working hard enough' or 'you would have won that battle if you were a better trainer'. Or worst of all, 'maybe this will make Gramps proud of me'. Something that he'd never wanted to accept appeared to be impossible, at least for Blue.

A loud snore split the air and jerked Blue out of his thoughts. He glared at the man sitting next from him who had been peacefully dreaming under a sleep mask since the plane had taken off. His head had fallen onto Blue's shoulder a couple of times, but he'd been easily shaken off. Though the noise wasn't doing much to help Blue's attempts to sleep. Sighing through his nose, Blue once again adjusted the gifted pillow against the side of the plane and closed his eyes.

Whether it was the pure exhaustion or the change in position, Blue found himself drifting off. Back to when things were simpler, easier, when he still had a chance...

---

Glancing at the lab clock, Blue impatiently paced back and forth. Today was the day. He was ten years old and Gramps had promised that he was going to give him a Pokemon. And not just any Pokemon either. But one of the rarest Pokemon in Kanto, an Eevee. Blue technically wasn't supposed to know about this, but Daisy had snuck the small Pokemon out of the lab every so often so that he and Blue could play together. Blue already had the perfect nickname picked out and together, they would become champions of Kanto!

The door to the lab opened and Blue eagerly whirled around. "There you are, Gramps! I was..." His voice trailed off as he spotted Red trailing in after his grandfather, a slightly blank look on his face. "...waiting."

Professor Oak blinked a few times as if surprised to see his grandson there. "Blue? Why are you here?"

"You..." Blue's hands twisted into the messenger bag that he'd already packed. "You said you would give me a Pokemon today."

Oak sighed and pressed a hand to his temples. "I said for you to come by later… Ah, whatever! Just wait there." He turned to beam at Red, who had been standing awkwardly near a wall. "Look, Red. You see that Pokeball on the table? You may have it. Go on, take it!"

What? Blue's jaw dropped as Red's face transformed into one of pure glee. "Hey! Gramps! What about me? You promised that..."

"Be patient, Blue," Oak scolded with a familiar scowl on his face. "I'll give you one later." Red paused for a second, nervously glancing from Blue to Oak before reaching out for the ball on the table that held the Eevee. That held Blue's Shadow. In a blind panic, Blue rushed forward and shoved Red aside, knocking him to the floor. He snatched the Pokeball and hugged it to his chest so that no one could take it. "BLUE! What are you doing?"

"No!" Blue argued. "You promised me a Pokemon before Red and I want this one! Only this one!" Tears welled up in his eyes as he fought not to quiver under his grandfather's glare. Blue wasn't going to back down this time. If he did, he'd lose Shadow for good.

After a few minutes, Oak sighed and rubbed his temples. "Oh, all right then. That Pokémon is yours. I was going to give you one anyway…" He looked over to Red, who had yet to get to his feet. "Red, come over here. You can have the Pikachu I caught earlier. It's not quite tame yet, but that shouldn't be a problem for you." As Red walked over to get his own starter, Blue let out the fluffy Eevee.

"Hey Shadow. We're partners now," Blue whispered. The Normal type glanced up, let out a delighted squeal at the sight of his favorite boy, and leaped into his arms to cover his face in licks. Laughing, Blue cuddled Shadow against his chest as Red attempted to get to know the Pikachu. Shadow yipped and narrowed his eyes at the yellow mouse Pokemon. "You wanna fight?" Blue asked, earning a determined nod from the Pokemon. He smirked and let Shadow drop to the floor in a battle ready crouch. "Hey Red! Let's check out our Pokémon! Come on, I'll take you on!"

---

"Hey, kid?" An unfamiliar voice and a jabbing into his shoulder pulled Blue out of his dreams. Or were they just memories... He blinked blearily up at his seat partner, who pointed out the window. "We'll be landing in about ten minutes so I thought I should wake you up."

Blue glanced out the window to see they were rapidly approaching the ground. "Thanks," he mumbled as he stiffly pushed himself off the wall and rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"No problem," the man beamed before it turned into a confused frown. "Do I know you from somewhere? You look kinda familiar." Instantly, Blue tensed. The whole point of this vacation was to not be recognized.

"Just have one of those faces," the gym leader muttered, keeping his gaze focused on the window. Thankfully, the man let it go out of respect or lack of interest. Either way, it kept Blue stiff and awkward in his seat until the plane touched down. Hoisting his old messenger bag onto his shoulder, Blue kept his head down and hurried off of the plane into the airport as quickly as he could. Agatha had said there would be someone waiting for him...

"Oh, there you are!" A tall unfamiliar woman waved from near the baggage claim, holding a sign that read Agatha's Vacationer. At least it's not my real name, Blue thought as he made his way over to her. Her tawny hair was done up in an odd combination of a ponytail and a bun, all piled atop her head, and her green eyes looked friendly. She was dressed in a long white lab coat over a white top and a mid-length green skirt. "My name is Professor Araragi, and welcome to Unova!"

Blue blinked a few times, mentally going over his conversations with Agatha before he left Kanto. "Agatha used male pronouns when talking about you," he stated cautiously.

Araragi laughed, a warm sound that almost reminded him of Daisy. "She was probably referring to my father, who was also Dr. Araragi. They're old friends and usually get together once a year for reminiscing and a Pokemon battle that leaves a new crater somewhere."

"Sounds about right," Blue muttered, earning him another laugh.

"Doesn't it though?" The baggage claim siren began wailing, signalling that bags were about to start coming out. Araragi gestured to the conveyer belt that had started moving. "You have any bags we need to wait for or shall we get going?"

"No, this is it." Beaming, Araragi lead the way to her car, keeping up a steady stream of chatter that jumped from his flight to Unova tourist spots to the battles between her father and Agatha.

"I'm not sure how much sleep you got on the flight so feel free to take a nap while we drive. Or if you want something to eat or some coffee, we can stop by a drive-thru somewhere. My interns are looking after the lab and aren't expecting us until 9." This statement made Blue jolt.

"Your interns know about me?" Araragi nodded in clear confusion at his reaction and Blue hastened to explain. "I was hoping...this was supposed to be a real vacation and if people know who I am then..."

"Ah, I see." Her eyes cleared and she nodded in understanding. "They know that you're a visitor from Kanto and that an old family friend asked me to look after you, but I didn't give them your name. That being said, they probably will recognize you."

"Great," Blue groaned as he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. "I told Agatha that this would happen."

"It will probably only be them though," Araragi added thoughtfully as she started the car. Blue looked up in clear bafflement. "The main reason they'd know who you are is because of the research papers that you've turned in and the majority of Unova don't read those."

"You...you've read my work?" Blue blinked a few times in sincere shock.

"Yours and your grandfather's, yes," Araragi nodded. "I was very impressed with the paper on the differences between Kanto's two Nidoran populations and what caused them to split into two distinct species. My research focus is the origin of Pokemon, you see?" Blue nodded numbly. His grandfather had never told him the results of his research after he'd sent it in. Part of him had assumed it had been trashed. "If you have the time, I'd love to pick your brain on a few topics, but only if you want to. It's your vacation after all! Plenty of time for work later!" Grinning, Araragi reached over and started fiddling with the radio. "Any preferences?"

---

Forty minutes and one breakfast sandwich later, Blue was feeling more like a normal person than an exhaustion zombie. Brushing the crumbs off of his shirt, he looked out the window at the small white building they were driving to. "Here we are, home sweet home," the Pokemon professor beamed as she parked. "They'll be waiting for us, so be ready for more than a few questions."

"Nothing I haven't heard before," Blue muttered as he stepped out of the car. Nuvema Town was small, open and airy. It reminded him a lot of Pallet Town, and he wasn't sure if the comparison made him homesick or uncomfortable. Thankfully, he didn't have long to dwell on it as Araragi practically frogmarched him to the door and flung it open. Blinking at the sight, Blue commented dryly, "Well, I do have more than a few questions."

Lying in the middle of the floor with his ass in the air was a young man dressed in blue, snoring away with his glasses cocked to one side. It looked incredibly uncomfortable. At a table sat an individual with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail with their head turned away from the door. Blue assumed they were asleep as well. A blond girl with a long white skirt and big green hat was sitting in a corner, scribbling notes into a notepad. She glanced up and beamed. "Oh, Professor Araragi! Welcome back."

"Bel, why are Cheren and Touko asleep here rather than on any of the very comfortable couches we have?" Araragi questioned as she pushed past Blue.

"We were running tests to see whether remaining stationary or moving around would affect how fast the move Yawn made people fall asleep," Bel explained. "Touko was sitting at the table and Cheren was jogging around the room before the Yawn kicked in. Oddly enough, Yawn actually worked more quickly when they were standing still rather than sitting or moving. Almost 12% faster for both of them!"

"Really?" Blue bit back a snicker at the look of excitement on the professor's face. The desire for scientific discovery ran hot within Pokemon professors, it seemed. "I wish you'd waited for me to get back, I would have liked to see this."

"Sorry Professor," Bel apologized before spotting Blue. Her eyes widened. "Oh my god. You're Blue Oak! Your paper on the effects of stress causing occasional premature evolutions in Pokemon was amazing!" She hopped to her feet and sped over to him, stars in her eyes. Blue flinched and backed away. "Oh, you must have so many ideas about Pokemon and..."

"That's very nice and all, but I'm not here for that," Blue protested, feeling like a sample under a microscope.

"Ow" The boy lying on the floor had apparently woken up, and had a bad crick in his neck for his troubles. Fixing his glasses, he glanced around the room before spotting Bel and Blue. Instantly, he strode forward and started pumping Blue's hand. "My name is Cheren and it's wonderful to meet one of Kanto's youngest champions and gym leaders. Welcome to Unova! I do hope that you can find the time to go over some battle strategies with me!" Grimacing, Blue jerked his hand free. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

"Bel. Cheren. What are you two doing?" The pair of interns blinked at the new voice and Blue's gaze was drawn to the girl who'd been sleeping on the table earlier. She was clearly awake now, watching the trio with cool blue-gray eyes. "Do you really need to jump the guy?"

"Touko, do you not know who this is?" Cheren demanded, pointing a finger at Blue, who had to fight the urge to slap it away. "This is..."

"Were you not listening to the Professor yesterday?" Touko interrupted as she pushed herself back from the table. "He's here on vacation which means he's probably here to relax. I don't know about you, but being harassed by people I don't know isn't my idea of relaxing." She gave a light shrug. "Just a thought."

Grimacing, Cheren and Bel backed away with their heads bowed. "My apologies for my rude behavior."

"Yeah, sorry!"

"It's fine," Blue answered, catching Touko's eye quickly. "Thanks." She smiled and nodded back.

"Well, that settles things." Blinking, everyone turned to see Professor Araragi sitting on a chair, holding a file in her hands. "I was going to see which one you would prefer to travel with, but I believe that Touko would be the best option, Blue."

"Travel?" "Me?" Blue and Touko answered in unison.

"Of course! You didn't bring your Pokemon with you, Blue, so you'll need to travel with someone through Unova. And since you three were planning to leave on your journeys soon, it makes sense for him to tag along with one of you." A journey? At their age? Blue shook his head as Cheren took a step forward.

"Pardon me, professor, but why not me or Bel?"

"Because you would badger him about his training skills and Bel would badger him about his research." She grinned at the guilty looks on her intern's faces. "Touko was the only one trying to respect him, so it seems like the healthiest decision." Araragi pointed at Blue. "Though I would advise using an alias of some kind. Using your real name is just asking to be recognized."

"I guess," Blue mumbled as he glanced at Touko, who was chewing her lip. "Is this alright with you?"

She shrugged. "I guess. But you should know I'm not doing the gym challenge or anything. I'm looking for someone so you aren't likely to get any gym battles out of me."

"My normal life is gym battles," Blue countered. "I'm just...looking for some time away from it all."

Touko nodded. "Got a name in mind?" Blue pondered for a few seconds.

"...I think I'll use Jay. Middle name and all." Blue was surprised at the quick grin that appeared on her face as Touko offered a hand. He returned the smile with one of his own as he took it to shake.

"Then welcome to Unova, Jay."

Spoiler: Notes: Read Last Please

So we meet our rivals and the one who is actually the trainer in games, Touko. I'm using the Japanese names for them because I think it's a cool flip to have the people from the region based on Japan use their English names and vice versa for Unova characters. Touko might not think she'll be doing the gym challenge, but the story should prove her wrong.

As for Blue's dream and name change, the dream is actually based off of the actual dialogue of Pokemon Yellow. I had fun writing it and I think he'll be having a few more of these dreams later on. The name is because if he wants to move around Unova incognito, using a different name will help people think he's just a big fan of Blue rather than the actual Blue. I thought about Aoi, which means 'blue' in Japanese, but I thought it was too on the nose. And yes, this means Blue's full name is Blue Jay Oak.

We'll start meeting some Pokemon next time. Hope you all enjoyed this and leave a like or a review if you did! 👋

 

[Tailsimp]

Blue Jay Oak.... I'm not laughing you're laughing! For real though, I really liked that dream memory sequence. Normally that first scene shows Blue to be nothing more than a brat; but your version really flips that on its head and makes me feel bad that his partner almost got given away. I also really appreciate Touko looking out for Blue so the guy could get a breath without having to disappoint or be rude to Cheren or Bianca himself. It also gives a sense that these 3 are friends with how willing Touko was to be direct with them as well as how willing they were to look silly in front of each other with that experiment. Really great job there and on the chapter overall!

 

[SimplyUnknown]

Spoiler: Reply

Tailsimp: Glad that my horrible joke made someone laugh, even if that person was me.
The dream sequence was really fun for me because you only really get Pokemon games from one side, the side of the playable character. And there are three sides to every story: yours, theirs, and the truth, which is somewhere in between.
The best friends you can have are the ones who can tell you that you're doing something stupid right to your face. Though Touko may be a bit more direct than most.
Glad you enjoyed it and hope you like this next one!

Spoiler: Chapter 2: The Encounters

Whatever Professor Araragi had in mind when she said 'Jay' should travel with Touko, it probably wasn't this. The pair was sitting beneath a tall tree, waiting for Cheren and Bel to join them before heading for Accumula Town. Cheren had to recheck literally everything he'd packed before he left and Bel hadn't packed at all. Touko had suggested that maybe they wait a day so that they could prepare and Jay could maybe relax and sleep off some jet lag, but had been unanimously outvoted.

Letting out a heavy sigh through her nose, Touko side-eyed the Kanto native. He looked pretty different from what she knew of the former champion and current gym leader. Of course, the pictures that Cheren had in his album of Pokemon Champions for all regions, meticulously updated and color-coded every six months, were back when Jay was around ten or eleven. Of course he'd grown up in the six years since then. But it was the expression on his face that surprised her.

The first photo Cheren owned had been taken probably five minutes after Jay had claimed his new title. His smile had been practically wide enough to split his face open and he'd almost been glowing. That, or the person taking the picture wasn't the best and got too much backlighting. Maybe. Touko didn't know much about photography. The second picture, from about half an hour later, had been Red claiming the title. Jay had been in the backgroud, staring at his shoes, and almost clearly shattered by the turn of events. Like he'd been a crystal held up to the light only to be broken moments later.

I know how that feels, Touko thought as she abandoned the side-eyeing and looked at the teen head-on. He didn't appear to notice, just staring out at the open fields and forests and seeing none of them. Jay looked exhausted, but more than that he looked sad. The heavy kind that weighed a person down and ate at their soul rather than the kind that caused tears and loud wailing. Touko briefly weighed her options and then leaned back against the tree. "You know, I expected at least one question out of you."

The sound of her voice made him jolt. "What?" Jay asked.

Touko smiled, pleased to get some form of conversation going. "Well, you are a scientist, aren't you? Even if it's not your primary job, you are one. And every scientist, practicing or not, has questions they want answered." She shrugged cheerfully. "So unless you're telling me that you know literally everything there is to know about Unova, I'm a little shocked that you aren't pestering me right now. Even with all that jet lag."

Jay raised a single brow, a trick that Touko immediately envied. Despite years of practice in various mirrors, she'd never been able to master it. "So, you're saying your ideal day would involve someone following you around and asking you pointless questions?"

Touko hummed in thought. "Well, not pointless questions. Those tend to be more for trolling than anything else. But real questions, especially ones that can make you think and wonder? I like those. I like looking for the answers even if we don't have a way of knowing yet. One of the main reasons why I intern under the professor in the first place. But we're getting off topic." She briefly thought about poking him in the shoulder or the chest, and then almost immediately decided against it. They were strangers still, no need to test his boundaries just yet. "Are you not curious about the cities? The tourist spots? The Poke..." Touko trailed off and then immediately facepalmed. "I'm an idiot."

"Er..." Touko ignored Jay's clear confusion to dig into her bag and pull out a pair of Pokeballs.

"It's not only me that you'll be traveling with after all. I need to introduce you to the boys too." Without waiting for a response, Touko flung the orbs into the air, releasing her Pokemon. Hiroshi landed easily on his feet, swinging his scalchop eagerly. Koki, on the other hand, attempted to do an air-flip and ended up faceplanting into the dirt. The Lillipup quickly got to his feet and shook off the dirt, earning a squeal of dismay from Hiroshi. "Guys, this is Jay. He's going to be traveling with us for a while."

The Pokemon had definitely claimed Jay's attention as he pushed himself into a kneeling position to examine the pair. "I'm pretty sure I know these ones. Dew...no Oshawott and Lillipup, right?"

"Good memory!" Touko praised, beaming brightly. "Hiroshi here," she dropped a hand to rub the Water type's head, "is my starter from when I was ten and I caught Koki a little more than a year ago." The Normal type barked at the sound of his name before wandering over to sniff at Jay's shoes curiously. "Be careful with him though; he loves to chew on shoelaces."

"I've got spares," Jay brushed aside as he scratched Koki behind the ears. Koki let out a moan and his left back leg immediately lifted up to start kicking. This earned him a surprised laugh from the Kanto native. "Do all Lillipup do this?"

"Not all of them, but quite a few do." Touko sighed at the memory. "One of the best days of work was just sitting down and petting a bunch of Lillipup, Herdier, and Stoutland." Hiroshi let out an annoyed grunt, clearly upset at her lack of attention. She sighed and poked his cheek. "You're so spoiled, Hiro."

"I guess I do have one question now that I think about it," Jay commented as Koki rolled over for belly rubs. "Why haven't you three left on your journeys yet? Especially since you said you got Hiroshi when you were ten."

"Oh, that's Red's fault," Touko waved off, noticing the small flinch from Jay at the name. Odd. She'd have to remember that. "When you two became champions one after the other, it made the Unovan League take a hard look at how they were running things. Champions might not be completely in charge, but they do have a lot of say in how things are run. And when Red ran off, well..." she shrugged. "They realised that things needed to change. So they allowed kids to be able to own Pokemon at ten, but they can't challenge the League or start journeys until they turn sixteen at least. And they have to take various courses on camping, wilderness survival, Pokemon care, things like that."

She leaned back to watch the clouds move overhead in the pale blue sky. "Course, that means a lot of kids only get one Pokemon, or two if they're lucky when they do turn ten. Lots of parents don't want to take care of a full team of six or more, especially with their kids in school most of the time. And while every kid wants to be champion at ten, a lot of them grow out of it. Move onto things like art or medicine or criminal justice. So we have less people taking the challenge, but a lot more who do make it farther because they've prepared for it."

Jay nodded absently, clearly lost in thought. "I can see how that would work. Maybe I should bring this up when I get home."

Touko shook her head. "Maybe, but put it aside for now. You're on vacation so you should enjoy it while you can." The sound of shouting had the group turn to see Cheren and Bel rushing over, bags on their shoulders, a green snakelike creature clinging to Cheren's head and an orange and brown piglet at Bel's heals. "And it's time to get started."

---

"Welcome to Accumula Town, home to musicians, artists, and legalized marijuana." Touko laughed at the shocked look on Jay's face as they entered the larger town. "Not what you were expecting me to say, huh?"

Jay shook his head and he glanced from side to side. Touko could understand that; Accumula was pretty impressive. The walls of almost every building were decorated with various murals ranging from kiddy drawings to almost professional pieces. Some had been there for decades while others glistened with still wet paint. A gentleman in his sixties had a child no older than seven on his shoulders so she could add the gleaming tailfeathers to a rainbow bird Pokemon of myth, while a few blocks down a group of teenagers were stomping to a stereo playing. Hiroshi, clearly nervous with all the noise, scrambled onto Touko's shoulder as Koki kept pace with Jay's feet in an attempt to snack on some aglets.

"Is...is it always like this?" the Kanto native slowly asked. Touko bit back her mirth as she lead him through the streets.

"Yeah, pretty much. According to my mom, Accumula sprung up some 50 or 60 years ago as a sort of collective of like minds. Lots of focus on inner peace, chakras, and other stuff." Jay's raised eyebrow made her laugh once more. "And yes, a lot of people came here because it was legal to smoke here. Some couldn't stick it out and went north to Stration or south to found Nuvema, but a lot of them stuck around, had their own children. One of the greatest art programs in Unova here, and you do have to admit they're talented."

"Can't argue with that," Jay agreed, pausing to admire the side of the Pokemon Center. It was an enourmous yin-yang symbol, but with dragons instead of the typical symbols used. The white side was covered in a gleaming fire while the black sparked with electricity. "Wow."

"Yeah. The art tends to change every few days or weeks so I'd grab a picture while you can," Touko advised as she snapped her own pic with her phone. "Lots of tourists come by here, or people looking for tattoo ideas." That earned her a laugh of her own as her phone vibrated with a text from Bel. "Oh, Bel wants to meet me. You want to wait here while I heal up and talk to her?"

"Yeah. ...Thanks." Touko smiled and nodded in response before recalling her boys and entering the center. Bel was waiting by the door, practically vibrating with excitement. "Hey Bel. You get by your dad alright?"

"He wasn't home. Business trip in Nimbasa for 3 days. I should be fine for a while." Her hands trembled for a second before the blonde girl got them under control. "But we're not here to talk about that. What's he like?"

Touko rolled her eyes as she handed her Pokeballs over to the nurse for healing. "And of course I have a complete understanding of him after traveling down Route 1 with him."

"You know what I mean, Touko," Bel groaned. "He barely said two words to me or Cheren while we were there. He's..." She glanced around and lowered her voice to the softest whisper. "He's Blue Oak! Are you telling me you haven't spoken to him at all?"

The brunette shrugged. "Superficial stuff only, I'm afraid." She frowned at the dissapointed look on Bel's face. "Really, Bel? If I started grilling him after telling you and Cheren off, I'd be the worst sort of hypocrite. The guy's here for a vacation. Let him enjoy himself." She trailed off as the nurse returned Koki and Hiroshi's balls to her. "He looks so tired."

Bel winced. "Sorry, sorry. You're right. I just...it's exciting, right? Traveling through Unova with someone like him. Smart, talented, and you know he's cute."

"I have other reasons for this journey, Bel," Touko stated flatly. Her hands tightened into fists at her side. Bel flinched and Touko mentally scolded herself. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Bel wrapped an arm around Touko's shoulder. "You'll find Touya, Touko. Cheren and I will be looking as well. Between the three of us, how can we not find him?"

"...I know. Thanks, Bel." Touko forced a smile on her face and pushed aside the thoughts of her missing brother. "Come on, let's get going. We've got people waiting for us."

Spoiler: Notes: Read Last Please

So chapter 2 is done and we finally met some Pokemon! While they aren't my favorite set of starters, I do love all three that Unova has to offer and have used them all in nuzlockes successfully before. I went with Oshawott this time as it is one of my favorites, and I used Snivy and Tepig in recent B2/W2 nuzlockes recently so Oshawott was due for a trip. Hiroshi has a naive nature, is alert to sounds, and of course has Torrent. I went with the name because it means 'ocean', which is fitting for a Water type. Koki, of course, was my Route 1 catch with a Naughty nature, is a little quick tempered, and Pickup. Sad there's no Intimidate later, but the nature is great. Koki means 'light' or 'brightness', which I picked because of the light color of Lillipup's fur.

If you want an idea of what the picture on the Pokemon Center Wall looks like, you can find one here. It's not my work, but I think it looks really cool. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you all next time. Leave a like and a review if you want! 👋

 

[Tailsimp]

I really love Touko and Jay's (im not still laughing you're still launing) back and forth. Normally "getting to know each other" dialogue isn't that fun to read, but using to to show Touko specifically trying to get to know what's up with Jay and mixing it in with world building really made it engaging. I also love that reasoning for waiting until you're older to take on the league was really cool! I'm a sucker for "the government realized that having a kid as a champion might need to be reconsidered" as a reason for why protags aren't 10 ngl.

Lastly-

"Welcome to Accumula Town, home to musicians, artists, and legalized marijuana."

what an introduction. Accumula Town sounds like the place to be XD

 

[Garnet]

Accumula sounds like my kind of town, hah! Real talk, though, I'm really enjoying this :0

Blue's less-than-great relationship with his grandfather is a Mood, and it's nice seeing that explored in more depth! You've got a point about the whole starter situation and all, what with him saying if you go to the lab beforehand that Oak had a Pokemon for him - Given the fact that Oak doesn't catch Pikachu until it jumps Red and him in the grass just beforehand, it seems pretty clear to me that the Eevee was intended for Blue from the start, and given he gives a brand new trainer a still-basically-wild Pokemon as a starter, it gives the impression he really was down to just bail on his grandson and his starter in favor of red. Not to mention the chastising he gives Blue after Red beats him. Like, your grandson, however briefly his tenure might have been, just became the champion, and you greet him with "I'm disappointed!" Jesus, Oak, the kid's ten and he just became the champion of the region, and you're fixating on the fact that he was beaten rather than all he accomplished to get there in the first place? Yikes, old man. And now this petition... as if the pressures of being Gym Leader weren't enough. No wonder Blue wanted to get away from that.

Additionally, Touko's journey being not for the sake of the league or for research but in search of her brother? God I commented on another run motivated by a family member earlier and it's really hitting me that I'm a Sucker for plots pushed forward because of the characters' connections to their friends, family, and each other. Will definitely be watching this - I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out!

 

[SimplyUnknown]

Spoiler: Replies

Tailsimp: Glad that you enjoyed the early banter of our two leads! And I do like mixing in world-building with dialogue because it helps to build the world around your characters. And Jay would be curious about a different league system than Kanto's considering his job. I also agree that having a kid as the head of your government might not be the smartest idea.
Accumula Town is definitely an interesting place.

Garnet: Thank you for the comment and I'm really glad that you're enjoying this story! Blue does tend to come across as a jerk until you look back on things with an older perspective. It probably helps that I've only played Kanto after Johto, so I have a different opinion of Blue than someone who grew up with him as a rival. Professor Oak is still awful though.

Family is important and considering that Cheren already has a stated goal to be champion, I felt that Touko needed a different reason. It also gives her a different perspective than Blue as she honestly doesn't enjoy Pokemon battles. We'll see more of that in this update. Hope I live up to your expectations!

Spoiler: Chapter 3: The Discussion

Leaning back against the wall of the Pokemon Center, Blue silently watched the people going about their day. It still amazed him that so many people just strode by as though he was invisible. He'd never had that happen before, even before his journey. As grandchidren of Kanto's most famous Pokemon Professor, Blue and Daisy were used to being hassled by reporters or scientists or even their own neighbors from a very young age. After becoming champion, losing as champion, and taking over the Viridian Gym, Blue couldn't walk more than a few feet without being jumped by some kids begging either for a battle or a picture.

But in Unova, other than what happened at the lab and airport, Blue was just another face in the crowd. It was...oddly freeing. So as he waiting for Touko to come back, Blue just relaxed and let the sun warm his face. That is, until the sound of trumpets and horns blared across the town. Blinking a few times, the Kanto native stared as a group of men and women dressed in old medieval armor marched forward, holding flags with an ornate P split by a backwards Z over a white and black background. Standing at the front was an older man in a thick robe with two eyes, a stern expression on his face.

Lifting a hand, the group came to a halt in front of the center as the man stepped forward with outstretched arms. "Greetings people and Pokemon of Accumula. My name is Ghetsis. I am here representing Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about Pokémon liberation." His voice was strong and steady, almost hypnotic in a way. It definitely drew in a crowd as people young and old paused in their doings to watch the named 'Ghetsis'. "I'm sure most of you believe that we humans and Pokemon are partners that have come to live together because we want and need each other. However... Is that really the truth? Have you ever considered that perhaps we humans... only assume that this is the truth?"

The people watching instantly began murmuring to themselves as Blue shook his head in disbelief. What was this man talking about? Ghetsis swirled his cape as he turned to stride towards one side of the growing crowd. "Pokemon are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers... They get pushed around when they are our... partners at work... Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?" More muttering. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokemon are different from humans. They are living beings that contain unknown potential. They are living beings from whom we humans have much to learn. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings called Pokemon?"

"Liberation?" a voice near the back of the crowd called out. Blue squinted, but he couldn't make out a face or a figure. But Ghetsis latched onto the voice eagerly.

"That's right! We must liberate the Pokémon! Then, and only then, will humans and Pokemon truly be equals. Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship between people and Pokemon... and the correct way to proceed. We sincerely appreciate your attention." Snapping his fingers, Ghetsis and his Team Plasma marched onwards, heading towards a gate out of the city. The crowd of onlookers remained, chatting among themselves about the short speech and the strange men. A few kids were clinging to their family Pokemon and crying.

"What was that all about?" The voice at his ear made Blue jolt as he turned to see Cheren stroking his chin in thought. "Does he really think he'll find a following for such an outlandish theory?"

"Agreed," Blue nodded. "If I do or say something my team doesn't agree with, they won't hesitate to let me know it. A good trainer knows how to work with their Pokemon, not walk all over them."

"Exactly! Hebi and Neko are the same." Cheren beamed, before that smile turned into a frown. "But I hope that people don't start doing anything stupid. Ideas can take on a life of their own sometimes."

"I said let go of me!" The sudden shout made both boys turn to see Touko struggling against a tall young man with pale green hair. Koki was growling angrily from between Touko's legs and Hiroshi was chopping at the man's leg with his scalchop. As the two raced towards the pair, Touko managed to jerk a hand free and slam it into her attacker's nose. Howling in pain, the man fell back with a hand pressed against his bleeding face.

"Touko, are you alright?" Blue asked as he reached the girl and her worried Pokemon. Touko nodded as she rubbed her sore wrists.

"Yeah, mostly. I was watching whatever that was when this creep," she shot the man a glare at this, "suddenly grabbed me and started going on about Hiroshi and Koki."

"What about Bel?" Cheren asked. "She said she would try to meet up with you. Where is she?"

"Left as the rally got going. Thought it would be safer that way." Blue blinked in confusion at the comment, but Cheren gave a grave nod.

"You...you hit me." The three blinked in shock at Touko's attacker, who hadn't run off like they'd expected. He just stood there, blood dripping onto his white shirt as he stared at the red on his hand. "Why did you hit me?"

"Because you grabbed me without my permission and wouldn't let go when I told you to. Why wouldn't I hit you?" Touko angrily asked. "And why should I report you to the cops?"

The man pouted. "You were talking to them. You spoke to them. I wanted to talk to them too."

An icy feeling started creeping up Blue's spine. Carefully, he put himself between Touko and the stranger, noticing that Cheren was doing the same. "We need to find the cops. Where's the nearest police station?"

"It should be... OOF!" Before Cheren could finish his sentence, the stranger's fist flew out and caught him square in the jaw. His glasses tumbled onto the pavement as he fell onto his back.

"HEY!/CHEREN!" Blue and Touko shouted in unison. Koki growled once more and Hiroshi took an aggressive stance between Cheren and the man, who blinked in confusion at the Oshawott. Waving his scalchop, the Water type squeaked and snarled at the man before taking a battle stance.

"She hit me. Why shouldn't I hit him?" He asked with a quiet sincerity that only made him seem creepier. He knelt down to look the Lillipup in the eyes. "My name is N. Will you be my friend?"

"Stay away from him!" Touko snarled as she scooped Hiroshi into her arms. "Hell, stay away from all of us." The man's eager gaze darkened and he gave a heavy sigh.

"I see. You can't hear them after all. How sad." He tilted the brim of his cap forwards to cover his eyes. "I thought you were...but I see I was mistaken. Farewell." Turning he began to walk away.

"Don't you dare leave! Koki, stop him!" Touko commanded and the Lillipup leaped forward with an eager bark. N glanced over his shoulder and gave a sharp whistle. From out of the brush rushed a small purple Pokemon, a Purrloin if Blue remembered correctly, who raked its claws across Koki's face. "Koki!"

"Forgive me, my friend," N whispered before the air around him shimmered and he vanished. After some brief wrestling, Koki knocked the Purrloin off of him and it scampered away. Panting, Koki pranced back to Touko, who immediately knelt to check his injuries.

Cheren groaned from his place on the ground and Blue cautiously knelt down to help him up, glancing at Touko as he did so. "You aren't that good at battling, are you?"

"Did I ever say that I was? Battling is Cheren's department, not mine," Touko shot back, earning a nod from Blue in return. Recalling her team, she crouched down beside her friend. "You okay, Cher?"

"Headache, but I should be fine. I wasn't unconscious for all that...At least I don't think I was," the black-haired boy grunted as Touko and Blue helped him to stand. He stood firm for a few seconds before bending over to dry-heave.

"Come on, there's a bench over there," Blue gestured as they half-lead, half-carried Cheren over to sit. "What the heck was all that about?"

Touko shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I think he saw me talking to Hiro and Koki after Team Plasma left, making a joke about them abandoning me, you know? Maybe he took it too seriously." She rubbed her wrists once more, which were starting to purple from N's grip. "I thought he was a mugger at first, which is why I shouted."

"Screamed," Cheren corrected with a dry grin. "You definitely screamed, Touko."

"Oh shut up," Touko shot back with a flush. Then she frowned. "But what bothers me is why only you two came over. Why didn't anyone else?" Blue blinked, mentally going over the scene. She was right; there had been plenty of people between Touko and him and Cheren.

"Is there a Psychic type here in Unova that can learn Teleport? It could have been blocking you from everyone else. Also explain how he got away so fast," Blue pointed out. "I would have said an Abra, but they're not native."

"An Elgyem or maybe even a Beheeyem might be able to do it," Cheren pointed out. "But then why not use it to block Koki?"

Touko shrugged. "Whatever the case, we have more important things to worry about. Like getting you to a hospital, Cheren, and telling the cops about this." She got to her feet and pointed down the street. "Nearest of both isn't too far. Let's go."

---

Several hours later, Touko and Blue finally reached the next town. Cheren would be kept at the hospital until the next day for observation, but refused to let Touko and Blue stay with him after the girl's wrists had been treated. It had been mid-afternoon by the time they'd set out again and the sun was setting on Stration City as they passed the gate. Touko gave a sigh of relief as dirt path made way for city streets. "I honestly thought we'd never get here. Why were so many people challenging us?" She grumbled and folded her arms over her chest.

"Because you scream easy mark," Blue answered without thinking, earning himself a death glare. He threw up his hands in fake defense. "Sorry, but it's true. You know what I do for a living, and I can tell an unconfident trainer when I see one. And a lack of confidence usually means a lack of competence too, so people want to challenge you."

"I'm not incompetent," Touko growled, cheeks pink with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Blue sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"I never said you were. But I saw you battle and you hesitate. A lot. And in a battle, one second can be the difference between a win and a loss." He pointed back towards Route 2. "Those kids weren't that great, but they acted a lot more confident than you and their Pokemon felt the difference." Touko sighed and glanced down at the belt holding three balls, two familiar and one for the Patrat she'd caught along the way.

"You're right, you're right. Sorry Jay," she mumbled. "It's been a long day." Then she winced. "And now I sound awful because I'm not the one who flew from another region today before doing all this." Touko glanced down the street and brightened. "I'll make it up to you. There's a great restaurant and I'm buying."

"You don't have to. I have plenty of money," Blue protested, but Touko shook her head.

"No way. I earned enough from those battles and I can get us a discount since the owners are old friends. And," she hesitated before meeting Blue's gaze. "And it will be a way to thank you for coming when N grabbed me."

"I didn't do anything," Blue pointed out.

"You came when I called. That is more than enough," Touko countered before leading the way down the darkening streets. "Now come on, the dinner rush will be starting soon and I want to get a good table." Sighing, the Kanto native followed her lead. There would be time for arguing later.

Thankfully, it was only a short walk to a large wooden building with big windows and a wide deck on the second floor. Blue could make out tables with long white cloths and various people sitting and chatting. Even the air smelled delicious. There was a guy about their age standing at the door, dark red hair spiked upwards in flowing waves. His bright grin grew even wider when he saw Touko and Blue approaching. "Touko! It's been ages since you've eaten here! How've you been?" He dropped the menu he'd been holding to scoop the brunette up into a spinning embrace.

Laughing, Touko hugged him back before being set on the ground. "Hey Pod. Sorry, Araragi has been running us ragged at the lab. And I need to work to afford your food, even with your friendly discount." She waved Blue forward from where he stood awkwardly in the shadows. "This is Jay, grandson of one of the senior professor's friends. He's in Unova for the first time and I promised I'd treat him to the best food in the region."

"Hey, nice to meet you. Welcome to Unova!" Pod held out a hand and Blue reluctantly shook it. "You're in good hands with Touko, she'll take good care of you. And she has great taste in food!" He winked playfully at the girl, who rolled her eyes and laughed. Blue shrugged, feeling out of place among the friendliness.

"Alright, enough chattering. I'm starving and I know my team is too. Table for two plus three, Pod," Touko requested.

"Right this way, milady!" Pod grinned as he snagged his menu from the ground and opened the door. Blue shot Touko a glance as she urged him inside.

"Best food in Unova?"

"There's no place better," Touko answered. "Now let's eat."

Spoiler: Notes: Read Last Please

So we finally met N and I hope he came out as I intended. I thought making him a little more aggressive would suit this story a bit more, especially considering some of the things coming up that happened in my playthrough. The battle with N was easy enough; Koki beat the Purrloin without hitting the yellow and gained two levels from it which is nice. The Bel battle was also easy so I skipped it. I took about 5 points of damage and all of that was Tepig on Oshawott.

Now that we're in Stration, we can get started on the situations that will have Touko taking the gym challenge. I don't see her as all that confident in battle for reasons that will be explained next chapter, and I thought it would make a good contrast for someone who's essentially a prodigy battler like Blue traveling with someone who's...not. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter, leave a like and a review if you did. See you all next time! 👋

 

[Duke_Maniac]

Boi this ain’t myths of Unova. Only one N can be a pervert.

But in seriousness great chapter

 

[DistortionLocke]

I really love the idea of a Nuzlocke through not only a non-PC character’s eyes, but Blue’s eyes as well. I’m enjoying your take on him and his relationship with Prof. Oak. And N, while I love him to death, was definitely rather creepy at times in BW.

 

[Tailsimp]

Me: Oh it's N! I always love seeing how N plays into Unova runs and how he and the main character interact! It's usually so much fun to see them when they can manage to get along and-

Touko managed to jerk a hand free and slam it into her attacker's nose.

... actually wait no I love this too. For real though I don't think I've ever seen a run where Touko immediately punches N in the face after he gets too close, too fast. Surprising, but also valid as heck. And the way he retaliated not by punching her back, but Cheren was a really interesting escalation to the encounter. Speaking of, I adore this line here-

"She hit me. Why shouldn't I hit him?" He asked with a quiet sincerity that only made him seem creepier.

because it really sells how offputting it can be to meet someone like N. Like, everyone can be a bit awkward, but most everyone understands why it wouldn't be right for N to punch Cheren in retaliation for Touko hitting him. And the fact that N sincerely doesn't understand why what he did was out of line is creepy as hell. Great job on this whole interaction.

Also.

I thought making him a little more aggressive would suit this story a bit more, especially considering some of the things coming up that happened in my playthrough.

Ohhhhhh. Don't like that. Don't like that one bit.

 

[SimplyUnknown]

Spoiler: Replies

Duke_Maniac: This certainly isn't Myths of Unova, but this N isn't a pervert so I think we're good. He's just creepy. Thanks for the comment!

DistortionLocke: I'm glad that you like the idea for this nuzlocke and I hope I can live up to your expectations! Blue and Oak definitely have an interesting relationship. And poor N cannot escape how creepy he can be.

Tailsimp: N is really an interesting character because his actions can be interpreted a number of ways. He can be a bit awkward with the protags to lead to actual debates, he can be incredibly creepy and stalkery which can lead to dark drama, or he can be somewhere in between. Touko's reaction seems the most realistic to me since if I was in her shoes at that moment, I would be throwing a punch as well. And probably breaking my thumb.

Spoiler: Chapter 4: The Gym

There were times when smugness was called for, and the look on Jay's face as he took a bite of his dinner had Touko fighting down a cackle of delight. "See? What did I tell you?"

"Oh Arceus. This might be the exhaustion talking, but it's so good!" Jay groaned as he took another bite of his steak. "And now everything else I eat is never going to taste as good."

"That's what sauces are for," Touko fired back as she glanced down at the floor. Hiroshi and Koki were eagerly devouring their own meals while Goro was cautiously nibbling at his bits in between cautious glances at the other restaurant patrons. She pondered patting his head to calm him before deciding against it. No need to scare the poor Patrat and get a bitten hand for her troubles.

There was a brief lull in conversation as the two ate, but eventually Jay finished enough food to ask her a question. "So, you said you were looking for someone earlier. Do you think he's here?" Touko blinked in surprise as Jay jerked his head towards the center of the building. "You keep glancing around as though you expect to see someone."

Thankfully, Touko had taken another bite of steak so she had the time to chew and organize her thoughts. Swallowing, she answered, "I don't expect him to be here since Pod would have mentioned it if he was. But hope springs eternal, I suppose." She gave a shrug, hoping to hide her nerves, but Jay just lifted a single brow in response. Mentally, Touko sighed. "I guess you deserve to hear this if we'll be traveling together. It's just...a sensitive topic for me," the brunette admitted as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and slid it over to Jay.

The phone's background was a family picture from about a year ago. Her mom stood in the center, arms wrapped around her two children. Touko had been holding the letter detailing her acceptance as Araragi's intern with Hiroshi and Koki cheering at her feet while Touya lifted his new trainer license to the sky in triumph. His Tepig, Unchi, had been caught in the middle of an eager jump. "That's my older brother, Touya," Touko said quietly as Jay passed her phone back to her. "He's been missing for about six months now."

"Six months?" Jay's eyes widened in surprise as Touko nodded sadly. "What happened, exactly?"

Sighing, Touko shoved her half-full plate aside and leaned back in her chair. She wasn't hungry anymore. "Touya is older than me by about a year and never really lost that desire to become a champion like a lot of other kids did. So he was pretty excited when he got his trainer license. He and Unchi, that's his Tepig, left on their journey with a promise to call when they could. They got the first three badges near here pretty easily and he said he would call once he reached Nimbasa. It never came." Touko folded her arms over her chest, staring out into the crowd. Hiroshi, sensing her mood, crawled into her lap and hugged her. A small smile came to her face as she stroked the top of her starter's head.

Jay frowned and rested his chin on bridged hands. "And the police weren't any help?"

"They tried, but they didn't know where to start. No one knew if he'd made it to Nimbasa and then disappeared or got lost along the way," Touko explained. "The area between Castelia and Nimbasa can be pretty dangerous even for an experienced trainer. It's all desert with a lot of quicksand traps and some pretty dangerous Pokemon make their home there." She shook her head. "Even if he did make it past Route 4, Nimbasa is the focal point between the three main parts of Unova. He could literally be anywhere."

"I know the chance is low that I could find him when the police and rangers couldn't, but I have to at least try. He's..." Touko trailed off with one hand fisting into her shorts. "He's my brother."

Jay hissed out a breath, pushing aside his mostly empty plate as well. "I can't make any promises that we'll find him, but I can help you look, at least. I know..." he trailed off, his eyes gaining that distant look Touko remembered from earlier. "I know how it can be for someone to vanish on you."

Right, Red was gone for three years, Touko reminded herself. "Thanks Jay. It means a lot." She smiled at him, relieved when Jay pulled himself back enough to give one in return. "So, dessert or would you rather get some sleep?"

---

After splitting a slice of Cheri Berry pie topped with vanilla ice cream, something that Touko's stomach would pay for but she couldn't end up regretting, the pair entered the Pokemon center eager to sleep off the impending food coma. Touko waved Jay off as she stopped at the front desk to offer her Pokeballs. The nurse paused as she took them. "Oh, I see you're a new trainer here. Would you like to participate in our adoption program?"

"Adoption?" Touko blinked a few times before a memory zipped into her mind. "Oh, the one with the Pan line! I forgot that was still going on."

"Yes, it'll be ending next week," the nurse agreed. "But plenty of Pokemon are with worthy trainers so I believe we'll be running similar programs in the upcoming years. Since you have an Oshawott, you're eligible for a Pansear if you would like."

"Adoption program?" Touko jumped at the sound Jay's voice right behind her. He snickered at her startled expression. "Sorry, couldn't help overhearing."

"Yeah, it's something Pod, Corn, and Dent are running," Touko said with a faint blush on her cheeks. "There aren't many Pokemon this side of Unova that offer some good type coverage so the program can help trainers cover their bases. And a Fire type would be useful for Grass types..." Touko chewed her lip a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, I'll take a Pansear."

"Wonderful," the nurse beamed as she turned towards the back. "Akane has been waiting for a trainer. I'll introduce the two of you and she can spend the night with your team before you pick them up tomorrow." Touko nodded and the nurse quickly stepped through the door, returning with a yellow and red monkey Pokemon. Jay let out a snort.

"Is it just me or does she look a lot like Pod?"

"Other way around," Touko corrected with a giggle of her own. "The Stration triplets are identical ones, they just dye their hair and style it so they look more like the monkeys." Jay choked and Touko rolled her eyes. "Hey, be nice! They're great guys and strong trainers," she scolded before reaching out to shake the Pansear's outstretched hand. "It's nice to meet you Akane. Looking forward to traveling together." The Pansear nodded in response as she handed her Pokeball over to the brunette girl.

"I take it Cheren and Bel will be taking advantage as well?" Jay asked as they headed up to their rooms. Touko shrugged.

"Cheren, definitely. A Panpour would be very useful on his team. Bel...maybe. She's not a battler either, though the adoption portion might inspire her to help out." Touko paused, glancing at the number on her key. "This is me. I'll see you in the morning when we head to Nacrene."

"Yeah. Good night, Touko. And thanks."

---

"What do you mean you won't let us through!?" After a good night's sleep, a decent breakfast where it looked like Akane was getting along with the team, and a hearty debate about the process in which such similar Pokemon species split off to become distinct with Jay, Touko had been looking forward to getting to Nacrene City. The museum was a favorite field trip location when she was younger and she was hoping that maybe she'd learn something about Touya. But nope. Instead, she was dealing with a balding man in his late 40s blocking the road.

"Sorry girlie. But no one gets through without a Stration gym badge. There's dangerous Pokemon out there you know."

"There's also a daycare center and a kindergarten," Touko hissed out. "Are you saying that everyone there has a gym badge? Including the four year olds?" The man shrugged and Touko fought the urge to scream. Instead, she whirled around and stalked back towards Stration. Jay, who'd kept quiet out of fear of being recognized, hurried after her with a cautious look on her face. "If I find out that those brothers set this up..."

"Brothers? Wait, are you saying the restaurant owners are the gym leaders?" Touko blinked, her rage dying down for a second at the sincere confusion in Jay's voice.

"Not exactly. It's mostly a part-time thing. The main ferry system for Virbank was shut down while they remodel the old gym there so the brothers were called into act as gym leaders for the time being." She rubbed her temples. "And that meant I got to hear all the complaining from three very angry sources."

"So it doesn't make sense for them to put someone up to making people come for the gym badge." Touko froze, slowly turning to see a proud smirk on the Kanto native's face.

"You did that on purpose." He shrugged cheerfully, and Touko shook her head in reluctant admiration. "I'm not sure whether to be mad at you or not." A few seconds of pondering and she nodded. "Both sounds good."

"Well, it worked didn't it? Daisy used to do the same for me as a kid."

"Daisy?" There was a pause and it was almost like a shutter had been pulled over Jay's face.

"...My older sister." Despite a lot of curiosity, Touko pushed aside her questions and headed for the restaurant. She was pretty sure she heard a sigh of relief before Jay's footsteps echoed behind her. Thankfully, the door was unlocked despite the 'Closed for Food' sign in the window. This time, it was Corn who spotted the pair as he looked up from his sweeping.

"Touko! Sorry that we missed you last night, a few cooks called in sick and we had to work double time to make up for it," the blue haired triplet apologized as he pulled Touko in for a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "We aren't open, but I'm sure that Pod and Dent could whip something up quickly."

"That's not why we're here, Corn. Did you know there's a guy blocking the path to Route 3 to anyone without a Stration Badge?" Touko asked. Corn's eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly.

"No this is the first I've heard of it. POD! DENT! TOUKO'S HERE!" he shouted, leading to his brothers hurrying out of the back room. "Is it someone that you recognized?"

"Older man, forties or fifties maybe. Balding, what's left of his hair is his mustache which is graying blond. Slightly overset, brown eyes." The description that Touko rattled off only earned shrugs and confusion, and Touko felt her own shoulders droop. "I was afraid of that."

"Maybe someone from a gambling ring?" Pod offered, earning a glare from Corn. "What? Gym battle bets do happen you know."

"To high level ones like Shaga and Huuro," Corn countered, folding his arms across his chest. "We get an average of about 1 trainer every few weeks asking for a battle. And most of them have no gym badges or maybe one. It's not that."

"Since you are the gym leaders, why not just make him leave?" Jay asked. "Pretty sure he wouldn't turn you down."

"If he bothers to stick around when he sees us coming," Pod answered. "Since we didn't ask him to do this, he might end up running and then we'll have to find him."

"Um, why not just get the gym badge?" Everyone blinked before turning to the green-haired brother, who flushed and held up his hands in defense. "I mean, if he wants a Stration gym badge, you could just battle for it."

"A...gym battle?" Touko asked hesitantly. She could feel her palms beginning to sweat and quickly wiped them on her shorts. "I'm not a gym trainer though."

"You do have a license though," Corn commented, stroking his chin in thought. "And it wouldn't cause a hold-up on your travels while we handle this."

"Yeah, and you know that Dent is the worst battler of all three of us and you'd be battling him!" Pod grimaced at Dent's wince. "Sorry bro. But you know it's true."

"No, Corn is worse than I am!" Dent argued. As the brothers fell into squabbling, Touko bit her lip, not liking the direction this conversation was going.

"You can say no, you know," Jay whispered quietly. "If this isn't what you want, we can just wait until they catch the guy or for Cheren to get his badge and let us through." Touko glanced at the Kanto native, thought for a few seconds, and made her decision.

"Alright, I'll do it." The arguing stopped and four sets of eyes turned to stare at her. "This is the fastest way and it's only one battle, right?" Touko pulled up a grin she hoped didn't look fake and stuffed her hands into her pockets to hide the shaking. "So Dent, I challenge you to a gym battle." There was silence, and then Dent nodded.

"As acting gym leader of the Stration Gym, I accept your challenge." He reached into a pocket to press something, and a wooden battlefield rose up out of the floor. Swallowing, Touko took her place on one side as Dent stood on the other. "The challenge for a trainer with no badges is against two Pokemon. Are you ready?"

Touko let a hand drop to rub at Hiroshi's Pokeball. She knew the Oshawott had been listening when she felt it quiver in excitement. "I'm ready."

"Then let the battle begin. Lillipup, let's go!"

"Hiroshi," Touko called out as the two Pokemon took to the battlefield. Hiroshi's scalchop swung through the air as he landed while the Lillipup crouched in a battle stance. Alright, you can do this, Touko! You've watched Cheren and Touya debate battle strategies for years, you can handle one gym battle, the brunette mentally ordered herself before calling out to Hiroshi. "Keep your distance, Hiroshi! Water Gun."

"Work Up," Dent commanded. The Lillipup let out an annoyed bark as his fur was drenched in the cold water, but steam began rising as he charged up. "Good, now Bite."

"Hiro, aim for the floor now." The wooden battlefield became slick with water, causing the Normal type to skid and slip onto his face. The Oshawott snickered in amusement, but Touko paled as Dent's face lit up.

"Thank you for that, Touko. Lillipup, use the water." The Lillipup charged again before diving into a slide. Hiroshi's eyes widened as they collided, letting out a squeal of pain as the Normal type lunged for his throat.

"HIRO!" Strategy flew out the window to be replaced with pure instinct. "Block it with your scalchop now!" Instantly the Water Type obeyed, keeping the Lillipup's mouth open with the shell. "Now let go!"

"Wah?"

"Do it Hiro!" Grumbling, Hiroshi let go of his beloved scalchop and the Lillipup jerked backward, not expecting the lack of resistance. "Now finish it." The shell clattered to the floor as a powerful Water Gun burst out of the Water type, sending the Lillipup flying off the field.

"Not bad, Touko," Dent praised as he recalled the unconscious Pokemon. Touko nodded as Hiroshi rushed over with his shell back in hand, eager for praise for his fight. "But you still have one more Pokemon to face. Pansage!" Hoping that she wasn't making a mistake, Touko returned Hiroshi to his ball and released Akane. The Pansage blinked, the Pansear waved, and Dent just stared. "Oh. I forgot they hadn't finished the adoption program yet. I concede."

"Wait, what?!" Touko's shout was joined by Dent's brothers and Jay, all looking as shocked as she was. Dent flinched.

"She has a Fire type! Of course I'm going to lose! And wasn't this just to get her a badge anyway?"

"If you were going to chicken out, why even have the first part in the first place?!" Corn yelled angrily.

"It's things like this that make you the worst battler, Dent," Pod scolded, causing Dent to let out a squawk of fury. The trio was so busy arguing they didn't notice Touko's knees buckle onto the ground, practically trembling in relief. Akane rushed over and gently patted her on the hand, earning a weak smile in return.

"You know when I said you looked like an easy mark?" Jay asked as he offered a hand to pull her to her feet. "I take it back. He's much worse." A weak laugh escaped Touko as the fear drained away.

"There's a reason they make better restaurant owners than gym leaders."

Spoiler: Notes: Read Last Please

So we got some backstory for Touya and the first gym battle is done. Unova's first battle, regardless of the game, is annoying due to the lack of Audino and the way the Exp system works. But Black/White are definitely easier because of your elemental monkey. I also realize that I didn't give Goro's stats last time so I'll give them along with Akane. Goro has a Quirky nature, is highly curious, and has Keen Eye. His name means 'fifth son', which I picked because there are a lot of Patrat around. Akane's name means 'deep red' which fits a Fire type. She has a Lonely nature, is proud of her power, and has Gluttony. Would have worked better on a Pansage, but I can work with it.

Gym battle notes are below, and next time is the Dreamyard, which I am really looking forward to. Leave a like and a review if you want, and I'll see you all next time! 👋

• After some training, Touko puts Hiroshi in front and heads for the gym. Dent is the one who will be battling her as her starter is Oshawott. Everyone is level 12.
  • Vs. Lillipup, male, and level 12. Water Gun and Work Up. Water Gun and Work Up. Water Gun and Bite. Potion and Water Gun. Water Gun crit KO!
  • Vs. Pansage, male, and level 14. Akane is up. Work Up and Incinerate. Vine Whip and Incinerate. Vine Whip and Incinerate. Vine Whip and Lick KO. Win!

 

[Garnet]

Hah, quite the way to get dragged into a gym battle. Betting on challengers... that would explain why sometimes folks block you from proceeding for seemingly-arbitrary reasons at times! Too bad they can't tell who the protagonist is, lol ;p I like the explanation for Striation only being a gym in the originals as well - The idea that they're just sort of filling in while Virbank is being remodeled works well! It'd explain why they don't appear at the end of the game to face Team Plasma better than just being late to the punch as well, imo; makes sense that they'd let the more experienced trainers handle things if they're only part timers, haha! The up-and-coming trainers from southwestern Unova must not be too happy about the ferry being out of commission though, lol

Oh, I did notice one moment where you used an English name for one of the brothers instead of their Japanese names, also!

"No, Cress is worse than I am!" Dent argued. As the brothers fell into squabbling, Touko bit her lip, not liking the direction this conversation was going.

Not sure it was intentional, like if Dent was using Cress as a nickname or not, but I figured I'd mention it in case it wasn't! :0

 

[SimplyUnknown]

Oh, I did notice one moment where you used an English name for one of the brothers instead of their Japanese names, also!

Not sure it was intentional, like if Dent was using Cress as a nickname or not, but I figured I'd mention it in case it wasn't! :0

I knew it would happen at least once! Fixed, and thanks for the catch!

 

[Tailsimp]

I was wondering how we'd see Touko get dragged into a gym challenge! I'm glad that her first Big Battle was with a friend to help ease the nerves a bit. It does make me curious as to what this rando dude is up to, not allowing "anyone" to pass w/o a gym badge.

Also her and Jay having the moment ovwr dinner was so nice, especially with them being able to bond a bit over what happened with Touko's brother. I really do love the friendship they're forming.

 

[DistortionLocke]

Gotta agree with Garnet: that’s a clever way of explain the Striaton trio! I also enjoyed your method of getting Touko to battle. She’s definitely need to challenge at least some of the leaders if she hopes to become strong enough to find her brother.

 

[Bowser's Family Vacation]

I can't believe I've fallen so behind..! Oh well. I guess it's binging time!

Spoiler: Chapter 1

they'd be landing in Unova in approximately 6 hours and 37 minutes. Over halfway there, and Blue was already going a bit insane.

*screams in overnight flight* The pain is real! And, unfortunately, this being not only a nuzlocke but a Unova nuzlocke, the pain has only just begun. Oh, boy, that in-flight movie sure is random.... I love when background details reflect back on the character. :)

I hope that if Red got Shadow, he'd give him to Blue, since the Eevee had already bonded with him, right? Right??? Also, wow, Shadow is quite the name for an Eevee in Kanto. I assume you're following the anime version of Blue's lead and giving him an Umbreon, though.

"Bel, why are Cheren and Touko asleep here rather than on any of the very comfortable couches we have?" Araragi questioned as she pushed past Blue.

"We were running tests to see whether remaining stationary or moving around would affect how fast the move Yawn made people fall asleep," Bel explained. "Touko was sitting at the table and Cheren was jogging around the room before the Yawn kicked in. Oddly enough, Yawn actually worked more quickly when they were standing still rather than sitting or moving. Almost 12% faster for both of them!"

Oh my God, these kids have such chaotic energy. I love them.

RIP, Blue's vacation, though. I suspect that Touko is chaotic in her own way. :)

Spoiler: Chapter 2

I'm interested in how Touko can relate to the disappointment of losing a Championship. Or maybe she can sense that the devastation was more because of his family's reaction?

Well, there's nothing petting a good doggo can't help! It makes me sad for people who didn't catch a cuddly Lillipup, though. :c

Bel wrapped an arm around Touko's shoulder. "You'll find Touya, Touko. Cheren and I will be looking as well. Between the three of us, how can we not find him?"

Is that... family drama I see? 👀 Well, "family drama" doesn't seem quite right. A missing person case isn't drama made on purpose.

Spoiler: Chapter 3

I don't think I've ever seen an N get so physical so quickly. He picked the wrong person to get physical with, though. You show him, Touko!

N seemed shocked when Touko punched him. Was he hoping the group would be scared off when he punched Cheren? That didn't work on you! Why would it work on a trio of friends!?

"She hit me. Why shouldn't I hit him?" He asked with a quiet sincerity that only made him seem creepier. He knelt down to look the Lillipup in the eyes. "My name is N. Will you be my friend?"

Koki:

"I honestly thought we'd never get here. Why were so many people challenging us?" She grumbled and folded her arms over her chest.

"Because you scream easy mark," Blue answered without thinking, earning himself a death glare. He threw up his hands in fake defense. "Sorry, but it's true. You know what I do for a living, and I can tell an unconfident trainer when I see one. And a lack of confidence usually means a lack of competence too, so people want to challenge you."

Oof. True but harsh. Knowing the type of person Touko is, though, this is probably the most useful way of saying this to her.

So we finally met N and I hope he came out as I intended. I thought making him a little more aggressive would suit this story a bit more, especially considering some of the things coming up that happened in my playthrough.

👀👀👀

Spoiler: Chapter 4

Nimbasa is the worst place in Unova to go missing in! If only Touya disappeared in one of the linear areas..! (Which, to be honest, is most of Unova. ._.)

"I know how it can be for someone to vanish on you."

Right, Red was gone for three years, Touko reminded herself.

The reader, knowing better:

"Is it just me or does she look a lot like Pod?"

"Other way around," Touko corrected with a giggle of her own. "The Stration triplets are identical ones, they just dye their hair and style it so they look more like the monkeys."

:0 Headcanon accepted. Of course those dorks would do that.

I'm worried that the guy blocking Touko is affiliated with Team Plasma. What N yelled at him to stop the girl who punched him..? >_>

Well, one good thing has come out of it: Congratulations on winning your first gym badge, Touko! :D stop cheaping out of bad type match-ups though dent D:<

Spoiler: A General Note

There were a couple of places where you use smaller text to indicate whispering. However, right afterwards, the text gets very large, even though there doesn't appear to be any yelling. For future reference, the default text size on Xenforo is 12.

 

[QuietGuardian]

I'm feeling pretty tired so I don't have an in-depth review, but consider me interested in this story and where it's going!