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Pokémon Black: The Novel - Chapter 8 (Everyone’s a Hero)

Prologue and more info

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Pokémon Black: The Novel on FFN

Pokémon Black: The Novel on AO3

Pokémon Retold the series on AO3

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WARNING - brief mention of mental illness/suicide.

After healing up at the Pokémon Center, Hil had retreated, as he had told Cheren he would, to the Dreamyard. He had let all of his pokémon out again and while most had run off to play, Noodle and Crest had stayed dutifully by his side. Noodle sat in his lap with its tiny, leafy arms crossed, and Crest circled his sitting form anxiously. Hil sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Sorry, guys, I really don’t know what got into me in there. I just… couldn’t focus.”

He felt inadequate. His pokémon wanted to take on this challenge, but if he couldn’t even perform at the first gym, what hope did he have of taking them further in the League? He leaned back against the tree behind him glumly. He cheered himself up with one thought during it all, at least: this may have been turning out to be far more difficult than he had anticipated, but it still beat waiting around at home for the days to pass. He reached a hand to pet Noodle and he felt the Snivy push his head further into Hil’s grasp, and trill. Well, if his pokémon were frustrated over the loss, Noodle certainly wasn’t showing it, he thought with a small smile.

“Hil?”

Hil flung Noodle from his lap as he jumped to his feet like a cat. He jerked his head to the left and saw Chili standing there. Noodle hissed and he felt pressure on his leg and back as he climbed his way to Hil’s shoulders. Hil brushed his pants off in a bid to compose himself smoothly. “H-hi, Gym Leader Chili,” Hil mumbled under his breath. He wasn’t upset to see him, but already he was anxious over what this interaction might bring.

Chili held up both his hands in a display of harmlessness. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. My brothers and I were just talking, and… you seemed really nervous in there today because of the audience. We understand not everyone handles the spotlight well and we wanted to let you know that we do offer more private gym battles.” He smiled gently and moved his hands to behind his back. “Stage fright’s nothing to be ashamed of. Cilan’s still not over it even though we’ve been doing this for three or four years now,” Chili laughed.

Hil blinked and swallowed hard. Part of him wanted to feel offended—or at least, angry at himself for being so obviously frozen on the stage—but another part of him felt soothed. He was rather touched by the fact Chili had sought him out. Muscles relaxed in his form that he hadn’t realized were tense to begin with. Chili had actually thought about him following the match and come to see him… He nervously grinned up at the gym leader and nodded slowly. “I th-think a private match… I think that would be good,” he answered quietly. “Where did you, um… have in mind?”

“Well, right here, if that’s okay with you,” Chili shrugged. He looked around the Dreamyard, noting the lack of trainers, and the austere presence of the concrete ruins. The sky was turning more of a pale violet shade overhead as the sun began to set. “Sun’s starting to set and there’s not many people out. Your pokémon seem relaxed here, too.”

Hil glanced behind him to see Lucky and Roadie chasing each other in circles while Sleepy dozed lazily off to the side. Crest swung from tree to tree until he reached her and dropped next to her, startling her awake. And of course, Hil still had Noodle coiled about his shoulders. He nodded. “Yeah, guess they do,” he chuckled. He turned back to Chili with a much more determined and focused look to his eyes. “Chili of the Striaton City Gym! I, Hil Whitacre of Nuvema Town, challenge you to a battle for the Trio Badge!” The information came to his mind clearly. There was no haziness to his vision like there had been back at their gym. He felt excited, even, rather than the cold dread and annoyance he had been subjected to earlier.

Noodle trilled eagerly and scurried down Hil’s frame, bouncing a few times at his feet.

“I accept your challenge, Hil Whitacre!” Chili exclaimed. “This is shapin’ up to be a blazin’ battle! Go, Lillipup! Work Up!”

He sent a Poké Ball that landed in front of Noodle’s nose, and the cream-furred pup bounded from side to side in front of Noodle. Hil’s eyes narrowed and he pointed at Lillipup. “Noodle, Vine Whip!”

Attack. Attack, attack, attack. He could not afford to let Chili set up too many Work Ups. That move invigorated the pokémon to the point they seemed unstoppable, mowing through opponents in one or two particularly vicious attacks. Not only would it spell a quick defeat for him if that happened, but Noodle would get hurt, and he had no interest in letting that happen. As the battle began, the rest of his pokémon drew near his feet, watching curiously as the events unfolded.

Lillipup scuffed at the grass and howled. Noodle nodded back at Hil with what he swore was a smile and then lashed vines across the opponent, bowling Lillipup onto its back at Chili’s feet. It leapt back up right away and rushed at Noodle again, Chili’s order for a Bite attack causing it to open its jaws mid-run.

“Noodle, watch your right! Vine Whip again!” Hil called. Narrowly, Noodle swayed its body away from Lillipup’s fangs, and then returned with a slap of its tail and another lashing from the vines protruding from his shoulders. Lillipup rolled away and shakily got back to its feet a few seconds later. Noodle, on the other hand, landed energetically in front of Hil. He seemed to puff out his chest a little and wave his tail, taunting the Lillipup. Hil smirked. “There you go, Noodle, you got it!”

This was amazing. He felt so trusted right then and there, and he felt like was actually fulfilling that trust.

“Not bad,” Chili winked. “Lillipup, Bite once more!”

Hil knew that even if Lillipup got off the Bite, it wouldn’t survive his next Vine Whip. So, he simply told Noodle, “You know what to do.”

Noodle trilled and jumped into the air, sending a volley of vines once more at Lillipup. It managed to snap its teeth around one and send it recoiling back at Noodle, but the other slapped it away harshly, and this time, it did not get back up. Noodle landed, panting, next to Hil. He leaned down and stroked Noodle’s head gently. The Snivy closed its eyes and hummed at the ministrations. His tail swept across the ground happily.

“You did such a good job,” Hil beamed. Noodle opened his eyes slightly and looked Hil over tenderly. Hil felt like his heart might melt and he scooped Noodle up, placing him protectively back on his shoulders. He really felt like Noodle was enjoying the moment and was proud of himself for having pulled off the small victory. Hil felt proud, too. They had done that together. In that moment, he felt like he belonged nowhere else.

Noodle settled in, looping some of the hood of Hil’s jacket around himself, and turned his attention back to the battle at hand. Chili had withdrawn his Lillipup and sent out his Pansear. Hil glanced down at his feet at Crest, who had grabbed the baggy fabric of his pants and was shaking it excitedly, and gestured to the battlefield. “You want to go in, Crest?” Hil asked. Before he had even finished, the Panpour had already hopped in front of Chili’s Pansear.

Based on Cheren’s battle with Cress, Hil figured Chili’s Pansear likely knew Work Up as well. He decided on the same strategy as before. Attack and attack fast. “Okay, Crest, Water Gun!” he said encouragingly.

Crest hooted and waved his arms excitedly, and then took a stoutly stance. His mouth opened and water propelled forward suddenly, seeming to catch Chili’s Pansear a little off-guard. Crest cooed over his successful hit and the Pansear leapt back to its feet, banging its fists on the ground in apparent anger.

“Settle,” Chili warned, though his tense face told Hil he wasn’t that much calmer. His Pansear took a deep breath at the same time as Chili did. “Use Lick!” Chili called. Hil’s eyebrows pricked in surprise, but he supposed Chili had figured out he wouldn’t have time to set up with Work Up anyway.

“Water Gun again, Crest, we got this!” Hil shouted as he pumped a fist in the air. His pokémon all agreed with various grunts and calls, except for Noodle. He had curled up in a ball in Hil’s hood, asleep.

Pansear bolted for Crest, and the Panpour shrieked as he jumped out the way, though Pansear still managed to snag his arm with a long, slobbery tongue. Crest shivered and whipped his arm a few times to sling away the disgusting slime. He narrowed his eyes and again spewed water in Pansear’s direction. It found its mark as Pansear was distracted trying to catch himself properly on the ground, and with a holler, Pansear collapsed with its chest to the ground and rear in the air. It quivered with effort to try and get back up, but failed. Hil quelled the urge to jump up and down in place since he remembered Noodle was in his jacket. “We did it!” he howled instead, pumping his fist a few more times. Crest hooted victoriously and hauled himself up Hil’s pant leg like a tree. Hil yelped and grabbed at his pants as he felt them start to give way. “Okay, okay, good job Crest,” he laughed and gently shooed him away.

Chili huffed and recalled his Pansear after congratulating it. He put his hands on his hips and smirked at Hil. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you lost on purpose to show me up like that in private,” he snickered. He shrugged and held up his hands. “Whoo, you burned me right out. Anyway, you and your team are on fire. Really workin’ together.” He reached into a pocket on his waiter’s suit, a thin one just above his waist, and pulled a handful of cash and a thin badge that appeared to be made up of three diamond-shaped bits of metal stuck together vertically. A blue, red, and green gem gleamed from the center of each diamond-shaped part of the badge, signifying the unified nature of Striaton City’s three gym leaders. He walked over to Hil and dropped it into his hands on top of the cash.

“And since this is your first gym,” Chili added as he reached into a different pocket on the back of his suit, “you’re gonna need a badge case, of course.” He pulled a thin, red and black tin case from behind him and handed it to Hil. Swiftly, Hil snatched it in excitement and opened it up, admiring the velvety, black interior and the depressions for each of the eight gym badges of Unova. He fit the Trio Badge into its spot at the very start and felt a surge of pride. He bent to his knees to show his pokémon that were clambering at his feet.

“Look,” he told them. Crest peered at the badge and sniffed it curiously. The others followed as well, Roadie cocking his head at the case.

“You did it!” a shrieking voice pulled him back to his full height. Hil blinked idly as Chili sidestepped with his arms crossed smugly. Bianca sped toward him, Cheren loping behind her at an easier pace, and once she reached him, she threw her arms around him in a tight, all-encompassing hug. Hil felt his cheeks burn a little and he looked down at her in confusion.

“Bianca?”

“Yes! We saw the whole thing! You were great!” she gushed. Hil tilted his head.

“What, you did? How…?”

“Sometimes it helps that you can’t see the forest through the trees,” Cheren mused as he approached. He then touched a finger to his chin and looked up thoughtfully. “Or… maybe I have that backwards… anyway, point is, we were in the tree line.” He shrugged and Hil noted the Oshawott and Tepig following at his side.

“Truth be told, I was just going to wait for you to come back to the gym and then offer you a private battle,” Chili explained, “but I ran into your two friends here, and they said you were out here, and… I figured, what better time than the present? Restaurant was closed at that point, anyhow.” He made a lunging motion all of a sudden, a fist balled up, and he pumped it into the air. Hil was reminded of his ridiculous pose in the pamphlet and he stifled a giggle. He thought those had been posed by someone else, but maybe that really was just how Chili moved. “Blaze the trails, my friends!” He regained his composure and brushed his waiter’s outfit off. “Whew, I really am burned out, though. And this outfit’s itchy. I’m gonna head home. Good luck on your journeys, Hil, Cheren, Bianca!”

He waved at them and then started to waltz away at an easygoing pace.

Bianca had still been holding onto Hil that whole time. She finally let go and held her arms out for Oshawott as he leapt into her hold. “Whew! Gym battles sure are exciting,” she puffed. “I’m exhausted and I didn’t even battle today!”

Hil could feel exhaustion pulling at him, too, but he was simply too happy to care. He looped an arm around Bianca’s shoulders and pulled her close, much to her surprise. She was usually the one to go initiating unprompted hugs. Hil grinned at her. “Just tired of watching us win?” Hil joked at her. She smirked and narrowed her eyes at him.

“More just happy someone other than Cheren is for once,” she retorted.

“Hey,” Cheren gave a fake pout and then raised a finger in front of his face, stiffening out his back. “That’s not very nice, missy. Not very ladylike,” he said, clearly mocking Bianca’s father. Bianca doubled over in laughter.

“Stop! He would kill you if he saw that!” she nearly screamed.

Hil bent down while they bantered to praise and recall his pokémon. They were tired and he figured keeping up with them on the way back to the Pokémon Center would be more trouble than it was worth. He recalled Noodle last, doing his best not to disturb him from his sleep as he did so. Once that was finished, he popped back up to face Cheren and Bianca. “To the Pokémon Center?” he grinned. “We could chill at the café for a while, on me.”

Cheren chuckled and crossed his arms. “Don’t worry about it, Hil. But sure, hanging out at the café for a while sounds fun.”

So, return to the café they did. Hil let his pokémon rest with the Nurse Joy for a few minutes and then they strode over to the café in the left side of the Pokémon Center. They joked and carried on about the day’s events. For once, his father and the awkwardness of earlier’s failure was entirely off his mind. He felt at ease and content just talking with his two friends. Hil wished he could have told Chili how much that interaction had meant to him.

After a couple of hours, they were warned the café would be closing soon, and Cheren yawned as he thanked the staff member that informed them. “Thanks, sorry. We probably have stayed up way later than we should have,” he admitted.

“We’re away from home,” Hil smirked, “what, did you think we weren’t gonna stay up late?”

“Yeah! I’m never going to bed at nine again!” Bianca declared before breaking into a monstrous yawn.

“It’s ten,” Cheren said quietly.

“Don’t listen to him, Bianca, you’re stickin’ it to the man,” Hil grinned mischievously. “And I should know, men deserve it.”

Cheren gave him an unamused glare and then sat up from the table, hopping free of the stool. “Our room is 114 whenever you’re both done stickin’ it to the man,” Cheren mocked. He pulled his bag over his shoulder and headed off toward the stairwell leading to the hostel above the lobby. “Get some sleep, please! We’re heading for Nacrene City tomorrow!” Cheren called as he disappeared from view.

He and Bianca soon followed suit. Back at the room, Bianca headed for the bathroom to get into her night clothes while Cheren and Hil took turns in the room to change. Cheren had seemed almost surprised Hil was actually using his pajamas for once. Or that he was performing an evening routine at all. Last time, he had just flopped onto his bed, clothes and all, and fallen asleep. But tonight, he let his pokémon free and settled them down with some food and gentle words, and even organized his supplies some before crawling into the simple hostel bed.

Cheren had done a similar routine with his own team. He liked to let them rest outside of their Poké Balls for a while at his side, even if he wished they wouldn’t dig so far into his back.

Bianca returned to the room, her Oshawott still clasped in her hands, and she released what few pokémon she had as well onto her bunk above Cheren’s bed. She fed them there as well, putting the bowls away into her bag she had hanging off the bedframe once she was done. Cheren liked having her so close. He deeply cared for both of his friends, but there was a selfish sense of pride in having Bianca so close to him and far away from her smothering home life. Her parents weren’t abusive by any means, but her father could shelter her to extreme measures at times, and Cheren admittedly looked forward to exploring more of the world at large with her at his side. She, who had known nothing of it and had seen none of it, and he, who had scoured books and books to learn of Unova, together for the long haul… All three of them had come this far together, after all.

He slept easy that night with her so close, and relieved that Hil had finally managed to find some peace in his victory that day. They all seemed to be falling into their own rhythm. Perhaps this journey wouldn’t be as difficult a she had initially worried it would be.

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Cheren led the pack down Route Three. It was a straightforward, well-groomed route without any patches that really required one to pass through wild pokémon territory. Hil was still in a good mood and he had fallen behind Cheren in place with Bianca, and they were actively discussing something. Honestly, it was nice to see that; Hil rarely was active in their discussions. He enjoyed joking at them rather than with them.

Cheren halted when he was pulled from his thoughts by a small girl with fiery orange hair bolting at him. She skidded to stop herself from slamming into him at the last second. She was trembling and her eyes clenched shut. Cheren paused Hil and Bianca, calling for their attention, and Bianca immediately descended on the girl.

“Oh, sweetie, what happened?” she cooed sympathetically.

“O-oh, um… you guys are trainers, right?” the little girl begged in a ragged voice. She swallowed hard as she flicked her blue eyes between them all.

“That’s right,” Cheren nodded.

“What’s up?” Hil asked in that lackadaisical tone of his. He had a soft smile and peered over Bianca’s shoulder comically.

“These guys! They—they stole my pokémon!” the girl blubbered. She threw her arms around Bianca’s waist and hugged her tight. Bianca stumbled a little but caught herself at the last second. She tossed a pleading look Cheren and Hil’s way.

“Cheren, Hil, we’ve gotta help her,” Bianca begged. “Sweetie,” she asked, turning her attention back to the little girl, “do you know where they went?”

“I… I saw them take off running toward the nursery, but they took a left,” she whimpered.

“There’s a cave over there,” Cheren said thoughtfully as she spoke. “That’s Wellspring Cave over there, unless they can swim, there’s nowhere else they’re going that way.”

“What was the pokémon you lost, hun?” Hil asked as he nodded at Cheren.

“Patrat,” the little girl said meekly. “I just caught it a couple days ago…”

Before Cheren had a chance to open his mouth, Hil said, “We’ll get it back for you, I promise.”

Cheren shot him a scathing glare, but Hil didn’t look back at him. Do not make promises you can’t keep, Cheren wanted to spit at him.

“I’ll stay here with her if you two wouldn’t mind going to look,” Bianca insisted. “Please?”

“Of course,” Hil again responded. He turned on his heel and sprinted away, his Snivy forced to cling to his shoulders even more tightly than usual. Cheren rolled his eyes and took off after him. He only caught up to him about when they reached the cave entrance, a dark, shadowy crevice glistening with moisture from inside.

Cheren grabbed Hil on the shoulder. “What was that about?” Cheren asked, frustrated. “We can’t promise that girl anything, Hil. We only got our pokémon a few days ago, too, remember?”

“Yes, and that’s why we have to,” Hil answered sharply. He jerked his shoulder out of Cheren’s hold. “If anyone took Noodle, I… I…” He grunted and shook his head. “Just help me, okay?”

Cheren sighed and followed Hil into the cavern. The inside of the cave was illuminated by the light from the entrance as well as a few large crystals within that reflected said light. Woobat screeched and fluttered overhead and immediately, Cheren noticed two figures huddled over a small stream of water that cut through the cavern. They were blackened by shadow, but their harsh whispers to one another echoed around the cavern.

“No one saw you, right? Just the little girl? And you weren’t wearing your uniform?”

“Just the little girl, bro, I promise. And of course not, man, I’m not stupid.”

“Stop using that slang,” the first voice hissed. The second guy mumbled a quiet apology.

Cheren and Hil exchanged a hard look between the both of them. It was Hil who cleared his throat noisily and sauntered up closer to them at first.

“Hey, fellas,” Hil started with a sneer to his voice. “Afraid we heard you came across a little girl’s Patrat, we were just wonderin’ if you wouldn’t mind handin’ it over. She’d really appreciate it. And I know two fine men like you don’t have any interest in a little old Patrat.” Hil sold the taunt with a waggle of his eyebrows and Noodle’s hiss.

The two men stepped into the light and Cheren shook his head. One was dressed in silver robes, the same Team Plasma uniform he recognized from a couple of days ago, and the other was in all black robes that lacked any iconography at all. His hair was wild and deep blue, and his blue eyes were wide as he looked Cheren and Hil over. He blinked and then wildly scrambled to throw a hood over his head. It hit his messy mop of blue hair and fell back down again.

“Well? I’m waiting,” Hil drawled again. He scratched Noodle on the chin.

“This pokémon was given to a toddler that can’t even care for herself, much less another living thing,” the uniformed grunt spat. His tawny hair clung to his forehead in a cold sweat. “Would you give a toddler an infant and have confidence in its ability to care for it?”

“Nope, but it’s a good thing a Patrat isn’t an infant,” Hil shrugged. “Gotta say, I feel like that’s why they say people learn from pokémon. You know, Patrat bites her on the nose to tell her it doesn’t like something, she gets the hint, they both learn, that sorta thing.”

“You’re being disingenuous,” the first grunt growled.

“Yeah, he’s good at that,” Cheren said as he stepped forward. “Except he’s right, which shows just how off your rocker you two are.”

The second grunt in black robes spoke this time. He held up a Poké Ball tightly in his right fist. “He is not. Pokémon do not deserve to be held captive and then given like birthday presents to toddlers that can’t even spell, man!”

Cheren cocked his head at the second man. His skin was dark with a tan, and he spoke differently than anyone Cheren had ever heard in the area of Nuvema Town. “You’re not from around here,” Cheren commented. “Why are you all the way down here and helping Team Plasma of all people?”

The two grunts didn’t answer him and instead they both sent out a pokémon. The tanned man sent forth a Tirtouga and the other a Patrat—likely the one they had stolen. Hil didn’t even have to say anything for his Snivy to leap into action, and Cheren let his Pidove free. Tepig was by far his strongest teammate still, but with a Tirtouga on the field, he knew sending it out was a bad idea. Sure, Pidove was at risk of Rock-type attacks from Tirtouga as well, but at least it would give him some time to whittle them down before switching to his ace.

“Tirtouga, Rollout on Pidove!” Darn it. He had expected that much but darn it.

“Patrat, Bide,” the first grunt ordered. His eyes seemed to light up as he scrutinized Cheren and Hil closer. “I recognize you two,” he said excitedly, “you both were at Striaton City Gym yesterday. Which means you,” he said as he pointed a finger at Hil’s direction, “are Hil Whitacre.”

Hil squared his shoulders and Cheren ground his teeth. He already knew where this was going. “Less talk, more battling,” Cheren said guardedly. “Pidove, Gust on Patrat!”

“Noodle, V—”

Pidove jumped into the air and started wildly fluttering its wings at Patrat, but Noodle stayed where he was, confused as Hil was cut off from finishing his order by the first grunt’s words. “You’re the son of that guy that offed himself with a gun,” the first grunt said almost giddily. “A gun! He must have been into some real deep shit, kid, to have a gun. Any idea what?”

Tirtouga retreated into its shell and ricocheted itself at Pidove, but Pidove easily dodged the attack by zipping through the air.

Hil’s lips pressed to a thin line and his eyes started to wander around the cavern. “No idea,” Hil answered quietly. “Noodle, just—”

“You sure?” the first grunt pried farther. The tanned one glanced at his colleague and Cheren swore he looked a little sad. Noodle glanced between Cheren and Hil, looking as nervous as his trainer now.

“Hey, maybe…” the second began only to be shushed by the first. He snapped his jaws shut with an audible click.

“Hil, focus,” Cheren growled. “Don’t worry about him. Pidove, Gust again, take out that Patrat!”

“Tirtouga, try Rollout again, you got this, bro! This time on the Snivy!” the tanned man cried.

“Aw, that’s what was wrong at the gym,” the first grunt licked his lips as he sang at Hil. “Little Hilbert misses Daddy.”

The tanned man cringed at his colleague’s words, visibly recoiling.

Hil took a step back and shook his head. “No, I don’t,” he snarled, “I don’t care what he did or how he did it, now shut up! And my name is Hil!”

Tirtouga easily bowled into Noodle again and again as Hil remained distracted. Ripped from his own focus, Cheren didn’t notice that Patrat was still standing when Pidove’s second Gust finished, and the little pokémon leapt at Pidove with such ferocity that it successfully brought him out of the sky. It wrestled with Pidove for a moment, unleashing all its pent-up energy, and when it let go, Pidove couldn’t rise again.

Hil recalled Noodle and Cheren was forced to send out his Tepig upon withdrawing Pidove. “Hil, send out your Munna!” Cheren barked at Hil. They didn’t have time to deal with Hil’s anxiety right then. Cheren was too busy worrying about what might happen if Hil’s distractedness cost them the battle… wouldn’t Team Plasma just steal their pokémon, too?

Ugh, this was exactly why he hadn’t wanted to promise to do this in the first place! It was sad what had happened to the little girl, but there was no sense in blindly putting themselves in danger, too! Why did Hil have to be such a hero? And then fail at playing the part, so fantastically?

Hil wordlessly listened to his friend, withdrawing Noodle and sending out his Munna. He failed to give it an order and Cheren frustratedly snapped, “Sleepy, Yawn at Tirtouga!”

The Munna glanced at him dubiously for a moment. Cheren shook his head. “I know I’m not Hil, but you need to do it, Munna, or else we’re all in trouble!” Cheren shouted. Sleepy cringed, but obeyed, turning its attention to the Tirtouga.

“Don’t yell at her,” Hil hissed.

“Then be her trainer!” Cheren shot back at him irritably. “Or I will!”

The battle was more chaos than anything. Cheren’s Tepig finally managed to bring down the Patrat, and he dove to scoop up its unconscious frame from the ground before the grunt could do so. The grunt bared his teeth at him in aggravation, but then cockily held up the Patrat’s Poké Ball. Cheren sadly knew they still had to beat both of them if they had any hope of getting the Patrat’s Poké Ball back. Tirtouga groggily collapsed to the ground a few minutes following Sleepy’s Yawn, and Cheren had to step in for Hil to order the finishing blows—some Psybeams—which took considerable effort since the pokémon was reluctant to listen to him.

It didn’t help that the grunts occasionally interjected with taunts about how forceful Cheren was being, and how he must be ‘so kind to his pokémon.’ Cheren didn’t let their words bother him, but Hil’s resolve was clearly only degrading by the second. Finally, the grunt’s Tirtouga went down, and neither appeared to have more pokémon after that. Cheren kept his Tepig out, but ordered Hil to recall his Munna. Hil slowly did so with a sour look on his face.

“Now, enough games!” Cheren huffed. “Give me the Patrat’s Poké Ball, or else I’ll have Tepig… I’ll have him burn you!”

“Yes, use him to burn me, like a flamethrower or a candle,” the first grunt growled. “Whatever.” He flicked the Poké Ball at Cheren’s head. It bounced with a light thump and rolled to Cheren’s feet. “Take it back to her. It’ll all come in due time, anyway. We were just hoping to save that poor thing from being a child’s toy.”

The grunt pushed through Cheren and Hil, bumping harshly into their shoulders. The tanned man followed a little more respectfully. He had finally managed to pull his black hood over his face, and he looked between Cheren and Hil apologetically before following his friend.

Hil and Cheren stood there in silence for a few seconds after the Team Plasma agents departed. Cheren cradled the Patrat and stiffly leaned down to grab its Poké Ball. Tepig nosed it into his hands and Cheren recalled the fainted pokémon silently. When that was over, he stashed the ball in his bag.

“Hil.”

Hil said nothing.

“Hil.”

“What?” Hil spat. His body was stiff as a board and he didn’t move to face Cheren.

“You can’t freeze up like that all the time,” Cheren said, heart pounding wildly in his chest. Part of him knew he was being unfair. Hil had every reason in the world to completely falter like he just had. But Cheren’s head was pounding with a feverish headache as he calmed down from the fear of having their pokémon stolen, their journey cut short within days, by the more aggressive side of Team Plasma. Not only could he have lost his own partners, but Hil was in danger as well, and he would have failed to protect him… he’d have failed to protect them all… Cheren gritted his teeth. He was the strong one! He had to protect them! If he couldn’t, then… “You have got to be able to defend yourself!” Cheren said hotly.

“I know, I’m just that bad, Cheren,” Hil muttered with a slight shrug. He turned away from his friend and started to walk out of the cavern. “You’re always having to play big brother and you’re tired of it, I got it.”

“That is not what I’m talking about!” Cheren almost wailed in exasperation. Why did he always take things so personally? He nearly begged, “Please, listen to me. I… I can’t… our pokémon could have been stolen, and you totally locked up! That’s scary, Hil.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” Hil’s voice cracked. His hands started to animatedly dance around his face as he spoke, his words rapidly picking up in speed as his nervousness increased. “I don’t know what else to say, I just can’t think, and the room starts spinning, and then I stop hearing you and—”

“Just, stop!” Cheren interrupted breathlessly with his hands raised up to his own face, as if trying to physically block Hil’s rant. “Just, stop. Take a deep breath. Think. Think. Your pokémon are strong and you are strong, I don’t understand why you can’t just… just…”

“I can’t just what?”

“I don’t know!”

Hil stormed out of the cave and Cheren was left with nothing but the ambience of screeching Woobat to his company and Tepig rubbing against his leg in hopes to calm him down. Cheren drew a shaky breath and smoothed his hair out, adjusting his red glasses. “Guess I’d better go take this Patrat back to the girl, then,” Cheren whimpered.

When he stepped out of the cave, Hil was nowhere in sight. When he reached where Bianca and the little girl were waiting, he gave the Patrat’s Poké Ball back to its rightful owner and told the young girl that it needed to be healed beforehand. She thanked him eagerly and cuddled the ball close to herself. Bianca, on the other hand, looked up at Cheren anxiously.

“Where’s Hil?” she fretted.

“No idea,” was all Cheren could say. “He stormed off. I don’t want to talk about it,” he cut her off before she even had the chance to ask. Bianca gave him a look that told him he most definitely would be talking about it.

“Well, I’m going to help this girl get back home safely,” Bianca explained. “And you,” she prodded his chest with a finger, “are going to make up with Hil.”

“Don’t think that’s a good idea right now, but sure, Bianca,” Cheren huffed. Truth be told, Cheren was worried sick. That display showed Hil was still fragile. He was strong in theory, but it was easy to get into his head and manipulate him. He hated the idea of his friend alone and he was already regretting how he had gone off at him in the cave. Cheren so rarely lost his cool, and he had no idea how to apologize for that incident, nor where Hil would have even gone. He certainly wouldn’t have gone back home, but… well, they may not have gone far from home, but there was still certainly a lot of ground he to cover if he were to search Striaton City, Accumula Town, and Nuvema Town from top to bottom. He felt at the Xtransceiver in his pocket and hoped Hil would answer.