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Description
    Now a full two years after her clash with N and Team Plasma, Touko passed the Battle Subway on her way to the east part of Nimbasa City. To the Ferris wheel. To the place where she had first gotten to really know N...

    She crossed under the second flashing arch that separated the Ferris wheel from the rest of Nimbasa, flinching as that all-too-familiar pang of nostalgia jabbed at her heart. She paused in front of the giant inflatable Pikachu. A clown was there, putting on a rather silly-looking juggling act for some kids. She ignored them.

    'This is where he had stood that day,' Touko thought, looking up at the yellow mouse Pokémon. She stayed that way for a while before lightly smiling to herself. What the hell had he found so interesting about this thing, that it was worth standing here and staring at? It didn't even look good. Its colors were dull and faded and the lower part of it was covered in graffiti, courtesy of the teenagers that resided in the city. That N was an odd one. Or perhaps he had had something on his mind and wasn't really concerned with the Pikachu at all?

    Pushing aside these thoughts, Touko resumed her walk. On the way, she stopped at a vending machine and bought two overpriced bottles of Fresh Water. Placing them in her bag, she arrived at the Ferris wheel to be greeted by a brown-haired boy waiting at the entrance.

    "Touko!" he called while waving to her. She made her way over to him. He was a Rich Boy with an illness that made his body weak. She had met him not too long ago during a trip here. Since you couldn't go on the Ferris wheel alone, he had agreed to ride with her in exchange for a battle, even though it took a lot out of him. They had made it a sort of once-every-two-or-three-days thing since then.

    "Hello, Martin," she replied with a quick smile. Then, noting the Tranquill anxiously perched on his shoulder, she added, "Eager to battle?"

    Martin nodded with a resolute look in his eye. She admired his determination, especially with him being in the condition he was. She called out her Bisharp from its Poké Ball, and the battle began.

    Despite all that wonderful determination, the Rich Boy's Pokémon was not very impressive. The battle was over in a matter of a few minutes. Even so, he was breathing heavily. Remembering the Fresh Water she had bought, Touko handed him one of them from her bag. He gave her a grateful look before taking a drink. "I'm sorry..." he huffed after he had caught his breath.

    "It's okay, I understand," she said, walking with him to the Ferris wheel booth. They handed the lady at the booth their money and climbed aboard. All of a sudden a wave of nostalgia crashed down on her even stronger than before, threatening to knock her off her feet. Why did she keep putting herself through this? Maybe it was because when she was here she felt somehow that N wasn't so far away. She took a seat while Martin took his opposite of her.

    "The city is getting smaller and smaller," Martin began as the Ferris wheel started moving. "It's really a beautiful sight." He talked more after that, but Touko wasn't listening. Her thoughts drifted back to the first time she had been there, with N. He had been so awkward and had probably never heard the words 'personal' and 'space' used in the same sentence. She found herself smiling as she recalled how close he had sat to her. She had been uncomfortable then, but now she would give anything to have him that close again. She rested her head against the window of the passenger car. No matter how many times she came here, the terrible weight on her heart never seemed to let up.

    "Touko?"

    She was jolted back to the present. "Hm?" she replied, blinking.

    "It's just that... whenever we ride the Ferris wheel you get sort of distant, like your mind is somewhere else. If you don't mind me asking, what are you thinking about?" he inquired.

   Touko sighed. Was her sulking really that noticeable? "I had this... friend," she started, looking down at her feet. "He loved Ferris wheels, and he took me up here once... but he left, and I guess this place reminds me of him..." Touko felt tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She tried and failed to blink them back. 'Dammit, quit crying!' she scolded herself. She began wiping the tears off with her arm as they slid down her face.

    Martin smiled at her. "You must really care about him."

    She nodded.

    "If you feel that strongly about him, I'm sure you'll see him again."

    Touko wiped yet another tear from her face. She appreciated the intention of his words, and wanted with all her heart to believe them, but couldn't. After all, it had already been a whole two years and she hadn't  heard anything of him. What Martin said seemed like nothing but comfort words to her.

    The passenger car shook a little as the Ferris wheel came to a halt and Touko did her best to clear away any remaining tears. The door opened and they both stepped out. The sun was setting, and the sky was a beautiful shade of orange. Too bad she couldn't enjoy it.

    "Until next time," Martin said, then added quietly, "I wish you happiness."

    Touko didn't reply. Instead, she turned away from him and walked, for fear she would burst into tears again. On her way back to the main part of the city, she paused once again in front of the giant Pikachu. The clown and laughing children had gone. The place was empty now, save for her. Or so she had thought.

    "Touko," said someone behind her.

    She froze. She had heard that voice before, quite some time ago. It sounded kind of like the gentle, kind, and loving voice that she missed so dearly. Hah. Her mind had conjured up many, much more convincing N voices than this one over the course of two years. It was obviously playing tricks on her again.

    "Touko," came the voice again. "as much as I like seeing this side of you, I'd love it if you turned around."

    Her face flushed and she spun around, fully prepared to give whoever this creep was a good slap in the face. She was not in the mood for this.

    "Look, you'd better-"

    Long green hair. Black and white cap. Sky-blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

    "N?" she said with a mix of surprise and disbelief. It was the only thing she could manage at the moment.

    N responded with the same charming smile she had fallen in love with. That smile, however, was quickly replaced by concern when he noticed her red-rimmed eyes. "Have you been crying? Are you okay?" he asked, stepping closer and leaning in to where his face was inches from hers.

    Suddenly, Touko threw her arms around N's neck, startling him. "It doesn't matter," she replied, nestling her face into his shoulder. She was more than okay now. Now that N was with her again. "I'm so happy you're back!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking slightly. She was on the verge of crying again, but this time it would be the good kind of tears.

    Touko felt N's arms wrap around her, pulling her even closer to him. "I'm so sorry..." he said softly in her ear. "I just... needed to find some things out on my own and... confirm something very important."

    She gave him a look of confusion as he gently pushed her away with both his hands on her shoulders. The shadow from his cap creeped over his eyes. N then took her hand led her to a nearby bench, motioning for her to sit down.

    Still not sure of what was going on, Touko  obeyed. N sat next to her, still holding her hand in his. He appeared to be looking at the fountain that was directly in front of them. The last rays of sunlight reflected off the water, making its surface shimmer in a way that struck her as beautiful. For a while the only thing that could be heard was the soft babbling of the fountain. Then N spoke.

    "When I was little, whenever Ghetsis hit me or yelled at me for not doing what he asked, I would always run crying to my nursemaids..." he began, eyes staring somewhere off into the distance. "'Ghetsis loves you,' they would say as they held me and wiped away my tears... and for the longest time, I believed them; I thought that was love."

    Anger shot through Touko at the mention of that name. She would never forget the look on N's face after she had defeated Ghetsis and he had brought to light the fact that he had only been using N his whole life, and called him an unfeeling monster. He had looked so broken...

    N squeezed her hand and all thoughts of Ghetsis evaporated as he rested his azure gaze on her. "But then I met you, and for the first time in my life I was thinking that maybe his plan for the liberation of Pokémon wasn't the best course of action. I... I thought you were amazing. I had never seen another trainer that I felt cared about Pokémon just as much as I did. You intrigued me to no end... and somewhere along the way, I developed strong feelings for you that I couldn't quite fathom."

    Touko felt her face grow hot. Truth was, from the moment she found out he had been the king of Team Plasma, she had admired him for his strong conviction, even though they were on different sides. She had been fascinated with the mystery that was N.

    "These past two years have been a learning experience," he continued, "I've seen many places, observed many behaviors, and found many of the answers I had been looking for...  including what it means to truly love someone. Correct me if I'm wrong here." N cleared his throat. "When you love someone, just the thought of them is enough to make you smile like an idiot. You would do anything to see them happy, even if that means putting their well-being above your own. When you're with them it's like you're the only two people in the word, and where you're apart, it hurts..." He gave a hesitant pause. "Touko... I love you."

    Touko's heart gave a flutter at his last three words and her eyes widened. If her face was red before, she could only imagine it now. "I-I..." she stuttered, words failing her. N's stunning blue eyes were locked on her, awaiting a response. Seconds passed before she had calmed down enough to speak properly, though she was still a bit flustered. "I love you too, N," she said finally, looking down at her knees.

    N stood up, setting his hat down. He leaned over her, placing his hands on the bench either side of her. He then removed her hat and placed it next to his own. He touched his forehead to hers, forcing her to make eye contact with him. "I'm glad," he whispered.

    Touko's whole body grew warm as their lips met in a passionate kiss that sent her heart racing. She could definitely feel a spark pass between them, and she hoped he did too. The kiss lasted about six seconds before they parted. N smiled his lovely smile at her, and she couldn't help but return it.

    N offered her his hand to help her up. She accepted, only to be yanked close to him. She buried her face into his chest as he embraced her. The sound of his heartbeat and his warm breath against her hair had a calming effect on her. She melted in his arms.

    "Do you want me to take you home?" he asked, running his fingers through her ponytail.

   Touko blinked, noticing for the first time that it was already night, and she was incredibly tired. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. She didn't want to part from N, but she was on the verge of falling asleep. "Y-yeah."

    They walked out into the street together, hand in hand. The streetlamps were on, illuminating their way. N reached into his pocket, retrieving a Poké Ball. When he threw it, out came the magnificent Pokémon, Reshiram. It looked every bit as elegant as the last time she had seen it, carrying the one she loved away. N helped her onto its back before climbing on himself, in front of her.

    Reshiram's tail began to glow an intense orange, making the streetlamps dull by comparison. It slowly lifted itself off the ground, but in the blink of an eye, took on speed and was soaring over the bright city of Nimbasa. 'It looks even prettier at night,' she thought, looking down at the bright neon lights.

    Touko's eyelids felt like weights. She was having a hard time staying awake. She rested her head on N's back and hugged him tightly. He was here with her and that was the only thing that mattered. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so happy.

    Just then, a horrifying thought occurred to her. What if when she woke up in the morning, N was gone? If he left her again, she didn't think she would be able to take it. Not after today.

    "N?"

    "Yes?"

    "Please... don't leave me behind again..."

    "Touko, do you believe that I love you?"

    "Y-yes...!"

    "Then trust me to be here for you tomorrow, the day after, and then on, my love. I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon."

Description
    Now a full two years after her clash with N and Team Plasma, Touko passed the Battle Subway on her way to the east part of Nimbasa City. To the Ferris wheel. To the place where she had first gotten to really know N...

    She crossed under the second flashing arch that separated the Ferris wheel from the rest of Nimbasa, flinching as that all-too-familiar pang of nostalgia jabbed at her heart. She paused in front of the giant inflatable Pikachu. A clown was there, putting on a rather silly-looking juggling act for some kids. She ignored them.

    'This is where he had stood that day,' Touko thought, looking up at the yellow mouse Pokémon. She stayed that way for a while before lightly smiling to herself. What the hell had he found so interesting about this thing, that it was worth standing here and staring at? It didn't even look good. Its colors were dull and faded and the lower part of it was covered in graffiti, courtesy of the teenagers that resided in the city. That N was an odd one. Or perhaps he had had something on his mind and wasn't really concerned with the Pikachu at all?

    Pushing aside these thoughts, Touko resumed her walk. On the way, she stopped at a vending machine and bought two overpriced bottles of Fresh Water. Placing them in her bag, she arrived at the Ferris wheel to be greeted by a brown-haired boy waiting at the entrance.

    "Touko!" he called while waving to her. She made her way over to him. He was a Rich Boy with an illness that made his body weak. She had met him not too long ago during a trip here. Since you couldn't go on the Ferris wheel alone, he had agreed to ride with her in exchange for a battle, even though it took a lot out of him. They had made it a sort of once-every-two-or-three-days thing since then.

    "Hello, Martin," she replied with a quick smile. Then, noting the Tranquill anxiously perched on his shoulder, she added, "Eager to battle?"

    Martin nodded with a resolute look in his eye. She admired his determination, especially with him being in the condition he was. She called out her Bisharp from its Poké Ball, and the battle began.

    Despite all that wonderful determination, the Rich Boy's Pokémon was not very impressive. The battle was over in a matter of a few minutes. Even so, he was breathing heavily. Remembering the Fresh Water she had bought, Touko handed him one of them from her bag. He gave her a grateful look before taking a drink. "I'm sorry..." he huffed after he had caught his breath.

    "It's okay, I understand," she said, walking with him to the Ferris wheel booth. They handed the lady at the booth their money and climbed aboard. All of a sudden a wave of nostalgia crashed down on her even stronger than before, threatening to knock her off her feet. Why did she keep putting herself through this? Maybe it was because when she was here she felt somehow that N wasn't so far away. She took a seat while Martin took his opposite of her.

    "The city is getting smaller and smaller," Martin began as the Ferris wheel started moving. "It's really a beautiful sight." He talked more after that, but Touko wasn't listening. Her thoughts drifted back to the first time she had been there, with N. He had been so awkward and had probably never heard the words 'personal' and 'space' used in the same sentence. She found herself smiling as she recalled how close he had sat to her. She had been uncomfortable then, but now she would give anything to have him that close again. She rested her head against the window of the passenger car. No matter how many times she came here, the terrible weight on her heart never seemed to let up.

    "Touko?"

    She was jolted back to the present. "Hm?" she replied, blinking.

    "It's just that... whenever we ride the Ferris wheel you get sort of distant, like your mind is somewhere else. If you don't mind me asking, what are you thinking about?" he inquired.

   Touko sighed. Was her sulking really that noticeable? "I had this... friend," she started, looking down at her feet. "He loved Ferris wheels, and he took me up here once... but he left, and I guess this place reminds me of him..." Touko felt tears forming at the corner of her eyes. She tried and failed to blink them back. 'Dammit, quit crying!' she scolded herself. She began wiping the tears off with her arm as they slid down her face.

    Martin smiled at her. "You must really care about him."

    She nodded.

    "If you feel that strongly about him, I'm sure you'll see him again."

    Touko wiped yet another tear from her face. She appreciated the intention of his words, and wanted with all her heart to believe them, but couldn't. After all, it had already been a whole two years and she hadn't  heard anything of him. What Martin said seemed like nothing but comfort words to her.

    The passenger car shook a little as the Ferris wheel came to a halt and Touko did her best to clear away any remaining tears. The door opened and they both stepped out. The sun was setting, and the sky was a beautiful shade of orange. Too bad she couldn't enjoy it.

    "Until next time," Martin said, then added quietly, "I wish you happiness."

    Touko didn't reply. Instead, she turned away from him and walked, for fear she would burst into tears again. On her way back to the main part of the city, she paused once again in front of the giant Pikachu. The clown and laughing children had gone. The place was empty now, save for her. Or so she had thought.

    "Touko," said someone behind her.

    She froze. She had heard that voice before, quite some time ago. It sounded kind of like the gentle, kind, and loving voice that she missed so dearly. Hah. Her mind had conjured up many, much more convincing N voices than this one over the course of two years. It was obviously playing tricks on her again.

    "Touko," came the voice again. "as much as I like seeing this side of you, I'd love it if you turned around."

    Her face flushed and she spun around, fully prepared to give whoever this creep was a good slap in the face. She was not in the mood for this.

    "Look, you'd better-"

    Long green hair. Black and white cap. Sky-blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat.

    "N?" she said with a mix of surprise and disbelief. It was the only thing she could manage at the moment.

    N responded with the same charming smile she had fallen in love with. That smile, however, was quickly replaced by concern when he noticed her red-rimmed eyes. "Have you been crying? Are you okay?" he asked, stepping closer and leaning in to where his face was inches from hers.

    Suddenly, Touko threw her arms around N's neck, startling him. "It doesn't matter," she replied, nestling her face into his shoulder. She was more than okay now. Now that N was with her again. "I'm so happy you're back!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking slightly. She was on the verge of crying again, but this time it would be the good kind of tears.

    Touko felt N's arms wrap around her, pulling her even closer to him. "I'm so sorry..." he said softly in her ear. "I just... needed to find some things out on my own and... confirm something very important."

    She gave him a look of confusion as he gently pushed her away with both his hands on her shoulders. The shadow from his cap creeped over his eyes. N then took her hand led her to a nearby bench, motioning for her to sit down.

    Still not sure of what was going on, Touko  obeyed. N sat next to her, still holding her hand in his. He appeared to be looking at the fountain that was directly in front of them. The last rays of sunlight reflected off the water, making its surface shimmer in a way that struck her as beautiful. For a while the only thing that could be heard was the soft babbling of the fountain. Then N spoke.

    "When I was little, whenever Ghetsis hit me or yelled at me for not doing what he asked, I would always run crying to my nursemaids..." he began, eyes staring somewhere off into the distance. "'Ghetsis loves you,' they would say as they held me and wiped away my tears... and for the longest time, I believed them; I thought that was love."

    Anger shot through Touko at the mention of that name. She would never forget the look on N's face after she had defeated Ghetsis and he had brought to light the fact that he had only been using N his whole life, and called him an unfeeling monster. He had looked so broken...

    N squeezed her hand and all thoughts of Ghetsis evaporated as he rested his azure gaze on her. "But then I met you, and for the first time in my life I was thinking that maybe his plan for the liberation of Pokémon wasn't the best course of action. I... I thought you were amazing. I had never seen another trainer that I felt cared about Pokémon just as much as I did. You intrigued me to no end... and somewhere along the way, I developed strong feelings for you that I couldn't quite fathom."

    Touko felt her face grow hot. Truth was, from the moment she found out he had been the king of Team Plasma, she had admired him for his strong conviction, even though they were on different sides. She had been fascinated with the mystery that was N.

    "These past two years have been a learning experience," he continued, "I've seen many places, observed many behaviors, and found many of the answers I had been looking for...  including what it means to truly love someone. Correct me if I'm wrong here." N cleared his throat. "When you love someone, just the thought of them is enough to make you smile like an idiot. You would do anything to see them happy, even if that means putting their well-being above your own. When you're with them it's like you're the only two people in the word, and where you're apart, it hurts..." He gave a hesitant pause. "Touko... I love you."

    Touko's heart gave a flutter at his last three words and her eyes widened. If her face was red before, she could only imagine it now. "I-I..." she stuttered, words failing her. N's stunning blue eyes were locked on her, awaiting a response. Seconds passed before she had calmed down enough to speak properly, though she was still a bit flustered. "I love you too, N," she said finally, looking down at her knees.

    N stood up, setting his hat down. He leaned over her, placing his hands on the bench either side of her. He then removed her hat and placed it next to his own. He touched his forehead to hers, forcing her to make eye contact with him. "I'm glad," he whispered.

    Touko's whole body grew warm as their lips met in a passionate kiss that sent her heart racing. She could definitely feel a spark pass between them, and she hoped he did too. The kiss lasted about six seconds before they parted. N smiled his lovely smile at her, and she couldn't help but return it.

    N offered her his hand to help her up. She accepted, only to be yanked close to him. She buried her face into his chest as he embraced her. The sound of his heartbeat and his warm breath against her hair had a calming effect on her. She melted in his arms.

    "Do you want me to take you home?" he asked, running his fingers through her ponytail.

   Touko blinked, noticing for the first time that it was already night, and she was incredibly tired. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. She didn't want to part from N, but she was on the verge of falling asleep. "Y-yeah."

    They walked out into the street together, hand in hand. The streetlamps were on, illuminating their way. N reached into his pocket, retrieving a Poké Ball. When he threw it, out came the magnificent Pokémon, Reshiram. It looked every bit as elegant as the last time she had seen it, carrying the one she loved away. N helped her onto its back before climbing on himself, in front of her.

    Reshiram's tail began to glow an intense orange, making the streetlamps dull by comparison. It slowly lifted itself off the ground, but in the blink of an eye, took on speed and was soaring over the bright city of Nimbasa. 'It looks even prettier at night,' she thought, looking down at the bright neon lights.

    Touko's eyelids felt like weights. She was having a hard time staying awake. She rested her head on N's back and hugged him tightly. He was here with her and that was the only thing that mattered. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so happy.

    Just then, a horrifying thought occurred to her. What if when she woke up in the morning, N was gone? If he left her again, she didn't think she would be able to take it. Not after today.

    "N?"

    "Yes?"

    "Please... don't leave me behind again..."

    "Touko, do you believe that I love you?"

    "Y-yes...!"

    "Then trust me to be here for you tomorrow, the day after, and then on, my love. I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon."