Touya's POV
"-would you mind if I just tell you the story of how everything happened?" I abruptly changed my mind.
"Is this going to take the rest of the day?" Touko moaned, sitting herself down on the bed. We had just returned to our room after a decent time outside, and I could tell she was pretty tired.
"Would you rather never know what happened?"
"No, no, no!" Touko pleaded. "Please go on. Tell me the story." And with that, I thought back to that day. The day Touko's mind was prodded around with like some broken machine. So, I started...
"I will never forget that night. It was pure cliche. Completely pitch-black, as all light from the moon and stars was lost in the inky storm clouds. Icy cold water fell from the sky in huge downpours, and the lightning. Oh, the lightning. It flashed so bright, adding an eerie effect to the already sinister Plasma Castle. Or, N's Castle actually. It was N's Castle," I growled.
"Are you going to spend this whole time degrading and belittling N, or are you going to tell me what happened already?"
"I'm sorry." My cheeks flushed with color.
"It's okay," Touko accepted, "just tell me what happened."
"Well, it was a dark and stormy night!" I played around dramatically. Touko's eyebrows raised in a way that dared me to continue on. "Sorry, sorry," I shook my head, "I'll be serious now." I took in a deep breath, and continued on. "Cheren and I teamed up that day, together we fought many grunts, and even a couple leaders, but our main goal was to be able to get inside N's Castle, and take down Ghetsis and N. As I mentioned before, this was at the time Team Plasma was at its strongest."
"The day N defeated Alder, right? I had just defeated the Elite Four, and we, as in you, me, Cheren, and Bianca were walking into the Champion's room, where I would end up going to battle Alder myself later on...right?" Touko spoke, confused to why this information she was pouring out was so new to her. I nodded with a small grin, realizing she was starting to remember back to the day. She smiled, content at that moment with her knowledge of the situation.
"And after we walked into the Champion's room, do you remembered what happened?" I questioned anxiously, hoping that maybe, just maybe Touko was overcoming her memory loss. She shook her head, losing her prideful smile.
"All I remember is that we found out N had defeated Alder, and something big shook the earth."
"That's right, that's right," I cheered. "N's Castle has suddenly appeared, and attached itself to the Pokemon League building. We then chased N into the Castle, but the Shadow Triad appeared."
"Man, I hated those guys," Touko grumbled.
"Me too, Touko, me too, but do you remember what happened after that?" She scrunched up her nose, a small, but very noticeable sign that she was thinking extra hard. My hope dispersed. At this point Touko wouldn't remember anything from that day if she didn't remember the Shadow Triad. Touko shook her head with disappointment, looking down at the floor. I sighed.
"It's okay, Touko, I'll help you remember," I sat myself down next to her on the bed, and ever so slightly lifted her chin with my hands, "I promise." She put on a half-hearted smile that could be seen right through. "Come on, Touko, don't give up. You can remember! I know you can!"
"Just tell your story, Touya, I really just want to know why I can't remember anything from that day! Why can't I remember any of my previous experiences with him! I don't understand it! I don't understand anything! It's all just white noise. Blank. Nonexistent almost! Why can't I remember?!" Touko screamed. A strong wave of agony exploded from Touko. Tears that puddled in her eyes, dropped down in rivers against her puffy eyes, and blushed cheeks. I inhaled deeply.
"Because your memories of him were replaced with an illusion," I breathed out. Touko went pale.
"Replaced with an illusion," she repeated slowly. "Replaced. With an illusion? How does that even work?" She managed a laugh. "I don't understand. How could they somehow wipe my memories clean, and replace it with some illusion? It makes no sense, considering when I try to remember back it's just...well, nothing!"
"N suppressed your memories, the illusion comes over your animosity of him."
"Use English, Touya, I'm too upset to decipher your made-up language," she snickered at her own words, while somehow still maintaining her aggravated emotion.
"N used an illusion to hold back certain memories, such as the memory of him putting the illusion on you, but he also used an illusion to demolish any trace of disgust, hostility, dislike, or anything you felt for him at the time really, and replaced those feelings with good feelings. Good feelings like delight, friendship, compassion, sympathy, admiration, and possibly even...love."
"How did he use an illusion?" Touko asked tranquilly, analytical of the information I was bestowing upon her.
"His Zororak," I answered plainly.
"But...what? How does that work?" Touko shook her head, afraid of what she was starting to comprehend.
"Zororak's signature ability-"
"Illusion. I was just watching a documentary on that, but it only stated that a Pokemon could use illusions to change its appearance, it never stated that it could be worked on someone else."
"I wondered that too, Touko, in fact Cheren and I researched the ability as soon as Team Plasma was defeated, and we could get you and Bianca to a hospital for treating-"
"Bianca? Bianca?! Why did she need to be treated?" Touko interrupted me again. I narrowed my eyes.
"I'll get there in a second, but can I please finish this thought first?" Touko's cheeks darkened with embarrassment. "Thank you," I breathed. "So, as I was saying, Cheren and I researched the ability. Quite in depth actually. The ability is only found in Zorua and Zororak, and for the most part can only really work on the Pokemon themselves, or on their surroundings. It's not supposed to be as strong as the Zororak's that placed the illusion on you. In fact, in our research, you're right, it never stated anything about being able to put an illusion on memories, or on the mind. What N's Zororak did is almost impossible, except we have a theory."
"And that theory is?"
"That N can speak to Pokemon."
"He can speak to Pokemon," Touko clarified, as if that were everyday information.
"Wait, how do you know?"
"He showed me, when I first met him. We met on the Ferris Wheel here, while we, you and I, I mean, were in Nimbasa for the very first time getting ready for our gym battle against Elesa. I never thought anything of it, I don't even know how I remember this. How-"
"Maybe the illusion wears off as you learn the truth?" I put out the idea.
"Maybe, I don't know. Just continue on with your story, sorry I interrupted," Touko nodded.
"It's okay, Touko. I understand this is kind of frightening for you, and you just want to know the truth, right?" She smiled slightly. I took that as a yes.
"Well, anyway. Our theory was that N could talk to Pokemon and with that he was able to help his Pokemon expand and strengthen their powers and abilities beyond what the common Pokemon could. Obviously, now that we know N could talk to Pokemon, we don't seem as crazy and absurd with our theory," I chuckled. Touko laughed.
"Yeah, without my knowledge, I guess that theory was kind of stupid."
"Thanks, but in my defense it was all Cheren's idea," I lied right through my teeth.
"Yeah right," she giggled. "Only you could make something like that sound reasonable."
"Very true. Anyway, so that's that. Now where was I with the real story?"
"We chased N around in the Castle, and the Shadow Triad appeared..I think?" Touko responded unsure.
"Right, right! Well, when the Shadow Triad appeared, that's when you and Bianca broke off from our group, and went on to pursue N. I don't really know what happened from there for you, but I can tell you Cheren and I went on to defeat the Shadow Triad together. From there we ran to find you and Bianca. When we did, you were both locked in some prison. N was waiting to battle us when we got there, but Ghetsis was already using N's Zororak to put the illusion in place. I will never forget what Ghetsis told me, and with a sickening amount of pride, I might add. He told me that the illusion was put on the both of you to basically erase N from your mind. It's a bit more complicated than that, but overall, neither of you really should have had a strong sense of the past you had with N. The illusion put on your mind, Touko, was a bit more drastic than Bianca's, however, it was put there not only to kind of erase the past, but to replace any memory and/or feelings you had of him with false feelings. You may not remember anything specific, but you don't feel anything...negative about him anymore, do you?"
"Anymore? Meaning I used to hate him?" Touko asked curiously. Questions obviously racking her brain with a strong, but willful intensity.
"Even more than I did. You despised him."
"Well, I can say I am definitely starting to feel some 'negative' emotions about him now, that little-"
"See why I don't like that filthy monster!?" I defended myself against her past comments, now seeing she was starting to understand my feelings. She smirked.
"Oh, I understand your hatred towards Team Plasma, but why? Why N in particular?" her voice softened. "He wasn't even the one to put the illusion on my mind!"
"I'll get there, but let me finish this thought first," I took a breath, calming my mind before I blew up about N again. I knew she was going to defend him, even after the moral of the story was revealed. She really had fallen in love with him, but it was all fake, and she needed to realize that.
"Because of N you can't even remember your true feelings about him. You can't even remember the small stuff. Everything you think you feel for him now, and thought you felt about him before...it's all false. A lie. An illusion made up by N and Ghetsis together."
"I don't understand, Touya, why would they do that to me? Why would they do that to Bianca?"
"Their reasoning for putting an illusion over Bianca is easy. She's your best friend, and you trust her. Bianca is less likely to help you remember the past if she wasn't aware of the past herself. She wouldn't be able to, let's say, 'trigger' any true memories or emotions of the past, since she doesn't remember the reality of the past any more than you do."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Touko nodded slightly, as she processed the information, "but what I still don't understand is why they would put an illusion on me. Why me? Why even bother?!"
"Cheren and I were not able to make sense of that, unfortunately," I sighed. "We have no idea why N and Ghetsis put the illusion on your mind. We're hoping it's not because there is some evil plan in the works that involves you, but knowing that they are, you know, villains, I would say it's safe to assume that something really is in the works of evil...and that you are going to have a major part in it."
"Oh, that sounds marvelous," she mustered a bit of humor.
"Really?"
"No, Touya, that was sarcasm as always."
"Oh," I responded lightly. Silence blew over the room like a biting Autumn wind chill. "Touko?"
"Yeah, Touya?"
"You know Cheren, Bianca, and I are going to protect you, right?" She blushed.
"Yeah, I know, Touya," she rested her head on my shoulder. A warm feeling spread along my chest. I could feel her body slowly, but randomly breathe and shake against mine. I came to the conclusion that she was crying again, and turned my body so that her head could rest on my chest, allowing me to rub her back sympathetically. Instead, I got something else in return.
"Touya?" she whispered, her chin resting on my chest.
"Yeah?" Shivers went up my spine as I anticipated the following movements.
"I'm sorry for leaving you in White Forest," she whimpered. "I should have never done that. It was so wrong of me. I'm so, so sorry. I was just so confused, and I didn't know how to react, and now I do, and I'm so, so sor-" I cupped my hands on Touko's face, bringing her that much closer to my face. Heat radiated off our faces like a mug of hot chocolate set outside on a brisk winter's day.
"No, Touko, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sprung something like that on you so quick. It was all my fault, and hold on. Wait a second...you know how to react now?" She responded simply with giving me the taste of vanilla cupcake lip balm. I was dumbfounded. Her eyes shut, but I kept mine open at first. That way I could see everything. The way her eyebrows furrowed when she felt an intensity of emotion, and even the way her eyelashes fluttered as she put all of her feeling into her lips. I closed my eyes, and joined her, but not before changing our awkward positioning. I lifted her onto my lap, so her body didn't have to twist around to reach mine, which caused her to tilt her head around to the opposite side. I let her have the control, and followed along with her seductive movements. She wrapped her legs around my body, making our height differences easier to control and suffice with. When she finally couldn't help it anymore, she opened her mouth to take in a breath, so I took it as the opportunity to do the same. Slowly, but surely, she found use of her hands, and took them into my hair, throwing my cap to the floor. I took my hands to her cheeks, and rubbed my thumbs along the smooth skin gently. We both pulled away mesmerized, and red-faced from the little oxygen we shared.
"That should've been my reaction in White Forest," she whispered in my ear.
"That's what I was hoping for," I laughed, leaning into Touko's lips for another round.