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Today was the day - Hilda took in a deep breath of the crisp morning air as she stood outside her house. After a month of planning, it was finally her and Hilbert's agreed day to return to the Battle Subway to beat their record after their prolonged stay on Pasio.
First things first, she had to go retrieve Hilbert from the Pokecenter overnight rooms! For some reason, he had stayed at one last night instead of going back home with her, to which their mother had sighed before saying Boys will be boys… Whatever that meant. Hilda quickly called out Braviary, climbed on and sped off towards Nimbasa City. As she was airborne, she tapped a few buttons on her XTransceiver to call Hilbert.
Seeing her brother's sleepy portrait appear on her XTranceiver as he picked up, Hilda immediately raised her voice.
"Hilbert, wake up! Are you ready for today?!"
Hilbert visibly flinched at the sound and rubbed the side of his head. "Y-yeah. Just give me a few minutes to pack my bag and I can head over."
There's a bit of muffled sound and movement on Hilbert's end as he seemed to be scolding someone. From the brief shuffling, she could make out some words: Get off, you're heavy- and C'mon, Hilda's on her way- Hilda chuckled to herself. He was probably talking to his Pokemon like usual.
"Right - well, I'll be there soon so don't forget your important things, like berries and everything!"
"I got it, I got it. I'm hanging up now. Seriously, get off, hey stop biting m- "
Hilbert mumbled before the call was cut off. Hilda merely chuckled as she leaned down to hug Braviary closer.
"Alright, full speed ahead!"
Once Hilda had landed down in Nimbasa City and quickly located the Pokecenter that Hilbert had been staying in, she called him again to meet her downstairs. When he finally appeared on the escalator down to the lobby, Hilda cheerily linked their arms to pull him to the entrance.
"We're totally going to break our record this time! I've been thinking of some strategies we can use that we tried on Pasio. I can't wait to see the shocked look on Ingo's face - I'll make a bet that he has to grow a little beard if we best him and Emmet this time!"
Hilda chattered on as she put her mind to sifting through the different combinations they could try for the first set of trains. Emboar with a Choice Band? Maybe Samurott with Leftovers? As she prattled off multiple varieties, she noticed Hilbert struggling to keep up with her steps.
Hilbert's legs seemed to be wobbling as he sputtered, "Hilda - can you slow down..seriously.."
Hearing that, Hilda slowed her pace as she turned to examine her brother more closely. He seemed to be out of breath with a faint tremble to his frame as he walked. Hilda looked down at his legs with concern. Had his Pokemon slept on his legs all night and crushed them?
"What's wrong with your legs?"
Hilda asked with a raised eyebrow. Usually she was pretty rough with her brother when it came to pulling him around, but he had never complained before to this extent.
"I-I just twisted my ankle last night, so it's still sore." Hilbert explained, as his free hand went up to rub at his neck. As he did so, Hilda suddenly noticed a very faint, unusual color on her brother's neck. Squinting her eyes, she shoved her face closer to Hilbert to examine him.
"..What're you doing, Hilda?"
"Hilbert. Your neck."
"Huh?" Hilbert asked, as he looked downwards to look at his collar. Hilda then drew back and pointed an accusing finger at him. There was no mistaking the smattering of dots and bruises on Hilbert's neck…. Those were definitely..
"Did your Woobat attack you in your sleep?!"
"My wh- ah."
Hilbert stammered before his eyes went wide. He definitely looked like he had just remembered something. So that had been it, huh? His Pokemon had always been overly affectionate to him, constantly crowding him and kissing him. In fact, N had said before that usually his Pokemon sang in a chorus of love towards their trainer. Strangely though, these marks weren't in the usual shape of Woobat's heart nose.
Hilbert hurriedly began to zip up his jacket fully, causing the collar to cover his neck entirely and obscure the marks.
"Y-yeah, Woobat was clinging to me last nigh-"
Suddenly, a rush of wind blew overhead and both siblings grabbed the brim of their hats to prevent it from flying off their heads. Looking up, they spotted the very familiar downy feathers of Reshiram beginning to descend and land deftly a few feet away. On the back of Reshiram, was another familiar sight, one that Hilda herself had not seen for a few weeks since returning from Pasio. A tall man with green hair waved at the pair, before jumping off the fire dragons back to jog over.
"Ah, there you two are. I'm glad I caught up in time."
N said as he got closer, coming to a stop in front of them.
"N?"
"N?!"
Both Hilda and Hilbert exclaimed simultaneously. N gave them both a smile before putting a hand into his pocket to draw out a small device.
"Hilbert, You forgot your XTranceiver on the table when you left. I thought you might want it considering you were going to spend all day on the Battle Subway."
N said, as he held the XTranceiver out to the shorter trainer who took it with a grin.
"You didn't need to fly all the way here for that, but thank you nonetheless… I appreciate it."
Hilbert replied with a light flush on his face as he put the device over his jacket sleeve.
Of course, Hilbert reacted like this whenever it came to N. He had always been so hopelessly in love with him. N too was looking at her brother with a lovesick expression, Hilda could feel a cavity developing. They were so embarrassing with how much like a newlywed couple they behaved; the longing gaze they shared at one another felt like they were making out in front of her. But before that - Hilda stared at the taller man with an appraising eye.
N had Hilbert's XTranceiver? Didn't he only take that off when he was sleeping or taking his clothes off? Hilbert had been so attached to the device when they had started out on their Pokemon journey to communicate with Bianca and Cheren, that he rarely took it off unless he was settled down for the night. So that meant they had spent the night together…At the Pokecenter rooms? This morning, her brother had been talking to someone while on their call. Now, Hilbert's neck was covered in marks..couldn't walk properly and was sore.
Suddenly, a scene of lightbulbs beginning to illuminate one by one appeared in Hilda's brain.
Hilda jerked her head up at N, causing the taller man to look at her in surprise. Slowly, she lifted a hand to point at N. From the corner of her eye, she could see Hilbert beginning to turn red. That meant he probably had figured out what she had just deduced.
"....N…Did you-"
"Hilda, don't ask him that."
Hilbert immediately tried to cut her off.
"Did I..?"
N inquired, as he looked between Hilbert and his sister's accusatory finger. At that, Hilda cleared her throat.
"Last night, did you fuck my brother?"
There was a heavy pause in the air as Hilda drilled an intense look into N's face. He seemed to be processing the question while Hilbert was turning an impressive shade of red next to her.
At the silence, Hilda repeated her question once more in a strained tone. "Did you fuck my brother?"
N began to move his mouth,"….Y-"
"DON'T ANSWER HER, N!!!!" Hilbert suddenly yelled, as he slapped Hilda's pointing finger away. He had a scandalized face on, but why was he scandalized - Hilda could not believe the nerve of these two.
"No, answer me, N! Did you?!"
"I….Er."
N seemed to be struggling on who to listen to, as Hilbert was currently using a fist to punch N's arm repeatedly whenever he tried to say something. Hilda just stared in disbelief at her brother. Was this a comedy act?
"Seriously, Hilbert?! Right before an important day like this?! You went and did what - Get railed last night so much that you can barely move?!"
At Hilda's outburst, N tried to remedy the situation.
"Please do not be angry with him. You see, Hilbert was very insistent that I-"
Hilbert squawked and began shaking N's arm with more urgency to cut off his sentence again.
"N- W-What did I just say?!"
Got it, so N had wrecked Hilbert so badly the night before that he was struggling to walk normally in the morning. This was way more information than Hilda had ever wanted to know about her brother's relationship with N. Moreover, it was annoying now - and getting in the way of their Pokemon Battles! How were they supposed to do their best when Hilbert was busy being sore?!
"You two…gotta seriously control yourselves."
Hilda groaned, as she dragged an exasperated hand down her face. She frowned at N next,
"How are we supposed to battle if Hilbert's behind is in shambles and we're scheduled to board the Battle Subway in an hour?"
N frowned as he began to refute that, "I wouldn't call his bottom in shambles, per say. I was holding bac-"
"Have you seen the state of his neck?! Don't tell me you did that to his rear too-"
"Can we please stop talking about my butt?!" Hilbert protested weakly. N coughed to clear his throat at Hilbert's statement, the faintest trace of a blush on his usual unchanging face.
"I apologize. However, I have faith that Hilbert's battle expertise will not be diminished from this. Once he gets into the battle, the adrenaline will naturally make the soreness recede. His senses will be heightened as usual, although it might catch up to him during the breaks."
Hilda felt a headache coming on. Trust N to start talking about brain chemistry at a time like this. She's had enough of thinking about the atrocious act that N and Hilbert had committed right before their big Pokemon Battle day. N was difficult enough for Hilda to figure out, but at the very least she could bully her brother into behaving.
"Okay, whatever…I'm warning you right now for next time… No sex before an important day of Pokemon matches, or you'll be limping from me beating you up myself!" Hilda threatened as she used a hand to tightly pinch Hilbert's cheek.
"Ow! Okay, okay, agh- "
Hilbert struggled himself free from Hilda's grip and rubbed his cheek before retreating to N's side. N awkwardly put his hands on Hilbert's shoulders as he watched their exchange with a sheepish smile.
"Hmph! You're treating me to Castelia Cones later today too!"
Hilda declared, as she crossed her arms and looked at the two offending men. She was never going to let this go.
"Yes, Hilda…."
"I'm sorry, Hilbert. I'm sorry for my actions as well, Hilda. I didn't expect our coupling would be so inconvenient."
N apologized as Hilda just rubbed her temples. Don't call it that, what're you, an archaic prince?! Hilda sighed before making a shooing motion towards the taller trainer.
"Whatever, it's done - it's also none of my business but… Begone, N!! I don't need Hilbert getting distracted thinking about you more after last night!"
"Ah - alright. See you later, Hilda. Hilbert, I'll see you tonight?"
N asked, giving the shorter man a hopeful look while reaching out to move a piece of Hilbert's hair behind his ear. Hilda immediately stepped forward to slap N's hand away and glare at him.
"Shut up! Stop it! You're not allowed to touch Hilbert anymore for today!! We're leaving!"
Hilda yelled. Hilbert could only put his face into his hands while being pulled away by his sister.