Archive of Our Own

Oct. 7th, 2012

Today marks two years since I’ve seen Hilda. I miss her a lot, and so does Cheren. It’s not the same without her here. But I’ve been keeping myself busy; working in Aspertia City has been fun! Plus, I’m close to Cheren here, too.

I really love it here; one of my favorite things to do is people-watch. The other day, I saw two girls holding hands while walking their Pokémon! I’m pretty sure they were a couple!

I especially like the independence that living here gives me. I remember how hard it was back when I lived with my parents. Though that didn’t stop Hilda from doing some crazy things, like our makeshift sleepover

Bianca treads down the stairs of her house quietly. Her mother is in the kitchen somewhere, while her father is in the living room watching television. She nervously walks up to him and asks, “Dad, Hilda invited me over for a sleepover! Can I go?”

“Bianca, we’ve had this conversation several times. You cannot stay the night at someone else’s house! What if something happens to you? What would you even do?”

“Well… I’d call home.”

“And if you can’t?”

“I’d come back!”

“In the dark? Absolutely not.

“But her mom—”

“You are not staying over at that house! A single woman like that probably can’t even take care of her own child, and you expect me to think that she could take care of you!?”

Bianca opens her mouth to argue in defense of Hilda and her mom but realizes the futility of it and stays quiet.

“Okay…”

“Good! I’m glad you understand.” Her dad quickly goes back to paying attention to the television; some news channel is reporting on a recently passed law in Unova. The news anchors are clearly unhappy with this law, remarking how ‘unnatural’ it is. Bianca tries to pay it no mind and hurries back up the stairs. On the final step, she yells out a “Goodnight!”

She goes into her room and closes the door with a great sigh of relief. She wishes she were able to lock it, but she sadly isn’t allowed to. She texts the bad news to Hilda, who doesn’t reply.

Bianca stares, longingly, through the window towards the direction of Hilda’s house and changes into her pajamas, turns off the lights, and gets into bed early.

After a while of rolling on her bed fruitlessly, she begins to fall asleep, until:

Knock!

She hears a noise from the window. Bianca opens the curtains only to be startled by a shadowy figure. It’s Hilda! On the second-floor window!

Further knocking brings her back from her shocked state. Bianca quickly opens the window and whispers, “Hilda! What are you doing here!?”

Slightly out of breath, the girl whispers back. “I’m here for the sleepover, duh. If we can’t have it at my house, I’ll just bring the sleep… the sleep over. Get it?”

“Um! Does, like, your mom know?”

“Yeah, ‘course she knows. Anyway, let me in.” Bianca hesitates but ultimately moves aside. Hilda crawls into the room, struggling to get her body and her backpack in through the window. She lands on Bianca’s bed and quietly settles down on the floor.

She carefully opens her backpack’s zipper, making very little noise, and takes out her phone. “Here, we can text each other so we don’t have to whisper and risk getting busted. Put yours on silent.”

Bianca follows Hilda’s instructions and messages her.

<Bianca> we really shouldn’t be doing this!!!
<Hilda> its ok i wont risk staying all night. just a few hrs. dont want u 2 get in trouble.
<Bianca> that should be okay…

The two sit side by side as they text each other in the dim moonlight.

<Hilda> o 1 sec i brought smth 2 make it a tru sleepover exp.

Bianca looks at her questioningly, but Hilda doesn’t answer her question directly. Instead, she digs into her backpack some more and digs out a pair of pajamas.

<Hilda> my pjs now its a sleepover

Hilda begins to change, taking off her clothes save for her underwear. Bianca stares at her, frozen for a second, until she blushes as red as a Cheri berry and averts her gaze, even though Hilda didn’t seem to even care.

She only looks back when Hilda waves her hand at her eyes.

<Hilda> done u ok?
<Bianca> yeah i’m fine!

Bianca smiles at her, and Hilda’s worries seem to melt away. She smiles at Bianca and resumes digging through her backpack. She somehow managed to fit a pillow and a blanket in there.

<Bianca> so thats why it was hard for you to get in
<Hilda> ya lol

Hilda carefully lays the pillow and blanket on the floor and ‘tucks’ herself in.

<Hilda> wish we could play some games or smth but this is ok

She shoots Bianca a smile, and Bianca smiles back from her bed.

After a while, Bianca feels Hilda poke her again; this time, she lays her hand on the bed. Bianca, confused, stares at it for a bit until Hilda wiggles her fingers and opens and closes it a few times. She understands the gesture, and while lying on her side, stretches out her own hand to hold Hilda’s.

A few moments pass just like that, until Bianca gathers up the courage to tap the bed a couple of times and, lifting her blankets, gestures for Hilda to get in on the side closest to the window. Hilda settles in beside her, and the two keep their hands clasped together.

As Bianca begins to drift into sleep, she feels warmth enveloping her, but she can’t quite tell if it’s a dream or not.

Come morning, the only sign that Hilda actually showed up the night before is a single text message:

<Hilda> i had fun

I didn’t know what to think when Hilda snuck in that night. Is that what sleepovers were supposed to be like? Did everyone do that with their friends? I didn’t know.

Next thing I knew, we had begun our Pokémon journey together alongside Cheren. I was really afraid of what my parents might think. I still don’t know why I tried telling them; my dad was so against it. I’m still so thankful to Professor Juniper for giving us our Pokémon and Pokédexes, though, even if my dad didn’t understand; having another adult cheering for me really helped me out.

I remember the day when I met Momo back when he was a little Tepig. He was so cute! He still is, but I can’t help myself when I think about how adorable and small he used to be. But for such a cute little thing, he and Hilda’s Oshawott really did a number on Hilda’s room. I still feel so bad! Hilda’s mom didn’t take it badly at all, though. She really is an amazing person! I’ve been keeping in contact with her more than my own parents; it’s a very weird feeling.

“Oh, you are just, like, the cutest thing! And such a cute Pokémon needs a fittingly cute nickname!” Bianca says while walking back home from Hilda’s.

“Luckily for you, I’ve been thinking about naming you Momo since I first saw you!” She says while petting him in between his ears. “Here, I got you this Oran berry.” Bianca crouches down and puts the berry on the ground. Momo sniffs it and then excitedly hops around it. Before he eats it, though, he shoots some fire through his snout and roasts it, then eats it all in one big bite.

“Oh! So you like to roast your berries, huh? You’ll have to let me try some sometime!” In response, Momo rubs up against Bianca’s leg. “Aw, stop it!” She doesn’t mean it, though, and rewards him by petting him.

Bianca’s cheerful mood plummets as she nears her house and faces the front door. “Okay, Momo, let’s go.”

She opens the door, and before she can even say anything, her father yells, “Bianca! What did I tell you about letting wild Pokémon into the house!?”

“Um! He’s not a wild Pokémon… His name is Momo, and… he’s mine!”

“What?”

“Professor Juniper gave him to me… I’m going on my Pokémon journey…!”

Bianca hears the door open and flinches, but her father seems to pay it no mind.

“No, no, a thousand times no!”

“But, I’m… I’m a good Trainer who got a Pokémon and everything! I can totally go on an adventure!

“She’s right. The only reason I managed to beat her in a Pokémon battle is because I got lucky.” A voice comes from the front door; it’s Hilda once again.

“What are you doing here?” Bianca’s father is so stunned by the young trainer’s sudden appearance that any further arguments he had against his daughter are forgotten.

“Hilda…”

“Bianca! I came by to pick you up. And don’t worry, she can handle herself, but if anything happens, I’ll take care of her.” Hilda says while staring firmly at her friend’s father. She approaches Bianca and quietly asks, “I’m sorry, are you alright?”

Bianca wobbles in place and hides behind her hat. “Oh… It’s okay… It’s fine! I’ll be waiting for you in front of the lab, okay?”

Bianca leaves home with tears in her eyes, but not without hearing the beginning of an argument between her father and Hilda. Momo worriedly follows behind her, ears down, until Bianca finds a bench to sit on.

Silence turns into sniffles, and sniffles turn into tears. “I wish… I wish Dad would just let me go! I don’t need to be protected, and I’m not stupid like I’m sure he thinks I am!” Bianca cries, and Momo jumps onto her lap. Bianca hugs him as tears streak down her face.

Moments pass by until she hears grass rustling behind her.

“Bianca? Bianca are you okay?” Hilda asks as she sits down beside her.

“I… I’ll be fine…!” she replies, not facing Hilda. “I just wish Dad believed in me.”

Hilda silently puts her hand on Bianca’s shoulder. “I believe in you, Cheren believes in you, we all do. Most importantly, you believe in yourself, right?”

“That’s the hardest part!” Bianca sobs. “I know I can do this, but even with the simplest of things, Dad just doesn’t believe in me at all.”

“You just have to prove to him that you can, and if he starts treating you badly again, I’ll be there for anything you need!” she says with resolve.

“Thanks, Hild—” Bianca is interrupted by Hilda giving her a tight hug, not letting go. Bianca clumsily hugs her back, and before she knows it, it’s over.

“Come on, let’s go to the lab. Here, take my hand,” Hilda says as she stands up.

Bianca takes her hand and regrets letting go once they begin walking to Professor Juniper’s.

Hilda’s always defended me from my father, even since we were kids, and the day we got our Pokémon was no different. I can do it myself now, but back then, I really appreciated it.

Despite thinking it was going to be a bad start, Hilda and Cheren cheered me up by humoring my silly little ideas back on Route 1, including my little Pokémon catching contest. I remember holding hands with Hilda on our first step to adventure, and that’s one of the times I knew something was different about me.

When we were little kids, I’d hold hands with everyone, but holding Hilda’s always made me skip a beat!

But anyway, I’m rambling! Once we reached Accumula Town, it really set in that I’d be going on my journey. It was a scary feeling, but I remember being relieved. I was so fascinated by everything, including the Pokémon Center, that I completely missed Team Plasma’s demonstration. Hilda had to fill me in on the details after I tried sneaking up on her on Route 2 (I almost beat her in a Pokémon battle!).

I remember heading back to Accumula Town to heal my Pokémon, but I didn’t expect to be followed.

“Thank you for waiting.” The nurse says as she hands over a tray containing two Pokéballs to Bianca. “We’ve restored your Pokémon to full health. We hope to see you again!” She bows with a smile.

“Thank you so much! Have a great day!” Bianca replies and leaves the Pokémon Center.

Bianca takes a breath of fresh air, taking in the town’s breeze. It’s a beautiful place, chock-full of brick buildings with tendrils of ivy snaking their way up to the rooftops. She decides to check out the town’s plaza and ends up encountering Hilda once more.

“Oh, Bianca! Come on over here, check this out!” Hilda beckons her to a small crowd forming around two street musicians in the plaza. Bianca follows.

The pianist calls out to the crowd, “Alright, everybody! Here comes one of my personal favorite songs, one we wrote for Accumula Town!”

She begins playing a cheerful tune on the piano, and the other musician, a drummer, joins in, but not before saying, “Don’t let that speech from earlier let you down! Because at the end of the day, we all love our Pokémon!” He begins drumming and adds, “Come on, Accumula, join in and clap to the beat!”

The piano and drums, already a perfect match, are joined by the rhythmic clapping of the people around the plaza.

Bianca begins to clap as well, and Hilda joins her.

As the melody grows more energetic, Hilda turns to Bianca and whispers, “Come on, dance with me, clap your hands against mine.”

“D-dance?” She stammers out

“Yeah, like this.” Hilda moves to the beat and claps her hands against Bianca’s, which are awkwardly held up.

Bianca giggles, “Is this like some sort of high-five dance?”

“Yeah, yeah! Now come on, put some rhythm into it; let’s dance!”

Bianca awkwardly follows Hilda’s lead until she gets into the groove of things. It’s not a fancy dance or anything, and they actually end up missing most of the high-fives, but it’s fun regardless.

They continue this ‘dance’ until the duo of musicians close up their session, and it’s time to part ways as Hilda heads to Striation City.

It really was a fun surprise, though! Somehow, Hilda was always making my day in some way or another.

Though our journey would become really scary soon. A few days later, when I finally got to Striaton City, Doctor Fennel asked Hilda and me to get some Dream Mist from one of the cute Pokémon at the Dreamyard. I caught up to Hilda only to encounter Team Plasma for the first time; it was terrifying.

“Blasted Munna! Come on! Produce your Dream Mist!” One of the two Team Plasma members, a man, yells as he repeatedly kicks the small pink Pokémon. The other Team Plasma member, a woman, keeps watch.

Hiding behind the ruined factory walls are Hilda and Bianca, both abhorred by the violence they’ve become witnesses to.

“Oh no… Hilda, we have to do something.” Bianca whispers.

“I know, stay behind me and follow my lead.” Hilda says, grasping her one and only Pokéball. She sneaks closer to the edge of the wall and jumps out from behind it. “Hey! What do ya think you’re doing!?”

The female Team Plasma member gasps, “We’ve been spotted!”

Hilda throws her Pokéball against the ground, releasing her Oshawott. She points at the Team Plasma member holding the Munna down with his foot as if it were a ball. “Musashi! Use Water Gun!”

The man moves to the side to dodge the oncoming attack and lets go of the pink Pokémon.

“Bianca, now!” Hilda yells.

Bianca comes out from her hiding space and grabs the Munna, running towards Hilda and protecting the Pokémon with her body. She doesn’t let go as the woman begins to speak. “We can’t let these two stupid kids go. Quick! Get that Oshawott!” She sends out her own Pokémon, a Purrloin. “You! Use Scratch!” But she doesn’t direct it to attack Oshawott; she points towards Hilda instead.

“Don’t hurt her!” Bianca says as she lets go of the Munna and releases her Tepig. “Momo! Ember!” The embers strike true, and the Purrloin is stopped in its tracks, dazed by the attack.

The female grunt is forced to return her Pokémon into it’s Pokéball, while the man moves to grab his own Pokémon.

Hilda crouches down low to the ground and whispers something to her Oshawott, and it changes posture. She stays there as the man releases his Patrat.

“You, Patrat! Use—!”

“Musashi, now!

Hilda’s Oshawott uses Water Gun before her opponent’s Pokémon can even move to attack, catching it by surprise and knocking it out.

The two Team Plasma members are left defenseless, or so the two young girls think, until one of them begins to ready a punch.

“Bianca!” Hilda screams as she pushes her out of the way. They both fall to the ground, Hilda shielding her, expecting a punch that never arrives.

“L-Lord Ghetsis!” The man says, afraid. He and his companion begin to look around the abandoned factory, as if seeing something or someone. Hilda and Bianca try to look, but they only see the man the grunts seem so afraid of for fractions of a second.

The next thing they know, the grunts are running far away from the Dreamyard.

“What was…?” Bianca trails off.

“Are you okay?” Hilda asks as she sits back up, getting off of Bianca.

“Y-yes! Thank you, Hilda! I’m… I’m all good!" She tries to smile.

The two hear a Pokémon cry out nearby, and the Munna that was hiding near Bianca flies off towards it. It’s a Musharna. The little one hovers in circles around it.

“Girls!? Are you alright!?” says a harried-looking Doctor Fennel. She must’ve run all the way here. “I saw two suspicious people running out of the Dreamyard, and I got worried. What happened?” She says as she crouches down to Bianca and Hilda’s level, the two still sitting on the ground.

“Um… I… We… There was…” Bianca breaks down and starts crying, while Hilda silently comforts her, giving her a hug from the side.

“It—it’s okay! Take your time, Bianca.” Doctor Fennel reassures the girl.

Bianca relays the events, intermixed with her sobs and tears.

“You two were very brave, you know that?” Doctor Fennel says as she pats both girls on the head. “I’ll grab some of the Dream Mist that Musharna left, and you two can come back and calm down at my apartment, okay?”

“Okay.” Bianca says with a sniffle. Though her sadness turns to surprise as the Munna from before reappears and bumps its body against Bianca’s.

“Oh! It seems that little Munna wants to go with you, Bianca!”

“Do you need a Pokéball? I can give you one of mine! Hilda asks, excited for her friend.

“No, no, I’ve got one.” Bianca brings it out, and the Munna presses the Pokéball button all on its own. It’s now become one of Bianca’s teammates.

“Welcome to the team… Daisy…” She says as she cries the last of her tears.

I didn’t know what we had gotten into at the time. That was just the beginning, and yet it was still nightmarish.

Still! Now, years later, I don’t regret going to the Dreamyard! I don’t regret doing what I did at all! I would do it all over again if I had to. I met Daisy there, and one of the trainers at the Dreamyard saw me look so dejected that she gifted me a Pansage, who I named Bay. Hilda got a Pansear, but I didn’t see it much.

Bay and Daisy really helped me get through Striaton City Gym! That would’ve been so difficult for poor Momo all by himself. And he made good friends with them, too!

Though sadly, the peace didn’t last much, though. When I was making my way to Nacrene City, those Team Plasma people stole a little girl’s Pokémon! I was lucky that Cheren and Hilda were there to help.

“I’ll go on ahead. Hilda, you’re coming too, right?” Cheren asks in a rush.

“'Course, let me heal my Pokémon first.” Hilda nods, and then Cheren runs off towards the nearby cave that Team Plasma hid in.

As Hilda sprays a Potion on her newly caught Blitzle, she says,. “Don’t worry, Cheren and I have got this; we’ll get your Pokémon back. I promise.”

The little girl sniffles and nods.

“'Kay, I’ll be right back!” The young trainer goes off to fulfill her promise.

“Me and my Pokémon will take care of you until they come back, okay?”

“Okay, Miss Bianca…”

“You don’t have to worry about a thing. Cheren’s, like, a little sour, but he’s strong and dependable, and Hilda… Well, she’s strong and brave… Um… She’s like a knight!” Bianca tries to reassure the little girl but ends up getting flustered in the process.

The little girl tilts her head to the side and asks, “A knight? Like from a fairy tale?”

“Y-yeah! Like a knight from a fairy tale!”

“Okay!” The little girl smiles.

“Now, do you want to play with my Pokémon? My Munna, Daisy, is very nice!” Bianca takes out a Pokéball from her purse.

“Yes!”

They pass the time together until Hilda and Cheren come back, Hilda triumphantly holding up a Pokéball.

I think that was the moment when I finally realized that I loved love Hilda. It took me so long because I never thought about it, really. But when I was explaining to that poor random little girl what made Hilda so great, it finally clicked. I probably wouldn’t have realized by then if it weren’t for that. I was hopeless!

I even almost had a repeat of that moment when Team Plasma stole the Pokémon skull from the Nacrene City Museum! But luckily I was able to stop myself from rambling to Cheren about how knightly I felt Hilda was. I’m pretty sure he would’ve figured out that I had a crush on her immediately.

And then I finally arrived at Castelia City! I was so excited! The view of the skyline as I was walking on Skyarrow Bridge was… was just incredible! It was shaping up to be one of the best days of my life until I got ambushed by Team Plasma… Now that’s a horrible memory. I was helping Iris, who I had just met at the time and was as equally lost as me, and they ran up from behind me and took one of my Pokéballs, the one that had Daisy in it. The poor thing had already gone through enough at the Dreamyard. Luckily, Iris was there.

“Hey, thief! Give that back!” Iris sprints after the Team Plasma grunt but quickly loses her in the crowd.

Bianca struggles to catch up.

“I’m sorry, Bianca, I don’t know where she went after that turn!”

“It… it’s okay…” Bianca cries.

“No, it’s not okay! Hold on, let me call a friend.”

Iris takes out her Xtransceiver and calls someone on it, talking so rapidly that Bianca can’t even begin to follow the conversation in her current state.

A few minutes later, Burgh, Castelia City’s Gym Leader, arrives with Hilda in tow.

“Hilda! They… They took Daisy. They’re gonna hurt her again.” Bianca runs towards Hilda and practically crumbles in her arms.”

Hilda crouches down and holds her close, then reassures her, “Don’t worry, I’ll get her back for you, I promise.”

“That we will.” Burgh adds. “I’ll go on ahead; I think I have an idea of where they went.”

“Um… What should I… Where should I…” Bianca begins to ask but is interrupted.

“You’ll stay with, or, er, I’ll stay with you!” Iris says, “I’ll be your own personal bodyguard! I won’t let them take yours or anyone else’s Pokémon!” She poses with confidence.

“That’s a wonderful idea, Iris.” Burgh smiles.

Bianca lets go of Hilda and turns to look at the young trainer. “Th-thank you, Iris.”

“Thanks.” Hilda adds, carefully letting go.

But before anyone can move further, the Team Plasma grunt returns.

“I thought I could liberate another Pokémon from that girl, but it seems I miscalculated…” She says, startled.

“Quick, after her!” Iris points at her.

“No!” The Team Plasma grunt yells as she starts running towards the far end of Castelia City, with Burgh and Hilda giving chase.

Iris grasps Bianca’s shoulders. “C’mon Bianca, we have to go too!”

“You… You’re right!”

The two, after a couple of wrong turns, make their way to a building in front of the Pokémon Gym. There, they see that Burgh and Hilda have already defeated a few Team Plasma grunts and are making their way inside.

Once everyone’s caught up, Iris moves to join the fight, but one of the Seven Sages begins a speech that Bianca can barely follow. She just wants Daisy back.

After a couple of minutes of debate from both sides, her Pokémon is released back to her. Daisy is safe again. Bianca’s whole world shrinks. All she cares about is being back with her Pokémon. She reflexively says, “Thank you” to Team Plasma, but someone, she can’t tell who, tells her not to thank them.

Suddenly, Team Plasma is gone, but that doesn’t matter. Her Pokémon are happy again.

Iris was so nice to me back in Castelia City. We still keep in touch! I didn’t know it at the time, but she’s an extremely powerful trainer! While Hilda went to challenge the Pokémon Gym, she gave me some pointers.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t, like, start battles off with Momo? He’s my strongest Pokémon…” Bianca asks.

“Yup! I’m 100% sure!” Iris replies as she eats her Casteliacone, “If someone starts their fight with a Ground, Rock, or Water-type Pokémon, it’s over!” After she eats some more, she adds, “You should start off with your Herdier; Fighting-type Pokémon aren’t very common here in Unova. It’s no wonder so many people can’t defeat Lenora.”

“Leading with Lily… Okay, got it!”

“Plussss,” she drawls out, “you want to defeat Hilda, don’t you?”

“Um… yes!” Bianca nods so hard, a bit of her Casteliacone falls on the ground. “Aw, nuts.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get seconds,” Iris points at her half-eaten Casteliacone before continuing. “Hilda really likes her Dewott, doesn’t she?

“Yeah, so?”

“She’s likely to lead with her Dewott, then! Or maybe even her Blitzle… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, if she has no Fighting-type Pokémon, start off with your Normal-type Pokémon.

“I think I get it…”

“Yay!” Iris cheers. “Now let’s go get some more of these Casteliacones!”

“Oh! Actually, before that, I should give Hilda a call. I don’t want her to leave before we can have our Pokémon battle.”

“Go ahead! I’ll get the 'cones for us.”

Bianca takes out her Xtransceiver and gives Hilda a call. She doesn’t even need to scroll through her contact list, as it’s her most messaged number.

“Hey, Bianca! Guess what?” Hilda says, as soon as she answers, a clear smile on her face.

Bianca giggles, “What?”

“This!” She holds up the Insect Badge to the camera.

“Woah! Congratulations, Hilda, that’s amazing!”

“Thank you! Anyway, what’s up?”

“Oh, yeah! I wanted you to wait up for me at Castelia Gate. Iris has been teaching me a looooot about Pokémon battles, so now I feel like I can finally beat you!” Bianca pumps herself up.

“Oh, that’s awesome! I can’t wait. I’ll see ya there, then!” Hilda says with a mock salute.

“See you!”
Bianca closes her Xtransceiver just as Iris starts approaching her with two more Casteliacones.

“Here you are! Another Casteliacone! Hmmm, by that look on your face, I’m assuming the call went well?”

“Huh? Wh-what look?” Bianca says, flustered, as she grabs her Casteliacone.

“Just teasing! Anyway, let’s head back to the Pokémon Center to get you all prepared for the battle ahead!”

“O-okay!”

Bianca follows Iris through the busy streets of Castelia City until she suddenly stops. “Bianca, look!”

“What is it?”

“It’s a stall with Pokémon items from the Hoenn region! Oh my gosh, they even have an Altaria plushie!” Before Bianca can say anything, Iris continues, “I’m gonna go buy it. Come with me!” she says as she practically drags Bianca towards the stall.

As Iris chats with the vendor, Bianca takes a careful look at the stall, which is absolutely crammed full of stuff. There are hats that mimic Ludicolo’s hat, Surskit and Shroomish figures, Whismur and Azurill plushes, a travel pillow that mimics Delcatty’s fur, Plusle and Minun keychains, Solrock and Lunatone windchimes, and even tapestries of the region’s Legendary Pokémon.

Iris interrupts her to show off her latest purchase. “Look at how soft these wings are!”

“Oh, wow, you’re right!”

“Bianca, you should buy something, too!” Iris insists.

Bianca looks around further until she spots a Luvdisc pendant. Thinking it would look super cute on her, she picks it up and walks towards the vendor, a woman who looks to be in her 50s.

“Hello, good afternoon! This, please!” Bianca says as she hands over the pendant and the cash to pay for it.

“Good afternoon, young lady— Oh! How wonderful! A Luvdisc pendant.” The woman begins to remove the tag around the chain and asks, “I can wrap it in gift wrap at no additional cost.” She smiles.

“Wrap?”

“Oh, dear, you probably don’t know, then. In Hoenn, it used to be common to gift a Luvdisc to the person you loved, so I assumed it was a gift for your special someone…” The woman explains.

“O-oh! It is! Please wrap it!”

The woman chuckles, wraps the pendant, and hands it over to Bianca. “Good luck, dear!”

“Th-thank you!” Bianca says as she hurries back to Iris.

“Wow, what’s got you all flustered?” Iris asks

“Um… I bought a Luvdisc pendant…”

“Oh! Is it for Hilda?”

“What!? How did you—”

Iris laughs. “Your crush on her is pretty obvious.”

Bianca hides under her hat in embarrassment.

“Aw, don’t be like that. I’m cheering you on!”

“Thank you… Iris…”

“Now come on, let’s get you ready for battle so you can win her heart!”

“Iris!” Bianca groans.

“Oh, don’t be like that! Come on, you should get something from here, too.”

Iris points towards a stall filled up with colorful flags and other items.

Bianca blushes as red as a Darumaka. “I-Iris… Quit teasing me…”

“I’m not teasing! Come on, I know you come from a small town, but you’re in a big city now! You’re allowed to, you know, feel proud of who you are.”

“But what if someone—”

“Oh, who cares what other people think? The world doesn’t revolve around you, Bianca, and that’s for the better!”

“O-Okay…”

“If you buy one, I’ll get one for myself too.” Iris negotiates.

Bianca takes a deep breath. “I-I’ll buy something, then!”

The two approach the stall, and Iris quickly makes her way towards a grayscale and purple wristband, which she buys and puts on. She gives Bianca a wink as the poor girl struggles through the different colorful items, trying to find something more low-key.

She finally settles on a little flag charm for her bag’s zipper; it’s got different hues of pink and orange.

It was so funny how Iris could read me like a book back then. I really thought it would work. The shape of the pendant is pretty obvious, isn’t it? I also thought Iris’s pointers would work too, but I was too distracted to win that battle against Hilda. Just holding the pendant flustered me!

“Aw… Looks like I still lost…” Bianca says as she heals her Pokémon inside Castelia City Gate.

“You did really well, though! Lily really threw me off my game; I thought you were gonna send Momo in.” Hilda says as she hands Bianca some of her own Potions to heal her battle-weary team.

“Hehe… I told you Iris gave me some pointers.”

The two continue healing their Pokémon until Bianca takes a deep breath and reaches inside her purse to grab the wrapped pendant. “Hilda… I, um, got you this.” She hands it over to Hilda and says, “Thank you for everything, and thank you for getting Daisy back.”

“Aw, Bianca! You didn’t have to get me anything! I feel bad ‘cause I don’t have anything to give you…”

“No, no! You don’t have to give me anything. J-just open it up…” Bianca hides behind her hat, blushing.

Hilda demolishes the wrapping paper and holds up the pendant with her hand. “Oh! This is such a cute Pokémon! Thank you, Bianca! I’ll be sure to wear it!”

“R-really!?” Bianca’s blush intensifies.

“Yeah! It’s a gift from a friend; of course I’m gonna wear it!”

Bianca deflates, “R-right.”

“Well, I gotta get goin’ to the next Pokémon Gym. You should come with me, Bianca.”

“I’ll… I’ll catch up!”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…”

“If you’re sure! I’ll see ya in Nimbasa City, then.” Hilda says as she moves towards the exit.

“See you.” Bianca waves goodbye but wavers a bit. After Hilda is out of sight, she sits down on one of the benches inside Castelia City Gate.

She opens up her Xtransceiver and sends a message to Iris, trying her best to stifle her quiet sobbing.

<Bianca> i lost the battle
<Iris> but you gave her the pendant right?????????
<Bianca> i don’t think i got my feelings across T_T
<Bianca> she already left for nimbasa orz
<Iris> WHAT!!! IM COMING OVER!!!

Iris really cheered me up after that failed attempt. She’s an incredible friend.

I was super excited to get to Nimbasa City, but crossing Route 4 was so difficult! I definitely wasn’t dressed appropriately for it, now that I think about it. But seeing the Ferris wheel over the desert horizon really pushed me on forward!

I managed to catch up with Hilda, but I didn’t get to spend much time with her since my father had arrived in Nimbasa City as well.

“Bianca!” A voice sounds out from behind the two girls. Bianca turns around to see who it is and sadly recognizes him. It’s her dad.

“Daddy?”

“Bianca, I’ve come to take you back home. Haven’t you gone far enough?”

“No way! I’m going to keep traveling with Hilda and my Pokémon.”

Hearing her name being called, Hilda carefully steps in front of Bianca, as if shielding her.

Bianca’s father glares at Hilda but continues berating his daughter regardless. “Absolutely not! Others do things their way, and we do things ours!”

Bianca falters for a second but resolutely steps in front of Hilda and speaks her mind. “Is that so? Then, how about you do things your way, and I’ll do things mine!”

“You—” Bianca’s father glares at her, his eyes drifting towards her bag, specifically her bag’s zipper. He looks at it, confused, until he gasps and his glare turns even colder. Bianca notices this and reflexively moves to cover her bag’s charm.

Her father takes a breath, preparing to berate her even more, but is interrupted by someone: “Sweetie, you keep going on your travels.”

Bianca’s father reaches his boiling point. “Hey! Who do you think you are? This is a family matter!”

“My name is Elesa. I’m this town’s Gym Leader.”

Elesa quickly defuses the situation with a few words directed towards Bianca’s father; she highlights Bianca’s strength for getting this far and how it’s okay to be different, something which Bianca’s father doesn’t seem to understand at first.

“It’s important to keep trying, to learn about the differences between yourself and others. To learn that being different is okay.” She gives Bianca a reassuring smile before continuing, “Trainers always have their Pokémon by their side. Pokémon are wonderful. It’s not only how cute they can be, but also how much you can depend on them.”

“Please!” Bianca pleads, “I know it won’t be easy. I really get it! But, like, there’ll be tons of nice people, too. I’ve also gotten tougher, I can tell! So please?”

Bianca’s father calms down and sternly says, “Alright, fine. If wanting to continue your journey is selfishness on your part, wanting to stop you is selfishness on mine. Go on.”

Bianca’s face brightens. However, her father continues, “But know that if you continue down that path…” He says as he pointedly looks towards Bianca’s bag. “You won’t be my little girl anymore.”

Bianca softly gasps. She feels her connection to her father being frayed more and more.

“You better decide what it is you want to do, Bianca.” Her father sheds a few angry tears and leaves, but not before being called out to by Elesa.

“Hey! You—”

“It’s okay, Miss Elesa.” Bianca says.

“Are you sure? I apologize for stepping in. You looked troubled, so I decided to chime in.”

“No, I wanted to thank you!”

“Y-Yeah, thanks.” Hilda adds, a little dazed by the events she’s witnessed.

“Well, you two seem like good friends; why don’t you explore the city a bit and cheer yourselves up? My recommendation is the Pokémon Musical, and…” Elesa grins. “If you’re both trainers, why don’t you come visit me at the Pokémon Gym? I’ll show you how tough Electric types can be.”

“Oh, Bianca, that sounds like a good idea! Where do you wanna go first?”

“Um… The Pokémon Musical!” Bianca says, excitedly.

“Looks like you two have a plan. Alright then, be seeing you!” Elesa waves as she heads back to the Pokémon Gym.

As Elesa’s figure grows distant, Bianca allows herself to cry a little, while Hilda quickly takes up the task of cheering her up.

“It’ll be okay, Bianca; you won’t be alone. You have me and Cheren, remember?” Hilda gives Bianca the biggest hug she can muster.

“Thank you, Hilda.”

After a few silent moments, Hilda asks, “What did he mean by that last part?”

“Ah! I’ll tell you later.”

“Okay!” Hilda says as she lets go.

That was definitely one of the worst moments of my journey. But Hilda and I managed to turn the day around! We had tons of fun at the Pokémon Musical!

“Um! Who are you going to enter in the musical, Hilda?” Bianca asks,

“Lilienne, probably. She just evolved into a Lilligant; I’m sure she wants to show off.”

“Ooh, congrats!”

“Thanks!” After a beat of silence, Hilda returns the question, “What about you? Who’re you gonna enter?”

“Daisy, of course!”

“Oh, I getcha. I hope our Pokémon have fun!”

“Me too!” Bianca’s eyes begin to sparkle. “Are you ready to get them all dressed up?”

“Yeah!”

“Oops, we, like, have to pick a musical first… Can we do ‘Forest Stroll’?”

“’Course!”

“Let’s get our cute Pokémon all dolled up, then!”

Hilda digs through the mountain of accessories in her prop case, hurriedly putting accessories on Lilienne, who seems to be unable to sit still enough during the process. As for Bianca, she seems to be a natural at this, and Daisy’s calm demeanor allows her to carefully and precisely dress her up for the musical.

“Wow! You’re good at this, Bianca!” Hilda says as she looks at how Bianca has carefully coordinated a number of accessories that carefully highlight the Munna’s flower patterns.

“Thank you!” She smiles.

A voice sounds off over the PA system, asking contestants to get their Pokémon ready for the main stage. Daisy and Lilienne are ushered onstage, alongside the other two competing Pokémon, a Panpour and a Patrat.

The stage’s darkness is banished by the cutesy multicolored stage lighting as the Pokémon each step onstage to the rhythm of the cheerful music. Their performances are backdropped by a beautiful illustration of a forest clearing.

Onstage, Daisy hovers and twirls gracefully, showcasing her numerous ribbons and bows; she’s completely captured the audience of young girls. Lilienne also performs well but stumbles a little bit due to her impatience. Bianca carefully looks at the performance of her other rivals as well, but it’s safe to say that she’s got this in the bag.

The results are announced, and to Bianca’s lack of surprise, Daisy is announced the winner, with Lilienne coming in at second place.

“Congrats, Bianca!” Hilda cheers as Bianca is awarded with more props for her Pokémon.

“Hehe, thank you.” She replies with confidence.

As Bianca triumphantly makes her way out of the backstage area with Hilda in tow, she’s suddenly surrounded by a small group of young girls and their parents.

“Ah… Huh!?”

One of the mothers approaches Bianca and says, “Excuse us, young lady, but we wanted to get a picture with that absolutely adorable Munna you have! Would it be alright if I took a picture of her and my daughter?”

“Um… sure!” She deftly replies.

Hilda giggles off to the side as the little girls form up in a small line to each have their picture taken by their parents. Daisy takes it in stride, adoring the attention. Bianca, however, seems to grow more and more flustered with each compliment to her and her Pokémon.

After the line is finally over, Bianca lets out a deep sigh. “That was, like, exhausting!”

“But it was all Daisy, though.” Hilda counters, laughing.

“I know, but still! Daisy’s already been through a lot. I was just worried something might happen.”

“Aw, no worries, Bianca. You’re plenty strong; you could’ve done something about it if anything did happen, so stop worrying so much. Plus, I’m here too!” Hilda says as she gives Bianca a pat on the back.

“You’re right! I am plenty strong!”

“Yeah!” Hilda cheers, “Now, it’s still super early, so how about we check out the stadiums and the Battle Subway?”

“Sure!”

We also went to the stadiums. We watched a soccer match, and even though we were unfamiliar with both teams, Hilda eagerly picked a favorite based on which team captain had the most charisma and cheered for that team’s goals as loud as she could. The same thing happened when we went to watch a tennis match, which was extremely out of place, so… that got Hilda and me escorted out of the stadium. I don’t think Hilda knew that people were, like, quiet during tennis, either, or she didn’t care.

We also tried out the Battle Subway even though I’m not as much of a battle fanatic as she was is, but we didn’t get very far…!

Then it got super late, and we had to scramble to book a hotel room for the night, but with some help from the locals, Hilda got that matter settled.

“Sorry it’s only one room; you don’t mind sharing, right?” Hilda says as she gets the room key out from her back pocket.

“I don’t mind!”

Hilda opens the door, and the two enter, and Bianca’s cheeks go red as she notices there’s only one bed.

“Oh yeah, we’re gonna have to share a bed too, but we’re both girls, so it’s okay.” Hilda continues nonchalantly.

‘That’s exactly the problem!’ Bianca thinks to herself.

Before Bianca can say anything, Hilda’s already speeding off towards the bathroom, calling “Dibs!” on the shower. Bianca sits on the bed and thinks, or tries to think, but she’s so nervous that she can’t come up with anything. She anxiously messes with her hat before taking it off and fiddling with her bag’s zipper instead.

Hilda comes out of the shower in her loose pajamas; it’s Bianca’s turn to shower.

She stays under the water’s embrace for a while, too scared of stepping out. But she faces her anxieties, puts on her pajama dress, and steps into the bedroom.

Hilda’s sitting on the bed, with her back turned to her. Bianca sits down with her back turned as well, their positions mirrored.

Hilda notices and leans back, using Bianca’s back as a backrest. “Can I ask you something?”

“Uh… yeah?”

“What was that your dad said about you ‘not being his little girl anymore’ or whatever?”

Bianca’s stomach drops. “Oh… Um… It’s like, it’s nothing!”

“Nah, it’s not nothing; you can tell me.” Hilda stops leaning on her back and switches sides of the bed to sit beside Bianca.

‘This isn’t how I wanted this to go!’ Bianca panics. “It was because of this,” she says as she grabs her bag and shows off the colorful charm hanging off of its zipper.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s that mean?”

“U-um, it means I like girls.” Bianca whispers out

“Yeah? I like girls, too.” Hilda replies like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, and Bianca’s heart skips a beat. “Everyone does.”

‘She doesn’t get it! Aaahhh!’

“N-no, it means I like, like like girls.” Bianca tries to explain.

“Like like?” Hilda, as dense as a rock, apparently, asks.

“Like, love like,” Bianca blushes.

Hilda lets out a long and drawn-out “Ohhh…” before continuing, “I get it now. You’re, um, ah… What was the word?”

“A lesbian…” Bianca answers.

“A lesbian! Right!” Hilda commits the word to memory. After a moment of silence, Hilda reassesses the situation they’re in and says, “Oh! I hope I haven’t made ya uncomfortable!”

“What? No, not at all! If anything, it’s me who should be, like, apologizing.”

“Nah, what are ya, crazy?” Hilda moves to settle into her side of the bed and remains quiet for a bit before adding, “Y’know, I haven’t really thought about what I am…”

“Really?” Bianca settles in as well; they’re both back to back again.

“Yeah. I, uh. I think I might like girls, too. Maybe everyone, but I don’t know. I haven’t gotten it figured out yet…” She trails off before carrying on, “You think you could show me where you got that charm thing once I do have it figured out?”

“Yes! Of course!”

“Thanks…”

A few minutes pass before Hilda begins snoring. Bianca, utterly stunned by the revelation that she actually has a chance, doesn’t know how to react when a warmth-seeking Hilda embraces her in her sleep.

‘Okay, Bianca! When she beats the Pokémon Champion, you’re confessing to her!’ she thinks to herself before falling asleep.

It was, like, a miracle that I managed to sleep at all that night! But we parted ways the following day only for me to catch up with Hilda again at Driftveil City (it was so cold!), where we had a Pokémon battle. She won, but I didn’t mind.

I met up with Professor Juniper right before Chargestone Cave, and I appointed myself as her bodyguard! Talking with her really gave me an idea of what I wanted to do. Since I couldn’t become as strong as Hilda or Cheren, I tried helping the professor with her Pokémon research. It was tons of fun! But something seemed off about Hilda that day. I’m pretty sure Team Plasma was to blame. She warned me about N that day.

As Professor Juniper takes samples from the cave floor, Bianca approaches Hilda, who’s currently puzzled by the floating crystal standing before her.

“Hilda! Here, you just have to, like, push it towards that big crystal over there. Don’t mind the… Um… what was it? Static electricity!”

“Like this?” She says as she carefully pushes the crystal, and it goes flying towards its larger counterpart. “That’s so cool!”

“Right?”

“Now I can head to Mistralton City…” Hilda trails off for a second, then continues, “Listen, Bianca, you haven’t run into a Pokémon Trainer with long green hair, have you?”

“Long green hair?”

“Yeah, tied back into a ponytail. He also talks really fast.”

“Um… nope.”

“Okay, good. His name is N, and he told me he’s the King of Team Plasma back at Nimbasa City, so if you see him, be careful. I saw him earlier, so there could be Team Plasma members around. Just try to stay away from him, okay?” Hilda explains.

“He’s what!?”

“Yeah, I know. Just be careful, alright?”

“Um… Yeah. I will!”

“I’ll go on ahead and clear out any Team Plasma grunts I see, but promise me you’ll be careful,” she says as she grasps Bianca’s hands.

“I promise!”

“Okay! Good!” Hilda smiles, “See ya later!”

I don’t think I’ll ever forget when I actually saw N for the first time. He and Hilda were arguing about Pokémon right by the exit to Mistralton City. I could hear them from deeper within the cave, so I followed their voices. The moment he saw Professor Juniper behind me, it was like he changed completely. He started arguing with her instead, and all I could do was watch.

Eventually he left, but a heavy argument like that left me a bit spooked, so I decided to stay with Professor Juniper a bit longer, as her bodyguard, of course. Studying Pokémon became something really fun and interesting to me.

I feel like it was around then that Hilda started drifting away from me, especially after what happened at Dragonspiral Tower. Reshiram’s awakening… The search for Zekrom… I didn’t know what to do with myself.

I even battled her for the last time right before the Tubeline Bridge, but she still seemed off.

“Hilda! You’re so amazing!”

“I… Thanks, Bianca.” Hilda replies, distracted.

“I know you’re going through a lot, but battling with you was totally amazing! This whole journey was totally amazing!” Bianca tries to cheer the other trainer up.

Hilda chuckles, but her smile doesn’t reach her eyes; it’s empty laughter.

“I know you can defeat Team Plasma. You’re super strong and amazing, so…”

Bianca tries to continue, but it’s almost as if Hilda were not even listening.

“Oh! Sorry, you must be really busy with this whole thing.” She says, hiding behind her hat.

“No, it’s okay!” Hilda trails off a bit. “Sorry, Bianca, you’re right. Finding Zekrom… it has me worried... I really need to hurry to Opelucid City.”

“Y-yeah! You go on ahead.”

She wasn’t the usual cheerful Hilda I’ve always known. She seemed… shy almost. My time with her was growing shorter and shorter.

Even Cheren was taken aback during his last battle with her. He wanted to be sure Hilda could defeat N, and Hilda easily defeated him. She looked so serious. I tried to make both of them smile, but I don’t know if they were real smiles at all.

Then the ground started shaking, and I saw how the Pokémon League got surrounded. It was terrifying. Hilda managed to put a stop to Team Plasma’s plans, though, and we were all able to return home.

Well, I stayed at the professor’s lab, but it was still home. Professor Juniper has always been so kind to me, so I stayed there for a couple of years. I thought I’d be able to spend those years alongside both Cheren and Hilda, but I was wrong.

“Bianca, could you pass me that clipboard, please?” Professor Juniper asks while looking into a microscope, seemingly examining the now discarded shell of a Pokémon egg.

“Oh!” Bianca clumsily reaches to her left and grabs it. “Um! Here you go, Professor Juniper!”

“Thank you, Bianca.” She begins crossing things out on a list. “Although, you’ve already been helping me out here for a couple of months. You know you’re welcome to call me Aurea.”

“Um… Yes! Miss Aurea!” Bianca says, too formally.

Professor Juniper sighs, but the look on her face is fond nonetheless.

Their work is interrupted by someone stepping inside.

“Oh, hello, Hilda.” Professor Juniper greets, “Bianca here was just about to go on break if you two want to have a Pokémon battle like you did last week. Just remember not to let your Pokémon get too rowdy if you’re going to battle inside!” She cheerfully reminds.

“Hilda! Hi!” Bianca runs up to her for a hug, which Hilda returns.

“Hey, Bianca. Hello, Professor Juniper.” Hilda smiles. “Don’t worry, Professor Juniper, I’m not here for a Pokémon battle. I’m still really sorry for knocking over that bookshelf last time!”

“It’s okay, Hilda; you helped Bianca and me clean it up, so don’t feel so bad about it.” The professor replies.

“Yeah! Next time we can just, like, battle outside!” Bianca adds, excitedly.

“About that…” Hilda trails off. “Bianca… I wanted to talk to you about something. Could you come outside with me for a bit?”

“Sure!”

The two make their way outside as Hilda leads them to a nearby bench. The silence goes on for too long, and Bianca worriedly looks at Hilda. “Is um… Is everything alright?”

“It’s uh… Bianca, I need to tell you something.”

“Okay…?” Bianca blushes, her imagination going wild.

“I’m leaving Unova.”

Bianca drops back down to reality and notices the big backpack Hilda’s been carrying the whole time. Something like what a backpacker would use, not her usual bag.

“Wh-What!?”

“I… I want to look for N.

“Why!?”

Hilda said she wanted to go look for N for some reason. I felt like I was losing her.

“I… I don’t know, but I feel like it’s something I have to do. It’s something Zekrom wants to do too.”

Suddenly a huge figure flies across the skies of Nuvema Town, briefly enveloping the pair in shadow; it must be Zekrom.

Hilda continues: “It’s been seeking out Reshiram in Unova for weeks, and it can’t find it or N.”

“But Zekrom can go alone, can’t it?”

It made me feel so desperate.

“Yeah, but… I figure if it can find Reshiram, it can find N too. They’re bound to be together, like Zekrom and I.”

Bianca stares at Hilda, heartbroken.

I didn’t know what to say at the time.

“Are you sure you have to do this? What about Cheren and me?” Bianca begins to quietly shed tears.

Hilda notices the state Bianca’s in and moves to comfort her, hugging her from the side. But when Bianca would usually lean into it, this time, she looks away.

“I’ll keep in touch with you two, of course!” Hilda tries to smile. “But I really do have to go. There’s so much I want to understand, so much I want to ask him.”

“You… But he’s not even your friend…!” Bianca sniffles.

“I know… But I have to do this.” Hilda pulls away from the attempted hug.

I remember being so angry when she told me. It felt like Team Plasma ripped out the normalcy from my life, and N ripped Hilda out of it, too.

Bianca sighs deeply and wipes away the tears from her face. “When are you leaving?”

“Today.” Hilda looks at the figure in the sky growing closer and closer. “I already told Cheren; he didn’t take it well either, but we’ve already said goodbye.”

“T-today!?” Tears begin to well up in Bianca’s eyes once more. She bows her head down and props it up with her hands.

“I’m sorry. I thought a quick farewell would be better instead of prolonging it for a while.”

It was all so sudden, too.

Zekrom lands on the ground with a loud thud and lets out a roar.

“I-I have to go, Bianca.” Hilda’s strong facade finally drops.

“Now!?” Bianca sobs.

“Y-Yeah.” She wipes away her own tears and jumps up onto Zekrom’s back. “Please visit my mom while I’m gone.”

“How, how long will you be gone for?” Bianca asks.

“I don’t… I don’t know… But I’ll bring you back lots of souvenirs!” Hilda attempts to compose herself. “So um… Goodbye…” Zekrom begins to prepare to fly off but stops, interrupted by Bianca.

“Hilda! Wait!” She yells.

Hilda waits.

“I love—I loved traveling with you!” Bianca says through tears.

“I loved traveling with you, too.” Hilda replies.

Zekrom takes off, and she’s gone.

I wonder if she understood what I wanted to tell her. It keeps me up at night sometimes. I wonder if she still would have left if I had told her how I felt back at Castelia City, or Nimbasa City, or anytime at all. I had so many chances, but I didn’t take any of them because I was too afraid to.

Even when we were traveling and I was usually one step behind her, she’d wait for me to catch up. But now, it feels like I’ve been left behind. Hilda used to call often, but I haven’t heard from her in months recently.

I miss her. I lo-

Bianca’s writing is interrupted by her alarm. A reminder she’d set on her phone. She quietly brushes away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and gets up from her desk.

She’s supposed to hand out some Pokémon today. Someone’s journey is about to start right before her eyes. She keeps telling herself this, but maybe Hilda will come back by the next one she helps kickstart.

Maybe it’ll be this time. Who knows what the future will bring?