Chapter 7

"White, when can we go? I hate being with those pokemon and kids!" Zoroark snarled.

"I know you hate them. Anyone would hate them if they called you a 'blood sucking werewolf'." White retorted.

They were in Floccesy Town, where it was in the late evening. White had let Archy wander around, so she didn't know where he was. She and Zoroark were in front of the old bell tower.

"Well who does want to be called that?! And that Tepig thinks he's King of the World!" Zoroark complained.

"You think your King of the World." she pointed out as she started to tune her guitar.

White had a regular guitar that she bought in Kanto. She brought it along with her around Unova, which was usually in a case on Archy's back.

"What about that Oshawott? He keeps waving that shell of his and-"

"You use to wave a stick around and hit my Pikachu in the face, when you were a Zorua." interrupted White with a smirk, making Zoroark fall silent.

"They will grow and become more mature." She continued after a moment. "Everyone goes through that cycle. But I think mine was the worst mature cycle."

"How was yours bad?" Zoroark asked.

"Girls are said to be more mature than guys, right?"

"Apparently."

"I think a girl goes mature at the age of 13, and I probably became mature at the age of 6." she said thoughtfully. "Do you know how hard it is to be the only mature girl?" Zoroark snickered a little at this.

"I can't wait for Leia to get mature." a voice said. Hugh was a few feet behind them, watching curiously. Zoroark stopped snickering and looked at White.

"Were you talking to the Zoroark?" Hugh continued.

"And if I was?" White asked coolly and unconcernedly.

The rookie watched her for a second. Then he shrugged.

"Whatever. I just saw you out here. I wanted to ask you something." he added.

White looked up at him. Half of her didn't want to answer his question, but it might keep his mind off her talking to Zoroark.

"Go ahead." White growled slightly, beginning to play something on her guitar.

"Do you have a family?" He asked. A string broke on her guitar as White's hand jerked back. Zoroark growled at the noise and his tail twitched.

"Why...why do you ask that?" White stammered, tying the string back on while shaking slightly.

"I don't know. I asked Bianca, but she said she didn't even know. Well, you just seem kinda... lonely." he trailed off.

White didn't answer. That was one thing she hated about being able to speak to pokemon. It always looked like she was talking to herself.

"I'm an orphan." she answered, which was half true.

"You don't have any brothers or sisters?" Hugh asked.

"No." White lied, but didn't feel guilty. She had always lied about being a only child. Well, not always. She had friends who pretended to be her siblings.

Hugh fell silent for a second. White ignored him as she started to play another song, trying not to break another string. Zoroark seemed to relax a bit.

"What happened to your parents?" he finally asked.

"My father ran away a few days after my birth, and my mother abandoned me in a forest." White said, telling the truth, "My mother apparently died a few years back."

"What about grandparents?" Hugh pushed on.

White rolled her eyes, but thankfully Hugh didn't see her. "My grandmother died in a car accident, and my grandfather died six years ago." she growled, and choked back a small sob.

Grandfather Gregory. The only person who made her life bearable. Dead. White tried to hold back tears, as she remembered how he tried to persuade her mother to let her be a pokemon trainer when she was older. How he caught White her first pokemon, and how he told her to follow her dreams.

"I-I'm sorry." Hugh stuttered. White wiped her eyes with her coat sleeve.

"It's alright. I'm fine." she mumbled. Zoroark turned away, which White was glad he did.

"I'm the oldest kid in my family. I have two sisters. Leia is the middle child, and Harriet is the youngest." Hugh explained. White didn't say anything.

"My parents allow us to have pokemon, but we can't go on a journey until we are 12. My first pokemon was my Tepig, which I hatched myself. Leia had a Lillipup, but it went missing. Our grandfather caught Harriet a Purrloin."

"Grandfathers are really something." White said, "You can learn a lot from them. I think very highly of mine."

Hugh nodded. "I think highly of mine too. Mine is also dead, he died a little while back."

Hugh turned toward the burned down bell tower. "About four years ago, Team Plasma stole Harriet's Purrloin. I want to get it back. I feel like it's my duty as an older brother to help her." he explained.

White said nothing. She wished N was more like Hugh.

"I think Harriet and Leia are lucky to have a brother like you." she finally said, willing to smile. Hugh smiled back.

Zoroark made a small choking noise, and looked amused. White pushed back the urge to step on his tail. She began to sing quietly as she played another song.

Here I am once again,
Crying out on the floor.
Trying to make sense
Of this emptiness, once more.

I can't do this on my own.
I'm in too deep,
I should have known.
I know You made me for
So much more than this.

I've been running so fast,
Trying to get back to the start.
I've been holding so tight,
But it all just comes apart.
Pull me in, break me down,
Make me new and bring me

Closer to Your heart, heart, heart, heart, heart

Help me be unafraid,
Find my place where You are.
Oh, You've always been enough,
You're the light in the dark.

Afraid of giving up control,
You are there, but I let go.
You're taking this brokenness,
Making it beautiful.

I've been running so fast,
Trying to get back to the start.
I've been holding so tight,
But it all just comes apart.
Pull me in, break me down,
Make me new and
Bring me closer to Your

Heart

Oh oh, make me come clean.
Oh oh, You're all I need.
Oh oh, bring me closer to
Your heart, heart, heart.
Closer to Your heart, heart, heart, heart, heart.

I've been running so fast,
Trying to get back to the start.
I've been holding so tight,
But it all just comes apart.
Pull me in, break me down,
Make me new and bring
Me closer to Your heart, heart, heart, heart, heart.
Closer to You're heart, heart, heart, heart, heart.
Closer to You're heart, heart, heart, heart.

They were silent after White finished. Zoroark was watching Hugh, as if waiting for him to do something amusing.

"You are a good singer." Hugh complemented. White nodded.

"Thank you. I struggle with singing in front of others." she admitted.

"I think you did fine." he told her, making White blush. "How old are you again?"

"I'm 15, but I will be 16 in a few weeks." she replied.

Hugh nodded and looked at the houses around them.

"I think I will go back to the Pokemon Center know." he said, starting toward the other side of town, "You coming?"

"In a bit." White replied, and looked at Zoroark. Hugh shrugged and walked away.

"You have an admirer." Zoroark cooed when Hugh was out of ear shot.

"Right..." White snorted.

"I'm serious. I think that kid likes you. A Zoroark doesn't lie."

"You guys lie. You lie all the time." she sneered.

Zoroark shrugged. "Maybe not that often, but we tell the truth. He was watching you a lot." he growled.

White ignored him, and started to play on her guitar again. She never actually thought about having a boyfriend, and never thought she would get one. She actually had one once, but it just didn't work. Cheren was one thing, but Hugh was like three to four years younger.

But one thing White was worried about was that Hugh might find out her secrets. Not only that she can speak to pokemon, but her entire past. But worse, was that he might discover her older brother.

(Song: Closer to Your Heart by Natalie Grant)