CHAPTER ONE- PRELUDE

"Hilda, you should give up already. It's been two years. I don't think that you're going to run into N anytime soon. Maybe you should just go home; I know that your mom really misses you. Or you could come visit me in Aspertia City. Don't you wanna see your ol' pal Cheren in action?" Cheren chatted happily away on the Xtransceiver. His eyes were closed and his glasses looked like they were on the tip of his nose. His lips were curled upwards.

I sighed in response.I was sitting on a bench by an enormous Audino and the view of the ferris wheel that N and I rode together loomed above me. The sky was beginning to grow dark, but there was a light above me so I could still see Cheren. "You're right."

"So you'll come visit me?" He asked. He had a cheeky smile on, but his eyes looked a bit more serious behind his glasses. "You really should. I wish you could see the view of the lookout here. It's gorgeous."

"Maybe sometime soon. I should probably visit my mom first. Ever since dad moved to Johto to work on his radio show. Mom would probably leave for Johto soon now that I live a nomadic lifestyle. "I have to go Cheren. I'll call you soon."

I could see on the screen that he sighed, but I didn't hear it. He looked upset that I wasn't flying to Aspertia tonight. "Goodbye, Hilda. Please come soon!"

"I will." I smiled to him sincerely and then hung up the Xtransceiver. I sat on the bench and stared at the giant Audino for a few more minutes. When I decided that the statue had mocked me enough I stood up and and began to walk towards the exit of the amusement park.

I stopped when I reached the ferris wheel though. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to keep moving. A metal cage enclosed itself around my heart. I felt drawn to the ferris wheel. The ride's attendant, whose name was Falkin, called that it would only be open for another half an hour. Some unknown force pushed my feet towards the ride. There was an elderly couple in line ahead of me and some young trainers. It only took a few minutes for me to make it onto the ride.

"Enjoy your ride, Miss Champion," Falkin smiled to me. I was glad that no one else was around to hear him. Falkin had seen me come to the amusement park so many times over the past two years that we'd become close. The fact that I was Unova's champion didn't mystify him at all, as it did for some others.

"I'll do my best, Falkin. Have you seen him?" I asked eagerly.

"I'm sorry, Hilda, I haven't."

I nodded. He would have told me if he had seen N. I moved towards the ferris wheel's capsules and sat inside. The glow of Nimbasa City was inviting looking, but even it couldn't raise my spirits. I didn't know if I could face spending another night at Elesa's and explaining to her that I was still searching for N. A few minutes later I got off the ride and said goodbye to Falkin.

I should listen to Cheren, I thought to myself. I called out my Altaria from my party. "Altaria, let's go home to Numeva Town." With a loud cry we were off. I didn't even hear the voice calling for me.

Altaria dropped me off at my front door. I tried to open it but it was locked. I pounded on the door. Emotions were swirling inside of me. "Mom, are you there? It's me, Hilda! Mom please tell me that you're home." I knocked on the door for a few more seconds before it swung open.

"Hilda, darling, you're here! Oh, I've missed you so much, baby," she wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so proud of you!"

I threw my arms back around her. The sobs were now audible.

She pulled back and examined my face. "Hilda, what's the matter?"

I then told her about how miserably my efforts to find N were going. I had looked all across Unova and I hadn't even heard a whisper of where he might be. The gym leaders and the other elite four trainers hadn't heard anything. And it was so doubtful that any random person might even know who N was. At least I had been lucky in avoiding Team Plasma.

"Oh baby," she began when I finished my story. "Why don't you stay here for a few days before you continue looking for N? I know that he must be very important to you if you'want to continue searching for him after all this time. Why don't you go on up to bed?"

"That sounds great, mom. I can't remember the last time that I slept in my own bed." I smiled gratefully to her and then started towards the stairs. As I began to climb them she called to me.

"Oh, by the way, Cheren called this evening!"

I stopped in my tracks. "He did?"

"Yes! He said he had been planning on coming home and visiting his parents. He'll be in town tomorrow. I'm sure it will be wonderful to see your best friend!" She called cheerfully from across the room.

"Yeah," I responded tersely and continued back up the stairs.

As I waited for the sleep to overtake me I thought about Cheren. Was he actually planning on coming into town already? Or was he coming into town just because he knew that I would go home? I couldn't decide which I thought it was before I fell asleep.

***

"Hilda, breakfast is ready!" My mom called from downstairs. I blinked my eyes open and looked at the clock in the room. I'd fallen asleep around 2 in the morning and now it was only 10. I was exhausted from my traveling, but I'd missed mom's cooking more than I remembered. I threw off my pajamas and pulled on some shorts and a tank top. I brushed my thick brown hair into a messy ponytail.

I climbed down the stairs in a slight haze. When I reached the table I noticed a third place was set. "Mom, is someone coming over?"

"Did you already forget what I told you last night?" She laughed. She walked over to the table and set down stacks of pancakes, a plate of fruit, and some bacon. Orange juice and milk were already on the table.

"Cheren?"

At that exact moment a small knock came from the door. Without my mom or I answering the door swung open. Cheren was standing in the door holding a bouquet of flowers and wearing a smile. "Hilda!"

I pushed myself out of the chair and ran towards my friend. I'd been feeling so down about my hunt for N that I'd stooped to thinking that Cheren would have motives that were less than honorable. I threw my arms around my friend and almost crushed the flowers that he clutched so dearly. My mother came over and took the flowers from him and then his arms flew around me too.