Part One

So Strong
The full moon hung blissfully in the sky, accompanied by clouds and billions of stars. Down by the Nimbasa Gym a couple of trainers and three Emolga were shooting off multi-colored fireworks. Not many actually sat down to watch them, not many had the chance to appreciate the beauty nowadays. No one ever stopped to take a breath, especially in Nimbasa. But Sarah was watching the display; in fact, she was watching with her own Pokemon, Serperior, sitting beside her. She had her legs crossed Indian style and was marveling at the colorful explosions, her dark red hair pulled back into a pony-tail to avoid the heat, and her baseball cap clutched in one hand. Well, not her baseball cap, but the cap her friend N had loned her earlier that day on the road from Castelia City.
"You need it more than I do, in this sunlight," he'd said with a grin, handing the black and white cap to her. She was training with Serperior in the desert when she happened upon him. After demanding why he kept running off after their battles, he conceided that he was frustrated over not being strong enough to beat her. She was flattered, of course, and asked him if he wanted to accompany her to Nimbasa City. He'd made a terrible excuse and run off again, leaving Sarah with his hat and a boatload of curiosity.
And there she sat, after a long day in the desert, with Servine by her side as usual. When the snake-like Pokemon fell back on the grass, Sarah opened up her bag and searched through the pouch of berries she carried with her. "Want an oran berry, bud?" she asked him, smiling lightly. "Or we could always trek across town to the Pokemon Center."
It was times like this that she thought of Team Plasma, and their claim that Pokemon were miserable when they were captured by humans. But how could that be? Serperior was her best friend, and he sure didn't seem miserable. Munna seemed happy, as did Simipour, Excadrill, Unfezant, and Cinccino. They'd been through so much together, that they were practically a family. After beating Alder after the Elite Four, Sarah had decided against broadcasting her win and calling herself as champion, because she wanted to concentrate on defeating Team Plasma.
She sighed, holding the berry out to Serperior. He ate it happily and sat up, rejuvinated. He watched the fireworks without batting an eye, entertained easily as always. Sarah glanced down at her Xtransciever, biting her lip. Her cousin, Roger, was currently fighting his way through Pinwheel Forest, or at least he was the last time he'd called. He was asked, along with his two childhood friends Cheren and Bianca, to complete the Unova Pokedex by professor Juniper in Nuvema Town. Sarah always laughed when she thought of it; really, Juniper could do it the old fashioned way.
Sarah had made her way through Unova without being asked, after rescuing a Snivy from a raging flock of Pidove south of Accumula Town. She was living with Roger and his mom at the time, and decided to go on her own through the region. She wrote down every type of Pokemon she saw, and went to different people to find out what they were called. She didn't have a Pokedex, just a Xtransciever and some Pokeballs. She did get a C-Gear from Fennel shortly after Roger did, because he told her about it. This was when Munna had appeared, fleeing the Dreamyard in a panicked manner. She was young and had a long way to go before she could compare to Serperior or her other Pokemon, but she clung to Sarah like a lost Lillipup, and she battled as hard as she could.
"Sarah, Sarah!" A familiar voice calling her name made Sarah's head snap up in surprise, and a grin splayed across her lips. Walking toward her across the grass was none other than N, waving and smiling sudtley as he always did. He had a whistful glaze in his eyes, as if he were thinking of something completely different.
"N!" She stood up, closing the gap between them and wrapping him in a hug. He was taken aback, literally, but after a moment of hesitation he hugged her in return. She blushed and untangled herself, stepping back from him. "Sorry, I was just, uh, caught off guard. I guess..." She looked at her feet, sitting back down beside Serperior.
"It's fine," he said. He took a seat in the grass as well. "I may not understand the emotions of Pokemon, but I do understand that you females tend to go with your emotions." Her eyes widened and she laughed, punching his arm. "What? What did I say?" He asked, laughing in return.
"'You females!'" she repeated. "As if we're not of the same species." She rolled her eyes, laying back in the grass and putting her hands behind her head. "Then, I guess we technically are. Different chromosomes and all."
"I failed biology," N replied, laying down beside her. "But I think I remember that."
"I'm not surprised," Sarah said bluntly. "You seem the type to excel in psychololgy. What with your deep thoughts and what not." She blinked, the fireworks reflected in her wide blue-gray eyes. "Sometimes I think Team Plasma has a point, you know? That a lot of Pokemon are mistreated." She looked over at her green-haired companion. "I know you think that, too. And even though I think what Team Plasma's doing is wrong, I can't help but partially agree with them."
N sat up, looking flustered.
"What?" She asked, sitting up. "I thought that you agreed! I mean, that's all you've been talking about." She frowned, narrowing her eyes. Two tall figures were approaching them, each donning Team Plasma's uniform. "Oh crap, here they come," Sarah crumbled, scrambling to her feet. "Get ready for obnoxiousness."
"Oh, Arceus---" N cursed under his breath, standing and grabbing Sarah by the wrist. "Come on, I can't do this." He pulled her away from the spot, and she quickly returned Serperior to his Pokeball. They hurried down the hillside and into the city, weaving between the buildings toward the Gym and the ferris wheel.
"Where are we going? We could have taken them!" Sarah complained as they crossed the bridge and he led her toward the giant ferris wheel.
"No, Sarah, you don't understand," N insisted. He tossed some money at the girl working the ferris wheel and they climbed on. As the wheel turned and they were risen into the sky, the girl stared at her friend in bewilderment. "I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead," she smiled slightly. Usually, she was the one asking questions.
"You say you agree with Team Plasma's views?" He asked. "But you still thiknk what they're doing is wrong. How so?" She blinked, thinking this over for a moment before answering.
"Well, I guess I'm just thinking of the trainers like Roger, Cheren, Bianca, and myself, who really love and take care of their Pokemon. I know I wouldn't want my Pokemon to get taken away. Would you?" She ran her fingers over the Pokeballs secured in her belt. N didn't reply. He stared up at the sky, obviously in deep thought. "N?"
"You're right," he said softly. He turned toward Sarah, putting his hands on her shoulders so that she would face him. "You love your Pokemon, and they love you. You shouldn't have them taken away." She frowned, wondering where he was going with this. "I've seen you battle, I've seen you when you're in pain. You only think about them, and their needs. But sometimes, you need someone to think about your needs."
"What are you saying? I'm so confused."
"You need to get out of here. Go home to Nuvema Town, and help the Pokemon Professor. Team Plasma can't be stopped, and when the time comes that they liberate Pokemon, you need to be out of sight." Sarah searched his face for answers. The ferris wheel was getting ready to descend when it stalled, right at the top.
"I can't just sit by and let them get away with it!" She insisted.
"Let Roger, Cheren, and Bianca deal with it," N pleaded. "Please, Sarah, I don't want you to get hurt." Fireworks exploded overhead in ever color of the rainbow. The young Pokemon Trainer couldn't believe what she was hearing. he really did care about her. In the grass before, N had said that he understood when girls acted on their emotions. So she did. She stood up on her toes, grabbed his collar, and kissed her friend on the mouth. N was startled, again, but he responded likewise, pulling her closer to him.
He seemed to come to his senses and pushed her away. As he did, the ferris wheel started moving again, and before too long they were on the ground again, standing face to face with the two Team Plasma Grunts. Sarah stood defensively, unhooking a Pokeball from her belt. If she was going to hide, she wasn't disappearing without a fight.
"Sarah," N uttered, holding up a hand.
"We don't wish to fight with you, trainer," the female Grunt said. "We've come to retrieve our king."
"Well you better keep looking, because Ghetsis isn't here," she shot back.
"Ghetsis is not our king," the woman's counterpart corrected. "Our lord, N," he bowed his head, and for a moment, time stopped. Sarah turned slowly to look at N, to get some kind of explanation, but he stared at her, mortified and guilty.
"You're...they're king?" She stammered. "You lied to me."
"I know, I'm sorry---"
"No. No, because if you were sorry you wouldn't have done it." She tossed the Pokeball she was holding into the air, and out sprung Munna, ready to go. "Good luck with what ever, N," she spat. "I hope Roger kicks your ass." She turned to her Pokemon and uttered with a shaking voice, "Teleport; anywhere but here."
And then they were gone.