The Journey of A Champion: A Pokemon Fanfic

Chapter 25: Dragonspiral Tower

Tomas swung his legs up onto the hill. He flipped up his coat collar and stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets. Riley watched with concerned eyes as he headed back towards the Pokemon Center. She whirled around, grabbed her keys, and dashed down the stairs, forgetting her crutches. 

The trainer ran into him at the door and stepped back as they collided. A dull ache shot through her leg, but she ignored it. “ What were you doing?” She asked, pointing an accusing finger at him.

“ I told you before I left, just going out.” He replied blandly.

“ Yeah, but what were you doing?” Her voice rose a little and Tomas took a step back, putting his hands up defensively.

“ I was just---just trying to clear my head.” The raven-haired trainer furrowed his brow. Why is she acting like this?

Riley crossed her arms and looked at Tomas angrily. Doubt had been eating away at her trust for the trainer ever since Sage Rood had warned her about him. “ And?”

“ That’s all. Why would I be doing anything else?” The boy looked at her confused.

Riley was silent, thinking about everything they’d gone through together. Her memories rewound and she thought back to when they’d first met, on the outskirts of Nuvema Town. She hadn’t known anything about him, but they’d battled and ended up going to Striaton City together and then on a journey. But Riley didn’t know him other than that. She bit her lip and burst out. “ Just tell me I can trust you! Tell me you have nothing to hide!”

Nurse Joy looked up from the counter, surprised. An uneasy silence followed and the raven-haired trainer dropped Riley’s gaze.

“ Guess what I found!” Sophie ran in the door with her hair down and a huge smile. She opened her eyes and looked from Tomas to Riley. “ Oh.” The brown haired trainer held the boy across from her with a firm gaze. He looked straight back and slowly she turned away.

“ What’s, um, what’s going on?” Sophie asked, looking to Nurse Joy for clarification. 

Riley opened her mouth, wanting to tell her how much she doubted Tomas and why, but the whole “champion” thing had remained a secret from both of them and she felt she couldn’t talk about it to Sophie, at least, not in front of Tomas. She glanced at the raven haired trainer briefly. “ I’ll be back soon.” Riley pushed open the doors of the Pokecenter zipped up her jacket, and wandered away from the building angrily.

Tomas tensed and Sophie turned to him in confusion

Outside, Riley breathed the damp air and slowly exhaled. She rolled her shoulders, put her hood up, and walked to Dragonspiral Tower. The trainer went from dank floor to floor, looking down and thinking. Everywhere she looked she could see places were Team Plasma had disturbed it. The trainer arrived at the top and the cold wind lifted her hair as she brought her hood down. She wandered over near the edge of the tower and kneeled. Riley put her hand on the ground, eyes narrowing as she looked at a series of scorch marks. She imagined Zekrom roaring as it flew and summoning bursts of lightning as it came to the Hero’s foe. Did the Hero have to go through things like this? All these visions, enemies, and legendary Pokemon? She clenched her fist. I know Team Plasma’s bad. I know what’ll happen if they do take over Unova, but who says I have to be the one to stop them?! Who says I even can?! She took a deep breath. I don’t even know who to trust! “ Aaargh!” The trainer shouted and the sound echoed. I want to trust Tomas.

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“ Sage Rood, you don’t think they’ll ever find us do you?” Chloe, the former Team Plasma member, asked nervously.