What the Wind Carries [Pokémon Black and White 2 fanfiction]

09| Hugh's Reasoning

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the rush of cold wind against my face. I became lost in the hum of the boat's motor and the sound of crashing waves as the vessel cut through the water almost effortlessly, the boat jolting only every so often. I'd never really been on a boat before, unless a tiny rowboat on some miscellaneous lake some years ago counted.

Opening my eyes made me squint because of the sunlight reflecting off the silver stretch of seawater. From where I stood on the boat's deck, I could make out the shapes of distant structures reaching up to the sky: Castelia's famous skyline, it could be seen from miles away. And in less than an hour, I would be there. The thought filled me with an excitement that rivaled how I felt when I first got Ivy.

I looked at Nate and Hugh to see what they were doing. Nate was sitting on the deck and leaning against the port wall of the boat, fast asleep. Hugh was on the opposite side of the deck. He was sitting with his knees pulled tight up to his chest and his arms were wrapped around his knees, he looked rather forlorn.

Poor Hugh, I thought. Between him and Nate having their Pokémon stolen, he seemed to be taking it the hardest. I couldn't even begin to grasp how either of them felt about what happened, but it made me hate Team Plasma with unbridled rage.

Hugh glanced up at me and saw that I was staring at him. I silently walked over and sat down next to him.

"Are... you okay?" I stupidly asked. What kind of question is that?! Of course he isn't okay! Even as I thought that, I continued talking. "Do you want to talk?"

Hugh was silent for a moment. "I've never told you or Nate the whole story," he said, not looking at me.

I was confused. "About what?"

"Why I hate Pokémon thieves so much, or Team Plasma I guess. And how Lily lost her Pokémon. I didn't think we were close enough as friends yet. But now I think I can tell you."

Now that he mentioned it, neither Nate or I knew much about Lily. We didn't even know what Pokémon she had. I nodded, letting Hugh begin his story.

"It was about five years ago, a month or so after I met you and Nate. I was nine and Lily had just turned five. For Lily's birthday, I wanted to get her something special, so I went to the PokéMart and used what money I'd saved to buy a Poké Ball. I snuck out of Aspertia and went out to Route 19. Using the Poké Ball I had, I caught the first Pokémon I saw: a Purrloin. Not just any Purrloin though, a Shiny Purrloin. A special Purrloin like that deserved a good nickname, so I named her Pearls," Hugh said, smiling at the memory. "I gave Pearls to Lily, much to my mom and dad's shock. They let her keep Pearls though. So a few days later, I was playing with Lily and Pearls just outside the Route 19 gate. We were having fun, but then they showed up." Hugh paused.

"Who?" I asked despite knowing I'd get an answer a second later.

"They wore different outfits back then, but the emblem was still the same. It was Team Plasma," Hugh's tone began to waver. "I can still picture them clearly. There were three of them, a man and woman, both dressed sorta like medieval knights. The third person who must've been the one in charge of the three was completely different though. Black clothing, light-colored hair, a black bandanna wrapped around most of his face, and piercing eyes. He sent out this really strange-looking Pokémon. It was a ball of greenish-blue vines with eyes."