"Are you guys ready for our match tomorrow?" Hilda asked her Pokémon.

She laid on the bottom bunk in a room in the Pokémon Center, staring at the ceiling. Hilda was petting the Cinccino laying on her chest, on top of the covers.

Serperior and Unzfezant laid on the floor and Litwick propped herself up on the windowsill.

Serperior made a small hissing sound at his trainer's question- a sound Hilda had found to be Serperior's "Yes".

Unfezant had passed out as soon as he'd laid down, so no answer came from him.

Hilda felt Cinccino nod.

Litwick sneezed.

A memory bubbled into Hilda's mind.

"How long do you think N had those guys watching us?"

Serperior made a sound that resembled a growl.

"Why do you think he had them watching us? And why were the things he wanted to know about me so trivial?"

Cinccino giggled.

"What?" Hilda asked.

Cinccino made Baby Doll Eyes at her trainer.

Hilda rolled her eyes, "Oh please! If anyone has a crush on N, it's you."

Serperior hissed.

Hilda looked down at her partner and chuckled, "Stop whining! The only thing that's ever gonna happen between me and N is that my fist is gonna meet his face if his idiotic grunts even try to take you guys away from me."

Serperior lifted his head and rested it on Hilda's stomach.

Hilda smiled and sighed, "You think we'll have to stop Team Plasma?"

Serperior made no noise that Hilda could hear, but she felt the vibration from his throat on her stomach.

"Do you think we'll be able to?" She whispered.

None of her Pokémon made any sort of noise- as if they all held their breaths. Except for Unfezant, of course, who's breathing could be heard in a consistent rhythm.

Hilda pushed her doubts to the back of her mind and plastered on her false confidence, "I'm sure we can. N's going down!"

Serperior sighed with relief and dozed off to sleep along with Cinccino. Hilda remained awake, her thoughts and doubts returning to the surface. The room slowly got darker as Litwick fell asleep, her flame going out for the night.

"Down...He's going down..." Hilda whispered to herself.

Finally, she drifted off to sleep.