Secrets Without Shame (A Pokémon Fanfiction)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The two words of 'Red Velvet' rang through the forest. Bird pokemon flew out of the trees out of fright of the loud noise.

Margaret turned her back on N and began to cry. Her Unowns all moved in front of her. Mu, Alpha, Rho, Epsilon, and Tau all looked at her in concern.

"Margaret?" Rho asked nervously, floating toward her.

But she shook her head and covered her face with her hands. At least they didn't call her Red Velvet anymore. She told them her true name after getting home.

N didn't say anything. He just stared at her.

"So," he started, sitting on the ground across from Margaret. "You're Project Red Velvet?"

Margaret sniffed and nodded. She flinched at the name Red Velvet. She had not been called that in almost seven years.

She jumped as N got up and began brushing the feathers on her injured wing.

"W-What are you doing?" The rookie demanded as she tried shaking her wing away from him.

"I can't let you leave with your wing in such a sorry shape," he replied calmly, pulling a roll of bandages out of his bag.

"Why should I trust you?"

N paused and raised an eyebrow. Margaret admired how calm and unconcerned he was with her snapping at him. She actually felt ashamed of her behavior.

"Well who else can help you with this?" N asked. "If my suspicions are correct, I'm the only one who knows about your wings. Besides, I haven't tried to hurt you, have I?"

She shook her head, and let him tend to her wing. Her Unowns all broke the circle and floated over to Rapi. She was reminded of the time that they tried to chat up the blue stag pokemon.

"I'd understand if you don't want to talk about this, but from what I remember, you escaped from Team Rocket seven years ago." N started again, sounding a little tense.

Margaret nodded and said in a muffled voice, "Yeah, I did."

"But the reports said that you had no special powers or abilities when you ran away. So how did you grow wings?"

"It's...it's a long story." She mumbled, hugging her knees tightly.

"Well we have time," N pointed out. "Mending your wing will take awhile."

Margaret hesitated at this. Nobody besides her family and a few trustworthy outsiders knew about her past. Not even Danny nor Red knew about her wings. But N seemed trustworthy. There was something about him that made him seem less frightening and deceitful than the reports said he was. Besides, he just saved her life.

"I will if you promise not to tell anyone else about any of this," she finally said after a moment.

"Of course, I'll keep it secret." N promised her.

She wasn't entirely reassured, but she sighed anyway and began to tell her story.

"First, do you know one reason why Team Rocket is so famous?" Margaret asked him.

N frowned and didn't speak for a moment. A sad look crossed his face before answering, "I remember being told about the cruelty and abuse they did to pokemon. I was told to stay away from anyone from Team Rocket."

"You're right, but they were, and are, well known for their experiments. I'm sure you've heard of at least one of them."

Margaret watched N as he became lost in thought again. He then said softly, "The creation of Mewtwo."