N.

N?

N. N is the king of Team Plasma. Of course. Of course he is. Of course he bloody is! The musical, taking me there was a ploy, and a cover up for the stolen acting Pokémon.

“I could never forget that face, that hair, those eyes. And I see that your Pokémon have alternated a fair amount as well! How many more ‘friends’ have you let live freely? And why have you captured more?”

“What...do you want?” I struggle to breathe in my condition.

“Well I suppose it is so unsightly seeing you like this, it would only be right of me to lend these Revives to your Pokémon as well. My apologies for the Team, they are very handsy.” He approaches me, kneeling down and bestowing six golden jewels upon each of my Pokémon. One by one they regain consciousness.

“Now. What about this seventh jewel? Or is it a stone? Or is it a rock? I’m not sure, myself. But I know you know.” I stare in its glow. The Stone induces a migraine for me.

“You hear their voice? Or is this a pre-emptive attack? But you know who this is, and you know how to call upon it. Right?” He returns to the centre of the room after antagonising me. I turn to nurse my Pokémon back to health, Warren casting Heal Pulse on all of us.

“It’s oh so beautiful, seeing the seven on you in such harmony, you must have been through such hardships. It’s not even too long since I’ve last seen you, but you look so aged. So wise. So foolish.” N turns to us. Glaring down his nose. “I know you’ve been fiddling around with my calling. And I’m going to have to put that, and your research crones, to a halt.” He plays with the Stone, throwing it between his hands like a plaything.

“Why is it white? Why is the Dark Stone, white?”

“You think this is the Dark Stone? Oh my goodness, you are so stupid. This is not the Dark Stone. This is the Light Stone. This is what you’ve been looking for. This is what Team Plasma has looked for, and we won.” N raises it high above his head. “This...is my fate.”

The Stone glows in his palm, levitating. Burning.

It draws ether from the entire room, the chamber atop Dragonspiral Tower glows amber in the Stone’s wake. I hear Finn crying behind me.

“Say ‘hello’ then.” N smirks. “To Reshiram.”

The Stone explodes, a portal of bright, vast, blinding energy fills the room. Shielding my eyes from the impact of stones flying everywhere, I protect my Pokémon using my jacket. Peeking from behind I see a creature emerge from the blissful glow. One foot at a time. One wing at a time. One feather at a time. This creature towers over every single being present in this room, taller than the ancient pillars once made for it.

It stands tall, proud and regal. It’s wings - broad and commanding. It’s hair waves in the wind akin to a flickering flame. Reshiram, the Vast White Pokémon of Legend.

All of my Pokémon are gazing, unmoving. Drayn manages to hold all of us in his spectral arms. N steps in front of it.

“This is my fate. My destiny. I’ve spent my whole life striving to gift the truth upon everyone I meet, you included. And nothing upsets me more than the idea that...you never remembered me. Why is that?” I glare at him, incapable of understanding.

I don’t know who he is, surely I don’t, why would I?

“Oh, Alec. The boy in the forest. The games we’d play. The Pokémon you never met. Do these faces remind you of anything?” He flings five Poké Balls in the air, revealing several creatures who are...old. They’re so old. But they wave as if we were familiar.

“I’m...sorry. I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I scream, my migraine intensifies. Reshiram looks right at me. It’s azure eyes fill me with pain.

“You don’t remember? You don’t remember? You don’t REMEMBER!?” N screeches, echoing throughout the chamber. Reshiram cries in the discord, almost harmonising with the man before us. I can’t breathe, I can feel the research team surrounding me, protecting me from the debris flying from Reshiram’s wings.

“He doesn’t remember! Why can’t he remember! I recognised you as soon as I saw you! And then! You don’t do anything! You can’t do anything!” He raises his arm, and Reshiram’s wing follows suit.

“Scorch the traitor. I deem him unfit.” Reshiram’s generator tail starts to turn, glowing a bright hot red as it summons an orb of blazing energy at it’s fingertips...it stops as N lowers his arm.

“No. This isn’t right, this isn’t how it’s meant to be. Reshiram! Fly us out of here!” The legendary Pokémon listens, heeding the call of it’s summoner. “If you wish to see Unova in the state it is in, without being scorned by Reshiram’s flames, you are going to do as I say.” N climbs onto the back of the white titanic beast. “You will find Reshiram’s twin, and meet with me at the Pokémon League north of Opelucid City. If you don’t remember me by then, your life is forfeit.” He grabs a hold of Reshiram’s coat as the dragon lifts off of the ground, destroying the roof of Dragonspiral Tower in it's wake. “That is, if you survive, traitor.”

As N leaves, I make for my escape. The tower’s debris crashing down, destroying the interior. Hordes of Golett and Druddigon try to hold the building together, but I can’t help. I’m so sorry. I can’t. The research team follows in suit, all of them close behind me.

We run. That’s all we can do. We run.

As we clamber down the final floor, a Druddigon blocks our path.

“You think I’m done with you?” Nial emerges from it's shadow.

“Move! Do you not see the tower falling!?” I halt my step, everyone pushing close behind me from atop the final staircase.

“I’m not moving till I get one body count!” He raises his arm in command, Druddigon preparing a bright, glaring laser from it’s jaw. A Hyper Beam. I turn to protect my Pokémon when something pushes me off the stairs, out of the trajectory of the beam.

“Orla!?”

“Dwaaaaaah!!!” She uses her shells to shield the entire research team. Their fidelity is being tested, the creaking, the cracking. They snap. I scream.

Orla roars.

She’s cloaked in the vast gleam of the Hyper Beam, tearing her shells to smithereens...

The entire research party cries out to her. Terran roars, Warren cries, Elle shrieks, Finn whimpers, and Drayn shouts.

The Hyper Beam dissipates, revealing her, completely unscarred.

“What? What!?” Nial bellows. I’m speechless. Her shells are destroyed but...she’s completely unharmed.

“Wott.” Orla smirks. Drawing her pen from her side, scrawling one word on her blackboard.

It reads:

‘Stand back’

She drops the board and her pen as she’s engulfed in bright light, she grows. She stands tall and proud. A new form befitting her resolve and commitment to our cause. She emerges from the light, dashing towards Nial from the implosion. He’s shaking.

“Wh-what are you guys?”

“We’re the Reshiram Research Team. And this is my Samurott.” Orla makes one fell sweep with her brand new sword-shells, slashing Nial and Druddigon out of our way. We see the entrance we had once made, leaving the traitors in the rubble.

We escape.

I turn to face my research team, my proud Pokémon, my partner in crime now on four legs, gasping for breath as she’s reached her full potential.

“Guys...why does this keep happening to us?” I laugh. We all laugh. I stroke Orla’s brand new, long whiskers, and the shell atop her forehead. “You look beautiful, mate.” She smiles proud. “I’ll get you a new blackboard when we get back.”

***

When we arrive back to Icirrus City, we’re welcomed by Cedric, Aurea, Fennel, as well as Hannah and Joltik.

“Are you all alright? You look like a wreck!?” Aurea runs over to us, hugging Elle and Finn.

“Man, just because you’re hot doesn’t mean you can rip your clothes all the time. How many times has it been now?” Hannah scolds me as she comes over, taking a second before hugging me. “Stop getting yourself in danger, idiot. I’m not losing my favourite housemate because of a weirdo cult.”

“Sorry.” I feel Joltik snuggle in my hair, the tiny sparks are comforting.

“So, I’m afraid we’re gonna need to know what happened at the top of the tower, all I saw was Reshiram flying away with a man on his back and then the Tower started to crumble.” Cedric inquires.

As I explain everything that transpired, we all agree that we need to do several things.

    1. Get the Dark Stone from Nacrene City

    2. Journey to Opelucid, a city teeming with knowledge of Unovan folklore, and home of two Dragon Type specialists, to get what information we don’t know about Reshiram.

Terran took it upon himself to help Cedric recover what he could from Dragonspiral’s ruins. As sad as it is, it needs to be done, and he’s the only Pokémon strong enough to handle any Team Plasma grunts left in the ruins.

Hannah approaches me, with Joltik in hand.

“I’m going to go back home, to Nuvema Town. I wish I could stay and help but I’ve gotta go look after the café and spread this weird news. I’m sorry you’ve gotten yourself into all this mess, Alec.” I feel Joltik nodding, still nestled in my hair.

“It’s fine.”

“So, got a name in mind?” Joltik, jumps from my head into the palm of my hand. Skitting proudly in anticipation.

“Volm. We’re going to save the Unova region.”