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“You can’t speak?”
Touya nods. Surprisingly N doesn’t look like he pities him, or even like he didn’t expect it. He doesn’t even ask, just hums.
“Do you know sign language? No, scratch that, I don’t know sign language.” N frowns. The Purrloin from their battle lies asleep at his feet.
It’s confusing, Touya thinks. N had gone on about Pokémon after the Team Plasma speech, finally introduced himself, then asked to see Touya’s bond with his Pokémon via battle. After Cheren had declared that he was going onto Striation City, he’d stuck around and invited Touya to sit with him.
He’s honestly interesting , Touya thinks. Snivy’s leaf tail sweeps over the back of his hand. He smiles at her as she peeps at him.
“It’s truly amazing,” N says. He’s staring at them, fingers toying absently with the pendant around his neck. “She’s able to understand you so well even though you don’t use verbal cues like almost everyone else does.”
You don’t use verbal cues either Touya wants to say. He doesn’t, so instead he settles for a pointed look.
“Yes, yes.” N waves a hand. “I know, but I also have a method of communication, as nontraditional as it is.”
It’s very unique Touya spells out on his forearm. N’s lips quirk up.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” He says. They watch as Snivy comes to sit on the little bit of bench between them. She glances at Touya, then tries to copy the words he’d spelled out on N with her own little green hands. Her attempts are a little sloppy, but it’s cute. With a questioning look at N, who nods, he helps her. When Touya looks up again he’s smiling.
“Pokémon are such wonderful creatures,” He says. “And so, so incredibly perceptive. Much more than we give them credit for.” He reaches down to pat Snivy’s head. She stops her writing for a moment to emit a pleased sound.
A flock of Pidove startle, flying overhead. N tilts his head. “I’m afraid I must go,” He says, standing. He nods and smiles at Touya. “May we meet again.”
Touya and Snivy watch him walk away. The Purrloin yawns, stretching, and saunters off in the opposite direction. He makes a soundless sigh and rises.
He turns around when Snivy makes a happy noise. She’s holding something, and, when she sees him looking at it, she hands it to him.
It’s a pen. He weighs it in his hand - heavy, and cold to the touch: metal. It’s the same shade of green as N’s hair with a small band of patterning just above the cap. It’s probably meant to be a grip, he muses as he trails it with a fingernail. A thin whale tail pattern, like the ones on desserts made with a toothpick. He turns it over curiously, uncapping it. It turns out to be a fountain pen, one of the fancy ones with the ink that has to dry. He doesn’t know why he’s surprised - N strikes him as the type of person to use fancy pens.
Suddenly he’s hit by a moment of uncertainty. He did leave this here, right? He thinks worriedly. Snivy nods and points at the bench for emphasis.
Touya holds out his arm and she climbs on. He lets her play with the pen a bit longer, and when she’s done he slips it into his pocket.
“I told you we’d meet again,” A voice says. Touya turns.
Hi, N , He writes. Snivy copies it on his arm with one of her vines. It’s nice to see you again.
“Likewise,” N replies. He hums. “Did you like my gift?”
Touya nods. No ink.
“Ah, yes,” N says. He fishes a few ink cartridges out of nowhere like it’s magic, and he hands them to Touya. “For you,” He says, smiling.
Touya takes them and gives them to an expectant Snivy. N watches as she plays with them, one vine extending and slipping into Touya’s pocket for the empty pen.
Thank you he spells out. N just nods.
“Is it still only the two of you?” He asks. Touya nods.
Do you want to see our bond again? He writes. N smiles at him.
“I’m starting to think you can read minds,” He says. A Timburr appears out of the trees, grinning and swinging its lumber around. Snivy drops the pen and ink into his hands, letting out a little war cry as she squares off.
The battle begins. Touya feels fired-up, completely unlike his other battles against trainers or even the Gym Leaders, and Snivy must feel it too, because she’s giving it her all. Across from him N looks positively giddy, giving out cues via high-pitched cries.
It ends as a victory for him and Snivy. He laughs silently as he swings her around, then he heals her. N does the same for the Timburr, who grins at them once it’s revived.
“Your bond has certainly gotten stronger,” He tells them. Snivy giggles, covering her mouth with her small hands, and Touya smiles.
You were amazing too , He writes. N beams back.
“Challenger Touya!” A voice booms. Touya turns to see Lenora striding out of the museum-slash-Gym. “We are in need of your assistance!”
He turns back to N - to apologize for the interruption, maybe - only to find that he’s disappeared. He frowns.
“Challenger Touya?”
Touya lets out a silent sigh. Snivy butts her head against his cheek comfortingly as he heads towards Lenora. In the distance, he sees the Timburr salute before fading into the trees.
“Are you looking for someone?”
Touya smiles at N over his shoulder. Snivy, cradled in his arms, has her brow furrowed in concentration. She’s been doing it for a while, and he’s really worried. So far, all the Nurse Joys at the Pokémon Centers he’s visited haven’t had a clue.
Team Plasma , He writes on N’s arm. He frowns.
“I heard they were spotted in the amusement park,” He says. Gently he takes Touya by the arm, careful of disturbing Snivy - who he shoots concerned looks at - and leads him in the direction of what is presumably the amusement park. “Come, we’ll be able to see better from the ferris wheel.”
Touya nods as N leads him through the crowds. Nimbasa has to be the liveliest place he’s ever been. Its spirit makes it seem bigger than even Castelia. He only protests a little bit when N pays for both their tickets.
“Ferris wheels are beautiful,” He says. “Such elegant, refined collections of formulas.”
Interesting , Touya writes. He’s already scanned as much of the amusement park as he can. He double-checks.
“I’m glad you think so.”
When Touya looks at N again, he’s beaming. It falters when Snivy squeaks. “May I see her?” He asks. Touya nods, carefully transferring her into N’s arms. He handles her delicately, like she’s the most precious figurine of glass in the world.
N asks her a question in short worried chirps. Snivy answers back with a musical sound - the happiest noise Touya’s heard her make in days. N’s face clears. “Oh,” He says.
What is it? Touya wants to say. He’s too distressed to take the time to coherently spell it out on N’s arm. But he seems to get it.
The ferris wheel stops, and they get off. “Wait here,” N tells him. He turns, almost immediately melting into the crowd. Snivy is curled up on his shoulders, his hand protectively covering her with her vines wrapped around his neck. It doesn’t look too tight, but it must be bordering on uncomfortable.
He’s hit, suddenly, with two visions, following each other in quick succession. The first is of N, wind rushing through his hair, and strangely enough Touya’s hat is on his head. A Serperior slithers up, the tip of its tail curling with an almost-silent ssh sound around one of N’s ankles. He turns, smiling. There’s something behind him…
The second is of himself. He’s laughing, a smiling Minccino in his arms. The back of a few fingers brush across his cheekbone and tilt his chin up, and he catches a glimpse of a square gold tri-bracelet, jangling distantly. He’s leaning against something.
“Touya?”
He startles and shakes his head. N’s peering at him worriedly. He thinks he sees something green flying off, but it’s too crowded to see anything clearly.
I’m fine , He spells. N looks unconvinced but accepts it nonetheless. Snivy trills happily at him, climbing out of N’s arms and into his own. She looks relaxed - energized, even - and when Touya looks closer, her leafy tail is curled around something. She puffs up proudly and unveils it, revealing a light grey stone. She presents it for further inspection.
There’s little speckles of even lighter grey scattered throughout the stone, along with small, circular pock-marks. Other than that, it’s perfectly smooth and oval.
An Everstone? He asks N. Did you not want to evolve? He sends to Snivy. She nods.
“I saw one before,” N explains, “Once she told me what she wanted it wasn’t that hard.”
Oh. He looks down as Snivy. She clutches the Everstone tighter. I’m not mad. She relaxes. I’m sure we could have asked around for one earlier, but I’m glad you’re all right now.
N sighs. “I’m sorry,” He says when they look at him. “It’s just that that’s my better gift to you both today.”
Touya tilts his head. What? N sighs again.
“Walk with me,” He says. He offers Touya his hand, and he takes it. They pass delighted, loud groups and sidestep dropped sweets until they stop at a quiet corner overlooking bubbling fountains. N leans against the railing, chin in hand as he stares into space.
Touya waits quietly. He knows he shouldn’t push N; instead, he thinks about easier ways for Snivy to hold her Everstone. Will it still stop evolution if it takes a different form? If it does, maybe he can find someone who can make it into a pendant or charm or something-
“I’m the King of Team Plasma,” N says.
Touya almost drops Snivy. He stares at N. N stares back unblinkingly. Through his surprise he manages to write Really? on N’s arm, even if it’s shaking and stuttering.
“Really,” N says. He looks away, out over the water. “It’s my dream to make this world into an ideal one for Pokémon - one where they won’t be under the harsh rule of humanity.” He looks back, and Touya is surprised at how sad N’s eyes are.
“I’ve seen them, Touya,” He says sorrowfully. “The ones that won’t make a sound, the ones that have scars but have never been in a single battle, the ones who go into a rage when they see a human.” He makes a sound, too much like a sob to be anything else. Touya reaches out and hesitantly cards his hand through N’s hair. He smiles at him, though it’s small and sad.
“I want to make the world better for them,” He tells him quietly, “I want to make this world’s truth better for them. That’s why…” N inhales. “That’s why I want to free all Pokémon from their trainers.”
Okay. Touya carefully doesn’t think about having Snivy torn from him, or about never seeing his Swadloon that he’d caught in Pinwheel Forest as a Sewaddle again.
“ ‘Okay’?!” N exclaims incredulously, “But- you ’re a trainer! Don’t you want to stop me?”
You might be the King of Team Plasma, but you’re also my friend. From N’s reaction, Touya doesn’t think anyone has ever called N their friend before - not anyone human, at least. I may not fully agree with you, and as your friend I’m supposed to lead you away from the bad path if I must.
“You think what I’m doing is bad?” N blurts. Touya puts a finger to his lips.
Let me finish. Like I said, I don’t fully agree with you. There are some people who mistreat their Pokémon, yes, and I agree that their Pokémon should be saved. But there are some people who treat their Pokémon with love and care, and there are Pokémon who want to stay with their trainers. What would you do then?
N droops. “I don’t want to make them sad,” He mumbles, “But I have to be fair…”
Touya wonders when he started to want to take N’s pain away. But he doesn’t know how. It’s just something to think about , He writes, leaning against N’s shoulder. You don’t have to make a decision now.
N nods, slowly but picking up speed. “Yes, okay,” He says, “Thank you, Tou-”
“Lord N!” They turn around to find two Plasma grunts, panting and pointing fingers at Touya.
“Get away from that vermin!” One shouts.
“He tried to attack us!” The other screams.
Touya doesn’t realize that he’d stepped in front of N or that he’d held out an arm protectively in front of him until N puts a hand on his shoulder. “Run!” He says loudly. It takes Touya a moment to realize that he’s addressing the grunts. “I will buy you time to escape!”
The grunts make an about-face and skedaddle. They don’t look back, and N starts giggling. Touya joins in, silently, when it turns to laughter.
“But really,” N says once they’re alone again, “I’d like to see how much stronger your bonds have grown.”
It’s not only Pokémon who are perceptive , Touya writes wryly. N smiles innocently at him as a Sandile pops out of the ground and as a Sigilyph floats down from the sky.
“Ready?” He says.
Touya finds Swadloon’s Pokéball inside his jacket. He clicks the release.
Ready.
“It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it.”
Touya stares at N.
“What? Oh, yes,” He offers him his arm.
Ninjas , He writes, Why were there ninjas.
“Oh, the Shadow Triad? I just asked them to bring you to me, don’t worry.”
Ninjas , He insists again, for emphasis.
“Yes. Would you like to accompany me for a walk?” N smiles. Touya sighs silently, and with a little shuffling they’re walking arm in arm.
“Where’s Snivy?” N asks. He startles when a vine pokes him, waves, then retracts back into Touya’s hood. His lips quirk upward in amusement.
Napping , He writes. She doesn’t like the charges.
N hums. “Shame. I’ll just have to give her her gift when we get out.”
You’re taking me out? Touya asks. Instantly he feels like fire has erupted over his face. He hadn’t meant for that to sound as romantic as it did. Luckily, N doesn’t seem to notice.
“To Mistralton,” He confirms.
Okay. Something pings in the back of Touya’s mind. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.
“Oh? Go ahead.”
Why do you keep giving Snivy and I gifts?
N beams at him. “It’s what you do to people who you like or who you want to like you!” He continues on, unfazed by what he just said. Touya, on the other hand, feels like there’s magma in his cheeks. “It’s what my Pokémon friends told me to do!”
Ohhh boy, that’s what Pokémon do when they want to impress a mate is the first thing that flies through Touya’s head. Closely following it is I’m so glad they censored it for him.
Well, thank you is what he writes. And tell your Pokémon friends thank you too.
“Of course! And you’re welcome too!”
Touya nods, almost automatically. They’re quiet for the most part as they try and find the exit to Chargestone Cave together. N occasionally sprouts off facts about the magnetic fields in the cave or about the local Pokémon. His voice is soothing, and Touya closes his eyes as they walk. He trusts N not to walk them into any of the charged rocks or the walls of the cave anyway.
“We’re here,” N says to him quietly. He opens his eyes just as they step into the sunshine. The brim of his hat shades his eyes, at least.
“Can I give Snivy her gift now?” N asks excitedly. Touya nods and finds himself a little disappointed when N’s arm unwinds from his to reach back into his hood for Snivy. She yawns and stretches, smiling sleepily.
N’s mouth forms a small ‘o’, and he looks between them. We found someone who could make it into something she could wear , He explains. She wouldn’t let me see what it was until it was done. He smiles. I was surprised too.
Snivy shows off her little doctored Everstone. It’s an exact replica of N’s pendant, the same in everything besides colour. “I’m touched,” N tells her. Touya, alarmed, realizes that N’s eyes are watering. Snivy croons. “No, no, I’m fine,” He says. “It’s just-” N clears his throat, changing the subject. “I have something for you.” He rummages through his pockets, making a little ‘aha!’ noise when he finally finds what he’s looking for. Snivy leans forward interestedly.
It’s a thread N pulls out. He lets Touya feel it - it’s smooth and soft, and shining white in colour. He helps Snivy thread it through the tiny hole in her Everstone pendant and tie it around her neck.
“It’s completely Pokémon-produced,” N informs him, “I’ve been assured that it won’t break in battle.
Thank you , Touya writes. He’s stunned. She loves it.
It’s true. Snivy had leapt from N’s arms, and now she’s showing it off to some nearby wild Pokémon. She’s laughing as she twirls around.
“It’s nothing,” N says. A quick glance at him shows he’s watching Touya with a smile. He hopes to Arceus he isn’t blushing - the light of Chargestone can’t hide it anymore.
You’re staring.
“Am I?” N just smiles wider.
Is there something on my face? He asks.
“No, no.” Snivy comes back over, seating herself on Touya’s shoe. She looks up at him with wide, pleading brown eyes. He sighs soundlessly.
She wants me to show you the new members of the team. Dryly, he adds on, She wants you to see the new bonds.
N’s eyes gleam. “Oh, I’d love to.”
Touya’s legs feel like jelly and his lungs feel like they’ve shrunk once they reach the top of Dragonspiral Tower. Brycen and Cheren, on the other hand, don’t even look winded.
Cheren groans. “It’s that weird person from Accumula Town.” He nudges Touya. “Remember, that one that went on a rant about Pokémon?”
It’s more of Snivy’s urgent noises that make Touya peel open his eyes and get him to look up. He recognizes the distinctive figure of N instantly as the mist clears, then his heart jumps to his throat when the mist disappears altogether.
Reshiram shrieks and N turns around. “Oh, hello,” He says cheerfully. Touya would bet that he didn’t realize he had human company. He lights up when he sees him. “Touya, you’re here!”
Cheren grabs his arm and pulls him back, hissing. “Wait, you know him?!”
Little one , A voice says, and Touya starts when he realizes it was Reshiram. Come here.
Cheren yanks his head away, yelping about how he’s been burned. Touya takes a step forward, then another, then more until he’s in front of Reshiram. It lowers its head and gently grasps Snivy by the scruff, depositing her in N’s arms. He practically juggles her. “Touya! What’s happening?! Are y-”
Touya doesn’t hear any more, because Reshiram has thrown him into its back and taken off. They rise, higher and higher, until the air gets thin.
Beautiful, isn’t it , It says wistfully. Touya has to agree - the whole of Unova is spread out before them. Dragonspiral Tower is barely a speck beneath them.
Reshiram sighs. You must be confused. There’s a lot I have to explain.
Whenever you’re ready , Touya thinks in reply. To his surprise Reshiram chuckles.
My, such kind manners, It says wryly. It sobers though. Very well. To begin, your friend awoke the wrong dragon.
Was he aiming for Zekrom? Touya finds himself asking.
I don’t think he wanted one of us in particular. I was just the one found first. It sighs again. But my sibling would have been better. I represent truth, not ideals. And his dreams are very… idealish.
So what awoke you then, if it wasn’t his dreams?
Reshiram chuckles again. I’m afraid it was merely very simple in this situation. The Hero of Truth was in close enough proximity, and the Hero of Ideals wished for me to awaken. All I need is my Hero and a truth, after all. After a second, it adds, A truth from the heart.
Me? I’m your Hero?
Reshiram huffs. Yes, little one.
What was N’s truth?
It laughs. Of all the things, that’s what you focus on?
Curiosity killed the Purrloin.
Oh, yay, a whole new era of sayings to get used to. It fluffs itself. Nonetheless, I cannot reveal a truth from the heart. Especially not one as close to it as your friend’s is, or one that pertains to both you Heroes.
Well, that’s okay. Would you mind going down a bit? It’s getting hard to breathe.
Humans. You lot are so fragile. Despite its words, Reshiram descends a bit. While Touya inhales, it says, carefully, There is one more thing.
Go on.
Reshiram shoots him a look. You’re going to have to explain this all to your friend. That he got the wrong dragon, that you’re my Hero, and, the two most important things, I would think: that he must reevaluate his dream and that he must tell you his truth himself. I believe that it will help him and change him for the better.
A pause. That’s heavy , Touya says finally.
There is a catch for you also , Reshiram says. Just as he must learn to accept the truth, you must learn to embrace the ideal. To do that, you will have to leave your past where it belongs.
Touya shakes his head. I-
Reshiram doesn’t offer any warning before cutting him off by suddenly dropping like a stone out of the sky. He knows it’s controlled, but Touya can’t help but hang on for dear life.
They alight on Dragonspiral Tower with no drawbacks. The oxygen-rich air is a bit odd to breathe in after the time he’d spent higher in the atmosphere, and the chilly tension certainly isn’t helping.
I’ll take care of them , Reshiram immediately volunteers once Touya disembarks. Cheren and Brycen shout as it herds them toward the stairs. They go down with a lot of protest, but it becomes quiet once again when Reshiram sits and lays down over the opening. Snivy, after giving reassuring pats to both of them, hops down and goes over to join it.
“What happened?” N asks. He’s worried, Touya can see it in his eyes. Instead of answering, he starts to strip.
N yelps and slaps his hands over his eyes once he realizes what he’s doing, which is about when he’s dropped his jacket and his bag and started reaching for his shirt. “ Touya! ”
On any other occasion, Touya would find it amusing - cute, even, adorable - that N’s acting so shy. Instead, feeling like he’s got a Twist Mountain on each shoulder, he gently takes N’s wrists and pulls his hands away from his eyes. N’s cheeks are Cheri berry-red, and his eyes are still squeezed shut. Impulsively Touya presses his lips to each of N’s palms, but that doesn’t produce anything other than a sound suspiciously like a whimper. With a noiseless sigh he drops N’s hands back into his lap.
He digs out his Pokéballs from his jacket, releasing the rest of his Pokémon. They shake themselves out and go without complaint when he asks them to go to Snivy and Reshiram.
He pulls his shirt over his head, dropping it with his jacket. His pants follow it a few seconds later when a mental chuckle rings in his mind.
You have very dedicated companions, little one is all Reshiram says. Touya turns to see Duosion, a small Psychic-ed flame floating in front of her. He kneels down and takes it with a grateful smile. It floats just about his cupped hands, and, satisfied and grinning, she returns back to the pile of Pokémon.
Carefully he sits down next to N, legs dangling over the side of the Tower. He’s only in his underwear now, for decency’s sake, and with the flame for warmth in his hands there’s no way he can reach the bottle of water in his bag. He inhales, coughs, and clears his throat.
“Your eyes are pretty, you know. It’d be better if you’d show them off more.”
His voice is barely a rasp and almost inaudible after so many years of disuse, but N’s eyes fly open quicker than anything. He stares open-mouthed at Touya, and he stares back, smiling.
“You…” N swallows. “You can talk?”
Touya nods, then uses his head to gesture to his bag. N practically dives for it, unearthing his water bottle. They trade, and Touya sighs in relief when the cool liquid rushes down his throat. N holds the flame between them, hands trembling, and Touya leans into him.
“It’s a long story, and it’s been an even longer while,” He starts breathily. “But we all have our beginnings.”
N doesn’t say anything, and he goes on.
“I was four when it happened. It was an accident, if you can call it that, because it really was all my fault. I’d been playing outside when I heard a sound. I went to investigate, and I found an injured Pokémon.” He laughs weakly. “I wasn only a child. I didn’t really know any better - though that really isn’t an excuse - so I attempted to play with it.” He smiles sadly. “It was terrified, and it was hurt. It lashed out and fled. I, of course, was left with the parting gifts.” He waves a hand to indicate himself. “I later found out that it was a Porygon, and that it’d used Tri-Attack. Apparently it had escaped from a lab where scientists had been practicing inhumane experiments on it. The lab got shut down, and no one’s seen the poor thing since.” He pauses. “It traumatized me. I ended up losing my voice, and nothing helped me regain it back. Eventually, even when I thought I might be able to talk, I stayed quiet. It was easier, and it felt safer.” Touya shakes his head. “It’s in the past now. I’ve had a lot of time to think over it and put it behind me.”
He sees N swallow. “May I…?” He nods. N gives him the flame and reaches out tentatively. Touya leans into his touch, and almost instinctively N flinches back.
He can’t blame him, really; not when he can certainly see why. After all, it’s not every day you meet someone with the scarring he had.
“I-I… I’m sorry,” N whispers. He bites his lip.
“It’s okay,” Touya whispers back. He lets N press his hand to his shoulder.
“Does it hurt?” He murmurs.
He shakes his head. “Not anymore.”
N touches his fingertips to his ribcage and he finally looks down at himself. Most of his right side is marred, some way or other: the burn, red and pink and going from his shoulder to mid-upper arm to his hip; the electrical, reddish bolts tearing their way across his skin from hipbone to just above his knee; and the freeze, nearly pure white and stretching from his knee to his ankle.
“I’m sorry this happened to you,” N murmurs, “But how do you not hate Pokémon?” He winces instantly, probably not intending for it to sound as harsh as it did. But Touya laughs softly, kicking his legs.
“It was self-defense,” He rasps, tilting his head back to gaze at the sky. “You can’t hate something for that.” He looks back at N, smiling. “Pokémon are like people. They’re not wholly good or bad - they’re somewhere in between.”
“That’s a nice outlook,” N says.
He shrugs. “I have had years to think this through,” He points out mildly. Then he sighs. “But apparently there’s more that I have to tell you.”
N quirks a brow. “Yeah. Just…” He inhales, exhales. “Prepare yourself.”
He tenses. “Is it that bad?”
Touya hesitates. “It’s not bad , but it’s going to be…” He spends a moment groping for the words. “Jarring. Surprising.”
N’s fingers tangle with his own, squeezing. He’s not sure if he’s trying to comfort him or himself. “Go ahead,” He whispers.
“Well…” He sighs. “First off, you got the wrong dragon.”
“I what .”
Touya almost laughs at N’s face. “Well, you have a dream to turn this world into a more ideal one, right? So you’d want Zekrom, not Reshiram.” He looks at him, smiling wryly. “You may not believe it, but Reshiram said that I’m the Hero of Truth.”
“No, no, I can believe it.” N shakes his head. “It’s just… there’s more, isn’t there.”
“Yeah,” Touya leans his head against N’s shoulder. “Reshiram said that…”
“That?” N prompts softly.
Touya shifts. “That you need to reevaluate your dream and tell me your truth.”
N stares at him. Finally, he mutters, “I don’t like this conversation.”
Touya laughs. Loudly, louder than he thinks he ever has before. “You don’t have to tell me now. Think on it,” He adds.
N glances at the sun. “It’s getting late,” He agrees. He looks at Touya. “Shall we?”
When Touya wakes up, there are two things missing. One, Reshiram - and he knows it was here last night, because he’d fallen asleep against it. Two, N - who’d whispered “Good night, Touya” just before he’d fallen asleep. They’d camped out on the top of Dragonspiral Tower, he remembered.
He turns when a vine pokes him. Snivy presents him with a folded piece of paper. He crouches down.
For me? He asks, and she nods. She scampers away once he takes it. Curiously, he unfolds it.
I really, really like you. It reads.
He muffles his laughter. Only N could manage to make chicken scratch look proper.
Ah, little one. You’re awake.
Reshiram’s voice sounds far away in his head. Don’t worry , It adds, We’ll come back. In the meantime, find Zekrom.
Okay , He sends back, Is this N’s truth?
There’s no reply. He sighs and gathers up his things. C’mon, guys. We’re going on a hunt for a legendary dragon.
“And today in the sports sec-... oh. Oh, okay. Folks, I’ve just had some breaking news handed to me. It appears that Nacrene Museum has just been robbed! Here’s some footage captured of the incident…”
The screen changes to a shaky video obviously shot on someone’s phone. A Jellicent is floating outside a huge window, seeming shooing people away. There’s an Emolga perched on his head, smirking smugly. A Reuniclus appears and waves before cheerfully smashing the window. The shards of glass freeze, hanging suspended in the air by psychic energy. The Emolga takes off, expertly gliding around the glass. The Reuniclus follows, waving delightedly as various slack-jawed people. They stop in a corner of the room, the Emolga swooping down. It grabs one of the museum pieces and chitters. The Reuniclus picks it up and piles the glass where the artifact used to be moments ago, and, still waving, they leave with the Jellicent. The video zooms in on the artifact’s placard: Old Stone.
“It is unknown why this robbery occurred…”
Touya shuts off the TV, grinning. Great work, guys.
Emolga puffs up haughtily, soaking up the attention. Reuniclus claps her hands together in joy as Jellicent bobs in a floating bow. Klinklang grinds exasperatedly while Leavanny hides her smile. Snivy, playing with the Dark Stone, smiles angelically while she slaps it with her tail.
C’mon. Let’s go.
Hello.
Touya feels Zekrom stir. You’re not mine , It says.
I know , He replies, I’m Reshiram’s. And I’m here to wake you up.
It shifts. Where is mine?
I don’t know , He answers truthfully, He’s with Reshiram.
And where is Reshiram?
I don’t know that either.
Zekrom growls. Then what is the need to awaken me?
Reshiram left me with a task , He says patiently, And that task was to find you and, I presume, awaken you. We’ll have to make do with ourselves, since N is gone.
N. Is that his name?
Yes. Touya can feel himself smiling wistfully. I miss him , He confesses.
The Heroes have always been close , Zekrom muses. It sighs. Very well. I will help you. Give me-
-my ideal? Touya finishes dryly. I know. Carefully, he opens his mind…
“Touya!” N shouts. He leaps off of Reshiram and, stumbling slightly, runs toward him, laughing as he wraps him in a hug. “I missed you!”
“I missed you too,” He says. He’s smiling happily. “It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back,” N says brightly. Reshiram looks over at them, offended.
‘Oh, Reshiram! You’re back! Let’s throw a party!’ It mimics, tone high. It goes back to normal. ‘Oh, thank you, Touya. Such a warm welcome.’
...the vision fades as N laughs. They’re silent until Zekrom speaks.
It’s almost refreshingly simple , It says.
Ideals don’t have to be grand. Truths don’t have to be complicated.
People forget. They grow grand and complicated. But enough chatter. Stand back.
Touya opens his eyes and heads the warning. The Dark Stone spins in the air, and he shades his eyes. Mist curtains everything, and when it finally unveils he sees Zekrom. It roars, and it doesn’t surprise him that they no longer have the mental connection.
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Touya whirls around. That was definitely not Zekrom.
The only answer he gets is a huge ball of white falling crazily, half dive-bomb half crash land, out of the sky, tumbling and rolling head over heels to a stop on the roof of the Tower. He catches a flash of green as he runs over to help.
I think I gave myself a concussion , Reshiram says dopily with a stupid grin.
How did you ever think that was a good idea?! Touya demands.
Fuuuuuuun , Reshiram replies happily. It promptly flops over and starts snoring. He sighs.
On the other hand, N doesn’t look to be any more than dazed. He’s squinting at him. “Are you an angel or are you Touya?”
It’s me , Touya writes on his hand. N just squints more.
“Are you sure? Because I saw Touya months ago, and he certainly didn’t have a halo then.”
That’s the sun, N.
N lunges upward suddenly, grabbing Touya by his jacket and pulling him in. He misses only by a couple of inches, his lips instead colliding with his nose. Touya stares at him.
“That’s definitely Touya, all right,” N mumbles. He rolls over into Reshiram, dragging Touya along, and falls asleep.
Zekrom stares unconvinced at N. Its expression screams, That ’s him? He nods.
Zekrom huffs audibly, rolling its eyes. It curls around them, completing the yin-yang dragon nest. Touya mentally thanks it and the possibly-drunk Reshiram for the protection against the winds as he smooths the hair out of N’s face. N looks peaceful, happy, still clinging to Touya’s jacket. He smiles, leans down, kisses his forehead, and settles in to cuddle.