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Chapter Text

When N opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was sharp claws pushing at his back.

His mind dully registered them digging into him and had woken him up. The claws pushed and stretched until N felt his stomach drop as he slipped off of the bed and landed roughly onto cold tiles. He groaned, leaning up against the bed and rubbing at his eyes. A black paw with red claws stuck over the edge from where it had shoved him off. He giggled at it tiredly.

A zoroark, his best friend for many years, was sprawled out across the mattress that should have been plenty for both of them. His jaw was wide open as he snored, tongue flopping out to the side. A charming view. He often moved quite a lot in his sleep and, despite having an entire side of the bed to himself, liked to invade N’s side. It was typical zoroark social behaviour. In the wild, they usually slept together in close family groups.

Lifting himself up from the cold floor, N went over to a window. He nudged aside a dark green curtain with the back of his hand. Outside, the sun hadn’t yet risen. The sky was a deep and vibrant blue. Dawn light hung oddly in the air and made the vast wilderness surrounding his home otherworldly.

N’s newly established pokemon sanctuary was a dream come true for him. He and his staff helped pokemon and trainers alike from all walks of life, rehabilitating injured pokemon and assisting with research wherever they could. With it, N could finally reach his goal of becoming the true bridge between people and pokemon.

Setting it up no doubt had been quite the hassle. But it was more than worth it, in his eyes. All he cared about was that it was here now. It had large fields and forests to accommodate both their recovering pokemon and those unable to return to the wild, with the main buildings in the centre which included his residence. He worked rigorously with his staff every day to make sure all of the pokemon’s needs were met. And it was exhausting.

A new pokemon arrived late last night. A female haxorus was found on the outskirts of Mistralton City, fatally wounded, no doubt attacked by another haxorus. She was more than likely violently driven out from her home deep underground and fled to the city.

Haxorus fought tusk and claw for the most valuable territory. During mating season these fights got particularly intense. Multiple unfortunate accidents had occurred in the past deep within Unovan mines due to their earth-shaking fights, and it was now agreed upon to halt all mining endeavours during the height of the season.

Though the altercation was more than likely brief, she was disfigured for life. One of her tusks had been snapped clean off and she had nearly died. N stayed up later than usual when she arrived last night to make sure that she was in a stable condition before he slept. The professional pokemon doctors had to eventually usher him away and urged him to get some sleep. He knew she was in good hands, but he was still deeply concerned for the dragon pokemon.

What’s more is that she was a shiny specimen; her plates of armour a deep iridescent black rather than the common bronze-gold they were usually embellished with. N had seen many pokemon in his time, tiny to huge, intimidating to adorable, but shiny pokemon were so utterly rare in the Unova region that even he had to admit he’d never seen any pokemon quite as striking before. Striking both as in gorgeous, and striking as in her temper. She was not happy with her circumstances at all. The doctors had to cut and tie a pool noodle to the blade of her remaining tusk while she was conked out from sleep powder so she wouldn’t damage anything.

N made his way down through his dimly lit living quarters. It was beautifully quiet. Clicking open the door, cold and fresh morning air greeted him. He barely felt it through his cozily thick pyjamas. 

He walked down the path to where their temporary holding pens were, against the side of the building. The path was built between rows of them on each side, each having proper roofing and secure mesh walls. The haxorus had been put in an especially sturdy one, between two other pens and on the side where they were backed by a stone wall.

Her pen was the one with proper iron bars instead of flimsy wire. It looked more like a cage. N disliked the idea of putting pokemon in cages, but for the moment he understood that it was necessary. If she escaped, she wouldn’t last for long. Leaving her exposed to the elements to die was far worse than keeping her caged. Especially when it was for her own good.

Approaching her pen, N saw that she was drinking from a small trough that’d been provided to her by the pokemon doctors. Large padding and bandages were wrapped around her neck where a dangerous gash once was. She looked so much better than the state she was in last night. She could lift her own weight again, and she was happily taking in fluids. N sighed, relieved.

She slowly tipped her head up from her water bowl to look at him, a single drop falling off her chin and rippling the water. Even though she was still hunched in pain, her piercing red eyes told him an unmistakable warning. Eye contact and direct attention was a sign of aggression to a haxorus. N turned around, and sat down with his back to her pen. He was determined to show her he wasn’t a threat.

N heard her continue lapping at her water. By Arceus, they were not the most quiet drinkers. The dragon pokemon behind him grunted and rumbled and made all sorts of strange noises as she drank. 

Busying himself, N marvelled at his sanctuary of a morning. The sun was only just starting to crest the Unova region. It began with soft yellows, the world slowly brightening as it lifted. The odd pidove coo rang out, and a gentle wind rustled the grass and leaves, but otherwise all was silent. He loved this time of day. It was his favourite, even. It was the start of something new and wonderful, another chance to live, bright and beautiful and full of life.

A gust of warm breath on the back of his head startled him out of his trance. N hadn’t even realised she’d stopped drinking. The haxorus was right against the bars when he turned his head, looking down at him with curiosity in her red eyes. His attention made her flinch. Snorting, she took a step back, unsure of this strange green human. 

Her voice was silent. It’d been silent since she arrived here, as though she was too afraid and pained to speak. N felt a deep sorrow for her. It was clear enough to him by her actions that she was nervous. But curious? That at least was a promising sign for her recovery.

"I'll be back, you sweetheart." N cooed to her, ignoring her rather intimidating size. Sitting next to her pen would be much easier with a book to keep himself entertained. 

Chapter Text

N often contemplated the philosophy of a menger sponge. 

He turned his old cube over in his hands, the separate little squares within it clicking with age. This one wasn’t a menger sponge; but it was reminiscent of one. He liked the idea of infinite possibilities. Infinite worlds, with infinite variables and so therefore formulas.

It reflected the reality and truth of this world that he had come to realise. The formulas were endless. It was unfathomable, the sheer amount of probabilities, for both people and pokemon. Interconnected and working together. He thought it was absolutely marvellous. This world’s beauty had no contenders.

The green of the trees gave him life and the sun on his skin kept him warm. Brushing over a small chip on one of the corners with his thumb, N snapped his cube back onto where it connected with its chain. He looked down at the book he’d put down on the grass next to him contemplatively.

The haxorus was still too stressed to eat. He’d sat here for a while after returning with a book, only to be too distracted with his thoughts to read it, and he hadn’t seen her touch the bowl of pidove eggs left for her in her cage. It was unusual. In the wild, haxorus ate without much of a care. They were opportunistic nest thieves, if it came down to it, and relished the taste of yolk. Something was stopping her. It could be mouth pains or stomach pains, perhaps. But the pokemon doctors had reported nothing of the sort to him.

Soft rumbling resonated from the pen, slowly getting closer. She was approaching him again, caution spacing apart her heavy steps, the soft material on her neck squeaking against her armour. A gentle snort swept against his hair as she sniffed him. N went still, not wanting to scare her away this time.

Slowly, he twisted his arm behind himself and lifted his hand through the bars. N had to be cautious. If he did so too quickly, it would scare her. He didn’t fear her lashing out. This was a frightened creature, not a violent one. If anything happened to him it would be his fault. He had accepted that long ago when it came to working with pokemon.

His hand met the cold and smooth material of the bars without disturbing her. Then, after a pause, repetitive short gusts of air brushed against his fingers. Her powerful jaws were mere inches away from his hand. N held his breath. A haxorus’s sense of smell was very important to them, as creatures that live most of their lives in the depths of mountains without much light to guide them. It would help her identify him, and so feel more comfortable. If he could just keep still a little while longer…

A deep and troubled voice came from behind him. “Why do you stay, when you could be hunting and claiming territory?”

She had finally spoken to him. N turned halfway towards the pokemon, not giving her his full attention. When he replied, he made sure to speak softly no matter how excited he was. “Territory and hunting is no concern of mine, my friend.”

She lowered her head and stared forward at him with wide eyes. “Is it not?”

“No, I won’t hurt you. You’re safe here.” N beamed at her, his smile full of sincerity.

She huffed a rumbly sigh at that, and N could sense that she was conflicted. Her injuries would be exhausting her, but she didn’t yet know if she could afford to rest. N understood. So, as steadily as possible, he laid down on his back and stretched out his long legs along the side of the cage. Laying down and showing his stomach would be a sign of submission to the haxorus. The short and puffy grass was soft underneath him and the mild morning sun enveloped him in a warm bright blanket. He could easily fall asleep here.

Soon after he had gotten settled and closed his eyes, he heard rustling come from right next to his ear. The haxorus was pushing hay up with her only tusk, still awkwardly blunted by a pool noodle, making a comfortable nest for herself to doze in. Then she wasted utterly no time at all flopping down into the small dip she created for herself. She let out a big huff, curled up on her side, as N watched her black plates of armour glowing with rainbow iridescence under the sun’s light tiredly lift and sink.

Due to her evident exhaustion, N guessed she had stayed awake all night out of paranoia. He nearly had done the same out of fear she wouldn’t make it. He would not let that happen now. No amount of antidotes could heal the dragon pokemon’s mind, but that was why N was going to work slowly with her, at her own pace. Barging into helping her get better was not a formula with preferable outcomes. Recovery is never a process to be rushed. He knew that from his own experience, he quietly noted to himself as he closed his eyes again and bathed in the sunlight’s warmth alongside the haxorus.

Everything would be alright. That was N’s last line of thought, before he drifted off into a morning nap with a content smile.

Chapter Text

Out of all the powerful emotions N had felt on his journey to rediscover his purpose, none compared to what he felt when he returned to Driftveil City guided by a zorua he once knew.

It’d been two years since he’d been in the Unova region, and he was still shaken from the encounter with his father a few weeks prior. He couldn’t fathom that a pokemon would want that; to cover the world in ice. The sheer pain he heard from it, from his friend, and from his own heart in that cave had been all too much. But the most impactful moment of his return to Unova, in hindsight, was yet before him.

He’d thought the zorua was just leading him into nothing more than one of its playful tricks, but it turned out to be something much more profound than that. N nearly burst into tears when he saw his sisters' faces again. Anthea envelopped him into a warm hug only she could, and Concordia spoke to him calming words only she could think of. Together they led him to a building, and told him something that choked him.

Team plasma hadn’t utterly been a farce. There were people still loyal to him, still waiting. Still with the same pure conviction in their heart that he was madly driven by two years ago. The truest of dedication wasn’t a lie. His life, his goals, they weren’t all for nothing. His heart swelled with an overwhelming amount of hope.

Even after his countless mistakes, their faith in him remained just as unwavering as ever. The reformed members all swarmed him on his entry, bombarding him with heartfelt questions and concerns, asking him where he’d been all of this time. Of course, he’d happily told them of his incredible journeys.

“I have seen many things on my adventures, and one thing that I know for certain is that pokemon and humans care deeply for one another.” He concluded with. “They’re our partners. That is the undeniable truth I have discovered with Reshiram’s guidance.”

Some had already come to their own conclusion, much like himself, but for others he could see an eerily familiar pain in their eyes. Nervousness bubbled up in his belly, it’d been years since he’d spoken in front of a crowd, but empathy for those naive and most like himself two years ago propelled him forward. These were his people, not his father’s.

“You all care for pokemon, do you not? You are all living proof that humans and pokemon are meant to coexist, that it is a valid formula.” N grasped his wristband, twisting it around. “...My father and his followers used my passion, our passion, for their own selfish and destructive goals. They lied to all of us.”

Shouts and words of agreement erupted from the crowd of reformed team plasma members, unifying together. He wasn’t alone. It made it hard to breathe as emotion strangled him. N couldn’t remember the last time he’d addressed people like this, likely the same people, but they were all still with him, willing to be by his side. Spurred on by this burning feeling, words began to spill from his mouth.

“True strength does not come from such cowardice,” N clenched his hands with brief uncharacteristic anger as he continued, “It comes from love and passion; the fire inside of all of your hearts and the chemical reaction that creates with our wonderful world.” He brought a fist up to touch his chest, and inside he felt something miraculously thump steadily.

Then, through a spark of inspiration as he felt his heart beat, a vision of the future formed perfectly in his mind. It was of a beautiful formula never seen before that only he and his friends could bring to light.

“There might still be a chance for us to achieve our dreams together, to right our wrongs…” N mumbled to himself in thought. He held out his hands to regard them all. “So, then, will you join me once more?”

It’d been three years since that day. Some of his staff eventually moved on to pursue their own lives, but even more had been recruited. News of his brilliant sanctuary in the heart of the Unova region had spread far and wide. And he couldn’t be prouder.

Anthea and Concordia’s skills in caretaking were able to flourish here. The love and care they showed the pokemon was skillful in a way N himself couldn’t replicate, and he had spent his entire childhood conversing with injured pokemon. He supposed they had more experience in caring for the wounded. After all, they had cared for him growing up. He hoped to learn from them even more to become the best pokemon caretaker he could be.

Golden sunlight streamed in through thin curtains. It was springtime, so the mornings were cold and the days were hot, but he could already feel traces of summer warmth starting to seep in earlier. N sat at a table with both of his sisters and joined them for tea at this time. It was a comforting pattern he followed each day. They sat, drank, and discussed the pokemon they were currently caring for.

The female haxorus had been in their care for just over a week now. She was recovering steadily with the daily visits N paid to her pen, and now more than happily accepted a helping of pidove eggs. In fact, they had a mishap yesterday involving her eagerness to eat. Blinded by her excitement, she had hungrily mistaken the ball of N’s necklace for an egg and slammed into the bars full force. She’d apologised profusely for frightening him, but N was more worried about her head.

N discovered an awful truth through spending time with her. She wouldn’t be able to return to the wild. One lost tusk wouldn’t be a problem for a haxorus as fierce as her, but where his concerns lay were in the psychological area. Getting attacked by her own species so viciously would impact her for the rest of her life, out in the wild she’d be constantly paranoid and potentially destructive. She was too vulnerable; but she had come to the right place. N was determined to make sure her life in the sanctuary would be a peaceful one from now on.

She certainly didn’t seem to dislike the idea. She spent most of her time now basking in the sun, content with her safe little pen, occasionally struck by nightmares and scaring herself awake with a disgruntled snort. Her voice was the most quiet out of all of the pokemon in the sanctuary. It was endearing for such a powerful beast.

Shaking the water off of a freshly clean tea infuser, N smiled at the simple pleasure he got from the rattling noise it made. He set it on the rack to dry while he rinsed his cup out.

Just as N retrieved a bag of tea leaves and his cup, a zorua bounded up onto the bench in front of him. He smiled and put the cup down next to her. The zorua let out a happy grumble as he scratched underneath her chin. 

N opened the bag, and the zorua stuck her nose inside. She quickly withdrew her snout and curled her lip. He chuckled. “Not your thing, is it?”

“Blehh!” She exclaimed, sneezing so hard it shook her from ear to paw. “Smelly!”

“That it is.” Humming, N gently scooped his hands underneath her and brought her up against his chest. She grunted and nuzzled his shoulder, before reluctantly hopping down onto the floor so he could make his tea.

He topped one side of the infuser full of leaves, and let it brew for four minutes. Then, once he was done taking in the delicious smell, he added sugar and a helping of moomoo milk.

“This may be an odd question, but, do you think the haxorus would like tea?” Concordia asked, musing as she stared at her empty cup.

N smiled; it was his sisters that started this addiction of his, and now they wanted to claim more victims. After reuniting with him at the refuge, they made it their top priority to introduce him to the yummiest of teas that, most of the time, they couldn’t afford.

“I’m not certain. They aren’t placental pokemon, and they don’t naturally consume milk. Neither are they among the fanciest creatures…” Entertaining her idea, N took a quick sip of the burning liquid. “On the other hand, now that I think about it, Reshiram certainly would have loved tea.”

Concordia giggled, and Anthea quietly raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Well, it was rather sophisticated, wasn’t it?” Concordia commented.

“Yes. The bond I had with it was truly something special, it was as though we were kindred spirits.” Staring into his tea, N found himself frowning. “I do miss it. It’s a shame it is yet to see how far I’ve come.”

“I’m sure it knows, N.” Anthea calmly added. “Reshiram could sense the pure love in your heart, and what that love was capable of. Just as I could.”

“Thank you.” He smiled, bittersweet, before drowning it with a sip of tea.

The legendary pokemon was loyal to its new trainer now. Rosa had visited the sanctuary already, but she had come with only her serperior. N asked her if she’d like to assist with the sanctuary. Unfortunately, the young trainer’s heart still yearned for the heat of battle, and her pokemon were the same. A calm sanctuary for recovering pokemon would not be her specialty. For now, she could stick to intense battle tournaments.

N trusted that she would turn the world into something incredible with Reshiram. But, deep down, he longed for the days he and Reshiram spent travelling together. As he stared out into the beautiful wilderness outside, he dreamt of the day he would see his friend again.