Chapter Text
"Is that how Honedge works? It drains life energy?" White's fist clenched, worry written all over her face. Team Plasma had fled in a crazed panic and now she was left in a museum full of injured trainers and unconscious grunts. A vast amount of ice still blanketed the lobby, making the entire area look like it had been attacked by a brutal winter storm.
Lenora nodded, her voice grim, "At first we thought that blade was a historical artifact from Kalos's war days. Now that it's shown its true form, I'm afraid we'll have to stop it before it harms your friend or anyone else. The bloody history attached to it doesn't help our cause either." She kindly explained, as gently as she could. Despite her words, at the back of her mind, she knew once an aggressive Honedge latched onto a target, it would be nearly impossible to get it off.
"Then…is there a way to save Mina without harming him? I don't have much knowledge when it comes to Kalos mons but…there is, right?" Her eyes begged the older woman for an answer, one that was hard for her to give.
"Maybe if we put them both to sleep?" White turned, seeing a lanky man at the entrance of the museum. He wore a bright red scarf that draped over green with various accessories that denoted a bug motif. Burgh introduced himself, inspecting the mess that was the current museum.
"Wow they really did a number on your Gym, Lenora. I didn't expect them to freeze everything solid." The artist added, knocking on the solid chunks of ice, then noticing all the downed grunts on the ground. "I heard screaming coming from here, but what happened is just brutal…"
"That's right…there could be a possibility." Lenora ignored her colleague's comments, instead she thought about his idea, they were also on a time limit so it was the best thing they had. Minato's life energy wouldn't last forever and if they delayed any further, he really could die.
"Currently I don't have anyone on my team that can use sleep powder. If I try Pinwheel forest, maybe I can catch something that could…" White searched her pokedex, thinking about all her options. Then, Lenora handed her a pokeball.
"White, you can borrow my Watchog. During our battle I didn't get a chance to use it but it knows hypnosis. With the right timing you can catch Minato and put them both to sleep and pry Honedge off."
"Thanks Gym leader Lenora! I'll take good care of your partner."
"Good. Now I'll need to contact the authorities and take care of all of these Plasma members in my museum. Burgh, do you mind tagging along with White and a few others to search for that young man? I'll have my assistants aid you both but I can't leave the injured to tend to themselves." Lenora picked a few of her security guards to go along with the rescue team, several men and women who were lucky enough to escape Team Plasma's full wrath. Some of them appeared to be tired but they weren't fully out of commission.
"I don't see why not? Didn't he chase after Plasma? Maybe we can recover some of the items stolen from here too." Burgh said.
"Only after you save Minato. Those artifacts aren't as important as a human life." Lenora commanded, she then addressed White in particular. "However White, I do have to warn you about running into one Plasma member in particular. The young man wielding that Baxcalibur, be careful to not let engage with him. As much as I have faith in you as a talented trainer, he is on another level. If any trouble comes, regroup and ask Burge for help."
"Yes ma'am. I'll keep that in mind. Now let's go everyone! We have a ghost sword to deal with!" She rallied up her troops, the group following her into Pinwheel forest one by one. Traversing through the dense foliage, they navigated through multiple trap pits set up no doubt by Plasma to hinder their pursuit. Burgh could tell she was putting on a brave front as she put one hand on her arm, stopping it from trembling any further. She was scared, yet she was also pushed to her mental limits.
Bursts of lighting roared across an ancient battlefield, charring the opposition before they could react, carving a dense crater into the earth. Blades clashed, the smell of iron graced the air as Minato saw himself in the middle of a heated conflict between thousands. Armored pokemon trampled over screaming soldiers, their bodies mangled and crushed to crimson plump among the carnage.
Finding himself dressed in old plated armor, he reacted to a volley of cannon fire by swinging the sword in his hand, bisecting them in two. It was then followed by a charging Rhyhorn stelling itself to gorge him alive with its horn when the bluenette side stepped out of the way. The creature turned back for another run before it was slammed into the earth by a blade of water by a stray Floatzel. The pokemon hurrying over to him, lightly tapping his armor as if he were its trainer.
Minato was confused, yet the personas in his soul alerted him that there was something amiss. For a brief moment he had dropped his guard in the museum and now he was on an ancient battlefield. The old sword in his hand gleamed anew unlike its aged appearance, giving him a clue.
"Float, float?" The creature tapped his armor, as if asking him what was wrong. It seemed concerned about its friend, sticking by his side despite being in a battered shape. Tufts of fur missing, stained by the chaos. It wore cracked armor, which mirrored his own as they were both mere foot soldiers in an endless war.
"I'm ok, buddy. Just a little surprised." Minato gently stroked the pokemone's head, giving it an assuring smile. Even if this was an illusion, he still felt a connection to the weasel. It nodded, licking its wounds, readying to jump into battle again when the pair heard a hollow screech from the distance, echoing across the bloody plains, singing a haunting tune. The soldiers and pokemon around them froze and the Messiah could feel his new friend tremble as a pair of eerie red wings emerged from the mountain side. Darkness blanketed the sky, two black claws emerging to strip away all life as a horrible creature descended from the heavens, locking the soldiers in place.
"Float!" His buddy yapped, paling. Perhaps it was able to feel that primal fear as death approached. A crimson bird glowed in the sky, touching all those who stood in its light as bodies dropped to the floor. Both human and pokemon, were brought down to their knees, dropping their weapons, lowering their heads to the reaper that was before them, life drained away in the meaningless battle.
"Float…float!" Minato soothed Floatzel with his aura, stopping its panic.
"We'll be fine, death won't come to us. Can you stay here for me?" The Messiah comforted the weasel, slowly it nodded in understanding. His friend was behaving differently today, like he was a different individual entirely. It spent most of its life with him so it decided to trust him regardless, even if it was strange.
"Floatzel…" It raised a paw to wave him goodbye, having faith in the Messiah. With one final nod, Minato faced the crimson bird heading their way, its unfeeling gaze brushing off the attacks and volleys fired by those who had the will to remain standing. Digging deep into his soul, he narrowed his icy blue eye as he faced Death with his own.
Yveltal screeched above, its claws outstretched to reap the life below as a force of mother nature. Absorbing all who stood in its way, it fired a deathly light, bathing the war in a shower of red. What used to be thousands now dwindled down to hundreds, when it cast another oblivion wing, having it shattered upon clashing with its target. Then the world became cold.
"RARRRRRRRRRR" An earth splitting pressure sent it for a spin, blowing it off course as an aura tainted in black engulfed its being, even striking the fear into mother nature itself. Reacting to this new threat, Yveltal responded in panic, unleashing its full deathly might, howling at its challenger only to meet with a ghastly screech that shook it to its core, installing the true meaning of fear. Because as it flew petrified in the sky, a new Death emerged from the clouds, wielding an ominous sword, ready to pull it down to hell. Thanatos faced this world's Death with Minato by its side. The bird flinched when the Messiah shot a beam of light its way, barely grazing it.
"I thought you were pulling something dumb, any normal person would have died from it." Minato scolded the being, he then tossed the sword from before at it. "This belonged to you didn't it? Now revert back to your true form before I decide to shoot again."
Hearing the threat, the fake Yveltal nodded, transforming back to a Honedge. The battlefield around them fading away just as the owner of the nightmare released its grip on its painful past.
Crossing his arms, Minato had a lot to say and his new victim knew it was going for a rough trial.
"Now can you tell me where we are?" He chidded, the blade said nothing so he snapped his fingers, summoning all his personas at once.
"I'll cut this intruder apart!" Kali shouted, showing off her multiple blades in the sea of the Messiah's soul.
"Let's freeze it heehoo!" Jackfrost skipped about, yet there was a bitter cold in its voice.
"One does not simply trespass on sacred ground without punishment!" Michael announced, yet a barrier held them back. Minato glared at the Honedge now curled up into a ball on the ground. Now it realized why it was still alive, because the owner of this place was kind enough to shield it from the monsters dwelling within. It lowered its form in defeat.
"Satisfied?"
The ghost blade nodded.
"So can you tell me why you attempted to take my life?" The Messiah asked softly, noting the pained soul's unresolved anger. An ancient grudge for the reaper that ended its life along with the anguish from war. Unable to speak, it displayed memories of its past life. Minato watched an orphaned child in ancient Kalos barely scrape by, day by day in the streets. At first it was hard, but eventually he found a loyal friend in a young Buizel he had hatched from an egg. Together the two braved the world until they were forced to fight in a war and unlike the change the Messiah head brought, the appearance of Yveltal had ended in disaster.
Minato raised a brow, "You wanted others to experience that same inevitable dread?" The Honege nodded in guilt, because to it, it felt unfair at the hand it was dealt in life.
"Too bad you chose the wrong person. But you did remind me of some unpleasant memories." The veteran frowned, recalling his own struggles during the Fall. How Ryoji warned everything their struggle was futile. However in the end, he was still able to achieve a happy ending. This thought made Minato realize just how lucky he was. And so, to repay the sword, he showed it some of his own past, surprising it. Watching Minato lose everything in the blink of an eye as a child and then dying the moment he managed to gain it back. His struggle against Nyx even in the face of the impossible. The dejected soul was shocked, unable to comprehend why the Messiah made the ultimate sacrifice. Just like itself, he was an orphan that wandered the world, and just like him he had encountered his own version of Death, but overcame its power, harnessing its might instead.
It then saw Minato reach out a hand, responding in both a mix of bewilderment and hesitation.
"I know this sounds sudden but, would you come with me? I can't say it'll heal you from the past, but it's better than rotting away in a museum somewhere. Besides, I have a feeling the people of this time won't take you lately if you keep hurting others like this." He gave it a chance to redeem itself, however it was hard for it to let go. Even when there were beasts baring their fangs through the barrier, Honedge still held onto its past.
"It's alright to feel like you're at a crossroads. Wounds deep as yours can't be undone overnight, I know that myself. I had an entire year before I could accept who I was again. The pain I went through, my life, and even people I met along the way…" Minato poured his heart out to the lost soul, his voice reaching it as it finally met his gaze. Raising its worn blue cloth, it accepted the Messiah's offer, a pale light glowed, feeling a part of Honedge's soul merge with his own in the sea, he gave the restless spirit a new purpose in life.
Frost coated his surroundings as Minato returned to the real world, finding himself trapped behind a tall wall of ice. Feeling a familiar sword in his hand, he was surprised to see Lucifer's blade taking Honedge's place. He raised the weapon, inspecting it, finding it emitted a ghostly aura, confirming his suspicions of it being the same spirit from before. Somehow, the pokemon had transferred its consciousness into his favorite weapon, which intrigued him. However, he didn't have the time to dwell on this matter as he sliced the frozen fortress in one fell swoop, revealing his opponents on the other side.
Baxcalibur, the same one from the museum, stood in his way, coating the entire clearing in ice. Signs of a previous skirmish were present, indicating the battle in his possessed state was able to do some decent damage despite him holding back. Beside the dragon stood its trainer, a Team Plasma member.
"Let's finish this shall we?" Minato said, cracking neck. His opponent already appeared fatigued, so stopping their ace wouldn't be too hard. Without another word, he dashed off, being caught by a beam of ice, but to his surprise was blocked by a barrier, diverting the blast. Taking this chance, he channeled a spell of hot flames into his blade, slashing the dragon's belly. Honedge was now helping him it seemed.
"BAXXXCAAAA!" Reeling in pain, feeling the burn the creature readied's claws for a right hock, Minato blocked with his sword, while Honedge emitted a horrendous metal sound, stunning its foe. Raising his fist, the Messiah smashed into the creature at full force, throwing it to the ground in an earth shattering blow. Just when he thought it was over, Baxcalibur rose from its place, twisting around to skewer him with its metallic fin as he raised to defend, pushing him back in surprise. Digging his heels into the ground, he locked himself into a pushing contest with the dragon as it tried to force his way past him, however he waited for the last moment as he immediately sidestepped, letting its gathered momentum push it forward before delivering a final vertical strike to faint it.
"That was more work than I thought…" He scratched his head, wondering how the creature lasted for so long, until he was reminded of its trainer who watched in jaw dropping astonishment.
"Opps, forgot you were there. Gotta make sure to turn you into the authorities." Minato approached in a lazy stroll when Plasma knight appeared frantic, returning his pokemon to its ball. He was ready to bolt on one, two, three.
Minato counted under his breath, chasing after the fool through the forest, traversing through dense foliage and flowing rivers. Occasionally the grunt would throw rocks, debris, or anything to shake him off his trail, however the leader of SEES wasn't so easily fooled. Skipping through a patch of oak trees, the grunt managed to trip on a vine, falling as he scrambled to get up and continue his marathon, however it was too late as he felt someone yank at his uniform. Through the struggle, Minato had pulled, ripping away his knight's hood, revealing his true identity.
"Oh shit!" A familiar voice shouted, one he knew all too well from his life in Nuvema, the bluenette's eyes widened.
"Black…?"
"I-it's not what it looks like I swear!" Black waved his hands around, wild and frantic. The two now sat opposite each in the woods, caked in a mixture of leaves and mud. He tried to explain himself, although each attempt led to a string of broken words jumbled together, leaving Minato the pleasure of piecing everything together. Panic was evident in the brunette's voice.
"Just so we're clear, you're not actually a part of team Plasma?" Crossing his arms, Minato said. He bore a neutral front, showing no signs of animosity, more so curiosity of his friend.
"Like I said, it's a long story…" Black sighing. "Originally, I thought they were good people too, but it's when I did my research there was much more to it..." Fishing through his pocket, he showed his childhood buddy a badge, one that only brought up more questions.
Minato tensed, "This is…"
"Special agent Black, International Police."
Now things were becoming more complicated, the veteran thought. He knew Team Plasma wasn't being honest, but to have Interpol involved was still quite the surprise. Usually, this type of job would be reserved for the Unovian government's investigating agencies, so why would an outside organization be involved? With this in mind, Minato raised another question.
"Since you're involved, I'm going to assume the local police had no luck?"
"You're not wrong. It's less that they're not investigating, but rather covering things up. Like someone's been buying them out." Black explained, his character now shifted to a calmer state.
So that's why Interpol was here, they were an outside organization that couldn't be influenced by one governmental entity.
"That reminds me of how we ran into Plasma earlier in the Dream Yard, I don't suppose those people were detained properly, were they?" Thinking back, after White made the report, Minato never heard back from the local police. Something strange was definitely going on.
"My guess? Those probably got away with it. Although I advise going against them in the future, Minato." Black met his gaze, wearing a deep frown. "You all have already messed with them twice, counting this time. I can't guarantee they won't send people after you if this keeps up. Plasma has powerful influences all over the region, even some of the big banks are held to their whims. You should tell White and the others to stay away as much as possible."
As Black explained the sheer size of Plasma's empire, Minato couldn't help but compare it to the iron grip the Kirijos held of their own assets back home. In a way, he was thankful Mitsuru was able to take the reins instead of another power hungry fool like her grandfather, fighting to undo the mistakes of her predecessors. Although he couldn't say the same for the person who resided in this world.
"I understand. I'll keep them away." But that didn't mean he would turn a blind eye himself. While White, Cheren, and Bianca were newbie trainers just journeying into the world, Minato was different. They were talented, brave even, but he had to agree with Black that sending a few kids against a mammoth organization would be bordering on a death wish. The only reason SEES was able to operate as they did was because they had the backing of an entire corporation themselves, now it was the reverse.
"Relieved to hear that. I can't imagine what my sister might do if she found out what was really going on."
"She would charge in and demand them to stop by force…" Minato finished, blunt. White might not look like it, but he could tell she tackled the League for a reason, that one being strength. When they were kids, she liked to fight injustice by beating up the older bullies on the playground, saving girls like Bianca. And now she was attempting to do the same using League.
Pinching his temple, Black gritted his teeth, "My worst nightmare next to dealing with my boss. But I promise that everything will return to normal eventually. I'll be back and we can act like none of this ever happened." There was a tinge of uncertainty in his voice, one masked in assurance with a weak little white lies over the years will become truth eventually, his family didn't have to know what really happened in the academy.
"Sure. You can come to me whenever you're feeling the pressure of the job." His friend said.
"Thanks, I'm technically not supposed to tell you any of this, but it won't matter once this is all over…"
But Black knew there was much more to Plasma than meets the eye, it was less so a titan that could be taken down in one blow and more akin to a Hydra guarding a deep secret at its core.
"For the last time, we don't have the boy you're talking about!" an old man with a long beard shouted in frustration, dressed in an impractically long robe. His forces were pushed to the edge of the forest, only a few Plasma members still able to fight from the opponent's ceaseless onslaught.
"And who would believe you? Stop lying and tell us where Minato is!" White snapped back, having Gigi and Stacy take out multiple Pidoves and Patrats in the chaos. Together with her search team, they overwhelmed the Plasma guard surrounding the old man. Lenora's Watchog put everyone to sleep, immobilizing most of their army.
"White, are you sure? We've basically won by this point." Burgh pointed out, his bug types were holding off the majority of the remaining forces. Plasma grunts panicking to take back any ground against the Gym leader, being restrained by multiple string shots.
She shook her head, "Where else could he be? He chased after Plasma, so it wouldn't make sense he was here with them too…?" Gripping her arm, her nails digging into her skin, she couldn't comprehend the idea of death. Lenora was serious when she said the boy's life was in grave peril, so she imagined the worst. Growing up in a peaceful place away from war, disease, or major crime, she couldn't comprehend what it was like to lose a peer her age. And this scared her more than anything. Cheren, Bianca, Black, and Minato were all alive and they would all reach old age together, that was her thought process in her idealistic world. It was already hard for her to get over the passing of her father and she didn't want to experience that same dread again.
"That Gym leader has a point! How could we possibly hold a hostage with the forces we have now?" The Sage argued, infuriated at the irrational girl.
"Yea! Because you're losing so you would need one!" She retorted back, Gigi shooting out torrent fire, burning any of the remaining enemy pokemon. Now they were fully defenseless against her team. They were running out of time, the longer this interrogation went on, the grimmer the outcome.
"Now tell us where he is!"
A cold front blew through the trees, alarming everyone, halting the scene. White shielded herself from the blasts of snow barely able to see what was approaching when she spotted a blur of blue in the distance. Minato rushed forwards, Honedge still strapped to his arm when he leapt into the air to, raising the blade to slash the Sage when he was swiftly knocked back by Baxlcalibur. Smashing into a row of trees in a thunderous thud, the sword in his hand flew out of hands, leaving him unconscious.
"My apologies for being late, my Lord." Black hurried over, hiding his face once more as he supported the elderly man from collapsing onto the earth from sheer terror. The silhouette of the bluenette eclipsing the sun, before coming down on him left him shuddering in place.
"T-t-thank you Hilbert…"
"Minato!" White shouted, hurrying over to the unconscious boy, horrified. Thankfully a pile of leaves broke his fall, reducing the damage. With one powerful kick, she swatted the ghost blade away from body, trying to check for injuries when another winter breeze swept across the field.
"Gack!" She yelped, her pokemon being pushed into her as Baxcalibur roared, freezing everyone in place.
"White, we have to hurry out of here now that we've found Minato, that dragon, that is bad news!" Burgh urged, his bug types barely holding on in the bitter frost. Ice was gathering, creating a snowy white blanket as Plasma fled from the scene.
"Wait no. They're escaping…" She muttered under her breath, seeing the silhouette of the Baxclibur's owner disappear along with the rest. Shoveling up a pile of frost into one hand, she felt the coldness of the storm, how mighty its power was, before crushing it in her hands.
"We have to get him to a hospital immediately, I'll notify Lenora of what happened." Brugh helped lift the bluenette.
"Yea, we have to."
The plan was a success, Minato thought. Black was able to retreat without blowing his cover and they were able to find an excuse of how he was released from Honedge's grip. He could have gone back and said he overpowered the spirit's curse himself, however with experienced trainers like Lenora involved, it would be hard to explain. Humans in this world were not invincible and according to Black's information, touching a Honedge's halt was akin to a death sentence for most. And so he pretended to rest a few hours before recovering. When he awoke, he found White, Lenora, and a man who introduced himself as Burgh asking all sorts of questions, from how he condition was to what he remembered from the incident until White finally hugged him in tears, screaming that he was alright.
"Mina! I'm so glad you're not dead!" She cried, smearing tears all over his shirt. She could feel his heartbeat, assuring that he was alive. "I-I was so scared you were…." She sniffed, the adults in the room comforting her. He felt bad for his act but he was caught between a rock and hard place. On one hand he would make his friends worry but on the other, he risked revealing his unnatural abilities to the world. He had no idea what the Gym leaders would think, nor how the rest of Unova would react. When N realized he could heal the blind, that was enough to make him cry tears of joy and Minato did not want to create his own cult.
"It's ok, I'm here White. Everything's going to be fine…" Minato assured her, she glared at him like he had done something terrible, choosing to scold him instead.
"You're an idiot for taking that sword! What if something really did happen?"
She was scared beyond her depths, a close friend dying this early was never a reality she had to face, yet now she was forced to confront that as a possible reality. Just as the Hero of Ideals confronted his fears earlier, now the Hero of Truth had come to a similar realization, that Death transcended either concept. She yelled at him not because she thought he was a fool but rather out of her own selfish fears.
"I admit it was stupid to grab an unknown artifact…"
"We could have only known it was Honedge after it reawakened, however I have to thank you for saving those children, youngman." Lenora said, breaking the tension in the room.
Minato nodded, "I had to think of something to help."
"Speaking of that artifact, I don't want to frighten you all, but it's been hovering outside of that window for a time now," Burgh said, "We tried to drive it away but each time it would only take our attacks."
"Honedge is a vengeful pokemon, so for it to behave so passively…" Lenora reasoned, "Did you perhaps tame it somehow, Minato?"
"That can't be, can it? It tried to steal his life away…" White whispered. She tried driving it away with Gigi's fire, yet endured her onslaught.
"Yea, we…reached a mutual understanding when I was locked away." He hoped this explanation would suffice, watching each Gym leader shift expressions from confusion, to astonishment, and then acceptance.
Honedge approached the window, knocking on the glass with its halt.
"Don't let it inside Mina, please? I don't trust it…" She glared at the spirit sword, making it hide itself like it wanted to disappear.
"But you can trust me, White." He said firm, calming her fright. "Honedge is a pokemon like both Gigi or Stacy. It may not look like it, but it has feelings too." They both looked out the window, the sword hovering at a slanted angle as if it was ashamed of what it had done.
"And like your own pokemon, it may have chosen to come along not to harm but protect you." Lenora added, her voice filled with years of aged wisdom.
"I had a similar first encounter with my Whirlipede too. Poison sting was not a pleasant experience, but we made up in the end haha…" Burgh recalled that memory as being both simultaneously the best and worst event in his life, as it was what started his obsession with bug pokemon. Although the hospital bills afterwards were not fun to deal with.
White's eyes drooped, thinking for a moment before making a brave face. Slowly, she faced the spirit watching her. No longer did it not appear to be a vengeful being, but one that reminded her of own pokemon. When Gigi got in trouble, it would shyly lower its head in a soft pout, as if apologizing for its misdeeds. Tepig had been her starter and it had taken time for it to truly warm up to her. Honedge showed similar signs of lending its trust. Minato and the adults encouraged her, telling her to give it a chance, that a pokemon could change.
Closing her eyes, trying to discern the truth in her heart, she opened the window.
Ryoji placed down a batch of cupcakes on a long table, Rosa mimicking similar motions with a bunch of drinks.
"That should do it, I never knew baking duty would be this intense."
The boy wiped the sweat from his brow, relaxing to a hall of chatter. They were in one of the main ballrooms of the Plasma Castle where the organization was holding a celebratory event for their King. Among them consisted of staff from every branch, each dressed in their own version of the iconic knight uniform.
"This is a special occasion, so I thought we could do an extra good job! Lord N is making such immense progress towards our goals that I thought we could match his efforts," Rosa picked up a green cupcake with a chibi N drawn on it. "See? They're adorable, thanks for helping me design these Ryoji. We can have more for our mascots and pass them out during marketing events!"
"I'm glad they're being received well too." Ryoji honed in on the rumors circulating the hall. From a group of older women gossiping about the latest operations to even the smallest of charity events. Finally, his attempts bore fruit as he caught a pair of teens whispering about one of the Sages fainting from fright. It wasn't clear due to what, however it was interesting nonetheless.
"Right? Even the pokemon are enjoying them. Awwww Snivy's sooo cute when its happy. I wonder what Lord N would think if I showed him these."
"Did someone mention my name?" Rosa yelped, turning to see a disguised N, wearing a dark haired wig.
"L-L-Lord-"
"Shhhh, calm down Rosa. N is only here to observe the event in secret." Ryoji whispered.
"O-oh! A-a-a-alright…" She looked away, nervousness written all over her face. That was the worst impression she could have made in front of her King, oh how she wanted to bury herself in the sand when she heard him chuckle.
"My apologies Rosa, however I am only here to observe my subjects. It was a sound idea suggested by Ryoji." N picked up a cupcake, "You captured my visage well."
"Oh my god…" Now she really wanted to shrivel away, not only did he compliment her baking skills but she managed to get him to laugh when he was used to being such a stoic figure. Her mental image of him always appeared princely, the type to sweep her off her feet with a calm, professional air. However, here he was more akin to a child enjoying the festivities, something had shifted in his character.
"To become a good King is to know his subjects as they say. The more knowledge one has of internal politics, the better they can guide their people." Ryoji commented, noting how N was just as curious about the rumors circulating the ballroom.
"Hear anything fun?" His adviser said, the King nodded.
"Yes. Someone just got promoted from helping a Sage. A woman is having a baby shower, and our new shell company just pulled in a million in revenue." Hearing the whispers of his people, from the knight core, to the average civilian, and even the treasury department, N was able to immerse himself in their lives. Just as he did with pokemon, he began to understand each and everyone of their pains, desires, and struggles.
"Humans sound like they have similar problems to pokemon…" He said in realization.
"Wow…" Rosa was awed at the change in her King. He was never the type to come down from the upper floors to mingle with the people, yet here he sat willingly to hear their voices.
"That's right. We may be different but life itself brings similar experiences to all. If you are building a paradise, it needs to help address these values to make it last. Learning from all sides creates a well rounded understanding of the whole." Ryoji pointed out, explaining each concept with patience. Rosa saw N absorb the information like a sponge, going along with his every word.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a raven haired woman in a lab coat. "Honey, have you seen my ID badge anywhere?" Worried, she asked her son.
"I saw you leave with it today, mom. Could you have misplaced it somewhere in the breakroom?" Ryoji arose from his seat, "I can always help you look for it."
"Thank you Ryoji. You kids enjoy the celebrations, alright?"
"Wait no! I'll help too. That's super bad if someone snatched it!" Rosa said, getting up. Plasma was divided into numerous departments, with limited access for each member. In theory, if one were to steal IDs from multiple employees, they would be able to access multiple restricted areas.
N gave Ryoji a nod, before the three of them walked off, brushing past a brunette who tossed a badge into the courtyard.
Black kept the stolen lab records securely in his bag.
Here's an image of Ryoji and Rosa during the scene. I had a hard time drawing his hair but I somehow got it to work, yay! More chibis and a cover for the story will come eventually. My art progress nowadays is slowwwww. PQ2 style is really fun to draw tho.