Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He opened his eyes, peering at a wide blue sky. Something he thought he would never see again. Moving around a field of flowers, he saw strange creatures running through the tall grass. Looking both like the animals of his world yet different enough to where he could tell they were not from Earth.

"Minato!" He turned, hearing a distant call from his mother. He made his way back to her, his small frame being a hindrance to his usual agility. She embraced him in her arms along with the family Herdier.

"Please don't go off on your own like that. I almost had a heart attack." His mother spoke to him in a gentle tone. The Herdier next to her barked as if to voice a similar line of concern. The bluenette simply nodded, giving them both a kind smile. After losing his parents in his previous life, this scene felt strangely alien, yet comforting. Although the women in front of him resembled nothing of his old mother, she was just as compassionate.

From the day he opened his eyes in this new place as a child, he had experienced much of this strange world. Upon first arriving here he was concerned. If he were here then what became of the Great Seal and his friends back home? Were they alive? Dead? However, as time passed, he realized he wouldn't get the answers in this place. At least not in his current form, of that being a six year old child. And so, for the time being he embraced his new family.

Time passed, Minato was now ten years old. A far cry to when he could start becoming a trainer but he was able to observe the world around him just a little bit more. Retrieving a potion from his desk, his hand glowed, infusing it with a dia spell. Noticing a slight change in the liquid inside, he tested it on his arm, noting how the rate of healing had increased compared to its normal store bought version.

Staring down a row of items he enchanted, he couldn't help but wonder about their effects in a live battle or how well they could work in a dire situation. He looked over his collection, picking up a fire stone with an unusual power emitting from its core. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if this was how he could create more Agilo stones in the future. If he ever were in trouble, he toss one of these and it would ignite the entire area in flames and he could blame it on a rampaging fire type.

"Deino!" A tiny voice cut him out of his musings. His little friend tugged at his jacket asking him to feed it. Minato nodded, giving a bag of Pokemon food, but it took one sniff of it before tossing it aside.

"De! Ino! It complained, biting the bluenette's hand. If it were anyone else, they would have panicked at the pain, but to Minato it barely registered more than a mosquito bite.

"Ahh, but I'm too lazy to cook right now…" The messiah whined back, yet his friend started jumping up and down, asking him to give it that premium steak experience again. Because if there was one skill Minato had put on proud display from his previous life it was his ability to cook the best meals around. Ones that attracted a wild Deino out of its cave, directly into the bluenette's pokeball. Now that was one camping experience he didn't want to have again. By the time he got back to the tent with his mother, their Herdier was knocked unconscious due to the little demon showing up. It ate their entire week's worth of supplies, which lead to the trip being canceled altogether.

"Ok, ok. I'm getting up. Let's see what's in the fridge." Despite being a great chef, Minato had one fatal flaw, he was a lazy ass.

"Deino, de!" The emo dragon cub trailed him, its mouth watering at its own imagination.

When the boy swung the fridge open, he sighed, forgetting they had not gone grocery shopping in ages. Whoops, better go buy some stake before his baby dragon decides to eat his head for dinner.

"Let's go to the store, Deino." He said flatly, ignoring the little monster now latched onto his head. Its jaw chopped down as hard as it could manage, but no matter how powerful its bite force, it did nothing to the bluenette.

Strolling down the peaceful streets of Nuvema, he enjoyed the gentle breeze brought on by its peaceful atmosphere. Being smaller than Iwatodai, the people here were way more lax compared to their otherworld counterparts. As he crossed a quiet intersection, he saw Pokemon of shapes and sizes helping the humans they were with. It made him wonder how his old friends would have reacted to this site. Akihiko would have definitely loved a workout buddy like Gurdurr or perhaps Yukari would be interested in some of the pinkier shades of Munna that floated about.

Just as he was about to enter the store, he heard a high pitched shout.

"Ekkkk Minato are you ok?!" Cheren, a boy his same age ran over. Minato shrugged, wondering why his friend was so pale. Did he see a ghost or something?

"Why do you mean, Cheren? I'm fine." He replied back, still unaware.

"T-t-tthat Deino atop your head! It's trying to eat you!"

"Oh…" Guess others didn't know he was immune to its bites. Now that Minato re-called back, people were giving him strange looks in the streets too.

"I'm ok, really. It doesn't hurt at all." The messiah said dead panned, but this only made Cheren step back.

"Deino!" The dragon cub roared, attempting to bite down harder, but it would fail once again.

"Ek! See?! It's trying to hurt you!" Grabbing its tail, Cheren tried to yank the thing off but it was just as futile as Deino's attempts to eat the bluenette.

"Come on, Deino's harmless." Reaching up, Minato gently plucked the fiend off his head, lifting it like a feather. "See Cheren? It's like a hat, I can remove it whenever I want."

Now Cheren was in aw, perplexed by the bluenette's strength. When he pulled with all his might, he wasn't unable to make the tiny cub budge, but his friend was able to lift it effortlessly.

"Huh…?" Almost losing his glasses, he stared in bewilderment. When Bianca waved to them from the street, snapping him out of his astonishment.

"Hey everyone! Are you all visiting the store today too?" She skipped over, being another kid they've met at school. "Oh! And who's this little guy?" The blonde curiously eyed the Deino.

"A serial biter!" Cheren said, scared. He had a feeling that despite the tiny cub being blind it was able to smell his fear. However, Minato's firm grip made it impossible for it to escape and wreak havoc.

"Bianca, Cheren, this is my new buddy, Deino." Minato introduced, cuddling the small creature in his arms. Arms it decided to bite again.

"Wow…"

Cheren saw Bianca glance at the creature then back at the bluenette, over and over, up and then down.

"Something up Bianca?"

The girl cheerfully pointed at the tiny dragon then at Minato, "You both have the same hairstyle teehee!."

Minato's mind blanked, blinking in confusion. "Eh?"

Was it true? Now he was a little self conscious.

Years passed once more, Minato was now helping a nurse patch up an injured Woobat. Its weak cries echoed throughout the Pokemon center. Flipping its good wing, it snuggled up to the messiah's hand. There was something warm about the bluenette's kind presence that reminded it of better times. The poor creature had been rescued from an abusive trainer, suffering a severe tear in its left wing.

"This poor Woobat, how could someone be so horrible…" Nurse Joy comforted the creature, her kind eyes welling up with tears. When it arrived at the center, it was frantic, unable to accept the presence of humans, attempting to fly on its broken wings.

"Woo…bat." It cried, refusing to let go of Minato. It was now shaking in his arms like a baby. Minato held his tongue, the suffering of the small creature made him sick. Together with Joy, they both waited for the X-rays. If they were lucky, this Woobat could at least get some of its ability to fly back. Looking up at the messiah, it weakly twitched its torn wing.

When Joy read out the results, the entire medical team was devastated. Because whatever Wootbat's previous owner did, they had snuffed out any chance for it to heal normally.

"I'm sorry Minato, but we can at least help this little guy recover the best he can." Joy gently padded the boy's back. She knew he would be saddened at the results, having been her assistant for a year now. When he first arrived, she was hesitant to bring him on as an assistant due to his young age, but he was able to comfort Pokemon in ways no other staff member could.

"Woobat…?" the creature asked, unsure of what was happening, still attempting to fly. It tried lifting into the air but dropped like a brick back down. "Woobat!" It moved again, but the broken wing only chained it to the earth. Finally, after a few more tries it gave up, curling into a ball of despair.

The messiah's lips quivered, his fists tightened. He cursed whoever hurt the little one. And so he decided…

"Hey nurse Joy?" He asked.

"Yes, Minato?" She replied, worried.

"Are there really no other ways to save Woobat's wing? No medications, recovery moves, anything?" Minato calmly listed off the methods they would usually use. A state run Pokemon center was capable of healing most battle wounds. It was more advanced than even the hospitals of his world.

The woman shook her head, "No. I'm sorry Minato, but nothing short of a miracle can give Woobat's wings back…"

The bluenette nodded. Taking a deep breath, "then can I adopt Woobat and care for it, for life?"

"Well…there are no regulations against adopting a Pokemon that's been freed by the state." The nurse mused, "But are you sure, Minato? Aren't you planning on registering for a trainer license soon?"

"I am. But that doesn't mean I can't take this little guy along as a friend, can I?" He ran his hand over Woobat's soft fur, making it giggle. The messiah's warmth comforted its hurt soul.

Nurse Joy was worried, but she could also see the determination in the boy's eyes. There was just something about him she couldn't place, yet knew was right. For he almost had this strange attraction to injured Pokemon. The kind of healing energy to nurse them back to health. It was what her instinct said was true.

With some hesitation, she nodded, "Alright, then I'll prepare the adoption papers. But please Minato, take care of it. Don't let it hurt again…"

Gently wrapping Woobat with a towel, Minato comforted the creature, bringing it out into a forest. Away from prying eyes and civilization, he gingerly held it in his hand, its broken wing visible in the pale moonlight.

"Woo…bat…" It squeaked weakly, hope fading away from its voice.

"Shhhh, it'll be alright…" The messiah whispered, running his hand through its fur in the silent night.

"Woo?" The creature looked at him with puzzled eyes. What were they going to do here? Was it finally being abandoned again? Its once bright soul now embers of its former self. Perhaps his previous owner was right, it was just born weak. Born a Woobat living in some unknown cave, unable to stretch out its wings to truly fly ever again.

Blue energy swirled around it, it noticed. It gathered subtly at first, but the more it felt its presence the stronger Woobat glowed.

"Woooo? Woo?" Moving its good wing, it rocked back and forth in Minato's arms, confused as it noticed its broken limb heal in a burst of light. What was once torn now reverted into its original form. What scars remained on its body faded away as if it had woken up from a terrible nightmare. And in that dream like night, it heard the messiah chant a single word, like magic.

"Salvation."

"Woo!? Woobat!" It flipped its wings in one fell swoop, springing into the air. Feeling new life had been breathed into its body, it circled its messiah, happily squeaking up a storm. Minato chuckled, embracing the tiny creature in its arms.

"Ok, ok, buddy. That's enough energy for now. For a second there, I thought you were a goner but now look at you." He smiled a gentle smile, thanking whatever god was out that his powers had worked as they should. Thing is, he's been testing out healing spells in the center for a year. Sneakily applying them to wounded until they would unknowingly make a fast, full recovery. However, this was his first time testing out one of the higher tier spells. So Pokemon were just as receptive as humans he mused.

"Woobat! Woo!" It flew, snuggling against his face.

"What? You don't want to leave?"

"Woo? Woo!" It squeaked.

"So that's a no huh? I can't exactly speak Pokemon but do you want to come with me after all?" Minato offered. Even he was surprised it decided to give humanity another chance.

"Wooooooo!" Woobat exclaimed, landing on the boy's shoulder. He chucked.

"Fine, but you'll have to learn to get along with Deino ok? I can't promise he'll be nice."

The two played in the midnight fields, under the great pale moon. For if it takes a miracle to bring salvation, then there would be a messiah to fulfill that promise.

Somewhere, deep in the dark forest, a young girl watched the scene in awe. Her eyes wide at the unexpected miracle. At first she came to liberate the tiny Woobat, but now she sat in the tall grass, paralyzed. For not even her king was able to perform such a miraculous feat.

Rosa paled, her Snivy sat dumbstruck next to her also bearing witness.

She would have to report this back to her King, immediately.

Chapter Text

"Let's give it one more go, Woobat." Minato encouraged the creature, flapping its wings, summoning multiple vortexes of green winds, and mowing down a tree.

"Woobat! Woo!" It proudly flocked to the messiah, stunned at its own accomplishment. Once a fragile mon, it was now able to do the impossible. Minato stroked its fur, happy at the result. What his Pokemon performed just now was not a move it could naturally obtain in this world. Picking through the skill cards he saved from home, the bluenette looked them over.

"Nice going Woobat. Now you'll be able to nail multiple opponents at once," Minato said, pulling out a Magaru card. He didn't want to give his little friend too much power from the start.

"Deino de!" Deino showed off its new ability, using its paws to slash at the empty space, unleashing a wave that casually decimated an entire field's worth of tall grass, trimming their tips clean off.

"And your new Vacuum Slash isn't bad either." Minato mused, catching his little dragon in another attempt to tackle him. For some reason, Deino loved running into Minato like it was it's duty to see him fall.

"Deino!" It happily bit his arm, like always. Perhaps it still saw him as food. Of course, it was shaken off by Woobat who landed a mean Garu, sending the little cub flying backwards.

Minato laughed, the two were a comedy show together as they both fought for his attention. Woobat was the clingy type that never left his side and Deino liked to bite him for fun so there were some…interesting conflicts between the two.

"Alright, you two can quiet down now," The messiah broke them apart, one hand shoving the other away, getting in between their fight.

"De…"

"Woo…"

They both looked disappointed, but it was better to listen to what Minato had to say before things got get ugly.

"In the future, try to hide the fact that I taught you something strange. Promise you two will never use them unless it's an emergency alright?" Minato scolded, wanting his mons to understand the consequences if news got out, "If you mess up, they might send me off to a lab somewhere."

"Woobat woo!

"Deino!"

Both squeaked in horror. They didn't want to be the reason their trainer was taken away. And so they nodded, shaking their heads up and down furiously like bobble heads.

"Good." In a few days Minato will receive his trainer license and even meet with a famous Professor. The worst case scenario would be if they suspected something strange was happening to his Pokemon. Not to mention, he had a feeling what he did was an outright abomination to this world's nature. Skill cards in short were abilities that originated from his Personas, and thus were a part of his soul. By imbuing his mons with this power, he was basically making them an extension of himself.

Minato theorized a Pokemon's natural moveset likely came from its physical attributes, however the spells he installed might have been ones that were engraved in their souls instead.

"Hmmm, if that's the case…" He eyed Deino curiously, of which it gave him a confused head tilt. Then it saw the bluenette grab another card, a light one labeled 'Kouha,'. Crushing it like glass, bright particles sailed their way towards the small dragon, before settling deep within its chest.

"Deino?" His Pokemon said bewildered, it felt a strange warmth in its heart, a foreign light like it had never seen before appeared in its mind space.

"Can you picture a bright light and aim it at that tree?" Minato asked, of which Deino nodded, feeling strange.

Once upon a time, its kind was born without eyes, blind to the world. However, now it was able to see a light for the first time. Way before it would evolve eyes and by the time it was able to see as a Hydreigon, it would have lost all wonder for the world. And thus, this is why Hydreigon only knew destruction.

Minato's brow arched, watching the tree in the distance burn up in blazing white until it was no more. Because a dark dragon that could cast light with its soul was truly against the laws of nature, which made him hope he wouldn't anger any gods that created this place. Yang and Ying as one, inside one being. Of course, in succession of this success, he tried a few more elements but found out it was impossible to install any more variations.

"So once I choose an element its set huh?" The messiah noted, comparing this to giving his Pokemon a hidden third type. Of course, this likely also meant they had inherited a weakness of that attribute as well, but he was hesitant to test that hypothesis for now.

Logging into a video call, White waved to someone on the other side of the screen. An older boy with dark brown hair and similar features to her own, greeted her back. It was early morning, with the sun barely peeking over the horizon but there was little she could do about the difference in time zone.

"Hey Black, it's been a while. How's the academy?" She said, munching on a bag of potato chips.

Her older brother was sipping on an equally calorie filled bubble tea as he recounted his experience in another region. "School isn't bad sis, although the sweets here are pretty much a hit or a miss." He complained, their entire family being big sweet tooths. Despite having the choice to stay in Unova, he chose to study abroad when he got his trainer license.

"Hah! No Castelia cones for you!"

"I sometimes regret coming here," He did a dramatic sighed, "Anyways I hear from mom you're starting your journey today? Have you chosen your starter yet?"

Showing off a single Pokeball, his sister had a big cheeky grin on her face. "See this? Professor Juniper gave it to us today! In a few more hours I'll be leaving for route one so you better watch out cause I'm gonna catch up to you soon!" Finally, it took ages for her to get her first Pokemon. When Black received his first, she was beyond jealous, even more so when she learned he was scouted by a certain academy far away. The years waiting were unbearable.

"Oh, Hi Black! It's been a while." Bianca interrupted the two, popping up behind the female brunette. Cheren followed and then Minato, all of them having different types of Pokemon hanging on their shoulders.

"Snivy!" Cheren's new partner said curiously, like its trainer it was also very inquisitive. Meanwhile, Bianca's Oshawott shyly hid behind its trainer's hat.

And then there was Minato and his little demon of a dragon cub Deino, biting onto his head as always.

"Deino!"

"Whoa! Deino's gotten even bigger!" Black jumped out of his seat, pressing his face against the monitor with a gasp. "Minato, what have you been feeding it?"

"My blood." The bluenette said in his usual deadpan humor. Or maybe it was a half truth since applying his skill cards, he's noticed a dramatic boost in his Pokemon's stats, but that wasn't a truth he wanted to reveal.

"Ek! That's so creepy Mina. Give a normal answer sheesh," White scolded.

"Hahahhaa, now I want to see how good we'd fare against Deino," Black laughed, almost choking on his bubble tea, coughing up a storm. After recovering, a wildfire had lit up in his eyes, harboring a battle lust that could cut straight through the screen. "Of course, me and Crocalor won't lose."

"Oh really? We'll see about that when you get back." Minato traded an equally fierce glare with a calm smirk. Ever since the two met, there was a friendly rivalry between them. Population wise, Nuvema was a small town so all the kids in the area knew each other since early childhood. With the group Minato's was with being his closest friends.

"Speaking of battles, how about we have one now to test our abilities here," Cheren said, "We just did receive our first Pokemon."

"That's a great idea!" Bianca chirped, "but ummm should we really be fighting inside? What if we break something expensive…" the blonde hesitated, her Oshawott mirroring her behavior.

"How about going up to Route one and doing it there? It's a wild area so there'll be no one to bother us." Minato suggested.

Oshawott barely dodged, rolling out of the way from a stray ember, then a heavy tackle. The small otter was bruised and close to fainting from the brutal onslaught. Dragging its small form up, it shot a stream of water, creating wet puddles everywhere to catch Tepig who fired back with another rush of fire, causing the entire field to steam up when the two elements clashed head on. Now in a dense white fog, it frantically twisted around to find its opponent, weary of its surroundings. Picking up its shell from its chest, it readied itself for a final confrontation but was hit suddenly from the back when a mammoth weight tackled it to the ground, fainting it.

"Tep Tepig!" Gigi the Tepig cheered, it stood proudly against its downed opponent. The bright pink bow on its head fluttered in the wind. Within minutes came both a cry of despair, followed by a cheer of victory.

"Awwwww I lost again." Bianca picked up her partner, giving it a revive. "You did a good job Oshawott, here."

"Osha…" It groaned while being comforted by its trainer.

"It's alright little buddy, we'll get them next time." The blonde held the baby outer, cuddling it.

"So that's three losses for Bianca, one win for me and…" Cheren turned to Minato and then White. "The last round will be between you two. I have to say, you're both very talented."

As morning faded to afternoon, the little cup of Route one rumbled on between the four friends. White smirked, taking a stance with Gigi by her side while Minato held Woobat in his palm, playing with his bangs. The atmosphere was thick with heart pounding tension as the novice trainers eyed one another other. So far, both the brunette and the bluenette had tied in win streaks but used vastly different strategies. White preferred a more head on approach, charging in like a fierce chariot, while Minato adopted a more subtle, strategic style.

"Come on Mina, let's settle this once and for all." A similar fire lit up in the girl's eyes, she was now a mirror image of Black. Gigi stood, stomping on the earth readying its final charge.

"I'll leave it to you, Woobat." Minato set the blue fluff ball free, stretching out its wings to fly onto the battlefield. Wind picked up as the fight roared to life, along with an azure blur slashing at Gigi from the air. Minato gestured downwards for Woobat descended from the sky, its tiny body slamming into Gigi's side, sending it tumbling back. However, it recovered quickly by charging at its opponent with a torrent of embers, landing an equally devastating blow.

Woobat, being set ablaze rolled into the dirt, extinguishing the fire at Minato's command when Gigi sprung force, tackling it and then pinning it to the ground. It struggled against the weight of the heavier mon. White grinned, knowing it was a quick victory from there. Throwing out another command to ember at point blank range when Woobat unleashed a quick confusion from its greater speed, before splashing some of the puddle water nearby to blind its foe.

"Woobat woo!" It flapped its wings fiercely, picking up Oshawott's scattered puddles from before. Catching every single droplet in a gust of wind then launching it at its opponent as a hydro tornado. Gigi braced itself, closing its eyes, being slammed into a grand KO.

"Ack! Gigi no!" White picked up her fainted piglet, "We were so close too ahhhh."

"Good work Woobat." Minato received his companion on his palm again. During his time as SEES field leader, he was often forced to make creative decisions with his party members to survive the night. Sometimes dire, other times trusting they would pull one another out of a deadly situation. He recalled the times where he would ask Akihiko to hold out on a Shadow while his team would later catch them in a pincer maneuver. In essence, he was already a hardened veteran that was equivalent to most Ace trainers with decades under their belt. And as such, he developed a devil-like instinct as a seasoned commander.

"Congrats on winning Mina! Bianca cheered, "I didn't know you'd use Oshawott's previous water guns like that."

"Likewise. Using the terrain to your advantage was a nice call. Although I'm interested in how things would have gone if Oshawott didn't make all those puddles." Cheren was impressed by the display. Yet sometimes he felt like his friend was hiding much more skill than he let on, like he lived through a war torn battlefield in a distant land.

"Thanks everyone. We would have had a way harder time if it weren't for the free water on the ground." Woobat curled up against the hand of its trainer, with Minato gently stroking its warm, soft fur. "You did good too White, Woobat had speed advantage but we would have finished right there if Gigi was any faster." He referred back to Gigi's ember at point blank range. Woobat was not a sturdy mon to begin with so there was little room for error. In some ways, it moved similar to Ken, who was small but had great range with his spear.

"Welp, this isn't gonna settle the score immediately anytime soon, we still have a long way to go before the league. And we'll definitely beat you there, Mina." The brunette promised with fire in her eyes. Her dream of tackling the Pokemon League was one many children share in the region, yet only a few were able to get past even the third gym. Statistically, most trainers who set out on a journey will end less in a joyous celebration than a bittersweet loss that they take into adulthood. And from that number, even more stop due to injuries whether from battling or travel. In short, only the top one percent were blessed with access to the League.

"Yea, we'll all travel there together…" Bianca chimed in, but as she spoke there was a sense of hesitation to her voice, of which tampered off at the end. For there was a man in the distance, heading their way. Her father hurried over, worried.

"Bianca!" He shouted. White stepped in front of the blonde.

"Hey there Mr. Bel. We were just about to head out." She said bravely. White could feel her friend grasp her arm tightly, her hands squeezing her circulation dry.

"Sheesh, why's this place so wet?" The older man said, finding his shoes were now soiled in puddles and loose dirt. Then he handed his daughter a bag full of take out. "Here you go Bianca, I ordered these before you all set off."

Slowly, Bianca reached out a hand to take the bag gingerly. "Thanks papa…you're not coming to stop me?" She opened the contents to find four bento boxes and some extra canned Pokemon food. Her father's expression hardened, giving her a stern look before turning to the rest of the kids, catching their attention.

He stood up straight, crossing his arms, "Only if you all go together. I can't allow you to go alone into the wild Bianca." The old man loved his daughter and was afraid she would get hurt. The nightmares of a child sick or injured in the wilderness alone frightened him. There were multiple arguments in the Bel home when Bianca proposed the idea of a journey, which her father vehemently opposed, but was convinced by the equally stubborn White and her idea to travel together.

"You won't have to worry about that, Mr. Bel. We promised we'd all go to the League as a group, remember? Cheren and Minato are reliable too and we'll call for help if things get rough, alright?" White showed him her Xtransciver, helping to ease the tension in the air.

"Ok…just stay safe. All of you."

Minato traveled with the rest of the party, noting how much courage one of their members had shown to help Bianca. Smiling to himself, he was sure White had the potential to tackle the League head on. Being surrounded by his new set of friends, they made it through two more days of the wilderness before reading their destination.

Cheren looked on his map, "So this must be Accumula Town's entrance." He craned his head upwards, noting the neatly paved roads in contrast to the dirt track they had been using for the past few days. Alongside him were multiple other parties streaming into the entrance, also young trainers.

"We're finally here. I'm so tired from all that walking…" Bianca groaned, her Oshawott echoing a similar sentiment. They had to stock up on their rations too.

Entering town, Minato noted the unusual atmosphere. Children ran through the streets chasing each other at play while streamers and confetti decorated many parts of the street. People and Pokemon were huddled together in the town center, mesmerized by a tall stage. Similar to the summer celebrations of Japan, a festival like cheer spread through the area like a virus. And in the center of all this movement were people dressed in knight like uniforms, handing out pamphlets and assisting the public in their daily commutes. One member was helping an old woman cross the street while others entertained the crowd with magic tricks.

"Team Plasma? What are they doing here?" White questioned, walking up to one of the stands.

"Are they holding another charity event?" Minato took a pamphlet from a girl wearing unusually large pig-tails. A bright smile accompanied her doll-like appearance, her eyes glittering bright and her smile was as wide as the sky.

"Hello! Are you a Pokemon trainer?" She asked the bluenette, receiving a nod.

"Yes. We just arrived here, can you tell us what's going on?" Minato asked.

She shook his hand.

"Of course! I'm Rosa of Team Plasma, and our sage Ghetsis is holding a speech here about the freedom of Pokemon. We're also here to help and raise money to help Pokemon in need!" She placed a hand to her chest, on top of her heart to show she was truly invested in their movement. The pamphlet she handed out had images of trainers freeing their Pokemon and them returning to nature.

"Thanks for the info. I'm Minato by the way." From his research of this world, Team Plasma appeared to be a charitable organization that advocates for the liberation of Pokemon. However, they've also been known to rescue mons from abusive situations and own multiple soup kitchens for the poor across various different cities in Unova. All and all, most people regard them as a force of good that benefits the underserved communities brushed away by society.

Rosa shook the bluenette's hand, trying to hide her panic. It took her all the mental strength in the world to not crack under the pressure of the Messiah. Straining her smile to its limit, showing her best customer service facade, she inwardly person she witnessed performing a miracle was right before her eyes. "I-It's nice to meet you Minato! Actually we're recruiting young trainers like you. Plasma offers great benefits and I'm sure you'll be of great help." She mouthed off her practiced lines to perfection.

However, he gave her a few pensive looks but ultimately turned her down. "I'm sorry Rosa, but I already have an obligation I need to fulfill." His eyes darted to White and the rest.

N sat on a park bench, ignoring the festivities around him in favor of the quiet breeze. Closing his eyes, he could hear the rustling of leaves from ancient trees gently swaying in the wind. He could hear the gentle song of Pidove singing in the spring, the calls of the stray Purrloin stalking the streets, and he could hear a voice in front of him speak like a sweet melody to his ears.

"And that's what I saw. I'm not lying, Woobat was cured when he summoned that strange blue light."

N nodded in understanding, "No, I believe you. And you think this person has been blessed with a gift similar to mine?" There are some humans born with extraordinary psychic abilities, but a healer that can perform the impossible seemed like a fairytale, the King mused.

"Maybe…? All I know is that they were strange…like."

"Like they were different from the rest?" He pulled the words out of this individual's mouth. They nodded.

"The best way I can describe it is I had this sense of calm wash over me. A feeling similar to when I'm speaking to you, you know?" Snivy looked up to the human before him.

"I see." The king of Plasma acknowledged, growing a bit uneasy. Legends spoke of two heroes, one wielding the white dragon and the other black. Truth and ideals would clash center stage and decide the fate of the region itself. Being raised to hone the powers of the black dragon, N couldn't help but wonder if that boy would be his ultimate foe in the future. In his mind he hypothesized that the timing of this new person was too coincidental, and as such if he were blessed with special powers, wouldn't the hero of truth also have something similar? If only he could meet him and find out. Just who was he?

"N! The guy Snivy was talking about is here!" A child ran up to him, being his Zorua in disguise. He gestured to one of the Plasma held festival booths. "See that guy with the blue hair? That's him!"

In the middle of the night, Minato chased a Zorua through a deserted alley. Having had his wallet stolen from his tent. When he awoke to chase it, it quickly fled. Panicking, turning down another deserted street in the dark, the tiny fur ball was breaking a cold sweat at how much of a beast this bluenette was. Never stopping once to take a breath, tailing him at almost supernatural speeds, the only reason it got away was due to its ability to blend itself into the curtain of the night. Finally, it landed in a large open area just outside of town, near an abandoned construction site.

Dropping the wallet into his friend's hand, Zorua almost collapsed from exhaustion. "Here you go N…that boy might actually be a Pokemon himself with how fast he ran…"

"There, there little one. You should rest now." The king gently padded the creature, letting it snuggle into his arms. Then he turned to the bluenette who watched him with a deadpan expression, similar to his own.

"Mind telling me why you lured me out here this late in the night?" The messiah spoke, confident and cold. His once soft eyes were now hardened steel. It was rude enough to remind him of his chases during the dark hour, now this. Opening the wallet, N fished out his trainer ID, then tossed the item back to the bluenette.

"Minato Arisato was it? Can you tell me how you performed the miracle that night?" He read the name on the card, holding it to the bright pale moon. Slivers of light passing through, hi-lighting the card.

Minato frowned, growing more irate. "What are you talking about?"

"That night when you healed Woobat's wings. How did you do it?"

Chapter Text

Minato shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. If it were back home, everyone knew what this meant. He was about to get serious. In the darkness he could tell there were multiple hidden presences behind his interrogator. Were they people or Pokemon, he couldn't discern, yet he was sure of one thing: they weren't his allies. Odd forms shrouded themselves using the curtain of night, as he concluded the stranger in front of him wasn't a fair individual, in fact he would even rate him as hostile.

The bluenette put all his energy in his legs and leapt forward, rushing like the wind, breezing past a dumbstruck N. Reaching out one hand, Minato snatched back his ID before sprinting off into the night. Dashing towards a hollow outed building, he hid inside before casting a teleport away from the situation.

Warping to a secluded alley in town, Minato made sure nothing else was missing from his possessions before going to his campsite. Looking back, he had no reason to speak to whoever that was, nor did he have any idea how that man found out about the miracle he performed. Since the thief asked him to confirm his suspicions, the Persona veteran was sure he had no actual proof to use on him. Which meant the issue would end there. Besides, what mad man would believe a human was capable of such a feat anyways?

Crossing a softly lit bridge by tall street lights, he found his tent undisturbed. Thankfully that man's Zorua didn't rummage through his campsite, or he would have personally tracked down its owner for compensation. When he was about to retreat inside for the night, he felt someone wack him with a stick.

"Oh! Sorry Mina, I thought you were a thief for a sec." White made sure he was fine, her ability to swing a stick was better than he thought. In fact, Mitsuru would have been proud to add that type of skill to her team with enough practice. If he were a normal person, she would have knocked him out cold.

"No worries, I was just out for a walk. Couldn't sleep." He lied, rubbing his head, pretending to be in pain.

"So…that was why you were out for so long. Found any nice places in town?"

"Not really. It's all just a few residential buildings and the center Plaza. Maybe there'd be a few businesses if this were Castelia." Compared to the bustling nights back home, there was little to do in Accumula at this hour.

"Were you up studying the League again?"

White gave a cheeky grin, pulling out her notebook. "How'd you know? Striaton's Gym is coming up in the next few days so I'm going to make sure I have a good battle plan."

Minato combed his memories, ones filled with White's drilling on the eight gyms scattered throughout the Unova region. In this world, Gyms served as check points for growing trainers but also doubled as a city's main line of defense. They say a Gym leader is supposed to be the toughest trainer in town, and by defeating them all, one could gain entry to the Pokemon League where people are elevated to legendary status. White watched him with glittering eyes, rivaling Koromaru's puppy act, she really wanted to go all in and crush the competition.

"Since they're going to test you on type advantages, why not catch something they'll counter Panpour? Water types are weak to grass and electricity."

"I was thinking about that too." White spotted a few wild Deerling in a nearby clearing, their forms shrouded under the cover of the night. Then, she noticed another figure among the group, something tinier and far more mischievous. "Hey Mina, what's that…?"

Minato's eyes narrowed, spotting the same creature from before. "White, let's go back for now. It's getting late, we have an early departure tomorrow."

Zorua watched him from across the campsite, morphing into a Deerling, mocking him with its sly grin.

"But Mina, we have such a good opportunity right here. Deerling is a pure grass type. I'm good at this, I'll be quick." Grabbing a pokeball, the brunette snuck her way to the clearing, to chuck a Pokeball. With one precise throw, the object flew through the air like a speeding bullet, smacking into the side of one of the creatures, earning a high pitched yelp before it reverted back to its original form. Before it could be engulfed by the ball, it was blocked by a stern hand.

"Huh? Was one of them not wild?" By the time she got closer, all the other Deerling had scattered into several different directions, leaving a sulking Zorua behind.

"My apologies, however this Pokemon is my friend." N emerged from behind the foliage. Gingerly, he picked up the tiny fox.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. I've never seen a Pokemon that could perform illusions like that before." White scanned it with her Pokedex, showing information about the creature, "Wow, it can even take the form of a human? That's crazy."

"May I ask what you are holding?" N glared at the device, it brought some unpleasant memories. Ones involving Pokemon labs. While most institutions were ethical in their approach, it was ultimately up to the Professors running them to decide what was going too far, leaving the industry widely unregulated. To him, it was a symbol of Pokemon captivity.

"Oh, this? It's a Pokedex. A new research device entrusted to me by a famous Professor." She answered him earnestly, unaware of the man's distaste. From White's perspective, he appeared to be just another trainer with a funny traveling companion. "Say, have you ever played a prank on people with Zorua's abilities before? I can think of a few ways to use that skill in battle too."

"Why yes, I have…" N answered absent mindedly, paying more attention to the person behind her. Ice cold rage threatened to chill him to the bone, an otherworldly dread so encompassing that he could not look away. For if he did, his body told him it would consume him whole. From his chest he could feel Zoura shaking, clinging to him tightly like a frail child. Listening closely, he could hear the soft chirps of his friend telling him to run as if some deep primal fear had awakened deep within its soul. For the first time in his life, N felt fear.

Minato held his deathly gaze, channeling the energy of Thanatos from the sea of his soul, silently sending a message: 'Hurt White in any way, and I will personally end you.'

Taking a few steps back, the pale King acknowledged his loss, quickly retreating from the scene before the aura of death could cling to his soul any longer. Sprinting down an empty street, he could barely breath between rapid shallow breaths as if he were drowning in a dark sea. Just who the hell was that bluenette?

Back at the clearing, White stood dumbstruck. She was about to ask N more questions when he suddenly ran off, white as a sheet. Furthermore, he held an expression she'd only witnessed in horror movies. Did she say something that offended him somehow? Was there some ghost type playing tricks in the background?

"Ummmm…Mina?"

"Yes?"

White hesitated for a moment, "Why did he run off?"

Minato gave a light shrug, "Who knows? Maybe he had something urgent he forgot about." Pretending none of it was his fault. He made sure to only target the stalker, controlling the output of his aura.

"He looked like he'd seen a ghost…" The brunette said, scratching her head. Was there a ghost type around here she could go after? Minato nodded, humoring her idea but they ultimately returned to the campsite with no new Pokemon after another hour of looking around. Disappointed and on the brink of exhaustion, White returned to her tent, waving him a good night before collapsing inside. There were no ghosts to be found, real or fake.

Mimicking his friend, Minato laid down, drained. A certain heaviness spread through his body from the day's events. Unable to drift off to sleep, a tinge of guilt pricked at his mind from unleashing such a foul power onto this peaceful world. Thanatos, as the god of Death, had brought him nothing but pain. The first moment he was able to summon a Persona, that wretched god had taken Orpheus's place to conquer the Shadows, tearing the eldritch being to ribbons in a brutal choir of screams. Worse, it was the thing sealed into him at a young age where he was immediately orphaned, destined to carry that painful burden until the moment of his death. It was like his own personal bad luck charm, wrecking havoc wherever it manifested.

Clutching his mouth Minato felt sick, bile building up in his throat, releasing that god once again even if it was to protect his friend from that stalker was too much. After all, there would be no telling what using Thanatos could do to this peaceful world, which left the Messiah tossing and turning through a paranoid, sleepless night. He didn't want to lose everything, again.

Tossing her fifth ball, White threw her fist up in the air, celebrating her first catch. They were now on Route Two, making their way to the Striaton Gym.

"Whoo hoo! Now that restaurant is toast!" Pulling out her Pokedex, it identified her new partner was a Blitzle, an electric type. It was perfect to deal with Panpour and fast enough to leave most mons in the dust. In the middle of celebration, she was approached by her friends who almost all held a new creature in their hands.

"Please don't phrase it like that, you sound like you'll destroy the Gym itself." Cheren said in concern. Actually, he wasn't sure if White didn't think about property damage as a valid strategy when Minato did just use the environment to beat her in their previous fight.

"Relax, now I have Stacy with me. Gigi won't have to go that far!" She chirped, petting the newly named Blitzle who eagerly wolfed down multiple bowels of Pokemon food happily. The promise of free food for life was too enticing for the pony to turn down and so it snuggled up to its trainer. It had a very laid back, almost lazy nature.

"Bliz! Blitzle." It replied back, catching the attention of the other two new additions to the group.

"Pidove!" Cheren's Pidove cooed, like it was chidding the electric zebra for being a glutton. In some ways, it mirrored its new trainer.

"Audino." a third, sweeter voice entered the ring. "Audino!" but it was soon followed by a strong taunt where it reached out one paw and challenged the other two, holding a cheeky grin. Both Pidove and Blitzle reacted, obviously offended by whatever the pink Pokemon just said.

"Ok, ok! That's enough Audino. You're supposed to be nice when you first greet others." Bianca scolded, but it huffed before retreating back into its Pokeball on its own. "Sorry everyone, I only recently caught it and I guess it hasn't warmed up to me yet." She laughed nervously, seeing how well both her friend's mons had adjusted.

White nodded, "It's alright Bianca. I read that sometimes it does take more stubborn Pokemon to warm up to you. Just look at Minato and Deino." Everyone turned to the bluenette in question, looking worse for wear than usual. Deep dark circles plastered against his face.

Minato yawned, "before anyone says anything. I had a bad sleep last night." Between the nightmare of being back in that hour, and his paranoia, the boy didn't exactly have a pleasant night.

"Are you doing alright? If you're feeling sick, we can take a few days to rest." Cheren worried.

"Papa always said to rest if you don't get eight hours of sleep." Bianca added.

"Nah, I'm a good guys. Just stayed up too late thinking about the first badge. Exciting, isn't it?" Minato faked a crummy smile, hoping no one would notice his exhaustion. Both Cheren and Bianca looked at eachother like they were going to buy his crappy excuse. But White wasn't so sure, raising her voice she faked her own bout of exhaustion.

"Awwww, I'm tired too! We should all take a break. Looking for Pokemon here was really energy sapping. I say for the next few hours we sit down and relax and enjoy the nice weather!" She stretched her arms, plopping down onto the grass with the most wooden delivery possible as if she were in a parody skit. She refused to move until the others all agreed, her eyes on Minato.

"Well, you aren't wrong." Cheren gave up, sitting down. White's exaggerated, otherwise cheesy act was never to be argued with, not even by Black. Bianca followed with Minato completing the full set of people laying down. Silently, he watched White wink at him from afar, telling him to rest. The Gym could wait, the group would delay their shared dreams for a breather.

The Messiah relaxed, closing his eyes, assured that even in this life his new friends would have his back which put him more at ease.

Serving up a pot of tea after a careful brew, Minato left the owners of the restaurant in awe, impressing them with his skill. Sampling the drink, Cilan was lost for words. Observing the boy in front of him to be no less than the age he himself would have struggled with the craft, let alone create such a masterpiece. In some regions of the world, tea brewing was considered an art.

"I must say, this is a fantastic batch. It might just rival the finest tea houses in Johto." The gym leader swished the cup in his hand, watching the green liquid inside dance in a hypnotic swirl. "May I ask who taught you such wonderful techniques?" If Minato wasn't going on a journey to the League, Cilan would have immediately offered him an apprenticeship on the spot.

Minato's eyes shone a sad light, his mouth wearing a faint smile, creating an interesting mismatch between his and heart. "I was taught by someone close to me. They were an excellent teacher and friend." Cilan nodded, understanding the subtle melancholy pause.

Deep down, there were many regrets the veteran had about his time back home. When he first arrived at the dorms, he had only known the company of cheap, instant ramen from years of barely scraping by. One day, Shinijro caught him brewing another batch out of habit when he stopped him, then taught him the basics of culinary cuisine. By the time his grumpy teacher had departed from the world, he was able to become a competent chef. And by the time he sacrificed himself, Minato could match the best restaurants in Iwatodai. Because to him, cooking was one of the last ways he could keep the memories of Shiniji alive. It pulled him out of the darkest times where he could just focus on creating something that didn't involve risking his life. A safe haven of sorts to shield his fragile sanity from the world.

Pulling out of his mindspace, Minato saw Cheren pull off a flawless win, downing Chili's Pansear. Snivy first blinded the monkey with a well placed leaf storm before striking it like a ninja in the night.

"AWwwww come on!" Chili complained but admitted his loss after a bit sulking. He was sure he was going to teach this kid all there was to learn about type advantages but had the battle end prematurely before he could say the word 'ember'.

"Hooray for your first badge Cheren! You even beat my record!" White yelled from their table, which held a front row seat to the stage. The restaurant allowed guests to spectate while trainer battles occurred daily. It was a good source of revenue with people streaming in daily to place bets on the outcomes.

"Yea, we're really proud that you pulled through. That was amazing!" Bianca said, with her Oshawott voicing in agreement. She had a shiny badge of her own, although there was still a mellow aura to her. Like there was something tugging at her mind.

"Thank you, the both of you. With my battle finished this only leaves you now, Minato." Cheren baton passed to the last member of their group. Minato raised his hand for a high five before going up stage with his friends cheering in the back. Opposing him was his first obstacle in this world, his first ever Gym battle. Bowing to him, an equally blue haired male greeted him with serene composure.

"Greetings Minato, as you have already previously witnessed my name is Cress, one of the leaders operating this Gym." The bluenette said's words flowed out like a calm stream, matching the Persona user's own tempo. However, there was an unspeakable understanding between two. Both their eyes locked onto one another as if they had found some strange kinship in having similar hairstyles and personality.

"Hmm, I thought I was going up against Cilan. Haven't you fought once already?" Uncharacteristically, Minato found himself sizing up his equally blue opponent.

"You are indeed correct. My apologies, but there has been an abrupt situation in our kitchen so I must substitute my brother for now. " From the corner of his eye, Minato watched Chili disappear with his brother.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad I can test my skills against you Cress. Let's see who can keep up in the raging tide of battle, shall we?" Minato tossed out Deino, it roared at the sight of the Gym leader.

Cress nodded, "Yes, perhaps we can decided a winner between us," he tossed out Panpour, unshaken by the dragon cub's challenge.

White gulped, sensing tension in the air. Both trainer and Pokemon stood still as a statue before someone shouted a command to make the first move. Panpour swiftly disappeared from sight, leaving Deino isolated in the arena looking confused. Swaying its head side to side trying to sniff out where the monkey went when hot blasts of water seared it from the left and then right.

"Deino!" it yelled, running from multiple more streams of brine with no Panpour in sight. Left, right and center, the onslaught seemingly coming from every direction, the speed increasing with each rapid fire.

"As you are an unusual guest, we decided to treat you to our special course instead." Cress studied his foe for any crack in composure, noting how Minato's ability to tame such a dangerous dragon to be special. Deinos were known to have a nasty temper and bite from day one. No newbie trainer in their right mind would get near a beast like that without ending up in the hospital.

"Is that so?" The veteran sounded unimpressed, pointing to a random direction with his figure. Deino followed by spitting out a powerful dragon breath, aiming at seemingly nothing in the distance when there was a loud yelp. Above them, Panpour smacked down to the floor with a shocked cry. Yet, despite the fall, the monkey sprung up once more before disappearing again, becoming a blue blur across the walls, dashing horizontally, literally monkeying around, blasting more streams of scalding water at Deino who countered just in time with another dragon breath.

"P-panpour!" It jumped from a wall fixture to a chandelier however it was hit right before its tiny hands could clung on, leaving it desperately catching its footing on a nearby table before dashing off. It turned to its right then leapt backwards, having its way blocked by a dragon breath, then left, then up, then down as Minato predicted it's every action, caging it in his line of sight. Nothing could escape the Messiah's grasp.

Cress's eyes narrowed, waving Panpour back to the arena, maintaining a good distance from Minato's hellspawn. Taking this chance, Deino opened its jaws charging at the monkey when it launched its claws at the dragon in a fury of swipes before getting its right arm caught in the mouth of the dark creature. Biting down as hard as it could, teeth sinking into flesh, Panpour closed the distance between them, licking the creature, causing it to reel back in pain but also flinging the exhausted monkey across the room, smashing it into a row of empty seats.

"Pan…pour."

Unable to get up, the blue monkey laid in the rubble unconscious. After Cress revived it with a quick revive. Minato also gave Deino a paralyze heal, freeing it from its statue-like state.

"Congratulations on your victory, Minato. As promised here is the Trio badge. That was a sublime match if I have to say." Cress masked his hidden surprise at the outcome.

"Thank you for the battle as well. If it weren't for Panpour's sudden faint, me and Deino would have been in real trouble." The match could have easily ended with Minato's loss with lick's paralyzing effects. Deino would have been a sitting duck.

"Yes, I was hoping Panpour would pull through on that gamble. There was little chance we could have taken your Deino head on." Cress admitted, showing a rare competitive side to his reserved front, smirking. The small dragon was huge for its size, enough to scare the Gym leader into keeping his distance. When it came to weight classes, Panpour would have suffered a heavy blow if it were to receive a tackle from Deino head on.

"Pan! Panpour!" His mon said, like it was agreeing with its trainer's words.

Holding up a glass of root beer, White cheered. "Let's eat our hearts out guys! First badge means one step closer to the Pokemon League. All root beers are on me!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, announcing their four way win streak to the rest of the restaurant, followed by a few claps.

Clinking their glasses in celebration, the four friends conversed nonstop about their day's accomplishment, even attracting the attention of other people who came to listen to their tales, especially the battle between Minato and Cress. White and Gigi retold the events, acting out the entire skit along with Stacy like true entertainers. There was just something surreal about the match, like it was a sequence you'd find in an all out action movie. How Deino's trainer had the magic eye to track such a creature moving at superhuman speeds was a show to behold.

"And then, Panpour ran up the walls like so! And Deino blasted it like this!" She had Stacy mimic Deino's motions followed by Gigi being Panpour, then turning to Minato, "But I really wanna know Mina, how did you know where Panpour was? I couldn't even see where it disappeared off to. Was it some trick you had up your sleeve?" She eagerly questioned him, her eyes sparkling like a puppy.

"I'm also curious about your strategy. Surely you couldn't have seen Panpour running by yourself." Cheren added, as such precision would make Minato a top ace trainer if he did. In that moment, the bluenette felt all eyes in the restaurant lock in on him, both friends and strangers alike eagerly waited for his answer. Because it was rare to see newbie trainers go toe to toe so instantly with an experienced Gym leader.

Minato shrugged, "I guessed."

"Ehhhhhh?! No way! Come on, you're pulling my leg Mina! That's not right at all!" White pouted, shaking her friend but he only gave a few variations of his previous answer. No way would he say the blue monkey was actually moving as slow as molasses in his eye. Deflecting a sentient robot's bullets as a part of daily reaction training to stay alive in that green hell was also not an answer he could give either.

"I forget."

"Nooooo!"

"It's true."

"You're a meanie!"

"Heh."

"See? I knew you were messing with me! Now tell me."

He used to enjoy teasing Yukari but this would also do. Minato chuckled.

Cilan cleaned the last of the tables, wiping sweat off his face in an exhausted sigh. After their last battles, dinner rush had been a nightmare due to malfunctioning equipment in the kitchen. With a stressed crew and customer complaints of slow service, today was an incredible journey in endurance.

Pouring a cup of tea for himself, he pulled up next to his two brothers to relax. "I'm so tired. Hopefully the repair company will be here tomorrow morning." He saw Chili nod but Cress remained unresponsive, as if in deep contemplation.

"What's wrong, Cress? Were the customer complaints unreasonable again?" Cilan watched his brother shake his head.

"No. If there were, then I wasn't in the headspace to record them." Cress admitted, breaking out of his usual, soothing diligence to listen to each and every guest, being the face of near perfect customer satisfaction. He was also the one training the waiters and waitresses while Cilan balanced the books.

"Huh? Something on your mind?" Chili was now curious too.

Cress crossed his arms, sighing. "Yes. That Minato fellow. I'm sure he'll be a big shock to the League once he enrolls…"

"Whoa! Why the sudden prediction? You know, Cheren wasn't bad either. Took Pansear out before I could react." Chili raised a brow, he and Cilan were away when that fight happened.

"Something akin to that. Although…" Cress paused, looking down at his tea cup seeing his reflection. Blue hair and blue eyes mirrored back, his face having a much more youthful aura than the boy he had just fought. "Is it possible for a youngster to have an aged soul?" He blurted out, unsure of himself. Compared to him, there was something about Minato that felt…ancient. The way he reacted from his frightening accuracy at predicting Panpour's movements, to his coldly calm composure. His ability to tame such a large dragon cub. There was only one other person in the world Cress could compare that crushing aura to. A person he had met in a distant beach town in the East, Sinnoh Champion Cynthia. The women who wielded earth shattering power in the form of a ground dragon with icy composure that not even Alder could match.

"What? That's ridiculous bro, chill out. He probably just got lucky. That's what I heard from White's retellings anyways. Good show." Chili brushed his brother's concerns, "Speaking of which, she was pretty skilled too. Tho I'm willing to bet Cheren will be the toughest of the group once they reach the League."

"I'll have to disagree brother." Cilan said, "Personally, I'm placing my chips on White to sweep at least one Elite four member once she refines her tactics a bit more. Her techniques might be brash but it's her will to overcome all odds that will persevere in the end." The greenate finished in a calculating tone. The surreal scene of the passionate Chili backing a bookworm while the cool headed Cilan went for someone that displayed unbeatable willpower was bizarre, leaving Cress to shake his head at the both of them, bringing up out a bag of peppers.

"No. I'm afraid you're both off." He began, "I'm willing to bet my taste buds that Minato will win out in the end." He announced, dropping down the ghost peppers, determined. Truly, brotherly competition was going to be the end of them.

Chili grabbed a pepper, "fine, but if he loses, I'm making you eat five of these."

"Hmmm, interesting. I'll join in too. I look forward to both of you scarfing them down." Cilan mused.

Chapter Text

Shaking off the last bits of dread, N brushed past several staff that guarded the castle entrance, barely acknowledging their existence. Passing through one painfully long hallway, after another, he made it to his safe haven and swung the door open. He couldn't wait to get away from that awful sensation clinging to him, threatening to drag him down into the abyss. The shaking Zorua in his arms barely holding on. With ever present jaws of death slowly driving him to madness, he retreated back to the safest place he knew: his home.

When he arrived, he was greeted by his Pokemon friends. Each of them warmly welcomed him into this special sanctuary set up by Ghetsis. A private paradise only he could access, a place that artificially simulated nature where a vast green expanse mimicked the many habitats these Pokemon came from. Together, they all gathered around him, from juveniles to those that volunteered to fight alongside him.

"How are you holding up today, sport?" Darmanitan called, his ever cheerful demeanor was always a welcome sight, like a father greeting their young son. As the creature approached, his jolly grin began to drop seeing his human friend so distraught. "What's wrong, N? Did something happen out there?"

N took a deep breath, shutting down those horrible thoughts conjured by Death. He could feel himself breaking "I…" He opened his mouth to say something, anything when Zorua leaped from his arms into the embrace of its mother, Zoroark.

"Mommmmy! That blue haired human was terrifying! He looked like he wanted to hunt us down!" He cried, snuggling into the warmth of his mother. She hugged him tightly, already baring her fangs at N.

"Is this true? Did someone threaten my child?! She sneered, fur raised, ready to strike down whatever foe came between her and her family. Their lives had been turned upside down ever since someone hunted down her partner. Team Plasma had rescued them from an insufferable hell under human rule. The disdain she had for humanity was immense, with N being the only person she didn't try to maul on sight.

Following Zoroark, similar chatter began to break out from the crowd.

"Where is he?!"

"I'll teach him a lesson or two!"

"Who would hurt such a sweet child?"

The choir protested, their voices rose until they crescendoed into a loud cacophony, young and old. All his friends were here for him, yet for this time N didn't know what to say. Shocked as he was, it was still true this individual performed an incredible miracle. To heal a disabled Pokemon back to full health, it didn't feel right to condemn Minato for what he did.

"Everyone please…" He saw the broken and the injured, never to regain their natural splendor again. A Dwebble blinded by fire, a Duosion missing half its membrane, and a Swanna having had its wings clipped as punishment so it could never soar across the skies again. Such cruel fates were bestowed upon such simple souls that have done nothing wrong. They were with him through thick and thin and he promised them an eternal paradise. N heard his friends chant to know where this person was, the person that hurt both him and Zorua but he shook his head, because he knew this wouldn't be good for anyone and so he shouted to drown out the noise.

"Everyone stop!" His voice boomed loud across the shocked sanctuary, bringing a depthing silence. The Pokemon all gazed at him stunned.

"Please listen to me." He felt his throat clump up, but he kept going. "This person we went to see? Isn't a bad human…" He could now feel Zoroark's ire directed towards him, one wrong move and he could be mice meat. One wrong move could shatter their bond.

"Then what is he then, N? Are you telling us he's good when he makes my baby cry this hard?" She countered, venom in her words.

N nodded, trembling. For the first he was at odds with his friends. For the first time, he had gazed into the abyss yet also heard the tales of an amazing miracle. "I want all of you to please calm down. As I was going to say, this Minato Arisato is not someone who is cruel towards Pokemon."

Wearily, they listened with Darmanitan gently nodding in a frown, "Go on.."

"I'm sure you all have heard the story by now. The one Snivy relayed."

Zoroark shook her head, "But that could have just been a tale spun by that human girl he's with to throw us off. He's always been very naive!"

N Looked to Zorua then to his mother, "But Zoroark, I believe children are the ones that tell the most truth."

"Mommy…" The small fox said, staring into his mother's eyes. She hesitated.

"And you seem to know Snivy more than most of the Pokemon here." N crossed his arms, gesturing to the two small nests by Zoroark's resting spot. "You adopted him, didn't you?"

The large fox softened, eyes dropping, "Yes."

"A year ago Serperior was in ill health so to lighten her load, you decided to help Snivy." N recounted, "however by mid spring you adopted him as your own. You appear to know that child more than anyone. So, can you tell me in full confidence that he would lie to his own mother's face?"

N spoke from an unfamiliar place, even though his adopted father had been distant. Feeling the dread of Death had stirred chaos within him, destroying his sense of peace. Fear, anxiety, but most importantly: finality. An emotion he had never had to confront due to his privileged upbringing, where he was raised to believe he would live alongside Pokemon and the Black dragon for eternity. But as he gazed into the dark abyss that was Minato's soul, he broke. He realized his rule wouldn't last forever and eventually when he would decay, leaving the Black dragon behind, alone once more. And thus, the utopia he truly desired would be forever out of reach. Someone would take over but by who or what he did not know and that freighted him.

And that was when he realized he would at least give Minato the benefit of the doubt, because he not only represented the possibility of miracles, but also a force more disturbing, a force he did not want to provoke.

"Then what do you purpose we do?" Zoroark said.

"I can't say we can trust him yet nor know what his intentions are yet." N carefully chose his words, "However, I can say he's not a bad person either." Because if he was, the greenette thought, the entire world would be in shambles by now. That was how powerful Minato's abyss was. That heavy, otherworldly pressure alone would break all the region's champions, forcing them to their knees and challenge the gods above. That was the true fear the mortal King acknowledged.

For he acknowledged Death.

"So, we will watch him for now." N look to the disabled and injured once more, "And I'll try to convince him to help us. At least to give back what humanity took from you."

He clenched his fists, a swell of determination filling his heart.

Exiting his sanctuary, N felt a huge weight off his chest, closing the door he felt like he had aged at least a decade. He was sure he'd start finding white hairs on his head the next morning. Being exposed to that eldritch horror was too much for his shattered soul. Slouching against the entrance, he tried to relax, taking a minute to gather himself before he saw several people pass by.

"Lord N?" He craned his head upwards to see Rosa and Snivy along with a few others. Plasma members in uniforms all except for one person.

"Anything to report?" He hid his tiredness behind a practiced facade, barely able to stand. N wanted to go back to his room and black out for the next few days. He wanted to go and wipe his memories clean but he knew even that wouldn't work on this despair that clung to him like the ugly truth it was.

"No my lord. We're just showing this new member around our headquarters. Do you wish to join us?" Rosa offered, giving him a warm smile. One she gave generously to both people and Pokemon alike.

At first, N shook his head, "Thank you for the offer, Rosa. Yet I mus-." he stopped in his tracks when he laid his eyes upon the newbie. Same facial features, same eyes, but with brushed back raven hair. On his neck, he wore a striking yellow scarf that went down all the way along his back. Other than the darker hair, he was almost a splitting image of Minato Arisato.

"Greetings Lord N. My name is Ryoji and I'm enrolling here to follow in the footsteps of my parents to help Pokemon all around Unova." The youth greeted N with a polite bow, beside him were his mother and father both in Plasma attire.

"Y-yes, I'm happy to acknowledge your spirit. Thank you for joining our cause." N shook the boy's hand. He appeared about the same age as that bluenette too, yet he had a completely different air to him. On the inside he was breaking again.

"Ah, my apologies, our child does not have his uniform yet, my Lord. We requested days ago, but haven't heard back from Human resources." Ryoji's father said. From what N knew of the staff list, he was a part of the same department as Rosa, humanitarian work for Pokemon. Meanwhile, his mother draped a Plasma uniform over her white lab coat, suggesting she was a researcher.

"No, no. It's completely fine everyone. At Team Plasma, we welcome all who have the kindness in their hearts to help Pokemon." N then spoke to Ryoji directly, "Although I am curious about which sector you chose, may I ask what type of work interested you most?"

Ryoji chuckled, standing next to Rosa, "Providing aid to Pokemon of course. I can't just stand by when I know I can do much more."

"That's right. You'll be helping run one of our aid stations to patch up wild Pokemon tomorrow. And next week we'll be holding another festival to help recruit more members to our cause." Rosa said proudly, hi-fiving her apprentice.

"I have to say, it's pretty embarrassing to enroll at this age. I had to choose between this or academia." Ryoji said sheepishly. Him and Rosa were both sixteen, but most children from Plasma families were brought in very young.

"It's alright honey, we're glad you're here." His mother patted him on the back.

After a few more moments of pleasant banter, N waved them off to tour the rest of the castle. By evening, he found Ryoji alone in the shared library studying a manual.

"Hello again Lord N. Do you perhaps require something?" Ryoji said, noticing his King approaching.

N nodded, fighting his internal instincts to walk away, sucking air into his lung and breathing out. "Ryoji, may I ask you one question?"

"If I can answer it to my best ability, yes."

"Are you perhaps acquainted with someone by the name of Minato Arisato?"

Minato patched up the last Munna, touching it with a small healing spell to make it all better. The pink ball opened up its eyes, thanking him before returning to its friends.

"And that was the last one." White said, discarding a used up max potion. "But who would do such a thing…?" She gently patted one of the wild Munna who was severely beaten. When Professor Juniper's friend had asked the group for a favor to collect dream mist, they found a string of unconscious Pokemon in the grass. All of them showing signs of bruising.

"Bianca and Cheren took the ones that needed severe medical attention to the Pokemon center. We should be fine for now." Minato said, bitter. He couldn't help but wonder who did this to all these innocent creatures. Upon reviewing all the injuries, most appeared to be around the body and back area with only a few bruises to the front. From what Professor Fennel told them, Munna consumed and emitted dream mist from their nose. This made the Messiah come to only one conclusion.

"Munna! Munna!" One of the wild dream eaters tugged at White's jacket, as if trying to lead the way. Its friends signal for the two to go deeper into the dream factory down a dark path. Before them lay a massive concrete jungle of ancient machinery.

"What is it? You want us to come with you? Are there more injured?" White was led by the Munnas, Minato trailing behind. Slowly, they passed through a pitch black tunnel with overgrown weeds and wet moss. The smell of aging rust mixed with mildew perforated the air. The Dream Factory was once a place filled with hope, but now it lay decayed, forgotten by those who once built it. It made the veteran wonder who ran this place.

"Ek! It's pretty creepy here." White shone a flashlight at the inside of the abandoned building, seeing the deterioration. Torn up floors, overgrown walls, and unknown equipment scattered about in random intervals. She ventured in, encountering multiple other empty rooms with similar levels of decay when they landed upon something strange.

"Shhhhh, turn off that light." Minato immediately hid everyone behind a few large crates. Crouching in position, they listened in on a distant conversation in a nearby room.

"Give us that dream mist already you damn meatbag!" A sound of a kick rang out.

"Muuuuu!"

A slap sound rang out, "I said release some mist now or we're gonna make sure this Munna of yours gets it!"

"Munnnahhhhh!"

"Musharna, mushaaa!"

Unbridled rage surged from the Messiah. His eyes scanned the environment, noting they were vastly outnumbered. People clad in Team Plasma member uniforms gathered around the Munna and Musharna pair crying for help. Three were taking turns beating it while two more stood aside to guard a cage full of drained Pokemon. Assuming they were armed, this meant he was dealing with one Pokemon per grunt at best or thirty at worst if they all had full teams.

Just as he was about to act, White disappeared from her hiding spot.

"Hey! Stop hurting those Pokemon you pieces of shits!" She yelled at the top of lungs, furious. Grabbing her two mons, she threw out both Stacy and Gigi taking out the two people guarding the cages, one an ember and a thundershock.

"What the hell? Who's there?" A man came out of the room, followed by two others with their Pokemon. Two Liepards, one Drilbur, and three Pidove were released, charging at White's team as they clashed head on.

"Two trainers! We've been discovered!" A female grunt yelled, calling out for her Pidoves to launch a string of attacks toward White's Pokemon. A light breeze swirled, transforming into strong guests threatening to cut down Gigi and Stacy as they both dodged Drilbur emerging from the ground and a sucker punch from Liepard.

"Quick, we have to get rid of them. Our Lord is already inpatient." The third and final grunt shouted, directing his Liepards to go in for another round of punches. Upon dodging the onslaught, Gigi and Stacy had no time to react to the oncoming winds sailing their way. They both gritted their teeth, bracing for the oncoming hit when suddenly the trajectory of the air reversed, smashing into the three Pidoves instead, downing them immediately.

"Nice dodges you guys!" White yelled, unbeknownst to what actually happened, directing her mons to attack the remaining group when Minato's Deino and Woobat joined them, launching twin dragon breaths and gusts towards the Liepard and remaining Drilbur.

The big cats sunk into the shadows to avoid the attack while the small mole dug underground once more. However, Minato unleashed a wave of energy of his own, buffing all the Pokemon on his side with a fast heat riser and cursing his enemies with a mean debilitate. He saw the grunts rally their forces as much as they could, still with hope in their eyes.

"Drilbur, emerge and shard the enemies of our lord!" Its owner shouted, when the ground suddenly broke under Deino's feet, Drilbur spun, aiming its gleaming sharp claws at the dragon's face. Checkmate, the grunt grinned, but the claws of the mole did no damage as it barely grazed Deino. That's when the dragon caught it by the neck, sinking its teeth into its fragile flesh before launching at its owner, taking them both out.

"Are you kidding me?! Why aren't our attacks working?" The owner of the Liepard panicked, when another suckerpunch failed to land, reflecting right back at the cat, knocking it unconscious. It was like some invisible force was aiding the two trainers, a force that he could not perceive. Minato held his poker face, applying another tetrakarn.

"Maybe it's because you slack during training all the time!" The grunt's colleague chidded, now they were infighting with each other.

"Shut up! You're the one always skipping basics!"

"Let's finish them off while they're arguing, everyone!" White pointed at the last Liepard who was wide eyed at being dog piled by multiple opponents. Sparks of flames akin to a raging torrent set its fur ablaze, electricity shocked its nerves and finally a gust of wind cut into its flesh, forcing it to retreat, tackling its master full force out of panic.

"Deino de!" Deino bit onto the last grunt trying to make a break for it, abandoning her crew.

"Ahhhhh! Monster! Get away off of me!" she tried to shake when the dragon roared, causing her to faint on sight.

Once they had knocked out all the Plasma members and their mons, White and Minato freed the remaining trapped Munna and Musharna. Using the last of their potions, the pair along with their wild brethren were now out of critical condition.

"Munna, munnn!" The smallest Munna swayed up and down in a thankful motion.

"Mushaaaa." Musharna mimicked the younger, also showing gratitude. White gently patted the two.

"I hope you two are ok now. Those bad humans are gone." She spoke, assuring the two along with their small gathering of other Munna. She was like a mother consoling a group of hurt children.

Munna snuggled up to the brunette, rubbing its face against her hair. "Munnaaaa." It chirped, emitting a bit of pink smoke, reminding the girl the reason they came to the dream yard.

"That reminds me," She pulled out a small test tube. "You see little ones, me and Mina came at the request of one of our good friends. Will it be ok if we just take a tiny bit of dream mist from you all?" She said sheepish, carefully choosing her words after remembering what the Plasma grunts did to the Munna here. To her relief, they all nodded, gently exhaling a tiny bit of mist into the tube.

Minato did the same, collecting more samples from the nearby Munna. He wasn't sure if these creatures would have allowed him to do it if White didn't ask so politely. He had to admit, she was a good negotiator. Collecting one, two, three and opening up his final test tube he bent down to let the last Munna to unleash its mist. Waiting patiently, when he noticed it having some trouble. Bobbing up and down in an uncomfortable motion like it was about to sneeze, the bluenette wondered if he should step back when the surprise happened.

"Muuchooooooooooooooooo!"

A blast of pink mist engulfed the Messiah, forcing him to cover up but it was too late because the chemicals already started to take effect. Being caught off guard, he reeled back trying to clear up whatever had gotten into his system as his body panicked feeling a tingling sensation. Soon, he was having double vision with the world distorting around him until he froze, peering into the abyss.

"Mina?" Hearing a loud thud from behind, White reacted seeing her friend collapse to the ground. Her eyes widened, trying to shake him awake in a field enveloped by dream mist.

"Hello? Mina? Are you ok?" She shook him gently at first, hoping he would wake. "Umm…this isn't funny you know."

A few seconds later, still no reaction.

"Deino de?" Deino nudged its trainer, but nothing happened.

"Woobat?" Woobat tried to awaken the Messiah by landing on his head, yet nothing would come if it.

"Hey! Mina please wake up!"

"Will he be alright, Professor Fennel?" Cheren asked.

"Should we call a doctor?" Bianca inquired.

Fennel shook her head, looking at the unconscious Minato. It's already been a few hours since the incident and he still hasn't shown signs of waking. She had her concerns but usually accidental dream mist intoxication should clear up within a day of rest.

"After checking his vitals, everything appears normal, at the latest I estimate he should be up and ready by tomorrow." She assured the teenagers, each of them showing a mixture of confusion and concern. "I know this may look serious, but please trust in my research everyone." Fennel once again tried to counsel the group. She was world famous for her thesis on dream mist. When Minato collapsed, she was able to lend them a helping hand by monitoring him in her lab. Although out of all the cases she's seen, Minato's was one of the longest on record when it came to being knocked out.

"Once again I do have to apologize for what happened. Especially to you White, I never knew there would be so many bad people harassing the Munna in the Dream Yard." Fennel saw how upset the girl was when they brought him in. He behaved like an older brother to her from what she's seen.

White nodded, "It's fine Professor…. I hope he'll be ok." Her eyes drooped. She wished she could have been more careful. It wasn't really serious by Fennel's words, yet she couldn't shake the feeling there was more to Minato's motionless state than met the eye. Like his face held a certain contemptment she'd never seen. Like he was finally at peace.

Opening his eyes to a blinding light, Minato found himself on the first floor of the Iwatodai dorm. Lowering his hand, he felt someone gently whack him over the head and a familiar voice speak loud and clear, sending him into frozen shock.

"Geez, did you doze off again?"

His eyes widened, gazing at the people before him.

"Yoo, up for another arcade session, with da man?"

"Junpei, he agreed to train with me today."

Minato sat dumbfounded.

"Perhaps you are mistaken, Akihiko? Arisato is to perform his student council duties immediately."

"Woof! Woof!"

"Calm down Koro, we can go for a walk today too."

"Minato, we must record the growth of the tomates today."

"I tried a new recipe today, Minato."

He couldn't believe it, feeling hot tears roll down his face.

"Hey, hey you ok man? Something happen?"

"You're overwhelming him. Give him some space stupei."

Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Koromaru, Ken, Aigis and Fuuka all gathered around him all eagerly waiting for the Messiah's answer.

For he was back in his sanctuary, his home.

Chapter Text

Wordlessly, Minato embraced them all in a tight hug, catching everyone by surprise. He was back, he was truly back. Gardening with Aigis, taking walks with Ken and Koromaru, assisting Mitsuru. For the entire day, not a thing was out of place and being reborn into another world felt like a distant dream. When afternoon turned to dusk, Minato re-entered the dorms with Akihiko and Junpei, each carrying several grocery bags.

"Do you want any help cooking tonight?" Akihiko placed the groceries on the kitchen table.

"Sure, if you could help dice up the chicken for me, I'll be handling the stove." Minato turned and grabbed an assortment of spices from the cupboard in an expert fashion, carefully choosing each ingredient. When he started his lessons, he would throw in whatever looked right. But now he understood the fine art of less is better. Each item was in the same place he remembered. Shinji had a habit of ordering materials in a strict manner so the bluenette followed in a similar footstep.

"Yo, I ain't just gonna let the two of you hog all the spotlight. I can make a mean curry chicken too!" Junepi said, showing how much he's matured these past few months.

"Really Junpei? I didn't know you could cook." Akihiko was surprised.

"I don't play cooking games for nothing, senpai. Besides, what would I look like if I just bought stuff home and left all the hard work to you guys?"

Minato smiled, he must be trying to learn new skills so he could become better after the Chidori incident. Junpei was the type to always order take out so it was rare to see him join the kitchen squad. It was just like before, a moment in time just like he remembered.

"All you'll do is burn the chicken, Stupei." Yukari peered from the doorway, lured by the fragrant spices.

"Says Yupid, who makes the driest chicken ever." Junpei opened the fridge to prove a point, much to Yukari's chagrin.

"Ugh, why do I have to be Yupid?"

"Because if I'm Stupei, then you're Yupid." The two sophomores continued their semi friendly banter from across the kitchen, flinging half baked insults at each other. Finally, Akihiko leveled out the playing field by telling both of them to stop.

"Quiet down you two. Dinner is almost ready. Both of you go set the table while Minato and I finish this." He issued commands like a strict father disciplining two spoiled brats. Both Yukari and Junpei gulped, grabbing chip sticks and plates from the cabinet. Once they both disappeared, this just left Akihiko and Minato alone in the kitchen.

Minato poured the last of the curry onto a plate in awkward silence, then Akihiko sighed.

"You'd think I'd be over this by now…"

"Shinji did treat the kitchen as his sacred space." Minato said, carefully returning everything. Each item sat in the exact place before his friend left this world, like a frozen snap shot before his demise.

"Yea. I try not to dwell on it for too long, but sometimes I just…let it slip." Akihiko promised himself he would apologize to the sophomores later. He didn't mean to come off as grumpy.

Minato nodded, understanding the man's grief. "I miss his lectures on buying cheap ramen. Never knew he was so health conscious." Applying some white rice to each plate, the bluenette found the work peaceful. The sweet aroma of the curry swirled, escaping the gloomy space.

"He was a complete health nut just like me. While I focused more on fitness, Shinji always insisted on eating healthy." The senior laughed bitterly, leaning on the counter "He was how I discovered those protein shakes."

"I can imagine. I'm thankful I learned to cook properly. At least by winter time I was able to reach his level."

"Winter?" Akihiko turned in confusion.

Minato saw his friend's bewilderment bloom because it was currently Fall. That was when he knew he had messed up, shaking his head.

"Ummm, I've been a bit tired lately Senpai. School has been exhausting lately." The bluenette said, chuckling nervously.

"Oh, then you should rest up tonight. I wouldn't want you to face an execution from Mitsuru." Akihiko shivered at the thought. Bad grades were a strong taboo among the members of SEES and he had experienced first hand the consequences.

"Thanks, now let's serve these plates while they're still hot.

When the plates were brought to the table, everyone took in the fragrance. Setting the plates down, Minato was reminded of the nostalgia of this moment. Like a clock on repeat, rewinding the same second over and over, he could recall sitting down with his friends after a long day. Koromaru cheerfully barked, running around the dinner table being chased by Ken and Fuuka. Aigis observed the scene with Mitsuru while Junpei and Yukari resumed their banter.

"That was certainly a magnificent dish, you all have outdone yourselves," Mitsuru finished her plate with the grace of a noble, setting down her chopsticks.

"I'm impressed. This is way more flavorful than even your last batch." Yukari was surprised at how quickly their field leader had improved his cooking scales.

"Were you practicing more often?" Fuuka said. It was leaps and bounds better than she could remember, like Minato had much more time to iron out his skills.

"Bark! Bark!" Koromaru voiced similar thoughts from his home made dog food. Something about it just felt different, tastier.

"Aw man, how am I supposed to compete with this? You really outdone yourself." Junpei wolfed down the last of the rice, already on his third serving, "It's like you mastered this dish on hard mode hundreds of times already."

"Junpei has a point. You only started recently didn't you?" Ken noted.

"I believe this is what we call a sudden stroke of genius." Aigis said, her analysis determined the ratios of spices and other ingredients to be rather unusual compared to Minato's previous work. The difference was night and day.

Minato nodded, "Thank you everyone. I'm so glad I could cook for you guys again." Even now he felt the warmth of their presence, each and every one of them alive in this fairytale. His cheeks warm as tears began to stream down his face once more.

"Hey, hey are you ok man? Did we say something weird?" Junpei stood up from the table.

"Minato, are you feeling alright?" Fuuka comforted him, her placing a soft hand on his shoulder.

Shaking his head, the Messiah struggled to keep his composure, choking up "No, I'm fine. I'm just…I'm just so glad you're all here again."

Akihiko sat in silence, the dish in front of him tasting like a carbon copy of Shinji's recipe, if not surpassing it.

The clock on the wall ticked, bathing the dorm in tranquil silence. Each minute transient in its passing, fleeting in the wind. Achieving inner peace, the Messiah savored this moment locked in time. When dinner had wrapped it up, it was unusually late as the clock struck midnight in a familiar alarm.

Minato perked up, tense, waiting for the inevitable to hit. Soon the world would be engulfed in that terrifying dark abyss once more, where his friends would have to put their lives in danger for the sake of the world. Soon, things would return to the dark hour where shadows roamed. However that ghastly green hue never descended upon the world. The dinner table retained its pleasant shade of white while the night outside marched on as if nothing had disturbed its tranquil presence.

"Uh Minato, what are you looking around for?" Ken voiced, seeing the bluenette confusingly shift around in his seat.

"What do you mean…?"

"Arisato, is there something you wish to discuss?" Mitsuru appeared unconcerned, still in her seat.

"The dark hour…why hasn't it…" Minato whispered, alarmed. His friends were still here, SEES was still together and it was still Fall. Watching the clock tick uninterrupted, the Messiah paled.

"Arisato," Mitsuru snapped out of his downward spiral.

"Yes, Mitsuru?"

"Could you possibly be alarmed by the lack of shadows around this hour?" She spoke serious, ice cold as an empress upon her throne. Mitsuru addressed him with stern words.

He nodded wordlessly, he thought he was back. He wished he was back, shaking his head, his grief overtaking him.

Mitsuru softened, standing up as did the rest of SEES. "Minato Arisato, as of this moment we all have a serious announcement to make."

Deep down he knew this was a dream, but it was so intoxicating.

"Truly, we wished you had a pleasant time here." The red empress approached him and the scene suddenly shifted to a wide stage, a graduation ceremony, "But there is no need for you to remain in this place with us any longer." She produced a high school diploma, handing it to him on the stage as everyone clapped, showering them in confetti. "You graduated long ago, did you not?"

"We took down all the big shadows, and saved the world, remember?" Yukari said, appearing with a bouquet of flowers.

"You rescued me from Tartarus, thank you." Fuuka smiled.

"You helped me find closure," Ken followed.

"Bark! Bark!" Koromaru circled around him.

"You showed me the true meaning of what it means to be alive." Aigis hugged him.

"Yea! And we climbed all the way up to that blasted tower and faced Nyx!" Junpei shouted, giving him a big thumbs up, Chidori by his side. "Thanks for giving us the courage to keep on going man!"

Minato clutched onto the diploma in his hand, turning to face the wider stage. Hundreds if not thousands of faces he's met or seen watched him from below. The old monk smoking a cigar, the elderly couple from the book store waved, and the little girl from the playground jumped up and down cheering for him. Yuko, Kenji, and everyone else were present. He was surrounded by not only his friends but by thousands of souls he had saved, all here to attend a graduation ceremony he had missed while alive. Never to walk across the stage while his friends marched ahead, against the relentless flow of time. On the day he breathed his last, he had no regrets about his life, however it stung to know he wouldn't have been there for the grand celebration.

"And don't you ever screw up that dish, you hear me?"

The Messiah's eyes widened, spotting a familiar pea coat walking through the crowd. Shinji emerged with Akihiko.

"Shinji…?"

"I hear you've met good people where you landed. Take care of'em. Now go"

"Show them our old training regime." Akihiko smirked.

"Alas, we cannot delay you any further, Arisato."

Mitsuru pushed Minato forward, the joyous scene in front of him fading away. The happy people were all cheering him on.

"Take care!"

"Congratulations!"

"I hope you have fun in your new world!"

"N-no! Everyone, I-!"

They didn't even leave time for him to give a graduation speech. Instead, they sent him off with satisfied smiles on their faces, each one fully at peace. Diploma still in hand, he struggled to go back, but try as he might, the world around him would crumble. Such was the nature of a fleeting dream.

"It's alright Minato, we will always have you in our hearts till the end of time…" Aigis said, sending him off into the sea.

Dropping down into the abyssal darkness, Minato cried, but no one would be there to console him. Sailing through the depths he fell and fell infinitely until he couldn't cry anymore. Then, in that void he noticed a light. Shining like a beacon inside the sea, giving off a warm glow that drew him to its ethereal presence. Running through that dark expanse he sought after that familiar blue light, catching up to it in the flowing waves, eventually reaching the door before charging inside.

Blue velvet lined the room just as he remembered with an equally blue table in the center. Seated in the chair was none other than the women he loved in life.

"Elizabeth!" He shouted, bolting inside as she appeared just as shocked, embracing him.

"Minato..?" She forgot all her etiquette in that moment, responding with her own hug, the syllables of his name rolling off her tongue smooth as butter. He was gone for such a long time and now he was here once more, visiting her in the Velvet room.

"I'm so thankful to see you again, I really am!" in that moment he didn't know what to say, nor did he want to, because he didn't want this to be another dream he had to leave behind.

Elizabeth studied the bluenette, carefully listening to his tale. She was intrigued by his story of being reborn in another world, of the friends he made and the dream he just had, finally his journey to the Velvet room. However, after speaking he looked at her with sorrowful eyes and the attendant instantly knew what they meant.

"I assure you, Minato. This is indeed the one and only Velvet room. Between dreams and reality, mind and matter, perhaps this is how you were able to find us once more." Elizabeth comforted him. Although the elevator had stopped, frozen in time, it was still indeed the real Velvet room.

"Then does that mean I was wondering through not my own mind but another plane of existence?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "Unfortunately I cannot be certain, because this place has been shrouded in endless darkness for ages now. However, I can assure you that our meeting here is also not by mere coincidence."

Inspecting the diploma in his hand, Minato wondered why if this piece of paper had been a part of his dream, then why hasn't it disappeared. Was it all real after all? Then, he saw Elizebeth hand him something. "Is th…my evoker?"

She nodded, "In another time, in another place, your friends entrusted these items to me for safekeeping." All his old SEES gear materialized in front of him. From his old weapons, to even his keepsakes from his friends. It was like they purposely sent him off to the Velvet room to receive these items.

"But why…? Why when all this is over?" He felt the familiar grip of his evoker, the nostalgic urge to summon willed up inside of his soul. His personas called out to him.

"Because there is a situation I must inform of, Minato." Elizabeth suddenly became stern, returning to her old training. "As I have mentioned before, you finding your way back to the Velvet room is no mere coincidence. In fact, there is an malevolent force lurking in your new home."

"Danger? How so?" Minato gripped the hand of the evoker tight.

Elizabeth shook her head, "This I cannot ascertain. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the Velvet room has lost its ability to monitor the outside realms. Yet, from your presence alone I can feel a fleeting distortion from the world you arrived from. A foreign power that does not belong."

"Just when I thought I found peace…" Minato sighed, leaning back into his old seat. But this would also mean White and the others were in serious danger if what Elizabeth spoke was true. He frowned, knowing what he had to do next. "I presume my reincarnation wasn't just a fluke either then."

"Perhaps not. But on behalf of all of the Velvet room, we are glad to receive you once more, dear guest." She looked to the empty table where Igor once occupied, now empty. "I'm afraid not everyone will be able to welcome you."

The ancient elevator, which had reached its final destination long ago, sat motionless. Minato understood what his attendant meant. Igor was not here anymore, leaving Elizebth alone to occupy this sacred space. What caused the keeper of the room to vanish, the women did not elaborate, only holding a somber look in her eyes, enough to make Minato understand.

"Igor was like a father to me…" The Messiah reminisced, bitter sweet. He bore witness to his attainment of the Universe arcana, sending Minato off as he made his final decision in life.

"Master was proud of you, Minato. We all were." Elizabeth embraced him once more, she leaned against his shoulder for support.

Minato snuggled up against her, wrapping an arm around her. "I have no regerts, Liz. I really don't. If I were to do it again, I would." Determination swelled up in his heart, gazing up at the dark roof of the elevator, he made his choice then and there. He didn't know what mysterious force had tainted his new world, but he was ready to throw himself into the fire to save his friends again. The Messiah vowed he would vanquish the evil that once again sunk its claws into his happiness.

It was then he felt a jolt and a shake, hearing the old rusted gears of the elevator roaring back to life as his willpower rose. Slowly but surely the Velvet room ascended upwards once more into the unknown, shooting to the top just as he once climbed the shadowy tower.

"My, what wondrous resolve! Enough to ignite the mechanisms of this place once more!" Elizabeth sprung up, joyous at the sudden motion.

"Looks like even the room itself has acknowledged my promise." Minato stood up.

"Indeed. Well then, it's time I return to my old duties and assist you in your new chapter of life." Materializing a compendium, she bowed. "Once again Minato, welcome to the Velvet room. This place is between dreams and reality, mind and matter. My name is Elizebeth and I will be serving as your attendant here for the duration of your stay."

Waking up in a hospital bed, Minato noticed the warm pulsing energy of a Velvet key in his pocket. Shifting in bed, he felt something under the covers, retrieving the same high school diploma from before. The parting gift from his friends. Smiling to himself, he got out of bed.

"Minato…?" Cheren cracked the door ajar, before swinging it wide open. "You're awake!"

"What? He's awake? Since when?" White dashed over, almost throwing Cheren over.

"Minato! We're so glad you're ok! Do you feel anything weird?" Bianca hurried over with Fennel.

Puzzled, Minato shook his head, fine. In fact, he was more than fine.

"You were out for almost four days! We had to rush you to the hospital." Fennel said, worried.

"Deino, dee!"

"Wooobat!"

His pokemon dog piled him, jumping all over from sheer joy. Deino bit tightly onto its trainer, Woobat nestling against his cheek. "Ok, ok, you guys I'm back. Simmer down." After calming down everyone in the room, Fennel spoke up, stern.

"But before you leave, we have to give you a serious exam, youngman. I'm sorry for what happened to you, especially after I asked for your assistance to collect dream mist." Professor Fennel surveyed his physical condition, along with the help of a few doctors. After being cleared, he was allowed to be discharged.

"Once again, I hope the experience wasn't too extreme. Depending on the type of dream mist you inhaled, it could induce all types of dreams to nightmares." Fennel explained. Thankfully, White described the color of the mist he encountered as a bright shade of pink, suggesting the Munna that blasted him ate some very pleasant dreams at night.

"No problem, I had a pleasant time in dreamland." The bluenette mused absent mindedly. But was that a dream at all? Or was it something more.

Fennel adjusted his glasses, "I'm glad the experience was at least pleasant." She sighed, dark circles under her eyes. She had left her assistant to run her lab alone while she monitored the bluenette in the hospital. Juniper and Minato's mother were both on her back these past few days, it was an exhausting ordeal. This was the first time in the recorded history of dream mist research that someone went into a coma from inhaling the substance.

"But before we leave, professor, I want to ask you something." Minato said.

"Anything I can answer, youngman." Fennel sat down.

Minato looked to White and then to the rest of his friends, "Before I collapsed, we encountered a gang of Team Plasma members abusing pokemon in the Dream Yard. What happened to them after I was out?"

Cutting right to the chase, White answered instead. "We turned them into the police, Mina. But we haven't heard anything back from them at all."

"You'd think a news story would have broken by now." Cheren added. "Team Plasma is known for their charity work and kindness towards Pokemon, so I don't understand what the authorities are doing at the moment."

"Could it be that they're still being interrogated? What they did was so horrible, those poor Munna…" Bianca sulked.

"I haven't heard anything back from them either, but I can speak to a journalist friend of mine and find out more. It could be a rowdy group pretending to be Plasma too." Fennel offered, "It's the least I can do for you all and earn justice for the Munna. Bad people like that don't deserve to roam free to abuse Pokemon."

"Sounds good. I was worried they might have gotten away while I was out."

To summarize his current circumstances, Minato refreshed his memories, running through all the information he had received from Elizebath and his present state in the world. Taking a night stroll into the forest alone, he reached inside for the velvet key. Its familiar presence assured him, however no door materialized in his field of vision. Just as he and his attendant suspected, this current world was cut off from the Velvet room. Due whatever cosmic barrier was at work, it had been a truly lucky break for him to even reach Elizabeth at all, but he was assured she was currently working on a solution to break through, by brute force if she had to.

Next up on his checklist, he tried to materialize his inventory. Just as the diploma had been carried to this world, all of his belongings from his previous life were now stored in the sea of his soul. Summoning Lucifer's blade, giving it a few swings before exchanging it for his SEES gear. Everything had been exactly how he left it. Looks like his friends took special care of his stuff after his death. Running through all the items stored, he was surprised to find a stack of gold bars stashed among them, along with his old combat uniform. Guess the Kirijos really wanted him to be well equipped even on the monetary side. While yen would be useless in this new world, gold had a sneaky way of retaining its value throughout all of human history regardless of the society, serving as a stable investment. Well done Mitsuru, calculating for the impossible once more. It made the Messiah wonder what his old friend was thinking when she off loaded all these items to Elizabeth. Maybe she knew he would go through another ordeal and did all she could to help him survive.

Finally, he closed his eyes, searching through the sea of his soul for all his personas. Combing through his catalog, at first everything appeared to be in order yet the further he dug, the deeper the cracks began to appear. When he arrived in this peaceful world he only stuck to using a few of his favorites but now that he had a promise to fulfill, he found himself revisiting the deeper parts of himself. Diving into the depths, he saw missing pockets of his soul, empty voids of space unoccupied like something was missing. Concerned, he reviewed his findings, noting he had mysteriously lost parts of himself along with Messiah and a few other personas.

"How strange…"

He thought to himself. Why did it take him this long to notice the void in his soul? Another side effect of this exploration was his realization that he had become weaker overall compared to his old self. But this was likely more so due to not being in combat for so long.

"I really need to go back to the basics." Minato said, swinging his blade at the empty air. Dancing with his sword gracefully in the night, he went through the once routine training he had undergone back home. Summoning Kali to attack him, he deflected each of her blades in rapid session, working on his counter for the rest of the night.

White turned on her laptop's monitor, entering a video call. Her brother waved to the group as they all sat in a quiet cafe in Nacrene city. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the peaceful atmosphere early in the morning.

"Hi, everyone! It's been a while, I heard some crazy stuff happened these past few days. Mind filling me in?" Black waved, once again in his school dorm. "Mom said Juniper was freaking out too."

"Yea…about that." White didn't know how to explain the chaos. Minato cut her off, giving a blunt answer.

"I tripped on dream mist for a world record and we arrested a few people claiming to be members of team Plasma."

Black choked on his bubble tea, "Hac! B-bro! How was the trip? Was it at least worth the knockout?" He coughed.

Minato smirked, "Of course, I'd call it therapeutic even." The boys had a bad habit of egging each other on. Cheren could tell Black was now fully invested. Suddenly, the bluenette felt someone whack him over the head.

"Bad Mina! Stop encouraging my brother to do stupid things!" White pouted, "Besides, we were actually worried about you too. It's not funny!"

"Ow White. You hit like a truck."

"Hahahhaha, I'm glad you're taking my place for that one," Black was almost in tears from laughter. "It's ok sis, you can't get dream mist where I am. The school would kill us if we brought anything remotely fun."

"Grrrrr, you're lucky you're on the side of that screen right now or I would have whacked you over the head too!"

"That's right, I'm in another place right now. Little sis can't touch me." Her older brother taunted, "Oh yea, thanks for the birthday gift by the way." He whipped out a small Castelia cone keychain. "Roommate said it was the exclusive edition, is that true?" The tiny ice cream cone was colored blue instead of the usual vanilla.

"Ugh, I just so happen to pick it up at some novelty store on my way to Nacrene. Shoo! Shoo! leave my screen. Let me talk to your cute roommate instead, dumbass."

"Aww, Blake isn't here right now. Too bad."

"What's up, White." Blake appeared like a spector, just as Black was about to say more. The boy pulled up a chair in a calm and cool air, similar to Minato's. Having frizzy brown hair that was even wilder than Blacks, wearing a red visor in contrast to his roommate's trainer hat.

"Where did you come from?!"

Black jumped, Blake gave him a deadpan glare. "You need to work on your stealth skills."

"Blake, we're not playing paintball right now."

In that moment, Minato noticed Blake give Black the side eye like he was conveying something deeply unsatisfying but snapped back to normal conversation with White. The way he naturally flowed right back was extremely well versed, similar to how Mitsuru would conduct herself. Someone deeply knowledgeable in ways of human interaction.

Another key thing to note was how after brief moments of random chit chat, the topic flowed back to Team Plasma. White laid out the events with Blake listening intently. By the time they were finished, it was mid afternoon and White headed out for the local Gym.

"Anyone coming with me to get their second badge? I know it's in a museum this time." White got up from her seat.

"Umm, me and Oshawott planned to explore the city more. They have such an amazing art scene here." Bianca said as her two pokemon were both mesmerized by the rich culture on display. Audino gazed at a painting of a powerful looking Salamence sailing through the sky, while Oshawott played with a piece of arts and craft. Nacrene city is known as the art capital of Unova, where aspiring artists gathered to make a name for themselves.

"You go on ahead, White. I plan to get in on some more training in the nearby forest." Cheren left.

"What about you Mina? I'm sure they'll be a line for the Gym challenge later." White checked the time. The afternoon was a popular time for trainers to gather and battle.

Minato opened his mouth, but stopped when he spotted a raven haired boy in the crowd. Freezing up, he saw him stroll into the cafe.

"No. I'll meet you guys at the Gym later…"

Ryoji waved at Minato, taking a seat after the others had left. Minato blinked, unsure if he was seeing an illusion. Thanatos was still with him so how was this possible? Regardless of his bewilderment, his look alike greeted him with a pleasant smile.

"Long time no see, old friend."

Chapter Text

Sitting down two identical cups of black coffee, Ryoji added sugar cubes to his own, taking a sip. "So what have you been up to these past few years?"

Minato was still as a statue, watching him as if he were a ghost. How could this be? Death was gone, how could he be here? And then the words of Elizabeth repeated in his mind. But he hid his paranoia over a calm facade.

"Fine, what about you?" Minato said, internally he was trying to wrap his head around the situation. How bizarre, was he still dreaming?

Ryoji sighed, "You know, I can tell when you're nervous. Just to clear things up, I'm fully human now. I'm no longer a harbinger of the Fall." He placed his cup down, showing Minato a picture of his new family. Mother and father along with their son on summer vacation. Everyone had cheerful expressions over a sandy backdrop."So far I've been blessed with a good family. Although it was strange experiencing what it was like to grow up naturally for the first time."

Minato inspected the photo and then looked at his old friend who had a somber vibe. He could tell Ryoji was thankful to be reborn into his own life, his own identity. Gazing down at his own cup filled with pure black coffee, the bluenette could tell the other now had his own preferences. Back home, Ryoji had a habit of copying Minato as if he were his shadow, mimicking him all throughout life. He was a distorted version of the original, a possibility of what could have been if it weren't for that fateful accident.

"I take it that you guys had fun?"

"Of course. Kalos had a very different vibe than Unova. Heck, I even met this little guy." Appearing out of nowhere, a curious Pikachu doll sprung onto the cafe table, its head snapping from side to side like it was trying to maintain balance, upholding its long held ruse.

"Mimi!"

"This is my new friend Mimikyu. It likes to help around the house when I'm home." Reaching out a hand to pet the sentient doll, Minato could tell there was something under it. From beneath the old cloth a dark claw reached out, stealing a sugar cube as it curiously watched the bluenette. Upon scanning the creature with his Pokedex, the device returned no data.

"Is it hiding inside the doll?" Minato asked, spotting a bit of the creature's eerie form.

"Something like that. Mimikyu doesn't like it when people try to see its true self so it disguises itself as a Pikachu to be more lovable."

"Mimikyu!" The small creature tried to imitate Pikachu by swaying its tail up and down. Like a shadow to the original, mimicking its motions. Although its resemblance was only artificial, Minato could tell it was trying its best. Just then, Deino and Woobat decided to pop out of their Pokeballs and joined the small creature.

"Deino, de!"

"Wooobat!"

The three started to circle each out of curiosity. Both Deino and Woobat sniffed the rag doll while Mimikyu poked them with its dark claws.

"I'm glad you've made wonderful friends here as well." Ryoji watched the pokemon play together. Now Mimikyu was chasing the other creatures around, albeit playfully.

"Deino has been with me since childhood and Woobat decided to come along recently." Minato said, "I'm happy to have met them, just like everyone else back home."

Noticing how the bluenette was more relaxed, Ryoji continued. "They both look pretty strong. Are you planning to tackle the Gym challenge?"

His old friend nodded, "Along with my pokemon, I'm helping out a few childhood friends gather badges for the Unova League." He showed him his first badge, "I have a feeling we'll pull through in time."

Ryoji chuckled, "I hope that the other candidates stand a chance if SEES's field leader is gearing up for battle again." A light joke shared between the two caused them both to snicker, reigniting their old camaraderie. The two shared a strong connection, even if the other was Death. "I'll be watching the broadcast just as I've always tuned in on all your fights."

"I don't know, you were pretty merciless during our last confrontation."

Shaking his head, Ryoji couldn't help but look back on those memories, mixed with both bitterness and a tinge of sardonic humor. It was all over now so surely they could both lighten up the situation. He was not the avatar and Minato was not a field leader anymore. "As I said before, I really didn't want to, but you gave me no other choice."

"I still wouldn't. Killing you would have gone against everything we've worked for." Minato stopped, finishing his cup. "But do you know what happened afterwards? After the battle?" referring to how Ryoji should have disappeared after he became the seal. So how was he here?

Death shook his head, "I'm afraid, I'm clueless myself, Minato. After everything ended, I was just…brought here. One moment I was the avatar fighting you and in another I awoke in a home with loving parents. Ironic isn't it." His voice was laced with guilt, or at least the loss of control of his own situation. How he went from the harbinger that rained down death to a child showered with human affection in the blink of an eye.

"Something similar happened to me too…" his old friend mused, "I thought I had found my answer to life when I suddenly opened my eyes in a grassy field. For a second there I thought I'd landed in heaven but it turns out I had a new mother. "

"No father?"

"No idea. Mom says he's alive but wouldn't go into detail. I'd still rate this as better than my previous childhood." When Minato lost his family in his past life, he was passed around from relative to relative, but nowhere felt like home. Instead he became withdrawn, depressed, until he landed in Iwatodai.

"I'm sorry to hear that. At least things appear stable where we are now. I can finally live my life out the way I want to. Being a regular human isn't so bad, although the downside is not being able to teleport whenever I want."

"Yea, I'm glad it's over now." Minato kept the burden to himself. Elizabeth's words echoed in his mind once more. If his old friend wanted to live a happy, regular human life, then he would at least give him that. Death didn't seem like he had retained any of his powers crossing over so asking him for help now would only complicate things.

"Speaking of which, I heard you still retained your personas even now?" The world fell silent, Minato upped his guard once more. The temperature of the room dropped down to a chilling sub zero.

"Where did you hear I could use personas, here?"

"Why, from a new friend I made of course." Ryoji signaled, N entered the cafe carrying a bundle in his arms. Silently, he walked up to Minato who wanted to jump out of his seat. It was the creep from before yet he appeared different somehow. Gone were his arrogant eyes and mocking attitude, humbleness taking root in its place.

N lowered his head in a sincere apology, "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."

"Ryoji, what is this?" Minato twisted around to see the boy grow serious, the weight of the situation eclipsing their previous, casual banter.

"I apologize if our meeting here appeared coincidental, Minato. In fact, we may have known of your whereabouts beforehand, at a selfish request of mine." The boy carefully picked his words, seeing the bluenette's rage build second by second. It felt like he was betraying his trust.

"This better have a good explanation…"

"Don't worry, I do. But before that, let me redo our introductions." Ryoji gestured to the greenette next to him, "Minato, this is N. He's the heir of a large corporation in the Unova region. I heard of what he did during your first meeting, and we've come to apologize for that. He deeply cares about the wellbeing of all pokemon." He then greeted the Messiah once more, "And I'm Ryoji, I act as his aid and friend. Our families have helped each other out for generations."

Minato's eyes widened, seeing N lift his head as Ryoji supported him. That was when he realized how much his old friend had grown. Not only did he have his own life but his own networks as well, and he was also fighting for his friends too.

"You see Minato. N has been a good friend to me for a while now. One day he came to me saying he saw someone perform a miracle on a Woobat." Wootbat gently landed in Ryoji's hand, "I asked him to describe who that person was…"

"Woobat!"

Ryoji set the creature free, "And I found out you were alive here too. Born again into this new world just as I have. We really didn't mean to deceive you…"

"Once again, I'm sorry for what I did back then. I realized I was too eager to find ways to save my friends." N spoke up again, showing Minato an elderly Dwebble wrapped in a layer of warm towels. Unlike the wild ones the bluenette had seen, this one had been blinded long ago with old scars running down its body. "But would you please…please help Dwebble recover…" His voice cracked, hands shaking as he held strong in the face of the Messiah. Anything for his family that raised him through thick and thin.

"Dwebble?" The elderly pokemon said, gingerly curled in N's arms as if it was saying everything would be ok.

Minato furrowed a brow at Ryoji who already appeared sheepish, "You told him about my powers too..?"

"Only your ability to heal injuries." He nodded. "N has a very close bond with pokemon Minato. To the point he can understand their language. It was through his resources that we were able to meet again too."

"He can understand them?" Minato turned to Deino, Woobat, and then to the Dwebble. He was sure pokemon had their own language but never knew humans in this realm could have the ability to speak to them directly. Yet, he didn't expect people of his world to have the ability to summon personas either, so now they were even.

"Yes. You could say we exchanged one secret for another today. Don't you want to know what Deino and Woobat talk about all the time?" Ryoji winked, petting the little dragon.

The Messiah sighed, pinching his temple in a growing migraine. Did Pharos ever cause this much trouble in the past? "Let's go to the outskirts of town. I can't do anything here that'll draw too much attention."

The three males found a clearing empty devoid of any other human activity. N placed Dwebble on the ground where it attempted to feel for its surroundings. Through practiced movements it was able to deduce it was on a grassy plain.

"Dwebble, dwebble?" The creature clipped a blade of grass with its claw, but stayed perfectly still. After living in the sanctuary for so long it wasn't used to being in the wild where danger lurked in every corner. Without its sight it was unable to see what lay ahead.

"It's alright friend. I brought you someone that could help you." N assured the creature.

Minato knelt down, raising a hand to release warm blue light, surrounding the pokemon. Slowly, the cracks on its shell began to recede, and its eyes shone with a sparkling light. As the Messiah's powers soothed the insect, it washed away any lingering pain. Years of scars went away in an instant. Salvation was cast once more, ensuring this little mon would have its life back.

"Dwebble…? Dew…bble?" The Dwebble blinked, gazing up at the vast blue expanse above. The shining afternoon sun overhead shone a dazzling light amongst the fluffy white clouds. "Dwebble! Dwebble!" It raised its claws, amazed at the world around it, its vision having been restored after decades. The Messiah had healed the blind.

N's jaw dropped in amazement of the miracle, watching his little friend taking in the wonders of the world. Lush trees stretched on into infinity, creating a dense, forested wonderland. Wild pokemon roamed amongst the tall grass, contributing to a diverse ecosystem that upheld the circle of life.

"How could this be…?" The King's hands shook, holding back tears. His friend could finally see. Without hesitation he begged the bluenette, his voice shaking.

"Please, can you tell me how you did this? Is it true that you can heal any injury? Any wounds? Any pain of pokemon?" If Ryoji was to be believed, then not only could Minato's powers save pokemon but change the course of history.

Minato hesitated, not wanting to be dragged into whatever plans N had. He only helped at the request of Ryoji who he felt was orchcasting this entire play, beat by beat. At the moment, he appeared to be satisfied with the result of the outcome, giving him a small wave from behind the greenette.

"I have my limits too," Minato thought for a moment, "But I intend to keep my powers a secret for now. And that means you'll comply with my demands if you're asking for any future healing sessions." As much as the Messiah wanted to help, he didn't want his secret getting out too early, lest he accidentally throw this world into chaos too. Just as the Kirijos hoarded special powers back home, he didn't want to end up on an experiment table.

N nodded, reverting back to his Kingly front. He had to compose himself as this interaction was both business and exchange, an equal give and take, something he had to quickly learn from his adviser. From the corner he saw Ryoji give a thumbs up. "That's a reasonable demand. Very well, I shall promise to keep our meeting under wraps."

"Sounds good to me. Now can you tell me what my pokemon usually talk about?"

After Minato said his goodbyes, N relaxed, releasing his pent up anxiety. To say he was scared was an understatement. He didn't know how to approach Minato, nor if he would have torn him apart on sight. Ever since that night's encounter with Death, the greenette had nightmares. Yet, despite his fears, he would still brave through them if it were healing all pokemon. "Ryoji, couldn't we've done more?"

His advisor shook his head, "Forgive me for being blunt my lord, but earning Minato's trust will be a journey in itself for you."

N looked defeated, holding onto Dweeble. "I suppose this applies to my Plasma affiliation as well? It's why you introduced me as a wealthy socialite instead?"

"Precisely. It's better to take it slow. Plus, from my digging Minato didn't have the best impression of our organization either." Ryoji said, catching the greenette by surprise.

"Are you sure? Team Plasma has been nothing but kind to pokemon and played well with the human population." To the Plasma King, everything was perfect, so why did Ryoji insist on holding back? If anything, they could have tried to recruit Minato into the organization on the spot. N was about to offer him all of Plasma's treasury if it meant bringing the Messiah to their side. Call him naive, or pure hearted but he wasn't stupid. After hearing the voices of his pokemon, the greenette understood just how much of an anomaly Minato was. He was both kind and considerate, loving yet strict. He was everything N thought was impossible for humans to be, yet as a result of this encounter he was forced to acknowledge the good side of humanity.

"What Minato wants isn't money nor status my lord. But I'm sure you already knew that from your conversations. My friend is a tough nut to crack indeed. He has strong ideals just like you, in fact I may say you both share kinship in that respect." Ryoji made a strange expression, one that was hard to decipher, giving him an air of mystery.

"Then what do you propose we do, adviser? For now I only see us biding time." The King stressed his last words, hoping one day he could bring Minato to their side. Plasma needed someone like him, no, they required someone who could save pokemon.

"Agreed. But I suggest you focus on your quest for the black dragon my lord. Becoming friends with the incarnate of ideals will help you a long way. It may not convince my old friend to join us but you will be one step closer to the ideal Unova you envisioned." Death suggested to the King.

"Yes, I…" For a brief moment, N looked down, hesitating. What was this feeling he had? Like a sixth sense that things weren't as they seem. Was it his fear of death catching up to him once more? Could he really build an ideal paradise with pokemon? Was it all too naive?

No, he thought to himself, shaking his head. "I'll keep searching for Zekrom. Yes. Creating a paradise for my friends was my original goal after all…"

He spoke, his words rang hollow across the vast expanse. His eyes blind to the dream he had shared with his friends.

Death remained silent, feeling sorry for the mortal King.

Minato explored the Nacrene museum, taking in the ancient exhibits. Old artifacts from the planet's early days sat idle behind plated grass, each with a description of their long forgotten past. From a mammoth sized dragon skeleton that decorated the first floor entrance to the rarer finds located deeper in the institution. Walking through a room filled with aged pottery and kimonos from the Johto region, he took an interest in another set of displays just across the hallway. Entering a large area filled with rusted armor, he was drawn to an old sword encased in the center of the exhibit.

Reading its history, it appears to have been a few hundred years old, originating from the Kalos region. Embroiled in a great war, this blade was used to slay hundreds if not thousands of opponents during its lifetime. Even now, aged spots of crimson dyed the blue cloth of the sword red. To say Minato was a weapon fanatic was an understatement as he would hoard inventory during his Tartarus runs, accumulating a massive backlog of arms. It was like a hobby to him, from collecting the legendary excalibur to his current favorite still being Lucifer's blade. Of which gave him a keen eye for spotting good swords in the wild. Judging from how well kept this blade was, it must have been well kept for ages, yet inspecting the Kalos artifact, something about it felt different from the rest. It held a special aura compared to the armor and other arms in the room. The Messiah was tempted to grab it by the halt and go for a quick swing, but obviously he shook off that idea.

"Mina?" Minato heard White call to him.

"Oh, you two done with your badge run?"

"Yea. Bianca's Audino totally wrecked Lenora's Herdier. You should have seen how brutal it was, teehee." The brunette walked over, "Wanna grab a bite to eat before going for the challenge? Cheren still isn't back from the forest but I had Bianca get a table for us."

"I don't see why not? Was there a food court here?"

"Lenora doesn't like it when people take drinks into the museum, so it's pretty out of the way." Minato discovered an adjacent building next to the Gym that hosted a wide variety of fast food options. Being right across from the exhibit building, it was still considered a part of the museum.

"And this shiny new badge is mine to claim." White teased, holding out a glistening gold and purple rectangle. "Lenora's Watchhog almost got me with its retaliate when Gigi finished off her Herdier, but Stacy totally went in for the kill afterwards." During the intense fight, Tepig had sustained severe damage from Watchhog's onslaught, thankfully Bitzle was able to take it out after it was already suffering from a burn from Tepig's fire attacks.

"You really like fire types, White." Bianca said, still hesitant. She had the Basic badge as well, but once again it was like something was bothering her.

"I guess fire's pretty when it burns red hot? Professor Juniper said fire can come in blue, green and other crazy colors if it's the right temperature. Isn't that interesting? I saw someone online saying they had a blue Emboar."

Bianca thought for a moment, picturing a blue version of the usual red starter, "Wow, it would look pretty. But is it a different temperature like the Professor said? So if Emboar's body temperature changed, would it affect its flames too?" She wanted to look into it if she could, research was appealing to her. Way more than battles. In fact, she struggled against Lenora until Audino went berserk from Watchog's beatings and stomped it into the ground, face first.

"That's a good question. What do you think, oh great egghead of the classroom?" White nudged Minato, referring to his nickname back in school. He was always the top of his classmates, beating out the likes of Cheren who was considered a genius. Although did it count when you were mentally seventeen?

"I won't talk unless you drop that dumb nickname." Minato crossed his arms in a childish huff.

"Nahh, you're totally an egghead Mina. I bet you know stuff not even the Professors do." White's intuition was always spot on, it was just that she never knew how right she was.

Minato opened his mouth, ready to complain again when the lights around them flashed, throwing the building into complete darkness. Sharp high pitched screams erupted from the venue as people started running from the museum building with sounds of shattering glass and yells clouded the area.

"What's going on?" White shot up from her seat, dropping her sandwich. A small hissing sound came from the cracks of the building, filling the air with orderess gas, forcing the girl to clasp her mouth as it started to irritate her throat. Minato knew what this was, tear gas.

"M-mina are you ok?" Bianca coughed, with the bluenette taking the hands of the two girls, rushing them outside, realizing what this was. From afar, among the chaos, streams of people emerged from the building and in that crowd he spotted a group of uniformed crooks break down the door to Lenora's Gym.

"White, Bianca, you two stay outside. I'm going to see what's going on over." Minato handed them both some bottles of water, when he turned to go but someone grabbed his wrist.

"Ack! Ughh…I'm not letting you charge in there all by yourself, Mina!" His childhood friend clung to him, still coughing up a storm.

"Whoever this was, tear gassed the entire venue. It'll be too dangerous-"

"Like you would fair any better alone? What if you get overwhelmed?" She had a good point as she stubbornly held him off. Minato frowned, but ultimately decided it was better to have someone watch his back.

"You two go on ahead, I'll give Cheren a call and help out any people and pokemon left behind." Bianca said.

Minato and White dashed towards the entrance of the museum, what they found on the other side was blood boiling. Multiple men and women in white knight uniforms surrounded Lenora and her staff. Watchog and Herdier appeared to be fatigued from clashing with the enemy pokemon. There were also a few people trapped as hostages by the Plasma grunts.

"We of Team Plasma will liberate these artifacts from the ignorant human population of Unova!" A zealous man in uniform preached, pointing to the hostages, Lenora angry. "As per our deal Gym leader, you give us the items we requested and by our lord's grace, we will free these captive humans."

"You people are insane. Are you seriously threatening the lives of others over some museum artifacts?" Lenora protested. The few trainers she had on her side were taken out by an especially strong lad in the back, she couldn't get a read of him but there was something about the boy that felt recognizable. His Baxcalibur froze most of the first floor, encasing any active pokemon in thick layers of ice. His battle instincts were sharp yet refined, no akin to a seasoned ace. What was more was how he used such an uncommon, completely foreign mon to counter the Unovain Gym leader. All the other Plasma members appeared to be small fry in comparison, using common creatures found within the region.

"And what of it? You humans trap pokemon all the time in balls and yet you complain when humans are trapped against their wills? Isn't that just a bit hypocritical?" Lenora returned her attention to their leader, a rowdy man in the front, his brow furrowed, snapping his fingers and scaring one of the kids being held by the grunts. Several children were forced into hostages when the museum was taken over. Pulled from their teacher when they were taking a field trap away from school.

Lenora held her tongue, holding a bitter grimace. There was nothing she could do to save the captives and her pokemon were exhausted. Any more struggle and it could endanger not only their health but everyone around her. As the head Gym leader of Nacrene, she had to take responsibility with a heavy heart.

"Fine, take all these items and let those kids go…"

"Mina we shou-"

Minato shushed White. They both hid behind the tall double doors of the entrance. He observed the situation with the negotiations ending in Lenora's loss. The young lad from before carried an array of items along with his comrades through a side entrance of the museum. Prized artifacts worth millions were hauled off in rapid succession. Among them the giant dragon skull and ancient war sword from before. It wasn't that the field leader of SEES saw himself incapable of saving the situation, but the fact that Team Plasma held captives which would dampen any plans he had that didn't involve using his own powers to charge to break the tension. So far, no pokemon in his or White's arsenal were capable of stopping the grunts from this distance without them retaliating against the children in some way, one wrong could spell disaster for everyone.

"Hey! You didn't say you would take these kid's pokemon too!" Lenora shouted when a member of Plasma yanked the pokeballs out of several children's hands.

"Too bad lady. We're liberating them from human tyranny. Of course, being part of the establishment, you wouldn't ever understand our goals!" The man weaved a hand, his Whirlipede spun, shooting out bullets of poison needles towards the children. Lenora sprung after them, shielding them from the attack. She embraced them tightly, closing her eyes for the worse.

Dashing from his position, Minato kicked the grunt holding the Kalosian blade, snatching the sword from him before intercepting the attack, rushing forwards like a speeding bullet, deflecting all the needles in one decisive blow. The force of his swing sent a resounding shockwave throughout the room.

In that moment, everyone stood frozen in shock. The leader of the Plasma group furrowed his brows. "What the hell are you doing Whirlipede?! Get rid of that guy!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to rationalize his shock. No human or pokemon could have moved that fast and he was right as Minato wielded the blade to deflect another round of the bug's needles. Each incoming attack being sliced apart in the air like he was being protected by an invisible shield. When that didn't work the creature spun furiously, ramming into the bluenette's sword but it was soon overpowered when the Messiah swung outwards, throwing it back when the sword unleashed a sinister, shadowy claw, slicing the bug as it smashed into a glass stand.

"Huh…?" Minato was sure he didn't use any of his powers, so why did the sword activate on its own? He had rushed in because there was no way Woobat or Deino could have made it time so he improvised by stealing a weapon, but that was about it. Suddenly, several people screamed as the blade in his hand started to shake, its blue ribbon fiercely wrapping around him, draining his life force.

"Young man! Get away from that sword!" Lenora shouted, horrified, realizing what was going on.

"I-is that thing alive?" A Plasma member shrieked.

"Mina! What's wrong?" White burst in, taking out a few crooks with Gigi and Stacy. She saw him slump in the middle of the lobby, his shoulders dropping unnaturally, his fingers twitched as an icy chill traveling across everyone present, even colder than Baxcalibur's frost. From Team Plasma to the Gym's staff, they all shivered at the bloodlust radiating from the blade in the Messiah's hand.

"Mina? Hello? Huh-?!" White saw Minato spin around, raising his leg, roundhouse kicking the Plasma leader, throwing him to the ground. Just as he was finished, he rushed at the second, third, and forth, grunts in rapid succession, knocking out two with the blade's halt before grabbing the last one and smashing their head onto an empty pedestal.

"Ekkkk! Monster! He's insane!" All the other Plasma members screamed with more of their comrades being forcefully dragged across the room. Grabbing the hair of one, the bluenette threw them into the air, raising his fist to deliver a bone shattering punch. Team Plasma ran, dropping whatever items were in their possession, releasing the hostages as they tried to get away, Minato's body moved all on its own, eyes dead. Seeing his prey get away, he chased after them out the door, running off into the forest.

"Mina…?" White shook, unable to process what just happened. Team Plasma had raided the museum, caused a hostage situation and now her best friend had gone berserk by smashing people into walls before running off to do more harm. What was more, the blade in his hand felt…scary. Like it had a mind of its own. The last moment she made eye contact with Minato, she was sure there was something else behind those icy eyes. Like a deep seeded grudge forged from a distant war long ago.

"Honedge…" Lenora muttered under her breath, petrified.

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. 

Chapter Text

Pressing a wall in the underground, Lenora entered her hidden office. Embedded deep inside the basement of her Gym, was a secret room. Lined with precious artifacts from ages long past, slumbering in the peaceful blackness. Then, as if lit up by a ghostly candle flame, there appeared a light in the dark. The Gym leader approached its source, leading her to a glass case housing two precious stones. Their smooth, unremarkable appearance betrayed their mysterious aura. Spherical in shape, two identical objects lay as twins before the Gym leader in either black or white. Lenora checked the light stone, feeling a subtle heat radiating from its vicinity as subtle sparks of amber crackled to life, drawing her in.

"The Light stone…has it found the one?" Whispering, she turned to a computer in her study, messaging her colleagues around the region of the strange occurrence. Additionally, she pulled up a list of people that visited her museum the past few days, trying to narrow down who could have reacted to the white dragon. Among them were a particular boy and girl. After Team Plasma attacked, operations were halted for a day, but afterwards, she was able to reopen the Gym almost without issue. Provided the museum itself was still closed to the public, trainer battles still continued for sake of the Pokemon League. Going down a list, Lenora was left with hundreds of candidates, however, she relied on her instincts and picked out a few from the roster, particularly ones that stood out to her the most. Although this won't exactly serve as evidence, nor guarantee them a concrete lead, it was better to share it with the rest of her collaborators.

After an hour or so of waiting, found herself holding a video call between several people. Familiar faces logged in to their secure video feeds, each turning on their webcams to confirm their identities.

"Is everyone present?" She voiced, receiving several conformations in the chat. "Good, I've called you all here today for a very concerning reason."

"We're one step closer to narrowing down the light stone candidate." Elesa said, "But I have to send my condolences for what happened to your museum, Lenora. Burgh told us they did significant damage to the lobby."

"Me too! I can't imagine the horrors they put everyone through." Skyla added in concern.

"Did you not also mention a youngman who contributed to the chaos?" Drayden commented.

"He was possessed by Honedge, was he not?" Brycen corrected, "As per anyone here, I'm impressed by his recovery." While Minato managed to avoid suspension with the majority of the Gym leaders, there were still some that looked deeper into his abilities. After all, for those survivors of possessions, it would take days to recover, a feat he completed in a matter of hours.

"Now that you mention it. Sometimes trainers by the Celestial tower do get spirits attached to them, but to have your life energy drained for an entire day would put someone in a deep coma, if not the worst case scenario." Bringing up her several visits to the gravesite, Skyla explained the damage possession could cause. To her, Minato's recovery appeared almost miraculous.

"I'm just as puzzled as the rest of you. Cilan, has Minato shown to be just as resilient at your Gym as well?" Lenora shifted the attention to the three brothers on screen, each voicing their opinions on the matter.

"He was an excellent cook."

"I only saw the footage."

"Perhaps this was my biased opinion, but he displayed excellent skills in battle, to the point where I would have assumed he already had a few badges under his belt." Cress recalled the story of Deino triumphing over Panpour. The way Minato held a certain aged look in his eyes, like he had lived through much worse before.

"Whoa, that sounds like an amazing fight. You should send the recording. I'm quite inspired by that story for my next art piece." Burgh mused, "I can't wait till he comes to challenge my Gym. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time, I'm curious to see if he'll use that Honedge of his too."

"You'll, should we not get back on topic? We're here to discuss the reaction of the light stone, not some kid." Clay called out, silencing the group. There was a brief pause for everyone to collect their thoughts but before they could course correct, they were interrupted by another voice.

"He's definitely suspicious."

"Huh? He hasn't committed any crimes Blake. We were just pointing out how unusual he was." Skyla chidded the youngest member of their call.

"Like I said, this Minato fellow is suspicious." He was just too strange for Blake's liking. Everyone is brushing off his feats, but this superintendent had a keen eye for talent.

"Hey! Don't just brush off-".

"From matching the provided records, everytime he and his group came into contact with the museum, the stone had a reaction." Blake pointed out, earning several skeptical glances. They only had about an hour of discussion on the clock so it was too early for anyone to really piece anything together.

"Ya say that, but how can we be sure it ain't just a coincidence? Do ya even know the stone's range? For all we know, it could be someone on the outskirts of town." Clay challenged.

"The first reaction occurred during the Plasma incident when he and a girl named White entered the museum. The time stamps check out. Then the day after, the Gym was closed down from the attack with no reactions. Both stones were discovered and shipped to Nacrene a few months ago so we can determine its range based on their discovery and travel distance. After all, if the range was big, the hero being in Unova alone would have set off the White dragon's reaction. However, the light stone had to travel to Nacrene city to show any signs after months of being dormant. Assuming our candidate was of at least trainer age, we can narrow down our range to the museum itself."

"And here is the last of our reasoning," An elderly man with silver hair followed his superior. Looker explained how Minato's visit on the third day with White, both of them going down to the basement and near Lenora's study. "The third day had the strongest heat signatures amongst our collected data."

"Hmm, so you are both proposing the possibility of the hero of truth being either of those kids?" Drayden observed the timeline with the rest of the leaders.

"If I had to pick between the two, I'm leaning towards this Minato guy." Skyla said. "He's just too weird to not be special at this point."

"Or it could be White. I can't say she isn't blessed with talent. Her and her pokemon were amazingly in sync to defeat my team." Lenora commented, she didn't want them to overlook the second possibility. Minato's challenge overshadowed the girl but her performance was still a cut above the rest.

"Either way, we can be sure one of them could be the hero of truth. Besides, I'm just thankful Team Plasma hasn't gotten their hands on the dark stone. Looks like we haven't detected any traces of the hero of ideals either," Burgh's optimism of the situation brought multiple sighs of relief among the gathered. Compared to their enemies, they were at least now one step ahead. The legend they were taught as kids turned out to be more than real, according to the story, the ancient dragons would each be awakened again by two heroes once more to do battle over the region.

Between the Gym leaders and Interpol, the reason they all came together was to tackle this unknown threat, silently sinking its claws into the region. Over the past few years, reports of trainers losing their pokemon to petty theft had risen exponentially, to the point where instead of going to the authorities, some would come to the Gym leaders directly for advice. This was, the leaders later found out, due to the desperation of victims after being led on by the police for months. And thus, they eventually gathered and alerted Interpol of the situation, resulting in the meeting today.

"As we are still investigating the inner workings of Team Plasma's organization, we cannot make any bold moves as of yet." Looker addressed the leaders, "For now, we'll announce the discovery of the dark stone as bait and slowly draw them out."

"Once we corner those fools, it'll be game set, and match." Blake assured. Everyone nodded, planning to stop the evil organization before they could go through with their insane plan. One that they had discovered not long ago.

Filling a police report, the officer handed an incident number to a girl, the station abuzz with noise. Multiple trainers sat in the waiting room with shattered pokeballs in their hands. Some sunk into their seats while others let out their frustrations on the reception staff.

"Here is your report number, please keep this safe and we'll contact you more about the investigation." She took the slip, worry written all over her face. Looking at the growing line of distraught people gathering, she hoped she could get her pokemon back.

Bianca helped reunite a group of kids with their parents, lost in the jungle of people. She stood watching the crowd grow when she felt a tip on her shoulder and Cheren offered her a drink, the two settling down on a park bench.

"Tired?" He said, cracking over a can of soda.

The blonde nodded, "There's so much going on right now, I just hope it doesn't get worse." Breathing in deeply before relaxing her shoulders, she enjoyed the calm breeze in a brief moment of respite.

"We did the best we could. This line has been growing since early morning." On the third day when things started to calm, many residents of the city flocked to the police, filing reports for their missing pokemon lost during the Plasma attack. Cheren cringed at the memory of fighting off several grunts. It was due to both luck where he was able to gather with Bianca and several other vigilante trainers who chased them off.

Staring at the queue, this made Bianca wonder why this was the second time Plasma had shown another side of themselves, "Hey Cheren?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you think Plasma is doing such bad things? I mean, once was bad enough but now they're hurting others in Nacrene too? I remember them establishing soup kitchens and helping injured pokemon as a kid…they used to be good people…right?" She was in disbelief yet couldn't deny the reality they were in now. Team Plasma held a vastly positive image in Unova for their charity to both pokemon and the public so why were they now hurting people? The Dreamyard could have been a standalone incident but to attack a Gym and the residents of Nacrene is on another level.

Her friend closed his eyes, thinking for a brief moment before recalling the organization's slogan, one that always came with every marketing campaign, yet conveniently ignored by the public. "Pokemon liberation." Now that he thought about it, one could put a new meaning to the phrase. It felt like they were being lied to the whole time, that those words meant less to free pokemon but to 'liberate' them from their trainers the more Cheren thought. Furthermore, he did his own research, digging through the internet forums for updates yet no major stations were reporting the incident accurately, instead of calling out Team Plasma directly, they claimed it was orchestrated by a band of unrelated criminals.

"You mean that stuff they said back in Accumula town? About how humans were bad for keeping pokemon in pokeballs?" She looked to her Oshawott, happily munching on some bread they had picked up from the local bakery, its tail happily wagging as it shared Audino. "I dunno about that, I feel like humans can be happy together with pokemon…"

Team Plasma preached a world where humans would live separately from these wonderful creatures, something Bianca couldn't imagine. A place where pokemon did not exist to live alongside humanity, a world where they would be absent, leaving an empty void to be filled. Yet, if only she knew such a world already existed as Minato found the two sitting on a park bench, White following behind him.

"Long time no see, miss me?" The bluenette waved.

"It's only been a few hours," Cheren corrected, matter of fact.

"Between you and Mina, you're both such big killjoys." White said, munching on a sandwich. They had just come back from battling Lenora for Minato's second badge.

"Did you get your second badge, Minato?" Bianca saw him show off his new trinket. After the rivals heard what happened at the museum, they were just as amazed at his recovery.

"Wasn't too bad of a battle. Woobat pulled through the final round."

"You didn't try out your new Honedge?" Cheren was surprised, he was curious how it would fair, but the veteran shook his head.

"Since I just caught it, I want to take some time to help it adjust first before I use it in battle. Were you able to test Pidove during your match, Cheren?"

The boy shook his head, releasing a Venipede he had caught in the forest. "I tried a new strategy via chip damage using toxic. It's a lot more effective than I thought. I'm thinking about crafting more plans in the future."

"Veni ven!" The little bug skipped around, jumping at White's sandwich, causing her to shoo it away. Compared to its reserved trainer, it was extremely energetic and childish. Perhaps it had just hatched somewhere deep inside the forest.

"Hey! Hey! This is mine. Cheren's over there! Go eat his big head!"

"What? My head is perfectly normal size!" He huffed, red in the face.

"Hehehe."

"That's not funny Bianca. If my head is big, then White's got bricks for brains!"

"Why you little, you take that back!"

"I tell no lies." Cheren pushed up his glasses, the light reflecting off his lens in a rare glint of his childish side.

Minato stepped back from the oncoming carnage, dodging a choke hold from White who caught Cheren in her grasp. They wouldn't stop fighting for the next hour or so. It was times like this he enjoyed whatever peace he had in this new world.

Walking down an ancient path in the dark, Minato snuck away from their camp on the outskirts of Nacrene. Tomorrow the party would depart for Castelia. Strolling through the thick undergrowth, brushing away leaves in the shadowy abyss, he made sure to find a clearing where no soul could witness what he was about to do.

Following an old road he had found, covered in overgrown veins, he was taken aback when he revealed an abandoned village in the forest. Rotting wooden structures faded with time outlined what was once an ancient settlement. Carefully, he surveyed the area to find no one around so he released Honedge from its ball.

"..." It stared back at him wordlessly before morphing into Lucifer's blade, instantly landing in Minato's grasp. Energy coursed through his body and he knew it shared his thoughts. Closing his eyes, he concentrated, gathering a cluster of wind around the blade before swinging in a wide arc, shredding the trees around them into fine dust. Once again, he pushed another spell, this time summoning Thor to be his sparring partner. The god of thunder swung down his hammer for Minato to counter with a fiery sword, clashing with the entity when Honedge unleashed a shadowy claw that batted the persona away. Taking this chance, he rushed ahead for another blow when he noticed his sword converted his fire energy into a glowing solar blade allowing the veteran to run Thor right through, shattering him.

"That was better than I expected, you did a great job Honedge." Minato, despite the headache from the persona break, complemented the spirit, earning a silent whisper of thanks from his conciseness. Looks like they were now deeply connected at the root, even able to understand each other's thoughts.

Just as he was satisfied with the test, he felt the spirit shake in his hand once more, telling him something.

"What's up? You have something to show me?" His sword pointed in a certain direction, to the barely standing cabin. When he inspected the ancient site, he found a broken bow, likely used back in the days of old as a form of protection against wild pokemon. Honedge pointed at the bow with its blade.

"You want to inhabit that bow?" No, it shook.

"Then you want me to think of a bow?" This time, it shook in a silent yes.

"Alright then, if you want me to picture a bow…" The SEES leader recalled his friend Yukari and her excellent bow skills, mentally imagining the weapon, then her stance when he felt the blade in his hand morph into his mental image. Shocked, the Messiah felt all his memories convert to experience as he fired off an arrow into the trees imbued with garu energy, causing a horde of wild pokemon to wake from their slumber. Stunned in place, he watched the startled birds fly away enmasse, their cries in the night ringing like hollow echoes of the past.

Closing his eyes, this time he pictured Mitsuru and her elegant rapier when Honedge took on the shape of her favorite weapon. Feeling the light weight of his new sword, he channeled electricity through it to see if he could create combinations between his old friend's attacks and the result was a zio powered blade. For the next minute, he went through every member of SEES aside from Koromaru and Aigis to find he had inherited their abilities to some extent.

Finding this new ability incredible, he was mesmerized by nostalgia of time long gone, enough to where he almost missed a leaf whooshing past his face, cutting him. Alerted, he turned to see who his attacker was to find a tall, green pokemon on four legs and a sword-like horn threatening to run him over.

"Hm?" Teleporting away, Virizion stuck its sword into the trunk of a tree before uprooting it entirely, throwing it to the side. Gritting its teeth, angry at the human that had disturbed its forest. Looking around, it turned to discern where the bluenette went when Minato appeared from out of nowhere, causing it to leap back in caution.

"Calm down. I mean no harm…I apologize for disturbing your home." He spread his arms out, letting go of Honedge which floated beside him. He didn't mean to startle the birds in the forest. However, this only further irritated the legendary as it had a deep distrust of humans.

"Viriiiiiiiiii!" It howled, stomping the ground, eyes lighting up in burning embers. Summoning a trail of magical leaves floating in space, shooting them when Minato countered by firing back a barrage of arrows using Honedge, canceling out both attacks. Casting a taferi, he hoped to get away, appearing on a nearby tree top when the pokemon rammed into it, toppling it as Minato was forced to meet swords with it mid air as he spun around when Virizon leapt upwards in a sacred sword. Steel on horn sparked in the night, creating flashes before a shadow claw wrapped around Virizion, throwing it back down to the ground with Minato landing not far from it.

"Seriously, I don't want to fight you, please understand." He made sure they were being as gentle as possible but the grass type was already feeling the pressure from this powerful entity. It wasn't just that this human disturbed his forest in the night but also the energy he unleashed that frightened it so. Just what human could possess such power, the pokemon thought?

Gathering more of its strength, Virizion unleashed a hyperbeam at the veteran, causing him to roll out of the way when he was met with another wave, being blocked by Honedge's barrier in a last minute protect. Channeling all his energy into defense so as to not hurt the legendary any further, he powered up the barrier as much as he could. By the time he was done, no attack from the big goat made it through. It tried unleashing its sword once more, chopping down on the shield, only for it to smash into what felt to be a ton of breaks, bouncing off. Kicking the barrier next with its legs, Virizion tried to break down Minato's fort to no effect.

"Now will you listen? You can't harm me from inside of here," He reasoned with it, unsure if it even understood human speech. Before he could utter another word, the legendary dug its legs into the earth, loosening the ground around him, then lifting his plot of land using its horn like a skewer.

"Oh come on…" said the now annoyed bluenette who just wanted this play fight to be over. He could send out Deino and Woobat to distract the beast, but he worried for their wellbeing if it managed to squash them under its hooves. And so in that moment, as Virizion smashed him and his barrier into the ground, he decided to end this here. There was only one way to get this oversized goat to listen.

Landing on the earth, he vanished in a flash of light, appearing right behind the grass type, switching to Akihiko's gloves, he swung a powerful right jab at its back, sending it into shock. Catching it balance, then as he went for a left, he felt himself punching through a reflect like barrier, surprising the legendary as it took the second blow. Minato then reached into his bag, throwing a pokeball that smacked into its side, completely downing his attacker.

With a one, two, and three shakes the ball clicked.

Seated between an array of food offerings were Minato and Virizion. He had offered some rations from his stash, preferably his best cooking to entice the big green goat into appeasing its anger, yet it still cautiously lingered across him with a glare that could burn holes through his skull. Honedge floated between the two, serving as a mediator between.

"So as I was saying, I meant no harm to you or any pokemon in this forest. We were just passing by and had a small accident…" Minato tried explaining as best as he could, in this awkward atmosphere, where the tension alone would have crushed any other human.

"Viriiiiii." Virizion growled, keeping its distance. The human before it was definitely abnormal and it judged him as being a danger to the forest and on some level, the world. The reason for its aggression was more so an obligation to protect the creatures around it and its trauma of encountering powerful hunters in the past.

Honedge floated between them, and then started to write something on the ground. Being linked to Minato at its core, it wrote in his native tongue, scrambling some hiragana.

'Powerful, frightening human will bring destruction.'

Minato read the message. He started to understand the creature before him and its feelings. How it was terribly mistrustful of humans, how it saw its own kind mistreated for hundreds of years. By the time Honedge finished, it only had one simple question for the bluenette:

'Who are you?'

Virizion watched him with keen eyes, its aged wisdom able to discern any lie. This was its advantage for having lived for hundreds of years. Of course, Minato didn't really see much reason to hide the truth from a random beast. It wasn't everyday people like N could speak to pokemon freely anyways. Slowly, he took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"Fine, I'll tell you."

The legendary tensed, leaning in as its curiosity was killing it on the inside.

"I'm not a human from your world."

"Vir?" Was he lying? No, the boy's words were as crystal clear as the forest streams. It gulped, almost regretting having found out such a forbidden truth.

"And if you need more proof? Those powers I displayed aren't exactly common in this place now are they?"

Virizion nodded, all the senses in its body tingling the moment it felt such a pressuring force press on its soul, causing it great distress. Despite not knowing the origin of personas, the force created to resist Nyx along with shadows, it still trembled at its sheer majesty. Who knew the humanity of this other realm harbored such iron wills.

"Now that we got that cleared out of the way, you get how I mean no harm, yes? After all, someone with bad intentions wouldn't reveal all the cards they have on hand." He saw the legendary accept his story. Minato picked up its pokeball, shattering it with his hand. "You're free to go. I only did this to make you listen."

Once again, Virizion was shocked by the boy. Humans were greedy creatures that used pokeballs to capture pokemon, so for this one to let it so easily…

"What? You want to come with you?" He teased with a sly grin, finally shooing off the green goat. It leapt along the same ancient trail, giving him one last look before disappearing.

Yawning as dawn broke, Minato teleported back into his tent. No need to sneak back when you had the power of fast travel on your side, literally. As his friends awoke, they departed on the first bus ride into Castelia, unknownst to Minato, the legendary he released was trailing just behind, watching him.

"Wow those skyscrapers are massive!" Bianca shouted, looking out the window of their shuttle as it raced across Skyarrow bridge. White and Cheren peered out, also amazed by the mammoth buildings emerging on the horizon.

Passing them were dozens of cars. Some were driving to work, others seated eager tourists that wanted a taste of the big city life.

"Osha! Osha!" Oshawott squealed with the other pokemon, their trainers barely keeping them in check as they hopped from seat to seat, playing a small game of tag.

"Snivy, sni?" Snivy chased right behind, reaching for the otter with its vines.

"Deino! Deino tripped over someone's bag.

"Woooobat!" Woobat flew in circles, showing off its wings.

Later, Minato's pokemon also glued themselves to the window, however their trainer remained seated against a wall. Soon, they came to him, tugging on his jacket but stubbornly, he remained in place. Closing his eyes, he really didn't want to be reminded of that time on another bridge by the sea. Once he knew he was going across Skyarrow, the scenery caused him to retreat away from sight, instead he turned to focus on a mini television on the bus, airing whatever broadcast to distract himself in the corner. Even if he was over his past, it was still painful to be reminded of it.

Currently on screen was a news segment regarding a police investigation of missing pokemon in Castelia, being described by a well dressed reporter.

"We can now shift to a segment concerning Castelia's rise in pokemon theft, with authorities on high alert as the number of tourists visiting Unova continues to grow for the summer season. Just this week, we've had multiple reports from west block of missing pokemon from several residents."

Minato's eyes narrowed, hearing the info. Once again bringing him back to Team Plasma the encounters in both the Dreamyard and Nacrene. The more he thought about the organization, the more convinced he was that they were a bigger threat than they appeared. Once again Elizebth's warning played in his mind of a looming evil seeping its corrupted poison into this peaceful word.

"And as these crimes not only involve Unovain citizens, the Kanto, Sinnoh, and Hoenn embassies have also issued warnings, stepping in to assist their residents amongst this new crime wave. To help further aid in their efforts, the United Regions have collectively called in Interpol to officially join the investigation."

Just as the announcer read the story, the screen shifted to a handsome man with silver hair. In some respects, he resembled an older Akihiko. He was surrounded by cameras atop a high podium, addressing the masses.

"As of today I, Looker, will officially represent the face of Interpol in the great region of Unova. We will be collaborating with the local authorities to investigate, arrest, and contain these new raises in crime. If you have any tips or suspect any wrong doings in your area, we at Interpol have set up our own tip lines for civilian reports."

Arriving at a city hotel, the teenagers entered the lobby adorned with marble flooring, along with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. For most of the group that lived a major part of their lives in a small, suburban town, this was their first taste of big city life. Because Castelia was a populated city with no place to camp, the trainer association of Unova was generous enough to provide those with more than one badge a free stay to both drive tourism and give time to tackle the Castelia Gym.

"Is this where we're staying? It's really fancy." White retrieved two room cards, one for the girls and another for the boys.

"Right? Castelia is so big, I can't wait to try all the shops they have!" Bianca chirped, she remembered passing a few luxury stories along the way. All those pretty handbags and sparkling jews caught her, with Castelia being the second largest luxury brand seller next to Black city in the East.

"We should also register for the Castelia Gym challenge and find a bite to eat. I heard the nights here can be quite dangerous depending on the parts you travel to." Cheren pointed to a map, highlighting a nearby cafe, one populated by many tourists.

"Yea…I saw the news lady talk about how scary crimes have been on the rise lately…I dunno what I'll do if I lost Oshawott!" For a brief moment, the teenagers shared looks of hesitation with each other. Just how safe was the big city? They were attacked in broad daylight at a Gym in Nacrene after all. Bianca looked to White, who looked to Cheren and then ended the awkward exchange with Minato. Thankfully, they were able to break this tenison with an unexpected injection of Bianca's usual, air headed optimism.

She pouted, puffing her cheeks, "Ok! No more debby downer! We should enjoy our time here as much as possible!"

"Agreed…we should put everything in the past." Cheren huffed, quickly dismissing anymore chaos. Things would remain calm in Castelia, he was willing to bet on it. Logistically, coincidences do happen, but only so many could occur.

"Surely we can't be that unlucky…right?" White waited for an assurance that came in a few awkward grunts and gestures. Each of them brushing away their collective trauma under the metaphorical rug.

Minato felt bad for them, having their trip ruined by one incident after the other. It was like they were cursed. Just as he was about to follow his friends he received a call from an unknown number on his Xtransciver. Walking to a secluded area, he answered.

"Who's this?"

"Hi Minato. It's me, Black. Been a few days, how are you?"

The veteran hid away, "I've been well. What about you?"

"Thankfully the Sages didn't suspect anything when I got back. I have to thank you for helping me back there or I would have been toast. Oh, but this wasn't the only reason I called."

"I thought as much. I saw Interpol officially set up shop in Castelia on the news this morning."

"Ohhh, then that saves me some explanation then. Keep White away from our headquarters please? I don't want her jumping me while I'm on my coffee break, but this isn't what I called you for you either."

"Hm? Then what for?" And through an unknown number no less, Minato thought.

"I got some texts from sis the other day about you two saving Nacrene's museum from Team Plasma. Since we're still conducting the investigation in secret, will it be ok if we get some information from you? You already know my identity so it'll be easier for us to work with you instead of beating around the bush."

So they wanted information? Maybe he could pry some more info out of him too. The veteran nodded, "Where do you want to meet? I'm at the Marriott near south street."

"I'll send you the address, hold on. Come during closing hours so we can talk in private."

Traversing through a row of historic buildings that embodied old Castelia, Minato passed several alleyways full of hidden gems. Unlike the bustling tourist district with its modern luxuries and superficial charm, the shops he encountered here were all local. Frequented by only the most loyal customers, rumor had it that they served the best dishes in the city. Looking at the address he scribbled on a piece of paper, he entered a particular bar in the dead of night.

Amber lights lit the interior, bathing it in an otherworldly hue, seldom devoid of life. What was once a lively establishment now remained dormant with stools, tables, glass, all clean as could be. It was as if no life had touched this ethereal place at all. Whoever ran this establishment did a wonderful job scrubbing away evidence of police activity, Minato thought.

Once he was inside, he took a seat at the table, when someone in a grey hoodie emerged from the back.

"Thanks for coming, Minato. Sorry if this was on short notice." He revealed his face, showing he was the same brunette from before, Black. The dark shadows created by the amber shading his face, obscuring half of it in darkness.

"No problem. I do what I can to help. Although I have to say…" He narrowed his eyes, "Did it have to be in a shady place like this? If I didn't trust you, I thought I'd be getting jumped."

Hearing this, Black burst out in laughter. "Pft hahhaha! We can't have you at HQ, Minato. If I'm a spy infiltrating Plasma, then what do you think they'll do to us?"

"I'd send spies of my own to get even." He concluded.

"Exactly, that's why we bought this place, so we can't be watched." His friend said, his tone flat.

One, two, no three more people were in the back, including several pokemon hidden in the shadows he counted. And they weren't friendly…

"Another way to say you can't be held accountable for your actions, I presume?" He knew when he was being monitored. The Kirijos had taught him well.

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

Click.

A shadow floated by, likely a Yamask as it landed a pair of handcuffs on the bluenette. Then, from the back came several people including a familiar face he had seen before. Messy brown hair with sharp eyes, Blake emerged with a Dewott.

"Minato Arisato, as superintendent and true head of Interpol in the Unova region, you are under arrest for obstructing investigations and leakage of classified information!" Blake announced.

Here is some concept art of what I envision Minato to look like in the fic.

Chapter Text

Somewhere in the city, far away from the public eye, housed an underground facility. Blake stood in a cold arena, releasing his Dweott as he commanded his officers to place their inmate on the opposite side. With the snap of his fingers, multiple screens blared to life showcasing all sorts of battle data.

Minato noticed how the Dewott Blake released had its health and vital signs displayed on one of the hanging monitors. From its estimated endurance, to its current condition, everything laid bare in this state of the art battle facility. In another snap, his handcuffs released themselves as Blake spoke.

"Take out your strongest, we're going to battle."

His words were dry as he watched the bluenette with sharp eyes. It sent a message that if he made any wrong moves, it was over for him.

Taking a moment to think, Minato was sure the screens above would also be capable of tracking his own mons so he couldn't lie. Nor did he want to pry, lest he say something he'd regret later so he reached into his pocket and pulled out Honedge's ball. Both Deino and Woobat were decent, but the ghost blade he had just acquired housed most of his spiritual energy, as well as being hundreds of years old. Releasing the spirit, he saw the screen behind him flicker to life, displaying Honedge's vital signs.

He felt Blake watch his every move like a hawk as he made the first move, waving a hand for Dewott to attack without a word. Reaching for the two shells from on its side, they transformed into twin blades, Honedge meeting it head on in a clash of speed. The ghost blade being faster, swiftly swung downwards, catching the small creature, forcing it to block with its shells in an X formation as it was being pushed downwards. The ground beneath sunk, crack bit by bit as Dewott fought back against the pressure until it unleashed a powerful jet stream from its mouth, the hydro pump throwing Honedge back. Slicing through the air, waves of invisible wind stabbed into ancient metal, flinching the vengeful spirit.

Both condition meters on the screen dropped, indicating damage received from each side had taken some energy out of the two combatants.

"Not bad." Blake said, noticing Honedge had remained relatively unharmed and had caught Dewott before it could unleash anything lethal. But was this Minato's skill, or was Honedge always this powerful? Certainly, if the latter were true, then there was no way a newbie trainer like him could even hope to control such a beast. As the most talented officer in Interpol, it still took Blake years to master taming stronger pokemon. This only made him more suspicious.

"Finish it, Dewott." It acknowledged its trainer with a nod, summoning a massive wave, surfing at Honedge who remained in place, taking the brunt of the attack, covering the field in water. The otter was about to land from its surf when it was ambushed from the remaining water, taking a slash to the back by the blade as it gripped it with a shadow claw, grabbing for its neck. However, it avoided just in time, the claw shaving of otter fur. Recovering from the pain, grabbing one its shells, throwing it at the sword which hit its halt as it coated itself in water once more, shooting towards its opponent in a swift aqua jet. Smashing its body against the spirit, grabbing onto it in a suicidal embrace as they both zoomed into a wall, denting it in the process.

"Now freeze the battlefield."

Coming out of the dent, Dewott encased Honedge in a thick layer of ice before freezing the entire area, turning the field into an icy death trap.

Minato gave a side eye to Black who quickly looked away. He shifted back to the fight where the monitor now showed his pokemon in worse condition than before, with it emerging from the rubble. However in his sea, he told it to hold back as to not show the officer anything outrageous. Watching Blake grow more irritated, he knew he was winning this mind game. The real battle was in who would give up first.

"I see you're not taking this battle seriously." His opponent said. His intuition was telling him there was much more than met the eye.

"What do you mean? I'm just a newbie going up against an ace." Minato replied, remaining ice cold.

"Then your attitude should reflect it."

So he was going with this angle was he? Blake wanted him to crack, he wanted him to show him he was nothing more than a newbie just starting his journey. Indeed, if it were White, Bianca, or even Cheren in his place, Minato was sure all of them would have succumbed to the pressure of their situation sooner or later. Being tricked by a close friend, being arrested, and now being forced to battle in a random facility somewhere with no contact to the outside world. Plus, he was technically on the losing end of a match. He had no idea what the consequences were, yet despite all this, Minato was ice cold. And to an equally arctic person such as Blake, this set off his alarms to no end. This boy was no mere novice, but a veteran.

Black gripped the metallic bars on the bleachers, sweat rolling down his face. He wasn't sure what his boss was thinking but it couldn't be good.

Just then, Blake clapped, shutting down the monitors in one fell swoop. The sound of machinery grinding to a halt echoed hollow throughout. Then the superintendent made direct eye contact with the Messiah.

"Minato Arisato, just who are you?"

Among that desolate field of ice, reflected the visages of two equally leveled individuals, each wearing a chilly front to guard their secrets. Just who would let up first? For a minute they remained silent, until Blake spoke up once more.

"Born in Nuvema town to Sachiko Arisato and an absent father, as a child you were described as being quite mature for your age. Later, you would attend school in town and graduate along with your peers to start traveling with a few childhood friends. You lived honestly, often working at a pokemon center in your free time and helping the local nurse." Not to mention how he was caught speaking with the King of Team Plasma back in Nacrene just before the attack. They always had eyes tailing that man, no matter where he went. Yet, just as their agent was about to stalk them into the forest, they were attacked by something.

"That's a frightening amount of information you've gathered, just for my charges." Minato snapped back, there was no way interpol would care about his earlier years if they took his arrest seriously. This was the type of research one did for serious crimes in the realm of psycho analyzing a criminal for murder, not accidently hearing classified information.

"I would say this is very minimal for the actions you've displayed."

Cold air danced in the eternal light, generated by the blue ice.

"Actions?"

"The human body is only capable of lasting so long under possession and even less so when it comes to being over exerted." The screen lit up to show footage from the museum of Minato's possessed state smashing Plasma grunts into glass and knocking three people out at once. His movements were graceful yet freighting, pushing his limbs to the limit as they impacted both wall and flesh.

Frost froze the bleachers.

"According to professionals, a ghost type's possession only takes over the body of the human. Even if Honedge is from a distant age with experience in war, the body of a teenager shouldn't be able to handle its lethal movements. Nor would have cared what it did to your insides, yet the medical team that examined you concluded you only received light scratches along the way."

Blake laid out his explanation. It was a case of expertise vs bodily aptitude. For example, if an elite weightlifter could lift two hundred pounds, it was because he trained his body for it. It was able to handle the load bearing down in simple terms. Yet in Minato's case, his history showed no sign of such feats so it was natural to conclude such extreme exertion would have done significant damage to his muscles and tendons.

"Furthermore." Blake turned to a man who gulped, shivering in the cold. "My subordinate reported to me how you had spoken to a top level official of Team Plasma."

The space was freezing, likely below zero. White crystals formed, hanging from the ceiling as the ice on the floor hardened. Even Blake was starting to feel the frigide atmosphere, his Dewott sheltering itself between the other interpol agents. Chilly as it got, Minato stood in light summer clothes without a reaction. Blake gritted his teeth. What was a tactic to pressure and break his targets into spilling the beans was now backfiring on them big time. They never had to go this far in the past, with hardened criminals crumbling at lesser temperatures. If this went on any longer, he was sure his own team would freeze first. The cold cell technique along with the sudden arrest would have broken anyone, even his own agents.

Spewing out a breath of cold air, Minato switched to a null ice persona in the background, taking in the Siberian temperature in strides. In his mind, he knew what interpol was trying to accomplish. Somehow, they must have mistook him as someone holding relationships with Team Plasma itself. Despite all his current actions suggesting otherwise, interpol must have some reason to suspect that he didn't know of. And who was this official Blake was referring to? All he's ever met were grunts, yet he acts as if he's spoken with someone up the food chain.

"Thanks for revealing even more of that classified info of yours. I had no idea they were anyone important."

Blake clicked his tongue, had he made a mistake? After the meeting with Minato, N would sometimes mumble his name like he was a messiah. When the greenette spoke of him, it was always so positive, to the point where interpol questioned their connections to each other. Then, there was also the fact he resembled one of N's newest human friends, Ryoji to an uncanny degree. He couldn't dig up any records of the two being long lost twins, but he suspected they were connected somehow. And so, a bluenette being revered by the King, best friends with his advisor, roaming around with elite agent level abilities soon became Blake's target.

"Now tell me your relationship to Team Plasma."

Minato had no clue who he was referring to, but he was going to pry info out of this kid of what was going on. Not counting the fights he had with Plasma, all his talks were peaceful, and since interpol suspected them of being close, it must be someone he's acquainted with.

"We just talk. Once more, I had no clue of their background."

"Isn't your investigation too much of a stretch? Arresting me on charges you could have easily resolved, yet you further interrogate me on shaky ground. Do you have evidence of my relationship? What's to say that person has spoken with a dozen other people? Would you have interrogated them like me?"

"Minato, that's enough. Just give us an answer, please!" Black ran down from the bleachers, earning a snap from Blake.

"Agent Black, who told you, you could break from position?"

"Your methods will never work on him, boss!" He then turned to Minato, "Minato, you just have to tell us your relationship to N and that Ryoji guy. That's all we want to know, never mind where your crazy strength comes from. I'm sick of subjecting you to this freeze box."

Black was a good friend and he had a limit to what he could put Minato through. He was like a younger brother along with his actual sister, White. Blake was burning holes through him at the moment but he didn't care, screw his tyrant of a boss.

"Ryoji…?" Now their meeting then made more sense. Team Plasma's slogan was pokemon liberation so if an official of theirs learned about Minato's abilities, they would surely bite. When Ryoji introduced N, he said the man was a young heir to an important organization in Unova so it only made sense…

Blake noticed the change on Minato's face. He let Black keep spilling the beans fully, watching the scene unfold.

"We're investigating Plasma right now Minato, but there's only so much we can do with the information we have. N's a really important guy in the organization and they're not exactly planning anything good."

Would Ryoji not notice? Or did he have a plan of his own by getting so close to N? Minato had to find out for himself when they next meet, that was for sure. However, he was now more curious as to what type of information Interpol had on Plasma and its plans. So he decided to lay out some bait.

"I only know them because N provoked me once."

"He did what…?" N wasn't the type to provoke trainers unless they were abusive to their pokemon, but Minato's character didn't match that sort of profile, so why did the greenate act at all?

"During the middle of the night, he sent his Zorua and lured me to the outskirts of Accumula. Although, I'm unsure of what he wanted since I managed to take my personal items back beforehand."

This baffled the officers. There was a time when the greenate managed to escape their eyes, but only for that one night. From the timeline of events from Interpol's perspective, N had provoked Minato and then apologized to him later in Nacrene with the help of Ryoji, then after a mystery event began to act favorably toward Minato. He must have been desperate for the bluenette's help in some form, yet what could the newbie provide to the Plasma King? Not only that, but this confirmed Ryoji had massive sway between the two where Minato was able to forgive the transgression altogether.

"Then what happened during that time you all went into the forest." Blake said dryly, with Minato not even surprised at their stalkerish behaviour.

"That's a secret."

"Minato, this isn't the time to hide stuff right now. We really could have you arrested…" Black pleaded, but the Messiah smirked.

"You see, this is a very personal matter to me, so I'll exchange one secret for another." He crossed his arms, making Black pale. Blake was sizing him up, the two locking eyes in a killer deadlock. If Ryoji was able to make a trade of information, so could Minato play that game.

"And what would you want for it?" Surprisingly the superintendent was playing along, the tension was cutting Black like a knife, stuck between two bombs ready to go off.

"Oh, simple. Just give me information on your investigation on Team Plasma."

"Huh!?" Black jumped.

"So you think what happened is worth our entire investigation?" The officer snapped, now this was getting personal.

"More than that. I was dragged here from a fine stay at a luxury hotel. I'm giving you a discount." Minato shook his head. "I'm curious as to what's happening in Team Plasma. They've attacked me twice now, so I feel like I have the right to know…" He finished, his eyes flared neon blue for a moment before a wave of soft heat evaporated the entire arena's ice into steam.

The two officers of Interpol felt the cozy breeze, their eyes widening at the sudden spike in temperature, feeling the gentle wind brush against their skin. Whatever pain they felt from the frost also evaporated into thin air, all originating from the Messiah before them. In the end, they could only stare at Minato in shock.

"You…did you just?!" Blake shouted, unable to comprehend the logic. All his machinery was working properly, so how?

"Minato…?" Black backed away, seeing the serious expression on his friend's face. It was the front he wore in Tartarus, one made to take on the shadows.

"W-what's happening?!"

"Did the equipment break?" The other agents said in confusion, but there could be only one answer and he was standing right before them.

Minato had to get information to know what was happening to Ryoji and he wasn't going to compromise on that front. Plus, he had a bad feeling about Plasma, one that reeked of the past Kirijo before Mitsuru. Something about their ability to cause so much trouble in his new, peaceful life, didn't sit right with him.

"Dewott!" Blake shouted, releasing several other pokemon from his arsenal, the boy's eyes were blaring all sorts of alarms. Whoever this Minato guy is, he was dangerous and that's all that the officer could think of at the moment. Suddenly, a Kabutops and a Gliscor stood beside the superintendent, ready to take on the new threat. Together, they rushed at him when he opened his palm to clasp Honedge's halt and calmly swung in a wide, horizontal arc. Hot, roaring flames emerged, instantly cutting into the pokemon, knocking them out cold.

Interpol's best, taken down in one attack, crumpling to the floor like sheets of paper. For the first time, Blake couldn't fathom what was going on, the logic error was too overwhelming. Honedge couldn't learn a move with fire so intense yet his trainer swung it like he was the one unleashing the flaming barrage himself.

"Let it be known that you attacked me first, superintendent…" Minato said, he let go of the sword.

"..."

"Come one boss, you really did act out of line. He's still a civilian…." Black knew the fight or flight response he felt was a direct response to such overwhelming power. Like meeting a legendary for the first time and a near death experience all at once. Blake's instincts, honed over the course of his life, must have told him to eliminate the threat or run on a primal level.

Taking a deep breath, the brunette saw his superior calm himself, even if he was still shaken. Returning his fainted pokemon, he could only retreat to his office in a cold sweat with a hollow reply.

"Let me think about it…"

Cracking up a bottle of water, a thick stack of files were dropped in front of Minato. Blake sat in a meeting room with Black as the bluenette read through each Team Plasma investigation, from their finances, to their shady dealings. What he uncovered was a treasure trove that would rival even grandpa Kirijo in the layer of dirty secrets. Although none of this appeared remotely interesting, until he stopped at a folder containing their lab records. Strange research was being conducted in the background, although they did not specify what the exact nature was, it was still curious.

"Does interpol know what's up with this file?" The veteran gestured to the lab records, earning several weary glances when Black spoke up.

"You're already aware that I infiltrated Plasma as one of their own, during that time I was able to grab this much off their computers. It's some head scratching stuff, unlike their official plans known by everyone in the castle."

He was referring to the goal of having N become the hero of Ideals and awakening Zekrom to take overtake Unova, something everyone within Plasma was aware of. Code named the promised day, they would raise the castle to the surface once N ascends to the status of champion. However, this mysterious research played no role in that matter. By shuffling through every other document, everything was aligned to help build up to the promise day.

Minato pulled a piece of paper from the folder, concern bubbling up in his gut as he saw the labels for a strange device. It resembled the trading machines used in pokemon centers but gave off a particularly ominous aura like there was more than meets the eye. There was also one sketch of an unknown pokemon, that looked wrong somehow. Like it shouldn't exist, an abomination against nature itself.

Black shivered, "whenever I check that folder, I get the creeps. None of it even seems real. I searched the entire castle yet there wasn't anything like it hidden inside…"

"There could be a hidden floor even you couldn't access," Blake said, "But this is all we have research wise. Now tell us what we want, what did you do to get close to N?"

Minato explained how he healed Dwebble, which once again put the officers into shock. However, they were able to recover quickly unlike the first time they saw his powers.

"Maybe you were right. You are worth more than what we've gathered." Blake admitted.

"And I'm also concerned about what Team Plasma is doing with these experiments." Minato's previous experiences with dark, mysterious labs ended up with the Fall, and he didn't want another accident on their hands." It was settled, he definitely needed to ask Ryoji if he knew about any of this.

"In truth, we all are. But our efforts to get close to N and the top officials have been lackluster at best. Simple arrests and court trials won't do a thing to stop these people from retreating further underground." Sighed the superintendent, pinching his temple in a headache.

"We could launch a mass arrest but due to Plasma's positive reputation in Unova, they have thousands of civilian sympathizers, not to mention their robust legal team would stall whatever efforts we made in the courts for years." Black added.

"I take it then that Interpol will need something big to turn the tides then?" Minato said.

"Of course, something from their top brass, where they can't toss the blame." which is why they must find a way to literally turn the nation against the organization, leaving them with nowhere to run. Something so damning and concrete not even the gods could refute.

When the Plasma grunts were arrested in Dreamyard, they were likely reported as a group impersonating the white knights. And when the Nacrene attack happened, the media once again referred to them as a separate group of criminals.

"Then why not let me go look around?"

Black and Blake exchanged puzzled looks.

"Minato…you're not suggesting to go in that snake den, are you…?" It took ages for Black to comb that place whole, and he was experienced in the art of hiding himself.

Snapping a finger, the bluenette teleported to the otherside of the room, "I can do a lot more than this. There's not an easy way I can explain it, but I have ways to sneak around freely…"

The two brunettes each shook their heads, refusing to be surprised again. This enigma before them was just full of mysterious.

Clearing his throat, Blake ignored the display as much as he could, "But our agreement only consisted of an information exchange, not the official location of Plasma Castle. As superintendent, I can't send civilians into danger." He emphasized that last part, letting the whole room know.

Then Minato reached out for a handshake. "Fine, then I'll join Interpol."

"Sure." Acknowledging without any further discussion, like they had telepathically agreed on the outcome, Blake left Black awestruck. The contract came as swift as a lighting strike, rocking the underground.

"B-boss, you can't be serious! He has no formal training and we're going to send him in THERE?!"

At that, his childhood friend placed a hand on his shoulder, "Have more faith in me, Black. I escaped White's wrath on the playground for a reason." Oh, so that was how he was able to outrun her and disappear when she came in chasing everybody down.

"We need more talent, as stretched as we are. I won't pry about your real origins and you only take commands for me, no other superiors," Blake laid out the terms.

"That's rather shady of you. I imagine you haven't reported me to your bosses, then?" This little interaction created a small smirk on Minato's face. One where he knew what likely happened.

The officer nodded, "I would lose my job if I did and you would be hauled off to a lab somewhere, so let's both keep quiet about today's dealings, agent."

"I like that plan, sir."

N felt the strain in his shoulders, pushing his friend through the honey gated corridors of the Castelia Gym. Darmanitan was a powerful fire type capable of wiping the floor with Burgh, however the problem was getting in the first place. While other trainers moved their pokemon in pokeballs, easily passing the honey, the greenette's life was not so simple.

"Are you doing ok, sport? I feel bad having you and your pals help me pass through." The large pokemon said, unable to easily squeeze through each gate. The strange gel Burgh applied appears to allow humans to go through easily but something as large as Darmanitan was an issue as it fought to press through all the honey.

"Lord N can…can we have your friend climb over the gates?" Rosa panted, also tired from the exhausting ordeal, cleaning sweat from her face. As young as she was, her lower back ached from half an hour of fighting the damn honey gates. At some point, Ryoji had invited her to aid her King, of which she rushed to his side.

"I'm afraid that would be against regulations. The Gym leader here explicitly stated he wanted each participant to sample his fine art." Ryoji said, carefully helping the big pokemon through by pulling its arms to the otherside.

"How are you still able to move after all that? My entire body hurts ugh…." Rosa complained. She loved all pokemon, but pushing pokemon through slimy gates was not on her list of to dos.

Slowly getting up, N ignored the bursts of pain, continuing to help his friend. Today he would get that damn Gym badge and show that fine artist how bad his art really was. What kinda of fool would build a place like this? He even had bits of honey stained over all his clothes and hair, making him feel horrible.

"Let's finish this before the afternoon, I can't stand this place…" Between the awkward glances from other challengers and the cries of pokemon getting hurt everywhere, he really disliked Gyms.

"Ok, you push from the back and I'll pull from the front." Ryoji said, N agreeing and Rosa joined him.

"Why can't we just eat this honey?" Darmantitan whined, before being pulled through to the otherside, into an arena. The two on the otherwise felt the large pokemon pass through as Ryoji's help was a godsend.

"Whew, I'm glad that's over now. All you have to do now is challenge the Gym and we can be out of here." The dark haired boy said, although N was starting to feel the strain of all the physical exertion. The greenette saw how Rosa shared in his pain, although for some reason, Ryoji looked fine.

"Ryoji?" He asked, curious.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Aren't you feeling the least bit winded?" He wanted to go back to the castle and lay in bed for the next few days. This ordeal alone must have shaved off at least five years from his limited lifespan.

"Hmmmm, not really? I was the top of my class in terms of athletics. We had pretty intensive competitions." Ryoji smiled, not breaking a sweat.

"Man, I really wish I had your fitness. I failed our physicals last week." Rosa whined.

"Well, I hope we won't take too much out of you, Darmanitan. I admit, I might not be at my best for this one…" N admitted in defeat, earning a light nudge from his friend.

"Come on, sport. I'll be quick! You can count me for that!" The red creature gave everyone a thumbs up, revealing some of their exhaustion.

Pouring rain doused the concrete jungle below, soaking the streets in a fresh coat of rain as pedestrians rushed for shelter. Business men sprinted through the heavy downpour using their briefcases to shield themselves from the onslaught while trainers rushed out of the Castelia Gym after a tough battle. Among them, some wore sour faces while others were smug at their victory, with all of them having one thing in common: they were in a mad dash to avoid the unexpected rain.

A boy braced himself with his Vanillish by his side, brushing past a tiny white creature shivering in the cold, too preoccupied with their own circumstances. Then, a group of girls also ran into the storm, rushing into a car, ignoring the tiny calls once more. By the third and forth trainers that emerged, the creature was exhausted, slumping on the side of the staircase.

N emerged with Darmantian, his two human friends following not far behind. Rosa was surprised at the rain outside, while Ryoji congratulated the lucky badge winners.

"I didn't expect there to be such a heavy downpour today." Rosa said, already pouting at the misfortune of having to brave through honey hell only to be drenched in water when she got home.

However, N didn't respond. Ryoji noticed the greenette freeze.

Squeak! Squeak!

He heard a pokemon's faint cry. Searching around for the creature, he immediately rushed over to a tiny white mouse by the stairs, its fur wet from the downpour.

"What's wrong? Are you ok, friend?" He asked, the mouse shaking its head.

"Help! Help!" It cried, its voice hoarse from shouting desperately, its tiny body trembled in the rain.

"How can we help you?"

"Y-you can understand me?" The mouse was shocked, even more so when N took off his white over shirt to keep the little pokemon from shivering. Gingerly, he warped it and brought it over to the others.

"Of course I can, friend. I can hear the voice of all pokemon, but can you tell me what's wrong?" He asked in the most compassionate voice, soothing the little mouse.

"Please save my family! My husband and child were swept away by the water. We were underground when the rain started and the flood level is rising!"

N embraced the mouse, promising her they'll get her family back.

"If she's talking about the underground, then that would mean they're adrift in the city's sewers." Ryoji explained once his King translated the information.

"I may be too big to fit through the entrance, but I can call the other pokemon in the city to help." Darmantian added.

"L-lord N! Should I call the Plasma branch in the area and inform them of what's going on? We can mobilize the people we have now to search for them." Rosa said. Her King nodded, but ran into the rain with the mouse in his arms.

"Everyone do your part to ensure we have all the help we can get! I'll be going with Maushold to show me the way!"

Sprinting off, he found Ryoji tagging along. "You should go with Rosa and contact the others. Castelia is a big city, and we don't have much time." Dashing in the pouring rain, N's heart pounded out of his ribcage, racing to the entrance for the sewers. He hoped it wasn't too late.

"I'll have to disagree with you on this one my lord." Ryoji and the greenate halted at the entrance, stormy water flushing out of the tunnel's entrance. "You'll need all the help you can get with that stream."

N jumped into the flood, handing Ryoji the white mouse. "Then take care of Maushold while I search inside. We'll all drown if we charge in at once." The tiny pokemon had already given him some pretty detailed directions so now it was up to him to save her family. Fighting against the raging torrent, the water climbed up to his hips but he held onto a rusty rail to keep his balance. The deeper he forced his way into the tunnel, the fiercer the current was.

"Hello? Anyone there?" He called out to the waters, his voice clashing with the roaring rain. Waves upon waves beating against his battered form as he shoved away his messy green locks, now drenched in filth. What was once a King now more closely resembled a commoner as he fought his way through the muddy flood until he came upon the squeaks of two pokemon.

"A-anyone there?" The bigger mouse yelled, holding onto his child as they both huddled against a corner not touched by the waves. They were just above water level, struggling to hold on. N hurried over in hacked breaths, his vision blurring as he reached out a hand to the pokemon. His arms and legs sporting multiple bruises and cuts from hastily rushing through the tunnels as he reached out a helping hand. He promised he would help all pokemon and this would be no exception. However, there was another cry. When he turned, he saw a pack of Trubbish shivering near another ledge. One, two, three, four of these poor creatures gathered to brace for the inevitable.

N cringed in pain, one of his wounds dug deep in his leg and he didn't know if he could carry them all out at once. What was worse, the water level was rising at a dramatic rate.

"Save us! Please!" The Trubbish begged, backing away from the water.

"Don't worry everyone, I'll carry all of you out!" Reaching for the two mouse pokemon first, he carefully scooped them into his arms, almost losing his footing in the flood when he grabbed onto the riles once more. Again, he made his way to the Trubbish using the last of his strength, struggling against the might of nature. One by one, he loaded them onto his shoulder when he felt exhaustion began to take him. Gritting his teeth, the pain in his leg flared up once more and this time it shackled him in place.

"Are you ok, human…?" The pokemon asked, N giving a weak smile as he began to move, the storm wouldn't let him off so easy as in the next second a strong torrent rushed out of the inner tunnels, sweeping him off his feet as he embraced the pokemon in his arms, shielding them from the debris scattered about in the stream. Closing his eyes, he didn't prepare himself as water entered his lungs and all faded to black…

When N next awoke, he found himself in a private room.

"Huh?"

Feeling the throbbing pain in his leg, his entire body ached as he cringed from the sudden jolt of pain. At first he was in a daze, then he saw three white mice jump up and down. All his head hurt, like someone had smashed him against a wall and his memories were a jumbled mess. At first he recalled being at the Castelia, then running into a heavy storm. Sitting slightly for a few minutes, the constantly nudging of the Maushold was finally able to jog his foggy memories.

"Thank you for saving us, N." They said, each Masuhold expressing their gratitude. The parents waved while their child squeaked a high pitched call.

He watched the happy little pokemon do a quick dance, bringing a genuine smile to his face. It was rare to see these wonderful creatures so full of joy at the sight of a human.

"I'm happy things turned out alright, however may I ask where the rest of the pokemon are?" He remembered the Trubbish, of which the mice informed him of their recovery in a Plasma station. Exhaling a sigh of relief, N thanked his lucky stars, then the Maushold hit him with another piece of info.

"When you lost consciousness, we were saved by a dark shadow and another human with a yellow scarf."

Did that mean Ryoji somehow made his way into the tunnels too? In those dangerous waters, N was almost certain anyone would have been washed away if they weren't careful, so did he have a pokemon help out?

"Friends, did you perhaps see who that dark shadow was?" The King inquired, he's only known his adviser to carry around a Mimikyu, something small, not big enough to carry a whole human.

At that, the mice shook their heads, "We only saw it briefly before it disappeared. A pokemon that was one with the shadows…"

"It looked like a nightmare." The baby mouse emphasized, tilting its head in curiosity.

"Honey, it's rude to insult the pokemon that helped us." Its mother chided.

Now N was curious. He better converse with his adviser later about this, just what type of pokemon was it?

A few hours later, he was discharged from his room by his private doctor and left the top floor of the hotel team Plasma had booked out. They were still in Castelia as he made his way down to the lobby to a distressed Rosa. She was pleading with a few high ranking members of Plasma security to let her up an elevator.

"Please let me explain to Lord Ghetsis what happened! He saved Lord N and the pokemon! Why are you all acting like this was his fault!"

"Snivy, sni!" Snivy was helping her argue with security.

"I apologize, Rosa but this trial is between Lord Ghetsis and another member. We cannot let anyone interfere with his judgement." He rejected the girl as politely as he could. Behind her were several other people who agreed with the brunette.

"Ryoji saved our King, why is there even a trial right now?" A tall man said.

"Did you see the state our King was in? He's a hero!" An elderly woman added.

"As of now, I cannot give you a reason." The security guard admitted, which made Rosa's jaw drop.

"What's going on?" N interrupted the scene, causing all heads to turn in his direction. Rosa ran to him, her face red.

"Lord N, please help Ryoji! After we recovered you and the pokemon, the other Sages accused him of injuring you! You have to tell Lord Ghetsis the truth!"

She explained to him the rougher details of what happened. When the other Sages saw his battered state, they blamed Ryoji for letting him jump into the flood waters alone, resulting in his near death experience.