Summary: The battle between Reshiram and Zekrom never happened – instead Reshiram and Musharna are used to make the New World where Pokemon from everywhere go to be free from humanity. Only… Team Plasma retains their Pokemon, and instead N finds himself betrayed and forced outside of this one. A girl, Touko, awakens to pick up the pieces left behind by a missing Touya – and is only able to find her way thanks to Bell…
Pairings: Touko/Bell; minor N/Touya; Green/Red; implied Achroma/Kyouhei
Some Information: This is a test run. "Zenith and Nadir" is a fanfic that would take up a good chunk of my time, simply because it's a bit more involved than what I'm used to… so a great deal of experimenting and rewriting happens (aka, I'll write entire chapters, hate it, delete it, and start all over). I will write it - I love the idea too much to not do it. But due to how time-consuming it is (and how little spare time I have these days), am trying to see if there's enough interest that I need to delegate more time to this. I genuinely hope at least someone finds it interesting, but if no one does I equally understand. May you enjoy the first chapter's test run. Also, IDK if this will be the final title.

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Brown eyes closed slowly, muscles relaxing as he drifted into an empty sleep… he was putty in the roots that wrapped around his lithe body, encasing him protectively and deep inside the darkness beneath the tree. Outside, several Pokemon watched in a bewildered silence, quietly agreeing that perhaps what Reshiram had said was true: humans weren't welcome here, serving only to feed the Great Tree…

…

…

…

"She was naked." The blonde girl reasoned in what she felt was a helpful tone, smiling pleasantly at her father who was still smacking his head into the doorframe.

"Bell, you know we can't afford to take in a stranger like this. Not in… not with times like these." The man took in a deep breath, trying to calm the panic radiating from his heart outwards. "The Grunts are still crawling all over, trying to find naysayers and… and…" He trailed, staring at big green eyes starting to water. He took in a deep breath, pulling his head away from the frame. "What if you found her like that because they… you know…" He stumbled, trying to find a way to put it kindly. Stumbling across a girl in the woods completely naked and unconscious was…

…it usually only happened for unpleasant reasons.

"So what if she is? She needed my help! I'm not just… just going to leave someone lying there when they need help!" Bell exclaimed, tears beginning to spill down. "I couldn't before, so now I… I want to…" He sighed, shoulders sagging heavily. Guilt, nothing but. Her two best friends, the two boys she grew up with… one, Cheren, was in jail. And Touya? No one wanted to say it, to speak it…

…but the entire region was almost certain the boy was dead.

Anyone who was a major threat to the organization known as Team Plasma was executed – Alder was given a public one. Broadcast everywhere. The second his head fell, so did everyone's hopes. The only hope that really remained in the house was Bell's. She would pipe up that if Touya was dead, wouldn't they publicly execute him as well? And Cheren was in jail, but he was smart and strong and crafty. He could break out, couldn't he? If anyone could, he was that one. A lot of the Gym Leaders were in jail as well, or were in hiding. Bell hadn't been considered a threat – especially after they took her Musharna, especially after they took away two of the people she cared most about.

A week ago she wandered home, dazed and unfeeling. Three days ago she woke up, and evoked an optimism no one else seemed to have. Her father was relieved his daughter pulled herself together, was able to survive emotionally after what Team Plasma did. And he hated Ghetsis, the team, anyone and everyone around him that gave up. Anything and everything that damaged and injured his daughter in ways that a simple Pokemon journey never could – and above all, hated himself for not being there to protect her.

To not be there in that forsaken castle, fighting for what was right instead of sitting at home, watching the news with wide eyes and praying his little girl wasn't inside, she couldn't be, she was too sweet to be anywhere near that hell…

"…all right." He couldn't say no. Not after the guilt card had been played. Patting his daughter's shoulder, he slowly ambled towards the kitchen to try and figure out where to go from here. If there was anywhere to go. Right when he thought the only place to go was up, fate revealed he wasn't even close to the bottom yet.
Elated at the permission, Bell closed the door gently and hurried to the bedside of her new, though accidental, roommate. The girl was pale, with long and curly brown hair twisting in all directions. Her frame was a bit broader, and less… voluptuous in comparison to Bell's, so she lent the new girl some pajamas – the sleeves weren't long enough because of the girl's shoulders, and it was looser around her torso and ass than it would have been with the blonde. Regardless, Bell was happy the other was no longer in the nude. Waking up naked in a strange place with unfamiliar faces… she could only imagine how horrible that would be!

Passing time until the other regained consciousness, Bell tried to imagine herself in such a situation. When just staring into space with this possibilities proved to only pass two or three minutes, she hopped up to clean all the clothes off of the floor and whisper her impressions. "Oh! Who are you?" Bell began in an airy voice, lighter than her usual tones. "Your warden!" She added in a deeper voice, and gave a barking laugh. Switching back to the light voice, "My warden?"

"Yes, you are my prisoner!"

"Your prisoner?"

"…yes, didn't I just say that?"

"Well, I was only repeating because I am obviously in shock and terror, having woken to a new person in a new place and… eek! I'm naked! Why am I naked? You dirty birdy pervy! Eek!"

"Wh-whoa… ch-chill… uhm, you see…"

"Oh no! Now I'm a sex slave, forced to submit to your creepy and demented desires! No, what of the life I had before? My world is so dark, so horrid…!"

"…she isn't even listening to me, hooboy…"

"Ohhh, y tu? The devil wears prada!" Bell wailed in her lighter voice, shoving the last of her shirts into her drawer before turning to pick up the skirts near to the bed. Pausing, she blinked as blue eyes watched her. "…oh, you're awake." Hearing the victim voice again, the blonde coughed. "S-sorry about that… was I too loud? Did I wake you? …I WOKE YOU!" She gasped, and dashed over to the bed leaving her mess behind. "You're awake! Happy birthday!" Cheering, she launched forward and pulled the girl into a hug. "Ohhh, I'm so happy you're alive! Well, I mean you were obviously alive since you were breathing but… you're not a vegetable, happy day!"

"…yes?" The brunette asked quizzically, unsure how to respond to this influx of statements and affection and just… everything in general. Lifting up a hand, she stared blankly at it before turning into the yellow strands that guarded the other's head. "Who… where…?"

"Right!" Pulling away, Bell nodded. "Hi there, I'm Bell! My father is downstairs – his name is Kenta. This is my house! In Nuvema Town. Uhm, sorry about your clothes… I, uh… found you butt-naked… so I put you in some of mine. Sorry it doesn't fit too well, but…" She trailed, and let go of the other entirely to poke her index fingers together. "I'm really happy you're okay. I didn't see any injuries on you, but… why were you out there? Like… that? What happened?"

"…what happened?" The girl repeated, and Bell nodded. Furrowing her brows, the girl tried to recall the last thing she remembered.

Her eyes widened when she realized she could recall nothing. Lifting up her hands, she stared at them and then to her body. Tufts of brown fell around her vision as curls bounced and trailed past her shoulders onto pink pajamas. Was this her hair? Moving a hand (yes – those were definitely her hands), she toyed with the hair, pulling it gently – yes, that was hers.

"Are you… okay?"

"I have no idea." The girl responded numbly, eyes staring at nothing anymore. I have no idea what I look like. Glancing around, she spotted a mirror – she at least knew what a mirror was. Actually, come to think of it… she was thinking in words, speaking in sentences. How could she know how to communicate, but nothing of herself? How did she know of Nuvema Town, and that it was south of Accumula Town? Why did she know geography, when she couldn't even recognize what limbs were attached to her?

"Do you not remember? Maybe you bumped your head…" Bell began, reaching forward to touch the other's head. Instead, the girl moved around her and walked towards the mirror to stare at herself – to see herself, to know what she looked like. Maybe I'll remember my name… How could she recognize the concept of names, when even as she stared at her face she could not recollect her own? She looked young – how young? Younger than Bell? How old was Bell? Were they the same age? Was she, the girl without memory, older? Frowning slightly, Bell followed after and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It'll come back to you. Here, let me check…" Motioning for the other to bend down, she began parting her way through brown roots. After searching for several minutes, the blonde realized there was nothing to find. No bumps, no scars… nothing. Just a clean scalp, a bit of dirt still there from the woods but otherwise fine.

"Uhm… maybe you had a horribly traumatic life and just one day went crazy to the point where you stripped naked, ran through the woods, and pushed all memories of your horrible life into the dark recesses of your mind?" Bell suggested helpfully, peaking down to look at the girl's expression.

"I don't feel crazy." The girl reasoned, considering this theory.

"Of course not. You have everything that made you crazy suppressed! Now you're healthy as… a… Bouffalant…" Bell trailed, her hands falling as she said that. The brunette looked up, cocking her head to the side curiously at this. The enthusiasm from seconds ago receded rather quickly.

"Bad experience?" She asked.

"No… just…" Bell shook her head, and then looked to the side. "I guess… since you don't remember who you are, you probably… maybe that's why." The blonde nodded. "Yeah. That's probably it. I heard of a lot of other people losing it as a result… so many suicides…" She shivered, hugging herself. Plasma enjoyed reporting deaths far too much to be considered human any longer. "You still… remember what Pokemon are, right?"
"Of course." The girl didn't even bat an eye – she could name every single one of them, even.

"They don't exist anymore. Or at least… not so much. Not unless you're a loyal Plasma member." Bell stated flatly, unable to find it within herself to put it softly. Treat it like a bandaid – rip it off as quickly as possible. Furrowing her brows again, the brunette tried to grasp this concept. How could Pokemon NOT exist in their world…? Humans and Pokemon lived together hand-in-hand – having one without the other was unnatural.

…wasn't it?

"You see… these people, Team Plasma… they wanted to make a whole new world for Pokemon, because they thought humans were bad, and made Pokemon suffer. That humans inhibited their growth, rather than encoura-"

"That's bullshit!" The girl hollered, suddenly feeling her veins flare up with a rage she couldn't even begin to explain. "There are so many Pokemon that could never be stronger without a human there to train them, to love them!" She snarled. Stepping back, both surprised and a little frightened by the sudden change from confused and fragile to aggressive and factual Bell watched her with wide eyes.

"I-I never said I agreed with them!" She squeaked. "B-but… I think I can tell you've had a bad experience with them… to judge by your reaction…" This stopped the brunette in her tracks, the anger retreating quickly back into a perplexed state.

"I guess… I did…?" Suddenly, the idea that she went crazy and suppressed everything was becoming more believable. What kind of person was she before all of this? How much of herself was still retained, even with her memories gone…? "S-sorry." Apologizing, she took a few steps back as well.

"It's all right. But that's what they believed… and so did their king, N."

"Weak bastard." The girl spat, and then jumped at her own statement.

"…oookay, definitely a bad experience." Bell bit her lower lip, and twiddled her fingers. "Do you… want me to explain later…?"

"Oh! No, no no no! Please! Tell me… I'm sorry, I really am… it just…" Trailing, the brunette desperately tried to find a way to explain her actions. She couldn't even explain why she felt that way about the man.

"…okay. Well, you see… he summoned Reshiram, and… well, I guess N lost it or something because he went missing… then Ghetsis used Reshiram to send most Pokemon into another world of their own, and take over Unova. And that's it." Bell concluded, entwining her fingers and sucking in a breath.

"…I see." The girl saw enough holes in that explanation to know there was a lot more than went into it, but the blonde seemed least comfortable talking about it in comparison to everything else. So for now, she was not going to pry. Not until she understood more. Learned more. Why couldn't she recall all of these important details? Why block that out?

"So! We need to give you a temporary name, until you remember your real one! Hmm. What to call you… how about Cupcake?" Bell suggested, fingers coming undone so she could clasp her hands together. The girl stared at her blankly. "No? Bonbon?" More staring. "Muffin?"

"Why are all of these names food?" The girl wondered.

"Because they are endearing pet names that you can go by even after you get your name back, while also not giving you a new one." Bell reasoned happily. "Oh! Butter! You're just like butter!"

"How am I anything like butter?" The brunette wondered, shaking her head in disbelief. "And I'm not a pet – you can't just name me after anything edible!"

"You're exactly like butter. Just trust me on this, okay?" Bell reasoned with a smile.

"I am nothing like butter – trust me on this… Bell, right?" She wanted to be sure – to reassure herself she could add new pieces of information. What if she couldn't make new memories?

"Yup! Papa says I was chiming like one since I was little!" Bell informed her with a wide smile. At this, the brunette couldn't help but smile as well. "Oh! We should give you a name that describes you! Okay, do you remember what some of your hobbies were? What you want to do right now?"

"What I want to do…?" The brunette's mind wandered. Well, she definitely wanted her memories back. She wanted to know who she was, why she was naked, why she could remember so much about everything but herself. How she knew what kind of man N was, without first knowing who he was. Why she loathed Team Plasma so much, made her muscles tense and her body scream to break something.

And then she knew. Quietly, she mumbled something.

"Oh! Let me guess – who you are?" Bell asked, about to bounce up and down in excitement. The girl looked at Bell, staring her square in the eye – blue eyes seering.

"To fight – Touko."

"Tou… ko?" And then Bell's world because dizzy and dissolved, because that was just two syllables off and come to think of it this girl had the exact same shade of brown as Touya did… from somewhere far away, she could hear the girl's – Touko's – voice calling after her.