Bonds of Plasma

1

A bright, colorful spot on the grass on the horizon had caught his eye. N looked from his friends back over to the abnormal sight in the distance. They smiled and spoke to him, content and approving his own thought to go and see what kind of creature might be in that direction. N ran that way, looking back on his friends to make sure they were alright before going toward his destination.

Once there, N tread carefully, then stopped. He whispered a hello to whoever might be there, then waited for a response. There was only silence, so N took another quiet step, listening closely for any reply or other movement.

"My lord N, is something wrong?"

N shuddered a bit in surprise at the louder sound, having been on alert for something far more subtle, but soon got over it. He turned around, then looked up at the person whose voice he'd recognized. The Goddess of Peace was indeed who stood nearby, carrying a bucket. "Please, Concordia, be careful," N said quietly, pointing toward the brightly colored patch in the distance.

"Is there something over there?" Concordia asked, craning her neck and looking around.

"Can't you see? It's some kind of pokemon," N informed, frowning. Concordia should notice. They were fairly close.

"Where?" Concordia said, still not seeing what was plain in front of her.

N grabbed Concordia's hand, prompted her to lean down to his height. He then pointed. Concordia looked, then smiled, standing up straight again. "Don't worry. That's only my garden."

Concordia walked forward, and N followed at her heals. As he got closer, he could see the large, beautiful flowers up close. They were certainly just plants, and not some kind of grass type pokemon, though they were stunning plants to the eyes. As Concordia began to lean down, gently pouring water near the roots, N frowned in confusion. "So you brought these flowers here?" he asked.

"Yes. Gardening has become a bit of a hobby of mine. I raised these from seeds, and thought I'd plant them here," Concordia explained.

"Why?" N asked. Concordia looked at him with a perplexed expression, so he continued. "Flowers will grow here anyway. Why plant more?"

"No particular reason. I just thought it would be nice for everyone to enjoy them," Concordia explained.

N nodded. Though this garden and the maintenance of it was a harmless thing overall, something about it still bothered him. He stared at the area a moment longer before running off to play with his friends again. It was only when Anthea called that he waved good-bye to everyone and went to join her. "Hey, Anthea, have you see Concordia's garden?" N asked the Goddess of Love as soon as he met up with her.

"Yes! It's very pretty, isn't it? This has been a success for her, with no small thanks to our friends," Anthea said.

N paused, thinking of his pokemon friends enjoying the garden. Though it made him rethink, it eventually pushed forward what he'd been wanting to say in the first place. "She needs to get rid of it."

"Why?" Anthea asked, her eyebrows raising in concern.

"Pokemon might enjoy nature, but gardens like that are part of the human world. It's a travesty to force more of the human world on everyone here, considering what they've been through."

"Oh my," Anthea said, shaking her head as she forced a troubled smile. "You're growing up well, my lord N, always thinking of your friends. But I'd advise you to let this go."

"Why?" N said. "Concordia will listen to me!"

"Yes, dear Concordia will do as you say without an argument, in order to maintain the peace between the both of you. But it will still trouble her, even if she speaks not a word of it. She's worked so hard on this, after all," Anthea pointed out.

N nodded. "It's too bad though. This place is for pokemon, even if we happen to live here. Concordia will have to adjust."

"Well, is her garden truly troubling our friends?" Anthea said, motioning toward where Gothitelle and Gardevoir floated by with buckets of water themselves. "They enjoy it. Even if some of them are reminded of the human world, they love Concordia, and adjust to it themselves for the sake of her happiness."

"They love her," N repeated to himself in a mumble. Yes, Concordia was kind to all the pokemon there, and cared for them as much as N himself. His friends had expressed nothing but love for the Goddess of Peace. Perhaps she should be allowed her garden, even if those who shared this area with the three of them were reminded of their enormous discontent in the world of humans.

N again clenched his fist, clamping his eyes shut as he thought of the idea. "Should we forget about their peace for Concordia's just because of love? Shouldn't peace be there for everyone when there's love?"

"Not at all," Anthea said calmly.

N calmed, looking at Anthea curiously. She was the Goddess of Love, living together with the Goddess of Peace to raise him, so her thoughts on this idea were more valuable than just anyone's.

Anthea again smiled, giving N a pat on the head. "Love and peace can co-exist... But more often than not, you'll have to choose between the two."

"That's not fair. It can't be right," N said.

Anthea shrugged, neither arguing with nor accepting what N had said. "I know you don't feel peace inside your heart at seeing those flowers... But you do feel love for our dear Concordia. I'm sure that love will be there no matter what for both of you, but you'll have to choose between her peace or yours for this situation. You've gotten my advice. The choice is up to you, my lord N."

N nodded. He saw Concordia stepping carefully down the hill to meet them. "Are you ready for lunch?" Anthea asked.

Concordia nodded. "Our lord N saw my garden today! What did you think of it?" she asked, turning to N.

"It's nice," N said. Concordia beamed at him. N was surprised even the brief and unspecific compliment would raise her spirits so. The three of them continued in silence, several of their pokemon friends following them to the house. Once there, N sat in his seat, frowning as he stared into space. He noticed Concordia turn his way with some concern, her former content now gone, but she followed Anthea into the kitchen.

"Did something happen to N?" N could hear Concordia ask from there.

"It's nothing. I'll talk to him," Anthea said. She came and sat next to N, patting his hand. "You've really matured, my lord N. I know in your chosen quest, you'll have to give up your own peace many times over for those you love. It must be difficult, but you've done so unselfishly, with both our friends and Concordia just now."

N looked away. "Is love always like this, Anthea? Suffering for others?"

"Almost always, it is," Anthea said, causing N to look at her in surprise. "Love can be something wonderful, but it means we can be hurt much more easily. It can easily turn into something terrible. So just be careful who you choose to love, my lord N."

"Is it a choice, who we love?" N asked.

Anthea nodded. "Many would argue with me, but I know from experience. Though it can be influenced by circumstance, love is a choice."

And since Anthea was the Goddess of Love, she'd be the one to know the answer to that question for sure. Others had no room to argue, including himself. N passively accepted her words. "I'll be sure to be careful who I choose," he promised.

N entered Castelia's well known Central Plaza. He'd hoped it would have been a place to get away from the saturated human presence for a few moments. But of course, this place was also for humans, with only a little consideration to pokemon given. The bit of consideration was that pokemon were even allowed.

Still, N was hesitant to let his friends out. They were often skittish around humans, and this place was full of humans. N took a look around, trying to be wary of any humans that looked like they'd actively try and do his friends harm. There weren't many around. A girl nearby stood with a pignite, trying to straighten her clothing while looking through her bag.

N approached the Pignite, who was eating one of the ice cream cones that N had seen many others around tasting. He approached the pokemon, wondering if it might have some input on if this place was good for N's brought-along friends to play or not. N leaned down, waving at Pignite as it noticed him.

"Pig? Pignite?" the pokemon said questioningly.

"Hello, friend. Tell me, are you new here?" N asked.

"Pignite."

"What do you think of this city so far?" N asked.

"Pignite?" Pignite said, looking up at him. "Pignite!"

"Is that right? Tell me more," N said.

He listened for a little while before the girl nearby spoke up. "Um, excuse me," the trainer looked nervous as she interrupted them. "Um, well, that's my pokemon."

N looked back up. This was a place where he couldn't just converse with pokemon the same as humans, because that was considered abnormal. He also couldn't read human's hearts, though their language often betrayed their hearts. "Your pokemon?" N repeated.

"Yes," the girl said, nodding uneasily though she still wore a smile on her face.

"So, you started a journey with this one," N continued. "From a far away town. I assume Nuvema." N had met several other new trainers from Nuvema on the way over. "Now you're all the way in this city, and it considers you its partner."

"Yeah," Bianca said. "How did you know that though?"

"Hm." N paused, smiling as he looked down at Pignite. "I can understand the hearts of pokemon. With that sentiment, they speak to me."

"Oh," Bianca said.

"Do you really think it's suitable to treat a pokemon like this?" N asked, sighing slightly as he recalled the other responses he'd had to similar questions.

"Like what?" the girl said, as confused as trainers often were. "I mean, I make sure it's taken care of every day..."

"But it's still involved with you. Living with humans. Don't you think Pignite would prefer a more natural setting for its life, outside of that tiny pokeball you carry it in?"

Glancing at the pokeball she held, this trainer appeared to think about N's words. Many did. Sometimes they even became his allies, joining Team Plasma, though N knew well enough by now not to trust any of them as friends. He took another look at the Castelia Cone the pokemon held. "And now you feed it human food," N commented in his displeasure.

"I feed it pokemon food too," the trainer said, looking up at him again.

"That would be difficult. There would be no pokemon food to find here," N explained. "Pokemon can find their own food in their own world, and that's what's best for them, not any human mixture. Don't you think so, Pignite?"

"Pignite!" Pignite declared, moving its Castelia cone to its chest. The ice cream started to melt, and Pignite stared at it just a moment before throwing it to the side. "Pignite!" it said firmly, still looking up at N with a determined expression.

"Oh," N said, taking a deep breath as he thought about Pignite's strange message. "I'm surprised to hear it."

"What is it?" the trainer said, looking first at Pignite, who stared firmly ahead, and then back at N, not knowing what her friend had just said.

"Pignite would like to battle against me, with you," N said, deciding to tell her.

"Pignite!" Pignite nodded, confirming N's translation.

N shook his head, but said nothing else. "Well, if that's really what you'd like, I'd be happy to comply." He took out a pokeball from his own pocket.

"Hey!" the trainer said in surprise. "You have a pokemon in a pokeball too?"

N nodded, peering to the ground before staring back at his human opponent with no further explanation. "Shall we battle?"

"Alright," the trainer said. "If that's what Pignite wants. Getting stronger through battle is also what I want too, though."

"Pignite!" the pokemon said happily.

Interrupting before her opponent threw his pokeball out, the trainer girl asked a question. "Do you mind if I ask your name? I'm Bianca by the way."

"I'm just known as N."

Bianca's eyes widened. "As in the King of Team Plasma?" she asked.

"Oh. You know of our group? Well, yes, that's who I am," N said.

The girl paused a moment. "Yeah, I've heard of you, from my friend, Iris. I guess she's your sister?"

N paused a moment before nodding hesitantly to confirm it. Was Iris near here already? He might ask, but he'd already promised Pignite this battle, so just threw out his own pokeball. "Scraggy. I'll ask for your help with this."

Bianca smiled widely as Scraggy appeared. "Oh, how adorable!" she exclaimed. Bianca took just a step closer. Scraggy narrowed its eyes and stepped back, letting out a harsh sounding cry.

"Please," N began, holding up his hand. "I know you didn't mean any offense, but my friend here has experienced human cruelty, and reads your approaching it as aggression."

"Oh," Bianca said, raising her eyebrows and frowning. "That's too bad."

"However, Scraggy shares my convictions, and wanted to join my quest. It will battle your friend," N said.

Bianca nodded. She put a hand on her hat and pointed forward. Bianca nodded one more time before giving her first command. "Pignite, defence curl!" she said.

N had his strategy in mind already. The other trainers from Nuvema had valued power in their battles, and N had a way to counter that. "Scraggy, try swagger," he said calmly.

Scraggy nodded. As Pignite performed the defence curl attack, it stood, gripping its clothing-like skin and staring forward, a red aura starting to surround it. Bianca studied Scraggy a moment, apparently confused as to what was happening. While Bianca was considering it, Scraggy then narrowed its eyes at Pignite and shouted.

"Pignite!" Pignite shouted.

Bianca looked at it in surprise. "Pignite-" she began.

"You must be a friend of those other trainers from Nuvema. Including Cheren, correct?" N asked.

"Yes, we're friends," Bianca said.

"Just like him, I see you pursue strength with little considerations for anything else," N declared.

"Well-" Bianca began.

N continued without waiting to hear what she'd say. "Well, there are consequences to pushing pokemon to gain too much power too quickly. Let's continue and see!"

Bianca nodded. "Pignite, flame charge!" she ordered.

Pignite shouted loudly as it tried to perform the attack. Bianca watched her pokemon closely, and didn't see the usual smooth movement of the move, where Pignite would approach the opponent's pokemon. Instead, Pignite stood in place with the flaming surrounding it. Eventually, Pignite just shouted in pain, far from its opponent. Scraggy stood close nearby and watched.

The confusion had taken hold, so the battle shouldn't last for much longer, N considered. "Scraggy, try brick break."

Scraggy leapt forward and quickly hit Pignite, which shouted in pain. It then looked around one way and then the other, its eyes wide. "Oh!" Bianca exclaimed as she got a good view of Pignite's eyes. "It's confused," she realized.

"What now, Bianca?" N asked.

"It's over now," Bianca said, holding up her hand. "I concede. You win." After this declaration, Bianca ran over to Pignite, Scraggy scurrying out of the way as she did. Bianca's pokemon jumped in surprise, scratching Bianca by accident. Bianca winced in pain, then took hold of her pokeball. "Return," Bianca said. Pignite went back in the pokeball, then Bianca immediately sent it back out.

"Pignite?" Pignite said, looking around.

"Sorry, Pignite. I just didn't want you to get hurt anymore," Bianca said.

"Pignite," Pignite consoled, tapping her arm in consolation, then noticing the scratch it had caused before. "Pignite?!" it said.

"I'm fine," Bianca said with a smile. "I just hope you are."

"Pignite," Pignite said with a nod.

N approached them after returning Scraggy to its pokeball. This was surprising to him, indeed. He'd thought for sure Bianca would be the same as many cruel trainers, and just push her pokemon to its limits. He scratched his head. "You didn't want to see what the end result would be?" N asked Bianca. "I know I was having Scraggy take a risk. Pignite's strength would be increased in the rage."

"Strength isn't all that's important," Bianca said absent-mindedly as she dug through her bag.

"Oh? Well, I didn't think trainers like you existed. Strength still is important though, or isn't it?" N asked.

"Of course it is," Bianca said. "I want to get stronger, so I have to try, even if I can't. It's hard, but I'm going to keep trying for them."

"Your friends from Nuvema?"

"No, my pokemon," Bianca said. She took a bottle out of her bag, but it was an antidote, not a potion. "They're the ones here supporting me, so I have to support them just as much," Bianca said, now looking at N.

N smirked, silent now. He took something out from his pocket, and handed it to Bianca. "Keep them all safe on your journey, then," he said.

Bianca looked at the bottle N had given her. A simple potion. "I will. Thanks," she said, then sprayed Pignite to make sure it was completely okay. Afterward, she turned around, shouting as she saw the remaining Castelia Cones, which Pignite had inadvertently melted during the battle.

N turned around as Bianca apologized to her pokemon and cried over the loss. Perhaps it would be alright to release his friends from their pokeballs here. Scraggy had been alright during even a battle. He shouldn't underestimate their strength, even if he wanted to protect them.

"Hey!"

N turned around, seeing his cross sister approaching. Bianca waved her hands at Iris in a friendly way. Iris just at Bianca with a concerned expression, then walked past her, crossing her arms and glaring at N. "What are you doing here, N?!" she demanded.

N looked down at Iris silently before turning away. There was no way he could respond to her. She'd just continue being confrontational.

"Hey!" Iris shouted again. "You'd better leave Bianca alone, okay? I won't stand for it if you bully her."

N glanced over his shoulder briefly. "Bianca. Be sure to take all precautions on your journey, for the sake of the pokemon that accompany you." As Bianca briefly nodded at him, he turned and walked away.

So, she was here already, N thought to himself. From what he'd heard, she wasn't going to arrive until at least a day later. Well, in either case, he hadn't wanted to see her.

Then again, maybe it wasn't that bad. After all, seeing Iris reminded him of his own convictions, and reasons he should believe what he believed. Despite himself, N did turn around and look at his adoptive sister. Iris was smiling now, not paying attention to him at all. Instead, she was paying attention to that trainer with the pokemon that Scraggy had just overpowered.

Pignite's reactions were different than N was used to. There had been a few other pokemon he'd met like that, loyal to their trainers to a fault. With pokemon that felt the way the one with Bianca did, and Bianca acting how she had around her pokemon, N somewhat wavered in his own mission. N peered at Bianca now, who spoke to Iris easily and happily, the same as she'd just spoken to her own pokemon. Then Bianca put Pignite back in the pokeball, and wandered off with Iris.

So, Bianca wasn't different after all. Well, humans that interacted with pokemon while calling themselves 'trainers', they could certainly vary. Bianca, the weak trainer, as compared to her friends, who were stronger and better at battling, did. However, they were still all the same, containing their pokemon when not using them like tools. N turned his head, sure to not be in the last spot that Iris had seen him, though he'd still wanted to enjoy this park with everyone for a little while.

So when N found a spot free of people, he took out his pokeballs, tossing them out one by one. All of his friends didn't need to be told, they knew that N had brought them here to have some fun during their long, unending travels. N was sure to thank them, using the pokemon's own words, for staying by his side, though he knew it would be much easier if they just ran away, which they could do at any time.

N watched the various people walking by, some with pokemon, others with other humans, including children. Human children were supposed to be innocent, like pokemon, but N was just as wary of them as the adults. Young humans were also humans, and just as flawed as the rest of them. N had made the mistake of accepting one young human as innocent and unaffected by the world around her a while ago, and he wouldn't make that mistake again.

Ghetsis had brought Iris to N's home out of the blue several years ago. Iris was fairly small then, shorter than even Darmanitan at the time. "It would be an affront to have her here," N had said at the time. "Please, take her away. It will only upset the pokemon here to have a human other than myself," he continued, pointing to the door.

"She's only a child," Ghetsis said. "She has no other place to go. I'd like you to take care of her, the same as the pokemon I bring you."

"I refuse," N said, stomping his feet on the ground, glaring hatefully at the girl that had just arrived, who disappeared around the corner.

"You'd refuse her the same kindness that I offered you? What do you say about that, Goddess of Love?" Ghetsis turned to Anthea.

"Does she really have no place to go?" Anthea said, frowning. "I say we do our best to care for her then. My lord N, please understand that love is only as limited as those on Earth imagine it to be. You can extend your love to your pokemon friends as well as this young human girl. Return the kindness that was offered you."

"I agree with Anthea," Concordia offered her opinion. "And just look..." Concordia took N's hand, dragging him over to the window. "I don't think it will disrupt the peace to have her here. She's getting along well already."

N stared out the window. Iris had found his friend Purloin. Surprisingly enough, Purloin allowed Iris to come near it, then leapt above her head. Iris laughed, and stared at the pokemon, but didn't torment it by chasing it. Instead, she leaned down. "Come here," she said, waving her hand. Even as Purloin shied away, she smiled. "It's okay."

N didn't watch any longer, instead went right outside. "Don't bother it," he said. "This pokemon is separate from humans. It doesn't want you nearby."

Iris didn't reply then, but her jovial expression disappeared. She ran to Ghetsis as he came into the courtyard, and looked up at him with hesitation. "It's alright, Iris," Ghetsis assured. "This is the new family I promised you."

Iris's eyes lit up, but she still looked away from N hesitantly after meeting eyes with him, then said nothing else.

"This isn't really a family," N protested. "Here, we live away from all human constructs, including that one. We simply exist here for pokemon. Isn't that what you told me?"

Iris furrowed her brow, confused about what N had said. Instead of commenting, she turned to Ghetsis, waiting for what he had to say. "Indeed, family is just something that humans pretend at. So if we wanted, we could as well. I could say you're all my children, including Iris, and you all could be siblings to each other."

"I would-" Iris began.

"Don't be foolish!" N shouted, interrupting her. As he did, Iris closed her mouth, her lower lip rising. The little girl backed off from N, then ran out of the courtyard, pushing past Anthea and Concordia.

"Iris," Concordia called, looking around the hall. "Come back, it's okay," she assured, then turned back into the courtyard.

"N, this isn't-" Anthea began, but Concordia held up her hand to stop her.

"It's not us he'll listen to," Concordia said.

N wasn't comfortable at all with Iris's reaction. He didn't really hate humans like pokemon did. After all, though born from pokemon, N happened to be human himself. It's just he was in charge of helping pokemon separate their world from the human world though, so of course he couldn't just sit there and accept Iris here, in the rare part of the world that was for pokemon alone.

As N thought this, Purloin came out from hiding. It glared at N poignantly, then turned away. "Nyaa," it let out the short call before yawning.

"I understand," N muttered. He resembled the humans he wanted to separate his friends from around Iris just then. Humans would stamp their feet without care too, and upset all of the pokemon, just to meet their own ends. N turned to Ghetsis. "Yes, I understand. I still have my reservations, but if it's necessary, she can stay."

"Good. There's really no need for even those reservations," Ghetsis said. "Though Iris is a human, she's just like the pokemon you care for. She has been a victim of human cruelty, and prefers the company of pokemon. So you see, with the right teaching, she can help you. This girl could be a valuable ally in your fight."

Hearing Iris compared to his pokemon friends, N thought further on his mistake. "I understand," he said. Without a word, he began walking off through the castle to find his new young companion. Hearing the laughter echoing through the halls, he had an idea where he might she may have gone.

Iris was indeed in his old playroom, the one that was now reserved for his pokemon friends that may enjoy it. N became cross at seeing it, noticing Iris running around, and then down the slide. When N thought of that, he frowned. Iris noticed him at that exact moment. Seeing his discontent expression, she ran away and hid. N sighed. He then noticed an unfamiliar pokemon in there as well, a fraxure, which looked around in search of something. "Fraxure?" it said.

N knew it was Iris that the pokemon was looking for, being able to read its heart. He also knew it would be able to locate her quicker than him, so just followed Fraxure to where Iris was, in the small space under the slide. Iris at first grinned at Fraxure, then saw N. Her expression changed to a sheepish one, and she looked down.

"Come on out," N said calmly. As Iris did so, his expression lightened, and he smiled. "Since you're a person that cares for pokemon, I'll welcome you here. As long as you're willing to follow our mission, that is."

"Ah- I will!" Iris promised loudly. She scurried out from under the play equipment and stood tall, clenching her fist to show her determination. "Dad says you're trying to help pokemon. I want to help pokemon too! Always!"

N blinked a moment in confusion, wondering why the girl's father would know, then realized she was referring to Ghetsis. "Ghetsis told you, right?" he asked. As Iris nodded, he continued. "So, you really think that man can be your father?"

"Yeah!" Iris exclaimed. "Why not? He said since my dad - and my mom - since my whole family is gone now, you all can be my new family. Even you can be my brother... Right?"

N shrugged. Since that was the construct this child was used to, she'd feel more comfortable if they applied those terms. Even if it wasn't exactly the relationship between those here, N didn't feel that offended. For her sake, he wouldn't object. "Alright," N agreed.

Iris grinned happily, then looked toward Fraxure. The two exchanged glances, both of their expressions showing their pleasure with the idea.

"Did you bring Fraxure with you?" N asked.

"Yeah. It's my pokemon, from my village," Iris said.

"It can stay as well, and be friends to us here. I have a lot of pokemon friends living here already. They're just as important, if not more important than 'family', understand?"

Iris nodded. "Pokemon can be family too! This is Fraxure's new family too, right?"

N nodded, happy it seemed this girl understood the importance of his friends, and seemed to value them highly enough to include them in her concept of 'family'. "Let's go introduce it, and you, to everyone else."

Iris nodded, taking out a pokeball. "Fraxure-" she began.

"Wait," N began, frowning. Iris paused, looking up at him expectantly. "Pokemon shouldn't be confined by human contraptions like that."

"A pokeball? It helps us get them get around," Iris said.

N shook his head. "We don't believe that here. Pokemon exist for themselves. They shouldn't have to confine themselves for the sake of humans."

Iris raised an eyebrow, standing silently. She stared at the pokeball, then back at N, waiting for him to continue.

N decided to rephrase what he'd said. "All pokemon here can wander free. So pokeballs are unnecessary."

"Okay! Sounds fun!" Iris exclaimed. Now that she completely understood, she threw the pokeball to the side, then looked at N for approval, smiling.

N nodded. At the time, he'd thought she would be quick to learn, easily accepting the idea that pokemon didn't need pokeballs to belong in the world. As the days, weeks, and even years went on, Iris happily absorbed anything he said. She would absolutely help him to liberate pokemon, he'd thought. Only with in hindsight could N see the small signs of how wrong he was about Iris.

"What about the ones that want to live with humans?" Iris had asked one day when N was trying to explain the totality of their mission. He hadn't found it alarming at the time because many of those he spoke to and were now his allies had similar questions. Iris appeared to accept N's answer that pokemon needed to be completely separate from humans to truly be free, and those that thought they wanted to live with humans had a forced dependence on them.

Apparently Iris had only verbally accepted N's teachings, just nodding her head like she understood while never letting the message go to her heart. N couldn't read human hearts, so he didn't know he was not only wasting his time but also harming his mission until much later. There had been a few other small signs, such as Iris asking several times if even she would have to be completely separate from her pokemon friends. The answer was yes, eventually, of course. The absolute ideal could be difficult to accept, which was why the world stagnated. Liking the company of his pokemon friends as well, N didn't find it too disturbing that Iris became upset at this fact. It wasn't until one specific afternoon that N figured out that Iris wasn't at all what he'd thought.

It had started out the same as many of their other outings. N had just come back from meeting with other Team Plasma members, and decided to spend some time with his adoptive sister, not having seen her for a few weeks. Together, they wandered into the beautiful forest by their home, the same he'd always enjoyed seeing all of his friends run freely in. N stepped gently on the leaves, with Iris and Haxorus nearby. "It will be satisfying when the entirety of the pokemon world will be like this, with all pokemon there," N said.

Iris nodded, walking along his side. When they reached their usual spot, she took out the food that Anthea and Concordia had given them. She bit down on one of the sandwiches, then offered one to N, who gladly took it. "Hey, Haxorus, you're really hungry too, right?" Iris grinned as Haxorus roared, and handed a sandwich its way as well.

"No, Iris," N said, grabbing her arm before Haxorus was able to take the food. "You know better."

Iris stood up suddenly, crossly glaring at N before giving the food to Haxorus again. N stared at her in surprise, and Iris smirked. "I'll give my pokemon food if it's hungry."

N paused a moment. That had been the first time Iris had actively ignored his advice. She must only be thinking of the pokemon, he mistakenly thought to himself, then nodded at her. "Fine, Iris, but did you forget that Haxorus lives here freely now?"

Iris shrugged. They now sat in silence, other that the happy cries of pokemon nearby. Iris appeared contented, forgetting the previous tiff, and was eating up a lot of the well-prepared food made for them. "Oh," Iris suddenly gasped, looking up from her meal and to the sky. A sole pidove floated by.

"How nice," N said. "This pokemon lives in the pokemon world, free from all influence of humans, including ourselves. Take note, Iris. This isn't something humans normally get to observe, and it won't be able to be observed at all after our worlds are completed separated."

Iris suddenly frowned. She stood up, brushing off her clothing. "Let's go, Haxorus," she said.

"What is it?" N said, noticing the change in her demeanor.

"Well, you know N, I can hear the voices from pokemon's hearts just as good as you," Iris said.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh?" Iris said, holding a hand to her ear. "Can't you hear it?" she asked. N looked around. Haxorus was silent, and their other friends had wandered too far away to hear. N looked back at Iris as she laughed. "You can't? That's too bad," she said.

N realized he was being mocked. He'd said similar things to Iris, when he could hear the voices of pokemon's hearts that she was deaf to. Hurt that Iris would do such a thing, N said nothing.

Iris grinned, waving her hand to Haxorus. "Pidove says it wants to be my pokemon," she informed, taking out a pokeball. "I'm gonna catch it!"

N went from hurt to incensed. "Don't, Iris," he said, grabbing hold of the arm with the hand that held the empty pokeball.

Iris looked at N crossly, yanking her arm away. N didn't make any further attempt to stop her as she ran toward the pidove which had now landed on a branch nearby. It cooed peacefully, unaware of the approaching threat. "Iris, this isn't right," N protested.

"I'm just catching a pokemon. It's something that happens every day," Iris said.

"But unlike most humans, you know why it isn't right," N said. Iris still faced away from him, walking toward the wild pokemon. "Pidove, quickly! Get away!"

The pidove looked up, alerted to the humans' presence. It fluffed up its feathers and let out a more aggressive call, ready for battle.

"It looks like this is just my kind of pokemon," Iris said. "Listen, N. Pidove is saying it wants to fight me. Alright, Pidove. And when I win and catch you, I'll teach you how to get better and better at battling! That's what you really want, huh?"

"Stop it, Iris," N begged. Iris catching this pokemon like this, it was far worse than just any human catching any pokemon. This was Iris, the girl he'd accepted as a 'sister', who he'd thought really accepted all of his ideals trying to catch a pokemon by his home. How could she about face on him like this, so much to pick up a pokeball again, and catch a pokemon which was truly free from human influence out here, the way N hoped for all pokemon?

"Haxorus, slash attack! Don't overdo it!" Iris ordered. The much larger pokemon lunged at the flying type pokemon, hitting it and knocking it out before it could do anything else. Then, Iris threw her pokeball. After taking pidove inside, the pokeball barely shook before quieting. Iris went and picked it up, raising it up in triumph. "Alright! We've got a new friend, Haxorus."

N practically shook with rage. This girl, welcomed into the sanctuary N promised the pokemon when she most needed the help, how could she do something like this, and so easily? Looking at the pokeball that Iris had been carrying, N could guess she had premeditated the action and became all the angrier. "Let that pokemon go, Iris!" he said.

Iris glanced toward N calmly, raising an eyebrow as if she had just noticed his presence. "Oh? If you think I should, why don't you battle me? Go ahead, waste all that energy on some weak pokemon."

"Strength doesn't determine worth! That idea is something from the human world!"

"But strong pokemon get what they want, even in the wild, right?" Iris pointed out. "Maybe humans are the ones that make it fairer for the weaker ones. I'm gonna give Pidove as much as it needs, just like Haxorus, even though Haxorus is way stronger."

"You-" N began.

"But why do you keep saying stupid stuff about 'pokemon world' and 'human world' anyway?" Iris asked, glancing at N though she didn't expect an answer. "You keep saying it all the time, like pokemon are on the moon or something. But they're not. There's just one world, you know. There's no separate pokemon world for pokemon to go to, unless you're one of those people that think pokemon came from space." Iris briefly laughed at the idea before she walked past N and gathered the remnants of their lunch, heading back to the castle.

He should have never accepted her into this place, N thought at the time. Though she was a victim of human cruelty, she was also destined to become a cruel human herself. Only N himself was destined to liberate pokemon. Other humans could help him personally, but the task to help the pokemon fell to him and him alone. As King of Team Plasma, he'd do just that. Even if the world didn't exist for pokemon yet, he'd forge a new one where they could all finally live in peace.

Surrounded by his pokemon friends in Castelia City, N knew now that Iris wasn't just one example of those who mistakenly brought pokemon into the human world, but the most active threat to his quest. Though she was overall insignificant, with her knowledge of both Team Plasma and himself, she may eventually become a roadblock.

He'd chosen the wrong person to extend his love to.