Author's note: In the title I had originally planned to have it be Pokemon Pinkish-Grey, but then autocorrect slipped a different vowel under my radar. I intentionally made it the british spelling of Grey with an e, not the American one, Gray. This is for rather evident reasons I think, but in case you're wondering: Kyurem, not Kyuram.

Also, were you confused by how I kept switching between referring to the black and white kings and the black and white princes? Yeah, they're the same characters and there is a good reason for it. I was having trouble figuring out where I could explain it earlier. Hopefully this chapter will clear things up.


Chosen One!? The Quest for the Eight Spirit Keys

"Chosen one? Huh!?" Yuan didn't really get it. If he was chosen, what was he chosen for exactly? And who chose him? Yuan welcomed intellectual discussions (he knew that he really needed them considering that he only had his mother to talk to back in Lacunosa). However, now that it had been revealed why he was being asked all these questions, he was confused, and perhaps disappointed. On some level he had expected the priest to give his own answers to the questions he had asked, contributing to the discussion about their thoughts and perspectives. The response he was getting instead seemed to sound really vague, and a little bit crazy.

The two standing on the altar stood back up, and began to explain, which made them sound crazier.

"You're the one spoken of in the Prophecy of Unova!" said Julie. Her white-robed grandfather nodded sagely and continued, "One whose spirit transcends the dichotomy, a being of the void who will bring balance to our land."

"Okay..." said Yuan, uncertainly. None of it made sense to him, and now he was really getting the impression that this priest and his granddaughter were completely nuts. "And what am I supposed to do, exactly?"

"I know, I know!" said Julie, jumping up and down.

"Calm yourself, Julie," said the priest. He then answered Yuan's question.

"Your mission that Arceus has chosen for you is to obtain the eight spirit keys and use them to free the beast of the void from its eternal slumber, and with its help, save Isshu from destruction."

"And what are these eight spirit keys?" asked Yuan, still skeptical. "And where are they?"

"They are hidden and scattered throughout Isshu-unless they were stolen from their hiding places, that is. Then they could be anywhere."

"Okay," said Yuan. He was feeling glad that what they were saying was so outlandish, or else he would have been worried about going on a wild goose chase. But then that meant he had to explain that to the two lunatics looming over him on a stage.

"What if I refuse?" asked Yuan.

Julie gasped. "Why the hell would you refuse!? The Black and White kingdoms are preparing for war, and no one will be safe! Many people and pokemon are going to die if you don't stop it!"

The priest did not tell his granddaughter to calm down. Instead he said to Yuan, frustrated, "I suppose you still doubt our words."

"Yeah," said Yuan, debating whether he should also say, "Can you blame me?" It probably showed on his expression anyway though.

"Maybe if I showed it," the priest muttered. "Yes, I think I should…"

"But grandpa," said Julie. "He hasn't even accepted his responsibility as chosen one yet! There's a ritual and everything!"

"I made that ritual with the guidance of Arceus over twenty years ago. Unfortunately, something tells me that my efforts back then were wasted. The chosen one will not agree to accept his responsibilities until he has seen proof."

He pressed his hand on one of the tiles in the wall behind him, one of the dark red ones that had writing on them. It moved back into the wall and slid to the side, revealing a small alcove. Inside the alcove was a white roman-style pedestal with a red stripe spiraling around it. Sitting on the pedestal was a large light purple ring or bracelet that seemed to glow white like the sun. The priest took it off the pedestal and handed it to Yuan, who felt a strange affinity to it. He turned it over in his hand and saw, inscribed on the bracelet, the insignia of an eye.

"It is the Mind band," the old priest said. "It is the spirit key infused with the psychic element, which is the element of mental and spiritual light and truth."

The priest handed the Mind Band to Yuan. As soon as it touched Yuan's hand it started to glow even brighter for a moment, before dulling back down to its regular shine.

"Do you believe us now?" asked Julie.

"Not really," said Yuan. Then in order to avoid a conflict, "But these 'keys' seem really interesting, so I'll keep an eye out for them."

Yuan then stood there, awkwardly. Julie told him he might be given a place to stay, but Yuan knew it would probably be rude to ask.

"Can he stay with us for a little while, grandpa?" Julie asked the priest.

"I don't see why not," he said. "In fact, it would be a good idea for him to attend the meeting we're hosting in a month's time."

"Meeting?" Yuan asked.

"It's a special social event which will be held by some members of our temple's congregation and numerous guests. You're welcome to attend, you could learn something useful."

"Maybe," said Yuan, to avoid offending them any further than he might have already.


Baytne's Fury!

After failing to find Yuan, Baytne found a cheap inn to stay in for the night. It was two stories tall and made of polished orange wood, with four-square windows evenly spaced for each room on both floors.

Baytne stared up at the sign above the redwood door, which read, "The Mad Munchlax inn". Unfortunately since he had no money, he knew that he couldn't get a room. So he went inside and curled up in a corner of the bar on the ground floor.

Unfortunately, there were quite a few humans and pokemon getting drunk and being kind of raucous. Baytne figured he'd have to wait until they all passed out before he could get some shuteye. So he waited.

However he had nothing to do and was getting bored. Against his better nature, he started eavesdropping on conversations. One conversation was particularly interesting to him.

"I don't see da big problem, yeh know?" said a large round man with a goatee and only a little hair on top of his head. "It wasn't that long ago that we was all one kingdom. No Black or White, jus' Isshu. Or has ya all forgotten anything more den thirty years past?"

"You sound like a Black kingdom sympathizer," another man much larger then the first who to Baytne's amusement was wearing poorly fitting pants and no shirt said in a gravelly voice. "Traitors and spies ought to be reported." The bigger man clenched his fists.

"Woah! Calm down there, Tierre," said a blue, black and off-white furred jackal pokemon, placing a paw on the bigger man's arm so that the glint of the spike on the back was perfectly visible. "I'm sure he's not a traitor...right, Raul?"

The round man's face contorted in anger.

"O' course not! It's those idiot princes who betrayed us! I bet that's why they still call themselves princes! They're too ashamed o' what they done ta call themselves kings!"

Everyone at the table gasped.

"BASTARD!" shouted Tierre, launching himself at Raul and punching every bit of him that he could reach.

Baytne knew it was a bad idea to intervene, but he wholeheartedly agreed with everything Raul had said. Now an innocent man was being beaten up for speaking the damn truth, and would probably be unconscious by the time White kingdom officials came to arrest him for treason.

The normally composed Baytne bristled in fury and growled loudly. All eyes in the tavern that had been watching the fight turned towards the absol as he approached the table where the fight had broken out.

Noticing the eyes on him, Baytne quickly got control over himself. He couldn't say what he really wanted to say.

Instead he stared into Tierre's eyes and said in his most menacing voice possible,

"I wish to get some rest tonight. If you keep making a scene, then this inn will be filled with soldiers come to find and capture any traitors. And while I don't sympathize with traitors, it will mean that I will go all night without sleeping. If that happens, I will make you miserable."

Tierre seemed to recoil under Baytne's threatening glare. He got off of Raul and stomped out the door to the inn, the bells on the door jangling loudly behind him.

Most of the patrons were rather quiet after that, and to Baytne's surprise, it was quiet enough for him to fall asleep much sooner than he thought he would. He nestled his head into his forelegs and began to snore softly.


Just so you know, this story follows the game continuity rather than the anime. This is partially out of preference, and also because of some inconsistencies between the two. That being said, I will be taking some creative liberties considering that the story and mechanics of both are sometimes inconsistent with themselves. I will try to stay as true to the games as possible though. Therefore, there will be no Kingdom of the Vale. In the distant future (Pokemon Black and white versions) the dragon stones will be found in two separate locations, just like in the games, not in the basement of that castle in the 14th movie.

Don't forget to leave a review! It doesn't have to be super long, just click that little button at the bottom of the page and say something! (no flaming or spamming though, but that should be a given!) It only takes a few seconds!