While Touko had said that she would attempt to avoid any repeat meetings with me, I intended to do the exact opposite. She was too perfect an object of observation; too perfect a comparison to others. So, I left for Chargestone Cave, a necessary passage to continue to Mistralton City, where there was another Pokémon Gym. Now I waited in the depths of the cave, having sent my guards, the Shadow Triad, to watch for Touko and lead her to me.
While in the cave, with blue electricity arcing around me, I observed the wild Pokémon of the place. Klink, Boldore, Joltik, and others. They skittered, crawled, hovered, and walked through the passages, completely at ease and happy. Every once in a while, a trainer would come through, and capture one of these Pokémon . I was tempted to interfere, but I was curious, and the Pokémon in large were not bothered by it. It seemed that, by defeating and capturing them, the trainer gained the Pokémon 's trust and favor. Odd.
"She comes, my Lord N."
I looked up; one of the Triad knelt before me, hand over his chest.
"Thank you," I nodded, and stood up just as Touko came around a corner. When she saw me, she scowled and raked a hand through her hair. It was down for a change, I noted. It looked nice down. Her other friends were nowhere to be found.
"Really, kid?" Touko demanded. "Are you really so stupid that you didn't understand me back at Nimbasa when I said I wanted nothing to do with you? Allow me to reiterate; I don't need any familiars in Team Plasma. There's nothing about you or your people that makes me want to have anything to do with you. Stay away from me. God, you're annoying."
I blinked at her bluntness. She'd been so kind the first few times we'd met, but I guessed that I meant something different to her as King of Team Plasma than I did as just another trainer. I was surprised by how much that bothered me. Why should I care what some insignificant trainer thought of me? The only problem was that I no longer considered her insignificant.
"I want to—"
"Battle me," Touko finished. "Yeah, I got that now. Well, too bad. My friends are tired from traipsing through this cave, getting attacked by Plasma grunts at every turn, and I'm not really in the mood to interact with you. So make like a Volcarona and buzz off."
She made to shove past me, and the Shadow Triad materialized behind me.
"You won't be going anywhere until we battle."
Touko glanced over her shoulder, and I wondered if she was hoping her friends would catch up with her. She was probably cursing her tendency to run ahead of them now. Why did I find that amusing? It shouldn't be funny. It shouldn't be insulting, either, and yet I felt something like injury at her insistence that I was basically the spawn of Giratina or something.
"I'm not evil, Touko," I said quietly. I hadn't realized I'd spoken out loud until her head whipped around and she regarded me incredulously.
"I'm aware of that. I do however think that you're crazy, misinformed, and on the verge of really creeping me out."
"Battle me."
"Let me through."
"I will if you battle me."
"Ugh!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Are all guys this annoying? Or do I just have the unfortunate knack for finding all the ones that are?"
"Who else is annoying you?" I wondered.
Touko locked her jaw in a way I was quickly coming to realize was both defensive and stubborn. I had seen others do it as well, and after paying attention, I realized that I did this on occasion. Like when Anthea or Concordia tried to explain to me about the outside world.
"That's none of your business," she said tightly. "Now, will you please just let me through?"
"Battle me first."
"Argh! Women would be happier on earth if there were no men!"
"That's uncalled for," I protested.
"It's true!" she countered. "Cheren with all his strength is power crap, and Touya with his freaking knack for acting like my father and the older brother I never wanted, and now you with your—"
By then she realized that, in her rambling, she was telling me what was bothering her, and she cut herself off abruptly, looking ready to explode.
"Look, fine, I'll battle you, but make this quick. I want to take care of my Pokémon ," she said, in an effort to distract me, I think.
"How is Touya acting like your father and your brother? I do not understand how that is possible. Explain."
She laughed humorlessly.
"Think you can order me around? Look, King N, you may be royalty to your lackies, but to me you're just another spoiled kid with a hundred impossible ideas and no idea what real life is like. I don't have to explain anything to you, least of all what my personal life is like."
"You really do not like me," I observed.
"Noticed that, huh?" she said coldly, then she sighed and shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm tired and sore and cranky. I don't like you, no, but I don't dislike you either. Does that make sense?"
"…No," I answered honestly. She grumbled and raked a hand through her hair again. My eyes followed the movement, and idly I wondered how it would feel to run my fingers through her hair. That couldn't be all that strange; I'd seen people do that often on my journey.
"It's not that I dislike you. I think you yourself are cool, if a little weird, but I don't like what you stand for, or what you're doing. I don't like your methods, or your people. There's nothing about you that would make me like you, when I look at the whole picture."
I tilted my head to the side as I contemplated this. I supposed that it made sense, in a strange way.
"Why is Touya your friend, if he annoys you as I do?" I asked. "Or Cheren?"
She rolled her eyes. "Wow, just can't leave that alone now, can you? Fine. Touya's been my best friend ever since I can remember. We grew up together, and we have a super strong bond. Yeah, he gets on my nerves sometimes, but everybody has those moments. The best we can do is take a deep breath and forgive and forget. The same for Cheren."
"Then why can you not do the same with me?"
"Because you aren't in even the remotely same scenario as those two. I met you a few months ago, this is, like, the fourth time I've really spoken with you, and you're the leader of an organization that I really don't like. Now let me through."
I frowned as I thought this over. I looked back at her, and tried for a smile.
"Well, I guess I will just have to become your friend so that you will extend me the same courtesy."
She snorted. "Yeah, okay. Let's see how well that works."
"Battle me."
"I already agreed to, if you'd quit talking." And she tossed out her Servine at the same time that I tossed out my Boldore. Luck never favored me in our matchups, it seemed.
"I'll even let you have the first move," offered Touko.
"No, no, go ahead."
"Sorry Servine, but he wouldn't let us through. Make it quick, and I'll get you guys to a Pokémon center. Use vine whip."
"There is a legendary Pokémon ," I said as I called back Klink and released him back into the cave, "one that stands for ideals. I will befriend him, and then free all Pokémon around."
Touko rolled her eyes.
"Do you know the legend of ideals and truth?" I asked. She smiled. It may have been my imagination, but I thought it looked a trifle sad. Ridiculous; how could a smile be sad? They were expressions of happiness after all, were they not?
"Yeah, I do. My mom used to tell me that story all the time when I was little. There was once a dragon Pokémon , with two trainers; brothers. Nobody could beat the brothers and their Pokémon . But soon the brothers began fighting. One wished to follow the path of truth, the other of ideals. The Pokémon warred with itself, and split in two; it became the black dragon of ideals, and the white dragon of truth. The brothers eventually destroyed themselves with their feud, and the dragons fell dormant, morphing into the Dark- and Light Stones until their next hero finds them. Legend says that, to this day, Zekrom still waits for the Hero of Ideals, and Reshiram still waits for the Hero of Truth."
I nodded.
"I will awaken the Pokémon of ideals; Zekrom. He will stand with me, and the world will release their Pokémon under his threat."
"N, that's just a story," Touko said, clearly stunned. "Pokémon can't turn into stones, and they can't split into two beings. It's just not possible."
"At some point in time, people considered TV impossible. Somewhere in the world, people one thought it insane that animals could wield the kind of power that Pokémon can. Why is it so hard to believe that this legend could be real?" I demanded. I was sure of it. I firmly believed that Zekrom was out there, as the Dark Stone, waiting for me to awaken him.
"N, that's different than believing that one solid, physical being splitting into two very different ones," Touko said.
The look on her face stated plainly that she really was considering the possibility that I truly was crazy. She shook her head and walked past me; her shoulder brushed mine as she left.
"N, I think you should remember something," she said softly at the exit. I turned to look at her; she was gazing at me with her bright blue eyes, her expression troubled.
"Yes?"
"You'll never have all the answers. For every answer you get, you'll get two questions. That's the kind of person you are. You'll never be satisfied until you have all the answers, but that isn't possible. It just isn't. Have you ever stopped to think that neither side of an argument is completely right, or completely wrong?"
I shook my head at her, confused.
"Just something to think about, before you do something you'll regret."
And she turned, and walked out of the cave.
I frowned and sat on the cool floor of the cave. The Shadow Triad surrounded me.
"My King, would you like us to retrieve her?"
"No…" I said, waving my hand at them absentmindedly. "No, that's alright."
I certainly would be thinking about Touko's words.
"Until we meet again, Trainer Touko," I said softly. "I have a feeling that you have a part to play."