I'M SORRY! I really didn't mean to miss an update. But I have a super-secret plan that will make you forgive me by Saturday.
N and Touko discussed their plan at the Pokemon Center. They agreed that it wouldn't be fair to have prior knowledge of the Gym Leader's strategy, so they would go into the gym on their own. After all, what was the point of a test if you saw it in advance and prepared specifically for the questions? None at all.
N would go first this time, then Touko would go. N had caught a couple of pokemon at Pinwheel Forest, so he was good to go. Touko wanted to do a little bit of training before challenging the Gym, so she was fine with waiting.
As soon as N entered Nacrene Museum, a tour guide came and swept him up into a tour of the museum. N tried to explain that he was trying to get to the part of the Gym where you battled, but the tour guide explained that all challengers did the tour. Resignedly, N went through the tour. The dragon exhibits were undoubtedly important, so N paid close attention to those, but there were others that N paid almost no attention to because they were definitely useless, like the Symphonia exhibit. In N's opinion, the Symphonias were a pathetic excuse for royalty, but that could just be his Harmonia heritage speaking. While the Symphonias were descendants of the elder brother who saught out truth, the Harmonias were descendants of the younger brother. When the twin brothers began their fight, the great dragon that created Unova split itself into twin dragons as well. They were equals, yet opposite. Yin and yang.
N took a passing glance at the picture of White Symphonia on display and internally sneered. N doubted that she would lead the region well. Unfortunately, she would probably rule better than her mother had and her sister would, were she to be placed on the throne. Queen Sapphire did contests and was much more interested in them than Unova. Mei would be an absolute disaster as Queen.
But even Touko would be a better Queen than White ever would. Although to be fair, Touko would probably be a better Queen than, well, everyone.
She might even be a good Queen of Team Plasma, if N could convince her to join...
Where did that come from? Before N could think more on the matter, the tour ended and N went into the Gym. It was fairly easy, actually, especially since N had a Timburr with him. It was plain that Lenora was more of a scholar than a trainer. Even Lenora recognized it. N figured that she'd hand her Leadership over to someone else soon, perhaps in the next two years or sooner.
As N left the museum, he ran straight into Touko. Grinning, he showed his new Gym Badge to her.
"I'm one step closer to my dream!" As soon as N became Champion, Team Plasma could rise and ensure that pokemon would never be forced to battle again. Ghetsis also said that the Symphonias were unfit to rule in the new, perfect world and someone else would have to do it. N was fairly sure that by 'someone else,' Ghetsis meant N, but N didn't ask for further details. Ghetsis tended to think that violence was always the answer, and those views were beginning to rub off on Team Plasma. N was working hard to change that, though. Currently, about half of Team Plasma were pokemon-loving pacifists, while the other half was the Team Plasma that Touko saw.
"And what is your dream? What do you want to do?" N decided he wouldn't tell her about Team Plasma yet. If Touko could have her secrets, N would keep Team Plasma a secret until he could convince her they weren't evil.
"I... want to see things no one can see. The truths of pokemon inside pokeballs. The ideals of how a trainer should be. And a future where pokemon have become perfect... Do you feel the same?" Touko contemplated his answer for a moment before replying.
"Yes and no. I want to see things everyone sees and see something more nobody sees. The truths of what trainers are. The ideals pokemon possess. And I see many futures but wish to create one where happiness can be shared in people and pokemon." A good answer, so similar and yet so different to N's own views.
"That so? I think my friends and I should test you to see if you can see this future, too." N tossed out Pidove and the battle began. Touko passed N's test, leaving N utterly defeated.
"I cannot see the future yet... The world is still to be determined..." Touko smiled.
"Your dream can only happen under the right circumstances, since perfection is the ideal second most difficult to achieve. Are you strong enough to bring about perfection, N?" No, he wasn't. Try as he might, N didn't think he had the strength needed to attain perfection.
"Right now, my friends and I aren't strong enough to save all pokemon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that would change the world. So I need power... Power enough to make anyone agree with me."
"I don't think that even the best mathematician in the universe could even write out that equation, much less solve it. I really do hope that you gain the power to unite the hearts of pokemon together and lead them towards your ideal."
"Didn't she say something similar to her brother?" N's eyes widened in surprise. Zeke never spoke around N unless it was absolutely necessary. Ciana didn't say much most of the time, either.
"Yes, yes she did. Maybe you should take this as a sign that he can be trusted."
"Bah. I still don't like him." To be honest, Zeke was the only pokemon N had ever met that didn't like him.
"Only because he reminds you of Bla- I mean Hilbert." What was Ciana about to say before she caught herself? N didn't know.
"You're crazy, Ciana. I don't know what you mean. The two aren't even remotely similar. And even if they were, N is not worthy of Zekrom like he was."
"And that's where you're wrong, for now. I think N could also be worthy hero of Zekrom. Like it or not, Unova needs a hero. And N's the best candidate we have."
"I hate it when you're right. The only Symphonia even remotely capable of being a hero is White, and she'd be a Hero of Truth. Unova needs a new Hero of Ideals to lead its citizens by or it will fall to corruption. Maybe N will pass the test." Test? N didn't know about any sort of test. Maybe there was more going on than he originally suspected. In that case, he'd test them right back.
"Now I know what power I need. Zekrom! The legendary pokemon that, along with the hero, created the Unova region. It's my turn to become that hero-and you and I will be friends!"
With that, N walked off, leaving a very confused Touko behind in his wake.
I've taken the cannon mythology and added my own little twists to it, which will be fully explained eventually. And yes, N still hasn't figured it out.