That night, I had another dream. Joy.

It wasn't quite like my other dreams. This time, I saw the Light Stone in front of a black backdrop. Everything was quiet and still...that is, until a faint contour of N's face appeared in the vision. He spoke, "I will befriend you, Reshiram. Together, we can save Unova from tyranny."

His contour faded away, and the Light Stone began to form cracks at the surface. A bright, electric blue light beamed through the quickly growing cracks in the stone. Eventually, it exploded and unleased an elegant white Pokemon. It was humongous-probably eight feet tall, or even taller. It had claws attatched to flowing white wings. The figure of the Pokemon was elegant and refined, while also strong and mighty. It was a truly amazing sight...

...until the dang mirage spit fire into my dream. The image startled me, causing me to roll off of the cot I was sleeping on and onto the floor of August's room. She woke up and jerked her head in many directions in order to look around the room.. Once she realized that I was on the floor, she asked, "What, is the bed not comfortable or something?"

"No," I told her. "Just a really bad dream is all."

"Maybe my Munna could help with that," she suggested. "They're almost like dream catchers, except animate."

"No thank you," I refused as I got up off the floor and crawled back into my bed.

I put the covers on me and went back to sleep, this time without the freaky dreams.

-x-

We arrived in Striaton City about two days later. (It probably would've taken a day or two longer if August didn't know all of the shortcuts.) It was about ten AM-ish when we took our first steps into Striaton City. "I haven't been here in what feels like forever," August noted. "I already got the Trio Badge, but now it's your turn to get it. You might want to go and set up an appointment at the gym first. Here, follow me."

I trailed behind my friend as we walked to the Striaton Gym. I looked around at all of the skyscrapers and buildings as we did. I thought the sight was amazing, but August didn't seem all too impressed (probably because she had seen it all before). Before we knew it, we were outside of the gym, which was a large structure built of stone. The majestic building towered over us, casting a tremendous shadow with such amazing grace. We walked inside to a gym that looked more like a restaraunt. "This is the gym?" I whispered to August doubtfully.

"Just follow my lead," she instructed. August walked over to a counter on the side of the room. I heard her tell the lady behind the counter, "I'm here to make, ah, a reservation for my friend, Cecilia of Snowpoint City, to battle one of the gym leaders. When's your earliest time?"

The lady at the counter gave her a time slot on a slip of paper. August took a quick glimpse at it, then asked as politely as she could, "Are you sure that you don't have a time slot earlier than this?"

Counter Lady simply nodded, confirming that there was no other time for me to battle other than the one given to August. "Okay, then," August quietly thanked, "I guess that this will have to do. Thank you, I suppose."

August walked away, clutching the slip of paper in her right hand. "The earliest time slot is tommorrow at noon," August explained as she handed me the sheet with the official time slot stamped on it. "I hope you don't mind hanging out in Striaton for an extra day."

I told her, "So what? I get to see the rest of the city now! I'm thrilled."

"Glad to hear," she said. "I think we should split up and look around on our own for a bit. I'll even try to get us a visitors' cabin at the Pokemon Center right now."

"Visitors' cabin?" I asked.

"Yeah," she explained, "all Pokemon Centers have cabins prepared for any and all trainers visiting a specific town or area. However, they tend to fill up fast, especially when there's a special even going on in the area. It's always best to reserve a room when you first arrive in a town so you don't get stuck sleeping on the couch, but there are usually more than enough cabins to go around in the long run."

I nodded my head in agreement. And while she's gone, I thought, then maybe I'll get lucky enough to run into N.

We left the gym and saw a crowd massing together before our very eyes. In front of the crowd, on both ends, stood two Team Plasma minions holding flags that displayed the team's insignia. In the middle of the two flag holders was a green-haired man wearing an unusual shroud that was decorated with a pattern of eyes and that was adorned with a crown-like neckline. He had a gold monocle with a red lens over his left eye. His face seemed to be worn and rather calloused-not just physically, but emotionally as well. All in all, he seemed to be wearing a clever guise, acting as if he was there to speak with a purpose.

As the people in the crowd were chattering things like, "What is going on?" and "What is he here to speak about?", the green-haired man raised his hand and called out, "People of Striaton City, please, settle down!"

The crowd instantly silenced. "Let's get a closer look at this," August gestured. "I'm kinda curious."

I agreed one-hundred percent; I wanted to know what the man was going to speak about as well. I had a feeling that there was something fishy about the man, considering that he must've been from the same group that had tried to steal the Light Stone from the Nacrene Museam earlier that week, but I figured that listening to his speech would give me an idea as to why Team Plasma was trying to steal the Light Stone. August and I joined the crowd and listened closely to what the man had to say.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Ghestis-a representative of Team Plasma. What I am here to speak about is rather brief and straightforward, but also very crucial to the survival of both mankind and Pokemonkind alike." People began to whisper to each other in confusion. Ghestis continued: "Here at Team Plasma, we support a better world-a world where Pokemon are freed from the pain and suffering caused by being trapped in those virulent contraptions you call 'Pokeballs.' Well, mind my words when I say that Pokemon deserve to be free!" (Ghestis' speaking was both loud and convincing. Trainers began to question each other through soft murmurs. I remained stolid, but I noticed that August was still attentively listening.) Ghestis bowed his head and began to cry tears-tears of fraudulence, that is. My uneasy feeling towards him stregnthened as he forged on with his speech: "Seeing Pokemon trapped in Pokeballs...abused in battle..." He began to spew more waterworks from his eyes. I was left unfazed by his "tears" and simply just rolled my eyes. "It's such a horrible sight!" He rubbed his face with his long shroud. "I'm sorry for getting emotional, but please take my words to heart. Release your Pokemon. Please. If you love them, then you'd let them go."

The crowd chatted amongst themselves, questioning whether or not to take Ghestis' advice. I, myself, crossed my arms and thought, What a waste of ten minutes.
August poked my shoulder. "I-I don't want to believe what he's saying," she admitted, "but he's such a powerful speaker! I don't know what to th-" She stopped speaking and looked at Ghestis for a minute.

"What?" I asked her. "You okay?"

August didn't look back at me. "Call me crazy, but I think Ghestis is staring at you."

I looked at him myself. August was right-he was looking at me. He seemed disgusted by my presence. Maybe he heard about the whole Light Stone thing, I considered.

His spiteful stare dug deep into my soul, and it seemed as if he was trying to tell me silently, "You disgust me, you wretched trainer, you!"

I didn't feel safe being in such a close vicinity to him. "I'm going to go and look around Striaton," I told August.

"Ghestis creeping you out?" she understood. "I couldn't agree more. Let's both get away from this corruption before our brains explode or something." I laughed. She added, "I'm going to reserve our cabin. After that, I'm going to study at the Trainers' School for a bit. Meet me back at the Pokemon Center by 6, I guess."

We went our separate ways. As I tried to distance myself from Ghestis, I looked back at the shrewd man once more. He was still staring me down-a fact that instilled a feeling of fear inside of me.