AUTHOR'S NOTE:
One of the happiest moment of my week: My little cousin loves Pokémon (almost as much as me). On Monday, he was watching the show, and I saw that he was watching the Black and White seasons! I was so happy! He was watching the episode that takes place in next week's chapter. I wanted to fangirl so hard, but I don't think a seven-year-old would appreciate it... or understand it.
Anyways, happy reading!
"N... I'm sorry." I said.
"Huh? Why do you say that?" N said.
"Ever since I first laid my eyes on you, I've treated you so horribly. I didn't know that... Can you ever forgive me?"
N smiled. "Of course. Neither of us knew any better back then."
I looked up at him and smiled back.
"N... what happened to you?"
My words caught him off guard.
"What?" he said.
"We were so young when you disappeared. I want to know what happened to you after you vanished." I said. "It it's all right with you, I want to go through your memories."
N's eyes began to shake. He nodded and reached his hand out to me.
"If you're going to do that, I want to come with you." he said.
I nodded and took his hand. Images flooded into our minds.
We stood in a large castle. Ghetsis sat in his chair and stared forward at a screen. The doors behind him opened.
"Lord Ghetsis." a female voice said.
Ghetsis stood up as Barret and Aldith entered the room. In Barret's arms was N as a little child.
"We finally succeeded in retrieving N." Aldith said.
"Good work." Ghetsis said.
N, who slept in Barret's arms, opened his eyes and gasped when he took in his surroundings.
"Who... who are you people?!" he cried.
"Calm down, N. You are lucky we found you." Ghetsis said. "You were abandoned by your parents. We found you struggling to survive in the forest."
"But... what about my family?" N said.
"I'm afraid it was all a dream you made up." Ghetsis shook his head pitifully. "Do not fret. I am Ghetsis, and I will be your new father. Barret, take N to his new room."
"Yes, sir." Barret said. He turned around and walked out of the room with N in his arms.
"Everything is going according to plan, Lord Ghetsis." Aldith said. "What now?"
"We wait." Ghetsis said, which earned a surprised reaction from Aldith. "It will take years until the ways of Team Plasma corrupt N's mind. Now that he is removed from the family picture, it will give Brand the final push to leave. All that's left is the girl. Her powers will only get stronger as she grows, and once the time is right, she will also make a lovely addition to Team Plasma."
Aldith bowed slightly. "Yes, sir."
The scene changed to N in his room in Team Plasma's castle. He played catch with himself, bouncing a big ball against the wall.
"Ghetsis never let me interact with the outside world." N said at my side. "Concordia and Anthea were the only ones I had close to a family. I was only allowed to see Pokémon that had been hurt and abandoned by humans."
"Too many Pokémon have been oppressed and hurt by people for far too long." Ghetsis said to young N. "To save them from this awful fate: this is the mission of Team Plasma. One day you shall be Team Plasma's greatest leader. You were born with the blessing to hear the inner voices of Pokémon, a blessing given to you to be able to fulfill your mission."
"I... believed everything Ghetsis told me. But it was all a lie. He used me, Concordia, and Anthea for his own purposes, but he was well aware I was the most powerful." N said. "But it was too late. We couldn't see the truth soon enough. After all, we were just kids."
"Then what is Ghetsis's true plan?" I said.
"I don't know. But one night, two years ago, I was called before him. He planned to use me in some kind of ceremony. When suddenly..."
We saw the castle of Team Plasma light up in flames. A dark scowl formed on Ghetsis's face as a large shadow looming over him. The shadow gained color, revealing to be Reshiram. Reshiram glared down at Ghetsis with intense ferocity. If N wasn't standing directly behind him, I bet he would've burnt Ghetsis to a crisp right there.
"You're too late, Reshiram!" he cried, his scowl turning into a sneer. "The boy is mine now!"
Reshiram roared and shot mighty columns of fire, destroying the Team Plasma castle. As Ghetsis and the other surviving members evacuated, N stood in the middle of the flames, staring up at Reshiram, frozen in fear and awe. Reshiram turned to N and slowly approached him. He reached out and touched N's forehead with the tip of his wing. N's eyes shook as his memories flushed into his mind.
"Soon, everything will be made right." Reshiram said. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you..."
Reshiram turned around and took off into the sky.
"I was one of the few that were spared." N said. "I didn't know back then that I was face-to-face with my father. Concordia and Anthea found me, and they made a promise that they would never let Ghetsis use me ever again. And so the three of us started on our journey and found our way to our hidden home."
"N..." I said.
The images slowly streamed from our minds and we returned to the underground.
"N, I'm so sorry." I said as tears formed in my eyes. "You didn't deserve to have to live like that. This is my fault. I should've been there to protect you, but I wasn't."
N shook his head. "It's not your fault, and neither is it Dad's. Things happen for a reason." he said. "It doesn't matter what happened in the past, because now I have my family back."
I smiled and we both looked at the glowing Light Stone. Suddenly, our faces fell and we stared up at the ceiling.
"Do you hear that?" N said.
I did. Countless cries ringing in my head, gnawing at my brain. Desperate pleas and terrified hearts were calling for help.
"We've got to find a way out of here." I said.
"N! Rylee!" a voice called.
N and I looked at each other, baffled.
"Ash?!" I called.
Ash emerged from around the mountain of sand. N and I gasped.
"There you are!" Ash said.
"Ash, how did you get down here?" N said.
"After you two fell down here, Pikachu and I found our own little trapdoor. Team Plasma is here, and they're trying to get down here to get the Light Stone. Iris and Cilan are holding them off, but I don't know for how long."
"We've got to get out of here and help them!" I said.
"We'll tunnel our way out!"
Ash and Pikachu ran over to the wall and picked at it. N watched with astonishment. As Pikachu dug against the stone, he paused to rest his scratched-up hands. Ash noticed.
"I forgot!" Ash said. He pulled out five PokéBalls. "Let's get everyone to help!"
Ash called out his Pokémon: Oshawott, Snivy, Pignite, Krookodile, and Charizard. They all went to work to make a tunnel. N stared intently. I pulled out my PokéBalls and called out Leavanny and Articuno.
"Okay, guys," I said, "let's all work together to get out of here. Our friends are counting on us!"
"Yeah!" Leavanny cried. She turned on her heel and joined Ash and the others.
Articuno approached us. Her eyes shifted to N.
"I'm guessing you do know about N." I said. "You were Dad's before he gave you to me."
Articuno nodded quickly and nuzzled her soft head into N's neck. N reached up and petted her head.
"We can do this. Team Plasma's got nothing on us." I said. I picked up the Light Stone. "Together. As a family."
Articuno nodded and hurried over to Leavanny. I looked at N, who intensely watched Ash and the Pokémon.
"Rylee... what is it that makes Pokémon love Ash so much?" he said.
"I meant what I said earlier, N." I said. "Pokémon and people can live together, happily and peacefully. Look at Ash's Pokémon. Look at Leavanny and Articuno. They aren't helping because they have to, but because they want to. Ash's Pokémon are his family, and he loves each and every one of them. Sometimes he might push them a little, but it's because he knows of the potential and strength inside of them. Pokémon also see the potential in Ash, and they love and care for him, too. He has a special bond with all of them that can't be broken."
N nodded, his eyes shaking. We watched Ash working hard with mine and his Pokémon, laughing and encouraging them.
"I... never thought about it that way before." N said.
"The old you is still in there somewhere." I said, poking him in the chest. "Ghetsis tried to bury him under a pile of lies and corruption. It might take some time, but we'll be there with you every step of the way: me, Mom, Dad, and even Alyssa."
N broke his stare and turned his eyes to me. I nodded, smiling with determination brimming from every pore in my body. N smiled back.
"Guys!" Ash called. "We've got an opening! Come on!"
One by one, Ash, N and I made it up to the surface, along with our Pokémon. I returned Articuno and Leavanny back to their PokéBalls.
"It's Rylee!" Cilan said.
"And Ash and N!" Iris said.
"Rylee!" Zorua cried, jumping into my arms.
"Look! It's N and the Light Stone!" a voice said.
We turned to see Colress, Barret, and Aldith standing on a cliff above us.
"So it was Team Plasma after all." N said.
Aldith locked her eyes with me. Underneath her mask, she sneered. I remembered that face; Barret's as well. My breath caught in my throat as a tsunami of hatred tumbled in my stomach.
It was them. They stole N away from our family, from me.
My eyes flared purple, with made Aldith's sneer grow.
They'll pay for this.
"Retrieve them both!" Aldith barked.
"Right!" Barret said. "Liepard, use Shadow Ball!"
A barrage of Shadow Balls rained down. Charizard stepped in front of us and took the blow. Golurk sent another Shadow Ball. It hit Charizard and he fell back. Pignite rushed over to his side.
"Are you okay?" Pignite said.
Charizard lifted his head and gave Pignite a thumbs up. They both stood up.
"Pignite and Charizard, attack with a double Flamethrower!" Columns of fire burst from their mouths and intertwined together to create one massive Flamethrower, crashing into the Golurks. Krookodile dug its claws into the ground and used Dig, sending large waves of dirt and rocks into the air and at the Golurks.
"Way to go!" Ash beamed.
"Target locked and acquired." Colress's voice rang in my eyes.
I gasped as his Pokémon control device lit up.
"Ash!" Iris called. "He's going to control your Pokémon! Put them back in their PokéBalls!"
My heart stopped when I saw Iris and Cilan surrounded by Team Plasma grunts and bound in metal cuffs. Ash, in a hurry, began to return his Pokémon back to their PokéBalls. Looker lunged towards Colress and his machine with a lead pipe, but some grunts held him back and captured him. Ash sighed in relief as his last Pokémon returned to the safety of their PokéBall. Or so he thought.
"Ash?" Pikachu said.
"Oh, no!" I said. "What'll we do? Pikachu doesn't like to be in its PokéBall!"
"Pikachu!" Ash cried.
He sprinted towards Pikachu. As he reached out to it, a blue beam hit Pikachu and it was bathed in light. Pikachu groaned, and when it opened its eyes, they were red and angry. He jerked away from Ash and crouched down in a pouncing position. Pikachu growled and turned towards Iris, Cilan, and Professor Juniper, crackling with electricity. He cried out and sent a Thunderbolt towards them. It hit the ground and the impact sent them flying back.
"Cilan! Iris!" I cried.
They ran away as Pikachu's Thunderbolt chased after them.
"Pikachu, stop!" Ash cried, standing in front of Pikachu.
"Oh, no..." N said.
Ash slowly approached Pikachu. Pikachu's eyes flared red and he attacked Ash with Thunderbolt. Ash cried out and he fell forward on one knee.
"Ash, stop! You'll hurt yourself!" Iris called.
"Come on, Pikachu, it's me!" Ash said, staggering to his feet. "I'm your buddy!"
Ash knelt down before Pikachu and rested his hands on it. Pikachu growled and attacked again with Thunderbolt. Ash fell back with Pikachu in his arms as Thunderbolt coursed through his body.
"Ash!" I cried. I realized that N was no longer at my side.
I heard Colress chuckle. "Trying to break my machine's mind control over Pokémon is a complete waste of time." he said.
"Stop it right now!" a voice cried. "Do you want me to DESTROY the Light Stone?!"
I turned and gasped as I saw N standing a ways away from me. He faced Colress, Aldith, and Barret with the Light Stone in his hand. There was a ferocious anger in his eyes as intense as the glow the Light Stone emitted; he meant business.
"N?!" I cried. "No! What are you doing?!"
"Destroy?! Are you mad?!" Looker cried.
"N?!" Aldith said.
"This is what you want: the Light Stone... and me, too. Undo Pikachu's mind control and we're both yours." N said. A challenging expression formed on his face. "But if you refuse me..."
"N! Stop!" I cried. He wouldn't actually destroy his own father... would he?
Barret turned to Aldith. "Aldith, what should we do?" he said.
Aldith placed her fists on her hips. "Getting the Light Stone is our primary objective."
"Right." Barret turned back to N. "Fine, it's a deal! We'll turn off the EM wave that's controlling Pikachu. Now, bring the Light Stone up to us!"
The EM wave turned off and Pikachu returned to normal. He looked at Ash, who laid unconscious with his arms limply draped around him.
"Ash..." he whimpered, laying against his chest and closing his eyes. "What have I done?"
N turned to Ash and Pikachu.
"I won't allow them to hurt you anymore." he said. "I've learned so much from you... both of you."
N headed towards Team Plasma. I ran forward a few steps.
"N, no! Don't go! You can't let them take you and Dad! If you do, they'll force him and you to do unthinkable things! Think about our family!" Tears poured down my cheeks as my locket throbbed in sync with my heart. "I just got you back. Please, don't let them take you away from me again!"
N's eyes shook as he stared at me. "Rylee..." he said.
He bowed his head for a few moments, then turned around and continued walking towards Team Plasma.
"No! N!" I screamed.
I tried to run after him, but Zorua transformed into her human form and held me back. I collapsed to my knees, taking her with me, and wept as N handed the Light Stone over to Team Plasma and was bound in a metal cuff. A helicopter came into view.
"Lord Ghetsis is arriving." Aldith said.
The helicopter landed. The door opened and Ghetsis stepped out, dressed in a long black cloak and a red eyepiece. He held a cane with the Team Plasma emblem on the top.
"Sir, we have secured the Light Stone." Aldith bowed. "We've captured N as well."
"Very good." Ghetsis said. His eyes traveled to me and he smirked.
"We'll prepare the ceremony right away."
Ghetsis nodded. Team Plasma dragged everyone away except for Zorua, who held me as I sobbed into her shoulder, Pikachu, who rested with Ash, and Ash, who still laid unconscious and wounded on the ruin floor.