"Is this what you've been looking for?"
Lenora's question was obviously answered with a loud round of shocked gasps. She stared at each and every one who stood before her. Alder, the Junipers, and three young trainers held such baffled expressions, clearly shocked at the fact that the item they've been looking for had been right under their noses all along.
"How did you…?" Alder took a few steps forward, eyes still on the Light Stone that was rested in Lenora's arms. "Where did you find it?" He looked up to see her face as Lenora burst a simple laugh.
"Well, actually this Light Stone has been with me for almost a year. One of my excavation team found it while exploring in the deep parts of the Relic Castle around the final months of last year." She brought it closer to her chest, thumbs caressing the hard white shell of the orb. "I looked it up about its origins but all I got from it was that it's a pretty white, quite sturdy orb." Lenora couldn't help but to laugh at how wrong she was about the mystical object. "I decided to put it in the exhibit though because it's very beautiful to look at. Never thought that this piece of beauty was the key to mankind's future."
White felt the little hairs behind the back of her neck prickle as those simple words brought a powerful meaning behind it. Her electric blue eyes darted to the orb. It was white as the first fall of snow. The shape wasn't as big as she thought, which made her remember about Zekrom and wonder how something that small could be shaped into something so huge. The Light Stone almost twinkled like a star under the sunlight, as if the object was lovingly basking in the sun's natural rays.
So that's it, she thought. That's the Light Stone, huh. I can't believe we actually found it. It shouldn't surprise White that her heart began beating fast. It's actually here… Realization hit her again perfectly on her head. The Light Stone had been found. It was in perfect condition. It hadn't been stolen by Team Plasma or worse, that douchebag Ghetsis. There it was, less than five feet away from where she was standing. There it was, the item that would decide whether or not she was the next hero-
"White."
Her thoughts snapped like strings once a voice entered her ears. "A-ah yes?" Her head turned to Alder, mouth forming the simplest smile she could muster. However, compared to her, White could only see the stern seriousness that strained his face.
When she avoided his gaze, White soon realized that everyone was giving their full attention at her.
Well that was just a bucket full of dandy for her.
"White," Alder called her again, throat clearer and sure of himself, "I know this is asking too much, but I'm asking you again." He took a step closer to the teenager. "Are you willing to do this? Are you willing to face the consequences and challenges that will ultimately change the future as we know it?"
White cringed as the words eerily slithered into her ears. "W-well…" She gulped, fingers twitching to a clench. "When you put it that way…"
The next thing she saw from him was a chuckle, though sound straying far from what one could say humour. "I'm sorry if I scare you with what I said." A hand moved to his head, pushing the stands of his hair backwards.
A frown was pulled by not only White's, but also Cheren's and Bianca's mouth to see the champion's not-so comical attitude, especially given the situation.
"But I am serious." The bitter laughter was gone, now replaced with a stern look that occupied his face a few minutes ago. "This is a huge responsibility, White. Only you alone can determine what is wrong. Only you alone can prove to N that Pokémon should not be liberated and separated from humans!" The last sentence was shaken with vigor, dripped with a dash of faint woe. "Prove to N. Prove to the world that Pokémon and humans can live together in complete peace!"
Silence gripped her mouth shut. The air around them intensified, followed by the echo of Alder's words. White seemed to bear with it the worse; feeling her lungs being choked by pressure and her ears being drummed by the sounds of responsibility. Her mind was tangled by voices that weren't hers. Her eyes were clouded by faces that swirled her emotions. Her breathing was hitched by the tug of her doubt.
"Your Pokémon…they speak to me…"
And then, in a single blink, all those voices, all those faces, they faded into one; a face that only worsened her ability to breathe.
"I…I want to ride the Ferris wheel…with you." "I am the King of Team Plasma." "Are you taking my objective as a joke…?" "You have been chosen. Did you know that?" "Am I… Am I your friend?" "I've…never been close to a human. And…I'm not very keen on…any physical contact with anyone…" "It's just…it pains me to know that not all Pokémon like me." "You're a great human. A great friend. And most of all, even though I am still against all this horrific battling, I know that you are a great trainer." "And that is why…it will absolutely pain me to see you being separated from your beloved Pokémon…" "Humans are nothing but soulless, heartless, lying monsters!"
Everything was a tornado in her brain. Everything that he said, everything that he did, all of it was vividly playing in her head like a movie. His words, his expressions; from good to bad, and bad to worse, all of it happened in her eyes as if she had just saw him yesterday.
"White…" Then everything stopped, leaving her name be basked by the hopeful sound of his voice.
"White…" His voice then disappeared, replaced by the reality of Bianca's.
White turned to see her friends. Worry obviously masked their faces. Reality then reminded her that she had been quiet and unmoving for quite a minute. White faced forward, her eyes seeing Lenora, the Junipers, and Alder. And finally, she stopped on the Light Stone in the gym leader's arms, reminding her of the future that would soon be placed in the palms of her hands.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, her mouth parted to reveal her decision. "I'll stop him."
White knew surprise was unavoidable even without her seeing it in their faces. She took a deep breath, then exhaled as a slow breath of wavy air. "Give me the Light Stone and I will awaken Reshiram." Her head jolted upwards. Sheer determination coloured her eyes. Raw tenacity amplified her voice. "Rest assured: I will stop N!"
As if a new light had shined upon them, smiles lit up their faces. To see the confidence that was now bursting from the brunette, the others couldn't help but to smile and almost laugh.
Although celebration was too early to be held, Alder still didn't fight back the smile that carved his face. "Thank you, White." He looked at Lenora, signalling the woman to hand the Light Stone over to White.
With a single nod, Lenora took a few steps forward and handed the white orb to its rightful owner. "Be careful. I know its unbreakable, but a little precaution wouldn't hurt anybody."
A half-smile tugged the corner of White's lips as she looked at Lenora, then at the Light Stone. At the mental count of three, she stretched her arms and carefully retrieved the orb.
The second her skin even grazed the hard, smooth exterior, everything began happening in a flash.
Her pupils dilated. Her irises were drained from colour. Her heart pumped once, then accelerated to a speed that seemed inhuman. Blood felt frozen in her veins, disabling her from giving not even the slightest twitch. Her mouth dropped, yet not a single peep was heard from the completely astonished girl.
It was then that she saw something – a vision. Unlike something from her memories, these images were perfectly clear, as if it was something she was witnessing right at the moment. She saw red flames. She saw yellow thunder. She saw a man standing in a land of barren green, facing another man who held the same firm, destructive expression. She saw two gigantic figures behind each men; one black while one was white. Their shapes were blurry, but their eyes and snarls were perfectly seen as both shapes brutally lunged for one another. Explosions blasted her ears. Screams and wails of fear crackled her eardrums. The vision began to lose shape, frizzling out until nothing rational could be made out of it. Suddenly, a piercing glare of striking blue eyes appeared amidst the demented chaos, staring straight into hers.
La…dy… A voice, deep yet soothing like the calmest of bells. Wh…ite…
Blue flames swallowed the hypnotic eyes, draining the faint growl from further words. And finally, as the flame gulped its final drop, the visions faded into black, thus throwing her back into reality.
A loud gasp shook her lungs. Her hands trembled, almost endangering the Light Stone to fall and slam the ground. Her legs almost gave out, toes curling and knees wobbling like jelly. W-what… Thoughts were slowly formed in her mind. What…the…
As White looked like she had just been thrown into hell, the others watched in full concern. "White, are you okay?" Bianca took a few steps closer, wanting to touch the girl's shoulder and comfort her. Cheren, although remained in his position, kept his eyes on White. He too was worried for her. Why shouldn't he? Her face a few seconds back was pale as a ghost. Never had he seen such an expression on White. The second she held the Light Stone, White seemed as if her soul had left her body.
"White…" Bianca stopped behind her, one hand close to her chest while the other reached out to touch White. "Are you-?"
"So it really is you."
Almost everyone jumped to hear Alder breaking his silence. All turned to face him, who seemed as if he was in deep thought.
It was a huge relief to Bianca and Cheren when White finally spoke. And they were more than relieved to know that her words were, "What do you mean it really is me? What just h-happened?!" Words were out and stammers were resulted. She gawked and blinked at Alder, impatiently waiting for an answer that baffled her mind.
However, before White could actually snap, someone else opened his mouth. "It seems that the legends are true." All eyes went to Mr Juniper, who had one hand on his chin and his head nodding in understanding. "They say that once the Light Stone or the Dark Stone is being held by its true hero, the person could see visions from the past. By doing this, it truly shows that the person is worthy to become the dragon's next hero."
The more White heard, the more she felt stupefied. "I…" Her head turned like a gear, which then stopped in front of Lenora. "Have you ever had that weird feeling when you held the Light Stone?"
The Nacrene leader shook her head, merely confirming what the old professor had said. "After all the months I've had that thing, I've never felt any strangeness to it." A smile flashed her face as if White's blank hypnotism was a good thing. "Since the Light Stone is giving you that sort of reaction, I'm guessing you're really the hero."
A dumfounded line curved White's lips. Her eyes blinked once, twice, then thrice. "O…kay…" She stared at the orb in her arms. Thankfully, the frightening, sudden effects and visions were gone, leaving it just as it was. It just lay there in her arms, radiating a beautiful shine from the sun's natural rays. To see such a thing, White somehow felt at ease. Well, at least it stopped giving me any more surprise headaches. She remembered the beautiful intimidating eyes that stared at her. She remembered the hollow voice that echoed and still rang inside her ears, making her skin shiver in suspense.
Suddenly, a thought came into mind. Looking at the people around her, White opened her mouth and asked, "So, how exactly do I awaken Reshiram?"
Utter, complete, silence.
Wow. I'm just so happy to have such knowledgeable people around me. White wanted to groan out loud, but instead she pursed her lips tightly, hiding the disappointment that scratched her head.
Suddenly, "That's it!" Alder fisted his palms as an idea came into mind. He looked at Lenora. "Lenora, how about Drayden?"
To hear the name, her eyes instantly widened. "Ah right!" Her voice made the others turn to face her. "Drayden is also known as the Dragon Master. Other than Brycen, I'm sure he knows how to solve this and revive the legendary Reshiram."
"Drayden?" It was Cheren's turn to voice his thoughts. "Isn't that the Opelucid City gym leader?"
"You mean the last leader we're supposed to battle for the final badge?" White looked at her friend, then back at Lenora and Alder. "He knows about awakening Reshiram?"
Nods occurred by the two adults. "Well, he isn't known as the Dragon Master for nothing." Hands curled to fists, Alder gave a strong determined huff. "If there's anyone who is knowledgeable about dragon-types, it's Drayden." With that said, he took out a Pokéball and released Volcarona. Hopping on one foot, Alder took a seat behind the Sun Pokémon's back. "We'll meet at Opelucid City, alright? I'll go meet Drayden first and inform about the situation." Taking no time to wait for a response, he commanded his Volcarona to take flight and soon enough, the Pokémon and trainer disappeared from sight.
Silence once again shrouded the area. Only soft chuckles from Lenora and Mr Juniper were heard. "That man is and always will be impatient." Mr Juniper commented, his shoulders giving a little shrug at the champion's never-changing attitude.
Professor Juniper, after being the one who was completely silent ever since they retrieved the Light Stone, cast her glance at White. "White, do you have something to wrap the stone while you're making your way to Opelucid City?"
Her voice snapped White from the empty train of thoughts. "O-oh!" Stuttering a word of clear surprise, she looked at the professor and flashed a silly smirk. "I think I do…!" As she spoke, White rummaged through her satchel with her right hand. Finally, her fingers felt something soft, thumb gently pressing against the feathery material. Her smirk evolving to a smile, White took out the cloth. "Got it-"
Her smile devolved to a shocked line once she realized what she was holding.
It was white, colour as pure as the stone itself. Its material was soft to the touch as her fingers caressed the smooth handkerchief, thumb lightly pressing against it. It wasn't thick. It wasn't thin. It was perfect in her grasp. It was gentle in her touch.
Then her eyes fell to the little green 'N' signature on the far left corner of the handkerchief.
Her grip on it somehow tightened, pressed against her twitching fingertips.
"Alright then." Quickly she regained her composure before any of them could realize her change of behaviour. Eyes on the Light Stone, she placed the handkerchief on top of it, gave a single pat, and carefully put the stone inside her satchel. Her head moved to where she placed the crucial piece of her journey, avoiding any form of eye contact – especially Bianca's and Cheren's – as her face began to gloom in a crestfallen glow.
His voice echoed in her mind. His image danced in her burning eyes.
I'm going to defeat you. Her thoughts screamed what her mouth couldn't. Just wait for me. I'm going to bring you down and prove to you that you're wrong and you're gonna pay for making my Pokémon sad! Fire lit in her electrifying eyes. Crimson coated each and every word.
You're going down, N.
"Sister, I am quite worried about N." She watched as the child sat quietly in his room, giving no lively response to either them or the Pokémon.
"I too am worried, Sister." The eldest voiced out her response; she as well carefully eyeing the boy who seemed far quieter than usual.
"Must we aid him?" Worry grew thicker as the younger one showed hints of walking toward him. But, before she could take one step forward, she was halted by simple gesture of the other's hand.
"No. This is something we must let him figure out on his own." Although said, she too felt the need to run and make him happy again. "However painful it must be for us and for him, this is something that he should decide ever since Ghetsis gave him the throne and responsibility." A frown curved as her words reached the end. "He is a man now. And he is entitled to find his own path, whether it is on the verge of right or wrong."
The younger one remained silent, letting her speak her wisdom. Her face spoke of many woes, all directed to the child who was lost since birth. Her eyes went to N, watching as he took hold of a toy train, only to drop it feebly to the empty ground.
"I do hope the path he'd chosen will pull him away from this dreary state…" Her words were a silent prayer. "And I do hope the other hero will help him see the ways his blind mind had prevented him so…"
They both watched as his palms pressed against the cold floor. They both observed as his head dropped on his kneecaps.
"I do hope so too, Sister…"
0.0.0
wow i update suRPRIIIIISEEE *jazz hands* yea gomen coz apparently this semester is just begging to tear me limb from limb teaching people is actually p stressful?/?/ so heads up about next late updates eheee wow u ppl put up with me bless your souls ppl
1. white has visions oooooooooooo spooky
2. idk what to write this is a short chapter why do i do things
3. white still has N's hanky yay soft white hanky
4. i wanted to say hanky panky
5. there i said it now im laughing at how pathetic my jokes a re
6. i need to change the genre of this story coz N sad
7. siSTERS
8. what are ur dreams N whats ur path whats your fav equation quick choose before white kikcs your tush
9. again laughign why do i my fav characters this way
10. its 1am i got 830am classees wow adULT LIFE