Luke's excitement had increased exponentially; the young Pokémon had a huge lead on where to go next, and internally thanked the pleasant turn of fortune. That excitement was quickly joined by a wave of confusion.
"Mom? Who's Kyurem? I've never heard anything about a Pokémon by that name," Luke spoke.
"Of course not," Amber replied. "Not many have, as very little is known about him. Many believe Kyurem to be nothing more than an old myth or folktale. You might want to make yourself comfortable. This will be a long explanation."
Luke did as his mother suggested, carefully placing the Dark Stone on the grass and taking a seat next to it. Once he was as comfortable as possible, he looked up at his mother, his curious gaze urging her to begin.
After sitting next to her son, Amber began her explanation. "In addition to Reshiram and Zekrom, there is a third dragon that exists. Kyurem is that third dragon. Much like Reshiram is the "Dragon of Truth" and Zekrom is the "Dragon of Ideals," Kyurem has come to be known as the "Dragon of Ice." Within the existence of these three dragons is a connection that spans generations—a length of time that goes back long before the ancient war you read about."
Luke nodded, showing that he was listening intently, even though he didn't yet fully understand.
"Before Reshiram and Zekrom came into existence," Amber explained, "Kyurem was the only one of these three Legendary Pokémon; in that era, Kyurem was still a complete being." She smiled, and gathered her thoughts. "Kyurem used to control the powers of fire and ice that now belong to Reshiram and Zekrom, respectively, in addition to his own powers of ice. With that, he represented the balance of truth and ideals."
"That's amazing," Luke commented.
"Yes, it is," Amber replied. "It is because of the balance that Kyurem and the power he held that he was so highly revered. To think that one Pokémon had that kind of power…"
Her voice trailed off and the two sat in silence for a moment before Amber continued the story.
"As the years passed by, Kyurem came to fear his own strength. Namely, he feared that his powers would put the world in danger, especially if they fell into the wrong hands."
"Kyurem was afraid of his power being controlled by someone with less than pleasant intentions," Luke commented.
"That's correct. However, he was also afraid that there would be a time when he would be unable to contain his own powers. It's been said that when a Pokémon possesses too much power, the elemental energy contained within that power—within their body—they would be driven mad from it, doing things they wouldn't normally do, such as attacking without reason or mercy."
"That's sounds like what happened to Reshiram!" Luke interrupted.
"But it's not the same," Amber clarified. "Reshiram's actions were out of simple rage and grief."
"I see… So, what happened to Kyurem when he started fearing his own powers?"
"He cast them off," Amber said, simply.
"That's it? Seriously?" Luke asked, flatly.
"There's a lot to it. He kept the powers of ice for himself, but cast off the powers of fire and electricity. Once he did this, the essence of those other powers took on a new form. The power of fire became the Light Stone and the power of electricity became the Dark Stone. After the stones were created, Kyurem imbued them with that which he used to represent. The Light Stone was imbued with the sense of truth and the Dark Stone was imbued with the sense of ideals. With that act completed, the two stones were cast away, making their way to a new home. Now alone and empty, Kyurem now represented something new: the lack of truth and ideals, and the cold void that absence created."
"That's interesting," Luke whispered as his mother gazed at the sky.
"Yes," she responded, pensively, "Once Kyurem sent the two stones away, he hid himself from the world, making his domain in a place as cold as his own being. No one knows exactly where he resides now, but there have been many rumors on the subject. The lack of any real proof is why Kyurem is dismissed as folklore; he hasn't been seen since that fateful day, and is consequently believed to be nonexistent."
"That's ridiculous!" Luke exclaimed. "They claim Kyurem doesn't exist just because they can't see him with their own eyes? How shallow can one be?"
"That doesn't stop the storytelling," Amber began, calming her son. "The fact that these stories even exist to be told is enough evidence that Kyurem does indeed exist and that the creation of the Light and Dark Stones really happened."
"You're right. Sorry about that," Luke apologized, calm after his sudden outburst.
"While no one knows Kyurem's exact location, we can at least make an educated guess. Considering the part of the legend that states Kyurem made his current domain in a place as cold as his own being would lead us to the logical conclusion that he's living in the arctic regions."
"The far north?" Luke asked.
"Yes, that's right," Amber confirmed. "It'll be dangerous; it gets so cold up that way that even Ice-type Pokémon are barely able to withstand the climate. We'll be hard-pressed to get there, find Kyurem, and be on our way. On top of that, we'll have to keep a careful watch on the Dark Stone; our journey will be a waste without it."
With all the information his mother had just shared, Luke was able to piece the puzzle together.
"I just got it!" Luke declared, happily. "The necessity of me carrying the Dark Stone… The means through which the stones were created… When the stones were cast away, they were sent to mountains on the opposite ends of the region. Over time, the stones were discovered, and the memories of Kyurem were still there."
"However, without Kyurem, the stones appeared useless, but showed their true form to one they felt was worthy. That lines up with the stuff I read in the library: after the stones were discovered, the power within was bestowed upon those who proved themselves worthy; that's when Reshiram and Zekrom truly came into existence. After the dragons agreed to share their power with the ones that came to be known as the Hero of Truth and the Hero of Ideals, that's when things took a turn for the worse."
Amber took time to clarify the situation further as her son paused to regain his composure.
"The two heroes had their own set of beliefs and with the Legendary Dragons on their side, they now had the means to enforce those beliefs, passing their thoughts onto those around them. Unfortunately, they had conflicting beliefs, and when they tried to force their specific way of thinking onto someone who had the opposite view… You can see where this is going."
Luke nodded and allowed his mother to continue the story.
"This difference of opinion and the stubbornness of refusing to at least tolerate that difference created an element of unrest that ultimately led to the legendary war between Reshiram and Zekrom. That war came to be called the War of Truth and Ideals, and there were countless casualties on both sides—not to mention the destruction that came along with that bloodshed. From there, it's the legend you are now well familiar with: the war ended when the two heroes realized the severity of their thoughts and actions, and they were able to make peace. After the world was rebuilt, Reshiram and Zekrom reverted back to their stone forms and the two shrines were built in their honor. Unfortunately, the present circumstances have changed that, but it is now up to you to make everything right again, son. But don't worry—you have plenty of assistance."
Luke closed his eyes and sighed. This was a lot of information to take in all at once, but he was at least relieved to have some insight on what to do next. His mother's last statements worried him somewhat—he didn't feel worthy or even able to accept such a burden, but he remembered his ordeal with Zekrom; the promises he made to the black dragon still echoed in his mind.
Luke wondered how he would go about finding Kyurem, especially with so few signs to follow. However, amid the anxiety and doubt he felt, he refused to give up, and began pondering the next part of his journey.