So in the name of a stupid ongoing joke, I will update this before midnight on December 31st. Thanks for just being awesome and supportive reviewers!

Also, in sword and shield, Snom is the best pokemon. I fucking adore Snom so, SO much. I have spent the past fifteen minutes looking at Snom art rather than working on this chapter because Snom, despite being an ice type, warms my soul.

Amy47101 does not own pokémon, only her OCs, Vale, Sara Knight/Agent Blitz, and the Bennet family.

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The Adventure Saga

The Truth Behind Us

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Start Date: June 2nd, X017

Current Date: October 16th X017

o.0.o.0.o

"In a world that shrouded in storm, and hope is out of sight… I will rise above all, for my truth will lead me to light."

Hilda was never the 'dutiful bedside' type of girl. She was always the type to leave someone alone and let a doctor or someone with a more calming presence stay at bedside vigil. She would be out, working her ass off to keep things afloat or making sure that all the financial things were covered so that her 'patient' wouldn't have to worry.

But at the moment, with Black, there was nothing else she felt like she could do. She knew, deep down, why Black was targeted to begin with. It was the same reason he was targeted back in Castelia.

Since he was already unconscious, the doctors made sure to wrap him in both heated and regular blankets to bring his body back to temperature. He was unconscious for three days, and when he woke up on the third, he did nothing short of freaking out. He was screaming, trying to rip IV's out of his arms, and nothing he said made a lick of sense to Hilda. She had no clue how to calm him down, but the doctors and nurses came rushing in with a needle, which only seemed to agitate him more. He screamed bloody murder at the sight of it, locking his hand around the doctors wrist until he dropped it, and even then didn't release his wrist. More doctors and nurses came rushing in and shoved Hilda out when the original doctors fingertips began to turn blue.

Hilda watched from the doorway, horrified, as Black thrashed madly. It took almost eight staff members to hold him down, then a ninth to give him a sedative. He calmed down and went back to sleep after that. She had overheard them talking about how it was natural for patients to wake up and freak out, but she heard mutters that it was unnatural for them to need eight doctors to sedate a teenager. Before she could overhear anything else, a nurse alerted them to her listening, and they shuffled out of the room.

The doctors were worried about the circulation in Black's fingers and toes due to being in Cold Storage and being tied up so tightly. His wrists and ankles hand marks and bruising. Periodically, they were coming in to uncover his hands and feet to check his toes and fingers. His fingernails were broken and bloody from, apparently, clawing at the crate before he lost consciousness.

Four days had passed since he was sedated. Day number eight in the hospital. Black was still sedated and drifting in and out of consciousness after being medically induced for two days. If there was any plus, he wasn't going to get any toes or fingers amputated. His vital signs were improving, and color had returned to his face. Hilda didn't think she'd ever know another sort of relief outside of seeing his lips not be blue.

"As long as you care about them, as long as you care about anyone in this world, they will always have 'something to do with this'… Just like your father."

"It was all because of me." she whispered under her breath, burying her face in her hands. "Dammit. This is my fault."

Clenching her hands, she muttered her little prayer again. To be honest, she wasn't so sure if it was a prayer or were she had heard it, but it always brought comfort to her when she said it. So whenever she was really, really, really low on hope, or scared beyond her wits, she thought it and spoke it.

"In a world shrouded in storm, and hope is out of sight… I will rise above all, for my truth will lead me to light."

She didn't even want to look at Black. She knew it was Ghetsis who probably painted a target on his back, but she also knew it was because of his connection to her. With Ghetsis… It was no bars held. Now she had to be burdened with the constant worry of who was next. Her pokémon? Her friends? Her mother? Her hometown? What was a fair target and what wasn't? What would be used against her in order to prevent any progress being made in taking Team Plasma down?

"Hilda…"

Hilda leaned over and brought Eevee onto her lap, burying her face in his fur.

"Eevee, I'm scared." she whispered under her breath. "This is all because of me. What… What's going to happen next?"

"We can never be sure…" Eevee said quietly, calmly. "All we can do is plan ahead."

"I suck at preplanning." Hilda said, letting out a sad, dry-humored laugh.

"Then we act before Ghetsis can. We protect before they can attack."

"Even when I have the opportunity to do that, I still screw up." Hilda muttered, recalling when she sent out Victini during the gym battle.

While both he and Lilligant had healed up, Hilda couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she made a stupid mistake like that in a battle with Ghetsis. Would Ghetsis injure them? Kill them? Clearly he held no bounds for humans… Despite what he claims to preach… would he kill her pokémon given the chance?

"Hilda? Hey… How's my girl?"

"Dad?" Hilda felt her voice warble on the verge of tears. "Dad, I need to talk to you."

"Hilda?" her father's tone softened from confusion to sympathy. Due to his older pokégear, he was on audio rather than video call, but it was enough. "Where are you? What's wrong?"

"I'm in the hospital."

"The hospital?!" he echoed. "Wait, hold on, what city are you in?"

"Driftviel." she sniffled, holding Eevee tighter. "It's not for me, I'm fine. But my friend… Dad, what the hell were you doing when you left mom? Or before I was born? Or whatever? Why is Team Plasma after me? Why do they keep saying my last name Veritas? Why… why are so interested in this stupid see-all-tell-all gene?"

"Hilda…"

"They kidnapped Black!" she blurted out, sniffling harder and letting her tears fall. "Damnit… They kidnapped him in Castelia too, with me… Just to use him against me! They… They locked him in a crate in Cold Storage, he hasn't eaten or drank anything for two days, he's got hypothermia and they have him here all sedated and shit… And… and me and Vale confronted Team Plasma, and they were electrocuting her and there were dead pokémon floating in the water and we could've died. They're after me and after Vale and Ghetsis keeps mentioning how he knew you… Dad, what the fuck is going on?! What are you hiding from me?! I don't know what's going on anymore!"

She had broken into pathetic ugly sobs at this point, recalling it all. She was horrified, of course, but just as equally terrified. She never considered herself a person who scared easy. Hell, she was the type to jump headfirst into a situation if only to prove she wasn't scared.

But during those times, she knew someone would be able to pull her out of those situations. In the back of her stupid, cocky mind, she knew her friends or her mom or some adult would keep her from being seriously hurt or killed. But in this situation? She didn't realize how stupid she was being until she saw those pokémon floating dead in the water, Vale and her scars… saw Black hauntingly pale with lips tinted blue.

Suddenly, she felt something press against her cheek. Feeling her heart leap from surprise, she lifted her head, and saw Black staring at her, bleary-eyed, his bandaged hands clumsily swiping at her tears.

Her father said something to her, but she wasn't listening.

"Hold on, Dad, Black… he just woke up, I need to go. Just… just, I'll call you back or you can message me. I'll talk to you later."

With that, she hung up, immediately turning her attention back to Black.

o.0.o.0.o

It's… it's not me, is it?

Gray stared at his pokégear, stomach sinking. He knew, sooner or later, that this day would come. He knew he was going to have tell Hilda everything, but he never knew that it would be so soon. A part of him wanted to cry.

He underestimated Ghetsis. Gray knew it was his own fault that Hilda was a part of this… Things had lined up almost to perfectly. Now, not only did Ghetsis have his hands on the Hero of Ideals, but he had moved on from tracking down who he thought the Hero of Truth was. Grays plan to keep running and running and running had failed.

Ghetsis tracked Hilda down.

Her abilities far outdid his own. Hilda's abilities never developed, she was born with them. She wasn't like him, where he slowly began to understand and to acknowledge the truth or learned to unlie. Hilda was born unable to lie, born always able to not just tell when someone was lying, but had a something like a sixth sense for it. A knack, an ability to just know when someone was lying. Hilda was born into this world understanding pokémon, any pokémon, completely.

Him? His abilities were always there, a knack that he always had that was useful and got better as he grew, but he couldn't do so on the day of his birth. But the minute he held Hilda, the first three years of her life, watching how calm she was with pokémon, the way she looked at them and spoke to them like she understood, not just like she was pretending the pokémon talked back, he knew. He knew exactly who she was and what she would do, and he prayed to every pokémon legend that it wasn't true.

But he knew it. He knew it because when Hilda was three years old, he heard her say the hymn. He only knew about the hymn because of the research he did with Ghetsis, the hymn that was sacred to Reshriham. When he closed his eyes, he could still hear her little, childish voice, chanting the hymn as she drew at her little desk, kicking her legs back and forth as she scribbled away.

When the world is shrouded in storm, and hope is out of sight… I will rise above all, for my truth will lead me to light!

Gray knew he couldn't deny it then, but he wanted to. He wanted to so badly. But he knew what he knew. Every single hero who was chosen by Zekrom and Reshriham knew a variation of the hymn. It was almost like a private password that no one else was allowed to know. And the fact she spoke it so clearly and fluently only solidified it more for Gray.

"Gray, we need to keep going!" Looker suddenly exclaimed. He lifted his head, seeing him and Silver standing amidst the sandstorm. The route had been closed for some time due to raging sandstorms. They had no clue how Blitz made it through, but Looker assumed that she either used her Musharna to teleport to Nimbassa. "Sar- I mean, Blitz is acting rashly! We need to catch up to her!"

"You've been saying that since this started." Silver sighed. "I need to get back to Lyra too, we're all worried as hell with all these developments…"

"Sorry guys, you keep going without me." Gray waved his hand in the air, taking out a pokéball and releasing his Metagross. "My daughter needs me right now. Metagross, teleport me to Driftviel, would ya?"

"Hold on a minute, you had a pokémon that could teleport the whole time?!" Looker exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us? This could have been handled so much sooner!"

"Well, you never asked and it never crossed my mind until now." Gray shrugged. "Sorry!"

And with a small wave, he was gone.

o.0.o.0.o

"What're you crying for?" Black asked, words slurring, but obviously concerned. "You're Hilda White… who made you cry? I dunno if I've ever seen you cry before… Actually wait, that was a lie,"

His fingers drifted dangerously close to her eye, causing her to squeeze that eye shut as he clumsily tried to comfort her.

"You were really super sad when you lost your hat… But we found it!" he smiled at her, like a little kid, almost. "Hey, if you're sad, lemme try to make it better."

His hand accidentally drifted to far, and bumped into her nose. Hilda crinkled her nose slightly.

"Dude, Black, stop it." Hilda said, removing his hand from her face. "C'mon. You have about as much coordination as a Spinda right now, you're gonna scratch my eye with your gauze fingers."

"Oh…" Black glanced at his hand in her own curiously. "What happened?"

"A lot." Hilda muttered, eyes welling again. "Dammit, Black, I'm so sorry, I-"

Hilda cut herself off when Black reached up again and stroked the side of her head.

"What's your hair down for?"

"Huh?"

Hilda wasn't sure how to comprehend such a random question from a boy who didn't seem to care what she looked like.

"I dunno if I ever saw your hair down before. Was it always this long?"

"I mean, yeah?" Hilda spoke slowly, brow furrowed as Black continued to stroke her hair. "It might've grown out a bit since we first met, but it's always been long. It reaches past my shoulders when it's in my ponytail."

"Mmm…" Black hummed something under his breath, then continued to hum a song. "Hmm… hmm… hmm…"

She felt… weird about this. Because looking at Black now, it was completely genuine, like a kid or something. He hardly resembled the Black that seemed so focused on an act or a lie. He just seemed kinda… sweet, in a way. He actually looked happy, like he wasn't… burdened by something. Like he was forgetting what was making him act in the first place.

"Hilda?" Black spoke as his hand dropped.

"Yeah?"

"What's it mean to love someone?"

"Where the hell did a question like that come from?"

"'Cause I dunno what it means to really, really, really love someone, so I really wanna know what it means."

"Well, it's a loaded question." Hilda leaned back and sighed, deciding to humor him. "We talkin' love, like love for a family, or love like the smoochy huggy datey kind?"

"Smoochy huggy datey kind." Black clarified.

"Well…" Hilda trailed off, crossing her arms as she thought. "It's more than just looks and shit like that, right? If you love another person, then you know that person better than anyone else. You don't need to hear what's wrong from them because you can sense it, and you want to just fix it. No matter what, you'll stick by them through thick and thin… And you'll protect them no matter what. They make you a better person… well, maybe it's more along the lines of that they don't make you better, but you make yourself a better person 'cause they inspire that in you. If you love someone… You believe in them and accept them when no one else will or when no one else does. And sometimes…"

Hilda paused, thinking about her Dad… thinking about how he left her when she was younger, left her Mom, and began to wonder. He loved them both, that much she knew, but she was always told he left because of his free spirit. Him and her mother were on friendly terms now, there wasn't any hope of romance reigniting between them. She could tell that just by watching them interact. But it also made her wonder if the reason he left… wasn't because of his so-called free spirit, but because Ghetsis had a target on his back, and he was trying to keep them out of the crossfire.

"Sometimes…" she trailed off, pursing her lips.

Sometimes, you've gotta love them enough to let them go.

"Hilda." Black muttered. "I've gotta tell ya somethin'."

"Well, out with it, then."

Black mumbled something with half lidded eyes.

"Wha?" Hilda asked. Black gestured for her to come closer, so she leaned over, right next to him.

Then, she heard a popping noise close to her ear, alongside something warm against her cheek.

"Wha-Wha-Whaaaaaaaaaaat the motherfucking fuuuuuuuuck?!"

Hilda's voice had to have risen two octaves as she jolted up while Black fell back. She was caught so off guard that she didn't even know what to do. Her hand flew to her face, feeling the warmth across her cheeks. The awareness of the blush only made it worsen. Her mind was spiraling and running a million miles a minute as she tried to figure out how to comprehend what just happened. Was she supposed to brush this off or hit him? Should she even hit the guy she inadvertently got into this mess to begin with?

"Hilda, I think I love you."

"Oh my motherfucking Arceus." Hilda buried her head in her hands. She was stupid, so stupid. "Black, please, just stop. You're high as hell and outta your mind on sedatives and drugs."

"No." Black suddenly sounded a lot more serious, causing Hilda to drop her hands. "I really, really, really think I love you."

Hilda was about to retort again, but a couple of nurses came rushing in.

"We heard you scream, is everything all right?" one demanded, coming up to her. Black grinned happily at the nurse, which prompted her to respond to look over at him. "Oh, your friend regained consciousness…"

"He's not acting up or anything, but he's talkin' crazy." Hilda said simply, standing up, jostling Eevee from his nap he had drifted into while she was talking to Black. Returning him so that he could continue to sleep, she continued towards the door.

"It's probably the medication he's under right now…" the other nurse said, checking Black's vitals.

"Yeah, figured as much." Hilda muttered, bowing her head as she felt her cheeks heat up again. "So, uh… I'mma gonna go grab something to eat and, uh, call some friends and family or something. If there's any updates, just lemme know, yeah?"

"Of course."

Hilda rushed out the door and hurried down the hall. Anything that happened in the last couple of minutes meant absolutely nothing. Black was high as hell on all the drugs the nurses gave him, no way he was speaking sane. He was slurring his words, for fucks sake…

"Please, my daughter is visiting him, and she needs me right now. Please."

Turning into the reception area, Hilda blinked in surprise to see her father standing at the front desk.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have anyone by that name there, and even if we did, you're not a traveling companion and you're not on a list of emergency contacts. Your daughter I recognize, as she's been visiting him daily. But only she and whom I assume if the boys father is on the emergency contacts on the list. So I can't allow you to visit unless I get express permission from Mr-"

"Dad!" Hilda exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed by emotions again. Like she got walloped by her experiences, she felt the tears well up. Running to her Dad, she threw his arms around him. Like when she was a kid, he didn't move an inch, a solid rock that held his ground and supported her, even when he was away. "Dad! Oh my Arceus, Dad, I…! I…!"

Her Dad wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Hilda, I'm so sorry. There's so much I need to tell you but I never thought it would get to this point. Hilda, I'm so, so sorry."

o.0.o.0.o

"How much further do you expect them to go, milord?"

N glanced at Bronius, tearing his careful gaze away from the grunts who were currently mining in Chargestone Cave. Bronius was in charge of leading the search for the item they were currently mining for, and after years of working covertly in research, he finally got a lead on Chargestone Cave. N didn't truly feel that the research was necessary, he could have found the item within mere days just by asking the pokémon here… And like he thought, the Joltik and Galvantula sang excitedly about the stone that apparently sparked unlike any other.

"As far in as we must. Just have them follow my directions, the pokémon here aren't lying."

"Of course, milord."

"I'm confused. They don't believe Tessie?"

N glanced down at the Joltik that was hanging out on his shoulder. In truth, N would admit to the selfishness of feeling an undeniable bond with certain pokémon, like his Audino or Zoura or Vale's Sandshrew. Though he didn't want to take Tessie out of her environment, she insisted by clinging to his hair where ever he went. Eventually, he just decided to let her stay with him, as there didn't seem to be any arguing.

"It's not that they don't believe you… It's that the idea that I can understand you that casts doubt. Not many humans understand pokémon they just met… But I do, Tessie. However…" N cast his gaze downwards. "Sometimes, that innate ability to understand scares people."

"Tessie likes being understood! Tessie and her siblings isn't lying, we always find the sparky black rock because us Joltik use the static to keep warm and cozy!"

"I know, Tessie. I believe you."

"Tessie like being believed!" Tessie smiled, nuzzling into his hair. "Tessie also like all this hair. Lotsa static!"

N smiled, stroking Tessie's head. As he did so, he felt a shock shoot through his head, and he dropped his hand.

"Did it shock you, milord?"

"No." N shook his head. "No, I've been shocked by pokémon before, that was…"

Find me…

N felt his headache intensify, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Seek me… You, who dream of an ideal world...

"My King! Sage Bronius!"

"Yes?" Bronius asked. N's headache intensified even more than before, like there was something burning behind his eyes, scorching into his brain, forcing all attention away from what was going on around him.

"… fou… thing…"

N moved forward without question, their words blurring in his mind.

You… Hero who sees the ideals of everything… Seek me. Bring your dreams to fruition.

"My King!"

He felt someone grab his shoulder, and he glanced back at him. It was an old man in gold and grey robes.

"Release me, mortal." the words felt strange coming from this human mouth, he was not yet accustomed to it. "Allow the hero of yore to move forward and release me from this incessant prison so that I may finish the fight that had begun a millennia ago."

Suddenly, something shocked him on his neck. He grunted, but then the pain intensified. N yelped reaching up and removing what was shocking him.

"Tessie worried about King! Tessie didn't know what to do! Tessie sorry! Tessie sorry!"

"It's fine, Tessie." N muttered, glancing up at Bronius and the knights. The knights had varying emotions, from terrified to awestruck, while Bronius looked… concerned. "What… What happened? I feel like I'm missing something here…"

"Milord, I believe the legendary pokémon that resides in that stone used your body as a means of speaking to us." Bronius said slowly. "So this means… You are truly the Hero of Ideals."

Crossing his arm over his just, he bowed towards him.

"All hail King Natural Harmonia!"

"All hail King Natural Harmonia!" the grunts chanted after him. N smiled at them, thankful for their support.

"Take me to the stone."

o.0.o.0.o

In a world that burns with fire,
and hope is out of sight…
I will rise above all,
for I know my ideals are right!

o.0.o.0.o

Whelp, last update of the year everyone! Have a happy New Year, and I hope you enjoy this relatively short chapter. There's more fluff than drama, but there will be more drama come next year!

Thank you for another wonderful year reviewers!

Amy47101 signing off! ^.^