Chapter 33 More Than What He Seems

The run-in with Taven felt like everything Hil needed to quit dragging his feet. He had just watched someone, likely far more qualified than he, reject the Light Stone and all the good they could have done with it. He suddenly felt so angry at himself for having wanted to run away from it to begin with. What had he been thinking? Leaving all of Unova, his friends, Church, and N to the mercy of Ghetsis? Why had it taken so much convincing? He knew better! Others needed his help! He wouldn't be like Taven. He wouldn't selfishly save his own feelings or sense of pride. "I won't be his tool…" Maybe you aren't Ghetsis' tool, Taven, but you sure are one anyway! Hil thought testily.

He had made his way to Burgh's gym in short order following that confrontation. He winced as his thigh brushed the doorframe of the gym's entrance. Whatever that pokémon at Taven's side had been, it certainly hadn't been a pleasant one, having left a bite wound on his thigh and Noodle's tail. As he thought about it, he reached up and pet the Servine's frilly leaves on his shoulders. He chirruped excitedly at the attention and leaned into his affections as Hil stopped in front of the Clyde. The gym guide narrowed his eyes at Hil and then tilted his head. "I think I remember you. What brings you back to the Castelia City Gym?"

"I need to talk with Gym Leader Burgh, it's urgent," Hil explained curtly. The Clyde frowned thoughtfully and then shrugged, asking Hil to wait a moment. A few minutes later, he returned with Burgh hot on his heels. The eccentric gym leader perked up when he noticed Hil.

"Hil!" he sounded oddly… concerned despite the thrilled expression on his face. "Nice to see you! Wha-what's up?" Without giving him a chance to respond, Burgh nudged the Clyde with an elbow. "Clyde, would you give us a moment?"

"Sure," he muttered and walked away.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Burgh immediately breathed once the Clyde was gone. "Everyone's been worried about you!"

Hil chuckled sadly. "Yeah. Me, too. Say, I need to get back to Icirrus in a hurry so I can work on getting the last two badges so I can go face N." Hil dropped his hands to his hips and smirked at Burgh's stunned look. "Yeah, I want to go face N. I'm sure they've told all of you about that."

"Indeed, well, bar the you wanting to go face N part," Burgh nodded rapidly and planted a hand on Hil's shoulder. "You came to the right place, I have a Volcarona I can set you up with. She's a real cuddle-bug," he snickered at Hil as he thumbed the Ultra Balls on his belt. He settled on one second from the end and gestured at the front entrance of the gym. "Let's do this outside."

"Not to sound stupid, but I don't remember you having a Volcarona in the gym battle," Hil said, interest piqued, as they stepped back out into Castelia's bustling streets. "I've heard they're really good… Why not?"

"I'm the third gym leader in the challenge," Burgh answered simply as he pitched the ball. The Volcarona chirred on exit and beat her wings. Although he'd seen Alder's Volcarona from a distance, seeing one up-close was a new experience. He thought it was a beautiful creature, even if he'd prefer it not to look at him with its myriad creepy eyes. "My team has to be three max and not go beyond a certain degree of training to remain valid for that spot. Every gym leader and Elite Four member is like that. Only the Champion truly has no cap on how strong their team can be."

Hil gritted his teeth slightly. "Oh, yeah?" he pressed. "Everyone has to be like that? What're the Elite Four supposed to be capped at?"

"Five pokémon max. They're allowed to have fully evolved pokémon of just about any caliber, but I think they're disallowed from using items except for berries and a single healing item per battle." Burgh gave Hil a quizzical look. "You look bugged… what's up?"

Hil didn't want to believe Burgh knew about how Alder had told the Elite Four to guard the Champion title. Part of him truly thought Burgh was in the dark, as everyone seemed to be, and another part of him was afraid of finding out otherwise. He liked Burgh… Deciding to pick his battles one at a time, Hil waved his hands at Burgh after his momentary deliberation. "Nothing," he shrugged, "I was just wondering."

"Alright," Burgh smiled softly at Hil and patted the Volcarona's shoulders. Passersby occasionally paused to witness the gym leader and his Volcarona. Hil was sure they'd be curious, considering they'd likely never seen it before. The Volcarona lowered itself as much as it could, and Burgh helped Hil on top of it and to find his balance. "You can hold the horns on the side of her face! Just be careful not to touch her wings, that really flusters her."

"Thanks, Burgh," Hil mumbled. He cast the gym leader a solemn smile over his shoulder. He really liked Burgh. He was funny and so helpful. He really didn't want anything to ever ruin that image for him. He was glad that people were starting to give his father's story a rest on the news and, subsequently, Burgh's supposed involvement. He hadn't heard nearly as many hushed whispers about the subject during his brief foray into Castelia.

Burgh gave his Volcarona directions, Hil recalled Noodle, and they were off. He clung tightly to her auburn horns and pressed his body flat against hers. He was glad for the thick, luxurious black hoodie Church had given him as they climbed higher into the sky and the wind became bitingly cold. Church had tossed it at Hil, having dug it from his closet, and jokingly told him that black wasn't really 'his color,' but he thought it'd look fantastic on Hil, and keep him warm in the cooler temperatures of Icirrus and Opelucid. He had been right about that, but more than that, the fabric was so soft and plush.

Or maybe it just felt that way because it had been a gift from Church.

Upon touching down in Icirrus City, Hil was surrounded by townsfolk almost right away. They all wore long, silken, blue robes reminiscent of what Brycen did, except theirs were thick and enough to cover their entire bodies. The throng of people cheered as Hil arrived and he was, frankly, intimidated by the crowd. His cheeks were flushing red as Brycen pushed his way to the front of the mob. "New Hero of Truths," he said sternly, "I believe this belongs to you."

Hil blinked in shock at the Freeze Badge resting in Brycen's hand. Incredulously, Hil glanced around, thinking it must have been a trick of some kind. When Brycen merely thrust his hand at him again, Hil shook his head slowly. "You… aren't going to make me battle for it? And… how did you all know I was coming?" he asked in a much higher-pitched tone than he would have liked. There was a pang of sadness as he asked the question.

Brycen shook his head. The citizens of Icirrus surrounding him nodded eagerly in agreement with him. "I'm afraid we don't have much time," Brycen said simply. "Icirrus City believes in you, New Hero of Truths." He smirked. "Team Plasma rarely had a foot in my city. I would run them out the moment they tried. Their stupid Shadow Triad trick didn't work on me. The rest of my city believed in me. We all have close connections with Opelucid and we know much of the truth. They fell flat in their lie before they even sold it to us. As for how we knew, well… The gym leaders keep close contact with one another, my friend. Burgh called me right away."

Hil gingerly accepted the Freeze Badge, a slimy twinge of guilt racking him. "I… I really appreciate this, Gym Leader Brycen…" Hil swallowed nervously, "but what if I go to face N and I'm not… strong enough? I still need to get through the Elite Four, and beating you would really help my team out…"

"The Elite Four have been made aware of the situation, and there are many people waiting to help with Team Plasma itself," Brycen said matter-of-factly. "I'm sorry this is how it's turned out, Hil. In our battles, I could tell you genuinely cared for your pokémon. You reminded me that there are still many, many trainers out there that battle with and for their pokémon rather than using." He paused and dipped his head. "But you have so many people on your side. I'm sure once this matter is resolved…" Once. Hil felt a surge of comforting certainty at that phrase. "I'll be more than happy to accept you as a challenger. No holds barred." Brycen nodded and brought his hand over his heart with a mighty thud. Everyone else surrounding him did the same.

Hil laughed awkwardly and copied the gesture, resting a clenched fist over his heart. "Thank you… uh, Icirrus City," Hil said. He was trying to speak clearly, but pleasant embarrassment from their support made his tongue feel jumbled. He anxiously shuffled his feet and glanced back at the Volcarona still hovering behind him. "Thanks, Volcarona… you can head back to Burgh now… I know it's cold here and you probably wanna get back to him anyway, I can walk the rest of the way."

Brycen and the rest of the citizens suddenly raised the hands they'd clasped over their chests to the sky. The Volcarona took Hil's advice and fluttered away into the pale blue sky. They chanted something Hil couldn't quite make out, and then Brycen hollered louder than any of them, "Go, Holder of the Light Stone! On to Opelucid City! You'll cross Tubeline Bridge and there, you'll find Gym Leader Drayden waiting to help you." Another chant. Brycen thoughtfully touched his hands to his chin. "Why don't you let your Zebstrika out?"

"Huh?" Hil shook his head. "I don't understand…"

"It's fast and I've seen the way your pokémon regard you," Brycen insisted. "You should try riding it." He snickered. "Sure beats walking, at any rate."

Hil nervously reached for the Poké Ball and tossed it. Prada curiously surveyed the growing crowd and scuffed his hooves challengingly at them. "It's okay, Prada," Hil reassured him, "we're not battling."

Prada raised a brow at Hil and stepped closer to him. The Zebstrika looked up and flicked an ear at him as if to ask him what they were doing, then. With some more encouragement from Brycen and the mob, Hil uncertainly shuffled to Prada's side and then tossed a leg over his back. Prada inquisitively snorted, but didn't move, patiently waiting for Hil to settle on his back. Trembling—Hil had never rode Prada before, at least not beyond when he pushed Hil on his back in excitement following a battle—Hil grabbed the jagged, hard mane of the Zebstrika. The points felt as if they were designed to be held by him. He instinctively wrapped his legs tighter around the pokémon's abdomen. Whoops and hollers from the crowd sounded and once again, they slammed their hands over their hearts.

A rush of pride overwhelmed Hil, and he whooped in excitement back at them. "Thank you, everyone!" Hil exclaimed. The feeling of having so many on his side, of doing exactly what he needed to be doing, of going off to face N… it was indescribably wonderful. On Hil's cue, Prada reared up and then bolted for Route Eight. The wind whizzed past his face and Hil had to grab his hat to keep it from flying off. He laughed and hugged his body to Prada's neck.

"I don't think I'd have this any other way, Prada," he gushed. He was almost sure Prada wouldn't have been able to hear as they splashed through puddles and narrowly skirted past trees, but the Zebstrika whinnied in response, and he swore grew even faster. They sailed through another larger pond of water and then a gray building came into view. Hil tried to halt Prada, but the Zebstrika snorted indignantly at him and blew through the doorless opening and into the gate between Route Eight and Tubeline Bridge without a care in the world. People gathered inside yelped and watched incredulously as he raced past on the Zebstrika. On a normal day, Hil might have been mortified, but at their hilariously confused expressions, he only laughed and patted Prada's neck encouragingly. "Okay, never do that again, but that was amazing!"

Their ride to save the day was cut short, though. Prada huffed angrily and his ears flattened against his skull as they got about halfway across the solid steel of Tubeline Bridge. He threw his hooves in front of himself and skid, throwing out sparks. When he finally came to a stop, Hil and Prada both were panting madly, the prior from the adrenaline and the latter from exertion. "What's up, Prada?" Hil asked worriedly.

Prada jerked his head to the left, then to the right, and let out a long, drawn-out neigh that sounded more like an accusatory scream than his usual idle sounds. Hil clutched at his mane tighter and felt a gust of cold air.

Three all-too familiar men in black flanked Hil and Prada, two to either side of him and one in front. The one in front spoke in that broken, raspy voice of his. "Come," was all he said. The other two converged on Prada and each gave a slap to his hindquarters. Prada instinctively lunged forward and started to trot while Hil shot a scathing, furious glare over the three men.

"Don't you dare touch him again!" Hil snarled fiercely.

"Or what, Hilbert Whitacre?"

Ghetsis. Hil turned his seething stare on the elderly man in front of him. He had his favorite grunt, Marlon, at his right side and the Shadow Triad member that had spoken to him had taken a stand to his left. The other two Shadow Triad members then teleported behind Ghetsis. Hil narrowed his eyes darkly at him. "It's Hil," he growled. Prada's mane flashed yellow with the beginnings of an electric charge.

"My friends here have alerted me to the fact that you have the Light Stone and that it glows when you hold it," Ghetsis stated and raised his chin, regarding Hil expressionlessly.

"So what?" Hil spat. "It's not you I have to fight, now, is it? You're too busy hiding behind N like the coward you are. And tell your men to keep their fucking hands off my pokémon!" Hil had never quite literally seen red before, but as he shouted the demand, his vision blanked fleetingly to a brick red backdrop and he realized his hands were shivering, his grip on Prada loose with the sweat rolling off his palms. How DARE they touch Prada!

"Wait until he learns about the whips they use to train racing Zebstrika," Ghetsis snidely mused. He sighed and shook his head. "You may hold the Light Stone, Hilbert Whitacre, and it might glow for you. But you're not who it will truly respond to. Even an Ancient Dragon of Unova is a pokémon all the same and pokémon do as they're told." Ghetsis flashed a wolfish, lopsided grin at Hil. He took a deep, enraged breath. Was this what it felt like to truly hate someone? He thought he knew what hatred was before. He had always disliked Hilda at school, and he'd been angry at his father during his long stays in Castelia City. He thought he had hated his mother for her constant reminiscing. But this? This bitter, all-consuming feeling was something he'd never had so much as a taste of before. It made those previous, occasional bouts of anger seem like drops in a bucket. It was exhausting and enthralling at once, making his whole body tingle with anticipation. "And that pokémon, Hilbert, has been told to lie in wait until someone of the Harmonia line, hailing from the original Hero of Truths, picks it up. Only then will it unfurl into the Dragon-type pokémon Reshiram."

"My name is Hil," Hil repeated darkly. "I'm warning you. Say Hilbert one more time." At his words, he glanced down at his belt in surprise as he felt a small vibration. All five other five Poké Balls of his (he'd dropped Shay off at the PC in Castelia) were quaking.

"My, my," Ghetsis commented dryly, "your Poké Balls are shaking." He laughed. "Could they be… shaking in rage?"

As if on cue, they each spilled open. Noodle took the lead, the Servine standing proudly in front of Prada in a lunging posture. Sleepy hovered just above Hil's head and although the Musharna made no sound, her eyes were narrowed at Ghetsis. Prada bellowed again at Ghetsis and his mane pulsed with energy. Lucky stood to Hil and Prada's left, flexing her long, hooked, feline claws against the steel wiring and hissing at Ghetsis. Crest climbed Hil's back and hung off his shoulders, waving a fist at the old man. Roadie chattered angrily and slammed his tail repeatedly against the ground.

"Get out of my way!" Hil shouted, invigorated by his team on all sides. "Or I'll make you move!" He smirked at the genuine surprise that marred the Team Plasma agent's faces. Marlon was glancing between Ghetsis and Hil in shock, as if he didn't know what to do; the Shadow Triad had stepped closer to Ghetsis and one had a hand pressed to the Sage's left shoulder. Ghetsis had pursed his lips to look unreadable once again. "I'm done listening to you talk!" Hil went on. "I'm not another puppet of yours like N! Nobody's playing your games anymore!"

"Foolish child!" Ghetsis roared. Prada scuffed a hoof irritably at his loudness. It had been quite sudden… "You're a stupid boy! My preparations are complete! My plans are perfect, do you hear me?" Ghetsis' voice was breaking with the force of his screaming. "There is no need for you to fight N. No matter what happens at the Pokémon League, Team Plasma wins! We've already won the hearts of so many people in this Arceus-forsaken country! First, it'll be just a few, bumbling, gullible idiots like that girl Bianca, and then the heat will rise for all trainers across the region."

Noodle lashed a vine at Ghetsis' feet when he mentioned Bianca's name. Ghetsis raised his left foot and stomped on it before it reached him. Noodle squeaked and tugged at the vine to try to recall it. Hil leapt from Prada's back and the Zebstrika immediately rushed at Ghetsis, raising his hooves high over the old man's head. Ghetsis, Marlon, and the Shadow Triad abruptly disappeared right as the Zebstrika's feet crashed to the steel of the bridge, right where Ghetsis had been standing seconds earlier. Noodle's vine weakly was sucked back into the Servine's shoulders and Hil cradled him in his arms, worriedly examining him as it did. A few feet farther away from where Prada stood, irritably and confusedly searching for the Team Plasma members, Ghetsis and his goons reappeared.

"Face it, Hilbert!" Ghetsis sneered. "You're in way over your head! Your pathetic bonds with your pokémon won't save you! They never save anyone!" His voice crackled under the effort of his words. "You're nothing if you're not the strongest in this world! You're almost as broken as that freak of a son of mine, N! None of you get it!"

"Prada, don't," Hil ordered the Zebstrika. As much as he would have loved to see Prada kick Ghetsis' teeth in, he didn't want any more of his pokémon to get hurt. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested in seeing where Ghetsis was going with his mad ramblings anyway.

Ghetsis jabbed a finger at Hil, causing his cloak to ripple with exertion. His red eyepiece had fallen slightly ajar and his other eye looked… crazed. Hil cocked his head as he realized he had plucked a nerve with Ghetsis somehow. He couldn't fight the smile as he realized he had broken the cool collectiveness that was Ghetsis' façade. It seemed even this cruel mastermind had his limits.

"Understanding pokémon doesn't make you strong!" Ghetsis ranted on and on. "I know you didn't earn all your badges! I know you won't get through this League legally, because you can't, because you're weak! Knowing what pokémon say and what they feel makes you no better than a pokémon yourself! No more than a means to someone else's end!"

Oh, he was so much less intimidating when he was just yelling, and when Hil knew he was surrounded by pokémon that would have fought to the end for him.

"Lord Ghetsis…" Marlon interjected softly. "We should—"

"Shut it!" Ghetsis howled at him. The grunt cringed, shaking violently as Ghetsis raised his left hand over his head. He lashed it across Marlon's forehead and the grunt spiraled to the ground. Hil winced, horrified, at the brutality. Oh, my Arceus… He really just… hit that man… He had known Ghetsis could be verbally abusive, but this…

More sickeningly, Marlon did not get back up, but the way he shivered against the ground told Hil he wasn't unconscious. He tore his eyes away from that as Ghetsis' bellowing continued. "I—I mean, Team Plasma—will take pokémon away from foolish trainers like you! Never again will anyone doubt my perfection! Never again will I be the freak!" Ghetsis' voice gave way at the end of his words and he stood there, chest heaving, single red eye locked with Hil's wide, confused ones. The Sage spat at the ground. In a much softer, almost broken tone, he mumbled, "Never again…"

Hil shook his head in disbelief. It sounded as if Ghetsis were trying to convince himself rather than Hil… It sounded as if something had happened to that man. Hil's eyes flicked to Marlon, still planted flat against the ground. Whatever had happened to Ghetsis, Hil resolved, there was no way it was worth all this suffering. It had to have been horrible, for sure, but ultimately, Ghetsis was the one that had decided to cause all this heartache. Much like his own father… Hil gritted his teeth in frustration. Why did everyone just obsess over their own hurt so much and never ask for help until it was too late? He clutched Noodle tighter. It just wasn't fair! Maybe there would have been a chance for someone to help them, but Ghetsis, Vince, none of them would just LET ANYONE DO SO!

"Get up, Marlon, we're leaving," Ghetsis rasped. Marlon staggered to his feet and with that, the members of Team Plasma were gone.

Noodle trilled and touched the tip of his nose to Hil's chin. He wrenched his eyes away from where Ghetsis had been and scanned his team. "Thank you, guys," Hil exhaled. He was still trembling from the sheer fury and adrenaline rush he'd just experienced… Hil spent some time petting and talking to each of his teammates wearily. He knew now that he truly hated Ghetsis, and hating somebody was a nasty, violent feeling. Sighing, Hil shook his head. "We're gonna stop him. No matter what, we're gonna stop him," he said firmly, nodding at his pokémon.

Prada pawed the steel of the bridge in confirmation. Lucky puffed out her chest confidently and lashed her tail. Roadie chirped determinedly. Crest pumped a fist into the air. Sleepy mewed in agreement. And Noodle? Well, Noodle just nuzzled Hil's chin again.

"We've come this far together. And just like I promised, we're going to the Pokémon League together." He paused. "We're gonna save Unova and we're gonna save N."