N had been riding along Zekrom's back as the pokémon took him where he sensed the disturbance with Kyurem was occurring, but over the skies of Opelucid, they had witnessed a terrible and awe-inspiring feat of technology unleash a deadly storm upon the innocent citizens. It seemed like hellfire might have been raining down on the city, but the blasts from that dastardly ship's cannons were ice, not flame. Although N dug his nails into Zekrom's head and begged the pokémon to head toward the city, Zekrom turned tail and spiraled into a dense forest, far enough away that the airship and its cannonfire couldn't be seen, but close enough that the booms still echoed distantly.
"Zekrom!" N hissed as they landed unceremoniously in a heap, on the cold, forest floor. He slid from the pokémon's back and arched his shoulders, furious. "What are you doing?"
With its red eyes wide and frightened, Zekrom lowered its head, almost crouching to the ground as its conical tail flashed anxiously with blues and whites. N, this is madness, did you see that? Zekrom begged. Kyurem was the source of that power… That's where the distress was coming from… Shivering, Zekrom huffed at N and shook its head. This is suicide. I thought I believed you and could do this, but N… if it's capable of razing an entire city… What on Earth do we think we're doing?
"That isn't just Kyurem! It's under the influence of humans, of Neo Plasma!" N pointed out, clenching his fists at his sides. "Cruel, heartless humans!"
Zekrom rumbled a long, throaty growl and lay down against the podzol of the forest floor. No. I'm not taking you there.
Shaking, N stomped a foot. "Please! I h-have to go!"
No, N. I'm not helping you kill yourself.
"Maybe that's what needs to happen!" N exclaimed as tears started to sting at the corners of his eyes, not caring about the implications of what he had said. He was just so desperate, he felt like his fingertips were on fire with the desire to go to Kyurem, to do something! "Something needs to happen, Zekrom, we can't just leave them to—"
Zekrom abruptly roared, a loud, horribly grating sound that rang out across the forest and set the Tranquill and Emolga in the canopy fleeing, and made N cower fearfully in a way he hadn't done for a very long time in Zekrom's presence, in a way that reminded him this was, in fact, a legendary pokémon that could snap him in two if it so wanted. The protrusion on the back of its head lit up in bright, blinding blue, as did its tail as it scrambled back to its feet. Still baring fangs, Zekrom surrounded N and clutched him close, a jarringly gentle embrace given the fierce display. Stunned into silence, N froze as Zekrom sighed and the lights on its body faded. Stop… Just stop, N. We will figure this out, but I'm not letting you get yourself killed in your impatience. You don't deserve to die. Zekrom leaned down and nuzzled his face gently as he started to cry harder. N… It's going to be alright. We will figure this out.
"I… just hope you're right…"
Hugh had been traveling with the professor and her assistant, still making their way through the Village Bridge, when the foreboding airship had descended over Opelucid in the horizon.
Bianca had spotted it at first and dug her heels into the ground, pointing and screaming. "What on Earth is that?" she wailed, clamping both of her hands over her mouth.
Collective gasps and similar shrieks escaped other people on the bridge, and Professor Juniper and Hugh shared a terrible exchange of glances. Hers was of more confusion, but Hugh recognized that ship! Horrified—especially since he knew Nate was over there—he started to dig for his Unfezant's Poké Ball. "I've got to get over there," Hugh mumbled through tremoring lips, "right now…"
Screams rose in a chorus around him as there was a series of booms. They were distant, but he still felt the ground below him tremble. His hands had found his Unfezant's Poké Ball, but he was frozen, unable to pitch it to release her, as he watched the airship in the distance fire cannons away at the helpless city below. Glowing blobs of blue—Hugh couldn't figure out what they were—exploded from the weaponry and struck Opelucid again and again. He saw spires of white or perhaps a pale blue rise around the city, but he still couldn't place what he was looking at… He didn't need to know what it was, though, to know that this was a brutal, unprompted attack on innocents.
"Oh, my Arceus, they're… they're… Team Plasma…" Professor Juniper mumbled, sinking to her knees. The townsfolk of the Village Bridge soon gathered around them, as if instinctively grouping together to jointly mourn the horrifying sight ahead of them. As if in a trance, they remained like that, watching the repeated strikes until one errant blast aimed in their direction. The squeals of terror from a few women nearby ripped Hugh from his daze and he threw his Unfezant free, jumping on her back without a second thought.
"EVERYONE! Get inside, NOW!" he howled above the noise of the explosion behind him. He winced and looked over his shoulder, heart thrumming in his chest, just in time to see ice spread across the hills and roadways of Route 11. A jutting spire of it took shape, looming perilously over the road, and although it gleamed in the sun, Hugh could tell that it was not melting.
The townsfolk of the Village Bridge didn't seem to question his authority. Many shot him curt nods and then dove back into their homes. Rubbing his Unfezant's neck to try to calm her as she nervously clacked her beak, Hugh turned to Professor Juniper and Bianca, the former still in shock on her knees and the latter trying to desperately get her to stand up. Curling his lip, Hugh spat, "Professor Juniper! Bianca! Snap out of it! I'm going to Opelucid to help Nate! If you can get it together, come with me, but otherwise, stay here so you don't get hurt!"
"Are you crazy?" Bianca fiercely turned on him, letting go of the professor's shoulder. Her hat blew off her head in the breeze, but she failed to notice, jabbing an accusatory finger at Hugh. "You go right ahead if you want! I've told you before and I'll tell you again—do you see that?" She pointed at the Plasma Frigate still hovering dangerously over Opelucid. "I'm not going anywhere near that! I had my fun with Team Plasma! I'm done!"
Professor Juniper shuddered and she put her head in her hands, speaking in breathless fits, as if in shock. "They're… destroying Opelucid… So many people… I didn't think… I didn't know… They're just Neo Plasma… Didn't think they'd get so far… Again…"
Gritting his teeth, Hugh snarled, "Fine! Just get somewhere safe!" With that, he clutched his Unfezant's shoulders tightly, and hunched down over her. "Alright, Unfezant, take me to Opelucid, ahead, toward that ship!"
At his order, she chirped uneasily and fluffed her feathers, but Hugh hugged her tightly, squeezing her reassuringly. He took a deep, decisive breath. "Unfezant," he whispered as the booms ebbed, "it'll be okay. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. Nothing's going to happen to you." Nothing will ever happen to you or any other pokémon of mine ever again. I'll make sure of it. Because I am strong enough—as long as I find Nate. After all, every time he had found himself in a tough situation and Nate had been there, things had worked out, hadn't they? Maybe, just maybe, if they stuck together through this, everything would turn out okay again…
Strengthened by his words, Unfezant flared her wings and tore off into the sky. The air turned bitter and cold the closer to Opelucid he drew, but he steeled his jaw against it, and was glad he did as he breached the city's walls. The Plasma Frigate had Flying-types spilling from its main deck, lowering Neo Plasma grunts to Opelucid's streets, and the entire city was coated in a sheet of thick, eerie ice. Towers and massive, terrifying spikes of the stuff blotted the landscape and even blocked entire sections of the city. He breathed a pained sigh of relief when he saw Nate on the back of Virizion, the pokémon goring a Neo Plasma grunt and his Liepard as they attempted to attack a young girl cowering in the ice next to the Pokémon Center.
He dove in close to Nate and screamed above the chaos, "Nate! What's going on?"
Virizion skidded to a halt, cautiously watching the skies for any attackers. Nate, shivering like hell, gave him a glassy-eyed look. "Neo P-Plasma attacking… save anyone you c-can… st-start getting people… out of here!" He shuddered violently and briefly fell slack against Virizion's back. When he regained his strength, he clutched the pokémon's horns and gritted his teeth. Hugh swallowed hard in fear when he noticed Nate's lips were tinged blue. "People are g-gonna start fr-freezing to death! Get whoever you can out!"
"Nate, you're gonna—" Hugh started to protest, but a Braviary dove for them, and he was forced to turn and order an attack on the advancing pokémon. Virizion assisted by leaping from the ground and catching its tail with its horn, ripping the pokémon from the sky and throwing its trainer far enough away that he landed with a sickening thud, and didn't get back up. The Braviary shrieked as it flared its wings, having landed awkwardly on one nearby.
"Go!" Nate hollered at Hugh, grimacing in a way at the Braviary and the trainer that showed how much he didn't enjoy this, then he and Virizion tore off again, back to attacking the Neo Plasma grunts crawling throughout the city.
At Nate's order, Hugh felt as if he went on autopilot. He turned his Unfezant back to the skies and they surveyed the ground for people he assumed would be the most at-risk—such as the little girl he had seen Nate save. He found her still cowering next to that icy spire. Landing close to her, Hugh waved wildly at her. At first, she shrank away from him and sobbed harder, shivering like mad, but looked back up apprehensively when Hugh didn't attack her. "Come on, get on!" he exclaimed, gesturing for her to run up to him.
With a nervous glance back to the chaos ahead, the girl decided taking her chances with him was worth it, scampering over to him, slipping a couple of times. She reminded him a lot of his sister… She had dark hair and looked to be no older than perhaps eight, maybe nine. She awkwardly tossed a leg over Unfezant's back and wrapped her arms tightly around Hugh's chest, tight enough to squeeze the air from his lungs, but he didn't complain.
"Unfezant, up!" he ordered. "Take us to the Village Bridge!"
And that was what Hugh spent his time during the battle for Opelucid doing—rescuing vulnerable innocents that would have succumbed quickly to the cold or to Neo Plasma's cruelty. It was tireless, repetitive work, but whenever he thought that his efforts were hopeless, he'd find another petrified person desperately scrambling to get out of the frigid cold or out of Neo Plasma's clutches, and he'd be filled again with the courage needed to rescue them and make yet another trip to the Village Bridge.
Of course, when he saw the various members of Neo Plasma begin to retreat their Flying-types to the Plasma Frigate above, he almost felt like crying with relief, even more so when the vessel quit hovering above them and started to move on. He supposed he shouldn't have felt so relieved by that; there was no telling where that beacon of death was headed. Yet, he was just glad it was leaving, and as helpful as he felt he had been, a voice in the back of his mind told him as he swept a crimson gaze across the frozen city that Opelucid had suffered greatly despite their best efforts… He saw people, shaking with fear and shock, shuffling and slipping dazedly as they nervously scanned the surroundings. Various pokémon darted around, likely having been ordered to help fend off Neo Plasma but having lost sight of their trainers. Hugh shivered violently as he searched from above for Nate or Gym Leader Drayden. He knew that whatever the next step was, they didn't have much time.
He spotted Nate near the center of the city, in front of the Pokémon Center, and he directed his Unfezant to land there. Hugh half-fell, half-stepped from Unfezant's back, and rushed to Nate as he collapsed from Virizion's back. He grabbed the other and hugged him tightly. "You're freezing," Hugh whispered fearfully when Nate's body provided him with little heat in their embrace. "You've gotta get out of here, man, you're gonna freeze to death."
Pushing weakly against Hugh's hold, Nate growled, "No… not 'til… not til w-we know everyone's… out…"
The shriek of a Flying-type overhead made both of them jolt and panic flare in Hugh's chest as he scanned the sky for the source of the noise, expecting to find another of Neo Plasma divebombing them. Instead, a Skarmory landed a few feet away, skidding against the ice, and Gym Leader Skyla leapt from its back. She was in a thick blue coat with a fur interior, and a massive, white bag hung from her Skarmory's beak. She quickly ordered the pokémon to set it down and dug in it, tossing similar jackets to Hugh and Nate both. "There are more jackets like that in the bag," she exclaimed, "and trainers from Mistralton are on the way with more. Let's start gathering everyone we can and get everyone out of this city and to either Icirrus or the Village Bridge. Go, go, go!"
Hugh snatched the black jacket from the ground in front of him and offered the dark gray one beside it to Nate. Revitalized by the newfound warmth, both boys nodded their heads. "Got it!" Then, Hugh jumped back to his Unfezant's back and Nate reclaimed Virizion.
Side by side, they located Opelucid's traumatized and shivering citizens, even helping reunite some with their frightened and lost pokémon, and worked together to direct them away from the city. They helped those that couldn't walk or move on their own, and that went on for what felt like an eternity. Even so, not once did Hugh think about where Gym Leader Drayden was. Nate's voice had taken on something of a commanding edge and a brusque confidence that felt easy to have faith in. Not to mention, it was difficult not to inherently trust someone such a powerful pokémon had chosen… Hugh hadn't known what Virizion was at first, but after some brief explanation from Professor Juniper about how Virizion had been another pokémon thought to only exist in legend, he had an all-new respect for his friend.
Virizion, according to legend, had been part of a trio of pokémon that had assisted in rescuing Unova's wildlife after the forests throughout the region had been set ablaze by a furious Reshiram in the height of the war between the original Twin Heroes of Unova. That fabled trio, along with another named Keldeo, had been dubbed the 'Swords of Justice' by the ancient people of Unova.
In that moment, Hugh thought, if anyone fit the definition of a hero of justice, the title most certainly best belonged to Nate. They no matter the obstacle, he had always risen to the occasion, and Hugh… just had to admire him for it. Without Nate's direction, Hugh's anger often felt too blinding to be weaponized, but Nate? He wielded his fury like a carefully hewn dagger to strike those down that deserved it, yet he did not lack compassion, clear in the way, at one point, he paused to gather his pokémon back at his side and ensure they were all okay, since they had gone off on their own to battle the Neo Plasma grunts in the height of the battle for Opelucid.
Hugh wanted to be like that, too.
Despite his best efforts to assist, Drayden was frustrated at every turn; his pokémon were bulky and slow, pathetic at dealing with the fast, harrying Flying-types Neo Plasma wielded, and they weren't even able to put a dent in the ethereal ice that now encased his city. Although he tried to help where he could, he found himself falling back near his house for most of the battle, just praying to Arceus that Skyla would get there soon and that Neo Plasma wouldn't find his place or the DNA Splicers. It made him feel dejected and as hopeless as ever, even more so as the hollers and screams rang out, echoing off the spires of ice around him. People were suffering and likely dying, and although his mind was too scrambled to spell the logic out for him, he somehow just knew it was his fault.
He had been so betrayed to learn that the New Heroes of Truths and Ideals had left Unova, and there was no knowing when they would return. At first, he had fended off the sense of abandonment, had still put on a brave face to the other gym leaders, but there had come a point where he simply hadn't been able to do it anymore. Legend had it that the Ancient Dragons of Unova would bring Unova peace once their Heroes—and humans at large—learned to better work together and compromise, and in the wake of Team Plasma's cruelty, Unova needed that more than ever. Yet, they had both fled, with no indication of whether they would return or not. It had left Drayden feeling as if Unova was a sitting duck waiting to be destroyed by the evil tides residing within its very borders.
Much like Kyurem itself, Unova had become a husk of everything that could have been, and he hadn't wanted to contribute to the hopelessness flooding everyone's hearts and minds. So, he had kept to himself. He never would have expected for Neo Plasma to actually get and control Kyurem, though… His heart pounded as that truly sank in. Kyurem was too monstrous and wild to control, and yet, Neo Plasma had succeeded… How…?
His prayers for the horrible ship to move on and Skyla to arrive to assist seemed answered at last. The airship overhead started to move on, the droves of Flying-types retreating with it, but as he went to reluctantly step forward to survey the damage, he was startled by a dark figure manifesting ahead of him, causing him to stumble and fall painfully to his back. The dark-clad man held out a familiar, white box with runes carved into its sides, and all the color drained from Drayden's face. He felt as if someone had kicked the air from his lungs. "How… how did you get… how did you…"
Of course, he knew who this was, and subsequently, exactly how they had gotten it. His lagging brain caught up as his eyes bulged and he recognized that this was a member of the Shadow Triad. Drayden wanted to wrench out all of his hair. I completely forgot about them! he thought in a blind panic. How could I have been so stupid? I wasn't guarding anything when there are people around that can teleport and turn invisible! I should have been inside, with the DNA Splicers!
The man cocked a head at him and sighed. "I hoped I might understand something by seeing your reaction to me holding this," he mumbled hoarsely, "but I don't… I feel something by the way you look at me. But I don't understand it… Whatever. The DNA Splicers are in our hands now."
"Give that back!" Drayden yelped, clawing against the ice for a hold to get back up. Once he finally found one, he unsteadily lurched toward the Shadow Triad member and grabbed for them, but they faded from view and then reappeared a few more feet away, just out of his reach. "Please!" Drayden begged. "You don't understand! They can't get that!" If they get that, we really are screwed! At least before I could lie and say we had a chance as long as the Heroes returned, even though they abandoned us! But now, even if they come back, those DNA Splicers…
The Shadow Triad member went to say something else, but vanished again as Nate, still astride Virizion, barreled at him from behind. The pokémon narrowly avoided sliding into Drayden once its target dissipated and whirled around to try to figure out where they had gone. Someone on the back of a female Unfezant landed beside him, who nearly jumped from the pokémon's back in his excitement as he pointed a finger in at the Shadow Triad member running along one of the tall spires of ice beside the Pokémon Center. "There! See him?"
"Let's get him!" Nate shouted, and he and the boy on the Unfezant ran off, Virizion leaping along the spires of ice and the Unfezant flying overhead.
Although grateful for the help, Drayden had to lick his lips and wonder… They can disappear and move while invisible… Why is he running in broad sight? All the hair on his body stood on end and his jaw dropped open slightly. He cursed his slowness but tried to run after them anyway. "You and your friend get back! They want you to follow them!"
Nate didn't hear him, and he and the boy on the Unfezant was too far away. Drayden put his head in his hands. So much was his fault… He licked his dry, cracked lips against the bitter cold and apprehensively looked out to the rest of the city. This was no time for self-pity. He had spent long enough wallowing in that. He released his pokémon and staggered out to the main streets to help where he could.
Nate, still clutching Virizion tightly, followed that member of the Shadow Triad as if his life depended on it. For all he knew, it did; he had no idea what Drayden had wanted to keep them from getting their hands on so badly, but he also hadn't had a chance to listen to all Drayden had to say earlier, before the attack. For all he knew, the contents of the box withheld the key to protecting Unova, so he treated it as such, Virizion bouncing from icy spire to icy spire to keep up with the swift man as he occasionally teleported. Hugh soared overhead on his Unfezant, occasionally diving at the man to try to knock him off-kilter, but he would teleport to safety, easily dodging the Unfezant's strikes.
Yet, it wasn't the Shadow Triad member turning to face him that brought he and Virizion to a halt at the tip of one of those slanted spires. Leaping from below, an armored woman stood between him and his target, abruptly cutting him off. Her body was covered in a thin sheet of something akin to chainmail, but much finer and intricate, more like mesh. Her helmet had a diamond-shaped visor. He thought that looked familiar, but between the cold, the stress, and exhaustion starting to eat at his mind, he couldn't place it. "Get out of my way!" he barked at her in a hoarse, crackling voice. He didn't care who she was.
"They're leading you somewhere," she warned in a heavily synthesized voice, sounding as if she were panting. Impatiently, when he went to open his mouth for a retort, and she snapped, "The Shadow Triad can teleport and cloak themselves with invisibility. Why would they let you chase them?" White ovals eerily akin to eyes lit up on the visor as he stepped closer. Virizion bayed threateningly and scuffed a hoof against the ground below.
"Get out of my way," he repeated darkly. "Because I'm really out of patience with fucking Neo Plasma today. You've killed people today! Over what?"
She visibly recoiled at his accusation and her shoulders sagged, the digital eyes on her helmet pressing to a thin line as if to indicate she were clenching her eyes shut. "Please… Don't engage the Shadow Triad… They will kill you. They are no strangers to hits."
Hugh suddenly veered toward her from above, his Unfezant lashing talons over her helmet. She sputtered curses and narrowly avoided slipping off the edge of the ice, scrabbling to keep hold. She held up a fist and snarled, "Goddamn it, Hugh! Fuck off! I'm trying to help!"
Hugh…? How did she…? Nate swallowed hard against a dry throat. "How did you know his name?" he demanded in a much higher-pitched tone than he'd have liked.
She stared at him with those lifeless white ovals. "…What?" she finally croaked against her robotic tone.
"How did you know his name was Hugh?" Nate repeated, savagely this time. His breath came in ragged gasps. He had thought her shape looked familiar… even though her voice was robotic, she sounded familiar… Even the way she carried herself… She can't be. She can't be.
She put her hands on her hips and retorted coldly after a deep breath, "Because he's the same dumbass that attacked us everywhere else." She scoffed and then added in a sneer, "Sorry, I'm new, I haven't quite gotten used to the common vernacular around here, but I guess I should've called him Qwilfish Kid instead? And what should I call you?" She disapprovingly looked at Virizion. "King of the Deer?"
Of course, that's not Rosa, Nate, he thought to himself, shaking his head. That would be crazy. She's sick and asleep back in Lacunosa. She might not even realize this is all going down, much less be here! And when would she have found the time, even, to work with Neo Plasma? Hugh's boarded their ship and like, full-body attacked them before. Of course they know who he is by now… There are a lot of girls that look similar to Rosa. This one's in a fucking Iron Man suit, of course I can't identify her by just her body shape. He gritted his teeth, and looked ahead, realizing he had no idea where the Shadow Triad member had gone. Glaring spitefully at the girl in the suit, he growled, "I hope you're happy. Gonna act like you're protecting me from getting killed when you guys just happily decimated a whole fucking city. What, saving me for later?"
She flicked him off and turned around. "Whatever. Be grateful or don't, I don't give a damn." With that, she jumped from the icy spire, half-skidding down the side of it and running off. He thought to follow her, but Hugh hovered close to him after, pulling his attention away.
"Nate? I just spoke to Gym Leader Drayden. He still needs our help… he says that Gym Leader Skyla's helping, too, and some other gym leaders are on the way now, too. The Elite Four and Champion's been told now, too… H-he says once it's all said and done with, and things are a little calmer, he wants us to be in the meeting with him, the other gym leaders, the Elite Four, and Champion Iris…"
Hugh looked as exhausted and out of it as Nate felt. He nodded briskly at Hugh's words and felt as if all the strength was sapped from his body at once, making that heavy coat feel like too much weight to bear. "Alright… I hope whatever it was they got away with, it wasn't as important as Drayden made it sound…"
"After everything we just did…" Hugh halfheartedly laughed, panting somewhat, "I kinda feel like whatever this means, we'll handle it."
Nate laughed back at him dryly, tears of stress stinging at the edges of his eyes, freezing upon contact with the crisp air. He realized then just how much gross adrenaline was flowing through his veins. Yet… it didn't feel so bad. Even felt good, somehow. Like proof that he had been doing what he should have been doing. "Think so?"
"Yeah." Hugh smiled at him and sighed. "I think so…"
Hil and Church's battle had been cut short by horrendous news. Grimsley had scrambled back up to the battlefield and snarled at them to knock it off, that they had to go; there had just been a terrorist attack on Opelucid headed by Neo Plasma. Church (who had been winning, much to Hil's chagrin) had gasped and covered his mouth, and immediately disappeared downstairs to gather his things. Hil had shaken his head. "What? What happened, what do you mean…?"
Grimsley had failed to respond to him, just barking at him to get ready to go, and dress warmly. Retreating to his guest bedroom with Church, Hil had snatched up the Light Stone and taken a shuddery breath. The stone glowed and was uncomfortably warm in his hands, but not enough to burn him. "Showtime, I guess," Hil said weakly, clutching the stone tightly as he and Church hurried to follow Grimsley and the other Elite Four out of the building. He had felt so exposed when they exited that ancient building and the others had all stared at him, even Church, to watch with bated breath for Reshiram's reappearance.
Hil slowly ambled forward, away from the stairs, and held the Light Stone up. "Reshiram," Hil started uneasily, "I'm… I'm so sorry for not listening to you for so long… You're right. You've been right all along. I've belonged here, with you, and right now, we're needed again. Please, Reshiram… You chose me a long time ago. Now, let me choose you…" The stone glowed bright orange, so close to that desired red. He swallowed hard. "Reshiram… please. I am the Hero of Truths."
The stone burned his hands and he dropped it out of reflex. Reshiram unfurled from the stone in a flash of blue and orange, roaring that long, warbling cry that ricocheted off the mountainsides nearby. Breathless, Hil stared in renewed awe—it had been so long since he'd seen this—and gingerly approached the pokémon. He was dimly aware of the people clapping behind him as Reshiram turned those piercing, narrow blue eyes on him. He froze, half-expecting retaliation from the pokémon, but instead… Reshiram just leaned its head down and nuzzled him, pressing its soft muzzle against his face. Hil breathed a sigh of relief and hugged its face. "I missed you," Hil admitted softly. "I'm sorry I ran from you for so long…"
Hil jumped when he felt something touch his shoulder unexpectedly, but relaxed once he realized it was Church. Looking up at him, Hil smiled uneasily. "Well… this… is Reshiram."
Green eyes wide in wonder, Church nodded distractedly. "So, it is…" he breathed.
Reshiram snorted at their expressions in what Hil thought might have been amusement, and then snatched Hil by his dark jacket with its muzzle, dropping him unceremoniously on its back. Rubbing his neck uncomfortably at that, Hil watched, stifling snickers, as it went to do the same to Church, but he scrambled away. "No, no, watch the jacket," Church protested and waved his hands defensively, "I'll get on myself!" He slipped into place behind Hil on Reshiram's back, wrapping his arms around the other in front of him.
"Didn't want it to wrinkle your jacket?" Hil teased.
"Alright, go!" Champion Iris interrupted Church's taunting reply. "Go to Opelucid, we'll be there soon, other gym leaders are already there, but we'll call more over… Those we can get ahold of, anyway." Her nose wrinkled as she said that, and she hung her head. "I'll need to send someone to see what's going on with Marlon…"
Hil leaned down and wrapped his arms around Reshiram's broad neck, digging his heels slightly into its side. "Okay, Reshiram?" Hil started nervously. "We need to go to Opelucid."
Reshiram bellowed again and then, with a single, massive beat of its wings, they were airborne. Church yelped and suddenly dug his fingers into Hil's ribs much tighter, clenching his thighs around the pokémon's back. Hil gave something between a whimper and a laugh. "Church, it's okay," he called above the wind, wincing. Secretly, he enjoyed the tight hold, reminding him wordlessly of how much Church depended on him, but, well… he did need to breathe. "Relax… it's actually really nice up here…" he hopefully mused. "Feel the breeze and Reshiram's warmth…" Hil trailed off and sighed. Oh, how he missed this…
"M-maybe easy for you to say," Church puffed. Still, his hold did loosen somewhat, and for a while, as they flew toward Opelucid, they were both silent. After some time, Church pressed his head against Hil's and sighed contentedly. "Alright… you got me. This is pretty nice. Once, y'know, you get over the whole 'it's a legendary and there are no seatbelts on this thing' part."
Hil laughed. He assumed this would likely be the last laughter they'd get for a while once they touched down in Opelucid. "Haha, don't worry," Hil teased, "I won't let you fall~"
"Mm, big strong man keep the theater boy safe," Church taunted with a laugh.
Thinking his eyes might roll out of his head, Hil snorted, "Yeah. Big and strong. That's me."
Of course, upon arriving in Opelucid… He hadn't known what to expect. But the frozen city was most certainly not it. He and Church shared a look, both of them white as a sheet, and they descended to the ground at a slow, cautious pace. Reshiram nervously chuffed and shook out its fur and feathers, craning its head to look around once they landed. Evening had started to set in on the sky above them, and there weren't many people left in the broken city, but Hil could see some familiar faces ahead, entering and leaving the various buildings. He blanched when he saw there were also bodies, too. Not many, but some; it appeared some pokemon were trying to gather them somewhere more respectfully than just sprawled across the city.
Some of the gym leaders stopped to stare in shock when they noticed Hil and Reshiram, but none more so than a particular charcoal-haired boy in a thick, silver jacket. Cheren, having just exited one of Opelucid's apartment buildings, gaped at Hil and Reshiram, then dropped to his knees, still staring at the other. Hil cautiously went to approach, but Cheren held up a hand and scrambled back to his feet, as if getting away from Hil in a blind panic. Sputtering brokenly, he said, "Hil… You…"
"Yeah. It's me," Hil hoarsely whispered, anxiety flaring as he glanced across the city again. Aside from their voices, it was eerily silent. There was no distant sound of cars or voices of people. The streetlamps were all out. In fact, power across the entire city was out. "Cheren… What happened here…? What did Neo Plasma do…?"
"You… came… you…" Hil went to approach him again to try to console him, butCheren suddenly clenched his teeth and shook his head vigorously from side to side. "How dare you!" he exploded, his legs stiffening abruptly, pointing to one of the looming spires of ice. Hil jumped back in fright. "Look at this! Why couldn't you have just stayed?" Cheren demanded, his voice crumbling under the stress. "All you had to do was stay! I couldn't do this without you! W… we couldn't do this without you…"
Hil retreated slightly, nervously looking between Reshiram and Church. Church crossed his arms and looked pointedly at Cheren, but Hil could see the pain in his eyes, undoubtedly having memories drawn back by Cheren's biting words. "Cheren," he tersely growled, "please—"
"No!" Cheren snapped, still pointing at the ice. "This… this… this should never have gotten this bad!" He put his head in his hands and started to march away, hugging himself. "Everyone's out of the city. Everyone alive, anyway," he shouted over his shoulder, "I just checked the last apartment building. Get to Icirrus or the Village Bridge and help make sure everyone's okay. We're cleaning up here and we'll send anyone else that comes to help over there, too."
Hil shook his head and advanced on Cheren again, desperate for answers. "Cheren, okay, I will, but please, what—"
Cheren whirled on him and slapped his extended hand away. "Fuck you, Hil!"
Swallowing hard, Hil realized he was receiving similar disapproving looks from the other gym leaders. Skyla, Drayden, and Clay, all looking unsure of what to make of him, looking so hopeless in the aftermath of whatever had happened to Opelucid. Yet, Hil didn't understand why they were so upset… Feeling like he might cry, he desperately begged, "Cheren, please… I don't understand…"
"Gym Leader Cheren to you," Cheren sniped in a trembling tone. "And this is all your fault! You and N's! Both of you left when we needed you most!" He stalked off again. "Now, all we can do is pick up the pieces…" Cheren walked past a Fraxure that lay immobile in a heap on the ground. Hil jerked his eyes away when it dawned on him that it was dead.
"But… but I'm here now," Hil whimpered, confusedly looking to Church, as if asking him for help, feeling so small all over again.
Help he did. Hil felt guilty for the way he wanted to sheepishly smile at the defense. "Cheren, he's here now and more than willing to help, why are you being such a dick?"
"Because Neo Plasma has the DNA Splicers," Cheren almost wailed, clutching his head. "Fuck, let's—can we just get out of here and we can talk about this in the morning?" Grimly, he added, "Not like it matters now whether we drag our feet or not…"
"DNA Splicers?" Church echoed.
"I said for us to talk about it in the morning!"
"Fine, Cheren. Whatever."
Hil winced as he listened to them argue, falling back to Reshiram and stroking the pokémon's side fearfully. He's so… hopeless… just like Grimsley… Hil nervously fidgeted and adjusted his jacket, then scratched the back of his neck. They… they really think this is over… He looked up to the sky briefly and exhaled shakily. This isn't over… I've got to show them it's not over… N… where did you go…?