Chapter 45 All Was Lost, All Was Found
Iris gestured toward the man behind the camera and he directed N and Hil to stand at a certain place in the room before he started filming. She took a decisive step in front of them, her oversized dress and hair blocking them both from view at first as the cameraman assured them they were live. Iris cleared her throat and stood straight, and in a commanding voice Hil hadn't heard from her before, she announced, "People of Unova. I recognize that this broadcast is unexpected, and I don't want you to fear it, but… my name is Iris Legend. As you know, I am the Unova Pokémon League Champion. You'd also be wise to know that that means I can overrule any governmental decision in the entire region, no matter who or what it comes from."
"For a long time, this along with our strict borders was fine for Unova… Or so we thought. Recent events, although occurring quickly, came about due to years of negligence on the League Staff's behalf. Not even knowing neglect… We just don't know enough about the world beyond Unova, beyond ourselves, and like a sick Seviper, we were starting to eat our own tail.
"I know you're all scared… I know many of you have lost faith in the League. I know many of you even had pleasant memories of Team Plasma and found the surge in their violent acts difficult to comprehend. Truthfully, you were right to be scared… We had no idea what was coming.
"To ensure the future safety of Unova, I will use my powers as Champion one last time to expand Unova's knowledge and our ranks. No longer will we be headed by just a single Champion that has proven themselves strong in pokémon battles. From now on, while there may still be a Champion, they will only serve as the region's top guardian, not a decisionmaker. They will be expected to help in emergency situations and trained to assist in all forms of battle. Decision-making will instead fall to two leaders that reign above the Champion, which will be known as Consuls.
"Your first two Consuls will be N Harmonia Gropius and Hil Whitacre. Future Consuls will be selected by voting. More details regarding that will be released soon… For now, I want to turn this over to your new leaders. They have both assisted in saving Unova from the members of Neo Plasma, which controlled the Plasma Frigate that committed the attack on Opelucid City…" Iris paused at last and glanced over her shoulder at them. For all his anxiety making his way there, Hil was no longer feeling anywhere near as nervous. Her maroon stare only served to further encourage him and he raised his chin. Before she turned her attention back to the camera to finish her opening statement, Hil was surprised to feel something touch his hand. Looking down, he realized N had grabbed his right hand in his left, his palms cold but sweaty.
Upon sighting that, Hil was no longer surprised. His gaze traveled up N's arm and to his face, noting that underneath the bandages and the thick, fluffy hair, he was so, very nervous. "Ghetsis always wanted me to make a speech to all of Unova," N had worriedly explained to him before, "about how they were to listen to me, or else I would turn Zekrom's fangs against them… I know that is not what we're going to do, but I can't shake the feeling I'm just… doing everything he always wanted me to do, anyway." Hil squeezed N's hand back reassuringly, wordlessly telling the other it was okay to be anxious.
"Instead of thinking of it as doing what he wanted, think of it as doing it in spite of what he wanted," Hil had softly told him before they had entered the Pokémon League. "Instead of doing this for him, you've defied him and risen stronger for it… You're going to help me make an announcement to draw Unova together. Ghetsis wanted you to tear it apart… You became a king despite him, N. Not for him."
N had thought for a moment, and then had shyly smiled. "I suppose you're right…"
"You may have heard of these two new Consuls before as the New Heroes of Truths and Ideals, or the New Twin Heroes," Iris explained to the camera. "They have awakened the legendary pokémon, Reshiram and Zekrom respectively, both of whom come from a pokémon that was once fabled to have helped protect Unova alongside the old monarchy." With that, she dipped her head, and stepped away from the camera. With the lens now fully focused on them, N vice-gripped Hil's hand and stiffened, frozen.
Although they had planned for N to go first, Hil took up the torch while he regained his composure. For as much of a vagabond as he had always been, Hil felt a surge of pride in that moment, to be holding N's hand and standing in that gilded room, looking into a camera that was broadcasting across every television in all of Unova, wishing to do nothing more than take root there. It was a lovely, achingly comforting sensation, to have finally found something so concrete to want to grasp onto… "My name is Hil Whitacre, son of Vincent Whitacre. I am the Hero of Truths." With that, he used his free hand to dig into his pocket and held up the Light Stone at the camera. Then, pitching it almost like a Poké Ball, Reshiram unfurled into its full form beside him, leaning its head down to nuzzle his face and shoulder. Feeling another surge of pride and determination, Hil narrowed his eyes at the camera, unaware that they had started to glow a tinge of that same ultramarine they had taken on in the Giant Chasm. "Team Plasma had many faces. It was never just an activist group. It was never just a terrorist group. It was never just Ghetsis, and it was never just the grunts. Team Plasma was the result of Unova's stunted growth and ignorance to its own past. We have been painfully complacent the last few years at the least, but probably long before that, too. We have blindly trusted gym leaders, Elite Four, and a Champion that knew no better than the rest of us."
At last, N seemed to have found his tongue. He took a shuddery breath, and then released Zekrom from its Dark Stone. Similarly to Reshiram, it nudged him on the shoulder and stood patiently behind him. Looking up at the pokémon, N swallowed hard, speaking without looking at the camera. A cameraman tried to get his attention to encourage him, but Hil shot them a glare, and under his eerie, ethereal gaze, the man decided to leave N to his decision to look at Zekrom instead. Softly, in a voice that likely was difficult for the microphones and cameras to hone in on, N said, "My name is N Harmonia Gropius. I am the Hero of Ideals… I am one of Team Plasma's faces." He apprehensively chanced a glance to the camera, then turned his head immediately back to Zekrom. With a shuddering breath, he continued, "I understand that many of you may wonder why I am here… may even be upset that I have been entrusted with this position… I was frightened by that as well… But as one of Team Plasma's faces, I was always searching for something to believe in, for something to make the world better…" Trailing off, Zekrom nudged N on the forehead, and he reluctantly turned to the camera at last. With another heaving breath, he seemed to summon some courage, as when he stared down the lens this time, his visible right eye faintly emanated a red color, tinging his gray iris pink. "When Team Plasma used me, they made me believe that Unova was ugly, a broken formula that could never work without myself to complete the equation. Team Plasma was wrong," he growled harshly, baring his teeth ever-so-slightly.
Hil couldn't help the small smile that crossed his face. That's it, N… That's it…
"Unova is already beautiful. The people and pokémon here have always been beautiful as they are," N carried on, the red color glowing in brighter intensity around his eye as he did. "Neo Plasma and Ghetsis tried to take away that beauty, wanted to keep it all for themselves. Unova is bent… but it is not broken." He raised his chin and breathed in deeply. In a strong voice Hil wasn't sure he'd ever heard from N before, he passionately pressed, "Unova has a spirit that cannot be broken, that I will not let be broken. Together, we can unite and bring peace to Unova, and bring this ugly formula, this ugly cycle of Heroes, to an end. It is my hope, it is my dream, and it is my belief that this will come to pass."
Grinning broadly, Hil easily picked up the speech as if he were meant to, still hand-in-hand with N, "As long as we work together to set aside our differences, to grow from the damage Team Plasma inflicted, we will rise stronger for this. Today, we are the Heroes of Truths and Ideals." Hil raised his and N's connected hands high into the air, Reshiram and Zekrom both growling and chuffing encouragingly from behind them. "Our ideal world and our true intentions are that one day, we will not need either such Heroes! Long live Unova!"
"Long live Unova!" N chanted in unison with him. Still with his hand clasped to Hil's and held high, the severe, determined expression on his face faded, replaced with a softer smile as he turned to look at Hil.
Hil could do nothing more than beam back at him like a fool. He, the wide-eyed wanderer, felt for once at peace with knowing that he had made it to where he had. Felt satisfaction to a degree he didn't realize existed, or at least, would have ever existed for him, as he eyed N. The wayward king and the anxious vagabond, together at last, believing in the very best of one another—their goals aligned in the same way Hil had always wanted since he had first come across him back in Accumula Town alongside Cheren and Bianca, Noodle still nothing more than a little Snivy curled in his arms.
In a way, he supposed he had chased that dream N had told him to those two years ago.
He had chased N.
Gathered in the center of Castelia, Burgh had watched the announcement on one of the massive monitors lining the back of his city's skyscrapers. Curious and cautious cityfolk had gathered around him to listen in. At first, they had been apprehensive and even fearful. Burgh had noticed in the time between the attack on Opelucid and that very day, that Castelians had grown increasingly skittish and cagy, even with others in the city. He hadn't been able to blame them. Yet, as Hil and N made that fateful declaration…
"Long live Unova!"
"Long live Unova!"
…He heard Castelians around him join in. Seated on the edge of the fountain in the center of the plaza, a sketchbook in hand, Burgh almost teared up as he looked around and saw the lights coming on in the glazed gazes everyone had been wearing for so long. So lost in that happiness was he that he failed to notice someone taking a seat next to him on the fountain, nor the Samurott that laid down at their feet.
"Burgh?" a scratchy voice called out to him.
Jerking his head to see who it was, Burgh almost yelped and dropped his sketchbook. "T-Taven…?"
The slate-eyed boy forced a half-smile and brushed some thick, unkempt hair out of his face as he leaned down to pick up Burgh's sketchbook. Handing it back to him, Taven grimaced and whispered, "I'm… I'm sorry… for running for so long… The truth is… I need you." A shiver ran through Taven's body and he closed his eyes. "I need you, Burgh… I need help… I… I want to do better… Whatever that means…"
Apprehensively at first, Burgh pulled Taven into a hug. When the other gave no signs of resistance, Burgh embraced him much more tightly, fiercely, even. "Like I said before, I'll always be here for you, Taven." Of course, he knew part of that would likely be navigating the upheaved legal system—he was sure these new 'Consuls' were not the only overhaul Unova's leadership was getting, and that the power they had enjoyed as gym leaders would soon see a cap—and Taven would most likely have to answer for his crimes to some degree there, but… Burgh just wanted to help however he could.
Regardless of what happened… "I'm just glad you're home," Burgh whispered, struggling not to tack the word 'son' on at the end.
"I'm glad to be back," Taven breathlessly mumbled.
Having listened to Hil and N's announcement earlier that day, Cheren had decided to return home to Bianca in Nuvema while he awaited further instruction from Champion Iris or their new Consuls. He was certain the overhauled system would bring some major changes to his job as Aspertia's gym leader, and he didn't want to take on any more challengers until he understood them, but more than that… Cheren had a surprise for Bianca.
Upon entering the quaint little home, his heart thrummed, and he called out for her. She nervously made her way to him from another room, dressed in nothing more than a white blouse and baggy, gray shorts. Her blond hair was a wreck—likely from working at her computer for tireless hours again—and her Samurott trotted after her eagerly. For such a fierce pokémon, hers acted almost like a Lillipup rather than a beast capable of wielding swords. Quizzically watching Cheren, Bianca frowned. "It's you," she sheepishly called, "but… is everything okay…? You usually don't call me to the front door like that…"
"I just… missed you today," he hoarsely mumbled as he moved forward to hug her, tossing his rulebook to the nearby kitchen countertop. She returned the embrace and sighed contentedly. For all their cold words to one another while Cheren had been neck-deep in Neo Plasma's nonsense, the misplaced anger had vanished instantly in the days following the battle at the Plasma Frigate. He still remembered how Bianca had hugged him and bawled for hours about how she was just glad he was okay, and that she never meant harm to him, that she had just been so scared… He had hugged her back and told her that he held none of it against her, that he had just been afraid the cold shoulder would have been the last thing she ever heard from him, and he couldn't stand that thought. Through it all, it felt as if they had only grown stronger, and Cheren wanted to show her how much he meant it. Voice trembling slightly, he whispered to her ear from where his chin was tucked between her head and shoulder, "Bianca?"
"I missed you, too, Cheren…" she answered softly. When he called to her, she hummed, "Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
She reluctantly put some distance between the two of them and looked up at him, brow furrowed curiously. "Of course… what is it?"
With her hands still on his shoulders, Cheren shook like a leaf as he unsteadily knelt before her. Her eyes widened in shock and she immediately covered her mouth, letting out a squeak of hysterical surprise. Encouraged by the delight that spread on her face, Cheren clumsily dug into the pocket over his heart on his shirt, retrieving the tiny, black box. He opened it and revealed a glittering ring. "B-Bianca… will you…" He choked on his words and spluttered, flushing red as he tried to regain his composure. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed right away, tearing up as her hands shook violently from where they still covered her mouth. "Oh, my Arceus, Cheren! I had no idea—you really—yes!"
He laughed and retrieved the ring from the small box in his hand, and she tried to extend a hand for him to place it on her finger, but hers trembled too badly for it. She laughed, it coming out as something of an ugly sputtering between the sobs and giggling, and Cheren felt tears start to streak down his face, too, as relief crashed over him like an assaulting wave that she had said, 'yes.' He secured her hand in his and with a few tries, slipped the ring on successfully.
He heard the door click behind them and couldn't help but grin even wider to himself as he heard Hil's voice. Right on cue, he thought happily to himself. "Damn, you guys took this long?" Cheren hung his head and laughed at the way Bianca jumped in place, staring at Hil like she was seeing a ghost.
"You were just on TV earlier—how did you—why are you—Hil!" she shrilly exclaimed at last, stamping a foot and puffing her cheeks in that way she always did when she really wanted to be angry, but wasn't, because for Bianca, getting angry and staying there was something only Cheren could bring out in her. He could pick out all the little details on her face that told him how she was actually exuberant to see Hil again, such as the way her lips twitched, the roundness of her eyes, the light blush of astonishment, the way she cried a little harder when she spotted him.
Hil stuffed his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie after adjusting the beanie on his head and smirked at her. "I managed to get away from Iris and N for a while to come see this. Cheren told me about what he wanted to do and—oh, does that matter? Bianca!" he cried, throwing his arms out wide and hugging her. She hugged him back, almost aggressively, and started to cry harder.
"I'm hugging you," she huffed through gasps for air, "but I'm still mad at you," she pouted.
"I know, I know, shh," Hil soothed, casting Cheren a grin over his shoulder.
"I thought you forgot about me," Bianca sobbed, clutching fistfuls of his thick, black jacket in her hands. "I thought you were just… gone…"
"Shh," Hil soothed some more. "I'm back now. And Bianca, Cheren?"
Bianca looked up at him through glossy, wet eyes and Cheren did the same.
"I will always come back," he insisted passionately. "Part of what N and I are gonna have to do involves a lot of travel, because surprise, surprise, Unova's super behind the times on how most modern regions work when it comes to diplomacy, but I will always, always come back. I promise." With a winning, confident smile Cheren was sure he had never seen on Hil's face before, he broke the hug with Bianca and strode away from them, throwing his hands out wide as he invaded their kitchen. He's so much more sure of himself now, Cheren thought fleetingly, before rolling his eyes at Hil's following commentary. "Now, what do you guys have? We need to celebrate!" He wrenched open their refrigerator and stuck nearly his entire face within it. "Ooh, diet Pepsi! I like it, I like it!"
Cheren just smiled as Bianca traded joking jeers with Hil, as if they had never been apart to begin with. Although he was apprehensive about what changes having the Consuls might bring, and Cheren had difficulty shaking the sense of hopelessness that had lay claim to him in the recent months… Proposing to Bianca and having Hil back…
He just felt like everything would be okay, felt a sense of contentment he hadn't known before. He realized then it was enough for his restless warrior of a heart to just have her and his old friend by his side. At long last, his journey was complete. He reached for Bianca's hand and she froze mid-sentence in her taunts with Hil, turning a sensitive, hopeful look to him. "I love you," Cheren whispered to her, pulling her close again to kiss her on the forehead.
"I love you, too, Cheren," Bianca all but sobbed.
His home in Virbank had felt empty and uninviting without Hil or his goofy gang of pokémon there. He missed the way Lucky, Hil's Liepard, and his Arcanine would chase one another around the house, or how Noodle would occasionally do everything in his power to try to get on Hil's shoulders despite being far too large, always drawing some joking comments from Hil.
Longing for something he didn't understand, Church had found himself wandering back in the routes to the west of Virbank, meandering through the twisting forests and waterways in a familiar pattern. His Volcarona fluttered behind him, helping break through brush and other obstacles as needed. Eventually, he was drawn back to where he felt he might have been headed all along—the cave Victini had led him to, to see Meloetta, what felt like eons ago at that point.
Without a second thought, he had climbed atop his Volcarona and ushered the pokémon forward, across the lake that shielded the cave from foot entry. Once on the other side, he apprehensively approached the opening and heaved an enormous sigh. Wordlessly exchanging a look with his Volcarona, he and the pokémon moved into the cavern filled with shallow pools of water. Within seconds, Victini descended upon him, hovering in his face. The pokémon squeaked curiously and cocked its head at him, then flitted back to the far end of the cavern.
Meloetta was still collapsed against the ground in a heap. Upon reaching her, Church dropped to his knees. Victini sat on the other side of her, its V-shaped ears heating the air comfortably. Church hadn't known what he intended to do once he reached her, but he had so much to say… and nobody to say it to… but to them, he supposed…
"I went with Hil. I convinced him to face Kyurem and Ghetsis," Church started softly. Victini chirruped as it turned those bright, blue eyes on him. "I realized that… I was wrong. We aren't destined to be together. But…" Church smiled sadly and leaned down to hug Meloetta's limp body. Alarmed at first, Victini's ears flared with flame, but it quickly paused when they both heard Meloetta give a weak, melodic hum.
Encouraged, Church's breath quickened, and he kept talking. "But Hil was destined for something more… Somewhere deep down in my heart, I always knew that… But I also know that Hil loved me, for a fact. I just knew that we needed him to do so much more. So, I let him go," he croaked, tears stinging at his emerald eyes despite his smile. "I told him I'd wait for however long he needed… but I don't think he'll be changing his mind. I saw the way he looked at N… and how well they work together. But as much as that hurts me…" Church hugged Meloetta tighter, laying his head against hers, "it felt so good to do. He's happy. He's doing what he's needed to do all along, and I helped get him there. Even if that turns out to mean I'm not in the picture, that's okay… I always thought, 'if you love them set them free,' was a cliché trope in the movies and plays I worked in, but… I'm shocked by just how real it is."
Stirring in his grasp, Meloetta let more melodic hums free. Victini's ears flared with fire again as it zipped into the air, excitedly moving in figure eights.
"Meloetta," Church determinedly said, "I believe that Unova will do so much better now. I love Hil and I believe in him. I did not lie when I said he was my guiding light. I have hope for this region and I would follow him to the ends of the Earth to prove it. Please… see that we are not the same hopeless people that failed you before."
Finally, he felt her push lightly against his chest, and he let go. Wiping tears from his face, he gave a toothy grin at the white and green pokémon hovering before him. It blinked dubious, pale blue-green eyes at him and then issued a harmonious call, the song feeling like it entered his mind and swirled in his head before finally fading from his ears. Wiping his face again, Church chuckled. "I'm glad you're feeling better…"
Victini and Meloetta both then got into his face, the former squeaking a series of high-pitched, almost yipping noises as it nudged his face and shoulders, absolutely jubilant. Meloetta danced around him like a pixie from an old Disney movie, and his tears soon dried as she started to hum some more pleasant, soothing tunes for him. "You're not done, yet," Church told Meloetta softly as he met her gaze again. "None of us are. Just as Hil said…" he sniffled. "Long live Unova."
With that, Meloetta zipped out of the cavern in the blink of an eye. Victini, however, remained at his side, nestling comfortably against his hands. "I guess she's got work to do, huh?" Church asked the fuzzy little Fire-type. Victini only mewled contentedly at his words. Remaining like that for some time, when Church finally went to leave, he hadn't expected Victini to be so insistent about coming with him. In fact, when the pokémon mournfully squealed and darted ahead of him, he had all but halted in his tracks. Exchanging some grins with his Volcarona, Church had tried to tell Victini that he needed to go, but then… the pokémon grew frustrated and snatched an empty Premier Ball from his belt. Holding it up in its tiny hands, he swore Victini smiled at him.
Overcome with joy at this legendary pokémon proposing to join him, Church had gasped and reached for the Premier Ball as if in slow-motion. Although flooded with a sense of satisfaction, Church couldn't quite place where it came from… What that loving, redheaded actor couldn't have known was that Victini had chosen him because although Hil and N would lead the region to a better future, that Nate and Hugh had given them the courage to do so… It had always been Church that had picked up Unova's Hero of Truths whenever he was down. His boundless, though not blind, supportiveness was irreplaceable, indescribable—it was lucky. He was every bit as much of a Hero as the others. Instead of Ideals, Truths, Justice, or Acceptance, however… he was Luck.
Victini touched its finger to the white button in the center of the Premier Ball's red stripe and was sucked in with a burst of glittering, white light.
"I can't do this…" Hugh hung his head as they stood just outside of his home in Aspertia, his hand clasped to the doorknob, but unwilling to twist it. Nate, standing just behind him, sighed resignedly, but before he could speak, Hugh defensively muttered, "What am I supposed to say? 'I'm sorry, sis, I couldn't find the pokémon your late grandpa gave you. Hey, wanna see the legendary pokémon that decided to stick with me?'" He frustratedly scuffed his shoe on the cement porch and growled under his breath.
"Hugh… You went through hell to try to find that Purrloin for her," Nate insisted firmly. Not harsh enough to be considered condescending, but not soft enough to be considered unconvincing. He stepped up closer to Hugh, anxiously glancing over his shoulder on occasion, but then smiled reassuringly at his friend. "I've heard the way Autumn talks about you, man… She's just… she'll probably just be happy to see you."
"But that's not good enough," Hugh insisted impatiently, giving Nate a scared expression he hadn't seen on the other's face in such a long time. Verging on panic, Hugh shook his head back and forth as he concluded something. "I'm not good enough…"
Unwilling to listen to Hugh's self-destructive diatribe snowball, Nate leaned past him and knocked loudly on the door. Hugh jumped and went to grab his arm to pull him away but froze with his hands in midair as he remembered how detrimental such a forceful touch could have been to his friend. Dropping his arms back to his sides, Hugh just stared at his shoes as the door flung open, and Autumn greeted him with a beaming smile and a tight, breath-stealing hug. Her excitement only served to fuel his guilt, and Hugh almost whimpered, "I'm… I'm sorry…" Here it comes… I knew better… I should never have let Nate talk me into this…
"Huh?" Autumn scrunched her face up as she briefly let go of him, cocking her head up at him. "Sorry for what?"
"I… I never found Purrloin…" And what I found out about Trapinch… I didn't just lose your Purrloin, I got that Trapinch killed… I'm such a failure… "I'm so sorry… I failed…"
"Hugh…" Autumn helplessly glanced to Nate, and her jaw set almost defensively, almost as if she had a hunch he had done this to her brother. Although unappreciative of the blame, Nate had made no comment. He supposed he had earned that distrust in the past and he would just have to work at easing it away. Her auburn gaze didn't drop from him as she softly crooned to her brother, "You didn't fail… I'm just so glad you're back… That you're alive…"
"I shouldn't have even come back," Hugh distractedly mewled, her words entering one ear and heading straight out the other. So lost in his guilt was he that he didn't even notice when Autumn recoiled at those words. "Not without…"
"Hugh," she insisted more loudly, grabbing him by his red and white jacket's collar, "I don't care about that Purrloin anymore. I know how that sounds, but… I… don't."
That, however, wrenched Hugh out of his thoughts instantly. "You… don't…?"
"No," Autumn groaned, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I just… I didn't know how to talk to you, you were so… sad all the time… But, Hugh… I barely remember that Purrloin. What I really remember is that my brother shut himself away from everyone and then ran away from me the first chance he got… I didn't miss Purrloin for all this time." Eyes watering, she hugged him tightly, coiling her arms around his chest. "I missed you…"
Nate could only look on with an almost proud grin as Hugh leaned back into the hug, holding his sister tightly. "I missed you, too, Autumn," Hugh admitted in such a raw, relieved tone, one that made Nate glad he had insisted ever since the attack on the Frigate for Hugh to confront his sister. For all the times he had doubted himself when Hugh would vehemently insist he never should show his face to her again, seeing them hug one another, and realizing Hugh had finally found some solace…
Well, that just meant the world to Nate right about then, even as he kept glancing over his shoulder, terrified that his mother might catch sight of him back in Aspertia. Within a few minutes, Hugh and Autumn's tearful reunion paused as Hugh awkwardly shuffled his feet and furtively looked up at Nate. "Ah… Nate?"
"Huh?" he answered distractedly, whipping his head back to face Hugh.
"Would you wanna stay with us for a little while…?" Hugh asked sheepishly. At Autumn's surprised face, Hugh sadly chuckled, realizing that she probably still thought he and Nate were enemies to a degree. "It's… a long story…"
Nate rubbed the back of his head and nodded. "That'd be nice… I think I just wanna relax for a little while before I go try and take on the League, anyway… Hugh?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you wanna come with me when I do that?" Nate asked hopefully, wanting his found family, however small, at his side for that.
Hugh just raised a brow at him, wiping his face clear of the remnants of his tears. Cracking a smirk, he asked, "Did you think I'd let you go alone?"
Laughing, Nate shook his head. "No, I guess I didn't."
"Lucky you," Grimsley drawled as he sent out his Liepard, "You're my last challenger ever."
Nate screwed up his face in confusion from the sidelines, watching just beyond the battlefield at the top of Grimsley's chambers within the Pokémon League. He and Hugh had been making significant progress, but as they had heard Grimsley tended to be the toughest of the Elite Four, they had saved him for last. At Grimsley's comment, Hugh blinked. "What…?"
"Champion's orders. I'm retiring early," Grimsley almost sneered, gesturing vaguely toward the Liepard in front of himself. "You here to battle, or what? Absinthe here's not very patient."
Yeah, the Liepard's the one that's not patient, Nate thought as he rolled his eyes. Hugh turned a bewildered gaze to Nate, as if asking him for clarification. Nate just shrugged. I have no idea what he's talking about, either, Hugh, he thought amusedly. But then he frowned. Wait, I need to battle him, too…
"Uh, my friend back there," Hugh started uncertainly. Then, as if reading his mind, "he wants to battle, too…"
"Yeah, well, he can battle the redheaded stepchild downstairs when I call him up here," Grimsley yawned, waving a bored hand at him. "Absinthe—"
"Absinthe?" Hugh curiously questioned, cocking his head at the Liepard. "What… does that mean?"
Redheaded stepchild? Nate raised a brow and blinked fervently. I know that's a joke, but like… what? Who the hell?
"A kickass drink you are far too little to think about trying," Grimsley annoyedly explained. Rolling his eyes at Hugh's vacant stare and the way he still hadn't tossed a pokémon of his own free to officially start their battle, he huffed. "Fine. It's named after the bright green no-no drink because I got her when she was a Purrloin and she had a stupid little green collar on. I guess someone in Team Plasma had a soft spot for their pokémon after all."
Growing more irritated by the second with his attitude, Nate opened his mouth to shoot something defensive of Hugh and full of vitriol at Grimsley, but Hugh cut him off with the way he gasped and waved a hand at the Elite Four member. "D-did it have a bell?" Hugh blurted. "Like—like—the collar was bright green, and it had a little silver-green bell…"
That seemed to give Grimsley some pause. He tilted his head curiously and put his hands to his hips. "Yeah, it did… Kid, did you get a Purrloin stolen from you some years ago?"
Nate gaped and rushed onto the battlefield to stare at the Liepard in front of him with newfound awe. Hugh shuffled forward almost dazedly, and then dropped to his knees in front of Absinthe. The pokémon apprehensively lowered its head and then craned its neck, sniffing at him curiously. Holding his hand out tentatively, Hugh swallowed hard. "Purrloin… is that you…?"
"I can have the aforementioned redheaded stepchild bring up the collar," Grimsley awkwardly offered, still trying to joke, though it was obvious that he didn't like where this was going. "If it was yours that they stole, I mean… you can take her back…" He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "I always wanted to give her back to whoever she belonged to, but y'know, it was just a collar and everyone and their mother's got—"
The Liepard suddenly hissed at Hugh and retreated to Grimsley's side, rubbing furiously against his legs. It purred loudly and even seemed to whimper as it ran its cheeks across his hands. Nate winced and put a hand tentatively on Hugh's shoulder, expecting his friend to be more than hurt by the Liepard's reaction to him. Yet, Hugh remained expressionless, and shook his head at Grimsley's words after a few seconds of watching the Liepard adamantly rub itself on Grimsley. "No… That's okay, Elite Four Grimsley…"
"Huh?" Grimsley blinked dubiously at him. "Why…?"
Also curious for the reasoning since he knew just how much finding that Liepard would have meant to Hugh, Nate concernedly turned his eyes up at Hugh. Slowly, a small, dejected smile fractured his friend's unreadable expression. Sensing Nate's disbelief, Hugh gestured toward Absinthe. "Look at her…"
Nate and Grimsley both stared at the Liepard and saw her jump up suddenly, planting her two front paws against Grimsley's chest. He staggered backwards at her weight and snorted in amusement. "Absinthe, claws in the suit, not cool," he jokingly chided her as he plucked her powerful paws out of his clothes, holding them in his hands instead. As if temporarily forgetting about Hugh altogether, he pretended to dance with her for a second before the Liepard withdrew its paws from his hold.
"She clearly really likes him," Hugh said hoarsely. "And… Autumn and I already talked things out…" Facing Nate, Hugh just shook his head, the smile on his face growing. "I can't take her away from Grimsley when she clearly likes him that much, and… and I know now that Autumn doesn't hate me."
"So… leaving her here doesn't bother you?" Nate asked, wanting to be sure Hugh was being honest.
"Yeah. I'm sure of it," Hugh answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's so weird… All of that… and this is it?" He almost laughed. "I'm just… glad that she's okay…" Nate could almost hear the words Hugh wanted to add on. Unlike my Trapinch. Nate's heart had bled upon learning about Hugh's Trapinch…
"Yeah…" Nate smiled to himself. "That is good news, isn't it?"
"Hey, so which of you is gonna battle me?" Grimsley asked once he paid attention to them again. "'Cause I'm getting bored and I have a lot of stuff to pack before this evening."
Rolling his eyes, Hugh jumped up and tossed his Lucario free. "Alright, Grimsley. Absinthe." Hugh winked at the Liepard. "Let's see what you got! Hey, Lucario? Let's unleash our rage!"
"You and that fucking catchphrase," Nate complained dramatically as he walked off the battlefield.
"It's an excellent catchphrase!" Hugh shot back at him.
"Yeah, sure," Nate snorted. Of course, he had to admit, it… was really inspiring whenever Hugh used it.
In the wake of his battle with Champion Iris, Nate was sweating from head-to-toe. Ahead of him, Cobalion stood on shaky legs, straining to stand up but stubbornly refusing to lie down. Iris withdrew her fallen Hydreigon and regarded him with a beaming, bright grin. "Congratulations, Nate!" she exclaimed in a childishly gleeful tone he hadn't heard from her any other time during their battle. "You beat me!"
Cobalion's posture relaxed and the pokémon glanced over its shoulder at him. Nate awkwardly relaxed as well but couldn't help still panting for breath. He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled halfheartedly. "Well, you sure gave me a run for my money… Even though I have three legendary pokémon with me." He had thought utilizing them for his journey through the Elite Four would have been cheating at first, but prior to entering the building, Champion Iris had stumbled across him and insisted that he brought the three pokémon, that the Pokémon League was a test in strength, and if his strength happened to lie in his friendships with such powerful pokémon, then so be it.
"Nate…" Iris said breathlessly as she shuffled across that golden room in her gaudy, pink dress. "You've beaten me. As the Champion of Unova, this means you can either just mark your name in the Hall of Fame… or you can do that as well as take my position here in the Pokémon League."
Although Nate had known there was a chance for him to have to make this decision, he still didn't know what to say. As if asking Hugh for an answer, he glanced to his friend, standing on the stairs leading up to their battlefield—that was where he had watched from—and saw him give a wild-eyed thumbs-up, nodding his head vigorously, as if to say, 'Go on, take it, you idiot!'
"The Champion of Unova status works differently nowadays," Iris explained gently, though Nate could tell how excited she was at the possibility of shedding her title. "As the Champion, you act as an enforcer, and… as a symbol of hope, by defending people when needed. Whether its an outbreak of Fraxure in Opelucid, or there's a cave-in at Icirrus—"
Nate cut her off as he puffed out his chest and steeled his jaw. "I'll do it." Had me at 'symbol of hope.'
Cobalion lifted its head and regarded Nate with what he swore was a look of sheer pride.
"Really?" Iris sounded shocked. "You… you mean it?"
"I want nothing more than to protect… protect what's important to me," Nate said quietly as he glanced back at Hugh. Seeing the awe on his face, Nate felt another surge of violent, protective pride.
In the entirety of his journey, if there was nothing else Nate had learned, it was to love and trust others. Yet, although it came with calm, gentle feelings he lavished, some he had never felt ever before, it also came with pain and fury. There would always be people that wanted to take and abuse others, take and abuse from him and those he cared about, and although having the capacity to be compassionate with his loved ones was important, his turbulent sense of justice, his willingness to fight no matter what, was just as imperative. What better way to ensure he had that capability than as Champion? Giving Iris a more determined, hard stare, he passionately added, "And there's no better way to do that than as a defender. As Champion of Unova." Hil and N are the Heroes of Truths and Ideals… I'll be the Hero of Justice.
Iris nodded back at him, looking inspired by his motivations. "I like the sound of that. And Nate… What's your full name again?" she embarrassedly asked. "Sorry, I need it for the Hall of Fame…"
"Nathan Daniels," he said proudly. "And… you know. You can just call me Nathan from now on." I'm not scared of who I am or what I've been through. I am Champion Nathan.
"Champion Nathan…" Hugh called from sidelines. "I like the sound of that. Has a nice ring to it!"
"Hm, I know you lost to me…" Iris suddenly took a keen interest in Hugh, sidestepping Nathan and walking closer to him. "But… I do have a question for you."
Tilting his head, Hugh frowned. "What's that?"
"How would you like to be a gym leader? I saw you on the Frigate. I heard about how you learned that Grimsley had your sister's Liepard and you found it in your heart to let him keep it…" Iris pressed urgently. "We need stronger leaders. I think you'd be great. Of course, we'd need Nate—I mean, Nathan's—permission, and the Consuls' too, but…"
Hugh nervously glanced to Nathan, who just dipped his head affirmatively at his friend. "I think you'd be a fantastic gym leader," Nathan said reassuringly. Way better than some others that were out there, anyway…
"If they agree, then…" Hugh grinned wide at Iris, pumping a fist into the air. "I'll do it!"
Cobalion trudged back over to Nathan and nudged him on the chest. Looking down at the grizzled Sword of Justice, Nathan saw it dip its head respectfully at him. Swelling with pride at the appreciation he was being shown, Nathan reveled in it for a moment before similarly kneeling before the pokémon. It surprisedly looked up at him and cocked its head, as if to ask him why he had returned the gesture.
Nathan just shrugged. "I didn't get here alone," he supplied bluntly. Glancing to Hugh, to Iris, and finally back at Cobalion… Nathan smiled. "And man, am I so glad that I didn't."