Chapter 3: Stamping Out a New Journey! The Treasure of the Castelia Sewers!
Today is the day that she and N can finally journey together.
Touko stretches her arms to the sky as the early morning sun sends its rays down to linger against the ocean surface. Her heart races with the gentle rocking of the boat. The quiet hum of the engine attempts to lull the trainer back into a sleepy state, but her excitement and eagerness outmatch the breathtaking scenery of the calm waves and the steady pace of the ship's engine.
The looming skyscrapers of Castelia City crawl out of the horizon as the tiny ship approaches its destination. Touko leans over the railing of the boat to get a better view of the metropolis.
"We're almost there," she states, her voice light and wispy. "I wonder what we should do first! Maybe we'll be lucky enough to get a Casteliacone, or maybe we can visit Burgh in his gym."
"All of them sound like valid options, but you must not forget, heroine. The true test begins now. How long can we keep N in the dark?"
"I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up," Touko sighs, "He's going to ask questions once we arrive, too. I didn't have enough time to explain myself yesterday."
"Because your call with Mei almost gave you a panic attack?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"A-A comet?"
Mei nodded. "You are the only other person who could have seen what happened! Hugh's sister said that a comet fell and crashed into the route! Is that true?!"
Touko glared at the Xtransceiver screen. Her eyebrows furrowed as she recalled her attack crashing against the back of the Kugeki as she screamed out what she hoped was a battle cry. Her mind desperately searched for a valid excuse that would fit in with Hugh's sister's story.
"Umm...yeah, that's right! A comet was flying towards us, and I had to use Reshiram to stop it! The result was that crater!"
The luxury ball on her waist shook violently. "Heroine! Just because I am willing to conceal the truth does not mean I am going to help you lie! That is a step too far!"
The older trainer covered her screen and hissed back, "Well, if you have any better ideas, you better give me one now!"
"Huh...is that so?" A scrutinizing pout caused Mei's cheeks to puff out. Again, Touko found herself drenched in a cold sweat. To her, keeping secrets, even for the sake of people's safety, was one of the worst feelings in the world.
"Is...true that...used...to stop...comet?"
The fractured and faint question indicated that Mei was talking to someone else, and it didn't take long for Touko to realize that she was being fact-checked. She closed her eyes and silently prayed, "Please, please! Let this be enough to convince them!"
A few heart-stopping seconds later, the trainer from Aspertia rejoined the video call. Touko's heart was thrashing, unable to control the tidal wave of anxiety. "I bet Colress did something again. He's been doing odd experiments lately, and I end up having to clean up his mess. Ohhhh, am I going to burn one into him. Again! He could have seriously hurt someone!"
Her prayers had been answered. It took Touko most of her willpower to keep standing and finish the call.
"Y-Yeah...anyway! I have to get up early tomorrow! I already made N wait a day, and I don't want to be late again!"
"Oh, that's right! I'm sorry for taking up your time! Have a safe journey, and tell him I said hi!"
"Yeah, I'll do that."
She managed to steady her voice and calmly press the end button. Once the screen turned black, she leaned against a tree...and wailed.
"I hate this already, Reshiram!"
"That was a truly pitiful display. You are incredibly lucky she magically created a reason behind the comet."
"I managed to call him after that, and thankfully, he took it pretty well, but I was definitely panicking when I was talking to him." Touko sighs heavily, her eyes drooping dejectedly, "I know that I have to keep this from him, but it's such a horrible feeling. N didn't hide anything from me, even when he knew that revealing who he was would make us enemies."
"I understand how you feel, but this is the choice you have made. We must figure out the Shadow Triad's intentions and stop them before they are able to bring back Ghetsis."
"I really don't want to think about him or Team Plasma or the Shadow Triad right now. Can we drop the subject?"
"I suppose we can continue this later tonight. Perfect timing, too. We are almost at the pier."
"Really? Oh wow, you're right! And I think I see him!" At first, only a speck of white can be seen against the gray tiles of the pier. But as the ship closes in, his signature green hair comes into view, along with his hat and tan pants. N has his hand on the rim of his hat as he stares back with a bright smile.
"N!" Touko calls out, waving at him with the same glowing energy as his grin. His eyes light up, and he raises a hand to wave back.
"Let's go, everyone!" she says to her bag, where her team, minus Reshiram, is resting. All matters relating to the Shadow Triad and magical girls are shoved to the back of her mind as she hops off the boat and dashes up to N.
"I'm sorry for making you wait. Something came up last minute that I had to take care of."
"It's no problem at all. I'd imagine that you want to spend time with your friends before heading off."
Chuckling nervously, the female trainer nods, mentally preparing herself for his inevitable probing. To her surprise, N instead turns to face the skyscrapers and then back to her like a child just raring to run wild in a new toy store.
"So what should we do first?" he asks. His eagerness slips through the cracks of his normally composed voice, and the infectious smile on his face only serves to trigger an outbreak of pleasant goosebumps on Touko's arm.
"Hmm, I don't know. I guess we can walk around first and see what's changed," she says, tapping her finger against her chin.
"Ah, that's right. It's been three years since you've last seen Unova."
"Yep. The amusement park at Nimbasa City has changed a bit, and I never knew that people lived in southwest Unova. I want to see what else is new!"
"Then I'll follow your lead, Touko," N chuckles out.
They head out of the pier onto the main street, and the two find a small crowd surrounding a clown standing on a box.
"Come one, come all! Castelia City's first-ever annual stamp rally is about to begin!" the harlequin hollers as he tosses paper around the mob of people like confetti. N catches one of the sheets and reads it aloud.
"Visit these locations and collect stamps from various people around the city. Fill out the bottom of the page with the correct stamps to win a variety of prizes, including a month's supply of berries and coupons for free Casteliacones."
"A stamp rally? Sounds like fun! Let's do it, N." The green-haired man slightly recoils when Touko steps closer to him in order to get a better look at the flyer and gently presses her arm against his chest. She catches this out of the corner of her eyes and immediately steps back.
"Oh, sorry."
"No, it's not your fault. I just…" He trails off to turn his head away. A memory briefly flashes in his mind, a girl's voice lecturing him on the complicated rules of social conduct.
"Listen here, N! In normal circumstances, you must maintain a certain distance between yourself and other people. Always put space between you and her, especially if she's the one getting a bit too close."
Meanwhile, Touko is internally panicking, wondering what in the world did she do wrong. "I've never really thought about it, but does N not like physical contact? But he was fine with it a few days ago!"
"Heroine, I do not think that is the problem."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I've been told that close contact with another person should be avoided when in public. Now, let's head off to the first location." N answers her unspoken question with eerie timing. He walks in the direction of the gym, leaving behind a bewildered Touko.
"What...did he just say?" she gasps. Her mouth continues to hang open.
"Did I just get passively scolded by the most socially inept person I know?!"
From within its luxury ball, Reshiram observes the former king with a dubious glare.
"...Who is this person who told N this? Do I need to add that person to my interrogation list along with that crook who stole my idea?"
"COLRESS!"
The abrupt shriek of his name causes the normally composed scientist to jump. His hands fumble with the device he's holding, and it drops to the floor with a cacophonic ping.
"Ah, Mei. What a pleasant surprise-!"
"I don't know what experiment you're working on today, but you need to stop it now! Thanks to you, Route 19 is gone!"
His default guilty grin dissolves away at her latest accusation. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
The frown on her face sours. "Playing dumb again? You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Heaving a weary sigh, Colress feels a light throbbing in his head from her explosive tone.
"And what evidence do you have that points to me being the culprit?"
Like a ritual, the two move to their respective positions, Mei at her Xtransceiver and Colress at the monitors. As her fingers dance, he guides the wiring to their respective positions before stepping aside and letting the fruits of their ritual take shape across the screens. She would then restate her allegation, and Colress would nod twice, accepting her accusations with full responsibility.
Except this time, he doesn't bob his head. For the first time since they've started this strange routine, he looks genuinely confused...and very, very intrigued.
"Do you see what I mean?" the young trainer scolds, "I can't even begin to imagine what kind of experiment would lead to a comet falling out of the sky!"
As she rants, Colress scrutinizes the image silently, attempting to piece together the events that led to this devastating disaster. The shape of the crater catches his attention, particularly at the bottom where the tiny pond sits calmly, slowly growing in size.
"You said that a comet fell, right?"
"Yeah, that's what I've been saying."
"There are several things wrong with that hypothesis."
He points to the tiny lake. "From this image, it looks like there's a pit inside the crater. Usually, when meteors hit the ground, the bottom of the crater would actually incline." To prove his point, he brings up several pictures of the meteorites in Veilstone City. Drawing her attention to the middle of the hollow, Colress resumes his explanation. "Now you said that your friend had to use her Pokémon to stop it, but I do not see how that is feasible with the shape of this crater and the information that I am given."
With a few taps on the keyboard attached to his arm, he is able to draw up a simulation of what Mei has told him. "Do you happen to know what Pokémon your friend was using?"
The trainer hesitates. Colress has never met Touko before, but even he would know about the hero who stopped Team Plasma the first time around.
"Oh well, he'll know soon enough. If not by me telling him, then by one of the grunts sighting them on their journey."
"She was using Reshiram."
He instantly stops typing. "R-Reshiram? Wait, are you saying that your friend is…?"
She can see that he's trying to process this unexpected piece of information. Then, he smirks at the floor, his eyes concealed behind the glint of his glasses.
"Mei, I thought that your accusation was baseless, but now, there's really no logic behind it."
"W-What do you mean?"
He pulls up the image of the Route 19 crater again and turns to her with that calculating smirk. "From observing the way you and Zekrom fight, I've learned that it prefers using physical attacks. If Reshiram is Zekrom's opposite, then the most likely inference you can draw is that Reshiram prefers using special attacks. In short, attacking from a long distance. I'm sure its trainer would know that, too."
Another simulation pops up on the big screen. This time, it's an animation of a chibi Reshiram firing a stream of fire at the "comet."
"Even with the force of its attack, it isn't likely that Reshiram is able to create this crater from its position. Even flying up to intercept the meteor wouldn't have resulted in what we see unless Reshiram actually took the hit."
The sparkle in his eyes only intensifies. Mei finds herself overwhelmed by his logic.
"In fact," he concludes, "It does look like something was being pushed down into the ground. But a competent trainer simply wouldn't let her Pokémon, much less the legendary Pokémon, take the hit, now would she? If anything, the person who created the crater was fully aware she was doing so."
He flashes a humble smile at the dumbfounded trainer. "Am I wrong?"
"Is there something wrong, heroine? That was a very violent shiver."
Touko, still recovering from the unexpected onslaught of tremors that had invaded her body a few minutes ago, wheezes out a nervous chuckle. "I-I feel like someone just dissected me."
"Hmm, that is rather odd. As far as I know, there is no reason to feel that way."
"I hope it's just my imagination, too."
The female trainer enters the most crowded street of the city, Gym Street, and finds N in front of the gym staring at the logo. He appears to be deep in his thoughts.
"N?"
"Oh, Touko...sorry for leaving you behind," he apologizes quietly. "Shall we head in? There was a crowd earlier, so I decided to wait until they were gone."
Passing through the open glass doors, the two travelers are transported to a realm of sheer white. Touko gasps at the amount of empty space the gym has now compared to the last time she was here. N mimics her reaction as they take in the blinding white room. Trails of silky thread line the walls and ceilings, and some are attached to several chambers, which are also made from the same material. Channels weaved in and out of the many floors of the gym, serving as the mechanism for reaching the gym leader's room.
"Wow, talk about a makeover," she mutters.
"It feels more like a blank canvas to me," he replies back with the same, awed tone.
"Hello, are you guys here for the stamp rally?" A clown asks, walking up to them while juggling three red Poké Balls.
They blink in unison. "Y-Yes, that's right," Touko finally answers for the both of them.
"Well then, come this way! Usually, challengers would have to navigate our webby maze, but for visitors like you, we have set up an alternate path!"
He leads them to a chamber at the top left corner of the room. "Just take this, and the gym leader will be in the next room."
Touko peeks her head inside the strange chamber. The moment she inserts half of her body inside, a strong vacuum from above sucks her up the thin, silky channel.
"A-Ahhhh!"
"Touko! W-Woah!"
Burgh should have prepared himself for the inevitable onslaught of surprised cries and panicked screams.
Granted, he has had his gym set up like this for a year now. When the city mayor decided to host this stamp rally in order to draw in more tourists, he expected an easy time where he'll just be handing out stamps with maybe a gym battle in between to entertain the masses.
Instead, all he's giving out are apologies. Many apologies.
"A-Ahhhh!"
"And there's another one…" He grimaces as yet another shriek travels up to his chamber. The gym leader turns from his canvas to greet his latest visitor...and finds a pleasant surprise. From the hole in the floor, a familiar trainer springs forth. She lands on her feet, but the slippery floor catches her off-guard, and soon, she's wobbling backward, in danger of falling back into the pit.
"Oh no!" The trainer and gym leader simultaneously think. Touko closes her eyes instinctively, bracing herself for another trip down the pipe...except her descent is halted abruptly. She feels a pair of hands grasp both of her shoulders, pushing her upright. A puff of air bats itself against her ponytail. Another faint splash echoes across the mostly barren room.
"Touko, are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah," she exhales, fully conscious of his hands cradling her shoulders. The heat from his palms invades her skin and creeps up her bloodstream to her cheeks. His hands are so firm and supportive.
"Stop it, Touko," she scolds herself, "Don't you dare go there! You need to be his friend first!"
Reshiram must be staring at her. Oblivious to her internal struggle, N quickly retracts his touch to adjust his cap, a valiant effort to follow the words his friend had drilled into him.
"Well, this is quite the surprise," Burgh blurts out. Both trainers snap their heads to the gym leader. "I didn't think that you two, of all people, would be paying a visit. Had I known, I would have renovated more."
"Burgh, your gym is a safety hazard!" Touko reprimands, planting both of her hands on her hips. "I could have been seriously hurt. I'll take wrestling with walls made of honey over whatever this is!"
"But this is my latest masterpiece! It's meant to display the simplicity and versatility of a Sewaddle's web!"
"And this room?" Touko gestures to the flooded rainbow-colored floor and the crooked gym sign. Burgh cringes.
"Y-You got me there. So I'm assuming you're here for the stamp rally? Can I see your flyer?"
N wordlessly hands the sheet of paper over to the gym leader. Burgh pulls out a green ink stamp with a handle shaped like Leavanny.
"These stamps are actually created by me. I made a collection of them some time ago and never found the chance to use them. Okay, take this Leavanny stamp, courtesy of Castelia City!"
He makes a show out of pressing the ink stamp to the paper by twirling the stamp between his fingers before expertly fitting it onto the correct box. Once the image of the bug Pokémon is printed neatly onto the flyer, Burgh hands it back to N, who's staring at the ink curiously.
"This Leavanny..."
"Ah, yes, one of my more successful endeavors. My goal here was to capture the essence of Leavanny in a small, neat package."
"It's very well done. The message this Leavanny wants to convey...it's very clear to me."
"Well, I'm glad you like it! Hearing positive feedback is always a good thing."
From the sides, Touko flashes a small smile, basking in the warm feeling surging through her blood at the light-hearted interaction.
"Enjoy the rest of the stamp rally, you two! And uhh...be careful on the way down."
"..."
"..."
"...You should go first, N."
"Yes, maybe I should."
After exiting the gym, Touko and N quickly secure the next six stamps without much incident. They passed by Café Sonata, where the guitarist inside, after handing over a stamp of a Kricketune, tells them of his encounter with the fabled Meloetta. Studio Castelia has shifted from displaying paintings of the legendary dragons to displaying other kinds of motifs.
Their momentum began to slow down when N immersed himself in a conversation with the young CEO of the Battle Company about a device that can allow humans to communicate with Pokémon. They could have gone on for hours if the CEO's father hadn't walked in and reminded the green-haired man that the stamp rally is a one-day event and that they only had four out of the eight stamps required.
And then...there was the infamously long line at the Casteliacone stand.
"I must have been there for hours!" Touko whines, angrily biting down on her ice cream cone. N, on the other hand, scoops a tiny portion of his frozen treat and savors the sweetness that permeates his mouth.
"It's sweet...and tart. Two different flavors in one. What is the hidden formula that makes this work?"
"That's a trade secret, N. If everyone knew how to make Casteliacones, then they won't be a specialty anymore."
"Is that so? It seems like a waste, not sharing the secret to its success with the world."
Touko pulls out a cheeky smile. "But that's part of the appeal! It's like meeting a mythical Pokémon. That feeling that flows inside of you when you get to experience something that can only happen once in a lifetime...I bet the creators of the Casteliacone probably wanted to recreate that feeling every time someone buys their ice cream. And they're doing a great job because this tastes so good!" To further cement her point, she takes another large bite out of her cone.
"I see," N mumbles out. "Have you ever met a mythical Pokémon, Touko?"
"I have."
The quick response catches him off-guard. "You have?"
"Yep. In fact, I think it was early on in my journey that I encountered one."
Her eyes are drawn to the far-right pier. N follows her gaze.
"After I got Bianca's Munna back from Team Plasma, I received a ticket to Liberty Garden. When I got there, there was a group of Team Plasma grunts who wanted to use Victini's power to liberate Pokémon. Of course, I beat each and every one of them, and in the end, Victini decided that it wanted to travel with me."
"Victini, the mythical Pokémon said to bestow victory onto the trainer who befriends it." A bittersweet smile forms on his face. "I really didn't stand a chance, did I?"
"N…"
"Whatever happened to Victini?" he questions.
"Well, I actually didn't capture Victini. I let it follow me around for a while, but in the end, Victini set off to explore the world. It had been trapped in that lighthouse for a very long time, after all."
She turns her eyes away from Liberty Pier. "I hope that Victini is okay. I know that we'll meet again someday, but I still can't help but worry about it."
"Your wish to see Victini again...I'm sure it will reach Victini's heart, no matter where it is."
With the conversation over, the two trainers let their feet drag them around the city aimlessly as they finish the rest of their ice cream cones. A brief moment of comfortable silence hangs over them.
"So, where do we need to go next?" Touko eventually asks.
He unfolds the stamp flyer to its full size. "The last stamp is in the Castelia Sewers."
"...Excuse me?" Incredulous, dumbfounded, disgusted. All these can be used to describe how Touko spat out those two words.
"The Castelia Sewers. Apparently, we're supposed to find a treasure that will lead us to the last stamp. I wonder what it could be."
Unlike N, Touko isn't too thrilled that she has to venture through Castelia's underground pipeline system. Already, she feels her eye twitching at the thought of navigating through dirty water and sewage waste.
"Let's get this over with. Here's hoping that the prize we get at the end of this is worth it."
BOOM!
The sound of an explosion, followed by the screams of terrified people, radiates throughout the city. Suddenly, there's chaos. People coming from Thumb Pier are fleeing for their lives. Some of them are completely drenched, suggesting that they either fell into the ocean, or they were exploring the sewers at the time of the attack.
"Touko, let's hurry," N urges, already running in the direction of the tiny pier.
She purses her lips and breaks into a sprint. The luxury ball attached to her waist rumbles faintly.
"Be careful, heroine. I have a bad feeling about this."
When Touko finally catches up to N, she finds him arguing with a construction worker blocking the entrance to the sewers.
"Let me through! I can hear the Pokémon crying out for help!"
"W-We're currently trying to investigate the situation, sir. It's too dangerous to go down there right now!"
He turns his head away in frustration, but when he spots Touko in the corner of his eyes, some of that frustration evaporates away.
"He's refusing to let anyone in. And the cries of the Pokémon inside...it pains me to stand here idly while they're in danger."
She takes a deep breath. Usually, this would lead to a Pokémon battle, but battling at a time like this when they're only doing their job seems unfair to her. Instead, she walks up to the worker and attempts to make a compromise.
"I have a water-type Pokémon that can help out. Can you let us in? We can focus on rescuing the Pokémon while you guys investigate the attack."
The worker hesitantly shifts his gaze between them. Ultimately, the passionate fire in both of their eyes overwhelms him, and he steps to the side in order to open the way into the sewers. Before she can place a foot onto the stairway, he gives them a warning.
"Right now, almost the entirety of the underground is flooded. A Pokémon with Surf is probably needed to navigate around."
N flinches as he digs into his pockets. He pulls out two Poké Balls and glances at them solemnly. Touko widens her eyes slightly.
"My friends who are with me cannot use Surf…"
He hears another plead for help. Slamming his eyes shut, he grimaces as if their pain is his own. Her heart beats faster, pushing her to hurry and wipe that look off of his face.
"Go, Touko. I'll stay here and escort the evacuated Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. Please be careful."
She nods firmly. "I will."
It was just as the worker said. Two-thirds of the way down the stairs, Touko finds her boots submerged underwater. She scans the area for any immediate danger, but the sewers are eerily quiet. Several brown boxes float aimlessly on the water surface. Most of the walkways are inaccessible, leaving only the drifting brown boxes and the rooftops of the research facilities as the only source of solid ground.
"Ritsu, let's go!"
The Formidable Pokémon growls out his signature battle cry as he's released from his Poké Ball. After hopping onto his back, the heroine ventures further inside.
"What do you think that explosion was, Reshiram?"
"I believe that the sound we heard is not an explosion but a flood crashing into the area. With such a damp environment, an explosion would have been impossible to detonate."
"I don't see any stranded Pokémon. Could some of them be underwater?"
"Let's send Ritsu to investigate."
"Ritsu, drop me off at that building," she says to her starter, pointing to one of the few gray rooftops. "I need you to search for any Pokémon that are trapped underwater."
With a compliant grunt, the Samurott escorts his trainer to solid ground before diving down to begin his rescue operation.
The silence is haunting. The tiny tsk Touko unknowingly releases seem to bounce around the cramped tunnel. No one is here. No construction workers. No researchers. No Pokémon.
"This...This might have been a trap," she reluctantly concludes. "Or a distraction."
"...Wait, what's that sound?"
Behind her, a large shadow quickly ellipses her body. The roar of rushing water invades her ears. She looks up.
"E-Ehhhhhh?!"
A giant tsunami with a gaping mouth is ready to pounce on the trainer. Trapped underneath its watery depths are several researchers and construction workers, confined in individual air bubbles. Each bubbly prison is coated with dark energy, which seems to be feeding the rapidly growing tidal wave.
Desperate to escape, Touko makes a mad dash towards the building to her left, leaping with all of her strength across the rather wide gap. The wave crashes into the submerged research center and melts away the cement roof.
"The wave just...dissolved the building," she breathes out.
Acid. That tsunami is made out of acid. Highly potent acid. The water begins to rampage, the currents swirling violently around the building that Touko is stuck on.
"Ritsu! Ritsu!" She frantically hollers for her starter Pokémon. Her stomach drops when she spots her Samurott frantically outswimming the wave of acid that's chasing him. He heaves himself onto the metal roof just before the purple liquid can touch his tail.
"I'm so sorry, Ritsu. Here, return." With a beam of red light, the water-type Pokémon retreats back into his Poké Ball.
"Heroine, that wave...it carries the same aura as a Kugeki."
"So it was a trap. If that's the case, where's the Shadow Triad?"
"There is no time to think about that. We need to purify the Kugeki and return everyone back to normal."
Touko unhooks the luxury ball from her hips. "I hope no one hears me…"
"Curing Fusion!"
Light bursts onto the scene, flooding the dark hallways of the sewers with its radiance. Her transformation only takes a few seconds, but the Kugeki can feel the intense power coming from the orange pillar.
Touko, on the other hand, finds that the motions are starting to imbue themselves into her muscle memory. Floating around with the flames comforts her instead of confusing her.
"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"
She pronounces her Precure form with the same amount of determination as when she first transformed, but the underlying embarrassment present before has noticeably diminished. Reshiram, now in its shrunken state, nods approvingly as if proud of the unbridled confidence its partner is exuding. Flare takes an offensive position, preparing herself to engage with the enemy.
"I see that you are starting to get used to this. Now let us defeat the Kugeki and-!"
Reshiram doesn't get to finish its sentence. The wave descends upon them. Flare bites her lips. She drags her left foot to the side, her clenched fist full of fire. Then, like she's been shocked, she suddenly gasps and extinguishes her fist. The roar of turbulent water intensifies the storm of violent waves all around her.
Her right foot pushes off the steel roof, and she flees.
"Flare, where are you going?!"
The Precure fumbles with her response as she frantically tries to outrun the tidal wave. "I-I just...realized that...the Kugeki is made of water and poison...and I'm a magical girl...with fire as her element!"
To further accent just how dire of a situation she finds herself in, the swirling pool of water and poison begins to rise, threatening to not only swallow the last remaining stretches of solid steel but also to escape out the entrance and pollute the ocean. The fused monster is now dead-set on drowning the magical girl beneath its toxic depths.
"I-I have to think of something, but what can I do?! Punching my way out isn't going to work, and I don't know how to properly fly! At this rate-!"
Flare scans the flooded area for anything that can give her the chance to turn things around. She continues to hop from platform to platform until she's stuck on the last steel rooftop in the sewers.
"T-There's nowhere I can go!"
Her back is to a metaphorical wall. The water soaks the bottom of her white boots. The Kugeki, with its gaping mouth, is preparing to pounce as it drains even more dark energy from its captives.
"Flare, I may have an idea."
"W-What is it?"
"Since all of my powers are inside of you now, I believe that includes any moves I may know. For example, your signature attack is Precure Blue Flare, a move that is based on my Blue Flare. If this is true, then you should be able to use my other moves."
"I see. Your other moves are Fusion Flare, which won't do much, Dragon Pulse, and…"
Her eyes bulge. "Solarbeam!"
"Yes, if we are able to use Solarbeam, it might be enough to defeat the Kugeki!"
Despite finding a solution to her dilemma, the Precure is still frowning. "Doesn't that take a while to charge up? There's barely any light down here, and the Kugeki isn't going to wait for us to eliminate it."
Instead of providing its much-needed guidance, Reshiram simply leaves her shoulder to fly down to the bag attached to her lower back. It digs around for a certain net ball and brings it to Flare's hands. She finally understands what the legendary Pokémon is trying to tell her.
"You are not alone, Flare. Even though you may be the one fighting now, your friends will always be there to lend a hand."
Flashing a grateful smile, she tosses the net ball up and calls out to the Pokémon inside.
"Scoria, I need your help!"
A blob coated with blue light materializes to Flare's side, taking the shape of a large centipede that can stand upright. From its head sprouts two large horns capable of delivering a flurry of jabs in rapid succession. A pair of identical horns extends from its rear, serving as its tails. The light shatters, and a Scolipede glares defiantly at whoever she's supposed to oppose.
That hostile stance swiftly falls apart when she takes in the altered form of her trainer. Her bewildered, yellow eyes switch between Flare and the swirling pit of water they find themselves in. The sparkles then erupt from her pupils. A dazzled aura flickers around the Scolipede's head as she grunts out an excited cheer.
Despite herself, Flare's cheeks burst into flames. Not literally, but close enough.
"R-Reshiram and I can explain everything later!" the magical girl sputters, "Right now, I need you to use Sunny Day!"
The Megapede Pokémon quickly snaps out of it. She creates a small orb of light and shoots it to the ceiling of the sewers. A curtain of solar rays falls onto the Precure, and the intense glow blinds the Kugeki, slowing down its aggression.
"Thank you, Scoria," she says. "Now stay back. Let me finish this."
The glitter in the bug-type Pokémon's eyes is back. There's no doubt that she's eager to experience a magical girl's ultimate technique before her very eyes, just like in the TV show that she and the rest of Flare's team enjoy watching.
Flare inhales deeply.
"Let the energy flow into you. Do not fight it."
The magical girl begins to glow with a scorching light. Many orbs of solar energy are absorbed into her body, fueling the massive attack that she will unleash. The water swirls around her, almost in pain. The Kugeki struggles to maintain its form, its gaping mouth expanding down wide enough to swallow the building Flare is standing on.
Like her signature attack, she draws a circle in front of her chest using the light she has soaked up as her ink. Flare withdraws her hand as a surge of pure energy travels up her arms. In a burst of desperation, the giant wave monster pushes itself up and out of the stormy waters.
"Precure...Solarbeam Flare!"
She flicks her hand out, and a massive beam of light devours the darkness. All she can see is a field of intense white radiance. The Kugeki is instantly vaporized, unable to even shriek as the powerful beam dissolves its dark aura and separates the human captives from the hoard of Grimer and Muk they were fused with.
"It worked! So my theory was correct."
"Reshiram, we have another problem!" the magical girl shouts over the concentrated attack. The legendary Pokémon turns its stern gaze up to face its partner.
"What is it?"
"I-I can't stop this Solarbeam!"
"...Oh. Oh dear."
And in the midst of the chaos, the Scolipede continues to stare on, hypnotized by how cool her trainer is.
N is sure that the amount of worry he's feeling at that moment is irrational, almost unnatural.
It all starts when the voices of the distressed Pokémon suddenly vanish. While his heart is no longer twisting in pain at their cries, the lack thereof is another poison, silent yet just as lethal. He wonders if Touko has already reached them, but his hopes are quickly dashed when nothing climbs out of the sewers for several long minutes. Then he hears the waters below sloshing violently, raging like a frenzied Gyarados.
At that point, the dread surging through his blood temporarily overwhelms his analytical mind, and by the time he realizes what he's doing, his feet have dragged him five steps down the stairs.
"What am I doing? Touko is more than capable of handling the situation. I need to trust her. As it stands, I will only get in her way."
It doesn't placate the rapid beating of his heart and the dreadful pit in his stomach. He retreats back to the pier.
He has felt this way before, this feeling of helplessness. While not as intense as in the past, N finds himself recalling back to a time when his world was shattered, when his ideals were ripped apart, and when his heart was broken by the man who clearly did not think of him as anything other than a tool. Back when, even though he had Zekrom by his side, he could not do anything except beg a random trainer for help.
And then, as if Touko is standing next to him, extending a hand out to bring him back from the depths of despair, a powerful beam of light shoots out towards the sun.
A muted gasp escapes his lips. He marvels at the unwavering strength of the Solarbeam as it soars across the sky. The ray of light never flickers, even when the attack concludes and the sound of the sea crashing into the pier is the only thing he can hear.
"That was...that has to be Touko's doing!" he finally concludes to himself. N peers down into the depths of the sewers, contemplating if he should enter to regroup with Touko or if he should wait for her on the pier, like he said he would.
The steady beats of someone walking up the stairs grab his attention. From the dark abyss, the silhouette of a familiar trainer takes shape, wearing a shaky grin.
"Phew...glad that's over with," Touko announces, chuckling nervously as she rejoins a stunned N.
There are so many things he wanted to ask. What was that beam of light? Are the Pokémon okay? What was the source of the explosion?
But before he can say anything, Touko gestures to his pockets, where the flyer for the stamp rally lies.
"Come on, N! There's something you need to see!"
"I see. So that explosion was actually a sudden influx of water, and since they wouldn't make it to the entrance in time, the Pokémon were instead evacuated to a secret section of the sewers, which is where we are headed to now."
"That's the gist of it," Touko confirms his recap of her explanation.
"Then how about that Solarbeam? Was that from you?"
"A-Ahh…" she hesitates for a moment. "T-That was Reshiram! I uhh...I had to…T-The ones who let the water in needed to be taught a lesson! Y-Yeah!"
"Heroine, what did I say about using me as your excuse?"
"I-I panicked again, okay?!"
"Using Reshiram is a bit much, don't you think?" N further probes.
Touko manages to compose herself enough to huff. "Well, what they did was dangerous. They could have drowned the people working down here or the other Pokémon who can't breathe underwater. And it wasn't like they were making it easy for me to apprehend them."
"And your answer was to fire a Solarbeam at them?" He seems to be clinging onto that specific fact. The female trainer looks away, avoiding his interrogative eyes.
"Y-Yeah, that's right."
He hums, mulling over an unspoken thought. Touko's heart races faster. Sweat coats the palms of her hands.
"How many prayers do I have to make before this whole thing blows up in my face?"
"Ah, Touko, was it?" One of the women in a lab coat calls out, ending their conversation prematurely. Touko struggles to hide the immense relief she feels as she and N quickly circle around the narrow passage of water to meet up with the scientists.
"Yes, that's me," the female trainer replies. N gazes upon the melted buildings and groups of shivering Pokémon with a pained frown.
"This is terrible. Why would anyone do such a thing?"
The scientist lifts her glasses. "We don't know either. Right now, we're trying to investigate if anything else is damaged from the flood along with treating the injured Pokémon. In the meantime, we have closed off the sewers until the situation is resolved. Oh, but since you were such a big help, I can let you enter the park and grab your last stamp."
Touko's nod is short and stiff. "T-Thank you. I hope your investigation goes well."
The female researcher continues on as if she doesn't see Touko's discomfort. "Still, I'm drawing a massive blank about this entire incident. I can't seem to remember exactly what happened. On top of that, the perpetrators got away."
She catches the tense frowns on their faces. "Don't worry about us. We'll make sure that everything gets taken care of," she assures them. The two take a quick glance at each other.
"Actually, N here knows a lot about Pokémon. He can help you treat the injured Pokémon, right?" Touko nudges the former king with her elbow, sending him a not-so-subtle wink. Something warm surges through his blood from her suggestion.
"Yes, that's right. Since I couldn't do anything for them a while ago, I would like to make sure that my friends are okay."
The scientist offers no objection. "Well, if that's the case, then we appreciate the help. Come this way."
Before he trails after the female researcher, N beams at his friend.
"Thank you, Touko. I'll be back soon!"
She finds it hard to suppress the giddiness bubbling in her heart at the elated expression on his face.
"His smile is so bright and innocent. I hope that it stays that way."
N keeps his word, coming back to Touko's side once Nurse Joy arrives at the scene. Despite the short time he had to inspect the injured Pokémon, he seems to be satisfied with his work.
"So the park that you mentioned is up these stairs?"
"Yep! You're going to like what you see!"
They walk up the steps together. When they reach the surface, a twinkle in N's gray eyes emerges.
The space is definitely too small to be called a park. A more fitting word to him for this place is a sanctuary. The tall skyscrapers of Castelia City act as a barrier for the tiny patch of green life. Wild Pokémon, from Buneary to Cottonee to Eevee, playfully dash around the giant tree in the center of the park. The tree itself is a sight to behold. Vibrant green leaves sway with the wind as several Rattata climb up its strong branches. It looms over the tall grass, serving as the protector of this sanctuary.
"I didn't expect such a place to exist here," N whispers, his voice muted with awe. "So this is the treasure of the Castelia Sewers."
"It's a great treasure, don't you think?" Touko asks him with a gentle grin.
He returns her smile. "Yes, it is."
At the back corner, a middle-aged man stares on lazily at the pair of trainers. As the former king admires the picturesque view of nature blooming in a sea of stiff steel, Touko takes the stamp rally flyer from N's possession and walks up to the veteran, handing him the crumpled paper.
"You guys are in the stamp rally? Alright, take this last stamp."
Drawing a rubber stamp from his pockets, he daintily presses an image of a Grimer onto the flyer. Touko thanks the stranger and holds the paper up triumphantly.
"We're finally done!" she exclaims. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and N cheers along with her, finding that her glowing smile is the missing piece that completes this hidden paradise.
"Let's go turn this in, N!"
"Actually, can we stay here for a while? I want to enjoy the view a bit more."
Touko doesn't catch the subtle double meaning behind his words, a meaning lost even on him. With a slightly exasperated sigh, she says, "Okay, but we're getting our prize before the sun goes down."
They end up getting a box full of rare berries and a limited edition rubber stamp of the Venipede evolution line.
Night descends onto the metropolis.
The bustle of the city has died down significantly, especially after hosting such a large event. And yet, down in the depths of the dark, damp sewers, a single light flashes radiantly.
Flare exhales softly as her transformation concludes. She opens her eyes slowly as she awaits judgment from her team, who are all released from their Poké Balls.
Her Lilligant is the first to react. The flowery, human-like Pokémon marvels at the magical girl, clutching her leafy arms to her chest like a schoolgirl suppressing a squeal. Ritsu and her Zebstrika, Pele, are the most shocked out of the bunch. Meanwhile, Valyn the Vanilluxe glances up at Scoria, more interested in the Scolipede's more subdued awe.
"W-Well, as you can see, I'm a magical girl. A Precure to be precise. I'm able to use Reshiram's power as my own."
Lillil spins around and squeaks several times, presumably overjoyed that her hard work with the legendary Pokémon has finally paid off. The rest of the team are aghast at the revelation. It looks like they, just like their trainer, were unaware of their late night research. The Lilligant giggles as she twirls, cheering like a child who has won a year-long supply of candy.
"Everyone, as much as this excites you all," Reshiram says in an all too serious tone, ignoring the open mouths of its teammates, "There is a legitimate reason as to why I have allowed Flare to wield my power."
Flare wheezes out a small cough when they stare on in confusion. "Team Plasma is back again. Well, not exactly Team Plasma." At the mention of the criminal team responsible for attempting to separate them from their beloved trainer, they all snarl intimidatingly.
"The Shadow Triad...you remember them, right? They're trying to bring Ghetsis back. And they're doing so by fusing people and Pokémon together."
Reshiram growls to its Pokémon teammates, "We do not know how fusing them together will help them achieve their goal in restoring Ghetsis, but what we do know is that normal Pokémon attacks will not work against this new power that the Shadow Triad have. As of this moment, only Flare and another unknown Precure have the ability to defeat this new threat."
"So in short," Flare picks up, finishing Reshiram's explanation, "Our goals are to stop the Shadow Triad, find this other Precure and team up with her, and keep this a secret from everyone else."
Her Pokémon eye each other, their expressions unreadable. Flare, with her head down, tries to justify herself.
"I know that lying is probably the last thing you guys want to do, but out of all the choices that I have, this is the right one. Until we stop them or find another way to fight, I don't want to-!"
She is cut off by Ritsu's grunting. Her eyes meet the sharp glint twinkling in the Samurott's orange pupils, a sparkle shared by the rest of her team.
"Everyone…" the Precure sighs in relief.
"They have known you for a long time now. There is no need to explain yourself." Reshiram says, nodding at the bonds shared between her Pokémon and their trainer. "We are here to assist you, Flare. You only need to command us."
To punctuate Reshiram's point, her team huddles up to her body and nuzzles her. Flare relaxes in their comforting presence, a warm smile spreading her lips.
"You guys are the best."
A brown-haired trainer with a visor lands at the entrance of the Pokémon Center. She recalls her Swanna after giving her several pats on her head. Her handbag vibrates, shaking against the side of her body.
"It is inconceivable that Reshiram would let its hero lie about something so drastic. Who does that scientist think he is, slandering what Reshiram stands for?"
"I don't fully believe him either, Zekrom, but he did point out something very fishy about all this. Either way, I think the best course of action is to trail them until we can confidently confirm if she's hiding something."
"That might be best. I, too, want to erase this doubt from my heart."
Mei holds a confident smirk as if challenging the other heroine to a game of wits.
"...Zekrom, you know what this means, right?"
"No, I do not."
"It means…" she explains, drawing out the "e" sound, "that I'm finally going to see Touko and N's relationship firsthand! Oh, this is a dream come true! Two Pidove with one stone! Will they get together? Or will their past get in the way? Maybe the training I made N go through will sweep her right off of her feet!"
Zekrom can only sigh. "I hope she does not forget why we are here in the first place…"
Profile: Scoria
Scoria is a Scolipede that Touko met at Pinwheel Forest back when she was a Venipede. She joined Touko's team shortly after the trainer drove out Team Plasma from the forest. The bug and poison-type Pokémon can get easily distracted, especially if something she likes catches her interest. As a result, Scoria is one of Touko's more difficult Pokémon to train, but when push comes to shove, the Scolipede always pull through for her trainer.
Gender: Female
Type: Bug/Poison
Nature: Bold
Characteristic: Scatter things often
Ability: Swarm
Moveset: X-Scissor, Poison Jab, Sunny Day, Baton Pass