Chapter 4: Cheren and Bianca! Cure Flare's New Accomplices!
The next day...
Alder sits on the carpeted floor of his rustic home, his legs crisscrossed and his arms folded against his poncho. His shoulders are sagging, a clear indication of fatigue. The two students that are under his mentorship are enjoying a battle outside, which gives him a moment of solitude to sort out his jumbled thoughts.
"I wish I didn't have to spend so much time dealing with the authorities. I never did find out if Bianca was saved from being that monstrosity. Not to mention that I haven't seen Touko since that day. Is she alright?"
"Alder, you have visitors!" His female student shouts as she rushes into the church-like house. The former champion picks himself up and dusts off his white pants.
"Oh, I wonder who they could be." The door opens behind the student, revealing two familiar faces.
"Excuse me, Alder," Cheren greets, "We need to discuss something with you."
Bianca, in contrast to the teacher's blunt request, starts small talk with the older man. "Oh, Alder! I'm so glad you're okay! I'm sorry that I haven't stopped by."
"Cheren! And B-Bianca, you're back to normal!" Alder blurts out.
"Huh? What do you mean by that? I'm always like this, right Cheren?" She turns to her childhood friend, who only grunts as his response.
"Anyway," the gym leader refocuses on the topic at hand, "I would like to ask you about the events surrounding Bianca's kidnapping. Touko has been unusually dodgy about the entire thing, and Bianca informed me that you were also there when it happened."
"So Touko is okay. That's a relief," he mumbles under his breath. Alder's mind whirls as he paces back and forth. "I was there, yes, but I did not see how exactly Touko saved Bianca."
The blonde assistant's peppy smile vanishes. "She refuses to tell me anything, only that she rescued me. At first, I thought she beat the Shadow Triad in a Pokémon battle-!"
"Wait, you were kidnapped by the Shadow Triad?! That's not what you said before, Bianca!" Cheren snaps at her. She flinches, clasping her hands together apologetically.
"I-I'm sorry!"
"Does this mean that Team Plasma is trying to make yet another comeback? Is that what Touko is hiding from us…?" Despite how furious he feels, Cheren is starting to see why his friend is dodgy about the subject. She has always been one to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"That's not the only thing she isn't telling you," Alder cuts in.
"What do you mean?" The steady tone of Cheren's voice hides a thinly veiled threat.
The former champion turns his gaze to Bianca. "You really don't remember what happened to you?"
She shakes her head. A heavy sense of foreboding washes over them. He hums apprehensively before sitting down at one of the wooden tables.
"Please sit down. And I suggest you keep an open mind. Even I don't believe what I'm about to tell you."
"...watch this show as well. Did Touko introduce it to you all? No? Ritsu watched it randomly one night and got all of you into it? Hmm...I see."
Touko wakes up to N asking questions to her team. At first, she quietly groans and tosses her face back into the pillow, but a burst of boisterous cheering jerks her body up to a sitting position. Her Pokémon had formed a semi-circle around the flat-screen TV with N in the middle, their faces almost pressed to the electronic device.
"Why are you guys shouting so loud so early in the morning?" she grumbles.
Her team, minus Reshiram, who is inside of its luxury ball, all cringe at her tone. Ritsu, the only Pokémon on her team who knows how to handle a grouchy, sleep-deprived Touko, nudges the TV and growls happily.
She blinks a couple of times. "Ahh...is it that time of the week…? Well, keep it down…" Yawning rather loudly, Touko flops back onto the bed. She lays there for several seconds.
"Wait!"
She snaps back up and points a finger at the TV. "I thought the next season wasn't until next week! Why are you guys up then?!"
"Heroine, it appears that you have lost track of time. It is indeed the next week today, and we are all very excited to see the new protagonist."
"Touko, you watch this show too?" N questions with a muted eagerness.
"N-No! Of course not! It's a kids' show!"
He frowns at her answer. "That's a shame. I think it teaches very important life lessons." The new yet familiar tingle of a cute female voice forcibly grabs the attention of her team, and they abandon their trainer to plaster themselves against the tiny screen. Realizing that she won't be getting any more sleep, Touko sighs and runs her hands through her hair, hoping to destroy a few knots before her inevitable battle with her comb.
"How did you come across this show?" the female trainer asks as she crawls her way over to the end of the bed.
"Mei introduced me to it," he answers, "She shoved me in front of the TV one day and didn't let me leave until the episode ended. At first, I was hesitant about watching Pokémon get hurt for the sake of mindless entertainment, but Mei gave me a tour of Pokéstars Studio and showed me how they shot each episode. I've learned how they used a multitude of different tricks to set up scenarios that couldn't happen in the real world, and I saw how the safety of people and Pokémon was their number-one priority. It didn't take long for me to become just as invested as she is."
"Pokéstars Studio? Is that the giant avenue in Virbank City?"
"Yes. It was established a year ago, but the company's popularity has skyrocketed tremendously thanks to Mei being a full-time actress there."
The heroine hums as her blue eyes shift to the television. "Another pink magical girl…" she muses to herself. Her mind wanders to her own magical girl form. The bright orange hair that resembles a curtain of fire...the impeccable white color of her feminine dress...the feeling of heat surging within her fingertips...
"Imagine if magic existed in the world," N interjects, pulling her out of her daydream, "Sure, there will be people who would abuse that power, but there will be others who will stop them and maintain peace. Watching these kinds of shows reminds me of what you have taught me, Touko."
Touko's team snaps their eyes wide as if they were caught stealing extra berries in the middle of the night. Touko's cheeks flush against her will, but she doesn't know if it's because of embarrassment or panic. The green-haired man notices her Pokémon friends suddenly shrink away, and he attempts to figure out the source of their apparent alarm.
"What's the matt-?"
"I-I think magic exists!" she blurts out, bailing her team out of his inevitable interrogation. The luxury ball in Lillil's arms is trembling, struggling to reach its trainer. N seems shocked by her response.
"You do?"
"Yes, I do. After all, you have a wonderful magical ability that no one else has, N."
Touko looks up to see his reaction. His mouth is hung open. His hand is twitching subtly. He turns back to the television and draws his cap down over his eyes.
"I'm...glad you think so, Touko."
"What is this foreign feeling? Why does it feel so good to receive a compliment from her?"
Meanwhile, Touko celebrates her victory in silence. She has managed to dodge a bullet and catch him off guard. Her Pokémon all slump in relief. The television is ignored as the credits for the episode roll up the screen.
This time, Reshiram is the one sighing at its trainer. "Oh dear."
"Cheren, you're awfully quiet…"
The bombshell of a revelation is weighing heavily on their minds. Surprisingly, Bianca is taking the news much better than Cheren is. Well, at least judging from his uncharacteristic silence.
"Bianca, how much of that do you believe?" he finally asks. At first, she only releases a bewildered "huh?", but after she spots the troubled glint in his eyes, she looks down, avoiding his gaze.
"Uhh, well, it's actually kind of hard to believe any of that, but I don't think Alder is the one to weave such a bizarre story."
The gym leader adjusts his tie and clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable by what he had learned. "Then there must be a strand of truth in his words. Still, we don't have the whole story. We don't know how Touko managed to save you from being that...Kugeki." The word sounds foreign, even with his analytical tone. He turns on his heel and walks away from the dirt battlefield drawn in front of Alder's home. Bianca dashes to his side.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm going to go see Touko. I need to confirm this with her, and I want to know why she is hiding this from us."
"Then...then!" Bianca wrestles with her voice, trying to get it to convey her choice. "I'll go with you! If what Alder said is true, that means I was used to hurt my best friend. I want to at least apologize to her for that."
Cheren nods. "Okay, but we have to hurry. If I remember correctly, she should still be in Castelia City. If she's not, we might have to split up and check both Skyarrow Bridge and Route 4."
Their walk to Virbank City is plagued with a tense silence. Once they reach the pier, Bianca realizes something.
"Wait Cheren...how come we can't just call her on her Xtransceiver?"
The teacher freezes, burying his head into his hand. "...I forgot to ask her for her Xtransceiver number."
"Huh? Didn't you have it before when we went on our journey?"
"...Bianca, it's the same reason why I needed to ask you for your number a year ago."
"Oh...OH! Oh..."
"As I was saying, we should go up Route 4 and circle around Unova before heading back down," Touko explains to a frowning N, who proceeds to shake his head.
"I actually think we should visit the southeastern part of Unova before we travel up north."
"N, if we go north, then we won't have to backtrack as much."
The crowd of Pokémon gathered around their trainers observe them jab fingers at a crumbled map as they argue over their next destination.
"It has only been a day, and already they are clashing with each other. I do hope it does not escalate into a battle," Reshiram says to its teammates from its glossy ball. Instantly, the rest of the group sprints into a corner, huddling away from the Lilligant holding the luxury ball. N's team, his trusty Zoroark and another Vanilluxe, also joins them, shivering in utter fear.
Lillil tilts her head and squeaks once, confused as to why everyone is staring at her like that. Zoroark growls under his breath, and the flowery Pokémon perks up, as if finally realizing why they're shaking, with unshed tears in Zoroark's normally mischievous eyes and beads of frozen sweat on both Vanilluxe's bodies.
"..." N gasped and fell to his knees, appalled by what had transpired. Touko stood before him, her crystal blue eyes staring down at his hunched form. He did not dare to look up, afraid that one glance into her pupils will burn away the rest of his being.
Everything is ruined. His ideals...his dreams…
He had lost. Touko was the victorious hero.
"After all of that, do you think you're still worthy of sharing the name Harmonia with me? You good-for-nothing boy!" Ghetsis raged, his footsteps shaking the pristine halls of the fallen king's castle. Each word that escaped his mouth shattered the remaining pieces of N's dignity.
"Add it up, and you are nothing more than a warped, defective boy who knows nothing but Pokémon..."
Reshiram could feel the rage engulfing its heroine as she helplessly listened to the madman verbally crush his son under his shoes. She could not open her mouth; the cruelty before her stunned everyone in the chamber.
"You can say whatever you want. A Pokémon, even if it's revered as a deity, is still just a Pokémon. Touko, so what if it chose you! That doesn't mean you're a threat. Come on! Now you'll face ME in battle! I can't wait to see the look on your face when you've lost all hope!"
It wasn't until he changed his focus from the fallen king to Touko that Reshiram shared its trainer's anger. Their hearts became one, and Touko lifted her head to send Ghetsis a snarl that would torment him...and N for the rest of their lives.
"I'll show you what it means to lose all hope, Ghetsis," she vowed.
The bystanders cowered as they observed their ensuing fight. No, the walls did not shake under the force of their clash. No, the room did not tremble. No, there was no storm of manic cries as both trainers attempted to bring the other down.
No, there was only silence, terror in its purest form.
The witnesses, too, would forever be haunted by that day, by the truth that rang through the halls of that once pristine castle.
Touko single-handedly swept Ghetsis's entire team with her Lilligant.
The luxury ball bounces up and down as the recollection ends. "We must resolve their fight before it comes to that conclusion!"
"N, I really don't want to go home yet!" Touko snaps at him, providing him with yet another reason why they should go with her idea.
"And why is that?" N retorts back, "I want to learn about the world you grew up in, just like you have for me. I wish to meet the person who raised you and helped you become the Touko that I know now."
It is an innocent statement, a heartwarming gesture that critically strikes her heart. In fact, it is so effective that she finds herself mentally conjuring an image of N and her mother engaged in a conversation about some obscure fact about her past. She humors herself for only a second before the truth comes crawling back, nagging at her to stop daydreaming.
"I-I'm not ready for him to meet my mom! How is she going to react if her daughter, whom she lost contact with for three years, suddenly comes home with a guy?! And once she finds out he's the friend I've been searching for…!"
Another image, this time of her mom giggling mischievously at the lanky man and shoving him to Touko's side while he stumbles around in confusion, dances in her head. She almost buries herself into the pile of blankets on her bed. The embarrassment her mother will deliver to her is guaranteed to expose the tiny spouts of love in her heart to the oblivious man. And that is the last thing she wants.
N heaves out a puff of air. "We are going nowhere with this. Maybe we should get some food first and then discuss it some more."
He calls for Zoroark and Vanilluxe to follow him, and they exit the room, leaving Touko to stare at the wrinkled map alone.
She sighs and retrieves the luxury ball from her Lilligant's arms.
"Heroine."
"Save the lecture, Reshiram," the trainer snaps. "You already know the real reason why I don't want to go home yet."
"Your mother misses you. Is it not time for you to ease her worries and tell her you have returned?"
Her shoulders slump. The arm holding the luxury ball hangs limply by her side.
"You feel guilty for not contacting her for so long."
The truth, now exposed to the quiet room, reverberates in her mind.
"I spent years of my life looking for him. I was so focused on the task that I forgot everything else. Cheren, Bianca, my mom…"
"But it is for that very reason that you should contact her. I imagine that her feelings will be hurt more if she learns that her daughter, after coming back to her home region, does not want to reach out to her."
Touko's other hand brushes against the electronic watch on her wrist.
"I'll...call her tonight. First, I need to figure out where we're heading next."
"If I may offer my opinion on the matter, I believe that we should head down Skyarrow Bridge."
"Reshiram, whose side are you on?!"
Cheren and Bianca land at Prime Pier by midday. The teacher scans the dock for any sign of his friend, while the professor's assistant eyes her friend's troubled frown.
"Let's ask around, Bianca," he suggests. "Someone must have seen her."
The blonde nods and follows his lead. They reach the main street and head towards the Pokémon Center, unaware of a trainer trailing behind them with an ice cream cone in her hands.
"Cheren and Bianca? What are they doing here?" Mei mutters, taking a bite out of the frozen dessert. She observes them asking random people about a certain trainer, their faces neutral as a scientist points them to the end of the giant street.
"They're looking for Touko? Zekrom, we're going to follow them."
"I do not see why you are suspicious of them, but since we are following the other heroine anyway, let us go."
Mei dashes across the city, making sure that she's at least a few feet away from the people she's stalking. The duo is about to enter the Pokémon Center when the sliding doors open, parting away to let Touko exit the building.
"C-Cheren? Bianca? I didn't expect to see you guys here," the heroine greets. Mei furrows her eyebrows at the unusual tension straining Touko's voice. Both of her childhood friends must have noticed it as well, for they ask her if everything's alright.
"Umm...N and I got into a fight earlier. I'm actually going to search for him right now."
The trainer from Aspertia City inhales sharply. "It's only day two! Are you kidding me?!" She clenches her trembling fist.
"Mei, I have warned you about this before. Conflict is inevitable, even if you have 'trained' Lord N to be more tolerable around humans. In fact, it is all those two have ever known of each other. Their personalities are bound to have them clash."
"Just because they're like that in the past doesn't mean that they have to be now," she bites back. "I can tell that N cares deeply about Touko and vice versa, so why are they-?!"
"When they disagree, that is how they come to understand each other. Remember that in the end, Lord N and the other heroine are barely friends, strangers even. Their bonds are still growing. In any case, it does seem like she is remorseful about fighting with him."
Mei returns her gaze to the entrance of the Pokémon center...only to find that her targets have disappeared.
"Oh no!" she gasps, dashing out of her hiding spot to perform a quick scan of the area. "Where did they go?!" Mei digs into her bag and pulls out a Poké Ball.
"Swanna, come on out!"
A graceful, swan-like Pokémon bows her head as she materializes by her trainer's side. She folds her wings as she chirps out a greeting.
"Can you help me find Touko and her friends? If you see them, come find me immediately."
The White Bird Pokémon unfolds her wings and soars to the skies. While the Swanna flies toward the piers, Mei dashes into Castelia Street to the center of the city.
"I see," Cheren responds curtly, silently noting the heavy frown on Touko's face. From what she has explained to them, her fight with N is laughably minuscule, but despite that, she looks torn. Bianca, being the more emotionally supportive of the trio, places a hand on the heroine's shoulder.
"I understand where you're coming from, Touko," the teacher says, "But at the same time, you coming home would end your mother's worrying. She doesn't have to wonder if you've fulfilled your dream or if you're safe out there anymore."
Touko looks down, toying with the luxury ball on her waist. "Is it really that simple?"
Bianca clasps Touko's hands and tugs them up, prompting the trainer to lift her gaze. "Your mom is a kind and understanding person. I'm sure that all she wants is to see you again."
"That's what Reshiram said," Touko recalls as her frown spreads across her face. Cheren watches her mood sink further.
"Are you thinking she doesn't want to see you anymore?" he asks. The question seems out of the blue, but it makes her tense. She bites her lips as she clutches the luxury ball again.
"Oh, Touko...why would you ever think that?" Bianca softly mumbles, her heart lurching at the grim thought. Touko avoids eye contact with them as the crowd of people around them speeds up their pace. The buildings loom over her, creating a sense of isolation only she can feel.
Cheren plays with his tie, a substitute for his nervous tick of adjusting his glasses, which he doesn't wear anymore. "So that's the root of the problem. I didn't think you would develop this kind of mindset."
She remains silent. Her two friends stare at each other.
"I plan to call her tonight, but I'm bracing myself for the worst," she informs them with a quiet tone. The gym leader sighs heavily as if he's about to lecture one of his students. Before he can, however, Bianca once again speaks up, this time with a cheerful smile.
"Your mom will be so happy to hear from you. In a situation like this, you should give her your biggest smile so that she knows you've accomplished what you set off to do!"
"Bianca…" the heroine gasps. Cheren exasperatedly shakes his head but ultimately grins at the helpful advice that Touko is given.
"Thank you. I think I'll do that."
They find themselves in front of the giant fountain in the city plaza. Touko does a quick survey of the area, but there is no sign of N or his Pokémon companions. Giving up her search, she heaves a sigh and sits down on the edge of the fountain.
"So, what did you guys want to ask me?" the heroine asks, remembering that they came looking for her. Cheren, scanning the area in case someone might be eavesdropping on them, lowers the volume of his voice.
"Is it true that Bianca was fused with a Pokémon and became a...Kugeki?"
Touko's heart almost stops. Reshiram's luxury ball bats itself against her thigh. She nearly falls into the shallow pond of water behind her; the shock is too great for her to feebly hide it behind a flimsy, innocent smile.
"W-Where did he hear that from?!"
"So you do know something!" Cheren probes. "Please tell us the truth! If what Alder said is true, then Unova is in danger again!"
Her mind blanks out after hearing the former champion's name. It takes her a moment to even register that Bianca is waving a hand in her face, trying to draw her out of her daze. The color drains from her body.
"I-I completely forgot about Alder!"
"We forgot to swear him into secrecy. Who knows how many people he has told by now?"
"Touko? Touko!" the gym leader snaps. The heroine struggles to reclaim some rational sense in her mind. What can she do, now that the truth is out there?
"You have to tell them. This was going to happen sooner or later. Besides, because of what happened with Bianca, they are already involved in all this."
She opens her mouth to speak. "I-!"
"Why don't we give you a demonstration?"
The three of them gasp at the sudden intruder to their conversation. On top of a skyscraper, a member of the Shadow Triad stands before them, arms crossed over his chest. A Bisharp is by his side, his posture the same as his trainer.
"You! What are you planning?!" Touko hisses, a hand already on the luxury ball. As usual, Shadow remains unfazed by her hostile tone.
"We were overhearing your conversation, and we thought it might be nice to show you what a Kugeki truly is."
By now, several people have noticed the mysterious person observing them from above. Some of them begin to talk amongst themselves, speculating on who he might be. Cheren, with as much composure as he can muster, throws out a Poké Ball, sending out his first Pokémon.
"Stoutland, let's go!"
A large, canine Pokémon with a pair of thick fur whiskers lets out a bark as he is released from the Poké Ball. Cheren taunts Shadow, demanding that he come down and battle him. Unbeknownst to the gym leader, the edges of Shadow's eyes narrow, an amused glint sparkling in his normally dead eyes. Bisharp raises an arm as if preparing to attack.
"How foolish. Even after knowing that you don't stand a chance, you still resist. No matter. You have already fallen into our trap."
"Heroine, tell Cheren to recall his Pokémon now! He's going to-!"
"Cheren, don't!" Touko cries out. Her heart accelerates when Shadow pulls out the dreaded device and holds it up to the sky.
"Now, become our next test subject!"
A crack in the sky heralds the arrival of that bleak portal. The wind picks up, and gravity isn't strong enough to keep Cheren on his feet.
"Cheren!" Bianca wails, stretching her hand out to grab his wrist. Their fingers brush faintly, just enough for her senses to register that she's a little too late. The last thing she sees is the genuinely terrified look in his eyes. Cheren and Stoutland disappear into the portal, and in their place, a massive canine monster lands on top of the water fountain, smashing it into oblivion. It resembles the Big-Hearted Pokémon, but the whiskers on its face swing out to resemble a pair of flexed arms, with the ends curled up to form giant fists. Cheren is attached to the Kugeki, his body from the waist down embedded into the monster's furry back. His eyes are clenched shut as the dark aura spikes around the Kugeki. It lets out a howl, and its negative energy encases the entire city. People and Pokémon drop to their knees, suddenly losing the strength to even stand.
"W-What's going on?" Bianca wheezes, clinging onto Touko's arm. "Why is everyone like this? And what is that...thing?!"
"That is a Kugeki, a combination of human and Pokémon. How interesting that you do not remember being one yourself," Shadows explains as he vanishes and reappears by his monster's side. "As I said before, this is an experiment, and it turns out that our theory holds true. If a trainer is fused with their Pokémon, then the energy produced is increased. It can even spread to other living things, leaving them incapable of thought, reason."
Touko's grip on the luxury ball makes her hand tremble. "This is why I didn't want them to find out! They'll use anyone to get what they want!"
"Hmm...it appears that those who have been purified before are not affected by the Kugeki's aura. Yes, these are good results. Now, Precure, revert your friend back to normal!" the villain taunts as he commands his creation to attack the trainer.
"Precure…?" Touko's friend echoes back.
"Bianca, run away now!"
"W-What?"
In Bianca's mind, she knows that this is her chance to figure out exactly how Touko saved her. But the agonized glint in those crystal blue eyes is doing a rather convincing job of making her yield to Touko's demand.
"I need you to find N," the heroine commands. "Find him and keep him away from here."
"B-But what about you? Are you going to fight this by yourself?"
"Please, Bianca. I can't...let N see this."
"I can't have him see me."
From one of the roads leading into the plaza, a certain trainer overhears the entire conversation.
"Precure...he called Touko that."
Zekrom's trainer does not reply to its observation. She latches a hand onto her sports bag as if using it to stabilize herself.
"Mei…I know where your thoughts are heading, but we must focus on the task. You need to-!"
She hears Touko pleading with her friend to search for N. Stepping out from the shadows, the trainer from Aspertia City makes her presence known.
"I'll find him, Touko," Mei proclaims with a firm nod. The heroine whips her head back, shocked at the sudden intruder.
"M-Mei?"
"I'm going to go find him. That's why...please don't worry!"
Before Touko can respond, she dashes away. Zekrom's ultra ball wriggles, and she knows that Zekrom is silently questioning her decision.
Mei shakes her head and continues to run.
Touko sees no way out of her situation. She had hoped that by sending Bianca away to guard N, she can fight the Kugeki without endangering her. It is already too late for her to deny anything; Shadow had already ratted her out by calling her a Precure.
But Mei had shown up to ruin that plan. The almost perfect timing casts a hint of suspicion onto the younger trainer. Just how long was she there? And how much did she hear? And why isn't she drowning in the negative energy like the others?
"Heroine, we must save those questions for later. Right now, you must transform."
The brown-haired trainer takes a quick peek at her friend, who stares back with a nervous frown. The heroine lets out a heavy sigh and takes a deep breath.
"Bianca, you might want to look away," Touko warns. She lifts Reshiram's luxury ball into the air and chants out the activation words that will trigger her transformation.
"Curing Fusion!"
Bianca is blinded by the bright pillar of light. She raises her hands to block out the intense glow, squeezing her eyes shut to further decrease its brilliance. Seconds later, the light vanishes, and in its place, a completely different person stands before her.
"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"
Bianca registers the heat emitting from the magical girl before anything else. Flare's long orange ponytail flickers with the wind. Behind the curtain of hair, the sheer white color of her dress almost shimmers in the sunlight. Her wings subtly flap against her short skirt.
A magical girl. Her friend is a magical girl.
A long gasp flows out of Bianca's lips as the Precure lowers her stance. The moment her breath is finally taken away, Flare launches forward and delivers a swift kick to the Kugeki's muzzle. She attempts to shove in another kick, but one of its furry fists sweeps in from the side, forcing her to dodge out of the way. The other whisker comes from behind in order to take advantage of the short window of vulnerability, but Flare lifts her hand to create a barrier of fire. The fist bashes against her shield, and an explosion of orange flames reflects the power of the collision back to the monster. The force hurls the beast towards the crumbled fountain, where it is drenched by a geyser of water that resulted from the impact.
Flare doesn't give the canine monster time to pick itself up. Rushing in at a speed that makes Bianca's head spin, the magical girl hurls several fireballs in the Kugeki's direction. While the monster is distracted by the mediocre attacks, the Precure kicks it up towards the sky, using the momentum of her strike to jump above its head and send it crashing down with an axe kick.
She lands in front of Bianca at the same time the merged beast slams into the broken fountain yet again.
"You are more aggressive today, Flare."
"What did you expect? I can't forgive them for using my friends as tools to bring me down. They'll pay for dragging them into this," the magical girl snaps back.
"T-Touko…" The display of power Flare demonstrated just now renders Bianca speechless. She might as well be like the people and Pokémon suffering from the effects of the Kugeki's dark aura, only except of despair, she sees hope.
Shadow, on the other hand, is grimacing at how comfortable the magical girl is in wielding her newfound powers. His creation isn't defeated yet, but the fight is heavily one-sided.
He has always feared the strength that she possessed. That indomitable strong will…
Still, he cannot back down now. He must push her to her limits...if she even has any.
"As expected of Reshiram's hero," Shadow praises, but the gesture only serves to leave a bad taste in Flare's mouth. "The power that you hold inside of you...it's a valuable thing. Wouldn't you agree, Kugeki?" The ninja presses a button on the device, one that she recognizes as the switch he accidentally pressed when Bianca was a Kugeki.
The Stoutland-like monstrosity slowly lifts itself up. It growls at the Precure, visibly struggling to stay on its feet. Flare shares eye contact with the absorbed Cheren, noting that his eyes are now open, glowing with eerie darkness. The purple aura around the Kugeki flares, intensifying the cages of despair holding the rest of the public captive.
"Power…" Flare hears Cheren mutter. "I must be powerful…"
The giant whiskers on the monster's face swing around wildly, hoping to catch the magical girl with one of its fists. Cheren is howling in agony, screaming with the feral intent to destroy everything in his path. Flare assumes a defensive stance when a furry fist heads toward her and Bianca. She takes the attack, grunting as she strains to keep her ground in order to protect her friend.
"I-I should have expected nothing less...from Cheren. He's...always been stronger than he gives himself credit for…" the Precure notes, looking back to check on Bianca.
"A-Are you...alright, Bianca?"
"Y-Yeah, I am, but…"
She understands that she is a burden to Touko right now. The gravity of the situation is still pressing down on her mind, and while she wishes that this is all a dream, her best friend is fighting to save their other friend. The Shadow Triad is still around, and magic exists.
"Power...I must be the strongest…" Cheren growls out. Flare opens her mouth to deliver another speech, but she never gets the chance, for Bianca calls out to her friend.
"Cheren, please remember what you've learned on your journey! What will you do with power once you get it? Just like how I've realized something very important about myself, you did as well! Please remember what that is: the reason why you decided to be a gym leader!"
Shadow gruffs at her pleading. "It's pointless! Nothing you say will reach him. Kugeki, crush them both to the ground!"
The canine monster dashes in, ready to run over them with its massive weight. Flare winds up an attack, her right hand clenched in a fist as fire congregates around her form, and slams it against the Kugeki's body.
"Bianca, I'll carry your feelings to him. You can count on that," Flare whispers to her friend.
"Touko…"
"They're definitely not pointless. In fact, I'm a little upset with myself that I wasn't there when you guys chose your paths. I wish I could have been there to support you." The regret lining the edges of her voice further reveals Flare's true feelings to her childhood friend.
"But that changes now!"
The blaze within her fingertips spikes with her declaration. A cage of blue embers surrounds the Kugeki as the magical girl charges up her signature attack.
"Precure...Blue Flare!"
Bianca feels the heat licking her skin as she witnesses the fused monster being engulfed by a pillar of blue fire. When Cure Flare launches the concentrated beam of azure flames, the blonde teenager can only widen her eyes, dazzled by the strangely beautiful attack.
Cheren and Stoutland are successfully separated from each other, and as Shadow vanishes out of sight, Flare sprints towards the falling gym leader. Meanwhile, Bianca releases her Musharna and orders her to use Psychic on the Stoutland. The magical girl lets her friend search Cheren for Stoutland's Poké Ball, and after Bianca recalls the canine-like Pokémon, Flare picks up the gym leader and carries him bridal-style.
The dark aura around the bystanders disappears. They all unceremoniously drop to the ground, their bodies entering a brief state of unconsciousness.
"Let's go to the Pokémon Center and wait for him to wake up. I'll explain everything once he does."
"Aren't you going to transform back?" Bianca questions.
Flare abruptly stops. She surveys her surroundings and then laughs nervously.
"R-Right, maybe I should. Who knows when they'll wake up?" And with that, her transformation peels away. Once she returns to being her civilian self again, the sudden lack of strength almost makes her drop Cheren onto the concrete.
"Oof...he's heavy," Touko wheezes out. Bianca chuckles at her.
"Don't let Cheren hear you say that," the blonde jokingly warns. "He'll throw a fit."
"Don't I know it. Ritsu, come on out! Help me bring Cheren to the Pokémon Center!"
Cheren wakes up feeling as if he's missing something. When he opens his eyes, he sees Touko and Bianca hovering over him. The fact that he's looking up indicates that he's lying down somewhere.
"Hey there, how are you feeling?" Touko questions. The teacher sits up and glances around the room.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Pokémon Center. This is the room that I'm staying in."
Bianca clasps his hand and says, "Oh, I'm so glad that you're okay!"
"B-Bianca? H-Hey, what's wrong?" His stuttering aside, he seems to be back to normal.
"You don't remember anything?" The heroine probes. Cheren rubs his temples as he attempts to recall how exactly he ended up here.
"I challenged a member of the Shadow Triad to a battle, but after that, my mind is drawing up nothing."
"You were turned into that...thing, just like I was a few days ago," Bianca explains, letting go of Cheren's hand. His face as he realizes what happened mirrors her own. Touko awkwardly rubs her arm. The gym leader slams a fist down onto his lap and lets out a curse.
"I can't believe I let them use me like that! On top of that, I couldn't verify the information that Alder gave us because of this memory loss. How annoying...and humiliating."
"But Touko saved you, Cheren. She's going to tell us everything now, right?"
The brown-haired trainer catches the inquisitive glint in his eyes. She shuts her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then firmly nods.
"Before I do though, you must not tell anyone else about this."
"Except Alder."
"Except Alder. You can tell him since he also got caught up in all this."
N and Mei return to the Pokémon Center just as the sun disappears for the night. They bump into Cheren and Bianca as they are about to head out. They're whispering something to each other, the gap between them shrinking with each inaudible word.
"Oh Bianca, Cheren! Are you two heading back to Aspertia City?" Mei greets them with a coy smile. Judging from the curt grunt that Cheren releases as soon as she finishes her question, he must have known that she's trying to push him into a situation where he's going to get teased.
"Yeah, we are. Our business here is done. Let's go, Bianca."
He doesn't even give Mei a chance to respond, for he grabs Bianca's wrist and walks out of the building. The blonde timidly asks him what's the matter, but he keeps his mouth shut.
N shifts his gaze between the glass automatic doors and his friend. "I wonder what that was all about."
"Oh, don't worry about it, N. Now, do you remember what I told you?"
"Yes, I do. Thank you for helping me again."
"Anytime! Good luck with resolving your fight with Touko. I think I'm going to take a walk."
She beams a smile before spinning around and heading out into the city. Once the doors close behind her, though, that peppy expression evaporates instantly, and a deep frown plasters itself onto her face.
"Mei? Are you alright?"
"No, I'm not," she admits. The cold ocean breeze does nothing to help her mood. "We need to discuss what we should do next now that we've figured out who the other Precure is."
"How dare Reshiram steal my idea. I came up with the concept first!"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. We'll confront them sooner or later, so try not to give yourself away in the meantime."
"Touko, are you there?" N asks as he knocks on the door to their room. He finds that it is unlocked, and after tapping his knuckles against the wooden barrier again, enters to the sight of Touko sitting on her bed. The wrinkled map is placed in front of her, and the way she has to turn her head to acknowledge him suggests that she had been staring at it for quite a while.
"Oh N...welcome back."
He closes the door behind him and pulls his gaze to the map. She follows his eyes to the sheet of paper on the bed.
"N, I think we should go to Skyarrow Bridge!"
"Touko, let's go to Route 4!"
Silence consumes them both. It takes them a while to process what the other had blurted out, especially since their sentences came out at the same time.
"What? Why did you change your mind?" the female trainer gasps. N is just as appalled as she is.
"I thought you wanted to go to Route 4, so I wish to follow your decision."
"Well, I don't want to, anymore. We're going to Skyarrow Bridge, and that's final."
"Are you sure? I'm perfectly fine heading north."
As yet another argument breaks out between the two heroes, Reshiram huffs from inside of its luxury ball.
"I should really prepare myself if this is going to happen a lot in the future."
The moon is bright when Touko lifts her left wrist up to her face. N has already passed out, exhausted from negotiating with the heroine about their next destination (her suggestion won, but technically it was N's idea in the first place, so ultimately, he won). She scrolls through her contacts (Cheren and Bianca did remember to register her into their Xtransceivers) and finds the button associated with her mother.
With a dash of reluctance, Touko presses the number.
Beeeep! Beeep!
"T-Touko?" She hears her mom hesitantly answers, her voice weary but lined with a pinch of hope.
"I'm back, Mom."
Profiles: Cheren and Bianca.
Touko's childhood friends. They started their journey together three years ago in Nuvema Town. When Touko left Unova in order to fulfill her dreams and search for N, Cheren became a gym leader and a teacher while Bianca became Professor Juniper's temporary assistant.
Cheren is the most logical of the three, preferring to use his vast source of knowledge to gain an advantage in battle. In his journey, he actively pursued the ideal of power and strength, but after meeting Alder and getting sucked into the fight against the original Team Plasma, he now wishes to inspire newer generations of trainers with both his strength and his wisdom. He often thinks back to his adventure and the lessons he has learned, mostly for nostalgia purposes. Sometimes, his old habits of being blunt and obnoxious slip through his professional persona.
Bianca is the heart of the trio. While a bit clumsy and ditzy, she has the resolve to pursue her dreams with the same amount of passion as Touko and Cheren. On her journey, she finds herself struggling to accept the truth that she cannot be as strong of a trainer as her friends. After Touko defeats Team Plasma, she decides to learn more about Pokémon, which led her to become an assistant researcher. Like Cheren, she often recalls the times she spent with her friends on her journey, though they mostly serve as her source of motivation to move forward, rather than a device to experience nostalgia.
The two are close to each other, especially after reuniting a year ago, to the point where Mei constantly gives Cheren a hard time, and Touko always has a moment of second-hand embarrassment whenever they're too obvious about their feelings for each other.