Hello! Touko here with a quick message. Thank you for all of the love and support so far! I hope that everyone is enjoying themselves and having fun experiencing my journey as a magical girl. There are a lot of things planned in the future from what I can tell, so please look forward to them. I know I am, even if I was a bit hesitant in the beginning.
I would like to take this time to give a shout-out to Akina's editor, a wonderful person by the pen name: justforfum. He mostly writes in the Elsword community, but he has been a gigantic help proofreading all of the chapters and making sure that everything flows properly. Please check out his magical girl fanfic: Witch of Elysion! It's a very interesting read, and you don't need to know the characters beforehand to fully enjoy the story.
Now, onto the chapter! It's time for me to show you what I can do!
Chapter 7: Come Abroad Nacrene City's Ghost Train! An Encounter With the Being of Knowledge, Uxie!
When N and Touko reach Nacrene City later that day, the retreating sun is painting the sky with yet another beautiful layer of orange and pink. The cafe near the west entrance is alive with the banter of customers, while the museum is as quiet and stately as ever.
Having gone through the entire day without saying a single word to each other, Touko and N both jump when their stomachs growl simultaneously.
"Ah…" Touko sighs dryly. N hums in response, also disoriented from the sudden noise.
"We should probably get something to eat. It's been a long day," he says.
The heroine can only nod at his suggestion, especially since right after he says that, her belly once again wails for food. He cracks a smile as she nervously chuckles at her body's eagerness to get fed.
"Let's eat at the cafe! I think they give out a free soda today," she proposes. As Touko drags N into the restaurant, Mei enters the city with a slightly cautious gleam in her eyes. She tosses herself into a bush near the cafe, squinting as she attempts to peek through the open window.
"I know what you are thinking, Mei. Do not do it."
"But-!"
"No."
"BUT-!"
"No!" Zekrom asserts again. Its trainer is visibly close to wailing.
"I just want to see them eat at the same table together! Don't tell me you're not interested because I know you are!"
"This is coming from the person who taught Lord N about the rules of society. You will be exposed."
"B-But...this is the only time I will ever stalk someone! At least let me feed my never-ending thirst for cute, shippy moments of my OTP!"
"I did not understand half of the things you just said."
Thankfully, Zekrom's next move, a snarl that rumbles through her mind, is enough to scare her away from wanting to sneak closer to get a better view. Thankfully, no one has heard her one-sided outbursts.
Inside the restaurant, N stares out the window for a while, almost borderline glaring at the bush within his line of vision.
"N, what's wrong?"
"I feel like someone's watching us. I didn't notice until now, but…"
Touko turns her head so that she's seeing the same view as he is. "Really?! I don't see them though. Whoever they are, that person must be a creep. Don't they have better things to do?"
"Yeah, that's what Mei calls people like that. She told me it's best to ignore them."
"I still feel uncomfortable, but I guess that's for the best. So, what do you want to order?"
"...Everything on this page."
"N, we don't have enough money!"
Meanwhile, Mei, having heard their conversation, collapses onto the floor and clutches her heart. "N, you traitor!"
In their quiet, rented room, N lays on his bed, wide awake. His gray eyes linger on the low ceiling. Touko is snoring in short bursts, crinkling her nose whenever she starts to get too loud.
He had tried to get some sleep, but he was afraid of falling back into that enigmatic dream and feeling the hurt radiate off of the mysterious girl. Sitting up and throwing his legs off the bed, N plans to take a walk in order to quell his mind enough for him to pass out. Zoroark peeks an eye open, watching as N puts on his white overshirt.
"Did I wake you, Zoroark?"
The Illusion Fox Pokémon raises his nose up and looks away, laying his head back down. N shakes his head and heads towards the door.
"If Touko ever wakes up, tell her I went out for a bit."
He shuts the door behind him. Once he steps outside of the Pokémon Center, he is instantly greeted by a gust of cold air. Despite his body shivering from the chilliness, N walks to the abandoned train tracks at the city's southern border. His eyes trail the tracks as it leads into the forest, where its clean, complete state abruptly shifts into a clutter of wooden planks.
"I wonder why these tracks were abandoned," he mumbles to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, N catches a lass looking up at the sky just a few feet away from him.
"Whismicott, do you think it's gonna come tonight?" she asks the Pokémon in her arms. The Whismicott cheers loudly, almost to the point of chanting, and jumps into the air multiple times.
N walks up to the young adult. "Your Whismicott believes that it will," he translates. The lass snaps her eyes to him.
"Wait, you're…" she starts, taking a step back out of shock. N sees it as a retreat.
"I won't separate you from your Pokémon. You don't need to worry about that anymore," he attempts to soothe the stranger. Her Whismicott floats over to N, waving her tiny arms with a carefree smile. The stranger drops her somewhat defensive stance.
"I've heard about you from Touko...before she left the region. You're N, right?"
N's eyes widen. "Yes, I am. Are you one of her friends?"
"Mhmm. The name's Dye. It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
N tips his hat down. Despite being able to steady his voice, he is still surprised by her reaction to him. "She hasn't shunned me yet. It makes me wonder what kind of things Touko's been saying about me to other people."
"Umm...Earth to N?" he hears the lass calling out to him. The green-haired man carefully turns his head in her direction.
"Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind."
"Is that so?"
"What are you waiting for?" he asks, redirecting the conversation back to its original topic.
Dye blinks and then turns her head back to the glowing stars. "The ghost train."
"The...ghost train?" he echoes back.
"Mhmm. The rumors say there's a golden train that can fly in the skies. One of my friends told me she's seen it before, so I want to see it with my own eyes."
The former king internally questions whether or not this train actually exists. He observes her watching the night sky with her Pokémon with a hopeful twinkle in her eyes.
"Can I help you search for it?" N ultimately asks.
The lass nods excitedly. "Of course! Let's look for it together!"
But despite staying up all night and vigilantly keeping their eyes peeled onto the starry sky, they could not find any signs of a golden train.
Touko wakes up the next morning to N slamming the door open and rushing over to her side. She groans once, a clear indicator she's not taking his loud entrance very well. Her Pokémon, who are also up, flinch in unison, already bracing themselves for her foul mood.
"Touko, there's something-!"
"N, shut up. Your voice is giving me a headache, and I want to kick that door off its hinges. Just give me a few minutes."
As she claims the bathroom, N visibly deflates and collapses to the floor. All of the Pokémon in the room all form a ring around him in order to comfort him. Ritsu, in particular, approaches him and begins to explain his trainer's actions.
"I forgot she isn't a morning person," N admits, bashing himself for his mistake, "I should wait for her to adjust before I tell her what I've learned."
Touko walks out with both of her hands occupied with tying her hair into a ponytail. When she makes eye contact with N, her eyes soften as the guilt for telling him off kicks in.
"I'm sorry for the outburst, N," she says.
"No, that was my fault. It slipped my mind."
Despite the slightly awkward atmosphere, she is able to crack a grin. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me? It must be pretty big if it got you so excited."
N's gray eyes light up. "I met someone named Dye last night who told me about a golden ghost train that has been roaming around the city. Apparently, it can fly! I very much want to uncover the formula that can make it soar through the skies."
"Woah, woah, woah! Back up a second. You met Dye?"
"Yes, I did. She and her Whimsicott get along very well. Reminds me of you in that way."
She dumbly blinks, refusing to answer his question. "Oh no! The last time I saw her was when I was about to leave the region! And I spilled everything about N to her! I bet she's squealing on the inside now!"
"A-Ah, I-I'm glad to hear that!"
"While we were waiting for the ghost train to show up, she said that you were actually the one to give her Whimsicott back when it was a Cottonee."
She latches onto the first part of his sentence. "Wait, a ghost train? Here?" Touko questions, looking at her companion as if he's gone crazy. N nods fervently, his mind already set on solving the mystery. She tilts her head, pondering if she should indulge him.
"That sounds really far-fetched…" She sees the innocent drive in his gray eyes and instantly knows she is not getting out of this.
"Fine. I'm not entirely on board with this, but I guess we should confirm if someone has actually seen it before. Let's go pay a visit to Dye," Touko eventually decides. She recalls her Pokémon, minus her Lilligant.
"Come on, Lillil. I'm sure you want to see her again," the heroine says to the flowery Pokémon. Lillil twirls once and squeaks in agreement, elated to see her original owner again.
Nacrene City is a bit of a paradoxical sight. Artists from all over Unova often cite the city as an inspiration, even going so far as to claim that all of the latest trends began there. And yet, the buildings that make up the core of the town are mostly ancient storehouses, refurbished into two-story homes. In fact, the thing that is most out of place is the bright and colorful Pokémon Center. Even the red fabric that hangs over the entrance to Cafe Warehouse is dark enough to blend into the brown and tan townscape.
Touko and N enter one of the transformed warehouses next to the Pokémon Center. They are greeted with a Whimsicott that plows herself into Touko's face. A puff of cotton expels from the Pokemon's body as she collides with the heroine.
"Oof!"
Touko's Lilligant turns away and giggles to herself. The Whimsicott recognizes the high-pitched notes and proceeds to pounce the laughing grass-type.
"Touko! You're actually back!" Dye gasps out, quickly running down the stairs to greet her.
"Yep, I am. It's been too long! How have you been?" Touko replies back with the same amount of enthusiasm.
"Great, actually. I'm actually on a journey right now, but after my friend called me about something incredible happening here, I had to come back." Dye shifts her gaze to her right and sees N off to the side, observing the Cottonee and Lilligant chasing each other. The young lass quickly snaps her head back to Touko, pulling the heroine down so she can whisper into her ear.
"W-Wait, you found him?! How did you find him?!"
"A-Ah, y-yeah...By complete chance," Touko mutters back, slightly uncomfortable by their sudden secretiveness.
"That's great to hear! I see why you went looking for him. He's quite the eye candy."
"S-Stop! Y-You know that's not why I was searching for him!" The heroine's face blossoms into a pretty pink color.
"Oh really? I mean, you dropped the title of champion because of one vague hint from the International Police. Who does that?"
"...Okay, fine. Maybe a little, but that's not the main reason!"
Giggling, Dye lets go of the flustered trainer and calls her Whimsicott over, who hops into her arms.
"So, what brings you here today?"
N speaks up before Touko can. "Can you tell us what you know about the ghost train?"
"Oh, I see. Hmm...apparently, it started showing up about three months ago. Aside from being able to fly, it doesn't seem to have a conductor controlling it. That's why we call it the ghost train."
Touko crosses her arms, still skeptical about the whole situation. "Maybe it just has one of those programs installed that allows for automatic steering. And technology could have advanced to the point where trains can fly."
Dye shrugs. "Well, that's what my friend told me. I didn't get much from her when she called me about it. Maybe Lenora has more information."
"Let's go ask her. Come on, Touko," N childishly urges.
He is already out the door before she can even say anything. Her face slumps with exasperation, already feeling yet another wave of lethargy invading her tired self.
Dye nudges the heroine. "Better go catch up to him if you don't want to get left behind again."
"Hey, that's a low blow!" Touko whines out.
When Touko finally reconvenes with N, he's standing in front of the Nacrene Museum, whipping his head back and forth as if searching for something. His eyes are frantic, pacing along with his wild head shakes.
"N, what's the matter?" she questions him, unable to determine what is the cause of his erratic behavior.
"I...I sense something. A great power...but it's unlike anything that I've felt before…" he mutters. His body returns to its usual posture, but the cloudiness in his gray pupils still lingers.
"He is correct. There is a Pokémon lingering around here, but it does not want to appear before us."
"A Pokémon? Should we coax it out?"
"As much as I want to, we should not draw it out. Its main objective at the moment is to observe us."
"Sound like you know who it is."
"I do, but that is not important right now. Instead, we should gather more information about this ghost train. There is a possibility it could be the work of a Kugeki."
"You're taking this pretty seriously. And is that...even possible? It's been appearing in the city for three months now."
"We do not know how long the Shadow Triad have been experimenting with their new power. They may have left victims scattered throughout the region."
"That's...a depressing thought. I hope that's not the truth."
"But if it is, you know what must be done."
Unaware of her internal conversation with Reshiram, N turns to the museum with a dissatisfied look on his face. "I know that you're out there. Please do not hide from us."
He doesn't get a response. Narrowing his eyes, the former king holds back the annoyed groan forming in his throat.
"Touko, I'm going to try to draw it out. What are you going to do?"
It takes her a moment to realize she's not going to be swept up in his attempt to lure their mysterious observer out into the open. "Well, I think I should go talk to Lenora. You are still interested in the ghost train, right?"
As if suddenly remembering what their original plans are, N meekly nods. "I'll be here when you come back. I hope you find out something new." He closes his eyes to end the conversation, focusing on pinpointing the power signature he had sensed earlier, even going so far as to strike his signature pose. Touko assumes that spreading his arms out somehow helps him better perceive Pokémon.
She is unable to stop herself from thinking about how ridiculous he looks.
"Lenora, there's a visitor for you," her husband, Hawes, announces to his wife as he peeks down from the top of the stairs that leads to her office. Lenora gets up from her seat in order to properly greet her visitor.
"Welcome to the Nacrene Museum! Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes, there's something I want to ask you, Lenora," Touko requests, swiftly making her way down the stairs. Lenora's face lights up when the heroine strolls up to her desk.
"This is quite the surprise. Welcome back to Unova, Touko."
"Thank you. It's good to be back," the trainer replies. "I'm surprised you retired from being a gym leader though. So that's who Cheren replaced."
"That's right. I've decided to work on my research more, but I'm always up for a battle. Is that why you're here today?"
Touko shakes her head. "Actually, no. I've been hearing about a ghost train that's been lurking around this area. Do you know anything about it?"
Lenora clutches her head as if reminded of yet another bothersome task. "Yes, the ghost train. It's still as much of a mystery as when it first appeared. However, I did see it one night while I was strolling with Hawes. It kept crashing into something large, larger than the trees surrounding the city."
The heroine frowns. Something large? "Can you give me any details about what that thing is?"
"I wish I could say more, but even with the light emitting from the ghost train, I could not see anything other than its glowing red eyes. Its body might have the ability to block out light. I've been wanting to investigate more, but the train has been one elusive phenomenon."
Touko sighs with the archaeologist. At least that's something. "I see. In that case, I should get going. I'll let you know if I find anything."
"Actually, Touko, since you're visiting anyway, why don't you make yourself comfortable and tell me about what you've learned on your journey? I would love to hear more about the different regions in this world," Lenora suggests as she gestures over to a spare chair in the room. The trainer looks hesitant at first, but after seeing the fascinated sparkle in the researcher's eyes, she ultimately relents.
"Where do I begin…? It all started when Looker told me that one of his sources had seen someone who looked like N with a black dragon heading towards Kalos…"
Touko strolls out of the museum a few hours later. She has only told the story of her travels to Bianca and Cheren on the first day she returned to Unova, before she miraculously found N at the Nimbasa Ferris Wheel, up until now, but the amount of things she had seen and done still amazes her. Once she sat down and spilled everything, it was hard to believe there were so many things in the world to experience.
As she takes in her surroundings, she realizes that N is nowhere in sight.
"Where did he go? He said he'll still be here. But then again, I did spend several hours in there," Touko says to herself as she takes a quick peek to her right. Taking a step forward, the heroine is then alerted to a spike of power. A vision flashes before her eyes. She sees N standing on broken train tracks next to a white fence, gaping at something. As soon as her mind registers where exactly her companion is, the image shatters away.
"Heroine, are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah...what was that?"
"It was from the Pokémon that was observing us earlier. The power I felt just now is the same as before."
"Well, only one thing to do…" Touko heads back onto the path that leads to Pinwheel Forest. Instead of entering the woody area, she slips through the small gap to the left, crossing into a grove where several children are running back and forth on several wooden planks.
The trainer follows the trail of incomplete train tracks until she discovers N facing a small, levitating Pokémon. Despite its eyes being closed, it is clearly conscious, keeping its head turned to N. It has a yellow head shaped like a helmet with a red gem in the middle of its forehead. Thin arms and short legs are attached to its gray body, and a pair of leaf-shaped tails extend from its bottom.
The Pokémon recognizes her before N does. It drifts over his shoulder to greet her, and Touko returns the greeting with a smile.
"Hello again, Uxie. What are you doing here?" The psychic-type Pokémon points to N, who is gaping at Touko's casual statement.
"You know Uxie, Touko?"
"Mhmm," she affirms, "When I went to Sinnoh, I visited all three lakes and met their guardians. Reshiram and Azelf got along pretty well, actually."
"That is because we both agree on the strength of your willpower," the Vast White Pokemon mentally butts in. Touko chooses to ignore it.
N's gray eyes sparkle with boundless excitement. "How wonderful! Then you know about how Uxie is the being that gave humans knowledge. Apparently, it wandered to this city after meeting a trainer on Route 20."
As Uxie circles around Touko, N asks, "Ah, right. Did you learn anything from Lenora?"
"Yes, quite a few things."
"I did as well, thanks to Uxie's help. Let's exchange what we've found."
A few moments later, the two manage to draw a basic image of the situation. Uxie looks expectedly at the heroine once N finishes sharing his information.
"Let me see if I got this right," Touko begins her recap, "Three months ago, a giant shadow appeared near the city and began terrorizing the nearby forest. Uxie, wanting to do something about it, created a ghost train to fight against the monster who was trying to invade the city. However, no matter what it did, Uxie's attacks haven't been dealing any damage whatsoever."
N nods in agreement. "That's right. Apparently, the giant shadow only shows up when there's a new moon, but the danger it poses to the people and Pokémon here is very concerning."
Uxie hovers away from them and deeper into the grove, gesturing with its tiny arms to follow it. As they head further into the forest, Touko and N notice the giant footsteps littered across the area. Many tree trunks are lying around, turning the straightforward path into a maze. Many piles of dead bark are scattered along the rampaged path. The stairs leading up to the cliff are flattened, and the two heroes struggle to climb up the rocky face.
From the top of the cliff, they see how the destruction cuts off at the train tracks as if there's an invisible barrier. Below that line, the grove is inhabitable. Some of the fighting-type wild Pokémon are moving the fallen trunks while a group of Tympole mourns the loss of their watery homes.
N's heart aches at the sight. Touko sees the hurt flashing across his face and frowns with him. She turns around to observe the area more, and she finds the Challenge Rock, or rather...she finds what's left of it. The popular training spot for fighting-type Pokémon is marred by a giant hole where the giant rock used to be. They look down the pit for remnants of the boulder, but there was nothing down there except tiny pebbles.
"This is terrible. Even though Uxie is trying its best to hold off the shadow, it won't be able to for much longer…" Touko concludes. "And so, Uxie has been searching for someone with the power to defeat the monster. But why us?"
The tiny, psychic-type Pokémon mutters something to N. His eyes turn a chaotic shade of gray. "Uxie says that it senses something from you. A power it thinks is capable of defeating the giant shadow."
Touko feels a cold bead of sweat trickle down her neck. Does Uxie know she can use Reshiram's power? It wouldn't be such a stretch, considering how it's the being of knowledge. If that's the case, can she convey to it that she doesn't want N to know about her powers without him growing suspicious of her?
She can feel Reshiram scrambling to find a solution.
"I highly advise you to let me communicate to Uxie."
"No, please. You've done more than enough. My decision to not tell N is mine alone. I'll think of something. Besides, I can't risk N hearing the two of you."
The Vast White Pokémon falls silent. She stares directly into Uxie's closed eyes.
"I'll help you, Uxie. You can count on me."
Touko begins a staredown with the pixie-like Pokémon. From the side, N views this as a statement of determination. To her, she's praying Uxie can sense what she's trying to communicate to it.
Uxie opens its mouth, possibly to gasp. Then it sagely nods its head and floats over to Touko's hand, where it wraps its tiny hand around her pinky.
N sees this as their bond growing closer. Touko sees it as her gaining a new accomplice.
"You know, this opens another problem. N is voluntarily putting himself in danger to help Uxie. I thought the point of keeping this secret is to protect him from what the Shadow Triad is planning."
Reshiram has a point. If she tells N to stay out of this, then he will resist, and his probing will draw out the truth from her. She doesn't want N to learn of the Kugekis so soon, but at the same time...
"We...have to let him. I know better than anyone that N won't sit still when Pokémon need his help. That's who he is, and I don't want him to forgo that part of him."
"So, that is your decision."
"Yes. I'll make sure nothing happens to him."
The new moon doesn't come around for another two days, so the two heroes spend that time strategizing. The first night, Uxie summons the train for them, which draws the attention of several townspeople.
A tall exhaust pipe springs forth from the front car. The circular emblem at the front sits on top of the mouth-like structure that serves as the bumper. Upon further inspection, Touko sees that the mouth is open and that it leads to a cavern of darkness that stretches underneath the conductor's room.
"Woah...so it really exists," Dye exclaims as she takes in the sight of the golden locomotive. Lenora and Hawes both stare on in silence, awestruck by its glorious form. N is the first to enter the train, and he immediately sprints his way to the conductor's room. Touko and Dye casually stroll behind him, taking in the golden furniture of the passenger cars.
"Everything here is golden! Look, even the flowers and the lights!" the Whimsicott trainer points out. She plants herself on one of the seats, while her Pokémon bounces next to her.
"What an amazing sight! As expected from a legendary Pokémon," Lenora comments. Uxie hovers close to Touko's side, peeking at the gym leader over the heroine's shoulder. She lightly pats the small, psychic-type Pokémon.
"Take your seats, everyone," Touko announces. "We're about to take off soon, and I apologize in advance if the ride is bumpy at first."
"Where's the fun if it's smooth sailing the whole way through?" the former gym leader bellows out. Her carefree attitude scares several of the passengers, who are now doubting the safety of the whole procedure. Their mouths spring open, and some of them glance at each other with hesitation in their eyes. With an exasperated shake of her head, Touko heads towards the conductor's room, where N is tentatively peering at one of the levers on the control center.
"You think you got this, N?" the heroine questions hesitantly.
"Yes, the controls are similar to the toy train I had before. Now, I believe this is the lever to start it up…" He pulls up the crank he's been eyeing, and the train roars to life. Several puffs of smoke erupt from the exhaust pipe. The wheels whirl slowly, picking up speed.
"We're about to take off," N hollers into the telephone that connects to the speakers of the passenger car. As if struck by a giggling curse, Touko bends down and clutches her stomach in an attempt to control her sporadic laughter. Startled by her sudden mood shift, the former king looks at her curiously.
"You know what you need to say, right?" she manages to chuckle out.
"Ahh...Yes, I think so?"
Touko stops laughing, but that playful grin on her face stubbornly refuses to leave. "Well, Mr. Conductor! Take it away!"
For reasons he cannot comprehend, N feels heat rushing through his blood. He pulls the phone to his lips again and exclaims, "All aboard!"
The tiny wink of hesitation in his voice causes yet another wave of giggles to escape Touko's mouth. N pulls up another lever, and the train lifts off from the ground, shooting straight over the trees. She peeks her head out of the window and sucks in a breath of air. Nacrene City lingers below them, their buildings neat and organized next to each other. The forest surrounding the city cages the small town within its woody borders, making the contained pocket of civilization stick out like a sore thumb.
"Ahh...!" she breathes out, completely speechless by the revelation that they're really flying.
N finds he's trying to get a better look at Touko's awestruck expression. Snapping back to the control panel, he attempts to focus on controlling the train, but his eyes occasionally shift to his side, wanting to get another glimpse of the sparkle in her eyes.
On the night of the new moon, the residents of Nacrene City anxiously await the fated monthly battle between the mysterious monster of darkness and the city's defender. N nervously adjusts his cap as he checks the status of the train once again.
Meanwhile, Touko has planted herself in the hidden room inside of the mouthpiece. Uxie stares at the heroine as she eyes Reshiram's luxury ball.
"I want to say thank you, Uxie. I'm super grateful you understand the circumstances regarding...my powers," Touko says as she turns her attention to the psychic-type Pokémon. Uxie nods once as if acknowledging her gratitude.
"Can I ask you to guide N? I think I'll be able to take this down by myself."
The Knowledge Pokémon teleports out of the room after another nod. Touko hears the engine ignite and the exhaust pipe playing its tune of chugs and toots. The floor presses against her feet, signaling that they're already taking off.
"This is the first time you are fighting alongside N, heroine."
Reshiram's astute observation catches her off guard.
"It...is. Not in the way that I would want to, but yes, that's right. What about it?"
"I assumed it would help you calm your nerves. Your mind is a whirlwind right now."
She heaves out a sigh. "I'm still worried about getting caught. Sure, Uxie is helping out, but N can be very persistent. On top of that, we don't even know if what we're facing is a Kugeki."
"Your worries are valid, but do not worry. He will be occupied with controlling the train, so there is a low possibility he will spot your transformed self. And I can assure you that no matter what, we will defeat this threat, whether by your hands or mine."
The dim forest cover blackens to darkness, blotting out what little light the tiny room had. Disoriented by the sudden cover, Touko takes a few shaky steps to steady herself. The train jerks once as if trying to steer around something.
"W-What exactly is this?"
"W-What do you mean?" Touko sputters back. What happened to Reshiram's confidence? What exactly are they dealing with?
Whatever the legendary Pokémon is feeling, it's buried underneath a sense of urgency.
"Transform now. We're going to have to give it our all."
"Even more than we already are?!"
Touko raises the luxury ball in her hand, mentally preparing herself for a long battle. "Curing Fusion!"
N struggles to comprehend the specter that has spawned in front of him. It easily towers the surrounding forest, with bulky arms that can instantly smash Nacrene City to dust. Even with the brightness of the ghost train, he cannot see anything except for the monster's outline and the glowing red dots on its face. Just as Uxie had said, the stars are no longer visible in the night sky, leaving only a blank canvas of darkness.
"This is what you've been fighting, Uxie…?" he gasps out, tightening his grip on one of the levers. The Knowledge Pokémon merely nods and points at the shadow.
"You want me to find good angles for Touko to attack from? Even though I've learned how to operate this train, one hit from that will send us crashing down…"
Uxie's stare beats down on the former king as if questioning his resolve. He shakes his head and pushes the lever forward, driving the train towards the giant monster. The shadow acknowledges that its enemy has once again come to challenge it by launching its right arm towards the accelerating locomotive.
N shoves another lever down. The abrupt dive is barely enough to avoid a crash collision with the monster's fist. He quickly shifts the train back on its course to circulate around the shadow to its back. The train groans once it reaches its neck, and a burst of fire explodes from its mouth. Wailing from the burn, the specter flings its left arm back as if swatting a fly. N maneuvers the train to fly just over its open palm.
Another flamethrower is blown at the monster's arm. Instead of trying to swat the flames away, the specter slams its palm down, breaking the train in half. An eruption of golden light bursts from the impact, and the disconnected cars dissolve into the night.
Uxie cries out as it shudders in the air, its strength sapped away from that one attack. It drapes itself over N's shoulder in order to steady itself.
"Uxie! Oh no…" The former king reaches over to pat the legendary Pokémon, but Uxie lets out a battle cry, expanding energy to strengthen the train's defenses.
"Uxie's telling me to focus on the fight," N thinks to himself, "It's counting on me and Touko to finish this."
"Hang in there," he says as he navigates the train closer. The mouthpiece opens wide and releases a stream of large, orange fireballs that pelts against the shadow's main body. Each one sparks a mini-explosion, and clouds of smoke soon drift up from the battered monster.
The specter roars once more and tries to pummel the train again with another punch, but N swiftly flicks several levers and drives the train upwards. Its fist brushes against the back car, setting off yet another explosion of sparkles.
He can tell the train is slowing down. Having already throttled the lever that should have brought them back down, N instead finds that they're drifting in the air, as if out of fuel.
"No! No! We're going to-!" The floor under him sharply presses against him and upsets his balance. Uxie screeches as he is launched into the air. His head hit the ceiling, and a splitting headache consumes his rational mind. Gritting through the pain, he manages to pull himself onto the control panel and hang on to a lever as he desperately tries to think of a way out of the situation.
Cure Flare is breathing heavily, her lungs burning from the extra effort she has been putting into her attacks. The sudden punch from below has forced her to activate her wings, and even after recovering from the scare, her heart is bashing itself against her chest.
She feels the wind whipping her hair wildly. The train is plummeting towards the monster, specifically towards the fist that is currently charging up and getting ready to bash its way into the hidden room behind the mouthpiece.
"Flare, Uxie told me N was almost knocked out by that last attack. He is barely able to stand."
That only accelerates the pace of her heartbeat. "I-I have to finish this quickly!"
"Do not be so hasty! We have not done enough damage to finish it off!"
"Then I'm going to break my limits right here and right now! I'll finish this in one strike!"
As if responding to her resolute determination, the pack on her waist suddenly glows with white light. She is then transported to the realm of orange fire and white feathers, where she feels something attempting to come out from the bag on her back. A white turbine similar to Reshiram's tail pops out and switches itself on. The temperature rises as she is bathed in an orange aura. The energy swirls out as she extends her hand, and strands of fire congregate into one giant fireball.
"Precure!" Flare hollers, "Fusion Flare!"
A storm of fire and feathers accompanies the raging sun she launches out of the train's mouth. The train groans and strains its mouth open like a person eating the spiciest pepper in the world. The giant shadow meets the attack with its clenched fist. Even though it was successful at stopping the fireball from swallowing it whole, the heat of the attack burns its fist red. The specter roars, its mouth gaping wide at the expanding fiery sphere.
Flare's aura burns brighter as threads of fire feed themselves to the miniature star. With one last burst of energy, she gives one last push to defeat the monster.
"ENGULF IT!" she screams.
Her attack, which is now as large as the shadowy monster, swallows its target whole. She spends the remainder of her power to contain the explosion, keeping the specter within its fiery grasp. Despite her best efforts, a ring of trees is instantly vaporized. The shadow burns away and separates into a group of Scrafty, Sawk, and Throh. They begin to fall, but before they can reach the forest floor, a pink aura surrounds them and slows their descent.
"U-Uxie…" the magical girl mutters out. Her transformation is abruptly undone as her eyes begin to droop. The train dissolves into yellow sparkles, revealing a now unconscious N. Touko tries to reach out to him, but her body, drained from pushing itself past its limits, refuses to let her move her hand. They both plummet from the sky, and the last thing Touko sees before she passes out is the red gem on Uxie's forehead glowing brightly like the stars above them. A gray object with a sharp yellow tip lands next to the passed-out heroes.
From within Pinwheel Forest, Cure Bolt observes the fight with a hidden grin.
"Well done, Flare. A wonderful performance. Looks like I don't need to interfere," she applauds.
N wakes up before Touko does. When he attempts to sit up, a sharp pain erupts from a spot on his head. He feels his head, and when his hand brushes against a sore patch, the pain grows exponentially.
"Oww...what happened? And where am I?"
His gray eyes scan the room he's in. It appears he's back in their rented room, but there are a few people gathered around their beds.
"Had a nice nap, N?" Lenora casually asks. He stares blankly at the archaeologist.
"I guess." It was the only thing he can say. He winces when another spike of pain hits his head.
"Here, drink this," Dye offers him a glass of water, which he greedily drinks down. Lenora takes a peek at Touko's bed, frowning as she watches the trainer's slow breathing.
"How long have I been out? And where's Uxie…?" he mumbles.
"Almost a whole day. Uxie is under Nurse Joy's care at the moment," the former gym leader answers. Abruptly, the door to their room slams open, and Mei rushes inside, panting heavily.
"N, I heard about everything from Lenora! Are you alright?!" He flinches when her loud voice worsens his headache. Now he partly understands why Touko is grouchy in the morning.
"Yes, I'm okay for now."
Mei breathes out a shaky sigh. "That's a relief. I came here as fast as I can."
N turns to the sleeping heroine. "I'm surprised I'm up before she is. I did bang my head against the ceiling of the train."
Dye sadly looks down. "For some reason, her body is completely drained. She's perfectly fine, but she needs a lot of rest. At least, that's what Nurse Joy said."
Through the throbbing pain, his mind begins to whirl. Why is she completely exhausted when it was Reshiram who was firing the attacks?
It takes three more days for Touko to fully recover. While she was resting, N and Uxie survey the nearby area to see the extent of the damage from their fight. His heart lurches at the destruction. Even though Uxie had warned the resident Pokémon to retreat to Pinwheel Forest, having their homes destroyed is never a good feeling. He vows to find them new homes before he continues on his journey, and he is quickly joined by the citizens of Nacrene City along with Mei.
By the time Touko is able to stand on her own again, most of the homeless Pokémon have taken temporary refuge in Pinwheel Forest while the city kickstarts a large project to restore the area destroyed by the battle.
"I'm glad everything will be okay for the Pokémon who lost their homes. Even though I couldn't see any other way to defeat that large Pokémon, I still feel a bit guilty," Touko says, rubbing her ponytail nervously.
N shakes his head. "If we didn't defeat the giant scepter, Nacrene City and Pinwheel Forest were going to be destroyed by it. That's the reason why Uxie fought so hard up until now. It must have used most of its strength to defend the city."
The two face the gate leading to Route 3. Before they can leave, Dye and Mei catch up to them, with the Whismicott trainer calling out to Touko. Uxie trails behind the two female trainers.
"Good luck on your journey, Touko!" Dye says, giving her friend a farewell hug. While they exchange goodbyes, N turns his attention to Mei.
"Are you sure it's alright for me to continue my journey with Touko? I still want to help the Pokémon whose homes were destroyed…"
Mei flashes a smile. "Of course it's okay! Lenora is overseeing the restoration efforts, so the Pokémon are in good hands. In fact, it was Lenora who wanted you to leave it to them, right? She said that you two have done enough for the city."
He seems conflicted, the storm in his eyes slowly brewing. Uxie hovers over to his eye level and speaks a few words to him.
"You'll watch over them?" he translates. The Knowledge Pokémon sagely nods, and just like that, his worries disappear.
"Very well. I trust that you will."
Uxie then glances at Touko, who is already waiting for N to finish his conversation with the psychic-type Pokémon. The heroine raises her eyes as if a random thought came to her mind.
"Before we go, I just have one question for you, Uxie," the heroine begins, "How come, out of all of the things to materialize your powers into, a train?"
Uxie tilts its head before pointing at the abandoned train tracks. N patiently waits for Uxie to finish its explanation before interpreting its words back to Touko.
"It's saying that seeing the incomplete train tracks inspired it. After lingering around Nacrene City for a while, it has learned more about the region and its culture. For Unova, trains have always been important to its history. So when the giant shadow first appeared, Uxie created a gold train to serve as a beacon of hope."
The Knowledge Pokémon speaks up once more before the red gem on its forehead begins to glow. An identical jewel materializes before the heroine, gently floating down into her palms.
"This is…?" Touko hesitantly questions. N translates Uxie's words with a hidden curiosity.
"Uxie said to use it whenever you are in a pinch, but why would you need this…?"
Mei sees Touko tense up. The look in the heroine's blue eyes pleads for anything to save her from her predicament.
"I'm sure that's just Uxie's way of saying thanks, N," the perky trainer jumps in. N misses the way Touko's shoulders slump in relief.
"Ahh, I see. Touko, use it well."
"Y-Yeah, thank you, Uxie. I'll be sure to use it at the right time," Touko manages to respond back as she places the red jewel in her bag. Uxie circles around the two heroes one last time before waving its tiny hand.
"Bye Touko! Bye N!" Mei shouts, waving at them excitedly.
"Bye Uxie! Bye Mei!" Touko hollers back. N, in contrast to his louder counterpart, settles for a small wave.
"Once my journey with Touko is over, I'll come visit and assess the city's progress, Uxie."
Once they enter the gate, the trainer from Aspertia City turns to Uxie with a slightly guilty glint in her eyes.
"I can't thank you enough for keeping the Kugeki at bay," she says. "It must have been rough, considering how it was fused with a dark-type Pokémon."
The Knowledge Pokémon merely nods at the actress. Mei and Uxie walk over the train tracks into the blasted area. The young trainer scans for something that stands out, and she finds the strange object that fell after the giant shadow was defeated. She opens her bag, revealing a pile of items that look identical to what she picked up, and gently places the mysterious object inside.
Profile: Uxie
The Knowledge Pokémon. Its home is actually in Lake Acuity in the Sinnoh region, but it has traveled to the Cave of Being in Unova after the events of Pokémon Platinum. It was drawn to Nacrene City after meeting Mei and Professor Juniper because of the city's museum and library. Uxie is a calm and patient legendary Pokémon and likes observing things from a distance. As the being that granted humans knowledge, it is naturally interested in history.