Hello there, and welcome to chapter 3! Wow, that sounded super formal. 0.o Anyway. By this chapter title I'm sure you know who it's about, haha! I'm only going to write about White finding two of the Sages, mainly because I think it'd be boring if I did all seven, so this chapter and the next will be about them. Hopefully it'll tie into the rest of the story just fine!

Oh also real quick for those of you who haven't read the story that goes before this one. Talace is the name of White's Emboar, if you haven't picked up on that already. XD

Also, the parts with N will be starting next chapter! Yay!

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3: Rood

I pinned the paper map to Zekrom's back, using both hands to keep it still. The corners fluttered in the breeze, threatening to fly off at any moment. Zekrom was probably the fastest Pokémon you could find when it came to flying. Just by looking at his wings, which were rather small for his body, you wouldn't think it, but after you took a ride on the dragon you knew you couldn't find a Pokémon anywhere that was faster. Perhaps the only exception would be Reshiram.

My heart fluttered a bit. I wondered if N was riding on Reshiram like I was on Zekrom. I shook my head and looked back down at the map, again focusing my mind on the task at hand.

I had made quick work of my meeting with Looker. He had said that most likely the Sages would be in places that I had seen them in before, perhaps at a base that I didn't know existed. He wasn't able to give me any information or any leads aside from that bit of information and one tip that one of his men had come across. His top officer had said he had seen some suspicious behavior on Route 18, and perhaps a Sage might be hiding there.

I groaned to myself. I had, rather than that tidbit of unreliable information, no leads on where to find the six remaining Sages. It would be almost like finding needles in a haystack in this gigantic region.

I shook my head, again remembering why I had decided to do this. It was for the good of Unova. And they might have information about N. That fact was the one thing that was really keeping me going.

"A little to the right," I whispered to myself and patted Zekrom's right side. He veered slightly and continued his flight.

I hadn't ever been to Route 18 before, so I didn't exactly know what to expect. But I figured it would be the most logical place to start out with.

I squinted slightly and finally saw the mass of land I was looking for. I always preferred flying over the ocean, even if it took me out of my way.

I patted Zekrom's side again, letting him know that up ahead was where we would be landing. I saw his large head nod slightly and I felt his speed slow a bit. In a few moments I saw the land in more detail. It was composed of many rocky cliffs with lush green grass growing on all of them. I didn't see any sign of humans anywhere, in fact I didn't even see a house anywhere.

Zekrom landed gracefully, barely making a noise and leaned to the side, allowing me to climb down his arm once again. Once I was safely on the ground I turned back to him and smiled.

"Great job," I said, taking out his Pokeball and pulling him back inside.

I stuffed the Ultra Ball back into my bag and turned my attention back to the map in my hand. Yep this was Route 18 alright.

My gaze shifted from the map to the land in front of me and I sighed. I really doubted anyone lived here, let alone a Sage. They seemed to be rather fragile.

I shook my head and stuffed the map back into my bag before trudging forward. I was on the uppermost cliff, frighteningly high above the ground. The air was rather thin and the wind was incredible. I peered down the side of the cliff I was on and spotted many other small patches of grass below me. They were just far enough apart that I wouldn't be able to jump from one to the other easily.

I grimaced. I needed to get down closer to the ground if I hoped of finding anyone in this desolate area. I contemplated letting Zekrom out again, but decided against it. He was much too large, he wouldn't have the skills to maneuver well in an environment like this. I contemplated my other Pokémon. Talace, an Emboar. He wouldn't be of much help either. He weighed a ton and a half and for all I knew if I let him out the rock I was standing on would crumble and I would go toppling down the mountain side.

I groaned and turned to my right, wondering if possibly farther along on the top of the mountain there would be a better place to begin my trek downward.

I scuffed my feet, kicking stray pebbles down the mountain side. I was silently pouting that I didn't have my other Pokémon. Sigilyph would have been able to zoom in and out of the small areas with ease, and Excadrill could've dug me a tunnel. I mumbled stray curses to myself as I peered over the edge to this time not see any patches of land jutting out from the mountain side. I wasn't making much progress.

I was pulled out of my sulking however as I saw a mass in the distance. It was rather foggy on the top of the cliff but I was sure that something with human life in it lay ahead.

I picked up my walking pace, almost breaking into a jog as I neared where the blob would be. The fog cleared enough as I got closer to it so that I could recognize the shape as a house. I said a silent cheer, hoping that there would be some human life in the small cabin. Maybe whoever resided there would have seen some 'suspicious behavior', as Looker's officer had called it. I mumbled to myself, wondering why a police officer would ever even be up in a place like this.

I spotted a bridge a few hundred feet away and decided that would be the optimal place to cross. I jogged to the wooden bridge and confidently began walking across. I only looked over the edge once, and when I saw exactly how far down it was until you would hit bottom, I high-tailed it across the rest of the way without the slightest peek down.

Once I had crossed the bridge I backtracked a bit until I was standing in front of the house. It was a small structure, only built to house a small family. I knocked on the door. No answer.

I waited a minute or two before knocking again. Still no answer. I huffed to myself and peered in the window. All of the lights were off, no sign of life anywhere.

I frowned. Who lived in this house? I decided to try the back door before I left and made my way around the building. I peeked in the window on the side of the house. Nothing appeared any different. Just a normal looking house, but no lights, and no humans. I continued walking and rounded the corner so I would be behind the house. And when I saw what was sitting behind it I nearly jumped out of my skin.

I jumped backward a few paces, teetering on the edge of the cliff for a moment before I regained my balance and quickly jumped forward to keep from falling. I was breathing hard as I looked at the figure in front of me. Sure enough, there was indeed a Sage living here.

The old man was sitting indian style on the ground, his hands resting on his knees and his eyes closed. I had a feeling he knew I was present, but he didn't give me any recognition.

I had no idea how to address him. I slipped my hand into my bag and dialed Looker's number on my X-transceiver. I knew he wouldn't answer, he never did, but he would take my call as a signal I had found one, and probably track me down.

"It smells of salt here, the same smell of my homeland," the man rasped out. His voice was completely calm, almost indifferent to my presence.

I sunk to my knees, my heart still pounding from the scare, "What are you doing here?"

The old man opened one eye and looked at me with curiosity for a moment before closing it again. Not dignifying me with an answer.

I sighed, finally bringing my heart rate back down to normal and took a good look at this man. If I wasn't mistaken this Sage's name was Rood.

"What are you doing here?" I asked again.

Both of Rood's eyes opened this time and I knew he was going to actually answer my question.

"I find this place peaceful," he said, with an air of exasperation as if the answer should've been stupidly obvious.

"Yes, but I figured all of you Sages would be long gone by now."

Rood slowly shook his head, "We can't leave this region, we've spent too much time and energy here just to abandon it."

I frowned. He was referring to Team Plasma, not Unova.

I sighed and swung my legs around so I was sitting criss-cross as well, "I expected you to run."

A shrill chuckle left the man's mouth, "I'm an old man, White. I'm not made for running."

For a moment I was surprised he had remembered my name.

"So you're going to go without a fight?" I asked, rather surprised.

"I'm assuming you mean going to jail. And if you do… yes, I won't fight it."

I sighed in relief, silently hoping that the rest of the Sages would be this compliant. I swung my bag off of my shoulder and set it down next to me. It would be a while before Looker was here, and I was glad. If I was to get any information out of this man I needed some time.

"Aren't you curious as to why I'm not trying to escape?"

Rood's question took me by surprise.

"Uh, yeah I guess," I said, my statement sounding more like a question. He obviously wanted to tell me.

Rood sat still for a moment, staring at me intently before he continued, "I know what we were doing was wrong."

A strong gust of air left my mouth, almost like I had been punched in the stomach.

"What?!" I said in a high voice. I wouldn't have expected that answer in a million years.

Rood sighed and his eyes closed again, "I didn't agree with Ghetsis' plan. Once he told me what Team Plasma's true ambitions were I wasn't really on board with all they were doing."

"Why didn't you leave then?" I blurted.

Rood's eyes snapped open again, flicking back and forth to both of mine. I had surprised him.

"It's not that simple, White. I was very loyal to Ghetsis; he's a genius you know," he said, raising a bushy white eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, scoffing at his praise for his former leader. Ghetsis was most certainly not a genius. I had beaten him easily. Apparently he hadn't accounted for the power of a hero going against his organization. N was a challenge, he was not.

Rood nodded, "It's true, White. Lord Ghetsis wandered the world in a search to gather all kinds of wisdom. From the moment we met, he understood my needs. He knew his companion's hearts and desires. It is a necessary quality to live alongside someone else…" he trailed off, his mind apparently wandering.

I sighed. Rood wasn't going to convince me Ghetsis was some kind of genius. He had brains, I'd give him that. The way he used N was psychotic but smart. But he was in no way a genius. He was evil to his core, and no man who was evil would ever, in my mind anyway, be a genius.

"Lord N was superb as well for his ability to understand the hearts of Pokémon. However he was not raised with, and still seems to lack the ability to understand people as well."

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest at the mention of N. But before I could question Rood he continued.

"When Ghetsis revealed his true plan to me I didn't agree with it, however I didn't protest, and stayed with Team Plasma throughout the entire process. I did and still do believe in N's goals. I don't exactly think we should separate people and Pokémon, but I do believe we could go a bit easier on the poor creatures," Rood said, shaking his head.

"So you stayed for N's sake?" I asked.

Rood shook his head violently, "No. I stayed for Ghetsis' sake. But I believed in what N was striving toward, not Ghetsis."

I blinked. What? So he didn't agree with Ghetsis' ambitions but was willing to stay with him because of the friendship they had. But secretly he believed in what N had to say about Pokémon.

There was a long pause and I realized Rood wasn't going to bother with telling my any more. I still wasn't completely sure where Rood stood. But to my surprise he continued for one last statement.

"Long story short, I'm not putting up a fight because I realize what I did was wrong. I realized it while I was doing it, and I figure now I need to atone for my wrong doings."

The silence this time I knew was for good. Rood felt some sort of guilt because of what he had done. It didn't sound like he attributed much to all Team Plasma had done, but he was grouped in with them, and he didn't make any move to stop them, so he was still considered a criminal.

I realized this was as good of a time as any to ask Rood about N.

"Rood," I started, almost hesitantly. Even the thought of N made me slightly bashful.

The man cocked an eyebrow. Seemingly surprised I had addressed him, "Yes?"

"Do you know where N is?" I asked, almost pleading.

Rood sighed and looked at the ground in front of him, "You two really did know each other didn't you?"

"Huh?" I asked, confused by his question.

He looked back to me, "There were rumors that you two had befriended each other before you even knew N or yourself were the heroes. In fact I heard you were a little bit more than friends."

Rood's face held curiosity, he obviously wanted to know if the rumors were true.

I nodded. N and I had met the second day of my journey in Accumula Town. And our friendship had escalated from there. It was definitely a shock when I had found out he was a Unovian hero, and an even bigger shock when he told me I was one as well, but that fact had never torn us apart. We both didn't believe in what the other was striving toward, but we had made it past that fact up until our final battle. Becoming much more than just friends.

Rood's mouth curved into a slight smile, "I had a feeling. Our Lord seemed happier toward the end."

"So do you know where he is?" I again questioned, a bit peeved he hadn't answered me.

Rood frowned, "Well he's off observing the world. People and Pokémon together, but I think you already know that part."

I nodded, letting him know I did.

Rood shook his head, "I'm sorry, White. But that's all the more I know about him or where he could be."

My heart sank. I should have seen that answer coming however.

"But I'm sure once he has finally observed all he wanted, and is able to prove you were in fact right, I hope to see him here again."

I nodded, that was the same hope I was riding on. However I had no idea how long that would be. And that put a gigantic damper on my mood.

I felt a breeze hit the back of my neck and I glanced over my shoulder to see a large bird, an Unfeazant, landing on the other side of the bridge. I squinted until I could see who its rider was, and as I had expected, it was Looker.

The man was rather hyper and had made it across the bridge in an impressive amount of time.

The minute Looker was at my side he had whipped out his badge, looking down at Rood. I stood up and picked up my bag as Looker explained he was a police officer.

"Tell me what you know about Team Plasma," Looker almost demanded, a stone cold look on his face.

Rood nodded and sighed, shakily getting to his feet as well, "If that is what you wish."

A small part of me almost felt sad for the Sage in front of me. He meant well, and I could tell. But then again, he had had many opportunities to rebel against Team Plasma, and he never had once taken one of those opportunities. So he deserved the sentence he would be given.

"Nice job," Looker said, turning to me when he realized Rood wouldn't give much of a fight.

I smiled, "Thanks."

Looker gave me a nod, "Well that's two of them, five more to go. I'm counting on ya."

I gave him a nod, suppressing the urge to salute him. Looker wasted no time in putting Rood in handcuffs and whisking him away on his Unfeazant.

I sighed. I had gotten all the information I wanted, and could, out of Rood. He hadn't given out anything regarding N's whereabouts. I expected a Sage to know at least a general direction.

I shook my head, fishing out Zekrom's pokeball. I wasn't going to let that get me down. Perhaps the next Sage would have much more information. I pulled out my map again before calling out Zekrom and sighed.

The one lead I had, had been legitimate. However with no leads this was going to be much more difficult.

I nodded to myself with a smile. Then I'd have to work twice as hard.

So there it is! I hope you liked it! One Sage down! Go White!

Again I just want to send a humungous thanks to those of you who are reading this story! It makes me so happy! And thank you so so much for the reviews as well, they are very motivating! You guys are awesome!

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful weekend... in two days! XD