We are standing outside the door to the throne room. All of us, the entire rebellion, united for the very first time. This is the battle that will decide our future – as Unova the way it used to be, or forever Team Plasma's region.
Can I help it if I'm really nervous right now?
Touya reaches over and squeezes my hand reassuringly, and I take a deep breath. Then I push the doors to throne room open and we all walk in, as slowly and quietly as a funeral procession.
We find ourselves surrounded by Plasma Grunts on all sides, two of which quickly bolt the doors behind us. Ghetsis is sitting on a ridiculously lavish throne, bejeweled and made out of what looks like pure gold.
"This is where it ends, Touko White," he sneers, looking directly at me with his beady black eyes. I can't help but feel that it's unnatural for them to be so empty, so soulless. I resist the urge to shiver.
"I agree," I say boldly. "This is where it ends."
"Team Plasma will crush the rebellion, right here and now," Ghetsis announces, gesturing to the vast amount of Grunts that clearly outnumber the rebellion.
I take the words as a challenge. "I'd like to see you try," I tell him, my words a lot more confident than I feel on the inside. Zekrom, now would be a good time to make up your mind! I scream desperately in my head. Any other time will be a bit too late!
I finger the Dark Stone in my pocket hopefully, but it doesn't seem to be any different than from the last time I touched it. Stalling for any extra time, I say, "So what happened to N, Ghetsis? Did your little king run off because he was too scared to fight?"
Ghetsis bristles and I smile. This comment has obviously hit too close to home. "N is busy," he replies, which is a pretty lame response.
"What, this isn't important enough for him?" I snort, gesturing at the rebellion, full of dangerous and powerful Pokemon Trainers.
"Shut up, little girl," he snaps at me, which makes me clench my fists angrily. I'm seventeen – the same age as N! Obviously not a little girl. "You understand nothing about a King's duties."
"Whatever," I say, rolling my eyes at him, which actually makes him stand up in anger. He seems to have no experience at all in dealing with teenage girls.
"Don't talk to me like that!" Ghetsis roars. "I am one of the Seven Sages!"
"So you're old, big deal," Iris says before I can. Ghetsis' face turns a ridiculously funny shade of red, and I see some of the Plasma Grunts trying (and failing) to hide their laughter.
"All of you, be quiet!" he orders, and they fall silent. Impressive. Ghetsis must really punish them painfully for not following orders. "You came here to battle, did you not, Touko White?"
"Yeah, pretty much," I say, purposefully sounding as though I couldn't care less. It works – he looks infuriated.
"Well then, let us battle!" he yells. "Enough with this pointless chatter!" I remind myself to enroll him in anger management classes after we win this thing.
Grunts and rebels pair up quickly, glaring at each other with their hands on their Pokeballs, ready to call them out to battle. I lock eyes with Ghetsis, which the other rebels have steered clear of. They all know he's my fight, and mine alone.
I'm about to yell something really cool and dramatic that we'll remember forever – like "Onward to victory, Rebellion!" - when the ground beneath our feet starts to shake. Debris from the ceiling starts to fall on our heads, and then a blinding white shape bursts through the wall, destroying it entirely. It lands gracefully on the ground, rebels and Plasma Grunts running desperately so as not to get trampled by it.
"Reshiram," I hear Shauntal mutter fearfully.
"What?!" I freak out. Reshiram is the legendary dragon Pokemon, the counterpart to Zekrom. The one that searches for a hero that upholds ideals over truth. Squinting at a figure on its back, I see who's riding Reshiram. It's N.
N is the other hero.
"Oh, Arceus," I say quietly, so no one else can hear me. "We are so fucking screwed."
"Sorry I'm late!" N calls out cheerfully to the dumbfounded silence of everyone else in the room. He slides off Reshiram's back easily, like he's done it a thousand times before. Unfortunately, he probably has. He shoots me a meaningful look when he adds, "I was locked in a closet."
Zekrom, come out now, Zekrom, come out now, Zekrom, PLEASE – FUCKING – COME – OUT – NOW! The Dark Stone does nothing but sit in my pocket like a lump.
"You're the hero of truth? Seriously?" Iris squeaks in disbelief. "Why would you pick him, Reshiram? N is a douchebag!"
"Reshiram picked me because I found the Light Stone," N answers Iris in a bored voice. "I believe in the truth as strongly as Touko believes in ideals." He says truth as though its the stupidest thing in the world.
Suddenly, N looks right at me and smirks when he doesn't see Zekrom. "Oh, Touko, what happened to your Dark Stone? Zekrom still hasn't chosen you as the hero?" he says in a fake-pitying voice.
I bristle, resisting the urge to smack him in the face. Reshiram might blow me to bits. Suddenly, I feel something in my pocket, violently shaking. I reach in and pull out the Dark Stone, which has started to shake and is pulsing a strange purplish glow.
N's eyes widen in shock, and he stares at the stone in recognition. It occurs to me that this is most likely what happened with the Light Stone when Reshiram picked him as its hero. Thank you for finally coming to your senses, Zekrom, I think. No offense, but next time you ought to try some better timing. This was a really close call.
The Dark Stone starts to grow and mutilate into a huge black shape. Finally, once it stops glowing, it lands on the ground with a huge thud. The dark creature roars.
"Zekrom?" I ask, not knowing what else to say.
It looks at me and roars in response. I take it for a yes, and slowly reach my hand out to touch it. When Zekrom doesn't kill me, I start patting it like a puppy.
"Actually," I answer N, staring at him triumphantly, "I believe Zekrom just did choose me as its hero."
Behind me, the rebellion cheers.
I scramble around in my purse for the Master ball I saved specially for Zekrom until my hands close in on it. Pulling it out, I show it to Zekrom and click it open. Obediently, its shape sort of dissolves again and it disappears into my pokeball.
"Okay," I say loudly, "I believe we can start our battle now."
"Are you sure?" Ghetsis asks sarcastically, speaking again for the first time since N showed up. "You don't want to magically summon Victini or something?"
"Technically, I believe it was your King who crashed through that wall and interrupted us." I point out. "But if you want me to get Victini, I believe its Pokeball is somewhere in my purse. Could you just give me a minute?"
"What?" cries Ghetsis. "What are you talking about? N has Victini!"
"Actually, Ghetsis," N says, an ashamed expression on his face, "remember that time Touko stole those Pokeballs from me? Victini was in one of them."
Ghetsis lets out a scream of outrage, but then calms down suddenly. "No matter. We'll take Victini, along with all the other Pokemon, back once we defeat the rebellion."
"I don't believe that will be happening," I tell Ghetsis confidently, actually believing that this time, as I hold Zekrom's Master ball in my hand. Now I finally get to shout out the cool let's-get-this-battle-started sentence I wanted to before N interrupted me.
"Onward to victory, rebellion!"