"Pikaaaa-chu!" Pikachu said, sniffing. "Chuu."

"Yeah, but it's nice to walk sometimes, right?" Ash asked. "And there's all kinds of cool Pokémon in Unova which we'd miss if we were flying overhead."

"Chu," Pikachu admitted.

"Besides, you're getting a lift," Ash pointed out. "So really I'm the only one out of us two who's walking."

That won him a giggle. "Pikaaa, Pikapi."

Ash laughed, then crouched down and picked up Scraggy. "And how are you finding it back where we met you?"

"Scragg!" Scraggy said, scratching his head. "Scra?"

"Oh, yeah, it was a bit further along on my Unova journey," Ash agreed. "We're near Striaton, not Nacrene, I… think?"

He frowned. "Maybe I should have brought along someone who can fly, at least… oh well!"

Scraggy sniggered, then jumped down from Ash's grip. He rolled to absorb the force of his fall, shook himself out, and stated loping ahead of them.

"Don't go too far, Scraggy," Ash reminded him.

"Scra-ra-scraggy!" the Fighting-type agreed, glancing back and waving his hand, then turned back to what he was doing. "ScRA!"

A Watchog came bounding out of the trees, and glowered at Scraggy. "Waaatch-og!"

"Scraa!" Scraggy replied, Leering.

Watchog folded their arms, Leering back. "ooog?"

"Scra-GY!" Scraggy said firmly, lowering himself for a headbutt.

As he began to attack, Watchog left.

That left Scraggy bumping into a tree, bouncing back, and looking faintly confused. Though it didn't help when a Pidove fell out of the tree, picked itself up, and flew off.

"I guess they don't want a fight," Ash guessed. "Sorry, Scraggy. I guess maybe you can burn off some energy with Buizel later? Or now if Buizel wants."

"Scraa!" Scraggy said, looking interested.

"Seriously?" a familiar voice asked. "How did this just happen again?"

Scraggy perked up, and went running off in the direction of the voice. "Scra-aggy!"

"Iris!" Ash agreed, waving as the speaker came around a bend in the path. "It's great to see you!"

The Unovan Champion nodded. "Yeah, it is! We didn't get a chance to actually battle at the Masters Eight… and since then… what brings you to Unova, anyway?"

She looked suspicious. "You're not on a school trip or something, are you?"

"A school trip?" Ash repeated. "Why would I be on a school trip?"

"I don't know, unlike you I'm not a child!" Iris said.

Pikachu sighed. "Piii-ka-chu…"

"That's a cool Gible," Ash told Iris, some minutes later.

They'd found a nearby clearing, which was the kind of thing Iris had been after anyway, and both trainers were taking the opportunity to catch up again with the team their friend had with them… or, for Iris, mostly get introduced to Ash's Pokémon she'd never actually met before.

Scraggy had wasted no time and gone bounding straight over to Haxorus as soon as Iris sent the Dragon-type out, then slowed a bit as he looked up at the sheer size of the Dragon-type now.

"Scraaaa…" he said, gasping. "Gy?"

"Haax," Haxorus replied, then picked Scraggy up and put him just in front of one of Haxorus's back ridges. "Rus?"

"Scraaa!" Scraggy cheered. "Gy-gy-Scraggy!"

Ash laughed. "I guess Scraggy's enjoying being tall!"

Iris chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so… but, yeah, Gible's been around for a while. He hasn't evolved yet, I don't really know if he ever wants to, but if he does evolve then… it'd be pretty cool."

She pointed. "Speaking of Gible! Ash, you know how much I like Dragon-types, why did you never show me your Dragon-type while we were travelling together?"

Ash held up his hands, while his own Gible went bounding over to Iris's Gible. "Hey, I was trying to get a fresh start in Unova! That meant not going on about everything I'd done!"

"That's why I thought you were a child, and I was absolutely right," Iris said, sniffing. "You'd think you would have taken pity on a poor dragon tamer."

"Huh?" Ash asked, curious. "Did you see a poor Dragon Tamer somewhere?"

Iris grumbled something.

"Gib-gib!" Ash's Gible said, getting their attention. "Gib-ibble-gib?"

"Giib?" asked Iris's Gible, sounding very interested.

"…Pikapi?" Pikachu said, getting Ash's attention. "Pik-piika-chuu!"

He struck a pose, and Ash stood up.

"If you want to show Gible, go ahead, Gible," Ash said, pointing to the other half of the clearing. "Just… over there, okay?"

"Show Gible?" Iris repeated. "Show him what?"

Gible used Draco Meteor.

"Whoa!" Iris gasped, once the explosions had stopped. "That was so cool!"

She caught herself. "Ahem."

Pikachu giggled.

"So, uh…" Iris began, some minutes later, once the rest of the Pokémon were out.

Buizel was playing something with Excadrill, or at least it looked like playing. It was either that or Buizel kept just about escaping from Metal Claw or Drill Run attacks, though every time he did they both laughed so it probably wasn't anything to worry about.

On the other side of the clearing, Emolga jumped down to try and grab something from Squirtle's pile of berries, and the Tiny Turtle Pokémon turned around to listen to something Quilava was saying in a way that just happened to hit Emolga squarely with her tail.

Emolga went flying back into the air, looking confused, then caught onto the nearest tree. "E-molga!"

"Squirtle squirt!" Squirtle replied, scratching her head. "Squirr tle?"

"M-olga!" Emolga insisted.

Pikachu shook his head. "Kachu, chupi."

Then he snagged one from Squirtle's pile himself. "Pi-pika, pi."

Ash laughed.

"Huh?" Iris said, her train of thought apparently derailed before she could actually get anywhere with it. "What's going on over there, anyway?"

"Well, I guess Squirtle's okay with someone having a berry from her pile," Ash replied. "She just thinks that Emolga should either ask or get good at taking them."

As he spoke, Emolga came diving down again, and Squirtle swung her tail to knock the Electric-type out of the air.

This time, Emolga dodged, snagged a berry, and got clonked on the head by another one as Squirtle picked it up and threw it.

"Molga!" she protested, dropping her prize. "Emol-mol-molga…"

Squirtle shrugged. "Squir-tle."

"It's still a bit weird to me that you didn't bring these guys to Unova with you," Iris said. "I remember how you said it was meant to be a fresh start, but even so."

"Hey, a fresh start isn't a fresh start if you bring someone along with you!" Ash replied. "I did that in Johto, I brought my team with me, and… it just didn't work out. Then the new Pokémon I got were such great friends that I moved on with each new region… though, uh, I guess sometimes I overdid it."

"Laaa-va," Quilava said, settling down next to Ash, and he scratched the Fire-type absently along the fur behind her flame quills.

"What about Pikachu, then?" Iris asked.

"Hey, Pikachu's different," Ash replied. "All my Pokémon are my friends, but Pikachu's special. I… guess it's hard to explain?"

Iris looked over at where Buizel and Excadrill were playing, and her expression softened as she looked between Excadrill and Haxorus. "No, I do know what you mean. I'm teasing."

"Anyway," Iris said. "Now I know way more about the Pokémon you had before, and I actually did go to the trouble of looking up all the Pokémon you had in the past… and, well, I guess some of them didn't even show up, maybe, but I think almost all of them did. And I didn't know until I did that you had a Lapras."

"Yeah, I caught him in the Orange Islands and helped him get back to his family!" Ash agreed. "Then, well, we met again not long ago when I revisited the Orange Islands."

He looked curious. "Why do you ask?"

"Because… I realized something," Iris admitted. "In my battle against Cynthia, I mean, but also before that. I guess what I mean is that it's something I've been thinking about for a while, and it's…"

She sighed. "I don't have to be a Dragon Master. I'm a successful trainer, and I love Excadrill and Emolga just as much as Haxorus and Dragonite, and – I shouldn't not aim for Pokémon that I like just because they're not Dragons."

"That's great!" Ash said. "Lots of my friends started out as type specialists, but they got Pokémon that didn't fit with their speciality and it worked out great! Misty's got a Togetic, Clemont's got Chespin and Diggersby, Cilan's got… uh, I can't even remember which type he's supposed to be a specialist in… and Brock has loads of Pokémon that aren't Rock-types."

"Cilan's my friend too, Ash," Iris protested, but she was smiling. "Anyway, I was asking because I realized… I'd kind of like to have a Lapras. And I wondered if you had any tips?"

Ash frowned. "Well, uh… you do know they're Ice-types, right?"

"Of course I know that!"

"Okay, let's see this trick you have," Iris said. "Maybe it works on your Dragonite, but let's see if it works on my Dragonite!"

"Sure!" Ash replied. "Ready, Quilava?"

"Laa-va!" Quilava agreed.

"Dragonite, fly around to pick up speed, then come in fast!" Iris said. "Let's mess with their plan – Dragon Rush!"

"Dra-go-NITE!" Dragonite said, banking around and picking up speed before charging in with blazing speed.

"Agility!" Ash called. "Quick Attack and jump!"

Quilava kicked off just as Dragonite was about to reach her, and shot into the air above Dragonite – then detonated an Eruption, which hit Dragonite in the small of the back and made him crash into the ground.

Attack over, Quilava landed back on the ground with finicky precision.

The Dragon-type growled, picking himself up after a sliding halt that threw up a cloud of dirt, and Iris raised her hand.

"Hold on a moment, Dragonite?" she requested. "That's a cool trick, but I think I've got an idea how to beat it – come over here?"

"Quill-lava," Quilava said, sitting on her haunches and waving.

Dragonite glowered at her, then took off and flew over to his trainer.

"I could just say to not get in close, but that's not how we're playing this," Iris said. "We're going to beat Quilava on her own terms – what do you think of this plan?"

She whispered something to the Dragon-type, and his anger turned into something much more like satisfaction.

"That's what I thought!" Iris agreed. "Okay, let's try that again!"

Dragonite took off, swooping around to use Dragon Rush again, and Ash waited.

"Agility!" he said. "Smokescreen!"

This time, Quilava puffed out a cloud of smoke first as she jumped. Dragonite's counter-move helped with that, because it was a Hurricane from both wings that pushed him back upwards as the explosion went off, but Quilava's Smokescreen kept her safe and neither Pokémon got a good hit on the other.

"We're making progress already," Iris said. "See, Ash? Your tricks don't work so well the second time!"

Ash grinned, then looked over as someone cleared their throat.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," N said.

"Quilll-ava," Quilava shrugged

"Drago-drago-nite!" Dragonite replied, putting his paws on his hips. "Dragon-ite."

Pikachu ran out into the space between them. "Pika-chuu, chuu!"

The two Pokémon looked at Pikachu, then each other, then nodded.

"Nite," Dragonite said, relaxing.

"I apologize," N replied. "But I would like to speak to your trainers… especially yours, Quilava, Pikachu."

"Huh!" Ash said. "I guess it's lucky I was in Unova, then. How are you doing, N?"

"That… is a good question," N replied. "It might take some time to explain."

"By the time you've finished, Ash will have forgotten the start," Iris suggested.

"Hey!"

"After our encounter, and your help with stopping my father's plans, I… travelled," N said, sitting on one of the logs around the side of the clearing. "I realized that the truth was very different from how my father had presented it, and while I had already realized that… my time with you was important, because it was how I came to realize how much I still had to do to unlearn what my father had told me."

"Pika, Pikapi, Pika-chuuu," Pikachu said.

N smiled. "You were certainly a part of it, yes. Your devotion to Ash is… humbling."

Squirtle folded her arms. "Squirr-t!"

"Gible gib!" Ash's Gible agreed, then Iris's one gave him a look.

"Giii-ble?"

Gible shrugged. "Gib gib, le."

N chuckled.

"I really wish I understood all of what Pokémon say," Iris admitted. "The way you can tell exactly what they're saying is… amazing."

"It's because he's spent time with so many Pokémon, right?" Ash asked. "I've got the best idea of what Pikachu's saying, well, except for Lucario and Greninja because of our connections so I'm almost as good with them, but Pikachu's been with me for ages. I'm doing my best to learn, but… it takes a while, and there's so much else to do as well."

Iris groaned. "And we got off topic… Ash, you really can be a kid sometimes."

Ash waved his arms in protest, and N kept going. "So… I went travelling. To try and learn what it was that I had not understood. About how humans and Pokémon are similar, and how they can coexist, and how there is so much that there is to learn."

He smiled. "And, just recently… I think that I have come to the point where I truly do understand."

"You do?" Ash said. "Huh. So, was it like when a Pokémon masters a move? Because learning the move is usually an either-or thing, either they can do it or they can't, but mastering it is when they've got it to where they can use it to do most normal things – sometimes, everything they want it to be – and it happens gradually, until it happens suddenly."

"Pikaa-chuu!" Pikachu agreed. "Pikapi, chuu-pika!"

"He does have a lot of insight at the strangest moments," N agreed, which made Ash happy until he tried to work out if it was more of an insult or something. "But yes, I think that that's a good way to think about it… I had been learning the truth gradually, and then suddenly I realized that I knew an answer. And I don't know if it's the right answer, but I am confident."

There was silence for a long moment, until a little black-furred Pokémon emerged from N's long ponytail.

"Zoru-a!" it said.

"Zorua are cool," Ash smiled. "We met one in Sinnoh once who could talk, through telepathy. I don't know where they are now, though."

N's companion suddenly looked extremely interested, clambering up onto N's shoulder before jumping down, and sat on N's knee.

"Zorua is part of it," N said. "But a bigger part of it is, well, why I am here."

He brought out a Pokéball, and sent out Reshiram.

Iris fell off her log.

"Wow!" Ash said. "You've got a Pokémon in a Pokéball? That's new, right?"

"It is," N agreed. "This was part of learning the truth, and that Reshiram has accepted me is part of what leads to my new confidence… so I must ask, Ash. Has Zekrom accepted you?"

Ash looked confused. "Uh. Are... are you asking for a Pokémon battle?"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked. "Pika!"

"No, no," N replied, shaking his head, as Iris picked herself back up off the ground. "I am not asking for a battle… certainly not a battle over which of us is right, anyway. I'm simply curious about what your experience with Zekrom was like."

That got a frown. "My experience with Zekrom? I guess Zekrom zapped Pikachu once, and then appeared again.. and there was that weird thing with the Sword of the Vale, but that was more confusing than anything."

N looked just as confused as Ash. "I… see. That is very strange, Ash – from what you told me before, I had the idea that Zekrom would have sought you out as the Hero of Ideals at some point."

"Pikaaa-chu!" Pikachu said, and the rest of Ash's Pokémon chimed in in agreement.

And, overhead, an invisible shimmer raised a claw to its chin, then accelerated off into the distance.

"Both of you?" N said, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, I guess," Ash replied. "Well, I don't really know where Tobias would come, but I don't think Iris is the bottom of the list for the Masters Eight, either. So I guess… we're both definitely top ten!"

"Pikaaa-chu!" Pikachu said proudly. "Chuu-pika!"

"I'd complain, but that's… fair," Iris decided. "Anyway, yeah… we're both up there. Surprised?"

"Glad," N replied, firmly. "You are both my friends, I think? And for you to be among the strongest trainers in the world, that is good for me to know."

Then there was a whoosh, as a black shape passed low overhead.

"Whoa!" Iris said, reaching out and catching Emolga as she tumbled past. "That's… Zekrom, right?"

"Reeesh!" Reshiram called.

Zekrom rolled, banking around overhead, then landed in the clearing. His turbine whined a little as it powered down, and N stepped forwards.

"Zekrom, do you seek a battle?" he asked.

"Zekk-rom," Zekrom replied. "Rooom. Zekk!"

"Raam," Reshiram added. "Resh-i-RAM."

Pikachu looked back and forth between them, as the conversation continued. "Pika-kachu?"

"What are they saying?" Ash asked, interested.

N turned to look at them, then stepped back a little so he could see everyone at the same time.

"Squirr-tle!" Squirtle announced, glasses coming out.

"Zekrom and Reshiram were telling me something important about them," N explained. "It relates to you, Ash. And – and to me, and Reshiram hadn't said it before."

Reshiram put his paw gently on N's shoulder, and N reached up to clasp the arm in return before letting go.

"Zoru!" Zorua giggled.

"Zekrom recognizes you as Hero of Ideals," N explained. "Just as Reshiram recognizes me as Hero of Truth. But it was important for me to accept that it is all right for me to keep a Pokémon in a Pokéball, and that is why Reshiram pressed for me to accept that Truth."

He pointed at Ash. "And for you, it is an important part of who you are that you understand – Pokémon do not have to be in Pokéballs if they do not want to."

"Kaaa-chu!" Pikachu said firmly.

"Exactly," N agreed. "Pikachu is a good example of that. You simply do not make him go in his Pokéball."

"Resss-hiram?" Reshiram asked, looking at the other Dragon-type.

Zekrom looked faintly embarrassed. "...krom. Zeeek-rom."

"And you never looked like you needed help," N added. "Though I get the impression Zekrom wasn't always close enough to tell."

"Pika-chuu, Pikapi!" Pikachu said, sticking his tongue out.

Then Zekrom raised his arm.

"Krrr-om?" he asked.

"...though Zekrom would be interested in a battle, apparently," N concluded. "Not a battle to see who is right, just… a battle."

"Sure!" Ash decided, immediately. "Do you mean a rematch against Pikachu, or you against Reshiram?"

"I still can't believe this is happening," Iris said. "But this is going to be really cool, to see two such powerful Dragon-types battling one another."

Ash had his Rotom Phone out. "Okay, uh… right, so those are your moves, that's helpful! Thanks, Rotom!"

"Fine by me," Rotom replied. "You want the Pokédex description too?"

Ash shrugged. "I think I know enough," he said. "We'll work out the rest together! Okay, Zekrom, ready?"

Across the clearing, N stepped back to give Reshiram more space, and the rest of the Pokémon present got into their places just behind the tree line.

"Squirr-tle!" Squirtle cheered.

"Zel!" Buizel agreed.

Ash gave a thumbs-up. "Thanks, guys!"

Iris raised her hand. "This is one Pokémon on a side, and I guess you keep going until one of you wants to stop? Begin!"

"Fusion Flare," N instructed.

"Dragon Breath!" Ash called immediately.

The two attacks collided and exploded, and N frowned. "Why would – ah."

"Now, get into the air!" Ash said. "Thunder to keep him distracted!"

"Stick to Dragon moves," N advised. "They're resistant to your fire and his lightning."

Zekrom soared into the air, Reshiram behind him, then the two Pokémon rolled out in different directions and took up positions in the air opposite one another. Reshiram used Dragon Pulse, and Ash swiped his hand forwards. "Slash!"

Zekrom swiped the attack out of the air, then evaded as Reshiram followed up with a Dragon Breath, and N looked between the battle and Ash.

"You're planning something, aren't you?" he said.

"You bet!" Ash agreed. "Zekrom – Imprison!"

N winced, as suddenly the Vast White Pokémon lost access to most of his Dragon moves. Zekrom hadn't, and worse, Reshiram couldn't do the same thing back to the Deep Black Pokémon because one Imprison had blocked the other.

"Fire Blast!" he decided.

"Bolt Strike!"

"This is amazing," Iris breathed, one hand on Haxorus' back. "It's hard to remember that this isn't a properly serious battle…"

She shook her head. "It's hard to believe Ash hasn't used Zekrom before, too."

Then there was a shout from the other side of the clearing.

Four familiar Pokémon came galloping through the trees, horns glowing, then stopped in complete confusion and a barely-avoided tangle of hooves as they noticed Iris and Ash.

"What is going on?" Cobalion asked.

"We saw a fight!" Keldeo added, trotting out from behind the other Swords of Justice. "Hi Ash! Hi Iris!"

"You're right, it is them," Virizion agreed.

"And that's N!" Ash told them. "He can understand Pokémon really well, even if they're not able to talk so humans understand them like you guys can!"

Overhead, Zekrom and Reshiram had left off their battle, turning to see what was going on, and Iris sighed.

"It's always the same, with Ash…"

After that, the moment had sort of passed and restarting the battle didn't seem like it would work out okay.

Keldeo asked where Cilan was, and N admitted he was curious about that as well, then Iris reminded them all that they weren't far from Striaton and Cilan had gone right back to helping to run the Striaton Gym with his brothers Chili and Cress.

Then one thing led to another, and that evening they all crowded into the Gym together.

"Bon Appetit!" Cilan said happily, putting a big tray of food on the pushed-together tables, then took a second tray from his Crustle's back. "Thank you, Crustle! Now, everyone, eat up!"

"Thank you," Cobalion told Cilan, then swept his gaze across to Chili and Cress as they brought out the rest of the meal. "All of you."

"I told you, right?" Keldeo asked. "I said their cooking was great!"

Terrakion chuckled. "Yeah, you did, kid."

Then he tried one of the risotto balls, and his expression changed. "...wow, that is really good."

"Pika-pii!" Pikachu cheered. "Ka-chuu!"

"That's right, it's made with passata!" Cilan told the Electric-type, as he had a risotto ball too. "It's one of our specials, and that makes it just the thing to share with all of you!"

Iris held one out to her starter. "What do you think?"

"Dri-ll," Excadrill decided, taking the flavoured rice ball, and ate it in two bites.

And, as the humans and Pokémon really got started on the slap-up meal the Striaton Trio had put together, N leaned against the wall next to one of the windows.

"Here," he said, passing a plate out the window, and a pair of invisible claws took it. "Don't forget to put it back in here when you're done with it."

A squeak.

"After that long around my Zorua, I'm used to spotting things like that," he said. "Thank you for contacting Zekrom, the battle was more fun than I was expecting."

He leaned against the wall, and smiled.

"Truth and Ideals… they don't have to be different things," he said. "Good friends are both."

AN:

Dropping in on Unova, and wrapping up a very oddly handled plot point, the Zekrom where they never really worked out what to do with them after the Plasma plot got cancelled. So they hardly appeared at all (twice total AIUI).

Plus, since Ash is in Unova, I may as well bring up everything else Unova-related.