The week following the New Year had been a wet one for Unova. Snow fell in the northern regions while rain bombarded most of the central and southern areas, including the metropolis known as Black City. A young man with sopping green hair sticking out from beneath his hat in a ponytail stood outside one of the many skyscrapers, a sigh escaping his lips.
"Dang't," he muttered, rubbing his face with his hands. He was exhausted. On top of the community service he'd been sentenced, he was doing his best to get Team Plasma off the ground as a non-profit organization in order to help Pokemon in need. So far it had been tough going. He'd met with the top CEOs here in Black City in hopes to secure funding, but he'd been rejected.
"Doesn't help that I'm a criminal," N said softly as he began walking. Zoroark slipped out of the shadows where he'd been hiding and joined him. Both were soaked to the bone, but N cared less about that than his failed ventures.
He was so lost in thought he almost didn't hear it. But when he did, he paused, a splash of water catching his ankles. He listened and made out-
Eyes widening ever so slightly, he resumed walking, trying to act casual. He began whispering to Zoroark, and his Pokemon's eyes narrowed. He listened while trying not to seem suspicious and quickly made a decision. He turned sharply into an alley and broke into a fast run. Zoroark was on his heels, senses alert. Just as he reached the end, he nearly ran into a young girl and her Lampent as they were passing by the mouth of the alley.
The orange haired girl yelped in surprise and almost fell back if it weren't for her Lampent catching her. Her umbrella did fall out of her grasp and landed in a puddle while N fell onto his butt.
"My apologies," N said, out of breath, reaching for the umbrella and handing it back to her as he stood. "Sorry, I have to get going-"
"You're him," she said, staring at him with wide teal eyes. "N. The leader of Team Plasma?"
"I, yes," N turned away. "That Team Plasma is dead. Go on, you shouldn't be around me."
"Why not?"
"Why- why not?" He whirled back around, caught off guard. "Surely you don't trust me?"
She regarded him. "He vouched for you. That's good enough for me."
"He?"
"Zeno," she said simply. "If he trusts you, then I trust you."
N opened his mouth, but no words came out. Shaking his head, he turned and began walking away. "You should go home. It's not safe to be by yourself." Zoroark regarded the girl and Lampent curiously before hurrying after him and the both of them set a fast pace.
"There's not a lot of people around," N said, realizing too late that with evening setting in and the third consecutive day of heavy rain, not a whole lot of people were going to be out in the nearly flood-like streets. Part of him wondered why a girl that young was out here on a day like this, and another part of him itched to go back and help her and her Pokemon, but she was safer without him near her. Because-
N came to a stop. Through the heavy downpour and darkening cloudy skies, he could just make out a figure leaning against a streetlamp. He squinted as another shape came into view. A Pokemon hovering just above his shoulders. Cursing, N turned around, only to see a third figure approaching slowly, a weapon of sorts dangling from their hand at their side and the shadow of a Pokemon walking beside them.
Zoroark growled beside him, flexing his claws as N glanced around desperately before a thought came to him. Perhaps this was karmic justice. After everything he'd done, this is what he got. What he deserved.
"Fine then," N resigned himself, knowing that escape was futile. "Execute me for the crimes of Team Plasma. I was their 'king' after all." He watched as the first figure rose from the streetlamp and hefted a huge double bladed axe. He wondered if they would make it quick. He wondered if he even deserved that much-
"Dang't, N! Move it!"
N spun around just in time to get the wind knocked out of him as someone barreled into him, pushing him towards the nearby building. He heard them break open as he stumbled into the lobby.
"Keep moving!" A familiar black haired teen shouted at him, pushing him towards a door marked with a stairwell sign. "Zoroark, Greninja, cover us!" Not a moment later N heard the sound of explosions before he was herded into the stairwell.
"Zeno, what are you-!?"
"Saving you apparently, now move!" Zeno ordered as they ran up the flight of stairs. "This building is still under construction, and with all the rain there's a good chance any battles won't be noticed. Especially if the Executioners are choosing now to strike."
"Why come save me?" N asked, huffing from all the running.
"Because despite everything, you're trying to do good," Zeno said. "Now shut up and run! Our chances of surviving this are dwindling by the second!"
A few seconds later Zoroark and Greninja bounded up the stairs after them, firing down below where N could see a Gliscor and Weavile firing back up at them. He jerked sideways into the wall when an attack ripped through part of the railing.
Zeno got ahead of N and slammed his way through a door. N was through a second later, their Pokemon right behind him. This part of the building hadn't been finished yet, supports holding up the ceiling, but two of the walls were bare and open to the weather as plastic sheets and tarps blew around violently.
"We'll make our stand here," Zeno said as they backed away from the door.
"You know who they are," N said. "We don't stand a chance."
"Maybe, maybe not," Zeno shrugged.
"What are you even doing here?" N stared at him.
Zeno groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't know you were their target. Not until I saw you on the street. My main focus isn't even the Executioners. I just need the person they've been after."
"Me?"
"I just said I didn't know you were their target," Zeno shot back. "They've been going after someone else for a while now, and they're the one I-!" He broke off, whirling around. N followed his gaze to see one of the Executioners walking towards them, his axe dragging along the floor.
"So that's why you were hanging around," Spicy glared at him with his one visible eye. "Good to know."
The door to the stairwell burst open as Gliscor and Weavile shot through, followed by Sage as she held two nunchucks in her grasp.
"Will she really come and save you though even after all those times you stupidly rushed headlong into danger?" Spicy snarled.
"Yeah, I think she will," Zeno smirked. "I don't know why, but even after threatening me, she still went out of her way to help me. I can't fathom why, but there's a reason. And I intend to find out what that reason is."
"How you survived this long I will never know," Spicy spun his axe up into the air and leveled it at him. "But I will make sure that you-!" His eye widened and he spun around on the balls of his feet and brought his axe up just as something invisible clanged against it. The air shimmered in front of him before Spirit became fully visible. She broke off the attack and danced away from his axe to stand near N and Zeno, her beautiful white hair fanning out around her.
"Why do you have to be like this?" Spirit spat at Zeno as she turned her crimson eyes onto him.
"Because someone hasn't given me answers," Zeno matched her glare.
Spirit radiated unhealthy amounts of hostility, but she turned her back on him as she readied her sword. "Get ready to fight."
"Way ahead of you," Zeno tilted his head and Greninja transformed as two giant shurikens formed in his hands. "I'll take eyepatch over there."
"Suit yourself," Spirit switched spots with him as she leveled her gaze to Sage.
"Finally ready?" Spicy's eye blazed. "Because I am sick and tired of WAITING!" He burst off with a yell, axe swinging. Zeno dashed forward alongside Greninja, ducking below the attack and dodging the next swing as Greninja leapt over him and hurled his shurikens to an approaching Gliscor. They exploded against him before Greninja formed a water whip and lashed at the axe, tugging backwards.
Spicy let go and darted forward, landing a solid punch in Zeno's stomach. Gasping out, Zeno recovered quickly and swung his leg up into his middle. Before Spicy could grab the limb, Zeno jerked to one side, hand outstretched as he caught the water blade Greninja had flung. He broke it into two and both warped into dagger shapes. Flipping them around so the blades pointed down, Zeno attacked.
Meanwhile Spirit had engaged Sage, her blade dancing through the air while Sage nimbly dodged each slash while spinning her nunchucks. Spirit nearly took several blows, of which she blocked by unsheathing her short sword. She went on a full offensive, her blades becoming a blur as she moved faster and faster. Sage's Weavile was soon taken out by Ghost, leaving just the humans to hash things out.
N was rooted to the spot while Zoroark curled around his legs in a protective stance. He couldn't do a thing to help. If he tried, he'd just get in the way. The Executioners were widely considered the deadliest assassins in the world, and from what little he'd seen of them, he could believe it. Yet there was Zeno, fighting toe-to-toe with one of them. He weaved between attacks, Spicy having reclaimed his axe, while making quick jabs and slices at him with the water daggers. He managed to land a few blows, and while he cut through the tailored suit, N saw no blood.
Now N could see the sort of person Zeno truly was. Someone who held back from seriously hurting others while still unleashing his full ferocity on his enemies. He wondered how he ever thought he could've beat him. He had known his reputation, yet he had still held onto the thought that he wouldn't lose just because he was the fabled Hero of Truth. Yet Zeno's ideals had won, and rightly so. But he had given N a second chance. He hadn't written him off as an unforgivable villain.
"If he trusts you, then I trust you."
N clenched a fist. Zeno was fighting to protect him, regardless of everything. So, even if the world was against him, he would do everything he could to make up for his past mistakes. He would turn Team Plasma into an organization that helped not only Pokemon, but people as well!
With a yell, Zeno slashed upwards, slicing clean through Spicy's axe, causing the man to stumble backwards from the sudden uneven distribution of weight. At the same time, Spirit had managed to bring Sage down to one set of nunchucks, blood seeping from a wound on her limp right arm.
Spicy moved to attack Zeno with his fists again, but Greninja appeared by his side. Stopping, he glanced towards his sister, his face scrunching up in anger. "You're not worth the trouble. Sage, we're leaving."
Spirit lowered her blades, allowing for Sage to break away from her and join her brother as she carried her Weavile with her one good arm. Hefting his Gliscor, Spicy shot one last look at them all. "Pray that we aren't paid to come after any of you again. Especially you, traitor." He spat those last words out before he and Sage hurried away. A tarp fluttered and obscured them for a second, and when it settled back down, they'd disappeared.
With twin flicks of her swords to rid them of Sage's blood, Spirit sheathed her blades. She glanced over at N. "Get out of here. You'll be fine now."
N hesitantly began heading for the door, glancing uneasily at her while Zoroark glared at her. At the top of the stairs, he looked back. "Why...?"
"Black City is infamous for illegal dealings," Spirit said. "Someone clearly didn't want you to live to make that non-profit organization of yours."
N nodded slowly. He still had enemies then.
"N!"
The green haired man looked to Zeno, who gave him a nod. "Best of luck."
N gazed at him in shock for just a moment before he smiled. "Thank you, Zeno." Then he left, thankful he was alive, but even more thankful that someone like Zeno was kind enough to give him a second chance.
The moment N was gone, Greninja and I acted. He slammed into Ghost while I rushed Spirit, slamming her up against a pillar.
"I'll admit I'm curious," Spirit said as if she weren't in this position. "How did you find us?"
"Looker has been keeping me updated," I said while glaring at her. "You've been good at cleaning up, but the bodies of the remaining Clarity members speak for themselves."
"Hmph," she shrugged. "I've gotten sloppy thanks to constantly being on the run from the other two. Today might have actually helped though, seems that they might leave us alone finally. Now, what do you want from me?"
"Answers," I growled. "You've been tailing me and my friends since before we even arrived in Unova. I want to know why. Why were we so important that you had to keep an eye on us." My eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to me. "Don't tell me, it's Giovanni isn't it? He tasked you with protecting me? What is he up to!?"
She regarded me with cold eyes. Ghost tried to move, but Greninja shoved her down, slamming a water blade next to her head. Then a smirk appeared.
"I am honestly insulted by your insinuation that I'm working for that bastard," she said coldly.
"Then who really are you!?"
"You really don't know, do you?" She gazed at me, almost shocked. "Sure, it's been a long time, and we didn't spend a whole lot of time together, but you'd think you would have at least remembered my looks. They aren't that common, y'know." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Think back, Zeno. The garden, and the wooden swords. How I always beat you. Every. Single. Time."
I blinked, shaking my head. "What are you...?" Something tugged at my mind. Old memories. A young girl with short white hair and piercing red eyes. Fuzzy images of a garden and two small wooden swords leaning against a low wall.
"You do remember," she said slowly. "But only barely. Hold on, Zeno, because if that was enough to make you go silent..." She leaned in close. "Don't get the wrong idea of childhood friends. With Giovanni as a father, friends were never an option. Isn't that right, little brother?"
My eyes widened and before I could process that bombshell, I felt a sharp jab in the ribs. A croak from Greninja told me he was caught off guard by Ghost, and before either of us had recovered, both had disappeared as easily as they came.
"My..." I fell back against the pillar as I ran a hand down my face. The shock was setting in. "My sister..." My eyes widened as a name came to my lips.
"Marana."
