Author's Notes/Replies

Mr. Haziq: Minato will need all the help he can get for the future.

3697014: Thanks, I'll try to flesh out more of Team Plasma too. All these evil organizations are so big, it's kinda crazy to see them operating as they do. They must have their own laws too. As for Blake, I went back to read more of the BW2 manga and I did see a bit more of his backstory. It's dark that the author implies his parents were eaten by Kyurem when they found him as a baby with the DNA splicers next to him at a crime scene...even crazier how the guy had no reaction to the confronting the legendary later.

Jason Wu: Ikr? And the only one that could have the balls to do it too.

ultima-owner: Gossip will be spread far and wide for what Minato did.

: I don't mind the legendary stuff, hell you reminded me some of them existed in the base BW games which I forget about. Looker looks older here because he's actually just using his disguise abilities to not show his real face in public.

Somewhere in the city, far away from the public eye, housed an underground facility. Blake stood in a cold arena, releasing his Dweott as he commanded his officers to place their inmate on the opposite side. With the snap of his fingers, multiple screens blared to life showcasing all sorts of battle data.

Minato noticed how the Dewott Blake released had its health and vital signs displayed on one of the hanging monitors. From its estimated endurance, to its current condition, everything laid bare in this state of the art battle facility. In another snap, his handcuffs released themselves as Blake spoke.

"Take out your strongest, we're going to battle."

His words were dry as he watched the bluenette with sharp eyes. It sent a message that if he made any wrong moves, it was over for him.

Taking a moment to think, Minato was sure the screens above would also be capable of tracking his own mons so he couldn't lie. Nor did he want to pry, lest he say something he'd regret later so he reached into his pocket and pulled out Honedge's ball. Both Deino and Woobat were decent, but the ghost blade he had just acquired housed most of his spiritual energy, as well as being hundreds of years old. Releasing the spirit, he saw the screen behind him flicker to life, displaying Honedge's vital signs.

He felt Blake watch his every move like a hawk as he made the first move, waving a hand for Dewott to attack without a word. Reaching for the two shells from on its side, they transformed into twin blades, Honedge meeting it head on in a clash of speed. The ghost blade being faster, swiftly swung downwards, catching the small creature, forcing it to block with its shells in an X formation as it was being pushed downwards. The ground beneath sunk, crack bit by bit as Dewott fought back against the pressure until it unleashed a powerful jet stream from its mouth, the hydro pump throwing Honedge back. Slicing through the air, waves of invisible wind stabbed into ancient metal, flinching the vengeful spirit.

Both condition meters on the screen dropped, indicating damage received from each side had taken some energy out of the two combatants.

"Not bad." Blake said, noticing Honedge had remained relatively unharmed and had caught Dewott before it could unleash anything lethal. But was this Minato's skill, or was Honedge always this powerful? Certainly, if the latter were true, then there was no way a newbie trainer like him could even hope to control such a beast. As the most talented officer in Interpol, it still took Blake years to master taming stronger pokemon. This only made him more suspicious.

"Finish it, Dewott." It acknowledged its trainer with a nod, summoning a massive wave, surfing at Honedge who remained in place, taking the brunt of the attack, covering the field in water. The otter was about to land from its surf when it was ambushed from the remaining water, taking a slash to the back by the blade as it gripped it with a shadow claw, grabbing for its neck. However, it avoided just in time, the claw shaving of otter fur. Recovering from the pain, grabbing one its shells, throwing it at the sword which hit its halt as it coated itself in water once more, shooting towards its opponent in a swift aqua jet. Smashing its body against the spirit, grabbing onto it in a suicidal embrace as they both zoomed into a wall, denting it in the process.

"Now freeze the battlefield."

Coming out of the dent, Dewott encased Honedge in a thick layer of ice before freezing the entire area, turning the field into an icy death trap.

Minato gave a side eye to Black who quickly looked away. He shifted back to the fight where the monitor now showed his pokemon in worse condition than before, with it emerging from the rubble. However in his sea, he told it to hold back as to not show the officer anything outrageous. Watching Blake grow more irritated, he knew he was winning this mind game. The real battle was in who would give up first.

"I see you're not taking this battle seriously." His opponent said. His intuition was telling him there was much more than met the eye.

"What do you mean? I'm just a newbie going up against an ace." Minato replied, remaining ice cold.

"Then your attitude should reflect it."

So he was going with this angle was he? Blake wanted him to crack, he wanted him to show him he was nothing more than a newbie just starting his journey. Indeed, if it were White, Bianca, or even Cheren in his place, Minato was sure all of them would have succumbed to the pressure of their situation sooner or later. Being tricked by a close friend, being arrested, and now being forced to battle in a random facility somewhere with no contact to the outside world. Plus, he was technically on the losing end of a match. He had no idea what the consequences were, yet despite all this, Minato was ice cold. And to an equally arctic person such as Blake, this set off his alarms to no end. This boy was no mere novice, but a veteran.

Black gripped the metallic bars on the bleachers, sweat rolling down his face. He wasn't sure what his boss was thinking but it couldn't be good.

Just then, Blake clapped, shutting down the monitors in one fell swoop. The sound of machinery grinding to a halt echoed hollow throughout. Then the superintendent made direct eye contact with the Messiah.

"Minato Arisato, just who are you?"

Among that desolate field of ice, reflected the visages of two equally leveled individuals, each wearing a chilly front to guard their secrets. Just who would let up first? For a minute they remained silent, until Blake spoke up once more.

"Born in Nuvema town to Sachiko Arisato and an absent father, as a child you were described as being quite mature for your age. Later, you would attend school in town and graduate along with your peers to start traveling with a few childhood friends. You lived honestly, often working at a pokemon center in your free time and helping the local nurse." Not to mention how he was caught speaking with the King of Team Plasma back in Nacrene just before the attack. They always had eyes tailing that man, no matter where he went. Yet, just as their agent was about to stalk them into the forest, they were attacked by something.

"That's a frightening amount of information you've gathered, just for my charges." Minato snapped back, there was no way interpol would care about his earlier years if they took his arrest seriously. This was the type of research one did for serious crimes in the realm of psycho analyzing a criminal for murder, not accidently hearing classified information.

"I would say this is very minimal for the actions you've displayed."

Cold air danced in the eternal light, generated by the blue ice.

"Actions?"

"The human body is only capable of lasting so long under possession and even less so when it comes to being over exerted." The screen lit up to show footage from the museum of Minato's possessed state smashing Plasma grunts into glass and knocking three people out at once. His movements were graceful yet freighting, pushing his limbs to the limit as they impacted both wall and flesh.

Frost froze the bleachers.

"According to professionals, a ghost type's possession only takes over the body of the human. Even if Honedge is from a distant age with experience in war, the body of a teenager shouldn't be able to handle its lethal movements. Nor would have cared what it did to your insides, yet the medical team that examined you concluded you only received light scratches along the way."

Blake laid out his explanation. It was a case of expertise vs bodily aptitude. For example, if an elite weightlifter could lift two hundred pounds, it was because he trained his body for it. It was able to handle the load bearing down in simple terms. Yet in Minato's case, his history showed no sign of such feats so it was natural to conclude such extreme exertion would have done significant damage to his muscles and tendons.

"Furthermore." Blake turned to a man who gulped, shivering in the cold. "My subordinate reported to me how you had spoken to a top level official of Team Plasma."

The space was freezing, likely below zero. White crystals formed, hanging from the ceiling as the ice on the floor hardened. Even Blake was starting to feel the frigide atmosphere, his Dewott sheltering itself between the other interpol agents. Chilly as it got, Minato stood in light summer clothes without a reaction. Blake gritted his teeth. What was a tactic to pressure and break his targets into spilling the beans was now backfiring on them big time. They never had to go this far in the past, with hardened criminals crumbling at lesser temperatures. If this went on any longer, he was sure his own team would freeze first. The cold cell technique along with the sudden arrest would have broken anyone, even his own agents.

Spewing out a breath of cold air, Minato switched to a null ice persona in the background, taking in the Siberian temperature in strides. In his mind, he knew what interpol was trying to accomplish. Somehow, they must have mistook him as someone holding relationships with Team Plasma itself. Despite all his current actions suggesting otherwise, interpol must have some reason to suspect that he didn't know of. And who was this official Blake was referring to? All he's ever met were grunts, yet he acts as if he's spoken with someone up the food chain.

"Thanks for revealing even more of that classified info of yours. I had no idea they were anyone important."

Blake clicked his tongue, had he made a mistake? After the meeting with Minato, N would sometimes mumble his name like he was a messiah. When the greenette spoke of him, it was always so positive, to the point where interpol questioned their connections to each other. Then, there was also the fact he resembled one of N's newest human friends, Ryoji to an uncanny degree. He couldn't dig up any records of the two being long lost twins, but he suspected they were connected somehow. And so, a bluenette being revered by the King, best friends with his advisor, roaming around with elite agent level abilities soon became Blake's target.

"Now tell me your relationship to Team Plasma."

Minato had no clue who he was referring to, but he was going to pry info out of this kid of what was going on. Not counting the fights he had with Plasma, all his talks were peaceful, and since interpol suspected them of being close, it must be someone he's acquainted with.

"We just talk. Once more, I had no clue of their background."

"Isn't your investigation too much of a stretch? Arresting me on charges you could have easily resolved, yet you further interrogate me on shaky ground. Do you have evidence of my relationship? What's to say that person has spoken with a dozen other people? Would you have interrogated them like me?"

"Minato, that's enough. Just give us an answer, please!" Black ran down from the bleachers, earning a snap from Blake.

"Agent Black, who told you, you could break from position?"

"Your methods will never work on him, boss!" He then turned to Minato, "Minato, you just have to tell us your relationship to N and that Ryoji guy. That's all we want to know, never mind where your crazy strength comes from. I'm sick of subjecting you to this freeze box."

Black was a good friend and he had a limit to what he could put Minato through. He was like a younger brother along with his actual sister, White. Blake was burning holes through him at the moment but he didn't care, screw his tyrant of a boss.

"Ryoji…?" Now their meeting then made more sense. Team Plasma's slogan was pokemon liberation so if an official of theirs learned about Minato's abilities, they would surely bite. When Ryoji introduced N, he said the man was a young heir to an important organization in Unova so it only made sense…

Blake noticed the change on Minato's face. He let Black keep spilling the beans fully, watching the scene unfold.

"We're investigating Plasma right now Minato, but there's only so much we can do with the information we have. N's a really important guy in the organization and they're not exactly planning anything good."

Would Ryoji not notice? Or did he have a plan of his own by getting so close to N? Minato had to find out for himself when they next meet, that was for sure. However, he was now more curious as to what type of information Interpol had on Plasma and its plans. So he decided to lay out some bait.

"I only know them because N provoked me once."

"He did what…?" N wasn't the type to provoke trainers unless they were abusive to their pokemon, but Minato's character didn't match that sort of profile, so why did the greenate act at all?

"During the middle of the night, he sent his Zorua and lured me to the outskirts of Accumula. Although, I'm unsure of what he wanted since I managed to take my personal items back beforehand."

This baffled the officers. There was a time when the greenate managed to escape their eyes, but only for that one night. From the timeline of events from Interpol's perspective, N had provoked Minato and then apologized to him later in Nacrene with the help of Ryoji, then after a mystery event began to act favorably toward Minato. He must have been desperate for the bluenette's help in some form, yet what could the newbie provide to the Plasma King? Not only that, but this confirmed Ryoji had massive sway between the two where Minato was able to forgive the transgression altogether.

"Then what happened during that time you all went into the forest." Blake said dryly, with Minato not even surprised at their stalkerish behaviour.

"That's a secret."

"Minato, this isn't the time to hide stuff right now. We really could have you arrested…" Black pleaded, but the Messiah smirked.

"You see, this is a very personal matter to me, so I'll exchange one secret for another." He crossed his arms, making Black pale. Blake was sizing him up, the two locking eyes in a killer deadlock. If Ryoji was able to make a trade of information, so could Minato play that game.

"And what would you want for it?" Surprisingly the superintendent was playing along, the tension was cutting Black like a knife, stuck between two bombs ready to go off.

"Oh, simple. Just give me information on your investigation on Team Plasma."

"Huh!?" Black jumped.

"So you think what happened is worth our entire investigation?" The officer snapped, now this was getting personal.

"More than that. I was dragged here from a fine stay at a luxury hotel. I'm giving you a discount." Minato shook his head. "I'm curious as to what's happening in Team Plasma. They've attacked me twice now, so I feel like I have the right to know…" He finished, his eyes flared neon blue for a moment before a wave of soft heat evaporated the entire arena's ice into steam.

The two officers of Interpol felt the cozy breeze, their eyes widening at the sudden spike in temperature, feeling the gentle wind brush against their skin. Whatever pain they felt from the frost also evaporated into thin air, all originating from the Messiah before them. In the end, they could only stare at Minato in shock.

"You…did you just?!" Blake shouted, unable to comprehend the logic. All his machinery was working properly, so how?

"Minato…?" Black backed away, seeing the serious expression on his friend's face. It was the front he wore in Tartarus, one made to take on the shadows.

"W-what's happening?!"

"Did the equipment break?" The other agents said in confusion, but there could be only one answer and he was standing right before them.

Minato had to get information to know what was happening to Ryoji and he wasn't going to compromise on that front. Plus, he had a bad feeling about Plasma, one that reeked of the past Kirijo before Mitsuru. Something about their ability to cause so much trouble in his new, peaceful life, didn't sit right with him.

"Dewott!" Blake shouted, releasing several other pokemon from his arsenal, the boy's eyes were blaring all sorts of alarms. Whoever this Minato guy is, he was dangerous and that's all that the officer could think of at the moment. Suddenly, a Kabutops and a Gliscor stood beside the superintendent, ready to take on the new threat. Together, they rushed at him when he opened his palm to clasp Honedge's halt and calmly swung in a wide, horizontal arc. Hot, roaring flames emerged, instantly cutting into the pokemon, knocking them out cold.

Interpol's best, taken down in one attack, crumpling to the floor like sheets of paper. For the first time, Blake couldn't fathom what was going on, the logic error was too overwhelming. Honedge couldn't learn a move with fire so intense yet his trainer swung it like he was the one unleashing the flaming barrage himself.

"Let it be known that you attacked me first, superintendent…" Minato said, he let go of the sword.

"..."

"Come one boss, you really did act out of line. He's still a civilian…." Black knew the fight or flight response he felt was a direct response to such overwhelming power. Like meeting a legendary for the first time and a near death experience all at once. Blake's instincts, honed over the course of his life, must have told him to eliminate the threat or run on a primal level.

Taking a deep breath, the brunette saw his superior calm himself, even if he was still shaken. Returning his fainted pokemon, he could only retreat to his office in a cold sweat with a hollow reply.

"Let me think about it…"

Cracking up a bottle of water, a thick stack of files were dropped in front of Minato. Blake sat in a meeting room with Black as the bluenette read through each Team Plasma investigation, from their finances, to their shady dealings. What he uncovered was a treasure trove that would rival even grandpa Kirijo in the layer of dirty secrets. Although none of this appeared remotely interesting, until he stopped at a folder containing their lab records. Strange research was being conducted in the background, although they did not specify what the exact nature was, it was still curious.

"Does interpol know what's up with this file?" The veteran gestured to the lab records, earning several weary glances when Black spoke up.

"You're already aware that I infiltrated Plasma as one of their own, during that time I was able to grab this much off their computers. It's some head scratching stuff, unlike their official plans known by everyone in the castle."

He was referring to the goal of having N become the hero of Ideals and awakening Zekrom to take overtake Unova, something everyone within Plasma was aware of. Code named the promised day, they would raise the castle to the surface once N ascends to the status of champion. However, this mysterious research played no role in that matter. By shuffling through every other document, everything was aligned to help build up to the promise day.

Minato pulled a piece of paper from the folder, concern bubbling up in his gut as he saw the labels for a strange device. It resembled the trading machines used in pokemon centers but gave off a particularly ominous aura like there was more than meets the eye. There was also one sketch of an unknown pokemon, that looked wrong somehow. Like it shouldn't exist, an abomination against nature itself.

Black shivered, "whenever I check that folder, I get the creeps. None of it even seems real. I searched the entire castle yet there wasn't anything like it hidden inside…"

"There could be a hidden floor even you couldn't access," Blake said, "But this is all we have research wise. Now tell us what we want, what did you do to get close to N?"

Minato explained how he healed Dwebble, which once again put the officers into shock. However, they were able to recover quickly unlike the first time they saw his powers.

"Maybe you were right. You are worth more than what we've gathered." Blake admitted.

"And I'm also concerned about what Team Plasma is doing with these experiments." Minato's previous experiences with dark, mysterious labs ended up with the Fall, and he didn't want another accident on their hands." It was settled, he definitely needed to ask Ryoji if he knew about any of this.

"In truth, we all are. But our efforts to get close to N and the top officials have been lackluster at best. Simple arrests and court trials won't do a thing to stop these people from retreating further underground." Sighed the superintendent, pinching his temple in a headache.

"We could launch a mass arrest but due to Plasma's positive reputation in Unova, they have thousands of civilian sympathizers, not to mention their robust legal team would stall whatever efforts we made in the courts for years." Black added.

"I take it then that Interpol will need something big to turn the tides then?" Minato said.

"Of course, something from their top brass, where they can't toss the blame." which is why they must find a way to literally turn the nation against the organization, leaving them with nowhere to run. Something so damning and concrete not even the gods could refute.

When the Plasma grunts were arrested in Dreamyard, they were likely reported as a group impersonating the white knights. And when the Nacrene attack happened, the media once again referred to them as a separate group of criminals.

"Then why not let me go look around?"

Black and Blake exchanged puzzled looks.

"Minato…you're not suggesting to go in that snake den, are you…?" It took ages for Black to comb that place whole, and he was experienced in the art of hiding himself.

Snapping a finger, the bluenette teleported to the otherside of the room, "I can do a lot more than this. There's not an easy way I can explain it, but I have ways to sneak around freely…"

The two brunettes each shook their heads, refusing to be surprised again. This enigma before them was just full of mysterious.

Clearing his throat, Blake ignored the display as much as he could, "But our agreement only consisted of an information exchange, not the official location of Plasma Castle. As superintendent, I can't send civilians into danger." He emphasized that last part, letting the whole room know.

Then Minato reached out for a handshake. "Fine, then I'll join Interpol."

"Sure." Acknowledging without any further discussion, like they had telepathically agreed on the outcome, Blake left Black awestruck. The contract came as swift as a lighting strike, rocking the underground.

"B-boss, you can't be serious! He has no formal training and we're going to send him in THERE?!"

At that, his childhood friend placed a hand on his shoulder, "Have more faith in me, Black. I escaped White's wrath on the playground for a reason." Oh, so that was how he was able to outrun her and disappear when she came in chasing everybody down.

"We need more talent, as stretched as we are. I won't pry about your real origins and you only take commands for me, no other superiors," Blake laid out the terms.

"That's rather shady of you. I imagine you haven't reported me to your bosses, then?" This little interaction created a small smirk on Minato's face. One where he knew what likely happened.

The officer nodded, "I would lose my job if I did and you would be hauled off to a lab somewhere, so let's both keep quiet about today's dealings, agent."

"I like that plan, sir."

N felt the strain in his shoulders, pushing his friend through the honey gated corridors of the Castelia Gym. Darmanitan was a powerful fire type capable of wiping the floor with Burgh, however the problem was getting in the first place. While other trainers moved their pokemon in pokeballs, easily passing the honey, the greenette's life was not so simple.

"Are you doing ok, sport? I feel bad having you and your pals help me pass through." The large pokemon said, unable to easily squeeze through each gate. The strange gel Burgh applied appears to allow humans to go through easily but something as large as Darmanitan was an issue as it fought to press through all the honey.

"Lord N can…can we have your friend climb over the gates?" Rosa panted, also tired from the exhausting ordeal, cleaning sweat from her face. As young as she was, her lower back ached from half an hour of fighting the damn honey gates. At some point, Ryoji had invited her to aid her King, of which she rushed to his side.

"I'm afraid that would be against regulations. The Gym leader here explicitly stated he wanted each participant to sample his fine art." Ryoji said, carefully helping the big pokemon through by pulling its arms to the otherside.

"How are you still able to move after all that? My entire body hurts ugh…." Rosa complained. She loved all pokemon, but pushing pokemon through slimy gates was not on her list of to dos.

Slowly getting up, N ignored the bursts of pain, continuing to help his friend. Today he would get that damn Gym badge and show that fine artist how bad his art really was. What kinda of fool would build a place like this? He even had bits of honey stained over all his clothes and hair, making him feel horrible.

"Let's finish this before the afternoon, I can't stand this place…" Between the awkward glances from other challengers and the cries of pokemon getting hurt everywhere, he really disliked Gyms.

"Ok, you push from the back and I'll pull from the front." Ryoji said, N agreeing and Rosa joined him.

"Why can't we just eat this honey?" Darmantitan whined, before being pulled through to the otherside, into an arena. The two on the otherwise felt the large pokemon pass through as Ryoji's help was a godsend.

"Whew, I'm glad that's over now. All you have to do now is challenge the Gym and we can be out of here." The dark haired boy said, although N was starting to feel the strain of all the physical exertion. The greenette saw how Rosa shared in his pain, although for some reason, Ryoji looked fine.

"Ryoji?" He asked, curious.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Aren't you feeling the least bit winded?" He wanted to go back to the castle and lay in bed for the next few days. This ordeal alone must have shaved off at least five years from his limited lifespan.

"Hmmmm, not really? I was the top of my class in terms of athletics. We had pretty intensive competitions." Ryoji smiled, not breaking a sweat.

"Man, I really wish I had your fitness. I failed our physicals last week." Rosa whined.

"Well, I hope we won't take too much out of you, Darmanitan. I admit, I might not be at my best for this one…" N admitted in defeat, earning a light nudge from his friend.

"Come on, sport. I'll be quick! You can count me for that!" The red creature gave everyone a thumbs up, revealing some of their exhaustion.

Pouring rain doused the concrete jungle below, soaking the streets in a fresh coat of rain as pedestrians rushed for shelter. Business men sprinted through the heavy downpour using their briefcases to shield themselves from the onslaught while trainers rushed out of the Castelia Gym after a tough battle. Among them, some wore sour faces while others were smug at their victory, with all of them having one thing in common: they were in a mad dash to avoid the unexpected rain.

A boy braced himself with his Vanillish by his side, brushing past a tiny white creature shivering in the cold, too preoccupied with their own circumstances. Then, a group of girls also ran into the storm, rushing into a car, ignoring the tiny calls once more. By the third and forth trainers that emerged, the creature was exhausted, slumping on the side of the staircase.

N emerged with Darmantian, his two human friends following not far behind. Rosa was surprised at the rain outside, while Ryoji congratulated the lucky badge winners.

"I didn't expect there to be such a heavy downpour today." Rosa said, already pouting at the misfortune of having to brave through honey hell only to be drenched in water when she got home.

However, N didn't respond. Ryoji noticed the greenette freeze.

Squeak! Squeak!

He heard a pokemon's faint cry. Searching around for the creature, he immediately rushed over to a tiny white mouse by the stairs, its fur wet from the downpour.

"What's wrong? Are you ok, friend?" He asked, the mouse shaking its head.

"Help! Help!" It cried, its voice hoarse from shouting desperately, its tiny body trembled in the rain.

"How can we help you?"

"Y-you can understand me?" The mouse was shocked, even more so when N took off his white over shirt to keep the little pokemon from shivering. Gingerly, he warped it and brought it over to the others.

"Of course I can, friend. I can hear the voice of all pokemon, but can you tell me what's wrong?" He asked in the most compassionate voice, soothing the little mouse.

"Please save my family! My husband and child were swept away by the water. We were underground when the rain started and the flood level is rising!"

N embraced the mouse, promising her they'll get her family back.

"If she's talking about the underground, then that would mean they're adrift in the city's sewers." Ryoji explained once his King translated the information.

"I may be too big to fit through the entrance, but I can call the other pokemon in the city to help." Darmantian added.

"L-lord N! Should I call the Plasma branch in the area and inform them of what's going on? We can mobilize the people we have now to search for them." Rosa said. Her King nodded, but ran into the rain with the mouse in his arms.

"Everyone do your part to ensure we have all the help we can get! I'll be going with Maushold to show me the way!"

Sprinting off, he found Ryoji tagging along. "You should go with Rosa and contact the others. Castelia is a big city, and we don't have much time." Dashing in the pouring rain, N's heart pounded out of his ribcage, racing to the entrance for the sewers. He hoped it wasn't too late.

"I'll have to disagree with you on this one my lord." Ryoji and the greenate halted at the entrance, stormy water flushing out of the tunnel's entrance. "You'll need all the help you can get with that stream."

N jumped into the flood, handing Ryoji the white mouse. "Then take care of Maushold while I search inside. We'll all drown if we charge in at once." The tiny pokemon had already given him some pretty detailed directions so now it was up to him to save her family. Fighting against the raging torrent, the water climbed up to his hips but he held onto a rusty rail to keep his balance. The deeper he forced his way into the tunnel, the fiercer the current was.

"Hello? Anyone there?" He called out to the waters, his voice clashing with the roaring rain. Waves upon waves beating against his battered form as he shoved away his messy green locks, now drenched in filth. What was once a King now more closely resembled a commoner as he fought his way through the muddy flood until he came upon the squeaks of two pokemon.

"A-anyone there?" The bigger mouse yelled, holding onto his child as they both huddled against a corner not touched by the waves. They were just above water level, struggling to hold on. N hurried over in hacked breaths, his vision blurring as he reached out a hand to the pokemon. His arms and legs sporting multiple bruises and cuts from hastily rushing through the tunnels as he reached out a helping hand. He promised he would help all pokemon and this would be no exception. However, there was another cry. When he turned, he saw a pack of Trubbish shivering near another ledge. One, two, three, four of these poor creatures gathered to brace for the inevitable.

N cringed in pain, one of his wounds dug deep in his leg and he didn't know if he could carry them all out at once. What was worse, the water level was rising at a dramatic rate.

"Save us! Please!" The Trubbish begged, backing away from the water.

"Don't worry everyone, I'll carry all of you out!" Reaching for the two mouse pokemon first, he carefully scooped them into his arms, almost losing his footing in the flood when he grabbed onto the riles once more. Again, he made his way to the Trubbish using the last of his strength, struggling against the might of nature. One by one, he loaded them onto his shoulder when he felt exhaustion began to take him. Gritting his teeth, the pain in his leg flared up once more and this time it shackled him in place.

"Are you ok, human…?" The pokemon asked, N giving a weak smile as he began to move, the storm wouldn't let him off so easy as in the next second a strong torrent rushed out of the inner tunnels, sweeping him off his feet as he embraced the pokemon in his arms, shielding them from the debris scattered about in the stream. Closing his eyes, he didn't prepare himself as water entered his lungs and all faded to black…

When N next awoke, he found himself in a private room.

"Huh?"

Feeling the throbbing pain in his leg, his entire body ached as he cringed from the sudden jolt of pain. At first he was in a daze, then he saw three white mice jump up and down. All his head hurt, like someone had smashed him against a wall and his memories were a jumbled mess. At first he recalled being at the Castelia, then running into a heavy storm. Sitting slightly for a few minutes, the constantly nudging of the Maushold was finally able to jog his foggy memories.

"Thank you for saving us, N." They said, each Masuhold expressing their gratitude. The parents waved while their child squeaked a high pitched call.

He watched the happy little pokemon do a quick dance, bringing a genuine smile to his face. It was rare to see these wonderful creatures so full of joy at the sight of a human.

"I'm happy things turned out alright, however may I ask where the rest of the pokemon are?" He remembered the Trubbish, of which the mice informed him of their recovery in a Plasma station. Exhaling a sigh of relief, N thanked his lucky stars, then the Maushold hit him with another piece of info.

"When you lost consciousness, we were saved by a dark shadow and another human with a yellow scarf."

Did that mean Ryoji somehow made his way into the tunnels too? In those dangerous waters, N was almost certain anyone would have been washed away if they weren't careful, so did he have a pokemon help out?

"Friends, did you perhaps see who that dark shadow was?" The King inquired, he's only known his adviser to carry around a Mimikyu, something small, not big enough to carry a whole human.

At that, the mice shook their heads, "We only saw it briefly before it disappeared. A pokemon that was one with the shadows…"

"It looked like a nightmare." The baby mouse emphasized, tilting its head in curiosity.

"Honey, it's rude to insult the pokemon that helped us." Its mother chided.

Now N was curious. He better converse with his adviser later about this, just what type of pokemon was it?

A few hours later, he was discharged from his room by his private doctor and left the top floor of the hotel team Plasma had booked out. They were still in Castelia as he made his way down to the lobby to a distressed Rosa. She was pleading with a few high ranking members of Plasma security to let her up an elevator.

"Please let me explain to Lord Ghetsis what happened! He saved Lord N and the pokemon! Why are you all acting like this was his fault!"

"Snivy, sni!" Snivy was helping her argue with security.

"I apologize, Rosa but this trial is between Lord Ghetsis and another member. We cannot let anyone interfere with his judgement." He rejected the girl as politely as he could. Behind her were several other people who agreed with the brunette.

"Ryoji saved our King, why is there even a trial right now?" A tall man said.

"Did you see the state our King was in? He's a hero!" An elderly woman added.

"As of now, I cannot give you a reason." The security guard admitted, which made Rosa's jaw drop.

"What's going on?" N interrupted the scene, causing all heads to turn in his direction. Rosa ran to him, her face red.

"Lord N, please help Ryoji! After we recovered you and the pokemon, the other Sages accused him of injuring you! You have to tell Lord Ghetsis the truth!"

She explained to him the rougher details of what happened. When the other Sages saw his battered state, they blamed Ryoji for letting him jump into the flood waters alone, resulting in his near death experience.

Author's Note: First Minato goes to jail, now Ryoji goes to court. Ghetsis is the judge because the old people in charge weren't too happy N took a dip in the sewers and almost ended himself on accident. Plasma almost had their entire plan get cooked, so of course they would be mad and play the blame game.

Here is art of Minato holding a flaming sword, ready to strike Blake's team: Paste this into a MORSE CODE CONVERTER because Fanfic does not allow outside links and it will give you the link

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