Chapter 4

We were still reeling from the events in the plaza when a strange boy with green hair appeared before us. He stood in our path, his posture calm but his presence commanding, as if he'd been waiting for us. Something about him felt... different. Unsettling, even.

"You there," he said, his voice soft yet oddly sharp, cutting through the hum of the crowd still murmuring in the distance. "Your Pokémon… just now, it was saying…"

I froze, unsure how to respond. Saying? Pokémon didn't talk—at least, not in a way humans could understand. I glanced at Hilda and Cheren, who looked just as confused as I felt.

"Slow down," Cheren said, his tone skeptical. "You're talking too fast. And what's this about Pokémon… talking? That's an odd thing to say."

The boy tilted his head slightly, his green hair swaying with the motion. "Yes, they're talking. Oh… Then, you three can't hear it, either. How sad." He paused, studying us with a strange intensity. "My name is N."

Hilda took a step forward, her confidence shining through despite the odd situation. "I'm Hilda, and these are Cheren and Hilbert," she said, gesturing to us. "We were asked to complete the Pokédex, and we just started our journey. Our main goal is to become the Champions, though."

At her words, N's expression darkened slightly. "The Pokédex, eh?" he said quietly, almost to himself. "So... you're going to confine many, many Pokémon in Poké Balls for that, then."

I stiffened at his tone. It wasn't just disapproval—it was something deeper, something that struck a nerve.

"I'm a Trainer, too," he continued, "but I can't help wondering... Are Pokémon really happy that way?"

His words hung in the air, heavy with implication. The plaza's earlier tension hadn't fully left me, and now this—someone questioning the very bond between humans and Pokémon. My jaw tightened, but before I could respond, N's expression shifted again, becoming sharper, more focused.

"Let me hear your Pokémon's voice again," he said, reaching for a Poké Ball.

My instincts flared. Something about his tone and the way he looked at me made it clear—he wasn't asking. This was a challenge.

Without hesitation, I grabbed Munna's Poké Ball and stepped forward. "Munna, let's go!" I called, releasing her onto the field. Her calm, floating presence gave me a moment of reassurance as I faced N.

He smiled faintly, almost as if he'd been expecting this. With a swift motion, he tossed his Poké Ball, releasing a sleek, purple Pokémon. Its sharp claws gleamed in the sunlight, and its eyes glinted with mischief.

"A Purrloin," Cheren muttered beside me.

"Purrloin, use Night Slash," N commanded.

The dark-type attack came fast, Purrloin darting forward with a shadowy slash that struck Munna hard. She cried out, floating back as the hit landed cleanly.

"He's absurdly strong…" I muttered, gritting my teeth.

"Then do that! Put it in your head and find a hint that will lead you to victory!" Hilda called, her voice clear and firm.

"I know what this Pokémon is," I gasped, clenching my fists. "And its attacks aren't mysterious, either! But its normal attacks aren't normally this strong and can't be easily countered!"

Beside me, Cheren adjusted his glasses, his voice grim. "Then… we can't win?"

N's calm yet cutting voice broke through. "That's right. You can't win," he said, his tone carrying an air of certainty that sent a shiver down my spine. "The reason you can't win is because you always shut your Pokémon in those Poké Balls."

Before I could process his words, N commanded, "Purrloin, use Sucker Punch."

Purrloin darted forward again, landing a crushing blow on Munna, who let out a pained cry before fainting. I gritted my teeth and recalled her, pulling out another Poké Ball. Braviary and Wott were my only options now, but before I could act, N called out, "Pidove, Tympole, Gurdurr, come forth!"

Three more Pokémon appeared on his side of the battlefield, each radiating confidence and power. N stood there, his piercing green eyes staring right at me. "Now listen to your Pokémon's voices before they lose the ability to use those 'voices' in those Poké Balls."

His words hit like a taunt, and I couldn't hold back anymore. "All of your 'listen to your Pokémon talk' nonsense—it's just about battling in the end!" I shouted, anger flaring in my voice. "If that's the case, then just say 'let's battle' to my face!"

N's expression flickered for a moment, almost as if he wanted to respond, but he stayed silent. His Purrloin leapt forward again, this time striking Hilda's Tepig, Gigi. The attack startled Hilda, who stumbled back, wide-eyed.

"Hilda," I said, my voice steady despite the chaos, "if it comes to it, you'll have to fight as well."

Hilda shook her head frantically, her voice trembling. "No way! No way! No way!"

"Don't you 'no way' me!" I yelled, frustration spilling out. "If Cheren and I get beaten and don't have a single Pokémon to fight, what will you do if he keeps attacking?!"

Hilda hesitated, clutching Gigi's Poké Ball tightly, but she didn't respond. Meanwhile, Cheren's Snivy was locked in a losing battle against Tympole. N's commands came sharp and decisive. "Tympole, use Echoed Voice!"

The attack struck hard, sending Cheren's Snivy sprawling. As I fumbled for my Pokédex to find information on Tympole, N's voice cut through again, laced with disdain. "You're relying on data about your opponent's Pokémon. You should use your ears to listen to your Pokémon's voices instead."

I glared at him, my grip on the Pokédex tightening, but he wasn't finished. "I can hear Tympole's voice. I know what it's saying to me. Of course, I can hear your Pokémon's voices as well. That's why I know which attacks will do the most damage at this moment. I don't need to check a device for answers. And that's why you can't win against me."

His words dug deep, and I felt a flicker of doubt. N's Pokémon were coordinated, strong, and unnervingly in sync with his commands. Purrloin leapt again, its claws gleaming as it attacked with surgical precision. Gigi cried out in pain as it staggered back, leaving Hilda frozen in fear.

N's gaze swept over all of us. "Everyone is suffering because they can't convey their voices to their Trainers," he said, his voice colder now, almost accusatory. "Disregarding your Pokémon's own wishes and using them at your whim whenever it's convenient for you—how can you expect them to be happy with you?"

"Quit your whining and shut up!" I yelled, my frustration boiling over. "Do you see any unhappiness in them? Everyone is working hard together to fulfill our dream of winning the Pokémon League! We understand each other's feelings! Right, guys?"

My Pokémon all turned toward me, nodding in unison. Wott looked especially determined, and even Galvantula, who had only recently joined my team, seemed to agree. I blinked in surprise. Galvantula wasn't just nodding—it looked genuinely committed, as though it had found purpose in being part of this journey.

"See?" I shouted, pointing at N. "These Pokémon exist! There are Pokémon who wish for a Trainer! My Pokédex is like that too—it's natural to want to know more about Pokémon because I love them! This is a tool for humans to get to know Pokémon better. I was ordered by a great Professor to set out on this journey with it. That's something I'm proud of!"

I could see N's expression shifting slightly, his calm mask cracking ever so slightly at my words. But I wasn't done.

"I can't hear this 'voice' you keep talking about," I continued, my voice firm. "That's why I need the Pokédex and my Poké Balls, even if I can understand my Pokémon's feelings! These tools help us grow closer, and you don't get to tell me otherwise!"

Wott let out a determined cry, stepping forward to face Purrloin again. "Wott, use Water Gun!" I commanded, my voice ringing with confidence.

The Water Gun blasted forward, striking Purrloin squarely and sending it tumbling back. But the force didn't stop there. The water sprayed forward, knocking N himself off balance and slamming him against the wall behind him.

N coughed as he steadied himself, his green hair clinging to his face. But instead of looking angry, he muttered something under his breath. "I never expected to hear your Pokémon say such things…"

His words caught me off guard, and for a brief moment, I hesitated. What was he talking about? Was he actually listening to my Pokémon? Or was this another one of his cryptic mind games?

N slowly stood up, brushing off the dust from his clothes. His gaze, however, was unwavering, his conviction unshaken. With a calm, deliberate motion, he recalled Pidove, Gurdurr, and Tympole back into their Poké Balls.

"As long as Pokémon are confined in Poké Balls…" he said, his voice quiet yet firm, "Pokémon will never become perfect beings. I have to change the world for Pokémon because they're my friends."

His words hung in the air like a challenge, but before I could respond, Cheren crossed his arms and spoke up. "Huh… Strange guy. But I'm not going to worry about it. Trainers and Pokémon help each other out! That's how it's always been."

Cheren turned toward us, adjusting his glasses. "Listen, I'm going on ahead. I want to battle the Gym Leader in the next town—Striaton City. Aim to battle Gym Leader after Gym Leader. The best way for a Trainer to become stronger is to challenge the Gym Leaders in each area."

With that, Cheren walked off confidently, leaving Hilda and me standing in silence with N. The green-haired boy gave us one last look, then turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving a strange unease behind him.

Hilda broke the silence. "Hilbert," she said, her voice hesitant, "don't you think… what N said is kinda similar to what Team Plasma said back in the plaza? Do you think he's part of them?"

I shook my head, though her question made me pause. "No… I don't think so," I said slowly. "There's something different about him."

Hilda raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?"

I hesitated, then spoke. "When Wott sent him flying, Musha… she ate his dream."

"Musha ate his dream?" Hilda repeated, her expression shifting from confusion to intrigue. "And?"

I glanced down at Munna, who floated by my side. "When Munna eats someone's dream, the dream comes out as smoke. I saw it in the middle of the smoke that came out of N. It was a dream of him and his Pokémon from when he was a child. It was… a very gentle dream."

Hilda tilted her head. "Gentle?"

I nodded. "Yeah. It didn't feel like something someone bad would dream about. He might have the wrong idea about us, about Trainers and Pokémon, but… I think he's a good guy. He just sees the world differently."

Hilda crossed her arms, still looking unconvinced. "Maybe. But he's definitely odd. And powerful."

"Yeah," I agreed. "But we'll figure him out. For now, let's focus on getting to Striaton City. The Gym challenge isn't going to wait for us."

Munna let out a soft coo beside me, and Hilda gave a small nod. Together, we turned our focus back to the journey ahead, though N's words lingered in the back of my mind.

I'll end the chapter right here, and you can see that N's battle is now detailed here and you might saw this through N's POV in the main story. I hope you like this chapter.