The streets of Nacrene City were bathed in cool October sunlight, the rays bouncing off the old brick warehouses that had been repurposed into art galleries, studios and cafés. Every corner they turned seemed to reveal something new - a colourful mural, an oversized sculpture, or a window displaying avant-garde paintings that would look right at home back at Burgh's gym.
Beside Annie, Burgh was in full artistic crisis. His long scarf fluttered dramatically behind him as he threw his hands in the air. "Nothing! This city, my own hometown, and yet I feel nothing! My creative well has run dry. I am... empty!"
Annie, who had been half-listening, glanced up from a particularly strange painting of what looked like an Exeggutor with an extremely long neck. "Mmm-hmm."
They passed a cluster of artists setting up easels by the riverbank. Burgh paused, squinting at them as though trying to absorb their inspiration through sheer willpower. "Look at them, Annie! The passion, the energy... It's like they've tapped into the very soul of this city. And here I am, a husk! A hollowed-out shell of an artist!"
"You'll get your spark back. Maybe you just need to change the gym trainer costumes..." Annie hinted. She had volunteered to tag along with Burgh mostly for the opportunity of spending the day out of her clown costume. She enjoyed working at the gym, but the red nose was beginning to wear her down.
Burgh ignored her, spinning around suddenly and coming to a stop in front of a sleek, newly opened gallery. "Wait. This. This might be it! Maybe this gallery holds the answer to my creative block!" He turned to her with sudden intensity. "Annie, we must go inside. I have to see it."
Annie took a small step back, already knowing he would be in there for hours. "You have to see it. I think there's a cappuccino somewhere with my name on it."
Burgh waved a hand dismissively, already half through the gallery door. "Fine, if you insist on being a philistine. You'll never be an artist with your lack of discipline anyway. I'll be here, suffering for my art, if you need me."
'Ouch?'
"Thanks, Burgh. I'll meet up with you later." Annie gave him a casual salute, not quite managing a smile.
Burgh was already gone, consumed by the art within, while Annie turned down a side street, heading toward the museum district.
Burgh was right, of course. She was undisciplined, compared to him. Compared to a lot of people. Since seeing Team Plasma again after all this time, her thoughts had frequently drifted to Colress. He was the most disciplined person she'd ever met, undoubtedly now reaping the rewards of his consistent and dedicated efforts.
Annie gave up on everything she started. She gave up the gym challenge, earning eight badges but losing the nerve to ever challenge the Pokémon League. She had vowed to find her father, but she'd stopped searching years ago. She coasted as a gym trainer, never striving for more.
Annie sighed and made her way to a coffee shop. The cosy atmosphere and hot drink did little for her mood. She felt awfully alone.
Once again, she considered moving back to Galar, home with her mother. She knew people there, she'd never have to dress like a clown again... But she couldn't. If Annie left Unova, she'd have to admit that it had all been for nothing.
After finishing her coffee, feeling no better but now with a slight headache, Annie decided to visit Nacrene Museum. She hadn't been there since she'd earned the gym badge around seven years ago.
'Seven years... I was still a teenager then. A stupid teenager trying to impress a guy that forgot about me.' Annie thought glumly as she approached the grand building housing both the museum and Nacrene Gym.
As she entered, she collided heavily with a green-haired boy.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she gasped, stepping back. "Hey, it's you! N, right?"
Annie smiled as she recognised him, the strange teenager she'd battled the week before. He didn't return her smile. He dithered in front of her with a preoccupied expression, not meeting her eyes.
"Yes. I remember. You're the clown." he replied in his fast, quiet voice.
Annie blanched. "Yeah, that's me... I'm glad that's the part you remembered."
"I remember your Ariados. And your Venonat. I remember what they said." N finally looked up at her, his expression serious.
"They must have said something pretty cool, then?" Annie offered a casual smile. N was so disarming to talk to, she was never sure how to respond to him.
"Clown," N started, causing Annie's eye to twitch in annoyance. "I... want to see things no one can see. The truths of Pokémon inside Poké Balls. The ideals of how trainers should be. And a future where Pokémon have become perfect... Do you feel the same?"
"I don't know..." Annie replied. 'Perfect Pokémon? What does he mean?'
"Huh. I expected more from you. Now pay attention. My friends and I will test you to see if you can see this future too." N looked to the shrubbery that lined the museum gardens and two Pokémon emerged from the bushes. A Timburr and a Tympole rushed to his side. Annie met his eyes, which now blazed with ambition. He was challenging her to another battle.
A genuine smile crept onto Annie's lips as she reached for her own Poké Balls.
'A battle might be just the thing to cheer me up.'
Like last time, N's battling style was unusual. He was obviously highly skilled, knowing a great deal of moves and strategies. He also had perfect synergy with his Pokémon, understanding their skills and limitations, able to direct them non-verbally. But the Pokémon themselves were... weak. Their moves lacked power and they seemed inexperienced in battling. It was like they had only just been caught, yet they had known N their whole lives.
'If he was using stronger Pokémon, he would be quite formidable. He could be a champion.' she thought to herself as his Tympole managed to land a seemingly impossible hit, but Crustle shrugged it off easily.
Annie's Ariados and Crustle battled well, having the advantage of both strength and experience. They won by a comfortable margin and Annie knelt down to congratulate them. N watched her without blinking.
"Did I pass your test?" Annie asked cheerily.
"I cannot see the future yet... The world is still to be determined..." he said quietly, spraying his own Pokémon with a Hyper Potion.
"You're good though," Annie said comfortingly. "You're much better at battling than a lot of our gym challengers. I mean that."
"Right now, my friends aren't strong enough to save all Pokémon. Maybe I can't solve the equation that will change the world. So, I need power... Power enough to make anyone agree with me." N said, more to himself than Annie. He began to wander off, Timburr and Tympole trailing behind him.
"Let's battle again some time." Annie said as he reached the museum gate. N stopped and took a round object from his pocket. It was around the size of a Poké Ball, but jet black.
"Now I know what power I need. Zekrom! The legendary Pokémon that, along with the hero, created the Unova region. It's my turn to become that hero... and you and I will be friends!" N said, his words rattling off in a confusing blur. He seemed to remember Annie, who stood behind him looking baffled. "Yes. Goodbye, clown. We will meet again soon."
Annie waved weakly as N strode away into the city. She exchanged a look with Ariados.
"Did he say Zekrom?" Annie whispered. Ariados tilted her head.
"Annie! There you are!" Burgh's voice interrupted their bubble of confusion. "Were you going to visit Lenora without me?"
Burgh chattered excitedly about the new gallery as they walked into the museum. Annie nodded and made listening noises - "Mmm, that sounds cool," - but she couldn't stop thinking about N. The boy had said so many things so quickly that she had barely processed any of them. He wanted to change the world, she had understood that much. He seemed to love Pokémon and although he was weird, she thought he seemed like a good person. Ariados liked him, that was a good enough endorsement for her.
'Another person with big dreams and the determination to achieve them.' She thought, her melancholy bubbling to the surface once more. If the weird boy with his weak Pokémon could change the world, surely she could manage something of merit too?
"Good day Lenora, find any good fossils lately?" trilled Burgh as they approached the Gym Leader, who was bent over a display of ancient Pokémon teeth. She straightened up, slinging her apron over her shoulder and laughing merrily.
"This is a surprise visit! Are you suffering from artist's block again?"
Burgh threw his arm dramatically over his brow. "Yes! It is quite terrible!"
Lenora guffawed and turned to Annie. "I don't know how you deal with him!"
Lenora led them to the back room of the museum, where she poured them cups of tea and they sat on dusty sofas surrounded by mahogany bookshelves. Annie sipped her tea quietly, content to nod along to Burgh and Lenora's conversation.
The sunlight streaming in the tall windows turned amber as Annie sat. The bottomless tea and the hum of polite chatter was making her sleepy. Stifling a yawn, her thoughts drifted toward her apartment back in Castelia City where her bed was waiting for her.
"Dear!" came the unmistakable shriek of Lenora's husband, Hawes. Annie's sleepiness dissipated immediately as Hawes came crashing through the heavy wooden doors, his expression distraught. "Dear! Come quickly!"
"What? What's going on?!" Lenora flew to her feet.
"Team Plasma is threatening to steal some bones!"
Annie and Burgh exchanged a look before jumping to their feet too. The four of them ran back to the main hall of the museum, where a large group of people stood around the enormous dragon skeleton. As they descended the stairs, Annie could see that they all wore knight costumes.
"Now, you wait! Enough fooling around!" Lenora stormed ahead, hands on her hips.
"So you've come, Gym Leader," one of them spoke. A woman with a pinched face and short red hair that poked out from under her hood. Annie recognised her instantly from Blueberry Academy – It was Aldith. "We, Team Plasma, claim this museum's dragon skull in the name of Pokémon liberation!"
"To show you we're serious, we'll steal it right before your eyes!" chimed in another of the knights.
"Well, then, here's our smoke screen!" said Aldith, before the museum suddenly filled with a thick black fog. Exuberant cries of "Plasmaaa!" echoed around the room as Annie coughed and squinted to see what was happening.
When the fog begun to thin, Team Plasma were gone. Lenora stepped forward, looking up at the skeleton. The skull was missing.
"What's going on?" she coughed.
Hawes turned to Burgh, anxiously ringing his hands. "Oh! Oh! We have to go after them! Lenora loves that skull," he squeaked.
"Annie and I will go." Burgh nodded, then turned to Annie. "Are you raring to round up our robbers?"
Annie's heart was thumping in her ears, her bed forgotten. "Let's go, before they get away."
Together, they ran outside and onto the street. It was empty and quiet, with all the shops closing their doors for the evening. They looked both ways, deciding which way to run.
"There!" Annie shouted, pointing at the barely visible figures in the distance. "They're heading to Pinwheel Forest!"
Annie hadn't run this much in years, she was gasping and clutching her side as they reached the edge of the trees.
"There are two ways out of Pinwheel Forest, the road that goes straight and the path that winds through the woods. I will take the straight road after them! If they're not there, I'll block the exit. You take the other way and check whether Team Plasma is hiding in there somewhere." Burgh panted. "Come on! Let's do this for Lenora's sake!"
Annie nodded, her lungs screaming in complaint. "Got it."
It was dark in the woods. Annie sent out her Galvantula to light up the path as she walked. She scanned the dark silhouettes of the trees for movement. The woods rang with the sounds of rustling leaves and bug Pokémon. If she had been there under better circumstances, Annie thought this would have been a great time to try and find a new member for her team. Annie was approaching the darkest heart of the forest when Galvantula perked up. Seconds later, a flurry of movement caught her eye.
Annie ran towards it, leaving the path and wading into the thicket. Brambles clung to her jeans as she ploughed ahead, determined to catch up with the fleeing figure. Mercifully, the dense forest opened into a small clearing. Annie emerged into the moonlight to find herself face-to-face with her old school bully. She was clutching the large dragon skull with both hands.
"A pursuer? Uh, ha ha! I know you!" her eyes lit up with mirth.
"Evening, Aldith." Annie grunted, trying not to look so out of breath.
"I never forget a Blueberry Academy face. I assume you're here for this?" Aldith held up the skull.
"Yeah, if that's alright?" Annie gave her a bold grin.
"Ha, it's not going to be that easy!" she snickered, reaching for her Poké Ball.
"Worth a try, right?" Annie muttered, catching Galvantula's eye. "Ready, buddy? Galvantula, Bug Buzz!"
"Go Patrat! Crunch!"
Aldith was terrible at battling in school. Fortunately, she had barely improved. Galvantula knocked out both her Pokémon with very little effort. Aldith leant against a fallen tree as she recalled her fainted Pokémon.
"Now, can I have it?" Annie asked in a goading voice. Aldith had been horrible to her at the academy. Annie relished the cantankerous look on Aldith's face as she acquiesced.
"Fine, take your stupid skull!" She thrust it into Annie's hands so hard she nearly dropped it.
Annie stepped back, about to leave, when Aldith spoke again in a mournful tone.
"So, the dream our king had... The dream we had... Won't come true." she sighed.
"You mean Ghetsis?" Annie asked, curiosity glueing her to the spot.
Annie never got an answer, because at that moment another person emerged into the clearing. And Annie recognised him too.
"How are you holding up, fellow subject of our king?" The man asked Aldith with a crooked smile. He was tall, with shaggy black hair and olive skin. He was sporting long black robes, edged with gold.
"Lord Gorm!" Aldith fell into a low bow. "I'm mortified that this skull, which we went to so much trouble to obtain, was stolen from us so easily."
"It's not important. We can afford to abandon the Dragon Skull. There has been a development, this was not the legendary Pokémon for which Team Plasma is looking. It is completely unrelated." Gorm explained gently. Aldith let out a sigh of relief.
Annie looked nervously back at the trees behind her. This felt like a good time to run, but the skull was cumbersome and she wasn't sure she had much running left in her. A twig broke under her shoe and Gorm looked up at her for the first time.
"However, we will not allow anyone to disrupt our plans and get away with it. We will fix it so you never interfere with us again." he suddenly looked a lot scarier than Annie remembered. Annie met Galvantula's eyes and the yellow bug nodded encouragingly.
'I won't be afraid. I have my friends here with me.' Annie thought to herself resolutely.
"So, what, Ghetsis is your king and you're his..." Annie ran her eyes down his black robes. "Judge?"
"I am Gorm, one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Ghetsis, another of the Seven Sages, will liberate Pokémon with words alone! The remainder of the Seven Sages have ordered their compatriots to take Pokémon with full force!"
"I know who you are, Gorm." said Annie curtly. "Annie Foxglove? Ring any bells? Anyway, I didn't like Team Plasma in school, and I don't like it now. You're not saints, you're thugs!"
Gorm regarded her coldly, his boyish charm transforming into something much colder and more terrifying.
"To you, Annie Foxglove, I say... Know your enemies, know yourself, and know you need not fear the result of a hundred battles... I will not tolerate any further obstruction from you. To secure the liberation of Pokémon we will steal from trainers!" Gorm spoke with conviction, his eyes glazed over as the revolting words fell from his lips. He reached for a Poké Ball and sent out a Honchkrow.
"Galvantula, Thunderbolt!" Annie shouted immediately. Galvantula launched into action. "Stealing from trainers is sick! Pokémon are our partners! Our friends!"
Honchkrow swooped out of the way, beating its wings with a loud "Caw!" Gorm pulled a small device from his robes and aimed it at Honchkrow. It emitted a series of beeps.
'What was that?!'
"Dark Pulse." Gorm commanded. Honchkrow landed a devastating Dark Pulse, blowing Galvantula back into the trees.
"Galvantula!" Annie shouted, diving into the thicket, the dragon skull clattering to the ground. Galvantula was fainted on the floor, knocked out by one single attack.
'It's so strong! If Galvantula was knocked out by a neutral move like Dark Pulse, I could be in trouble. It's sure to know flying moves too. What am I going to do?'
Annie felt herself yanked up by the back of her hoodie. She looked around to see not just Aldith and Gorm, but the whole group of Plasma grunts. Two rather strong men held her by the arms as Galvantula was bundled into a large sack.
"Galvantula, NO!" she screamed, struggling to reach her Poké Balls.
"Annie!" Burgh's voice echoed through the trees.
"We're coming!" Lenora added.
"Hurry!" Annie shouted, her eyes never leaving the sack that held Galvantula.
"Two Gym Leaders... The odds are a little against us now. This time, we shall retreat quietly. In any case, we will settle this someday. I hope you are looking forward to that time as much as I." Gorm gave Annie one last crooked smile before the grunts shoved her hard into the ground and the whole group scarpered.
When Annie managed to heave herself up, they had disappeared into the night, taking Galvantula with them.