HOME | DD

Description
He won.

The battle was over. He had won. Though it was an easy battle, one that N had so expected when he battled the – now former – Champion, he didn’t express his joy or satisfaction. No. His posture remained firm, hands balled by his sides and eyes apathetic at the sight of the fallen man.

Rubble fell from below. The roof was completely destroyed during the battle, revealing the gloomy clouds that haunted the sky. Thunder roared maniacally, demolishing and ripping the ground like it was butter. Wind howled its vicious song, blowing around N and sending chills down Alder’s spine.

“I’ve won.” N spoke, head held high and voice thick with royalty and power. “It is over. Never again will Pokémon be made to suffer or be held captive by humans. Never again will they be tortured by the foul actions called battling.” His eyes lowered, emptily glaring as he watched Alder winced in pain. “It is all thanks to my friend, Zekrom. You and I both put our beliefs on the line and fought with all our strength. And I have won.”

The man, on his knees and in defeat, clenched his chest and cringed. “I beg you…” he gasped silently, his left palm shaken against the cold hard ground. “Please…Anything but separating people and Pokémon. Please…Anything but that!” He looked at N, shamelessly begging and pleading for the impossible to happen.

But N didn’t show any empathy. Pity was dead in his eyes. Understanding was never voiced out from his mouth. “I find it quite ironic, seeing that this is coming from a man who had once lost his Pokémon for good.”

Alder froze. His purple eyes were round as plates, pupils dilated the moment his words rippled into his ears.

“Do you think a king like me do not know the past of his enemies? Do you think I put a blind eye at what you have done in the past?” His voice remained sharp and stern under the wind’s wicked howl. “You once had a partner, a Pokémon you called friend. But you then lost him due to sickness. And because of being too deeply hurt by his lost, you ran off and ceased battling for quite a long time.” N tilted his head slightly. “Who knows how long it's been since you've had to fight with your full strength? Though it is quite admirable, I might add.”

He then looked up, eyes on the black sky that resembled his clouded heart. “Finally, a world where my friends won’t be tortured by the likes of you. A world where Pokémon can live free without the fear of being controlled…” N closed his eyes and slowly inhaled, as if the atmosphere around him was calm and fresh. “Finally, a world where trainers will release their Pokémon – whether they like it or not!”

“Please stop…” Horror flashed Alder’s face. The frightful images of everyone – especially the young children in the day-care – losing their Pokémon came into mind. It made his stomach clench, twisting into uncomfortable knots until nausea rolled in his throat. “Please…” His head dropped to face the cracked ground. Tears streamed down his face, dropping and hitting the back of his trembling hands. With a single pound given by his fist, Alder looked straight at N and loudly anguished, “Please STOP THIS!!”

“SILENCE!!!”

KACHAAAUUWWW!!!!

N’s voice resonated along with the crackling thunder. The wind got harsher, madly blowing in Alder’s direction. The clouds circled into a much darker shade, destroying any form of light that was present around them. Green, merciless eyes were shot at Alder, showing no sense of guilt or pity for the decision he had made. His lips were parted, glowering without a care at the man in front of him.

Tap tap tap…tap…

Amidst the chaos between the two men, the quiet sound was perfectly heard inside the broken hall. As anger still rose in his chest, N turned his head to the direction of the sound.

And at that very moment, at that very second, when his eyes met hers, his icy façade was immediately crumbled into pieces.

Time seemed to stand still. Heart began to cease its beating. Stomach twisted its ticklish knots. His fingers loosened, unclenched and dangled by his sides. The scowl that splashed his face was removed in an instant, replaced with one of surprise and – especially – silent longing.

She was here. She was finally here. Right before his very eyes. She finally appeared after what felt like forever, breathing and connecting his gaze.

His mind felt empty. His heart set its motion, racing to uneven beats. The small gape that tugged his mouth stayed, intending to pull a smile but never eventually happened. Even under the manic roars of the wind, the only sound he heard was her heaving breath. Though darkness had robbed his clear vision, he could perfectly see her; her sharp aqua eyes, her brown messy hair, and her parted, nude lips.

The moment his eyes met hers, that unnerving feeling came flooded in his stomach yet again. It churned uncomfortably, causing his throat to shake and his heart to tremble. The apathy that kept him in check was shattered into pieces, dusted off and revealing the emotions that hungered for her attention.

“…White…” Her name traced his lips in a faint breeze. Faint and bearably heard, that name was finally out of his mouth, ringing in his ears and proving to him that she was truly right in front of him.

However, that moment of awe cracked into two once White said, “Mr Alder!”

N didn’t know why. Hell, he hated that he could even feel such a way. But when he saw White running toward Alder – completely ignoring him like he was insignificant – he felt something inside of him snap and wither. Why… Trembles occurred in his body, worsening as it reached his fingertips. The harsh cold slapped his face, achingly caressing his skin and reminding him of the warmth he’ll never receive.

---

The moment she saw him, she could feel her heart pounding a maniacal drum. The moment she saw him, her throat closed up, preventing his name to be released through the tips of her lips. The moment she saw him, she felt numb, brain ceasing its function and soul constricting her will to think properly.

The moment she saw him, White knew, he was the man that not only caused chaos, but also deepened the determination she needed to fight for her Pokémon.

He was looking at her, his eyes fixated at her like she was basking in the spotlight. It made her nervous. It made her anxious. Her fiery spirit kept its motion, enabling her to hide away any stupid reaction that could be strayed badly.

He was here. N was finally in front of her. However, White also knew, their reunion was nothing to be happy about.

N wasn’t a friend. He was an enemy.

A cough brought her attention to the right side of the arena. Her eyes were then round in shock to see Alder, on the ground and in obvious pain. “Mr Alder!” She ran toward him, ignoring the green-haired boy. Even without her looking, White knew N was staring. And, as much as it pained her to admit, the reason was enough to keep her heart pumping, causing her voice to stir and shake.

“Mr Alder, are you okay?” Kneeling and giving a short slide beside him, White gently patted Alder’s back. “Oh my Arceus I’m so sorry I’m late.” She frowned as she saw him shake his head slowly, all the while softly pounding his chest and expelling a few more coughs.

“It’s okay, White.” He flashed a comforting smile at her. “What’s important is that you’re here. I uh…” A meek chuckle breathed from his mouth, one hand mindlessly scratching his long thick hair. “I guess this is the part where I should congratulate you…”

White blinked dumbly, shocked that he could even think like that at a time like this. “A-ah it’s okay!” Growing quite embarrassed, she quickly waved her hands and blew a single laugh. “I’m just glad I made it in time.” Her eyes shot upwards, seeing the sky getting darker and more menacing by the minute. “Well…kinda…”

“I see you still care about humans.”

That voice swayed in her ears, drawing her attention to him. She looked forward, eyes fixated on the young man standing not too far from them. “Of course I still care about humans!” Anger rose in her, White stood up, giving a hard stomp against the cracked tiles with her left foot. “Unlike you, I care about Pokémon and humans!”

His expression remained unchanged, but his chest ached at the accusation that she threw. “I also see that your anger is still in a fix.”

“Why you little…” White hissed, teeth clenched and grinding against one another. “Listen, N-” His name was spat acidly, causing her teeth to grind even harder. “I seriously don’t know what’s your problem. One minute, you’re all nice and harmless and even though you’re still weird, you seem like a nice enough guy especially around Pokémon.” She pointed her finger at him. The thunder, luckily, began to cease, causing her voice to echo vehemently inside the broken hall. “Then the next minute, here you are, wrecking shit like it’s no business and harming old people!”

“Technically, I’m in my early 30s…” Alder piped in, quite hurt that – even though White wasn’t being rude about it – she saw him as an old man.

But even if Alder said it 50 times in her ear, White didn’t listen for she was too busy being angry. “And you know what’s wrong, N?” she shouted even louder, showing no signs of cooling off anytime soon. “The suckish part about all of this is that you’re threatening to do something that not ALL Pokémon agree on!”

And that’s where it hit N.

“Who gave you the right to speak for ALL Pokémon?” She swung her right arm as she thundered. “Oh I’m sorry, did I miss your coronation for being the King of Pokémon? I must have overslept.” She mocked blindly. “Who do you think you are? Just because you can talk to them doesn’t mean you understand them completely!”

He felt as if someone – a friend – had jabbed his heart numerous times.

“Haven’t you ever thought about what other Pokémon feel like about this? Don’t you think they’ll be miserable if they were separated by humans that they see as FRIENDS!” Rationality slipped from her mind. Anger ragingly bubbled her thoughts like hot water. “Have you ever thought about that? About how MY Pokémon will feel if they got separated from me? About how they will feel if they lose someone they care about?!” Tears coated her eyes, but White held it back in vain. “How do think Marcus will feel about this, huh?!”

And just like that, he felt his heart dropping to his stomach.

“You are doing something that will genuinely upset a lot of Pokémon!” Her body shook. Her jaw ached from the constant grinding. But White didn’t care. She couldn’t care. “What you’re doing right now-”

N couldn’t breathe. He began to hyperventilate.

“-is forcing Pokémon-”

His eyes hurt. His cheeks wet.

“-to do something-”

His breathing grew rapid. His chest felt constricted.

“-that will make them SAD!!!”

“SILEEEENCE!!!” Unable to take it anymore, N shrieked at the top of his lungs. His hands flew to his ears, slapping them shut as he bent and broke into a manic scream. In unison, thunders roared again, crackling and even hitting the gap between him and White.

Taken aback by the sudden assault, she finally stopped. Her eyes widened in shock and fear, and it didn’t help that her brain decided to bring her back to the memory of Dragonspiral Tower; the memory that reminded her of the horror about almost losing her Pokémon.

A gulp slid down her throat. Eyes focused at the young man in front, she saw as N cupped his ears and crouched slightly. Even under the sudden rage of the wind, his position was perfectly still. His head was down, disabling her from seeing his face. “Tch,” White spat shortly, one hand holding the visor of her cap.

N kept his eyes shut. He pressed his hands tighter to his ears. His legs were bent, and head down as he held back another scream. Tears trickled and dropped onto his shoes. Mouth trembled and teeth shook as N clenched harder.

Sir N.

Then, N stopped. He opened his eyes, staring at the ground in complete stupor. His shaking began to cease, yet fingers still twitching at his temple. Slowly, he looked up, seeing none other than Alder and – a very mad – White.

White, the first ever human friend that he’d made. White, the first person that he’d spoken and opened up to ever since he stepped into the outside world. White, the person that he thought would understand him.

White, his enemy that hated him.

His hands dropped to his sides, swaying and swinging like they were lifeless. N stood up properly; his back straight and head high. Sharp, emerald eyes were then drawn to her satchel. It was then that N felt something stirring inside of him; that something being Zekrom’s reaction.

“The suckish part about all of this is that you’re threatening to do something that not ALL Pokémon agree on!”

Violent words echoed in his head, clawing his heart that was already torn in shreds. “Is that’s so…” he breathed quietly, voice shaken and faint. His body was still as stone; his eyes being the only parts that moved. He looked at White, whose expression was anything but pleasant or endearing.

The more he looked at her, the more he could feel more tears coating his eyes.

“If you say that my doing this is harmful to my friends…” His fingers clenched. “Then I believe it is time for you and I to put our beliefs to the test.”

A huff burst from White’s chest. Her right hand reached for her Pokéball, though her heart was beating in distress. Her team was still tired from the previous battles, and she was absolutely at lost in trying to awaken Reshiram. Shit shit shit. At this point I need a miracle-

“However, we will not do battle here.”

White blinked. “Huh?” She stared in confusion as N shook his head, confirming his words.

“You obtain the Light Stone, but you have not obtained Reshiram’s trust. Not yet…” With a swift turn of his heel, N turned to his left and walked a few steps forward. “It will only be a matter of time. And when that time comes to change the fate of all Pokémon, I will then battle you-” He raised his arms and looked upwards, “-inside the Team Plasma castle!”

“N what are you-” White froze when she felt the ground violently shaking below her.

The tremors got worse in seconds. The ground cracked open like an egg. Roars and shrills of thunder continued to fill the grim sky. Rubbles around the arena scattered and dropped into the new gaping fissures. Pillars rattled and tiles split; the place was turning to a complete disaster.

Shocked and baffled, Alder ducked closer to the ground and covered the back of his head. White, however, having to stand and was completely caught off guard, lost her balance and slid a few steps backwards – right toward the huge flight of stairs.

Luckily, her hand gripped a column next to it. A hiss spitting from her mouth and a curse rolling off her tongue for the fifth time in a row, she pulled herself closer and ducked her head. The ground kept shaking and quaking. And suddenly, she heard something rising from below, the sounds so excruciatingly loud that White bent her head lower to try and cover her ears.

As seconds passed by, the tremor slowed down. And finally, to her and Alder’s relief, it stopped. Pants escaped her mouth as if she had run a marathon. With a sharp breath taken and held inside her mouth, she looked up.

Only to release that breathe in a loud, squeaky gasp.

The Pokémon League hall was now a pile of destroyed ruin. But what brought White into utter bewilderment was the ginormous castle that was aligned around it.

The castle held deep brown and black tones. Dust flew everywhere around it, covering most of the windows. Its size was bigger than Zekrom’s, reaching almost 50 meters up into the sky, even piercing through the thick, malicious clouds. Grey flight of stairs appeared from each of the building’s doors, crashed and landed into the ruined league.

“Holy…” White gasped silently, still being thrown in disbelief. Her eyes were bulgingly wide. Her jaw dropped and hanged as if rocks were placed inside her mouth. Her neck began to strain as she was constantly gawking at the castle. Even so, she was too baffled to notice the pain, instead kept her head cocked upwards to witness such impossibility.

Due to shock overtaking her body, she took one step backwards; her hands began to loosen the grip on the column.

And because of that, White almost tripped – thus threatening her to fall down the myriad of stairs.

“WHITE!”

At the same time, that voice and the loss of balance pulled her back to reality, making her realize her near-death situation. Quickly she pulled herself forward and reached for the column, clutching it for dear life. Her breath grew rapid, tearing straight from her gaping mouth. White leaned closer to the broken pillar, her cheek even pressed against the dusty cinderblock.

Her mind rolled like a spinning top, and then stopped to something of five seconds ago.

White shot her head out front, her shaking aqua eyes staring at the young man not far from where she stood. As if the sudden presence of the castle didn’t startle her to death – literally – White would be surprised now to see N.

He looked utterly horrified – scared beyond his wildest dreams. His right leg was positioned forward; a sign that he was about to run a few seconds ago. His arms were lifted, right hand froze right in front of his face; a sign that he was about to reach out – to her.

Both of them were still at the shock. Both of them didn’t move a muscle. Their eyes were at each other; pupils dilated at the sight of one another.

N made the first move. He clenched his hands, including the one that hanged before his face. His mouth was pressed shut, lips thinned tightly. He dropped his head down slowly, the visor of his hat once again shielding any form of expression. However, his arms began to quake, plainly showing the fear that stirred inside his heart and mind.

N turned around, having his back faced her. “The Team Plasma castle…” he trembled slowly, but loud enough for her to hear. “It is here that you and I shall have one last battle. The battle that will decide everything. Whether Pokémon will be liberated from people, or whether Pokémon and people will live together… We will see whose belief is stronger…” He tilted his head slightly to the right. “And our result will change the world.”

And just like that, he ran up the grey stairs, giving no chance for White to respond.

Alder, who was still sitting on the ground, witnessed the whole scene in confusion. Never had he seen the boy with such an expression. Never had he thought that N could even react in such a way. His head turned to look at White, who was still clinging to the nearby pillar and gaping at the spot N had been.

However, compared to him, White was a thousand times more confused than he was. Why did he scream his name? Why did he look scared? Was he worried? Why would he be worried? He shouldn’t even care. They weren’t even friends – not anymore.

The more she thought about it, the dizzier she felt. A hiss slipping through her mouth, White held her wounded shoulder, fingers gently squeezing the parts that hurt the most. She then tore her eyes away from the single position, scanning and observing the area in front of her. “Ah, Mr Alder!” Once realizing that the former champion was still on the ground, White quickly dashed toward him.

“A-are you okay, Mr Alder?” she asked in worry, once again kneeling on one knee beside him. She mentally sighed in relief to see the man nod his head, removing some of her worries.

“White!”

Once that voice caught her attention, she looked behind. Her relief only strengthened when she saw Cheren. As if her legs had a mind of their own, White hopped back to her feet, ran toward him…

“Oh White I’m glad you’re oka- Ow!” ...And punched him right on the arm. “What did you do that for?!” Startled and angry that he was being given a surprise assault, Cheren rubbed his swollen arm and shot a sharp glare at White.

“That’s for ignoring my calls!” she shouted, huffing angrily and eyes glinting no guilt at her strike and reason.

To hear such an unbelievable answer, the only reasonable thing Cheren did was to stare at her dumfoundedly. “Are you kidding me? Do you seriously think that topic is appropriate to be brought up right now?!”

“The topic about my best friends ignoring my calls is always appropriate-!” White screamed again, this time also biting a cringe at the ache of her shoulder.

To see her state, it melted away his anger. A frown tracing his lips, Cheren sighed heavily and dropped his head. “I’m sorry…”

A tiny pout was pulled, though one not as full as Bianca’s. “Apology accepted.” She then flashed a simple smile; a silent apology from her to him.

A cough broke their short reunion, making them turn to face the source. “Mr Alder!” Cheren exclaimed in concern, legs quickly kicking in toward him. “Sir, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” The older man waved his hand in assurance, not wanting the teenager to worry too much. “Just a little shocked about my loss and the fact that a castle has been buried under the Pokémon League all this time, but physically, I’m fine.”

“Buried castle? What are you-” Cheren froze when he looked up. Just like White a few minutes ago, his expression was also burst with bafflement. “W-what is that?!”

“That-” White walked and stopped beside Cheren, “-is Team Plasma’s castle. It popped out of the ground like daisies and basically destroyed the whole hall.” She spoke carefully as a strain hit the side of her neck.

Cheren only continued his saga of staring dumbfoundedly. A few ticking seconds passed and he shook his head. “Are you telling me that N is in there?” He stared at White, then back to the castle just in case his eyes were playing tricks on him and he needed a new brand of spectacles.

“Yeah…” Her voice grew quieter as she answered.

“You need to stop him, White.” Alder suddenly spoke, eyes drawn to the grim castle. “You need to stop N and convince him that his plans for liberation is preposterous!” He coughed between words, one hand pressed against his chest.

“Don’t force yourself, Mr Alder. I think White got the memo.” Cheren advised as he gently patted his back. Head turned to face his friend, he softly held her shoulder and gave a light squeeze, attracting her attention.

“White,” he said softly, a worried but supportive smile curving his lips. “You go first and handle the situation. I’ll tend to Mr Alder and we’ll catch up to you soon. Is that plan okay for you?”

She returned his smile with a wider one. “Sounds good to me.” White patted his hand that held her. “Just don’t be late for the party alright?” she joked lightly and gave a playful wink. Her smile widened to see his chuckle, although it sounded more to disappointment rather amusement that she could still fool around at a time like this. Her eyes went to Alder, White nodded once and declared, “I will stop N! And I will make sure that no human or Pokémon will be separated from one another!”

With a fist clenched and shown in confidence, White began marching toward the grey stairs.

“White…”

“Yea Cher-” Just as she turned again, White froze when Cheren embraced her, his warm arms wrapped around her neck and chin gently pressed against the side of her head.

“Please be careful…” he muttered, voice slow and faint.

To feel his hug, to hear the rare, worried tone in his voice, White couldn’t help but to feel her face hot to the bone. “Hey, don’t worry…” She gently pushed away from the hug, mouth flashing the most comforting smile that she could muster. “I’m White Eve Monochroma. I’m always careful.”

Oh, how White loved to joke around even if the situation was dire.

Then again, those were one of the reasons why Cheren cherished her so much as if she was family.

He didn’t say a word, instead tugged her visor downwards, allowing an innocent “Hey!” and a few happy giggles to escape from her mouth.

Fixing her hat properly, White stuck out her tongue and laughed again. Yes, although the fate of the world was weighing on her shoulders, although the future of a world where humans and Pokémon lived together was on the line, White could still flash a smile.

Because she knew: No matter what happens, she will always have friends and family to be by her side.

And that, honestly, was all that she needed to light the fire of tenacity in her.

---

And so White ran up the steps of the Plasma castle, quickly making her way inside in hope that she could reach N as soon as possible.

However, she might need to hope harder, for the moment she stepped inside the castle, White froze to see six sages standing in her way.

“Shit…” she cursed quietly, one foot backwards and body slightly crouched out of defence.

The sages stood in a perfect line, completely blocking the girl’s next entrance. "Those in accord with Fate are preserved, and those who rebel against Fate perish." One of the sages, Giallo broke the silence as he walked two steps forward.

"When the Way is forgotten, duty and justice appear." Bronius spoke next, also walking and stopping beside his comrade.

"One can lose the forest for the trees." Ryoku stated, voice muffled yet clear.

"If you make a mistake and do not correct it, that is a second mistake." Gorm also joined his brethren, his eyes sharp on the girl in front of them.

Shit shit shit. White cursed loudly, one hand inches away from Isaac’s Pokéball.

"Superior men understand what is right. Inferior men understand what will sell." It was then Rood’s turn to speak, his tone calmer and gentler than the others.

"There are not two suns in the sky, nor two sovereigns over the people." And finally, Zinzolin moved forward and joined his sages. Unlike Rood, his voice was sterner, filled with hatred over the trainer that threatened to ruin their glorious plan.

Fear rushed into her brain as the sages got closer, finally having her surrounded. Shit shit shit! Her fingers clenched as she touched her starter’s Pokéball. Even if she were to release Isaac or the others to battle, they were still too tired from their encounters with the Elite Four. And besides, judging by six of them, White was silently terrified at the thought of 4 against 36.

"Well... If anything should happen to our king, it would be disastrous.” Giallo remarked, his head held high at the chances of her against them. “It would ruin Ghetsis's perfect plan! Our lord N will be disappointed,” He took a ball from under his robe; his move in unison with the other sages, “but the six of us shall defeat you here!"

White braced for impact. Her eyes went to the stairs behind them. A reckless thought came into mind: If she were to aim perfectly, she might still be able to break it through and outrun them. The idea was a longshot, and there was a huge possibility that it wouldn’t work – and just made matters worse.

But hey, what were the odds?

Her legs bents, body crouched lower as White mentally counted to three. One… Her eyes slid to the sages before her. All were ready to release their Pokémon. All were ready to take her down – permanently. Two…

And suddenly, “Can ya manage that?”

The deep, southern accent echoed behind her. Instantly White snapped her head toward the six sages. All of them were shocked. All of them had their eyes and attention right behind her. Wait a minute…she thought, the gears in her brain kicking in fast. I know that voice. That’s…!

“Still standin’, are ya, White?” Clay asked casually as he stood beside her. Turning his head to look at her, he tipped his hat and gave a wide smile. “I see ya got a bit stronger tha’ we last meet. That’s a mighty fine.”

"You... You're Driftveil's...?!" Giallo stammered as he took a few steps back, the others quickly followed suit.

Clay stared at the shocked sages, his smile removed and replaced with a scowl. “Hrrmph! Ain’t just me!”

And in the nick of time, “I’m so sorry. Not only are we stronger than you, but there are more of us!” White jumped when Lenora’s voice entered her ears. Before she could even turn, more and more leaders entered the castle. Iris, Skyla, Burgh, Lenora, Clay, Elesa, Brycen, and Drayden; all stood between her, protecting her and facing the six sages without a hint of fear.

“Honestly, you people are such a pain in the neck for causing a mess.” One hand on her hip, Elesa checked her nails while nagged boringly. Her eyes then glared at one of the sages and her mouth making a short popping sound, she added, “As gym leaders, we can’t possibly ignore garbage. We have to dispose of them.”

The severe tone in her voice was able to rattle Ryoku’s moustache. Forcing a gulp down his throat, he and the other sages prepared for battle, each and every one of them holding their own Pokéballs.

Amidst the sudden change of it all, White only gawked in stupor. “Um…” She opened her mouth, only to close it without a sound. Her eyes trailed to each leader, utterly baffled that they were right here and now.

“Bianca called us here.” Burgh stated as if he knew what was running through her mind. “She said that you needed some help dealing with a certain problem. Honestly, I’m impressed at your friend. She’s surprisingly fast when she wants things done.” With an assured smile painting his face, he gave a little wink and faced the sages.

“Go, White.” Drayden then spoke, his eyes never tearing away from the enemies. “We’ll hold them off. You go and handle N.”

“We’ll be fine and dandy!” Skyla chirped next, one foot kicked backwards and giving a cute thumbs-up. “We’ll get rid of these guys in no time.” Iris then gave a single clap of confidence, showing no hesitance over her competition.

“You be safe, alright dear?” Lenora patted White’s head once before she threw her Pokéball up in the air, releasing her Stoutland.

Brycen only stayed quiet, eyeing White and nodded once.

She remained her stance, still trying to grasp the unbelievable miracle. “O-okay!” Shaking her hand, White softly but quickly tapped her cheeks and huffed out loud. “I won’t let you guys down! Thank you so so so much!” She felt stupid to have tears coating her eyes. So to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment, White shook her head once and exhaled through her mouth. With her left hand punching the air, she spun her heel and made a mad dash toward the next entrance. Thank you so much, Bianca! Thank you so much, you guys!

To realize that their target was escaping, the sages gasped and quickly released their Pokémon. “Stop her, Maxwell!” Bronius ordered at his Luxray, finger pointed and eyes completely focused at the girl.

“Do not let her pass at any cost, Triton!” Rood also commanded as his Crawdaunt plunged himself toward his prey.

However, before the Pokémon could even reach three feet toward her, they were shockingly brought to a halt as a huge Druddigon viciously crash-landed between them. In a blink of an eye, a blind flash of lightning appeared in front of them, revealing a horribly intimidating Zebstrika.

The sages were speechless at the approach. Growls, hisses, and even the eerie sound of metal screeching the floor drilled into their ears, making them face the leaders and their now released Pokémon.

“You don’t wanna make Jane mad,” Iris chuckled lightly, hands cupped behind her back and a malicious smile flashing her pretty young face. “She tends to crunch nonstop when she’s mad.”

The sages didn’t say a word, instead frozen in complete fear at the change of power.

“As much as I hate seeing my beloved Gavin’s fur being covered in dirt and blood,” Elesa yawned lazily and tapped her chin, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go to the saloon twice today, right Gavin dearie?”

With a smirk painting the Zebstrika’s mouth, he violently stomped the ground and released a heavily-powered Thunder.