[Pokémon] White Heart Black Bones [PG-14]

Chapter Ten

Dim rays of light drifted through the dust covered window above my head. It cast smothered illumination into the gloomy basement where N and I had spent the night. This place was still a sight for sore eyes, as it had always been; it was one part of the town which had remained unchanged at least. The basement of my house was crammed with old boxes, filled with forgotten toys, clothes and junk, meant for nothing more than to gather dust. And that's what they did, even to this day.

I shook the last vestiges of sleep from my mind and slowly started my body up. But I was in the process of having one of those mornings where I couldn't find the will nor desire to crawl out of bed. I just lay there for a while, stared at the cobweb covered ceiling, and got lost in a train of thought. While I underwent this slothful process, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss down here. But what was it?

I turned to the spot beside me and stared at the empty covers. Wasn't there supposed to be something there? After a few moments of staring, the thought finally clicked. N was gone.

I shot up in surprise, patting the empty covers next to me in the hopes that I would touch a body. There was nothing there. I took a few wide glances around the room, using only dim light to guide me, until I realized that I was the only one here.

My heart sank right to the pit of my stomach, and I made my way hurriedly to the staircase which led to the first floor. I was trying to keep myself calm, but N's absence worried me. And my mind wasn't helping since it had decided to craft up countless horrors of what could have happened to him. I tried to ignore those thoughts as I clambered up the stairs.

"N?" I tried to hide it, but my voice still cracked in panic. I poked my head out of the open doorway with hesitance. "Are you up here?" my voice was cut short as I found the man in question sitting at a newly assembled kitchen table.

He glanced over his shoulder questioningly, "Yes? What's the matter?"
I was at a loss for words for a moment, and N need only to look at my face to see why.

He answered an unspoken question promptly, "I hope you don't mind but I… uh… I thought it'd be better if I just set the table back up…"

I continued to stare at the sight at a loss for words. The display of a homely table set amidst wreckage was a startling contrast. It lay nestled between a wall of pulverized furniture, and acted as a sort of gathering point to all the shards of dishware which had been swept away to make room for its revival. The table still held together rather well; it hadn't been broken.

"I hope that's… not a problem," he continued, turning his back and avoiding my eyes. By his body language, I could tell that N was a bit worried if he'd upset me or not. He may have wondered if he'd accidentally desecrated the ruins of my home by trying to put small bits of it back together. While some people could be offended by it, I know Cheren in particular hates getting his stuff touched, N's actions struck me as benign. I let his words hang in the air for a second before blowing a puff of air out through my teeth.

"It's alright," I crawled out of the basement doorway and made my way over to the table, "I was just a little worried when I couldn't find you when I woke up." I let out a short laugh as I took a seat down across from him on a chair that creaked against my weight, "I think I overreacted a little, heh."

"I apologize," he said with a faint smile. "I rise early."

"Yeah." I leant back, folded my arms behind my head and used them as a rest, "…Team Plasma hasn't come here… have they?"

N paused, taking a moment to observe the lines and knots on the wooden table before saying, "There's been no sign of them."

The lack of emotion in his voice unsettled me a little bit, but I hardly let it show, "So. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"I don't know yet. Logic dictates that, since Nuvema is your home town, it would be a hotspot for them to check, regardless of our earlier red herring," N began to trace the lines in the wood nervously with his finger, "though I think there's a reason to why they haven't come…"

"Which is…?" I leaned in closer with interest.

"They may have been ordered to leave us alone for the time being… so that we can witness every atrocity we've let Ghetsis commit unto this region, and after we've seen it all and have become enveloped by fear, only then will we be wiped out."

I stared at him, contemplating his words. I let out a sigh, "That might be true, or we could just be lucky. But it doesn't matter either way." I pulled myself up, "We have to keep on going… no matter what."

"Even if it's painful?"

"Of course. Nothing good will come from running away from the truth, or from reality," I reached up and scratched my head. "That's a mistake that I've made for a long time, and I really want to avoid repeating it again, ya know?" I grinned weakly.

A small smile spread on N's face, "Your unwavering drive impresses me, Touko."

"Let's just hope it doesn't get us both killed," I responded, holding the grin and heading back down into the basement to get changed.

We finished off Juniper's box of granola bars for breakfast. If you got passed the pungency, they actually weren't so bad. Either way, I was thankful that we had them. Even if they didn't taste the greatest, they were filling and sure to provide the both of us with the energy we needed to face the day.

N and I packed up all our supplies before setting out. What startled me the most was that we left this town exactly as we had come: with nothing. There was nothing here for us to take; not food, supplies, medicine, or even any leads on which to go by, but Team Plasma had intended for that. I didn't feel sad about it, and in a way I was glad. It meant that we would have nothing to hold us down; no possessions to tie us back as we went off to face the new world.
I stood at the doorway as a cool breeze drifted past, fondling my hair with the slightest caress. Even now the wind seemed to be drawing me back into my ruined home, as if it despaired at my departure.

"I'm sorry," A glint of broken glass caught my eye before I could turn out the door. What set it apart from all the other fragmented shards I had seen was the fact that this glass was held inside of a picture frame. I walked over and plucked the wooden frame off the ground, squinting through the cracked glass to see the image inside.
My heart ached ever so slightly as I stared, mesmerized, at the picture through the dust. After a few moments of silent staring, I forcibly pulled myself out of my trance. I buffed the picture up with my shirt and wiped off as much dust as I could manage. It didn't help much, but the photo inside was made much clearer. I walked over to the kitchen table and placed the frame on top. I looked at the four of us: mother, Cheren, Bianca and I through the broken glass and I made a pledge. I promised to those faces, who could be alive or dead in this world, that when all of this was over I would return Nuvema Town back to the way it used to be.

I promise…

I walked out the door and met up with N. The two of us left this forgotten town and made our way towards Route One, and the remorseful wind couldn't do a thing to hold us here. We didn't know what was waiting for us, but we would keep going no matter what.


I couldn't see the trees because they were held captive behind walls of iron. The giants stretched high into the overcast sky, disparaging the height of the ancient woods they contained. The barriers didn't seem entirely satisfied with blocking the woods from sight, so they also strangled the wind and let silence have its reign. N and I stood in the shadows of these massive creatures, and they regarded us with wordless stares as we trembled in the cold and terror.

My throat was dry but I just managed to force out the words, "What… is this…?" I stumbled over the bare earth, feet crunching against dirt, as I approached the wall on my right. I placed a steady hand on its body, feeling its cold sink beneath my skin. I cast a wide glance along its pewter surface, watching the barrier stretch on until its point of terminus which I guessed was near Accumula Town; it was too far to be certain. As far as I could see, the walls trudged on unhindered.

"What the hell is this…!?" My hand began to tremble over the iron; my voice faltered only slightly. I was about to turn to N and demand answers but my actions were cut short by his approach. He was beside me before I could even remove my hand from the wall.

"I was afraid of this…" N murmured, also placing his hand upon the broad surface. "They've sealed the Pokémon…" He cringed, looking up, "…Behind these walls…"

I looked out over the route to try and spot a clump of tall grass where I knew a Pokémon could be hiding. But to my despair, every single blade of grass had been uprooted and removed. I first thought that the season was responsible for the absence of greenery, but I was mistaken. Even though winter was upon Unova, no snow had fallen here. And even if the falling temperatures had been enough to kill the grass, I couldn't help but wonder, where were the remains? This route was absent of the limp and soggy grasses of post-autumn: the strands that waited to be buried in snow were nowhere. The raw, empty soil that was left didn't seem to have the ability to harbor life. I wondered if Team Plasma had altered it to be so.

"I can't believe this…" I spoke softly, my voice bounding off the walls and greeting me in a short echo. This drastic change was hard to wrap my head around; in a way it didn't feel real. "Can't… the Pokémon break out somehow? I mean, isn't there a way that they can escape?"

N shook his head silently, "Touko. I think these walls are for keeping the people away, not keeping the Pokémon in… I think…" The pain in his voice was unmistakable, "They may have done something far worse to the Pokémon to keep them contained."

I felt a lump in my throat, "How do you mean?" I almost didn't want an answer. I knew that people could be capable of horrible things, but what on earth could they have done to keep the Pokémon from breaking free? My mind was kind enough to fill in the blanks with the worst case scenario, per usual.
"I don't know. I don't want to think about it," N said dismissively. "Let's just…" he turned back to me with a saddened gaze, "make our way to Accumula Town…okay?"

I agreed because I didn't want to dwell on the issue. It was depressing the both of us, and the last thing we needed was to have a damper on an already glum situation.

N and I began our walk through this linear path that would lead us straight to Accumula Town.

The coils of barbed wire that wound over the tops of the fences clanked together gently in the breeze. A softer sound joined the melody; the drone of rustling evergreens could be heard from behind the barriers, but it was muffled, barely above a whisper. But those small sounds that could have been much louder were paled in comparison by the dry crunching of our footsteps. The sound alone pervaded as we walked through this empty place.

So much had changed…

The wind no longer combed through deep grass; no longer carried leaves in its gale; its sole purpose was simply to remind me of what was gone and accentuate what remained. There were no longer Pokémon playing through this path. There weren't any people strolling by, no cheerful "hellos". It felt like I had entered another world. Instead of trees there was steel. Instead of grass there was stagnant earth. I'm not sure how they did it, but Team Plasma had somehow made this nature artificial, to the point where walking down this route made me feel like I was walking down a hallway. It was sickening.

This place was dead; there was no better word for it. N and I were walking through its corpse.

I tried to ignore the horrible reality, but difficult was too light a word. N was looking just as distressed as I, but we avoided eye contact and just kept looking forward. Eventually, I noticed the honey-coloured buildings of Accumula Town begin to crown in the distance.

N placed a halting hand over my shoulder, "Touko… look," and with the other, pointed towards the end of the route. My eyes darted around the barren path between the solid fences, trying to locate what N was gesturing towards. It took me a minute before I came to notice a small girl standing at the base of the iron fence, staring up with defined loneliness on her features. I watched her quietly for a moment. She simply kept her eyes skyward, and I reasoned that she hadn't seen us coming. But I couldn't help but wonder what she was doing here, and why she was staring so remorsefully at the walls.
I figured that asking was the quickest way to find out.

"Touko?" N seemed worried as I approached the small brunette, but she seemed harmless enough. I wasn't really expecting a little girl to pounce on us or anything.

"Hey there," I said gently, coming face to face with the small child. She nearly jumped out of her skin as I spoke. I smiled apologetically for startling her, though I was surprised that she hadn't seen me coming. I was basically the only moving object on the path.

"What are you doing over here by yourself?" I took a glance towards the wall. "Are you missing something?"

The girl began to tear up and I jumped in surprise. "My… My…" she sniffled, bringing her tiny fists up to catch the tears, "my… Lillipup is…" The tears spilt from her eyes, rolling down freckled cheeks.

"Hey now," I knelt down to eye-level with the child and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You can tell us, okay?" I glanced back to N who was standing a few feet away: watching. "We're the good guys."

The girl sniffled again, "O-okay. Its jus' dat… I keep tryin' ta get my Lillipup out from behin' dat wall," she squawked, teary-eyed. "But dese mean men keep takin' him away from meee!!" she started to sob again.

"Wait a second," I frowned up at the iron fence. "How do you say he keeps getting back to you?"

The girl pointed to the ground, sniffling, "Sometimes 'e digs 'is way up. But 'e can't anymore! Dey keep makin' da walls longer. 'e can't…" I could hardly even understand what she was saying through her blubbering. "'e can't d-dig under um a-anymore…!!"

"Hey now…" I said, taking her gently into my arms and patting her back softly, hoping to quell her fit of tears. I was pretty good with kids so I wasn't having much trouble settling the girl down, "Tears aren't gonna bring your Lillipup back." I pulled away, giving her a huge grin, "But I can help you out with that."

She gawped at me, "You CAN?!"

I stood up, placing my hands smugly on my hips, "Sure can, kiddo. You see I just happen to have some Pokémon with me. We're gonna knock down these walls and reunite you with your Lillipup, alright!?"

The child threw her arms around me and began sobbing into my jeans "Tank you miss! Tank youuu!" She kept wailing over and over.

"Now now." I tutted, pulling her away. "No more tears, kay?"

She stared at me with wide, innocent eyes before nodding vigorously.

"Touko…" N caught my shoulder. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

I shrugged, "Why not? We have to start somewhere, right?" I plucked a Pokémon from my belt, "This seems like a good a place as any." That's right. I was going to change this.

N didn't seem convinced but he didn't protest. He and the girl both distanced themselves from the spectacle I was about to make: the history I was about to create. I was going to rip down the walls Ghetsis had erected.

"Hyle, come on out!" My Emboar landed onto the hard earth, snorting eagerly. "I want you to use Flamethrower on that wall, okay?"

Hyle sucked in a deep breath through his snout, and proceeded to spew a breath of flame onto the towering steel. The inferno licked against the iron, searing into the metal and turning it red. Once the steel had become heated, I instructed Hyle to use Brick Break on the weakened wall. Hyle thrust his burly arms into the smoldering barrier and tore into it with his claws, ripping the weakened iron like clay. It only took a few swings to break the imposing barricade and send it tumbling down. A ragged slab crashed to the ground with a deep, metallic moan, and that was the end of it.

"Right on, Hyle!" I took a glance towards the entrance of Accumula town to see some townsfolk had caught sight of the situation. We were right at the ingress of the town and the streets were bustling. I wasn't surprised we had grabbed some attention, and if these people were set to approach I was going to use it to my advantage. I was going to be their hero.

"Now." I spun around towards the girl where she was waiting sheepishly beside N, "Your Lillipup is in here somewhere, right?" I asked, steadily approaching the raw hole in the fence.

"Yeah!" She piped up, scrambling to my side. "Checkers! Where are youuu!?" The child headed towards the tall grass which waited from behind the gash.
I was about to stop her from going any further, because I couldn't have her wandering through tall grass without any Pokémon of her own. But before I could do that, a bushel of grass began to shake and a small Lillipup bounded out of the foliage.

"Checkers!!!" The girl gasped as she raced towards her Lillipup. The dog propelled itself into her arms and she was tackled down as they collided. The puppy quickly hailed her face with slobbery smooches, and I couldn't suppress a smile. Something about seeing these two reunited turned my heart to goo.

I turned to N to see his reaction; how could he not see the bond these two shared? The sight alone was enough to make anyone's heart melt, and I figured he would be the same. Only he wasn't. Instead of joy or happiness, N wore the most fretful look on his face. His brow was furrowed; his leg jittered nervously, and his eyes darted towards the curious onlookers of Accumula with uncertainty. Everything about his body language radiated unease. I didn't understand it. What was there to be worried about?

"Tank you miss!!!" The little girl ran up to me with her Pokémon secured in her arms. Once laying eyes on the thing, I could understand the name choice. This Lillipup had checker-like spots dotting its tiny paws and a couple mismatched dots over its furry face. "But what will happen if dose mean men come back an' try to take 'im away from me?" she asked nervously, tears already brimming in her eyes.

"That's not gonna happen." I said resolutely, staring at the gathering crowd. Now seemed like a good a time as any to rally these people and get them to fight back against Team Plasma. I wasn't the greatest at motivational speeches, but I knew firsthand the pain of being separated from my Pokémon. Looking at these people's sullen eyes… I knew they felt it to. I knew things didn't have to stay this way. I knew that I could change the horrible world I let Ghetsis create.

With a triumphant sweep of my leg, I swung my foot down onto the fallen sheet of iron that once served as a restricting wall. "People of Unova!" I cried to the crowd of onlookers. "I realize that you have suffered much under the tyrannical rule of Team Plasma, but hasn't this gone on for long enough!?" I gestured towards the ragged hole in the wall, to the untamed grass were a few curious Pokémon peeked their heads out. "It's time that we took up arms and begin to fight for what we believe in! We as people must rebel against this repressive government and rejoin both people and Pokémon together!! Only with the unison of these two sides will we open up the possibilities of liberating ourselves! Those who have suffered, those who have dreamed of a different world; if there are any among you who desire change, please join me!"

I expected cheers: roars of triumph; cries of determination. I thought the townsfolk would usher into the grasslands, grab hold of their Pokémon and rush back into the town, ready to fight and take back what they had lost. Instead I was met with silent, vacuous faces that did nothing but stare me down with hate-filled eyes. A crack appeared in my hope. Why weren't they doing anything? Why were they just standing there? I gave another gesture towards the fallen walls but still the citizens wouldn't move. My arms dropped with my hopes. Amongst the crowd, some people drew away and retreated back into their homes frightfully, those who remained hailed me with a volley of scowls.

"Ha Ha Ha!" I nearly jumped out of my skin as a booming laugh filled the air, bounding off the iron walls on either side of the route. From the back of the crowd a burly Plasma Soldier came forward and sneered at me deviously.
"Look what we have here!" he placed his fists onto his hips and leant back as if admiring, "Must be my lucky day here! Ha! Here I am face to face with the escaped hero!" he brought his hand up over his brow, shielding his eyes from an absent sun and squinted, "Ha! The imposter king is with ya too!"

My brow furrowed and I turned to N questioningly. What did this soldier mean by imposter? N seemed just as confused as I was.

"Looks like you were tryin' to start a riot here, eh?" he boomed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. A mocking sneer spread across his thick lips, "Didn't have much success, did ya? Ha!"

I was getting sick of that condescending laughter. "So what!?" I snapped, "Maybe beating you will get these people to see clearly and act."
His eyebrow twitched, "That a challenge then?"

I readied myself, "You bet it is."

The two of us locked eyes for a moment before the Plasma soldier took a stomp at the ground, "Ha! Why not then! I'm the one in charge of this town here and there ain't no way I'm lettin' a little girl and an imposter beat me."
"We'll see about that! Terra, let's show this brute how it's done!" I shouted, bringing my Galvantula out on the field.

"Galvantula, eh?" he scoffed, "Ha! You're no match for my Stoutland!" The soldier called out a large, mustachioed dog that growled menacingly at my electric spider.

The crowd that had gathered drew back slightly to give us fighting space. Other bodies from the town began to approach, and I thought for a minute that a desire was sparking inside of these people. But after taking a wide glance across the face of bodies, I saw eyes full of fear and disdain all targeted at me. It tore up my resolve pretty nice but I wasn't backing down. I hoped that maybe if I beat down this Plasma Soldier then it would get these people to wake up. Still, their inability to act frightened me to my core.

My Galvantula shuddered under our enemy's gaze; the Stoutland's ability Intimidate had lessened her attack. I couldn't let that dissuade me.

"Stoutland, use Fire Fang now!" The jaws of my opponent ignited with flame. This wasn't good. Terra didn't have very many weaknesses, but fire just happened to be one of them. I wasn't even aware that Stoutland knew Fire Fang, and I was a bit hesitant to react.

"Terra! Dodge it!" Thankfully, Terra was more alert then I was. She just managed to evade the opposition's gnashing jaws, "Follow it up with Volt Switch!" I couldn't afford to have Terra hang around the battlefield any longer. I knew I could evade all I wanted and try to land some decent attacks, but I really didn't want to drag this battle out.

My Galvantula began to crackle with electric current. She raced forward on her spiny legs and catapulted herself right at our adversary. Stoutland was knocked backwards, rolling upon the ground until it managed to steady itself and gain its footing. After Terra had done her job, she shot straight back into my Pokéball.

"Cheap trick," The Plasma operative spat, glowering at me from over the gravelly heath.

"I don't want to waste too much energy on you," I smirked, hoping that little remark ticked him off. By his unbreaking scowl I could see it had. "Hyle! Let's go!" Hyle stomped forward on his bulky legs, bringing up his fists and growling deeply.

"Stoutland! Use Giga Impact!" The Stoutland belted forward on its stubby legs, leaping into the air and throwing its weight right at us.

"Hyle! Catch it!!" My Emboar opened his arms, braced himself for a hit, and let the shaggy dog smash right into his girth. Hyle let out a deep roar as he was pushed back, taking hold of his attacker who had so graciously thrown itself into his lap. "Use Hammer Arm!"

Hyle raised his fist. "Oh ****!" The Plasma soldier spat, "Stoutland, get out of there!" The dog tried to worm its way out of Hyle's grip but it was feeble. I flinched as Hyle's fist connected to the Pokémon's skull with a sickening crack; the Stoutland fell to the ground in limp defeat. The audience sucked in a breath of surprise at this turn of events. I smiled weakly under the brim of my hat. Was I getting through to them?

My opponent called his fainted Pokémon back to his ball and drew another from his belt, glaring at me in the process.

"You did good, Hyle," I praised, also sealing my Pokémon away. I was going to use Terra again for the next round. That Giga Impact had done more damage than I thought it would. I couldn't afford to leave Hyle out on the battlefield, especially if my opponent were to send out a stronger Pokémon or one with a type advantage. At least with Terra I could switch out if things got bad.

"Liepard! Let's end these fools!" A sleek cat of purple and black crawled out over the naked earth, arching its back with an angry hiss. The Plasma soldier frowned when I called my Galvantula out again; he must have known about the disadvantage he had. Since his Liepard was a dark type Pokémon, all I needed to do was hit it with an X-Scissor and he'd be out of action. There was only one problem with that.

"Use X-Scissor, Terra!" Terra crossed the appendages over her mouth and scuttled towards our opponent.

"Dodge it now, Liepard!" The dark feline jumped gracefully aside with a snide smirk. Liepard's speed was deadly and this proved to be problematic. You can't take down an enemy you can't hit and I was suffering with this. I knew I needed to slow that cat down somehow if I wanted to land a hit.

"Liepard, use Bite!" The soldier boomed.

I held my breath as the leopard came in close and took a chomp on one of Terra's legs. Perfect.

"Use Thunder Wave! Quickly, before it lets go!" Terra reared the pincers on her mouth and jabbed them into the Liepard's dark fur. It screeched in shock, reeling back as a wave of static coursed through its body.

The Liepard rolled around on the ground furiously, trying to rid itself of the electric current injected into its body. "Good job Terra, now we can…" My jaw dropped as the Liepard pulled itself off the ground and shook the static off of its body like water. It hadn't been affected.

"Wha…" I was at a loss for words.

"Ha!" The Plasma Soldier squatted down, putting his elbows on his knees as if he was tired of standing, "That's my Liepard's ability, little girl. Limber! Paralysis doesn't work, see?!"

My eyebrows knotted, "Ability…" I echoed.

"Right you are!" he sneered, pulling himself back up. "Good luck trying to get a hit on us now! Ha! Ha! Ha!" he roared, holding his quaking belly as he laughed.
"Liepard! Use Pursuit!" The sly feline faded for a moment before taking a stab at Terra's head. My Galvantula was knocked down with a pained squeal. "What will you do now, little hero?" he laughed. "Going to run away again with Volt Switch?" his face suddenly darkened, "I won't have it!"

"Grab it, Liepard!" he shouted. His Pokémon leapt forward and sank its claws and teeth deep into Terra's bulbous body. Terra spun around frantically, trying in desperation to throw the dark feline from her back. But those claws had sunk in deep and there was no chance of bucking it off. But that was fortunate for us because now I had it right where I wanted it.

"Terra! Use Gastro Acid!" The Plasma soldiers face contorted in fear. My Galvantula spewed a wave of acid from the depths of her stomach all over our opponent. The Liepard jumped off in shock, trying to shake off the sickly green bile, but it clung to the feline's fur like glue.

"What have you done?!" The soldier seethed.

"That move is called Gastro Acid. Now that your Pokémon is covered in Terra's acid, its ability is suppressed," I grinned, "I hope you know what that means…"

The fear on his face was unmistakable.

"Terra! Use Thunder Wave!"

"Shit!" The soldier stomped at the ground angrily, "Liepard!"

But he was too late. Terra sank her fangs into the Liepard's skin, injecting it with a paralyzing static. The feline screeched in pain, falling into a jittering heap in the dirt. "Finish it with X-Scissor!" Terra made quick work of that troublesome cat. After that move it was all over.

"You rotten little…" The Plasma guard gnawed angrily on his thumb as he returned his fainted Pokémon back into its ball. "This isn't over yet, you filth." He reached towards his belt again and pulled out another red ball.

He still had another Pokémon? Though I was assuming it was his last. Taking a look back at his previous fighters, both Stoutland and Liepard were final evolutions of Pokémon commonly seen around Accumula. If the theme held true that meant his last Pokémon would most likely be a Watchog. Terra had come out of that last round with only a few scrapes to show for it. I had confidence that she'd be able to take down his groundhog too.

I told Terra to ready herself as he called out his final fighter, but it wasn't a Watchog that landed before us. A bulky Pokémon stomped forward, leering angrily as flames licked out of its snout like a tongue. The pipe-like lines over its body clanged with each step, and smoke shot from its muffler-like tail, darkening the air. This was definitely not a Watchog.

"Heatmor, use Flamethrower!" I stood there in shock as a breath of flame sped straight towards my Galvantula.

"Touko!" I heard N shout from behind, but by the time his words met my ears Terra had already been engulfed in flame. I stood frozen as the fire ignited my Pokémon and seared deep into her skin. The face of the crowd looked on in awe and amusement as the light of fire flickered across their vapid eyes. They were enjoying this. They were enjoying my pain. They gained amusement at seeing my Pokémon die. Why?!

"Terra!" My voice was drowned out by the hideous laughter of my opponent. The world seemed to grow dark around me and the laughter resounded through my head. Fresh stains of blood danced across the route. The bodies of my Pokémon lay crumpled beneath Ghetsis's sneering visage. It was happening again! I staggered back as my head began to spin. I was losing. My Pokémon were dying!

"Can't switch out now, can you little hero?! Ha Ha Ha!!!"

I was about to fall flat on my face and pass out. It felt as if the whole world had turned against me, and I felt like I was going to die. But before my mind could shatter, a figure dashed out of the crowd. My breath was caught in my throat as the person, covered top to bottom in a dark cloak, pulled out a tin bucket and threw a wave of water onto my burning arachnid. The flames doused with a hiss and my charred Pokémon lay fainted on the ground.

"What the hell d'you think yer doing?!" The Plasma soldier roared in question. The figure simply responded by slamming the blunt end of the bucket right into the soldier's jaw, which caused him to stumble back and fall over.

"Come on!!!" The figure called out to me hurriedly, motioning frantically for us to follow. I was too dumbstruck to comply, but thankfully N was on the ball. He grabbed hold of my arm and pulled me toward the figure. I called Terra back into her ball as we reached the mysterious person.

"Follow me!" They hissed, darting into the crowd.

"Let's go," N urged, pulling me by the arm through the heap of gathered bodies, using the confusion as a cover to slink away. I had no idea where I was being dragged, but I could feel N beside me and his presence forced my legs to move. As the crowd thinned, and soon grew further and further away, I looked back to see the little girl get her Lillipup taken away by a group of Plasma soldiers. The three of us dove deep into an unfenced section of forest and vanished.

XXX​

After trudging through the ragged terrain of the forest, guided only by our anonymous host, we finally came to a stop. I doubled over, hands on my knees, as I tried to get a breath. The figure, whose identity was still obscured by their cloak, also bent over in exhaustion.

"Who are…" I wheezed, "who on… earth are you…?"

The shadowy figure took a few more deep breaths before answering, "It sure has been a while, hasn't it?" They turned to face both N and I while banishing the hood that hid their face, revealing a head of glossy purple hair.

"F—!" My words suffered from a dry throat. "Fennel!?"

She flashed a smile, "The one and only!"

"What are you doing here?!" I gawped, "How did you know that we were here?"

She shrugged, "I didn't. Actually, I had come to Accumula town to run an errand, and I just so happened upon the little scene you were making at Route One!"

I had no idea what to say but Fennel wasn't finished, not by a long shot. Her face suddenly darkened.

"And him…" She pointed towards N who was still standing beside me, "What on earth is the king of Team Plasma doing here?" she questioned with a mix of disdain and confusion.

N's face hardened and I brought up my hands quickly, hoping to avoid an argument, "No! No! He's on our side now! He's here to help! If it wasn't for him I would have…"

Fennel brought up her hand dismissively, following the motion with a soft smile, "I understand, Touko. But we can't talk here. Let's get back to my laboratory in Striaton and discuss matters there," Fennel turned around and continued to walk through the brush. I was about to follow but N caught my arm.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" he asked quickly.

I avoided his eyes, almost guiltily, remembering the empty faces the crowd had given me when I tried to get them to fight. "There's nobody else… to trust…" I said sadly, following Fennel back into the forestry.

The two of us caught up to her where she was waiting and followed her through the maze of branches.

"Fennel… I'm wondering…" I said looking around at the quiet trees, "Why isn't this part of the forest fenced off like all the others?"

"Only certain sections are blocked off and the Pokémon are quarantine behind those walls, like the ones you saw at Route One," she said, hopping over a fallen oak, "there aren't any Pokémon in this part of the forest, they've been driven out, so there's no need for a fence." She sighed, "People wouldn't like it if all parts of the forest were closed off to them, you know. Gotta leave some bits open, heh. Makes it easier for us this way…"

N glanced up towards the towering treetops which segmented the cloudy sky, "But… the flying type Pokémon…" he inquired. "Where are they? Surely they can get over the walls."

Fennel stopped for a moment, looking around the dense forest to check if we had company. She then responded, sounding very text-book, "I don't know if you've seen them already, but there are small prongs on the top of the walls. These prongs emit a frequency which deters the flying Pokémon from approaching, and in turn, keeps them captive." The dappled sunlight shone across her glasses, hiding her eyes, "But even if the flying Pokémon ignored the frequency, or could somehow go through it, there is an electric field overtop the walls which will strike them down if they try and fly over."

The shock on N's face was unmistakable and I too was struck hard with a certain disbelief. Fennel didn't waste time with consolation or soothing words. She continued onward through the brush, not even waiting for us to catch up. N stood there silently, staring with a mix of anger and sadness at the leaf covered ground. Some of the worst thoughts imaginable must have been squirming through his head. Even I had the displeasure of envisioning a Pidove staring sadly at the towering walls with shredded wings. But just as N had urged me in my time of weakness, it was my time to help him.

I grabbed hold of his trembling hand and tried to produce a comforting smile, but by his upset eyes I knew it came out crooked and warped. Either way, I sprinted off after Fennel, dragging N behind me.

After walking what felt like miles through the brush, and after my feet were raw with sores, Fennel finally came to a halt. I could see the red bricked houses of Striaton City melding through the bough. We were approaching a row of apartments from the rear.

"Alright…" Fennel licked her lips nervously, staring hard at the yellow back door of one of the buildings. The professor was silent for a few moments before saying, "I'll head to the door first… then I want the two of you to follow me in turn, got that?" N and I nodded. "Act casual," she said, standing up and padding down her coat before strolling forward, nonchalant.

When she reached the back door of her apartment, I made to follow. I reached the door just as Fennel was fumbling around for her keys. I turned a curious gaze to the sky. There was some sort of strange noise in the air; a rumbling that sounded akin to construction work. It sounded like metal giants were stomping around in the distance. But there was something weird about it. It sounded low and mechanical, like gurgling or the gnashing of teeth. Fennel got the door open before I could ask what it was. We were urged inside and the professor hurriedly slammed the door behind us, shutting the noise out.

Fennel leant against the door for a moment in silence, her back to us, before she blew out a relieved sigh. "I really can't handle this kind of intensity," she smiled tiredly, running a hand through her plum-coloured locks. "HEY AMANITA!!" Fennel suddenly boomed, which caused N and I to nearly fly out of our skins. "Are you in here!?"

After a pause, I heard someone stomping either up or down a staircase, and a moment later a girl in a blue dress peeked around the hallway.

"Are you alright, Miss Fennel?" she asked, and her eyes suddenly widened once she caught sight of us. Amanita blinked at N and I before saying, "Who are… these two?"

Fennel grinned, "This one's Touko, don't you remember? She's one of Juniper's pupils, came here a long while ago to help us get Dream Mist for our research!"

"Right!" Amanita looked up, the realization dawning. Her eyes then fell back down, "And… what about him!?" She growled, and I shrunk back. Who'd of thought such a small girl could sound so menacing?

"He's…" Fennel regarded N quizzically, not really knowing how to answer.
"I mean you no harm." N assured, acting calm in the face of their suspicious looks.

"Really!" I said desperately, "He's a friend!"

"Alright," Fennel sighed, "I believe you." At least for now, I suppose she meant. She kicked her black rain boots off on a mat before turning back to her assistant, "Amanita, can you get a couple of potions for Touko's Pokémon? They got a little roughed up before we got here."

"Sure thing, sis!" Amanita chimed before dashing down the hall, her rosy pigtails bobbing up and down with every bound.

"Now then, you two come with me." The scientist led us down a hallway until we reached a divide. Fennel led us to the left which deposited us into a lounge-like room. The wallpaper was scarlet in here: all four walls leading up to a black ceiling where a row of florescent lights shone.

"Take a seat, anywhere is fine," Fennel shrugged, gliding into the room. "Feel free to put your feet up. Can I get either one of you a drink?"

Both N and I vouched for water and took a seat together on one of the black leather sofas in the room. It felt like heaven as I sank into the cushions. Following Fennel's remark to put my feet up, I tore off my boots which had grown tight around me and started to massage my aching ankles. Fennel came over a second later and placed a duo of clear cups on a wooden table before taking a seat on an arm chair across from us.

She stared at the two of us, almost observing, as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Um…" her stare was unnerving so I felt like I needed to break the silence. "Do you know where Cheren, Bianca and the rest are?"

"You've been to Nuvema, eh?" she sighed taking a huge gulp of her drink before answering. "You don't need to worry about it. They're all okay, as far as I know."

"So they haven't been captured by Team Plasma?" I asked hopefully, edging up on my seat.

"Right you are." Fennel jerked her glass forward, "I haven't been in contact with Juniper for some time now. Though the last time I checked, she and those kids were organizing a rebuttal against Team Plasma's actions." She took a sip, "A resistance, if you will."

"Located where?" N inquired, he hadn't even touched his water for some reason.

"I'm not sure," Fennel bowed her head apologetically as Amanita entered the room. "You see… I haven't had contact with Juniper for some time." Fennel closed her eyes, "I don't even know how fruitful the results of their actions have been. You can watch the news but its all garbage," she muttered bitterly.

I handed my Pokémon off to Amanita and she restored Terra and Hyle's health. She pressed the nozzle of the potions onto the release button on their capsules, which restored their health from the inside.

"The two of you are welcome to stay here as long as you want. In the meantime, I'll try to see what info I can dig up about Juniper and your friends," Fennel leant forward with an encouraging smile.

"Thanks. It means a lot," I said gratefully. "But there's something else I want to ask you…" I began hesitantly. "About the people. Why didn't they want to fight back when I knocked down those walls? I mean… I'd opened up a path for them but they didn't want to take it…"

The navy-haired professer sighed and leant back in her chair, "You've been absent from this world a long time, Touko. Things have changed more than you can fathom."

I didn't like the sound of that. Even Amanita seemed nervous and uneasy as she began to twiddle her thumbs, staring intently at the gray carpeting.
"And the Dream Factories are a huge factor in that…" Fennel muttered absently, locking her eyes on the blinds that covered the windows.

Both N and I radiated confusion at that unfamiliar term. I was about to come forward and ask the professer what this Dream Factory thing was, but my question was cut off by a loud trumpet call which cut through the air. Fennel and Amanita whipped towards the window where the sound had come from, their faces the picture of shock.

"Uh-oh!" Amanita squealed, "There's an announcement coming!!"
"What… do you mean?" I asked nervously.

"Now of all times!" Fennel growled to herself, ignoring my question and turning to her younger sister. "You need to get them something to wear, and quick!!" Amanita tore off into the house like a bounding Sawsbuck. "You two!" she spat, whipping in our direction. "Here, put these on," she plucked a pair of tinted sunglasses off a table and shoved them into my hand.

I held onto them stupidly, not knowing the cause of this ruckus, "Er… why? What's going on?"

"Put 'em on!" she snapped again as she went over to N and tore off his hat. "They're calling a town meeting. You two are going to have to come out with us."

Amanita returned with a bundle of clothes grasped in her arms. Fennel ran over to her sister and plucked a baggy gray sweater out of the pile, which seemed two sizes too large for any of us. She tossed it at N, "Wear this, alright?"

N didn't protest and slid the huge jumper over his shirt.

"They do house checks, you see," Amanita came over to me and threw a black coat over my shoulders, "If they find anyone in their house during the announcement then there'll be trouble. For sure they'll find you if you don't come out with us!!" She squealed, wrapping a scarf around my head like a hood.

I didn't fully understand the situation, but I figured things would go smoother if I just went with it. I threw on the glasses and buttoned the coat up high to conceal my face. Fennel spread a wave of perfume through the room, trying to mask our scent I suppose, as Amanita ushered us out the front door and into the streets of Striaton.

The citizens were massing under a gigantic jumbotron which was mounted on a tower-like building, right in the middle of town square. The burning screen displayed the Team Plasma coat of arms over its surface as if beckoning the growing crowd.

As I drew closer to the screen-mounted building, I realized with horror that the structure had been made from the town's old Pokémon Center. I tried to suppress a scowl as we melded into the sea of bodies. So that's what had become of the Pokémon Centers, they had been converted into Plasma headquarters. The building was so different, so altered that I could hardly even recognize it from its former appearance. In the end it was the location that gave it away.

I didn't have time to look very long as Amanita pushed us into the crowd under the glaring screen, continuously muttering, "Don't look at anyone. Keep to yourself. Don't speak." Fennel brought up the rear, trying to hide her nervousness as she glanced through the mass of people.

The people were murmuring, bustling, and congregating into one large blotch. People exited their houses accordingly, shutting doors behind them. Others came in from the streets and alleys that connected to this point. All four of us stood smushed in the throng and the screen continued to glare up above. I figured we'd need to wait a bit until all of the citizens gathered, but it was taking a bit too long.

As I began to look around restlessly, I caught sight of something over the many heads around me. There were groups of Plasma soldiers opening doors and entering people's houses. I didn't know what they were doing at first, but the answer came to me soon enough. They were doing house checks.

Just like Fennel had mentioned, these soldiers were entering people's houses and making sure that no one was hiding away or not attending the announcement. They were opening doors so effortlessly and without protest that I figured they must have had keys with them. My heart had fallen to the pit of my stomach in shock, but it grew even worse after what I saw next.

These masked soldiers had Pokémon with them. They were using Herdier, who were hooded and leashed, to sniff out those who could be hiding away. Most of the houses the soldiers entered seemed to be vacant, but they were hauling a few people out of their homes and forcing them to join the crowd. But those who they did drag out, just appeared to have slept through the trumpet call, or hadn't heard it for some reason or another. No one resisted, I suppose they knew better than to do that.

Nobody else in the crowd looked at this sickening violation of privacy; they just kept their eyes upward and waited for the screen to come alive. N and I seemed to be the only ones watching the soldiers carry out their work.
"Don't look at them." Fennel muttered under her breath, with enough force to cause me to look away.

I felt horribly uncomfortable after what I'd just seen, and my head seemed to be pounding. I turned to N and asked him, "What do you think this is about?" under the white noise of the crowd. I could hardly even recognize him with his hood drooping over his eyes and a blue scarf wrapped various times around his neck.

"I don't know," he admitted, but the unease in his voice, though muffled, was unmistakable.

A trumpet call rang out again and the murmur of the crowd quickly died. All the citizens seemed to have been gathered, and the soldiers bordered the crowd like fence posts, as if to keep them contained. All eyes were set on the massive telescreen above, which towered higher than any building around. The Plasma logo flashed a few more times before cutting to a large marble platform bordered by masked soldiers. Each one had a flag grasped in their gloved hands. They stood around an elevated podium where one of the Seven Sages stood.

He addressed the people, "Citizens of Unova! Bow in salute to our eternal lord, N!" The Sage stepped aside to reveal a man cloaked in a resplendent fur-lined cape, wearing a glimmering golden crown over his verdant hair. N walked up to the podium, silenced the crowd with a gentle wave, and said with a voice that echoed through the sky itself.

"My people. A tragedy has befallen our nation this day."

-------------------------------------

Are there no heroes left in man?

Chapter Eleven

"Citizens of Unova!" N's voiced reigned through Striaton's town square. It echoed off the encirclement of buildings and into the attentive ears of the citizenry below. Many adoring eyes were captured by the monarch's glorious image, fixed upon his figure which shone from the broadcast screen in the sky. I could feel it emanating from the crowd, a sense of overwhelming love and praise for this carved-out king. The people radiated with blind idolatry, and it left me feeling sick. It revolted me to think that the man they loved so zealously was nothing but a fake.

"A tragedy has befallen our nation this day." Despair fell upon the king's face as he spoke, "A terrorist has broken free of her imprisonment and wishes to abolish the wholesome kingdom which we have worked so tirelessly to create!" This second N made a gesture to a new image which had appeared on the screen, one of my very own face. The people scowled up at it, hatred rising.

The Second N continued his tirade, "Not only does this person desire to tear apart our rules and ideals that we've worked so hard to maintain…" his expression seemed to bitter, "she's also accompanied by a man who has stolen my image. An imposter king who has changed his face and body with the intent of deceiving us all!"

A sudden bolt of shock struck me hard and I turned quickly to N to try and find his eyes. I came to regret this action because the N that I saw beside me looked more torn up… more ripped apart then I had ever seen him before. His mouth was held slightly agape as he watched the sight unfold with horror stricken eyes. His gaze of utter shock and disbelief then slowly turned to one of deep despair. I knew that look all too well. I had worn it many times in the past. N was on the edge of madness, and each word his duplicate spoke seemed to drive the feeling deeper and deeper. I reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing down onto his clammy flesh with all my might. It was only a small rebuttal to keep the both of us from going mad.

"These harbingers of terror must be stopped!!" The king boomed, slamming his fist down onto his podium. Every feature of his body burned with passion and it was infectious to the crowd below, drawing forth roars of agreement. "These people must not be allowed to release the abhorrent creatures known as Pokémon back into our world!!"

I started, looking up at the monarch in shock. What did he just say!?

The king matched my gaze with his own of unsettling seriousness. "We of Team Plasma have worked tirelessly for years to confine and whittle down the numbers of said beasts. Our progress has gone well, and all of it could not have been achieved without the continued support and aid of you, the citizens."

The crowd erupted in cheer, nearly causing me to leap from my skin.

The king smiled, as if he could hear the people's understanding, "And with your continued support and effort, we will soon reach our ultimate goal of a perfect world!" His expression darkened, "But something now stands in our way! The terrorist Touko, her accomplice—the imposter king, and anyone else who supports their goals and ideals must be purged from this world before their corrupted way of thinking has the chance to take root!" The Second N opened his arms, "People of Unova, you are glorious and you are strong, and I know that none of you are as gullible and naïve to fall for the words that the terrorists speak. But there are some who may bite, and fall for their ploy, and those who do will be seen as enemies of the state and dealt with as such. I hope that each and every one of you, as proud people of this nation, will do your part and combat the efforts of the terrorists wherever they may rise. We are Team Plasma and we will protect you, but only if you submit and allow us to."

I felt N's hand begin to tremble within my own. That gentle feeling filled with fear is what pulled me from the sickening world of the king's words. I gave his hand another reassuring clench but it didn't come close to mending his distress. I couldn't even glance towards him a second time; my eyes were simply locked with the massive gaze belonging to his replacement.

"Long live our glorious nation!" The sovereign spread his arms out wide as if he could embrace every adoring person who heard his words that day. As if he could cradle the whole nation in his arms. The fading of his speech was soon replaced by an eruption of cheer. I almost couldn't believe that they were applauding this fake king and his lies, but despite my shock they continued to cheer deafeningly.

The Second N's image was replaced in a flash by the Team Plasma coat of arms which gleamed on the screen. Another trumpet call rang out over the town, signifying that the announcement had come to an end. The people quickly dispersed back into their homes or into the streets, mumbling to each other, looking thoughtful and understanding, and slightly fearful, as if they knew the real truth.

As the bodies around me grew thin, I tried to get my legs to move but I felt glued in place. N, who was still clenching my hand tightly, also stood frozen. We probably would have caught some unnecessary attention if Fennel and Amanita hadn't grabbed hold of us and forced us back to their home. Even without their guiding aid, walking would have been impossible. My limbs felt numb; my mouth so dry. I can imagine that the professor was saying something to us from under her breath, but my throbbing heartbeat drowned it out. I was no longer looking at the screen but I could still see its image, as if it had burned into my eyes. Even the words that had resounded out from that tower echoed faintly behind my pulse. I couldn't believe it… but I knew it was real. We had all seen it and I couldn't convince myself otherwise.

We were monsters in the eyes of this nation. What could we possibly do to change that fact? The Second N had pounded the words into the hearts and minds of the people. It was engraved into their very being now. We couldn't simply pave over their thoughts without causing chaos and terror. The words of the hero had become vile. In an instant, we had become the enemies. The people didn't want to be saved from this rotting paradise. And they never would.

As Fennel and Amanita pushed the both of us inside, locking the world out, I could only think that things would never be the same.





Streams of water ran down my body from the showerhead above, slowly erasing all the blood and grime that had been coating my body since our escape from Team Plasma's castle. Having a shower after such a long time felt heavenly to say the least, although the mood was continually spoilt as my thoughts kept returning to the announcement the Second N had given earlier that day. The goal N and I shared for freeing both the people and Pokémon from this region had been quashed by what he had said. We were now seen as enemies of the state, and no matter where we would go that fact wouldn't change as long as the screen continued to herald it so. Our pleas of liberation had fallen deaf in the ears of this nation.

I let out a heavy sigh which was lost in the drone of falling water.
But that wasn't all. I had the feeling that there was something else wrong here. The people of Striaton just gobbled up the king's words so eagerly and without doubt that it unnerved me. No one questioned the words he spoke; no one thought of whether it was truth or falsehood. Why was that? Even when I tried to start a small rebellion on Route One… they all looked at me like I was some sort of monster.

I reached for the knob, turned off the water and stepped out of the small shower. I snatched up a towel and quickly dried myself off before throwing on a pair of pajamas that Fennel had leant me. The jams were a bit baggy and the sleeves felt like flippers, but they fit well for the most part. It was a mild struggle trying to open up the bathroom door with such baggy sleeves, but I managed in good time. A cloud of steam leapt up towards the ceiling as I stepped out of the bathroom and into the dark spare room we had been leant. The lights were off. No one had bothered to turn them on, so the only illumination the room got was from the streetlamps outside.

I spotted N sitting at the only bed in the room which hugged against the far left wall. The bed was the only thing that filled this room; there was nothing else here; it was basically empty apart from a single window on the far right wall. I stared at N for a few lingering moments, but he remained motionless. With elbows on his knees, head bowed, lit eerily by the streetlights outside, he looked like some sort of statue. His hair was untied, falling across his body and over his eyes, which kept his expression hidden. But I didn't need to see his face to know what he was feeling. It was as clear as day that N was in pain.

I walked over to him and took a seat beside him on the bed. He didn't move, only shifted slightly as the bed dipped from my weight.

"That… person…" I tried to say as carefully as possible, "…the one who looked just like you…"

"I don't know who he is." N said suddenly, keeping his eyes, what I could see of them, trained on the floor.

Earlier that day when the announcement had ended and we lay safe inside Fennel's home, N continued to assure us that he had no idea who his lookalike really was or why he possessed his face. Both Fennel and Amanita were hesitant to take his word but I assured them that N was telling the truth. I believed him. I knew just by the way he acted during that broadcast, the fear that enveloped his eyes, such raw emotion is not easily feigned. Though the professor and her sister didn't seem entirely convinced, they let the subject drop and we did not discuss it further. Since then, N had become very distant and antisocial, even to me, and the day wore its way into night.

I knew the subject was touchy, and it was probably something that he wanted to avoid, but talking about it was something we needed to do. I needed to know if N really knew anything about his duplicate or who the man truly was.

"I don't know what his real name is… or why he wears my face," the torment in his voice was hard to take, and I tried to offer some comfort by placing a gentle hand over his bare shoulder. It was hard to console him since I couldn't really say that everything was going to be fine. I imagined how I would feel if someone had stolen my face and the kingdom that I once ruled over. Betrayal would probably just be scratching the surface.

I didn't know what I should say to lessen his sadness, so I simply told him, "I'll be here," and traced my fingers down the grooves in his back, along his spine soothingly.

N let out a shuddering sigh under my caress, and I felt his body become lax. "I think… since I left Team Plasma, Ghetsis has needed another person to take my place. Someone to fill the void I left…" he started. "But something worries me, Touko."

The tone of his voice caused me to try and find his eyes, but even when I looked at him, his gaze was on the window on the opposite wall. "What is it?" I had to ask.

N paused before collecting his thoughts and speaking again, "It troubles me that Ghetsis has taken the time and effort to mold another emperor into my image…" he locked his eyes into mine, "…when he simply could have taken the throne himself."

The sound of a car drifting by evaporated the silence of night.

I asked N what he thought Ghetsis's machinations were, but he simply shook his head dismissively. That simply meant he was just as clueless as I was, but not knowing made it much worse. My imagination filled in the horrors for me.
Silence pervaded again as the both of us mulled over our unsettling thoughts. I tried to pursue the outcome of the Sage's actions but my mind was sidetracked again by another thought. There was something that I needed to say…

"Um…N?" My throat was already turning dry. He turned towards me in question; something about my faltering tone must have sparked his curiosity. The inquisitive look he gave me didn't help matters as I tried to gather my thoughts and get them out of my mind.

"I want to apologize for what happened back there on Route One…" I looked away. "It was… stupid of me to think I could convince everyone so easily… to fight against Team Plasma. I mean… I'd thought they'd want to… you know?" The guilt I was feeling made speaking sound awkward.

It was N's turn to offer his own form of comfort by placing a steady hand over my own. I was drawn back into his eyes again to see not a look of loathing or contempt, instead he seemed understanding.

"It's alright. Neither of us could have known how lifeless the masses have become. Even when I was the one standing on that podium… I never really thought they had become such cattle. It appears that I was wrong to think otherwise. In fact, these humans might be far more subservient than I feared." He frowned. "I find it difficult to want to fight for such vacuous people… people who won't even grasp at freedom when it's thrown in their laps."

"There's something more than that." I told him.

He glanced questioningly in my direction. "…What do you mean?"

"There's a reason the people are like this, N. I'm not… really sure what it is yet but, there's definitely a reason why they're acting like such… like such robots."

He looked unconvinced.

"But that's beside the point. We worked so hard to get this far… there's no way I'm throwing in the towel now." I felt more determined than angry.

"Your resolve is admirable as always, Touko," N smiled at me, clearly amused by my drive. "I will stand beside you no matter what. Although, I'd like to provide more aid to the Pokémon instead of the people…"

"I think our goals will intertwine at some point then," I grinned before stretching my arms over my head. "Let's just sleep on it and try to sort things out in the morning, okay?" I gave his bare back a slap. "And I think you're in need of a shower…"

N looked ruffled by my comment for a moment there; almost as if he was saying, I don't really stink that much do I? But he headed off to the bathroom while I buried myself beneath the blankets.

This was actually the first time I had slept in a real bed since leaving the castle, and it was heaven. I slowly faded into slumber as the patter of the shower lulled me into oblivion. Before I lost consciousness, I remembered something that Fennel had said to me. The professor had mentioned some odd term when N and I first came to her home. What was it now…? Was it something about a building…? A factory? I couldn't put my finger on the word, and finally I drifted off as N finished his shower and crawled into the covers beside me.

XXX​

When morning had arrived, I made my way downstairs. I followed the scent of cooking breakfast all the way to the kitchen where Amanita and Fennel were there to greet me.

"Morning, Touko!" Fennel said rather cheerily as she peered out from behind the morning paper. "Come have a seat! I hope you like bacon an' eggs, cause we got plenty!" She was acting a bit too jolly considering the unsettling scene we'd all witnessed yesterday.

Her attitude seemed peculiar. "… Uh, yeah," I tried to force out as smile as I took a seat across from the professor. Fennel brought back up her wall of newspaper and continued to read while taking occasional sips of coffee.

"Is mister N not up yet?" Amanita inquired with a glance over her shoulder. She was bent over the stove, sizzling strips of bacon on a cast-iron pan.

"Ah, no. He's still sleeping, so I figured I should let him have his rest…" I said rather sheepishly.

"A bit of java could wake him up," Fennel said, wiggling her coffee mug in the air with a mischievous smile. "How about you, Touko? You look like you could use a jump start!"

I put up my hands quickly, "Oh! No-no thank you. Coffee's not… really my thing you know." I tried to decline as politely as possible. For one thing, I really didn't want to intrude too much on these people who had so graciously offered to conceal N and I from Team Plasma, especially since they knew about all the trouble they'd be put through if they were found out. I didn't want to take more than I should from them. But besides that, I wasn't lying, I can't stand coffee. It's far too bitter for my liking.

Fennel let the subject drop with a shrug just as Amanita brought over my meal and set my plate down before me. I stared at the steaming food for a moment in deep thought.

"Miss Fennel?" I said, grabbing my fork and poking the gooey center of my eggs.

"Yes?" The cheeriness had dropped from her voice for some reason. Maybe I was imagining it. Maybe the wall of newspaper was just muffling her tone.

"What's happened to the Striaton gym leaders?" I tried not to sound hesitant. "Where are they now? Are they taking steps against what Team Plasma has done?"

Fennel didn't put down her newspaper and I noticed Amanita give her older sister a nervous glance. I heard N clomp down the stairs as I tried to get the professor to talk.

The scientist didn't need another prompt from me; she quickly slapped her newspaper down on the table and stared me down with unsettling seriousness just as N walked through the kitchen door.

"Why do you want to know that, Touko?" The professor asked me with unnerving calmness in her voice.

I was taken aback by her question. Wasn't it obvious? "Maybe they can help us to get rid of Team Plasma," I made a vague waving gesture, "and maybe… you know, get the people of this town to stop listening to those broadcasts and do something!"

N remained standing at the doorway, watching the conversation with interest, waiting for Fennel's response. The scientist continued to analyze me with a dead-serious air while Amanita scraped the food around on the pan with her spatula nervously.

Fennel broke the silence with a swift sigh, "I guess there's no use hiding it from you now." The professor pulled herself up, leaving her morning paper and half finished breakfast aside. "You two need to come with me," she continued, pointing at N and I.

We shared a confused glance as the professor scooched passed us and headed back towards the staircase. We figured it best not to question her, so we simply followed the scientist as she lead us up all the way to the roof of the complex.

I shuddered against the frigid air, hugging my arms around my body to try and conserve some warmth. I was still in my pajamas for Arceus sake. "Miss Fennel!" I tried to shout out against a gust of wind which rammed right into us upon exiting the building, "Why'd you bring us all the way up here? Miss Fennel?!"

The professor stood near the far end of the building, ignoring what I had said as she stared at the rising sun which had just made its way over the horizon of evergreens. Even after a few moments passed, she did not acknowledge me for some reason. Had my voice been lost in the wind?

I glanced at N to see his take on things; maybe he had some inkling to what was going on. N's eyes were locked on the professor with suspicion. He watched her with an uneasy frown, as if she might turn on us and attack. N's heightened guard unsettled me a little bit, but I knew it was ridiculous. Fennel wouldn't just attack us for no reason, especially after she had done so much to help us. I was about to ask her again, why she brought us up here, but my words were cut short by her sudden movement.

The professor brought her arm up and pointed towards the horizon. She asked, "Do you see that?"

What I saw defied reality itself. Some dark monster of pipes and metal was looming over the distant wall of pine trees on the outskirts of town. The building was colossal, yet stout and wide in design. Rows upon rows of glass eyes glistened upon its surface, catching the sunlight. A quintet of black towers jut out from the structure like horns, dominating the sky, raising their blackened fists high into the air. A soft pink mist spewed from the tops of those towers and drifted out slowly into the orange sky. The building looked so sinister, so malevolent, I couldn't find the words to ask Fennel what it was.
The professor turned towards the both of us and answered our thoughts, "Dream Factory."

I stared at the scientist wide-eyed, "W-what is…?"

"They are factories that have been erected in many cities and towns all over Unova. They utilize the Dream Mist that is produced from both Munna and Musharna to project dreams unto the citizens of the region." Fennel crossed her arms and leant back, "Are you familiar with how Munna's Dream Mist works, how it affects the human mind and body?"

"I…" my breath was caught. I shook my head by lack of words.

"It has the power to bring people's dreams to life in a sort of—" she waved her hand, "—illusory reality. The power of the Dream Smoke is miraculous on its own, and could have destructive potential if used by the wrong hands. But Team Plasma has made their own altercations to the Dream Smoke."

"How so…?" N asked, voice on edge.

Fennel pointed to the five smokestacks which rose from the stout body of the factory. "Team Plasma has added their own compounds and chemicals to the mist, changing its properties and effects but keeping composition and structure relatively the same." Fennel turned to us. The rising sunlight caught the lenses of her glasses, and obscured her eyes with a gleam. "They are pumping out small amounts of altered Dream Mist from that factory," she pointed to the plumes of pink smoke which gushed from the high towers. "It's melding into the air, as you can see. The mist is drifting over the town as we speak. It is almost invisible to the naked eye, but that doesn't change the fact that it's being ingested by every single person in this city."

"Then what…" I almost couldn't finish my question, because I held dread for the inevitable answer. But I had to know. "What does the Dream Mist do… after it's been breathed in!?"

"When ingested, the altered Dream Smoke from that factory enters the brain and implants a subconscious message inside. It tells the recipient to hate Pokémon," Fennel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Have you ever heard of those advertisements, usually ones which showcase food, that show a hidden message within them that makes the viewer crave their product? It's called subliminal messaging, or subliminal stimuli. It's sensory manipulation which is usually beyond the limits of one's conscious perception. The altered Dream Mist works in the same way, but on a chemical level. The people don't know it's being done to them, but the more they breathe it in, the more the suggestion grows. They are being subconsciously told to hate and be repulsed by Pokémon, in addition, they're also being told to fully obey and fully submit to everything Team Plasma without question." Fennel looked out over the town, "That's why they didn't listen to you when you tried to rally them on Route One, Touko. They'll only listen to what Team Plasma and N say, the eternal gods you both witnessed on that screen."

She caught her hair in the breeze. A deep chugging travelled with the wind and carried over the rooftops of the town. Some machine inside of that building was gurgling, echoing out from where it perched over the city like some sort of sentinel. If my memory held true, then this building was located right where the Dreamyard used to be. Ruin replaced by iron bones…

It was hard to pry my eyes off of the factory, but I couldn't stop myself from taking a glance at N. I needed to know what he was feeling. If the overwhelming terror building in my gut was a mutual feeling held between us. I'd been right. His expression was a pure manifestation of both terror and disbelief, the mirror image of my own horrified gaze. His eyes were captured, just like they had been by that screen yesterday; his sight locked onto the factory's mammoth body. I'd seen enough. I hated seeing N look so crushed, so ripped apart, because he thought the reason the Dream Factory existed was because of him. There wasn't only shock in his eyes… there was guilt.

"Do you understand now, Touko? Why your pleas have fallen on deaf ears?" Fennel said directly, drawing my eyes back over to her.

"But I haven't—!" I blurted, trying to form the words through shock. "I haven't felt this way! I haven't felt manipulated or hypnotized into hating my Pokémon!! I still love them and want to be with them… I…"

"The effects are gradual, Touko. You've only been here a few days, so it'll take some time for full effects of the mist to sink in," her voice was grave. "But it'll hunt you down too. Even now you're breathing it in; it's entering your body as you speak. With each breath you take." She pointed at me, "Maybe you've noticed an increase in headaches? A slightly nauseous feeling? A faint metallic smell or taste? Those are all signs of the Dream Mist creeping into your body. The headaches are a sign of rejection, since your body isn't used to the presence of the mist. But you'll both grow accustomed to it, create a tolerance, just like everyone else has. Soon enough, you'll fall victim, and you won't be able to realize that you've been ensnared."

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach. "There is… there's… no way that's possible…" I couldn't believe what she was telling me; all the things she said seemed to ludicrous, so insane!

Fennel gestured towards the factory which continued with its work. "Believe it or not, Touko, this is the furthest thing from a dream."

"But the Pokémon!" N suddenly found his voice. "What's happening to them?"
Fennel shrugged, "The mist works a bit differently for Pokémon. Though they may not feel a strong hatred for people, they will feel depressed and lack the desire to break down the walls that encase them on the routes. Team Plasma doesn't have to worry about manipulating the Pokémon too much. Their goal is to keep people and Pokémon separated, and as long as the Pokémon are quarantine, then they have nothing to worry about."

"…How?" Fennel turned to me questioningly, "How could this… have happened? How could anyone let this happen!? I mean, if people know what that… thing… is for, then why don't they go against it and try and shut it down!?"

Fennel let out a breath of air, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "It's easier than you may think. You see, Team Plasma continually claim that Pokémon are wretched beasts that will do nothing but destroy and cause chaos if they're allowed to roam free."

"That's ridiculous!" N barked, "Pokémon aren't like that at all, they…"

"I know that." Fennel cut in with enough force to shut him up. "But if you're told it, again and again, conditioned to believe that its truth, then lies can be turned into reality."

"That's what Team Plasma does?" I glanced quickly to the broadcast tower in town square, which rose above the surrounding buildings, screen still glaring as if it never slept. "That's what the screen is for?"

The professor nodded. "The people are manipulated into thinking that Pokémon only exist to destroy and kill. The people start to get scared and panic. They're blinded by fear and made weak as a result. Team Plasma build those factories and erect those walls and claim that it's to keep the Pokémon away and keep the citizens safe in turn. The reality of it all is much different. The Dream Mist will keep people and Pokémon eternally apart. This is good news for Team Plasma for, without weapons to fight with, Team Plasma can never be thrown from power. Especially not when the Dream Smoke tells the citizens to unconditionally love everything that Team Plasma says or does, even if it is all rubbish. But it doesn't matter to them. The citizens won't question what they're being told. They're content so why should they complain? No one here wants to be saved, but that's because they don't' think they have anything to be saved from. They're safe in their paradise as far as they're concerned."

I held myself even tighter against the wind as a sudden realization dawned. Back on Route One when I tore down the walls and tried to set the Pokémon free… just what exactly did I look like to them? What did I appear to be… in the eyes of those people? What would I have seen if I were in there shoes? The monster… I must have been…

I felt like I was about to vomit.

"You see, it doesn't matter how much you try and say it, these people aren't going to believe anything you say," she jerked her thumb towards the factory, "and as long as that thing is around, nobody, not even the gym leaders, are going to help you."

Reality was blurry and amorphous for long minutes after her explanation had finished. I numbed out all that was around me only to focus on what I'd been told. I no longer noticed the cold wind, the chugging of the Dream Factory; I hardly even noticed the presences of N and Fennel beside me. But even after I had numbed out the world, the reality of what I'd been told was still hard to grasp. It felt like some sort of sick dream. I even expected myself to wake up back in my bed. But of course that wasn't going to happen. There's no way I'm that lucky. No matter how much I wanted to deny it… I couldn't.

I couldn't talk or respond. I walked like a zombie back into her apartment, following Fennel blindly as she led us back to the kitchen.

Amanita smiled at us half-heartedly as we entered through the flap doors. "Mister N, your breakfast." She made a small motion to where she had set his plate. He only responded by sitting down and staring unblinkingly at his steaming food. He was too absorbed in his thoughts to even hear what Amanita said; he might not have even realized there was food in front of him. I was in a similar state of mind. All I could do was sit back down at the table and stare as every thought wound through my head, over and over. On the other hand, Fennel strolled casually into the kitchen, took a seat and brought up her morning paper again.

She jiggled her cup in the air, "Amanita. I need another refill please."

"Yes, sis."

Amanita began to fill the professor's cup with black liquid.

"I still want to find the gym leaders."

Amanita and Fennel froze, looks of bewilderment etched on their faces. Even N withdrew from his stupor to give me a questioning glance. I found it rather irritating that none of them were taking me seriously.

"You still think they can help?" The professor asked, unconvinced.

"Well… it doesn't hurt to try!"

"I think you're crazy." Fennel said quite bluntly, and Amanita agreed with a silent nod. "But if you still think you can change something… then I'll do whatever I can to help you."

My spirits brightened, "R-really?! Thank you so much, Miss Fennel!!"

"Yeah, yeah," she waved my gratitude away humbly. "Just don't get yourselves caught… or killed."

"Certainly not, miss!" I grinned.

"Alright, alright, just finish your darn breakfast," the professor sighed, then added with a mumble, "kids these days."

XXX​

"Ouch!"

"…Sorry…"

"Ouch!!"

"Please be still, Touko. This is very delicate work," Amanita said, plucking another eyebrow from my head.

"This feels more like torture—ow!!" I grumbled.

"Tough!" Fennel barked as she strode through the doorway with a box in her arms. "If the two of you are going to be walking around out there then…" she let out a labored grunt, slamming the box on the living room table, "you're going incognito."

"So that's why you're tearing my eyebrows out by the roots? Ouch!" I growled as Amanita ripped another hair loose, following her action with a quick apology.

"Precisely!!" Fennel sneered as she began to dig through her mysterious box, pulling out clothes and supplies. "We don't have much… so we're going to have to be creative here." She paused for a moment as she pulled out an old ripped pair of jeans, seeming to be lost in the past. "Hey, N!" she piped suddenly.

N continued to stand at the window, peering through the blinds secretively like he was doing reconnaissance or something. I don't think he even heard a word that the professor said. It was a bit unfortunate for him, since she threw an old shoe right at his head to get him to pay attention.

Amanita got out some sort of makeup brush and started sweeping it all over my face. I had to cringe. This isn't what I had in mind when I decided to seek out the gym leaders; the last thing I wanted was to get all gooped up. N seemed to share my mindset as Fennel ordered him to remove all his key chains and bracelets and other things that could signify his identity.

Fennel cupped her chin with her hand as she analyzed him, "You're a tricky case…" she leant back, "since we can't really hide your features with makeup… or could we…?"

N brought up his hands, "Actually I…" he turned his gaze to the floor, "…maybe you could cut my hair off…?"

All three of us didn't expect him to say that and it showed.

N noticed our expressions and quickly explained, "Think about it for a second. Maybe I won't look so much like that man on the screen if you cut this ponytail off…" his eyes were downcast again. Having N differentiate himself from his replacement was a good idea. There weren't too many people walking around with hair colour like his. But something as simple as a hair cut seemed to mean a lot to N, and all of us knew it. This wasn't as simple as a mere change of style.

The professor was silent for a moment as she thought the prospect over.
"Alright then!" She said suddenly. "Get the scissors, Amanita!"

Amanita hopped up and headed off somewhere to retrieve said item. She seemed to be finished with my facial disguise anyway.

I watched N as Fennel sat him down in a chair and tied a table cloth loosely around his neck.

I grabbed a nearby mirror and took a look at Amanita's work, and honestly I was impressed. Though I was still recognizable, it took me a few seconds to actually discern that fact. My eyebrows were thinned right down; no surprise there. The makeup she placed on my face wasn't lathered on, instead it was artfully placed to accentuate certain areas of my face, almost altering them. She even placed a fake beauty mark under my eye, which I nearly smudged with curious prodding.

I turned to N and pointed to my face, "N! Look! Check it out!!"

He looked my way and stared for a second before gasping, "Who are you and what have you done with Touko!?"

"Quit with the joking around!" Fennel barked over our laugher as Amanita walked in, staring at us curiously. "If you're caught by Team Plasma out there then it's game over." Our laughter faded after that sharp reality check. Even amidst this chaos was there no room for a little lighthearted joke?

Amanita handed the small, trimming scissors to her sister and Fennel prepared for the cut.

"Ready for this?" The professor asked, spreading the blades.

"Go ahead and do it," with that, Fennel snipped and N's untamed ponytail fell to the ground.

N turned around and peered over the chair, staring at the clump of hair for a moment before stating, "That was quick." He sighed, "The back of my neck feels cold now…"

Fennel cut a few snips off the back of his head, evening out the ends, erasing any trace that a ponytail used to be there, "We're just about done then. Feeling better?"

N turned to me with a weak smile, "How do I look? Any different from that person on the television?"

Something took a stab at my heart, and I tried my hardest to suppress a frown. "Yeah. You don't look anything like him."

XXX​

"How long are you gonna be out there for? Estimated time?" Fennel asked us as N and I slid on our boots.

I paused, thinking it over. "Five hours, tops. We'll come right back after we figure out what's happened to the gym leaders."

An odd look crossed Fennel's features. She seemed a bit uncertain… anxious? "Sorry to mention it so late, but I probably won't be here by the time you get back."

"How come?" I asked her.

"Well," she pulled a half grin. "Believe it or not but I have a job to get to in a few hours. I work nights, and it's Monday starting today so my brief vacation has regretfully come to an end." She closed her eyes woefully.

N and I gave each other a look.

"But you don't have to worry about it," Fennel looked back up at us, "Amanita will be here to take care of you both. She's a grand cook so she can make you anything you'd like for dinner." Fennel nudged her sister good-heartedly, "Ain't that right?"

Amanita smiled shyly, "Um. Yes. Yes, I can do that."

I frowned, slightly disappointed, but once I realized I was making that face I quickly birthed a smile. "Alright. Well then, we'll be seeing you both later." I turned for the door and N made to open it.

"Take care," Fennel said seriously. "Keep your wits about you. Don't lower your guard even for a second, there are eyes everywhere in this city."

"Will do." I said, trying not to show that her last remark had me shaken.

"Come back safely," Amanita said before both N and I exited Fennel's house and walked out into the streets of Striaton City.

The wind made its presence clear by weaving through our clothes and pinching at our skin. As a rebuttal, I pulled my army-green trench coat up over my chin and scrunched my shoulders together against the wind. N echoed my actions, and shoved his hands deep into the gray hoodie that Fennel had lent him. We weren't thrilled about having to walk all the way across town, on a day as cold as this, to get to the Pokémon Gym—or what was left of it, but beggars can't be choosers and all that. Walk we must.

The people strolling through the streets seemed to feel just the same about being out here. Luckily, we hadn't been recognized or identified by the citizenry yet. Actually, the people who walked by hardly even glanced in our direction. They only seemed concerned about where they were walking and how they were getting there, and even then they had permanent scowls on their faces. They just shuffled by, contorting their bodies against a cruel wind. The body language of these people was unfriendly, even a bit hateful to say the least, and it radiated.

I thought back to what Fennel had said about the Dream Factory's mist. I followed the people's actions as I thought, glaring at the sidewalk. Did the Dream Mist not only destroy these peoples' desire to fight, but did it make them bitter and spiteful towards each other as well? I didn't want to think of it. I simply continued to stomp over the faded Plasma emblem which was carved into each block of the sidewalk.

I removed my eyes from my feet, but looking forward wasn't any better. No matter how far the two of us walked, the smokestacks of the Dream Factory were always visible, protruding from the tree line—belching its noxious mist into the sky. Even the mounted tower of the converted Pokémon Center was always leering down at us with its blazing white eye. I hated it and tried not to scowl, but it was hard, and not only five minutes after exiting Fennel's house I had become akin to the angry people who walked the streets.

"Are you okay?" I heard N muffle beside me. We were heading into town square. I found it odd that he was asking me that, since I figured N would be more uneasy up about entering this place than I was. "We'll be there soon."

I side-glanced him, "Let's just take a little break at that fountain over there. My legs are already frozen."

N muffled a weak laugh before pulling his blue-plaid scarf down from his mouth, letting out a puff of steam, "Okay. My legs are cold too."

The both of us sat down in the town square right on the bowl of a fountain as we watched the people walk by. The shining screen above observed our actions. It seemed to be showing some kind of sales figures; the rate of stocks and metals or something like that. I felt depressed looking at the thing, since it kept reminding me of yesterday, so I watched the pool of water beneath me ripple the superimposed image of the sky.

There weren't a lot of people walking around town square, which made sense I guess considering how cold it was. In fact, the amount of traffic that drifted by on nearby streets was more numerous than that of the citizens here. I wouldn't have paid too much attention to the traffic, since it wasn't too out of the ordinary, if it wasn't for the sight of these strange black trucks I saw rolling by.

They were stout, yet wide, imposing and turtle-like in appearance. They were completely black, no colours; no license plates. There wasn't even a logo or insignia that confirmed they were under Team Plasma's control, but I figured there was no one else those vessels could be serving. The only thing that really set them apart was a string of four or so numbers at the back of the truck where the license plate should have been. They crawled by slowly, almost as if patrolling: watching. The very sight of them made me uneasy. How vulgar they looked. How their tinted windows hid the faces of those who drove the vehicle, if there even were drivers. What were they? What were they sent out to do? The conclusion I settled upon was that these trucks must be the guards from the Dream Factory, making sure that order was kept, and no dissent would arise.

I bumped my sunglasses up the bridge of my nose which tinted the city around me and the people and vehicles that moved through it. I let out a shudder as I glared them down from behind my glasses, where they couldn't see my eyes. It could have been the Dream Smoke, or maybe it was a normal human reaction, but I felt overwhelmingly bitter and loathful. What was it?
I couldn't really contemplate long. N surprised me by moving closer to my body, a little too close actually. I glanced at him in question only to find him staring intently at a group of Plasma guards which had just entered the square.

I buried my face into the collar of my jacket, stifling a curse.

"Just be calm," N whispered beside me. I could feel his breath heating the hood on my head. "Just act like you don't have anything to hide."
Right. Act casual. That was easier said than done.

My spirits did settle a great deal when I noticed that the group of soldiers was just making their usual run over of the square, at least that's what it looked like. Though there was something about them that seemed off; they were acting a bit too vigilant for a regular patrol. That thought alone had my heart thumping, and I hadn't even realized it but my breathing had become rapid. N reached over and gave my arm a squeeze in an attempt to calm me down. I slammed my lips shut and waited for the soldiers to leave. They finally took off a few minutes later, and N and I found it best not to linger and head straight to Striaton's Gym.

Striaton City grew more run down the further we walked towards its borders. The streets grew absent of angry citizens and were replaced by shady characters that leered at us from the shadows of alleyways; drunkards walked ponderously about, rambling and raving with unintelligible slurs. There were even some people lying motionless in alleys, wearing clothes far too thin for this kind of weather. I wondered if they were even alive. I wanted to go check, to see if I could help them, but N advised against it. He said we should just head towards our destination and not bother with anything else. I didn't like his cold attitude, but I had to admit that he was right. Figures in the alleyways could easily be more dangerous than friendly. It was best to play it safe and continue through this run down portion of the town to where the Gym was waiting.

We reached the Gym without any further disturbances, and what we saw, though expected, still came as a shock. The building was in ruin. The Striaton Pokémon Gym wasn't as depilated as my house in Nuvema Town, no, it was still held together pretty well. But neon graffiti coated the red bricked cathedral, winding around in illegible scrawls—though I could make out a bit of colourful words placed here and there. The symbol of the once proud Pokémon League swung with a noisy creek above the doorway, ready to fall off its hinges at a moment's notice. The building lay nestled in a row of other equally ruined homes. I figured the buildings that surrounded the Gym were empty, uninhabited, but when I glanced in some of their shattered windows, I could have sworn I'd seen people staring back at me. When I looked again they were gone.

"It's abandoned," N stated.

It took me a minute to respond. The building was an eyesore, and it was pretty painful to see this once grand place hunched over as if in pain. But nothing would surprise me after Nuvema, "…The Gym leaders could still be inside." But even I wasn't convinced by my own words. "I mean…" A frown distorted my features, "It doesn't hurt to check, okay?"

I stomped towards the gaping front door, stepping over a snoozing drunk on my way. The guy was just sitting over the front steps, leaning on a broken handrail, snoring loud as anything and utterly reeking of alcohol. I wondered how long he'd be sitting there before he was apprehended, or simply decided to walk away on his own. Something about the guy depressed me, and made me a bit angry too. Was that all there was to his life now?

I discarded the thoughts as I walked through the Pokémon Gym's empty front gate. N followed close behind as we proceeded into the gloom. The power seemed to be out for some reason, which only further solidified N's thoughts about this place being empty. But I had a weird feeling that maybe we weren't alone. Maybe there was someone still living here. I just hoped they wouldn't want to kill us when we found them.

Striaton's Gym was also vulgar on the inside. By lack of a front door, the elements had taken a substantial toll on the lobby of this restaurant-themed building. The rugs we walked over were soggy, and squished beneath our feet. The wallpaper had been washed of its warm colours, and was left damaged and lifeless.

I squinted hard, "Man… I can't see a thing." I dug into my bag and pulled out a flashlight to guide our way—another helpful thing that Miss Fennel had packed with us before we had set out.

N didn't seem too keen on the idea of walking around with this beaming ray of light, because it was sure to be a clear announce to anyone that we were here. But we weren't going anywhere without it, at least not without falling all over ourselves in the dark.

The floor beyond the front lobby generously turned to wood, which quelled the sickening squelching beneath our feet, instead replacing it with a soft clomp. The ground floor of this building was comprised of one large room, which stretched all the way back to the end of the building. I remembered this room being sectioned off by three large curtains in the past: one of grass, fire and water. These curtains had long ago been stolen or viciously marred after years of neglect. It left the whole area feeling so spacious and empty.

N and I proceeded forward, maneuvering around all of the upturned tables and broken chairs that scattered the Gym floor. We had to be especially careful of the broken shards of glass or tableware that lay scattered about—it was sure to be unpleasant if we stepped on one of those. But we saw no signs of life as we continued forward.

Right when we were about to reach the back of the room, which lead to the gym leader's chamber, N grabbed my shoulder and whispered, "Touko. Turn that light off."

I gave him a questioning look which he ignored. N stared directly ahead as if he had seen something. I listened and turned the flashlight off with a click, shrouding us in darkness. The light that poured in from the front door couldn't reach all the way back here which added a whole new layer to the gloom. I looked forward to see if I could spot what N was looking at so intently, but saw nothing.

"N… I don't see…" I was interrupted by a sudden gesture; N pointed out before him towards the back of the room. It took me a minute to see it, for my eyes were adjusting, but there was an unmistakable glow emanating from the back of the room, flickering from behind a musty curtain. Someone, or something, was there!

I looked at N, asking him with a gaze, friend or foe?

He shook his head, telling me that he didn't know. And since neither of us knew, there was only one way to find out. I walked towards the light with a heart pounding in my chest. As I drew closer and closer, a gap opened up in the moth-bitten wall that had been erected. I could see a circular table… and around it were three figures.

With one swift movement, I parted the gap and entered through the curtain. The three Striaton gym leaders sat huddled at a table amidst ruin, slowly pouring each other a cup of mint scented tea. All three of their heads swiveled towards me upon my entrance and they stared us down defensively.
"Who are you then!?" The fire-type trainer, Chili, asked angrily.

"Team Plasma again?" Cilan, the grass-type trainer, questioned with a depressed moan, "I thought we already paid them rent this month?"

Cress, the water type trainer, watched the two of us as we drew closer, his eyes suddenly flashing in realization. He shot up, toppling his chair with his movements, startling his brothers. "I can't believe it…" he gawped, sounding more angry then surprised.

Chili and Cilan turned their attention towards the two of us, curious to what had set their brother off.

"It's Touko," Cress practically seethed.

I hesitantly banished both my glasses, hood and scarf, revealing my features, showing them who I really am. N on the other hand just stood behind me with his hood pulled up tightly around his head: observing.

"Touko?" Chili snapped with unexpected venom. "What the hell are you doing here?!" The redhead fumed.

I put up my arms defensively, not really expecting such a violent reaction from the trinity of brothers. "Settle down! I just want to talk to you guys!"

They didn't look too convinced, and I could see Chili preparing to launch another string of questions at me in a blind rage. Cilan could see it too and he put a hand over his brother's chest, not breaking eye contact with me as he did so. "Let's just hear her out." He nodded my way, "If you will."

I didn't waste time with hesitation, "I wanna know... why aren't you guys fighting against Team Plasma?"

Their expressions were of shock.

Cress scoffed, "That's what you wanted to ask us? That's what you came all the way out here for?" The bitterness in his voice struck a nerve.

"Well, yeah! Why not?! You three are gym leaders! You shouldn't just sit around and let Team Plasma build those Dream Factories and do this to everyone!" Their glares seemed to intensify the more I went on until Chili finally interrupted me with a fiery outburst.

"You don't think we know that!?" The redhead snapped, "But what do you think we can do?!"

"Fight back!" His anger was infectious and I was already getting agitated by his pigheadedness. "Get off your asses and do something!"

"It's hopeless," Cilan said, lowering his gaze. "We know, Touko. Trust me, we do. Team Plasma's presence has left a very bitter taste over our town and the whole region. But to fight back is to die, you understand."

"That's the truth," Cress agreed with a caress of his raindrop-like bangs. "Any act of rebellion would just be an invitation for them to kill us further."

"That's right." Chili huffed, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly and flopping back down on his rickety chair, "If we can't win then there's no point in fighting back. We're alive now, we just wanna live the rest o' our days here without bein' bothered." His brothers nodded in consent.

"But that's…" My words dropped, "You're just giving up? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Cress regarded me with a chilling glare, "You're one to talk about fighting back. You're the root cause of all this."

I was unable to form another word.

"If you hadn't lost then Team Plasma would never have done this!" Chili growled.

That's right…

Cilan avoided looking at me, almost as if out of shame, "We have no desire to help you. It would be much better if you… um, left us now."

What they said was true. If I had never lost to Ghetsis none of this would have happened. Even so, perhaps if I had acted sooner, if I hadn't wallowed in self pity for so long… then I could have stopped the Dream Factories from ever being built. But I hadn't. I hadn't done anything. The people who had become robots; the people who rotted in the alleyways; the despair that encroached this nation. All of that was my fault.

My ears rung. My head began to throb. My tongue tasted like iron; my throat felt like it was closing.

I was about to lose it then and there; the unforgiving glares that the Striaton brothers were giving me didn't help matters any, and I was about to let the malaise get a foothold. But N suddenly stomped over, banishing his hood as he approached and shouted, "At least Touko is doing something!!"

The brothers gaped at N in shock. Whether they were surprised of his identity or of the words he spoke, I'll never know.

"Instead of sitting here and waiting for things to change on their own, Touko is making the effort to change the world now. Things won't change on their own, and the three of you know that!" The Striaton brothers glared daggers at N as he went on, each word seeming to make them angrier. "You're being controlled by fear."

"Now the king of the bloody nation is lecturing us?" Cress spat.

"You have no right to speak to us about what is right and wrong!" Cilan accused with an angry jab of his finger. "You're as much to blame, if not even more so, than Touko is!"

Chili picked up a tea cup and whipped it at us with a curse. Luckily his aim was off, and it shattered harmlessly behind us.

"You're wrong!" I tried to defend N as best I could, only now finding my voice again. "The N on the TV yesterday was a fake… it's…" The former gym leaders weren't buying a word of what I said, and I was about to continue on when N placed his arm before me: silencing me.

"You're right," he said to the elemental brothers. "I was the king who erected tyranny in this nation. These people and Pokémon are suffering because of me, because of my inability to decide for myself…" It sounded as if he was trying to hold back tears, but the determination in his voice drowned that out. "I will change the world that Team Plasma has formed… because no one else is brave enough to do it." N turned his back on the scene then and raced towards the entrance as the gym leaders booed him away.

I wanted to stay longer and try to get the gym leaders to hear us out but it seemed my efforts would be futile, so I followed N quickly. I found him again at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the front gate. He was staring up at the Dream Factory's towers with smoldering eyes; a fiery gaze that challenged death itself.

He turned to me and said, "Touko. Please help me dismantle this repugnant place."

I need only stare in those unfaltering eyes for a moment before grinning eagerly.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's do it!"

Chapter Twelve

"Cress?" Cilan ducked his head through the curtain.

Cress was settled at their only remaining tea table, right where he'd last been. It was the only table the leaders had managed to salvage from Team Plasma's invasion so long ago, and even then it was in poor condition, rickety, filthy. The man in question took a short sip from his tea before responding, "What is it, brother?" The former water type gym leader was put in a foul mood because of Touko and N's unexpected visit, and it was clearly heard in his voice. The things they were saying… to rebel against Team Plasma… there's no way that could still be possible… And during the length of their outlandish ploy of ideas the freshly brewed tea had become cold.

Cilan took a wide glance around the enclosure, "I can't find Chili anywhere!"
Cress nearly choked on his drink.

Cilan passed through the curtain door and rested his chin on his hand, clearly in thought. "I know he was here just a moment ago," he began to shift his weight from one foot to the other, "and I worry if he's maybe… well, um… if he's taken what Touko and N had said to heart."

"Are you sure that he is gone? Is he not somewhere in the building? Then again…" Cress turned to his brother with a steely gaze, setting his cracked tea cup back on the table. "This is Chili we're talking about. Acting with haste certainly is one of his traits…"

"Hey! I heard that!"

Both brothers' heads whipped around suddenly to find Chili ducking through the gap in the curtains, carrying an old suitcase in his arms.

Cress squinted confusedly at the suitcase for a moment before recollection the hit. He sprung from his chair and pointed, baffled, "…That!!" Cress knew exactly what was in that case, though he'd wished never to remember.

Cilan took a closer look at the suitcase, it was hard to identify in the dimly light, but it didn't take him long to recognize what it was as well. He stumbled back from his red-headed brother, shock in his eyes.

"What on earth are you doing with that thing!?" Cress snapped viciously, "I thought that we had thrown those things away years ago!"

Chili stared bitterly at the ground, "…I was just… Well I couldn't." He frowned, "I couldn't bring myself to throw them away."

"I can't believe this! Don't tell me you've been holding onto them all this time!" Cress threw up his arms. "Do you realize how much trouble we could get in if we're caught those things!?" he jutted his finger towards the case which Chili clenched protectively.

"I don't care about that!" Chili barked, but quickly reined his anger with a calming breath. Even he knew that bickering would get them nowhere. "Do things really have to stay this way? Is it really alright to just give up?…What if what Touko and N were saying… is actually…?"

"I guess…" Cilan interrupted his brother's thoughts, slowly recovering from his initial astonishment. "I suppose it can't hurt to take a quick look. Just to see how they've been doing all this time." The smallest of smiles found its way onto his face.

Chili immediately shook from his hesitance and raced over to the table and placed the suitcase down as gently as he could.

"We'll just take a quick look," Cilan said to Cress, who had his arms folded over his chest in refusal.

"Yeah, Cress! Don't be a sourpuss!" Chili shouted over, "You act like you don't wanna see them, but it's clear as day that you really do!"

"What do you say?" Cilan asked with a soft smile.

Cress glanced to where both of his brothers stood. Chili had his fingers hovering anxiously over the latches and looked expectantly to his elder brother. Cress gave a sigh of defeat. Even though he hated to admit it, they were right.

"A-Alright then, but just a peek. And be quick about it, we can't afford to get caught."

The former Striaton gym leaders huddled around the suitcase. Chili unbuckled the latches with an almost inaudible click and opened up the case to reveal a triad of Pokéballs resting inside.
.
.



The smokestacks of the Dream Factory rose higher into the sky as we approached. The grinding of machinery that echoed from the building grew louder and rumbled beneath my feet. The Dream Smoke that spewed from the chimney tops filled the sky and blotted out the sun. The clouds melded together into an undefined wall, and the deadly smoke dyed the world a faint hue of pink. N and I lay hidden in the underbrush. For some lucky reason, the forests around the Dream Factory weren't blocked or fenced off. It must have been one of those unfenced areas that Fennel had told us about prior; there were no Pokémon here, and I understood why. The trees we slunk past were either all dying or already dead. Branches were bare, blackened, curled in upon themselves like fingers clenched. The immediate conclusion that I reached was that the altered Dream Mist must have been killing them. The forests hugged close to the imposing building, subjected to the mist twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. After a battering like that, the forest didn't have the will to go on any longer. Pine trees shed their spiny thorns, bright leaves wilted and turned brittle, their remains crunched against our feet; any greenery left in the forest was browning and slowly on its way to death. The people in Striaton who breathed this mist every day… were their bodies reacting in the same way somewhere deep down? The reaction in humans must have been different. The people I saw in the streets had no outward deformities or wounds from this mist… but somewhere deep down decay was marching.

Because of the lack of cover, N had drawn Laika out to hide us with her illusory powers, to blend us into the surrounding branches and keep our approach concealed. Hopefully, no one would be able to see through it. Usually I wouldn't question Laika's abilities, but I'd already seen the impossible and wasn't bound to rule anything out yet.

The chugging that vibrated through the air only grew louder as we walked. The sound, which was akin to the gnashing of giant metal teeth, was painful in my ears. It caused them to throb and ring, and I was sure they were on the borderline of bleeding. The sound drove me mad. As a feeble resistance, and without any earplugs, I resorted to shoving my fingers in my ears and screaming la-la-la until my throat ran sore. But even that did not work. Over the sound of my humming, the ringing persisted, and the rumbling of the machinery shook through my bones. My ears were screeching, and I then felt [FONT=&quot]animalistically inclined to rip my own ears off. They were frightening thoughts; I was startled by the notion. Why would I begin to think such macabre things? But as I thought it over, I warmed to the idea. If I clawed my ears off, then at least I wouldn't have to deal with this wretched ringing over and over. Right?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I didn't get that far. Somehow, I found it in me to box those primal urges, and in lieu of something more harmful, I pinched at my ear lobes and hummed melodies to keep myself steady.
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]While walking, I forced down a sigh and scrunched up my nose. In addition to that ringing, the scent of the Dream Mist was thick in the air. It was grainy and heavy, like a pollen or smoke, and you can imagine that my nose would have none of it. With a pause, I stifled my fourth sneeze of the minute, and rubbed the excess off on my sleeve. Despite all the snorting I did, the coin-like smell of the smoke did not leave my nose. It clung to the hairs, crawled up the sinuses and pinched at my brain. My eyes couldn't help but water, and they ran so much it made me look like I was crying. This must be what people with extreme allergies have to contend with.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I coughed, hacked, sneezed, cried, pulled at my ears, tugged at my hair, but nothing seemed to make it any better, and it only got worse the closer we came. Fear began to build within me. I had to stop. What exactly was this Dream Mist doing to me?[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Touko." I looked up to see N stopped a few feet in front of me, hand against a tree to keep himself steady. "Are you alright?" he asked, pausing to cough in his sleeve. His eyes were just as red and watering as mine, and his skin had become a pasty color.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I smiled at him weakly. I croaked, "We should head back. I feel just as bad as the tress look around here."[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]N smirked and turned forward. "We must keep going. We are almost at the perimeter of the Dream Factory."[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I frowned, "And… if we pass out before we get there?"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"We'll just have to make it there before that happens," he looked up at Laika and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "Shall we continue?"[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]His question was clearly meant for the Zoroark. Laika looked better than the both of us did, but that wasn't saying much. Her eyes were clearer, unclouded, but she was trembling and on edge. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We walked on, and true to N's assurance, we wound up right below the Dream Factory in less than a minute. The three of us halted in collective shock. Laika's eyes were skyward; she watched the smokestacks with both intrigue and fear. Her gaze, along with N's and my own, were magnetized to the structure, and I noticed that Laika was looking at it not like a building, but more like a predator. All of us seemed to feel it in an odd, abstract way. It was like we were standing before a slumbering giant; a beast who would, if awakened, would not hesitate to crush us with a yawn. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]There was silence for a time, only broken by the thunderous gurgling of that machine. I blinked away the tears in my eyes. "Well. We're here." I turned to N, "…What do we do now?"[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The boy carried a strange look of unease in his eyes. N usually wasn't one to get freaked out, or even show that he was getting freaked out, but there was no use hiding it here. We all felt on edge in this place. "I'm not sure," he admitted.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Well…" I looked down, "it's not like we can just stroll on in and demand a surrender."[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He nodded, "There's no way it would be that easy." N looked at me, thumbing the tears on the corner of his eyes. "I suppose all we can hope to do is scan the perimeter and see how this factory is guarded, and if there's a way in which we can use to enter. Then we'll be able to construct a battle plan from that."[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]His expression dropped somewhat as Laika gave a soft grunt and nudged him with her arm. N turned to his Pokémon curiously and peered through the thick brush she gestured towards. A moment later he said, "Though it won't be easy… getting passed that wall…"

I arched my eyebrow curiously before I followed his gaze into the undergrowth. I couldn't see it at first, but after a moment of squinting I noticed a steel wall standing in front of the factory, obstructing the real building from view. This wall was much different from the ones we'd seen back on Route One. This iron border was built with watch towers on each of its four corners, search lights which had powered on in the dusk, and curls of barbed wire that danced along the top of the wall. This was a clear deterrent to simply waltzing in and demanding a surrender.

"Great…" I grumbled. "More walls to deal with."
"Let's circle around and see if we can find an entrance," N said, keeping his eyes fixed on the structure. He gave Laika a quick pat on the shoulder, as if trying to soothe her. Only now at close range I could see how tense her muscles had become, how her fur was prickled and on edge, the fear in her eyes.

I agreed with N's proposition and the three of us began to circle the factory cautiously.

We got as close to the walls as we dared. Even with Laika's illusion for cover, we weren't confident enough to leave our meager shelter of trees and approach the walls head on. Even if the trees around us were thin and dead, the forest was thick enough to keep us obscured on the off chance that Laika's illusion would fall. We circled the building slowly, trying to find a kink in the armor of the iron womb. Maybe there was a spot along the walls where security was lessened? It was worth checking out.

We weren't so lucky. All four walls were completely unfaltering through the whole perimeter. There were no dents, nicks or cracks that could be used to break through. The walls stretched high and hid the bulk of the factory from sight, so even if we could find a way to break down the barrier, we had no idea what could be waiting for us inside. The security was so strong on the outside that I didn't even want to think about what was going on in there. There wasn't a spot we passed by that wasn't covered with some form of security. I figured the front perimeter would be much the same, maybe even more so. Who's to say that the front yard wasn't a mine field, or watched by snipers day in and day out? I dismissed the idea of using Rhoden to fly in. No attack on this fortress would go unawares. Rhoden was tough and quick, but even he wouldn't be able to fly though a shower of bullets.

I looked down as we walked. My footsteps crunched against grassless earth and swished the bodies of dead leaves around my feet. I wondered, was it possible to dig our way in? The option was certainly open, but judging from all of the armament and security that surrounded this place… cautionary measures had likely been taken for that as well. Who's to say that the wall didn't defend under the earth as well, and I was still alert to the mine idea. There could be all sorts of snares and booby traps around this place that we didn't even know of or couldn't even see. Precaution was something that we couldn't abandon in this scenario, holding hands with haste would get us killed.

This building was nothing but impenetrable, but I suppose the Dream Factory was built with that in mind. This was a wall that could not be knocked down.

After a fair bit of walking, the three of us reached what I suppose would be considered the front gates, and they were a sight to behold. We lay crouched in the bushes as we observed the entryway. The entry gates were a set of large, imposing doors, which stretched even higher than the accompanying wall did. Watch towers bordered the doors, and at their tops I could make out the figures of soldiers walking to and fro. There were even small groups of guards at the base of the door, all armed.

N tugged on my shoulder, "Something's coming".

I didn't have a moment to ask him what, when a large armored truck pulled up to the front gates. It was one of the unmarked trucks that I'd seen rolling around Striaton City.

"What do you think that's here for?" I asked under my breath as the vehicle came to a rumbling stop.

N paused, keeping his eyes locked on the guard's security check of the vessel. Possibly pondering if we could use the trucks as a mean to sneak in, "The Dream Factory could be the place where the vessels are stored."
"Could be. I wonder what the deal is with those." I began, but the truck was given the green-light before I could be answered. The front gates rumbled open.

It was then that N and I got our first good look at the facility called the Dream Factory. Seeing it up close brought forth a different feeling than the last time I saw it. Viewing it at a distance, I felt afraid but still in control, like looking at a deadly creature held captive inside a cage. It's behind bars; it can't hurt you, and one is able to marvel at its contained destructive nature. Here it was different. The cage was gone. The beast was free, looking me dead in the eye. I wasn't safe here. This iron creature could easily leap forward and crush my skull in its jaws.

That's what it was. The structure looked more like a monster than a machine. It lay crouched on the barren earth that was once the peaceful Dreamyard. It watched us with thousands of gleaming eyes, windows that lined the two storey building, one above the other, clenched together like teeth. It was stout and wide with a flattened roof to accommodate the smokestacks on its back, those of which looked like horns. It was made of nothing but black iron or steel, and maybe it was because of its colour, but I couldn't spot a single door on the structure, but there must have been one somewhere. We didn't get a chance to look very long. The truck didn't waste time and quickly slipped through the gates, before they were slammed shut again.

"It's not going to be easy… getting inside of that thing," N said after a pause. A slight shaking had caused his voice to falter, but I couldn't tell if he trembled because he was scared, like I was, or if he was just cold. Maybe it was a bit of both, but more prominently the latter.

"I don't think we can do it alone," I said to him, turning to look him straight in the eye. "I think we should ask Fennel for help."

N looked at me in surprise, but quickly recovered. He looked uncertainly at the wall and said, "Not here." We then slunk back into the woods and headed back towards the town. There wasn't much else we could do here. I followed him in question as we distanced ourselves from the factory. During our stroll back, N returned Laika to her Pokéball. It was probably best for her, because since she'd been let out, Laika had become very flighty and anxious, very uncommon behavior for the trickster. Her feelings were more than justified though. Even the strongest of creatures would crumple in the face of that building. I hoped that Laika would end up feeling better now that she was safe and sound inside of her Pokéball… or could the Dream Smoke get inside there as well?

We eventually came to a stop on the outskirts of town, hidden in the cover of the woods but still able to see the backs of neighbouring apartments whose windows had long ago been boarded.

N turned to face me. "Do you think that Miss Fennel will be willing to aid us?"

I frowned, "Why wouldn't she? I mean, by the sounds of it, she doesn't want that thing around anymore than we do."

N folded his arms and viewed the ground, clearly in thought, "I'm not so sure…"

"What do you mean?"

"Miss Fennel is a resident of this town as well. She's just as susceptible to the Dream Mist as anyone else here…"

"You think she's working for Team Plasma?!" I squawked.

N put up his hands, looking nervously about, "Please keep your voice down. I'm simply saying that it's a possibility. I don't want to run the risk of her alerting the authorities to our plans…"

"Fennel wouldn't do that! Maybe you forgot, but she's the one who's been hiding us from Team Plasma this whole time! She'd want to help us, not send us to our graves," I didn't want to think what N was saying was right. Fennel might be our only hope to get inside that place, and I couldn't tolerate N discarding her assistance so quickly.

"I don't trust her…" He said softly, looking away.

Something about this seemed wrong. It wasn't just Fennel. N seemed reluctant to put his trust in anyone else besides myself or his Pokémon. I knew a bit about it, thanks to what Anthea and Concordia had told me. N spent his childhood with only Pokémon for company. He was conditioned to think that humans did nothing but abuse and harm them, and after seeing what this world had become, the lies he had been fed turned into reality.
I wanted to know the reason why… his reason why.

"Why won't you let yourself trust them?"

His face was shock, as he wasn't expecting such a direct question. He quickly averted his gaze from me, looked down, sadness creeping into his eyes. He opened his mouth to answer.

N was interrupted before he could say a single word. The bushes to my immediate right began to rustle and put the both of us on guard. But before we could panic and attack, Amanita stumbled forth from the foliage. I relaxed with a relieved sigh.

"Amanita," I breathed. "What are you doing here?"

The girl in question took a moment to pull a few leaves from her dress, pad herself down and look around nervously before responding, "I've been looking for the two of you."

I knew that N's suspicions were rising, but I figured it better to hear what she wanted before jumping to any conclusions.

"I heard…" She looked down sheepishly and a flush grew on her face. Her shyness definitely wasn't my doing. I didn't even have to look at N to see how distrusting he must have looked. I tried to contrast his cynicism with a warm smile of my own, with the hopes of calming her down and getting her to talk. She spoke up again, "I heard what the two of you were talking about… about breaking into the D-dream Factory…"

I tried to keep myself composed, but deep down I felt worried, "We are."
"I see," Amanita began to fidget with the skirt of her dress, bunching the fabric together with nervous hands. She turned her eyes towards the sky to where the towers loomed far over the treetops. She took a breath, became resolute and faced us. She then said something I don't think either of us were expecting, "I want to help you."

"You…you do?" I asked in astonishment.

She bowed her head suddenly, "Please! You're the only ones who can! Please save all of the Pokémon, save the people, please save Miss Fennel too! Just…" Sorrow began to warp her voice, "Turn everything back to the way it's supposed to be…!"

Amanita continued to bow, stifling her tears as I looked on in shock. I was surprised that Amanita wanted to help us so strongly, after visiting the Striaton Gym, I thought N and I would be alone in our task to save this city. But what she had said… what exactly did she mean by that 'save Fennel' comment? Was something wrong with the professor? Had I misheard her?

"What good are you to us?" N asked bluntly.

I turned to him in surprise, baffled by his rudeness.

He saw my look and replied, "I need to know if she's going to weigh us down or not. Having an extra member join us would usually be a good thing, but this operation could all fall to pieces if she turns out to be a liability. Breaking into the Dream Factory…"

"It's a delicate art, I know." Amanita smiled at the both of us. "I've seen the security around that place. I know full well what the soldiers are capable of." She closed her eyes, "I know it won't be easy. And I wouldn't have come to the both of you if I didn't think I'd be of use." Amanita crouched and slid a small backpack off her shoulders. She unzipped the pack and began to pull out what looked like various maps and schematics. As she lay them upon the ground, even though they were unlabeled, I could recognize one to be a map of Striaton City.

"I'm sure the two of you have seen the wall that surrounds the Dream Factory?" she said, rustling out another schematic, this one appearing to be of the Dream Factory itself.

N arched his eyebrows is surprise, "These maps are very precise. Where on earth did you get them from?" he viewed her with a hovering suspicion.

"I um…" She tried to avoid both of our gazes, "I got it from a source of mine… it's… well, it's not important right now. Anyway, I suppose you know that there's no way to break down the wall," she traced her finger along the blueprints, along a line which I assumed represented the Dream Factory's fence, "you can't fly over it, dig under it, or knock it down." Amanita looked up at us with a toothy grin, "But don't you guys worry! I know a secret way to get into the Dream Factory, one that Team Plasma won't be suspecting!"
I leant forward anxiously, "Which is…?"




With the aid of a crowbar, we managed to pry off the cover of a manhole. It looked much lighter than it actually was; the thing weighed a ton and it took all three of us to lift it off. We set it down as carefully as possible, but even then it was impossible to stifle a dull, metallic clang. Luckily, the alleyway we'd entered was completely vacant, so we'd gone unnoticed, for now.

Amanita peered down into the black hole, and then looked me dead in the eye. Her gaze was frightfully serious from behind the pink rims of her glasses. "Are you ready? Once we go in there's no going back."
I made a face. This wasn't what I had in mind when she mentioned a 'secret entrance.' I could already smell the fetid odor of sewage wafting up from the hole and the sloshing sound it made as it travelled down the canals.

Before I could answer, N approached the hole and crawled fearlessly inside. Before he vanished and was shadowed out of view, he looked up to me and asked casually, "Aren't you coming?" then continued to traverse the ladder down.

My frown descended. I took a quick glance around our cover of buildings and saw no one. I sucked back both fear and disgust and climbed cautiously down the hole and into darkness. The gloom around me was absolute; I could not even see my hands as I traveled down the icy metal ladder, foot by foot, hand by hand. Amanita followed me, and once she was in, I heard her slide the manhole cover back over its top. It became darker.
We continued down blindly for a while, slinking deep into the underground. After a time, the subterranean world below us started to flicker into view. Gaping stone tunnels and streams of sewage were illuminated dully by the yellow lamps that hugged the ceiling. We touched down. By what I could tell in the dim light, there was no one around besides us. No soldiers, no workers, no Pokémon even. There was nothing, just the lapping sound of putrid water in my ears.

I scrunched my nose, squinting around at the bowels of the city, "It stinks…"

Amanita jumped off the ladder and landed behind us, the clomping of her boots echoed down the spacious tunnels. She pulled out the schematics again, the ones belonging to the sewer system this time. She glanced up and down from the map a couple times, looking up to judge our path as N and I tried to peek over her shoulder. "We have to go this way," she finally declared, pointing towards the left.

"You sure it leads to the Dream Factory?" I asked as the three of us started to travel down the walkways which bordered the filthy river.
"Yes but…" Amanita continued to look up and down from the plans, "It's not going to be as easy as you think."

I didn't know what Amanita meant by that at first, but I soon came to realize when the walkways ran out and only left tunnels of stagnant water beyond.

"The path's gone," I put my hands on my hips and let out a sigh, "how are we supposed to…" my eyes nearly bulged out of my head when Amanita stepped off the pathway and hopped into the murky waters beyond.
She gave me a short glance from where I stood watching in shock, "We have to go on foot from here." She turned around and began to walk through the knee-high sewage.

I stood at the pathway's edge for a moment, almost as if I was expecting her to turn around and say that she was joking.

N, seemingly unfazed, jumped into the water casually with a short splash, "Let's go, Touko."

"In there?" I pointed towards the path. "You're not serious…"

"It's the only way!" Amanita called back.

Oh god… I heaved out a sigh, and with one swift movement I dove into the malodorous stream. My boots were just high enough to breach the waterline, but the thickness of the water kept a permanent scowl on my face as I tried not to look down at what I was walking through.

The three of us passed by junction after junction as we made our way through the underground to the Dream Factory which we planned to kill. Sometimes the water level depleted, other times it rose. The walkways resumed at some points, to my delight, but were absent on other paths. Time began to drag as we took all manner of twists and turns through the bowels of this city. To my disdain, I noticed that Team Plasma had painted their coat of arms on the sewer's walls; we saw a insignia on at least every tunnel we walked through, and the sight almost sickened me as much as the stench. Was Team Plasma really so proud of their power that they had to boast it in the sewers of all places? I tried to ignore those thoughts as we trudged on into darkness, guided only by flashlight.

When Amanita announced that we were almost there my spirits leapt, only to be dashed when we came face-to-face with an iron grate that obstructed our path.

"Oops," Amanita chimed, taking a wide glance at her map, which had gotten a little soggy on the edges. "This wasn't supposed to be here," she withdrew a hand to ram her glasses up her nose with not so hidden anxiety.

"We can break it down." N stated. "We do have our Pokémon with us."

Amanita quickly folded up her map and slid it in her backpack. "It's okay," she then drew a Pokéball of all things from her pack. "I'll take care of this grate. Herdier! I need your help!" Amanita's terrier Pokémon appeared in a flash, just managing to keep its head above water, though it didn't seem too bothered by the stuff it was treading through.

I gawped at the canine, "A Pokémon?! How did you…" I tried to look into Amanita's eyes but she kept her back turned, as if she didn't want to discuss the subject. But I didn't want her to get out of this without explaining anything. "Why do you have a Pokémon with you Amanita? And for that matter where did you get all those maps from?"

"Herdier. Use Take Down on that grate." Her voice was unmistakably monotone.

"Amanita!"

"What does it matter?!" she suddenly snapped. Her uncharacteristic lash of anger had taken me back, "As long as we get there… everything is fine… right?" she turned away again and balled up her fists. I couldn't speak.
Amanita's Pokémon, after taking an uncertain look at her trainer, took a smash at the grate and we were soon walking forward again.

Why didn't Amanita want to tell us what was going on? Contrary to what N's face was saying, I didn't think she was tricking us. Not after going this far out of her way. Amanita just didn't seem like a deceiving person, and I hoped I was right. I thought back to N's words. She is a citizen of this town too. She's just as susceptible to the Dream Mist as anyone else. No. He must be wrong. These people wouldn't betray us… they wouldn't.

"I can't see a thing down here," I grumbled quietly. "Are you sure this is the right way, Amanita?"

"Up there…" she said.

I tried to squint through the darkness, "…Up where?"

A sudden beam of light illuminated a lengthy ladder which descended down from the ceiling. Amanita turned the flashlight to us, nearly blinding N and I in the process.

"Hey, watch it!" I said, throwing my hands over my eyes.

"Oops!" she gasped, turning the light back up. "Sorry! I'm sorry!"

N recovered quickly, "Where does that ladder lead?"

All three of us craned our necks to where it stretched up into the darkness.
"According to my maps… it should lead us right into the Dream Factory," she answered.

I whistled. "Nifty." I looked back down to Amanita, "Don't they know that this thing is here?"

Amanita reached back to scratch her head. "Well, you see, this used to be an entrance to the building that was here before the Dreamyard got turned into the Dreamyard, and much before the Dream Factory was ever built. It was a pathway that had no necessary use to Team Plasma, so it hasn't been torn down or blocked off, and I don't think they'll expect anyone to enter from this way either. So we might as well try."

"Whereabouts will we be deposited?" N inquired with a glance.

"Uhh, I don't really know. I have the basic floor plan of the Dream Factory in my pack, but it doesn't list off what the rooms are or what they're used for. We're uhh, kind of walking in blind," she showed a sheepish smile. "But it's the only way in."

N looked towards the ladder for a minute, staring it down in contemplation. Perhaps he was wondering if this was a trap or not, or maybe he was pondering what would be waiting for us at the top of that climb. I was much the same. The facility looked so imposing on the outside, with so many guards and armaments. What was it like on the inside? Was it just as heavily guarded? Would we reach the top of that ladder only to have guns pointed in our face?

The only certain thing was that we wouldn't find anything out by just standing here. N walked up to the ladder and began his climb: a metallic clang sounded from where his feet hit metal. Amanita was second, and I took up the rear, relieved to finally be out of that disgusting water. The blasted stuff was starting to seep through my boots, and that smell wasn't gonna come out easy.

The climb through darkness only lasted a few moments before N announced that he'd reached the top.

"There's a door here…" By the sounds he was making, I could tell that he was trying to pry it open. But it wasn't making it easy for him. Before N could announce a complaint, or say that this entrance was impassible, a sudden clicking sounded.

I looked up into the gloom on the off chance that I could make out what it was, "Did you get it open?"

The sound of screeching hinges met my ears, and answered the question for me. The door clanged once it had opened. I'd assumed it had hit a wall. There was a pause and before my fear had a chance to take root, I heard N say, "It's all clear," and clamber through the entrance. Amanita and I followed him and cautiously crawled into the Dream Factory.

We had entered some kind of garage loaded with rows upon rows of the armored trucks we'd seen in the city. It seems N had been right about this factory being a storage for the vehicles. This room was large and wide to accommodate the mass of bulky trucks. The lights were out, and the only illumination we were getting was from rows of blue lights that hugged close to the floor and lit things from the bottom up. Our secret entrance was but a loose tile on the metallic floor. Once in, we closed it up without a sound; there wasn't even a handle or mark on the door to show that it was there. It further solidified that Team Plasma either didn't know or didn't care about the sewer entrance. Either way, I was made more confident.

We'd entered at the back of the garage near the last row of trucks. The vehicles made good cover thanks to their bulk. They were easy to hide behind and crawl under, but we found not the need for stealth when we quickly realized that the room was unpatrolled.

I leant my back against one of the vehicles mighty tires and breathed a sigh of relief. "Where do we go from here?" I whispered while trying to keep my heart steady and my body from shaking. It was hard to see Amanita and N in this room. We stuck close together, and I could hear them move, so I always knew where they were, but the room was dark and made it tough to see them clearly. They were illuminated by the floor lights in eerie ways. Splashes of neon blue lit the grooves in their clothes and faces.

"Over there," N said in a hushed voice as he pointed towards a barely legible door on the nearest wall.

I stared at it seriously, "Where's it go?"

Amanita shook her head, not having the light or the time to check her maps. "It doesn't matter where it goes. All we know is that it leads away from here… and that we're probably going to have to fight if we want to keep moving."

"Alright." I swallowed hard, head pounding, "Let's not waste any time then."
The three of us padded silently across the floor; we blended into the shadows and slunk through the last rows of trucks. We reached our destination in a few short strides. Once there, we hugged the walls on either side of the door, since we found it unwise to stand directly before it. Amanita analyzed the opening mechanism of the door, since this one didn't have a handle and slid open instead.

"It isn't locked." She turned to N and I, looking dead serious. "The two of you need to get to the control center of the facility. If you reach it, and hack into the mother computer, you should be able to shut down power to the factory. I promise that I'll protect you if anything happens. All that matters is that the two of you make it there, you're the only ones strong enough to shut it down. I'm irrelevant in the matter."

I didn't like the thought of abandoning Amanita, but I didn't have the time to reason or protest. Amanita pulled back the door and light flooded our view. Without pause, all three of us dove into the bright hallway beyond.
The hallways we sped through were the definition of sterile. There wasn't a blotch or unwanted mark to speak of, and although this was a building of metal and wire, an unnatural creation, the perfection within unnerved me. I tried to ignore my fear as we ran on, only accompanied by the buzzing of florescent lights above. We passed by legions of doors as we ran. Each one was a white and clean as the rest of the place; they would have been impossible to tell apart if not for a string of block numbers above each one. Still, we saw not a single soul.

I dared to think that we might have the luck to make it to the control center without running into any hindrance. Not only a second after that thought had reared its head, a small group of Plasma soldiers turned a corner to meet us.

I stumbled back in surprise. Amanita pushed back her fear and called out her Herdier to match them, "You two get out of here!"

"Wha… What about you?" I asked as N grabbed hold of my wrist and began to run, taking me with him in the process.

I was only able to hear Amanita shout, "I'll hold them off here! Don't worry about me!" before we turned a corner out of sight.

I tried to keep up with N's pace as I half ran and was half dragged through the facility.

After a time, I had to get him to stop, "N…!" I breathed, slowly tugging him to a halt. "Slow down… for a minute… will you?"

"We have… to keep going…" He said between breaths, still clenching my wrist but not bothering to turn around and look me in the eye. "We can't stop now… though Amanita may try to hold off the soldiers… her attempts may be…"

"I know!" I clenched my jaw, "But we're walking blind! We don't even know where we're…"

N turned around in shock as the sound of approaching soldiers echoed down the corridors. The both of us, knowing time was short, looked around frantically for a doorway or another hall to dive into. We seemed to be unlucky, because this hall out of many seemed to be one of the few that wasn't lined with doors. But the both of us seemed to notice it at once. There was a door that stood black upon a vast white wall: standing alone like some sort of monolith. It stood apart from the other doors we'd seen, not only in colour, but this door wasn't marked by a string of numbers like before. It was only identified by the words Dream Room 06 in crimson lettering.

As the approaching clamor of soldiers drew near, N and I knew it was our only chance at a quick escape.

We took it.

The both of us were submerged in darkness again as the door slid shut behind. N and I pressed our bodies close to the wall and listened as the soldiers hustled by. For some reason which struck me as odd, none of them came inside to check this room. I didn't have much time to ponder the reason why, for N set my heart alight with fear when he gave a terrified gasp. He'd grabbed my attention immediately. I'd never heard him sound so frightened. I knew whatever had caused him to react that way couldn't be good. I spun around and came to see a world out of a nightmare.

This place… this Dream Room, was lined with containment tanks, eight on either side of the room spaced evenly apart by a few feet. They were filled to the brim with some weird neon fluid, and I couldn't tell what it was or what was giving it its color. The tanks glowed and lit the darkness with eerie florescence. The cylinders were placed about the room, side by side, with the intention of leading up to a much larger container at the back of the room. Suspended in each one of these tanks, hooked in place by wiring, was a Pokémon known as Munna, and in the very last tank of the room a Musharna was held. Each Pokémon's face was tight in pain. Many wires that stemmed from the connecting base and head of the cylinders lay buried in the Pokémon's skin, hooked into organs and veins under pink flesh. It took me a moment to realize, but it dawned on me that the wires were probably there to pull Dream Smoke from the Pokémon's bodies. I couldn't believe my eyes. Even after Fennel had told us that the Dream Factories extracted mist from the Munna and Musharna… I never expected it to be like this…
What finally caused me to tear my eyes off the Munna's frozen agony was N. He walked towards the tanks hesitantly, fearfully, as if he didn't believe, or couldn't comprehend, what his own eyes were showing him. His face was filled with horror, eyes wide, jaw ajar. He stopped before one of the cylinders on our right, brought up a trembling hand and placed it flat upon the clear glass. The Pokémon within writhed weakly, oblivious to his unfelt touch, as it tried to wriggle free from the wires sewn into its flesh.

"Tou…" N's hand clenched into a trembling fist. "Touko…" His voice had me on edge. I had never heard N sound so tormented, so outraged. He must have been trying with all his might to contain his aggression and keep a clear head. He knew as well as I that losing himself to fury was the last thing we needed. Because of his tone, I almost feared giving him an answer. I didn't want to see what N would become if he let rage get the better of him. He didn't give me time to respond.

N looked at me with eyes wrought with both agony and fury, as if he was the one confined in the tanks instead. "W-we have to get t-them out of here…" His words trembled with emotion, with desperation.

I wanted to answer but I was tongue-tied. I tried again after my first stumble, "O-okay. Okay! Let's do it! This is what we're here for!" I tried to sound brave, but I was still buzzing with the shock of what I'd seen. I threw my hands to my belt, making to grab a Pokémon but N interrupted me.

"Hold on," I looked up to see him pointing towards the back of the room, to behind the prominent tank that the Musharna lay suspended in. "It looks like there's a control panel over there behind the final tank," his voice had assumed a horribly hard edge. He'd gained control of his feelings for now, but at what price?

I squinted for a moment, trying to see past the gruesome sight, until I finally did notice it, "Can you hack into it and set the Pokémon free?"
"It can't hurt to try," he made a move towards the back of the room but froze mid-step.

"What's the…?" My words fell as I noticed a shadowy figure step out from behind the right row of tanks.

A scientist, with glasses agleam with green light, regarded the both of us with a wicked sneer. With slick black hair, a well ironed jacket and a blemish-free, but scrunched looking face, this man seemed to be trying his hardest to replicate the perfection this building was constructed upon. Ultimately, he failed. To me, he looked gruesome in the light of the anguished Munna. "I see. So the reports of intruders held validity after all," he glanced down the line of tanks, holding a prideful smile. "How do you like our work? A wonder, don't you think?"

He sounded so pleased with the suffering of these Pokémon that I felt sickened… I couldn't even respond.

But I didn't need to. "You monster! How can you do this!?" N roared, balling his fists in rage. "How can you simply stand here and marvel at this atrocity! How can you get pleasure from the suffering of these innocent Pokémon!? They've done nothing to deserve this… you… you monster!!"
The scientist arched his thick eyebrows in surprise. "Could it be? You're the imposter our lord N is looking for… to think you'd be here of all places…" he leant forward with an observative leer.

N flinched. That comment had clearly struck a nerve. Being reminded that someone else had his face, and was ruling the nation in his name, just added to the weight that N had to carry. It was wearing him down and it was painfully obvious.

I couldn't keep my eyes on him so I turned to the scientist. "Can it! We're setting these Pokémon free whether you like it or not!" Somehow I managed to drive the wavering tone from my voice, "Step aside!"

The scientist watched us for a moment from behind his shining lenses. "That… I cannot do," he withdrew a Pokémon from under his lab coat.

I responded in turn by reaching for my belt, "If it's a fight you want…" N put a firm hand on my arm. I turned to him with a curiously, but his eyes were fixed on the scientist.

"Let me have this one," Was all he said.

The resolution was clear in his voice, but I had to be certain, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Please get to the back of the room and destroy that control panel," he plucked a Pokéball from his belt. "If you can't find a switch to release the Pokémon… then just destroy the panel."

I was going to ask one more time if he was certain, but N gave me a guiding push as his only answer and I was off, slinking through the rows of cylinders towards the back of the room.

I could hear the noise of the battle over my breaths. I couldn't pay mind to it; I had to keep on target. N would be fine; I couldn't waste time worrying about him now; I had faith that he'd be able to take care of himself. I just hoped he wouldn't let his emotions get the better of him.

I ducked down behind a tank as a shockwave ran through the room. After it had passed, I peeked out to see N was deep in battle with the scientist. Laika was fighting against a Klinklang. My heart sank when I saw this because I knew dark type moves were not usually effective against steel types.

"Laika! Use Foul Play!" Laika's body began to glow with ominous red light. She then sent the wave of light flying at her opponent which sent the rotating gears off course and knocked them into a nearby tank, which didn't break despite the force. The Munna went wild inside of their cylinders. They began to wriggle and squirm around in the neon fluid, eager for their freedom, but the wires held them stationary. The sight of their desperation reminded me of what I needed to do.

I raced towards the back of the room where the control panel looked over the room. Another shockwave shook the enclosure and I grabbed hold of the board to prevent myself from flying back. Once it had subsided I tried to keep my eyes off the violent battle, and tried to figure out how to work this complex board of blinking lights and switches. After but a moment of looking I came to realize that I had no idea how this machine worked, and I certainly didn't want to start mashing buttons and hope on the off chance that I'd set the Pokémon free.

I began to panic, "N! How do I work this thing?"

The scientist N was fighting took an angry glance over his shoulder, frustrated at his preoccupation. N was turning out to be more of a challenge than he'd seemed to have first thought.

"Just blow it up!" N shouted from across the room, from across the battle where Laika was just barely managing to hold off a Gear Grind.

"Are you sure?" Was blowing it up really a good solution to this? What if it reacted badly and ended up hurting the Munna instead of helping them?
"If you cut power from that panel, then the Munna should be able to break out on their own! Laika dodge it!" His words were just audible through another crash.

I took a hesitant look to the control board on the off chance that I could make something out. But I had no such luck so I reached to my belt with the intentions of drawing Hyle out. A nicely placed Brick Break was sure to cut the power to those cylinders.

The second my hand closed around the ball capsule I heard the click of a gun.

"Don't move."

I couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't even trust my vision as I turned slowly to see professor Fennel standing a few feet away with a pistol in her hand, whose barrel was pointed right at me.