He kept saying things like "liberating Pokémon," yet here he was battling in the Battle Subway. His original intention was to listen to more Pokémon voices during battles, but before he knew it, he got too engrossed. Now he was about to reach the Subway Bosses.
Moreover, his little partner these past days was surprisingly strong. She and her Pokémon truly loved each other. N really liked this kind of relationship between humans and Pokémon, so he ended up battling with her for two whole days.
And now, he faced an awkward situation.
He never imagined Hikaru would appear here, catching him red-handed, actively participating in battles.
"Ah! Is this the Pokémon Egg? Thank you so much, Hikaru-nii!"
Shion happily hugged the portable incubator. She had been waiting for this Pokémon for a long time. When her father returned from his overseas business trip and said he was entrusted with this Egg, she was so happy!
"That Egg…" N's gaze flickered. He could faintly hear the voice coming from within, though since the Pokémon hadn't hatched yet, it was indistinct even for him.
"Ah, let me introduce you. This is my Subway partner, N-san. He seems to have mysterious powers, and he's really strong at battling!"
Shion introduced him proactively, but she noticed the strange… atmosphere between the two young men.
"Eh? You guys know each other?"
Hikaru smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we've met before. Battle Subway? Why are you here?"
N fell silent under Hikaru's sharp, double-layered question. After thinking it over, and under Shion's curious gaze and Hikaru's meaningful look, he slowly spoke:
"I believe, in my position, I must listen to more Pokémon voices."
"I saw your work in Castelia City…" N said, before pausing in surprise.
He heard the voices of the Pokémon Hikaru carried. Compared to their first meeting, there were new members this time.
At the same time, those Pokémon were observing him.
Riolu sensed N's unusual aura. That green hair reminded it of unpleasant memories.
Deoxys looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze. Though it could speak telepathically to N, it chose not to.
But Deerling and Haxorus reacted most strongly.
They knew who N was, and seeing him here at a battle facility shocked them visibly, even making them grit their teeth.
"…I'm sorry."
N could only respond this way, then shifted the topic back.
"Your works reminded me of my childhood… They were truly amazing. Whether it was the Scroll of the First Flame, Hero and Penitent, the interpretation of Pokémon scripts, or that set of special clothes… It was after seeing them that I was moved to come here."
"In my position, I thought this might be something I could do. I originally expected to hear cries of agony and pain here… but it was different."
"'Let's go again. This time we'll win.'"
"'I performed poorly and let my Trainer down despite his hard work.'"
"'I want to keep battling, to keep challenging myself.'"
"'It was the Trainer's fault, but he only just caught me, so I'll forgive his clumsy commands.'"
"'It hurt, but I'm okay!'"
"What I heard here… was mostly these kinds of voices. It confuses me. Battles should be painful fights where Pokémon hurt each other under the excuse of understanding, yet why do I hear these voices?"
N fully explained his reason and thoughts. He believed Hikaru could understand the situation.
He was deeply moved and came to see for himself, only to find that everywhere in this place, humans and Pokémon supported each other wholeheartedly. There wasn't even a hint of malice or harm. Even while battling, everyone's spirits burned brightly.
Of course, not everyone stayed.
"I also heard voices of those planning to quit, but their Pokémon never blamed them…"
"I saw some Trainers forcing their Pokémon to keep battling, but such cases were few… still, they can't be ignored."
"That's why I kept battling, to figure it out. And this is Shion-san, my partner these past few days. She's very close to her Pokémon, and quite strong."
N didn't like evaluating battle strength.
"The stronger one is, the more suffering and hardship their Pokémon must have endured to reach that point. They may have even hurt many Pokémon along the way."
That was something N could never accept. But Shion seemed like a natural talent. Even without prolonged training, she could achieve great results.
"That way of thinking is wrong! I don't think it's good!"
Shion crossed her arms into an X in front of her chest, cutting in before Hikaru could respond, and began lecturing N:
"Training and battling don't just temper Pokémon. Trainers grow too. Everyone fights alongside their Pokémon. Without either side, it's incomplete!"
"That's how I see it! The Battle Subway is like an exam, testing your bonds and training!"
"N-san really has a lot of strange thoughts! You're so different from normal people! But overall… you're a good person."
N: "…"
He never expected to receive a "good person card" from an elementary school girl. It felt… complicated. At that moment, the Subway train began to move again.
Shion: "Ah! Break time's over. Just three more battles and we'll reach the Subway Bosses!"
N: "Yeah… Subway Bosses. I wonder what their Pokémon will say. I'm looking forward to it."
Hikaru: "Seems your beliefs have changed."
N: "…Not changed, but witnessed. I think, in my position, it's something I must do."
"In fact, my doubts haven't decreased. They're only growing. So… does defeating the Subway Bosses mean liberation, reaching the victory I seek?"
"The more I battle, the more confused I become. Some Pokémon would rather fight to the death than retreat, even if their Trainer is incompetent… Maybe I just haven't seen enough samples?"
"It's tragic… The cries of Pokémon after battle… But maybe those who love to battle aren't wrong. Their pursuit of victory… is also an ideal."
"And the victory they earn… is reality."
"Now, I will win for them, to grant that reality. My conclusion… perhaps."
In the original games, N never came to the Battle Subway, so he never heard these voices. Despite visiting Nimbasa to ride the Ferris wheel often, he never entered the Subway once – perhaps because he subconsciously rejected such facilities.
But now, he actively participated. With his command skills, reaching the Subway Bosses was easy. In fact, maybe Shion was the one being carried by him!
Hikaru: "That's good. Life needs a stage."
N: "A stage?"
Hikaru: "Yeah. Shining on your own stage gives life its meaning. Isn't that true for you as well?"
"Anyway, keep battling. Leave the healing to me. I'll make sure all your Pokémon go into battle in perfect health!"
N didn't answer, carefully savoring those words. Hikaru, as an observer, naturally entered the Battle Subway as well.
He even received a special item! Even non-participants get it here!
[Item: Vs. Recorder]
[Description: A cool machine that records battles with friends or in special facilities.]
[Effect: Records battle data from challenge facilities in various regions. You can download, upload, or delete battle videos. Videos uploaded to the global terminal can be watched by many people.]
But… the spectator seats were a bit scary. How sturdy were these train cars to withstand so many Pokémon attacks? What material were they made of?
Honestly, the greatest strength in the Pokémon world wasn't human physiology, but materials science!
Even Arceus understood that materials science is the future of the world!
For N, three more battles were nothing. Even Shion admitted that N's talent was monstrous. Being able to hear Pokémon's thoughts, he could command them to use the perfect move at the perfect time – practically cheating. The first battle ended in no time.
N paid special attention to the defeated Pokémon.
Their frustration and regret reached him clearly. Their fighting spirits still burned fiercely. Their Trainers didn't despair either, instead reaching out their hands and expressing admiration for N's strength, rekindling their resolve alongside their Pokémon.
"How strange… Hurting friends should feel wrong. I can't understand."
"But even within myself… there's a strange power rising, urging me…"
"N-san, it's the second match!" Shion's voice pulled N back. She explained to Hikaru that during their days of battling together, N often fell into these contemplations. All you needed to do was cheer him up energetically!
Once he entered battle mode, N was unstoppable.
"His fighting spirit is awakened…" Hikaru noticed the powerful energy around N whenever he synced with his Pokémon, similar to the bond energy that appears between normal Trainers and their Pokémon.
After all, N was possibly a descendant of Unova's ancient royal line. Combined with his unique upbringing, it was natural for him to boost his Pokémon's power. He just never understood how this power worked because he rarely battled.
The more his power surged, the more fear and confusion he felt, yet once in battle, those negative feelings vanished.
N fell silent, continuing to battle. Or perhaps, he simply immersed himself in commanding. Without a single wasted move, he defeated three sets of opponents in a row, finally reaching the 49th match – the Super Double Battle Train's final stage!
Hikaru: "The Subway Bosses' Pokémon all carry items. Don't let your guard down."
N: "Items…"
Hikaru: "I mean, using items wisely makes victory easier. Without them, you might lose."
"Here, take this."
Hikaru handed an Assault Vest to N's Pokémon.
"Assault Vest boosts Special Defense but prevents using status moves. For Krookodile, that's not a problem."
"And here's a Focus Sash for your Pokémon, Shion."
N and Shion's lead Pokémon were Krookodile and Whimsicott!
That Krookodile was probably one of N's "friends" caught on Route 4 or in the Desert Resort, likely even a pack leader. Back in Black & White, Krookodile was top-tier among the desert quartet!
Shion's Whimsicott, known as the black-hearted cotton ball, had a textbook set of Tailwind + Light Screen.
N's second Pokémon wasn't Zoroark, but Darmanitan. This Darmanitan had been with him since childhood, a true veteran far stronger than the one Hilda used.
"Here, take this."
Hikaru telepathically handed Darmanitan a Weakness Policy. The monkey looked surprised, glancing between N and Hikaru. Seeing N didn't mind, it accepted the item.
Still, Darmanitan stared at Hikaru in shock, as if trying to see through him.
Well, fair enough!
Having one person who could hear Pokémon's voices was impressive enough… but now there was another?!
Hm, looking at it positively… N, you're no longer alone. There are others like you too!
N's feelings were complex, ending in a bittersweet smile.
But entering battle, he saw many kinds of people.
Those with special abilities… psychics… he'd met one or two before.
"Darmanitan said something interesting," Hikaru smiled. "Know yourself, know others, and you'll know the world."
N fell silent, contemplating those words.
Shion's second Pokémon was Excadrill, just like her father Clay's. It held a Life Orb, proving Clay had taught her how to use items effectively.
But Shion was still surprised by Hikaru's items.
"I've never heard of these before!"
Hikaru raised a finger. "Of course not. They're special items from my secret workshop!"
Hm… thinking about it, wasn't his role becoming like Volkner? A mysterious traveling merchant?
Once everything was ready, after a short break, the train moved again. They stepped into the final car, where two brothers wearing strange subway conductor uniforms awaited them!
The Subway Boss Twins appeared as promised!
Ingo and Emmet!
"You reached us in just three days! You two are an amazing team!"
"Normally, it takes Trainers at least a month or three to get here."
Seeing them still in their prime made Hikaru nostalgic. In the future, Ingo would be forcefully sent back in time by Arceus, perhaps just to promote Pokémon battling in Hisui… In the end, it was never clear if Ingo returned to his own time.
"Battle, begin!"
"Let's go, all aboard!"
Emmet and Ingo sent out Haxorus and Chandelure as their lead – an overwhelmingly powerful combination that made Hikaru keep wondering just what materials these trains were made of.
And so, the battle began abruptly!
Chandelure held a White Herb, while Haxorus held a Sitrus Berry!
(End of Chapter)
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