The Hero of Truth... has appeared.
The young man's lifeless eyes rippled faintly with emotion. As the Hero of Ideals, he could sense it—Reshiram had awakened.
The fated battle between Truth and Ideals was about to begin once more.
"If you stand in my way, I will never forgive you."
His emotions quickly returned to calm. His impossibly handsome face regained its indifference.
His name was N.
His identity: King of Team Plasma—The Hero of Ideals.
He would personally create a perfect world built upon his ideals, and he wouldn't allow anyone, not even the Hero of Truth, to interfere.
"Zekrom, can you sense Reshiram's location?"
N spoke calmly. Regardless of anything, the existence of the Hero of Truth could no longer be ignored.
This fated struggle between Ideals and Truth had begun the moment he became Zekrom's partner.
He and the Hero of Truth were destined to clash.
Would Truth triumph over Ideals?
Or would Ideals surpass Truth?
This would have to be settled, one way or another.
"As long as it doesn't hide its aura, yes."
A deep, heavy psychic voice echoed in N's mind—his partner, Zekrom.
"Then let's go meet this so-called Hero of Truth."
N replied calmly. He wanted to face his destined rival—to prepare for what was coming.
Zekrom remained silent. Having chosen N, it would support him unconditionally—unless N ever abandoned his ideals. Only then would Zekrom part ways with him.
------------------------
"Poké Balls… these things…"
N held a Poké Ball in his hand, gazing down at the red-and-white sphere. His usually dim eyes flickered faintly.
Originally, he never used Poké Balls—he saw them as tools humans used to shackle Pokémon.
A Pokémon confined in a Poké Ball couldn't fully be itself—it couldn't be truly happy.
To N, Pokémon were true friends—beings to be respected, not owned.
Compared to the greed and selfishness of most humans, N's values aligned more closely with Pokémon.
However, his adoptive father Ghetsis told him:
"If you want to change the world, you must learn to wield certain powers—even those you don't agree with."
Only by having unwavering resolve and making some necessary sacrifices could the path to ideals be made smoother.
Of course, Ghetsis's real goal was to get N to carry his strongest Pokémon using Poké Balls.
After all, N was stubborn to a fault—his talent and potential were immense, but the guy flat-out refused to use Poké Balls.
What, was he going to drag around a bunch of huge Pokémon everywhere like some fool?
Ghetsis had cursed N a thousand times in his heart before finally managing to convince him to accept a few Poké Balls.
Though N hated it, he accepted them—placing his most trusted Pokémon inside that so-called "cage."
Because he wanted to realize his ideals—to change this world and bring true happiness to all Pokémon.
-------------------------------
Icirrus City, a full day had passed.
Right now, Lucas and his group stood on the main road at Icirrus's exit.
Hilda was about to continue her journey, while Lucas also had his own plans. They were preparing to part ways.
"Hilda!"
A voice rang out—an energetic girl ran toward them from a distance, waving excitedly.
She wore a shirt with a Poké Ball print, long brown hair tied into two buns, and yellow short shorts over black tights.
She radiated youthful energy.
"Rosa!"
Hilda's eyes lit up. She waved at the girl, who quickly picked up her pace and tackled Hilda in a big hug.
Boom! Direct body collision!
Lucas blinked, watching the two girls embrace.
Even from here, he could tell—those things got squished flat!
Compared to the slim Hilda, Rosa was obviously better-endowed. Classic baby face and… uh, a lot of growth elsewhere.
"Ugh~ I missed you so much, Hilda!"
Rosa clung to her, rubbing her cheek against Hilda's like an affectionate cat. She was acting utterly adorable.
The other three—Lucas, Blue, and Marnie—watched in silence. The two were clearly best friends or close as sisters.
However…
"Let go! You let go of me right now! I can't breathe!"
Hilda growled, veins popping on her forehead as she tried to push Rosa away.
Her voice trembled with effort.
"What the hell are you eating every day, you damn cow!? Not only are you stacked like crazy, your strength is insane!"
"Ah—sorry! I forgot you're kind of… uh, petite."
Rosa quickly let go, looking apologetic. She knew she was stronger than most girls.
But in her excitement, she'd totally forgotten that.
Hilda: "…You know, it's okay to stop talking sometimes."
Lucas chuckled. These two were quite the pair. Compared to the calm and composed Hilda, Rosa was obviously more carefree and energetic.
And to think… both the female protagonists from Pokémon Black and White AND Black 2 and White 2 were here—and they were best friends?
This world was truly something.
Lucas looked at Rosa's bright and innocent smile.
In the original games, she too was chosen by either the Black or White Dragon.
"These are some new friends I made. Mr. Lucas is an exceptional Trainer!"
Hilda straightened her clothes and proudly introduced the group—emphasizing Lucas in particular.
Even though she hadn't been chosen by the White Dragon, Hilda didn't dwell on it.
On the contrary, witnessing Reshiram's awakening, and seeing Lucas become its Trainer, made her feel proud.
"Wow, really?"
Rosa's eyes sparkled as she looked at Lucas.
She and Hilda were both Trainers journeying across Unova to compete in the Vertress Conference.
Running into a strong Trainer was a rare opportunity.
"Of course! But Rosa, what brings you all the way out here to Icirrus?"
Hilda replied without hesitation. She hadn't seen Lucas in battle yet, but anyone chosen by Reshiram couldn't possibly be weak.
"Ah? Well, that's the weird part. I think I've been cursed or something."
Rosa's cheerful expression dimmed into frustration.
"Cursed?"
Hilda was taken aback. Ghost-type Pokémon could be spooky, but curses?
Even Lucas, Marnie, and Blue looked at Rosa with curiosity.
"Seriously! I haven't slept well for days. Every time I close my eyes, some creepy voice starts whispering!"
"I locked the doors and windows, but it still shows up. And it keeps asking me, 'What is your truth?' or something."
Rosa pouted, looking absolutely done with life.
"I even planned to go challenge Icirrus Gym next, but somehow I ended up here instead!"
"Hilda, do you think I'm under some kind of spell?"
Hilda, Blue, and Marnie all froze.
"..."
They exchanged looks that said everything—and nothing.
Of course they knew. This wasn't a curse—Rosa had been contacted by Reshiram, same as Hilda.
Lucas glanced at Rosa with a weird expression.
"Wow, Reshiram… just how many candidates did you prepare?"
"Only those two."
A slightly awkward psychic response echoed in his mind. Reshiram hadn't expected things to overlap either.
But hey—gotta cast a wide net, right? Choosing a perfect partner as a Legendary wasn't easy. It had to be done carefully!
Especially if it meant beating that jerk Zekrom.
No shame in that!
When it saw Lucas, Reshiram immediately knew he was the one—the perfect Hero of Truth.
Not just because of the powerful dragon force, but because of Lucas's unwavering will and belief in truth.
"You sure it's only those two?"
Lucas wasn't buying it.
"Ahem… Well, there were about ten others with potential… but those two stood out!"
"Unbelievable. You're not a Fire-type—you're pure Water. You deserve to be called the Sea Dragon King!"
Reshiram: ???
"Lucas, this generation's Hero of Ideals is the strongest in history. You must not take him lightly."
The psychic voice suddenly turned serious.
That's why Reshiram had so many backups—just in case.
"I'm still recovering from awakening. Lucas, I need some rest first."
Before Lucas could say anything, Reshiram dipped out.
Just vanished.
"Well played, White Dragon… master of distraction and ghosting."
-------------------------------------------------
Outside, Hilda comforted her worried friend.
"Don't worry. You're not cursed. You've just been too tired lately."
She didn't tell Rosa the truth—there was no need to now that Reshiram had chosen Lucas.
"Really? But..."
"No buts!"
Hilda cut her off decisively.
"Lucas, let's say goodbye here. Don't forget to call, okay?"
She made a call-me gesture.
"Sure thing. Until we meet again."
Lucas smiled.
He was heading for Lacunosa Town—where Giant Chasm awaited.
Since he already had the White Dragon, it was time to meet Unova's strongest Ice Dragon.
And if Kyurem turned out to be aggressive? Well…
Reshiram could use some battle practice.
If White Dragon lost? Eh, it's just a Legendary—getting smacked a bit wasn't the end of the world.
"Eh? You're leaving already, mister?"
Rosa looked disappointed. She hadn't even had time to chat properly yet.
"Yep. You two should go challenge the Icirrus Gym."
"No rush! Since Hilda says you're really strong, how about a battle?"
Rosa wasn't in a hurry to do Gym battles anyway—there was plenty of time before the Vertress Conference.
"Wow… fearless little calf, huh?"
Green raised an eyebrow, amused by Rosa's enthusiasm.
(End of Chapter)