"Black Dragon, today I'll make you understand who the true strongest dragon really is! After you... the next one will be the White Dragon!"
Black Kyurem slowly descended, its icy dragon eyes locked firmly on Zekrom.
Those two—Black Dragon and White Dragon—have gone unpunished for far too long. Have they forgotten who the real boss is? How dare they just waltz into its domain one after another? Do they not even respect it anymore?
Zekrom: "...…"
Okay, I get the logic… but I swear I'm innocent!
Damn it, I was too busy sensing the White Dragon's aura and didn't even notice the Ice Dragon...
"Zekrom…"
Standing on the ground, N clenched his fists unconsciously as he stared up nervously at the brutal beating Zekrom was taking from Kyurem.
It's too strong—Kyurem is simply too strong!
Zekrom didn't stand a chance. Damn it, why did he have to face such a powerful enemy?!
In his mind, N cursed that damned "Hero of Truth" a hundred times over. That scumbag actually lured Kyurem straight to them, and then… ran away himself!
He actually ran away!
That bastard!!
------------------------------
Opelucid City, a place where past and future intertwine.
Opelucid still preserved many historical ruins, and its current leadership respected that heritage. They had never considered altering it.
Lucas, together with Marnie and Green, rode Reshiram to the outskirts of Opelucid, then walked into the city—ready to rest, have fun, and unwind.
After all, their emotions had been tightly strung during the intense battle with Kyurem in the canyon in Giant Chasm.
They booked a hotel and checked in, then stepped out into the lively main street for a stroll.
"I wonder if the current Opelucid Gym Leader is still Iris…" Lucas muttered, watching Marnie and Green flitting in and out of nearby shops while he idly lit a cigarette, gazing at the bustling city.
Opelucid was a famous city in the Unova region, and its Dragon-type gym was akin to the lineage-held Dragon-type gym of Blackthorn in Johto—an elite gym run by the Dragon Masters.
Everyone knows Dragon-type Pokémon are among the strongest of all types.
And Opelucid's Gym was no exception.
In the original Black and Lucas games, the Gym Leader was Iris!
Yes, the same Iris who was Ash's travel companion in the anime—but unlike the childish portrayal in the show, Iris was an incredibly powerful and exceptional trainer in both the games and the manga.
In the Black and White era, she was a Gym Leader. But by Black 2 and White 2, she had replaced Alder—defeated by N—and ascended to Champion, donning her crown and champion's attire as Unova's top trainer!
In the manga, Iris was even more impressive. She defeated both N and Alder inside the White Treehollow and claimed the Champion's throne.
Aside from Blue, Iris was the only other NPC to rise to the Champion position, and she was the youngest female Champion besides Blue.
Sure, Cynthia was the first-ever female Champion in the league's history—but age-wise, Iris was younger…
"I just hope the Iris of this world isn't the anime's bratty version…"
Lucas raised an eyebrow. After all, this world he was in was a messy fusion of three different timelines and realities. Who knew which version of Iris existed here?
But ultimately, it didn't concern him too much, and the thought quickly faded.
"Colress…"
Lucas exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes flashing. He was thinking of that man known as the "Dark Scientist Genius"—Colress.
The same Colress who led Team Plasma during the events of Black 2 and Lucas 2.
In the original story, he captured Kyurem and used it as an energy source to freeze the entire city of Opelucid!
That freeze wasn't symbolic—it was literal. Even in the in-game ending animation, you could see the Opelucid Gym Leader Drayden and others working to clear the massive chunks of ice.
Colress was also the chief scientist behind the resurrection and modification of Genesect.
To be clear, Colress wasn't evil in the traditional sense. He was a man obsessed with his research, always focused on how to unlock Pokémon's hidden potential and power.
But he had no clear moral compass. To him, if something helped him achieve his goals, then it was justified.
He developed the Colress Machine and used it on Pokémon—conducting all sorts of experiments that were strictly forbidden by the Pokémon League.
Even just modifying Pokémon was considered a heinous crime in the eyes of the world, no different from the Team Rocket's cruel genetic experiments.
Still, in the games, Colress eventually redeemed himself…
Yes, after being defeated by the protagonist, Colress "saw the light." He even appeared in later versions like XY and Ultra Sun & Moon, offering help to the new main character.
He was one of the few characters—like Blue and Red—who appeared across multiple generations with significant roles.
"Team Plasma's base near Opelucid… Let's hope I can find him there."
Lucas snuffed out his cigarette. His eyes flickered with determination. Yes—he was looking for Colress.
Whether Colress was good or evil didn't matter to him. What mattered was his genius.
Not only was Colress a powerful trainer himself, but his scientific research into unlocking Pokémon potential was undeniably at the cutting edge of biology.
He personally revived and modified Genesect, meaning he had deep knowledge of genetic engineering. He was the perfect person to take on the Mewtwo Project.
That's right—Lucas had selected Colress as his next key collaborator!
That's why he came to Unova. Beyond chasing legends, Colress was his true goal.
As for whether Colress would be willing to cooperate…
Was that even a question? Lucas was no saint. Once he found the man, it would no longer matter what Colress wanted.
Besides, someone like Colress—a half-mad scientific maniac—wouldn't be able to resist the lure of the Mewtwo Project.
If the Mewtwo Project weren't so inhumane, Lucas might've even invited Professor Oak.
But Professor Oak had morals. Even if his scientific curiosity itched at the possibility, his ethics would tell him that human cloning was wrong.
Colress, on the other hand, had no such restraint.
"I wonder if N is even still alive…"
With Colress on his mind, Lucas's lips curled into a smirk as he glanced toward the Giant Chasm.
Poor guy. He wondered whether N and Zekrom had managed to escape Kyurem's wrath.
----------------------------------
Deep in a dense forest...
N sat slumped against a massive tree, looking absolutely miserable. His eyes were dull and lifeless.
Not far from him, Zekrom lay on the ground—battered and broken, its body covered in severe frostburns.
Several Team Plasma grunts in uniform were treating Zekrom's wounds.
"You've really disappointed me, N."
A middle-aged man in luxurious robes leaned on a cane, eyes filled with anger and a terrifying gloom as he looked at Zekrom's wounded body.
He was none other than Ghetsis—one of the Seven Sages and the true mastermind behind Team Plasma.
He'd raised N all these years for the sole purpose of furthering his ambitions, and now? N had just obtained Zekrom's recognition, and this happens?
If Ghetsis hadn't arrived just in time—with four Genesect in tow—both N and Zekrom might've been frozen alive by Kyurem.
Even so, it had cost them greatly. A massive, expensive warship had been frozen and shattered by the furious Kyurem.
The loss was significant.
How could Ghetsis not be furious? He didn't raise N to be a walking disaster!
"I'm truly sorry, Father… I was too weak," N said quietly, eyes full of guilt as he looked at Zekrom.
He knew this was all his fault. Not only had he harmed the organization, but he'd also brought injury upon Zekrom.
Ghetsis's expression darkened, but he understood N's personality. There was no use yelling further.
"What happened exactly? I told you to stay in the castle—why did you leave?"
He had no idea how N had provoked Kyurem.
He needed N to serve as a symbol of hope and an idealistic figurehead—not a liability. That's why he rarely allowed N to leave the castle.
N hesitated, frowning. "The Hero of Truth appeared—the White Dragon's chosen hero. I just wanted to meet him."
"Reshiram awakened?"
"Yes."
To prevent that, Ghetsis had ordered his men to block off Dragonspiral Tower… and yet, Reshiram had awakened anyway. He worried that this new hero might derail his plans.
"And Kyurem?" Ghetsis pressed, his eyes flashing with greed.
He had already been gathering information on Kyurem. He knew Zekrom would ultimately belong to N, so his true desire had always been the strongest dragon—Kyurem.
As for Genesect…
Though Colress revived and modified Genesect, he couldn't actually capture it. He could only control it temporarily using his machine, which wasn't reliable.
That's why Ghetsis rarely used Genesect unless absolutely necessary.
But after seeing Kyurem's raw power, his desire for it grew stronger than ever.
"It was the White Dragon's hero… I'd just found him, and then Kyurem showed up and started chasing us. Then he… ran away, and Kyurem targeted us instead…" N said, his tone full of grievance and confusion.
What had he done wrong?
He'd just wanted to meet the White Dragon's hero—and then, before he could even say a word, he got slapped with this mess.
Who had he offended?!
Even Ghetsis twitched slightly at that.
"What an idiot… you actually let someone use you as a scapegoat."
This was obvious—the White Dragon's hero had provoked Kyurem and thrown N under the bus.
This wasn't even bad luck—this was a complete setup!
Now Ghetsis was truly furious. Team Plasma hadn't even done anything, yet they'd suffered such massive losses!
"Enough. How long are you going to sulk, N? A king must act like one."
"This can't be left alone. Once Zekrom recovers, we'll go find that White Dragon's hero again."
Ghetsis's tone was cold as he barked the order.
He didn't know who this hero was, but if they dared offend Team Plasma, there would be a price to pay.
Reshiram's awakening was a threat—and it had to be dealt with early.
--------------------------
The next day.
After a day of rest, Lucas and his team set out once again.
"Lucas, where are we going this time?"
Walking out of Opelucid, Green was full of energy. After traveling with Lucas for a while, she could tell he wasn't really a bad person.
And these past few days had been unbelievably exciting.
"To a Team Plasma base. I'm going to pick someone up," Lucas said casually, glancing at her.
He had obtained the location from those Team Plasma grunts at Dragonspiral Tower.
Despite their pitiful state, they were actually elite members and knew the general location of Colress's current lab.
Though the location wasn't precise, that wasn't a problem—Gardevoir's powerful psychic abilities could scan the area.
Anywhere with a high concentration of humans was likely a Team Plasma base.
(End of Chapter)