[Natural Black: Hello, streamer. I want to ask you something—what kind of ideals can truly be considered ideals?]
Another classic case of being lost.
Grey felt like he could become a relationship streamer at this point—specializing in talking troubled kids through their issues.
Come to think of it, ever since he became a Gym Leader, most of the people he'd "talked straight" were more or less a bit… single-minded.
Of course, if they weren't single-minded, they wouldn't need him to talk to them.
Grey stared at the question Natural Black sent for a while.
It felt kind of abstract.
Which made Grey think: is this guy N just constantly drilling himself into a dead end?
He's even asking "what kind of ideals count as ideals."
Ideals are ideals. They can be big or small—there's no ranking system for ideals.
Grey thought for a moment, then replied in plain, easy-to-understand words.
[Dojo Primeape: Boss, ideals depend on the person. No one has the right to point fingers at someone else's ideals.]
[Dojo Primeape: For example, my ideal is to live a steady, comfortable life—but some people think that since I'm this strong, I have to use it to benefit the public.]
[Dojo Primeape: But no matter what others say, I still think my ideal is my ideal. As long as my conscience is clear, that's enough.]
After sending those three messages, Grey saw N's name change to [Typing…].
Clearly, his words had hit something.
N was feeling it.
[Natural Black: Then… can I ask what your truth is?]
"?"
Seeing the second message, Grey unconsciously used "Trick." A "?" made of aura popped over his head again.
What is my truth?
Is that something you can even describe with words?
Asking about ideals was something Grey could answer, but N suddenly asking about "truth"…
He really doesn't get it.
[Dojo Primeape: When it comes to truth, I lean more toward keeping my feet on the ground and doing things. Practicing your ideals—that's truth.]
[Natural Black: I've learned a lot. Thank you. If you ever come to the Unova region, I hope we can meet.]
[Dojo Primeape: Sure. When I get to Unova, I'll DM you.]
After Grey sent that, N didn't reply again.
…
…
Unova region, Dragonspiral Tower.
Different from the images spread across the internet, the base of the tower had been blasted open by Team Plasma, leaving a savage, gaping hole.
Shattered bricks and stone had scattered outward like a burst, exposing the spiral staircase rising within.
What was eerie was that this thousand-year-old tower still stood—defying every principle of architecture.
That violently torn opening now looked as if it were inviting something…
Or rather, waiting for someone to arrive.
"Leader N, we're at Dragonspiral Tower. From here on, it's up to you."
The Team Plasma members stopped. Only N—wearing a gold-and-red cloak—continued forward alone.
At this moment, he wore a crown, and at his side stood a black, humanoid fox Pokémon.
Hearing the reminder, N put away his phone and gave a small nod, then stepped through the blown-open entrance and into the base of Dragonspiral Tower.
"Human… what is your ideal?"
"Human… what is your truth?"
The instant he entered, two ancient murmurs detonated directly inside N's mind.
They were questions—yet also hunger.
"I want the Pokémon of this world to be happy!"
"I want the Pokémon of this world to be free forever, never bound by chains!"
"Reshiram, Zekrom—I need your power. Become my aid!"
N lifted his gaze up the spiral staircase, staring into the heights.
His voice echoed layer after layer within the tower, his slender body trembling violently with excitement—
yet he didn't notice his nails digging deep into his palm, blood seeping between his fingers and dripping onto the stone steps.
N wanted Pokémon to be free. He wanted every Pokémon in this world to live in happiness and peace!
To achieve that, he needed the power of Unova's legendary dragons!
"Boy… climb to the end of this spiral…"
A deep dragon's roar like rolling thunder reverberated through the tower, and every brick and stone trembled in response.
The one who answered N was the Dragon of Ideals—Zekrom!
"Let me witness your ideals with my own eyes!"
Zekrom's voice carried a long-forgotten exhilaration.
Within that nearly fanatical proclamation, it tasted the purest power of ideals it had known in a thousand years.
That extreme belief—so absolute it would tear the world apart to reach its goal—was exactly the nourishment it craved most!
As for Reshiram—
"Pitiful boy…"
In a haze, N saw a pair of white wings flickering in and out of the shadows at the tower's peak.
At the same time, despite being a Fire-type, Reshiram's voice poured down like icy water.
"What you pursue is nothing but a twisted delusion."
Reshiram's tone was filled with disappointment.
It had thought it would meet a hero who walked the path of truth.
Instead, what arrived was a zealot drowning in extreme ideals.
"Only one of them acknowledges me…"
Hearing the replies of the two legendary dragons, N showed no surprise.
His ideals had been acknowledged, but his truth…
No.
From the very beginning, he had never possessed truth.
N's fingertips brushed the tower wall, and countless nights spent searching for "truth" flashed through his mind.
But those thoughts had ultimately warped into obsessive ideals—until even he could no longer say when that change began.
If there was no way back…
Then he would see it through to the end.
He lowered his eyes. Shadows covered the emotions surging in them, while his steps stayed firm as he climbed, one stone stair after another.
Wild Pokémon had originally barred his path, baring their fangs—
but the moment they sensed the aura of sorrow and mercy radiating from the young man, they froze.
On this human, there was a gentleness so close to self-destruction that it made their souls tremble.
Obsessive. Unhealthy.
And so they watched N, step by step, climb steadily toward the tower's summit.
Half an hour later, when N finally stepped onto the last stair, it felt as if every last bit of oxygen in his lungs had been drained.
Clouds churned beneath his feet, and the vast starry sky felt close enough to touch.
KRAK—!!!
The instant N appeared at the top, a jet-black thunder-dragon tore open the heavens.
The sea of clouds was twisted into a vortex by violent energy, and from the center of that storm of lightning, a mountain-like black shadow descended slowly.
The turbine engine in its tail roared, flashing with brilliant blue lightning.
When those crimson vertical pupils opened, the entire tower shook.
The Dragon of Ideals—Zekrom—descended here!
"Hero of ideals, tell me your name!"
Zekrom looked down at N, who was gasping for breath, its voice piercing straight into his mind.
"I am N! N. Harmonia!"
Even though he was about to collapse the next second, N still forced out his name in a near-hoarse voice.
Then he took out his phone and typed a line of text.
[Natural Black: When the time comes, I want to witness your truth.]
After sending it, N swayed forward—
and was caught by Zekrom.
"A dreamer is destined to drown in ideals."
"Heh. Reshiram, just keep being jealous. In a thousand years, this is the first time someone with such vast ideals has appeared."
"Zekrom, don't say I didn't warn you. The more extreme something is, the easier it is to be destroyed."
"So what?"
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