The city of Floccesy in the Unova region is famous for its airport. The airport’s runways cover a vast area, and its air cargo industry is well developed.

The city’s Flying-type Gym Leader, Curator Fenglu, is also a pilot whose personal craft is a cargo plane.

When he heard Teacher Lu was heading to Twinleaf City, Fenglu invited him to take his freighter.

But since Fenglu needed to be available for gym challenges, Lu Ye chose a nearby commercial flight that would reach Twinleaf in an hour.

“Aiya… I still wanted to learn your ‘tailwind’ command technique,” Fenglu said with a tinge of regret, then laughed: “Next time you come to Floccesy as a guest, try ringing the bell at the Tower of Heaven, Teacher Lu!”

Lu Ye and Haunter glanced together toward the spire that pierced the clouds in the distance. The stone tower spiraled upward, ancient and solemn.

“Is it a tomb tower like the one at Mount Sendoff?” Lu Ye asked.

Fenglu nodded and, hands behind his back, said:

“The Tower of Heaven is where departed Pokémon rest. The bell at the top was specially hung to purify souls. They say that when you ring the bell at the top, it reflects the heart of the person who rang it.”

Lu Ye closed his eyes to sense it;

the tower’s aura was peaceful and calm.

“The Tower of Heaven is considered a symbol of protection over Floccesy. Every year lovers climb the tower to ring the bell,” Fenglu said.

Dong, dong.

A breeze stirred and the bell’s toll drifted across Floccesy, spreading over the airport runways.

Fenglu closed his eyes. “Every time I hear that bell, my heart becomes inexplicably calm. It’s clearly a tomb tower. Still, even if a trainer and a Pokémon are separated, that feeling will always be by your side.”

Darkrai, hidden in the shadows, twitched slightly. Alicia’s smiling face rose before his eyes, and he fell silent.

Lu Ye recalled Gastly at Maiden Cove in the Kanto region, and the thousand-year Ninetales in the old mansion. They had been waiting for their trainers to return.

They were no longer mere pets. Like the Akita dog waiting in front of Shibuya Station, further subdividing humans and Pokémon felt meaningless.

In the miniaturized Poké Balls at his waist sat the quiet little companions.

Lu Ye sensed their emotions, looked toward the distant Tower of Heaven, and said in a rich voice:

“Death is not the opposite of life;

it exists as part of life and endures.”

Fenglu looked at Lu Ye in surprise but did not probe further;

he smiled and said:

“Have a pleasant journey in Unova, Teacher Lu!”

“Gengarrr~(￣▽￣)／” Haunter floated beside Lu Ye and raised a tiny hand.

Unova region, Twinleaf City.

A green-haired youth wearing a baseball cap sat upright on a sofa inside the Pokémon Center, hands on his knees, watching trainers pass by.

Some rushed in, carrying an injured Hawlucha, shouting something at Nurse Joy.

N heard Hawlucha’s heart: it was fighting for the trainer’s dream.

Someone released an adorably plump Tranquill from its Poké Ball and carried it on their arm.

N heard Tranquill’s thoughts: it loved its trainer very much.

The green-haired youth remained seated, eyes closed. Childhood memories surfaced in his mind.

He sat in a sealed room without windows, bored of stacked blocks and an irritatingly creaky toy train.

Only Pokémon companions kept N company: an injured Croconaw, a crippled Slakoth, a wing-broken Pidgeot. They had all been bullied by humans.

N accepted these Pokémon with his gentle nature. Even when they were battered and in pain… N still treasured his only companions.

Thus he hated trainers who forced Pokémon into Poké Balls.

He loathed humans who ignored a Pokémon’s will and coerced them.

To others, Pokémon were merely tools and pets. But to N, there was only Pokémon in his life.

That small voice of despair shattered when his foster father, Ghetsis, tried to control Reshiram.

His foster father was exactly the kind of person N hated most—someone who treated Pokémon like tools… and hurled curses at N as a “monster.”

Reshiram’s flames swallowed Team Plasma;

N left Team Plasma and traveled across Unova, nursing injured Pokémon back to health.

Over the last two years, N had heard many Pokémon confess that they loved their trainers. His worldview had been shaken.

‘This world is not simply black and white. There are humans who bully Pokémon, and there are many who truly love them.’

The green-haired youth, cap low over his eyes, recalled yesterday’s encounter with Meowth and heard Meowth’s longing to stay with the one it loved. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

‘For that reason, I have to keep searching until I find the answer.’

“I’m late.”

A gentle voice—someone sat down on the sofa opposite him.

N raised his head.

A wash of color struck his dim vision;

beautiful heart-voices rose like springs.

He stared straight at the black-haired young man before him.

Around him were entwined bonds with Pokémon;

those voices unfurled before N like moving pictures.

A wandering encounter with Haunter, an Eevee that resolved a misunderstanding;

a lifelong friendship with a Squirtle, a Growlithe that idolized a hero…

Why did his Togepi have so many happy hues, as if raised in sweetness and cream?

Why did his Sirfetch’d, while crying out “I don’t want to fight,” still harbor a razor-sharp edge deep within its darkness…

N watched the newcomer silently, breath held, lips pressed thin.

“Is something on my face?” Lu Ye asked, startled.

“No…”

The green-haired youth smiled gently. Two shimmering tears slipped down the sides of his dim eyes, and with a hoarse voice he said:

“It’s an honor to meet you, Teacher Lu.”

Lu Ye was stunned for a moment.

He didn’t understand why N cried right away… I didn’t even provoke him.

Sensing something, Lu Ye’s expression turned complicated and he murmured:

“So… did the ‘Handsome Guy’ cop rough you up?”

N was dazed for a moment.

“Don’t feel guilty—just tell me,” Lu Ye said, sitting properly and thanking the Audino who had handed him hot tea. He blew away the steam and said:

“The organization won’t make things hard for you!”

“No… it’s fine now.”

N lowered his eyes, pressed his palms together, and, a bit embarrassed about his earlier lapse, smiled softly.

“Gengarrr~” Haunter tugged at N’s sleeve.

N looked away. Haunter shoved a tissue into his hand. After a long moment, N whispered:

“Thank you, Haunter.”

“Gengarrr~(⁎˃ꌂ˂⁎)” Haunter grinned and stuck out his tongue to pull a face.

N’s gaze flickered;

his partner Zorua also loved making faces. He lifted a sincere, small smile.

Lu Ye put down his teacup and asked:

“So why did you ask Team Rocket to arrange this meeting?”

N was silent for a long while.

I wasn’t mistaken…

But would he give an answer different from Champion Alder’s?

If even his answer proved pale and uninspiring, what would I do then?

The green-haired youth took a deep breath, lifted his dim eyes, and stared at the beautiful tableau behind Lu Ye.

N decided to stake everything on this moment.

He did not fully trust Teacher Lu, but he trusted the little ones who trusted Lu Ye.

Light shimmered in N’s dark eyes as he looked at Lu Ye and spoke rapidly:

“I want to know how humans should live with Pokémon. I want Pokémon freed from the constraints of Poké Balls, to create a world without battles, without harm, without conflict—but I also think that such a world might not be as beautiful as it seems. What is the difference between ideals and reality? Please, tell me the answer.”

N’s hoarse voice was almost a plea: “Please, Teacher Lu!”

The Pokémon Center buzzed;

people looked surprised at N, who spoke like a preacher. The world seemed to pause for a moment before returning to normal.

Teacher Lu fell silent.

He recalled why he had once been unwilling to let his little ones fight.

“When I was in Madrat City…”

Lu Ye chose his words, glanced at Haunter, and said:

“Back then I thought battles would hurt the little ones, so I avoided combat. Rather than fighting, I preferred living a peaceful daily life with my Pokémon.”

“But.”

Lu Ye stroked Haunter’s head.

“Gengarrr~” Haunter closed his eyes in pleasure.

Lu Ye smiled, feeling the pocked, scarred proof on his back—evidence of the road he had walked.

“Battles aren’t so simple. They aren’t merely about winning or losing;

they’re an opportunity for trainer and Pokémon to meet and to understand each other’s different strengths.”

Lu Ye thought of various trainers and their partners.

Like Ash and Pikachu, Cynthia and Garchomp, Diantha and Charizard…

Teacher Lu.

Teacher Lu and Haunter.

“Even when wounds and failure are inevitable, there are things worth fighting for.”

Lu Ye looked directly at the stunned green-haired youth and said, “That is the reason for Pokémon battles.”

“Even if failure is inevitable, you must fight for it…”

N repeated slowly. A light flashed in his dim eyes and he pressed on:

“But have you considered that Pokémon confined in Poké Balls can’t fully exist and might not be happy? Maybe, perhaps we can be companions with Pokémon instead of merely capturing them…”

N trailed off.

He saw Lu Ye’s little companions inside their Poké Balls, shining with wonderful colors.

“Poké Balls, huh.”

Lu Ye glanced at the red-and-white ball in his palm.

“It’s the user who’s wrong, not the tool. Some people don’t like putting Pikachu into a Poké Ball;

some Pokémon pop out all day…”

As he spoke, the commemorative Ball popped open with a red light and Sirfetch’d, sword and shield raised, stepped out with a keen look.

“Gar! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧”

N looked astonished. Lu Ye expressionlessly recalled Sirfetch’d and continued:

“To me, a Poké Ball is more like an agreement and a promise.”

“A promise…”

“When you capture a Pokémon, you must accept the risk of tears. That is the price of forming a bond.”

Lu Ye remembered a defiant little Eevee who had been captured through tears, and a Delibird who had crossed the ocean. A smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

“Even if you’re rejected… the weight of the promise itself does not change. Right?”

Lu Ye smiled and patted the Poké Ball at his waist.

The fairy Sylveon inside the red-and-white ball raised her head proudly:

“Bui! o(´^｀)o”

N stared at the black-haired youth before him.

This was the most unusual trainer N had ever seen.

Alder wallowed in grief after his partner’s death;

Alice’s experience was still too shallow.

But Teacher Lu seemed to possess a different kind of power.

Charm?

N recalled Ghetsis’ words, took off his cap, lowered his eyes, and smiled gently.

No… it was simply the unity of truth and ideal.

“I should be going, Teacher Lu.”

N rose. “I think I’ve found my answer.”

“What kind of answer?”

N shook his head. He still felt uncertain inside, but he had enough confidence to gain the recognition of the Dragon Stone.

He had to awaken the sleeping dragon and use the dragon of ideals to atone for his mistakes.

“Continue traveling across Unova?”

“I think so. If possible, maybe we’ll meet again.” N offered a faint smile.

Lu Ye breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Ash didn’t come, so I had to coax N a bit first.

A conversation might keep him from going to extremes.

Teacher Lu partially agreed with N’s ideas. N had always stayed with bullied Pokémon as a child, and Ghetsis’ indoctrination had formed N’s paranoid worldview.

But being acknowledged by one of the dragons proved N had the essence of a hero.

If Ghetsis had not adopted him, he might have become an excellent trainer. That “Power of Viridian”-like ability could have been a tremendous aid.

But for now N had to carry his ideals and continue wandering Unova.

Lu Ye looked at the green-haired youth, cap back on and eyes lowered, and said:

“When you can’t hold on any longer, come find me at the café in Miare City… I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

N froze, puzzled, and asked hoarsely:

“Why would you do that?”

From birth he had been estranged from humans and labeled a “monster”;

his only companions were Pokémon.

N was feared by people, just like Meowth was disliked by its group.

“Why?”

Lu Ye asked himself softly, then said:

“Because between a fortified wall and smashing a fragile egg against it, I always stand on the side of the egg.”

N’s dim eyes slowly widened, bright colors flickering within them.

“I’ll look forward to meeting you again.” N paused, then said earnestly, “Teacher Lu.”

Teacher Lu nodded and said:

“Private matters are done. Now for public business.”

The atmosphere shifted. Lu Ye entwined his fingers in a posture reminiscent of a commander.

“Tell me more about you and Team Plasma.”

N blinked, coming back to himself, and said in surprise:

“You’re… an Interpol inspector?”

“Just a temp.”

N: “……”

Did the teacher actually believe that?

“They’re still investigating my movements.”

N sighed lightly. “Also, right now the leader of Team Plasma is Professor Acerola. He’ll execute the follow-up of Ghetsis’ plan.”

“What plan.” Lu Ye felt an uneasy understanding settle inside him.

“If I’m right… Acerola plans to freeze a city to pressure the Unova Alliance,” N said.

Lu Ye recalled the storyline in Black 2 where Twinleaf City was frozen and nodded slightly.

“This isn’t something you need to intervene in. Interpol and Champion Alder will handle it.”

If Alder shirks, we can only ask Giovanni for help.

Lu Ye felt mixed emotions.

He didn’t know whether the “Storm Plan” for dealing with extreme weather would work against a frozen wasteland…

N nodded silently and said:

“There’s one more thing. The Handsome Guy cop’s partner Pokémon is being treated at this Pokémon Center. If possible, I’d like to try treating it…”

Lu Ye was slightly surprised.

Handsome Guy’s partner, Croagunk, died in Pokémon XY, which fits the current timeline.

“That’s easy.” Lu Ye said. “I’ll continue… cough, I mean treat Croagunk!”

Aura had healed even the World Tree;

healing Croagunk would naturally be no problem.

That afternoon.

Croagunk’s surgery was a great success. It donned a police hat, stood beside the trenchcoat uncle, and saluted Lu Ye and N:

“Gah~!”

“No need to thank me…” N revealed a genuine smile and looked up at the middle-aged man. “Officer, your Croagunk told me it really likes you.”

The middle-aged man’s face was weathered, but his eyes brightened. In a trembling voice he said, “I’m just an unremarkable cop… I rely on my partner and support from superiors.”

Then the man turned and bowed deeply to Lu Ye, silent.

Lu Ye accepted Handsome Guy’s bow.

For over a decade, Handsome Guy cracked many major cases but was held back by bureaucracy and never promoted. Still, he maintained justice in his own way.

After retiring from Pokémon XY, Handsome Guy opened a detective agency in Miare City, maintaining the city’s safety out of personal interest.

There are those like Ghetsis with pure ambition, and heroes like Handsome Guy with pure hearts.

N watched Handsome Guy and felt moved. He waved to Lu Ye with a smile:

“I should go, Teacher Lu.”

Lu Ye nodded faintly.

Watching the green-haired youth in the cap walk away, Lu Ye exhaled.

As long as N doesn’t do anything foolish, Acerola will be dealt with soon.

Another major rescue for Unova avoided.

Things suddenly felt safer.

Teacher Lu nodded in satisfaction.

Next stop, Undella Town—to accompany Miss Cynthia on vacation!

“Haunter, let’s take Mengmengda out for ice cream!”

“Gengarrr~（๑`▽´๑)۶

The green-haired youth in the cap looked up, eyes piercing the clouds as he gazed toward distant Snowpoint City.

There had once stood an ancient kingdom;

beneath the castle called the “Sword of the Land” lay the dark stone capable of awakening the “Dragon of Ideals,” Zekrom.

He must go there.

N’s gaze was resolute.

Now he possessed the ideals and conviction to awaken Zekrom.

N lowered his eyes and whispered:

“The mistakes I committed must be made right by me personally.”