“Where will we go if Kiwi’s not on top of this mountain?” June shouted through the blowing wind and snow.

She had spoken a thought that had been on my mind for a while now. I felt certain that all three of us had been pondering this.

Regardless, we continued to climb, unable to offer June an answer.

“Where will we go from here? What is Kiwi planning? What ‘judgment’ does she mean?” June asked on.

Nobody answered her.

I didn’t think June expected us to.

What answers could we possibly have?

The top of the mountain was only feet away, the cold around us intensifying as the sky darkened to night.

My hands reached deeper into my pockets, as if an area of warmth that I had missed was somewhere in my coat.

Something stood at the top of the mountain, clouded by the flurry of snow.

I squinted at the figure as me and my friends reached the top.

This figure stood in front of a looming cave.

I immediately choked as something wrapped my arms around my waist and minimized the air I was allowed to breathe. I was lifted off the ground, my feet kicking out!

June and Robin choked out as well, sounding unable to speak.

The loud roar right next to me would have caused me to gasp if I could have, but I was barely able to inhale. I turned my head and I coughed out at the sight of the monster next to me.

The Pokemon roared at me fiercely, and then his tail tightened around my body.

I felt like my insides were on the verge of being forced up out of my throat, all while my ribs and arms were pressed against each other, under pressure to be snapped like twigs. I moaned in pain from Nidoking’s tail suffocating me, wishing it would loosen up. What is this thing doing to me? I thought in terror. Why? The cries and grunts from June and Robin made me turn to them quickly.

Held in the air by the large hands of a Conkeldurr, June screamed and struggled, kicking out as her arms were held tight against her body. Her black bag still hung from her shoulder.

On one side of June stood a big man in black boots, black jeans, and a white parka, the hood pulled down over his head and a thick gun in his hand, glaring directly at June and Conkeldurr.

Robin was grunting underneath the foot of a Gigalith, its foot on his back, holding him down.

Just like June, a man stood to the side of Robin, dressed similarly to the first man, including the gun he sported in his hand, looking right at Robin and Gigalith.

I whined loudly and lowered my head weakly. Now what?

“Gary.”

I coughed with little energy and managed to lift up my head.

The figure that stood by the cave opening remained.

Who is that? I wondered.

“And you even brought company. All we need is Aly to bring this event full circle. But, we wouldn’t be here if she could have made it, now would we?”

“Kiwi?” I gasped, staring through the snowflakes hiding her so well. “Aly…?” The mention of our late friend made my heart skip a beat. “Kiwi! What’s going on here?”

“How could you join with Team Solace?” Robin groaned, no longer trying to fight against the Gigalith on top of him. “Kiwi, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking what neither of you two are.” Kiwi walked forward, and I could see her more clearly through the snow around us. She was wearing her white parka, the hood lined with black fur pulled down around her head, but I could still make out her face underneath it. A metallic, silver cane was in her right hand. “What neither of you two ever cared about.”

“What in the world do you mean?” Robin insisted.

Kiwi stared at Robin solemnly. “I’m thinking of Aly, unlike you selfish bastards. I’m keeping Aly’s memory alive.”

None of Kiwi’s words were making any sense, and my head was beginning to spin, my body in a tight, firm wrap from Nidoking. Thinking of Aly? I repeated to myself. Keeping her memory alive? What does she mean?

“Kiwi, you’re with Team Solace!” Robin shouted. “You joined them! How could you join with Team Solace?”

Kiwi walked over to Robin slowly, each step she took making my heart beat even harder, my breathing becoming more difficult with each thump against my chest. She stopped in front of Robin and sneered down at him. “I’d never join with Team Solace.” She curled back her upper lip and then pursed her lips together.

Robin gasped in disgust as Kiwi spit a glob at his face. Cursing in shock, he rubbed his face into the snow beneath him, trying to clean himself off.

“I run Team Solace!” Kiwi then turned to June. She smirked and walked over to her.

June tried to lean back as best as she could, unable to really get anywhere due to Conkeldurr.

“June,” Kiwi said. Swiftly, she smacked June in the face with the back of her left hand.

June cried out as her head turned to the side.

“The black sheep of the group,” Kiwi went on. “Your death will be the most enjoyable.” She snickered. “I’ll actually miss Robin and Gary.”

June didn’t speak, keeping her head down.

Kiwi then turned to me.

I tried to swallow, but the harder I tried, the more I felt like throwing up, so I gave up and just watched as she stepped over to me.

Kiwi’s sinister smile was now gone. She just stared at me blankly. “As friends, you all have let her down.”

“Kiwi, what are you talking about?” I moaned weakly, wishing I could breathe easier, fearing that if Nidoking tightened his tail in the slightest, or if I even moved the wrong way, I’d have a broken back, along with other cracked bones. “Why would you do this? They killed Aly.”

Kiwi’s eyes squinted angrily, and I was certain I was next to get attacked by her. She didn’t hit me. She just shook her head. “Aly became the most important sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice…?” I whispered, not believing the word Kiwi had just used for our friend.

As Kiwi’s face got angrier, the tears in her eyes grew that much more evident. Her right hand tightened around her cane. “Every day I think about the day you told me Aly died,” she growled, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. She wiped at them with her free hand before they possibly froze, smearing them on her face, and then wiped at her eyes quickly. She glared at me, but her eyes still revealed her raw emotions. “Every day I revel in the shock and pain, as if it’s new. Every day!”

Kiwi… I thought wearily. It was good to see her cry. It was good to see that she was still down to Earth. Maybe there was a way to end this all peacefully.

“When you first told me about it, all I could think about was my hatred for Team Solace,” Kiwi told me. “I promised I’d end them for good. I would kill the people responsible for Aly’s death.” Kiwi sniffled. “There were so many things in the news that were happening back then. The attacks from Team Solace. You remember.” She paused and then swallowed. “One news report spoke of a pair of Crawdaunt that were in a fishing spot that they normally aren’t found in. The Crawdaunt were attacking fishermen there and there were several deaths before the Crawdaunt were finally captured and returned back to where they belonged. I think it was the next day that some people were caught trying to release a pack of Sharpedo and Carvanha into a beach, and a confession came out that Team Solace was behind the Crawdaunt incident, as well as attempting to let loose the Sharpedo and Carvanha. Can you imagine what would have happened if those sharks had been let loose?” Kiwi stared at me silently for a moment, daring me to respond.

I kept silent, unsure of where this was going, but choosing to listen rather than to speak.

“An Exploud is a Pokemon that creates loud noises that can be heard over six miles away, with the power to trigger earthquakes,” Kiwi informed me. “With that power, an Exploud tore through buildings in a town. The Pokemon was enraged by something and went on a rampage, destroying everything in its way. It had to be battled before it eventually calmed down and then was simply allowed to go back home.” Kiwi’s voice started to shake as anger took over her voice. “Jobs, houses, destroyed! The death of man by the terror created by this Exploud! And it just gets to walk home? The people in this city forgave the Exploud! They understood! Are humans even this forgiving to one another?? Is this fair?!” Kiwi shook her head hard and took a deep breath.

I was shivering from the cold, and from being this close to my own friend. Scared because of this entire situation.

Kiwi was talking, but no answers were being given out. Yet.

“When my Starter, Pidgeotto, was killed, I ran away. I ran from everything and everyone and hid from the entire world. I had no idea where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do with myself. I was like an empty shell, trying to be filled with some kind of insight on what was next for my life. I mourned exactly how, and why, it died…”

Kiwi was confusing me, the topic of her talk jumping from one thing to another with no clear pattern. Something about that scared me more than anything else tonight.

“I reflected on many incidents that were occurring in the news from Pokemon, piled on top of the death of my Pidgeotto. And Aly… I realized that the hatred I held for Team Solace was misguided. Team Solace was showing the world what Pokemon do to our planet, to its inhabitants, and to themselves.”

“Team Solace is doing nothing more than killing Pokemon!” I burst out, struggling in Nidoking’s hold that was feeling even more uncomfortable. “They kill Pokemon or put them in situations where they have to fight! That’s not fair, Kiwi! You’re a Pokemon Trainer! You know Team Solace is-!”

“I am no Pokemon Trainer!” Kiwi’s screech echoed from the top of the mountain. Her hand gripped the handle of her cane hard. “That past is dead! I own no Pokemon!”

“What do you mean? What happened to all of your Pokemon?” I asked fearfully.

“They’re with the old man,” she answered me impatiently.

I breathed a sigh of relief, understanding what she meant immediately. I’d forgotten Prof. Oak had possession of Kiwi’s Pokemon after she’d been paralyzed by Raikou. “Kiwi, you know Team Solace can’t possibly be right with what they’re doing,” I tried again. “Those news reports were triggered by Solace. They planned those attacks.”

“Not the Exploud one,” Kiwi replied. “Not the attack on Saffron City.” She went silent as she stared at me expectantly.

There was nothing I could say to that.

“Not a lot of deaths and attacks that occur in this world, due to Pokemon,” Kiwi went on. “Did you ever consider, Gary, that Team Solace is only one group? Team Solace’s attacks, before I was in charge, only accounted for six percent of all Pokemon attacks in the world. Now, we’re at a higher thirteen percent as our numbers have grown, but that still leaves a startlingly high eighty-seven percent, of all Pokemon related attacks and deaths reported having absolutely nothing to do with Team Solace. What the news chooses to show isn’t reflective of what’s truly going on in the world, huh?”

I couldn’t reply. I wasn’t sure what to say.

“The untrustworthy news media is exactly why Team Solace must reign,” Kiwi said seriously. “Our influence has recruited far more than foot soldiers, but also people in power. People with access to useful resources. News reporters, police officers, people in differing stations of everyday life.”

“The news?” I cried. “The police?!”

“Of course, Gary,” Kiwi smirked teasingly. “It isn’t biased news if it’s the truth, right? Getting the world to hate Prof. Oak was far easier than even I admit it should have been, but I’m grateful that it was.”

“That was you!” I shouted, ending up hurting myself as my captive body started to get pumped up from this conversation. “You twisted his words around! Those were your people reporting that news!”

“My people, yes. Oak’s words, no?”

Again, I was speechless. But I was also furious.

“Funny how a stupid choice of words can lead to such a nearly worldwide agreement on things, huh? Ha ha.”

She was smiling proudly at me, which made me nauseous. How could she do this to Prof. Oak?

“It was the news media itself that unintentionally caused the return of Team Solace, Gary.”

Breathing heavily, I just stared at her.

“I had a rather controversial interview during the time I was paralyzed from Raikou,” Kiwi explained. Her right hand was now opening and closing on her cane repeatedly as she spoke. “It was after the Kanto League attack. I spoke on what occurred between me and Raikou. That simple interview led to many different feelings from people. The majority sided with me, believing my story…”

“Believing…?” I said hesitantly, fear filling my heart. My eyes suddenly widened.

Kiwi’s smile also grew. “I tried to kill Raikou, you idiot.”

“I knew it!!” June struggled in Conkeldurr’s hands. “You see, Gary! I was right this whole time! I WAS RIGHT! Damn it, get off of meeee!!”

“You lied to me!” I whispered in disbelief.

“Was I really gonna tell you the truth?” Kiwi asked. “I found Raikou near the cliff you found me hanging from. I was traveling with Haunter, trying to figure out things in my head. At the time, I was still conflicted with feelings for Team Solace and what they were doing. Haunter and I spotted Raikou, and I had Haunter attack with Confuse Ray. With it Confused, I ran at it and tried to shove it off the cliff. Raikou was a lot quicker. Things obviously didn’t go the way I had intended, but, in fact, they turned out far better than I could have dreamed. The interview I gave led to many different people contacting me. Some accused me of instigating the attack, certain that Raikou would never attack unprovoked. Some people were genuinely concerned about my health and gave me their best wishes. But there was another group of people who struck me as very interesting. Their negative thoughts on Raikou synced well with plans I’d been dwelling on during my recovery. Thanks to that interview, I was able to reach people over the phone, and in person, and ideas came about.”

“You rebuilt Team Solace with like-minded people,” I realized.

Kiwi nodded. “There ya go, Gary. Word spread quickly to the right people, and I was even able to get in contact with some of the old members, both imprisoned and still on the run. Through time, and an increase in numbers, power, and influence, we attacked the prisons.”

“Of course…” I muttered angrily. The more I listened to Kiwi, the more I felt like vomiting in her face. So much was finally beginning to make sense.

“We were able to execute plans much more easily with the police and fire department in our grip,” Kiwi continued. “With them delaying their own services to help people, there was more time and room to spread chaos and mayhem.”

“You’re crazy!!” June screamed at Kiwi. “Do you even hear yourself?!”

Kiwi ignored June, keeping her eyes on me. Her right hand now rested calmly on her cane. “The moment I heard you landed in Unova, I smiled. To think that you actually listened to me. After what you did to stop Isaac’s plans back in Kanto, I had you right where I wanted you. With the official resurgence of Team Solace drawing close, I came to Unova with intentions of cleansing the world in a way Isaac was unable to with that puny bomb he had.”

“Who told you I was in Unova? Prof. Oak?” I inquired.

“Ha. Ha ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA HA!!” Kiwi laughed. “You’re still so STUPID!” She leaned on her cane as she screamed the last word out at me angrily and it echoed throughout the area. “I was told when you were wandering around in the airport by one of our members who stopped you and asked if you were okay.”

I swallowed, trying to remember someone stopping me in the airport in Unova. “Nobody st-” My words were caught in my throat, and I heard June gasp. “The-”

“We have operatives everywhere, Gary.” Kiwi’s smile showed great pleasure at my shock.

“Excuse me, kid. Is something wrong?” I remembered the security officer at the airport asking me when I had been looking for my Porygon-Z after June and I had snuck into Unova.

“I’ve kept an eye on your journey as best as I could, though we lost you a few times,” Kiwi stated. “I wanted you in Unova so you could witness a very special moment that will be occurring very soon. Using Purrloin and Liepard to steal your Town Map worked out just as I needed. With your Town Map, I could-”

“The Liepard and Purrloin!” I burst out, interrupting her. “On my way to Striaton City! That was you, too?”

Kiwi slowly nodded. “A few of our younger members were given a Pokemon to attack a Liepard and two Purrloin with. The Pokemon were beaten half to death, and then one of the Purrloin became a hostage. The promise was to return the baby to the Liepard, but both the Liepard and remaining Purrloin had to pull a façade. They had to steal your Town Map and then give it to our members. When they accomplished that, the three Pokemon were reportedly killed. Shot dead.”

June whimpered repeatedly, listening to Kiwi.

“Wh-wh-wh-why…?” I stammered from both the cold and what Kiwi had just told me. “What did you need my map for? Why did you have to kill those three Pokemon? That was pointless!”

Kiwi stared at me without giving me an answer.

Her cold eyes sent a shiver throughout my body that had nothing to do with the snow and cold wind blowing from the top of this short mountain.

“Research,” Kiwi answered mysteriously.

“Research…?” I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows.

“Purrloin and Liepard are conniving little Pokemon. That’s why they were used to distract you and June.” She turned to June, and June looked right back at Kiwi with a sickened look. “Her ability to read Pokemon was a distraction. I was sure it would be an interference if I had used any other Pokemon. By using Liepard and Purrloin, I knew any trust in what she might say about them would be conflicting between you two. Even to herself.”

Kiwi was right. June had been so sure the Purrloin and Liepard were up to no good, that even though she had heard that the Pokemon were in pain and needed help, she refused to assist them. This led to me and her fighting about what to do with them.

It was all planned out.

“There is no such thing as a ‘pointless’ killing of a Pokemon. They have no place on this planet.” Kiwi turned to me with a deadly look. “And neither do you. Neither does your Pokemon talking little girlfriend.” She turned to Robin. “Neither do you.”

Robin had been speechless for a while, but had kept his wide, stunned eyes on Kiwi.

I sighed. “She isn’t my gir-” I muttered tiredly.

“SILENCE!” Kiwi moved swiftly, backhanding me in the face.

My left cheek stung from the smack and my head turned sharply to the right. Angrily, I shook off the hit and glared at Kiwi.

“The next time I got wind of where you were, you were with William,” Kiwi said.

“William…” I muttered, trying to recall the name.

“Yes, William. You know him. The man you traveled with for a few days. The captain who took you on his boat. He took you to obtain some Badge from a Gym, and then he dropped you two off at Nimbasa-”

“Captain Billy!” June and I shouted in unison.

“Yeah…” Kiwi nodded. “William.”

“He’s a Solace member?? There’s no way!” I was exhausted and ready to land in the snow beneath me. I couldn’t handle the mix of Nidoking’s squeeze and what Kiwi was telling me any longer.

“There’s every way with Team Solace when it comes to accomplishing our goals. We will stop at nothing!”

The cheery man with the weird sayings, I reflected. How could he be a member of Team Solace? He didn’t do anything to harm us or any Pokemon.

“When he told me he had you with him, I ordered him to ensure you got to Nimbasa City,” Kiwi told us. “It took you too long to get there, though, and our planned attack, which was meant to be on the Nimbasa subway hours before you finally arrived, was postponed.”

Hearing Kiwi admit that Team Solace was behind the Nimbasa subway attack didn’t surprise me at this point. Not with everything else I’d heard so far from her.

“The burning of the Exeggutor was planned to happen when it did, and we just launched the Aggron attack once I had been told you were taking the subway.” It was impossible that this was my Pokemon-loving friend, and yet, here she was, speaking with delight over killing Pokemon, innocent people, and even trying to kill me. “Of course, you survived.” The pleased look on her face faded to a stern look. “When everything was set in Unova and it was time for me to arrive there, I was unable to escape my house easily because of my wheelchair, so I staged a kidnapping.”

Oh, no, I thought, my breath cut short.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of my idiot dad’s attempt to stop the kidnappers, and how he was handled,” Kiwi said with ease.

Nobody spoke. We all just stared at Kiwi who seemed so nonchalant about the death of her dad. A death that she was responsible for!

“Choosing to oppose Team Solace only leads to one outcome. He learned that the hard way,” Kiwi said coldly. Her eyes were like icicles, stabbing into mine. “And you repeatedly show that same level of disobedience and retaliation. Your ending has arrived, along with your friends’.”

“We’re all friends, Kiwi!” I screamed at her desperately, my heart full of pain.

“My friends are not Pokemon, nor those who associate with them in a friendly manner. My friends are those who will be in the new world with me and celebrate the death of those sacrificed for our cause.”

“What does any of this have to do with Aly?!” Robin finally spoke, shouting at Kiwi frantically.

A BOOM rang out through the air, echoing lightly. It sounded distant, but close enough.

I couldn’t quite place where it had come from.

Kiwi stared at Robin with a blank look. “As Flora was to Isaac, Aly is to me.”

“Flora…?” I mumbled the familiar name.

“Flora...?” Robin responded.

“Isaac’s daughter?” June called.

“That’s it!” I remembered.

Flora, Isaac’s daughter who had been killed by a Pokemon at a young age. This had driven Isaac mad and caused him to hate Pokemon with enough passion to start up Team Solace in the first place, in memory of her.

“Flora was the world to Isaac, and Aly was my best friend,” Kiwi said, her voice trembling vulnerably. She raised her left hand and wiped at the pair of tears that had rolled out from her eyes. She kept her hand at her eyes, covering them, and let out a sob.

This sign of emotion gave me hope. This doesn’t have to end badly, I told myself. She’s just been hurting all these years.

“It was hard enough being without Aly during the Pokemon journey we all took,” Kiwi sniffled, still rubbing her eyes. “But, I consoled myself by telling myself that we’d meet each other throughout the journey, and that we’d all meet again at the Pokemon League and show off what we’d learned on our separate paths. We’d all be better, stronger people, and even closer friends.” Kiwi angrily swiped at her face and bared her teeth at me like an enraged Doberman, shaking her head as her other hand squeezed on her cane. “But, no. Pokemon took away the friend I could always talk to when I was upset about something or going through problems. Pokemon took away my study partner from when we all were in school! School, where we all should have stayed, instead of out making friends with these damn Pokemon! Pokemon destroyed the group of friends we had and has corrupted your minds! We used to hang out! We were friends! Look what I have to do to you guys to get you to even listen to me!!” Her voice echoed, her cane shaking in her grasp.

Nidoking breathed lowly as he held me hostage.

June breathed hard as she remained in Conkeldurr’s hands.

Robin was silent underneath the foot of Gigalith.

Another BOOM was heard from far away.

Is that coming from that cave? I wondered, turning to it.

The two men by June and Robin, silent all this time, looked around for the location of the noise.

“Pokemon took away my very best friend! She had a determined, loving heart, and she did NOT DESERVE TO DIE!! Pokemon has ruined everything!! Pokemon killed Aly! Pokemon killed my closest friend in the world! They killed a man’s daughter! The previous leader! They’re out there killing right now!! How can you defend these things?!”

“Stop defending Isaac! He deserved to die!” Robin screamed out. “He killed Aly, not Pokemon! He even ended up killing himself! Don’t you remember what happened??”

Kiwi turned to Robin and waved an arm.

“Gaaaaaah!!” Robin wailed as Gigalith applied more pressure onto his back.

Kiwi stared at Robin like a bug she desired to step on. “Don’t ever speak of Aly like that. Don’t ever speak of Isaac like that. Pokemon killed them!”

Robin just groaned in response.

“You didn’t even know him, Kiwi,” I said nervously, afraid she’d have Nidoking snap my back. But I couldn’t be afraid. I had to say something. “How can you hold him in such high regard? To put him in the same category as Aly!”

Kiwi turned to me, squinting angrily. “No one will ever be in Aly’s league. No one will ever mean to me what Aly means! It’s too bad you can’t comprehend how beautiful your death will be. You and Robin will be held in high regard by me. Just like Isaac will be. Flora. And, above all, Aly.”

BOOM! Another loud noise, sounding just a little bit closer. This time, I was sure the noise was coming from inside of the cave.

My heart was beating quicker with fear over this sound.

Even the two guys with guns had turned to the cave.

“I don’t know how well versed you are with Unova’s history, Gary,” Kiwi said to me solemnly, seeming as if she had not heard the sound. “What do you know of Unova?”

What? I thought. What does she mean? I kept quiet, staring at Kiwi in confusion.

“Do you know the legend of the making of the Unova region?” she asked me.

I only shook my head.

“Of course.” She shook her head, staring at me sympathetically. “You want to know what was so important about your electronic Town Map the Purrloin and Liepard died for, but you don’t even know the history of the region you worked your way into.”

“What’s the connection, Kiwi?” I said seriously through gritted teeth, glaring at her impatiently. I was tired of all the mystery. I wanted nothing but answers now. “Tell me!”

“Thousands of years ago, there were twin brothers who used a powerful Dragon Pokemon,” Kiwi spoke.

BOOM! The rumble was louder and closer than before.

It’s definitely coming from that cave, I knew, turning to it before returning my eyes to Kiwi. My heart was thumping even harder in my chest. What’s happening in there? Why is Kiwi acting like she doesn’t hear it? She knows what’s going on?

“The brothers each sought something different out of life,” Kiwi continued to speak as if she wasn’t hearing the booming. “The older brother wanted truth, and the younger brother wanted ideals. They couldn’t come to a resolution and argued, resulting in fighting over who was right. The Dragon Pokemon reacted to this and split into two Pokemon. With blazing, white-hot truth, the Dragon and Fire type, Reshiram, sided with the older brother. With determination like lightning, the black Dragon and Electric type, Zekrom, sided with the ideals of the younger brother. The Dragons battled each other, but were equally matched and unable to defeat the other. This caused the brothers to stop fighting and accept that neither of them was solely right in their beliefs. The sons of the two brothers picked up where their fathers had left off and fought over truth and ideals, and in the fight, Reshiram and Zekrom destroyed the region with their fire and lightning. The two Pokemon vanished afterwards, leaving the destruction of Unova to be repaired by the people left.”

I’d never heard this legend before, but I did recall Marcus mentioning Zekrom and Reshiram when June, Courtney, and I had met him in the Village Of Dragons. A single Dragon type Pokemon that split into two separate Pokemon. One black, and one white, I thought. Why is Kiwi telling us this?

BOOM! The loud noise came again, closer than the last time.

I could feel the power from the noise as my body shook from Nidoking shaking from the ground quaking lightly underneath him. My entire body was also thumping in rhythm with my heart’s progressively harder and faster beats.

“It’s believed that when the original Dragon split into two, a third Dragon was born.” Kiwi’s face got even more focused, staring right at me. “A third Dragon, born without the heat of fire, or the surge of lightning, cold as ice, was left behind. Some even state that this battle between the two brothers took place on another planet, the split of the original Dragon creating the leftover shell, the third Dragon itself, to fall through space from an icy meteor and crash on Earth. They say this third Dragon landed right here and created the Giant Chasm, forming the Unova region itself.”

BOOM!! The noise was moving at a slightly faster pace and was getting louder.

Footsteps? I considered, my heart punching my throat to a rapid tune. No. No way. Not that loud, with that much power. But, what is it, then?

“It’s said that, when someone is deeply searching for the truth, Reshiram will come to that person. Reshiram will battle that person to test their strength and heart, and if it sees that that person is a hero, it will give that person the wisdom it has acquired over thousands of years, and fight against this hero’s enemies. Reshiram will care for this hero as a parent would for their child. But the hero will become rich and powerful, and the purity of their heart will go away, and the country the hero builds will be destroyed by fire. At this point, Reshiram will leave. It’s also said that, when another hero is able to turn darkness into light, and this hero’s heart is one with the Pokemon, Zekrom will appear and lend that hero its power.”

The only sound that was heard at this point was the howling wind, and then, BOOM!!

“But, Gary, what about the lonely Dragon?” Kiwi suddenly asked me.

I knew she knew I wasn’t able to answer her. I didn’t even understand her question.

BOOM!! The noise was now louder than ever.

“You interfered with a huge plan of mine not too long ago. Perhaps you recall seeing a Pokemon known as Manaphy?”

I refused to nod at her. Manaphy, I remembered.

June and I had saved a Manaphy and a group of Phione from Team Solace members.

But what does that have to do with the story she just told me? I asked myself. What does this have to do with my Town Map? Why does she keep jumping from topic to topic?

BOOM!!

Kiwi seemed to nod at my refusal to acknowledge her question. “Manaphy has the ability to befriend any Pokemon, which would have been excellent for what I have planned. However, you wrecked that plan to pieces. That was when something came to mind, Gary. Would you like to know what it was?”

I swallowed nervously, but didn’t speak.

“We’re missing a hero, aren’t we?” Kiwi asked me.

My eyebrows narrowed, not understanding.

BOOM!!!

“If there is a hero of truth for Reshiram, and a hero of ideals for Zekrom, then, what about poor Kyurem?”

I still didn’t understand, but I suddenly knew that things were about to get a lot worse.

I never could have predicted just how bad they were about to get.

“Finding the truth isn’t complicated, Gary. People are just too prideful to accept it. The truth doesn’t depend on you believing in it or agreeing with it to be true. The truth remains, no matter what anyone wants to believe. People’s ideals create new, false truths that never should have been. Wouldn’t you agree?”

I felt obliged to nod at this, slowly, but that was the only response I gave.

BOOM!!!

“But... Truth can interfere when it blinds people. The truth needs to be suppressed or hidden sometimes in order to be seen for what it is, itself. But that could result in what could be considered an ideal! And an ideal can be considered a truth! Someone’s “ideal truth” could conflict with the actual truth and be completely false, but people trust in it so strongly, only because they feel so comfortable with it. To them, anything that opposes it must be a lie. These people aren’t seeking truth. They’re only trying to be happy. But, the truth doesn’t allow growth, does it? The truth also creates limitations. An ideal world for humans conflicts with the truth. An ideal versus the truth creates conflicts that often result in unresolved, matching pushback from the opposition. Both sides depend on open mindedness to work, Gary! Ideals allow development and can open the door for truths that were never allowed to be considered, and even destroy past beliefs that were never the truth, but were instead poor ideals. Ideals can open minds. Truth and ideals are so close to each other, and yet couldn’t be further away. The two can be misconstrued, and are, every single day. But how do we live when we have our ideals and truths taken from us? What’s left, Gary?”

BOOM!!!!!

A pair of glowing yellow lights shined through the darkness of the cave.

The two men with guns cried out in fear.

My heart stopped beating and I couldn’t breathe.

June gasped.

“Whoa!” Robin uttered.

Something huge stomped out from the cave, the ground rocking under its weight, and the being roared.

The next thing I knew, I had landed in the snow on the ground, and I groaned in pain.

Nidoking looked up with gaping jaws at the gray monster in front of the cave. His tail was waving freely.

The Nidoking wasn’t holding onto me, but my body still felt restricted, as if he was still squeezing the life out of me.

The two men backed up fearfully, looking up at the beast that had emerged.

Gigalith and Conkeldurr stared up at the towering figure, still holding their prisoners.

I couldn’t even describe this creature, but it looked ugly and very menacing.

The creature stomped forward, shaking the ground easily, and then it stopped right behind Kiwi. It roared again, the noise alone causing the ground to move. This monstrosity looked down at us all with glowing yellow eyes, no pupils visible.

“I thought I needed Manaphy to control the power of the remaining Dragon!” Kiwi shouted manically, a huge smile on her face as she pointed behind her at the monster. “But, NO! It became clear to me that the power I was seeking all along was inside of ME! I am the hero for Kyurem! Kyurem responds to ME!”

Kyurem roared again.

“Using the technology in your Town Map, I was able to track down something far greater than truth, or ideals!! And since this is all thanks to you coming to Unova in the first place, I’ve shown my appreciation by being gracious enough to allow you to see this magnificent beast. You’re only alive at this very moment because of my willingness to allow you to so you could behold this greatness behind me.” She took a step closer to me, her white boots just a couple of inches from my face, and she sneered down at me. “But, you’ve gotten away with far too much as it is. You should have died the moment you opposed Team Solace back in Kanto. But, better late than never, Gary.” Kiwi lifted her cane from the ground and pointed the bottom of it at my face.

My mouth dropped open. “Kiwi,” I gasped weakly.

“Do not argue with God, mortal.” She shoved the cane into my face.

I was forced backwards from the strong hit, and I tumbled over the side of the mountain. My mouth opened as I screamed, unable to reach out and grab onto anything that might have been near me. My body was in too much pain from Nidoking’s hold. It still felt like he was gripping me.

I screamed as I tumbled down towards the trees and ground beneath me.

I screamed as I neared death.

I screamed as I accepted Team Solace’s victory.

But, worst of all, I screamed as I accepted Kiwi’s victory.

This was deeper than Team Solace.

This was a friend of mine who was now lost.

That hurt more than anything else.

The ground rose up quickly to meet me.

I closed my eyes, and screamed for the last time.

BOING!

My eyes popped open and I continued screaming, though in shock this time as I was flying back up! I came back down, and then, BOING! I was bounced back up into the air, tumbling head over heels! “Hey! What the?” Below me, I spotted a huge, shimmering pink bubble! I fell back down towards it and then, BOING! Up I went, rebounded by the bubble that jiggled as I made contact with it and spun in the air! “Aaaahh! Stop it! What’s going on?” I fell back down.

POP!

My landing was a lot harder this time around. “Aaaaaah…!” I groaned, my body aching as I hit the solid ground. I rolled over onto my side, my eyes closed tight. “What was that…?” I squinted through my eyes and moaned, but the sound was stopped entirely as I stared at a Pokemon floating above me. A shocked cry escaped my throat, and then I managed to inhale deeply, a strange noise being emitted before an even louder whimper was heard as I exhaled.

I recognized this being instantly.

I was so stunned, not a single thought went through my mind.

It was just impossible.

The pink Pokemon looked down at me from the air, its head cocked to the side.

Its long tail, similar to a Rattata’s tail, reached high above its head.

“Mew!” it cried out at me.