Chapter Text
Clay shifted in his seat, watching his other counterparts remain equally speechless, deep underground in Nacrene's Gym with the rest of Interpol. Among the agents were two familiar faces, that being Minato and White who demonstrated their powers to the rest of the group. Aside from this, materials of the official Team Plasma meeting were scattered across the table as several slideshows were presented on screen by Blake.
"So your sayin' not only are Plasma a threat to us, but now they got super powers too?" The tycoon said in disbelief, his voice holding a disgruntled tone.
"We cannot deny that reality now that we have witnessed it for ourselves." Drayden said, sighing to himself. This matter had started as a minor inconvenience that would soon escalate to a full blown war. "Powers or not, I doubt we can't handle them if we prepare properly."
"I'm not surprised after what happened with Honedge." Lenora gave a sly smile, now seeing the full picture. Minato tried to look away but couldn't escape the room's scrutiny, "I was impressed by your resolve to tame it."
"Uhh…I had some trouble at first." The bluenette replied sheepishly.
"Really? You should tell us how it happened." Skyla teased, when Blake interrupted their casual banter.
"The meeting will take place tomorrow so I expect everyone here to play their role as instructed." He concluded the session, causing everyone to disperse. Some went back to their hotels to muse, others chose to battle against each to prepare. White and Minato stayed behind, both with their own thoughts.
"Are you sure you want me to do this?" Minato voiced his concern, handing over a bag of items to the superintendent.
"I have to prepare for all types of scenarios, including the unexpected." Blake took the items, instructing them to be disturbed to the rest of Interpol.
"Will these items really work? They look pretty plain." White checked the item created to prevent charm.
"They should. I can't say what Plasma will have up their sleeves tho."
"Then they should be enough. I evacuated the entire Gym area and placed this part of the city under tight lock down."
"There are still people around, the coffee shops are still open." Buildings were still inhabited, streets were still bustling with pedestrians as people and pokemon went on about their daily commutes. Construction sites were still operating and Pokemon Centers were still treating the wounded as if nothing was amiss.
Blake pulled up a map, "See this entire area we are in? I've ordered a full evacuation order and replaced all the residents here with our agents. Anyone you see within these parameters are a part of us." What was more, was how the residents were either moved to the outskirts or relocated to other settlements under the guise of a large gas leak investigation. Ever since the Castelia bombing, utility lines around the region were being checked for safety.
"You were able to pull this off within a few days?" Minato asked, impressed.
"We could have done it in under one if it was an emergency."
Upon the rising of the morning sun, tall shadows flowed into the city, gliding through the empty streets. In the presence of a robed man led by a dozen soldiers, strong pokemon by their side. Flags waved in the tense winds, bearing the logo of the infamous Plasma Emblem, tearing across the sky.
"They don't like that they're willing to come in peace." Looker zoomed in with a pair of binoculars, Gengar stalking the Plasma knights from the darkness. Among the militaristic parade, Ghetsis stood in the middle, surrounding himself with his men, echoing that of a protective formation during times of war. The letter Plasma had sent had implied they were willing to negotiate but reality as they had anticipated was much more different.
Minato closed in with his own binoculars, eyes narrowing at the presence of Ryoji among the crowd. His 'friend' confidently trailing behind Ghetsis like it was the most natural in the world. The bluenette was worried, and soon enough he would receive his answer. "I'll take care of Ryoji just as we discussed."
"I don't see Black anywhere…" White said in disappointment, knowing the Grand Sage had done something to her brother. What was worse was the news of that Shadow copy disappearing the day Ghetsis arrived in Nacrene. Although the matter failed to surprise anyone at Interpol due to Plasma's recent tricks.
"I know how it must be to miss a loved one, White. Which is why we have to get through this." Looker encouraged, giving her a sympathetic look.
"We'll get him back…" Minato assured, seeing the Plasma parade finally entering the building, being greeted by Interpol staff.
Once everyone settled down, two groups of people bore at each other from either side with only a table separating them in the middle. Their bloodlust silently brewing in the background as beads of sweat formed from the confrontation. A palpable silence covered the meeting room. Ghetsis gazed smugly at the equally confident Looker while being flanked either side by a persona user. Minato's brow furrowed at Ryoji who accepted his silent challenge.
Finally, Ghetsis broke the silence.
"Greetings agent Looker. My name is Ghetsis Harmonia, a humble servant of our King. Today, we of Team Plasma come in peace." Words as sweet honey escaped his mouth, his voice mimicking the genuine mask of honesty.
"It's my pleasure to receive such honorable guests. I see you are already familiar with my line of work?" Looker challenged the older man, "As per the message of yours, I assume you are fully prepared for what's to come?"
No one spoke, both sides remained still. Then Ghetsis smiled "Yes. I believe we have the resources to acquire such an item. We at Plasma are overjoyed at the Dark Stone's discovery. Your scripted news report was practically an invitation to us, was it not?"
Looker cursed inwardly, Ghetsis's intel must have been top notch to even find out Interpol had deliberately leaked the discovery on public television. A tiny, one minute report among a sea of celebrity gossip and daily occurrences was enough to catch the organization's attention.
"If you already know about that, then I suppose there is no need for us to entertain this play any longer." Dropping his act, the Plasma knights behind Ghetsis immediately sprung into action, grabbing their pokeballs. They threw the items but nothing happened, the pokemon were locked inside their capsules as a sudden panic formed on their faces.
"My pokeball, why isn't it working?"
"Lord Ghetsis!" Another one called out, but the Sage remained calm as ever.
"Our radios are jammed too!"
"What's wrong? Can't fight back as you'd like?" Looker sent his Genger behind the knights, dragging two of them into a dark portal before disappearing.
"I see you have installed interference devices." Ghetsis said calmly, "Clever play, I must say. Give that brat of a superintendent of yours my regards." He signaled with his hand for Ryoji to act, the moment the knight stepped towards the table was when Minato charged ahead, grabbing him by the collar before teleporting them both away.
"And now you are out another ace of yours." The Interpol officer commented, "We've also been dealing with the rest of your grunts outside too. If I were you, I would surrender to our demands before things truly fall apart."
"Heh, ha…hahaha."
Hearing the Sage chuckle, Looked tensed along with the rest of his agents.
"Do you really think it would take this little to stop me?" He snapped his finger, a dark shadow rose from his form, a multi headed dragon oozing an ominous black manifested from nothingness.
"Rawarrrrrrre!" Letting out an inhuman growl, its call was distorted beyond human understanding, ripping through the eardrums of all in the room.
"Ackk!" Clenching his head, Looker paled at the beast before him. A multi headed hydra that resembled a Hydreigon, yet was far too twisted beyond recognition. Dozens of heads sprouted from its main body as the faces of the creature were caught between form and shadow. Its body a grotesque chimera of multiple creatures, no longer resembling anything alive. Red eyes sprouted all over its form, as dark tentacles wreathed, forming its wings.
"Charm them." A wave of warm energy traveled across the area, forcing Looker to snap in and out reality as the item he wore around his neck, repelling the spell. Clenching his chest, he halved, his heart wildly beating at the mind numbing attack when Ghetsis sighed, directly the dragon monster to tear off the officer's head.
Launching one tentacle, the beast tried to stab Looker when it was countered by the blade of his mega Gallade, who barely blocked the attack, being blown by the sheer force of the dragon.
"Frankly, you have the devil's luck." Ghetsis smirked, enjoying the desperate moment.
"You won't get away with this, Ghetsis!" Holding his ground, Looker tightened his fists, his pokemon supporting him.
The Grand Sage shook his head, "Such arrogance, I'll have my pet wipe all of you here and now-!"
"Zekrom now!"
Bolts of lighting descended from the heavens, charring away the roof of the museum as the very earth shook from below. Dark wings glided across the skies before striking the hydra summon, torching it in an ear splitting screech.
"What the hell?!" Taken aback Ghetsis reeled back, countering by letting the creature unleash a torrent of darkness at the dragon, but the attack surprisingly passed through Zekrom. Once again, the legendary unleashed another torrent of white lighting, slamming down dull force on the hydra, burying it under a mountain of rubble.
"We didn't say the Dark Stone was still in our possession, now did we?" Looker snarked, a pair of Regis coming to his aid from the back, busting down the wall. A dozen other pokemon were already stationed, their mouths glowing at the formation of hundreds of hyper beams, aimed at the Grand Sage.
"You and you! Go and take care of those worms!" Pointing at the two remaining Plasma Knights who remained oddly silent, their bodies started to melt, morphing into a dark snowman and a floating specter. Blackfrost blew a flurry of icy winds, merging with Pyrojack's furious flames, forming a tornado that clashed head on with the brilliant hyper beams of the pokemon, each side pushing for domaniace.
"Hold the line everyone! You're doing great!" Looker shouted at the pokemon who held on in the incoming pressure, Zekrom releasing more and more electricity, pinning the Hydra from its pile of rubble. The two fought tooth and nail with the legendary smashing its claws into the creature's multiple heads as it bit and nawed at the black dragon in an oncoming battle.
"What the hell are you doing?! Get those weakling bastards! Aren't you supposed to be superior to those pokemon?!" Ghetsis screamed at the creatures slowly being pushed back by the pokemon closing in. A Snorlax blocked an oncoming shard of ice for a Tyranitar who fell back in the formation, when another took its place. Its place was taken by an Exploud forming another golden light in its mouth, merging its attack with several others to cancel another tornado by the jackbros.
"Just because you think you have the better firepower doesn't mean our unity won't give us the victory by the end of the day!" Looker fought back, "Gallade! Close Combat on that floating fire one!" His pokemon sped forth, dashing through the chaos, its bladed arms glowed a blinding white, descending on the Pyrojack as it was distracted by the other pokemon, slashing at its eye, slamming it against Ghetsis.
"You son of a bitch-?!" Screaming, the Sage tossed away the fallen creature before calling forth another row of soldiers, throwing vials of ichor on the ground. A chained dog with demonic green eyes formed, along with others, charging at the pokemon in the incoming clash. "Go you filth! Go and kill them all and bring me Zekrom!"
Explosions rang out from the city like fireworks with hundreds of Team Plasma knights clashing with agents of Interpol all over the area. From barricading themselves in buildings to form a strong hold, to air battles where flying types challenged each other for air superiority.
At the same time…
Minato grabbed Ryoji, teleporting him away to another place before stopping a punch with his fist by the unruly knight.
"Fast reaction time." He commented, before pushing the bluenetter away. "So where are we now, hm?" He observed a sea of blinking lights, tinkling like stars among a vast mist like ocean.
"A place you can't escape." Minato said matter of fact, snapping his fingers to summon Kali. "And a place where I want you to explain yourself." The sea was primarily used as a storage facility along his journey, once Minato had figured out its value, it became one of his most valuable secrets. Since the space was near infinite, it made sense to use it as a battle ground or a private space for discussions away from prying eyes.
"That's quite the clever trick you have…" Ryoji brought his dark sword, mirroring Minato's own weapon with Honedge.
"Still, I never imagined you'd go this far to invite me into your soul."
"This was a last resort. Now that no one's listening, I can finally get the truth from you." The Messiah demanded, "I don't want to hurt you so it's better if we can come to a mutual understanding, Ryoji."
Minato watched his friend's expression twist, morphing into a face of disgust.
"You really wanna know?" Gathering a gale of darkness around him, speeding towards the Messiah, Death clashed blades with Minato. Sparks flew, digging his heel into the floor, Kali sliced her many blades downwards when she was interrupted by an ominous blade to her abdomen. Minato's eyes widened as Thanatos emerged from Ryoji's shadow, screeching to the skies. Then, a shadowy claw slid from Ryoji's scarf for Minato's neck but was slapped away by a gust of wind.
"Wootbat woo!" Woobat emerged from the sea, yanking Mimikyu out of its hiding spot, the two tumbling away from the humans. Darkrai grasped a dark orb in its claws, firing it at Minato, yet Deino intercepted it with a ray of light, throwing the nightmare pokemon off balance.
"Thanks guys! I owe you one!" Twisting Honedge around in his hand, it morphed into Ken's lance, as Minato thrusted the weapon at Ryoji who leapt back. Thanatos went with him, soon being charged by Kali who pushed back in a blinding rage, matching blades with the death god in a furious, swords dance that sent shockwaves across the sea.
"We can do this all day." Shifting gears once more, Honedge changed into a bow, firing off a slew of arrows, which left Ryoji to sidestep a variety of attacks aimed for his hands, legs, and feet.
"I wouldn't be so kind, Messiah." Death disappeared from the space, when Minato felt frost rush down his spine, spinning around, Ryoji surrounded his fist in s bright almighty energy, smashing into Minato as the bluenette shouted for two of personas. Time froze, a shimmering barrier erected seconds before Ryoji could land his blow, the impossible infinity shield formed just in time for an earth shattering explosion to rattle the subspace.
"Tch! I thought you couldn't use fusion spells!" Ryoji cursed, Thanatos pounding on the shield, throwing its fists to crack it.
"So you knew…" The more Minato interacted with this 'Ryoji' the more he began to understand his character. It was true that he lost his ability to cast fusion spells in the real world, but in his own sea, he was able to summon freely just as he had dealt with Honedge. With this in mind, how did his 'friend' know of a weakness he had never voiced to anyone?
"And you probably lied about being powerless too, didn't you?" He teleported out of the barrier, above Ryoji where he swapped into Helel and Satan. "Let's see if my theory about you is true then…" The two entities surrounded him as a bell tolled from far away.
Beads of sweat formed on Ryoji's face, his expression twisting once more when he copied Minato's previous move, erecting his own infinity barrier to save himself from the blue flames scorching the area. His opponent mirrored his movements almost exactly as when the shield faded, Ryoji threw his sword at Minato who dodged before having Woobat deflect the weapon with its powerful winds. The bat flew to its trainer's side after fighting with Mimikyu who also returned. This made Ryoji pull out a different silhouetted sword from a portal.
"The same as me huh…?" Minato's eye twitched, now his guess was even more on the mark, yet he didn't have time to think when Darkrai emerged from his shadow, locking him in place with its claws, letting Ryoji close distance to stab him in the right shoulder, but in return he received an equally nasty leg gash from Honedge driving itself into the boy.
"Woobat woooo!?" Angrily flapping its wings, a massive torrent of green erupted from Woobat, cutting Darkrai loose, Deino chomping into its side, forcing it back. Taking this chance, Minato dove for Ryoji, driving a left hook into his face, pulling at his yellow scarf until it was loose, tossing it aside.
"You don't deserve this! You aren't him, are you!" From the way this thing mirrored his infinity, to a similar storage portal. There was also the fact that he summoned Thanatos instead of transforming into the god instead. All this screamed the person in front of him was no more than a mere Shadow. Just as Shadow Black had copied his real self, here was another entity that not only bore Minato's face, but also shared his unique Wild Card abilities. If this were a copy or even the real Ryoji, he doubts he would have the exact same powers he did.
Suddenly, a wave of pure malice erupted from 'Ryoji', black ichor cushioned the impact of another punch from Minato, which caused him to grit his teeth in disgust when the once dark raven hair of Death started to turn a dull blue. His blue eyes lit up in an eerie yellow glow as now the face staring right back at Minato was his exact own. His Shadow smirked.
"Hello there, old friend, long time no see, right?"
He heard his own face whisper to him, enraging the Messiah even more. All and all, he had been tricked by this monster into believing his poor friend was alive. The person who deserved most a second chance, more than even he did. Ryoji was someone who had no choice in life so for him to be reborn here would have been…
"Did you like the show we put on? Ryoji wasn't a hard role to play…" Minato was caught off guard from his train of thought, the thing that spoke mocked his entire existence, mocked his best friend, and spat on the meaning of life itself. His fist shook in unbridled rage as he threw several more skull shattering fists towards the Shadow who retaliated with his fury of blows. What started out as an interrogation had escalated into a wild brawl where Minato was quickly pushing his way into a win by coating in his fists in an almighty energy, grabbing the Shadow by his arm when it lunged at him, twisting his body around before slamming him into the ground.
"…" The Messiah remained silent, his expression stern as he summoned multiple personas at once. Micheal was charging up an almighty spell with Helel assisting along with several others. The sea gave Minato the freedom to let out all his personas and surround the Shadow, assuring its destruction. At the same time, it struggled to summon an infinity barrier, but every time it tried, Minato would kill off the personas required.
"Wow, you really are cold blooded. Not even showing mercy to your opponent, oh great Messiah?" His twin mocked, "truly, maybe we really are alike…"
"Shut up," Minato snapped, "If I let you live, you'll only cause even more damage to this world." For a brief moment he caught a glimpse of Mimikyu, he felt sorry for the pokemon for having such a messed up trainer. He couldn't forgive that evil god for creating such a monster. The way he tried to kill him in cold blood in front of White and the way he played everyone's hearts to his whims. No doubt 'Ryoji' was now a core character in some people's lives and taking away this fake would hurt them as much as missing the real deal, however, Minato knew the truth. In reality, the boy named Ryoji never existed in this world and so he was about to correct that mistake.
"Then you'll be labeled a murderer in their eyes," laughed the Shadow, a wide grin spread across his face. "I am thou and thou art I. No one will know the real truth even if you told them you know?" His twin stopped struggling, now cackling up a storm, ecoching across the sea. Truly, what a cruel joke this was, he was going to force a Messiah to commit a grave sin. The blasphemy brought joy to the mimic's rotten heart as he loathed his other self. Just as Mimikyu hated Pikachu, this Shadow was the darkness to Minato's light.
"I will bear the sin of my actions," Minato said somber, driving his blade into the Shadow's hand, black ichor spewing out of the wound, "And do anything to protect everyone in this new world." Just as he saved all of humanity before, the Messiah had no room for error.
With the snap of a finger, the real Thanatos appeared behind Minato in an ominous howl. The persona threw up its blades, stabbing them downwards toward the Shadow before shaking the entire subspace in a blinding white flash. The shear force alone evaporated everything around it leaving nothing behind.
Back in the real world, Ghetsis hid behind the last line of defense around his army, shouting for them to hold the line when Looker eventually broke through with his team of pokemon. The Regis took care of the bigger foes, leaving the smaller pokemon to assist the others. Smoke billowed out from the museum as Zekrom was able to crush the Hydra beast under its claws, releasing occasional bolts of lighting to fend off whoever came close. When morning became evening, the dust began to settle, with the Grand Sage now backed into a corner, using what little he had left to defend himself.
"Damn you useless bastards!" He shouted, absolutely pathetic. His plans for the Dark stone were now up in flames, and he was cut off from communications from the Castle. Backing away from the encroaching police, he tried to run but Gallade was able to tackle him to the ground, while Looker yanked at his robe. Desperately, Ghetsis scratched and kicked but to no avail as Interpol had caught off his every escape route.
"Ghetsis Harmonia! You are under arrest for conspiring to overthrow the Unovian government and treason against the region!" Looker pinned the man down, the only hope he had left was if 'he' showed up, but what were the odds? He grew greedy, then overconfident, so sure of his victory that he acted out of line.
"Get off of me you dirty scum! I will not yield to your demands!" He kicked up the rubble around him, trying to shake free when their struggle crawled to a halt as sky above lit up in a burst of bright flames, followed up by a mighty roar.
"Rwarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"
Everyone's eyes widened, Looker shook at the energy being produced by the creature above, its regal majesty dwarfing anything he's seen this side. Pure angelic wings flapped, accompanied by a flaming tail and golden rings. A Reshiram with burning red eyes descended from the heavens, its presence halted all combat with a commanding call.
"My god…is that..?" Looker was speechless, his officers all craned their heads upwards in awe. "But the Light stone-!" He was sure it was still back in Black City, so how did this Reshiram appear? Suddenly, he received a call from his police phone of an emergency: code red.
"Haha! They're here! They're here, you'll all pay for what you did to me!" Ghetsis shouted. Covered in dirt, the once regal Sage resembled a madman as he bowed down to the beast, seeing the two figures on top. One was a tall, bespectacled man with flowing brown hair, and another was Black in a Plasma knight uniform.
"Cease this clown feast at once." Pressure like never before crashed down on everyone, forcing them all to their knees. A sudden chill crawled up their spines as human and pokemon both confronted all the evils of the collective. Some breaking down in fear, others consumed by their own anxieties vomited at the god's presence.
"My lord! I welcome you!" Ghetsis voiced, absolutely insane, "These pests dared to inference with your plans for the Dark stone! I, your humble servant, have tried my best to order fools but as you can see they were quite persistent!"
The man scoffed, "I have better to do than worry about some petty squabble. You are a failure if you think any of this is worthwhile. Still…there are some things here that interest me." The god shot a glance at Zekrom who soon distorted, undoing Lizzy's illusion, revealing the dragon to be White and the little Zoura teaming up together.
"Hey! What gives!" The girl shouted at being cast out in the open.
"That wasn't Zekrom?!" Ghetsis said flabbergasted, which meant he was tricked big time.
"Let's see…if I wanted the Dark stone, I would have looked here."
Black wordlessly tossed down the unconscious body of Blake, bleeding from the head. The Plasma knight held the real Dark stone in his hand.
"S-superintendent!?" Looker hurried over to the boy, thankfully he was still breathing, now he understood why his phone had blared a code red, as that meant Blake was either dead or incapacitated from guarding the stone.
"Boss is still alive, you know? I didn't kill him." Black shrugged after he had forcefully blasted Blake's entire stronghold.
"How can you do this, Black?! Are you really siding with Plasma?!" Looker looked up at the emotionless teenager, his face unreadable. "After all they did back in Castelia?" the older man begged and pleaded for an answer, yet none came. The lives lost back there must have meant nothing to him. Over a dozen people and pokemon, buried alive.
Wordlessly, the former agent shook his head. There was a look of guilt in his eyes however, he refused to speak of the matter anymore. Instead, everyone's attention was drawn back to the ominous man from before. Looker shuddered, his entire body trembling, just being in the mere presence of this other worldly entity made him want to vomit. His pokemon beside him also cowering in the background.
Just as he bore into the gods eyes, the abyss responded back, ready to snatch his soul from this plane of existence. And then the eldritch being spoke, " You all have wasted my time in this petty squabble. The people of this world are truly incapable of putting on a good show. Not even that Messiah of yours is giving me any hopes. Which is why I have decided to personally come and stop this fight and set a better stage."
Everyone remained silent as they were too afraid to speak up against this God.
The man waved a hand, and within a split second, the once damaged buildings of the battlefield came back together, as if they were never broken at all. Nacrene city returned to its previous state, untouched by the violence of battle, nor the horrors of war. The inhabitants, regardless of being members of Plasma or Interpol stared in shock, their eyes wide with amazement and terror. What just happened? For mere seconds ago, they were stuck in a perpetual war zone until one side fell. However, this was not to be, as all their efforts evaporated instantly like they were all sharing in a passing dream.
"This is amazing my Lord! You just performed an incredible act of mercy on these simpletons!" Ghetsis exclaimed, but he was once again shut down by the god.
"Silence! I can only tolerate-!?" Before he could finish, he slapped away a passing blade that was aimed for his head. Dark tendrils emerged from his body dripping warm ichor as he shattered the weapon into hundreds of pieces. "My, my who do we have here? Looks like the Messiah has finally arrived." He chided it in a mocking tone, every word lingering, every word visceral. For Minato stood on the other side with a yellow scarf, emerging from a portal, his eyes widening at seeing a familiar face of a foe once long dead. His fists curled knuckle white, eyes lit up in an electrifying blue, ready to skewer the god alive.
"Ikutsuki." The bluenette growled. " No, you can't be him." There was no way that man was still alive and there was no way he could've made it here to this world. The aura this current being was giving off was way too different, way too evil, too primal to the core. All the personas in his soul told to prepare himself, because the god in front of him would destroy him if he wasn't careful.
"What's wrong Messiah? Not trying to take me down here and now?" The being stretched his arms out wide, opening himself up purposely for an attack. He waited, but no response came. Minato greeted his teeth, seeing the pupils of the imposter constantly circling around to his friends and allies. He knew if engaged now, then there would be grave consequences for everyone around him. Once again, showing that his friends were his greatest weakness.
"What do you want?"
"Oh it's very simple, I just came here to stop this petty fight because I have far better plans. Care to hear them out?" The god shrugged.
"And what might they be?" Minato narrowed his eyes.
"We will resume whatever has started here at the Pokémon league, for all the world to see. Way better than ending it here in some second tier city, don't you think? Without me, this version of humanity may never know of our presence." The imposter smiled, something nasty was brewing behind his eyes. He was going to shake this world to the core.
"So you want us to reveal ourselves to the rest of the world?" If they catch Minato or anyone else summoning on camera, then it would shake the foundations of what this version of humanity knows to be true. There was no such thing as humans that could move continents or harness the powers of the elements. Those were powers only exclusive to pokemon and the creator that created the universe. Additionally, there were plenty of evil organizations trying to harness that power so there was no telling what could happen to him or White.
"Yes. It's about time to learn that we exist. Furthermore, I want you to have this as a token of our truce." From his pocket, the god tossed him a pearly white stone. Minato caught the object, shocked. Wasn't this the Light stone from Interpol's second HQ? "You should give that to your friend, I'm sure it will be of help since we already have our own Reshiram."
"Does this mean we have a deal?" The bluenette said calmly.
"For now. Later, I will send an envoy to lay out the full details. But I'm impressed that you've made a wise choice to pull back for now. Haha… I half expected you to try to blow my head off, and for that I would've given you plenty of consequences for your actions…."
Minato sat at a round table, opening up the set of demands sent by Team Plasma. Upon first inspection, the contract seemed fair, however he had a sneaking suspicion to not trust all the details.
"From what we've gathered, it seems like both sides have to lawfully go around Unova and earn all the badges to enter the League." Looker said.
"Isn't this a little too simple?" White commented. " This is what we've been doing exactly even before all this."
"Since team Plasma's goal is the Pokémon League, I'm not surprised. They even made it a clause that we can't play dirty and have to earn the badges the old-fashioned way." Minato added, their enemies likely wanted to stop them from using Interpol's authority to make exceptions.
"But why now? They could've done this earlier or at any point, and what was that person that showed up Mina? You looked like you knew him..." That, and she was bothered by the presence of her brother being so distant. She was trying to hide her disappointment, but it was slowly leaking out. After Minato's negotiation with the god, both figures had vanished, along with Reshiram.
The veteran sighed, "It's a long story, but I don't have pleasant memories of that face. However, I can confirm the being wearing his appearance was not him…but something else." Ikutsuki was someone he did not remember fondly.
"It is possible that man is from your world?" Looker asked, the lingering presence of that evil aura still clung to him as he tried to shake off its chilling touch.
At that Minato nodded. "An ally of mine told me that there was someone else here manipulating stuff from the shadows, although I have no idea who they are." The best he could surmise was that it was some unknown being that crossed barriers, just as he did to this new world. And now it was his job to take him down.
"But what we can confirm is that he knows you. Any idea how that happened?" Blake crossed his arms in a thinking pose, recovered from his bout with Black. When the scuffle ended, Minato was tasked with casting a mass Salvation on the entire Interpol roster, leading to plenty of surprised gasps.
Minato shook head, "It could have only been after my time if I had to guess."
"An enemy that has information on us but not the other way around…" Looker mused, "There's also the fact that he somehow removed the Light Stone right under our noses without setting off any alarms." They checked the camera footage from the vault, the item vanishing before their eyes, like it was teleported away without a trace. Blake sighed, already knowing it was futile to apply any logical reasoning to the situation.
"Hey, that reminds me, Mina." White said, "How did you exit your world? Like…I know you were born here but…" She failed to finish her last sentence, realizing what might have happened, her face falling. The others were just as curious, all eyes now falling on the blue haired teen.
"There's also the fact that man kept referring to you as 'The Messiah'", Blake added, eyes narrowing.
Great, that stupid god had revealed more than he thought, Minato cleared his throat, sweat dripping down his back. He was about to reveal much more of his history than he was comfortable with, "I…happened to pass away young and before I came here. As for the Messiah part…". He really didn't want to freak them out about the existence of Death, "As you all may know, the power I hold is called Persona. Before I was reborn here, I was able to summon one called Messiah. I guess that being may have known that fact and used it against me."
Looker softened, now understanding the bluenette more. "Then I hope the friends and family you have are doing well back home…"
"And due to certain factors now, I lost the ability to summon said Messiah now…" It was strange how he awoke to a hole in his soul, as if someone had taken a knife and sliced a hole through.
"Either way, we have to figure out a way to prepare and deal with Team Plasma at the League." Blake shifted the topic, "I don't want to trust the words of that man but it's worth a try. The second requirement was that we had to obtain our own Reshiram." He glanced at White who grasped the Light stone in her hands, clasping it tightly.
"I-I'm not sure how my brother did it…" Black had flown in on a Reshiram and from Looker's theories, they could only conclude it was either the product of that god, or one snatched from another world.
"Hmmm, from what I can recall, the 'Hero' would always awaken when they got to Plasma Castle." Looker said, "Although since this world is so different, I'm not sure how that will affect things." There was also the fact that he had never been in a place where both Black and White existed simultaneously, it was always one or the other but he remained silent of the fact.
"Can I see the stone for a second, White?"
"Uh, sure."
Minato took the stone, clasping in his hands, trying to feel the presence of the dragon. A subtle energy coated the sphere, surrounding it in a protective barrier. He tried to stir the being sleeping inside with his own aura but received no acknowledgement. Next, he tried to peer into its soul as he did with White, but got knocked by a heat wave. Opening up his eyes, he smiled. "This dragon is pretty stubborn."
"Makes sense if it was meant for a certain someone." Blake concluded, tossing the stone back to White, "I will assign it to you for now, agent. Make sure to do something about it before we reach the League. Shock it with your electricity if you have to."
"Hey! That's mean. Reshiram didn't do anything wrong." White begrudgingly took back the stone, already feeling something within it stir, reacting to Izagani like an egg waiting to hatch. "No wonder it didn't choose you."
"I was only being practical."
"More like making sure you'll become dragon food…"
"That's one way to awaken it."
"I was not looking for advice, sir!"
Blake chuckled, showing a bit of his playful side before he reverted back to his stoic personality. "Anyways, aside from some smaller details from the battle, Interpol has already informed the Gym leaders of your situation. They have notified us of their cooperation in the matter, as you all will travel the rest of the way and promptly show yourselves at the League."
"Wait, sir superintendent, do you mean you I'll be going with them?" Looker said surprised.
"This is an operation that concerns the fate of the entire region, field agent Looker. We will assign you as an aid to help Arisato and White deal with any obstacles along the way by order of the Police Chief." Or in other words, another way to monitor the two.
"You're coming with us old man? Nice! We can use another travel buddy." White said.
"Whatever you say, boss." Minato shrugged.
Once the meeting was over, White emerged from the building, making a call to her mother. The woman had sent her multiple texts over her X-transciver asking if her she was doing well.
"Hey mom…it's been a while." White said in a neutral tone.
"Honey! How have you been? Are you eating well? What about your pokemon friends?" Kindly, she waited for a reply, her comforting voice made the girl forget about the storm that was brewing in the distance.
White faked a chiper tone, raising her voice up high, "Yea! We're doing great, mom. When I come home, I have a few pokemon to show you. I've earned a few badges too."
"That's great White. Professor Juniper says she's been keeping track of the amount of pokemon you've all encountered and her research has been going great because of you all."
"I'm glad to have helped…." Usually, she would have more to say to her mother, so much to tell her about her journey, yet White couldn't find the words to describe any of her experiences so far. Half of it was buried in trauma and another remained confidential due to her new job at Interpol.
The line remained silent for a minute before her mother spoke up again, "Honey, if you have anything you're concerned about, you can always talk with me." Her last words sounded strained, as if she instinctively knew there was something bothering her daughter.
"Umm, it's nothing mom. We've just run into a rough patch traveling."
"Are you sure, White? Do you need any help?" Her mother gingerly pushed.
White held in her feelings, choosing not to burden the women anymore than she did. Growing up, she had worked two jobs and supported both her and brother through school. When her father passed, she stepped up to carry the weight of the world as a parent. "I'll figure it out as I go mom, Minato's there to help too."
"I know Cheren told me everyone had to split up for the journey ahead. I hope it wasn't because of an argument."
"Don't worry mom, we're still on good terms. In fact, I'm excited to meet everyone back up at the Pokemon League." White's heart dropped, knowing what was to come.
"Well I'm glad you all are still friends. Since I have more time than before, I've been thinking of visiting either you or your brother."
"Oh…sure. Maybe you can even watch me battle mom. Me and Gigi have grown a lot." White held in her tears.
"I'm sure you'll do great honey. But that reminds me, I've been trying to call Black for a while now. He hasn't answered his X-transciver, and when I try to contact his school, they've been busy. Can you try messaging him?"
"Ok, I'll ask him what's going on…"
White agreed on the phone, having a few more pieces of small talk with her mother before hanging up.
Rosa searched through the hallways of the Castle, a new tray of cupcakes in her hands. "Hi, have you seen Ryoji?" She asked a group of colleagues, they shook their heads as she moved onto the next group.
"Hey!"
"Hello!"
The twin-tailed group was helped by Snivy who also went around asking the resident pokemon to no avail. By the time the two regrouped again, they had searched the entirety of the Castle.
"Any clues, Snivy?" Rosa pouted.
"Sni, snivy." The green snake shrugged, unsure.
"Awww, looks like we're clueless. I wonder if Lord Ghetsis knows." The more she looked around, the more she felt people trading worried glances between each other. Some avoided eye contact, while others acted like they were uncomfortable with the topic.
"Excuse me, sir?" Rosa went up to a security guard but the man shook his head before she could utter a word.
"I'm sorry…"
"Ummm, ok…?" She was unsure of how to respond, the man had a gloomy face of exhaustion.
"Rosa!"
"Mom?" Her mother emerged from a gathering crowd, holding a bouquet of white flowers. "Who are those flowers for? Are we holding some sort of special occasion?" Strange, Lord N and the Sages usually preferred colorful flower arrangements, so why all white?
"Rosa, come here please…" The woman gently beckoned, "You and Snivy should take a bouquet too." She gave way to reveal a table of chrysanthemums, her tone somber.
"Aren't these…?" Finally, Rosa recognized what type of flowers these were and her heart dropped. She held them tight in her hands, unsure of what to say next. "Mom…who are these for?"
The woman took a deep breath, "Please don't be alarmed Rosa…I'm sorry…"
Pure white flower petals spilled to the floor as Rosa's heart froze at the picture framed before her on the table. In the grand hall, she was surrounded by hundreds of Plasma members and pokemon in mourning. Ryoji's photo was placed at the center with a coffin laid at the center. Sage Ghetsis stood sadly with their King atop a stage.
"Members of Team Plasma, we gather here today to humbly honor one of our own." The deep spoke in deep sorrow, a Mimikyu by his side. Hundreds gazed up at the Sage, their hearts sharing in a collective pain.
"Is…is that…" Rosa's body shook, her knees weak.
"I know I have preached the evils of humanity in the past, however we cannot forget that our proud organization is also made up of both human and pokemon alike." Ghetsis continued, "Even if we set out to achieve a separated paradise, not even I can deny that it is through our collective efforts to obtain such a distant dream. Which is why I have come to announce we have indeed procured the Dark stone…but at a great cost." He turned to the closed coffin decorated in streaks of gold and white marble. "I'm afraid we have also lost a valuable member of our family during the operation."
A few gasps rang out in the crowd, whispers and rumors ran wild in the grand camber. Rosa hugged Snivy, shaking.
"He was a knight to our King, a fine son to his parents, a friend to many, and most of all, someone who fought for justice. Ryoji Mochizuki was someone to be admired for his efforts, yet here he lies, departed from this world from our fierce struggle with the enemy."
"Is that true…?" A woman conversed among her friends.
"I heard he was done in by…" A teenager whispered.
"Members of Team Plasma!" Ghetsis pressed a hand to his chest in a heartfelt speech, stepping into the spotlight. "Can I ask if what was done to our fellow brethren was just?! Can I ask how much blood we have to shed to achieve our utopia?! To have the outside world come down on us like this, to hunt and kill us for our beliefs just because we rebel against their wretched systems?
"No!
"Fuck them!"
"They're the ones in the wrong!" The masses cheered, their cries reverating across the hollow chambers of the Castle in a choir of rage.
Ghetsis nodded, "I acknowledge your sorrows my fellow Team Plasma, and I too fear in my heart of losing another, as an attempt was also made on my life as well. Which is why I urge all of you to protect your fellow members, show compassion to the person next to you, as well as supporting those around you. Because if we disappear, then what will happen to the poor pokemon that need saving? What will befall those creatures that need a helping hand from those who abuse them?"
"Lord Ghetsis almost died too?"
"I didn't know humans could be this cruel…"
"W-who would do such a thing…?" Rosa was comforted by her mother and Snivy, sobbing. "He was such a kind person.."
Rising from his throne, N addressed his audience in a booming voice, "My dear subjects, as your King I must apologize for the death of our fellow member." He bowed his head, causing many to be taken aback. "Since I am your ruler, I must take responsibility for this matter. I will personally work with our intelligence team to take down the people responsible! Our negotiations with the International Police may have ended in disaster, however this has only revealed the amount of corruption these outsiders have engaged in to protect their own! The killer of my knight remains at large, and is still walking freely among the police force. Which is why, I vow that once I awaken Zekrom and bring our ideals to this world, I will also bring these so-called Police to true justice!"
"Yea! We want justice!"
"Screw Interpol! They're the real hypocrites!"
"All hail Lord N!"
"All hail!"
"All hail our Lord!" Cheers of anger and frustration erupted from the chamber as thousands raised their fists in the air at the injustice committed by the outside world. Both people and pokemon were caught in the fervent madness surging within the castle, their emotions driven to the limits. Hypnotized by flowery words and visions of an ideal future, they began to lose grasp with their current reality.
And as the mob intensified, they failed to notice the dark smirk on Ghetsis's face, nor the empty coffin he had prepared.
In the office of the Police Chief, the man played judge, jury, andsentencer, burning a pile of documents with a lighter, throwing away the scraps. The cold light of the morning flooded in, illuminating the three figures at the center. Blake stood at attention next to the Police Chief as Minato received his sentencing.
"Minato Arisato, I absolve you of all charges here and forth of the murder of that…Shadow." Word spoken casually and with little care in the world, Interpol had sought to destroy all evidence of the bluenette's responsibility.
"Thank you, Chief." Minato responded, somber. He had revealed to his superiors what truly happened in the Sea, with his decision to kill the imposter. Furthermore, he relayed how the real Ryoji wasn't even there to begin with. A certain tinge of pain still stabbed at him at the betrayal, but there was also a silent anger brewing inside at the trickery.
"That thing wasn't even human to begin with, we shouldn't be doing this." Blake snarked.
"Now, now, superintendent. We have to file away records for a reason. Less the powers that be call for an audit, we'll just paint the entire situation as an accident."
"The only account we have is from an officer in an impossible place and there is no body to speak of. I have no doubts that Ghetsis will try to use this to blame us and radcalize his cult further." Blake and the rest of Interpol already knew what they would do, Team Plasma was ready to label every single one of them as murderers for the Shadow's death.
"I assume you were already aware of the consequences of your actions, Arisato?"
Minato nodded at the Police Chief's question, "Yes, I weighed the pros and cons of the Shadow's survival and ultimately decided on the outcome with great consideration for Unova's future."
"I see, then I suppose I will trust you on our judgements for now. Considering the previous Shadow of Black was able to do significant damage, I assume if you had this Shadow live-"
"Then there would have been even greater loss of life, sir." The veteran finished. "Shadows are beings likely created by that being I negotiated with. They hold tremendous powers if left unchecked and this one in particular…was extremely concerning."
"If that's the case Arisato, I will thank you for your services on behalf of Interpol."
"Is that all, sir?" Minato rose from his seat.
"One more thing, Arisato." The Police Chief handed him a new document, the boy's eyes widened at the contents.
Blake stepped forward, "Agent Arisato, as we acknowledge your value and judgment to our organization, we at Interpol hereby grant you future permission of the extermination of any Shadow, or otherworldly threat actors at your discretion. Regardless they be human or creature."
Ah, this was new Minato thought with a sweat drop. These people had essentially given him a license to kill. There was no telling where this would lead…
Somewhere in another world, in another time.
Goro Akechi inspected the crime scene, playing the role of a perfect detective. Carefully avoiding the caution tape wrapped around the hotel, he would just have to read off his script and be done with this place by the afternoon. Behind him, he could hear the forensics team bagging up the victim's belongings in clear plastic bags, no doubt disposing of the evidence later under Shido's command.
Another murder had been carried out in secret by the brunette, another person silenced against his plan. Perhaps he felt bad for his victims once, but his mind was now too far gone to have any remorse. Akechi had already sunk himself into a hell he could never hope to escape and so he played along, digging himself deeper, all for the sake of getting rid of his father.
"Hey, can anyone help out team B?" He heard his colleagues call, the police were short a few heads this morning. He saw a seasoned officer volunteer breaking away from the larger forensics unit to the smaller one focused on only the living room. They were a recent transfer from another city, filling a temporary vacancy after Shido's purge of the police force. Those who refused to take bribes were sacked by the superintendent and the ones that remained became the loyal dogs of their faction. Safe to say, this newbie was a part of that crowd.
Goro Akechi ignored his team in favour of a sudden call from his work phone, picking it up, his mood soon shifted to an annoyed scowl. Hiding away his displeasure, he stepped outside to calm down, taking in the fresh air. Shido's voice sounded from the other side, far more irritated than normal, which made him grimace. To make it worse, the man had told him to pull back on the amount of mental shutdowns as they were slowly being encroached on by outside eyes.
From a corner, the same senior officer hid away, observing the detective. Unlike his colleagues who enrolled and worked in Tokyo all their lives, Tatsuya Suou gathered evidence on the mental shut downs for the Kirijos.
Akira handed a large envelope to a TV producer before exiting the room. He was alone when he was stopped in the hallway by Akechi. The same detective prince that had starred in the talk show he had seen just thirty minutes ago. While everyone had left the TV station, the Fool had stayed behind to conduct some business, when they bumped each other.
"Why if it isn't you again. I have to thank you for the debate on air." Akechi greeted, noting the student had stayed behind after everyone else had left.
"I'm Akira Kurusu." The Fool reached out for a handshake, "my opinion on the matter still stands." He had packed a bit of snark in his voice, earning a chuckle from the detective.
"Well, aren't you confident? As you may already know, I am Goro Akechi, a detective currently with the Tokyo metropolitan police." His mask slipped for a brief moment, some about Akira irked him.
"There are many forms of justice in this world view detective. You merely embody a different world view than the Phantom Thieves."
"Interesting as always. Although as much as I want to stay for another discussion, I must save it for another time." Akechi replied politely as he could, then gave a slight nod to Akira. "And it appears someone wants to speak with you more urgently than I do." The same TV producer peaked his head out from the room, gesturing for Akira to come back.
"Kurusu, was it? Your writing shows great potential. I've called the director and we're interested in purchasing the story from you."
Hearing this, Akira smirked. "Right away, sir. I'm humbled by your enthusiasm. For a brief moment, Akechi could have sworn he was hit with a wave of sudden nausea, disappearing as quickly as it had come. Chucking it up to his work exhaustion, he hid his weakness. Instead, he waved them goodbye.
With haste, the two disappeared deep into the studio, leaving the detective to make his way to the entrance. However, little did he know the conversation he just heard would alter the flow of history.