Chapter 641: Curiosity
~Third POV~
[Unova Region, Next Day, Castelia City – Battle Court]
The morning sun over Castelia City did not so much rise as it did shatter against the glass-and-steel monoliths that defined the Unova Region's heart. From the vantage point of the Battle Court, the city looked like a gears-and-cogs machine, breathing steam and pulsing with the rhythmic footsteps of millions.
Azure stood at the center of the court, the salt-tinged breeze from the harbor ruffling his hair. Beside him, the air seemed to shimmer with the presence of his team. Pikachu sat perched on his shoulder, ears twitching at the cacophony of the city, while Pichu (Mew)—tightly tucked into his jacket—shifted slightly.
It was a chaotic scene, but an organized one.
To his left, Black was in the middle of a heated exchange with his Munna, Musha. Black's voice was as loud as ever, his eyes burning with a nine-year-old dream that showed no signs of flickering, as he shouted, "Focus, Musha! If we're going to beat Burgh, we need to anticipate the Bug-type speed!"
White, meanwhile, was huddled in a corner of the court with a clipboard, her brow furrowed. She wasn't looking at move-sets, but at logistics. She exclaimed, "If we set the stage here, the lighting from the skyscrapers will hit the Pokémon Musical performers at a forty-five-degree angle… Gigi! Stop practicing Ember on the equipment!"
Her Tepig, Gigi, oinked apologetically but looked toward Azure's team with a spark of competitive fire that hadn't been there a week ago. The court was crowded today. Not just with his usual companions, but with the "VIPs."
Roxie, the future Poison-type Gym Leader, was tapping out a rhythm on her bass guitar case. Crispin and Amarys from Blueberry Academy were observing the sparring matches with clinical precision, while Nemona—an old friend and business partner of Azure's father—was practically vibrating with the urge to battle.
Nemona called out, her voice cutting through the din, "Azure! Are you sure you don't want to go one round? My Pawmot is literally begging for it!"
Azure's Arc Phone vibrated in his pocket, and Rotom's face popped up on the screen, floating beside his head, and chimed in, "Bzzzzt! Alert! Alert! User Azure's heart rate is slightly elevated! Social anxiety detected! Too many people! Too many people!"
Azure sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He muttered, "Not now, Rotom. And Nemona, maybe later. I'm helping Black and White get their footing first."
He looked out toward the spectator stands. Because of his status as a four-time League Champion and the man who had stopped the Grand Meteor Delta, he couldn't go anywhere in secret for long. Hundreds of people were pressed against the railings, their eyes wide and starry. They whispered his name, pointing at his rare Pokémon, their gazes heavy with expectations. Azure thought, 'Too many eyes. It's like being under a microscope.'
*Thump*
Suddenly, the air around Azure grew ten degrees colder. A thick, oppressive shadow stretched out from his feet, though the sun was directly overhead. From the darkness, a pair of glowing blue eyes flickered momentarily.
Azure thought, feeling the Legendary's protective instinct: 'Darkrai.'
Darkrai didn't emerge, but he didn't need to. He released a wave of pressure. It wasn't enough to hurt anyone, but the crowd suddenly felt a wave of inexplicable unease. People began to stumble, their faces turning pale. Crispin asked, wiping sweat from his brow, "Whoa, is it me, or did it just get really heavy in here?"
The crowd began to disperse, people complaining of sudden dizziness, sudden pressure, or a 'bad vibe' from the court. Within minutes, the spectator area was nearly empty. Azure let out a long, relieved breath.
He whispered to the ground, "Thanks, Darkrai."
A voice echoed in his mind—the deep, somber telepathy of the Shadow Pokémon, 'They are loud. Rest, My Lord. I will keep the perimeter.'
Azure walked over to the stone benches near the edge of the court to sit. His head was spinning from the sensory overload of Castelia. He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment, listening to the sounds of Black's Tepig colliding with a practice dummy.
*Thud—Sizzle*
But his peace was short-lived. A sound pierced through the ambient noise of the city—a high-pitched, ragged sobbing. Azure opened his eyes. A few yards away, near a decorative hedge, sat a small child. He looked no older than five, wearing a tattered cap and clutching his knees. He was bawling, his shoulders shaking with every sob.
Azure frowned. He looked around.
The few people left in the plaza were walking right past the boy, distracted by their device feeds or their own Pokémon. Azure wondered, 'Why is no one helping him?'
*Hummm*
Then, he focused his vision. He didn't just use his eyes; he tapped into his Aura. The world turned a translucent blue. He saw the life force of his friends—Black's was a roaring fire, White's a steady, organized hum. Then, he looked at the child.
The child didn't have a human aura. Instead, the silhouette was small, quadrupedal, and wreathed in a mischievous, dark purple energy.
Azure realized, 'Zorua. N's Zorua.'
He recognized the aura signature from their brief encounter in Accumula Town. The "child" was a clever illusion, designed to lure people in for a prank or perhaps to scout for N.
Azure could hear the "child's" thoughts through his Aura—they weren't cries of sadness, but giggles of anticipation: 'Hehe, let's see if this big-shot human falls for it. I'll snatch his hat while he's trying to comfort me!'
Azure smirked. He stood up and walked over, his boots clicking rhythmically against the pavement.
*Clack-Clack-Clack*
Azure said, his voice dripping with faux concern, "Hey there, little guy…"
He knelt a few feet away. And continued, "Are you lost? What's your name?"
The boy looked up, his eyes big and watery. He whimpered, "I… I can't find my daddy…"
Azure said, suppressing a laugh, "Oh, that's terrible. Where do you live? Maybe I can help you get home."
The boy shook his head, burying his face in his hands again. He sniffled, "I don't know… everything is so big and scary…"
Azure tilted his head as he said in a soft tone, "Well, if you don't know where you live, I should probably go find a police officer. Or maybe the local Pokémon Center staff. They're great at handling lost children."
Azure stood up, turning his back on the 'child.' As he did, he felt a presence stir in his shadow. A different presence than Darkrai—this one was more chaotic, more feminine, and much more sadistic.
Azure whispered, so low that only she could hear, "Gengar. He wants to play a prank. Why don't you show him how the professionals do it? Don't hurt him, just… give him a scare he won't forget."
From the shadows, a wide, jagged grin filled with white teeth appeared. Gengar's voice rasped aloud only for Azure to hear, "With pleasure, Boss… Kekeke!"
She let out a soft, high-pitched giggle—and vanished into the floor, a dark ripple moving toward the 'boy.' Azure walked away toward the Battle Court entrance, pretending to look for help, but he kept his Aura focused behind him.
/////
[Unova Region, Meanwhile, Castelia City – Plaza]
Snivy sat on the edge of a stone fountain, watching the water cascade over a statue of a legendary hero. Her tail flickered impatiently. She had been following N for a year now. At first, she had been captivated by him.
He was unlike any human she had ever met—he spoke their language, he felt their pain, and he promised a world where no Pokémon would ever be forced to fight again. But lately, the 'liberation' felt less like freedom and more like abandonment.
She remembered the Purrloin from two days ago. It had cried when N told it to go back to the wild. It didn't want the wild; it wanted the warm bed and the regular meals its trainer provided. But N hadn't listened. He had seen the 'truth' through the Purrloin's past, ignoring its present happiness.
Snivy was a Labbie. Professor Jupiter's father had raised her in a controlled environment. She knew the humans were flawed, but she also knew the bond of a partnership. She had seen Gigi, the Tepig she had grown up with in the lab.
Gigi was with that girl now—Hilda White.
From the shadows of the city alleys, Snivy had watched them. White didn't even like battling, yet Gigi was happy. Gigi was proud. She wore a small bow and practiced her moves with a ferocity Snivy had never seen in the lab.
The thought entered Snivy's mind like a cold draft: 'Is N wrong?'
She looked toward the Battle Court, where she knew Zorua had gone to scout. Zorua was young, mischievous, and completely devoted to N's ideals. He loved the 'game' of tricking humans. Suddenly, a blur of grey and black burst from the direction of the court. Snivy heard the cries of Zorua, "ZOR! URA! (HELP! MONSTER! GHOST! SAVE ME!)"
Zorua was no longer a child. He was in his natural form, his bushy fur standing on end, his legs moving so fast they blurred. He scrambled across the plaza; his tail—Snivy noticed with a start—was smoking as if it had been nipped by a Will-O-Wisp.
Snivy stood up, alert, and chimed, "Sniv? (Zorua?)"
Close behind him, a terrifying shape rose from the shadows of a skyscraper. It was a Gengar, and its presence was overwhelming. The Gengar was cackling, a sound like glass breaking, and spoke mischievously, "Gishishishi! Where are you going, little fox? We were just getting to the good part!"
Zorua didn't stop. He dived behind Snivy, trembling violently. Zorua cried out, traumatized by the Gengar tracking her, "Zor! Ura! Zor!! (The human! The human with the Pikachu! His shadow came alive! It bit my tail!)."
The Gengar drifted toward them, her eyes glowing with a malicious and mischievous red light. The sight of the "wild" Zorua and the Snivy sitting in the open caught the attention of a group of passing trainers.
A young man shouted, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt, "Hey! Look! A Zorua! And a Snivy! Those are rare! Let's get 'em!"
Three trainers stepped forward, their eyes gleaming with greed. They didn't see the Gengar at first—she was hovering just above them, her body translucent. Snivy tensed, her vines emerging from her neck, ready to defend herself. She wasn't N; she would fight if she had to.
*THUD*
But before the trainers could even click the release buttons on their balls, the air turned frigid. The Gengar descended, landing right in front of them with a heavy thud that cracked the pavement.
She didn't use an attack. She simply smiled.
Her mouth opened unnaturally wide, revealing an endless void of darkness. The Gengar said aloud, "It wouldn't be wise."
The trainers froze. Their jaws dropped.
The leader stammered, his knees knocking together, "D-did that Pokémon just… talk?"
Gengar continued, her voice a raspy, human-like soprano, "To capture my Boss's acquaintances would be a very… very… painful mistake. Gishishi!"
*THWUMP*
She released a wave of pure, unfiltered malice. It wasn't just pressure; it was the aura of a Pokémon that had stood at the top of its species. The trainers turned ashen. Cold sweat poured down their faces. Without a word, they turned and bolted, dropping one of their Poké Balls in their haste.
Gengar watched them go, then turned her attention to Snivy and the whimpering Zorua. The terrifying aura vanished instantly, replaced by a casual, almost bored expression. She sat down on the edge of the fountain next to Snivy, swinging her short legs.
Snivy whispered in the Pokémon tongue, her heart hammering against her ribs, "C-Champion level… You're with the one they call Azure."
*Crunch*
Gengar pulled a small, translucent blue berry out of thin air—likely from her own pocket dimension—and took a bite. Gengar replied in Pokémon speech, "Bingo, Leafy. The Boss noticed your little friend trying to play 'Lost Child.' He doesn't like being toyed with when he's busy. But he's a softie, so he sent me instead of Darkrai. If the big guy had come out, your friend there would be having nightmares."
Zorua peeked out from behind Snivy's tail, his eyes wide. He exclaimed, "He's a monster! A human shouldn't have shadows like that!"
Gengar laughed, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye, saying, "He's no monster. He's just… well, he's the Boss. And he's curious about you two."
Her gaze sharpened, locking onto Snivy. She asked, curiously eyeing her after learning what she did from Gigi, "Specifically, why is a' Labbie' like you following a man who wants to 'liberate' the world?"
Snivy flinched. But she replied in a resolute tone, "N does not want to 'liberate' the world. He wants to save us. He wants to liberate us from the burden of humans!"
Gengar leaned in close, the scent of chilled air and graveyard soil wafting off her. She asked, curiously eyeing the Grass Starter, "Is that right? And do you feel liberated? You look like you're carrying some weight on those skinny shoulders. I can see your life force, Snivy. I've mastered Energy Ball—I know how life flows. Yours is… conflicted. It's a messy, tangled knot."
Snivy looked away, her gaze falling on the splashing water of the fountain. She rebutted, "N is my friend. He rescued me."
Gengar countered, her voice dropping the playful tone, "N liberated your friends Gigi and whatever that Oshawott was called. I saw that Gigi today. She was training with a girl named White. She was sweating, she was tired, and she was the happiest damn Tepig I've seen in years. She wasn't 'free.' She was a partner. There's a difference."
Snivy argued, though her voice lacked conviction, "N will be the Hero. When he awakens the Dragon, he will liberate the worlds. Pokémon will live in their own paradise, and humans in theirs. No more fighting. No more Poké Balls."
Gengar burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. She laughed so hard she fell off the fountain and rolled on the ground. She laughed, commenting on hearing Snivy's joke, "Kekeke!!! Separator?! Paradise?! Gishishi! Oh, that's rich!"
She floated back up, her expression suddenly dead serious. She said in a firm tone, eyeing Snivy, "The world doesn't work in halves, little snake. You separate the soul from the body, and what do you have? A corpse and a ghost. Humans and Pokémon have spent ten thousand years weaving their lives together. You try to rip those threads apart now, and everything unravels."
Snivy narrowed her eyes. She growled, arguing, "And what does your 'Boss' want? To be a Pokémon Master? To enslave us all under his 'Deep Bond'?"
Gengar didn't get angry.
Instead, a genuine, fond smile spread across her face—one that reached her eyes and made her look almost kind. Gengar explained fondly, "Being a Pokémon Master, to Boss, isn't about the trophies on his wall—and trust me, there are a lot of them. It's about the bond. When I was a lonely Gastly, alone in Lavender Town, I thought the world was just a place to hide and hurt others. He showed me that I could be more. He didn't 'capture' me. He invited me."
She patted the stone bench. She continued in a fond tone, "He grows, we grow. He hurts, we hurt. If he reaches the top, we're all there with him, holding the banner. That's what a Master is. Not a ruler, but a lynchpin."
Snivy remained silent, the words sinking into her mind like stones in a pond. Gengar stood up—or rather, floated upright as she finished stretching her body and said, "Anyway, I've stayed too long. The Boss will be wondering where I am. But here's a tip, Snivy: If your 'Hero' ever disappoints you… If his 'Paradise' starts feeling more like a cage… look for the guy with the Pikachu."
She winked, her form beginning to bleed into the shadows of the fountain. But before leaving, she said her parting words: "The Boss takes in the abandoned, the lost, and even the ones who realize they picked the wrong side- family and team. He's got plenty of room in his shadow. Kekeke!!!"
*Swooosh*
With a final, echoing cackle—Kekeke!—Gengar vanished.
The plaza suddenly felt much warmer, the oppressive weight of the Ghost-type's presence lifting. Zorua let out a long breath, his fur finally smoothing down. Zorua whimpered, "She was scary. Let's go back to N, Snivy. I don't like this city anymore."
Snivy didn't move for a long moment. She looked at the Poké Ball the trainers had dropped. It was empty, a hollow red-and-white sphere of potential.
She thought, 'A lynchpin. Not a ruler.'
Snivy said quietly, "Let's go, Zorua…"
As she turned to follow the fox, she caught a glimpse of the Battle Court in the distance. She saw Azure standing there, his hand resting on the head of a Drilbur, while Black and White laughed at something he had said.
For the first time in a year, Snivy didn't see a captor. She saw something else. And as she disappeared into the crowds of Castelia, the seeds of doubt N had sown were being replaced by something much more dangerous to his cause: curiosity.
/////
[Unova Region, Meanwhile, Castelia City – Battle Court]
Azure watched Gengar emerge from his shadow, her pale face popping up near his feet with a satisfied grin. Azure asked, not looking down as he adjusted the straps on his backpack, "Everything handled?"
Gengar reported in a mock salute, saying with a grin, "Gishishi! The little fox won't be playing 'human' for a while. And I had a nice chat with the Snivy."
Rotom chimed in, providing a text-to-speech overlay on Azure's glasses, "Bzzzzt! Translation! Gengar states: Mission accomplished. Psychological warfare successfully deployed. Target Snivy is now 40% more likely to experience an existential crisis."
Azure couldn't help but chuckle. He shook his head helplessly as he said, "You're a menace, Gengar."
Gengar grinned wider, replying, "I learned from the best, Boss!"
Black shouted, running over, "Azure! Hey, Azure!"
He was covered in soot, and his Tepig looked exhausted but gleeful. Black exclaimed in an excited tone, "I think we've got it! The strategy for Burgh's Dwebble! We're gonna use a rotating defense!"
White followed behind him, tapping her chin with a pen. She stated and planned, "And I've secured the permits for the plaza performance! Azure, if you could just have your Porygon-Z help with the digital backdrop later tonight…"
Azure looked at his friends—the hot-blooded trainer, the ambitious manager, and the wide array of Pokémon and people he had gathered around him. Azure said, offering a small, confident smile, "Sure thing, White. Let's get to work. We have a Gym to challenge to train for and a show to put on."
As they walked toward the heart of the city, Azure glanced back at the plaza one last time. He could still feel the faint lingering aura of the Snivy. He merely waved at her as Snivy's aura finally faded...
The skyscrapers of Castelia loomed overhead, giants of glass watching the humans and Pokémon below. The city hummed with life, a complex machine of bonds and dreams, and Azure stepped forward into the rhythm of it all, his shadows trailing behind him, deep and full of secrets.
/////
A/N: Hope you like the chapter!