"There were too many people watching at Castelia Harbor just now, so please forgive me for not meeting with you sooner."
Noticing Grey and Caitlin's arrival, the green-haired young man turned around, apology in his voice.
"It's been a long time... no, I suppose this should be our first meeting."
"I'm N. N Harmonia, the king of Team Plasma, the hero of ideals."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Streamer. Or rather... Leader Grey, who came all the way from the Kanto region."
Grey finally got a clear look at N.
His face was expressionless, somewhat similar to Sabrina's, giving away no emotion at all.
Around his neck hung a planet-like pendant. On his left hand, he wore three square ring-like objects, while his right hand had a bracelet as well.
And hanging from the left side of his waist was a Menger sponge.
This was N.
The king of Team Plasma, the hero of ideals acknowledged by Zekrom.
Caitlin: "..."
This was bad. The moment they met, she could already tell this guy would be hard to deal with.
Did Grey actually like this kind of emotionless type?
Caitlin thought of Sabrina, who also often wore no expression at all.
And when she saw Grey smile openly at N, she became even more convinced.
Should she try being expressionless too?
Maybe Grey would like her more that way...
Caitlin had already set her whole heart on Grey. Everything she did was for the sake of making him really notice her.
"?"
Caitlin's emotions came through clearly in Grey's mind.
He tilted his head slightly and looked at her expression, his own gaze turning a little strange.
"W-what are you doing...? Stop staring at me like that."
Caitlin wanted to keep a blank face, but the moment she made eye contact with Grey, her cheeks started heating up on their own.
It was just too embarrassing.
Being stared at like that by Grey was simply the kind of thing that made her shy.
"It's nothing. I just wanted to look at you."
Grey answered casually.
Which only made Caitlin's thoughts explode even more.
"J-just wanted to look at me?!"
In an instant, Caitlin turned into a little steam engine, with two imaginary puffs of steam rising from the top of her head.
As for Grey's side of things—
he spent some time talking with N.
"Leader Grey, seeing you in person really is different from hearing about you. Before, we'd only exchanged private messages online. Now that I've finally met you face-to-face, it's truly refreshing."
Whenever N spoke to Grey, his tone unconsciously slowed and softened, completely different from how he spoke to Ghetsis or Colress.
It was the kind of tone he reserved only for Grey and for wild Pokémon.
Caitlin: "..."
Could you, as a grown man, not talk in such a clingy way?
N's tone instantly made Caitlin treat him like a major threat.
"The feeling's mutual. Back when we were talking online, I already thought you were a very interesting person, Mr. N. Since you've been acknowledged by Zekrom, the dragon of ideals, I'd really like to see your ideals for myself if I get the chance."
"You're flattering me, Leader Grey. Your truth stands shoulder to shoulder with my ideals. Especially when it comes to how you treat Pokémon—you rank among the very best Trainers I've ever seen in that regard."
After saying that, N's gaze fell on Grey.
"Annih."
Annihilape suddenly came out of its Poké Ball on its own and greeted N.
It had heard Grey talk about N before, so finally seeing him in person made the trip worthwhile.
"So this is your ace, Grey?"
N had seen Grey's streams, and combined with the information he'd gathered, he knew Grey's ace was an Annihilape.
He crouched down, lowering himself as much as possible so he could look Annihilape in the eye, then gently placed a hand on top of its head.
As green light shimmered, both man and ape closed their eyes at the same time.
"This Annihilape's past... really has been full of upheaval."
When N opened his eyes again, there was a trace of admiration in the way he looked at Grey.
A Pokémon's memories did not lie.
And in Annihilape's memories, he had seen the scenes of Grey using his own fragile human body to save Mankey after Team Rocket captured it—awakening Aura in an explosive burst and turning the tables on Team Rocket.
To save a wild Pokémon, he had even risked his own life.
For someone like N, who loved Pokémon, the impact of that was enormous.
Judge the deed, not the heart. Even if Grey had originally wanted to catch Mankey, there had been safer ways to go about it.
But he hadn't done that. Instead, he had charged in with his own body and carved open a path through the enemy.
No matter what his original motive had been, that action alone was enough to earn N's admiration.
"Yeah. Annihilape really didn't have an easy road before it evolved. Things only started settling down after the St. Anne incident."
Grey patted his reliable partner on the head, his thoughts drifting back to the times they'd beaten Team Rocket's four executives together and clashed head-on with Giovanni's Persian.
He sighed, then said to N, "In the end, it just means I wasn't good enough as a Trainer. If I were stronger, maybe a lot of those things could've been resolved perfectly."
Grey still felt like his strength was improving too slowly.
There was still some time left before the Kanto and Johto Gym tournament league.
Not a great deal of time, but not exactly a short amount either.
Still, in that amount of time, could all of his main Pokémon reach Champion level?
If he wanted to face people like Giovanni and Pryce—
never mind winning, just lasting in a drawn-out battle against them would require power at least at the level of a Champion gatekeeper.
After reaching Elite Four level, even gaining a single level became extremely difficult. Annihilape had needed a full month and a half just to reach level sixty-eight.
And that was the one who had joined him the earliest.
As for the rest of his Pokémon, they were all hovering around level sixty-five.
Even with the system's support, reaching Champion level still depended on how well they had built up their own foundation.
"I feel like the things you two are talking about are way too deep..."
All of a sudden, Caitlin felt like she was the outsider here.
Those two were talking so smoothly that she couldn't get a word in at all.
"It's nothing. If you want to hear about it, I'll explain everything slowly after we get back."
Grey wasn't neglecting Caitlin. It was just that none of this could be explained clearly in a few words.
"It's okay. Just knowing you thought about me is enough."
Grey's words instantly warmed Caitlin's heart.
The bitterness inside her vanished without a trace.
"Grey, what are your plans for the next leg of your journey? I'd like to travel with you for a while, at least until you leave Unova. I hope you don't mind."
N was very straightforward, with no beating around the bush. He plainly stated that he wanted to travel with Grey.
"I'm heading to Nimbasa City next. As for traveling together, I don't think you should be asking me. You should be asking her."
Grey took Caitlin's hand and indicated that she was the real boss behind the scenes.
"Eh? M-me?"
Caitlin pointed at herself, clearly not expecting Grey to put the choice in her hands.
She felt a little touched...
She looked up and met N's gaze. His calm, emotionless eyes somehow gave off a strangely earnest, almost pleading feeling.
This was bad. She wasn't good at dealing with this kind of person either.
Caitlin really wanted to reject N on the spot and send him on his way.
But N hadn't actually done anything wrong. Sure, he might count as a third wheel, but he was also basically Grey's online bro.
Only slightly behind Steven—or no, in a certain sense, maybe even more of a bro than Steven.
After all, Grey gaining Reshiram's acknowledgment had, in part, been thanks to N.
With all that considered...
Caitlin made up her mind.
"Then, Mr. N, you can travel with us for the next few days."
"Then thank you for your generosity, miss."
N gave a slight nod of thanks and kept an appropriate distance.
After that, he told Grey many things about the Unova region.
"Team Plasma is showing signs of splitting apart? That's a good thing."
After listening to N, Grey was genuinely surprised.
At present, Team Plasma had split into three factions.
The Ghetsis faction, the Colress faction, and the N faction.
The Ghetsis faction represented the so-called orthodox bloodline of Unova's royal lineage. They believed themselves superior to others and thought everything should be offered up to Team Plasma.
The Colress faction represented dark science, focusing almost entirely on research into Pokémon genes and unlocking their potential. They were essentially the research team.
The third faction, the N faction, represented nature.
There still weren't many people in that faction for the time being, but it was also the only one on the surface that undeniably possessed at least top-Champion-level power—and even had the ancient god of Unova, the legendary dragon Pokémon Zekrom, on its side.
What had started as a single organization had now split into three factions.
Grey couldn't help sighing after hearing it all.
Not all that strong, but already full of internal drama.
It reminded him of certain student councils from some random Torchic University in his previous life, always busy with power struggles here and there despite barely having any actual work to do.
Maybe they didn't have much to manage, but when it came to power plays, they were practically palace intrigue experts.
Sure enough, power really did cloud people's eyes.
Grey absolutely didn't want to end up in that kind of situation himself. Even if Lance personally invited him to become Champion of the Kanto League in the future, he'd refuse without hesitation.
"That's about all the current information on Team Plasma. Now that you've heard so much, Grey... any interest in joining me to liberate all of Unova?"
As the saying went, you had to take things one step at a time and eat one bite at a time.
With that in mind, N wasn't asking Grey to help liberate the whole world. He was starting smaller—with liberating all of Unova first.
And if even that didn't work, they could always start with a single city. That would be simpler.
"Ahem. Let's keep watching for now."
Grey rubbed his chin and put on a thoughtful air.
"N, traveling is also a form of observation. Sometimes you can't assume the worst about people."
"Sure, there are bad people among the masses, but you can't just condemn everyone with one swing of the stick."
"Take Kanto, where I'm from. Yes, Team Rocket is evil to the core. But far more common are Trainers who hate wrongdoing."
Grey used his own home region as an example.
He wasn't trying to completely uproot N's extreme way of thinking. If he could straighten it out even a little, that would already be good enough.
Otherwise, N would probably become a major uncontrollable factor in the future.
"Mm. Understood. Grey, over the next few days, I'll also have Zekrom keep watch around us. If anyone deliberately harms Pokémon, I'll act immediately."
N was laying the ugly truth out in advance.
At least now everything was clear.
Grey silently took note of that, then said, "Don't worry. If anyone deliberately hurts Pokémon, I'll probably make a move even faster than you."
"That's the Grey I know!"
Hearing Grey say that, N felt more certain than ever that he had made the right choice.
They both hated evil with a passion. They really were a perfect match—practically natural-born partners in crime.
Grey: ?
That wording from N felt a little off.
Dangerously off.
Once the greetings were over, it was naturally time to continue traveling.
The trip to Nimbasa City was easy enough. Nothing unexpected happened along the way, and they crossed the desert safely.
...
...
Nimbasa City was one of the greatest entertainment capitals not just in Unova, but in the entire world.
It wasn't just home to the most famous amusement park on the planet. It also had musicals, Pokémon basketball, football, and even the wildly popular Battle Subway, which originated in Nimbasa.
In terms of status, it wasn't inferior to Castelia City in the slightest.
The three of them passed through Join Avenue and successfully entered Nimbasa City.
The moon hung bright in a sparse night sky, and darkness had gradually settled in.
After finishing dinner, they headed straight to the hotel to check in.
Caitlin returned to her room first, planning to take a nice bath and change clothes before going on the Ferris wheel with Grey.
They had spent most of the day in the desert, and with sand blowing everywhere, her clothes had gotten dirty.
There was no way she was going on the Ferris wheel like that. Caitlin wanted to be at her best when she accompanied Grey.
Grey only smiled at that.
After watching Caitlin enter her room, he and N went to a more open area nearby.
"Grey, what do you think of the Unova region?"
For once, N didn't immediately start with a speech about liberating something.
Instead, he asked Grey what kind of impression Unova had left on him.
"It's very free and open. Compared to some of Kanto's more rigid, step-by-step educational ideas, some of Unova's ways of thinking really are ahead of their time."
Grey answered honestly, sharing the thoughts he'd developed over the last two days in Unova.
For someone to constantly have liberation on his lips every single day, N really was in a league of his own.
"Yes. Freedom and openness really are the defining traits of Unova."
N leaned against a window, not at all surprised by Grey's answer.
"But some of those ideas are too far ahead of their time. My father's liberation plan... I think it's very hard to accomplish."
There it was again—liberation.
Grey felt like his ears were about to grow calluses from hearing the word. Eight out of every ten things N said involved liberation somehow.
What, did N just love liberating people that much?
Still, this was like dealing with one of those people who couldn't stop talking about making a comeback. It was simply part of the package.
"So I think you need to go to Dragonspiral Tower as soon as possible. Reshiram is waiting for you there. Then, we can go to Liberty Garden together and take part in a tournament. What do you think?"
N suddenly shifted the conversation back onto Grey himself.
Reshiram was still at Dragonspiral Tower.
Grey really was carefree. Wasn't he worried Reshiram might get lured away by some new hero?
Of course, that was basically impossible.
"A tournament? You got invited to that Strongest Trainer Tournament too?"
Grey raised a brow.
That Hydreigon really had guts. It wasn't even afraid of N standing beside Zekrom—handing out invitations whenever it felt like it.
"That's right. Though I'm not a Trainer, so I'm mostly just going to watch. I want to see who this so-called strongest really is."
Of course, there was one thing N didn't say.
He also wanted to use this tournament, with Zekrom by his side, to spread his own reputation.
The goal was to attract more and more like-minded companions into joining New Team Plasma.
Yes, New Team Plasma was the name N had come up with for his new organization after separating himself from Team Plasma.
Other than the name, it had absolutely nothing to do with the original Team Plasma.
"That's fine. But considering Zekrom's power, there probably aren't many Pokémon that can stand up to it, right?"
Zekrom was an ancient god-level existence. Even if Alder came in person, Zekrom could still send him packing.
It could be said that in the current Unova region, there was no real way to stop Zekrom.
If N ever stopped playing nice and decided to be ruthless, then Unova really would be liberated in the truest sense of the word.
"That's true. But personally, I'm not that interested in battle."
N didn't like having Pokémon engage in violent battles, and even after being acknowledged by Zekrom, he still hadn't fully shifted into that ruthless mode.
That said, once a real battle truly began, N hit harder than almost anyone.
And now, with Zekrom backing him—
N felt that he probably had the equivalent of three Alders worth of combat power.
Poor Alder had become a unit of measurement.
After some more casual conversation, Caitlin happened to finish getting ready.
She stepped out in a white dress and saw Grey and N chatting and laughing together.
"Come on. Let's go ride the Ferris wheel. I said I would, and I always keep my promises to you."
Grey stood beside Caitlin, took her hand, and brought N along with them to the Nimbasa amusement park.
The whole way there, and even after they reached the ticket machine, Caitlin stayed red-faced.
There was nothing she could do about it.
Grey was holding her hand.
This was the first time Caitlin had ever been that physically close to a man.
It really felt like a date.
Well, it would have—
if N weren't there.
With a third wheel like N tagging along, Caitlin didn't know what to do with herself. She had originally wanted to lean against Grey's shoulder, but with N present, that was impossible.
"Excuse me, are you Leader Grey from the Kanto region?"
While they were waiting in line, a voice called out from outside the queue.
Grey turned his head and saw a delicate-looking girl with short pink hair.
She wore a pink jacket, and over the white shirt underneath, a red neckerchief was tied at her chest. On her lower body, she wore blue pants that strongly resembled school athletic pants from Grey's previous life.
The girl's name was Lacey. She was from Nimbasa City and studied at Blueberry Academy.
Her mother was unknown, and her father was Clay, the boss of the mines beneath Driftveil City.
"That's me. Is there something you need?"
Grey gave a small nod, curious where Lacey was headed with all the bags she was carrying.
"Leader Grey, after you're done on the Ferris wheel, could I ask you for a battle?"
Lacey was efficient and direct, getting straight to the point without wasting any time.
"That's all? Sure, no problem."
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