-
Hi all. We have had reports of member's signatures being edited to include malicious content. You can rest assured this wasn't done by staff and we can find no indication that the forums themselves have been compromised.
However, remember to keep your passwords secure. If you use similar logins on multiple sites, people and even bots may be able to access your account.
We always recommend using unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if possible. Make sure you are secure. -
Be sure to join the discussion on our discord at: Discord.gg/serebii
ClicheStorm
- Thread starter Ysavvryl
- Start date
ChaosMudkip
Tepig Hunter
First: Hooray! A new chapter.
Second: Speculation on my part: I'm guessing that you are planning on linking Team Plasma's usage of spacial power to Ghetsis' possession of the Adamant, Lustrous, and Griseous orbs? (Specifically Lustrous)
Second: Speculation on my part: I'm guessing that you are planning on linking Team Plasma's usage of spacial power to Ghetsis' possession of the Adamant, Lustrous, and Griseous orbs? (Specifically Lustrous)
hailflameblast
I'm coming...
I kinda wasn't at home when the previous chapter went up, so I decided to do these 2 chapters together.
Bloodwraith is an interesting concept, and a good expansion of BW's storyline. I also like your depiction of Hilda and Hilbert's relationship.
I have some crazy theories regarding the DST death of Hilda, but I'll not speculate about it just yet. They do involve the move Draco Meteor, Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt(and a gigantic battle between N and Hilbert)...
Bloodwraith is an interesting concept, and a good expansion of BW's storyline. I also like your depiction of Hilda and Hilbert's relationship.
I have some crazy theories regarding the DST death of Hilda, but I'll not speculate about it just yet. They do involve the move Draco Meteor, Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt(and a gigantic battle between N and Hilbert)...
Announcement type thingy
First of all, I must apologize. I am an evil author because I posted a cliffhanger right before I planned on putting this fic on hiatus. And you could be hanging for a long time.
Yeah, I’m putting ClicheStorm on hold for now. It has to do with the announcement of Black 2 and White 2. Now I don’t think the games will have much of an effect on this fic. If it continues the game story (as I hope), then it won’t do much as this story retells the first Black and White versions. What could affect this fic is the new Kyurem formes. It reworks the power and potential of one of this fic’s major characters and after some thought, I really want to know that information before I go much further.
I think I already have the framework and symbolism within the story to use the new formes without altering much. At this point, it may only be one scene that changes greatly with any other changes being cosmetic or flavor shifts. I still want to wait. As you probably know, I love the little details and I want to get them right. And that one scene could be worth the wait.
So how long is this going to be on hiatus? I can’t say exactly. If I can get the forme information around the time of the Japanese release, then CS should restart during the summer. I should be able to get away with not using English names as I don’t think they’ll be needed until late in the fic, and the American/European releases should be out by the time I reach those scenes.
During this time, I plan on going back and fixing up old errors, finally changing those early chapter titles, adding dates, and maybe tweaking some details. I also hope to write ahead some, because right now I only have Chapter 22 written out. It may need to be split up into two chapters, though; I meant to have the Hilda vs Burgh Gym battle in 22, only the chapter’s gotten to page ten and the battle hasn’t started yet. Past chapters have been around 8-11 pages, if you’re wondering. If it works out, I hope I can write in-story up through March at least.
That’s how things stand. Thanks for your patience and I really believe that this is going to make things better in the end.
PS: Okay, okay… Hilbert lives. It’s too early to kill him off. But he did get whacked in the head by a baseball bat, which will have repercussions.
First of all, I must apologize. I am an evil author because I posted a cliffhanger right before I planned on putting this fic on hiatus. And you could be hanging for a long time.
Yeah, I’m putting ClicheStorm on hold for now. It has to do with the announcement of Black 2 and White 2. Now I don’t think the games will have much of an effect on this fic. If it continues the game story (as I hope), then it won’t do much as this story retells the first Black and White versions. What could affect this fic is the new Kyurem formes. It reworks the power and potential of one of this fic’s major characters and after some thought, I really want to know that information before I go much further.
I think I already have the framework and symbolism within the story to use the new formes without altering much. At this point, it may only be one scene that changes greatly with any other changes being cosmetic or flavor shifts. I still want to wait. As you probably know, I love the little details and I want to get them right. And that one scene could be worth the wait.
So how long is this going to be on hiatus? I can’t say exactly. If I can get the forme information around the time of the Japanese release, then CS should restart during the summer. I should be able to get away with not using English names as I don’t think they’ll be needed until late in the fic, and the American/European releases should be out by the time I reach those scenes.
During this time, I plan on going back and fixing up old errors, finally changing those early chapter titles, adding dates, and maybe tweaking some details. I also hope to write ahead some, because right now I only have Chapter 22 written out. It may need to be split up into two chapters, though; I meant to have the Hilda vs Burgh Gym battle in 22, only the chapter’s gotten to page ten and the battle hasn’t started yet. Past chapters have been around 8-11 pages, if you’re wondering. If it works out, I hope I can write in-story up through March at least.
That’s how things stand. Thanks for your patience and I really believe that this is going to make things better in the end.
PS: Okay, okay… Hilbert lives. It’s too early to kill him off. But he did get whacked in the head by a baseball bat, which will have repercussions.
If it goes on hiatus for ten months, I shall personally ring up the Dot Com Building to complain.
Jokes aside, it's just a period with slow updates. At least we can be relatively assured with the eventual completeness of this fic, unlike many others that are out there.
Although, I must also say that it's nice to watch Kyurem finally eat somebody.
Jokes aside, it's just a period with slow updates. At least we can be relatively assured with the eventual completeness of this fic, unlike many others that are out there.
Although, I must also say that it's nice to watch Kyurem finally eat somebody.
To the announcement: That's sad to know. I'm curious about BW2 too. Hopefully, the hiatus won't be too long.
So, Hilbert know he's attracted to Hilda. Hmm... I'm a FerrisWheelShipper so I don't particularly care for this... news... But... They kissed... ugh... I don't know how to feel about it...
Just one quick question: what's Hilbert's first pokemon? What happened to it? Did I miss it when you mentioned it?
So, Hilbert know he's attracted to Hilda. Hmm... I'm a FerrisWheelShipper so I don't particularly care for this... news... But... They kissed... ugh... I don't know how to feel about it...
Just one quick question: what's Hilbert's first pokemon? What happened to it? Did I miss it when you mentioned it?
GalladeRocks
Son of a Beach
Seriously, I've got to quit forgetting to read the last chapter. Oh well, once I finally get that done, I'll edit in a review. In the meantime, I just want to congratulate Hilda for being the Best Human Main Character of 2011! It's a well-deserved title. Also, congratulations must go out to Kyurem and Victini for getting second place in Best Non-Human Main Character and Best Non-Human Supporting Character, respectively.
Coffee Break
The table that they usually used for breaks now had a vase filled with roses on it. “This just confirms how awesome I am!” Hilda said, grinning. “Thanks everybody for the character award! Because of that, I nagged Ysavvryl into posting the next chapter anyhow. Woohoo!”
“The rest of it is still on hold until the news release,” Kyurem said, calmly sipping at his tea. “Might be soon, might be in June. We'll just have to see.”
“Hopefully sooner, since she managed to clear out a bunch of other writing projects. So then, comments,” she glanced over at Kyurem. “What about Hilbert's powers?”
“He had two separate ones, the permanent Attract state and being able to detect desires. Reshiram and I locked out his Attract power, but he kept the other, since it wasn't as easy to abuse without Attract.” He looked over the comments. “And since we're talking about supernatural powers, I know that was Palkia's power, but she wasn't here. Can't say much more about it. As for me, I don't want to talk about it.”
“Oh really?” Hilda teased. When he just snorted, she shrugged. “And there was a question about Hilbert's first Pokemon... you know, I have no clue. I first saw him with a Gigalith, and that one's been released. Hey Hilbert! What was your starter Pokemon?”
“A Larvesta!” he called back from the hallway. “It's gone too...”
“Dude, you started with a Larvesta?” Hilda asked, jealous. “Man, were you spoiled or something?”
“You could say that.”
“Oh yeah, and I die in this chapter!” Hilda said merrily.
Kyurem spat out his tea. “What?!”
Chapter 22: Princess of Snow, Pt 1
morning, 1/16
The movement of the elevator made N’s stomach twitch. He closed his eyes, fighting off the disoriented feeling. Why was he back here in Castelia? He hated cities and this was a city bigger than any other around. Three of his Pokémon were with him (as he was trying to keep the Sandile from going off into hibernation), but so was a stranger that none of them were sure about. N opened his eyes when the elevator stopped, but it wasn’t the floor he wanted. The other man got off, though.
Just before the doors closed, he saw the hospital directory. Right, that was why he was here. Hilbert had been hurt.
N got off at the next stop, followed by his Pokémon. “This place smells funny,” Kimi the Scraggy said, clutching onto her loose skin.
“It smells like bleach and chemical cleaners,” N said. “They have to keep really clean here.”
“I don’t think this level of clean is healthy.”
“I don’t think your level of dirtiness is healthy,” Daisy said. The Darumaka had kept clear of Kimi the whole time they had been on the same team.
“It builds strong immunity.”
“I don’t know if they’d appreciate that, Kimi,” N said. “Sorry, but there’s scientific evidence to back up their cleaning habits. You’d better return to your ball while we’re here.”
“That’s a bore,” she said, but returned after that.
After checking in at a nurse station, N went to the room Hilbert was staying in. It was mostly white, with cabinets in a pale blue and a repeated motif of dark blue diamonds. Heavy curtains covered the windows and hung from a track to give more privacy if needed. In front of the hospital bed, Hilbert was sitting in a chair, bandages wrapped around his head. A Litwick sat on the bed, observing the newcomers with a nervous poise.
Hilbert himself smiled. “Well this is unexpected. Good to see you.”
“I wanted to come check on you myself,” N said, taking a second chair when offered. He picked up Daisy to put her in his lap. “Hilda told me, and I passed the message on to Giallo. He had no idea that you were in trouble and said he’ll come later.”
“That’s good, thank you.” He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. “I was getting bored anyhow. I’m not supposed to be doing much right now; they don’t want me over-stimulated.”
“Are you okay with my Pokémon being here?” N asked.
“I can stay out of his sight,” Rune said. The Sigilyph then flew to the window, investigating some objects on that side of the room.
“I think I’m okay with them if they’re quiet,” Hilbert said, looking at him again.
“I’ll be quiet,” Daisy said.
N patted the Darumaka in thanks. “Then what happened to you? Hilda didn’t have time to explain fully.”
“They got attacked by the scariest person ever,” the Litwick said in a shy tone.
He touched his forehead. “She’d know the full story better than me. We were hanging out one night and we got approached by this one girl. She’s been stalking me for the past few months and must have gotten jealous that Hilda was with me. She went to attack her with a bat, but I sensed her intentions and got Hilda out of the way, only to get hit in the head myself. I blacked out after that, but it seems like Kyurem then bit half of the other girl’s arm off. And Hilda had lost her voice that evening, so she apparently had a tough time trying to explain what happened to the paramedics and the police.”
“Is she okay?” N asked. “She seemed to be speaking well, but she didn’t mention being in trouble herself.”
Hilbert shrugged. “I think she won’t get into serious trouble. Kyurem’s attack was clearly provoked as his Trainer’s life was in danger. I’m more worried if they can keep Banshee away from Hilda. She’s clearly too crazy.”
“Sounds like it. How are you doing?”
He smiled. “Better than they expected. I mean, I got hit in the head with a bat by an angry girl. When the paramedics brought me in, they thought she might have cracked my skull in two. But no… I’ve got a nasty bump, some small cracks, and at least a moderate concussion. Still nowhere near as bad as they thought. They’re making sure that it’s not more serious, but I could be out of here tomorrow.”
“That’s good.” This really wasn’t quite that hard, N thought. He’d been making too much of a distinction between speaking with Pokémon and speaking with humans, but in the end, it wasn’t all that different. As long as you showed interest in the other person and tried for a fair exchange, conversations didn’t have to be something to be nervous about.
“How’ve you been doing? Sorry I didn’t stick around with you, but it seemed like I might distract you from your training.”
N had wondered when Hilbert had left Desert Resort. “I suppose I was at fault too, since I was ignoring you for a while. I’m sorry. But it’s been the usual routine. We were getting ready to challenge Nimbasa Gym, actually, but then Hilda called and I felt like I had to come check on you.”
He seemed to appreciate that, from how he smiled. “Thanks. It’s nice to have someone else concerned for me after all that’s happened. Have you really been challenging the Gyms in order from Striaton? You’re making extraordinary progress if that’s true. I can’t remember anyone else who went through a League that fast unless they had a lot of experience behind them.”
“It’s not been that fast,” N said, feeling embarrassed. He didn’t like battling, so it didn’t make sense for him to be good at it. “I’ve gotten several setbacks,” and if he hadn’t, he might have reached Driftveil or even Mistralton by now.
“Doesn’t seem to be that bad,” Hilbert said in admiration. “I mean, Hilda and her friend Cheren are still here in Castelia and you guys all started at the same time. And you switch teams all the time, so that’s a really good pace.”
“Maybe.”
There was a knock on the door frame to the room; Hilda was leaning into the room. “Hey, hi you two. Mind if me and Rei come in?”
“I think it’ll be okay, for a little bit,” Hilbert said. “And if you don’t get too loud.”
“Gotcha.” Then she and Kyurem came in.
“Rei?” N asked. He wasn’t sure how he felt about nicknaming a legendary Pokémon, but she seemed to have done just that.
Sort of. “Only she may call me that,” Kyurem stated.
“Is Banshee going to sue you?” Hilbert asked.
Hilda shook her head. “I’m sure she’d like to, but both the defense laws and the fact that she’s a real loony keep her from doing so. The police are going to take her into custody, though, so we shouldn’t have problems from her.”
“I can still taste her perfume,” Kyurem said, making a sickened face.
“We didn’t need to know that,” Hilda said, lightly hitting his arm.
“Really,” N agreed, trying to calm down a now frightened Daisy.
But then from the state of her body, there was no denying it: Hilda was dead. There was a crushed flower near her hand, spattered with blood. N and Hilbert were there, the former getting up shakily, the latter kneeling by her and a scattering of stones.
“You killed her.”
Murder? Why did he keep seeing death with this ability? Especially that of his friends?
She spoke up, the conversation having carried on while his mind was distracted. “That stinks, that you can’t do much. Well you’ll have to get a recording of the live League show this Friday and watch it later.”
“What for?” Hilbert asked.
Rune seemed to notice N’s change in mood, as he made a coo of concern and started to fly back over. But he still didn’t want to disrupt Hilbert. N closed his eyes for a second, trying to think. He had to save both of them now, had to find some way to convince them to let him protect him. Because if he gave the word to Plasma, then no harm would come to either of them.
“I’m going to challenge Burgh then,” Hilda said. “I had to convince them that I’d be worth including in the show; it worked, and now this is going to be awesome.”
Strange, she was even moderating her voice for Hilbert. N looked at them again and figured that was what friends did around each other. They might believe him, but what about when he told them who he really was? Would they distrust him then? That didn’t seem appealing. “I don’t get why they would make a show glorifying violence against Pokémon,” N said.
“It’s not that bad,” Hilda said. “It’s not like anybody’s standing behind the Pokémon with a whip and forcing them to do it. Pokémon fight because they like it. I mean, haven’t your Pokémon play fought? Mine do that quite a bit. Well, all but Kyurem.”
“I still don’t like it.” It was bothering him some: his Scraggy and Sandile sparred quite frequently and they seemed to have a lot of fun with it. But the damage that could be done when it turned to abuse was too much to stay quiet about.
“Then why are you participating in the League?” Hilbert asked.
Hilda seemed interested in the answer too, which made N feel uncomfortable. He needed some more time to figure out how to break it to them. “I have my reasons,” he said instead.
Thankfully, a nurse interrupted them. “Excuse me, but you shouldn’t keep your visitors much longer.”
“All right,” Hilbert said. He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry guys, but thanks for coming.”
“No problem,” Hilda said, smiling. “Must be pretty annoying to be treated like you’re fragile goods, though.”
He grimaced. “Exactly. But I suppose I am. Sometimes my head goes weird and I’m glad they block out as many distractions as possible to help me through it.”
She got up. “Well I owe you a call, but you’re gonna have to call me first. Don’t let anybody else hit your head, all right?”
“Of course,” Hilbert said, nodding.
N said goodbye to him too, then left to follow Hilda out of the building. “Well not the Leader,” she was telling Kyurem. “I mean the Gym Trainers.”
“Hilda,” N said, as Daisy settled herself in a secure position with an arm on his shoulder (so she could watch Kyurem). Rune flew behind him. “Could I ask you something?”
“Other than that?” she asked teasingly, slowing her pace so he could catch up. “Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“What do you think of death,” he asked, in a quiet voice above whispering. There were other people around and he wasn’t sure how’d they take this conversation here.
“Well that’s an odd question,” Hilda said, raising an eyebrow. But she was keeping low tones too. “In our case, it’ll happen whether we want it to or not. The important thing is to leave behind a positive impact on the people around you. It’s a pity when not many people notice when someone good dies.” She shook her head, bothered by that.
“Why would you want to know that?” Kyurem asked.
“You might die sometime soon,” N told her, feeling nervous.
“Oh, that,” she said, sounding unsurprised. She even laughed. “I knew about that. That’s why Rei’s here with me.”
“But how did you know that?” the dragon boy asked.
They came to the elevators, one of which was there. “I have visions of the possible future,” N told them, going in and pressing the ground floor button. “If I knew any more, I’d tell you. There was some kind of flower.”
“What kind of flower?” Kyurem asked.
N shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Then don’t concern yourself with it,” he said, in a way that suggested that he wasn’t going to hear any arguments to the contrary. “I’m protecting her; I could do a lot worse to a person than taking a limb from them.”
Hilda smiled and the doors opened again. “That means I’m in good hands, right? Well it’s only a possible future, so I might still live. Don’t be a stranger now, N!” She waved as she got off the elevator and headed for the exit.
The ice was so heavy that even the strongest of trees were wilting under its weight. The dragon Kyurem watched over this bleak landscape, with snow that buried the entire town. And she was there, as pale and cold as the snow that was slowly burying her as well.
Maybe it would be worth it to be a stranger so that it didn’t affect him… no, that wasn’t right. It was only a possible future; she might still live. N just had to figure out how to make certain that she lived. But first, he had to tell her the truth.
-+-
evening, 1/16
It was a chilly icy evening, but there were people on this rooftop, talking and admiring the view of the city from up high. Kyurem rather liked it, so he didn’t mind when Hilda wanted to come up here to look around. For the best view, he got up on top of one of the pillars that was on the safety railing. A few people looked at him in concern, but didn’t say anything right off.
Kyurem did mind the two older women who had come over to talk with Hilda. “We just don’t think it’s safe, young lady,” one of them said. “Kyurem’s presence leads to terrible times where many people die. It’s already a bad winter, so you should release him and try to get him back into hibernation.”
“He says he’s here to protect me and he won’t do something big unless I let him,” Hilda replied. “I might do some crazy things, but I’m not about to destroy the whole world, you know.”
“You don’t even have to go a fraction of that far to cause trouble,” the other woman said. “He’s already hurt somebody, and he would do so again.”
She frowned at that, apparently annoyed at their complaints but not willing to be rude just yet. “That girl could’ve killed me, and as it is, a friend of mine is in the hospital now because of it. He did what most any other Pokemon would’ve done for their Trainer. Well maybe not as far as amputation, but it happens.”
At that point, Kyurem got distracted from listening in because Mimi had clambered up on the fence to perch near him. “You might not want to do that,” he told her.
“But I want to be up here with you,” the Minccino said. She got up on top and peered over the edge, sliding. “Wow, we’re so high up!”
Kyurem put his hand on her chest and pulled her into a more secure position. “And that’s why I’d rather you not be here. I can fly if I slip.”
Pricking her ears up, she looked to him. “Really, even though you’re a human?”
He nodded. “Really. Although I’d rather not since they’d freak out about it.”
“Wow, you can do anythi…whaa!” She had slipped on the icy railing, losing her grip.
But Kyurem had a secure grip on her in seconds. He picked her up and brought her to his chest. “That’s what I was worried about,” he said quietly to her.
“But I knew you’d catch me, I knew you would,” Mimi said, clasping his shoulder. She was completely confident in him.
Sighing, he closed his eyes and put his head on hers. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“Hmm?” She patted his face with her other paw. “Why would that be scary? I wasn’t scared, not a lot, and I thought you weren’t scared of nothing.”
He scratched her head, looking back over the city skyline. “I’m scared to lose you.” Again.
Having gotten away from the older women for the moment, Hilda came over to where they were perched. “Hey, you sound like some overprotective father there,” she said as a joke.
“Because I am her overprotective father,” Kyurem replied in all seriousness. Mimi giggled, then reached over to Hilda. He passed her over.
“You are?” Hilda asked, taking the Minccino and holding her to one side. “How’d that happen?”
“I found her egg one day and brought it back to my den. Her parents were dead.” Because he’d eaten them and decided to save the egg for later. He just never mentioned that in front of Mimi. “And she latched on to me when she hatched, so I tolerated her, grew to love her as my daughter.”
“And you couldn’t resist cause I’m cute,” Mimi added teasingly. He had to smile at that, but he didn't translate it.
“Huh, I thought your place would’ve been too cold for an egg to hatch,” Hilda said. “At least for something that wasn’t an Ice type.”
He turned serious again. “It baffled me too, but I didn’t care to look into that too much. Did those women bother you?”
She shrugged. “Well yeah, but I’m not too worried about it. I know you’re trying to do the right thing. Although, why did you decide to be the hero this time around?”
For a moment, he considered giving her a vague answer. Not everything on his mind concerned mortals, and some things weren’t meant to be known by them. But in traveling with her for this amount of time, he felt that he could trust her with some answers. He gestured out to the city below. “Because it’s Unova, and my siblings. When I go out to destroy civilizations, I don’t mean to kill this place. I do so in order to let them rebuild things for the better. The destruction I saw wasn’t the kind that can be recovered from, at least not in the next century.”
“So you’re like those people who set controlled fires instead of letting wildfires clear out overgrown areas?” Hilda asked.
He nodded. “Quite. And my siblings, I know it sounds like we’re fighting all the time when we’re awake. But that’s not entirely the case. We are…” he crossed his arms over on his knees, still crouched on the pillar, “we’re bound by ancient rules that I can’t tell you about, but they’re in place so that the world does not become dominated by us immortal souls. The debates and struggles are a part of that, allowing people and Pokemon to decide the shape of the future. The three of us are actually quite close and there have been times when even they have gone out of their usual bounds to support me.” He looked over at them, Hilda and Mimi. “Like the time she… when she left this world. They were there for me even though they were supposed to be fighting against me at the time.”
Puzzled, Mimi twitched her ears. “Huh, is that when I moved to the dream world?”
“Yes,” he said, except that she’d died instead. He looked down, feeling uneasy about revealing this much. “So this once, when they’re both in danger, I want to be there for them.”
“That’s good,” Hilda said, smiling. “And you didn’t even argue being a hero.”
Kyurem shrugged. “If that’s who I have to be, that’s what I’ll do. But it’s like playing an entirely new game and I’m still learning all the rules. Just don’t speak of this with others; I don’t want people to go thinking I’m soft-hearted or anything.”
“Gotcha,” she said, running a finger across her lips to show her silence on the matter.
While they were talking freely, he decided he should probably bring something else up. He looked back up at her. “And another thing. I know you fear being an unknown more than death. But please, don’t get reckless about your life. I don’t take the deaths of my friends well.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re even admitting I’m a friend now?”
“We’re all friends!” Mimi said in a squeal, and hugged Hilda at her neck.
“One of the rare few,” he admitted. “But don’t let it get to your head.”
-+-
evening, 1/18
The day had finally arrived: Hilda and her Pokémon team were going to challenge Burgh. She couldn’t stop smiling and had an inclination to go running there despite the slush and ice all over Castelia. However, Kyurem put a stop to that, pointing out that she didn’t want to wreck her outfit before she even got there.
Which was a good reason, she figured. Under her coat, she was wearing a white and silver dress that went down to her knees and emphasized her chest some. It had fake fur in white around the collar too, all feathery and luxurious looking. She wore a silver necklace with a blue crystal heart on the pendant, with small matching earrings. And she’d even made sure to get her hair nicely styled this morning. It was all about making a good impression on the audience.
There would be a good audience too. When she entered, she was allowed to go into the back area to wait. Other people were coming in and going through the doorways to get to the seating which had been pulled out of hiding; those stretchy honey curtains were even gone. Not that they were really sticky, but casual visitors might not realize that.
As she was switching from her snow boots to sparkly white shoes with short heels, the door to the meeting room she was in was knocked on. “Excuse me, but may I come in for a moment Hilda?” It was Burgh.
“Sure, no problem,” she said.
He came in, today dressed in green vertical-striped pants, a solid green shirt, and a pink scarf. On his belt, there was a colorful butterfly-shaped buckle. “I don’t mean to bug you, but there is something I wanted to do before the match,” he said. “I was thinking over your plan about being mythic in response to Plasma and there just seemed to be something missing. I had to work late a couple of nights to get the design and crafting right, but here Kyurem, I would like you to have this, if you want it.” He handed him a black jewelry box, a flat one that was as big as his hand.
Not revealing his thoughts on this just yet, Kyurem opened the box up and pulled a necklace out of it. It had just a simple leather cord on it, with an equally simple pendant. But still, it was intriguing: a large stone circle that was just the outline. Half of it was white and half of it was black. That was all there was to it.
“This would be the proper form,” Kyurem said. “A circle encompassing nothing, all possibility.”
Burgh put a hand to his chest, looking relived that it was being taken well so far. “I had to double check with Drayden, as he knows more about dragons and legends,” he said. “There didn’t seem to be a counterpart for you.”
Kyurem shrugged. “There wasn’t one made. The people were afraid of me.” Then he went over to Hilda and put the necklace over her head. “It is not quite right, only a symbol now. But wear it for today, for the appearance of it. I’ll handle the rest later. Thank you, Burgh.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, smiling. “I’ll be leaving you to your last minute preparations then. I’ve got mine to attend to as well. Let’s put on a good show, right?”
“Ain’t no other way I’d do it,” Hilda agreed. Once he was gone and the door shut again, she touched the pendant. It was only a symbol now, yet it still felt special. “So does this mean I’m your chosen villain or whatever?”
Kyurem smirked at that. “If you mean to disrupt the progress of the heroes of the twins, that is a strong possibility.”
-+-
evening, 1/18
Few people came down this narrow street, so Giallo leaned against the brick wall and felt secure in talking on the phone. “Well he is young and Ghetsis knows better about managing a large group. It’s only natural that he leads when N is elsewhere.”
“Yes, but I’m afraid that he’s overstepping his boundaries,” Rood said, from where he was back in the castle. “How much is N aware of what the rest of the group is doing? Have you spoken to him ever since he left to join the League? I have and he’s clearly not happy about the enforced release program.”
“On the phone, but not for long. Are you sure Ghetsis is hiding things from him? We don’t know entirely what goes on between them, but they are close.”
“I didn’t think to ask about what N knows while he was with me, but I’m almost certain that Ghetsis is hiding things from us at least. He never entirely answers if N is his son or not, for one thing, and he keeps on Dr. Umber when I at least don’t have a clue what that scientist is up to. I believe in N’s authority, but I can’t say the same for Ghetsis.”
“N trusts him.”
“And that has me worried.” He sighed.
“Is something the matter?”
There was a pause before Rood said, “Sorry, I just don’t like how things are playing out recently. It reminds me of things… I don’t want to get caught in the same mistakes I’ve made before.”
“What’s wrong with things? We have been encountering unexpected difficulties, but nothing serious as far as I know.”
“Do you know everything?” he asked, a touch sarcastic. Then he caught that. “Sorry. Isn’t there something, you know, suspicious about all this? I want to believe in it, but these things are fitting in almost too neatly. Like how it turns out that N does have a twin and that he is after the other dragon, and then my daughter turns out to have the third.”
He glanced over at some pedestrians, but they were involved in their own conversation. “We suspected that he would have a twin, given how well he fit the mythical archetype.”
“And Hilbert fits the archetype well too, almost perfect as the case is with N. I know we use the imagery purposely, and you can’t control a child’s development exactly but… it’s just too perfect and I’ve been in a situation where things seemed perfect only to be rotted at the core. How well does Hilda fit into this all?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Giallo admitted. “Kyurem’s acting against his established role, at least it looks that way. I know what to look for in Reshiram and Zekrom’s partners but I don’t know about a partner for Kyurem. But that is partly why I’m here, to see her in action myself. And fate does have a funny way of working just right when people don’t expect it.”
“Maybe fate does, but I don't think fate is entirely at fault here. Are you going to try to convince Hilbert to work with us or what?”
“That could be hard, but I'll see what I can do. Why're you so worried about Ghetsis? He works harder than any of the rest of us at times.”
“He and N argued a while ago. I didn't see the entirety of it, but ever since then, I've noticed that Ghetsis is taking quite a lot of control in things. About the only thing that's really come from N lately was that stance that young children are not ready to be Pokemon Trainers, and he didn't make any statements on what to do about it. It was Ghetsis who suggested slanting the enforced release and further statements towards child Trainers.”
Arguing? That was worrisome. N was their leader, but Ghetsis handled many of the day to day matters. Plasma couldn't afford a split at that high of a level. “They trust each other, but friction between them will cause issues.”
“If it came down to it, whose side would you be on?”
“N's, of course,” Giallo said, with hardly a thought. “That shouldn't happen...”
“But it could. Watch how things go in the next few weeks and you might see what I'm talking about. I'm going to be talking with the others and looking into things, but please don't mention this to Ghetsis.”
“We're a group; we shouldn't be keeping secrets from each other and doing this.”
“It may already be happening,” Rood said, concerned. “I feel that I can trust you, so I'll keep you informed.” The conversation ended not long after that. Now there was that match at the Gym to watch.
The table that they usually used for breaks now had a vase filled with roses on it. “This just confirms how awesome I am!” Hilda said, grinning. “Thanks everybody for the character award! Because of that, I nagged Ysavvryl into posting the next chapter anyhow. Woohoo!”
“The rest of it is still on hold until the news release,” Kyurem said, calmly sipping at his tea. “Might be soon, might be in June. We'll just have to see.”
“Hopefully sooner, since she managed to clear out a bunch of other writing projects. So then, comments,” she glanced over at Kyurem. “What about Hilbert's powers?”
“He had two separate ones, the permanent Attract state and being able to detect desires. Reshiram and I locked out his Attract power, but he kept the other, since it wasn't as easy to abuse without Attract.” He looked over the comments. “And since we're talking about supernatural powers, I know that was Palkia's power, but she wasn't here. Can't say much more about it. As for me, I don't want to talk about it.”
“Oh really?” Hilda teased. When he just snorted, she shrugged. “And there was a question about Hilbert's first Pokemon... you know, I have no clue. I first saw him with a Gigalith, and that one's been released. Hey Hilbert! What was your starter Pokemon?”
“A Larvesta!” he called back from the hallway. “It's gone too...”
“Dude, you started with a Larvesta?” Hilda asked, jealous. “Man, were you spoiled or something?”
“You could say that.”
“Oh yeah, and I die in this chapter!” Hilda said merrily.
Kyurem spat out his tea. “What?!”
Chapter 22: Princess of Snow, Pt 1
morning, 1/16
The movement of the elevator made N’s stomach twitch. He closed his eyes, fighting off the disoriented feeling. Why was he back here in Castelia? He hated cities and this was a city bigger than any other around. Three of his Pokémon were with him (as he was trying to keep the Sandile from going off into hibernation), but so was a stranger that none of them were sure about. N opened his eyes when the elevator stopped, but it wasn’t the floor he wanted. The other man got off, though.
Just before the doors closed, he saw the hospital directory. Right, that was why he was here. Hilbert had been hurt.
N got off at the next stop, followed by his Pokémon. “This place smells funny,” Kimi the Scraggy said, clutching onto her loose skin.
“It smells like bleach and chemical cleaners,” N said. “They have to keep really clean here.”
“I don’t think this level of clean is healthy.”
“I don’t think your level of dirtiness is healthy,” Daisy said. The Darumaka had kept clear of Kimi the whole time they had been on the same team.
“It builds strong immunity.”
“I don’t know if they’d appreciate that, Kimi,” N said. “Sorry, but there’s scientific evidence to back up their cleaning habits. You’d better return to your ball while we’re here.”
“That’s a bore,” she said, but returned after that.
After checking in at a nurse station, N went to the room Hilbert was staying in. It was mostly white, with cabinets in a pale blue and a repeated motif of dark blue diamonds. Heavy curtains covered the windows and hung from a track to give more privacy if needed. In front of the hospital bed, Hilbert was sitting in a chair, bandages wrapped around his head. A Litwick sat on the bed, observing the newcomers with a nervous poise.
Hilbert himself smiled. “Well this is unexpected. Good to see you.”
“I wanted to come check on you myself,” N said, taking a second chair when offered. He picked up Daisy to put her in his lap. “Hilda told me, and I passed the message on to Giallo. He had no idea that you were in trouble and said he’ll come later.”
“That’s good, thank you.” He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. “I was getting bored anyhow. I’m not supposed to be doing much right now; they don’t want me over-stimulated.”
“Are you okay with my Pokémon being here?” N asked.
“I can stay out of his sight,” Rune said. The Sigilyph then flew to the window, investigating some objects on that side of the room.
“I think I’m okay with them if they’re quiet,” Hilbert said, looking at him again.
“I’ll be quiet,” Daisy said.
N patted the Darumaka in thanks. “Then what happened to you? Hilda didn’t have time to explain fully.”
“They got attacked by the scariest person ever,” the Litwick said in a shy tone.
He touched his forehead. “She’d know the full story better than me. We were hanging out one night and we got approached by this one girl. She’s been stalking me for the past few months and must have gotten jealous that Hilda was with me. She went to attack her with a bat, but I sensed her intentions and got Hilda out of the way, only to get hit in the head myself. I blacked out after that, but it seems like Kyurem then bit half of the other girl’s arm off. And Hilda had lost her voice that evening, so she apparently had a tough time trying to explain what happened to the paramedics and the police.”
“Is she okay?” N asked. “She seemed to be speaking well, but she didn’t mention being in trouble herself.”
Hilbert shrugged. “I think she won’t get into serious trouble. Kyurem’s attack was clearly provoked as his Trainer’s life was in danger. I’m more worried if they can keep Banshee away from Hilda. She’s clearly too crazy.”
“Sounds like it. How are you doing?”
He smiled. “Better than they expected. I mean, I got hit in the head with a bat by an angry girl. When the paramedics brought me in, they thought she might have cracked my skull in two. But no… I’ve got a nasty bump, some small cracks, and at least a moderate concussion. Still nowhere near as bad as they thought. They’re making sure that it’s not more serious, but I could be out of here tomorrow.”
“That’s good.” This really wasn’t quite that hard, N thought. He’d been making too much of a distinction between speaking with Pokémon and speaking with humans, but in the end, it wasn’t all that different. As long as you showed interest in the other person and tried for a fair exchange, conversations didn’t have to be something to be nervous about.
“How’ve you been doing? Sorry I didn’t stick around with you, but it seemed like I might distract you from your training.”
N had wondered when Hilbert had left Desert Resort. “I suppose I was at fault too, since I was ignoring you for a while. I’m sorry. But it’s been the usual routine. We were getting ready to challenge Nimbasa Gym, actually, but then Hilda called and I felt like I had to come check on you.”
He seemed to appreciate that, from how he smiled. “Thanks. It’s nice to have someone else concerned for me after all that’s happened. Have you really been challenging the Gyms in order from Striaton? You’re making extraordinary progress if that’s true. I can’t remember anyone else who went through a League that fast unless they had a lot of experience behind them.”
“It’s not been that fast,” N said, feeling embarrassed. He didn’t like battling, so it didn’t make sense for him to be good at it. “I’ve gotten several setbacks,” and if he hadn’t, he might have reached Driftveil or even Mistralton by now.
“Doesn’t seem to be that bad,” Hilbert said in admiration. “I mean, Hilda and her friend Cheren are still here in Castelia and you guys all started at the same time. And you switch teams all the time, so that’s a really good pace.”
“Maybe.”
There was a knock on the door frame to the room; Hilda was leaning into the room. “Hey, hi you two. Mind if me and Rei come in?”
“I think it’ll be okay, for a little bit,” Hilbert said. “And if you don’t get too loud.”
“Gotcha.” Then she and Kyurem came in.
“Rei?” N asked. He wasn’t sure how he felt about nicknaming a legendary Pokémon, but she seemed to have done just that.
Sort of. “Only she may call me that,” Kyurem stated.
“Is Banshee going to sue you?” Hilbert asked.
Hilda shook her head. “I’m sure she’d like to, but both the defense laws and the fact that she’s a real loony keep her from doing so. The police are going to take her into custody, though, so we shouldn’t have problems from her.”
“I can still taste her perfume,” Kyurem said, making a sickened face.
“We didn’t need to know that,” Hilda said, lightly hitting his arm.
“Really,” N agreed, trying to calm down a now frightened Daisy.
But then from the state of her body, there was no denying it: Hilda was dead. There was a crushed flower near her hand, spattered with blood. N and Hilbert were there, the former getting up shakily, the latter kneeling by her and a scattering of stones.
“You killed her.”
Murder? Why did he keep seeing death with this ability? Especially that of his friends?
She spoke up, the conversation having carried on while his mind was distracted. “That stinks, that you can’t do much. Well you’ll have to get a recording of the live League show this Friday and watch it later.”
“What for?” Hilbert asked.
Rune seemed to notice N’s change in mood, as he made a coo of concern and started to fly back over. But he still didn’t want to disrupt Hilbert. N closed his eyes for a second, trying to think. He had to save both of them now, had to find some way to convince them to let him protect him. Because if he gave the word to Plasma, then no harm would come to either of them.
“I’m going to challenge Burgh then,” Hilda said. “I had to convince them that I’d be worth including in the show; it worked, and now this is going to be awesome.”
Strange, she was even moderating her voice for Hilbert. N looked at them again and figured that was what friends did around each other. They might believe him, but what about when he told them who he really was? Would they distrust him then? That didn’t seem appealing. “I don’t get why they would make a show glorifying violence against Pokémon,” N said.
“It’s not that bad,” Hilda said. “It’s not like anybody’s standing behind the Pokémon with a whip and forcing them to do it. Pokémon fight because they like it. I mean, haven’t your Pokémon play fought? Mine do that quite a bit. Well, all but Kyurem.”
“I still don’t like it.” It was bothering him some: his Scraggy and Sandile sparred quite frequently and they seemed to have a lot of fun with it. But the damage that could be done when it turned to abuse was too much to stay quiet about.
“Then why are you participating in the League?” Hilbert asked.
Hilda seemed interested in the answer too, which made N feel uncomfortable. He needed some more time to figure out how to break it to them. “I have my reasons,” he said instead.
Thankfully, a nurse interrupted them. “Excuse me, but you shouldn’t keep your visitors much longer.”
“All right,” Hilbert said. He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry guys, but thanks for coming.”
“No problem,” Hilda said, smiling. “Must be pretty annoying to be treated like you’re fragile goods, though.”
He grimaced. “Exactly. But I suppose I am. Sometimes my head goes weird and I’m glad they block out as many distractions as possible to help me through it.”
She got up. “Well I owe you a call, but you’re gonna have to call me first. Don’t let anybody else hit your head, all right?”
“Of course,” Hilbert said, nodding.
N said goodbye to him too, then left to follow Hilda out of the building. “Well not the Leader,” she was telling Kyurem. “I mean the Gym Trainers.”
“Hilda,” N said, as Daisy settled herself in a secure position with an arm on his shoulder (so she could watch Kyurem). Rune flew behind him. “Could I ask you something?”
“Other than that?” she asked teasingly, slowing her pace so he could catch up. “Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“What do you think of death,” he asked, in a quiet voice above whispering. There were other people around and he wasn’t sure how’d they take this conversation here.
“Well that’s an odd question,” Hilda said, raising an eyebrow. But she was keeping low tones too. “In our case, it’ll happen whether we want it to or not. The important thing is to leave behind a positive impact on the people around you. It’s a pity when not many people notice when someone good dies.” She shook her head, bothered by that.
“Why would you want to know that?” Kyurem asked.
“You might die sometime soon,” N told her, feeling nervous.
“Oh, that,” she said, sounding unsurprised. She even laughed. “I knew about that. That’s why Rei’s here with me.”
“But how did you know that?” the dragon boy asked.
They came to the elevators, one of which was there. “I have visions of the possible future,” N told them, going in and pressing the ground floor button. “If I knew any more, I’d tell you. There was some kind of flower.”
“What kind of flower?” Kyurem asked.
N shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Then don’t concern yourself with it,” he said, in a way that suggested that he wasn’t going to hear any arguments to the contrary. “I’m protecting her; I could do a lot worse to a person than taking a limb from them.”
Hilda smiled and the doors opened again. “That means I’m in good hands, right? Well it’s only a possible future, so I might still live. Don’t be a stranger now, N!” She waved as she got off the elevator and headed for the exit.
The ice was so heavy that even the strongest of trees were wilting under its weight. The dragon Kyurem watched over this bleak landscape, with snow that buried the entire town. And she was there, as pale and cold as the snow that was slowly burying her as well.
Maybe it would be worth it to be a stranger so that it didn’t affect him… no, that wasn’t right. It was only a possible future; she might still live. N just had to figure out how to make certain that she lived. But first, he had to tell her the truth.
-+-
evening, 1/16
It was a chilly icy evening, but there were people on this rooftop, talking and admiring the view of the city from up high. Kyurem rather liked it, so he didn’t mind when Hilda wanted to come up here to look around. For the best view, he got up on top of one of the pillars that was on the safety railing. A few people looked at him in concern, but didn’t say anything right off.
Kyurem did mind the two older women who had come over to talk with Hilda. “We just don’t think it’s safe, young lady,” one of them said. “Kyurem’s presence leads to terrible times where many people die. It’s already a bad winter, so you should release him and try to get him back into hibernation.”
“He says he’s here to protect me and he won’t do something big unless I let him,” Hilda replied. “I might do some crazy things, but I’m not about to destroy the whole world, you know.”
“You don’t even have to go a fraction of that far to cause trouble,” the other woman said. “He’s already hurt somebody, and he would do so again.”
She frowned at that, apparently annoyed at their complaints but not willing to be rude just yet. “That girl could’ve killed me, and as it is, a friend of mine is in the hospital now because of it. He did what most any other Pokemon would’ve done for their Trainer. Well maybe not as far as amputation, but it happens.”
At that point, Kyurem got distracted from listening in because Mimi had clambered up on the fence to perch near him. “You might not want to do that,” he told her.
“But I want to be up here with you,” the Minccino said. She got up on top and peered over the edge, sliding. “Wow, we’re so high up!”
Kyurem put his hand on her chest and pulled her into a more secure position. “And that’s why I’d rather you not be here. I can fly if I slip.”
Pricking her ears up, she looked to him. “Really, even though you’re a human?”
He nodded. “Really. Although I’d rather not since they’d freak out about it.”
“Wow, you can do anythi…whaa!” She had slipped on the icy railing, losing her grip.
But Kyurem had a secure grip on her in seconds. He picked her up and brought her to his chest. “That’s what I was worried about,” he said quietly to her.
“But I knew you’d catch me, I knew you would,” Mimi said, clasping his shoulder. She was completely confident in him.
Sighing, he closed his eyes and put his head on hers. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“Hmm?” She patted his face with her other paw. “Why would that be scary? I wasn’t scared, not a lot, and I thought you weren’t scared of nothing.”
He scratched her head, looking back over the city skyline. “I’m scared to lose you.” Again.
Having gotten away from the older women for the moment, Hilda came over to where they were perched. “Hey, you sound like some overprotective father there,” she said as a joke.
“Because I am her overprotective father,” Kyurem replied in all seriousness. Mimi giggled, then reached over to Hilda. He passed her over.
“You are?” Hilda asked, taking the Minccino and holding her to one side. “How’d that happen?”
“I found her egg one day and brought it back to my den. Her parents were dead.” Because he’d eaten them and decided to save the egg for later. He just never mentioned that in front of Mimi. “And she latched on to me when she hatched, so I tolerated her, grew to love her as my daughter.”
“And you couldn’t resist cause I’m cute,” Mimi added teasingly. He had to smile at that, but he didn't translate it.
“Huh, I thought your place would’ve been too cold for an egg to hatch,” Hilda said. “At least for something that wasn’t an Ice type.”
He turned serious again. “It baffled me too, but I didn’t care to look into that too much. Did those women bother you?”
She shrugged. “Well yeah, but I’m not too worried about it. I know you’re trying to do the right thing. Although, why did you decide to be the hero this time around?”
For a moment, he considered giving her a vague answer. Not everything on his mind concerned mortals, and some things weren’t meant to be known by them. But in traveling with her for this amount of time, he felt that he could trust her with some answers. He gestured out to the city below. “Because it’s Unova, and my siblings. When I go out to destroy civilizations, I don’t mean to kill this place. I do so in order to let them rebuild things for the better. The destruction I saw wasn’t the kind that can be recovered from, at least not in the next century.”
“So you’re like those people who set controlled fires instead of letting wildfires clear out overgrown areas?” Hilda asked.
He nodded. “Quite. And my siblings, I know it sounds like we’re fighting all the time when we’re awake. But that’s not entirely the case. We are…” he crossed his arms over on his knees, still crouched on the pillar, “we’re bound by ancient rules that I can’t tell you about, but they’re in place so that the world does not become dominated by us immortal souls. The debates and struggles are a part of that, allowing people and Pokemon to decide the shape of the future. The three of us are actually quite close and there have been times when even they have gone out of their usual bounds to support me.” He looked over at them, Hilda and Mimi. “Like the time she… when she left this world. They were there for me even though they were supposed to be fighting against me at the time.”
Puzzled, Mimi twitched her ears. “Huh, is that when I moved to the dream world?”
“Yes,” he said, except that she’d died instead. He looked down, feeling uneasy about revealing this much. “So this once, when they’re both in danger, I want to be there for them.”
“That’s good,” Hilda said, smiling. “And you didn’t even argue being a hero.”
Kyurem shrugged. “If that’s who I have to be, that’s what I’ll do. But it’s like playing an entirely new game and I’m still learning all the rules. Just don’t speak of this with others; I don’t want people to go thinking I’m soft-hearted or anything.”
“Gotcha,” she said, running a finger across her lips to show her silence on the matter.
While they were talking freely, he decided he should probably bring something else up. He looked back up at her. “And another thing. I know you fear being an unknown more than death. But please, don’t get reckless about your life. I don’t take the deaths of my friends well.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re even admitting I’m a friend now?”
“We’re all friends!” Mimi said in a squeal, and hugged Hilda at her neck.
“One of the rare few,” he admitted. “But don’t let it get to your head.”
-+-
evening, 1/18
The day had finally arrived: Hilda and her Pokémon team were going to challenge Burgh. She couldn’t stop smiling and had an inclination to go running there despite the slush and ice all over Castelia. However, Kyurem put a stop to that, pointing out that she didn’t want to wreck her outfit before she even got there.
Which was a good reason, she figured. Under her coat, she was wearing a white and silver dress that went down to her knees and emphasized her chest some. It had fake fur in white around the collar too, all feathery and luxurious looking. She wore a silver necklace with a blue crystal heart on the pendant, with small matching earrings. And she’d even made sure to get her hair nicely styled this morning. It was all about making a good impression on the audience.
There would be a good audience too. When she entered, she was allowed to go into the back area to wait. Other people were coming in and going through the doorways to get to the seating which had been pulled out of hiding; those stretchy honey curtains were even gone. Not that they were really sticky, but casual visitors might not realize that.
As she was switching from her snow boots to sparkly white shoes with short heels, the door to the meeting room she was in was knocked on. “Excuse me, but may I come in for a moment Hilda?” It was Burgh.
“Sure, no problem,” she said.
He came in, today dressed in green vertical-striped pants, a solid green shirt, and a pink scarf. On his belt, there was a colorful butterfly-shaped buckle. “I don’t mean to bug you, but there is something I wanted to do before the match,” he said. “I was thinking over your plan about being mythic in response to Plasma and there just seemed to be something missing. I had to work late a couple of nights to get the design and crafting right, but here Kyurem, I would like you to have this, if you want it.” He handed him a black jewelry box, a flat one that was as big as his hand.
Not revealing his thoughts on this just yet, Kyurem opened the box up and pulled a necklace out of it. It had just a simple leather cord on it, with an equally simple pendant. But still, it was intriguing: a large stone circle that was just the outline. Half of it was white and half of it was black. That was all there was to it.
“This would be the proper form,” Kyurem said. “A circle encompassing nothing, all possibility.”
Burgh put a hand to his chest, looking relived that it was being taken well so far. “I had to double check with Drayden, as he knows more about dragons and legends,” he said. “There didn’t seem to be a counterpart for you.”
Kyurem shrugged. “There wasn’t one made. The people were afraid of me.” Then he went over to Hilda and put the necklace over her head. “It is not quite right, only a symbol now. But wear it for today, for the appearance of it. I’ll handle the rest later. Thank you, Burgh.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, smiling. “I’ll be leaving you to your last minute preparations then. I’ve got mine to attend to as well. Let’s put on a good show, right?”
“Ain’t no other way I’d do it,” Hilda agreed. Once he was gone and the door shut again, she touched the pendant. It was only a symbol now, yet it still felt special. “So does this mean I’m your chosen villain or whatever?”
Kyurem smirked at that. “If you mean to disrupt the progress of the heroes of the twins, that is a strong possibility.”
-+-
evening, 1/18
Few people came down this narrow street, so Giallo leaned against the brick wall and felt secure in talking on the phone. “Well he is young and Ghetsis knows better about managing a large group. It’s only natural that he leads when N is elsewhere.”
“Yes, but I’m afraid that he’s overstepping his boundaries,” Rood said, from where he was back in the castle. “How much is N aware of what the rest of the group is doing? Have you spoken to him ever since he left to join the League? I have and he’s clearly not happy about the enforced release program.”
“On the phone, but not for long. Are you sure Ghetsis is hiding things from him? We don’t know entirely what goes on between them, but they are close.”
“I didn’t think to ask about what N knows while he was with me, but I’m almost certain that Ghetsis is hiding things from us at least. He never entirely answers if N is his son or not, for one thing, and he keeps on Dr. Umber when I at least don’t have a clue what that scientist is up to. I believe in N’s authority, but I can’t say the same for Ghetsis.”
“N trusts him.”
“And that has me worried.” He sighed.
“Is something the matter?”
There was a pause before Rood said, “Sorry, I just don’t like how things are playing out recently. It reminds me of things… I don’t want to get caught in the same mistakes I’ve made before.”
“What’s wrong with things? We have been encountering unexpected difficulties, but nothing serious as far as I know.”
“Do you know everything?” he asked, a touch sarcastic. Then he caught that. “Sorry. Isn’t there something, you know, suspicious about all this? I want to believe in it, but these things are fitting in almost too neatly. Like how it turns out that N does have a twin and that he is after the other dragon, and then my daughter turns out to have the third.”
He glanced over at some pedestrians, but they were involved in their own conversation. “We suspected that he would have a twin, given how well he fit the mythical archetype.”
“And Hilbert fits the archetype well too, almost perfect as the case is with N. I know we use the imagery purposely, and you can’t control a child’s development exactly but… it’s just too perfect and I’ve been in a situation where things seemed perfect only to be rotted at the core. How well does Hilda fit into this all?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Giallo admitted. “Kyurem’s acting against his established role, at least it looks that way. I know what to look for in Reshiram and Zekrom’s partners but I don’t know about a partner for Kyurem. But that is partly why I’m here, to see her in action myself. And fate does have a funny way of working just right when people don’t expect it.”
“Maybe fate does, but I don't think fate is entirely at fault here. Are you going to try to convince Hilbert to work with us or what?”
“That could be hard, but I'll see what I can do. Why're you so worried about Ghetsis? He works harder than any of the rest of us at times.”
“He and N argued a while ago. I didn't see the entirety of it, but ever since then, I've noticed that Ghetsis is taking quite a lot of control in things. About the only thing that's really come from N lately was that stance that young children are not ready to be Pokemon Trainers, and he didn't make any statements on what to do about it. It was Ghetsis who suggested slanting the enforced release and further statements towards child Trainers.”
Arguing? That was worrisome. N was their leader, but Ghetsis handled many of the day to day matters. Plasma couldn't afford a split at that high of a level. “They trust each other, but friction between them will cause issues.”
“If it came down to it, whose side would you be on?”
“N's, of course,” Giallo said, with hardly a thought. “That shouldn't happen...”
“But it could. Watch how things go in the next few weeks and you might see what I'm talking about. I'm going to be talking with the others and looking into things, but please don't mention this to Ghetsis.”
“We're a group; we shouldn't be keeping secrets from each other and doing this.”
“It may already be happening,” Rood said, concerned. “I feel that I can trust you, so I'll keep you informed.” The conversation ended not long after that. Now there was that match at the Gym to watch.
Last edited:
GalladeRocks
Son of a Beach
Okay, finally got the last chapter read as well as the new one. They are naturally awesome, just like every other chapter. They are quite worrisome, however. The imminent conflict between N and Hilbert, as well as Hilda's death, still wear on my nerves.
Having Hilda be silent for a chapter was very interesting, I must say. Though not as interesting as Banshee going on a murderous rampage and getting half her arm bitten off. Can't exactly say I feel sorry for her, but I was genuinely worried that Kyurem was going to go too far and get into trouble. I'm also quite curious about the possibility of a schism of Team Plasma between N, Ghetsis, and their supporters. While N's innocence is obviously what brings so many to Team Plasma, and while there are undoubtedly other logical fellows in Plasma than just Rood and Giallo, I'm sure Ghetsis has a wide sphere of influence as well. And what would happen if Ghetsis were able to get to Hilbert and turn him against N? This is worrisome indeed.
Kyurem's still by far my favorite character in every sense. He's mysterious and aloof, yet sweet (I still love the relationship between him and Mimi). He's also the one who I'm most worried about. There's obviously something that he's keeping from the others about his past and the potential future. There's something dark about him, much of a hero is he is, and I'm worried that if he were to snap at the wrong time, things could get ugly beyond repair. I both await and dread the day when the three reach Dragonspiral Tower . . .
Having Hilda be silent for a chapter was very interesting, I must say. Though not as interesting as Banshee going on a murderous rampage and getting half her arm bitten off. Can't exactly say I feel sorry for her, but I was genuinely worried that Kyurem was going to go too far and get into trouble. I'm also quite curious about the possibility of a schism of Team Plasma between N, Ghetsis, and their supporters. While N's innocence is obviously what brings so many to Team Plasma, and while there are undoubtedly other logical fellows in Plasma than just Rood and Giallo, I'm sure Ghetsis has a wide sphere of influence as well. And what would happen if Ghetsis were able to get to Hilbert and turn him against N? This is worrisome indeed.
Kyurem's still by far my favorite character in every sense. He's mysterious and aloof, yet sweet (I still love the relationship between him and Mimi). He's also the one who I'm most worried about. There's obviously something that he's keeping from the others about his past and the potential future. There's something dark about him, much of a hero is he is, and I'm worried that if he were to snap at the wrong time, things could get ugly beyond repair. I both await and dread the day when the three reach Dragonspiral Tower . . .
hailflameblast
I'm coming...
A very interesting chapter. I'm intrigued by the fact that the Seven Sages suspect something rotten so soon, but it makes sense. Also, the beginnings of a hazy picture of what will happen in the next chapter are forming in my mind, though I won't comment since they are kinda weird. You'd likely out-weird it if I posted, so I'll see.
It's AAALIIIIVE!!!! *thunder*
Wait, is Hilda's death the vision or in the second part of the chapter? You confused me...
And while the Sages may suspect something is up with Dr. Umber, we know it's
Wait, is Hilda's death the vision or in the second part of the chapter? You confused me...
And while the Sages may suspect something is up with Dr. Umber, we know it's
Genesect
Last edited:
Is Hilda's gym battle going to be aired on TV? 'Cause Hilbert won't be able to see it if it's not~
I wonder if Cheren and N are watching her gym battle... How did Cheren take in the news that Kyurem amputated someone anyway?
What about Bianca?
I wonder if N or Rood or Ghetsis knows about Hilda's little stunt yet. You know, the reason Hilda lost her voice.
I wonder if Cheren and N are watching her gym battle... How did Cheren take in the news that Kyurem amputated someone anyway?
What about Bianca?
I wonder if N or Rood or Ghetsis knows about Hilda's little stunt yet. You know, the reason Hilda lost her voice.
OMG! YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING ON HIATUS AND YOU LIED! I'M FURIOUS NOW!
...
You didn't buy that, did you? Good!
Well, first off, this is one of the (scratch that, the)best fanfiction I have ever read. The detail is so amazing, and the way you started and ended the chapters is just...wow. Honestly, I'm lost for words. But so far, the read has me gripped and ready to read a new chapter. WHY MUST THE BEST GAMES COME OUT SO LATE???
I'm now going to do something I have never done before: A top five list. These are my top 5 favourite characters(both human and non-human).
5. Rune(N's Sigilyph): Rune is just plain funny, especially after he freaked out(sorta) over the fact that Shira was gone. I also love Sigilyph in themselves, but that's my opinion.
4. N: In the games, I thought he was some sort of weirdo hippie. Now, I actually understand what he's going for, and I'm actually supporting him. He's peaceful, innocent, and doesn't like conflict(though I still wish he kept Priscilla, Peter and especially Lucky).
3. Hilbert: At first, I figured he was going to be the big jerky rival who make amends with Hilda in the end. And I hated him. Now he's humble and doesn't think that he is the best person on earth. And he's awesome.
2. Hilda: Well, she's the main character, what did you expect? Oh, and also, I love how spontaneous she is, with a hint of crazy and just a little bit of cunning(case in point: She tricked N into going on a date with her. That was just pure genius in every sense of the word).
1. Fedora(Hilda's Servine): He is just, just...wow. I don't know how to describe him. I love the Snivy line, and Fedora has the, well, fedora to boost its awesomeness 200%. By far my favourite Pokemon in this fic. PS: CURSE YOU REALISTIC WEATHER AND REPTILE METABOLISMS! PSS: I was rooting for Perry, too, but Fedora is still great.
1a.Ok, ok, before he comes to eat me, Fedora is the most awesome NON-LEGENDARY in this fic. Kyurem would have been #1, but I didn't want to cut out Rune. He's mysterious, ominous, and protective of Mimi(sometimes almost to a fault). I also really wanted to see Kyurem eat someone whole, but an amputation is good too. Especially on Banshee, who was trying to kill Hilda. Psycho.
Wow, that took a while. One more thing though. I can see the Coffee Break now:
"Wow," said Hilda. "I can't believe someone likes my Servine more than me." ;D
...
You didn't buy that, did you? Good!
Well, first off, this is one of the (scratch that, the)best fanfiction I have ever read. The detail is so amazing, and the way you started and ended the chapters is just...wow. Honestly, I'm lost for words. But so far, the read has me gripped and ready to read a new chapter. WHY MUST THE BEST GAMES COME OUT SO LATE???
I'm now going to do something I have never done before: A top five list. These are my top 5 favourite characters(both human and non-human).
5. Rune(N's Sigilyph): Rune is just plain funny, especially after he freaked out(sorta) over the fact that Shira was gone. I also love Sigilyph in themselves, but that's my opinion.
4. N: In the games, I thought he was some sort of weirdo hippie. Now, I actually understand what he's going for, and I'm actually supporting him. He's peaceful, innocent, and doesn't like conflict(though I still wish he kept Priscilla, Peter and especially Lucky).
3. Hilbert: At first, I figured he was going to be the big jerky rival who make amends with Hilda in the end. And I hated him. Now he's humble and doesn't think that he is the best person on earth. And he's awesome.
2. Hilda: Well, she's the main character, what did you expect? Oh, and also, I love how spontaneous she is, with a hint of crazy and just a little bit of cunning(case in point: She tricked N into going on a date with her. That was just pure genius in every sense of the word).
1. Fedora(Hilda's Servine): He is just, just...wow. I don't know how to describe him. I love the Snivy line, and Fedora has the, well, fedora to boost its awesomeness 200%. By far my favourite Pokemon in this fic. PS: CURSE YOU REALISTIC WEATHER AND REPTILE METABOLISMS! PSS: I was rooting for Perry, too, but Fedora is still great.
1a.Ok, ok, before he comes to eat me, Fedora is the most awesome NON-LEGENDARY in this fic. Kyurem would have been #1, but I didn't want to cut out Rune. He's mysterious, ominous, and protective of Mimi(sometimes almost to a fault). I also really wanted to see Kyurem eat someone whole, but an amputation is good too. Especially on Banshee, who was trying to kill Hilda. Psycho.
Wow, that took a while. One more thing though. I can see the Coffee Break now:
"Wow," said Hilda. "I can't believe someone likes my Servine more than me." ;D
I might be ending the hiatus early, like sometime in May. On looking back over plans, I think I'm okay with the next few chapters.
It may not look like much, but there was a massive update to this fic today. I went back and fixed some persistent errors, like Pokemon name misspellings and Striaton (although I have a sneaking suspicion that there's an error that I've seen but didn't fix, and now I can't remember where it is). And some consistency issues. Apparently I couldn't decide if Carol's hair was pink or white. She's supposed to have pink hair. Not that it matters that much. Finally, I changed the early chapter titles to hopefully more interesting ones.
But the change that most matters is that this fic is now dated! Yay! Meaning it includes dates for events. This tells me that Hilda, Cheren, Bianca, and N all started their journey on November 11th. Glad that's up.
Just some quick comments, yes, Hilda's Gym battle will be broadcast. That's the whole reason she scheduled it for that time, to get onto a live battle show.
@Z-nogyroP: heh, thanks! I definitely have more fun stuff to do with all of those characters you listed.
It may not look like much, but there was a massive update to this fic today. I went back and fixed some persistent errors, like Pokemon name misspellings and Striaton (although I have a sneaking suspicion that there's an error that I've seen but didn't fix, and now I can't remember where it is). And some consistency issues. Apparently I couldn't decide if Carol's hair was pink or white. She's supposed to have pink hair. Not that it matters that much. Finally, I changed the early chapter titles to hopefully more interesting ones.
But the change that most matters is that this fic is now dated! Yay! Meaning it includes dates for events. This tells me that Hilda, Cheren, Bianca, and N all started their journey on November 11th. Glad that's up.
Just some quick comments, yes, Hilda's Gym battle will be broadcast. That's the whole reason she scheduled it for that time, to get onto a live battle show.
@Z-nogyroP: heh, thanks! I definitely have more fun stuff to do with all of those characters you listed.