"If they can meet the truth you walk, this world will finally be liberated!"
Right now, N was extremely calm.
He believed that with Zekrom at his side, he had already reached the level of strength needed to liberate the Unova region.
If he called Grey over and had him earn Reshiram's acknowledgment…
Then this world might truly become what they envisioned—filled everywhere with Pokemon's laughter and joy!
"Grey… I'm looking forward to your arrival more and more…"
N's hand gripped the planet necklace against his chest. Rain drenched his face, making him look especially lonely.
But N believed that once this rain finally eased, it would be the moment the new Team Plasma truly set sail.
…
…
Unova region, Pokemon League.
"This is strange…"
Champion Alder stood by the League's floor-to-ceiling window, his knuckles tapping lightly against the frame.
Outside, Unova's sky was unnaturally dark. Thunderclouds churned on the horizon like spilled ink.
"This weather… something's off."
He pressed his palm to the icy glass, sensing faint vibrations coming from far away.
As Unova's Champion for decades, Alder could smell the restlessness in the air.
He stared at the lightning that flashed in and out of the cloudbank, his throat bobbing once.
This looming pressure—the feeling of a storm about to break—dragged him back to the rainy season years ago, when Team Plasma first rose…
"Is Unova about to fall into another major crisis?"
He didn't want to admit it.
But Alder had to.
He was old now.
His strength wasn't what it used to be.
Ever since Volcarona was gone, that invincible confidence had drained away like a receding tide.
Without his former ace…
What could he really do?
Patter—patter—patter—
Raindrops began slamming against the window.
Alder gave a bitter smile and rolled his stiff shoulders.
Then he turned. When his eyes landed on the wall of portraits of Champions past, a faint spark returned to his cloudy gaze.
"Unova, in the end, is the land that raised me."
The real test was never how to reach the top—
It was whether, when you knew you were no longer at your best, you still dared to fight for this land one more time…
With that thought, Alder broke into a bright grin.
"Then let these old bones burn through their last bit of heat."
…
…
Kanto region, Celadon City, Pokemon Center.
"Gym Leader Grey—after discussion within the League, we think it's best that this Genesect goes to you."
After meeting up with Grey, Bruno took out a Pokeball.
It was the Pokeball Colress had used to carry Genesect earlier.
After the League talked it over,
they decided that a Genesect with Champion-level strength should be placed under Grey's control.
They also didn't want Grey to feel he'd been treated unfairly, so the League made the call to hand Genesect's ownership to him.
Even if it was a man-made Pokemon, it was still a Pokemon.
As for whether Grey could truly control Genesect…
the League unanimously believed Genesect was a Pokemon that needed guidance—and that Grey's Aura was the best possible bridge for forming a bond with an artificially created Pokemon.
"This… feels a little too valuable."
Grey swallowed.
A Champion-level Genesect?
And it was just… his now?
Was the Kanto League really that generous?
Of course, part of it was that there weren't many Trainers capable of dealing with Genesect in the first place.
And the ones who could deal with it
didn't care to catch it.
Red and Blue didn't even need to be mentioned.
Lance, Agatha, Bruno, and Lorelei also didn't want to spend the time "breaking in" Genesect.
And as they kept talking—
there was basically nobody left.
Just Giovanni and Grey.
And between those two, Grey had the shallower resume.
And he was also the easiest to lure away.
So in the end, everyone agreed Grey was the best choice to be Genesect's Trainer.
And just like that, Genesect ended up belonging to Grey.
"It's fine. If they're telling you to take it, then take it."
Bruno was blunt about it. He pried Grey's tightly clenched hand open and shoved Genesect's Pokeball into his palm.
Feeling the strength Bruno used, Grey's scalp tingled.
Terrifying…
Bruno had actually forced open Grey's hand even when Grey was using a bit of strength to resist.
And Bruno, meanwhile, felt a chill of his own.
He'd used most of his strength—and only barely managed to open Grey's hand?
The two of them fell silent for a moment, each thinking.
The way they looked at each other held unmistakable respect.
"Really worthy of the name Elite Four Bruno."
"Really worthy of the name Gym Leader Grey."
Mutual admiration.
But Bruno was even more shocked than he let on.
Grey looked lean, almost wiry—yet he had that kind of raw power.
"Bruno, let's go visit Gym Leader Giovanni together."
Grey put Genesect's Pokeball away and clipped it onto his belt.
With the fight over, Grey had also rearranged the Pokemon he was carrying.
Right now, his team was Annihilape, Articuno, Timburr, Genesect, Breloom, and Metang.
Among them, Metang and Timburr were the only two shiny Pokemon in his team.
Every day, just seeing those two made Grey feel better.
A shiny Pokemon gifted by a friend really did hit different.
"Let's go. I actually bought some Rage Candy Bars. Giovanni shouldn't eat anything too heavy right now—these can work as his main food."
Bruno shook the Rage Candy Bars in his hand and headed with Grey to the Celadon City hospital.
…
…
Inside the VIP ward.
Grey and Bruno arrived.
And the moment Giovanni saw the figure behind Grey, his fingers tightened around the edge of the bed as he started to sit up.
"Don't move, Gym Leader Giovanni!"
Bruno stepped in instantly, his bronze-toned arm pressing down on Giovanni's shoulder like a steel clamp.
Years of training showed in that moment—he stopped Giovanni from rising, but controlled the force so perfectly that he didn't hurt him at all.
Grey noticed the muscle lines tense under Giovanni's hospital gown, then glanced at Bruno's biceps swelling as he applied pressure, and raised an eyebrow.
Giovanni leaned back against the headboard, deliberately suppressing the urge to cough harder.
"Elite Four Bruno is extremely busy. There's no need to come all this way. I already posted in the group—my injuries aren't a problem."
Bruno dragged a chair over and sat down. The wooden legs scraped the floor with a dull, heavy sound.
"The things people say about the Viridian Gym…"
He folded his arms, solid muscle stretching his uniform into a sharp outline.
"But the League knows better than anyone."
"Without all the matters you've quietly mediated behind the scenes, Kanto wouldn't be this peaceful."
"This attack—whether for public reasons or personal ones—I had to come."
Standing off to the side, Grey noticed the subtle shift in Giovanni's eyes at those words.
This "injured" Gym Leader was likely reevaluating just how much trust the League truly placed in him.
"I appreciate Elite Four Bruno's concern."
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.