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Dear Diary: A Pokemon Black Storylocke, Part 44

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It’s been a few days, hasn’t it?

I didn’t mean to go so long without writing—it’s just that our journey didn’t have much of note until today. We left Pinwheel, of course. Virizion led us deep, deep into the woodlands in order to lure us to his chosen battleground, though, and so it took us a fair bit of time to leave—at least a few days, I think. It wasn’t helped by the fact that we were still nearer to the Castelia side of things than the Nacrene—and Blair is leading us in that direction.

I wasn’t sure why, at first, considering that there was nothing for us back in the southeastern corner of Unova, unless Blair intended a nostalgic trip home. (And I don’t think I need to tell you why that didn’t strike me as especially likely.) But in the end, Dreamtide was the one who illuminated things for us.

“There-was-dream. In-the-wood,” they said when the rest of us voiced our confusion as to our destination. “Dream-of-knight.”

I nodded. “While the rest of us were gone. He had a vision telling him where to find Virizion, didn’t he?”

“Yes. But.” Dreamtide glowed a softer, muted color. “Was-not-all. In-the-dream. There-was-more.”

“More?” Lillil asked, tilting her head in confusion. She’d recovered from Virizion’s assault—thankfully—though she likely wouldn’t be seeing any proper combat until we properly got her to a Center. “What do you mean more?”

“Dream-showed-more. Dream-of-men. Dressed-as-knights. Which-serve-N. Yes?”

“Plasma,” I breathed. Around me eyes turned grim, many of my fellows nodding. “You mean Team Plasma.”

“Yes. They-are-here. In-the-south. But-they-hide. In-the-sea. So. Lord-has charged. Us-to-find. Us-to-stop.”

“When you say ‘Lord’… you mean Reshiram here, and not Blair, don’t you? Reshiram wants us to stop them.”

“Yes. Jewel-is-right.”

I sighed heavily, exhaling. So that was why.

Cenn grumbled. “I don’t disagree. Beating up some Plasma goons is always cathartic for me.”

“I don’t really have the history with ‘em that you guys do,” Dusk added, floating along. “Only that one moment at the mountain. But that alone showed me the destruction they can wreak. So count me in.”

“Not that any of us has a choice,” muttered Laguna from the back. “If Blair fights them, we do too. End of story.”

A silence thick as a blanket descended on the rest of us. “Laguna—” I began.

“No, no, no,” she said, cutting me off with a wave. “I know that. Despite my reservations I have about Blair—and everything—I haven’t forgotten that N killed Keen, and that he tried to kill you and Dreamtide back in Nimbasa City when I first evolved. I also haven’t forgotten the bodies Team Plasma left behind them in Driftveil during the bombing, or just how bad things were at Twist Mountain. Even if I sympathize with N’s ideals, he needs to be stopped. I just wish that it could be on my terms, and not… his.” She shot a potent look at Blair’s back and sighed, before casting a wistful eye around the forest. “Don’t mean to be such a grouch. Maybe it’s being back in this place. My dad used to have a saying—‘Whatever will be, will be.’ But it’s not as easy as he makes it seem. I always find myself thinking about what might have been…”

So, we left Pinwheel after a few days and made our way to Nacrene. We tried not to think of our imminent confrontation with Plasma on the way. It didn’t take too long for us to make it to Nacrene after that. However, the weather changed when we left the forest—dark clouds milled on the horizon, tumbling over each other. As the hours passed they churned from light grey to dark to a near-black charcoal. The heavy smell of rain hung over us, and distant thunder beat like timpani drums.

Nacrene was different than I remember. Don’t get me wrong, the city has always felt sinister to me—or at least it has since we lost Tinder. Despite all our hardships, that was our first great wound—and it will be hard to forget the scar. But the city was different in a new and intimidating way. It had the scared, skulking feel of something that had been wounded and was on guard against the next injury to come its way—but it did not know from where it would come. We passed people in the streets, their coats buttoned and the collars turned up against the wind, who met Blair’s eyes darkly and turned aside.

It was then that I knew—this city was like Driftveil after the bombing.

The sky opened when we were a few blocks away from the Center. Rain poured down. I didn’t mind at all—being a Water-type, the rain actually invigorated me somewhat. Laguna and Lillil were likewise overjoyed. But Cenn and Dreamtide looked dour, and Dusk actually hissed when the first drops bit her. Blair recalled her not long after.

We rounded the corner to the Center and were met with a surprise: an enormous makeshift camp surrounded the building. Occupying the tents were many miserable-looking people and their companion pokemon. Some of them even bared their fangs and hissed at us as we passed, though I smelled fear on them. They were weak pokemon who were posturing—we were a six-badge team who had taken on legends and won. For all his flaws, Blair’s trained us well. We are, I suspect, among the highest percentile of teams in Unova.

The lobby was even more packed, with frightened children held by their parents along with a few shellshocked pokemon. Nurses—both humans and Audino—dashed everywhere, looking harried.

Blair made his way to the front of the Center. “I’d like a room,” he said.

The receptionist looked at him as if he’d just asked her to serve him roast Frillish with a side of hollandaise sauce. “Are you insane?” she asked. “After what happened in Striaton, you think we have any rooms left?”

Blair’s nostrils flared. “I only just got out of the forest,” he said with the low, overly flat voice of someone barely succeeding at containing his anger. “I don’t know what happened in Striaton.”

“I see,” she said. “Well. Team Plasma attacked the city a few days ago, forcibly ‘liberating’ the pokemon of many of its inhabitants. Everyone expected the Gym Leaders to put up a fight, but instead they suddenly declared for Team Plasma, alternately delivering speeches for them and helping quell troublesome trainers. Two of the Elites descended on the city, beat the brothers into submission, and scattered Team Plasma. But a lot of people got hurt, and even more ‘liberated’ pokemon were sent away.” She shook her head. “While the city’s being put back together, a lot of the refugees have made their way here. So no, young man, we do not have room. You will need to find someplace else.”

His mouth thinned. “Fine. But my pokemon need treatment.”

She cast a critical eye on us. “They look a bit weary, but I’m afraid none of them look especially pressing. I can put you on a list; we’ll call you on your Xtransceiver after your spot comes up. It’ll likely be a few days.”

“Never mind,” he growled. “But what about her? She was hurt the worst. I need her in fighting form.”

Lillil was nudged forward, looking uncomfortable. Despite putting on a brave front, she was still clearly feeling the aftereffects of our fight against Virizion.

The nurse surveyed her for a moment, took out a scanner, and let it sweep over her face. “Her condition is not critical,” she said when the scanner displayed rows of information on its tiny screen, “but she does need treatment. We should be able to work on her during the night. You can pick her up tomorrow morning.”

“Swell,” Blair muttered sardonically. He recalled Lillil and passed her ball to the receptionist before turning to leave.

“Hope you find a place!” she called in a too-chipper voice as he stepped out into the rain.

We made our way out into the camp surrounding the Center. There were no immediately available places out of the rain, and many of the makeshift tents looked shoddy and prone to letting in water anyway. Blair surveyed them with a critical eye.

And that’s when a melodic voice came drifting from behind us. “Fellow chosen,” it said, “I’ve come to offer you shelter.”

Blair turned in surprise. There, standing behind us with a tumult of long golden hair and a Sigilyph hovering over her shoulder, was Caitlyn.

Blair blinked, looking back and forth from her face to the Sigilyph. Dreamtide’s color shifted to a dirty yellow. Their air was cagey, unsure. The other Sigilyph mirrored their body language. “Who… are you?” Blair asked her.

She smiled, folding her hands one over the other like a demure lady. “I told you,” she said. “I am Chosen. There are three, you know—ice, as well as your fire and his lightning.”

“So you’re here to hurt us?” Blair asked.

She shook her head. “No. Fire burns and devours. Lightning flashes across the sky. They are active and destructive. Ice is cold and still. I watch, and I observe. I set things down their chosen path—that is all. Come.” She turned and strode off, her Sigilyph trailing behind her. Blair waited a few solitary moments before following after.

She led us across the town, heedless of the water pouring down. By the time we reached her place—a makeshift camp underneath an old stone bridge inside one of Nacrene’s parks—Blair was thoroughly soaked glowering miserably.

The camp was not immediately obvious. There was brush hiding the way to it, brush which her Sigilyph coated in psychic power and moved aside. “Thank you, Eidolon,” she said with a smile. The Sigilyph—Eidolon—bowed slightly.

The space under the bridge was muddy and cramped, but at least it was out of the rain. More Psychic-type pokemon were there, including the glowering Gothitelle I’d seen back in Chargestone; Selene, I think her name was.

Caitlyn sat down on a slab of concrete and motioned to a similar place for Blair. “Sit.”

He did so, his face tight. “Who are you?”

She sighed lightly. “As I said, I am the third chosen.”

“Kyurem’s champion?”

“‘Champion’ conjures a certain image of brashness that frankly doesn’t fit me,” she said. “No, I am his watcher if anything. He is a husk, the weakest of the three—and he has never been partial to the clashes his kin are so fond of. I am not going to throw myself into the melee you and N have are so keen to make this region into.”

“I don’t understand,” Blair said. “If you know you can’t win—if you won’t win—why bother getting involved at all?”

She smiled wanly. “Ah, Blair. To someone like you, it would indeed make little sense for my involvement. For you the world is gain, gain, gain. If I have nothing to gain, why bother doing anything at all? Is that what you think?”

A small creature in emerald slime—a Duosion—floated over a canteen to her, the object ringed in lime-colored light. “Thank you, Entelexeia,” she said with a grateful smile. She sipped from the canteen before continuing. “The truth is that Kyurem hopes to gain something else from what is happening.”

“What?”

“He does not share such things with me,” she said, “though I can hazard a guess. Of all the dragons, Kyurem is the weakest—yet he retains the most memories of their original form as the Great Serpent. He alone recalls what it was to be one. They are incomplete, you know, all of them; they are yin, yang, and wuxia. Light, dark, and void.”

“Get to the point.”

“The point is this: Kyurem has the least power but the most insight. I suspect whatever it wants has something to do with the memories it holds from its time as the Great Serpent. Does it simply want to watch and see what happens? Or is there something else at play? Whatever it may be, I don’t think its victory and yours are mutually exclusive. Thus, I will not be an impediment to you.”

“Hmph.” Blair cast a critical eye about her hovel. “I can see Kyurem’s patronage has done wonders for you.”

She did not drop her smile at his jab. “Well, whatever blessings your god has given you, I’m sure they are quite wonderful. Mine has given me only guidance—that, and the gift of self. Some things about me have… changed, under his influence, but I remain me.”

Blair’s eyes narrowed. “How proud you must feel.”

“Not proud. Fortunate. More, I think, than you know.” She sighed and rose, fishing out a strange stone from her pocket. “A gift from Lord Kyurem—it will help your Ghost-type reach her fullest potential.” Blair took the stone and pocketed it. “You are, of course, welcome to spend the evening here.

“No,” Blair said flatly. “Any person can say they’re not your enemy. I’d feel better not having you hovering over me while I slept.”

“I won’t try to force you,” Caitlyn replied. “Though I do hope you enjoy the rain.” She waved her hand and the brush smothering the entrance cast itself aside, giving Blair a way out. A reminder of her power—she could do what her Sigilyph did. “Farewell, Reshiram’s chosen.”

It was hard to tell, given the cloud cover, but it seemed that night had fallen by the time we were done speaking. Blair stomped off to a different part of the park, a place where the trees offered some protection from the rain—some, but not much. He released Dusk from her ball, and after ordering Dreamtide to explain what had happened to her, he approached her with the stone.

The light of evolution filled the park, playing off the rain-soaked trees and the grass. When it finished, Dusk was there—a Chandelure, finally. The soul-purple fire blazingwithin her burned intensely, causing the rain to evaporate before it ever touched her. Her ‘arms’, as they were—shadowy things almost like the metal lengths of a chandelier—flexed experimentally. More fire burned at the ends. Her eyes, a sunny yellow, blinked and then widened into a smile.

“Hey everyone,” she said. Her voice was still youthful but confident and powerful. “Glad I finally caught up to you all.”

We all laughed and celebrated with her, some lamenting that Lillil wasn’t there to see. But Blair broke up our levity soon enough.

“Don’t expect we’ll get enough sleep,” he said, casting a critical eye at the sky. “So we may as well make the most of our time. We’ll train.”

And so we did. Training is the key to being a human’s pokemon versus being one in the wild. It’s the main reason why, unless there’s a numbers advantage or a tremendous power discrepancy, a human-trained pokemon almost always has the edge on a wild one—even if they have a type advantage.

Humans have developed special moves of their own, but they also teach us how to move and use our powers effectively in battle. Even when they aren’t expressly calling out moves for us to use—typical in most Gym fights—we rely on their guidance and training. The strategies we employed against Virizion—circling each other protectively, interlacing our attacks, Dreamtide making psychic shields, Laguna using the earth to trip up a charging opponent—those are all things Blair taught us. We likely would have been massacred without his training.

I am not going to brush over his flaws, but I will admit this—he is a competent trainer. Runs in the blood, I suppose.

We spent most of the evening practicing new moves. He spent the lion’s share of his effort on Dusk, helping her acclimate to her new form. It didn’t take her long to pick things up; evolution is a natural process for us, after all, and we slip into our new forms with ease. I think Prima said it best when she said that evolution was like growing from a sapling to a great tree.

Still, eventually we were tired out, and there wasn’t much more for us to do. Blair let us retreat to our balls—Laguna stayed out to guard him; she seems to mind the rain the least—and he himself settled against one of the trees to wait for morning.

I should be sleeping, but I have time to write here in the comfort of my ball, and so I’m doing so. I’m not sure what waits for us in the future—N and Team Plasma are growing more brazen than ever, even turning Gym Leaders, and their threat still lurks somewhere to the south.

And behind them, there are the two dragons driving everything. Or should I say three? It’s easy to forget Kyurem and Caitlyn, but they’re there. Who knows what they want? And has Kyurem really left Caitlyn’s mind alone, unlike N and Blair?

I wonder…
Not much to say on this one. To those who are interested, the yearly Extravaganza is up on the nuzforums: check it out and maybe nominate me for some stuff if you feel!

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songwithnosoul's avatar

Not sure if I've ever mentioned this, but I like how Dreamtide glows in different colours depending on their mood.



I like Laguna's speech about how she'd want to fight Team Plasma but wishes she was doing it on her own terms rather than Blair's. That's really the bottom line, isn't it? Opal's dilemma is pretty similar. If only she hadn't gotten herself shackled with a Trainer she hates but can't bring herself to disobey. Just a bad time all round.



I like the ominous buildup as they enter Nacrene and it becomes increasingly apparent that something terrible has happened but you don't know what. Interesting that the Straiton triplets defected. I know there used to be a popular fan theory pre-BW2 that they were actually the Shadow Triad in disguise and some Nuzlockes decided to go that route. I wonder if something similar is happening here - although them being beaten by the Elites suggests not, unless that was a ruse... it could just be like with Cheren. And a nod to the sequels, where they aren't Gym Leaders anymore. (Of course, Cheren is  a gym leader instead, and I think that bridge is probably well burned. Heh. Well, you're playing the original rather than the sequel, so none of that matters.) I can see why everybody's so shocked that the gym leaders turned out to be a bunch of terrorists. And more Pokémon were kidnapped... yeah. Again, good to flesh out Team Plasma's menace with incidents that weren't in the game.



Dreamtide’s color shifted to a dirty yellow. Their air was cagey, unsure. The other Sigilyph mirrored their body language. I like this. And I totally forgot that Blair wasn't there when Opal and co. met Caitlyn. It's reasonable that he assumes she's another violent rival like N. And I'm somehow not surprised that she turned up - being Chosen seems to smooth his path in little ways like this, even when it's putting him and his team in constant danger and hollowing him out inside. I was actually more surprised that it didn't work out (although him refusing to be vulnerable near her is predictable in retrospect, really). This is a good explanation for how you got the Dusk Stone to evolve Dusk, though.