Truths and Reflections
Truth had to be nothing but the most unsullied gem of them all.
Truth was the bastion upon which families, clans, nations and kingdoms were upheld, and by its removal, they could all come crashing down. One lie could be enough of a wedge to topple the tower; one secret leaked could prove to be a leader’s downfall; one affair hidden from view could create an impassable fissure between once-thought unbreakable love if revealed; one shaking of diplomatic bonds could set ablaze the fires of war upon tentative timbers on which peace had been laid.
This, since his creation, was Reshiram’s most fervent belief.
That in his previous awakening and many times before that, he had fought a war with Zekrom, his ideals-believing other half, showed the extent to which he believed in his vision of truth. His previous hero, King Laban II of Unova revered that belief, and fought by his side to quash the idealist rebels led by his brother Prince Adham who sided with the Dragon of Black Thunder. Even now, thousands of years after his split from the original dragon in which he had slumbered in the form of White Stone, truth was his raison d'être; the very reason for his heart to keep beating.
Yet...a change had taken place recently. One in which he had been enlightened of a different way.
And one of the ones who had shown him that path still stayed by his side on this dry moonlit night, a year after that fact.
“Something on your mind, Reshiram?”
The green-haired human’s words drew the white dragon out of his thoughts, and down to the fire near to where the human rested, roasting a berry and vegetable mix upon a pan over an open fire. Reshiram had lit it; a menial duty for a deity such as himself, but he minded not. There was a time where he would have considered lighting a simple campfire beneath him, but since re-awakening with a new human companion by his side, he felt less inclined to act more akin to a deity.
Perhaps N was proving more influential upon his psyche than he realised
“I was merely taking a moment to reflect,” Reshiram said.
“Oh?” N tilted his head curiously - not too unlike certain Pokémon would. “Reflecting upon what?”
“Upon what has changed within one year. Ever since you awoke me atop the peak of Dragonspiral Tower.” Reshiram did not hide his feelings - he would not lie. Lying yielded nothing in this instance, not that it ever did anything other than sow misfortune.
“I am aware. You’ve spoken of it before.” The berries and vegetables sizzled upon the burning heat as N spoke. “Funny, how my realisation of the truth led to your realisation of it as well. The truth that humans and Pokémon can live in harmony together. To think it’s been a year already since that fateful battle with him...” He let out a chuckle. “Time flies, doesn’t it?”
“A year means more for you than it does for me,” Reshiram remarked. eyeing N curiously. “But yes...even to me, it feels like time has flown.”
He could hardly forget it himself. The recent memory had stuck in his mind like an anchor.
The day when he laid eyes upon his old nemesis again.
“Reshiram! Come to me!”
At that call, Reshiram burst into the throne room from the door behind the throne and landed beside N with his immense form shaking the ground. Part of the ceiling collapsed behind him from the sheer force of his arrival, and he gave a mighty roar as his tail blazed with flames fervent and hot enough to drain the room’s water. His Turboblaze scorched the ground and knocked over some pillars with its force, as though a blazing sun was right there in the throne room.
It was all an intent to display his might to the human opposite him whom he towered over. In the past, that show had made many an enemy, be they human or Pokémon, scatter before him in terror, even before he had unleashed his scorching Fusion Flare onto them.
But these were different times. Humans appeared more pacifist in this current day, and N was not so quick to order his enemies’ slaughter like kings of old had done. As such, Reshiram would not attack unless ordered to by him.
All the same, the fire dragon felt tense, gritting his teeth but disguising it as a low growl instead. Again, a gesture that made his foes flee in fright in bygone times.
A familiar, powerful aura, though muted, was present in this vast room, and it was coming from the human.
And this human didn’t look willing to flee. Wearing a red and black cap, a blue hoodie and black trousers, he wouldn’t appear at first glance to be the face of bravery. And indeed, the occasional flash of doubt struck him momentarily as he beheld the fearsome legendary dragon before him.
That was, until the human’s bag suddenly shook violently. As though something lay within and was struggling to get out.
That bag was where that powerful aura hummed, and now its power was about to be brought to the fore as the Dark Stone burst out of the human’s bag and floated in midair.
No doubt by my presence, Reshiram thought. A low, annoyed growl rumbled in his throat. It would appear you wish to interfere with the truth once again, my nemesis.
“Wh-What?” N stepped back, taken aback by the sight. “Th-The Dark Stone–no, Zekrom–is awakening? But how? You haven’t proven yourself worthy of the…” He trailed off, lost for words.
Compared to his Trainer, Reshiram was not shocked by the sight. He was told the human had the Dark Stone. And though he had his reservations - how could a seemingly unheroic boy like the human before him become Zekrom’s hero? - the presence of a powerful aura was usually the catalyst to trigger either of their awakenings. Whether it be by the aura of a sacred location like Dragonspiral Tower where Reshiram had been awoken by N, or by the aura of another Legend of equal or greater power. In this case, him.
Perhaps all the Stone needed was to be in the presence of Zekrom’s opposite to awaken. This was a truth Reshiram knew from times past, and a possibility that until now, he was unwilling to discount.
And now before Reshiram, N, and the human, the Dark Stone drew in the power of its surroundings, a black and violet energy coalescing around it, before the shape - a familiar shape to Reshiram - of an obsidian dragon of similar shape to Reshiram began to grow from the small sphere the Dark Stone once was. It was in a foetal position within the violet aura as it grew larger and larger until it equalled Reshiram’s size, and once it did…his blood red eyes opened for the first time in centuries.
All had taken a few steps back, to give Zekrom the space for his arrival.
The black dragon burst from the aura energy and landed, the ground shaking from the impact. His roar equalled Reshiram’s in force, and his tail whirred like a turbine, giant volts of electricity sparking from it and making parts of Reshiram’s fur stand on end. That energy built to a blinding field of electricity that surrounded Zekrom, and once it died down, his awesome form stood before them.
He took in his surroundings, before his eyes locked with Reshiram’s.
“Well, well, well.” Zekrom suddenly smirked, of all things. “Guess we’re doing this song and dance again, eh, Resh?”
Reshiram scoffed, a light ember flicking from his tongue. How he wished his opponent didn’t treat him with a casual air. It was insulting for a Legend to act such a way, and Zekrom knew full well just how his own attitude riled his opposite up.
“But before that…” Zekrom looked down at his feet, to see the human looking up at him with the same awestruck expression he had beheld Reshiram with. “You. You’re the one that awoke me. You’re looking to be my hero, are you?"
“...Yes.” The human spoke with a resolve that surprised even Reshiram.
“Then battle me,” Zekrom demanded. Stray bolts fizzled from his tail. “Show me you’re worthy of being my hero. Show me the ideals that’ve gotten you this far!”
“...I wish to see it too.” N’s words made Reshiram peer curiously at his hero. “I’m curious to see if you have the power to be his ally. It would be an anticlimax if Zekrom overwhelmed you now, wouldn’t it?”
It was a strange sensation, but something about Reshiram’s truth sense was being tugged by what N had said. It was as if he was drawing back the curtain on a hope. A hope…
…That he will become Zekrom’s hero?
“Don’t worry.” The human called to N, behind Zekrom’s massive form. “I’m not gonna fall at the finish line. I’ll befriend Zekrom and then I’ll take you and Reshiram down!”
“Heh! Fighting words!” Zekrom’s wings flapped eagerly. “Come on, kid! Show me you’ve got what it takes!”
With the throw of a Poké Ball and the sending out of a Samurott, the battle between dragon and hero commenced. At N’s silent request, Reshiram watched the battle ensue, not interfering with it.
Yet all the while, he couldn’t help but wonder what his hero was thinking. And in spite of all N had said thus far, a feeling nagged at Reshiram, as a possibility struck him.
N…do you not want the reality you seek?
Even now, that question rang in his mind, and so Reshiram voiced it.
“When did the doubt set in?”
N seemed distracted for a moment, the question bringing him back into reality. Before he did, he took the pan off the fire. Reshiram’s flames had worked their magic, though perhaps too well; some of the berries and vegetables had charred slightly.
“Hm? Oh…” He took out a bowl, setting some of the meal aside for himself in a small bowl. He then bestowed the rest to Reshiram. The white dragon lowered his head to the pan, before gobbling everything on it in one bite. An offering from the heart, which was different from offerings in previous times where they treated him like a god. That was not to say he did not appreciate the gifts of times past, but the way N offered him food more akin to that of a dear friend…something about that made the gesture more heartfelt than before. Even if the offering was a tad overcooked.
Oh well. N was hardly what humans knew as a ‘chef’. He’d say so himself.
“I think the doubt started around the time you recognised me as your hero,” he said, after mulling the question over. “In some ways, knowing you recognised me as such…I felt on top of the world. I truly felt honoured to have you by my side in my quest. And in some ways, I…still do.”
His smile in that moment was fond, a sign he was truly glad for the white dragon’s company. In turn, Reshiram’s heart felt warmer for it.
“But…” N’s smile then turned to a frown. “It was in some of what my followers in Team Plasma saw in our triumph that day in Dragonspiral Tower. Some were praising me as Unova’s deserved hero. But others in Team Plasma talked about you recognising me not in terms of keeping humans and Pokémon separate, but…outright taking over Unova and ruling it. Almost like our lifelong mission in Team Plasma was an afterthought. And no one preached thoughts of power and control more than…”
He let his words drift off. Reshiram didn’t need it finished; his claws curled and his fire within flared, knowing full well who N referred to.
“And so it became,” Reshiram mused. “After you awoke me, when you explained your goal to me in earnest, I was reminded of all the wars and strife I had participated in ever since Zekrom and I split. Countless had suffered, be they human or Pokémon, and so when you preached your vision to me that peace could be had if they were separate…it was a truth I wished to believe in.”
He gave a dry laugh to that. “My truth-sworn heart, believing in an idealistic vision…Maybe I was the fool between Zekrom and I all along.”
N looked up at the dragon, before shaking his head.
“You’re not a fool, Reshiram,” he said. “In that time, when I wasn’t sure who in Team Plasma I could trust, you were there by my side and have kept me grounded ever since. Pokémon have always comforted me more than humans ever could, and you’re no different in that way. If you don’t mind me saying that.”
Reshiram glanced curiously at N. Perhaps in a previous life he would have deemed comparing him to any old Pokémon as blasphemy and burned him on the spot. Yet if anything, he felt quite touched by the gesture. No hero had ever acted and spoken so casually to him like N was doing.
“With your recognition, I did feel like I could do anything. But all the same, once I had beaten Alder and the castle rose…the doubts within me grew more and more. Ghetsis had his usual spiel of ruling Unova, and some other Sages and grunts spoke in that same manner. If anything, looking back…”
N looked upwards at the stars above.
“I honestly wonder if I wished to escape that position. And if I viewed…him as a way out.”
“...Thinking back, I could sense it in you then.” Reshiram clasped his claws together. “You wanted him to succeed. You wanted him to be Zekrom’s hero. ...It was as though the seeds of doubt within you were blossoming.
“And yet…you still gave it your all as my hero, in that fateful clash of truth and ideals.”
Reshiram thought back to that time a year ago, back to that climactic battle…
The human held the Ultra Ball in his hand. Reshiram noticed his arm quivering, like he was holding a great weight in his hand that he was struggling to control.
Perhaps it was Zekrom being sealed in such a thing - a mass-produced sphere that all Trainers in this time kept their Pokémon in and that N spoke of in scathing terms - that was doing it. Even if he loathed him, the black dragon deserved better than being kept in something as small as that.
N went over to heal the other human’s Pokémon, stating he wanted a fair fight. That was fine by the white dragon - there was no honour in defeating a weakened opponent.
Reshiram gauged the human, trying to seek a hint of dishonesty from him. He detected nerves, alright - but not as much as before. Almost like now that he had captured Zekrom, his confidence had been buoyed.
Also a hand clasp to the spheres at his side - more Poké Balls, six of them of varying colours - and any remaining nervous twitches withered. For a mere boy, he displayed more bravery than most soldiers Reshiram had faced in times past.
He intended to put up a fight. And with how he had fought with his Samurott against Zekrom, Reshiram couldn’t deny he was at one with his Pokémon.
But then…so was N with him. And Reshiram, feeling his fire burning within, was not about to lay down and give up, not when his nemesis had chosen his hero.
“I will create a new reality for us all!” N declared, standing strong alongside him. “I shall sweep you before me!”
If that was to deter his opponent, it didn’t work. The human brandished the Ultra Ball, readying to throw it.
“We won’t be separated!” the human fired back. “Humans and Pokémon deserve to live together! Zekrom and me - we’ll show you how hollow your ‘truth’ is!”
Then he threw the ball.
“Go, Zekrom!”
The ball burst open, and out came Zekrom in all his glory. The dragon landed with a crash and a boom almost like thunder.
“Finally.” He cracked his neck. “Now we can get to the main event. Just like old times, eh, Resh?”
“I have no intention of treating this like a game.” Reshiram glowered at Zekrom’s lackadaisical attitude. “Now fight me, and let us decide between truth and ideals once and for all!”
“So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh? Fine then.” Zekrom punched his fists together, as his turbine tail whined and lit up brightly, bolts dancing from it. “I’m not gonna hold back. Not for one second!”
Reshiram’s tail burned brightly too, and the intensity of both dragons’ energy made their heroes shield their eyes. But among that, a call came from the human.
“Zekrom! Fusion Bolt, head on!”
Zekrom reared his wings back, readying for a body slam into Reshiram. Old memories flashed through Reshiram’s mind of how he’d done so with killing intent before, and in reaction, the white dragon breathed in as fire with rings danced at his mouth, before he launched it at Zekrom.
Fusion Flare met Fusion Bolt as a huge explosion burst through the room, creating a great plume of smoke in the process. It shrouded even Zekrom’s great form and though Reshiram had hoped it would keep him back–
“That the best you can do?!”
Zekrom charged at him head-on, as per his hero’s strategy. Reshiram tried to block with a Reflect barrier, but the black dragon’s physical power was unmatched, and it threw him back.
“Ack!” Reshiram hissed. Blowing embers at Zekrom, he took flight. And in response, Zekrom did too, his claws aglow in blue energy.
“Reshiram, Dragon Pulse!” N called from below. “Keep him at your distance!”
“Right!” Reshiram breathed in draconic energy before firing it at Zekrom. The black dragon tried to dodge, but a big body meant a big target and it grazed his side, nearly making him lose his balance mid-air.
“Zekrom, don’t falter!” his hero called. “Get Reshiram in close, then strike!”
“Got it!” And indeed, Zekrom charged forward to attack Reshiram head on. Reshiram tried to fire another Fusion Flare at him, but his nemesis caught up with him before he could build it up, and raked his claws across his fur. Reshiram let out a roar as white fur was cleaved from his body.
“Reshiram!” N cried. It was that cry of worry that made Reshiram stabilise his form mid-flight, dodging another claw swipe from Zekrom.
He flew far enough to put up a Reflect, a multicoloured barrier coating him. That would better resist him against his opponent’s considerable physical prowess. When Zekrom threw himself at Reshiram, he was better positioned to shake it off and toss him away with psychic energy.
“Got some neat tricks up your sleeve, huh?” Zekrom commented. “Well, so do I!”
“Zekrom, use the roof to your advantage!” called the human.
The roof? Reshiram had realised there was a hole in it, from his own entrance previously. The night sky could be seen, but thunder clouds had formed, and they were already rumbling with thunder.
Then lightning lashed, and Zekrom backed up to it, using his tail as a conduit. Huge bolts formed when it struck, and combined with the dragon’s existing electric reserves built to an almighty ball of lightning, which Zekrom coated himself in.
“How do you like this?!”
Then he lunged for Reshiram. The white dragon flew up to avoid his charge, and thankfully, Zekrom missed his thunder-charged slam.
But he didn’t miss the pillar ahead of him. That broke off, and a chunk of it flew in Reshiram’s direction!
“What!?”
Reshiram reacted too slowly, and the pillar hit him, knocking him out of the air.
“Argh!” He landed on the ground, a good deal more scuffed than when he began. The dirt created an instinctive reaction, of a pristine pure white form like his becoming dirty and unblemished.
“That all you got?!” Zekrom thundered. “C’mon, Resh! I thought you had more fight in you than that!”
“I’ll give you ‘fight’!” Reshiram snarled, before getting back up and charging another Fusion Flare. He gauged Zekrom’s movements, as the black dragon reared his claws back and flapped his wings, ready to strike.
He lunged, and that was when Reshiram fired. The Fusion Flare met his opponent in a great explosion, and in the air, it proved more destabilising than before. Zekrom’s flight faltered, and Reshiram easily evaded the incoming Dragon Claw. Zekrom landed, while Reshiram soared above him.
“Reshiram! Dragon Pulse!” N called as he ran to the white dragon’s side. “Get him before he takes flight!”
Reshiram charged draconic energy in his mouth and fired it. Once again, Zekrom’s big size proved a bane, and he took the hit head on.
“Gah!” Stray bolts flared as he was knocked back. He panted heavily - the Dragon Pulse had stopped him in his tracks.
In a weakened position, Reshiram sought to capitalise. His eyes glowed gold as he launched a rainbow beam at Zekrom. The Extrasensory hit him square on too.
“Zekrom!” came the cry from his hero as the black dragon was struck. Reshiram couldn’t help but feel satisfied at the sight. His opposite number, faltering - that was a good sign, after the first part had mostly gone in his favour. If he kept it up, victory would surely be near!
“...Heh.”
Reshiram’s smirk fell to a frown.
Did Zekrom just…laugh?
“Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
Reshiram landed, and looked at his nemesis. In spite of the blows dealt to him…he was smiling and laughing?
“...What are you planning?” Reshiram glowered at him. “I told you, I had no intention of treating this like a game!”
“So serious. Yeesh.” Again, Zekrom wasn’t fazed at all. Reshiram’s inner fire blazed at the sight; how dare he be so nonchalant at a time like this?!
“Aren’t you having fun, Resh? Because let me tell you, this is the most exhilarated I’ve felt in centuries! Maybe even millennia!”
“Fun?” Reshiram’s brow furrowed. “You think this is fun? This is a battle of everything we stand for! It’s not meant to be ‘fun’!”
“And that’s where you’re wrong,” Zekrom countered. “The intensity of battle, the rush of the wind on our wings, our hearts beating as one alongside our heroes…don’t tell me you’re not enjoying this!”
There he went again! Reshiram growled to the point that stray embers flew from his mouth.
“Our fighting is destiny. It’s the truth we’re bound to!” he raged. “‘Enjoyment’ has no role to play here!”
“Hah! Your truth’s a load of bunk if it doesn’t let you enjoy our destiny of battling.” Zekrom laughed once again. “Is your heart even in this? Does your hero even believe in his vision?”
N flinched at being called out by the black dragon. And once again…Reshiram sensed that speck of doubt.
“I do, Zekrom!” N shouted. “Pokémon and humans shouldn’t be together! It’s only caused pain and heartbreak and will continue to do so!”
Visions flashed in Reshiram’s mind of olden times, echoes of times past where countless humans and Pokémon were burned alive by his flames and shocked by Zekrom’s lightning. Pain and heartbreak was an understatement - war and death were there too. In that light, Reshiram found himself at one with N’s vision.
But all the same…there were those vestiges of doubt in N’s words that were triggering Reshiram’s truth sense.
It was if he didn’t fully believe in what he was saying.
“Well, that’s not what my hero believes.” Zekrom’s eyes narrowed. “Funny, you always called me the one who made the schism in the past. Yet here are you playing the rebel, Resh, and it’s me who’s gotta set you right.”
“How dare you forget the past,” Reshiram spat, flapping his wings. “Do the cries of the innocents you killed in your rebellion all those years ago go forgotten?”
“The innocents we killed, Resh.” The black dragon, contrary to his prior nonchalance, had turned serious. “That’s why humans and Pokémon have gotta live together. Deepening that understanding, all so we won’t have to be crazed killers like we were in the past. That’s a worthy ideal to strive for, and I’m not letting you go down that path!”
He punched his fists together. Lightning crackled at his claws as he did.
“Speaking in your terms, there’s only gonna be one truth, Resh.”
Zekrom’s tail sparked again, lightning crackling as the aura of electricity coated him once again.
“You’re going down, here and now!”
Reshiram fired up another Fusion Flare. A bright, searing ball of energy to launch at his target, and he stoked it to be bigger than his prior attacks.
Zekrom, shrouded in electricity, charged at Reshiram.
Reshiram fired his Fusion Flare.
Once again, the dragons’ Fusion Bolt and Fusion Flare met with an earth-shaking impact that destabilised more pillars, formed cracks in the ground, and shrouded the battlefield in thick smoke. Both heroes watched with bated breath, wondering which dragon would come out on top.
They soon had their answer.
Reshiram, preparing another Dragon Pulse, suddenly had the wind taken out of him by Zekrom slamming him into the wall opposite him. The impact shook the room once again, and pain shot through Reshiram from the sheer impact of the Fusion Bolt, coupled with the voltage shocking his system.
“Aaaaaagh!” he roared. An unchecked, full-power Fusion Bolt - just as he had launched his biggest Fusion Flare, Zekrom pulled no punches here. The black dragon had taken the hit and looked worse for wear, on the edge himself…but he still stood, looking at Reshiram dead in the eye with a killer look, as the dust settled.
Reshiram tried to move, but his body was unresponsive, his movements completely locked up from both his injuries and paralysing electricity coursing through him.
“N-No…!” he gasped. “I cannot…Not to you…!”
“Surrender.” Zekrom’s breathing was winded, but he still had Reshiram in his grip. “We’ve had draws before…but there’s a clear victor this time.”
“Reshiram! No!” N cried, off to the side. Meeting his gaze, the white dragon’s heart twinged, that his hero was being met with defeat here and now.
All because he had failed to protect the truth against Zekrom’s poisonous ideals.
And now that cycle of destruction would continue, as an unabated truth. That petty idealism Zekrom and his hero cherished so much would falter in the face of death and sorrow.
“Good work, Zekrom!” called the human who ran up to him. “We defeated Reshiram! But…take a break. The battle’s not over yet, and the rest of the team deserve a chance to shine too.”
“Sure thing, kid.” Zekrom shrugged at his hero’s words. “Go on. Have a good fight! Show Resh’s hero what the bonds between human and Pokémon are all about!”
N’s face was partly obscured beneath his cap. Reshiram could sense a vague hint of shame from him, and in turn, the white dragon felt it too.
“Bonds between humans and Pokémon…” The human turned back to face N. “You have more than Reshiram, don’t you? It doesn’t matter if it’s Zekrom or Noah - I’m their companion, not their master. And that’s how it should be for you too.”
He unhooked a Poké Ball and threw it forward. A Samurott materialised from it, immediately getting into a battle stance.
“...Fine then. I’ll play by your rules.” N brought his own Poké Ball out. “I’ll fight to the end, just like you want!”
Reshiram’s senses twitched at that, as N threw out his Poké Ball.
“Go, Klinklang!”
An involuntary twitch, as the ‘Klinklang’ was summoned. Reshiram knew that was a lie; N had detailed that in his strategy before the human had arrived in the throne room.
But even with the wind taken out of his sails…N seemed to have recovered from his earlier shame. And as the battle started up once again…
Reshiram couldn’t help but find one truth.
For N…he sensed that shackles had begun to be lifted.
“I cannot deny I felt shame back then at my loss,” Reshiram murmured. “That I lost, and your wishes would go unfulfilled.”
“But…maybe that wasn’t a bad thing after all.” A small smile graced N’s face. “You sensed it then. You must have known it. I never liked fighting with Pokémon before. All I could think about was them getting hurt by what I saw as sport. But…I never did consider how they might feel. That they would actually enjoy it. Zekrom’s words about feeling the thrill of battle…it made me think.
“That battle back then, after you lost…what he said…it was as if a new viewpoint had opened for me. Even if that battle ended in a loss for me…it felt liberating. Not only was I freed from my doubts, but I actually enjoyed Pokémon battling for the first time, as opposed to it being a necessary defence.”
Enjoyment… Reshiram looked at the night horizon, dominating mountains looming in the distance. His mind flashed back to the battle with Zekrom, and some of what his counterpart had said.
“Aren’t you having fun, Resh? Because let me tell you, this is the most exhilarated I’ve felt in centuries! Maybe even millennia!”
“The intensity of battle, the rush of the wind on our wings, our hearts beating as one alongside our heroes…don’t tell me you’re not enjoying this!”
“...Perhaps I could have done with enjoying battle too, as opposed to viewing it as an inevitable destiny,” Reshiram mused. “That could well have been the difference between Zekrom and I. His heart was more in it than mine, and that was why he came out victorious.”
He looked back down to N, who looked ready to add to that. Reshiram butted in before he could speak.
“It seems neither of our hearts were truly in that battle. No wonder Zekrom and his hero won.”
N gave a bitter chuckle at that, curling his legs in and resting his arms on them.
“Some Trainer I am, huh? ...I’ve always wondered if I was ever the right one for you. You deserved - no, deserve - someone more capable, Reshiram. Not a freak with a human heart like me.”
Reshiram’s fur fluffed up, taken aback by what N had said.
“You are not unworthy!” he immediately argued. “I would not have recognised you as my hero if you were. You have an understanding of Pokémon no other hero of mine has had. You care for Pokémon deeply, and that was why you pursued your vision as fervently as you did. Even if that vision may have been misguided in the end…I do not regret my recognition of you one iota. With you by my side, I have felt more fulfilled than I have in the past, in spite of of our loss.”
“Mmmm.” N hummed. His fingers twitched, as he dusted his trousers slightly. “I’m honoured you think I’m worthy. But…in the end, I don’t feel I lived up to the promise of a hero. We didn’t win our clash with Zekrom. And though a blessing in the end, I should’ve stood strong, instead of being weighed down by doubts.”
Reshiram peered down at N, noticing the doubtful body language all across him. Though he knew that his hero wasn’t the most confident at times, his words didn’t feel right. They weren’t lies or untruths, not things that set his truth senses off, but his feelings on the matter.
At least he was being honest and truthful now, rather than living in denial like a year ago. To that end, Reshiram felt proud of him. But still, the white dragon felt a compulsion - a duty, perhaps? - to clear up those doubts.
After all, humans and Pokémon were meant to be together - to help each other, and that went both ways. That was the new reality borne of Zekrom and his hero’s victory, as an ideal worth striving for and a desirable truth to live in. Both could co-exist, and though Reshiram still found it hard to adjust to new norms anathema to his many millennia of animus to Zekrom, they had common ground on that much.
“Doubt is natural,” Reshiram said. “The truth should be unshakeable, and our beliefs along with it. But alas, I have come to realise that it is far from that. It is more fragile than any treasure, and can be shattered easily by the spectre of falsehoods. Through my many millennia of life, I long thought ideals were flimsy and weak. Yet…”
The white dragon let out a dry laugh.
“It would appear the truth is no different. The truth is just as malleable as ideals are, and it is our responsibility to see that it does not oppress. If one’s reality is with enemies at every corner…should they not idealise to overcome it? To find a new truth, where we can be more in harmony with the world and those who live in it?”
N looked up at Reshiram, intrigued by his words and even rather surprised. Reshiram, too, found himself mildly surprised that he - the deity and guardian of truth - had uttered a confession like that. No doubt previous incarnations of himself, alongside the heroes he had over the years, would recoil at the thought of the truth being fallible.
But this was a new reality, and with it, the necessity for new insights. Throughout the centuries, Reshiram had seen humans and their societies evolve, and the humans of this generation were far more reconciliatory and peace-loving than those in time immemorial. If they could make peace with once-archnemeses…then he and Zekrom should put their longstanding feud to rest too, as they did on that day one year ago.
“...It seems we’ve both changed,” N remarked, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I couldn’t have seen that coming when I first awakened you, that one day you would be content to see eye-to-eye with Zekrom. Even for a Legendary Pokémon, I imagine thousands of years of bitterness isn’t so easily overcome.”
Reshiram’s gaze left N’s for a moment, as he stared into space on the distant night horizon. Thousands of years, and yet only now had he sought change? Well, not sought, per se - more foisted onto him, but in a way that he could come to terms with.
“We were always on opposing sides, ever since we split from our original form.” The white dragon’s gaze fell to the skies above once more. “In older days, it was in times of strife. Every time we fought, we would wreak chaos and destruction upon the land with our overwhelming power and countless lives would be lost. Yet still, we clashed, determined to prove which of us was the better. It was deeply ingrained in our psyches that we were drawn to each other to fight, to the point that we both believed it to be destiny.”
His wings lowered, visibly drooping as Reshiram recalled tumultuous times of old. Countless clashes with his longtime nemesis, with their numerous heroes of varying temperaments duelling in their own fights below.
“I read your histories in books. Of what was provided to me, and what I found out in human libraries.” N fiddled with his necklace. “I always saw Unova being razed as the humans’ fault. That the lives of so many Pokémon were lost by you and Zekrom being used as tools for human hubris…”
His grip tightened, and his fist shook. “It sickened me to think of it. All the more fuel for my growing belief that humans and Pokémon needed to be separate.”
Reshiram hummed thoughtfully, musing over N’s words. Thinking back to some of his previous heroes…did some of them see him as a mere tool? Using his awesome power for their own gain, to further their selfish ambition?
“...You may not be wrong to think that.” Reshiram’s words drew N’s attention. “My last awakening before you was some hundreds of years ago, when Unova was still a kingdom. I learned to revile the haughty ambition of Prince Adham, Zekrom’s rebellious hero, and stand by the side of King Laban, the proud and just king who preached the truth and worshipped me.”
“But…was he truly as you describe?” N’s hand remained on his necklace.
“...That was the truth and the image I wanted to believe in. But with hindsight, Laban was not without folly.” Reshiram suppressed a growl. “He captured leagues of Pokémon to use in his army to overwhelm his foes, and had little regard for their welfare. He held special attention for me…but he was not without greed either. He was in part deaf to the woes of those devastated by our war between truth and ideals, and was driven to crush his brother’s rebellion by any means necessary.”
N’s eyes were wide with shock as Reshiram told his tale. He looked to say something, but stopped, urging silently for the white dragon to continue.
“But a reality where Prince Adham overthrew Laban with Zekrom was a possibility I could not allow to happen. He was fouler and crueler than his brother, drunk with ambition, pillaging Pokémon lands to capture them and destroying human villages all to demonstrate Zekrom’s terrifying power.” Reshiram scowled at the memory, stray embers flying from his mouth in disgust.
“And so I fought him and Zekrom with all my being. But in it all, I fell victim to the drive to destroy them whatever it took, and in the end…I was just as destructive as Zekrom was. Countless innocents were caught in the crossfire of our duels, and the land was torn asunder by our frightening power. In the end, neither Laban or Adham survived; both were slain by our most devastating duel of all.”
Reshiram’s claws clenched, as a rare look of hurt formed in his eye.
“The looks of terror in the eyes of victims who beheld us in the aftermath of that battle, be they human or Pokémon…It is a memory I do not want to relive.”
He winced, remembering everything. The cries of anguish, the fires ravaging the land, loved ones cradling their dead, their heroes both slain, the angry shouts blaming him and Zekrom for causing all this…
Even after a few centuries-long slumber, that memory still rang out clear in his mind.
“There were no winners in that war. With Unova torn asunder by Laban and Adham’s clash of truth and ideals, and by us most of all, the next heirs demanded we be sealed away, seeing us as symbols of their ruin. I could not deny the truth before me, nor could Zekrom deny the failure of his ideals…and so we accepted our punishment, to be sealed to our forms as stones once again. There was one solemn truth that has not left me since that day, and that was…
“Humans were far from the only ones gripped by hubris and dogma. Zekrom and I were too, and with devastating consequences.”
Reshiram let the gravity of that truth speak for itself. Judging by N’s silent listening, clearly it had gripped him, yet all the same his eyes were wide with horror upon hearing the white dragon recite those times of woe.
“...I’m sorry you had to remember that.” N pulled down on his cap. “Apologies for dredging up those memories.”
“There is no need to apologise.” Reshiram shook his head. “If anything, it makes me appreciate the more pacifist nature of today’s world. It was those memories of devastation that compelled me to see your vision, that Pokémon should be liberated from humans. But they did not line up with how the world had changed. I erred that way when I should have recognised the truth; that today, humans and Pokémon live in greater harmony than they ever have in my memory.”
“And it was a truth that I blinded myself to as well.” N looked wistfully out at the horizon. “I never did see the good in humanity. But he showed me the light. And now that I’ve tossed aside my previous beliefs…it feels freeing. Like a Salamence finally achieving their wish to fly.”
“Humans will always have their dark side. But…Pokémon are not so innocent either.” Reshiram followed N’s gaze out at the land shrouded by night in front of them. “The truth is that we are not so simple. That was how it always was. Even Legendaries like Zekrom and I - we are as errant as humans can be.”
“Hm.” N reached for his pendant at his hip. “We’re far from perfect, all of us. But…maybe it’s those imperfections that make us who we are.”
Reshiram blinked in surprise. That insight felt rather revealing, as if to pull back the curtain on something he himself did not contemplate often. It should’ve felt disheartening, but…it was a simple fact. A natural conclusion to come to, that he had not acknowledged.
“For better or for worse, that is all of us who inhabit this world,” Reshiram added. “That is our truth, no matter our status as human, Pokémon or deity. A truth better embraced than shunned, and those who can acknowledge that are among those we can call enlightened.”
“Enlightened?” N stifled a chuckle. “Oh, far from it. For me, at least. Other humans already call me weird for talking so openly to Pokémon.”
“That is an ability to cherish,” Reshiram said. “If only other humans had that same ability, then maybe harmony would have been achieved much sooner.”
“...I’ll believe we’ve achieved full harmony when people don’t scream at the sight of you,” N replied. “You’re a giant Legendary dragon. You are far from easy to hide.” That had happened on more than one occasion since the day they had flown from the castle.
“I have told you before,” Reshiram said. “I am fine with a Poké Ball for such a circumstance.”
“I would rather you not be in one.” N shook his head.
They’d had this back-and-forth before. Reshiram decided not to humour it this time.
“Suit yourself,” he said. It was around that moment where he felt his eyes begin to droop. Even Legends like him needed their rest, and the sound of a yawn below indicated N was about ready to drop off too. Of course, not before he headed to a nearby pond for some water to put out the languishing fire with.
While he was doing that, Reshiram lay down on his front, conscious not to knock anything over with his huge form. He had accidentally toppled a few trees in previous instances where he tried to lay down, much to the consternation of the Pokémon who lived in them. Thankfully, the white dragon became more wary over time, and he found a comfortable position here with his tail in the air.
N returned with water in the pan from earlier and lobbed it over the fire, quenching the dying embers. He looked at Reshiram laying down and smiled at the sight.
“It’s one thing I look forward to now that the nights are cooling down again.” N walked over to Reshiram’s side and in a move that would shock some worshipers of the dragon…he lay down next to Reshiram, against his fluffy fur on his torso. “You’re always warm and comfortable to lie against.”
Once upon a time, Reshiram would’ve protested against a move so familiar, to treat him like a glorified pillow. But he cherished N, and having the human lay next to him felt comforting to him too, his heart warming at that feeling of closeness. None of his previous heroes had ever treated him like this, and he found it was something he was fond of, acting as warmth for N while they slept. He did not mind not being treated like a deity, and this was one instance where that was to his benefit.
“I am glad you appreciate me for that.” Reshiram brought his wing over N’s body, wrapping him around securely, and to give him more warmth.
“Good night, Reshiram,” N murmured sleepily.
“Good night, N.”
And with that, the Dragon of Truth and his hero drifted off to sleep.
Notes
I wrote this whole oneshot just as an excuse to write that last scene. (Be real, you’d totally want to sleep against that sheer floof if Reshy chose you as his hero, wouldn’t you? :3)
But it also meant I got a chance to write mainline Pokémon fanfiction for the first time, which was a nice change of pace from the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon writings I normally do. The PMD credentials do show since Reshiram and Zekrom talk in this oneshot - but they’re Legendaries which is my justification for them being able to speak here.
Another big inspiration for this oneshot was Black and White by Corovera, a oneshot on AO3 focusing on N and Zekrom taking place post-BW1. I really liked it when I read it quite some time back (before I even started writing PMD fanfiction, come to think of it) and would definitely recommend giving it a looksee.
I might be a bit inexperienced about some parts of mainline so there might be a gap or two in this. I also wrote this in three days with not much editing beyond that so it might be a little rough in parts. But it was still a fun write regardless.
Hoped you all liked reading this!