Last time, The End.

But this is Pokemon, and the end never really is the end!

The game restarts with me in my room, just like it began. Oh, the panic I’d have felt if this was my first game. I freaked out enough at being outside my house in Blue.

Walking out brings my mom over.

Mom: Welcome home, Farla! Hmm. I barely recognize you! It seems like you’ve seen and thought about a lot and grown into an adult!

A murderous adult, Mom!

Oh! Seems we’re about to have a visitor!

Not Failry please. His sister can thank me for my part in getting her pokemon back. Hell, I’ll even accept Bianca or Cheren. Just not Failry.

It’s – yellow outfit guy? Oh fuck you’re Juniper’s dad I hate you from last game give me what you’re here to give me and go away.

???: Oh, so you’re Farla! My name’s Juniper! The one who gave you your Pokedex is my daughter!

Mom: It’s been a long time, Professor Juniper!

The produces the question mark of confusion over his head.

Cedric Juniper: Has it been that long? I can’t remember… Well, that’s not really why I came.

I don’t like you.

Farla! To commemorate your entering the Hall of Fame, I’m going to upgrade your Pokedex!

The pokedex upgrade thing makes less sense every time it comes up. If it’s preloaded with information, why can’t I see any of that before catching a pokemon?

Cedric Juniper: I’ll tell you what I upgraded, so why don’t you ask?

The writing of this is an abomination.

Well, actually, it’s really simple! I made it so you can register all of the National Pokedex Pokemon.

Considering how this happens, it sure does seem more like you removed the block on doing that. Which in turn makes me not grateful that you took away a restriction you had no reason to place.

Mom: Wow! That’s amazing!

No, Mom, it isn’t.

That must be why you and your daughter are Pokemon Professors!

No, Mom. Mom, you’re embarrassing me.

Cedric Juniper: Ha ha ha! Flattery won’t get you anywhere! Well then, think I’d best be taking my leave!

Do that.

Listen up!

That’s not leaving!

There are still many, many Pokemon in this world! Sometimes Pokemon attack each other for food.

“Sometimes pokemon are food!”

Sometimes they help one another. They protect each other’s places. I’d be happy if you think about things like that while looking at the Pokedex.

…what?

And he leaves.

Mom: He left…

There’s better guys for you to date, Mom.

Oh, that’s right! Farla! I have a present for you, too!

She gives me max revives. Uh, thanks Mom.

Mom: No matter what you do, your time is yours and your Pomeon’s alone! So, decide what you want to do for yourself and do it! I enjoy my own time in my own way, too!

Oooooookay, Mom.

Well, that sure sounded like being told I’m free to do what I like! No more roadblocks, no more getting told I have to do things in the game’s order, no more

FUCKING FAILRY IS WAITING OUTSIDE. With his sister.

Gary: Hey! My sis has something she wants to tell you!

Why couldn’t your sister just say that?

Gary’s sister: Um… Farla… My Purrloin…

God, is the inability to realize it’s evolved some sort of genetic thing with you people?

It evolved, but thank you very much for finding it!

BUT?!

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?

Is this because the game’s going to give it to me because it’s too strong for her?

Gary: There’s more, right?

It’s not that she’s decided to become a trainer, is it.

Gary’s sister: Um… Farla… These days, I’ve been having dreams about a Pokemon. A Pokemon called Zoroark. It was calling your name, Farla!

Oh shit do I have its baby?

I need to get that dragon.

Gary: I don’t really get it, but I hear that the Zoroark from her dreams is on Victory Road!

That would fit with my N is actually a pokemon idea, though as I said, him being a zoroark doesn’t work that well. Still, there’s precedent for another one masquerading as a human.

Anyway why does she have random dreams anyway?

That’s what she wanted to say. Be seeing you!

I hope not.

They walk away. Then Failry stops with the exclamation mark over his head. Damn.

Oh! Almost forgot. Congrats on becoming the Champion!

All praise is meaningless from your mouth.

I called it!

And that’s why.

You’ve got good instincts!

Finally, he goes for good.

Well, let’s visit Cheren first.

And…he’s not here. All is as I left it. Also, the boy trainer says The reason Cheren saw potential in me was there was no one else…? No way! Even if that is the case, I just have to get stronger! so my protagonist is not only capable of speech, she’s capable of crushing the hearts and souls of those around her.

Anyway. Back to Victory Road!

I wonder where the zoroark is, anyway? Is it on the basic route I took, or should I check out the areas I skipped to find it? Probably the basic area, but since I’m heading back anyway, I might as well beat up the trainers I missed and explore a bit.

You are no ordinary opponent. That’s what my Ghost-type Pokemon is whispering to me.

So you can talk to pokemon too?

He sends out my enemy, metang! Volcarona roasts it.

Doesn’t seem to be anything else of interest down here.

Oh hey! I see the zoroark! It looks cool. It’s on the other side of the exit from the dark cave section.

Kwaaaaan!

And it heads into a cave.

And now there’s a druddigon. I accidentally faint it.

Another appears. Takes only a single ultraball.

It runs through the narrow tunnels formed by Excadrill and Onix. It uses its sharp claws to catch prey.

None of this explains why it has winglike things on its back.

This area seems to be the dragon section. I also find a dragon scale and the trainer here has a team of dragons.

That’d be an interesting thing to try out, playing through the game with an all dragon team.

So, let’s see. Gen 1 has only dragonite. Gen 2 adds kingdra. Gen 3 has salamence, altaria, flygon and of course the legendary latis and rayquaza. So that’s the first gen it’s possible to have an all-dragon team without repeats, and it requires a legendary to fill things off. Gen 4 adds garchomp, so a legendary isn’t needed any longer. Then this gen gives haxorus, hydreigon and druddigon, so now it’s even possible to chose a team.

Let’s see. Dragonite, salamance, garchomp, haxorus, hydreigon and druddigon – you can have a team that’s dragon from first evolution to last now! A team with minimal diversity and some secondary types that hurt more than they help, but still, that’d be a fun challenge.

Okay, so anyway. The cave is short and outside lurks the zoroark.

Kwaaaaan!

It runs into another cave. I enter, and it’s waiting a little in.

What’s curious here is I already have one, and the game made a point to give it to me in a way that couldn’t be missed. So, there’s no real point in me catching this one, so, does it have some other purpose?

Kwaaaaan!

It goes down some stairs. Weird stairs, they’re not part of the ground but a very thin platform that stretches down into a chasm. They connect to a entrance in the chasm wall’s other side, which is either carved or constructed.

And it’s N! HI N!

N: You came…

Of course I did!

This… This is Team Plasma’s castle. The ruins of Ghetsis’ dreams… The deepest chamber of this castle… It’s a place that holds a special meaning to me…

Is it your creepy nursery room?

I have to face you here!

Sure, no problem.

Follow me! Actually… Rather than just leading you there, I’d prefer to follow.

Yup, that’s N all right.

That way, I can see which path you choose and observe what catches your interest.

You are the cutest little obsessive stalker, N.

And you get bonus points for being the only one in the game to be paying any attention to my existence.

So, I ask this of you! Take me to the deepest chamber of this castle!

Like you even need to ask.

You lead and I’ll follow!

Oh, N.

Huh, we’re right next to the creepy nursery room.

N: This place… was my entire world… When I was little, I was abandoned deep in the woods. The ones who took me in and raised me were the Pokemon who lived there. Then, one day, a man appeared before me, claiming to be my father.

From this, we can guess that N was abandoned relatively late, after he’d learned basic speech. Either that, or pokemon can always understand humans, so learning pokemon speech lets you understand human speech even if you have no memory of it.

That…was Ghetsis.

N turns around, looking over the room.

The things he gave me were… The name “Harmonia”… the knowledge a king would need… Pokemon with their hearts shut so very tightly I couldn’t even talk to them…and this room…

Wait, but I thought he gave N abused pokemon so they’d tell him humans were abusive?

Poor N shakes his head. I’ll be outside…

There’s a luxuryball in the corner.

Outside, N is back to his perky self! You lead and I’ll follow!

I decide to go up instead of down, only for N to suddenly say that this is our destination, the room I fought him last game. I’m not done exploring with N! But all he says now is I want you to go inside. Okay, N.

That’s the place! He runs over. It was two years ago. For the sake of Pokemon… For my ideal world… I put my beliefs on the line and battled a certain Trainer! And I lost…

N, I kept telling you I agreed! The only person who beat you agreed with everything you said!

But at the same time, I learned something important.

Sadly, it was to listen to Douchy and not me.

To make the world better, you must accept different ideas!

Haven’t you noticed people refusing to do that when it’s your ideas?

I learned that this is the formula for changing the world.

It isn’t, N. It really isn’t. Accepting what’s already there changes nothing.

Accepting different ideas… I want to see if you’re a Trainer whose heart is strong enough to do that. Zekrom, come!

And he throws out a pokeball. Aw, I was hoping it’d fly down from the ceiling.

Shaaaaaak! it roars in the spiky hate box.

Zekrom also wants to know what ideals you seek

It’s not like I’d kill everyone! Just, you know, a couple people.

and how good a Trainer you are.

I am awesome.

Battle with me. Are you prepared?

Thanks for asking, N, but I’m ready!

Show me the depth of your determination!

Bazzazzazzash!

It’s battlin’ time!

His zekrom is L75 awesome awesome awesome! I leech seed it. Then it knocks out my serperior, but that’s fine, now it’s time for zoroark to dig it to death – or not, I almost kill it but then it knocks out my pokemon. Volcarona! Fly and let leech seed kill it!

Nope, N heals it. But in the process of killing my volcarona it gets burned. Audino, you’re the last one…

But it wins!

Zekrom and I were defeated. Your feelings, your desire to know the truth–that’s what surpassed us.

Well, let’s not forget my healthy disregard for my own pokemon. I pretty much won by stalling you to death.

Battling with you reminded me of two years ago…

Yeah, that’s always been my style.

It may be just a little, but I know you better… That’s how I feel. And Zekrom… Thank you for everything. My journey with you has been truly wonderful!

Is N going to give me Zekrom? You don’t need to do that!

From now on, I want you to use your power to help this Trainer realize her dreams.

Thanks, N. Every time we murder someone deserving, I’ll remember how you’re the one helpful person in this game.

Bazz…

N shakes his head. I know. I’ll miss you, too… But your task is to help humans who seek ideals. I’ve learned so much from you. I’ll do my best to tell everyone else what I learned on my own. I’ll be OK! I can talk to Pokemon!

…he says to the pokemon….

I’ll become the bridge between Pokemon and humans! That’s my ideal!

You’re adorable, N. Really though, you don’t have to give me Zekrom.

So… Rest well…

He…recalls it? But it’s a black ball that looks like the DNA splicer thing. Or maybe it’s the black rock? I don’t remember what that looked like.

Farla! I’ll entrust you with this Dark Stone!

Oh, so it is.

That actually makes me feel a little better about getting it, it really is a sort of weird conceptual pokemon that only exists for a purpose.

Take that Dark Stone to Dragonspiral Tower!

Okay. Anything else?

Go to Dragonspiral Tower. I will… I’ll search for that Trainer I battled two years ago.

Ask her why she hasn’t gotten around to ruling the world or killing off all those people she promised.

And… I plan to say thank you.

Aw, you’re cute! Good luck, N.