The business of expanding influence in new territories can be a daunting task. However, compared to other regions, conducting operations here seemed relatively smooth. The notion of Pokémon being completely free from their Poké Balls? Preposterous. A stranger's voice suddenly interrupted Lusamine's speech.
Everyone turned in surprise to see a quiet man standing beside Touko, now speaking up. He removed his hat, revealing striking green hair: "Team Plasma never had such unrealistic goals."
"Who are you?" Lusamine asked, her brow furrowed as she tried to recall where she might have seen him before.
"I am N."
N? Recognition dawned on Lusamine, "The leader of Team Plasma?!"
Meanwhile, out at sea, the giant Tentacruel floated restlessly. Where was Lugia? Had it forgotten about Tentacruel and the urgency of the situation?
Boom! A sudden explosion snapped the Tentacruel to attention. Submarines had surrounded it without notice.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A barrage of torpedoes exploded around it, sending shockwaves of pain through its already battered and exhausted form. Normally, such attacks would be trivial, but in its current state, even moving was a struggle.
It let out a feeble roar, filled with frustration.
Run away? No energy. Dodge? No time. Fight back? Impossible. It watched in despair as the human submarines closed in.
Where are you, god of the sea? The Tentacruel's eyes reflected sadness, yet there was no regret for its actions today. It had only wanted to claim the rightful space for its kin to survive.
The Tentacruel tribe had neither the courage nor the strength to resist until one among them unexpectedly gained immense power and led the others in a counterattack. They just wanted a stable home, but obstacles kept arising.
"Ha!" A familiar voice called out, and the giant Tentacruel looked down to see an old woman standing on the deck of a submarine.
"You dare destroy my sea hotel!" The woman, known as Granny Kim, shouted furiously, "I poured my life's savings and connections into building that retirement project!"
Granny Kim, infamous in the region, held sway over both the legal and the underworld, rumored to have ties with military forces. Now she was enraged, her carefully constructed sea hotel reduced to ruins beyond repair.
"Keep firing! Kill it! You can do what you want with the body!" Granny Kim ordered the military officers, her voice filled with venom.
The officers agreed without hesitation, as they were already tasked with assisting in dealing with the Tentacruel. Though international relations were tense, their alliance held strong with this region, and the mission was under the guise of protecting Blue Pearl Beach.
With the command given, countless torpedoes locked onto their target, the giant Tentacruel.
Sensing the inevitable, the Tentacruel slowly closed its eyes, bracing for the end.
Boom!
Torpedoes launched, aimed relentlessly. From above, the scene was a dramatic spectacle.
Suddenly—
A low hum resonated, and a ring appeared above the Tentacruel, releasing a pitch-black Poké Ball that descended slowly. This was a specially crafted Heavy Ball, made from rare materials and utilizing space technology to accommodate any Pokémon, provided they didn't resist.
Snap!
The ball opened, and in a flash of red light, the Tentacruel was absorbed inside. As the ball fell, the ring reappeared and caught it securely.
"All set." Carl clipped the ball to his belt, turning to N, "Now, back to our conversation. As the leader of Team Plasma, how did you end up on the wanted list?"
Everyone was stunned.
Had he just casually captured such a powerful Pokémon?
After Cynthia revealed N's identity, Lusamine was about to inquire further when Carl suddenly called a halt and swiftly resolved the situation. They had expected to need Lugia's help, but Carl had solved it in the simplest way possible.
"Hoopa, send me back home," Carl instructed.
He planned to place the Tentacruel in the World Tree domain for the time being.
Hoopa, busy instructing Lugia in a game, still managed to open a portal for the Poké Ball's transport.
With matters settled, Carl once again turned his attention to N.
N was silent for a moment before speaking in a cold tone: "I discovered by accident that the man who claims to be my father doesn't deserve the title. Remembering how Ghetsis openly said he raised me as a monster, a tool to be used, pains me."
N revealed that Ghetsis was the real power behind Team Plasma, while he was merely a puppet. Their true goal was to use the forces of Reshiram or Zekrom to allow a select few to dominate Pokémon.
He admitted everything, including the truth about Team Plasma and Ghetsis's schemes. If his sisters hadn't secretly investigated and informed him of the truth, he might still be serving Ghetsis. This thought stirred mixed emotions in him.
Lusamine wasn't surprised: "I always suspected something was wrong with that organization." She recalled her past experiences in the region where Team Plasma's words didn't match their actions. They claimed to liberate Pokémon, yet their behavior was malicious, calling Poké Balls chains was laughable. True partnerships were built on mutual respect.
Cynthia astutely identified the key point: "So you have a unique quality that earned the dragon's recognition? Ghetsis must have seen immense potential in you to invest so much."
Lugia and Hoopa, who were in conversation, suddenly turned to look at N in surprise, whispering to Hoopa about the unexpected presence of two chosen ones for the legendary dragons.
In the Pokémon world, legendary Pokémon like Reshiram and Zekrom would choose special humans as partners. These chosen ones were known as heroes, similar to the Rainbow Warriors chosen by Ho-Oh. These powerful Pokémon would challenge humans who shared their ideals.
Each legendary Pokémon had its own criteria. For instance, Ho-Oh valued peace and would choose humans dedicated to ending wars as Rainbow Warriors. Once these warriors met certain conditions, they could undertake special challenges guided by the Rainbow Wing.
These challenges weren't fair, as legendary Pokémon would willingly limit their powers, such as not using their domain powers or reducing energy levels. But if the challenger succeeded, they could gain temporary allegiance.
The reason it was temporary was due to the limited lifespan of humans. Although betrayals of ideals occurred occasionally, legendary Pokémon generally had a keen sense of right and wrong, making such occurrences rare. The timing of their selection varied too; sometimes they chose several people at once, while other times, centuries passed without a choice.
Ash was the Rainbow Warrior chosen by Ho-Oh after a millennium. Surprisingly, N was chosen by both Reshiram and Zekrom, sparking curiosity about whether their trust was placed in reality or ideals.
In the past, Lugia might have been particularly interested in N. After all, the ideological conflict between Reshiram and Zekrom had once nearly destroyed the region. But the circumstances had changed. After the world merger, these two legendary Pokémon no longer feared being consumed by Kyurem. They found peace in the realization that reality and ideals could coexist harmoniously.