When Two Are One 22

  “Mr Alder?” White expressed her shock once she entered the living room. The man she saw was not alone, as Brycen and the Junipers were also present, waiting for the arrival of the surprised brunette.

  Looking up to meet her gaze, Alder stood from his seat. “How are you feeling?” he asked, a small smile forming his lips. All eyes stared at White, giving her an unnerving feeling while she looked for an assuring answer.

  “I’m fine,” she replied, cheeks glowing in red at the constant staring. “Um…you wanted to see me-?” White hitched a squeak once she felt Bianca’s and Cheren’s hand gently squeezing her arms. She turned to look; aqua eyes seeing nothing but a comforting smile on their faces.

  At times like this, she was truly lucky to have friends like them.

  She forced an upward line of her own, dry lips thinned and weary. Without a word, White brought her legs to the nearest sofa. Cheren calmly took a seat on her right while Bianca gave a little bounce as she sat on her left side.

  To see such a friendship, Professor Juniper knew she didn’t make a mistake by choosing them.

  The room was quiet, silent as breaths hummed their songs. White stared at her palms, fingers clenching and caressing her ticklish skin. Her head was down, strands of gentle brown hair shielding parts of her face. What should I tell them? Her mind questioned her own conscious, finding no answers on how to explain the dire situation.

  Everyone waited patiently, all expectant eyes on the silent girl. Alder sat up straight, hands pressed on his lap. Lips pursing, he opened his mouth, ready to gently ask on whether or not she was actually able to-

  “Zekrom.”

  He stopped, eyes round at the voice that broke through the silence. “Excuse me?”

  “His name, the dragon is called Zekrom.” White took one breath, and then exhaled through parted lips. Meeting the eyes of the adults in front of her, she continued, “It’s what-” she stopped, words suddenly too heavy to slip off her tongue. Quickly regaining her composure, White rolled her left fist and slowly muttered, “It’s what he called the Pokémon.”

  Alder and the Junipers exposed their shock; wide eyes and mouth in shapes of gaping lines. “Pardon my intrusion,” Mr Juniper interrupted, one hand raised slightly. “But what you are implying is that you’ve truly seen the legendary Zekrom?”

  White didn’t return his gaze, but she nodded. “Unless that Pokémon has another name, I distinctively remember him calling him that.” Quiet gasp filled the room, with Bianca’s a bit louder than the others.

  White went back to look at her palms. “He- N-” Arceus, she felt like someone had pierced a sharp stone in her throat. “-said that…in order to fulfil his dream, he would need Zekrom’s help.” She saw how his eyes provided hate for her. She saw how distasteful his tone was when spoken of humans – and her. “Something about a vision, where Pokémon can be free without any humans around.”

  This time, Bianca’s gasp was louder. “What?” She gaped, full green eyes on the girl. “White, are you serious?”

  Compared to her enthusiastic friend, White merely gave a lazy shrug. “I don’t know. Ask him. He’s the crazy one.”

  “White…” Cheren butted in, a frown finally revealing an emotion on his face.

  To realize that she had been cornered, White lightly bit the inside of her lower lip and looked at neither of them. “Okay, okay…” A few breaths were taken to ease her, eyes closed to prevent any connection of sight. “It’s just…well, what he said really was crazy stuff.” Memories of yesterday lingered, slowly draining her of her faint spirit. “But after what I’ve seen yesterday, I guess his crazy just evolved into a lunatic.”

  Everyone was completely quiet, completely focused on White. “The way he talked about how horrible humans were. About how he hated being a human, about how he wished not only for Pokémon to be free, but for humans to…be…gone…”

 The atmosphere maximised its density, making the others cringe at the sound of the news. To their confusion, a dry chuckle was heard from the last person they expected to hear. “It’s funny, actually…” White murmured, fingers intertwined together, “He once said some pretty stupid things, but usually me and my Pokémon would just mistook it as him being…I don’t know, him.”

  “But, after what I’ve faced, after what I’ve put my Pokémon through…” A heavy, guilty sigh slithered through White’s words. Regret haunted her thoughts, bringing her of the images of her hurt team.

  “White…” Reaching for White’s hand, Bianca gently squeezed it.

  “Stop blaming yourself…” With her other free hand, Cheren lightly patted it.

  To see her friends comforting her, it made her breathe a single chuckle. Usually, it was her ‘job’ to comfort or save her friends from distraught or danger. Now, it seemed that the tables have turned.

  “So the legends were true.”

  Upon hearing the voice that none of them had heard ever since the trio entered the room, everyone was shocked. Now, all eyes – even White’s – turned to one person: Brycen. The man sat on a single sofa located in the farthest corner of the room. He looked away, face baring not a single emotion.

  “What legend?” Cheren asked, one finger adjusting the position of his spectacles.

  Alder looked at the wise leader. “It seems that the worse is yet to come.”

  Bianca blinked in confusion, head slightly tilting to the right. “What’s yet to come?”

  “I can’t believe the legend has been brought back to life.” It was Mr Juniper’s turn to speak, and none of it revolved around answering either of their questions. He looked at his daughter, concern written all over her young eyes.

  And as for White, her patience was wearing thin. “Wait what’s going on?!” she shouted, bringing the hushed monologues to a silence. Her cheeks reddened once she realized what she did. “S-sorry…”

  Alder and the others stared at White, Professor Juniper stifling a giggle at how rash the girl could sometimes be. Finally, a small, meek smile curved the man’s lips. “I’m sorry. Judging by your faces, it seems you don’t have a clue on what we’re saying, do you?”

  “Why do you think we asked…?” White mumbled sourly and quietly, a pout accidentally pulled as she looked away. Bianca giggled while she playfully nudged her waist. Cheren just sighed at her behaviour and shook his head.

  “Would you mind telling us about what you are discussing about?” The black-haired child requested; blue eyes mostly on the Icirrus leader.

  All eyes once again fell on Brycen. The elder didn’t even flinch at their exact stares. “It is a myth, actually.  A history that was dulled to one of mere legends. It is a story about two young kings and how their only dragon split into two.”

  “A fairy tale?” Bianca piped in, curiosity and joy now filling her heart.

  “A myth?” Cheren cut off, he on the hand sounded rather uninterested than his fellow friend.

  White then irritatingly – and softly – elbowed them, signalling them to stay quiet and listen to the whole story before any questions could be bombarded.

  “Sorry…” Bianca pouted.

  “Ow…” Cheren muttered, one hand rubbing his arm and mind mentally scolding her at why her hit on him was rougher than Bianca’s.

  Once their attentions were back on and no unneeded voices were heard, Brycen nodded. “Yes. It is a fairy tale and a myth. All of it exists in storybooks, one that you read to you little children just for the sake of it.” He looked downwards, a frown slowly pulling the corners of his lips. “It seems that fairy tales like this are better left in books than in real life…”

  To see such a worrisome expression, it rooted seeds of fear in their hearts.

  Brycen let go of a long sigh, eyes still casting on the floor. “Centuries ago, Unova was ruled under the monarchy of a king. The king was a wise man. He led the region with such peace and serenity. His laws were entirely judicious. The people of Unova were very loyal to him, and all of them loved and respected him like he was one of them.” Brycen told them the story, his composure calm and stoic as ever. “The king owned a mighty dragon. It was said that his Majesty and the Pokémon were friends since birth. And since the bond they built was so connected, their hearts, minds, and souls were intertwined as well.”

  “The king also had a son – two to be exact. Twin brothers: Prince Fax and Prince Nox. Prince Fax was the eldest of the identical pair. He was wise as his father, and was always enraptured by rules the kingdom had laid upon. He never disobeys, and never questioned the laws that were written in ink. Needless to say, Prince Fax was a truthful, obedient man.”

  “However, his younger twin, Prince Nox was quiet different. The prince was just as well-behaved, but he was also known to be quite exuberant. His wisdom was sturdy, but on a different branch, and his dedication for the region’s wellbeing exceeded even his father. He was a determined man, always seeing the future in many possible ways. The plans and strategies he made were always out of the norm. But nevertheless, it always worked like a miracle, despite his brother’s hesitance.”

  They listened in persistence, growing more and more interested in the story. White watched as Brycen hunched on his seat. “Everything was fine. The kingdom was in peace. The king saw the brothers’ potential, thus agreeing that when the time has come, the two will reign together. The king’s dragon would still live, seeing that he would be able to connect his powerful bond with the king’s children. With one whose calm demeanour strengthens his wisdom, and with one whose confidence exceeds even the impossible, the brothers were a powerful pair, ready to bring the kingdom into a hopeful future.”

  “However, when the time for the king did come, all it brought was a grief nightmare.”

  Brycen looked at the fireplace mantel. A painting of black and white was elegantly hanged on top of it. The shape formed a single circle, resembling a symbol of Yin and Yang. He closed his eyes, another breath calmly slipping through his nostrils. “Both princes became kings. But, after the ceremony of their enthroning, both kings faced a terrible decision.”

  “King Fax wanted to rule under his father’s orders. He wished to seek nothing but the truth, to follow the ways his father had done since his reign. He didn’t want any changes, drastic or not. He wished to rule in a calm, straight manner, proving that changes would only bring despair and catastrophe.” Brycen then laid his eyes at the people in the room – at White, who would soon to be more than involved in the said myth.

  “King Nox wanted change. He wanted to rebuild a world of his own, one that suited the dreams that he dreamt as a child. His vision was clear. His future was set. A world where rules were bent; shifted into ones that brings endearment to not only him, but to his loyal citizens as well.” The leader shook his head slowly like how a grandfather would look like if he was disappointed at his grandchildren. “The clash of truths and ideals clearly caused a strain in the relatives. And, as time flew by, it caused a clash of the kingdom.”

  “And the dragon, clearly loyal to the brothers after the old king’s departure, faced a grim choice. He was forced to choose a path of truth, or turn to a world of ideals.” Head cocking upwards, Brycen kept his vision straight at White. “And because of this, it started the apocalypse that once ruined the fate of Unova.”

  Shivers ran down Bianca’s spine, even Cheren’s. White remained quiet, not even tearing her eyes away from Brycen. She felt a tug on her sleeve. However the girl didn’t need to turn to look, for she knew it was just her female friend acting out of reflex.

  “Acting out of sheer pressure from the brothers’ violent quarrel, the dragon split into two: Reshiram, the white Dragon of Truth and Zekrom, the black Dragon of Ideals. The separation was a surprise for the twins, but that didn’t fade their argument. Without any sign of hesitance, Reshiram sided with King Fax. And as you may guess, Zekrom went to King Nox’s aid. Soon, what was supposed to be a petty fight turned to a ruthless battle.” He stopped for a moment, recollecting his tranquillity that hummed inside of him. “And what was supposed to be a ruthless battle, turned to a raging, apocalyptic war.”

  Once again, stillness occupied every inch of the room. Only breaths were heard; some slow while some were fast due to the adrenaline of the story. As Brycen talked, White was quiet as a Whismur. Her facial expression didn’t falter like Bianca, nor did she give minimal reactions like Cheren. No, she sat still, body unmoving and ears listening to the tale as if it was a grave tip for survival.

  “The war lasted for almost a year.” Brycen continued, eyes finally moving away from White. “It was enough to demolish the entire region in a blink of an eye. Land that was once so blessed with crops and life turned into barren death. Laughter was replaced with screams. Humans and Pokémon who once worked together clawed each other’s throats, just for the sake of any shelter and food that they could find.” He shook his head again, this time a cringe wrinkling between his eyebrows at the fate of their history. “Unova was long dead. And all the brothers could ever think about was their throne; a throne that was long destroyed the second the war began.”

  Brycen’s voice was thick with grief, bringing further impact on the story alone. “Soon, the twin kings found out about what their actions had done, and they were utterly devastated. They were too late to reflect on their foolish attempts to save or change the course of their future. Their land was gone. Their people were dead. Everything was gone right under their noses.” His wistful eyes gazed back to the painting. “Out of broken hearts, the brothers took their own lives with their own swords, thus ending the gruesome war.”

  “While for the dragons,” He looked at the teenagers. “Since they had lost their heroes, their bodies became orbs: the Light Stone and the Dark Stone. Survivors from the higher hierarchy took the stones and hid them in their respective places, never to be seen again, praying that the deadly history would never be repeated.” A frown was seen, even if it was the faintest. “But to our dismay, it seems that history will soon be rewritten anew.”

  Feelings of worry and fear flashed before their faces. Professor Juniper held her father’s hand, a childhood instinct she had picked up every time she was afraid. Bianca was now wrapping her arms around White, lips shaking and blowing small whimpers of astonishment. Cheren didn’t hold either of them, but his face glowed a grim expression, not even bothering on wearing a calm mask. Alder, who sat before the three teenage trainers, stayed quiet; concern and doubt swirling in each of his aged eyes.

  While for White, she needed to find a new word to express her reaction.

  Her eyes were wide, staring at nothing in particular. It wasn’t fear, nor was it bafflement. She was like a bedazzled porcelain doll, sitting there perfectly still until someone could come and pick her up. Sweat trickled behind her heavy hair, drops dangling and dripping from her chin. Her hands ceased trembling, but were now cold as ice. However, compared to the stoic shell that she wore, her heart was moving the fastest. It beat and drummed and pounded and hammered. Its motion was quick at each pace, reminding her empty mind that this was reality.

  White closed her eyes, only to see a smile of the man that had brought chaos.

  “Tsk,” A hiss blew through clenched teeth.  With a shake of her head, she opened her eyes and calmly stared at Brycen. “And he has awakened one stone. So that leaves…”

  “The Light Stone,” he finished her sentence; tone as if assuring her that her nightmares had come to life.

  “Oh…” To her chagrin, her reaction wasn’t as exuberant as she hoped.

  Cheren eyed his friend, then blew a light cough to wipe away his anxiety. “You don’t suppose Team Plasma has the Light Stone, do you?” In the dire situation, it was a huge wave of relief to see Alder shaking his head.

  “I doubt it. N has already revived Zekrom, so the presence of Reshiram is unneeded. If Zekrom approved of the boy, then that means his other half wouldn’t. Besides, even if they do have it-”

  White did her very best to hide a cringe.

  “-they couldn’t do anything about it. They couldn’t revive it unless the next hero opposed of N’s idealistic dreams. In other words, they could only hide it without the Hero of Truth knowing, because the legendary stone is completely unbreakable.” The moment he finished his sentence, Alder turned his attention toward White, much to her discomfort.

  And if that wasn’t enough, now everyone’s eyes were on her.

  It didn’t help that she knew exactly what was on their mind. “What…”

  “White,” Bianca said, hands gripping her arm, “you’re the next hero.”

  Even though she knew that would be their answer, White still couldn’t help flinching. “W-what no-” She snapped her head at Bianca, head shaking left and right at quick speed.

  “It’s obvious, isn’t it?” Cheren added, a tiny hint of jealousy tainting the boy’s tone.

  “Guys I don’t-”

  “If there is one thing I know about White, is that she treats her Pokémon with love and care, and at the same time providing the same amount of sheer willpower in her team.” Professor Juniper butted in, finally opening her mouth. “If N’s dream is to liberate Pokémon, then it is clear that White is the proof of a strong bond between humans and Pokémon.”

  And she thought hearing such a compliment from N was bad enough. “N-no wait-” White immediately flailed her hands, face now hot red from top to bottom. “I think you’re over-exaggerating Prof-”

  “White.”

  She halted, fingers bent and hands lowered. With worried eyes, she looked at Alder and Brycen. Both men held hopeful stares, and that was never a good sight for White. “It seems your friends and Juniper is right.” Alder spoke, a glint of joy slipping between the lines. “N has revived Zekrom, and has agreed to assist him of a world filled with despair.”

  “B-but Mr Alder I-”

  “But you,” He stood up, hands giving a single clap. “You are the Hero of Truth! You are the hope that we need to vanquish this despair!”

  “WAIT JUST A MINUTE!” Not being able to handle it much longer, White shouted. Out of reflex, her legs jolted her up straight, one foot stomping on the carpeted floor. Her act was proven effective as it silenced everyone in the room. The girl stared at each and every one of them, all baring faces of shock.

  Great, now I feel guilty. “I-” she stuttered, unknowing on what to say. “I… This is all too fast.” She held her head, wishing that another headache wouldn’t come anytime soon. “I just faced something that I don’t usually see in my everyday life, and I’ve seen many weird jizz lately ever since I’ve started my journey. Plus, how are we supposed to know I’m the next hero?” She placed her right palm on her chest. “How do you know that I’m actually fit and ready to do what N did? I mean, that Zekrom was huge!” Funnily enough, she wasn’t exaggerating when White stretched the arms so wide that the back of her hands almost hit Bianca’s and Cheren’s face. “Honestly, I’m still baffled that thing could even fit inside that tower.”

  “And most of all-” White spat, her panic disabling her from calming down. “-what makes you think Reshiram will accept me?”

  Everyone froze. Her doubt was like a huge metal ball for everyone, crashing and demolishing every hope that was frailly built around their hearts.

  Finally, White began to cool down, however quickly regretting the words that she had thrown. She gasped quietly, arms falling and swaying by her sides. Her eyes stared at everyone in the room; guilt growing bigger and bigger the more she stared into hopes she shattered. “I’m…” she took one long breath, mouth shaking as a frown took its place. “I’m sorry… I just… Everything is moving too fast and…as much as I want to believe that I can stop him,” An image of him popped up, and that caused another hiss to be spat out. “I’m also scared that…I’m…doubting…myself…”

  Once she finished her sentence, White looked at her feet. The room became silent once again, now eyes dulling to grim shade.

  Guilt tangled around her heart, its thorny vines stabbing and piercing away the courage that was left in her. White released a heavy sigh, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she apologized, “I’m sor-”

  ‘White.’

  A soft bark quickly snatched her attention. Like a robot, White looked forward and turned for the stairs. There, standing near the living room’s entrance was Isaac, silently staring at his trainer in concern.

  “Isaac.” Legs seemed to move on their own, because next thing White knew: she was now standing in front of the water starter. “Isaac, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?” Horror suddenly rushed inside her, making her think of the irrational. “I-is Marcus okay? Is everyone okay oh my Arceus-”

  ‘White,’ Isaac couldn’t help but to chuckle at her silly but touching caring personality. ‘Everyone’s fine.’ He gave a thumbs-up, his mouth breaking to a silly grin.

  White gaped for a moment, but she then slowly laughed like a dumbstruck fool. “Thank Arceus…” She sighed in relief, one hand on her chest. But, just before she thought everything was alright, realization hit her in the face. Looking at Isaac, she posed a small frown. “How long have you been standing here…?”

   Isaac pondered for a moment, one claw tapping his chin. ‘Um…long enough I guess.’ He shrugged, an irritated line forming his lips to know that White didn’t understand him.

  “You heard the Zekrom and Reshiram tale?” White slowly asked, trying to understand and communicate with her Pokémon. The brunette silently flinched when Isaac gave a single nod.

  “So…” she pursed her lips, “that means you heard about my stupid rant then…”

  Her lips tightened when Isaac nodded again.

  “I’m sorry…” White muttered woefully, head on the ground. “I said some things I know you’re not proud of…” She fiddled with her fingers. “I know I said we shouldn’t give up. And we’re not!” She stared at Isaac, who gave nothing but a simple, calm expression. “But…the thought of the world hanging in my shoulders, the thought of me bringing hope to people, that’s kinda scary. I mean, everyone is so sure about me being a hero and here I am…” She exhaled slowly, breath shaken and stopped halfway.

  “Here I am, doubting myself about whether or not a Pokémon would be able to accept me.” Another stupid chuckle bounced off her mouth. For a second, that feeling and those words seemed familiar.  

  Suddenly, before White could bring her thoughts any further, she felt a soft pat on her head. The girl looked at her Samurott, his smile surprisingly flashing in her eyes.

  ‘I believe in you,’ he said, tone so sure and carefree. ‘White, you’re a human, remember? Like a Pokémon, humans have doubts and are scared too. There’s no need to apologize for something natural like that. Just because you feel scared and unsure, doesn’t make you hopeless and a liar.’ His smile softened, providing warmth for his dear friend. ‘It only makes you braver, because you know when to take a step back and know your limits rather than blindly doing something that will only bring the worse.’

  White only blinked in stupor as Isaac explained. She saw his smile. She heard his calm barks that sounded like an advice for her. Finally, when he stopped, White pondered on whether to nod or shake on his confusing language. At times like this, she wished she had a Pokémon translator.

  Or N by her side to translate it for her.

  Okay, maybe the second option was completely and utterly stupid. Too stupid. She wished she didn’t wish for that.

  Upon realizing that White was at lost in his words, Isaac gave a short sigh. Suddenly, an idea popped in his brain. Giving a smile, he looked at White and flashed one claw.

  “Um…” White nodded slowly, a dumb grin shown on her face. She watched as Isaac pointed his claw to his chest, to where his heart beat. Then, without a single word from the two, he pulled his paw away and lightly placed his claw on her chest, now to her own heart. White looked at Isaac, the Formidable Pokémon giving a white, cheerful smile.

  It took her a while, but soon she seemed to grasp what her Pokémon wanted to say.

  And that actually gave her a boost of her own spirit.

  A wide smile pulled her lips, shining in the eyes of her starter. “Thanks boy…” she whispered softly, her hand gently patting and ruffling the thick whiskers on Isaac’s cheek.

  “White?” She heard Alder’s voice, his tone cautious and careful. All expectant eyes were on the girl and her Pokémon. Every thought and every possibility came to their minds, wondering and hoping for White’s decision that could actually change the very promises of the future.

  Finally, after what seemed like forever, they saw White spun her heel, facing everyone in the room.

  And only Arceus knew how thankful they were when they saw White flashing a confident smile and casually saying, “So, where can I find this Light Stone?”