The New Normal - 18-4

The New Normal – 18-4 – War Preparations

Despite the tension that gripped the entirety of Unova, as everyone waited in stiff anticipation for where and when Zekrom would strike – nothing happened.

Even as a few days passed and reinforcements from Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Indigo all arrived in Unova, Zekrom had still not made an appearance. No one had even seen even a glimpse of the Legendary of Ideals.

And that was with Regigigas and the other three Regis helping to patrol around Unova. Even with their assistance, Zekrom and N just couldn’t be found. There were just too much ground to cover. We even tried to make use of the tracking device that we had used last time to help track down where the Lake Trio when Team Galactic had kidnapped them – but to no avail.

If Regigigas itself couldn’t detect Zekrom, then a fancy device wouldn’t be any better.

Drake in particular was pretty upset that there wasn’t a fight already there and waiting for him. But despite his grumbling, I could see that he was relieved too. No one wanted to walk into a smouldering ruin of what was once a city.

I was just pleased to see that he was here. Even though I had many other allies beside him, it just didn’t feel right going into this without him by my side. As we had done so many times already.

“Should I be jealous that you seem to trust Drake more than me when it comes to battles like these?” Cynthia jokingly asked me.

“It’s a different thing.” I explained, “Bonds built in battle are just as special, even if they are different, than those built from romance and love. Much like how I would trust you with my life, I trust Drake with mine too.”

“I know. I was just teasing.” She smiled, “I’m glad that you’ve managed to forge such strong bonds for yourself. And for all his crassness, I trust Drake with your life too.”

However, despite the fact that we had yet to spot Zekrom, it wasn’t all bad news. For one, we were using all of this extra time to do everything we could to make sure that we could limit the amount of damage that could be done by Zekrom.

For one, a sizeable portion of Unova had now been successfully evacuated out of the region. Many were initially unhappy about this, as we expected, but the Leagues helped to soften the blow by basically providing ‘emergency funds’ for them to use while they were overseas.

In other words, we were bribing them. They could spend the funds on whatever they wanted during their overseas stay, and while each person didn’t get all that much money, it stacked up if you went with your whole family. So basically, since they were both getting a free stay and their expenses would be pretty much all paid for, people were treating it like a holiday and were happily following through on the evacuation protocols.

At first, I thought that offering such incentives would be hugely costly for our regions. However, Cynthia explained to me that since the money had to be used while you were overseas, most of that money will just re-enter into the local economy anyways as they used it to purchase food, gifts, clothes, or whatever other souvenirs that they wanted to buy. Therefore, it wasn’t as big of a financial loss as it first appeared to be.

Meanwhile, for those that decided to remain in Unova, they were unfortunately asked to remain in the shelters for the time being until the crisis was resolved. However, since Zekrom still wasn’t attacking, we made use of the extra time to not only reinforce said shelters, but we also made them more inhabitable and comfortable for those within.

That was where I had asked Regirock for assistance. Initially, I wasn’t sure if it was ‘okay’ with being used as a glorified construction worker, but since its actions to reinforce the shelters were done for the sole purpose of providing extra protection to those within – and therefore was meant to help preserve their lives against a Legendary threat – Regirock willingly provided its assistance.

And with Regirock and Registeel lending their aid, the reinforcing process was done more efficiently than ever. For one, there was no need to source for any kind of reinforced material when the two Regis could literally form it with their very own hands. Secondly, with their perfect control of geokinesis and ferrokinesis respectively, reshaping and adding the new material onto the existing structures became easier than ever.

It took a day to reinforce all of the shelters in all of the major cities, and another two days to do the same with the other shelters scattered across Unova. So with all of the new additions and renovations done, the Unova League was confident that the shelters would be impervious to everything but a directly-aimed attack from a Legendary.

It still wasn’t perfect of course, but it was as good as we were going to get.

Aside from helping with reinforcing the shelters and the regular patrols that I went on, the other thing that took up most of my time was the conversations and discussions that I was running with Regigigas.

Unlike when it had previously awakened to fight against Cyrus, where I had really only spent barely over half a day with it, this time I was in its presence for multiple consecutive days. As a result, I wanted to learn more about Regigigas – beyond the power that it wielded.

As its assigned ‘Protector’, it was disappointing that I knew so little about Regigigas’ true capabilities. All I really knew about it was that it was incredibly strong, obviously, and that it was able to neutralise any esoteric effects that went against the natural laws of the world, like when it had punched through the warped space created by Palkia.

However, aside from those two facts, I didn’t know much else about it. I had a vague idea about its craftmanship abilities, since it did mould the Regi Trio with its own hands, and so that was something I wanted to explore more of.

What else could it craft? Could it create anything that would help us in the upcoming battle? Could it make something that would help protect the cities and livelihoods of those who lived here? I didn’t want weapons – I wanted shields.

I wanted as much protection as I could possibly have, not for myself, but for those I was duty-bound to protect.

To that end, what I learnt both pleased and saddened me.

Basically, while Regigigas was an incredible craftsman, it was only really suited for producing large-scale creations, which is why its main creations were the Regi trio. It had the ability to manipulate all sorts of elements, much like the other Regis did, but it generally didn’t like to ‘build’ anything because it went against its own purpose.

It was not supposed to dictate the development of human or Pokémon society. None of the Legendaries were. It was merely a protector. Therefore, it was reluctant to build anything that would last and be relied upon by humans or Pokémon because it saw that as an overstep of its own authority. As a result, it initially refused to create anything that could serve as a ‘shield’ for the cities of Unova – not because it couldn’t, but it didn’t see the destruction of buildings (which weren’t alive) as something that was a danger to the continuation of human and Pokémon society.

Regigigas wasn’t being malicious or apathetic about it, it literally just didn’t realise that the destruction of these buildings would be ‘harmful’ to humans at all. After all, buildings could be rebuilt. It wasn’t like Zekrom was permanently scouring the land of all life.

That was the difference between the mindset of a Legendary and a regular human/Pokémon. They just thought differently to us.

So it took me a long while to persuade it to reconsider – for me to explain to Regigigas that, if Zekrom were to rampage and destroy a good portion of a city, that its ‘special’ electricity might lead to lingering and permanent damage that would forever affect the livelihood of both the Pokémon and humans living here. Damage that couldn’t be fixed without the help of a Legendary.

I used the example of Chargestone Cave, and how it remained permanently electrified even after all these years due to one of Zekrom’s attacks in the past. I explained how I didn’t want the same thing to happen to the cities of Unova, so if there was anything that Regigigas could do to help reinforce the cities itself from any potential attack from Zekrom, then it would be greatly appreciated.

I was very careful to not make it seem like I was commanding Regigigas to do something. Despite our bond, I knew that I was by no means the dominant one in this relationship. I was more of an advisor rather than a commander.

Fortunately, Regigigas acquiesced to that request. Thanks to our connection, I knew that it could sense the earnestness in my plea, and it deemed that my request still fell within the scope of its authority.

Therefore, in all of the major cities, Regigigas crafted and installed a pillar that was made out some extraordinary amalgamation of steel and rock that would somehow absorb and neutralise any electricity that lingering in the ground. It wouldn’t protect the buildings themselves against a direct attack, but at least it meant that there would be no lasting damage from a potential Zekrom attack as the ‘insulators’ would help rapidly de-electrify the land.

Regigigas explained to me that these pillars were basically all but indestructible, and they were somehow safe to touch even if they had just absorbed a ton of electricity.

…I was pretty sure that went against my understanding of science, but I supposed that Legendaries didn’t necessarily need to operate within such boundaries.

However, Regigigas intended to have these pillars be removed after the battle was over. Knowing that I couldn’t really argue against that, and it had been very accommodating already, I didn’t protest the decision – as much as I wanted these pillars to be a mainstay of every city.

Furthermore, besides the things that I was working on myself, my colleagues both from Sinnoh and otherwise were also working hard to prepare for the upcoming battle. The four Champions were coordinating patrols, evacuation efforts, and allocating everyone into specific ‘raid teams’ that would be responsible for patrolling a different part of Unova. For example, since I was going to be the centre of any assault, Regigigas and I were placed near the most populous cities.

Moreover, many Nurse Joys and their Chansey/Blissey/Audino were allocated to each raid team as well, just to make sure that any and all healing needs would be met. The same applied for the Jennys, as even though they weren’t as strong as the Gym Leaders/Elite Four, every little bit mattered.

This was different to the last time when we confronted Palkia. Palkia’s awakening had caught us all by surprise, without any chance to prepare, and took place in a location that we had to attack into. But now, we were able to prepare the battlefield beforehand, so there was no reason why we couldn’t stack the deck in our favour as much as possible.

When Zekrom came to attack, it was going to be facing off against the entirety of our collective might.

Overall, between the reinforcing of the shelters, the construction of city-wide ‘insulators’, and the temporary evacuation of most of Unova’s population out of the region, we had really done all that we could in preparation for Zekrom’s inevitable assault.

And eventually, almost a full week after I had first detected Zekrom’s awakening, the day finally came for us to battle.

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(N’s POV)

Fortunately, for both himself and Ghetsis, Zekrom had been able to very effectively ‘mask’ its own presence, and despite his worst fears, the League never found them hiding amidst the outskirts of Unova in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

Of course, Zekrom still naturally radiated out some electricity, but it was a relatively small amount that was no different from the amount you’d expect from an attack from any random Electric Pokémon. It was likely thanks to this that they were able to remain hidden, buying time for N to get used to their new bond together.

And after spending several more days with Zekrom, he was now feeling more confident with his chances than ever. Granted, they didn’t have much of an opportunity to test out the true extent of Zekrom’s power, since they didn’t want the League from finding out where they were, but just through his connection with Zekrom he knew that victory was all but inevitable.

It was like the vision of his ideals was sharper and clearer than ever. He felt completely and utterly certain that he was able to turn it into a reality. His soul, and that of Zekrom’s, just continued to resonate more and more deeply as the days passed to the point where he couldn’t imagine not being by Zekrom’s side.

For that reason, he was actually hesitant to attack. Not because he felt that he couldn’t win, but because he felt that a fight was all but unnecessary. With such overwhelming strength by his side, the League might see the futility of resistance and should offer a clean surrender, allowing them a bloodless victory.

But that plan was scuttled as one day, Zekrom suddenly warned him of an incoming threat. Through their bond, it informed him that Regigigas had awoken and had roared out a challenge. Daring Zekrom to come and fight. Demanding that they see who was the stronger Legendary amongst them.

He wanted to accept. He wanted to show that his Legendary was no weaker than John’s. But Ghetsis refused, stating that they would just be walking into a trap.

“I’m afraid that with Regigigas by their side, the Leagues will be too arrogant to accept your offer for a peaceful surrender, N.” Ghetsis said to him sadly, “I know you wanted this to go differently, but like I told you from the very start, the League will never bow down to you unless you force them to with violence. It’s just how the world works, unfortunately.”

Eventually, he agreed with what Ghetsis was saying, and with a hardened heart, he asked Ghetsis about what to do next.

“We only have this one chance, N. We have only the one opportunity to save PLASMA and create the dream that I’ve worked so hard to help you create. So now the time for hiding is over, we need to strike now and at a target that they wouldn’t dare to overlook.” Ghetsis explained, “That is why we must strike at the heart of Unova, and the crowning jewel of their beloved region – Castelia City. It is the Unova’s League symbol of their corruption and false power. If we were to take it down, it would show the entire region and the rest of the world that PLASMA is not yet defeated, and our ideals are strong enough to destroy even the greatest stronghold of the old and corrupt order.”

“The League will be ready for us, though.” He said.

Ghetsis snorted, “And what difference would that make to you? You and Zekrom will have the power to overcome any foe – even if they might be backed up by a Legendary themselves. Don’t forget, even with Regigigas by their side, they still struggled to take down another dominated Legendary who wasn’t even at full power. So you and Zekrom should be able to overpower them easily. Why do you think that, despite the myriad of options I had available to me – thanks to my great intellect – that I chose to go down this path? Because I am fully certain that no matter what kind of obstacles lay in your path, Zekrom will be able to break through them all.”

Then Ghetsis let out a dark laugh, “Besides, if anything, my decision to hold you back for a few days has definitely made them drop their guard. They won’t be ready for you, I promise that.”

For some reason, Zekrom never approved of Ghetsis’ words. Every time his father opened his mouth, he always felt a slight twinge run through his bond with Zekrom. He never quite understood it, because nothing that his father said was wrong.

“However, there is no reason we can’t do this smartly.” Ghetsis continued, “Zekrom might be very strong, but you aren’t. Knowing the League, they will not hesitate to assassinate you if they think that it will bring them victory.”

“…They’re willing to stoop to such levels?” N muttered, horrified. Yet at the same time, he knew it was the truth.

As much as John seemed like a kind person when he met him, he remembered the threatening words from John’s starter – Tyrant would not hesitate to bury him if he was deemed a threat. And the other trainers would likely be no different. It… probably wasn’t out of cruelty, just necessity. They were too blinded and too defensive of their false ideals.

“Definitely. They will do all they can to stop us from winning – even if it means putting you down.” Ghetsis nodded gravely, “So you have to do all you can to protect yourself in a fight, but against so many enemies, that won’t be easy. Therefore, when you get into a fight, there are two things you should do.”

“One, you should always ensure that Zekrom is protecting you at all times. Surround yourself with an electric shield or whatever – just make sure to keep yourself safe. Secondly, have your Zekrom divide the battlefield as much as possible. I know that it will win no matter the numbers arrayed against it, but if we can divide our opponent’s forces, then all the better.” Ghetsis instructed.

He nodded, “Okay. I understand. But what about you? Will you be joining us?”

“No, I’ll be nothing more than a liability.” Ghetsis shook his head, “Zekrom will already have its hands full taking care of you. I’ll just be a burden if I join you. But don’t worry, I’ll be rooting for our shared victory. I will be there for the triumphant moment.”

Ghetsis placed a hand on his shoulder, “Don’t forget, N. I’ve done all that I can to prepare you for this moment. I’ve taught you everything you know. But there’s nothing else for me to do now, the stage is all yours. This is now your time to shine, not mine. So prove to me, to the world, that the effort I’ve dedicated to you were not wasted.”

He nodded firmly, “It won’t be. I know what I have to do.” Even if he hated it. He knew it was the only way forward.

PLASMA had to win. For his ideals. For the better world of his dreams. Or it would be all for nothing.

“Good.” Ghetsis smiled, “Then go. Once you’re done, I’ll find a way to meet back up with you. Even after you win over the League, there’ll no doubt be many pockets of resistance out there that need to be destroyed. I’ll help you with managing everything once it’s all done, and I’ll help you create the world of your ideals.”

Ghetsis straightened and looked down at N like a king proclaiming his decree, “Don’t forget. You are the embodiment of PLASMA. The very symbol of our ideals! So go and show the world the strength of your dreams! The determination to create the perfect utopia! All of our enemies are going to be gathered in one place, so now’s the time to destroy them all! Destroy them in the name of the greater good for all Pokémon! Destroy them in the name of happiness!”

“Save the world, N. For only you can do so.”

He kept those words in his heart as he flew off on Zekrom for Castelia City. His blood rushed with tense and nervous anticipation as he prepared himself for the battle ahead.

Even if battling was not in his blood, he knew that his bond with Zekrom would carry the day. It had to.

For the sake of his ideals.

A.N. One last set-up chapter before the fight ahead, because unlike the fight with Palkia, this time preparation is going to play a big part for the battle. I really didn’t want to gloss over this, because I felt that this was one of the main difference points between this battle and the fight against Palkia. Furthermore, I wanted to emphasise how Regigigas can help out more compared to other Legendaries thanks to its craftsmanship abilities, which I wanted to highlight here.

Also for the N sections, as you probably already know, but don’t treat anything of what Ghetsis says as the truth. The man speaks almost entirely in half-truths to N.

But yes, the battle is coming in the very next chapter. All of the fighters are in play, and the battle for the fate of Unova is finally here. This will be one more clash of Legendaries! Hope you enjoyed!