Kobayakawa Sena (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
swiftasacoursingkawa) wrote2021-11-15 02:33 pm
swiftasacoursingkawa) wrote2021-11-15 02:33 pm
[azume] post-game unovadventures part 3
aaaaaa im on a roll aaaaaaa
------
N was weird.
Hilbert liked to think he was a pretty tolerant person. Being stuck between a battle-crazed older sister, an overly anxious best friend, and a slightly acerbic other best friend, he’d gotten used to a moderate amount of weirdness happening.
But N was just beyond anything he’d ever seen. There was something about him that just didn’t seem to click, like a gear made slightly too small for its slot, like a door lock that had gotten jammed in its frame,. He didn’t seem real, just popping up out of nowhere with no prior warning, a ghost on the edge of his vision. Wild hair wisping every which way, not even remotely contained by the hat he wore, blurring the edges of his frame like he was covered in some sort of film. Talking just a little too fast to be normal, so full of thoughts that his mouth couldn’t keep up, spilling them out as the dam burst, so engrossed in his visions that he couldn’t see what was in front of him.
And oh, those thoughts of his.
“I...want to see things no one can see. The truths of Pokemon inside Poke Balls. The ideals of how Trainers should be. And a future where Pokemon have become perfect…”
The scope of what he was saying...it was too much for Hilbert to understand. Not when sprung up out of nowhere like this. The most that he could gather was that N apparently seemed to agree with Team Plasma, or at least understood them enough that he shared their thoughts regarding Poke Balls. Even now, coming out of the Nacrene Gym, he had Pokemon gambolling around him rather than resting in their Pokeballs: a Pidove cooing on his shoulder, a Tympole burbling in his arms, a Timburr cockily swinging its piece of lumber as it trailed behind him. But the way he spoke so abstractly, in vague truths and grand ideals, it made it hard to grasp what he truly understood.
He reminded him of Sena, Hilbert idly thought. They had similarly wide views, he realized, could see what they thought of the world at large, had their own thoughts about how it turned, what kept it going, existing day after day. They were both self-assured of the path they were carving out for themselves.
But unlike Sena, who spoke so clearly, had almost a laser-focus on what he wanted, N’s words were...confusing. He spoke in platitudes and visions and high, lofty ideals, things that Hilbert couldn’t even begin to think about. Things that he probably never would have thought about, if he was being honest.
So when N asked “Do you feel the same?” with large, expectant eyes, Hilbert hesitated, before shaking his head. How could he, when he could barely understand what N was thinking?
N’s disappointment hurt more than Hilbert had expected. Maybe that was why he’d accepted the weirdly worded invitation to battle, trainer etiquette aside.
The second battle ended much like the first, and Hilbert listened with half an ear as N declared his intentions to be a hero, to seek out the Pokemon of legend.
“And you and I will be friends!” he had proclaimed, at the end.
Hilbert wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that.
------
“You see, the person who sponsored me immigrating here, she’s an avid archeologist of sorts…” Hilbert had heard the familiar voice chattering on in the distance, and on recognizing it, sped up. “She insisted that if I was going to Unova, that I should check out the Nacrene Museum. She'd seen it herself already, obviously, but she thought I should get the chance to enjoy it…even though I’m not nearly as much of an academic as she is...”
Hilbert turned the corner to find Sena talking to Cheren, and waved to get their attention. Sena waved back, while Cheren turned to face him with a sharp glance.
“Have you challenged the Nacrene Gym yet?” Used to his friend’s (mostly unintentional) rudeness, Hilbert simply grinned and opened his badge case, showing off the two newly polished badges inside. Cheren sniffed in acknowledgement, before nodding back up at Sena. “Good to see you’re not too far behind. I was telling this guy about the gym, and how it doubles as a museum. He seemed surprised to hear that there was a gym below the museum he was looking for.”
“It’s not really how they do things in Sinnoh,” Sena added (and there was the confirmation of Hilbert’s suspicions, this guy really did come in from one of those eastern regions). “The gyms over there are their own separate buildings, they don’t double as anything. Although gym leaders do still have other careers and hobbies they pursue, so some of them might have a separate room in their gym for those…not that I ever asked them or anything.” There was a light laugh from Sena as he brought a hand up to his chin speculatively. “Maybe I’ll make an informal challenge while I’m looking around. It’d be nice practice, anyway.”
“Informal? Why not make it an official battle if you’re going to challenge the gym anyway?” Cheren wondered, incredulous.
“Like I said, I”m not much of a trainer these days. But it’s a good way to keep me and my Pokemon’s skills up, you know? Battling is just as good a training for an athlete as it is for a trainer.”
“But you were a trainer once,” Cheren pushed, intent on getting Sena to spill more information.
“I guess so?” Sena shrugged. “I attempted the gym challenge in Sinnoh, if that counts for anything. But even then, that was just me trying to see how far I could get with my team. Even back then, I was already training to be an athlete, you know?”
“So how far did you get?”
“Not as far as I wanted.”
Cheren looked disappointed by that ambivalent response, but Sena didn’t seem to see any problem with his answer. He still wore that embarrassed smile, eyes reflecting mild bemusement at Cheren’s insistent questions. He was opening his mouth to continue speaking, when-
“How pointless…”
That guy was still here?
All three of them turned to see the figure of N towering over them, looming like some odd scarecrow. Only the Pidove was still with him this time, the other two Pokemon presumably elsewhere. Hilbert briefly wondered if they had been returned to their Pokeballs, before remembering that N didn’t seem to use them normally. So had he just...left them somewhere? That didn’t seem like the right answer, but…
“You don’t consider yourself a Trainer, but you still bring your Pokemon into unnecessary fights? You’re making them suffer for nothing?”
To Sena’s credit, he didn’t immediately back away from the strange man, but looking up to meet N’s eyes proved to be a challenge for the self-proclaimed athlete regardless. He ended up leaning back so far that he stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet.
“It’s not pointless, though?” He looked confused as he answered the question. “Every match we have makes us stronger, together. We can’t achieve anything if we’re afraid of losing, or getting hurt.” He tilted his head, looking up at N with a...guarded(?) expression. “If it’s pain you’re afraid of, I understand that, at least. I mean, I used to be the kind of person that would run away from even the slightest chance of getting hurt. But that’s not something me, or my Pokemon, want to run from anymore - we’re facing forward, as a team.”
N’s brow crinkled in displeasure, his lips pursing into a frown.
"So you make them follow your own dream, simply because you yourself don’t want to run away?”
“I’m not making them do anything they don’t want to do, if that’s what you’re asking.” Sena’s face was growing more thoughtful, looking a lot less frustrated than Hilbert expected. He certainly looked less displeased than Cheren, who was giving N the same suspicious glare he had back in Accumula Town. “But that isn’t what you’re asking, is it.”
“It’s not,” N agreed, crossing his arms. “It’s wrong that you have the option of taking them along with you at all. Even if you’re not battling, you’re preventing your Pokemon from becoming their true, perfect selves.”
“...okay?”
Sena’s confused reaction managed to sum up how Hilbert felt rather neatly, he thought. He scrunched up his face in thought, crossing his arms. “I’m not even entirely sure how that would work. We’ve been working together for years, and we’ve seen so much...But even if I really am keeping my Pokemon partners from being perfect, what’s so bad about that?” He looked up at N’s dumbfounded expression, eyes becoming defiant. Abruptly, he stepped forward, bringing his face close to N’s, almost as close as the older man had towered over them before at the beginning.
“What’s wrong with not being perfect?”
“That’s…” N seemed like he was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend someone not wanting perfection. “Don’t…don’t you want to be perfect? For your friends to be perfect?”
“Hm? Of course I want to aim for perfection. But that’s impossible, you know?”
And N’s mouth dropped open.
Sena continued speaking, oblivious to N’s surprise.
“I mean, the reason we keep pushing ourselves forward is to become better versions of ourselves, right? If we ever reached perfection...wouldn’t we just stop trying?” Sena shrugged. “I’ve seen people who were called perfect. They’d become so confident, that they didn’t bother trying...and because they weren’t putting in effort, they were eventually surpassed. If that’s what being perfect means, then...I don’t want any part of that, I think.” He grimaced, turning away, hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck. His expression grew dark, brows furrowed, and he muttered something to himself. It was barely audible, something that Hilbert could barely hear.
“A perfect world...is pretty overrated, anyway…”
N’s expression contorted, and Hilbert looked confusedly between the two. Cheren’s expression was equally perplexed, even if he hadn’t appeared to have heard Sena’s muttered aside. Sena himself looked unusually downcast, and N...N looked furious. It was hard to tell, as his face still seemed to have that unsettling placid serenity about it, but he was visibly biting the inside of his mouth, and his eyebrows had scrunched together slightly. It was a slight change, but Hilbert had witnessed this man’s unnerving calmness as he rambled on without thought, like he didn’t know how to make human expressions. Even this slight show of frustration spoke volumes to the young boy.
“You…” That voice was still weirdly monotone, even as N’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re saying my dream isn’t worth it? My goal...of creating a perfect world for Pokemon, where they can reach their true happiness, separate from people?”
Cheren’s mouth dropped open, and Hilbert visibly flinched. Even if it wasn’t his first time hearing about N’s strange goal, it still wasn’t any less alarming to hear spoken aloud. Only Sena looked untroubled, instead looking back at N, eyes blinking in wonder.
“So you really do believe the same thing as those guys…” It took Hilbert a moment to realize that Sena was referring to Team Plasma, and Cheren seemed to come to that conclusion not even a second later. “I wouldn’t say your goal is pointless, but…” He relaxed, his dour expression changing to something more calm, serene in a way that was somehow different from N’s. Instead of that strange artificial serenity that only existed in the absence of other emotions, this was true calmness, someone who was comfortable in who they were and what they chose to be. Someone who had found themselves.
“If it’s really your dream, shouldn’t you defend it to the best of your ability? Only winners write history, after all. Losers, even those who come in second, don’t get anything.” Those words...were said so mildly, but sounded strangely cutthroat. It was a harsh philosophy. Unaware of the impression he was making, Sena continued. “It’s sad, but not everyone can fulfill their dreams in this world, isn’t it? There are winners and losers. And if you end up being a winner, then I can’t achieve my own dreams either. So, defend it. Prove yourself.”
N bristled, his bushlike hair standing on end.
“Are you challenging me to a battle?”
“If that’s what you want,” Sena mildly replied, the corner of his mouth twitching into a confident smile. The action only seemed to enrage N further, as his hands clenched into fists. He glanced at the Pidove on his shoulder, who cooed its agreement.
“Fine then. We’ll take you on.”
Oddly enough, the agreement only seemed to confuse Sena, as he tilted his head.
“With them?”
The strange question almost instantly shattered the tension between the two.
“What do you mean, ‘with them?’” N asked incredulously, the Pidove on his shoulder almost looking offended.
“I mean…” Sena’s eyes wandered, clearly looking for words. “If you’re defending your dreams to the best of your ability, you should do so with your friends, right?” That only seemed to confuse N further.
“Th...this is my friend, all Pokemon ar-”
Sena shook his head, cutting him off.
“I mean with your friends.” That wasn’t any clearer. “The ones you’ve shared your dream with the longest. Like the one following you.”
And that just confused everyone, N included.
“The one following m-?!”
A sharp rattling sound suddenly echoed out of nowhere. Cheren screamed in alarm, and even Hilbert found himself jumping, almost dropping Oshawott. N nearly bit his own tongue in shock as a small brown Pokemon suddenly appeared by Sena’s shoulder, misting into place via some kind of murky shadow. It looked almost like a small bug, or perhaps some shed skin - mottled brown cartilage clacking against each other as it floated by Sena’s side, eyes unmoving, two small pinpricks permanently open and staring vacantly forward. Oddly enough, it wore a small pink bow tied around its neck, but the accessory did nothing to make it look any less eerie.
Sena himself laughed and scratched under its...chin?...completely unperturbed by its sudden appearance.
“Hey, Shell.” It rattled again, sounding...happy? He tilted his head towards it, letting them bump heads before looking back at N. “This guy told me that one of your friends has been following you for a while. It must be a close one, if it’s done so all this time, right? And my friends and I have been together for years now. It wouldn’t be a fair fight unless you fought with someone who’s been by your side just as long, right?”
N seemed to agree to this assessment, if reluctantly. But his befuddled countenance didn’t let up, still stuck on the other mystery brought up in this conversation.
“But, which-ngh?!”
A person had appeared by N’s side. Not nearly as abruptly as the strange Pokemon named Shell, as they had merely walked up while everyone was engrossed in conversation. But it was strange how nondescript they seemed to be - hair and clothes and appearance so plain, so ordinary, that Hilbert would be hard pressed to remember anything about them. The only distinguishing feature was their electric-blue eyes, glaring intensely at Shell with an unusually large amount of resentment. Nobody seemed to recognize this person, until N turned to them in astonishment. “You-?! Since when were you…”
Their appearance blurred, and suddenly they weren’t standing there anymore. Instead, a large, bipedal black fox stood, nearly the same height as N, fur tied back into a similarly bushy ponytail that was dyed red at the edges. Its jaw opened in a snarl, hostility bared directly at Sena and Shell, who took the blatant threat against their well-being with a surprising amount of poise. At least, until Sena let out a nervous sounding “hieeeh” under his breath, teeth clenched together in a nervous grin.
“A Zoroark?!” demanded Cheren, incredulous. “Those are incredibly rare and almost impossible to find, they’ve been said to blend in with people so seamlessly that you’d never know one was in your midst! What’s one doing with you?!”
“It’s my friend,” N bit out, posture numb. “We grew up together - and it’s supposed to be back home.” He turned to it, hissing to it in a tongue none of them could understand, and the Zoroark snarled right back, keeping one eye on Sena and Shell apprehensively. They dissolved into a heated, whispered argument that only broke up when Sena laughed, clapping his hands together.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? It was worried about you, wasn’t it? It wants to stay by your side!” The Pokemon glanced back at Sena, before huffing and giving a reluctant nod.
N turned to him, hackles raised. “How do you know - can you understand - ?!”
“Huh? Of course not? But what other reason would it have to follow you all the way from home, right?”
“But, earlier, you said - that Pokemon told you - “
“Shell? If I understood what they had to say, I wonder what kind of being I would be…” He laughed nervously. “Definitely not human…” Sena didn’t seem to notice the impact those words had on N, continuing to ramble on even as the older man flinched. “They’re a bit strange, but...we’ve found ways to communicate even without words, you know? Signals, feelings...if they’re your friends, you find a way, don’t you?” He looked at N and Zoroark, eyes flicking between them. “We’re teammates. We’re partners, and friends. Like you two.” He gestured at N and Zoroark, smiling gently.
“So? What do you say?”
-----
hilbert is still at the "n is a creepy older man who i don't fucking get" stage and tbh that's valid
sena is n's age at this point but still manages to be "mysteriously helpful dude I guess" instead. the power of being sociable. and small. and babey.
more "cynthia sponsored sena's immigration" shenanigans! y'all know she would have pushed him to the museum given half a chance. and sena's a good kid so he goes "ok..." and wanders around nacrene city getting lost, as he does
why is n still around? no fucking idea babe maybe he's about to orchestrate the museum break in or something. anyways time for him to be Weird at sena. and for sena to be Weird back
sena spent six months in some asshole's "perfect world" and it was absolute hell 0/10 would not do again thank you very much
sena going from "kinda strange" to "absolutely terrifying if you squint a little" is always fun. i blame camilla and rin and jupiter for encouraging the more cutthroat side of him to come out during non foobaw hours
i also blame shell. because shell is a terrifying eldritch ghost in a cute baby bug carapace and that's a terrible first introduction to his team. and by terrible I mean great.
endgame zoroark battle time! yay.
when sena meant "not human" he meant "being a demon like Michael that can speak to ghosts and other extradimensional beings. he was not intentionally calling n a freak, but it'll probably make ghetsis calling n a freak without a human heart hurt more later. oops
------
N was weird.
Hilbert liked to think he was a pretty tolerant person. Being stuck between a battle-crazed older sister, an overly anxious best friend, and a slightly acerbic other best friend, he’d gotten used to a moderate amount of weirdness happening.
But N was just beyond anything he’d ever seen. There was something about him that just didn’t seem to click, like a gear made slightly too small for its slot, like a door lock that had gotten jammed in its frame,. He didn’t seem real, just popping up out of nowhere with no prior warning, a ghost on the edge of his vision. Wild hair wisping every which way, not even remotely contained by the hat he wore, blurring the edges of his frame like he was covered in some sort of film. Talking just a little too fast to be normal, so full of thoughts that his mouth couldn’t keep up, spilling them out as the dam burst, so engrossed in his visions that he couldn’t see what was in front of him.
And oh, those thoughts of his.
“I...want to see things no one can see. The truths of Pokemon inside Poke Balls. The ideals of how Trainers should be. And a future where Pokemon have become perfect…”
The scope of what he was saying...it was too much for Hilbert to understand. Not when sprung up out of nowhere like this. The most that he could gather was that N apparently seemed to agree with Team Plasma, or at least understood them enough that he shared their thoughts regarding Poke Balls. Even now, coming out of the Nacrene Gym, he had Pokemon gambolling around him rather than resting in their Pokeballs: a Pidove cooing on his shoulder, a Tympole burbling in his arms, a Timburr cockily swinging its piece of lumber as it trailed behind him. But the way he spoke so abstractly, in vague truths and grand ideals, it made it hard to grasp what he truly understood.
He reminded him of Sena, Hilbert idly thought. They had similarly wide views, he realized, could see what they thought of the world at large, had their own thoughts about how it turned, what kept it going, existing day after day. They were both self-assured of the path they were carving out for themselves.
But unlike Sena, who spoke so clearly, had almost a laser-focus on what he wanted, N’s words were...confusing. He spoke in platitudes and visions and high, lofty ideals, things that Hilbert couldn’t even begin to think about. Things that he probably never would have thought about, if he was being honest.
So when N asked “Do you feel the same?” with large, expectant eyes, Hilbert hesitated, before shaking his head. How could he, when he could barely understand what N was thinking?
N’s disappointment hurt more than Hilbert had expected. Maybe that was why he’d accepted the weirdly worded invitation to battle, trainer etiquette aside.
The second battle ended much like the first, and Hilbert listened with half an ear as N declared his intentions to be a hero, to seek out the Pokemon of legend.
“And you and I will be friends!” he had proclaimed, at the end.
Hilbert wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that.
------
“You see, the person who sponsored me immigrating here, she’s an avid archeologist of sorts…” Hilbert had heard the familiar voice chattering on in the distance, and on recognizing it, sped up. “She insisted that if I was going to Unova, that I should check out the Nacrene Museum. She'd seen it herself already, obviously, but she thought I should get the chance to enjoy it…even though I’m not nearly as much of an academic as she is...”
Hilbert turned the corner to find Sena talking to Cheren, and waved to get their attention. Sena waved back, while Cheren turned to face him with a sharp glance.
“Have you challenged the Nacrene Gym yet?” Used to his friend’s (mostly unintentional) rudeness, Hilbert simply grinned and opened his badge case, showing off the two newly polished badges inside. Cheren sniffed in acknowledgement, before nodding back up at Sena. “Good to see you’re not too far behind. I was telling this guy about the gym, and how it doubles as a museum. He seemed surprised to hear that there was a gym below the museum he was looking for.”
“It’s not really how they do things in Sinnoh,” Sena added (and there was the confirmation of Hilbert’s suspicions, this guy really did come in from one of those eastern regions). “The gyms over there are their own separate buildings, they don’t double as anything. Although gym leaders do still have other careers and hobbies they pursue, so some of them might have a separate room in their gym for those…not that I ever asked them or anything.” There was a light laugh from Sena as he brought a hand up to his chin speculatively. “Maybe I’ll make an informal challenge while I’m looking around. It’d be nice practice, anyway.”
“Informal? Why not make it an official battle if you’re going to challenge the gym anyway?” Cheren wondered, incredulous.
“Like I said, I”m not much of a trainer these days. But it’s a good way to keep me and my Pokemon’s skills up, you know? Battling is just as good a training for an athlete as it is for a trainer.”
“But you were a trainer once,” Cheren pushed, intent on getting Sena to spill more information.
“I guess so?” Sena shrugged. “I attempted the gym challenge in Sinnoh, if that counts for anything. But even then, that was just me trying to see how far I could get with my team. Even back then, I was already training to be an athlete, you know?”
“So how far did you get?”
“Not as far as I wanted.”
Cheren looked disappointed by that ambivalent response, but Sena didn’t seem to see any problem with his answer. He still wore that embarrassed smile, eyes reflecting mild bemusement at Cheren’s insistent questions. He was opening his mouth to continue speaking, when-
“How pointless…”
That guy was still here?
All three of them turned to see the figure of N towering over them, looming like some odd scarecrow. Only the Pidove was still with him this time, the other two Pokemon presumably elsewhere. Hilbert briefly wondered if they had been returned to their Pokeballs, before remembering that N didn’t seem to use them normally. So had he just...left them somewhere? That didn’t seem like the right answer, but…
“You don’t consider yourself a Trainer, but you still bring your Pokemon into unnecessary fights? You’re making them suffer for nothing?”
To Sena’s credit, he didn’t immediately back away from the strange man, but looking up to meet N’s eyes proved to be a challenge for the self-proclaimed athlete regardless. He ended up leaning back so far that he stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his own feet.
“It’s not pointless, though?” He looked confused as he answered the question. “Every match we have makes us stronger, together. We can’t achieve anything if we’re afraid of losing, or getting hurt.” He tilted his head, looking up at N with a...guarded(?) expression. “If it’s pain you’re afraid of, I understand that, at least. I mean, I used to be the kind of person that would run away from even the slightest chance of getting hurt. But that’s not something me, or my Pokemon, want to run from anymore - we’re facing forward, as a team.”
N’s brow crinkled in displeasure, his lips pursing into a frown.
"So you make them follow your own dream, simply because you yourself don’t want to run away?”
“I’m not making them do anything they don’t want to do, if that’s what you’re asking.” Sena’s face was growing more thoughtful, looking a lot less frustrated than Hilbert expected. He certainly looked less displeased than Cheren, who was giving N the same suspicious glare he had back in Accumula Town. “But that isn’t what you’re asking, is it.”
“It’s not,” N agreed, crossing his arms. “It’s wrong that you have the option of taking them along with you at all. Even if you’re not battling, you’re preventing your Pokemon from becoming their true, perfect selves.”
“...okay?”
Sena’s confused reaction managed to sum up how Hilbert felt rather neatly, he thought. He scrunched up his face in thought, crossing his arms. “I’m not even entirely sure how that would work. We’ve been working together for years, and we’ve seen so much...But even if I really am keeping my Pokemon partners from being perfect, what’s so bad about that?” He looked up at N’s dumbfounded expression, eyes becoming defiant. Abruptly, he stepped forward, bringing his face close to N’s, almost as close as the older man had towered over them before at the beginning.
“What’s wrong with not being perfect?”
“That’s…” N seemed like he was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend someone not wanting perfection. “Don’t…don’t you want to be perfect? For your friends to be perfect?”
“Hm? Of course I want to aim for perfection. But that’s impossible, you know?”
And N’s mouth dropped open.
Sena continued speaking, oblivious to N’s surprise.
“I mean, the reason we keep pushing ourselves forward is to become better versions of ourselves, right? If we ever reached perfection...wouldn’t we just stop trying?” Sena shrugged. “I’ve seen people who were called perfect. They’d become so confident, that they didn’t bother trying...and because they weren’t putting in effort, they were eventually surpassed. If that’s what being perfect means, then...I don’t want any part of that, I think.” He grimaced, turning away, hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck. His expression grew dark, brows furrowed, and he muttered something to himself. It was barely audible, something that Hilbert could barely hear.
“A perfect world...is pretty overrated, anyway…”
N’s expression contorted, and Hilbert looked confusedly between the two. Cheren’s expression was equally perplexed, even if he hadn’t appeared to have heard Sena’s muttered aside. Sena himself looked unusually downcast, and N...N looked furious. It was hard to tell, as his face still seemed to have that unsettling placid serenity about it, but he was visibly biting the inside of his mouth, and his eyebrows had scrunched together slightly. It was a slight change, but Hilbert had witnessed this man’s unnerving calmness as he rambled on without thought, like he didn’t know how to make human expressions. Even this slight show of frustration spoke volumes to the young boy.
“You…” That voice was still weirdly monotone, even as N’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You’re saying my dream isn’t worth it? My goal...of creating a perfect world for Pokemon, where they can reach their true happiness, separate from people?”
Cheren’s mouth dropped open, and Hilbert visibly flinched. Even if it wasn’t his first time hearing about N’s strange goal, it still wasn’t any less alarming to hear spoken aloud. Only Sena looked untroubled, instead looking back at N, eyes blinking in wonder.
“So you really do believe the same thing as those guys…” It took Hilbert a moment to realize that Sena was referring to Team Plasma, and Cheren seemed to come to that conclusion not even a second later. “I wouldn’t say your goal is pointless, but…” He relaxed, his dour expression changing to something more calm, serene in a way that was somehow different from N’s. Instead of that strange artificial serenity that only existed in the absence of other emotions, this was true calmness, someone who was comfortable in who they were and what they chose to be. Someone who had found themselves.
“If it’s really your dream, shouldn’t you defend it to the best of your ability? Only winners write history, after all. Losers, even those who come in second, don’t get anything.” Those words...were said so mildly, but sounded strangely cutthroat. It was a harsh philosophy. Unaware of the impression he was making, Sena continued. “It’s sad, but not everyone can fulfill their dreams in this world, isn’t it? There are winners and losers. And if you end up being a winner, then I can’t achieve my own dreams either. So, defend it. Prove yourself.”
N bristled, his bushlike hair standing on end.
“Are you challenging me to a battle?”
“If that’s what you want,” Sena mildly replied, the corner of his mouth twitching into a confident smile. The action only seemed to enrage N further, as his hands clenched into fists. He glanced at the Pidove on his shoulder, who cooed its agreement.
“Fine then. We’ll take you on.”
Oddly enough, the agreement only seemed to confuse Sena, as he tilted his head.
“With them?”
The strange question almost instantly shattered the tension between the two.
“What do you mean, ‘with them?’” N asked incredulously, the Pidove on his shoulder almost looking offended.
“I mean…” Sena’s eyes wandered, clearly looking for words. “If you’re defending your dreams to the best of your ability, you should do so with your friends, right?” That only seemed to confuse N further.
“Th...this is my friend, all Pokemon ar-”
Sena shook his head, cutting him off.
“I mean with your friends.” That wasn’t any clearer. “The ones you’ve shared your dream with the longest. Like the one following you.”
And that just confused everyone, N included.
“The one following m-?!”
A sharp rattling sound suddenly echoed out of nowhere. Cheren screamed in alarm, and even Hilbert found himself jumping, almost dropping Oshawott. N nearly bit his own tongue in shock as a small brown Pokemon suddenly appeared by Sena’s shoulder, misting into place via some kind of murky shadow. It looked almost like a small bug, or perhaps some shed skin - mottled brown cartilage clacking against each other as it floated by Sena’s side, eyes unmoving, two small pinpricks permanently open and staring vacantly forward. Oddly enough, it wore a small pink bow tied around its neck, but the accessory did nothing to make it look any less eerie.
Sena himself laughed and scratched under its...chin?...completely unperturbed by its sudden appearance.
“Hey, Shell.” It rattled again, sounding...happy? He tilted his head towards it, letting them bump heads before looking back at N. “This guy told me that one of your friends has been following you for a while. It must be a close one, if it’s done so all this time, right? And my friends and I have been together for years now. It wouldn’t be a fair fight unless you fought with someone who’s been by your side just as long, right?”
N seemed to agree to this assessment, if reluctantly. But his befuddled countenance didn’t let up, still stuck on the other mystery brought up in this conversation.
“But, which-ngh?!”
A person had appeared by N’s side. Not nearly as abruptly as the strange Pokemon named Shell, as they had merely walked up while everyone was engrossed in conversation. But it was strange how nondescript they seemed to be - hair and clothes and appearance so plain, so ordinary, that Hilbert would be hard pressed to remember anything about them. The only distinguishing feature was their electric-blue eyes, glaring intensely at Shell with an unusually large amount of resentment. Nobody seemed to recognize this person, until N turned to them in astonishment. “You-?! Since when were you…”
Their appearance blurred, and suddenly they weren’t standing there anymore. Instead, a large, bipedal black fox stood, nearly the same height as N, fur tied back into a similarly bushy ponytail that was dyed red at the edges. Its jaw opened in a snarl, hostility bared directly at Sena and Shell, who took the blatant threat against their well-being with a surprising amount of poise. At least, until Sena let out a nervous sounding “hieeeh” under his breath, teeth clenched together in a nervous grin.
“A Zoroark?!” demanded Cheren, incredulous. “Those are incredibly rare and almost impossible to find, they’ve been said to blend in with people so seamlessly that you’d never know one was in your midst! What’s one doing with you?!”
“It’s my friend,” N bit out, posture numb. “We grew up together - and it’s supposed to be back home.” He turned to it, hissing to it in a tongue none of them could understand, and the Zoroark snarled right back, keeping one eye on Sena and Shell apprehensively. They dissolved into a heated, whispered argument that only broke up when Sena laughed, clapping his hands together.
“Well, isn’t it obvious? It was worried about you, wasn’t it? It wants to stay by your side!” The Pokemon glanced back at Sena, before huffing and giving a reluctant nod.
N turned to him, hackles raised. “How do you know - can you understand - ?!”
“Huh? Of course not? But what other reason would it have to follow you all the way from home, right?”
“But, earlier, you said - that Pokemon told you - “
“Shell? If I understood what they had to say, I wonder what kind of being I would be…” He laughed nervously. “Definitely not human…” Sena didn’t seem to notice the impact those words had on N, continuing to ramble on even as the older man flinched. “They’re a bit strange, but...we’ve found ways to communicate even without words, you know? Signals, feelings...if they’re your friends, you find a way, don’t you?” He looked at N and Zoroark, eyes flicking between them. “We’re teammates. We’re partners, and friends. Like you two.” He gestured at N and Zoroark, smiling gently.
“So? What do you say?”
-----
hilbert is still at the "n is a creepy older man who i don't fucking get" stage and tbh that's valid
sena is n's age at this point but still manages to be "mysteriously helpful dude I guess" instead. the power of being sociable. and small. and babey.
more "cynthia sponsored sena's immigration" shenanigans! y'all know she would have pushed him to the museum given half a chance. and sena's a good kid so he goes "ok..." and wanders around nacrene city getting lost, as he does
why is n still around? no fucking idea babe maybe he's about to orchestrate the museum break in or something. anyways time for him to be Weird at sena. and for sena to be Weird back
sena spent six months in some asshole's "perfect world" and it was absolute hell 0/10 would not do again thank you very much
sena going from "kinda strange" to "absolutely terrifying if you squint a little" is always fun. i blame camilla and rin and jupiter for encouraging the more cutthroat side of him to come out during non foobaw hours
i also blame shell. because shell is a terrifying eldritch ghost in a cute baby bug carapace and that's a terrible first introduction to his team. and by terrible I mean great.
endgame zoroark battle time! yay.
when sena meant "not human" he meant "being a demon like Michael that can speak to ghosts and other extradimensional beings. he was not intentionally calling n a freak, but it'll probably make ghetsis calling n a freak without a human heart hurt more later. oops