Pokémon Adventures: GAMER PATH

~Third POV~

[Unova Region, Accumula Town – Residential District]

By the time they reached the residential area, Black was already pacing, lamenting his failure to catch the speakers…

*THUD*

Black groaned, slamming a fist against the brick. He exclaimed in a frustrated tone, "They're gone. They must have spread their word all the way across the town by now. People are listening to them!"

*POP*

To prove his point, Black reached onto his belt and unclipped a heavy, industrial-looking Poké Ball. With a press of the center button, a red beam shot out, materializing a massive, hairy Galvantula onto the manicured lawn. The electric spider clicked its mandibles aggressively, its multiple eyes darting around in blind panic before it lunged forward, snapping its pincers dangerously close to Black's face.

*Hiss*

Black stumbled back, dodging by a hair's breadth. Black gasped, pointing at the enraged arachnid, "See?! This is the Galvantula we ran into earlier! It went straight into a human-filled convention and attacked without command! Wild Pokémon don't just do that—they fear humans! It must have belonged to a trainer who released it today because of those speeches!"

Azure stepped up beside Black, resting a hand on the Poké Ball holding his newly acquired Minccino. Azure said, his tone grim, "You're right. Abandonment breeds resentment. When a Pokémon loses its anchor, survival instincts turn into raw, unfocused aggression."

*Zzt*

White finally caught up, bending over with her hands on her knees, gasping for breath. She exclaimed, wheezing, "You two… you two move way too fast…"

Suddenly, Gigi—the Tepig nestled in White's bag—poked its snout out and accidentally struck the screen of the Xtransceiver still clutched in White's hand, redialing the film director automatically. White's eyes widened in sheer panic exclaimed, "Oh no, no, no! Not now!"

She frantically tried to cancel the call, but the screen displayed a weak, flickering signal indicator: No Service.

Azure noted, glancing at his Arc Phone, which was currently routing through Rotom's internal relay to maintain a stable connection, "The signal is dead here. You'll have to go back to the town square where the network towers have a clearer line of sight. We'll wait here, White."

White panicked, turning on her heel. She said, "Right! I'll go back!"

Then, she stopped dead, her eyes landing on Black's starter. She then added, "Wait, Black! Lend me Tep! I need to use a Fire-type heat signature to boost my device's localized antenna range, or this business deal is dead!"

*Swooosh*

Before Black could argue, White scooped up Black's Tepig from the grass, ignoring the piglet's startled oink (Oinf?!), and sprinted back toward the main square as fast as her designer boots could carry her.

Black shouted after her, though he didn't give chase, his attention snapping back to the giant spider hissing on the lawn, "Hey! Give my partner back!"

Black sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked down at the Galvantula, which was currently pacing in circles, its fangs dripping with residual static electricity. Black muttered to himself, his shoulders slumping, "Man… You're a handful. Honestly… I was almost considering releasing you myself, just to keep you out of trouble, but…"

Galvantula suddenly froze. Its multi-faceted eyes locked onto Black. The massive spider shook its forehead violently from side to side and wiggled its front pedipalps in a frantic, unmistakable gesture of vehement denial.

*Clack-clack-clack-click*

Black blinked, completely missing the communicative nuance. He tilted his head, scratching behind his ear as he asked, "What? Are you shaking your head 'no'? Look, buddy, if I don't take you in, you're going to get abandoned twice. That's rough."

"You really are thick-headed, aren't you?"

The voice didn't come from Black's mouth, nor did it come from Azure. It was soft, melodic, yet carried an eerie, unnatural resonance that seemed to vibrate directly inside the bones of Black's inner ear.

Black jumped three feet into the air, spinning around so fast he nearly tripped over his own shoelaces. He yelled back, "Who said that?!"

Azure, however, didn't flinch. His posture instantly stiffened, his eyes narrowing as a familiar, heavy aura washed over the alleyway. From the deep, pitch-black shadows cast by a canvas-covered market stall, a figure stepped forward into the pale afternoon sunlight.

He wore a stark white, futuristic-looking jacket adorned with geometric patterns, offset by long, flowing green hair that fluttered in the autumn breeze. His pale, intense eyes locked instantly onto Azure, though a wry, enigmatic smile played upon his lips.

The green-haired young man murmured, walking closer until he was standing mere inches from the bewildered Black, "Pity…"

He didn't even look at the hot-headed trainer; instead, his gaze remained fixed entirely on Azure. Then added, "A boy who dreams of the League, yet is profoundly deaf to the very voices of the creatures standing right beside him. How tragic."

Black rubbed his ear, his face scrunching up in profound irritation. He exclaimed defiantly, "Hey! Who do you think you are calling deaf?! And what do you mean talking to it? Pokémon don't talk!"

*Tmp-tmp-tmp*

Stepping gracefully out from the cool, damp shadows of the alleyway, draped in a cream-colored cap and a checkerboard shirt that fluttered in the late afternoon breeze, stood a young man with emerald-green hair and eyes that held the ancient, sorrowful depth of an open forest.

Natural Harmonia Gropius. Or better known as N.

Azure didn't flinch. He simply locked eyes with the enigmatic king of Team Plasma, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips as he thought, 'Finally. The boy who claimed to hear the voice of every living creature.'

N said softly, his voice cutting through the ambient hum of Accumula Town as if he and Azure were standing alone in an empty meadow, "Azure Sky…"

He completely ignored a sputtering, red-faced Black. N's gaze swept over Azure, lingering for a fraction of a second on the Pikachu resting upon his shoulder and the Eevee draped across his hair.

A subtle flash of genuine shock crossed N's features, though he masked it quickly. N tilted his head, his brow furrowing slightly as he stared at the red-and-white spherical capsules hooked to Azure's belt and asked, "You... You call yourself a friend to Pokémon. Yet you bind them. You trap them within those sterile, metal spheres. How can their voices reach you when they are locked away in the dark?"

Black puffed out his chest, stepping between them. He exclaimed, "Hey! Who do you think you are?! Azure is—"

Azure interrupted, waving a hand dismissively, "Quiet, Black."

He didn't take his eyes off N.

With a casual shrug, Azure shoved his hands into his pockets and jokingly said, "It's a fair question... Honestly? It's just convenient. Can you imagine me trying to carry a Snorlax across three different regions on my back when it falls asleep after lunch? My spine would snap like a dry twig."

*Snort*

A digital, garbled chuckle echoed from Azure's Arc Phone. Rotom's holographic face popped out of the screen, projecting a tiny, glowing pixel-sweatdrop, which chimed, "Bzzzt! Can confirm! His back is strong, but a Snorlax is pushing it, ch-ch-chi!"

Azure turned his attention to N. He said casually, "Look, I get what you're driving at. Poké Balls are a cage if the human holding the key is a tyrant. But to my team? These balls are just a safe house at the end of a long day. Not every Pokémon wants to live in the middle of a bustling, concrete metropolis like Castelia City. Sometimes, they want to rest in peace without a stampeding Herdier stepping on their tail."

N stared at Azure.

The green-haired youth closed his eyes for a moment, listening.

Deep within the fabric of Azure's shoulder, Pikachu's inner voice resonated outward—a warm, crackling hearth of absolute, unshakable loyalty and pride in his trainer. Beside it, Eevee's thoughts hummed like a peaceful lullaby, full of sleepy affection and total trust in Azure. An unbreakable bond.

There was no fear in them.

No coercion.

Only a profound, unbreakable bond forged across leagues, battle frontiers, and the literal edge of reality.

N's eyes snapped open, wide with a mixture of wonder and profound disbelief. He had spent his entire life listening to abused, frightened, or exploited Pokémon crying out in despair against human cruelty. He had expected Azure's partners to harbor resentment, or at the very least, a quiet resignation.

Instead, he heard a song of fierce, willing partnership.

N's jaw tightened.

A complex storm of emotions brewed in his emerald gaze—confusion, a challenge to his worldview, and a burning, desperate need to know the truth.

N whispered, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped forward, the wind swirling around his boots, "Words. Human words are deceitful. They twist the truth to fit their own desires. But a Pokémon's inner voice... it never lies."

N raised his head, his gaze locking onto Azure with razor-sharp intensity. Then he requested firmly, "If your bonds are truly as pure as your Pokémon's hearts are shouting at me right now... then prove it to me."

Azure asked, a confident, sharp-edged grin spreading across his face, "A battle?"

N confirmed, his voice ringing with absolute conviction, "A battle. A 3-vs-3 Triple Battle. Let me hear the true voice of your team when they are pushed to their limits. Let me see if your 'safe houses' are truly sanctuaries, or just prisons with a nice view."

Azure snapped back, stepping up to the line with an eager glint in his eye, "Oh, you're on! Just a warning, though—my guys play rough when they're having fun. And we aren't gonna lose to you buddy!"

Black shouted, throwing his hands in the air, his face turning an indignant shade of crimson, "Hey! Wait a minute! What is this?! I was in the middle of a conversation with this guy! You two can't just hijack my—"

Azure chirped over his shoulder, flashing a cheeky, childish peace sign, "Dibbs, Black! Slow burners get left behind. Go find White; she's probably screaming at a director about a Tepig missing an audition."

Black roared, veins bulging on his forehead as he practically vibrated with rage, "I am not a slow burner! I am going to be the Champion! I'm fast! I'm hot-blooded!"

N ignored Black's frantic protests entirely. The ambient noises of Accumula Town—the chatter of distant citizens, the whistle of the Unova wind through the residential eaves—seemed to fade away, swallowed by the electric tension crackling between the two trainers as he thought, 'My friends… lend me your strength…'

The stage was set. The shadows lengthened across the cobblestones, stretching toward the twilight.

Azure adjusted his collar, feeling the steady, rhythmic heartbeat of the Pikachu on his shoulder and the quiet, comforting hum of the Minccino resting in his pocket. He thought firmly, 'It was time to show the king of Team Plasma what a real bond sounded like. Time to show him what a Pokémon Master is all about!'

/////

[Unova Region, Meanwhile, Accumula Town – Main Plaza]

Ghetsis, the mastermind of Team Plasma, stood atop the raised platform, his long, ornate robes billowing in the wind. His voice boomed through the speakers, amplified by Team Plasma technology: "People of Accumula! Do you not see the chains you have forged? Look at the Pokémon you claim to love! They are forced to fight for your glory, to bleed for your badges! Liberation is the only path to true harmony!"

The crowd was rapt, many of them nodding in a trance-like state. Hidden nearby, a Beeheeyem owned by Colress was surreptitiously emitting low-frequency psychic waves, softening the minds of the masses, making them more susceptible to Ghetsis's manipulative rhetoric.

However, neither Ghetsis nor Beeheeyem didn't notice the slight ripple in the shadows behind the podium. Azure's Gengar, a pale, ghostly figure with a mischievous glint in her eyes, emerged partially from the floorboards.

She had been given a simple order: Mess with them.

Gengar's tongue licked her translucent lips. She spotted the Beeheeyem hidden behind a stack of crates, its fingers glowing as it manipulated the crowd's emotions. Gengar thought, 'Ooh, a toy!'

She didn't use a flashy move. She simply floated behind the psychic Pokémon and whispered a haunting, distorted lullaby.

Hypnosis.

*Thud*

Beeheeyem's eyes lolled back, and it slumped over, the psychic waves of mental suggestion instantly cutting out. The crowd blinked, some of them shaking their heads as the mental fog began to lift.

Gengar then turned her attention to Ghetsis, who was currently in the middle of a particularly dramatic crescendo, "And so, I ask you! Cast aside your—"

*Squelch*

Gengar used Telekinesis to precisely toss a glob of extra-spicy Hoennese Wasabi—stolen from Azure's bag—directly into Ghetsis's open mouth. Ghetsis tried to speak, "Cast aside—HURRK! GAH!"

Ghetsis's face turned a shade of purple that matched his robes. He began to cough violently, his eyes watering, his dignified speech devolving into a series of strangled honks. The crowd stared in stunned silence.

Gengar wasn't done as she thought, raising her hand, 'Hmm… this needs a little something to humiliate this punk. Oh! I know!'

*SNAP*

While Ghetsis was doubled over, she used her Telekinesis again. This time, she reached under his elaborate robes. With a sharp SNAP of elastic, she gave the leader of Team Plasma a monumental, gravity-defying atomic wedgie.

Ghetsis let out a high-pitched shriek that was picked up perfectly by the microphone, "WHO?! WHO DARES?!"

He tried to stand up straight, but the astronomical tension of his own undergarments forced him into a hunched, waddling posture. Gengar cackled, a sound like breaking glass, and pulled out her Rotom Phone from her mouth. Her grin widened as she thought, 'Smile for the 'gram, you old prune! You'll be famous! Now... LIBERATE THOSE CHEEKS!'

*Click-Click-Click*

She immediately uploaded the photos to "Pokebook" with the caption: 'Liberation' starts with liberating your dignity! Praise thy Captain Underpants! #PlasmaFails #WasabiBurn #WedgieJustice #LiberatetheseCheeks.'

The crowd, seeing the 'great leader' of the liberation movement waddling around like a frightened Quagsire while clutching his backside, began to titter. The laughter spread like wildfire, breaking the spell of Ghetsis's propaganda far more effectively than any counter-argument could.

Ghetsis roared, his voice cracking in a furious tone, "Seize your laughter at once! Find them! Find the one responsible!"

Gengar let out one last mock-salute, stuck out her tongue, and melted back into the shadows, heading toward Azure to report her success. Gengar escaped with a mischievous grin, thinking, 'Heh! I wonder if the boss will let me mess with these jerks like this! Hopefully the boss will approve because this is funny! Hahaha!!!'

/////

A/N: Hope you like the chapter. Also, what do you guys think about N's Ideals when compared to the MC's dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master?

In the Manga Black and a majority of major characters were troubled by N's philosophy that liberating Pokémon would bring them their happiness. It was basically the major issue of the story with the protagonist Black at the time, and unable to listen to his team. Even believing N's words instead of trusting his team, and Alder even doubted himself.

But what would N do now against someone like the MC who took inspiration from Ash to be a Pokémon Master and fully trusts the bonds of his Pokémon? And unlike other characters that might doubt their bonds, the MC's bonds are too strong for N's words or Team Plasma's propaganda to have any real effect on him.

If anything, N would have a really hard time trying to liberate any of the MC's Pokémon. He can try with his words, but he'll soon find out the hard way that his method won't work on someone like the MC or his team.

What are your guys' thoughts between the two?

Also, what Pseudo-Legendary should fit Black's Team?