"N, we must escape immediately! Kyurem is approaching!"
Zekrom spoke to N with great urgency.
"Kyurem?" N was surprised.
Ghetsis was also astonished. Kyurem was coming?
Ghetsis always viewed Kyurem as the legendary Pokémon he desired the most. However, he had never located Kyurem's position. Also, his early preparation work was not complete.
Therefore, he had not initiated his plan for Kyurem.
He did not expect Kyurem to appear voluntarily at this moment. Why?
Zekrom did not resolve N's confusion. It gripped N and Ghetsis. Then, it ascended rapidly, attempting to depart.
As one of the dragon Pokémon that split from Unova's original dragon, Zekrom understood Kyurem's terror best—except for Reshiram.
Roar!
The dragon's roar from the distance became more distinct. Even N and Ghetsis could hear it faintly.
And… the weather also seemed incorrect.
N sat in Zekrom's claw. He suddenly felt something cold on his face. He touched it and felt a wet mark.
Rain?
But soon, N understood.
Sparse snowflakes fell down. Was it actually snowing?
N was very confused. It was still summer. Also, they were near Vertress City. The area was not unique. Where did the snow originate?
"Zekrom, what is occurring?"
"It is Kyurem! And…"
Zekrom's low telepathy was heavy and grave. It could sense that Kyurem was approaching!
"It is coming for me!"
"Roar!"
A dominant and fierce dragon roar shook the sky. A powerful ice-blue beam of light traveled through the air at high speed. It aimed directly at Zekrom's back.
It was the Ice-type move, Ice Beam!
"Zekrom! Be careful!"
Zekrom knew what it was. It quickly shifted its body to avoid the attack. However, it was still a little too slow.
The intense ice light struck and directly hit the right side of Zekrom's body.
Crackle!
The freezing sound was unpleasant. Kyurem's Ice Beam had terrifying freezing power. Instantly, transparent ice crystals froze Zekrom's right back.
Zekrom groaned in pain. Its body fell without control. It crashed heavily onto a mountain peak.
Boom!
The ground shook violently when Zekrom impacted it.
But to protect N, Zekrom kept its right claw raised.
"Zekrom!" N was alarmed.
The cold ice was spreading across Zekrom's body. Zekrom endured the sharp pain and placed N and Ghetsis on the ground.
"N, you two must depart quickly," Zekrom said.
N wanted to speak. However, a low roar came from above. He looked up. A massive, grey and black dragon-shaped Pokémon stood in the sky.
That wild, aggressive aura and those freezing eyes made his heart tremble with fear.
It was Black Kyurem!
Ghetsis gazed at Black Kyurem with intense eyes. This was Kyurem, the strongest dragon!
But in the next second, Ghetsis's expression darkened. If Damian had not "stolen" Colress, this Kyurem would have been his eventually!
It was the fault of that irritating person, Damian!
"Zekrom, I found you."
Black Kyurem looked down at Zekrom. Its face was very menacing.
Zekrom stood up slowly. It protected N and Ghetsis behind its body.
"Why?"
Zekrom did not understand. It did not know why Black Kyurem suddenly attacked it.
This was too sudden. It made no sense. Ever since Unova's original dragon split, Kyurem had been sleeping somewhere. It had never appeared in the world.
But now, Kyurem appeared on its own. Zekrom did not believe there was no reason for this.
"It has been over two thousand years. Zekrom, I have permitted you to exist for too long."
Black Kyurem's dragon eyes were cold and merciless. Its low telepathy showed no emotional shift at all.
"Whether it is you or Reshiram, you are both part of me. It is time for you to return."
In Kyurem's view, both Reshiram and Zekrom were originally part of it!
Its body was empty. This cold emptiness needed Zekrom and Reshiram to return.
"That is not true," Zekrom denied directly.
"Kyurem, we don't belong to anyone. Reshiram, you and I are different; we have our own will."
Zekrom disagreed with Black Kyurem's words. It and Reshiram had their own wills and reasons for existing. Its name was Zekrom. It was not "a part of Unova's original dragon," and it was definitely not "a part of Kyurem."
"Oh?"
Black Kyurem's golden dragon eyes narrowed slightly. Its gaze became even colder.
Light snow began to fall from the sky again.
"Kyurem, you are much stronger than us. But in the end, you are not the original dragon. Even if you merge with us, you are still just Kyurem. You cannot become the original dragon!"
However, Zekrom was not afraid. It looked into Black Kyurem's eyes and spoke its thoughts.
In Zekrom's view, Kyurem was just Kyurem. It was not Unova's original dragon. It could not become Unova's original dragon.
Because Kyurem's "heart" was empty!
"Zekrom, it seems you are not just useless, but a pitiful useless thing."
Kyurem's scorn was obvious. Even at a time like this, Zekrom was acting tough.
"You are the one who is the most pitiful, Kyurem," Zekrom replied.
Truth. Ideals. The strongest.
Unova's original dragon split into three bodies. Zekrom represented the will of "Ideals." Reshiram represented the will of "Truth."
Only Kyurem "received" the strongest shell. Kyurem's power was much stronger than Reshiram and Zekrom.
However, it was "empty." Its body was empty, and its heart was "empty."
Truth and Ideals were the wills of Reshiram and Zekrom. They were also their reasons for living.
But Kyurem had nothing. That was because it was only made from the shell that lacked an "inner self." It had nothing except for power.
Therefore, Kyurem stayed away from others. It had no interest in most things. From the time it was born until now, it almost always stayed in the Giant Chasm to rest.
So, in Zekrom's eyes, Kyurem was actually the most pitiful of the three dragons. This was because Kyurem did not even know its own reason for existing.
"Laughable," Kyurem said, snorting with contempt.
"Weak things. You rely on humans just to find a reason to live. What right do you have to lecture me?"
"Only a weakling like you would look for something like ideals. Forget it. I don't want to talk to a useless thing like you."
"Zekrom, from now on, just watch from inside my body. Do not worry, it won't be long. I will have Reshiram join you soon."
Kyurem's voice was menacing.
On the wings on its back, beams of light gathered one by one. Then, they shot through the air. They traveled toward Zekrom on the ground at high speed.
These were the spike beams of the DNA Splicer.
Kyurem no longer wanted to listen to Zekrom's nonsense.
"Zekrom!"
N's pupils narrowed.
Zekrom immediately flew up to avoid those twisted spike beams. Electricity kept buzzing and crackling on its body.
Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt shot out quickly. They constantly hit the incoming beams.
However, these beams were very resilient. Even when hit by Thunderbolt, they only paused for a moment. Then, they continued to attack Zekrom.
After a short while, Zekrom had nowhere to hide. It was surrounded by the spike beams in the air.
Zekrom roared. The turbine at its tail spun and worked intensely.
But in the next moment.
Shink!
The spikes stabbed directly into Zekrom's body. Zekrom roared in pain. The thunder light on its tail vanished instantly.
"Zekrom!!" N was shocked.
"The DNA Splicer!" Ghetsis also understood instantly.
Black Kyurem growled. More and more DNA Splicer spikes stabbed into Zekrom's body. In an instant, Zekrom was covered by a ball of blue-white light. It was quickly dragged back to the front of Black Kyurem.
"Let go of Zekrom!"
Although N did not understand what was happening, a great fear rose in his heart.
Zoroark appeared in front of N. A black wave of energy gathered.
The ball of light held by the DNA Splicers slowly became smaller. Black Kyurem opened its massive mouth and aimed at the ball of light.
"Stop it!!"
N stared at this scene. Emotions of fear and anger filled his mind. This caused him to roar at Black Kyurem.
Zoroark's Dark Pulse shot toward Black Kyurem. However, Black Kyurem tore it apart with one claw.
"Leave this place quickly…"
Zekrom's weak voice appeared in N's heart.
"I am sorry. I cannot stay with you to finish your ideal, N…"
In his sight, the ball of light that Zekrom had turned into was swallowed in one bite by Black Kyurem. Thick blue lightning lit up on Black Kyurem's body.
N's head was buzzing. His mind went blank. His pupils shook violently.
"Zekrom… Zekrom…"
His Zekrom was consumed by Black Kyurem? How could this happen?
But Black Kyurem naturally did not care about the two humans below. The blue lightning jumping around its body slowly sank into its skin.
After absorbing Zekrom, it could fully feel an expansion inside its body.
This came not only from Zekrom's power, but also from that "inner self" that returned after absorbing Zekrom.
Power! Endless power! It was pouring out!!
"Roar!!!"
Black Kyurem raised its head and roared. The joyful dragon roar echoed through the sky. A shockwave of air shook the surrounding area.
It had become stronger!
After fully adapting to its new power, Black Kyurem looked into the distance. Now Zekrom had returned. Only Reshiram remained!
But… it could not sense Reshiram's location. Reshiram was hiding itself.
Black Kyurem's dragon eyes were cold. But what did that matter? It would find Reshiram!
Returning to its body—this was the fate of Reshiram and Zekrom.
Zekrom said it was impossible for Kyurem to become Unova's original dragon? Laughable. It was Kyurem, and it would only ever be Kyurem!
It had never thought about becoming Unova's original dragon again. It was the strongest Kyurem, and that was enough.
Black Kyurem turned around. It was going to leave.
"Give it back…"
Hearing this voice, Black Kyurem turned its head slightly. It glanced at the human who was speaking below.
"Give Zekrom back to me!!"
N looked at Black Kyurem. His emotions went out of control.
How could he accept this? Zekrom was his partner. It was his most valued and most important partner.
His eyes were turning red.
"Why… why did you do this?"
However, Black Kyurem's expression had no emotion. It only gave N that sideways glance. Then, it quickly flew far away and disappeared into the horizon.
Watching Black Kyurem disappear from his sight, N's face became extremely pale. He finally could not hold on anymore. His body collapsed to the ground. He closed his eyes in pain, and tears fell.
"Zekrom…"
Despair spread through his heart.
-------------
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