Start of flashback
"Follow me," one of the members of the Shadow Triad said, leading me to one of the many rooms in this huge palace. Yet there was an aura to it that drew me in.
"This was Lord N's room," he said, "inside it are Anthea and Concordia, N's carers. They will heal your Pokemon in preparation for your battle against Lord N." As sudden as he appeared, he was gone.
I cautiously approached the room, and after taking a deep breath, I entered.
The room I walked into was filled with toys everywhere. A miniature train track on the floor, a basketball lying around, a skateboard sitting in the corner...
"Please, let us heal your Pokemon."
I looked at the two young women approaching me. One had pale, pink hair and the other had blonde hair.
"I am Concordia," the blond one said, "and this is Anthea."
"Please, let us help you." Anthea said.
I approached them cautiously.
"Is this N's room?" I asked them.
They smiled. "Yes," Anthea said, "N grew up in here."
I looked around at the millions of toys scattered everywhere. "Was he ever allowed outside?"
They looked at each other sadly. "Ghetsis only allowed N out on very few occasions," Concordia said, "he mostly spent his life in here. Ghetsis would bring in wounded Pokemon which we would heal, and then N would befriend them. Apart from them and of course us(we like to call ourselves his sisters), he never had much company."
"We tried to provide him a normal life," said Anthea, "but I fear to say we failed."
I realised I was crying, but I didn't care. "He spent his whole life in this room?"
"Yes, except for the rare days when Ghetsis would leave on a trip and we managed to sneak him out. Oh, Concordia, do you remember when we took him to the Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa city?"
Concordia smiled. "It filled me with such joy to see him so happy."
I remembered N asking me to ride the Ferris Wheel with him. Even more tears rolled down my cheeks.
I gave my Pokemon to Concordia and Anthea. As they healed them, I walked around N's room. I could imagine, almost even see, a little green-haired boy, running around and playing with the toys, wondering why the human world was so cruel to his only friends.
I won't let anyone hurt you ever again.
I was startled by the phrase that went through my head. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again. I wanted to promise N that I would help and protect him.
But...
I was about to battle against him. I knew I had no choice if I wanted to save my best friends, Pokemon, yet I couldn't t help but wander if I would be the next person to hurt him.
End of flashback
Picture above: N's room
Picture on side/top of the chapter: Anthea and Concordia
N's room theme song