Chapter 0643: Team Rocket vs. Team Plasma! N and Meowth（Three-in-One）

Unova Region – Opelucid City Outskirts, Wilderness

A full day had passed since receiving the "Mentor’s" orders.

The bushes rustled as three sneaky figures pushed through the foliage, stacking their heads one atop the other as they crouched low, binoculars in hand.

Meowth pressed down Jessie’s long red hair, standing on her head to adjust his binoculars and mutter,

"Da Executive told us ta investigate dat guy called N… He oughta be right over dere, meow~"

Through the infrared lens, a faint silhouette of a young man stood near the distant ruins, glancing back over his shoulder.

Jessie’s eye twitched as she clenched her fists.

"Once we’re done investigating, get down already! You’re ruining my hair!"

At the very bottom, James groaned, "Did you put on weight, Jessie?"

"What did you say?!"

A Poké Ball at Jessie’s waist burst open with a flash of light as Wobbuffet sprang out, saluting loudly. "Wobbuffet—!"

Before anyone could react, the trio lost their balance and toppled over in a heap.

Wobbuffet, now sprawled on the ground, weakly added, "…uffet~"

"Don’t just pop out like that, Wobbuffet!" Jessie yelled.

Wobbuffet paled and shrank behind James, who chuckled nervously. "Alright, alright—we’ve got the Executive’s mission to focus on!"

"Bad news, meow!" Meowth fumbled with the binoculars, panicking. "Dat guy—he’s gettin’ ambushed by someone else, meow!"

Jessie and James shouted in unison:

"WHAT?!"

……

The tall, green-haired young man removed his cap, his thin shirt and long hair swaying in the wind as he watched the three dark figures approaching.

"It's been a while."

His voice was gentle and melodic, like a well-tuned scale, his eyelids lowered. He didn’t seem to be speaking to the newcomers but rather observing the fractal-like pendant at his waist—the "Menger Sponge."

"Lord N, we must ask you to return with us," said the woman in Team Plasma attire politely.

The three masked figures continued advancing slowly, forming a pincer formation around the green-haired young man.

The leader, a sharp-eyed woman named Aldith, spoke firmly.

"You know as well as we do that Team Plasma needs you to oversee everything."

"Is that so?" N replied calmly. "To oversee everything… or to sit on the throne as a puppet?"

"Freeing the Pokémon of the Unova region is your mission," Aldith insisted.

"I’ve grown weary," N murmured, holding his cap. "These past two years, I’ve heard and seen many beautiful things. Those Pokémon don’t hate humans. Some even share precious bonds with them..."

"Lord N!" Aldith cut him off sharply. "What you should be doing now is fulfilling the plans left behind by Lord Ghetsis."

"Father..."

At the mention of that name, a faint light flickered in N’s dull eyes before fading again. His voice turned cold.

"Acts that harm Pokémon and manipulate emotions… I have no reason to return."

"Is that so?"

Aldith narrowed her eyes and pulled out a Poké Ball. "They say you refuse to let Pokémon get hurt, that you won’t even let them battle..."

With that, she tossed the ball. "Go, Liepard!"

Her two subordinates followed suit, throwing their own Poké Balls.

"Go, Zangoose!"

"Go, Seviper!"

Three beams of red light struck the ground, surrounding N.

The three Pokémon—baring fangs and claws—glared at him with murderous intent, inching closer.

A glimmer of light returned to N’s dim eyes as he looked at the Liepard and spread his arms.

"It’s alright… No one will hurt you now."

The three Team Plasma members froze.

Liepard bared its fangs, fur bristling, poised to leap and tear into N at any second.

At the same time, Zangoose and Seviper—natural rivals—flashed their claws and fangs, lunging toward him.

Then, Aldith and the others witnessed something they would never forget.

"Liepard..." Liepard stood on its hind legs, pressing against N’s chest and licking his face affectionately.

Seviper coiled around N’s arm but showed no desire to bite. When N reached out to stroke Zangoose’s head, the Seviper closed its eyes in contentment.

"H-How is this possible?!"

Aldith’s voice was hoarse, an inexplicable fear making her tremble.

One of the male subordinates gulped. "Lord Aldith, this must be the power Lord Ghetsis warned us about—the ability to bewitch Pokémon!"

"Bewitch?"

N’s green hair fluttered in the wind as he stood before the sharp-fanged Seviper, Liepard, and Zangoose. He put his cap back on, his eyes dull and icy, filled with sorrow.

"I only listened to their voices… and shared their pain."

"You," Aldith gritted her teeth, "are a monster—born between human and Pokémon. That’s what Ghetsis said."

N extended his arm. "Now, I believe it too."

In that instant, all three Pokémon turned and lunged at Aldith.

But before they could strike—

Their movements froze. Blue electricity crackled across their bodies as they writhed in agony.

"What’s happening?" N’s voice was rough with pain. "You… Pokémon..."

The silent female subordinate raised a small red remote.

Aldith smirked. "A control device invented by Lord Colress. Your so-called 'bonds' are nothing before the power of science."

N stood stunned. He could no longer hear the Pokémon’s voices—only see their crimson eyes glaring at him with renewed hostility.

For a brief moment, doubt flickered in his heart. He closed his eyes, his green hair and pendant swaying.

So even emotions… could be this fragile.

Colress—the cold, calculating scientist who pursued only the strength of technology.

He was the one Ghetsis had truly chosen to carry out Team Plasma’s next phase.

In that split second, N understood everything. But he was tired. This journey hadn’t even been shared with his two sisters.

As the blades of the Pokémon’s attacks neared, rustling his green hair, N prepared to let go.

"Wobbuffet, use Counter!!"

N’s eyes snapped open.

Wobbuffet’s body glowed with a fierce light, deflecting all three Pokémon’s attacks at once!

BOOM!!

Smoke billowed, the shockwave forcing Aldith to cross her arms.

"Cough—Who the hell are you?!"

Click, click, click!

The male subordinate looked around in confusion. "Huh? Why did the lights suddenly turn on?"

"Since you asked so sincerely." Jessie struck a pose.

"We'll generously tell you!" James said with a rose in his teeth.

"To prevent the world from being destroyed! To protect the peace of the world! (Absolutely!)"

The male subordinate shouted, "Show some respect! Stop randomly striking poses over there!"

"No time for formalities, let's skip the rest, meow!"

Meowth unsheathed its claws and charged at the Team Plasma member.

James commanded, "Meowth, Fury Swipes!"

Swish swish swish—

A flurry of white slashes flickered. Meowth knelt on one knee, arms spread wide as the glow from its claws faded.

Thud!

Zangoose, Liepard, and Seviper stiffened before collapsing to the ground, their eyes swirling.

Meowth stood up, blowing smoke off its claws and inspecting them.

"Seems like my skills haven't rusted completely, meow~"

The Team Plasma trio froze. N also stood stunned.

"Team Rocket? You dare interfere in the Unova region!" Aldith yelled.

The male subordinate interjected, "Actually, it's Rocket Delivery now..."

"Shut up!"

The silent female subordinate tapped her control device, then stared blankly at Meowth.

"Tsk tsk~" Meowth wagged its finger and planted a paw on its hip. "That old trick? Team Rocket mastered it ages ago, meow~"

Jessie crossed her arms and smirked.

"The Executive called this a 'mind control device.' You really think we wouldn’t prepare a countermeasure?"

"We just jammed the signal beforehand..." James shrugged. "Well, not like you Team Plasma grunts would understand high-tech stuff anyway."

The three Team Plasma members turned pale, then immediately spun around and fled for their lives.

"Team Rocket, just you wait! We’ll be back!"

Meowth blinked as it watched them disappear.

"They totally stole our line, meow."

"Back in the day, we were the ones getting blasted off. Now we’re the ones doing the blasting." Jessie teared up.

James wiped his eyes, choking up. "S-Such a wonderful feeling!"

"Idiots, Jessie and James!" Meowth yelled, stomping its foot. "After them, quick!"

"No need."

The trio turned to see a man in a brown trench coat stepping out from the trees.

His hair was untamed, his face weathered. He pulled out a badge from his coat.

"International Police. Codename: 'Handsome.' Here to investigate Team Plasma."

His gaze locked onto the silent green-haired young man, his meaning clear.

"I understand." N smiled faintly and slowly raised his hands. "I’ll cooperate."

At the same moment, sirens wailed around the ruins as Officer Jennys on motorcycles surrounded the fleeing Team Plasma members.

Click!

The gleam of "silver bracelets" flashed. Aldith’s face twisted in frustration.

The female subordinate said calmly, "We’ve been caught."

The male subordinate chimed in, "SUCH A HORRIBLE FEEEEELING!"

"Both of you, shut up!"

Watching the arrested Team Plasma members, Detective 'Handsome' exhaled in relief before turning to the proudly standing trio.

"What are you looking at?" Jessie demanded, hands on her hips.

"Rocket Delivery is a legitimate organization! Totally legal!" James insisted.

"I know... and I also want to thank you."

Detective 'Handsome' smiled. "Though I’m not sure why you were here, your contribution to Unova’s peace is undeniable."

"You’re not so bad yourself, meow~" Meowth gave the older man a sidelong glance.

They shook hands.

The trio and the detective shared a knowing laugh.

N tried to slip away quietly, but Wobbuffet’s Shadow Tag held him in place. Instantly, four icy gazes snapped toward him.

"Alright, alright~"

N raised his hands and sighed in resignation.

"I’ll cooperate... Besides, I’m curious about that Meowth too."

Meowth crossed its arms, puzzled.

He can understand Pokémon speech... What a weird guy.

Whatever—this mission’s definitely a success!

The Executive’s gonna pat my head and praise me for sure, meow~~

"Aw, I’m not that amazing~ meow~" Meowth scratched its head bashfully, lost in daydreams.

Detective 'Handsome' studied N with a deep gaze.

So this is the guy the Police Consultant asked me to tail.

I hope moving in didn’t mess up his plans.

Better hand him over to the Natsume first, then figure things out...

……

"You arrested N?!"

Natsume stared blankly.

'Handsome' cleared his throat.

"Just ensuring his safety... He was attacked by Team Plasma members on the way, so we had to intervene."

Natsume immediately understood.

So this was N from Black and White 2—the one who had defected from Team Plasma.

Still a fanatic, but at least easier to deal with than his Black and White self.

Let the hot-blooded Ash talk some sense into him, and he’d recover in no time.

"Additionally, we encountered Team Rocket members at the scene. They assisted Officer Jenny in defeating the Team Plasma operatives."

Detective 'Handsome' paused, then added, "They were... surprisingly decent people."

Natsume’s mood turned delicate.

The subordinates from both sides actually worked together?

Three years, then another three...

At this rate, I’ll end up spying my way to the top in both the International Police and Team Rocket!

"Ahem, understood."

Natsume straightened up. "I’ll head to Unova shortly."

"But we don’t have enough evidence to hold N—just 24 hours at most."

"Then release him and keep surveillance," Natsume said. "Also, arrange a meeting. Tell him the police consultant wants to speak with him."

"And if he refuses?"

"Mention it’s about the Opelucid legendary. He’ll agree."

"Understood."

"What about the three Team Rocket members?"

"Oh, they’ve already left."

'Handsome' recalled the trio’s actions and sighed.

"Whoever they work for... they’d be great recruits if they ever switched sides!"

Yeah, and the other side’s probably thinking the same thing...

Natsume asked, "Did N mention Team Plasma’s future plans?"

Detective 'Handsome’s expression turned serious.

"He claimed ignorance—and didn’t seem to be lying. However, he did bring up a name: one of Team Plasma’s scientists, Colress."

……

Unova Region, Opelucid City – International Police Branch

N looked up as the brown-trench-coated man entered.

"Am I free to go?"

"You are." 'Handsome' nodded. "But Mr. Police Consultant would like to discuss the Opelucid legendary with you at your convenience."

N fell silent. He had been searching for the legendary Dragon Stone, hoping to use it to atone for his mistakes.

"Tomorrow morning, at Opelucid’s Pokémon Center," N finally said, standing. "You’ll have me watched anyway, so I won’t go far."

'Handsome' said nothing—until N turned back, locking eyes with him.

"Your heart carries deep sorrow... Has your Pokémon been injured?"

The detective hesitated, but something in N’s gaze compelled him to answer.

"My partner... is currently being treated at Opelucid’s Pokémon Center."

Croagunk doesn’t have much time left. He left the words unspoken.

"I’ll do what I can to help." N glanced at the faint glow in his palm, his voice quiet. "But I can’t promise anything..."

'Handsome' swallowed his words, walking alongside N in silence.

Then he watched as the green-haired young man’s figure slowly vanished into the lamplit night.

……

N walked into the alleyway, where the Team Rocket trio leaned against the wall, waiting for him.

"Hello, Meowth," the green-haired young man said with a smile.

"Don’t try to get chummy with me, meow." Meowth squinted. "You, of all people—why do you understand Pokémon speech?"

"That’s... a long story. I doubt you’d be interested."

"Hey." Jessie crossed her arms and cut straight to the point. "You wanna join Team Rocket?"

N blinked, taken aback. Seeing their serious expressions, he shook his head.

"Thank you for the offer... but I haven’t found my answer yet."

"What answer, meow?"

"Ideals and truth. What is the best way for humans and Pokémon to coexist? Should they be kept in Poké Balls or released? Should they be treated as tools for battle or as bonds of emotion..." N, wearing his cap, spoke rapidly, spreading his arms wide. His dull eyes burned with an unusual fervor.

Jessie and James stared at him, blinking rapidly in a futile attempt to follow along.

'This guy... might actually be crazy.' They thought in unison.

Meowth fell silent. It, too, had once questioned whether it was human or Pokémon. In a quiet voice, it said:

"Meowth thinks... whether human or Pokémon, just being with the ones you care about is enough. Hope you find your answer soon, meow."

The green-haired young man’s gaze flickered. He said nothing.

The bright moonlight bathed the alley. Under the full moon, N and Meowth—perched atop a trash can—locked eyes. Slowly, they both smiled and shook hands.

A Meowth that wished to be human.

A man born between human and Pokémon.

Both had once been called monsters.

'Even if the world sees you as a monster... you can still find companions who accept you, meow~'

Meowth glanced at James and Jessie.

"Let’s get Meowth out of here," Jessie whispered. "Any longer, and it’ll catch the stupid too."

"Good point." James nodded, tucking a struggling Meowth under his arm. "Ahem! Well, uh, buddy, we’ll be on our way now! Don’t let us keep you!"

The tall, cap-wearing green-haired young man smiled and nodded.

"Actually... there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you. It might be sudden..." N reached out to stop them.

Meowth dropped back to the ground and looked up. "Let’s hear it. No promises, meow~"

"Rocket Delivery has connections in the Kalos region too, correct?"

N lowered his eyes, thinking carefully. "If possible... I’d like to ask you to deliver a letter on my behalf. To Mr. Natsume."

"MR. NATSUME?!" The trio jumped.

N looked up, puzzled. "I heard he’s coming to Unova for the World Tournament Youth Tournament’s opening ceremony."

"Champion Alder... didn’t give me the answers I sought."

N’s voice was barely audible. "But the one people call 'Teacher'... perhaps he’ll have a different perspective."

The trio exchanged glances and huddled together.

"We gotta report this to the Executive..."

"But this guy seems like a real smooth talker, meow."

"Who’s tricking who here? That’s the real question!"

……

"You didn't expose my identity, did you?"

Natsume kept his voice low after hearing the trio's report.

"Of course not, meow!"

Meowth wiped sweat from its brow, rubbing its paws nervously. "We just felt sorry for that N guy and agreed to help out of pity, meow~"

N and Meowth undoubtedly shared similarities—both had questioned whether they were human or Pokémon.

This existential dilemma was one even the legendary Mewtwo couldn't answer definitively.

But as long as they kept moving forward, they would eventually carve out a new path.

Standing at Mistralton City Airport in the Unova region, Natsume had already politely declined Leader Skyla's invitation. Phone in hand, he spoke decisively:

"I'll be arriving in Opelucid City shortly."