Secrets of Harmonia 01

Chapter One: Interrogation

April 25, 2011 11:53 AM

International Police Headquarters

Looker had shot all the questions he had about Team Plasma to five of the six sages he arrested and he was quite pleased with the results. The sages were completely co-operative about the whole thing and he was certain they would be freed at one point with the understanding they each were only being used by Ghetsis for his insane plan and to never try to revive Team Plasma ever again.

Each of the sages seemed to have different knowledge about Team Plasma, either about the plans Ghetsis supposedly had, the types of pokemon they preferred to use, the members who had joined, their methods of persuasion and just a bit about N's childhood. However, none of the sages he had currently spoken to knew the most important and vital information he was seeking about N and he was pinning all his hopes on the final sage: Bronius. Looker stopped in his office for a cup of coffee before heading over to the interrogation room.

"Hey Looker," the chief said, approaching him. "How's the case on Team Plasma going?"

"Dandy," Looker replied, stirring his coffee. "I've already talked to five of the six so-called sages of Team Plasma. They're all willing to answer my questions and they all seem to realize they were just Ghetsis's tools. They each know something different about Team Plasma. The interrogation videos should have recorded everything," he added.

"Good. Good," the chief said, nodding. "What do we know?"

"We know Team Plasma has been started in 1993," Looker began, "and the six sages were the first members to be recruited. Ghetsis had them each believing his motives were to make the world a better place for pokemon and the sages each thought it was a noble idea, which is why they were so willing to serve him. They started recruiting people who worked with pokemon, such as breeders, nurses or day care helpers before they started to go big. When they had enough members, they began building their castle underground to serve as their base. It was finished by the time N was around two years old, according to one of them."

"And what of N? Is it true that Ghetsis is his father?" the chief asked.

"I don't know yet," Looker answered. "The sages know that Ghetsis was the one who raised N, along with two nurses who resided in the castle. There's no word on their location now, but I'm looking into it. The way that each sage spoke, it makes me think Ghetsis may have gone as far as to kidnap a child to raise for his mad purposes."

"Mad indeed..." the chief mused. "What else?"

"N is currently in Johto with Reshiram," Looker revealed. "It seems he's among a Dragon Tamer clan to learn how humans and pokemon co-exist together. Team Plasma has no hopes of resuming its activities without their prince or source of power. Zekrom has been securely caught by White of Nuvema Town and no human dares to search for the third dragon."

"I see. That's good so far," the chief nodded. Looker took a sip of his coffee. "Any last words?"

"No, sir. I've interrogated five of the six sages. I'm about to speak to Bronius and see if he can tell me about N. He's the oldest of the sages by far, so I'm hoping he will know about N's origins," Looker said.

"Good work," the chief commended. "As quick as always, Looker. I'll leave you to it."

"Thank you, sir," Looker said. He looked back at his coffee as the chief left his office and added some more milk and sugar to it. When he was satisfied, he headed to the last interrogation room and went inside.

"Greetings, officer," Bronius greeted.

"Hello, Bronius," Looker replied. He closed the door behind him and sat down. "Can I get you anything before we start? Some coffee, tea or juice?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Bronius said politely.

"Alright, then let's get down to business. I've already talked to the others, which makes you the last one." Looker set his coffee aside and sat back. "I know everything about Team Plasma now, except for one thing: N. None of your cohorts seem to know anything about him, such as where he came from or who he really is. All I know is that he was raised by Ghetsis and two nurses and was only permitted to see pokemon that had been abused by humans."

"That's correct," Bronus said. His eyes took on a dark look and Looker narrowed his own.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It means none of the other sages know what I know. They hold the secrets of the team itself, but I...I carry a dark and heavy secret that has made me age so much faster these past two decades." Bronius lowered his eyes. "I know all about N," he added.

"Good. That's just what I'm hoping to find out," Looker said. "Who are his parents? Where did Ghetsis get him from?"

"Pardon?" Bronius looked up and stared into Looker's face. "Get him from?"

"Ghetsis kidnapped N as a baby and you know who N's real family is. Is that your deep dark secret?" Looker asked.

Bronius shook his head. "No, sir. The matter I'm speaking of is much more different than kidnapping a child."

"Stop playing games and tell me, then," Looker ordered.

Bronius sighed. "Very well. Perhaps after I tell you the secret I've been forced to lock away, I can rest my troubled soul and find some sleep at nights." The elderly man took a deep breath and began. "Ghetsis did not raise N from a baby. He raised N from the very beginning, right from conception. He is N's father."

Looker nearly spat out his coffee. "WHAT?" He looked at the sage in shock, who only nodded to indicate it was the truth. "Then...then...who the hell is his mother? And where is she now?"

"That's what the secret is," Bronius said and began his story.

---

August 15, 1992 9:34 AM

White Forest

It was another perfect morning in White Forest with the sun shining its gentle beams down on the few residents who lived there. Somewhere from the top of the trees, a Pidove began its morning song which stirred a few sleeping pokemon out from their nests.

A young woman, who had already begun her daily work, wiped some sweat off her forehead and stood up. She had been looking after the garden beside her home and watering the vegetables as she always had to do. Now that the task was done, she could make herself breakfast and have a few minutes to relax before she had to continue to work. All around her were various species of pokemon that cried for her attention, either to be picked up and held or just to be petted. A female Nidoran nudged her legs and the woman almost tripped as she walked back to her house.

"No, sweetie," she gently chatised. If she gave in to one pokemon, then they would all be surrounding her and hoping for the same attention. The woman sighed and inhaled the smell of coffee that greeted her when she walked inside. Being a pokemon orphanage owner was her dream job, but she often wondered if she was too nice to the pokemon. Even when they were grown up and ready to live in the wild on their own, many refused to leave her. Some trainers who had come to adopt young pokemon from her were often surprised and disappointed at how the pokemon reacted to leaving.

She had just sat down to her toast and coffee when the two Herdiers she had recently acquired began barking. They were often quiet and only barked if a stranger approached, so she knew that someone was outside - someone who didn't live in White Forest. Visitors were rather rare and she guessed that it was a trainer who had come to see her about adopting a pokemon. She quickly took a gulp of her coffee and went back outside. Sure enough, she found not one, but two strangers looking at all the pokemon around her house. One was a middle aged man who wore the robes of a priest and the second was a much younger man wearing prestigious clothing. The younger man had a strange type of eyepatch on his right eye and she felt slightly intimidated.

"Good morning, gentlemen. Can I help you?" she asked.

"Oh no. We're just passing through," the young man replied. "We saw all these pokemon here and wondered why they weren't in the grass patches. Are they all your pokemon?"

"No, sir," she replied. "My home is the only pokemon orphanage in all of Unova. I take in pokemon that have either lost their parents in the wild or have been abandoned by their trainers. I raise them myself until they are either old enough to be on their own or until a trainer adopts them. Are you, perhaps, here to adopt?"

"No, not today," the young man replied. He took in the sight of the small home, the garden, the pokemon and finally of the young woman in front of him. Her clothes were covered with dirt from her morning gardening, a sight that made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. But she had long, sunny-blond hair that she had tied back in a braid and her dark blue eyes had a look that suggested she was a woman with motherly instincts, despite her young appearance.

"Well, you are free to look around, then," she said. "Just be careful. Some of the pokemon are very timid of strangers and they may try to bite you if they think you are going to provoke them. Would either of you like some coffee?"

The older man shook his head, but the young man nodded. "Yes, please."

"Come on inside," the woman said, opening her door for him. He walked in and gazed around at her furniture. It was a one room home that felt more like a hut in his eyes. There was a tiny kitchen in one corner where the coffee maker sat with a fresh pot. A bed sat in another back corner and there were multiple blankets scattered all over the floor. The hut only had one other door, aside from the one he had come in, and he guessed it was her bathroom. In the center of the room was one table with a few chairs around it and he took a seat. The woman placed a fresh cup of coffee in front of him and sat down on the other side of the table.

"My home must not look like much to you," she said apologetically, "but it's all I have and I make the best of it. It's also much easier to look after pokemon in one room, compared to many rooms," she added.

"You don't appear to have much, but you seem to be happy," the man commented and sipped his coffee. "How do you manage to meet all your demands with so many pokemon to look after?"

"I get a small grant from the mayor each month to help with financial demands," the woman revealed. "I also ask for a small adoption fee from trainers who come to adopt. Many people also give donations, which is a tremendous help. I grow most of my own food as well. It's easy to survive here. It just requires a bit of work.

"How about you, sir? Where do you come from?" she asked.

"Oh, I come from a different region. I decided to settle here because it seems like a nice place," the man said. "I'm working on starting my own little business with my partner outside. It's something quite similar to what you do, actually."

"How so?"

"I want to make our world a much better place for pokemon," he replied. "Pokemon do so much for humans and yet, it seems most humans don't appreciate the gift of a pokemon's companionship. I've seen too many pokemon hurt by humans, either physically or emotionally. I want to gather people who realize the same thing and help spread the word that pokemon are not tools. I'm certain you've seen the poor pokemon I'm talking about," he added. "It wouldn't surprise me."

The woman bit her lower lip and nodded, thinking about how many pokemon she had taken in that were abandoned or abused. The number of those pokemon, compared to the orphans from the wild, was much greater and it always filled her with great sadness. This man's intention sounded very noble to her.

"May Reshiram and Zekrom bless you, sir," she suddenly said. "Your heart has wonderful ideals and truth in it. I hope you can succeed."

"Thank you."

"I would like to support you somehow, but I'm not sure how..." she added. "I wish there was something I could do for you. Unfortunately, I have no spare funds..."

"That's alright," the man said, taking her hand. "Just hearing you tell me that my heart is good has filled me with positive energy. Just for that, I promise you I will succeed."

The woman blushed, which made the man's smile widen. "I guess I have your word, then."

"You do. Why don't you tell me your name? When I do succeed, I'll tell the whole region it was thanks to you."

"Oh!" The woman's eyes widened and she smiled with visible embarrassment. "That's right. I never introduced myself. How rude of me," she said. "My name is Catherine. Catherine Tao. And you are?"

The man smiled coolly. "My name is Ghetsis Harmonia," he said. "And my business shall be called Team Plasma."