Little over a year ago Black & White stormed onto our shelves. It included new features, improvements, changes, plus even more Pokémon. One of the more prominent advancements was the evolution of the storyline, adding a layer of emotional depth, something I feel Pokémon has never truly managed to capture in the past. For once the game questioned my morality as a character. Am I really doing the right thing? Should I be using Pokémon to battle? Is this just cruelty?
[spoiler]You start the game as you always would, a new trainer who wants to become a Pokémon master. You travel across the Unova region, battling 8 gyms and gaining 8 badges. You then gain entry to the Pokémon League, where you beat the Elite 4 and ultimately become the best there ever was. But life is never that simple, there are always a bunch of bad guys in funny outfits who get in your way, and who want to take over the world in some form or another. However, in B/W there is a twist! The antagonist group “Team Plasma”, and their leader “N” actually want to save the world from the likes of you and every other Pokémon trainer around. What makes it more shocking is that their ideals make complete and utter sense. Their reasoning actually made me think I was in some way a villain, and not them. With the linearity of the games I had no choice but to pursue this path. I felt I was mean and with each defeat of N I kept feeling guiltier, to put it in a polite way. But guess what? I loved it.
N’s dream is to set Pokémon free from humans, as a separate existence so they don’t have to be enslaved anymore. His motives came about when he was young. He grew up around Pokémon, and he was raised by a man named Ghetsis. He was led to believe humans were harming Pokémon, and that capturing and training Pokémon was morally wrong. Once he was old enough, Ghetsis made N the leader of Team Plasma, giving N the power to put his extremist views into fruition. Unfortunately Ghetsis was not all as he seemed; it turned out that he was manipulating N to do his dirty work in a bid for world domination. Although N’s beliefs were well-meant and innocent; he lacked knowledge. Furthermore he was blinded by the deception of Ghetsis. After learning of the betrayal, along Ghetsis’s defeat and arrest, N flew off into the sunset on the Reshiram/Zekrom he managed to obtain near the end of the game. That was the last we saw of him until now…
With the release of B2/W2 in Japan, and the not so distant western release; we can finally see if they can give us the same type of experience as before. For the first time since the release of Gold & Silver we will finally get a continued story. Many of us thought we had seen the last of N & Team Plasma, and that the “inevitable” third version would only contain the original plot with a few extra scenes thrown in for good measure. The great thing about these sequels is that we’ll get a whole new story. With this the wild speculation of what happened to N, Team Plasma, and the rest of the characters will begin.
Now some of you may already know what happens through importing, emulation or from various online sites. However, it’ll still be fun to come up with ideas for what would make a great story. Here is my take on what could happen in BW2. Keep in mind this part is entirely fictional.
Ghetsis has escaped from custody, reforming Team Plasma in the meantime and he plots a new way of taking over Unova by using the powers of Kyurem. N, meanwhile, learns of the reformation, and comes out of hiding in order to stop him. This all happens when your new protagonist starts his/hers adventure. However, continuing with the main plot for now; we see Team Plasma kidnapping Professor Juniper & Bianca, so they can use their knowledge to help locate and then capture Kyurem. Numerous Team Plasma public demonstrations alongside will spur you on making you want to stop them. Halfway through your quest you meet N. You decide to work with him to help thwart Ghetsis’s plots, as well as to help rescue Professor Juniper & Bianca. Unfortunately Ghetsis manages to seize control of Kyurem. He ends up freezing half of Unova, in addition to imprisoning all of Unova’s most powerful trainers (Gym Leaders, Elite 4 & Champion). With Unova under his control he turns the Pokémon League into his own fortress. Hiding at the top, he plans his next conquest.
You & N are now the only two who can stop him. N, who still has a Reshiram/Zekrom, tells you to find the other trainer who has the Ying to his Yang. That’s right, you have to track down B/W’s protagonist, and get him/her to help you. Once he his found you all travel to the fortress where N and the other protagonist hold off Kyurem whilst you enter to find Ghetsis. Before you get to him however, 4 Plasma generals stand in your way… Enter the Plasma Elite 4! In typical league style, you must dispatch each one at a time without healing. Once done you finally get to fight Ghetsis (again without healing). If you manage to defeat him, Kyurem will appear to challenge you. Kyurem has now sensed the weakness of Ghetsis, realizing he was not the chosen one after all despite him being able to locate the legendary’s resting place. You proceed to have a showdown with Kyurem, which is where you finally have a chance you capture him. However, for now this is where I hand it over to you. Though this plot may seem slightly bog standard (except the Plasma Elite 4), I wanted you readers to be the ones to envision the best ideas. What alternate story/ending can you come up with? Will there be major twists for N, the protagonist, or any of the other cast? Last of all, what makes a great story line, and how can you make it feel like it belongs in the Pokémon universe? Let the controversy begin, and leave your thoughts in the comments box below![/spoiler]
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<Sammydodger>