ENGLISH NAME	JAPANESE NAME	POKEMOPOLIS NAME	DODGINESS RATING	ANIMATION	STORY	TEAM ROCKET	MORAL LEARNT
771: Secrets From Out of the Fog!	777: Enu no Himitsu... Kiri no Kanata ni!	The ABCs of N			The twerps learn the story of N's origin	Hanging out by the swamp, just chilling, you know	People who have never set foot in the world don't know shit about anything

Last episode ended on an odd note, as N was hurt during a battle with Team Plasma and collected by two silent women and their Pokémon who used a fog to teleport from the city to the forest. Joined by the twerps (and kind of by Team Rocket), the women took N to a lake and settled his body into it, presumably to heal. Who are they? What is their relationship to N? What is N's relationship to Team Plasma and Ghetsis? The answers may come like...



Team Rocket have gotten away from the cliff and headed deeper into the forest looking for the twerps, convinced that they can find them. The fog clears at last and they find they're standing directly in front of a dank swamp, and their initial cheer over being out of the fog quickly fades. As they stare at the swamp, elsewhere in the forest Team Plasma grunts spread out in search of N, having apparently been able to track him there despite the last that Team Plasma saw of him was in the city.

At the small pool, Gardevoir keeps the twerps from approaching too close, and they stand and watch as the waters somehow heal N's wounds. Eyes opening, he spots the two sad looking women and names them - Concordia and Anthea. Ash tries to push ahead to see how N is doing and the two women finally take note of them, angrily declaring they have no right to be there or to see this, and they must leave. Taken aback by this rudeness, the twerps ask why and for answer Gothitelle prepares to pitch them out by force with Psychic. N stops them though, telling them he'd prefer that they stay - they're good people with strong bonds with their Pokémon, which the two women would know if they'd actually bothered to ask. Ash and Iris actually looked surprised by this compliment, but Pikachu and Axew back it up by showing the love.



The girls reluctantly accept and Cilan guesses that they have the same ability as N to hear the inner voices of Pokémon. N agrees, they're amongst the few he knows that can, and he welcomes them all to their "hidden home - a picturesque home almost invisible amongst the trees, filled with Pokémon that carefully poke their heads out to get a look at the newcomers. N considers it his hideaway, it's a long abandoned home he found on his travels, and now Anthea and Concordia use it along with many Pokémon they have met, befriended or otherwise helped along the way.

As they move down the neglected corridors, Ash uses his Pokédex to get a reading on Gardevoir, and she is NOT pleased by the attention. Ash sweats in embarrassment, while a delighted Pidove flies in to welcome N back, snuggling up against his cheek. N is pleased to see it can fly now, and Iris tries to reach out to say hello too, only to get an angry scolding from Pidove that doesn't want any part of her presumptuous reach. Iris is horrified and flinches back, while Axew barks angrily back at Pidove which flies away in a huff. N apologises, the Pidove was caught in a trap and injured and doesn't trust people anymore.

More Pokémon shyly poke their heads out the door and around the walls, frightened by the presence of strangers. All of them are Pokémon that have suffered at the hands of humans and lost their trust for them - with the exception of N, Anthea and Concordia who treat and tend them here in the Hidden Home.

Ash and Iris pry into N's private life, asking what set him off on this life mission? Was it something to do with Team Plasma? Is that why he's always putting himself at risk to help Pokémon like it was his life's mission etc? Cilan pointedly notes that N doesn't have to answer any of these questions, confusing Ash and Iris who have no concept of personal space. Cilan reminds them that it can be rather upsetting for somebody to have to dredge up personal issues and that if N doesn't want to talk about, he is under no obligation to do so.

Perhaps because Cilan has made a point that N can keep schtum, N mumbles that he doesn't mind, he'll tell them. He sits them down on a couch in the living room, and gives them a flashback to when he was a very little N (n!) and lived in a big mansion. He was never alone though, lil' Anthea and lil' Concordia were there too and so were many Pokémon. But he was never allowed outside, and Cilan figures that his parents must have been worried about his safety.

It was nothing that nice though, n's dad appears to have been Ghetsis, or at least his guardian. Ghetsis sold all three of them on the notion that Team Plasma cared for Pokémon, who were oppressed by humanity, and that n would grow up to be N, the greatest leader of Team Plasma. But it was all lies, and the three of them believed it until one day two years earlier when N was summoned to attend a rooftop ceremony - the mansion revealed to be more of a castle than anything else. In a scene familiar to people who have at least watched the opening video of the Black/White games, Ghetsis' ceremony was interrupted by the sudden fiery arrival of Reshiram!



I hate when that happens!

Reshiram destroyed the castle/mansion, while Ghetsis demanded to know why they were considered unworthy, what more did it want? All that N could sense from Reshiram was that they were touching a power they had no right to. The castle was destroyed but N was spared, hauled out by Anthea and Concordia who had also sensed Reshiram's fury and realized that Ghetsis had been lying to them.

Leaving the only home they'd ever known, they set out into the open world and found the Hidden Home. They knew that it would be safer to stay there, but they wanted to see the world so long denied to them, find out what Ghetsis was up to AND protect their "friends" - the Pokémon of the world.

But it's not just that, Anthea and Concordia admit that they discovered that some elements of Ghetsis' story were true after all. Some people did oppress and abuse Pokémon, and they came to the conclusion that what would be best for ALL Pokémon is if they were separated from human beings entirely.

Cilan is understandably pissed off at this simplistic solution, leaping to his feet and saying it isn't fair to accuse all people of oppressing Pokémon. Ash and Iris agree, and Pikachu and Axew speak up in defence of human beings too. Anthea and Concordia - with all the self-assurance of two people who have spent roughly 0.5% of their lives interacting with the outside world - shut them down, they don't get a say, they're human beings and therefore their opinions are irrelevant (conveniently ignoring Pikachu and Axew). This Hidden Home is a Pokémon Sanctuary and they are not welcome, so tomorrow they have to leave. The twerps are aghast, and N looks troubled - his exposure to the outside world has opened his eyes somewhat to the shades of grey fundamentalists normally ignore.

Meanwhile, a furious Ghetsis is getting the report from Aldith that she failed to find N despite his orders. She's understandably embarrassed, considering when she ran away from the city N was actually KOed and easy pickings. Colress, in the background, somehow still seems smug about the whole thing, it appears to be his natural state of being. He asks why Ghetsis is so concerned with N's whereabouts, while his skills are "interesting" he can't pose a threat to them. Ghetsis snarls that his concerns are none of Colress' business, his job is to conduct his research and present his results. Colress handles the aggression smoothly, telling him he's near the conclusion of his latest research and Ghetsis will be pleased. Ghetsis IS pleased to hear it, and as Colress smugly bathes in the approval, Aldith fumes.

The next day at the Hidden Home, the twerps are sitting out by the pool considering Anthea and Concordia's words. Ash comes to the conclusion that his way of life is actually totally awesome and cool and not a bad thing at all, and leaps to his feet to dramatically declare that he wants to be the very best friend to his Pokémon he can be. The others seem startled by his sudden declaration but then start laughing at the absurdity of his pose, including Pikachu and Axew. Cilan agrees though, saying that the closeness promotes understanding, and Iris agrees too... but takes it too far, they need to convince Anthea and Concordia of their way of life too. It's not enough to be self-satisfied with their own way of life, they have to force it on other people too!

Oshawott suddenly leaps out of his Pokéball, and along with Axew and Pikachu the three happy Pokémon proceed to coax the Hidden Home Pokémon out from hiding in the bushes. Carefully, happily they bring the timid Pokémon over to the twerps to say hello, a Deerling shaking hooves with Ash, and the Pidove that took a swipe at Iris actually landing on her wrist and saying hello. Cilan watches smugly from by a tree, watched suspiciously from a window in the Hidden Home by Anthea and Concordia. Behind THEM, N is watching their surprised reactions with pleasure himself.

Meanwhile, Team Plasma have reached a cave entrance, and the lead grunt picks up a signal through his goggles that gets his attention. Machines are set up and powered on, and a tear in space/time is opened up within the stone - the portal to the Hidden Home has been forced open!

The twerps are playing with the Pokémon when suddenly more come rushing in, panicking. N, Anthea and Concordia pick up their message easily enough - Hidden Home is being invaded! The girls immediately blame the twerps, saying it is awfully convenient that they're invaded a day after the twerps showed up. Outraged, the twerps remind them that they've been here all day playing with the Pokémon and couldn't have gotten a message to anyone even if they tried. N reminds them all they have more pressing issues to worry about than assigning blame, and his words are proven true when they are suddenly attacked.

Plasma Grunts rush in behind a giant Muk, and demand that N hand himself over peacefully. Gardevoir and Gothitelle are shielding everybody, but when some of the attacks their shields are blocking get around and frighten the Hidden Home Pokémon, N realises that his presence is only putting them at risk. He asks (not orders) Gardevoir and Gothitelle to stop and steps forward, telling the others to go. The Plasma Grunt isn't having anybody leave though, bringing out Liepard to attack. Cilan won't allow that, bringing out Pansage who scares Liepard back with his attack, and when Muk tries to bring its imposing bulk to bear Iris brings out Excadrill who slashes it with Metal Claw... and Muk runs away to sulk unhappily by the surprised Plasma Grunts!

Ash steps forward and tells N to run, saying they'll hold off Plasma for them. N hesitates but agrees, thanking them before heading away. Magnezone tries to move to counter but Pignite and Oshawott are able to keep it back with their attacks, giving N time to escape. Anthea and Concordia - social neophytes that they are - are confused, why are the twerps helping them? N explains that the twerps love Pokémon just as much as they do, and they'll fight to protect them because of it. The girls are surprised, they had no idea there were people like that out there. Of course, they all stand completely still while having this conversation, instead of running as far as they can to make sure the twerps' stand isn't wasted!

The Plasma Grunt warns the twerps that nobody stands in Team Plasma's way, and Ash demands to explain why they want N and what Team Plasma is up to. The grunt laughs that he doesn't have to explain himself to some little punk and orders Magnezone to attack. Pansage tries to blast it but Bullet Seed is countered, the attack turning back and smashing into Pignite instead, knocking the poor fat piggy out. His bulky body crashes to the ground, the attack continuing to blast his unconscious form, and Ash has to quickly recall him as Oshawott panics and the Plasma Grunt laughs. This brings Pikachu up to the plate though, and the two Pokémon clash Thunderbolts before Pansage knocks out the terrified Liepard with Bullet Seed (Liepard really isn't into this whole fighting thing) and Excadrill puts down Muk. Pikachu's Thunderbolt overwhelms Magnezone and knocks it down, and then the mysterious fog rolls back in around them, to everybody's surprise. N calls out to Ash and they rush towards the sound, finding N, Anthea and Concordia waiting with Gothitelle and Gardevoir. The Hidden Home Pokémon have been moved to a new location thanks to the twerps' efforts, but while Anthea and Concordia thank them for their efforts, they still think Pokémon won't be safe while they're in contact with humans.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket are STILL by the swamp, having given up on making any effort to find their way out of the forest. To their surprise the fog creeps over them again, making it hard for them to see again... but they can see the Team Plasma grunts looking hopelessly about on the other side of the swamp!

Inside the fog, the twerps again push to the other trio that people and Pokémon can live together in harmony. N agrees that he believes that THEY believe it, if only it were so... and then they fade into the whiteness of the fog. It dissipates, and the twerps find themselves standing in a clear open field - there is no sign of the forest, or N, or any of the Pokémon.

"Maybe it was all a dream?" asks Cilan, one of the stupidest things I have ever heard anybody say on this show... and this is a show with Ash as the main character! They look about to see where they currently are, and to their surprise see what can only be one thing in the far distance....



N's boyhood home! <--- Actually I was later informed it wasn't the one thing I thought it could only be! Whoops!

BEST QUOTES

"Can't see da cute nose on my face!"

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