This gym leader, Byrcen, was also pretty easy. I used Excadrill and took out his first 2 pokemon easily in one hit with Earthquake, then his Cryogonal, which avoids earthquake, was taken out in a few hits with Rock Smash.
Cheren and Bianca show up after exiting the gym...
Cheren: warpio, I've been talking with Bianca, and I'm wondering... Since we left Nuvema Town, has something about me... changed?
You mean besides becoming increasingly more annoying each time I see you? No not really.
Thinking about what I want to do... Thinking about what I should do... It felt like there was nothing... Have I really become stronger? Or is it just my pokemon that have? I don't know anymore!
It's your pokemon that have become stronger, duh. Don't you know how pokemon works?
Then the other, much less emo rival tries changing the subject.
Bianca: Hey, hey. Cheer up, Cheren... Isn't it nice to see everyone?! warpio! Know what? This time, I'll go to the pokemon fan club.
I'm really searching... for what I want to do and what I can do!
OH NO! Not you too!
Then I guess Brycen comes outside to see what all the angsty whining is about.
Brycen: Who are you?
Bianca: Who? Us? I'm Bianca, and this is Cheren...
Brycen: I know you are there! Why don't you show yourselves?
Whoa, some more of those white haired shadow goons suddenly teleported around us!
???: Impressive, gym leader of Icirrus City. We, the Shadow Triad, are beings of the shadows... and not easily noticed.
???: Our mission was to speak only with warpio, but so be it. Ghetsis has a message for you: come to Dragonspiral Tower.
???: It is there that our lord N waits for you... Now, our mission is complete.
Brycen: Dragonspiral Tower?! What's going on? Hey! Tell me...
Sorry, gym leader dude, you missed your chance to be part of the main plot since I've already defeated you and got your badge. Tough luck.
Brycen: Now, hang on. Young man, if you're here for a gym challenge, hange on for a bit. I've got to head to Dragonspiral Tower!
uh... sure you can come along too I guess.
Cheren: I'm going, too. Dragonspiral Tower is to the north of here, right?
o...kay. sure.
Bianca: Whooooa! Whoa. Wh-what should I do? F-for now, I have to go to Dragonspiral Tower... OK! I'm heading north!
... Seems like everyone's interested in seeing what Team Plasma is up to at Dragonspiral Tower. I suppose that Cedric Juniper guy is gonna want to tag along as well...
Juniper: Oh, warpio! And Bianca there, too!
... Sure, why not just get the whole freaking cast of characters to come along while you're at it.
If all of these main characters coming together is any indication, the plot that's about to unfold in Dragonspire Tower must be pretty important.
Cedric explains the situation to Bianca, then tells us about the legend of the tower.
Dragonspiral Tower has stood tall since long before Unova was founded. On the top floor, the legendary Dragon-type pokemon waits for a person pursuing ideals to appear... That's what is said.
Bianca says that she's not strong enough to go after Team Plasma, and instead stays there to be Juniper's bodyguard...
Some new pokemon in this tower I feel should be commented on:
Druddigon... this has gotta be the ugliest pokemon design I've ever seen.
... what is this, a Digimon?
Golett... this one looks interesting. A ground/ghost type.
Pokedex: Golett - Automaton Pokemon. The energy that burns inside it enables it to move, but no one has yet been able to identify this energy
It's like... a robot with an unknown self-renewing energy source?
Golett's evolution is even stranger...
Golurk - Automaton Pokemon. It flies across the sky at Mach speeds. Removing the seal on its chest makes its internal energy go out of control.
A few floors up the tower, Brycen and Cheren are there fighting a bunch of Plasma grunts, telling me to go on ahead. Still some grunts up ahead that I have to fight through...
Another little maze room, with circular walkways and bridges between them...
Then there's Giallo, who I guess is one of the seven sages. A few more easy plasma battles, then I get to the top of the tower where N is.
N: What do you think, warpio?
How do you like the powerful form of the pokemon who appears before and fights beside the hero that will lead the way to a new world?
Now, Zekrom and I will head to the pokemon league and defeat the champion! This will be the last of the pokemon battles that hurt pokemon so. A world for pokemon alone... It's finally going to be a reality.
If you want to stop me, you must become a hero as well! That's right! When Zekrom's counterpart, Reshiram, recognizes you, we will finally be even, and then you can try to stop us!
Well, what will you do? My prediction... if the future that I see is true, you will meet Reshiram. The pokemon with you believe in you so strongly... Will you be the one who interferes with my formula for changing the world? If you want to protect the bonds between pokemon and people, you must search for Reshiram! I'm sure it is waiting for you in the form of the Light Stone.
...Okay, it's official, N is the most badass rival/villain in the entire Pokemon series... As a rival he's always one step ahead of the main character, beating the gyms first, figuring out the plot before you have any idea what's going on, and even capturing the legendary pokemon before you do! Not only that, but as a villain he's the complete antithesis of the Pokemon world... he wants to put an end to the collecting, training, and battling of enslaved creatures, which is what the whole freaking series is based on!
Instead of thinking of him as the "villain" however, all of Team Plasma see N as the true hero of the story. He doesn't act villainy at all, he even has the nobility to just flat-out tell me exactly what I need to do to stop him...
Outside the tower, Cedric, Byrcen, and Cheren all talk about what just happened, basically repeating the dialogue from the scene with N. Alder then shows up to give us some new information.
Alder: Those violent flashes of lightning that shot from the tower... That pokemon has the power to destroy the world! If it's on Team Plasma's side, and Team Plasma tells everyone to release their pokemon... No matter whether it comes from fear or admiration... The world can't help but change. It will become a world where we are separated from pokemon...
Cedric: Right... Moreover, the boss of Team Plasma, N, who reawakened Zekrom, apparently said to look for the other pokemon, Reshiram.
Alder: If I remember the myth, Zekrom's powerful electricity, along with that other pokemon, devastated ancient Unova in an instant. Even knowing that, N is still wanting to awaken the other?!
Bianca: H-huh?! Isn't it dangerous to bring back a pokemon that powerful?
Alder: Miss, you are a very kind person...
"...but please don't interrupt me when I'm revealing the plot!"
Alder: Still, I don't know if other pokemon will be able to stand up to it. Because, no matter what, it is a legendary being... I don't like the idea of taking orders from N, but searching for the dragon... the stone... might not be a bad plan. We certainly can't let Team Plasma reawaken both of them! Since I've traveled all over Unova, I have an idea of where it might be.
Let's head to the Relic Castle. warpio, everyone, I'm going!
It's a really confusing mess of a plot so far... here's my interpretation:
The two legendary pokemon, Zekrom and Reshirom, are in the form of the Dark and Light stones, and will only appear in front of a person who has the desire to change the world or the desire to keep the world from changing. These two forces of Dark and Light represent change and anti-change. With change there is chaos, without change there is order. So then: Zekrom and Reshirom control the elements of chaos and order. N intends to bring balance to the world by controlling the element of chaos.
However, chaos and order must always be in balance. Chaos can't just go unopposed and neither can order. If a hero appears who uses Zekrom to change the world, another "hero" will appear who uses Reshirom to try to stop him. These two sides must oppose each other, both believing that they are the righteous side. One side's hero is the other side's enemy. N knows that the two opposing sides must face each other no matter what, and he plans to win against order and bring change to the world.
We'll see how this interpretation holds up when more of the plot gets revealed at Relic Castle.