In Opelucid City, Drayden looks over Doctor Logan as he inspects a frozen man. Logan confirms that everyone frozen by Kyurem is stuck in a state of cryogenic sleep, similar to incidents in Kanto and Johto he'd come across, and promises to make some calls to consult others who can advise him. Clay mobilizes his subordinates to break people out of their frozen homes, assisted by the Striaton Gym brothers as Chili orders his Simisear to burn away some ice. As Drayden helps to escort some elderly folk, he ends up slipping on the ice despite his warning to them, and Clay teases Drayden that having to be rescued must frustrate him. Worried, Kimi asks Drayden to head for the battle against Kyurem, but Drayden claims that as the city's mayor, it's his duty to assist citizens in need, and his role in the fight has passed: he passed on his knowledge to Alder and Gorm who have made their moves, and the Pokédex holders of Unova have also made their way to the battlefield.
From atop Reshiram, the Pokédex holders spot the Plasma Frigate on the Giant Chasm forest floor, but Black Kyurem and Team Plasma are nowhere to be found. The heroes decide to alight, and quickly come across Gorm, who Black and Blake respectively try to apprehend but end up getting in each other's way. Before an argument can break out, White confirms that Gorm is an ally, and Black decides to place his trust in White. The show of trust prompts a nearby Iris to gush at Black's dedication, although she takes offense at Black failing to recognize her due to her new costume. Blake presses Gorm for an explanation, and Gorm shares that his task in Team Plasma was to do research on Dragon Pokémon, which allowed him to provide Drayden with the intel needed to create a counterplan against Team Plasma's plot for Kyurem. Iris adds that Alder, N, Gorm, Benga and her all gathered at the White Treehollow to train for the upcoming clash; thus she took the opportunity to defeat both Alder and N in battle, cementing her position as the new Champion of Unova after she spent two years gathering the necessary Badges again. Flabbergasted, Black performs his usual cheer, promising to defeat Iris and become the new Champion, prompting Iris to shed a tear of relief that Black is well and truly back.
As Whitley ponders over why N would train with Alder, the person he previously claimed to be an enemy, the reunion is interrupted by Colress and Black Kyurem as the scientist addresses the group. Concurring with Gorm's research, Colress adds that being in the Giant Chasm greatly amplifies Kyurem's power, and he orders a Freeze Shock that freezes and paralyzes the group, preventing Black from commanding Reshiram effectively. A thick layer of ice starts to build over the chasm, but suddenly stops shy of completely freezing over despite Colress's command. From a distance, Kelden notices the ice, and is chided by its seniors for its hesitation. Seeing Kelden worried about their safety, Cobalion reminds Kelden that the meaning of determination is to face its true battle as an independent Pokémon, even if it might mean abandoning or turning on its mentors. Anguished, Kelden lets out a cry as it leaves its seniors' side.
Behind Colress, Rood on his Swoobat declares that the effects of the Colress Machine have been nullified by the white Team Plasma's Colress Machine Nullification Device, and Kyurem will no longer take Colress's command. Infuriated, Colress calls for another Freeze Shock, only for Kyurem to disengage from the Dark Stone and revert to its original form. To Rood's surprise, Kyurem forcibly absorbs Reshiram and changes into its White Kyurem forme, and Colress gloats that Kyurem had simply absorbed the legendary Dragon it deemed to be the stronger threat, meaning his influence over it hasn't waned. Colress orders an Ice Burn, but at the last second White Kyurem turns around and releases the attack at Colress instead, forcing Colress to barely dodge. Rood and Blake affirm that Colress' device has failed, and after some thought, Colress agrees with them, tossing his remote aside and cheerfully renouncing his ties with Team Plasma, proceeding to flee.
Blake immediately jumps on his Genesect to chase after Colress, ordering the others to subdue Kyurem, who has begun chasing after the Plasma Frigate to destroy it. As Black's pleas fail to reach Reshiram inside White Kyurem, the others send out their Pokémon to fight Kyurem as Blake chases after Colress. Annoyed, Colress asks Blake why he's pursuing him when he's not a part of Team Plasma anymore; Blake counters that he's no longer a member of the International Police and isn't bound by their orders, so he's arresting Colress for posing a threat. Impressed, Colress acknowledges Blake as an equal who is not beholden to a larger organization, but adds that a friendship between them is impossible since he swore to destroy Blake when they first met. Shedding his cloak, Colress reveals himself to be standing atop a red Genesect, surprising Blake that there was another, and Colress boasts that the power of Blake's Genesect doesn't come close to matching his. Watching the events unfold, Kelden realizes the truth: while it detected a sinister energy from the entity that froze its mentors, it didn't feel the same force from Blake's Genesect because it wasn't the one responsible for attacking its mentors. Realizing who its true opponent is, Kelden reasons that it isn't fighting to avenge its mentors, but to stop Colress and the red Genesect before they pose a threat to its friends and the region. The epiphany of determination prompts Kelden's change into its Resolute Forme.
