[Tarrlok's reaction leaves a chill within Colress, so much so that he can't bear to see the disappointment in his eyes. It's cowardly, but...he finds himself looking away anyway. The hands, seemingly pleased by this, writhe as though they're mocking him.

He wanted to be honest to his friend—to the man he's come to care a great deal about—and he's seeing the consequences of his previous actions biting him back in real time.

But he pushes forward with his explanation...even though he knows that nothing he says will probably bring back what they had mere moments before this nightmare.]

Not for Ghetsis, no. Despite the technology that I developed for him, despite forcing Kyurem to release its maximum potential, he was still defeated a second time- for good. But I got my answer.

The young Trainer who defeated him believed in her Pokemon. She stood firmly in her belief that the true power of Pokemon is drawn out by love and trust, not forcing it out like Ghetsis instructed me to do with Kyurem. I followed her on her journey, challenging her and aiding her in her confrontation with Neo Team Plasma—the team I led—to ultimately see which stance was my answer. I wanted hers to triumph, but the truth of the matter is that I cared more for results. I was prepared for Ghetsis to end up destroying Unova, and I would have been satisfied as long as I obtained results.

[Well. There it is. It's off his chest. He knows he would've had to say something about this some day, but having it dragged out like this, and watching Tarrlok lose his respect for him...he wishes that the hands would just take him.

He shakes his head.]

I was a fool.