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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Thanks everyone for the reviews so far! I really appreciate your support! Truly, it warms my heart! :D

I'll answer them very soon, but for now, I hope you'll enjoy this new chapter! ^^


***


[Note: this chapter uses Japanese names of Pokémon, people and locations. I’m making sure to help determine who is who and what is what throughout the narration, however.]


***​


Darkness, coldness, solitude: three elements that used to be so normal and comforting, and yet now they felt so alien and frightening. And as an abyss-dweller, those feelings were very unusual for a Lugia.

Dark red wine dorsal fins raised and lowered, working hard to detect even the faintest glimpse of any living soul. Faint flickers pulsated into her mind-space, signaling nearby underwater creatures. However, as soon as she got close, the pulses disappeared. Very few Pokémon dared to stay around a powerful legend, and the notion saddened Odessa immensely.

It was ironic, really: she used to love staying alone with her thoughts, craving every brief nap she could get between a redirection of a marine current and another. But that changed when darkness invaded her heart and ominous chains locked her willpower and perception of reality, forcing her to do the most nefarious actions for those heartless humans while her soul screamed to the void.

Since then, the mere idea of staying alone for too long terrified her. Even if her physical and psychic powers were immense, even she wasn’t safe from her own nightmares. And in that moment, Odessa would have given everything to have some friendly presence by her side.

‹If only I could bring some company… But Zygarde were very specific — no one else but us must attend this meeting.›

She hummed a soft tune, hoping to cheer herself up. It did nothing to fill the emptiness on the physical plane, but with the echoes of her voice she could pretend that other members of her species were ahead of her, leading the way.

‹…Almost there. Navel Rock is not too far.›

A few minutes later and with only her song as her company, Odessa reached an immense column made of silver and golden ore. She descended deeper into the abyss, way beyond any other Pokémon could dive into, and entered through a passage hidden among black rocks. Then, with a blast of aerokinesis and hydrokinesis, she surrounded herself in a twister and shot upwards, speeding through the rocky tunnel.

The first gleams of the surface shone on her face, motivating her to travel even faster. And then, she burst out of the water and spread out her wings, the twister breaking apart and her body radiating an intense silver glow. The saltwater flowed down her waterproof scaly feathers, but she sped up the process by shaking her entire body.

Wings tucked by her sides and dorsal fins raised, she scoured the small rocky chamber with her sharp eyesight and psychic reach. She glanced at a few of her older feathers scattered on the floor, their faint metallic pink shade as resplendent as always, before looking at the ceiling. Her fins quivered and flickers flashed in her mind.

A ripple, then other nine. Brain waves, radiating from one commander and nine followers, and quickly approaching.

‹Ah! Zygarde are here!›

Sure enough, the shadow of a canid bolted through the rocky arc at the end of the chamber. The amalgamation of flatworms strode toward the pond, its red jewel glowing with power and small portions of the ground emerging with each step.

The Lugia made the first move, all too pleased to have some company. «Greetings, Zygarde! It’s really nice to see you!” she chirped, swimming toward the shore.

«Same here, Odessa. It’s lovely to see you again, and without shadows infesting your aura,» responded Zygarde with a cheerful tone, wagging their tail. «Your recovery has been a total success.»

Odessa suppressed a shiver. She couldn’t quite say that her recovery was a total success, but she was grateful that her heart was devoid of shadows. Or at least, she hoped so.

«Yes. Michael is a truly delightful child. It’s all thanks to him and his friends if I could free my heart from those dark binds,» she said with gratitude, before shaking her body and ruffling her feathers. «What a never-ending nightmare, to have my mind ravaged by those twisted energies…»

Zygarde lowered their head, tail tucked between their legs. «We cannot even fathom that, and we apologize for not being able to help during that crisis. If only we had some drones close to that island, perhaps we would—»

«It’s all right, Zygarde. I don’t blame anyone for what happened, aside from those… horrible Cipher humans!» she grumbled. «How could they do such atrocities to all those poor, defenseless creatures? It’s a good thing that Michael rescued all of them and there are no more shadowed victims, otherwise—»

Odessa stopped when she noticed Zygarde whimpering and fidgeting in their spot. She detected unpleasant waves plaguing the central brain of the amalgamation — nervousness, anxiety, and also a touch of fear.

«Zygarde? What’s the matter?» she asked, craning her neck toward the other legendary.

«…It’s a long story. We’ve already given a rundown to Calyrex, but we can’t explain the situation in full until we confer with the others. There is still much we don’t know yet,» they replied, which did nothing to soothe the Lugia’s concerns. The amalgamation stared at the draconic bird, their eyes narrowed. «Are you the only one in Navel Rock?»

Odessa closed her eyes and her dorsal fins quivered, her mind outstretching far beyond the boundaries of the island. After a few seconds, she reopened her eyes and frowned.

«…Yes. Spectrum is having some troubles with his journey — avoiding humans’ satellites has become a much harder task,» she explained. «He should try learning how to teleport at this rate…»

«Well, we must make do with the gifts and powers given to us,» said Zygarde, walking forward and stopping at only one step from the water. «However, if he’s not here, we have to ask you to relay the message in our stead when he arrives. We can’t stay here much longer — there is plenty we need to arrange.»

This time, Odessa shivered. She didn’t like the idea of being left alone once more, but she could resist a few minutes until her friend arrived, at least.

«Yes, I can do that…» She tilted her head. «But why the hurry? Can you tell me what’s going on?»

Zygarde’s stare hardened. «Very well. Here’s how things stand…»


***


Disc 0:

The Monster… Coach and the Rainbow!

“Shining Leaves and Phantoms of the Past”



***​


A journey on a train can be long and tiring, even on cross-country trains traveling at 340 miles per hour. That is more so for lone wolves with poor social skills, who would much prefer to spend time by themselves than to listen to gossips and random chatters of unknown passengers. Luckily there are countless ways to kill time while riding a vehicle, like reading a book, playing video games or listening to some entertaining shows and music with a Radio Card. While wearing an earplug and with the Pokégear in his hand, Silver surfed through various frequencies.

「 —bzzzt—re here live, with the returning Challenge Cup Champion: Ronald! Congratulations on your victory! 」

「 Well, I didn’t inherit these Legendary Pokémon Cards for nothing! They’re what make my deck, “Invincible Ronald”, so pow— 」

Skip.

‘…Why do people collect cards and fight with holographic creatures when they could just catch and train real Pokémon?’ thought Silver, unimpressed. ‘That makes no sense.’

「 —bzzzt—Pocket Monsters: Gōrudo and Pocket Monsters: Gin! Available now in the best sto— 」

Silver rolled his eyes. Just an ad about games featuring fake creatures. Useless. Skip.

「 Tsugino teiryujyo wa Kogane-eku desu. Next stop, Goldenrod Station. 」

Silver blinked; that didn’t come from the Pokégear. He glanced outside the window and spotted the tall silhouette of the Kogane Radio Tower. Evening had come, and the dull gray metal and glass reflected bright orange gleams.

That was his stop. He stored the earplug into the belt bag and pocketed the Pokégear, then he trudged toward the door while keeping his balance with the handrails. Soon, the train halted, with some Coil arresting its run with a strong blue magnetic force generated by their magnets.

「 Kogane-eku! Goldenrod Station! Kogane-eku! Goldenrod Station! 」

Once outside the station, Silver glanced at the tower that cast an imposing shadow over the other buildings. He frowned when he recalled the day Team Rocket invaded the tower, and when Hibiki destroyed him in battle despite the latter’s Pokémon being weary after facing multiple grunts. Not even with that advantage he could prevail over his rival.

But worse of all, he didn’t help at all during that crisis and only got in Hibiki’s way. The one-track mindset he used to have, fixated with the sole purpose of crushing both Wataru and his rival and uncaring about everything else…

Silver sighed in regret. What would have happened if he helped during that crisis? Could he have made a difference?

…Well, there was no way of knowing for sure, wasn’t there?

Without uttering a word, he slipped his hands into his pockets and walked away from the tower. Mulling over what-ifs was pointless, so he focused on a more pressing matter: renting a room somewhere. He seriously needed some good quality sleep after the emotional whirlwind of that day, to be well-rested for his incoming journey.


***​


“…Shining Leaves Festival, huh?”

Silver glanced curiously at the banners hanged on some poles by the outskirts of Enju City. Orange and brown leaves crackled under his feet, which turned to dust by Ordile’s heavy stomps. The blue alligator stared gleefully at the colorful posters, his mind enraptured by the paintings of golden leaves and rainbow and silver feathers.

As they got closer to Enju, a plethora of festive energies flooded their senses: the overlapping folk music and chants of monks, followed by the warm scents of roasted chestnuts, fried savory food and pastries. To cap off the festival picture, red paper lanterns with black bird motifs and rainbow stripes decorated the streets, livening the stalls brimming with all kinds of snacks and knickknacks. Most of the participants wore orange and white yukatas and kimonos with leaf patterns, headbands with rainbow and silver feathers, or both.

Silver narrowed his eyes in thought. He had some vague knowledge of that festival, but never took part to it. Or to any other celebration, really. He considered them just a waste of time and money, which drained precious hours and resources that could be better spent with training.

Well, no matter. As Silver wanted to give a day off to his team and he had plenty of spare time, he wondered if he should dive into the celebration… even if the mere thought of that made him huff and roll his eyes.

‘C’mon, it’s supposed to be… fun. Yeah. Just some harmless fun…’

The redhead sighed and looked at his Pokémon. “Oh well, let’s get through this, Ordile.”

Ordile nodded and hissed affirmatively. Unlike his Trainer, he was looking forward to get into the festival and relish in that spectacle of sweet scents and gorgeous colors. The alligator grinned: perhaps he could show the beauty of festivals to Silver and convince him to take part to future celebrations? His Trainer seemed more open to new ideas, so that didn’t sound like a farfetched plan.

Silver and Ordile strolled through the various lantern-filled streets of Enju, with the former glancing scathingly at the various stalls and the latter marveling at the multitude of decorations and sniffing the delightful blends of fried food: the crispy scent of Crab Skewers and a foreign specialty called Crabrawler Pinchers; then the spicy aroma of Slowpoke Tails imported from Galar (when Silver inquired about that, the vendor clarified that the Yadon shed those tails naturally); and the delightful scent of pancakes filled with berry jam, sweet beans or honey.

The duo was so focused on the festival that they barely registered a feminine yell that cut through the chaos.

“Yoo-hoo! Silver!”

Silver blinked in surprise. That voice…

He turned around and his gaze darted from a person to another, looking for the source of that call. And then, he zeroed on a girl with brown twin ponytails standing by the local pond, waving at him and Ordile. She was wearing a white velvet hat, a short azure kimono with patterns of golden leaves and a rainbow belt around her torso. Even her Maril was wearing something for the occasion: a crown made of shining leaves and a rainbow ribbon tied at the tip of her tail, just below the blue sphere.

Silver’s eyes widened slightly. “Kotone?”

Kotone strode toward the redhead, beaming a bright smile. “Hey! Long time no seen! How’re you doing?”

“…Fine, I’d say,” he responded flatly.

“Ah, well, that’s great to hear! I’ve been doing good, too!” she chirped, holding her hands behind her back and showing a friendly smile. Then she gazed at Ordile. “Hello, Ordile! You’re looking fab as well!”

The alligator growled happily and waved his paw, earning a paw-wave back from Maril.

Kotone looked again at Silver, who just regarded her with a serious stare. “I didn’t expect to see you here, of all places. It’s such a pleasant surprise!”

“To be fair, I didn’t expect to be here, either.” He slipped his hands in his pockets. “Never been a festival type.”

“Oh? Well, there’s always a first time for everything, don’t you agree?”

Silver shrugged dismissively. “I guess so.”

“Anyway, any comment about my outfit?” she asked, before turning around to show off her clothing. “I’ve bought this specifically for the festival — it’s so comfy and easy to wear!”

Silver gazed hard at the kimono. He had never been into girl’s fashion and wasn’t keen to answering such futile questions. However, he was trying to be a more approachable individual, so…

“…A azure kimono, huh,” he stated simply. “Unusual.”

Kotone stared back at him, somewhat unimpressed by his answer, but beamed a bright smile despite that. “Well, yes, it’s my unusual azure kimono! Do you like it?”

Silver looked again at the brunette, then at the clothing. “It’s… cute, I guess…”

“Thanks!” she exclaimed, smirking with pride. “I’m glad you like it, too!”

The redhead raised an eyebrow, bewildered by her reaction. ‘Wow. She’s behaving as if she has just received a compliment from Wataru himself…’

“So,” Kotone grinned, “are you enjoying the festival?”

“I… well, maybe? Admittedly, I’m feeling kinda out of my element.”

“Oh. I suppose Mr. Battle-hungry Silver doesn’t meddle too much with fun and pointless stuff, huh?” she replied with a playful smirk.

Silver narrowed his eyes and looked away. “Hmph! Something like that…”

“Well, then lemme help you get into a festival mood! Shining Leaves Festival is my all-time favorite celebration! I could be your guide and show you the best of the best!” chirped Kotone, holding her fists close to her face and bouncing happily. “Whatcha think?”

Silver gazed at the girl, uncertain of what to answer. Sure, he considered spending some time with other Trainers, but did he want to have the most chipper and unabashedly optimistic of his rivals as his companion? That girl was like a walking smile, and he still didn’t know how to feel about those overly cheerful people.

But before he could answer, something tapped his back, and he turned to Ordile. The alligator grinned and nodded excitedly, hoping to send some encouragement with a few friendly growls. The redhead stared at his Pokémon in disbelief: even his own Pokémon wanted that?

Silver looked at Kotone, a bright grin. Then at Maril, a bright grin. And once again at Ordile, a bright grin. Finding himself outnumbered, he relented. “…Fine, I accept.”

“Yay! This is gonna be so much fun!” exclaimed Kotone in delight, before motioning to follow. “C’mon! There’s plenty to see! Let’s go!”

Without waiting for a reply, the girl sauntered among the crowd with Maril in tow, and Ordile was quick to tag along, all of them eager to have a pleasant time.

Silver stared blankly at the other three, before sighing and walking after them. That was going to be a long afternoon.


***​


No seasonal festival was complete without a traditional parade, and Kotone lead the group toward the Main Street so witness the merry event.

Groups of men with different flags carried shrines with miniatures of the local towers and legendary birds, while performers wearing costumes with rainbow and silver feathers accompanied the committee and directed some fire Rokon and Naty. The six-tailed foxes controlled their Will-O-Wisps and Mystical Fires with grace and elegance, the spectral and magical flames tinged in a multitude of colors — red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, a rainbow of flames. Meanwhile, the tiny green birds sent flurries of Air Cutters and Feather Dances into the air, which merged into a makeshift twister of crescents and glowing plumage.

Kotone and the two Pokémon cheered when the parade walked past them, but Silver did nothing more than observe the situation in silence. He had never been someone who liked to stay in chaotic places brimming with people, and the athletic skills of the performers didn’t captivate him. Sure, those performers and Pokémon practiced very hard, no doubt, but the flashiness of attacks had never been one of his interests.

Luckily for him, Kotone seemed to have noticed his lack of enthusiasm and led everyone toward a quieter side of the city: the temple area. Still not something that piqued his interest, but it felt good to be in an area devoid of racket.

“Say, Silver… What day is today?”

Silver glanced at Kotone, wondering why she asked such a silly question. “It’s Fall Leaves Day, obviously.” He motioned toward the paper lanterns and banners. “Heck, this entire festival is all about that!”

The brunette nodded. “True, but this year’s Shining Leaves Festival isn’t a festival like any other.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Today’s the 700th anniversary of the construction of the Brass Tower and the Bell Tower!” exclaimed Kotone, clasping her hands together. “In fact, in the Bell Chime Temple it’ll be possible to see many important paintings and artifacts belonging to that era. It’s a unique event!”

Silver stared at Kotone for a good minute, before cocking an eyebrow. “That’s the part where I’m supposed to get excited?”

“If you love myths and legends, then yeah!”

Myths and legends… Silver had read countless texts and books about all kinds of legendary Pokémon, with his interest being heavily oriented toward their sheer power. Getting such a Pokémon under his command… that would be a dream come true, and it surely would have taken him one step closer toward his goal. Or, well, that was what his younger self used to believe.

But the redhead had yet to see a real legend in the flesh. Glimpses, fleeting shadows, distant howls — that was all he got in the past three years as a Trainer. That was more than what most people got in a lifetime, but it annoyed him immensely that Hibiki was one of the few privileged Trainers to have actually interacted with real legends. That kid with black hair didn’t receive an authentic Silver Wing for nothing, after all.

But despite his grievances, Silver had a pretty good guess of why he got nothing more than crumbs: legends only sought after Trainers with pure hearts, and he didn’t have one. That was a tough pill to swallow, but… his rival fitted that description way more than he did.

“However, there’s more about those artifacts than simple folktales,” added Kotone, while making her way toward their destination. The teenagers and their Pokémon could see the distant golden pinnacle of the Bell Tower from their location, reflecting four faint beams of light toward the sky. “Those are also valuable lessons and memories of past times, when humans and Pokémon didn’t need Poké Balls to forge bonds and become friends. In fact, back then they often traveled side by side.”

“Hmm… So, you always keep Maril outside of her Poké Ball to emulate those past times?”

“Not really. It’s just that it’s much more fun to travel around with some company. Besides,” she glanced at Silver, “you’re doing the same with your Ordile now. Don’t you like that?”

“Well…”

Silver glanced behind: Ordile was chattering with Maril in his native speech, with a pleased smirk plastered on his muzzle. He stared at the two for a while, before turning to the brunette and nodding.

“…Yeah. I admit it was a bit weird when I walked around with Ordile for an extended amount of time, but… I’ve got used to that. And I can understand my Pokémon a bit better now.”

Kotone grinned. “Ah, I’m so glad to hear that! Your auras and hearts are becoming stronger and more united, aren’t they?”

“…Our auras and hearts?” Silver blinked, before narrowing his eyes in confusion. “I… can’t really say, but I guess so?”

“Well! A trip to the Bell Chime Temple is going to be helpful,” exclaimed the brunette, winking reassuringly. “I bet you’re gonna like that!”

Silver couldn’t figure out what Kotone was planning, but by the way she was grinning at him, it seemed something worthwhile. And if that would not be the case, then he was more than ready to not let her live it down!

“Hmph… Alright. Let’s see what’s so special about this oh-so-unique event,” he rebutted, crossing his arms and staring at the building ahead of them. The copper-hued roof and doorway of the Bell Chime Temple immediately stood out, giving off an aura of magnificence and peace to whoever gazed at it. Even the redhead felt some inner peace by just staring at that building.

“So, here we are,” announced Kotone, before walking through the door.

A silent atmosphere greeted the two teenagers, with very few visitors and monks walking around. Lit ceremonial incenses filled the air with an intense aroma, reminiscent of both cherry wood and saltwater — so different, and yet they complemented each other perfectly, just like the legendary birds themselves. Ancient tapestries and bronze statues decorated the area, depicting either an imposing bird with long tail feathers or a more draconic creature with enormous wings. Several artifacts were stored in unbreakable reliquaries and guarded by some Gardie, who sniffed and growled at whoever stepped too close. But more often than not, people just wanted to pet the small striped dogs, despite the warnings of the monks.

“Ho-Oh and Lugia…” muttered Silver, walking toward two statues placed at the entrance.

“Yup! The former guardians of Enju City, who lived by the two towers until a mysterious fire destroyed the Brass Tower. They’ve been missing from the city since then.”

The redhead nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard about that tale when I first came here.”

“And to think that the people of Enju built those towers precisely to commemorate the perfect union between humans and Pokémon…” Kotone sighed. “I wonder what would have happened if the Brass Tower was still intact — would the legendaries still be here?”

Silver shrugged. “Who knows? It’s not like there’s a way to find out, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, I know. I was just thinking about the possibility, that’s all. I mean,” she grinned dreamily, “wouldn’t it be cool if we could meet and talk to the legendary birds whenever we wanted?”

Silver narrowed his eyes in thought, his gaze lingering on some tapestries depicting Ho-Oh with a trailing rainbow behind it. Only then he noticed that Ordile and Maril weren’t by their side anymore, having preferred to stay by the door to watch the parade from afar. Once reassured of their status, he focused again on the paintings.

“Heh. It’d surely be something,” he replied.

Kotone sighed again, thinking about that impossible dream, but regained her enthusiasm quickly. “Anyway! Let’s look around, shall we? There’s plenty to see here!”

The two teenagers walked past the two statues, but Kotone immediately froze. She blinked a few times and tilted her head. “Wait, isn’t he…?”

Silver gazed at the brunette in puzzlement, before following her stare. He spotted a blonde young man, wearing a purple headband and a scarf around his neck. The redhead had seen that man before, but where…?

Ah! Of course. The Phantom Fog Badge! So he was…

“Matsuba, the Ghost Gym Leader,” responded Silver. “What’s he doing here?”

“Hmm… Well, Matsuba visits the Bell Chime Temple and Bell Tower very often to study their various artifacts. I’ve heard he’s looking for a way to bring back Ho-Oh and see it with his own eyes.”

“Well, tough luck with that! With this city’s track record, he desperately needs it,” muttered Silver to himself. Then, his gaze drifted toward someone talking to the Gym Leader. “Hm? Who’s with him?”

That question piqued the attention of Kotone, who gazed at the people standing in front of Matsuba. It was then that the mild curiosity of the two teenagers turned into bafflement.

The unknown individuals had a very pale skin and wore white and blueish gray suits, while white helmets protected their heads — they seemed to have jumped out of some high budget sci-fi movie! The young man had a tuft of magenta hair dangling from his forehead and light blue pupils, while the teenage girl had a long orange braid and light blue pupils with a veil of ginger.

Silver had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn’t imagining them, but his eyes kept showing the same vision and his gaze lingered on those strange uniforms. ‘…Okay, I’ve seen all kinds of ridiculous costumes, but those beat all of them!’

“Heeey! Matsuba!” chirped Kotone, walking toward the trio.

Silver glared at the brunette. Why did she have to attract the attention of the Gym Leader and those weird people in white? Perhaps he could sneak away before—well, too late for that! Matsuba and the new individuals noticed them.

“Ah! Greetings, Kotone. It’s good to see you,” replied Matsuba with a small smile, then he gazed at Silver with a more neutral expression. “And Silver, too.”

The man-in-white studied the teenagers with tired eyes, while the orange-haired girl beamed a grin. “Oh? Acquaintances of yours, Matsuba?” she said, making an imaginary square with her hands. “Alola! Nice to meet you! I’m Zossie and he’s my colleague Dulse!”

“Zossie, remember that they don’t use that greeting in this region. What they use is,” Dulse waved his hand left and right, his movement resembling a wide-screen wiper rather than a hand-wave, “this salute.”

“Oh! Right!” Zossie was quick to emulate her companion, with her hand movement just as mechanical. “Hello there!”

The two Trainers quickly inferred that those two were tourists, by the way they spoke and behaved.

“Um… hi to you, too,” replied Kotone, looking curiously at the new individuals and greeting them with a hand-wave.

Silver said nothing, still staring at those humans-in-white in disbelief. Just… where did they come from? Did they bring the wrong costume for the wrong festival or something?

“Are you two here to learn more about Enju and its history?” inquired Matsuba.

“Something like that, yeah,” replied Kotone, beaming a grin. “We’re here to find out more about the bonds between humans and Pokémon in ancient times.”

Silver blinked and glanced at Kotone in puzzlement. “Huh? We are?”

“Ah! That’s great! Dulse and I have come to this temple for more or less the same reason!” exclaimed Zossie, smiling and swaying back and forth. “We’re investigating about bonds, auras, and all that stuff.”

Dulse nodded in agreement. “Indeed. We hope that the history and culture of Enju will help us understand our Pokémon better and strengthen our bonds with them. The bonds between humans and those legendary birds…” he gazed at a nearby tapestry, depicting Lugia eating some offerings alongside a group of people, “are truly inspiring. They used to live in perfect harmony — immortals and mortals, under the same sky.”

Matsuba smiled at Dulse, heartened by those words of appreciation toward his city and the legends surrounding it. Then he glanced at Kotone and Silver. “You can tag along, if you want. I know everything about these artifacts and the folktales of this city.”

“Oh, that’d be great!” chirped Kotone, before turning to Silver. “What do you think?”

The redhead froze at that out-of-the-blue question. “What…?”

“Oh yeah! It’d be real fun!” exclaimed Zossie, beaming an excited grin. “We could even get to know each other better!”

“Of course! C’mon, Silver! Let’s do it!”

Silver gazed back and forth between Kotone and Zossie, utterly baffled. Did that brunette have a doppelgänger from another country or something? As if one hyper girl wasn’t enough, now he had to tolerate two?!

“…Lemme guess, you’re gonna pester me until I say yes, aren’t you?” he asked, glaring at Kotone.

The brunette grinned mischievously. “That’s a possibility~!”

‘Okay… Can I still take a pass on exploring this temple?’ pondered Silver, contemplating his options. However, the cheerful smile on Kotone’s face became brighter and brighter with each passing second, which did wonders at pressuring him further and further. Annoyed by her stubbornness, he crossed his arms and stared hard at her. “…Tch. Fine! I’ll tag along if that means you’ll wipe that guilt-tripping look off your face.”

“Oh? You will? Really?” asked Kotone, her eyes gleaming.

“Yeah. Besides, it’s not like I have much better stuff to do.” Except that Silver could think of many more interesting things he could do, but he didn’t voice them out.

“Awesome! Then let’s get going!” exclaimed Zossie with enthusiasm, before walking by Dulse’s side. “This is gonna be very interesting!”

Silver rolled his eyes. “Hmph, whatever. Let’s just get over this…”

As such, the group started walking around the temple, led by Matsuba. Dulse and Zossie were behind the Gym Leader, with the former studying tiredly the tapestries and the latter marveling at the various colorful artifacts. Kotone and Silver walked after everyone else, and the brunette alternated between looking at the statues and chattering with the other girl, while the redhead stared silently at the various relics.

“…So, as I was saying, the Bell Tower used to be the residence of Ho-Oh in ancient times, while the Burned Tower — formerly known as Brass Tower — used to be Lugia’s residence, before it was destroyed by a fire,” explained Matsuba, walking toward a tapestry depicting Ho-Oh, a rainbow descending from the sky and people basking in its colors. “According to a legend, Ho-Oh left behind a fragment of its own soul into the Bell Tower, which allows it to sense hearts even from far away — if it were to sense a pure heart, it will return to the city.”

The Gym Leader paused to let the information sink in and stopped by a chipped pot. The relic depicted Lugia and Ho-Oh sharing some mysterious orbs, while some humans were surrounded by lines arranged in circular patterns — auras.

“Some people claim to have gained unique powers after witnessing Ho-Oh, which is also why the sages limit the access to the Bell Tower — a crowd of power-hungry and dark-hearted people might risk keeping Ho-Oh away.”

“Wow!” chirped Zossie, her eyes shining in admiration. “Ho-Oh is truly awesome!”

Kotone grinned. “It sure is, but Lugia is equally amazing!”

“Heh, they’re cool, I guess…” muttered Silver with feigned disinterest, diverting his gaze from the relic and looking again at the statue of Ho-Oh. Something about it was very familiar… in fact, didn’t it look like that green ball of fire from the day before?

…Nah, it couldn’t be. Could it…?

“…I have a few queries about that, however,” mused Dulse, staring at Matsuba. “You said earlier that Ho-Oh leaves behind a rainbow trail whenever it flies, and that it can grant great powers to whoever sees it.”

The Gym Leader nodded. “This is correct.”

“But nobody living in this city has seen it since the Brass Tower burned down. Is that correct as well?”

“Yes.”

Dulse furrowed his eyebrows. “Then there are quite a few things that do not add up. Namely, how do these people gain those powers? Do they need to just see Ho-Oh, even from a distance, or they need to stay in its proximity? What are those powers, and how is it possible to determine whether they are authentic or fabricated?”

“Oh, Dulse, don’t you think you’re going ahead of yourself?” replied Zossie, tilting her head. “Some questions don’t have real answers, y’know!”

“I mean, this is all for the sake of our research. We must get as much information as we can. Besides, most legends have some truth into them,” rebutted Dulse, his tone serious and professional.

Matsuba hummed in thought, before showing a small smile. “Well, according to a few ancient runes, Ho-Oh grants those powers by sharing some of its aura with the chosen humans. Though, there is no telling whether it can share its aura from a distance.”

“So, the phenomenon painted on this relic,” Dulse motioned toward the pot, “is aura sharing?”

Matsuba nodded. “Yes. This is a depiction of an auric link. Apparently, in Ransei they still perform this kind of ritual to this day.”

“Fascinating.”

“Okay, then here’s a pop quiz,” interjected Silver, crossing his arms and staring at the Gym Leader. “Just what is an auric link?”

“Yeah! I’m very curious about that, too!” added Zossie, bouncing on her spot with enthusiasm. Kotone gave her own support with a quick nod and an intrigued smile.

“An auric link,” parroted Matsuba while rubbing his chin. “So, to put it very simply, an auric link is a special bond formed when a human and a Pokémon are in perfect sync. If love and trust are mutual and absolute, then the auras will resonate in unison and unlock their maximum potential.” He readjusted his scarf. “Conversely, if there is a total lack of sync and those auras clash constantly, then both humans and Pokémon become weaker as a result. That’s a phenomenon known as auric chasm.

Dulse and Zossie nodded in understanding, while Kotone rubbed her chin and pondered about those phenomena, wondering if she and Maril shared an auric link already. But Silver… what he just heard shook him to the core, his attention receding into the depths of his mind as the epiphany dawned on him.

‘Lack of sync… Weaker… Auric chasm…’ He shook his head in realization. ‘Could it be?’ Is that what Wataru and those Kimono Girls…?’

Silver stared blankly at the pot, and long-buried memories rushed back to him like an unwelcome gust…


***

A strained yowl, a cold wheeze, and a soft thump. Nyula laid unconscious on the floor, his fur and blue feathers disheveled and electric sparks zipping all over his body. The weasel showed the signs of a tough battle, while the Thunders in front him had barely any scratch. The speed and power of the Electric-type fox had been no match for his opponent.

Silver stared at his fainted Pokémon in shock, completely taken aback by what just transpired. His entire team… crushed by those unexpectedly powerful girls.

Dancers. He lost to simple dancers! How?!

“Young Trainer. There is much potential lying dormant inside of you, this much we have noticed through your impressive display of strength and skills,” commented Tamao, the eldest of the five Kimono Girls and owner of Blacky, the Dark-type fox. “However, you are treading on a murky path. By keeping all that rage into your heart and not opening yourself to others, you won’t be able to unlock the true power of your Pokémon—”

Silver said nothing as he recalled his Nyula into his Poké Ball. He lowered his arm and stared despondently at the floor, barely registering what Tamao was saying.

First, he lost to that Dragon Tamer with his Kairyu, then to Hibiki in the Kogane Tunnel underneath the Radio Tower, and now to those girls with oversized Eievui.

The losing streak stung deep. His goal was to become the strongest Trainer in the world. Losing so many times in a row was out of the question!

“—as soon as you will trust your Pokémon and forge a tight bond, you will realize what it means to be a Trainer.”

Silver stared blankly at Tamao. Again with that thing about bonds and trust. They were spewing the same rigmarole of that bleeding heart Wataru.

…But what if there was some truth in those speeches? Trust… was that what he lacked?

Without saying a word to the maiko, Silver turned around and trudged toward the opposite side of the theater, ignoring the sympathetic look of the director and his Sidon. Shadows as dark as his mood shrouded his face as his red locks cascaded over his eyes, and a boiling anger toward himself manifested as incessant shudders and heavy steps.

“How…? How is this possible?” he mumbled, almost stumbling through the door. “How can I lose to mere Kimono Girls…?”

Then he bumped into someone, who gasped in surprise. Silver winced and redirected his attention to the struck individual. His dismay intensified when he found the last person he wanted to meet: Hibiki, accompanied by his Bakphoon. The wolverine’s shoulder flames burned intensely, a clear indicator of his great strength and impeccable health.

“Oh! Err. Hi, Silver!” said Hibiki, grinning sheepishly and waving his hand slowly. “Um… Fancy meeting you again!”

Silver was unimpressed by the black-haired boy’s greeting and scowled at him. “You were watching me, Hibiki…”

“Huh… Yeah, but just a little,” replied Hibiki hesitantly, having detected the venom in the redhead’s voice. He frowned. “Did you… lose the battle?”

“Yeah, that's right! I never thought defeating five Kimono Girls would be so hard… I got beaten to a pulp…”

“Wow…”

Silver gathered his thoughts, before glaring at Hibiki with renewed fervor. His rival being by the theater seemed really suspicious. “…You must have come here for the same reason, right?”

“Um… We could say that…” replied Hibiki, scratching his cheek nervously. “I thought I could give a shot after all the training I’ve done, so—”

“Don't get cocky just because you defeated Team Rocket! These Kimono Girls are insanely strong,” growled Silver, before pointing toward the door. “Go ahead! See if you can defeat them. But I'm not going back. I don't want to see you win.”

Frustrated, Silver shoved Hibiki out of the way, earning a startled gasp from the latter and a warning growl from the Bakphoon. He walked away from the theater, before stopping at a few meters from it. He was trembling, his fists clenched and his breaths harsh, while a storm raged in his heart and mind.

“Silver…?”

Then, without looking back, Silver zoomed as far away as he could from that place, ignoring the concerned cries of Hibiki. He wouldn’t have shown his moment of weakness. Not in front of that wimp.

…The wimp who beat him all the time, and who surely would have beaten those Kimono Girls.

The Trainer who succeeded wherever he failed. Every single time.

Why? Why did he keep losing, despite training hard every day? Why was that other boy always ahead of him? He didn’t understand. What was he doing wrong…?


***

“Hey, Silver! Earth to Silver!”

Silver flinched when the yell echoed in his mind, dragging him back to the present. “H-huh?!”

Once the memories faded, the first thing he noticed was Kotone standing in front of him and waving a hand on his face, while staring at him in puzzlement. He took a few seconds to process what happened and groaned inwardly: he didn’t want his mind to bring up a stupid flashback for every terrible moment of his life!

“…What?” he grumbled, more toward himself than toward the girl.

“Oh, sorry. You were zoning out, and I got kinda worried,” she replied. “What’s the matter?”

Silver looked away. “…It’s nothing important. I was just thinking about something that happened some time ago.” He glanced around, noticing that the others weren’t around anymore. “Hey, where’s everyone?”

“Oh, they went ahead. I told them we would have caught up with them later.”

“Ah. Then let’s just go forward. We don’t wanna keep them waiting or something, do we?”

Without giving time to reply, he walked toward the others, forcing Kotone to rush after him.

“Okay, but… if you feel the need to talk about something — anything — just lemme know, alright?” she offered, staring intently at the redhead. “I’m always willing to lend an ear!”

Silver glanced at the brunette, then rolled his eyes. “Tch, sure. But whatever concern you have… forget it. I’m fine, really.”

They quickly caught up with the trio, who had stopped by a reconstructed mural made of a light grey mineral with silver and gold clusters. The relic depicted some… faded blurs of something. Only one detail stood out about that mural: the dark blue painting of some draconic creature circling the smears.

“Hey, we’re back!” announced Kotone, beaming a grin. “Did we miss anything?”

“Not really. Matsuba here was about to talk about this relic,” responded Dulse, before nodding at the Gym Leader. He got a nod back.

“So, this is one of the most important pieces of our city,” said Matsuba, motioning toward the rocky relic. “A mural discovered very recently in the lowest floor of the Burned Tower.”

The others stared hard at the mural, trying to make out whatever painting hid inside those blurry and faded colors. Time had been very unkind, they could tell.

“Huh… What’s this mural supposed to represent?” asked Zossie, glancing at Matsuba in confusion. “I can’t make heads or tails of what’s painted here!”

“Ah, you see… the real treasure isn’t what is outside the mural, but what is inside of it,” responded Matsuba with a small smile.

Silver frowned and brought a hand on his hip. “What? Is that supposed to be a riddle or something?”

The Gym Leader didn’t respond and instead turned to the mural. “…Barney, wake up.”

Perplexed stares appeared on everyone’s faces — the Gym Leader gave a name to a… rock?

But then, their bafflement grew tenfold when the relic began shaking, its cracks splitting completely and ectoplasmic matter pooling from the newly formed holes. The mural rearranged itself to take in the shape of a creature with two long ghostly arms and one tail with a piece of rock at its tip, before the eye of the painted silhouette glowed with a pale magenta light.

The mural… was alive!

“Wooooh!! The mural is a Pokémon?!” shouted Zossie, staring into the eye of the creature. Kotone was just as shocked about the revelation, while Silver and Dulse reacted with veiled surprise.

“Huh. Interesting,” replied the redhead, cocking an eyebrow.

Matsuba turned to the others. “Everyone, meet Barney, the Deathbarn of Enju. Dulse, Zossie, perhaps you two know this species as Runerigus, where you come from.”

“Runerigus…” parroted Dulse, showing a thoughtful stare. “Yes, I have read something about them during one of my researches.”

“That’s so awesome!” exclaimed Kotone, looking at the Pokémon in amazement. She waved her hand and smiled happily. “Hello, Barney!”

Barney curled its painted jaws into a grin and craned its neck toward the group, its ghostly wisps quivering with a black energy. The Ghost-type glanced curiously at the humans-in-white and the Trainers, then he drifted closer to Matsuba and hissed happily.

“A Deathbarn…” muttered Silver, before staring at Matsuba. “Okay, you caught a Pokémon hiding in the lowest floor of the Burned Tower. Cool, but what’s so special about that?”

“Well, this is where things get interesting.” Matsuba motioned toward the arms of the Deathbarn. “You need to clutch Barney’s tendrils.”

The others traded quick glances, then stared again at the Gym Leader. Out of them, Dulse was the one who spoke out. “Hmm… Is that a good idea? According to my research, the visions showed by a Runerigus can be… frightening, if not outright horrifying.”

“Oh, you’ve got nothing to be worried about. Barney is docile and has great mastery of his visions. He wouldn’t scare or unsettle anyone on purpose,” replied Matsuba reassuringly, patting Barney on his head slab and earning a pleased rumble. “There are a couple of visions that might be a bit strong, but Barney will make sure to not show more than you can handle. He’s a real sweetheart.”

While the others discussed the implications of touching the ghostly goo, Silver stared intently at the strange Ghost-type. Barney sensed the gaze trained on him and stared back at the redhead, his eye shining with the same magenta glow. He flapped his arms and coiled himself on the ground, mirroring the perching of a bird, and his tail waved gently. Silver could tell that the Deathbarn was trying to make everyone feel at ease, by appearing relaxed and friendly. That was… something he didn’t quite expect from a Ghost-type, that’s for sure.

“…So, are you ready to glimpse into the past?”

Silver turned to Matsuba, who was smiling at the other members of the group. Apparently the Gym Leader convinced everyone, including Dulse.

“When you’re ready, touch Barney’s tendrils and don’t let go unless I say so.”

Picking on the cue, Barney extended his two arms toward the group and coiled his tail around Matsuba. His eye gleamed with a pale pink hue and his painted grin widened slightly, and a few quiet rumbles reverberated from his goo. However, certain people needed an extra push to touch the tendrils, so Silver took that task up to himself. After all, he wasn’t a coward!

The redhead reached out for the ghostly appendage and grabbed it. Dark and cold wisps spread on his arm, and he felt… perfectly fine. He gazed at the Ghost-type, who grumbled happily at him, before staring impatiently at the others. “C’mon, you three! Just grab those tendrils already!”

One by one, the others followed suit…

Swoosh! A cold gust blew over their faces, and their bodies became as light as feathers. The temple was swallowed by a black haze, which slowly faded away to reveal another location — a square roof with four Lugia statues placed in each corner, like rocky guardians surveilling the city below, and wearing blue bells with tidal patterns around their necks. But the most outstanding element of that vision was a pinnacle of silver ore built in the middle of the floor, towering over a shrine with indecipherable runes. The full moon radiated a pleasant white glow, giving off a silvery luster to the illusionary surroundings.

“Whoa! What’s this place?” inquired Zossie, looking frantically around.

Matsuba looked at the phantom shrine. “This, Zossie, is how the roof of the Brass Tower used to look like 700 years ago.”

Everyone looked in amazement at the memory shown by Barney. The details were so vivid, almost as if they warped back in time.

“…So this is the power of a Runerigus,” muttered Dulse, rubbing his chin. “Intriguing. I shall add this experience to my research.”

“Okay, but what’s so special about this illusion? It can’t be just the panoramic view, right?” asked Silver, glancing at Matsuba.

But then, a mighty roar pierced the silence of the night, making everyone but the Gym Leader jolt in surprise. A giant shadow zoomed over their heads, before a few small silver feathers floated toward them and phased through their bodies. Kotone looked up and gasped in amazement. “No way! That’s—!”

Everyone gazed toward the sky, their eyes widening upon realizing what was hovering above them all — Lugia, one of the legendary guardians!

That draconic bird… it was even more imposing and majestic than they had ever expected. Its eyes were gentle yet authoritative, and its entire body radiated a silver aura that cut through the darkness, making its shape stand out like a star in the black sky.

Lugia looped around the tower a few times and made the bells chime, while glancing back and forth between the building and the city. After not long, it descended toward the roof and landed on top of the shrine. The legend folded its wings and its dorsal fins raised, then it surveyed the area. Was it looking for someone?

A chorus of unknown voices reverberated in the group’s minds…


Oh, great guardians of the soul and life

Golden healer of hearts and silvery mender of minds

May our mutual auras resonate with power

So that earth and sky and mortal and deities shall become one

Our hearts echo with you

Our souls echo with you



“Huh? What was that?” asked Zossie, looking for the source.

Matsuba showed a heartening smile. “That was Barney. He can telepathically project the words transcribed by our ancestors,” explained Matsuba. “There are many mantras they used to recite whenever they communed with the guardians, and this is one of those mementos.”

A dark mist cloaked the scene, but it dissipated just as quickly. Three monks were now standing in front of the legend, carrying offerings to appease their guardian. Lugia scrutinized the monks, then it checked the offerings by pecking at them. Its gaze softened significantly and its throat made a guttural cry, before spreading out its wings and staring at the sky. That seemed to be a signal, as the monks raised their hands and aimed at the legend.

Dulse rubbed his chin. “What are those monks doing?”

“They’re about to connect with Lugia through an auric link,” responded Matsuba.

Silver glanced at the two men, then again at the scene. He made out something akin to a dark blue fire surrounding the monks, which flowed toward the legendary Pokémon and made it glow with an intense silver aura.

“Through an auric link, minds and hearts become one, and that is when humans and Pokémon can draw out their true potential…”

A loud thumping reverberated around them — a heartbeat, perhaps? — and the tower shook. Lugia roared, and the entire room flashed dark blue and silver. Grey clouds cloaked the sky and droplets began falling, rapidly turning into a gentle rain. The legendary extended a wing over the monks to protect them from the water, while the humans bowed in reverence and appreciation. The memory froze with the humans and Pokémon watching the rain.

“So, the monks connected their aura with Lugia to make it rain?” asked Kotone, tapping her mouth with a hand.

Matsuba nodded. “Yes. With an auric link, it’s possible to share wishes and hopes with a Pokémon. Back in those days, the people of Enju had found the perfect symbiosis — Lugia and Ho-Oh offered rain and sunlight, while the humans repaid them with offerings and products of the earth.” He closed his eyes. “Unfortunately, that era of unity between mortals and immortals didn’t last…”

The others stared at the Gym Leader, but before anyone could say or ask anything, the entire tower was once again shrouded in a haze. When the mist faded, the tower was still dark, and peals of thunder echoed from the black sky.

“Well, isn’t this reassuring,” muttered Silver, surveying cautiously the illusion.

Kotone frowned and glanced around. “But… where’s Lugia?”

As if to answer the question, Lugia announced its presence with a mighty roar, and the group turned toward the beast. However, there was something off about it.

Marks of battle marred its previously immaculate and splendent feathery scales, with countless scaleless patches exposing the dark blue skin underneath. Its eyes glowed with an ominous red light, matching the color of the malignant aura surrounding its body. A crimson twister surrounded the beast, who launched it toward some giant shadows hidden among the black clouds. Lightning struck, flames engulfed the tower, and a dark smoke veiled the scene.


Darkness and tyranny extended their venomous binds

Brothers fought brothers, and friends fought friends

Corrupted minds and broken hearts brought an unending night

The tower of the mind mere burnt ruins it became

Our hearts pray for you

Our souls pray for you



The haze faded, but the tower was no more — only rubble and debris surrounded the group. Matsuba had a solemn expression on his face, while the others realized immediately what happened: that was the moment in which the Brass Tower became the Burned Tower.

“This is so sad!” whined Zossie, frowning at the scene. “What was that red aura? Why was Lugia fighting?”

The expression on Matsuba’s face darkened. “…There was a war. Johto and Sinnoh fought a long and grueling battle, in which even the legends themselves ended up involved… and corrupted.” He sighed. “That red aura… it’s theorized that was a shadow auric link. While with a regular auric link you share your positive feelings and thoughts, like happiness and hope, with a shadow link…”

“…you share negative feelings and thoughts, like anger and despair,” continued Dulse, his expression neutral. “Right?”

Matsuba nodded.

“It’s weird that it didn’t result in an auric chasm…” wondered Kotone, studying the desolation surrounding them.

“This is because the hearts and minds of both humans and Pokémon were corrupted by the same anger, which grew in intensity and strength when they linked together.” Matsuba motioned toward the debris. “And this is the result.”

Silver took a deep breath and scrutinized the wreckage. The anger in the hearts and minds of those people and Pokémon… resulted in that destruction? Cold shivers ran down his spine, the words of the Kimono Girls ringing once more into his mind: what would have happened if he kept bottling up his anger? And his rage… was that the primary reason he could beat up those Team Rocket losers and delinquents? Because both he and his Pokémon shared the same feelings toward them?

But the story was different whenever he fought other Trainers — good and unwilling Trainers. When he forced them to fight, just to prove his superior strength.

Perhaps his Pokémon didn’t share the same sentiments of animosity in those cases and didn’t resonate with the redhead’s fury and prepotency. This could explain why they progressed as a team only once he let go of most of his rage… when he finally started to trust them…

So… was he the one who held back his team?



…Wow. That vision shocked Silver; he took so long to understand the words of people who criticized his training methods.

But now that he knew, he could become better. He was even more determined to become better. He only needed to figure out how…

A snowflake floated in front of the redhead, and he blinked in curiosity. He looked up and saw light gray clouds covering the sky, while the snow became more copious. Stray leaves glowed with a golden light and turned to ashes, and strong winds scattered the powdery remains.


The mighty legends and their emissaries granted a parting gift

The snow shall cool down burning spirits and foul thoughts

The ashes of fallen leaves shall sustain new life

The rainbows following rains shall preserve our hope

Our hearts rejoice with you

Our souls rejoice with you



“…and that is the origin of the shining leaves, and why fall leaves are so important in Johtonian culture — they are an indelible reminder of the end of the war, a symbol of restored peace and unity. The Sinjoh Ruins were also built for the same reason,” explained Matsuba. He extended a hand toward the sky and an illusory rainbow feather phased through his fingers.

A rainbow feather…

Golden and silver lights flashed throughout the wreckage. Three figures bolted in front of the humans: a yellow creature cloaked in sparks, a brown beast surrounded by embers, and a blue entity propelled by winds. Kotone’s eyes widened in realization. “Those creatures…”

Two shadows flew above the three beasts, and the group noticed Lugia… and Ho-Oh. Its multicolored plumage… what a magnificent sight! Everyone felt a wave of serenity rushing through them, as they watched the imposing bird flying in the sky.

“Someday, I’ll be able to see you for real, Ho-Oh…” whispered Matsuba, staring at the illusory legend with eyes full of hope.

A rainbow shot through the clouds and hid the birds and the beasts, and once its colors dimmed, the legends were gone.


The wound burns deep, but it will not ache forever

As for every dusk, it shall always follow a dawn

When the age of darkness its end it will reach

A new rainbow light shall unite us once more

Our hearts wait for you

Our souls wait for you



Dark clouds surrounded the group, and everyone started feeling heavier and heavier. The mist dissipated and unveiled the first details of the temple. It took them a while to regain their bearings and realize that the illusion broke. Luckily for them, the other visitors seemed distracted by the other relics, or by the Gardie. Someone could have thought that the visitors were more interested in the guardian dogs than the relics themselves! Meanwhile, Barney tilted his head and stared at the humans, waiting for some reaction and preparing himself to help if needed.

“So, this is it,” announced Matsuba as he let go of Barney’s tail, prompting the others to do the same with the tendrils. “Wasn’t that quite the trip back in time?”

“That was trippy, yeah…” commented Silver, before looking away, “but also very interesting.”

“Oh yeah! Being able to see Lugia, even as an illusion, was so cool! It’s way better than how I imagined it!” chirped Kotone, her eyes gleaming with joy.

Zossie nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! Barney, you’re kind of awesome!”

At hearing those positive comments, Barney cried happily and clapped his arm slabs together, making his ectoplasm quiver like jelly. He was very pleased that the humans appreciated his show of powers and were in good mood.

“…That was indeed a very instructive experience.” Dulse looked at Matsuba and Barney. “Matsuba, Barney, I thank you both for this opportunity. Now I have a clearer understanding of the bonds between humans and Pokémon, which will be a valuable asset for our research.”

Matsuba smiled at the other man. “Glad to have helped.” Barney rumbled happily and showed a thumbs-up. Something he picked up from the Gym Leader, most likely.

“So, it was a catastrophic event that destroyed that beautiful bond between those birds and the humans of Enju,” commented Zossie with a sad tone. “Kinda like what happened between us and the Blinding One…”

Silver narrowed his eyes and stared at the orange-haired girl. “Blinding One? What’s that?”

“The Blinding One is the name we give out of respect toward the creature who used to share its light with our people. Its actual name is Necrozma,” responded Dulse. Upon noticing the confusion on the others’ faces — bar Zossie — he explained. “That’s an entity mostly known in Alolan culture, so it’s understandable if you don’t know much information about it.” He crossed his arms. “For a quick summary, Necrozma used to share some of its light with our ancestors, until they got greedy and tried to control all of Necrozma’s powers at once. Deprived of most of its powers and in constant pain, Necrozma became wild, violent and corrputed with an insatiable hunger for light.”

“Yup! And just like that, our bond broke!” added Zossie, before sighing. “Perhaps, if our ancestors knew about the power of auric links, they wouldn’t have done that…”

Dulse nodded in agreement. “And this is partly why we came here. We wanted to check if there was something in common between the Enju legends and our history, and see what we can learn from our respective mistakes to fix things and improve.”

“Well, I sure hope you found what you were looking for!” said Kotone, smiling faintly.

Both the humans-in-white nodded.

“We sure did! Aah, I can’t wait to tell about that to the others! They’re gonna be so thrilled!” chirped Zossie, swaying in excitement.

Dulse frowned. “Speaking of that, I think we should depart as soon as we can. We have gathered plenty of material, and we have to report our progress and findings.”

“Aww, do we have to leave so soon?” whined Zossie, pouting at her companion.

Dulse simply nodded, his gaze firm. He wouldn’t have budged from that decision.

“…Well, okay.” Zossie turned to the others. “So, it’s been fun meeting you all! Thanks for the nice chitchat, Kotone!”

Kotone grinned. “You’re welcome! Hope we can see each other some day!”

“Yeah! See you around!”

And with a few goodbyes and hand-waves, the group split apart. Silver and Kotone rejoined their Pokémon, who were all too happy to reunite with their Trainers, and they all left for another side of the city. There was still a whole festival to explore.


***​


The Koiking Jump: a popular sport where the speediest orange carps pull small wooden floats carved in the shape of Lugia while facing the strong currents of a whirlpool. A rite of passage for the oldest and strongest Koiking, who must rely on their Swift Swim to gain enough speed and leap over a waterfall. In this way, they learn how to master the currents and awaken their dormant dragon spirit.

The leading Koiking was a calico white and pink variant belonging to a kid wearing an oversized red cap — it was so big that its brim hid his eyes! An excellent Trainer who trained many Koiking throughout the years, and who became so popular that he got featured on a Pokégear app. And there he was, looking toward his next victory.

Ordile and Maril stood by the pond, growling and squealing in excitement to cheer for their fellow Water-types. Having waterproof bodies meant they could stay close to the water without worrying about random dribbles. Meanwhile, Silver and Kotone stood at a couple of meters behind them, commenting and chitchatting about the race. Predictably, the brunette was much more lively in her commentary than the redhead, who mostly replied with a few nods and some quick quips.

«Go, Pink! Show them what you can do!» squealed Maril, wagging her tail.

«You’ve got it, Grey Smudge! Splash harder!» roared Ordile, thumping his tail and staring at a Koiking with gray patches, who was right behind the leading carp.

Maril crossed her paws. «Wow! Seeing all of those Koiking swimming makes me wish I could just hop into the water and join the race…»

«I know, right? I’d love to show everyone my improved Aqua Jet! I’ve been practicing hard for it!»

«Ah, I can tell. You seem much stronger than last time I’ve faced you. And all those muscles, wow!» Maril chuckled. «Makes me wonder who got Huge Power of the two.»

Ordile smirked with mirth. «Heh. I’ll take that as a compliment.»

The two focused again on the race and noticed that the gray Koiking was in the lead. This cheered Ordile up, but Maril’s thoughts went elsewhere.

«…You know, it’s been long since we battled each other.»

«Yes. Last time we battled was…» Ordile hissed in displeasure, «not exactly a friendly meeting, huh?»

Maril shook her head. «It wasn’t, no,» she put her paws on her hips, «but I guess that’s what happens when you meddle with certain people…»

Ordile frowned at that remark. «…Are you talking about Silver?»

«Who else? No offense, but I don’t understand your Trainer at all, nor how you can tolerate him.»

«Um… Well, he surely has his flaws — pretty big ones, too — but he’s actually not that bad. Deep down, he’s a good kid. He even risked his life for us a few times.»

«But didn’t he force you to become his partner?» asked Maril, narrowing her eyes.

«Yes, but…» Ordile took a second to gather his thoughts. «He was… scared, alright? He fled from home, he didn’t have friends, and he was looking for some strong Pokémon to keep him safe. Heck, he feared his mother could find him at any given moment and force him to join Team Rocket against his will.»

Ordile waited for Maril to retort, but when she just stared at him in silence, he continued.

«True, I was mad at him for taking me away and making me fight Hibiki and my good friend, Hinoarashi, against my will. I even showered him with a Water Gun when he sent me out the first time.»

Maril giggled at hearing that, and Ordile himself chuckled at the memory — the stunned stare on his Trainer’s face was priceless! However, the laughter died quickly, and Ordile took a more serious expression.

«But then, once he experienced firsthand how hard it is the life of a Trainer and after a few… things I’m not comfortable bringing up, he began opening up to me. He had a pretty rough childhood, to put it simply, and when I’ve heard about what he went through, I… I didn’t have it in my heart to abandon him.» Ordile took a quick sad glance at his Trainer, then he looked at the race. Every Koiking had just become a featureless blur. «So, I stayed by his side and helped him out, to make sure he didn’t get in trouble or danger with his abrasive personality. And at the end, everything went in the right place.»

Maril blinked. «What do you mean?»

«He experienced the world. He saw other Trainers, other Pokémon. He fell many times, but always stood back up, stronger and wiser. He learned about friendship, love, and trust — things he couldn’t get back in his hometown.» Ordile grinned. «He became a better person, and he is still improving. I’m very proud of his progress, and I’m glad the professor understood my wish to stay with him. I… don’t know what I would have done if we had to part ways.»

«…Wow. I had no idea,» said Maril, stunned by Ordile’s tale.

«Yeah. Most people don’t know anything about him, and he still struggles to open up to others. However, I can see that Kotone is slowly chipping away at the barrier he’s keeping around his heart.» He chuckled. «I guess she’s rubbing off some of her unlimited cheerfulness on him.»

«Hmm…» Maril looked again at the race — Pink and Grey were swimming side by side. «Okay, but even if your Trainer is getting better, that doesn’t mean he has to be such a spoilsport; he doesn’t like anything!» she grumbled. «We have tried some seasonal snacks; checked a competition of craft made from shining leaves; strolled through the orange paths of the garden besides the temple. Every time, he either huffed, or sighed, or rolled his eyes!»

«Nothing that I didn’t expect from him,» responded Ordile, before glancing behind. «However, I’d like you to look carefully at him now.»

«Huh?»

Maril turned around and stared hard at Silver. She saw the narrowed eyes, the eyebrows furrowed, the neutral… smile? The mouse’s eyes widened subtly, while Ordile grinned.

«You’re seeing it, aren’t you? That smile. He’s actually enjoying the festival!» The alligator’s grin widened. «It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him happy about something that doesn’t involve training and battling.»

Maril stared at Ordile as if he had grown a new head. «What? He’s happy

«Yeah! He doesn’t like to show off his emotions, but I’ve been with him for three years and I can more or less tell what he’s thinking.» Ordile glanced at Kotone. «Oh! And look at Kotone’s smile. I bet she’s considering that the greatest of feats, too.»

Maril observed her Trainer carefully, who was talking about something while Silver listened. The grin on Kotone’s face was one of the brightest the mouse had ever seen. The brunette was truly using her best tricks to get Silver out of his shell, and most puzzling of all, it was working!

However, was she so cheerful because her persistence was paying off, or because of…?

But before the two Pokémon could continue their conversation, shocked outcries came from the surrounding crowd, and they looked around in puzzlement. What was happening?

Maril noticed that everyone was looking toward the sky, and she followed their gazes. «What the…?! Ordile! Look over there!»

Ordile did as asked and immediately understood why everyone was freaking out: a wild Pigeon caught the calico Koiking. The mid-sized pigeon flaunted the pink feathers on its head with confidence and clutched the carp harder, which squirmed helplessly. Whatever Splash the Koiking had pulled off to jump so high was about to turn the fish into bird lunch. Ordile growled, droplets of water gathering inside his jaws.

«Hey, you punk! Leave that Koiking alone!» roared Ordile at the pigeon, readying himself to shoot a water stream.

But then, the struggling Koiking glowed with a blinding white light, while its body became more amorphous… and bigger. Ordile dispelled the watery energy, surprised by the turn of events.

«Wait, is that…?» cried Maril in alarm.

«Oh darn! It’s really that

With a burst of draconic speed, Ordile rushed toward their two Trainers and wrapped his arms around them, much to the astonishment of both. That proved to be timely, as the snatched carp morphed into an enormous serpent of light and dragged the startled bird down with its increased mass.

Splash! A tidal wave drenched the unlucky guests, who didn’t interpret the warning signs in time. Luckily, Ordile’s imposing size shielded both Silver and Kotone from the wave, the water flowing harmlessly down his scales and not a single drop hitting the two teenagers. Maril was unfazed as well, her water-repelling fur keeping her completely dry. Groans, huffs and murmurs sounded all around them, echoing the displeasure of the various guests.

“Whoa, huh! Thanks, Ordile,” breathed out Kotone, baffled by what transpired.

“…Yeah. Good job,” said Silver, flashing a small smile. However, he quickly realized how close he was being held to Kotone and winced in embarrassment. “…Huh. Okay, you can let us go now.”

Ordile nodded and released both Trainers from his grip. Kotone readjusted her cap and checked on her kimono to make sure no water ended on it, while Silver dusted off the sleeves with his hands, unconsciously trying to shake off the awkwardness.

The two still-dry teenagers and their Pokémon looked at the other guests, soaked from head to sandals or paws with the fresh water of the pond. The local six-tailed foxes were quick to offer their help, starting a few rounds of Heat Wave to dry the participants faster.

And the newly evolved calico Gyarados? It looked at everyone around in embarrassment, its stare going from the fleeing Pigeon, to the wet guests, to the rival Koiking flopping helplessly on the floor, to its own Trainer who was squeezing his soaked cap.

Kotone sweatdropped and chuckled nervously. “Err… Well, that’s one flashy way to awaken a dragon spirit, I suppose!”

“Hmph! There’s a time and place for evolution,” commented Silver, crossing his arms and looking impassively at the scene, “and that wasn’t it.”

“Um, I think we could… just go somewhere else, yeah? I very much doubt they’ll continue the race.”

“As long as we won’t have other surprises…” Silver glanced at the brunette. “What’s in your mind?”

Kotone narrowed her eyes in thought, before clapping her hands and grinning. “Say… Are you hungry? I know a good place…”
First of all, I loved that you mentioned the card game, so that's probably my favorite bit :tongue:

‘…Why do people collect cards and fight with holographic creatures when they could just catch and train real Pokémon?’ thought Silver, unimpressed. ‘That makes no sense.’
bruh
“Yay! This is gonna be so much fun!” exclaimed Kotone in delight, before motioning to follow. “C’mon! There’s plenty to see! Let’s go!”
The Rosa vibes are strong with Kotone, and I like it :smile:
“Huh? What was that?” asked Zossie, looking for the source.

Matsuba showed a heartening smile. “That was Barney. He can telepathically project the words transcribed by our ancestors,” explained Matsuba. “There are many mantras they used to recite whenever they communed with the guardians, and this is one of those mementos.”

A dark mist cloaked the scene, but it dissipated just as quickly. Three monks were now standing in front of the legend, carrying offerings to appease their guardian. Lugia scrutinized the monks, then it checked the offerings by pecking at them. Its gaze softened significantly and its throat made a guttural cry, before spreading out its wings and staring at the sky. That seemed to be a signal, as the monks raised their hands and aimed at the legend.

Dulse rubbed his chin. “What are those monks doing?”
I like the fact that they're interacting with the Ultra Recon Squad, but I forgot who Matsuba was until I saw the mention of Ghost gym leader. :censored:
As if to answer the question, Lugia announced its presence with a mighty roar, and the group turned toward the beast. However, there was something off about it.

Marks of battle marred its previously immaculate and splendent feathery scales, with countless scaleless patches exposing the dark blue skin underneath. Its eyes glowed with an ominous red light, matching the color of the malignant aura surrounding its body. A crimson twister surrounded the beast, who launched it toward some giant shadows hidden among the black clouds. Lightning struck, flames engulfed the tower, and a dark smoke veiled the scene.
Your descriptions are solid overall, but I decided to pick this one. Great use of more colorful prose here, and it's not alone.

While I don't think that there's anything wrong with long chapters(I've written em myself), I do think that it would've been better to push back some of what was in here. Like, maybe have Silver and Kotone be the focus, then have the Ho-oh and Lugia part of the next chapter or a later chapterI hope that made sense. I had a similar thing going on, so I had to move some bits from past chapters around and trim some of it.

But overall, it's a solid chapter, and the writing's great. (y)
 

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
unknown.png


Disc 0:

The Monster… Coach and the Rainbow!

“Bullies, Athletes and Golden Bonfires”



***


[Note: this chapter uses Japanese names of Pokémon, people and locations. I’m making sure to help determine who is who and what is what throughout the narration, however.]


***​


A Lucky Yakisoba for Kotone, filled with fried noodles, fresh eggs and thinly cut mushrooms, and a Matoma Ramen for Silver, an explosion of mild spicy tomato flavor and seafood. Those were the specialties of the Oceanic Blast, a restaurant popular among Trainers because of its lovely atmosphere made of enthralling scents, freshly prepared dishes, wooden tables and black paintings on blue walls depicting Lugia and other underwater creatures.

Also, it had a well-kept internal garden where people could let their Pokémon out and give them foods appropriate to their species, ranging from protein shakes enriched with iron and other minerals for Silver’s Crobat and some stranger’s Ariados, to some berries for Kotone’s Pichu and Silver’s Foodin (who was entertaining the younger Pokémon by telekinetically juggling some bowls with his two psychic spoons), to raw fish for Ordile and a Persian with a pink ribbon around its neck.

Despite the minor grievance of not being able to eat with their own Pokémon for hygiene reasons, that was the ideal place for many Trainers to talk about their respective journeys and trade battle tips.

Kotone’s eyes gleamed under the lighting of the restaurant and her cheeks became rosier as she stared at her dish; what a wonderful aroma!

“Oooh yeah! This gotta go to my food diary!” exclaimed the brunette. She activated her Pokégear and snapped a few photos, choosing the best angles and beam her best smiles. Just the time for her photos to be online that she received plenty of virtual Lovecus — or, as her Galarish-speaking friends would say, Luvdisc — in response, which made her grin in delight.

Silver, however, focused entirely on his ramen, nodding a few times as he enjoyed the taste and texture of the handmade noodles. And that sauce! It had the perfect balance between spice and spiciness, enough to give that tingling pleasure without making the mouth burst into flames. A massive step up from the instant noodles he used to eat, that’s for sure.

He blinked at his table companion, befuddled by her behavior. “I thought you were hungry. What’re you doing?”

“Oh, I gotta update my blog. My friends love to check out my food diary, where I upload photos of the dishes I try out and recipes of bon juices to improve my Pokémon’s performance,” she responded, her gaze locked on the screen. “I could send you a link, if you want.”

Silver inspected her smartwatch: crisp LCD graphics, customizable cover, and dozens of available functions. That was a Pokégear HGSS-09, the latest trend popular among young Trainers… Tch! What a waste of money! He was perfectly fine with his five-year-old Pokégear GSC-00. It’s not like he used it for anything outside of messages, radio and GPS, anyway.

“I’m not really interested in that kinda stuff,” he said, wrapping some noodles around his chopsticks, “but you mentioned bon juice recipes.”

Kotone nodded. “Yeah?”

“Aren’t those usually prepared by Pokéathletes?”

Another nod. “A-ha.”

Silver paused, his eyes narrowed, and the dots connected. “So you’re a Pokéathlete?”

“Yup! That’s correct.” Kotone put her Pokégear in sleep mode and started digging into the noodles with her chopsticks. “Participating to the Pokéthlon has always been my dream! Pokémon battles are fun and all, yeah, but they’re a secondary goal for me.” She took a piece of mushroom out of her plate. “Though, I always do my best to balance both activities out. After all, Pokémon must build their stamina and strength, too.”

“Ah…”

Neither teenager talked as they focused on eating their noodles — they had to eat their dishes while they were still warm, after all! However, it didn’t take long for Kotone to speak up again. “…And say, have you ever tried the Pokéthlon?”

Silver glanced at the girl, before staring at his ramen and fishing a piece of crab from his bowl. “No, never cared about it.”

“I think you should give it a go. The Pokéthlon is an excellent way to improve a Pokémon’s finesse, after all.”

“Tsk! That’s hardly relevant during actual Pokémon battles. Working on ways to overpower my opponents has worked well for me,” he rebutted, before chewing on the crab piece. “So why should I bother with that frivolous stuff?”

“Because brute force alone isn’t enough.”

Silver rolled his eyes. “Hmph. I know well that brute force alone isn’t enough! That’s when strategy comes into play.”

“Well, what if I told you that Akane participates in those, too? And that she’s very good at both her Gym Leader duties and athletic performances, especially the speed competitions?” asked Kotone, waving a piece of egg in her chopsticks.

That bit of information piqued Silver’s curiosity: Akane, the infamous Normal-type Gym Leader and renowned “Destroyer of New Trainers”, participated in those competitions, too? Not that it was too surprising, considering her obsession with cute and graceful Pokémon.

“Okay… so?” he asked, not understanding where Kotone was getting at.

“You must have challenged her to get the Regular Plain Badge, right?”

“Yeah, of course I did.”

“Then you must know how tough she is, no? From what I’ve heard, her Attract and Rollout combo is really strong and can catch many inexperienced Trainers by surprise.” Kotone waved her chopsticks. “And how did her Pippi’s Attract become so effective? How did her Miltank’s Rollout become so fast? That was by focusing on her Pokémon’s appeal potential and speed, too, which are essential skills in both competitions.”

Silver frowned. He remembered clearly what a nuisance that combination used to be. That pink star-shaped Pokémon throwing hearts left and right… Ugh! Such a sappy-looking attack!

“Yes, that was indeed annoying. However,” he glanced at his noodles and wrapped a clump of them around his chopsticks, “people make a bigger deal about it than it really is. All I needed was to use Ghost against Pippi to disrupt her with Confuse Ray, then go with Coil to paralyze Miltank and finish the job with a few Sonicboom.” He ate the noodles, then chuckled with pride. “Got the Badge on my first try!”

“Wow! That’s impressive!” remarked Kotone, staring at the redhead in awe.

Silver smirked. “Heh. Nothing more than some basic planning, really. Anyone can come up with some half-decent strategy if they stop to think about what they’re doing for a second.”

“Well, you’ve surely grown a lot as a Trainer! What have you been doing these past months?” she asked, before eating a clump of soba.

Silver narrowed his eyes, trying to recall the last time he met Kotone so that he could start from there… but nothing came to mind. He stared blankly at her, not knowing how to begin.

Kotone sensed his plight, so she lent him a hand. “Hibiki told me he has seen you in Kanto, and that Trainers are tougher over there. It must have been an excellent place to train!”

Silver grumbled: why couldn’t Hibiki mind his own business and not blab about their meetings and stuff with strangers? Granted, Kotone was no stranger, and that was the hook he needed to not keep staring at her in awkward silence.

“Yes… that’s correct,” he responded, stirring the remaining broth. “I’ve been gathering the Badges over there so that I can participate in the Kanto League at the end of the year.”

“Oooh! Planning the big stuff here! Nice!” exclaimed Kotone, looking at the redhead in admiration. “And how’s your progress? Did you get ‘em all?”

“Almost. I’m missing the Green Earth Badge.”

“Oh? Why’s that? Is the last Gym Leader too tough?”

Silver glared at the remaining noodles and poked at a piece of octopus. “No. The Gym Leader’s on a trip and won’t be back until next month.”

“Really? That’s odd.” Kotone poured some green tea into her glass, pondering about the closed Gym. “Shouldn’t there be a temporary substitute, in case a Gym Leader can’t attend their duties for such a long time?”

Silver’s glare intensified. “Hmph! Indeed, but apparently that concept makes way too much sense.”

“Wow. It must really suck, though. To know you’re one Badge short and that you can’t get it yet…”

Silver grumbled, refusing to say anything else on the matter, and brought some noodles into his mouth. Kotone got the message loud and clear and drank her tea, scrambling to find some way to change topics. Then she found a small foothold.

“Well, huh… but you already have other plans, right?” she inquired.

“…Yes. I must reach Asagi by the end of the day.”

“Ah! Lemme guess, you wanna try the Battle Tower?”

“I considered that,” he shook his head, “but no. I need to catch a ship tomorrow in the late morning.”

Kotone blinked. “A… ship? Funny that you mention that, because I’ve got to catch a ship tomorrow morning, too! For a tournament, to be exact.”

Now it was Silver’s turn to be surprised, and he stared suspiciously at Kotone. “…For Pokétopia?”

“Yes! That’s it!” She took a second to connect the dots and her eyes widened. “Wait! If you know about it, that means… You’ve got an invitation as well?”

“Yeah. I received it yesterday.”

“For me, it was a week ago. Though, I hung around at my grandparents’ place to help them out with their work.” She grinned and placed her hands on her lap. “Even so, it’s great that you’re in! I always knew you were a capable Trainer, and the fact they’ve invited you is the proof. You’re pretty famous, after all!”

“Famous, or infamous?” asked Silver, his eyes narrowing.

“Does it matter? Your skills as a Trainer are undeniable. I mean, didn’t you place in the Top 4 or something at the latest Johto League?”

“Yeah, I was the runner-up…” he muttered, before drinking some tea to placate the increasing tingle in his mouth.

The winner of the silver trophy… it was almost like the universe itself looked for creative ways to mock him about his ‘perennial runner-up’ status.

But! Things would have changed soon! He knew it! Next time, he would have reached the top of the top!

“Then you have what it takes for this tournament!” exclaimed Kotone with confidence. “I’m sure you’ll go very far!”

And of course, that girl had to bring more of her optimism to the table. Silver cocked an eyebrow and lowered his glass. “…You know we’ll be competing against each other, right? Encouraging and rooting for your opponents doesn’t seem exactly a wise strategy.”

“Well, I’m participating more for the experience than for the victory. There will be so many people from all regions: it’s a unique opportunity!” she responded, before pumping her fists with enthusiasm. “But don’t get me wrong; I fully intend to give it all during the tournament! So watch out; you’ll have to sweat to snatch the victory from me!”

Silver chuckled, somewhat amused. So even she had some competitive bones. Good. “Heh. We’ll see about that.”

“Anyway, wanna know a few goodies I’ve found out about the championship?” she asked, winking meaningfully.

“…I’m all ears.”

“Okay, good! So, as you might have found out from the timetable, Trainers from all over the world will attend the tournament. However, I’ve heard that many members of the various Elite Four and regional Champions will participate as well. In fact, Wataru will be there, too.”

Silver regarded Kotone with a stunned glance, before flashing an intrigued smirk. “Now that’s interesting! I have a score to settle with that Dragon Tamer!”

“And, ah… as the current Johto League Champion, Hibiki told me he has accepted and will be there, too.”

That goody was far less exciting, and Silver’s smile faltered. Not unexpected, but it didn’t make the news any easier to swallow. “I see…” He looked again at his bowl and sipped some broth.

“And the same goes with… huh…” she started twiddling her fingers, knowing well that Silver wouldn’t like that news, “with Kris…”

Silver stiffened; the shock was so great that he sipped the broth too fast. He coughed to clear his throat and his eyes widened. “K-Kris?!”

Kotone looked apprehensively at the redhead and patted him on his back to help him out. “Oh, my! Do you need water?”

Silver coughed again and shook his head. “N-no, I’m fine now…”

Kotone sat back and scrutinized Silver, looking for any unconscious signals for trouble: she knew from their few meetings that he refused to ask openly for help, so she got ready to assist him even without being asked to. However, the redhead recovered without a hitch and huffed when his windpipe was cleared of any liquid.

“So, Kris will be there, too.” He groaned. “What joy…”

The shift of expression on his face was noticeable, with one emotion standing out — disgruntlement.

“Huh, yeah. I could infer that you two are still on bad terms, from what she told about you…”

Oh, great! Not only Hibiki had to blab about him, but that annoying blue girl had to do the same and share whatever nonsensical gossip with other people? It was a matter of time until Wataru emulated those two kids… if he wasn’t doing that already, of course.

Pushing his grievances aside, Silver stared unhappily at Kotone. “‘Bad terms’ is quite the understatement. She plainly despises me!”

“Err… You just need to give her some time; Kris is stubborn like that. She… always disliked criminal organizations and irresponsible Trainers, and her hatred toward them intensified after a grunt of Team Rocket tried to steal her Chicorita. And considering that your relatives are… huh, well…” she trailed off, unsure of where her train of thought was going.

Silver’s eyes narrowed and his lips thinned. “Right…”

“B-but I’m sure she’ll get around that and get to know you for who you are!” She paused, drumming her fingers on her lap. “Someday…”

Silver shook his head. “It’s far more likely that Donfan will learn how to fly than to get Kris to change opinion about me.”

“Aww, don’t think like that,” replied Kotone, her eyes full of sympathy toward the redhead. She could only imagine how difficult it must be to stay in his shoes.

Silver gazed downward. “…But I can’t really blame her. I always pushed my Pokémon too hard and rarely thanked them for their efforts.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’m still surprised they didn’t abandon me by now…”

“Hmm… But you’ve got better at understanding their needs and feelings, no? That’s what matters!” she pointed out, before rubbing her chin. “Besides, Pokémon are very accepting and forgiving by nature, for better or for worse. I bet they’ve found something in you that attracted them.”

Silver laughed hollowly. “Indeed. Perhaps they appreciate my dry sense of humor or they have bad tastes in people…”

“Silver! Don’t say such things!” exclaimed Kotone, pouting and placing her fists on her hips. “Besides, I can tell you’re taking good care of your Pokémon!”

The redhead flashed a taunting gaze. “Oh, really? Then enlighten me. How d’you reach such a brilliant conclusion?”

Kotone cocked an eyebrow; Silver was definitely provoking her into proving him right, but she knew already how to respond. It was time to show off her newest skills!

She motioned toward the garden, where Ordile was interacting enthusiastically with Maril.

“Well then, let’s look at your Ordile, for example. I don’t see any loss in the muscle mass around his jaws, nor his neck, nor even his tail. That’s a sign of both good alimentary habits and training regimen — Wakinoko and its evolutions need plenty of food and exercise to have firm muscles and swift reflexes. So, that’s covered.”

She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “His scales have minor to none signs of injuries. That means he’s producing enough keratin to keep his external armor as sturdy as possible, limiting the risks of getting seriously injured by attacks. Also, those scales are bright, so his thermoregulation works efficiently, and he isn’t suffering from any illness or emotional stress.” She glanced at the redhead. “So, to put it simply, you’re taking good care of your Pokémon. Nice job!”

Silver stared at Kotone in stunned silence and the brunette beamed a proud smirk, amused by the redhead’s flabbergasted expression. He wasn’t expecting to have his taunt countered so cleverly and scrambled to find some angle to tackle her argument.

Then, after a minute of awkward silence, he found his voice. “How d’you…?”

Kotone kept smiling, but her pride made way to cheerfulness. “My grandparents are the owners of the Pokémon Day Care in Route 34. You should have heard about it.”

“…By hearsay.”

“Anyway, I’ve learned a lot of things about how to raise Pokémon from them. They taught me all the secrets to detect the most common body signals and find out whether a Pokémon is stressed out or sick, and what to do in the various cases.” She sighed. “I sure hope I’ll be able to reach their level someday…”

Silver flashed a puzzled expression. “So, wait… You wanna become a Pokémon Breeder?”

“That’s a path I had considered, yeah.”

“Ah.”

“Nothing’s confirmed, though. For now, I’m focusing on becoming a better Pokéathlete, alongside my team. After that, well, I’ll see what to do. But I believe that it’s better to develop multiple skills in various areas, so that I can be ready to take on whatever path I choose later, no?”

“…I suppose,” he narrowed his eyes in deep thought and nodded, “there’s some merit in that.”

“Glad we agree!” She gazed at their empty dishes and glasses, before looking again at Silver. “So, shall we get going? There are a couple more activities we could do before traveling to Asagi.”

Silver blinked. “Huh? You’re… suggesting going to Asagi together?”

“Well, yeah! We have to take the same ship, so I don’t see why we can’t travel together, if only for a day.” She paused, her smile waning somewhat. “Unless you… don’t want to do that? It’d be fine either way.”

Deep inside, Kotone hoped to spend some extra time with Silver. It was very refreshing to see that side beyond his usual gruff battle persona, and Silver himself seemed genuinely intrigued by that idea. Sure, a part of him balked at the thought of traveling with such a Pollyanna, but another side was actually… warming up to her? It felt nice to talk with someone who didn’t hate his guts, that’s for sure.

In the end, his intrigued side won.

“Heh… Sure, why not?”


***​


Having returned to the main plaza, Silver was waiting by a stall alongside Ordile and Maril. He turned a rainbow-colored feather in front of his face — a common feather like any other, embellished with cheap paint and sold as a lucky charm. He saw nothing special about it, but Kotone had made a huge deal about the Ritual of Purification, right before she went to perform the ritual herself…

That rainbow feather will help cleanse your heart, so that you will have an easier time turning a new leaf and connecting with others! Or at least, this is what the legends claim.

Silver huffed. ‘She can’t really believe that trash! It’s not like burning a feather will erase my past mistakes and magically turn me into a better person.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s… not that easy…’

He glanced at the enormous bonfire, enclosed between a circular wall of stones and fueled with some charcoal, monitored constantly by a few Rokon and Gardie — any stray ember was caught into their manes and neutralized with their Flash Fire.

He spotted Kotone among the crowd, holding a silver-colored feather in her hand. She mentioned wanting to use it to clear her mind and help her find her true vocation or similar nonsense. With a swift motion, she threw the feather into the fire, held her hands together and bowed in a quick prayer, and returned with the others.

“Okay, I’m done. You can go now, Silver!”

The redhead frowned at the brunette, then glanced at his feather. “So, all I need to do it’s dropping this feather into that bonfire…”

“Yup! Nothing else.”

Silver stared skeptically at the feather, still unconvinced about that whole ritual, before feeling a pat on his back. He turned to Ordile, who gave a few reassuring nods and motioned toward the bonfire. There was no harm in attempting that, wasn’t there?

“We’ll wait for you here.” Kotone beamed an encouraging smile. “Remember to pour your heart into that feather, so that Ho-Oh can connect with your soul and send its blessing!”

Silver rolled his eyes. “Tch, alright.”

Without another word, he walked in front of the giant bonfire. The warmth of the flames caressed and shone on his face, giving to his eyes a golden tint. He glanced around, noticing a sign with depicted Ho-Oh and Lugia, as well as some texts:


If the soul is of pure heart, Ho-Oh shall grant it eternal happiness.

If the soul is of wicked heart, Ho-Oh shall feed it to the sacred flames of the spirit realm.

If the soul is of pure mind, Lugia shall bestow it boundless wisdom.

If the soul is of wicked mind, Lugia shall plunge it to the bottomless depths of the spirit realm.



Silver cocked an eyebrow. “How reassuring…”

He continued checking out his surroundings, this time focusing on the crowd — people of all ages were feeding the flames with their feathers. Some elders prayed to the bonfire, thanking Ho-Oh for blessing them with longstanding and joyful lives, while some young people thanked Lugia for clearing their troubled minds and helping them make life-changing decisions.

Silver sighed and turned to the flames. “Well, since I’m here, I may as well go through with this nonsense.” And so, he tossed the lucky charm into the burning coals.

The feather caught fire immediately, its shape twisting and crumbling and the paint evaporating. Dark smoke rose from the vanishing ashes, carrying a pungent scent reminiscent of hot vinegar mixed with pepper. Silver was unperturbed by the smell, however. He stared impassively at the bonfire, wondering why people made such a big deal about this Ritual of Rebirth. If they were so eager to burn feathers, they could just collect some of them and light them up with a Fire-type or something. They didn’t need to wait for a seasonal festival to do so.

Also, pouring his heart into a cheap feather to connect with Ho-Oh? Pfft! Sure, whatever! Even if that were true, that legendary would surely be eager to connect with him, of all people. Right.

Silver turned to rejoin the others when he saw with the corner of the eye a golden gleam in the middle of the bonfire. He blinked and leaned toward the flames to see better. However, all he could see was a red and orange fire in the middle of red and orange fire, and he shook his head.

‘This was just a waste of time…’

He sighed and stepped away from the bonfire, walking past the crowd to rejoin his companions.


***​


The sun was about to set, its fiery form barely above the Burned Tower and its beams tinging the sky in a bright orange glow. The festival was reaching its end, and the monks and Kimono Girls gathered in front of the ancient building and readied themselves to perform one of the last events.

“…The Seinaru Hai Mai,” muttered Silver, narrowing his eyes in thought. “I may’ve heard something about it. That’s the Dance of the Sacred Ash, right?”

Kotone nodded. “Yes. It’s the traditional dance performed in honor of Ho-Oh, in order to reach out for it and ask it to share some of its life force with the land, so that the plants can survive during wintertime and be reborn in spring. I’ve heard they do something like that in Unova, Kalos and Galar, too, with people communing with Landorus, Zygarde and Calyrex.”

“Wonderful, more stuff about the oh-so-amazing Ho-Oh…” commented Silver, his tone oozing sarcasm.

Kotone shrugged. “I mean, this festival takes after this city’s folklore, and Ho-Oh and Lugia are prominent figures. So…”

That made sense. It would be kind of stupid to celebrate and give tributes to the legends without featuring the legendaries prominently. However, even with that notion in mind, hearing the constant ‘Ho-Oh here’ and a ‘Lugia there’ all day long got old, and very fast.

However, that was the last activity. Only a few more minutes, and then nothing would have stopped Silver from traveling to Asagi, whether or not he was in company. As such, he cleared his mind and focused entirely on the incoming event.

The Kimono Girls were standing side by side, their clothes and poises as graceful as always. Their Pokémon were with them, focused and unmoving as they waited for the signal. Silver noticed three more Kimono Girls, who looked younger than the ones he had faced years ago. Each of them owned a different evolution of Eievui: Leafia, the Grass-type fox; Glacia, the Ice-type fox; and Nymphia, the Fairy-type fox.

A chorus of clear bells chimed, their limpid sounds rippling throughout the surroundings. The crowd quieted down, and even the wild Pokémon became silent, in an unspoken sign of reverence.

“Oh! The mai is about to start…” half-whispered Kotone, readjusting her hat. Silver simply nodded and crossed his arms. It was time to see what that dance was about.

The Kimono Girls broke up the formation and split in couples, with each pair moving beside each corner of the Burned Tower. Dancers and Pokémon looked toward the sky, silently praying for the deities living above, until a soft and pleasant melody of zithers and traditional bells filled the air.

Then it started: the Kimono Girls and their Pokémon strode around the imposing building with slow and rhythmic steps. Shining leaves waved above the dancers, carried around by a gentle breeze and illuminated by the shy sunset beams.

One, two, three steps; a slow clockwise twirl and a bell chime.

Thunders, Booster and Showers stepped toward the crowd. A skyward thunderbolt from the electric fox and a pillar of fire from the fire fox illuminated the tower with yellow sparks and bright embers, giving off the impression that it was ablaze. The musician sounded their zithers faster, even faster, almost frantic.

Then, the water fox summoned a rain cloud, making droplets fall in front of the tower. A calming rain, accompanied by a relaxing melody, and the flames became embers, then smoke. The three Pokémon walked after their Trainers.

One, two, three, a twirl and a chime.

It was the turn of Blacky and Glacia. The dark fox unleashed a pulse of darkness and surrounded himself in a black veil, while the ice fox cloaked himself in a faint mist made with his frosty breaths. Thick darkness permeated the base of the tower, with only Blacky’s crimson eyes glowing in the haze, and hoarfrost chilled the terrain. A gloomy atmosphere, rueful and heartbreaking — even the melody of the zithers slowed down and took a more melancholic and somber timber.

The darkness and frost dissipated, and the two Pokémon rejoined their Trainers.

One, two, three, a twirl and a chime.

Eifie, Nymphia and Leafia took the stand at last. The psychic fox summoned a Morning Sun, bright enough to outshine even the sunset, while the fairy fox lifted his tendrils toward the sky and filled the air with a Misty Terrain. The light of the miniature sun gave to the pixie-powered mist a plethora of pastel hues, reminiscent of cotton candy. With a few twirls of Nymphia’s tendrils, the cloud took the shape of a rainbow twister.

That was the cue for Leafia. The grass fox poured his energy to the ground, making many grassy knots sprout underneath the trio’s paws and covering the terrain with fresh grass. The zithers played a joyous melody, the soothing song of life and rebirth, and the three Pokémon dispelled their attacks to rejoin their Trainers.

One, two, three… a final twirl and a final chime. The melody of the instruments faded slowly… slowly… and silence. Only silence.

Seconds passed, and an uproar of applause exploded. The dancers and musicians took in the praise with pride, bowing at their audience. Even the wild Pokémon seemed elated and made loud and cheerful cries from the depths of the woods.

Kotone grinned in delight and clapped with enthusiasm. Despite having watched that same dance countless times as a child, she felt her heart brimming with joy and peace at watching those elegant motions.

“So, whatcha think about it?” she asked, glancing sideways at Silver.

The redhead traded glances with her, mulling over her questions. “That was… something, I guess.” He shrugged. “I’ve never been into dances and that kinda stuff.”

“Hmm… That’s fair. I know many people who don’t like those, either.” She stared intently at the Burned Tower, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face. “…Just looking at the tower… it’s hard to believe it’s been two years already.”

Hm? What was Kotone talking about now? Silver blinked in confusion and turned to the brunette, who was tapping her mouth with her hand.

“Two years…?” he asked.

“Yeah. Y’know, since that happened?”

Once again, Silver blinked and looked even more puzzled. “…Okay, can you stop talking in riddles and explain what you mean?”

“Huh? Don’t tell me you forgot!” she replied incredulously.

The redhead said nothing, limiting himself to shoot an impatient glare. Right, no more riddles.

“Well, it’s been two years since the day we met each other,” she replied, before motioning toward the tower. “And it was right there, during a spring day.”

Two years… has it really been that long? Silver never thought much about meetings and encounters, what with his focus being mostly toward training and getting stronger. When he started off as a Trainer, relationships outside of rivalries were irrelevant and just a waste of time.

However, after some quick racking of his brains, vague fragments started surfacing. Burned Tower… spring… Kotone… hm, nope. Still too vague. He needed some other clue to jog his memories.

“Ah! And you also used to wear that black jacket, now that I think about it,” continued Kotone, before winking at the redhead. “Though, you look fab in those dark blue clothes, too! You truly have an expert eye for fashion!”

Silver glanced at the brunette in surprise. Nobody had ever commented about his clothing, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit flattered by that comment. “Huh… It’s just clothes, not really—”

He paused when he registered an important detail. She mentioned a black jacket. When did he wear a black—oh!

Silver’s eyes widened in realization. The black jacket… Yes, he remembered that piece of clothing. But wow, how did he forget about it, to begin with?

Well… there was a reason. That jacket was nothing more than a perpetual reminder of the weak person he used to be and a foul memento of his home. Something he had grown to resent as he kept honing his skills and his heart. Something… painful to keep looking at.

Tsk! No wonder he got rid of it at some point. He wouldn’t have been able to move on if he stayed stuck to the past. It was already hard enough to move on as is.

“…Oh. Yeah.” Silver nodded slowly. “Now I remember. It was back when…” He trailed off, refusing to finish the sentence.

A scaly hand gripped his shoulder, and the redhead turned to Ordile. The Pokémon had a knowing stare, his eyes saying that he remembered that period, too.

Kotone took a deep breath and looked at her Maril, who seemed somewhat apprehensive. However, the brunette’s expression became more serious and determined. She really wanted to tackle that topic.

“…I remember that day so clearly. Back when there were rumors of legendary Pokémon lurking in the depths of the tower and all of that. It was…” she twiddled her fingers, “something…”


***​


Two years prior…


It was a pleasant spring day. Countless light gray clouds filled the sky, announcing an incoming rain, and cherry petals swirled in the wind, carried around by a fresh breeze.

However, there were a few oddities about that day: the sun was hotter than usual, the clouds poured rain at irregular intervals, and an anomalous northern wind blew continuously across the entire city. Also, there were reports of strange creatures lurking in the depth of the Burned Tower, whose descriptions from witnesses matched the ancient legendary beasts — something that hadn’t happened in almost a century!

Despite the uniqueness of that event, very few dared to explore the tower because of its unstable and fragile foundation and the infamous prowess of those creatures. But Kotone was one of those few daring people — she always found legendary Pokémon fascinating and wouldn’t miss this chance to see them for anything in the world!

Some inhabitants warned her about the dangerousness of the tower and recommended her to not fight inside the building unless absolutely necessary — an intense fight could make the already-fragile floors collapse.

Keeping their advice in mind, Kotone ventured into the ancient building, with her Maril following closely. The mouse glanced around their surroundings, using her fine ears to pick up even the faintest noises. She detected echoes of wild Zubat and the noisy squeaks of groups of Koratta, but nothing that made her think of “legendary beasts”… even though she didn’t know how a legendary beast sounded like.

“We’d better be careful,” said Kotone, looking at some holes scattered around. “We don’t want to stumble into any of those — the fall wouldn’t be pretty!”

Maril nodded, keeping eyes and ears peeled. Then, she detected some unknown noise and tapped her Trainer on her leg. Once she got Kotone’s attention, the mouse beckoned the brunette to follow her, and the two walked toward a quieter side of the tower. They could see many more holes scattered around the place, and even the wild Pokémon seemed gone. Maybe they were wary of that area?

Kotone and Maril blinked when they spotted somebody standing beside a giant hole. He was a kid with red hair and red eyes, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans, with his gaze fixed on the darkness below. What was he looking at? Kotone approached slowly…

Crack!

She yelped and looked under her foot, noticing fragments of carbonized wood. The sudden noise had alerted the redhead, who whirled toward her.

“Who’s there?” he demanded, eyes narrowed.

Kotone flinched and stared at the other Trainer, before raising her hands defensively. “Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

Silver glared at the girl and grumbled in annoyance. He evidently didn’t want other people around. “…Who are you?”

“I’m Kotone! Hi!” she said with a friendly smile, waving her hand. However, the redhead humphed at her and crossed his arms, which made her lower her hand. “Huh… Did I say something wrong?”

“No. I simply don’t meddle with wimps.”

Kotone frowned. “Wimps…?”

“And why’s someone like you here, of all places? It’s because…” His eyes narrowed further. “You must be here to catch the legendary Pokémon to make yourself look stronger. That is only a dream. You see, the legendary Pokémon suit a Trainer like me,” he motioned toward himself and smirked arrogantly, “who has sworn to become the strongest Trainer.”

“…Huh, I’m not here for that reason. All I’d like to do it’s seeing the legends, nothing else.” She tilted her head. “But wait! You’re… planning to catch them?”

Silver sneered at the girl. “Well, duh! We’re talking about legendary Pokémon here. And I’m going to make them my partners by force, if I have to.”

“By force? But… what about proving yourself to the Pokémon, getting their consent and all of that?” she rebutted, not liking where the discussion was going.

“Tch! That’s the lousy thinking of a loser. Strength’s what matters and gets things done,” his voice darkened, “and I’ll use it to crush whoever gets in my way.”

A roar sounded from inside the hole, and both Trainers looked at it. Was that the cry of the legendary Pokémon?

Silver spotted a nearby staircase and started walking toward it, but Kotone and Maril rushed in front of him. The redhead froze on his steps, then glowered at the girl. “What are you doing?”

“Getting in your way,” she responded, clenching her fists defensively and holding them close to her face. “You’re going to enrage the legendary Pokémon with that attitude! I… I can’t let you pass!”

“Are you asking for trouble?”

Kotone didn’t respond, but she couldn’t help but feel intimidated by those piercing red eyes. Maril stood protectively in front of her Trainer, ready for an eventual fight.

“Hmph. Alright. If you’re so eager to get trounced,” he growled and readied a Poké Ball, “then so be it!”

Silver threw the sphere upwards, which released a middle-sized blue alligator with a cave dweller-like pattern on his belly. The Pokémon roared at Kotone and Maril, showing off his sharp fangs, and took a battle stance.

So that was it — he was asking for a fight, and by judging his glare, he wasn’t going to back off.

Well, there was no time to be cautious. They had to stop him!

“Maril, go!” shouted Kotone, opting for a speedy assault. “Aqua Tail!”

Maril grabbed her tail and started rotating it like a lasso, while a stream of water came out of the glowing sphere. She squealed a battle cry and swung her appendage forward, carrying the power of a wrecking ball. Silver and his Pokémon were unfazed by her bravado, however.

Alligates, bite into that tail!” commanded the redhead.

The alligator nodded and opened his jaws wide. Just before the opposing attack connected, he lurched forward and bit hard into the blue tip, easily enduring the stream of water. Maril winced when the fangs sank into her tail, but that was nothing compared to what followed. Alligates threw his head back, pulling the trapped mouse with him, before swinging his head forward and slamming Maril into the floor. She squealed in pain, the wood breaking under her back and the splinters scratching her skin.

Kotone gasped in shock, horrified by Alligates’ assault. “Maril!”

Maril hissed as she endured the ringing pain, then glared at her opponent. She pulled at her tail and bolted forward with a spring-boosted Body Slam. That counterattack took Alligates by surprise, who received the attack head-on and let go of the mouse’s tail.

Freed from the alligator’s vise, Maril distanced herself from her opponent and puffed her fur, while her tail swayed threateningly — she wouldn’t lower her guard anymore.

Silver smirked arrogantly. “What a joke. A battle with Team Rocket grunts is just right for you!” he sneered, before shaking his head. “But hey! Out of desperation, weak people sometimes do okay at fighting back.”

“Do okay…?” parroted Kotone in disbelief, before glaring at her opponent. “We’re just getting started! Maril,” she clenched her fists, “Defense Curl!”

Maril nodded and emulated her Trainer. Her fur puffed and her skin hardened, covering all the scratches sustained so far and giving to her body a rounder shape.

Silver cocked an eyebrow. “That’s really all you got?”

“…Rollout.”

The redhead’s eyes widened. So that was what she was trying to do. “Alligates, Rage!” he shouted.

Alligates nodded and crossed his arms, just as Maril curled into a tight ball and rolled toward him. The smoother skin allowed her to race at higher speed, while rocks and debris stuck on her body to strengthen her attack.

And slam! The rolling mouse rammed into the alligator, who clenched his fangs as he let his ire build. He swiped at his opponent, hitting the living ball with a rage-powered strike and sending it against a column. Maril didn’t seem bothered by that, as her hardened skin cushioned both blows.

“Keep going, Maril! Rollout!”

“Rage once more! Take her down!”

The two Water-types glared at each other and carried out their respective commands. Maril became faster and stronger with each rush, while Alligates’ rage built up with each collision and retaliated in kind. With each charge and swipe their stamina took heavier and heavier tolls, but then the tides turned: Alligates dodged the last Rollout, making Maril lose her momentum… and leaving her open to another assault.

Silver smirked in triumph. “Aqua Jet!”

Alligates roared, feeling the surge of power from both his rage-induced status and his Torrent ability, and sped toward the mouse like a watery bullet. Both Kotone and Maril stared in shock at the massive stream of water surrounding the alligator, and the mouse braced herself with a last-resort Defense Curl.

Smack! The impact had such raw power that it sent tremors and bursts of water across the entire area. Maril careened into a nearby column and squealed aloud when she smashed through the wood. The collision was too much for the mouse, who fell forward and lolled on the rim of the wood, senseless.

“M-Maril…” stammered Kotone in dumbfound, before withdrawing her unconscious Pokémon into her Poké Ball.

“…Hmph! I’m not fighting with another weakling ever again. It’s just too much playing around,” said Silver, dusting off his sleeves with indifference.

Kotone glared defiantly at the redhead and reached out for another Poké Ball. “You think you’ve already won? Then—”

A sharp crack and the wood shook. Kotone blinked and checked out the area: the water blasts from the Aqua Jet had smashed enormous holes into the floor. The weakened floor cracked underneath her feet, and she gasped when the planks split into a zigzagged crevice. But before she could even move, the floor collapsed, sending her screaming and plummeting into the darkness below.

Alligates cried in shock, and even Silver’s mood shifted instantly. Gone was his cockiness, and his face twisted into a horrified grimace.

No! He didn’t mean to… that wasn’t meant to happen! He wanted to teach a lesson to that girl, not to…

Silver and his Pokémon ran toward the hole, making sure to not fall into it as well. Even though the redhead didn’t have a high opinion of Kotone, he didn’t want her gravely injured… or worse. He peered through the raised dust, trying to spot her silhouette.

“Hey! Can you hear me?”

The two waited for any sign of life — groaning, moaning, even crying — but all they got was silence.

Alligates hissed a concerned call. More silence. More dust clouds. No, she couldn’t be…

“C’mon! Answer already!” yelled Silver, growing anxious.

Still no response. Only silent dust. Dread crawled on their backs as they began fearing the worst…

“I-I’m here…” came the pained response.

Alligates made a soft hiss and Silver gasped. The dust cloud dissipated completely, showing the girl lying on her back. She was regaining consciousness!

“Hey! Are you hurt?!” asked Silver, barely able to mask his concern.

“Ow…” Kotone slowly sat up and checked on herself. “No, I’m fine… sorta. My bag cushioned the fall. I’ve got a few scrapes, yeah, but nothing concerning.”

Silver sighed in relief. “Thank goodness…”

However, nearby creaks alarmed everyone. Silver supervised the area where Kotone was sitting, finding out that more cracks were making their way on the blackened wood.

There was no time to lose.

“Don’t move a muscle, alright? We don’t want that other floor to collapse, too,” commanded Silver. “I’ll get you outta there.”

“O-okay!” responded Kotone, staying as still as she could.

Okay… okay… but how could Silver get her out safely? He took another look at his surroundings when his gaze stopped on a mostly intact column. Mental gears spun, and he rummaged into his belt bag. There it was — an Escape Rope. Perfect!

Without skipping a beat, Silver tied the rope to the pillar and tugged the rope to test the endurance of the wood. No creaks, no jolts. Yes, it would surely support her weight.

He brought the other end of the rope toward the hole and threw it to the brunette. “Tie this around your waist! Quick!”

As soon as the brunette did as told, he looked at Alligates. “C’mon, we gotta pull her back up!” he commanded, clutching the rope. Despite being weary, the Pokémon nodded and emulated his Trainer.

“Ready?”

Another quick nod.

“Then pull!”

Silver and Alligates started pulling the rope, slowly lifting the girl. Kotone glanced around the dark floor, holding onto that line for dear life. With the corner of her eyes, she noticed a few shadows in the darkness. Were those…?

But then, a jolt startled her, and she looked upward. Her eyes widened in shock: the rope was unraveling, as the jagged wooden pieces cut through it like knives. “Aah! The rope!”

Silver became alarmed by her shout and studied the rope, immediately spotting the problem: it was going to break! He had to act quickly!

And then it snapped.

Kotone felt her breath rushing out her lungs and she shut her eyes, too shocked to even scream, when something caught her arm. She looked back up and gasped — Silver was holding onto her arm.

“I… gotcha…” he grunted, straining to not let her go. Alligates came to his aid, and with their combined effort, they pulled the girl back up. And just in the nick of time, as the floor below collapsed not a second too late.

Deep breaths and gasps were the only noises heard in that area. Kotone was holding her hand over her heart, feeling it thumping as if ready to burst out of her chest. Meanwhile, Silver wiped the sweat with a sleeve, and Alligates lied down on the floor, completely drained after the effort. The Water-type tapped his Trainer on his leg, and the latter withdrew him into his Poké Ball without uttering a word.

Then Kotone caught enough breath to speak. “T-thanks…”

Silver shook his head dismissively. “…Don’t mention it.”

The two teenagers stayed silent afterward, looking in completely different directions. Neither knew what to say, with Kotone still assimilating everything that happened and Silver finding himself in an awkward spot between what his mind wanted to say (“What an idiot! That’s what happens when you get in my way!”) and what his heart reminded him (“It wasn’t even her fault. I shouldn’t have behaved like that…”).

Tired of the stifling silence, Kotone tried to start a conversation. Something friendly. “Um… Say, what’s your name? You didn’t tell me earlier,” she said, leaning forward with mild curiosity.

The redhead stared hard at her for a long time, then he looked away. “…I’m Silver.”

Silver? Silver… why did that name sound so familiar?

Then, Kotone remembered: Hibiki and Kris had warned her about a kid with red hair and red eyes. He was a thief. He was a bully. And yet, in that moment, he was a hero. She smiled sweetly. “That’s a nice name!”

Silver glanced at the girl in puzzlement. How did she retrieve her cheerfulness so fast?

“Hmph. Yeah, well, my name isn’t exactly popular nowadays…” he grumbled.

“Yeah, I guess I know why.”

He blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

“You’re the red-haired thief, right?”

Silver scowled at Kotone and growled. “If you’re gonna lecture me, then—”

“I won’t.”

“…What?”

“Yes, you’ve done some bad things. And that rudeness you’ve shown earlier… I didn’t like that, either. However,” she smiled sweetly, “I can’t hate the person who just saved me. That was so brave~!”

Befuddlement filled Silver’s mind. That was a turn of events he didn’t expect. Nobody had ever talked or behaved around him in such a way in a very long time. With… kindness. That was new.

“Well, I… couldn’t just leave you there…” he muttered, finding it harder to keep eye contact.

Kotone tilted her head and stared curiously at the redhead, as if analyzing him with her sharp receptivity. The rapid shift from uncaring jerk to audacious rescuer didn’t go unnoticed to her, and suspicion started seeping into her mind. “…You’re one of those guys who hide their sensitive sides by behaving grumpy and gruff all the time, huh?”

Silver stiffened and felt uneasy, almost panicky. “What?! N-no, I’m not—!” He quickly regained his composure and scowled at the girl. “Don’t spout such nonsense!”

Ha! There it was: stammering, followed by a vehement reaction. She had seen right through his act and her grin widened. That was enough to unnerve Silver.

“Oh my gosh! You totally are, aren’t you?” she chirped, holding her hands together. “Aw! That’s so endearing!”

In one fell swoop, Silver’s entire gruff persona shattered once more, and he stared numbly at the brunette. “E-endearing?!”

“Yup! But don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone.” Kotone winked reassuringly. “Your little secret is safe with me.”

Silver stared blankly at the girl, struggling to process the entire situation.

What was going on? He didn’t understand! Just… how? Why did that make him feel so restless? What was that strange fuzzy sensation? What was happening to him?!

Unable to wrap his head around his own emotional state, Silver got back to his feet and gazed at the floor. He was grateful that his hair was long enough to cover his face; he didn’t even want to imagine his expression and surely didn’t want that girl to look at him like that.

“Hmph! Whatever! Don’t go fall into other holes on your way back!” he grumbled in annoyance, then bolted away from Kotone, much to her astonishment.

Only once he was out of the tower he stopped running and took several calming breaths, trying to get a grip of his racing emotions.

How did that girl make him feel like that with just a few pretty words? How dare she make him feel so weak?! He hated feeling weak! He wasn’t weak!



But despite the initial panic and anger, once his adrenaline worn off and his heart slowed down, he began feeling… good, almost as light as a feather.

Yes. Those words of hers felt… nice. For once, someone didn’t treat him with scorn and contempt, and that was… very nice. Much appreciated, even. And… no! He refused to admit that. He was too proud to admit that.

Silver huffed and glanced pensively at the burned building. With a conflicted mind, he slipped his hands into his pockets and resumed his journey. There would have been another time to capture the legendary Pokémon…


***​


“Ooh! So you really remember!” exclaimed Kotone, before ginning at the other teenager. “Especially the last moments!”

Silver grumbled and crossed his arms. “Yeah… Did you really have to spout all that sappy stuff?”

That remark got a hearty laugh out of Kotone, making Silver humph and roll his eyes in annoyance.

“Well! That ‘sappy stuff’ was my younger self being my younger self,” she responded between her giggles. “Still, it was back then that I understood.”

“…Understood what?”

“That even though you treated everyone with hostility and everyone treated you with hostility, there was some good in you.”

“Good in me…” Silver scoffed at that sentence. “Tsk! Right…”

“Oh, c’mon! You know that’s true, and I don’t understand why you keep denying the evidence.”

“Ah, I dunno. Maybe because I’m an irredeemable jerk and everything?” He frowned unhappily. “Or maybe because ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’, so I must be as horrible as…” he paused as the memories of his grandma flashed in his mind, and growled, “my family?”

Ordile stared sadly at his Trainer, his gaze screaming ‘no, don’t say such things, you aren’t like them’. Luckily for him, Kotone shared his same sentiment and wasn’t afraid to voice that out.

“Now that’s not true! You’re different, and you’ve also changed,” she protested.

“Am I really? I don’t think so.”

“And I believe that.”

“Oh please! Do you honestly think it’s that easy for people to change? Besides, you barely know me! Most of the stuff you know it’s from others!”

“I know what I need to know.”

“No, you don’t, so don’t make absurd assumptions about me!” he hissed angrily. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve done many terrible things, like stealing someone’s Pokémon and treating people who got on my nerves like garbage! I’m not some goody two-shoes like you!”

For the first time in the entire day, Kotone dropped completely her cheerful demeanor and challenged his glare with her own serious stare. She wouldn’t back down.

“My gosh! Will you stop berating yourself so much? Nothing stopped you from just abandoning me in that hole!” she harrumphed, before pointing toward the tower. “Why bother getting me out of that place if I just got in your way? You could have just treated me like garbage — like you said — and move on as if nothing happened!”

Silver gnashed his teeth and scowled at her. “C’mon, what’s the big deal? I’m not that heartless!”

A heavy silence fell as soon as those words registered in everyone’s mind. Kotone gasped and her frown turned into a triumphant smirk, while Silver’s eyes widened upon realizing what escaped his lips. Even the two Pokémon were stunned.

“…Forget I said anything…” muttered Silver, trying to sneak out of that uncomfortable situation.

“Nope! Won’t do. Especially not that final sentence~!” teased Kotone with a playful wink. “‘I’m not that heartless?’ Those are your words, not mine!”

Silver blinked and noted the pleased grin on Ordile’s muzzle — even the alligator seemed elated to hear those words from his Trainer. The redhead was disorientated, completely taken off-guard, and failed to come up with some witty comeback.

‘Drat! I’ve been had… again!’

Having detected his discomfort, Kotone beamed a reassuring smile.“Aw, don’t be so flustered. There’s no shame in being open about how you feel, and I see you needed to tell those words to yourself.” Her hands went behind her back and she giggled happily. “I’m not gonna think any less of you!”

Silver said nothing at first, slowly processing everything, then he looked toward the floor. “How…?”

“Hm?”

“I don’t understand how you do that…”

Kotone tilted her head in confusion. “Huh… do what?”

“How you… always treated me so kindly despite our divergences, and after…” he winced, his guilt weighing on him once more, “everything I’ve done. And even now, you…” He trailed off and shook his head. “I don’t get it!”

“Well, I’m not someone who dwells on grudges, Silver. I’ve forgiven you back then, and I forgive you now.”

“But why?”

“Because I know who you really are. You aren’t just some irredeemable jerk like some people claim, and I’ve seen how regretful you were and still are about everything. I trust you’re doing your best to atone for your past and are working very hard to change,” her smile became radiant and her voice melodious like a lyre, “and that’s something I admire and respect. You’re an inspiration for me, Silver.”

Silver stared at Kotone with genuine surprise, touched by her words. “…Really?”

“Yeah! Of course!” she said, not a single trace of doubt in her voice. “Sure, you may act tough and gruff all the time, but I know that deep down you have a soft heart of gold.”

His eyes widened. “Hey! What do you mean by—?!”

“Teh heh heh! I’m just messing with you now! Relax!” she said reassuringly, amused by his reaction.

Silver blinked, feeling some heat going to his cheeks, and hastily turned his back to everyone and crossed his arms. If he waited a second longer, his face would have flushed as red as his hair. “Hmph, whatever! What we get over with this stupid festival?”

“Hmm… Yeah, I’d say we can go. We’ve done pretty much everything,” responded Kotone, before glancing at her kimono. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to the Pokémon Center to change my clothes first. I’d prefer to travel to Asagi with my usual attire — it’s better suited for long walks.”

Silver huffed. “Tch. Fine. We can take a detour there. But you’d better be quick or I’ll leave you behind.”

“Sure, sure! I won’t take long, I promise!” she said. “Let’s go, then!”

Kotone walked by Silver’s side and nodded at him, and the two teenagers and their Pokémon started their trek toward the Pokémon Center. They noticed that there were fewer guests around, and some merchants were retiring their merchandise and closing their stalls. The brunette gazed curiously at the booths, while the redhead’s stare was locked toward the ground. Multiple thoughts were flooding his head, longing to flow out of his mind, with one thought ringing louder than the others.

He gazed at Kotone. “Hey…”

“Hm?” She turned to Silver. “Yeah? What’s up?”

“…I’m sorry. For lashing out at you back then,” he murmured, his expression slightly softer than usual. “That was uncalled for.” And then he looked away, refusing to say anything else.

Kotone blinked. She wasn’t expecting an apology, but that was far from an unwelcome surprise. That Silver… he was slowly but surely changing for the better, and it was a pity he couldn’t see that yet.

“It’s okay, Silver,” she replied with a sweet voice. “No hard feelings.”

A lone hmph was the redhead’s response. Nothing that his companions didn’t expect. Soon, the Pokémon Center came into view, and Kotone glanced at Silver.

“I’ll be right back.”

Kotone got a slow nod as her answer, which was her cue to enter the Pokémon Center with Maril in tow. Silver stared silently at the building, when he felt a pat on his back, making him jump in surprise. He glanced at Ordile, who grinned and showed a thumbs-up with his free paw, expressing how proud he was of his Trainer. Silver shot an unimpressed stare and huffed, then looked away.

But even though he refused to acknowledge it, Silver felt like his chest had become warmer and lighter.


***​


Dusk had come, and the first stars became visible in the sky. Route 39 brimmed with swarms of Barubeat led by their leaders Illumise, who coordinated the male fireflies to form complicated geometric designs, almost as if they wanted to compete with the firmament itself for the most creative patterns. Hidden amidst the tall grass there were some Korotock, playing a concert of violin-like melodies with their long knifelike arms, and wild Nyarth looking for lost shining items or producing golden orbs with the coins on their heads.

Silver had become much quieter, his mind working hard to process and assimilate the events of the day, and Kotone gave him the space and peace he needed. It’s not like she had anything to talk about, and she didn’t want to spoil the mood when they were just starting to get along. When they were… almost friends.

Flying in front of them there were Silver’s Crobat, who clicked happily as he played sound-and-find with the hidden musician crickets (winning every time thanks to his echolocation), and Kotone’s Morphon, who illuminated the path ahead of the humans with beams of light projected from her compound eyes.

The purple moth gazed curiously at the bat zipping from a direction to another, following his movements with a fraction of her eyes. «You seem to have fun over there,» she trilled.

«Yes! These melodies are so good! Also, I love flying around!» replied Crobat with a few rapid squeaks. «Hey! Why don’t we chase after those Korotock together?»

«As nice as that would be, I can’t. I’ve got to lead our Trainers with my Flash.»

«Hmm… Yes, makes sense!»

Crobat flew silently above Morphon, attracted by the bizarre scent coming off of the moth’s wings, and she clicked her mandible nervously. «…Why are you flying above me now?»

«I like the scent of your wings! It reminds me of lavender, and…» He paused and tilted his head. «Hey! How did you know I was above you? I didn’t make any sound!»

«I can see everything around me with my compound eyes. I’m seeing the path ahead of us, our Trainers behind, you above me, and… I can also see a few Persian prowling through the grass with my sonar. All of that at the same time.»

«Really? That’s impressive!» squealed Crobat, zipping downward to fly by Morphon’s side. «Speaking of eyes, I still find them weird. I’ve lived my life as a Zubat without being able to see, and then,» he swung his upper wings upwards with a dramatic flair, using his lower wings to keep flying, «whoa! I evolve into a Golbat, I gain eyes and I can see!»

«Sounds like that was quite the experience.»

«It was! But it was also worth it — I could finally see my friends’ faces!» he squealed, before clicking his fangs in delight.

«Yes, I get what you mean…» Morphon tilted her head. «Well, not about the eyes, but about gaining an extra body part and not being used to it. Like, I never had wings as a Kongpang, and then I evolved and I could fly. I took some time to get used to that.»

«Yes, I… see!» Crobat moved close to Morphon and stared into the black orbs. «How many eyes do you have there…?»

«Kyah!» squeaked Morphon, scattering some toxic powders in fright. Crobat noticed the purple cloud and hastily flew underneath, then blew the dust away with a powerful gust to keep their Trainers safe.

The moth took some time to calm down, rubbing her head with one of her upper legs. «Ugh! Don’t fly so close, please! That was startling!» she squeaked in annoyance.

«Sorry, sorry! I won’t do that again!» squealed Crobat, his ears flattening in shame. He flew once again by Morphon’s side and shot a curious gaze. «…But wow! How did you do that?»

«What? My powder attack?» she trilled in confusion.

«No. How did you speak like a Crobat?»

«Oh, you mean,» her trill morphed into a squeak, «with this voice?»

Crobat nodded. «Yes! That!»

«This is a skill that we Morphon have developed to protect ourselves from predators — we confound them by speaking like them.»

«Aah! But why imitate a Crobat?»

«Because Crobat are our primary predator, of course.» Morphon paused as she remembered with what she was talking to and fluttered in embarrassment. «Oh! Huh… No offense.»

«None taken! In fact, I find that amazing!» squealed Crobat with admiration.

«Oh… thank you?» trilled Morphon uneasily, her Flash faltering a little. «But, well… You aren’t hungry right now, right…?»

«…Hm?» The bat narrowed his eyes in confusion, before flying backward in shock. He shook vehemently his head. «Oh! No, no! I’m not one of those Crobat, no! I prefer to feed on fluids — much easier to find.» He clicked his fangs. «Besides, I would never eat a friend! That would be horrible!»

Morphon trilled, feeling somewhat reassured. «Good…»

«And if there’s some Crobat around who tries to sneak on you,» he flashed his sharp fangs, «I’ll chase him or her off, alright?»

«…Thanks. I appreciate that.» Morphon cleaned her eyes with her upper legs, while her wings flapped slower. She felt more relaxed. «It sure is weird, though, to talk so casually to a predator…»

«Keh heh heh! I can only imagine!»

The Pokémon kept chatting to themselves, with Crobat and Morphon also challenging each other to see who was the loudest squeaker of the two. Kotone was amused by their antics and shenanigans, while Silver stared impassively at them… or at least, that was the impression he gave.


***​


When dusk gave way to the night, distant illuminated windows greeted the two teenagers and their Pokémon (even if Crobat had to hold back the light-obsessed Morphon with a wing), but one powerful glow from an elevated position outshone the others — the Flash of the Denryu living in the Radiance Lighthouse, leading safely night ships with his beams of light.

Silver stared intently at the rotating yellow beam, recalling his callous comment about just letting the Pokémon die because he couldn’t fight, and felt a knot in his stomach. He sighed and looked away, mentally kicking himself for that lack of consideration. It was no wonder that Kris became even more indisposed toward him when he told her those words — Silver himself would feel the same way if he were to hear that kind of comment from his younger self.

“So, where do you think we should spend the night?”

Silver turned to Kotone, somewhat grateful to be brought back to the present, and narrowed his eyes in thought. “…I’d say we should go to a capsule hotel. They have a good combo of quality and price.”

“Capsule hotel… Sounds good to me.” Kotone looked at her Pokégear and typed on its screen. “Let me check where we could—”

“There’s no need.”

She gazed at her companion in puzzlement. “Huh?”

“I know a place. Follow me.”

Without saying another word, Silver led his companions through the illuminated streets of Asagi. They walked past the Gym, with Silver barely stifling a sigh, and they reached the port. The gentle sounds of waves lapping against the pier and the underwater glows of Lantern brought some serenity to the four—no, three travelers, as Kotone withdrew Morphon before she dove toward the lights. After some more minutes of walking (and flying, in Crobat’s case), they reached a building that seemed made of multiple azure bubbles glued together. There was a sign placed by the entrance, depicting a Starmie with a glowing neon gem and an illuminated text: Starmie Hotel, a most original name.

“So, this is the place?” asked Kotone, staring at the building.

Silver nodded. “Yeah. I stayed here the night before traveling to Kanto to start my Badge quest. It’s pretty good.”

“Well, I trust you. Let’s go check if they have some vacancies!” she chirped with confidence.

Silver stood in numb silence as he mulled over what she just said: I trust you. Those words were so simple, and yet they felt like a victory for the redhead. However, he showed nothing aside from a neutral expression and nodded again.

“Hmph. Yeah.”

After withdrawing Crobat into his Poké Ball, the two teenagers walked through the door and left their shoes by the reception to wear the complimentary slippers — a common custom in every Tojohnian hotel.

They were in luck: the hotel had some available slots for both, which they immediately took. While eating a light dinner, they discussed their plans for the next morning: wake up at eight o'clock so that they could take a refreshing shower and some breakfast, then they would have enough time to reach the terminal and get aboard the ship.

Having struck an agreement, Silver led Kotone through a familiar path to him while she glanced around: the hotel was splint in half by a long central corridor, with the left side filled with capsules reserved to females and adorned with Love Ball patterns and the other side for males and decorated with Moon Ball designs. Just a typical male/female capsule hotel like any other.

Silver and Kotone stopped by the crossroads of the sleeping area. The brunette stretched her arms as the fatigue got to her, and even the redhead had to suppress a yawn. They were exhausted after walking around all day.

“Phew, I’m beat! I can’t wait to lie down on my bed and catch a few Z’s,” mumbled Kotone, managing out a smile despite the soreness in her cheeks.

“Yeah. Same here…” responded Silver, blinking slowly.

“Anyway! I had a lot of fun today, and I bet tomorrow will be even better!” She held her fists close to her face. “Aren’t you excited?”

He shrugged. “Not really. It’s probably gonna be a ship journey like any other ship journey.”

“Well, I guess there’s only one way to find out,” she smirked, “and that’s doing as planned so that we can get on-board on time.”

Silver cocked an eyebrow, his gaze silently saying ‘no kidding’. The brunette didn’t seem to notice, however.

“So, um… We’d better sleep now. I wish you sweet dreams.” Kotone waved her hand slowly. “Until tomorrow, then~!”

The redhead nodded. “Yeah… Until tomorrow.”

Kotone flashed one last grin and entered the women’s area, leaving Silver alone in the corridor. With nobody around to see him, a content smile made its way on his face and he entered the men’s area to look for his assigned spot.

He had to admit it: that was one of the best days of his life.
I like the eating scene between Kotone and Silver. I defintely get the "it's not that I like you, it's just that I happen to go wherever you go" vibe from Silver. Kotone would be described as a "ball of fluff" by Valen, cuz that's one of the nicknames he gave Rosa. I see so much of Valen and Rosa in those two.

Kris will be interesting to see. It's kinda sad that she's got a grudge against Silver over who his family is. It's not like he chose to be Giovanni's kid. Are you going the Ariana route too for his mom? I can understand the other issues, but that's never been in his control.

I really do like the dymanic between Silver and Kotone. You write it really well.
 
Disk 0, Chapter 4: “Welcome Aboard the MV Rising Sun!”

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
Very quick disclaimer: Thanks everyone for showing support toward my story!

I know I owe countless of replies to reviews, but I’m currently lacking the spoons to accomplish that. However, you can always reach out for me on Discord, and I’ll make sure to reply to quick queries ASAP! ^^

With this said, I hope you’ll enjoy this new chapter~!

***​

Tweet tweet tweeeoooh~

Tweet tweet tweeeoooh~


The loud caws of wild Camome echoed from the sky, with the tiny seagulls scouting tirelessly the pier in search of some stray morsels. Many Nyarth also slunk by the streets of Asagi, furtive like shadows, with only the fleeting gleams of their coins as a sign of their presence.

The birds and felines observed the tireless coming and going of sailors and seamons, who unloaded wooden crates from the incoming fishing boats. An overpowering scent of fresh catches leaked from those boxes, which only became more intense when they were placed on the ice-filled counters of the many stalls.

Everyone in Asagi knew what day that was: market day, and market day meant plenty of ways to get fish and other food with little effort.

A Nyarth with a freshly polished coin stared eagerly at a set of sushi on the table of a takoyaki stand, her eyes wide in anticipation and her whiskers twitching. The delightful scent of fried fish balls had whetted her appetite, and the sizzling noises of cooking snacks were like a melody for her.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward and locked her gaze on the pan, where an Okutank with a white headband was attending to the savory snacks. After grabbing two long metal sticks with two of his tentacles, the red octopus poked and prodded at the batter on the pan to form neat rows of fish balls, while staying in place thanks to the suction cups of his other tentacles. Swip swip swip, and all the batter had been balled up successfully.

Beside the octopus stood a human — the owner of the stall, if the headband and apron mirroring the poster were any proof — who was cutting a fish filet in thin strips while waiting for the boiling rice to be ready.

Raw fish… The Nyarth wanted that, and she knew exactly what to do to get it — miaow her heart’s contents to the owner of the fish stall and flash her coin. “Give me some fish, and I’ll bring you luck”: this is what the cat said with a few purrs, fully aware of humans’ traditions and customs.

The Okutank glanced curiously at the Nyarth and replied with a low gurgle, tapping his mouth with one of his stick-free tentacles. The owner as well focused on the cat, and gave a friendly smile. He reached out for one of the sushi, earning a happy purr from the feline, and flung the food in her direction. The eager Nyarth opened her mouth…

Swoosh!

A swift gust, and the sushi disappeared. The Nyarth stared in shock at the empty sky, before hearing a tweet not too far from her. She turned to the source: a Camone who was preening his feathers, relaxed and content, with a few crumbs lying under his feet.

Ah! The thief! Of course it had to be a Camone — those birds loved to snatch their fish, especially from unaware humans and ‘mons.

What nerve he had to steal her breakfast! The Nyarth hissed and arched her back, then lunged at the seagull. She wouldn’t let that greedy bird get away with it!

A fierce quarrel broke out, with the startled Camone cawing out loud and trying to repel the enraged Nyarth with a few Gusts, while the cat showed the sharpness of her Fury Swipes. White and blue plumage was scattered around, and neither Okutank nor the human knew how to react to such a turn of events, too stunned about the sudden scuffle.

How did all of that happen?



A pair of claws caught a white and blue feather in their paw, and brought it toward its owner’s face.

It was Nyula, who gazed at the striped feather with a pleased smirk while chewing on the stolen sushi. Shrouded by the shadows of the stalls, the weasel whistled happily and took another look at the fight.

On one side, there was the battered Camome with ruffled plumage, who sprayed a stream of water to keep the Nyarth away. Bad idea: the now-wet cat glowered at the bird for daring to make her all soggy and charged forward with renewed fury.

They hadn’t realized what had happened yet? That was proof that when two people fight, the third one wins. And Nyula loved winning.

The weasel plopped the remaining sushi into his jaws, and resumed looking at the feather while leaning against an empty crate. That was such a pretty and well-kept feather, shining and soft — he had chosen just the right target. He lifted his trophy toward the sunlight to admire the whiteness of the fluffy barbs, but he was brought back to reality when he heard the resounding siren of a distant ship.

Ship… Oh, yes. The ship. Right.

Well, as fun as it would have been to see the end of the fight, Nyula had to return to his Trainer. He slipped the feather into his jaws and ran away from the scene, disappearing into the darkness of the alley.

***​

“I’m sorry, kiddo. I ain’t seen your Nyula anywhere.”

With that statement, the number increased to twenty-four. Twenty-four different people who didn’t see Nyula — or any Nyula — around.

Silver groaned in frustration, his brow furrowing more than usual. Just where did that weasel go? They had a ship to catch and little time left!

‘I swear, I’m gonna put a tracker on him!’

“Thanks, anyway…” grumbled the redhead, before walking away from the stall and slipping his hands into his pockets.

That morning was chilly, more so than the night before. Even though that wasn’t all too surprising: Asagi City was very windy throughout the entire year. A consequence of the twisters surrounding Whirlpool Islands, which strengthened the winds and carried fresh marine currents toward the coast. And, of course, the chilly weather was great for Nyula and bad for Silver. At least his usual attire kept him warm enough.

Silver wondered if Nyula became so brisk because of the weather. After all, most Ice-types become far more active with the cold, so probably Nyula couldn’t help himself because that was his ideal weather: borderline wintry. But why, just why did he have to run off that day, with the time breathing on their necks?

The redhead gazed at the sea to check the various ships docked on the port, and his pace slowed down when he focused on the storm clouds that hid the location of the mysterious islands.

Whirlpool Islands… One of the many homes of Lugia, according to folktales. The mighty guardian of the sea and the mind, who created those miniature hurricanes to keep itself safe from evildoers.

Silver scowled as he recalled the efforts he took to get through those twisters, and how he scouted the islands from bottom to top, not leaving a single stone unturned. And yet, he found no sign of Lugia. Not even a single feather.

If only he could find that legendary Pokémon and prove himself to the world by catching it, then maybe—

“Agh!”

His thoughts were cut short when a sudden gust slapped him with his own hair. Grunting in annoyance, Silver readjusted his hairstyle and quickened his pace, keeping his red locks in place with his hand. One of the very rare moments he wished he had a hat.

Speaking of hats, he spotted the all-too familiar white beret with a red bow near the entrance of the terminal, and he headed toward its owner. When he got closer, he heard Kotone asking about Nyula’s whereabouts to a few tourists, who simply replied by shaking their heads and giving her a negative answer. She thanked them for their help, then walked away from the terminal. It was at that moment that she noticed Silver.

“Ah! Silver!” greeted the brunette, approaching the redhead. She glanced at the floor — no Nyula around. Her smile turned into a frown. “You drew another blank, too, huh?”

Silver sighed and nodded.

“Oh. Still, I wouldn’t worry yet! I’ve sent out my Morphon to help with the search — nothing escapes her Compound Eyes! And with your Crobat’s help as well, we’ll find Nyula in no time!” replied the brunette, flashing an encouraging grin.

“I hope so…” Silver narrowed his eyes. “Speaking of time, how much do we have left?”

Kotone checked her Pokégear. “Um…The ship should sail in around an hour and a half.”

Silver winced. “Drat! It’s been that long?”

“Asagi is a big city, and today’s market day. Which means lots and lots of people and Pokémon around.” The brunette gave an awkward shrug. “So, huh, I’d say that makes things harder…”

Indeed. Because matters could always get more complicated.

The redhead huffed and glanced away. “At least we have the priority check-in and priority boarding, right?”

“Yup! Besides, we’ve completed the various questionnaires and the online check-in last night, no? So all we need to do it’s to go to the check-in booth for the last stuff.” Kotone winked and grinned. “I know that time’s racing against us, but have faith! We’ll be alright!”

“That’s… reassuring,” said Silver, even if his voice showed that he was anything but reassured. He glanced at the building behind Kotone, focusing briefly on the blue roof, then stared at the cloudy sky to see if there was any sign of Crobat or Morphon.

Kotone breathed out a small cloud and rubbed her arms when a slight breeze blew across the port — wow, that morning was really chilly! — and looked longingly at the terminal. If only they could wait inside, where it was warmer…

A few wild Subame perched nearby a sign and began chirping, waiting for the right moment to enter inside the terminal. Kotone observed the small swallows waiting for any human or large Pokémon to activate the automatic doors before slipping inside. The sight of those birds reminded her of a fun anecdote, which she brought up to start some small talk.

“Hehe. Your Nyula is quite the independent individual, from what I’ve gathered,” she mused, glancing at the sky as well. “Kinda reminds me of my parents’ Yamikarasu. He used to fly away all the times, mostly to prank others and to look for lost shining objects.”

“Ah.” Silver nodded slowly, but kept his gaze upward, focused on his task. “Yes, I’ve fought a few Yamikarasu, in the past. They can be annoying to deal with.”

As he said that, the memories of his mother’s Yamikarasu flooded into his mind. How that tiny crow enraged his Golbat with his Taunts and blocked his toxic attacks, and then those impossible to dodge Thunder Waves…

Silver huffed. No wonder his mother became the fearsome Team Rocket Admin Ariana. If there was something both of his parents had in common, it was their impressive battle skills.

Kotone chuckled. “Yeah. Dad often says that they are like ‘black Nyarth with wings’, or something along those lines,” she replied. “I can kinda see that, what with both species being nocturnal and loving shining things…”

“Mhm…”

The idle chatter faded into silence as Silver and Kotone waited for their Pokémon to return, hopefully with good news!

And the good news arrived soon enough, in the shape of two purple smudges gliding through the dark clouds. Kotone was the first to notice those shapes, and squinted her eyes to observe better. Then, she gasped in realization and grinned in delight.

It was really them! Crobat was at the lead, wearing black glasses to protect his eyes from the sunlight and carrying Nyula on his back, while Morphon followed the bat at a fair distance, struggling to keep up with the much faster flyer.

“Silver, look! They’re back!” exclaimed Kotone, pointing toward the sky. “And they’ve found Nyula!”

Silver followed her gaze. The sight of their Pokémon made most of his tension evaporate instantly, and he sighed in relief. “Finally…”

“Hey! Morphon! Crobat! Over here!” shouted Kotone, waving her hand excitedly. The moth cloaked herself with some small clouds of dust to greet her Trainer, while Crobat waved back with one of his bigger wings.

In a few wingbeats, both flyers reached their respective Trainers and fluttered in front of them, while Nyula peeked from behind Crobat’s back. Just enough to let the humans know he was there.

“You two have found Nyula! Nice job!” said the brunette, before hugging Morphon around her head. The moth gave a happy trill as an answer and wrapped her wings around her Trainer, pleased to hear those words.

Silver was way more reserved and congratulated Crobat by giving him a few pats on his head. The bat grinned back, fully aware that this was Silver’s way of thanking him, and gave his Trainer a swift lick on his cheek. That earned a faint smile from the redhead, but his contentment waned when he crossed gazes with Nyula. The weasel squeaked in embarrassment and hid behind the much larger Pokémon.

“Well, Nyula? What do you have to say?” asked Silver, crossing his arms and shooting a glare of disapproval at Nyula. Or, well, at the cyan feather that poked from behind Crobat’s back.

Nyula showed his face once more and scratched his cheek, hesitant to answer. Then, he produced the white feather from behind his back.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, unamused. “Seriously? You beat up some bird Pokémon again?”

Nyula shook his head and whistled sheepishly. It’s not like he beat up another Pokémon, but he had no way to correct Silver about that. Crobat glanced at the teammate on his back, lifting his sunglasses with his claws to study the weasel. He didn’t need to be a Psychic-type to know that Nyula got that feather in some take-first-ask-later way, just as usual.

Kotone stared curiously at the feather. There was a faint blue sheen around it that intrigued her, but she couldn’t check it further before Silver took out a Poké Ball and pointed it at Nyula.

“Tch. We’ll discuss that later. Now return,” he said, and the weasel could only squeak once before being returned into his spherical confines, with feather and all. Silver pocketed Nyula’s Poké Ball and took out another monster ball — Crobat’s Poké Ball. “Good job finding Nyula. You can go back to sleep.”

“You too, Morphon. Thanks for your help!” said Kotone, aiming a Park Ball at the moth. Both Poison-types nodded and disappeared in two bright flashes. The brunette sighed in relief. “All well’s what ends well!” she said, sounding as cheerful as ever. “Told you we would’ve been alright!”

Silver glanced at the grinning girl and placed a hand on his hip. “If by alright you mean almost missing our ship, then yeah. We’re alright.”

“Aw, don’t focus on what could have gone wrong! Look at what went right!” she replied, her smile broadening. “The most important thing is that we made it in time, no?”

“Hmm…”

True, even with Nyula’s escapade complicating things, they still got things done. He couldn’t say that he was pleased about that setback, but he also found Kotone’s optimism really infectious and soothing.

“I guess so…” he said at last, sporting a neutral smile.

A loud jingle pierced the air, coming straight from the terminal.

「 This is the final boarding call for passengers on cruise MV Rising Sun to Pokétopia. Please proceed to gate two immediately. 」

Silver and Kotone stared at each other, wide-eyed. Uh oh…

「 The final checks are being completed and the captain will order for the doors of the watercraft to close in approximately forty-five minutes time. I repeat. This is the final boarding call for― 」

“Drat! We gotta hurry!” exclaimed Silver, turning to the automatic door and getting ready to sprint into the terminal.

Kotone nodded furiously. “Right! Let’s go!”

Without listening to another word of the announcement, the two teenagers bolted into the terminal, directly toward gate two.

Their journey to Pokétopia was about to begin… if they checked in on time!

***

Disk 0:

The Monster… Coach and the Rainbow!

“Welcome Aboard the MV Rising Sun!”


***​

Despite all the setbacks getting in their way, the check-in and security checks went without a hitch. By the time Silver and Kotone went through the final gate and onto the pier, the weather had warmed up significantly. Flurries of bubbles floated over the wooden planks, made by the local Crabs and carried away by a gentle breeze, as a last reminder of Asagi.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ll smell like a Rentorar for the entire week…” grumbled Silver, his eyes locked on his booking reference. “It wasn’t enough to have those felines snoop around my bag with their x-ray vision, no! Those guards had to interrogate me, too.”

“Yeah. They were particularly thorough with you, come to think of it,” said Kotone, who was alternating between checking the panorama around her and the schedule of events. “In fact, I think one of the guards recognized you?”

Silver sighed. “It seems my reputation precedes me. Which isn’t too surprising, to be fair…”

Kotone placed a hand on the redhead’s shoulder and gave him a gentle pat, then smiled warmly when he looked at her. “Hey, try not to think about that. We’re here to have fun, so don’t let that check spoil your mood. After all, they figured out that you’re clean, didn’t they?”

Silver wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be taking comfort from that. The fact that they were suspicious of him to begin with meant that his past was way more embedded into people’s memories than he expected. Would the security be watching him during the entire cruise?

“Yeah, but…” He groaned and looked again at his papers. “It was still humiliating. That just proved that people don’t trust me.”

“Well,” Kotone’s voice took a confident tone, “I trust you.”

Silver chuckled softly. That actually brought him some comfort. “…Heh.”

“But let’s try to look at the positives about this trip, shall we? I mean, everything about this journey and tournament sounds so awesome!” chirped the brunette, her eyes glistening with intrigue. “And, y’know, this will be my first time on a cruise ship. I’ve taken the Kanto-Johto ferry a few times to visit some acquaintances, but never been on an inter-regional ship. I’m so thrilled!”

“It’s the first time for me, too,” responded Silver, glancing at the ships ahead of him, his expression neutral once more.

“And there will be so many Trainers from different regions, and with unique Pokémon, and with their own special experiences, and…” She grinned in excitement. “Aah! I can’t wait to meet everyone and make new friends~!”

Silver rolled his eyes, even if he was more amused than annoyed. “I would have never guessed.”

“Anyway, is there some activity that interests you?” she asked, extending one of her pamphlets. “There’s so much to do. They even have an open cinema and a pool aboard!”

“…I dunno,” he admitted, gazing absentmindedly at the brochure in her hand. “Hmm… I think I’ll do some training in one of those battle arenas. At least, as much as I’m allowed to do.”

Kotone nodded and waited for Silver to say what else interested him. Though, her curiosity was left unappeased, as no more words came from him. She blinked in puzzlement. “Huh… That’s all?”

“I’m not sure what else to try. Besides,” Silver looked again at his own papers, “if I wanna win, I gotta keep honing my skills. I take my training very seriously, and I’m not planning to ease the gas anytime soon.”

“Oh…”

Kotone was somewhat unimpressed by his answer, albeit not surprised, and resumed checking out the various brochures. Maybe Silver would have changed his mind once he checked the ship first-hand, and she was more than willing to share the fun with him.

“…Hold on. What’s this deal about matchmaking?”

“Huh?” Kotone looked again at the redhead. “Whatcha mean?”

Silver frowned and extended the booking reference. “It says here that I’ll have to travel with a ‘mystery partner’, whatever that means.”

“Oh? Didn’t you know about that?” Kotone rubbed her chin. “Though, now that I think about it, there was no mention of the matchmaking system in the invitation letter…”

“Well, what’s this nonsense about?”

“From what I’ve heard, one of the main reasons is economical — they maximize the travels by carrying more participants in fewer trips and occupying fewer rooms. In exchange, though, they offer extra services and perks to the ‘matches’.”

Silver shook his head, displeased but not surprised. “Hmph. Of course…”

“But the main reason — and the one they advertised on the site — is that they pair Trainers who share similar interests and goals, so that they can have a unique experience and maybe forge a friendship that might last a lifetime,” explained Kotone, before grinning. “I personally find that idea real fun. That’s gonna be a really nice way to bond with other people! After all, this tournament is all about partnership and teamwork, so trying to work together with someone you don’t know could be a nice challenge.”

Silver groaned, disgruntled by the news. That wasn’t how he was expecting to be traveling. If he had known about that beforehand, he would have taken countless ferries, rather than being forced to… socialize. With strangers.

“I wonder who’ll be my roommate,” she mused, tapping her mouth rhythmically as she climbed up the stairs that lead to the passenger boarding bridge. “Maybe someone who likes the Pokéthlon. But a Coordinator would be very interesting, too!”

The redhead narrowed his eyes. Unlike his frien—rival, he definitely wasn’t looking forward to that. “Hopefully, whoever I get will be quiet…”

‘…so that I won’t even notice they’re there.’

Kotone peeked outside the window of the tunnel and her eyes gleamed like gems. “Ooh! Look, Silver! That’s the MV Rising Sun!”

Silver gazed outside. They could already make out the first details of the ship: standard white painting and elongated bow, with the name ‘MV Rising Sun’ in fluorescent purple paint printed on the facade. Underneath the name was painted the design of a purple magician hat, and long purple streaks with golden stars coursed through the entire length of the ship.

Many members of the staff wore elegant purple vests with white shirts and golden bow ties, and checked the passes of the passengers before making them go into the elevator. In almost no time, the two teenagers and a few other guests were already aboard.

The two teenagers walked out of the elevator and into an immense and luxurious hall, with the floor covered in smooth blue and white tiles depicting Water-type Pokémon of all kinds. It was so limpid that Silver could see his own reflection, as well as the sunlight filtering through the transparent glassy ceiling.

“Whoooa! This is so beautiful!”

Kotone couldn’t have been any more right. It was truly something to behold.

Silver checked out the staircases and corridors, and focused on the opaque panels and electric chandeliers adorning the walls and columns of the multi-level lobby. Nothing out of the ordinary, as they were regular chandeliers with intricate patterns, delicate glass shards, wobbly movements, and—wait! Wobbly movements?

Silver stared hard at the suspicious chandelier. Nothing. He glared at the item for a few seconds. Still nothing. His expression relaxed and he shook his head.

‘Tch. That was probably a trick of the eyes.’

“So, whatcha think about all of this?” asked Kotone, snapping a few photos with her Pokégear. “Pretty cool, huh?”

Silver shrugged with fake dismissiveness. “It’s nice, I guess…” he commented, taking many fleeting glances around the place. It was very different from a ferry, that’s for sure.

The ship crew welcomed all passengers by beaming friendly smiles and giving some basic instructions and rules about the ship. And Silver knew the best way to reciprocate those greetings: a neutral stare and a quick nod. It worked every time.

As the redhead checked his surroundings (and made sure that Kotone didn’t drag him around the hall to snap random pictures he didn’t care about), he noticed many Kairiky with purple hats and neckties. The gray humanoids pushed overloaded bellboy carts, brimming with luggages and other heavy items, and some of them even used all four arms to push and pull four carts at the same time. And yet, no one seemed tired nor the least bothered by that task — probably they looked at that job like some fun way to strengthen their muscles.

Then, Silver spotted the reception desk a few steps from him, where many guests waited to receive updates about their rooms. The desk was painted with a deep ocean blue shade and had the picture of some strange creature — big head, two big eyes, two gems on the chest and two long antennae as long as its body. Hmm… What was its name? Manaphy, right?

Silver glanced at Kotone, curious to see what she was doing. That girl didn’t seem to mind waiting to get to her room, what with her being absorbed with her blog stuff.

“Woo, guys! Just look at this reception! It’s almost like staying at the Hotel le Crésus! My Kalosian friends surely know what I’m talking about!” chirped the brunette to the Pokégear, the camera lens focused on her excited grin. “I’ve never been in a place like this, and wow! I’m so thrilled! I can’t wait to show you everything with my vlogs!” Then, she glanced at Silver and pointed the phone at him. “Hey, Silver! Say hi to the camera!”

“I won’t say anything,” he harrumphed, before glaring at the Pokégear. “And don’t record me!”

Kotone pouted, even though the gleam in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t angry or anything. Merely pretending to be. “But Silver! Aren’t you excited? This place is gorgeous! And if the ship is like this, then I can’t wait to be in Pokétopia and see what awaits us there!”

Silver cocked an eyebrow. “That doesn’t mean you have to record me. If you’re so excited to show off the ship, then show off the actual ship.”

“Aww. You really love being a big grump, dontcha?” she asked teasingly.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, before turning away from the reception. “Hmph. Whatever…”

The brunette smiled at the camera and shifted the focus toward a Kaikiry. “Anyway, guys! The crew members are all so friendly! Look at that Kaikiry!” The Fighting-type noticed that and waved one of his four hands. She waved her hand back at him. “Hey! Nice to meet you!”

That distraction was all Kotone needed to go and record some videos with the crewmons, who were all too eager to immortalize the entire experience and share it with the entire world. Silver huffed and checked the various signs around the hall, looking for the corridor that led to the suites. Someone had to keep their priorities straight, after all.

As he got mental directions of that new place — which was almost as confusing as a shopping mall, come to think of it — Silver registered an intense aroma, reminiscent of green tea and wild berries. Intrigued by that previously ignored detail, the redhead looked around more thoroughly, until he found the responsible of that scent: a group of… Steenee (according to what their cards said), who danced around the place and scattered a faint aromatic mist from their sepals. They waved their arms excitedly, while pink petals swirled around them to liven the atmosphere with a colorful show. That was… kinda cute, actually.

“Oh, hey Silver! It seems that all suites are ready, including ours.”

Silver blinked and turned around to see Kotone, who was grinning as usual. “Ah, they are?”

Kotone nodded. “Yup! I’ve just got confirmation of that from a receptionist, and I also found out who’s my roommate — some girl called Hikari. I’ll wait for her to show up here so that we can get to know each other and go to our room together.”

“That’s good for you.”

“And what will you do?”

Silver looked at one of the corridors. “I’ll go to my room and drop off my stuff. Better be ready for that muster drill we’ll have to attend to later.”

“Oh. Alright.” Kotone beamed a hopeful smile. “So, I’ll see you later at the deck for the party, then?”

Silver pondered that for a moment. Parties weren’t exactly in his area of interest. Did he really want to stick around after the drill for that?



Well, there was no harm in attending that event for a few minutes, was there?

“…Sure. I’ll see you later.”

***​

All those ship corridors looked identical, didn’t they? Same carpeted floors with dark blue artificial turf, same numbered indigo doors, same violet walls with cold white lamps, and same golden handrails to better keep the balance whenever the sea was rough. Also, all corridors had the same azure diffusers filled with the same Wavelet Incense, which sprayed scented puffs from their tops at regular intervals.

That exotic fragrance, reminiscent of tropical beaches and coconut… wasn’t that a bit too much? They were going to travel by the sea for an entire week, so that marine scent felt a tad excessive.

It was no wonder so many people were utterly lost and needed some guidance from crew members. All that sameness was disorienting.

Not for Silver, though. He had worked a lot on his sense of direction during his journey as a Trainer, so navigating the ship was only a bit more than a cakewalk. In mere minutes of careful wandering, he found Suite 34.

Faint chatters echoed from a few guests not too far from him, but he paid them no mind as he produced his Battle Pass and moved it over the magnetic lector.

Beep; green light; click, and the door was unlocked.

Silver took a deep breath. At long last, he was going to get some long-awaited and well-deserved rest, after spending most of the morning with check-ins, check-ups, check-overs, and all kinds of checks. Or, well, until his ‘mystery partner’ showed up, whoever he was. He still wasn’t thrilled at the prospects.

‘Better not think about that. For now, I should just leave all my stuff, then wait for that drill.’

As such, he reached out for the handle…

“Outta the way! Outta the way!”

Silver whirled toward the shout, his eyes wide in alarm. “Wha—?!”

*Thud!!*

Just like that, Silver got the pleasure of testing the texture of the floor. Rough landing, but the turf of the floor cushioned his fall, at least. With an annoyed huff, he sat back up and glared at whoever or whatever sent him toppling down.

What he saw was a coetaneous boy with blond hair and orange eyes, who was rubbing his head as a result of the collision. That kid wore a shirt with orange and white stripes, as well as a green scarf around his neck.

“Oof! Hey, what just happened?” moaned the boy, taking some quick glances at his surroundings in a dazed frenzy.

“What just happened?” grumbled Silver, narrowing his eyes. “Oh, I dunno! Perhaps you rammed into me for absolutely no reason!”

The boy blinked and stared at the redhead, then flashed a sheepish grin. “Whoops! Eheheh! Sorry about that! I was so excited about knowing my room was ready that I came rushing here. I couldn’t wait to see it!”

Silver narrowed his eyes. “All that excitement… just to get into your cabin?” he asked, standing back up and dusting off his trousers.

The boy followed suit by jumping upward like an overly oiled spring — startling Silver in the process — and flashed a shining pearly grin. Wow, now that they both were one in front of the other… that other kid sure was tall! Almost one full head taller.

“Heck, yeah! I mean, these are VIP suites! Not the kinda stuff you see everyday!” exclaimed the boy, shaking his fists with energy. “It’s a big deal! I’m so happy I can’t even keep a straight face!”

Silver rolled his eyes, unaffected by the other boy’s enthusiasm. “Yeah, well, whatever. Have fun with your ‘big deal.’ I’ve got stuff to drop off.” With that matter settled, he aimed again for the handle.

The boy stared at the redhead curiously, then glanced at the cabin’s number. “Hold on! Is your cabin S34?”

Silver sighed exasperatedly and turned to the other boy, annoyed by such an obvious question. “Of course it is! Why do you think I’d be trying to enter into S34, otherwise?”

The boy chuckled. “Yeah, that makes sense. But then…” He gasped and leaned toward the redhead, his eyes wide in realization. “Oh, hey! Then that means…?”

Silver took a step back and glared warily at the other boy. “Hm?!”

Raw confusion swirled through his mind, as he wondered what that other teen was implying. However, he was quick to connect the dots, and his own eyes widened. Did that kid mean what he thought it meant? He got the confirmation when the boy produced his own ticket — S34.

‘You gotta be kidding me…’

“You’re my roomie!” exclaimed the boy, beaming and shaking with renewed enthusiasm.

Silver didn’t utter a single word, too shocked about the reveal. So, that overexcitable teen was his roommate… but, how? And why? Just what kind of matchmaking system did that ship have?

‘Those IT guys should check their Porygon; they might be on the fritz or something!’

“Well, nice to meet you, then, mystery partner!” The boy pointed to himself with his thumb. “My name’s Junichi, but you can call me Jun! How about you?”

“…I’m Silver,” muttered the redhead, glancing briefly at the corridor behind the other boy. He idly wondered if he could have gone back to the reception and asked for another partner. “And if you really gotta call me, call me Silver. Not Sil, nor Silv, nor anything like that.”

Jun shrugged. “Heh, I’m fine with that! If that’s what you prefer…” He gasped and pounded his fist in his palm. “Hey! Before I forget! I’ve got something for you, then!”

“Huh? Something… for me?” asked Silver, his face a blend of wonder and suspicion.

“Yeah! Hang on!” Jun rummaged into his pocket, before blinking when he grabbed what he was looking for. “Ha! Got it!” With a swift swipe, the blond boy produced a round piece of cloth, before cramming it into Silver’s hand. “There! A little present to celebrate our meeting.”

Now it was Silver’s turn to blink, surprised by that unprompted gift, and he looked at what he got into his hand: a bright red headband, with a fiery pattern sewn on the fabric. Very soft to the touch, and just looking at it gave him a faint sensation of strength spreading through this body.

“Is this… a Fighting Spirit Headband?” wondered Silver, holding it closer to study it. He had heard about that battle item, but had never seen one from up close — too expensive.

Jun nodded. “Yeah! That’s correct! Give it to a Pokémon, and its inner fighting spirit will flare with more energy!”

Silver cocked an eyebrow. ‘Wow, really? I would’ve never expected that from something called Fighting Spirit Headband…”

“It’s very useful to get your Pokémon hyped for the battle.” To reinforce his message, Jun pumped his fists and flashed a determined grin. “If you’re in full sync, you might even be able to tough things out and endure even the strongest attacks! Guaranteed!”

Indeed, because battles could be won with only the sheer power of friendship and determination, couldn’t they? Well, that was still a battle item which might have come in handy, and Silver couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate the unconditional gift.

Though, that just made potentially looking for another partner a far more awkward option. Not that he couldn’t do that, but giving back that gift and changing partners was… not something he should have done. Right?

However, did receiving that headband mean he had to give some useful item in exchange? Debts weren’t something that Silver liked to accumulate. But what could he offer?

“Um, thanks. Much appreciated,” said Silver, before focusing again on the other boy. “Though, I guess you want something in exchange now, dontcha?”

Jun shook his head. “No, it’s cool! I’m just glad you like it!” Then, a devious smirk appeared on his face and he leaned one hand against the wall. “Buuut if you really wanna repay me, you could give me a million Poké! I wouldn’t say no to that!”

Silver gawked at Jun, his mind having numbed instantly. A million of… he could barely register that amount of money! “…Come again?”

Upon seeing the horror on Silver’s face, Jun snorted and burst into a loud laughter. The redhead’s expression shifted from astonishment to indignation.

“I’m just kidding! You don’t owe me anything!” The blonde boy grinned and waved his free hand reassuringly. “My dad is a member of the Frontier Brains in Sinnoh, so he gets those headbands for free. I’ve got plenty of spares with me.”

Oh, that bit of information was actually interesting. Silver pocketed the headband into his belt bag. “A Frontier Brain, huh.”

“Yeah! Ever heard of Kurotsugu?”

After a few seconds spent tracking that name into his mind, Silver nodded. “Yes… Kurotsugu is the current Battle Tycoon, right?”

“Yeah! That’s Dad!” Jun’s eyes sparkled like stars. “The most awesomely cool guy ever!”

Oh, fantastic. So not only that boy was hyper, but also a fanboy. Just what Silver needed.

The redhead studied Jun more thoroughly, focusing on his hair and eyes. Indeed, there were a few facial traits he shared with Kurotsugu, and that enthusiasm he showed while talking about the Tycoon sounded genuine. That boy sounded exactly like how Silver used to speak while talking about his own father, all those years ago.

“Now that you mention that, I can kinda see the semblance between you two…” he said at last, tucking his memories once more in the back of his mind.

“Heh. Yeah, even though I’m still not as cool as Dad, but I hope I’ll get very close to that with this tournament!” Jun gave a confident smirk, before gasping and shaking his fists with excitement. “Oh, but what are we doing?! We shouldn’t just stand here! C’mon! We’ve got a room to check out!” he exclaimed, before swiftly producing his own Battle Pass. He tested it on the magnetic lock — another green light. Then, with an energetic shove, he threw the door open.

Jun bolted into the suite and looked frantically all around, a delirious grin on his face, while Silver walked into the room and shot a few inquisitive gazes. Both Trainers saw how immense their stateroom was, roughly as big as a wooden studio flat, with plenty of space to let their Pokémon roam freely around the place. They only needed to wait until they were sailing to release them, mostly for security reasons.

“Woohoo! This is so cool!” Jun ran toward the floor-to-ceiling window and opened the door leading to the balcony. Fresh iodine air rushed into the room, and he exited to stare in awe at the Asagian sea. “Hey, Silver! Just how amazing is all of this! I bet the sunsets from this balcony will be wicked awesome!”

“U-uh…”

Silver took that chance to check out the inside, while Jun was busy marveling at the panorama. He found just what he expected to see in a room: a pair of twin beds (distant from each other, thank goodness!); two independent bathrooms (again, thank goodness!); a wardrobe with a couple of safes and pillows of all sizes; a desk with a fridge-bar underneath it; a list of drinks and snacks of various famous brands, like Mix au Lait, Rage Manju, and—

“They’ve got Psycho Soda! Awesome!”

Ah! Silver flinched, startled by that shout, and saw Jun with a can of soda in his hand, grinning as if he had won the lottery. Just when did he return into the room?

“What the…? How can you go from being so silent to being so loud?” asked Silver, baffled.

Psssch! Jun opened the can and leaned against the fridge, showing a proud grin. “Hehe! I had to be sneaky in order to slip past a few members of Team Galaxy, so that I could help a friend of mine in Mt. Tengan. And hey! Screaming at those Galaxy Admins was so cathartic, you’ve got no idea!”

Silver stared blankly at Jun, not having the faintest clue what the latter was talking about. “Okay…”

“Do you want a Psycho Soda, too?”

The redhead shook his head. “Gonna take a pass. I’m not a fan of that saccharine junk.”

“Heh. More for me, then!” Jun shrugged and sipped some of his soda. He took some seconds to enjoy the sweet lime taste, then lowered his drink and focused entirely on the redhead. “So, I was thinking. How about getting to know each other better, huh? Since we’ll be sharing this room for an entire week, I’d say it would be great if we became pals, right?”

Silver blinked slowly. Pals… right…

The redhead sighed and walked toward the wardrobe, then placed his belt bag into a safe. “I guess we could try that, yeah…” he said unenthusiastically, before locking the safe and turning back to Jun, his arms crossed. “Alright. What d’you want to know?”

The tension in the air was palpable. Jun tapped his foot and glanced swiftly around the place to buy some extra seconds: Silver was acting very defensive and distant, but surely there was some way to mellow him. Better try a few small exchanges to break the ice.

“Well, how about… ha! We could talk about battles and training for now, yeah?” said Jun with a friendly grin. “We both are here for a reason, and that’s because we’re cool and skilled Trainers! So, do you have a favorite battle style? What was your first Pokémon?”

Silver hummed in thought, his expression and mood lightening. So Jun wanted to discuss battling and training? That actually was a topic he was eager to talk about.

“Well, my first Pokémon was a Wakinoko, the Water-type starter in Johto. As of battle style,” Silver rubbed his chin, “I prefer some good all-out offense, both close combat and long-ranged, but I’m fine using other strategies, too.”

“Cool! My first Pokémon was a Naetle, the Grass-type starter in Sinnoh. I’ve got it from Dr. Nanakamado.” Jun paused to take another sip of his drink, then chuckled in embarrassment. “Or, well, I actually took it from the professor without asking first…”

Silver blinked in surprise. That was relatable. “Hm? Took without asking?”

“Yeah! But don’t get me wrong! I was going to give it back! It’s just that my friend Hikari and I had been attacked by wild Mukkuru, so we had to use Pokémon of our own to defend ourselves! We didn’t have any with us, and there was that suitcase with those Poké Balls, so…” Jun scratched the back of his head. “But, well, yeah. That happened. Though, at the end the professor let me and Hikari keep those Pokémon, since they had bonded with us.”

Silver nodded. Another boy that got his first Pokémon without consent because he needed something to defend himself, and a professor allowing him to keep his Pokémon at the end… Just like him. Even if the circumstances were slightly different: he actually stole his Pokémon, while Jun borrowed it.

But wait, wasn’t Kotone partnered with a certain Hikari? He wondered if he would have gotten the chance of meeting that girl, too.

…Of course he was going to meet her. Kotone and Jun would make sure of that.

“Yeah, I gotcha,” responded Silver. “And what’s your battle style?”

“A good mix of defense and speedy attacks!” exclaimed Jun, shaking with fervor and enthusiasm. Or was the sugar starting to kick in? “My Dodaitose can tank so many hits! His shell is sturdier than a rock! And Mukuhawk! He’s so fast, and strong, and it’s so fun to ride on him and speed through the skies! And—” The boy cut himself off, before smirking deviously. “Ah, no! I won’t say anything else! Can’t reveal my entire strategy to you yet, after all!”

“Suit yourself,” responded Silver, shrugging.

“Since you’ve been invited to this tournament, I assume you’ve participated in a league or some other battle circuit, right?”

Silver nodded. “Yeah. I’ve participated in the latest Johto League.”

“What a coincidence! I’ve participated in a League, too. The latest Sinnoh League.” Jun smirked. “And guess what? I’m the runner-up!”

…Well, would you look at that? Yet another similarity. The redhead narrowed his eyes, even though there was a veil of intrigue into them. “Oh, really?”

“Yeah…” responded the blond boy, before sighing. “Hikari defeated me in the final battle. That last Ice Beam from her Emperte cost me the match — it was too much for my Dodaitose.” A nostalgic gleam shone into his eyes. “For ending the match with an Ice-type attack, that defeat sure burned more than a Will-O-Wisp. But I was really happy for Hikari — she had worked so hard to reach the finals, too.”

“…I see.” The redhead looked outside of the window, his gaze peering into his reminiscences of the past. He knew well how much it hurts to spend so much time and energy to reach the final battle, only to lose at the end. “So, this Hikari. Is she your rival or something?”

Jun smiled, instantly regaining his cheer. “Yeah! She’s my rival, but most importantly, my best friend. We grew up in the same town and trained together, whenever we met.” The boy sipped the remaining soda, before crumpling the can and tossing it into the trash bin. “What about you? Do you have a rival?”

Silver narrowed his eyes, then glanced again at Jun. “Hm… We could say I have three rivals.”

At hearing that, Jun gawked, clearly impressed. “Whoa! Three? It must have been tough to keep up with three people at once!”

“Not really. If all, they give me a good motivation to keep myself sharp and focused.” The redhead smirked. “Can’t afford to hold back on my training when I know other people do the same.”

Jun nodded enthusiastically, knowing well what Silver was talking about. “Ah, yeah! Gotta agree with you there! Nothing’s better than some good competition to get you pumped and running!” He chuckled. “But speaking of training, do you have some training regimen? Personally, I like to train every day, preferably in the morning.”

“Me too, actually,” replied Silver, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

“Oh, cool! Then maybe we could train together after breakfast, if you want!” Jun pumped his fists, starting to shake with determination. “It’s always better to train in company than alone — it’s faster, and you can learn valuable tips from other Trainers.”

“I… guess so.”

“Anyway, do you have some goal? I’d like to become a Battle Brain someday — just like Dad! I’ve been working hard every day to eventually reach that goal!”

Silver opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and blinked with confusion. Come to think of it, he never thought about some destination for his training. He wanted to be the best Trainer, no less than that, even if he didn’t entirely know what that entailed.

“I just… want to become as strong as I can. I don’t really have an end goal,” he muttered at last, hoping that the answer sufficed.

“Oh… Well, that’s fine, too. Not everyone has a clear idea of what they want to do. I’m sure you’ll figure things out someday.” The blond boy gave a confident thumbs-up, before moving his hand to his chin. “If you’ve participated in the Johto League, then that means you’re from Johto?”

Silver shook his head. “No. I was born in Kanto, but I’ve been traveling to Johto for the last three years.”

“Three years…”

Jun checked the orange Pokétch he had around his wrist and tapped on the screen a few times. Silver stared intently at the other boy, wondering what was going through his mind. He considered asking what he was doing, when Jun looked again at him.

“Say, when exactly did you start your journey?”

“Three years ago,” replied Silver, flatly.

Jun looked again at his watch, until his eyes widened subtly. “…Wow. We really have so many things in common!” Then, he looked again at Silver. “I started my journey three years ago, too!”

Silver narrowed his eyes as he mused over what Jun just said, then over their entire conversation. Could it be that they really were much more alike than he initially thought? He locked his sight on the other boy, who grinned and gave a few enthusiastic twitches.

Perhaps those matchmaking guys weren’t totally wrong.

Regardless, they surely weren’t entirely alike — that kid was all hyper and talkative and friendly, exactly like most Trainers their age. But Silver couldn’t help but wonder if they would have ended up even more similar, had his father become an Elite Four. Would he be in Jun’s place and have a similar level of admiration?

Before the two roommates could discuss further, a loud chime echoed from some speaker above them, then the TV across the room turned on. They both glanced curiously at the screen, with Jun’s eyes widening and Silver’s eyes narrowing. Static, then a man with a dark purple attire waved his hand at the spectators.

「 Ladies and Gentlemen. This is Captain Yuta Takaguchi speaking.

First, I’d like to welcome everyone on MV Rising Sun. I’m pleased to announce that all safety equipment is in full working order, and the bow and stern doors are closed and secure. The weather is good and the winds are favorable.

Now, please listen carefully to the safety instructions which follow. 」


Jun snapped his fingers. “Ah, this must be the announcement for the muster drill.”

“Seems like it,” replied Silver, nodding.

What followed were some general instructions of what they needed to do in case of an emergency, as well as general directions of how things would have gone during the drill. It didn’t take long for Jun to lose track of the announcement, bored out of his mind, while Silver listened carefully to the entire thing, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

「 All passengers must attend this drill at their designated assembly station. Put on warm clothing, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts and jackets, and strong shoes. Take your lifejackets and blankets with you. Lifejackets are stored in your cabins under your beds and at your assembly stations. You are encouraged to try on your lifejacket. 」

“So the jackets over here…” muttered Jun, before hurrying toward the two beds. He fiddled with the sheets and dug out something from underneath, before turning sharply toward Silver. “Hey! Silver, catch!”

“Wh—oof!”

Something rubbery hit Silver’s face and made a dull noise, and the redhead winced when he felt the fabric flopping against the back of his head. He stood there immobile for a few seconds, only working on removing whatever struck him once he regained enough sense.

Just as suspected: it was his lifejacket that was responsible for that plastic embrace. He stared hard at the jacket for a moment, but soon focused on the boy who threw it at him. Jun was wearing his own lifejacket, looking carefully all over himself as he studied the various parts of the clothing.

“Eheheh! Look at that! I’m exactly like my Floazel now!” Jun grinned at Silver. “By the way, I claim the bed on the left!”

The redhead rolled his eyes, then wore the lifejacket as instructed on the video.

“Hmph. Whatever. I don’t really care,” he responded, before walking toward the right bed. He grabbed the blanket as instructed, then headed for the door. “C’mon, now. Let’s go attend this stupid drill!”

“Alright!”

Without skipping a beat, Jun snatched his own blanket with the speed of a tablecloth wizard, before bolting toward the door. Silver had barely the time to move out of the way and avoid another collision. He turned toward the door, glaring at… an empty corridor.

“Hey…”

“The one who arrives last pays a one million Poké fineee—“

And Jun was gone. Down the hall, faster than a Mach Bike. Silver poked his head out of the room, staring at the shrinking dot that was his roommate, and sweatdropped in disbelief.

‘This is gonna be one strange journey, no doubt…’

Without anything else to do, he locked the door and slipped his hands into his pockets, before quietly going toward the assembly station.

***​

How to use the lifejacket and its accessories; the signal of the emergency siren; how to enter the lifeboats in an ordered line… everything about that muster drill was fairly easy to assimilate. At the end of the lesson, a group of satyr-like Pokémon — a species known as Yessan or Indeedee — picked up the lifejackets and blankets of the passengers to take them back to their staterooms. One discreet check at the Battle Passes, and the Yessan marched away to carry out their job.

That meant it was time to attend the sail away party, which was an event that everyone looked forward to. Well… almost everyone.

Silver scanned his surroundings, his glance going from the crew members to the chattering passengers. Most people and newly released Pokémon followed the directions of the staff and went toward the main pool area, while a few others preferred to go to their rooms or to explore other areas of the ship.

The redhead stood there, still somewhat conflicted, and followed the latter group with his gaze. Checking out the battle arenas was such a tempting desire, and the urge to leave so strong. What if he truly… Ah! No! He promised Kotone he would have attended to the sail away party, didn’t he? Why did he even promise that?

Silver shook his head vehemently to fight back his urges and headed to the pool area, walking at a sedate pace. Besides, he had to check if Ordile had finished with his first near-mandatory rescue lesson, no? So, he went to the pool area.

A sigh escaped his lips as he felt somewhat out of place, more so than how he felt during the festival. Not training his team at that hour was such an unusual occurrence. But he had to focus on something other than battles for once, didn’t he? So yeah.

…Wow. Trying to relax was almost as tiresome as trying to work out, huh?

Noises of splashing water announced that he had reached the pool area, where rows of deckchairs were occupied by people in swimsuits spreading sunscreen on their skins or by Grass-type Pokémon catching sunlight for their photosynthesis. By the desk of the poolside bar stood a couple of penguins with ice blocks cloaking their heads, who poured ice cubes into various glasses and served the refrigerated drinks to waiting guests.

Silver monitored the pools and checked whoever was in the body of chlorine water from a safe distance. Better to avoid wetting his hair and jacket, after all.

An imposing red Gyarados stood out in the middle of the biggest pool, his eyes full of glee and his scales sparkling with a faint crimson glow. Silver recognized that uniquely colored Gyarados and frowned, before taking some quick glances at the crowd.

Hibiki… Was he around?

Not wanting to think about his rival, he preferred to focus on his task to find Ordile. Many Water-type Pokémon were busy with their lesson or waited for their Trainers to pick them up, swarming both the pools and their surroundings.

Sitting on the springboard was a Golduck with a purple tie, who checked on his trainees and quacked a few encouraging words, especially toward the younger Pokémon. In the middle of the pool and not too far from Gyarados, there was a Laplace, swimming with confidence and carrying a few young Pokémon and training dummies on its back. By the border of the pool there was a Suicune with light pink fur, who yawned and turned toward the sky, just as a sudden gust blew dramatically through its dark purple mane, and—hold on! A Suicune?!

Silver stared hard at the mystical creature, bewildered and jaw-slacked, but he regained enough self-control to close his eyes and shake his head. No, he surely had seen it wrong! There was no way that a Suicune was aboard, right?

He reopened his eyes, expecting the illusion to have disappeared. But nope! The Suicune was still there, with a smug smirk on its muzzle. That moment lasted a few more seconds, before the legendary turned its back to the pool and jumped away, parting to destinations unknown.

Silver stared at the empty spot in disbelief, his mind scrambling to come up with some explanation. Just who could have caught it? Maybe Minaki, that pompous purple guy obsessed with Suicune?

No matter, though. There were only three words that rang into Silver’s mind…

‘…Who caught Suicune?’

Then, other four words rang, louder and crestfallen.

‘Who’s the pure-hearted Trainer?’

The redhead was so stunned about the event that he didn’t register the shadow looming over him and blocking the sunlight. Something tapped his back, which resulted in his adrenaline spiking and his heart leaping into his throat. He whirled around to see who crept up behind him, and relief spread amidst his initial shock.

Ordile stood behind him, a few droplets of chlorine water still dripping from his scales. On his shoulder sat a Maril who, unlike the crocodile, was completely dry (thanks to her waterproof fur). The pink bow on her tail confirmed whose Maril she was — Kotone’s Maril. Ordile greeted his Trainer with a happy hiss, while Maril waved her paw shyly.

“…Oh, Ordile,” said Silver to his Pokémon, after calming down his racing heart with a couple of quick breaths. He glanced at the water mouse. “And Maril.” The redhead looked around, trying to see if Kotone was nearby, before focusing again on the two Pokémon. “So, you two. How did your first rescue lesson go?”

Ordile grinned with confidence and showed a thumbs-up, while Maril tapped her mouth. She pondered the question for a few seconds, before squealing in agreement. Satisfied with the answers, Silver nodded and smirked smugly.

“It went well? I had no doubts about that.”

Ordile hissed once more, feeling proud of himself, before pointing at Silver with his claw.

“…The muster drill? Tch. Easy as pie.” Silver waved his hand dismissively before focusing on the crowd. His smile faded, and he took a deep breath. “So, all we have to do is to wait for this party to start, or whatever…”

The way Silver worded that statement didn’t sound promising, and his voice was devoid of enthusiasm. Ordile and Maril traded glances, and the crocodile frowned and lowered his head to see Silver on the face. Golden pupils focused on red ones, and Ordile understood immediately how his Trainer was feeling. The inquisitive stare made Silver react with a frown of his own.

“…Why’re looking at me like that?”

Ordile didn’t reply, limiting himself to placing a paw on his Trainer’s shoulder. If Silver still had problems breaking out of his comfort zone, then it was his duty to help him out!

Silver blinked in confusion, staring back and forth between Ordile’s eyes and paw, and his bewilderment grew tenfold when the crocodile wrapped his arm behind his back and pulled him closer. Ordile hissed softly and bent down, then touched Silver’s forehead with his snout. All the while, Maril had jumped on Ordile’s head to give them more space, and also to observe the scene from a better perspective.

Despite his limited knowledge of his own Pokémon, that was a signal that Silver knew very well: Ordile was giving him encouragement and emotional support. Perhaps the crocodile had sensed the tension in his own Trainer, and lent a helping hand — or rather, a helping paw.

Silver felt more relaxed by his best friend’s reassurance and gave a grateful nod. “…Thanks.”

Maril and many passengers around them shot a few knowing stares, entertained by the endearing embrace, which made Silver freeze at the sudden attention. He cleared his throat and pushed his Pokémon’s face away from him.

“Huh… Okay, enough of that! You can let go of me now.”

Ordile nodded and unwrapped his arm from his Trainer, grinning in delight. It always felt nice to share a small bonding moment with his friend.

“You’re such a dork…” muttered the redhead, with his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed. However, the amused gleam in his eyes was unmistakable — he really appreciated that gesture and was feeling in much better spirits.

Ordile made a throaty chuckle, elated that Silver was in a brighter mood, and Maril showed a pleasantly surprised expression. Despite her reservations about the redhead and his relationship with his Pokémon, she had to admit that they were much more in sync than how she imagined. She could see a bit of herself and Kotone in them…

“Heeey! Silver! Maril! Ordile!”

…and that same brunette was approaching them, almost as if she had heard her name in Maril’s mind. Attracted by that voice, the trio turned to see the approaching girl, waving her hand and holding her Pokégear in the other hand.

“Ah, Kotone…” responded Silver, staring intently at the brunette. He didn’t know why, but the sight of that girl made him relax, and most of his remaining tension dissipated in the aether.

Maril squeaked a greeting and jumped off of Ordile, landing right in front of Kotone and waving her arms excitedly. That got an amused giggle out of Kotone, who motioned toward her shoulder. The mouse didn’t need to be asked twice — she jumped on her Trainer’s shoulder and snuggled against her, wagging her tail.

Kotone gave a gentle rub on Maril’s head with her free hand, then focused on Silver. “So, you came to the party! That’s great!” she chirped in delight, her eyes glistening under the higher sun.

“Tch. Of course. I told you I’d take part in this party, didn’t I?” retorted Silver, before showing the faint allusion of a smile. “Don’t tell me you were having doubts about that.”

Kotone shook her head. “Not at all, no! Not even once.” And her smile took an extra level of radiance, while her tone became as melodious as a lyre. “I’m just happy to see you here. That’s all.”

Happy… to see him? Silver found that fact somewhat puzzling, as very few people were truly happy to have him around. A welcoming warmth spread inside of his chest, but he had yet to understand how that simple girl had that effect on him.

But he definitely wouldn’t ask her about that! Not that he had complaints about how she made him feel or anything. If all that felt… nice. Really nice.

“So,” Kotone tilted her head curiously, “how did the meeting with your roommate go? If you met him already, of course.”

“I met him, yeah. It went… well enough.” Silver placed a hand on his hip. “How about you? I bet you clicked instantly with your roommate.”

Kotone nodded and smiled joyously. “Oh, I did! I couldn’t have asked for a better ‘mystery partner’ than Hikari! She’s great!” The brunette tapped the screen of her Pokégear and scrolled through a few photos. “Lemme show you… ah! This!”

She extended her Pokégear, and Silver and Ordile glanced at the screen: the photo showed Kotone and a girl with dark blue hair, smiling at the camera and showing their room tickets, showing the same number: S25. Behind them stood an imposing penguin and Maril sitting on one of her shoulder blades, with the reception in the background.

“Here’s the photo of our first meeting. Maril and Amphitrite, Hikari’s Emperte, became good friends as well,” continued Kotone, before glancing at her Pokémon. “Isn’t that right?”

To confirm what the girl just said, Maril gave an enthusiastic squeak and wagged her tail. Ordile hissed low, staring hard at that Emperte. She looked like a tough fighter, by looking at her confident stare and those polished fins.

“Hikari…” Silver narrowed his eyes, thoughtful. “The winner of the Sinnoh League…”

Kotone tilted her head in surprise before withdrawing her Pokégear. “Ah, so you know about her?”

“Yeah. Junichi told me a few things.”

Kotone gasped. “Wait! Is Jun your roommate, or…?” When she got a nod from Silver, a burst of excitement overtook her and her grin broadened. “That’s awesome! I’ve yet to meet him personally, but Hikari told me only good things about him!”

“He’s fine, I guess…” mumbled Silver, looking away.

Kotone leaned forward, her eyes narrowed and a knowing smirk on her face. No matter how much Silver tried to hide it, she could tell that what he said and what he thought were two different things. “Oh? Only ‘fine’?”

Silver blinked and looked again at Kotone, quirking his eyebrows. “What? You don’t expect me to say that we’re best buddies or something.”

“Nope! But I’m glad you’re already friends with your roommate,” she responded, holding her hands behind her back in a relaxed way.

Silver winced in alarm. “Huh?! Hold on! We’re not actually—”

The redhead frowned when he heard Kotone’s amused giggle. He huffed and glanced away once more, his arms crossed. By doing so, he looked straight at Ordile, who showed a smirk that seemed to say ‘she read right through you.’ Silver wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or shocked by Kotone’s innate ability to analyze him with so much accuracy.

“Hmph! Never mind…” he muttered, wishing to dismiss the matter.

Kotone stopped giggling and smiled serenely. “Y’know, Silver. You don’t have to act so defensive and distant all the time. There’s absolutely no harm in admitting that you like someone, nor you should feel ashamed for having friends. So, don’t be afraid of forging new bonds.”

“Hey! Don’t spout such nonsense! I’m not afraid of anything!” he harrumphed, glaring at the brunette.

Kotone didn’t feel intimidated nor the least bothered by his glare, fully aware that it was his way to hide his tenderhearted side. If all, his reaction just proved her point. She kept smiling with reassurance. “Well, in case it wasn’t clear already, I like you, and I consider you my friend.”

Silver blinked, his eyes widening subtly. He and Kotone as friends… It sounded so strange! Almost as if a part of himself didn’t believe he deserved someone like Kotone as a friend. Finding himself at a loss for words, he let her speak further.

“If I didn’t like you, well, I wouldn’t have hanged out with you yesterday and today. Don’t you think?”

That was a fair point. There was nothing stopping her from just leaving to rejoin her group of rainbows-and-sunshine friends, right? Yeah… Not that Silver would have minded if she left or anything!



…He was terrible at lying to himself, wasn’t he?

Silver groaned inwardly, feeling himself like melting at seeing those bright eyes and that warm smile. But then, an idea occurred to him. Something to give some breathing room to his racing emotions.

“…Tsk! Silly girl!” he exclaimed, before pulling Kotone’s beret over her face with nonchalance. The brunette gasped and fumbled with her cap, momentarily stunned by Silver’s action. In that brief time, Silver had taken a few steps away from her and had his back turned, glancing casually around.

“Oof…” she groaned, before freeing herself from her beret and pouting at the boy. “Silver!”

Silver glanced back at her, taking some amusement from her befuddled expression, then looked away again. Ordile tilted his head, wondering why his Trainer was behaving like that, and looked at Kotone when she approached the two. Even Maril was confused and squeaked quizzically at the crocodile, who simply shook his head.

“Nice try, but don’t think you can fool me with your faux indifference, mister!” exclaimed Kotone, crossing her arms and staring intently at Silver. “What were you trying to pull off here?”

The redhead said nothing at first. All he did was to reciprocate the stare, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. What followed next, however, took everyone by surprise: a genuine smile appeared on his face and he chuckled. Not in a mean-spirited way, but more with… mirth.

“Well! If you’re done being all sappy and adorable,” Silver’s smile shifted into his trademark haughty smirk, “how about we check out this party, or something? We’re here for this reason, no?”

Kotone blinked in astonishment: was Silver actually teasing her?

“Huh… okay, yeah. Let’s do that,” she responded, still mystified, before placing her hands on her hips and leaning forward. She shot a playful glare at Silver — two could play the same game. “But don’t pull my beret over my eyes anymore. I wanna watch the show, and my beret isn’t exactly transparent!” She tilted her head and grinned. “And neither are you, for that matter.”

Silver shrugged, still smirking. “Hmph. Alright.”

The foursome joined the crowd, with the two humans chatting with each other while they waited for the show to start. Maril and Ordile observed the exchange of the two Trainers with interest, and even though they didn’t fully understand what had just happened, they both could tell that there was a new level of understanding between their human friends.

***​

If any guest had remaining reservations about the cruise, what was in store for them dashed all those thoughts away.

A Contest-like choreography conceived by none other than the renowned Top Coordinator Mikuri, the current Water Gym Leader in the Hoenn region and Contest Master? With help from his niece Lutia, a popular idol among Hoennian youths and fellow Coordinators alike? Even the least Contest-savvy people knew it was something they shouldn’t miss at all.

Mikuri’s Milokaross was the perfect blend of grace and power in the shape of a beautiful sea serpent, while the soprano-like melodies sang by Lutia’s Tyltalis were a pleasure for the ears and the mind. And to put the cherry on top, a pair of Ashirene contributed to the spectacle by controlling bubbles with their soothing voices. Those sea lions were the true embodiment of mermaids and Fairy-types.

It was no wonder that the two Coordinators and their Pokémon were renowned Contest experts. The technical level of that show was top notch, with not a single flaw and mistake to be seen.

Despite us general disinterest toward Contests, Silver found the show particularly interesting, and he stared intently at the Milokaross leaping out of the water. Those prismatic scales, that poised twirl, and that mastery over rings of water… The serpent was excellently trained, no doubt. The grace of that sea serpent didn’t go unnoticed to Ordile, who marveled at the water techniques of that Milokaross. A level of water-bending he wished to reach someday.

Kotone and Maril, instead, were more interested in the two Ashirene. Water-type Pokémon with fairy powers and originating from the faraway Alolan islands? There it was, another region that the brunette added to her list of must-see places.

For the grand finale, Milokaross and the Ashirene glowed with a mystical veil, and the water of the pool started glowing with azure and pink power. Tyltalis flew up high, her voice a rapid crescendo, and once she reached the proper altitude, she spread out her wings. Purple comets rained toward the pool, carrying the mighty and fearsome power of Dragon-types, just as spiraling streams of Fairy-empowered water burst upward, sparkling with a mixture of blue and rosy pink.

Draco Meteor, Whirlpool, and Dazzling Gleam: the resulting rainbow vortex of dragon fire and pixie water earned a chorus of gasps from the awed spectators. And then, the sea serpent and the sea lions swam upward and through the streams, spewing a frigid gust from their mouths and behind them.

Zwing! The combined Blizzard turned the twister into an ice sculpture, with the quarter of Pokémon sitting on top of it. Coordinators and Pokémon bowed to the cheering crowd, taking in the applauses of the passengers, before congratulating each other for the excellent performance.

“That was amazing!” chirped Kotone, clapping her hands with vigor alongside Maril. “Mikuri and Lutia are incredible!”

“Hm… I’ve got to admit it, that wasn’t half bad,” commented Silver, staring at the frozen Whirlpool. Such power… no wonder Mikuri was a candidate to become a Champion. Ordile nodded in agreement, clapping in place of his Trainer.

There was a blaring siren, followed by a jolt and a gentle sway. That meant one thing: the ship started moving. Though, most passengers were so intent on talking about the spectacle and trying to get a photo with the two cyan-haired Coordinators that they hardly noticed.

“Oh, Silver. How about moving to the bow?” suggested Kotone, motioning toward the border of the ship. “It’s calmer over there, and I’d like to watch the sea for a bit. If you’re fine with that, of course.”

Silver looked at the brunette and hummed in thought, then he nodded. “I’m not opposed to that. I wouldn’t mind getting away from this racket for a while,” he said, glancing at the dancing passengers with narrowed eyes.

“Alright! Let’s go, then!”

The foursome dribbled through the crowd until they reached the bow. A few people and Pokémon were gathered there, conversing with each other or simply enjoying the breeze blowing on their faces.

Silver leaned on the rail and sighed to himself. The relative quietness of that area, coupled with the fresh air grazing his skin, was a lovely combination. Everything was so relaxing that the redhead’s expression mellowed significantly. Such peace…

He glanced behind. Kotone was marveling at the waves lapping at the ship, while holding her beret with a hand to not accidentally drop it. She grinned when she noticed a school of large fish Pokémon swimming beside the ship, attracted by the giant floating vessel.

Then Silver focused on the two Pokémon. Ordile growled joyously, followed by a happy squeak from Maril. The crocodile’s tail thumped on the wood-colored floor and the mouse’s tail wagged. Nothing made them jollier that staying so close to their natural element.

And lastly, he took some brief glances at some people standing around them: a green-haired kid with a Roselia, looking shyly at the sky; a black-haired girl with black clothes accompanied by a Windie, with the girl brushing the striped orange fur of the massive dog; a brown-haired young kid with a Garagara, who was rotating his two bones as instructed by his Trainer…

Humans and Pokémon were already busy filtering through their dreams and strategies, and showing varying levels of excitement and nervousness. For now, they could all get along and have some fun time together, but afterward, everyone was going to be a rival for everyone.

It was official: the journey to Pokétopia had truly begun, and Silver welcomed the new challenge with open arms, while a determined smirk appeared on his face as he stared at the horizon.

In only a matter of days, he would reach that island, win the competition, and become the greatest Trainer of all. That was his current goal, and he would have done the impossible to achieve it!

“Hey there! Are you enjoying your time?”

Kotone nodded reflexively. “Yeah, we could say—”

She blinked, noticing in that moment that the voice wasn’t Silver’s. It was far more cheerful, and by judging how the redhead and the two Pokémon froze, they had recognized it as well. The two teenagers turned around, with Kotone beaming an elated grin and Silver showing a serious expression.

“Kotone! Silver! It’s good to see you!”

That black hair, those dark grey eyes, that wide grin, that Ultra Ball-patterned cap and that red clothing…

It was Hibiki, accompanied by his Bakphoon. Both of them waved their respective hand and paw, beaming friendly smiles.

Ordile reciprocated the paw wave, but he wasn’t surprised when his Trainer didn’t do the same. Seeing the black-haired teenager was already a not too pleasant surprise for Silver, but unfortunately Mr. Johto League Winner and his Pokémon weren’t alone…

“What are you doing here?!”

…Kris and her Meganium were with them, and they weren’t happy.
 

canisaries

you should've known the price of evil
Location
Stovokor
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. inkay-shirlee
  2. houndoom-elliot
  3. yamask-joanna
  4. shuppet
  5. deerling-andre
Hey there! Here for Catnip. Very sorry for being so late, it's been busy over here.

Anyway, I've read Chapter 1 and here are my thoughts.

Commentary

A teenage boy wearing a straw hat stared in disbelief at the barely conscious Spear, flabbergasted and taken aback by the sheer power of his opponents.

So, reading this chapter, I felt like the prose got redundant in a few places, this being one example. The boy is described as being in disbelief, flabbergasted and taken aback when just one would have sufficed for expressing the emotion and two would have made best sense for the sentence structure.

“Well, at least we’re about to exit from this forest. Let’s go, Nyula.”

There were also some parts where it seemed like a more complicated or obscure expression was used when a simpler one would have fit better. "Exit from" is grammatically correct, but it's a strangely technical word choice for this dialogue. "About to leave this forest" or even "at least we'll be out of here soon" (since we can tell "here" is the forest from the context) would sound more natural.

However, the only response he got was silence. He blinked and looked at the spot where his Pokémon stood a few seconds ago — empty. Alarmed by his absence, the redhead peered frantically through the forest.

“Nyula? Nyula!”

everybody gangsta till the sneasel disappears

What he saw was a flock of dazed Hoho,

I feel like "dazed", while being a valid synonym for "confused", gives off an impression of a foggy, sluggish mind that doesn't quite fit here. I think you can drop the adjective entirely too since there's already a lot of description of their reaction already.

The redhead observed the fleeing owls who disappeared into the sky,

There's this part and some others that refer to wild Pokémon with "who", which is a bit weird to me since they seem to be presented as wildlife, which is usually referred to by "which" rather than "who" which is reserved for people and not (wild) animals. "Who" does make sense for Pokémon characters, though, as they are intelligent and usually thought of with personification the way pet animals are (calling your dog "he" or "she" rather than "it").

and former Champion Wataru, by the shrine of the Dragon’s Den.

whoooa guest appearance by wataru from dragon's dance by pen

that same dragon who cleansed the Team Rocket’s hideout all by himself,

You'll either want to remove the "the" here or italicize it in case it was put there as a means of emphasis.

“And Hibiki… defeated that Red, a mere week ago…”

To say that Nyula was shocked upon hearing the news would be an understatement. So that annoying, perpetual smiler of a kid, who defeated their team over and over with unnerving ease, had beat one of the strongest Trainers in the entire world. Now that was… impressive.

It's kind of weird that this came up only now and not when Silver found out. It's possible Nyula wasn't present when Silver found out and that Silver didn't rant about it until now, but I would have still expected some mention of him being angry or seeming to have something on his mind that bothered him before. The way it currently is, it feels a bit like he only now got suddenly upset about it, when the issue comes off as something that'd linger on his mind.

There's two suggestions I have for how to amend this: one is Silver checking his phone and finding out the news right then, which is more dramatic, and the other is to have Nyula react in a "oh that's why you've been in such a sour mood lately" sort of manner, which requires less change to this version.

(Well, there is also a third way, and that's to downplay how much Silver cares Hibiki beat Red in the first place so that it's not that important to talk about, but that feels like it'd be a big change to his character and possibly the story, so the other two options are better.)

Silver smirked smugly.

A smirk is typically smug (and we can tell from the context it is meant to be so here as well), so "smugly" is extraneous here.

Silver blinked when he felt a tug at his pant leg. He looked at Nyula, who flailed his arms and squealed aloud.

and the piece of cloth nyula's claws had torn off

Now it was Nyula’s turn to be confused. While he was used to his Trainer being expeditious and wanting to conclude matters as soon as possible, he could detect a faint urgency in his voice. The weasel considered inquiring about that, but how could he ask such a question to the redhead? Silver had many qualities, but perceptivity wasn’t one of them.

…Except that it wasn’t completely true. Despite the obvious language barrier between them, Silver could tell that there was something in Nyula’s mind, but he didn’t know how to ask the weasel about his thoughts and how to translate the response.

And not being able to understand his Pokémon was beyond frustrating for the redhead. He was trying hard to get to know his Pokémon better; he really put plenty of effort into that! But despite everything, he still struggled to get what his Pokémon said and meant most of the times.

If only there was an easier way to understand his team…



…Whatever, that was an issue for another time. He needed to stay focused. So, without further ado, he resumed his journey. “C’mon, let’s go! The Gym isn’t far from here.”

The perspective seems to shift to Nyula's POV at the start, but the fact that it's supposed to switch back to Silver's POV isn't clear before the last paragraph, and as a result it felt like the perspective suddenly changed mid-sentence on the first read. I think the change was meant to be in the second paragraph as it has Silver as the subject in a sentence, but since it directly reacts to the end of the first (Silver had many qualities, but perceptivity wasn’t one of them. => …Except that it wasn’t completely true.), it looks like Nyula's thought and thus POV is continuing.

The redhead raised an eyebrow: a mostly green city with a green gym, controlled by someone named Green who handed out Green Earth Badges… the irony in all of that was palpable.

I don't think that's really irony? Irony isn't the easiest to define, but a common factor seems to be that expectations are subverted
(Google, for one, gives "a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result") whereas here everything specifically follows a certain theme. It is still somewhat absurd, but not ironic.

But above those cries sounded the exclamation of a jovial old man, who was complimenting the barmaid for the fantastic coffee with sake.

Actually shocked to learn that the Japanese put sake in coffee. I can't even tolerate coffee by itself.

‘Some old man should really lay down on his sake…’

I had to check with some friends because I wasn't sure and they say that "some" can indeed be used like this, but I would claim that "someone" would sound more natural than "some old man". It is clear from the context that he's talking about the old man, after all.

Silver aimed straight to the door, with only one thought in his mind: winning the final Badge. His determination was like a raging fire, fueled by his desire to prove himself… but those flames dissipated when he slammed into the automatic door.

I know this is a pretty standard cartoon gag and all, but it makes him seem weirdly stupid.

Silver growled, infuriated by the news. “You gotta be kidding me! What kind of Gym Leader leaves their Gym as if it was some holiday home?” he grumbled and stared unhappily at the door. “…The previous Gym Leader wouldn’t have done anything like that…”

There's a bit more of that redundancy I mentioned earlier here. We hear that he growled, that he was infuriated by the news, that he grumbled and that he stared unhappily at the door. That's four different ways of showing or telling his state of mind. "Stared unhappily" is also better replaced with "glared" - in general, "unhappily" feels like a poor descriptor to me as it just sounds like "not happily" said in a slightly different way.

In that first memory, the door swung open. A tall man with shoulder-length dark hair exited from the house, getting the attention of a nearby Sidon. The bipedal rhino walked toward him and bent forward, tail thumping on the ground. That action rewarded him with a gentle pat on his head and a crunchy carrot in his jaws.

i love that he loves carrots omg

His expression… he would never forget it.

Father was looking so disgruntled, enraged, perhaps even hopeless.

"Disgruntled" is a tonally poor choice of word, in my opinion. It's usually used in comical situations. Something like "resentful" feels more appropriate. As a nitpick, "enraged" is also a very strong word and it feels like it would dominate the other the other emotions and so make more sense as the first word given.

“I will become a stronger man all by myself! All by myself!”

With that, he left Father to satisfy whatever caprice he had. So, the great Giovanni didn’t want to face the bitter truth and swallow his pride and ego? Fine! Silver didn’t need him. He didn’t need anyone!

Then he arrived home. The door was still open and Mother was sitting beside it.

ALL BY MYSELF!
*slams door*
mommy whats for dinner

Corrupted Pokémon, just to satisfy those dastards’ selfish purposes.

I think "dastard" is another word that's more suited for humorous contexts or something for smaller children. It doesn't really work as a family-friendly version of "bastard", if that's what you were thinking.

He gazed passively at the screen: the earliest train for Kogane would be there in five minutes. Other five minutes…

"Another five minutes"?

…What the heck just happened?

too much psycho soda, i mean they don't call it psycho for nothing

---

General Comments

This chapter does a very solid job at introducing us to Silver. We get his personality, relationships, motivation and both long- and short-term plans, but all in a natural way. Glimpses to his backstory, too - them being brought on by a visit to his old home makes sense. I can't say I fully get why he wants power yet, but the name of the story suggesting an exploration of the concept of power has me speculating that even he doesn't fully know it himself, just chasing power because he feels like it's something he must have. Perhaps the real motivation is insecurity or fear, we don't know yet.

Speaking of the backstory, it was surprising to see Giovanni so affectionate at the beginning of the flashbacks, but it does make sense - a more distant father likely wouldn't lead to as strong an attachment and make Silver as upset when he did leave. I'm also intrigued by that Galarish grandmother and what she may have said. I'm not all that well versed in canon, so if that was a reference to something in the canon, it did fly over my head.

I also liked the portrayal of Pokémon in this chapter from the relationship between Nyula and Silver to the Magneton that help get the maglev off the tracks. I usually don't read trainerfics because I'm more interested in the mon than the people, so when I do get assigned a trainerfic, I'm glad whenever the Pokémon are well represented.

That's about it for my thoughts. Good luck in writing onward and see you around!
 

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
Well, as fun as it would have been to see the end of the fight, Nyula had to return to his Trainer. He slipped the feather into his jaws and ran away from the scene, disappearing into the darkness of the alley.
bahaha I love this opening. Seeing the mischievous Nyula in action, along with the antics of various pokemon was both comedic and heartwarming. I think one of the strong points in your writing is these little moments, and I love them. They add character and depth to the world.

If only he could find that legendary Pokémon and prove himself to the world by catching it, then maybe—
* KOA WANTS TO KNOW YOUR LOCATION *

It was really them! Crobat was at the lead, wearing black glasses to protect his eyes from the sunlight
AAAAAAAA GLASSeS CROBAT
the idea of Crobat with his lil glasses is so charming and heartwarming and cool. I love it. Where's my art? Crobat based, 10/10

Silver was way more reserved and congratulated Crobat by giving him a few pats on his head. The bat grinned back, fully aware that this was Silver’s way of thanking him, and gave his Trainer a swift lick on his cheek.
AAAAA I really appreciate that Silver and Crobat have this kind of relationship. I'm very here for Pokemon and Trainers knowing each other's unique forms of communication.

“Seriously? You beat up some bird Pokémon again?”
Gosh this made me snicker, I love that beating birds is a thing for Nyula. idk its just rly funny to me.

“Hopefully, whoever I get will be quiet…”
Words preceding disaster

“I won’t say anything,” he harrumphed, before glaring at the Pokégear. “And don’t record me!”

Kotone pouted, even though the gleam in her eyes made it clear she wasn’t angry or anything. Merely pretending to be. “But Silver! Aren’t you excited? This place is gorgeous! And if the ship is like this, then I can’t wait to be in Pokétopia and see what awaits us there!”

Silver cocked an eyebrow. “That doesn’t mean you have to record me. If you’re so excited to show off the ship, then show off the actual ship.”
Tbh this was both amusing but also very good. maybe because I have a personal peeve against this but just because a character is grumpy and reserved doesn't mean they need their space and privacy invaded, so I honestly appreciated him telling Kotone off, haha! Don't record me, record the ship!

“What are you doing here?!”

…Kris and her Meganium were with them, and they weren’t happy.
:okgon:

What a nice spot to end this.

I'm really glad I was able to return to this chapter from a reader's perspective, after I beta'd it. I found myself enjoying it even more than I already did. Your depiction of the pokemon world continues to charm and steal my heart. This chapter is chock full of lovely details of how people and pokemon in this setting harmonize together. From Machoke working on the boats, to the Golduck and the Meowth at the beginning and all the many other pokemon you show, it feels like one of those adorable shorts.

I also see that you cut this chapter shorter I think? Good move! The tension and emotional "cliffhanger" of sorts of ending with the appearance of Kris and Gold/Hibiki works excellently here. It sets up a good emotional conflict for the next chapter. This one also gave us some good further insight into Silver. He has a good relationship with his pokemon, who support and look out for him, he has a warmth towards Kotone (hehehhe) and shows off the ship, that I am sure will have nothing bad happen to it at all.

Overall I really enjoyed all the little details and character growth you showed and tied in here. I don't have much concrete crit but I just really enjoyed this. Can't wait for more!!!
 
Disk 0, Chapter 5: "Old Friends, Old Rivals"

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Partners
  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
1643824829368.png


Disk 0:
The Monster… Coach and the Rainbow!

“Old Friends, Old Rivals”


***​


A hurricane of fierce emotions brewed aboard the MV Rising Sun. Thick tension and friction charged the air, as two rivals faced each other in the eye of the storm: Silver and Kris, in a standstill of glares.

To compound the scenario, Meganium exuded a spicy aroma from her petals — a sign of aggression, and a rare event for the usually calm dinosaur. Her scent was so overpowering that Ordile almost backed off, disoriented. Though, he forced himself to stand by Silver’s side, covering his nostrils with a paw. The things friends had to do for their friends…

Silver suppressed a sigh. Why wasn’t he the least surprised by her reaction? Oh, yes… Because Kris.

“Tch. What I’m doing here?” he parroted, before crossing his arms. “I’ve got an invitation for this tournament, just like everyone else.”

Kris cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, wow! Then the standards must be pretty low, if they accept delinquents aboard.”

Silver grumbled to himself, annoyed by that jab. Of course she had to still see and treat him like a crook. It’s not like he had left that past behind and he was trying to move on, oh no! That didn’t matter!

Kotone and Hibiki traded knowing glances. They had anticipated a potential conflict between Silver and Kris, and Hibiki gave Kotone a quick nod — a secret signal between them. The dark-haired Trainer stepped in to stop the situation from escalating.

“Well, isn’t it great? We’re once again together — just like good old times!” he exclaimed, flashing an excited grin. “It’s kinda nostalgic, in a sense.”

Kotone was quick to follow his cue. “You can say that again, Hibiki! The Wakaba Trio is reunited once more!” she chirped, looking at her childhood friends. “I’m so glad to see you two here! There’s plenty we need to talk about!”

Bakphoon understood the two Trainers’ plan and turned to Meganium — he had to help in calming down those burning spirits. As such, he wrapped his arm around Meganium’s neck and smiled through the empowering scent.

The dinosaur grumbled, shocked by the touch, and glared at the wolverine. However, a small pep talk in a growled Pokéspeech was all Bakphoon needed to reassure her and calm her down. Meganium’s improved mood was reflected almost immediately: the spicy aroma receded, supplanted by a soothing scent.

The two Pokémon began talking among themselves in their respective languages — they had plenty to catch up, too. Ordile considered joining the conversation, but he decided to not leave Silver’s side. Just in case Kris brought out his most abrasive side once more.

At least the change in air seemed to affect everyone involved, especially Kris. She turned to Hibiki and Kotone, her expression mellowing slightly. “I guess it really is like old times…”

And of course, those three kids traded nostalgic gazes and chuckles, showing their happiness at having met their friends again.

The joy of meeting childhood friends… That was something Silver would have never had the pleasure to share. After all, he wasn’t a member of that ‘Wakaba Trio’ or whatever. And his acquaintances in Kanto… it was better if they stayed where they belonged, as faint memories of a troubled past.

The redhead sighed and looked away, feeling like he was playing gooseberry. Perhaps he could just leave, since he had no real reason to stick around? But before he could even drop a goodbye, he was pulled right into the conversation… sort of.

“But tell me, Kotone… What are you doing with him, of all people?” asked Kris, pointing at Silver. The redhead glared at the girl and grunted in annoyance, prompting Ordile to lean forward, his head hanging protectively over his Trainer’s shoulder.

“Ah, we met each other yesterday, at the Shining Leaves Festival. After that, we rented two slots at a capsule hotel in Asagi, and here we are today,” explained Kotone.

Hibiki rubbed his chin and glanced at Silver. “Oh? I would have never pegged you as a festival guy.”

“Tch. Well, keep not pegging me as that because I’m not,” rebutted the redhead. “I just wanted to give some rest to my team yesterday, which was also the day of that stupid festival. That’s all.”

Kris stared hard at Silver. “Really now? But weren’t Pokémon just a means to an end or something like that? Simple tools to get stronger?”

“Hmph! Contrary to the popular beliefs of certain people, I actually take care of my Pokémon,” he growled, narrowing his eyes further.

Ordile gave support to Silver by nodding and placing his paw on his Trainer’s shoulder, confirming what the redhead just said. And fortunately for them, there was someone else who believed his words.

“Yeah, I’ve gotta vouch for Silver here. I saw his Pokémon, and they all are happy and healthy. Especially his Crobat. You know what that means, right?” Kotone winked and grinned at the other girl. “And you can believe my analysis! After all, am I or am I not a Junior Breeder?”

Kris shot a dubious stare at Kotone, while Hibiki smiled. So, he wasn’t the only one who had faith in Silver, huh? That was reassuring, but he wondered if something happened between his friends that made Kotone so quick to defend Silver.

And Silver? Well, he didn’t know what to think. A part of him was annoyed with Kotone for taking his defense when he could defend himself just fine. Though, another part of him was grateful for precisely the same reason.

At least matters weren’t going too badly… or so he believed, until he looked again at Kris.

That fierceness in her eyes was all too familiar. It was the same glare… Yes, the very same glare that many other people had shown whenever he tried to apologize for what he did. The harsh scrutiny of someone studying a petty and irresponsible thief.

“That doesn’t change what he has done, though! Do I need to bring up his entire rap sheet?”

Just as expected. Of course Kris had to mention that.

Silver sighed somberly. It stung to be reminded of his past endeavors, but there wasn’t anything he could do to change what he had done. All he could do was to march forward, try to fix all he could fix, and never repeat those mistakes ever again.

It’s not like he expected to be forgiven easily, especially not for his least flattering actions. And yet… he had hope, and plenty of willingness to change. He wished to prove to everyone that he was a different person. A better person.

But Kris… How could he even reason with her, if she never gave him a chance?

Always the same Kris, huh? Always the same…

“Oh, c’mon Kris! Again, with this story?” asked Hibiki with a displeased stare. “You’re talking about stuff from two or three years ago! We all have done all kinds of stupid things, me included.”

He looked at Silver. “Besides, it’s not even his fault if he went through what he went through.” Then, he looked back at Kris. “And I bet you wouldn’t be much different if you came from a similar background.”

Those statements seemed to strike some chords inside of Kris. The blue-haired girl stared in stunned silence at her friend, and so did Silver. However, she was quick to dispel that theory.

“There’s no way to tell that, though,” muttered Kris. “And that doesn’t justify nor excuse his actions.”

Silver stared hard at Kris, keeping a stoic expression as she jabbed his buttons again. That girl really loved to rub salt on his wounds, didn’t she? But again, she never knew when to shut her brutal honest mouth, so…

“Ooh, can we not dredge up the past, everyone?”

Ah! Kotone! Yeah, that girl was always so receptive, wasn’t she? She must have sensed his discomfort and wanted to help him out. Such a bleeding heart.

…He really liked that about her, though.

Silver looked at her, and the brunette’s face lit up with determination when she looked back at him. She held her fists close to her face. “We’re on a cruise, something that’s supposed to be fun and relaxing! Why can’t we just put these matters behind us for now and enjoy this journey, rather than being sulky over stuff that happened a long time ago?”

The others turned to Kotone, with Hibiki smiling and Kris being astonished by that outburst. Maril squeaked aloud, feeling proud of her Trainer and wishing to give extra support.

“Hibiki’s right. We all have done things we aren’t proud of, but we have also done many things to be proud of.” Kotone glanced at Silver and smiled warmly at him. “Like… y’know what.”

Silver blinked at Kotone, then looked away and humphed. He refused to show it, but the glimmer of gratitude in that girl’s eyes was like a panacea for his heart. A beautiful beacon in the middle of that sea of accusations.

Hibiki nodded in agreement, an elated grin on his face. “You’ve said it, Kotone! We shouldn’t dismiss the good things we’ve done just because of some bad stuff!”

He emulated the brunette by pumping his own fists. “Also, yeah! This tourney could be considered like a vacation! We should try to get along among ourselves and with other Trainers! Like, there are so many activities we could do!”

“Yeah! I’ve been thinking about that all morning!” chirped Kotone, beaming with excitement.

Kris scoffed, unimpressed by her friends’ suggestion.

“Get along? As in ‘hang out’?” She pointed at Silver and shook her head. “With him? No way!”

Silver glared at Kris. “Tsk! As if I want to hang out with you, to begin with!”

Hibiki and Kotone traded worried glances, then looked again at the other two Trainers. An arrogant redhead with a dark past and a blue-haired girl with a grudge, both unwilling to back off before their respective rival — a truly deadly combo!

Kotone took a deep breath, unhappy about seeing her friends fighting each other, and readied herself for what she was going to say.

“For real, guys! It’s about time to put aside your differences and try to be friends! Dontcha think so?” she told Silver and Kris, who stared at her, both mystified. “I mean, we have a whole week ahead. Can’t you two call a truce until we arrive at Pokétopia, at the very least?”

Silver grumbled incoherently and looked away, while Kris pouted and tapped her foot. Neither seemed too thrilled at the idea, but out of the two, Silver was more willing to relent. After all, he wanted to become a more approachable person, and—

“If you think I’m gonna be friends with the son of that scumbag Giovanni, then you thought very wrong!” grumbled Kris, before cocking an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Yokuza pulled some strings or whatever dirty trick so that,” she pointed again at Silver, “this guy could participate in the tournament.”

Kotone, Hibiki and the Pokémon stared at Kris in shock. Did she really say…?!

Blam! That was it! The tap that detonated the Voltorb!

Silver growled indignantly, his body shivering with rage. Even his eyes seemed to have taken an even brighter shade of red.

How dare that girl spout all that baseless slander?! The redhead knew well that she was baiting him, but oh boy! He was going to take the bait and drag her underwater!

“Such bitterness…” he hissed, shooting a foul stare at Kris. “What happened these past months that made you such a shrew? That Suicune-obsessed-man-in-purple dumped you or something?”

Kris wasn’t fazed by Silver’s glare and countered with an unamused stare of her own. “Ah! As if I need the grace of some man or anything like that! I can handle things by myself just fine!” she scoffed.

“Oh, indeed! Then the fact that you’ve been locked up by those spineless Team Rocket Grunts was just some elaborate plan, wasn’t it?”

Neither Hibiki, Kotone nor the Pokémon were too pleased about the reignited conflict, and the boy decided to act once more as a mediator. “Guys, remember what we just—”

“Don’t you dare bring that up! We both know why I ended up in that situation!” hissed Kris, ignoring her friend completely. “If only you didn’t drag me into a battle…”

“Tch! It’s not my fault if you thought it was a brilliant idea to rush into a lair full of those idiots without a plan!” Silver cocked an eyebrow. “But I mean, what could’ve gone wrong? Heroes improvise and save the day all the time! No?”

“Guys, please—” And Hibiki was cut off once more, much to his chagrin.

“I did way more than what you ever did! At least I didn’t stand by the sidelines to twiddle my thumbs. Did you ever care about anyone but yourself?” asked Kris irately.

Kotone frowned. “Um, actually…”

But before she could say anything else, Silver held out his hand toward her. She looked at him, puzzled. One second of trading glances was all it took to send the message across: Let me handle this.

The redhead looked again at Kris. He knew well that she would have kept painting him in a bad light if he didn’t think of something. Then, he got a brief flash of remembrance, and he leaned back and slipped his hands in his pockets. It was time for the counterattack!

“You say I don’t care? Then who d’you think flipped the switch of that trap in the basement?” He leaned forward and smirked. “Or you really believed that Proton changed his mind?”

Silence surrounded the group. Silver was quite amused by the various expressions: Kris with wide eyes, and Kotone and Hibiki who showed confusion and perplexity. So, they didn’t know about that event?

“Wh—How…?” stammered Kris, struggling to register those words.

“Hmph! You really believed that? How uncharacteristically naive of you.” Silver’s smirk widened. “It turns out that being the son of that — as you said earlier — ‘scumbag’ has its perks, if we can call them that way. Like being able to enter those idiots’ headquarters by using some excuse, and reach the control panel, totally undeterred. After that… Heh, you can fill in the rest.”

Kris growled, disgusted by the idea that she had to be helped by that obnoxious redhead. “Are you serious!? You… Ugh!”

“What? Can’t find a comeback?” quipped Silver, raising both eyebrows.

“Hold there! I’m not done yet!” grumbled Kris, having found another angle to attack. “How about telling me what you’ve done to deserve to be here? After all, only the top of the top is invited to this competition, and your track record isn’t exactly immaculate.”

Silver frowned and rolled his eyes. “Yeah! Way to ignore the fact that I placed second at the Johto League and I’m on my way to participate in the more prestigious Kanto League. Those are mere crumbs, right,” he deadpanned, before shooting a challenging glare. “And what have you done to deserve to be here?”

“I’ve collected all five Silver Prints at the Battle Frontier in Johto!” she responded, beaming a triumphant grin. “So, ha! In your face!”

“…You got all the Silver Prints.” The redhead smirked again. “I’m so flattered.”

Kris shot a confused stare, then balked when she detected the irony. “As if you were in my mind when I got them!” she grumbled, before shrugging dismissively. “Though, I suppose a competition worth its salt needs some losers to make the winners stand out.”

“Ah. So, this is the real reason they’ve invited you.”

A vein of irritation popped on Kris’ forehead, while Silver smirked triumphantly — he had just struck a nerve and relished that. Sweet payback.

“Acting like a wise guy now?” growled Kris.

Silver waved a hand tauntingly. “Heh. At least you’re admitting I’m wise.”

“You know what I mean!”

Uh oh! It was only a matter of time before Silver and Kris jumped at each other’s throats — probably even literally! Kotone shot a worried gaze at Hibiki, and he took matters in his hands and stepped between the two contesters.

“Okay! I believe that’s enough squabbling, you two! Stop already!” he interjected, glancing back and forth between Silver and Kris. Once he got their full attention, he added, “If you really can’t help but fight, then you should consider renting an arena and having a proper battle, or something.”

Kris snorted and tapped her foot. “Tsk! There’s no need for that, Hibiki! It’s not like I have to prove anything to him,” she glared at Silver, “because we both know how things would end, right?”

Silver reciprocated the glare. “Tsk. All you’re proving now is that you’re too cowardly to face me in a legit battle.”

“Cowardly? Me? Now that’s rich!” scoffed Kris, pointing her finger at the redhead. “I can kick your butt any day of any month!”

Silver narrowed his eyes. “I’d really like to see you try…”

At that moment, the redhead noticed the many inquisitive stares from other people and Pokémon, aimed at them. He took a deep breath to regain his composure — making a scene was the last thing he wanted, and he didn’t want to say something he would have regretted.

“…But not now. We’ve gathered enough unnecessary attention as is, and we don’t want the security to kick us somewhere for public disturbance or whatever.” Silver glared at Kris. “Right?

Kris snorted in retaliation, the adrenaline still rushing through her system. Though, after taking a few seconds to empty her mind, she relented as well. “Right…” she mumbled, looking away in annoyance.

Kotone, Hibiki and the Pokémon took breaths of relief – some peace at last! Meganium walked back to her Trainer, her soothing aroma helping release some extra tension, while Ordile patted Silver on his back and hissed happily, glad that his Trainer wasn’t fighting anymore.

That sealed the deal, as the two former combatants focused on their Pokémon and their spirits calmed down. Soon, the sounds of the waves and chatter of other passengers reigned supreme…

Beep-beep breeep!

…for the next few seconds. Everyone turned in the direction of that noise: Kotone’s wrist.

“Oh? Is that your Pokégear, Kotone?” asked Hibiki.

“Yup! Lemme see…” replied the brunette, checking out her smartwatch. Her eyes narrowed, then widened. “Ah! I’ve got a message from Hikari! She… ha!” She nodded to herself. “Oh, that sounds lovely!”

Silver narrowed his eyes, a faint curious glint in his pupils. “Hm? Hikari? Is something the matter?”

“Oh, she just asked me to meet her at the entrance of the spa. They’ve got some specials for the first guests, and she’s already in line. If I hurry up, we both could get a special treatment!” chirped Kotone with glee. “Speaking of… Kris!” She grinned at the blue-haired girl. “How about joining us? I know how much you love that beauty stuff!”

Kris brought a hand to her chin, her eyes narrowed as she contemplated the idea. “The spa, huh?” she mused, before smiling brightly. “Ah, yeah! I’ve read about that on the site! They’ve imported thermal waters from Huen Town — they calm tension, they relieve muscle ache, they solve romantic problems, and also attract money!”

“Well, then! What do you think if we reserve the entire treatment, like… right now? We have a looot of catching up to do~!” Kotone winked at her friend. “As well as some pending girl-to-girl chatter, if you catch my drift!”

Kris tilted her head in puzzlement. “Hm? What do you mean by—?”

“C’mon! It’ll be fun! Let’s go!”

Without another word, Kotone grabbed Kris by her wrist and dragged her away, much to the shock of the blue-haired girl. Meganium could only meep in surprise before being forced to trot after her Trainer.

“Bye, guys! See you around!” shouted Kotone, waving her free hand, with Maril mirroring her Trainer.

Hibiki blinked, shocked by that sudden change of events, but recovered quickly to reciprocate the hand-wave.

“See ya! Have fun!” he shouted back, grinning. Both Ordile and Bakphoon joined the goodbye, growling in their own languages.

Silver didn’t react at first, stunned by what had just transpired. Slowly, he waved his own hand… just when the two girls had already disappeared into the crowd. He sighed, displeased about missing his chance of reciprocating the goodbye.

“Ah, that Kotone. Always excited to try out new things, especially with Kris. I bet she wants to use this week at its fullest to check out all kinds of stuff,” said Hibiki, smiling fondly.

A numb nod was all he got from Silver, who kept staring blankly at the crowd. Hibiki turned to the redhead, a concerned frown on his face.

“By the way, huh… Are you feeling alright? Kris… Man, I didn’t expect her to lash out at you like that! It’s not like her to be so ruthless.”

“...I’m fine.” Silver breathed through his teeth and shook his head, wanting to dismiss the matter as fast as he could. “I’m used to far worse. So don’t pity me.”

Hibiki walked in front of Silver, raising his gaze a little to look into the eyes of the taller Trainer. “Nah, Silver. I’m not pitying you. I just wanna make sure you’re okay. You kinda exploded, too, so...”

Silver groaned and hid his face with a hand. Such shameful behavior — so much for trying to become a better person! He didn’t want to react like that, but Kris! Oh, how furious she made him, whenever they spoke!

“I couldn’t really help it,” he admitted dishearteningly, while uncovering his face. “Every time I try to be composed and reasonable around her, she brings up something that drags the worst out of me. I dunno what to do with her anymore.”

A familiar arm wrapped around his shoulders, and Silver took comfort from that touch. He was grateful that Ordile was there to give him moral support. That half-hug made him feel a bit better.

Hibiki crossed his arms, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Hmm… Yeah, that’s something that has been going for far too long. I’ll see if I can talk to Kris about that later; surely there’s some way to make her go easier on you.”

“Pah. It wouldn’t surprise me if the only way to convince her about my goodwill was by disowning my father, capturing him, or something…” grumbled Silver.

“I mean, technically that would help…”

Silver felt his blood boiling and scowled at the other boy. What kind of tasteless statement was that? Though, it seemed that Hibiki got the message loud and clear, as he held out his hands defensively.

“N-not saying you should do that, of course! But surely there’s some way to get into Kris’ graces.” Hibiki beamed and pointed at himself with a thumb. “And both Kotone and I will help you find a solution!”

Silver stared at Hibiki, somewhat puzzled. How come those two kids were always so eager to help him out? He didn’t do anything to deserve all that concern and care toward him, so… why?

“Anyway, we’ll figure things out with Kris later. How about catching up on things, huh? It’s been long since we talked to each other.”

Silver winced as his mood took another hit, his wounded pride burning again. “And what’s there to say? That you’re the guy who defeated Red? Something that many people believed was impossible?”

Hibiki felt somewhat uneasy. He detected a thin veil of resentment in the redhead’s voice, and the unhappy gaze didn’t help. The dark-haired boy scratched his cheek, trying to think of an answer.

“Huh, that I did, yeah. But it was no walk in the park, really! That guy’s tough, you have no idea! I barely managed to win, with a lucky attack from my final Pokémon.” He chuckled sheepishly. “One more minute, and my Bakphoon would have fainted from hail damage! I had to give a week-long break to my team after that — they worked extra hard to emerge victorious!”

To confirm what Hibiki just said, Bakphoon nodded furiously and rubbed his shoulders. Just thinking about that match made him feel cold out of a sudden, and he was a Fire-type!

However, it didn’t seem that Silver’s mood improved by much, if at all. And his words confirmed his current state of mind. “Still, you won…”

Hibiki groaned, wondering why matters between them always had to be so complicated. “Look, I don’t wanna talk about that, okay? I can see that this topic upsets you, and the last thing I wish is for you to be angry during the entire journey.”

Silver humphed and looked away, and Hibiki’s expression deflated further. The dark-haired kid wished they could get along, more than anything, and so did the two Pokémon. They all looked at each other sadly.

“Believe me or not, I respect you as a Trainer. You’re a great strategist with a strong team! Like, how can’t you see that you’re such a great battler already?”

Hibiki showed a reassuring smile when Silver looked again at him — still somewhat disheartened, but at least he was listening — and the dark-haired teenager took this as his cue to insist on trying to cheer the redhead up.

“Heck! I dare say that you’re one of the most talented Trainers I’ve ever met! And if you weren’t any good, well, do you think they would have invited you to this tournament?”

Silver blinked and stared intently at Hibiki. He remembered Kotone saying something like that while they were eating at the restaurant. It was one thing hearing those words from that girl, but hearing them from Hibiki had another effect entirely. He heard a growl by his side, but didn’t need to look at Ordile to know that he was agreeing with Hibiki.

“And hey! If you wanna show to the world how good you are, then this’ll be your chance to prove it! Isn't that what you’re looking for?” continued Hibiki, his entire face radiating reassurance.

That’s right. That was the main reason Silver accepted to participate in the tournament, after all. And if he found a way to defeat Hibiki as well… Yes! He could do it!

“Tch! You’ve always been so sentimental, Hibiki…” responded Silver, before smirking arrogantly. “You know I’ll be coming for you, right? So, you’d better be ready, because next time we battle, my team and I will crush you!”

Hibiki smirked back and laughed heartily. He was glad and relieved that his rival had regained his usual spunk. “Classic Silver! Well, we’ll be looking forward to that battle!”

The energy radiating from the two Trainers’ auras was enough to motivate Ordile and Bakphoon and fill them with enthusiasm — they were looking forward to that battle, too, whenever it came!

“Anyway, that’ll be in due time! What do you think if we explore the ship, hm?” Hibiki motioned toward the upper deck of the ship to emphasize its size. “This place is so big, and there’s plenty to do! We could even get to know some of our fellow Trainers and rivals! Could be fun!”

Silver’s smirk waned. So Hibiki, his rival and greatest obstacle, wanted to hang out with him? While, yes, there wasn’t any harm in doing that, it still sounded and felt so strange. They were rivals, and rivals don’t usually hang out… Right?

“I’m not sure…” said Silver, looking away.

Ah, yes. The hesitation had to be expected; Silver was always so reserved. However, if there was something that Hibiki learned from his various meetings with his rival, it was that Silver needed to loosen up. Badly.

That redhead was always so alone, morose, and hyper-focused on his training, and there wasn’t a better way to take a break from Trainer duties than by having some good fun on a cruise ship. Besides, it’s not like they couldn’t have spared some time for training in the next few days, And Hibiki already had something in mind to spend their time together…

As of Silver, he just stared hard at Hibiki, straight-faced. He didn’t like the goofy smirk that the dark-haired kid was flashing at him, as that either meant Hibiki was plotting something or that he was going to pull off one of his usual friendly speeches.

“Well, Silver! I’ve got something cool in mind! Wanna hear my idea?” asked Hibiki, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.

Silver cocked an eyebrow. Yeah, exactly as expected. That kid was plotting something, and he seemed pretty hyped about whatever thing his mind had concocted, too. That alone made Silver wary.

Gee. All kids from Wakaba Town are born with built-in optimism, cheerfulness and childish glee, aren’t they? Aside from Kris; she might be a defective model or something…

Well, whatever. It’s not like he had other plans, so what did he have to lose by killing some time in company? If all, by judging Ordile’s intrigued glance, he could tell that the crocodile would have liked to hang out with Bakphoon.

Silver took a deep breath and shook his head, resigned. Another long afternoon awaited him, it seemed.

“Hmph! Alright, then, I’ll bite…” he said, crossing his arms and staring at Hibiki, a curious glint into his pupils. “What d’you have in mind?”


***​


Another area of the ship, and yet Silver’s stance didn’t change: same straight face and same crossed arms, both clear signs of apathy. “I should’ve seen this coming…”

The ship’s arcade. Of course Hibiki had to take him to the arcade! That was the standard place where teenagers loved to hang out or whatever, right? Yeah, right.

What was so special about that environment, anyway? Silver didn’t understand what his peers found so great about those stroboscopic neon lights, and that cacophony of beeps and buzzes, and that amalgamation of scents. Like, what was that blend of aromas, even? He could smell… hm, was that caramel and baked bread?

…Actually, that wasn’t half bad. If all, it was almost pleasant.

“Whoa! This arcade is awesome! Look at all these video games!” exclaimed Hibiki, his eyes reflecting multiple bright colors as he gazed at the machines from the entrance. “Pokémon Dash! Pokémon AR Searcher! They even got Pokken Tournament! Oh, man! We’re spoiled for choice!”

“Wow, I can hardly contain my excitement…” deadpanned Silver, rolling his eyes.

To his dismay, Bakphoon and Ordile were pretty much enthralled by that lively atmosphere. Way more than him, that’s for sure.

Silver sighed deeply, his breath strong enough to have his hair wave in front of his eyes, but his focus was immediately brought back to Hibiki as the latter started dumping a plethora of information about the arcade. Something ‘Pokémon’ here and there, with a quick mention of limited coin budget slipping through his wall of disinterest, then more stuff he didn’t care about. Almost all of Hibiki’s overexcited explanation sounded like random buzzing and white noises to him.

Really, what was so fun about those time-sucking traps? Silver didn’t get it.

“Okay! Weren’t we supposed to check on other Trainers or something?” asked the redhead curtly, his eyes narrowing in annoyance as his hands slid to his hips.

Hibiki was stunned by the sudden change of topic… Good. At least that kid stopped blabbing about random nonsense. And yet, Hibiki was very quick at regaining his cheer and flashed a mildly mischievous grin. Uh oh.

“Well, that’s precisely what we’re doing!” exclaimed Hibiki, his grin widening slightly. Silver did nothing more than raise an eyebrow in confusion, prompting the other boy to elaborate. “I mean, look at all those Trainers inside the arcade! So, we should go take a look around and see what we find!”

Hibiki motioned toward the arcade, before he and Bakphoon walked inside. A faint orange glow came from the wolverine’s burners, outlining both his and his Trainer’s silhouettes, and the duo proceeded to study the nearby machines.

Something scaly bumped Silver’s back, followed by a soft growl. Silver groaned inwardly, suspecting already what Ordile was saying: he wanted them to go after Hibiki and Bakphoon. A quick look at the crocodile’s pleading gaze confirmed his theory.

Silver sighed and shook his head. There wasn’t really a way out of that, was there?

“Fine. If you’re so eager to check that place out…” he muttered to Ordile, bracing himself for what was to come. The redhead walked after the other boy, his hands into his pockets and Ordile right behind him. “Hey, Hibiki! Hold on.”

And it was officially game on — two teenagers, two Pokémon, many people to meet, and an arcade to explore!

First stop: the counter. They couldn’t do much stuff without some arcade coins, after all. A few Trainers were ahead of them, which gave plenty of time to the group to look at the merchandise stored behind the glass.

“Hey! Look at all the stuff they’ve got here, Silver!” exclaimed Hibiki, his finger trailing above the glass as he pointed at the various goods. “See? There are the prizes that can be traded with Pokécoupons.”

“Tch. So this place’s not unlike any regular Game Corner…” muttered Silver, glancing absentmindedly at the various objects. “Do they have TMs or something here?”

Hibiki narrowed his eyes and studied the contents of the glassy container.

“It… doesn’t look like it. What they’ve got here are collectibles, more than anything.” He pointed at some plastic disks, depicting Pokémon with different colorful backgrounds and numbers. “Like pucks to participate in puck games,” he moved his hand toward some cards and booster packs, “or cards for the TCG.”

Silver huffed. “All useless trash, then.”

“Aw, that’s not true! Cards can be really fun to collect, and the artworks are so lovely to look at!”

Silver glanced at Hibiki and cocked an eyebrow. “That’s not really helping your case, y’know.”

“Well, I mean, you can’t not have received at least a card at some point!” countered Hibiki, shooting an inquisitive stare.

Received at least a card. Those words echoed with memories stored deep into Silver’s subconscious. Images and sounds of a past that he had buried long time ago flashed into his mind, especially… Ha! His father’s amused smile. The sheer joy that a father can show upon seeing his small son unwrap the booster pack and stare in awe at a painted pink creature. It was such a little moment, and yet… it was a happy moment.

Wow. What a mental trip to memory lane!

“Admittedly, there was a card I used to carry around with me as a kid,” said Silver at last, cramming his memories back underneath before nostalgia settled in completely.

That information piqued Hibiki’s curiosity. “Ah. Which card was that?”

Silver shrugged. “It was a very common card: A Nidoran from the first set, I think.” His lips curled a bit upward. “I used to consider that like a lucky charm. With so many Poison-types by the outskirts of Tokiwa City, I believed that carrying that card protected me from the venom.”

Hibiki smiled in delight. “That’s actually cute!”

“Hmph. It was just some silly childish nonsense.”

“Nothing wrong with that! We all have been kids at some point in life. I mean, we still are, if you think about it.”

“Speak for yourself… kid!” sneered Silver, flashing a taunting smirk.

Hibiki chuckled, glad that Silver was finally starting to loosen up. He didn’t even care about that small jab – after all, that was just Silver being Silver.

“Oh! So even you’ve got a sense of humor, huh?” Hibiki turned around, noticing the Trainers leaving with their coins. “Well, looks like it’s our turn now! If you give me your Battle Pass, I could get the coins for both.”

Silver didn’t really have anything to object. He shrugged dismissively and handed out his card to the other boy. While waiting, he focused on the Pokémon working by the desk: A trio of Nyarth with purple bow ties, but every cat looked visibly different.

There was a white Nyarth with a golden coin, handing out small glowing coin made with its Pay Day to Trainers who requested them, after checking out their Battle Passes and prize tickets. Definitely a Tohjonian variant.

Then, there was a dark grey Nyarth with a golden coin, but unlike its companion, it didn’t seem too willing to give out the cards to young Trainers. Was that one of those Alolan variants? The ones that belonged to monarchs and everything? That seemed to be the case, if its snotty personality was any proof.

Lastly, there was a brown cat with scruffy fur and a black coin, who had a few Pokécoupons in its paws. He meowed loudly, its cries sounding almost like pirate yells, and it motioned toward the stored cards while waving the coupons. It was working really hard in trying to promote the prizes.

Was that even a Nyarth, though? It was way fluffier than its companions. And that dark amulet on its head… Well, that definitely seemed a Nyarth! He wondered what kind of variant was that…

Silver could only frown as he gazed again at the collectibles, still devoid of interest. Tch. What do people find so great about these cards, I don’t even—

And then, his inner bemoaning faded to nothingness, replaced by a wave of awe. Something grabbed his full attention, much to his own perplexity.

It was a Bangiras card, the most valuable prize and an exclusive for that cruise, according to the announcement. The armored creature looked so proud and strong in that pose; a fierce creature that smashed through the floor with its destructive power. That silent roar depicted in that artwork, which Silver could hear so clearly in his mind – intimidating, truly worthy of a king of Rock- and Dark-types. And that attack’s name, Dark Mountain! Wow, it sounded very fitting for such a cool-looking creature. And… Agh!

Silver grunted, astonished about himself. Why was he even interested in a colored piece of paper? That didn’t make sense!

Not wanting to get himself lost into those mental ramblings again, he decided to focus on something else to divert his attention – anything would have been great! Soon, he got his wish granted as he noticed some glowing orbs waddling on top of the video games and unleashing pink and azure sparkles in the aether. The luminous mist reflected the glow of the neon lights, creating a small constellation of glitter on the dark ceiling.

Intrigued by that unusual sight, Silver focused on the ‘waddling orbs.’ To his lack of surprise, those orbs were actual Pokémon, even though he had never seen that species before. Tiny mushroom-shaped creatures with three glowing bulbs on their heads… Perhaps Grass-types or something, if Paras were any proof? He couldn’t quite tell.

And that was one of many moments in which Silver regretted not having a Pokédex. His Pokégear didn’t have a camera for instant recognition, and he was too proud to ask Hibiki to use his own Pokédex to check out what those Pokémon were.

Hrph! Silver huffed in annoyance; he would have had to find information about those walking mushrooms by the library or something, when he had the time. Nothing he wasn’t used to doing.

“Hey, Silver! I’ve got our coins!” announced Hibiki, snapping Silver out of his thoughts and getting his attention.

Silver said nothing as he claimed back his Battle Pass and got his daily coins, before pocketing them. So, it was time to get into the whole arcade nonsense. Hooray…

He sighed, mentally bracing himself. It was going to be so much fun to have his eyes bombarded by those bright screens, and his ears deafened by the gleeful shouts of winning players, and his stare trailing that green armor surrounded by holographic sparkles, and—hey, wait! Why was he looking at that card again?

This behavior didn’t go unnoticed to Hibiki, who followed his friend’s gaze. “Oh? You like that promotional card?”

Silver winced, before grumbling to mask his shock. “What makes you think that? Can’t I just look at things?” he replied, perhaps a bit harsher than expected. He shook his head to clear his mind and stared intently at Hibiki, his arms crossed with impatience. “Hmph! Forget it! So, what’s next?”

“Well,” Hibiki’s expression twisted into one of challenge, “I might just know what we could try out first…”


***​


It felt good to be back in his element after a few days away from the fanfare of clashing Pokémon. There was one downside, though: it wasn’t the real deal, but a very realistic battle simulation. Orrean technology and latest trend, also known as a Virtual Battle.

An amphitheater built with fake stones and swarming with illusory people surrounded the two Trainers and their assigned virtual Pokémon, while several machines outside of the tridimensional hologram offered accurate environmental effects. False warm wind blew through Silver’s hair, which almost fooled him into believing he was fighting in a real battlefield.

A battle in the arenas with his flesh-and-blood team would have been better, but those arenas were currently occupied for some events. So, that simulation was the closest he could get to a match against Hibiki. And Silver was very determined to win — simulated or not, a battle was still a battle!

He studied the two virtual Pokémon in front of him. An Elezard wagged its tail with enthusiasm, while sparks zipped across its basilisk-y body. It held a Big Root around its neck — not the ideal item, but it synergized well enough with Elezard’s techniques.

The other Pokémon was a stoic Bakuuda who was expelling rings of smoke from its two miniature volcanoes. Its assigned item was a Charcoal — very useful for powering up its strongest attack.

Then he focused on his rival’s Pokémon. A Jukain stared down its opposition, with a small green seed dangling from its neck. Silver recognized that gecko as the Grass-type starter from the Hoenn region. Jukain swiped its bladed arms while the yellow seeds on its back glowed with solar power, a testament of its swiftness.

Its battle partner was a species Silver knew nothing about: a white and green creature with two long leaves at the base of its body, as well as a bouquet of blue flowers adorning its neck. It cooed with a gentle tone, its expression radiating grace and calmness.

Silver squinted at that Pokémon. Was that another Grass-type? The only info he got from the battle simulator was the name of its species: Florges.

Not knowing anything about that Pokémon irked him to no end, as it would make planning strategies and counterattacks harder. However, he wasn’t going to let that lack of knowledge nick away at his confidence. Adaptability was a skill that every Trainer worth their title needed to master, and Silver was plenty adaptable and always ready to face anything.

“Best of luck, Silver!” exclaimed Hibiki, showing a thumbs-up.

Silver flashed a haughty grin. “Hmph. Keep that luck for yourself, Hibiki. It’s for losers, after all.”

“Oof. That burns!” countered Hibiki with a grin, unfazed by his rival’s jab. “Well, the first move is yours! Let’s see how much you’ve improved!”

Oh, Silver was more than ready to comply! He studied his Pokémon’s abilities and moves once more, his eyes narrowing in contemplation and his mental gears spinning at top speed.

So, he had two attackers: one fast and frail lizard and one slow and bulky camel, and both knew spread attacks. Also, Jukain — and possibly Florges, too? — was vulnerable to Bakuuda’s primary attack, and that was something Silver knew he needed to capitalize on.

He nodded to himself once he worked on a rough strategy. It would have been a good start.

“Elezard, Charge! Bakuuda, Sunny Day!”

The two virtual Pokémon hissed and snorted respectively, both fired up. A virtual sun shone above the entire battlefield, its harsh sunlight simulated through a slight increase in luminosity and temperature. Meanwhile, Elezard’s frills flared outward, in the shape of a parabola and its scales sparked as ionized solar energy flowed into its body.

Silver smirked with confidence. With that setup, he hoped to do what he could do best: overwhelm his opponent with pure offense. Though Hibiki was no slouch with battling; a fact that Silver knew all too well. The redhead wondered what that other boy would have done. He didn’t wait long for an answer.

“Florges, go with Grassy Terrain! Jukain, time for a Swords Dance!”

Jukain was the faster of the two — something Silver needed to be careful about — and crossed its arms as holographic swords clanged around it. Then, a thick green mantle cloaked the entire battlefield. The delightful scent of fresh grass tickled the boys’ senses. It was… so pleasant and relaxing. It looked like the perfect setting for a picnic or some other frivolous activity.

‘Hm. Whoever organized this cruise had plenty of money to burn, huh?’

However, Silver couldn’t indulge further in his amazement as another turn of events got his attention. Jukain ate the seed, making its scales shimmer with an azure glow. Was that a defensive boost? Then, Florges produced an item hidden in its bouquet and gave it to its teammate: a small sphere, glowing with a peculiar purple energy.

Silver racked his mind, trying to recall what that battle item was. Purple sphere… ah!

His eyes widened in realization and his breathing stopped for a second: it was a Life Orb. And since Jukain had used Swords Dance before…

‘Okay, that Jukain gotta go down first!’

Hibiki seemed to have noticed his worry, if his grin was any proof. “I’m not gonna pull any punches here, Silver!” he declared, his smile broadening. “I know you much you’d dislike that!”

“…Tsk. It’s not like I would expect anything less from the Johto Champion.” Silver extended his hand toward his rival — a gesture of defiance. “So, show me what you’ve got!”

Hibiki smirked. “Oh, you asked for it!” He pointed at Bakuuda. “Helping Hand and Solar Blade! Take down that Bakuuda!”

A pale orange and yellow aura surrounded the gecko for a split second (courtesy of Florges), and the seeds on its back glowed golden. Its arm blades shimmered with a swirling bright green and golden aura; four resplendent swords of sunbathed meadow. Then Jukain sped toward its target. Digital grass got sliced and scattered around by the sibilant blades.

Blazingly fast: that was the best way to define that gecko.

Silver’s eyes narrowed in alarm. So Hibiki wanted to take down his best striker first!

‘Oh no, you won’t!’ The redhead quickly issued his own command. “Elezard, Substitute!”

Elezard nodded and got on all fours, the air around itself twisting and distorting. The distortion churned and solidified; one basilisk became two, impossible to tell apart. Both Elezard zipped forward, easily matching the incoming gecko in speed. Twin patches of grass rustled. The two basilisks faced off their bigger opponent, like two predators in sync.

Jukain stopped its charge and stared in confusion at the two Elezard. The basilisks ran in circles around the gecko, in an attempt to disorient their big target further. Jukain hissed, frustrated by the dissuasive maneuver, and swung its Solar Blades. But the Elezard proved to be as fast as they were slippery: swords whizzed nearby them, but not a single blade connected.

Hibiki frowned. Those two Elezard were fast, and with each swing, the Life Orb drained more and more of Jukain’s energy. That required some assistance from his other Pokémon.

“Florges, use Dazzling Gleam!” shouted Hibiki.

Florges raised its arms and pixie dust gathered inside its glowing bouquet. There was a bright pink flash, a gentle cry, then beams of light rained on the two Elezard and Bakuuda, chipping away at their health.

Silver’s heart skipped a beat. Drat! If that Dazzling Gleam took out his Elezard, then—ah! No! Both original and Substitute were still standing, and they resumed their predatory tactic without a hitch! Streams of electrodes danced around their bodies — they were readying a powerful discharge.

Oh. And Bakuuda was fine, too, thanks to its Fire-typing. Silver sighed in relief: keeping his Bakuuda as healthy as possible was his highest priority.

Meanwhile, Hibiki stared at the two Elezard, perplexed — they withstood the attack with no issue. Even after taking Charge’s defensive properties into mind, it was baffling to see that not even the Substitute had disappeared.

“Oh, wow. That Charge is pretty strong,” he mused, before scratching the back of his head and grinning sheepishly. “Well, so much for exposing the real deal, haha!”

That response made Silver smirk with snide pride. However, his smile faltered when Jukain swiped its blade at the closest basilisk. And this time, the attack connected.

The targeted Elezard cried out and fell to the floor, its frills twitching and its tail curling around its body. It squealed in pain — getting an elated grin from Jukain — when light poured out of its body.

Poof! The Substitute turned to white flickering smoke. Wrong target.

“Parabolic Charge!” was Silver’s quick follow-up. He couldn’t afford to lose momentum.

Violent sparks crackled through Elezard’s frills. Then, tendrils and concentric rings of electricity traveled across the entire battlefield, bathing the arena in a whitish yellow glow. Jukain took the full brunt of the assault and hissed in pain, its Grass typing just enough to take on the Charge-fueled attack.

The wild thunderbolts struck the remaining Pokémon, too. Florges cried out as the sapping electricity coursed through its fake body. And Bakuuda… yawned lazily, unaffected, while its body grew bigger? Hibiki noticed that change, but his focus shifted back to his own Pokémon, intent on assessing the situation.

When the electric attack ceased, Elezard winced, the Solar Power taking its toll. However, the basilisk hissed in relief when the Grassy Terrain unleashed its energy-restoring effects — thanks to the Big Root and the Parabolic Charge, Elezard recovered from most of its damage.

Silver smirked at the sight of the two opposing Pokémon staggering backward. That meant that Elezard’s attack stung hard. Not bad. However, Jukain was still standing, despite taking a close hit. Now that was bad, albeit not unexpected.

“Wow! That was a clever use of Substitute! And that Elezard sure is fast and strong!” commented Hibiki, thrilled about his rival’s performance.

Silver quirked an eyebrow, somewhat perplexed by Hibiki’s remark. Despite the many battles the redhead had under his belt, his rival’s encouraging demeanor still mystified him. Even when he was at a disadvantage, Hibiki kept his cool and shouted cheers of encouragement to both his Pokémon and his opponents. That kid’s self-esteem was ironclad, no doubt.

“Tsk! Flattery won’t take you anywhere. But yeah, all my Pokémon are strong — even the digital knockoffs,” shot back Silver, the smirk not leaving his face. With his confidence still displayed outside, the redhead’s mind worked hard on another strategy.

If that Jukain was the offensive element of Hibiki’s team, then cutting down its firepower was the best strategy. Or better yet, taking it down with some strong offense — now that would have been an even better plan.

‘Let’s see if your defensive setup is as good!’ Silver pointed at the opposing Pokémon. “Try to stop this! Bakuuda, Eruption! Elezard, take cover under Bakuuda and Charge again!”

Bakuuda snorted as its volcanoes became incandescent, while Elezard zipped underneath its companion and began charging more energy. Dark smoke seeped from Bakuuda’s holes, a telltale sign of what was to come.

Hibiki gasped, his eyes widening in shock. “Jukain! Attack Bakuuda with—”

“Parabolic Charge!”

“—Grassy Glide!”

The two reptiles hurried to carry out their respective orders. Jukain rushed toward Bakuuda, its movements so fast that it seemed almost like it was gliding. Thunderbolts sparked across the entire battlefield once more, with the tendrils mostly focused on the swift gecko. There was so much electricity zipping around the place that Jukain couldn’t approach its target. However, it didn’t get hit by the stray bolts, either.

Swoosh. Bzaaap. Swish. The incredible agility of Jukain and the massive electrical output of Elezard were evenly matched. Both reptiles winced with each unsuccessful hit, and both regained some health through the Grassy Terrain. However, the stalemate didn’t last.

Kaboom! A red glow permeated the arena. Then, a stream of magma erupted from Bakuuda’s humps and shifted into a rain of flames and lapilli. The air became even hotter, but not to the point of being uncomfortable.

Hibiki took a step back, alarmed by the raw power behind that attack. He stared urgently at Florges. “Light Screen!”

Florges waved its paws, summoning a translucent barrier of psionic energy in front of itself and its companion. The Eruption struck the shield, its sizzling meteors clanging against the glass-looking surface and losing some of their strength. But the barrier couldn’t block the entire attack; it kept going, and it hit its marks with its remaining energy.

Jukain and Florges hissed and squealed respectively as the burning projectiles scorched their fake bodies, with the former taking it worse and its body glitching out. Once the blazing rain ceased, the remaining patches of Grassy Terrain sparkled with soothing energy. Hibiki’s Pokémon got some of their health back, much to their relief.

Both boys frowned for different reasons. Hibiki wasn’t pleased with how much damage his Pokémon had taken despite the Light Screen, while Silver… yeah, he didn’t like that Light Screen.

Then, a green flash got their attention. A shimmering aura surrounded Jukain’s body, and the gecko let out a proud screech. Fresh grass grew underneath its feet, enlivening the battlefield with an illusory meadow. Even after being drained of most of its energy, Jukain didn’t want to give up. Its willpower surged, and the gecko showed that off with its own ability: Overgrow.

Hibiki pumped his fist and yelled with enthusiasm. “Oh yeah! Way to go, Jukain!”

Silver didn’t speak, limiting himself to glaring at Jukain, displeased about that turn of events.

That Overgrow… Okay, that was way worse than the barrier! Now Hibiki had both his offense and defense covered. Silver was expecting a potential comeback, however: his rival hadn’t become a League Champion for nothing.

Still, he had to stop that Jukain. Otherwise, it would be game over — literally! But how could he stop the green menace? He didn’t have any effective defensive maneuver to take on a speedy Solar Blade boosted by Swords Dance, Grassy Terrain and Overgrow! Not all of them at once, at least.

Unless…

“You’re doing good, you two!” shouted Hibiki, encouraging the virtual Pokémon. “Let’s keep going! Florges, Helping Hand!”

The empowering energy of the Helping Hand funneled into the Jukain, boosting its attack to the maximum. Its blades grew much longer, almost twice its height, enough to cut through the fake terrain.

“Well, then! How about you try to stop this, Silver?” asked Hibiki, grinning in triumph. Jukain lifted one of its titanic blades and taunted its opponents. Both Elezard and Bakuuda stared at that grassy sword with unease.

Silver narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, annoyance swirling into his mind. No! He wasn’t going to lose against Hibiki! He wasn’t! Not again!

“Hmph! Gladly! And I’m gonna wipe that smirk off your face in the process!” exclaimed Silver with defiance. However, a small side of him wondered if he could back up his claims.

“We’ll see about that!” Hibiki raised his hand dramatically, then he pointed forward. “Go! Solar Blade!”

Another pulse of golden and green light, another grassy rustle, another speedy assault. Jukain held out its two blades as it approached its opponents, uncaring of who it would have struck first — one of them was going to fall.

‘Okay! It’s sink or swim here!’

“Elezard! Substitute and Parabolic Charge! Guard Bakuuda!” commanded Silver, hoping that his Pokémon was fast enough to carry out his attacks.

Elezard hissed to acknowledge the command and crawled forward. After taking another toll at the basilisk’s health, the clone appeared once more, standing between its creator and its teammate. Then, it sped forward to slow down Jukain.

“And you, Bakuuda! Growth!”

Every following event blurred together. Jukain sliced through the Substitute with little to none effort; all that remained of the clone were white speckles. Bakuuda increased its mass once more — and Hibiki realized that the camel had used that attack beforehand — while Elezard unleashed another intense discharge of electrodes. The Light Screen flickered into view, absorbing part of the electric wave. Jukain slowed down but it was still approaching, its Solar Blades ready to claim another target.

Silver took a quick breath. That was it! Time to go to the offensive, even if that implied sacrificing defenses… or something else. But it’s not like there were many ways to defend its Pokémon, anyway.

“Elezard, don’t move! Keep attacking!” shouted Silver. The basilisk nodded and kept firing thunderbolt after thunderbolt, its tail flicking on alert.

Jukain closed the gap between itself and Elezard, even as the electricity kept hitting its body. Its blade raised, ready to strike down the other reptile. Elezard didn’t budge, waiting for Silver’s command. Then, the Solar Blade descended, carrying the raw power of a king of the forest.

“Thunder Wave!”

A weak jolt zipped upward, and the Solar Blade struck Elezard at point blank range. Dust and leaves cloaked the vision for a moment, while Jukain raised its blade back up. When the dust settled, the expected result became obvious: Elezard was down. It laid on the floor, its body flickering and twitching in exhaustion.

The virtual crowd gasped in shock, and a synthetic voice announced that Elezard couldn’t fight any longer. Another chorus of roars and cheers echoed, and the level of excitement went through the roof.

But the basilisk’s defeat wasn’t in vain. Static electric coursed across Jukain’s body, who winced as its movements became slower and more difficult.

Silver smirked: the gambit had been a success, and Jukain was paralyzed. Now all his hopes lied within Bakuuda. He looked at Hibiki, who seemed caught off-guard. The dark-haired Trainer stared at the paralyzed gecko with worry, and Florges mirrored his concern.

Yes! Silver saw it correctly: Jukain was the centerpiece of Hibiki’s strategy, if his opponents’ reactions were any proof. That was excellent news.

“Okay, you got me good there, Silver…” muttered Hibiki, looking back at the redhead. “I’m surprised you let your Elezard take the hit, though.”

Silver’s smirk reached another level of cockiness, if that was even possible. “Heh. Everyone knows that Thunder Wave is a slow technique with a short range. Your Jukain could have dodged the attack, and then I would have lost the element of surprise. So, I needed to… increase my chances.” He placed his hand on his hip and stared at Jukain. “And now your Jukain has lost its best asset: its speed.”

The redhead glanced at the downed Elezard, before recalling it with the fake monster ball. “Nice job there, Elezard. Go back to sleep mode or something.”

“Well, this battle is far from over!”

Silver looked back at Hibiki. His opponent’s expression was brimming with resoluteness and excitement, and his grin was as bright as ever. That light in those eyes… Yeah, Hibiki was enjoying himself. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Silver was having some inkling of fun, too.

At that point, there was no way to determine the winner: two damaged but also heavily guarded Pokémon, or one slow volcano at full health?

Of course, Silver was more than determined to win!

“You’re right,” said the redhead, tilting his head back with arrogance and confidence. “So, let’s end it now!”

“Very well! Jukain,” Hibiki motioned toward Bakuuda, “Grassy Glide!”

Jukain growled and crouched down before gliding toward its remaining target. Static electricity sparked across its body, but the swiftness of the attack kept the speed-reducing effect in check.

Silver narrowed his eyes and turned to Bakuuda. “Stone Edge! Don’t let Jukain come any closer!”

Bakuuda snorted in understanding, then stomped the floor with all its increased mass. Jagged stones burst out of the ground, right in front of Jukain. The gecko had barely the time to twist its body to avoid the sharp edges, with the task made even more difficult because of its slower reflexes and muscles.

“Stone Edge again!”

“Look out, Jukain!”

Jukain’s eyes widened as more stones emerged nearby. With a shocked squeal, he glided out of the way, barely avoiding being trapped by the enormous pillars.

“Keep using Stone Edge! Don’t stop unless I say otherwise!” commanded Silver, his face scrunched in concentration.

Hibiki stared at Silver in puzzlement, wondering what the redhead was planning. He saw how Jukain struggled to stay out of the way of the emerging stones, and the Grassy Glide was barely enough to compensate for the speed’s loss. He knew he had to do something!

“Florges, Flower Shield!” he commanded.

The flowery Pokémon nodded and waved one of its paws. A mysterious gale carrying pink petals blew across the field, making Jukain glow with a mystical aura. A barrier of petals swirled around the gecko, just as a Stone Edge erupted from underneath. That proved to be timely: the shield blunted the edge of the pillar, just enough for Jukain to take the attack and recover some energy with Grassy Terrain.

Silver humphed to himself, observing his rival as he instructed Jukain.

‘Hibiki really is persistent,’ he mused, before another haughty smirk appeared on his face, ‘but so am I!’

Undeterred by the new defensive maneuver, Bakuuda kept stomping the floor and summoning rocks after rocks. Jukain glided across the battlefield to dodge the assaults or used Helping Hand-powered Solar Blades to slice through the closest rocks. The few times that the paralysis immobilized it completely, the Flower Shield absorbed most of the incoming damage. It didn’t take long for Bakuuda to stop stomping the floor — most of its energy had been drained after the incessant assaults, and it panted heavily.

“Ha! It seems your Bakuuda ran out of juice, Silver!” exclaimed Hibiki once the attack ceased, before pumping his fists. “Now there’s nothing stopping Jukain from taking out your Pokémon!”

But Silver wasn’t the least concerned. To the contrary, he chuckled in amusement. “Oh, are you sure about that?” He smirked. “You’d better look more carefully.”

Hibiki tilted his head, puzzled, before studying the battlefield. His eyes widened in realization: Sharp stones and pillars covered the entire arena, forming a makeshift set of barriers around Bakuuda. Also, both the Sunny Day and the Grassy Terrain had disappeared from the battlefield, making the surroundings look even more ominous and cold. The dark-haired boy was so focused on checking Jukain and making sure it didn’t take too much damage from the attacks or the Life Orb that he failed to notice Silver terraforming the arena.

So that was Silver’s plan all along: stalling out Jukain until the weather and terrain conditions returned to normal. Now both Solar Blade and Grassy Glide had lost power and reliability.

That baffled Hibiki: using a defensive tactic wasn’t the kind of strategy he expected out of someone who relied on offense so much. “Uh oh…” he muttered sheepishly.

Silver chuckled darkly at seeing the flabbergasted expression on his rival. It was truly a sight to behold, and it made him not regret agreeing to that Virtual Battle idea. He waved his hand forward and shouted his next command: “Eruption!”

Bakuuda snorted, then began gathering all the energy it had left in its fake body. A pair of smoky columns rose from beyond the walls of rocks, and the temperature started rising once more.

“Florges, Grassy Terrain! And Jukain, Grassy Glide!” commanded Hibiki.

Another scented mantle of grass cloaked the entire battlefield, and Jukain got on all fours as it felt the surge of grassy energy. Then the gecko sped forward, looking for the gaps between the rocks.

A race against time began, to stop the camel from unleashing its explosive energy. With each passing second, the smokes darkened, and a faint red glow shone on the tips of the sharp stones.

Hibiki became more anxious. “Dazzling Gleam!”

Several colorful beams of light rained across the battlefield, with some of them striking the walled up Bakuuda. That did little to the camel, and the first embers danced in the air. Jukain pushed itself more and more, fighting against the static electricity to keep gliding through the various sharp obstacles and toward its target. Just when the gecko was about to trespass the last barrier of rocks, the paralysis blocked all its movements. It fell to the floor with an annoyed grunt, unable to move a single muscle, and then…

Kaboom! A red flash; magma streamed upward; cascading meteors whizzed. Jukain and Florges braced themselves as the devastating rain of fire smashed through everything in the arena: The Light Screen shattered; rocks got turned to dust; massive holes turned the ground into disheveled rubble.

A thick dust rose as the last meteors plummeted, and the simulation blew fake wind at both Trainers to emulate the shockwaves. Hibiki tried to see through the powdery veil while Silver crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, both waiting to see who was still standing after that massive attack.

Soon, the dust cleared, revealing the aftermath. The entire arena was reduced to flickering rubble and debris, with several holes smoking and glowing with incandescent magma.

A crescendo of cheers echoed from the digital audience all around them as the Pokémon came into view: Jukain and Florges were down, twitching uncontrollably and with thin smoke columns rising from their bodies. And Bakuuda… was still standing!

The camel roared triumphantly and spewed rings of smoke from its humps, and the fake crowd cheered for the winners of the match: Silver with his Elezard and Bakuuda.

It took some time for Silver to register what happened. Dumbness overtook his body as the dopamine rushed through his system. Even when he believed that victory was within his grasp, the result still induced a disarray of emotions he didn’t nor couldn’t anticipate.

He won… against Hibiki. Sure, it wasn’t a battle with their actual teams, but that victory still felt so surreal. He won against Hibiki, his greatest rival. He won… He really won!

“Well, congrats for the victory, Silver!” cheered Hibiki, before showing a thumbs-up. “I see you didn’t lose your touch, huh?”

Hearing Hibiki’s voice prompted Silver to look at him. He blinked slowly, his mind still somewhat in disbelief, then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It didn’t take long for Silver to get a grip of himself, and he stared back at his rival while flashing a proud smirk.

“Heh! Of course I won! Were you expecting any other result?” he sneered, his eyes radiating pure and unfiltered cockiness.

Hibiki laughed in response, amused by the other boy’s response. That redhead never ceased to look for ways to stroke his own ego, huh? And yet, Hibiki’s mind was brimming with happiness and relief — whatever thoughts plagued Silver after his disastrous meeting with Kris, they were now gone.

Also… was that a faint glint of excitement and happiness in Silver’s eyes? If there were any, it disappeared soon, veiled by the redhead’s neutral frown.

“Ha! Yeah, I shouldn’t have expected anything less from you. And hey! There’s a reason I enjoy sparring with you and I consider you a great rival and Trainer!” said Hibiki, before grinning in delight. “Your battles are always full of surprises and clever strategies, and this battle was as impressive as the others. I don’t care if it was a simulation: that doesn’t diminish your skills in any way!”

Silver stared curiously at Hibiki, then he looked away. It still felt so strange to receive praise from others, and the feeling was even more empowering when those words came from powerful people like Hibiki. Many of them had seen something good in him, and the redhead couldn’t help but feel good about himself. A tiny smile made its way to his face.

The cheers of the crowd quieted down steadily, just as the stadium melted into blurs of darkness. Rings of pixels surrounded the virtual Pokémon, and their bodies flashed white. Jukain, Florges and Bakuuda disappeared, replaced by a trio of Porygon2. They beeped as they turned to their temporary Trainers, just as another Porygon2 materialized beside ‘Bakuuda’.

In mere seconds, the stadium was gone, revealing an empty black space with a few glowing blue lines to outline the borders of the simulator. Dim lights turned on and the screens turned off. The illusion dispelled. They were back to the simulation room.

Hibiki walked toward ‘Jukain’ and ‘Florges’ at the center of the room and bent down. He pumped his fist and grinned.

“Pory! Poly! What a great performance! Really, your recreations of a Jukain and a Florges were perfect!” he exclaimed, before patting the two ducks on their heads. “Thanks! It was so much fun!”

Pory and Poly trilled in joy, glad that their human player was in a good mood despite the loss.

Silver stared at Hibiki praising his Pokémon, then he turned to the two Porygon2 who had floated in front of him. Beady black gazes met red eyes, and the two ducks wagged their tails in expectation. He could tell that they were waiting for some words of appreciation or something.

“…Hm. You did a fine job,” said Silver, crossing his arms and flashing a neutral smile. “We showed them what we got, huh?”

‘Elezard’ gave a happy trill, bouncing left and right while wagging its tail harder. ‘Bakuuda’, instead, puffed out its chest and beeped aloud, keeping its head high with pride. Nothing made them happier than making their assigned player happy. Besides, winning felt good, too!

Silver smirked. “Good. I wouldn’t have wanted anything less.”

The two Porygon2 trilled again, expressing once more their joy, before floating back to the other ducks. The four digital Pokémon gathered in the center of the room and stared at the closed entrance door, waiting for new players. A chime echoed in the room, signaling that time had run out, and Hibiki walked toward Silver.

“Well! That’s it! What do you think about Virtual Battles?” asked Hibiki, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. “They’re pretty fun, huh?”

Silver slipped his hands in his pockets, keeping a neutral frown. “Hm. It was an interesting experience, I suppose.” He shrugged. “They’re not exactly like real battles, but close enough.”

Hibiki smiled at Silver. “I see. So the arcade isn’t all that bad, is it?”

Silver blinked and looked away, not wishing to respond openly, and Hibiki decided to not press. He knew what Silver’s moments of silence meant, and that was one of the redhead's “I’m too proud to admit I liked something” moments.

“We could try out other Battle CDs later, if you want. But for now, how about going to the bar to celebrate your victory?” said Hibiki, before pointing a thumb toward himself. “My treat!”

Silver cocked an eyebrow. “You’re still aware that this entire cruise is all-inclusive, right?”

“Well, yeah, but you got what I was going for, no?”

Without waiting for an answer, Hibiki patted Silver on his shoulder. The redhead flinched in surprise, stared at the arm going behind his back, then frowned harder at the other boy.

“So, shall we go?” asked Hibiki, his smile still in place.

Silver rolled his eyes, ending up looking at the exit door. “Hmph, fine. Let’s go.”

And so, the two boys left the virtual reality room.

A redhead with his hands in his pocket, and a dark-haired boy holding his hand on his friend’s shoulder. If that happened three years ago, Silver wouldn’t be too pleased to be walking so close to his greatest rival; let alone letting that obnoxious kid touch him! Heck, he would have snapped at him, or even shoved him away. Physical affections are such a dumb and annoying concept.

And yet, Silver didn’t mind that gesture as much as he thought he would have. A fact that puzzled him immensely. Why wasn’t he bothered by that? Was that something that he craved, all things considered?

…Huh. That was a strange train of thought, indeed.

Only at that moment Silver realized how much things had changed between him and Hibiki, mostly from his side. He thought back about his victory, with the entire match flashing rapidly through his mind. Yeah, it was a simulation, but for once he and Hibiki were matched in power and skills. When the levels between parties had been evened, he managed to prevail against his greatest rival.

That could mean that if he managed to win once, then perhaps he would have surpassed his rival in a real battlefield and with his real team. If he kept training hard, both in mind and heart, then maybe he could have truly reached Hibiki’s level as a Trainer someday. They could truly be… equal.

In some way, pondering about all of that brought so much needed comfort into his mind, and Silver felt his own confidence surging with renewed energy. Sure, the loudest side of him considered it silly to feel happy about such a small victory, but Silver didn’t want to let that spoil the mood. For now, that small step forward would have sufficed, and was enough to satisfy him.

Yes. After chasing such a faraway goal for so long, his future was shining with brighter hope.
 
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SparklingEspeon

Back on Her Bullshit
Staff
Location
a Terrace of Indeterminate Location in Snowbelle
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. espurr
  2. fennekin
  3. zoroark
Hello! Not sure when you’ll see this, but I’m here on behalf of the BLEC review awards! For this review, I’ll be broadly covering the four chapters following the first.

There was a lot of atmospheric description in these chapters, which helps set a mood/vibe. When reading I was definitely able to pick out a clear “style”—Light, zen, slightly mythical at points. It feels similar to what the setting of the Anime might feel in practice, so if that was your intent then great job! I think you’ve managed to hew close to the canon tone quite well. In particular I really liked the second and third chapters for the atmosphere they set. They were slow, sure, but we were learning a lot about Silver, the lore of Lugia (which I assume is gonna be relevant later on) and ho-oh, and basically watching things vibe in this very stylized festival. I dug it.

It seems like, aside from some brief scenes for the movements of the world’s Legendaries, the main conflict thus far revolves around Silver being kind of messed up from his past, his father, and the events of GSC, as well as Krys hating his guts. In particular I liked the buildup to that last part; it made their argument feel very climactic in a way when they finally did meet and start duking it out on-page with each other. I kind of expected them to drop everything and battle right then and there, just like they probably would in the canon games/anime.

Something I’m wondering is exactly how many of these characters are going to be relevant to the story from here on out. The cover seems to prioritize Silver, the Aether siblings, and their parents, but you seem to have all the Gen III protags and rivals here, along with Barry From The Battle Frontier, and I’m wondering just how many of them are going to end up sticking around. Hopefully all of them to an extent, since I think it’d be a shame to start from zero when we’re already building conflicts down here on the ground!

I think there’s also a lot brewing in the background that we haven’t seen yet. Some quick scenes of legendaries travelling from one place to the other, but I’m not really sure what this means or what’s happening yet, just that Something Important Is Happening. Given that this is the second chapter in a row we’ve seen legendaries sneakily moving around in the background but not really hinting at what they’re doing, I think some explanations might be in order the next time we see them pop up. Give us some substance to fill out the mystery, etc.

But in general I think now’s a good time to start speeding up. We’ve met Silver, his friends, his enemy, and his rival, we’ve seen his inner conflicts, we’ve seen a broad story setup, we’re on the cruise ship, and so-on. Now’s a good time for things to start speeding up, I hope! The sooner we can get into the meat of the story at this point, the better.

In terms of crit, I guess I’ve only got one large one. I get what the slow pace here is going for, but as a reader I feel that a lot of these chapters fluffed up and bloated to a crazy degree. Now! I know you’ve said in the past you like those fluffy scenes, and I’m not saying cut everything. But I feel for the amount of things that were conveyed per chapter, they felt very long for their substance. For instance, the main takeaways of the last two chapters are:

Chapter 4

  • Silver and Lyra board cruise
  • Silver meets Barry
  • Silver attends festival with Lyra
  • Krys introduction, Silver and Krys fight
Chapter 5

  • Silver vs Krys Part 2, group separate sand leaves Ethan and Silver together
  • Uncomfortable conversation between Ethan and Silver
  • Ethan drags Silver to arcade to cheer him up, then battle arena
  • Ethan/Silver battle
Those chapters are both 13000 words, which feels like a lot for the outlined points! And I’m not so sure we needed to see scenes like Nyula stealing the food, the ship captain’s intro as they set off, the TCG arcade scene, etc. They set a vibe, sure, but if the main point is to set a vibe then I feel these would be better regulated as shorter scenes, or mentions in the prose. In general I’m just kind of surprised at the fact that we’re over 50,000 words into this and nothing of note but introductions have happened yet.

My other criticism is that you often tend to have stilted phrases in the characters’ dialogue. I didn’t go back and get every single one because that would be obnoxious for you to read after a while and even more obnoxious of me to read every single line to catch All The Typos, but in general the trends I noticed were that characters tended to use wording that made them sound less causal and more formal, and there were spots where commas should have been added but weren’t. I included a couple below as examples, so hopefully you can catch the rest on your own!

Jun snapped his fingers. “Ah, this must be the announcement for the muster drill.”
This technically isn't wrong, but in causal conversation most people use "this" for if something is tangibly in front of them, and they would use "that" for something that's "far off". So for instance I'd use "this" for a cat in front of me, and "that" for a ship in the distance. I saw this pop up a couple of times throughout reading, and it has the effect of making a lot of characters sound unnecessarily formal.

Wow. What a mental trip to memory lane!
"Mental" here is redundant, since "memory" already implies it's in his head. I noticed that sometimes information was repeated throughout the prose/characters in different ways, so it might be worth double-checking to see if you have any words in there that mean essentially the same thing in the context of the sentence.

“Tch. So this place’s not unlike any regular Game Corner…”
So this is three qualifiers in a row, (place is / not / unlike), and putting a 's after place is a possessive instead of the contraction "place is" for some dumb reason. it kind of broke my brain for a minute when I stared at it. This sentence could be simplified by rewording it to say "this place is like any other game corner". They aren't often, but there are a couple of phrases that had needlessly complicated contractions like this, so I'd keep an eye out for that type of thing too!

I think, overall, my take at this point is “interesting!” But right now I’m mainly waiting for things to speed up/something to start happening. This is a story about multiverses, fallers, and supervillains, so don’t keep us hung up at the beginning!

~SparklingEspeon
 

kintsugi

golden scars | pfp by sun
Location
the warmth of summer in the songs you write
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. silvally-grass
  2. lapras
  3. golurk
  4. booper-kintsugi
  5. meloetta-kint-muse
  6. meloetta-kint-dancer
  7. murkrow
  8. yveltal
Hi Cress, here for catnip on chapter 2!

This is a meaty chapter for sure, and a lot of new mythos and exposition gets introduced. I like the setting of a festival in general; it's a good way to intersperse old and new ideas, and that tied in well with Silver's current struggles nicely.

Odessa is alien, which I always find fun. I have a soft spot for ancient creatures that are eternal, these clandestine circles of legendaries holding secret council with one another--it makes their struggles seem a lot less impactful in some ways (as they live for centuries, and could easily fix each other's issues), and a lot more impactful in others (as the resultant fallout and psychological damage from the imprisonment of a severely powerful being is wont to do). And the undercurrent of loneliness is a very powerful one as well; I liked the bit about her trying to make echoes to feel less alone. It's quite moody. I'm surprised that, to some extent, Sinnoh was responsible for (what looks like) shadow Lugia.

"Recovery was a total success" was also a fun line coming from the perspective of supernaturally powerful beings--since, as Odessa points out, it's not really, but she can't admit that and Zygarde doesn't seem able to recognize that there might be deeper trauma there.

The festival itself has lots of cute details and feels very lively. The inclusion of deathbarn was clever, and I liked the general concept of a sentient mural pokemon living in the basement of a sacred place; that makes a ton of sense. I'm also curious about how the concept of the legends only seeking those pure of heart will land--will Odessa still feel that way, after everything she's been through? Have the myths changed?

Again, it's a fun way to tie past and present. It's hard to make sense of a lot of the Ho-oh/Lugia backstory and aura exposition without seeing where it lands in the rest of the story--but at 21k words in, it feels like a lot has been set up, but I found myself wanting more concrete action from Silver. If it were purely a slice-of-life about Silver coming to terms with his past, at this point in the story I'd want to see more decisions and actions to reflect his internal change. If it were purely the action/adventure hints that we get from these clandestine legendary meetings, at this point in the story I'd want to see him have more agency or inkling of involvement there as well. It's difficult, again, not knowing the full scope of this story or how many words you're shooting for in the final product--but I do think a lot of these flashback and exposition bits could perhaps be shuffled around, and perhaps worth looking at how much gets achieved in the first 21k words of a novel that has the mix of character/action that you're aiming for here.

"There's a time and place for evolution, and that wasn't it." -- I though this line was perhaps the most interesting in a chapter about a protagonist who's struggling with his own inability and ability to change.

That's all I've got for tonight! Thanks for sharing.
 

CinderArts

Bug Catcher
Location
Sandgem Town
Pronouns
He!
Partners
  1. cinderace
Okay so, I love Chapter 3. It clearly shows that Silver is trying to redeem himself. I guess this chapter is focused on redemption and forgiveness, which I really love! Also, Silver clearly cares for Lyra but refuses to admit it himself hehe :copyka:

Overall, cute chapter! I can't wait to read the rest of the available chapters! I'm looking forward to your future uploads!
 
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