Chương 35: Dramaturgy I

"... Lorelei. It's been a while. What, 12 years?" Ariana said flatly. Her expression had smoothed over, none of that shock and outrage from earlier, showing. It wasn't hard to miss the way she twitched though, at the sight of my aunt.

"…" Lorelei stared at her older sister. Her expression was shielded and she took a deep breath, before turning to face us.

"Are you okay, Silver? Green?" my aunt asked carefully, placing a hand on both our cheeks. She crouched in front of us, red eyes flashing with worry. I was lost for words, thrown for a loop by this entire situation.

"How… why are you here?" I asked in confusion.

"W-We're fine. We didn't even battle yet," Green replied softly, eyes shifting between the three other people there with wide eyes. No doubt, my best friend was taking in the fact that we all looked pretty damn similar to one another. Lorelei adjusted her glasses, a tender expression on her face.

"Your refusal to send excess pokemon away was the first warning sign… There is also the fact that this is where you are sponsored…" My aunt fixed me with a knowing gaze.

"But hearing that you planned on avoiding a major gym sealed it. You are unwilling to enter Viridian City," she said softly.

"How did you—" I cut myself off from asking how she knew I was avoiding Viridian. It's not like I mentioned it explicitly to her... but my Aunt was always listening to even the little things I said.

"Yes... it was back when you were discussing your plans with your team, soon after Oberon evolved. You said your plan after visiting Pallet Town, was to crush two minor gyms to get your 8th badge. I didn't mention it aloud... but it did not sit right with me," Lorelei murmured.

"I combined it with everything else I knew... and realized, I would need to keep an eye on you because Viridian City is not a safe place for you... isn't that right?" I said nothing, just gazing at my aunt with wide eyes. She really did listen to everything I said. My aunt valued me so much, that she was doing whatever she could to keep me safe.

"Is that woman…" Green trailed off. No words came out of Lorelei's mouth at the moment. The Elite 4 member just looked into my wide eyes with an unreadable expression. She tenderly held my cheek and sighed.

"Yes, that is my older sister," she eventually replied, standing up. Lorelei turned around, expression shifting once more.

"Yes, that is my older sister donning the attire of a Team Rocket Executive… and trying to force my nephew back into their clutches," Lorelei said, a livid look finally taking root. Ariana's eyes narrowed, a raw, visceral, anger sparking in them. Lorelei scowled.

"Yes, that is my older sister, who has completely and utterly failed her son!" Green gnawed her lip nervously.

"Why Ariana? Tell me why you've done this," Lorelei asked eventually, clenching her dainty hand as she stood directly in front of me… shielding me from my mother's view. Ariana crossed her arms, completely ignoring the question.

"Get away from my son, Lorelei. He's coming back with me," she said coldly.

"... Your son?" Lorelei repeated quietly.

"Your son?" she said one last time. Lorelei took a deep breath.

"Forgive me Silver, I try to set a good example for you because every other adult has failed you. I try to be a figure that you can potentially look up to because you have no one else to rely on…" Ariana's eyes flew open in rage at that and she snarled.

"... But for just this once, I will have to take a page out of your book because my sister must be out of her fucking mind, if she thinks she has the right to call you her son!" Lorelei snarled in return, true anger on her face. I wasn't able to stop my mouth from opening at her words, heart slamming against my chest. It was strange. I... wasn't used to feeling like this. Lorelei was fully incensed, glaring at Ariana with a mixture of disappointment and sadness…

but none of that even came close to the protective rage practically enveloping her entire frame.

"You think you have any right to claim Silver as anything besides the boy you failed?"

"Team Rocket?! You would join Team Rocket of all organizations?! How could you do this, Ariana?! You've become scum of the world… and you think I'd let you allow innocent little Silver to join you?! Silver, the boy who is so kind underneath the dozens of thorns you helped water and bloom?" My aunt barked.

"I won't let you lay another finger on him. You lost the right to call Silver your son, the moment you allowed Team Rocket to do whatever they wanted to him!" Lorelei said viciously. Ariana's gaze was smoldering… up until that vanished in favor of confusion.

"Whatever they wanted? What on earth are you talking about?" She scowled. I caught that expression with narrowed eyes, allowing Lorelei to continue shielding me from my mother.

"Don't you dare play dumb with me!" Lorelei commanded.

"Why Ariana? Tell me why," she said one more time.

"Tell me why so that I can at least find one reason, not to lose complete faith in my own flesh and blood." Ariana clenched her fist tightly.

"Lose faith in me? Lose faith in me?! As if you ever even had any! Don't fucking kid yourself, Lorelei. You've never cared about anything but yourself! Now all of a sudden, the golden girl cares about others?!" Lorelei glanced incredulously at her sister.

"Do you really think, now is the time to talk about your petty grievances with me, Ariana?! We were children!"

"Now's the perfect time. You're the one who wanted to know right?!" she snarled, looking almost exactly like me. Actually… we all 3 had the same angry expression.

"All my life, I've been second fiddle to you. Lorelei the genius, Lorelei the prodigy… the girl who would put Floe Island on the map," Ariana said mockingly, a hellish scowl on her face.

"I hated it and I resented everything about you… but you know what, the moment I was allowed to go on my journey, I put it all past me. I had so much fun, not once thinking about any of you." Lorelei looked slightly hurt by the venomous tone of my mother.

"Everything was going well for me, but golden girl Lorelei can't stand the idea that someone doesn't care about her, can she?!" Ariana was fully incensed, glaring hatefully at my aunt.

"You forced yourself back into my life and like the stupid little girl I was, I accepted it. I should have known you'd never have good intentions for me. It's always been about being the best with you!"

"... You think I wanted to get back into your life just to continue to belittle your existence?" Lorelei asked quietly.

"Why else would you embarrass me in one of the most important moments of my life?!" Ariana shrieked, eyes blistering with pent up rage.

"Was the idea of your older sister actually enjoying her life, that repulsive to you? Am I not even allowed a single win without you butting your head in?"

"That's not…" Lorelei looked properly rattled. I wanted to say something… but I was left speechless. For once, my brain was failing me. The situation clearly left me more disoriented than normal. I could idly feel Green clutching the back of my coat in distress... but I couldn't offer her words of reassurance.

"Ariana, I did not join that tournament to embarrass you. I can't believe you have such a terrible perception of me… I just wanted my sister back," Lorelei whispered, anger petering away slightly.

"If you wanted your sister back, you wouldn't have reinforced everything our bastard parents said about me! You made me feel worthless! You reminded me that at the end of the day, I will never amount to anything so long as I'm your sister!" Ariana hissed. Lorelei said nothing at that. I could tell my aunt was completely stunned.

"It wasn't enough for you that you got all our parents attention. It wasn't enough that I hated just seeing them. It wasn't enough that I believed them!" Ariana pointed a finger at her, years of pent up rage practically forcing itself out of her body.

"You needed to see for yourself why you were praised more than me! You wanted to see how worthless I was! You wanted to remind me of my place in the world... and you did it… and even then, that's not enough for you is it? You want to take everything from me and my son is the next thing for you!" she snarled. That reignited Lorelei's fury.

"Listen to yourself! Perhaps you have a foot to stand on with your other claims... but trying to take Silver from you? You think my love for Silver is some twisted ploy to make sure you have nothing?!" she asked incredulously.

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe, just maybe, you were a terrible parent? Silver is a mess who doesn't even understand the warmth of a mother's love and it was your job to protect him! How could you lead him down this path, Ariana?!"

"Petty? I'm being the mother you refuse to be because Silver deserves at least a bit of happiness! Get your head out of your ass, Ariana! It's not about you! It's about HIM!" Lorelei finished. Both Ariana and I froze at that. I stared at my tall aunt's back, trying my best to ignore the rapid beating of my chest and the warmness of my body. Ariana shuddered, before her expression turned truly hateful.

"You took our parents and you can have them, you took my joy and you can have that… All my dreams and ambitions died with you... but even that isn't enough of a victory for you. I won't let you take my son," she said lowly. Lorelei shut her eyes.

"You still don't understand why I'm doing this. If I thought Silver was safe with you, I'd have gladly given him back... Nothing would have made me happier, than seeing my older sister, happy with her son..." My aunt grabbed a Dive Ball.

"... But you're just too weak to protect him, Ariana. You've failed so I'll take it from here... because if I don't, who will?" That set my mother off. Using that word... the same word I had used against her in our last meeting. Weak. It was a word that would set me off too. It was a word that seemed to drive my family because none of us wanted to be weak. To be weak, was to be worthless. With an almost feral snarl, Ariana threw out a Ninetales that crooned its name, brightening the sun above.

Lorelei didn't even look fazed. My aunt merely placed two fingers on her glasses and adjusted them.

"I won't let you take Silver back to such a terrible place. You will not undo all the hard work so many people have done for him. Stand behind me children, allow me to show you all, why I am the pinnacle of ice type trainers," Lorelei assured. With that, my aunt released a Ninetales of her own, that immediately wrenched control of the weather. The sunlight was forcefully cast out, as it began snowing harshly, ice petals falling down and kissing my cheeks.

"Ariana… last time we battled, you lost 3-6. This time, you will not faint a single of my pokemon," Lorelei promised. Ariana didn't bother to respond, eyes flooded with rage.

"That is what it means to battle for someone you love. Perhaps one day, you will know what I am talking about." Both the Ninetales had their hidden abilities... but you would only think Lorelei's did because no sun was allowed to shine down on the field. Snowflakes sunk into my clothes, the cold tickled my body and I resisted the urge to shiver as I watched the snow fox dart across the battlefield. He was surrounded in a rainbow colored veil, that reduced the power of the Flamethrower by a tremendous amount...

Not that it came even close to hitting him. Lorelei's Ninetales was one of her fastest pokemon under normal circumstances. It was fleet footed, utilizing the heavy snow to cloak itself. Not only that, it was deceptively sturdy as well, courtesy of Aurora Veil. It was Lorelei's sleeper carry. Very few ever made it past this pokemon because she liked to start off with him... and it was for good reason. Ariana's Ninetales failed at every corner to land a hit.

It had been reduced to using mostly its fire type moves, because Imprison was a very obnoxious move to use on a species that was the same as you. Ice Beams that looked like Blizzards, Blizzards that looked like Sheer Colds... I could see now that the A. Ninetales had been holding back against me. It was almost overwhelmingly powerful. Ninetales was spitting in its rage, trying hard to burn down its cousin. The dreadful combination of the heavy snow and the Aurora Veil, made her Flamethrowers look more like Embers.

Even with the type disadvantage... the match was over in an instant. The A. Ninetales glided through the ever growing pile of snow, before vanishing for a moment and appearing behind its counterpart.

"Chilling Water. Follow it up with Freeze Dry," Lorelei said coolly. A. Ninetales followed the order with such fluidity, it was as if it did both moves at once. Ninetales yowled in agony for only a split second, as the chilly cool water washed over it... but that ended as soon as it started as its ice counterpart froze it completely solid. Ariana gazed at the perfectly healthy A. Ninetales with a baleful look. It didn't take a genius to realize that this A. Ninetales was very capable of sweeping her entire team...

But no, Lorelei did a move that I would do and returned Ninetales. She grabbed another Dive Ball and much to my surprise, the next pokemon she sent out was a tall sauropod. It was blue, quadrupedal with a long neck and tail... An Aurorus... a pokemon from the Kalos region. I had seen Lorelei's Aurorus a few times but i didn't know much about it.

"Go on. Your next," Lorelei said coldly. Ariana clenched her fist. If looks could kill, everyone on the field would be dead right now. My mother looked positively livid by the complete turn of events. What turned into a hard fought, but completely winnable battle for her against Green and I, turned into an inevitable defeat by Lorelei. There was no way she could win this battle. The next pokemon she sent, was a Vileplume. It had a cold smile, that vanished at the sight of the Aurorus opposite to it.

Ariana struck first. Vileplume concocted as many powders as it could. The heavy snowstorm did a great job hiding what powders it were making... but it was also interfering with the intensity of them. Powders were launched through the air to no avail. The snow dampened their effects heavily. What little managed to travel, was swiftly dashed, as a chilling breeze was summoned by Aurorus. The Icy Wind collided with the amalgamation of different powders, scattering them in every direction.

Vileplume let out a noise of discomfort, as the lingering breeze crashed into it, making the grass type skid backwards. It summoned a ball of green energy, firing it at Aurorus, only for the dinosaur to open its mouth and let loose a heavy, icy, shout. The Hyper Voice, laced with ice energy due to Refrigerate, nearly bowled the Vileplume completely over, if not for the hasty Protect it used to weather the damage. Refrigerate was an ability, that imbued the ever malleable normal type with Ice type energy.

Normal types were the most adaptable type. It's why the pokemon could use such a large variety of moves. Abilities like Refrigerate, Pixilate, Aerilate, took Normal Energy and amplified it with their respective types. The only reason it worked, was because of how Normal energy worked... So it was a combination of Normal Energy and the type energy... which made the move really fucking strong.

If not for the Protect, Vileplume would be a goner because that ice type Hyper Voice was going to send it straight to dream land. Vileplume glared at the staunch Aurorus, before firing off green whips of energy that attempted to latch onto her. The tendrils of Giga Drain landed, and the grass type smirked. Without any hesitation, it began draining the sauropod...

"Avalanche." But even that wasn't enough to have things go its way. Even Aurorus getting hit by Giga Drain, was just to allow it to summon an even stronger Avalanche. It was a move that grew even stronger, if the pokemon took damage after all. True to its namesake, Vileplume watched in horror, as the snow above converged, until it formed a shadow right above it. The snow on the ground was piling too high for easy movement, and Vileplume's weren't exactly known for their speed...

so it was completely helpless to stop the landslide from slamming into it. Ariana didn't even wait to see if Vileplume was conscious from that attack. She returned it to the ball, realization swiftly dawning on her face at just how much trouble she was in exactly. After all, Ariana was just an Executive. Lorelei was part of the Elite 4. Predictably, Lorelei returned her healthy Aurorus to the ball, expression not betraying anything.

She grabbed another ball and released her next pokemon, revealing an Alolan Sandslash.

"You can save us the trouble, Ariana. Give up," she said softly.

"Go fuck yourself!" Ariana hissed. She sent out a Zoroark, who's gaze sharpened lethally. Zoroark's were fast. They were very fast pokemon. Under normal circumstances, Zoroark would run circles around a Sandslash... But the circumstances were not normal... because of the snow. Lorelei's fastest pokemon, wasn't Ninetales or her Froslass (yes she had a Froslass). No, it was this demon of a Sandslash. Lorelei's only close combatant, her Alolan Sandslash was an absolute truck of a pokemon with the force it hit with...

and the speed it delivered it at. My aunt tended to follow a slow and controlled styled. Grace and patience, allowing no room for errors, lest she capitalize on it with precise strikes that aimed to quickly end battles. Her Sandslash, threw all that out the window. It was a genuine freak (yes I meant personality wise too) that looked completely out of place being owned by my Aunt. Lorelei told me it had spent a lot of time around Lance and his dragon's while growing up... and that was why.

Both of Lorelei's Alolan pokemon, had their hidden ability. In fact a majority of her pokemon had their recessive trait. Lapras, Dewgong and Jynx also had theirs. Huh, Lorelei was kind of hacking. But I digressed, Sandslash's hidden ability, was Slush Rush... Green and I watched in disbelief, as the A. Sandslash carved through the snow at speeds that defied what a normal one could do.

Ariana's Zoroark, which looked to be one of her stronger fighters, couldn't hope to react to the speed of the ice mouse, howling as those dreadfully sharp claws carved into it, glowing with the sickly green of Fury Cutter. It was a one-sided massacre. Dark Pulses were cut apart, Flamethrowers met walls, Night Slash clashed with Metal Claws... But through it all, Sandslash never lost the advantage. Ariana's Zoroark hissed, eyes set into slits as its feral nature took over.

It pulsed red, before erupting in a dome of crimson energy larger than anything Loki and I could do at the moment. The Night Daze consumed nearly the entire battlefield. It would have even reached us, if not for Jynx summoning a barrier to protect us. Lorelei looked utterly unfazed.

"Metal Burst." Like a vacuum sucking in dirt, I watched as the Night Daze was absorbed into a white ball of energy like it were some strange liquid. Sandslash grinned ferally, eyes shining with bloodlust.

"Your Zoroark certainly has the strength... but the way you utilize it, pales in comparison to Silver. All force and no finesse," my aunt chided. I watched visible veins form on Ariana's face, as the Metal Burst fired at speeds that I couldn't even comprehend, smashing into her Zoroark with enough force, it flew into the snow covered tree and toppled it completely.

"You..." Ariana grit out slowly. I could tell by the look on her face, my mother was very close to breaking down.

"Your next choice, Ariana. You have 3 more, lest you illegally brought more with you. I'd be happy to deal with them as well," Lorelei said, releasing a Froslass next. I only caught a single glimpse of it (she made sure that I saw her winking at me), before it vanished into the snow. Her body practically disappeared in the deluge of white. Lorelei's full ice team, was one that worked best in hail or snow. They weren't hopeless without it, far from it, but in it? They were nightmares.

Froslass in particular, lived up to her namesake as the ghost of the team. I saw her a fair bit, though Lorelei liked to keep her far away (for my sake she said) because the Froslass was both horrified and fascinated in me. Even as Ariana sent out her Honchkrow, it did not help in the slightest.

"Honchkrow... you look sad," Lorelei muttered, gazing at it with a soft gaze. Honchkrow met her gaze, before turning away and focusing on the uphill battle. Right... Honchkrow was one of Ariana's first pokemon. She had it early enough that Lorelei knew it personally. Clearly, that did it no favors. The fight was just as one-sided as every other. Honchkrow immediately started the battle by letting loose a wave of Dark Energy. The Dark Pulse looked slow, but it traveled through the air quickly despite its properties.

I didn't even see how Froslass dealt with it. Her body was still perfectly shielded by the snow that had not waned in the slightest. Snow Cloak helped in spades with that, practically making her undetectable. Honchkrow hissed as the snow converged around it, squawking in distress. The bird was already miserable, a natural reaction after getting buried in snow... and Froslass wasn't making it any better. The ghost treated Honchkrow like it were a child.

It moved through the snow like a wraith, no sign of discomfort like its opponent clearly displayed. Honchkrow's eyes narrowed and it spread its wings wide, dark aura surrounding it. It tried to meet its opponent head on with the Sucker Punch, only to fly uselessly through her. The failure caused it to freeze in surprise, before it realized that there were far more than just one Froslass on the field. Double Team. What an utterly infuriating pokemon to fight.

There was a reason Kanto's Elite 4 had gone unchallenged for so long. Few ever even made it past Lorelei herself. They were all utterly infuriating to face off against. Honchkrow panicked at being unable to identify the real Froslass. It's eyes darted as they slowly approached and Ariana grit her teeth.

"Snarl! Hit them all!" she barked. Honchkrow hissed in return, following her order swiftly. It opened its beak and let out a terrible shriek, dark energy flowing out that dispersed each and every one of the Froslass... Both Ariana and Honchkrow tensed at that detail... because at least one was supposed to actually get hit. The real Froslass giggled ominously, appearing behind Honchkrow and grasping its wings in those frigid hands of hers. In an instant, before Honchkrow could even turn, it had been frozen solid.

Froslass gently pat the frozen statue, before it was returned to the ball. Ariana clenched her fist and hastily summoned her Gardevoir. The hoenn native psychic jolted, honing in on me in blatant terror. It immediately latched onto my mother, eyes glowing brightly...

"Mean Look, Jynx."... Only for it's Teleport to fail, courtesy of Lorelei's Jynx.

"I allowed you to run before. Guilt consumed me because of what you endured, Ariana... but you cannot run any longer. Not after what you've done. You will have to face the reality, whether you want to or not," Lorelei said softly. Gardevoir cried out, as a psychic sheen wrapped around it. Jynx smashed it into the unforgiving ground with one hand, before utilizing her other to lift up an absurd amount of snow.

Green and I watched as Jynx molded the mountain of snow into a makeshift boulder, before ruthlessly crashing it onto the Gardevoir. She repeated the process twice more, before finally discarding the oversized snowball. It had been the shortest battle yet... and it also gave me a new appreciation for Lorelei's Jynx. She was really not playing any games. I like to think I added to how ruthless she was... but she and Lorelei were fairly similar and I knew she had a soft spot for Oberon...

who had been experimented on by Team Rocket. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. She hadn't even used an actual move beyond Mean Look. Just a raw display of superior psychic and ice abilities. Ariana unwittingly took a step back. The ease at which her Gardevoir had been dispatched, had rattled her more than any of the other battles. It was her insurance to get away after all.

"You have been reduced to one now, Ari," Lorelei observed, grabbing her final ball. She kept her entire team in Dive Balls, a decision she made recently after seeing that Green and I used Luxury Balls for our team. Technology was good enough though, that the Dive Balls were fitted with the properties of a Luxury Ball, making it just as comfortable. Random tangent... but I needed to at the moment.

"Lorelei... It's always you. You're always the one who just refuses to leave me alone!" Ariana snarled. She looked like a cornered animal, red eyes wide and wild... She looked like me when my back was against the wall. If we were anything similar, Ariana was thinking of the best way to run from an unfavorable situation. It's what I always did after all. My first response, was almost always flight... I guess I got that from her.

"Why?! If you never wormed your way back into my life, it never would have ended up like this! Why won't you just fuck off?!" Lorelei stared at her, before releasing her giant Lapras.

"Why? Isn't it obvious, Ariana? I just wanted the only person I looked up to back in my life..." Ariana's eyes, showcased how stunned she was by that statement. My mother, for the first time, faltered in her anger. Lorelei adjusted her glasses, a sad resolve in her stance.

"But I see now. I don't need you anymore, Ariana... I'm fine so long as one of my family members acknowledge me and you are trying to take that away from me." In an instant, the snow vanished, replaced by a heavy rainfall. It spoke to the complete mastery over both the snow and rain, that Lorelei's ace had. Lapras let out a deep croon, sorrow in her eyes, as she stared at Ariana's own Lapras... her sister. But much like her trainer, there was but a firm resolve in her eyes. Ariana's Lapras said nothing.

There was a slight weariness in its own gaze... but it was banished swiftly. The smaller of the two, opened its mouth and let loose a gargantuan Hydro Pump. Lorelei's Lapras returned fire with its own Hydro Pump. She didn't seek to overpower, likely because Ariana's Lapras had Water Absorb, she sought to cancel and that was exactly what she did. Hydro Pumps, Water Pulses, Scalds, Brines. Every move Ariana's Lapras used, Lorelei's calmly cancelled with her own. It was like watching a parent train their child.

"Thunderbolt!" Ariana hissed.

"Thunderbolt." The twin bolts of lightning, crashed into one another once more. Neither vied for power over the other, but it was obvious that was only due to one party.

"Is this a game to you?!" Ariana practically shrieked.

"A game... Just the fact you'd ask me that question, shows you truly don't understand how much this affects me," Lorelei sighed sadly.

"Lapras, Thunder." The sky trembled and shrieked, before a Thunder that looked as if it were made by an actual electric type, crashed down on our location. Ariana's Lapras let out a sharp wail, as it was struck with pinpoint accuracy, Thunder honing in on it due to the effects of the rain above. It seized up and shuddered in place, body flowing with the static of the powerful move.

"Horn Drill."

"Holy crap," Green squeaked. She watched with wide eyes, as the Lapras practically glided across the battlefield, horn glowing with a dreadful amount of energy. With no hesitation, Lorelei's Lapras ducked and collided horn first onto Ariana's, gazing in sorrow as her sister wailed and collapsed onto the floor from the brutal attack.

"That was a slaughter," I whispered, gazing at the back of my staunch Aunt. That is what it means to battle for someone you love. Perhaps one day, you will know what I am talking about. Battling for someone you love... Lorelei was... Lorelei was kind of cool. Ariana grit her teeth, taking a step back as Lorelei stared at her with a composed expression.

"... I thought about what I'd say to you, if we ever met again. I wondered what I'd say first, if I was given one more chance to see you," Lorelei whispered.

"Would I apologize for ruining your moment? Would I apologize for stealing all of our parents attention? Would I apologize for being born with my gifts?" My aunt sighed sadly. With the battle over, the full weight of the situation seemed to settle.

"I find myself full of so many apologies… but I realize now, I will never be able to satisfy you. Your issues run deeper and, though I helped fester them, nothing I do, will be able to help you solve them. This is a matter that you need to solve on your own, Ariana. I hope your time in isolation, will give you the self reflection you need… I'd love nothing more than to have my sister back." Ariana clenched her fist tightly.

"I knew I had issues. Of course I knew! You think I don't know how much of a fuck up I am?!" she hissed.

"I was dealing with them. That's why I stupidly let you back into my life! I was making such good progress. I was finally able to embrace my freedom and it made me happy! If I never saw any of you again, I wouldn't have these problems anymore!" Lorelei stilled at that but the loss had released all of Ariana's inhibitions.

"It turns out, I was talented in my own way! I wasn't the strongest, but I was strong! I didn't have to be the best like our stupid fucking parents demanded! Even with all they said, I had fans... rivals, people that were chasing me, like I had always been chasing you!" Ariana heaved, red eyes blistering in her rage.

"I didn't have any grand dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master. I just wanted to continue to experience my freedom... and then you happened."

"Not our parents. Not the islanders. You. You're the one who threw me back into my prison. You humiliated me. Lorelei Kanna the prodigy, utterly dismantles star trainer Ariana Kanna. In an instant, none of my accomplishments mattered. It didn't matter that I was blazing through all challenges, it didn't matter that I was a highly sought after candidate for ACE, it didn't matter that I beat the person who knocked me out the year before in a grueling and thrilling battle...

No, all that mattered, was that Elite 4 Lorelei destroyed me in battle." Ariana clenched her fists.

"In my most crushing defeat yet... all I could hear, was the cheering of the crowd. This close to breaking down, yet I was the only one that was upset. As all the bad thoughts resurfaced, the cheers just magnified them." Lorelei faltered completely. My mother's words were hitting her directly where it hurt... because this was exactly what she had been telling me. It's not like Ariana was making anything up, Lorelei herself believed that she caused this.

"No one cared about me. No one called me to ask how I was feeling even days after the event. No, all they could talk about, was how 16 year old Lorelei was making waves by joining the Elite 4 at such a young age."

"Our parents were right," Ariana said soullessly, expression blank.

"In this world, all that matters is strength. You aren't allowed to have dreams and aspirations if you're weak. I'm just a part of the supporting cast, watching the star of the show take center stage... and I refuse to let that star be someone who burned me to the brink of death." I shuddered at that. My eyes were trained on my mother but she didn't look my way even once... She almost looked ashamed.

"I..." Lorelei was speechless. I couldn't blame her. Even I didn't know what to say to that. It was obvious that at her lowest point, Ariana had been recruited into Team Rocket soon after. Eventually, Lorelei recovered somewhat but she still looked properly rattled.

"I'm sorry, Ariana... but that is another issue entirely. I know what I have done to you. I know it is my fault, but quite frankly, there are far more important things to worry about... and that's what you did to Silver—""What I did to Silver? What I did to Silver?!" Ariana snarled, interrupting her once more.

"All I've done is try to protect him! His first pokemon was from me! I've shielded him from the worst of what this organization offers! He hardly knows a thing! I know I'm a terrible mother, I know I could do better but stop speaking to me like I've gone out of my way to hurt him, when it's the complete opposite!" she practically screeched. My gaze was trained on her. Lorelei's was as well. Hold on... did she not know—"What is all this altercation revolving around my sponsee?" —My thoughts grounded to a halt.

Lorelei watched with a clenched jaw, as a shudder ripped its way through both Ariana and I.

"Elite 4 Lorelei, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Giovanni greeted, placid smile on his face. He didn't even bother sparing Ariana a glance, confidently meeting Lorelei's own. Lorelei stared at Giovanni. Then, she took a good look at both my mother and I, taking note of the way I held my head in my hand.

"Gym Leader Giovanni, you are under arrest on grounds of being associated with Team Rocket," Lorelei said coolly. Giovanni raised a brow.

"Is that so? I suppose you have sufficient proof of such a thing? An accusation like that, is not one to be taken lightly."

"Which is why you should understand the gravity of it," Lorelei retorted calmly, adjusting her glasses.

"I'm afraid I will have to decline, Elite Four Lorelei. I'm merely here to retrieve Silver. Any other matters you wish to discuss, you'll have to schedule an appointment. I'm a busy man after all. I've just recently finished an 8 badge battle, so I'd like to get some rest," Giovanni replied coolly. Lorelei's jaw clenched.

"Perhaps you did not hear me. I find myself with very little patience today, so I'm in no mood to indulge your ignorance." My aunt raised a hand and beckoned Jynx forward.

"My Elite Four Lorelei, you seem unlike yourself today. You aren't the type to skip pleasantries," Giovanni noted coolly. He didn't seem bothered at being surrounded in a psychic sheen and I felt the alarms going off rapidly in my head.

"You'll have to forgive me for such a thing but the situation is rather pressing. Now I will not ask again, are you going to comply, or will you continue to be difficult, gym leader?" she asked frostily. Giovanni said nothing, before a tiny smirk made its way to his face.

"How did you realize such a thing? Did Silver inform you?" Giovanni asked curiously, eyes flitting over to me. My eyes narrowed into pricks at that and I hissed, reflexively taking a step back before stopping myself. Lorelei's glare darkened dramatically at my action. My aunt actually began to snarl, burning hatred coursing through her in an instant.

"No actually. Silver didn't tell me anything. He outright refused to go into details and I needed to figure this out all on my own," she hissed.

"I see," Giovanni nodded at her response.

"It would be foolish of me to attempt to battle you, even with the fact that you just battled your sister."

"You would be correct," Lorelei replied stonily.

"Regardless, I do not intend to go along with your demands. I believe a quarrel is inevitable," my father said, reaching for a Pokeball. Lorelei braced herself…

"Am I interrupting something?" I went stiff, eyes widening at the sound of something thunderous slamming on the ground next to us. Much to my horror, Lorelei stiffened too. Giovanni's hand paused.

"To think one of our very own Gym Leaders, was backing Team Rocket. I don't know how I never noticed..."

"Lance!" Green shouted in happiness.

"Lance?! What are you doing here?!" Lorelei asked in shock. Champion Lance was out in full. His smile was gone, his yellow piercing eyes were narrowed and he had Siegfried out to complete the image. The Dragonite in question, much like his trainer, had no smile on its face. It's normally friendly grayish-green eyes, were narrowed into a fierce visage that reminded those around that this was the apex predator of the Kanto region. A pokemon with no equal. Not even a Gyarados would dare mess with a Dragonite.

Lance was frowning.

"I didn't understand how I was making no headway on my investigation… but something told me that you knew something, Lorelei. It's rare for my instincts to fail me… so I listened to them. You went out abruptly, without notifying anyone and I followed you." He shifted his gaze over to the frowning Giovanni.

"Giovanni, you can explain yourself back at the Plateau. You're under arrest for conspiring with Team Rocket. Come peacefully and quietly or things will quickly get terrible for you." Giovanni's frown became more pronounced. At the same time, the grip on my head got tighter. I didn't notice Green touching my shoulders but the moment I did, I jolted.

"Wait. Stop! You need to get out of here!" I hissed. Lorelei and Lance glanced back at me, there was worry in my aunt's eyes and confusion in the champion's.

"Silver, I know you probably don't want to see me right now… but this is a serious matter that goes beyond you now," Lance said softly. I shook my head harshly.

"No you don't get it! You guys have to go! Leave!" Lance didn't know. Lorelei really didn't tell him. My aunt was serious when she told me that I could trust her wholeheartedly. But Lance didn't have any idea what was about to happen.

"Champion Lance…" Giovanni mused.

"Do you want to know why you never suspected me?" Before Lance could answer, I felt it. A thrum of power, steadily building at speeds too unnatural to be normal. A thrum of power, a drop strong enough to make an entire ocean ripple. A thrum of power that wasn't a thrum at all. It was as if someone decided to lift that aforementioned ocean, in order to crash it into us. I tried to warn them but no noise came out and I realized it was because I had been forcefully rendered speechless.

My warning would have been too late anyways, the rush of psychic energy that burst out was too swift to warn anyone about. It smashed into both Lorelei's Lapras and Lance's Dragonite with brutal force, forcing the two into a tree, and then another, and then 5 more. The two master leveled pokemon cried out, before another rush of psychic abilities, this one strong enough to floor all of us at once, silenced them. Jynx shrieked loudly, eyes rolling to the back of her head as she seized up and collapsed.

Lorelei directed an astonished look towards her psychic, before hastily returning the convulsing pokemon. An indomitable pressure washed over the entire clearing and I hissed in panic, instinctively looking up. There, floating above the ground like it would grow sick if its feet touched it, was a pokemon. Most of its appearance was hidden by armor but the parts that were visible, were a purplish-gray in nature, along with a long purple tail. Despite having felt him since near the beginning of my trip to Kanto…

this was my first time encountering Mewtwo… And its power this close, was on another level.

"We're so fucked."

"Humans." was Mewtwo's simple, baritone, greeting as my group struggled to even move in its presence. I felt a well of dread forming because despite the helmet hiding it completely, there was a gaze locked onto me that belonged to the clone of Mew.

"What… is that?" Lance panted in confusion, struggling to push himself up. Mewtwo's head turned ever so slightly, hard to even spot, as the legendary regarded the Champion.

"I am strength incarnate. One made without equal... A clone of a phantom. You may call me Mewtwo." At that statement, the heavy pressure lifted, getting all of us to let out harsh pants.

"Are you okay?" I asked Green immediately, grabbing my panting companion and helping her up.

"So… so strong," Green mumbled, eyes wide in terror. She clutched me tightly, shuddering in place. I clenched my jaw.

"Meet Mewtwo, my partner," Giovanni introduced calmly, hand shoved in his pocket. Lorelei let out a shaky gasp, forcing herself up and gazing at Mewtwo with wide eyes. She glanced back, which took far more effort than normal, at Green and I... before setting her jaw. The horror in my body deepened, at the sheer resolve she emitted. The resolve to continue fighting despite the hopelessness of the situation. I watched with wide eyes as my aunt released the entirety of her team with no hesitation in her body…

while Lance quickly followed suit.

"Stay back children. It will be alright," Lorelei assured. Lance took a deep breath.

"If I can't even protect two children, I'm not fit to be champion," he said firmly.

"You guys..." Green trailed off, trembling harshly. She clutched the back of my coat, blatant terror rooted in her and I shielded her from them all to the best of my abilities. There was nothing I could do here... Nothing at all.... Giovanni smirked at what Lance said.

"Is that so? Perhaps it is time to consider retirement… though, you will not have to worry much sooner," he advised.

"Mewtwo, if you would please."" A trivial matter." I couldn't even call what happened next a battle. All over the clearing there were such powerful pokemon that could individually dismantle my team on their own. There wasn't a single pokemon here that I could dream of beating. A Charizard, Gyarados, Kingdra, Aerodactyl and Dragonite made up Lance's team. A Ninetales, Sandslash, Froslass and Aurorus made up Lorelei's… And Mewtwo stared them all down like they were pests.

Even as they all roared and fired their respective attacks at him, the psychic didn't even looked fazed. Beams of ice, gouts of fire, draconic flames, even hyper beams… and Mewtwo remained completely stationary.

"A hopeless endeavor." The psychic simply held out an arm that glowed a unique shade of blue, before a third and final wave erupted from him. Green and I watched in horror, as every pokemon, as every attack was engulfed and forcefully dispersed by the raw psychic energy. The strength behind it not only overpowered every single attack strong enough to kill a regular pokemon… it was powerful enough to crash into each pokemon there with thunderous force.

I watched with a clenched jaw, as Lance and Lorelei's pokemon were launched through the air, before a uniquely azure psychic sheen converged around each one and suspended them. Mewtwo held a single bulbed hand out, before waving its hands downward.

"Fall." The ground shook beneath us, as every pokemon was embedded into it with enough force to replicate a Magnitude 10. I could feel the energy get sapped out of the air by Mewtwo's cold, oppressive aura. Then, the psychic lazily launched back both Lorelei and Lance. Lorelei cried out, as she was shoved into a tree from the brutal force and I automatically shouted in concern. I watched her glasses fall off her face and rushed her without thinking twice.

"Are you okay?!" I asked urgently, words fumbling out my mouth before I even thought to say them. I grabbed my aunt and watched her unfocused gaze shift slowly to me. My alarm reached critical levels, as she coughed out flecks of red. Shit, shit, shit. I reached out and grasped her head, feeling my hysteria raise to dangerous levels as I drew back and saw a crimson liquid on my fingers.

"Silver… get behind me. I'll protect you," Lorelei said softly, hand wiping her mouth as she tried to force herself to stand up, only to fail. She collapsed into a heap and I checked to see if anything was broken. Nothing, at the very least, her body wasn't in that horrible of a condition.

"No way… you're going to die if you keep going!" I barked, eyes narrowed in anger and worry.

"... That may be so, but if I don't try everything in my power to protect you... I will never be able to forgive myself," she said resolutely. I clenched my jaw at that, feeling a foreign emotion inside of me. She was serious. My aunt was willing to risk her life to protect me. It was the ultimate show of love... And I hated it. I glanced to the left, to see Green frantically helping a dizzy Lance.

All around, both the Champion and Elite 4 members teams were unconscious to the world, taken out with hardly an effort. Craters were formed underneath each one, from the frail and waif Froslass, to the gargantuan, muscly Gyarados. The only pokemon left… were the ones Green and I owned. …

"The champion of Kanto, reduced to this," Giovanni said coolly, unfazed by the entire events. There was a superior smirk on his face, as if he already knew the outcome of the battle before it even began. He shook his head.

"I intended to wait a little longer but seeing as the opportunity is ripe for the bearing… I suppose this region will have to scramble to acquire two new members of Indigo." The leader of Team Rocket beckoned his head towards Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo, if you would do the honors, please." The legendary did not react at the movement. An ominous blue aura merely crawled out of its body, pressure building ever so slightly. Mewtwo raised his hand, that same hand that wielded so much destructive power in it, building up a small amount of power to eliminate both of them—"Wait." —Only to pause at the voice.

"I'll go with you," I said calmly.

"I'll go with you." Lorelei felt the world freeze around her at those simple words. Her eyes widened and she jolted in place, only to cry out as her body disagreed with the motion. Silver was standing in front of Lorelei, staring evenly at Giovanni, Mewtwo and Ariana. All she could see was her nephew's back but she heard the words he said loud and clear.

"What...?" Green whispered in horror. Giovanni raised a brow.

"Oh?" he asked calmly.

"You've already won. I'll go back with you. Just leave them alone," he requested quietly. Lorelei felt herself growing dizzy at that. What was he saying? What was Silver talking about?

"Going back with me was obvious, Silver. What leverage do you hold to make you think otherwise?" Giovanni mused.

"I don't have any." That seemed to throw the Rocket boss for a loop. Giovanni paused and stared at Silver with an inquisitive gaze.

"You have no leverage yet you would still attempt to bargain with me?" Giovanni asked carefully. Lorelei tried to push herself up but she was completely unable to. The rampant urge to push Silver behind her, was only growing stronger but try as she might, there was nothing she could do about it. Silver nodded with no hesitation.

"I don't want you to kill them."

"... You care for them," Giovanni stated bluntly. Silver ignored his statement.

"This is what you want right? My rebellious little streak will end right here and now. I won't run away, I won't rebel… all I ask is that you spare their lives." Lorelei watched with wide eyes, as Silver made an attempt to give himself up just for their sake. No... No! He couldn't go back to Team Rocket! This wasn't... She tried to protest the decision, but cried out in pain instead, as her body flared.

"Please." Giovanni actually looked surprised to see Silver bowing his head. Lorelei knew she herself was stunned because she could never in her life, imagine her belligerent nephew bowing to anyone. Even worse, she never expected to ever hear him pleading... but yet he was doing both. And it was for them. Silver was not bowing of his own volition... it was because he wanted to protect them. It was the surest sign that they truly had been changing him. Silver was changing for the better...

so why did Lorelei feel so horrible? Silver did not lift his head. His red hair draped over his head and further hid his masked expression.

"Please accept this unreasonable trade. It's the least you can do for your son." Lorelei was a person that was very familiar with the cold. Even long before she had decided being an Ice specialist was her calling, she had been someone that enjoyed the frigid winds and the snow and the biting temperatures. These days, the cold was hardly an afterthought… The last time Lorelei was truly cold, was when she encountered Articuno. The legendary bird of ice, didn't even compare to right now because Lorelei was freezing.

Lorelei wasn't even sure Silver had been this cold at Seafoam." It's the least you can do for your son."

"No... no way," Green muttered, falling backwards in surprise as she gazed at Giovanni and then Silver. Her eyes were wide and horrified, the final pieces of a puzzle she had been agonizing over, finally sliding into place. Silver was… Silver was Giovanni's son? Silver was… the son of the boss of Team Rocket? The leader of Team Rocket, had so ruthlessly experimented on his own child?

"That can't... that's not possible," Lorelei thought in horror. But it was possible. Silver's obsession with strength, his need to continue growing, the way he avidly avoided authorities... It was because of Giovanni. Silver steadfastly kept his gaze trained forward, finally raising his head from the bow. He didn't turn around... almost seeming to be ashamed of admitting a thing. Not once had Silver ever indicated that Giovanni was his father.

Lorelei never even heard Silver say his name and she made sure to take note of everything he said because it was vital information that allowed her to slowly but surely learn more about him. Yet, she was completely blindsided by this revelation. Lance was blindsided by this information... and most of all, Green, the one who knew the most about Silver, was blindsided by this information. The young girl was staring at Silver's back with horrified eyes.

Her mouth opened and closed uselessly, grip on the stunned Lance failing. But yet, there was a realization in her gaze... which meant that Silver had mentioned Giovanni at least once to her. Giovanni simply stared at his son (his son!) with a searching gaze, almost seeming to mull over his words...

"We accept your terms."... Only to halt all actions, as the decision was made for him. Mewtwo's feet finally touched the ground, lingering tension vanishing for the moment. The psychic banished its power for the time being and trained its gaze onto Silver.

"Mewtwo?" Giovanni questioned curiously.

"The mission was to retrieve the one named Silver and we have reached the optimal solution. He has pledged obedience. Any further actions, will unnecessarily dilute the preferred outcome." Mewtwo's baritone voice reverberated through all their heads, making all but one person wince back. Silver stared at Mewtwo with a blank gaze, no fear at all on his face as he stared down the impossibly powerful pokemon.

"That's right. Your initial reason for showing up, was to retrieve me, right? I'm offering myself up on a silver platter," Silver said, raking a hand through his messy red hair.

"You only delay the inevitable, Silver. Soon the world will be ours. Perhaps we will reach a point where you have to eliminate them," Giovanni pointed out.

"I don't care. I just don't want you to kill them now." Silver's voice was clear and concise. Despite the circumstances, he seemed to be the only one in no state of confusion. No... there was just a firm resolve. Ariana gazed at her concussed sister with an unreadable expression.

"Just accept it. Otherwise, he'll never forgive us. This is for the best and he's still our son," she said bluntly. Giovanni seemed to mull the words over before eventually nodding.

"Very well. It would be remiss of me to disregard my son's wishes," he agreed. Silver said nothing, still standing stiffly in front of Lorelei. Giovanni turned towards Lance with a small smirk.

"Be grateful, Champion Lance. The same child who you pledged to protect, in a surprising turn of events, has instead protected you. What a poor sight. The protector of the Kanto region, reduced to this. Perhaps this truly is the more fortunate outcome. The look on your face is delightful." Lance grit his teeth but said nothing, refusing to rise to the bait. All the same, Giovanni's smirk widened.

"For just this once, you may say your farewells," he allowed, staring at his son's face with an inscrutable expression.

"Mewtwo, Ariana, keep watch of him."

"Very well," Mewtwo agreed, enveloping the boss of Team Rocket in a blue aura and teleporting him away. Ariana said nothing, merely crossing her arms. She had been avidly avoiding Silver's gaze the entire time, refusing to look him in the eyes. Silver let loose a quiet breath, that opened up the entire floodgates.

"NO!" Green shouted immediately, rushing her companion with no hesitation. Tears were already falling and she grabbed Silver with all her strength.

"No Silvy, you can't go! You can't leave me! We're supposed to be partners! I'm supposed to protect you!" she cried, clutching him tightly. Silver, her best friend, merely wrapped her in a gentle, albeit firm, hug.

"I had a lot of fun traveling with you Green. You made my life a lot brighter by just existing… Thanks for being the first person I could trust unconditionally. It's a nice feeling," he said truthfully, smiling softly at her. Green's expression immediately turned crestfallen.

"G-Green…? No… No! C-Call me Leaf! Call me Leaf!" she wailed, squeezing the front of his coat. Her tears continued to spill and for once, Silver made no mention of it. He smiled wryly and pat her hair, smoothing it out slightly.

"The one time I call you Green, and you want me to call you Leaf instead? I just can't seem to win with you. You really are impossible," he snorted.

"N-No… I'm coming with you! I don't care! I won't let you go back to them alone!" Green sobbed, refusing to let him go. Silver's expression turned startled at that, his eyes going wide for a moment. It was a testament to his surprise... because the walls he forcefully built, took far longer to shield him again. His silver globes shut and he let loose a tired exhale.

"If you were anyone else, I wouldn't believe that claim but because it's you… I made a promise to myself, Green. I won't let you get hurt so… just trust me. I'm doing this with your best interest in mind." Green only had a moment to look up in slight confusion, before her gaze whitened and she fell unconscious. Silver caught her with one hand (his other was raised in a chopping motion) before she slumped over, and stared at her sleeping and teary visage, with a blank expression.

"Take care of Green for me, Aunt. She's just as reckless as I am so you never know what she's going to do," he said quietly, placing the girl next to Lorelei. He made to stand up again but paused, as Lorelei lashed out and gripped his arm tightly. Silver turned to face her, expression slightly puzzled. He gazed at her hand, then made eye contact with her. All the while, his gaze turned more and more understanding.

Lorelei watched with a shaky gaze as Silver slowly removed both black gloves, something he only did when he prepared to sleep. Her nephew… her precious little nephew, placed his own pale hand onto hers and smiled.

"Thanks Aunt Lorelei, really. Even though I was difficult, you never gave up on me. Just now, I don't think anyone alive was cooler than you," he said truthfully. Lorelei shuddered at that, tears beginning to prick her eyes. She was one of the strongest trainers in the world... so why? Why was she completely helpless to stop what was happening before her very eyes?

"You were never difficult, Silver. I've never felt as happy, than getting to know my precious nephew… so please don't go," she begged, clutching his hand tightly. Silver sighed and pulled her into a tight hug.

"You and I both know that's not an option. I'm not gonna let you kill yourself here, Aunt. Let me protect you for once," he whispered quietly. It hit her all at once and her despair fully settled. Lorelei's tears began to fall as she came to a startling realization. He was shaking. Silver was shaking in her grasp right now. Her redheaded nephew smiled and pulled back, before a contemplative expression made its way to his face. It was the most expressive he had ever been...

and it was in the worst moment of his life.

"I always feel weird when I'm around you but… it's a good weird. I know I'm not really the best judge of this, but I think you were an awesome mom," Silver said truthfully, shooting her one last smile. Lorelei was unable to stop the sob from escaping her, as he leaned in and placed a tentative kiss on her forehead. It was brief and fleeting, clearly coming from a place of inexperience that was even unnatural for a prepubescent boy.

Her tears fell freely, as Silver disentangled from her and placed his signature gloves back on. Then, he took a deep breath and the walls that he let fall for just this moment, came back in full. Lorelei watched in real time, as his smile vanished. Lorelei watched in real time, as the slight warmth in his eyes, were chipped away by the blizzard that he had been enveloped in his entire life.

Lorelei watched in real time, as her nephew turned away from her and moved, each quiet step piercing her heart like she had been shot. Despite her best efforts, Lorelei couldn't move to stop him from going. Despite how hard she tried, wracked sobbing interrupted the words she wanted to say, the words she still had left. She wanted to tell him to stop. To not go. To not be so afraid of showing his emotions like he had been doing for so long... to be that little 12 year old that he was. But she couldn't.

There was nothing she could do in this moment and it was killing her. No matter what she did, the pit in her stomach refused to go away. The further Silver got, the larger it grew, until it felt bottomless. But she was hopeless to stop it. So Lorelei wept in defeat. Her tears spilled in full, as a wail ripped its way through her body. As the last of her energy was ripped out of her, she bowed her head and missed Silver shooting her one last look, the moment the first cry left her.

If she had seen it, she likely would have shattered on the spot because of the all consuming sadness in his gaze. It threatened to envelop the entire area, those cold silver eyes glowing with the sadness of a little boy who had been ripped away from his last chance at happiness. If one looked closer, they would see there was something... wet to the unnatural eyes of Silver.

"Silver," Lance said, shakily pulling himself up to his feet. There was a trail of blood pouring down his head and he was clutching his arm but despite that, he forced himself to stand. Why? Because he had seen that all consuming sadness in Silver's eyes and it tore him apart, knowing that there was nothing he could do about it.

"I'll get you back," the champion said resolutely. Silver's chilly gaze met his own and the redhead paused.

"You have a whole region to worry about. Don't let one boy distract you, Champion," he advised quietly. Lance shook his head.

"I'd rather give up my title, than ignore a child crying for help." Silver's eyes widened a fraction at that (the same way his expression always shifted when something caught him off guard but he refused to acknowledge it) before the redhead scoffed.

"Whatever you say, Hero. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Don't make a mistake because it might be the last one you ever make," he warned, staring into his soul. That piercing metallic gaze, was the last thing Lance saw, before Silver was enveloped in a blue sheen. It was almost as if he had never been there. Ariana watched with furrowed brows, as her little sister sobbed on the floor.

There had been a brief rage at seeing Silver act so affectionate with her but all of it vanished, at the sight of Lorelei weeping so freely. Her gut curled but she was unable to dwell on it for longer, before she was similarly wrapped in a blue sheen and transported away. Lance watched them go with a clouded expression, before slowly limping over to the weeping Lorelei. He had never once seen her like this. Lorelei was a woman that encompassed her specialization well.

She was a pillar of ice, always cool and collected no matter what she dealt with. His closest Elite 4 member (without her, there was no way he could be Champion for long), was a woman who kept her inner thoughts to herself, content to deal with them in isolation. But right now, she was too lost in her grief to wait for isolation. Who could blame her? The happiest he had seen Lorelei, was whenever she was dealing with Silver.

"I'm sorry, Lorelei," Lance said truthfully, shutting his eyes as the sting of failure washed over him. Lorelei didn't seem to hear him.

"He was shaking…" she whispered.

"Silver was… Silver was shaking. He was afraid to go back with them and I just let it happen." Lorelei's voice cracked and Lance's eyes narrowed in guilt as she shuddered.

"Silver… gave us a chance to continue fighting. Without him, you and I would be… dead," Lance said softly.

"But he shouldn't have to make that decision!" Lorelei shouted hysterically.

"Giovanni is Silver's father and he has never even made mention of that! Of all the things Silver has let slip, intentionally or unintentionally, that is one thing he has never indicated, beyond his hatred for Viridian! When Giovanni showed up, Silver shuddered! When Giovanni focused on him, Silver took a step back! He's terrified of him!" Lance shut his eyes at her words.

"He doesn't talk about either of his parents, he looks at me like I'm an alien whenever I show him the slightest affection… he has no idea how to deal with kindness and it's because of them, Lance! Don't you understand… Silver just willingly sent himself back to his own personal hell!" she sobbed. Lance turned away, unable to bear seeing his most composed Elite 4 member so distraught. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. He never heard that quote before Silver said it to him.

It was one of the strange things about the boy who both knew so much and so little… But Lance felt the full weight of those words in that very moment, gazing at the unconscious Green and the inconsolable Lorelei.

"We need medical attention," Lance said shortly, slowly reaching into his pocket in order to contact Karen. The popping of bubblegum greeted him and Lance glanced at the bored visage of his newest and youngest Elite 4 member." What is it Sir Caped Champion… is someone crying? Hold on, are you bleeding?" Karen asked, bored expression vanishing immediately. Lance felt a sting at seeing her silvery-blue eyes narrow." What's the situation?" she asked sternly. By the sounds of it, she was already moving about.

"None anymore… It's over. We need you to send a teleporter to our location." Karen's brows furrowed at his words.

"None anymore? You need a teleporter? Why would you need one? What's wrong with your team?"

"They've all been fainted. It's bad," Lance said grimly. The silence was loud, only broken by the sounds of Lorelei. Karen looked distinctly stunned by that. Her eyes were wide and she opened her mouth, only to close it." Who's crying?!" she asked with a thunderous scowl, already coming to a conclusion that she found herself hating. Lance shut his eyes.

"It's Lorelei. I'll brief you after we get medical attention." If anything, that made Karen's expression darken even further." I'm sending out forces right now. Do I need to mobilize Agatha and Bruno too?" Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

"... No not yet. We need to regroup and discuss," Lance said eventually. Karen looked surprised by that, before nodding slowly. Lance hung up the call and sighed.

"C'mon Lore… let's get out of here," Lance said softly, hoisting Green off the floor. He winced at the action, but slowly pulled Lorelei up. Lorelei said nothing, head bowed as she slowly returned her team. Then, she collapsed against Lance's frame. Lance almost thought she wanted comfort, up until he saw that her red hair was wet. She was bleeding, likely from the force she hit the tree at. Lance hastily applied pressure on her head with his bad arm, unmindful of his own injuries and shut his eyes."

What would this region think, if they saw this humiliating display? The Champion of this region, forced to rely on the help of a first year trainer. Kanto would be finished. There would be no coming back from this," Lance thought. Lance wanted to fix this… but he didn't know how. That legendary wielded a power stronger than anything he had ever seen. Don't make a mistake because it might be the last one you ever make. He noted the look in Silver's eyes and sighed as Lorelei drifted off to sleep. What a mess.

He would have to make sure Lorelei and Green didn't do anything reckless. Silver had saved their lives… They could not squander it.