Chương 44: The Gang's All Here

Indigo Plateau was a massive place, nestled in a mountainous region. Cliffs and heavily forested valleys surrounded it. The place was surprisingly quiet, not dominated by the sounds of wild pokemon that no doubt inhabited the area. Towering above all of that was the League Complex. It was akin to a fortress, standing out amidst the trees without any real attempt to cloak itself. A declaration of power. Why would they need to hide?

This was one of the strongholds of one of the strongest regions in the world after all. It was an incredible sight, not one that I had ever really expected to see, considering my criminal background. I had been nearby at League Headquarters, so I had never stepped onto the Plateau, only seeing it in the distance. It was a special venue used only for the League Conference and the Kanto Grand Festival, an event for coordinators.

I could not see it from where I was currently, but there was a colossal stadium where the biggest matches were held. I wouldn't be on those yet, using the small battlefields with different environments — grass, rock, water, even ice — for the preliminary rounds. Beyond that, there were dormitories, training areas, food courts, restaurants, lounges, and many other activities scattered throughout the place. It reminded me of an Olympic Village...

which is probably exactly what it was, considering this place was only used by the best the League had to offer this year. I raked a hand through my hair with a sigh. I'd be staying here for almost two weeks while the Indigo Conference went on… battling progressively stronger trainers until I won or lost the whole thing.

"Hello, welcome to Indigo Plateau! You're here quite early!" The receptionist beamed.

"Better to check in before the hoard arrives," I replied coolly.

"How diligent! May I see some identification?" I grabbed my Pokedex, handing the sleek device over to her with a bored expression. The conference would start with the Preliminaries, a set of one-on-one matches to quickly begin thinning the herd. She accepted it cheerfully and placed my device in the machine. The lady typed away for a moment before her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, my! You're Trainer Silver!" she gasped in surprise. I huffed. That reaction was likely because of my and Lorelei's relationship. She did warn me that more and more people were beginning to believe that she was my mother. No idea why that made her so damn happy, but it was cute... that's why I didn't bother explaining to curious people that she was actually my aunt. That's also why I called Mars my twin. She liked that too.

"That's me. Am I good to go?" She nodded cheerfully.

"You are! I look forward to seeing your performance at the Conference!" The woman placed the Pokedex back in my hands, getting a stiff nod out of me. Thankfully, I really did show up quite early, so there wasn't anyone idling over at this area; I accepted the card to my lodgings for my duration here and headed straight to my room. I could download an app that would show me my bracket now that my Pokedex was connected to the Indigo Conference's database.

I could get general information on my opponents, their stats, badges, and even their teams. It was useful. I'd put it to good use. My room wasn't the most advanced — although it did have to compete with Lorelei's — but it was spacious and comfortable. The kitchen was packed with microwavable food, energy drinks, and nutritious snacks… It kind of reminded me of a suite, further supported by the three bedrooms. All three looked the same, so I picked the one closest to the exit.

The faster I could avoid my roommates, the better. It was quaint. The only thing that could ruin it would be whoever shared the space with me for the next two weeks— The door opened promptly. I raised a brow because I was actually here pretty early, so for someone to follow up on that was odd. As I turned to face my roommate, I withheld the urge to sigh. Can't even say I'm surprised about that.

"You?!" Blue practically shouted, eyes going wide. I sighed, raking a hand through my hair.

"Of course, I get a room with you. Just my luck," I muttered. Blue's eyes narrowed at my words.

"As if I wanna share a room with you," he spat. Just perfect. Why did I even say anything?

"Don't say a word to me, and I won't say anything to you. We've got no reason to even speak," I said bluntly, brushing past him and out of the still-open door. Blue watched me go with a puzzled expression, not that I paid any mind to it. I just continued my pace, only to sigh audibly again at hearing his voice call out for me to wait.

"I thought you, of all people, would actually listen to my demands of not wanting to talk… but I guess not." I turned towards the youngest Oak with a frown.

"What do you want?" Blue gazed at me like a puzzle.

"So what? Am I supposed to pretend that what happened on that island wasn't real?" he questioned.

"Preferably. If you wanna leak it, go ahead. Maybe more people will leave me alone if they know what I did," I drawled, marching towards a restaurant or something. For the time being, training was done. My work was finished, so my soldiers should get proper rest. Overexertion was death. Too much training was bad; relaxation was necessary.

"You doin' alright?" I paused, blinking owlishly. I turned towards Blue, a confused expression on my face that did little to convey just how shocked I was at the question.

"What is this? Why are you asking me this question? Why do you even care?" I wondered. Blue scowled.

"Even I'm not that much of a dick to trash you after what you did on that island. You saved our lives, and you almost died," he pointed out in a low whisper.

"Not so loud," I muttered, shaking my head with a frown.

"I just did what would keep unwilling victims alive, is all. You all got dragged into my mess, so I fixed it." Blue stared at me.

"But why? That… doesn't seem like you," he pointed out, not sounding so sure of himself. I shrugged.

"Who knows? Even I'm not that much of a dick where I'd let innocent kids die."

"…" Blue looked stunned by my words. He opened and shut his mouth, a frown forming as he tried to puzzle something out in his head. I imagine it had to do with me.

"You talked about me to my gramps." I readily welcomed the abrupt shift of subject. I didn't really fancy discussing New Island with anyone outside my crew, so I accepted it.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for Green because she just wants her friend back." My simple answer caused the Oak to gaze at me in genuine surprise. His eyes were wide in disbelief, none of that brash arrogance he tended to waltz with.

"You two… really care for each other, huh?" he eventually asked. I grunted.

"She's my best friend, 'course I do." Blue said nothing at that. The two of us walked in comfortable silence, Blue because he was deep in thought, and me because I didn't want to talk.

"Thanks… Silver. I'll apologize to Green when I get the chance… though based on how she is right now, I don't know if that'll matter," Blue muttered. The second half of his statement completely overrode my surprise at his sudden thanks.

"What do you mean by that? What's wrong with Green?" I questioned with a frown.

"Right… you were unconscious," Blue muttered, crossing his arms. What? What was wrong with Green?

"She's hurting. Green cares about you a lot, and in her eyes, she failed to protect you. It's always been easy to make her cry because she's an emotional girl… and she thought you died." Blue's explanation made me go cold. So much so that I stopped walking immediately. My brows furrowed, thoughts running rampant through my head. Was that why Lorelei looked so displeased when talking about Green? I hadn't mentioned it because of my state… but now I was realizing everything was weird.

Green was so touchy that no amount of training would have stopped her from visiting me at least once. Oh fuck. I genuinely thought she was just focused on training for the League, leaving the hard stuff for after.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Blue said awkwardly.

"You seemed like you were dealing with your own stuff, and a lot of things happened to you, too. Green's a smart girl; talk to her and you'll both be fine." I took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'll do that. She's always been very understanding, and we get each other. I'll talk to her and let her trash me like I deserve." Blue snorted.

"You do that. For some reason, she looks up to you more than anyone else… and since you did me a solid, I'll do you one too." My silver orbs clashed with his blue before I shook my head in amusement.

"Keep it up, and they'll try to recruit you to our gang. For both our sakes, let's not do that." Funnily enough, Blue's eyes widened in pure dread. He backed up in alarm, rocking his head.

"I am not joining your gang! Don't even try it!" he hissed. I raised a brow.

"What the fuck? I barely said anything." He shook his head rapidly, causing me to snort disbelievingly. Did someone in my gang spring the idea on him? Wasn't it Crystal? Had he been thinking that hard about it? Before I could dwell on it, I heard a voice urgently shout, "Trainer Silver! Trainer Silver!" I paused, glancing up in confusion to see a woman and a cameraman running towards me. They had eager smiles on their faces, looking expectant. My eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly. They flinched slightly at my brisk tone, surprise on their features.

"Hello, we're the official anchors of the Indigo Plateau Conference. We'd love to take a second of your time to interview the #1 rookie!" I mulled it over.

"No, I'm good. Go interview someone else..." I brushed past the two, who could only splutter at my refusal. I'm sure if they interviewed any other first years, they'd eagerly get a response. Go bother someone else, like Gold or Blue.

"Oh, but please, just a moment of your time!" the woman pleaded. I huffed in annoyance.

"You already have the camera rolling, too. How annoying and overbearing can you get?" I asked coldly. The two looked flustered. I wasn't too surprised because they probably expected a rookie to readily jump at the idea of being interviewed. Alas, I was not most rookies.

"It'll be quick! We won't hold you!" I exhaled.

"Okay. If the questions are good, I'll answer them. If you ask me three unpleasant questions, the interview is over." They looked pleased.

"Of course! There have been rumors floating around that you are Elite 4 Lorelei's son. Is that true?"

"Nah, but sure," I replied blandly. They blinked owlishly.

"What does that mean?"

"That's an unpleasant question. Strike 1," I drawled. Blue snorted loudly, an amused smirk on his face.

"U-Um… well, we've been keeping track of you, and we couldn't help but notice that you have no recorded battle for your eighth badge! Could you explain what happened? How are you able to qualify for the League?" The woman followed up.

"Good question," I nodded. There was a tense silence. I stared unblinkingly at them, letting it stretch out.

"Um… Trainer Silver?" the reporter questioned.

"What?" I replied bluntly.

"Are you… going to answer the question?" she asked. I tilted my head.

"That's a bad question. Strike 2." Their mouths flapped uselessly at my words. The reporter stammered in confusion, and I resisted the urge to laugh loudly.

"Well?" I pressed. The lady flushed in embarrassment.

"Um… um… will you even answer anything I ask you?" she questioned, not sounding too sure of herself. Her eyes immediately widened in horror.

"No, wait! That wasn't my question!" I shut my mouth, looking slightly impressed. I beckoned with my hand for her to continue the question. She took a deep breath, a strained smile on her face.

"We couldn't help but notice that the top four rookies this year all know each other. There have been frequent sightings, most notably in Saffron City of Trainer Green, Crystal, Gold, and of course, you." Her excitement was back in an instant.

"Could you tell us about that? We haven't seen such a talented group in so long!"

"Finally, an actually interesting question," I mused.

"We're a crew, the four of us. We're the top 4 rookies this year for reasons you'll see this tournament." Latching onto my answer with a beaming grin, the lady pushed for more.

"Such confidence! You're a crew, you say?" I couldn't stop the fond smirk.

"Yeah… just call us Colors. Our eyes reflect what our names are. You could call it destiny that we all know each other," I explained easily. She gasped loudly at the realization.

"Colors… wonderful! You're absolutely correct! All 4 of the first years have eyes that reflect their names! Why, it's almost like fate that you've been dominating the circuit!" I snorted in amusement, nodding my head and taking my leave.

"Thank you for the time today, Trainer Silver! We'll be keeping watch of you and the rest of Colors' journey with great interest!"

"You do that." I had a distinctly satisfied look on my face. Why? Because when we got famous in the future, they'd call us just Colors instead of Color Gang. My gang would be mad at me now… but they'd grow up one day and understand I did them a favor.

"So it's Colors instead of Color Gang?" Blue muttered, a disturbed expression on his face. I blinked owlishly.

"You're still here?" I asked in confusion. Blue said nothing, awkwardly looking away from me. I snorted and ignored it.

"Yeah, Colors is better than Color Gang. I'm doing my gang a favor by changing it without their input." Blue looked ill for reasons I couldn't explain.

"It's… a way better name," he admitted reluctantly. I shot him a strange look.

"You're weird. Why do you talk to me so normally when it's just the two of us and then show out when there's a crowd?" I mused. The Oak grit his teeth.

"You've been through enough, and I'm still trying to figure it all out… there's no point in getting in a fight either. The League is right around the corner." I stared at him.

"Right… you were at New Island, so you saw everything. Alright, I'll cut you some slack," I muttered.

"I should be the one saying that. You saved our lives, didn't you?" Blue retorted. I shrugged.

"It was a mess I caused. Just taking some accountability is all." You know, if you told me I'd be at a burger joint with Blue of all people sitting across from me, I'd call you something way worse than crazy. But no, we were sitting in a booth, eating some burgers and fries in a pretty comfortable silence. Worst of all, we weren't trying to kill each other. I did promise Green I'd stop being so hostile to him, but that was with the knowledge that he was absolutely going to be an asshole to me first...

"Hey, you're Giovanni's kid, right?" I paused at the quiet question, glancing curiously at Blue's inquisitive gaze. Much like everyone else in my gang, they practically glowed with their color, a vivid shade of Royal Blue that stood out from others. He fit the qualities to join us to a T, much like Sun, Moon, and Yellow, whose eyes told their own stories. Blue's eyes shone with confidence and curiosity, intelligence in his eyes that rivaled, or probably even surpassed, Crystal's and mine.

"I was dwelling on it a lot… you're from Viridian City, Team Rocket kidnapped you… and Giovanni suspiciously went missing." Blue bit into his burger with a contemplative expression.

"Not only that, something destroyed Route 1. I couldn't piece it together until I saw you with that Legendary," he observed.

"Now I get it. You were both part of Team Rocket… and you managed to make it rebel. That's why it had that entire, all humans are terrible speech because it encountered Team Rocket first. If Giovanni was really just using it like the monster I thought it was, it makes sense." I honestly found it impressive that Blue could figure all that out with the limited information he had. He put that Oak brain to good use.

"What about it?" I mused, taking a bite of my burger. It was juicy, something I very much enjoyed despite the slight mess it made.

"Nothin, I just wanted to confirm it. Maybe before, I'd tell someone… but you made my Gramps of all people apologize to me," Blue shrugged. I nodded.

"So you already spoke to him?" The youngest Oak scratched the back of his head.

"He checks up on me every day now. Asks how I'm doing, makes sure to tell me not to push myself too hard. It's weird…"

"But it's a pleasant feeling, right?" I pressed. Blue said nothing, a contemplative frown on his face.

"For all his genius, Oak is bad with his family. He was unaware of the pressure he put on you and your sister, so I just made him aware of it… Like I said, Green wanted her friend back, and I knew why you were acting the way you were," I grunted. Blue looked properly stunned. His eyes were wide in a strange sort of panic, the brunette grunting as he failed to find his words. I watched with a puzzled expression as he practically fled the scene, just shrugging to myself. This burger was too good for me to give up on.

I was not going to do that. As Blue fled the scene, he could only think about the entire scope of that conversation in dread. From Colors being far cooler than Color Gang… to Silver helping him out when he didn't have to. Blue only had one thought." I'm doomed." The door to my lodgings opened, something I ignored, since I just assumed Blue was off to do something. Our interactions had been fairly peaceful.

Much like back at Lavender, he was far more tempered than if there was a crowd of people or even just Green around. He wasn't that bad when he wasn't being an annoying brat... and he was only an annoying brat when there were multiple eyes on him. As I lounged about, I jumped in shock as my door promptly burst open. My eyes burned with malice as I shot up in surprise… Only for it to vanish at the cocky grin of the person bold enough to barge into my room.

"Hah, I knew you'd be my roommate!" Gold cackled. Without any hesitation, he nearly launched himself across the room and pulled me in a crushing hug.

"I missed you, Silv! How's it been?!" I scoffed at my counterpart, resisting the urge to smile.

"If it were anyone else barging into my room like that, I'd have beaten the shit outta them, Hero," I warned.

"Yeah, anyone not named Green, Crystal, Lorelei, Jasmine, Janine… no scratch that, you'd definitely fight Janine and me now that I think about it," Gold mused. I rolled my eyes.

"I wouldn't want you to be disqualified because you were hospitalized."

"Heh, good to see you back to your old, miserable self!" Gold exclaimed happily. He slung an arm over my shoulder, dragging me out of my room. Leave it to Gold to speak so brazenly to me. I'd seriously kick his ass any other time, but luck shone down on him once more.

"Who the hell is making all that noise?!" Blue marched out with a scowl that quickly morphed into a look of surprise at seeing Gold with his arm around my shoulder. Gold's eyes widened in surprise.

"No way, our other roommate is Blue?! How the hell hasn't he died yet?!" he wondered in disbelief. Blue scowled, causing me to roll my eyes.

"He's more pleasant the fewer people there are. Oh, and if Green is there, he gets bad no matter what," I pointed out.

"That's not true!" Blue snarled defensively.

"See?" I pointed out. Gold snorted in amusement.

"So we just have to treat him kinda like you? Ignore all his bad manners until he inevitably warms up?" he questioned.

"Do you want to die?"

"My bad." Blue huffed and turned back, marching into his room with a scowl.

"Crys should already be here and situated! I'm gonna go meet up with her, and then we can all catch up!" Gold grinned. I nodded.

"I've got somewhere to be, too. We'll meet up in here later?"

"Sounds good!"

"Hey." I watched as Green jumped slightly, whirling towards me with wide eyes.

"S-Silvy?" she questioned quietly, drinking in my appearance the same way I drank in hers. I smiled softly.

"Green," I said quietly, immediately pulling her into a tight hug.

"I missed you." Those simple words seemed to break something in Green, and she let out a sharp wail. I felt her arms immediately wrap around my neck, right before she buried her face in it and cried.

"I-I missed you too!" she blubbered, squeezing me like her life depended on it. My eyes narrowed in guilt.

"Sorry, Green… I should have checked up on you," I murmured. She shook her head harshly.

"No, it's my fault. I went training while you were sleeping…"

"Because you were upset with me," I observed. Green said nothing. I rubbed her back soothingly.

"Hey, don't worry. We'll talk after the tournament, yeah? Right now, we gotta be on our A-game to win it. No distractions until then," I said confidently. Green sniffed, looking at me with those large, energetic eyes of hers.

"Yeah! I was thinking the same thing! I'm gonna win this whole thing… and then we'll talk!" she promised. I smiled confidently.

"We've got a score to settle, don't we? We never did have that battle during the S. S. Anne." Green's teary gaze sharpened slightly, a grin forming on her face.

"Let's meet up and die then!" she exclaimed. I coughed immediately, eyes wide as she used one of my quotes.

"Oh, but not literally because the way you use it is sometimes not literal… Yeah, we have a lot to talk about after this tournament," Green sighed. She squeaked in surprise as I pulled her into another tight hug.

"Seriously, I missed you," I exhaled. She broke out in more tears.

"I missed you too!" I laughed softly.

"C'mon. The gang is meeting up in our room. I'm bunking with Gold, and I bet you're bunking with Crys." My best friend nodded and reluctantly disentangled from me.

"D-Do you still have those wipes? I'm crying a lot…" she whispered. I laughed loudly.

"Yeah, come with me." We walked in silence for a bit.

"Silver…" I paused, turning towards her with wide eyes. Did she just call me Silver? Green stared at me, gaze intense.

"I'm going to win this tournament… and then you'll never be able to deny my strength again." Her tears were gone, expression steely. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before I nodded my head.

"I won't make it easy for you, Green. I want to win this whole thing," I breathed. Seems like we really did have a lot to talk about after this tournament. She nodded her head.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Come at me with your best… and call me Leaf." We continued to stare at each other before I nodded.

"Sure thing, Leaf." Green quickly matched my stride, and we continued to walk in silence.

"Oh... Silver, I got a gift for you," Green said softly. I turned curiously towards her, accepting the single earring. It was a tiny silver orb, dangling off a golden chain. Green carefully pulled her hair back, showing off a green earring just like mine in her left ear. I wouldn't have even noticed she had an earring if she hadn't shown it to me.

"Just something we can match with. I have one too," she said. I nodded thoughtfully.

"In that case..." Green watched as I reached into my bag and pulled out one of the pale flowers I took from Turnback Cave. I leaned forward and placed it directly into her hair, securing it easily.

"A flower that I got from a special place. You're the first to get one," I said with a small smile. Her expression immediately wavered, more tears forming in her eyes. We walked in silence once more, heading straight to the rest of our gang.

"Oh, and Leaf?"

"Hm?" she questioned, gazing at me in curiosity.

"You're radiating a lot more heat than normal," I said mysteriously. Her eyes widened at my piercing stare. Then, they curled, a sly smile forming on her face.

"How bold, Silvy! I knew you thought I was cute, you little pervert!" My eyes widened in confusion.

"What the fuck are you talking about? I was talking about—,""Ah, ah, ah! Too late! I caught you red-handed!" My eye twitched harshly. Stupid, insufferable little brat.

"Silver!" I caught Crystal with a small smile. Tears glistened in her eyes, prompting me to squeeze her in reassurance.

"It's good to see you're doing okay!" she sniffed. I chuckled weakly.

"I'm great, better than ever. Sorry for worrying you all," I said honestly.

"It's hard to get an apology out of Silver… we gotta take what we can get," Gold awed. I snorted with mild amusement, releasing Crystal so she could drag Green into a tight hug.

"Crys! Goldy! I missed you guys so much!" Green beamed, dragging Gold into the hug... and then dragging me next.

"The gang's back together!" Gold cackled. I sighed fondly.

"We've got a lot to catch up on… but that can wait until after the tournament. For now, let's all focus on winning it, yeah?" Gold grinned.

"That was never in doubt! I'm here to win it all!" Crystal smiled.

"It'll be difficult to do that, considering I'm winning," she said playfully. Green cackled confidently.

"Dream on, you three! There can only be one winner, and we know who that's gonna be!" I snorted.

"Me obviously. I hope we run into each other later in the tournament. I'd feel bad knocking you all out so early." We all stared challengingly at each other before breaking out into laughs.

"After this, we've got a lot to talk about," I exhaled. Crystal sighed tiredly.

"Tell me about it. I've got a bone to pick with you, Silver." I blinked in confusion, nodding my head thoughtfully.

"I don't know what I did, but I don't doubt I did it."

"I'm glad! You threw a wrench into my plans, which I had to adjust to! You should be grateful that I figured some things out!" she complained. I saw her wave her Pokedex around at that before my eyes widened in realization. Ohhh, the thing with Giratina! Crystal sighed at the knowing look on my face.

"I won't reveal what happened yet… so let's talk about this tournament!"

"Before that… Silver, you changed the name of our group without our input!" Gold barked. Crystal and Green's eyes widened.

"You did what?!" I rolled my eyes as Gold rushed to the television and turned it on. To my utter surprise, it took him no time at all to flip to a channel that had my bored visage on it.

"You got INTERVIEWED?!" Crystal shouted in a panic.

"You've gotta be kidding me. Of all the members, they picked Silvy?" Green sighed despondently. Gold cackled loudly.

"It was hilarious until he changed our name! Look, just watch." Crystal and Green watched with slack jaws as I refused to answer any and all questions the interviewer asked, striking them with each failure.

"You're totally unbelievable. What does Lorelei think about this?" Crystal questioned.

"She said I need PR training immediately. I refused… she said I'm getting it anyway," I replied coolly. Gold laughed loudly before his expression sobered.

"You changed our gang name," he said gravely.

"It was an executive decision for the greater good," I said seriously.

"You can't make those without us! Leader or not!" Green protested.

"We'll look back at this when we're older, and you'll thank me." They balked at me. Crystal sighed.

"Colors is already spreading by the looks of it… Silver got us." I smiled smugly.

"Believe it or not. I'm doing this with our best interests in mind. Colors is shorter to say too."

"Asshole," Green and Gold muttered petulantly. I put up a peace sign and said, "Win the tournament and change the name back... Not that it'll work." Crystal exhaled in defeat.

"Speaking of the tournament, did you guys hear about the hidden rules of the Conference?" Gold and Green raised a brow, while I nodded my head. I muttered, "Yeah, I don't think any of us are gonna face each other until the Top 8."

"That's 'cause this is still entertainment. The competition is more important… but maximizing the crowd's enjoyment builds a great profit too." The four of us paused at the fifth voice, turning towards Blue with varying expressions.

"Blue, what are you doing here?!" Crystal gasped in surprise.

"I'm the third roommate… You guys aren't quiet at all, either," he said, crossing his arms. I shot him a glance, noting that Green didn't say anything.

"Green and I's third roommate is a girl we don't really know," Crystal muttered.

"What were you talking about? You think the tournament has some type of seeding?" Gold questioned.

"... Not 'think'. Know," Blue said eventually. He huffed at my stare and approached our group slowly. Crystal and Gold had wide eyes at the action. Green's expression was blank.

"Certain rookies have seeding... to a degree. If you pay attention, it's the same way for the veterans. We're split up into separate seedings, and I guarantee once the bracket for Top 64 is revealed, you guys won't run into each other until at minimum, Top 8," he observed. Crystal nodded in agreement.

"They do it based on the trainer rankings this year. Silver is 1, Green is 2, I'm 3, Gold is 4… and Blue is 6," she listed. I raised a brow.

"How am I #1?" I noticed everyone was calling me the #1 rookie of this year, but how did they get that?

"The Gym Battles. You've been fighting stronger teams since your very first one," Green explained. Ah… that made sense. I didn't think my battle with Surge would snowball so hard. Every Gym Leader after him challenged me with a fairly tough team that went a little beyond the badge I was fighting for. What likely solidified it was my 6 on 6 against Blaine, where Freyja swept three of his members. But still…

"There's no recorded battle for our 8th. No one caught us because of that?" I questioned curiously. Gold shook his head with a cocky smirk.

"I guess we're just a bit too ahead of the competition this year!" Crystal sighed at his words.

"He's right. We're leaps and bounds ahead of the other rookies of this year, so even with that knowledge… we're still comfortably in the lead. Not to mention, we all have the Earth Badge. No other rookie does besides Ash." I nodded with a mulling expression.

"But there's gotta be some clash there. If we're not gonna run into each other unless we make it to our projected spots, which is Top 8, doesn't that mean we'll be fighting the veterans that were seeded?"

"That's exactly it. They aren't making it easy for us at all… quite the opposite, really," Crystal explained.

"Since I'm the #1 Rookie… I'm 'projected' to run into the #1 Veteran during this tournament," I muttered. That was going to be fun.

"It's about the narratives and entertainment. Everyone wants to see the top 4 rookies of the year face up against each other, and the League does too… but they also want to see the #1 veteran and the #2 veteran go at it. It would be no fun if you guys knocked each other out in one-on-one or three-on-three matches." I mulled Blue's words over.

"I guess we'll be the rookies that meet their expectations," I decided. Gold grinned cockily.

"Yeah, we will… so let's make some rules to make it even better!" We turned towards Gold with curious eyes.

"I say, we make the battles between us the best they can be. We can scout everyone else… but let's leave ours a surprise!" I raised a brow and mulled it over. Gathering information on everyone but our gang?

"I'm down," I decided.

"Prepare with the knowledge we've had before… but hide all we've been learning these past months… it sounds fun! Count me in!" Crystal beamed. We turned towards Green in unison, and she laughed.

"Of course I'm in! This way, when one of us wins… there'll be no excuses! No better intel… just better preparation! The winner will have deserved it!" We all nodded in unison.

"So we scout everyone but each other," I repeated.

"Yep!" Crystal and Gold beamed.

"Great! Scout, like your life depends on it, because we need to meet each other at all costs!" Green said eagerly. I snorted.

"Yeah, guys… We'll show them something they'll never regret. Every champion in our current generation... except for that Leon guy, won their respective League in their second year as a trainer… so one of us is gonna win in our first year," I said confidently.

"And all of us are gonna make it to the Top 8!" Gold joined.

"Lorelei believes the beginning of a new era starts with us… so let's show them that she was right to place her faith in our group!" Crystal said with a competitive gleam in her eyes.

"The Reign of Colors begins now!" Green cheered. As we reached our resolve, Blue just watched us with a conflicted gaze. I abruptly stopped walking at the presence of someone marching behind me. I turned around to face the person silly enough to approach me, only to raise a brow at seeing Ash and his gang there. They were gazing incredulously at me, letting out quick breaths that let me know the group had chased me down.

"What?" I asked bluntly. Their mouths moved, and I blinked in confusion.

"Hold on, I can't hear you," I drawled, putting a hand up. I reached and grabbed the Dark Red Meta Pods out of my ear, watching as my headphones softened. I put the pair together and smiled in satisfaction as they morphed into their chrysalis state. Misty balked at me.

"We've been calling you this whole time… is that why you couldn't hear us?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah, great Noise Damping features," I drawled. Brock scratched his head.

"Why did you say 'what' if you knew you couldn't hear us?" I shrugged.

"Felt like it." They all twitched simultaneously. Their annoyance was evident, and I resisted the urge to chuckle. I recently bought these Meta Pods, which were the Scizor Editions —a dark red and black version of the standard Green ones. Mars also had a pair. I got it for her as a late birthday gift… hers was the Ariados edition, a pinkish-red and black, with a yellow and purple case. Jasmine and Janine also intended to buy their own. I managed to convince them that it was a brilliant investment…

and even got Janine a Venomoth edition. I didn't make fun of the burst of tears she let out at that, just letting her pull me into a tight hug. They were good. Turns out, the music you heard in routes was actually songs here. I found myself listening to them more often than not. They even had battle themes; the most played were the ones the Champions liked to frequently listen to. Cynthia's, in particular, along with Lance's, was very popular. I'm sure you could guess what each theme sounded like.

It was nice to drown out the noise of the surrounding people… Though I didn't need my headphones for that.

"Are you listening to what we're saying?!" Ash scowled. I blinked.

"Not at all. What did you want?" The only one who didn't look like they wanted to throttle me was Brock. Both Ash and Misty took a deep breath and glared heinously at me. I tilted my head, noticing that their group was bigger than normal.

"Who's this old geezer?" I asked, pointing at the old man.

"That's exactly what I asked!" Ash exclaimed. I stared at him with a raised brow.

"Wow, you don't know Charles Goodshow? Not a good look," I drawled. I watched the three nearly faceplant at my words. I never actually expected to see something like that. These three just oozed comedy, I guess.

"Why would you ask who he is if you already knew?!" Misty gaped.

"I wanted to call him old." They all held their faces, except for Goodshow, who simply laughed.

"Trainer Silver… my, how I've wanted to meet you for quite a while!" he greeted. I tilted my head, capturing his extended hand easily.

"Why's the guy who's almost single-handedly making every region friendly with each other, so eager to meet me?" I asked. Charles Goodshow was the president of the Pokemon League Committee… and that didn't just extend to Kanto, that extended to every region that had a Pokemon League. He was no joke, probably the most important person alive. Peace between every region probably wouldn't be possible without him. I wonder how he did it; I didn't care enough to research it. He said, "You're too kind!

I've just come personally to thank you for your efforts. You've done exemplary service for the Kanto region, one that we cannot forget for years to come." I huffed.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't." Goodshow chuckled heartily.

"I understand. I do hope the gift of having your restriction limit lifted is good enough. Very rarely will a trainer have such privileges without being directly affiliated with the League." I nodded.

"Great. So long as my gang got it, it's a perfect gift." Charles smiled. It was an easygoing thing, reminiscent of that one grandparent that you always liked.

"If you'd like to talk more, I'll gladly accommodate you after becoming the champion of this thing, but I've got preparing to do," I informed him, waving a single hand and turning away.

"Indeed, do not allow me to distract you any longer!" he laughed jovially. A snort was all he got as I reached for my Meta Pods and prepared to snap them back on. The soft device hardened in one of my ears, but before I put the other in, I heard a voice say, "Silver!" I paused and turned towards Ash. The pallet native was staring at me with a fierce expression.

"You'd better not lose before we face off against each other! I'll make you respect me!" The determination was evident in his voice, enough that I knew he meant it. I smirked idly.

"I'm going to win the whole thing. That means it's up to you to run into me." That fiery brown gaze of his locked onto mine, and I stared at my brother with a confident gleam.

"I'm not expecting you to win against me, so just put up a good performance and I'll be impressed." With that, I strutted away and popped the final bud in my ear.

"Enjoy being the torchbearer or whatever the hell you're doing. Sounds boring," I waved.

"How did he know about the Torchbearer?" Misty asked with a puzzled expression. Goodshow chuckled.

"What a mysterious young man!" Ash crossed his arms, staring at Silver's retreating form with a conflicted expression. Brother... Flashback"How long did you know that guy was my brother?!" Ash demanded, staring his mother in the eyes. Delia wrung her hands. It was just her and her son this time. There was no trace of Silver or his confidence to fall back on. Before falling asleep, he had glared pointedly at her... clearly displeased that she had relied on him despite his insisting she do this on her own.

Oh, but it was so hard. How was he so fearless when it came to facing such difficult topics? He'd be very upset with her if she didn't do this.

"I've known... for years that you had a sibling. But it's only recently that I discovered that the identity of your sibling was Silver... he told me himself," she revealed. Ash scowled.

"So you knew I had a sibling this whole time?! Why didn't you ever say anything, Mom?!" Delia gazed away.

"That's... It's because..." she trailed off, refusing to look her baby boy in his eyes. The young boy nearly shouted again, only to halt as he realized that his mother was shaking.

"Mom?" he asked quietly. Concern replaced anger quickly, and he immediately grasped his mother. This wasn't an expression he ever saw on her. His mom never looked sad! Delia sagged and pulled her son into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Ashy! That part of my life... I try so hard not to think about it! Telling you that you had a sibling... I-It forces me to relive things I can't!" she admitted, tears falling down her face.

"Yes, Silver is your brother... and he's helped me sort my problems out. I know it's a lot to ask, but I care for him and I want nothing more than for you two to get along!" Ash stared at his mom with wide eyes. He didn't know what was going on, and to be honest... he had no idea how to navigate this, but he did know one thing. His mother had been hurting, and Silver helped her.

"Silver really helped you?" Delia sniffed, nodding her head.

"He... he did. I know he can be a little abrasive, but he's kind underneath that, Ashy," she explained. Ash frowned.

"What person would be okay watching another person die? Don't speak like I did some grand thing."

"And he's nice to you?" he asked uncertainly. She nodded eagerly.

"He gave me an idea for a new hobby! He said it would be a great bonding time between us, if I were to start raising and paying more attention to pokemon, and then gave me some Poke Balls to catch my own!"

"He did all that?!" Ash asked in shock.

"Yes! He even said I should ask you to help me catch some!" Evidently, Ash had misjudged Silver. He didn't know his... brother had been so kind to his mom. Was that why she invited him over for dinner?

"..." he frowned, clearly conflicted.

"After I win the League, I'll help you catch some pokemon! It'll be fun!" Ash decided. The way his mom's face lit up warmed Ash immensely.

"I'm... sorry for not paying more attention," he mumbled. Delia shook her head.

"Oh, Ashy. I could never be mad at my baby boy! As long as you don't forget your old lady, I'll be happy!" she gushed, pulling him into a tight hug. Ash also shook his head, but in disbelief.

"I'd never forget you, Mom! You know that!" His mother smiled brilliantly at him.

"Of course I do, Ashy! You're my baby boy!" The two smiled before Ash said, "And... I'll try to be nice to Silver. If he helped you so much, he's not as bad as I thought." Delia lit up once more.

"He's a sweet boy! Not as sweet as my little boy, but he's still a sweetie who didn't have to do anything he did!" she gushed, fussing over her son. Ash laughed at her antics.

"Mom, stop that!"

"How could I? Have you been changing your underwear, mister?"

"Mom!" Ash sighed. He still couldn't believe Silver, of all people, was his brother. He pinched himself more than once to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Unfortunately, it was all very real. His mom had told him she wasn't quite ready to talk about his dad, so Ash dropped it. For now, he'd... try to get along with his brother. And that involved beating him in a battle and getting his respect! Ash was going to win this thing anyways!

"Hm? You guys took my advice seriously, huh?" I watched in amusement as Jesse, James, and Meowth jumped high into the air, whirling towards me with terror evident in their eyes.

"B-Boss Silv—""Don't call me that," I chided, staring them down. My music was paused, headphones still in, as I stared at the former Rockets. They looked like they had seen a ghost, staring at me in blatant terror as if I was going to kill them. They probably realized that on a dime, I could just have them arrested before they could ever escape... but I wasn't interested in doing that. Actually, maybe they were remembering when I still had my psychic powers.

Little did they know, I wasn't anywhere near that level of power anymore.

"What are you doing here?" I asked bluntly, eyes narrowed slightly.

"W-We're just here to watch the League!" Jesse stammered. I raised a brow.

"Why? In fact, I'm surprised you haven't gone into hiding." James laughed nervously.

"Well... we aren't really wanted? So we thought to follow and watch the twerp..." I tilted my head.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" I asked ominously. They seized up and shook their heads rapidly.

"Never, sir!" I mulled that over and just nodded.

"What are you going to do now?" They gazed at each other in confusion.

"We's been thinking of just following the twerp," Meowth admitted. I snorted.

"Even without having to work for Team Rocket?" They nodded in unison.

"We don't really have anything better to do..." James admitted.

"We've been following him all of Kanto, so we'll just keep going... but I guess without the big devices?" I shrugged.

"Go raid your little secret bases for funds that haven't been found yet and keep terrorizing him or something. Keep him on his toes," I instructed. They blinked owlishly.

"You... want us to continue?" Jesse asked slowly.

"Sure. You guys seem like you have a good thing going... so keep going. As long as you do that, I won't turn your dumbasses in." I turned away.

"Enjoy the League. You can cheer for my silly little brother, but I'm going to win this whole thing." Whatever they said wasn't heard by me. I turned my music back on and walked off. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The League was starting very soon... just one more day and the ceremony would start. I already knew who my opponent was, too. I wouldn't scout my gang, but everyone else? They were fair game... and I was a very prepared person.

Letting someone like me prepare as well? My gang thought no scouting was going to save them? I've been preparing for them since they finished their team of 6. I smiled confidently. There was no freak Elite 4 or Gym Leader candidate... and the veterans who made a big name in the Conference tended to get recruited by the League. That meant I didn't have to fear getting stomped by some bullshit. I would scout the big-name veterans soon, but one step at a time. Perfect. This was going to be fun.

"The Indigo Conference is officially underway! The top trainers of Kanto, all having gathered the necessary badges needed to compete and battle each other in the most intense atmosphere! Here they come right now!" I let out a slow breath at that, ignoring the sheer number of trainers surrounding me. There was no one I recognized, so I just kept to myself, eyes trained forward with a disturbing amount of focus.

I said nothing as the crowd of trainers began moving, simply trailing after the trainers while my mind ran through dozens of thoughts. This was it. Pretending like I wasn't well known would just be lying to myself, but it was here where I'd instantly become famous if I achieved the result I was aiming for. Millions of people would have their eyes on this tournament because this was the tournament to watch. Pokemon Battling was an extreme sport... and the Conferences showcased that in full.

Something like these conferences only came second to the Champion and Elite 4 battling themselves. As a light pierced the darkness of the corridor, I watched the trainers approach it like moths to a flame. Not really given a choice of whether I wanted to move forward or not, I followed the mass into the light that grew brighter and brighter until I was finally granted full vision of the crowd. Even someone like me couldn't help but gaze at the roaring crowd with a stunned expression.

This was nothing like my gym battle against Blaine... and I imagine even my battle against Giovanni would pale in comparison to the number of people cheering. The other trainers soaked in the attention, their expressions varying. Some were nervous, others cocky... but I didn't care about what they felt. My eyes trailed over until I spotted Gold grinning cockily. I expected him to take to the crowd the easiest of our gang, something I was evidently right about.

He was waving back at the crowd like they were cheering exclusively for him. I scoffed quietly and felt my gaze trail a little further, finding Crystal nearby. She smiled a little nervously, waving demurely at the audience. Her gaze drifted until it happened to meet mine, and I nodded once. The simple action made her stand a little straighter, a competitive gleam entering her eyes. I simply smirked as she waved a little more enthusiastically. My gaze continued to travel until it met the final one.

Green wasn't staring at the crowd. No, her eyes were locked on mine. She did not wave to them, did not get embarrassed... No, I had all her attention. Considering I was just now feeling her gaze, I hazarded that she had been looking at our gang too. We stared at each other for a long while before I just nodded my head. She nodded in return, and we turned to face the brazier that the flame bearer would place Moltres' flame in. This was the reason I had felt confident approaching Moltres.

They were friendly with the humans if the League had anything to say, so I imagine it would at least hear me out. The flame bearer themself was a smiling woman sprinting at impressive speeds, all while holding a torch. I boredly watched her run past. My eyes were more on the flames she was running with, over the person herself, because those flames wielded a familiar pressure. She breathed evenly, jogged at the same pace, and never dipped in her composure.

As she ascended the stairs, we all watched with bated breath as the flame bearer reached closer and closer to the brazier. It was impressive that a stadium so full of people could simultaneously stop making a sound. It was utterly silent, all eyes focused on the woman at the top. She smiled, gripping her torch and placing it in the brazier. It surged with life, the flames reaching into the sky. It was as if a switch had been flipped; the crowd resurged with energy, a deafening noise filling the stadium.

I was just about to turn some music on before pausing as the flame continued climbing far higher than it had any right to. My eyes narrowed slightly as the pressure suddenly spiked for a moment. The audience was forced into silence once more, this time in shock, as the fire roared over their noise. Despite the volume, the orange flames were gentle, surging in every direction before the color transformed to a bright white, and then finally molten gold. The fire twisted, elongated, and sang proudly.

A golden light filled the arena as wings of pure fire unfurled from the overwhelming fire. To others, it may have been a trick of the eyes, but to me the form was unmistakable. I had seen it at both its peak and weakest after all. Long neck, crested head, and a burning tail... Moltres was a glorious sight to behold. Sparks scattered, but none of them burned as Moltres hovered above the arena. Finally, it reared back and let out a piercing cry. It was not loud... yet it commanded all the same.

If possible, the crowd ended up even more energized. The sound was actually deafening, but I paid no attention to that. I stared at Moltres with a half-lidded gaze... because Moltres was staring directly at me, not that anyone could tell.... But I had spent enough time around legends. One was my brother after all.

"A tiny little spark, attempting to gaze upon an immeasurable flame," Giratina mused, watching as I stared at Moltres.

"Are you calling me a tiny little spark?"

"Not at all." I snorted quietly, staring at Moltres.

"Silver Wreathed in Wrath... you still wield a piece of me," Moltres noted. The feather? I wasn't returning that. Who knew how useful it could be?

"You may keep it, regardless of your intent. Thank you for your service... and my apologies for my Sibling Wreathed in Ice." I stared at Moltres before simply nodding my head. Moltres shrieked in satisfaction, gaze wandering before the embodiment of fire soared away. I had no love for the birds. When I asked them for help, they sat on their asses and did nothing, forcing me to deal with a legendary threat that I was very ill-equipped to deal with.

They were the reason I was forced to join Team Rocket, which was why I felt no real guilt using them as practice dummies for Mewtwo.

"I-INCREDIBLE! I can't believe my eyes! That was the legendary bird of fire heard about in tales, the owner of the flames we use every year to pay respect, Moltres! What a momentous moment of history!" I huffed in mild amusement, unable to even hear my own thoughts as the crowd went crazy.

"What better way to start than that! This tournament will be one to remember... With that, let the Indigo Conference begin!" A pair of hands slid over my eyes before a voice whispered, "Boo," in my ears. I tilted my head in confusion before grabbing the arm and flipping the body over my shoulder. A startled yelp filled the air as I forcefully put the offender in front of me and on the ground.

"O-Ow..." the person groaned, rubbing their bottom as they pushed themself up.

"You scared me," I said boredly, no sign of fear on my face at all. They huffed, glaring at me.

"At least be a little more sincere when you say something like that." I tilted my head.

"You're... the girl from the S. S. Anne. The one with 7 badges." She nodded happily.

"Do you remember my name?" she tested. A short hum.

"... Maria," I said eventually, watching her brown eyes light up.

"Oh wow, you actually remembered! That makes me happy!" she cheered. I huffed.

"I remembered you cause you're weird. Why would you kiss me?" Maria giggled.

"It was payment. You saved my life, remember? A little kiss on the cheek isn't enough of a thanks... so let me take you out for dinner!" she requested. Hm... The trainer rolled her eyes.

"Neither of us has matches until later in the day. I think now's the perfect time! C'mon, it's on me!" she urged. I sighed.

"Whatever, lead the way."

"Perfect! I know a spot!"

"You know... I never imagined that the #1 trainer of the year would be the Hero of the S. S. Anne, but it fits!" I paused in the cutting of my steak to gaze at Maria. She was staring at me with a small smile, her own steak half eaten as she cut it into neat little pieces.

"Don't call me that. I'm no hero," I said firmly. She laughed softly.

"Everyone has a different definition of the word. Don't ridicule me for considering you mine." I shifted in my seat.

"If... that's what gives you peace of mind, then do whatever helps."

"Wow, I almost don't recognize you. I've been a bit of a fan of yours, so seeing your changes has been surreal." This was weird. I wasn't too surprised that Maria attached herself to me because, well, not only did I save her from being sexually assaulted, I saved her from literally dying. Some adoration was expected... but still, I wasn't really used to this.

"How'd you know I wouldn't be battling until later today?" I asked calmly. Maria smiled mysteriously.

"When I heard that you were the #1 Rookie of this year, I got excited and couldn't help but look." I raised a brow.

"How come?" I mused.

"Oh... you don't know?" Maria pointed at herself with a small smile.

"I'm the #1 trainer of this tournament! If you want to win, you'll eventually have to cross paths with me," she said cheekily. My eyes widened slightly.

"You? You're the #1 trainer?" She nodded cheerfully.

"You didn't see that I won that tournament on the S. S. Anne for the high-level badges?" I pursed my lips.

"You challenged for the highest level? I thought that was 8 badges only."

"It's not my first time getting 8 badges, so I qualified!" she explained. I mulled that over and nodded. So she was going to be the toughest trainer here... and judging by what Crystal and Blue said, I was going to run into her no matter what. Maria grinned challengingly.

"Don't think just because you saved me, I'll go easy on you. I'm battling you with everything I have, 'kay?" I snorted.

"If you held back, I'd be seriously pissed. I want to win against you at your best." She nodded eagerly.

"You bet!" The trainer stood up and placed money on the table.

"I wanted to talk to you before our inevitable battle. I know you'll make it to me, so I wanted to pay you back before that. This way, my conscience is clean!" I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Consider it clean then. I never even wanted payback." Maria laughed, dusting herself off.

"Thanks for accepting my request. I saw your interview too... Colors, huh? I'm jealous that you have such a tight-knit group!" I huffed.

"Just find a group of people who refuse to leave you alone. Eventually, they'll worm their way into your life."

"Someone like you needs people like that, else you'll become one of those wayward masters who never get seen and lose their minds." Hmph. I already lost my mind a long time ago.

"I'm going now! See ya, Silver!" Maria waved cheerfully. She was about to walk off before thinking twice. I watched with a wary gaze as she approached and leaned over, kissing me once more on the cheek.

"Stop kissing me. Why do you keep doing that?" I asked dully.

"That one was for good luck! We'd better meet each other!" There was a cheeky smile on her face as she said that, causing me to roll my eyes. She was a weirdo, alright. Maria... the #1 trainer of the tournament. I'd have to do some research on her when I have free time. I watched her walk away, a pep in her step. Hmph, it was almost time for my battle; I should prepare for it. I tightened my gloves despite not needing to, humming the tune to Route 216 all the while. My opponent was a trainer named Alvin.

He was a Ranger, which was rare in itself, since you rarely met an Ace Trainer or Ranger in the League. They tended to be too busy to go around collecting badges. I guess whenever he had downtime, he went around to do that. Regardless, I had done my research on him and thought up the proper countermeasures. In a setting like this, it was best to play it safe. I'm fairly sure I knew what he was going to send out, so I'd make it a certainty. We were on the Grass Battlefield.

The scent of fresh soil and crushed leaves rolled through the air — the damp, earthy smell of morning dew clung to the blades of grass. Above, the sunlight filtered down gently, enhancing the green. If you were to look from above, you'd see that the field resembled a miniature forest — half meadow, half jungle. Beautiful. I didn't see the other fields, but this one was definitely my favorite. Due to the rules, I'd battle on two more fields besides this one...

I had a total of 3 battles that would be one-on-one, and if I won, I'd make it to the Top 64. Winning that would bring me to 32, then 16, then 8, then 4... and finally the finals. I wasn't thinking about any of that, though. My goal was to win whatever match I was currently in. Never look ahead of your current target.

"Time to get started then," I murmured, walking out into the jam-packed stadium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for another exciting battle in the Grass Field?!" the announcer shouted eagerly. The crowd roared in their excitement. My eyes trailed over them with a bored expression; I tapped my Meta Pods, shutting my music off promptly and activating the Transparency Mode... which was the Shed Skin feature. Shield Dust was Noise Cancellation mode... in case you were curious. Ah, right. I should focus on the battle at hand. Me and my wandering mind.

"This will be a one-on-one match to decide who will advance through the Preliminaries! On the red side, hailing from Quest Island, is Ranger Alvin!" Ranger Alvin was fitted in Kanto's version of the ranger outfit. Burnt orange jackets over a blue-dominated outfit... it was similar to Hoenn, but Hoenn tended to have a darker shade of red for their rangers. They also had a set of rangers for the aquatic areas, who dressed in blue. Funny how that works. Alvin was all smiles, a relaxed but ready stance as he gauged me.

"On the green side, hailing from Viridian City, we have the newcomer Trainer Silver! How will this blazing hot rookie stand against one of our well-respected Rangers?!" I ignored the crowd cheering for my opponent, cupping a ball easily.

"Trainer Silver, you will release your pokemon first!" Hm... that was fine. Whether I released first or second was okay with me.

"Gaia," I said easily, opening my ball and releasing my Meganium onto the field. Gaia bellowed on arrival, causing the crowd to spike in joy.

"There it is! Silver's Meganium! A vicious pokemon that anyone should be terrified of facing! We still remember what she did to that Gallade!" I watched in amusement as more than half the crowd shuddered. Seems like Gaia was quite well known by the people.

"Not so fast!" Alvin dramatically held out a hand, the other on his hat. The League was equipped with mics that allowed our pokemon and the crowd to hear every order or word.

"Weezing, let's do this!" he announced. My eyes narrowed slightly as the Weezing released a strong gas throughout the battlefield. It was like a weak fog... but that weak fog seemed to disrupt the very air around it.

"I prepared for this!" Alvin said victoriously, watching with a grin as the gas spread through the air. A hum of contemplation escaped me as the gas brushed against Gaia. The air around her distorted before abruptly breaking to showcase Loki in all his glory.

"Heh, I knew you were going to do that! Masking your Zoroark as one of your other pokemon... but on the off chance you weren't, Weezing would still have a good matchup!" Alvin exclaimed.

"Incredible! Ranger Alvin has shown exceptional planning in dealing with Trainer Silver! Instead of Meganium, it's a Zoroark, a pokemon so rare you may not ever know you've encountered one!" I rolled my eyes as the crowd went ballistic. Idiots. This Weezing was his main pokemon. I was hoping that he sent it out, regardless of whether he thought it was actually Gaia or not. Metagross could have dealt with a majority of his team, but Metagross wasn't a pokemon I wanted to use in the Preliminary match.

I had plenty of eyes on me, so I needed to keep my cards close.

"You countered one part of my plan... how will you deal with the rest?" I mused. Did this Ranger even realize that I had planned for him as well? Rangers specialized in takedowns of pokemon in a fairly peaceful manner. As such, they specialized in using status moves to neutralize them. This Alvin had only been thinking about Loki's Illusions, instead of how the actual matchup would go. Loki was his literal worst nightmare. Loki huffed in mild amusement. This guy didn't do enough research...

which was surprising considering my battle with Blaine showcased that Loki was more than good enough without half his bag of tricks. Illusions, while strong, wouldn't render Loki useless without them. Besides, his Weezing would be far more crippled than my first pokemon. I don't know why they thought my Zoroark was a one-trick pony... If you wanted to neutralize Loki fully, you needed to get rid of all his tricks.

"Both contestants are set! Zoroark vs Weezing! Begin!"

"Smog quickly, Weezing!" I smiled in amusement as the Weezing began to spread the gas through the air.

"Agility, Loki. Hide in the trees." Loki chuckled in amusement, vanishing in a burst of speed that made Alvin's eyes widen. In an instant, my first pokemon vanished into the foliage"Keep your eyes peeled, Weezing!" he shouted.

"Play it cool, Loki," I drawled. As Weezing attempted to prepare for Loki, a purple sheen wrapped around the poison type. It let out a groan of surprise as it was plunged towards the ground. Right after, a rainbow beam of energy crashed into the pokemon.

"Oh no, Weezing! Hang in there and use Flamethrower!" Alvin shouted.

"Quite strange for a Ranger to burn down trees. Don't you specialize in neutralizing threats peacefully?" I mocked easily, watching as Loki deftly leapt away from trees, right as Weezing exhaled noxious flames. My Zoroark landed easily at my side, eyeing the burning trees with a curious eye.

"Go wild, Loki," I ordered. Loki sneered, eyes glinting with bloodlust. In an instant, he crouched onto all fours and dashed forward.

"Sludge Bomb, Weezing!" Weezing groaned in affirmation, spitting out orb after orb of poison. Loki hissed wildly, leaping to the left to avoid one, crouching low under another, and leaping over 3 more.

"Incredible! Silver's Zoroark is so agile!" the announcer exclaimed in awe, the crowd replicating it.

"Don't let it get any closer, Weezing — Clear Smog and Smog!" Alvin barked. Even more gas flooded the field, causing me to exhale in amusement.

"Mixing Clear Smog and Neutralizing Gas... strong," I muttered, crossing my arms.

"Loki, use Flamethrower." Loki leapt into the air at my command before exhaling a gust of flames. It immediately caught the lingering gas, as well as the more recent Clear Smog, causing a tremendous explosion. The sound of the explosion was accompanied by the roaring crowd because, of course, they loved explosions. Loki landed on my side from his jump. He stared through the smoke, a tiny scowl on his face.

"Keep it cool and ready," I muttered. His scowl instantly vanished, at the ready for anything. This was a strategy both of us had adopted after I learned about his small issues. One that centered around enhancing his aggression with Nasty Plot, and boosting his intelligence with Calm Mind. Those moves weren't as simple as "boost special attack" in this world. They powered up moves differently, both achieving similar results. Calm Mind allowed one to draw more power by clearing out any outside noise.

This had the bonus of wrapping them in a small sheen that protected against projectiles to a degree. On the other hand, Nasty Plot boosted the ferocity behind attacks. It did not care for defense in the slightest, pushing a pokemon's mind into quite a dangerous place. Since I gave Loki enhanced aggression, I would help him balance it in both directions: A controlled but powerful style with Calm Mind, or a berserk and overwhelming method with Nasty Plot. It was a work in progress... but it was working well.

Too many switches, though, and he'd start to lose his grasp on it, leaning on the effects of Nasty Plot instead. As the smoke settled, I was met with the stunned Alvin and the injured Weezing. The Weezing had looked like it had seen better days, having taken a brunt of that explosion. Despite that, it looked like it could still keep going... Well, not for long.

"Dark Pulse." Loki fired off a wave of dark energy at the command, not giving them a moment of respite.

"Dark Pulse, Weezing! Cancel it out!" Alvin fired back. Weezing groaned, unleashing a smaller wave. Cancel it out was a little generous, as Loki's Dark Pulse nearly mowed it, but the poison types' move ate up enough of the attack.

"Extrasensory," I pressed easily.

"Guh... D- No, Shadow Ball!" My eye twinkled. Alvin knew he was under the effects of Taunt and Torment. I wonder if he knew the timer on it... the 5 minutes should be up soon, and scoring Taunts consecutively grew difficult as the pokemon grew used to you. Not many people researched that part, though. They just knew that Taunt means you can't use status moves. It was very useful for Loki because he tended to end his matches long before the 5 minutes were up. Benefits of being my assassin.

The first 5 minutes of a battle were easiest for him, but then it got a tad harder once moves grew less effective.

"Get close. Wrap this up," I instructed, eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Loki nodded in agreement, dashing on his two feet towards the lagging Weezing. I could see the slight distress on Alvin's face as he mustered up a counter.

"Smog, Weezing!" Black gas poured towards the speeding Loki, who had already crossed half the distance, and he opened his mouth to ignite it—"Heat Wave!" —Only for Weezing to unleash a wave of hot air. It caught the smog, igniting it in an instant and causing another massive explosion. Considering the deafening noise of the crowd, the entire stadium was shaking. I could feel it down to my bones...

"Nice trick! I can do it too!" Alvin grinned.

"But did you plan beyond it?" I questioned, tilting my head.

"Huh?" The ranger blinked in confusion, only for the smoke to be forcefully blown away by a dome of crimson energy. He watched with wide eyes as half the grassy field was engulfed in the Night Daze. I huffed in amusement as a scuffed Loki stood over the unconscious Weezing. His fur was singed, and he looked mildly displeased... but there was still that victorious glint in his eyes.

"Did you think I was going to wait for the explosion to settle? I've dealt with a ton of self-made explosions. Of course, I'd know what to do to someone who's copied my homework, dumbass," I snorted. The ref held up a flag.

"Weezing is unable to battle! The victors of this match are Silver and Zoroark!" I winced at the volume of the crowd. I wanted to get out of here yesterday.

"Well done, Loki." Loki's eyes turned into u's at my simple praise before I returned him to the ball.

"Absolutely incredible! What a performance from the newcomer! Calm, collected, and poised... Trainer Silver is definitely showcasing his relation to our very own Elite 4 Lorelei!" I huffed in annoyance at the fact that he reminded the crowd of my relation to my aunt. That was annoying as fuck, and I guarantee I was going to get pestered about it at this conference. This was why I hated having teachers. All my work would just be attributed to them.

Ah well, there's nothing to do but strive to be better than what I was compared to.

"Wasn't expecting to get knocked out of the prelims by a rookie," Alvin admitted honestly. I eyed him.

"Too many people think removing one of Loki's tricks makes him useless... but it just evens the playing field. Loki always has the advantage." Then I shot him a pointed look.

"You did it a lot more egregiously. You sacrificed your normal style of battling just to try to neutralize him. You mindgamed yourself, and in thinking you gave yourself an advantage, you crippled yourself instead." Alvin looked stunned by my dissection. I smirked.

"Simple gotchas aren't enough. You needed to think beyond "Oh, I cancelled his ability. We got him". With that, I turned on my heel and walked off, brushing right past the interviewers waiting for me.

"Ah, Trainer Silver, can we have a moment of your time—""What's there to talk about? It's just a prelim. Consider interviewing when I make it out," I grunted. Time to flee to my room before I get swarmed.

"S-So you'll let us interview you after the Preliminaries?! Is that your way of saying you'll make it through?!" I scoffed.

"Of course. This is just a warmup... You haven't seen nothing yet." Mars was waiting for me in the waiting room. I was surprised to see her, especially considering it was after my battle.

"Sup?" I greeted easily, watching my twin push herself up with a small smile.

"Yo," Mars waved, before yelping as I pulled her into a hug. She flushed at the contact before hesitantly returning it. I only really hugged Mars because she was even more embarrassed by physical contact than Jasmine was... which said something.

"Aunt said she wanted me to experience the festivities of this place, and thought she was hogging me too much, so she sent me off," Mars explained. I snorted loudly.

"You're so antisocial that you immediately sought me out, huh?"

"Shut the hell up. I don't know why she thought just letting me explore alone was a good idea," she grumbled. A chuckle escaped me.

"Aunt's trying to get us to be less introverted... I don't agree with her." We both nodded in agreement.

"Alright, come with me. Since I'm settled, you can even get a close-up of my battles if I want." Mars looked excited at the prospect.

"For real?! I can watch that closely?" she asked in surprise. I nodded. It's what Ash and his gang did. They were watching his battles like right next to him.

"It'll be a good experience for you," I decided, on board with the idea. My fellow redhead genuinely looked giddy at the prospect before her expression sobered.

"Won't it be bad if I get shown on live? Team Galactic will know where I am," she pointed out. She jumped at the way my eyes flashed.

"Don't worry about them. I'll protect you," I said easily.

"... Right," Mars ducked her head so I couldn't see her face. She was honestly way too adorable... Wait a second, was that what all those damn mothers saw when looking at me?! Is that why every one of them adopted me?

"C'mon. Now's as good a time as any for you to meet my gang," I decided. Mars nodded.

"I watched their battles! You've got your work cut out for you." I chuckled.

"Yeah, I do... but don't tell me about it. We're keeping our teams a secret from each other."

"Wow, you guys are seriously some competitive freaks," Mars muttered. I smirked.

"You'll understand if you ever get a rival who matches you step by step. It's fun." She looked excited at the prospect.

"I hope so! I'm getting excited just thinking about it! I just want to get started on my journey!" I ruffled her hair.

"Patience. For now, watch your older brother put on a show." Mars gnashed her teeth.

"Don't ruffle my hair! And no one will believe you're my older brother! I'm 6 months older than you!"

"Sure."

"Ugh!"

"Gold, where's Silver?" Crystal wondered, entering the boys' room. There was a curious expression on her face as she entered, the oldest of Colors stretching idly. Gold frowned.

"Cooped up in his room. I tried getting him to come out, but he didn't say anything." Green looked concerned, having just arrived to hear that.

"Don't tell me... did he lose?" she asked in surprise. The three's eyes widened in horror at that. In unison, they rushed to Silver's door and banged harshly on it.

"Silver?! Talk to us!" Crystal announced.

"Please come out! There's no way you lost, right?" Green shouted. There was a brief silence on the other side... before the door creaked open ever so slightly. The group felt themselves sigh in relief at the yawn from the flash of red hair. So Silver had just been sleeping— At once, they all froze as something incredibly peculiar stuck out to them. For one, Silver never yawned so audibly unless he was mocking someone... and the few times he did, it never came out so... um... girly.

Gold had ribbed Silver once or twice for looking girly, which normally led to extreme pain, but even Gold would admit that the Silver on the other side looked... too girly. Colors stared at the blinking Silver with a stunned gaze... because the Silver they were staring at was a girl.

"What're you guys staring at?" she murmured, rubbing her red eyes.

"S-Silver?!" Gold stammered in disbelief, eyes wide in horror. Silver blinked before glancing down.

"Oh damnit, this again. Side effect of being bonded to Mewtwo for so long. Transforms me into a girl on occasion." Their most belligerent friend didn't seem too put out by that detail, just mild discomfort on... her face.

"You're a girl?" Gold practically squeaked, taking a step back with horrified eyes.

"Sometimes... what? What's the problem? You loved to say I looked girly before," she mocked, adjusting her black coat slightly.

"U-Um... nothing's wrong! You're uh... very pretty!" Crystal praised quietly.

"What the hell..." Green muttered, looking horrified by the prospect of Silver being a girl. Silver huffed.

"I'm not too stoked about this either, you know. Here's to hoping I turn back before my next match..." she muttered. The Colors could only think one thing.

"Holy hell, this is real." Mars snorted before she finally laughed. The simultaneous looks of horror were too much for her.

"Okay, you were right, this is funny!" she cackled. I chuckled in amusement, sliding into view and pushing open the door wider. I drank in the shocked look on their faces as they gazed at the Mars wearing my coat. The cool breeze of the AC brushed against me since I was just in a sleeveless tee.

"Wha..." they all trailed off with wide eyes.

"Mars, this is Gold, Crystal, and Green. The four of us make up Colors." Mars gauged them all.

"And all of you have eyes that reflect what the name is. That's... kinda cool," she admitted begrudgingly.

"You qualify too," I said easily. My twin scratched her head.

"I still don't know what that means, but I'll take it?" I chuckled, turning towards my stunned gang with a small smile.

"Everyone, this is my cousin Mars... but we're twins," I introduced easily.

"I'm older than him by 6 months," Mars informed them.

"T-Twins?" They all said that in different voices. Crystal sounded stunned, Green sounded awed... and Gold sounded horrified. I laughed aloud as he collapsed on his knees in despair.

"I guess this isn't all bad. For a split second, I actually thought you were cute," Gold admitted despondently. My eye twitched harshly, while Mars recoiled in disbelief, a tinge of red on her cheeks.

"I will seriously end your life," I warned. Maybe the reason Gold, Janine, and I butt heads so often was because we were all annoying as fuck to deal with.

"I found Mars in Sinnoh... long story," I muttered.

"Nice to meet you all. Silver doesn't stop talking about you," Mars greeted awkwardly. Crystal gasped.

"You're polite?!" Mars twitched.

"I'm nothing like this asshole! I get offended every time someone says that!" I shrugged.

"You're growing your hair out because it looks good on me, by the way."

"Shut the hell up!" Green let out a squeal of excitement, dragging the surprised Mars in a hug.

"I can't believe Silvy has an older sister! You two look just alike!"

"Twins," I groused warningly. Mars puffed up, despite her embarrassment at being hugged.

"Someone who gets it! You're Leaf Green, aren't you? Silver said you're his other best friend." Green lit up at that.

"Really? Silvy talks about me?! Oh, and call me Green!" she gushed. My twin nodded easily.

"Of course. You could tell that he missed you. Always looking for someone who wasn't there," she teased. She immediately cried out as I pulled her into a harsh headlock.

"You shut your mouth," I hissed.

"Get off me, you stupid dick!"

"Learn when you should speak, dumbass!" Gold looked slightly ill.

"I can barely deal with one of them. How am I supposed to handle two?" Green looked excited.

"I think it's great! A nicer version of Silvy, who I can call pretty without threat of dying?!" Crystal laughed in disbelief.

"There's always something going on with Silver. Only he could have a random twin."

"So we all won?" I questioned, leaning against the headboard of my bed.

"Yup!" Gold grinned, leaning against his chair. His legs were propped up on the desk in this gifted room, no care at all in his stance.

"I fought some guy with a Crawdaunt, named Victor. He was pretty good but not good enough for how arrogant he was," he sighed. Crystal giggled, sitting cross-legged at the edge of my bed.

"I fought someone with a Stoutland named Gaby! She did well!" she praised.

"Did she?" I pressed. Gold snorted.

"Nah, that's code for, they weren't that good, but I'm too nice to point it out." Crystal spluttered.

"No, I'm serious! Don't put words in my mouth!"

"Right..." Gold and I drawled. The oldest in our gang flushed, ducking her head at our antics.

"You two are ridiculous," she muttered, not denying it any longer. Green laughed, lying on my bed with all the audacity I knew her for.

"My opponent wasn't very strong either. They had an Octillery, with a lot of moves... but no real mastery over any of them. It was a quick match," she shrugged.

"Same here. I had a Ranger with a Weezing... he was okay, but very predictable. He thought just because he did one thing, he won the match... forgetting everything else in the process," I mused. Mars nodded thoughtfully, sitting right next to me on the edge of the bed.

"So all of you won pretty easily... nice! You better not lose in the prelims," she demanded. Gold nodded in agreement.

"You bet we won't! We're not even warmed up yet!"

"I plan on winning it all. Losing isn't a possibility," Green exhaled. I chuckled while Crystal clapped.

"We've all probably got more scouting to do. Second round of prelims starts tomorrow, so let's call it here?" We all nodded in unison.

"It was nice meeting you, Mars! We'll talk a lot more after the Conference, okay?" Crystal beamed, shaking her hand happily. Mars shook it slowly.

"Right. I don't wanna get in anyone's way, so I get it." Gold looked on in awe.

"Wow, you're way better than Silver!" I side-eyed him.

"We share a dorm."

"My bad." Green hugged both Mars and me happily.

"See you guys tomorrow. We'll eat breakfast... actually, never mind, we're coming back for dinner!"

"Sounds like a plan," I grunted, returning the hug easily. The two girls waved goodbye before departing.

"You can sleep here," I muttered to Mars, prompting my twin to nod. Gold waved once.

"I've got some prep to do and my team to feed. See ya at dinner."

"See ya," I acknowledged, reaching to feed my team as well. Thankfully, all the rooms were huge, so we didn't have to expose our teams to the others. We were hellbent on keeping our members a secret from the rest of the gang, something that kind of made me excited.

"I thought it was just you, but you're all hypercompetitive, huh?" Mars wondered. A short laugh escaped me.

"Yeah, we are. Now c'mere, I'll explain my thought process on what I'll do against my next opponent." Compared to today, my match would be earlier tomorrow. I wasn't too stressed about the outcome, but preparation never hurt anyone.

"Yo, Blue, wanna join us for dinner?" I stared at Gold in mild confusion, even as Crystal helped me set the table. Green and I had gotten dinner ready, our synergy still as good as ever, while Gold did the incredibly important job of keeping Crystal away from the kitchen. Her desire to always help was what endeared me to the oldest member of the gang... but Crystal was not someone I wanted anywhere near a kitchen.

She wasn't just bad at cooking; she wielded a mystical power that turned whatever she touched into a hazard. It was actually pretty hilarious that almost every member of Color was insanely bad at cooking. Believe it or not, the best natural cook was Gold. Since it wasn't something he practiced a lot, the honor of best chef went to Green and me, but it was odd to know that Gold was good at it and would probably be better than us if he actually practiced.

Something to do with his mom having a lot of pokemon and learning from that. I heard she had a Haxorus... which was honestly one of the weirdest pieces of lore I heard about one of my gang's moms. Well, that and Crystal's mom was super eccentric. Blue gazed at us in surprise, not expecting the sudden invitation. He was about to open his mouth when we watched him abruptly freeze in disbelief. His eyes were locked on a distracted Mars, who was probably texting Janine or something.

"Why the hell is there another redhead in your group?" Blue asked eventually.

"My twin," I drawled. Mars perked up at that, her red eyes roving over to Blue. She gauged him up and down, tilting her head in mild confusion.

"You said his name was Blue, right? Is he also part of your gang?" All of us watched Blue choke on his spit. Confusion rolled off all of us now as we watched the Oak cough in place.

"I... already ate today, but thanks for the offer," he said lamely, fleeing to his room. We gazed at his retreating figure, all our heads tilted at various degrees.

"Is he okay?" Crystal wondered.

"Something has him flustered," Green shrugged.

"Maybe he doesn't get invited for food often," Gold mused.

"An Oak? Not invited to stuff? Nah," I denied. Mars scratched her head.

"I guess he's not a fan of the two Silvers. We get that a lot." Our group mulled it over before nodding in acceptance. I reached over and flicked Gold on the forehead, getting a cry of pain from him.

"Don't go offering the food I cooked to other people. You didn't even help," I scolded. Gold rubbed his forehead.

"Bah, not even you'd eat a meal in front of someone else who wasn't. You'd just pretend that you're full or something and then give them the rest. Fakest mean guy ever." My eye twitched.

"Do you want to eat your dinner through a straw? I'm nice enough to give you one at least."

"My bad." Green laughed loudly.

"Silvy must have really missed us! Gold's survived way too much!" Crystal giggled.

"We missed you too, Silver!" I groaned.

"Can you guys shut up for once?" Mars snorted.

"That's code for, I missed the hell outta you guys, and you can keep talking." I lunged.

"Do you ever get nervous?" Mars asked me. I hummed at the question, gauging my red and white gloves with a curious expression.

"Of course I do... I just don't let that impede me. If I'm too nervous, it'll mess me up, and my desire to win outweighs that by a lot." Mars mulled that over.

"Are you nervous now?" I smirked at her.

"Nah, I was only a little nervous cuz I hate crowds. Now? I'm good until I at least face a member of my gang." Mars gazed at me with a small smile, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Arrogance is an ugly look for you."

"The difference between arrogance and confidence is the ability to back your claims up. Call me arrogant if I lose," I dismissed. She snorted as I started walking away.

"Always a rebuttal with you."

"Course. I'm very prepared."

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to day 2 of the Indigo Conference! Are you ready for the first match on the Rocky Field?!" The roaring crowd made Mars jump, but I had quickly grown used to it.

"This will be a one-on-one match to decide who will advance through the Preliminaries! On the red side, hailing from Viridian City, we have the impressive rookie, Silver!" I raised a brow because, with some of the cheering, I could hear a boo thrown in here and there. Heh, was I just easy to boo? I barely did anything! Maybe it was that interview I had... they did paint me as a pretty foul guy. Oh, wait, I was.

"On the green side, hailing from Celadon City, we have veteran Trainer Robb!" Trainer Robb was glaring at me, prompting me to raise a brow.

"Got a problem?" I asked, more out of habit than actual care. Robb huffed.

"Got a problem? You bet I have a problem! Today's the day I get my revenge! I've been training for this moment!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, what's this?! It seems Trainer Robb and Silver have a history with one another! A rivalry, perhaps?!" the announcer shouted. I craned my head in confusion.

"Who are you?" I asked bluntly. At once, an awkward silence filled the stadium. Robb stared at me with wide eyes.

"You... don't remember me?" he asked slowly. I scratched my head.

"Can't say I do, Bob."

"Ouch, that's gotta sting!" Bob flushed in embarrassment.

"That's not my name!"

"Trainer Robb will release his pokemon first."

"My name is Robb! Cinccino, I choose you!" I watched with a curious brow as the pokemon was revealed. Cinccino let out a cute cry, a fierce look on its adorable face... that immediately vanished as I revealed its opponent.

"Oberon," I muttered. Oberon let out an intimidating roar upon arrival. His shaggy fur stood on end, thickness enhancing his size and giving him a far more intimidating look. Compared to the tiny Cinccino, Oberon looked like a living giant.

"Both contestants are set! Cinccino vs Ursaring! Begin!"

"Bullet Seed!" Robb shouted immediately. Cinccino let out a battle cry, firing off a barrage of seeds at Oberon. They soared through the air, aiming true.

"Swift," I countered easily, eyes narrowed in contemplation. From what I knew, this Cinccino had Skill Link; it wouldn't stop at a few barrages of those seeds. It would fire a salvo of five every time. Oberon's control over Swift wasn't enough to enable his ability to match that, evidenced by the fact that the last two salvos met their target. Oberon rumbled in annoyance, glaring harshly at the wary Cinccino.

"Keep it up! Now try Rock Blast!" Robb pressed, a grin on his face.

"Hm... Rock Tomb. Mow them," I replied. As Cinccino began firing a bullet of Rocks next, it squeaked in distress as a single giant boulder nearly crushed it to the pavement. It utilized its impressive speed to evade the attack, prompting Oberon to growl in annoyance.

"Scary Face, get close." Robb's eyes widened in horror.

"Don't let it get close! Keep your distance with Sing!" Cinccino sang a single tune before its voice cracked as Oberon let out a furious roar, glaring at the tiny thing. It stood frozen as my Ursaring charged with less than friendly intent, only for it to lose its footing as the ground rumbled from the effects of Bulldoze.

"Charm!" Robb shouted desperately. Oberon faltered ever so slightly as Cinccino looked up at him with fat, adorable eyes. Oberon was weak to stuff like that, so he slowed down just enough for the mouse to scramble away.

"Now push your advantage with Tail Slap!" I pursed my lips as Cinccino hesitantly rushed Oberon, delivering a slap with its long, fluffy tail. Oberon snarled in annoyance, swiping weakly at his opponent as they repeatedly slapped at them.

"Oberon... I know it's adorable, but please hit that fucking rat. Brick Break," I instructed.

"Huh?" Robb said slowly, only for his jaw to go slack at the next chain of events. Oberon sighed sadly before clenching one of his paws. It bulged up, and right as Cinccino dove in to deliver another slap, my Ursaring crashed it into the poor thing's face. Even I winced back at the speed the Cinccino flew backwards at. It looked like it had been hit by a speeding bullet train, the body flying through the air like it had been gifted flight. The pokemon didn't even hit the floor.

Its flight was halted by one of the large boulders of the Rocky Field. A devastating crashing noise filled the mostly hushed arena, and I watched Cinccino's body fall flat to the ground. Much to my surprise, the little thing valiantly pulled itself up...

"Earthquake... make it gentle," I said mercifully. Oberon at least looked thankful for that. The poor Cinccino didn't even activate his bloodlust beyond the attempt to put him to sleep. He weakly stamped the ground, causing a weak shuddering that tumbled the chinchilla over. It did not get up.

"Cinccino is unable to battle, which means that Ursaring and Silver win!"

"Incredible! What a decisive match by Trainer Silver!" I snorted a little at that, returning the apologetic Oberon.

"No, Cinccino!" Robb cried out, clutching his little mouse.

"Better luck next time, Bob," I waved, turning on a dime. Mars looked impressed.

"You made that look easy," she noted in awe.

"There's a reason I forgot that guy," I drawled. She shook her head with a short laugh.

"Unreal." I huffed in my own amusement.

"I finished my round pretty early today. What do you wanna do?" Mars hummed in contemplation. She was very spoiled these days, mostly from Lorelei... but I wouldn't say I was guiltless myself. It was kind of easy to do it.

"Let's walk around a bit. Janine should be here, so maybe she can visit?" she mused. I rolled my eyes.

"No idea how you get along with ninja girl."

"Our mutual hatred of you."

"Keep in mind that she's not here to protect you."

"..." As Mars and I traversed the Plateau, we were stopped by a voice shouting my name.

"Silver, one moment please!" Mars resisted the urge to laugh as I groaned loudly. We both turned in unison to see a brown haired girl approaching us.

"Wow, this one's cute," Mars whispered mockingly.

"You never shut up, do you?" I retorted, watching the girl with a small frown. She panted slightly after reaching us. Her face was flushed, which evidently meant she wasn't the most athletic around. My brain tingled ever so slightly. I knew this girl... she was the one from that Poketech place?

"I had a feeling you would be here," she panted, pushing herself up and attempting to regain any sense of regality she still had.

"Strong feeling. What was your name again?" I asked bluntly. She looked a little stricken by that before recovering fairly quickly.

"Giselle," she informed us, standing straight. I nodded.

"The one from Poketech. I heard you left that place after our battle."

"I did... your words gave me much to think about, so I traversed the Kanto region and actually collected badges. It was fun," she admitted. I snorted in amusement.

"Good for you. Seeing as you're here regardless, I'd say it went well for you." Giselle smiled confidently.

"It did! This was far more effective than Poketech, I'll admit. But I still have to pay you back for our last battle." There was a competitiveness to her voice, something that made me fully gauge her.

"I'm a little stronger than last time we met," was all I said.

"I'll be the judge of that!" she preened. Her expression quickly shifted, sobering slightly.

"Tell me, have you seen a boy named Mason anywhere? He mentioned knowing you." I paused at that.

"Mason? You know him?" She nodded.

"I encountered him during my journeys, and he caught my attention... I struggled to see how someone as weak as him managed to receive aid from you, because our first battle ended up with me handily winning." Giselle idly flicked her long hair behind her shoulder.

"But the more we battled, the more he improved. Why, around the time we both had 7 badges, he actually managed to defeat me! His Charizard is fierce, a drive in her eyes that tells me she's looking at a larger target." I was impressed by that. Mason had reached 7 badges, and he managed to beat Giselle here?

"You're saying he hasn't shown up?" I wondered. Giselle shook her head with a small frown.

"With his trajectory, I expected him to get his next two badges rather easily. He is my rival, so I wished to encounter him in the League where we could finally decide who is better. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem he's made it..." I grunted.

"He's a little hopeless, but I expected to see him here. I'll ask his sponsor about it after the tournament to see if he just decided to skip out on it," I mused. Giselle nodded.

"Might you write down my number in the process? I'd like it if you informed me," she smiled. I tilted my head, nodding in agreement.

"Sure. I'll let you know." At the very least, I could do that since she was so worried about the guy. She practically glowed at my acceptance, smiling mysteriously at me before turning on a dime.

"Perfect! I hope to see you in battle!" I grunted, only to blink at the sound of Mars chuckling.

"What?" I muttered to her. My twin shook her head in amusement.

"You're insanely oblivious. C'mon, I'm hungry."

"What the fuck does that mean? How am I oblivious?"

"What a convincing victory from Trainer Leaf! The battle was over before it could even start! She's bulldozing the competition!" Green took a deep breath, pocketing her ball with a small frown. The roaring of the crowd at her victory was mere background noise to her.

"I could have ended that even faster. This guy was so weak... but no, it's better to keep some cards to myself, even if the gang won't be scouting," she thought to herself. She paid no attention to the person whom she defeated, promptly turning on a dime and walking off.

"Hello, Trainer Green! Do you mind staying a little longer so we can interview you?"

"Sorry, no. I'm busy," Green denied promptly, blowing off the surprised anchors. She didn't wait to see their reactions. The girl brushed past them easily, already thinking about the next battle. Green was snapped out of her musings, a yelp of surprise escaping her as she was abruptly pulled into a tight hug.

"Green, I missed you so much!" Jasmine cheered, scooping her up easily. The Kanto native flailed slightly before her heart warmed immensely.

"Jas!" Green cried, hugging her tightly. The two exchanged a heartfelt embrace, taking in the other's presence with a sense of relief. Jasmine sniffed.

"I watched your battle! You did so well!" she cheered. Green smiled slightly.

"I could do better. I have to do better to win this whole thing!" she exclaimed. The gym leader giggled.

"All of you are so serious about winning this conference... Let me guess, none of you are scouting the others?" Green blushed.

"You know us too well, Jas. It's kinda scary," she mumbled, sinking into one of her best friends with a sigh. Jasmine flushed at that, but tucked Green in easily.

"Let's go out to eat, just the two of us," Jasmine decided. Green mulled it over and nodded.

"Alright, Jas! Lead the way!" Despite saying that, Green took charge and immediately rushed away. She missed the concerned look Jasmine shot her.

"Your gang's pretty cool," Mars remarked, picking some fries off my plate.

"Think so? I think all of them are dorks," I mused, picking a nugget off of hers. My twin and I were in a booth, sitting right next to each other as we ate at a fast-food joint.

"But that's like your way of saying they're cool too. Getting a compliment outta you is impossible," Mars remarked, taking even more fries after deciding they were delicious. I eyed her.

"Whatever. I'd rather you talk to them than that stupid idiot Janine." Mars snorted.

"Not a chance. I like Janine." All she got was a scoff from me.

"What are you doing here?" Mars and I both stopped talking at the abrupt question. I raised a brow, turning towards the offender who asked me that.

"... Oh, you're the ones from New Island," I noted, gauging all 3 with a tilt of my head. I watched them flinch back horribly. Tremors raked through their bodies, sweat forming at admirable speeds.

"What do you want?" I asked eventually. The big one, the one I kicked, clenched his fist.

"You shouldn't be here, you little freak," he spat out bitterly.

"Fergus!" the girl immediately shouted, a nervous expression on her face. A scowl immediately formed on Mars' face, but I easily held her back.

"I prefer the term monster. Freak is a title that belongs to someone else," I replied coolly, staring at them with an unfazed look. The one who got brutally attacked by Mewtwo stepped up.

"You need to drop out... After all the damage you did to Kanto, you've got no right to participate in something like this," he said bluntly.

"Lemme guess, you'll blackmail me to ensure this happens, right?" I drawled.

"Yeah, that's right!" Fergus barked.

"Who the fuck do these dweebs think they are?!" Mars snarled, eyes narrowed. The one named Fergus gazed at Mars, a flash appearing on his face.

"Oh, look, someone who looks like you. I bet this freaks a clone too, just like all our pokemon!" Fergus scowled. My neutral expression immediately vanished at that. I watched the three taller humans step back at the sight of me standing up.

"Listen and listen well, you pathetic sacks of shit," I said lowly, staring a hole into all three at once.

"You're only alive because of me. The three of you useless trainers did nothing but impede me, and despite that, I still saved your worthless lives." They stepped back even further, sweat dropping at my thunderous expression. I snarled at them.

"None of you mean anything to me; I don't even know your names. So do me a favor, fuck off out of my sight, and shove your problems up each other's asses. If you want me out of the tournament, kick me out of the tournament." I reached into my pockets and pulled out my pokedex.

"Oh, and if you reveal what you know, I'll reveal that you willingly agreed to blackmail me. Let's see how the world reacts when 3 teenagers are exposed for blackmailing Lorelei's nephew." They paled at once before noticing the number of eyes on our altercation. I stared at them.

"Get the fuck out of my sight before I really cause a scene. Trust me, you won't win that war," I said coldly, turning away with a small scowl. What a way to ruin my appetite. The useless trainers flinched back, rushing away in embarrassment.

"Pray you don't encounter me here. You'll feel more than just embarrassed," I warned them.

"Assholes," Mars grumbled, pushing her plate away with a scowl. I huffed.

"You alright?" I asked softly. My twin stared incredulously at me.

"I should be asking you that. You told me about all that stuff... I can't believe they'd blame you for it," she practically hissed. I exhaled.

"Easy to blame the easier target. It's either me or our god of a little brother... and my little brother didn't leave a better impression than I did." Mars huffed.

"Well, maybe he needs to leave another. He's our brother, right? Let me talk to him." All she got was a snort from me.

"And let you sick him on some humans? He's trying to better himself, Mars." She shrugged.

"I tried." I watched her expression sober up before my twin surprisingly pulled me into a hug.

"Thanks for defending me. I know you were gonna mess with them until they made that comment," she muttered, releasing it as quickly as it came. My gaze softened ever so slightly.

"Course. I won't let anyone bully you. That's my job and my job only." She bared her teeth at me.

"Shut up, dumbass."

"Nah." It was my final match of the Preliminaries. As long as I win this, I'd be moving to the Top 64.

"Welcome to the final day of the Preliminaries! Are you ready to find out who is advancing to Top 64?!" I completely zoned out the announcer this time around, standing on the red side with a bored expression. Mars was sitting on the bench from behind, leaning forward in slight anticipation. Across from me was what looked like a gardener. They were staring at me with what looked like acceptance, prompting me to tilt my head. He was likely reacting like that because we were battling on the Ice Field today.

Considering he was in a gardener's outfit, I hazarded a guess that he was a grass specialist. I know, super fucked up of you, Silver, to just assume something like that... but yeah, I was still going to assume it. I was 12... I could probably use that as an excuse.

"This will be a one-on-one match to decide who will advance through the Preliminaries! On the red side, hailing from Viridian City, we have the blazing rookie Silver, and on the green side, hailing from Verdanturf Town, we have Trainer Ruben!" Ruben waved at the crowd, interacting more with them than I had in my last three matches alone. I had no interest in playing up a crowd or anything like that, something that they seemed to pick up on because they seemed to find joy in booing me. Heh, it was kind of funny.

I didn't mind being the heel. I seemed to be a natural one even without my desire to speak to them.

"Trainer Ruben will release first!" Ruben took a deep breath, grabbed one of his Poke Balls, and threw it forward.

"Help me out here, Breloom!" I watched with interest as the Breloom popped out of the ball with a fierce cry. It hissed at the sharp temperatures before bouncing around to try to get some heat going. I mulled over my choices.

"Achlys," I eventually decided. As my Sneasel materialized, a hush fell over the arena. Achlys looked mildly confused, but I gave her the rundown of what to expect. She was a good little soldier, just accepting my words with a serious and adorable expression. Finally, the silence was broken by the announcer.

"I'VE NEVER SEEN A SNEASEL LIKE THIS! A SHINY VARIANT, PERHAPS?!" Achlys jumped at the screeching of the crowd, swiveling her head with an owlish expression. All around, I could hear things like "what is that?!" or "holy shit!", but not a single person was left unfazed.

"Trainer Silver is a trainer with many exotic pokemon, and he continues to prove that by showing a never-before-seen Sneasel! What more can we expect from this incredible rookie?!" The announcer gaped, trying to say that as professionally as possible. I expected that, but that didn't make it any less annoying. Attention on me was going to skyrocket now, so it was a good thing I got those Meta Pods. Oh well, I knew this was a possibility, but hiding Achlys wasn't something I was interested in.

She wanted to be stronger, so I'd help her.

"What...?" Ruben trailed off, eyes wide in disbelief. I offered him no respite, gaze trained on Achlys.

"B-Both contestants are set! Breloom vs... Sneasel?" The ref trailed off before shaking his head.

"Begin!"

"Spore!" Ruben announced immediately. I rolled my eyes.

"Avoid that Achlys, follow it up with Taunt." Achlys hissed, utterly unfazed by the sharp temperature drop, unlike the Breloom. She skated on the ice, avoiding the green cloud that would have immediately sent her to sleep. Then, Achlys turned on a dime and mockingly waved her tail feathers at the Breloom. I watched the grass type gain a visibly annoyed look.

"Why does it know Taunt too?!" the gardener complained.

"Because I know your tricks," I replied easily. A startlingly small number of people used Taunt. I was genuinely surprised because that move was fairly absurd. It had a time limit, of course, and higher-level pokemon could resist it to some degree, but regardless... I imagine after this tournament, a lot more people would be spamming Taunt... and a lot more trainers would be training their pokemon to resist it. Oh well. It wouldn't be the end of the world if that happened.

"Quick Attack, Achlys," I instructed. She dashed across the field quickly, reaching Breloom's position at impressive speeds. She wasn't close to being my fastest mon yet, something that would eventually come true as she caught up to them, but Achlys was still pretty damn fast. Eventually, she would reign supreme as my fastest pokemon, but for now, she still had time to play catch-up.

"Force Palm, Breloom! It's still a Sneasel!" Ruben ordered. Breloom hissed and shot its short arm forward, the appendage stretching to catch Achlys. My Sneasel was a little too quick, however, maneuvering just barely out of the way.

"Poison Jab." Achlys hissed, lunging forward as poison began seeping off her claws.

"Poison Jab?!" Ruben shouted in surprise, right as she connected solidly with Breloom's face. The grass type squealed, skidding backwards slightly at the super effective attack. I smirked and immediately pressed my advantage.

"Quick Attack again. Get behind it," I muttered. Achlys dashed off in a white sheen, positioning herself behind Breloom.

"Turn around, Breloom!" Breloom whirled around—"Toxic." —Only to wail as a glob of noxious sludge splashed on its face.

"Is it a poison type?!" I smiled.

"Get 'em, girl." Figuring out what moves Achlys could learn had been a bit of a task... so I improvised a bit. For the time being, we wouldn't struggle to find out what moves she could learn... we'd just use her base capabilities. Achlys lunged, claws glowing purple with the effects of Poison Jab. As Breloom scrubbed fruitlessly at its face, Achlys closed the distance and did a quick jab directly onto its sternum. It flailed about, stepping back and crying out again as my Sneasel pressed her advantage.

Seems Achlys really was a Sneasel at heart. She was eyeing this Breloom like it was food. There was a grace to her movement, no doubt because of her fighting type, but that grace was incredibly deadly when every hit was poisonous. I noticed that, compared to her brother, Achlys had a significantly greater amount of poison in her claws than he did. On the contrary, he seemed to shed his poison, relying more on his fighting type. As a result, he seemed naturally faster than her. Little things like that were cool.

"Keep up the advantage, Achlys," I muttered. Achlys nodded and took a step, only for her to yowl as burns suddenly appeared on her fur. My brows furrowed at that before I deduced that Effect Spore had taken effect. Hm...

"Achlys, back up to me."

"Not so fast! Mach Punch!" Breloom blearily opened its eyes, toxin coursing through its body. I was at least confident in it not having Poison Heal, but Effect Spore was slightly troublesome. The little kangaroo rocketed across the field, tumbling slightly from the poison, but powering through. As Achlys stepped away, her burn flared, and she hissed, leaving herself open to the Mach Punch. It landed solidly on her gut, sending her flying backwards due to the size difference.

Achlys let out a strangled noise, venom entering her eyes as she caught herself. The move didn't do much damage, but the burns would become a problem. Thankfully, Breloom was suffering under the effects of Toxic. In a game of stalling, Toxic would always win out. Ruben evidently realized that.

"Keep up the pressure, Breloom! Use Mega Drain!" Breloom cried out, shooting out both its stretchy arms to grab at my Sneasel. Considering the state of its eyes, that was an incredibly tall task. Achlys weaved the first hand, but the second one brushed against her, draining her slightly before she immediately disentangled from it. She hissed as her burns flared.

"Not enough... you'll need to catch it! Seed Bomb, just throw it anywhere!"

"Dodge to the best of your ability, Achlys," I advised, eyes narrowed as my head racked with a plan. Achlys hissed frantically, backing away from the grass artillery. One clipped her, launching her backwards, and Ruben's eyes glowed.

"Mach Punch!" He roared. Breloom let out a fierce roar, launching itself forward. Purple coursed through its body, but the Mach Punch carried it forward at impressive speeds. As it lunged forward, my eyes flashed.

"Quick Guard!" I demanded. Ruben's eyes widened in disbelief as Breloom crashed into a red shield conjured by Achlys at the last moment. The grass type cried out at the failure, its body coursing with poison as it threatened to collapse.

"Don't let up, Breloom! Let's finish this with Brick Break!" Breloom mustered up the last dredges of its strength and lunged forward. I smiled.

"Counter." Achlys yowled in approval, glowing as she parried the punch with one of her claws. I watched her fly back from the force despite that, before she growled in determination. Blood filled my Sneasel's eye as she rocketed forward, body glowing with the power of a Brick Break and then some.

"Oh no, Breloom! Get outta there!" Ruben cried out desperately. Unfortunately, Breloom was spent. The poison brought it down to its knees, energy draining rapidly. Achlys did not care. She lunged with a violent and tired gleam, a sharp smile on her face as she delivered a devastating blow. The power behind the counter was more than her little body possessed because the Breloom was lifted clean off the ground.

Its body rocketed backward at impressive speeds before it pivoted downward, sliding against the icy ground until it finally stopped.

"Breloom is unable to battle, which means Silver and Sneasel are the victors of this match!" the referee announced. Achlys jumped at the deafening roar. She glanced around wildly before darting to my side. I idly lifted her, smiling as she sagged into my body. Her arms looped around my neck, and I just left her there, letting her doze off after a quick spray of Burn Heal.

"STUNNING! AMAZING! What have we just witnessed?! Trainer Silver continues to surprise us, and this may be the biggest one yet! A poison-type Sneasel?! We've never seen such a thing!"

"They sound kind of feral!" Mars raised her voice to be heard, the crowd roaring in equal measures confusion and excitement.

"Let's get outta here," I murmured, dragging her by the arm. The two of us were stopped, however, by the expectant anchors waiting for us. Funnily enough, they were the same ones who interviewed me the first day I got here.

"Hello, Trainer Silver!" the woman greeted cheerfully.

"Did they send you because you interviewed me already?" I asked dully, brushing past her with Mars following me. Expectantly, I was followed by both the woman and the cameraman.

"We were told that you'd accept an interview after qualifying for the Top 64!"

"And I guess they sent you because you actually got answers out of me last time," I drawled. She nodded eagerly, prompting me to roll my eyes.

"Okay. You know the deal then," I mused, running a hand against the sleeping Achlys.

"Right! This is Anchorwoman Lydia, and we're here for a rare interview with the #1 Rookie of the year, Trainer Silver! Tell me, how are you feeling after these three impressive victories in the Preliminaries? You've blown away your expectations so far with such convincing victories!" I mulled over the question.

"I'm expected to be able to do this much, aren't I?" I replied. She tilted her head.

"What do you mean?" A shrug.

"As the #1 rookie, this is the least that's expected of me, right? Why are you acting surprised that I'm showing exactly what I'm capable of?" I said matter-of-factly.

"Why... it would be a little disappointing if you lost here," she admitted. I snorted.

"I didn't ask any of you to place such unnecessary expectations on me. You wanna see how far I can make it for your own selfish reasons, but because I have my own agendas, I'll allow it." I waved them off with a tiny exhale. Lydia looked distinctly uncomfortable at my words, causing me to smile slightly. If they were going to get an interview out of me, I may as well enjoy it.

"Um... right! I would ask about your Sneasel, but I get the feeling you will strike me," she mumbled.

"You don't know that for sure," I chided. She perked up.

"Oh, then will you tell us about your Sneasel?!" she asked excitedly.

"No. Strike 1." She deflated immediately; Mars laughed loudly.

"I've got no interest in talking about my team mid-tournament. Are you new?" I scolded, adjusting Achlys as I did so. The anchorwoman had the decency to look embarrassed before hastily latching onto the next thing.

"My sincerest apologies, trainer Silver... but does that mean you'll tell us about it after the tournament?" She squeaked at my flat glare.

"Strike 2?" she asked hesitantly.

"Should be strike 3 for asking me if it was strike 2," I warned her. Lydia laughed nervously.

"You are the most unique person we've ever interviewed... which makes it all the more strange to see that there seems to be someone who bears a striking resemblance! Could you tell us who this young lady is?" she asked kindly. Mars blinked, shooting me a questioning look. I didn't acknowledge her stare.

"That was a good segue. This is Mars, my twin. Leave her alone, or I'll get belligerent," I said easily. The interviewer nodded hastily.

"W-Well, I think this is a good place to wrap up our interview! Is there anything you'd like to say before we end?" she asked.

"Hm... to the people booing me, I'm going to need you to be a little louder. I can barely hear you over all the cheering, and I've been kind of enjoying it." I ignored the stunned look on her face, tugging Mars so that we could leave.

"You know... for such a dick, you're super sweet," Mars mumbled, keeping pace with me. I shot her a look.

"We're twins, aren't we? As long as you stick with me, we'll be a proper family. You, me, and Aunt," I said firmly. Mars stared at me, a small smile on her face.

"Right, you may be a super annoying twin, but you're my super annoying twin," she decided.

"That's the way. Now c'mon... let's get back to my room quick." Cynthia gazed at the footage in visible excitement. The Sinnoh League had long ended, the winner being a young boy named Aaron who had used it to qualify for the Elite 4, so she was currently watching the others on the side while conducting significant research. But currently, there was news making the waves about a new variation of Sneasel being discovered!

The moment Cynthia heard such a thing, she halted her research, not like she was making much progress, and immediately turned on the news. It was there she saw something that made her gaze sparkle. The one controlling the Sneasel was a boy with windswept red hair. He had a controlled expression on his face and the most striking set of silver eyes she had ever seen. They were close in color to her own gray, but with far more luster!

"Fascinating," she murmured, watching the Sneasel move about. By the looks of it, the Sneasel was not only a poison type, but a fighting type as well. It moved with grace befitting of one. A Sneasel with the poison fighting type? Cynthia hadn't quite heard of such a thing before... but there was a nagging sensation in the back of her mind telling her that it sounded familiar. Cynthia would have to rummage through her old books. She was sure she had heard something about a Sneasel like this.

How did a trainer have a Sneasel like this? A quick search revealed that this boy was named Silver, a first-year trainer who was considered the #1 Rookie... Cynthia's eyes widened in awe as she gazed at his team.

"A Milotic?!" she shouted in surprise. Her shock was answered by a questioning croon, her own Milotic peeking out of her pool to regard her. Cynthia shook her head with a small smile.

"Not you, Milotic... another trainer with one." This Silver had a ridiculous array of pokemon. The Milotic was just the beginning; he also had a Metagross, a Salamence, a Charcadet, and a Zoroark.

"What an interesting trainer I've discovered," she murmured. He wasn't someone who just skated by with powerful pokemon as well. There was a strategy to him... Cynthia could tell that the Sneasel he used was a newer member of his team. They had a surprising amount of synergy, but there was still work that could be done with them. Before Cynthia even realized it, she had watched most of his recorded battles, along with the two interviews he had. He was rather funny! Cynthia nodded to herself.

After she finished conducting her research, she'd find the time to visit and glean Silver's mind. His team was far too interesting for her to write the Sneasel off as a coincidence. That was a boy brimming with some form of knowledge; she could see it in the way he held himself and spoke. Silver... what an interesting person! Perhaps she could put a bookmark on this research earlier than she intended.

"What did you normally intend?" Lucario questioned, gazing at the trainer with a narrow gaze.

"A few months?" Cynthia listed, turning away from the trainer to rummage through enough notes to make a historian faint. For a long time, Cynthia had been aware that there was a legend in Sinnoh being carefully scrubbed out of the annals of history. Giratina, the Renegade. Information on it was terribly scarce, to the point where most people doubted it existed... It was spoken about in tales, a literal legend...

But Cynthia was sure it existed, and she was sure it had to do with that strange encounter she had recently had. It was her ultimate goal as an archaeologist... to prove that the Renegade existed. So, she would find that strange individual who had prevented her from being killed and see what they knew. Lucario stared at his trainer with a frown.

"You require a break. Go make food, and spend your time watching this event." Cynthia glanced up, red-rimmed eyes brimming in confusion.

"He's interesting, but I'll hold off on meeting him. I'd rather continue my notes." Lucario's eyes narrowed.

"Break, now. Else, I will call Garchomp for assistance." Cynthia exhaled.

"Fine, I'll take a small break then. When was the last time I ate?"

"6 hours ago."

"Improvement," she muttered, pushing herself up. Her research wasn't going anywhere... and she was interested in a trainer capable of having a Milotic and a never-before-seen Sneasel. She would definitely need to find time to speak to Trainer Silver. She wondered what thoughts that aloof gaze of his held. There was definitely more to it than meets the eye, because not any trainer could evolve a Feebas. Bonus!

"I'm bored," Green sighed, splaying her legs on the couch as she ate from a pack of Staryuburst.

"We're all done for the day with battles. Wanna do something?" Gold mused, popsicle in his mouth as he cycled through the TV. I glanced up, ignoring Green's legs slung over my own.

"I'm not interested in leaving here."

"I'd prefer to stay in here as well," Crystal added, sitting next to Mars and letting my twin mess with her hair. Right now, the twin tails were wrapped in a simple ponytail, no longer sticking up awkwardly because I really did make fun of it too much.

"Is that one show on? Proteam Omega?" I questioned Gold, exchanging some Skitties with Green for a Staryuburst. Gold rolled his eyes, leaning over and taking some skitties as well..

"No, it isn't." I grunted, drinking from my gyararade.

"I'm out of ideas."

"I'm so surprised," Gold drawled before his eyes suddenly lit up.

"You guys wanna play a game?" We all perked up at the suggestion.

"Is it one of those fighting games?" I asked with narrowed eyes. Gold shook his head.

"Nah, something a lot more chill. Ever heard of Pokemon Party?" Pokemon Party? Was that like this world's equivalent of Mario Party? While I shook my head, Green and Crystal perked up.

"Oh, you have it?!" she asked in excitement. Gold grinned.

"Yeah, I do! I bought the Rotom Deck! Super discounted from Silph after they realized who I am! Did you guys know we have like a lifetime 50% off at all Silph Companies?" I blinked.

"I did not know that. I normally just steal everything."

"Silver," they all said in unison.

"My bad." 50% off was actually really good. Silph Co. was the leading company in the world, right next to Devon Corp. Huh... that would explain why my headphones were so cheap. I thought it was because of Lorelei.

"Silvy and I have special edition Rotom Switches! The shiny version from a friend named Bill!" Green exclaimed. Gold's eyes widened.

"No shit?!" he asked incredulously. Green nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! We've gotta all add each other so we can game online!" Crystal looked equally as excited.

"I guess that means I should buy a Rotom Deck as well." I shot her a look of concern.

"Will you be able to afford it? I bet I can extort some money out of Janine to get it for you." She twitched.

"Stop implying that I'm poor, Silver! I just have... not the best spending habits!" Gold snorted in amusement.

"So we're playing right?!" Green asked excitedly. Gold almost nodded, but a thoughtful expression made its way to his face.

"It's only 4 players; we can play Pokemon Kart instead if Mars wants to join," he offered. Mars shook her head.

"I've decided to work on Crystal's hair in earnest. Count me out. I'm gonna go get my gear," she decided, dashing off to my room.

"I'll buy you a Deck later!" I told her right before she vanished.

"I'll hold you to that!"

"I'll go get the system! I'm glad I thought to get so many controllers!" Gold grinned.

"We'll make snacks," I decided.

"Kay!" Green cheered.

"I'll help—" Crystal paused as Green and I shot her a pointed look.

"Just sit there and let Mars do your hair, Crys," I said kindly.

"Yeah! Wouldn't want it to get out of sorts!" Green said encouragingly. Crystal blinked dumbly, only to pout.

"You guys are so mean. I'm not that bad at cooking," she grumbled. We pat her head simultaneously.

"We know..."

"Stop bullying me!" Blue was surprised to find the entirety of Colors... along with Silver's clone, all in the lounging room. They sure made themselves at home here, utterly heedless of the fact that Gold and Silver had another roommate. Silver's clone, whom he was pretty sure was named Mars, perked up. She was focused intently on Crystal's hair, but seemed to notice his approach.

"Yo. Blue, right?" she greeted, causing the other 4 to perk up. Blue nodded warily, plastering a cocky smirk on his face.

"That's me. The one and only," he greeted. She gave him a strange look.

"Right... nice to meet ya. I'm Mars. Did you wanna watch them play? I get the feeling it's going to be free entertainment," she offered. The Oak nearly denied, not wanting to stay in proximity with Colors lest they completely infect him, but stopped as he heard the game loudly proclaim "Pokemon Party 7!"

"You guys are playing Pokemon Party? During the League?" he asked incredulously. Gold turned back.

"You've heard of it? Yeah, we are. We got nothin better to do." Crystal would have turned her head, but she was occupied with Mars.

"We've done our battles for the day, so we're just relaxing!" Blue snorted.

"I used to play 3 with Green and Ash at my house." Green nodded her head.

"Good times," she mused. Silver grunted.

"Pull up a chair and sit if you wanna watch then. We're just about to start."

"As dry and uninviting as ever," Blue thought with a roll of his eyes. Well, he had no more battles for the day... so he could afford to watch this. They looked surprised that he actually deigned to watch, but Crystal just smiled at him. He averted his gaze at that, focusing on the screen instead. The game had started normally enough. Green had obviously picked Eevee, Gold picked Aipom, Crystal selected Buneary, and Silver picked Teddiursa. They selected Ilex Forest as their map, and the game began.

Funnily enough, the first issue began as soon as it started.

"Bullshit," Silver groused, watching as his Teddiursa hit a 1 on the dice, signifying that he would be moving last.

"That's okay, Silver... you'll understand eventually," Crystal sighed, having hit a 5.

"Yay!" Green cheered, having rolled a 9.

"Better luck next time," Gold cackled, having rolled a 10. Silver twitched idly, but other than that... the game proceeded as normal. Blue noted that Silver didn't seem to understand how the game worked. Every time they entered a mini game, they went to practice mode and tested it out... but beyond that, once he seemed to get the hang of it, the redhead was surprisingly good at them. He and Crystal seemed to be performing the best, accumulating the most coins from minigames.

While Silver made idle complaints about his consistently low rolls on the dice, he was steadily amassing a healthy amount of coins... Meanwhile, Crystal had secured herself the first star, neither Green nor Gold having enough coins for it despite having reached it first. Everything went to hell the moment Gold got a star out of a hidden block.

"A hidden block?!" Silver snarled in disbelief, practically shooting up. Gold grinned cockily, even as his Aipom did a silly dance.

"What can I say? Some people have it, some people don't!" Silver scowled balefully.

"You're claiming that like you earned it?! Lose every single minigame until you get lucky?!" Gold put up a peace sign.

"Sorry, man, 3rd place must be hard to be in." Blue felt sympathy welling at the feral noise Silver let out. Ash and Green also had ridiculous luck in this game. The game slowly but surely escalated from there. It wasn't obvious, but Gold and Silver were growing more aggressive as the game went on. Never mind, it was incredibly obvious.

"Golden boy can't even win a minigame," Silver mocked, having claimed another victory. Once he found his stride, the redhead found out that he was almost unstoppable in minigames.

"I can't hear you over your 1 star to my 3!" Gold barked right back, glaring harshly at him.

"Oh yeah?" Silver sneered. Blue already knew all hell was about to break loose once Silver landed on the Duel Space and immediately selected Gold for all his coins. The duel went about as expected. Despite not having played the minigame before... Silver put on a clinic.

"Aww, imagine being named Gold and you have none." Gold's eye twitched madly, watching as all his coins were transferred over to Silver, who had a disastrously high amount. High enough that not a soul wanted to mess with him.

"Just you wait, asshole," he swore.

"I'm not waiting for shit!" Silver barked. Crystal began sweating slightly. She was in 2nd place right now, and she wisely stayed silent because Silver genuinely had too many coins. Her decision to do so paid off in dividends because Silver beelined it directly to Gengar. That's when true mayhem started, as Silver immediately spent 50 coins to steal Gold's star.

"Oh, that's it! It's so on, you bastard!" Gold snarled, eyes blazing as he glared wildly at the other male.

"Go fuck yourself! You wanna count on your luck, huh? Let's see how far that takes you with a target on your back!" Silver barked right back.

"I wonder if I can finally win against Gold with Silver hounding him like this," Crystal thought hopefully, staring at Green with an inquisitive look. While she was in last place, the girl definitely had the type of aura that let Crystal know some nonsense would happen to propel her to first. That oblivious and cheerful smile on her face was proof of it. She mulled it over and nodded to herself.

"Silver, I think we should ally with each other. You and I aren't as lucky, so it makes sense for now... then we can battle for first." Gold gawked at her.

"What the fuck?!" he hissed. Silver thought it over and nodded.

"Okay. I won't target you with my items, you won't target me with yours," he eventually decided. Mars gaped.

"Seriously? Crystal proposed an alliance?" she muttered, having finished Crystal's hair earlier. She was now watching the game, more entertained than she had any right to be at Silver and Gold's beef. Green laughed, totally at ease despite the obvious tension between the Johto Trio.

"Don't worry, Goldy! I won't go after you!" Gold twitched in disbelief.

"Oh, you guys just wait," he swore.

"This is getting a little serious, don't you think?" Mars asked in disbelief, watching the game ramp up.

"That's how this game always goes. It's as competitive as the most competitive person," Blue explained, thoroughly amused by Silver and Gold's ramping aggression.

"I thought they said it was a chill game?" the female redhead muttered.

"They lied so effortlessly, I'm impressed some goody two-shoes could do it," Blue snorted. Silver and Gold targeted each other with a level of vindictiveness that went beyond the purpose of the game, hurling insults the entire time as they sabotaged each other in every minigame... along with every turn. Crystal carefully evaded their wrath... if Silver was of a more sound mind, he'd realize that Crystal wasn't targeting anyone, just carefully grabbing her own stars while making sure Green got nothing.

Meanwhile, Green just cheerfully progressed across the map, unmindful of the fact that she was solidly in 4th. Near the end of the match, Gold and Silver both had 3 stars, Crystal had 4, and Green had 2... And all hell broke loose as Gold landed on a Chansey Time on the final turn.

"Alright! This is where it all turns around!" Gold grinned.

"Oh fuck me," Silver groaned. Crystal watched in anticipation.

"Please be coins. Please be coins." Blue watched visible veins form on Silver's face as Gold immediately landed on Teddiursa to give something away. Those veins became more pronounced as the middle option went to all his stars...

"Please be me. Please be me!" Crystal chanted. Gold had an eager gleam in his eyes.

"Here... we... go!" he shouted, pressing on the button immediately as he finished. He blinked in confusion as the final dice landed neatly on Eevee.

"Son of a fucking!" Silver snarled loudly.

"Damn," Gold muttered in disappointment. Crystal moaned and held her head.

"How does this always happen. I did everything I could too..." she mumbled.

"Wooo! That's me!" Green cheered in her seat, immediately jumping to first place as Silver gave all 3 of his stars away to her. Any hope of mounting a comeback ended as Green's good luck was followed up immediately by a hidden block giving her a star, putting her at 6. The 4 didn't even see Eevee's victory because Silver and Gold lunged at each other with venom in their eyes.

"I expected that," Mars sighed, shuffling away from her twin as he and Gold tried to kill each other.

"What the fuck's your problem! You gave the win to last place!" Silver roared.

"Maybe you shouldn't have targeted me so much!" Gold howled right back. The two tried to choke each other out, rolling on the floor as their competitive tempers boiled.

"Good game, Crystal!" Green beamed, pulling her into a tight hug. Crystal opened her mouth... and shut it. Green was simply too adorable.

"Good game... Green," she replied despondently.

"Pretty girl, redheaded dickhead!" Gold barked.

"Piss eyed dumbfuck!" Silver snarled.

"I knew this was going to happen," Crystal sighed. Green cackled proudly.

"I'm used to winning Pokemon Party! I've never lost!" Gold and Silver stopped simultaneously.

"You're taking that?" they asked soullessly. Green nodded obliviously.

"Obviously! I deserve it!"

"You were in last place all game," Silver said, a false and calm air surrounding him.

"I was playing the long game!" she replied easily.

"You didn't win because of anything you did," Gold responded, serenity floating off him.

"When two parties participate in a war, the third must wait for the opportune moment to strike," Green said wisely.

"That's what I did, not you," Crystal thought in disbelief. Silver and Gold stared at Green for a long time, pulling themselves up in unison. Green let out a strangled shriek as they lunged.

"Ah! S-Someone get these monsters off me! A pretty girl like me shouldn't be getting ganged up on like this!" she wailed. Crystal pinched her nose.

"I'm going to get a glass of water. That game made me sweaty."

"I'll come. It was super fun to watch, but I laughed too much," Mars decided. Blue watched the two vanish, then shifted his gaze to both Gold and Silver, ruining Green's already messy hair. That... had been really fun. He hardly even did anything, but that was the most fun he had in a long time.

"Oh man," he groaned to himself, holding his head.